myeena

Besties.

2011-02-01T18:51:00.002-06:00

Some people have one. Many people claim to have one. I'm fortunate enough to have several. Actually, all of my friends are the "best". I'm sure many feel that way about their friends, but I know for a fact that I have the best friends around. I deserve it though...I've been through some pretty crappy ones. I have learned to stay clear of the crazy girls, the drama queens, the trouble makers, and the one sided "all about me, me ME" girls/guys in my 35 years of life.

I have different friends for different reasons. Not that I chose this specifically for each one. It's just something that sort of happened. For example, I have a friend that is a true comedian. I call her if I need to laugh because of a really bad day. I'm pretty sure that she is why I still have a job. I have another friend that is just a super great listener. She's who I call when I just need someone to hear me out. She's also a great advice-giver. She calls me for her own advice when needed.

And there there is the Story-Teller, the Daredevil, the Undercover, the Sweetpea, the Nurturer, the Debater, and the Bitch. (She really comes in handy.) There are more, but all of my friends seem to fall into one of these categories. In some cases and with certain friends, two or three of them apply.

I love them all.

Enter Christina. She is my family. Although I'd be crushed to lose any of my beloved friends, if she ever left my life for whatever reason, I'd be seriously devastated. I call her my "best friend" in discussions. I am closest to her of all of my friends, after all. But if I had to give her a title, I would go with, "All Around Superstar". I can say five words and she gets it. She knows where I'm coming from most of the time without me having to explain what I MEAN. She gets my sense of humor and doesn't get offended. (This being one of the most important qualities that I look for in friends. I'm easy to offend, after all.) She can make me laugh when I feel like punching walls.

So this is for you, DARLING. Don't say I have never said anything nice about you to others. It happens all of the time. I just thought that you should hear it from me as well.

"If you want someone to feel loved, let them overhear the good things you say about them when you think they aren't listening."

Someone told me that once. I almost missed the chance to tell her how I felt before she left this earth. I'm not gonna miss the chance with you either.

That's all the mushiness I have left in me.
Love to you. Love, incorrectly spelled road signs, terrified chickens, wine and cheese grits, that is. <3

We Are Definitely Being Prepped for Children

2011-01-15T14:55:00.003-06:00

Okay. So it's not the same. But I raised a child for eight years and I'm telling you...it's close.

For those of you that do not know, we have had our Jack Russell ~~Terror~~ Terrier Mix, Daisy, for just over three years now. We adore Daisy. She is a delight. And comparatively, she is pretty calm next to others of her main breed. However, she IS quite active and she definitely keeps life...interesting.

Daisy recently inherited a little sister.

My husband works for Code Enforcement in a neighboring city. He makes sure that the people of the city follow the city codes. He also is the Animal Control Officer of said town, therefore, he also is the guy you call when you find seven abandoned puppies behind a laundrymat and don't know what to do with them. (Is there really a need for further explanation? Probably not, but here goes nothing.)

We came home for lunch about a month ago and as we were standing there discussing some junk mail, I heard all kinds of noises coming from the back of Corey's truck. It sounded like squealing pigs. "What IS that?" I asked.

"That is nothing. Do not look in there, Baby." Okay. My husband really does know me better than that. I believe this is the place in the story where he realized that we were going to have another little furry family member. Let's get real. He knew this when he placed those puppies into the truck and started driving home with them in the kennel. I know he'll never admit that, but it doesn't matter. I know I'm right.

I peeped into the back window to see all kinds of little black eyes staring me in the face. I opened the door and listened to them snorting and grunting...trying to be the first one to get out when I opened the door. See? Even they knew.

I opened the door and picked up the one with the tri-colored face. "This one is for me, right?" I shut the door and looked at my husband with the sweetest smile that I could muster up. He laughed at me.

"I knew this was going to happen. Let's take her inside." (I told you he had this planned, didn't I? It was too easy. I typically have to plead my case a little more than this. He isn't fooling me, Internet. Don't you worry.)

But look at this face. Can you flipping BLAME him?

Meet Shelby.

We don't know exactly what she is since she WAS abandoned, but we believe her to be part border collie and part australian shepherd. She was about 7 weeks old when we took her into our home. She is so much different than Daisy was at her age. Daisy would literally run laps around the dining room table and had two modes: tornado and aftermath. It took Daisy about a year and a half to learn "calm down".

Shelby is bouncy when she plays, but has a real lazy streak about her. She is a puppy, so of course she is playful. But she only seems to be bothered with playing for about a half an hour at a time. At that point, she's spent and just curls up for an hour long nap. Play this scene over and over every single day and you have a good picture of her personality. (She even lies down to eat.)

Daisy and Shelby have a true love/hate relationship. At first, Daisy treated Shelby as if she were HER baby. She would worry about her when she couldn't see her. She couldn't stand to hear her cry. She would even groom Shelby and snuggle with her.

This sort of ended when Shelby was big enough to push Daisy around. Shelby's favorite activity is trying to chew off Daisy's face. It's pretty entertaining. We get a lot of enjoyment out of watching this take place. Especially since, you know, Daisy did this to Niko for three years.

The standoff begins...

Sneak Attack.

Never let them get the upperhand.

They really do love each other. They cannot stand to be separated. Shelby copies whatever Daisy does. It's a good thing that Daisy is well trained, that's all I can say. Maybe they will learn to appreciate each other one day. If not, at least they will definitely know where the other "stands".

Inspiration at Every Corner. Who Inspires YOU?

2010-12-08T18:34:00.003-06:00

Everyday people who live life the best they can and do not get the proper recognition they deserve:

1.) People who apologize for a wrong they've committed and mean it.
     (I'm also inspired by people who accept the apology and also mean it.)

2.) People who recognize there's a problem but rather than complain and blame, offer solutions and
     are willing to carry them out.

3.) People who use every ounce of their talents without bragging, and always strive to improve.

4.) I'm inspired by people who aren't the "best" at what they do, but always try their best no matter the
     circumstance. Failure is not in their vocabulary.

5.) People who count their blessings. They enjoy what they have whether it's a little or lots, and know
     how to be satisfied. These people have peace of mind because they are not caught in the non-ending
     torture of always needing more. They enjoy all, but need nothing. There is a difference.

6.) I'm inspired by people who stop at a child's lemonade stand to buy what amounts to warm sugar
     water. They are the encouragers of tomorrow's entrepreneurs.

7.) People who take a leap of faith and do as their heart directs, very much inspire me. It's not easy for
     people to do what feels right, especially if it's something that goes against popular opinion, family
     members, friends, co-workers. This is undeniable courage.

8.) Good listeners who do not judge really inspire me. What an amazing gift of compassion. They are the
     world's hope for peace and sanity.

9.) People who stop to help change a car tire, especially if it's cold and raining. Total heroes!

10.) People with a great sense of humor. They put a smile on my face and a spring in my step. When I am
       with someone like that the weight of the world, at least for the moment, is off my shoulders.

There's much inspiration to be found everywhere, but especially in each other; I could go on and on with examples...WHO INSPIRES YOU????

A Girl After My Own Heart

2010-12-04T13:06:00.000-06:00

This is my friend Christina's daugher, Candace.

She is a very beautiful girl, inside and out. Candace just turned 13 and is quite possibly one of my favorite people. I've spoken about her before on this blog, but have never posted her picture. (Don't get weird on me, Candace. I love this picture.)

Think about what most girls would want for their 13th birthday. What comes to mind? When you think of how preteen girls are marketed you think of clothes, makeup, iPods and other techno goodies, dvd's, etc., right? Well. I have news for the big marketing companies of the world. There is something you have overlooked greatly: electronic labelers. That's right! This is what our "little Candace" (as her mother and I lovingly refer to her and watch her cringe every time) wanted for her 13th birthday.

And this is what she got.

She loves it. Her mom posted about it as well (http://www.christinasthoughtsonlife.blogspot.com/). Apparently she is labeling everything in the house. Of course, her primary reason for wanting an electronic labeler was to let everyone in the house know what was hers. She even labeled her leftover birthday cake, "Candace's Cake. NO TOUCHY!". She has also labeled the rest of the food in the refrigerator that she claims is only for her consumption. Apparently there is a food shortage at Christina's house. Really, Christina. Your poor children are starving.

But at least everything is neatly labeled. :)

Why I Live Here

2010-09-21T17:39:00.004-05:00

Corey texted me from work Saturday morning to tell me that we were going "somewhere" when he came home. He works half of a day every other Saturday, which is a major bummer, may I add. I suppose he just felt like I needed a little "nature fix". Or maybe (possibly) it was all of the "subtle" hints that I was throwing around.

He arrived home shortly after 2:00pm and we set out on our little adventure. I didn't have the slightest clue where we were going, only that we were driving in a direction we don't typically travel. BUT I knew exactly where we were when we passed Tallulah Falls School. I have been asking to go to Talullah Falls for ohhhhh about two years now. (??) I, of course, was very happy to see that was where we were headed.

That may be a small understatement.
Okay. I may have actually squealed a little.

I absolutely love waterfalls. And there are so many in these beautiful foothills to choose from. I have been living in Georgia for over four years and haven't even seen them all. Which, by the way, was part of the leverage that my dear, sweet husband used to get me to move from South Carolina.
But that's another story for another day...

I didn't get to see many waterfalls growing up in the flatlands of Ohio. I believe that I traveled to Hocking Hills, Ohio once as a kid and that may be what spawned my addiction. But truly, that is nothing compared to the gorgeous falls of NE Georgia.

We plan on going back to Talullah Falls when I ~~have on shoes other than flip-flops~~ we are more prepared and taking the long haul to the bottom where I can get some amazing pics. Until then, these will just have to do.

(drool)

If You Think I'm Sexy

2010-09-21T17:12:00.002-05:00

Corey: (singing) "If you think I'm sexy and you want my body..."

Me: "No one should ever sing that song."

Corey: "Why?"

Me: "Because singing that song pretty much makes you anything but sexy."

Through Clouds of Gray the Sun Shines the Brightest.

2010-09-10T22:24:00.024-05:00

The world seemed a little gray this week. My husband received the news late Monday morning that his beloved grandmother, (his father's mother) Dixie “Fay” Thomason Palmer had fallen asleep in death. I met Grandmother for the first time just over five years ago. I loved her from the moment I met her. A classy and true southern “lady” with just enough “fire” to keep things interesting, she was someone I knew I would cherish for all of my life.

This, of course, is a sad time to all of those that will miss Grandmother. But there is much celebration in the life she lived while upon this earth. She had 95 long and happy years surrounded by precious friends and an amazing family. I believe two of the greatest joys in life are loving and being loved. There is no doubt that Grandmother was blessed with much love and that we were all blessed with hers.

She must have told me close to ten stories the second time I met her. Each story was more detailed than the next. Needlesstosay, I knew my husband much deeper upon our departure that day. I told her once that she should have been a writer. She immediately laughed and shook her head as if I were being ridiculous. But I could hear in her voice how much she genuinely loved telling stories from times past or events in which she found of particularly great humor.

My own dear, sweet grandfather was a storyteller as well. Listening to Corey’s grandmother always brought back fond memories of my childhood, sitting transfixed on my “Grampa” wishing I’d never have to leave his side. As a young adult, I knew that I had only a short amount of time to soak in his words and her his kind voice. I tried to remember every detail of every story he ever told. I did the same in the time that I was fortunate enough to have spent with Grandmother Palmer.

The time I had with her was limited to those five short years. Yet, I will never forget the times and memories we shared together. They are truly precious to me.

Just as Grandmother felt that every detail was as imperative as the next in her storytelling, I truly believe that is the same view she held in life. Each day as important as the day before, and tomorrow as important as today. There were no minute moments. There is a lot to be said for that.

I will miss her dearly and will think of her often. There is no doubt that she will enter my mind each and every time I eat blueberry pancakes, paint a window frame, sew a curtain, or when someone comments on the size of my television. :) Her stories will live on in us. They will be told and retold at family gatherings and bring a smile to many faces. Until we meet again in the resurrection, Grandmother…I will hold you in my heart.

Our First Home = SOON!

2010-08-07T15:59:00.004-05:00

We are currently in the middle of becoming home owners! Woohoo! I'm super excited about having the freedom to do absolutely anything I want! I've decided (non-officially) to go with a "contemporary-cottage" feel in whichever home we end up buying. This style will go well with all of the homes we are currently considering and I already have so many things that will blend into that design. I don't want to go TOTALLY beach-cottage, but am leaning more towards this style above the typical "shabby-chic" style.

I refuse to go all cheesy with it, but there are some great finds out there via the wonderful world wide web. I'm not a huge "knick knack" person. I just don't enjoy dusting, and can't stand a lot of clutter. I'm more simplistic in what I like as far as design goes, I guess. But here are some great finds that I came across that can make a big impact in a small way.

--------

Coral is one of my favorite things in the world. Between the beautiful colors and soft but edgy shape, it really gives hand to the look I'm trying to achieve. (And can you say, "texture"?) Gorgeous. I love the red coral as well, but can't help but think that it resembles blood vessels. LOL I know it's crazy, but I just can't get past it.

This 'lil guy is so adorable! This would look so great in a kitchen. I love the bright blue color, but there is also a red version on lauratrevey's etsy page. It's a toss-up for me. I think the red will probably be closer to the color scheme I'm planning on having, but this blue just is gorgeous.

I ran across these on etsy yesterday on GlassFloatJunkie's page. She lives in Alaska and picks these old Japanese fishing floats from the beachsides. They are AMAZING. They look sooo beautiful hanging in a windowsill. I will end up with a few of these, I'm sure. They are priced fairly well too!

--------

I'll be sure to post before / after pics of each change we go through. I really want to document the whole process. We are planning on staying there for a long while. I have a couple of pics of things I'm doing in the meantime that I'll post later this week.

After all, I have to do something (even if they are the little things) to keep my anxiousness under control. It's a good thing that a have a very patient hubby. Although...I have caught him rolling his eyes at me a lot lately. :)

Advice.

2010-07-17T13:11:00.001-05:00

I ran across this today. It was something that I posted long ago on another blog that I am deactivating today. It was some of the best advice I ever received from my mother. I was leaving Ohio and heading for South Carolina. I was worried that I was "running away" because I had been accused of that before. I was trying to tell myself that I wasn't running away but couldn't quite convince myself that it was not true. This is what my mother said:

"Running away is when you just flee and leave all of your troubles behind. You aren't running away if you are taking care of things before you go. THAT is strength. THAT is starting over."

I wanted to post this here so that I always remember it. This seems like such simplistic advice, but when you need it the most, you just don't seem able to find it.

Thanks, Mom.

My Top Five Guilty Pleasures--Read Them and Weep.

2010-04-20T18:51:00.006-05:00

1. Reality TV.

As much as I’d say that I am morally opposed to reality television, the truth is that I’m nothing but a hypocritical junkie. Its mind-sucking magnificence has me ogling in front of the screen, turning my brain to mush on a ~~weekly~~ daily basis. I suppose throughout the trash pits people call homes, the baby’s-daddy’s-momma-drama, races around the world, weekly firings of the weakest links, and the pain and triumph of hundreds of pounds shed on national television, I can either live in a more “normal” world or live vicariously through someone else’s. I’ll let you figure out which is which. Just be nice.

2. Greasy Fair / Carnival Food.

Even as a teenager attending festivals and fairs throughout the summer, I could have cared less about the awards or the rides. I was there for the food. Or should I say, the artery-clogging grease-on-a-stick pretending to be food? Yummo. I still get all nostalgic just thinking about it. From elephant ears and corn dogs, to soft pretzels and carnival fries, it makes me all happy and giggly inside. (Don't make me mention lemon shake-ups and sticky, heavenly cotton candy.)

I really hate to admit this kind of love affair with any kind of food, but there you have it. The regret after such indulgances gets worse as I get older, but the bliss of the moment is something I never can resist. Needlesstosay, I do limit myself on carnivals, festivals, and country fairs. And although I do loveee an amusement park ride, it still comes in second to the glory of a greasy stack of ~~crispy fried rings~~ onion rings in a cardboard cone. Ahhhh....

3. Cheesy 80’s Music.

This one isn't surprising to anyone that really knows me. I am renown for belting out a one-hit wonder after hearing something similar to said song's lyrics. Of course, there are GREAT 80's songs that I love as well but they do not by any means fit into this category. I'm talking CHEESE. "We Built This City", "Oh Sheila", "Ice, Ice, Baby", you name it. I love it.

My husband said that I should title this category, "Air Supply". But I refuse to ~~admit~~ state that Air Supply could be classified as "cheesy". They. Are. Awesome. AND THEY ALWAYS WILL BE. Don't make me go all Debbie Gibson on your ass, Mister.

4. Flea Markets.

Oh yes. Down and dirty. I love me a good ole junky flea market. I'm not talking your run-of-the-mill yard sale pretending to be a flea market, either. I'm talking about the kind of flea market where you have to walk around things. Where there are piles of old junk on tables and tucked in the corners everywhere. This may actually surprise some people, as I tend to go a little crazy about clutter. But these flea markets are intended to be of such madness--this makes the clutter okay. (It doesn't have to make sense.) I do love collected catastrophes!

My eyes go crazy fluttering around looking for that great bargain that I can turn into something FABULOUS! The junkier the flea market, the better. They are quite hard to find anymore, sad to say. Most flea markets nowadays are just "As Seen on TV" store wannabes and warehouse clothing outlets. The good ones are truly a gem if you can run across one. They even rank above my "hippy stores" (Grrr Corey).

5. The World Wide Web.

I remember the first day I went "online". I was like a total crackhead. I don't think I left the screen for HOURS. I was locked in and immediately addicted. I'm surprised I wasn't called in for an intervention. That lasted for about a week. (You know, the laundry WAS piling up and all.) But going a day without internet access just seems ridiculous to me.

My husband can call me a flower child all he wants...but the truth is that to be disconnected would drive me crazy. I SAY that I could do it "no problem" but we all know that would be a lie. I'd be taking a side trip to the library just to get my fix. I don't have to be online for hours...but I do have to get my daily dose. It's appalling. I know. I hear you. I feel the same way. But come on!!! Endless information at my fingertips? You knew what you were doing, DARPA and all of your little guru's. Or as I like to call you, pushers.

So there you have it. The official list. Looking back, I see a theme. Hmmm...junk television, junk food, junk music, junk sales, and junk entertainment all rank in my top five guilty (or not so guilty) pleasures.

Some may say this officially makes me a junkie. Har, har, har. Laugh it up, kids. You can call it what you want, but I say this makes me optimistic.

Anthropologie Awesomeness.

2010-04-04T16:55:00.004-05:00

If I had my way, my home would be covered in Anthropologie yumminess. But, alas, my husband is not as Avant Garde as I. I have to go easy on the girliness and try to tame my eclectic side to compromise with Corey. He's pretty basic. If it were up to him we'd have tan walls in every room and only furniture that was essential to survival. Can you believe we fit perfectly together? :) I think these are a few "here and there" items that we'd actually agree on. Maybe I should tell him to hide my debit card...

Simple Pleasures

2010-03-24T18:10:00.001-05:00

Ok so, I don't think I've ever gone to Etsy and been disappointed. Etsy is so dependable that way. But hey, when you find something dependable in this crazy life you should wrap your arms around it, right? That's my life theory, anyway. 'Tis also my reasoning / rationalization of why I waste several hours swept up in my own wonderland behind a computer screen going blind every month. Of course, this time is shared between several sites that I oogle over, but Etsy is always among the elite.

My creativity feast has left me (as always) wanting more and completely envious of the time and inspiration required to produce such masterpieces. Some are completely extravagant. I've seen some pretty impressive works of art surfing through those pages. I once saw where someone fulfilled unique requests for blankets made from woven hairs of their deceased pets. (???) Strange, perhaps...but an impressive feat nonetheless.

And then there are the more simple pieces that just make me sigh with happiness. I see beauty in all things...or at least I always try. These little white stones remind me to always continue looking for the beautiful things in life, no matter how simple. The artist creates several items with white porcelain that are to die for. Well...I should say...to live for. :) Visit Raedunn when you get a chance. ENJOY!

Northeast Georgia Has Job Openings...FYI

2010-02-02T07:22:00.001-06:00

This was an actual ad this week in our local paper:

Bob had a job.
Bob lost his job.
Call if you want Bob's job.
648-****

I'm so itching to call just to see what this is.

I'm Still Sticking with Crackhead.

2009-12-19T11:16:00.005-06:00

M: “Okay. THAT girl really does look like a crackhead.”
C: “She’s not. She’s always looked that way.”
M: “Oooooooooh. I see. You know the crackhead.”
C: “She looks just like her mother. But she isn’t a crackhead...she’s inbred.”

(repost)

Fingerless Gloves

2009-12-18T17:26:00.005-06:00

I made a pair of these for my co-worker's daughter a few weeks ago. She let me borrow the last book of the "Twilight" series and this was my gift of thanks. The pair I made her were solid gray...but they turned out really well for my first attempt. (The character, Alice wore these in the first movie.) She squealed with delight when she opened them.

I then made my best friend, Christina's daughter a pair "just because". Because she's AWESOME and I love her to death. (She's 12, btw.) They looked completely ADORABLE on her and I'm totally addicted to making these for all of my preteen / teenage friends. Incredibly fast and so easy...with great results.

Now, that's my kind of project. :)

Words of the Wise

2009-12-17T07:11:00.005-06:00

"I was running a little late this morning. I was having a bad fake hair day"

--Christina.

Oh, The Secrets that You Keep

2009-12-02T13:04:00.000-06:00

I've talked in my sleep from the day I could speak. It's been something that has haunted me horribly throughout life. People (family members and people that like to call themselves my "friends", mind you) have sat beside my bed many-a-time talked to me while I slept because I would talk back to them. Because, you know, not only do I talk in my sleep, but occasionally I carry on full-out conversations while totally asleep.

This lovely skill of mine continues to show it's ugly head to this day. Granted, it's not so much of a problem today as it was when I was trying desperately to keep a secret boyfriend from my parents, but annoying nonetheless. (This little "talent" can come in very handy to parents, it turns out.)

I no longer have to worry about what kind of information I'm going to spill, so nowadays it's more of a form of entertainment that my friends (and husband) use for kicks.

"Let's see what kind of weird wacked-out story Melinda will tell us in her sleep."

Yeah...great fun...good times.

Continue to talk to me when you know I've drifted off into dreamland--get your giggles, that's ok. I'll get mine, I tell you. Remember: I have the goods on each and every one of you...and I'm not as sweet as I used to be!! Mwahaha.

Long Shawl

2009-11-25T17:39:00.005-06:00

I made this shawl about two years ago for a friend of mine. I'm thinking of making another--one of my friends would just love this. I bought the pattern online from ebay. I'll have to surf my computer to see if it carried over from my old one. These are super easy and make great gifts! Perfect for the climate here in Georgia. It gets pretty chilly occasionally, but for us "Northerners" this is just the right amount of cover to keep us warm for most of the year.

When it's finished I'll post pics of it. I may even talk her into modeling it for me. :)

3rd Anniversary

2009-11-25T09:14:00.010-06:00

These are pics from our yearly Anniversary Party. In July. So I'm a little behind. The party was late too, as our actual anniversary is June 3rd. It's been a crazy year! But the point of the party is to celebrate EVERYONE'S anniversary, so that was acceptable.

I wish that I would have taken better pictures...but I do love the ones I did get. I especially love the one of the "Grandma's". (And the one of Daisy smiling. She does love her family!)

Corey's Grandmother is 94 years old and as firey as one can get. She thought she was the only one who got a present that day. Everyone got present. But I'm glad she thought she was special. She is special to us.

I should have taken a picture of the food uncovered. It was gorgeous and tasted amazing too! I can't wait until next year. Next year we are going to go all out and I'm super excited. Not to mention...we should have a kiddo or two. That can't do anything but make it better. :)

Earthlust Stainless Steel Water Bottles

2009-11-25T08:33:00.000-06:00

I'm home until 12:30 today. Work has been slow (typical for this time of year) and I'm forced to have some "me" time. Of course, I'm not complaining. It's given me some time to catch up on my blogging (reading and writing) and by the time this week is over, I'll have the Twilight series completely finished. Life is good.

Surfing this morning, I ran across these gorgeous water bottles from Earthlust. I've seen the stainless steel bottles here, there, and everywhere...but none compare as far as design.

Great design and no plastic taste? Saving the earth one less plastic bottle at a time?
It's a very great thing. :)

The Ditch

2009-09-07T19:35:00.006-05:00

"You can do it if we can do it."
"I can't do it because I'm a girl...you are boys."
"You said girls can do the same things boys can do."
"We can."
"Then try it, Mindy. Come on. Just do it and then you won't be ascared anymore."
"It's afraid, Matt. 'Ascared' isn't a word. Who said I was afraid, anyway?"

He tilted his head and smiled and I heard everything he wasn't saying to me. I was terrified. Nevertheless, there was no way these boys were going to see how afraid I was...I had to do it now. My eyes cut over to my little brother--now standing with his bike on the opposite side of the ditch with three neighborhood boys. Younger and smaller in size, he was still my strength. As tiny as he was, there was little he was afraid of--my pillar of courage.

Looking at him, I knew that I had no reason not to try. If he was able to do this, so was I. Somewhere inside I just had find an ounce of that faith he had in me. Closing my eyes I took a quick, deep breath and my fingertips brushed against the orange and white tassels as I grasped the handlebars of my bicycle. Time itself seemed to slow. Still unsure of myself (but being stubborn to a fault), I had now made up my mind and there was no turning back.

My heart began to beat like a bass drum and a cold sweat broke out around my neck as my right foot left the ground. Hearing the whispers and snickers of the boys on the other side of the ditch, I began to peddle as fast as I could. They failed to realize that their mockery was all of the encouragement I needed. I approached the bank and knew that there was no turning back now. It was now or never.

Concentrating fully on keeping my balance, I didn't seem to notice when the bicycle wheels sped down into the trickle of water in the ditch below. "Just keep going. You can't fall in front of them. It's almost over," I thought to myself as I started to roll up the other side. At that moment, I somehow lost my footing and a panic whirled over me as I did a quick search-and-find for the pedals below.

Regaining my composure and realizing that I was back on flat ground again, my head whirled around to the group of boys now only feet away. A smile spread broadly across my sun kissed cheeks. Beaming with pride and tossing my long chestnut ponytails over my shoulders, I turned to ride back home down the long country road. I felt the cool mud drying on my thighs against the wind and I heard nothing but the clackers on my spokes as my head bobbed with their rhythm like a metronome. It wasn't long before I heard my brothers' voice calling from behind me.

"Hey."
"Ya?"
"Hold on." Dragging my foot in the stones, I stopped along side of the road's shoulder to wait for him."I knew you could do it," he said, as he whirled around and headed back to the creek.

Really, I knew I could too.

Are These a Great Excuse to Have a Girl, or What?!

2009-09-01T21:04:00.000-05:00

I ran across this shop today at esty.com. The designer is Courtney Chu and she has her own site that actually has better pictures of her creations. The "lookbook" on her site has some amazing photographs. I LOVE the originality of her designs and she also recycles old pieces of clothing to "upcycle" them into new pieces. They are gorgeous!

Check out her site. You shall not be disappointed!!!

Fried Eggs, Bacon, Biscuits, Moth Balls and Cigarettes.

2009-07-01T08:23:00.009-05:00

Upon settling into our desks yesterday at work, one of my co-workers pulled out this beautiful blanket she's making for her daughter. She went on to explain how the blanket she made for her daughter as a baby is now used as a doll blanket. She outgrew that blanket long ago and it's time for a new one for her "big bed".

This brought up a discussion on baby blankets. Everyone had stories to tell about "blankies, binkies and dinkies". It was so endearing to hear how almost every one of us had such fond memories of these little bits of fabric or yarn barely held together by some miracle. (My grandmother used to say that the only thing holding my blankie together was years of spit and love.)

I had my blankie until I was five-and-a-half. I had gone "down south" from Ohio to Kentucky for a long summer trip to my grandparents' house. Two months can seem like an eternity for a child to be away from home, but to me it was one of the greatest times I've ever had. I didn't get to spend that much time with "Gramma and Grampa" as a child, with them living so far away and all. I was absolutely thrilled at being able to be there for this long in just one trip. Of course, I took "blankie" with me.

I have many memories of that summer. It was a summer of "firsts". I learned how to catch crawdads in the creek, make homemade playdough, found my first four-leaf clover, and had my first crush. It was the first time I remember hearing my grandfather tell me that he loved me. It was the first time I ever heard Grampa play the banjo and the first time I'd seen him and Gramma dance together. I have many, many memories of those two months, but not one of them includes that blanket.

I don't have one single memory of ever carrying that blanket around or sleeping with it at night. For years, I didn't even know that it existed. Once when I was in high school, my father made a brief comment about "the blankie". He announced that I had always went from one sort of material attachment to another. He went on to say that I went from the blanket to the bear...and the bear to the pillow...and the pillow to yet another blanket. Apparently, I've always had security issues.

When I was well into adulthood, my grandparents moved from Kentucky to Ohio to be closer to the family. My grandfather had become quite ill and it was necessary for them to be around family to help take care of them. Oh, how I wished they would have moved when I was younger...but my grandfather had always lived in the mountains and couldn't bear the thought of leaving them.

At the time of their move, I was working close to where they lived and I spent many a morning visiting them after work. I loved those visits. I think this is when I really got to know who my grandparents were. Who they were as people, that is...not just as "Gramma and Grampa". And I came to love both of them more than I could ever express in words.

Grampa was typically a man of few words (as is my father) and he mostly sat and listened to Gramma and I talk. He'd laugh on cue and mumble comments under his breath every now and then. I loved being within ear-shot of Grampa. He was actually one of the funniest people I've ever known. Not many really appreciated this as not many sat close enough to hear.

As the years went on, he started to talk more and more. I've learned all kinds of things from that man. I could have easily missed this in him as my family was quite estranged at the time. I'm grateful every day that I had the opportunity to listen.

One morning I arrived to the house, doughnuts in hand, to find my grandmother sorting through a huge box of old photographs. I asked her what she was getting into so early in the morning. She smiled and proceeded to share with me the contents of that tattered box. I didn't have any pictures of my childhood but I left that day with stacks in hand. This was by far the fondest memory I have of her. Sifting through the photos hearing stories of her childhood and stories of mine...it doesn't get much better than that.

As we were going through the box, she suddenly shot up from the chair and went into back bedroom. I sat down by my grandfather and talked to him for a while. I could hear my grandmother rummaging through things in the other room and was anxiously waiting to see what all of the commotion was about. She returned with a package rolled up inside of an old quilting fiber-fill bag.

"I found it," she proudly announced. She was gleaming.

"You haven't seen this in a while." I am sure I looked nothing but completely puzzled as she laughed aloud and urged me to open the package.

I quickly unraveled the bag and pulled out a tiny little yellow quilt with tattered edges and transparent backing. Instantly I smelled my grandmother's house "back home" in Kentucky. The scent alone brought tears to my eyes. It smelled of fried eggs, bacon and biscuits, along with the faint odor of moth balls and cigarettes.

I'm sure that turns the stomach of many; however, to me it was simply intoxicating. Memories of that little house nestled so cozily in the hills, that creek, family get-togethers--it all came flooding back. I don't think I realized how much I had missed that old home until that very moment.

I still don't remember having that blanket as a child. Gramma had quilted it for me when I was born and apparently we were completely inseparable for five-and-a-half years, that blanket and me. It was left in Kentucky after the summer I spent with them. My parents thought it "was time" for me to depart with my old friend. My grandmother had held onto it all of these years.

I still have that blanket tucked safely in a box in the closet in my bedroom. It's absolutely golden to me. It holds within it all of the love in the world. Every now and then I pull it out to breathe in that smell. To my surprise, it still smells exactly the same--fried eggs, bacon and biscuits...moth balls and cigarettes. That's what real love smells like, folks...at least to me.

Too Much Tequila en Las Margaritas.

2009-06-09T18:08:00.003-05:00

Overheard today: "I wore teal to work yesterday and I'm wearing it again today. I was too hungover this morning to think about picking out different shoes."

There's a reason she's my best friend.

Maybe We Should Rip Out the Oaks in our Backyard and Plant Bamboo.

2009-06-06T13:58:00.000-05:00

The previous owners of this house had five boys. Five boys that completely ruined the flooring in the house as best they could. Needlesstosay, it's the first thing on our list of things to do after buying this house. It probably will be our spring project next year. In the meantime, I've been thinking...

(snickers)

Of course this is driving my poor husband batty because (as those of you that know me well know) I am not the most decisive person in the world. And I'm a little particular. I'm really not materialistic, truly I'm not. I'm just picky. I don't like to buy cheap things "for now" and have to replace them in a few years because they are so broken down. If we are going to buy something such as furniture, appliances, or flooring...it's going to be what we want because we are going to have to live with it for a long, long, long, long time. :)

I've completely fallen in love with bamboo flooring and we know this is what we want in our living room and down the hall. I'm not sure about the kitchen yet, but we will probably have that done as well. We'll see what it looks like against our cabinets...

I love it. Not only is it one of the most environmentally products you can use for flooring, it's relatively inexpensive compared to the alternatives AND it's crazy durable. We have two cats and a dog and are in the process of adoption. You see the issue.

BUT BUTTER MY BUTT AND CALL ME BISCUIT--THEY ARE GORGEOUS.

Now to just choose the color...and carpeting for the bedrooms...and flooring for the baths...

Pray for my husband. :)