I think I'll hula.....

There are always new ways to exercise your way to slimness  You may remember this one from a couple of years ago.  That was a huge failure.

The latest is the hula hoop!  Oh, yea, I've been reading up on the hula hoop and how to trim inches off your waist in NO time!  It's all the rage in the exercise circles, not that I'm actually in an exercise circle.  So, since I choose to buy into that kind of advertising, I ordered one.  I put it together and tried it out.....hmmmmm.  It's really easy to hula hoop with this thing, but maybe I should have gotten little hoops for those flabby arms!

And yes, I am wearing leggings.  I know I said I would never wear leggings again, but apparently I've changed my mind.

Anyhow, I'll let you know if this works.....or if I get a job hula dancing!

Let's talk about halloween.

Just for a moment.  I don't want to be controversial, but I love halloween.  

I'm not a witch, just an ordinary woman. 

Now before you jump up and protest, let me tell you that I love the Lord with all my heart.  My love of halloween has nothing to do with satanism.  For me, it has always been just a fun time with lots of candy!

We did have to empty our bags out once we got home to be inspected.

Yes, I usually had to be a ghost because I got my creativity from my mother and about the only costume she could come up with was a sheet with holes cut in for the arms and eyes.  Made it really tough later when the sheets were on the bed.  

It was a kinder simpler time and my friends and siblings were all given pillowcases and sent out in groups to trick or treat in our neighborhood.  There was lots of laughing and fun.  Our neighbor across the street had a bakery and we always got fresh baked goodies from her house.  Would you let your child eat home made goodies now?  Well, probably not.  But in the good old days, nobody in our neighborhood wanted to hurt us....we knew every neighbor and they all knew us, everybody looked out for everybody else.

Since halloween falls on Sunday this year, we will only give out candy on Saturday.  I do NOT feel like it should interfere with Sunday services.

Our Christian school will be having a fall festival the Friday before and it will have a theme and ask the kids to dress in the theme costumes.

I remember the carnivals we had at our elementary school every year.....we had the usual games and had really good times.

These two are the main problem with halloween.  Each and every time the doorbell rings, they go absolutely c.r.a.z.y.  They bark and bark and I have to squeeze out the door with the candy bowl which makes them so mad because they truly believe that everyone who rings that bell is there to see them.

We're thinking about getting them a shock collar some training, but I just think they are really set in their ways.

One funny story I can remember about halloween.  When I was about 13, I was supposed to be trick or treating for Unicef and instead a couple of my friends and I went to a dentist office after hours and for $5.00 he pierced our ears.  Can you believe it?  Today he would go to jail for that, but then it was great for us to have someone who would do it without our parent's permission.
There were no ear piercing guns then so he pulled a hollow needle through our ears with the earring loaded in one end.  After he pierced the first ear, I almost fainted and immediately said No, I'm done, I don't want to other one pierced.  But to my horror, he said nope, you wanted them pierced, they're getting pierced.  I'm sure he knew he was pretty safe as there was no way we were telling our parents.
In fact, I went around terrified my daddy was going to find out and rip my ears off of my head.  They did find out around Christmas time when I decided it would be cute to wear ornaments for earrings.......on the ornament hooks.  My ears got so infected that I had to go to the doctor.
Believe it or not, I got the real earrings back in and still have the same piercing today.  Man, I'm glad I don't have to go through those teen years again!

Anyway, whatever you do for halloween, whether you call it that or just call it fall festival....the important thing is to have fun with your children.

Opinions and questions are welcome....I'd like to hear your views.

Slow down, you move too fast

Isn't that a song???
Lyrics from the 59th Street Bridge Song
Simon and Garfunkel


But exactly how I feel these days.  Do I keep complaining about this??

I'm trying to catch up with my reading but it just seems impossible and I get so behind.

So what's been going on you ask?  You didn't ask?  That's o.k. here it is anyhow.

Lots of sweet mama.

A banquet for Mercy Uganda.

And now.......

A sick husband!  You know he's really sick when they make not only him wear a mask, but the doctor is wearing one when he comes in.....do you think they gave me one???  I guess they figure I'm already exposed to whatever he's got so no need to protect me.....sigh.

But on a better note, let's talk about the banquet!  It was to benefit Mercy Uganda a ministry to the women and children of Uganda.  A really young ministry, Mercy Uganda has already obtained the Ugandan equivalent of non profit which is difficult to get, but helps tremendously in working in Uganda.
In the past year, through God's mercy and His provision through so many people from so many walks of life, there is now a well in a remote village where there has never been running water or electricity.  Clean water!

Anyhow!  I want to show only a few pictures since we'll be blogging about it over at the Mercy Uganda blog.  Here they are....

Just a little glimpse, you'll have to go over to Mercy Uganda to read all about the banquet....ummmmm....wait two days o.k?

Last night was a very normal night.  We had supper, went to S*m's Cl*b and after we went to bed and were sleeping, Russell woke me saying he was cold and asking for a sweatshirt.  Now it was NOT cold in our bedroom, but I got him a sweatshirt then felt his forehead and he was burning up with fever!  He was miserable all night and first thing this morning, I called our doctor.  After some tests....and waiting for results, we found out he was very sick and is now on two antibiotics.  Being sick is hard for him because he is never sick.  We're on our way to being well again so a little rest and recuperation and he'll be right back to normal.

The saddest part of Russell being sick is that our grand baby and his parents were coming this weekend.  I asked the doctor about it and he emphatically said not a good idea!  We don't want anybody else to get sick so we'll abide by doctor's orders.


Everyone in out little town helps out.....this guy was even holding up the power pole!

Just couldn't resist!

Leslie Joy Evans

Please go over and add your prayers for this family.   I won't try to tell their story....the blog isn't very long so read the days past.

Beware, there will be tears....but the faith of this family is incredible!

Weekend in review....

I love Fridays!  It may go back to my working days and on Friday I would be so relieved not to have to get up early on Saturday and that feeling just stuck!  Anyhow, we had a nice Friday night and weekend.  We didn't really want to go anywhere, so we picked up pizza and baked ziti from our favorite pizza place, ate and relaxed!  

My husband is always up early and going while I lounge in bed for another few minutes of lazy joy.  Then, since he has important stuff.....translate getting ready for hunting season.....he was off and doing his errands.  I contemplated just staying in my pajamas all day, but then remembered we now have a little market in St. Andrews, so once again spontaneity reared it's adventuresome head and I decided I'd go take a look.  Called a friend and off we went.

Parking was really tough as you'll see shortly.

We passed the elementary school I attended on our way....

I have such good memories of school in this building!


The market was at the marina.  As a child, I walked here with friends a lot.  Isn't it a great view?

All sorts of boats, just a small sample!

Fall was everywhere.

We ran into a couple of friends with booths.  Melissa and son Josh were selling gorgeous orchid jewelry, made from real orchids.

This booth belongs to my friend from church who makes dog treats....they say anyone can eat them and I must admit I tried one.  I'd like them a little sweeter, but I guess dogs don't need the sugar!  :)  My dogs love those treats!

All kinds of art.

I also ran into one of my classmates that I haven't seen for many years!  She was here for our 40th high school reunion.  I wasn't able to go, but she told me a lot of the fun stuff they did and I hope not to miss the next one!

Did I mention parking was tight at the market??  We were so close to the car beside us that my friend decided to climb in the passenger side and this is what happened.

She did finally manage to get untangled and we went to eat lunch at a little waterfront restaurant.  Great view and fabulous food!

Sadly, the day ended with the Gators losing their game!  At the Swamp which was double awful.....it's quiet and subdued at our house today.

Today we had a wonderful Sunday School Class all about discipleship and wonderful worship service.  Between Sunday School and church, we have a time of fellowship and snacks in the social hall.
One of my precious and very talented friends had a present for me!  I was beyond excited when I opened it and saw this....

Absolutely darling cloth pumpkin!  I've been seeing the ones she makes for a while and really wanted one so it was a great surprise to get it today!  Thanks dear friend!

We had a great lunch at church, then home for my Biblical nap!  Nothing doing, every time I thought about drifting off, my dogs would hear a sound and start barking.  So I finally just dragged myself out of bed.

So besides the football problems, the weekend was great!  Hope your's was too!

Coming right up.......

That time of year is fast approaching.  Hunting season!  The hunting condos stands and food plots are in place complete with deer cams.... cameras that take pictures to see where the deer come to most often.  Isn't that kind of like premeditated murder?  

Over the course of the last few years, I think the deer have been catching on to that camera thing though and are much more careful when they hear those trucks approaching their feeding areas!  But we usually have one or two a year that get put in our freezer.

Just to be perfectly clear, I do NOT eat deer meat.  Yes, I know it's called venison, still don't eat the stuff.
Don't ask why, I just don't like the idea.

It's also this time of year.....

That's right, football.  The male mood in our house can depend on those Gators.
So get busy boys!!!

I do love this time of year!

My mother's gay and just a little queer!

My mama hates, hates, hates that people have taken perfectly good words and changed the meanings.

She and her sisters and friends have always been very gay and yes, a bit queer!

From the 1828 version of Websters Dictionary, when people knew how to use words and not vulgar them up (how'd you like that phrase?) are the meanings of those two words.

Gay.......merry, airy, jovial.  Denotes more life and animation than the word cheerful.

Queer.......Odd, whimsical

These are the original meanings of the words, the meanings my mama uses!  Although by the time she had us kids, she probably wasn't quite as gay as in her single days.....in fact, she was probably a little queer after that!

Above, daddy, mama and some family and friends are having a gay old time and one or two of these people are very queer, but we won't divulge who they are!  :)

L to R are Daddy, mama, Aunt Joyce (mama's sister), Uncle Bob (daddy's brother) and his wife Aunt Hazel....speaking of queer......uh oh, I divulged, Aunt Grayce's first husband (I think) Aunt Grayce (mama's sister), Uncle Noah (mama's brother) and his wife Vera.  

Click on this picture to notice daddy and mama were drinking coke.  There was a lot of coke and 7 up drinking going on with a little whiskey thrown in for good measure.  I can promise you my mama and daddy were not drinking the whiskey!

Above are Aunt Bernice and mama, yes, being gay at the beach.  Look at those bathing suits.  Kind of racy for the time.

 Pretty sure mama was fixing to dunk me in the water to get the sand out of my hair.....that was a little queer and I can assure you it didn't put me in a gay mood!


My grandmother used to have this little saying  Everybody's a little queer but me and thee....and sometimes I'm not so sure about thee!


Obviously, this is just a silly little post, but it is just too bad that we have taken perfectly good words and changed their meanings!  


Go out and have a gay old time!