My First Trip with Mr. Fix-It

I never realized how bad pictures can be until I looked at my "Honeymoon" album today. For me they aren't so bad because I was there and my mind remembers the pictures in full living color. But for you...not so much. I'm so thankful for digital camera's. I'm thinking you wouldn't be much interested in all the pix we took of each other. Usually it was either him or me in the picture. Maybe you should've been there...okay, maybe not. So, here are a few pictures that doctored up pretty good.

Yes, Ms. Nagger-person...I DID ride the motorcycle! This is the motorcycle that me and Mr. Fix-It took on our 2nd date.

On our honeymoon, we would park the camper and the truck, unload the motorcycle, load up the picnic hamper and be off on adventures. It was fun...but did not bode well for good hair...thus the bandana was a must. DO NOT LAUGH at the big glasses like Bex does! They were quite stylish at the time!!!




This is one of Mr. Fix-It's first time running out of gas with his beloved wife. This was on the Interstate just outside of Orlando. We were merrily traveling to our next stop...when Mr. Fix-It looked down at the gas gauge, said a mildly bad word, then muttered something to the effect that we needed gas SOON. Within minutes, the engine sputtered out. Thankfully, as God would have it, he just drained some gas out of the motorcycle, put it in the truck tank and we drove to the next gas station. Yes, God is good. I took this picture for posterity...see Bex...he was even doing it back then!!!


Oh, to be young and in love...and fairly thin.....

















Ahhhh....Ain't love grand?

26 Years + 1 Day.

Since its so late, I thought I would just add a bit to yesterday's post. I'm tempted to just post the pictures and explain them tomorrow...like the Princess does. Maybe I should just copycat her! At least SHE gets oodles of comments when she does it...maybe its worth a try. Not that I'm not eternally grateful for the 6 folks who had pity on me and left a comment yesterday. (I can't believe my Favorite Nagger even chimed in!!!)

Anywho, tonight after Bex's volleyball game (which they won BIG!) we went to a concert at a local Girl's Home here in Tallytown. They hold great concerts there to raise money to help the girls. Tonight, we saw Victory Song and Greater Vision. Greater Vision is my favorite Southern Gospel group. Yes, I hear you..."So how in the world does this tie in with 26 years, Meggy?"

Well, what made me think of this is that on the day after our 26th anniversary--26 years of fidelity, I might add; my sweet husband, Mr. Fix-It, had a date with another woman tonight! Yep! My husband invited another woman to go to the concert with him --with my full blessing! No! We do NOT have an "open" marriage. But this was different.

At our church, each deacon is assigned a "widow" to minister to. So whilst we were ministering a few months ago, we found out that this sweet lady LOVES Southern Gospel music. So, Mr. Fix-It invited her to this concert because I'm usually out of town this weekend (at our G-Girls Beach weekend) --but since our weekend has been postponed a few weeks, me and Bex were able to go, too!

I teased Ms. Myrna that my husband had been faithful for all these years...but after 26, he decided to go on a date without me! She was so sweet. Her husband of 60+ years died 3 years ago next week. We had a great time. If you've never heard Greater Vision sing --you really ought to get a CD. They are absolutely wonderful!

Okay, now for the pictures.

No wedding album is complete with the obligatory 'attendant' pictures....

L-R: Friend-Kurt, my bro.-Randy, friend-Bob, Mr. Fix-It, friend-Lou, BIL Rick.

If you could see their feet, you would see that all the other guys had dark shoes on...EXCEPT my red-neck brother who had on light colored alligator boots.

Wayne picked these tuxes because they looked very 'southern'.


The album wouldn't be complete without the obligatory BIG HAIR picture, either. Did you see these dresses in the movie "27 Dresses"? Surely there was one pretty close. Actually, these weren't as hideous as some I've seen. At least I was kind and didn't make them wear those awful hats that were so popular at the time!

Back row L-R: Friend-Sissy, Cuz-Vicky, Friend-Phyllis, ME, Mr. Fix-It's sister-Carla, my then SIL-Barbara. The little girl on the left is Ashleigh who was the daughter of Mr. Fix-It's friend. The little girl on the right is my brother's daughter, Christy. She was about 3.


So there you have another strange post from Lonesome Pine.

Stay tuned --if you dare --for some honeymoon pix this weekend!!!

26 Years --A Blink or a Lifetime?

As promised, here is my [now] famous Anniversary post. Might I say it really fits with my old THANKFUL THURSDAY theme AND the September to Remember theme? (That ought to be worth at least a point or two!)

So much for using my day off to sleep in! Even after waking up at 5:45 am when Bex's alarm 'started' going off (argghhhh!) and getting up with Mr. Fix-It and Bex...I did manage to get a nap in this morning! I've also finished two loads of laundry, washed the dishes from the last week (Don't want to freak out all you neat-niks, I'm just kidding!), cleaned my bathroom, changed the sheets, etc. I even fixed lunch for Mr. Fix-It when he stopped by for some lunch. So, even after napping this morning after breakfast (I refer you to one of my favorite indulgences-- 'I' from this post), I HAVE been productive!

Today at 4:19 pm, Mr. Fix-It and I will have been married for 26 years. Sometimes it seems like we just blinked and hit 26 -- sometimes it seems like its been a lifetime. I've been married more than 1/2 my life...I've been married longer than I was single! Of course, there are THOSE days. But its been worth it.

To those of you who want to know what I think is the secret to a long marriage (though there are many longer than ours...) my answer is this: DECIDE you'll never quit. Yes, just like love --it IS a decision. Sometimes that decision can be really, really hard to keep. Mr. Fix-It attributes our long marriage to the fact that no matter how mad he makes me, I just won't leave! You can bet on that, buddy! If anybody 'leaves' it won't be ME! But remember...there are THOSE days!

So today I promised pictures. Pictures you will get! Remember...these are from 1982. Weddings were a lot different then. At our reception we just had punch, nuts, mints and cake --that was the thing in those olden days. Today you have to feed everybody a 20-course dinner feast...back then...not so much. Actually, I think everybody was pretty happy to just snack and get out of there. There was an FSU football game on television that night--those were the glory days of FSU football. Our wedding date had to be chosen with the FSU schedule in mind. Sad, ain't it?

Here's a picture of me and my nephew, Charlie. He's now a big, bad, bald ex-Marine who lives in S. Florida.

He was a wonderful ring-bearer. VERY SERIOUS about the job! During the ceremony, when his little sister tripped on the hem of her dress trying to walk up the steps, he stepped out of the line of men, walked over and put his hand out to help her...such a gentleman! Too bad video-camera's weren't quite the 'IN' thing back then.

By the way, notice the bee-u-tee-ful pillow. I made that with leftover satin from my wedding dress. My aunt made my dress and veil for me.


This is me putting a rose on the front pew for my Mom. She was watching from Heaven. She never got the opportunity to help plan her only daughter's wedding. [sniff, sniff] TREASURE YOUR MOTHER, GIRLS!









See! I was a control-freak even back then! I promise I didn't tell the photographer to do this...but I kind of liked the idea of running things from above. Of course, I've learned a lot in the last 26 years...it's better to just let God handle things from above...EVERYTHING works better that way!







Here is pretty much my whole 'immediate' family at the time--with the exception of Mandy and Beau who were in the nursery. I'll show you a picture of them later.

Back row from left to right: brother Randy, brother Alan, Mr. Fix-It and ME (of course!), step-mother Bobbie, my Daddy, (now ex-) SIL Barbara and brother Chuck. The two little ones are Charlie and Christy--Chuck and Barbara's kids.



Mr. Fix-It's family. L-R: BIL Rick, sister Carla, sister Marla, me and Mr. Fix-It, step-mother Louise and Dad.












This was taken at our reception. Bobbie holding 3-week old, Beau and Daddy holding 2-yr old, Mandy.










Me and Mr. Fix-It with his beloved bull-dog, Major. Major went on our first date with us and most of them, thereafter. I had to adopt him when we married.

Notice he has his own tux. I made it as a surprise for Mr. Fix-It. Just so you know...I had NOT intended for him to be brought into the church. But the men who 'dressed' him thought it was necessary...so we went with it and had his picture made. I didn't realize at the time that his bow tie was droopy...the 'men' didn't button it correctly or it would NOT have drooped! Since it was black, you can't tell that it covered his back like a coat...maybe I should have made it with sleeves? Major was so patient as I had to try it on him over and over and over while I was crocheting it. I think the pattern I started out with was designed with a teacup poodle in mind!



Here's the happy couple ready to leave the church. We got all gussied up to leave, then went to Mr. Fix-It's apartment and had to change again. Then we spent an hour or two cleaning the apartment (since we didn't want to pay another month's rent!). Then, we headed out in a friend's truck with a motorcycle in the back, pulling a camper trailer--off on our honeymoon to S. Florida.

About a month prior to our wedding, we had closed on the Lonesome Pine property. We spent the second week of our honeymoon camping on our property. Little did we know that it would be more than 5 years before we were actually able to live on it.

So there you have it...the beginning of the Lonesome Pine story.


Stay tuned for more riveting posts!

Lame Post #2

After typing that cutesy title I'm laughing at myself. Do you really believe this is only the 2nd time I've had a lame post? If so, you must not be a regular reader! LOL!!!

Actually, I just wanted to post a short little update tonight and since it doesn't really have a theme, it will probably be pretty lame.

This has been an interesting week so far. I've been at work each day...not terribly exciting (but I like it!).

Last night our precious volleyball team suffered its first loss. Bummer.

It was really a good match. That team came in thinking they were going to blast us out--their coach is such an arrogant jerk (and I say that as a kind description) The blasting never happened. The first set we lost 25-23...not bad...wish we had won. The second set our girls seemed WAY out of sync. We lost 25-19. The third set was sooo close, we lost 26-24. The worst part about the last point was that Bex missed her pass. I've told her that the last point has to go down somewhere...but its always a bummer when it goes down because of you. It would have been much more-better if someone else's kid had missed it. Did I mention she had just served 4 FABULOUS serves which included two Aces?

This loss really won't affect our season too much. It wasn't a conference game...we just really wanted to stay undefeated this year. Did I say, Bummer?

Today I had a wonderful lunch with my favorite Nagger. It was a working lunch. We were working out some details for an upcoming Women's Ministry event. We also made some decisions about our annual retreat coming up in February of 2009. We're getting closer to a 'theme'...might I say it will involve CHOCOLATE?

Tonight I came home and actually cooked supper (I did last night, too!). Two nights in a row is somewhat of a record around here lately. We normally would have just eaten leftovers from last night's meal. But when I stopped at Mrs. Becky's to pick Bex up, BBQ chicken was cooking in a skillet and the house smelled amazing! I couldn't stand it!!!

So, I got home, put Bex to work peeling taters and I piled some chicken in a dish and put it in the oven for Oven BBQ. YUMMMMMMY! BBQ chicken and smashed taters. Doesn't get much better than that! (Unless its meatloaf and smashed taters!)

Stay tuned for an anniversary post tomorrow...which will include pictures of a MUCH younger Mr. Fix-It and Meggy-girl. MUCH younger!!! (Bex wasn't there...not even as a twinkle in the eye...)



P.S. Note To ALL You Early Birds: Don't expect that special "YOUNGER" post too early...I DO intend on sleeping in till?

Beware of Garbage Trucks!

Since you folks seem to like these goldie-oldie e-mail posts, here's another. I always aim to please my loyal readers..."don't bore us by posting anything original...just thrill us with something somebody else wrote!"

Getting our perspective in check seems to be a problem for all of us; this great, old e-mail addresses this issue as well as yesterday's potato chip dancing. Once again, I don't know who wrote it...e-mails have a way of losing that information. If you know the author, let me know (because I REALLY don't, Princess!!!).

NEW INFO: This was written by David J. Pollay and you can go to his website here or type in www.bewareofgarbagetrucks.com. (Thanks, Lea!)

BEWARE OF GARBAGE TRUCKS

How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? Unless you're the Terminator, for an instant you're probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of a successful person is how quickly she can get back her focus on what's important.

Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here's what happened. I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when all of a sudden a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car's back end by just inches!

Here's what happened next. The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us. How do I know? Ask any New Yorker, some words in New York come with a special face.

Now, here's what blew me away. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck."

Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you.

When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happy you did. I guarantee it.

So this was it: The "Law of the Garbage Truck." I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, "I'm not going to do it anymore."

I began to see garbage trucks. Like in the movie "The Sixth Sense," the little boy said, "I see Dead People." Well now "I see Garbage Trucks." I see the load they're carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my Taxi Driver, I don't make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.

One of my favorite Football players of all time, Walter Payton, did this every day on the football field. He would jump up as quickly as he hit the ground after being tackled. He never dwelled on a hit.

Payton was ready to make the next play his best. Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses. Leaders and parents know that they have to be fully present, and at their best for the people they care about.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day. What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by?

Here's my bet. You'll be happier. I guarantee it.

James 2:17 "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."

Stay tuned for more words of wisdom tomorrow!

'Remembering' an E-Mail from Long Ago

Sometimes when I get really caught up in "life" in general...I remember this e-mail. Maybe you've seen it or read it. It's worth printing here. I did not write this, I'm just passing it along. It still fits with our theme... If you know who really wrote it...chime in.

IS GOD DANCING ON YOUR POTATO CHIPS?

Not too long ago I had "one of those days." I was feeling pressure from a writing deadline. I had company arriving in a couple days and the toilet was clogged. I went to the bank, and the trainee teller processing my deposit had to start over three times. I swung by the supermarket to pick up a few things and the lines were serpentine. By the time I got home, I was frazzled and sweaty and in a hurry to get something on the table for dinner.

Deciding on Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup, I grabbed a can opener, cranked open the can, then remembered I had forgotten to buy milk at the store. Nix the soup idea. Setting the can aside, I went to plan B, which was leftover baked beans. I grabbed the Tupperware container from the fridge, popped the seal, took a look and groaned. My husband isn't a picky eater, but even HE won't eat baked beans that look like caterpillars.

Really frustrated now, I decided on a menu that promised to be as foolproof as it is nutrition-free: hot dogs and potato chips. Retrieving a brand new bag of chips from the cupboard, I grabbed the cellophane and gave a hearty pull. The bag didn't open. I tried again. Nothing happened. I took a breath, doubled my muscle, and gave the bag a hearty wrestle. With a loud pop, the cellophane suddenly gave way, ripping wide from top to bottom. Chips flew sky high. I was left holding the bag, and it was empty.

It was the final straw. I let out a blood curdling scream. "I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" My husband heard my unorthodox cry for help. Within minutes he was standing at the doorway to the kitchen, where he surveyed the damage: an opened can of soup, melting groceries, moldy baked beans, and one quivering wife standing ankle deep in potato chips. My husband did the most helpful thing he could think of at the moment. He took a flying leap, landing flat-footed in the pile of chips. And then he began to stomp and dance and twirl, grinding those chips into my linoleum in the process!

I stared. I fumed. Pretty soon I was working to stifle a smile. Eventually I had to laugh. And finally I decided to join him. I, too, took a leap onto the chips. And then I danced. Now I'll be the first to admit that my husband's response wasn't the one I was looking for. But the truth is, it was exactly what I needed. I didn't need a cleanup crew as much as I needed an attitude adjustment, and the laughter from that rather funky moment provided just that.

So now I have a question for you, and it's simply this: Has God ever stomped on your chips? I know that, in my life, there have been plenty of times when I've gotten myself into frustrating situations and I've cried out for help, all the while hoping God would show up with a celestial broom and clean up the mess.

What often happens instead is that God dances on my chips, answering my prayer in a completely different manner than I had expected, but in the manner that is best for me after all. Sometimes I can see right away that God's response was the best one after all. Sometimes I have to wait weeks or months before I begin to understand how and why God answered a particular prayer the way he did. There are even some situations that, years later, I'm still trying to understand. I figure God will fill me in sooner or later, either this side of Heaven or beyond.

Do I trust Him? Even when he's answering my prayers in a way that is completely different from my expectations? Even when he's dancing and stomping instead of sweeping and mopping? Can I embrace what He's offering? Can I let His joy adjust my attitude? Am I going to stand on the sidelines and sulk, or am I willing to learn the steps of the dance he's dancin' with my needs in mind? I'll be honest with you: Sometimes I sulk. Sometimes I dance. I'm working on doing more of the latter than the former. I guess the older I get the more I realize that He really does know what He's doing. He loves me and I can trust Him. Even when the chips are down.

-Author Unknown

Addendum from Meggy-girl...
As I've read my e-mail over the weekend, once again I realized I am such a blessed woman. My little piddly problems amount to zilch when I read how other families in our homeschool community are dealing with losing a precious child or having sick children...and I don't even have potato chips all over the floor--just dirt that Mr. Fix-It tracked in! Yep! I'm a blessed woman...

Stay tuned!

Who Dun It in Cattle Skull?

As I mentioned in my post on Friday, we were invited to a dinner party on Saturday where we would try to figure out who killed Major Dupont. This was our first 'mystery party' and weren't really sure what to expect.

Mr. Fix-It was less than thrilled with the prospect of 'playing' a game at dinner. He's usually up for a board game or card game...but this game wasn't really high on his list of fun possibilities. As it all worked out, we had a great time.

Our scenario was set in the Old West town of Cattle Skull, which is right down the road from Buzzard Butt. We had a Sheriff who was really an outlaw (Blue Barney); Stella (me) who's daddy had been killed by the Major; Clive, a slimy lawyer; Hope, a gal who longed for the big city and had been spurned by the Major, but made great apple pie; Bea, who owned a big ranch that included a seemingly worthless mine; Ace, a drifter who's been sneaking around Bea's property and the silver mine, but also has a hankering for Hope's apple pie; He Who Runs, an indian who seems to know way too much about a lot of things; Sabrina, the school marm who has an axe to grind with the Major, but wouldn't have killed his dog; Bill, is the long lost sister of Sabrina but can't remember it; and Slash who was an outlaw secretly in love with Hope, who wanted to kill Major Dupont because he had 'slashed' him with his sword...in the butt. There was also wayyyyy too many different maps lurking about.

Our hostess provided a marvelous dinner and yummy dessert. We spent the entire dinner asking each other questions, trying to figure out who would have the audicity to kill the much hated Major Dupont. This was a bit awkward at first because we didn't all have our parts memorized as well as others. But after a bit, everyone really got into the spirit of things. The only person allowed to 'lie' about their character was the murderer...but we didn't know all of each other's story, so we never really knew who was lying and who wasn't. It was a very tangled web that was weaved.

Not to brag or anything (that would be something Lea or the Princess would do....) but when all was said and done, yours truly picked the murderer...sort of. I said it was either _____ or _____, I couldn't decide on which one. My second choice was the right one. I think I'm the only one who specifically chose the right one. If not perfect, at least I was really, really close! I'm not going to tell you 'who dun it' because you might want to play this same game some day and that would just ruin it for you! You know me, always protecting my readership!

My friend who hosted this party found all the materials on the web. We think it's a homeschool family that puts them together. You can find a bunch of games here, if you're interested. Their games are G-rated. Some games are for all boys, some for all girls, but most for a mixture of people. I highly recommend this idea for your next party...as long as you invite me!

Stay tuned!

It's MY Turn!

Yes! It's my turn for an extremely lame post. It's late and I really don't have anything much to say for my post today.

But I'm posting.

Especially since the Princess didn't post yesterday!

I've decided to post one of my favorite poems. No, it's not Keats, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Poe or any of those other high falutin' folks all my friends like to quote...it says its anonymous. Feel free to chime in with the correct author if you know it and I'll give the proper credit.

Never Trouble Trouble

There's a cheery little proverb
It is very well to heed,
In a world where pain and sorrow
Are quite plentiful indeed.
If you would not have them double,
Then keep this well in view,
To never trouble trouble
Until trouble troubles you.

Don't think when storm clouds gather
You are certain to be drowned;
The very darkest tempest
May quickly blow around.
And up above the blackness
Shines evermore the blue;
So never trouble trouble
Until trouble troubles you.

Ofttimes a gloomy morning
Precedes a sunny day;
So, without a word of warning
Our trials slip away.
What pangs we oft have suffered
From ills we never knew!
So never trouble trouble
Until trouble troubles you.

Quit climbing all the ridges
You may never have to cross.
Quit climbing all the ridges
Of future pain and loss.
Trudge on and do your duty,
To God and conscience true,
And never trouble trouble
Until trouble troubles you.

-Author anonymous

Stay tuned for MORE stimulating repartee'!

Another Birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SANDRA!!!

I've known Sandra for about 20 years. That's a long time to know someone and have them still like me! (Kind of makes me feel worthy, like Lea!) I had planned to post a few pictures of Sandra and a much younger Bex. (But since my camera is spending the night with a friend tonight, that little idea just got nixed.)

I do want to share a little bit about Sandra, though. She's a regular reader of Lonesome Pine, but is one of those notorious lurkers. Hope she doesn't KILL me for this...since she's pretty much my supervisor at my new job--that would not be good.

Sandra and her sweet hubby have kind of helped raise Bex. I think Bex got ALL her prissy from Ms. Sandra! She LOVED going to Ms. Sandra's because they would always play dress-up and have tea parties. Ms. Sandra had a "Princess Bedroom" at her house. It was always the bomb to get to sleep in that fancy room. It was prissy with a capital P!Then, when Bex graduated into MAKEUP ...oh, my goodness!

One year for Bex's birthday, Ms. Sandra totally redecorated Bex's bedroom. Believe me when I say TOTALLY!!! She 'designed' a bed to look like a princess throne and had her hubby build it. She sewed everything; the comforter, accent pillows, the window treatment, the lamp shade, even a cover for the trash can! Her hubby also painted all the furniture (dresser, hutch, bedside table, cedar chest, shelves, etc.) to match the bed. THEN, they moved it all in and arranged it while we had Bex safely away from home. She was soooo surprised. It was absolutely beautiful! (I'd love to show you the pictures (that room could have given the Princess Deb a run for her decorating money!)...but don't ya know...my camera's traveling tonight...BEX!!!)

Another interesting thing about Sandra...now I'm REALLY going to spill the beans...is that SHE is the one that gave me the infamous pair of red shoes that exploded! I've forgiven her since I had probably had them 10 years, myself! If you didn't read about that most embarrassing day of my life -- read it here! It even has pictures of the blown out shoes!

Anyway, Ms. Sandra is now one of those Wild Wakulla Women...well, actually she's always been one of them, but now she's living in truth again in her beautiful new home there. We're going to her party tomorrow night...we're gonna figure out 'Who dun it in Cattle Skull.' I'm Stella. I've always wanted a cool name like Stella. Mr. Fix-It is the Sheriff, so we'll be SURE to get the truth out of them whipper-snappers!

Stay tuned.

NEVER, EVER Admit It!

So....yesterday I had the car after work.

I went shopping at Wallyworld.

After spending way too much of my first paycheck (even though it was quite fun!), I bundled my purchases into the spacious trunk of my daughter's car --which wasn't quite as spacious as it should be because it had a big bag of horsefeed, Bex's doctoring box (full of horse remedies), and other sundry horsey stuff. (How's that for a run-on sentence, Kell? Points worthy?)

As I was driving out of the parking lot maze (if any of you have been to the new Wallyworld, you know what I mean!) I stopped at a stop sign before crossing a small cross road (within the parking lot) that had the right-of-way. Yes, I really stopped all the way. As I looked both ways at the cross road, because of my stop, my tote bag fell over in the floorboard. As I started across the road, I glanced down to assess the spillage. When I looked up (as I'm halfway across the road) over my left shoulder, I saw a car slam on brakes. Where did it come from? I had looked! It wasn't there when I looked!!!

So...after vigorously mime-ing my apologies to the other driver for pulling out in front of her, I went on across the little road and continued to my destination.

After picking Bex up from Mrs. Becky's, we headed towards home with a Publix stop first. As I was driving, I thought I would bring up my little "faux pas" as a teaching moment for Bex. Surely, she could learn a great lesson from her mother's mistake. Right? Don't all the great psychologists say that we should admit wrong in front or our children to show that we're not infallible? Trust me, don't buy that junk!

Well, I proceeded to tell her of the incident, highlighting how easily even someone who has been driving over 30 years can get distracted and make a mistake while driving. Orating with such eloquence and insight on how even I, the perfect driver (and mother) could make an itty-bitty mistake, I was sure she was soaking this in and learning a deep, drivers-ed lesson from my admission.

Then, she spoke.

"That's great, Mom! Now you have something to tell everybody in the whole world something stupid YOU did for a change, instead of telling everybody all the stupid things I do!"

I was shocked!!! The NERVE of that child!!! I birthed her, don't ya know!!!

She didn't learn a thing! Her mother did!

NEVER, EVER, NEVER admit to your 16-year old
when you do something stupid!

Lesson learned.

Stay tuned!

Simple Funnies Today

Not that I like advertising for this company...whom we won't mention here...but these particular ads are absolutely hysterical! Whoever writes them must be a total nut.

Maybe I should say I'm 'remembering' my college days and since then have learned how much a waste of time and money drinking beverage alcohol can be!

I have never in my life purchased a beer. I never liked beer.

Still don't.

But I have laughed like crazy at these silly ads that have absolutely NOTHING to do with beer. In fact, it almost seems they are making fun of beer drinkers.

Sorry if they offend you...

#4 is my favorite. Bex likes #6.

**************

**************


Can you tell I was desperate for something to post today? Can't let the Princess or Lea get ahead of me!

Stay tuned.

Don't Talk Trash, If You Can't Back It Up!

Trash talk can really come back and bite you in the ...ummm...nether regions. Ask the team we whooped yesterday!

Yesterday afternoon our team traveled to a nearby town where we were set to play a private school -- a LOT bigger than our own. Several of our girls know some of their girls, but it's not a secret that there is no love lost between the teams. (Probably something to do with a high-falutin' private school and a tiny little Christian school...you know, we're just not very COOL!) We had already beat this team TWICE! Once in a pre-season tournament and another sound beating came in our own house. So yesterday, we traveled to theirs. (At least OUR gym had air-conditioning!!!)

From what I understand, over the weekend, at least one of the 'opposing' players had really issued some major 'trash talk' about how bad they were going to beat our team through her Facebook. Seems like a lot of girls knew about it. I guess the girl that posted it had forgotten the major thrashing they received a few weeks ago and somebody forgot to tell her that our team is undefeated -- 11-0!!!!

Anyway, this 'opposing' team set the stage for a BIG win! They even re-scheduled the Varsity game so that it would be the FIRST match played instead of the normal THIRD match. They scheduled it early in the afternoon (when most parents and fans aren't able to come...). AND they brought in their entire student body to cheer for the home team. It was LOUD!!!! They were VERY confident!

Instead of intimidating our great group of gals, it energized them! Our matches are 'best 3 out of 5' and we won in 3 straight sets. Wahoo!!! After we started pulling ahead, it pretty much shut down the crowd -- by the end of the 2nd set, the stands were pretty much empty! Shall I say, WAHOO again?

Two pieces of advice for all those 'trash talkers' .....

#1 --Don't mess with the BEST!!!

#2 -- NEVER underestimate a team powered by Lemon Drops!

(They're not trying to catch flies...they're showing you their lemon drop power!)

Oh, by the way...I had TWO hotdogs for supper! Instead of just catsup, I had forgotten that relish adds vegetables, too. You know...those little pickles used to be cucumbers! Does that count for veggies instead of those nasty tasting carrot sticks ya'll want me to eat? I think I'd just rather eat a stick.

Meggy's Menu Plan Monday

As I've surfed BloggyWorld this past weekend, I keep stumbling over these wonderful "Get Super-dee-duper-0rganized" sites. It seems the biggest problem a woman has in this world today is planning a menu for her family each week. As organizationally-challenged as I am, I have the same problem. We have 'God Help Me Hamburger' at least a few times a week (when we're not smack-dab in the middle of volleyball season, that is!).

What is 'God Help Me Hamburger', you ask? It's where I bow my head, close my eyes and pray that God in His mercy will reveal one more way for me to cook hamburger, thus not having to listen to my sweet family whine-ily say, "Oh, no! Not _____ Again!"

So, in case you're faced with those same dilemma's in your family, I wanted to take a few minutes today and share MY plan for this week. Feel free to copy it for your own sweet family. Maybe it will be an encouragement to you all --that menu planning is really NOT that hard. You, my friend, can do it too! Here goes.

Monday -- Volleyball game. Encourage liberal use of condiments on hotdogs purchased at game. Catsup IS made from tomatoes...thus fulfilling the vegetable requirement.

Tuesday -- Another volleyball game. Encourage liberal use of chili and cheese added to the hotdog, thus making this a different meal from the night before!

Wednesday -- Ahhh...church suppers! Our wonderful church has Wednesday night meals to help out those working mom's who can't go home and cook. The menu for this week is Spaghetti, garlic bread, probably green beans, salad and desert. Who could beat that for $4?

Thursday -- Now here is my dilemma for the week. NO BALLGAME!!! So I guess I'll drag out a pound of hamburger and make something with it. Probably Texas Beef Skillet which is really good and easy. I would have made spaghetti because its quick and easy...but ...see Wednesday's menu.

Friday -- Another volleyball game. Maybe I'll encourage the French Fry entree...you know...splurge!

Saturday -- Now this is a day that I can really be creative. Actually, Bex will be working the FSU ballgame and Mr. Fix-It and I have been invited to a Western 'Who dunnit' Mystery dinner at a friend's...so this day is taken care of, too! But honestly, I'll probably put something in the crockpot during the day to eat on Sunday. Probably something with chicken...

Actually, I know you are all reading this in absolute horror, with your jaw hanging down, thinking about how sorry you feel for my nutrient deprived family. Never fear! For those nutrient deficient days, there is always peanut butter AND the ever nutritious, Cocoa Crispies on hand at Lonesome Pine!

So there you go! An easy menu plan for the week. One that I'm sure anyone can improve upon!

Stay tuned for more helpful hints on organizing and menu planning!

Feeling Froggy, Anyone?

For today's Sunday Snapshot, I want to share just a glimpse of what you're missing not living in God's Country in the woods.

Out here in the woods at Lonesome Pine, it's not unusual to see a lot of wildlife. Observing snakes, turkeys, deer, rabbits, turtles, alligators, foxes, coyotes, raccoons, opossums and a plethora of strange insects are commonplace. But over the past week or so we've been watching what we consider a rare phenomenon--at least its the first time I've seen it since living here 20+ years. Each morning when we're headed out for the day, we've come across this scene.


This is our 'low' road that was flooded by Tropical Storm Fay. Follow that link and you will see pictures of this same road with the water at the top of the fence posts. Unbelievable, right?

Here's something else that we're finding unbelievable. Do you see all those little dots? It is NOT debris from the flooding. Take a closer look. Can you figure out what those little dots are?




Can you believe all those little 'dots' are thousands of teeny, tiny, frogs? FROGS!!! It's so weird! I wish I had taken a video of the process. All of these little frogs jumping on their way. It's quite a sight! They are all going the same way across the road. (Like those turtles at the beach --heading for the water.)

Apparently, they only do this in the mornings. By afternoon, all you see are those that have been smashed by cars and become road pizza. Yet, in the mornings they are out in droves --not just here on our road, but in several places along our path to town.

There has been a LOT of water around here and I can only think that is what is behind this barrage of frogs. Bex and I think it may be God's answer to the bazillion mosquitoes also birthed by all this water. Let's hope so. The mosquitoes are growing big enough to tote small children and pets.

GROW frogs, GROW!!!!

Stay tuned for more fascinating adventures from Lonesome Pine! {yeah, right!}

Good Grief, Is There Anything Left To Know?

Me! From A-Z.

Tagged!

I've been tagged by my sweet N. Georgia friend at Chel's Leaving a Legacy. I can't believe there is ANYTHING at all that you don't know about me, because I'm such a blabbermouth...unlike some...

But, since I'm such a good sport (most days) I'll make a stab at coming up with something creative ...I'm supposed to share an alphabet story by answering questions from A-Z about me. Nobody really reads these Saturday posts, anyway. So here goes.

Attached or Single? Very attached. We'll celebrate 26 years this month. Okay, celebrate may be a bit of a stretch since there's a volleyball game that day. Let's say..."We'll mark our 26th anniversary this year!"

Best Friend? Well, Jesus, of course. But here on earth I can't really say...Ms. Edna was such a big part of my life before she went to hang out with Jesus. At this point, I have so many wonderful people in my life it would be hard to choose just one.

Cake or Pie? Ahhh... it would have to be Lemon Meringue Pie!

Day of Choice? What does this mean? I used to love Monday's because that was the day things would get back to normal at the Pine. But now that I'm a working woman again, I'm thinking Saturday's sleeping late is pretty wonderful!

Essential Item? CAR! When you live in the woods, not having a vehicle to run around in is absolutely unnerving. Don't clip my wings!

Flavor of Ice Cream Vanilla. Really.

Gummy Bears or Worms? Worms. The bears get a bit too hard sometimes.

Hometown? Believe it or not, Tallytown. That's the technical answer. But I don't really consider it HOME. My home, where I grew up, is the huge metropolis of Bronson, FL in north, central Florida where my Dad lives.

Indulgences? Hmmmm...now that I'm working, that is quickly changing. My old answer would have been going back to bed after breakfast. I'll have to keep you posted on this one!

January or July? January, absolutely! I am not a summer person. I think I would enjoy living in the Arctic Circle! I can't wait for some cold weather around here.

Kids? God only gave us one --but I would love to have a passle more! Send 'em on -- just don't give them to me at 14 (that didn't work out too well!).

Last Movie I saw in a Theater? I think it was Iron Man. We go to movies in spells...so I'm not really sure. It was whatever was showing at the $1 show when we had a hankering for a movie. Don't EVEN ask me what was the last movie I saw WITH my husband! He hates going to the movies...but I think we saw Facing the Giants together.

Middle Name? Ellen. I'm named after my two grandmothers...the Ellen comes from Cora Ellen. The only time anyone ever calls me my two names together is when we visit that side of the family.

Number of Siblings? Well, I have 3 full brothers, 2 half-siblings, and one step sibling.

Oranges or Apples? Wow. This one is hard. I like both in different ways and for different reasons. But if I had to choose, I would probably pick apples because they're more versatile and not as messy to eat.

Phobia or Fear? I'm not sure that I have a phobia or fear about anything. Jesus has pretty much conquered all of those for me. I guess I have a "fear" of not being around to see my daughter married and meeting my grandchildren. But since I don't have much, if any, control over that, I don't let it worry me too much!

Quote? I don't really have a favorite...but I really like this one that I have on my blog...not that it really describes me, yet!...but it's something to work toward.

Live your life in such a way
that when your feet hit the
floor in the morning,
satan shudders and says,
"Oh no, she's awake."

Reason to Smile? Jesus died for our sins, who needs another reason to smile? I just like smiling, don't really need a reason. But hearing Bex laugh always makes me smile.

Season? Winter! I LOVE cold weather and no humidity.

Tag five more: Here's the hardest question of all! Who can I tag who won't get mad at me like that Kahlua person did last time?

Okay, so here's the TAG --- those participating in the September to Remember contest ought to thank me for giving them something else to blog about...and hey! This fits in perfect with the theme! So, I'm tagging: Lori over at A Work in Progress, the Princess over at Cheaper By the Baker's Dozen, Laura over at Dance Mommy's Odyssey, Fuschia over at Living in the Land of Pink, and Kelley over at Land of Sunny Days.

Unknown Fact About Me? Are you kidding? Is there anything I haven't spilled my guts about? Okay...think...think...think... Oh, here's something --although it will probably gross you out. I LIKE to eat raw hamburger. Not a lot -- just a pinch here and there. That is how I can tell if my meatloaf is good...I taste it to see what I need to add. Yes, I know that sounds gross...if you told me that about yourself, I would probably say "Gross!" too. I don't like my hamburgers or steaks raw...if the meat is warm and raw...Yuck!

Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals? I like what Chel said "How come a vegetarian isn't called an oppressor of vegetation?" But I'm not ashamed to say, I definitely fall in the "oppressor of animals" category. God said it was okay, so I don't have any problem with eating animals. Plants are probably better for us, but I don't like the taste of many plants...so animals, it is!

Worst Habit? Again, I have to agree with Chel, procrastination seems to be my nemesis. I'm so bad about putting things off, NOT planning, and flying by the seat of my pants. I like to call it "being spontaneous!" One of my favorite Bible verses is about 'not worrying about tomorrow, because tomorrow will take care of itself!"

Xrays or Ultrasounds? Does this mean, have I ever had one? I've had boocoodles of X-Rays on my crooked arm since 1st grade. Mainly, because it was so easily injured after I broke it and I was a gymnast as a kid, so I used to hurt it all the time. Seems I've grown out of that now.

As for ultrasounds, I've only had one. When I was pregnant with Bex, three weeks before my due date I went into pre-eclampsia and they did an ultrasound to do the amniocentesis to see if she was developed enough to be delivered. The technician was really ugly to me for trying to look at the monitor to see the baby (she thought I was like most people and had already had 2 or 3 ultrasounds). She made me cry. Afterwards, when my SIL (who was really ticked at how she treated me) told her that this was my first ultrasound, she felt really guilty and when I was in recovery she brought me a picture of Becky...just her face smushed up against my belly...smiling at her mom. She made me cry, again!

Your favorite Food? Again, I agree with Chel who said "This is way too broad of a question." I like all kinds of food. But give me a GOOD, juicy grilled hamburger and I'm pretty happy!

Zodiac? Although I don't believe in horoscopes or any of that garbage, my birthday obviously falls under the sign of Virgo. I do think this makes me extra special...cause me and Paul Harvey share a birthday, and me and Ms. Edna both were September babies.

There you have it, Meggy from A-Z! Can there be ANYTHING you don't know about me now? Oh, wait a minute, there's one more thing. I LOVE meatloaf sandwiches for breakfast...just had one...yummmmm!

Stay tuned.