I'll be back in a few days. I'm going to spend a few days with my baby girl so we can work some more on the wedding plans, do a little shopping, attend a friend's baby shower, and just spend some time together.
The wedding is coming together. Slowly, but surely.
It's gonna be beautiful!
Hugs from the beach!Kat
I'm buried under paperwork....and I can't get up.
I used to say I was knee deep in wedding plans, but right now I feel buried! I'm literally surrounded by bridal books and magazines, contracts, photos, lists and lots and lots of post-it notes. I have notes to remind me where other notes are. LOL I forget I've written something down and then I write it down again. And then again sometimes. There's little notes here, there and e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e.
It's the mental-pause, ya know?
Besides the wedding plans, I'm also planning our annual Super Bowl party that we have each year.
I'm driving myself crazy.
And I didn't have far to go in the first place!Hugs from the beach!Kat
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You've probably had this happen too.
I was out running errands this afternoon (George says when I say that he knows it means shopping...which means spending - HA). I stopped by Target to pick up a few items. I grabbed a jar of dry roasted peanuts along with quite a few other items. At the register, I also picked up a cold bottle of Coke Zero. When I got to the car, I decided that some peanuts and a coke were just what I needed to fuel me for more errands...or spending as George would say. LOL
And that's when the memories came flooding back....
When I was a little girl I remember watching television (we called it that waaaaay back then...not TV...television) with my grandparents. I'm pretty sure they were the only ones on their block who owned a television. It looked nothing like our TVs of today. It was a BIG old thing...and I mean BIG! Remember those? Anyway, there was a small neighborhood grocery on the corner across the street. The kind that had a swinging screen door on it. And wood floors. And big glass jars on the counter with large flat cookies in them. And the store owner and his wife knew everyone by name. All of us kids (my sisters and cousins) used to love to go to that store. Anyway, I remember walking over to the store with my Granddaddy to get an RC cola and a bag of peanuts. Remember RC cola...aka Royal Crown colas? We would pour the bag of peanuts into the bottle of RC cola and then take sips...getting some peanuts along with each sip of the drink. Yum...a little salty with the sweet!
Today when I sat in my car and ate some peanuts and drank my soda, the memories came flooding back. Such an innocent and sweet time!
Isn't it funny/weird how something so small can bring forth a memory from years ago?
The above photo is an old one of my grandparents. Isn't it a sweet photo? I love it.
I loved my grandparents and I sure do miss them.
Hugs from the beach!Kat
...since rain drops keep falling on my head.
"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It is about learning how to dance in the rain."
~Unknown
I don't know about your area of the country, but here in the "sunshine" state of Florida, we have had more rain than I can remember having in all the years we've lived here! The weather has definitely changed.
I've decided to not complain anymore and just embrace it. I do love the sound of it as I sit here on the computer. I love to hear it when I'm sleeping too. And I'm hoping all this rain will mean my flowers and shrubs and lawn will be at their best this Spring and Summer.
Hugs from the beach!Kat
Cheer can spread from one person to another!
Thanks everyone for your sweet comments after my last post and for your prayers for my friend Beth. Your support really touches me. It's hard to stay down when you have good friends who lift you up.
It's tough for me since Beth is in the hospital in Nashville and I'm here. When I call, it's extremely hard to understand her. It might be (a) she's sleeping a lot and so she's drowsy when I call or (b) because she's laying down or (c) the MS itself sometimes makes her slur her words or (d) the meds they have her on. It could be all of the above. Every time I talk with her it's harder to understand what she's saying. It's frustrating to me and I know she must be frustrated too. I've left a message with her Mom and I hope to know more soon.
(edited to add - I talked to Beth's Mom a little while ago. She is having the same problem understanding her too. The good (heck WONDERFUL) news is that Beth has some feeling in her toes. We're praying ALL feeling with come back. They will be doing another MRI on Monday)
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It was a little chilly this morning, but George and I and our friends Larry and Kay rode our bikes to breakfast and then worked off what we ate (hopefully) by taking a long ride. It was invigorating to be outside getting some exercise. It was pretty windy so it was a good workout trying to pedal into the wind.
The sun is shining now. Yippee! George couldn't wait to get on the golf course. I'm spending the day working on clearing up some of the stacks on my desk. Oh.my.word! How quickly things do pile up!
Happy Saturday everyone! Share a smile with someone who needs it.
Hugs and kisses,Kat
Sometimes when I lay down at night, the stress of planning the wedding for our daughter is over-whelming. I feel like I need to not do anything else but "stay on task". But this lesson taught me to take some time to "smell the roses" and then I can handle the rest. Enjoy! (and learn)
A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked "How heavy is this glass of water?" Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes. He continued, And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can.
So, my friend, put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while. Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:
*Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
*Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it. (I loved this one!)
* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply be kind to others.
* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
* The second mouse gets the cheese.
* When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
* We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.ENJOY YOUR DAY! Hugs from the beach!Kat
No, not THAT way silly!
I had an eye appointment this afternoon....at 1PM. And here it is 6PM and my eyes are still so dilated. Crazy!
Blue eyes take soooooo much longer than brown eyes to calm down. Yikes. Scary! My eyes no longer look blue...just large black pupils.
(click to see how big my pupils still are)
I'm glad we're staying home tonight.
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Oh, although I hate to mention it 'cause I REALLY want to win myself (wink, wink), but Life of a Southern Belle is having a fabulous giveaway. Click here to see what I mean.
One more...Jill at Jillian, Inc. is also having some good giveaways this week. Click here to visit her.
Hugs from the beach!Kat
A Prayer After the Earthquake in Haiti
Lord, at times such as this,
when we realize that the ground beneath our feet
is not as solid as we had imagined,
we plead for your mercy.
As the things we have built crumble about us,
we know too well how small we truly are
on this ever-changing, ever-moving,
fragile planet we call home.
Yet you have promised never to forget us.
Do not forget us now.
Today, so many people are afraid.
They wait in fear of the next tremor.
They hear the cries of the injured amid the rubble.
They roam the streets in shock at what they see.
And they fill the dusty air with wails of grief
and the names of missing dead.
Comfort them, Lord, in this disaster.
Be their rock when the earth refuses to stand still,
and shelter them under your wings when homes no longer exist.
Embrace in your arms those who died so suddenly this day.
Console the hearts of those who mourn,
and ease the pain of bodies on the brink of death.
Pierce, too, our hearts with compassion,
we who watch from afar,
as the poorest on this side of the earth
find only misery upon misery.
Move us to act swiftly this day,
to give generously every day,
to work for justice always,
and to pray unceasingly for those without hope.
And once the shaking has ceased,
the images of destruction have stopped filling the news,
and our thoughts return to life’s daily rumblings,
let us not forget that we are all your children
and they, our brothers and sisters.
We are all the work of your hands.
For though the mountains leave their place
and the hills be tossed to the ground,
your love shall never leave us,
and your promise of peace will never be shaken.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
now and forever.
Amen
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I saw this beautiful prayer on Melissa's blog and asked for permission to share it. Just beautiful.
I've really had a hard time watching the news this week. My heart breaks for the people of Haiti and their friends and family. I feel so helpless being here so far away. Our church is sending help and we're all praying, but we all want to do more.
I believe in the power of prayer. Hugs from the beach!Kat
I've noticed on several blogs that it's De-lurking Week. What a great idea!
So come on, don't be a stranger. I've met some of the nicest people through blogging and I'd love to know YOU too. If you visit here, please leave a message so I can visit you.
Hugs from the beach!Kat
Truthfully, I've procrastinated for more like two hours! LOL
Okay, time to get off the computer. And onto the treadmill.Hugs from the beach!Kat
HANDBOOK 2010
Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray and read your Bible every day.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2009, and read the Bible even more.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.
Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. 12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously.. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, use it to pray for others.
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others, pray for them.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.
Last but not the least:
40. Pray for and share this with others.(I got this in an email and thought it was just too good not to share.)Hugs from the beach!Kat
I'll be back in a few days. I'm going to spend a few days with my baby girl so we can work some more on the wedding plans, do a little shopping, attend a friend's baby shower, and just spend some time together. 
Besides the wedding plans, I'm also planning our annual Super Bowl party that we have each year..jpg)
You've probably had this happen too. 
...and dreaming of how green my grass will be and how beautiful my flowers will look in the Spring....
"out came the sun and dried up all the rain....."
"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It is about learning how to dance in the rain."
Cheer can spread from one person to another!
Tonight was Casino Night and "Elvis" entertained us all. He really did a good job of making everyone feel special. And the boy could sing! 
He actually looked a lot like Elvis in his later years...big belt, pantsuit (and a "pouchy" tummy too)
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Beth in September during one of our shopping trips to Duh
A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked "How heavy is this glass of water?" Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes. He continued, And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. 
I'm glad we're staying home tonight.
Have you ever seen a sign like this? I haven't. I saw it on the beach road. It's new. Wonder what it means? Anybody know? 
We had a r-e-a-l-l-y fun time tonight at a party at Dick and Linda's! 
They were out of town during the holidays and missed all the parties so decided to throw one when they got home. 
The three Italian muskateers
Linda even passed out little gifts. George got some chocolate licorice (his favorite) and I got some breast cancer awareness pink tennis balls.
Even Elvis came! 
Dancing to Abba
We danced... around the room...even did the train once...and some of us had a rose in our mouth. I cropped this picture to protect the 
I've noticed on several blogs that it's De-lurking Week. What a great idea!
