Miss Thang!!!

I hope I don't gross anyone out by these pictures, but wanted you to see just what I am dealing with...and this in not all of it....whew!!



So forgive me for not posting more this week but I have been so miserable. The only thing I could think about was how could I get to that itch and how fast could I scratch!!! It has been almost 2 weeks of this STUFF!! I worked last night, just got off and now unable to sleep sooooo I thought maybe I could blog a little. I took a stroll in my back yard to try to get some pictures of all the flowers blooming. The azaleas are so pretty.




We have had so much rain and suppose to have more today so the azaleas will not be pretty much longer. You will not believe what Lucy did!!! There is a little creek at the edge of our back yard, running across the entire back yard. When there is alot of rain really hard and fast the water will back up into the lower part of the yard. Welllllll, through the years that has changed in that the water in now backing into the neighbors yard behind us.... she really is having a drainage problem and probably needs a retaining wall of some sort.


Her yard slopes down quite sharply....anyway, some one had tried to dam up the little creek with bricks, small pieces of wood, and little chunks of concrete.....Now you know that is not the answer to a drainage problem. I cannot say she is the guilty party but the neighborhood children have never tried to do this before. So, Miss Thang decided that needed to be removed....bending over I started to work to remove the dam that was built almost as good as a little beaver. As I bent over, you guessed it my camera fell into the creek....now mind you I would have rather fallen into the creek than to have lost my camera....I was jumping around like a rabbit trying to retrieve it, almost in tears I ran inside to remove the battery and attempt to dry it out. The azalea pictures were taken before the fall. The creek picture were taken after being water logged. A little cloudy, don't you think. So far, it has spit and sputtered, turned itself on and off like magic, but I have managed to take a few more pictures. Nothing has exploded, I haven't gotten shocked, my computer isn't smoking. My hair is still lying flat on my head!! HA!!! That would be a total disaster not to have pictures for my blog.....although, mmmmmmmmmm that would be a great excuse to buy a super duper....NIKON D90 with all the bells and whistles......thinkin.....or maybe not....sure would take some awesome pictures of those babies now wouldn't it???? So, I guess I should have just left things alone....but guess what, in all the excitement....I got relief from all the itching......YES!!!!!

Oh, but she is Cruel

Oh, she is cruel!! As you know from my earlier blog, I worked in my yard this past weekend. I enjoyed trimming, clipping, mulching....not knowing SHE was there. The next day SHE began to exhibit her presence.......blisters and rash covering numerous body parts. The culprit.....her name???? POISON IVY!!!!!
The past 3 days and 2 nights have been most miserable. I have itched and scratched and scratched and itched....all those body parts until layers of skin are all but gone. I feel I am going MAD!!! Last night I think I took about 5 Benadryl all throughout the night....still itching and scratching...not much help. I am also using Triamcinolone acetonide cream which has helped some. The working definition of itching from a standard dermatology textbook is "a sensation that causes a desire to scratch". Fair enough, why does itch and scratching feel so good? Scratching an itch provides only temporory relief and unfortunately leads to more itching . I think this would be called the itch-scratch-cycle which only makes matters worse. Whatever....I will leave you with this thought-----if you have an itch by all means scratch like there is no tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!

Newest Project

This is the fabric that came in the mail today. I was so excited. Can you guess why??? Lucy and Ethel...you get it?? HA!! I am trying to decide what I will make. I am thinking I will make matching APRONS for Ethel and myself. Don't you think that will be fun? Do you have any suggestions or fresh ideas?

I entered a giveaway offered on aprongoddesses.blogspot.com...you should check it out, mmmm or maybe not!! HA!

I am so tired today I can hardly move. We worked in the yard all weekend. It certainly looks better. I was so glad to get out. I know everyone seems to be excited about spring. I love the bursting forth of blooms and fresh cut grass...minus the pollen. Here in the south everything is covered with a yellow-green dusting...yuck...but suppose to rain this week and hopefully wash it all away. Enough rambling. YA'LL have a great week!!!

Shop Til U Drop

Shop 'Til you drop describes the last two days with my mom. The last few years she has been the caregiver to my step-father. He was recently placed in a nursing home/rehab due to his decrease in function. I wanted to spend some time with her so I drove down for a couple of days. We had SO much fun....I cannot remember the last time we had time together like this. We shopped, ate-out, visited the nursing home,had pedicures, shopped...did I say shopped? It has been a very long time since she has had any "me" time. We bought clothes, bought some jewelry,
had pedicures.
We even got "new dos".


NO, not this!!





















Now this one is CUTE!!



It was totally a couple of "girl"days. We went to bed when we wanted, got up when we wanted, ate when we wanted, laughed and talked about everything. Overall, it was an awesome visit....promise to do more often.....until next time.

Happy St.Patty's Day

HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY



This one is for the BOYS in my life!!!

HERE COMES DA "POE-POE" AGAIN

Well, I think the "poe-poe" is after all the women in this family. Mom called me yesterday on her way to the nursing home and told me she had been stopped. She also got the "speech" and dodged the bullet. Whew! She said she was listening to the Gaithers on her CD player and did not realize she was speeding. As we say in the south, BLESS HER HEART!!!

Papa Charlie is doing well in the nursing home. Mom has spoiled him through the years so it is really an adjustment.

The boys are growing so much. They go next week for 4 month check-up.



We love Dad's camo rocker recliner.....You see who is the BOSS, don't you?






Go dawgs!! Mississippi State University basketball WON 64-61 over University of Tennessee in the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship game on Sunday. Congratulations MSU for a job well done.

What We've Learned in the South

WHAT WE'VE LEARNED IN THE SOUTH

-A possum is a flat animal that sleeps in the middle of the road
-There are 5,000 types of snakes and 4,998 of them live in South
-There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 of them live in South
-If it grows, it'll stick ya. If it crawls, it'll bite cha
-It is not a shopping cart, it's a buggy
-People actually grow and eat okra
-There is no such thing as 'lunch.' There is only dinner and then there is supper
-Iced tea is appropriate for all meals, and you start drinking it when you're two. We do like a little tea with our sugar
-Backwards and forwards means, 'I know everything about you'
-You don't have to wear a watch, because it doesn't matter what time it is. You work until you're done or it's too dark to see
-You don't PUSH buttons, you MASH EM
-You measure distance in minutes
-You switch from heat to A/C in the same day
-The local papers cover national and international news on one page, but require 6 pages for local gossip and high school football
-You think that the first day of deer season is a national holiday
-You find 100 degrees Fahrenheit 'a bit warm'
-You know all four seasons: Almost summer, summer, still summer, and Christmas
-You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as good chili weather

Confession is Good for the Soul

Confession is good for the soul or so they say. Now Ethel, you must remember just because someone does not confess does not mean it didn't happen. So, here is how it went down. I also got "stopped" about a month ago by the "poe-poe". I left home is a big hurry on my way to "get my hair done" (that's another story for another time). My SIL doesn't like to ride with me in the city because I can reach my destination in about 1/2 the time she could. HA! tee-hee!!....So, I'm truckin along on a side road and as I topped the hill the "powers that be" had installed a red light and had also reduced the speed limit....whew! I got the green light and zoomed on through, just as I rounded a curve there "he" sat in his little patrol car on the median. As I passed my heart skipped a beat, respirations increased, the ole "fight or flight" response sat in OMG---Now what???? I eased on down the hill..no lights....or so I thought. I then looked in the rear view mirror and there he came like an old dog after a bone! He still had not flipped the lights on so "self thought"...we are home free on this one.....NOT.....there went the lights!!!!!!! FULL ARREST!!!!!! blood pressure sky rocketed, respirations increased (more like hyperventilation), sweating, clammy!!! I pulled over prepared to get the speech frantically searching the glove compartment for proof of insurance unable to find that little card....seems we get a new one every month.... Yes, I knew I was speeding, yes I was in a hurry, yes, YaYa knew better. By the time the officer got to my window I was shaking like a leaf trying to figure out what I was going to say and remind myself to keep quiet. I suppose he felt sorry for this ole granny!! HA!!! cause all I got was "the talk"...no ticket!!! I could just see myself peeping from behind bars!!! HA!!!!

Moral of this story....just because you say it doesn't make it so/ or just because you DON"T say it doesn't mean it didn't happen......is that clear????? I know what I mean anyway!!! HA!!!!!

God Still Answers Prayer

My mother and step-father have been in the VA hospital for 3 weeks. He went in with pneumonia but is also in renal failure and on dialysis three days per week. My mom has taken care of him for the past 6 years or so. It has gotten to the point she is no longer able to provide the amount of care he needs. She has cried and worried so much. While there the doctors drained fluid from this lungs and in the process puncture his lung thus requiring a chest tube to be placed. Yesterday the "doctors" came in and removed the tube telling my mother they were preparing to discharge....mind you he is so weak he cannot lift a straw. She became so upset....well need I tell you when God does something He does it well. In a matter of a couple of hours it was all settled. Arrangements have been made for him to go to a nursing home that is near home and will provide transportation to dialysis. It is also the nursing home his grand-daughter works in as a speech therapist. He will also be able to have physical therapy to try to get some strength back. Please pray for him and Mom that God will continue to strengthen them and give them peace.

A Kept Woman...........................

I Am a 'Kept ' Woman?
You see, there were a few times when I thought I would lose my mind,
But GOD kept me sane. (Isa. 26:3)
There were times when I thought I could go no longer,
But the LORD kept me moving. (Gen 28:15)
At times, I've wanted to lash out at those whom I felt had done me wrong,
But the LORD kept my mouth shut.. (Psa. 13)
Sometimes, I think the money just isn't enough,
But GOD has helped me to keep the lights on, the water on, the car paid, the house paid, etc.., (Matt. 6:25 -34)
When I thought I would fall, HE kept me up.
When I thought I was weak, HE kept me strong! (I Pet. 5:7, Matt. 11:28-30)
I could go on and on and on, but I'm sure you hear me!
I'm blessed to be 'kept '

Self Portriats

Ethel sent me a picture of herself last week. I thought maybe she would share it with everyone....so since she didn't I felt it my obligation........Ain't she cute??? HA!!!

Of course, I would know nothing about all these activities she is into as they would likely come from someone much older than myself !!! tee-hee....

Happy Anniversary Ethel and Fred!!!!!

P.S. I woke up to snow outside my window this morning but was unable to whip out the old camera as I had to "hurry it up" and get to work!! Sorry for not posting snow pictures. Snow is so rare for central MS that we go a little nuts when it does !!! Forgive us for being SILLY!!!!!!!!!!!!! We love to have some fun!!!!!