Ruminations of a Working Mom

Tales from Bloggeritaville: Summertime!

2011-06-06T14:33:00.000-07:00

Happy summer!

Thrifty Thursday - TNT Consignment Sale

2011-03-04T08:03:00.000-08:00

I'm linking up (a little late!) for Thrifty Thursday over at Bloggeritaville. Click on over for more Thrifty Finds!

Since we found out that our little bean is going to be a little boy, I decided to go through all of "Big Bean's" clothes and take a load to the consignment sale at our church. It was my first foray into a highly-addictive "hobby", but I got some GREAT stuff in return. The church opened the presale for sellers last night from 6-8 pm and I RACKED UP! Check out some of my favorite purchases:

The Bean's Easter Dress - $20

Provided that I am not in labor at Easter, I think this full-length dress featuring French handsewing, pearls, and embroidery is going to look absolutely precious on the big Bean.

Sailor Suit with Hat - $5

Sailor Dress - $5

Could there be a cuter brother/sister duo for this price? I think not!

And my best "find of the day" . . . .

A New With Tags Strasburg button-on shorts suit for $5!!!!

Thrifty Thursday (LATE!) - Farmer Friday

2011-02-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

The Bean's daycare is hosting "Farm Month" during February, and having "Farmer Fridays" each week wherein children are encouraged to dress as their favorite farmer. Since I am THAT mama, I convinced (dragged) TJ and The Bean to the thrift store last weekend to pick up some cheap farm duds. Here's part of our haul:

Shirt: $1.98

Overalls $2.98

* We also got a red bandanna-print Wrangler button up shirt for $1.98 that she will be wearing next week with jeans and her "cowboy boots".

Isn't she cute in her farm duds?

Joining up for the 101st THRIFTY THURSDAY over at Bloggeritaville!

Graphic Design project

2011-01-26T09:13:00.000-08:00

I recently was given the opportunity to design some save the date cards for the upcoming nuptials of our friends Brandon & Allegra. They're getting married on the beach at a lovely resort in Florida, and although most of her family lives there, for the rest of us it will be a destination wedding. Allegra had a GREAT idea to model the cards after vintage-looking travel postcards. How fun!

I thought they turned out really cute, and a big thank you to EBSCO for their attention to color on the docu-tech!

Wild N Wacky Weekends

2010-11-17T08:30:00.000-08:00

We are officially booked for every weekend from now until New Years! Good gracious, the holidays creep up faster and faster each year!

Last weekend, TJ and I headed down to Tallahassee to attend the engagement party of our sweet friends Brandon & Allegra. The party was held at her brother, John's, home (which had the most beautiful knotty pine moldings and wainscoting!) The appetizer menu featured chicken liver paté, assorted fruits and veggies, smoked fish dip, and fried alligator - caught by John and his dad the previous week. It was chewy, as gator usually is, but delectable with the homemade sundried tomato dip! I couldn't get over the fact that these "imports" from New Jersey were becoming real, bonafide Swamp People - ha!

Dinner included organic salad, grilled chicken, ribs, and pulled pork, as well as potato salad, slaw, beans and other delectables. Her sister Valerie, sister in law Jeannine, and neice Lexie made two delicious desserts - a flourless chocolate torte, and a delicious spice cake with caramel frosting and fondant leaves. And to top it off? Steaming mugs of homemade chai tea! Y'all, I was in heaven!

Brandon & Allegra were, of course, thrilled that everyone had come to offer their support, love and congratulations. They are a truly special couple and I love them both to bits!

This weekend, TJ is going with Brandon and some of their friends to the mountains of Georgia, to go on their annual dirt bike riding adventure. Imagine if you will, a passel of guys holed up in a cabin, riding in the mud all day, and drinking beer and swapping stories all night. Very manly, no?

I will be contributing 2 french loaves stuffed with a delicious mixture of ground beef and pork, mozzarella cheese, onion, and hot mustard and lightly brushed with butter and garlic salt. They'll be wrapped in aluminum foil, perfect for throwing over the fire pit to warm up for dinner! After all, they've got to keep up their strength for the exhausting ride ahead!

Meanwhile, Bean and I have a full weekend planned. Saturday morning, we have an appointment to meet Santa for breakfast at La Reunion in Helena. Afterward, I figured we'd hit up the Helena Mercantile and do a little Christmas shopping, then head back to the house to change for the "Princess Birthday Party" she's invited to. The Bean will be sporting her Ariel costume, with hair up, crown adjusted, and ready for her tea and crumpets! Sunday, of course, is church - then the 64th annual performance by the Alabama Civic Chorale and Alabama Symphony Orchestra of Handel's Messiah. I can't imagine a better way to kick off the holiday season!

I've been listening to Christmas music all week at work and have wondered if I'm not rushing a bit this year. What if I'm burned out on Christmas by the time it arrives? (doubtful, but it could happen!) TJ has already chastised me for "forgetting" Thanksgiving, as if I could forget my commitment to make 2 batches of sausage balls, cream cheese mini muffins and a citrus cheesecake! I guess I just can't wait to get in the spirit of the season - how about you?

In Honor of Veterans

2010-11-11T14:36:00.001-08:00

I came across this today, and it really touched my heart.

THANK YOU to all of our veterans and

to their families for their sacrifices on our behalf!

Fruit of the Week

2010-11-10T11:34:00.000-08:00

I am such a bad blogger not to publicly announce that we are going to have another baby!

Needless to say, the Bean is beyond excited, as are TJ and I. We are due May 4, and will find out the gender a few weeks before Christmas. I've signed up on Babycenter.com to receive weekly updates as to the growth and development of Bean #2, and have been enjoying each week's size analogies. For example, this week (15 weeks), the baby is roughly the size of an apple. Since the majority of these comparisons are to pieces of fruit, TJ and I have begun referencing the "fruit of the week". This week it's an apple, last week was a lemon, before that, was a fig. I have also been learning about new and exotic fruits, such as kumquats (week 10). It's been quite enlightening.

Other than that glaring omission, there's not really a whole lot to share right now. I've been feeling fine, if a little tired, and haven't had any sickness to speak of. I'm only just getting out my old maternity clothes again and facing the grim reality that I'm too big for my regular clothes, and too small for most of my maternity stuff. Hopefully Bean #2 will hit a growth spurt in the next few weeks so I can be marginally stylish ;-)

Long time, no blog!

2010-11-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, I totally realize that it's been over a month since I've blogged, and I have to apologize for taking such a long (yet needed) break. I think I just have to get back in the swing of things, so please bear with me as I rediscover my inner blogger :-)

There are so many things to talk about that are "big" right now - Halloween recap, yesterday's election results, plans for the next few (hectic) weeks . . . but I think that, instead, I'll just share some pictures that I hope will make you smile as wide as I did.

The Bean wanted to be our huge, fluffy black cat for Halloween, and I couldn't resist snapping a shot of them before we left the house.

How could you not look at this and think "And I will hug him and squeeze him and call him George" . . . ?

This one was also a favorite - "Can we GO??????" I think little one was ready to rack up the candy, don't you?

The Auburn Store

2010-09-22T13:01:00.000-07:00

When I got to work on Monday, my friend Andrea grabbed me up and said, "You have GOT to see this movie of Drew we took yesterday, it's hilarious!!" He'd been acting up in the car or something, and they told him if he didn't straighten up, they were going to take him to the Auburn store. So she pulls out her Blackberry and shows me a movie of her youngest son having a HISSY FIT in front of the Auburn store at the Galleria. Here's the movie:

So after laughing HARD for quite a while, Helen and I told her she needed to post it on YouTube. She said ok, but didn't have an account and asked if I'd post it and send her the link. Well, DUH! So I posted, linked to my FB and sent a copy to a few friends from work, plus the Spouser. I told her I had a feeling it'd go viral, was she okay with that? She said yes, but thought I was out of my ever-lovin' mind!

The next day, there were close to 5k hits and over 80 comments. It was on the homepage of al.com and all over Facebook. I'd already begun receiving messages in my YouTube inbox wanting permission to air the clip and interviews with the parents from ocal radio stations, national syndicates, then today . . . ESPN. They were doing a live interview with Heisman trophy winner Mark Ingram today on SportsCenter and wanted to show him the video and get a few quotes on fan loyalty. Y'all, I bout died!

Now keep in mind, for all of these messages, I just gave them Wade's cell number. Wade is Andrea's husband, and the cameraman for this clip. Since she's out of town this week for work, he's handled all of this by himself - fielding media inquiries, copyright questions, and who knows what all else. I can't imagine. Plus, sweet Drew who's in the video, has no idea what all's going on. After all, he's only 4 and now everybody knows him!

So it looks like they're going to be on WJOX tomorrow to set the record straight. There were several comments on the YouTube post as well as al.com that were inappropriate, downright MEAN, directed at them personally. Andrea and I are both pretty thick-skinned when it comes to talking smack about football rivalries, but this was just hateful. I blocked all comments on YouTube, and realized that the anonymity afforded by the world wide web can really let the crazies out.

HOWEVER, how stinkin' cool is that? I know a local celebrity and helped her and her family get their 15 minutes of fame, which is pretty neat! Right now, it's at over 92,000 hits on YouTube, and still counting . . . let's see how far this roller coaster will take us!

Date Night!

2010-08-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my aunt coming to spend the night with us on Friday, the Super Spouser and I got to go on a date - woo hoo!

We went to dinner @ my favorite chain restaurant, then on to the Comedy Club Stardome to catch Cledus T. Judd's show. We'd never been to the Comedy Club before, but will definitely be back - it was so much fun! There was a time during the warm up act (Matt Mitchell, aka Casio Kid) that I literally thought TJ was going to pee his pants! Cledus T. was hilarious, and I loved how he shared a message about working hard to achieve your dreams at the end of the show. We'd enjoyed watching him on Celebrity Fit Club last season, and were right there in spirit when he wanted to punch out Screech from Saved by the Bell!

Afterward, it was about 9 pm - definitely too late for even old fogies to head to bed - so we drove up to The Cabana Grill, the restaurant/bar at the driving range near our house. They were having a live acoustic music (a sure favorite of ours), and cheap buckets of domestics - SOLD!

We had a great time chatting with the guys up there, and were really impressed with Sam, the guitar-strumming minstrel. Equally impressive was the family atmosphere they cultivate during the day. I can totally see TJ and Brian going out there to hit some golf balls while Mel and I have lunch with the kids. I will definitely keep this place in mind when things get a little hum-drum around the house, and highly recommend that you do the same!

Foodie Friday - Refrigerator Pickles

2010-07-30T07:30:00.001-07:00

Thanks for stopping by on this lovely Foodie Friday! I usually post these things on my recipes blog, but decided to post here this week because it's more widely read. Plus, Leigh would probably come over and beat my door down if I didn't post the recipe for the pickles I gave her this week! She said they tasted like the pickles her grandmother in law used to make during the summer - what a sweet compliment!

In February, The Bean and I planted a whole package of cucumber seeds in peat pots in order to learn about plants, food, etc. - all that "earthy crunchy stuff", ha! Well, these little boogers have taken over a portion of my back yard and now we've got so many I don't know what to do with them. I don't know how to can, and have ZERO canning equipment, so decided to make some of these easy, refreshing refrigerator pickles to share with our friends. Please keep in mind that I used what we had - gigantic burpless cucumbers - so they have seeds, etc. Pickling cucumbers would probably work better, but these still taste fantastic, seeds and all!

1 cup vinegar
2 cups sugar
1 tbsp. celery salt
1 cup raw onion rings
6 cups cucumbers, thinly sliced (I chunked mine up and serve them on toothpicks, but to each their own!)

Put sliced cucumbers/onions in sterilized jars (sterilizing them in the dishwasher is fine). Combine vinegar, sugar, salt and celery salt and heat to the boiling point. Pour over the sliced onions and cucumbers and let them marinate at least 24 hours, preferably a week. These keep well in the refrigerator for a long time, and you can replace the onions and cucumbers as used, if desired.

Who knew you could distill summertime in a Ball jar?

This week's dinner menu

2010-07-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

Please keep in mind this is for my sake, not so much for reading entertainment! I'm going to try to start recording what we eat not only to make sure we don't end up eating Mexican food 5 out of 7 days of the week (even thought I would be A-Ok with that!), but also to kind of track what we DO eat and see what ways we can make healthier choices.

BTW, the "making healthy choices" thing hasn't started yet, and I'm perfectly aware that hot wing dip isn't a dinner mainliner. However, I have a busy work day today and don't much feel like cooking - eating dip for dinner one night a week isn't so bad, is it?

Monday - hot wing dip with crackers & celery

Tuesday - grilled lemon pepper chicken with steamed broccoli and cauliflower

Wednesday - tacos

Thursday - grilled barbecue flavored chicken with steamed green beans

Friday - out to eat w/ Sara, Megan, and MawMaw

Saturday - grilled chicken caesar salad

Sunday - blackened tilapia with a side salad

We will also likely have overnight guests on Friday and/or Saturday with special dietary restrictions, so for weekend breakfast:

onion/swiss quiche with fresh fruit and mimosas for the girls
sausage biscuits and scrambled eggs for the guys and Bean

Grocery list:

2 bags frozen tilapia filets
18-24 eggs
pie shell
1 pint heavy cream
1 pkg swiss cheese
assorted fruit
orange juice
pink champagne
2 caesar salad kits
2 pkgs grilled chicken strips

Thrifty Thursday - Kids Room Re-do

2010-07-19T12:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by today, and be sure to visit Leigh over at Tales from Bloggeritaville for more Thrifty Thursday links!

I am so excited to share my newest thrifty design project with you this week! After The Bean had *definitely* outgrown her toddler bed, we moved in a twin and of course had to redesign her room to reflect the "big girl" she's grown to be!

BEDDING

For starters, I chose a color palette that reflected her favorite color while still matching the existing wall color. The Bean decided that her new favorite color is purple (thanks in no small part, I'm sure, to her dear friend Olivia), I decided to go with purple and lime. After much searching for bedding that didn't look too "babyish" and could possibly carry her through her tweens or farther, I ended up finding this quilt/sham set on overstock.com for only $50 with $3 shipping - SCORE! I think it looks like a slightly "wilder" version of something one might find at Pottery Barn, at a fraction of the price. I'm also LOVING the vermicelli quilting.

WINDOWS

Next, the window coverings. Her white blinds just weren't gonna do it for me anymore, and since The Super Spouser and I didn't think we needed to spend big bucks for custom drapes in the strange magenta/purple that's in the bedding, I decided to get smart and make them myself. If you're a professional designer or seamstress, please avert your eyes and skip the next paragraph!

I found this precious white cotton eyelet fabric on sale at JoAnn's, and the coordinating ribbons 2 for a $1 for a 10-yd. roll. Since I have no idea how to operate my sewing machine and no real desire to learn, I folded the fabric in half, used Steam A Seam on the short sides, then folded down the top edge a few inches, pressed the crease, and Steam A Seamed again to make a rod pocket. After all that ironing, I took the coordinating ribbons and threaded them through the larger eyelets at the hem. I left the back side loose, because it helped them "poof" a little more and I thought it was cute, and used the existing metal curtain rod because it wouldn't show anyway.

Fabric: $30

Ribbons: $1

Steam A Seam: $5

Project Total: $36

ARTWORK

What to do when you can't find wall art that cranks your tractor? Make your own, of course! I had the hardest time finding something to put over The Bean's bed, but found an updated tree of life design that reminded me of one of my favorite hymns.

I enlarged it, did some editing/altering in Adobe Illustrator, then printed it out full-size. After carefully taping together the sheets of paper to fit the entire design together, I transferred the design to a 20 x 30 piece of cold-press illustration board and started painting. It's not the most perfect, artistic wall art that ever was - but I made it, and someday that might matter to The Bean. The lettering underneath is freehand "cheerleader letters" I did with a Sharpie paint pen, and we found the black frame @ Walmart for $12. Now everybody with me . . . "I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free . . . "!!!!

Illustration Board: $4

Paints: $8

Poster Frame: $12

Project Total: $24

FURNITURE

Now on to the real reason this re-do took place, the bed. Many moons ago, when I was in college, I moved from the dorm to an apartment and needed a bed. Dad and I found a twin bed, dresser, and chest of drawers at an antiques store that was fresh off the truck from an estate sale. Y'all, this furniture had fantastic bones but was covered in layers upon layer of the most hideous paint imaginable! (Which probably had something to do with the incredibly low price we paid for the set!)

We spent the summer stripping, sanding, and refinishing my new bedroom furniture, which is one of the reasons it's so special to me. It's been with me through college, went with my grandmother to assisted living, and is now my little girl's "big girl bed". I think it's held up well over the years (not to mention Dad just treated her with a new coat of poly), and I do declare The Bean's "new" furniture is as pretty as the day I got it. Please excuse the laundry hamper, canvas, dirty mirror and any other evidence that we are real people and just assume that we have a maid and no dirt :-)

SNAZZINESS

Now, remember that coordinating ribbon I had left over from the curtain project? Don't think I didn't put it to good use! I made a cute coordinating tassel for The Bean's bedroom doorknob with the leftover ribbon, an unfinished wooden candle cup, and some extra trim. I was so proud of it, but The Bean has hidden it from me before I could snap a picture. Trust me, though - it's totally girly, with lime green ball fringe, satin ribbons, polka dots and sparkly white cording - love it!

Candle Cups: $3 @ Hobby Lobby

Trim: $0.50 @ Hancock

Project Total: $3.50 (using leftover paints & ribbon)

I think this design project pushed the boundaries of my "thriftiness" and made me re-examine how to decorate on the cheap, but y'all, I had an absolute blast working on my little girl's "big girl room"! Thanks again for stopping by for a peek!

My First Window Mis-treatments!

2010-07-15T07:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by!

Be sure to visit Leigh over at Tales from Bloggeritaville for more great Thrifty Thursday finds!

This week, I was so proud to complete my very first no-sew window mis-treatments! What is a window mis-treatment, you may ask? Well, The Nester has a superb tutorial on how to create them and the story behind them, as well as other neat (cheap!) decorating ideas. Ok, here goes:

Our guest room is . . . well, blah. I adore the furniture and the floral white matelassé coverlet, but the windows were just "nekkid". Not merely unclothed, but ugly and unfinished-looking. Yuk.

BUT

After hearing about window mis-treatments, I decided to put up some cute window coverings! I found this damask fabric @ JoAnn's, and used The Nester's instructions as a guide. Instead of rolling up the fabric, I doubled it and used steam-a-seam on the short edges and along the top. Liquid Stitch was used to attach the trim. I thought they turned out pretty dang cute, and plan to go this route again next week when I put up some new window coverings in the Bean's room. (Ok, SO a teaser for next week's TT - we redid my daughter's room and it turned out just precious!) Thanks again for visiting today!

Randoms

2010-07-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

I can't wait to move into my new office. It will save me from driving 30 minutes one-way to take pictures of 3 cushions. Yes, today I will be on the road for an hour to take pictures of THREE cushions. Nope, I'm not bitter - not at all.

On another note, Spouser arrives back from South Carolina today and it couldn't be soon enough for me! The Bean and I haven't slept well for the last 2 nights because he was gone, and I just feel unsettled and bored when he's not here to entertain me with stories about his friends and their new vehicles, or his coworker's photography. Welcome home!

We will most likely go to a movie tonight - but can't decide whether to see Eclipse or The Sorcerer's Apprentice. I'm okay with either one and am just glad to be getting out of the house without worrying about bringing extra pull-ups and 14 baby dolls. The Bean is hanging out with her BFF Adrian for a few hours, and God Bless Kelli for watching her for us!!!

This weekend, we are planning to go to the lake with our friends, The Thors-es. I'm kinda scared b/c I'm a wuss about my kid being on a boat (Even if it's a BIG boat) and I'm not the greatest swimmer. However, it'll be a great time for us to get away, chillax, and sip some brews with our buds after the kids to go sleep. I just don't want to pack! We've been out of town for 3 of the last 4 weekends, and if I never see another suitcase it'll be too soon.

My preferred candidate didn't win the GOP runoff election yesterday and that makes me sad. I still think the guy who won would be a good governor, but he wasn't my favorite and now I'll never get to go to a wedding reception in the back yard of the Governor's Mansion in Montgomery. Boo.

I'm jonesing for some tuna salad really bad right now because I just read a blog with a recipe that sounded AWESOME. Unfortunately, we have no sweet pickle relish in the house so I guess I will just have to a) go buy some or b) get over myself. Right now, my vote is for B.

Thrifty Thursday - FREE Curtains

2010-07-08T06:48:00.000-07:00

Hop over to Bloggeritaville for more great Thrifty Thursday posts!

We helped my sister and her husband move into their new house last weekend and the previous owners left the drapes. Since Sis is a blue/brown girl and I'm a red/gold, she said I could have 'em - for free! We went home with 2 gold/cream lined panels, 2 red panels, and 4 red slubby panels. The gold ones are already up in the kitchcn:

The red ones are going in the "man loft" - our Bama room, and the "slubbies" are going in our master bedroom. We don't have the red ones up yet, or I would show you pictures - but MAN, that made my day!

What's Growin' On @ The Joseph House

2010-07-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

See what's growing beside my deck?

The Adventures of Lucy the Crab

2010-06-30T19:08:00.001-07:00

When we went to visit Bama Belle and her family a few weeks ago, they gave The Bean her birthday present - a hermit crab! I remember bringing home hermit crabs from our beach vacations and thought it was incredibly thoughtful of them to give The Bean something to help remember them and our WONDERFUL trip to the beach!

Immediately, The Bean named her Lucy Goosie Marmaloosie and she became a permanent fixture in our household. Her name is particularly poignant since we were down there for Father's Day and it was our 1st Fathers Day without my granddaddy Buck. He used to call Sis and I "Lucy" as a term of endearment and affection. When I told Dad, he got a little choked up and said Buck would've really liked that. . .

Since returning back to Helena, Lucy has been my BFF while everyone else is gone during the day. (The Bean goes to daycare while I work from home.) My friend Lucy crawls toward color, is remarkably interesting, and LOVES to climb! Tonight, when we visited PETCO, we got her a new stick to climb on - and wouldn't you know it? She used it to walk on the ceiling of her habitat!

Go Lucy!

Hopefully, she will continue to do interesting things that are blog-worthy but for now, we're just enjoying our new family member!

Kim's Wedding

2010-06-23T17:59:00.001-07:00

Last week, we were honored to be invited to attend my sweet friend Kim's wedding. It was held at the Stallings's home, a converted barn on Hwy 13 just inside Shelby County. If you ever take the "back road" to Tuscaloosa, look for it on the right! The home itself is just too stinkin' cool - they kept the original flooring, took out the doors on the horse stalls to create rooms, converted the tack room into either the kitchen or guest room (I can't remember!), and turned the old hay loft into a drool-worthy master bedroom. Here are some of my favorite pictures of their home:

Ok, so now that I've created the scene, check out this beautiful bride! The Bean kept calling her "The Beautiful Lady" and it just made my heart melt; Kim looked more beautiful on her wedding day than I've ever seen her. So joyous, radiant, and content! It was such a beautiful ceremony, and as the sun set into the horizon, they repeated their vows and had their first kiss as husband and wife. I just love weddings, don't you?

Playdate with Kona and Friends

2010-06-23T17:51:00.000-07:00

I SO should've blogged this earlier, but just had to share with you a playdate we had with my dear friend Kona, her two precious boys, and a new friend. They came over and had so much fun! We swam, enjoyed freezie pops, played on the jungle gym and had a great time. How cute are they!

Denny Chimes Proposal - 8

2010-06-18T09:28:00.000-07:00

He picked me up in his big ole black Yukon and saw that I was miserable. I was in a cute sundress, but the day was far too cloudy and windy for that and I was freezing. After taking some medicine and crawling in the truck, I pulled on some of his sweatpants (that I found in the floorboard) under my dress, covered up with a ratty tshirt, and replaced my cute sandals with his size 13 tennis shoes so my toes wouldn't freeze. After a quick stop for gas, we were off.

I slept most of the way, until we stopped in Tuscaloosa for a gas/bathroom break. I came out of the bathroom to find TJ holding a bag of gummi peach rings, my favorite. I asked if that was his proposal, and he said those were the only rings I was getting for awhile. Yea, yea - Funny.

He said he'd called Ken while I was in the bathroom, and he wasn't off work yet. We'd have to kill some time, and would I like to go walk the Quad? Sure, why not, I said.

It was late afternoon, and the sun was beginning to set behind Reese Phifer Hall, the communications building that was my second home during my college years. We were both checking out the sunset and TJ said, "You know, we've had a lot of good times here, haven't we?"

I murmured yes, distracted by the final pink rays of sunlight as they slid behind the marble white dome.

"I talked to your Dad today," he said.

"Oh really? About what?"

"About me wanting to marry you"

"How'd that go?" I asked, as I turned to him.

And right there at the foot of Denny Chimes, TJ kneeled and produced a tiny box out of nowhere . . . and my heart stopped beating.

"Will you marry me?" he asked, and opened the box to reveal the most beautiful, perfect ring I have ever seen.

I was too stunned to speak, and all I could do was cry. This was "the moment" - the day I'd dreamed of since the summer after my freshman year of college. The day that the one person that I loved most in this world, my best friend, asked me to be by his side for the rest of our lives. It was finally over - all the wanting and wishing, the settling, the questioning - ALL of it; because he had chosen ME.

As he reached for my hand, I squeaked out a "yes" and trembled as he placed the ring on my finger. Smiling as he stood, he gave me a big hug and kiss. As I clung to him, shaking and crying, he smiled, played with my hair and kept repeating, just like he always did when I got emotional, "It's okay, honey. It's okay."

And I knew that, finally, it really was.

Denny Chimes Proposal - 7

2010-06-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

He wanted me to move to Louisiana to be with him, and I told him that there was no way that was going to happen without a ring on my finger. That was my line in the sand, and if he wanted me to move that bad, he knew what to do.

So we started talking about when/if we got engaged. It became a joke, of sorts. I made sure he knew my ring size and exactly what kind I wanted, should he "just happen" to decide to propose. He was talking about doing it in October, and I was trying not to get too giddy with anticipation that "The Precious" would soon be headed my way.

Meanwhile, it was busy time at work and I had enough to occupy my mind without wasting precious brain cells wondering about a pie-in-the-sky engagement. I mean, really, was TJ going to actually go through with this? He jokes around a lot, so there's really no telling if he's actually going through with it. Oh well, we're together and that's all that matters, I said to myself.

So I continued on with my work. One fine spring day in March, TJ was in town and had to go to Tuscaloosa to visit our friend Ken and pick up a car part. Standard. So he calls me at work to see if I want to go. I had a raging headache, and was DYING to get out off the office and take some aspirin and a nap, but my supervisor was out to lunch. He said to go ahead anyway and leave her a note (our supervisor/employee relationship was pretty loose like that). He'd meet me at my house in 10 minutes. I left a quick note about feeling sick and scooted home.

For the next installation of our love story, CLICK HERE.

Denny Chimes Proposal - 6

2010-06-18T09:03:00.000-07:00

Other weird instances kept happening with Eddie, and I realized the signs of emotional abuse. He cried and accused me of not caring about him, in order to get his way. Nothing was ever his fault, it was mine. Trying to work and keep our relationship afloat really took its toll on me, and I was given a prescription to help with anxiety. Finally, on my birthday, I called him to break up but Eddie beat me to it, and that was that.

I called TJ the next day and told him he was right - I'd managed to pick another "winner". He laughed and said he had planned to come in town the next weekend, and would I like to go out to dinner at Red Lobster on Saturday night?

You could've blown me over with a feather.

Years had gone by since we dated and I knew that I had ZERO chance of ever getting him back after the way I hurt him. I deserved that - I earned it and I owned it. But what in the world had made him change his mind? Did I have a second shot with him? All I knew was that if God had given me a second chance with the love of my life, I was hanging on with both hands and not letting go this time.

Turns out, the night that I refused to take him home was a test. He'd been talking to Mike (the college roommate) about how much he missed me, but couldn't invest himself again until he knew that I had really changed from the last time we dated. The stunt at The Brick was his way of seeing if I had matured, and learned my lesson. Thankfully, I passed the test.

TJ and I picked up where we left off, and we both knew that this time it was for keeps. Even dating long-distance was easier and more meaningful than any of the relationships we'd had during our hiatus. I loved him with every fiber of my being, with a fierceness I had never experienced before. Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, both of us tried for so long to look for something elusive, when really, we knew where to find it all along.

TJ moved to New Orleans, which made our relationship much easier. I could get a round-trip flight out of Birmingham for less than $100, so we got to see each other a lot more frequently. We saw each other as much as time and finances permitted, and still talked for hours every night on the phone, but he was lonely. He wanted me to move to Louisiana to be with him, and I told him that there was no way that was going to happen without a ring on my finger. That was my line in the sand, and if he wanted me to move that bad, he knew what to do.

For the next installation of our love story, CLICK HERE.

Denny Chimes Proposal - 5

2010-06-18T08:45:00.000-07:00

Agreeing in my mind to settle for second-best, Jason and I dated then got engaged. What a disaster. We broke it off and I moved, shortly thereafter, back to Decatur, my hometown.

I was back. Back to being comfortable, knowing where shortcuts and grocery stores are, back with friends who've known me since childhood. I bought a townhouse near my office and got heavily involved in civic and other organizations, and the Young Professionals Sunday School class. I was the happiest I'd been in a long time, and felt like my fresh start had helped me get my ducks in a row.

After spending a few months getting in the swing of things, I started dating Eddie. Eddie was at Auburn, studying to be a history teacher and basketball coach. Since Sis was still in school there, we would see each other when I came down to spend the weekend with her, and he would come up fairly frequently to see me. Eddie was fun, caring, and committed. I really liked him, and it didn't take long for us to start dating exclusively.

I noticed trouble popping up with Eddie, though. I would catch him in lies, he was manipulative of others, and had a nasty temper. One of the things that bothered me most was that he didn't like me to talk with any of my male friends on the phone or in person.

TJ, at that time, had graduated and was living in West Virginia, working for the railroad. He'd call every 6-8 weeks or so to check in, and we'd talk maybe an hour or so. No big deal to me, but it drove Eddie nuts!

Turns out, Eddie was more intuitive than I gave him credit for. One night when TJ was in town, I met a bunch of our friends at the local watering hole to welcome him home. We talked and laughed and shot pool, until I got ready to leave. TJ was tanked, and asked me to take him home so we could get away from everybody and talk. Suddenly it hit me and I knew that if I went with him, I was destined to repeat the "Art Boy" incident - only backwards, so I told him "No, that (I) had a boyfriend and if he needed to go home, he'd have to find another ride".

Other weird instances kept happening with Eddie, and I realized the signs of emotional abuse. He cried and accused me of not caring about him, in order to get his way. Nothing was ever his fault, it was mine. Trying to do my job at the co-op and keep our relationship afloat really took its toll on me, and I was given a prescription to help with anxiety. Finally, on my birthday, I called him to break up but before I could get the words out - Eddie beat me to it, and that was that.

For the next installation of our love story, CLICK HERE.

Denny Chimes Proposal - 4

2010-06-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

We were friends again. Not close friends, but friends enough that 1) we could be in the same room together, and 2) I could be in the same room as him and not cry or throw up.

At least, that's what I thought.

While in Huntsville, I met a guy that reminded me so much of TJ, we instantly became friends. Jason was from a tiny town in north Mississippi, worked in IT, and sported a rash of freckles and a shock of bright red hair. He had sensitive clear-blue eyes, a quick smile, and loved to have fun and crack jokes. We'd sit up and night for HOURS talking about nothing in particular and had fun doing nothing in particular. I thought I was starting to really like him.

One fall Saturday morning, Jason and I decided to tailgate in Tuscaloosa, where incidentally, TJ was finishing up his senior year. I called TJ on the way down, to see if we could watch the game at his house while he was cheering from the student section, and he agreed to meet us before heading down to the Quad.

Jason and I, at that time, weren't officially dating - we were just hanging out a lot, and I had decided that we couldn't take it to the next level if TJ thought he was a dud. I mean, after almost 10 years of watching me date goobers AND being the most recent long-term relationship I've had, who would know best what kind of person I should be with? TJ had, and still has, an impeccable gift of discernment when it comes to people, and I trust his judgement without question.

After arriving, we sat down for a few beers and the guys chatted. There was a house-full, so nobody noticed as I hung back and watched. What a weird situation to be in: there I was, watching this guy I thought I kinda liked, talking with the guy I knew I loved and could never have again. Even if things went forward with Jason, I'd still be settling for second-best. He was a great catch - good job, funny, great at parties - but who I really wanted was TJ. I knew that from then on, it always was and only would be TJ.

This realization hit me like a ton of bricks, along with the several beers I'd consumed. I ended up locking myself in TJ's bathroom, crying, because it was all so clear and everything had gone so horribly wrong. I retched as I smelled his favorite cologne that was carefully laid out next to his toothbrush, and saw his still-damp towel. TJ had to pick the lock to get me out, and from there I walked, humiliated, to the parking lot where another friend was waiting to pick me up.

Jason went with the flow and ended up watching the game with some friends, then going out. Upon returning to Huntsville, TJ sensitively glossed over my "episode" and said that of all the guys I've dated other than him, he liked Jason best of all.

Agreeing in my mind to settle for second-best, Jason and I dated then got engaged. What a disaster. We broke it off and I moved, shortly thereafter, back to Decatur.

For the next installation of our love story, CLICK HERE.

Denny Chimes Proposal - 3

2010-06-18T08:02:00.000-07:00

And that's when i did the stupidest thing I've ever done.

In the previous few weeks, I'd spent more time with "Art Boy" than with TJ. He was quiet, sensitive, and well, THERE. I was lonely and needed someone to talk to, and TJ simply wasn't around because of his class load and restaurant job. "Art Boy" was a graphic design major from a small town in Alabama, mildly cute, and missed his mama's cooking. I don't know how to cook small, so would bring him leftovers and stuff. One night after polishing off a casserole, we were watching TV and he leaned over and kissed me. I kissed him back.

My new roomie, Kim, was dating one of TJ's roommates, and clued him in to my transgression. It went downhill fast from there. TJ was hurt and angry, and I was so mad at myself I couldn't see straight. How stupid could you be, Laura? To cheat on the man you wanted to marry, just because you felt neglected? What does this say about the kind of person you are? You've just lost the circle of friends you've had since high school because of this! What a stupid, STUPID thing you did!

TJ couldn't get over it, and I don't blame him, so we broke up in a Mexican restaurant. I cried for weeks - so much so, that one of my friends had to take away my Otis Redding CD because it had "our song" on it, and cranking it on repeat for days at a time was driving my roommate so batty she went to stay with her boyfriend until I agreed to stop.

I did all the typical break-up things - chopped all my hair off, started hanging out with a different set of friends, sat at home by myself tearily watching Lifetime movies, and threatened to end it all. That last one landed me in the hospital in the middle of the night. If it weren't for Kelli and TJ, this story might not have such a happy ending.

After that horrible, HORRIBLE school year had passed, I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, graduated in May, and started my first "big girl" job in Huntsville. It was the first time I'd lived by myself, and I was in a big, unfamiliar city. Because so much time and distance had separated us, TJ and I resumed contact via the occasional "Hey, are you still alive and what are you doing?" phone call. We were friends again. Not close friends, but friends enough that 1) we could be in the same room together, and 2) I could be in the same room with him and not cry or throw up.

At least, that's what I thought.

For the next installation of our love story, CLICK HERE.

Denny Chimes Proposal - 2

2010-06-18T07:48:00.000-07:00

I realized in that moment that was I craved most was a relationship with my best friend, not some stranger. Someone that knew me inside and out - good and bad, fears, quirks, warts and all.

And y'all, I laid a kiss on that boy, the likes of which he'd never seen.

We started dating that summer. TJ had been going to our local community college, and transferred to Bama in the fall, moving into a tiny concrete block apartment in a sketchy neighborhood with his good friend Mike. I spent many evenings over there, especially Mondays - when we would watch wrestling in the bean bag chairs and order large stuffed-crust supreme pizzas from Pizza Hut. Meanwhile, I lived in a gated apartment complex with one of the sweetest roommates ever, and one that was surely sent to test my nerves.

One night, I'd finally had it with the difficult one, and ended up screaming at her and almost beating the door down. Knowing that if I stayed, I'd surely do something regrettable, I went to my neighbor Ralph's apartment and called TJ to take me to his place. Instead, Mike roared up in a black pickup truck, and took me over there while TJ finished making dinner. I was shaking mad - it was the first time TJ had seen me that angry, and you know what he did? He laughed at me.

That son-of-a-gun LAUGHED at me! And you know what? I laughed too.

We kept on dating through the next year, as he moved into "The Big House" with 6 other guys. At that time, he was getting pretty far into his mechanical engineering classes, which was taking a LOT of his time, plus working at Applebee's between classes. I missed him. I felt neglected, short-changed, bereft of the one person that managed to keep me sane while I tried to navigate young-adulthood.

And that's when i did the stupidest thing I've ever done.

For the next installation of our love story, CLICK HERE.

Denny Chimes Proposal - 1

2010-06-18T07:20:00.000-07:00

Joining in for the Show Us Your Life: Proposal Stories party over at Kelly's Korner.

Hi, I'm Laura, and for the past 4 years, I've been the wife of an amazing man who still rocks my socks off. Here is our story:

Upon beginning 9th grade at Decatur High, I started dating this sweet guy named Jack. He was lanky in an Alan Jackson kind of way, and drove a Jeep Wrangler - I thought he was too cool. One day between classes on the English hall, Jack introduced me to his best friend, a big dude with curly hair and an infectious grin. His name was TJ.

TJ liked to drag race and drove a black 1987 Mustang; he threw the parties that everyone wanted to be invited to, and liked to give Jack a hard time about working too much. When he wasn't having fun, TJ played on the football team and was first chair French Horn in the concert band. Weird combo, if you ask me. Jack and I broke up, but I still continued to hang out with him and his circle of friends.

I didn't know it at the time, but apparently TJ had a huge crush on me. Silly me, I didn't see it coming - I mean, he was one of my best guy friends! Still, I kept dating all the wrong people - a preppy, health-nut cross country runner, the pitcher of our high school baseball team, a sweet but unmotivated guy from my youth group, even one weirdo that played baseball for the local community college and liked to collect snakes. Yea, he was a winner.

Through it all, TJ just stayed my best friend and we laughed at each pitiful attempt I made to find love.

After coming home from my freshman year at Alabama, I decided to drop by his house to see what was shakin'. There was a pool party in progress, so I borrowed a bathing suit from his mom and jumped in. I had just broken up with my first college boyfriend and was a little bummed, but knew Ian was definitely NOT the guy for me - he was too well-coiffed and didn't know how to fix a thing! After a while, I went in the house to use the bathroom, and literally bumped into TJ when I was walking out the door. Don't ask what came over me, but I realized in that moment that what I craved most was a relationship with my best friend, not some stranger. Someone that knew me inside and out - good and bad, fears, quirks, warts and all.

And y'all, I laid a kiss on that boy, the likes of which he'd never seen.

For the next installation of our love story, CLICK HERE.

The House That Built Me

2010-06-18T05:54:00.000-07:00

I grew up in Decatur, AL on top of a hill called Burningtree Mountain. And yes, the trees looked like they were actually burning each fall, which is probably one reason autumn is and always will be my favorite season.

Our house was a 2 story, red brick colonial style that Mom & Dad built so we could move "in town". The previous house sat on a lovely piece of property in Priceville, overlooking a valley with a pond next to the house. Luckily, I got to spend lots of time there growing up because Dad's parents moved in after we moved to Burningtree. Because they wanted us to go to city schools, we moved to town when I was about the same age as the Bean, and my little sister was only an infant.

I remember going out with dad when the house was being built, and falling through an open AC register while he was trying to caulk the windows. I scraped up my leg pretty bad, but that vent's still there and so is my leg. Sis and I had a playroom in the back that morphed as we grew - the room that used to hold our art tables, play kitchens, and Barbie Dream House was redecorated to house a sofa and TV when we were in high school. Now that we're both married and gone, Dad's made it "his" room and put in his computer and cowboy & Civil War stuff. I'm glad that he finally got a room of his own - he's been very patient!

My room was at the top of the stairs on the right. I thought it was the most beautiful room in the world because Mom decorated it in pink. Laura Ashley mauve, circa the 1980s, but still pink. In that room, I hid in the closet and read books, raised turtles, hamsters and baby chickens, and sought the comfort of my bed after having my wisdom teeth removed. I decorated it with black and orange streamers for Halloween until Mom got mad at me for putting scotch tape on the walls. I used to go in there and crank up my stereo during the many bouts of teenage angst that girls go through, and invited the Decatur Daily there to take pictures when I was going to compete in Montgomery for Alabama's Junior Miss. When our family stays with my parents, TJ and I still sleep in that bed. It was the one my mom slept in growing up.

But for me, it wasn't just the house - we had the greatest neighborhood in the world. When we were younger, Sis and I played with Lance, who was my age and lived across the street. He had a calico cat named Tela, and I thought his older sister Farrah had the most beautiful hair - long strawberry blond, and permed to perfection! We used to ride Roller Racers in the street between our houses. Around the block, was my friend Katie's house. We met when we were the Bean's age at Central United Methodist Weekday School, and have remained friends ever since. We went to Vacation Bible School together, and since she carpooled with us, Katie faithfully accompanied me to the doctor's office 2x/week for my allergy shots. She and her son came over last week for a playdate, and it's funny to me that even though we're in our 30s we're still running to each other's house to play.

The living room, just to the left after crossing the threshold, was really were we lived. I remember piling up on floor pillows with Dad, watching Star Wars, and licking the bowl after Mom had made fudge at Christmas. My parents still have home movies of me dressed up in dad's burgundy bathrobe, playing the role of "George Washington" while my little sister tried to keep up, and until we outgrew his lap, Dad would read 2 chapters a night from the Boxcar Children in the old recliner just before bedtime. I remember when we got new sofas - Mom just about had a fit if we put our feet on them; now, it's where we take afternoon naps. My piano used to be in there, and I practiced for HOURS. I'm sure those early years weren't quite so musically-inspired, but I loved playing as I got older - especially Christmas music that everyone could sing to. The piano moved with me to our house in Louisiana, and now to Helena. I still play Christmas carols for TJ and the Bean, who laughs and sings along. Even though the piano was a gift for my 15th birthday, and not the ornately-carved antique one I grew up playing, I still feel like I'm taking a piece of that house with me wherever I go.

There are tons of other stories about this house that I could tell you, but that would make this blog post into a novel. Mom and Dad just finished adding an addition on to the back of the house - a huge family room, sunroom, and deck - to accommodate their kids, sons in law, granddaughter, and any other future grandchildren. That's the thing about this house, it's always changing.

And I like that because it's not just going to be the house that built me, but also one of the houses that builds the Bean.

Check out Leigh's Blog for more heartwarming house stories.

Summertime & the Livin' is Easy!

2010-06-09T04:58:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I love summer!

Sure, it's hotter than 7 shades of hell and the gnats are as thick as potato soup, but no other time of the year boasts so many fun, free, family events that are simply "can't-miss" in my book!

Take this week, for example. Friday, we're hosting a playdate and letting the kiddos play in the swimspsa, sprinklers and sand table. I have a feeling that freezie-pops will be in abundance, and the kids are going to take good, LONG naps afterward! Nothing says summer like splashing around with your friends!

Friday night, it's another round of Sundown Cinemas (Where The Wild Things Are), and Saturday morning is sure to bring another trip out to Helena Market Days, where I should have some freshly-potted dill waiting for me. (Thanks, herb lady!) Last week, we picked up some cucumbers for The Bean and some pepper-jack goat cheese for me and The Spouser. I can't wait to find out what's going to be there this weekend!

And Saturday night, oh my goodness, I am SO going to have to blog this - one of my friends is getting married at The Stallings's house. This house/property is just amazing - it's a converted barn on a hill overlooking beautiful pastures and a small pond. They left the red paint on the barn, stained the concrete floors, and planted all sorts of wonderful things around the outside to make it home-y. Kim and Chris will say their vows under a huge white tent in the field by the house at sunset - how romantic! I can't wait to share with y'all.

With so much fun going on, I'm also looking forward to perusing my blog list to see what everybody else is doing this summer. Good times!

Daikin Festival

2010-06-02T11:07:00.000-07:00

The Daikin Festival is an annual Japanese culture festival sponsored entirely by Daikin America. Luckily for us, the event was held the Friday night we were to arrive in Decatur, so of course, we went!

Though the festival is in it's 16th year, it was my first time to go, and I was practically chomping at the bit to get out to the fairgrounds! The article below is from the Decatur Convention & Visitors Bureau, but the pictures are mine!

“Daikin America firmly believes in giving back to the community in which we work and live,” said Forrest Keith, Community Relations Manager for Daikin America. “The Daikin Festival is our way of showing our appreciation to the community for embracing Daikin America and our Japanese heritage.”

Attendees are encouraged to wear their happi coats and participate in the Japanese folk dances. Happi coats are cloth jackets, or robes, usually containing an emblem, family crest, or logo on the back, and are worn on festive occasions. Live music ranges from rock & roll to traditional Japanese music, and each year, Daikin employees offer entertainment by playing the Japanese Taiko Drums.

Along with traditional festival food such as hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorn, and soft drinks, guests will be treated to Cajun jambalaya, barbeque sandwiches, and Japanese Yakisoba, a stir-fried mix of noodles, cabbage, carrots, and beef. All food and drinks are free of charge. Displays consist of a product exhibit for guests to learn more about what Daikin-America produces. Other displays include the Daikin Art Contest, and the Daikin Homestay Program, a program where area students and teachers travel to Japan for a two-week stay.

Ok, it's back to me again! Here's some pics of one of the booths we visited. There were several people writing words in Japanese on banner-sized pieces of paper. Not surprisingly, the Bean wanted her name on a big sheet of purple!

They also had this cool painted stand-up for photo ops. You know I couldn't resist getting a pic of the Littlest Samurai!

Outdoor Wednesday

2010-06-02T08:32:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by Outdoor Wednesday! Be sure to check out Susan's Blog for more great Outdoor Wednesday posts!

This week, I'd like to take you with me to our Memorial Day jaunt up to Decatur, Alabama for the Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Festival. As natives of Decatur, TJ and I grew up going out to Point Mallard every year for the balloon festival, but it was the very first time we were able to take our little Bean.

Around 60 hot air balloons were at the festival, but due to the constraints of weather and toddler naps, we were only able to see about 6 of them at the balloon glow on Saturday night. HOWEVER, as usual, they were simply beautiful. The annual balloon glow occurs during a magical time - as my friend Jessica would say, "The Gloaming" - and the early evening is illuminated by the glow of the brightly colored balloons. This is one of the "can't miss" events of the weekend, and if you've never been and are close enough to visit, please make plans to visit the Alabama Jubilee next Memorial Day!

Victory Parties

2010-06-02T06:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the availability of our favorite babysitter, TJ and I were able to get out for a few hours last night and attend the Victory Parties of two candidates we've supported. We had a great time, and were glad to get away for an "adult" function for the evening!

We started off at Cam Ward's party at Vizzini Winery in Calera. I've been dying to visit this place for over a year, and we finally found a reason to make it out there! The buffet included seasoned meatballs, bruschetta with homemade tapenade, boiled shrimp, deli sandwiches, and assorted fruits and cheeses. In addition to regular drinks, wine selections included a semi-sweet red (the one we tried - it was DELISH!) and a dry white. Not only were the food and beverages amazing, the views were absolutely to die for!

Photo Credit: Leigh Bratina, Photographic Memories

Around 7 PM, Cam's father in law addressed the crowd and introduced the new State Senator! Cam thanked all of his supporters, especially his lovely wife Julie, his daughter, parents and inlaws. He continued with his goals for his Senate term and concluded by saying that it's important that politicians don't let politics get in the way of what's really important - and as he looked outside at the children playing in an adjoining field, said "THAT'S what's really important. Our children, the future of Alabama."

After slipping out, we made our way to The Patio Grille in Alabaster for the exciting part of the evening. My friend April Weaver was running for Cam's seat on the state House, and although we don't live in that district (yet!), TJ and I supported her because we think she'll do a great job and, in his words, she reminds him of me (what a sweet compliment!)

As the returns were phoned in by box, the tension grew. Cheers when she won a box, silence when she didn't. April had some stiff competition in this race, including the chairman of the Alabaster City Council, a well-respected lifelong volunteer in Helena, and a small business owner representing the Tea Party. We were all hoping she would score more than 50% of the vote and avoid a runoff. Individual box results rolled in . . . Siluria, Evangel, Helena . . . Pins and needles, I tell ya!

April had spent the first part of the evening in Bibb County, also in this district, then came over to meet us in Alabaster. As she pulled into the parking lot, several of the little girls came in screaming, "April's here! She's here!", and wild applause broke out as she entered the building. Shortly after, results from the last box had come in - and she had over 50%!

After thanking her family and supporters, she tearfully asked her sweet husband to lead a prayer of thanksgiving for her victory and ask for God's guidance as she served out her term. I was about to cry too, I was so proud of her!

HD 49

2010-05-27T19:36:00.000-07:00

I know that, living in Helena, supporting anyone other than Jack Gray will get me the BIG OLE STINK EYE.

HOWEVER, I absolutely big puffy heart April Weaver, who is running for HD 49 (Cam Ward's district). I SO wish I could vote for her, but I'm in Mary Sue McClurkin's district. See? Don't we kinda look like we could be related? No? Okay then :-)

Anyway, she's worked her butt off during this campaign and has wide support in Shelby and Bibb counties. If you've never met her, please check out HER WEBSITE. Here are some of the things I like about her as a candidate:

She has years of experience in the healthcare field, due to her working in healthcare administration, nursing, and business administration for Shelby Baptist. This is good because she is strongly opposed to government getting involved in our healthcare, and has been working behind the scenes in advocating good healthcare legislation for years. I am confident that she will be an advocate for better healthcare in the state of Alabama, with minimal government intervention.
As a mom, she's personally invested in the education of Alabama's children. She's pledged to work toward encouraging teachers who excel through rewards, and ensuring that more tax dollars go toward the classroom instead of administration. Somebody needs to work to improve our public schools, and she's got the initiative and follow-through to ensure that something positive is done to improve in this area.
I know this isn't really issues-related, but I really like her as a person. I believe that she has the best interests of her district at heart, is honest, and is one of the hardest working people I've met. She REALLY wants to win this seat, and she would honestly be great at it. If you meet her in person, I'm sure you'll see the same things in her that I did, but even if you haven't met her yet, I hope you'll at least entertain the thought of voting for her if you're in HD 49.

Ok, off the stump now. I know my opinions (especially about a district I don't even live in) don't mean a whole lot, but after talking to several people tonight about April's candidacy, she's got a lot of support from Shelby and Bibb Counties and stands a very real chance of winning on Tuesday or at the very least, forcing a run-off.

The best voters are INFORMED VOTERS - don't take my word for it, check out ALL the candidates for yourself!

L-Jo . . . OUT!

Upcoming Primaries

2010-05-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

Alrighty! The primaries are quickly approaching, and as a registered Republican from Shelby County, I will be participating in the election and throwing in my $.02 for the GOP side. Not that my opinion is any more or less important than anyone else's, but I thought I'd share who I'm planning to vote for and why. Be prepared for one of my longest posts EVER!

PLEASE research the candidates on your own, and don't take my word for it. The best voters are INFORMED voters, not the ones who always agree with me :-)

P.S. - a sample ballot for the Shelby GOP primaries can be found HERE

Ok, here goes!

GOVERNOR: BRADLEY BYRNE

Dr. Robert Bentley is growing on me, but I don't think he as a chance in making it past the primaries. Of the two front-runners (Byrne and James), I prefer Byrne because he has more political experience, I believe him to be honest and sincere, and my friend Carolyn is dating his son Patrick and I would SO love to go to a wedding reception at the Governor's Mansion. I know this is probably not a good reason to vote for him, but would that not be the coolest thing EVER?!?

LT. GOVERNOR: KAY IVEY

Let it be known that I have been a full-on Kay supporter since she entered the Lt. Governor's race. She has much wider name recognition than Sen. Erwin (electability), and has a sincere desire to better the state of Alabama. Plus, THIS STATEMENT from Erwin kinda turned the tables for us - TJ and I were married in NOLA 5 months after Katrina, and he was one of the first ones allowed in the city (worked for the railroad) and witnessed many of the unspeakable horrors of the hurricane first-hand. We also were there for the subsequent rebuilding of our church, neighborhood, and coastline and witnessed hundreds of good, Christian people hurting because of an act of nature. So, not cool Sen. Erwin, not cool.

ATTORNEY GENERAL: LUTHER STRANGE

Love him! What a kind and caring man . . . I firmly believe that he will do not only what is necessary, but what is RIGHT to fulfill this office. With "Big Luther" as AG, I don't forsee any reason for the Gov. to appoint a special task force to do the AG's job and CERTAINLY don't anticipate it costing the taxpayers of Alabama thousands to take the legality of such an action to court. Troy King (the incumbent in this primary) has left me with the impression that he can be bought, and has gotten a little too big for his britches. Sorry, Troy.

STATE TREASURER: YOUNG BOOZER

Surprisingly (or not), I'm going with the underdog here. George Wallace, Jr. would make a fine State Treasurer and is a formidable foe - he's got incredible name recognition, and looks to be the frontrunner. A dear friend of mine said he was a precious man, and likes him a lot. HOWEVER, it bothers me that Wallace was one of the original framers of Alabama's PACT program and now wants to come back to fix it. I'm sure he would do a good job, but don't feel comfortable with giving out 2nd chances on something that is so important to so many families in Alabama.

SUPREME COURT, PLACE 2: MIKE BOLIN

This incumbent is a shoo-in for reelection. Just sayin'.

SUPREME COURT, PLACE 3: ERIC JOHNSTON

I think I'll vote for the underdog in this race just because the incumbent, Tom Parker, tried to have him removed from the ballot for being late filing some paperwork. (The court had to later define the term "day".) That seems a bit harsh, and gives me the appearance that he's either 1) scared or 2) feeling a little entitled.

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, PLACE 1: TWINKLE CAVANAUGH

Seriously, how could I NOT vote for someone named Twinkle? :-)

All kidding aside, she seems to be Elle Woods incarnate, the frontrunner with great name recognition, and has vowed to do all she can to keep utility rates low. From my experience working for an electric co-op, <$.08 per kWh is pretty dang low, but maybe she could work on keeping natural gas from being sold on the open market, which increases consumer cost and payouts to the brokers.

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, PLACE 2: TERRY DUNN

Although it took Dunn a while to settle on which office to run for, I have to give him credit for being state licensed in Municipal Utilities for the past 25 years. Chip Brown doesn't seem to have as much experience with utilities, but it would take a miracle for either of them to beat Susan Parker in the general election.

AG COMMISSIONER: DORMAN GRACE

ALFA supports him, which is a good sign, plus a friend of mine who comes from a farming family asked that I please vote for him. Not only is he a great guy, she said, but the likelihood of him embarrassing the state of Alabama during his term of office is slim to none. Good point.

Sad as it is, one of my voting criteria has become "which of these candidates is least likely to embarrass him/herself?"

Sorry, Dale Peterson, your internet ad was more comical than convincing.

STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 43: MARY SUE MCCLURKIN

In my VERY humble opinion, McClurkin has served this district well and should be given the opportunity to continue her service until she decides to retire. I just think she's the bee's knees :-)

CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE: DAN REEVES

Having served Shelby County for 11 years, I believe Reeves will have an easy walk back to his chambers. However, I've seen Ferris Ritchey signs all over the place and his is a name that's easily remembered. Website's very thin on content, though. Candidates shouldn't make it this hard for voters to learn about them, IMO.

SHELBY COUNTY SHERIFF: CHRIS CURRY

Incumbent with FOP and Shelby Co. Chiefs of Police endorsements - that's enough for me!

SHELBY COUNTY BOE, PLACE 1: DAVID NICHOLS

Nichols, the incumbent, was "very helpful in the process to get the Helena Middle School", so my guess is that he would also be a big help in getting Helena our own high school. This is a BIG issue for me, as it will probably take from now till the Bean is high-school age for the thing to get built! I like that this guy has a previous record of helping Helena residents get the schools our community needs.

However, candidate Jane Hampton really resonated with me. She has vowed to support a Helena High school "100%", and I like that she's on the Shelby County Arts Council, which "hopefully" means that she will work toward funding for arts education.

SHELBY COUNTY BOE, PLACE 2: NO DECISION YET

I don't know enough about any of the three candidates to make an informed decision, but if I find anything out, I will definitely let you know!

STATE GOP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, PLACE 1: FREDDY ARD

I absolutely big puffy heart Mr. Freddy! He's the current chairman of the Shelby GOP, and is one of the hardest-working, kindest people I've ever met. There just aren't enough nice things to say about him.

STATE GOP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, PLACE 2: BILL ARMISTEAD

I know this is probably going to get me the "stink eye", but the other candidate that I would consider supporting is a little too "enthusiastic" about his conservatism for my taste. Great guy, though - super hard worker and very, very nice!

STATE GOP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, PLACE 3: CHARLES KNIGHT

He's been involved with the inner-workings of the SCGOP for years, and everybody still likes him! Hello? We have a winner here!

STATE GOP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, PLACE 4: MARY SUE MCCLURKIN

She's running against Dale Peterson. Please see the above post under Agriculture Commissioner.

STATE GOP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, PLACE 5: PAUL GLASS

Know him. Like him.

Happy Birthday Bean!

2010-05-24T06:46:00.001-07:00

We held the Bean's 3rd birthday party at our house on Saturday, and experienced a festival of girliness!

She wanted a Tinkerbell themed party, so several months ago, I contacted a friend of ours that looks JUST LIKE Tinkerbell, to see if she would/could come for the féte. Of course, Friend said she would, and showed up in the PERFECT costume, and was wonderful with the kids. The Bean was so impressed that Mom and Dad knew the "real Tinkerbell", and thought she was the coolest thing in the history of ever :-)

TJ and I moved out most of the living room furniture so we could transform our house into Pixie Hollow. I thought it turned out pretty good! We set up card tables for the girls to paint their own fairy wings, and provided each one with a tutu upon arrival.

I had a big time with my tablescape, and making the cupcakes. We had Tink cupcake toppers for some of the cupcakes, and I made butterflies from fruit slices and twizzlers for the rest.

The Bean had a great time playing with all her friends, and a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Vent!

2010-05-14T06:27:00.001-07:00

Why is it that when it rains, it pours?

Yesterday, Spouser & I had planned to take a half day off to go to Decatur and visit family for a special occasion. I was supposed to pick him up at 11, and be there in time for lunch - SOOO didn't happen.

1st time - got ready and loaded the Bean, returned library books, got breakfast, and was "just about" to get on I-65N when the phone rang. The printer called saying a time-sensitive file was not uploaded. I knew that was complete poo, as it had been uploaded successfully the day before at 9 AM with confirmation and everything. He called, and the guy over our commercial division (whose project it was ) called - panicking. I don't do well with panic, so headed BACK to Helena, checked the info. and emailed both of them the precise location of the file.

2nd time - had made it to I-65N and just had picked up the Spouser. No sooner than he had put his seatbelt on, the phone rang again. The printing company was having problems downloading the file. The sales rep didn't know what was going on, so he put me on the phone with IT-> The file worked fine, then gave an error message right before it was completely downloaded. Super. So that meant ANOTHER trip back to Helena, to resave, re-upload, etc. the same stinkin' file.

At this point, we were over an hour late, I still have a raging sinus infection, and I'm at the point of saying "Screw it, I'm staying at home to wait for something else to blow up." Thankfully, I didn't, because we had a lovely time on our visit, even though my face hurt (dang sinuses!)

I texted both guys on my way back to B'ham last night re: "the infamous file" and it seemed like everything was going good.

Then, when I checked email this morning, it seems that the commercial division guy didn't get business cards. It was my fault completely, I did his batch separately from the rest because the logo was different, and didn't get them sent. I can't catch a break with a net these days!

Outdoor Wednesday

2010-05-12T09:44:00.000-07:00

This week, I just had to share about going to our hometown happening this weekend - the Buck Creek Festival in Helena. There were gobs of vendors, people, and as usual, great bands! The Bean absolutely loved listening to the bands and dancing along RIGHT IN FRONT! Alas, I think I've birthed a groupie. At any rate, her hip-swishing moves really cranked my (big green) tractor! It was just too cute to be in real life. See?

Please visit Susan's blog for more Outdoor Wednesday posts!

Buck Creek Festival

2010-05-07T13:37:00.000-07:00

We are gearing up for a busy weekend!

Tonight after dinner, we're planning to head out to Old Town and listen to the bands at the Buck Creek Festival. I've got the blanket all packed, light wands, bug spray, you name it! The Bean has already started practicing shaking her booty (Just ask Mr. Dan at the library - he had the preview this morning!) If you didn't already know, I designed the logo for the festival this year and look forward to seeing folks strolling around wearing my design :-) It always makes me feel good to see people happy with the work I do!

Tomorrow, Grammy & Pop are coming for a short visit and another trip out to the BCF. Mom and Dad have made it a ritual to come every year for the festival, and I LOVE that they enjoy visiting Helena and supporting our local events. Plus, Dad can always be counted on to get a tshirt or something with my logo on it - he's so proud of his "not so little" little girl!

We will be lunching with TJ's cousin, John, and his lovely wife Annah to celebrate their daughter's 1st birthday. The Bean absolutely loves her little cousin and we couldn't be happier to know that these two will grow up close enough to be buddies like TJ and John were. Happy birthday, sweet one - we're looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Saturday evening, I'm working the Friends of the Library table at the BCF to encourage local residents to join the group in support of the Jane B. Holmes Public Library. I was surprised when we moved to find that our little library had such a great selection of children's books and recent DVDs. For that reason, we visit at least weekly and I am proud to be a Library Friend. If you live in Helena, please join me in supporting your local library!

Also, if you're planning on going out to the BCF this weekend, please stop by my friend Melanie's booth - Polkadots & Pinstripes. She sews ADORABLE children's clothes, custom embroidered items, and some of the cutest, most original hairbows I've seen. (Shaped like bugs, Disney princesses, cupcakes, all kinds of stuff!) Miss Mel the Snack Lady was even featured recently featured on BirminghamMommy.com -SO PROUD OF HER! Tell her I sent you over!

Hope you all have a WONDERFUL weekend and get out and enjoy this lovely sunshine!

I love making someone's day!

2010-05-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

Today, I had the pleasure of awarding "Yard of the Month" to two lovely residents of Old Cahaba. They were thrilled, and it absolutely made my day to be able to share such exciting news and catch them by surprise!

Several yards are submitted to the HOA Board by our property management company, then the Board votes. (Board members are exempt, of course!) This month, the two landscapes chosen were . . .

(drumroll please!)

870 Old Cahaba Drive

What a fantastic show of azaleas in shades of pink and white, complemented by dusty miller and liriope! This yard just screams "SPRING" to me, and is one of those inspirational yards that makes you want to dig in the dirt :-)

and

2120 Old Cahaba Place

I love the combination of shocking knockout roses, toned down with variegated hosta at the foundation. Wish the picture'd had better lighting - this color combo is simply stunning! Also - be prepared for a flush of yellow very soon - the daylilies around the tree bases and near the entrance are about to bloom!

I am so excited and proud for these homeowners; and want to publicly extend the Board's heartiest congratulations for their efforts in making their homes, and our neighborhood, a more beautiful place to live. I hope to one day achieve similar landscaping success, but for right now, I'm having a good time learning about planting (and keeping!) beautiful gardens like these. Well done!

Dancing in the Moonlight

2010-05-05T06:22:00.000-07:00

Y'all, I love me some American Idol. Srsly.

So we were watching last night's show, which featured songs of Frank Sinatra. You may not know this about me, but I am positively in love with old songs and standards such as these, and have listened to them since my early teens. This probably makes me an old lady in a 31 yr old body, but c'est la vie!

Everything was going okay and then Michael Lynche got up to sing. With his snappy fedora, he was totally Rat Pack and I loved it. Then he started singing "The Way You Look Tonight" . . . oh my gawd! I grabbed TJ up and we started dancing in the living room. Check out the performance!

I haven't danced in years, mainly because I have a full comprehension that mine is one of the bodies that should Never Ever attempt to move rhythmically in public. However, The Bean was loving it! She clapped and giggled with every spin and dip, cracking up at her mommy's pathetic skills, but y'all, I just couldn't help myself. Pitiful dancer or not, the moment struck me and I went with it.

Then Lee DeWyze began to sing. There were moments he sounded just like Harry Connick Jr. (HCJ), the weekly mentor, and times when he sounded just like himself. It was very cool, and one of his best performances to date. He shot up a mile on my scorecard last night. But y'all, my poor poor Casey sang an absolutely horrible version of "Blue Skies". The arrangement, written by HCJ, was jazzy and expansive enough to facilitate improvisation and a mind-blowing performance, he just struggled to deliver. For the record, this is one of my favorite renditions of the song, so you'll know how it's SUPPOSED to sound!

There's also another great version by Eva Cassidy that's a bit more modern, still very jazzy and sexy. Love it - check it out! Oh, and just because I have to share now that I'm on the topic, another great modern jazz singer that I highly recommend is Madeline Peyroux. No offense to Mama Sox, but I think Madeline's version of Summer Wind is infinitely better :-)

Neighborhood Annoyances

2010-04-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

For the past several weeks, some neighbors of mine have decided it would be a good idea to let their dogs run loose during the day, and according to my next-door neighbor, they do this quite regularly once the weather is nice. Well, isn't that just lovely.

See? Here are the culprits frolicking across the field from my house:

Not only are the owners in violation of the city ordinance requiring owners to keep their dogs leashed when not on their property, they have also made me mad and that is never a good thing.

You see, these dogs think it's funny to bark at Rusty and Huck from the other side of our back fence.

I do not find it humorous.

The incessant barking is bad enough, because it distracts me from my work and wakes up the Bean from her naps. Because it's not only our dog(s) that they get riled up, it's every. flippin. dog. on. the. block.

This weekend, the issue came to a head when they pulled the "bark at the gate" thing and Rusty got his shoulder caught under the gate as he was trying to get to them. He tore through a quarter-inch of flesh, all the way down to the muscle, and required an emergency vet visit and stitches. Y'all, it was awful - there was my sweet, friendly puppy covered in blood with a 2 inch gash in his skin. I mean, it was a HOLE!

To add to the drama, I awoke this morning to find Huck on the wrong side of the gate, howling to get in. The dogs had come by this morning, and he'd dug a hole and ran after them (bless his heart!). BTW, the hole has been filled with some big ole rocks, so hopefully we won't have another repeat performance!

So, I did what any responsible, angry citizen would do and filed a police report. And called the non-emergency number. Four times. (so far)

Next-door neighbor (NDN) said the next time the dogs come by, to go over and get him and we'd go talk to the owners. I'm fairly confident they don't want to hear from me because, friends, it ain't gonna be sunshine and roses. However, they need a stern talking-to and I will gladly volunteer.

(And yes, this is the same NDN who hated us when we first moved in. Funny how some thuggish canines can bring folks together!)

Anyway, if their owners don't step up, the HPD will be receiving a new dog complaint form from me and several of my neighbors EVERY DAY until the owners either 1) take action and keep their dogs penned up like they're supposed to; or 2) receive a citation for violating a city ordinance. I am SO not playin'.

Come the week after Memorial Day, and they're still running around, I will be armed with a BB or paintball gun on the back deck. Y'all feel free to come by and watch target practice!

Disclaimer: I don't want to kill them, just scare them enough that they won't come back. Hopefully we have a friend that would let me borrow a paintball gun - I think a nice shade of blue would be a great way to inform the owners that their dogs are not welcome to run free.

A Lesson in Compassion

2010-04-22T07:11:00.000-07:00

There are some days that I love the Super Spouser even more than normal - and it's usually when he's imparting a lesson unto our progeny.

We were informed a few weeks ago that the shaved ice truck will begin making weekly Thursday runs to the daycare, and to send a couple bucks if we wanted the Bean to get in on the action. Of course, we sent some money for her "envelope", and reminded her that the shaved ice truck would be coming to her school today.

Last night, just before bed, TJ and Bean were discussing it. They were on the couch watching TV, with the Bean snugly nestled in his armpit and covered by an old quilt, hair still damp and scented with Baby Magic head-to-toe wash. The perfect time to have a "lesson".

He looked in her sweet little face and said, "Now, Bean, if any of your friends don't have a popsicle or shaved ice tomorrow, it would be really nice of you to share with them. If all your friends had a treat and you didn't have one, you'd be sad, right?"

"Yes."

"You'd want them to share, wouldn't you?"

"Yes."

He waited a minute . . .

She said. "I share with them, but they better not eat it all!"

Gardening Weekend

2010-04-19T06:41:00.001-07:00

Y'all, I am almost too tired to breathe!

The Bean spent the weekend with my parents, giving TJ and I two whole days to work out in the yard. Granted, we probably should've used some of that time INSIDE the house, but it was too pretty to worry about dust bunnies and laundry!

Here's what we got accomplished:

Installed a new flower bed at the base of the deck stairs to hold 2 blueberry bushes and a bunch of cucumber seedlings that the Bean and I started a few weeks ago. This will be our "Food Garden".
Replaced the landscape edging, weeded, and added a few plants to the hosta bed near the "tacky porch". It used to be my white garden, but the gardenia didn't make it, and the hosta came back like gangbusters - so, a hosta bed it will be!
Installed cheapie solar landscape lighting around the knock-out rose bed.
Planted 20 gladiolus corms, weeded, and planted a hot pink azalea in the "Bean's Garden" next to the deck. There are already over a dozen glads coming up, the peony is going strong, and we've got obedient plant starting to come up near the house. This area is going to be SO BEAUTIFUL later in the season, I can hardly wait!
Moved 3 HUGE loropetalum from the front flower bed to the back yard. In a few years, they should provide some privacy from Mr. Norman, who unfortunately, has had to look at my bikini-clad body for the past 2 summers as we relaxed on the deck. I bet he'll be the happiest of all with our new landscaping additions to the backyard!
Replaced 3 scraggly hollies in the front yard with spiky red salvia and yellow marigolds. The hollies were in good health and all, but their size made it difficult to access the water hose for the front yard. At first, TJ wasn't fond of buying new plants when we already had something there, but once he realized WHY I wanted to get rid of them, he was SO on board with that! The new plantings will make it a lot easier on him when washing cars or watering the grass, so I'm happy he's happy.
Dug up the 5 huge sticker bushes in front of TJ's workshop and replaced them with 4 lovely Autumn Embers Encore azaleas. I am so excited about this because those dang sticker bushes were the pits! They were pretty and healthy, but I am not a fan of having sticker bushes ANYWHERE in the yard if I can help it, especially not in the prime location for our lighted Christmas train. Thankfully, a sweet young couple called about my post on Craigslist, and were at our house in less than 20 min. to pick up our bushes. They'd just bought their first house and were working on filling in the landscape on a budget. I remember those days, and was so happy to be able to help them!
Began cleaning out the front flower bed next to the driveway. The long-term plan is to fill this bed with Stella D'Oro daylilies and monkey grass and just let it go! We'll probably add a few daylilies each year, and fill in with bright red vinca in the meantime. Still, it is going to look AWESOME! (If you live in the area, please come get some of my monkey grass - it has taken on a life of its own!)

So there you have it, we were sweaty, sunburned, hot and tired, but got a LOT accomplished! I love yard days - work yourself in the blazing sun all day, then sit on the deck at dusk and admire your handiwork. We started getting the hot tub drained and prepped to be Cloroxed this week, and am looking forward to *hopefully* getting it opened for the season next weekend. This is going to be a fun summer, and I am bound and determined to "green up" my brown thumb a little!

Jake's Ball Game

2010-04-08T08:57:00.000-07:00

While Super Spouser was staying late at work one night, Bean and I headed over to the local ball fields to catch some Little League action. Our friend Jake was playing for The Intimidators (sounds pretty scary, huh?), and his mom and I met up with "Miss Mel The Snack Lady" and her kids to watch the game.

It was the Bean's first Little League game and she LOVED IT! I'd brought her pink Disney princess folding chair, a McNugget Happy Meal, and we set up camp. She thought it was neat that the teams took turns hitting and fielding, and was a little too fascinated with dirt than I was comfortable with (Surprise. Surprise.)

Here's a cute pic of the kids watching their buddy:

He's ready for a BIG HIT!

He got THREE BIG HITS while we were there!

I don't think that had anything to do with his huge cheering section AT ALL, do you? (Smile.)

I'm looking forward to taking the Bean to more of Jake's game this season, and maybe we'll even let TJ come along!

Yard Games @ The Fitzgeralds

2010-04-08T08:50:00.000-07:00

I'll tell you what - Nay-Nay and Cowboy Matt have a GREAT space for outdoor entertaining,

and were the most wonderful hosts for this impromptu gathering!

While Joanna, TJ, Charlie and Arnar played bocce ball in the backyard, I hung out on the deck with these jokesters:

Cowboy Matt (The Bean named him):

Kara and Lil

Look at this sweet potato!

And the girls playing together inside the front door.

Even though the Bean and I were asleep on the guest bed by 9:30 (It was a LONG week!), we had a great time, and always enjoy getting together with our friends outside when the weather's nice! Thanks again, Fitzgeralds, for inviting us to come over and play!

Movie Night with Sweet Friends

2010-04-03T20:43:00.001-07:00

Tonight we were lucky to have the Prince and Princess hang out for a few hours while Bama Belle and her hubster went out to dinner with friends. This was probably the last time (sniff!) that our sweet little friends will come over for us to babysit for quite a while! The Prince loved playing grocery store and watching Mr. TJ mow the grass, while Princess doctored the Bean's babies and organized her play kitchen. In the end, though, they all ended up on the couch watching Bedknobs & Broomsticks and chowing down on Cheese Its!

Goodbye for now, sweet ones, and we will see you again very soon!

Rumpshaker 5K

2010-03-31T06:46:00.001-07:00

My Aunt and Sister stayed with us last weekend and ran in the Rumpshaker 5K run at Sloss Furnace to benefit colon cancer awareness. They did a great job and ran/walked the course with an average 14 min. mile. It was great to see them cross the finish line, and I think that I may join them next year!

As is our fashion, the Bean and I went to support them and carried a giant neon orange sign :-)

(Because big, gaudy signs make everything better!) They also had a giant inflatable colon that showed polyps, colon cancer, and advanced-stage colon cancer. Enlightening! The Bean promptly dubbed it "her cave" and wanted to hide out in there all morning. I can't imagine WILLINGLY wanting to spend the morning in a giant colon, but then again, I'm not 2! Here's a pic of Aunt Sis and Aunt Tah-Tah in the colon with the Bean. Too funny.

Easter Party

2010-03-29T18:16:00.001-07:00

There is a post forthcoming about our Saturday activities, but for now, please let me share a few pics my good friend Leigh took at the Old Cahaba Easter Party. We had snacks, a scratch-egg ornament craft, and egg on a spoon races, PLUS pictures with the Easter Bunny! Thankfully, my BFF Melanie agreed to stand in when the original "bunny" had a scheduling conflict with work. My aunt Melissa (Tah-Tah) took the Bean to the party after her nap, and I have to say, she looked adorable!

Here's a pic of me and The Bunny:

One of The Bean, creating her lovely ornament. LOVE the egg-smocked bishop my Mom found!

The look on Bean's face when she first spied the Easter Bunny:

Aunt Tah-Tah trying to show the Bean that the Bunny was really nice:

Miss Mel the Snack Lady, showing the Bean that the Easter Bunny wasn't scary:

A cute pic of the Bean with her Aunt Tah-Tah:

A pic of me, Bean and Mel (sans the bunny head):

And finally, a pic of Bean checking out the head:

Poor kid - It's a wonder she didn't have nightmares last night! I think now that she knows that the Bunny is really Miss Mel in disguise, she will hopefully be okay with the Easter Bunny coming this weekend. But you can never tell! Keep fingers crossed that we don't have another meltdown like Christmas and Santa Claus!

Outdoor Wednesday - Gardening

2010-03-24T06:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks for joining me for Outdoor Wednesday. Be sure to click over to Susan @ A Southern Daydreamer for more inspiring Outdoor Wednesday posts!

This year, I've decided to get into gardening. As someone who's known for my "black thumb", this is going to be quite a challenge but I hope I'm at least off to a semi-decent start!

SUNFLOWERS

I purchased a few $1 seed-starting kits from Lowe's to show the Bean about seeds, plants, etc. as a learning exercise. Unfortunately, her watermelon seeds never did anything, but my sunflowers have SHOT UP! I put them in their own "pots" on the windowsill in our front bedroom, and am waiting till after Easter to put them in the garden. I've got the perfect place picked out for them; full sun, in with other brightly-colored flowers (echinacea, rudbeckia, gladiolus, and obedient plant), right next to the deck so they can be enjoyed.

MOONFLOWERS

I also got a "wild hair" and decided to start some moonflower seeds. There is a naked spot on the corner of our deck and I thought these would be GREAT climbing up the post rail. Can't you imagine sitting in the hot tub on a summer evening as the moonflowers open and fragrance the air? I really hope these take off, but since I've never grown them before and the investment was relatively small, I'll try not to be too disappointed if they're a bust. But the baby plants have already broken through their seed coats (see the green arrows?) and are starting to poke their little heads out, so I'm cautiously optimistic!

ROSEMARY

On an impromptu trip to WalMart, the Bean and I found ourselves in the herbs section. I showed her how to press a few leaves between her fingers to smell the oils released from each plant, and told her that she could pick one to take home and be "her very own". After sniffing just about every herb in the section, she settled on rosemary, which now grows in a large pot next to the downspout on our deck. I'm looking forward to using it in recipes this summer, and can't wait until it gets bigger and can better hide our ugly drain!

Thanks again for stopping by! If you like what you see, then please follow me!

The Waterfall's Not Falling Too Far!

2010-03-10T19:27:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pics I snapped this evening during our dinner at The Depot in Helena. The Depot is situated alongside Buck Creek and has a fantastic view of the waterfall, which is lit at night with blue lights (you can see them in one of the pictures). This is what it looks like in the summertime:

Tonight, however, it was little more than a bump (if that!) The entire city park located on the other side of the overpass was flooded and cordoned off with police tape by 4:45 PM. Can you believe it?!

Outdoor Wednesday - Chickens

2010-03-10T08:03:00.000-08:00

Thanks for dropping by on Outdoor Wednesday!

Click HERE to read more great Outdoor Wednesday posts.

This weekend, we went to pick up some farm-fresh eggs and met some new friends! I thought this chicken's feathers were just too pretty - she was a hungry little thing, but very gentle. This is the first time my little girl got to see a real, live chicken and gather fresh eggs, still warm, from the henhouse. It was quite an experience, and a LOT of fun.

You can read more about our adventure HERE. Thanks again for stopping by!

Mr. Chris, The Egg Man

2010-03-08T06:49:00.000-08:00

Y'all, I have to say, we had a WONDERFUL adventure this weekend!

I often hop on Craigslist to shop for nothing in particular, and last week, found a guy selling farm-fresh eggs. I thought to myself, hmm, wonder if he'd let me bring the Bean out there to see the chickens? Turns out, YEP!

Early Sat. morning, TJ, Bean and I hopped in the family truckster and after a quick breakfast at Jack's (Side note: Bean asked for "real breakfast". I guess the froot loops I've been feeding her just aren't going to cut it anymore.) and headed to Calera in search of Mr. Chris's home.

Mr. Chris is about our age and lives by himself. Apparently, he got bored and decided to build himself a chicken coop. (I guess you can tell you're "country" when you get bored and start collecting farm animals for no apparent reason?)

I could SO see him sitting outside in a folding metal lawn chair, drinking a Budweiser and watching the chickens, just grinning to himself.

He's got 10 chickens ranging from the pretty black/white feathered ones with bright-red crowns, to smaller, fluffy "Easter eggers", as well as 4 new baby chicks (precious!), and a goldfish pond out front. The goldfish was apparently napping during our visit, because the Bean tried everything she could to try and get that little bugger to show himself!

Mr. Chris was really nice, and helped the Bean collect eggs from the box. Perplexed, she looked up at me and proclaimed "Mama, they're WARM!"

And that, my friends, is why I wanted her to visit a chicken coop - to learn that eggs come from chickens and NOT a styrofoam box from the cooler at Winn Dixie.

She chased the chickens around the yard, petted one, and fed them some leftover bread that Mr. Chris handed her. AND LOVED IT. My little country girl - I was so proud!

We went home with 2 dozen eggs, ranging in color from tawny brown to mint green, and ever since, the Bean has asked for a scrambled egg at almost every meal. "Mama, I want to pick an egg from Mr. Chris!" she says, "They're fragile, so I'll just point." We even had green eggs and ham for breakfast yesterday. Too fun!

Just watching the excitement on her face from gathering eggs, feeding the chickens, and watching her mama cook an egg that SHE HERSELF plucked from amongst the hay was totally worth the $2.50/dozen, and gas to Calera.

If you live in the Helena area, I really encourage you to pay a visit to Mr. Chris. Leave me a comment and I'll give you his contact info. His house is 20 min. away from here, and it was seriously one of the least expensive, best field trips we've been on in awhile. In addition, his eggs, in my opinion, taste better than "regular" eggs and the yolks are so yellow they're almost orange - a sure sign that the chickens have had access to a variety of natural foods.

I can't wait to take the Bean on more agrarian-inspired field trips, especially when the weather warms up a bit, and I'll keep you informed on anything "cool" we find along the way!

I heart Thursdays

2010-03-04T13:24:00.001-08:00

I am participating in this weeks I "heart"... at You and Me Plus Three. Go there now to add yours and read others!!

I'm again participating in "I Heart" Thursdays!

Ok, on to this week (in no particular order):

I heart having a job doing something I love. When I was younger, I never imagined that anyone would actually pay me to do graphic design, and now I'm living the dream (even though some days are more like nightmares!) After being unemployed for several months after my previous employer went bankrupt, I'm more appreciative than ever for having the opportunity to work.
I heart crafting. HEART HEART HEART. Today, I made a paper wreath from old sheet music I found at the thrift store. I teach scrapbooking classes at a local crafts store. And I'm always thinking of new, unique ways to utilize my "stash"!
I heart my little one. She was just TOO CUTE climbing in our bed this morning to snuggle. Those big beautiful eyes get me every time, and even when she's bad, I love her to bits!
I heart my husband, who brings me Taco Bell when I don't feel like cooking dinner, takes care of the Bean when I'm tired, and doesn't complain too much when I'm moody (which I AM!!!) haha. He's a good sport, and I don't know what I'd do without him.
I heart crock pots. RIght now, there's a roast in there because I didn't feel like slaving over the stove for dinner. Whoever invented the slow cooker is my new best friend!
I heart a clean house - anyone want to come over and help?! It seems like every time I clean, it only stays that way for a max of 8 hrs. Sometimes I miss living by myself but I wouldn't trade my life for anything!
I heart photography. I'm not good at it, but I'm trying!
I heart long underwear. Today, I am wearing some under my jeans and am so glad to be warm and toasty! That may make me more like my grandma than I'd prefer, but I'm at an age now that I'd rather be comfortable than fashionable. Sad, but true.
I heart birthdays! Mine is coming up in a few weeks, and thought it won't be as stress-free as I'd prefer, I'm sure it will be lots of fun. True confession: The only thing I've specifically asked for is a cake from Baskin Robbins because they have a flavor for every year of my life! Yes, I just told you my age!
I heart my pets. They leave hair all over the place, and sometimes some cat yak, but I wouldn't trade Rusty, Obit, Wiggums, and Padme for the world. They snuggle with me when I feel like Yuk, make me laugh when they wrestle, and crack me up when the cat and dog share the leopard print bed in front of the fireplace. We recently had to cut mats out of Wiggums's fur because Rusty had licked him so much. Too cute!

Outdoor Wednesday - Park Playdate

2010-03-03T04:40:00.000-08:00

Thanks for dropping by! Check out A Southern Daydreamer's blog for more Outdoor Wednesday posts!

This week, I'd like to share with you a few pictures we took of my daughter's playdate with her friend. It was during that magic time when the sun bounces "just right" through the trees. It wasn't too cold or windy. . . just enough to let us know it's still wintertime. What a Golden Afternoon!

My friend is nice.

We like to play.

We play together every day.

We laugh and cry

And laugh again

Because, you see, we're

Friends

Friends!

If you like what you see, then please follow me!

I Heart Thursdays

2010-02-25T14:04:00.000-08:00

I am participating in this weeks I "heart"... at You and Me Plus Three. Go there now to add yours and read others!!

All you have to do is think what you "heart" the most this week!

I HEART friends who help you get through unpleasant situations with grace.

I HEART my new car and cowboy boots.

I HEART the way my daughter twirls her hair when she's sleepy and that she insists that I read to her for at least an hour every day.

I HEART that my husband and I can have honest conversations about how to improve our relationship.

I HEART the Bellyfillers restaurant in the Jet Pep gas station.

I HEART living in a town that encourages community service and volunteerism.

So, what do you heart today?

New Car!

2010-02-22T07:15:00.000-08:00

Yay! There's nothing like "new car smell" to get the senses revved up!

This weekend, we ventured to Prattville to visit with family and ended up with a new ride! My Ford Escape has been less-than-reliable lately, and TJ and I begrudgingly faced the facts that the family truckster would need to be replaced - and soon. On our way to New Orleans last weekend, she wouldn't get over 20 mph on the interstate, so we had to limp her to the Fitz-Thors warehouse for the weekend and ride for 4 hours 3-wide in TJ's Ford Lightning - NOT FUN!

Luckily, my brother in law, Matt, works for Hyundai and has been talking to us about getting a Santa Fe with his employee discount. This weekend, he made that happen! I'm the proud new owner of a 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe and LOVE IT! The options I really truly wanted weren't offered on the 2010s, so last year's model seemed to be the best fit. I wanted 3 things: leather upholstery for easy maintenance, a 3rd row of seats, and preferably "seat heat" (I hate a cold fanny!). The cool thing about the 2009 Santa Fe's 3rd row of seats is that if you don't need them, they fold down instead of having to remove them entirely. I REALLY like that because I just can't see myself hefting an entire row of seats out the back of my car, and really have nowhere to put them if I did!

At any rate, the angels were smiling down on us Saturday. Capitol Hyundai had only ONE 2009 Santa Fe in stock and, get this - it was navy blue (one of the 3 2009 model colors I liked), and had ALL of the items on my "want list"! Although we weren't planning on buying that day, TJ decided he couldn't run the risk of someone else snapping it up. A few hours later, we were riding back to Prattville in the NEW family truckster!

So, without any further adieu, here is an image (from Hyundai) of a Santa Fe like mine:

By the way, if you're going to Capitol Hyundai in Montgomery any time soon, I encourage you to ask for E.J. Knight or Herman Hodrick. They were the guys who helped us. E.J. has a daughter at UAB and was very sympathetic to the needs of a family with a small child, and Mr. Herman has been working at the Hyundai dealership for about 17 years - and KNOWS HIS STUFF! They are both very nice, very easy to work with, and were very good to us.

Thrifty Thursday - Paper Wreath PLUS Tutorial

2010-02-18T06:41:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all! Thanks for stopping by on this chilly Thrifty Thursday! Make sure you visit Leigh over at Bloggeritaville for more thrifty finds!

This week, I wanted to share a wall hanging I made for the Bean for spring. I am in serious love with some pink, felt the itch to make something, and TA-DAH!!!!!! I ended up with this cutie pie wall hanging made from stuff I already had in the pantry and some scrapbook supplies. It's currently hanging over the door to her bedroom, a warning of the onslaught of pastel once you open the door! :-)

I took 2 contrasting pieces of 8x8 scrapbook paper and glued them together with photo adhesive to make them double-sided (kudos to you if you have double sided scrapbook paper; alas, I was bereft of such "stash" at the time). Roll your squares up to make a cone, and get out a dinner-sized paper plate. Using a hot glue gun, glue the cones to the plate so that the points are in the center and the open end extends beyond the edge of the plate. I spaced mine out before I started gluing and it made things much easier!

Next, I cut a circle out of some sparkly paper that had been embossed with a CuttleBug (ProvoCraft) and glued it to the center of a salad/dessert size paper plate, leaving about a 1.5 inch border to the edge. To camoflage the edge of my circle and the edges of the plate, (y'all are gonna laugh when you read this!) I tore 1" pieces of purple mulberry paper, twirled them around the end of a pencil and glued them down. Yep, like the old "pomps" we used to make floats with in high school!

On the back, I glued some grosgrain ribbon as a hanger and covered it with a 1" punched circle in coordinating paper. You have to glue the ribbon to the edge of the large paper plate, though, or your hanger won't hang straight.

I am dying to get some more scrapbook paper so I can make one for our music room. Can't you just see this with antiqued sheet music? Beau-tee-ful! Here are some more that I found on etsy.com - how I love finding pretties on Etsy!!!

Happy Thrifty Thursday, everybody!

Outdoor Wednesday

2010-02-17T08:19:00.000-08:00

Thanks for stopping by for Outdoor Wednesday, hosted by Susan of A Southern Daydreamer!

Guess where I went last weekend?!? That's right - we celebrated Mardi Gras & Valentine's Day in New Orleans and Slidell, Louisiana!

This was the first year that the Bean actually *kinda* knew what was going on - and you bet it didn't take her long to learn how to wave her hands and holler "Throw Me Something, Mister!" Before the weekend was over, that kid was COVERED in beads, plush toys, light-up wands, 4 different types of plastic swords and no tellin' what all else!

Here's one of my favorite pics from our trip to the French Quarter on Saturday morning. Look at all her beads - and it wasn't even noon yet! We all had a GREAT time and wish we could've taken all of you with us in our suitcase!

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez, y'all!

Hello Class

2010-02-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

I just finished teaching my 2nd round of scrapbooking classes at JoAnn's tonight and we had a BALL!

We celebrated with the Cricut, Cuttlebug and banana bread with strawberry cream cheese, and discussed one of my favorite topics - embellishments! My students have really progressed over the past 4 weeks, both with their technique and their daring :-) I'm so proud!

First of all, they became less afraid of using boldly-patterned background paper and learned to use the "squint technique" when choosing paper. They learned not to be afraid to write in their own handwriting, and how to use journaling and titles effectively. They were all bowled over with the ease and simplicity of creating a paper bag scrapbook, and have some AMAZING ideas on layout.

I learned that no matter how much you think you know, there is much to be learned from your students. They inspire me to keep working on improving my layouts, to try different color combinations and techniques, and now, without any further adieu, here's my class!

Are they no they not SO CUTE! Let me tell you, these are some feisty women with fantastic opinions, ideas, and a steadfast love for their families. I *heart* them! So ladies, if you're reading this, thank you for making the past 4 Tuesdays something to look forward to, and good luck with all your future layouts - remember, YOU CAN DO IT!

We Have Procured the Easter Dress!

2010-02-09T05:26:00.000-08:00

I am so excited. SO EXCITED, I tell ya!

I am usually the world's worst about procrastinating when it comes to big events. I will wait till a week before Thanksgiving to even *consider* what I will be bringing to the family table, and I'm the one shopping last-minute for Christmas gifts THE DAY BEFORE we leave to go to Decatur to exchange them. I know, it's a problem I'm working on.

For this year's Easter, however, I am at least somewhat prepared. I have already located the Bean's handpainted Easter basket and am trying to decide what the Bunny will bring. AND GET THIS - I just bought her Easter dress! Yep, no kidding!

Last year, I had my eye on a lovely mint-green Will'beth bishop style with pink bullion flower smocking at the neck and flutter sleeves. It was a confection of spring, with a sheer white, pintucked overlay that let just the tiniest hint of green show through. I was in love with this dress, but not so in love with the pricetag - $60 plus shipping. Yikes! I don't know about you, but $60 seems a little steep for a dress for a 1 year old, even if it IS for Easter. Nevertheless, she had to have it and did, indeed, look absolutely stunning in her Easter frock. Remember this?

So this year, I decided to start early and scour unconventional sources - like eBay. Whilst perusing their selection of Easter dresses, I found one that was just too sweet. It's a white batiste high-yoke style toddler dress with puff sleeves and embroidery on the yoke and a sweet heart design with a bow down the front. I absolutely love it!

Side note:

You may or may not know about my "thing" with hand embroidery. My first job out of college was working at MPC and helping design Sew Beautiful magazine (seriously, click the link - can you say EYE CANDY?!?!?), as well as creating the instructional drawings of how to do hand embroidery stitches. To know how to draw them, you have to know how to DO them, right? So I learned many of the basic and advanced hand embroidery stitches and have developed an appreciation (addiction) to all things hand-embroidered.

Ok, back to the story.

So after consulting with the Spouser, I tentatively placed a bid on "The Dress". Isn't it just a DREAM?!?

(Sorry the pictures are kinda poor quality - I copied them from the eBay listing)

And we won!

I got her Easter dress for less than $30! I know I probably should've waited to post this for Thrifty Thursday or something, but I just couldn't help myself. I just couldn't believe we got it for that price - and it was still well under my maximum bid. Thank you, eBay, for being so good to me!

Now, on to find a high-yoke slip and perhaps a ruffly Charleston bonnet (cause everyone's got to don an Easter bonnet, right?) I am already envisioning what the Bean will look like in this and I'm liking it - I'm liking it A LOT!

Tablescape Thursday

2010-02-02T04:47:00.000-08:00

Thanks for checking out my blog on Tablescape Thursday, brought to you by Susan from Between Naps on the Porch. Check out HER BLOG for more great tablescaping ideas!

This tablescape was done by my mom for the "January Birthdays" party for my family this year. My husband, brother in law, and aunt all have birthdays in January, and since it's so hard for all of us to get together individually to celebrate, we had one big whopping good time and had a combined party!

Mom got out the Lenox Federal Platinum, Strausburg silverware, crystal stemware, and linens to set a bold tablescape in tones of red, black and white. She was so excited to find a dozen red roses on sale at Kroger for only $4 - so she bought two and created these beautiful centerpieces! I hope someday I will acquire the flower arranging skills my mom has - I'm still working on it, Mom!

We had a great meal of fresh, green salad, baked potato, my grandma's baked beans (recipe HERE), and chicken tenders with a delicious birthday cake from SIMPLY DELICIOUS for dessert! Thanks, Mom, for making every event - an EVENT!

Playing at the Park

2010-02-02T04:44:00.000-08:00

Remember when you were little, and small things like collecting pine cones, watching birds and swinging on ancient, rust-laden monkey bars just MADE your day? We had a day like that yesterday.

I know I only have *so* long before the Bean grows up and won't let me put matching hairbows in her hair or bring me nature's detritus with a gap-toothed grin and the exuberance only a two year old can muster. That's why I wanted to document this day as "Doing Nothing Day" - a day when we didn't do a whole lot other than go to the park and hang out together.

(And yes, I'm aware that she's wearing a pink Bass Pro Shops sweatshirt! It was obviously not "Mommy's Going to Take Some Beautiful Portraits of Me" Day, so please excuse the wardrobe, even though I thought these turned out really cute.)

The Pied Piper

2010-02-01T20:22:00.000-08:00

We went to the library tonight for an event co-sponsored by the Jane B. Holmes and the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. It was GREAT! A member of the ASO came and played the oboe, and talked about how music can tell a story just like a book. The kids were given various musical instruments to play throughout her reading of "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" and the Bean had a rockin' good time! Here are some pics of the "instructional" part of the evening:

And here are a few of the Bean whooping it up with her rhythm sticks!

Joe Tucker Park - Friday

2010-01-23T12:08:00.000-08:00

Well, as promised, I took the Bean back to play at one of Helena's city parks, choosing Joe Tucker because we'd just finished up at the library. I got some cute portrait shots of her (love the silly monkey face!):

And some good action shots too! All in all, MUCH better than the other day!

Outdoor Wednesday

2010-01-20T06:59:00.000-08:00

We stopped by the park at Buck Creek after Wildflower Wax, and the Bean was simply infatuated with the moss growing on the ground, rocks and sides of the trees. I watched, horrified, as she plucked a clump from the damp tree bark and managed to stop her mere seconds before she wiped it on her dress. Oh that girl! She obviously doesn't know nor care about the beautiful smocked dress she was in - it could've been a ratty sweatshirt and faded jeans for all she cared :-) Part of me loves that she has a desire to explore the outdoors, and the other part was like, NOOOOOOO!

Heartbroken and tearful, she made me promise to bring her back when she was wearing play clothes so she could gather more moss. (And yes, she literally said she wanted to "gather" it - where did that come from?) I'm planning on taking her back to the park tomorrow in ratty clothes so she can play in the dirt to her heart's content. Come to think of it, I'll probably get better pictures that way! Happy Outdoor Wednesday!

Stop by and see the Southern Daydreamer for more Outdoor Wednesday posts!

Photo Shoot

2010-01-18T17:21:00.001-08:00

So, I tried to get some fab pics of the Bean this afternoon and it Just. Wasn't. Happening. Whoever manages to get fantastic shots of two year olds gets a big gold star in my book!

I took these at Wildflower Wax in Old Town and WISHED they'd been open. Bean really wanted to see Miss Jennifer, The Candle Lady (can you believe she remembered her?) but definitely did NOT want to see the Grinch. She thought he might be hiding out in the back of the store, only to be reassured that the Grinch, in fact, only comes out at Christmas - kinda like Santa Claus. But I digress . . . so here are my favorite pics from today:

I'll probably try again sometime soon after I'm POSITIVE that she's had a good nap and is in a good mood. After our little "photo shoot", the Bean and I went for an espresso and cookie at La Reunion, a funky cool little coffee shop in Old Town. The Bean loves it there (see the tongue hanging out? That might be a clue!) They have awesome coffee blends, delicious sweet treats, and yummy sandwiches, etc. One of the best things? Handpainted tables by local artists and plenty of comfortable seating.

If any of you have neat tips and tricks for getting a strong-willed toddler to cooperate, y'all just let me know! Till then, I'll keep bribing her with cookies from La Reunion!

How to know she loves you

2010-01-15T07:07:00.000-08:00

The Bean is a fanatic about her baby dolls; each of them is special in their own way, and she totes them around, makes them ride the cats, and puts each one to bed several times during the day. After reading Becca's post, I realized how cool it is that the Bean names her babies after her friends. Sometimes they look alike, sometimes not, but you know you hold a special place in her heart when she names a baby after you.

Baby Claire

Baby Riley Grace

Baby Anna Lilia

Baby A*** K*** (ok, so my kid is vain!)

Buck Creek Festival Art

2010-01-15T06:22:00.000-08:00

I decided to enter the Art Contest for the Buck Creek Festival again this year, and have had a big time coming up with a design! It's similar to last year's, but much more colorful . . . what do you think?

National Championship Party

2010-01-12T08:23:00.000-08:00

We had some friends over to watch the game last week, and of course, had a mahvelous time! On the menu were hot wing dip with assorted crackers and celery (a gameday standard), cheesy spinach dip from The Monkey Basket served in a precious fondue pot loaned to me by Bama Belle, and tender bites of marinated pork tenderloin . . . yummy :-)

We were joined by the Thors family

And the Fitzgeralds (wish this one hadn't been so blurry!)

and my inlaws, the Josephs.

As you can see, The Bean had a fine time atop her granddaddy during key moments of the game.

And cheesing with Nay-Nay :-)

Best of all? Our team won!

Congrats to the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide for an outstanding season, and Roll Tide!

Our pets

2010-01-12T08:16:00.000-08:00

When we had friends over to watch "the game" last week, several commented on the peculiar relationship between our dog and one of the cats. They are BEST FRIENDS! So much so, that about a month ago, TJ had to get the scissors after Wiggums (the cat) because Rusty had licked him so much he'd matted the fur on his back. This is what they looked like while we watched the game - two peas in a pod! And don't you think Rusty looks dashing in his Snuggie?

Not to be outdone, The Bean decided to dress up Padme (another cat) for her daddy's birthday last night. She wanted to dress her up and found "just the thing"! I showed TJ the picture when he got home from work and he just HOOTED! Doesn't she look pretty (and thrilled with her new outfit?!)

Journalists Are Not The Enemy

2010-01-10T19:44:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I was able to reconnect with some "old" friends via Facebook - one of which was a reporter for the Decatur Daily who has unknowingly become part of my interview "story". Please let me elaborate: when I first took the job at the "coop", there was a reporter who had run unflattering stories about my employer for the past 3-4 years (not without cause, mind you, there were shenanigans going on!) But when I arrived, there was new management, a new outlook, and ME! On the eve of our first interview, even on the first phone call with him, there were MAJOR butterflies in my tummy, but I was steadfastly determined that he was going to like me. Dadgummit, no matter what, I was going to make this man like me!

At our first meeting and during the ensuing years of our professional relationship, I asked about his deadlines and strived to meet them. I called him back and emailed when I said I would. I got information that he'd requested as soon as possible, and did my level best to help him do his job. He also respected me and my dedication to the job, even doing a brief story on TJ and I before we got married about our upcoming wedding in a post-Katrina New Orleans (of his own volition, I promise!) When I left the co-op, he said that he hoped my successor would be able to fill my shoes. For someone who intimidated me so much at the beginning of my career, this was one of the most meaningful compliments I could've ever received.

Through the years, I have seen him for who he REALLY is - not a scary reporter hell-bent on digging up dirt, but an honest, kind man who cares deeply for his community and its right to be informed of local goings-on. Someone who is in love with journalism, community events, and the untold stories of families who make a difference in their own quiet way. Someone who I have come to both know and deeply respect.

I've found that most journalists (at least those who plan to be around for a while!) are like this. If you help them do their jobs, they will help you. If you are forthcoming with unpleasant news, it's much better coming from you than if you'd tried to hide it and it's discovered elsewhere. If you do your job with integrity, with a spirit of cooperation, and with an open mind, not only journalists will respect you - but everyone else will too.

It's taken a while to learn this, and believe me when I say that my life hasn't always been exemplary, but I'm glad to have learned it. I'm still not always on the straight-and-narrow (who is?) but I'm a lot closer to that path than I was before and that, at least, is an improvement! As we start a new decade I look over the past 10 years, and see all the things I've accomplished, but what's most important to me is what I've learned. Here's to another 10 years of learning experiences, hardships, and new beginnings! May the next decade be as exciting, educational, and FULL as the last!

Play Date with The Prince

2010-01-06T09:33:00.000-08:00

We had a great playdate with Bama Belle and The Prince at their home this morning!

Here are a few pics of our little excursion:

The Prince and The Bean coloring Disney heroes and Pooh. The Bean cracks me up when she gets so intense about her coloring! (And don't you just LOVE the plaid silk panels?)

After an hour or so of hard-core playing, these two sat down to watch a movie. . .

And put their feet up!

Thanks Bama Belle for inviting us over!

We had a great time and look forward to playdating again very soon!

Christmas Wrap Up - Part 4

2009-12-31T20:56:00.001-08:00

Now, on to the McCullochs, mom's side of the family! I really hate that I didn't get more pictures while we were there, but by that time, I was so exhausted I was almost delirious. Mom's side of the family seriously cracks me up - there's Aunt TaTa, Mom's only sister 10 years younger, who teaches K1 and seriously TEACHES 24/7. Whenever she comes to keep the Bean, they do colors, numbers, reading, music & movement . . . EVERYTHING. I love how she makes learning fun, and the Bean doesn't even know it - thinks it's all just a fun game or activity.

Then, there's my grandparents, Mac & MeMe. Mac cracks me up with his sense of humor, and absolutely adores TJ. MeMe is more reserved, but will pull out some zingers when she thinks no one else is listening! They are so good to us, and are the type of people who "fiercely love". I love that! Here's a pic of all the grandkids (and great-grandkid!) with Mac & MeMe:

We had desserts at their house - seriously, a dentist's nightmare. Pecan pie, coconut cake, haystacks. cookies, toasted pecans, chocolate mint pie . . . and the list goes on! I should've taken a picture, and apologize for not documenting the "eye candy" that was on their kitchen table. It is a travesty, I know!

Here are some pics of Mom, Uncle Skinny, MeMe, and the Bean with her daddy - it was a good Christmas!

Christmas Wrap Up - Part 3

2009-12-31T20:39:00.001-08:00

Around lunchtime, we loaded up and headed back to Decatur to "do Christmas" with my side of the family. I love how my mom goes all out for the holidays. She had on her elf apron and everything! The house, of course, looked beautiful (especially the new addition, where we had our Christmas event), and the food was just what you would expect for Christmas lunch - perfect! Here's a pic of mom in her apron, Sis & Skinny loading up their plates, and *some* of the spread of food Mom had prepared.

Now, it was on to opening presents! The Bean had a grand time (as usual) and loves her play kitchen and stick horse! The only downer was that Pop Yates had a stomach bug and couldn't spend the day with us - instead, he holed up in bed and drank Gatorade. We stayed an extra day (at TJ's behest, and mine!) so Pop could spend some time playing with the Bean, and let me tell you, they are two peas in a pod! Thank goodness we got extra socks and underwear for Christmas!

After doing the Christmas thing at Mom & Dad's, we headed over to my paternal grandmother's to wish her well on "the day". She's had a rough year, losing my granddad after 66 years of marriage. However, she's still going strong and was ALL ABOUT her presents this year! I'm telling you, she is SUCH the trooper! I'm very lucky to have her has a grandmother. Doesn't she look pretty in pink? It's her "signature color"!

Christmas Wrap Up - Part 2

2009-12-31T19:57:00.000-08:00

We always return home around dinnertime on Christmas Eve to get ready for Santa. This year, we put out reindeer food in the front yard and read the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke before bed. The Bean was all snuggly in her Christmas pyjamas and ready to climb in bed. So far, all was going well in my Norman Rockwell vision of Christmas Eve.

Unfortunately, whilst I was tucking in the Bean, I mentioned that Santa would be checking on her to make sure she was asleep - BAD MOVE! She absolutely freaked out - crying, screaming, throwing blankets willy-nilly . . . I had to call in reinforcements (TJ), who promptly removed "Santa's Key" from her doorknob and CALLED HIM ON SPEAKERPHONE to make sure he knew for certain NOT to come in her room! (Thanks Uncle Skinny, for filling in!)

We couldn't believe it - what kid is afraid of Santa?!?! I guess I should be proud that she is aware of "stranger danger" at the tender age of two, but it still cracks me up. My sister was afraid of Santa for the LONGEST TIME and would still sleep in the bed with me on Christmas Eve every year until we both got married. I suppose it runs in the family . . .

At any rate, we had to wake her up on Christmas morning and, albeit groggily, she made her way into our front room to discover what Santa had left for her. Oh rapture! Oh joy! It was a baby doll - just what she'd asked for! She named her "Claire" after Aunt & Uncle Dog's new baby. Is she not the cutest thing getting her new baby out of the crib?!?

Christmas Wrap Up - Part 1

2009-12-31T19:26:00.000-08:00

We traditionally spend the night with TJ's family on the 23rd and enjoy all day with them on Christmas Eve. This year was no exception - everyone had a fantastic time!

As usual, Kathy had the whole house decorated. She even put out the ornament I made them last year, and got out her Christmas plates! It was so pretty - traditional and homey, with ornaments and doo-dads that have special meaning both for her and for TJ.

And, of course, a BIG part of going "home" for Christmas is spending time with family. We are lucky to have a great relationship with TJ's parents and grandparents. They are so much fun to be with, and so thoughtful and generous with their time and attention! Here are some good pics of the "fam" . . .

And everyone seemed to enjoy their gifts - see? (The first picture of HeyMom and the one of Kathy with the blanket TJ MADE HER just crack me up!)

We had a great time at the Joseph's this year on Christmas Eve! Thanks a bunch, for our gifts and especially for your company and hospitality! We love y'all!

We Got Grinched!

2009-12-22T05:32:00.000-08:00

What fun! Last night, the old Grinch paid us a visit with some gifts from Old Town Helena merchants, proving that his heart, indeed, grew three sizes that day!

I knew that there would be some Grinching going on, but never expected to be one of the "visually appealing, decorated and filled with Christmas cheer" Helena homes that the Grinch chose to visit! We were just settling in on the couch when the doorbell rang - Rusty went NUTS, and the Bean was soooo excited to see who was at our door. She got UN-excited real quick when she saw the Grinch - he scared her, but she's never been big on masks. But she warmed up a little when he handed her a red and green striped candy cane and mommy picked her up :-) Cute cute!

A big thank you to all the Helena merchants for sponsoring and participating in such a festive, fun holiday event! We love our new citrus and pine candle from Wildflower Wax, spinach dip mix from The Monkey Basket and gift certificate from the Bead Biz. Also special thanks to Two Sisters Photography for snapping pics on-site! This is just *another* reason I HEART living in Helena - local business owners simultaneously spreading Christmas cheer and rewarding those who make an extra effort at "festiveness". Y'all are great, and I want to thank you again for making our holidays a little brighter!

An Evening With Mrs. Claus

2009-12-14T19:13:00.000-08:00

Tonight we went to the Jane B. Holmes library here in Helena for an evening of fun with Mrs. Claus. I am so glad that our library hosts events like this, and appreciate the time and effort that the staff contributes to make each event meaningful, educational, and fun!

First, they created their own ornaments. The Bean, as usual, was paying close attention to detail!

Next, a little dancing to help get the wiggles out!

Mrs. Claus read a book about herself, and how she helps Santa with the naughty and nice list.

The kids decorated holiday cookies to eat AFTER their dinners (So Says Mrs. Claus!) with lots of gooey icing and special sprinkles.

Lastly, a special reading of "The Night Before Christmas". BIG thanks to Mrs. Claus, Mr. Dan, and everyone who helped make this a fun family evening for all of us!

Round N Round We Go

2009-12-14T19:00:00.000-08:00

Aunt Sis came to stay with us this weekend, and one of the highlights was taking the Bean to the Galleria food court to ride the carousel - I think they BOTH had fun, don't you?

Grease Monkey, That Funky Monkey

2009-12-12T08:27:00.000-08:00

One of the first orders of business today was to get Aunt Sis's brakes done. She'd come to visit last night so TJ could start on them 1st thing in the morning. Little did we know that Bean is an ambitious and budding grease monkey.

She insisted on being out there to help her daddy remove the lug nuts and bolts. She insisted on having her own wrench, and she INSISTED on being covered in grease and brake dust. A cleanup nightmare, but she was just so happy I couldn't say no. Isn't she a great helper?

Belated Play Date

2009-12-10T19:26:00.001-08:00

Ok, so this play date took place last week and, I admit it, am just now getting around to uploading them to the computer. At any rate, the Bean was having a fit to go play at her friend's house, so Kona let us invade for about an hour or so before she had to pick up her eldest from school.

Bean was fascinated with the Fur Real kitten, and our two little boogers had SUCH a good time playing together. Little Dude stretched, Bean put the kitty to bed in her lap, and they danced around and giggled a lot. Fun Fun Fun!

I also was impressed with Kona's Christmas decorations. The white tree was just too cool - contemporary, but tempered with brightly colored ornaments that just say "Christmas!" And seriously, how cute is her mantel décor! I'm lovin' her stocking holders.

PS - Kona HATES when I take her picture, but I just think she's too pretty not to! If you see this woman at the grocery anytime soon, tell her you saw her on my blog!

Christmas Decorations!

2009-12-10T19:18:00.000-08:00

I love love love decorating for Christmas, but surprisingly, not nearly as much as my husband. As you can see below, we went a little nuts with the Christmas lights this year but everyone absolutely loves it. I can't wait for my sister and brother in law to come over tomorrow and see everything all decorated and lit up - such a "spirit lifter" when the weather is so cold and yucky!

Speaking of decorating, here are several of my favorite things to sit around the house during the holidays. Notice our "Elf on the Shelf", Lupin. Today, he was expressing a musical inclination in TJ's guitar.

Here are some more of my favorite holiday decorations - a hand-beaded ornament I made last year, several of the angels we have sitting around, a close-up of my Fontanini nativity, Chef Santa, my collection of nutcrackers, and the advent calendar my dad picked out for us last year. Just can't seem to make up my mind which I like better - "glitzy" or "country". Oh well, they're in different rooms . . . why not both?

Wishing you and yours a blessed, well-decorated holiday this year - Merry Christmas!

Christmas Card Bargains!!

2009-12-10T07:21:00.000-08:00

As Christmas cards from our friends started trickling in, I knew it was time to have the Christmas Card discussion with TJ. In my mind, we were going to forego the cards this year because it's been a tough year for us financially and I figured everyone would understand. BUT OH NO! Instead of getting on board with my plan to save us money, my poor husband looked at me with wounded puppy dog eyes and said, "No Christmas cards? . . . at all?" And my heart broke. I simply could not deny this man his Christmas cards this year, and began working on a plan to make it happen.

This year we will be sending out approximately 50 cards WITH PICTURES of the Bean for less than $10. I found some cute boxed cards at Dollar General - 24 for only $2. Now, they weren't nearly as fancy as what I'd normally pick out - there was nary a speck of foil or glitter to be seen. But I figured, well heck, it's the sentiment that counts and all our friends really want is a picture of the Bean for their refrigerators.

Speaking of pictures - from now until Saturday, Walgreens will give you 50 4x6 photos for only $5.00 when you use the coupon code PRINT. This is just about half price, so I was excited to get in on the deal before it was gone. I picked out my favorite recent portrait pic of the Bean, uploaded, and my prints were ready in 1 hour.

I've been busily working to get all of our cards signed and addressed, in order to put them in the mail. Hopefully by this time next week, everyone will have received their bit of holiday cheer from the Joseph household!

I was just TOO EXCITED to share this thrifty find with you, and encourage you to visit Tales from Bloggeritaville for more thrifty treasures!

Opryland Weekend

2009-12-01T07:44:00.000-08:00

We recently went to the Opryland Hotel to see the lights with my sister and brother-in-law, and my parents. It was so much fun! We used to go almost every year when we were kids, so it was really neat for me to be able to bring the Bean. She thought the lights were so cool, and I think was a bit overwhelmed with everything. But we all had a great time!

Here's a pic of us "young folks", TJ and I, Sis and Skinny, and of course - The Bean!!!

Here are some of the outside lights. I have no idea how they rigged this so they didn't blow a breaker, but the display was absolutely fantastic. If you're within driving distance, don't miss the chance to check it out!

In addition to the outside light display, they also had a beautifully-lit sculpture garden that told the story of Jesus's birth in Bethlehem. Of course, the Bean wanted to go see Baby Jesus, but they had it corded off so you couldn't touch any of the sculptures. Probably a good thing, cause I would've loved to have gotten my picture made on the donkey :-)

We headed inside (where it was warm!) to check out some of the indoor displays, and absolutely marveled at the whimsy in the atrium sections of the hotel. They used to put out Christmas elves when I was little, so I was a bit disappointed to only find one or two, but the hot air balloon and other airborne decorations definitely made up for it.

We were fortunate enough to catch a live performance on the roof of the Jack Daniel's Saloon -a rock-a-billy band doing their take on popular Christmas songs. The Bean was absolutely mesmerized at the music and sparkle (or was she just dazed from Christmas light overload?)

So thanks, Grammy and Pop, for treating us all to a fun family weekend. What a great way to kick off the holiday season! Thanks again - we love you!

Yay for Christmas!

2009-11-28T21:32:00.000-08:00

First off, I want to apologize for not writing a Thanksgiving post. We all went back to Decatur to do the two-day eating extravaganza and, to be honest, I just didn't have time to post. Please know, though, that one of the things I was thankful for this year (and every year) is the time I got to spend with my granddad. Thank you so much to all of you who have reached out to me and my family, and please know that your thoughts, cards, and prayers for us were definitely appreciated.

Now that we are back, we are BACK! Today, TJ and I put up our "big" Christmas tree, the Bean's 4 ft. pink tree, and almost all the outdoor decorations. We would've had them all up, but ran out of extension cords and splitters. I swear, you can see our house from the stop sign up the street and I LOVE IT! TJ is on a mission to hang lights on anything that will stay still, and plans are already underway for what we want to get 1/2 price for next year :-)

Our mantel is bedecked with garland, lights (regular and bubble), and a plethora of ornaments and bows. Stockings were hung by the chimney with care, and the lighted garland over the bannister is just waiting for Christmas cards to arrive and help fill in the empty spaces. (We clip our Christmas cards to the garland with mini binder clips so we can enjoy seeing our friends and family throughout the holiday season.) I even got a new pine-scented candle since we have to have an artificial tree due to allergies (mine).

I'm hoping to have some pictures ready to post tomorrow after it gets dark, and am anxiously awaiting holiday baking, hot cranberry cider, and all the other fun things that go along with Christmas. Y'all check back Sunday evening or Monday, and you'll be in for a real treat!

Ladies Night!

2009-11-25T05:49:00.000-08:00

Had the OC girls over to the house last night for a glass (or two!) of wine and Carmen Electra's stripperobics - too funny! Misty, bless her, is on the brink of giving birth but made a genuine effort to bend and snap with the best of 'em. Here's a before pic:

And here's the after!

Lunch with Kay Ivey

2009-11-23T19:28:00.000-08:00

I had the most fun lunch today with my sweet friend Jessica, and her Aunt Kay Ivey, Alabama State Treasurer and gubernatorial candidate! "Aunt Kay", who I simply can't call anything else because that's how we were introduced, was just as cute as a bug and stunningly dressed in a red vest with ivory turtleneck. I wish you could've seen her belt in this picture - a shiny silver Brighton about the size of a business card. She always impresses me with her style!

Ok, so enough about what everyone's wearing! We just had the best time, discussing her campaign, technology, and Jessica's family, among other topics. Aunt Kay is irresistably southern and just oozes "well sugah" and "honey". I love spending time with her just to hear her speak! Anyway, she is so passionate about enacting positive change for the state of Alabama and has some great ideas on how to go about it. Her big issues are education, jobs/economic development and government reform. I urge you to check out her website (click here) and find out more about her, and her vision for this state. I think you will agree with most (if not all!) the things listed on there.

At any rate, I really had a great time and as always, enjoyed spending an hour or so with two of the sweetest people I know. (Oh, and you too, Larry!) Yay for girl power!

Winter Fashion - Cocktail Dress

2009-11-20T10:44:00.001-08:00

Not that I'm the most fashionable lady in Helena, but I sure would like to be! I've decided to devote at least one blog post a week from now until Christmas to winter dressing and fashion, and encourage you to share your thoughts, finds, and faves for chilly weather! Here are some of my favorite picks for winter wardrobing that will have you ready for any holiday event!

I first have to admit that I have a "thing" with wearing the black knee-length dress to cocktail parties or other soirées. There are so many other options out there that are NOT BLACK and are still very classy and elegant. Besides, most of us look better in color during winter months because if you're anything like me, you're as pasty as a beluga and black just intensifies the reflective qualities of my skin.

If you're not ready for winter brights, here's a way to gracefully enter the world of non-black cocktail dresses. Below, you'll find a collection of brown and neutral dresses from the Newport News's Holiday 2009 dress collection that would be perfectly appropriate for a cocktail party. One reason I enjoy brown/neutral dresses so much is that they have a "warm" base, and will actually play up any warm tones in your skin unlike black, which has a cool, blue base and can wash you out (especially if you're very fair and have blond hair, as me how I know).

If you're of the more daring sort, here are some jewel-toned ideas that are definite standouts. Did you ever notice how popular jewel tones are for winter? Think it has something to do with matching the ornaments on the tree, because I'm sure I'm not the first to suspect a home dec/fashion conspiracy! Anyway, these lovelies are from Chadwick's Little Party Dresses Collection. The important thing to remember when choosing jewel tones is: the deeper the tone, the more elegant the look. Consider the difference between a glass of your favorite syrah and, say, a red Corvette. One says, "I'm classy, cultured, and elegant" and the other says "I'm fun, take me for a test drive!" Which message do *you* want to convey at this year's office Christmas party?

I hope this has been as fun for you as it was for me! I just love seeing all the possibilities out there, especially when I am tempted to get out my standard black cocktail dress (not that there's anything wrong with that!). Just don't forget to have a stunning wrap or satin evening coat/cloak with matching clutch to go with your killer dress. A few opulent options are below - from a Victorian ruffled velvet trench to faux fur and satin. These days, there are plenty of beautiful coverings to match any style of dress.

Artsy Fartsy Photography

2009-11-19T10:26:00.001-08:00

I took the Bean down to Old Town this morning in the hopes that I would return home with some awesome "artsy" shots of her. I should've known better. She was way too interested in the plant life and the shed behind a store to even THINK about being her usual dazzling self. See? I mean, really, how could I *her own mother* compete with such wonders as . . . moss.

Luckily, she decided she was tired of the flora and fauna, and wanted to take a trip inside the store. I couldn't believe that she'd remembered that The Candle Lady had two little dogs, but she asked for them as soon as we walked through the door! We both love us some good-smellin' candles, and the Bean and I made sure to take several big sniffs while we were inside. By the way, I highly suggest mosey-ing (is that a word?) over to Wildflower Wax online or in person - she's got a new chocolate peppermint candle for the holidays that smells absolutely DEE-VINE!

By the time our jaunt was coming to a close, I could tell the Bean was ready to go home. It was the look that said, "I am reaching my expiration, mom, get on with it!" What a stinker!

Through the nature walk, unplanned candle excursion, and stinker-face, I somehow managed to get several good shots of our ole Bean-o that will probably either make it onto our Christmas cards this year or find homes in some pretty silver frames. I love good close-up shots of her, and thought this one was really poignant and sweet. You can really tell that she's not a baby anymore - she's my little girl, growing like a weed.

But in this next one, she was just having so much FUN swinging on the railing in front of the store! To me, one of the most beautiful things to see is a child enjoying childhood, and it makes me smile just thinking about watching her.

Also did some creative Photoshopping, and thought this one turned out neat, too! Looks kinda like a kiddie-Levi's ad.

Anyway, since it's time to start thinking about what to put on this year's Christmas card, I'm hoping some of y'all will post your picture-taking experiences either with a professional photographer, or chronicle your own efforts to get that elusive "money shot"! And don't forget to include your best "stinker faces" either!!!

It was a sad day

2009-11-17T19:08:00.001-08:00

Today we had the funeral for my granddaddy that passed away on Saturday.

He was 92 and had been living in a nursing home and assisted living for the past 3 years. My sister and I have been blessed to have grown up with all 4 of our grandparents living, and he was the first to pass among them. It was hard on us, my sister especially.

He lived to meet his great-granddaughter, and see both of his granddaughters graduate from college and get married. He volunteered, up until his health prevented it, in the Priceville Civitans and First Baptist, Decatur for over 50 years. He'd been married to my grandmother for 66 years, and I dare say, she won't know what to do with herself without him. He was a former chairman for the Decatur Chamber of Commerce, and owned Decatur Printing with my dad and was a former owner of the Hartselle Enquirer. Y'all who know how passionate I am about printing, paper, and public service will probably notice the connection. He was very proud of the grown up I turned into and of all the activities I was involved in, both professionally and privately.

I'll miss him, and have missed him since his health started going down. He was my fishing buddy, taught me how to drive nails straight. and always passed me peppermint lifesavers during "big church". He let me sit on the tractor with him when I was little, and made piles of pinestraw just for Anna and I to jump in. His eyes were twinkly and he had a dry sense of humor. He was honest, and expected others to be also. And he loved chocolate crullers from Krispy Kreme.

He used to grow muscadines and let us play in their branches. And pick watermelons for the watermelon cutting party they had every year for their Sunday School class. In the evenings, he practically lived in a beat-up rocker/recliner with a stack of magazines next to him, watching ESPN. He never complained when I'd get a fishing hook stuck in low-hanging branches along their pond, and made sure I got the purple Popple for Christmas that I was dying to own.

Part of me is sad that he's not with us anymore, but the bigger part wanted to throw a party today because he finished the race and fought the good fight. Brushing his hair back while he laid in his coffin, I knew that I was only touching a shell - that he wasn't really there, but was already with Jesus. That he didn't hurt anymore, wasn't tired, and that his feet were finally warm. I knew he was probably watching us today and chuckling to himself, "Lookin' right spiffy, girl!"

It was a beautiful service - complete with old church songs everyone knew the words to, and verses from the Bible that made the whole experience easier on us all. My task was to put together boards of pictures from throughout his life, and I organized them into sections - business, marriage, family, community service, and military service. He was aboard the USS Yorktown when it sank in the battle of Midway in WWII, and was always so proud of his service to our country. They gave my grandmother a folded flag at the graveside, and I knew he would be proud for her to have it.

He went to sleep Friday night and woke up in heaven. What a great morning that must've been!