"Diapers and the Old Wet Hen"

Lil' Mama has recovered from her bout of Strep so things are back to some form of normalcy around here, whatever that looks like.  *insert my photo here with a puzzled look in my eyes*

Yesterday Lil' Mama came in from her classes waving a piece of paper in her hand, and as my Daddy would say, "she was mad as an ol' wet hen".  She had gone to her car after classes and found a parking ticket waiting for her.  She was livid!  She says she arrived early for her class, still all the parking places were taken.  They're in the midst of a building project at the school so some of the parking lots are not in use right now.  Sooooo, what to do?  She parked in the Teacher's Parking Lot, which she says always has lots of open spaces.  OOOOhhhh, what a mistake!  Anyone who has spent any time around a college campus knows that faculty parking is considered "hallowed ground".  Still, Lil' Mama says she paid for her classes, she bought a parking permit, and it's not her fault that there's no place for her to park so she can attend her classes, though she did mumble about how she wasn't gonna park waaay out in the field because she didn't feel it was safe. (?)  She plans to take this up with the campus security on Monday.  Can she win?  No way, but it never hurts to calmly let your complaint be heard.

How much is the ticket?, I asked.

"$15 - that's a box of diapers", she snapped.

I hear versions of that reply very often these days, ie, "I could buy a box of diapers for what it costs to do that". . ."Why, that's half the cost of a box of diapers". . ."That's a lot of money, I could buy diapers for that". My how her world has changed.  Now that she has a child, all discussion of money is made in comparison to the cost of diapers. I gotta hand it to her, that girl can budget, and she can sniff out a bargain in town or online - she knows what things cost and she's not gonna  buy anything that's not clearly a bargain, and give her a coupon and you've made a friend for life!

BTW, here's our little Grand Diva, user of said diapers.
She doesn't seem to be worried about the availability
of her diapers, does she?!

I'm not as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was.

"I'm not as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was."  Do you remember this Toby Keith song?  I'm humming it today as I tend to things around the house.

Lil' Mama is sick.
She went to the doctor Friday and he diagnosed her with strep and said she was to stay far away from Haylee Kate for three days.  I understand that.  She's taking her meds and beginning to feel like a person again.

DAY #1
I tended to Haylee Kate with nary a "hic-up" in the day from morning til bedtime.

Day #2
I let a lot of things around the house ride, and spent my time caring for HK.

Day #3
Mister is helping.
I'm still in my pajamas,
and counting the hours till tomorrow morning when Lil' Mama will be freed to take care of HK!
We didn't make it to church.

Yes, it's true, "I'm not as good as I once was, but I'm as good [one day} as I ever was".  Day two and three?  Not so much.

Cake, anyone?

I got this text from my sister.

She's at Mom's house cleaning out her freezer.

Mister and I celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary in May.

I think we'll pass on the cake.

Miley Cyrus

What has gone wrong?

The entire world seems to be slinging a lot of trash talk toward this young woman since her admittedly "raunchy" act at the VMA awards. 

 Did she have it coming?  Yes.  

Did she ask for it?  Yes.

Was this the first time we've seen young Hollywood starlets behave in this manner?
NO!

Unfortunately we've seen this this sort of thing waaay to often.

Like most everyone else I was totally disgusted by such behavior, at first.  But the longer I thought about it the sadder I became.  I'm sad for her.  I'm sad for her parents.  I'm sad for everyone who loves this young woman and wants nothing but the best for her.  Somewhere along the way Miley has lost track of what makes her so special.  We've seen lots of teens do this, though most of these "melt down's" don't take place on a national TV stage.  It would be simplistic to point the blame finger at her parents.  If the truth were told I'd bet their heart is breaking to see their daughter behaving like this.  If you've ever parented older teens you know that after age 18 there's not a lot a parent can do regarding their child's behavior.  If a child is determined to self-destruct often a parent is forced to stand by helplessly and simply be there to "pick up the pieces" when the child tanks.  

This young woman is tanking.

And it's sad.

The Blame Game:  

1. Shame on everyone in the audience who applauded her.
2. Shame on every magazine who will write about this for their financial gain.
3. Shame on the network that aired her act.

                             

Sweet August

The school bus goes by each afternoon.
And, the sales fliers in the paper all shout "back-to-school".  I must admit that I miss all the excitement of having a school girl and/or school boy in our house.  Those were sweet times.  Lil' Mama had her first day today as a full time college student.  I love it, but it's just not the same.  She did all the prep - bought her own supplies, as well as her clothes.  Rightly so.  But I still miss it - having little chicks with school lunch boxes and new pencils - If you have this in your life right now, enjoy it.

Enough time spent on nostalgia, there's always somethun' happening around here to keep me occupied.

Here's the condensed version of our weekend. . .

Friends we haven't seen in 15+ years, or even talked to in probably 7 yrs. contacted us to say they were in Houston and would love to stop by that afternoon to spend the night and go to church with us the next morning.  They had their own plane so making a stop in LA would be sort of "on their way home" to Okla.  They came, we visited, and then they were gone.  It was so good to see them, but it all seems a bit surreal right now - sort of like I heard about it, but am not sure it really happened.  Know what I mean?

The weather is still hot and humid here, but change is in the air - our evenings are beginning to be a little cooler.  I can actually "smell" Fall in the air, even in the daytime. Whoa, sweet August!

Please slow down and stay a bit longer!

  

That's it from the Bayou on this mid August day.
Did I mention this is my very FAVORITE time of the year?

Happy Birthday to ME!

So very thankful for yet another year!
Woo! Hoo!

Well, the truth about a mirror
Is that a damned old mirror
Don't really tell the whole truth
It don't show what's deep inside
Oh, read between the lines
And it's really no reflection of my youth

  ~SATCHER, LESLIE / HOLMES, MONT
     fROM "tROUBODOUR"

On Edge

I'm a little "on edge" today.

It's a toss-up as to who's the "fussiest" today, Me or HK (she's teething).  I'm still nursing this darn "eye thang" and I'm not a good patient, or a "patient patient" (love the double words!).  My eyes sting and they itch and are raw - they're not any better than they were on Tuesday when I first went to the eye doc.  Today my doc was "not in" so I went to see a different doc and I liked his attitude (hand holding) much better.  New meds now and hopefully my peepers will be much better in the morning.

I have figured out lately that Mister and I are no longer "TV compatible".  His hearing has declined and now the TV is cranked loud enough to be heard in Heaven's attic.  I hate to say anything since he really can't help the decline in his hearing, but after a few minutes of SCREAMING, SCREACHING, BLARING TV, I have to leave the room.  Can I get an "amen"?! (no, I don't like the bedroom TV)

And then there's my cooking. (or lack thereof)
I.Am.So.Tired.Of.My.Own.Cooking.
Do you ever feel that way?
Same ol' same ol'.  Blech!
I've only cooked twice this week and don't plan on cooking this weekend.  I may get fired.

My eyes.
My ears.
My cooking.

I must pull myself together.
Tomorrow.

Itty Bits

"Eye, Eye, Matey  Doctor!"

Eye had to go to the  eye doctor today, as I have a raw, itchy, very red, eye.  Eye have an eye infection.  I thought perhaps it was an allergy, but nope.  AND, earlier in the day, before going to the doc my contact lens began to bother me.  I went to take it out and only 1/2 of it came out of my eye...Suffice (love that word) it to say that the other half of my lens is now out of my eye and I have some magic eye drops that I hope will make it all better by tomorrow, if not sooner.  Bizarre day.

I also got my hair cut today.

That in itself is not news, however, my hairdresser had quite the story to tell.  She had been walking across her yard and was bitten by a copperhead snake.  (I know, now my sore eye pales by comparison.)  This gal spent 5 frightening, painful days in the hospital, but has recovered.  Scary stuff!!  This IS Louisiana.

I really want to eat healthier.
Really, I could begin to try to do better in any area of my diet, as there is so much room for improvement. I decided to work on improving my bedtime snack.  Yes, I have a bedtime snack.  Are you judging me?  Don't judge me.  Pleeeease!   (remember I have a sore eye and I'm very delicate today).  Anyway I  decided to make a healthy smoothie, rather than eat the usual bowl of ice cream.  Go ahead and judge me, I deserve it, who eats ice cream every day?  *hanging my head in shame*  Anyway, I washed the strawberries & blueberries, added the non-fat Greek yogurt, and even threw in some Kale.  Then I cranked up the blender to "Puree", only to have the pretty pink smoothie liquid begin to ooze from the bottom of the blender.  What's that about??!!  Guess the blender is on the blitz.  I cleaned up the sticky mess, ate a cookie, and went to bed.  *sigh*

I will end on a positive note - it rained today!
YAY!!

Right Here. Right Now.

A once a week post of what I'm thinking about in regards to my faith.

I'm not a deep-thinker, nor a Bible scholar,
so you can be sure this "Sweet Tea" sippin' girl
is just thinking simple truths.

* * * * * * * * *

I can go with this.
How about you?

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for each and every person who reads these words.  Please love on them and grant them special favor and blessings today.  Strengthen them where there is weakness and give them peace where there is distress.  Gladden their heart with the kind of joy that can only come from you.

~Amen

The "Fab Four"!

"Really Dah-ling, I have other things I'd rather be doing".

"Does this swim suit makes me look fat"?

My baby with her baby.

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

The "Fab Four"!

What a joy to get all my Granddolls together at the same time!

Paige, Kaylee, Grace, Haylee Kate

Love! Love! Love! Love!

Face time.

On our trip back to Tulsa last weekend I had the rare opportunity to see my Bunko GF's.  I simply can't imagine my life without these girls in it.  We've been doin' life together for 25 years and each of them is special to me in a variety of ways.  "Oh the stories I could tell!", but I won't.  *smile*  Marriage, divorce, birth, cancer, moves, job changes, death, and every other challenge and celebration you can imagine. We've been though it all together. Nothin' better than spending "face time" with special friends!!

"And if you threw a party
Invited everyone you knew
You would see, the biggest gift would be from me
and the card attached would say,
Thank you for being a friend".

~Andrew Gold

Right here. Right now.

A once a week post of what I'm thinking about in regards to my faith.
I'm not a deep-thinker, nor a Bible scholar,
so you can be sure this "Sweet Tea" sippin' girl
is just thinking simple truths.

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

We are so much more than our flip-flops.
More than our bank account.
More than the car we drive.
More than our job or our house.
We judge/and we are judged, each time we interact with people, like it or not.  Our appearance, our vocabulary, our attitude.  It's all out there for the world to see.

I hear someone slinging obscenities.
I make a judgment.
I see a pregnant woman smoking or drinking.
I make a judgment.
I see people leaving trash in public places.
I make a judgment.
I mention these things because these are things that come quickly to mind.

No.  I'm not proud of my list.

Wouldn't it be great to have a "Super Power" that enabled us to look at the heart of people.  Bet we wouldn't be making nearly as many judgments if we only knew the path that other people walk and all the things & people they are dealing with at the moment.  It would probably make for less judgment and lots more love.

This verse both comforts & stings when I think about it.
It's true, the word of God is a" two-edged sword".

*The Preacher has left the building.*  (giggle)

Thoughts?  Observations?

"BOO" and "YAY"

When I was in Middle School our school had an annual Fall Hayride.  It was a BIG deal in our small school.  One of the things we loved about the Hayride was the tradition of the "Boo & Yay Bit".  Have you heard of that before?  It went something like this -

Leader:    The Principal said we couldn't have hot dogs round the camp fire this year.
Students:  BOO!
Leader:    He said we could Hamburgers AND hot dogs!
Students:  YAY

Leader:    The Girls will all be required to ride on the Green hay wagon.
Students:  BOO!
Leader:    The Boys will all be required to ride on the Green hay wagon with them!
Students:  YAY!

Leader:    NO smooching will be allowed at the Camp Fire.
Students:  BOO!
Leader:    All smooching must be done in the hay wagon!
Students:  YAY!

And on and on it went. . .

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Here is my "Boo and Yay" bit for today.

"My favorite all cotton-"go-to" white Capri's accidentally went thru the HOT dryer cycle.!"
BOO!! (Boo Hoo Hoo Hoo!!)

"I signed up for an online Bible study."
YAY!! (I can wear my pajama pants)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

*At this particular time in my life I really don't have the time to do an in-depth Bible study, or even a study that requires me to "meet up" somewhere weekly outside my home.  Soooo, I accidentally stumbled across this Bible study online yesterday.  (I don't think it was an accident - I think it was Divine leading.  Really. I do.)  If you're curious or think this might be something you'd be interested in, you can read about it HERE.  I've never done anything quite like this, so it's a "first" for me.  It's called, "Faith Dare".  I don't think it's affiliated with any type of denomination, just a 30 day, Bible-based study for Christian women.

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

So, got a "Boo" for today?

A "Yay"?

Or both?

"That's what I love about S_ _ _ _ _."

I don't think there's a single line in this song that doesn't raise a red flag in my memory bank.  Love. Love. Love this. Every time I hear it I feel "instantly refreshed".  (I can't say that about many things.)

Does any phrase from this song bring a memory/thought to mind for you?

"That's What I Love About Sunday"

Raymond's in his Sunday best,
He's usually up to his chest in oil an' grease.
There's the Martin's walkin' in,
With that mean little freckle-faced kid,
Who broke a window last week.
Sweet Miss Betty likes to sing off key in the pew behind me.

That's what I love about Sunday:
Sing along as the choir sways;
Every verse of Amazin' Grace,
An' then we shake the Preacher's hand.
Go home, into your blue jeans;
Have some chicken an' some baked beans.
Pick a back yard football team,
Not do much of anything:
That's what I love about Sunday.

I stroll to the end of the drive,
Pick up the Sunday Times, grab my coffee cup.
It looks like Sally an' Ron, finally tied the knot,
Well, it's about time.
It's 35 cents off a ground round,
Baby, cut that coupon out!

That's what I love about Sunday:
Cat-napping on the porch swing;
You curled up next to me,
The smell of jasmine wakes us up.
Take a walk down a back road,
Tackle box and a cane pole;
Carve our names in that white oak,
steal a kiss as the sun fades,
That's what I love about Sunday,
Oh, yeah.

Ooh, new believers gettin' baptized,
Momma's hands raised up high,
Havin' a Hallelujah good time
A smile on everybody's face.
That's what I love about Sunday,
Oh, yeah.

That's what I love about Sunday,
Oh, yeah

Itty bits

Here are a few of the itty bits of thoughts on my mind at the moment.  (this IS why we blog, isn't it??!!)

Have you ever noticed that on the "Pioneer Woman" TV program, her kids NE-VEH complain about any food she prepares?  I swear they would eat Scrambled Egg w/Tuna Hash and tell her it was awesome.  Where did she find these kids?  Surely they are not of this planet, OR they've been coaxed to say those things for the sake of TV.  Just sayin. . . Then again, if the Pioneer Woman was cookin' for me I'd say it was awesome too.  Hmmmm.

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

Today went from Plan A, to Plan B, to Plan C, to Plan D.  Still, it all worked out.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * 

If my hot flashes get any worse I may need a tee shirt that says "Combustible" on it.  My Mom assures me they will go away someday, but I'm 10 yrs into this and still flashin' regularly.

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

I have a Gift Card (which I received for Christmas) to a Spa for a massage & pedi and have still not used it. I know.  "Cra-Cra", as my daughter says.

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

I've been having some bouts of sleepless nights (even after taking Ambien), then I realized that Coke Zero meant Zero calories, not Zero Caffeine.

I know a person who goes to the library every two weeks and checks out four books.  At the end of two weeks she returns them all, always unread, and checks out four more.  Over and over and over again.  What sort of "issues" do you think she's dealing with?  (Be gentle, I get my feelings hurt easily.)

Now I can go to bed and sleep peacefully, with out a single thing on my mind, since I left it all here on the printed page/screen.  Let the record show I won't be drinking any Coke Zero for a nightcap.

Right Here. Right Now.

A once a week post of what I'm thinking about in regards to my faith.

I'm not a deep-thinker, nor a Bible scholar,
so you can be sure this "Sweet Tea" sippin' girl
is just thinking simple truths.

* * * * * * * * * * 

1. Let HOPE keep us joy [filled].
2. Be CONTENT TO WAIT [with things that are troublesome].
3. PRAY [every time you you think about it & try to think about it often.]

I'm glad God cares not only about the hereafter, but about how we feel each and every day.  Glad that he cares enough to give us the secret to living a happy life, right now, in this very moment!

*That's what this verse says to me*

Thoughts or Observations?

Bye Bye Birdie.

A pair of Cardinals have nested in a fake tree we have sitting on our patio.  The phoney, fake, faux plastic trees sit pushed into a corner of the patio next to a large window outside our living room.  We've had lots of fun watching the nest take shape, the eggs appear, and then the little baby birds, four of them, mouths wide-open, up-stretched, waiting for the parents to come feed them. They were homely, skinny little things at first, then they turned "fluffy" and cute.  Each morning we peered through the window and watched them grow as the new "parents" flew to & fro feeding them.

Then yesterday we awoke to find this!

All the babies were gone.
We haven't seen the Mama bird either,
but the Daddy bird keeps flying by as though
he's looking for his family.

Don't know who/what invaded their little home.
We had no bad weather or high winds so some type

of critter must have found them.

Boo! Hoo!
You can tell I wasn't raised on a farm and/or exposed
to the circle of life very often.

"Bye. Bye. Birdies".

  

Louisiana Dreamer

I had one whooper of a dream last night.
I started to write about it then decided it wasn't nearly as exciting on the page as it was in "dream-vision".  It was one of those detailed dreams with lots of people and sub-plots and things that made no sense at all unless you were "there", and you weren't, as almost everyone involved were family members.  Strange.  It wasn't a scary type dream but it was a stressful dream.

I woke up nervous & jittery.

I'm glad to say my day went far smoother than my dream.

I know they say we dream every night, but often don't remember what we dream.  Do you tend to remember your dreams?

Right here. Right now.

A once a week post of what I'm thinking about in regards to my faith.
I'm not a deep-thinker, nor a Bible scholar,
so you can be sure this "Sweet Tea" sippin' girl
is just thinking simple truths.

Nine years ago, when we moved from Oklahoma to Louisiana, we set about finding a church home for our family.  I'm picky, so I knew this could be a "hard find" for me.  We visited several churches in our area.  The first Sunday we visited (what is now our church home) the Pastor went to the front and said, 

"I have great news, God is not mad at you!"

Everyone sort of smiled and looked around sheepishly. I've been in church all my life and heard a bazillion sermons, but I'd never heard anyone say exactly that in exactly those words.  

Friends may move away.
Family may disappoint.
People may misunderstand.
But GOD never moves away, disappoints, or misunderstands.
His love is constant and unconditional.

Do you love that as much as I do?

That's what I'm thinking about today.

Sundays

Hope you're having/had a good Sunday.
Today was a typical Sunday at our house - probably not very different than a Sunday in lots of homes across our great country. . .We got up a little later than we'd planned and had to hurry around to make it out the door to church.

Dishes were left in the sink.
But it doesn't really matter.

Home-grown, ripe tomatoes are waiting on 

the top of the counter, a gift from a friend.

Some after church fun with HK.

Then some snuggle time.
Always time for a snuggle or two.

Sundays "feel" different from any day of the week.
Do you think so?
We move slower.
We keep to very little routine.
Afternoon naps are an option.

Books and newspapers are sometimes read,
sometimes not.
The TV is on in the afternoon - sometimes someone watches, but sometimes it's simply background noise.
Very little is actually accomplished while we move in low gear, sort of "idling" along waiting for the week to really begin on Monday.

Did I mention I don't cook on the weekend?
After 44 yrs of marriage I feel I've earned the right to not cook on the weekends, so that means it's always cereal for breakfast,  lunch (or dinner) out, and a snack from the pantry for any other meal.  It works for us.  What's a typical Sunday like in your house?

Maybe I'm the only one who thinks about this sort of thing. . .

I find the details of ordinary days fascinating.