My friend Linda and I drove over to Pensacola this morning to meet my blog friends Sandi (Whistlestop Cafe Cooking) and her sister, Holly, (Everyday is a Holledayz) for some shopping, fun and lunch. Sandi and Holly and their families are vacationing nearby.
We started out at Duh! Yep, that's actually the name of this wonderful home and garden shop. And shop doesn't do it justice 'cause this place is BIG and is getting bigger all the time. They actually told us that they will be increasing again soon. As you can see from the photo, it doesn't look like much from the street. But it goes on and on. They've added a huge barn type building in the back, filled with wonderful treasures. And we walked across the street to the warehouse. So much to see!
I was too busy ooohing and aaahing to take lots of photos, but here's a few:
I love this saying...so sweet!
Cool and funky wheel art.
Love these fun planters!
We also did some shopping at a cute gift shop/florist called Celebrations.
I should have bought this guest towel. Because "ain't it the truth"!
We had a wonderful lunch at the Fish House. All four of us had the same thing - World Famous Grits a Ya Ya!
To.die.for!
Here's how the dish is described on the menu....Spiced gulf jumbo shrimp top a saute of spinach, portobella mushrooms, applewood-smoked bacon, garlic, shallots and cream over a heaping bed of smoked Gouda cheese grits.
Thanks Sandi and Holly for a wonderful time! ~~~~~~
Driving home, I almost hit a deer. No I wasn't in the woods. I was in our neighborhood and right by our golf country club when one of these guys decided to run in front of my car. Whew!
They're not one little bit afraid of humans. George says he sees them all the time on the golf course.
And speaking of deer...I mean dear...my sweet dear blog friend Tonja's (Gatherings) birthday is today!!
I'm sure you're as tired of reading about how busy I am as I am saying it....and living it! LOL
Seriously, life has been crazy lately. What with planning the wedding, house guests, trips out of town, etc., I can't seem to catch up. I do a quick blog post and make a few visits to some of your blogs, but I'm ALWAYS behind. And guess what? I don't see an end in sight. sigh!
Take today as an example - I had to pick up my friend Beth at 7:30 this morning to take her for some out patient surgery an hour away. There was a complication and we were there a lot longer than expected. We stopped for lunch on the way home and then I got her settled. I had time to do two loads of laundry and a few chores around the house before she started having breathing problems and we were off to the emergency room where we spent the rest of the day. All.day.long in the hospital. She's okay...thank you God! I hurried home and made dinner and it's already after 8PM. Another day "bites the dust"! And I had sooooooo much to do today, especially since I was gone this weekend. I know it sounds like I'm complaining (and I guess I am), but I'd do anything for Beth because I know she'd do anything for me.
So....what do I do? I feel really bad since so many of you continue to visit me even when I'm MIA. Thank you so much! Here's my new and slightly sneaky plan: I'm going to make sure I visit everyone who leaves me a comment first and then do my very best to visit as many of my other favorite blogs as often as I can. How's that for a way to solve my problem AND get more comments? LOL
Seriously, I'm doing the best I can.
Hugs and kisses, Kat
(ps...tomorrow I'm meeting one of my blog friends and her sister for some shopping and lunch....yep, another day "bites the dust", but in a fun way....more details tomorrow)
Three years ago today, our daughter Bree went on her first date with the love of her life. Jay is the man that George and I prayed Bree would find. Thank you God for answering our prayers. Thank you Jay for loving our sweet "baby" girl and making her so happy.Have a wonderful day. I love you both so much!
Bree and Jay will be married next May. I'm enjoying helping them plan the wedding.
~~~~~~(This photo was taken on her birthday last year.)
Second...
Today is my sweet Mom's 78th birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! I hope you and Sherry are having a wonderful time on your trip. I love you so very much! ~~~~~~
Third...
We're in Atlanta to attend a 50th Anniversary celebration tonight for our friends, Ed and Jane. 50 Years!!! Congratulations Ed and Jane! Hugs and kisses, Kat
Does your fur baby freak out when you bring suitcases into the house? Miss Daisy sure does! She starts pouting almost immediately and hangs her head. She acts so sad. If she had a suitcase, I know she'd grab it and park it and herself right in front of the door! LOL
If it's a trip she's going on and we tell her "let's go", her tail wags so much and so fast I sometimes think she'll take off like a helicopter.
Sadly, she's NOT going with us tomorrow when we make a quick one day and night trip to Atlanta for our friends 50th anniversary party. We haven't brought in the suitcase yet. Hmmmm....I'm thinking I might have George take her for a golf cart ride while I pack and put it in the car. Wonder if I can out smart her this time? I just don't think I can stand those sad eyes tonight.
I've been a bad blogger lately with all the "hoopla" going on in my life, but things are a little quieter (for a few days), so today has been a good one to just stay home and catch up on things around the house and on my computer. I've even done a little blog reading. Yeah! Thanks to all of you who have visited me and left comments even though I've been MIA. ~~~~~~
I've received two e-mails lately that have made me say "WOW!". I thought I'd share them with you too.
THE CLASSROOM
Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock, did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom. When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks. "Ms. Cothren, where are our desks?" She replied, "You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk." They thought, "Well, maybe it's our grades." "No," she said. "Maybe it's our behavior." She told them, "No, it's not even your behavior." And so they came and went, the first period, second period, and third period. Still no desks in the classroom. By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms.Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room. The final period of the day came and, as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom, Martha Cothren said, "Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you." At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it. Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand along the wall. By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.Martha said, "You didn't earn the right to sit at these 27 desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it."
By the way, this is a true story. Martha Cothren is the daughter of a WWII POW. Please consider passing this along so that others won't forget that the freedoms we have in this great country were earned by U. S. Veterans.
***The above is what I received in an e-mail. I'd like to add my two cents worth at this point and also say that we can't forget what our teachers do for us too. What a lesson Ms. Cothren taught! WOW! Where would any of us be without our veterans or our teachers?!
~~~~~~
I received this video and info from a friend who is a local realtor. Grayton Beach is only about 20 minutes from my house. I don't care how gentle these creatures are, I don't want to be in the water with one! WOW!
Five Whale Sharks appeared just offshore from Grayton Beach, Florida in the first week of August in 2009. They remained in the local waters for two days. Many of the people chartering Grayton Beach fishing boats and one group of divers photographed and swam with the whales during the two-day event.
A Whale Shark is not a whale (mammal) but is a gentle, non-dangerous, filter-feeding shark that is the largest living fish species.
James Griffith, a local firefighter/diver in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida captured the beautiful underwater video. The large school of bigger fish swimming with the whale shark are cobia.Thanks to Edmond Alexander and James Griffith.
It's all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again.
Just be sure to flush when you are done.
~author unknown
I'm sure we all have those times in our lives when "things" and "stuff" are piling up and it seems like we're too busy to even catch our breath. That's how I'm feeling. I'd have a pity party and I'd invite you, but I just don't have the time to plan another party or send out invitations. LOL
Actually, a lot of what I'm doing is really fun and exciting "stuff" for the wedding. It's the other "things" (like laundry, yardwork, paperwork, etc.) that make me want to scream.
I had sooooooooooo much trouble sleeping last night...I sure hope tonight is better. Bree and Jay and his mom, MTee, are here for the weekend and I knew we would be working on things for the wedding. I tossed and turned, dreaming about the wedding. No matter what I tried, I couldn't stop myself. It was a long night for sure!
While the guys played golf, Bree, MTee and I had appointments with cake vendors, florists and a place to look for bridesmaid dresses. We were gone 9 hours. 9 hours! We were exhausted and slighty giddy by the time we got back to our house. What a long day! But yeah! we did decide on a florist. We're thrilled with our decison. I tried really hard to keep my opinion to myself, but with no duct tape in sight, my mouth "had a life of it's own". LOL Seriously though, Bree, MTee and I all agreed on this particular florist. I know she will do an incredible job. We're so excited to have this BIG decision behind us.
I'm so thankful that Bree's future mother-in-law is such a sweetie pie. I truly like her, which is a HUGE gift. I've thanked her several times already for being an "other mother" to our sweet girl. What a blessing to know Bree has someone who loves her like a daughter! AND....she's fun too.
We have church in the morning and then lunch and the Book 'N Barbecue is tomorrow night. "Calgon Take Me Away"!
I'm still a busy bee. As I've been rushing around like a crazy person in this hot humid weather, I'm ALWAYS hot. Really really HOT!
Now that's funny...I don't care who you are! Right?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
George and I had lunch today with our minister and his wife and the musician and his wife who is catering the book signing party on Sunday. After lunch, we all came back to our house and went over all the final details. Things are looking good.
I just might survive after all. :-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bree and Jay and Jay's Mom, M Tee, arrive tomorrow night. Can't wait.
***edited to add: I've had some of you ask how to get a copy of the book. Click on this website - http://helwys.com/books/leaving_religion.htmlYou will also be able to read excerpts from the book***
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My life lately is CRAZY CRAZY CRAZY with a capital "C"! Not only am I trying to get caught up on things around the house since we've been gone so much lately, but I'm working every.single.day on the wedding. (That's a whole 'nother post completly!)
AND...we are have a Book 'N Barbecue at our home on Sunday for our minister, Ronnie McBrayer, who will be doing a book signing for his latest book. We're expecting 60-75 people. "Leaving Religion, Following Jesusis about running after Jesus, about a journey with the Christ—his journey and yours. It is a book about looking and listening to the unexpected. It is a book about opening our eyes, unstopping our ears, and soaking up the gracious wonder that he is, the wonder that surrounds us. We do not know where Jesus will lead us; we have no idea of the long journey that waits for any of us. But it begins with that first step; that first halting, timid step that puts you on the road away from religion and onward to the Christ."
My new book has been well received though not without a little head scratching (which is good). The title, Leaving Religion, Following Jesus typically invokes one of two reactions: 1) "Yeah, I get that." or 2) "Isn't that an oxymoron? Isn't Jesus and religion the same thing?" It is the second reaction I enjoy most, and the beginning of really changing the conversation.
~Ronnie McBrayer
Despite the title, this book is not about leaving religion, rather it is about going beyond religion as we frequently have been taught it. Ronnie McBrayer draws parallels between the "church" of Jesus' day and the church of today and provides a deep examination of Jesus' life and teachings, revealing to us the underlying messages, the insistent focus on love and justice rather than the "rules" of organized religion. It is, in effect, a guide to applying the real lessons of Jesus' life to our own lives.
~James A. Autry
PLUS....Bree and Jay and Jay's Mom are coming for the book signing and will arrive on Friday night. On Saturday, the three of us girls will be doing wedding "stuff" while the guys play golf (go figure!). Sunday is church and then the Book 'N Barbecue.
So.......all that being said....I'm running around like the "chicken with her head cut off".
See....I have good reason to be CRAZY with a capital "C"!
I hope to be back to my "normal" self soon.
Ha...with all the wedding stuff...is THAT even a possibility?
We started out at Duh! Yep, that's actually the name of this wonderful home and garden shop. And shop doesn't do it justice 'cause this place is BIG and is getting bigger all the time. They actually told us that they will be increasing again soon. As you can see from the photo, it doesn't look like much from the street. But it goes on and on. They've added a huge barn type building in the back, filled with wonderful treasures. And we walked across the street to the warehouse. So much to see!
I was too busy ooohing and aaahing to take lots of photos, but here's a few:
I love this saying...so sweet! 
Cool and funky wheel art.
Love these fun planters!
I should have bought this guest towel. Because "ain't it the truth"!
We had a wonderful lunch at the Fish House.
All four of us had the same thing - World Famous Grits a Ya Ya! 
They're not one little bit afraid of humans. George says he sees them all the time on the golf course. 
And speaking of deer...I mean dear...my sweet dear blog friend Tonja's (Gatherings) birthday is today!!
