A touch of odd

Let's be honest, there's a lot of strange out there - not good, not bad, just different and out of the ordinary.  I love strange - bring it on!  I like learning about people and why they do what they do and why they are who they are.  I got my degree in Psychology and let me tell ya, you can't judge a book by its cover, try though you will.  We all cross one another's paths for various reasons and we're given more times than we know (opportunities if you will) to pray for each other, learn from one another, and be of service to one another - not judge and out-do.

Here's one bit of strange from our mini vacation last week:

Yuh huh, she's got pierced arms!  Owwwwwwe!  This was our waitress at a little restaurant we went to for lunch one day.  She handed us our menus and I'm like, "Hey, wait a minute."  I figure if you do something like that where everybody can see it, it's not so you can hide it, am I right?  She was sweet as can be and so I started grilling asking her to tell me about how those are on there (a small anchor under the skin with the diamond screwed on top, if you're wondering) and I asked her why she decided to do that, and I told her of course I'd have to take a picture because, well, no one would believe it otherwise.  Did I mention that our waitress was a mother of four? 

This is more funny than strange but I couldn't resist - I asked for Ranch dressing for my wings and yep, she brought me some...in a packet...in a cup.  Ummm, okay!  I did mention "strange" was okay with me right?  OK good. 

Just remember, before you go deciding that someone isn't what you think they should be, maybe they're exactly as they should be and they've been put in your path for a reason.   

Here's one more strange thing from our trip...(HA HA)

These are our very wonderful friends, Jim & Mary.  They made every part of our mini vacation a bit funnier, a bit livlier, a bit more relaxing, and a bit more memorable.  I am a great judge of friends, I can tell you that much!

Happy Belated Birthday, Gimma!

It's another fun Friday Photo Flashback, hosted by Alicia at More Than Words.  It's a sharing of pre-digital-photos and I have so much fun each week looking through old albums and trying to decide which picture(s) to share.

While I realize it's almost February, I thought it would be fun to wish my grandma a belated happy 103rd birthday.  She is home now in Heaven but I still think of her sometimes, especially in January, as her birthday was on New Year's Day. 

She grew up on a farm in East Prairie, Missouri, down near the bootheel.  Margarine was Oleo, she had shelves of Reader's Digest in her den, her mail was delivered in a mailbox built into her house so it slid right into her living room wall - the most fun was opening the little door to get it out - or just opening the little door 100 times, she grew the most beautiful irises in every color in her backyard, and it's where I learned to love rhubarb pie and homemade applesauce.  I knew the secret cookie drawer too - always with the pink, brown and white wafer cookies - yum.   And the woman cut her own grass into her late 70s (at least) - a true farm girl!!  She was very involved in her church with the quilters, card parties, the altar society, and everything else she could get her hands on. 

I remember a wall hanging that was there from the time I was little until I was married with my own kids:

Only one life

'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ

will last.

Is it just me or did grandparents used to look like grandparents even when they were young?

Top row: Aunt Mary, my dad (Bernie), Aunt Theresa

Bottom row: Papa and Gimma - please blame my oldest sister for those names 
(Marshall and Mabel)

 

They look a bit older here, like maybe their kids had all moved out and they were finally getting some rest!

This is such a treasure - it's a copy of the program from my grandma's high school graduation.  She wrote the class poem and it was BEAUTIFUL (too long to post) but she was such a great writer!  I love seeing those names - Alice, Thelma, Beulah...

My dad, my grandma, and my three kids in the summer of 1993.  Happy (belated) Birthday to you, grandma!

Nothing says, "I Love You"...

Walgreens, you CRACK ME UP.  Picking out the perfect Valentine's Day gift for the man in your life can be tough, am I right?  Girls are easy - give us chocolate and five minutes of peace and quiet and we're pretty much happy.  Throw in flowers and dinner (even if it's homemade) and it's double bonus points.  Better yet, skip the flowers and just give us dinner.  Men...hmmmm...not so easy, especially if you have a man that says, "Don't get me anything - please.  We don't have the money."  AS IF!!  Silly boy. 

Fear not, my sweet friends, because I was in Walgreens last week and they had little end-caps advertising all kinds of things for that "special someone".  I grabbed my handy dandy camera and snapped away so you all would not be fretting when the big V-day came around.  YOU'RE WELCOME!  Get aload of Walgreen's idea of how to "Make Your Sweetheart Happy"... the Turbo Snake!  Look Honey, now you can get all that gross clogged hair that was stuck in the bathroom drain out - more work fun for you!  No, YOU'RE welcome, Sweetiepie.   

Here's a closer look just so you don't get the wrong thing.  It's even "Pitchman Approved".  Thumbs up, buddy!!

I just love when I can do a good deed for the day.   You better hope your sweetheart doesn't squeeze you too tight when he gives you a big bear hug for that gift, and you'll have clear drains.  Win-win.  Ahhhh, ain't love grand? 

The Eagle has Landed

Every Tuesday, Angela at West Virginia Treasures hosts this "Show & Tail" party for everyone who has an animal story to tell - cute, funny, good, bad, goofy, you name it!  My good friend HATES dogs (I know, right!?) but even SHE could tell a good snake story or two.  Join the fun if you'd like, we'd love to have you along for the ride.

Last week, my husband and I took a 2-day mini vacation with our friends to Pere Marquette, a hotel/lodge in Grafton, IL, which is about 50 minutes from our house - far enough to be a vacation but close enough to come home if need be.  It's a BEAUTIFUL drive along "The Great River Road" to get there and it's a HUGE hot spot for bald eagles every year.  Even though it's not rare for us to see them, it's still a big thrill and we get excited every time.  As you can imagine, everything in the little river towns along the way centers around bald eagles and "Bald Eagle Days".  We even got the "Eagle Package" at the lodge (which is of course why we go this time of year). 

The days we were there just happened to be the foggiest days of the century, so the pictures are semi-sub-par but you can at least see some of the shots I got of some eagles.  I can't wait to do another post of some of the fun we had while we were "away".

If you click on the pictures, it will enlarge them and you can see a little bit more detail.

The Lone Eagle

Flying solo.  I love this - it looks like we're in Alaska.  Those aren't icebergs, it's actually a barge that was going along the river.  It felt like Alaska though!

Flying with friends.

He's holding a fish, but I think you'll just have to trust me on that one. 

We were too far away to get a good shot, but if you have super high-powered vision you just might see the three eagles up in the tree checking things out.

I just decided I hate having "The imPerfect Housewife" on all those pictures - please ignore.  I can't say people stealing photos from my blog is a major worry for me.  Oh well, it's too much trouble now to re-do them.  Maybe I need to use the dimmer thing more.  Did I mention that I love Picnik??  It's like a new fun toy for me.  Have a great day!

The Clothesline

I received this poem in an e-mail and I just had to share.  We have allergy sufferers here so we were "medically advised" not to hang clothes or sheets outside.  I mean seriously, is breathing really that important??  Ever hear of Claritin??  OK, whatev.  I still love the LOOK of clothes on a clothesline and it reminds me of when I was little.  These clothespins are from the sweet Elyse at Cottage, and look, she put my name on one of them - SO PRESH!

I remember our clothesline in the backyard and my mom buying me some tiny wooden clothespins so I could hang up my doll clothes anywhere around the house.  I hadn't seen those in years and when I went in Michael's...OH MY ~ tiny clothespins!  I don't know what I'll use them for but they sure are cute.  I'm just going to look at them and smile and remember the good ol' days (sigh, head tilt).

I don't know what it was about clothespins and the NEED to put them on my nose or my big finger, but it hurt - and I still did it!  It must be genetic though, because when I brought the tiny clothespins home my son took one out and put it on his ear (and he's 21, not 4). Enjoy the poem, I tried to find the author online so I hope I am giving proper credit where credit is definitely due!  Enjoy ~
 

The Clothesline

A clothesline was a news forecast

to Neighbors passing by,

There were no secrets you could keep

when clothes were hung to dry.

It also was a friendly link

for neighbors always knew

If company had stopped on by

to spend a night or two.

For then you'd see the "fancy sheets"

And towels upon the lines;

You'd see the "company table cloths"

with intricate designs.

The line announced a baby's birth

from folks who lived inside -

As brand new infant clothes were hung

so carefully with pride!

The ages of the children could

so readily to known

By watching how the sizes changed,

you'd know how much they'd grown!

It also told when illness struck,

as extra sheets were hung;

Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe, too,

haphazardly were strung.

It also said, "Gone on vacation now"

when lines hung limp and bare...

It told, "We're back!" when full lines sagged

with not an inch to spare!

New folks in town were scorned upon

if wash was dingy and gray,

As neighbors carefully raised their brows,

and looked the other way...

But clotheslines now are of the past,

for dryers make work much less.

Now what goes on inside a home

is anybody's guess!

I really miss that way of life...

It was a friendly sign

When neighbors knew each other best

by what hung on the line!

Two smart cookies

I've been MIA for several days because my husband and I went on a 2-day mini vaca - yippee!!  I'll hopefully catch up over the weekend but in the meantime I couldn't miss out on today's Friday Photo Flashback, hosted by our dear Alicia.  Pop on over and join in the pre-digital-camera fun!

I know it's different in different parts of the country, but right now where we live, we're right in the middle of Girl Scout Cookie season.  Bring on the Samoas and the Thin Mints!  We either get a bajillion girls around here and try and buy one or two from each, or we start out getting one or two boxes from the first girls and then no one else stops by.  Hellooooo, do we look like we've ever missed a Girl Scout Cookie in our lives???  I don't think so!  You want the badge, start with the fat big-boned neighbors - do I have to teach them everything???

Anyway, here are a few pictures of my little scouts (from late '90s/early 2000s) in their Brownie, Daisy, and Junior Girl Scout uniforms.  I do remember in the bottom picture, the reflection of some mirror-looking-stream reflected on their legs making them look like they have a weird disease, but they're both all one color - not that that matters!  So when you see someone similarly dressed knocking on your door, be generous.  Of course they're overpriced delicious and totally worth it!!

Fangs for the memories

Today for my Tuesday's Show & Tail, hosted by the wonderful Angela each week, I'd like to introduce you to Fang!  Fang was the first pet our family ever owned when I was little and she (yes, SHE) was a toy poodle weighing about 4 lbs. - if that, who knows?  I was in about 1st grade when we got her and don't ask me why, but we'd always just let her out the front door when she needed to go out.  We lived in a regular old subdivision, not by any busy streets or wild animals, but one day we heard her yelping and screaming and went outside to find her limping home with a broken leg.  :( 

We never did find out what happened to her leg, and she went on to have a very happy kind-of-long life.  I feel semi-responsible for her life not being quite as long as it could have been, so before I go all Marley & Me on you, I'm going to just say what an AWESOME pup she was!!

Shameless advertising

While I was visiting Jessie's blog, Muthering Heights, one day, she was telling about this wonderful way in which our fellow bloggers are helping the Haitian victims.  Jessie's not only a FABULOUS blogger, but she's a Christian and has a good head on her shoulders.  I trusted her advice to check out the Hope for Haiti blog/website and if you haven't checked this out yet, please take a peek! 
 
Many of our blogging friends are donating things to be raffled off, all in an effort to raise money that will be sent to help those in need.  There are things like homemade treats, tickets to events, crafts, advertising space, and soooo much more! 
 
I wanted to make sure how it worked before I passed on the info so I contacted Jenny, who has organized this endeavor.  Underneath each item, there's a "Chip In" button to donate.*  The money goes through Paypal.  Each dollar counts as a chance to win that item.  If you want to donate $10 to help out, you can donate $10 to one item (for 10 chances to win) or $1 to 10 different items (for 1 chance each).  Donate as much or as little as you want.  Click on her "DONATE" link if you need more details or if YOU have an item or service that you'd like to donate.  It's just a fun way to help out and thank you to Jenny for taking this on! 

* UPDATE!!  Jenny has found out that Paypal will not endorse the selling of raffle tickets as it goes against their policy.  She is now using Google checkout for donations.  Just wanted to give you a heads up.  Have a great day!

My, how....colorful!

It's time for Flashback Photo Friday again I just had to dip into that pool we call the 70s.  SOMEBODY STOP ALL THOSE COLORS!  I'm sitting with 2 of my older brothers in our living room.  It makes me want to start singing a Monkees song.  Didn't one start off with "Here we come...walking down the street...we get the funniest looks from...everyone we meet"???  Uh yeah, go figure. I was holding my doll, Velvet and wearing my super groovy go-go boots. Remember Velvet, you could push her belly button in and pull her ponytail and it would grow?  I think she had a red-headed cousin named Crissy.

Is it just me or is there more wall than kids in that picture??  I don't think cameras were that complicated, were they?  Thank goodness for cropping, but I just couldn't do it to this one - it's just soooo my mom.

What's old is new again

Now that I've lived a little bit and am 29 again for the 16th time, I've seen some styles come and go.  When I was in high school plaid shorts were in style, as well as Izod shirts with the collars turned up, then Polo became popular.  And who can forget Topsiders??  People started putting pink and green together and disco was on it's way OUT.  I remember seeing Footloose about a million times and for some reason I couldn't get enough of the pre-botoxed Sylvester Stallone in Rocky III.  When we first got cable TV, for some reason the only thing I remember about it is watching "Valley Girl".  Nicholas Cage was such a doofus but that dimpled girl (whoever she was) liked him anyway and her parents were hippies.  I don't know why I remember that.  I first heard the word "preppy" and even though I still hear it here and there, it will forever remain an 80s word for me.

Oh well, anyway, little by little they've all made their reappearance.  The guys started wearing plaid shorts again a few years ago (and who knows, maybe the girls did too).  Here's some advice...unless you're a size -4 or you're on a golf course, SKIP the plaid shorts!  For the love of Pete, put them back in the trunk.  I cracked up a few years ago picking up one of my kids from school (high school) and a boy was walking in the parking lot with his collar all turned up on his PINK shirt.  Rockin' dude!  I looked at my husband all excited (after I found out it wasn't "RETRO" day) and said, "Oh my gosh, did you used to wear your shirts like that!!??" and he was all, "Umm, not really".  Oh.  Yeah, me neither. 

So awhile back I hear my one daughter ask the other one, "Mere, have you heard of Sperrys?" and then I pipe up, "What!?  Like Sperry Topsiders??"  She said yeah she thought she'd heard them called that too. (I think they secretly love when I get in on their conversations - or "convos" as I like to say - yeah, I think they like when I use cool words, too).   They're baaaaaack...

"WE" didn't wear them with bright green socks and ours were dark brown, but I do remember they lasted a good while.  Good thing because I bet her daughter will want to borrow them! 

Charlie the coyote

Since animals are such a big part of life, Angela at West Virginia Treasures, does this post/meme/McLinky every Tuesday where people can link up or just go visit the others.  I LOVE animals.  I don't mean love like I want to marry them, but love in a really really like kind of way.  Actually my whole plan throughout high school was to be a vet.  I did a co-op type thing my senior year where I went to school half the day and spent the other half at a vet's office, clipping nails, running blood tests, doing brain surgery.  Oh okay, no brain surgery, but you get the idea.  If you don't have pets, you've probably had run-ins with animals even if you don't like them!  That's what I love about this, you don't have to post pet pictures (I mean cute, but that only goes so far).  It can be any kind of animal with what you've got to say about it. 

One of my favorite books is The Daily Coyote by Shreve Stockton.  It's the story of how she is raising a coyote from a pup out in Wyoming.  Yeah, don't try this at home kids!  Anyway, I wanted one of her prints from her website and I got one for Christmas from my husband.  Yay!!  He made sure it was a surprise by having it sent to his work and I was even more surprised because I mentioned it SO long ago.  So that's my post for this week, my new picture of wild Charlie the coyote that hangs completely housebroken in my family room:

 

Mindless entertainment

Have you seen this book?!  I got the book Cake Wrecks from the library right after Christmas and today I was at their website reading past posts.  I'm not having a giveaway, I'm not getting paid to endorse it, and I don't even own it, but if you just want to crack up for awhile over people's stupidity (and believe me, there's PLENTY of it), then you need to check this out.  These are all professional cakes gone wrong.  Have fun!

Don't ask

Thanks to Alicia at More Than Words, we get to revisit our pre-digital-camera days every Friday.  If you have a scanner, upload some memories and pop on over to Alicia's blog to sign up and join in the fun!

This was the summer of 1998 when the girls were 8 and 6 and I have NO idea what they were playing. 

Yep, laugh it up girls ~ that's the last time you'll ever think a big rear end is funny! 

Mom's got a snow day!

 

Isn't it funny how your perspective changes depending on which side of the snow you're on??  Yesterday they couldn't stop talking about the snow we're going to get, the snow we're going to get, the snow... yeah, you get it.  Your mind goes around and around ~ Will the power stay on (that's my biggie)?  Will I slide off the road and then have to go to the bathroom while I wait for a tow truck?  Do I have de-icer in the car?  Do my kids have de-icer in their cars?  Do I have coffee in the house?  How about Doritos?  The shoveling, the scraping, the wind chill, the slipping, the sliding, the wailing and crying!

Oh, but they closed the St. Louis County Library today!  Yes, all the branches in the county.  Did I mention that I work part-time for the library?  Isn't the snow just the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?  Its powderly brilliance swirling in the breezes; its pristine canvas perfect for sweet snow angels; the bitter cold perfect for snuggling up with soup, hot chocolate, homemade bread, and ummm, whatever (oink); and the beautiful white blanket covering the earth like a watercolor painting ~ it's all just so wonderful.  I can't stop singing...

Resolutions

I think if I hear the word "resolutions" one more time I'm going to barf, but I can't help it, I love any time there's a chance to make a new start, like with the new year, or during Lent.  It gives me an excuse to try and do something differently.  Do I need an excuse or a certain date to change?  Well apparently I do, so booyaa! (By the way, I just asked my daughter how to spell "booyaa" and she said she didn't know because she would never use that word, it's too lame).  Well, I just did so booyaaa!!

Here are a few of Beth's New Year's Resolutions for 2010.  (I will re-examine them in 01/11 with cheers or jeers)...

#1  Go through my stack(s) of magazines, and then try to read through them within 1-2 days of when they come in the mail.  Subscribe to NO new magazines. 

#2  Go through pictures, crop them, and organize them.

 #3  Begin a new cross-stitch project.  I love to stitch and I want to start something new.  Oh yeah, and if I finish it that'll be even better!

#4  Keep trying new recipes.  When the kids ask what's for dinner and I say, "It's a new recipe," they all get that look on their face.  You know the face - the one like we all had when that video was travelling around the internet of the fat puppy that couldn't quite roll over?  Like, "Awwwe, you keep tryin' buddy, you can do it!"

#5  Spend more time with family.  God gave them to us for a reason so I intend to be thankful, enjoy our differences (and similarities if there are any - ha ha) and make some fun memories.  Pictures are of my brother-in-law, John, and nephews Joey and Nick; my daughter Sara with my brothers Mike and Jeff; Sara with my sisters-in-law (or however you say it) Diana and Kim; and my son Adam (middle) with his cousins Matt, Sam, Tim and Ben. 

And finally #6... Well, let's not go totally crazy.  Five resolutions is/are plenty.  It's never good to over-do.

If you made any resolutions (barf) then good for you ~ I wish you nothing but success.  We can cheer each other on.  If you didn't, then good for you ~ that's what's nice about being a grown-up, we don't have to if we don't want to, so BOOYAA!

A little splurge

I found a new little something I want to try out because I'm an animal lover.  Angela at West Virginia Treasures started this adorable meme.  If you'd like to join in, please do!  Go sign up at Angela's site and visit the other animal photos - pets or otherwise.

Sometimes when I read a post about a person's pet I think to myself, 'Give me a break already', but somehow when it's my pet, it's so much more precious - I'm sure you'll agree.  If you're not a dog lover, suppress your gag reflex for just a moment if you will.

It's okay, you can judge me.  I splurged and bought the dog a sweater and matching hat from the cutest Etsy shop - total cost of $20.  Trust me, underneath her disgruntled look is the biggest dog smile you've ever seen - ever!  Whenever we open her shoebox armoire to get her a new ensem, she runs over and wags her tail - seriously.  Another time I'll have to show you the new dresses her Aunt Kim made her for my birthday - yes, my birthday gift was dog dresses.  .  Sometimes a girl just wants to look good!

Her favorite place is right next to the heat vent, not only for the warmth but also for the wind-blown effect.  It works for her! 

Frosty, on the other hand, isn't into dressing up quite so much.

See, this is what happens when your kids aren't little anymore and you need a hobby!