HIGH FALUTIN'

Look what I found the other day at Tuesday Morning. I love that store!


I think they'll make our little barbecue tonight just a touch more high faultin', right Deb? LOL! A lot nicer looking on the table than this:

GETTING READY

I've been a busy, busy girl. Why? Well, I'm having our minister and his wife and three children and two other couples over from dinner tonight and then on the 20th I have 20 ladies coming for a luncheon at our home.

I'm the type who can proscrastinate about things sometimes, especially during the summer, but as soon as I plan a party or a luncheon, I can feel the "fire" under my hiney and it helps me get more done than even I thought I could. I make lists and I mean business. It's kinda wonderful when it's all done, but until the day of the function, I'm a white tornado :-)

I'll share more as the days go by, but here's 3 posts showing things I've been up to:

Look at this wonderful angel I found. I love it. I've placed in on a chest in the foyer in front of the mirror and I also hung a Fall wreath.
Two more photos of the foyer area.

I made a wreath using family keepsakes. I love how it turned out. One of Bree's tiny pink shoes and a framed photo of Bree
Eric's silver teething ring (engraved with his name, date of birth, and time of birth), one of his tiny white shoes and two of Bree's baby bracelets

One of my Daddy's rings, a framed photo of Eric and Eric's hospital bracelet
Another of Bree's shoes, my Daddy's ring and Eric's framed photo
My silver teething ring (engraved with date of birth, name, and time of birth) and Bree's engraved silver diaper pins

I hung the wreath in the bedroom Bree uses when she's home.

I found this wonderful pineapple plant for my dining room sideboard. I love it! I spent quite a bit of time finding just the right planter.

I'M SMILING ~ BIG TIME!

Getting an award always make me smile! And to get an award for making others smile makes me really smile, big time! My heart is smiling too :-)

Thank you Kari ! YOU make me smile, giggle and laugh out loud more often than you can imagine.

I'm passing on this award to Tonja and Teresa.

OUR LITTLE ROCK STAR

How cute is this?! Our 4 year old granddaughter, Sydney Anne, had her headphones on and is jamming out on our daughter-in-laws' iPod. Angela said it was all she could do to keep a straight face while watching her diva performance. That girl has got some moves!

FOOTPRINTS

This is a new version of the "footprints" story...love this ending!

Imagine you and the LORD JESUS are walking down the road together. For much of the way, the LORD's footprints go along steadily, consistently, rarely varying the pace.

But your footprints are a disorganized stream of zigzags, starts, stops, turnarounds, circles, departures, and returns.

For much of the way it seems to go like this, but gradually your footprints come more in line with the LORD's, soon paralleling His consistently. For much of the way, you and JESUS are walking as true friends!

This seems perfect, but then an interesting thing happens. Your footprints that once etched the sand next to JESUS' are now walking precisely in His steps.

Inside His larger footprints are your smaller ones. You and JESUS are becoming one.

This goes on for many miles, but gradually you notice another change. The footprints inside the large footprints seem to grow larger.

Eventually they disappear altogether. There is only one set of footprints. They have become one.

This goes on for a long time, but suddenly the second set of footprints is back. This time it seems even worse - zigzags all over the place - stops, starts, gashes in the sand, a variable mess of prints!

You are amazed and shocked. Your dream ends. Now you pray, "LORD, I understand the first scene with zigzags and fits. I was a new Christian. I was just learning, but You walked on through the storm and helped me learn to walk with You."

"That is correct."

"And when the smaller footprints were inside of Yours, I was actually learning to walk in Your steps, following You very closely."

"Very good. . . You have understood everything so far."

"When the smaller footprints grew and filled in Yours, I suppose that I was becoming more like You.

"Precisely."

"So, LORD, was there a regression or something? The footprints separated, and this time it was worse than at first."

There is a pause as the LORD answers with a smile in His voice, "You didn't know? It was then that we danced!"

My prayer ~ Dear Lord Jesus, May I have this dance?

I'M TRULY TOUCHED

I got the nicest surprise tonight when I opened my e-mail. Jennifer at The Beaufort Lookout sent me a personalized breast cancer ribbon! What a sweet, thoughtful, caring gesture. I am truly touched Jennifer and am placing it on my sidebar. Thank you so much!

THIS MADE ME LAUGH OUT LOUD!

PRAYER AND GRATITUDE JOURNAL

Every day I receive several daily devotional e-mails, including one from The Upper Room. I love starting my day reading them. Recently, there was one that gave me an idea and reminded me of something else too.

In March of 2006 after my breast cancer surgery, a friend and neighbor who owns his own company asked me if he could pray for me every day along with his co-workers. I was very touched and, of course, agreed. He told me that he and his employees kept a prayer journal in the office. Anyone who had someone or something they wanted them to pray about would write it in the journal and every morning they all would pray about it together. He said it was amazing to look back through the journal from time to time to see all the prayers that had been answered.

This is the daily devotional I received from The Upper Room a few days ago:

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

- 1 Thessalonians 5:18

A few years ago I started a gratitude journal. Each morning as I begin my quiet time with the Lord, I write down what I am thankful for. I usually choose something from the previous day. Sometimes my thought comes immediately. Sometimes I have to think a while. Sometimes I see many things to give thanks for, and sometimes I struggle to find even one. From time to time I look back through the journal and notice that a blessing can be as small as seeing daffodils popping out of the cold, barren ground in February or as large as successful heart surgery on a tiny newborn.God's blessings come in all sizes. Some are obvious, and some come to us in a quiet way. But what is most important is that we not forget to thank God for those blessings, no matter how small or how large, no matter how simple or how miraculous. Those blessings show us God is always near and always caring for us.Prayer: Giver of all good things, help us to remember to thank you for all of our blessings and to be grateful each day. Amen.THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:Today I will look for blessings of all sizes and be grateful.

Reading this devotional brought back the memory of my friend's prayer journal and how he and his staff were able to look back to see God's answers.

I've decided to start a journal - to record my prayers and my gratitude.

YOU GOTTA ADMIT THIS IS FUNNY!!!!!!!

An archeological team, digging in Washington DC , has uncovered 10,000 year old bones and fossil remains of what is believed to be the first Politician.

WEDNESDAY - THIS AND THAT

In truth, I don't have pimples, but my skin definitely seems different...a little bit drier. Oh, the joys of getting older! LOL

While walking Miss Daisy awhile ago, I remember something cute. When the grandchildren were here recently, our soon to be 8 year old grandson, Landon, was riding in the car with us on the way back to our house and I told him that Granddad needed to take Miss Daisy to do her "business" right away before we could play with her. He looked at me with a straight face and asked "what kind of business is she in?". Before I could answer, he popped the second question "and who hired her?". It took me a second to realize he was pulling my leg. What a character! He's a little comedian for sure! He makes us laugh all the time.

I've spent the morning with my handy dandy bottle of RustAid spraying areas of our paved driveway getting rid of some damn awful stains that the sprinkler system leaves on the pavers. I'm so thankful there's a product that works and that the weather is cooler than it has been so I could be outside for awhile.

I saw this over at Candace's blog and thought I would give it a try too:

Your Aura is Green

You're very driven, competitive, and even a bit jealous. However, you seek out balance in your life - and you usually achieve it! The purpose of your life: inspiring others to be better Famous greens include: Tony Robbins, Donald Trump, Martha Stewart Careers for you to try: Guru, CEO, Talk Show Host

What Color Is Your Aura?

Go visit Candace and enter a contest she's started for The Best Husband In The Word, but let me warn ya...I'm gonna win! (wink, wink!)

CLICK TO SAVE A LIFE

Dianne posted a great idea on her blog today. It was a reminder to visit a website to provide free mammograms for women who may not be able to afford it. All you do is click on the "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button to help fund free mammograms for women in need ~ low-income, inner-city and minority women whose awareness of breast cancer and opportunity for help is often limited. Your click is paid for by site sponsors, and mammogram funding is provided to clinics throughout the U.S. through the efforts of the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

I've done this before and went there again tonight. They offer icons that can be added to our blog sidebars, so I picked one and added it at the top of my sidebar to the right. As a breast cancer survivor, I know the importance of this cause and I'm asking anyone who reads my blog to take a minute to go to this site each time you visit me. Please click on the button on my sidebar and don't forget your monthly self exams. We just can't do enough...but if 5 seconds of our time can help to save a life, it's definitely worth it!

MINUTES HAVE BEEN POSTED

Tonja has posted on her blog (9/3/07) the minutes of the first official "B" Club meeting. I second the minutes and verify they are correct!

MY HEART IS HAPPY

3 Charter Members of the "B" Club - Me, Tonja and Jean (with our diet cherry cokes)

Oh My Word! I arrived back home around noon from my trip to Pensacola. Ya'll...we had an absolute BALL! Three of us were able to come. Me, Tonja from Dothan, and Jean from Pennsylvania. Yep, you read that right! Jean came from Pennsylvania! She and her husband, Dick, flew down to see their son, Ray, who is at the Naval base in Pensacola. It was great getting to meet Dick and Ray too.

We sure missed you Tracey and Dianne!!! Tracey thanks for calling. It was fun passing the phone around to chat with you!

Tonja e-mailed all us a few days before the trip telling us she had made an executive decision that we would be called the "B" Club. I e-mailed her back and told her I assumed the "B" stood for blog. Here was her reply:

Well, I was thinking BEAUTIFUL BABBLING BOISTEROUS BLOGGING BABES.....but, if you prefer to shorten it, that's O.K. with me.....

And that is BABBLING, like the sound of a brook...not BLABBING as in the sound of a bunch of females seated around a table all trying to talk at once...

:-) Tonja

Well, let me just tell ya'll...there was definitely alot of boisterous blabbing AND babbling around the tables. For over 6 hours! We started off in the bar at the hotel...just diet cherry cokes...then moved to Carrabba's...then back to the hotel lobby. 6 Hours! And we still would be babbling/blabbing talking boisterously if Jean's husband, Dick, had not come to pick her up. Even then, he stayed for awhile and we blabbed talked some more!

Here we are at the restaurant...can't believe we were able to stop chatting long enough to actually eat. (We took turns!)
Jean, Ray, and Dick....you could feel their excitement to be together!

Tonja and I shared a room and let me tell ya'll, once we were in the room we were up for another couple of hours laughing and talking. It was hard to turn off the lights and get some sleep, but we finally did. This morning, we had a long leisurely breakfast together (and talked some more) before having to say "goodbye".

We're already talking about doing another trip around the first of November so we can "meet" again and maybe do some Christmas shopping together.

My heart is happy! Love you girls! Thanks for the memories!

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Well, the day is finally here. I'm off for my trip to see the girls! Yeah!

"See" ya when I get back tomorrow!

FUN WITH FRIENDS

Tonight was fun. We had drinks at our house and then the six of us went to TradeWinds for a family style Italian meal. Yummy! Too much food though.

Linda, Me, and Margerie
Linda, Jack, Margerie and Jerry
Jack, Jerry, George, Margerie, Linda, Me

We had a great time!

FRIENDS REALLY ARE TREASURES!

I love this photo of girlfriends standing united in front of the waves. I thank God for the girlfriends in my life.

I've always loved this song:

Make new friends, but keep the old;
Those are silver, these are gold.
New-made friendships, like new wine,
Age will mellow and refine.
Friendships that have stood the test
-Time and change - are surely best;
Brow may wrinkle, hair grow gray,
Friendship never knows decay.
For 'mid old friends, tried and true,
Once more we our youth renew.
But old friends, alas! may die,
New friends must their place supply.
Cherish friendship in your breast
-New is good, but old is best;
Make new friends, but keep the old;
Those are silver, these are gold.
~Joseph Parry

I still have friends from my hometown and I have friends both in Nashville and Atlanta where we've lived before we moved here. And I have awesome friends where we live now. In the last year or two I have made some wonderful friends here in the "Land of Blog". I truly cherish all of my friends (the old and the new, the silver and the gold), including all of you who read my blog and leave sweet comments and I appreciate sincerely all the support and prayers and encouragement I receive from each of you. Because we share with each other our life experiences, our feelings, memories, dreams, and disappointments, friendships have developed. And friends really are treasures - as treasured as gold and silver.

Just like the photo above, I don't always get to see the faces of some of my girlfriends here in the "Land of Blog", but I feel I know many of you and I know your heart and because of this, I'm blessed.

Tomorrow after church I'm driving to Pensacola to meet face-to-face some of my blog girlfriends and I am so excited I'm beside myself! They'll be three of us for sure, but I'm hoping there will be five of us (just like in the photo!). My camera is packed so I'll definitely be taking photos.

I can't wait! I'm so excited! Shoot...now I've got another song in my head. You know the one by The Pointer Sisters that says....

I'm so excited and I just can't hide it

I'm about to lose control and I think I like it

I'm so excited and I just can't hide it

And I know I know I know I want (to meet) you