Happy Memorial Day

Happy Memorial to all our Servicepeople past and present.

We would not have our freedom without your sacrifices. 

I thank you for all you have done and are doing.

Never forget FREEDOM IS NOT FREE.

If you ever want to see the price of freedom visit a VA Hospital or VA Nursing Home and visit Arlington.

Enjoy your freedom to do what you like?  Thank a vet.

Personally, I want to thank my Dad, Uncle Roy, Sarah, Josh, Joey and Rachel my soldiers.

Newly Published: Spring Into Summer Festival

Just published this news article on Associated Content.

3rd Annual Spring Into Summer Festival

This is about a family-friendly free festival, the 3rd Annual Spring Into Summer Festival in Oak Grove, Kentucky.

Published a Poem: Sweet Bliss

I published a poem on Associated Content.

Sweet Bliss

It is a love poem.

Published a Children's Story: Boomers to the Rescue

This is a children's story that I just published on Associated Content, hope you like it.


Boomers to the Rescue

It is about a rescure kitten that becomes a hero.

Movie Review: It Happened One Night. (1934) Directed by Frank Capra

Here is the link to a movie review I just published on Associated Content of the classic movie, "It Happened One Night."

Movie Review: It Happened One Night. (1934) Directed by Frank Capra

Starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert; this movie has one of the most famous scenes in movie history in it.  He is trying to teach her how to hitchhike, but is unsuccessful.  She shows him how to do it by lifting her skirt and showing some leg; which gets them a ride immediately.

Print Your Own Coloring Books or How to Cure Rainy Day Boredom

Sorry for the delay, here is the link to an article that I published on Associated Content earlier this week:

The Top 3 Websites to Print Free Coloring Book Pages

We have all had to deal with bored kids.  Bored kids get whiny and the gets old fast.  This article will help you deal with their boredom.  There are literally thousands of pages that you can print of coloring pages and crafty projects at the websites listed in the article.

Got a New Cricut Cartridge - Heritage

I got a package in the mail today, woohoo!

My second daughter, got me a Cricut cartridge for Mother's Day; and it arrived today.

It is the Heritage cartridge and I am about drooling over it here.

So many images that are so cool; and will be useful in scrapping those old heritage and heirloom photographs.

Another Article Published at Associated Content

Have been published again at Associated Content.

This article is about

8 Simple Ways to Use Paint Chips in your Scrapbooking

Lots of great ideas to use this free resource creatively in our scrapbooking and paper crafts projects.

Trip to Big Lots

Took my neighbor to Big Lots  yesterday.  Got some clear contact paper, to use in making handmade postcards. 

Then I was showing her the scrapbooking aisle in the store and I turned around and there it was. ..

Cuttlebug embossing folders and dies; mostly Disney ones!  And for only $2.00 each.

I got:

Shell Collage
Invitation
Best Pals
Harlequin
Bon Voyage
Ahoy Matey
Fore
Santa's Coming
School Days
Wild Ride
Ta Da!
Team Spirit
Kickoff
Baseball Gear
Belle
Cinderella
Go Team
Ariel
You're A Winner

Published Family Reunion Tip article at Associated Content

Got a lovely email from Associated Content letting me know they wanted to publish my latest article.


Here it is for all of you with inquiring minds or with a family reunion looming in your future.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/3008666/family_reunion_tips_making_it_easy.html?cat=7

Let me know what you think of it and if you have any tips that working especially well at your reunion.

Visitors

My daughter-in-law and my 3 year old granddaughter and her 2 year old cousin came to visit last night.  Wow, high and energy and high volume and cartoons, oh my!

Spongebob and Dora and Lilo and more, weee!

Separation Prior to Divorce

Been putting off posting this for a little while.  On Mother's Day weekend my husband of 29 years (and father of my seven children) and I separated and will be divorcing.

He went I had to drive him to Florida to go live with our oldest daughter.  I borrowed my second son's SUV to haul all his crap precious belongings to her place.  My son decided to ride along -- which was good he helped with the driving and helped stop any arguments.

We went to Navarre Beach which has beautiful white sugar sand, seashells, gorgeous blue green water that you can see through.  It almost made me wish to switch places with DH -- as my daughter lives 1 mile from this gorgeous beach.  But he hates the beach - go figure.

My son had never seen the ocean before.  He jumped in the surf like an overstimulated puppy and then without thinking bent over to grab a seashell and then it happened!  His new (two month old and cost $600) camera was hanging around his neck.  When he reached down, the camera went SPLASH! into the water.  Also he forgot his wallet was in his pocket and that got soaked too.

But he was so thrilled to be seeing the ocean for the first time that he couldn't stop having fun to get mad.

We stayed to watch the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico -- with more colors than a Sherwin-Williams paint store.

There was a small boat that came in at dusk and they had caught a 37" shark and they let us take pictures of it and my son got to hold it.

Then my daughter and son-in-law took us to Pensacola to a sports bar called Sidelines.  We sat on the patio and had sandwiches -- I had the catch of the day and it was a huge sandwich and large hand cut fries -- nice.  The only cons about Sidelines were that it was very loud for my tastes.  Also the ceiling fans on the patio were under the ceiling lights and that gave a weird strobe light type of effect; which freaked my eyes out, but didn't seem to bother anyone else.

All in all the evening at the beach and at Sidelines was a good time.

Glimpses from Centennial Park

Right in the midst of Nashville, right by Vanderbilt University is a gorgeous park called Centennial Park.

It has a lovely lake with fountains and a walking track around it.  The lake's edge is built of awesome stonework.

Sorry that this picture isn't the greatest; I have a supposedly nice fairly new Nikon CoolPix camera; but I can not get it to take decent pictures.  But it could very well be operator stupidity.

Of course, there is the prerequisite park benches and picnic tables.

Wildlife abounds here and it is so friendly it is almost tame.

Birds are flying around everywhere.

Fat iridescent pigeons hop across the clover filled grassy areas.

Canadian geese honk as they waddle amongst the people; or swim sedately across the surface of the beautiful lake.

A family of Canadian geese stroll serenely down the driveway, oblivious to anyone thinking they have the right to drive their car there.

Poppa and Momma Goose strutting along proudly with their brood of about 10 big fat fluffy babies.

People pushing strollers, riding bikes or walking the paths.

Across the lake there is a couple walking their big black lab dog past a man fishing.

Lush trees and bushes and flowers make this a little oasis of beauty and serenity within the hustle and bustle of city life.

Fat squirrels chase each other across the grass and race around and around up the tree trunks.

And amidst all of this is a life size Parthenon, like the one in Greece -- only better, in some ways -- as this Parthenon is complete.  This is how the Parthenon looked like in Ancient Greece.

May 4th - Finally home from Ohio trip

Well we got home from Ohio at 0430 hours and then I had to have dh to a doctor's appointment in Nashville by 1100 hours. 

It rained pretty heavy about half the way home.

And as usual, we hated to say goodbye to the folks in Ohio so much so that we lingered and lingered until it was way late.

Today on the way into Nashville we got caught in a pretty nasty traffic jam.  Dropped dh (by this time he was starting to become DH) off at the VA hospital for his appointment; and went about 2-3 blocks away to the Parthenon.  I am writing his blog post from my daughter's but have some pictures I took to post later.

The Parthenon is a truly amazing place and right in the middle of the city in Nashville.

I will write more after I unpack and make a "What I have to do to catch up" list.

Note: I wrote this blogpost longhand while at the Parthenon and have not gotten to post it until now.  That is why I dated it for May 4th.

Day 3 of our mini Ohio vacation

Well it is day 3 of our mini Ohio vacation.  We are going home tonight.  It finally quit raining, yeah!

My daughter-in-law and granddaughter came over to visit again this morning.  I sure will miss them when I go home.

My dad, daughter-in-law, uncle, brother and sister-in-law played games last night, that was nice.

It has been a pretty good weekend; didn't get to run around like I usually do; but in someways that made it nicer.

Tried to take a few pictures to share with you; but just like my cell phone, my camera batteries died ... hope that doesn't mean anything in the bigger picture of things.

Still Raining

Still raining here, if it rains much more I will need to work on an ark.

Stay dry y'all.

Ohio Trip - Day 2

Another very rainy day here in Ohio.

Was up late visiting with family.  Got sick for a while last night, throwing up and all that fun stuff.  But think it was just temporary; feeling basically decent today. 

Was too 'up' from the day to fall right to sleep last night; so ended up online til almost 0300 hours.  First I caught up on some of my favorite blogs ... definitely not all of them.  Seems I follow so many of them.   Then I was playing games on Pogo.

Not really sure what's up for today, hopefully more visiting with friends and family.  Seems returning home for a visit is always a little bittersweet.  You are happy to be home and visit and see people; but you have to go home.  You are not one of the blessed people that is able to live their entire lives near to their loved ones.

But thankfully today we have cameras, and cell phones and the internet and so much more to allow us to live apart and to still be a part of each others lives.

Ohio Trip

I'm in Ohio for a short weekend visit!  It's kind of cool and rainy weather, but I am happy to be able to visit.

You know how you always seem to forget something?  Well sure enough, I left without packing the phone charger. 

Got to see my sister-in-law for a little bit.

Then went to Golden Corral with my Dad and my granddaughter to eat.
Then visited with my Dad for a little bit.  We looked at his pen collection (if you know Dad you know he is pen crazy & it tends to run in the family) and he gave me 4 pens I was drooling over.  I purple glittery one; and a fine point purple gel pen. And a yellow glittery one and another purple pen.  And since purple is my favorite color, I was happy! .... I know, sometimes, I am easily amused.

There is this cool office supply store in town called Bihl's and they not only have cool pens; then let you try them out in the store.  They have little scratch pads by the pens for you to check them out.  How cool is that?