Going Hmmmmmmmm.

This is how I have felt ALL day! I have had an awful migraine headache. Nothing has helped, and I've tried everything that's ever been given.

Oh, but don't feel sorry for me too much when you hear what caused the headache. Last night I couldn't sleep. I pulled out my phone and got on Facebook. My phone is practically the only place I look at Facebook, blogs, etc. If I can't look at it on my phone or in 5 minutes on my computer at home, I usually won't see it.

Anyway, I was probably on Facebook for a couple or three hours. Staring at the screen of my phone in the DARK. Probably very bad for your eyes. Obviously very bad for your eyes, because as soon as I turned it off, I was hit immediately with the worst headache.

I think staring at our phone screens, iPods, etc. too much at one time can give you a headache.

Do y'all have that experience?

Till next time.

Getting Prepped

Today and tonight I'm getting myself ready for a big event. Perhaps after you see my picture below, you may be able to guess exactly what the event is.

And certainly, after you see this next picture, you will for sure know what the big event is.

I've never had a colonoscopy before. From all that I've been told, the preparation is way worse than the actual test. I'm on a liquid diet today. It's such a funny thing how you don't pay much attention to hunger because you know that you can satisfy that hunger whenever you want. Maybe you don't get to eat Little Debbie Nuttie Bars, but you know you can have a piece of fruit or SOMETHING. When you know you can't have ANYTHING to eat, it seems impossible to ignore those same hunger pangs.

Tonight at 5 o'clock is when the real fun begins. Hence, the need for the new Southern Living magazine. I'll likely be in a seated position a good bit this evening, so a new magazine to read should help pass the time.

There is no worry about anything being seriously wrong. I've been having some abdominal pain and they want to rule out anything other than a spastic colon. I've had that for years.

So are y'all believers in miracles? I sure am. If you've been keeping up with Joanne, then you too are witnessing a miracle right before your eyes! Her husband has been updating her blog and just a few hours ago he posted that she is breathing on her own for the first time since she came to the hospital!!! The power of prayer never ceases to amaze me! She is an amazing woman, as you can see from her blog, and God obviously has more for her to do here!

And one other thing. I took this picture just a few minutes ago. We still have one little spot in our yard with snow! Two weeks and this snow has been on the ground.

That hardly happens this far south. I've always heard if the snow stays on the ground for more than three days, then you'll get more snow that season. We'll see. Sure hope it doesn't snow when we are supposed to go to the deer land. It did last year, remember?

Okay, gals, that's all I've got for today. Till next time... I leave you with this: Hunger pangs are used to describe the contractions of your empty stomach as it expresses its great upset in being left unfed. Mine is expressing itself big time!

Toot Toot

Yeah, that's right. Toot Toot or Honk Honk. Either way, I'm tooting and honking my own horn!

The gym that I work out at had a Leave a Legacy Challenge through the holidays. They gave you a card, and each time you took one of the classes on the card, the instructor signed off on it. If, at the end of nine weeks, you had taken 33 classes, you got to sign your name on the Legacy Wall.

And look who signed it! A Girl Named Kelly Kelly. I did it. Thirty-three classes in nine weeks! And really, I did more than that, but that was all the card held.

There is a sign as you walk into the gym that reads: Half the battle is showing up. And that is really the truth. Some days I'd rather do most anything but exercise. Some days I'm a quarter of the way through an hour class, and I think well, I'm just going to leave; I don't feel like finishing. But I stay. I stick it out. Since I had two C-sections and never went into labor, I've never really had an endurance challenge. I have learned a lot about my own endurance. I have learned not to quit.

Most days I happily go. I have started to enjoy exercising and sweating. Sometimes when I'm on my spin bike, I count the drops of sweat that fall off me onto the floor. Silly, I know, but it gives me a great feeling and makes me work even harder.

Now if I could just learn to quit craving cookies, chocolate, etcetera. Maybe I'll set a Legacy Challenge against sweets for myself and sign my kitchen wall when I go a week or two without something sweet. Nah, who am I kidding.

Thanks for letting me toot and honk my horn! I really am proud of myself.

Till next time...

Good Monday

You rarely see Good and Monday used together in a sentence. But because of the bad weather last week, I hadn't seen Suz and her family for two weeks!!!!!!! That's a record, and it's one I don't want to break. That was too long.

I gave my mom a break and Jeff and I cooked Sunday night. Suz and her family weren't able to make it due to a church event. Joseph and Ethan were at their dad's, so they couldn't come either. We had a small crowd. We invited Ed and Jean, too. I know that they were glad to get out of the house for a while.

Jeff grilled his awesome chicken. I made baked potatoes in the oven. Aren't they so much better that way? I threw together a salad and Crystal brought green beans. I made Butterfinger Cake for dessert.

Since Suz didn't get to come Sunday, they came yesterday. What a fun way to spend an otherwise dreary Monday.

I spent time with my favorite six-almost-seven-year-old!

We played Mr. Potato Head until the poor tater was exhausted. Then we played Jenga. Fun game until your creation is knocked over. Eli is an outdoorsy kinda kid, so being stuck inside isn't his thing. We made the best of it and actually had fun. There is something a little relaxing about playing a child's game when you're an adult.

We ended the day at Waffle House, which isn't my favorite place to eat in the world, but it's close, convenient and who doesn't love a good waffle? My mom and dad went, too, and Cam rocked the Waffle House jukebox. I sat with Alayna alone at a table and I really enjoyed spending one-on-one time with her. She's such a sweetie.

All in all, it was a good Monday. A very good Monday.

Till next time...

Praying for Joanne

The Internet has made the world a smaller place, at least for me anyway. I have made friends that live across the country. It has also brought to light the many, many prayer needs that are out there.

I follow Kelly over at Kelly's Korner. She is a sweet Christian girl who posts a lot about her life as a young mom. Sometimes, though, Kelly posts about prayer requests that have come her way. She blogged about Joanne yesterday. Joanne is a 38-year-old mom in Colorado who suffered a major stroke and was found by her daughter. Her treadmill was running.

While I may not have a lot of readers, I know without a doubt that my readers are praying women. Prayer is what Joanne needs right now. Her husband is updating her readers periodically from the hospital. Will you pay Joanne's blog a visit? Then will you pray for her and her family?

Also, if you feel led, a friend of hers is making a Prayer Bunting to hang in Joanne's room while she is recovering. If there is a verse of scripture that is on your heart after visiting Joanne's blog and reading about her, I encourage you to go here and post it. She'll make it a part of the beautiful Prayer Bunting.

Till next time...

It Was the Fever

The cabin fever, that is. I hadn't been to the gym since Saturday. I haven't driven since Sunday. I have eaten way too much, while excusing it because of the snow/ice, which at first was like a second Christmas. I was grouchy. I was out of sorts. I was cooped up in the house with two 18-year-olds, a 16-year-old, and Ross. I was cursing the day we bought our big-screen TV for the living room. I was cursing the day I allowed Ross to bring the X-Box into the living room. I was cursing everything.

And then I slept and...

I didn't really sleep, but what I did was ask Jeff to go to Chick-fil-A with me for lunch. Getting out of the house cleared my mind. It also helped that, when we got home, all the male invaders were gone.

Now, please don't misunderstand me. I love my kids. I love my nephew, Joseph, who has been here since Sunday. I love Cam's friends. But I felt like if I didn't get some semblance of normalcy in my house I was going to go postal.

I must say that that Chick-fil-A was one of the best ever. I'm pretty sure it was because I was enjoying being back out in society. I felt the fever breaking.

When we got home, I pulled a dear friend out of the closet.

Within the hour, I felt like a new woman. I vacuumed the whole house, with Jeff's help. He understands -- well, sort of -- my fear of the man cave and the man bathroom. ~Gross~ He was very sweet to clean those rooms for me.

Got my Pledge Multi-Surface Cleaner, my Clorox spray and wiped down every spot in my living room and kitchen. Wiped the leather sofas, fluffed the throw pillows and spritzed them with a little Febreeze.

Shook all the rugs, swept all the floors, and then stood back and admired our efforts.

Ahh, the clean, fresh smell of my house.

I tell ya, it wasn't the OCD this time. It was the fever.

According to Wikipedia: Cabin fever is an idiomatic term for a claustrophobic reaction that takes place when a person or group is isolated and/or shut in, in a small space.

Thank heavens, I'm cured.

Till next time...

Snow, Now Go

We did get snow here in Georgia. We got a good three inches, but there were drifts of eight inches. Plus ice. Thank goodness we never lost power.

Everyone was excited yesterday. Playing in the snow, cooking up all their best winter goodies. It was fun. But like a visitor whose welcome is worn out, it's time for it to go.

The roads are like ice rinks. Some poor people have been stuck on the interstates since yesterday. When the salt trucks finally make their way to where they're needed, they crash into the medians themselves. I feel sorry for anyone who is out trying to make their way to work or wherever else they must go.

I also feel sorry for me. I DO NOT WANT TO BE STUCK IN THE HOUSE ALL DAY AGAIN TODAY. I cooked more yesterday than I did in all of 2010. I went to bed at 8 o'clock. I was exhausted.

Ross drives a big truck with four-wheel drive and went and picked up a couple of Cam's friends and Joseph's girlfriend. Cam rode the four-wheeler and picked up Joseph. This was my garage after they all came in from playing outside.

Ain't they sweet? They really were. I asked all of them to wear extra clothes so that they could take off their wet clothes before coming inside.

Jeff has a big project coming up this weekend, so he was glued to the computer all day yesterday and didn't get to come out much. Here's a pic of my sweet men and Joseph.


Cabin fever set in about 2 o'clock and I had to get out again. I took a walk and then got Cam to take me for a four-wheeler ride. The scenery was beautiful.

My street sign.



Home sweet home.
The pool.

Little flowers (or weeds) through the snow.

Tree coated with ice. I'm amazed we didn't have trees snapping because they all had a nice layer of ice on their branches.

This is the rose bush that MaMa Kimball gave me a clipping of. I rooted it many years ago. Her bush was a gift from PaPa's mother when they got married. Now, a piece of it blooms in my yard. I almost think it's prettier in the wintertime than the summer.

On the four-wheeler ride, I went to see how the cows down the street were handling the weather. I really didn't think I'd see them. I thought they'd be snuggled up inside their barn. But no, they were doing what they like to do best. Eat.

Precious little babies.

My favorite windmill.

So we enjoyed our snow day. Now, it's time for it to go. I am not one to be stuck inside. I like to get in my car and go. I guess you could say I'm fickle. I'm not going to chance sliding into a ditch or into another car, so I guess I'll be inside again today. I'm hoping that Jeff will be able to get away from the computer for a while and take a long walk with me. The sights we see every day look so pretty covered with snow.

The boys have gone to Waffle House that's a half mile from our house, but I hear them driving in the driveway now. So let the fun begin again.

Till next time...

Happy Birthday Jean

Last night we celebrated Jean's birthday at Longhorn in Conyers. We had a good time and I think she enjoyed herself. I felt kind of bad because I meant to order her a cookie cake and I forgot. Longhorn gave her a birthday ice cream, which was good because she loves ice cream.

Sweet, wonderful in-laws.

I guess when you turn 84 there really isn't much you need in the way of gifts. So all she wanted was scratch off lottery tickets. That's what we got her. Well, that and a box of Turtles. Turtles are good at any age. She called us after she had scratched off her tickets and she won $45 off the tickets we gave her.

The boys went along. They would never miss their MeeMaw's birthday party. And they would certainly never miss an opportunity for a nice steak dinner.

They seem to have digressed back to the ages of 8 and 4 because they never want to smile or be serious for a picture anymore.

They end up looking like they need to be admitted to a psych ward.

Unless I talk to them in my meanest voice and grit my teeth. Then I might get lucky and get a decent picture of the two of them.

This is my SWEET little great niece, Kendal. I highlight sweet because she told Mee-Maw happy birthday before anyone else did. Other than Alayna, she's the only other little girl I have to dote on.

When they brought Mee-Maw's birthday dessert out, Kendal wanted a bite of it. She took her little bite. Then two. Then she was very thoughtful to pass Mee-Maw the dessert back.

I just thought that was so sweet. That's her mom, Kristi, with the pretty smile. And Kendal's brother, Drew, in Kristi's lap.

I had the most delicious chopped steak. It had a mushroom wine sauce and was covered with fried onion strings. I rarely eat fried food of any kind, so by the time we got home those onions were killing me. I drank half a bottle (no lie) of Pepto to get relief from those dang onions. Note to self: no chop steak at Longhorn. Stick to just the meat and potatoes.

Anyway, another birthday dinner for Jean has come and gone. She's having a little surgery this week for carpal tunnel, so say a little prayer that all goes well with it. She's a little anxious about it, and it doesn't help that it's scheduled for tomorrow morning when we're supposed to be having this wintry weather.

Speaking of which, does anyone else feel like they're waiting for a baby to come? It's making me so darned anxious that I'm not watching anymore weather forecasts. If it comes, I'm ready. If it doesn't, then I guess it'll just be like any regular old Monday.

But I sure hope it comes. I need to try out my new cookware that I got for Christmas. Sometimes it takes a snow storm to make me cook.

Till next time lovelies, enjoy your day.

Snow in the South????

Seriously? The weathermen around town are pushing up their sleeves for lots of radar reading. They are wearing their sweater vests. They are getting ready.

When the weathermen start taking those actions, it's time for us to react. So today that's what I'm going to do.


I'm going to the grocery store. Although, I have enough canned goods to sustain life for my family for at least a month, but I don't think blackeyed peas or tuna would be very appealing during a snow or ice storm. So I will buy milk. Why, I'm not exactly sure, unless it's for snow ice cream or cereal. Speaking of snow ice cream, how do y'all make it? My daddy and mama used to make it when we were little and it was the BEST. When I try to make it, it tastes more like milky vanilla. I'd really like to ace the snow ice cream this time around.

I will buy bread. Just because everyone else is and I never like to be left out. Eggs? Yep, I'll pick up a dozen of those, too. Why? I haven't used eggs since I made my Christmas morning breakfast casserole. Again, I don't want to left out. Get the chili ingredients. Make sure I have plenty of hot chocolate. I've got plenty of homemade vegetable soup that I made during the summer and froze.


I will check my flashlights. There's nothing worse than being caught with no power and all of your flashlights are either, a. dead or b. broken.


I will round up all my candles and my old-fashioned oil lamps. Slick up the sled. Gather up firewood. (That one's actually on Jeff's To Do List). Get out our ski clothes. I'm sure Ross & Cam's will not fit anymore, but maybe they can tie their suits around them much as Randy's mom did in A Christmas Story.

I should go to the hardware store and get some rock salt. But from what I've been seeing on TV, there may not be any to be found. Good thing I've got a couple boxes of ice cream salt hanging around. I can at least salt our porch steps that I have fallen down when they were completely dry.

Charge the camera batteries. Make sure there is plenty of room on the SD card.


I have a book. I might need a couple of magazines in case I'm too distracted to dive into my book.


Lastly, rugs, rugs and more rugs. Taking off slushy, wet shoes before coming inside is something everyone, except me, never remembers to do. So I will put multiple throw rugs all around.

I know in other parts of the country, a few inches of ice and snow are routine. Here in the south, honey, it's like a second Christmas. We're very excited.


So what do y'all do to prepare for snow or ice? Let me know, because like I said, I don't like to be left out. Or caught with my pants down. Especially in the middle of a snow storm.


Till next time...

Out With the Old and In With the New

Welcome 2011!

It's been a little while since I've blogged. I have a lot to write about. Like how our washing machine broke down with a full load of laundry, full load of water and soap. We got a new one. Our dryer was on its last leg, too, so we went ahead and got a new one of those, too. I actually washed and dried my comforter today without having to go to the laundromat.

I got a new phone, too. My old Blackberry wasn't doing the trick anymore. Plus, I felt like I was from the stone age with it. There is something so cool about the touch screen phones. Believe it or not, I actually like this one.

Even though I haven't been writing myself, I've still been keeping up with all of you. I may not always (ever) comment, but I do read. Last night I read my Aunt Theresa's blog. She wrote about a new found friend that she had made through blogging. Her name is Edie and her blog is BEAUTIFUL! Definitely one of the prettiest ones I've read. She herself seems beautiful, inside and out. She writes of her children, her home, her crafts, her faith, her life.

Her house burned to the ground a couple of days before Christmas, with hardly anything to be salvaged. Edie's story touched me in such a strong way that I could hardly sleep. After I read her story, I felt like I was going to be sick. For real. Her faith, though, was so encouraging to me. Her strength at a time like this unimaginable to me. I prayed for her. Will you please read her story and say a prayer for her, too? I just bet she could use all the prayers she can get.

Till next time...