Cool morning...

I headed outside this morning and was welcomed by a cool, crisp morning air. It was such a delight to be able to actual breathe "fresh air" and not feel like you were in a tunnel trying to catch a breath! I am not sure what the actual temp reached today but it was not nearly has hot as a couple of weeks ago.

Fall is just around the corner, but the way the seasons have blended into each other, it might pass us by before we know it. And I hate that. Spring and Fall are my favorite times of the year and it does not seem like we have much of either one anymore.

Allyssa and Dakota are doing great. Allyssa made a 100 on her spelling test last Friday, woo-hoo. Dakota is being a typical "nearly-two-year-old". Spoiled rotten but has some of the funniest faces and antics. She is talking up a storm now, of course her words are not being pronounced the correct way but we all know what she is saying.

Not much going on here. Mom is recovering very nicely from her surgery. Sounding like her ole self. She is a trooper and will spring back before we know it. Of course, the limit of no more than 5 lbs. for 6 weeks is going to be hard for her.

Natasha is doing fine with the pregnancy. Moving along quite nicely. Had a little pain today, but the doctor said that it was probably the way the baby is laying so low to prop her feet up and to take a warm bath! Helloooooo, how is she to do that she she is at work?!!!!!!!

Nick has almost moved everything from one apartment to another. Moving is such a drag, it is the little stuff you hate to deal with.

I haven't done any scrapping for nearly 2 months now. Just cannot find that creative bug. I want to, but when I get the chance the "want-to" is gone. Head to the gynecologist tomorrow for my yearly checkup which I think has run into 2 years.....put it off as long as I can....hate it, hate it!

Well, guess I had better go. Got a new Creating Keepsakes mag., maybe that will get me going again......

It's been a while...

I cannot believe it has been nearly a month since my last post. There has been a lot going on around here and then by the time I get a minute to get to the computer, I am not in the mood...August 16 was Allyssa's back to school night. Her first day of school was August 20. She was all excited about going back to school, first grade. She had all new books so she had to look through all of them before we could move on to something else. There was only one other classmate from her K-5 class in this class with her. And they were sitting facing each other. Her teacher changes the seating arrangements every 2-3 weeks to get everybody accustomed to each other. I cannot believe she is in 1st grade now. Dakota is enjoying riding Allyssa's tricycle. Of course, she cannot figure out pushing the pedals. I was pushing her around.

The weather has "cooled" down a bit to the 80's. We have had some rain but not enough to make up the deficit that we have. Grass gets cut about every 2 weeks since it has not been growing.

Hanzo is nearly the size of a full grown dog at only 6 months. I don't have a recent picture showing how big he actually is, will try to get one.

Natasha, Randy and the girls have moved back to Travelers Rest which is a good thing. I think Allyssa is actually getting to school ON TIME now. Bless her heart. Gateway Elementary where Allyssa goes has been attended by Natasha, Nick, and my sister's 2 children Asheton and Zachary plus Deborah has been working there since Zach started elementary school (I think) and he is now a junior in high school. So the teachers that are still there and haven't retired remember all of us and take care of Allyssa. It is like she has all these angels watching over her while she is at school. Which makes me feel very good. They are like family. When we went to back to school night, Natasha, the girls and I were standing in line so Natasha could get the car tags that has a number they call out when you pick your child up. When we got to the table Marcy Bunch and her husband were giving the tags out and they were telling us how Allyssa would come in late last year and tell them, "it is my mom's fault that i am late"! because Allyssa hardly every got there on time!!! They are get a kick out of Allyssa coming in there with her silly antics. She is such a sweetie.

I am still working beside demon seed at work, but it is getting to were I don't really realize she is there until she gets in the mood to start talking loud trying to tell everybody how to do there job and no she is not the supervisor. I just do my job and leave at 3:30 p.m. Our work has been slow but suppose to be picking up now.

Mom had to have surgery this past wednesday, the 29th. She had 2 hernias removed and needless to say she has been pretty sore. She stayed overnight in the hospital and then came home on Thursday around 3:30. She is doing better daily but cannot pick up anything over 5 lbs. for SIX WEEKS. Do you know how hard that is going to be for her? She and I are just alike and neither one of us like to have to depend on someone else to do something for us. Why are we like that...you know women have a lot on them now days.

Natasha and her pregnancy is moving right along. Due date is still December 25. She had an ultrasound and this one is a girl also. 3 girls what a delight! You can dress little girls up so pretty and dainty. Although Natasha don't take too much time dressing them up too girly!

Well, I have blabbed long enough, tried to catch up on somethings but I am sure I have forgotten somethings.

Later...................

100 degrees??????

I cannot believe that it has hit 100 degrees here in SC, that is until I walk out in the mess and realize that it is hard to actually breathe! We need some rain SO BAD. These isolated thunderstorms, which by the way, I have not seen in days and days, are just not getting it. Mom left this morning for Medical Lake Washington with 2 of her brothers and their wives. They will meet up with one of their sisters to go and visit the sister that actually lives in Washington. Then she and her brothers and sister-in-laws are going to go to CANADA. I am sooooo happy for her. She has never been to Canada and this may be the only chance she actually gets to go. I so hope that she has a good time, although I am already missing her. She is not only my mom, but my best friend too and it is like something is missing when she is gone. I actually had a "free" day today from the granddaugthers....and boy did I need it. Natasha, Randy and the girls are moving within the week to a house in Travelers Rest, next week is the last week of summer vacation for Allyssa, she starts back to school on the 20th. Back to school night is Monday the 13th, I think. Well, guess I had better get going. Hanzo needs to go outside and I need to get my shower and get ready for bed.

Where has 2007 gone?

I cannot believe that in 5 months it will be Christmas again. Where in the world as the first part of 2007 gone? The older I get the faster it goes....We took Hanzo in for a bath today after we took him and Miss Kitty for their rabies shots and I also got Miss Kitty the Feline 6 in 1 shot to cover the feline distemper and all that other junk they can get. Good thing about it that when you take them to these little pet express set-ups the shots are not nearly as expensive as they are when you go to the vet. This is a "not-so-good" picture of our tree from 2006. Vincent and I had lunch with Mom at Atlanta Bread Company, then he has some errands to run so I went to Haywood Mall with Mom, tried on a couple pair of jeans, I am the worst critic especially when I am looking in the mirror at myself, so needless to say, I put both pair back on the shelf. Then we went to the Borders Express book store. I love books, but have not been reading much b/c I have had my nose in scrapbook magazines, which by the way, are all beginning to look the same.....Mom said today that we need to start reading again...I agree. Then we went to Belks, I went to the perfume counter, found some cologne I am going get Burberry I think it was. My mind just went totally blank. But anyway, it smelled so good. Is smelled a word or should I have used smelt, it that a word? See what happens when you have been out of school since 1981, omg, I cannot believe it has been that long.....anyhoo, I guess I had better go. Gotta put a load of clothes in the dryer!

Not doing to good...

Well, as you can see, I have not been too good at posting every day. I have had a bout with anxiety attacks since last Tuesday and now am on medication for that too. I think this year has been the year for all my problems....it has to get better. When I feel like really doing something creative, I am at work or not at home, when I finally get to a point where I can do something, I am not in the creative spirit any longer. Just one thing after another.
School is getting ready to start here on the 20th. Between me and vincent and my mom, we have picked up all of allyssa's back-to-school supplies except the book bag, which we feel that Natasha should at least buy, right!!!!! Speaking of b-t-s supplies, I cannot believe all the stuff that these kids have to take to school. Of course, half of it is to cover for the people who "can't afford it OR do not bother to send anything" for their children. Plus the school district does not supply alot of the stuff we used, which was not much from what I remember. That yellowish coloring paper and big crayons is the only thing I can remember right off that the school provided. We took our own paper, pencils, notebook and folders. Bookbags were not even heard of then I don't think. Of course, I am not THAT OLD! 47 is all...... The weather is dreadfully hot, little rain lately here, some areas get alot but that is isolated and scattered thunderstorms for ya, you never know when or where they are going to erupt.
Mom is getting ready for her trip with 2 of her siblings and their wives to Washington State. They are going to go into Canada first though. And then meet another sibling who will already be at the sibling's house they are going to see, does that make sense or did I loose you entirely? I am so happy for Mom that she gets to make this trip for one, she has never been to the east coast and for another that she gets to go to Canada. I am so hoping she has a great time and enjoys every minute of it!
Well, the girls are doing great now. Dakota can say "I 'tuck" for I stuck. She got stuck in a chair the other day, she can also say "dat" for what's that. She is so cute and talking up a storm now. Allyssa is growing up too fast every time I see her she looks like she has matured a little bit more. She has two teeth on the bottom that are loose so she is waiting for them to come out. What a silly girl!
Well, gotta go for now.

These girls make my day. Their laughter is contagious. Allyssa is showing me, in the first pic, her blowing a bubble with her gum, woo-hoo. Dakota is trying to hide from me and giggling like crazy in the next photo and the next two are of my baby girls almost relaxing! Sometimes they are the only ones who bring me out of my blues which here lately have been daily. Between hot weather, bills, a satan co-worker, and just plain out being tired, tired, tired, I can't get a break. By the time I get home from work, I don't feel like doing anything or going anywhere. I usually get them on Wednesdays and Fridays after I get off of work. Friday is one of Natasha's late nights so it is usually 7:15 before she gets here to pick them up, and let me tell you I am really worn out by then! But then when they are gone, I miss them like crazy. We have not really have any rain to amount to anything in a week or so. We have had little sprinkles every now and then, but that is all.

I am proud to announce that Miss Kitty is 110% better. The local Animal Shelter announced last week that there had been an outbreak of feline distemper running rapidly through Greenville County and another nearby county. Miss Kitty is not an outdoor cat, but occassionally we let her out for about 30 minutes to "get a breath of fresh air". Well, that one time we let her out, she got sick. I thought she might have been biten by some other animal, (snake, oppossum) but then when I found out the symptoms of the distemper, she had all of them. Of course, she had it 3 weeks before they announced it, hmmmmmmm????!!!!!! Why did the vet not suspect it? Don't know, but she is so much better and back to her old self. I thought we were going to loose her for a while. Of course, she is happier too b/c I switched her food from Friskies (could it have been the food?) back to her Iams with hairball control. She loves that food!

Hanzo is 4 1/2 months old now, growing like a week, ALL PUPPY. We have a kiddy pool in his kennel so when he goes out for the afternoon, (after I get home) he can cool off. He also have a 3 gal. galvanized bucket for his drinking water that I refresh every day. He sits there and "digs at the water" in the bucket until there is no more DRINKING WATER. We are trying to train him not to do that, if he empties the bucket there is no more drinking water. Does he care, apparently not, b/c he still does it. Crazy dog! He stays in his inside kennel during the day when we are at work and at night. I put him out in the morning in his 10x10 kennel until Vincent gets ready to leave for work, then his brings him in. Pretty lucky dog actually, he stays in the house with the air conditioning!

Well, guess I had better go for now, will try to post again tomorrow and get back into a more consistent pattern again. It is just so hard when you are tired!!!!!!!

Nothing going on....

Nothing going on here right now. On the even kil other than it is hot. We had a sudden storm and when I say sudden, I mean like within minutes, the wind started blowing HARD, yes the scary kind of wind, I looked out the window and was going out to get Hanzo, the pup, and as I opened the back glass door, I thought for a second I was in Kansas with Dorothy!!!!! I seen the corner of Hanzo's fence/pen come up, I ran faster and as I got to the pen to open the gate the whole pen (10x10) came down on both of us. If I had not been home and he was in the pen he probably would have been killed. Of course, he was none-for-the-wear b/c I took the blunt of the pen trying to hold it off of him and trying to soothe him down b/c he was panicking big time. I have a bruise/knot on my left forearm and my upper body is sore, but I survived. (super-woman!!!!). Called for more of it today, but it passed up by, thank goodness. Picked up the granddaughters today until Natasha got off of work. Took some pics, but have not downloaded them yet, some of Allyssa blowing a bubble with her bubble gum for the first time, Dakota trying to hide from me so I could not take her picture, some close up pics of an oriental lily we have, a red dianthus, some phlox and a "green" bug on my trumpet tree (Bush). Well, gotta go get ready for bed. Haven't been sleeping well the last couple of days. Have had a bad cough, congestion, sore throat and plain ole' not feeling good. Holla back tomorrow!