Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Extreme "Forclosure" Makeover

What a terrible situation. I don't know the details of it all, but it's a dang shame that so much time and effort is given by so many to have it all go to crap due to some mishandling of finances or "poor business decisions".
Extreme Makover: Home Edition is one of my favorite shows! It will reduce me to tears instantly and I'm okay with it. I love the fact that there are folks out there volunteering to do something in their community to better the area, a family in need or just to feel accomplished! Volunteering is something I do a great deal of and I am rewarded everyday for it. It makes me feel wonderful to donate time, effort, energy, manpower or even dollars to help a worthy cause.
I only hope that their efforts are not looked at as less meaningful due to the choices (right or wrong) made by those that were the beneficiaries of the kindness.

Friday, July 25, 2008

What will your Final Lecture be?

Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist whose "last lecture" about facing terminal cancer became an Internet sensation and a best-selling book, died Friday. He was 47.
I have read this book and I can't even begin to say how much it touched me. (I've already chosen it as the first read for my upcoming book club!) I laughed and cried the whole way through!
I hope you'll all get a copy and let it touch your heart the same way it did mine.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

One Creative Mama!

So, in all my years, I had no idea that my mama could sew. Me - can't even sew a button. I knew she was capable of that...but check out this adorable dress she made for Hallie! That's a day well spent with the kids if you ask me! She's taking orders and she'd be glad to make your child one too! (I most likely just signed her up for something she didn't agree to...but isn't that what daughters do!?)
I should add that it's the extra mile she went to make it great! She sewed the edges wear the ribbon goes through the top so that it won't come out and leave you having to fish it through with a safety pin. She added the cutest pocket too!
Great job mom! Hallie loves it! She can't wait to wear it to school tomorrow!

I've been Junkin' again!

My latest finds include the following:
This Hershey's recipe box is too cute! It actually had authentic recipe cards with a 1980 copywright on them. I love it!

And this little gem! It's basically just a casserole..but I love it!

I also found a donut pan (can't wait to make donuts!) and an antique muffin tin. I'm so enjoying my new found hobby!

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Font Conference

Check out The Font Conference! I'm officially a geek now...but this had me rolling on the floor! (I would have pasted the HTML, but the video is too wide for my layout and that bothered me too much to leave it!) Enjoy either way!

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Vacation Wrap Up and other mind-numbing rants!

Well, the vacation went just swell. I fully intended to update daily, but the sand and the sea got the best of me! My apologies! The kids had a blast, we all ate too much and after the long ride home, I got to unpack! Unpacking is like the ultimate torture, right? I would make juvenile delinquents do that...right after I made them fold my laundry...oh, and iron it. Ha! However, I returned to home sweet home to discover that it had not been so sweet during our absence. There's been a lot of crime in the area lately and it leaves me uneasy. You may have read my previous blog about how I was followed in a major discount store and how uncomfortable it made me feel. Well, upon our return, we discover that our cousin was at home with her two daughters when two gentleman came to her house and busted her front door down trying to get in. They were scared off when she screamed...but I can't imagine how terrified she must be right now. It seems like it's everyday that there is somethin on the news or in the paper about another robbery, kidnapping or attack. What is the deal? When we were in FL, there was a story about a two year old little girl that has been missing for five weeks and her mother is a suspect. Her mother! I'm astounded. However, on a brighter note, I did get to read two fabulous books while I was wasting away in Margaritaville. Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner and the follow up to that called Certain Girls. These two books are just wonderful! They'll be perfect for my book club as soon as I get it going! ;) Finally, I attended a Relay for Life Committee Wrap-Up Party tonight. The events were held at the Talladega Superspeedway and it was great! We got to take turns going around the track at 120 miles per hour! It was up there with the neatest things I've done! But, the focus of the evening was for the 'powers that be' within the American Cancer Society to thank the committee that helped raise over $600,000 toward cancer research and funding! It was very nice of them to put it all together and even nicer for them to recoginze the hard work of the members and their families that sacrifice so much to let them be a part of the organization. A few were asked to stand up and give their reasons for why they Relay. I wasn't one of them, but if I had been...here's what I might have said: For my father, whom I didn't know, that passed away with Colon Cancer; For Uncle DeWayne, whose diagnosis hit me like a ton of bricks; For PaPa Sprayberry, who had the greatest outlook right up to the end; For Mike Cooper, who was one of the last great "family men" on Earth; For Kaylie Claire Ellis, who shouldn't even be having to think about chemo and radiation at four years old; But, mostly for selfish reasons...I relay because I get to be a part of something that fills me so completetly with humility and pride that I can't stop coming back. I relay with the hope that my children will never have to think about fighting cancer. I relay because it feels so dang good to know that I'm making a difference...and being on the Committee is only icing on the cake. That's why I do it.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Vacation - Part 2

Today could not have been more perfect if I'd written it that way myself.... The weather was warm, the ocean was calm and clean and I almost finished my book. The kids splashed and played in the Gulf like they've never done before and that was great to see! We rounded out the evening with ribs at Pineapple Willy's and go carts! You can't have vacation in PC without go carts, right?! I'm pretty sure I located the guy with the worst job in the world...he's in charge of the kiddie go carts at the "go cart place" and we were all in agreement that it probably sucked more than anything else in the world...at the time, anyway. Personally, I'm ready for bed...as soon as I finish my book! To be continued...

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Vacation - Part 1

Well, we've arrived! Panama City Beach, FL is growing like crazy! We've managed to visit the pool, the beach and the Publix today and that in itself has been wonderful! I want a Publix back home! Our trip down was full of conversation - something I'm not used to because I usually sleep on the way to anywhere! Mom is along for the trip and that is going just swimmingly! I have an ample supply of books to keep me company and I plan to come back tan and refreshed! We ventured down to the beach this evening - Brent, the kids and I - and Hayden went crazy! Hallie buried him in the sand and he returned to "home base" covered in sand! They're sand free now and relaxing to Ratatouille. I'm headed to the chair with my book and my drink... more later!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Proceed with Caution

For those in and around the local Northeast Alabama use caution! When? Always! My inbox has been overflowing lately with forwards from folks that have been emailed about being followed, questioned by strangers, attacked, robbed or just made to feel uncomfortable. The worst part is that they're all taking place right here in our hometown...in our local major discount stores. We can't be too careful! Everyday it's someone I know or a friend of someone I know that has been followed to their car and approached. My sister-in-law's friend was mugged in the parking lot of her major retail outlet in Opelika....by a woman! The lady sprayed her with mace and took everything she had! Ughhhhh! I found myself in this situation on Monday around lunchtime. Lunchtime! The middle of broad daylight! I never would have thought that anything strange would have happened at this time of day. Regardless, it did! The young gentleman followed me into the shoe department and he was unusually close to me. I had recently made the comment that I didn't think I would notice if someone were following me because I'm always so busy I don't have time to notice what's going on around me! But, this guy was noticable! He was creepy and most of all, he was all over me. It made me uncomfortable and out of sorts. Mostly, it pissed me off! I was so infuriated that someone was getting this kind of control over me and my time at the store! I mean, geez....I can't even go to the store anymore. Nothing major happened, but it could have. Had I been on the phone talking, he very well could have gotten away with my purse and I never would have known what hit me! I'm sure a lot of it has to do with the economy being so bad. Times are tough. People go to extremes. But, I'm not going to stand for it! So, my plea to all of you is to be careful out there. Take notice of your surroundings. As a mother, daughter, sister, friend...you have to take care of yourself! What are all of you doing to make sure you're paying attention more to what's going on around you?