Another Monday

 

Try-out

Trying a post from my Kindle. This could come in handy for doing a quick post.,,,,,tell me about the good old days.

Blogaversary

Eleven years ago today I began blogging. I think my first post was a couple of sentences about rednecks.

Then, an especially awesome event happened later that same day, Alexis, aka, the Chick, came into this world and started immediately exploring her surroundings. She's still exploring and is so intelligent. 

Happy 11th birthday little southern Chickie.

A Personal Photo Challenge - Shadow Play

I wasn't going to do this challenge because things have been up and down here but Miz Donna Staas reminded me and I decided to go through old photos I've done in the past to see if any were worthy.  I hope to some day have just a smidgen of the talent that our hostess, Miz Donna from TN has.  Not sure of these but here they are:

 

Here is our Beans when she was a baby. She was pretending to be asleep while partially sitting beneath our oak tree.  The leaves were barely moving but there were a few shadows about when she was out of the sun.

Some of my favorite shadows and shades are on the lost road where I have taken many photos over the years.

Shadows across Zach's face as we sit in the truck waiting for tae kwon do to start.

 Y'all need to click over to see all the other folks who played with shadows this week.

Busy and Frustrating

I was on the phone for hours today with the school office, the counselor, the principal, the resource office, the college, and finally the Sheriff.  I know a little more than I did but not a lot and the Sheriff was kind enough to correct a huge mistake that was made.  Tomorrow I'll go pick up Zach's transcript, get his things from his lockers, and hopefully find out something about credit recovery for at least one semester of Algebra III this summer (keep your fingers crossed!)  We will also meet with the Sheriff tomorrow to see about some possible counseling options.

It's frustrating to try to communicate with people who don't actually care if you are familiar with what you want to know and need to know.  I am thankful for the ones who do.

Please keep us in your prayers because I don't want to lose my patience in my old age and end up in jail.  They tell me the coffee sucks there.

Oh, and I have to get him enrolled and ready for Homeschooling this week.  That alone might be a cause for jail time.

Brick Pile Keeps Growing

I wonder how long it'll take me to have enough to build something? 

I wanted something to drink and something sweet so after going through that dreaded Wally World earlier I stopped by the Sonic Drive-in for a med. mocha/caramel java chiller figuring that would kill two birds with one stone,,,ah,,,brick.  The young lady brings Zach's route 44 sprite and my java treat so I gave Zach his and sat mine on the dash in order to pay her.  Then, all I did was reach up to get my chiller to sit it in the drink holder and wouldn't you know that I grabbed too close to the top and spilled about 10 ounces of that icy, icky, sticky, cold, messy, stuff on the steering wheel, the floor, my pants, and anywhere else it could drizzle and meander to.

Let me tell you, 10 ounces doesn't look like a lot until it's covering the entire inside driver's side of your pickup.

Jax licked me all the way across the yard to the door.  Puppy and Jasper took over there to get their licks in until I got out of those pants.

A tub of soapy water later and the truck and I are not icky, or sticky anymore.  But then I spilled some coffee in the microwave.

Calf rope! I give!

I do the Stupidest Things!

THIS was supposed to be posted here but instead it is HERE.  My lucid moments don't last very long.

"Selfish?"

Am I being selfish for wanting to be respected, valued, and considered by my children?

Miz Donna's Photo Challenge. Layering Textures.

I had a reminder about Miz Donna's Photo Challenge: Layering Textures so I took several deep breaths and decided that this might be a good way to slowly get back into the blogging mode.

So, here goes. I hope my attempts are ok.  I chose to use two photos that I took a week ago.

original photo

Autumn leaves using a cracked texture in Perfect Effects 3.

 

Original photo

Autumn Thistle after using the Earth texture effect from Perfect Effects 3.

I always enjoy these photo challenges and wish to say thank you to Miz Donna for hosting them.

It's time for another of Miz Donna's Photo Challenges.  There will be a bunch of great links to great shots of FLOWERS over at her place so be sure to click over and take a look.

Bitterweed

 

 

 

 

 “A weed is but an unloved flower.”
― Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Primrose

 

“The earth laughs in flowers.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thank you for giving us these chances to use our cameras Miz Donna!

Photo Challenge: What I Love About Spring!

Did everyone have fun with this challenge? It's been Spring-like here most of the time but there have been a few days that's made me wonder if Winter has been harder to shake this year. It's not too late to join us, just sign in and post your link over at the Photo Challenge Blog.  We love to see what others shoot!

I love the smell of the fields after a Spring rain and the growing crops peeking up out of the soil. The photo below is corn.

“Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world.”
― Virgil Kraft

It's amazing to watch the winter wheat fill it's heads with grain to be harvested in a few weeks.

“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke

 

 

How awesome it is to see the blooms open up once again as the days grow warmer and longer.

“She turned to the sunlight
    And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbor:
    "Winter is dead.”
― A.A. Milne, When We Were Very Young

“I suppose the best kind of spring morning is the best weather God has to offer.”
― Dodie Smith, I Capture the Castle

Don't forget to click over to our Challenge Blog and click the blue links to see all the other wonderful shots for this challenge!

Simplicity: A Personal Photo Challenge

It's time for Miz Donna's Simplicity Photo Challenge!  I had some shots that I was certain would be for my post until this morning woke up with a foggy haze so I had to use a couple of shots to show off our simple countryside.

Something which is easy to understand or explain is simple.

 

 

Simplicity can be used to imply beauty, purity, or clarity.

It can refer to a simple living lifestyle.

 

 

It was a most enjoyable Challenge Miz Donna and I'll be looking forward to the one in May. Please remember to visit the Challenge Link to view more Simplicity photos.

Photo Challenge: Still Life (2nd try)

I hate it when I've worked so hard on a post and find that this blogger is a fruitcake and posted her challenge photos on the Challenge Blog rather than where she was supposed to!

I hope everyone was able to visit all of our talented challengers by visiting our Photo Challenge Blog and clicking their links.  My photos are also posted there because I'm so ditzy.

Photo Challenge: Words

Here I go again, giving it another try with another challenge because I so love to see the photos that my blog buds come up with for each one.  Leave a comment if you'd like and be sure to click the blue links on our Photo Challenge Page so you can view all of the wonderful shots that our other challengers have taken.

Words on a sign to tell a little of the history of the near-by town of Helena, AR.

My e-reader has nicks and smudges but it's becoming more and more full of words for me to read.

Another sign with words telling us some more of the history of Helena, AR.

Don't forget to check out all the  other great "shooters"!

A Personal Photo Challenge: Black and White Photography

I didn't realize my friend had also chosen today for her Black and White Photography Challenge until after I'd also chosen that day to do one but I still wanted to do both so figured out this way to do it.  Hopefully it will be ok.  Be sure to click on her link to enjoy her awesome talent with a camera as well as all of the others who are participating. Thank you Miz Donna for allowing me to join your challenge too.

Sunflowers on Presidents Island, Memphis, TN.

 

Bird Chatter

 

Spring trying to raise her head.

Thanks you again Miz Donna! It was fun!!

Happy Birthday James

From the left, James, Danny, and Rod and their Mother, Wilma.

 

Caught a catfish.

Working in his garden

You  would have been 61 today and I miss you so much.

Exhausted Frustration

Mercy but I've been having some trying times these past many months.  Many days I've wished I didn't even have to face another same ol' day.  Most of those days I've forgotten what day of the week it is but that problem is getting better now that Zach's martial arts classes have resumed on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

Anyway, I've posted a new photo challenge over on our Photo Challenge Blog if y'all are still interested.  I've been a sorry hostess lately so please accept my apologies. Please don't give up on me!!

 I have been snapping a few photos now and again.  I haven't gotten out very much over the Winter months but I sure hope to as it gets warmer.  On Tuesday I went to a talent show at our local school.

Jillians best friend and Jillian singing "Zippety Doo Dah" at the talent show on Tuesday night.

Alexis and her friend, Falon, singing "Anything You can Do" at the talent show.

My great-niece, Mikah (in purple) and her friend singing "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together".

Our little country school sure does have a load of talented students and Mrs. Palmer, the 5th grade teacher, did an excellent job getting everyone together to let all of us see and hear that talent.

A New Year

 Dear James,

I think about you all the time, And I still don't know
how to act, what to say, or how I'm supposed to feel,,
I take it day by day and just try to deal
With the unanswered questions and all the raw emotions.


I still wait for you to come home,,, or perhaps I'm just waiting

for the time that I'll see you again.

Photo Challenge: Autumn in All Her Glory!

Time to show off our latest challenge shots. I just love toting my camera here and there so that I can stop and snap when something lovely catches my eye and I love sharing what I see. Click to make the photos larger for the best view.

I love the colors of Autumn but I don't like that it leads to longer nights and Winter.

Another shot of the old Shubach barn. Every year it looks more and more weary.

Bales of hay are a common sight here in the delta but there are fewer this year due to the drought.

The setting sun seemed to make that same old barn behind our house glow like a newly minted gold coin.

I have great respect for the farmer who will plow and plant around one lone tree in his field. I wonder every time I pass if maybe that tree hold irreplaceable memories that he wants to hold near.

 Please go to our Photo Challenge Blog and click on the blue links at the bottom so you can see all of the other participates to this challenge.  You won't be disappointed, I promise!

Selling Bibles

 Selling Bibles 
 

(If this doesn't make you laugh, just go ahead and close
  your casket!)

A pastor concluded that his church was getting into very
  serious financial troubles. While checking the church storeroom, he discovered
  several cartons of new Bibles that had never been opened and
  distributed.

So at his Sunday sermon, he asked for three volunteers
  from the congregation who would be willing to sell the Bibles door-to-door for
  $10 each to raise the desperately needed money for the church.

Jack,
  Paul and Louie all raised their hands to volunteer for the task.

The
  minister knew that Jack and Paul earned their living as salesmen and were
  likely capable of selling some
  Bibles.
  But he had serious doubts about Louie who was a local farmer, who had always
  kept to himself because he was embarrassed by his speech impediment.
 

Poor Louie stuttered badly. But, NOT WANTING TO discourage Louie, the
  minister decided to let him try anyway.

He sent the three of them away
  with the back seat of their cars stacked with Bibles. He asked them to meet
  with him and report the results of their door-to-door selling efforts the
  following Sunday.

Anxious to find out how successful they were, the
  minister immediately asked Jack, "Well, Jack, how did you make out selling our
  Bibles last week?"

Proudly handing the reverend an envelope, Jack replied, "Using my
  sales prowess, I was able to sell 20 Bibles, and here's the $200 I collected on behalf of the
  church."

"Fine job, Jack!" The minister said, vigorously shaking his
  hand..."You are indeed a fine salesman and the church is indebted to
  you."

Turning to Paul, "And Paul, how many Bibles did you sell for the
  church last week?"

Paul, smiling and sticking out
  his chest, confidently replied, 'I am a professional salesman. I sold 28
  Bibles
  on behalf of the church, and here's $280 I collected.'

The minister
  responded, "That's absolutely splendid, Paul. You are truly a professional
  salesman and the church is indebted to you."

Apprehensively,
  the minister turned to Louie and said, "And Louie, did you manage to sell any
  Bibles last week?" Louie silently offered the minister a large
  envelope.

The minister opened it and counted the contents. "What is
  this?" the minister exclaimed. "Louie, there's $3200 in here! Are you
  suggesting that you sold 320 Bibles for the church, door to door, in just one
  week?"

Louie just nodded.
 

"That's impossible!" both Jack and Paul said in unison.
  "We are professional salesmen, yet you claim to have sold 10 times as many
  Bibles as we could."

"Yes, this does seem unlikely," the minister
  agreed. "I think you'd better explain how you managed to accomplish this,
  Louie."

Louie shrugged.. "I-I-I re-re-really do-do-don't kn-kn-know
  f-f-f-for sh-sh-sh-sure," he stammered.

Impatiently, Peter interrupted.
  "For crying out loud, Louie, just tell us what you said to them when they
  answered the door!"

"A-a-a-all I-I-I s-s-said wa-wa-was," Louis
  replied, "W-w-w-w-would y-y-y-you l-l-l-l-l-like t-t-to b-b-b-buy
  th-th-th-this B-B-B-B-Bible f-f-for t-t-ten b-b-b-bucks---o-o-o-or---
  wo-wo-would yo-you j-j-j-just l-like m-m-me t-t-to st-st-stand h-h-here and
  r-r-r-r-r-read it t-to y-y-you?"

Remember when the funniest jokes were
  the clean ones?
They still are!