Laundry Detergent...

Stella I'm sorry I didn't give directions, here they are.....some recipes say
6 cups Borax
6 cups Arm and Hammer Washing Soda
4 Bars Fels Naptha
And nothing else.....

I am one of those people that believe more is better, so I just put it all together ( You only have a cup and half of Borax left over anyway). Oxy-Clean or the Clorox Stain Fighter and Color Booster don't hurt at all...I really like having it in there..And the Clorox Stain Fighter and Color Booster was only $2.00 at the Dollar General..

My Fellow Americans.........

Due to the tough economic times ( sounds so political, doesn't it) and the fact that I can't use cheap laundry detergent...I have grown tired of paying over $15.00 for a bottle of Tide every time I go to the grocery store (A.K.A. Walmart). So, about two months ago I was looking at different soap recipes and I came across the recipe for your own laundry detergent.....This made me both curious and nervous (I break out in hives with certain laundry products)....This product boast the ability to clean, neutralize odors, cut grease, make my whites whiter and my brights brighter and all using only 1/8 cup, and it comes down to about .7 cents per load......Am I the only person who is thinking," Wow there's no way".....Alas, bloggie people that I love and respect there is a way.....And I'm going to show you how...That's right.....I crossed over..........To the frugal side..............(on somethings).

I promise you this stuff works great......Here's what you will need, and about 30 minutes of your time. personally I thought 30 minutes was worth it if I didn't have to buy laundry detergent for months (that's right, months)

First, gather these items
Before you add these together you must grate the soap....I choose to put mine in a blender, it comes out very powdery....If you choose to do this, you MUST brake up the bars of soap into tiny pieces (I put them in a zip lock bag and hit them with a hammer, did the job)


The Fels Naptha Soap bar is hardest to find but I have found it at our local Ace Hardware Store and also Kroger ( it's not in the soap section, it's in the laundry detergent section).
The first time I made mine I altered it a little and added 2cups of Oxy-clean to the mix..It worked great...This time I found the box of Clorox color booster and stain remover for $2.00 and added it......Total cost for all products.....under $8.00

Here's the final product...(Looks Pretty Good...Right)

The Fels Naptha Soap bar is a heavy duty stain remover
Arm and Hammer washing soda works on grease and neutralizes odors
The Borax cleans disinfects and softens the water
And the Clorox is a Stain Fighter and Color Booster
I've been chatting with Jennifer over at Through The Storms Of Life, and she has some really great homemade cleaning recipes....."Hey Jenn, the mold and mildew remover is awesome"...If anybody has some old family cleaning recipes they use....I would love to hear them.....

Soap, Soap And More Soap............

So my obsession with organic soap making hasn't slowed down, I eat and breath soap and lotion ideas... I look at cake pans in a different light....If I can mold soap in it I use it...If Procter and Gamble goes out of business, I'm set for life.....Thanks to my daughters persuasion I've started selling them on etsy on a site she has...You can check it out if you like...loviessongbird.etsy.com

and look under Organically Yours

I know a lot of people make their own soaps and lotions, but it's something that I've never done before,and to be able to do it natural and organic is something I'm pretty proud of...And beside......it's a lot of hard work...

Thought I would share a few pictures with you....Just a few

Strawberries and Cream- Full of Strawberry seeds and ground Almonds, I want to eat this bar

Wild Berry Bliss- Full of Strawberry, Raspberry and Blueberry, a great exfoliating bar with a wonderful scent

Lavender and Chamomile-Need I say more

Sweetest Touch- Contains Moroccan Red (Super good for your skin) and a little touch of Plumeria

Tangerine Dream- Lots of creamy milk and tangerine zest...

A Cupcake Freaks Fantasy And A Birthday Celebration......

I had a great day with my "little girl" on her 28th birthday..... It was a beautiful winters day, sunny and 65 degrees, we did a little shopping and a lot of eating....We had lunch at an absolutely wonderful French bistro called Douceur De France, the waitress spoke about as much southern as we did french...But give me the right mix of pastries and butter, and I can speak any language.....And that's exactly what they did...."Magnifique"....We got a little pampered with a relaxing manicure and then went to get her a big cookie for after supper. What happen next was pretty much a blur, we walked past this little shop to my vehicle and the most angelic cupcakes you have ever seen were displayed in the window....We both stopped right in our tracks....Next thing we knew we were standing at the counter.....I honestly believe I heard the Lord speak to me when I entered this shop saying, "Angie, go forth and buy many cupcakes". All I can say is..... I obeyed the Lord.....And bought ten.....Instead of cookie or cake for her birthday we had these babies.....

We topped the night off with some spicy Cuban food (talk about a day of culture)...If any body out there has a birthday this week let me know, I'll be glad to go and buy one of these wonderful sinful cupcakes and eat it in your honor.....

I love y'all that much.....

Happy Birthday Princess..............

Happy 28th Birthday Hippie Chick!!!!!

Just wanted to say how happy I am and how lucky I feel to have you for a daughter...My one greatest accomplishment.....The day I first held you in my arms, you put an eternal hold on my heart....The passing years have only increased my love for you...You've become a woman that is more beautiful and wonderful than ever I imagined you'd be....I look at you with such pride...I'm amazed that I created you....It's so much fun to be with you and share the happenings in your life (thank you for letting me be apart of that)...........

Now, let's go have some Birthday fun

Seriously.........

This morning physical fitness Barbie, A.K.A. She-ra Princess of power shows up at my door, fresh from the gym, where she had no doubt been tormenting some poor soul ( she had that look of a fresh kill on her face...It's so scary). Carrying her recycled grocery bag full of mixed berries and a few other things I wasn't familiar with...She asked if she could use my blender and make us a protein drink.....The berries looked great, so I thought how bad can it be.

I was good until she put spinach into the blender and it came out looking like this.....

I'm pretty sure, this is one thing that doesn't need to bother with the digestive system....because it's going to go in and come out the same way.....and my guess is pretty quickly.....And then she thought that I would want to share a glass with her..........How can she do that to fruit....How can she do that to herself...Just go eat a salad...Forget that, go eat some chocolate....Seriously!

Just The Facts......

I thought I would start the New Year off with a few facts about me (it's not like I keep many things a secret, if I think it I say it) here's a few things you may or may not care to know about ....

1. Some of you may think I joke when I say I'm an Obsessive Compulsive Person, I'm Not....I am big time OCD....My husband has learned to tolerate me over the years....He just raises his feet when he sees me coming, because it usually means I have a vacuum cleaner or dust buster in my hands.

2.I really do love to clean....I could vacuum and dust every day....A dirty mirror or window drives me insane....And I am constantly cleaning my oven.....I know, I have issues.

If I could make it stop I would....Why couldn't I be an obsessive compulsive ballerina or ball room dancer....Maybe because there aren't any ballerinas who wear an F-cup in a bra....Oh Yea! those are called strippers.....I think I will stick to cleaning.

3. I hate to fold and hang laundry, but I love to smell my clean clothes.


4.I love to can and preserve fruits and vegetable's...I think there's an art to doing it...I love what it looks like in the jars when your finished....My Grandmother and Mama taught me these skills. And I still cherish them.

5. My life would be nothing without God and my family...I have two favorite bible verses.
Gen 50:20
But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
And Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

6. I love photography, and can't wait to start my lessons...

7. I am knocking on fifty and my daughter just taught me how to knit...I am making a scarf...It's very crocked but I'm going wear it anyway...

But, I cant sew...........Really.....I once sewed all the buttons on the inside of the wrong shirt....The dress I Had to make in home economics class wasn't suitable to wear for my grade....I failed that class.......

8.I am obsessed with organic soap making, I've also started making lotion and kitchen soap...

9. I live with a lot of regrets, I still let my past haunt me.

10. There's a lot of my childhood I want to remember forever, and some I wish I could forget.

11. I am a sleepwalker and talker...I have woke my husband up trying to get the chickens out of the house....He has also got me off the front porch....Just to name a few.

12. I am very proud of my mountain heritage and being a Coal Miners daughters.

13. I believe our house is haunted...We bought the property and built the house four years ago and have always heard little things. About a year ago things got really crazy, voices, televisions, lights and digital photo frames coming on. lots and lots of footsteps and things in my kitchen banging when we aren't in there...I could go on.....Not sure what we will do about this situation....We were woke up during the night with banging on our bedroom wall about three weeks ago and this has happened several times since then....Anyone have the number for a good Ghost Hunter???

14. Summer is my favorite season, But my favorite time to cook is during the fall and winter.

15. I love to read.

16. I've never seen a picture of myself that I thought was good.

17. I've been a "big girl" before, as a matter of fact for several years....At my heaviest I weighed 287lbs......That's only skinny if your seven foot tall...........I'm not..............I don't weigh that now, but I'm sure if I keep sneaking cupcakes I might..

18. I'm not shy....I'm very out spoken and a bit of a flirt.

19. For the past twenty years I have worked in the Operating Room (who don't love a blood and guts girl) Now, I am trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.

20. I love to, and can sing.

21. I almost drown when I was a little girl...I was terrified of the water and never went near it until I was in my early twenties...I taught myself how to swim, and now I love and respect the water.

22. I was thirty years old before I got my ears pierced....So sad...I pierced them myself...Big Mistake...

23. I hate seafood.

24. I love a good purse...."Boy do I love good purses"....And they like me!!!

24. I believe being a middle child is a punishment....It has made me crazy!!! And after reading this post you will realize just how boring and sad my existence is.....I shall now go eat a cupcake and wallow in the misery that is my life....

A Middle Aged OCD Woman Gets A New Hobby.......

My OCD has been working overtime lately,and I have been a very busy girl...(once again in my kitchen) ....But this this time instead of making preserves I am making homemade, 100% organic soaps (which doesn't contain Lye, I might add)....My house smells soooo good....I have bowls of grapefruit and tangerine zest, pureed avocado and aloe, almonds, honey and blueberry everywhere...Pretty much anything that is great for your skin, I'm putting it in.....Adorable names like, Grapefruit Blush, Tangerine Dream, Georgia Rain (I told you my OCD was working overtime).....I got tired of breaking out from so many other body washes....That I made my own....Most of my ingredient's are things like Milk or Goats Milk....Shea, Cocoa and Coconut Butter....Aloe and Vitamin E...Lots of fresh and dried fruits and some veggies, such as avocado and cucumber...LOVE IT!!!! I feel like I might need to give a few bars away soon...So keep checking back...This stuff is so good!!!

Lavender and Yuzu-luscious Bath salt scrubs

A Blessed Christmas..........

This has been a tough year on a lot of people, and I'm certainly ready to start over and try for a better New Year....So many painful things have happened this year to myself and my family, yet my family has been so blessed..Last Christmas my daddy was in the hospital with pneumonia that turned into MRSA in his lungs, once he started showing improvement...my momma got pneumonia also...I remember praying , "Please don't let this be our last Christmas with either of them". My brother suffered his heart attack in the fall. and my 91 yr old miracle man father in law, who has pulled through so much, now complains about physical therapy wanting him to walk two miles a day....

God has blessed us beyond measure...

Although I wont see my parents and brothers until the coming weekend, I spent a very blessed Christmas with my family here. Christmas Eve we were surrounded by all our children and lots of laughter....and lots of food. Apparently I was trying to make up for all the food that I missed on Thanksgiving....I'm pretty sure I achieved that goal....Our granddaughter was so excited, she wanted to give Santa a present because he gives to us every year...She gave him a bell for his sleigh....she tried her best to stay awake to hear any hint of it jingle...she lasted until 2:00am.....I lasted until 1:45am, that's when she woke me up whispering in my ear that I was going to miss the whole thing....I was exhausted.....
After all, I was sleeping in a bed with her my husband and nineteen stuffed animals...All sleeping on Grammies side of the bed....

She woke me up early saying, "Is it time now, is it time now".
Santa left her a surprise...A boot print...She can't wait to take the picture to school...



For years I have been telling my hubby that he has the key to my heart, even though we are as different as night and day...This year he bought me the "key" to his....

I also got this incredible gift, my old one died back in the summer and I have been using an old 35mm we still had... My daughter and son in law bought me photography lessons...I'm sooooo excited, can't wait to start those.......

I've had so many life changing things happen to me this year...I hope I learn from them all and never go a day that I don't........Count all my Blessing....

May you all have a blessed New Year!

A Wii Hangover....................

This is what a 7 year old looks like after 15 hours of Wii Guitar Hero and sports....

Merry Christmas to All..................

"Let us keep Christmas beautiful without a thought of greed, that it might live forever more to fill our every need. That it shall not be just a day, but last a lifetime through. The miracle of Christmas time, that brings God close to you."

Merry Christmas to all my wonderful Friends!!!

I copied this poem from another blog I read, Dee Dee's son is fighting for our freedom and this poem is from him.....We should always remember those who serve and have served...I'm sure it's especially hard to have a son or daughter, husband or wife, fighting a war at Christmas.....For those of you and your families, I for one am proud that you have my back....

I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.

My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,

My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,

Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,

Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,

Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.

In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,

So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,

But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear..

Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,

Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,

And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,

A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,

Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.

Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,

Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,

"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!

Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,

You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,

Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light

Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,

I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."

"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,

That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,

I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.

My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"

Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."

My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',

And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,

But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,

The red, white, and blue... an American flag.

I can live through the cold and the being alone,

Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,

I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.

I can carry the weight of killing another,

Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..

Who stand at the front against any and all,

To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.."
" So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,

Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."

"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,

"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?

It seems all too little for all that you've done,

For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,

"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.

To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,

To stand your own watch, no matter how long.

For when we come home, either standing or dead,

To know you remember we fought and we bled.

Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,

That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN

30th Naval Construction Regiment

OIC, Logistics Cell One

Al Taqqadum, Iraq

The End Of The Beginning...............

Flakes of worn paint on an old porch...the same one I had my first kiss on, and then my first broken heart that I thought would never mend.....A window from a empty room that has been looked through at least a trillion times, with thoughts like, Who's going? Who's coming? And "what in the world are my children doing know"....A rusted washtub hanging on an outside building, that gnarly old walnut tree that we climbed a thousand times...These are the thoughts that kept going through my mind as I walked around my home place one last time....the ones I will hold in my heart....

The walls are empty now in the old house, nothing left but a few odd and ends....After months of agonizing pain for my parents and and all of us, the gas company finally "settled" with them...I promise you, they wont be retiring on a beach somewhere......I made the 475 mile trip once again to help, along with my brothers and sisters in law we packed up what was left of a nine room house and tried to move it into a four room house.....As far as real estate goes in that area pickings are slim.....They do have the potential to build on to the house they are buying, we were just hoping that they could find something and not need to work on it.....

We did managed to laugh at ourselves a little bit...You can't look at your old annuals (especially from the seventies) and take yourself serious.....Who ever came up with the fashion for the decade should be found and punished severely.......Found an old box of eight tracks tapes.....You know those are gonna make a big come back...Right!!!!

And a lot of tears....
I saw my Daddy standing in the yard looking at the house...I went up to him and put my arms around him , he looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, "We had a good run of this ole place didn't we buddy". He put his arm around me and kissed me on top of the head....My heart broke into a thousand pieces....
You may say people move every day, and they do, I did.
But not mountain people, My people.
Especially with family land...
They believe you should be born there and die there....
That is what has made this so hard for my parents..

But the gas company owns it now, and they will put up a gate and bull doze it down, I will need to think long and hard before I make the trip back, to support my parents and stand with my brothers and watch as the old home place is demolished...It will be hard to watch something so special be destroyed by someone who doesn't have a clue how magical the old place was to us..

My grandparents built the house from another old house that was being torn down...So I guess you could say they built an old house out of an older house....I had my brother cut me a piece of the original floor....A beautiful worn piece of chestnut...My husband is going to engraved the word HOME on it for me....I will hang it in my kitchen...

I am going to try to get my own life back on track, I have neglected my family here and they need care too....I just put my Christmas up today, and I have no Christmas shopping done at all....But as I set and reflect on the things that myself and my family have overcome this year, I realize how richly blessed my life is.......I thank God......
I will try to get back on track and stop by my wonderful friends blogs soon....I know I have missed so much...
Still Stressed, But Blessed Beyond Measure
The Queen

Yet Another Qoute...........

Whatever else be lost among the years,

Let us keep Christmas still a shinning thing:

Whatever doubts assail us, or what fears,

Let us hold close one day, remembering

It's poignant meaning for the hearts of men.

Let us get back our childlike faith again.

~Grace Noll Crowell

A Quote........

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world and behold,everything is softer and more beautiful."

-Norman Vincent Peale

Tis The Season For Special Things..........

"When angels visit us, we do not hear the rustle of wings, nor the feathery touch like the breast of a dove; but we know their presence by the love they create in our hearts".

It's official, the holiday's are here whether we want them to be or not....I was wondering if you have something special you put out every year...Something that really tells you Christmas is here....For me it's this beautiful little angel....She has stood watch over many family Christmases and was my parents first tree topper.....I confiscated this graceful lady many years ago and she sits in a corner shelf all year, but I know it's Christmas when I bring her out....Her silk is worn and her hair is a little tattered, but to me she is still beautiful and graceful and she let's me know, "It's that most wonderful time of year"....

What's your special something...

Hazy and Painful Blogging....

Today, I set in a drug filled haze...My dental insurance finally agreed that having a cracked wisdom tooth with an exposed nerve removed, was not.....COSMETIC......Can you believe this was even an argument......I have been suffering for over two months...Yesterday they surprised me with the "Let's just pull them all while were here", because of another being impacted....I will tell you, I am a number one fan of versed, fentanyl and a little diprivan tossed in for fun....However, I'm not about fun today....My face looks like a chipmunk and all I have managed to get down is a half a cup of applesauce.......And tomorrow is Thanksgiving....No feast for me, I'll do good to eat some mashed potatoes....So, for the next few days I'll sit/lay back and take my painkillers and know that the evil tooth that has been torturing me for months is gone....So to all of you, I hope you have a great Thanksgiving... and eat a little extra for me....

This and That..............

I have seven drafts saved that I've tried to post, and still I haven't been able to get anything out...Nothing inspires me anymore...It seems my mind is somewhere else..So many things have happened in the past six months and most of the time I walk around in a daze.....This is where it would be nice to live on a farm, I could at least have a picture of a cow to post....I could write about the drawer full of wrinkle creams I noticed this morning while putting on my make-up.... six different kinds...Everything from Oil of Olay to something I can't pronounce, but judging by my reflection, I should demand a refund....Or how I've just given up and let the squirrel's win (sometimes putting a little extra out just for them).....
The three enormous trees are still laying in the creek, the county came out and took pictures but that was all...I guess they were serious when they said we would have to use our crane to get them out....However,we are the average two car family...Not two car and a crane family...So as far as I'm concerned, the eye sore can stay there....Maybe I'll plant some flowers around in the spring...Who knows.....
Winter is coming and my parents are still without a place to live, they've finally gotten the help of an attorney...Hopefully one who wont be afraid of a major gas company....It's very sad to see them the way they are, the stress of it all has really taken it's toll...My Daddy was diagnosed with early stages Alzheimer's in the Spring, this has really caused his condition to worsen...Everything from getting lost while in the mountains....His Mountains....To forgetting a
conversation between he and I a few days earlier...Reminders of things yet to come...I do wonder if there will be a day when my Daddy will look into my eyes and not see me....Hopefully this situation can get solved quickly and they can get back to some sort of a normal life...and the stress level for all of us can ease up...
It will be hard to watch them destroy the home of my Grandparents and the place I grew up, but to have my parents somewhere safe and this mess over with,will be worth it....And hopefully ease the stress from all of us....
Longing for happier days, but knowing they are ahead,
The Queen of the Broken Palace......

Still Hanging On.......

Today was a beautiful fall day and I spent it outside working in the yard....I was looking at some of my flowers that are still hanging on, despite the heavy frost we had the other night.....Thought I would share a few with you....

My Hydrangea bush has been blooming since early spring, and it's still full of flowers...

These adorable little Cosmos are still around, and how lucky was I to catch this little bee....

My Mums on my porch looked happy today...

And this Mushroom I took especially for Andora....I thought of her when I saw it....

Pain............

This has been a tough week for me...First thing Monday morning I started out at my dentist office....Some lady sitting in the waiting room looked over at me nervously said ,"Who's your doctor?, Mines so in so, I'm in here all the time"...And said it about that fast...I thought to myself, the chairs are comfortable and my dentist is young and attractive, but Mr. Brad Pitt himself could be drilling on a tooth and I wouldn't care if I had lipstick or deodorant on...and anyone who's that obsessed with their dentist needs more help than Jerry Springer, Oprah or any government facility can give them.....All I do know is, I went in for some nerve pain in a tooth...Three hours later, I come out with a filling and a crown and an appointment to see an Oral Surgeon........

Not sure if I'm suffering from bloggers block, brain freeze or brain dead, I might even blame it on the full moon, I'm not sure which one, like I said, such a odd week for me and for anyone reading this mess....I apologize..... I've been sitting and starring out into the crisp fall air contemplating life and all the things of my past that still haunt me....Every one of us has a few skeleton's in our closet... But not me, I am the proud owner of a small cemetery.....One day I'm gonna write a book, I promise you, it would be a best seller..Humor, Drama, Trauma, Heartwarming and all with a hint of sarcasm (Just like Little House on the Prairie, but with electricity)....No, on second thought nobody would buy a book from someone with a name like Angie Queen, I could always change it to Alexandra Steele, the lady from the weather channel....That's a great name...A mix between a author and a porn star......You see what fall does to me... Others enjoy the changing seasons and the beautiful colors with happiness...while I sit and have delusions of grandeur and wonder if it's to late in life for me to remarry someone with better dental insurance...After all, what's love when you have a impacted wisdom tooth and your dental insurance sucks... "Love is a many splendored thing", but pain will make insane.....It sounds like I'm already there.............

Adorable Halloween Treats.....

Goin go all Sandra Lee on ya!....Been in the kitchen with my daughter today, working on some treats for her to take to a Halloween party tonight...How cute are these little graves....So easy to make.. Little Debbie Swiss Rolls covered with chocolate frosting and rolled in oreo cookies....Then use a chocolate filled vanilla wafer cookie as the tombstone .........A chocolate lovers dream.........

And this mess here is the Kitty Litter Cake....Complete with kitty poo (melted tootsie rolls), white and german chocolate cakes with vanilla pudding....Smells wonderful, but looks horrible....And served in a litter box and scoop.......No Thanks on this one!

Linda, your a peach!........

Blogger Buddies are the Best.........Today, I got a surprise in the mail from my wonderful friend Linda over at LindainNCtoo....She sent me these great stamps for my peaches and apples....And I can't wait to use them.......Linda has a heart of gold and a talent to match....her cards surpass hallmark any day....And nothing beats her peanut butter pie recipe........

Linda, big hugs too you

It's The Rebel In Me Coming Out...............

So I'm on edge and stressed out, blah,blah,blah,blah....That's life, right? What's the saying, when life give you lemons, make lemonade...........Or in my case buy cupcakes.....and lots of them......After I left the court house, I received a very disturbing phone call from our daughter in law (our family is falling apart and I feel helpless)....I suffered a small mental break down after that and what happened next.... is a blurr, but somehow I came how with twelve cupcakes a Dr.pepper and a pack of Virgina Slims .......I DON'T SMOKE!!!! Or drink carbonated beverages.... But in my mental state of mind and still wanting to look like a lady....I bought what I must have thought to be the most elegant and lady like cigarette.......Whatever!!!

I felt like a teenager sneaking behind the bleachers at high school, I was on a high (cupcakes will do that to you)....

Here I was, standing on the back porch starring at eight cupcakes (I finished off a few) , drinking a Dr.pepper with a $5.00 pack of cigarettes in my hand........ The only thing missing was the trailer park a pair of cutoffs and 5 kids hanging around my legs (cue the theme from Cops)........I was in mid puff when the back door opened.....My husband was home.........I couldn't eat the cigarette, and I had cupcakes spread out everywhere........It was a smorgasbord.......He looked at me in disbelief, almost as if he was afraid and slowly asked, "Whats going on?".......I tried to think of something cleaver but all I got out was, " What's it look like?"......He then asked me, "Why are you smoking?".....I looked up at him and said, "Because no one was selling crack at the convenience store"....He looked over at me, rubbed his head and said, " No, but I see they were having a special on cupcakes".....................Turned around and walked back inside......

Is Blogging Better Than Zanax?.......Not Today.......

First off, let me start by saying my Father in law (the 91 year old miracle man) is at home recovery wonderfully.......Thank you all for every prayer, thought and kind comment that was made.....My youngest brother follows up with a new cardiologist today, and will go from there....The mess in the mountains with my parents is still a NASTY MESS!!!! So much emotional damage has been done to my parents, I almost wish the slide would have taken everything away...Because now, they have to see so many things that they worked for damaged or ruining in black mold, mildew and mud.......And so far not much help from the company responsible.......

I think it's safe to say, my stress level is at a all time high....And I deal with stress like I deal with a dirty house....Wide open and full speed ahead.....This week I have decided a few things....1.)If any of your children have gray hair, they shouldn't be allowed to move back home(What's the age limit)...2.) The state of Georgia doesn't grant divorces from your family....3.)If trees fall on your property because of flooding and damns up the creek, and you are left with the choice of going to the county court house for help, or shooting off your foot..........Buy a gun............

Along with both of our parents, we are having stressful issues with our family in other areas also.......................I'M ON EDGE PEOPLE!!!!!!!

On top of everything else, we had three enormous trees fall that had been weakened from the flooding and the rain (To much erosion). Thank God they didn't fall on any ones house or anybody, what they did do was destroy our neighbors new fence......And the roots from three giant white oaks are now resting quietly in the creek bed..........FYI. When this happens, there is no number in the phone book for this problem....You have to go to the court house................I spent an hour and a half jumping through hoops and finally ended up in an office no bigger than my bathroom....Staring directly at Jan and Marsha Brady..............Who looked at me like I was an inconvenience to them and all mankind.....The first young lady was blowing bubbles with her gum when she looked at me a said, "Do you need something"?..After telling my tree story for the tenth time and explaining that the roots were damning up the creek that runs along our property and I was afraid of flooding....All of the sudden little miss homecoming queen raises up her hand in my face and says......."You don't own the creek lady, the county does, Do you understand?"............After my head did a 360 degree turn, and I asked the Lord to forgive me for anything I was about to say............I looked at her and said, " I don't care who owns the creek, I am just here to tell you that it's going to cause major flooding for the people above us, and we cant remove it".....Again, I get the "county owns the creek story".....I'm still trying to be nice......She looks at me and says, "Don't you have a wheel barrel"..........WOW! Guess who's going be employee of the month!...................At that moment, her partner in crime who was sitting beside her filing her nails, looks over at her and said, "What does she need".............I had had enough..........I looked at her and said, " Lady, there is no wall between the two of you and I'm pretty sure that you've heard this entire conversation...I will not be repeating it".........She put down her nail file and said, "Oh, the county wont help you remove anything from that creek, you'll have to use a crane"...........My reply......."Well, I don't know about you....BUT WE DON'T HAVE A CRANE!!!!!......And all I wanted was to let you people know that the creek was damned up so my neighbors wouldn't get flooded......As as far as I'm concerned, I'll be coming back after the next heavy rains for a building permit, to build a boat dock to go with our new lake"...............They took our information......Someone from the county came this morning and took pictures of the trees ..........The next time I go back to the county complex........It will be as a prisoner.......
By the way...I don't have any zanax, so if anyone is doing a fall festival zanax giveaway........SIGN ME UP!!!!!!!!!!

Finished Pieces.........

I was thankful that my little pumpkin turned out to be better than my first grade ashtray, and I am actually looking forward to going back....maybe this time I will try something a little more detailed....Here is our finished product.......

Let's De-Stress Shall We...............

My daughter thought I needed to surround myself with something calm and peaceful for a couple of hours....And a great Cappuccino (I love that girl), so we headed out to spend a wonderful fall morning together, she had plans that painting pottery would do the trick....My calm, happy moment came to a screeching halt, I started having elementary school flashbacks, remember the ashtray we were all forced to do (or was that just my school) she assured me that it would be fun and relaxing, then she demanded I relax or she would take me back home......Our first stop was the Magpie Cafe.....This place was great....A magical daycare for coffee drinkers......


We drank a wonderful winter themed cappuccino in 85 degrees (Fall time in the south is the best) And "tried" to share a piece of homemade chocolate pound cake with fudge icing YUMMY!!!!....I can't tell you how adorable this place was.......

Then we made it over to Pottery Lane....The pressure was on...But I was relaxed.... Alison Krauss was playing in the background and the lady running it was so nice, she tried to make it a really nice experience....
My daughter had been several times so she had to show off her skills, while I stuck with simple (I was still having ashtray flashbacks)....


It was a great day, and if you ever get the chance to do this you should, of course I did enjoy the company I was with (Thank you Princess)..... and if my piece looks better than that ashtray that haunts my attention deficit mind....I might just post a picture of it......

And if anyone is interested, "Casper" is still alive and well....Sorta, in a I can't see you way.... While I was posting this, the television turned on by it's self....then it sounded like footsteps went up our stairs into a room................I DIDN'T FOLLOW!!!!

A LITTLE UPDATE.............

It's been so long since I've had time to sit down and read any ones blogs, I miss y'all very much.....I'm not sure which way is up anymore.......I would love to write about my hormonal meltdowns, my demon squirrels or those crazy Brad Pitt dreams of mine....I've not been home long enough to know if "Casper" is still around.....So much going on....My Father in law is recovering by leaps and bounds...He came off the ventilator and was ready to give hugs and kisses to everyone, he is nothing short of a miracle.....A true answer to prayers....He is still talking about hunting, his garden and watching the Braves.....My Sister in law came down with the swine flu and can't visit him, I know this is hard on her....Back home, the mess that was caused from the gas company is just that..ONE BIG MESS!!!.......My baby brother had a heart attack on Tuesday, so much stress...They live on the same property as my parents and will be affected as well, where will they go, what will they do...Homes for sale there isn't like homes for sale here, they are few and far between unless you are willing to move a long distance from what you are familiar with, plus family and friends....So much uncertainty in the air.......As soon as things are stable here I will head back there...I can never thank you all enough for your heartfelt prayers, thoughts and comments.....Y'ALL ARE THE BEST!!!!!!!!

Bad News From Home...........

Tonight I received bad news from my home.....my Father in law, a wonderful man that I love dearly and have blogged about many times has suffered a heart attack...I am torn between the pain, tears and overwhelming heartache my family in the mountains are going through, and the need to be with my husband and wonderful in-laws and the uncertainty that they are facing...My father in law will under go heart surgery to replace a leaky valve once he is stable, he is a very active 91 year old who is loved so much by his family and everyone he meets....I will head back home in the morning around 5:30 to be with my husband......It would mean so much to me if you would keep both of my families in your thoughts and prayers........

Mountain Treasures............

Today, while packing up box's and moving some of my parents furniture to storage, my mother uncovered two quilts that she had forgot about....Neatly, or shall I say safely tucked away from her daughter and daughters in laws were these two beauties....

Stitched by hand with love over 100 years ago by great great grandmothers....

So very fragile, and so perfectly detailed...Every single flower so delicate it looks as if they are swaying in the wind

The backs of each quilt are scraps of flour and sugar sacks.....

Home.............

"The mountains are calling, and I must go".

While the clean up here continues and people are trying to recover from the devastating flood we've had, my parents are suffering their own unbelievable nightmare.....These beautiful mountains that I grew up in are threatening to destroy my parents home....Several years ago a large gas company drilled a well and access road on top of the mountain behind my parents house, so much erosion and damage was caused that basically it is a volcano waiting to explode......They woke up one morning with part of the mountain coming toward their living room...I am home helping my family pack up a home that my grandparents built.....Waiting on the corporate world to put a price on a lifetime of memories..........

Waiting for the Sun...........

Today there was an 80% chance of rain but thank God the sun came out.....It was hot and humid.....and muddy.....But the water is starting to go down and people are seeing the damage that's been done. Our governor declared our county and 16 others a state of emergency...Our county water source has been flooded so we are boiling water and being very grateful we have a dry house, many homes and roads are still flooded and will not be passable for a long time...They are calling this an historic flood for Metro Atlanta....We will only suffer damage from erosion and will need to do a lot of cleaning up....We are very, very, blessed...Others are not so fortunate...So many are in shelters and others are without flood insurance....My thoughts and prayers are with so many tonight...

A River Runs Through It.............

In 2007 the governor of Georgia declared a state of emergency because of a severe drought, our beautiful state along with Alabama and parts of Tennessee have suffered greatly over the years and penalties for outside watering have been steep, at times, if caught watering your flowers or garden you could get up to a $1,500.00 fine.....What rain we have had hasn't really brought the rain deficit up to where it needs to be......But for the past few days, we have seen our share of rain....Try 16 inches of it in two days.......This is what once was our garden, it sits near a "small creek" that usually is a steady stream but now is a raging riving....All of our fall vegetables are gone along with the remaining summer ones...

Considering some people have lost their homes today, our garden and yard are nothing....It took my husband 4 hours to get home today just trying to find a way that wasn't flooded......Our forecast...More Rain tonight and tomorrow.....

Not really sure where the mailbox post came from, but I hope that's all they lost....Sorry the quality of the photos aren't great....It's really hard to focus your camera when your standing in risings water in a torrential down pour with intense lighting....The things we do for our blogs......

Rainy Day Blues...Warning This Post Makes Absolutely No Sense.........

Have you ever had one of those days where you just wanted to stay in your pajamas and not do anything else but breath, I'm talking a full blown no makeup, hair pulled up on your head and leave your bra on the chair days (of course, I'm praying we don't have company show up, this would be a terrifying site). Well, today was and continues to be my day...Nothing is pleasing to me today, I wouldn't change clothes for a two for one sale of my favorite cleaning supplies...and speaking of cleaning, it's been minimal today....My beloved has been in here several times to see if I am ready to leave my Dungeon of Despair (bedroom).....Twice he tried to tempt me with Brad Pitt in Troy and Legends of the Fall....But I wasn't interested.....He just came in with an offer for ice cream..I turned it down.....I think he's ready to call in reinforcements, especially since there's not been a crazed woman cleaning, canning, preserving or baking today.....I'm sure me turning down Brad Pitt and ice cream has worried him, but rest assured, if Mr. Pitt shows up with a bowl of ice cream I promise to shower and put on my underwear. Instead, here I lie, in the dungeon of despair talking to you about my lack of underwear......

I don't know if it's the weather that has me down, (it's been raining for what seems like weeks) or if it's the slight hint of fall coming on that has me bummed out....I don't get all excited with fall like a lot of people, I try to hold on to summer as long as I can, give me the hot weather, beach and the pool...Fall time for some reason depresses me...Of course I'm not sure why I get to concerned, Georgia doesn't really have four seasons...We have hot weather one day and a bit cooler the next....As far as snow goes...we've heard about it, and if we really want to see it, we go to the Smoky Mountains or sometimes North Georgia.

I have actually been roaming through the house today and watched a few Patrick Swayze tributes, I have been a big fan of his long before his spin at the pottery wheel with Demi Moore or those famous lines, "Nobody, puts baby in a corner"....And every woman I knew was glued to the television when he appeared as the dashing and brave Orry Main in the mini series North and South....And for all the critics who said Road House was a flop....Anything with Patrick Swayze and Sam Elliot in it, is any woman's dream....Sesame Street could be sexy with those two in it.....Wow, a post about no make-up, no underwear, the weather and Patrick Swayze.......I should title this post Another Menopausal Meltdown instead of Rainy day Blues, But I refuse to talk about my uncontrollable hot flashes and crazy mood swings........Why, because I'm sure your tired of hearing about it and thoughts of several more years of this kind of agonizing fun makes me want to run away from home and join the circus.........That's it, I'm going dig out my cut off blue jean shorts, start smoking and get a job at the Tilt-a-Whirl, the fairs in town next week.......

Trying Hard to Figure it Out............

I know when you start talking about strange phenomena or any type of paranormal activities it brings up a lot of mixed feelings in people. But trust me, I'm just like most of you and I know what the bible says or doesn't say about ghost or spirits, but nothing can explain all the things I saw growing up or the things that we are experiencing in our home now...Those were and these are real.....


It had been quite for several days and I thought we were in the clear until a few days ago...I grew up around a lot of unexplained things and can tell my share of "ghost" stories, but when its happening in my house I want a little more explanation.....I have done a little research and found out that our house sits where a barn and horse farm were (no big deal, since were not hearing horses)...In our garden, I was told that numerous Indian artifacts have been found, and we are only a couple miles from several civil war battle sites so I guess anything is possible. I'm just not sure why it's took almost four years to act up.... A lot of y'all had some very supportive comments and I really appreciated them.....Going back to the basement to work today....What ever this thing is loves it when we are down there.........I will keep you posted

What's up with the feathers Lady Gaga............

I don't think I've ever watched the VMA'S, of course since Kanye West had his little outburst on stage and rudely shocked Taylor Swift, it's been all over the Internet...I've never been a fan of Kanye's, that man has more issues than me.....I really did feel sorry for her and thought she handled herself like a professional..... if it would have been me, I'm sure I would have wanted to hit him over the head with my award....However, one video that I saw both shocked and caused me to roll over in the floor laughing...Lady Gaga, need I say more, I'm all for being different and creative, but going from covered with blood one minute to wearing a white feather wreath arond your face the next....too funny...Apparently she's some kind of musical genius who learned to play the piano at age four, wrote her first piano ballad at thirteen and showed up at the VMA'S with Kermit the Frog......Talk about issues (Maybe she should start hanging out with Kanye)......She always travels with a great big entourage and you would think that out of all those people someone would have the guts to look at her and say, "Seriously, are you really wearing that out in public"....Could you imagine sitting beside her at the VMA'S for a couple hours trying your best to keep a "Poker Face" while she is wearing this............

Celebrity or not, you know as soon as Beyonce got in her limo she laughed so hard she probably wet her pants.........I know I would have......