A to Z Blog Challenge - Round 2 - Letter D

 I have chosen the word

Here is my (sort of) dog, Levi... 

I must warn you. This is not a very "happy" post. 

You might be wondering why I said, "sort of" above.

Levi is a sweetheart. I love him! BUT>>>> he has become my husband's dog. Levi mopes around the house until his "daddy" comes home. It's pathetic!! Then, when daddy comes home... it's like someone turned on his "happy switch"!! Of course.. David gives him so much attention, I can't blame Levi for getting so excited. 

Let me be honest...

Levi gets MOST of David's love and attention and I get the leftovers. It sounds stupid, but it's not. My therapist explained to me that David feels "safe" giving Levi so much attention because it's so easy to make a dog happy. I'm probably not explaining that quite right. Levi gets fed special food. He gets brushed and combed and petted NON STOP!! He gets rubbed and talked to so sweet. 

Me?? I get a sad grumble that is IF I get spoken to at all! And touched?? ME??? Nope. I get a light hug and a "peck" of a kiss. 

Well.. Levi just ran to the door to greet his Daddy!! Wahooo!! Let the happy times begin!! NOT!

A Fun Day of Thrifting!

Georgia and I had a fun time yesterday. I am SO GLAD that we got together! I don't know why we don't see each other more often.

She arrived at my house about 9:30am. We hung around my house, catching up for a bit and talking about decorating and couponing. She didn't know anything about TABLESCAPING, so I had to tell her all about how I fell IN LOVE with it! She loved my 4th of July Tablescape. **Smile**

I am pretty sure that I taught her a good bit about COUPONING. She had seen those shows on TV called "Extreme Couponing" and wanted to know how to be able to do it like THAT. I told her that I haven't gotten to that point and don't plan to. My goal is just to at least cut my grocery bill in HALF each week. We agreed that to be able to save ANY amount of money on groceries each week would be helpful.

We left my house about 10:30 and headed into town. First, I had to stop at the drug store to renew my RLS medication. We were there longer than expected, but it gave us a little more time to chit-chat. I found out that she also has RLS, but not as bad as I do. (LUCKY!) Her brother & Father also have it.

After that, we headed to the south side of Columbus, which isn't a good part of town... but, I really wanted to go and visit Gina's Junk Thrift & Antique Store!!

Here's a photo that I took ---

I am SO glad that we went!! It was the neatest place!!

First, we checked out the "junk" in the yard. Gina had lots of outdoor furniture and "yard art". Lots of vintage pieces, too. There were several iron tables that I liked and a shelf that would be perfect for my screened-in porch!! I may have to go back for that one!

Next, we ventured inside to see what we could find. Georgia was looking for things for her granddaughter's "Madeline" birthday party that she plans to do for her in October. So, we were looking for things that looked like PARIS. She also wants to build her granddaughter a doll house for her birthday. So, she was looking for "minature" things that could go into the doll house. As for me, I was looking at the antique furniture and for things that I could use for my August tablescape.

We wondered thru each room of the old house. The prices were GREAT! I saw LOTS of pieces of furniture that I would LOVE to have!! I saw lots of vintage linens that I would love to have had, too. There were many things that I would have loved to have bought, but decided not to. (I was on a VERY tight budget!) Georgia only bought a set of salt & pepper shakers. They were very tiny and very cute!

Gina, the shop owner, was very nice and quite funny! Georgia's S&P shakers had two prices on them, but each was marked out with a red "slash". Georgia asked Gina how much they were. Gina said... "Anything with a red "X" thru the price, means that it is half-off." Then, she looked at the pricetag on Georgia's S&P shakers and said... "Well, that's a half-a** 'X', isn't it?" LOL!! (Because it was only a "slash") It was so funny!

We left Gina's glad that we had made the trip, and headed towards downtown Columbus. I was driving and we were on a road that I knew where it dead-ended, but I didn't know the area that we were traveling very well. As we were headed into town, we came to a train that was crossing the road. We stopped, along with the rest of the traffic. The train was almost done crossing... when.... it started BACKING UP!!!! So.... we didn't know what to do! Finally, I realized that people were starting to make their way to the road on the right. So... I did the same and thankfully, we were able to go "around" the train with no problem and get back on our same road! Whew!

We arrived in downtown Columbus. I decided to take Georgia to one of my favorite restaraunts there. It is called The Cannon Brew Pub. Yes, it is a "Pub". But, it is also a restaraunt. I love their Southwestern Wrap sandwich! YUM! The atmosphere is fun, too.

After lunch, we headed to my very favorite Thrift Mall - Joey's!! Georgia LOVED IT, as I knew she would! We went from booth to booth, checking everything out. We put things in our shopping cart to "think" about as we shopped.

Georgia's best find of the day was a Madeline Doll that was in perfect condition!!! It was only $5.95!!!! YAY!! It was PERFECT for her granddaughter's birthday party! She also bought a cute shirt for only a $1.00!

Here's a picture of Georgia with her Madeline Doll. She was SO happy!!  ---

My big find for the day was a board game all about Columbus, GA!! It is from 1980. It's not "real" old, but it is unique, and since I am from Columbus and I now live and work here.... it was special to me and I HAD TO HAVE IT! I put back a few other things that I had in the cart in order to buy this game. It was $10.00. I thought that was fairly reasonable. The only other thing that I bought was a large package of Post-it notes (unopened) for $2.00. I use Post-it notes all the time, so these will come in handy!

Here's a pic of me with my game and one of my Post-it notes --

Here's some pics of my game after I got home and opened it up ---

We headed back to my house around 4:00pm so that Georgia could be back home in time to pick up her daughter from work. Poor Georgia was on the phone throughout our day dealing with the car dealership that was trying to fix her daughter's car. I sure hope that they can figure out what the problem is without it costing them too much more money!

I talked to David throughout the day. (He's in Indianapolis, remember?) He was delayed in Atlanta due to the plane that he was supposed to fly out on, having mechanical trouble. (Glad they found it!!!) I can't remember what time he finally got to Indianapolis, but he DID make it there. He texted me later in the day and said that his company was taking them all on a tour of the Indianapolis Speedway!!! He was excited, but wished that he had brought a camera. He did take a few pics with his phone.

I didn't talk to him again until about 9:00pm. He had been to dinner with the group and was EXHAUSTED!!! So, we didn't talk long. As I write this... he is most likely in the middle of the competition that he is in!! I sure hope that he is doing well and isn't too nervous. I hope that he is able to have fun with it. Knowing him, tho.... he is an anxious MESS!!! LOL! (I probably would be, too!)

Today, I am staying at home. .... Well, I do have a meeting at church tonight for Stephen Ministry.... But, other than that, I will be at home. I need to go see my mom since I haven't been over there this week, but I am also trying to limit my driving so that I only put gas in my car once a week. UGH!! I can't wait to start getting a paycheck again!!! I miss having money!!

Here's a few more pics of things that we saw at Joey's ---

You just might see this as part of my August Tablescape!

This was a new booth that I hadn't seen before!! I LOVED all of the blue & white!! I am a huge fan of it!

These vintage glasses were BEAUTIFUL!! But, they were a little pricey and there were only five. They would go so great with my Winter Tablescape for January, tho!

Button Bouquets!!! I had never seen these before!! LOVE THEM!! I can see all kinds of projects with these!

We loved this vintage Pin Cushion Doll!! Very pretty!!

I'm linking up to the Thrifty Things Friday Party over on The Thrifty Grove. Be sure to visit me over there and all of the other "thrifty" blogging friends!

A Day With a Friend

David left early this morning to drive to Atlanta. He is flying to Indianapolis, Indiana for a competition for work. He was so anxious ... and I guess nervous.... that he barely slept last night!! He left our house around 3:30am. He finally called me about 6:00am to tell me that he was finally at his gate. I am not sure what time his flight leaves.


I think he lands sometime around 10:00am, but I'm not sure. That is the next phone call that I should get. I guess it is good that he is having this experience BEFORE we go on our big trip! Haha!

Today, my friend from high school is coming to spend the day with me! YAY!! Her name is Georgia -- pretty neat since we live IN Georgia! **Smile** She wants me to teach her how to "coupon". I am still learning, but I hope that I can teach her some things that she doesn't already know. She also wants me to take her to some of the Thrift Stores that I go to. I want to take her to one that I haven't been to yet. It's called Gina's Junk Thrift & Antique Store. It's not in a good part of town, but it looks quite interesting!! The other place is called Joey's Thrift Mall (no website). It is my very favorite place!! I'm looking foward to a fun day hanging out with Georgia!

Here's a photo of us from a couple of years ago when we were on our way to a class reunion --

I'm taking my camera with me and hope to take some pictures of our finds! Here's a couple of photos of Gina's Junk Store that I got off of Facebook. Looks interesting, doesn't it??

A to Z Blog Challenge - D

Letter D

David

Well, of course he is my #1 pick for the letter D! **Smile** Here's a brief rundown of how we met. David and I met on Thanksgiving of 1981. I was just two weeks shy of being 17, and he was 18. I was a Senior in high school, and he was in his first year of college. I was living in Stone Mountain, GA at the time. David was attending college in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Lucky him!) His mom & dad had recently divorced and his dad had moved to Stone Mountain and was my neighbor in the apartments that I lived in. My dad and David's dad were friends. They shared a love for cars. David came up from Florida to spend Thanksgiving with his dad. His dad introduced us and the rest is history!! We have been together for what will be 26 years on April 19th! It was love at first sight for both of us and I quickly knew that we would be together forever!

Daddy

The second most important man in my life was my Daddy. He was a young 53 when he died of a heart attack. He was very sick, tho. He had a heart disease and he had diabetes. He grew up in Columbus, GA and played high school football. I have been told that a professional football team approached him about playing for their team, but he chose to go into the Navy, instead. He served two years on an aircraft carrier during the Korean War. Luckily, he never saw any battle. I miss him so very much, as I have told you all before. My biggest regret is not spending enough time with him before he passed. I was a selfish teenager and my "social life" was more important at that time than spending time with my parents. I was hardly ever home. I love you, Daddy!

Disney

My first memory of Walt Disney World is of visiting the "Sneak Peak" before the park even opened! We saw a model of what Magic Kingdom would look like and got to see a film about it. Of course, there was a gift shop, too! I have a picture of myself with a stuffed animal of the cat O'Malley from Disney's movie...The Aristocrats. Of course, we visited Walt Disney World after it opened, too. I have memories of riding Dumbo with my cousin and him not letting me make Dumbo go up and down! I also remember riding Space Mountain with my Daddy. He sat behind me and I sat in between his legs. (I don't think it is that way anymore.) I remember him trying to hold on to me, his glasses in his pocket and the side of the rocket ship that we were riding in! It was great fun! ~ When my girls were ages 6 & 10, David and I took them to WDW for their first time! It was SO AWESOME!! The first day, we were standing in line at the monorails, waiting to ride to Magic Kingdom, when a man in a suit and tie came over to us and asked us if we would like to OPEN THE PARK!!!!! We of course said... YES! So, they pulled us out of line and we go to stand in front of everyone else that was waiting to go in and release a banner that announced the opening of the park! Then, we got to ride in the front of the monorail, where Miranda got to beep the horn! We also got an official certificate saying that we "opened the park". It was way cool!! My girls had a blast and so did David & I. It is a vacation that none of us will ever forget!

Dreams

Dreams fascinate me. I dream often and my dreams seem SO REAL! Most of the time, they are good dreams. I don't have "bad" dreams very often. I don't always remember them, but often... I do. I love to try and figure out the meaning behind my dreams the next day. Sometimes I can figure them out and sometimes, I can't. They just amaze me, tho!

Dogs

I am a dog-lover. I especially like BIG DOGS! Big dogs, like my Golden's or even big dogs like Mastiff's! I grew up having a little dog, tho. She was a Toy Fox Terrier. She was wonderful! Her name was Penny. Later, as an adult, I got bit by a small poodle... so, I guess that is why I prefer big dogs. I got bit by a cat once, too!

Happy Birthday, David!

Today is David's 19th

time turning 

29!!

I LOVE YOU!!!

L.O.V.E. for my Valentine

L is for....

the love that you have for me.

how in love I am with you!

how much you make me feel loved.

the little things that you do for me.

how loyal you are to me.

the way that you make me laugh.

how lucky I am to have you!

how you listen to me when I need to talk.

giving me a love that will last a lifetime.

giving me the life that I always dreamed of!

O is for....

how overjoyed I am to be married to you!

how you make me feel like I'm on cloud nine!

the outstanding way that you provide for our family.

you being the only one for me!

the oodles of fun we have together.

V is for....

Valintine. Thanks for being mine for the past 29 years!

how you value our marriage and our family.

how very much I am in love with you!

how much I love to hear your voice on the phone.

all the wonderful vacations that we have been on!

how you maintain our vehicles.

E is for....

how excited I am to see you when you get home!

for everthing that you do for me.

how excellent you are!

the encouragement that you give to me.

providing our girls with a wonderful education.

how you energize me!

how much I enjoy spending time with you!

the enormous love that I have for you!

being the best husband in the entire world!

being my equal.

the extraordinary person that you are!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

I love you David!!!!!

Snapshot Saturday - 12/18/10

It's Snapshot Saturday again!!


If you have played before... then you should know what to do! If not... click HERE for instructions.


Pick your "combination" to unlock one of my photos.


1st - pick a number between 1 - 75.
2nd - pick a number between 1 - 10.
3rd - pick a number between 1 - 50.


Check my next post for the photo that you picked!

Here's my "combination" for today!   14 - 4 - 24

And here's the photo ---

Here's David with Ashley & Miranda on Father's Day, 2008. The photo was taken at a friends house. They had invited us over to swim (the pool is to the right!) and grill some burgers. The weather was beautiful and we made some great memories that day!

See the "pop-up" camper, in the background. That's the kind that we have. This is what it looks like when it is folded down.

Ashley has on one of our VBS (Vacation Bible School) shirt and Miranda is wearing one of her high school newspaper staff shirts. Great memories!

Send me a number combination and let's see what photo you "unlock"!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness - Day 19

Today, I am thankful for the love that David has for our family. He is always there to take care of our every need.

It breaks my heart when I see parents who do not respect or show love to their children.

There is a special 20 year old in our life, whose father is this way. This young man is so very sweet and is a "good kid" (So many, aren't!), but his father simply doesn't see it. It breaks my heart. David is more of a father to this young man, than his own father is!

I wanted to write and VENT about my feelings concerning this so-called "father", but I have decided not to. There's no point.

I am just so thankful that my girls have a father that loves them and would go to the ends of the earth to make sure they had what they needed.

Bucket List #43-45

#43 --- Build a patio in our backyard --- This seems like a simple task and you probably wonder why it's even on my list, but it kinda' goes along with #42 - Make my yard something that I can enjoy looking at. - When we built our house, it had a cement "patio". Then, we added a pool which has a narrow cement area around it. We used the patio area for our grilling, sitting and eating purposes. Then, Hubby built a wonderful screened porch over our patio! Which we all love!! But, now our grill is taking up space on our "narrow" cement area and we don't have a lot of room to entertain by the pool. So.... I would love to build a beautiful stone patio that would extend and make our area by our pool larger. Of course, this photo below would be the ULTIMATE added patio!! LOL

#44 --- Ride or drive a snow mobile --- Hopefully, when I go somewhere to see that BIG SNOW - (#30), I can get to do this, too!! Since I obviously have not seen any big snows, then... I haven't done this!

#45 --- Go on a cruise with Hubby --- I have been on a cruise once, but Hubby has not. Mine was my High School Graduation Cruise. It was a LOT of fun and something that I'll never forget! We cruised to the Bahamas on that one. Hubby and I talk about going on a cruise, but our problem is WHERE to go and FOR HOW LONG?? There are so many choices!! Some that peek my interest are.... A Caribbean Cruise, an Alaskan Cruise, a Norweigan Cruise, and a European Cruise. --- Ok. I think that covers just about all of them! LOL

Bucket List #37-39

#37 --- Visit Nashville again with Hubby, stay downtown and check out the nightlife --- We went, as a family, to Nashville back in April of 2005. We stayed near the Grand Ole Opry, but not downtown. We went to the Grand Ole Opry, The Country Music Hall of Fame, The Opryland Hotel, and walked around downtown Nashville... in the daytime. We also took a tour of Country Music Stars homes! That was a blast for the girls and I, but poor Hubby didn't enjoy it so much. His motion sickness got the best of him!! -- NOT GOOD! All in all, it was a great trip... but, I would love to go back with just Hubby and stay in the downtown area and check out the nightlife there, like "Tootsie's"!!! Maybe we'd get lucky and someone famous would just walk in and start singing! I hear that stars do that all the time!

#38 --- Visit Las Vegas and ride the roller coaster on top of the building --- I have always heard so many people say that Las Vegas is an awesome place to visit whether you gamble or not. (We don't!) I want to go not only to check it out and see the sights, but I want to ride the roller coaster that is on top of one of the buildings there! It is on top of the "Stratosphere". I LOVE rollercoasters and I'm not really afraid of hights. So, for me, this would be the ultimate rollercoaster to ride! I've posted two photos here. Check them out!

#39 --- Ride a zip-line across a beautiful countryside --- Like I said before... I am not afraid of heights, so as long as I was strapped in real good... I think this would be a blast!! I want to do it over a beautiful area, tho. Hawaii would be a beautiful place to do it!