My Simple Life - Friday Fragments

I worked in the yard for hours yesterday.
It has rained so much lately that we couldn't mow or anything else, it was way too wet.  But finally it's dried up enough for us to get some work done.  And we did.  And now I am sore!  I moved rocks like a weightlifter, push-mowed, and weeded, and I am old.  And tired.  But - the lawn looks great!

This dragonfly flitted around us all day as we worked.
Finally I held my hand out, and he let me hold him for a while.

Things grow so nicely here.  My gardenia plant is already blooming, and gardenias can be difficult to grow.  I got some Mexican petunia from a friend a few weeks ago, but I didn't plant it right away and it was looking kind of sad by the time I planted it (she just pulled some of hers up for me).  But I planted it anyway and now it looks fantastic!  My jasmine is climbing up the tree it's planted by and is literally as tall as me.
I am also starting a rock garden.  I dug up rocks and found pieces of flint and shells.  I think it's a good start.

Once it got dark, I made a fire in my fire pit, turned on my fairy lights, and kicked back with a cold beverage or three.  I love my simple life.

I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday while driving down our dirt road.  Her husband is in the ICU, very ill.  While talking to her, I looked over my shoulder and saw this double rainbow.
It didn't rain here yesterday - at all.
I truly believe it was a sign and told my friend about it!  I had chills.  We decided it was a double rainbow so that there was one for each of us.  Good things are coming!

I took this on our dirt road the other day for an Instagram photo prompt.
It was so pretty I wanted to share it here.

At the hospital where I work, there is a large duckpond.
So it's not unusual to encounter ducks while walking in or out.
It is unusual, however, to encounter ducks trying to walk INTO the hospital!
What a couple of quacks!

Visit Friday Fragments at it's Summer Home!

And have a wonderful weekend.

Cancer Sucks, Friends Rock. {PYHO}

Cancer sucks.

Having a friend with cancer sucks. 

Having a friend whose son has cancer sucks. 

Having your daughter's boyfriend having cancer sucks. 

Having a friend whose husband has cancer sucks.

But somewhere in all of that cancer suckage, there is a little ray of sunshine.

It started with an idea of mine. I decided to create a Zazzle store to sell products and raise money for Dusty, our family friend/my daughter's boyfriend, who is fighting T-cell lymphoma.
Now to say that I am not a graphic artist is a huge understatement, but I made a very simple design with a lime green ribbon to symbolize lymphoma, and added the words "My Hero is Fighting Lymphoma - Praying for Dusty Thomas." I placed the image on several products and shared the store.

And that's when the ray of sunshine showed up, in the form of my friend Amy.

Amy lives in Canada and is one of my BBFs - Best Blog Friends. She and I have been through a LOT together and she has been a wonderful support for me. In an effort to cheer me up during a dark time, she even did my beautiful blog design!

Now, unfortunately, we have another connection - Amy's husband Ken is also fighting lymphoma. 

And that sucks.

He is getting treatment in another town, so much of the time, Amy is taking care of their two very young sons on her own, while working and dealing with having a husband with cancer. 

But not long after I posted the link to my Zazzle store on Facebook, I got a comment from Amy, offering her amazing design skills to create more (and WAY better, although she is far too kind to say that) designs for products to raise money for Dusty - a kid in Florida whom she's never met.

I flipping love this girl!!!!  She is kind, giving, caring and selfless. And amazingly talented. 

She made this offer purely out of goodness and friendship, not for recognition or praise. Just to help me help Dusty.  But she will certainly get recognition and praise from me because she is truly inspirational.

The world needs more people like Amy.

I would love for you to visit my zazzle store and look at Amy's artwork. If you would like to order something to help out Dusty and his family during his cancer treatment, well, I would love that even more. 

make custom gifts at Zazzle

Pouring my heart out with Shell at Things I Can't Say 

10 Things of Thankful

It's time to be thankful again!

1. I am thankful that my Mama made chocolate delight for my husband's birthday dessert, because I am enjoying the leftovers right now.  Mmm-mmm, good!

2. I am thankful that my whole family and hubby's whole family got together Friday night to celebrate his birthday.  We had a great time!

3. I am thankful for one friend who is doing something fantastic for my extended family.  I will elaborate on that later.  ;-)

4. I am thankful for HOT showers.  Most days I just jump in and jump out with little thought.  But have you ever had one of those showers that just feels amazing?  The other day, I woke up sore and crampy and crabby.  I was hurting and stiff and had sheet-wrinkles all over me.  I stumbled into a hot shower and came out feeling a million times better.  Thank you, Hot Shower.

5. Thankful for Tums, because my tummy is currently not very happy about my late night snacking as mentioned in #1.

6. I am thankful for modern technology.  I ordered a frame for my dad for Fathers Day; it's a wooden frame that says We <3 Papa and then has my kids' names all over it.  It's really cool.  Anyway, yesterday at Byron's mom's house, I took a picture of my dad with my three kids and then was able to print it right there at his mom's house with her printer (I brought my own photo paper so I was only mooching her ink).  I just LOVE that we are able to do that; I was born in the 1970's so I am old enough that modern technology really amazes me.

7. I am thankful for these sweet boys.  They were very closely watching me eat breakfast.  They don't beg, they just watch.  Very intently.  And Patchy, the one in the back?  He drools.

8. I am thankful that I was able to un-clog our vacuum cleaner with a wire hanger and a lot of hard work.  Because I am Superwoman!  And this Superwoman likes a clean floor.

9. I am thankful for Summer.  It's my favorite.

10. I am thankful that I am co-hosting Medical Mondays in two days!!  Be sure and come back to visit!

Get Your Frag On

Once again, I am EXTREMELY glad that it is Friday.  Like, so glad I could kiss the calendar.

School's out for Summer.  Happy about that as well!

We had a really good time on Thursday evening.  Byron and I and all of my kids went to my parents' house for dinner.  My son's friend Nic also came along.  AND...my Mother-in-Law came!  This was her first time visiting my parents' house.  We had BBQ ribs and baked potatoes (cooked by me), yellow and zucchini squash (cooked by Shelbie), and a delicious strawberry dessert (made by my Mama).
I love how my mom and MIL hit it off so well.  They are peas in a pod.  They even like the same BIZARRE snack - a banana sandwich.  WITH MAYONNAISE.  *GAG*

Tim's friend Nic and my parents' dog, Ace

I haven't been thrifting in FOREVER and we're planning on going tomorrow.  YAY!
Then I get to see my Hayleigh-girl, and Byron and my Dad are planning on going fishing.
That should be....interesting.

OK, sorry for the short frags but I'm dozing off and having dreams of monkeys in hospital beds.  I'm not even kidding.

Have a great weekend!

Sunday Funday ~~ SIMC

We had a super fun weekend.  

We went to my Mother-in-Law's house,
and went to church with her on Sunday,
and my Mama came over for a visit on Saturday.
It was a very productive weekend;
we got a lot done BUT had a lot of fun too.

I had my first fire in my new fire pit.  Loved it!

It is so relaxing to me to sit by a fire.

My MIL has flowers blooming all over her yard,
in pots and planted in the ground.
It's so pretty.

And these, of course, just pop up wherever they want.

Watch out for Gators!

Elayna has always been scared to go down the slide.
In this picture, she was contemplating the situation.....

And in this one....she finally did it!

This is Elayna with her friend, who spent the night with us Saturday night.
This is the only pic I took of them together.
Lovely shot, no?

I also didn't get any pics of the other kids, who were all there today.
Woops.

And this is our Bo.
I think he's awake but ignoring me.
We washed all of the dogs this weekend,
 so they're all fresh and sassy now.

Hope you enjoyed your weekend!

SIMC: Still in my Jammies Edition

I must say it's been a wonderful Sunday!

I woke up to noises in the kitchen.  I walked in to find my daughters saying "Dang it!  We were trying to surprise you and bring you breakfast in bed!"  I stayed up and helped very minimally as they made scrambled eggs, bacon, and cinnamon rolls.  Delicious!

Then, the girls, Hunter, and I bathed all three dogs.  I'd been procrastinating about this task for ages but it wasn't bad at all; they did so well and I am loving having three CLEAN dogs.

Patchy, the old man

Bo, the young whippersnapper

Mackenzie, the bossy little girl

The weekend has been as good as we planned.  Yesterday after the baseball game (which the kids' school won, 10-2), Hunter's mom and her best friend came over for dinner.  I gave his mom a copy of the photo of I took of the swamp here on our property (the one Unknown Mami insisted that I display!).  I also put mine in a frame and hung it on the wall.  I love it, and so did H's mom and her friend!

(beside one of SIX deer heads
 that adorn our living room
walls.)

Hope y'all are having a great weekend too!!

Quick Frags

I totally made a typo on that subject line at first.
A very offensive typo.

Its not my fault.  Today I treated myself; I got my hair, eyebrows, and nails done (love making a itty bitty bit of money off of my blog!).  Darn nails are making me type things I have NO intention of typing!

this is pre-eyebrow-wax. ignore the caterpillars.

I deleted my Blog Facebook page today.  I doubt anyone even noticed; I rarely even log on there, much less post or interact in any way.  I may put a blog page on my personal Facebook.  Not quite sure yet.  If you want to find me on my personal FB, I'm not hard to find at all.

I really, truly appreciate the kind and non-judgmental support that I've received from all of you regarding the divorce and Hunter and all that good stuff.  I have made some wonderful relationships via this blog and I appreciate them!

We have a fun, friend/family filled weekend planned.  Tonight my best friend, Danielle, came over and saw my new home for the first time.  I LOVED visiting with her.  Tomorrow Hunter's mom is coming over and we're all going to Hunter's son's baseball game.  Sunday my niece and her family are coming over.  All of this adds up to a pretty perfect weekend for me!

Hope yáll have a good one too!!

 

Sweet Baby Cakes

I really can't imagine a better day than out at a park, celebrating the very first birthday of the sweetest baby on earth, with almost all of my favorite people in the whole world.

While other parts of the country were battling a blizzard (with the ridiculous name of Nemo....seriously?), we were blessed with a beautiful day.  Sunny, clear, and mild.  The party was held outside at a park, so we were very thankful for the gorgeous weather!  I love my Sunshine State.

I absolutely LOVE this cake!
And it was yummy, too.

Hayleigh is SO loved.  My children absolutely adore her.

Snuggles with Shelbie!

I LOVE to watch Tim with Hayleigh.
They love each other so much!

He bought her this Eeyore toy for her birthday.
How sweet is my kid?!

Hayleigh and Elayna played with leaves together.

Hayleigh walked all over the place,
holding hands with some little friends.

The quintessential first birthday pic.
She devoured her cake! 

Hayleigh and her Mama, Heather
I LOVE this pic because they both look SO happy!

We gave her a Hello Kitty bubble blowing machine
for her birthday.
It was VERY windy so the bubbles blew away quickly,
but she still had fun with them!

Hug Your Mama

I mentioned a few weeks ago that my best friend Danielle was getting married for the fourth time.

A little background - Danielle has been my best friend since I was about 15 years old.

November 2012

 For her whole life, she was passed around from relative to relative.  Her "mother" could never be bothered to take care of her.

She's the only child that Jeanette had (thank God) and apparently the woman possesses no maternal instinct. Danielle was raised by, at various times, both grandparents, an aunt, her father, and probably a few others.
Jeanette (I can't even call her "mother" except for explanation purposes) has always been in and out of Danielle's life.  I don't think she ever lived with her except as a baby.  At times Danielle has tried to walk away and cut her out of her life, but she can never bring herself to tell Jeanette no when she comes crawling back and begging Danielle to have a relationship with her.

The last falling-out was probably the worst.  Jeanette literally told Danielle that she hated her.  And I am not just being biased when I say that Danielle is truly one of the most wonderful people I know.  There are many others who would say the same thing, and I am proud to call her my best friend and someone who ALWAYS has my back.

But after a few months, maybe even a year, Jeanette came crawling back once again and Danielle gave her YET ANOTHER chance to be in her life.  They have spent time together and have been working on rebuilding their relationship.

For Danielle's wedding last Saturday, Jeanette was to light Danielle's side of the unity candle and bring devilled eggs for the reception.
The wedding was supposed to start at 3pm.  Danielle's hair and makeup took longer than expected so we were running behind.

Right around 3pm, someone came in and very gently informed Danielle that Jeanette was not there yet.  She was supposed to be there early for a quick run-through 'rehearsal'.  Not only did she not make it early, obviously, but she wasn't even there when the wedding was supposed to start.

that's me in the corner

Between hair, makeup, and trying to keep Danielle from having a meltdown...the wedding didn't start until 4pm.
Jeanette still wasn't there.

She never showed up.  Turns out the night before, she'd went on a drinking and drug binge.  Her boyfriend didn't even know where she was.  Clearly that was more important to her than showing up for her one and only child's wedding.

It frustrates me that Danielle keeps letting Jeanette into her life, and giving her the power to hurt her.  BUT at the same time - I can't IMAGINE how much it hurts for your own Mother not to truly care about you.  My mom and I have had a few issues here and there, but I know that she loves me unconditionally and would NEVER be a no-show at any important event in my life.

Throughout the ceremony, as happy as I know Danielle was, I could see the pain in her eyes, and I just hurt for her.  I don't care if its a fourteenth wedding - it's her DAUGHTER.  If she says she's going to be there, she should be there - PERIOD.  If she didn't want to come for whatever reason, she should have told her that in advance - not ruined her wedding by causing her pain just before the ceremony began.

Danielle and her very lucky husband

So if you have a mom who would never do such a hurtful thing to you - be thankful.
Not everyone is so lucky.

Five Years.

 

 Yesterday while browsing through my reader, I noticed a post in which someone mentioned it was their Blogiversary.  I thought to myself, ya know, I think mine is coming up sometime soon.  So I decided to check....and it was YESTERDAY.  As in, the day I checked WAS my Blogiversary!  Yesterday was five years since the day I published my very first blog post.
How weird is that?!  I wanted to post right away, but I'd already blogged yesterday and too much of a good thing is not necessarily a good thing.  Like Mexican food, for example.

Anyway.
I have been blogging for FIVE years.  I have published 933 posts.  That's a lot of silliness, a lot of journaling, and a lot of pouring out my soul in this, my little space in the world wide web.  So much has changed in those five years that it's mind-boggling.

I have shared a lot here.  Maybe sometimes too much.  On the flip side, there is a lot that I haven't shared here, and maybe never will.  And that's okay too.  This space is mine.  What I do with it is up to me.

I love to write.  I wish I could devote more time to writing.  I've posted a lot of stuff that was just journaling, listing what we did that weekend or what was going on in our lives.  I've done a lot of fun, silly memes and hops.  But I've done some real writing here, and I'm proud of that.

I've made some wonderful friends.  Some that I met early on and am still friends with, some who drifted off throughout the years.  Some who I miss and wonder what is going on in their lives now.  Some who I've met in real life, some who I very much want to.  Some who have been there for me in some dark times, and whom I love even though I've never actually seen them in person.  I talk about them to other people and refer to them as "my friend in California" or "my friend in Texas".  Because they are my friends, true friends.  It's crazy to know that someone in Canada is thinking of you and wishing you well.  But it's true and it's real, and it's all because of blogging.

I must say, the blogger that has impacted me the most is Hallie from Wonderful World of Wieners.  She lost her beloved son CJ, and I honestly don't think a day goes by that I don't think of both her and CJ.  I hurt for her, I worry about her, I think of her, and I remember CJ.

I've drifted away from here a few times, but never really left.  I feel like I'll always need this place to express myself and I hope I always have it.
I've never been to a conference.  I rarely log on to Twitter.  (I do love me some Pinterest though - hit me up!)  I rarely check my stats and don't really get SEO and branding and all of that stuff.  But I'm still proud of my little spot in the interwebz.

Thank you for coming by!  Here's to five MORE years.

Photo by Shelbie

Fall Good Times

photo courtesy of Elayna & Picmonkey

We had SUCH a good weekend.  Nothing spectacular, just FUN.
And yeah, I understand that it's Fall where you are.  We LOVE Fall here too.  In theory.  In reality, around these parts, Fall happens for about 5 minutes in October.  So we're still enjoying lovely warm temperatures down here!

{Layna kidnapped my phone and took a bunch of pictures - mostly self-portraits.  

So this post is dedicated to Elayna!}

Friday night we had movie night at home.

Saturday we watched the Gator game (we WON!  Go Gators!!), swam, and ate BBQ with some friends.

On Sunday, we went to another friend's house and hung out at the lake, laughed our butts off, and ate bacon-wrapped venison cooked on the grill.  Amazing.

{She is looking SO grown up.  *sniff, sniff*}

idk what's going on with my hair here.
it has a mind of its own. 

Mostly we laughed & laughed & laughed.  One of the funniest moments of the weekend:

The girls are sitting in the back of the truck.  They're playing punch-buggy and "banana", which is where you punch the other player if you see a yellow vehicle.  (I'm convinced these games were created by sadistic siblings.)
So at one point Elayna says "Do school buses count?"
And I said:
"If so, I'll drive by the School Board bus yard and y'all can beat the CRAP out of each other!"

Good times!  Hope y'all had a good weekend too.

"You better REDNECK-OGNIZE!!"