The Holiday Tale... Part 3

So.... to continue the story.....

So after the dinner was over, I stayed with mom for two more nights before Julie came by to pick me up for a short time at her home.
I got to sleep in my granddaughter's room. She has a very lovely bedroom to herself with a Princess bed, an armoire, two chests of drawers and a bookshelf. Not to mention a toy chest and various little girl essentials, the play kitchen, the baby doll stroller, the doll bed etc.....

Her bed was VERY comfortable and I defo slept like a Princess while I was there!

There are a few foodstuffs there I cant get here in the UK.... one being pimento cheese spread. 
So every morning, this was my breakfast.....

Yes- a cup of coffee with both milk AND Coffee Mate,  a pimento cheese sandwich and a tiny slice of pecan pie. Totally unhealthy, but ab-fab!!!! I enjoyed every second of it!!!
I had cube steak, mac & cheese, chili, biscuits, and all my favorite things I cant get here.

They had gotten most of the outdoor lighting up before I arrived, only adding a bit here and there after I arrived, but more on that later...

My daughter got her indoor Christmas decorations out and started putting them up while I was there, too. There was a few things that had her stumped at to where they should go- but together we sorted it out.  I also got to go with the family on their annual Christmas tree hunt. Okay- so it wasn't out in the woods but at the local Christmas tree lot, but seeing as how I haven't been able to have a live tree in over 6 years it was every bit as exciting. Actually more so than going out in the woods cause I didn't have to walk as far nor did we have to chop it down. we just walked around and  looked at the height and shape and chose the one we wanted.
Once it was home and in the dining room(she has an open floor plan for the living/dining area) she and I were like coke addicts. We would start into the kitchen for a cup of coffee or a snack and stop mid-step, lean over, stick our faces close to the tree  and inhale to our hearts content.
That is the smell of Christmas.
And I have decided that next year I am having a real live tree come hell or high-water!!!! i'm doing Christmas MY way. Enough of this artificial Plastic Imitation Christmas. Maybe that's where my Christmas spirit went this year... it just forgot what a REAL Christmas is like. The sights, the smells, the sparkle and fun!!! Well, no more.

Anyway, So here is a bit of the decorating we did while I was there... and it's not everything she has put out, either.

On your mark....get set....GO!....

Oh Tannenbaum!!!

Before....

Rudolf!!! (Fiancee did NOT find that amusing.)

No idea why this was taken... Alyssa (4 year old Granddaughter) may have taken it while I was in the kitchen.  Not bad for a 4 year old if that is the case......

Daughter/Sister in law Kathy came by to visit and help too!

After.....

Another after.....

Christmassy!!!!

Le Tree

Le petite Trees....

My daughter has a flair for simple beauty!!

Randolf....Rudolf's brother. (again, boyfriend wasnt as amused as we were.)

I love her Village!!

Rudolf and his wreaths- probably won at the Reindeer Games.

Julie dreams of a silver and white Christmas theme one day- so I bought her a frosted white and silver glitter hurricane lamp with a spruce scented candle to put in it for her starter. We all have dreams!!!

Her Dining Tavbe!!

My Baby Girl having a quiet moment.....

So Pretty!!!

She keeps her Christmas Ribbon in this pretty display box!!! For some reason my flash refused to work in some spots...

This mirror has been sitting in her closet for ages because she couldn't find a place for it. It was meant to be a full length mirror, but we hung it horizontally and put the garland over it. Perfect!!

The one thing we didn't get done before I came home was decorate the tree. We did continue to "huff" it every time we passed it tho.

... to be continued.....

The Holiday Tale..... Part 2

 So......

...as I said, Mom had invited almost 70 people for Thanksgiving Dinner so we had bought three turkeys and a HUGE ham to roast. Let me tell you, Mom's house smelled like heaven!!!
Everyone that came brought at least one and sometimes more than one big family sized dish with them.... We have some AMAZING cooks in our family!!!
Almost everyone that was invited showed up and it was an amazing day! Bothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, girlfriends, boyfriends, grandpapas, exes... we were all there!! No, fusses, no squabbles, no fights. It was lovely for the most part.

After dinner, there was picking and grinning, games, stories sitting on the back porch and on the tailgates out in the back yard.
When it started getting late, there was hugs and kisses and promises to get together agin soon and Mom and Mom, Aunt Mary and I had the house to ourselves for the next two evenings. We talked about lots of things.... Old times, holidays past, how mom and dad met and how he proposed to her. Most of this storytelling and talking was done between the hours of 2am to 5am when mom liked to get up and go out on the porch to look for her deer. No joke.

I remember the last night I was there I woke up to find mom not in her bed. I got up and looked at the clock. 7:10am....I knocked on the bathroom doors- no mom......looked in the living room- no mom...... Kitchen & family room....no mom. So, I go out to the porch and there she is.... so I sit down and we have a cup of coffee having a nice chat for quite a while and then I say, well, I suppose I should get started on your Christmas tree. Julie said she would be here around 9 or 10 so I dont have long to get it decorated.
Mom looked at me and chuckled and said "Now?"..... I said "Yeah- I imagine it's getting late. What time is it now?" She looked at her watch and said "It's 3:20am." 
I laughed and said "No it is not.... the clock on your bureau said it was 7:10 when I came out of the bedroom." She started laughing and said "That thing isn't right... it's never been set since it was put in there 3 years ago."

I just started laughing.... Here I was, up for over an hour, drinking COFFEE and chatting and it was only just after 3am. Well, I wasn't getting back to sleep after all that, for sure. So I head to the living room to get started. Mom insisted on going in there to keep me company, so I set her up on the sofa with a pillow and blanket so she could rest comfortably and nap while I worked. Around TRUE 7am Aunt Mary woke up and joined us.

By the time my Julie got there to pick me up Mom's Christmas tree was in front of the living room window, decorated and shining like a shining star, just the way mom wanted it.

Mom & Aunt Mary-

More in a while.....

The Holiday Tale.....Part 1

Well, it's taken longer than I wanted, but I'm finally at a point where I feel up to sharing my last few weeks with everyone.

I'll start with Thanksgiving.....

This is what I saw a LOT of during my trip home. I thought last visit home was bad with delays- well, it had NOTHING on this trip!! There was 2 delays getting to South Carolina. a 12 hour delay in Manchester UK before I even stepped foot on a plane.... then we missed the connection in Philly, so that was a 2 hour hotel stay before I had to be back at the airport for my early morning flight. Yes- you heard that right- 2 hour hotel stay. By the time I took the shuttle TO the hotel, got booked into a room(most of the plane passengers had missed connections so there was a LOT of booking....)  I had just enough time to take a nice long shower, then lie down and rest(not sleep) about 40 minutes before I had to head back to the airport for my 4:30am flight out. Once I got there, they tried to send me from Philly to Charlotte(fine) then to Greensboro before sending to Greenville . Ummmm no.  Somehow I managed to get a flight to Charlotte NC to Greenville SC without the Greensboro connection.... Some might call it a hissy-fit.... I prefer to refer to it as using my Southern Charm. I didn't care, I was going home to see my family- probably the last time I see my mom in person and I refused to take a chance on TWO more delays.
I had decided that after that debacle, if my daughter was waiting at the airport thru some miracle of God, (I didn't even know when I was going to get there, how the devil would anyone else?) then that would be fabulous- but if she wasn't, I wasn't even going to call her- I was going to take a taxi to her doorstep and surprise her.
When I finally arrived at GSP I was VERY surprised to find it had grown to about three times the size it was when I had been there a couple years ago. HUGE!!!!! So I meander my way around and finally find the escalator (the only thing that hadn't changed in the place!!!) and start down it.... There, standing at the bottom where there was no way I could miss her- stood my daughter and my little grand daughter!!! I hopped down the last couple of steps and grabbed my daughter and hugged her so tight!! Both of us were crying at that point. My granddaughter then stepped up and gave me a big hug and kiss and we went and got my luggage and headed to her house. When we got there we took a short nap and then we just sat and talked and talked and talked til it was time to go to bed. Well, we did go out to McD's for a McRib.
The next morning we loaded up and went to my mom's house where there was another tearful reunion. Julie(my daughter) and I got busy right away cleaning things up and starting to cook as mom had invited almost 70 people for Thanksgiving Dinner. A photo of Mom and I will continue later today with the Thanksgiving  part of The Holiday Tale.....(I swear I will continue today!)

Mom.....

Nephew Dennis and Brother Chuck

Mom & Sister Tee & Me

Me & Tee

A few of the kiddos out playing in the leaves...having a ball together.

The grownups catching up and keeping an eye out for the kiddos playing....

Me & My buddy- Uncle Freddie.

Julie(daughter) and me

Frank(my son), Julie & me

Dennis, Uncle Freddie, Doris and Chuck

Me & Frank

Frank & my nephew, Billy.

Aunt Mary & Mom

Me & Kathy, my daughter in law

Back From Holiday Home In The States.

After I recover from the jet-lag and the massive cough from the smokey air of the Carolinas I will blog properly and put up a few photos for yall.

I will be Decorating for Christmas Next weekend so I may make it a two-fer.

Hope you all had a lovely Holiday as well!!

Homeward Bound....

Happy week of Thanksgiving everyone!!

Tomorrow morning I will be jetting my way home for the Beginning of the Holiday Season!

In my earlier post I told you I was ill.... and I have been all week. I had planned to take Thursday and Friday off to fully recover- but my boss nixed that idea very quickly. It seems management hasn't planned properly for my holiday- which has been booked and approved by said management for MONTHS in advance.

Not my problem, but as I was feeling a bit better every day, I decided I could be magnanimous and come in and get what I could done. I'm happy to report I am pretty much over the illness, still having a bit of sinus drainage(eww- sorry for TMI) but I'm over the contagious part of it and all the other symptoms as well.

I have spent yesterday and today finishing up my packing- I have been doing a bit at a time for the past three weeks, bits and bobs and I sat down this morning and made out my checklist for in the morning. Step by step so nothing is left to chance.

I'm really looking forward to this visit. I've decided to bring my little Olympus Camera- it's small and  lightweight, but to be honest- it's my favorite camera of them all. It takes fabulous photos without a lot of fiddling around. And I plan to take a LOT of photos this visit. I may need to bring along an extra card tho.

I've decided to keep our Sunday Dinner simple tho. I'm making International Stew. It's a dish made up of.... British Turkey & sausages,.... Alaskan Prawns.....Onions.... Italian seasoned chopped tomatoes, Cajun seasoning, Moroccan seasoning, salt, pepper, a chicken Stock pot and an herb infused stockpot, and Spicy Mexican Rice.

I'll let you know how it tastes.

I'll also be back to let yall know how my visit went as soon as I get back.
Until then....


HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!

It Is As I Feared....

Well,

Here I am, a week and a day away from going back for what will probably be my last face to face in person visit with my mom and what happens? The self centered bastard ass idiots at work who come in sneezing and coughing and filthy with the cold and flu have finally infected me.

I'm aching all over, Im running a bit of a fever and I have an itchy, scratchy throat despite my germaphobic preventative measures against just this kind of thing.

The bastards. If you are sick, please do EVERYONE a favour and stay your germy butt at home.

I hope I am over this whatever it is by the time I go to get on the plane. At the moment, I am sitting here(or lying in bed, depending on the hour) taking ibuprofen and drinking LemSip to feel better. I deplore being ill. It makes me even MORE ill.

So-  today I bought new undies, socks and a new pair of Jim-jams to bring with me on my visit.  Monday I will be getting my money converted to USD from GBP. After that all I need do is finish my week at work and then finish my packing over the weekend. I can get that finished up in less than an hour. The hardest part will be deciding what to wear on the plane.

I'm going to miss my hubby horribly. But it will be so great to see the family again. Im so excited.
If only I can get rid of this bug I will be thrilled.

Just life....

Know I haven't posted in a while. Have been working on my Memoirs instead of doing NaNoWriMo.

I'm off to visit the family back home in SC for Thanksgiving week(more on that next time) and I've been in a cafaffle of work getting the house clean sic n span, working on my memoirs and doing a bit of advance packing of the trinkets so I don't forget anything by waiting until the last minute. I'm trying to get ahead in my work at the office too- actually just now getting caught back up from when the office mate went on holiday all of September(no joke- ALL of September) and I had to do double duty taking on half of what she usually does. That in turn threw me behind on MY work and I'm just now back up to speed. Breaking even, so to speak. And I'm not worrying too much about getting ahead in my work either. If it gets done- it does, if it doesn't- oh well. No one does MY job when I'm on holiday, so tough. I'm going on holiday and not worrying a bloody fig about the office.

I made a doozie of a cake on Thursday night for Friday. Carrot cake mix..... substituted  applesauce for the oil....added an extra egg, used same amount of milk in place of the water- and added a 1/2 teaspoon of mixed spice(allspice) to the batter. Then baked as directed. Cooled a half hour, then poured 3/4 tub of ready made vanilla buttercream frosting over the top. and then 3/4 can of Carnation Caramel topping and swirled them together. Easy as pie...actually- easier.

Not to toot my own horn, but Best Apple Cake EVER! The house smelled amazing and the cake(after sitting overnight) was so moist and flavourful it was unbelievable. I will be making that one again and again!

Our color over here is absolutely spectacular right now. It will be gone for the most part in another week or so, I think. But we did have our first frost and so tonight, for Sunday Supper, we had our traditional Pot o' Chili!!!  I didn't think it was ever going to frost this year, but it finally did!!!

And lastly, I still miss our Michael's Blog..... but I am enjoying Spo-Reflections very much. I keep searching for new blogs that catch my interest, but I think it may be too soon after losing In Dodd We Trust to do so. Really good reads are so hard to find.

Happy Autumn, Everyone!!

2016.... Where has this year gone....?

A workmate and myself were talking about how fast this year has gone by.

And that got me thinking. Where DID the time go this year?  I thought and thought and thought some more- and I can't remember anything outstanding that I did this year.....nor last year, to be honest about it.
Shouldn't we be able to look back on any given year and think- "Ahhh yes!- That was the year I(insert accomplishment/event here)!"

My office-mate, Tom, bought his first home this year in May. And the year before that he changed jobs and came to work at our company- enabling him to buy said house. He also went to London for a week- just to see the sights, just like a tourist. He's been to a couple of concerts too.

All I can remember is waking up every single weekday, getting dressed,  dragging myself into work every morning, mindlessly doing mind numbing repetitive work, then coming home, cooking/eating dinner, watching a bit of television, then going to bed.
Weekends are spend either going to town to run errands with lunch out, or catching up on housework on Saturday, then watching movies or playing games on the computer and cooking/eating dinner on Sundays.

That's it. We haven't done much of anything out of the ordinary- oh, other than the occasional dinner and board game night at a couple of friends we know. And that only happens every 3 or 4 months.

We haven't went to any of the relatives for dinner, or a barbecue, or a picnic. No road trips other than into town to pick up and odd this or that, or to a doctors appointment or spectacle exam. No movies, or concerts, or  trips into City Center in Manchester or Liverpool either.

On the upside, I am going to visit the folk back home for Thanksgiving for a bit over a week. But that doesn't keep me from wanting to do something different with my husband, too.

It's giving me a headache. Maybe 2017 will be the year we get to say- we bought a new car and we bought our house.

2020.....

Well, Today I had a bit of a mini breakdown.

I was on FaceBook as we were coming back home from our trip into St. Helens today and one of the posts asked this question.

How old will you be in 2020- Be honest!!

Now, anyone that knows me knows I dont give a rat's behind about age- it's nothing  but a number. However, there are exceptions to the rule.
a) Your First Birthday. Huge big deal!!!
b)Your 13th Birthday....you are now a TEENAGER!!!!
c) your 16th (especially if you are a girl raised in the "Capital O/Capital S" Old South, You may now go on unchaperoned dates, not just double dates or chaperoned ones. Upper Class Girls turning 16 get a Debutante or Coming Out party- Middle class ones get a Sweet 16 Birthday party.)  At 16 you can get your full drivers license not just a provisional one.
d) your 18th.... you may now vote(when I was 18 you could also drink and buy alcohol  but that's now allowed on ....
e) your 21st.
You are now a full fledged adult- get a job (you should have already been working part time since the age of 15 or the very LATEST 16) and get your own place if you haven't already.

Well, when I turned 25- it was an eye opener for me. I was a QUARTER CENTURY OLD!!! My life was over and I was officially OLD. I was depressed the week before, the week OF, and the week AFTER my 25th Birthday.... until I realized aint nothing going to change.... Everything is the same as it was before I turned 25....and finally, life returned to normal.

I turned 30. That didnt bother me.
I turned 35..... That didn't bother me either.
I turned the BIG 4-0.... Nope.
45....... Nothing.
50... Nada.
55......Zilch.
Not even a twinge.

And then I read that post.

 How old will you be in 2020?

 And I thought a second and said "60.....Wait......what? 60?" and something clicked in my brain and I burst out crying.

Mini meltdown... lasted about 15 minutes.  Then I took a deep breath, dried my eyes on the tail of my shirt....(a dozen pkts of tissues in my different handbags and I chose TODAY to change purses and chose the ONE that didn't have a pack or even a single tissue in it to be found.

I told hubby I guess I'm gonna have to up my lie-age. Usually when someone asks my age I tell them I'm 60 or 65..... I always get the response that I certainly dont LOOK that old. So now when I give a lie age I reckon I'm gonna have to up it to 70 or 75. 10 or so years over my REAL age, you know.

Ahhh... the things we women worry and cry about.

 

 

A Little Hiatus....

Well, I didn't realize, but I've been on quite the little hiatus this past month.

I just couldn't face trying to write anything at all. I have three active blogs and four books and I haven't written a word for any of them in a month. Ive been blogging for over twelve years now and have written on pretty regular basis until this past year. I've noticed a slowing down of my creative juices and an increase of re-posting earlier posts as well.

I've been in a bit of a depressed mood too. My mom's health is failing and I am going home this Thanksgiving instead of next - and I fear this will be the last time we will be together before her health fails her and she leaves this world. It is going to be painful to me to walk away from her when it is time to come home knowing that.
I really wish my husband could come with me and be there to support me, but financially, we had to make a choice. Wait til next year and both of us go- or me go this year alone. And as I said- I don't think there is a good chance of next year being a good year at all. As it is, we will probably be flying back for a funeral together and, altho I may need his support this time, I will need my husband's support more then than on this trip.

So, at any rate, the weather has gotten cooler this month- a GODSEND to be sure for me. The Beautiful Autumnal colors are starting to peek out more each day, and it's downright nippy here at night.
No, I am not going to close my window until it gets cold-cold. I like the fresh air, altho I fear that may be the reason listed on our divorce papers should Paul decide to one day do the deed. (JK- he doesn't believe in divorce- thank goodness- else my snoring would have already made his decision for him, I'm afraid.)
I've also been concentrating on losing this weight. I've been making careful calculations and looking at all the data and  the dips and rises when something was changed. I don't know the science, but I am seeing a pattern developing and I have been able to tweak my workouts and eating plan to correct(somewhat) these increases in weight and maximize the losses.

Also, my team mate at the office has been on holiday last month.....ALL of last month. Seriously, I saw her in the office two days in between Holiday 1 and Holiday 2.....which means between my boss and myself, we have had to do not only OUR work, but hers as well. I have to take my lunch in my car to get away from all the calls and emails and extra work that occurs if I try to stay at my desk and have lunch there. And I have to come in from work and just have a lie- down on the bed for a half hour after work to be able to calm down and de-stress before starting dinner for Hubby and myself.  I'm so glad aforementioned team mate is back tomorrow, I can't begin to describe how much of a relief it's going to be.

On the upside, I think my doc and I have the correct dosage of Migraine prevention meds now. I had the beginnings of a headache only once this past month and as soon as I got home I took my meds, albeit a couple of hours early, and problem solved. It's lovely to be "normal" and not have headaches rule every day and aspect of my life!!!

In other news.....

I've ordered this new duvet set for hub's & my bedroom. It's not one of thee dark colors I usually choose- it's a lovely mostly white with a bold black floral pattern on.

I don't know what came over me but I'm sick to death of all the dark colors all the time. I also want to buy white towels for the bath and a large white rug for our living room to cover this hideous "blue with a pink pattern but it looks purple" carpet that's in our entire flat. I want to lighten things up in my life... a LOT of things.... and that just seemed the perfect place to start.

So......this past month, I've  cooked, eaten, played games, watched movies and talked with family via Skype ....pretty much just led a written word free life- with the exception of FaceBook.
And now the conundrum..... Do I continue - only posting once a month? Or do I go back to my regular routine?

I didn't really get why one of my Blogger friends stopped blogging a few months ago-(it still seems like years and I do still go back and read his now defunct blog..... because I really do miss his wisdom and style.) But now I totally get it. And as much as I would LOVE to follow his lead, I don't think I could totally shut it off. I love it too much, but, now that I've had a taste of freedom, I may have to take it down to only posting on the first weekend of every month. At least for a while.

And now that you are all caught up.....

Sunny Says-
Until Next Time...

Contemplation & Reflection.....

I went this weekend to my salon to get a hair revitalization.
I was not happy with the results. A trim and wave with restyle was what I was supposed to get. A "butchering" is what I received. WAY too short- way too poofy. Even tho it will grow out, I am most certainly not amused.

It's one of the things about this world I do not like.
In Valhalla I always looked picture perfect. Hair never out of place, face on to perfection, my figure perfect and my wardrobe immaculate.
When I decided to come to spend time on this world, I consented to taking on human form and all that came with it..... I did not realize that my hair would become limp and lifeless without certain procedures being done to it on a regular basis.... I also didn't realize that I would enjoy human nourishment quite as much as I do. My figure has become rounder and softer and not at all to Goddess standards.  I have found that I must wear concoctions called "cosmetics" to have the flawless perfection of skin  and the soft red lips and quiet blush on the cheeks  that came with no effort whatsoever. Here, I must "do" and "pluck" my brows to obtain the perfect arch I was born with in Valhalla. I see wrinkles  and brown "age spots"creeping slowly onto my body- especially my hands -and can you believe I'm being punished for smiling with a thing they call "Crow's Feet" which are creases at the corners of my eyes!?!
  Imagine the absurdity of being punished for laughing and smiling and being happy!!!

This world is a brutal place- especially for Goddesses. The males of this realm, Mere Mortals, do not seem to fare nearly so badly. They do seem to acquire the wrinkles and such, but somehow it seems to reward them with better looks as the aging progresses. Altho the look can in no way, shape, or form be called Youthfully Handsome- there is a mature ruggedness or at least they become the epitome of Aged Wisdom.
I suppose there has to be some type of reward for serving their Goddesses so faithfully all the years on earth tho. It seems it sucks the life out of Goddesses and breathes it into the Mere Mortals.

It just doesn't seem fair and I'm trying my best to reverse the havoc this world is wreaking on my body. I'm making small bits of progress, thru a thing the mortals call "dieting and activity" but there are days when I contemplate rescinding  my consent and returning to the perfection of my home in Valhalla. I just think of that as a last resort- someday I will return- and I will have all my perfection and glory back, but I am determined to see this  journey thru to the end...if it doesn't kill me first.

I'm a Spo-Thief

Spo posted this meme on his blog- and I stole it to post today. Thanks Spo. You know what they say- "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.''

P.S.- The answers are mostly mine...unless I agree with Spo's which to some I totally did- he's an intelligent man.

1. ARE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?  

Yes. My Granny Coyle- whose name was Lola Ellen....and my Aunt Ann whose name is Anna Lavada. I wish I had gotten Aunt Ann's whole name and then the Ellen. As it is I got Lavada Ellen.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Yesterday. I had a horrible crying jag. It was my the 9th Angelversary on the 26th, but I think it was a delayed reaction because it happened early hours on a Sunday Morning......so I associate it more with the Sunday than the actual date....
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
 Yes. It's becoming a lost art, cursive handwriting. 
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Without a doubt, Roast Turkey Breast.
5. DO YOU HAVE ANY KIDS?
Yes. Three. Two on Earth & One in Heaven.
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS?
Probably not as this me is extremely standoffish making new friends and rarely finds someone intriguing enough to pique her interest. 
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM? 
Never. (Rolls eyes Sarcastically.)
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Oh, Hell No.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? 
Cheerios. Not the multi grain ones nor the honey nut ones- the original ones that taste like cardboard. (Seriously.Truth.)
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Yes- it ruins your eyelets if you don't and no one likes ugly shoes.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU’RE STRONG?
No, not physically.....Mentally- more so than I thought.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
 Belgian Chocolate or Butter Pecan.
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
 Their eyes, then their teeth.
15. RED OR PINK? 
Usually a soft pink....but around the holidays Christmas Red.
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF? 
My stomach.
17. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW?
Grey sweat pants that are about 10 years old and soft as velvet and barefoot.
18. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?  
Band Holiday Monday Brunch. It was fabulous. Four slices bacon and three over-easy eggs. No toast altho I love toast. I'm cutting down on carbs this week in an effort to boost my weight loss.
19. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? 
The dryer as my metal buttons on my jeans clanks as it goes round..... Driving me insane.
20. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Cornflower blue.
21. FAVORITE SMELL?
Thanksgiving Dinner cooking. All the smells mingling together is the most amazing and comforting aroma in the world.
22. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO?
My hubby. He asked me where his other two work shirts had gotten to. Guess what I will be doing when I finish with this??
23. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH?
American Football...or Golf. Also snow-skiing events and figure skating.
24. HAIR COLOR THATS REAL?
Mine is Honey Blonde- with a reverse widows peak. It's hereditary- my mom and my granny(mom's mom) had the exact same.
26. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No. Tried em- my eyes reacted badly.
27. FAVORITE FOOD?
A 30 second each side rare Rib-eye or sirloin steak...... favorite veg- Taters.
28. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
I am all for happy endings. (<---I'm with Spo and his answer)
29. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED.
Jungle Book...the new one. Kinda scary movie- I wouldn't recommend letting little ones under 12 watch it.
30. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Deep Dark Red
31. SUMMER OR WINTER. 
Winter- altho I prefer Autumn to them ALL.
32. HUGS OR KISSES? 
Hugs.
33. FAVORITE SWEET FOOD? 
Pie. Any fruit filling.
34. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?
 I just finished The Letter by Katheryn Hughes. Trying to decide on my next book now.....
35. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? 
I don't have one. I have a laptop and the arm of my recliner is used as a "mouse pad".
36. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST?
Monkey Life. I love that show and could watch it for hours.....which I usually do on weekends while I'm relaxing.
37. FAVORITE SOUND?
Water, in any form, whether in rain, ocean waves, or fountains.
38. ROLLING STONES or BEATLES? 
Yes, please. I like ALL music....except that nonsensical jazz that has mo melody whatsoever.
39. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE TRAVELED?
The UK/USA.
40. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? 
I'm an expert marksman with a 9mm or 38 revolver of any type.
41. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? 
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away....

So there you have it.....

I Do It To Myself.

Why must I make everything so complicated?

For instance, Not the best week for me.... so I ask hubby to pick up some sammich innards while he's grabbing his lunch at the nearest Tesco. I think, well, we can have a simple supper....either Pancakes....or bacon, eggs and toast.....or sammiches and tater chips.(Crisps)

Well, he gets us some lovely roast beef slices and when we arrive home, neither of us has our hearts set on anything specific, so I decide to make roast beef sammiches for our supper.

So, I go into the kitchen, pull out the finger rolls(Like Miniature Hot dog buns, actually) and then as I pull out the Swiss cheese from the fridge, think, well, I have some already sliced onions- and there is a couple of bell peppers in here I could slice up and toss in a pan to eat with it...so I do that too.. And I think well this is going to take a few minutes to saute so I'll just throw a few Oven fries into the oven too....so I do that. And then while the onions and peppers are sauteing I add a sprinkle of teriyaki sauce in the veg, and let all that yumminess soak in and then I put the cheese in the buns and wrap em in foil and place them on the back of the stove-top so the heat from the oven warms them up....then I slice the roast beef into thin slices and add them to the veg to heat and now the oven fries are done and I'm getting ready to add the onions and peppers and beef into the buns with the melty cheese and add a bit of mayo to the top and put a few fries on a plate with a couple of them and THAT was my EASY Meal???????????
Expected to be in the kitchen 5 minutes putting the sammiches together then have a lovely relaxing evening and end up spending 30 minutes in there making an actual MEAL!!

I wish I wasn't such a creative cook- Life would be so much easier if my "Recipe Book" was a Delivery Menu Directory!!!!

Geeze!!!!!!!

My Get Up & Go...

...has got up and left.

I'm just so exhausted and UNMOTIVATED this week.....heck= to be honest the entire month has been a bust for me. I have a ton of things I need to do- and have been working on (halfheartedly), but whereas I usually am the organized, OCD one who does the motivating, I fear that bird has flown.

I've decided to do a proper YouTube channel for my videos- altho I have serious reservations about it. I wish I could do a podcast without the visual part of it. I hate the way I look....I used to do modeling for Christ-sake... now I just feel like a beached whale- and altho I do feel better about myself than I have in years- and am trying to make improvements, I dont feel confident in my appearance yet.
I've asked one of my chosen sisters to join me in the Vlog, because after seeing my solo performance  on my blog, I think we will talk about some interesting topics and our discussions will be so much more entertaining than my boring monologues are.

We have made up a nice list of things to discuss. So that's one thing I've been working on.... also my eating plan is alternately working/not working....August is awfully stress filled for me and if I stress, I dont lose no matter what I do.
I'm still plugging away at it tho. I'm not giving up. Not by a long shot.

I have my trip home I'm planning for. Trying to cut back on my spending, and I'm putting back the cash I would have spent on other purchases for exchange for my spending money home.
Brexit really put a hurting on the exchange rate- but I've still got a couple of months and am hoping that particular situation will improve before I leave.

I have a library of books I've bought up over the past couple of years- and I've splurged on an Audible subscription.... I get one credit a month for subscribing and I have a half dozen audio books so far and I LOVE it. I do tend to have to listen when I go to bed, and I usually fall asleep after an hour and then have to backpedal an hour the following night, but that's neither here nor there. I love being read TO.
My latest read is a series of books called Surviving The Evacuation by Frank Tayell. Book 1 is a first person story of the evacuation of London after a Zombie Virus Outbreak.
At first I thought, "Oh here we go- another Zombie story", but it did have some interesting changes- such as the main character is alone instead of with a group....... well, so far anyway. I'm not sure what happens in the rest of the series, but I'm going to be finding out in the next few months!!!

I'm glad this week is almost over. I do live for my weekends now. And Autumn with it's lovely cool weather and beautiful colors and smells.
Roll on Autumn.

Sunny Sez....

Well, that was a LOT of work for that little bit of video. Honestly, it's been a lot more fiddling about than I wanted to deal with... over 2 hours doing hair and makeup...then another 20 minutes set up....then about 7 minutes recording time...then 20 minutes putting everything back how it was for Paul's recordings, then downloading the video to my laptop and then an hour processing on Youtube, ...then transferring it to my blog.

 Lot's of room for improvement before they are even close to the smooth calming video style UrSpo showed on his. Aspirations. 
I have noticed I say Ummmmmmmm....entirely too much. I'll work on it.

These vids will be a special once in a while feature now that I know how much work goes into them, but the hardest one is done now so they should get a bit easier from here on out. 
Once a month, say?......with the occasional extra thrown in when something I just can't wait to tell you about happens?

 Hey, Oh, We'll see how it goes!!

Sunny Says...

Yeah- it's really starting to make me mad now.

When Paul wakes up I'll see if he can figure out why it won't upload for me....

I've watched it- and there are LOTS of room for improvement for the future ones, but this was a HUGE step for me to get it started at all. Not too horrid for a first try.

They will improve.

Stay tuned later today.....

Technical Difficulties.....

Sorry Y'all....the Vlog will be delayed due to technical difficulties and I'm really annoyed about it, too...I mean, I did my hair and makeup, and now I'm all dressed up with nowhere to go!!!! :(

Hope to have it worked out soon.
Thanks for your patience!!!

..A Summer Re-Run- Updated

Recently a friend sent me and a few of her friends 20 Questions. I've seen it on a few blogs elsewhere too. I answered, and sent it back to her, but thought it would be fun to do it on my blog.
Here we go-....

1. Why did you start your blog?
Which one? LOL. I started my original blog 'SUNNY SAYS' way back in 2004. The honest answer is because Paul, my husband had started one about him coming to live in the USA and I've always loved writing and it looked like fun and a lot was going on in my life that I wanted to share.
 This one is my baby- my main blog. 
Over the years I've had different blogs for different things that are going on in my life.Over the years I've had nine of them. 
At the moment- I have 3 going. 
This one- Sunny Says.....www.sunnysez.blogspot.com
My Photography blog-LavadasP365........www.lavadasp365.blogspot.co.uk
and my weightloss one.....SkepticElle.
 I'll skip telling the addie of that one since it's a private one. 
I love writing and sharing my experiences...with pretty much anyone that's interested. 

2. What made you choose your blog name?
Quite honestly, again. I didn't. Paul set it up for me one night while I was up at my moms visiting with my dad who  had just come out of remission from Prostate Cancer. I had been talking about starting one for a couple of weeks, but just couldn't find time to take an hour or so to set it up.......That's how long I thought it would take anyway. I came home just as he was setting it up and he asked me what I wanted to title it- and I didn't have a CLUE what to name it- so I asked him to choose a name for it. He chose Sunny Says and , Of Course, I loved it. Unfortunately, someone else had the spelling for SunnySays as the mail name, so I ended up using www.sunnysez.blogspot.com for the domain name. Shame really. And yes- I've thought about changing the spelling on the title so it matches, but as usual- somehow never have found the time to do it.

 3. What is your favorite thing that has come from blogging?
That's easy. It's all the new friends and interesting people I've made from who has visited my blog, left comments, and stayed on visiting. Some of them I've even met in Real Life and are friends with on SKYPE and Facebook, too!! 
Simple as that!!! 

 4. What is your favorite color and why?
I have several. I can't choose.
 In a kitchen- it's buttery yellow. It's a happy color and everyone should have a happy kitchen to create in.
I have basically 4 colors I wear and use consistently...Black, white, red, and electric blue. They are the colors I'm most comfortable and happiest in.
 
5. What inspires you?
More than anything it's music....and seeing the good in people. Both seem to touch my soul and make me want to create and be an inspiration to others.

6. What’s your guilty pleasure?
I would love to be able to tell you, but alas, I cannot. Tis a hideous evil thing and it would be branded in your mind forever.
;-)
The one thing I CAN confess to is having a lazy, lazy day. I rarely can settle down and just do absolutely nothing and I always feel so guilty when I do manage to catch some absolute downtime....but man,oh,man....is it PLEASURABLE!!! 

 7. If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
It's a combo....Homelessness and Hunger. If it were up to me those two things would be wiped from the face of the earth- forever. Nothing fills me with such sorrow as knowing someone out there has no place to call home...no place to sleep, or sit down and relax or take a nice shower or bath, or to call their own...even if it is just rented.
It hurts me to know there are people who go to sleep hungry- and wake up hungry. And that they have no idea where their next meal is coming from or when it will be.

8. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
I think I've lived in the two most wonderful places in the world. South Carolina, and England.
I've found I love to visit other places tho!!! And plan on doing a lot more OF it!!

9. If you could change something about your home, without worrying about expenses, what would it be?
Oh Lord, the kitchen. My kitchen is TINY- and if only it were a big country kitchen I would be  on cloud nine!!!
The only other things I can think of I might change is I would quite like to have a gas burning fireplace made of stone, and lovely wood flooring.
Other than those things, I can't think of anything I would change .......altho now I look at it- those are some pretty big things!!! 

 10. Who is your celebrity crush (boy or girl) and if you could spend a day with them what would you do?
Hmmmm.....
Male would be Tom Hanks. Hands down my favorite actor of all times. Running a close second would be Sean Connery.
Female would be Allison Scagliotti who plays Claudia Donovan in Warehouse 13....Close second would be Erica Cerra who plays Jo Lupo in Eureka.  I would hope they (Male and Female) would be as much fun off camera as their characters are on the shows.  What would we do?  I think a Horseback trip for the day and then either a pool party or Formal dinner party that night would be fun.   

11. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
None if it's going on MY credit card. Now ask me what store I would  choose if I wanted to max out Daddy Warbucks credit card and it would be any high end shoe or clothing store.
I love me some heels and clothes.
 
12. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? A model. I took part in a few local fashion shows when I was in high school, but then life got in the way and I got married and became a mommy and for reasons I wont go into right now, went into law enforcement instead. If I had to do it over, I'd have went into something a bit more lucrative and creative like Architecture or Photography. That's okay tho.....I'm doing a bit of the photography as a hobby now and the road I took led me to where I am now and I'm finally truly happy. If only my loved ones hadn't passed away too early, I would be in 7th Heaven.

13. What was your first job?
  My very first job was delivering advertising for my Uncle Tommy's remodeling and painting company. My next was working retail at the local Family Dollar Store. And my third was working at....McDs!!! Morning shift- had to be in work at 5:30 AM for a 7AM open time. LOVED having my breakfast of Apple-Cinnamon Cream Cheese Danish covered in Vanilla Ice cream with a cup of coffee!! My rear-end regrets it now tho.

14. What is your best memory?
I don't have A BEST memory. I have LOADS of favorites. Family Vacations....My children's births, the births of my grand babies and a very special little grandniece, getting my drivers license(after only two tries!!), waking up to my little girl's cooing in her crib and hearing her laughing, waking up to see both my little boys staring into my face holding a can of oysters because they wanted Oyster Stew for BREAKFAST!!!!, My kids weddings, a special request from my son to take a photo of his GF's face when he surprise proposed to her, The first time I met my husband, our first kiss, his proposal, and our wedding and subsequent move to England.... snuggling with my daddy and holding his hand and us talking about all the things we remembered from my childhood and me asking him all the things I had always wondered about...How him and mom met, how he proposed to her, what he said when they found out they was expecting ME,......just hours before his condition took a turn for the worse and he passed away....My husband holding me when I have one of my nightmares and reassuring me that it's all just a dream.......My Sisters Picnic with my sisters and one of my Chosen sisters taking the photos for me and just letting us carry on with our foolishness without raising an eyebrow,.....Every single Christmas of my life........I could go on for pages and pages and pages......

15. Would you rather live near mountains or by the sea?
Well, the Mountains to be honest.....but I do love me some beach during the cooler months of the year. Is that normal???? 

 16. What do you consider the best TV Show or Movie ever created?
Oh My......Best TV show has to be MASH. I could watch it for hours and never get bored. I also like Big Bang Theory and Little Britain.
Best Movie- So many I love, but Shawshank Redemption is probably at the top of the list. Of course, so is ELF, along with All of the Lord Of The Rings Movies. And for me and my BESTIE- Thelma and Louise!!! 
 
17. How would you describe yourself in three words?
Observant- Generous-Hopeful.
 
18. If you knew that tomorrow your life would change forever, what would you do to appreciate today?
Nothing different than I already do. I know for a fact that life can change in a moment- and I try to live my life so I wont regret a moment or feel I've wasted it in any way, shape or form. I do what I have to do to live, go to work, do chores and errands, and such, but I also don't miss a chance to make the most of the rest of my life either. I tell the people I love just that...many times a day- much to a few peoples great annoyance. Some people think that saying I love you 5 times a day makes it less special- but I disagree. I think I want everyone to know how much I care for them and appreciate them. I never want anyone I love to say "I wish Sunny/Lavada/Mom had told me more often how much she loved me".... or "I wonder sometimes how she really felt". They know -because I tell them.
 All. The. Time.
 
19. Favorite blog (or blogs)?
I have several. Every Day I go to a few.....One of my dearest friends has one I go to, but it shall remain nameless because it's a private blog......I also go to In Dodd We Trust (sadly defunct now), Layabouting, Pinterest Addict, Refashionista,  Witless Protection Program, and Southern Plate. I'm also faithful to Life-What The Hell is Going On, but someone hasn't posted on there in months because he has a big project going and doesn't have enough hours in the day to do it all.

20. One thing you’ve learned about yourself in the last year.
I knew I was independent, but I didn't realize how much I LOVE my independence. Oddly enough, I've also found out I need to feel I'm making a difference in someone's life beside my own.


Now...that's it for my 20 Q & A's. Do you have anything you'd like to know? Just ask.

Research Concluded...

Next Friday or Saturday I will be setting up and recording my first Vlogpost.

I have done research. Have figured out a simple(ish) solution of where to record it, and done an impressive job of  Building my confidence up to actually do the job.

I had a day of carry-over holiday I have to use before the end of July(a case of use it or lose it, I'm afraid) so I took the 29th off to do all the prep work for it.  With any luck at all you should be able to see it here on Sunday Afternoon/Evening depending on where you are in the world.

If there is anything you would like me to talk about or answer, please leave  a comment and I'll do my best to accommodate. I have a beginning bit but have left a bit of fill time in case there's something like this to add in. And if not- I have a backup plan for that too. I'm nothing if not organized. Or OCD. Whichever. :)

Believe me when I say- like writing a novel, trying to figure out the first sentence is the hardest bit.

 I hope to get a decent blog post in before then. But as for now, I have nothing much except for a note that my Fast & Feast continues to work brilliantly for me.