Yahtzee!!!

Yahtzee has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember. The memories I have of this game probably go back farther, but as far as I can remember, it was sitting at the table with either and/or both of my grandparents. I also remember playing with the sister....game after game after game. Remember, Sister? I have such fond memories of this game, of time spent with family around the table, of my Gramps and Granny...of having four generations of family sit together and laugh and play together. I love that now, I am teaching yet another family the love of this game...we played countless games last year, PiePie, Kevin, Makayla and I. This year, I have been working on teaching not only the fundamentals of the game, but also the strategy behind it to Makayla. This, dear reader, is a work in progress, and will likely be a long and grueling task over the long winter months to come. It is with fond memories and love that I will teach her how to play, all the while remembering my dear Grampy with each roll. I am so very thankful tonight for a family of generations of people that cared enough to teach me the rules and how to play the game....both in Yahtzee and in life.

Happy December 31!

Get Ready!!!!!

Hold on to your pants, dear Reader....the year 2011 will bring you (hopefully) at least 365 new, exciting Pig-A-Pancake posts from none other than *yours, truly*!!!!! Bookmark, add to your favorites, subscribe to my RSS feed...whatever you need to do...set your daily alarm to remind you to see what's up...it's sure to *not* be a boring ride. That, I can guarantee. Looking forward to January 1 for so many reasons, but at the top of my listy goodness is this: I get to spend the whole, entire day with my whole, entire family.

Black and White

Who knows where these came from? Not I.

Today...

I sat on Santa's lap. Not once, but TWICE! :0)

New Hair

Here is the debut of my new wondermous razor-y cut and my new colloration....

if you need a cut and you live around here, go see Amber at Mitzi's in Gallatin or Madison. If you need a color, go see Meg or Amy at First Impressions in Westmoreland. You can't beat either of them! :)

Let's see....I worked more hours in one day than I am used to working in a while week, and tomorrow is more of the same. I'm ready for bed....if PiePie and his deer would cooperate, I could go a lot sooner than what I foresee in my near future.....

Heavens to Mergatroid!

I have no idea how to spell "Mergatroid" but I bet you got the idea, right? I FORGOT TO BLOG YESTERDAY!!!!!! Mercy! I remembered, but not at the correct times! Goodness....don't fire me, OK? I will make it a point to continue through the month having missed no more days. And...I will hereby give my word that through the month of December, no matter how busy, I will also strive for a blogaday kind of month. OK? OK.

Now, what to write about. Hmmmm....any ideas? I'm at a loss. Let's see....we went to see the grandbaby last night. He is SOOOO tiny! It's hard to imagine that my babies were that small (save for the Nanna) at one time. Not only was it fun to hold him, but it was fun to watch the Pie2 and Makayla play with him.

Next topic...um....BUSY week! We are completely dis-assembling the blingbling store to go to the Mill for the Holiday Expo there. Wowza. LOTS of work. Lil bit stressful, yes, but still, I could think of MUCH worse things to call a job than that! :) Good Friend needs a break, though, and I really don't see that happening for her. Bummer, dude.

Erm....Kate's new art assignment is to alter a recycled book. There really aren't many guidelines, other than to be as creative as you wish....I can live with that!!!!!! I feel some play time coming on! Lots of ideas are floating around in this noggin of mine!

I have a few custom-ordered pillow cases to get done. I'm really liking them. I love when my clients tell me to just play and do whatever I want. :) It's a little nerve-racking, not knowing the receiver of the gift, but fun just the same. I'm almost done with #3 out of 5.....anyone need to place an order?

See Ms. Hottie Pants up there? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I get to go see her tonight so she can color my hair. Yay! :) Doesn't she have the most adorable family ever? This is Makayla's older sister, Meg, and her man, Eric. They have the most precious babies....Grandbaby #1....Addi, and Grandbaby #3, Gatlin. I can't wait to get some nice new coloring going on....maybe tomorrow, you can see a photo of my new cut and color. Woot!

After getting the color on the hair, I get to go and watch Louann (i.e. Makayla) play basketball. I have a way-cool photo she took of a basketball on here somewhere, but I'm too lazy to find it. I'll share it later...there will be much more blogation about basketball in the near future, I'm sure.

Then....I might get to snooze for a few hours before hitting the ground running again. Double woot!

Happy Almost-Friday, Friends!

On the topic of rain...

You may already know this, and my Ranch kids would laugh at me, but then it rubbed off on them....but I start a LOT of sentences with, "Well, at least....." and rainy days are one of the days where I can say that because............

on rainy days, at least you get to use an umbrella and wear cute rain boops! There's something about umbrellas that intrigue me. I bet I have 100 photos saved on my computer that are based on them, and I have a huge poster that is framed that now hangs on Kate's wall. It used to be in my classroom.

It's funny that I get excited about umbrellas, because I rarely ever use one. Reason being: I always seem to get wetter WITH one than without. But something about them is a little mysterious, somewhat cheerful, and definitely pleasing to my eye.

You can see my umbrella above...not my favorite, but on clearance at Target so it became mine....what's your umbrella look like?

Happy (rainy) Tuesday!

On the topic of "Arse"...literally and figuratively....

I drive by this building full of bins of bodies now on my way to work. I told Good Friend that I was going to go to the store with all the bodies laying out by the road, and I was half-way amused that this was a serious conversation we had, and that Good Friend very normally replied, "OK,"....because this is something we had sort of discussed previously. The "body store" was closed, so I drove around the parking lot to leave, and then I saw the BINS....but I think I SNORTED when I saw the arse sticking up out of the box on the left....see it? Too, too funny. Good Friend decided this was a blog post waiting to happen, so here it is! I jotted this down to be my post upon receiving said text from Good Friend...."A lesson for Saturday: do not show your arse, whether literally or figuratively. No matter how much you want to believe it to be so, it will never be that anyone really wants to see it. Thank you. (Remember Thursday's lesson? Let's review: it's always polite to say thank you.)" So there you have it....a post on the subject of "arse".

Here's to a good week, friends....happy Monday!

The Wisdom of Pooh

"No one can be uncheered by a balloon."

If you don't have anything nice to say....

(That photo up there ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^was taken by me, and drawn by me, too.)

don't say anything at all. That is my motto for today, and I'm sticking to it. I'll be back tomorrow with a better attitude.

An Ode to Shoes

I have way too much fun with my "outshits" each day, when I have a reason to get dressed "up". Anyone who knows me even a little knows this about me. I will say that it has been difficult to dress "up" lately with the extra weight I've found and the fact that 99% of allllll of my clothing does not even BEGIN to fit me any more. I'm trying to embrace that. I'm not *quite* there yet.

Sooooo, while my "outshits" are sometimes lacking of the "Abby Wacky" that those who know me have come to love, I try to make up for it most days with my shoes and jewels. (We all know that Abby loves her some jewels....jewels, color, sparkle...what's better?)

PiePie will tell you I have way too many pairs of shoes...but I wear them all. I love them all. And shoes don't change sizes (too much, anyways) when the rest of your body does. They are fun, and they present your personality, if you let them. (They also happen to be a great conversational piece when you are in boring situations, I've learned.)

Sooooo....today, tomorrow, Monday, whenever the next time you get "dressed" is, here's your assignment: wear your wackiest shoes...mix them with wacky socks, even, and walk like you're Somebody. Brian Andreas said: Wear expensive shoes. People notice. And....he's right. :)

Have a happy Friday!!!!!

Golden Rule

As I am sure you have figured out by now, PiePie and Honey don't do things the "normal" way. Yes, go ahead and snort, call me Captain Obvious, what have you....but, just in case we have a new reader, they need to know this. We went to the mountains to get married, but we decided to come home and do it for free rather than pay rent-a-minister $100 or more to do it. Sooooo....we had our honeymoon, if you will, before our wedding...I use "wedding" here in loose terms. It literally took us longer to walk across the street and into the courthouse than it did to say, "I do,"....and we never said, "I do,"....because it ended up being, "I will,"....so there you have it...that wasn't "normal" either. Sorta fits us, though, so I'll take it. :)

Anywho....we were in the mountains. You got that part, right? And in the mountains, one has to shop all the quaint little stores and boutiques, right? And in one of those little places, I ran across an el-cheapo bracelet that was all of a buck, I think, and I *HAD* to have it. This is what it says: As iron sharpens iron, so man sharpens another. Pretty powerful words, aren't they? This reminded me of the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. And simply stated, that is my Golden Rule...only...yeah....simpler. "Be nice."

So, on this Veterans Day, I will encourage you to be nice to a Veteran. Pick up the phone and call them. Tell them thank you (another very important rule) for all that they have done for you and your family, for your country, and for your freedom. Know more than one? Call them all. Know someone in the military now? Tell them thank you, too. You can never say thank you too much, you know.

Thank you for reading this post, dear reader. :)

Happy Thursday, all!

PS...that photo up there was taken by yours truly whilst shopping on the afore-mentioned day. Wow, who knew I could post two photos in a row that I knew where they came from? Not I!

And so it goes...

I missed a day. Oops. But...does it count if I tell you I *thought* about blogging? I even sent a text to my sister...the one that keeps reminding me to blog daily...giving her my password and everything so she could blog for me if she wanted, but I'm sure that her own busy life got in the way....she's a trooper, that girl is.

The thing is...I wanted to blog yesterday especially because I had a good topic. You see, yesterday was my "little" girl's 18th birthday. 18 years ago, I became a mother, and 18 years ago, by becoming a mother, my whole entire life path was defined. As I was discussing today, actually, with Good Friend, how I didn't think I would ever be a mom, and that I thought I would live in NYC in a loft apartment, go to dinner with the man of my dreams (who wore a suit and worked at whatever business office), and wear heels and matching handbags, shop at Saks, you get the idea....NEVER did I dream I would live on Hog Back Ridge Road, have 3 children, learn how to raise puppies, have a degree to teach elementary ed and write curriculum, be a stay at home mom, cook, clean, do laundry, and be HAPPY doing it. None of the things about my life fit that of the image in my childhood head...and that is OK. Perhaps being a teenage pregnancy and having my daughter to raise is seen by many to be a handicap, but to me, it was a boost. It made me be stubborn to get an education, be stubborn to be the best mom a girl could ever have, to raise a good kid. Thank you, Kate, for helping me be stubborn, and for unknowingly shaping my life and the path it took. I love you, and I'm proud of you, and you are indeed a good kid. Keep it up!

And I didn't get to tell her any of this or blog because I was sick. I left work early, even. Couldn't hold my head up. Didn't blog. Didn't make her cupcakes for her birthday. I didn't even sign her birthday card and give it to her. We've decided that we will have her birthday all over again on a different day...one where I'm not overwhelmed and busy...and we will enjoy it properly, with cuppycakes and birthday cards and all. :)

I'm feeling some better, just tired and my mind won't rest...too much to do, too many places to go...but being busy seems to be something I tend to do well....so I'll just keep doing it and sleep when I'm dead.

Oh, and yoooo-hoooo.....!!!!! See the picture up there? THAT would be my daughter. My Kate. And I know where the picture came from...right off MY computer! :) Aren't you proud of me????? I knew you would be.

On Family

I made some observations yesterday about family and relationships, and it's your lucky day: Here, I will share them. :)

1. Family isn't just about those you are related to by blood. No sirree. Family is much, much more than that! It amazes me how much you can love someone that you have only just met, and feel as if you have always known them. Their happiness is yours, their sorrow is yours. It's natural...it's easy. When it's natural and it's easy (not that it's not worth working for, mind you) it's real, and it's good. You know it is good when you have those who will laugh and cry with you, who are around you because they just like it that way, and who will willingly help you no matter what, even at their expense sometimes...and I'm not talking about monetary expenses in this instance....although that, too, sometimes. :) Family is all about people that love you more than they love themselves....I think I said that right. Read between what I say, OK? Then, perhaps, if I'm lucky, you'll read what I mean.

2. You love people you are around and raised with. Of course, it would be a given that we love our brothers and sisters, the ones that have the same parents as us, right? But yesterday, I was reminded that you don't have to have the same parents to be siblings, to be brothers, or sisters, or brothers and sisters. There was a time that when I was asked how many children I had, I would respond four: two boys and two girls. They were in this order: Katie, Kevin, Wyatt, and Anna. And I still consider Wyatt one of my children. I always will. But, Wyatt was fortunate enough to be able to end up living in a more functional family than what he used to, and I am very grateful for that. Gradually, he went back to living at his house with his *real* mom and dad...Mama and Daddy....and Ma and Paps were just visited on occassion. But that was OK. Because that meant things in their household were OK. Kevin and Wyatt have remained friends, and close friends in that they were somewhat raised together, but that was just what they seemed....friends. But yesterday, I watched my son consoling others, watched him be a leader. And I was proud. And I loved that he needed me to be there, that it was ME he asked to take him there. Even if all I did was stand back and watch....it was just that I was there. But then, as I was "just" standing back and watching, I watched my son(s) [Kevin and Wyatt] hug, and I watched as Kevin finally allowed himself to cry and grieve....on the shoulder of his brother. And then, I was reminded that all those years of parenting were still paying off....and they always would, for my son has a brother for life.

3. I'm sure there's more, but I can only be so profound for so long, and the time limit is up. Oh, and yes, I have no idea where the photo came from . It really is an annoying habit of mine, I know. Korry. (Anna-speak for "sorry".)

Amia Turns One.

Ok, like always, I rotated the photo, but alas! Blogger hates me. Isn't she the cutest? One of the fun things that has happened to me over the last year is that I have met tons of new people. A lot of the people I have met are some that I knew existed, and I may have even known their names, or who they were related to...but I didn't *know* them. Others, I've had the pleasure of meeting because my life took a different turn and I have been at places to have the opportunity to meet others that perhaps I never would have had if my life had stayed on the same track it was on. Heather and Jacob, parents of cute lil Amia up there are among those I have met and love! I felt very honored to get to create some fun overalls for her to wear for her first birthday party, farm animal style. Isn't she adorable? She really makes those overalls look cute, doesn't she? :)

Another person (or family) I have had the pleasure to come to know and love is the Holmes family. This family has quickly become my family, due to PiePie's closeness to them. It's nice to know you have those people that you can call at any time (like when you are precaroiusly atop a large stump IN the Expedition) and they will come and help you...and chastise you later. :) This family has had a lot of heartache over the last year...and this week has been one of the hardest for them. They have suffered a huge loss, and their minds are not wrapping around that or the circumstances at all. Please, if you are a pray-er, pray for them. Lift them up with your thoughts. If you are local, stop at the funeral home and donate...they need your love, but they also need your money to help with expenses. Know that they are humbled by the outpouring of love that has been shown to them over the last few days. Say a special prayer for Jamie....he needs it. Pray that PiePie can be strong for him over the next weeks and months to come. Pray that PiePie also can have some healing from his loss through the experience of being Jamie's rock. Please, and thank you, friends.

A long-time friend of mine, Chase, will also be needing some thoughts and prayers today as he is his best friend's pall bearer. Please pray that he can be as strong as he knows he can be today....it can't hurt him to know you are thinking of him today as well. Chase is a son of mine, and let me just take this opportunity to tell you how stinking proud I am of this kid. I love you, Chase. :)

There is lots to do today, as I have a week that looks like this coming up: "Almost Wednesday", then Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday, and Wednesday! Woot! Almost-Wednesday is going to be a very busy day for me as I have doctor appointments to attend, a diagnoses to deal with and learn about, housework to do, and ballgames to attend in the afternoon. However, all of that will be rewarded with a trip to the hospital tomorrow evening to meet the newest grandbaby, Kalani, which is a great ending to ANY day, right? :)

Wow...it's the 7th day in a row....only 6 more to go before I have developed a habit! Go me.

Happy Sunday, friends.

Let me count the ways....

starting with number 679,912,372,485,290.....you get the idea. He spent the day at a craft fair with...oh....a good baker's dozen of us women...such a good sport. :)

Just Under the Wire....

I know where this photo came from because *I* took it. :) I normally have to purchase things I find in four's because there are 4 of us sisters. These owls were no exception. They reside on the mantle in our living room.

Soooo....Abby's not got her groove back exactly yet. It's been a very busy week! (This is a good thing!!!) I'm just now, at 11:20, finishing the things that absolutely *must* be done in order for tomorrow to happen.....and the list for the rest is very very long. So much to do, so little time. I do love that I had three "Wednesdays" this week...and I get three of them next week, too. It feels really good to dress up, except for the part where I can't fit in any of my clothes and my feet ache because they are not used to wearing shoes. This, too, shall pass!!!!!

Today is my sister's birthday....the one who so very graciously reminds me to blog when it's 11:00 and i haven't done it yet....thanks, Sister!!!!! :) I hope your day was the bestest, and I look forward to getting to spend time with you SOON. It's been farrrrr too long. (I know you already know this.) I love you, Sister!!

It was really nice to be around people today. Dare I say it makes me miss my front lobby? Naw...because then I wouldn't have made my new friend and wouldn't get to sift my fingers through jewels for something that is wrongly labeled "work".

And just in case you ever needed to know....the thing that flaps its wings and watches over you from the sky is an "AnGEL". The thing that can be either Right, Obtuse, or Acute is an "AnGLE". There IS a different, folks. Just in case you ever wondered......

Happy Friday.

On Life.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

I had a good discussion yesterday with a very good friend about Divine Intervention, and this morning, perusing my saved photos (I have no idea where this one came from, as per the norm.) I saw this cute one with the word HOPE and it made me think about my favorite verse....so here it is.

I know that I cannot list, if I tried for a very long time, all the things I KNOW have been intervened for me by God's hand, and I am also very positive there are equally as many things, if not more, that I will never even know were intervened by Him to keep me and those I love safe and protected and taken care of so that we could have hope and a future. I'm so very thankful to live as a child of a loving and caring God.

Stop today and say a quick prayer of thanks for your life today; it's a short thing, no matter how you work it, so live it awake and to the fullest...help others, smile, give a little love and kindness to someone today...perhaps even someone who is the last one you would like to be kind to...smile at them....at the very least, it will confuse them, and THAT, my friends, will make YOUR day more than theirs. :)

Happy Thursday, all.

In My Boops

I was reminded (again) today that you never know the road someone has walked if you haven't walked in their "boops". You never can judge someone by their outward appearance. You never can judge someone by their clothing. You never can judge someone by the image they portray. You never can judge someone by looking at them through someone else's eyes. You never should judge someone anyways. It's not nice.

I love that I have been blessed to have a few friends that haven't judged me at all, but just love me as I am, for ME. (Whoever that is.) I love that I am married to someone that loves me BECAUSE I am me, not inspite of or despite the fact that I am me. Many a judgement has been passed upon me by the size I've been, by the clothing I wear, by the circumstances surrounding me, by the things they know, not the things they don't know. I figure that's just a way to give someone else a break, because if "they" are busy judging me and talking about me, then someone else is resting for a few. All the more power to them. I am confident enough with who I am that I don't really care what they say or think, without first having walked a mile in my boops.

Soooo....to those few that have loved me through it all *just* because I am me....I thank you. My vow to you is that I will not judge you, either, because, after all, I haven't walked a mile in YOUR boops, either.

I have no idea where I got that photo up there from. Please forgive me.

Wednesdays are G-double-O-D...GOOD!!!

I took the photo up there...but my genius sister, Betsy, edited it for me. :0)

I know something about myself. I've known it for a long time. Wanna know what I know? I know that I need to have a purpose and a reason to get up and dressed each day, complete with makeup and shoes. Now, for me, that reason would have to be GOING somewhere, because who in their right mind is going to get dressed, WITH SHOES, and makeup....if they don't have to actually leave their abode? Not. Me.

My brain and my body appreciate a reason to get up and going....and Wednesday, my friends, is the reason to get up and go. On Wednesday, I get to go and be around people. With makeup. With shoes. Oh....and don't forget the ever-important item: JEWELS.

I'm finding it rather hard with my new 50 pounds to feel or look cute when I have a Wednesday, but I'm trying hard to embrace this body of mine and love it and be thankful it is not a size 20 like it used to be. But I can't help wishing for the 00 that it was, either. Or a 2, or a 4....or anything other than the size it seems to be now.

OK, anyways, I love Wednesdays. Did I tell you that? Because I do. Why? Well, let me see if I can come up with another reason.....I get to have a friendship. That's pretty cool. And....I get to help people SHOP. Yeah, that perked your ears (and eyebrows, probably) right up, didn't it? Figured.

So....today was Wednesday Numero Uno for me this week, and I want you to know that it confiremd to me that when I grow up, I want to be a personal shopper. I want to be a wardrobe junky; a style fiend. Yes. I want to pick out shoes, jewels, makeup, hair accessories, patterns, colors, boots, tights....you get the idea....I want to play in people's closets, stretch their minds (Love you, M...and A.....) and get them out of their boxes just a tad. And then a tad more...until at last, they love to get dressed as much as I do (er...did). I want to take people and help them shop for their size, their body, and their needs. And I am pretty sure I need to take some of my own advice. Right. Here.

Oh...and perhaps the bestest part of Wednesday, next to it being Working Wednesday, is that it is .99 cent day at Goodwill!

30 Days Hath November....

I've read that it takes 17 repetitions of doing any given thing to make it a habit. If there are 30 days in the month, and I blog each one of them, I'll almost be creating the habit twice, which, given my blogging history as of late, can't be a bad thing. Soooooo....I hereby pledge to blog EACH and EVERY day of November, come Hell or high water. :0) Think I can? I do...I'm pretty stubborn, especially when I make my intentions public....so, we'll see.

Now, the big issue today is rather...um....petty? Self-centered? I dunno. Call it what you will, but I'm going to take a vote. I'm trying hard to grow out the hair that was so graciously turned into underwear elastic about a year ago by my hairdresser. (Is that an old lady term? Should I say "beautician" to be more hip and with it? Like you say "purse" or "bag" now instead of "pocketbook"?????) So, I'm going to put two photos on here and take votes.

On the topic of voting, I was reminded today that there is no school tomorrow, because it is *finally* election day!!!!! Ya'll...that means no more of those hokey pokey ads every time you turn around...(said in my best parrot voice)..."I approve this message!!!" *Insert rolling eyeballs here.*

Now, back to voting and how it applies to yours truly. I need to know the following, and EVERY opinion counts, so be sure to leave yours, OK?

1: Blonde or Brown?

2. Short or long?

Put your vote in, and I will put the results up tomorrow...on Election Day.

At First Sight....

Here is an excerpt from the Nicholas Sparks novel, At First Sight. "He liked the fact that Lexie didn't let him get away with anything, spoker her mind, and stood up to him when she thought he was in error. Somehow, she was able to do those things while still projecting a charm and feminity that was underscored by a sultry, Southern accent. Add in the fact that she was downright stunning in tight jeans, and Jeremy had fallen head over heels....."

Totally reminded me of Piepie and Honey. :) Piepie thought it reminded him of Honey and Piepie...so it must be that Mr. Sparks was *secretly* writing about them, right? :)

Happy Friday! :)

So, here I am....

I dunno why I am out of the habit of blogging when I did it nearly daily for so long, sometimes way more than once per day, never going probably more than two without....but then, a lot of things about me lately are not quite the same, and that is OK.

HOWEVER....blogging has always been important to me, and I am probably my biggest fan, going back and reading my posts and looking at my photos to enjoy the random memories, to read my thoughts as my days happened, to read the story of my life. I *really* need to blog more. I think part of it is the fact that I can micro-blog on FB now, but that is really not good enough, and I know that....

I have all sorts of ideas....I want to do a "She" statement for each day....no blog post is a blog post without a photo....I want to do a quote for each day....you get the idea, yet then it seems too overwhelming and I do nothing...because just the act of logging in and pulling up a blank bloggy page usually seems like too much of a task these days.

I do hope that this will get better with the new medication I am on, which should give me 50% more energy, according to my doctor, if I am one of the lucky 30% it works for. So far, I'm thinking there is a good chance of that seeing that it is waking me up at 3:00 a.m...I spoke with the pharmacist today about changing the times that I take it. We'll see how that works....

Sooooo.....I keep hoping that one day, my promise to blog more will not be as hollow as it has been as of late. Thank you, patient reader, for hanging in there with me. Much appreciated.

Let's see....lemme go and peruse the photos for something to post and write about....hold please.....

I know, I know....sisters tends to be a popular subject on here lately...BUT...lately, I've been conversing more and more with all THREE of my sisters, and this, folks, I LOVE. I'm so enjoying making them a part of my daily life again...you know, not everyone is lucky enough to have a sister, one sister, much less be blessed with three of them, and so for this, I am thankful, and guilty of taking for granted, and striving NOT to take for granted any more, and striving to be more thankful than ever for them.

Also, I need to talk about the 'rents....meet Mom and Dad here:

OK...so I can't find the awesome good photo of both of them, and I'm tired, so here is the one you've already seen of Mother and I.....she came today to the flea market with me....just because she loves me. Thanks, Mom. And thanks to BOTH of you for always teaching me to believe in my dreams and to reach for the stars and believe the impossible.....because without dreams and belief in the impossible, there's NO WAY I'd be where I am now....boy, could you all have a hayday with THAT statement! :)

OK, mush is over for now....going to bed.....maybe, just maybe, I'll see you sooner rather than later....we'll see!

TTFN!

Honey Makes a Trip to the Grocery Store.....

Warning: longish post ahead.

So, it's been a long time since I have been able to do my normal grocery shopping, even with coupons, and saving a ton like I tend to do. We've eaten a lot of potatoes and pb&j's around here lately. You can imagine how excited I am to have finances worked out so that I can have a grocery budget again!

I love to cook, especially when I have time and an audience that allows me to cook a variey of items and enjoys them. I love to have people here to eat, and to share our home with them. I love to watch this family I am now a part of be a family again. I love to watch them talk and interact, to share, and to enjoy each other. Call it bribery, but I know if I say there is dinner night at Perry's Paradise...they will all come running and be in one house at the same time. So I do that as often as I can.

My new monthly budget is $500 a month, or $125 a week, however you want to look at it. That seems like a lot of money for groceries, until you figure that on any given day, there are 6 of us here that eat breakfast before starting our day. Kate takes her snacks to school from home, too. For lunch, I pack Piepie's, and that leaves Anna and Carter and I here for a meal. For supper, there is always at least 6 people here, if not, many more. Sooooo.....when you look at it that way....we consume a lot of food at this house, and $500 a month for all of that still requires strategic planning and smart shopping.

Never fear, friends...you know I love a challenge! I figure that I can make that $500 buy at least $1,000 of groceries if I plan, shop, cut coupons, and save. This month will not be one of those $1,000 months because I was out of EVERYTHING. All staples, things you can't get with coupons, and things you have to have to cook with, so I don't think I can make it stretch that far. I was highly disappointed with my $300 total last night, but I did save $450 when all was said and done...not bad, but not what I'm accustomed to either. Next month, though...ya better watch out! :) I have been shopping-deprived for a long time, and I plan on having a ball with the sale papers and the coupons.

I've got a few cookbooks I've been perusing. In my old life, I wasn't able to cook a lot because picky eaters abounded. In my new life, there's not much that I'm not able to sneak past them, at least once, if not again and again. Soooo....the joy of cooking is all new and fresh for me now. I'm looking at a lot of recipes that I'll be trying, and I'll keep you posted. On the top of my to-cook list, though, is a huge meat loaf....(thanks, Amber!!!). This is one of my Kevy's favorite meals, and his 16th birthday was this week, so we have a birthday meal in order. The meat loaf will be topped off with "Holy Cow" cake...his favorite, introduced to him by his Aunt Teresa. Beyond the meat loaf...I'll just be planning meals out of my cookbooks for a while. I was given two Paula Dean ones last year, and I plan to put them to good use. :)

So there you have it, friends....the reason it takes me 5 hours to do the grocery shopping (this is stopping at CVS, WalGreens, Kroger, and Publix, plus 1.5 hours of that is car time since we live in the boonies), how I shop (sort of, not in detail), and what goes on in a day in the life of the kitchen at Perry's Paradise. :)

Stay tuned for more from Honey's kitchen.....

Happy Friday!

Encouragement.....for you, Friend.

Lately, I've not been the happiest person...and when I'm not happy, it's hard to blog, because I only really want to ever blog happy thoughts, since people come here to see happiness....not sadness or irritation or frustration. Lately, I've been busy. And when I'm busy, my brain doesn't necessarily function on "creative" mode, or on "blog" mode, which sorta go hand in hand.

My super-great friend keeps telling me to blog...she knows it's good for me, and I like to think she enjoys reading, too....and I keep promising her a blog, and I've thought of 1,002 topics to blog on, but not when I've been at the computer (which has been next to none) and then, there's that part about being inspired to write, which comes with the above-mentioned happy part...and yeah...it hasn't happened.

I found myself tonight with the computer in my lap, looking at facebook, thinking I needed something to look at or do, and so I went and visted the Sister's blog....she's been a "badder" blogger than me....it's been since April that she blogged....but the post she did make this month made up for the silence...almost. :) (Love you, Sister.) You can view her post, called "Sometimes...." by going here: http://www.roamcounty.wordpress.com/. It's worth your time, so go...read...because I said so.

Next, I went to another of my favorite "eye candy" blogs, which usually has neat quotes, like this one: Happiness doesn't come with an expiration date....anon....and then, I ran across this:

and then, I decided between my empty promises to my Friend, the inspiration from the Sister, and then the speaking-to I received from the 8 Rules Photo, I should blog.

And I shall try to blog more often, because as the Friend already knows and has encouraged me to do so because she knows this...it's good for me.

Oh...and, Friend???....I lurve you. Lots, even.

Tonight, I feel like blogging.

Actually, I think of things to blog about every day, but with my new computer and no outlook, it just seems like such a chore....so I've been bad. Sorry, peeps. I will *try* to do better!

Let's see....tonight, I will talk about....ummm....lemme go peruse the photos to come up with something.....

I was perusing a blog this evening about sisters, and so when I saw this, it seemed appropriate for the day.....I love my sisters. There was a book on there, presumedly about Sisterhood of some sort, called "A Soft Landing".....I hope you have a sister, or two, or three, that provide soft landings for you when you need them. I know I do, and I'm oh, so very lucky. I love you, sisters o' mine!!!

Contentment.

My Facebook status right now says, "All is well." That made me think of the song It is Well With My Soul and I haven't quit hearing the chorus of that running through my head since I posted it.

While nothing in my world (or anyone else's for that matter) is PERFECT, I've had a headache all day long....the list goes on and on....still, all is well...and I am content. I am content because I believe in the promise given to me in the Bible verse that is sewn on the pillow case above, and I am content because being content CAN consist in being happy with what you HAVE, not what you DON'T have. (Right!?!??)

So, I am content. I am well. Are you? I hope so!

Lunch. Good.

Stupid has a gravitational pull.

(Don't be stupid.)

A satisfying day, indeed!!!!

I've been working the kitchen around in my head for a couple months now, and today, I finally got the gumption about me to work on it. It took me all. day. long. But....the end result is great! While I ran out of gumption before I was able to post the photos for you here, I can tell you that I have them to share, and I think you'll be amazed, but in the mean time, I am sharing another "corner" of my home with you....this is the view you would see whilst sitting on the guest bathroom potty @ my house! :) (Just what you wanted to know, right?) Anyways......the drawing is one that my lil sis did for me in '02....and she is one stylin' chic! :) The photo is a post card I picked up while in NYC and the frame, of course, came from the thrift store....but the color schemes match perfectly!!!!! The vine is from my grandfather's funeral, which was about 13 years ago....and the table was MisserPiePie's before I came along, but I painted it black, because EVERYTHING looks better when it's painted!!!! (RIGHT?!?!?!) Oh,,..so I just scrolled down, and I see you can't even SEE the table...oh, well. :) Now you know. On to the satisfying day...not only did I redo the kitchen (photos to come, promise), but I also cooked supper....we had grilled mushrooms, fresh corn on the cob (only I cut it off the cob, added my special touch, and served it in a bowl, sans corny pieces in the teeth....), and we had venison off the grill (marinated alllll day) and squash (fried...00ps!!!!) from our garden!!!!! Good, good, GOOOOD!

Makayla's Room.....

She is COMPLETELY anal about so many things, in an OCD sort of way...but yet, she is SO like me in so many other ways....she found those ultra-coolio butterflies up there, and they are now hanging on her yellow wall....next to the very vintage Pooh and friends curtain....which has to be shortened...but was way too good and mitchy-matchy to pass up for a buck. The yarny goodness you see up there is in my living room, residing on the back of my couch.....it was also a buckaroo at the GW. (And so were the butterflies, acually....) Gotta love the G to the W. :)

Happy Sunday!

A true conversation....

(and not on the subject of the true conversation, but because I cannot make a post without a photo and he is much cuter than my mother in law *love you, Barb*, here is a photo of my baby nephew...Jedidiah.)

Barb: I'm glad you handled that...I got mad and had to walk away...

Abby: Well, Barb, I've learned that you normally catch more flies with honey.....

Barb: I didn't WANT no flies!!!!! I just wanted the free telephone they promised me!!!!!



Moral of the story: Know what you want. Go after it. Don't stop until you get it. But be SBB whilst traveling the highway to reaching your goal. (You'll probably get there faster that way.....)

Life....Enjoy!

This post is dedicated to enjoying life....

There are a handful of things that have happened in my life that I have *really* learned from, and one of those things happened 2 years ago today, about this time of night, that changed our worlds forever.....crazy as it may sound, I miss many people...one dead, many alive, that were changed by this crazy event....(I know you're smiling from Heaven now, Grady.....that is where my peace from this situation comes from.....)

It is because of that day 2 years ago, combined with a few other memorable days I shall never forget, that cause me to see little things and view them as joy....I try to enjoy each day of LIVING...I try to LIVE each day. (That, my friends, is the majority of the reason that I turned my life, and the lives of those around me, topsy-turvy this year.....and I'll refrain from any more details on that for now....) As well as living, I try to be thankful and participate in *life*....and therefore, I've been spending m0re time outside than ever.....

I've been picking squash....zucchini....peppers.....cooking.....sharing.....giving.....and I've enjoyed being, well....satisfied. With life. In general. With being happy. See the harvest of our work????? I've made it no secret that a way to judge if my life is going "well" or not is by my ability (or inability) to create.....and I'm LOVING how these babies have turned out. Now, to hope that someone that happens by my booth at the Nashville Flea Market this month feels just as excited about them as their creator!!!!!

Something I remember doing from my childhood is watching the clouds....this was a passtime that was spent with Keith (the neighbor) and my sister....and now, Makayla....I took this a week or so ago, flat on my back, staring at the sky, making pictures out of the clouds with her. What a fun memory.

We know that color makes me happy....and I love the randomness that represents my son and his haphazard way of living that makes him so stinking annoying....er....endearing.....he and Anna (definitely her brothers protege') created this.....

So here's to you, Grady Carter.....thank you for teaching me a lesson on enjoying life, even though I had to learn it the hard way. I think of you often.

Just a quick peek.....

I thought it might be fun to share with you here and there the corners of my home, for I know that I enjoy looking into the corners of others' homes.... and today, I chose to share with you the trunk from my childhood that sits in my hallway, complete with a treasure chest of books, and a big glass "thing" full of MisserPiePie's homerun balls from when he was just a weeee lil boy... :) There are just some of the ones that have surfaced here and there as we've went through things....so I started a collection after the appearance of #3. :)

Stay tuned for more random glimpses here and there....and please leave a comment and share with me a glimpse into a corner of YOUR home....

"How do you do it???"

I'm asked often how I get so much for so little when I shop for groceries and household supplies, so I thought I'd share my spending today....along with a few tricks of the trade.

Rule number one: Each Sunday, buy two papers. That way, when there are buy one, get one free deals (Publix is the BEST for these!!!) you will have two coupons for the items you are purchasing.

Rule number two: Study all the ads in the Sunday paper, and look for the best deals. For instance: most stores have carbonated drinks on sale, but Pepsi products at store "A" may have 4/$12 while store "B" has them 4/$9. This happends often.

Rule number two a: Make a list at each store of the things you see that you use or could get free. The free items that you don't use can be used in church care packages, and sometimes (like at CVS) you get a percentage back on what you spend, and this counts the original cost of the free thing. (So if free thing is normally, say, $4.49, then you get 3% of that back quarterly at CVS even though you paid $0.00 for it. Cool, huh?)

Rule number two b: Compare your lists for price differences (see rule number two) and decide which store you will get the item from. (Ahem...this would be the cheapest of the two or three places.)

Now, for the fun part!!!!!

Today, I went to CVS. I'm going to break down for you what I got and for how much, but what it would have been had I not used coupons, Extra Bucks, and sale prices....ready?

On purchase number one, I got 3 boxes of General Mills Cereal, 1 Hydro 3 Razor from Schik, and 500 count Ibuprofen, CVS brand. I'm not sure what the cereal is normally a box....$4. something.....but they were on sale 3/$10.00 with $3.00 extra bucks, making them 3/$7.00, but I also had a $1.00 off coupon, so the cereal was then 3/$6.00. That's less than 1/2 price. Sometimes, it's even cheaper....but we need cereal this week. (Another Cardinal Rule: Shop ahead when the prices are best....but our money situation since I'm not working has been that which hasn't always allowed me to do this.....) The razor is normally $9.99. This week, you get $5.00 extra bucks, making the razor $4.99....but then, they had a coupon in the paper this week for $4.00 off the razor, so all in all, I got it (and two cartridges) for .99. SCORE!!!!! The Ibuprofen is normally $9.99, and the CVS brand was $6.99 this week...with a $3.00 Extra Bucks Reward. Sooooo.....original cost of order without coupons or bucks (leaving the cereal at $3.33 a box) would have been $38.97 before tax, but with my coupons, after tax, I spent $26.48. HOWEVER, $21.00 of that was Extra Bucks, so that means that purchase number 2 is going to be $21.00 less.....

On to purchase number two:

2 Airwick Refills

1 Airwick warmer unit

6 Renuzit air fresheners

1 Bounty Basic 12 pack

2 Boxes of Feminine products....

Refills were on sale 2/$5 this week, plus I had a $1.00 off 2 coupon, making them 2/$4.

With any purchase of refill, coupon for free warmer, so $1.49 warmer=free,

renuzit air fresheners...on sale for .88 each, coupon for buy 3 get 3 free, so $2.64 for 6 of those.

bounty basics....$5.99 on sale, plus a coupon for a quarter off. (paper towels never are much cheaper than that....)

2 boxes of fem. products....normally $14.99, on sale for $9.99, plus I had two $5.00 off coupons, so 2 boxes now = $9.99

Total spent before coupons: $46.14 before taxes.

Total spent after sales and coupons, plus the extra bucks I had: $6.13. For. Real.

Now, see, I would normally not buy smelly things, but when I can get them for next to free....why not? I enjoy smelling them, and plus I get 3% of that back when my quarterly bucks come in.

Also, this week, WalGreens ran their 2/$1.00 cans of sliced mushrooms.....I got 8 cans for $4.00.....if you buy mushrooms, you know they are expensive. we use them in everything, so I stock up when they run that sale (about once monthly) so that i have plenty and don't have to pay a dollar a can throughout the month for them.

CVS figures your expenses quarterly compared to your savings on your receipt. For the spring of 2010, it tells me I've spent $62.23 and I've saved $274.73. That should give you an idea.....

I will continue on this topic weekly....stay tuned for more tips and pointers, feel free to leave me yours, and ask questions!!!!

Oh...and that pic up there? That's me (duh) and my lil protoge' up there....she's *almost* as good as me at this....she's learning quick! :)

Loving this today:

Found here: www.rhonnadesigns.blogspot.com.