Trying To Find Myself....................

How do you get over the death of a loved? Are you ever able to take a deep breath again without feeling pain? I have tried several times to write something down on what used to be one of my " guilty pleasures" only to close the lid and hid away somewhere, I've spent days on end sporting my "new look" as my husband calls it of greasy hair, no make-up and pajamas...I've taken afternoon naps and woke in darkness.....People say, "You've got to try to get through this" but no one tells you how.....I've bought beautiful flowers for my yard only to watch them wilt away and die...I thought I would be more prepared than I was...Surely, I would be grateful for the end of her suffering...But the void that is left behind is enormous....I have been surrounded by death my entire adult life, first working at a Nursing Home, then behind a Surgical mask, and I've watched as it pierced through the Emergency Room door....But watching my own Mother pass away has been the hardest thing for me to get through.....Maybe it was the long days and even longer nights spent in the hospital before her death that I think about...Maybe it was promises she made me keep....Decisions that had to be made....All I know is I long for the sound of her voice...or the smell of her hair....It is so hard knowing you'll never hear your Mama's voice again........
I remember looking around the funeral home after my Mothers visitation at all the beautiful flowers, pictures and quilts, every room was full of things that people had sent for my Mother. My family are mountain people remember, and things are done a little differently! People not only send flowers for a funeral they will also send Mountain and Primitive Crafts in lieu of flowers (My husband and I had never seen this before, it was amazing).But I was walking around looking at all the beautiful things and I noticed each one had been reserved for certain family members....There was one thing reserved for me......I remember someone saying to me the day she passed away, "Angie, I know you probably wish everyone would go home because it's loud in here, but I promise you after your Moms funeral, it's gonna get real quite".......And it did!!!! All I could think about was my one arrangement....Only One!!!....What does that say about me???? That has really tormented me!!!! FYI...Your Farmville Friends on Facebook will not be there for you when you need them!!! So, I came up with a back up plan...Besides rethinking my life.....I told my sister in law if I go before she does that I was starting a
"Church Bus/Cracker Barrel Fund", I would start putting enough money in a jar for her to bring some mourners to my funeral...I, in turn will provide gas and meals! But I want the good mourners!!!! The serious falling out kind!!!(After all I'm paying for Cracker Barrel not Waffel House)

Today's anxiety level is a 9 (I've been taking care of my Daddy and I'm pretty sure I could file legal separation papers from him and it be granted...Trust me..The judge WOULD understand)...

But today I will be thankful for the courage to write what I have written.....And Try To Breathe...........

Time................

What's your definition of time?
The Webster Dictionary defines the word time as....
a : the measured or measurable period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues : duration b : a nonspatial continuum that is measured in terms of events which succeed one another from past through present to future c : leisure
2
: the point or period when something occurs : occasion
3
a : an appointed, fixed, or customary moment or hour for something to happen, begin, or end. One's lifetime.

These are only a few of course, time is different to everyone of us.
I haven't had time to check in on any one's blog lately, actually thought about doing away with mine...But who would I whine to!!!! Whether anyone reads them or not sometimes it just feels better to write life down...

For over half my life mine was spent fighting traffic to punch a time card and then later swipe my badge. I lived for the daily thrill and drama of the Operating Room, long hours spent with my hands in places that would make some people cringe...I let that time consume me...And I thought I loved that life so much that I couldn't imagine not doing it! Meanwhile my daughter was busy growing up, and a I was missing precious time with her by trying to provide for us...

There are people in my life I wish I'd not wasted my time on (a few of them are of the opposite sex, I'm sure I'm not the only one that has some of these skeleton's in their closet, except mine is the size of a small cemetery)

On my daughters wedding day there wasn't enough time for me to sit back and take in her grace and beauty, I never dreamed that I could be the Mother of something so wonderful and amazing as her...and the past seven months with our adorable grandson have been the most precious time imaginable.
We have two beautiful grandchildren!!! What an amazing blessing that is!

And of course my first attempt at being a small business owner....Oh Boy!!! Did I have a lot to learn....When I started doing the farmers markets I had no clue what I was doing and how much work it actually is...and now, I could easily join the carnival...I can put up and take down a tent and set up a display in record time...And the things you see at the Farmers Market....There was the time one Friday afternoon around 4pm we watched as two State Patrols had this fella pulled over for what from our view, was a DUI...It took two hours for this poor man to try and pass a sobriety test....every time he failed he would get more animated coming up with every reason he could think of why he couldn't pass it(I believe scoliosis was mentioned once)....finally the big dog came in(literally)...and that was the end of the road for him! This could quite possibly be shown on Cops! We weren't sure if we should cheer for that pathetic driver or those poor State Troopers.

And now, my time is spent cherishing what precious days I have with my Mother...
I was sitting by my Mothers beside in ICU when the doctors told her she was dying from COPD and there was nothing they could do but make her comfortable...I watched as they walked away and my Mom pulled the cover over her face and cried...That is one moment in time I'll never forget! I've signed all the necessary papers and made some hard decisions, and the one thing I've found out is that all those years in the medical field never prepared me for this...
Time spent watching someone you love struggle to do something so simple as breathe.
When walking from one room to the next is exhausting. Something as simple as bathing is horrible choir.


Now, time is spent driving or flying back and forth to help with my Mothers care..for weeks of good and bad night and days...Were thankful for the good days and we pray through the bad ones
According to the Doctors she should already be gone, but according to a higher Doctor she is still fighting the battle...And I will fly,drive or walk if I have to to help her fight it.

Your Time is Precious! Spend it Wisely!

Happy Fall Yall!!!

I've never known anyone yet who doesn't suffer a certain restlessness when Autumn rolls around.....We're all eight years old again and anything is possible.

~Sue Grafton

Men And Menopause.....................

On a recent trip with my husband I was feeling extremely "out of sorts" as he calls menopause. The temperature outside was around 98 degrees and the temperature inside the vehicle was even hotter...I was complaining about his lack of sympathy and understanding (which was my first mistake) and tiring of his looks of confusion when he looked over rolled his eyes and said, " Why do yall gotta make a big deal out of mood swings and hot flashes anyway".............I looked at him with fire in my eyes and said, "Fine, then it shouldn't be a big deal when I rip your spine out with my teeth"...........As of today we have no road trips planned anytime soon....
Wishing you all a "cool" day!

Reality Check..................

I just spent a week with my toes dipped in the Gulf Coast sipping iced coffee and humming Rolling in the Deep by Adele, that was fine until my daughter told me the song she had stuck in her head..Then, I had multiple choices to drive me insane .It could have been worse, I once spent an entire week at work humming "If I only had a brain" from the Wizard of Oz, not only drove me but several other people to the edge (Whatcha ya humming now?)...Other than that the week was wonderful, Sun, Sand and this little fellas first beach trip...

He's gonna be a natural beach baby , he thought the waves were rolling just for him..

I came home and quickly realized that my laundry had multiplied on the trip, because I don't remember packing all those clothes.. I was still on that vacation high(or just being lazy) with the faint scent of Hawaiian Tropic still lingering on my skin and Jimmy Buffett playing in my head when my husband "Rico Suave"walked in the door, he was carrying several bushels of apples a brand new apple corer and a smile on his face, "Look what I brought you, these are beauties"...He said "What do you think", I gave him my usual, I'll give you three guesses but you'll only need one.. He never likes that!!!! (He never guesses right anyway) And I never win!!!
"Better get on these soon before they get soft don't ya think".....I asked was there something sparkly in the bottom of all those bags for me when I finished...I'll give you three guesses what the answer to that was...........But you won't need them!

Happy Anniversary................

Eleven years ago today, two scared kids stared their life's together and one single Mother thought hers was over...Boy I was wrong! I gained the world's best "Son", and I've never seen my daughter happier...Pride isn't enough of a word for you two..Today, their life couldn't be more complete...

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful children..My life is so blessed beyond measure because of you!

If You Have Tons Of Time On Your Hands..........

If your life is totaly boring and your in search for yet another blog to read...I suggest this one




http://www.organicallyyoursbodycare.blogspot.com/




I hear (wink,wink) she's quite funny and is going to be giving away some wonderful products soon! And her natural beauty tips are awesome! Just saying!

My Prince And My Princess.................

I had anticipated this day for quite some time, the day I would have both of them together....After all she's had total control over her Papa and Grammie for nine years and (and she has ruled with an sparkly wand) every time we tried to tell her that there might be an addition to the family she either walked away or told us she didn't want to discuss it...So, what would happen when she had to share attention and affection was a big concern...Maybe a little bit of jealousy maybe a lot or maybe stuff him in a trash can when Gram wasn't looking (trust me, we were a little worried...This girl has marked her territory). I thought the day went very well....What do you think?

Garden.....................

It's all fun and games until you realized you've canned forty nine quarts and still haven't finished yet....Then it gets ugly! Or maybe I'm the one who gets ugly!!!

I need to tell myself how good they'll taste in soups and chilli's....I'll tell myself that tomorrow because tonight I'm gonna try to build up enough strenght to cry!!!

Still Here...................

She doesn't blog because her computers dies, then she buys computer and still doesn't blog.....What gives!!! Trust me, it's not because the voices in my head have stopped talking to me and the urge to tell everyone all my hidden secrets have died....Rest assured I'm still a dysfunctional mess......I'm just a busy mess.....Like most everyone in the whole wide world!!

Summer is exceptional busy inside the palace walls (someone asked me why my blog is titled Good to be a Queen and why I refer to my home as the palace, it's not because I'm totally full of my prissy self but because my last name is....you guessed it!!! QUEEN!!!) I thought it was cute...she didn't get it....it must be sad in her world!!

Here is the usual cast of Summer character's that keep me hopping, picking, canning, freezing and burning up in this Georgia heat!!!

It wouldn't be so bad if I glistened when I was hot, kinda like the vampires do in the Twilight movies.....Nope, not me it's a full on sweat... the kind that runs down your butt crack............YUCK!

My husband informed me yesterday that the North Ga apples will be ready for picking in three weeks, I looked at him and replied, "Oh Boy!".......He said that I didn't sound like I meant it..........I assured him I would work on my attitude........................................................So far it's not changed!

I have also decided to take my show (so to speak) on the road, and no I've not ran away and joined the carnival which by the way was my life long dream to be a "Carny" at the tender age of nine, I mean where else can you wear cut-off shorts and some old Lynyrd Skynyrd tee-shirt to work everyday....I wasn't taught to dream big....What can I say!!!.......
I was invited to sell my homemade natural bath and body products in a couple of local Farmers Markets

I felt pretty good about that until I realized they are all outside......In the mid-day Georgia heat......on a parking lot.......Need I remind you about the whole sweat and butt crack thingy!!! Tuesday's Market was 108~.....It's hard to sell your products and act like the Macy's spritzer girl when you look like your lactating.....

And my heart has be stolen and my never be returned by this little fella here....


I am 100% over the moon in love with this little boy, he has completely turned our lives upside down...I just want to eat him.....Those lips are begging to be kissed...And that wild and crazy head of hair he has...Don't get me started!!!! The adoption should be finalized sometime in August, I've never seen my daughter and son in law more exhausted and in love and complete than they are now...They are truly blessed!!! And we (Papa and Grammie) are do some spoiling!!!

Remember The Reason.........

The dead soldier's silence sings our national anthem.~ Aaron Kilbourn

Have a safe a Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

The Past Five Months....................

Y'all know I live on the edge and everyday is an adventure for me.......NOT!.....Thought I would update you on what you've been missing....I have parents who are in poor health...That's not changed...In fact the list of ailments have doubled on them...My Mother has been diagnosed with Lupus. And there pretty sure she has had it for years, she also is in Congestive Heart Failure.....None of these are pleasant.....My Daddy just had prostate surgery, the only good thing about this is the jokes he's been telling....It would be best if I didn't share those with you, my Daddy is a little twisted!



I celebrated a birthday in March that made me realize I was truly middle aged....The first half of the month I spent in a fetal position.....The second half I just cried!! A lady told me that middle age was "magical"for women.....I stood in front of a mirror naked and prayed that the "magic" would begin quickly and start with my sagging breast.....So far..No magic has happened!



I am still twenty pounds heavier than I would like to be, and with swimsuit season fast approaching I shall require a bathing suit with enough Lycra and Spandex in it to cut off my circulation if I want everything "held up and in".............Close your eyes and imagine that....Hot Right!!!


I AM STILL EXTREMELY MENOPAUSAL, And that alone is a 24/7 thrill ride!





I still have a ravishing affair with cupcakes, I've thought about eating them and then vomiting but consider that to be cruel to the pastry chef who created them.....I'm not that mean!


Just today we went to a wedding in a beautiful field, as we were walking to our seats we passed by a magical display of these little beauties....I looked at my husband and said, "This is going to be a great wedding". A cupcake is like Christmas, each bite a surprise.....I was surprised several times today!





And if you thought I would end this post with out mentioning that little beautiful bundle of love that I can't get enough of.......You were wrong!!!



I am smitten!

Back In The Saddle Again................

Could it be...Is it true.....Did she finally go to the Walmart she frequents so much that they know her by name and buy a computer?????? Yes she did!!! Yippee!!!! And boy do I have a lot to tell y'all, so grab a cupcake and a cup of coffee or a glass of sweet tea and let's get going.....because I've been saving up!!! First off, WE HAVE A BABY BOY!!!!!!

And I am ready to start showing him off.......

So feast your eyes on this little angel here......

Elias Nathan Tibbetts

Elias means "Jehovah is God" and Nathan means " Gift of God"

Due date was May the 15th....he decided he had had enough and came 3 weeks early..."Baby Mama" had a rough pregnancy and was put on bed rest, her Graves Disease progressed enough that she will need chemo treatments....On top of that she had toxemia...she was really sick but didn't take care of her self and for months Doctors said ten different things that would be wrong with our little pea pot....after his two week check up and a kidney ultra sound he looks great!!!!! Trust me, the kidneys work fine....Having a baby boy pee in your face is new to me....Anytime his diaper is off he can pee two feet in the air...Or your face! A lot of prayers have been prayed for him and we are rejoicing!!!

There isn't an Adoption 101 class to take and there should be....It was the hardest thing I have ever been a part of and I cant even imagine what my daughter and son in-law have had to go through.....I got to know "Baby Mama" through doctors visits and a few lunches but it didn't prepare me for the birth and removal of this little miracle......When he was born we were celebrating this miracle God had given my daughter and son in-law, while a few doors down the hall another family was grieving the loss of him...A young woman who's heart was broken because she couldn't raise him and a Grandmother who had to let him go....As a Mother I felt like my heart was being ripped out, first for my own child who was in tears for days thinking that she would change her mind and keep him, and then for this other family who couldn't provide for this precious angel....I will tell you that we all cried enough to last a life time....They have 45 days to appeal the adoption...We are counting down.....THEN WE ARE CELEBRATING!!!



On top of all this fun and excitement, my Mama has Lupus and Congestive Heart Failure to go along with the list of her other ailments...My Daddy had prostate surgery.....I will save y'all the jokes my Daddy has said about that!!!!! At least his spirits are up!!! And that's all that's up!!! So he says.......

My dear friends you have been missed.....

UPDATE......

BE BACK SOON..............THANKS FOR ALL THE CONCERNS!!! I'VE MISSED YOU!

Houston We Have A Problem..................

Before Christmas my beloved "Ace" my laptop moved on to the place where computers go to die....It has been a very difficult time in my life....We were tight Ace and I.....And since there is no, "What to do if Ace dies funds available"..I will be blogging from the local library until that day comes....A lot of things have been going on....Lots of "Baby Mama" drama...the Mother of our hopefully new grandson spent New Years and several days after that in the hospital, she was diagnosed with Graves Disease and Toxemia...Their not sure what effects it will have on the baby yet...The Graves Disease can cause heart, kidney and liver issues and if they increase her meds the birth defect rate increases....Lots of prayers and stress...I'll keep you posted...
My parents sold their home and moved again................This I can't talk about! I have decided to spend the new year looking for my real parents, I'm pretty sure their last will be Vanderbilt or Rockefeller....
Today I'm busy with my new project.....Making a colorful sign to stand at the entrance of Walmart , it will read................."Down on Luck Will Work For Laptop"................Wish me luck!

Wishing You All The Best Of This Wonderful Season...

What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace....

Happiness Is..................

Happiness is.......

Buying a big box of candy at Christmas and sticking your finger in each piece until you find the one that makes you happy...

Ten Little Fingers.........

Ten little fingers and ten little toes and one little....................You guessed it!!! It's a Boy!!

A beautiful strong heartbeat and a little boy that was kicking around and moving everywhere....I'm already in love with him.....He was beautiful!!!

California Dreamin.............

This past Summer when we went to California it was an awesome trip!!! Seeing family was the best part..........I'll have to admit, California isn't Georgia...I found that out when I had to explain the process of making sweet tea to a very nice young waitress , she just looked bewildered and offered me some kind of raspberry tea instead....I tried it and quickly changed my mind......Coke Please! ....

We also learned a few more important traveling details, things I'm sure will come in handy the next time we fly...Being parents of a son who works for Delta is awesome...We fly for free!!!! Coming home on a busy business day (Monday) isn't awesome....We didn't come home on Monday....But our luggage did..Sitting at a airport watching completely full planes take off one after another headed toward Atlanta...Was not fun...Neither was being stuck in one airport while your clean underwear was in another.......Next time we fly, our game plan will be a little different(I will keep clean undies in my purse)....I can't wait to go back and visit longer...Thought I would share a few pics of the trip with you...

We were treated like royalty....My Uncle and Aunt drove us around town and took us out to Supper in my Uncles baby....A 1932 Buick that he restored to it's original show room look...I felt like I was going to the prom...This car was beautiful!

The enormous mast on the Star of India at the Maritime Museum

Beautiful San Diego Bay

San Diego was beautiful!!!!! We could have stayed there longer.....

This water was 62 degrees, I looked around at the people in the water and the ones sitting on the beach wrapped up in blankets and thought to my self....This ain't the Gulf Coast...The dome shape in the background is where the Spruce Goose used to be stored.

Standing on top of Signal Hill.....The view was breathtaking!!!

Just one of the beautiful doors at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre

An Amazing New Journey...............

As a single parent my daughter and I have been through a lot of journeys (as we call them ) together, I've always told her the things we went through would help "build her character", most of those trails made her the strong beautiful woman she is today..But nothing we every went through prepared her for this, and for once I have nothing to offer her but a shoulder to cry on and a heart full of support....

I remember when my daughter came home from her honeymoon and said, "Were not using birth control, so if God blesses us with ten kids we will love and provide for everyone of them". That was ten years ago and they are still waiting for that family to arrive...With a strong faith, they've never given up on the thought of a family, even with complications and infertility issues they've held strong to believing God will provide...A month ago, a young woman walked into their lives wanting to give her unborn baby to them...She had scheduled an abortion and couldn't go through with it....Her life was in turmoil and she knew she couldn't raise a baby in her world....This is a wonderful story! But.........The baby isn't due until April and their is still time for her to change her mind....

After meeting her I was saddened by her life and how she wanted to change things and start fresh...I drove home wondering how I should pray...


Of course the most important thing is a healthy Mother and baby, as well as a safe and easy delivery....


My heart wants to pray for her life to change and get on the track she wants....The selfish part of me is afraid that if it does before the baby is born that she will change her mind...And my baby won't be the Mother she yearns to be...


I've quickly realized that this isn't a Lifetime Movie...There are so many emotions and uncertainties involved in an adoption...The only thing that is certain is the Father has signed over his rights..My daughter and son-in-law still need to prepare for a baby that they may or may not get...The Mother is full of emotions, my daughter is full of emotions and I am overwhelmed with the thought of all this....
I will be keeping you posted because our journey has just began......
More to come...............

It's Never To Late To Start A Great New Holiday Tradition.....

I spent the busiest traveling day of the year in traffic...I quickly realized why I don't travel outside of the state at Thanksgiving. Took my Dad to the hospital for his surgery Tuesday morning and they quickly postponed it....Possible Bicep tear and blood clot, so a few more tests for him and a lot more pain to endure until he sees his surgeon on the 2nd..

My daughter made the trip with me and we decided to come home so she could spend Thanksgiving with her husband (my hubby had already left for my in-laws Wednesday at lunch)...We will go back when they clear him for surgery.

Needing a little holiday spirit we decided to go to Atlanta for the lighting of Macy's Great Tree (which I still call Rich's Tree Lighting)...Every Thanksgiving they show it on television and we have always watched it....Never missed a show....But never went....And every year I cry when the special performer sings the high note on "OH Holy Night" and the lights come on the tree...
Crowds by the thousands filled the parking lot and lined the streets, the spirit of the season was electric...There was a 30 minute pre show followed by an hour of holiday singing ....AMAZING!!! Katherine Mcphee was one of the performers and did this years honors of "OH Holy Night", and seriously it gave me chills...



And just when you thought it was over...A 20 minute fireworks display synchronized to Christmas music...



AWESOME!!!!! We've decided this will be our new Thanksgiving tradition, complete with a stop by the Waffle House (we live in the South people, Waffle House is a tradition in it's self)........

Another Poem.........

I'm out of town for a few days for my Daddy's surgery, I thought I would post a few Thanksgiving quotes until I get back home...Here's hoping everyone has a wonderfully blessed Thanksgiving...

"Thanksgiving day is a jewel, to set in the hearts

of honest men, but be careful that you do not take the day and leave out the gratitude."

A Week Of Thankful Quotes......

He who thanks with his lips
Thanks but in part;
The full, the true Thanksgiving
Comes from the heart....
~J.A Sheed

INSANE IN THE BRAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lately I have realized a few things, I have no earthly idea how to create a website... etsy.com is a 24 hour a day job and my dinning room has turned into a office/storage/distribution/creation catastrophe..............AND IT IS DRIVING ME INSANE!!!! I don't do clutter in my house and I don't do messy...But boy does my house smell good! Organically Yours (my little body products adventure) is keeping me on my toes and if that wasn't enough I shot my first wedding this weekend......And I realized why wedding photographer's make a lot of money..............OMG!!! It was a beautiful Fall day in Georgia and I actually shot the rehearsal so I could get my setting just the way I "thought" I wanted them..(key word being thought) the chapel wedding coordinator burst my little bubble when she told me no flash even with a diffuser and no tripod....We planned to start photos at 2:30 on Saturday so that would give me enough time and nobody would be rushed or stressed (the nobody I'm referring to would be me) sounds good right!.....The Bridal Party wasn't ready until 3:25.........The wedding was at 4:00.....I snapped what pics I could get in a short amount of time while guest filled the church...When the wedding started everything was a blur...I'm pretty sure I had a small stroke...Did I mention the bride is the daughter of one of my best friends....Out of 600 pics I'm hoping that 5 or so will turn out nice..........Hope, if your reading this...I'll sure miss your friendship if these don't turn out...

If You Ever Said Something Stupid...........

If you ever said something stupid and you wished you could take it back.....Look at these and you'll feel better about yourself....

(On September 17, 1994 , Alabama's Heather Whitestone was selected as Miss America 1995.) Question: If you could live forever, would you and why? Answer: "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever," --Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss USA contest.

"Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean I'd love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff." --Mariah Carey

"Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life," -- Brooke Shields, during an interview to become spokesperson for federal anti-smoking campaign .

"I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body," --Winston Bennett, University of Kentucky basketball forward.

"Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country," --Mayor Marion Barry, Washington , DC .

"That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I'm just the one to do it," --A congressional candidate in Texas .

"Half this game is ninety percent mental." --Philadelphia Phillies manager, Danny Ozark

"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it.." --Al Gore, Vice President

"I love California . I practically grew up in Phoenix ." -- Dan Quayle

"We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need?" --Lee Iacocca

"The word "genius" isn't applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein." -- Joe Theisman, NFL football quarterback & sports analyst.

"We don't necessarily discriminate. We simply exclude certain types of people." -- Colonel Gerald Wellman, ROTC Instructor.

"Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992 because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances." --Department of Social Services, Greenville , South Carolina

"Traditionally, most of Australia 's imports come from overseas." --Keppel Enderbery

"If somebody has a bad heart, they can plug this jack in at night as they go to bed and it will monitor their heart throughout the night. And the next morning, when they wake up dead, there'll be a record." --Mark S. Fowler, FCC Chairman

The Purse Snob Is Happy..........

The hunt is over....This patten leather beauty in Lipstick Red (of course I would choose this color) won my heart............And I stuck to the promise I made to my husband, to not go overboard on a purse.................I got it half off...

Happy Halloween.......

When witches go riding,

and black cats are seen,

the moon laughs and whispers,

'tis near Halloween....

Have a Happy Halloween!

Fall Has Fell In Georgia.....

Winter is an etching,

Spring a watercolor,

Summer an oil painting and Autumn a mosiac of them all...

What Happens When Someone With OCD Makes A Bar Of Soap.....

That's just it...They don't make a bar of soap they make 100 bars of soap..In every scent shape and size, and when their happy with that, they make other things......

Because they can't sleep until they get it right...Or make a mess trying! Which makes them happy because they have something to clean....I started out trying to make the most natural and good for you bar of soap which turned into a little bit more.....Way more! I wasn't happy with that so I wanted to make lotion to go with the soap...Then when I did that,I wanted to make foaming body butter,body wash, body spray, bubble bath, bath salts, fizzing bath salts, chap stick........I'm sure by now you get the picture...

So, this is what I've been consumed by lately....And one reason I've not been blogging or stopping by everyone else's blogs....I'm covered in bubbles....

I'm officially selling these in a couple local shops..I've took the extra step and made Organically Yours a real company (Limited Liability Company) complete with insurance (the world is full of bad people).....Keep your fingers crossed for me!

How To Kill A Dragon....Or At Least Relocate One...

A year or so ago I blogged about this beast of a cactus I have named Diablo (trust me, the name fits). I took a wee small sprout from it when some dear friends moved from one house to the next...My sign should have been when they left it alone...Seriously, what kind of person looks at a cactus and says, "OH I want that beauty in my yard"....What does that say about me.....But I have to learn things the hard way.....AND I HAVE!!!.. I had to relocate my beautiful roses because he had grown so huge, my goal that day was to chop that evil doer down with an axe until I saw these.......Cute, I know...

But these last for like a day......

But now Diablo is ten feet tall and bullet proof and just going near it requires some type of metal armour....My husband chopped a piece off that was hanging to far over in the yard and bit him every time he mowed the yard...He picked it up with a shovel and threw it on a tree stump........It is still growing...ON A TREE STUMP!!! My question to any of you is this....Has anyone successfully relocated a cactus and lived to talk about it....

Confessions Of A Purse Snob............

It's no secret that I take comfort in a quality purse....I love the smell and feel of a great purse...The way it caresses your hip when your carrying it on your shoulder brings me great joy...I have the unique ability to spot a quality purse 100 yards away, I can also spot an impostor a 100 yards away...I call it a gift....My husband calls it pathetic...

It's been a year since I bought my last purse, and I have suffered greatly....You see, I am a purse connoisseur....I buy a new purse every season....I buy a good purse every season...

I am a purse snob.....(They say admitting the problem is the first step....Right!)

Now that it's time for a new Fall/Winter purse, I promised my husband I'd be smart and practical when buying this years beauty (neither one of the two have I ever been accused of ) so I drank three cappuccino's and had a long drawn out conversation with myself in the car and thought I had set some pretty solid ground rules......I was going in........My plan was simple,I would stand at the end of each isle and look at what got my attention and then check out the price tag...(You know, see if it was a mind over matter kind of thing)..........I walked in tall and tough and proud, ready for the new me................Well, all it took was one good whiff of leather and my eyes glazed over... I caved quicker than Imelda Marcos would at a Manolo Blahnik outlet mall....

I started running through row after row of soft leather, hard leather, patent leather, reds, blacks and browns, all the beautiful colors of Fall.......Just with buckles and straps....

After I noticed security starring at me (I'm sure I looked like a deranged lunatic on crack), I tried to gather my composure, all I could do was hear those stupid little words I said to my husband....Surely he knows me better than that......

Still, with tear filled eyes I walked away empty handed starring at the store through the rear view mirror....

I ran into Walmart for a few items and thought, just thought I would wonder by the purse section....I promise you know.....A Hannah Montana purse is not my idea of downsizing....

The hunt continues.............

A Night Of Celebration With A Wonderful View............

Saturday was a big night for Mr.Sexy Calves and myself....We had a hot date in downtown Atlanta..I picked up his suit from the cleaners, knocked the dust off up my black high heels and bought a new pair of Spanx for myself (Spanx is important when trying to look 50lbs thinner when your not)...We were going to a wedding...

Not just your average Southern Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Presbyterian or even a Pentecostal run of the mill celebration...Nope, not even close....This one was my first....Your thinking same sex wedding aren't you.....Well your wrong!.....

This was a Southern Baptist/ Jewish wedding...And what a celebration it was....The ceremony started out as the sun was setting at beautiful Piedmont Park....The officiant was actually the one who introduced them and one of the brides best friends....He added humor and heartfelt tears to the ceremony and tried to interpret the Jewish customs that were intertwined throughout....There was a lot of Baptist in attendance....We needed the interpretation...

I know what 2-Corinthians says about being unequally yoked, but they have been together for 5 years and the love between them is so wonderful and obvious.....And I'm sure when this wedding was being planned both sets of parents was scratching their heads..

The bride and groom are huge sports fans so after the ceremony we headed over to Turner Field (Home of the Braves for those of you who don't know baseball) to the 755 club...All I can so was the views of Atlanta at night and Turner Field were awesome....

Once the wedding party arrived, the party started.....We feasted on filet mignon and chicken cordon bleu, caught up with old friends and made several new one....The band was incredible...If you could clone Frank Sinatra, Otis Redding and Van Morrison this is who you would come up with...We left the celebration before our arthritis took over and my Spanx gave out...I have decided that I'm going to become an official wedding crasher, if nothing else for the people watching....I promise you the crowd at this one didn't disappoint..

Fall

Is it Fall? That's what the calender says but the weather says different....It's still in the 90's and hot and humid....Dry with not much rain in sight...Not sure if it's my age or what but I am ready for some cooler weather....Remind me I said this in January...More to come...Lots going on around the palace...Have a great weekend my friends!

Thanks And Big Hugs................

Just wanted to say a "Big Thank You" for all of the sweet comments that I've had about my first trip to my old home place since it was dozed down...They were greatly appreciated...Hate to be a Debbie Downer but I had been putting that visit off for a while...I don't think it would be as hard for me if I didn't see the pain and hurt in my parents eyes...That's the hardest part....I don't think they will ever be happy anywhere they end up at...Maybe this next move, since it will be closer to the old place , will make them a little bit happier..Who knows...This past year was a hard year in many ways, and now it's time to hold up my head and let God lead me from here...
Thanks to you all....
Your the Best!

You Can't Go Home Again.............

It's been ten months since my parents were forced to move from the home my Grandparents built because of a mudslide...Ten months of stress, aggravation and just plain miserable homesickness for them...Their not happy in the home their at right now and are looking for something closer to family....closer to home....Change has been very hard on them....I hadn't been back to what use to be my childhood home since the last truck load of furniture was moved back in December...We went to see them over Labor Day, and it was time to wonder back to the place that I've called home since I was three...A lot has changed in ten months....The gas company that was responsible for the mudslide, bulldozed the house down and took it to a bio-hazard waste dump because of the mold....There is no home place...I wonder if they knew all the memories they were tearing down, or even if they cared who's heart was breaking.....Most of the flowers my Mama planted along the edge of the yard are still blooming, they just look lonely and confused.....That gnarly old walnut tree we used to climb is full of walnuts...And so is the chestnut and the apple trees, but all you see is apples scattered on the ground, with no one to pick them...My brother says several deer and a bear are enjoying them....

Everything looked so much smaller to me this time....It looked so sad and lonely.....Time goes go on and so will life....But another Fall of packing boxes and moving furniture is in store for them.

Can You Say Anxiety.....................

We are planning a trip to the west coast... my husband's son ,my step son works for Delta Airlines and one of the perks is parents fly free........Can you say WOW!!!!! The only thing about that is...I'm a white knuckle butt tighter than a drum flyer....Now, I have flew several times and it doesn't get any easier for me, it's not the actual flying that bothers me it's the twisted metal and charred flesh at the crash site that worries me a little.......My first experience was a nightmare...I was stupid enough to think that it would take a long time for that big plane to take off the ground, I thought I would have enough time to prepare myself for the experience...When that big metal baby shoot up in the air I violated the man next to men.....I'm sure any ability for him to reproduce was lost after that flight....His name was Dave by the way..We were tight!! That's all I'm going say about Dave....It also took me about two weeks to have a bowel movement after that flight....I have since then fly to Canada, New York, Orlando, Arizona, Alaska and Charleston...The last time I stepped on a plane it was a life time movie in the making.... It was raining (of course), I set down at the concourse and threw up twice....when I looked out the window I saw what looked like a plane that a rich person would buy at a yard sale pulling up.....I called my husband and said please pray that this is not my plane....................IT WAS!!!!! We boarded and the flight attendant closed the door with a wheel like hatch that she had to have the pilot help her with.......There was a High School Band from Charleston WV on board that had just won a trophy for something and they were so happy......I WAS NOT HAPPY!!!! I was flying in a storm in a matchbox car..... We taxied down the runway and underneath the airplane there was a noise that sounded like a body was being dragged...The pilot came on the intercom (which was silly because he could have just turned around and yelled at us) and said, "Sorry folks we are experiencing a little mechanical difficulty so were just going pull over and have someone come out and give us a look".......All was not well in my world..............The flight attendant was smiling but nobody else was breathing......If I could have opened that hatch I would have exited the plane......An hour later after the pep boys did their work the pilot came on and said, " Ladies and Gentleman it was just a figment of our imagination...We are cleared to take off"...............And in my outside voice I said, " Oh no were not"........The flight attendant politely asked my to not upset the other passengers....But the man beside me looked at her and said, " Look mam we all heard the noise".......... And the whole plane chimed in......It was the quietest trip I've ever been on.....No one said a word....But I'm sure everyone prayed.I KNOW I DID..My anxiety could be caused from all the Discovery Channel shows like Terror in the Sky's or Flight Disasters that I'm glued to before I fly...It's my way of tormenting myself...So far it's working....Anyone else share my fears or are all of y'all normal...

Second Time Fireworks.............

OK, so I thought I would do another photo series...Fireworks!!! This I found wasn't easy... This is my second attempt at taking fireworks, the first was on the fourth, I was to far away, not the right zoom lens and most of them came out looking like unknown planets...

My second attempt was on the beach and I had a front roll seat..Some are a little out of frame but after my first planet blob like series...I couldn't have been happier if I'd been on safari taking shots of a pride of lions.....

Anyone got any tips on how-to as far as firework's go...I'd love to hear them...

Just Photos Today...........

After a post of hormonal meltdowns and things that drive me nuts....Thought I would post a few of my recent pics.... Sweet and relaxing...At least to me

Our favorite tree for a pose....

Yes, I could eat this face up!!!!!

And a peaceful walk on the gulf