Good morning, Suzanne! It's 89 F. here so far, but it won't get a lot warmer because we're due for a big storm later today.

That arbor picture is so peaceful looking. You're going to reap what you sow with your own one day!

My weekend was nice. A girls' day out on Saturday to celebrate Susanne's 60th birthday - good fun, good food, good fellowship! Then, that evening, dinner and cards with some of the same women and our husbands. Yesterday was Sunday School and church, then a day of rest!

Wishing everyone a mellow Monday!

HAPPY MONDAY!!!!!!!!!

What a beautiful weekend. The weather cooperated and the water was warm. I spent hours in the surf and the sun. On the way home, I could barely talk because we spent 2 1/2 days yakking! Fun, fun, fun. It was so special because we spent some time talking 2 of my aunts that we lost since our last outing (my cousins' moms). Sad, happy, reflective....great weekend!

Back to work, but wanted to wish you all that this week has to offer!

Dee

It is sooooooooooooo HOT!....and sticky!

Happy Monday!

Suzanne, that arbor is beautiful - you will truly enjoy yours.

Milkdud, glad you had a good weekend.

Dee, glad you had a wonderful time in Wildwood! Your weather was absolutely perfect and it sounds like your company was too - the best possible combination. Talking about those we love and miss is the best therapy isn't it?

Besh, today was hot and sticky here too....supposed to be the same throughout the week.

Everyone take care...stay cool...stay safe.

Donna

Hi Guys!

I took a quick trip to Alaska---that's where I am now. I'll be back tomorrow. I've driven up and down the state and covered lots of miles to try to see the 3 sisters and parents I have here. It's been a whirlwind, but very satisfying to have a break from the tightly wound spring I live inside! I took my 2 oldest DDs with me. When we arrive back in Seattle, I'll drive over the mountains and drop one off at college. Her summer went by quickly!

I get back to the rock on Wednesday night and in-laws (father and mother, aunt and uncle) arrive on Saturday for a week-long visit. Hope DH kept the house picked up whilst I was gone!

NSuzanne--The arbor is going to be WONDERFUL! Your property must be lovely with the livestock, clearing, and nice vegetation you've been maintaining! It's nice to have beautiful surroundings and fun to know that it's you're building sweat equity into your real estate!

Well, heaven only knows how long this internet connection will hold up, but I wanted to check in and say HI! Talk to you guys on Thursday! Smoochies!

Good Tuesday all,

BJ!! I can see you now zooming all over the northwest! Have a safe trip.

It's hot and humid here too! Last time I dared to look it was 96! Now that is hot for a place with tons of trees so I am feeling the pain for all you city dwellers. This would be a perfect day to be by a lake or at the beach but they would all be so crowded it wouldn't be much fun!

Raeanne, I am thinking of you and your upcoming chair auction. If you don't have the chance to check in I wish you the best of luck. It's a winner already.

Stay cool everyone.

Good afternoon, friends!

BJ, always good to hear from you. You do blow and go, don't you! I'm sure that your DDs had a blast hanging out with you, even if it does end in dropping off one of them for school at the end.

Suzanne, it's been thundering and lightning around here all day long, but nothing's happening yet. Over in Beaumont, though, they were hit with a tornado that ripped part of the roof off their Kohl's and their Walmart about an hour ago. The tv station interrupted Dr. Phil to show video of the damage. Holey Smokes! My son said that it was the first non-hurricane related tornado to hit Beaumont.

Hubby is coming home early so that we can go to the bank and get our signatures notarized on our updated wills, etc. Watch it pour down rain when we get there! My life is kind of the Morton's salt logo: when it rains, it pours!

Raeanne, good luck on the chair auction. I'd really love to be there and bid on that darling cow chair!

Besh and Donna, sending you cooling wishes for the rest of the week. Around here, we'll get temps like this into late October, so I just have to grin and bear it, but it must be rough on those who are used to delightful weather.

Dee, happy for you that your weekend was so good. We all need those now and then.

I just brewed a pot of green tea, so I'll end now and wish everyone a terrific Tuesday!

Good Wednesday,

Milkdud, they showed pictures of Beaumont on the news this morning! Holy cow. I am glad you and your family are okay! Such a strange thing when no one even saw it coming.

Still very hot here but I won't complain because it's going to be a long winter! LOL We are serving watermelons by the dozen here this week to the chickens......it's great heat relief for them. This year a watermelon is $8-9 each!! Can you believe that?

Besh, I hope you are able to get out on the boat. It's got to be the best way to beat the heat.

Hope everyone has a great day and takes the time to check in here.

I am taking a break from preschool and just chilling today. The new director and I have been spending hours and hours planning the new school year. I am having trouble turning my mind off when I want to relax. I go to bed thinking preschool and I wake up thinking preschool. In some ways I am up for the challenges that this year will bring and sometimes I think I just want to crawl into a nice comfortable hole and hibernate!

Change is good though, right?

NHSuzanne - Your arbor sounds like a little bit of heaven. An oasis among the vines! I too noticed that watermellon wasn't cheap. I like to buy a 1/4 of a melon at a time, since it is just DH and I and I was shocked at the prices. Eating healthy isn't cheap these days.

Raeanne - I don't think I ever told you that my brother and my SIL decided to camp somewhere near Lake George when they went to visit my niece. The accomadations were a little "steep" according to my brother. LOL But I just talked to him and they had a great time and said Lake George was beautiful. They kayaked, so I thought of you.

DeeMarie - Sounds like your "Wild" weekend was lots of fun.

Besh - Hot and humid here too. I am almost looking forward to fall.

BJ - Your are a whirlwind of activity as usual. It is hard to believe that your DD is already starting her second year of college. Where does the time go?

Donna - Did you say something about a remodel before?

Milkdud - Keeping my fingers crossed for you and Jan that the hurricane season is mild this year. Mother Nature can be so beautiful and so scary at the same time. I have only seen one tornado and that was from a distance of about 6 miles. When I was in Lafayette, LA last year, DD and I were driving into some black, black rolling clouds. It was the eeriest thing I have seen. We turned around immediately and headed the other way. It turned out to be some wicked thunderstorms but I really thought I was witnessing the beginnings of a tornado.

I had better get off this computer and get some things done around this house. I have been ignoring things for too long.

QOD - What are some ways that you "clear your mind" when you want to relax? In other words, how can I stop obsessing about things. LOL Doctor says I need to stay stress free. Easier said than done.

Later,
Marci

Good morning.

Marci, wish I could help you relax. My neighbor/walking buddy has the same problem as you. A good hot bath, working in the yard, reading a book are ways that help me. I don't know if I could drink the warm milk, which many suggest - gag.

Thanks for the well wishes regarding a mild hurricane season. August 16th was the 40th anniversary of Camille, which devastated the Mississippi Gulf Coast before Katrina did. I appreciate reading the history, but it still puts a knot in my stomach, which stays there until November!

When I was 16, we were in a bad tornado in Jackson, MS - it was named The Candlestick Park Tornado, because it flattened Candlestick Park shopping center down the street from our house. Ernest Hemmingway's granddaughter wrote a book about it, "A World Turned Over." She had moved away shortly before the tornado hit. Lucky her. Both of our parents were still at work. My older sister threw us all under the kitchen table before the tornado blew over our house. The skies literally turned green, and our house seemed to "groan" as the storm tried to lift it from its foundation. It was an F-5 tornado, 52 people killed, 500 injured, and the swath was over 200 miles long. Pretty traumatizing, especially for my younger siblings. I really thought it was the end of the world.

Hurricane Bill looks like a doozy - hopefully, it will eventually go back out to sea and not cause anyone harm.

Suzanne, your grape arbor is going to be beautiful, and a wonderful place to relax. Marci, maybe you need to build an arbor!

BJ, I'm envious of you being in Alaska. Several of my neighbors have taken the Alaskan cruises and really enjoyed them. Although one of them said it was as hot there as it is here! Strange.

Have a good day, everyone!

Jan

Good afternoon from stormy, but not tornado-ish, Texas!

Suzanne, hard to believe that Beaumont made the national news, but it was news to them because they've never experienced a tornado in town without a hurricane causing one to spawn.

Marci, I used to eat/sleep/dream about starting back to school/setting up my room/doing all the things one does for preschool, too. It gets into your pores even!

Also, Marci, I got a lovely envelope from you today!!! It felt delightful and didn't disappoint. LOL I love the handmade card, the ME magnet, and the adorable notepad. I'm a Mary Engelbreight fan, so you chose just right for me. I told my scrapbook friend about your card and asked her to remind me to show it to her at cards Friday night because I thought it was so cute and clever. Many thanks, Marci for remembering my birthday!

I actually showed a weight loss (YES - me!) at TOPS today. My cruise buddy joined today, so it was nice for me to make a good showing for a change. LOL

Dinner tonight will be 'freezer surprise', something I had leftover and forgot to mark before freezing it. It looks pretty good so far, and hubby is a fairly good sport about surprises.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Wednesday!

Milkdud - Wow, that got there fast. I mailed it on Monday and figured maybe you'd have it by the weekend.
I found the ME stuff and it just reminded me of you. You are such a caring, giving person and I thought of you when I read some of her sayings.

I always feel like I couldn't hold a candle to "real" scrapbookers, but I did have fun making the card. Glad you liked it.

I think I have a few of those freezer surprises I should use up too. I did thaw something out once that I thought was chili. When I heated it up, it wasn't chili, but I also couldn't figure out what it really was. One taste and it went in the garbage! LOL

Later,
Marci

Marci, it's so hard when you can't turn your mind off. Jan gave some good suggestions - usually reading helps me relax. ((Hugs)) I know everything with school will be great. Yes, I am getting ready to remodel. I'm converting the garage to a family room with lots of storage and a gas fireplace, enlarging the kitchen and getting new counters, new sink and custom built island with cabinets. After that's all done I'm concreting my stone driveway. Oh yeah, also getting a shed to store the stuff from the garage. Just submitted the refinancing paperwork and waiting to hear..please keep your fingers crossed! The remodel will add not only much needed storage space but also much needed living space - the house will open up tremendously and the best part is it won't look like your typical garage conversion. I'm really excited!

Jan and Milkdud, many good thoughts, wishes and prayers for an uneventful hurricane season. I hope Bill blows himself back out to sea and fizzles away. Jan, you have sure had more than your fair share of devastating storms.

Milkdud, congrats on that loss! I don't know if I missed your birthday but if I did a belated happy wish it was fabulous.

Suzanne, it has been hot and humid hasn't it? Summer was late coming to the northeast but it sure is here with a vengence. I won't complain either, winter stays around way too long to suit me. I am definitely a warm weather girl (with a nice breeze, no humidity)! We had heat lightening and thunder last night but no rain.

Marci and Milkdud, I have some of those freezer surprises stored up too...no idea what they are so why did I freeze them???

The new season of Top Chef starts tonight at 9:00 and I'm watching. I've never started a season, I always come in mid stream and have no idea who anyone is or exactly what's going on. I annoy my sister when I keep asking :-)

Enjoy your evening and stay cool and safe.

Donna

Just wanted to pop in and say that our 'freezer surprise' was a nice surprise! It was a chicken stew I'd made back in April. I think it tasted better after 'setting up' (LOL) for a while.

Marci, thanks for the kind words about me. I'm just basically enjoying my new life here and it must be evident.

Yes, let's all keep good thoughts that the hurricane season is very uneventful. Too scary to consider otherwise.

Donna, how exciting that you're doing a home renovation. Keeping things crossed that you get your loan!

My DVR is set and ready to go for Top Chef tonight, but thanks for the reminder!

Off to bounce like Tigger for a while.

NH Suzanne~What a wonderful grape arbor. My grandparents had one. Actually Dave & I had one when we had a home.

Milkdud~Happy Belated Birthday.

Donna~Hope your renovation goes through without any snags.

BJ~Your Alaska trip sounds like so much fun.

Marci~I know those storms you are talking about. Been in many myself.

Jan~What a horrible experience as a child! We lived very close to a lake in the TX panhandle & tornadoes were always jumping over us. My Mom threw us in the bathtub & since I was the oldest I was always thrown in the bottom. I remember being in a panic & crying. She had to start taking us to someone's house with a storm shelter. I didn't do well with having other kids piled on top of me. LOL

Besh~Hot & sticky here too!

Dee~Glad you had a chance to get together with a few of your family members. Sorry that it was one less than you would have liked. :-(

I have felt like I'm having a relapse of the Fibro & CFIDS since we had that long trip this summer. I am on a new med & hoping that it is working. I'm going to try to scrap some today. I wanted to come by & let you know that I think of you every day. I hope you haven't forgotten all about me. Hold on to the good moments! Patti :-)

Good Thursday morning!

Patti, nice to see your post this morning. I hope your new med works and you're feeling fine soon!

FYI, my birthday isn't until next Monday, the 24th. But, I did get serenaded at my TOPS meeting yesterday which was so sweet. I sat there and thought how special it is that I now have friends to sing to me this year.

Today we're expecting more rain. It's cloudy and 88 F., but the weather changes fast at times, so we'll see. I have no errands to run, so I'll stay in and find things to do around here - especially playing on the computer. I'm grateful for the rain because we still need it after our summer without.

I'm siting here with Big Brother After Dark on in the background. How do those people manage to get me so involved year after year? This season's show has been the best just lately, so I'm loving it.

Hope everyone has the day they need!

Good morning.

I promise I will be short and sweet today. I read my post from yesterday and thought "Good grief." I sounded like Cliff from "Cheers" (who knew a little about everything.) Sorry I get so long-winded sometimes.

Today's our 38th wedding anniversary. Not sure, we might go out and eat tonight. Aren't we exciting?

My sister and her family are headed to the New Jersey shore for a week. I imagine Bill will make the waters a little rough for them, but hopefully he is going to stay away from land.

Patti, I, too, hope your meds are working. Your posts always brighten my day and it's so good to see you back. (You had me laughing about your tornado/bathtub experiences!) What I would have given (even now!) for a storm shelter!

Anyhow, I'm outta here. Have a great one!

Jan

Patti, I'm so glad to see you!!! ((hugs)) and much love to you, I hope your new med works and you are feeling yourself again very, very soon. What an experience you had as a kid, wow!!

Milkdud, I'm glad I didn't miss your birthday after all :-)
I'm glad your group sang to you - that's great. Thanks for the good thoughts on the loan - I am so excited about this project!! We had so much rain in April/May/June and even torrential downpours in July and August that the ground doesn't absorb it immediately. We have so many mushrooms from the rain and humidity it's actually creepy.

Jan, happy anniversay to you and DH. Whatever you decide to do today, enjoy. Where on the Jersey shore are your sister and family headed? We're expecting the effects of Bill sometime late Friday night in to Saturday which, so far, looks like a wash out. Sunday is supposed to be clear - I hope so, I have a BBQ to go to. The rest of the week, according to accuweather, looks good for them.

Hi to everyone - love, hugs, good wishes and safe thoughts.

Donna

Good Friday all,

TGIF!! This has been a long week at work. I have been filling in for two who are on vacation for the month of August and I have been juggling. One more tough week and it will seem like I am on vacation at work when they return to doing their job!!

Donna, your project sounds fun! Did you do the design work yourself or have someone help you? I love remodeling projects!

Jan, don't be so hard on yourself! We are allowed to be as long-winded as we want here without judgment! What did you and DH do for your anniversary?

Patty, good to see you here. I miss you since you went over to Facebook! Hope your meds are doing their job. Please don't stay gone for so long!

Marci, sounds like you should be thinking about retiring! I really hope this school year goes well for you. When I am stressing I try to remember my favorite mantra "Be here now" it reminds me that I need to focus on the right now and not on one minute from now or one minute ago, etc. The other thing I do when I am obsessing is something our good friend Raeanne told me once: "Throw your troubles to the ground and let your spirit soar" These sound simple but for me they really work. Try it. Now!! LOL Let your beautiful spirit soar today!

Raeanne, I am thinking of you. Good luck tomorrow I know it's going to be a smashing success! I hope we get another youtube of the event - especially the horse-drawn wagon.

QOD: What are your weekend plans? We may have Bill affects here so I am kind of praying for some rain so I can stay inside and get some housework done! Also, I will be making a batch of my zucchini relish.

Good Morning!

NHSuzanne - I am thinking of retiring - but alas, not for 3 more years. My DH is on the countdown. He gets to retire 8/1/2010. I told him he has to find part-time work until I retire. LOL

I do try to tell myself that worrying about things doesn't help. I have also been trying to tell myself, "I will deal with that when the time comes". But sometimes my mind has a mind of its own! lol

Jan - Happy Anniversary! What a wonderful milestone.

Donna - Your remodel sounds great. Good luck on getting the financing.

Patti - Hope you are feeling better soon! How is Dave?

It's raining here and I told myself I would stay away from preschool today and take care of some things around the house.

Later,
Marci

Hi all!

Jan--Happy Anniversary! I hope it was great! :)

Suzanne--how gorgeous! My FIL was working on one before he passed--it's a bit weedy right now, but when fall gets here, we're going to clean it up, and keep it going in his memory--

Nothing much going on here, except I'm trying to register for classes. Time just went these past 2 months, and now it's staring me in the face--ack! I spent a lovely day in Hobby Lobby yesterday, playing in the Christmas decorations--man, that will be here before you know it!

Anyone heard from John or Amy?

Hugs,

Maddie

Happy Friday!!

Suzanne, my remodel was a collaborative effort between us and my builder/architect. So far he is great to work with - let's hope that continues!

Marci, I'm very excited about the remodel!! Thank you for the good thoughts on the loan.

Raeanne - good luck!!! I didn't realize it was this weekend. Your chair was gorgeous, I know everything will be great. Try to relax and enjoy!!

We had thunder and lightening but no rain....sky is still funky so will shut down again soon just in case.

Enjoy the weekend!

QOD: What are your plans for the weekend? Mine are a touch up (gray breaking through so much needed), cleaning, paying bills and a BBQ at friends house on Sunday. Not exciting but certainly not taxing either.

Take care - be good and be safe!!

Donna

Happy Birthday Jen! We Miss You!