SO...IT IS SOMEONE'S BIRTHDAY...give u a hint, she is my fave sissy!

all the party goer's starting with non and jess, my lovely son and wife!
lil morgie porgie puddin and pie, kissed the bella, and made her cry!
choux, matty and moo, we were waiting in line for trunk or treat!
ur lil sam sam, u never met yet!
nor have u met the 1st grandbaby, my lil jordan!
and who are these two cute peeps? and why is he pinching me cheeks?
ahhh, the beautiful di, making all things happen!
and would it be a party without the bella of the ball?
the two handsome boys...sneaky as they r, they dont tell a word...
the niece and her lovely fam, will be hosting the big event!
ur oldest baby, our lil nic nac and josh!
the two lil twins in the middle, no party would be complete without them!
your lil emmy and jujubee, and d, they will be attending also...
the rest of the gang....silly as they r!
us staying up most of the night, blogging, eating...watching movies!! unfortunately di passes out on the couch, silly girl!


yup, me oldest sissy will be 54 on saturday! happy birthday to you! i looooooove you! i wish i was therrrrrrrre, to play in your hair!!!! lol just a lil jingle for u on your special day. ok....so this is the plan, k?

1st, we get up and cook your favorites of foods...me and di....then we deliver it to u in bed, so u will be all nice and warm and comfy under the duvet...then u go and get ur shower, cuz u have that early morning funk...even tho its ur special day, u shouldnt be stinky. so then you get all dolled up, dont take much cuz u is already there, ma baby!!

ok, so then, u let me drive the new car while u and di sit in the back seat, holding ur lil hands, cuz u do cute stuff like that all the time. i wont make u carsick, i promise. we are off to ur fave place...THE CASINO!! yup and u get $100 free dollars to blow there, cuz im generous like that when its not real money. k? SURPRISE!!! nicnac and niece and emily meet us there for a nice lunch of all u can eat seafood buffet. and then here they come...the whole waitstaff comes out singing to u!! u are all cute and trying to be embarrassed but u know u love it! they bring a flaming (cuz u are a lil gay!) dessert to u, and u, of course, love every divine decadent morsel! as we watch and drool, u finish it off, and then we go back and play some more on the machines. VOILA!!! u win a birthday jackpot! wow! 1,500 buck-a-roos! now what will u do with that? we have to get u out of there fast, cuz u know how u like to RE-PLAY ur winnings. so, we head off to the mall.

we visit some of ur favorite haunts...like the kitchen store, the book store, and then we go to see the pets and buy bella a nice toy. she loves surprises too!

ok, so after a hard day of shopping and gambling and eating...we have to decide what we want to do for dinner. cuz it is still ur birthday...so we go hang out at the bucks house for a bit while we decide. when we get there, OMG!!! it is a surprise birthday party!! now who would of done that? i dunno...beat me if u will, u know i love it! all ur friends from work and neighbors and family r there. we have a nice bar going....all of ur faves...u choose a buttery nipple to start....it only takes a couple and u and di are swaying to the music...not too fast, u may throw-up!!

k, so now we are ready to eat...niece's nice neighbor the caterer delivers a scrumtious steak, grilled to perfection, with all the fixins.....some nice music, all ur faves of course, a nice cool chilly night...friends, family, all the pets...lol! by this time u r getting a wee bit on the tired side, after all, u r a half century old + 4!! so u will need to turn in....but not without one more surprise....me and di spent all night friday night cleaning out the jacuzzi. it is filled and ready for u and ur lady! so i make u a nice glass of wine, turn on some special etheridge tunes...and let u both take it from there. meanwhile...i will be in the kitchen cleaning, and making myself a bit comfy on the couch watching the food channel, cuz thats what i do...sipping on some amaretto i brought from italy...very smooth, by the way...

and of course, when u and di are done soaking in the chill of the night, u sneak in and head to your lil boudoir, the both of u, and i dont even want to think about what will happen in there....ewwww. i have a visual!! nothing like picturing ur sis, ehhhh, get it out of there!! so...this is your wonderful day...filled with all your fave peeps and foods and fun, all that u could every want...and a little cash to boot!! so, enjoy me lil sissy, wish i was there to make it all come true. but i am sure that there will be a wonderful time to be had, even if i cant make it. i wish it was different, and we could all be together. it would be some much fun. i love you with all my heart...and may u have a wonderful and blessed day!! let me know how it goes...smooches and huggies!

UUUgghhhh! Migraines!!

After a day at the aquarium and the beach, what else would u do? This is my oldest grand daughter, jordan, 3 1/2 years old, my son's family. They visited in Sept before my trip to Italy.
The proud papa and his only grand son. At the beach catchin' some rays.
Jim, Jonathan, my son, and his son, Samuel, 1 year. The waves were pretty harsh, Jordan ran to the water thinking it would be "fun" to play in until a wave knocked her on her butt, then she was scared and stayed in the sand! Poor baby....
At the aquarium, Jordan looks just like my daughter here when she was her age...amazing!
My son and his baby, Samuel. He didn't like the alligators!
My baby, Jordan...at the aquarium.
Having a little snack with her Nonna.
It's bed time daddy, I'm soooo sleepy....zzzzzzzz!
My daughter-in-law, Jessica....and my little dude...
Nonna's lil man, trying to escape....
Jordan went to see the Imagination Movers, this was her face when they came out on stage! Do you think she was excited?


Well, that is my other kid's fam, thought I should give equal time since most of the post's are about Molly, my daughter's girl. Woke up with a wicked migraine today....give me a break! Had an appt to go see the neurologist for my migraines...you think I would of been able to go? Had to cancel.....poop! Enjoy, bloggy buds, see u later!

Finally Home!!! Some Pix of the trip...

Here they built brick and steel frames to hold up the ruins of a building. The top cornices were what were found, so to put it in perspective, they made a frame for it. The stone seats underneath are also original to the archaeological finds.
This is the aquaduct, in the Roman times, the ships would come inland thru these ducts and dock on the stone! They still have some of the moorings here. Unbelievable!
Remains if Roman houses, on some sites you can see the different rooms.
A town in Italy called "Aquileia", there is roman ruins from 2nd century b.c. to the 5th century a.d. here. These are the columns from a town hall, also on the ground are parts of the building tops...the cornices.
The kind of day it was, the sun was setting on the Adriatic Sea, was a nice crisp fall day, breezy on the water. The castle is just of to the right of this.
Ornate period furniture, dark gloomy long halls and rooms, I bet this place has lots of creepy sounds at night!!
One of the many bathrooms in this castle, everything was marble! The toilet was all wood, must of smelled good in there!!
Inside the Castillo di Miramare, one of the rooms, the ceilings were like 40 ft high, tapestry wallpaper, in-grain wooden floors, ornately decorated....pretty wild!
The "Castillo di Marimare" in Trieste, Italy


Well, I have made it home after 3 weeks in Italy with my daughter and her family! It is good to be home, tho I miss them. But it is good to be home in my bed, put all my goodies away, and throw the suitcases back in the closet!

We went to several places which I will post here. One was a castle on the water in Trieste, it is about 150 years old. Some battles were fought from it, and we toured inside. It was kind of creepy, but nice. I dont know how people lived in something so big, with no a/c and just fire places to heat these ginormous rooms.

The other place was "Aquileia" which has some of the most remarkable remains of Roman times. I have descriptions for each pic above. I will post more later, still suffering from jet lag. Got in late last night. Ho hum...off to bed now. Night bloggy buds, hope you all enjoy!

Still in Italy, and now for a cold! YUCKY!!!

This was an italian lady's puppy that was at the hayride, he LOVED Molly. Too cute!
These are in reverse order! The fireplace scene was at the end of the wienee roast!
This is Molly and her lil friend, enjoying the cold weather, and the wienees!

Right beofre we left for the hayride/wienee roast.
During the day, Mom and Molly carved a perfect Minnie Mouse! Go MOM & MOLLY!
MINNIE all lit up and doing her thing!!

I want a do over, its just not fair to be on a trip and have food poisoning, then get a freakin' cold!! I'm achy and fevered....I need my hunny bunny! Although my daughter is a close 2nd, he would make me soup and tuck me in and comfort me like no one else. Oh well, c'est la doggone vie!

I promised pics from the wienee roast and hayride. I think that is what made me sick. Being so cold from that day/night. Of course, we all know that is not how it is caught. But it sure doesnt help....that is when I started feeling achy.

We had to cancel a trip for tomorrow to Nove, it is a town known for its pottery. I didnt want to chance getting sicker. You see, I am going to Florence on Friday and dont want to miss that. We are taking an overnight train, and spending the whole day there. I am so excited!! This has been a dream of mine for soooo long. I will go hacking an puking if need be. But...I hope I dont have to. LOL

Well, nothing new....but here are some more pics to oogle at. I will check in again!

Feeling sooooo much better!

Ahhhh, to be in Italy....the food, the wine, the sights and smells....all is well again. There is nothing, I repeat the word, NOTHING like having your tummy back after a nice food poisoning! It wasn't even something italian. can u believe that? just some plain ole oscar mayer bacon gone bad....ewww just saying it and thinking it....blahhhhh! on to another subject please!

Well, we went on a weenie roast/bonfire/hayride tonight. It was soooo cold tho, we had to come home before the hayride. I will post pics in the next post. I am now in bed and ready for sleep. A wonderful day was had by all. Proof will be in tomorrows post when I add photos. Goodnight to all, see u later.

UUUgggghhhhh! I ate something BAD!!

I am having the time of my life....except that I think I have food poisoning! I made some bacon....ewwwww I can't even say the word......and now I am sicker than a dog!!!

My daughter and her husband are gone for an overnighter, I am babysitting my lil Molly....we made supper and ate and she went night night. I am watching TV and get a lil hungry.....so I make some bacon...I don't think it was good. It smelled good when I cooked it, but about 15 minutes after I ate, my tummy cramped and the nausea hit me so hard....I had hot flashes...started shaking, turned all kinds of colors....and hit the bathroom at 50 mph! I spent the whole night there....needless to say, I didn't have a good evening. I am on a Gilmore Girls marathon. So I thought that I would get a bunch of them out while I was alone all night. Big mistake....all I did was visit the porcelain throne!! Nice night...

All except for the bad bacon, I am have so much fun. We are to a place on Tuesday that specializes in pottery. Then we are taking a trip to Florence. I love Florence. It has been a dream to go there. It is soooo romantic and tuscan! Just like the movie! Only I will be with my daughter instead of honey. LOL

Well, off to the stool once again! Write more soon! ta ta for now!

Enjoying Italy with my daughter and family!

Well, here are some pics of Italy! I am still here. I will list what they are in order, I tried to write under each picture and dang it! It just messed up the words when I entered another one. So here we go:

1. This is of the mountains right behind where my daughter and husband and molly live. they are so vivid and beautiful...looks like you could just touch them. The first days I got here, it was so cloudy, you could not see all the way up, and these are just the pre-alps, not even the big ones! When we were landing from Paris, we flew over the Alps, and they are covered in snow all year long. This is taken on our way to the base.

2. Right behind her house, you can see this cross up on a hill in the middle of mountains. Jin and Matt ride their bikes there with Molly in tow. Gorgeous!

3. Taken from the care on our way back home from the base. This is what it looks like from her house also.

4. My lil actress Molly! She is wearing my shoes and was trying to dance, had her beads on ready to go!!

5. This is Molly and friend Gabe. We were at their pastor's house for a "coffee" and all they did was flirt with each other! lol

6. Going to the little town that they live in. It only takes about 10 minutes walking. They have an open marketplace there on Mondays. All kinds of goodies to buy from the vendors.

7. The beautiful parents of my little Molly.

8. This was the day I arrived and Molly and Jin picked me up at the airport. Molly and Jin made a sign so I wouldn't miss them. As if....


Well that is it for now. I have hundreds of pics, literally, already. So I will post again soon. We may be taking a trip to Florence, the only place I want to see of all! I can't wait! Back later with some more news. Hope everyone is doing great. I am, wish I could invite you all to join us!

I'm off to Italy!

I am leaving in the morning for 3 weeks to visit my baby and her baby! My bags are all packed, all I have to do is shower and leave. The bad thing is....I hate flying. I am really a nervous passenger. And with that, comes the "nervous bodily functions" prior to my flight. LOL As much as I love to go and see them, you would think this would be something I would overcome. But, alas, NO! I dont have any reason for it. Just the strange odd feeling of not being in control of my life....nothing big. lol Well, I will post later and let everyone know what is going on, and of course, there will be pictures. Stay tuned for the next exciting excerpt of Me Lil Irish Thots from Italy!

oh my bags are packed, i'm ready to go, i'm standing here outside your door, i hate to wake you up to say goodbye. but the dawn is breakin', it's early morn, the taxi's waitin', he's blowin' his horn, already i'm so lonesome i could cry.....i'm leaving on jet plane, don't know when i'll be back again. (thats not true, 3 weeks is my return time, lol) oh babe, i hate to go...(thats not true either, i'm dying to go and see my babies!)

now i got that song stuck in me head and dont know how to get it out!! i always do this right before i fly. especially long distances. and for a long time. lol i will miss my honey, but it will be good to see my daughter and baby and her hubby too. it will be my last trip to italy, i am sure. i wont know anyone over there after they return. they come back to the states in december some time. i will go and live it up for one last time....i will post while i am there and show u all some of what italy is like. so hang tight me bloggy buds, lets meet here again in a few days? k? alrighty then....

so, i'm leaving on a jet plane....will show what i will see again...oh babe i will miss u sooooooo.....la la la la la la

BRAGGIN' ON ME SISSY!

well i just want to say i have the bestest sister around! i have 2 actually, but i am rather fond of my oldest one. the other is fine, but she is not as close to me as C is. she is my favorite. she is like a warm cup of coffee on a cold october morning. she is like a hot bath when there is a chill in the air and your bones feel it. she is like a good book on a rainy afternoon, cuddling in a chair with your favorite blanky. she is like a mom, taking care of you when you dont feel good, making you a comfy spot on the couch and cooking some good soup to make you feel all better. she is like your favorite pair of shoes, so comfy you could walk miles in. she is one you want to tell your deep dark secrets to, because you know she wont judge you or tell anyone. she is one who teaches you how to do all the really bad stuff your mom dont want you to do, but still cares enough to make sure you dont get hurt. she is one you can go out with in the middle of the night and go shopping in wal-mart with. she is the one who would give you her last dollar when she knows you need it. she is the one who would give you her car when she knows your just blew up! she would let you live with her indefinitely, or at least until you meet the love of your life, and then move out. she is one who would do all the work for your wedding and not even bat an eye at the cost. she is the one who would drive to see you 1000 miles in a broken down car, cuz she knew that you needed some company. she is one who would give you her prized pictures of the family to take home and scan, knowing that you will take forever to return them. (they r in the mail, btw) she is the one that would give you bunches of her favorite earrings, some worth alot of money, just cuz she knows you love jewelry. she is the one that would make you homemade goodies, for all her family, taking her all year long to do it. she would cut off her good arm if she knew you needed it. she would also give you a kidney if you needed that also. maybe not the same week tho.

she is my big sister, and i love her beyond the point of forever, just because she is who she is. thanks, toone for all you do for me.

A trip is in the air....lol!

THIS IS MY DESTINATION IN ITALY- TO SEE MY MOLLY MOUSE!!

Well, i've gone and done now.....going one last time (i think) to visit my daughter and grand daughter in italy. i am hoping this will knock some life into my somewhat lifeless being. we will see, time will tell. i am going for 3 weeks. so this might be a respite or a wreck of a time. right now, i see us traveling around, eating at some little off the way places she and her hubby have found, shopping at the market in the fall, spending money i dont have...lol. all in all, i think i just needed time to get away and regroup.

well enough blah talk..so i havent heard from hardly any of you...where are you all? lol i know, it isnt fun to listen to someone drone on an on about how depressed they are. im working on it. i think i have turned the corner. its just a time consuming process. i hope everyone is well, and all are having a milder fall season than we are in north carolina. we had a few cooler days...lol in the 70's. its back up to the 90's again. some fall weather...im ready for some cooler days. going out for walks, sitting outside without being eaten up by squiters, getting the warm clothes out of storage, just planning for the holidays....doesnt that seem good?

well, i hope to hear from you....take care and again, im sorry for the bluesy blah moods. i am on the upswing, i believe.

Jo

Wow! It's been awhile...hmmmm....

I didnt realize that it had been so long since i last bloggied. Erm, sorry my peeps. I have neglected you pretty bad. Well, I am still here and still in a rut. But i think i am slowly climbing out. I think...but then what do i know? I have not called my family, i neglect all my duties at home, even my lil doggie, she is so lonely for her mom. I just feel drained of all energy...maxxed out of life source. Dont know what to call it. If it had a name, i would say....just blah. Maybe this is what mid-life crisis is like? I dont know...but anyway...leave me a line or two, let me know how you all are doing...and hopefully the darn thing will be gone by then..lol. We can always hope...take care all my lil bloggy buddies. I will return again.

At Long Last, ROOMS!

Well it is almost to a close...just a few last minute touch ups and the carpet will be laid this week. Wow, was this a long process. I hope we never have to do that again. I mean it isn't bad in a normal home. But we have dad with Alzheimer's, and mom with OCD and that is not fun one bit. So...this is one more set of pics. The next time I post more, it will be with all the furniture in them. It is a family room, with 2 large bedrooms off of it, and 1 large walk-in closet for our storage along with 2 closets in our room, and one in moms room. Of course, the rest of the house will need some face lift, but NOT NOW!!

And as far as my rut....well, I'm still in the hole, but I can peek my head out the top. So, thanks for all your support my bloggy buds. And toone, thanks for dressing up me blog. She is so cute and chipper now. I love u! Jo