it's a Booger County Life

Ringo VS The Leaf Blower

2012-08-04T12:14:00.001-05:00

Our dog Ringo has alot of bad habits...like chewing anything left outside...with no discrimination to the owner, such as shoes for instance!
We had friends staying with us and after a day at the creek they left their shoes out on the porch to dry- Enter the Dog;

Yes, I was horrified and furious!
Luckily, our guests were very gracious about it, so we didn't have to kill the dog :) But, I will admit...there have been many a time I was down for it!

Every once in awhile Ringo does something so funny and cute we remember why we put up with the bad behavior...
This time we caught it on tape!

Here's the link in case the video doesn't play...http://youtu.be/OkPZYyjXSl8

What does your dog do???

SuzyQ

Never Fails.....When You Realize Your Life Really Is An Episode Of Seinfeld

2012-04-05T16:52:00.000-05:00

You know those moments you have when that phrase "Never fails..." is the first thing outta your mouth?

That moment- (ladies)... when you are mid-stream on the toilet and glance to see their is NO TOILET PAPER! (in my case, this specifically is caused by living in a house where YOU are the ONLY women, and men/boys are incapable of replacing the empty roll)....................................NEVER FAILS

That moment...when you start to drop your drive-thru drink and your hand goes into "Terminator Hold Mode" thinking you can prevent this catastrophie, but you actually crush the cup and it EXPLODES in your face/shirt/lap!!..................................NEVER FAILS

That moment...when you go into your OB/GYN appt (third trimester) and realize you forgot to bring your cup of morning pee with you *palm to forehead*...BUT the nurse says "No problem, you can use our bathroom"....................You pee..........in the cup...........The cup catches............. on the edge of the toilet seat and you dump it ALL OVER your britches (yes, britches is a real word) and have to spend a half hour in the bathroom trying to dry your pants...all the while a nurse is beating on the door thinking you have passed out.................................NEVER FAILS

That moment...when you have been dabbing at the stream coming from the corner of your eye with the Kleenex (extra soft with lotion) because today is peek season for pine pollen and your car matches Shrek! The FedEx guy comes in with a package and you wonder why he acted SO awkward....???....so you go check the mirror....and see a square of one-ply Kleenex stuck to the SIDE OF YOUR FACE...................................NEVER FAILS

That moment...when you have just finished riding a wooden roller-coaster and every part of your body is NUMB!......you reach to check your earrings...but something more important grabs your attention....you have regained feeling in your upper body and now (in a crowd of people, AND wearing a white shirt) realize that your FRONT-HOOK bra was apparently jiggled loose during the ride because the cups are under your ARMS!!.....................................NEVER FAILS....oh! AND...you lost an earring.....yup :)

I don't know about the freak in the front seat...but poor choice of clothing for you ladies in the back there! If she doesn't have black eyes she be saying "Where is that breeze coming from....?....OHHHHHH"

That moment...when you were14 (you know...that age when the tom-boy in you starts to take a second seat to... "boys"!) and the neighbor boy down the road- whom you have climbed trees, played ball and rode bikes with- shows up for a visit while you are outside (can't hide now) and you have been caught in jean shorts so short that if Dad comes home and sees you in them they won't find your body....but you are stuck!, so you stay outside...climbing on the swing-set and showing off some of those mad skills...cause really...your almost a gymnast..right?...Then, the unimaginable happens...... the crotch of your Daisy Dukes busts leaving you with what is now the shortest miniskirt in HISTORY!

Where's really tall grass when you need it????

You have no choice but to stand still..... hoping...PRAYING that he doesn't notice, leaves quickly, AND that your Dad does not come home!.............................NEVER FAILS...........since the first two didn't happen you are forced to make an excuse and awkwardly walk backwards to the house BEFORE the third thing happens.....DAD!!!!!!!!!!!!

That moment...when you decide to skip school with your boyfriend on the rainiest day of the year and you go to your Great-Grandma's house cause she isn't home and you CAN'T get caught...right?
So....when you go to leave your boyfriend "thinks" instead of backing up and leaving tire marks he will just follow the circle drive...only, IT WASN'T A CIRCLE DRIVE!!!! IT WAS PART OF THE YARD!!!! and now his car is stuck up to the hubcaps! You call a friend in desperation to see if he can pull you out before Grandma get home and before you're late getting back to school..... but that didn't work...nope....they really just succeeded in making more deep ruts in your Grandmothers yard!...............NEVER FAILS......Yes,....I had to call my Dad :( My back-side hurts just typing this.

***Public Service Notice***

DO. NOT. SKIP. SCHOOL!!!

It's a Booger County Life...
SuzyQ

Evolution Is BANANAS!!!!

2012-03-27T10:59:00.000-05:00

Last night I picked up my youngest two from their grandparents and we headed home.

As usual we got in a deep discussion. That is...me and Mr Thomas did...13 remember?...very inquisitive age...with harder questions!

This time we were more or less re-hashing a subject that NONE of my family believes in.....Evolution.
Mr Thomas was trying to understand why the scientists think such things and of course my forever answer was that if we evolved from apes/monkey...whatever!, then why is there still apes? Riddle me that.....
Casey laughed as usual and I noticed it had been strangely quiet there in the back seat. Aaaand then...

Mr Riley: " Hey Bob, I just evolved yesterday!....but I'm still on bananas!!!"

8yr old humor at it finest!!!!

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA :)

It's a Booger County Life....

SuzyQ

7 Things Bout Lil 'Ole Me

2012-03-23T16:18:00.000-05:00

Ducky, at batcrapcrazy picked me as one of her 7 blogs to participate in this, so "Thank You Ducky!"
I guess I'm suppose to tell you 7 things about me you never knew....since I haven't been blogging long there's a lot you don't know about me...but I'll pick some whoppers for ya. Gotta keep it interesting....yes?

No. 1
I LOVE TWILIGHT!....no judging.....
I always liked the movies (the first two) but never quite got the craziness I'd see in women my age who went nuts over it...standing in line...and the Facebook posts....brother!
Then the 3rd movie came out, I watched it and I decided to buy the Breaking Dawn book to find out the ending. I LOVE a good story (plus I have been intrigued by werewolves and vampires since I was in middle school!) I ended up so excited reading that book I couldn't put it down!....I read it in a day and a half!....it's like 700 pages....you do the math! And yes, the Part 1 movie was awesome but I now will probably be one of those crazy people standing in line to see Part 2 at the theater! and I can't wait!!!!

No. 2
When using buttons like ATM's or even the soda fountain at the gas station I use my knuckles to press the buttons....cause I'm a bit of a germ-a-phobe. Using the pump is an unavoidable full-on hand grab so I keep wipes in my car to remove the yuckies :)

No. 3
Miniature donuts- like the chocolate ones!, are just better if you shove the whole thing in your mouth and eat it like a Neandrathal....if they really were such things!......??...Ok,...... let's go with "starving, hormonal, middle aged woman needing a chocolate high"!......"Get-R-Done"!!!....yeehaw!!!

No. 4
I alone have the PERFECT cure for hiccups....message me if you are interested.
However, I must confess that I cannot PREVENT the inevitable hiccup after your first sip of soda from a drive-thru.....you must except that somethings are just gonna happen, like it or not.

No. 5
I still hold a 22yr grudge against a guy who stole my strawberries- (no that's not a metaphor) that I had made in art class my senior year for my "clay" project. I made the basket, the handle and filled it with strawberries that I had hand-made so that it looked just like fresh basket of newly picked strawberries (putting the ones that fired well on top covering the not-so-fired-well ones). He stole the prettiest ones of course. I haven't seen him since graduation and when I do I will remind him I want my strawberries BACK!

No. 6
My very first driving experience was during hay season when I was in the fourth grade. My Dad needed to get the hay in before daylight (back when everyone still used square bales) and only had the help of one neighbor so he needed a driver. He sat me behind the wheel of a GINORMOUS flat bed truck(standard), put it in gear, let off the clutch while standing on the running-board and said "Just drive in circles and keep the hay bales on your left and you be fine" then he jumped down off the truck and went to work.
I can drive in AWESOME circles now....and would LOVE to make a few rounds at Talhadega!

Which brings me to No. 7....
My husband LOVES NASCAR....and for the most part I do too. BUT, watching it on T.V. for HOURS and HOURS drives me CRAZY!!! Mostly because of the stupid cautions....that happen like every other lap....Come On!! If I'm gonna watch it on T.V. then I just want to watch the singing of the National Anthem the prayer and the start, then not come back to it until they are down to like... 10 laps to go!
I have NASCAR Impatience!

I have to say I don't have a whole lot of time to "follow" very many blogs, I'm more of a Blog Puddle Jumper. I only have a couple of blogs I Faithfully Follow and I hated to pick from the rest because they are about even but I came up with 3 more......I know, I know....I'm breaking the rule not picking 7....cut me some slack!

Ducky at batcrapcrazy
Che at indieberries
Dannette at fibrohaven
George at bugsofboogercounty
Kristen at thekircorner

It's a Booger County Life,
SuzyQ

My Clothes Were On Backwards And I Almost Put Dish-soap In My Drink

2012-03-16T18:10:00.038-05:00

Yeah....it's been that kindda week for me *sigh*

Let's start with this morning....

Mr. Thomas has been home sick since yesterday ( tummy bug...I hope, and NOT the flu ), so I'm busy getting ready for work and making arraignments for my Mother to come take care of him. Also, I make sure to take my new medication the Dr. switched me too a few days ago with a slow and calculated mental picture of seeing the pill and remembering "the swallow".
This is due to the fact that I could not remember if I took it yesterday and was afraid to take another- just in case, soooooooo, yesterday was fun....NOT!
Anyway....I get to work sit down and notice my shirt feel funny...I rub the neckline...feels funnier...I pull out the neck and look...YEP! My shirt is on BACKWARDS!!!
A flush, hot feeling whooshed over me as I wondered whether or not the girls at the gas station had noticed that???
OH WELL.....can't do nutt'n 'bout it now!!!

Earlier in the week I had went to the sink to dump out my drink so I could re-fill with fresh ice and more **eh-hum* Dew.........shhhhh!, and I grabbed the dish-soap bottle and was about to squirt it into my cup!!! WHAT THE.....????? Who am I and what did you do with the old me? Oh, wait....I AM the OLD me........*sigh*
Getting old BITES!

I feel better about these things when I think of the stuff that others do............like my father-in-law......:)
Let's call him Pa "B"
So the other day my hubby gets a call from his dad, Pa "B". He proceeds to tell him his oopsies for the day.

Pa "B" was unloading wood from his truck. He was standing on the tail-gate and tossing the sticks of wood off onto the pile when he grabbed a cedar log (that had tiny stubs from the limbs still on it) and gave it a good toss. I guess one of the limb stobbs caught his pant leg!, and with the effort he put into it nearly thrust himself off the truck on the pile!...but, luckily...he let go and caught himself before the epic fall.

My husband was crying he was laughing so hard! Then he kept laughing...
Apparently Pa "B" had decided to make a blackberry cobbler for Ma "B" (my hubby's mom, of course).
He wanted to be very careful the cobbler didn't bubble over in her NEW stove so he had carefully laid down plenty of tin-foil on the bottom to protect it. Well.....he had made the cobbler in one of those disposable aluminum foil pans...and....when he went to pull it out of the oven......... the whole thing buckled and collapsed!...dumping blackberry juice all over the door and glass!!!! KERSPLAT!
Hey....at least he cooks!...right?

What have you done lately?

SuzyQ

The Silence You See Is Screaming Inside Of Me (for the Fibromyalgia sufferer, family and friends)

2012-03-16T10:04:00.000-05:00

Sorry....it's not going to be a funny one today....

Today I just need to vent!!!! But!.....if you know anyone who suffers from Fibromyalgia, whether it is a friend, family, or even a co-worker I would ask that you continue reading.

Anyone who suffers from ANY silent illness or disease will tell you that society, your peers, co-workers and yes, sometimes your even your family can cause you the worst kind of pain- Not being able to understand.

Just because I don't look sick does not mean I feel fine...or even ok.
There are probably dozens of ways to compare "what you see may not be what you get" but think of it like the duck on the water. Above the water the duck appears to glide smoothly with little effort, but underneath the feet are paddling like crazy.

If I told you I'm an 8 would you believe me?

Some days you look good...make-up went on well...hair...eh- not too bad...and your clothes are your most comfortable outfit. This is one of the "good days"...Duck on top of the water to everybody else.
What everyone doesn't know is that your pain level is still top of the chart and your eating meds like M&Ms. Your body feels like it been thru a mid-evil torture chamber and parts are still stuck in them, you don't concentrate well and keep get off task, and you just feel like going home to never be seen again!...this is the feet paddling like crazy part. And this was a good day remember?

People don't understand why you don't come to all your kids basketball games....
If you sat on a flat metal piece of steel without moving scrunched up and hunched over (sweating, I might add) every second feeling like you couldn't take the pain and would just jump up and run away-but you can't, and lets say you had to do this for 12 hrs....... What do you think would hurt? Your butt? Yes. Your back? Yes. Your legs? Yes. Your neck? Yes.
But it's only a 30 min to an hour ball-game you say? Well, for me, that pain that takes a normal person hours to start feeling I feel 2 minutes after sittting down. Then I suffer thru the rest of it because of good 'ole peer pressure.
Yes, I could get up and walk a minute and then sit back down, but that raises eyebrows too....what is she on?
Yes I could bring my own folding chair....I'm 39....I don't want to act like 79. Oh, did you factor in it was a work day for me and I already just want to kill myself? Nope, didn't think so.
Oh, but you have an office job! ???? Really????? That's actually just as bad as a physically demanding job because you muscles don't get any exercise.
You hurt because you exercise and you hurt because you don't exercise...it's a win, win!!!

There's a lock-in at school and they wonder why you need to leave by 9:30 preferably, but will settle for 10:30 if need be.
What?, do you need to take your medicine or something?....actually, YES, I do!
And, if I don't take it the same time every night it really screws me up. Also, my body is so used to taking the medicine that if I'm up doing something late like that I start to have excruciating pain just walking.
If I get to that point, being PC just isn't on my list and neither is leaving you stranded. I tell my husband I need to leave and God Love Him, he get's me outta there!!!

You see me walk in to work (late) and you think I'm just slow or lazy.....but you don't know how much effort it takes to get ready EVERYDAY....
Some compare morning pain to how sore you are the day after having the flu. That's a good comparison but I like to compare it to the next morning after some really long physical activity that you had never done like....I dunno....dig a train tunnel through a mountain with your bare hands, scooping up the dirt pile'n it up and pushing it out in a wheel-barrow! I know, it sounds extreme...but how do you explain all over pain, soreness, stiffness, burning and muscle tension that you have from doing NOTHING! Heaven forbid you DO something that makes it worse...like clean the house, paint a wall or give the dog a bath.

If you miss a day of work people ask you if you feel better the next day....
The standard acceptable answer is "Yes, or Much better". :)
What you really want to say is "No, not really, I was just better at forcing myself to get ready and get in the car today, but thanks for asking":)
That doesn't get a good reaction...I've actually tried it....people think you're being your usual funny self.

Most people have their own problems so they don't want to hear yours, and that's perfectly understandable. I certainly do not think I am the only one who has pain or suffers a daily struggle of some sorts.

I realize it could be worse and I'm thankful that it is not. My best friend has MS. My Dad passed away at 56. I lost a dear friend to cancer. I have friend with diabetes. We have friends who have lost children in a car crash. Our niece's baby girl lived for only hours before she went to be with Jesus.
So, yes, things could be worse and I try to keep that in mind. But, sometimes you just get TIRED.

Tired of all the pain. Tired of the stress. Tired of telling your kids "Not today guys, maybe tomorrow". Tired of your husband and kids doing pretty much ALL the house work. Tired of what people think. Tired of explaining. Tired of lie'n...cause that's what it really is when you say "I'm fine", it's a lie....to yourself!
A silence inside of you screaming....and you muffle it.

I am an 8.
I don't care if you believe me!
**pats self on back**

If you want to learn more about Fibromyalgia or if you need support try one of these sites.
http://www.fibrohaven.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fibromyalgia-Awareness/97374519828
http://www.facebook.com/Fibro360

If you read this far, God Bless You! and thanks for listening to me vent :)

SuzyQ

.

A Square really is a Circle!

2012-03-15T13:26:00.000-05:00

Small towns have squares: at least in Missouri they do.
Not all squares all equal: most allow side by side traffic and are designated ONE-WAY (kinda like a round-a-bout).This is how Booger County's square is...........ONE-WAY!!!
Some go for the really challenging and are made for 2-way (opposite direction) traffic...it is my opinion that these designers should be SHOT!!!

I have had more "near death experiences" on our square here in town than in all other traffic situations in my LIFE! People are just plain STUPID! A square is not that complicated!!....it's a circle people...round and round you go..... :/

You can bet during any holiday you are gonna see out-of-towners going the wrong way or coming to a complete stop, and putting on their blinker to continue on around....hello......? Did you see a stop sign? NO you DID NOT! GoooooooooOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

Oh yeah, and it tis DE-LIGHT-FUL when ever we have been graced by the presence of a new highway patrol officer to our little backwoods hill-town :) YES....

It always starts out the same.....Everybody getting tickets for not putting there blinker on when using the square...(which actually I think is really what you are suppose to do) ??? but, when the cops and county deputies don't even use their blinkers.....you're just poke-n a sleep'n bear...ya know?

TRUE STORY: My sister actually called one of them on it! I'm sure she wasn't the first, but she was the first person I knew of and of course it HAD TO BE HER!
When she was tell'n me about it all I could think was....if that had been me!?! I'd have a ticket or be jailed!!
I guess she told him, rather plainly I might add, that she wasn't paying no dang ticket unless he was gonna give one to the police chief, his officers and the sheriff and his deputies cause they all do it...Including the other highway patrol officers!, who have been here long enough to know.... that's just how we do it!!!!
"Your sittin in the wrong place if you want to write tickets cause you're just gonna tick these people off and they are gonna run you outta town on a rail like they did in the old days!!!"
Don't mess with Booger County Girls!!!! BooYah
He then decided he actually pulled her over for seat-belt ticket...hmmmm.....
"You go ahead and write it but I'm not pay'n it!" ....again...I would be in jail........her?....nope!

Uhhhhhh..........

You know, you just gotta wonder if the highway patrols use this as a "hazing" of sorts for the "new guy".
I can almost here the conversation.....
Experienced officers: "We've been around here forever and these people have really ran us over about the whole "not using their blinkers on the square" thing, what we really need is young blood in here to set these people straight!" "Don't let'em get away with it....even the old people...let'em know we mean business man!"
Newbie: "Yes sir! You can count on me to improve the driving in this town...I'm on it!"
............................THREE MONTHS LATER.....................................
Newbie: "Uh, sirs? I can't take it anymore....I've had everyone- even little old ladies threaten to have my badge over the square tickets. These people REALLY hate me!!! Now, headquarters has had so many complaints they are threatening to move me to a new area! I don't know what to do????"
Experienced offers: "Well probably.... stop writing those tickets! Shoot boy....even we do it!" *bursting out in laughter*
Newbie: "You mean YOU KNEW this would happen???"
Experienced officers: "Oh don't get your Kevlar in wad, we've all been there son, you just needed to pay your dues!" "Now go set up out on the main highway before they run you outta this town on a rail!"
:)
.....maybe they do....maybe they don't......we may never know.....
But, for some strange reason they all give up a few months after they start and move on to new territory....and, perty soon you see them going around the square...NOT using their blinker!

Disclaimer***
Of course I am not encouraging behavior to dis-respect your public officials such as law enforcement.
Wrong is wrong and right is right.........then there's that small grey area.......
Just remember.....they aren't perfect either folks! And they do work very hard!!!

Shhhhh........somebunnies sweepy! aawwhhhh :)

That's life in good 'ole Booger County

SuzyQ

Slacker Blogger

2012-03-07T09:39:00.000-06:00

Oooookaaayyyyy.....

So I haven't posted in like 4-EVER!

No real awesome excuse, just a bunch of little things all grouped together....we won't get into that :)

Let me catch you up on all things booger county...

My family and I moved (still in Booger County...no worries) into a cute little house along side a creek off in the sticks. You can't even see the house till you round the last corner of the drive....I LOVE IT!!!!
We are just renting. Don't really know what we will do with the place we own but our house was not finished and we are not in the financial position right now to finish it. So, in an effort to make sure the boys get back to some sort of normal...and I didn't EXPLODE from the stress...we found a nice little house for rent and bit the bullet.
Now, instead of living on top of a hill with a view I live at the bottom of the hill, between two hills actually, in the hollar with a creek right out my back door. THIS CALLS TO THE HERMIT IN ME.....:) *whispering*..."stay here, stay here, NEVER leave the house!"
And believe me, if I didn't have to leave the house.... I wouldn't!!!

I'm trying to wean myself off the "Dew" because my fibro is soooo bad now and the doctor told me too....pffft! YAY! Now, my hubby gets to monitor me...to his detriment I'm afraid...

Me minus caffiene = CRANKY!!!!! Lord help us now I pray!

So, now lets add that at Christmas the boys got an Xbox "Dance" game and I've been "exercising" with it, when I can....
OK. Someone should've slapped me when I was skinny and wished to be bigger...*SMACK****!!!!!
I used to be a cheerleader, I ran track...I could hop fences like a deer! Now.......???...Now...I can't keep up with the stupid Britney Spears song... You know...the one when she first started singing, and Dancing was NOT her strong suit??? Yep, that one!
Let's just say Puffy don't dance well...cause after 2 eight counts I am GASPING for AIR!!! *whew*
Actually I'm gasping just thinking bout it....

I only run if I'm being chased...as it should be....

It's a Booger County Life!
SuzyQ

The Christian Retreat, The Pot Smoker, And The Tongue Piercing

2011-12-30T16:04:00.000-06:00

So, about 10 years ago...or more...MAN! I can't believe how time flies!
Anyhoo...
Myself, my best friend and two other friends from church decided to go to St. Louis to a convention/retreat sort of deal for some spiritual uplifting. We did have fun! Four women in a minivan?....oh yea...lots of laughs!
But, the REAL funny part was what happened when we arrived at our hotel.
We had opted for convenience( close proximity to our destination ) and affordable price. That doesn't equal a five star hotel but we didn't care....or so we thought!

The "girl" who was at the front desk had just had her tongue pierced and could barely speak- CLEARLY! Let alone the fact that she spat on us every time she tried to speak! OooooKayyyyyy....Awkward! We got a laugh out of it, how could you not???she sounded like Julia Child but her face read more like "SAW"- the movie!!!

When we got to the room, we opened the door and proceeded inside....me just truck'n on in and preparing to set my luggage out...when I turned around to see the other three ladies standing, dumb-struck, just inside the door.
"What's wrong?" I asked...almost afraid to...
"Don't you SMELL THAT???" "OH MY GOSH! I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW STRONG IT IS!" was what they started with...and kept saying, all the while walking around the room like they were looking for something...like a source ?
Ok...I was clueless...so I had to ask..."What kind of smell is it?"

"POT!" "Someone has just smoked pot in this room...and A LOT of it! It REEKS in here!"...not the answer you would expect!

According to the girls it smelled this bad! Don't try this at home folks!...actually, don't try this..EVER!

This would be me....

I had never been around pot so I had no idea what it's smell was, but, if anybody could recognize this odor I knew I was in good company.... :) Ha...NO, there were NOT former pot heads...actually... my best friend worked at the Sheriff's Office in our County as a dispatcher but HAD her badge also, AND her husband was a deputy. One of the other girl's husband was another one of the deputies and the last girl.?...she was a Probation and Parole Officer!...YEAH...THEY KNEW!
I took them at their word and off to the front desk we trotted- luggage in tow!

The look on the face of the little guy behind the counter was PRICELESS!!!
"Your room smells like...pot?" "Are you sure???"
.....I was standing behind the miffed ladies and shot him a "I wouldn't question them" look
They proceeded to give him their qualifications....They had him at "Sheriff's Office"...funny...huh?

Needless to say we got new rooms with NO pot smell! :)

Aaaahhh....memories :)

SuzyQ

Night in "the City"...I made it!

2011-12-23T11:32:00.000-06:00

Last night my sister conned me into go'n shopp'n with her into "the City" for the last of her Christmas gifts.

Anybody who really knows me knows that I have a severe hatred for go'n to "the City" any time between Thanksgiving and January 1st due to the INSANE shoppers!
City people + Christmas shoppers + Bad attitude(me) = Don't do it, OR, take lots of meds....I took the meds...it wasn't enough :(

Yes, there was people getting in our way, following us like "why are YOU in MY way" and just all around aggravation- mainly on my part. But, I survived...and...more importantly...so did THEY!!!

On our way out of town we spotted a light display and went to check it out. It was really cool! They had a sign that told us to tune into a certain radio station to watch their lights dance to the music...and they did!! That's a lot of smarts up top if ya know what I mean!

The real highlight of the night was this conversation with my sister:

(Turning onto the off-ramp)
Me: Watch out that looks like a government car, you should slow down.
(Passes the car)
Sis: No, they had Oklahoma plates.
Me: How do you know that? (it was dark...and she was flying)
Sis: Because I seen that lady on the plate...the Statue of Liberty.....
Me: (immediate reaction and hillarious laughter) The Statue of Liberty???? It's not the Statue of Liberty!!!...in Oklahoma???........(Side Note: my sister LIVED in Oklahoma for a YEAR!)
Sis: Well, Ok, not her, but it's some lady on the plate...I've never seen it up close!
Me: You used to LIVE THERE!
Sis: They changed the plates right after we moved back....( ummm...yeah....)
Me: Well, lets just Google it and see what it is :)
Sis: You do that....
Google SAYS:

Me: LOL...you idiot...it's an Indian with a bow and arrow!!!! hahahahahahaha
Sis: From a distance it looks like a lady....SHUT IT!!!

:)
SuzyQ

Change For A Dollar

2011-12-01T09:18:00.001-06:00

The holiday season is tough....life is tough...
This video is inspiring to anyone who is or has been going through hard times...
You can make it...
There is hope...

And, if you have the opportunity...this video proves that it doesn't take much to change someone's life!
Be the change in someone else's life...every chance you get!

SuzyQ

Poison Control & the ER...they know us well

2011-11-29T16:04:00.000-06:00

When I was a new mom I freaked out about everything!
Now...pretty much nothing excites me except large amounts of blood that won't stop or serious head wounds...
I see new moms flip out over little things and have a secret chuckle to myself. Been there...Done that!, but after 3 boys my panic level is at the lethargic stage :)
"What? your brother pushed you down a flight of stairs? Oh...well are you ok? bleeding? anything broke??? no?? then go back upstairs and stop fighting!"....something like that :)

What brought me to this?....children....who have eaten EVERYTHING...been stabbed, poked, shot- yes..I said shot (story to follow) broken bones...you name it!!! After a while you just get used to it *sigh*

I used to joke that I was on a first-name basis with the people at Poison Control. When Ty was little I called them often. It was usually the same answer..."Give him some milk and don't let him go to sleep, if anything changes take him to the ER otherwise we will give you a call back in about an hour to check on him"...and they always did.
Oh the stories the people who work the Poison Control hotline must have! Some may involve my boys ;)

Ty:

My mother had gotten tons of flowers and house plants when her brother passed away and the house was filled with them. Ty was 8 months old and making good time in his walker when he wheeled over to some mums she had and his little hands stripped the leaves clean off the steams! We found him with tiny leaves all over the tray on the walker and some hanging out of his mouth!!! I freaked OUT!!! Mom didn't know if they were poisonous so we called Poison Control...THEY ARE!...But, apparently only the petals were toxic and we were perty sure he had only chewed the leaves so....drink milk and wait.... He was fine.

It wasn't long until he was crawling and one day at my mother-in-laws the little stinker had reached his tiny arm behind her fridge and raked out a chunk of something...it looked like his teething wafers to him...it wasn't...it was a bar of RAT POISON!!....."Hello, Poison Control"....*sigh*
He was fine. Just had to drink milk and wait! According to them he would have had to eaten all of the bar and then some...lucky for us he had only took a bite! You could see his little two front teeth marks on it....ugh!!

Ty was also the first to break a bone...he also holds the record for the second broken bone!
The first one he was about five at my sisters house play'n in the water hose. She had took one of the little slides and put it in the kiddie pool and ran the hose up it so it would run water down the slide. He slipped on a step and fell backwards and broke his elbow...

One night at church he jumped off a picnic table and broke his wrist....NICE

Mr Thomas:

The last time I called poison control was on Mr Thomas... he took a bite out of an Electro-sol tablet (the pressed powder tablets that go in your dishwasher) He was truck'n along in his walker (yeah, I know...I just made a case as to why baby walkers are dangerous....well...they are also VERY helpful to moms so take that!) and the dishwasher was open so the door was at perfect level for his little arm to grab the tablet. I really didn't panick- per say...but then I wasn't sure what was in that tablet besides soap...so I called.
Give milk and wait.
That's when I decided if it wasn't really worthy of an almost ER trip it wasn't worthy of a call to Poison Control...after all... those people were probably starting a book....

Another time he was walking...probably around 1 1/2, and was outside with his big brother in the back yard. I was in the kitchen and could see them out the window and side door. All of a sudden Ty comes runn'n in the house yell'n Thomas is eating the DOG'S FOOD!!! I walked out the door to see what was go'n on.

Yep!..he was eating out of the dogs bowl but it wasn't "dog food"....it was 3 day-old pizza we had thrown out for the dog!!!
I perfectly remember the image of little Thomas in his matching light blue sweat suit standing next to the dogs bowl- the dog look'n on- just chow'n down on a pizza slice!

Anyone who knows Mr Thomas well, knows the boy would eat pizza morning, noon and night if he could. So, it's not a surprise to find out he ate the dog's!

Mr Riley:

Yes...his name should perk your ears...he is the one I wrote"Mr Riley's Bottle of Aged Irish Charms" about.
We were at my parents house one day when Mr Riley was still crawling- into everything of course!
We were watching t.v. and he was in the floor laying on his back in front of my moms chair where she was reclining. I thought he was chewing on his hand...he was go'n to town on it! You could hear the cute little sucking noises babies make when they are chewing on their fingers....aaawwhhh, right???? Well....he pops his hand out of his mouth and starts shaking it- like you do if something is stuck on your fingers...???....then he flings it hard and something flies out of his hand and lands on my moms white sock! It was grey...and slimey!..."what is that?" my mother said.

Personally I was afraid to touch it!...so I picked it up with a paper towel and looked it over. It was what was left of a SLUG!! He literally sucked it DRY!!!!

No point in calling Poison Control...after all...it's probably a delicacy in some place!!!?!
We figured out slugs were squeezing through the sliding glass door on mom's deck.
Mr Riley had found this out first :)

Last summer he tripped going UP the stairs...yes...I know.
Anyway, he limped around for a few days..(made me think of my best friend in school who broke her foot tripping UP stairs:)...then one day I got a call from his teacher saying he jumped off of something at school and now could barely walk! Took him to the Dr. here in town who X-ray'd it and said it was broke and recommended we take him to a specialist. Went to the Orthopedic Surgeon and he took one look at it and said "It's not broke...he has Kohler Disease" WOW...Ok....what?????
The doctor explained it is a disorder in which one of the bones (in his left foot) has not grown, but is stunted and growing slowly do to low blood flow to that specific bone.
He showed us an X-ray of both feet...then I could see what he was talking about...one foot looks normal but the other has a blob where one of bones should be on the top of his foot! JIMNEY CRICKET!!!
He said this would cause his left foot to be weaker and that he probably favors his right foot. He asked if he was clumsy and tripped a lot......UH.....YA!!!
Well, that explains it.... Mr Riley had to wear a "boot" to stabilize his foot till the muscles healed- since what had really happened was he strained the muscles around that bone....geeeeezzz :/
You can look that up too if ya want. Only 1 in 200,000 kids are born with it. Usually boys too, but the doc said by the time he reaches 20 his bone should have finished growing.
Great...
Until then he's not suppose to jump off of stuff....yeah, right!

It wasn't but maybe a few months after that he and his cousin was shooting the BB gun and they got bored....
Cousin says "what can we shoot?"
Mr Riley (the one with the high IQ right???) says " I dunno, shoot my foot"....

HE DID!!!

One pump.
Leather boot.
BB went all the way through the boot and his sock- AND his toenail before stopping!!
Here's my proof....

The ER doctors WOULD NOT take it out!!! I was furious! HE was in horrible pain. Instead they made him an appointment with an Orthopedic Surgeon. The surgeon said he had to be on antibiotics before he would take it out!! YES, THIS MOMMA WAS LIVID!!!
Poor Mr Riley waited 7 days before they removed the bb! Which by the way took more time to knock him out than to cut out the bb!
I would show you what his toe looked like before they removed the bb but, you might get sick....I seriously thought he may loose his TOE! It was almost black, and was cracking open with puss draining. YUCK! It looked awful. He ended up with another "boot" to help him walk. This was his good foot remember...*sigh*

A few months after that whole ordeal...

We were back in the ER...
This time it was a bike wreck.

You really don't have to read X-rays to be able to find the "what's wrong with this picture" :/

Currently we are looking for a bubble for Mr Riley....

SuzyQ

Deer Me...A-Hunt'n Season Itta'Be

2011-11-23T14:16:00.000-06:00

Well yesterday ended the rifle season here in Booger County for deer....but never fear...Black Powder Season is here!

The object of their affection

Ty was the only one this year to get a deer.
Great birthday present too since he turned 18 a couple days before...yes...this makes me sad :( :( :( -not that he got a deer- sad that he is 18!!! already!...man!, when they say time flies they ain't a lie'n!!
He got a nice little doe the first weekend- which by the way we had some of that one for supper last night... recipe to follow...:) YUM! YUM!!!

This girl does like to hunt :)

Of course I'm not as savvy a hunter as I probably should be, being raised the way I was.
I really didn't get excited about it until I was in my early teens when my dad took me turkey hunting...Love me some TURKEY! yummy, yum, yum!
And I'm TOTALLY P.E.T.A....People Eating Tasty Animals that is!!! LOL :)
However, since I haven't taken my "hunter safety course" I can't "hunt", but I LOVE going along for the ride-(and by ride I don't mean road hunt'n).
I pretty much dropped outta goin after I got married and had kids...too much to do I guess. Now I have Fibromyalgia (Google it- I dare ye and read ALL of it!) so it really takes it outta me to sit in uncomfortable places for ANY amount of time. Let alone try'n to be still, not make noise and then there's the walk out of the woods...ugh :( So, I don't go with anyone very often but when I do I take pics and have fun despite the pain :)

I guess what this post is really about is my PEEVE with all the city people that descend upon us this time of year, dressed to the nines with the most expensive gear and camo... *eyes rolling*
Sometimes they don't have the appropriate vehicle in the event they ACTUALLY kill a deer....as seen below

No, unfortunately, I didn't take these pics...but that is just because I have not had a handy camera readily available because BELIEVE ME........I have seen it ALL!!!
The most common site you'll see is the deer strapped over the trunk of the car! NOT...EVEN...KIDDING!!!!
The scary thing is you are in the woods with these people!!!

A guy I work with was telling me yesterday that over the weekend he was in the woods and heard gun shots...Bam!...Bam!..BAM ! BAM! BAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAM!!
"You know they were shoot'n at it as it was run'n" he said.
Which means....they CANNOT be looking to make sure there is nothing PAST what they are shooting at!!
It also means- DUCK AND COVER!
Stray bullets are a serious thing people!

Of course lets not leave out the redneck hunters who also have no concern for life and limb at times.
It's just THE KILL that matters.

Now check out this pic I found...

Funny as all get-out...YES!...but...for the redneck hunter... he's not reaching for the camera when he sees this he's make'n sure he can re-load fast enough to get BOTH bucks!!!!

I LOVE Jeff Foxworthy! His act reminds me of the people around here...sometimes family...sometimes neighbors...just the stuff I grew up hearing, seeing, and totally talking like.
His "definitions" of redneck words are spot on the way we talk around here. We didn't even know we talked funny till he got so popular, and what made it funny to us was how true it was!

Here's a link to Jeff Foxworthy's video on Redneck hunting...check it out...http://comedians.jokes.com/jeff-foxworthy/videos/jeff-foxworthy---hunting/

Did ya laugh your socks off? I hope so!

Here's the deer meat recipe I promised.
Oh, and I'm NOT Martha Stewart....this is country cook'n at it's finest :)

Deer Meat Golden Mushroom Style

1 to 1 1/2 lbs of deer meat (tenderloin or roast meat is preferred) sliced thin

Flour

1 can of Campbell's Golden Mushroom Soup

Salt

Pepper

Olive oil

Salt and pepper the flour, place in a plate or cake pan. Dip the slices of meat in the flour and coat both sides.

Heat skillet and cover the bottom with olive oil. Test heat by sprinkling a bit of flour in. When flour begins to sizzle start lining the skillet with deer slices. Brown meat on both sides and remove onto a paper towel lined plate to drain. Repeat until all slices have been browned- add oil back to pan as needed. (you can scrape any stuck flour off of pan but don't throw it away- put it back in when you pour the gravy in :)

Mix can of golden mushroom soup in a bowl with water until you have a liquid slightly thinner than the consistency of gravy. Salt and pepper mixture. Place all meat back into skillet and pour mushroom gravy mixture over. (it should be thin enough to seep under the meat and coat the bottom of pan) if it is too thick just stir in more water.

Simmer on low for 30 minutes checking to make sure it's not sticking to the bottom. You may need to stir the bottom a little depending on the type of skillet you are using.

When meat is tender enough to cut with a fork and gravy is desired thickness you are done!

Serve with mashed potatoes and a vegetable of your choice!

ENJOY :)

SuzyQ

The Day The Pigeon Went Bizirk...It Was Just Another Day At Work

2011-11-21T11:51:00.004-06:00

When I typed the post title I was humming the chorus to Ray Stevens' "Mississippi Squirrel" song.
If ya'll don't know this song...well...I feel sad for ya :(

If that's the case and you've never heard it then click on this link-

http://music.yahoo.com/ray-stevens/videos/view/mississippi-squirrel-revival--2147722
or if it's been awhile and you'd like to listen to it again, then by all means!

Okay, so the title obviously gives it away...somewhat....but it did get your attention, right? :)

I have a fear of large birds...

RUN...Run away tiny man!!!

Okay, so maybe that's not real...doesn't matter if it was...Actually that's not true...I would NEVER go outside...EVER!
If you just got a sick feelin to the pit of yer stomach when you saw that pic then you have an idea of what kinda FREAK'N OUT I do if a large bird gets near me......like say...a goose! Now I know...you're think'n what does a pigeon have to do with large birds??? Wait for it...

I work in the same building I did 10 years ago but at that time I worked on the top floor. Now I'm in the basement- with no windows! Yes, this is a small town. Under 3,000 people. So when I say "top floor" don't get too excited! The building was built in 1930-something and it has a basement, main floor and 2nd floor- yes...that's the top!
Anyhoo....
I worked in a clerical position in an office with three other ladies. One of which I had became good friend with. Let's call her "K"...:)
She was always composed and very professional. She has four kids and I always loved to hear her stories from home (it's nice to know you're not the only one with crazy kid stories:)

Anyway, like I said, the building was built in the early thirties and the windows do not have screens, nor is the building very efficient when it comes to heating and cooling. Nothing has changed in 10 yrs!
On really nice days we would open our window to catch a breeze.

One afternoon we were all busy at work, typing away....on typewriters....yeah, people still actually use them! Point being, we were busy, when all of a sudden....I hear a loud, but muffled sort of drumming sound coming from behind me- (all of our desks were positioned with our backs to the window) so bout the time it took my brain to identify the sound as wings, I saw it!
THE BIGGEST PIGEON I'VE EVER SEEN!!!

Okay, either that thing was on steriods!, or I REALLY under-estimated a pigeons size!
Of course I had only seen them on the tops of the buildings.
So.... now I'm seeing a pigeon up close...Okay.......they..are..HUGE!!!, and the wing span has also definitely been under-estimated!

We were all screaming at the site of this large flapping Sky Beast!!.......okay.........ME and "K" are screaming...the other two were acting normal. They, apparently, did not have the good sense to know when you should FREAK-OUT!!!- this...was that time!!!
While the other two ladies quietly missed out on this opportunity, K and I were freak'n out enough for both of them....and maybe a few others.....
Did I tell you that our desks were exactly alike in size and shape?, and that K's desk was on the opposite side of the room??? Keep that in mind.

So, this massive bird is flying around the room hovering just above our heads, and the anxiety level is FULL THROTTLE!, or I thought it was.... Then, all of a sudden one of the other girls springs to action, running to the front of the office and SHUTS...THE...DOOR!!!!...... Nooooooo!!!!!!!!
Immediately K and I are screaming " Don't trap it IN here!!!!! Open it back up! Open it!!!"
We were answered with " We don't want it to get out into the hallway"........
YES!........yes we DO! was what I was think'n but hey, I'm selfish that way ;)

While we were screaming to not shut the door- simultaneously I had begun to slide off my chair attempting to get under my desk but before I could manage that K came running, hunkering-down, with hands covering her head and pushed me under my desk and crawled under it with me!!!!....????...now, remember that I told you her desk was the same size????And....across the room??? She panicked, OBVIOUSLY.
I was thinking "GET YOUR OWN DESK WOMAN!!".

It all happened so fast! During our scramble to squish ourselves under my desk- which...may I say...is NOT made for proper cover in case of over-head attacks- the dang bird just flies back out the window! UUGGGHHH!!! Right behind it, without miss'n a beat, one of the other girls shut the window as it flew out! Hallelujah!!!!!

Yes, relieved...but now fully committed under the desk! Time to pry yourself out and act like a grown-up...ahahahaha...
"WOW!!!", I said dusting the dirt off my clothes..."That was INSANE!!"
I looked at K who was now hysterically laughing- as was everyone else.
She apologized over and over for shoving me under my own desk. "I really don't know what I was thinking!" she said.

"I do!" I said..."You were just as scared of that stupid bird as I was!, and I think you were trying to get under my desk before I did to sacrifice me!!!" Hahahahaaa, oh my gosh! we laughed so hard! We laughed the rest of the day!
But, we kept one eye on that window after that!

The Culprit.

SuzyQ

TRUE FRIENDS WILL...

2011-11-01T05:30:00.003-05:00

Last Monday- the 24th, I was asked to to guest post for Ducky over at BATCRAP CRAZY as part of the Friends You Love Blog-hop.

If you haven't already checked her blog out then you should pop by now and have a lil look-see :)

She's funnier than a three-legged dog on roller skates- ON ICE!!!

Peaked yer interest? Then click on BATCRAP CRAZY!! Oh, and...Warning!...you will LOL! so don't let yer boss catch ya!!!

Here's the link to my guest post TRUE FRIENDS WILL

OR...if yer too lazy for all this "click'n"...*sigh*...you can just read it here...

TRUE FRIENDS WILL!

TRUE FRIENDS WILL….tell you- “it’s okay, don’t cry, you can stay by me all day and we’ll be BEST FRIENDS!...on the 1^st day of Kindergarten. 34 years later we still are!

TRUE FRIENDS WILL….talk you up to that cute guy you really like!, and if he says not interested she tells him what he missing and tells you that he “turned out to be a real jerk!”

TRUE FRIENDS WILL….talk you up to that cute guy you really like and if he says he IS interested she explains all the ways she will perform BODILY HARM upon him should he ever so much as make you cry!!

TRUE FRIENDS WILL…. say yes to being constantly set up with COMPLETE opposites, just to be able to double-date with you….Even after one overly-rambunctious young man wrestles her to the ground for a kiss and she unwillingly finds out he wears fish-net bikini underwear!!! Almost a deal breaker!...but not for TRUE FRIENDS!

TRUE FRIENDS WILL….get Strep-Throat with you while her parents are out of town just so you can suffer together, even though you spend the entire time trying not to look at each other because you KNOW you’ll laugh and laughing causes EXCRUTIATING PAIN!!!!!!!!

TRUE FRIENDS WILL….stay with you in every class on the first day of high school EVEN IF she’s perty sure she broke her foot that morning- tripping UP the stairs in the gym…that is…until you finally have a class you’re both NOT signed up for and she uses her free time to escape to the school nurse then catches up to you next class sport’n CRUTCHES!!!....WOW! Your foot really IS broke!....I TOLD YOU!!!!!!!

TRUE FRIENDS WILL….be your Maid-of-Honor…and you will be hers!

TRUE FRIENDS WILL….drive 4 hours to see her best friend after they have discovered their baby has Leukemia.. True friends will also be there at 2 in the morning when she calls to tell you that he’s gone after only being here for a month and a half…and listen for as long as she needs you to…..

TRUE FRIENDS WILL….be there to cry with her when she tells you they just discovered she has MS.

TRUE FRIENDS WILL….find out on the way to the hospital for her very serious surgery that your Dad has just passed away and now cannot come to your side, but when she wakes up, her husband by her side, her first words are to ask about you…

TRUE FRIENDS WILL….get together and tell “old” stories on each other and laugh for hours.

TRUE FRIENDS WILL….call you up after going months-or years in some cases-without seeing you and it’s like you haven’t missed a day!

I have many friends despite the tragedies that befall my everyday life, and I guess that’s a good thing cuz ya know those are the REAL friends- that, or they need your personal follies to maintain that their life IS actually normal…..hmmm…Oh well, they are true friends and I love ‘em!

I am so very thankful for ALL my TRUE FRIENDS- old or new. My life is better for just knowing them!

Sad days come no matter the sunshine

2011-10-31T18:00:00.002-05:00

Last week turned out to be very sad for our family.

That Monday my niece, on my husbands side, gave birth to a beautiful little 3lb angel.

She was here for 4 hours and 45 minutes before going home to Heaven.

Saturday they held a grave-side service. My husbands brother, the grandpa, who is also a minister, conducted the service.

I don't know how he did it, it was truly gut-wrenching to hear the sadness in his voice as he spoke of his first grand-child.

There was a crowd there the size of which I have never seen for grave-side only services, all to show love and support for the young parents and to say good-bye to this little angel.

I am so thankful that my husbands parents were able to hold their first great-grandchild in those few hours she was here.

My heart breaks for all of them.

Please keep them in your prayers.

I hadn't felt up to posting one of my usually comical posts, mainly out of respect for the sad situation, that and I had been really sick to-boot most of last week.

I thought I'd at least post something that will give you a minute or two of escape from whatever kind of bad day you may be having- or in case you just need a mini break from that office cubical...

Even though Saturday was such a sad day emotionally, it didn't stop the weather from being nice.

After getting home we wanted to spend time with our boys so we decided to go for another walk.

This time we went to a place across the road from us that some of my family owns. My Dad used to rent it for the cattle to graze in, but down in the middle of the woods is a little hollar with a neat "cave-like" rock scooped out in the bottom where the water flows. You can stand at the top edge and look over. Usually, very scary, but a tree had fallen across and blocked the once frightening drop-off to the huge rocks below.

Here are the pics.

ps: the sun was setting and the foggy mist from the bottoms was rising, plus I used the camera in my phone since my Canon had a low battery so I am sorry if some of the pics seem too blurry.

I hoped you enjoyed the pictures.

Go home, relax and enjoy your family...

SuzyQ

Hills, Hollars and Polk Salad

2011-10-19T12:45:00.002-05:00

This is why I love this place so much...

It's rugged but so beautiful at the same time...

It is an amazing view, and even though I've lived here all my life it doesn't stop me from appreciating the awesomeness that is the Ozarks!

The Ozark Mountains have been described as- it's not the height of the mountain, it's the depth of the valley. A lovely and true statement! The only thing is, we don't call them "valleys" here, we call them hollars (pronounced hall-ers) or some say hollow, holla and bottoms.

And while that stunning view of the hollar at our house looks inviting...If you DON'T like CLIMBING- don't hike down to the bottom cause even Jillian Michaels would be WHEEZING after the practically STRAIGHT UP-HILL CLIMB it takes to haul yer butt back outta there!!!

Even when my heath was perty good I still had to take breaks on the way out!

Nowadays I don't think they qualify as "breaks" but more of an "unlimited amount of re-booting the system pauses" :) Which sometimes may or may not lead to me say'n "Go Get The TRUCK!!!"....Hey, ya gotta know yer limits!

Still, I like torture(not really) and I have a short memory span(yes), which means ever-so-often I decide to venture down in the bottom. I LOVE being outside and I grew up play'n in the spring below our house so I just can't resist the temptation to go down to the springs below where I live now to check it out.

The plants, the wildlife, the water, and the rocks!....Oh yeah I am a ROCK HOUND! Everywhere I go I am checking out rocks. I have bags and buckets of them all over my house to prove it.

I look for arrowheads, fossils and just anything cool looking.

The Ozarks has lots of unique plants and Booger County actually has a large variety of plant species. Tons of flowers and herbs!

Someone gave me a "Wildflowers of Missouri" book and now I'm always trying to identify what type of plant I'm looking at....usually failing miserably, but I try.....

The Old-Timers relied on native plants for food and medicine. These traditions are dying out as our family members age. Lord knows I wish I had asked more questions and learned more from my great-grandmother.

I have a comical old lady voice I like to use on my kids by repeating stuff grandma use to say- the boys love it! One of my favorites is "We need to put a poultice on that"- like if you have a wound or bite- apparently they were good fer all sorts of stuff! Poultice (pronounced, poll-tiss) by the way is leaves and stalks of plants or herbs smashed and beaten to smithereens then the conglommeration was slapped on yer ail'ns (whatever is hurting ya)

Well, one thing Grandma always did that I LOVED to help with was go'n to pick Polk! They say it tastes like Spinach....I didn't say I ate it!.... I said I liked to pick it!

She used it to make Polk Salad (pronounced, poke-salat) Sounds healthy??? IT'S NOT! It's boiled and drained then stir-fried with hot bacon grease poured over it :) Yum, yum right?

You uppity city fellers pay high dollar to get the "organic" and "free-range" foods. Like Water-Cress for instance. We just go down to the spring and pick some :) As for "free-range"??? that term reminds me of the hippie or old-timey people who let their animals run around their yard instead of keep'n them behind the fence- where they belong! Who wants to dodge cow-pies in yer front yard!??? That's just not civilized!!!

So...that's what thoughts I had as I sat here this beautiful evening. Grateful for such good memories. Blessed to live in such a wonderful place.

I love the Ozarks and I love Booger County!

SuzyQ

**Late Addition**

As "Murphy's Law" would have it....the next morning my husband got up and said "Lets all go for a walk in the woods!"....As much as my mind was like "YEAH"...my body was like "NOOOooooo" But, I went because I love the woods and I love seeing my boys discover new things.

We didn't even go halfway down the hollar and when I made it back to the top- I said, (huffing and puffing)..."Go... get..... the truck!"
Anyway, here's the pic's I took on our morning hike. Enjoy :)

My crew minus Mr Thomas who was hunting that morning with his Grandpa. We are headed to the woods on the other side of the hay field.

Mr Riley! Yes, he dressed himself...it was a little cool but it warmed up. That's his BB gun- he thought we might need it...:)

A deer scrape Ty found at the edge of the field under an oak tree.

A buck rub that is almost as tall as Mr Riley....the guys were excited! We seen several fresh ones that day.

Here's the path the deer were taking. After looking at the picture you can really see the path clearer than actually in person...neat!

One of the varmit holes I found. Looks like an old one.

Snake Root.
Used by settlers and native Indians for various illness. This plant is poisonous in the right amounts and has been the culprit of "milk sickness" in cattle who have eaten it.

Mr Riley on the old rock pile.
These old rock piles are everywhere around here. They are from farmers clearing the fields for crops and animals and are found near the edge of fields, usually just inside the tree-line of the surrounding woods not suited for clearing due to the steep slopes.

We've actually had city folk swear there are people buried under the rock piles they find on their place...which, of course we find REALLY FUNNY!!! But...it is Booger County...so, ya know, once in a while...that may be true??? Who knows?...:)

I thought the roots of this little tree growing around this rock was pretty cool.
The hillbilly version of those "inspirational" posters that hang in offices- like the one with the little kitten that says "Hang in There!"

Mr Riley inside the hollow tree....notice the coat is now tied around his waist :)

For the lazy hunter....

This was automatically viewed as a challenge!

There he goes.....

Made it!......now, how to get down.......

Another varmit hole.

Mr Riley found a rock he thought I'd want. Pretty cool!

Our destination....a favorite hunting spot!

Ty giving My Riley hunt'n tips while my husband watches...I don't think he wanted to climb up there :)

View from below the rock.

My husband found a hole we never noticed before on the other side of the rock!

It looks pretty cool....there were rocks covering it to hide it.....hmmmmm????

Ringo (our Jack Russell puppy) was a chicken dog and would NOT go in....smelling was enough....

Headed back....this is half way up of our "halfway down" trip.....whew!...feel'n the burn! Actually, I'm on FIRE and having a "break"... :)
Someone go get the TRUCK!!!!

My Quirky Quirks

2011-10-14T12:30:00.001-05:00

I was just thinking about the strange things other people do- ya know...those times when you see something someone does or says and you think...what a nut-job, right? But, that got me thinkn bout all the weird things I do and how- if I told you bout 'em- you'd think...Wow! What a nut-job, and then feel better about yourself! So here's a few of my quirks to help you make it through the weekend....

I have to fill the cup completely full of ice before I put my Dew in....a few cubes does not cut it!

I can only drink light colored pop without ice, and only if it's cold...

I won't drink dark colored pop without ice, and refuse to drink it room temperature...PERIOD! My husband drinks his Pepsi room temp and it DRIVES ME CRAZY!!! YUCK!

I will not drink milk unless it has cocoa in it....totally serious...I can have it in my cereal or any other form except plain...I WILL PUKE!

Speaking of puke...I will avoid puke'n at ALL COSTS and suffer in misery until I have forced it to take the next exit...ya, (things ya wish you didn't know, right?)

I crush potato chips with my finger and then eat the pieces....I don't like biting into a chip and half of it falls down your shirt!

I know I'm a hillbilly but I HATE when people use the word "Pacific", instead of Specific!!! HOLY COW...I've seen NEWS ANCHORS say it!!!

I eat green beans with my fingers...

I cannot talk to you when I am putting my hair in a ponytail- and you shouldn't try talkn to me either!!!....DANGER!!!

I cannot stand for my husbands toe nails to touch me! I WILL BREAK YOUR LEG- seriously...get them OFF!!!

I hate that I go through ALL my boys names before getting to the one I'm actually yelln at...I've turned into my Great Grandmother...

I love the smell of coffee but HATE the taste of it!

I have "Shopping Cart Rage!"....there are OTHER people in the store...stop jack-knife'n your cart in the aisle!
I have a fear of geese...not the ones in air...the GIANT ones that CHASE YOU!!! I am actually afraid of birds flying in close proximity, and I have good story on that, but later :)

I also have a paralyzing fear of SPIDERS, but who doesn't right??

I have a very strong blink reflex...I can barely get eye drops in and the eye dr. HATES me! Ok, maybe hate is too strong but I know they roll their eyes and go "Oh great, here comes the big baby!"

I don't care how clean your dog is...I don't want his wet nose to touch me..and if it does I will be polite and wait the appropriate amount of time before dashing off to the bathroom to scrub the disease off!

I detest voice mail!...of course unless it is really important then by all means...just don't leave the message "it's just me- call me back"...That is why I have CALLER ID!!!

Okay, I'll stop now. Don't want to scare anyone off...:)
Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

SuzyQ

Ode de toilette

2011-09-30T13:15:00.004-05:00

Are you a germ-a-phobe??? If so, this blogs for you!

LOL, maybe not. BUT, it will make you thank yer lucky stars that yer littl'ns are NOT like mine were!

IF you can completely identify with this blog....well then, I feel your pain :/

Oh, how sweet those chubby little toddlers are- when they are NOT terrorizing your world. However, now that my boys are older I can look back on those days and laugh. And tell stories like this...

I always tried to eliminate all hazards because you couldn't leave ANY of our boys- when they were that age, alone for two seconds without DISASTER STRIKING!

I generally spent evenings and weekends following them around cleaning up something, repairing something broken, or throwing something out because it was shot! While performing one of those tasks is when the little devil would no doubt get into something else!

Our second son was about 2yrs old and had definitely been into everything imaginable, and I'm sure I was coming back from cleaning up something or diverting disaster when I walked into the bathroom just in time to.... well, lets start with what he was doing to give you the whole picture...

Mr Thomas ( Thomas is his middle name- there's a theme if you've been reading my blog) had gotten into the bathroom- left open obviously because I was potty-training him- and had found the toilet brush.

Now, of course he had watched Mommy clean the toilet at some point so we'll give him points for simulating house-hold cleaning.

He had definitely swirled the brush repeatedly in the bowl. I know this due to the amount of water NOT in the toilet, but ON THE WALL!!! Oh yes... Mr Thomas had been dipping the brush in, then raising it up above his head and flinging it around the room! Water was running down the walls and pooling on the floor! BLAAAAH....

You may run away screaming now....it get's worse.

So, imagine all that I have just told ya.... Now, I walk into the bathroom just in time for his finish swing of the brush above his head and he brings it down and gives it a good LICK!! Just like a giant lollipop...a giant lollipop of DISEASE!! Awwwwwh SICK!

Let me tell ya people....I fought the overwhelming desire to make him swish with bleach!

This aint me, but it could be my sons' future mother-in-law!

That's not my only diseased toilet water story- wish it were...

Mr Riley was about the same age... Remember, he's the baby- our last child :) Ya know, the one that by the time he arrives you've perty much seen it all!

Mr Riley's bath time included lots of toys and a cup that I used to rinse his hair after I warshed it.( yes, here in Booger County "warshed" is a real word- it means having been washed :)

He liked the cup the best, of course, cause it's the cheapest! I was always getting on to him for using it to drink the bathwater! "No no, yucky!" I'd say, but he'd just laugh.

One day I hear a pouring sound coming from the bathroom and do a quick count...yep, missing one, guess who!?

I go running into the bathroom and see Mr Riley with his cup, and he's drinking out of it as he stands in front of the toilet! Yes, I checked...he had dipped it into the toilet bowl and "Gllllub Glub" was going to town on it!

Uuugghhh..... Well, after everything else the boy had ate I don't think I was really that surprised. Sickened, but not surprised.

I told the story to the Pediatrician and his reply was- "It was the toilet in your house right?"

Me.."yes"

Dr..."well then it was familiar germs so I wouldn't worry about it" "if it had been at a hotel or store you might have something to worry about"......

and you think I'm lax.....

SuzyQ

Mr Riley's Bottle of Aged Irish "Charms"...:)

2011-09-18T15:23:00.000-05:00

So I ran into the mother of my 3rd graders teacher. She was laughing about something my son had said to her daughter- go figure! The teacher, (we'll call her Mrs K) had asked Mr Riley (my son, that's his middle name- we use it Often!) when he was gonna learn to tie his shoes because he still wears velcro shoes, and what he was gonna do when he got older?? To which he responded... "IT'S OKAY, MY WIFE WILL TIE MY SHOES"!!!!
...apparently Mrs. K is figureing out the full scope of Mr Riley's humor- you really have to know him to appreciate it! It's part sarcasm, part "has no clue"!

Ya see, we were told last year he has a high IQ...we pre
tty much guessed that early on.
No, he didn't come out reading or playing a musical instrument but when he was 2yrs old we got our first glimpse at his learning capacity.
I had just watched a documentary on the volcanic eruption of Krakatoa- Mr Riley was playing in the floor, NOT paying attention, NOT watching either but something stuck! The very next day my mother and I were driving to a doctor appointment, going up a steep hill on the highway and you could see the neighboring mountain off in the distance. A perfectly peeked "Knob" as we call them here.
From the backseat strapped in a car seat, we hear a shout!
"KRAKATOA!!"
I looked in the rear-view mirror to see his chubby little fingers pointing at the mountain and relized to him it looked like a volcano! Ok, so that was funny, AND weird but he started early with big words so it wasn't that surprising. My mom and I like'd to run off the road we were laughing so hard...that's after I explained to her what Krakatoa was :)

My husband and I disagree as to who's gene pool contributed the most to the conglomeration that is Mr Riley- of course when he says something really smart I quickly claim that for my family! SCORE!!! Point 1 for the Irish!! :)y
And when he does something, like what you will read below....naturally, I tell my husband, that's AAALLLLL you baby- rite ther! :0

I have a little plastic bottle I keep. I'm saving it....for his wedding day....aawwhhh you say? Wait for it.....
I call it "Mr Riley's Bottle of Aged Irish Charms" and I'm gonna give it to his wife, AFTER the ceremony...and say "He's all yours now! Good luck with the children!"
Does it seem like I have that all too well planned out??? Ya, well I've been planning this since he was THREE!!!
In his first 5yrs of life, this sweet, chubby, happy child terrorized mine!!!

Not long after he started crawling we found a nickel in his diaper. No, he didn't drop it down there. I seen it STICKING out of his poop! So, after we freaked out we washed the nickel- in bleach! Turns out, when you pass coin through your intestine it changes from silver to all sort of perty colors!
And so began the saving of the items.
Over that next few weeks he churned out 17cents, several plastic craft beads, and fake Styrofoam berries off my fake greenery (cuz I kill real plants!)
Fun Fact: the body can "pass" large items like coins even in babies. The real worry is it getting caught between the mouth and stomach! At least that's what the pediatrician told us when we drug Mr Riley in for an X-ray to see what else might be lurking with-in....

When he was probably 4yrs old he came down stairs after bedtime crying and holding his nose.
He was FRANTIC! We were FRANTIC, mainly because between all the crying and slobbering we could only make out- "I can't get it out!"
We tore the house apart to find a tiny flashlight I had been given at work that was really bright. When we finally found the light we laid him down on the floor and tilted his head back. All I could see was something white. "What did you stick up your nose!!" We kept asking but in all the turmoil, tears, screaming, writhing around on the floor, and his poor ability to explain the item I determined we just need to try to get it out!
So I got the smallest tweezers I could find and had my husband hold him still. The tweezers grasp the tip of the tiny white object and out of his tiny nose I pulled out- what seemed to be LARGE at the time...a white peg... out of our "You Sunk My Battleship" game!!!!
"In the name of all that is holy!, why did you shove that up your nose???" He responded with, "I dunno, to see if it would fit?"
Uugghhh....Welp, into the bottle it goes

It's starting to sound like a maraca now...

Last fall we had to take Mr. Riley to the Orthopedic surgeon to have a BB pellet removed from his big toe- (story for another blog), sadly, I must report that due to HIPPA laws we were unable to retain that object for the bottle.
And that's some more of my Booger County life...til next time folks :)

SuzyQ

Suck It Up And Go On

2011-08-17T07:57:00.003-05:00

It has seemed like a month of Mondays to me lately. Ya know that feeling you get when it's Monday and NOTHING is going right??? Well, it seems like there's been something bad or at least annoying going on in my life every day lately! So of course I turned to scripture to seek out an answer or at least to be uplifted.

I have a little thing where I like to just open the Bible (randomly) and see if God has a message for me on that page or if a certain scripture just jumps out at me....
So, at the onset of the initial trouble, (it involves our 17 yr old son...lets just leave it at that...), I decided this would be one of those times to "just let God speak to me."
Got my Bible out and I opened up..... to the last chapter of JOB! *sigh*
Over the next few days I kept repeating my little ritual and God kept showing me the same thing. Oh, yes, He DOES have a sense of humor!!! So I decided to read the whole book of Job.... Now, I'm not a highfalutin philosopher nor do I pretend to know the mind of God, but after I did that, and A LOT of prayer, I had some peace.
Inner peace that is, because nothing else was peaceful...well, not until the Xanax!

So during- and after my drug induced lethargy, I realized something I had forgot I learned while grieving after my dad passed away.
Whether you like it or not, life goes on. And that includes the stupid stuff you don't want to laugh at but ya just gotta....or you"ll go crazy!

SERIES OF STUPID STUFF-(possibly not quite in order, but you'll get the picture.)

Came home one day and our flat screen T.V. would not work!
No picture, no sound, just the small green light that is suppose to reflect that said object has power-yet it wouldn't even stay on. Hmmmm?
My husband tried taking it apart to see if he could figure out what was wrong. Guess if that worked?, Nope! Soooo....we took the one out of our bedroom.
Living room T.V.- solved! Bedroom T.V.- replaced with tiny t.v., now I have to squint.....

Came home one day to a mess of destruction and malice!
Was we robbed? No, couldn't be...what kind of thieves leave every valuable thing- like our replacement t.v. and just terrorize the place???
We had decided to take the boys to the creek for some relaxation and normalcy. HA! Came home and discovered the puppy had somehow been locked INSIDE the whole time!
He's a Jack-Russel, about 5 months old. We only let him inside at night. He must have slipped in during our loading of the vehicle, got in his cage and we never noticed!
He had LOTS of fun! We had LOTS of trash and food to clean up! Oh, yes, and the surprise he left on the carpet...my husband won that prize!

Driving to work one morning, passed a truck carrying bridge supports, something flew off and chipped my windshield.
$25.00 got the chip fixed before it could spread. YAY! ...right???
SAME DAY-
Stopped behind a fella at a stop sign. He had a little truck, standard transmission. I have a little car, automatic
transmission with an unstable, lost-in-thought woman driving it! He lets it roll back a bit before taking off, and I am slowly rolling forward. Split second...I think he going forward. He is not. I gas it just enough to come to a hard stop against his shiny chrome bumper! Ugh... He pulled forward and he and the passenger have a discussion. He then emerges and walks back to my car to ask if I was OK. I said yes. I looked at my grill...no damage...nothing.... His truck also was perfectly fine. He wasn't concerned with his vehicle, but seemed to want me to agree nothing was broken. I did. He jumped back in his truck and off they went! Hey, it's Booger County, they probably didn't have insurance. No harm done anyway.
I get back in the car, go home, forgot about it.
Then my husband comes home,walks in the door and says " What happened to the hood of your car!?"
Yep, the hood was puckered! Not hardly enough to even notice- unless you parked next to me like he did. It was the first thing he saw.
"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about my little mishap..... *sigh*

Dropped our two youngest off for their first day of school. Driving to work I saw some flash of something rolling on the passenger side floorboard. Thought nothing of it. Peripheral vision is not that great. I was driving a very hilly road and guessed it was a pop lid or something the boys had put under the seat that dislodged and rolled forward...Then I seen it on it's way back toward the seat and it stopped mid-way....I looked directly at it...and it looked at me! IT WAS A MOUSE!!! Yuuuccckkk! Eeeewww, Eeeww!!
I opened every compartment on that car and could not find it. Frustrated, I finally excepted that I would have to continue on to work with my tiny passenger....somewhere....in the car with me!
We are still trying to find it.

I decided to wear capris to work and knew that I would need to shave- knee down at least.
Just a quick "touch-up". I grabbed the disposable razor and flew through it. I knew I was late so I hurried even though I knew I had cut my ankle. I got done put a band-aid on my ankle and left for work.
I wasn't at work very long before I felt a burning on my leg...the other one.
I looked down to see dried blood all over my ankle! It looked like I had survived an attack of some sort from a smallish, sharp clawed, varmit that was only ankle high!
It didn't re-assure me that my capris were WHITE! Panic stricken, I ran to the rest room to check out the damage. My pants were fine...luckily, but even cleaned up I looked horrible! All the people outside the building before I walked in! They must have seen that awful mess I had made of my legs...Ugghhhh. CAN I CATCH A BREAK!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!

So.....last night I am discussing with my husband everything that had happened with the razor mis-hap and how many other crazy things have happened this month, all, while I am getting a glass for my Mtn Dew.
I am a Mtn Dew junkie...and I require a glass full of ice...very picky. Anyhoo...so I open up the freezer door and a tub of frozen soup falls and almost took off my foot! Geesh!
Moving along.... I get my glass of ice, pour my pop to the rim- as always. I set the almost completely empty can next to my glass (for re-fills once I've drunk enough out of my glass), then one of the boys asks for help with a sandwich.
Still talking to my husband and fixing the sandwich, I take a good sip of my drink. I finish with the sandwich. I grab my pop can and give it a pour in my glass to top it off when out spills this slimy stream with tiny black specks in it!!! I immediately hollered at my husband!
"YOU SPIT YOUR CHEW IN MY POP CAN???? ", "AND I JUST POURED IT IN MY GLASS!!!!"
" I thought you were done with it" he said.
*sigh*
Suck it up and go on. That was the words I had been saying all month.
So I just repeated it to myself, poured the top half of soda out of my glass, added more ice, more Dew, and sat down in front of the T.V. A little defeated, but no worse for the wear....

SuzyQ

More About Me and Booger County Life!

2011-07-15T16:28:00.000-05:00

Since there wasn't enough room in the "About Me" box I thought you probably deserve the full colorful version (instead of that awful run-on paragraph).
So, I guess I'll start with my childhood....
I am the oldest of three children, one sister, one brother. My parents were also born and raised here. My father passed away almost three years ago now and it's still hard to talk about. He and my mother were also high school sweethearts. They got married and moved into a trailer (no judging) next to my Dad's grandparents on their farm. My great grandpa was ill and needed help on the farm. So I had the run of an 80acre farm with hay fields, a spring, woods and all the stories Grandpa George had! Boy do I wish I had had the good sense to write them down, but sadly no.
OK, so... little girl, on the farm, pick'n daisies and climbing trees. Oh yeah, I was a tom boy but I like to play with my dolls too :) Grandpa was a cut-up and so was my Dad, so it's safe to say that's where I get it.
We went to church every Sunday, Sunday night, Wednesday and any other time services were held. (I've got a few good stories right there!) Now, that's not to say that when those awful teen years hit I didn't rebel a little...I've got two teenagers now so we won't get into details there...we are all imperfect and it's a daily struggle, wouldn't you agree?
SuzyQ is the nickname my mother always called me, Dad just called me "Shug" (as in short for sugar?...cause I'm SSSSWEEEET! :) anyway, I was happy to think he thought so. Mom called my sister Sally Ann. I don't know why but we all tend to do that... in my family at least. My boys suffered "pooky-toot" and "turkey-butt"! I have NO clue how I came up with that but I liked turkey-butt so much I used it on the last two! LOL
My brother survived with "bub", or just the fact that he goes by the initials of his first and middle name probably helped.
Most of my family on both my mother and fathers side trace several generations here in Booger County alone so yes, I'm practically related to most of the county! I always say that if my husband wasn't originally from California there would have been a REAL GOOD chance I'd have married relation...not on purpose people!, but when you live in a small rural area and don't know all your second and third cousins....it's totally possible! I have a running joke(one of many), whenever you're talk'n bout someone who's not quite all there, I'll usually comment that "Their parents are probably first cousins!"
I won't lie...city people annoy me. Now obviously not ALL city people, but I've got to say that I've watched alot of them move in around these parts and if it ain't the locals pull'n stupid crap- it will be the city people! I don't have anything against someone wanting to move from the crammed up cities out into the country...just don't buy a tractor when you only have 10 acres and use it to MOW YOUR LAWN! Geesh! Plus it's a real slap in the face to your neighbor who owns 80+ acres, out cutt'n his hay in his old Ford tractor, in 100 degree weather, to look over at you in your John Deere, In-closed cab, not a spot of dirt on it, tractor, mowing circles around the flower bed in front of your house!
Yes, I have lots of stories/rants such as that...
Most of the people here in the Ozarks are of the Scott/Irish decent, with a little Cherokee mixed in. Yes, everyone says they have a Cherokee Indian Princess in their ancestry...even me. Of course I haven't found any definitive proof she was an actual Princess but doing some searching of my own I found out that Diane Sawyer had traced her lineage to the same person, Princess Cornblossom. Doesn't every little girl want to be a princess??? Maybe not one named Cornblossom, but we take'em as we get'em..oh yeah!
Anyway, that should explain why alot of the old-timers are backwards and hot tempered, this includes my wonderful Irish Grandparents- who fight like cats and dogs but really do love each other. Grandpa Riley does not like leave his farm and if he does have to...well, the minute you get there he says "Let's go home!"
We always got the biggest kick out of them coming over to visit, translation: for Grandma to get her hair done,(my mom was a beautician). Grandpa would be hurry'n her from the second they got out of the car. The real funny part was when it was time to go Grandma would be still talk'n to us while Grandpa was in the car yellin "Come on Katie!", and slowly pullin away. She would have to trot after the car to catch up and when she got close he'd give it gas and pull away a few feet! She would get frustrated and repremand him but then break out laughing...how could you not?...the whole darn thing was quite the scene. My Dad would sit on the porch and laugh and we'd all way bye... over...and over...until Grandpa finally let her in the car and off they'd go!
Well, I guess I'll leave ya with that, and hopefully wanting more so you'll come back and read more from me.
Feel free to ask questions...I'll be happy to answer ya!

Only in Booger County...
SuzyQ