Besties.

Some people have one.  Many people claim to have one.  I'm fortunate enough to have several.  Actually, all of my friends are the "best".  I'm sure many feel that way about their friends, but I know for a fact that I have the best friends around.  I deserve it though...I've been through some pretty crappy ones.  I have learned to stay clear of the crazy girls, the drama queens, the trouble makers, and the one sided "all about me, me ME" girls/guys in my 35 years of life.

I have different friends for different reasons.  Not that I chose this specifically for each one.  It's just something that sort of happened.  For example, I have a friend that is a true comedian.  I call her if I need to laugh because of a really bad day.  I'm pretty sure that she is why I still have a job.  I have another friend that is just a super great listener.  She's who I call when I just need someone to hear me out.  She's also a great advice-giver.  She calls me for her own advice when needed. 

And there there is the Story-Teller, the Daredevil, the Undercover, the Sweetpea, the Nurturer, the Debater, and the Bitch. (She really comes in handy.)  There are more, but all of my friends seem to fall into one of these categories. In some cases and with certain friends, two or three of them apply.

I love them all.

Enter Christina.  She is my family.  Although I'd be crushed to lose any of my beloved friends, if she ever left my life for whatever reason, I'd be seriously devastated.  I call her my "best friend" in discussions.  I am closest to her of all of my friends, after all. But if I had to give her a title, I would go with, "All Around Superstar".  I can say five words and she gets it.  She knows where I'm coming from most of the time without me having to explain what I MEAN.  She gets my sense of humor and doesn't get offended. (This being one of the most important qualities that I look for in friends.  I'm easy to offend, after all.)  She can make me laugh when I feel like punching walls. 

So this is for you, DARLING.  Don't say I have never said anything nice about you to others.  It happens all of the time.  I just thought that you should hear it from me as well.

"If you want someone to feel loved, let them overhear the good things you say about them when you think they aren't listening." 

Someone told me that once.  I almost missed the chance to tell her how I felt before she left this earth.  I'm not gonna miss the chance with you either.

That's all the mushiness I have left in me.
Love to you.  Love, incorrectly spelled road signs, terrified chickens, wine and cheese grits, that is. <3

We Are Definitely Being Prepped for Children

Okay.  So it's not the same.  But I raised a child for eight years and I'm telling you...it's close. 

For those of you that do not know, we have had our Jack Russell Terror Terrier Mix, Daisy, for just over three years now.  We adore Daisy.  She is a delight.  And comparatively, she is pretty calm next to others of her main breed.  However, she IS quite active and she definitely keeps life...interesting.

Daisy recently inherited a little sister. 

My husband works for Code Enforcement in a neighboring city.  He makes sure that the people of the city follow the city codes.  He also is the Animal Control Officer of said town, therefore, he also is the guy you call when you find seven abandoned puppies behind a laundrymat and don't know what to do with them.  (Is there really a need for further explanation?  Probably not, but here goes nothing.)

We came home for lunch about a month ago and as we were standing there discussing some junk mail, I heard all kinds of noises coming from the back of Corey's truck.  It sounded like squealing pigs.  "What IS that?" I asked.

"That is nothing.  Do not look in there, Baby."  Okay.  My husband really does know me better than that.  I believe this is the place in the story where he realized that we were going to have another little furry family member.  Let's get real.  He knew this when he placed those puppies into the truck and started driving home with them in the kennel.  I know he'll never admit that, but it doesn't matter.  I know I'm right.

I peeped into the back window to see all kinds of little black eyes staring me in the face.  I opened the door and listened to them snorting and grunting...trying to be the first one to get out when I opened the door.  See?  Even they knew.

I opened the door and picked up the one with the tri-colored face.  "This one is for me, right?"  I shut the door and looked at my husband with the sweetest smile that I could muster up.  He laughed at me. 

"I knew this was going to happen.  Let's take her inside."  (I told you he had this planned, didn't I?  It was too easy.  I typically have to plead my case a little more than this.  He isn't fooling me, Internet.  Don't you worry.)

But look at this face.  Can you flipping BLAME him?

Meet Shelby.

We don't know exactly what she is since she WAS abandoned, but we believe her to be part border collie and part australian shepherd.  She was about 7 weeks old when we took her into our home.  She is so much different than Daisy was at her age.  Daisy would literally run laps around the dining room table and had two modes:  tornado and aftermath.  It took Daisy about a year and a half to learn "calm down". 

Shelby is bouncy when she plays, but has a real lazy streak about her.  She is a puppy, so of course she is playful.  But she only seems to be bothered with playing for about a half an hour at a time.  At that point, she's spent and just curls up for an hour long nap.  Play this scene over and over every single day and you have a good picture of her personality.  (She even lies down to eat.)

Daisy and Shelby have a true love/hate relationship.  At first, Daisy treated Shelby as if she were HER baby.  She would worry about her when she couldn't see her.  She couldn't stand to hear her cry.  She would even groom Shelby and snuggle with her. 

This sort of ended when Shelby was big enough to push Daisy around.  Shelby's favorite activity is trying to chew off  Daisy's face.  It's pretty entertaining.  We get a lot of enjoyment out of watching this take place.  Especially since, you know, Daisy did this to Niko for three years.

The standoff begins...

Sneak Attack.

Never let them get the upperhand.

They really do love each other.  They cannot stand to be separated.  Shelby copies whatever Daisy does.  It's a good thing that Daisy is well trained, that's all I can say.  Maybe they will learn to appreciate each other one day. If not, at least they will definitely know where the other "stands".

Inspiration at Every Corner. Who Inspires YOU?

Everyday people who live life the best they can and do not get the proper recognition they deserve:

1.) People who apologize for a wrong they've committed and mean it.
     (I'm also inspired by people who accept the apology and also mean it.)

2.) People who recognize there's a problem but rather than complain and blame, offer solutions and
     are willing to carry them out.

3.) People who use every ounce of their talents without bragging, and always strive to improve.

4.) I'm inspired by people who aren't the "best" at what they do, but always try their best no matter the
     circumstance. Failure is not in their vocabulary.

5.) People who count their blessings. They enjoy what they have whether it's a little or lots, and know
     how to be satisfied. These people have peace of mind because they are not caught in the non-ending
     torture of always needing more. They enjoy all, but need nothing.  There is a difference.

6.) I'm inspired by people who stop at a child's lemonade stand to buy what amounts to warm sugar
     water. They are the encouragers of tomorrow's entrepreneurs.

7.) People who take a leap of faith and do as their heart directs, very much inspire me. It's not easy for
     people to do what feels right, especially if it's something that goes against popular opinion, family
     members, friends, co-workers. This is undeniable courage.

8.) Good listeners who do not judge really inspire me. What an amazing gift of compassion. They are the
     world's hope for peace and sanity.

9.) People who stop to help change a car tire, especially if it's cold and raining. Total heroes!

10.) People with a great sense of humor. They put a smile on my face and a spring in my step. When I am
       with someone like that the weight of the world, at least for the moment, is off my shoulders.

There's much inspiration to be found everywhere, but especially in each other; I could go on and on with examples...WHO INSPIRES YOU????

A Girl After My Own Heart

This is my friend Christina's daugher, Candace. 

She is a very beautiful girl, inside and out.  Candace just turned 13 and is quite possibly one of my favorite people.  I've spoken about her before on this blog, but have never posted her picture.  (Don't get weird on me, Candace. I love this picture.)

Think about what most girls would want for their 13th birthday.  What comes to mind?  When you think of how preteen girls are marketed you think of clothes, makeup, iPods and other techno goodies, dvd's, etc., right?  Well.  I have news for the big marketing companies of the world.  There is something you have overlooked greatly:  electronic labelers.  That's right!  This is what our "little Candace" (as her mother and I lovingly refer to her and watch her cringe every time) wanted for her 13th birthday.

And this is what she got.

She loves it.  Her mom posted about it as well (http://www.christinasthoughtsonlife.blogspot.com/).  Apparently she is labeling everything in the house.  Of course, her primary reason for wanting an electronic labeler was to let everyone in the house know what was hers.  She even labeled her leftover birthday cake, "Candace's Cake. NO TOUCHY!".  She has also labeled the rest of the food in the refrigerator that she claims is only for her consumption.  Apparently there is a food shortage at Christina's house.  Really, Christina.  Your poor children are starving. 

But at least everything is neatly labeled. :)

Why I Live Here

Corey texted me from work Saturday morning to tell me that we were going "somewhere" when he came home.  He works half of a day every other Saturday, which is a major bummer, may I add.  I suppose he just felt like I needed a little "nature fix".  Or maybe (possibly) it was all of the "subtle" hints that I was throwing around. 

He arrived home shortly after 2:00pm and we set out on our little adventure.  I didn't have the slightest clue where we were going, only that we were driving in a direction we don't typically travel.  BUT I knew exactly where we were when we passed Tallulah Falls School.  I have been asking to go to Talullah Falls for ohhhhh about two years now. (??)  I, of course, was very happy to see that was where we were headed.

That may be a small understatement.
Okay. I may have actually squealed a little.

I absolutely love waterfalls.  And there are so many in these beautiful foothills to choose from.  I have been living in Georgia for over four years and haven't even seen them all.  Which, by the way, was part of the leverage that my dear, sweet husband used to get me to move from South Carolina.
But that's another story for another day...

I didn't get to see many waterfalls growing up in the flatlands of Ohio.  I believe that I traveled to Hocking Hills, Ohio once as a kid and that may be what spawned my addiction.  But truly, that is nothing compared to the gorgeous falls of NE Georgia.

We plan on going back to Talullah Falls when I have on shoes other than flip-flops we are more prepared and taking the long haul to the bottom where I can get some amazing pics.  Until then, these will just have to do.

(drool)

If You Think I'm Sexy

Corey:  (singing) "If you think I'm sexy and you want my body..."

Me: "No one should ever sing that song."

Corey: "Why?"

Me: "Because singing that song pretty much makes you anything but sexy."

Through Clouds of Gray the Sun Shines the Brightest.

The world seemed a little gray this week. My husband received the news late Monday morning that his beloved grandmother, (his father's mother) Dixie “Fay” Thomason Palmer had fallen asleep in death. I met Grandmother for the first time just over five years ago. I loved her from the moment I met her.  A classy and true southern “lady” with just enough “fire” to keep things interesting, she was someone I knew I would cherish for all of my life.

This, of course, is a sad time to all of those that will miss Grandmother. But there is much celebration in the life she lived while upon this earth. She had 95 long and happy years surrounded by precious friends and an amazing family.  I believe two of the greatest joys in life are loving and being loved.  There is no doubt that Grandmother was blessed with much love and that we were all blessed with hers.

She must have told me close to ten stories the second time I met her. Each story was more detailed than the next. Needlesstosay, I knew my husband much deeper upon our departure that day.  I told her once that she should have been a writer. She immediately laughed and shook her head as if I were being ridiculous.  But I could hear in her voice how much she genuinely loved telling stories from times past or events in which she found of particularly great humor. 

My own dear, sweet grandfather was a storyteller as well. Listening to Corey’s grandmother always brought back fond memories of my childhood, sitting transfixed on my “Grampa” wishing I’d never have to leave his side. As a young adult, I knew that I had only a short amount of time to soak in his words and her his kind voice.  I tried to remember every detail of every story he ever told.  I did the same in the time that I was fortunate enough to have spent with Grandmother Palmer. 

The time I had with her was limited to those five short years.  Yet, I will never forget the times and memories we shared together. They are truly precious to me.

Just as Grandmother felt that every detail was as imperative as the next in her storytelling, I truly believe that is the same view she held in life. Each day as important as the day before, and tomorrow as important as today. There were no minute moments. There is a lot to be said for that.

I will miss her dearly and will think of her often.  There is no doubt that she will enter my mind each and every time I eat blueberry pancakes, paint a window frame, sew a curtain, or when someone comments on the size of my television. :)  Her stories will live on in us.  They will be told and retold at family gatherings and bring a smile to many faces.  Until we meet again in the resurrection, Grandmother…I will hold you in my heart.

Our First Home = SOON!

We are currently in the middle of becoming home owners!  Woohoo!  I'm super excited about having the freedom to do absolutely anything I want!  I've decided (non-officially) to go with a "contemporary-cottage" feel in whichever home we end up buying.  This style will go well with all of the homes we are currently considering and I already have so many things that will blend into that design.  I don't want to go TOTALLY beach-cottage, but am leaning more towards this style above the typical "shabby-chic" style. 

I refuse to go all cheesy with it, but there are some great finds out there via the wonderful world wide web.  I'm not a huge "knick knack" person. I just don't enjoy dusting, and can't stand a lot of clutter.  I'm more simplistic in what I like as far as design goes, I guess.  But here are some great finds that I came across that can make a big impact in a small way. 

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Coral is one of my favorite things in the world. Between the beautiful colors and soft but edgy shape, it really gives hand to the look I'm trying to achieve.  (And can you say, "texture"?) Gorgeous.  I love the red coral as well, but can't help but think that it resembles blood vessels.  LOL I know it's crazy, but I just can't get past it.

This 'lil guy is so adorable!  This would look so great in a kitchen.  I love the bright blue color, but there is also a red version on lauratrevey's etsy page.  It's a toss-up for me.  I think the red will probably be closer to the color scheme I'm planning on having, but this blue just is gorgeous.

I ran across these on etsy yesterday on GlassFloatJunkie's page.  She lives in Alaska and picks these old Japanese fishing floats from the beachsides.  They are AMAZING.  They look sooo beautiful hanging in a windowsill.  I will end up with a few of these, I'm sure.  They are priced fairly well too!

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I'll be sure to post before / after pics of each change we go through.  I really want to document the whole process.  We are planning on staying there for a long while.  I have a couple of pics of things I'm doing in the meantime that I'll post later this week. 

After all, I have to do something (even if they are the little things) to keep my anxiousness under control.  It's a good thing that a have a very patient hubby.  Although...I have caught him rolling his eyes at me a lot lately. :)

Advice.

I ran across this today.  It was something that I posted long ago on another blog that I am deactivating today.  It was some of the best advice I ever received from my mother.  I was leaving Ohio and heading for South Carolina.  I was worried that I was "running away" because I had been accused of that before.  I was trying to tell myself that I wasn't running away but couldn't quite convince myself that it was not true.  This is what my mother said:

"Running away is when you just flee and leave all of your troubles behind. You aren't running away if you are taking care of things before you go. THAT is strength.  THAT is starting over."


I wanted to post this here so that I always remember it.  This seems like such simplistic advice, but when you need it the most, you just don't seem able to find it. 
 
Thanks, Mom.

My Top Five Guilty Pleasures--Read Them and Weep.

1.  Reality TV.

As much as I’d say that I am morally opposed to reality television, the truth is that I’m nothing but a hypocritical junkie. Its mind-sucking magnificence has me ogling in front of the screen, turning my brain to mush on a weekly daily basis. I suppose throughout the trash pits people call homes, the baby’s-daddy’s-momma-drama, races around the world, weekly firings of the weakest links, and the pain and triumph of hundreds of pounds shed on national television, I can either live in a more “normal” world or live vicariously through someone else’s. I’ll let you figure out which is which. Just be nice.

2. Greasy Fair / Carnival Food.

Even as a teenager attending festivals and fairs throughout the summer, I could have cared less about the awards or the rides.  I was there for the food. Or should I say, the artery-clogging grease-on-a-stick pretending to be food?  Yummo.  I still get all nostalgic just thinking about it.  From elephant ears and corn dogs, to soft pretzels and carnival fries, it makes me all happy and giggly inside.  (Don't make me mention lemon shake-ups and sticky, heavenly cotton candy.)

I really hate to admit this kind of love affair with any kind of food, but there you have it.  The regret after such indulgances gets worse as I get older, but the bliss of the moment is something I never can resist.  Needlesstosay, I do limit myself on carnivals, festivals, and country fairs.  And although I do loveee an amusement park ride, it still comes in second to the glory of a greasy stack of crispy fried rings  onion rings in a cardboard cone.  Ahhhh....

3. Cheesy 80’s Music.

This one isn't surprising to anyone that really knows me.  I am renown for belting out a one-hit wonder after hearing something similar to said song's lyrics.  Of course, there are GREAT 80's songs that I love as well but they do not by any means fit into this category.  I'm talking CHEESE.  "We Built This City", "Oh Sheila", "Ice, Ice, Baby", you name it. I love it.

My husband said that I should title this category, "Air Supply".  But I refuse to admit state that Air Supply could be classified as "cheesy".  They. Are. Awesome.  AND THEY ALWAYS WILL BE. Don't make me go all Debbie Gibson on your ass, Mister.

4. Flea Markets.

Oh yes.  Down and dirty.  I love me a good ole junky flea market.  I'm not talking your run-of-the-mill yard sale pretending to be a flea market, either.  I'm talking about the kind of flea market where you have to walk around things.  Where there are piles of old junk on tables and tucked in the corners everywhere.  This may actually surprise some people, as I tend to go a little crazy about clutter. But these flea markets are intended to be of such madness--this makes the clutter okay.  (It doesn't have to make sense.)  I do love collected catastrophes!

My eyes go crazy fluttering around looking for that great bargain that I can turn into something FABULOUS! The junkier the flea market, the better.  They are quite hard to find anymore, sad to say. Most flea markets nowadays are just "As Seen on TV" store wannabes and warehouse clothing outlets.  The good ones are truly a gem if you can run across one.  They even rank above my "hippy stores" (Grrr Corey).

5. The World Wide Web.

I remember the first day I went "online".  I was like a total crackhead. I don't think I left the screen for HOURS. I was locked in and immediately addicted.  I'm surprised I wasn't called in for an intervention.  That lasted for about a week.  (You know, the laundry WAS piling up and all.)  But going a day without internet access just seems ridiculous to me. 

My husband can call me a flower child all he wants...but the truth is that to be disconnected would drive me crazy.  I SAY that I could do it "no problem" but we all know that would be a lie.  I'd be taking a side trip to the library just to get my fix.  I don't have to be online for hours...but I do have to get my daily dose. It's appalling.  I know. I hear you.  I feel the same way. But come on!!!  Endless information at my fingertips?  You knew what you were doing, DARPA and all of your little guru's.  Or as I like to call you, pushers.


So there you have it.  The official list.  Looking back, I see a theme.  Hmmm...junk television, junk food, junk music, junk sales, and junk entertainment all rank in my top five guilty (or not so guilty) pleasures.

Some may say this officially makes me a junkie.  Har, har, har.  Laugh it up, kids.  You can call it what you want, but I say this makes me optimistic.