No words really necessary today....

Missing these two......

What a wonderful 5 days with Celia and Dylan.....
:  )

What do I know? : )

I mistakenly called the Disney character that attended Audrey's birthday party "Ariel"....and, have since learned that she was "Jasmine" instead. I guess that I need to read up on my Disney characters!!----------------------------------- I am writing this as I am up in MD visiting with my son, daughter-in-law, and two precious grandkids! I am having lots of adventures and haven't stopped smiling since arriving yesterday. More to come.....

Ya gotta love this!

At Audrey's third birthday party on Saturday she had a surprise guest.....Disney's "Ariel".

 Not only must that have been a thrill for Audrey and her friends.....but, what about the dads that were at the party???!!

 Woo hoo.


 Ariel is a big step up from my generation's Minnie Mouse!
:  )

A day to honor "fathers"....

I have had such mixed feelings today...

On the one hand, I am so proud of my two boys who have turned into such incredibly loving and fun dads.  They are so deserving of this special day....and I feel good that they each spent the day with their beautiful families.

But, I have felt an emptiness in my heart because my dear father is no longer here to receive the appropriate attention from his four daughters....and, to be among the honored today.  I miss his presence so. 

To all of the wonderful, caring  fathers out there, I salute you today!

....hopelessly devoted to you....

Yes, this is my new love....or should I say,  my new sweet "additction"?

It is like eating smooth, creamy mint chocolate chip ice cream for only 100 calories a serving....and I love, love, love it!

Move aside  chocolate covered raisins...there's a new kid in town!
:  ) Mmmmmm.

Audrey!! Audrey!! Audrey!!

 

Today is your day to dance lightly with life,
sing wild songs of adventure,
invite rainbows and butterflies out to play,
soar your spirit, and unfurl your joy.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie


Dear Audrey,


How can it be that you turn THREE today????

Whether you are dressing up as Spiderman or all decked out as a Princess....you are uniquely YOU....and,   you make me smile, laugh, and feel incredible joy.


Word has it that Disney's Ariel is coming to your birthday party tomorrow!  I wish that I could see the look on your face when you see her.  I am hoping that Daddy will take lots of pictures!!


I miss you so very much and can't wait to fly up to visit soon! 


In the meantime, Happy, Happy Birthday to my precious, one-of-a-kind granddaughter.....wishing you all good things today and always.


I love you,
Grammie

You can't fight City Hall.....or, can you?

Last Friday huge trucks came rumbling down my street.  I watched as their machinery "chunked" up the existing road....getting it ready to be paved.  They left quite a mess of rocks and broken pieces of the street, but, knowing that it would soon be covered with fresh asphalt, I didn't get too concerned about it.

Driving on the street became quite hazardous to my car as I maneuvered my way through sharp rocks and debris.  This area of broken up road was pretty much my entire neighborhood. When I went out walking I heard many people express their dismay over this state of affairs.  Rumor had it that the new road would not be put into place until sometime next week.  The question was then.... why did they chunk it up so early in the process?

I finally decided to take matters into my own hands....and call up the "man in charge" of all of this at City Hall.  Of course, I got his answer machine and left a synopsis of my complaint.  I was kind, but firm....as I always go back to the saying: "You can catch more flies with sugar than you can with vinegar!".

I never really expected to hear back from him.

But, I did.

We had a lengthy conversation where he explained to me all of the reasons (excuses?) for the road not being paved until sometime later next week.  At one point my frustration level got a little high and I asked him if my city was going to pay for new tires for my car as well as an alignment?

After realizing that I wasn't really getting anywhere with this, I thanked him kindly for his time and for listening to my concerns. He apologized for the inconvenience and the call was ended.

A few hours later he called me back and let me know that he was working on getting the men out there before next week.  In my most "sugary" voice I thanked him and told him that would be wonderful.

Early this morning I was awakened to the "beep beep beep" sound of huge trucks making their way down my street.  I ran to the window and here is what I saw:

My road was being paved!!!!

I immediately called City Hall and left a glowing thank you message to the gentleman with whom I had spoken to yesterday!

Then, I went outside and personally thanked the men who were out there working and sweating to get this job done.

I never imagined that the sound of beeping would be so beautiful to my ears....

Free Hugs

While out shopping yesterday I came upon two young men (they looked to be about in their 20's) carrying a simple, handmade sign that said, "Free Hugs".

I had heard about this being done in other places so I approached them gingerly with arms outstretched to collect my hugs. (At this point, people who know me well are shaking their heads as they read this saying, "That sounds just like her to do that!")  : )  What can I tell you? I wouldn't ever pass up a chance for a free hug!

Anyway, I got my hugs.....we exchanged smiles....they thanked me....and, got ready to move on....when I noticed a small, worn cardboard box that one of the guys was holding.  It said "hugs for tornado victims" and there were a few bills and assorted amounts of change inside of it.

Being a (naive?) believer in the goodness in people...and, hoping that these funds were really going to the tornado victims, I reached for my wallet, pulled out a couple of dollars...and placed them in the box.

Small price to pay for a warm and friendly hug. : )

"Rainbow of Glazes" and some other stuff.

As I begin to make preparations for my Summer Pottery Classes, this is one of the projects on my "to do" list.  So that the women can see the variety of underglaze colors, I cut out clay circles, put a hole at the top (Thanks, Karen!), painted the underglaze on, fired it.....and finished up covering half of the circle with the clear, glossy overglaze.....firing it again...and, voila!  The names and numbers of each color are painted on the back.... I have strung them together with thin wire....and they are ready to go! Now ordering underglazes should be much easier!

As I laid them out, I had to go and get my camera as I thought that the beautiful shades of color made for a lovely rainbow.  It also made me think of all of the color choices that I now have as I get ready to get my hands in the clay again!   Ah.....

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As I sit posting today, I have a heating pad on my lower back and upper thigh.  I am "warming up" before getting on the treadmill for my morning walk.  Yes, my sciatica is certainly letting me know that it is there again!

Who said that getting older was all fun and games? : O

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Dave played in a "Scramble" Golf Tournament in Philadelphia, Mississippi  last weekend.(I am laughing to myself as I type out Mississippi while singing "M-I-double S---I---double S----I----double P----I"  the whole time! ....memories of childhood...).

Fortunately, his team of four came in first.

Unfortunately, his car didn't fare as well.

He ended up having to literally duct tape a crack in his radiator that was hissing as coolant made its way out causing the engine to overheat.

Duct tape??!?!

He also put in some kind of powder that he got at a gas station along the way home that supposedly would dissolve and adhere to the inside of the tank....stopping any leaks from the inside out.

Miraculously, he made it home safely without overheating his engine. 

Today it is in a Lexus shop being fixed.....but, as I sit here typing I can't help but wonder why he had duct tape in his car???? Hmmm.

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I am having so much fun buying some little "happy gifts" to take to Celia and Dylan when I head up there a week from this Thursday.  Dylan is having a little surgery and I am flying up to help out.

I cannnot wait to get up there and get my arms around those two.  I have only seen pictures of 6 month old Dylan....the last time I saw him was when he was just a few weeks old.....and, Celia and I Skype once in a while.....but, nothing is the same as being there up close and personal!!!

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Dave and I had the arduous task of opening up my backyard pool on Sunday afternoon.  This is a long process that takes a little skill and tons of  patience!

The first thing is to remove the cover, rinse it off, fold it up neatly....and, put it away until the weather begins to get cool again later on this year.  Dave has this part down to a science.  How he gets that huge, heavy duty cover into a small folded up rectangle is beyond me....but, he does! I am a lucky woman, aren't I?

The next step is to vacuum the debris that has collected throughout the fall and winter months.  This should be easy....but, is really isn't.

You have to connect the pieces and then (here is the hard part) lower the tubing into the pool and get all of the air out of it (this is called 'priming') as it fills with water. It is an important step in that you don't want to fool with air in the line. Sounds easy, eh?

Well, again this year, I sat and watched several instructional videos online of  in-ground pool vacuuming demonstrations.  Taking that "knowledge" with me and applying it to the task is a whole 'nother thing.

Dave held the telescoping pole in the deep end of the pool while I took the other end of the tubing and held it underwater where there is forceful water entering.  This should begin to fill the tubing while pushing all of the air out and through the head of the vacuum.  According to the videos, you know that this is working because you can see tons of bubbles starting to rise from the bottom of the pool where the head is sitting.

Well, we waiting and waited....no bubbles.

So, we switched positions and tried again.

No bubbles.

Dave even got the garden hose out and tried to fill it that way. 

No bubbles.

Bottom line is....we eventually just hooked everything up and began to vacuum and it worked just fine.

I'm still not sure what we did, but, bubbles or not, it worked.

Anybody want to come over and swim?  : )
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OK.  The heat on my back has done the trick and I am ready to begin to move this body of mine on the treadmill.  I'll watch a little Regis and Kelly as I get my two mile walk completed in the cool air-conditioning.

This is a whole lot easier than vacuuming the pool.

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Have a nice day, all!

"So, what's new at "The Home"? I asked Mom yesterday....

"Oh, not much...." she answered.

And, then she began to tell me stories....and more stories....and more.....

I absolutely love hearing every little detail of her latest escapades...it always makes me laugh as her tales go in one direction and then quickly switch to another and another until I am now hearing 5 or 6 other little stories.....each of them a "spin-off" from the original.

"Now, what was I telling you?" she'll ask, as her own diverging stories have made her forget  where we started.

Sometimes she even throws in a "to make a long story short"....here and there....which really gets me chuckling....especially as the tales get longer and longer.

But, she has my complete attention.

For, as I listen to her share her world with me long distance....I continually count my blessings for having my mom in my life....and,  I put these stories away in my heart along with my other treasures.

xoxo

I had mixed feelings as I watched the men carrying my old bed to their truck today....

That bed carried a lot of old memories with it.  Some great....like having my grandkids jumping up and down on it the last time they visited....and, some, not as great....like having it there to remind me of my "aloneness" after my divorce was final........But, mostly, it is joyous as my grown kids always love getting all cozy in my bed when they come home.....as we watch tv together....or, just talk and laugh about everything and nothing.... : )

But, knowing that these men were going to be donating my mattress, box springs, and frame to a needy family affected by the recent tornado outbreak made my heart smile.

I am hopeful that it might be a small part of the beginning of someone's road to rebuilding after the tragic storms....and, a soft spot to land on when their days are tough....a beginning of new memories.

I wish all of the tornado survivors only good things as they put their lives back together piece by piece...

I know that it will take a lot more than just a bed....but, it is a start.

I couldn't wait to get into my bed last night!

Now that I have your attention......ha!

Actually, the truth is, I just bought a brand new bed and it was delivered yesterday.

All day long I was filled with the excitement and anticipation of having an incredibly wonderful night's sleep on my brand new Simmon's mattress and boxspring.  Ever since my sciatica has been acting up, I have come to the realization that my very old bed was just that....very old.  It was saggy where it shouldn't have been, and, even though it was certainly soft and squishy to sleep on...it probably wasn't doing much good for my back!

I did a little research and found out that a nice firm mattress would probably be the best bet....so, off I went to begin to test it all out.  I laid down on quite a few beds....and, then took Dave back with me to see what he thought.  Unfortunately, he seemed to like the "plush" side of the beds while I favored the "firmer" side.  Both had a pillow top so I figure that would help with the firmness.

So, the Simmon's firm /pillow top won out.

When I woke up this morning, I expected all of my aches and pains to be miraculously gone after sleeping on my brand new (and, expensive) mattress.

But, I still had my usual aches and pains when I woke up.  What was I thinking?

Anyway, I am now a bit concerned that the "firm" one may be a little too firm!!  I am questioning my decision and making myself crazy.  The store's policy is that I must keep it for at least 30 days....and, if I am still not happy with it I can exchange it for a different mattress.....pay for shipping costs, as well as a 15% re-stocking fee.

Yikes.

Stay tuned for my next 30 days on the brand new mattress.... :  )

Good night.

"That woman is so loved", I thought to myself.

Tears were streaming down my face this morning as I watched the Today Show's "Good-bye" to Meredith Viera....I was so moved by the outpouring of love being directed to her as she gets ready to retire from the program.

She has such a spirit about her and seems to have touched so many people in her career, most especially these last five years on the Today Show.  Her positive and fun-loving personality really makes her shine. It was a pretty amazing, as well as a heartwarming, display of sincere emotion from everyone on the set.

She will be missed.
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Sitting here at my computer, I can hear the loud motor of the pressure washer going outside my home.  This is the second attempt to get the job done.  The first one left my patio looking like someone had drawn graffiti on the patio.  The men must have gotten tired, so instead of cleaning all of the "winter dirt" off....they made wiggly lines and characters into the patio.....

Interesting.
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I was absolutely shocked today to read a letter from Blue Cross/Blue Shield stating that my bi-monthly fee had actually been reduced about $130.  How often does that happen?  It actually made me nervous that a mistake had been made and that I should keep the whole thing under wraps.  As I read more, it seems that the Maternity Care Benefits had been changed....so, I guess that was what caused the decrease.

Good thing.  I certainly have no intention of getting pregnant at 62.  : O
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Starting in July I will begin to teach pottery classes here in my home studio.  I have done this before and it was a lot of fun and a great way to make a little much needed money (!).  I am doing two adult classes and two children's classes. So far the kid's groups are all boys....that should be interesting!

As far as the adult classes, I always encourage them to bring a "drink of their choice".
Usually, it is wine. : ) It proves to be a great "confidence builder"! *hic*
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We have gone from severe storms to a HEAT WAVE here in the Deep South.  With temperatures hovering in the mid to high 90's, I am ever sooooo grateful for air-conditioning.
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Stay cool and have a nice day!

Now this is what I call relaxing and being cool all at the same time....

(Celia, May 2011)

Time flies when you are having fun.....

"The bad news is time flies.

The good news is you're the pilot."

- Michael Althsuler

We got home late yesterday after spending five fun, and exhausting days in S. Florida with the family!

When I got back home and settled in I realized that I hadn't blogged the entire time.....and, asked myself where did the time go??  It certainly seems to fly by these days! I wish that it would S-L-O-W down...

The main reason for the trip?  My nephew and his fiance' were being honored at an engagement party.  It was quite an affair.  My sister, Karen, did everything in her wonderfully special way, as usual.  She had about 100 people in her beautiful backyard with tables set around the pool and under a huge (20' X 40') tent on the grassy area.  She picked out gorgeous fabrics (completely assorted) and made bright, happy tablecloths for all of the tables.  The tent was decorated with lights and colorful lanterns....a combo played music on the patio, the bar was set up for anything at all that one would ever want to drink....but, the hit of the night was the champagne served over passion fruit "bubbles" that burst in your mouth and then the whole thing was topped with a dollop of sorbet.  I drank my usual wine, but heard that the champagne drink was out of this world!

The bride to be's mom is a well known caterer there and she and her crew did all of the incredible hors d'eurves.  There was everything from artichoke tarts to mini-lobster rolls (my favorite).  Many people thought that the appetizers were dinner and began to move to the dessert table.....until the real meal of bar-b-que brisket, ribs and chicken was spread out!  I ate way too much of this delicious food......

Mom was there with her sweet "boyfriend" and the two of them held hands and smiled at each other all night.   She looked beautiful and continues to giggle like a school girl when she is around him....a "teenager" again at the ripe old age of 88!  You've got to love it.

As we all sat around the lunch table Sunday afternoon before catching our flights back home, glasses were raised..... to young love, joyous occasions, and, most of all.....FAMILY.

*sigh*

:   )