faces only EVERYONE can love!!

This is my grand daughter Molly, the number 2, in the yellow sweater. This is taken in Venice, Italy. The caption read that she was eating a carrot, but of course I had to make it say she was puckered up to give me kisses. I miss her terribly. They were here for 6 weeks and just left last week. The other two, Jordan and Samuel, are siblings and belong to my son, (Molly belongs to my daughter) and they live 9 hours away. I won't see them for a long time either. I guess what I want to say to everyone is please don't take your family for granted. I have read on numerous blogs about arguments and things between family members, (me included! I'm guilty now and then!) about how we don't get along, they did this, we haven't talked for this many years, and most of the time, nobody remembers over what! I look at these little faces and I think of how time is flying by and how I can not spend just a few days out of year with them. And here other people have their families right there and they throw it all away on petty little things. It makes me angry people! Yes I am living with my in-laws, but it is not the same as blood relatives. Sisters, children, grandbabies...life is too precious and too short to waste it on trivial nonsense when people can just GET ALONG!! Be the big person and make the first move and reconcile with that one person that you have had words with or have not spoken to in years. You will feel a lot better after it is all done. I promise. Jo

She's Gonna Blow at Any Minute!!!

Enjoying the weather and beauty of nature...

As i sit and enjoy nature and all the wonderful weather that we have been having, it makes you think of the one who made it all. What a great God we serve and all that he has made! For people that don't believe in a Creator all they have to do is look out side and see for themselves the wonders of the earth. What started this was a few days ago when I planted my garden and saw all the worms and buggies that make everything work. I remembered when my kids were little, (really young) and they were grossed out at worms and bugs and dirt. I took that opportunity to tell them about the life cycle of how things grow, we eat it, then it goes to waste, and gets back into the ground and so on. How one species lives off the other, etc. It was so special. I remembered all that just being outside and planting in the garden! But it doesnt have to stop there! It can go so much further. You can teach a whole plethora of ideas and things to your kids from nature. All you have to do is DO IT! Anyway, off my soapbox for the day.

This was just going to be me, being melancholy and remembering all the wonderfull beauty there is all around me. Sorry for getting off on a limb. And what a wonderfully, cute and flowery limb it is. Oops, there I go again! Well, I will go now. I think I have said enough here. You all go out and enjoy the weather where ever you may be. If it is snowy, enjoy it, or rainy (which it did that later this afternoon, yeah! love it!) enjoy that, or if it is just plain, jane old dreary foggy, and cold, one of my favorites too, enjoy that especially! Have a wonderfull day no matter what, and remember, there is beauty and wonderment all around us, no matter what the weather is doing. So enjoy it with the one's you love now. For we know not what tomorrow may bring. Jo

Oh death, why must you sting?

today marked the passing of a dear beloved friend who was such a kind and dear lady, i feel a void knowing she is gone. she was elderly and had a very filling life. a wonderful mother, grandmother and great grandmother she was. anyone who knew her instantly liked her. she was one her drew people in, made them feel at home, never knew a stranger. i only knew her 5 years, but felt like i had known her a lifetime. she was like a mom or grandma to many. just before i left kentucky, she became ill enough to have to move in with her daughter, who happened to be my supervisor. she lived in the dorms where i worked at the school. i saw her everyday. another lady from our school wrote a tribute to her that just brought tears streaming down my face. it was so touching. heart-warming...she will be greatly missed. she lived her love for the Lord everyday. her faith stood strong in all those years. the integrity of this lady, it speaks volumes. if you looked up the word in the dictionary, i am sure her name would be there! our loss today is Heaven's gain. i will miss you, Miss Betty, but save my place, i will see you again.

Why is it so hard to say GOOD-BYE?

This is my daughter Jennifer, and her baby, Molly who is 1 now. The came from Italy to help us move from KY to NC.

My two girls left today after
being here for 6 weeks. i really miss them now. the house is quiet, no one to put to bed, no diapers to change, no one to follow around the house, ho hum....on one hand, yes it is quiet and peaceful. but i like the "busyness" of having a family around. call me strange. i like that meals have to be made. food has to be bought, things have to be cleaned. yup....i am a mom and now a gramma. that is what we do. i got so used to having them around. now there is an emptyness. a void. my husband and mother-in-law came home from eating supper out (thats because we didn't have to come right home and get a little person to bed) and when we all came in, it was soooo quiet.

so now we have to find our niche. we moved here when she and the baby were here. now we have to "find our own way" sort of. i have to find my groove. so, for now my bloggy buds, i am off to bed, i am worn from emotional energy spent today. if you have any suggestions for me, i am all mouth, ears, eyes and noses!! lol g'night......zzzzzzzz

Gardening, it's good for the soul, BAD for the sunburn!

today i planted my garden. all my 10 herbies, and my tomatoes, 3 kinds, cukies, squashes, jalapenos, and watermelons. got them all nice and comfy in the ground, fertilized and watered. labeled. put all my junk away. so proud that it is finally done. done. and done. i walked in the house. the daughter and husband had been grocery shopping and started cooking lunch. they looked at me and looked at each other, and asked me if i had felt OK. i said i was hot, thirsty, and i hurt my back, but other than that i was fine. i just wanted to sit and revel in my accomplishment of the day. as i walked past the mirror, i saw what they were talking about. my face was soooo red, it looked almost purple.i was totally flabergasted. 1st because i had been going to the tanning beds for the last 2 weeks with the daughter so she could be tan for a trip she is going on. 2nd because i was only out there for maybe 90 minutes. then of course, i get the lecture. did you not put sunblock on? i walked through the house, on into bathroom and took my nice long soak. i was in a good mood, and dadgummit, i was determined i was not letting the husband or daughter ruin my good accomplishment today!! but boy did i ever look bad when i saw myself in the mirror. egads.......i could slap myself if it wouldn't hurt so bad. why didn't i put the stupid sunscreen on before i went out? i use it before the tanning beds and everytime i go out for any length of time. well....this is my bits of advice: after my nice soak, and re-hydrating, re-freshing, and re-moisturizing myself, i went in and ate of the bounty the daughter and husband had to offer. and NEVER, EVER go out without your sunblock on. you will grow old and wrinkly. well, everyone grows old, but you dont have to be wrinkly. your skin can be nice and supple and young looking if you take care of it. so that is my two cents worth for today. Jo

My Grandaughter teasing Morgan, my dachshund

How to Make a Doxie Sandwich in 3 Easy Steps

A New Horizon

I think I am going to tackle a new challenge. Yup. Even more than the ones I am facing. So me bloggy buddies, out of no where, but always in the back of my warped little mind, I have always wanted to write a book. No particular kind, just a book. This one happens to be a children's book. No specifics yet, but it is something near and dear to my heart. I have no clue where to start, but then that would make it easy now, wouldn't it? And would it still be called a challenge? So I will keep you posted. As for settling in, we are still unpacking many boxes. The problem is, we don't have places to put the darn stuff! So my wonderful husband is building and renovating as he loves to do. Mom and Dad-in-law are about the same. He won't be coming home from the nursing home. He will stay there permanently. Slowly but surely we will get it all done. And my little writing adventure....we will see how that turns out. My daughter wants to draw my pictures for me. She is pretty good. We will see. Have a good weekend my bloggy buddies. Enjoy the great spring weather where ever you are!!

Tears of the Saints by Leeland

Happy as a Hog

Well, for right now, all is good. I am doing fine. No complaints. The house we moved in, my in-laws, will be undergoing construction for the next several months. We, my husband and I, will be taking care of his mom. His dad is in the nursing home. He may or may not be able to come home. But in that event, we have to be prepared. So...we have to make the addition for them to be handicap accessible. And also make some updated additions. All is going along good. So for now, life is sweet, and I am like this picture, happy as a clam. lol or hog.

Why Do I Feel Like This

Like you are working so hard at something and everything is against you? Like you pull and pull and never get anywhere? Well, my friend, join me in this little hullabaloo i call "my family."

it is like this. some days you love them, some days you want to bury them. yes? i think so, too. some family members who shall remain nameless...they may know who they are if they read this. well, there are days that are just dandy and fine...and then the next it is like all hell has broken loose and we have a whole different person. do you have anyone like that? i thought so. see? i knew our family wasn't the only one. whew....i'm so glad we are normal, anyway, let me tell you if this doesn't stop, someone is going to be missing some essential body parts that are pertinent to some bodily functions. i can tell you that much for certain, right now. so hang it up now, lose the attitude buddy, and honey...don't come crying to me if you find out you got some of your favorite clothes missing, either i don't have it, OR i can't remember where i put it after i washed it! lol (revenge....i love it!)

HERE, MADE IT, BUT NOT WITHOUT SOM E COLORFUL MOMENTS

Ok, so the day before we left, our truck shows 4 dummy lights! Like we needed to have this added to the never-ending list of tasks already to finish as we are loading the moving truck! so off i go to the ford dealership. they want to keep the truck overnight. i told them they couldn't because we were leaving the next morning. they promised me they would have it finished by 10 am. but...i needed the vehicle to put all the stuff in that we would use for traveling. i guess i would make due, somehow. more on that bit later. then the car that i borrowed to follow me out there in, well, once we dropped the truck off, we went to walmart, and it starts smoking in the parking lot. so we pull over and raise the hood. there's a busted radiator hose. so we are stuck an hour away from home with someone else's car, and much packing yet to do. i call my knight in shining armour and tell him. he calls someone to come get us. i feel really guilty leaving the "borrowed and broken" car there, so i call the owner. she laughs. but, i dont want to leave her stranded, so when our ride gets there, we drive the busted car across the road to advance auto. they tell us, it is against their policy, but they could "fix it on the side." so our ride leaves, poor guy, came out for nothing! anyway...we made it home after 5 hours, tired, hungry, and a bit peeved. and when i got there, i STILL had to finish the packing that needed doing.

the next day, we didnt have our truck, remember. the things we wanted to pack in our truck for the trip...stuff for the hotel, etc. got packed in the moving truck until we got to the dealer. once we got to the dealer, we decided, hey...we can just leave it in the moving truck, this will make for a lighter load in the explorer, right? or so i thought. i had the baby and the dog with me in explorer. my daughter and my husband were in the moving truck. they, bless their anal little hearts, decided to get up at 4am to get a head start, unbeknownst to me, and left ahead WITH ALL THE STUFF I NEEDED!! so they get to the storage unit in NC at the other end, about 6 hours before i get there, and because my stuff was last in, it is FIRST in the storage unit!! now i have 2 pairs of shoes to my name! both crocs! bright orange and red! the rest in storage until they get them back out! and one bra! don't know what or where they went, i had more, now they are gone. i had like 6, and think i left a trail of them along the way...so if you find some along I-40, they're mine!

anyway, we got here safely, other than those few minor hiccups. thank you all for your kind words and prayers. i really do appreciate you all. we are now concentrating on getting a place or renovating/adding on to my in-laws home. and also getting my husband a job. please keep us in your continued prayers. more updates to follow! Jo

Moving Right Along...

As we get ready to depart this place we have been for the last 5 years, we contemplate many things. Are we doing the right thing? Is it a smart move financially? Where will we be 10 years from now? What about the kids, they will be so far away?

Then I got to thinking...we prayed about this move. It's what we do about every major thing we do in our lives. We had a peace about it. So no matter what may come, God will handle the rest. So now, I have to make myself believe this. This is the time that doubt and satan come in and do battle in my brain and cause me to question everything. So, as easily as it gets in there, I have to remember my 1st decision and GET IT OUT!! My bloggy buds, please remember us as we are traveling the next 3 days. My husband and I, our daughter, and her 1 year old, and our dachshund. 1 big 26' truck, and our SUV, driving 12 hrs across the Smokey Mountains, into NC all the way to the coast. Then we have to find a house, sell a house, find a job, and take care of his dad in the nursing home. Not in that order, of course. So...we have our work cut out for us. I may not have time to post, but I will do what I can to keep you updated. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. Jo

Looking around the house to downsize....

So...as we are packing, I am looking at all the junk I have collected over the last 27 years. That is just my married life. Not counting before, my 21 years of collecting crap. And there was alot then too. My daughter, God bless her, is here, helping us move, along with her baby. I get to watch the baby more and she gets to do more of the work. But she is "helping" me go through things. Or should I say, get rid of things. "Mom, this is like from when I was 8, you don't need it anymore. And this is so old, Gramma would throw it out!" Then she went into my closet! OMG, I thought I would slap her silly! Poor little Molly, that is my grandaughter. I thought she would be an orphan. Or at least motherless, by the time she was through. She got rid of over half of my things! She had the nerve to say I had no taste in clothes! And....that I didn't need all 78 pair of shoes. How dare she! Well, I did want to downsize. But sheesh, couldn't we throw away the couch and chairs and get new ones? Or maybe order new linens and stuff? Why of why attack my poor wardrobe? What did it do to her? I asked her, "Are you from that show, 'What not to Wear' secretly coming here pretending to help me move? Because this is NOT funny!! Anyway, Jin is still alive, bless her, and I have way less clothes. And somewhere, sometime, someone will get alot of nice clothes and shoes. Mostly, new....dad gummit, and mostly my favorites!!!! I'll get even!!! I will!!

THIS IS WHAT I WANNA DO....

But packing is what I need to do...YUCK!!!

Packing, packing, packing...very slowly

Moving right along, yes...very slowly, but surely. Boxes everywhere...coming out of every crevice in the house. I have never seen so much junk! Where did it all come from? This is not all mine! Where did I buy all these beanie babies, and WHY? Who in the world has 3 large bottles of orange listerine? Why do I have a case of dryer sheets? I also found like 14 suitcases in my spare bedroom!! Some I never have seen before! What is going on here? And who is putting all this stuff in my house? My husband asked me, "what are you doing with a laundry basket full of yarn?" Where in the heck did that come from? OMG, it's raining craploads of CRAP in my house! Someone make it stop, and now I have to pack it all and pay to take it with me? Oh, HECK NO, look out, Good Will, Salvation Army, here I be coming!! I'll be renting my 18 wheeler and lugging this all in. all 12 loads! This week! Right after I go through it all and see what I wanna keep! LOL! Jo

Has Spring Sprung?

What a wonderful day to go for a swim! Well not for me, but for these little babies here. I found these little guys on a web site, and thought they were the cutest!! I have them participating in all kinds of activities! So...you will see them enjoying all me blogs. Hope you do too! Have a happy Springy day!

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Renewing in many ways....

Well, it is Spring time, and with that comes Easter and a season of reflecting on what this all means. I think it is a renewing of many sorts. First and foremost, Easter...the time when Jesus came, suffered, died, and ROSE on the third day. HE IS ALIVE!! For that reason, we all may live. As believers, this is the foundation of our faith. THE ULTIMATE IN RENEWING!! Next, we have, Spring, with it comes all the rains and all the new born flowers, trees, birth of all that has slept all winter long. The rejuvenation of all that is green! With new smells, new vigor and strength, buds and stems are pushing their way through to show their vibrant colors and babies are being born to all manner of animals. This is new life in it's simplest form. The renewing of the species. One of my most favorite times of the years. And....as this all is happening...I feel like I am "renewing" myself in that this move is a new beginning also. A new adventure. Another chapter in our lives that is yet to be written. And what a perfect time of year to do it in, as all is coming into their own "new chapters" also. The new smells, the new sights, the new sounds of a new place. Arriving in a new season.... Jo