Beside my daughter's (which I've mentioned in other posts) there are several blogs I like to follow. A couple of them are some I check out nearly every day to see what's new.
One of those is by Tricia Buice, a friend in Fredericksburg, Virginia whose husband was a co-worker of mine at a few radio stations. Tricia's blog "Saving Room For Dessert" can be found at www.savingdessert.com and always has yummy recipes...not just desserts. It will be worth your while to check it out - especially on Mondays. She has decided to make and feature a pie every week of 2011. 52 pies! I commented on her blog recently that I'm thankful I can't gain weight just looking at her blog...because everything looks soooooooo good! She has plenty of pictures to go with each recipe from the ingredients to the finished product. Check it out.
Another blog is one my daughter got me into following called "Sew Weekly" and is at www.sewweekly.com
This stay-at-home seamstress/wife/mom from California makes beautiful clothing and posts the pictures and descriptions of what she's made...the successes and the failed attempts. She re-vamped it this year and has people from other parts of the world participating in weekly sewing projects. She shops for vintage patterns and vintage fabric, utilizing them in her creative way. Too hard to describe it all, but suffice to say that this one would be well worth clicking on.
Rachel Corbin Lafon has a blog called "Just Sew" that shares some really neat ideas. Rachel lives in Texas.
www.justsew-rachel.blogspot.com
I've known Rachel since she was a little girl and now she's a talented wife/mother/seamstress/piano teacher who sews for pleasure and to make a little extra money. She has an Etsy store you can go to after checking out her items. She has an embroidery machine that makes me want one! Uh-oh...I am coveting. Breaking a commandment. Sorry.
"Simple Creations by Andrea" is a great blog to look at for ideas on kids' gifts or clothing. She does other things, too, but these are my favorites. From Hendersonville, North Carolina, Andrea says she is "...just another mom with a hobby." Visit her at www.simplecreationsbyandrea.blogspot.com
"It is Well" at www.spencerhome.wordpress.com is by Martha Cate Shamblin Spencer who lives in North Carolina. She is a photographer and posts pictures and thoughts in beautiful ways. Just read her blog a little while ago and have tears in my eyes... It is more than photography. Martha Cate shares her heart. You'll be blessed.
These are just a few blogs I thought I'd share with you. Hope you'll take the time to look at them!
If you have a pulse, then you have a purpose...make your life count!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Random thoughts on moving, Preparation H and cursive handwriting
Researchers say a woman’s skin ages about 11 days every time she goes to bed without removing her makeup? So I am diligent about not doing that. You’ve read before – if you follow this blog regularly – that I spend a lot of money on skin care so I don’t have to spend a lot of money on makeup. If my skin is in good condition, I can attribute it to always cleansing my face before bedtime, using quality products morning and night, and having Lena’s genes. My mother’s skin was beautiful!
Last night I was tired enough that I just wanted to crawl into the bed. All I could think of was brushing my teeth and putting my worn out body in between those nice soft sheets, but I still needed to remove my makeup. I wasn’t in the mood to go through my skincare routine…it takes too long when I’m tired. I noticed a package of Preparation H Medicated Wipes with Aloe on the sink’s vanity. Hmmmmm… My sister uses Neutrogena Makeup Remover wipes to remove her makeup.
Wipes + Makeup That Needs To Be Removed = It Can’t Hurt To Try
The only thing it didn’t remove was my mascara. Now, I’m not recommending that you abandon your regular beauty routine and begin treating your face like a hemorrhoid, but when in a pinch, give it a go! (insert smile here)
Now that you know Preparation H isn’t just for hemorrhoids, keep reading…
Years ago one of my brothers told me that he used Preparation H on the sore results of removing an ingrown toenail and it healed up quickly. On my inquiry as to why he thought of using a hemorrhoid ointment on his toe, he said that it was red and hurt (“Preparation H shrinks swollen membranes…”). Plus he didn’t have any antibiotic ointment at the time. Same thing happened to me not long after that so I gave it a try and it really does work! Remember, it “…shrinks swollen membranes” quite well. Really! Disgusting, I know, but it worked.
Now if Preparation H worked on sore muscles, I’d be all set because I’ve spent the past seven days in Ohio, packing and unpacking…helping my sister and her husband move from a 12 room home into a small apartment in the Otterbein Retirement Community in Lebanon, Ohio. Brother-in-law Gary is retiring from 36 years of ministry in the West Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church. My sister, Vangie, has been in poor health recently and wasn’t able to get any packing done on her own. Thanks to the efforts of many, the majority of the things were packed into boxes and moved about 5 miles from the parsonage to the new place. Movers arrived on Monday morning and that went quickly. One of the reasons my brother-in-law thinks it went smoothly is because I had printed out stickers reading “Yes” or “No” and after cutting them up, I taped them to the appropriate items. The “Yes” stickers were assigned to the furniture and boxes that should go on the moving van. The “No” stickers were for things that are not being moved until Saturday morning. The movers had everything on their truck within 45 minutes! And now it is time for the furniture wearing “No” stickers to be loaded onto a U-Haul truck and transported to our homes in Virginia and Tennessee. And I’m driving the truck! This will be a new adventure!
For the most part, we have their new apartment looking like “home” as we continue to put things in their proper places. I have carried furniture, packed boxes and hurt in muscles that I forgot I had, but spending this time with my sister and brother-in-law has been special. We’ve worked hard, laughed and made some new memories. After an exhausting five days, we have enjoyed a little rest today and I’ve had the opportunity to rummage through some letters (on her invitation) that my sister saved…letters I had written to her while she was in college. Those letters from a 16-year-old girl revealed a lot to the 57-year-old woman I am today. They contained details of my days and nights, heartthrobs and heartaches, and all the things that were important to me those many years ago. I even got creative in the way I wrote to her. One was a letter written within letters…the entire page had the word “DEAR” on it with my letter to her written inside the D, the E, etc. I recall another letter I wrote to her in a circle. That one was weird. I also noticed that I was trying out new styles of cursive, but always ending up with the same style I’ve always had: slanted and a nice mix between both my parents’ handwriting. I don’t try new styles of cursive anymore…I have my own style.
Sometimes when I try to read my hurried handwriting, I think I should have been a doctor.
Never forget…if you have a pulse, you have a purpose. Make your life count.
Last night I was tired enough that I just wanted to crawl into the bed. All I could think of was brushing my teeth and putting my worn out body in between those nice soft sheets, but I still needed to remove my makeup. I wasn’t in the mood to go through my skincare routine…it takes too long when I’m tired. I noticed a package of Preparation H Medicated Wipes with Aloe on the sink’s vanity. Hmmmmm… My sister uses Neutrogena Makeup Remover wipes to remove her makeup.
Wipes + Makeup That Needs To Be Removed = It Can’t Hurt To Try
The only thing it didn’t remove was my mascara. Now, I’m not recommending that you abandon your regular beauty routine and begin treating your face like a hemorrhoid, but when in a pinch, give it a go! (insert smile here)
Now that you know Preparation H isn’t just for hemorrhoids, keep reading…
Years ago one of my brothers told me that he used Preparation H on the sore results of removing an ingrown toenail and it healed up quickly. On my inquiry as to why he thought of using a hemorrhoid ointment on his toe, he said that it was red and hurt (“Preparation H shrinks swollen membranes…”). Plus he didn’t have any antibiotic ointment at the time. Same thing happened to me not long after that so I gave it a try and it really does work! Remember, it “…shrinks swollen membranes” quite well. Really! Disgusting, I know, but it worked.
Now if Preparation H worked on sore muscles, I’d be all set because I’ve spent the past seven days in Ohio, packing and unpacking…helping my sister and her husband move from a 12 room home into a small apartment in the Otterbein Retirement Community in Lebanon, Ohio. Brother-in-law Gary is retiring from 36 years of ministry in the West Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church. My sister, Vangie, has been in poor health recently and wasn’t able to get any packing done on her own. Thanks to the efforts of many, the majority of the things were packed into boxes and moved about 5 miles from the parsonage to the new place. Movers arrived on Monday morning and that went quickly. One of the reasons my brother-in-law thinks it went smoothly is because I had printed out stickers reading “Yes” or “No” and after cutting them up, I taped them to the appropriate items. The “Yes” stickers were assigned to the furniture and boxes that should go on the moving van. The “No” stickers were for things that are not being moved until Saturday morning. The movers had everything on their truck within 45 minutes! And now it is time for the furniture wearing “No” stickers to be loaded onto a U-Haul truck and transported to our homes in Virginia and Tennessee. And I’m driving the truck! This will be a new adventure!
For the most part, we have their new apartment looking like “home” as we continue to put things in their proper places. I have carried furniture, packed boxes and hurt in muscles that I forgot I had, but spending this time with my sister and brother-in-law has been special. We’ve worked hard, laughed and made some new memories. After an exhausting five days, we have enjoyed a little rest today and I’ve had the opportunity to rummage through some letters (on her invitation) that my sister saved…letters I had written to her while she was in college. Those letters from a 16-year-old girl revealed a lot to the 57-year-old woman I am today. They contained details of my days and nights, heartthrobs and heartaches, and all the things that were important to me those many years ago. I even got creative in the way I wrote to her. One was a letter written within letters…the entire page had the word “DEAR” on it with my letter to her written inside the D, the E, etc. I recall another letter I wrote to her in a circle. That one was weird. I also noticed that I was trying out new styles of cursive, but always ending up with the same style I’ve always had: slanted and a nice mix between both my parents’ handwriting. I don’t try new styles of cursive anymore…I have my own style.
Sometimes when I try to read my hurried handwriting, I think I should have been a doctor.
Never forget…if you have a pulse, you have a purpose. Make your life count.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Sleep Eludes Me
It would be nice to get into bed at a decent hour, lay my head on the pillow and gently fall asleep. No need to count sheep or blessings. I could just close my eyes and fall into a nice deep sleep, wake up in the morning, feeling rested and ready for a new day. It would be nice, but it hasn’t been my regular routine for a couple of weeks. Frustrating…but I’ve been able to accomplish lots during my sleeplessness: organizing kitchen drawers, cleaning out the refrigerator shelves, bins, etc. and hanging things. Yes, I am that good! I can hammer nails without waking my husband. Skill.
I don’t really have that much on my mind…nothing more than the usual…so that doesn’t seem to be the reason sleep is eluding me. I haven’t had any caffeine since Thursday evening. It’s four o’clock on Sunday morning and here I am, wide awake, typing a blog about not being able to sleep! What’s wrong with me?!? My alarm is set to go off at 6:30 a.m. so I can get ready for church. I can’t doze off in the middle of the service.
And now, here I am, watching a western on the History Channel! I’m watching a western!!! In the middle of the night! This is when the wife of a minister should be getting some rest so she doesn’t embarrass herself by falling asleep in the middle of her hubby’s sermon…while sitting in the choir loft! But I must admit that watching Kevin Costner in a cowboy hat, wearing a badge and boots is worth staying awake for…since I’m already up! And now, I realize that I’m hungry and should probably pop some corn and finish watching this movie! Wyatt Earp, popcorn, orange Kool-Aid and typing this blog entry on my laptop…could be a good combination, but not sleep-inducing.
I remember being in a church prayer meeting one night when Joe and I were newlyweds in McClure, Virginia. My husband invited a friend of ours to pray for the requests that we would write on a legal pad, adding names and situations each week then marking as we’d have an answers to prayers. Our friend prayed on and on for the longest time that night! Sometime during his lengthy explanations to the Lord about all the situations concerning the names on that list, I put my head down on my Bible. Our friend finally said “Amen” and folks started leaving the room. They must have thought their new pastor’s wife was quite spiritual because there I was, with my head on my Bible, in a ‘posture of prayer’ and sound asleep!!! Finally, the long pray-er’s wife walked over to me and announced: “You can wake up now, Beth…he finally finished praying!” In that deep spiritual moment, we chalked up another funny story to tell and I had a nice nap.
By the way, I opted for pimiento cheese on white bread instead of popcorn. Wyatt Earp lived happily ever after. It’s 4:45 in the morning and I need to wake up in less than two hours.
Remember, if you have a pulse, you have a purpose...so make your life count!
I don’t really have that much on my mind…nothing more than the usual…so that doesn’t seem to be the reason sleep is eluding me. I haven’t had any caffeine since Thursday evening. It’s four o’clock on Sunday morning and here I am, wide awake, typing a blog about not being able to sleep! What’s wrong with me?!? My alarm is set to go off at 6:30 a.m. so I can get ready for church. I can’t doze off in the middle of the service.
And now, here I am, watching a western on the History Channel! I’m watching a western!!! In the middle of the night! This is when the wife of a minister should be getting some rest so she doesn’t embarrass herself by falling asleep in the middle of her hubby’s sermon…while sitting in the choir loft! But I must admit that watching Kevin Costner in a cowboy hat, wearing a badge and boots is worth staying awake for…since I’m already up! And now, I realize that I’m hungry and should probably pop some corn and finish watching this movie! Wyatt Earp, popcorn, orange Kool-Aid and typing this blog entry on my laptop…could be a good combination, but not sleep-inducing.
I remember being in a church prayer meeting one night when Joe and I were newlyweds in McClure, Virginia. My husband invited a friend of ours to pray for the requests that we would write on a legal pad, adding names and situations each week then marking as we’d have an answers to prayers. Our friend prayed on and on for the longest time that night! Sometime during his lengthy explanations to the Lord about all the situations concerning the names on that list, I put my head down on my Bible. Our friend finally said “Amen” and folks started leaving the room. They must have thought their new pastor’s wife was quite spiritual because there I was, with my head on my Bible, in a ‘posture of prayer’ and sound asleep!!! Finally, the long pray-er’s wife walked over to me and announced: “You can wake up now, Beth…he finally finished praying!” In that deep spiritual moment, we chalked up another funny story to tell and I had a nice nap.
By the way, I opted for pimiento cheese on white bread instead of popcorn. Wyatt Earp lived happily ever after. It’s 4:45 in the morning and I need to wake up in less than two hours.
Remember, if you have a pulse, you have a purpose...so make your life count!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Easter Hair (not hare)
Easter 2011 is now in the memory books. We enjoyed a delicious meal at our daughter and son-in-law's home with family and friends, came home where hubby and I sat in our favorite chairs and napped. The perfect Sunday afternoon...
You're about to read a story my hubby loves to tell on me that goes back to our first Easter in Alcoa, Tennessee: 1996
When I need to have my roots touched up, I run to my hairdresser and get that taken care of as soon as possible. But before that happens and my hair is in need of a 'root-job' I take extra steps to get it whipped into shape for the day. This particular Easter Sunday morning, I was in bad need of a root-job, so I went through each step to assure my short, frosted hair would look a little thicker/taller.
Step 1: wash hair
Step 2: mousse it and blow it dry
Step 3: hair spray all over, then go do something else
Step 4: come back and use curling iron
Step 5: hair spray all over, then go do something else
Step 6: come back and tease hair all over
Step 7: hair spray all over, then go do something else
Step 8: come back and style hair
Step 9: use one last blast of hair spray to hold the creation in place
But on this particular Easter morning I'm referring to, I somehow stopped at Step 7. Not sure how it happened, but I'm guessing that I was rushing around, making sure my 10 year old daughter was ready for church and maybe the phone rang or something. Whatever happened...it made for an "interesting new look" for me. My daughter never said anything to me about the way I looked, so I went on my merry way.
Keep in mind as you're reading this that many churches have a large amount of CEO's who attend our Easter services, so some of them were meeting their new minister and his wife for the very first time...even though we'd been there since June of '95. CEO's are the members who "Come on Easter Only."
Folks at church greeted me warmly and many of them glanced at my hair. Will Shelton, one of our senior high youth (who is now a UM minister/seminary student) commented on how great my hair looked! Some of his friends did the same...
I never had occasion to look in a mirror while at church because I didn't need to use the rest room. Oh how I wish I'd had too much water or juice that morning...but if I had, Joe would have one less funny story to tell. I sat in my usual place at church and some visiting friends (who would be lunching with us after service) were there with me. During the musical benediction, just as I always do, I walked out of the sanctuary holding hands with my minister/husband, stopping at the main doors so we could greet the church family and guests as they left the church.
Cut to lunch back at our house:
Delicious food is on the table...we enjoy our guests...dessert and coffee are served...and then we retire to the den to extend our visit. I finally make a visit to the "powder room" for the first time since Step 7. Screaming, I ran out to my husband, daughter and guests and asked, "Did my hair look like this at church?!?!?"
Husband: Yes
Me: Why didn't you tell me my hair looked like this?!?
Husband: I thought you were trying out a new hairstyle.
Me: (insert sarcastic tone here) Well, what do you think of it?!?
Husband: I don't really like it.
My sweet daughter and our friends all agreed with my husband in thinking it was a new 'do! Duh! I don't think so...!
End of story. My husband is kind enough to ask me before he shares this story publicly. But since I've finally started to learn that life is much better when we can laugh at ourselves, it isn't so humiliating to tell it on myself.
Will Shelton still remembers my hairdo from that Easter morning. When he gets married someday, and his wife is preparing for their first Easter service in a new appointment...I hope he'll be sure to check out his wife's hair before they leave for church.
Remember: if you have a pulse, you have a purpose...so make your life count!
You're about to read a story my hubby loves to tell on me that goes back to our first Easter in Alcoa, Tennessee: 1996
When I need to have my roots touched up, I run to my hairdresser and get that taken care of as soon as possible. But before that happens and my hair is in need of a 'root-job' I take extra steps to get it whipped into shape for the day. This particular Easter Sunday morning, I was in bad need of a root-job, so I went through each step to assure my short, frosted hair would look a little thicker/taller.
Step 1: wash hair
Step 2: mousse it and blow it dry
Step 3: hair spray all over, then go do something else
Step 4: come back and use curling iron
Step 5: hair spray all over, then go do something else
Step 6: come back and tease hair all over
Step 7: hair spray all over, then go do something else
Step 8: come back and style hair
Step 9: use one last blast of hair spray to hold the creation in place
But on this particular Easter morning I'm referring to, I somehow stopped at Step 7. Not sure how it happened, but I'm guessing that I was rushing around, making sure my 10 year old daughter was ready for church and maybe the phone rang or something. Whatever happened...it made for an "interesting new look" for me. My daughter never said anything to me about the way I looked, so I went on my merry way.
Keep in mind as you're reading this that many churches have a large amount of CEO's who attend our Easter services, so some of them were meeting their new minister and his wife for the very first time...even though we'd been there since June of '95. CEO's are the members who "Come on Easter Only."
Folks at church greeted me warmly and many of them glanced at my hair. Will Shelton, one of our senior high youth (who is now a UM minister/seminary student) commented on how great my hair looked! Some of his friends did the same...
I never had occasion to look in a mirror while at church because I didn't need to use the rest room. Oh how I wish I'd had too much water or juice that morning...but if I had, Joe would have one less funny story to tell. I sat in my usual place at church and some visiting friends (who would be lunching with us after service) were there with me. During the musical benediction, just as I always do, I walked out of the sanctuary holding hands with my minister/husband, stopping at the main doors so we could greet the church family and guests as they left the church.
Cut to lunch back at our house:
Delicious food is on the table...we enjoy our guests...dessert and coffee are served...and then we retire to the den to extend our visit. I finally make a visit to the "powder room" for the first time since Step 7. Screaming, I ran out to my husband, daughter and guests and asked, "Did my hair look like this at church?!?!?"
Husband: Yes
Me: Why didn't you tell me my hair looked like this?!?
Husband: I thought you were trying out a new hairstyle.
Me: (insert sarcastic tone here) Well, what do you think of it?!?
Husband: I don't really like it.
My sweet daughter and our friends all agreed with my husband in thinking it was a new 'do! Duh! I don't think so...!
End of story. My husband is kind enough to ask me before he shares this story publicly. But since I've finally started to learn that life is much better when we can laugh at ourselves, it isn't so humiliating to tell it on myself.
Will Shelton still remembers my hairdo from that Easter morning. When he gets married someday, and his wife is preparing for their first Easter service in a new appointment...I hope he'll be sure to check out his wife's hair before they leave for church.
Remember: if you have a pulse, you have a purpose...so make your life count!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Company is coming...!
There is no better way to get me to clean my house than the knowledge that company will arrive soon! We live in CHAOS...the Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome...a big part of the time. That is sad, because I used to teach organizational seminars. Key words here: used to.
Actually, I practice what I preach/teach, but when life gets a little too busy, which it has been lately...things sort of fall by the wayside.
In the past month, I've:
begun teaching a young lady to sew (she hasn't come back for any more lessons, so I don't know if she hated it or me...or decided it wasn't as fun as she thought it would be or it could be that she's a teenager and has a LIFE!)
led the worship music for three separate weekend retreats
wrote/acted in the comedy sketches for one of those retreats
did my stand-up comedy routine (sitting down) for about 160 ladies at Middlebrook Pike United Methodist Church
been practicing with an awesome director and choir (as a soprano and one of the narrators) for our Easter presentation/cantata which will be presented this weekend (no, it isn't Easter, but that's when we always do it!)
had the wonderful privilege to participate as part of the worship teams at our church every Sunday night and on some Sunday mornings
reorganized my kitchen, switching everything into cupboards on opposite sides of the room (poor hubby is still baffled)
cooked a few meals (key word: few)
kept up with the laundry (clean skivvies!)
bought some new clothes to fit my (hopefully) continually shrinking body because my daughter can't stand to look at me in my baggy jeans (the make-me-feel-skinnier-even-if-they-DO-look-awful-on-me-and-I-wear-them-anyway-when-I'm-not-going-to-see-her jeans)
attended more committee meetings than I wanted to...but ended up being glad I was there for each of them
repaired a couple of knit shirts for my neighbor, did alterations on several prom dresses, a wedding dress, a mother-of-the-bride dress and a couple of pants for a woman (whose legs were way too short for the amount of denim in the legs of those jeans!)
taught a Bible study for my hubby one Wednesday night
spoke to our Junior and Senior Youth about "Mercy & Grace" last Wednesday evening
did all the regular stuff that I do on a day to day basis
and shaved my legs every single day just like i have for the past two years. Okay, shaving my legs isn't that big of a deal, but it is the only new years' resolution I've ever kept in my LIFE!!!
I'm sure I've left out a thing or three...but you get the idea. It is Monday night and company will be arriving on Wednesday. The downstairs is nearly clean and the upstairs rooms will be tackled in the morning. What is funny about all this is the people who will be visiting are the very people who are so easy to have as guests that I really don't have to go to all this fuss. But I am...because I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE!!!!
Hope they notice that I've dusted. Last time they were here, they could have written their names in 3-D on my table in the den...
Always remember: if you have a pulse, you have a purpose...make your life count!
Actually, I practice what I preach/teach, but when life gets a little too busy, which it has been lately...things sort of fall by the wayside.
In the past month, I've:
begun teaching a young lady to sew (she hasn't come back for any more lessons, so I don't know if she hated it or me...or decided it wasn't as fun as she thought it would be or it could be that she's a teenager and has a LIFE!)
led the worship music for three separate weekend retreats
wrote/acted in the comedy sketches for one of those retreats
did my stand-up comedy routine (sitting down) for about 160 ladies at Middlebrook Pike United Methodist Church
been practicing with an awesome director and choir (as a soprano and one of the narrators) for our Easter presentation/cantata which will be presented this weekend (no, it isn't Easter, but that's when we always do it!)
had the wonderful privilege to participate as part of the worship teams at our church every Sunday night and on some Sunday mornings
reorganized my kitchen, switching everything into cupboards on opposite sides of the room (poor hubby is still baffled)
cooked a few meals (key word: few)
kept up with the laundry (clean skivvies!)
bought some new clothes to fit my (hopefully) continually shrinking body because my daughter can't stand to look at me in my baggy jeans (the make-me-feel-skinnier-even-if-they-DO-look-awful-on-me-and-I-wear-them-anyway-when-I'm-not-going-to-see-her jeans)
attended more committee meetings than I wanted to...but ended up being glad I was there for each of them
repaired a couple of knit shirts for my neighbor, did alterations on several prom dresses, a wedding dress, a mother-of-the-bride dress and a couple of pants for a woman (whose legs were way too short for the amount of denim in the legs of those jeans!)
taught a Bible study for my hubby one Wednesday night
spoke to our Junior and Senior Youth about "Mercy & Grace" last Wednesday evening
did all the regular stuff that I do on a day to day basis
and shaved my legs every single day just like i have for the past two years. Okay, shaving my legs isn't that big of a deal, but it is the only new years' resolution I've ever kept in my LIFE!!!
I'm sure I've left out a thing or three...but you get the idea. It is Monday night and company will be arriving on Wednesday. The downstairs is nearly clean and the upstairs rooms will be tackled in the morning. What is funny about all this is the people who will be visiting are the very people who are so easy to have as guests that I really don't have to go to all this fuss. But I am...because I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE!!!!
Hope they notice that I've dusted. Last time they were here, they could have written their names in 3-D on my table in the den...
Always remember: if you have a pulse, you have a purpose...make your life count!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Cars
This woman loves to watch television shows like Chasing Classic Cars, Inside West Coast Customs and Overhauled with her hubby. We have some movie channels that come with our Charter Cable, but watching cars being restored is quite interesting to me. I used to see Xzibit (the guy that shows up sometimes on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition but I can't remember what else he does) when he hosted Pimp My Ride...but haven't seen that show in a long time. Is it even on anymore? And then there is Mecum's Auto Auctions where you can see the financial returns on Wayne Carini's investments. Wow!
But I digress.
What is it about these car shows that I enjoy so much?!? I suppose the restoration process is what captures my attention. Something that looks beyond repair or value to the everyday person's eye can be changed into a vehicle that could fetch a pretty price...well, that simply amazes me.
Maybe that's the same reason I like to view What Not To Wear because Stacy, Clinton, that hair guy and Carmindy do the same thing for a woman that Foose does for a car! There is a sermon illustration in here somewhere, and if my husband reads this, he'll likely find one...but I don't do sermons. There is something to be said, though, for taking something in terrible condition and worthless and making it into something of great value. So can I get an "amen" from the corner?!?
Again, I digress.
In 1972, I paid $500 for a 1967 red Ford Mustang. It burned oil a little bit, but my daddy did some work on it, and it ran like a top! Thank you, Daddy.
Then a fiancé kept it running like a top (even though he was a Chevrolet man). Six weeks before the wedding we mutually agreed that we loved one another but not enough to spend the rest of our lives together, so we called it off! While we were together he added many bells and whistles to that Mustang! Thanks, Dean.
We parted in July of 1973 and the next February, I met the man I was destined to spend my life with. After we became engaged, wedding plans were made. I tried to keep on a small budget since I was paying for the wedding myself. Because I had been living on my own for three years, I figured my parents didn't need to...
So, when it came close to the big day, I sold my beautiful red Mustang to pay for the wedding. I paid $500 for it in 1972 and made $750 for it in 1974.
When I get hacked off with my husband, I tell him how much I miss my car.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Surprise!!!
Well, friends...I'll admit to you here and now that I have always loved Kenny Rogers. Back in the sixties when it was "Kenny Rogers & the First Edition" I was an instant fan. His voice and vibrato makes me happy! In 1984, when I did mornings at US-101 FM in Chattanooga, I was supposed to emcee one of his concerts. I was so pumped and I couldn't believe I'd get to do it! Then my program director gave me the date of the concert. The same night my brother-in-law was getting married! I had to sing at the wedding... You don't want to know how I felt about that. Seriously. You. Don't. Want. To. Know.
Thanks to my daughter, I got to meet Kenny when he was rehearsing for a halftime show with the University of Tennessee's Pride of the Southland Marching Band. I have a picture of Hannah, Kenny and me to prove that we met, but I can't find it. He looked like he was surprised to meet me...but I'm getting ahead of my story...
Last night, I couldn't breathe, hence I couldn't get to sleep. Plus this time change thing always messes me up. You don't want to know how I feel about that either. I was watching "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" and was pleasantly surprised when he introduced Kenny Rogers as his guest! Well, Kenny strode out onto the stage, looking fit and topped off with that beautiful white hair. Then I got a look at his face. Yep. It was still there...that surprised look his eyebrows still have YEARS after his plastic surgery.
I have a few friends who needed to have their eyes 'worked on' because the eyelids were drooping enough to hinder their eyesight. One friend actually had her eyelashes starting to become ingrown because of the weight of her eyelids covering her lashes!!! I totally understand why people have to have this done. I may have to someday myself. And I'm ready to look surprised for a while, like my friends all looked shortly after their surgeries. But........hello? Kenny STILL looks that way!
I wonder if he ever has a problem with blinking? Can he completely close his eyes? What expression does he show when he really is surprised?!?
Those ponderings lead me to other questions that I would like answered:
Why is "phonics" not spelled the way it sounds?
If work is so terrific, why do they have to pay you to do it?
If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?
If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
Remember that if you have a pulse, you have a purpose...so make your life count!
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