Camera Critters #12

Let's all sing together....."Ebony, and i-vo-ry, live together in perfect har-mo-ny....."

Can you feel the love tonight??

I've been tagged by Well Behaved Krissy for this wonderful meme of Sharing the Love! The rules are to tag bloggers who make your day, make you laugh and smile, and/or leave uplifting comments on your blog. You then include a link to this post, and ask each person you tag to do the same! So I'm tagging these fabulous blogger friends:

• D... - my BFF FOREVER! I have the blessing of knowing this beautiful woman in real life, not just thru blogging, and she is the BEST, ya'll! D... always sees the silver lining in those storm clouds of life, and she is always lifting me up and supporting me (just like a good bra!).
• Stacey - such a beautiful soul! I've gotten to know her thru blogging and feel like I DO know her in real life (and hope to meet her face to face someday!). She has done so many nice things for me, and I'm proud to call her a friend!
• JenGi - met her thru Stacey, and love her just the same! She's an Ozarks girl, so we probably share some hillbilly blood somewhere in our lineage. She's always cracking me up!
• Jenny On The Spot - another Jenny I met thru blogging, but I swear this girl is like a long-lost sister or something! We have a lot in common and her blog is always making me laugh - and touching my heart. I like that.
• Jennie of Preteens, Toddlers, and Newborns, Oh My! - Do I have a thing for Jennifers or what?? Jennie is another soul-sister - we're both married to car guys, we both have Drama Queen teenagers, and our lives are so similar it's scary! So glad I found you, girl!

OK, that's it for today. I could list many more, but it's Friday night, Hubby is home from work, and we're headed out on the town out to dinner somewhere before the kids starve to death. Because where I live it's against the law to cook at home on a Friday night.

Go out and SPREAD THE LOVE, people!

Friday's Feast #48

Appetizer
What is the weather like today where you live?
Hot. Then stormy. Then hot again.

Soup
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how career-minded are you?
ZERO

Salad
What type of window coverings do you have in your home? Blinds, curtains, shutters, etc.?
Mostly blinds, but a few bamboo shades. But the new house will be all blinds.

Main Course
Name something that instantly cheers you up.
Puppies!

Dessert
How many times do you hit the snooze button on a typical morning?
For Hubby, several times (I have to wake him because he doesn't hear the alarm clock). But for myself, none - I get up when the alarm goes off.

WWMD?

Sarah over at OK, Where Was I? has a brilliant idea for a blog post - What Would Martha Do? Here's how Sarah describes it:

"I like to imagine Martha Stewart walking around my house and gasping, clutching her chest, or becoming faint and calling for the smelling salts before collapsing on the--well, she can't collapse in my house b/c she probably wouldn't actually touch anything, especially if she knew how many times my couch had been spit up on or been the victim of a diaper leak.
Anyway, I'm turning this into a regular posting of a photo of something in my house or its immediate surroundings that would make Martha lose it......So please, if you're one of those bloggers who, like me, likes to have a back up post for those days when nothing comes, post a photo of something in your house that would kill Martha. Or if you're just kind enough to share so that I don't feel all alone."

Sarah, I am all over that. Here's my first submission:

Would Martha be more appalled that a) this is a permanent fixture in my otherwise finely decorated master bathroom? or b) that the blue plaid cover doesn't match the palm green walls? or c) it's usually piled up with whatever laundry needs to be put away - not ironed, just put away. Frankly, I try to stay away from the thing. It scares me.

If you want to play along - and you know you do - leave a comment at Sarah's blog (and here, too!) so we can all come see what Sarah calls your "hillbillity".

I Survived a Japanese Steakhouse

Today Navy Son left for Annapolis, so last night we took him out to dinner, our last family meal together for a while. He chose a new Japanese Steakhouse - one of those Hibachi places where they cook it all right at your table. Ya'll, it was REALLY COOL! Lots of slicing and dicing and flames and sizzling and tossing of knives around - quite a show! And the food was delicious. I wanted to take a picture of the chef doing his thing, but when I started to pull the camera out all three kids gave me The Look. You know the one. The Look that says, "Mom. You. Are. Embarrassing. Us." So yeah, just imagine how cool it was.

Ironically, as we were waiting for Navy Son to show up last night, we started watching Wipeout, a completely silly game show that looks like it's based on the antics of those crazy Japanese game shows. My first thought was that it was going to be totally stupid, but ya'll, I was cracking up! That show was hilarious! We recorded the show that came on right after it - I Survived a Japanese Game Show - thinking it would be just as funny. Yeah. Notsomuch. Oh well.

So we sent Navy Son off with hugs and well wishes - we know he's going to do great at the Naval Academy! After all, he's done great for the four years he's been in the Navy. This is just another adventure for him. Good luck, Navy Son! See you at Christmas!

Wordless Wednesday - Creole

Kids Are So Funny!

Children Writing About The Ocean...

1) - This is a picture of an octopus. It has eight testicles. (Kelly, age 6)

2) - Oysters' balls are called pearls. (Jerry, age 6)

3) - If you are surrounded by ocean you are an island. If you don't have ocean all round you, you are incontinent. ( Wayne, age 7)

4) - Sharks are ugly and mean, and have big teeth, just like Emily Richardson. She's not my friend any more. (Kylie, age 6)

5) - A dolphin breaths through an asshole on the top of its head. (Billy, age 8)

6) - My uncle goes out in his boat with 2 other men and a woman and pots and comes back with crabs. (Millie, age 6)

7) - When ships had sails, they used to use the trade winds to cross the ocean. Sometimes when the wind didn't blow the sailors would whistle to make the wind come. My brother said they would have been better off eating beans. (William, age 7 )

8) - Mermaids live in the ocean. I like mermaids. They are beautiful and I like their shiny tails, but how on earth do mermaids get pregnant? Like, really? (Helen, age 6)

9) - I'm not going to write about the ocean. My baby brother is always crying, my Dad keeps yelling at my Mom, and my big sister has just got pregnant, so I can't think what to write. (Amy, age 6)

10) - Some fish are dangerous. Jellyfish can sting. Electric eels can give you a shock. They have to live in caves under the sea where I think they have to plug themselves into chargers. (Christopher, age 7)

11) - When you go swimming in the ocean, it is very cold, and it makes my willy small. (Kevin, age 6)

12) - Divers have to be safe when they go under the water. Divers can't go down alone, so they have to go down on each other. (Becky, age 8)

13) - On vacation my Mom went water skiing. She fell off when she was going very fast. She says she won't do it again because water fired right up her big fat ass. (Julie, age 7)

14) - The ocean is made up of water and fish. Why the fish don't drown I don't know. (Bobby, age 6)

15) - My dad was a sailor on the ocean. He knows all about the ocean. What he doesn't know is why he quit being a sailor and married my mom. (James, age 7)

Summertime

This is the forecast for Houston this week - anyone see a pattern here?

Today: partly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning, then a 30 percent chance in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 90s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph in the morning becoming east in the afternoon.

Tonight: partly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms early in the evening. Lows in the upper 70s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph.

Monday: partly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 90s. South winds 10 to 15 mph.

Monday Night: partly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Lows in the upper 70s. South winds 10 to 15 mph.

Tuesday: partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 90s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday Night: partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 70s.

Wednesday Through Saturday: partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 90s. Lows in the upper 70s.


Yeah, it's summertime in Houston, ya'll.

(Took this pic in my van yesterday.)

Camera Critters #11

Woof softly, and chew on a big stick.

15 Years Meme

I've been tagged by Well Behaved Krissy for the 15 Years Meme!

Think back on the last 15 years of your life. What would you tell someone that you hadn't seen or talked to for 15 years? How would you sum up your life? You get 10 bullet points. A list of 10 things to summarize you.

• Fifteen years ago I had been married for 7 months, and we were living in a nice apartment - me, Hubby, and Navy Son, who was just a little kid. In the years since then we have moved 5 times: from the apartment to a rent house when I got pregnant with Daughter; from the first rent house to a nicer one, where Little Son was born (well, actually he was born in the hospital, but we lived in that house); eventually we were able to buy our own house, so we moved again; as the kids grew, we outgrew that first home-of-our-own and bought a bigger one; eventually Navy Son grew up and moved out, and we weren't crazy about the neighborhood anyway, so we sold bigger house to move where we are now. When we moved in a year ago the deal was to rent for a year then buy the house from the owner. Now the owner wants to move back in, so we are facing yet another move - number SIX! Interesting note - every place that we have lived is within 10 miles of each other.
• I quit my job as an office manager for my ob/gyn (yes, my ob/gyn was also my boss) to become a stay-at-home mom, a decision that came with sacrifices, but one I will never, ever regret.
• I have given birth to my beautiful daughter, who is now 14 years old and getting ready to start high school this fall.
• I have given birth to my brilliant son, who is now 11 years old and getting ready to start junior high this fall.

(Suddenly I'm feeling kinda old......)

• In the past 15 years I have been to Disney World 7 times. I love Disney World. We'll be going back again soon.
• I taught dance for 5 years at the same dance studio I danced at growing up, and where Daughter was taking dance at the time. Now she has moved on to focus on drama, and my ankles have given out.

(Feeling old again.....)

• I have had a hysterectomy - another thing I don't regret. Even tho Hubby and I had decided years before that we were finished having children, and he had a vasectomy, the hysterectomy really made it final. That was kinda sad. But the periods? Don't miss 'em ONE BIT!
• I have loved, prayed, and nursed Bubba's Mom thru 2 more rounds of breast cancer (her first was when I was Daughter's age).
• I've watched Bubba grow from a teenager into a wonderful man - seen him graduate from high school, college with a bachelor's degree, and college with a master's degree; seen him marry a beautiful bride who I am proud to call my sister; seen him become a father. I'm so proud of him!
• Most importantly, I have grown so much in my faith over the last 15 years. While I have been a Christian all my life, the joys, the pains, the fears, the thrills have all strengthened my relationship with Christ. I'm still growing, but oh, how far I've come!

I think I'm supposed to tag other people now, but I'll just leave this one open to whomever wants to play. Just be sure to let me know in the comments so I can see what YOU'VE been up to the past 15 years!

Friday's Feast #47

Appetizer
If you could live on another continent for 1 year, which one would you choose?
Europe

Soup
Which browser do you use to surf the Internet?
Internet Explorer

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how much do you know about the history of your country?
8

Main Course
Finish this sentence: Love is…
Love is a many splendored thing. (Hey, no one said it had to be original!)

Dessert
Have you ever been in or near a tornado?
I've never actually SEEN a tornado, but I have been thru tropical storms and hurricanes, which usually have tornadoes in them, so I guess it's possible.

I'm a beach.

What the Beach Test Says About You

You like people, but you're careful about who you get close to. Friendship is important to you... so important that you aren't just friends with anyone. You fall in love with ease and confidence. Even if you've had bad experiences in the past, each new love is a reason to start completely over. You are a passionate person. You are free wheeling, fun loving, and ruled by your emotions. Your sense of humor is very physical. Your facial expressions or spot on imitations of people are hilarious.

The Beach Test

M.I.A.

I've been absent from the blogging world for a few days - several days, actually. Where have I been, you ask? In a pit. A pit of worry and despair. Every day I've had to go back and read what I wrote last week. To try to find hope. And Satan has crept in every day and whispered lies to me, and played on my emotions, and lured me into that pit.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against...the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12

I haven't been a very good mother, daughter, sister, friend, or me this past week. To all whom that has affected, I apologize. Instead of letting my faith be strong, I let my emotions affect my beliefs, then my actions, and I ended up a mess. I am ashamed that my faith wavered and that I cried out to God in anger and fear. But once again, my God has been faithful to me, and taught me valuable lessons about trusting Him.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." James 1:5-8

We found a house to move into, and it is beautiful. We're signing all the papers tomorrow and it looks like we'll be moving July 12 - well before school starts, which is what we were concerned with. And while I always knew in my head that we were going to be OK, I now have the peace in my heart that that is true.

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

Camera Critters #10

I took this one on safari - Kilimanjaro Safari at Disney's Animal Kingdom, that is! This fella walked right up beside our safari jeep (and yes, he's real - no animatronics on this safari!).

Friday's Feast #46

Appetizer
Do you consider yourself to be an optimist or a pessimist?
Even tho I tend to worry a lot, as long as I have hope I am an optimist.

Soup
What is your favorite color of ink to write with?
Blue

Salad
How often do you get a manicure or pedicure? Do you do them yourself or go to a salon and pay for them?
I have never had a manicure, but occasionally - every few months or so - I will treat myself to a pedicure at the salon.

Main Course
Have you ever won anything online? If so, what was it?
I don't think I've ever won anything online, but I've won things off the radio several times!

Dessert
In which room in your house do you keep your home computer?
I have a study just off my bedroom where I keep my computer (and a bunch of other junk!).

Hope

Daughter is at Church Youth Camp in another town this week - her first time to be away from home by herself. I dropped her off at the church yesterday morning and she comes home Saturday afternoon. I already miss her terribly, and check the camp's website several times a day to get updates as to what the kids are doing and learning about. I pray that she is having a fabulous time (I'm sure she is!) and learning much about Jesus and about life.

But truly, only years and experiences will teach her the real lessons of life. The fact that life is sometimes hard, sometimes scary. Lessons I have learned over and over. Sometimes loved ones get sick. Sometimes there's not enough money. Sometimes people let you down. And sometimes you face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. But as Christians we have the Holy Spirit living in us, and imparting eternal life, hope, and spiritual gifts to us. What keeps us from truly experiencing the Holy Spirit? Mainly because we view life's circumstances from our own point of view rather than God's. We pray for God to make things the way we want them to be, rather than praying for Him to show us what He wants us to do. God is not just our "helper" that is outside us; the Holy Spirit resides IN us, and He wants to live life thru us, and this all comes down to trust.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

I know all this, and I believe it. I do. God is GOOD, and He is FOR us. So why, as I face one of those seemingly insurmountable obstacles in my life, am I so stressed out that the muscles in my neck and shoulders are in knots? Why do I worry when God clearly tells me NOT to worry, that He will never leave or forsake me? Why do I believe all that in my head, but can't feel it in my heart? How can I learn to see things from God's perspective instead of my own? How can I relinquish control? I once heard a story about a little girl who sat at her grandmother's knee as she did her needlepoint. From the bottom, the stitching was a mess, with knots and threads going every whichaway, but to her grandmother, who was seeing it from above, it made a perfect and beautiful picture. That's how we are with God. From where we are things look like a mess, but He is looking down from above and seeing the whole picture. I believe we must have a daily dependence on the Holy Spirit to give us the mind of Christ. I may have to read my Bible and pray for peace in my heart every single day. Because if I have no hope, I have nothing.

"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe." Ephesians 1:18-19a

Just show me, God, where you want us to go.

Wordless Wednesday - Little Toot

Ten Things That Annoy Me

OK, so the REAL topic of Ten on Tuesday this week is "Ten Things That Annoy Me About Work", but since I don't really have much of a job outside the home (I help out at Hubby's work a couple of days a week, and only for a few hours on those days), I decided to just list Ten Things That Annoy Me:

1. having to shave my legs
2. cell phones ringing during church
3. products I like being discontinued
4. everything getting so expensive (gas, groceries, etc.)
5. people who let their kids get up and run around in restaurants
6. people who talk REALLY LOUD on their cell phones in stores
7. people who talk REALLY LOUD in general
8. Hubby snoring
9. people who think the rules don't apply to them
10. having to move again

Just like a kid!

In the floor of my bedroom right now: a squeaky hot dog, a rope, a small stuffed dog (Jax's baby), an old shoe, and a stuffed monkey. What Tango has chosen to chew on: the bathmat he drug out of my bathroom and into the bedroom. Sigh.

Camera Critters #9

Daughter LOVES animals, especially little baby goats! She wants one for a pet, and she wants to name it Billy. Billy the Kid. That girl cracks me up sometimes.

Another One of Life's Ambushes

The letter I received in the mail yesterday:

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Bubba's Sis,

I am writing as required by the lease to inform you that I will not be renewing your lease which is due to expire on August 31, 2008. I am planning on moving back into the house myself when the lease on the house I am presently renting expires on September 1. You have been great tenants, but I need to move into a house I own, as my life has changed significantly since I first leased the house. I have remarried and have a baby boy due in about a week and I am also now a stepfather to a 9-year-old boy. Sorry about the inconvenience as I am well aware of the hassles of finding a suitable place to live and the move associated with it. If you need a reference for a different place, I will be happy to give an excellent recommendation.

Thanks again for your cooperation and for being great tenants,

The Landlord


My first reaction: "Oh shit."

My next reaction: Running around waving my arms over my head shrieking, "What are we going to do? What are we going to do? We love this house! We had planned to buy this house from the owner, and now he wants it back?!? AAAAAAAAA!"

My next reaction: Pray. That is always the answer, and I know in my heart that God will take care of us. He will never leave us or foresake us. Past experience has proven to me that God is there, God has us in the palm of His hand, and we will be OK.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Friday's Feast #45

Appetizer
When you drink soda/pop/coke, do you prefer to drink it from the bottle, a can, or after pouring it into a cup?
Straight from the can!

Soup
What television show are you willing to stay up late to watch?
If I DVR any of the reality shows I watch I will stay up late to watch them - Survivor or Amazing Race or American Idol or Dancing With the Stars; I will stay up late to watch Lost, too. Anything that might get 'spoiled' for me the next day!

Salad
Name one person, place, or thing you think of as brilliant.
I think Little Son is brilliant, and not just because he's my son. He really is brilliant.

Main Course
Would you be willing to work 4 10-hour days instead of 5 8-hour days in order to save gas?
Uh - work?

Dessert
If you were a superhero, what would you call yourself?
SuperGRITS
(**GRITS = Girl Raised In The South)

Wordless Wednesday - Ready for the River!

Ten Ways the World Has Changed Since I've Been in School

After a short hiatus from Ten on Tuesday, I'm back in the game! This week's topic really got me thinking. I graduated from high school in 1987 -how is the world different now than it was 21 years ago?

1. Internet
2. AIDS awareness
3. cell phones
4. digital technology
5. Olympic games now played every other year, alternating winter and summer games (they used to play them both in the same year every four years)
6. International Space Station
7. Mars landing
8. terrorism on U.S. soil
9. alternative fuel vehicles
10. gas prices!!!!

So how has the world changed since YOU have been in school?

Amazing Laminin

Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay

One of the great things about living where I do is the abundance of fresh seafood, and being able to eat it right on the waterfront. As far back as I can remember we've been eating delicious meals at the restaurants in Seabrook and Kemah, right on Galveston Bay, restaurants like Pier 8, Clear Creek Inn, and Jimmy Walker's. The only one of those to survive Hurricane Alicia was Jimmy Walker's - it's now a Landry's - and the area has now become quite commercialized. But we still enjoy going "down to the water" to eat - it's just a ten minute drive from our house - and that's what we did tonight. We ate outside on the dock, and our table overlooked the bay. We watched the boats going in and out, watched the tourists walking along the boardwalk, watched the sun set into the water. I love seeing the different names people give their boats - tonight we saw Whine Cooler and Reel Fun and Miss Behavin' - and we talk about what we would name a boat if we had one. The food was delicious. I chose crawfish tonight - some fried, some etouffe - while Hubby went with a shrimp po boy, Little Son had peel 'n eat shrimp, and Daughter - who doesn't care for seafood - enjoyed a fresh salad with grilled chicken on top. There won't be many more days that we can eat outside like that - summers here are relentless, and even nightfall brings little relief from the heat and humidity. But tonight it was perfect - a great way to finish off the weekend!

Camera Critters #8

This one gets my seal of approval!

Kicking Off the Season Early

Living on the Gulf Coast of Texas, we keep our eyes on the tropics this time of year. Hurricane season doesn't officially start until tomorrow (June 1), but today Tropical Storm Arthur formed off the coast of Belize.

He'll be no threat to us, but this could be an indicator of another busy hurricane season. We've had our share of hurricanes and tropical storms in this area over the years - I have lived here (about half-way between Houston and Galveston) all my life, and have weathered many a storm. Sometimes it's exciting to have a storm head our way - the media reports on it non-stop, and if it's just a tropical storm - or even a small hurricane - we only expect a lot of rain, probably some flooding, and perhaps some strong winds. It's a good excuse to buy a bunch of canned goods and bottled water and hunker down for a couple of days. But sometimes the excitement turns to worry and fear. A few of the bigger storms I remember the most are:

• Hurricane Alicia in 1983, which we rode out in our house. It was scary.
• Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 flooded the Houston area like we've never seen, turning the Bayou City into one giant bayou.
• Hurricane Rita in 2005, who headed our way close on the heels of Hurricane Katrina, so everyone's guard was up - when she reached a Category 4, then 5, there was widespread panic to evacuate. It was the worst traffic jam in history, and it took my family 19 hours to drive to my Granddaddy's house in Dallas (normally a 4-hour drive). We call it the "Runaway Scrape", and it was a nightmare that I NEVER wish to re-live. I said it then and say it today - I think I'd rather be plucked off my roof by a helicopter than to sit thru another evacuation like that. And then the storm hooked north and didn't even come here. We really didn't have to leave after all. But better safe than sorry, I guess.

So we turn our eyes to the Atlantic, the Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico for the summer and fall, hoping to escape Mother Nature's wrath for another year. And making sure all our insurance is up to date.

Lost

I watched the season finale of Lost last night, and while I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't watched it yet, I do have this to say:

Wow.

And OMG!

And Hooray!

And Hmmmm.....

And {GASP!}

It was a good one, to say the least.

A New Look for Bubba's Sis!

***Scroll down for Wordless Wednesday***

It's time for a new look around here - I'm playing around with this one, and it still needs some work, so bear with me. But so far.....what do you think??

**I changed most of the white text to grey - can ya'll read it OK?

Wordless Wednesday - Play Ball!

Tango Nights

Tango is SUCH a good dog! He is adapting to our schedule and lifestyle, doing his potty business outside (he has only had one accident inside!), eating well, having fun playing with Jax, and learning the "rules" (such as what he can and can not chew on!). There's only one teeny tiny problem. He H.A.T.E.S. his crate. He has to be in it when we go out - there's no way I'll leave a 14-week-old puppy loose in the house with no one home. And the plan was for him to sleep in his crate at night. But he cries. Oh, how he cries! And barks. And howls. That was to be expected the first night - but after 1½ hours, we had all had enough, so I got him out and slept on the couch with him (I know - BAD BAD!). The next night I decided to be firm - to not give in. That lasted 3 hours. I could take no more. I slept on the couch with him again. Last night I finally convinced Hubby that this crate thing was NOT working at night, and Tango joined us in our bed (along with Jax, who always sleeps on our bed). He slept like an angel all night long! I'm such a sucker, but oh well. He's happy, I'm sleeping, everybody wins.

Brothers

Camera Critters #7

Introducing Tango - my new baby!!! We got him today - he is a cockapoo, 12 weeks old, and I am in LOVE! Jax has a new baby brother now. We're all thrilled with the new addition to the family!

Doggie 'Do

It's HOT here - mid to upper 90's every day now - so it was time for Jax to get his summer 'do. He had gotten quite shaggy - here he is before he went to the doggie beauty shop this morning:

And here he is after:

Handsome, isn't he? And he smells much better, too. Now he can be "cool" for the summer!

10 Reasons Your Dog's Hair Cut Costs More Than Yours

10. Your hairdresser doesn't wash and clean your rear end.

9. You don't go for 8 weeks without washing or brushing your hair.

8. Your hairdresser doesn't have to give you a sanitary trim.

7. Your hairdresser doesn't have to clean your ears.

6. Your hairdresser doesn't have to clean boogies from your eyes.

5. You sit still for your hairdresser.

4. Your haircut doesn't include a manicure or pedicure.

3. Your hairdresser only washes and cuts the hair on your head.

2. You don't bite or scratch your hairdresser. (I hope not anyway).

And the Number 1 reason your dog's haircut costs more than yours....

1. The likelihood of you pooping or peeing while your hair is being cut is extremely slim.

I'd say it's worth it, wouldn't you? Happy Friday, everyone!

Congratulations, David Cook!!

I am THRILLED that David Cook won American Idol last night! I have loved him since his first audition (he sang a Bon Jovi song - can't go wrong with that!); he is so deserving of the title AMERICAN IDOL! Congratulations, David!

And, in case you missed it, here is the BEST commercial of the night:

Wordless Wednesday - She Sells Seashells

I feel pretty, oh so pretty.....

May has been kinda rough for me so far. I've been suffering from horrible headaches - ones that last for days and make it a struggle to just get thru my daily routine. I have suffered from migraines for years - the result of a broken jaw, courtesy of a mean, drunk ex-husband many years ago. I take medication daily to prevent them, and it usually does a pretty good job. But lately they are breaking thru, and it may be time to go back to the doctor for a new plan....

I'm still grieving the loss of both Misty and Delilah; a lot of people think I'm silly, that they are just animals and I need to get over it. But to me they were my babies, and I miss them (even that dumb cat that I didn't even want!). I love Jax so much - he is still my baby - but I know he misses them, too. I'm still working on Hubby to relent and let me have another puppy. Yes, people think I'm silly for wanting another puppy, too. But hey, I do. So there.

Little Son has been sick the past 5 days - he has the croup. He has always been a croupy kid - we've owned a nebulizer since he was an infant. He's having a tough time right now, too - the coughing is incessant sometimes, and while I feel so bad for him, at the same time I just wish he would STOP. COUGHING. RIGHT. NOW. OR. I. WILL. HAVE. TO. HOLD. A. PILLOW. OVER. YOUR. FACE. (No, no - I wouldn't really do that! But GEEZ! Enough coughing already!)

So anyway, yesterday I had occasion to be out running some errands and decided to do something for myself - something special just for me:

I got my cartilage pierced! It's something I'd been thinking about for a while - something I wanted to do, yet was unsure about. Would it hurt? (It hardly did.) What would people think? (For what it's worth, Hubby and Little Son are OK with it, Daughter was appalled.) But I decided "what the heck??" And I did it. And I love it. And I haven't had a headache in 2 days. Boo ya!

ANOTHER Birthday!

Gosh, we're eating a lot of cake around here! Today is Katie Lady's birthday!!! I love her so much - she's the sister I never had growing up, and a wonderful friend to me. AND she puts up with Bubba - what a woman!

Happy Birthday, Sweetie! Have a great day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BUBBA'S MOM!

When I get older losing my hair,

Many years from now,

Will you still be sending me a valentine,

Birthday greetings bottle of wine?

If I'd been out till quarter to three

Would you lock the door,

Will you still need me, will you still feed me,

When I'm sixty-four?

You'll be older too,

And if you say the word,

I could stay with you.

I could be handy, mending a fuse

When your lights have gone.

You can knit a sweater by the fireside,

Sunday mornings go for a ride.

Doing the garden, digging the weeds,

Who could ask for more?

Will you still need me, will you still feed me,

When I'm sixty-four?

Every summer we can rent a cottage,

In the Isle of Wight, if it's not too dear,

We shall scrimp and save,

Grandchildren on your knee,

Vera, Chuck & Dave.

Send me a postcard, drop me a line,

Stating point of view,

Indicate precisely what you mean to say,

Yours sincerely, wasting away.

Give me your answer, fill in a form,

Mine for evermore,

Will you still need me, will you still feed me,

When I'm sixty-four?

We still need you, Mama - we love you! Happy, Happy Day!

Camera Critters #6

Moo?

Kudos

**Scroll down for Friday's Feast!

Congratulations to Navy Son, who graduates from the Naval Academy Prep School in Newport, Rhode Island today and accepts his appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland! We are so proud of you, son!

Friday's Feast #44

Appetizer
What is the nearest big city to your home?
Houston, Texas - the fourth largest city in the United States!

Soup
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how well do you keep secrets?
I think an 8 - I tend to tell Hubby and Bubba's Mom and D just about everything, so I'll count a couple of points off for that. Otherwise, your secret is safe with me!

Salad
Describe your hair (color, texture, length).
My hair is just plain brown, long (past my shoulders), and thick - not curly, but wavy, and when it's really humid, it's BIG.

Main Course
What kind of driver are you? Courteous? Aggressive? Slow?
I'm a good driver - have only had 1 accident in my life and I was a teenager (and I still say it wasn't my fault!). I am courteous, but I do get frustrated with other drivers and have to say bad words sometimes.

Dessert
When was the last time you had a really bad week?
I sometimes have a bad DAY here and there, but I can't really think of a time (at least recently) that I've had a whole WEEK be bad. Life is just a series of ups and downs, and the best we can do is ride the roller coaster and hope we don't throw up.

The past couple of weeks have been a bit trying for me, tho, because I've had some really bad headaches....but that's a post for another time.

Happy Friday, everyone!

Battle of the Davids

Yep - I picked them both from the beginning!


(My fav is David Cook!)

Wordless Wednesday - Sunset on the Mississippi River

Madam Secretary

Tonight I attended a meeting of the High School Theatre Department Booster Club. Seeing as how Daughter will be in the Theatre Department at the High School next year, I think it's a good idea for Hubby and I, as parents, to be involved and help out in any way that we can. Tonight was a good information-gathering session; I got an overview of the fund-raising efforts of the Booster Club, and how the proceeds were used; we got a good introduction to what the Theatre Department will be doing next year (Daughter is SO excited that their first production will be Little Women, one of her favorites!), and somehow, by the end of the evening, I was elected Secretary of the 2008-2009 Theatre Department Booster Club! Granted, there weren't a whole lot of people knocking down the door to be elected, but wow! Me! I will attend monthly meetings and keep the minutes and other records - stuff I'm really good at. I'm also thinking of publishing a monthly e-newsletter for Booster Club members to keep everyone informed as to what is going on with fundraising, productions, activities, etc. I hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew, but I'm kinda excited about it! Wish me luck! Or rather, break a leg!

Blogging by the Numbers

I'm skipping Ten on Tuesday yet again, because I can not think of ten things I'm really good at. I can't even think of three things I'm really good at. But in the spirit of Ten on Tuesday, I'm listing Ten Numerical Facts About My Blog:

1. Number of posts on my blog: This is number 464!
2. Number of blogs I read on a regular (most daily) basis: 36 (haven't posted them all in my sidebar)
3. Number of memes I play weekly: 4
4. Number of blogs I read that are written by men: 6
5. Number of blogs I read that are written by people I know personally: 8
6. Number of bloggers I read that are pregnant: 3
7. Number of bloggers I read that have brand new babies: 3
8. Number of blogs I read written by someone named Jenny or Jenni: 5
9. Number of blogs I read from Texas: 11
10. Number of blogs I read from overseas: 2

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Blog on!

The Highs and the Lows

What a weekend. I'm exhausted. There were ups. There were downs. There were more ups. I feel like I've been on a roller coaster!

Friday night was fun - Daughter and Lamb went to the Spring Dance at their school and had a wonderful time; D and I went out to dinner and then had a most successful bathing suit shopping trip (we both came home with two new bathing suits for this summer - for only about $60!). Sorry, no pics of us in our new suits, but trust me, we look FABULOUS in them!

Saturday was rough. My kitty Delilah - the one who adopted us last fall - had been in a fight with another cat recently, and her leg was hurt. It was getting worse and worse, so I took her to the vet Saturday morning. The bite wound on her leg was infected - she couldn't even put her leg down to walk. Because she was bitten by a stray, she was likely infected with something much worse than just the wound infection, as well. AND she was pregnant. The dollar signs started adding up. Quickly. She needed antibiotics, tests, shots, surgery.......I had to make that awful decision that no one should have to make. I took her to the SPCA where they will take care of her medical needs, her kittens, and hopefully find her and them all good homes (if she doesn't already have a fatal disease that is common in stray cats). I was heartbroken. I cried the whole way home, and on and off for the rest of the day (which made me have a horrible headache). I've lost two pets this year. Thank goodness I still have my Jax. I love him so much. And I want another puppy so badly, but Hubby will hear nothing of it. Fuddy duddy.

Saturday was good, tho, because Daughter and Lamb attended the last Drama Festival of the year, and they both did outstanding! They each received three Superior awards and two Excellent awards; Lamb received a 12-Star Award for getting Superior ratings in 12 of the 15 events thru the year, and Daughter received a medal for the 15-Star Award - Superior ratings in ALL 15 events! We are so proud of our drama girls! We took them out to dinner Saturday night to celebrate and a good time was had by all.

And that brings us to today - Mother's Day. It's a bittersweet day for me. Of course I am blessed with my wonderful mother - she is the greatest, I love her so very much, and I admire the awesome woman that she is! And I am blessed as a mother with wonderful, beautiful, smart children. I can't brag on them enough, and they let me sleep late when I wasn't feeling well this morning (still had that headache!), they cleaned the house for me, baked me blueberry muffins, and gave me two new bottles of bubble bath (one of my favorite things to get!). Bubba and Katie Lady and Drew Bear met me and Hubby and our kiddos at Bubba's Mom and Dad's house and we had a great day together (the men did all the cooking and cleaning up - yay!). I didn't get to talk to Navy Son, but he did leave me a message on my answering machine (you could have called me at Nana's house, dude!) We were also a bit sad today, because Bubba's Mom's mom and Bubba's Dad's mom are no longer with us, and I miss my grandmothers so much. They were so much a part of my life, and I can think of so many things about myself that came from them.

Overall, the joys of the weekend outweighed the sadness - despite the downs, I know that I am so blessed in my life. So very blessed. I hope you ALL had a Happy Mother's Day today. We may not all BE mothers, but we all HAVE mothers. Bless them all.

Camera Critters #5

Bath time for Jax! Doesn't he look thrilled? Usually he goes to the doggie beauty shop for his grooming needs, but sometimes when he just stinks I'll pop him in the sink and wash him with the whitening, sweet-smelling doggie shampoo. Afterwards he runs around the house like a freak. Then he gets a cookie for being good.

Friday's Feast #43

Appetizer
When someone smiles at you, do you smile back?
Absolutely! Smiles are contagious!

Soup
Describe the flooring in your home. Do you have carpet, hardwood, vinyl, a mix?
Berber carpet in living room, dining room, hall, and bedrooms; wood in kitchen, breakfast and family room; ceramic tile in bathrooms.

Salad
Write a sentence with only 5 words, but all of the words have to start with the first letter of your first name.
Jocose juvenile jockeys joke jovially.

Main Course
Do you know anyone whose life has been touched by adoption?
Not personally.

Dessert
Name 2 blue things.
My right eye and my left eye!

Stupidest Person in the History of Survivor

Back to scooping ice-cream for you, Erik!

Just wake up?

I used to have some neighbors who said that to me anytime they saw me without eye makeup. Apparently when I'm not wearing mascara I look like I just crawled out of bed. I always thought that was so....tactful of them! Geez.

In a few minutes I'm headed out with Bubba's Mom for lunch and a pedicure (we pamper ourselves like that sometimes); I've been up for hours - well, not a LOT of hours, but enough to qualify it as a plural word - and I STILL have a pillow crease across my cheek! WTF?? Even makeup won't cover it up - I look like the victim of the Salem Slasher* or something. I just know as soon as I see Bubba's Mom she's going to say, "Did you just get up?!"

I'm not wearing eye makeup today either. So there.

*Name that soap opera!

Confession

I bought a package of cake doughnuts at the bakery in the grocery store today. I ate one when I got home. I ate two more after dinner.

Hi, my name is Bubba's Sis, and I'm a Doughnutoholic.

Wordless Wednesday - I only wish you could smell them!

Seriously.

Enthusiastic. Bubbly. Time to go home.