So Much for Plans to SLEEP Late

A squawking Ya-Ya and a pup named Daisy, who was enticing Ya-Ya to squawk by appearing at the storm door, while dancing as graceful as a young elephant on the front porch, woke me up a lot earlier than was my intention.

I threatened to BBQ Ya-Ya but it's too cold for me to go out and scold Daisy.

mutter, mutter, ^%$#*@!

Just in caseI don't make it back tomorrow.

I promised Zach we'd buy him some fireworks for tomorrow night and we'd try to stay up to greet the new year. I stopped going out to celebrate the festivities a few years ago when I found it too hard to keep my eyes open long enough to enjoy a party.

I've also got to get my ingredients ready to cook up a big ole pot of black eyed peas for dinner New Year's Day. I'm going to try cooking them a little different this time with the usual ham, but with an addition of some seasoning veggies, and also simmer them in chicken broth. I'll let you know how they turn out. There will for sure be a big pan of hot cornbread to go along with them.

Black eyed peas have long been a southern tradition for the New Year's table. They supposedly bring good luck for the coming year, and eating them shows "humility". Some Southerners have been rumored to eat one pea for each day of the year to insure good fortune! They are a humble food, therefore, eating them represents humility. The taste of black eyed peas are unlike other beans, and unless you've grown up eating them, you may find the taste a bit "earthy".

Whatever ya'll do to celebrate the coming New Year, make sure to have loads of fun and stay safe!

Why I Should Go On Strike; Why I Don't Like Snow; and Why I'm Drinking Margaritas on Saturday Afternoon

It's winter and James doesn't have to work much during the winter months. It's holiday time and Zach's out of school until Jan. 7th. These two little items means it's no rest for the weary (or is it the wicked?, I foget).

On Monday James forgot to put the trash container out beside the road for pick-up, this was Christmas Eve, so you can imagine why it was/is a big deal to have a full container going into one of the trashmakingest days of the year.

Since James had gathered up all the trash in the house a few days ago, I thought he was storing it in the shed until time for the next weekly pick-up. Apparently it doesn't pay for me to think, because I was wrong.

This morning, as I was sweeping and mopping the utility room (a chore Zach was supposed to have completed due to it being his muddy boots that made the mess), I looked out the back door to find at least half of the contents of 2, huge, hefty bags scattered all over the deck. I'm quite sure the mess perps were Daisy, who'd been out for a romp, and the neighbor's St. Bernard. They must have thought they'd just throw a big ole trash party cause it took me quite a bit of time, in bare feet and pjs, to pick up and sweep up all their left-overs.

I'm still muttering obscenities.

Feeling sorry for myself, I decided to take a little break and look through the mail. While glancing through the 2008 Old Farmer's Almanac, I read that it's predicting a snowy Winter, a cool Spring, and 100+ temps for Summer. The snow news, even if it's only remotely possible, lead to thoughts of why I don't like snow.

snow= kids playing in it
Kids & snow = more messes for mopping up and more laundry.

There you have the reasons for the Saturday afternoon margaritas.

2007 Vocabulary Favorites

The 2007 Washington Post's Mensa Invitational asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

The winners are:

1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.


2. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.


3. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.


4. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.


5. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.


6. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting lucky


7. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.


8. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.


9. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.


10. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.


11. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)


12. Karmageddon: It's when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, and then the Earth explodes, and it's a serious bummer.


13. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you


14. Glibido: All talk and no action.


15. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.


16. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.


17. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.


18. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

Santa Was Here

That little, fat, man came zooming in and broke the bank, but he made all the kiddies happy. I am sure glad he took his jolly, ho,ho, hoing self back to the North Pole for at least a year though.

Have you noticed they've already started putting out Valentine's stuff? What'd they do, make their employees work after Christmas dinner yesterday?

We did the Christmas Eve thing at MIL's , then came home and let the kids open their presents from us. After everyone left and Zach went to sleep, I waited up for Claus (or Ho,Ho, as Beans refers to him) and baked two pumpkin pies. Claus did a good job except he was so tired (or in the sauce, I'm not sure which), that he forgot to put the stocking stuffer stuff in the stockings. I had to rush around Christmas morning to do that little chore.

There were 12 of us for Christmas dinner and boy did we have a feast. I don't think anyone left here hungry.

I hope everyone had a glorious day!

WTH is up with Blogger?

Nuttin looks right. I hope it looks better tomorrow or I'm going to start thinking I'm losing my mind here. Anyone else having problems with blogspot?

I had to write this down before I forgot

Best quote of the day after James mentioned he tried to find the noisiest toys he could.

Jerri: Yeah, and Jami's girls all got quiet things that only click a little. What did mine get? A baby doll who shits, and a singing pig!"

Hahahahahaha, I'm STILL laughing.

Merry, Merry Christmas!!

I don't have to pluck the turkey or shoot the hog but I reckon the next couple of days are going to be a bit hectic around here so just in case I don't make it back

I wish you the Merriest of Christmases!!!

You know you're a Nanaw when,

you find an imprint of Strawberry Shortcake/Power Rangers/pacifier somewhere on your body when you wake up in the morning.

you can still distinguish between a cry of pain, one of anger, or one of sheer frustration.

you can sleep with one eye open and with one butt cheek on the bed, both due to the little bed hog sleeping with you.

you can, and often do, weave your way through a toy obsticle course without cursing more than once.

you can also manage not to curse more than twice, or scream too loudly, when your foot finds that lost leggo block,,, the one with the evil, sharp, edges.

you can recall all the nursery rhymes you knew as a child, with a little prompting.

you can interperate toddler speak well enough to know that "Moonie in ma butt" means they put that nickel in their panties instead of in their pocket and you need to dig it out.

you learn to do your very best to never let them see you cry because they think it's a new, very funny, game.

Ho, Ho, Hum,,,

We were on our way to a town up the road a piece today and during the drive I started thinking. We've been married almost 37 years, we've spent 36 Christmases together, 36 anniversaries, 36 birthdays, and this man still does not even know my shoe size. He also doesn't have a clue about my likes or dislikes. The only sure fact he knows about me is that I am a pretty good cook and that's a good talent cause he likes to eat.

I think I married an alien.

I was also thinking of all of his endearing qualities as we rode along, the ones that mostly drive me batshit crazy, such as,

Waiting until we're on the highway, surrounded by traffic (not a lot mind you, but enough to turn your brains into mush if you meet them on their side of the road), to decide he needs to put on his seat belt. One of these days I'm going to pass out from holding my breath while he's fumbling around looking for it.

Farming from the road. When he's driving and looking to see what this farmer has done, or that one over there, the truck drifts to whichever way he's looking. I ride along with my eyes closed sometimes so I won't see a near miss.

Refusing to read the danged instructions or operating manual before putting something together or attempting to operate something. He's had this truck a couple of weeks now and some of the controls are on the steering wheel, for example the radio, the ON STAR, (some other stuff that I couldn't read in the manual while we were weaving all over the road while he was attempting to decipher the symbols). Those ON STAR folks are soon going to start treating him like the "boy who cried wolf" if he doesn't stop accidentally turning that thing on. I don't know what all that stuff is either but I'm not going to be driving his truck much so I can get by with only knowing the basics. (Jerri and I went over 75 miles the other day before we figured out how to turn on the a/c).

His insistence on wearing that horrible shirt that he's wearing to a funeral tomorrow. I didn't buy it, he says he didn't buy it, we're not sure where it came from. It's got this horrible striped collar, and he likes it, so he's wearing it. I'm staying home with Zach.

BUT, he finally completed one of the things on his "Honey Do" list today. We finally went to pick up the chair that I bought from his sister. It's only been just over a year and a half since I bought it. Good huh?

Meme from over at Donna's place

Donna had this over at her blog yesterday so I'm a'doin it too cause she asked us to.

Fact #1: I love birds and I especially love hummingbirds. I've taken so many pictures of the birds that live in my yard that one pair of Mockingbirds lets me get pretty close and almost pose for me.
Fact #2: My favorite flower is a sunflower, mainly because of their sturdiness and bright colors. One of my sunflower photos won best of show at the Tri-County fair in September (it wasn't the one below). Sunflowers make me smile.

Fact#3: I hoard things. I think this trait came from both of my grandmothers who were also hoarders, but it could be also that we didn't have much growing up and had to make do with what we did have.

Fact#4: I don't like to be late, and if I am late, something unavoidable happened to prevent me from being on time. It also makes me crazy and antsy to wait on someone who's habitually late.

Fact#5: I do not like to shop especially if I'm going to have to shop some where that will be crowded.

More Ho, Ho, Ho

I'm supposed to be sitting in the dining room floor wrapping the rest of those presents but instead I'm sitting here googling Christmas cartoons.

December Sadness

December just doesn't bring the same joyous feelings of anticipation to me that it does for most people, I guess it's because so often over the years we've lost so many of our family members during this month.

It's happened again this year, I had a phone call early yesterday morning with the news that my ex-BIL had committed suicide. My sister and their son, Michael, arrived in the town where he'd lived today to make funeral arrangements. This has been doubly hard for her because a good friend of her's died on Saturday, also from suicide.

Sometimes I wonder if our family is cursed.

Happy Birthday Baby Jesus!

Presenting the Chick, aka, Alexis, and Jilly Beans.

Ho, Ho, Ho

Christmas comes about every 6 months now, doesn't it? It sure seems like it. I really do believe it only came about once a year back when I was a kid, of course then it seemed like time was creeping. Now time flies and I'm creeping.

I STILL hate WalMart

Good grief but I wish I didn't have to drive 120 miles round trip to do my every day shopping cause I'd never darken the door of another WalMart for the rest of my life!

They've probably stopped throwing darts at a photo of me in the employee lounge,,,they're more than likely using an axe now.

Merry, Merry

The other day as we were looking at the toy catalog (we've worn out 2 around here already), Jilly Beans pointed to Santa and said, "Ho-Ho". That sweet little voice took me back about 25 years ago to a memory of another little voice, my nephew, Jacob, who gave Santa that very same name. Don't kids come up with some amazing things?

I believe Jerri and Alexis have been instructing the Beans on the real meaning of Christmas too because she's been going around for 2 weeks now singing Happy Birthday to baby Jesus.



Is everyone 'bout ready for Christmas?

I Believe In Angels

Because an Angel touched my life today.

I don't even know how to tell her how thankful I am to be able to call her my friend, but thank you Christmas Angel for being who you are.

Church of Riches

As we parked in one of the parking lots of the Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis last Saturday I looked up at the huge church and thought, "Wow, this is a church? How does a church do what churches are supposed to do and still become rich enough to build all this?"

We chose an entrance to enter (out of many) and passed over lush carpets below sparkling chandeliers in one of the lobbies. We passed by a gift shop and circled around the amphitheater-type sanctuary which had many doors marked with letters of the alphabet (reminded me of the gate areas of a big airport) to lead you to your seating.

The tickets to the Singing Christmas Tree program were reasonable at $10 apiece, but just at the matinee performance there were over 5000 visitors, so I was pretty stunned when just before the grand finale the pastor came out to do a little preaching and had the ushers pass around the collection plates.

I was much impressed with the lovely program but I was not impressed with the image of riches that the sight of this church gave me, this church who's services are televised every Sunday morning. I am unimpressed in their church ministries to the poor. For one thing, I never knew that there were participant costs for Mission opportunities. A church this magnificent should be able to afford to send those church members who have the desire to participate in Mission trips to foreign countries, yet the costs per participant is from $1,500 to $2,500?

They do have a program where members can chose to adopt a needy family at Christmas, but does the church also provide for these families? I could find no information about this.

Maybe I have the wrong idea of how churches should operate because I've only ever attended small churches where every member is known and the offerings that are taken up every Sunday go to the needy after the bare necessities such as electricity and a living for the Preacher have been paid.

I was raised in the knowledge that the people who gather to worship are the church, not the building they worship in. Is something wrong with my way of thinking?

Where I Come From

Here's a repeat from awhile ago that a thoughtful blog bud sent to me.


Miss Kris asked me if I'd like to do this and it looked like fun so here goes. These are the instructions she had with her meme.

What this Meme is about is writing your very own personal poem about "Where You're From"...and it's very personal because you'll use bits and pieces from your life to write about. It's so simple...and the results are remarkable. I'm including the outline for you to use...it's up to you to fill in the blanks. Here is the outline:

I am from _______ (specific ordinary item), from _______ (product name) and _______.
I am from the _______ (home description... adjective, adjective, sensory detail).
I am from the _______ (plant, flower, natural item), the _______ (plant, flower, natural detail)
I am from _______ (family tradition) and _______ (family trait), from _______ (name of family member) and _______ (another family name) and _______ (family name).
I am from the _______ (description of family tendency) and _______ (another one).
From _______ (something you were told as a child) and _______ (another).
I am from (representation of religion, or lack of it). Further description.
I'm from _______ (place of birth and family ancestry), _______ (two food items representing your family).
From the _______ (specific family story about a specific person and detail), the _______ (another detail, and the _______ (another detail about another family member).
I am from _______ (location of family pictures, mementos, archives and several more lines indicating their worth).

Let me know if you decide to try it yourselves so I can come see!

Here is what I was finally able to construct.

I am from the envy of starch-stiff can-cans hanging on a clothes line,
From Juicy Fruit gum and lick-em at leisure Slow Poke Suckers.
I am from the nothing near fancy, this place and that,
A tree for switches in the back.
I am from the cotton fields and morning glories, cracklings fresh from the oven,
The scents and tastes unbelievable unless you'd savored them yourself.
I am from huge family hoe-downs, blond ladies with green eyes,
From Laveada and Ruth, and Grandpa Fisher.
I am from the family of men who faithfully served,
And women who kept the home fires burning and porch lights on.
From don't forget to say please and thank you, and I had a good time.
I am from The Old Rugged Cross and Sunday school classes,
Summer Bible School and Baptist baptisms.
I'm from a small town hospital near our southern country spot,
And before that came tepees and the rush for land,
Home-made sauerkraut and skillet cornbread hot with fresh-churned butter.
From the horse thief who hung from a scaffold,
The man with red hair who died before I was imagined,
But who left his hair and eyes to my son,
I am from the small packet of extra prints that others gave me,
The scrapbooks so lovingly thought through,
So as not to forget where I came from.

Busy, Busy Week

It's been a hectic week around here, I don't even remember what we did every day except for 2 of them. Zach and Alexis, aka, the Chick, were promoted up to a yellow belt in Tae Kwon Do and were both proud as little peacocks. (Nanaw and Mom and Dad were pretty proud too).

Today we (6 adults) took this bunch of roughnecks to see the Singing Christmas Tree program at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis. It was totally awesome. Many thanks to Jerri's Aunt Peggy and her Mom, Banny, for letting us join their "Are We There Yet" club for such a fun outing.

James was kind enough to let us drive his "new" truck to Memphis with a warning not to "wreck it or get a scratch on it in any way or else we could never come back home" so when he called around 5:30ish to see if we were on our way home I replied to his query with, "Yeah, we stopped for a bite to eat and we'll be on our way as soon as we can get the truck outta the shop". There was about 1/2 second of silence on the line before he bellowed. Ha! I probably made him have a couple of kittens and puppies there before I started laughing.

Up a Creek

Add in the price of oil and you're without a paddle too.


After reading about this incident, I reckon there may be a bunch of folks trying to change their names soon.

Finally!

James was finally able to take possession of his new (used) truck yesterday. Maybe I'll have a rest from all the aggravation now. It's too darned purdy to be put on the farm though, by next fall there'll be enough dust gathered inside to plant a little cotton crop.

Ditzy Days

I still feel yuck and on top of that I'm dropping, tripping, spilling, and bumping my way through my days. This evening as I was taking my chicken and rice out of the oven, I somehow stuck my hand to the roof of the oven. That made me feel pretty danged stupid besides the fact that it hurts like the devils own branding iron. Luckily I'm also finding that I have a high pain tolerance lately which is almost a good thing.

Living with 2 males of the species isn't helping matters either. They open cabinets, my head finds them, they leave a drawer open, my leg finds it, they leave a glass of water sitting on a table, I spill it all over the table, the carpet, in my purse, on my checkbook, and on my feet. It was only a little glass, where does all that water come from????

Sniffin and Snortin

I kept Zach at home yesterday cause he'd crouped all night the night before and was running a little fever, now he's passed the bug on to us. My throat is sore and my head is all stuffy and James is coming down with the same stuff.

Zach and Alexis had their Tae Kwon Do exam/test/demonstration this morning so we were at the college gym until after noon. They both did exceptionally well but it'll be next week before they know if they've advanced.




The Chick (Alexis) was sitting in my lap the other day and asked me to tell her a scary story. I told her the one about a "one-armed man at a lookout point" using all the scary voice tricks I knew, heck I was even scaring myself. After I finished I asked her if she was scared and she said, "Well, no,,"