a Confession

Therefore confess your sins to each other...
James 5:16




Sometimes the truth is just so darn embarassing -




But, hey, I'm among friends, "aren't I"?





My very own resident Husband makes
THE ABSOLUTE BEST FUDGE
in the entire world, so my
transgression is basically his fault.
"The man. . .he did make me eat".

It's true.


I had the pan of fudge in one hand and a spoon in the other...and I ate to my heart's content. I tell you it was not a pretty sight.
"I plead insanity", pure and simple.



Now I'm on a SUGAR-HIGH!



But not to worry, I've got it under control.


(I think this is soooo funny!)

Tonight I laugh.
Tomorrow I try to fasten my jeans.

What does this say to you?

I found this lovely (?) work-of-art
on the wall of my Husband's favorite
BBQ establishment.
I know art is a subjective medium,
so I gotta ask,

"What does this art say to you?". 

             * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Aside from what the "art" says to you,
"I" personally want to say to YOU:

Thanks you for holding my hand during my recent pity party.  I had no idea at the time I was having technical difficulties.  Now I know and I'm happy once again in Blogland.  Someone probably should have slapped me and said "Snap out of it", but you were way to kind to do such a thing. THANK YOU!

Poor. Poor. Pitiful me.

This is gonna be a pitiful post - so indulge me just a bit, cause I know how it's gonna sound. I am feeling quite blue and feeling as though I have fallen off the end of Bloggy World. You used to like me. You used to stop by to comment. You shared my life. You made me laugh. But now I pour up big glasses of Sweet Tea and there is no one to share them with. The ice melts in the glass and the tea is left to grow stale.  Poor.  Poor.  Pitiful Me!

Where the heck is everyone?
Is there a "Boycot Sweet Tea" button going round?
I miss you.
All 79 of you my Followers.
It's beyond pitiful to beg, kinda like asking for a compliment.
I guess if you have to ask that says it all.

NO Condom-mints allowed!

Through a fit of laughter I heard Princess & her BFF mocking their Vice Principal (shocking isn't it?!) as the poor woman had announced to their entire Middle School that there would be "NO condom-mints (VP's distinct pronounciation) allowed in the cafeteria", not one package of ketsup, mustard, or pickle relish would be available for their hot dogs from this day forward. She reported that Jason had taken a quantity of condom-mints into the hall and methodically stepped on said condom-mints, squissssssshing them and making real trouble for the school's custodian.
Therefore condom-mints would no longer be available.
She repeated for emphasis, "No Condom-mints"!
She seemed surprised by the smiles and laugbter that followed such an important announcement.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Geesh.
I think they got the message.
The one she intended they get,
and the hilarious one that is still entertaining
them, even though school is out for the summer.

And, "NO,
they do not pay her enough".

The Great Spode Caper

Behold the beauty!

DUM-DA-DUM-DUM!

MaMa is NOT happy!!

Mama: Dearest Husband of mine, do YOU know anything about the chip on this plate?

Husband: Why NO, Dear, I have no idea!

Mama: Dearest Princess, do YOU know anything about the chip on this plate?
Princess: What plate???

Mama: Dearest Kramer doggie, do YOU know anything about the chip on this plate?
Kramer: (rolls over for a belly rub)

After this thorough investigation
I think it is reasonable to conclude that some
Hardened-Crazed-Dish-Criminal
broke into our house, leaving no clue of entry,
and chipped my NEW Spode plate.

**CASE CLOSED**

Do you think I've been insulted?

As we drove through the Drive-Thru Car Wash today, the Attendent pointed to the Posted instructions we were to follow:

1. Lower your antennae.

2. Place the car in Neutral.

3. Keep hands off (Steering Wheel).

4. Do not step on the brake.

My husband looked at me
then commented that those rules
were the same ones he lives by
daily to get along with me.

Do you think I've been insulted?

Entirely Random!

I am going to ramble,
which is why today's Post is
entitled "entirely random" -

I spent 2 hours this morning de-hairing
my body, which I know is of great interest
to everyone on the planet.

My Mom always said one had LESS hair as
one aged.
"Mom, you missed it on this one!".
I painfully waxed both eyebrows, my upper lip
and my chin. Geesh!
But, "No" this time I did not
wax my nose hair.
I have learned from past mistakes not to do that.
Instead I used the little hand-held
Nose Hair Zapper which pulls them out by
the root - what it missed I finished up with
tweezers. *%&#!!
Then I smeared my face with Benedryl,
followed by Antibiotic Cream...
THEN I put on my makeup which promptly
slid off my face...Oh well, now I'm BOOtiful,
as the granddolls say.
Beautiful these days means,
as-good-as-it's-gonna-get.
Know what I mean?!

Played Solataire last night in the wee hours (insomnia)
and won two games in a row!

Princess is still priming
her bedroom walls. I went in while ago
and there she was perched
on a ladder "priming away"
with not a thing between her and the carpet.
She seemed quite indignant when I brought
that to her attention,
reacting as though I was quite unreasonable
and anal. Imangine that!

One more thing -
"I told you this was random".

Want to try something new?
Try a Wine-a-rita!
Mix your favorite red wine with 7-up.
(2/3 red wine to 1/3 7-UP)
Freeze overnight, then scoop out with an
ice cream scoop.
Now you've got some slushy,
Wine-a-rita Goodness! Yummy!
NO, I've not had one today.
Yet.

I'm out the door to the store now,
no bra - it's too hot.
Folks are just gonna have to
Deal with it!"!
I'm thinkin' my
itty bittie t____'s are my business!!

HAVE A GREAT
WEEKEND!

A Special Day!

Today is my Dad's Birthday.
This is one of my favorite photos of him,
I think it was taken when he was 35ish.
Isn't he handsome?!

He's been gone for 2+ years now,
but he still lives on in my heart.
He would be 89 years old today.

If you still have your Dad be sure to
tell him often just how much you love him.
I did, and it's such a comfort to have no regrets.

Girlfriend Tribute

Behold!
These gals are some of my closest "forever" friends.
We go waaaay back and with each passing year they grow still closer to my heart.
Where would we be with out our GF's?

This photo was taken last weekend when I traveled to Oklahoma to connect with my "Sisters of the Heart". Since I moved from their fair town we get together each Summer. One year I drive there and the next Summer they drive to see me in Louisiana.

That's me on the left, standing next to my longtime

friend, H, who's wearing the red top. We first met
while we waited outside the kindgergarten door for our boys, many long years ago.
There's not much we haven't seen together on life's road, teenage angst, illness,
death of a child, long distance moves, etc. etc. Her enduring faith and sweet attitude
absolutely amaze and encourage me. She is a rock with a BIG heart.

The extremely TALL gal, next to H is actually my real bio sister D - though "incognito" at this photo shoot. She was with us the night before our Sat. outing, but left on Sat feeling a bit under the weather. My bio sister, D is "the Bravest, Strongest, most Courageous Woman" on planet earth. She is currently battling breast cancer enduring weekly chemo and hardly missing a beat if at all possible. I can hardly wait for the HUGE Par-tay we're gonna throw when she is through with chemo and cancer will be nothing but an ugly word from the past!!

The gal wearing the white and pink is MM.

I laugh just to think of all the places we have been and all the situations/experiences we have waded/stomped/marched through together; certainly there is enough to fill a book. You just wouldn't believe some of our stories even if I had time to share them. She is my friend of "extremes". She will admit to living a very quiet, sedate life for a while, then through a series of events she lived a very high energy, hair-raising, worry-me-to-death-at-times life, but she ALWAYS lands on her feet and I have learned to never worry about her cause she has a way of making the best out of things, REGARDLESS.

The cutie on the far right side is my young friend, MO.
It pains me to admit that I have known her since she was a very little girl for quite a long while.

She is smart.
She is a great Mom.
She married young and beat all the odds and I could burst with pride when I think of her and the great woman she has grown to be. And, I love the fact that even though she is busy she always makes our yearly get- togethers a priority!!

I am blessed to know each of these gals and to call them "Friend"!
Now, I'd love to hear about your friends.

Want toPost a tribute to
your Girlfriend(s)?
Feel free to copy & paste this
cute little graphic if you'd like.
And I'd love it if you'd give me a
mention and link back to me,
but it's totally up to you, GF!
Tell us about your
best Gal Pals.

Princess and the "P" (parent)

This is Princess, our resident 14 yr old.
This is her goofy, Rocker Chick pose.
Don't you wish she lived with you?
LOL

She's actually a typical 14 yr old girl,
no tatoos,
no weird piercings -
just a bit of an attitude at times.

I'm gonna blog about TODAY because it was a day I want to remember....Princess chose to go with me to run errands and we had a GREAT TIME!
She was funny.
She was sweet.
She was pleasant to be with.
I'm thinking the moon must have been perfectly aligned with some planet and her hormones must have been at low tide - the makings for a perfect day. We laughed and talked our way through my "to do" list and came home with our errands complete and our dispositions still intact.

It must have something to do with
Summer sunshine and good fresh air.
I'm breathing deeply today.

Way COOL!

How cool is this?!
I toured a winery last weekend
and this was the sink in the ladies restroom!

"YES", I took a photo in the restroom;
nothing is off limits to those who Blog.
We are a strange breed, aren't we?

Sun, Surf, Sand, and Sweet Tea

Yes, indeed.
It has been a difficult week for me. (*giggle)
NOT!!

There's certainly no denying that God must spend his summers at the beach reigning down peace and serenity to all who visit. And here I am drinking my Lipton "Sweet Tea" while enjoying the moment(s) at Flora-Bama, where Sun, Surf, and Sand abound.

All the while my good, great, wonderful, Bloggy Friend, Beverly, of "The Beverly Buzz" was here, dodging Ninja Birds and eating Flies, in order to charm you with her tales in my abscense.

What a Friend!!
Thank you so much, Beverly.

And for your great "Guest Blogger" work
I now bestow upon you the coveted
award of:

You've earned this!!
Use it proudly!

THANK YOU, GF!
(I kicked your butt?! Oh No!
Surely not Moi?)

***I'm leaving in the morning to drive to Tulsa, OK, for our annual BUNKO Get-Together on Grand Lake. I've been friends with these gals forever and I can't wait to see them. I only get to see them once a year since I live in LA now...Did I mention I can't wait to see them?!
Tell ya all about it when I get home on Sunday.

We May Be Talking WAR

Beverly here again--guest blogging for Sweet Tea, who is still soaking up the sun.

I'm wondering--is it too early in the summer to declare war on the outside world? Or should I just stay inside till cold weather sets in? Usually, I'm up for working in the yard or just being outside. But I'm starting to have second thoughts. It looks like the critters have it in for me.

Case in point: my accidental drinking of a fly yesterday. You can read about it here if you're so inclined. Every sip of my beloved Diet Mt Dew since then has been taken with more than a little trepidation.

Then this morning, I was doing some weeding and overdue planting of annuals when I came across this beauty. Okay, maybe the one I made contact with wasn't quite this big, but it sure seemed like it. And she obviously was protecting some eggs because I would swear she CAME. AT. ME. I have no qualms about saving my own rear and so said spider is squashed beyond recognition. As are her egg sacs.



THEN this afternoon I walked out our back door and came upon a mama robin--who in a secret life is a ninja! This nest is atop the light fixture outside the door. Just about every time we go in or out, we disturb her bringing food. I guess today she'd had enough. I opened the door and she went into full ninja mode! I tried to find a picture, but no luck. This bird was standing straight up in the air with her wings stretched out as far as they'd go. And she was telling me off! I immediately slammed the door shut and found another way to leave the house.





I know you're looking at these sweet baby birds and cooing. Aren't they cute? So sweet! NO, they're not! As soon as these fly the coop (so to speak) that nest is history! Next year, the light is going to sport a rubber snake or owl! This is the driveway underneath the nest....

Boy, I really DO need to lay off the Breyers Strawberry. Even my toes are fat!

What a Difference a Day Makes

Do not adjust your monitors. You have indeed landed at Sweet Tea. She has the audacity good fortune to be sunning on the beach for a few days. Sweet Tea will return tanned and rested before you know it. In the meantime, I'm tickled to death to be here and will try to fill her shoes.

My name is Beverly and I hope you'll visit me at The Beverly Buzz. I've been blogging almost a year--bamboozled into it by my daughter. I think she's created a monster--between blogging and Facebook, I'm always on the computer! My claims to fame include the best husband in the world (married 33 yrs!), 4 kids, and 5.5 absolutely wonderful grandchildren (#6 is due in August). Raised in the south, I consider myself a lady, but don't underestimate the smart mouth behind that slight smile.

Every Thursday for the past few weeks, I post what I call Thankful Thursday. I saw this idea on a couple of other blogs and thought it was a good idea, so I stole it. This last week, I waited till the end of the day to post and unfortunately had had a bad day and shouldn't have gotten near the keyboard.

Isn't it amazing what a change 24 hours can bring?

My heart is full to bursting right now and here are some of the reasons why--in no particular order.

I have a good friend I've never met. She goes by several different names--Sweet Tea is one or you might call her LA girl. She never fails with encouraging words and has even kicked my butt once (though she may not realize that's what she did). It's strange how easy it is to open up to people one has never met. But that's exactly what we do in bloggyland. How many times have you presented a problem or dilemma and gotten just the answer you need ?

What's your favorite day of the week? Why? Mine used to be Friday because my hubby doesn't usually work that day and we could spend it together, but things have gotten in the way--so now my favorite day is Saturday. Darrell and I wake up early and hit the local yard sales. Ya wanna know a secret? Darrell used to hate yard sales, but he started going with me so that we'd be able to have time together. Now he's worse than I am. Used to be I'd have to practically threaten him to stop at a sale, now HE's the one slamming on brakes.

I love that people want to get rid of stuff and are willing to set it all out nicely for me to paw through. You never know what you might find--I'm learning to look beyond the outside and see the potential. Ohhh, that was deep. Could that also apply to my relationships? I'll have to think about that one. (Kidding--I know that saying about some book and its cover.)

My parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last week. Amazing. They are actually my aunt and uncle, but raised me from the age of two. I didn't realize till a few years ago that when they married, my aunt was 41 and my uncle was only 27! That cougar on TV Land ain't got nothing on my aunt! You go, girl!

Well, guess that's it for now. I know there's a lot more that's making me feel so great today, but you and I both need to shut off the computer and go outside!! If it's as beautiful where you are as it is here, don't miss it by being in the house!

WARNING

Do not be alarmed as there is time if you act quickly.
I repeat, "Do Not Be Alarmed".
Walk calmly to locate your sunglasses and place them next to your bed. When you awake on Friday reach for them, IMMEDIATELY. Then, run to cover the eyes of your children, your husband, and your pets. A blinding, neon white glare will be cast upon the entirity of the southern states, but you my Bloggy friend are prepared. You can thank me later, as I'm

OFF TO THE BEACH!!
Oh Yea, Baby!

The glare from my white pastey legs
will be more than most humanoids
can tolerate, so don't say I didn't warn you!!

I'm feelin' like one "Lucky Duck"!
Our friends have invited us to share their 4000 ft. condo
for FREE!!
"Thank you Jesus, the giver of all good things!"

"But will you miss me?"
NO!
Not one bit!!
BECAUSE - I have a Mystery Blogger who will be here
sippin' Sweet Tea and filling my Blog with sweet (ok, semi-sweet) words for your enjoyment. Be sure to stop by and join her!
And don't forget to wear your Sunglasses!!

Gamblers and Fancy Women

Ebay is my Friend!
Look what I bid on and WON!!
Can't wait to hang this is my Guest Room which I have decorated in a New Orleans theme. Doncha love it?!

Can't decide if I'm a "Fancy Woman" or a Gambler?????

Happy Birthday Mother!

Happy Birthday Mother
on the occasion of your 80th birthday!

We had a fantastic Family Birthday Party for my Mom last Saturday with all the local family attending.

The adults ate cake. . .
(and waaay too much ice cream)


The kids ate then played...

It was beautifully sunny day and a fitting way to say "Happy Birthday" to someone we all love so much!

* * * * * * * * *

And, we even managed to squeeze in time to take our youngest daughter and our three Granddolls to Woodwark Park on Saturday afternoon. We took a gazillion photos while they romped. How does the song go, "If I could put time in a bottle..."