Thursday 13...Places to Go, People to See, Things to Do

Here it is the last day of January and the house is abuzz with all the things we have to get done. So, somehow, I'm going to work it into a Thursday 13.

13. Secure House Insurance for the new home. Closing is tentively set for Feb 8 and we need Home Insurance. So far, the 3 cheapest are Safeco, MetLife (Go Snoopy) and Allstate (You're in Good hands!) I'll let Dale make the final decision, I'm just helping him get quotes.

12. PACK. Golly...we've not started yet. Dale wants to clean the whole house first...I just want to pack! We'll clean as we go along.

11. Eat everything in the outside freezer so that it can be defrosted...or at the least get it down to a manageable level so that it can be put into the refridgerator freezer.

10. Plan something for Valentine's Day for husband. We'll have just moved into our new house and I'd like to do something for him there. I am thinking about a picnic in the floor of the new house. Heart shaped cookies, that sort of thing. We'll see.

9. Work. I've taken a part time position with West At Home. It's a customer service company where the calls come to my home and I do my best to help them. I'm still navigating thru the screens, but I suppose I'll pick up on it. Any extra money is a good thing.

8. Ebay. I've got a few things on there I'm watching. Selling a couple of my old cookbooks. One's an Amish cookbook I bought when I was on my honeymoon up in Pennsylvania with my ex. Who needs another memory of him? not i said the fly.

7. Get Groceries...just not lots of frozen foods. (See #9) I try to do that on Fridays...I need to make a dessert & a an appetizer. I think I'm making fudge and then I dont know what...maybe the spinach artichoke dip ...with crackers ( i like to make fried bowties, but dont see that happening Saturday)

6. Sunday School Party on Saturday. I'm looking forward to it as it's the first thing we've gone to as members of this class. We've been going to Hebron Baptist for a while now but had put off joining because we thought we'd be moving too far away to keep attending. Now that's not going to be the case, we're looking forward to making it our church home. It's the largest church I've ever been a part of. But the Sunday School people are very nice...I hope they have kids that ours will get along with.

5. SUPERBOWL SUNDAY!! I love football, but the team I was pulling for (Brett Farve & the GreenBay Packers) didnt make it to the big one...so I really dont care who wins. Well that's not true. I guess I'm pulling for New England to have their "perfect" season.

4. Send back this shirt I bought for Christine's birthday party from Jessica London. It looked so good in the catalog but then when I got it...well I thought it looked like a maternity shirt. And that's the LAST thing I need.

3. Monitor the kids reading. See, they're all trying to earn Six Flags tickets by reading 6 hours worth of books. Now with John especially, this is hard because I have to do all that reading to him. But I refuse to just sign off on these things that they read it when in fact they didnt. Additionally, I'm big on encouraging Josh & Elizabeth to get those AR points (Advanced Reading) They each have goals at schools and if they make them, they get medals at the end of the year. Elizabeth cried last year cause she didnt get one and I'm trying to make sure she earns it this year. I've been checking out books for her left and right that I know are on the list. It's up to her to read them tho.

2. MOVE. Supposedly we're moving next Saturday...golly can you believe it??? I can't wait. Wish us luck.

1. Visit Mom in hospital. She's back in again and things aren't looking good. She had a bone marrow test today to see why she's not producing white blood cells. I'm scared to be perfectly honest. Please keep her in your prayers.

What a waste

It's not often that I read the news and get incensed about something. And it's even more rare that I'd write about in my blog...I leave that to Cindi. But this story just grated my last nerve.

Mother Charged With Infant's Death

Reported by: Duffie Dixon

An Atlanta mother is headed to jail, charged with the death of her infant.

Police said the woman was driving on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway with the child in her lap when she got into an accident Sunday morning. The infant was killed.

The death could have been avoided, had the infant been in a car seat, police said.

Lytanza Robinson is facing charges of vehicular homicide, reckless driving, seatbelt violations and driving with a suspended license. She faced a judge for her first court appearance Monday morning.

Police said Robinson lost control of her car and hit a pole. On impact, the airbag deployed, striking and killing the infant.

Robinson was transported to the hospital but was booked in the jail sometime Sunday night.

Does that not boil your blood??? That woman was driving with NO CARSEAT and the baby in her LAP. She deserves to have the book thrown at her. I keep trying to see her side of it...that maybe she couldnt afford a car seat. But dont they give them away at various places for the people out of money? Or couldnt she have picked up one at Goodwill or a garage sale? Oh my god...I just can't imagine.

Grocery Shopping Saturday

i went grocery shopping today also...made my daughter write a note for me...NOTE TO SELF: DO NOT SHOP AT WALMART ON SATURDAYS!!!!

But. I found several good things... I LOVE the turkey tenderloin chops by Butterball. Use em just like pork chops and they taste delicious. I don't really know that they're that fewer points than pork chops...I just assume they are. I found fat free evaporated milk so I can make some of my Yellow Daisy Festival soups....I found "diet" swiss cake rolls (but didn't buy them cause I don't trust myself)....Picked up a few paninis from Lean Cuisine ...and some of the Lean Pockets...Got hubby some of the 1 point ice cream bars from Blue Bunny...Bought me some of the apple cinnamon rice cakes that to me taste like Apple Jacks. Of course I bought other things....but those are some of the highlights. Just trying to make it from one week to the next.

I'm much more inspired these days....I even took my own snacks with me to the movies yesterday (27 Dresses) because I was encouraged that I got in my Size 26 jeans (vs the 28s I normally wear : ( )

When I gained all my WW weight back...I had to bring back out the fatter jeans. That was really demoralizing for me. So, I literally started over at WW...even though I'd never officially quit. I had them start me up a new card and list me as a new member. I had gained 36 of the 40 pounds back at that point. UGH. The weight loss has been very slow going since then.. It's been almost 4 months since then...and I've only lost 11.8 pounds. But my attitude is much better. I'm posting losses most every week now (since the holidays are over that is)

The hard thing for me is at the weight watchers meetings...and they go "has anyone here lost an additional five"....well last week I had...and they gave me a star....but all i felt was failure because I knew how much I had gained back.

Ramblings on a Cold Sunday

Well, it did snow all day yesterday...unfortunately, the temp hovered around 34 degrees so it didnt accumulate much. But that's ok...we still got out there and made snowballs and ganged up on one another and downright had a great time.

Today is football Sunday...conference championships. I'm pulling for Green Bay...and I guess the Patriots. Would love to see Brett beat Tom Brady but doubt it will happen. Anyway...now the imps are doing reading time in their rooms (except for Josh...who is once again writing sentences)

I made a DELICIOUS Hashbrown soup today that was nice and Weight Watchers Friendly. Here's the recipe if you're interested.

3 Cans FF Chicken Broth
1 chopped onion
1 Bag of plain shredded frozen hashbrowns
1 t salt
1 t pepper
6 oz Lite Velveeta

Mix together in a large pot and simmer for 20 minutes. 1 Cup = 2 points

It's cold cold cold today...It was 16 degrees when we woke up this morning and is now at a roasty 28. The kids are out of school tomorrow for the King Holiday and then again on Tuesday for Teacher Workday. Elizabeth has been sick with sore throat so I'm hoping she'll get better soon so that I can take them all to the jumpy place or something like that. Otherwise, maybe we'll find a dollar movie or something to go do. John has been begging to paint his ceramic frog so maybe we'll make tomorrow a painting day.

So I guess that's all for today...I'll try to remember to post again tomorrow after weigh in.

13 Observations at a Southern Funeral

I had an uncle to die this week and this was the first death to hit what I call the inner circle...the generation above me. But since I was not particularly close to this uncle, I was able to watch the proceedings with a bit of a detached eye. Now I dont necessarily claim that the following 13 things happen at all southern funerals or that they dont happen up north...but they do almost always happen in many of the funerals I go to.

13. The Viewing. I think this is the most barbaric custom in the world. To put the body on display at said funeral home for family and friends to come and gawk at while muttering amongst themselves, "doesn't he look natural" NO HE DOESN'T!!! He looks pasty and white. He's been sick for years and nothing an embalmer can do can change that. And the custom is that the family has to sit up at the funeral home for like TWO of the hardest days talking to people at a time you really just feel like being a lone for a bit. UGH.

12. Funeral Processions. There's usually about 20 cars in it and we all have special tags in our windows. As we go down the usually busy roads, cars pull over to the side out of respect and wait for us all to pass. I think this is a good thing. It causes us to stop in our busy world and think for a few seconds, "there, but for the grace of god go I"

11. Graveside services. You sit there huddled under a tent, the casket poised for lowering. Then the Masons step up and do their little ritual. I don't mean to poke fun of them, but they do look rather silly in their aprons and their hind jive motions they do once, twice thrice.

10. Clothing. Now i was brought up that you wear skirts to the funeral home and funeral. But by golly it was cold this week. So I put on my panty hose and walked in only to see 2 very well respected cousins of mine in SLACKS!! Now they looked perfectly acceptable...and I was left thinking I SHOULD HAVE DONE IT.

9. The Songs. Of course you should always have the standard classic Amazing Grace. but this was the first time I'd been to a funeral where Vince Gill sang Go Rest High on The Mountain. Granted it was a perfectly acceptable song, the lyrics were perfect. I'd just never heard it played at the funeral it's self.

8. Eulogies. I think they're cool. You always see on movies or TV where the funeral has a eulogy..but I'd never been to a funeral where there actually was one. This one did. It was light hearted and gave a more personal approach to the person who'd died. Usually it seems, the preacher knows nothing about the person they're preaching over. They'll make comments like, " the family tells me..." or they'll refer to the deceased by a name that noone calls him by. But this wasn't the case. The preacher may or may not have known him well...but he blended his talk well with the person giving the eulogy who obviously DID know him well.

7. Comin' to Jesus. The sermon the preacher preached at the service could have almost have been heard any Sunday. It featured the standard invitation to accept Jesus as your savior. Kind of an awake call for anyone who might not have....

6. Duration. This funeral episode lasted longer than most have. Usually, it's about a 2 day turn around. The person dies on Saturday...funeral on Mon or Tue. This one didnt happen til Wednesday. Didn't matter really. Just an observation.

5. Flowers. Apparently because my uncle was a vetern they had the flag on his coffin. Therefore, no flower spray could be put on top of the casket. So there were a couple of those big ole sprays on either side of the casket. We personally sent a flower basket that hopefully someone took home with them and will continue to live for a while. I also like to send plants. Something that wont die at the cemetery.

4. The funeral home it's self. I personally dont like this particular one...for one very vital reason. It only has one bathroom stall in the entire home!! Goodness! and a narrow one at that. There's just times when the emotions have started to run too deep in the designated room and you need to get away for a bit. The funeral home in Stone Mountain has pretty old antiques you can walk around and look at. This funeral home had nothing! And only one stall. Can't even sit in there and compose yourself w/o a crowd forming.

3. The comments. "Doesn't he look natural?" "You look nice Gina, You've always had such a pretty face." "Look at all the flowers" " I wonder if so& so will come?" (Or a variation of) "Has so and so been by yet? (Check the book) "Did you sign the book?" "What type of work are you doing now?" "When was the last time you saw him?" "He's at peace now" "At least he's not suffering anymore"

2. The Book. Ever notice how everyone wants to make sure they sign the visitor's book? Like they want to make sure they get credit for having shown up. Wonder if anyone ever looks thru it?

1. THE FOOD!!! I saved the best part for last. Where after someone dies, the food starts pouring in. There's sandwich fixins, sweets, fried chicken, devilled eggs, potato salad, etc. And if you're a family member, you know just who fixed what so you know to either gravitate towards it or avoid it!

Fat Issues

I'm tired! But proud of myself for getting up this morning and taking the imps to school then heading down to the gym. Today, I walked just over 2 miles in 47 minutes and burned about 300 calories (according to the treadmill) So that's the first step in accomplishing one of my New Year's resolutions. For me tho, it's a matter of consistency. I give up too easily. Today it would have been so easy to jump back in bed with hubby (who's sick and didn't go with me to the gym) after taking the kids to school.

I like the treadmill for the most part. I have my mp3 player and headphones. I can drift off into my own little world filled with music that inspires me and lyrics that uplift me and varying tempos. I made the mistake one time of actually closing my eyes and walking but that didn't work out too well. There are so many reasons I want to be healthy and of a normal weight. First being that I've never done it before! I've been "overweight" since the 1st grade!! When I was a young teen, my biggest dream was to go off to a fat camp over the summer and come back thin the following school year. I wanted that dramatic revelation. I wanted people not to recognize me. I have similar fantasies now even. To go off to some sort of resort spa/weight loss center and come back stunningly healthy.

Notice that, as an adult I never wish to be thin. I just want to be healthy...and average size. I want to fit into all the rides at Six Flags. I don't want my knees to hurt. I want to shop at Casual Corner or Victoria's Secret. I want to dive off the diving board without people staring and commenting on my splash. (I do it anyway...but I would like to squash the onlookers) I want to buy a regular sized necklace at a craft sale and know it will fit me. I want to sit at the movie theater and not feel the urge to lift the middle arm. I want to ride in an airline seat and not worry that I'm crowding the person next to me. And not worry if the seat belt is going to fit. I want to get out of the tub and wrap up in a towel that is not supersized. Sooo many things.

So, Back to Weight Watchers tonight after a 3 week absence. They were closed Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve...and to be honest, I didn't make the effort to go to a different meeting. If I DON'T gain more than 2-3 pounds, I'll consider it a successful holiday season. Wish me luck.

Happy New Year

So, this is my first post of the new year. Whatever shall I talk about? The excitement I feel over us buying a new house? The joy Christmas brought? How good it is that the imps are back in school? My New Year's Resolutions? Let's start there.

1) To lose below 250 pounds
2) To See all the Best Picture Nominees
.... to be added to as i see fit.

So yes, we're buying a house and i absolutely can't wait. Here's a picture of it.


We SHOULD finally have enough room. It's a 5 BR/3 Bath in Winder. We decided not to move to Florida at this time...To costly.

Christmas was awesome. But as usual, the imps got toooo many gifts. Was good to see the family of course and we even had the opportunity to show Dad, Lynne & GMS the house. The imps started back to school yesterday so that continuity is good.

All for now.

How Bold Are You?

I saw this on Cindi's blog and decided to follow suit.

The idea is to copy and paste to your own blog and bold or underline the things you have done.
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and didn’t care who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73 Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children (in the process)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Para sailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read them
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (do fish count?)
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

If you do it I would love a link to your post.

Twas the Day before Thanksgiving...

And all thru the house...all the creatures are stirring but please, NO MOUSE.

The kids are home from school and we had what I consider a pretty good day. We got up leisurely and had breakfast and the kids played while i grabbed a bath. Dale went to the gym and the imps and i headed up to Publix to pick up a few last minute items. We came home and made Turkey Treats (see picture below) I found the idea in some kiddie cookbook i picked up at the Reader's Digest warehouse sale. I was amazed at how much fun the kids had doing it. I thought they'd grow bored quickly but they really stayed focused on it.



Then we had lunch and teamed up with Christine, AJ and Nana to take all the kids to see ENCHANTED. (an adorable movie in my humble opinion) Came home...kids played outside for a bit and then we did dinner and now John is in the bathtub and Josh & Ebeth are watching THE GOONIES on the couch (A film I liked a lot when i was a young teen.)

Tomorrow afternoon will be busier than a one armed paperhanger, but should still be fun. I have to admit I'm bribing the imps into good behavior. Not a good thing, but I'm soooo tired of threatening with punishments if they MISBEHAVE. And the day is usually so long and boring to them with no other cousins to play with. Cross your fingers for us.

Thanksgiving Preparation

Today is Tuesday...big push to get things done today because tomorrow the imps will be home from school. Hard to go shopping when they're with me. Plus the grocery stores are always so crowded on Wednesdays. My big thing I'm in charge of this year is Macaroni & Cheeses. Finally an excuse to use my Paula Deene Celebrations cookbook that Christine & Jeff gave me last year for Christmas. (autographed no less!) One for Thanksgiving at Grandmother Siler's. One for Thanksgiving w/Dale's family. For the King Thanksgiving dinner which will be all seafood (we figure that's more of what the 1st Thanksgiving was like) I'm supposed to bring some sort of Seafood salad. Thinking I may cheat on this one and buy it at the grocery store and put it in a pretty bowl. Bad Gina. Need to pick up some of those heavy duty compartmentalized paper plates. That's for the Simpson party. See, if i were hosting it...in my imaginary huge dining room, I'd get out my nice china and crystal. Alas...it's Solo & Chinnette for us.

Here's hoping everything goes smooth for your family.

13 Things I want my new home to have

My husband Dale and i are hoping to buy a new home relatively soon. We currently live in a small 3BR/2Ba home in Auburn...Who knows where we'll live next, but of this I'm certain..it MUST have the following 13 features.

13. GARDEN TUB. Actually, I should have put this as number one on my list...but it came to mind first. I'm a soaker. I love nothing more than kicking back in the bathtub with candles lit and a good book. Oblivious to the rest of the world. That's living I say!

12. 4 Bedrooms and room for an office. That office can be another bedroom or it can be a living room...whatever. We have just got to get our office out of our immediate bedroom. Dale works from home and it's just too much to have him in here.

11. Dale a closet. Poor man is using the coat closet in miniscule hallway that we currently have. The man needs space in his own bedroom to get dressed.

10. A Master Shower. In our current bedroom, we have a garden tub...but it's still the world's smallest master bath! There's no room for a shower in there and we must use the kids bathroom and then traipse across the house to get dressed.

9. A large backyard..preferably fenced so that we can get a pooch. And so the kids can play ball etc. I dont want a postage stamp back yard.

8. A Pantry. I'm so tired of having to use my cabinets for food when i have so much other STUFF that could go in there.

7. A LARGE linen closet. We will have 3-4 beds...with 2-3 sets of sheets each....Then add towels for the 5-6 of us. I need SPACE.

6. At least 1800sf. I want it large enough that anyone can have some quiet time. I want space to turn around in without bumping into someone.

5. I want it to have a good school district that is NOT Title 1. Call me a snob. I dont care. When it comes to the kids schooling, I just feel they would get better educations at a school that has more money.

4. A room for laundry...not just a closet. Room to put the baskets down and still be able to shut the door to company.

3. Either a front porch or a back deck. Or Both. Currently I really dont have either. We sorta have a front porch, but it's hardly big enough for a bench. I want a place to relax and watch the kids.

2. A Rhompus Room. Did i spell that right? i dont know. But you know what i mean. A kid's play room where they can have the majority of their toys and shelves of their own and tv and bean bags chairs and I'll decorate it with framed game boards.

1. Room for all of us..for the kids to each have their own room and at least one extra room for company/friends/foster kids.

Am I asking for too much?

I Quit

I quit my job today...granted it was just a part time position, but I quit it none the less. I was working as a photographer's assistant and we went all over the Atlanta area to daycare centers taking pictures of the imps. We had them dressing up in nostalgic outfits in front of a really cool background. That part I enjoyed...but i hated the driving all over god and creation. I'd be in Union City or Canton or Rex or Alpharetta...none of these are even remotely close to where I live. It was just to wearing on my car and I hated being gone that much. So, I gave notice today. I told her I'd work today in Dawsonville but she said not to bother...but not in a bad way. My boss Kelly wrote me a very nice goodbye letter, so all was good with the world.

What a load it took off my shoulders though! I was spending a minimum of an hour to an hour and a half each way in the car. This is of course time you dont get paid for. They did pay you for gas...a whopping .18c a mile...but this just barely did cover gas. Nothing for my time or wear and tear on the car. We'll talk more about me going back to school after the holidays.

I'm going tomorrow to do one of those Marketing research studies where they actually PAY you for your opinions. This one pays $75 for 90 minutes. Not bad.

halloween pictures

Had to post them since in my opinion they look so cute. The pumpkin one was taken at a pumpkin farm in Watkinsville.

13 Things that fascinate/Intrigue me

13 The sinking of the Titanic. I'm fascinated with studying this beyond words. I have always been a big history buff and this sad story always has intrigued me. When the exhibit was in Tampa, i went down there to see it and the tragedy of it really hit home for me. I was on pins and needles waiting for the movie to come out back in Dec of 97...and was so disappointed that she broke her promise (She DIDNT hang on!!)

12. Lizzie Borden. Again..the tragedy of it. What would drive a person to do that to her family? Did Lizzie do it as everyone assumes? or was she truly innocent as she was found by the Massachusetts jury? We shall never know.

11. Concentration Camps. No, I'm not Jewish...but the atrocities that race have faced have captured my interest since I was a little girl and first read The Diary of Anne Frank. Then came The Hiding Place...then when i was in my late 20s a semi-boyfriend of mine took me on a train trip to Washington DC.While there, we visited the Holocaust Mueseum and it made me see things in such a more personal level.

10. Westerns...beit Western books like Louis L'amours...or Little House on the Prairie...or Butch Cassidy or John Wayne movies. Billy the Kid...Tombstone & Doc Holiday and the Earp Brothers.

9. The 20's & 30s. I love reading about the roaring twenties! I even did a 7th Grade social science project about the fads and fashions of the 20s. Love reading about the Lindberg baby kidnapping...or the St. Valentine's day Massacre. Morbid i know. Then the stock market crash and it's effect on everyone..the resulting "great depression" and our entry into World War Two.

8. David in the Bible. I love reading the Bible for it's literary value. I think David is the most fascinating character in it. So much of his life is simply unbelievable. I think I've read everything about him or written BY him. Much more interesting in his mistakes and triumphs. I mean this man messed up time and time again and yet he always returned remained in the favor of God. What a rolemodel for reality. Unlike Paul (my LEAST favorite character! that woman hater! LOL)

7. The Weather. Yes, it's true..i love to watch the weather. I love it when it may snow, or storm, or dip down to historic lows (or highs) i love giant storms and the power within them. I love watching clouds roll by or seeing the results of high winds.

6. Photography. Oh i'm not very good at it, but i love pictures. I love looking thru old pictures that arn't even mine. I love snapping shots and preserving a history thru them. I almost always have my camera with me and I'm really not even a very good photographer...but I manage to capture a lot that hopefully my kids will appreciate one day. I love making gifts out of them...of reminding people how important they are to me thru them.

5. Oral History. I love hearing old stories about the good old days. About how things were done "back then" about who's related to whom and how? I sooo need to get my grandmothers on tape telling some old stories or passing down some of their old recipes. Then I can weave them into some DVDs to give people in the future.

4. Life after Death. Ghosts...Spirits...Mediums. Too many episodes of Medium, Ghost Whisperer and Crossing Over. But golly it fascinates me. And it makes me feel so much more assured about the promises we read of in the Bible. It makes sense to me somehow.

3. Cemeteries. It all started when I first visited the main cemetery in Savannah before starting college down near there. I wandered from tombstone to tombstone reading the inscriptions and feeling the pain of the loved one who had it inscribed. Then I had a class in statistics where I had to visit the cemeteries and figure out statistics on what month most people died or were born. I love the history that the cemeteries preserve even if i do feel it's a waste of space in many growing communities.

2. Musical Lyrics. I love em!! I determine how much I like a song based on what the song is saying! First thing i do when I buy a CD is to pull out the jacket and read along as the song plays. I so envy songwriters and their amazing talent. Of taking our emotions and writing them out to song.

1. Weight Loss Success stories. I could read them over and over again. Stories of how people overcome adversity to lose multitudes of pounds. What I can learn from them. How I dream of one day losing my weight and inspiring others.

1, 2 & Thus...all about Us

My friend Cindi had this on her blog and I thought it was cute, so i decided to steal it.


A Little About Us

The basic facts:
Who is your significant other? Dale
How long have you been together? Just over 3 years.
Dating/Engaged/Married? Married for 2.5
How old is your S.O.? 45..46 in late November
What’s his/her middle name? Dale

Which one?
Who eats more? about the same but he takes bigger bites.
Who says "I love you" first? 50/50
Who weighs more? I do
Who sings better? He doesnt do it much, but when he does, he has the better voice.
Who’s older? Him.
Who’s smarter? He has the higher logical and mathematical aptitude but I'm better educated an more well read.
Whose temper is worse? His
Who does the laundry? He washes, I fold & put away
Who does the dishes? He does...I cook
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? If you're standing at the foot, looking at the head, i sleep on the right.
Whose feet are bigger? His
Whose hair is longer? Mine
Who’s better with the computer? HIM
Who mows the lawn? He does
Who pays the bills? i do...when he tells me to. And how much to send them etc.
Who cooks dinner? I do
Who drives when you are together? He does 90% of the time. But i dont mind doing it.
Who pays when you go out to dinner? I give the credit card/debit card to the waiter and sign for it. It comes out of our joint account of which he is the primary contributor.
Who's the most stubborn? He says me, I say, i don't know
Who is the first one to admit when they’re wrong? I am
Whose parents do you see more? Probably mine
Who named your dog? We don't have any pets currently, but if we did, i'm sure i'd name it.
Who kisses who first? 50/50
Who asked who out? He asked me out
Who's more sensitive? I say he is...he'd probably say I am.
Who's taller? He is
Who has more friends? Me
Who has more siblings? Him
Who wears the pants in the relationship? He does because he doesn't look good in a skirt.

Over all, I'd say he's the quieter more introverted, neater more organized one. I'm the outgoing, louder, more creative one.

13 top Halloween candies

In honor of Halloween, this week i'll discuss how i came to be this size. It wasnt by accident. It was due in part to these TOP 13 CANDIES

13. Marathon Bars...Do you remember them? they were about a foot long and braided i always thought like a ladder of some sort. They were chewy and yummy.

12. Hershey's Miniatures. Keep the dark chocolate, never wanted any of that...but bring on the Mr. Goodbars and the Krackles especially.

11. Milk Duds. Usually a staple at the movies along the following number 10, these gooey hard candies also come in miniature size. Love em cause they last a long time.

10. Raisinettes. One would think that with raisins in them they'd be at least a little bit good for you. No, they're just good.

9. Sugar Babies/Daddies, Mamas...they're all good. Oh I know how bad they are for my teeth but they were the best tasting of the "cheap" candies to me. Along with number 8.

8. Tootsie Rolls. I especially prefer the long narrow ones. But will take any of the ones in their multitude of sizes.

7. M&Ms. Again in just about any flavor, but in the old days my favorite were the peanut ones...these days bring on the peanut butter ones. And they lie, they DO melt in your hands!

6. Zero Bars. No chocolate in this item so i'm surprised it makes the list, but they harken me back to the old days at the public swimming pool and this was the one item i always bought.

5. Heath Bars/Skor. In the old days it was the Heath bar but with my more sophisticated palate the Skor bar has come to be a favorite. I also enjoy using them in Toffee Coffee Cake recipe that's to die for.

4. Kit Kats. Really, the serving size is too small in my book. One bite and it's half gone. who can really just bite off one stick of it at a time? And the miniature versions? Oh really now. Who are we kidding?

3. Snickers. A favorite all year..especially Easter with the egg shaped ones. My husband says that Milky Ways are nothing but snickers w/o the peanuts..but if that's the case, bring on the peanuts!!

2. Almond Joy's. Never been a Mounds gal, but i can eat TONS of the almond joys. Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you dont.

1. REESES. Anytime, anywhere.

13 Thursday

13 Things on My Mind This Week

13. I'm Tired. I had to get up this morning and will again tomorrow and Monday at 4:45am. That's rough on me. My job is kinda like a split shift. Somedays, I work early and some I work evenings...The days I work mornings, I work harder. I do more manual lifting and toting etc. So I admit it, I'm Tarred!

12. Pumpkins. We need to go buy some and I'm trying to figure out the best thing to do. I can go to Bert's Farm up in Dawsonville, but it's going to be soooo crowded. Or I can just pick a roadside place and still have a pretty good selection. Or I can just go to Walmart. Decisions, Decisions.

11. Rain. We need it so bad. And while it supposedly rained today it really was hardly more than a sprinkle. My plants look sickly. They've cancelled what was going to be a really cool exhibit thing at Stone Mountain Park called Snow Mountain cause of it. Lakes are down, watering restrictions everywhere. Where's Burt Lancaster when you need him? (Cool points to you if you get the reference)

10. Weight Watchers. I'm doing better, but it's constantly on my mind. I've lost some this week, but not sure how much because I had to work Monday night (weigh in night) So, I'm thinking I may just hold out and go next week instead of trying to work in a weigh in.

9. My Headlight. I had a wreck back during the summer and we got the insurance money on it. But we still haven't had my headlight fixed. Now the light has gone out and we can't drive my car at night. This is driving me bonkers because I have to take Dale's suburban everywhere. His car is the best one to drive when I'm with the kids, but I don't prefer it for doing all the driving I have to do this week.

8. The grass needs mowing. It's a catch 22. Dale says it's the "man's job" but he hasn't had time to do it. It's too hard to try and mow when you've got three imps underfoot wanting to play, argue, etc.

7. Dinner. Wednesday is usually our going out to dinner night, but I had to work last night so we're going out tonight. Should we go to Golden Corral? Applebees? Sonny's? So many decisions.

6. Mom's finances. Trying to get everything in order on that. Since she's had the cancer, the bills have been mounting in amazing quantities and multitudes. So many forms and agencies to contact. Been trying to help her out but my schedule has kept me from doing all that i could. She did get some hopeful news from one place today, so maybe things are looking up.

5. Fight with my Brother. I've been irritated with him because he's only been to see my mom once in the past month and half that she's been so ill. So I confronted him about it yesterday...and let's just say it wasn't pretty. I'm not losing sleep over it, but it drained me yesterday and is still on my mind today.

4. My Finances. We're trying to save up the money to move...probably in June when the kids get out of school. So, we're putting every penny we can scrounge into savings and I'm constantly trying to figure out other ways to bring in money. We're doing ok, but it's always On my mind to quote Willie Nelson.

3. Gotta get my meds re-filled. Somewhere on this messy desk of mine are 3 prescriptions I need to have filled. 2 for my type 2 diabetes and one for this eczema thing i have going on my knee. I need to bite the bullet and sort this desk out and find them as I'm officially out of the old meds.

2. John's birthday. It's not til the end of November, but he gets the birthday party this year. With three imps that all have birthdays within 6 weeks of each other, we made the decision to only have one birthday party a year. They go in order as to who gets one. It's John's year an he'll be 6. I've decided to have it at this cool gymnastics/Jumpy place in Carl called A to Z (or something like that) I need to pay the deposit and get him a cake ordered. Also need to order E'beth a cake too. She wants one of those Barbie cakes like they have at Publix...but I asked about it the other day and it costs $45!!! I think that's too much to pay for the cake. Contemplating making one myself but i'm not very good in the icing department.

1. How little I've seen the kids this week. I've only seen them for 30 minutes Mon-Wed in the morning and maybe 5-10 min in the evenings when I get home. Then this morning i didnt get to see them at all...(but have spent all afternoon w/them...although I did fall asleep on the couch with them watching Wendy & Casper)
This kind of schedule will last thru about Wednesday of next week. We're trying to "make hay while the sun shines" with this part time job of mine. I feel like it's going to dry up in how much I'm working so I want to get all i can while i can. But I've missed them a lot.

So now you probably know more about what's on my mind than you ever wanted to.

Grant me patience...NOW

So we were talking at Sunday School about how we can be more High Performance Believers in our homes, community and work. Since i spend the majority of my time in the home, that's where I felt i should focus the most. And I got to thinking, if my children look at me (and Lord knows we know the kids DO watch us!) Do they see what Christian behavior should look like? Do they see a good example to follow? And I have to think that the majority of the time they don't. They see a shrieking woman trying to get three children off to school. Fussing at Joshua because he can't seem to realize he needs to put on deodorant EVERY day. Yelling at Elizabeth not to wipe the dray erase board with her knee pads. Hollering at John that we DON'T hit/grab by the arms our sister when she plays with our toy that we're not playing with in the first place.

I've got to learn a better demeanor. I've got to learn how to get my point across to the children in a more pleasant yet still authoritative manner. I want to make a loving non-violent home. I don't want the yelling. I used to dread when my mom used to yell at us as kids. Made me sick at my stomach. Now I find myself doing it all the time (which from a different view, completely diminishes it's impact)

I'm a naturally loud person, i come by it honestly! (Just listen to my Dad sometime!) But there's a difference between being loud and yelling. It's just something I need help on.

Thursday 13

With the weather turning colder (somewhat), my thoughts turn to the top 13 things I like about October.

13. Tons of festivals!! It seems like every weekend there's some sort of arts and crafts or apple or sunflower or SOMETHING worthy of a festival being named after it in the state of Georgia. Although my favorite festival (The Yellow Daisy Festival) is actually in September, there are tons of others I enjoy during October.

12. The showing of IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN CHARLIE BROWN. With the advent of dvds and videos of all the old favorites we grew up with, it's not so much of an annual event the way it was when we were kids...but I still like to watch it on tv...usually sponsored by Kraft Foods or Peppermint Patties (get it? grins)

11. The fall foliage. (Did i spell that right?) Anyway...here in the Atlanta area, it starts peaking around the last week in October. Take a look at my imps and our nieces in the below picture and you'll get an idea of how beautiful it gets. We have a HUGE leaf tree outside our front window that provides a wonderful view on crisp days.


10. Our first fire of the year. It's always sometime in October and I know that when we move to Florida that's going to be the one thing I miss the most. The sound of the crackling logs, the aroma of the scene, all of it just gives me a big case of the warm fuzzies.

9. Columbus Day. Obscure I know, but my husband actually gets the day off from work! Whoo hoo. How many holidays do we get that the kids are in school, but Dale's off from work? That's a double goodie. We're going to have a grand time on Monday!

8. Catalog Heaven. There's a huge push by all the companies to send out their catalogs in October so that you will consider them come Christmas. I love going thru catalogs and dream shopping. Right now, I have Lillian Vernon, E-Toys, etc all vying for my dollars.

7. Cooling Temperatures. After a long hot summer, it's so relaxing to have the temps dip below 80 in the days and below the 60s at night. The kids (and adults too) actually start going outside again to play. We all got in the front yard the other day and played giant frisbee together for half an hour. The kids frolicked in the front yard with my brother's pooch and we all just had a ball. We dont have have that kind of outdoor fun in the summer.

6. Birthdays. 2 notable ones in our family. My brother Steven's is the 23rd and son Josh's is the 6th. Steven will be THIRTY FIVE this year...and Joshi will be 9. Happy B'day to you both.

5. Football season is in full swing. I'm an oddity I know...a girl who loves football. But I love it when Sunday rolls around and my thoughts turn to the Falcons/Cowboys/Saints etc. I love the competition, the excitement and intrigue. I follow the Dawgs & Yellow Jackets some but I prefer Pro-Ball. Go Falcons.

4. Octoberfest in Helen. I know I should have put this in the festival section, but it's so big, it deserves it's own number. I love all the celebration, the brats, the music, the hype, etc. I love the drive up into the mountains. Etc.

3. Pommagrantes come in season. Another obscure thing, but when I was a kid, i loved these things. I begged my mom to buy them whenever she could...but they were only at the grocery store in October. I loved cutting them open and getting that purple juice all over myself! And I love the sour sweet taste as a fat seed pops in my mouth.

2. Christmas shopping starts. For me anyway. I may occassionally pick up something before now, but I start in earnest in October squirrling away things to give as gifts. My closet starts bulging at the seams as I try to get all of the shopping done before Thanksgiving. (It never happens, but I always try.)

1. Halloween. I'm sure noone is surprised by this revealing number 1. But god I love this holiday!! The costumes, the chocolate, the late nights, the parties, the chocolate, the jack o lanterns, the scarecrows, the haunted houses, EVERYTHING!! And here's my favorite picture of our family from Halloween.

Thursday 13

I don't have the fancy graphics that my friend Cindi does, but I'm just getting started on this. Today's topic will be...

13 Things I like to serve for breakfast as breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.

13. Cereal to the imps. Their favorites are cocoa puffs, apple jacks and Lucky Charms. And the one they all agree on and my personal favorite, FROSTED FLAKES.

12. Cinnamon Toast. My mom used to make this for us and I always loved it. I dont make it for myself because it has so much sugar, but I do make a Weight Watchers variation of it on bagels with splenda and "i cant believe it's not butter"

11. Mini-Bagels/Bagels. The imps love the mini-bagels with white cream cheese for Ebeth, strawberry cream cheese for Joshi and "sprinkle" (shredded) colby jack for John. I use a diet peanut butter called PB2 on mine and all fruit. Also buy my bagels from Publix and get the "alternative bagel" cause it's only 1 WW point.

10. Pancakes. Now I'm not a fancy maker of these...I admit to buying the "add water" mix and cooking them up on the griddle. And, I buy the low fat version to make for myself. I always make too many and end up freezing the rest for fast breakfasts during the week.

9. Egg Sandwiches. I haven't proven to the kids how wonderful these are, but I love them. Josh & John will occasionally join me with them. I like mine with light mayo and 2 scrambled eggs. But when I have them at Waffle House, I add the bacon and cheese.

8. Scrambled Egg Mix. I do this with egg beaters, salt, mushrooms, onions, and diced tomatoes. Very WW friendly and good too.

7. Grits. Sometimes with cheese, sometimes just butter, sometimes with chopped up smoked sausage. Any way shape or form, Grits are the way to go in my book.

6. Oatmeal. A staple on Weight Watchers. Personally, I have mine with sugar free syrup and I cant believe it's not butter.

5. Pop Tarts. For the imps, not me. The favorite in our house is Strawberry and Chocolate ones.

4. Leftover Pizza. Always a good staple but I have to admit that I do heat mine up.

3. Omlettes. Preferably from Waffle House with ham and cheese and hashbrowns on the side scattered, covered and chunked.

2. Golden Corral Buffet for breakfast. EVERYTHING on it.

1. Sausage Egg & Cheese McMuffin from McDonalds. I admit it, I'm a junk food junky!!!