A HOT MONDAY

This makes me drool just looking at it! So sad.

Here's some good advice:

Put "eat chocolate" at the top of your "to do" list every day. That way, at lease you'll get one thing done.

After my lazy and sluggish day yesterday, I made sure I made up for it today. You can rest assured, I was able to strike this off my list oh so easily! I did accomplish quite a bit today and also got in plenty of exercise as well...tennis, bike riding and an hour on the treadmill. (I've gotta do something to work off the chocolate.)

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Good Golly Miss Molly! It's Hot! And the humidity is unreal. We started tennis at 8:00 this morning and I was drenched within minutes. We all drink lots and lots of water and sports drinks too, but the more I drink the more I sweat like a pig glisten. It's frustrating because after I shower and get dressed for the day, I'm a mess as soon as I step outside. Trying to run errands and getting in and out of the car, is exhausting and it's hard to get cool. I waited until almost 6:00 tonight to ride my bike and it was actually pleasant.

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George is going tomorrow afternoon for an MRI. Nothing so far is working. He's still having problem sleeping and ends up walking the floor and at some point ends up in another bedroom to keep me from being up too. I sure hope they find out what's causing his pain. I feel so bad for him.

From Kat

LAZY

What did I accomplish today?

Nothing!

Things I did today:

Breakfast (cereal)
Church
Lunch (we stopped after church)
I worked out at the gym
I came home and took a LONG nap
Dinner (tomato sandwich and chips)

See! I didn't cook one meal. I did nothing. I've been a slug. No wonder I feel sluggish! And sleepy. I've got tennis in the morning at 8 AM, so I'm off to bed... night night!


From Kat

(I spoke too soon yesterday...George is still suffering. He's walking the floor as I type. Hopefully, his physical therapy tomorrow will help.)

OH.MY.WORD! IT'S WONDERFUL!

Commander's Palace opened here last week. A tennis friend of mine went on the first or second night and RAVED about it. She was absolutely right. Oh.My.Word! It was wonderful. The food, the service, the view...e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g was perfect!

Our friends Ed and Jane live in Atlanta but own a condo here and are down for the week. It's always fun to get together.
Jack and Linda
George and I are already talking about going back again.

Before George retired, he worked with Ed and Jack in Atlanta.

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Praise God...George is doing much much better. We're not sure why...whether it's the physical therapy, accupunture, or the medicine...or all of the above. We don't really care. We're just happy he's not in constant pain. He's not pain free and he can't play golf or tennis or lift weights yet, but at least they're letting him ride his bike. And the big thing is that he is able to sleep at night. Yeah! Thanks for all of your prayers. Prayers work.
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Speaking of prayers...thanks too for all of your prayers for my friend and for me. I had a LONG talk with her yesterday afternoon. I had her look me in the eye and then I asked her "Do you love me?" Her answer was "Very much. I would stand in front of a train for you." I then asked "Do you believe that I love you too?" She answered "Yes, I do." I then told her that it was important for her to understand and believe that I love her because I had some very hard and cruel things to say to her that only someone who really loved her could say. I was very very blunt. It was not easy, but I got through it. I also talked to her about her faith and how much she needs God in her life more now than ever. Because she has MS AND addiction problems, her road will not be easy. Not easy at all.

I love my friend. I pray she will be strong enough and that I will be too, so that I can walk beside her and carry her if I must. Please keep us in your prayers.

( I don't think I'll be posting about this too often. It's such a personal thing, but I'll try to give updates periodically.)



From Kat

WANTING TO ESCAPE...

I'm not gonna kid ya...this has been a tough week...even compared to times in the past with my friend. I've never had to deal with a situation like this.

I wish there was an "escape" button on my keyboard or an "easy" button like on the Staples commercials. Maybe a good soak in the tub and let "Calgon, take me away". No such luck.

I can't run and hide my head under my pillow. This is life. I love my friend, so I've go to try to help. Please keep up the prayers....for my friend and for me. Your comments, e-mails, etc. have really comforted me.
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I have a little bit of good news to share though. Today is George's best day so far! Yeah! We're not sure exactly what has made a difference, but he's not in as much pain today. The doctor has him on steroids and muscle relaxers. He finally got a decent amount of sleep last night and then took a nap this afternoon. He went to physical therapy this afternoon and they suggested he try bike riding. Praise God! He can't play tennis or golf or exercise yet, but at least he can do something he loves. We took a ride this afternoon...maybe 8-10 miles...and he did okay.Things are looking better. (picture me dancing around the room)



From Kat

AMAZING YOU!

Thank you blog friends! You're amazing! You're always there in the good times and the bad.

I thought long and hard before I did my post yesterday about my friend. Things like this happen to others, not me, not my family, not my friends. How naive am I?

I was hoping that by sharing my heartbreak, you might have advice for me. And so many of you did. Your comments and e-mails have meant so much to me. You can't solve this problem, of course, but I don't feel so alone now. And just knowing so many are praying with me (and for me) really really means alot to me. Thanks for sharing your stories with me. Thanks for being my friend.
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George is still suffering BIG times with his hip/back/leg pain. This morning he called the doctor again and told him on a scale of 1 to 10 his pain was a 10. I feel so bad for him. He's having trouble sleeping too. The doctor called in some steroids and a muscle relaxer and he's still seeing the physical therapist.

I'm just full of good news lately. Urgggg....
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Today is the 17th...don't forget to do your self breast exam. It's important! It CAN save your life.

Also, please...pretty please...click the breast cancer button on my sidebar every time you visit. Together we CAN make a difference.



From Kat

MY HEART HURTS

My heart is broken. My heart hurts. I've learned a friend of 15 years is a drug user. How stupid am I not to have known. I thought she was doing so well and I thought she was turning her life around. And now I find out that the whole time I thought she was really doing well, she was actually high on a very addictive street drug. This isn't the first time my heart has been broken by her or hurting for her. She's been through two divorces, had problems with both of her children, been diagnosed with a serious debilitating disease, has battled an addiction to her prescription drugs... and now this. Her life is spiralling out of control.

I've never had to deal with anything like this. I don't have a clue what to do other than pray. And I'm praying. Hard. Will you pray with me? And for me...'cause I'm angry.

From Kat

THIS AND THAT AND A SPECIAL AWARD

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George is really suffering with his hip and back. This has been going on for awhile now. He's a "bear" sometimes and I don't blame him. We're used to staying active and this is keeping him off the golf course, tennis court, bike and out of the gym. He's been for a massage, went to the doctor, has had two physical therapy sessions so far and today saw an Acupuncturist. Neither of us has ever been to an Acupuncturist before. Have you?
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Just like everyone, I love getting comments and I try to stay in contact with those that comment on my blog. I want everyone who visits my blog to know I appreciate it. Sometimes though I can't respond to a comment because (a) the person doesn't have a blog or (b) when I click on their name, it only takes me to their profile page, but no further. Soooo...to all of you who visit, thank you so much. If you can, I'd love for you to leave me a way to contact you such as an e-mail address or your blog address (I'd love to visit you too).
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I was so touched and pleased to receive this award very special award from Charlotte at At Home In Scottsdale. I love to visit Charlote and I recommend that you do too. Thank you Charlotte for this special award.

Here are the rules to pass this award on to someone you think is deserving:
Display logo and link to who gave it to you.
Nominate at least 7 blogs.
Add links to those 7 blogs.
Leave the nominees a message that they received the award.

I would like to pass this award on to the following:

Tonja at Gatherings

Sandi at Holding Patterns

DebraK at ~the Bunnies' Bungalow

Melissa at Mel's World

Kellan at On The Upside

Heather at Running From The Little People

Jill at Jillian, Inc.

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I'm humming "Back In The Saddle Again"...I can't sing like Gene Autry though.

Yeah! I'm back into my gym classes/workout and my bike riding. It feels great!

I'm slowly trying to get back to eating right. It's so hard. I have a v-e-r-y bad sweet tooth.

From Kat

THIS I KNOW....

The more I eat...the more I want to eat.

The less I exercise...the less I want to exercise.


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When I eat right and do my daily exercises, I feel so much better and I'm energized and ready to do more...but it's so easy to get sidelined and get lazy. This morning, I really planned to get back to my normal routine of exercise and back to my normal "diet". Well, I ate my normal breakfast of bran ceral and skim milk and added my walnuts and fresh blueberries. I played tennis and then planned to go to the gym. But....a friend needed me to take her somewhere and we went through the drive thru at McDonalds for a quick lunch. By the time I got home, a HARD rain started. I felt tired and drained, both physically and mentally. With the sound of the pouring rain, I gave in and just took a l-o-n-g nap. So much for exercising. So much for my plan. Tomorrow is another day though and I have BIG plans.
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My cup runneth over with love.... for your sweet comments and bloggy love!! Thank you!

From Kat

I DON'T WANT TO MISS ONE MOMENT

As a cancer survivor, I KNOW how precious life is. Every single moment. I saw this video on another blog and wanted to share it with you because the message is just too good not to pass on.

Let's not waste time on negative things. Let's enjoy RIGHT NOW, RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE. Let's not cling to the past or rush our future.

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Thanks everyone for your comments on my post yesterday. It was truly the first nasty comment I've ever ever received. I could have deleted it and moved on, but I wanted Anonymous to know that he/she would not infect me with their "meanness", but more importantly, I wanted them to know that regardless of how they acted, I would pray for them. And I did. I know several of you did too and I thank you for that. I hope by our example, Anonymous will have a change of heart. I hope they will see that there are many many people in this wonderful "World of Blog" that care about each other and help each other during the highs and the lows, the good and the bad. And if they need a friend, there are lots of us who are willing to listen and help.

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Enough time wasted on this "issue".

Let's enjoy every moment we have.

From Kat

RAINY IN MY HEART TOO

It's rainy outside and it's rainy in my heart this afternoon too. I've been blogging since August of 2005 and I can truthfully say it's been nothing but wonderful....until...today.

I got the below comment from, of course, an anonymous commenter. I didn't publish the comment, but I've copied it exactly as it was written.

"I'm sorry but do you HAVE to post about food every SINGLE time you post but I'm starting to like your blog less and less every day because because you brag about Florida and how it's your stupid so called "paradise" you know that not everyone is very RICH, RICH, RICH like you!!!!!!!!!!!! And all of your stupid friends are freakin' rich why don't you be called ricky rich!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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When I started my blog in 2005, I never dreamed anyone would read it except maybe my family. As I state on my header photo - MY BLOG IS MY DAILY JOURNAL...PROBABLY A BORING READ FOR MOST, BUT MY LIFE IS WONDERFUL AND FULL AND I WANT TO PUT IT IN DOWN IN WRITING TO REMIND MYSELF HOW LUCKY I AM! I BELIEVE EVERY DAY IS A GIFT!

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I don't understand why someone feels the need to be hurtful to others. Why would someone take the time to write a message like this? And if they do, why don't they sign it? Do they not know that we can use tracking sites to see where they are coming from?

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So.....Mr. or Mrs. Coward Anonymous:

I did not ask you to visit me. I do not need your visits. I actually would appreciate it if you would take your mean spirited cowardly self somewhere else. This is my blog. This is my life. You are not welcome here. But I want you to know that I have prayed for you today. I pray that whatever is hurting in your heart that makes you want to hurt others, will be healed. There is so much goodness in this world. I hope you find yours. I truly do.

Sincerely,

Kat

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***To my friends and family - my normal daily post is below***

RAINY DAY IN FLORIDA

Mom and Sherry left this morning, so I'm about to do a little blog reading and try to catch. Can't wait to see what all of you have been up to this week.
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This morning I followed Mom and Sherry to our favorite bagel shop (Not Just Bagels) for a quick breakfast before they got on the road. Here we are with our friend (and the owner) Pauline. See my tired eyes? These girls have worn me out this week. LOL I miss them already.
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After our goodbyes, I was able to run a few errands and get my manicure/pedicure before the rain came. A good long hard rain! Yeah!The kind of rain that nobody, except maybe a duck, would want to be outside...awww...perfect...a good reason to stay inside and do some blogging in-between laundry, etc.

From Kat

SWEET ENDING TO A SWEET WEEK

It's been a very fun week, but Mom and Sherry are leaving in the morning.... sigh...sniff. I've accomplished everything on my "to do" list this week and it's been easy! We've definitely played ALOT of games, enjoyed our wine, cooked and ate lots and lots of yummy food and we've laughed and laughed. It's been wonderful spending quality time with my Mom and Aunt... just making memories. I truly hate to see them leave.

And even though things have been piling up and there's lots of other things I could have done besides playing games, it's been "time well wasted" as I wrote in this post back in December 2006. I love this verse from the song "Time Well Wasted" by Brad Paisley:

"It was time well wasted
And there's no way I'd trade a few more things that I could've crossed off my list
For a day I'll never forget
No, I didn't get a thing done
But I sure soaked up every minute of the memory we were makin'
And I count it all as time well wasted"

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Tonight we cooked shrimp with lemon butter sauce, baked potatoes and fresh corn on the cobb and Sherry made her coleslaw that I love. It was all delicious. For dessert we made peach cobbler and served it with vanilla ice cream. We used the South Carolina peaches that Sherry brought to us and they were incredible. What a sweet way to end a very sweet week!

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I'll be back to my blog reading soon. I hope you've all had a good week too.


From Kat

BLESSED WITH MY FAMILY & FRIENDS

After running some errands this morning, Mom and Sherry and I had lunch at The Back Porch. I can't tell you how many photos we've taken over the years in front of this sign. We laughed today thinking it would probably make us cry seeing how we've aged and "spread" would be fun to line up all the photos in order.

The restaurant is right on the beach. You can sit at a window table and just enjoy the view! I had a wonderful bronzed (between grilled and blackened) grouper sandwich and fries!

Me, Sherry, Carol, Mom, Jeanette

Tonight my friends Carol and Jeanette came over for wine, heavy hors d'oeuvres and some fun Mexican Train.

Another full day of fun!

From Kat

LIVING IN THE TOY DEPARTMENT

A great new motto for me and YOU from our friend Tonja at Gathering:

Life is a big departmet store----Spend as much time in the toy department as you can!



I think you can tell we spend all our time on the game aisle! Mom, Sherry and I are playing as many games as we can. Morning, noon and night. Here's a look at some we've been playing (and we're still playing the new one Kings in the Corner too). We have been laughing so hard! Yesterday, I had tears rolling down my checks and had trouble catching my breath. Mom and Sherry are "nuts" and I'm from the same family tree. LOL I'm so happy they're here. Laughter really is the best medicine...for the mind, spirit and soul.

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones" ~Proverbs 17:22, NIV

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Here's one more reason I'm glad they're here....just look what they cooked me tonight.

Pork roast with gravy, sweet potato, turnip greens, sliced raw onion, Mom's corn bread and sweet summer peach iced tea. Oh.My.Word! It was "Slap Your Mama" good! Do you know what's in the small bowl next to my ice tea? I bet you southern girls know.

Yep, corn bread covered with "pot liquor"...for those of you unfamiliar with it, it's the liquid in the pot that you cooked your turnip greens in. You're looking at heaven in a bowl. Seriously.
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It's almost midnight and we've just all had our showers and are heading to bed. Another wonderful day. No time to visit my blogging buddies, but I'm thinking of you all and will include you in my prayers. Night night!



From Kat

JUST SO YOU KNOW....

I did everything today that I had on my new "to do" list! It was so easy I think I'll do it again tomorrow!







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We had fun with our friends from Chattanooga today. Sharon, came over and played Mexican Train and had lunch with Mom, Sherry and I while her husband, Rudy, and son, Michael, played golf with George.



From Kat

NOT GONNA STRESS THIS WEEK

We played a new game (for us) all afternoon and after dinner too...Kings In The Corner (made by the same company that makes Sequence). It's alot of fun. George played with us.

Thanks for your sweet comments about my last post on stressing over my "to do" list. I did manage to get a few things accomplished after church, but we had two sets of friends visiting us starting at 4:30, so time on the computer wasn't possible. Some of our friends from Atlanta that have a condo here stopped by for a drink and to see the house. They ended up playing ping pong with us and we took them for a golf cart ride to see the neighborhood. We got home with about 20 minutes to spare to quickly dress before our friends from Chattanooga came by for drinks at 7:00 and then we all went out to Cantina Laredo for dinner. Still following me? All that to say...I was exhausted by the time we got home. This morning I played tennis from 8:00 to 9:45 then raced home to shower and dress quickly since George and I had an appointment at 10:30 with my doctor to go over all the test, etc. that I had done in Birmingham. By the time I pulled in the driveway, my Mom and Aunt Sherry were just arriving. They are here for the week. Yeah! All the things on my "to do" list will just have to wait. I'm thrilled they are here!!

Here's my new "to do" list for this week: We're gonna play lots and lots of games (surprise, surprise), enjoy our wine, cook and eat lots of good food, laugh alot and spend quality time together.


From Kat

(I'm still pretty sore...more so today than before. I think it was the tennis today. I probably started back too soon.)

I'LL BE OKAY, BUT....

It's silly, I know, but I'm feeling stressed.... because there's just not enough time in the day! Because I'm really really really behind on sooooo many things! Do you ever feel that way?

I apologize y'all that I've been a bad blogger friend. I've managed to do a post on my own blog most days and visit a few of you, but I just can't seem to get caught up. It stresses me out when I check my Bloglines and see 5 or 7 or 10 (yikes) posts on some of your blogs that I haven't read yet. I just can't seem to get caught up. It's my own fault though since I have 79...yes you read that right...79 blogs I enjoy visiting. It's crazy, but who do I delete? Not you, or you, or you! So, I just do the best I can when I can.

If I would just lock myself in our office for the day, I might get caught up....but...

it's gorgeous outside and I want to ride my bike with George

over to the gym and workout

have lunch at our favorite spot overlooking the bay

and I need to do some gardening

and water my plants

and put fresh sheets on the bed

and do laundry

and clean up my desk

and write some thank you notes

and something BIG hanging over my head...clean out my master closet

etc., etc., etc. (I'm stressed just making my list and knowing I'm using precious blog reading time complaining...LOL)

So...be patient with me...I'll get caught up eventually. Just know I'm thinking of you and praying for every single one of you every day.

I hope you too are enjoying Life! I think the most important thing on our "to do" list is enjoy life. And I do...every single day.

(Okay, I feel better now.)


From Kat

OUR 4TH WAS WONDERFUL...HOPE YOURS WAS TOO

Our friend, Carol, invited everyone over for a 4th of July cookout. What fun! Here's the "Hostess With The Mostest"

A few of us gathered for a photo

Tania, Jeanette, Barbara, Me and Carol

More fun in the kitchen

The guys got suckered into volunteered to man the grill. Here's Garrett, George, Dick and John

They grilled up several kinds of sausages and hotdogs. Yummy! There was all kinds of toppings, including sauerkraut, peppers and onions, mustards, etc., but my very favorite was a mango kiwi salsa. Good Golly Miss Molly...it was fantastic! Lots of salads, baked beans, potato casserole, etc. I made dessert.... Tina's Chocolate Chip Cake served with vanilla ice cream. It was a hit...again. Everyone loves it, so I'm always expected to bring it whenever we all get together. I don't mind...its easy and always good.

The party started at 5PM, so by 9PM everyone headed out to watch the fireworks. They were everywhere...the beach, the bay, the marina, the village. We took the golf cart to the party, so we just watched some on our way home. The sky was full of them all the way home. So pretty.

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I hope your 4th was fun too. Thank you Lord for good friends and wonderful neighbors.

From Kat