A to Z Blog Challenge - X, Y & Z

Whew.... better late than never! I decided to put the last three letters together. I also decided to only post 2 words for each letter since these last three are just a little bit more difficult! Hope that's ok!

Letter X

X-Ray

I am sure that all of you have had your share of x-ray's over the years, like I have. My most memorable one was when I thought that I had broken my finger. (I still think it was broken! Ha!) How did happened, you ask?? Well, I was on a youth retreat as a chaperone with our church youth group. Ashley was in youth at the time. Miranda was still too young. We were up in the mountains of the Carolina's somewhere, out in the middle of NOWHERE! It was a great retreat place, tho! I actually went there as a teen myself, back in the day. It is called Awanita Christian Retreat Center. It was really neat to be back there! I have SO many memories tucked away from that place! -- Anyway... They have a "ropes course" that our youth pastor wanted to do with the kids. He encouraged me to do it as well. During this course, is when I realized that...  I am not as young as I was when I was there before!! Haha! One of the obstacles was swinging over a MUDPIT on a rope that had knots tied in it. Well... I really did not want to do this particular one, but I was "bullied" into it! -- (Just kidding Matt!) So... I had no choice but to grab the rope and swing over to the other side (not very far) and LAND on the platform without falling into the mud! I don't remember falling into the mud, but I DO remember the PAIN of jamming my finger as I swung across!!! It swelled up and turned black & blue REAL FAST! And hurt like everything!! I just knew it was broken!! We still had a ways to go on the course, too! I refused to do any other obstacles that I would have to use my hands. I, of course, went to the doctor the day after we got back home -- thankfully, we were going home the next day! My doctor took x-rays of my finger, but it did not show any breaks. The doctor put a splint on it, but that was all that could be done. It took WEEKS for my finger to heal! Lesson learned..... "I'm not as young as I think I am!"

Xavier

This is the name of a boy that I knew in elementary school. I believe that he was in everyone of my classes.... First thru Seventh grades!! He would pick on me EVERY day!

Letter Y

Yarn

When I think of yarn, I think of crocheting or knitting -- both of which, I can not do. I have tried. Trust me! My fingers just won't work to be able to do it.

Yard

We are working really hard on our yard this Spring. David finally finished our brick retaining wall and I planted flowers in the flower beds. David bought some sod (grass) for our bare spots, so our grass now looks a lot better! Today, he is removing our big palm trees by our pool. We planted them when they were only about 2 feet tall, but they are now taller than our house! We planted them too close to our pool and now we are afraid that the roots will destroy our pool. So.... they have to come down. We had talked about digging them up and moving them, but they are WAY too big! They will be missed.

Letter Z

Zoo

Growing up in Atlanta, I went to The Atlanta Zoo many times. It is a fairly large zoo, but I never thought it was really all that "great". About a year after David and I were married, we visited his brother who lived close to Washington DC. We toured our nation's capital and also visited the National Zoo, which I LOVED!! The only other zoo that I have been to is the small one in Montgomery, Alabama. I really like it a lot, too! It is small, but that is what's nice about it. They have many, many different and wonderful animals, but because the zoo is small... you feel like you can be more up close & personal with the animals. My favorite animals to watch are the chimpanzees! They are quite comical!

Zoar

This is the name of the church that we were members of when we lived just outside of Atlanta. We loved this small church! My girls were baptized there and it was the center of our lives for such a long time. I miss it and the friends there, very much!

Terror, Prayer, & Praise

I am a bit tired today due to being up most of the night, keeping watch for tornadoes! Yes, it was a night of anxiety as my girls and I watched The Weather Channel and the approaching storms that were nothing but TORNADOES!!

My heart is so broken and sad as I see the devastating photos of the areas where these horrific tornadoes tore apart cities that I am familiar with. So many homes & businesses were destroyed, but more sadly... many lives were lost.

Last night, we watched as the meteorologists on The Weather Channel saw the huge tornado form over Tuscaloosa, Alabama. We saw the horror on their faces as they realized how devastating this tornado was going to be. This is when my heart sank. All I could think about were the many students at The University of Alabama that live there. I also thought about my previous boss who is from there and all of the people that he must be worried about. (I may even call him today and let him know that I am thinking and praying for his friends.)

As the tornado moved to the north east, we learned that the University campus was spared. I breathed a sigh of relief.... for a moment.

This huge tornado was now headed for the city of Birmingham, in Alabama. I immediately started praying for the friends and families that I know, personally, that live there.

The Weather Channel was able to show it's viewers the ACTUAL tornado as it passed thru the north suburbs of Birmingham!!! The tornado was HUGE and was moving VERY fast!

Thankfully, we learned that those that we know of that live there, were safe.

From Birmingham, this same tornado continued on a path toward the town of Dadeville, where it continued to do damage there and to other small towns as it approached my state... the USA state of Georiga.

About 11pm, I sent my girls to bed to try and get some sleep and promised them that I would stay awake so that I could keep watch and wake them if needed. David went to bed at his usual time, because he had to get up at his usual 2:00am time.  (Yes! I know it's a crazy time!)

As I continued to watch... this huge tornado crossed over into Georgia and was headed for the town of Rome. I immediately began praying for a family that we know that lives there. We have since learned that they are safe, but the nearby town of Ringgold, Georgia was not so lucky.

Soon, my attention turned closer to home as storms began to approach where we live. I watched as they got closer and closer. As they did... a Tornado Warning was issued for our area. Miranda was awake by then, unable to sleep. I told her to go wake Ashley as I went and woke David. We put our shoes on and gathered pillows and blankets. I even brought in the 3 bike helmets that we have, from the garage and one of David's old motorcycle helmets! We never put them on, but we had them ready to go! I also put the leashes and collars on the dogs.

The weather people always tell you to go to the lowest level of your house and/or into a center room, away from windows, doors and outside walls. Our house has one problem.... we do NOT have a center room!! My kitchen is in the center of my house, but it is exposed to windows and doors. But.... we decided that this would be the best place to be.

Our local news station did and EXCELLENT job of covering this storm! Since we didn't lose power, we continued to watch the TV as our weatherman watched and reported on the possible tornado that was forming near our house.

I stood in the kitchen and kept an eye on the TV and outside. I was watching for the wind to pick up, but it never really did. It looked like from the radar on TV that the storm was going to miss us, thankfully! We never really "hunkered down" in our safe place, but we were close enough to get there if needed.

The storm DID miss us and all we got was a little wind and a little rain. Unfortunately, this storm DID eventually produce a tornado that did damage in the next county over. I talked to a lady that I work with and a friend of hers lost her house to the tornado. Thankfully, her friend is ok.

Ashley and David went back to bed, but Miranda and I continued to watch as another line of storms was following the one that had just missed us. The storm came, but did not produce a tornado. We eventually went to bed, but only got about 4 hours of sleep.

This morning, I believe that I heard that this was the worst outbreak of tornadoes in over 40 years! I also heard that the tornado that hit Tuscaloosa Alabama and continued for so long.... packed winds of over 200 mph and was a mile wide! And.... it traveled for over 200 miles, doing damage as it went! Over 240 lives were lost.

I titled this post - Terror, Prayer, & Praise - because these were & are my feelings. Last night, was a night of "terror". I know that I was afraid and I can't imagine the amount of terror that the people in the path of these tornadoes must have had! I "prayed" for not only the safety of me & my own family, but for all others in the paths. I offered "praise" to God for keeping my family and those friends and family that I know, safe as well.

Today is a beautiful sun-shiny day. I am having trouble enjoying it tho, because I know that others are grieving and picking up the pieces of what was once their homes and their lives.

Here are a few photos that I found on MSN and other news sites. Please take a moment to say a prayer for all who lost loved ones, homes and businesses.

Cullman, Alabama

The tornado that hit Tuscaloosa, Alabama

What's left of a McDonald's in Ringgold, Georgia

A family sifts thru what is left of their home in Warm Springs, Georgia

Pratt City - A suburb of Birmingham, Alabama

Pleasant Grove, Alabama

A to Z Blog Challenge - W

Letter W

Weather

Right now the WEATHER is on my mind! We are at risk of tornadoes this evening and tonight and I am TERRIFIED of tornadoes!! I like thunderstorms, but NOT tornadoes! I get this from my mother who was always afraid of them. Because of her... I am a "weather watcher". She was this way and I guess I have taken on this trait from her. Before my mother had her stroke and "knew what was going on in the world"... she would always call me and say... "Have you heard about the weather?" It used to aggravate me, but now I understand why she did this. I get nervous when there is bad weather about and my family is scattered all over town! This morning, I made sure that I knew what my girls schedules were and what time that they would be home. I told them to "be aware of the weather" and "keep in touch if you are going to be late". **Smile**

Windows

The thought of the weather brings me to thought of "windows". I HAVE to be able to see out!! I do not like being in rooms that do not have windows for very long. This is ESPECIALLY true if bad weather is coming or already here! 

Wedding

This word came to my mind because of the upcoming Royal Wedding this week! Yes. We Americans (at least some of us!) are fascinated with royalty and the happenings with the Royal Family of Great Britain. For me... It is like they live the "fairytale" life that all little girls dream of! I was in high school when Princess Diana married Prince Charles. I remember thinking how "fairytale-like-ish" their wedding was and how in awe I was of her! I am wondering if I will have the same feelings when Miss Kate Middleton marries her Prince Charming - Prince William. I can't wait to see her dress! Here, where I live, the TV stations will start their coverage of the wedding at 4:00am!!! No.... I will not be getting up then to watch! I plan to DVR it, tho!! **Smile**

Weight

This is a word that dislike very much because I have struggled with my weight all of my adult life! I want so very badly to be thin! It just doesn't seem that I am supposed to be.

Water

I like to drink water, but I know that I don't drink enough of it. I get bored with it and want something with flavor! I really DO need to drink more of it, tho. Also... when I think of water... I think of bodies of water, such as the ocean or a lake, river, or swimming pool. I grew up living in apartments and we always had a swimming pool. From the time I was 3 years old until 12 years old... I had a swimming pool right outside my back door! It was great! I did go to the beach with my parents in the summer. We would go with my aunt, uncle & cousin who lived in Florida. We would mostly go to Clearwater Beach. I always liked the ocean, but never went too far out in it.This is still true today. Although.. I really only like it if the water is clear! I was never around lakes or rivers much as a child. As a teenager and young adult, I was more. As I have gotten older.... I really do NOT like rivers & lakes! I do not like them because I can not see what is IN the water! To me... rivers and lakes are NASTY!

A to Z Blog Challenge - V

Oops!! I'm a day late!!! Sorry about that!


Letter V

Vanilla

This is one of my very favorite scents!

Vet

We have had quite a few dogs over the years now, and I STILL dread taking them to the vet each time they have to go! The veterinarian (Vet) seems to almost always find something wrong with my beloved pets, and then he/she (right now it is a "she") makes me feel like I am this terrible "parent" that does not take care of my "child"! We were lucky this past time, when Jackson had to go. The vet didn't say anything negative about him. Whew!! Chester's turn is coming up in May. I sure hope that we can breeze thru that visit as well!

Vacuum

This is something that I have to do quite frequently because of us having long-haired dogs. I was thankful when David splurged last year and bought me a Dyson Animal vacuum cleaner! It does the job very well!

Volume

When it comes to the TV, my family is constantly fussing over how loud or how soft the volume should be. David is a bit hard of hearing, and prefers to have the TV turned up quite LOUD! This is fine, if there is a lot of noise in the house and you are trying to watch TV while cooking dinner. (My kitchen is open to my family room) But, if the house is quiet and the only noise is the TV..... there is no reason to have it up so loud! When I have control of the remote, I like to turn the volume down during comercials. Makes sense, right? :)

Vacation

One of my favorite words! Too bad these don't come around too often. Yes.... David and I "escape" every now and then for a night or two away, but I don't consider these "Vacations". To me... a vacation is when you go away for 4 to 5 days or more. Last year, my big vacation was to Orlando with the kids to go to Universal Studios. This year... David and I have a week planned in June to go camping at the beach.

WAY behind!!

Forgive me my fellow followers, for I have fallen WAY behind on my blog reading! I have had many things on my mind lately and unfortunately.... sitting down to read blog posts has taken a back seat! Please hang in there with me, for I have NOT forgotten you!!

Source

A to Z Blog Challenge - U

Letter U

Umbrellas

Sometimes I like them. Sometimes, I don't . Sometimes they are more of a "pain" than they are useful! For example.... I do not like using them if I know that I am going to be getting in and out of the car. I get MORE wet just trying to take down my umbrella and get it into the car, than if I had just not used it! If I am going to be getting in and out of the car frequently when it is raining, I would rather use my rain jacket. I remember when my girls were still riding in strollers when I went shopping at the mall. It was NEVER fun to have to deal with an umbrella AND a child in a stoller! The only time that I really like using an umbrella is when I know that I am going to be out in the rain for a while.

Unicorns

When I was a teenager, I collected these! I had unicorn figurines, posters, and even notebooks with unicorns on them! In my house now, you will only find one unicorn. It is a beautiful ceramic one that was a wedding gift from my mother. My girls think I was a bit "weird" for liking unicorns so much back then! LOL!

Underwear

When I think of this word, I think back to one of our first camping trips with our "camping friends". We were camping up in the mountains of north Georgia and one of my friends forgot to pack underwear for herself! The nearest town was very small and the only stores that might possibly carry ladies underwear were a grocery store and a drug store.... and neither of them did!! We ended up having to drive across a mountain to a bigger town to find a Walmart! We have some great memories from that trip!

Universal Studios

Last Summer, I took my girls and Rory to Florida so that we could visit Universal Studios. Our main objective was to go to Harry Potter World!! We had a wonderful trip!! One that we will never forget!

Unbelievable

This is a word that I use quite frequently. I use it for just about everything! Of course, I say it with much expression, like this.... "UN-BE-lievable!!!"

He is Risen!

But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him." (Mark 16:6)

May all of you feel God's peace and love on this glorious Easter morning!

Please read this beautiful blog post written by a mom who lost her 17 year old daughter to cancer just a few short months ago. Her post will bring you to tears, but you make you smile at the same time.

(click Kayla's name)

KAYLA

Easter Tablescape

I FINALLY got my Easter tablescape put together. I ended up just using what I had instead of buying "new". I had wanted to find some cute little easter plates to go with my setting, but just never got out there to shop for any... plus... I really haven't had the money this month. I also wanted to find a pretty new table cloth, but didn't get that either.

Anyway..... Here's what I came up with! (Forgive my not-so-good photography!)

This is my bunny display on my hutch.

The "juggling bunny" opens so that you can put secret candy in it!

This is that beautiful bowl that I found back in February for a cheap $5.00. I had wanted to get a pretty ribbon to go thru the holes of this bowl, but never did. It's still very pretty, tho.

The egg in the back with the chick inside was made by Miranda, when she was little. I love it!

Ok... here's my tablescape!

I used the same placemats that I used for my St. Patrick's Day tablescape. I thought they would work well for Easter, too! The white plates are the ones that I use all of the time. They were a $1.00 store find back in the fall. I love them! The pastel colored plates are some that I bought years ago for the summer. They are from Target and were on clearance. The white bowls are the ones that I bought back in February, as well. We use these for ice cream! **Smile** The napkins are paper, but pretty! The eggs in the bowls are wooden and I have had them for years.

These little bunnies are very special. They are from David's grandmother's collection of salt & pepper shakers that he inherited. When he was little... he always told his "Mom Mom" that he wanted her collection --- which were scattered ALL OVER her house in Philadelphia! So, after she passed away in the early 1990's, he we recieved ALL of them! Boxes and boxes of them! Haha! They are housed up in my attic. The other week, I dug them out and went through them to find some that I really liked and could use for my tablescapes. I was so excited to find these cuties!

My poor Easter Tree is looking a little sad! I probably need to search for a new one after Easter.

These tulips are another set of salt & pepper shakers from Mom Mom's collection.

This table cloth is very special to me because my mother made it. It doesn't really fit my table, but I use it anyway, for special occasions.

Neither one of my girls are claiming to have made this little guy -- haha!-- but, isn't he cute!

Happy Easter to you all!!

A to Z Blog Challenge - T

Letter T

Thunder

I get excited when I hear thunder in the distance! I enjoy thunderstorms... as long as they are not severe and include Tornadoes! It's funny, tho. I only enjoy them if I am home. If I am not at home, I am wishing that I was! I guess it is that "safe" feeling of home, that helps me to enjoy the thunderstorms. I would also rather them come during the day, rather than at night, so that I can enjoy them more!

Toys

I thought this word was appropriate because no matter what age we are... we still have them!! Kids have toy truck, cars & dolls. Teens have their Ipods, video games, & cell phones. Adults even have theirs in the form of Ipods, laptops, motorcycles, sports cars, electronics, etc. The list could go on and on! Even our pets have toys!! For me.... my toys are my Ipod Touch, my laptop, & my camera. What would you consider your toys to be??

Tablescapes

This is a new hobby of mine that I have just starting enjoy over the past few months. I first learned about them from a friend of mine who showed me a book of hers that combined cooking & table decor. The author is Sandra Lee and she has a TV show on the Food Network called "Semi Homemade". Anyway... I now enjoy reading and seeing what my fellow blogger's tablescapes are! It is a wonderful way to get ideas! **** I have finally finished my Easter Tablescape and will be posting those pictures in a seperate blog, later. Be sure to check back!! (I will also post a "link" HERE, for that blog post when I am done with it!)

Travel

I love to travel enjoy traveling!! Who doesn't?? I love to see new places and visit old favorites. The place that I REALLY want to go to right now is England! Miranda really wants to go there, as well. I am hoping that when she graduates college in two years (hopefully!), the two of us can make our dreams come true by going there! One of the most beautiful places that I have ever been to was Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was soooooo pretty with it's big Amish farms, with all of their greenery and the colorful clothes hanging out to dry! It was just such a beauiful and also "peaceful" place!

Trees

I enjoy trees, very much! I am so thankful that of where I live. Our house is surrounded by so many beautiful trees! We live on 2.25 acres and almost all of it is trees! Only in the winter, can I see the houses that are next door to mine. I like that! We have many "hardwoods", such as Oak, Poplar, Maple and my favorite... Dogwood! They have the most beautiful white blooms in the Spring! We also have Cedar, Holly and the good ol' Georgia Pine trees! I was sitting out in my back yard yesterday, just looking at MY trees and enjoying the beauty of them. I also thought about how I would love to learn more about the trees that I have. I can recognize many of them, but I also know that there are several different types of Oak trees and I do not know the differences. I am sure that there are other trees that I have that I don't even know that I have!!

Here's a recent photo that I took of our new dog pen. This is just a "sampling" of the many trees that I get to enjoy every day!

A to Z Blog Challenge - S (longer post!)

Letter S

Sagittarius

I am not a big fan of astrology, but I do enjoy reading my daily horoscope, every now and then.... just for fun! Sagittarius is my "sign". My birthday is December 9th. The only celebrity that I know of that has my birthday is -- Donny Osmond. When I was a young teen, I thought it was so "cool" that he and I shared the same special day!!

Here is some info that I found on the personality traits of a Sagittarian -- Let's see how many of them that I can truly relate to!

Sagittarians are lucky by nature, so they usually display a cheerful and optimistic disposition. -- I agree. I always try to be cheerful and optimistic.

A state of constant change is a delight for them. -- I don't know about this one! I don't always like change!

Sagittarians are extremely independent, truly free spirits and yet, they are the nicest of all the zodiac signs. Sagitarians are kind, openhearted souls who do not expect anything in return when helping a friend. -- Aww... I like this trait! I try very hard to be like this!

There are no hidden secrets to a Sagittarius - what you see is what you get. -- I'm not sure about this one either. I tend to "hold back" the real me, a lot.

Creative, clever, straightforward, congenial - all these traits describe Sagittarius. -- I think I can agree on these! :)

Sagittarians are usually up for any adventure and love travelling to exotic destinations. That is because they are so curious about the world around them. -- I do love adventures and I love to travel, but there are many places that I have NO desire to go to!

In addition to being curious, Sagittarians are also the great philosophers of the zodiac. Broad-minded and inquisitive, part of Sagittarius's inquisitiveness includes pondering the great questions of all time such as the meaning of life and religious issues. Their clear thinking means they have no problem seeing the "big picture." -- I agree with the "big picture" part. I have always been that way!

Sagittarians are very social people. They give off a charm that draws people to them. The friendliest of all signs, Sagittarians are kind to all and always doing favours for which they expect nothing in return. -- Yep! I love to talk, so I guess that makes me very "social"! LOL! I do try to be friendly, too.

They are not jealous or possessive because they would not want anyone else to be jealous or possessive of them. -- I'm not sure that I agree with this one either. I DO get jealous!

They also do not tell you how to live your life or what you should do - they do not stick their nose in your business, only help when it is needed. -- I agree. (At least I HOPE I don't do this!)

Sagittarians make great entertainers because of their creativeness and outgoing personalities. They have a great sense of humour and, like their opposite sign, Gemini, are great conversationalists and magnificent storytellers. -- Haha!! I guess this would describe me! I do agree that I am "outgoing".

Sagittarians can often be seen as too talkative and pushy because of their extrovert ways. -- I hope I am not "pushy"! Some people may say that I am too talkative, tho! Oops! ;)

Sometimes their frankness is seen as being too blunt or impatient. -- No. I disagree. I am not "blunt" or "impatient".

Because of their desire for change, Sagittarians may have a hard time committing to a relationship for very long. A Sagittarian's carefree nature may also lead them to be careless. -- Nope. Disagree on this one, too. I've been married for 26 years. I think I am "committed"!

The liver, hips, and thighs - Sagittarians have a sensitive liver and may be susceptible to alcohol abuse and hepatitis. However, their love of the outdoors helps them keep healthy. -- Yikes!! I do love the outdoors, tho!

Snakes

I do NOT like them!!! I am TERRIFIED of them!!! Just thinking about them makes me CRINGE!!! We have had a few around our house, but so far... none that were dangerous, thankfully!!

Seasons

I enjoy watching the seasons change and living in an area of the country where they DO change! David keeps talking about us retiring in a place that is warm all year 'round. I like that idea a lot, but I would really miss seeing the seasons change.

Scrapbooks

I used to be addicted to scrap-booking! I did it almost 24/7!! I even tried (very hard!) to have my own scrap-booking business, but I just couldn't make it work. I was very good at it, back in the day --- (about 10 years ago!). When my mom had her stroke, and I became heavily involved with helping her and also had to go back to work full-time... I lost my interest in scrap-booking. I still have 90% of my supplies and I have MANY albums that are finished and MANY, MANY pictures to still "scrapbook". My heart really wants to get back into the hobby, but my head just isn't into it. I do miss using that "creative" part of my brain. I guess I am using it to "blog" now, instead! **Smile**

Sand

Ahhhhh..... This is where I would love for my feet to be right now!! In the sand on a beautiful beach, somewhere!! I enjoy going to the beach so VERY much!! My favorite beaches are the ones on the panhandle of Florida. The sand is as white as snow and SO soft!! Oh, I can't wait to get there in June and sink my toes in it!!!!

I just HAD to add pictures to this one!!

St. Joseph's Peninsula, Florida

My toes covered in sand!

A to Z Blog Challenge - R

Letter R

Rory

He is Miranda's boyfriend. They met in the summer between their Junior & Senior year of high school and have been together now for over 2 years. He is a sweetie and a real blessing to her life and ours!

Rabbits

I love it when these cute little critters visit my yard! Unfortunately, Jackson... when he was a little younger!.... tried to "play" with a couple of our bunny visitors and... well.... let's just say that they sadly weren't able to visit our yard any more. I won't go into the details because even I don't want to remember them! 

Reading

This is something that I enjoy doing, very much. I like to read all kinds of things. The type of fiction books that I like are romantic mysteries or funny mysteries. I also enjoy non-fiction books such as books about Christianity. My favorite magazine is "People Magazine", although I do enjoy many others. When we go to the beach, my friend and I like to buy all of the "trash magazines" to read while we sit on the beach. When I say "trash magazines", I'm talking about crazy magazines like "The National Inquirer" and others. We find it fun to read the stories! Right now, for my fiction reading... I am reading the #2 book in the Harry Potter series.

Roller Coasters

I have been a HUGE roller coaster fan for as long as I can remember!! I can still remember riding my first one at Six Flags Over Georgia. It was in 1976. (Showing my age!) It was called "The Scream Machine" and I rode it with my Daddy, of course! The coaster was (and still is!) painted red, white, & blue because it opened in the bicentennial year! It is a wooden roller coaster, as they didn't have the fancy "steel" ones back then! I still ride the Scream Machine when I go to Six Flags, but now I prefer the "newer" ones!

Rebecca

This is my REAL name. "Becky" is my nickname. I love the name Rebecca! I am named after my Great-Grandmother. In the 5th grade, I decided that I wanted to go by Rebecca instead of Becky. It didn't work out too well because my classmates only knew me as "Becky". My teacher was the only one that actually called me "Rebecca". I quickly became "Becky" again.

A to Z Blog Challenge - Q

I thought letter "Q" would be quite hard, but it was actually quite easy!

Letter Q

Quilts

I think quilts are so very beautiful! I have quite a few of them! Some are old and some are fairly new. The old ones are some that either my grandmother or my great-aunt made. Then, I have one that my mother started and never finished. David's mother made each of my girls one and also one for David and I. One of my favorite trips that I went on was when I flew up to Philadelphia to visit David's mother. She took me to Lancaster, Pennsylvania where the Amish People live. I took many pictures of the quilts that I saw! They were so pretty!! I can quilt a little and would love to learn more about it someday.

Quiet

This is something that I REALLY enjoy! I love having my quiet mornings to myself each day. And on the rare occasions that I am home alone during the day, I usually like to enjoy the quietness and not turn on the TV or radio. I read better if there is quiet rather than noise, too.

Qualify

When I hear this word, I think of when we lived in Atlanta. David used to be able to get tickets thru his company to go and watch the Nascar race cars, race around the track in order to qualify for the upcoming race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. We used to have SUCH a good time doing that! We got to sit in the company's private suite and were able to get free food! We also got a special pass to go down to the "pits" to get up close and personal with the drivers and the cars. It was great fun and I wish that this "perk" was still available.

Quarterback

Football is my VERY favorite sport!! Of course, the quarterback is one of the most important players! I don't really have a "favorite" quarterback. I just have a favorite team --- The Atlanta Falcons!!!

Queen

This word comes to mind because the "Royal Wedding" is in the news so much right now. I heard today that the Queen finally got to meet the young bride's -- Kate Middleton -- parents today. I wonder what they thought of each other!

A to Z Blog Challenge - P

I didn't blog for the letter "P" yesterday, so I am a day behind!! Oops!! I'll post for "Q" later today.

Letter P

Procrastinate

Yep! That's me! A procrastinator! I will put things off and put things off until the last minute!! I work better under pressure sometimes, anyway. But.... on the other hand.... I am a "planner" as well. I like to have things planned out way in advance, but of course, life gets in the way sometimes and those plans don't work out. THAT is when I get upset!! **Smile**

Peanut Butter

Isn't it fun to open a fresh jar of peanut butter and then stick your finger in it (or a big spoon, like I do!) and then just lick it!!! YUM!! Jackson, my older Golden, really likes peanut butter! You can not open the jar without him right by your side! And of course, then you have to give him some!

Pens vs. Pencils

If I have my choice, I will pick a pen over a pencil. The only way that I like a pencil is if it is freshley sharpened! The mechanical pencils are nice, because they usually stay sharper, but they can be tricky. You have to have a decent one. Then, you also have the problem with the little tiny eraser dying before you run out of lead! (or at least, I do!) And then you can't put one of those colorful pencil-top erasers on the mechanical pencils when they run out of lead. The wooden pencils have to be continously sharpened, and half the time, the erasers on them are as hard as a rock!! I end up putting on one of those colorful pencil-top erasers on them, and the darn thing falls off as I erase!! --- Yes. I would much rather use a pen and just "scratch out" what I mess up!! **Smile**

Power Trips

There are people in my life that love to be on these --- "Power Trips". They enjoy being in control and will let you know it!! These are NOT my favorite people to be around!

Photographs

As I am sure that you do.... I have MANY of them!! I have them stored in albums and in boxes. And since the digital cameras became popular... I now have them stored on my computer and on flash drives! I enjoy taking pictures and I enjoy having them. I worry about if my house caught on fire and losing my pictures. I would be the most upset, if I lost pictures of my Daddy and of my childhood. I can not replace those. I guess I need to scan them into my computer, too and put then save them to flash drives, too. Ohhhhh..... I feel that procrastination coming on!! Look out!!!

A to Z Blog Challenge - O

Letter O

Oysters

Up until just a few years ago, you would have never heard me say.... "Oysters are yummy!" I always thought that they were pretty "yucky" and I had no desire to eat them! Then, a friend introduced them to me at a get together. I had a RAW one on a saltine with hot sauce! Surprisingly, it really wasn't that bad! Then, I had one that was broiled in the oven with a chunk of Parmesan cheese on it!! Oh my!!! It was sooooo yummy! I think I ate several of those! Then, when David and I traveled to New Orleans in the Fall of 2009, I introduced him to them! We ate them cooked, tho. He still hasn't had any raw ones!

Oxygen

This is something that my mother now has with her at all times. Since she has developed Congestive Heart Failure, she has had to be on oxygen pretty much 24/7.

Onions

This is something that, as a child, I would NOT eat! Now, I love them! I can still remember not liking McDonald's hamburgers because they had little bits of onions on them. I would scrape them off every time! Now, David and I add them to just about everything that we cook. It's funny how our tastes change.

Olives

I "like" olives, but they are not something that really like. However, Ashley REALLY likes black olives! She could eat a whole can of them in one sitting! I like green ones in my salad sometimes, and I like sliced black ones on my pizza.

Organized

This is something that I try to be. I try very hard to keep my house and things organized, but I don't always succeed. Having EVERYTHING organized would be wonderful!!! If I could have free reign in a Container Store, that would make my day!!

Catching Up

Hello!

Life has been rather busy around here, lately! My blog "postings" and my blog "readings" have been few and far between, it seems! I guess being BUSY is a good thing. It means that I am staying active and there are a lot of things going on in my life. If that weren't the case.... then, I would be sitting around, being bored!

Here's just a bit of what's been going on around here ---

David has been working on rebuilding our "retaining wall" in our back yard. He started the project at the beginning of April and just finished it over this past weekend. It took him a LOT longer than he had expected, but it looks great!! The wall was first built about 10 years ago, when we had our in ground pool put in. David used landscape timbers back then, but knew that they were only going to be "temporary". Ha!! Ten years later....... they are just NOW getting replaced! I should have taken a "before" photo and then a "during" (maybe more than one!) photo before showing you the "after" photos. Oops! You can get the idea from these photos, tho.

The wall looks GREAT and I am happy to now have have my Lantana planted in the flower beds again! (The other ones didn't survive.)

The steps still need to be "tweaked" just a little. We didn't measure quite right!

I am SO HAPPY that my rose bush is doing so well!!

My poor garden needs som work! And our grass..... welll, we are working on that, as well!

The bricks are surrounding a small seedling that I found. I "think" it is from one of my previous plants and is trying to survive! ~ The pool looks inviting, doesn't it? Unfortunately, it's still a too chilly to swim, just yet! Maybe by this time next month. -- Maybe!

Here's a look at my garden when I first got everything planted.

This picture is from July 4, 2006. David had almost completed our screened in porch. You can see how the "Great Wall" used to look. (These are friends of ours in the picture. Not us!)

David also built a pen for our dogs. Now, my flowers will should SURVIVE the jaws of Chester! LOL! My "Knock Out" Rose bush is coming back, beautifully!!!! And my Stella de Ora Daylilly is coming back, too! YAY!! My plans are to add more flowers and plants to this garden.

The dogs now have their OWN yard! YAY!

We have had two nights of tornado weather, too!! The first night (two weeks ago), was mostly just high winds and a LOT of rain! But, the second (just this past Friday) was VERY SCARY! We had two tornado WARNINGS!! The first one was about 7:30 in the evening and the second was in the middle of the night, about 3:15am!! Both storms, luckily, passed to the north of us. I didn't get much sleep that night! Tornadoes fascinate and scare me, both at the same time. I would love to see one ---- from a SAFE distance! --- but, I am terrified of them, just the same.

Thursday, I got my hair cut and my highlights redone. My stylist did a GREAT job! I only wish that I could style it the way that she did! LOL! I have had many compliments, which is always nice!

I switched gyms last week, too. I have gone back to Curves for Women. I used to belong to this gym and then I lost my job and quit because of the cost. Then, back around Thanksgiving of last year, I joined Gold's Gym because it was cheaper. But, after several months of "trying" to lose weight by going to Gold's.... I decided that I need to go back to Curves. I was actually able to LOSE weight when I was a member there, so... I think it is where I am supposed to be. I started the Curves Diet today. (Wish me luck on that one!!) I do great at exercise, but "dieting" is NOT my thing! I struggle with it, BIG TIME! Food temptations get the best of me.... always!

I have also been researching my family history again. This time it is my paternal grandmother's lineage that I am tracking. Genealogy is such fun! I had "thought" that my grandmother was from Birmingham, Alabama.... but, discovered that she was actually from the county that I live in RIGHT NOW!! Unbelievable!! I was blown away by this new found fact!! My plans are to go to the county courthouse and do some research there, soon. I want to see if I can find the cemetery where my ancestor's are buried. If I can find that... it will, hopefully, answer a LOT of unanswered questions!!

My girls are winding down their Spring Semester of college and are EXTREMELY stressed at the moment! I barely saw either of them last week. Thankfully, we had a very nice day together yesterday. We laughed and everyone's stress was forgotten for the day! But, today is Monday and they are already running around getting ready to start their week.

My poor Ashley has also had the added stress of having relationship problems with her boyfriend this past week! (NOT good timing!!) I won't go into details, but it looks like they have worked things out... for now. There's almost nothing worse than seeing your child broken-hearted!

I hope that catches you up a little bit on my life, lately!

God Bless!

Atlanta Trip - April 2011

Before all of the memories completely leave my brain... let me tell you a little bit about mine & David's trip escape to Atlanta last weekend.

We left the house on Saturday morning, about 8:00am. We arrived in downtown Atlanta right near 10:00am. Our first destination was Atlantic Station. (You can click on the link and go to the website.) It is an urban development where people can live, work & shop all in the same place. I had heard about it and wanted to check it out. Plus... Miranda really wants to go to an exhibit that they have there called... "The Bodies" and I wanted to FIND IT before I drove up there, myself.

David and I parked in the underground parking lot, under Dillard's. We took the escalator up to the ground level and made our way through the store to the street. The streets were basically empty! Hardly a soul in sight! We walked around for about an hour, checking the place out. There were mostly mall-type stores there and some restaurants. David is not much of a shopper, so we started looking for The Bodies exhibit so that I would know where it was when I brought Miranda. It took us FOREVER to find it! We finally found it UPSTAIRS on the second level!

Here are a few pictures that I took. You can see more if you go to the website. ---

The Cinema

Stores are on the street level and apartments are above. You can see Dillard's at the end of this street.

"The Bodies" was in an upstairs area.

We were rather disappointed with the area. We had planned to eat lunch there, but it was still only 11:00am and we were ready to go.

Our next stop was to the Ikea store nearby. It was REALLY neat! First of all... you have to park in the underground parking deck. Then, you have to make your way up to the store. It was like a maze trying to get there!

As we approach the store to look for parking.

Once we actually "entered" the store... it was like a shopping experience that I had never had before! It's hard to describe just how this store was displayed. You would have to see it in person to understand. Here are a few pics that I took inside the store of many of the kitchens that they have on display.

Here's David, checking out this beautiful kitchen! I really like this island!! Look at all of those drawers!

I liked the turquoise color choice for the cabinets and dishes in this one!

This "flowers" on this chandelier felt like they were made of paper! So different and so pretty!

I love the "country" feel of this kitchen.

I liked the color of cabinets in this one.

After wandered through Ikea, we headed for our hotel to see if we could check in, and we did! I wasn't very impressed with the hotel. The bed was quite comfy and it had a wonderful flat-screen TV, but I have gotten spoiled by the other MUCH nicer hotels that we have stayed at --- even tho this one was a 4-star hotel! Here are a few pics of the room that I took.

David and I have decided that we simply MUST have some "down" pillows for our own bed at home!

We were on the 11th floor, I think.

Yes. The TV was VERY NICE! -- Would love to have one of these in our bedroom at home, as well!

I love checking out the bathrooms at the hotels that we stay at. This one DID have a HUGE shower, which was nice.

The "lighting" in the bathroom was terrible!

Here are a few photos of the "view" from our room as well as some of the hall windows.

This was our view to the North.

Down below... right near our hotel... was THIS PLACE! -- It is a well-known, "Gentleman's Club" in Atlanta! LOL!

A view, south, towards the Georgia Dome where "my" Atlanta Falcon's play!

I took this picture for Miranda! --- She works for the Publix store, where we live!

Another view towards the Northeast. Somewhere over that way... past the buildings... is Piedmont Park. David and I walked there before we left on Sunday.

A nice view towards downtown Atlanta.

Once we checked into our hotel, we put on our walking shoes and exlpored the area... "Midtown Atlanta". We found a place to eat lunch and scouted out a place for dinner and drinks, later. We were in an area very close to the Georgia Tech campus, so there were LOTS of young, college students around. But, that was ok! I enjoyed chatting with some of them!

In the morning, we ate at Waffle House! YUM!! Their pecan waffles are the BEST!

We had a wonderful time pre-celebrating our 26th wedding anniversary (April 19th) and can't wait to go back again, soon!