Those poor, poor squirrels.  All they are trying to do is cross the road.  Of course, some make it and some don't.  I drive down 23rd Avenue everyday to come to work.  For the past three days, there have been squirrels in the road.  And I'm not talking about the living and breathing ones either.  I feel so sorry for them.  And every time I see a squirrel in the road... I think about this commercial.

Yes, I would be that woman in the commercial screaming.   =)

New Shoe

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, you really should be in the attic!!

A little over two weeks ago, I was attempting to leave my house through the garage.  When I stepped out (in the pitch dark, of course) I tripped over the Christmas Tree!  Yes, it is still in the garage because I'm scared of heights and haven't had anyone to put it in the attic for me, yet.  So as I trip - I fall on my right foot.  When I landed I heard two pops.  I was able to walk but not good.  However, I didn't think much of it.  After all, I knew it wasn't broken.  

Well, this past weekend, we were leaving church and my ankle gave way as I stepped off the sidewalk and would have fallen again but Terry was there to catch me.  This time, I knew something was wrong with my foot.  Long story short, I went to the doctor yesterday and had x rays.  I fractured and tore the tendon from the bone two weeks ago and the fracture healed back.  This past weekend, I re-fractured it and found out that it will take about 3 months for my tendon to attach itself back to the bone and that my ankle twisted and very weak from both falls.  

After telling the doctor how I was not going to be on crutches or use a cane... I have a brace and a boot to wear for two weeks.

And since the only shoes I own are high heels, boots, tennis shoes and everyday flip flops... I went and bought a pair of cute, "bedazzled" yellow box shoes to wear with my new shoe.

Brrrrring

The funniest thing I heard today...

One of my best friends, Paula, came to the house today.  I was off today and will be tomorrow as well... so she brought her youngest, Ava, for me to watch for a few minutes while she went to a teacher conference at Anniston's school.  After she was finished with the conference, we went to shop for a Easter dress until Anniston got out at lunch.  We picked her up from school and went to eat at Logans.  

Paula's phone went off and she has the classic phone ring for her ringtone.  Anniston is sitting beside me and she said, Auntie Joy mama's phone says..... "Brrrrrinng, Brrrrrinng."  Now I need you to picture a blonde haired, blue eyed, three year old shaking her little head like a vibrating bell saying that.  

Not only the funniest thing I heard today but the cutest!!  Kids, gotta love em!! 

Getting my panties out of a wad

I'm a female and I wear my feelings on my sleeve.  I'm trying to do better but when someone or something upsets me, it shows.  I'm usually not vocal (unless your one of the three females I consider my sisters) and I usually don't retaliate.  When my feelings are hurt, I'm quiet - which is a rare thing for me.

Being the person that I am, I'm a doer.  I love to do for others.  Sometimes I go overboard with the things I do.  And sometimes I need to respect the wishes of others who do not want things done for them but, that is not the way I was brought up.  Why am I bringing this up, well, I'm going to have a pity party for myself.  When will others start doing for me?  When will they go out of their way to make me feel special or do something unexpected to brighten my day?  And I know what your thinking... geez Joy, could you be anymore selfish?  Trust me, I'm not meaning to be or sound like I am.

Let me just say this, I enjoy throwing baby showers, wedding showers, lingerie showers, bachelorette parties and birthday parties for others.  I love to to entertain.  And, I have given my fair share of wedding and baby showers.  And here is where my selfishness sets in.... "Is anyone going to do any of that for me, if or when my day comes?"  And I should probably be slapped for even thinking that way but I'm going to use the excuse that I'm a female and my head hurts for speaking on this, today.  And I promise I will never complain about this to you, my blog readers, again.

So as I'm sitting here waiting on the latest edition of 393 Magazine to upload to the printer... I'm reminding myself to breathe in and breathe out and get my panties out of a wad.

Men... you gotta love em

I hesitate to write this... but I'm gonna do it anyway.  Men, why do they have to make things SOOOO difficult.  And I'm not talking about any one man in particular, ok so maybe I am but I'm not giving out any names.  (And no, it's not Terry.)  However, it seems like all of them do something to drive us crazy.  But we love them anyway.

Men do not like to be sick.  And getting them to go to the doctor, well, that's almost impossible.  They always wait til the last minute and by that time, it takes weeks for them to get over it.  And there are some cases where the sickness has gone so long that it takes an overnight hospital stay (or longer) to take care of the problem.  Even a surgery is possible.

Now - hospitals are not the Hilton.  They are not equipped with today's remote controls, alarm clocks or mini refrigerators.  And you aren't guaranteed your best night's sleep, either.  (Unless the pain meds are good.)  And not only is it an inconvenience to the person in the hospital but it's an even bigger inconvenience to the family.

Men do not like to be out of control.  Yeah yea, we know you like to have things done "your" way but, sometimes sitting back and letting others take control is what is best.  I can, however, guarantee that your inconvenience will not last as long if you do what the doctors and others say.

To help this patient (man) get through his stay at the hospital... I had some things delivered to his room.
Car and Truck Magazine
Time Magazine
Newsweek Magazine
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mississippi Cheese Straws
Trail Mix

Hopefully the next 24 hours of his stay will not be as bad as the first.

Let's Dance

Let's dance, put on your red shoes and dance the blues...

To say that I'm excited about tonight's new season opener of Dancing with the Stars would be an understatement.  I usually find myself dancing in the recliner while they are moving and grooving all over that ballroom floor.  Of course, some of this year's stars are some that I would not have chosen but, I'm still excited.  

I can tell you that I would prefer 

Jake

and 

Kate 

to be the first two to go home.  I mean, have you seen the promo for it??  Jake and Kate are the only two awkward ones on it.  And one thing I'm sure of is that my opinion is just that, mine.  However, those two will not be getting my vote.  (Unlike American Idol, I do vote for dancing with the stars.)

So, come on y'all... LET'S DANCE!! 

Imma Gleek

Imma be, Imma be, Imma, Imma, Imma be the biggest Gleek on the planet come April 13th.  Why you ask?  Because season 2 of GLEE starts back that night.  And that day can't come soon enough.

I don't know if they will be singing the Black Eyed Peas song, Imma Be, but they do sing the songs of today and yesterday and I just can't tell you how much I love this show.

I was in show choir in jr high and high school and was a member of MCC's Variations and enjoyed every moment of it.  Not only did I love to sing but I also played the piano... well, I still do.  I took piano for 13 years and I took voice for 4.  I still love to do both but with my job... I don't have much time for either.  Of course, you will see me jamming out in the car if you happen to drive past me.  

Watching this show makes me feel like I'm 16 again and I promise, there is always a girlish smile on my face all throughout the show.  I know I'm wishing my life away but please, April 13th hurry up!!

Spring

Birds chirping,

Lawnmowers mowing.

Children playing,

Couples laughing.

Grills szillin',

Dogs barking.

Bats hitting balls,

Sunbathing in backyards.

Flowers blooming,

People smiling...

In other words...
Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"

WHO'S WITH ME????? 

Still green

I did it.  I did it.  I made the St Pattys Day cupcakes last night. 

And I think they turned out great.  

I love this picture of the cute little cupcake.  

I'm telling you - Paula Deen would be so proud.  These things were made from scratch and there was enough cream cheese and butter used that I know she would approve.  However, the recipe said it would make 36 cupcakes... I only had a pan for 24.  So, I baked a cake to go with the cupcakes.

Yes, it's hideous to look at but it was SOOO good.  It made a thin cake, so I cut the cake in half and put the icing between the layers and then piled on the icing to cover it.  And since I still had so much icing left over... I put some green food coloring in and made it for the border and the shamrock.  Yes, I know it's terrible.  I admit it.  I'm no Carol Fanning!!  

Last night was a great stress reliever from the week.  I don't think I've had that much fun in the kitchen in at least a month.  =)  I had powdered sugar, EVERYWHERE.  I had homemade cream cheese icing up to my elbows and did I mention... I'm still green?

Marleigh Belle

My mom brought Marleigh back to me this morning after having her for five days.  Trust me, she would have kept her all week, but she and my dad are going out of town for a couple of days.  No worries, she will get her back Friday afternoon when they come home.  

Anywho... she brought her to my office decked out in her green fleece sweater.  Guess she didn't want to get pinched!  Isn't it fun to dress up our dogs, kids and houses for holidays!  I know I love it!

Can't pinch me

I'm green.  

Not my shoes... 

not my pants... 

not my shirt... 

nor my underwear.

Not my eyes...

not my hair...

not my jewerly...

but yes, I'm wearing green.  

It's probably my favorite sweater and the only clothing I have green.  I'm thankful it was cool enough outside to wear it.  

I made a quick run by Terry's office this morning to bring him some treats I made last night and since I reminded him yesterday he better wear green, I was shocked to not see any.  I got my fingers ready to give him a pinch and he said... "I'm green but you just can't see."  So I gave him the benefit of the doubt and hugged him instead.  Something about that hug made me feel like today is going to be a good day.

I don't believe I have any Irish in me, but who knows maybe the luck with be with me anyway.

Happy St. Patty's Day, y'all!!!

I have to give credit to Picky Palate for this recipe.  I haven't made them yet, but if time permits this afternoon... I'm gonna try it!

Lucky Green Velvet Baby Cakes

1 Box yellow cake mix

4 eggs

1/2 Cup water

1/2 Cup vegetable oil

1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix

1/2 Cup plain yogurt or sour cream

5-8 drops Green decorating paste (food coloring will work, just won’t be as bright green)

Frosting

8 oz softened cream cheese

1 stick softened butter

1 lb powdered sugar

Yellow food coloring or decorating paste is what I used

Gold Pearl Dust or Sprinkles if desired

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a stand or electric mixer, add cake mix, eggs, water, oil, pudding, and yogurt.  Beat on medium for 1 1/2 minutes.  Slowly beat in 5-8 drops of green decorating paste until you get desired color of green.  Scoop batter into paper lined mini cupcake tins.  Bake for 15-18 minutes or until cooked through.  Let cool completely.

2.  To prepare frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until creamy.  Slowly add powdered sugar until creamy and thick.  Divide frosting into 2 bowls then add in a few drops of yellow food coloring or decorating paste into one.

3.  Frost cupcakes and sprinkle with gold pearl dust or sprinkles if desired.

Makes 36 mini cupcakes

Magic Wand

Today was the day, I just knew I could keep going like I was but it happened... I cried.  

I've been on the verge of tears for the past two days and I'm sure it's because I have deadlines to meet, appointments to make and lets be honest here... all the stress.  Seems like everything has piled up on a not so shiny silver platter this week.  I love my job and I love my life but this is the week I want to be somebody else.  Me have their responsibilities and them have mine.  I'm game for trading... just let me know - first come, first serve!

But of all the people I cry to and places... it was to Terry, at his office.  Thankfully, no one was in there but us (his guys are out of town on business or just off today).  Since he couldn't leave the store, I went to pick up lunch for us.  We were both wanting something hearty... so Cracker Barrel to the rescue.  He is having a stressful day as well so the lunch was pretty quiet.  And then it happened.  I started talking about something that was on my mind and got through the talking fine.  It's when I shut my mouth that the puddles of tears came.  And there was no hiding it.  He could tell instantly that something was wrong and I, of course run for the bathroom.  I mean, with a week like this week, who has time to run home and reapply make-up??  He kept asking what was wrong and I wanted to shout... "I NEED A MAGIC WAND!!!"  I want to be able to wave that magic wand and get things done... just the way I want them.

Unfortunately, there is no magic wand and there will be no trading.  I have to make the best with what I've got... me.  It's not going to be glamorous, I'm sure, and the road will be bumpy but if I can just make it to Friday I do believe I'm going to be okay.  And hopefully, Terry won't have to put up with an emotional, stressed out female this weekend.

So - this is my prayer today and for the days that follow...

Lord, help me to realize that I can't change the world or the people in this world.  Please help me to understand that this is my life and only I can make my life better and pleasing to you.  You are the strength that can get me through each minute of the day and by your grace I know I can make it through.  Thank you for loving me and seeing me through.  Amen.

The younger days

As I sit here and think about my taxes, I think about how all the money I'm getting back is going straight to bills.  Yep, there will be no shopping spree for me or a nice vacation getaway... just a few checks to write to send to pay bills.  Why is it when we are younger we want to be older and when we are older we want to be younger?  I can answer this question only for myself...

• No paying bills

• No going to work

• Summer vacations

• Spring breaks

• No grocery shopping

• No cleaning house

(The list could go on and on!)

In other words, no responsibility... come on - it doesn't really exist when you're younger.  Of course, there is school, cleaning your room, etc. - but the real world can be a downer.  I remember thinking I wouldn't be able to make it until the day I got my drivers license and now I love someone else driving... I mean have you seen the price of gas today?  I remember thinking moving out was going to be the best thing that happened to me.  And don't get me wrong, it was.  However, writing out that mortgage, power, water and cable checks every month is getting harder and harder for me to do.  The money is there but once those are paid... what's left?  What about the fun stuff I want to go do, the beauty products I'm dying to try and the gifts I want to buy my friends?????  Anybody got a lottery ticket???

I'm praying for this economy to be turned around and in the meantime, I'm trying to cut corners in every little way I can.  Let me know if you have any tips... because I'm gonna need them.

What Women Want

So I gave some tips on how to keep your man happy... and now it's time for what the ladies want from the men.  

(Ok, at least this is what I would like and yes, sometimes get.)

#1 - The wake up call.  It's the first thing I hear in the morning... Feel Like Making Love (that is his ring tone on my phone and it plays..."Baby when I think about you, I think about love.")  He calls me every morning to say Good Morning.  I look forward to that call every week day (because I get to hear it in person on weekends) and it always starts my day off right.

#2 - The unexpected lunch date.  It's been a while since this has happened but it's the highlight of my day when I get to take a break from the craziness of work and enjoy a meal sitting right across from my man.  It doesn't matter if it's chick-fil-a, San Marcos or Cracker Barrel... I always have a wonderful afternoon after sharing a meal and endless smiles with him.  And if I'm lucky or have been especially good, we both take off the rest of the afternoon and enjoy a day of window shopping together. 

#3 - Roses.  Yes, I said roses.  The first date Terry and I had, he brought me a rose.  And for my birthday, he gave me roses.  I saved the first date rose and one of my birthday roses.  If I get any more roses, I will do the same and take one from each vase I get and save it with the others.  Drying them takes about a week but whenever I see them, it brings back memories of when and how I received them.

#4 - Huggin', cuddlin' and snugglin'.  Yeah, yeah - the passionate stuff.  To say "I love you" is one thing but to show "I love you" is another.  Not all women love to cook, clean, etc. but I do.  I'm a southern woman and that is how I was raised.  The men are the main provider and yes, I know women work, too.  However, it's my pleasure to cook a home cooked meal and have it ready when my man comes home from work.  The best feeling in the world is when he walks in the door and comes straight to the kitchen to me.  He hugs me, kisses me and tells me how good it smells.  Now I'm sure your asking, "what does this have to do with what women want?"  After our dinner, we always snuggle up on the couch and watch TV.  And if it's not a week night... I get the pleasure cuddling up in bed with him and having late night conversations.  That's the time that I love the most.

#5 - Make me feel like I'm the only woman on earth.  Before I entered into this amazing relationship that I am in, I use to go to dinner with my parents and stare at couples having dinner.  You could tell if the guy was in to the girl.  If he was staring off into outer-space and there was no conversation - I knew exactly what the poor girl sitting across from him was going through.  I've been there and it sucks.  But then to see a couple who are both staring at each other, smiling, laughing and talking... made me realize that was what I wanted to experience in my next relationship.  Fortunately, I got it.  Reread #2.  When walking together or standing next to each other... holding my hand or placing your hand on the small of my back reassures me that I am yours and you want no one else.  Making me feel like I am your possession and you would have no one do any harm to me makes me feel like I'm the luckiest women in the world.

To sum things up... yeah, we love the tangible things but it's the small things that we adore.

Advice... from me???

Are you ready for this?  I was asked advice on how to keep your man happy.  Seriously, me?  The girl who, until now, has never had a relationship that was meant to be and actually worked.  But she asked and I gave my two cents.  I'm no "love guru" but here are the five tips I gave her.

#1 - Men LOVE food.  Period.  So, cook him a home cooked meal.  It doesn't have to be elaborate but getting up on a Saturday and making him some pancakes, biscuits or in my case, cheesy browns - they will love the effort you put in to making his day start off right.

#2 - If you don't know what kind of music he likes... give him subtle hints and when you figure it out - gift him a song on itunes that is one of his favorite jams.  You can purchase the song as a gift and it will send it to him to download for free.  You can also leave a personal message when sending the gift.  

#3 - Work in the same area?  Find out if he is going to be at work during that afternoon and surprise him with a hot fudge sundae... and you can score even more brownie points by bringing one more for his co-worker.

#4 - Send him an unexpected text.  Something like this... "Someone just caught me smiling and asked what's up... I said oh nothing but I was thinking of you."

#5 - Next time it's your turn to rent the movies, pick out something that he would like.  Not a chick flick or something that is drama but Transformers or Star Trek.  No - we don't like the blood and guts movies but they do... so we can endure one every once in a while.

My mental health day... (otherwise known as a furlough day)

Oh the joys of a sign of the times.  

I had the pleasure of enjoying two furlough weeks last year and since CNHI (the company that owns my magazine) liked it so much, it looks as if we will get one every quarter this year!  YAY!!!  If you can't hear the sarcasm in my voice... please try again. 

And since I had two "mental health days" left in this quarter... I decided to take one today.  I just knew that today was going to be rainy and lots of bad weather.  So it sounded like a perfect day to stay in my pjs, right!?!  WRONG!  After being up half the night with the flashing of lightening and the rumbling of thunder, I wake up to this...

Nothing but blue skies and some wind.  And of course, what do the weather folks say is on hand for tonight?  You got it, bad weather.  Perfect, I didn't want to sleep tonight!

So, what do you do on a mental health day?  Let's see.  I went to tan.  I talked to my man on his way to Alabama for a meeting today.   I'm watching soap operas, and just let me tell you... you can go three years without watching it and still know what is going on.  Later, I plan on watching Ellen... live!  Normally I DVR her show but not today... I'm kinda excited.  Where, you may ask, am I watching all this exciting line up of TV...

Picture me... planted in the middle of the remote and blackberry and Marleigh.  Yep - that's where I am right now... blogging away. 

Now, if I can just get the big man upstairs to open up the skies and let the rain fall down.  I could use a good nap before the nasty weather comes rolling in later tonight.

I love being a girl

I do, I do, I love being a girl.  

I love the shoes.

High heels, flats, boots, sandals, flip flops, tennis shoes...

I love the makeup.

Lipsticks, eye shadows, eye liners, mascaras, bronzers...

I love the clothes.

Dresses, pjs, jeans, t-shirts, baby doll tops...

I love the jewerly.

Rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and did I mention BLING?

I love the smells.

Home cooking, flirty perfumes, warm sexy candles...

I love the hair products.

Shampoos, conditioners, hairsprays, flat irons...

I love the love.

Slow sweet kisses, playful fighting, hugs, cuddling, the silence, the passion, the love...

However, some of these things do not mix with today's weather.  Rain, rain and more rain.  So on days like today... I love ponytails, pjs, blankets, chocolate and chick flicks.  As "girls" we deal with a lot.  Aunt Flo, drama from another mama, you know - the things guys never, ever deal with.  Going to work on a rainy day shouldn't be one of them.

My suggestion... let the men go out and work in the rain (they say we can't drive in it anyway) and let us girls stay home in our pjs and ponytails, under our blankets, eating our chocolate and watching our chick flicks (it should be a mental health day anyway)... who knows the men might come home to women with a new attitude.  He just might have a home cooked meal and a good lookin, do anything to please her man woman waiting on him to walk through that door. 

HAHA... maybe, just maybe.

A Milestone

Yesterday, we celebrated a milestone with Terry's parents.  Last Wednesday was their 47th wedding anniversary.  It's not often that you see a couple celebrate that many years together, and still be in love.  

We wanted to do something special for them, as they always make birthdays and holidays special for us.  After Terry and I talked about it, we decided that just going out to eat wasn't going to cut it.  After all, his mom usually cooks a big meal for the entire family on Sundays and we never bring anything but our appetite to the meal.  So, we asked his parents and his brother and his family to come over to the house for lunch.  

I love to entertain and make people feel comfortable.  So, I spent the week leading up to the event cleaning and re-cleaning to ensure the house was spotless for our guests.  Nothing went untouched.  Even the the rugs were washed.  It was a good Spring cleaning, early.  And since we do not have kids, only the spoiled rotten little dachshund... I bought some things for his nieces to play with outside.

 Sidewalk Chalk, Bubbles and Frisbees

The meal consisted of Italian baked chicken, loaded mashed potatoes, baked beans and you know I had some kind of bread... Sister Schubert Rolls!  YUM-O!  Oh yes and I guess I should add that Terry's family loves pickles... sweet pickles, dill pickles, long pickles, thin and crunchy pickles, they love them all.  And guess what I don't eat.... PICKLES.  (Sidney, this is why I think it's funny that you call me "pickles.")  Don't get me wrong, I love the smell of them and even enjoy the pickle flavored chips, just not the actual eating of a pickle.  But since it's a tradition at the Sowell dinner table... I had pickles.

  

This was the table before the guests arrived... and I should have taken one after everyone left but the thought didn't cross my mind.  And a tip - live flowers always makes a lunch or dinner table look a little elegant... my favorite is red roses since my dishes are mainly red.

After lunch, we all went outside to play with the chalk, bubbles and we all played frisbee.  It was fun to just get out and enjoy the beautiful afternoon.  The girls had fun with the chalk and I will have the drawings to remember the afternoon until the rain comes and makes a clean slate for the next time.

 

This drawing is by Emma.  

She said since this will be my first beach trip with the family, she wanted to show me what to expect.

After we had fun in the backyard, we came in for the anniversary cake by Carol Fanning.

 

 

All in all, it was a great day.  It's always fun to celebrate something but it's especially great to celebrate the love of two people.  I'm blessed with parents who will be married 39 years this year.  I believe Terry and I have two great examples of love and hope to one day celebrate our love with a milestone of many happy years like our parents.

What happened to Bugs??

First of all, let me tell you that I'm not a morning person.  I'm sorry, I know how everyone says it's the best part of the day and if you sleep til 8 or 8:30 it's just a waste of the day but I LOVE TO SLEEP IN!!!

Call it me getting old or maybe it's because the sun is up and my internal alarm clock won't let me sleep.  For the last couple of weekends, I'm up at 7 or earlier.  However, I can usually go back to sleep after an hour or so.  Not today.  And don't get me wrong, I have plenty to do today with Terry's parents' 47th wedding anniversary lunch being at my house tomorrow.  So, no worries, I have the washer going and thought I might sit down to fully wake up with a diet pepsi and some peanut butter cup cookies that are left over from last nights' girls night.  (I'll blog about that later!)  After sitting down, I grab the remote and turn the TV on.  I was watching ABC last night so naturally the TV was still on the same channel.

No problem, I watched the weekend version of Good Morning America and then...

WHAT THE HECK IS THIS????

Emperor's New School

The Replacements

What happened to Bugs Bunny?

 

You know... "Eh, what's up, doc?"

All I can say is thank God for HGTV!  Oops... that is a sign.  I'm turning into my mother!  

Lord help us!  

Remember when

Ever thought about your younger days and miss them?

I did last night and the one thing I missed most was mama's cooking on week nights.  My dad, brother and I were always fed by 7 p.m. no matter what my mom had going on during that day.  And the meals were never shabby.  They usually consisted of a meat and two sides and some kind of bread.  But there were some meals, especially during the summer, that only consisted of vegetables and cornbread.  And those were my favorite.  Let's face it, I LOVE cornbread.  From the Jiffy brand to Mexican cornbread to homemade butter milk cornbread... I love it!

One of the things I loved about our suppers was the fact that we ate as a family.  And since we ate around the time the news was going off, we might talk about our day but we were sure to play Wheel of Fortune with the TV while we ate.  Now in case you didn't know, I grew up in the country.  I'm talking about so far out in the country that cable didn't run out to our house.  Matter of fact - they stopped running it ten miles from our house.  And mom loved (and still loves) her yard, so she was not having part in a satellite.  She was not going to allow someone to place a huge, round, dust collecting object in her personally well manicured yard.  So we got our 3 channels, 4 if the sun was behind the right cloud.

For dinner last night, I was craving one of mom's meals.  It was simple but satisfying... macaroni and cheese, pink eyed purple hull peas and cornbread, Jiffy style.  And what topped off the meal, I watched the entire show of Wheel of Fortune without being interrupted by a phone call.   

It may not have been cooked by mama but it sure was good and brought back a lot of memories!

I'm very thankful for the wonderful childhood memories my parents made with me.  Yeah and I'm glad my brother is sometimes in them, too.  =)

What a difference a day (and night) makes

The nasty virus that everyone has been talking about, well, it hit my house.  Only it didn't affect me, it rendered it's fury on my four legged baby girl, Marleigh.  

I didn't sleep much Sunday night due to things running through my mind...  you know, taxes, photo shoots, things to do during the week, etc.  So I just knew that Monday night was going to be my night of getting some sleep that I so desperately needed.  Wrong.  After watching The Bachelor and just about lost my religion over who he picked, I went to sleep around 11 p.m.  And about midnight I was awoken by Marleigh whining and shaking.  And a few things went through my mind...

First of all I should probably share with you that Marleigh is my only baby.  She may not be human but she is and will forever be my first child.  For those of you who disagree, you can stop reading this now.  She is a chocolate and tan, short haired miniature dachshund weighing about 14 pounds.  

She brings me much joy and I don't really remember life without her.  She is my parents first granddog (they now have two, my brother has a long haired miniature dachshund.)  They love her so much that she goes and stays with them on the weekends and sometimes longer.  Marleigh isn't a cheap baby either...  She has had her fair share of problems over her almost 7 year life.  The shots she is suppose to get every six months, well, she is allergic to some of them so now she only gets the ones she HAS to have.  She has never been nor will ever be boarded so the wonderful docs at Till-Newell decided which shots she now gets.  That was just the beginning of my what we now call my "special child."

October 2007, after moving back to Meridian in Aug 2007, she developed a very high fever and stopped eating or even wanting to walk.  We almost lost her that Saturday night... but thanks to Dr. Misty McNeil and Dr. Daniel Newell at Till-Newell she recovered from what they call, a mystery.  And as many know, dachshunds are known for having back problems due to their long spines.  You guessed it, she had a ruptured disc in her neck in July and had to have major surgery at the MSU Vet Hospital the first week of Aug 2009.  Thankfully, she has recovered from all the above and is doing great now.  She is expensive, but very much worth it.  She is a cutie but her personality alone will make you fall in love with her.

Thinking the worst Monday night, it was a relief to know that she was only having tummy problems.  This continued however every 30 minutes.  And if you recall, Monday night was cold, rainy and windy.  She has been trained to only go outside and that's all she knows.  So every 30 minutes, we were going outside in the monsoon.  Both of us would come in wet and cold after each trip out.  So, yesterday morning we were at the vet at 7 a.m.  She got two shots, two different pills and a paste (which smells like peanut butter) and can only have chicken and rice for the next few days.  It was still rough after we got home yesterday morning but by noon things were looking up.  

No rest for the weary though, I had photo shoots all afternoon.  Mom came to sit with her while I was gone and fixed her rice to go with the chicken I had boiled.  (I can cook but have no clue how to make rice.  It is always gooey when I make it.)

Finally, at 8 p.m. last night, I was in the bed and sound asleep.  And my sweet little girl slept, too.  She woke me up at midnight needing to go out but we came back in and she climbed in her recliner and slept until 6 this morning.  I'm telling you - my bed never felt so good.  And I'm thankful for no bags under my eyes today!        

Customer Service kudos!

It's not often that you can give props for a job well done with customer service, especially at a fast food joint.  But I can honestly say that today's drive thru experience was one of the best ones I have ever had.  

Every once in a while I get a hankering for KFC.  And today, after a morning of sheer chaos, I wanted to fulfill my desire for some yummy fried chicken, potato logs and one of those buttery biscuits.  So I did just that.  Drove my car straight to the North Hills KFC drive thru, not expecting to have the experience that I had.  After ordering, I pulled up to the window to pay and the very young lady took my debit card and said, "you want honey mustard, right?"  I said, "that would be great" and thinking to myself, wow, I didn't even have to ask.  Then as she is giving me back my card and handing over my food another question comes out.  "What do you drink?"  Having to think for a minute, I said, "excuse me?"  She politely asked me again the same question.  Me, being the lover of Diet Pepsi that I am replied back with a puzzled look on my face, "diet pepsi, but I didn't order a drink."  So she told me to sit still and she would be right back.  

She comes back bringing me the biggest cup of diet pepsi I have ever seen.  And for the first time today, a smile broke out on my face!!  I told her I would pay her for it and she said "no way, you just have yourself a great day."

Talk about unexpected. 

Gotta love the small things!!

Blogs I'm reading...

By now, I'm sure most of you know that I'm a member of the newly formed Blogging Babes.   I'm excited to read and see how different our blogs are.  And the reason I'm posting this is for you to see if you might be interested in any of these.  These ladies are funny, loving and caring and you may laugh, cry or think... she's exactly right after reading them.  I encourage you to follow their blogs and go on this journey with them as they tell their life stories through blogging.

Abby Dennis

Angela Payne 

Angie Denney 

Mandy Haynes 

Sandra Hammon 

Sheena Davis 

Sidney Covington