A Brand New Adventure Begins!

Wow! It's been almost been a whole year since I last posted!! Am I lazy or what??  Not really, I have been a bit busy.  I don't even know where to begin.  Last you heard, I had some out patient surgery, right?  Well, since that time, I had to have two more, the most recent one being just three weeks ago today.  One on the left elbow for some tendonitis and nerve damage repair, then on the left wrist most recently.  And that is my dominant hand, DANG IT!!!  That one was for another nerve problem and carpal tunnel release.  I have had such pain in my arm for many years, I could not function even daily chores.  Typing even was a pain.  Right now, I have to type slowly since it hurts still to use it.  I take breaks.  I will take me most of the night to post this.  LOL  

Our biggest news is we opened our own Texas BBQ joint!!! Yup, we took the plunge and jumped in.  We have never done anything like this EVER, but we were tired of working for other people.  Well, my husband and son were.  I'm just the accessory.  Ha ha!!  We had our opening day today, Monday.  The Grand Opening with ribbon cutting and all that jazz will be on June 6th!!  We ran out of brisket the first 2 hours after we were open!!! It was something we just could not of known would happen!!  We had smoked 4, tons of ribs, crap loads of chicken, sausages, and then hotdogs.  But everybody came for the brisket!!! So you can bet we tripled or quadrupled that amount for tomorrow.  We make everything home made every day.  Potato salad and cole slaw, baked beans, and my mom's parm and bow ties, (mac & cheese) it's not the orange kind, it has a different flavor, and everyone who eats it, loves it!!!  Traditionally, it is served with sweet pickles, jalapenos, and onions.  We will have those if asked.  Tuesday, still trying like a mudder to upload pictures that are dastardly hiding from me on my computer.  That and I can't type very much due to the pain in the wrist from surgery 3 weeks ago.  I will post this now and deal with these dang pictures later.  They are not going to beat me at their little deception game of hide and seek!!!  We had another good day of sales today, STILL ran out of brisket after lunch!!! We more than doubled our product, but the amount of people that came was astounding!!! Out the doors!!!  It was overwhelming!!  So, again....we are having to double everything again!  lol  What a good problem to have.  At this rate, we will have to buy more smokers.  And one of them was down for two days, so we called the company, and bless their little smoky hearts, over nighted the thermostat!!! ALL FIXED!!! Back in BIZZNESS!!!  YEAH!!!  Hopefully, we will get this all figured out before the holiday weekend.  We live 5 minutes from a major Marine Corps base, and if you know how our troops like to be fed, they will be coming in hordes this weekend.  They aren't allowed to leave their vehicles in uniform, so when they are off duty I am sure they will make themselves know!!  

Anyway, I will get more updates too. If you are in the business and have suggestions, please feel free to give advice!! Love to hear from you!!

 

Might Be A While.....

I am having some elective out patient surgery this morning.  I am a bit nervous.  But on the other hand, it is something I have dreamed about my whole life.  I am having surgery on my upper arms to have them reduced.  I have always had "extra" even as a child.  My mom had to cut my dresses to fit my chubby upper arms.  I was so ashamed.  I could never wear those cute little tanks or short sleeve shirts and feel free to wave my arms.  I was afraid I would fly off into the sunset!!  Well, today is the day.  I don't think I will be able to type for awhile.  So, with that being said, it may be awhile before I can be on here again.  I won't be able to lift more than a pound for several weeks.  I have to leave in 30 minutes for the clinic.  So, adieu mes amies.  I will see you on the lighter side of things.  xxxxx

Scenes From My Sister's Visit

My sister Denise and two of her kidlets came to stay for a week.  Her oldest Charlie who is 21, and her youngest, Lily, 16 enjoyed time at the beach and shopping and swimming everyday in the pool.  

Me and Lily on the boardwalk in Morehead City, NC.  It was very windy. 

 Above, Denise and Lily on the Ferry.  Below that at Atlantic Beach, still quite windy, but very, very hot.  

Then this big, bad storm rolled in and we left.  No, it didn't cool it down any!!

 Dinner with the whole gang, Charlie, Jonathan, Jordan, Sammy, Denise, Jim but where is me?  Oh well, I don't need to know what I look like.  Ha ha!!!

Sammy and his daddy in the pool, with his new floatie vest.  He was so proud.

After taking the ferry over, the little town of Oriental, NC....we ate on the pier.  These little ducks came over begging for food.  This boat had a very Irish name.  I just had to take it's picture.  It was calling my name.....one day I will own one.....ha!! 

 One of the shops, a Sammy in the box!! I spent waaaay too much money here, they should of just given us stock to the store!!!  lol

I know I took more pictures than this, I just don't know where they are.  WTH???  OH well, you get the main point.....we had fun.  We ate, shopped, swam, and ate, had more shopping, swam, etc....there ya go!!!! ENJOY!!!  

But I Don't Wanna Go.....

Look at those little teeth.  And dimples.  And cheeks.  And dancing eyes.  Well, dad gum, the whole face!!! I could eat it right up!!!  

How about this one?  Not as cute as the 1st one, but oh well.  She was playing "Peek-a-boo." 

We are eating bread here, and filled our faces FULL!!!  

Well, I had a reason for all my madness.  My daughter and her hubby are military and they will soon be leaving to live in Germany.  The will leave in February.  So my time with the munchkins is limited.  

 

 This is my daughter with Molly moo....who is 4 now.  Delilah just turned 1.  Of course I will go to Germany to visit, but it isn't like having them in Florida.  

She doesn't like her daddy, much.....lol.  The little princesses will see their Nonna in just 2 weeks.  I will go down there for 2 weeks to spend some time with them.  My daughter and her hubby are going on a mini honeymoon and I will keep the babies. 

DOG GONE IT!!!

 Morgan, 12 years old

 Freida, 9 years old and Morgan

 Cocoa Puff, 7 years old and Freida

 Morgan

 The 3 girls with alien eyes....

 Freida with no teeth.....

 a bottom view, (she has 1 tooth left in her mouth, from crappy prior owners)

 ha!!! how'd thos get in there!! love it!

 Freida, giving you all some tongue....

 Morgan all snuggled.

The little darlings after grooming with their scarves. 


Ok, are you wienered out?  Have you had enough?  It was so hot out today.....I was having my "dog days of summer."  So I apologize.  It spilled over on here.  Of course, my wieners are real.  None were hurt in the making of this blog.  Please do not attempt to eat one of them....they will bite.  I was nibbling and accidentally nibbled TOO hard.  OOOOOOps,  yeah, not a pretty sight.  Poop everywhere........yeah.  The wieners didn't want to be seen with ME!!!!!   hahahaha!!  Nah, I didn't poop, silly.  Anyway, they are just for decoration and petting....NOT FOR EATING.   

 

More Company's Coming....Yeah!!!

My middle sister Denise and two of her kids will be arriving in a week.  I am very excited for her to come.  She is driving from Omaha, NE.  So it will be a loooooooong ride with her kiddoes.   Hope she is patient.  It takes just about 24 hours.  That is if you drive it straight.  

 This was when I got my nose pierced and they made fun of it!!! My sister Denise and her daughter Lily.  The one that is coming out to see me!

 Here is Emily, Chris' daughter, Christopher her son, my brother Dennis who is a twin with Denise (in yellow with doggy) and also Nicholas Christine's oldest son.  This was while she was in the hospital during her heart surgery.  My brother had come up from Texas.  

 Emily and Nicholas and Denise at her house in Omaha.  

 Christopher, Emily and Charlie at Denise''s house on Mothers Day.  


Charlie and Lily (from the top picture) are coming along with Niece, to make sure she is a good girlie on the trip!!  ha ha  Charlie will help drive, Lily will navigate and poor lil Niece will be biting her nails in the back seat!!!  NOT!!  Anyway, they leave Wednesday to come here and I can't wait.  Wishing my other sissy could come too.  But I know she has cardiac rehab, and she would never survive the trip and all the shopping and stress of it all.   Poor lil toone.  We will have a special trip just us, very soon.  You will see.   


Anyhooopsss,  I gotta go.  Someone has to go enjoy this nice weather.  There is a pool no one is floating in.   Gotta go give it some attention.  

Gone, gone, gone......

My company left yesterday and it was very hard to let them go.  I missed my brother as soon as he pulled out of the driveway.  He is never one to stay in one place very long.  He is just like my daddy was.  He can't sit still and has to be moving around doing something all the time.  We didn't sit still for a moment while they were here.  

                Day one, we took a ride on the Minnesott Ferry to Oriental.  So hot.....98*.

 Lydia and Mona, I jokingly said I would post these on Facebook saying these were my Mexican housemaids!!! They were cooking authentic Mexican fare for my honey.....fresh tortillas and all!!

                                                Enjoying our visits and mealtime chat.

      Dennis, Jordy and Sammy.  They loved their Uncle Denden.  He played with them all the time!!

Dennis doing the "Nestea Plunge" in our new pool!!  He is making sure it works good.  It was not quite full yet.  We just got it set up, and they couldn't WAIT to get in!!! I wanted more water in it.  LOL

                                               At Atlantic Beach, my Denden and Lulu. 

                                       Me, Sammy and Denden just resting from the awful heat.

So, anywhooo, that was a little bit of what we did.  Except for the shopping and all the eating.   They didn't stay too long.  I wish they would of stayed for a few more days but Lydia, I call her Lulu, has to go back to work on Thursday.  And Mona's hubby kept calling her like 5-6 times during the day.  He was sooooo lonely.  She had never left home before without him!  In 50 years.  So I feel pretty special that she would come here for her first trip.  

Well, I have work to do.  I have more company coming in a couple weeks!!  My sister and her kiddo's are coming for a week from Omaha.  Back to the drawing board.  Have a wonderful Monday everbooby!!  

Happy 4th of July and Company's a Coming!!

Wishing everyone out in bloggy land a safe and blessed 4th of July with family, friends and furry ones.  Please take special care with the little ones when setting off the loud kabooms.  The human ones and the furry ones alike.  I have 3 little wieners that are terrified of loud noises and dread the fireworks for this reason.  No amount of loving and coddling can comfort them.  So for those not protected, I worry.  

 My brother and his wife and sister are on their way out to my pad from Austin, TX for about 10 days.  I am sooooooo excited.  They have never been to this side of the world.  We have BIG plans of thrifting, crafting, shopping, swimming in our new pool, and of course, lots of good eating!!! They are arriving tomorrow!!! Yeah!! 

After they leave. just a week later, my other sister and her kids are coming for a week from Omaha, NE!!!  I can't believe all my luck and all the company I am having!!!  I am sooo excited they get to see my newly renovated master bedroom suite, plus get to visit me too!! How cool is that??  We will spend alot of our time at the beach with the kids.  One is 21, the other is 16, so it will be quite imperative to stay busy, busy, busy!!!!

 Well, that's not all folks!! I got more!!! After she leaves.....I take off for two luxurious weeks to Ft. Walton Beach, FL to see my other two babies Molly and Delilah......

Yeah these two scrumptious cupcakes to lavish them with kisses and sniff their youthfulness out of them!!! Yup, I do that....I steal their youngness right out of them.....just by inhaling their smell.  I love it.  Nothing like the smell of wriggly little babies....specially when they have cake all over them.  Nom, Nom!!!  

Well, I think that's all I have for now.  I will have more pictures to post after our festive feast from tomorrow!  Have a safe one now.  Be responsible.  God Bless!! 

 

Zipping Away For Our 30th Anniversary!

We decided to try something really exciting for our 30th anniversary so we went ZIP LINING!!!  Me, who is afraid of heights, doesn't ride any of the rides at the fair, or go on the roller coaster......yup....I was going to try this.  You only have one 30th annversary, right?  What is the worse that could happen?  You already lived through 30 years of marriage!  tee hee

                                                       Getting geared up for the zip!!

                   Sailing through the trees with the simplest of ease!!! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

My honey and I on one of 4 suspended swinging bridges.  Yeah, I'm hanging on for dear life!

                                               Me again on another suspension bridge. 

                                                              Jim, the swinger.....

Moi, on the last zip line of the day.....there were 8 total, and we wanted to go back and do them again!!  The guides had enough for the day, BUMMER!!!!!

                                                  Us overlooking the waterfalls. 

                                              Our Whole Group, plus Guides

Our whole weekend was wonderful!  We definately will do this again.  If you get a chance to do this some time, we highly recommend it.