Summer Joys

The joys of summer are just to many to count for me. The weather in Fayetteville the past week has been picture perfect. It keeps teasing us with a coolness to the breeze that feels like fall. I have had the pleasure of so many wonderful times this year. Fred and I started out by going to Key West. We then made our way to Seattle, WA. I will be going to Mississippi next week to gamble with family and friends. Fred and I will then leave for 12 days in Europe. On our return, we will be spending the week-end in New York. Sept. the 12Th thur Sept. the 14Th, courtesy of the bank that Fred does business with. They called and are taking a few customers to NY for the week-end. This is the dates that we were returning from Europe. So we changed our flight and will be stopping in New York for the week-end. We are staying at the Ritz Carlton, going to the last game at Mets stadium, before it will be torn down, dinner and the theatre, all on the bank. To good to be true.

My family has celebrated the 80Th birthday of Lou and the 50Th wedding anniversary of my Aunt and Uncle. Summer has truly been great.

Click on the photo above and view a few photos from the anniversary party. My aunt and uncle still look happy after 50 years, Skylar and Makayla are summer kissed with beauty. You can see the beautiful young women that they are growing into. My cousins are the greatest. We had the party at their home on Lake Jackson. My Dad and Betty, we cherish every moment with her. She was so mad at my Dad. He did not get a single question right in the Oldiewed Game. But they got the bonus question and won a $50.00 gift certificate. They are lucky. Of course Fred and I had a great time. We both wish my magic wand would hurray up and get fixed. We would be skinnier.

Enjoy my summer and let me know what has been the most fun for you this summer. Have fun!

I almost forgot. Do you remember the first time you had a locker in school? Boy do I. The school district that I lived in did not have a middle school. We went to elementary school K-7 and started high school in the 8th grade. I just knew that I had arrived in heaven. Great looking boys every where, time to talk in the hall and a locker. Today the fad is to decorate you locker. At Staples you can purchse shelves, mirrows, pencils holders, magnets to hold paper, dry marker boards and wall paper. Of course, Skylar and I had to go shopping for locker supplies and school supplies. We had the best time decorating her locker. She was so cute. Skylar could not remember if it wast to the right first or the left first. She would go so fast that she would pass her number. So Aunt Chere to the rescue. I wrote on her hand right 28 first, left pass 28 to 8 and then right to 4. This was all done with arrows and numbers. She was a pro by the time we left. Let me know about you fist locker. I know that in 1969 the girls had to have top lockers because our dresses were to short to bend over. Do you remember those days?

Life @ EIGHTY

What Will I Be At Eighty

Eighty for me is 29 years away. When I put it in those terms it does not seem like a long way away. I will be cured of Diabetes. I will not longer have to deal with blood checks and insulin. I will trade it for Depends any day. The Diva's and I will be a happy residence at Camp Rector. By eighty we may change our minds and let our wonderful husbands live with us. We will stay in our PJ's until noon and drink coffee on the screened porch. We will talk about all of our world travels and look forward to our upcoming trips. The day will be ours to do as we please. At 6:00 every evening we will toast with a drink from the fountain of youth. Debra, you have the falls. Our grandchildren will adore us and visit often. We will never be alone. There will be laughter and good cheer always. We may be laughing at our darling husbands or even each other. The Diva's will each have a little "Rat" dog to spoil and adore. Yes Jamie, you will always be haunted by a little dog. I will have a full time cook and house cleaner. We will have a hot personal trainer come in 3 times a week. Talk about hot ladies, that is us. Of course the trainer has to be the Mascot's son. We will all have special magic glasses that transform our husbands into hot studs. You have seen the eye glass commerical "Can we go home now?" Pam, you will help with all our outfits and accessories. Judy, will make sure that we are spiritual connected. And of course how can I forget Jamie and Jason. Of course they will only be 60. We can talk about those young whipper snappers. I will have picked up my magic wand from the shop. All I can say is that life will be great!

Eighty Years Young

Eighty years young, My step-father or Dad will be 80 years old on the 28th of this month. We celebrated his birthday last night with a surprise birthday party of friends and family. And truly a big surprise it was. He was so mad at my Mother. We all feared for his health. Mom had told him early in the week that everyone was coming to my house to eat at 7:00. According to Lou if the appointed time is 7:00 you should be there at 6:45 or on the dot at 7:00. Mom's job was to stall him and have him here at about 7:15. So, she had to finish watching a show on HGTV, find the car keys, call me to see if I needed anything, you get the pictures. He was livid. When they finally got here, Lou was truly surprised. "Happy Birthday". Click on the above photo for a slide show of his birthday party.

The next lie of the week was his birthday present. All of my life Lou has been a dog person. He loves his dogs like his children. In the pass 6 months, he has had two dogs pass away to old age. It has been so hard on him. At first Mom and Lou said no more dogs. Lou would say "I'm to old". I do not need another dog. Mom would tell me that he was so sad. I do think that this birthday has really bother him. So started the search for a little chihuahua puppy. I adopted her from the Southern Hope Rescue group in Roswell, Ga. Lou has named her Bambi and boy is she a cutie. At 4 months old and weighing 2 and half pounds, Bambi has captured every one's heart. Her little tail wages all the time. When I gave her to Lou, Bambi snuggled into his neck, gave him a couple of licks and won the heart of a tired old man. Lou just said, with tears in his eyes "come here sweet heart". She has been his constant companion.
Eighty years, where will I be in 80 years? Will I still live in Fayetteville, Ga, will I be surrounded by seven grandchildren, friends and family? What will my health be? What kind of stories will I have to tell? What will the world be like? What kind of car will I drive? What will life be like in 2038? No one every thinks of being 80 but we will all be there some day. What will you life be like? Let me know as you think about these questions.

Handy Woman's Hint #4

Sorry that I missed everyone last week. I was attending a Handy Man Convention in Las Vegas. Me and the Buds had a great time. Here the Handy Woman's Helpful Hints #4:

15 Energy-Saving Tips

1. Install and use an automatic setback (programmable) thermostat. You can reduce you heating and cooling costs by 5 to 15 percent.

2. Insulate pipes, especially if they pass through an area you don't want heated or cooled.

3. Change furnace filters every month, or more often if needed.

4. Have a furnace tuneup to clean and adjust burners and improve fuel-burning efficiency.

5. Install light controls like motion sensors, photocell switches and timers to shut off lights automatically when they're not needed.

6. Clean the air conditioner condenser coils and fins when you see grass and airborne debris collected on them.

7. Shade your windows with trees, awnings, overhangs, shutters or other devices to keep direct sunlight from entering your home.

8. Replace light bulbs used more than two hours per day with compact fluorescent bulbs. Florescent bulbs last longer and use only one-third as much energy as standard bulbs.

9. Seal the joints of heating and colling ducts that run through attice and basements.

10. Wrap the tank of your gas-burning water heater in a special fiberglass blanket to decrease heat loss. Check your owner's manual to make sure a blanket is recommended for your model.

11. Replace worn-out thresholds and weather stripping around windows and doors.

12. Fix leaky faucets; dripping hot water can cost $35 per year.

13. Buy gas stoves with electronic ignition rather than pilot lights.

14. Reduce hot water usage by replacing high-volume shower heads with low-flow heads (2 to 3 gallons per minute). Save up to $40 per year.

15. Replace recessed light fixtures with airtight models when you remodel.

Hope these helpful hints help save a few dollars and improve our planet.
The Mascot

What can be more fun to watch than a little boy and a water hose. This is my little nephew, Bryce. He is 18 months old and the whole world is his class room. Bryce wants to touch, smell and taste everything. Every thing is new and exciting to him. My poor little dogs are scared to death. He moves to fast and makes loud noises. Bryce has kept us all entertained. He loves to run and jump in the pool. His little life jacket was the best 12.00 I have ever spent. Days like this is really what summer is all about. A warm August day, family and fun. Happy Summer to everyone. To enjoy this summer day with us click on the picture above.

What Summer Is All About

I have been out of the loop for the past week. My sister and her family are here visiting from California. My niece, Makayle, is eleven and half and loves to come to Georgia. We also have a another niece, Skylar who is also eleven and half. They are one month apart in age. Since birth they have been like sisters. Neither one has a sister and so it works for them. They are such a joy to have around. I have watched them grow with love in my heart. Both of them are starting middles school in the fall. This summer we have been to Lake Jackson and tubed behind a boat, made bead bracelets and flip flops with different colored fabric. They have spent the last five days at my house. They are now rock stars after mastering X-Box guitar hero. We went last night to eat all you can eat crab legs. The girls were in heaven. Mckayla ate 6 servings and wanted more. Uncle Freddy was ready to go and promised ice creams. If was hard for Mc to leave, she wanted more. Fred and I went to high school with the man who owns the restaurant. He kept bringing her more servings. I told him next time I would drop Mc off an hour or two before us to eat. Lindsey said bring her and he would feed her. Any way the girls have had a great time and my house is awful quite tonight. I needed a break but already miss them. Click here for some summer fun with two 11 year old. It will to bring a smile to your heart.

Handy Women's Hint #4

Sorry guys, I have been on the other side of town all day. I left the house at 8:30 and returned at 7:30. I will post the Handy Women's hint tomorrow. Thanks, Miss Priss

To Delicate to Fly

A dragonfly is a type of insect belonging to the order Odonata. It is characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, and an elongated body. The adults can be differentiated by the fact that the wings of most dragonflies are held away from, and perpendicular to, the body when at rest.
Dragonflies typically eat mosquitoes, and other small insects like flies, bees, and butterflies. They are therefore valued as predators, since they help control populations of harmful insects. Dragonflies are usually found around lakes, ponds, streams and wetlands because their larvae, known as "nymphs", are aquatic. Adult dragonflies do not bite or sting humans, though nymphs are capable of delivering a painful (though otherwise harmless) bite.
Dragon Flies are such amazing little creatures to me. If you start at their head with their big bulging eyes, they are kinda ugly. Their eyes are not portioned to their body.
There body is next. It can be quit interesting. It is kinda furry and normally has an interesting pattern. The body is really interesting to look at.
Their tails can come in an assortment of colors. I seem to have the blue ones around my pond or the clear/blue ones.
Legs are long and skinny, not much to look at. I do wish mine were a little skinnier.
Their wings are the best part. They look like lace. It seems like the breeze would just go through them. When the sun shines on their wings they turn a gold color. I really think that they are the most beautiful part of the little bug called a Dragon Fly.

July Photo Contest Entry

SUNSET IN PARADISE

RED CATEGORY

JULY 17,2008

It was really hard to pick just one picture for the red category of this photo contest. Sunsets in Shell Point are so special to me. I share them with the moon rising in back of me, the sea and good friends. I love sunsets due to the wonderful surroundings.