thanks to those who have served so we can have picnics

Picnics

by Marchette Chute

Sunshine and wieners and pickles and ham,
Not enough salt for the eggs,
Marshmallows cooked on the end of a stick,
Ants crawling over our legs.

Candy and cookies and peanuts and cake,
Finding the frosting has run,
All of us knowing we've eaten too much---
Picnics are certainly fun.

Hope you day is wonderful as we remember those who have fought for our freedom!

shoes and trike...same price

One day I am gonna get one of these, I really am!

around 260 dollars for a similar one at Walmart

I think these Swedish Hasbeens handmade shoes are so cute...they cost the same as the trike! Too much for me, I just got the nerve last year to buy shoes that cost 30-40 dollars. Since that took over 50 years to do, I doubt very much that I will ever fork over such a large amaount for shoes even if they are cute, comfortable and hand made in Sweden!
Can you say "knockoffs"?

vintage bikes

Cute aren't they? I know people who find the nicest old bikes at thrift stores and and with a little tlc they are road ready. These pictures make me imagine tooling around the Irish countryside.

click here to see more pictures of vintage bikes

Beautiful Spaces from Pinterest

Pinterest has this awesome bulletin board of Beautiful Spaces. I love all the colors in these images.

click here to view more lovely pics

keepin it real in a random manner!

the babies have hatched!!

the best barbecue in town!

my new stove! I want to marry it!

morning walk!

Where do I begin?! Well, the other day I went to the Drs office and they did blood work and called me in to the office to discuss it with the Dr. I about had a panic attack, because that never happened before, but the Dr just wanted to talk to me about the results instead of playing phone tag if I had any questions. My cholesterol was high which I expected and he told me that I had three months to lose some weight before medication would be prescribed. My blood sugar was sightly elevated and since no one in my family has had any Diabetes, he said that even a 10 percent weight loss would normalize that. He nicely told me that when you get to be around our ages we can't just have this extra weight on without it affecting us. So, I need to increase the intensity of the exercise I am already doing and I have been thinking of joining the YMCA or a gym. This morning I walked to the Y and got some brochures with the prices and hours. When I walked in it was hot and stuffy so...I wasn't sure I could survive a workout there. Then later on I drove to a nearby town to check out Absolute Fitness a 24/7 gym which was 12 dollars a month cheaper and much nicer. When I pulled up in front of the place I had to tell myself, yes, I can do this, I can walk in to a gym as a chubby old lady even if all young buffers would be wondering what on earth I was doing there. Two men in uniforms ran past my car, yelling in a drill sergeant manner at a young guy in gym shorts. Yikes, is this what it is going to be like in there?? Boy was I re leaved to see them go in to the army recruitment center.
Of course, a young athletic man greeted me giving me the brochure and pointing out the pricing and gave me a quick tour of the place. I never felt fatter and older. The only people I saw were young, thin , muscle-y people, but I was hoping for the Biggest Loser kind of crowd. There was a Women's Only Area that was in a separate room, small but OK I guess!
I just don't know what to do... maybe just try harder on my exercise bike or do my DVDs again this summer...I just don't know...
Another keepin it real subject I want to tackle today is my neighborhood. See the picture above of a sketchy looiking convenience store with bars on the windows? It is two blocks away from my home and has the best BBQ in town! You see, we live two blocks away from the historic district which is where I take my walks, and we also live two blocks away from a more run down part of town. Apparently that is the case when you live in a downtown area. We don't really mind that though, we love our street and our house. Friends live on the other side of the street that we knew in Florida and our next door neighbor on one side teaches art at the Community College and our neighbor on the other side is a dean and Phd that works for the University of Alabama branch in Gadsden. With that being said, the two houses directly across the street from us have been empty for over 6 months with the grass majorly overgrown and being a total bummer to look out at from our cozy porch. Well, today they were both finally mowed by the city because a few of us called to make a complaint about them and the city will mow if the owner doesn't do it after two weeks notice. Now ,we are not picky, anal people about yards or anything but these houses had mini trees and shrubs taking over their yards. Now that they are freshly mowed, I feel like throwing a party!
Another random fact is that we finally got rid of our 1970s relic stove and got a brand spankin new one that brings joy to my heart when I use it! I am in love with it!!
And the baby birds hatched, all 5 of them and they are the cutest lil guys!
I really do love our little corner of the world with all the trees, flowers,birds, bungalows and eccentric characters. It has character and charm which makes the little annoyances seem small!!

Today's adventures

Today, Ray and I explored further up Antique Alley after all. We drove about 60 miles north along highway 11, only finding a little birdcage planter and a retro looking vase. When we were back in our neck of the woods we visited Attalla, a nearby town with several antique shops where we found the best deal of the day. The metal cabinet painted white which was just marked down this morning. I am always trying to think of ways to de- clutter our kitchen and this cabinet fit the bill!
The drive is really pretty and refreshing though, so we don't really mind going out of our way, but it has been a trend for the last three years that the best finds have been in our own backyard.
I managed to clean my fridge today also, which is an adventure in itself for me. I hate cleaning the fridge and I must have groaned with disgust about 20 times during the ordeal. But it does feel mighty good when it is done. I am sure many of you are thinking "What's the big deal it's only a fridge?" Well, I usually tackle it when I am fed up with not being able to fit anything in it anymore yet still can't find anything to eat in it at the same time! So... a lot of throwing away and mopping up!
Tomorrow, my husband promised to help me tackle the pantry which is a hazard just to walk into. He seems to have good organizational skills as he is always rearranging his work trailer so that he can work more efficiently in it. Wish that would rub off on me!

goings on...or...daily dullness

Don't you think that most of our lives are routine day in and day out kind of times with a few exciting, out of the ordinary occurrences peppered in? Well I do. The secret to true happiness to me, is to have joy and contentment whether we are embarking on a great adventure or cleaning our toilets. Although I must admit the toilet part is a real challenge!
Nothing too exciting going on around here. Our internet keeps going off and on at unexpected times and we have had two modems/WIFI units sent to us with my husband spending hours on the phone with our son in law who is a computer genius and AT&T technical support. "3 2 1, 1 2 3, what the heck is bothering me?" would be a good chant for Ray during these times of frustration.
( from "Family Matters", when Urkel was driving Carl Winslow crazy and he was trying to stay calm) It still is working intermittently so I am striking while the iron is hot!

Also, this week my yearly Drs visit is coming due but I am trying a new Dr that my husband and daughter go to, hoping for a less humiliating time. I have only lost 8 pounds in the last year but I have been walking more consistently so hopefully I won't get yelled at. Last year I blogged about my rude-ish and weird Drs visit and this year I don't want a repeat! ugh!!!

My niece in Florida just had a sweet baby boy named Elijah who was 7 pounds 9 ouces and I am looking forward to meeting him sometime in late June. My daughter Christina was on her way down to see them yesterday when she became nauseous and had to turn back. It seems she has a gross virus and I am sad that I am not nearby to help. If we lived near each other I would pick up my adorable grandson and entertain him while he entertains me so Stina could rest. I would bring her chicken soup and crackers. Sorry I am so far away!

Oh, and I made home made ice cream two days in a row since getting my Ice cream maker, but don't worry, I won't go overboard, just was excited to try it out. Results were totally delicious and I will be looking for some low fat recipes on line. I made vanilla with toasted coconut and almonds, and strawberry the next day!

We have an exterminator come to our house every month to keep unwanted pest guests away and you wouldn't believe the cleaning frenzy that causes! It is humbling and embarrassing to have a stranger come and go in to every corner of your house. I am afraid we are not one of those spotless house keepers from days gone by. The public places are acceptable, but just a little deeper to places like the pantry, back room or closets and...well..oh dear. The frenzy begins. Today when I called to check when he was coming I was thrilled to hear Monday! It felt like a governors pardon from the electric chair!

Counting my blessings along the way!

I Love Mayberry...or...ode to my porch (again)

city slicker in Mayberry

All that is missing is Barney,Aunt Bea, Andy and Opie, or we would think we were living in Mayberry, North Carolina!
We have a similar looking downtown, we sit on our porch for hours, we drink iced tea on our porch, I just got an ice cream maker for mothers day, we watch birds ( I also just got a Birds of Alabama book for Mom's day too) and my husband has been known to play his guitar on the porch also!
There was an episode where a hyper busy city slicker guy's car broke down on a Sunday and he was impatiently waiting for Goober or Gomer or Wally or somebody to fix his car when Andy invited him home with him for Sunday dinner. He couldn't relax at first, but by the end of the day he was missing the simpler life of a small town.
The front porch has been a dream come true for me. I always wanted a big front porch to be able to sit on with friends and family and now we have one. The spring and Fall are my very favorite times to sit there, with cool breezes, beautiful trees and about a zillion birds. There is a constant concert going on outside and after a few days you start to recognize the birds. Like the intense Mockingbirds, three bright red cardinals who are always together, house finch male and female who have eggs incubating in our hanging basket, and two newcomers, (brown thrashers)who swoop in at dusk.
Sometimes a neighbor will come sit and chat with us, sometimes we eat our dinner out there, and now that we have an ice cream maker, we will be eating some new creations out there as well.


“The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch swing with, never say a word, then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation that you ever had.”

Eggs!

This picture was taken of the inside of a hanging basket on our front porch today!  They are house sparrow eggs and we watched the mama bird tend to them while we sat at the other end of the porch.   I swear it is so rejuvenating to sit out there!

massive amounts of mason jars uses

mason jar mania

I must be the last one to hear about pinterest! I came upon it on a blog I follow and have loved browsing through the multiple pictures of themed items! If you click on the link above you will see what I mean, hundreds of mason jar uses in pictures!

One year ago...and blah blah blah...

First of all, I am sorry for being MIA in the blogosphere! We went to Florida last weekend and I have been having WIFI trouble at our house and our PC runs real slow and frustrates me when it comes to posting. Not to mention that I can't seem to think of anything to blog about. Although I had several almost posts that just fell by the wayside. I am sure that my MOJO will be back soon though because I really love posting and reading all the inspiring and entertaining ones that you all make too!
So it was a year ago that I decided to become more active and started going for morning walks around my neighborhood And yes, I know that is a dumb time of year to start since I hate heat and humidity and May is a month on the verge of those things. All year long since then, I have done some sort of exercise,at least three times a week whether it was my stationary bike, exercise DVDs, or my favorite, walking outside in the fresh cool air, listening to the birds sing and taking in the sights. Too bad, it has not resulted in my becoming skinny. I seem to have lost about 8 pounds since last year, but believe me I have a long way to go. You see, I have this problem...my favorite quote is Jack Black from "The School of Rock"..."So I like to eat...is that such a crime?" I have always liked eating and I have become much more enamored with healthy foods, but perhaps I can partially blame my pre-menopausal hormones with my intense cravings of carbs. I will keep plugging along, although I am bummed about summer coming since last year was the hottest one ever. Indoor routines will have to do but I am hoping and praying for some more cool days to come before Summer takes its nasty toll on my restorative outside walks!

"People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy." ~Anton Chekhov
I am hoping to find that level of happiness this year!

What a beautiful morning

Think that I'll just go outside for a while and just smile...

Love that song and loved my morning walk!