Saturday Shoutouts

What's That Smell?

Chocolate Covered Pilgrim Hats

Thanksgiving Kids' Crafts

43 Chores Young Children Can Do 

The Mother's Mite

Meet Me On Monday

Welcome to the 57th edition of

"Meet Me On Monday!"

1.  Does your family/friends know about your blog?  Yes, and there are lots of times I wish they didn't.  I've often thought of starting an anonymous blog so I can really vent!

2.  What is your favorite card game?  Not sure I have one.  I'm not much on cards or board games.

3.  What do you wear to bed?  Used to be some type of pajamas or nightgown.  Then the hot flashes hit and I stripped down to my undies.  Now I usually start in pjs, but shed them sometime during the night when the heat hits.

4.  What is your favorite kind of French Fry?   McDonald's!

5.  What is your usual bed time?    I always intend to go to bed early, but it rarely happens.  Usually about 11.

Donelson Trading Post

You may or may not remember, but a couple of months ago, I posted about a place I found outside Nashville.  A little bit of a drive for me, but worth it!  Darrell was making a few deliveries to the area, so I conned asked him to help me find this place called Donelson Trading Post.  He sweetly agreed.

The directions on the craigslist ad said to follow highway such and such, turn on this road, and look for the arrow just past the railroad tracks.  Okay....  We missed the arrow the first time and had to turn around, but found the gravel--yes, gravel--road we were further instructed to turn down.  These were the directions in the ad, not from our not-so-trustworthy GPS.  We continued down the gravel/dirt road which ran right along side the railroad tracks.  Eventually the road pretty much ran out and lo and behold, we were there!

Our young friend Josh was with us and he was convinced this just couldn't be what we were looking for.  To his utter dismay, I gleefully hopped out of the truck and went to meet creepy weird guy who ran the place.  That's him in the yellow sweater in the picture above.

He immediately began pulling the tarp off this big pile of stuff in the front yard.  The sofa table thing on the left is what I came for--and bought--unfortunately it was too big for where I wanted to put it in the house, so it's now in my booth.  I was interested in the suitcases, but they were very mildewy, so I passed.

We next headed inside where I spotted this gorgeous black walnut headboard.  The TLC it needs are beyond me, so I left it there.  That exercise machine?  It works!  Creepy guy demonstrated it for us!

See the rusty old scale on top of these cabinets?  That now sits with two others I have on top of my kitchen cabinets.  I also bought the stack of wooden bowls.  I'm actually seeing even more now and am ready to go back!

I wound up buying several tables and a couple of smaller things.  It wasn't until I got home and looked at these pictures that I discovered stuff I hadn't even noticed!  My friend Liz and I went back the next day and brought home even more.  Part of which is a big box of old sheet music--most of it belonged to the same lady and she wrote on the fronts when and where she had heard it performed.  Some date back to 1919!  She must have been quite wealthy as the pieces have Paris, London, etc on them.  I'm thinking of putting them individually on eBay this winter when it's too cold for yard sales.  Some are in poor shape and I'm planning on doing some decoupage on the top of a table with it.

So, how about you?  Visited any interesting places lately?

Saturday Shoutouts

Never Too Late for Joy

Hospitality & Some (in)Spired Thanksgiving Deals

How Are You, Really?

I May Have Been a Bit Hasty

After my rant last post, I tried a little experiment today.  Seems I may have been a bit hasty in my laying of blame regarding my hair and its not so silkiness lately.    Another product may be the culprit.  See, with all the crap stuff I put on my hair--to either protect it or to bend it to my will--it's hard to know.  Just to give you an idea, here's the drill....

Shampoo and condition with the Nexxus.  Wrap hair in towel for a few minutes.  Remove towel and blot--do not rub!  Apply detangler of some type.  Air dry hair for a bit.  Apply Chi Straight Guard.

 This here is some good stuff!  Well worth the price!

Blow dry hair using at least two--sometimes four--brushes and one clip.  Let flat iron heat up while applying makeup.  Section hair beginning with the stubborn wavy back.  Apply FX Flat Iron Thermal Spray to each section, then straighten it.   Repeat about 20 times.

 

Finish with a small bit of Hana Shield Shield.  Whew!  And I used to do this every day!  I've gotten lazy smarter and now only do it a few times a week.

 This is some good stuff, too!

So,  if we eliminate the shampoo and conditioner, the detangler, the Chi, and the Shine Shield--these I've been using a good while and/or came to me highly recommended--that leaves the FX.  Instead of applying it to each section and ironing a somewhat wet piece of hair,  I gave my whole head a light spray, concentrating on the stubborn spots, then used the flat iron.  And you know what?  My hair is softer and silkier today.

I can be the bigger person.  I can admit when I'm wr...wro...wro...mistaken.  Today I'm thankful that doesn't happen very often.  Hey, it's my blog!  I can exaggerate if I want to!

Things I'm NOT Loving Right Now

We see posts all the time about products folks are loving, but rarely ones doing the opposite.  Rebel that I am, I'm willing to go out on a limb here and tell you a couple of things to stay away from--cuz they ain't worth the money! 

First up, Almay Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover.  Got this at a yard sale hosted by an extreme couponer.  She had extras of all kinds of things and I love the Almay brand, so for $1 I took a chance.  Used this stuff once and will be throwing the rest away.  It didn't work very well on my waterproof mascara and it burned my eyes!  Going back to my tried and true baby oil.

Next is my new BaByliss blow dryer.  I've used a Chi flat iron and blow dryer for years.  When my flat iron died a while back, I replaced it with a BaByliss based on a trusted recommendation.  I've really liked it, so when my blow dryer "exploded" a few months ago, I decided to go against my better judgment and get a Babyliss dryer.  The fact that it's red did not influence me at all.  Ummm...not so impressed.  But I spent too much not to use it.  Guess I'll just have to wait for another near-death experience!

Lastly, more hair stuff.   I put my hair through the wringer--coloring, drying, straightening--so good shampoo and conditioner are important to me.  I've been using Nexxus moisturizing products I bought at Costco at least six months ago.  I'm beginning to wonder if they'll ever run out!  At first, they worked pretty good, but lately, I've been noticing my hair being rougher than usual and not nearly so soft.  It's either the blow dryer or the Nexxus or maybe the combination.  Regardless, these cheaper items will be replaced before much longer!

Today I'm thankful I have hair at all--considering what all I've put it through over the years!

How Bazaar, How Bazaar

Thought I'd share a few pictures from Saturday's bazaar.  If you see something you like, visit The Crafty Pirate Facebook page--she's got a sale going on!

Excuse the poor quality of the pics taken from my phone!

I Tawt I Taw a Turkey

Oh, the lengths to which some turkeys will go in order to avoid being the main course at Thanksgiving dinner....

Today I'm thankful for kindergarten teachers who encourage my grandchildren's imaginations!

Meet Me On Monday!!

Welcome to the 56th edition of "Meet Me On Monday!" 
1.  Are you excited for the holidays or are you dreading them?  Can I get away with saying "yes"?  I'm excited, but at the same time, I dread the traffic, the cooking, and all the work.   I'm thankful though that my two oldest grandchildren will be with us the week after Christmas!  Haven't seen them since May and I miss them terribly!




2.  Do you hit the snooze button or get right up?   The clock is on Darrell's side of the bed, but he usually hits the snooze.  I hate that alarm sound!  However, I'm thankful that I don't have to work and for the most part can get up when I want to--though I usually get up by 6:30 with Darrell.

3.  Do you still have your tonsils?   Yeppers!  And I'm grateful for that!

4.  What was the last piece of candy that you ate?   You're really going to make me confess to stealing candy from my grandson's stash of Halloween candy?  Fine!  A KitKat bar.  And I was very thankful for it!  It was a welcome treat after cleaning house for hours.

5.  Do you shop at thrift stores?  hahahahahaha

Deja Vu Sort Of

When the LSU and Alabama game went into overtime last night, I knew I was done without anyone sticking a fork in me.  I snuck off to bed so I wouldn't ruin anyone else's good time.  Guess I slept pretty good, because I woke up about 3am in the same position I was in when I fell asleep.  Even so, I still didn't want to get up this morning.  I'll be honest, getting ready for church seemed like a monumental task.  Sometimes, it's a good thing I have a grandson in the house to help make me do what's right.

We got to church to find we were only having sacrament (the worship service).  There was no water in the building due to a leak.  I'll admit to a little aggravation since I hadn't wanted to get up in the first place.  I went into the chapel and sat down.  Between the hymns and the testimonies, my heart became very full.  Then a strange thing happened.

I felt compelled to look behind me.  When I did, I noticed a young woman having a seizure.  It was very quiet and her family seemed to have things under control.  They are a private family, so I wasn't sure what to do.  I kept still.  After looking back a couple more times, I finally told Darrell what was happening.  He immediately got up and went back to see what he could do to help.  That's one of the things I love most about him.  He doesn't wait to be asked for help.  He doesn't worry about how he'll be received or if he'll be in the way.  He just does what needs to be done.

After Darrell and some others came to help, the mother left the chapel.  I went after her.  I've been in her shoes.  Watching your child have a seizure is such a helpless feeling.  There's nothing you can do.  If they're bleeding or choking, there are measures you can take.  But with seizures, about all you can do is wait for it to be over.  I caught up with the mom and she told me she knew if she could get her daughter home, everything would be okay.   An ambulance had been called, but the family chose not to transport her to the hospital.   And the mom was right.  Once she was home, she was better.

During all this, I just wanted to throw up.   Exactly the feeling I would have when Shana would have a seizure.  And the same feeling I had for days after she died.  I lost 10 lbs in a week, because I just couldn't even think about food.

I'm so thankful I was at church today.  I don't know if I helped the situation or not, but that mother knows that I understand what she was feeling and going through.   I hope that helped her cope somewhat.  I know it helped me.

I Just Thought I Was Tired...

Bed at almost midnight last night.  Couldn't really sleep.  Woke up at 4:30.  Dozed till 4:54.  Knew the alarm would go off at 5, but tried to grab a couple more winks anyway.  A minute later the alarm goes off.  Forgot it was set a little fast.  Shower, makeup, hair, pack the truck.  Leave the house by 6:30.  Drive about an hour to participate in a craft bazaar with my daughter.  She's the crafter--I'm just along for moral support.  No sales for the first couple of hours, but then things pick up.  4pm arrives and we do most of this in reverse.  Hardly in the driveway before friends arrive for the UT/MTSU and LSU/Bama games.  Change into jammies anyway.  Hey, the bottoms are orange!  It's all good.  Burgers, franks, chips, and chocolate cake.  Tummy full, brain tired.  At least, UT won--finally!

Thankful today for a beloved daughter who lives close by--at last!  Thankful to have a day for just me and her.  Thankful she gets me and my humor!  Thankful for friends who love football almost as much as my husband does--because I probably never will.  Thankful for a sweet grandson who missed me lots today and let me know it when I got home.  Thankful for the hot tub  and comfy bed awaiting me shortly.

Saturday Shoutouts

Fiercely Dependent

This is Your Daughter Speaking

No One Warned Me

Tired...

Spent half the day at a pumpkin patch with lots of kindergarteners--two of whom I'm especially fond of.  Cold and rainy, but fun.  Getting ready for a bazaar tomorrow with my daughter Lauren.  10pm now and have to be up by 5:30am.  Just wanted to get my gratitude in!  I am so very thankful to have grandchildren around so that I can go on field trips with them--as well as eat lunch at school with them and help out in their classrooms.  
It's heaven, I tell ya!

Follow Friday 40 and Over!!

Welcome to the 62nd edition of Follow Friday 40 and Over!!
Are you a blogger over 40? Yeah, welcome to the club!
Please join in the fun and get to know your fellow bloggers!!

New Toys

Actually, one is a few months old.  I'm pretty sure I forgot to tell you I finally got an iPhone!  After much wishing pleading begging nagging asking nicely, Darrell shut me up gave in.  We first went to the Verizon store, but they were too busy.  So we went to Sam's--where everything was going smoothly until it was discovered we have a business account and, for some reason, that threw a monkey wrench into the works.  So--wait a few days and back to the Verizon store.  I left a happy girl!  My phone has a red case--of course--and is named Scarlett.  I have had a ball at the App Store without spending a dime--cuz we all know how cheap frugal I am!  Did you know there's an app for a flashlight?  A metal detector?  A level?  How awesome is that!  And the games keep my 5-year-old grandson busy enough at Walmart that he doesn't even ask to go to the toy section!  Now that's worth the monthly bill in itself!


My other toy I just got the other day.  I finally own a Silhouette!  It's an older model that I bought from a friend.  I'm not jealous at all that she got the new Cameo.  **fingers crossed**  It won't be long now till everything in my house has a label or cute little saying on it.   Darrell better not stand still too long...

Oh, and I am thankful today for the check I received from the flea market!  Best month yet!

Footloose in the Wednesday Hodgepodge-Volume 51

 

1. Who taught you how to cook?  My husband and various cookbooks.  My mother was a meticulous cook and didn't want me in the way.  I'd been married a year before I could scramble an egg that was fit to eat.  Darrell is a wonderful cook and can throw things into a pot and have it come out delicious.  However, he messes up every dish we own!  I finally learned to feed us so I didn't have to clean the entire kitchen every day!

2. Have you been told you think too much? Are too much of a perfectionist? Are too sensitive? Were they right?   Yes, yes, yes, yes.  There, I said it.  Satisfied now?

3. As a child did you have a favorite blanket or toy? Tell about it.  I received a sweet little doll when I was three.  I kept her till after I was married.  Her name changed from time to time, but for the longest time she was known as "Diamond Emerald".  I thought that was the most beautiful name ever. 

4. What 'institution' do you have the most faith in?   Marriage.

5. Chrysanthemums-pansies-burning bush-ornamental cabbage...your favorite in an autumn garden?   Mums.  But I have much better luck in my own yard with pansies.  (I still don't see that cat face in them though.)

6. What superpower do the kids in your neighborhood seem to posses?   Invisibility.  Besides getting on and off the school bus, I rarely see any kids other than my grandchildren.  I know the people across the street have kids--their yard sports a swing set, sandbox, etc--but I almost never see the kids out there.  I pity children these days being able to play outside, riding bikes, exploring.

7. Are you a fan of the cranberry?  Not at all.  Especially that gel stuff in the can.

8. Insert your own random thought here.   I am doing the 30 days of thanks for the month.   Of course, I am thankful for my husband, children, and grandchildren.  So I'm trying to think outside the box and be grateful for other blessings.  Today I am thankful to live in a part of the country that sees all four seasons.  Outside my window I can see glorious blue skies, fluffy white clouds, and gorgeous multicolored trees.  It takes my breath away.

Poor Wittle Bwog...

Can you hear it singing?




This little blog has been so neglected lately.  By its author.  By its followers.  It's very sad.  Since it's now November and NaBloPoMo, we'll try to remedy that.  Let's start off with some Good, Bad, and Ugly, with a little gratitude thrown in.

The Good:

My son-in-law got a job!  And it's here in Tennessee!  Which mean three of my six grandchildren will be living nearby!  I'm grateful for all of these things!



The Bad:

My flea market booth didn't do so well last month.  We're hoping this month is better.  I'm grateful for all the customers who brave the heat and the stairs to see what we have to offer--and especially those who take stuff home with them!

The Ugly:

My vacation from Diet Mt Dew only lasted about a month.  In my defense, I don't keep it in the house anymore and I try to only drink one occasionally.   I'm thankful for this nectar of the gods.  Oh, and a word to Pepsi--it ain't broke, you don't need to fix it!