May. From my perspective.

May has begun
on such a happy note.

 

My friend's son returned from
Afghanistan; boots back
on US soil!

Another friend took her last chemo

treatment today!

and . . .

the nice UPS person rang my doorbell
and left my new camera
on the front porch.

I've been pretending to be a
photographer.

I love to play "make-believe".

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

How did the month of May get it's name?

"Maia was a Roman goddess; the mother of Mercury and the daughter of the god, Atlas. The goddess Maia was in charge of the newly growing plants that appeared each year in the springtime. Today the month of May retains the name that still honors this Roman goddess."

~from "It Thing"

Neck Bones and Pig's Feet

Big rush on the local store today -

Bring on the neckbones

and the pig's feet!

Blech!

Would you/could you eat either one?
I'm not very adventurous
when it comes to food,
or travel, or money, or medical issues,

or vehicles, or . . .

OK, I'm not adventurous. 
Not adventurous at all.

Period.

I'm a "beans & cornbread" kind of girl.
Meat is negotiable - I can take it or leave it.

However, when we moved to Louisiana
I did taste fried "gator".
(I almost gag now, thinking about it.)

It just seemed the thing to do
at the time.

What's the most adventurous

thing you've ever eaten?

Yes to NYC!

Good Morning Blog Friends!

If you've been following my Blog you know we've been toying with the idea of taking a vacation to NYC, and you also know I've been dragging my feet...No more!  I made the reservations and we are set to go. 

Can't remember if I posted this or not, but originally we had planned to take our 3 granddolls and vacation in Washington, DC, but oldest grand was frightened at the thought of flying, so we nixed that idea.  After making our NYC reservations I posted on FB that we were planning a vacation in the Big Apple.  Then, Saturday afternoon I had a series of texts from our oldest (14 yr.) Granddoll (GD).

GD:  So I heard you're going to NYC.
         I WANNA GO!  I would fly for NYC!
         Please take me?

Me:  Have you talked to your Mom and
         Dad about this?

GD: I'm already begging them!

Me: Are you SURE you would fly?

GD: For NYC...YES!

Me: Tell your Mom I will call later
        and we'll discuss it.
        We'd love for you to go.

GD: LOVE YOU.  LOVE YOU.
       I'm so glad I'm named after you all.  ;-)
  
Her Mom (our daughter) is going to call the school today and see if Granddoll can be excused for those days, as she will still be in school at that time.  The rules are very strict, but I've got my fingers crossed it can be worked out.

Aren't kids funny??!!

We are thinking that perhaps next year we can go somewhere and take the two younger Granddolls. Perhaps somewhere there is an amusement park - something we think they would enjoy.

Busy. Busy. Days. Ahead.

EDITED to add:  Granddoll got the OK from school.  Just booked her ticket and she is Good-to-Go!

                         

"IT" Revealed.

                     What Good Sports you are               
for all your "creative" guesses
about "IT"!

Here is how the guesses have panned out:

Hand Mixer           3 vote

Alarm Clark         1 vote

Coffee Maker        4 vote

Alarm Clock           1 vote  

  Birthday Card        2 vote 

    Hair/blower/Dryer      3 vote       

      Reading Glasses      1 vote      

    

Many great guesses,

but alas, they are all

WRONG.

This is "IT",

The Canon S95

I read lots of reviews about
lots of cameras and soon came

to realize that no one likes everything

on any one camera.  Then, it began

to get confusing.  A decision needed to be
made, and this is what I choose.

This will be my 4th camera in less than
four years (*blush).I lost one.
I broke one.
The camera I got for Christmas this year
has photos on it which it refuses to upload

onto the computer.

I'm optimistically sure
this camera is gonna be
a camera I love.
(fingers-crossed for luck)

               

        

 

"It"?

I've heard of people who simply
stop a watch from keeping accurate
time by putting it on their wrist.

Don't know if that's true or not,

but that's what "they" say.

I used to have a special knack
for tearing up vaccuums
and had to buy a new one
each year.  Now "it's"
something else.

Here's a riddle for you -
Mister says that he buys
me one each year.
I must admit that is an accurate
staement given the last few years.

I now need another "one".
It has nothing to do with me.
I.Am.Innocent.

Take a guess - what do you
think "it" is?
(I'll let you know the answer
in tomorrow's post.)

Tidbits.

Not this kind of tidbits...

This kind,

chit-chat tidbits.

Thank you, Jesus!Youngest son (grown man) text yesterday that

he was going to the dentist today,

which translated meant "I have been 'dipping'

for a very long time and I have a spot

in  my mouth I am worried about".

Today's text -

GOOD NEWS - It was NOT cancer!!
From my mouth to God's ear -

"Thank you, Jesus!".

Also, received word from a friend that her

son, who is in Afghanistan,

and who we have been praying

for daily, will be home in 20 ish days!!

Lots of Thanksgiving in my heart today!!

You gals are full of wonderful ideas

advice, and even surprises, at times.

Your response to my last blog post

SURPRISED me.

I am totally "surprised" at how many

"home-bodies" there are in our ranks.

I thought everyone would say,

"Get-on-that-plane-you-wimpy-
'fraidy-cat-and-GO!"

There were a few of you who

encouraged me to go,

but most of you seemed to share

a similar fear.

I.Am.Surprised.

I haven't made the reservations

for New York yet.

Still thinking about it.

Gross Alert:
*animal sensitive material ahead*

Boudxy has gotten three,

yes 3, rabbits so far this Summer.

We have a privacy fence, yet somehow

they (the rabbits) find their way

into our yard, then, much to our sorrow

Boudxy gets them.

Boudxy is a Schnauzzer/Terrier mix

which means he is simply doing

"what comes naturally".

UGH!

Is there anyone among us who doesn't

love this handsome, British

hunk of meat  rascal, Simon Cowell?!

A new book about him says he loves

to party late into the night,

sleep to noon,

then wake up to watch

cartoons.

Yep, cartoons.

Who knew?

They also say he uses

BLACK toilet paper in

the bathroom at his home.

Mr. Freud would love

to think a while on that

tidbit, doncha' think?!

Got a tidbit(s) you wanna share
with me?

Airplanes and Apples.

Sunday dawned sunny with clear skies

and beautifully warm weather.

Up. Up. And Away they flew.

It was the perfect day for the annual

Barksdale Air Force Base annual

Air show.

You could actually go "on base" and see many

of the planes up close and personally

if you wanted. . .

or you could go to your favorite "shade spot",

park and enjoy it from your car,

which is what we chose to do.

And yes, we might have munched

on some Sonic treats as we watched.

I love to watch those planes roaring

overhead, sometimes arching,

twisting and then plummeting

so close to the ground that you

catch your breath simply watching.

Which makes me think about vacation,

since that requires actually more than

just watching a plane.  It means taking

valium and actually buckling up

for "take-off".

We are thinking about going to

New York City - so much to see

and do there...But honestly, the thought

of going there actually frightens me a bit.

I'm not sure why, unless deep-down

it's the horror of 911 that has somewhat

ruined the city for me. 

There's a part of me that really wants to

see the BIG city, and another part

that wants to remain on the ground

in my little corner of the world.

Everytime I get on a plane it

requires all the faith I can muster

and all the Bible verses I can remember

to actually endure the flight(s).

I will probably make our reservations

sometime this week as we want

to go soon.

(yes, fear has been an on-going

issue for me all my life)

Have you been there?
Any tips you can give me as to where
to stay and how to maneuver
in the Big Apple?

Wanna see something "eerie"?

This photo sends shivers down my spine.

We were going through some old

photos and came across this one that

Princess took while we were on

vacation in Chicago 2 years ago.

She took it looking through the

window of a tour bus as the

tornado sirens were going off

around us.

It has absolutely, positively

NOT been photoshopped.

What do you see?

(Look in the bright flash

to the left of the photo)

I know that God sends angels to

protect and watch over us at times.

Could it be that we unknowingly

caught a glimpse of an angel?

I don't know if that's the case,

but I do think it's possible.

If we could see the spiritual

world around us I think we'd

be shocked at just how big

and busy it is.

BTW, it's ok if you don't agree

with me.  We can disagree and

still be great friends.

Really.

When the best is the worst.

I have the VERY BEST husband in the
entire world.
He brought me home an Apple Fritter.
I love them almost as much as I love him.

I have the VERY WORST husband in the
entire world.

He brought me home an Apple Fritter.
I love them waaay too much.

And.I.Am.Very.Weak.

OUCH!

OUCH!

Are you feeling the pinch too?

I went grocery shopping yesterday.
I buy groceries at Walmart
(except for meat and produce).
Generally it seems that Walmart
has the best prices in our area.

The prices have climbed and are
continuing to climb drastically.

I never thought I'd be paying
$11.97 for Tide

or almost $4 for cereal
and potato chips.

Yes, I know we don't need chips
(I have a teenager)
and I could buy a different
brand of detergent, etc. etc.

but the point is that
prices on all items/brands
are soaring.

Are you seeing the same thing

where you live?

 

* * * * * * * * * *

This is a photo of me after my
shopping trip yesterday.

Yeah, sure it is.

Thinking out-loud.

My blogging has been "sporadic" lately.
My life has been "sporadic" lately.
But today I'm getting back into
"routine" mode - my favorite mode
to be in.

Princess and I had a touch of a virus
last week.  Or perhaps a "punch of
a virus" would be more accurate.
Truth is we are really wimpy and
it doesn't take much to throw us into
fetal position on the sofa.

Speaking of fetal position - Princess'

last chapter of her Anatomy & Physiology
class is "The Reproductive System",

complete with coloring pages. 

Coloring pages?  Really?

I'm not a prude.
I understand reproduction. 
I can say "Weenie" and "Va-Jay-Jay"
and not blush at all,

but,  I.am.not. going to ask
my 17 yr old to color

every "up close & personal"
detailed nub, fold, and dangle
of male and female anatomy.
We will "label",
but we will not "color".

(in case you were wondering)

YUK!

I am of the belief that a little bit
of mystery is a good thing.

I bet doctors have a very boring
sex life.  Sometimes one can simply
have too much information.

Here I go again, thinking "out loud"
on this darn blog.  Sometimes I
empty my brain on this page and

by the time I "publish post" my
brain is so empty I'd swear my
head bobbles. .  .

I'm off to enjoy this new day
while I can still hold my head up.

. . .my apologies if I have offended
any doctors. 

Tell me. Please.

I got married when I was 19
and the only thing I could cook was
baked potatoes and fish sticks.
Mister loves to tell the story
about the first time I made
mashed potatoes and gravy,
and the gravy turned out thicker
than the potatoes!  

But when you're young, and
livin' on love, food is secondary.
Remember those days?

Next year Princess will be a Senior.
I have intentionally waited till
then for her to take Home Economics.
We homeschool.
I haven't found any "down to earth"
curriculum for this subject so I'm
going to need to make my own.

What are some things I could
include in this class besides
the obvious "cooking skills"?

BTW, have you seen the program,
"Kelsey's Essential's" on the Cooking
channel?  She's a young, cute,
little, blonde, Rachel-Ray-gonna-be.
I'm gonna include some of her
programs in the cooking
portion of the class.

(yes, I know I'm rambling)

I need to stop.

The end.

Amen.

I'm outta here.

(Do you remember the question?)
*giggle

Always Six.

It was a quiet, but good Easter weekend

here on the Bayou...We prepped the food

on Saturday, then went out for dinner.

I taught Princess to make our

family "chocolate pie"

that is made for EVERY family holiday.

Just a few more lessons and she'll

be able to make it by herself.

She also made her favorite,

"Butterfinger Ice Cream Pie"

And there were eggs to dye.

Mister and I reflected a bit about Easter

and how it was celebrated when we

were kids.

We both got new clothes and new

"Easter shoes" each year.

And my family always had to get

up early on Easter Day to allow

for photos to be taken before we

left for church.  My sister and I

always had pretty, pastel dresses

which were often worn under a coat

given it was usually cold on

Easter morning in Oklahoma.

Mister's family didn't go to church

but he and his brother and sister

would dress up and walk across

the street  to go to church on Easter.

We always dyed eggs at our house,

six eggs.  Never five or seven,

but always six.  It was fun and

something I always enjoyed.

My Mom, was a child of the Depression

era and nothing was ever wasted in our

house, which I'm sure is why we dyed

6 eggs.  Those eggs would later be used

for potato salad, and any more than six

would have been considered wasteful.

We didn't do the Easter Bunny "thang",

and I never missed it.

When we had our own children we also

decided not to bring the Easter Bunny

into our celebration.  Our children

always got new clothes and dyed eggs

to put into their Easter Basket, but that

was as far as we went.  If/when there

were gifts given they were given

a new Bible, or a cross necklace, etc.

As a child, the highlight of the day

was combining my six eggs with

the neighboring kids eggs and

having a big Easter Egg hunt on

Sunday afternoon.

When the family gathers the story is

always told about the Easter when

Mister was abt. 11 yr old and

he took all the girl cousins Easter Eggs

and batted them (with his ball bat)

into the neighboring field.

The girls all cried

and Mister got into "BIG trouble".

That Mister has always been

one to "tease the girls

and make them cry".

*snicker*

May the beauty of the Ressurection
fill our hearts daily
as we enjoy this
beautiful time of the year.

Have I got a story for you?!

If, like me, you love a story where hate
is defeated and sadness and sorrow
give way to joy and life,
then EASTER is our day.

The cross was not final.
The tomb was not final.

We celebrate because the grave
could not hold him.

Life began
again . . .
through Jesus Christ
our risen Lord!

~ May we all be reminded
of the precious truth
that makes this day so special. ~

 

*giggles*

*a little giggle for your day

Everyone is beautiful
on Easter!

Have a wonderful weekend!
~ Sweet Tea

BLECH!!

Sunday.

At the restaurant to enjoy some

Mexican Food.  Ole'!

You garnish my drink with this!??????

REALLY????

El YUK-O!!

"Yes Scarlet, today is another day."

This is for all of you who were brave enough to
read my rant yesterday and leave me a
sweet comment.

I bet you wanted to SLAP me and say,

"Snap out of it!", but you didn't.

I love you!

"Yes, Scarlet, today is another day".

Lovely, huh?

I worked out in the yard 2 weeks ago

and I think I have a spider bite

from then.  Other than being a bit itchy at times

it doesn't bother me.  I'm just watching

it and will see the doc if it gets worse.
Any advice?

Today I planted red and yellow Knock-Out roses.

I was making good time when a sudden

thunderstorm SOAKED me. As in
wet-to-my-undies, hair stringing in my
face, and mud clumping in my flip-flops,
WET!  Princess was going to weed this bed

while I did more planting in another,

but I guess it will have to wait until

another day.  She's so happy, delighted, 
sad about the delay.

I'm not sure Gardening is my forte'.
Two times in the garden this season
has yielded me a spider bite
and a wet tee shirt. 
Neither have been a pretty sight.

 

GRRRRR-ow-cheeee!

Disclaimer:  If you're looking for
"happy and funny" you'll want to
get out of Dodge right now - and
visit me on another day when I'm in
a better mood.

This is what I'm thinking about today
and I'm not in the mood to sugar-coat
a single word.  .  .

How is it that some of the people we love

the very most can get on our last nerve?!

What happened to the days of simply

being polite?

What happened to laughing at

each others lame jokes?

What happened to commenting to

each other when being spoken to?

What happened to genuinely enjoying

the company of the people one lives with?

What happened to randam acts of

kindness on the homefront?

What happend to listening and being

non-judgemental?

What happened to being non-confrontational?

What happened to saying "I'm sorry" and really

meaning it?

What happened to being polite?

You know the feeling you get when several
people are trying to squeeze through a
narrow door at the same time -
that's how I'm feeling today.

I'd rather watch TV.

I like TV and I cannot lie,
though other people oft deny
when a new show starts in TV land
I am happy to sit with my remote in hand . . .
(that's this white girl's lame attempt at rapping)

Hi.
My name is Sweet Tea
and I'm a TV Jun-kie.
(that even rhymes - maybe I was born to rap!!)

I'm not sure where I'm going with this,
but I have a whole TiVo full of recorded
TV programs.  I have insomnia and while
the world sleeps I watch "my shows".

Two of these many shows are
"Betheney Ever-After"  and

"19 Kids and Counting" (about the BIG
Duggar family)

The other evening I sat to watch these 2 programs
back to back.  Interesting.  The two programs
appear to be at such opposite ends of the viewing
spectrum.  .  .

This Duggar episode was unlike any of
their previous programs, as it documented
the miscarriage of their 20th child.
I am one who rarely cries.
I cried my eyes out,
one Kleenex after the next.
Regardless of one's opinion of this families
lifestyle and choices, one would have to be
DEAD not to feel their pain, as the camera's
rolled.  They cried.  They ached. 
It was raw emotion.

Then I watched "Betheney Ever-After",
the story of a NYC power-house of a
woman, her child, and her husband.
They are living a lavish lifestyle,
but still struggling with the ups & downs
of marriage, raising their baby, managing
a bevy of personal assistants, and dealing
with emotional issues from their childhood.

Now, I know this is TV.
I get it.

Two extremely different families
living extremely different lifestyles.
That alone makes it an interesting
night of TV.

I'm not making any conclusions here
or pointing the finger and assigning
judgement on either family- remember,
I said I didn't know where this was going.

The fact is that very few people have
huge families like the Duggers,

and
few people are living the NYC

"uptown" lifestyle.   Most of us are
probably somewhere living life right
in the middle of both these extremes.
Still, I love seeing how others live their
life, even if some of it
is embellished.

Both of these programs show people
enjoying great times and struggling
through painful times.  I guess that's
the connecting link. 

We all laugh.
We all cry.

We all sing.
We all bleed.

We all make choices every day
and they impact our lives.
We need to choose carefully.