I took a trip to NC last weekend to go to a lady's luncheon. The event itself was lovely and fun but the trip ...um...not so much. I got there and discovered I had left all my clothes and toiletries at home in GA! I had to shop for EVERYTHING!  I did escape having to spend to much money on makeup. There were two lovely cosmetic reps baRbell that blessed me with samples of many of the items I needed. All I had to buy was eye liner and eyeshadow. Being a redhead I am pretty much a blank canvas with out makeup. You cannot even see my eyelashes.
I found a fun out fit at Bells. They had a great sale going. It is not Christmas-y so I will definitely wear it often. I went to Wal-Mart and pick up the other things I needed. My friend was sad her birthday gift got left in GA too. LOL
I left a day early due to being on baby watch,lack of clothes,and the forecast of a wintry mix. I endured fog and drizzle most of the way home. Not fun!
I considered skipping church since no one knew I was home. But ended up going anyway. I was glad I did too.
My hubby comes home today after 18 days away! We are very excited. (And desperately needing to clean so... so long until next time!

sugar cookies and sweet memories

I got this pretty glass while thrifting this weekend . It is heavy , good quality . There was only one . But I only wanted one anyway . My grandma used to have one that was a much simpler glass but with the same type cut pattern in the bottom of the glass. And it always came out at cookie time! She would Stamp or emboss the sugar cookies before they went in the oven. It was special . Unique. and since I am being blessed with a granddaughter this Christmas it seemed I should have my very own cookie glass. Maybe one day she will want one of her own. you know? For old times sake! Can't wait to make new memories. Oh yeah.I am breaking the glass in with eggnog! And soon ...sugar cookies! :-) Merry Christmas !

My paper plate just buckled!

Well the fall garden I considered just never happened! And I have finally got a bit of a vision for the house but right now it looks worse than I can manage. Every room needs help. I have been helping my daughter with her projects since she is in nesting mode but really need to get back to mine. I want to decorate for Christmas this weekend. And I have a meeting with the church today about Thanksgiving meal. Looking so forward to it , but nervous too! LOL Better go. Today is over full...gotta focus!

trying something different

One of my bloggers friends often posts her frugal Friday finds. Things to grace and bless her home that she has found at thrift stores or rummage sales.
I really like the idea! But....I have been avoiding thrifting and yard sales ! I am trying to get rid of stuff from around here! Purge mode/our cup runneth way over! lol
Well...Saturday was rainy and I had a bit of cabin fever. The hubs had to work , the kid was out with friends . So I braved the rain and hit up a thrift store.
I found ....a beautiful silver menorah ,
a pampered chef apple peeled on the stand! , a Willow tree "new dad" (for less than $2!) , I also got a super cute lantern/candle holder. I couldn't get a picture of it , my room was too dark.
I am very excited about my treasures!
Now back to purge mode. Our church is having another freebie swap shop and Want a big box of what-nots to take!
blessings! Lora

Harvest happiness

There was not much time this summer for my usual harvesting and canning. But last week I was blessed with a gallon baggie of frozen blueberries plus another half. My friend is moving and cannot take some stuff with her ! So I got it to have the berries! Today I am making syrup from this incredible blessing ! :-) I have made syrup every year for about 4 years now and I was a little sad that I was not going to have any for this winter. And besides my new son-in-law loved the jar I gave him last year. My dd said he rationed it out. It is wonderful on ice-cream,yogurt, and of course,pancakes! :-)
This week has been odd. My DH was supposed to be home until Friday but he got sent out early. So I am trying to use this week for things I don't usually get to do. Like paint ,and hopefully move furniture ! I hope to have it changed and tidy by the time he comes back home . I would love to have the front bath painted too but I would not want to over-plan . Then I might crash and burn ! :-( Yea,it's happened before!
I had a classic ADD moment. I was cleaning u the counter prepping to make the syrup . I had a partial bottle of wine on the counter. To make space I emptied the contents into a sobe bottle and stuck it in the fridge. Fast forward 6 hours .... I was putting lunch stuff away and espied the sobe bottle. I thought "yum" ! Spun the top and started to take a sip ....whew! glad I sniff everything first ! This is medicinal wine and not sweet at all so I'd have gagged or spewed it! LOL  I put it back in the fridge , to the back this time ! LOL
Better go , my jars should be ready for filling!
Blessings , Lora

9/11

I will never forget 9/11 .......

I was sitting at home , the kids were still in public school then. My husband had left his two way Nextel radio home. I heard my brothers voice chime in on the radio saying "HEY!" . I picked up and said "he left it at home today ,sorry" and it chirped again and he said "You got the tv on ? Turn the tv on" I started to ask why , I heard him say something about "plane" . I was speechless looking at part of a plane sticking out of a building I had only seen on post cards and news show back drops. The reporter was talking 90 miles a minuit . I was telling my brother some of what they were saying. I watched in horror as the 2nd plane crashed. I began to tell him about it. It took my mind several tries to comprehend this wasn't cinematography . That this was real. It was real people dying and panicking and running and screaming. As I was telling Loy all I could see and hear my husband called. We talked about if I should go get our children from school.The plane hit the pentagon . We talked about the possibility of Atlanta being a target. (we are less than 100 miles from there) Charlotte could be a target. We prayed. We heard about the plane that did not reach it's target. It was such an awful day . Such awful news that just kept coming in waves. I hope our country never forgets , I know I never will.
It is a bittersweet memory to me because I can so clearly remember hearing my brothers voice and our conversation. And this side of heaven I will never hear it again. And I surly miss the random phone calls asking for "Ms. Dictionary". Wave him over and give him a hug for me today plz Lord. :*)

Monday update

It is 8:30 now and I have gotten a bit of a second wind I guess . I have mostly cleaned off the other 1/2 of the kitchen and will scrub it down in a few mins . I had to find the surface of the counter. I forgot to take a picture . Poo. It would have been pretty impressive too.
I spent a couple hours (cumulatively) on Pinterest and then on to you-tube to find and watch Tuts on the mesh wreaths . In the process I found mesh garland that I instantly fell in LOVE with! I want to make  garland long enough to go on my outside railing . In fact I pretty much want to decorate NOW ! LOL ....Not that I am going to ! I will however be decorating in late October this year so as to be ahead of the game . With the extra large Thanksgiving we have and the baby due Christmas day ....I better hedge my bets ! ;-)
I have been multi-tasking and didn't even know it ! Out of desperation I plugged my phone into the laptop to USB charge. And a box popped up that VZ can check for updates...um...OK . Can you make the darn thing not freeze on Scramble . Thanks! LOL See I don't ask for much ! :-P

Yep, It's Monday !

The prince and I were called on to help out a guy in need. We took him to work while he is looking for a car. The only catch is he had  to be picked up at 3:30 am. I did go back to sleep for a couple hours and I felt great earlier. It's almost 6pm now and I am drag-g-g-g-ING!
I rejoined FLY lady because I needed some direction and motivation. This week they are in the Kitchen . To days mission is to scrub the counters. Let's just say I got 1/2 done. I am going to do the other 1/2 before bed but it has just been more than my brain can handle. I did unload and reload the dish washer and scrub the sink out . After my lack of motivation due to the migraine this weekend my poor sink was full to overflowing! I HATE that. That part felt really good to remedy! :-)
I love the new Fly-lady lite ! One email a day . Skim for pertinent info if that's all there is time for . Read the musings and testimonies if I can. No condemnation ,and by this I mean unopened email laring at me! Sigh ...I know , ridiculousness but that's how my brain works!
Mr Wonderful is on the road again. Fairly close this time . Which I like . I will miss him , we have kind of been tight here lately. It's a good thing!
We are still in purge mode . It is a lot slower that I would like . But I figure it is like losing weight ....it didn't get there quickly , it won't leave quickly either! I have been avoiding yard-sales (at least until we know baby's gender!) as to not drag more stuff home .
I have a wild hair to change the living room around . And I want to change the bedroom too ! When I am awake and energized enough! We shall see . I will try to remember to do some before and after pictures. :-) I so enjoy them on other peoples blogs . I just forget to do them here. :-/ Working on it !
Blessings all ! Lora

There have been so many days that I have thought...."oh,I should be blogging this!" and the moment escapes me . Mostly because I don't really care for android phone blogging. Sheesh....
So because of my fickleness it has , once again,been way too long since I have been on this blog!

Lately I have been finding it very theripudic to "empty my brain" onto a paper list so I can rest instead of having things vie for thought , memory and processing in my mind . (Especially as I am trying to fall asleep!) So I guess I could almost as easily do that here ! Hmmm....I'll think on that,
My last post was on how exausting weddings can be ! And now they have been married for almost a month ! :-)
It was a lovely wedding ! God was so kind in keeping the rain away for us. Many freinds were coming to the wedding and saying that it was raining at their house , just a few miles down the road. They did a different sort of reception , They asked guests to bring a dish to share and the recipe for that dish . And it was a rousing sucess! Who knew?! We had many people tell us it was their favorite wedding they had ever been to . It was outside,fairly casual. The "dinner on the grounds" reception was wonderful. Better than any catering company could have done ! 100 people brought their best dishes to share ! Not that I really got to eat any of it . Mother of the bride and all that. You understand , right ?
Anyway , after a month of wedding rush and the last week being wedding crush we got the lovely couple shipped off to the beautiful mountains of TN . They spent a lovely week doing nothing but what they wanted to! Hiking , shopping, sleeping in etc... Mean while back at home Mr Wonderful and I were cleaning up and corralling all the new brides left-overs to help make moving out easy on them when they returned . And we were also shifting into full speed ahead CAMP MODE!
I had craft shopping to do . Packing to do .  And plenty of planning and praying to do!
A scant two weeks later we were at Holiness Camp meeting ! Which,all glory to God, went well. Mr. Wonderful and I got along well and worked together well. We have 2 weeks living in an 18x 20 room with a small bathroom and dorm size fridge! With 2 weeks worth of clothes,craft supplies,food,snacks,coffee etc.... I brought the Keurig this year and we LOVED having it there! That and the bullet blender were the most used things we brought!
And ....Drum roll please...........................We are going to be grandparents! :-) I am so excited! She is due Christmas day ! We find out what the baby will be (we hope) in 3 weeks . I am trying to hod off on buying baby stuff until then but it sure is hard! I see so many cute things on CL and the FB yard sale groups!
SO ....you know I will certainly be posting more about baby as this thing rocks along ! LOL I already can't wait to hold him or her (general idea is leaning toward BOY) and wondering what this little one will look like . It's a real wild card ! Could be blond,red or dark! Hazel ,blue or brown! Seriously!
Better be off for now. I have several things to get done and none of them have got done with me on here !
Blessings! Lora

Weddings are exhausting ! Just saying! LOL
We are having a wedding shower for my beautiful daughter this Saturday . AND >>>> Ugh ! Just when I think I have things well in hand I remember yet another detail to attend to and panic mode ensue once again.
I have to wash the jars (rustic look) , Make the meringues , and cut up the cheese for a cheese tray. I have to go with a couple friends tomorrow and decorate the space at church . Not my fort'e ! I usually have my daughter help me with all my event decorating !LOL
I also have to get the icing ready for the cupcakes. :-) I am trying the hydrangea cupcakes I found on Pinterest. Ooooo.....wish me well ! Ha Ha! I made a box  mix of cupcakes so I could practice. They came out pretty well , except I forgot the step that makes the accents on the flowers. :-P
I am also making some little sausage bites I found on Pinterest. If they turn out well I will link the bogs they originated on here.
Have a great night y'all !

I saw lots of post about May Day on FB. Even some May Pole pictures...from Christians. We really do tend to be ignorant. Sigh....
Forgive it has been a "Sigh" sort of day. multiple reasons.
I think I will read a while instead of posting.
Good night blog-topia.

crazy days

Life seems to be crazy lately. My om was in the hospital with a suspected heart attack. After much worry and many tests the only thing they could figure was she was very dehydrated. She had suffered from a stomach bug the week before and just did not catch up. Scary stuff!
Several  our friends have lost parents lately. So there have been a lot of funerals. Lots of stress and sadness. Some were very unexpected. Fairly young people who seemed relatively healthy. It is often hard to understand!
I went out of  to visit a friend last weekend and support her in her first event at her new church. It was an amazing blend of fun frivolity and serious ministry. I met some new friends that I will love to say "hello" to when DH and I visit next.
Some exciting developments.....DD got her wedding dress! It is beautiful and I know she will  amazing. It was awesome in the fact that it as our first store and the 2d dress she tried on! She did try one other but went back to that one! The only glitch is to avoid paying a lot she will have to get 4 inch heels for the ceremony. we are hoping for comfortable shoes .... ha! Is that even possible? I do not like heels!
Blessings!
More soon I hope. :-)
Lora

Happy Valentine Day! :-) Best gift of all....I got to have my wonderful hubby home last night ! So I got a for real Valentines kiss this morning. We usually don't make the days that much with the "subject to change with-out notice" schedule around here but it was nice! (AND....rumor has it I'll get to have him home this weekend too!)
Since I have left this background up since last Valentine , maybe I should look to change it soon ...but I like it , so we'll see. LOL
Our dryer died this week ! ACK ! Gotta go look at some tomorrow. Wish I could have a fancy-schmancy front loader set but I have been told they probably would fare well in the garage where my laundry machines must live. SIGH....It's OK I'm too cheap frugal to make such a purchase anyway. I'll just get an extra large capacity used dryer that comes from a referb store and has a warranty .
I drove to NC last week end and really enjoyed it! Good friends and a great church service. It was allot of fun. It was also pretty stress-free since I borrowed my sons truck and it handled the mountain hills and strains so much better than my little 4 cyl wagon. Might be time for something else, I really like that little car, but I also really like being able to go where I need to !
I did find a place n NC I could bring the dogs along! :-) We are talking about doing a vacation up there and bringing the fur kids along! :-) YAY!
Better close out . Time to put the dogs out and make my evening phone call.

Blessings friends!

I want to start posting as I am learning about the Trim Healthy Mama. I just got my book Friday , so I am by no means full on board the plan yet. I registered at the forum a few weeks ago and had seen them on FB. I have been a Above Rubies reader for many years so I have seen snippets along the journey these lovely mamas have taken.
I started the day with a muffin in a mug , in the book and on the forum. I had decaf coffee with cream and coconut oil and a shake of cinnamon. It was very satisfying. I think next time I will pulse the mix in the Ninja/bullet . I did not grind my Flax quite enough so it was an extra chewy muffin. Tasty though!
I am hoping to read quickly and get under way. I can see if I meal plan this will be very doable for me. And I may get the kids to join in some. (they are grown,no worries) I think even my favorite pup will slim down a bit since the snippets she begs so cutely for will be healthier! LOL
I'll let you know as I go!

It seems like at least every other day I think of something I would like to blog. Then I get to the end of the day and I am out of time,energy and maybe words.
It has been a bit of a purging season around here. My car was needing repair and that was the catalyst for starting the garage.My wonderful hubby got off work on a fluke one day and came home and started moving stuff around and throwing stuff out. Our dear son got in on it and they did amazingly! They brought me several boxes and baskets to go thru. I found many pictures and cards. Some school books that I will get to donate. And a whole lot of junk. the crun was piled high.
A neighbor came by and asked if he could have somethings from the pile. Hubby said he was welcome to anything out there. We went away for a bit and came home to a pile reduced by about a third! It does seem to hold true that one man's junk is another man's treasure!
They did get my car fixed! Hallelujah! It needed a fuel pump. Serious stuff!

I finally got my new green curtains up! yeah! I really like them! I want to paint my stair banister to match it. I want to paint soon. I already have the paint. I am also contemplating painting my kitchen....yep,lots going on and even more going on in my head! . lol

 I suppose soon I will have to face down my master disaster...I mean bedroom. yeah...maybe one day!
Better go on to bed now,that thought wore me out. Go ahead and laugh...you haven't seen it! Maybe I will be brave and do some before and after pics. I always love those on other blogs!
blessings,Lora

It is January 2nd . Last night we lost a good friend. Angus was about 15 which I know is pretty old for a dog. I do know that . But it is still very sad. Especially to have to see your big 18 yo son crying his eyes out at the loss of his dearest fur-friend. They grew up together! We posted a pic on FB last night and asked for prayer. There is something comforting about knowing people are praying for you when the hard times come.

I look out at his house and bowls today with a heavy heart. I see the Blue Jays coming and calling out to each other from the trees. And I smile a little remembering how he would just lay and watch them come eat his left over dry food. We wondered sometimes if he left food for them because he enjoyed their company . He was sweet natured and just an all around good dog. Brindle coat and big square pit-bull head. He was a rescue . A lady found his litter in a pasture and was giving them away at a Memorial Day festival. We already had 2 dogs and I thought my hubby was crazy for getting a puppy. But in retrospect I am glad he did ! He was a good dog and We loved him well for 14 long years. He is the last dog from before we got saved. What a sweet old guy . We will all miss him!