BURN, BABY, BURN.....



As in Disco Inferno.... Anybody out there know that song? I have tried, unsuccessfully, I might add, to download a picture of this fantastic gift that Santa brought me this year.

It is a 3 cd collectors edition of the Best of Disco. The 70's version. I cannot tell you how excited I was when I ripped off that first bit of silver paper and saw the word "DISCO" on the side. I screamed out loud and startled all the relatives. They had no idea what a nut job I was about to become.

Thankfully for me, there are several more ladies in my family who go just as ga-ga over disco music as I do. We sang and one cousin shook her booty while the rest of us sang the songs. It was a great time.

So, we are having a New Year's Eve party this year at our community center. Everyone here is invited and we are all encouraged to bring our disco music. I can hardly wait to dance in 2009. Although, I will be more likely to sit and sing and laugh at everyone else dancing. I would hate to get my groove on and then break into line dancing like my good friend Madea.


I'M SO EXCITED..... and I just can't hide it......LOL.

Hope you guys have a great week.

Merry Christmas to all.....

Well, this is a little wish hoping that all of you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. All of our presents have been opened and Christmas dinner has been eaten, and the family has scattered to the four corners of the house to entertain themselves with new presents. Me and DH are just lazing around glad that all the hubbub is over for another year. The kids were really excited by their Christmas presents this year and it makes me feel good to know that we pleased them with our choices.

I hope everyone is having a day filled with love and laughter and food and naps.

Merry Christmas.

The Best Storytellers.....

Hello all. I have been thinking a lot since yesterday. Last night, we took two of the kiddos to a theme park in south Georgia for the Christmas lights and we invited DH's mom to come along. She is such a neat person. She enjoyed the lights and even though most of the rides weren't open, she was a good sport to hang out in the 30 degree temperatures to wait for the Light Show over the Lake. (That actually turned out be about 6 minutes long). Anyway, I thought I would post this story today, since she is traveling to my BIL and SIL's house and will probably not read it. I don't want her to see this, it will probably make her sad.

Two of the best storytellers I have ever known, I met through my DH. The first one was Papa. He was my MIL's dad. What a wonderful man. I miss him. He was the dean of journalism at the UF for years. And he has quite a few published books. My two favorite are Cold Before Morning and What Tomorrow Brings, by John Paul Jones. He has other books. I am so glad that my boys got to know him before he passed away. Neat, neat man. Told a fabulous story, too.

The second storyteller was my FIL, that man could have you hanging on the edge of your seat or rolling around laughing out loud. And he would just suck you into whatever story he was telling. His hand gestures and facial expressions just carried you along on the river of the story that he was telling. I didn't get nearly enough time to appreciate him as fully as I should have. We are so blessed that all of our children got to know him and to have time with him so that they too, remember what a great storyteller and granddad that he was. I have been missing him a whole lot lately and am afraid to talk to my DH about it cause I don't want to upset him. But, Joel, I miss you. You would have gotten a great deal of stories to pass on with laughter from the experiences I have been enjoying since we moved here. I wish ... oh well. You can all guess what I wish. But my FIL was not one to get bogged down in wishes and emotions. He is with Jesus now, and I'm confident that we'll see him again one day. And he'll have more fabulous stories to tell us.

Do you all have a favorite storyteller? I'd love to hear about them.

I LOVE MY SECRET SANTA

This afternoon, the mail person brought me a big ole package from Tracy at A Simple Country Life.

At first I was like, I don't know anyone from Alabama. But then, I remembered that my Secret Santa was on it's way. I was so excited. I could not control myself and I ripped into the box right there at the bus stop. (I was waiting on my kids' bus).
And inside, oh girls, inside this box was a beautifully wrapped gift box.
(In case you haven't figured me out yet, I couldn't wait). Again, I ripped into the Christmas paper and lo and behold, there was a beautiful picture of a crystal dessert plate on the outside of this box. Dare I hope? I have never owned anything this beautiful before. So, I was holding my breath and I slowly pulled the tape of the opening and inside were two more cardboard boxes. Man, can this gal wrap or what? So I opened the smaller box first and nearly screamed. It was the bottom half of the dessert dome. Yippee!!!!! I have a Shannon crystal dessert dome. Just in time for me to use at Christmas. (Cause we are having Christmas at my house this year). Thank you Tracy, so very much for this beautiful gift. I thank Kori for all her hard work and matching us all up. I am going to try to post a picture, good luck to me on this, it didn't work out with the tree.

Where's the pictures?

Okay, I see that my beautifully decorated Christmas tree and other Christmas pictures did not post. Okay, I'm a little (ha..a lot) technologically challenged. I don't where they went. And no, I can't find them. Sorry to everyone who took a day off work just to see these things. Just consider the time a mental health day and try to look deep in your hearts and forgive the one, the only, Ouisa.

Okay, more randomness....only one more day and no school for two weeks. YAY!!! I'm so looking forward to sleeping late and not going anywhere. Well, on Saturday, my folks are having a shindig at their house, so I gotta go there. Sunday evening, we're hay riding and caroling with the church, so we gotta go there. And on Monday, we are taking the kids to a theme park with a Christmas theme, so we gotta go there...I think I'm beginning to see a pattern here......like Forest Gump says, "I'm not a smart man....."

I have one Christmas wish this year, it is so selfish and I cannot believe I am going to say this, but I know that I am among friends who love me and will support me in my selfishness. Here it is, I want it to be COLD on Christmas. I don't want to be able to wear shorts and a tank top. I want to have to wear gloves and a hat and a parka and 14 pairs of socks. I don't want anyone to get hurt, I just don't want to sweat on Christmas. Is that so wrong? Is there a twelve step program to help me? Should I check into rehab?

I hope you guys are enjoying your Christmas season. Glad tidings to all.

Oh, one last thing, please remember to pray for Kori and Richard. He is supposed to be having an MRI tomorrow morning.

Toodles for now.

Okay, I am loving this season. I don't know why, but this year, I really feel in the mood for Christmas. I was reading a story to my three kids tonight about the Savior that God Sent. I loved that little book. My daughter checked it out from the library at our church. It was such a lovely little story. And so simple. It was a good story.


I am not a crafty, interior decorator kind of person. I'm just not. I have tried and failed miserably for years. So, now I just put up little things that make us happy. As you will see from the picture of the tree, most of our ornaments are homemade. (Yeah, it's that obvious). And the other little groupings probably don't go together, but hey, they make us happy. I hope you all enjoy some pics.

Hair, Hair..

Okay, here is a picture of the new perm...



I a enjoying it nicely. Thanks.
The solo at Church went well. Everyone seemed to like the song. A lot of people had never heard it before. It surprised me.
The cantata went off last night with only one or two glitches, but that is to be expected.
The music quit in the middle of one of the songs, but we just kept on singing. And then one of our sopranos fell out. Apparently she had given blood yesterday right after morning services and had not rehydrated properly.. she just about passed out. But I am happy to report that she is fine.

All in all it was a blessed weekend. I got to see my father's family for their little Christmas celebration and although our numbers are dwindling, we make up for it in love.
I hope you all are enjoying your Christmas season.

Friday .......Fantasy Girl????

Guess what? I have done it. I broke down and went to a beauty shop today. Yes, I did. And I got me a spiral perm. Wow. I L.O.V.E. it. And what I will love even more is in two days, I can pull it back out of my eyes. Now, why can you not put your hair up for two whole days after a perm? And, do you think they could have made the solution stink any more? YIKES!!! And, just to go all out, hold on, cause it's a shocker, I had them do my unibrow. And make it into two seperate ones. She laid me back over the sink and proceeded to put this warm wonderful stuff around my eyebrow and then rubbed on it a little. Then she snatched that off and it felt like all my dagblasted skin came with it. Now, I got two big ole swollen up eyebrow areas. I hope that goes down by the time I have to sing Sunday.
See, I've decided to do the whole outside beautiful thing. Which is a hoot, cause ladies, I haven't worn serious makeup since 13 years ago before the first baby came along, and let's just say, I'm not as beautiful as I used to be. Oh, I know, it's inside that counts, but can't nobody see my guts, so I'm gonna have to conform and try to highlight brows and all other whatchawannacallits so I can get my outside to match my insides. Okay, the problem is, I don't have a stinking clue how to apply all the mish mash of stuff.
I went on down to the CVS after my perm today and bought $61.00 worth of beauty products. Dang, you can just about get plastic surgery for that much, can't you?
Did y'all know they selling eyelash curlers?? It's true, I saw it with my own two eyes. I tell you what, I don't know about you all, but I bought me one of them suckers cause I want to have beautifully long and lucious lashes for my honey to gaze into. And that's where the other problem comes in, how do you apply that mascara without sticking yourself in the dagblasted eye? Then I wind up with black smeared all under it and I can't go to church looking like DH punched me one. All the different colors and what not. I don't know how to pick. I'm cosmetically ignorant. And I fear that my attempts will make me look like a three year old playing in mama's lipstick. And if I find out whose been taking my picture through my bathroom winder, I'm gonna get even. I'm just sayin.

Oh well, we'll have to see what hubby has to say about it tomorrow when I get all shined up for a Christmas party we are going to.
Any tips and pointers are welcomed and will be tried.


Oh, and before I forget to put this in....Ravings of a mad housewife is having a cool giveaway....hurry on over and check it out, you won't be sorry.

And, go to Not Your Average Soccer Mom for her super first ever giveaway, you won't be sorry there either. Check out this stuff:

I've been tagged

Sporadic Cook has tagged me, I'm not sure this is what she had in mind but.....


Random facts about me:

1. I am a super nerd. I would rather read than most anything else. I mean it.

2. My favorite soda is Sprite.

3. I'm not really as pretty as my picture seems.

4. I love GREY'S ANATOMY.

5. I love to eat. (Not cook and clean, just eat).

6. I can type 82 words per minute.

7. I have fallen in love with a 500 lb heifer and would let her live in my yard if I could.

So there, you have it. I can tell you are all dazzled beyond speech.

Now, the seven random victims, I mean, bloggers I am tagging are:

I'd love to know some random stuff about these ladies:

Thorn Among Roses

yeah, Sure Youbetcha

6ByHisDesign

John Deere Mom

My Version of Sanity

Bakerella

Mommy from theMidwest

Oh, and thanks Sporadic Cook.

Okay, okay.....

I weinied out and went ahead and took her to the doctor. Viral infection. Nothing can be done but let it runs its course. Apparently there is an epidemic of this in school age children. Okay, so now I know. She has to stay home until she has been fever free for 24 hours. So, no school again tomorrow.
Thanks for stopping by with all the advice. I just needed some validation I guess.
I was hoping for a miracle cure at the pediatricians office and we would come home and look like the mother and daughter in this picture. NOT.
I called the school and got her work sent home yesterday, so at least she won't be too far behind when she goes back.
Thanks to everyone for all the well wishes and advice yesterday. I really do appreciate the time you all took to send those messages.


And on to other topics. We are having a cantata at church for Christmas and it is beautiful, beautiful. I have never been part of a choral experience before and I love it. I also found out that I am going to be singing a solo on Sunday morning (in both services). Okay, I know that doesn't sound like it would be much of a problem for me, but let's face some facts.

1. I am a rather large individual and it makes me self conscious when people are looking at me.

2. I sweat like a .....hmmm...what's somebody that gets real nervous? Well, I just pour sweat when I'm nervous and I'm afraid that I may have persperation running down my face before the song is over.

3. This is a big crowd. I know, in my heart, that I'm singing for the glorification of Jesus, but my human side just nearly freaks out.

4. I love to sing and I hope that Jesus will be glorified and that no one will laugh.
5. Oh, did I mention this is my first time in front of this big a group?

There, my insecurities laid bare for all the world to see.

I know some of you gals are singers and speakers and such, how do you all handle these situations?

QUARANTINE........STAY FAR, FAR AWAY

Hey peeps, that's what I feel like.

My darling sweet baby child is sick for the 2nd day in a row. I hate it when they get sick. Not because I don't enjoy all the extra time I get to spend with them, but genuinely, I hate it when they don't feel well. Especially, when they fell so bad they don't even want to smile for mama.
She woke up yesterday morning with a sore throat and a temp of 102.3. So, break out the Tylenol and send her back to bed. As the day progressed, the temp would go down and come back, go down and come back. She ate alright, but mostly just kind of laid around.
This morning, her temperature was 103.0. And I broke out the Motrin.

Now, here is my dilemma: Do I take her to see the pediatrician, or do I wait another day? This is what I hate about my children being sick. When do you take them? And when do you just wait it out?

What's a mother to do? Looking forward to hearing your procedures for kid sickness.

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH, life on a farm.....

As many of you know, we transplanted to my DH's husband's farm in June, and in the beginning, I was scared of everything. I didn't want the cows to come up and be near me, they freaked me out. The jumping insects and all that jazz just about made me come unglued.
Then, I realized that I needed to bloom where I was planted. And life became a lot easier for me. (Oh, BTW, I still don't do spiders and mice). I have been given a task of feeding the replacment heifers their treats every day and I absolutely love it. They know me now, and as long as I have their treats, they love me. They know me and come running when I call to them. (Isn't that great, even my kids don't do that).
So, you could say that I have adapted to farm life rather well. It's simplicity and beauty take my breath some days.
We are now in calving season. All of the pregnant cows are beginning to have their little ones. And I have never, ever been a part of a calving season. The absolute renewing of life, in any creature, amazes me and astounds me. It leaves me with questions about how the mother cow copes. Does it hurt really, really bad? Do they make a lot of noise? Are they scared being alone when this miracle of life happens? What does the calf look like at first? Just millions of questions, and no answers.
UNTIL NOW......
Yesteday, my DH took me out riding in the pasture to see some of the newborn calves. My Uncle D stopped us and said that the nursery was full. That, while I had been in town taking care of bidness, a lot of the cows had birthed. I was so excited, I could hardly sit still. I was anxious and jumping around on the seat of the Kubota like a child on Christmas morning. Oh what joy, what bliss. Newborn calves.
(And NO, I could not remember to bring my camera). They were just precious. All gangly and some of them were days old and trying to be playful. Oh, my heart just melted. And I giggled, like a little girl. I really did. I was so enamored of these beautiful little creatures. I just wanted to pet them or hold them and rub their little noses. (I didn't, mama cows don't like you messing with their newborns). Smiling and clapping my hands, shouting, "Oh, look, there's another one", or "Over there" and "Aw, look".
Then I saw a cow under a tree, whose baby was so brand new that she was still having contractions to deliver the afterbirth. Wow, I ALMOST got to see a live birth. But not quite.
Then, on the other side of the field, I saw a small bundle on the ground and the mother was nearby and having some contractions. (These mother cows were not making any bellowing noises or any noise at all with the contractions, so I couldn't tell y ou if they felt the pain of childbirth or not). Anyway, as we got closer, the mother cow was chewing something. DH told me the cow was not even an hour old. And I thought, "You go girl, up grazing that soon". Then we got closer and GGGGGGAAAAAAKKKKKKK. The mother cow was eating the afterbirth. WHAT?????
The images of little bluebirds flying around and bunnies hopping and an angelic choir singing came to a screeching halt.
How gross can one animal get? Oh yeah, the babies are still cute, but I'm too freaked out about the afterbirth thing to get past it. Now I wonder if I fell down and couldn't get up, would the cows eat me, too? Oh, my. Talk about an eye opener.
Mother nature. You gotta love her.

This was me yesterday. Golly bob, howdy. I was all dressed up for the SITS bash and I was not disappointed. That Heather and Tiffany, they know just exactly what they are a doin. I never had me so much fun in one place. (Although, the chair arm prints in my thighs are kind of a downer, I'm sure they will go away in a day or two).

I enjoyed yesterday, but I was glad when it came time to go to bed. And the comment LOVE. I had, are you ready, 60 hits yesterday. I'm tearing up just thinking about it. I know, for some of y'all that's small potatoes, but for me, I usually only get three or four a post. I was eating it up like buttered mashed taters.

I think the main thing that I came away with is this, no matter who you are, no matter your religion, your race, your creed, your personal politics, we can all come together for at least one day and love each other, even those we would not normally visit.

I love each and every bloggy friend that stopped by and all those that didn't too. I guess it's just the season.

Now, let's get out there and spread some more bloggy love.

Oh, P.S. I ran into some new bloggy friends yesterday. I will have them on my blog roll sometime later today.

SITS girls ROCK!!!!!

The Secret is in the Sauce: Merry SITSmas!

The Secret is in the Sauce: Merry SITSmas!

Merry SITsmas everyone!!!!!

Can you believe that Christmas is only 23 days away. I am looking forward to seeing everyone's Christmas cards today. And to leaving some comment love.


I love this season for many reasons,

1. It is Christ's birthday. What a blessing to the entire human race.

2. Everyone is nicer to each other for a few weeks.

3. The children's pageants. I love to watch their sweet earnestness and wonder what is going through their minds. (Check out the Joseph in this picture.)

4. I L.O.V.E some Christmas lights. The more the merrier as far as I'm concerned.

5. SITSmas contests. ALL DAY LONG....just head on over to Sits and check it out.



How about you, why do you like this season (or not).

Oh me oh my....

Hey everyone. Tomorrow is Merry Sitsmas over at the Secret is in the Sauce. They have just announced a 200 dollar grand prize gift card from Target. So, tomorrow, each time you comment, you get an entry into the drawing. How cool is that. Get to blog (which I love to do) and maybe get a prize.

Okay, recently I read on Kat's post a little game that involved telling of ten things you like starting with the letter "?". She would assign you a random letter and you have to find ten things you like starting with that letter and post about it, so here goes.
My random letter was "T"

1. Tacos - yummy. Nuff said.

2. Turtles - the yummy kind with chocolate, pecans, and caramel. Although the other little fellows are kind of cute as well.

3. Tablecloths - I absolutely love a beautiful tablecloth. Don't put them on my table because my kids would destroy them, but I definitely appreciate the beauty of them.

4. T-Bone steaks. YUMMY!!!!!

5. Turnovers. Apple, lemon, whatever kind ( is anyone noticing a trend here, so far all mine are about food or food related things).

6. Talking. Boy howdy do I love to talk.

7. Teachers. Adore them. Think they are marvelously wonderful people.

8. Twenty-nine. Love this age. Have celebrated the anniversary of this birthday for many years now.

9. Truth. I love to hear the truth. Painful, awful, doesn't matter. I'd rather hear the truth.

10. Tennessee. I love the beauty that is the state of Tennessee.


So there you have it. I hope you all will go on over and get your letter and start playing. It is very interesting what you can come up with.

My bloggy friend Kat is having a super duper contest. It involves books and chocolate. No, really gooooooood books and yummy delicious chocolate. You should go over and check it out.

She also gave me my letter. I'll be back later on today with that.