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.

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!!!"

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 - 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!!

A to Z Blog Challenge - L

I'm sure that you are wondering.... "When is she going to write a real post?"... I'm am slowly working on that! I like this blog challenge, but I also miss just "writing". I've also been busy and haven't had a whole lot of time to just sit down and "write". But, I will. I promise!

Letter L

Love

One of my very favorite words, although... I think we tend to use it a bit too much. We use it to describe how we feel about pizza and books that we read. They can not "love" us back! Actual "love", I believe, should be reserved for how we feel about someone or God. I believe that this is what God had in mind. I am extremely guilty of misusing the word "love", myself. I think I am going to try and work on that!

Learning

When I was younger, you would have never heard me say.... "I like to learn." But, as I grow older (unfortunately!) I really do enjoy learning. I enjoy reading non-fiction books that teach me things. I love (oops!) really like American History and learning more about it. I enjoy learning about other countries and their cultures. I have even grown to enjoy learning more about politics over the past few years. It's not something that I totally understand, but I know a lot more about it than I used to!

Laugh

I love (oops, again!) really enjoy hearing children laugh! Especially a good "belly laugh" from a child! It is so precious. I even enjoy a good belly laugh, myself! It feels so good to laugh like that. Too bad we don't do it more often. Hmmmm.... that is a sad thought. We really don't get to enjoy a good belly laugh all that often. You know the kind... the kind where you can't breathe because you are laughing so hard! And then your eyes start watering! And now you can see or breathe!! LOL! I honestly can't remember the last time I had a good belly laugh! I remember it, but I can't tell you "when" it was. I remember NOT being able to stop laughing! My sides and face hurt from laughing so hard! It's a pitty that I ("we" --- wouldn't you agree?) don't do that more often.

LOST

One of my favorite TV shows of all time! I watched almost every single episode! LOVED (oops!) I REALLY liked it! It wasn't what I thought it was going to be, because I am not really into science fiction too much, but I couldn't stop watching it!! It drew me in and I couldn't wait until the next week to watch the next episode! There were so many mysteries within the show. I STILL have not figured them all out! I have said for a while now that I wish the show was in "book form" so that I could READ it. I really think I would understand it better that way! I guess I should watch it on DVD and then I could back track if I wanted to figure something out.

Lipstick

This is something that I enjoy wearing. Even if it is just a little bit. I like a little bit of color on my lips! When I was in high school, the "roll on" kind of lipgloss from Maybeline was very popular! I remember it being VERY messy (and sticky!) and came in lots of flavors. It would stay in my back pocket along with my comb! LOL

A to Z Blog Chalenge - K

Letter K

Kiss

This was the first word that came to my mind! I could write a "mushy" post about kissing, but I will spare you that! Haha! Instead, I will briefly tell you about my very first kiss and also my first kiss with David. My very first kiss was from a boy guy (he was much older than me!) that I didn't even know!! It was around Halloween and I was about 13 at the time. A friend (also about 13 years old) invited me to go with her and her cousin & his girlfriend (both who were around 18-20 years old) to a well-known haunted house in the Atlanta area. I was excited! My friend's cousin (Jay, I think) came to pick us up and as he was driving out of our apartment complex.... he stopped the car so that these two guys could get IN the car! My friend acted like she didn't know anything about it, but I realized real quick that she must have known because before I knew it... she was MAKING OUT with one of the guys in the back seat, right beside me!! Eww!! The "other guy" acted like he wanted to do this with ME! I just made small talk and tried to avoid him as best I could. This continued for the rest of the night. Finally, we were about to pull back into our apartment complex when Jay stopped the car and the two guys jumped out. Before I knew it, tho.... "my guy" had planted a kiss right on my lips!! It was a strange night to say the least! ~ Mine and David's first kiss (I was almost 17 and he was 18.) was on our first date. I was giving him a tour of Stone Mountain park. We had gotten out of the car many times to walk around, but finally, when we had gotten back into the car from one of our walks, we kissed!

It was the most wonderful kiss EVER!

Kindergarten

I barely remember my Kindergarten class, but I do remember my teacher. Her name was Mrs. Patterson. She came to my house to meet me & my family before the first day of school. I remember that I was very shy and wouldn't talk to her. But, she was a very sweet, older lady. My Kindergarten was in a Baptist Church in Decatur, Georgia. The only thing I remember doing in Kindergarten was using a big easel to paint. Back then, Kindergarten wasn't 5 days a week, either. It was only 2 or 3 mornings a week!

Key Chains

Ashley used to collect them when she was little. I think they were a "trendy" thing to collect at that time. She had them attached to her school backpack and she would "jingle" as she walked! LOL! David's mom even began collecting them for her and would send her some from Philadelphia, where she lived. I remember one in particular that she sent. It was a rubber saltine cracker! Too funny!

Kellogg's

Kellogg's Pop Tarts were one of my VERY FAVORITE foods as a child! I ate them for breakfast just about every morning!! I loved them!! I didn't really like the ones without the frosting. My favorites were the brown-sugar-cinnamon, the strawberry & the chocolate with the white frosting & cream (can't remember the name). I still love Pop-Tarts, but don't buy them anymore due to the fact that they aren't so "nutritional". They are more like a "treat", now. When my girls were little, I tried to get them to like Pop-tarts, but they never did. I still don't understand why! LOL!

Key hole

My grandmother lived in a home that was built around 1930. This is where my mother grew up and the house that I spent a lot of time in as a child. The doorknobs of the house were BIG and they had key holes that you could look through! The keys that fit these doors were called "skeleton keys". (I never understood why) When I was little, we would spend every Christmas there. Santa would put my gifts under the Christmas tree that was in the living room. I would get up real early in the morning and sneak to try and peek through the keyhole to see what Santa had left for me! I never could see much, but I could always tell that he had come!

A to Z Blog Challenge - G

I'm starting early today! (Be sure to read about "F". I posted it late yesterday!)

Letter G

God

I believe in God. I do not question whether He exists. I know He does. I am a true believer. He is the Beginning and the End. The Alpha and the Omega. The One who created the world that we live in. He is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present, and all-loving. I look foward to meeting God... face to face... when my journey, here on earth, ends.

Georgia

It is the great state where I live, here in the United States. As you know... I have lived in Georgia my whole life. I know no different. When I was little, I used to dream of moving to Texas. I have no idea "why", tho! Texas and Pennsylvania (for whatever reason!) were my two favorite states. As it turned out... I ended up marrying the man of my dreams who just happens to be from... Pennsylvania! **Smile** I guess that's why I had Pennsylvania on my mind! --- I'm still not sure why Texas was! --- Yet!

Gallbladder

Just this past September... I had to have mine removed! Last July, I started having terrible pains in my upper abdomen and it took over a month of tests to figure out that my gallbladder was the cause of the pain. It was only functioning at 11%. Yikes! I had to have it removed before it ruptured. Luckily, the doctors were able to do it lyproscopically and I was able to go home that same day. The surgery went fine, but the anhestesia made me terrribly sick!! THAT was NOT fun!

Goat

When I was little, I wanted a goat. I thought that they were so cute!! I wanted to name mine "Mildred". I have NO IDEA where I got that name from! LOL! I never got my goat. Well.......Wait a minute! I take that back! I have one now!! His name is Chester!!! **Smile**

Grandparent

I know that it is quite a few years off (at least I hope it is!)... but, I look foward to becoming a grandparent! David and I talk about it all the time, which I find kind of funny! Heehee! He is so cute when he talks about it! We want to take our grandchildren to places like Disney and also take them camping. We want to buy them things just for no reason! I want to be like my grandmother and sneak a dollar in their hand as they leave my house to go home. I want to do crafts with them and bake cookies. I can't wait to tell them stories about their Mommies when they were little! I have friends that are grandparents and from what I gather.... being a grandparent is THE best thing EVER! It will be a blast, I'm sure! I just wonder "where" my girls will end up living and where David & I will be. I think the hardest part of being a grandparent will be.... if my kids live far away. That will be tough!

A to Z Blog Challenge - C

** I forgot to mention that this challenge does not include Sundays! Oops!

Letter C

Church

Church is a BIG part of my life! It has been since my kids were little. I wish that I could say that it has been for all of my life, but I wouldn't be telling the truth. I found the Lord when I was about 26 years old and followed His call to start going to church. I went as a child, but not very much. I went as a teenager with a friend, to her church, but I was not there for the right reasons. (Only for the boys! *Grin*) I was baptized as a baby in a United Methodist Church and this has always been my choice of church denominations. David grew up in the UMC church, as well. Throughout my adult life, I have been actively involved in church in all kinds of ways --- Children's Ministries, Women's Ministries, Small Group Ministries, Stephen Ministry and College Ministry. I love the Lord and believe that God sent His Son to die on a cross for ME! I try my very best to put God first in everything that I do and to walk closely by His side every day.

Camping

My family and I have been "campers" for about 12 years, now. We started out camping in tents, but quickly moved up in the camping world to a "Pop-up" style camper. We found friends at church that also liked to camp and quickly formed a bond with these friends that still exists today! We camp as often as we can. We have been as far north as the north Georgia mountains, to as far south as Walt Disney World. Two of our very favorite campgrounds (besides Disney!) are one that is very close to our home, called F.D. Roosevelt State Park... and one that is on the coast of the Florida Panhandle, near Destin, Florida.

Columbus

Like I told you in a previous post, I was born in Columbus, Georgia. When I was only 3 years old, my Daddy was transferred to Atlanta where I grew up and eventually met David (who grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania! Ya... I'll have to explain that one at another time!). Thirteen years ago, David took a transfer with his company and we moved back to my home town of Columbus! Right now, I live just outside of Columbus in a very small town. When I was little, my parents and I would make frequent trips down here to visit my grandparents & other family. Columbus was, and still is, a very important part of my life. I live just down the road from my Great-Grandparents home and from the small church that I was baptised in. This is very special to me. I love living right where my family history is!

Chester

Oh my! What can I say about Chester?? He is my 1 year old Golden Retriever puppy. (I also have a 8 1/2 year old Golden, too.) We were going to wait until THIS summer before we got another dog, but Miranda... and her VERY persuasive self.... talked us into getting a puppy last May, instead! I love puppies, but I quickly realized that I do NOT have the patience that I used to have and as much as I love Chester... he has tried my patience MANY times!! He is our 3rd Golden that we have owned, and we have NEVER had one do the things that he has done! --- He took FOREVER to house-train. He has dug SO many holes in my yard. Last summer, he ate almost all of my newly planted plants. And he has LOTS of energy! He's a cutie, but my oh my.... he makes me crazy sometimes!

Computer

I have to admit. I spend a great deal of time on my computer. Probably, too much! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE being a "blogger" and reading other blogs. I used to have an addiction to Facebook, but I have tamed that addiction down a bit, and I am not on it nearly as much as I used to be. But, I do have to say that I am thankful that Facebook was created. I have reconnected with SO many people from my past and it has been so much fun!! The kids of today don't know that fun feeling of "reconnecting" with someone from their past. Facebook has always been a part of "their" life. They don't know any different. I feel lost when I have no internet access! This usually only happens when we travel or go camping. I feel like I am disconnected from the world and it bothers me!! Yes. I know. I have issues! LOL!

A to Z Blog Challenge -- A & B

I saw this fun Blog Challenge on my friend Becca's Blog. I have done an A to Z Blog Challenge before, but this one is a little bit different. For this one... you have to name 5 things that start with the letter of the day and then write about them. If you care to play along... you can join in by clicking the link button on my side bar.

I am a day behind, so this posting will contain both letter A & B.

Letter A

Ashley

Ashley is my first-born daughter. She has a birthday this month and will be 24!! I am having a hard time accepting the fact that I have a child that is THIS OLD!! Of course..... I am not getting any older, myself! **Smile** It seems like yesterday that I was 24 years old!! Ashley was two years old when I was her age! WOW!

Anniversary

David and I will be celebrating our 26th wedding anniversary this month!! WOW! The years have flown by so very fast! We are planning on taking a weekend trip somewhere to celebrate. We haven't decided on just "where", yet.

Atlanta

This is the city that I grew up in -- Atlanta, Georgia. I was born in Columbus, Georgia... but when I was three years old, my Daddy was transferred to Atlanta by the finance company that he worked for at the time. I grew up on the east side of Atlanta in the county of Dekalb. It's funny.... David took a transfer 12 years ago with the company that he works for and now, I am right back to where I started from!! I love where I live now, but there are many things that I miss about Atlanta.

April

The month of April is a very special month to me. It is the month that I was married, bought my first house and my second, had my first child, and it is when nature comes back to life in all of it's beautiful Spring colors!!

All My Children

This was my mother's favorite soap opera. She never missed an episode! As I grew up, I became a fan of the show as well, and watched it as often as I could. Over the past few years, I have finally moved on and no longer watch it. My mother no longer watches it either. Since her stroke, she has a hard time focusing on TV shows and movies. I heard, just the other day, that All My Children's ratings were down and that the show may be canceled. This makes me sad, but I understand.

Letter B

Bananas

I have no idea why I am writing about banana's!! This is the one food on this planet that I do NOT like!! I can't stand the smell or the taste of them! Blech! Many people have tried to get me to "like" them, but I refuse! Yes... I KNOW that they are healthy and good for you! But... NO! I do NOT like them and will NOT eat them! You can't make me!

Books

I love books!! I would rather read a book about something than read about it online. Back before Christmas, I seriously thought about asking David to get me one of those electronic book "thingy's", like the Kindle or the Nook. But, I have thought about it since then, and have decided that I like actual books a whole lot better! Just yesterday, I purchased my very first copy of Tom Sawyer! I was at a little flea market near my house that I hadn't been to in a while and found a booth FULL of old books! I could have stayed there forever looking at all of them! (In fact... I may go back and look some more!) This is where I found the Tom Sawyer book. I can't find a "year" on it, but from looking online, I believe it is from the 1950's or 60's. If you take me to a book store, you will have a hard time getting me out!!

Bags

I have a "thing" for bags, too! I love them! I use them for everything. In stores, I am drawn to them. I certainly don't need any more, but if I see a cute one... you can almost bet that I will buy it!

Butterflies

My mother loves butterflies. I always think of her when I see one. She recently told me that she would love to have butterflies released at her funeral. I had never thought of this or heard of it, but isn't it a beautiful thought! I have no idea how I will carry out her wish, but it is something that I need to research.

Birds

Now that it is Spring, the birds are returning to my bird feeder! YAY! Yesterday, I saw a bright red cardinal and a chickadee! Birds are also something that my mother loves. All that I know about birds, I learned from her.

A to Z Blog Challenge ~ E

The word for today is EVIL. As in anesthesia is EVIL! I just had my gall bladder removed on Friday - 9/3/10, and it was also the first time that I have ever been put to sleep by anesthesia. I was a little nervous about this to begin with because I didn't know how my body would react to it.

Well..... I guess it could have been a lot worse... but, my reaction to it was NOT fun!! I pretty much had 24 hours of dizziness, headache and nausea.

Those of you that have been "put under" before are probably laughing at me, but I don't care! For me... this was NOT a fun experience and one that I don't want to go thru again anytime soon!

I do have to say that it DID work, because once they put that mask on me in the operating room.... I didn't feel a thing until they woke me up in the recovery room! ~ Amazing! ~ For THAT I am grateful!!

A to Z Blog Challenge ~ D

Today's word is D'Allen's, for D'ALLEN'S SALON and SPA. I'm not quite sure if "D'Allen's" is an actual word, but hey.... for me and my blog... it works!

This is where I go to get my hair "done", as we say here in the south.

 I go every 8 weeks to get my hair trimmed and highlighted.

I have been going to this same salon for approximately 4 years, I think. My path to find this salon and my hair dresser was quite an interesting one!

I used to go to one of the "quickie" salons, as I call them. You know.... the kind where you can walk in without an appointment, sign the "sign-in sheet", and then wait for some random girl (or woman) to call your name to "come on back". After going several times to the same place, I did find a lady that I liked and more importantly.... TRUSTED to do my hair.

Everytime I went to this "salon", I would always get just a trim, until one day, when my precious Dtr. #2 pointed out to me that she saw a few (YES. Only a FEW!) gray hairs on the top of my head!! It didn't bother me at first, but when she kept finding more and MORE... I quickly decided that I was NOT ready for this! So.... on my next visit to the "quickie salon", I decided that it was time for me to start getting "highlights" put into my hair. My natural hair color is a dark brown, so I got blonde highlights.

The first couple of times that I had this done, my hair looked great! But then....... the day came when the quickie salon lady SCREWED UP!!!! She used the wrong dye and my blonde highlights turned BURGANDY!!! Now, for some of you... this might have been a "cool" thing, but not for me! The quickie salon lady offered to "fix" my hair after apologizing..... but, I said "No, thank you!"

I went home in tears and called the best salon in town that I new of --- which was also the MOST expensive, by the way! UGH! -- and got an appointment with them for the next day. I was afraid to trust the "quickie" salons again and vowed that day to NEVER go to one again!!! I had to pay OVER $100 to get my hair "fixed"! YIKES!!

So.... now that my hair was "fixed", I now had to hunt for a new hair dresser. A REAL ONE! (No. I did not go back to the expensive salon!) I asked a few friends and that's how I ended up at D'Allen's Salon & Spa.

I now LOVE my hairdresser!! She is young and fun, but most of all..... she KNOWS WHAT SHE IS DOING!!! **Smile**

A to Z Blog Challenge ~ C

Today's words are (Yes! There are TWO!)
COLLEGE CLASS.
At my church, I lead the College Sunday School Class and I LOVE it!! The kids -- well.... really, they are "young adults", but I can't help but call them "kids"! -- are what make it so much fun!! Of course, having my own two girls in the class, makes it even better!

Since my girls were little, I have always served in one way or another that has something to do with the age that my girls were. I have taught Children's Sunday School. I have taught "Bible Buddies" on Wednesday nights for the kids. I have worked in all areas of Vacation Bible School, including being the director! I have led a Bible Study for Dtr. #1's age. I have helped with the Youth Group in all kinds of ways, and now that both of my girls are in college... I am leading their Sunday School class! You would think that they would be sick of me by now, but I guess they love me! **Smile**

This past Sunday, we had an event at our church called GET IN THE GAME. It involved all of the Sunday School classes and all of the small groups that are in our church. The idea was to get people "Off of the sidelines and into the game"... the "game" being ... more involved in other areas of church besides just worship.

Each Sunday School class or small group had to decorate a "booth" for the event. The "theme" of the event was FOOTBALL! So... my class went ALL OUT!! We got T-shirts made.... Hubby made a goal post for us....  and some of us got into the spirit of "the game" and painted our faces!!

Here are a few photos for you to enjoy!

Here I am with my class -- Standing, second from the left.

My helper is in the middle, kneeling, with her daughter. The rest are my "kids".

Here's some of my "kids" at our booth. The two girls in the middle really are MY KIDS!

We won the prize for the BEST TEAM SPIRIT!

It was a GREAT day!

A to Z Blog Challenge ~ A

For more info on my A to Z Blog Challenge --
click here -- A to Z Blog Challenge Start Page

My word for today is ALONE, because this is how I feel right now.

I feel like I am in a crowd of people, but I am still all by myself.

I recently wrote about the POWER OF TOUCH. (You can read that post by clicking HERE.) I wrote about how this is a way of HEALING and how Jesus healed others by His touch and how we also have that power.

I am the type of person that needs love and affection and I don't do well without it. Because I am facing surgery on Friday, I am in desperate need of this kind of healing..... right now!

I know that there are people that care for me and love me, but........ where are they when I need them the most???  They are all around me, but yet.... they aren't.

Thankfully, this "time in the desert" that I am experiencing is bringing me closer to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that He is there for me and is listening to me and loves me. I DO feel His love!

This morning I read... "Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow." -- James 1:2-3.

The JOY that I have found, is the love of my LORD.

Thank you, Lord, for helping me feel a little less ALONE.

A to Z Blog Challenge ~ The Start

Photo courtesy of padgettatoz.co.uk

I've been thinking hard about what day-to-day blog idea that I wanted to start next. I've decided to go with an A to Z Blog Challenge. I saw a blog like this once and have always kept the thought on the "back burner" for a future idea to use. Since I finished my Bucket List day-to-day blog posts. -- Well... they weren't written quite every day, but pretty close to it!

The idea of the blog is to pick a word for the letter-of-the-day, and then blog about it.

I like to write my blog posts in the mornings -- Well, some days... I don't have time and have to write later in the day. -- So, my plan is to think of a word from the previous day to write about. This way, I will have a full day to reflect back on in order to pick my word. --- Make sense?? -- I hope so!

I am going to try to not write about PEOPLE. That is too easy! I won't more of a CHALLENGE!

Enjoy!