Sunny Says...

This Is Getting Ridiculous!!!

2012-02-14T08:16:00.001-05:00

On my birthday last year, I was able to leave my job. We was moving to England in a couple of weeks and that gave me time to tie up a few loose ends before leaving without having to worry about a work schedule.

At the time I thought..."What a WONDERFUL way to be able to celebrate my birthday- "........

Okay, so almost an entire year later, I'm still unemployed.
This is ridiculous!!! I'm well qualified to do more than Security and Law Enforcement work!!

I really enjoyed the break from the 12 hour shifts, but I'm ready to work again.
Just sayin'.......

So Now We Know!!

2012-01-12T02:27:00.002-05:00

So now we know.....the new baby, due in May, is a GIRL!!!!!!

I'm finally getting my Very Own Grandaughter!!!!

Let the Shopping begin!!!!

:-D

Inspiration -Not Drama and Excuses.

2012-01-04T08:00:00.003-05:00

I know I do a lot of whinging on here about stuff that really annoys me and things that aren't going the way I want them to. But at LEAST I try and do something to CHANGE the things I don't like- even when I KNOW there's slim to no chance to change them.

Last night- and many other nights, I sit and watch TV with my housemates and inevitably the TV will be turned to a show about some fat person(s) who are whinging about how they are sooooooo unhappy, and then come up with a hundred and twelve reasons why they are the way they are and why they can't lose weight.

And it royally just pisses me off.

Yeah- I need to lose some more weight myself- and yeah I whinge about it- but I ALSO have gotten up OFF my fat ass and walked every day- even on bad weather days I will go up and down the stairs twenty times during the course of the day to make up for the walk I can't take. I dance while I'm doing my housework. Paul has even told me I "dance" in bed when I'm sleeping with my ipod on and the earbuds in. I LOVE to dance. (It's also why I rarely wear the earbuds to bed anymore now that he's working and doesn't need to be disturbed during a week/work night.) ;-)

My mother-in-law is an awesome cook-she tries to cook healthily and I LOVE almost all her dishes- but we ate oversized portions every single meal. And then, for a couple of months, I was nauseous all-the-time and couldn't eat more than a couple of bites at every meal. I couldn't even THINK about sweets without it making me ill- so I refused THEM as well, and all of you who have known me for longer than five minutes know what a HUGE Chocoholic I am and how hard THAT was for me to do. So, after all that unintentional "portion control", I started losing some serious weight. I've lost two stone(about 30 pounds) in the past three months. And now, even tho I'm not feeling nearly as nauseous, I've started watching to make sure my portions don't get oversized again. Plus, I recently had a medical proceedure and had to be intubated and during that time my throat and roof of my mouth got bruised and scraped so I've been on soft foods for ANOTHER week. Cream soups, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, and occasionally ice cream. Don't tell me that you can't lose weight and not still eat all your favorite foods- I'll call you a liar. It's PORTION control and frequency that you eat them that matters!!!!

My point is- after all the complaining people do about being unhappy- instead of making excuses why they CAN'T make things better- why do they not find REASONS to make things better? Find WAYS to get AROUND the excuses and obstacles instead of "feeding" them?

Last night I got so pissed off at all that drama and mess I got up and came upstairs and turned on OUR TV(that only has VERY limited channels) and turned it to something inspiring-Biggest Loser- and watched the people who have made the decision to change their lives for the better. (And the cash winnings at the end of it can't hurt either.) But regardless of whether or not they win the cash at the end of the show isn't the point.
The point is- they are changing their lives instead of making excuses for NOT changing things. And that makes all the difference in the world in my book.

My favorite slogan/mantra EVER is Nikes......JUST DO IT!!!!!!

Whew...I feel MUCH better just venting a bit. Thanks for listening!!!

My Christmas Prezzie!!

2011-12-21T06:36:00.004-05:00

I finally have lost enough weight that I'm not ashamed to wear nice clothes again-(altho I still have more I want to lose)- and then I found a pair of boots I LOVE and we found them for 70% OFF and my DARLING husband bought them for me for Christmas!!!!I guess HE has a quite different opinion of what "List" I should be on than Santa does!!!

Aren't they AWESOME???????????
Best Husband EVER!!!!! :-D

Merry Christmas, Y'all!!!!

2011-12-17T11:24:00.003-05:00

You Gotta Have Faith.

2011-12-15T07:36:00.004-05:00

I think that we need to have Faith and Believe...

In A Higher Power...
In Santa...
In The Person we're married to...
In Our Children...
In Fate...
In Our Parents Love for us...
In Miracles...
In Love...
In Ourselves.

28 Today.

2011-12-11T02:37:00.003-05:00

28 years ago today, I was holding my newborn baby boy in my arms in the newly constructed Greenville Memorial Hospital.
My Papa Coyle came to see my new little one and nick-named him Lucky.
I think we were the Lucky ones to have had such a wonderful, fun, loving, generous, thoughtful person in our lives for 23 years.

I love you Clay and think about you every single solitary day.

Trying to Muster upsome enthusiasm.

2011-12-08T17:45:00.002-05:00

Went to Liverpool yesterday- had a lovely time.
Rode the bus- the train. Had a lovely lunch. Looked at the shops and all the decorations. people watched. Had a REALLY lovely time. Today- woke up feeling good...but as the day wore on- I've felt more and more out of sorts.
Not feeling bad-per se- just not quite....good.

Hopefully this will pass soon and I'll be able to write in detail how wonderful my outing really was!!!!

Off to Liverpool for the Day!!

2011-12-07T04:47:00.003-05:00

Well, today is my first no-family member related outing since coming here in March.
Going with a friend to do a bit of Christmas/window shopping in the big City of Liverpool.
And I am unbelievably nervous!!!!

I'll let yall know how it goes!!!!

Can you believe it's only 18 days til CHRISTMAS???

Where has this year went????

Getting it off my Chest.......

2011-12-07T03:44:00.003-05:00

Okay- something is REALLY bothering me and I need to get it off my chest.
Well meaning friends and family are looking for hubby and I affordable housing and looking for us/me jobs.
This is all well and good and we appreciate it very much.
But these are the problems.
1) I'm not ready to get a job yet. I've slacked off on the job hunt for a few weeks because I have two medical proceedures coming up and I don't want to be getting a job to just have to immediately ask for a few weeks off for recovery time. That does NOT look good on my work record.
2)We can't move until we BOTH get secure jobs.

Also I'd like to ask that if you have a job or housing prospect that you think we might be interested in- please pick up the phone and call the house and ask for Paul or Sunny- whichever it pertains to- or e-mail or text us and give US the information. Right now- vital people(ie ME- the WIFE) are/is more than usually being left out of the loop and am hearing about these things via conversations with other people and it's REALLY getting annoying.

Like I said- I know it's not meant to be put out that way- but that's what's happening and altho we might not be perfect for the job- or the place to live- it would be nice to be able to decide for ourselves, instead of someone else deciding whether it IS or ISN't right for us.

That being said- thank y'all for thinking about us on your daily travels.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

2011-11-23T16:41:00.004-05:00

Just wanted to say....Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

Sorry I havent been posting more regularly, but with the holidays coming up and things being the way they are- I just haven't felt much like posting. I'm feeling a bit Bi-polar to be honest. Some days I can muster up a bit of enthusiasm and feel almost manically happy- but other days- most days- I sit around feeling sad and sorry for myself and just having a big ole pity party.

I know things will be better soon....I'm just a bit homesick at the moment. Missing my family and friends and all the festivities we associate with the holidays. Ignore me- I'll be back to my usual obnoxious, optimistic self soon.

SOMEONE Has a VERY High Opinion Of Themselves!!!

2011-11-15T03:32:00.006-05:00

Apparently "Dream ME" has a very high opinion of myself.
After a very long 5 hour night of tossing and turning, I slept for about 45 minutes and dreamed that hubby had 'kicked me to the curb', so to speak, for another woman.
And in my little dream world, I hear a noise outside the window and when I open the door- who to my wondering eyes should appear- but a Blue Police Box called The Tardis. Door Opens- and out the door comes not ONE Time Lord...but TWO.(Explain THAT one to me). Both Matt Smith and David Tennant were trying to persuade me that THEY were the person who should replace Paul as my husband. It was well weird tho because David Tennant was acting all "Barty Crouch, Jr." and telling me I should choose him because as the BEST Doctor EVER, he could make it right between me and Paul. Hmmmmmm......Kinda self-defeating for him wanting to REPLACE my hubby, right??

That's what I get for reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and wanting to watch a few episodes of Doctor Who (altho I didn't actually GET to watch DW) before bedtime. I'm surprised that since I was actually playing a racing game on the Xbox til 2AM that I didn't suggest they RACE for my hand in marriage.

Well, at any rate, it's good to see my "Goddess Attitude" hasn't completely deserted me yet.
.....and No- I can't tell you who won- I woke up while they were still giving their closing arguments- at the same time. LMAO!!!!

Happy Birthday!!

2011-11-08T06:15:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Miss Audrianna!!!

Love you Bunches!!!
Nana Vada!!! XOXO

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

2011-11-08T05:21:00.002-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEVON!!!!

I HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY AND ALL YOUR BIRTHDAY WISHES COME TRUE!!!!!!

I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU BUNCHES!!!

LOVE ALWAYS,
NANNY VADA XXX-OOO

Guy Fawks Night...And Other Stuff.

2011-11-05T19:08:00.003-04:00

*Well, tonight was fun. Tonight was Guy Fawks Day and it's celebrated the same way America does the 4th of July. With Fireworks. And LOTS of them!!! As soon as the sun went down,(about 6PM) they started. I think every person in England had a HUGE box of them and shot them off. Paul and I listened to them for about an hour and a half before deciding to go out in the garden and watch some of them. We stayed out there for about 45 minutes and thought...okay, seems to be dying down a bit- guess we'll go back inside now, and just as we turned to go in....BOOM- they started back up again!!! They'd go for 15 minutes, then die down for a few- and just as we started back in again- there they'd go again for 15 minutes more. You didn't know where to look there was so many going off at the same time in every direction you looked!!!
It's 10:45PM now- and there's still fireworks going off every few minutes here and there.

*Unfortunately, due to my gawking at the fireworks, I missed a call on SKYPE from my daughter who I haven't talked to in a couple of months. That made me sad. But now that my awesome husband is gainfully employed- I can put some credit on my SKYPE account and I can call her on her mobile phone and TALK to her for a few minutes every couple of weeks.
I'm so happy Paul got his job!!!

*They don't celebrate Thanksgiving over here. I think my MIL has gotten a half Turkey breast and I'm going to make dressing and Sweet potato Pie and maybe a Mock Pecan pie to celebrate it- but we wont be having the big traditional dinner like back home. It would make me sad if we did, anyway, cause all my babies aren't here to share it with us.

* Did I tell y'all I'm working on NaNoWriMo this year? It's been a definate challenge because there is always something going on here in the house. The washer is going, the TV is on, the neighbors are putting up an addition on the house next door with Jack hammers and regular hammers and saws and drills being used all day long. But I'm still trying it. If i do it- great- if not- I'll finish it at my leisure. No worries.

*I'm still trying to figure out Christmas. I'm pretty sure I won't be sending gifts home because even tho hubby is working now- His payday is sometimes after the 25th of the month I think he said. And since he won't be starting his job til the end of the month- He won't get a paycheck til December...after Christmas. So this year I'll probably be sending just cards to family and a couple of friends. Ugh. Next year will be different tho. I'm not sure how decorating is going to work this year either....Before we moved over here, Joan told me I could decorate for Christmas....but once we got here- and she saw a photo of the way I decorate the tree, she's re-thinking that offer to let me decorate. I've heard that her trees are white lights with gold tinsel and ornaments. Very tasteful and formal. Yeah. Ummmm DEFO not the way I decorate. Mine look like someone has superglued ornament on ornament, on ornament to make the SHAPE of a tree and then stuck a sprig of tree branch here and there in the spaces in between the ornaments. I admit it. I DO like my colorful happy Christmas Trees!!! Now, I think I have figured out the PERFECT solution to our problem. See- they put their tree in front of the living room window. So I figure- I can leave the part of the tree facing the room the way Joan likes to decorate it. And I can decorate the part of the tree that faces out the window the way I like to decorate it. I can see the bright colorfulpart of the tree when the blinds are open and I'm coming in from my walk every evening.
Doesn't that sound like a good COMPROMISE???? Very inventive and creative of me, I thought.
Either that or I need someone to buy me a little 4 ft tree so I can put it in our bedroom and decorate it with the bits and baubles we brought over from the states. One little box - ONE, mind you, out of 23 HUGE boxes of Christmas decorations!! I think I made a HUGE sacrifice leaving all my treasured Christmas things behind, don't yall???
(Well, That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

Happy Birthday Christopher!!!

2011-10-31T06:16:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday, Christopher Brown!!!!!!
I love you bunches and wish I could be there to bake you another cake!!!! Muaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!
Love,
Nanny Vada
XOXO

Baby Time!!!!

2011-10-29T07:49:00.001-04:00

Come on Tiffany!!! Let's have that Baby now!!!! I'm ready to see my Grand-Niece!!!

LIVERPOOL!!!!!!

2011-10-25T10:55:00.000-04:00

Well, our sister-in-law, Marina, and the baby, Maddie, came down for a few days from Scotland to visit.

Marina decided we were going to have an outing Sunday, so we all went on a day-trip to the big city of Liverpool. We got up, got dressed, ate a bacon buttie and headed to the bus stop. We took the bus to the train station, but got there with an hour to wait, so we detoured into St. Helens for a look around. Not much open on Sundays, so we headed back to the train station pretty sharpish.

Heading to Liverpool's Lime Street Station, the train was pretty full. Very few seats- and it was HOT as BLAZES in there even tho there was several windows open in the car. After about 40 minutes and several stops along the way, we arrived.

I was being the typical tourist, stopping and having a look at even the most INCONSEQUENTIAL things and we almost got seperated from the in-laws several times.

I saw LOADS of shops that I wanted to stop and have a browse in, but the in-laws seemed to have a specific destination in mind and so I had to by-pass the browse til a later date.
It turns out, we ended up at the Maritime Museum on the famous Albert Dock.

It was amazing. All the big Mast Ships, along with fishing trawlers and such. There was even a Duck Tour...It was a big 'truck' that looked a LOT like our orange school busses back home. But they had open spaces where the glass windows should be- and they went thru the city center on a tour, then went to the top of a ramp and rolled down it into the water and turned into a boat tour.
I don't know about y'all- but that would be a bloody NIGHTMARE for me. I have a recurring dream about that very thing happening to me- only the damn thing sinks instead of floating like it should.
No. Thank. You......Now- seeing as how I've said that- You'll probably be reading a post in the future about me doing that VERY thing!!! I've learned that true to form, if there's something I say I WILL NOT do- I generally end up doing that very thing. Just sayin.

Anyway,...where was I?....Oh yeah. The Maritime Museum. We went in and met up with Marina's Uncle Carl. The way Marina pronounces it it's Carol....I LOVE her accent with it's rolling "R"s. Beautiful- just like her. Of all the accents in the family, hers is the easiest for me to mimic-(not in an ugly way, either). Anyway, we met up with Carl and Jane and their two lil' girls. They were really lovely, sweet people. We had a coffee and snack before exploring the rest of the facility. The thing that stood out the most to me about the place was...OMG- those people were OBSESSED with boats!!!

Hundreds of models of boats and anything having to DO with boats. They had loads of stuff on the Lustitania, the Britiania, and of course, the Titanic. They also had a few exibits on the trade, and of slavery and such.
It was a interesting place.

Now, after that we walked aound a bit more- window shopping. Before you ask- no, we didn't get to go by the Beetle's Haunts. The wind was gusting to about 30 mph and it was bleak and yukky, and we had the baby with us as well, so we didn't do that type of deal before heading to a Chinese buffet for Tea.

The walk there was interesting too. Christmas displays up all over the place!!! Already!!!!

I saw a Black Cab.

And loads of odd stuff. Like a main street that wasnt a street at all but was a paved walking "Main Street".

And,I noticed something else.... it was so weird, but you know how just about EVERYWHERE you go to eat in the States you're offered either fries or Soup and salad with your meal?
Well, here in England- it's a pot of tea. Everything's a combo- with a pot of tea. Hot tea.
Blasphemy for a Southern Girl. :-p
Anyway, we got to the Chinese buffet and I have to say, compared to our Chinese Restaurant at home- pickin's was pretty slim. They had a half dozen appetizers, I think...3...soups, a couple of noodle choices, one shimp dish, one fish dish, and about 8 or 10 meat OR veg dishes. Oh and ONE egg dish.
I sampled a short-rib, a chicken wing, a couple of shrimp, the fries, and a bite of the egg dish. I asked hubby for a bite of a couple of the things he got that I didn't. I didn't like the things I had samples of- so I gave them to hubby. He went up to go get his choices and since I was kind of pinned into a corner seat-(They put Baby in the corner!!!!Hahahahah!!!)- at my request, he got me a plate of sweet and spicy chicken and fries. It was LOVELY- altho almost too much sweet for me. But I left the restaurant satisfied.
Let me tell y'all what.....Those RIBS were HORRIBLE. Tough, overcooked, tasteless. Some of our good ole Southern Boys need to come over here and give'em some lessons on BBQin' some ribs!!!! Hot damn, makes my mouth water just thinkin' bout Sonny's or Maurice's or Three Pigs or Brushy Creek BBQ or Henrys Smokehouse. Southerners can DO some Ribs!!!! No one can out-do us!!!

Anyway. After that we headed back to Lime Street Station to catch the train back.

It was even more crowded than it was going up- but not NEARLY as hot and yukky. Much more enjoyable. We caught the bus back after arriving back at the rail station and arrived back at home around 7:30pm.

It was a REALLY interesting and fun day. Can't wait til next time!!!

O.M.G......

2011-10-13T09:46:00.003-04:00

Well, it finally happened. My laptop finally gave up the ghost this morning. I went on it for a couple minutes, then turned it off and went downstairs for a couple hours. Then came back up to look up a recipe and ....Nothing. It wouldn't do ANYTHING.

Hubby looked at it- tried a couple of things- nothing worked. So...he ended up having to wipe it and and do a reinstall. He's such a wonderful guy.

I lost everything. He had been telling me for the past few months I needed to put my photos and my book and a few other things in a file and back them up. But me being me, I just procrastinated a day too long and so I lost everything. That'll teach me.

Thank GOD he had already got quite a few of my photos and Clays Voicemail Greeting off my computer before we moved over here.

Paul, my darling husband, is My Hero.

Improving.

2011-10-06T15:27:00.002-04:00

Well, things are improving a bit. Things that used to REALLY irritate or annoy me just don't anymore. I've learned to just tune them out.
I'm back on track with my exercise and diet. I don't deny myself a treat once in a while- but it's much less often. I blame it on the stress for letting myself get off track. But it's all under control now.

I'm still working on getting a job. The temp job as an ELF at the Christmas Grotto fell thru. BUT- I'm having a professional look at my CV and see if they can tweak it or give me some suggestions to tweak it myself. So.....something will turn up soon. I'm sure of it.

I've decided that as soon as I get a job and we get our own place, I'm going to see if I can find a Crossfit Gym. I may have to take buses to get there- but thru one of my friends, I've gained enough confidence to give it a try.

I still have terrible bouts of homesickness, but I'm dealing with it. I knew it would happen. You can't live in a place for 51 years of your life, move halfway round the world and NOT get homesick once in a while. So I suppose I'm "normal"...whatever THAT means. LOL

I'm just looking forward to finally managing to get a job. I miss having complete control over my life.
My sisters and mum and friends have all sent me a care package to ease my homesickness a bit. I don't know what I'd do without family & friends.

But- as I said- things are leveling out. And I'm happy about it.

Dreams....or Nightmares....

2011-09-26T14:48:00.004-04:00

Been having crazy dreams the past couple weeks. Apocalyptic dreams.....Nightmares more.
Being both here and home when it all goes down.
Waking up, being needy and clingy.
Hate those crazy, mixed up dreams...nightmares.......
Hate feeling helpless.

(Artist unknown- but BEAUTIFUL!!!!!)

My Hero....My Dad.

2011-09-23T17:19:00.003-04:00

I Remember…

…I remember when my Dad would let me ‘ride’ on the steering wheel of the old truck we had when I was about 1 ½

…I remember when I thought the best thing ever was standing next to my Dad with my arm around his neck as he spun his tires in the sand driveway.

…I remember my Dad taking us to the Shell station on White Horse road and getting to choose any candy we wanted from the HUGE glass display case.

…I remember my Dad taking us camping in the Pisgah Forest in North Carolina and teaching me to fly-fish even though I was only 7 and a girl.

….I remember making my Dad fudge and him smiling as he took it and asking “And what do you want, now?” I also remember him taking the fudge to his office and locking it in his filing cabinet so he didn’t have to share and could enjoy it in peace and quiet.

…I remember my Dad teaching me to drive a manual transmission car. I remember him telling me that when you slow down to make a turn, you shift down. I remember trashing a transmission (trying to get home before curfew) when I shifted down to first gear and popped the clutch going 40mph because Dad assumed I was smart enough to realize you had to be going slow to do that. I also remember him not laughing at me while we towed the car home at 4am

…I remember Dad walking me down the aisle when I got married. He was trembling more than I was. Now I know why.

…I remember Dad helping me rebuild my car when it was totaled a few years back. I had just put close to $2000 in a motor for it the week before and couldn’t afford to buy a new one, even with the coverage from insurance.

…I remember Dad handing me his hanky when I cried from everything from breakups to bad grades to skinned knees.

…I remember Dad always seemed larger than life - He was always my Hero.

My Hero is gone.

On September 24th in 2005 my Dad passed away, losing an eight year battle with Cancer.

I miss him dearly.
I love you always, Daddy.
xoxox Your Sunshine.

A Couple More Wedding Pics....

2011-09-20T14:01:00.006-04:00

A couple more Photos from the Ellison-Halley Wedding on Saturday!!

Anthony & Paul in their Tux. The two most gorgeous men there, in my opinion!!!

The Happy Little Family........Carlie(The Stunning Bride), Anthony(The Debonaire Groom) and The Most Beautiful Princess Maisy.

Sorry, but I still haven't been able to locate a photo of me & Paul to show y'all!!!

Question For Fitness Experts.....

2011-09-19T07:55:00.001-04:00

Okay- I know there has to be some fitness experts out there and I want your opinion please....

I have been losing weight for about a year and and four months now. I've lost a bit over 80 pounds- and STILL have about 80 more to go. Up to now, I've been concentrating on just losing weight- not toning so much. But NOW I'm wanting to start a toning exercise program as well.

I personally believe/think that even tho I still have a LOT of weight to lose- it's better to start the toning program NOW, because it not only helps burn more calories and therefore accelerates the weight loss- but it decreases the amount of time it takes to first LOSE the weight and then Tone up the muscles.

One of my friends says he thinks it's better to lose the weight and THEN do the toning- that it doesn't do any good to tone if the fat is still on you- so I should continue with the weight-loss and then do the toning AFTER I'm MUCH closer to my goal weight.

So, experts- who is closer to the truth???????? And please be honest- if he's closer to the truth it won't bother me in the least....I just want to KNOW, I don't want it to be a "Female Vs. Male" thing.
Thanks for your input!!!!

Wedding Weekend.

2011-09-18T09:30:00.003-04:00

Well, this weekend hubby and I went to Carlie and Anthony's wedding. It was beautiful. We completely forgot our camera- so I was only able to take a few of hubby(who was Ant's Best man) and Anthony before the ceremony. After we have time to gather some pics from other sources I'll do a full post on it for y'all. But this is what I have for now. Sorry for the quality of the photos.... there was a lot of jostling in the room.

Carlie looked Stunning in her gown. Ant looked Debonaire in his Tux. Maisy looked like a little Princess in her dress and shoes. And my Hubby looked Yummy, as Always, no matter what he's dressed in.
It was a BEAUTIFUL wedding. Congrats Mr. & Mrs. Halley!!!!!

GAH!!!

2011-09-15T10:04:00.002-04:00

I've been thinking back....and I've known some people that could suck the fun out of ANYTHING.....even the simplest, most basic things in life.

Let's just call them Hoover.

Sigh.

A Prayer....

2011-09-12T03:43:00.000-04:00

Lord, bless each of my gardening friends
who share their crops with me.
Their veggies help me dress my salad
oh, so colorfully!
I love the fresh green peppers
and tomatoes, firm and red.
Lord, bless their homes, their hands, their hearts
for keeping me well-fed.

About THAT Time of Year.....

2011-09-11T07:01:00.004-04:00

Around this time every year, my kids start watching the weather every night for the 7-Day Forecast. And they start reminding me that it's getting close to time for the First Frost of the Year.
You see, the weekend after the "First Frost" we have a tradition of the family coming down to our house and me making a HUGE stockpot of homemade chili for all of us. It's always the same menu...

Chili
Topped with Grated Cheese and onions.
Served with Cornbread and/or corn-chips.
Lots of sweet tea and cola to wash it down with.

This year I'm passing my recipe down to my family so they can continue the tradition.
I look forward to our First-Frost Chili Get-Together almost as much as I do our Christmases together.

Vada’s First Frost Chili
Ingredients:
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 smaller cans tomato sauce
• 1 (8 ounce) jar salsa
• 1 pkg chili seasoning mix (OR 4 teaspoons chili seasoning and one tablespoon masa flour)
• 2 (15 ounce) cans red kidney beans

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the ground beef and the onion and sauté for 10 minutes, or until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain grease, if desired.
2. Add the ground black pepper, garlic salt, tomato sauce, salsa, chili seasoning mix and kidney beans. Mix well, reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour.
Top with lots of grated cheese and serve with cornbread or corn-chips.

Keep the tradition alive, yall. I'll be there in Spirit. xxx

PS- Don't forget the bonfire and the stuff to make S'Mores for dessert!!!!

Six Month-aversary.......

2011-09-10T13:53:00.001-04:00

Well, Today marks the six month mark of our arrival in the UK.

It's been an adventure to say the least and not at all what I had expected, which is neither good nor bad- just different.

It's lovely country here. Everything is so green and lush. I'm still having a problem understanding the local accents, mainly because I'm not out and about nearly enough to begin getting used to them. That will change shortly. The family's accents I can understand- well, apart from Uncle Jim, who has a very thick Scouse (Liverpool) accent.
Of all the family, I understand my Sister-in-law, Marina, the easiest. And she's a Scots lass. I love to listen to her accent. :-)

I've done well with my weight loss here- which I totally didn't expect. I thought for sure I would be doing a LOT of emotional eating the first few months we were here and regain at least 20 pounds or so. But instead I've been losing steadily- until the past few weeks when I've been having some female issues along with the weather turning a bit nasty and it pissing it down quite a lot and so I haven't been walking nearly as much. To make up for it tho, I HAVE been making extra trips up and down the stairs every day to try and make up for it.
I weighed for the first time in about two months and much to my surprise and delight, I've only gained three pounds since my last weigh in. That's after the not walking and the week holiday last week! So beginning Monday- I'm going to just get back to being serious about my diet and exercise regime again. Cut way down on the sugars and starches, and start back walking again every day. And with the exception of Ant & Carlie's wedding next weekend, I can keep it up til Christmas. Then I'll re-evaluate, and adjust as needed to get the rest of my weight off. I'm shooting for my birthday as my goal...but failing that- I can adjust it to our anniversary on May 15th. Our 8th!!!

The food.....Well, My tummy is way better now- thanks to slight adjustments in food and being able to afford my medication so there's no gaps in my taking them. Before, in the states I had to choose between having money for food and gas to get to work and buying my $200 meds for my tummy. Not to mention my $300 blood pressure meds and anything else I/we needed. Remember, Paul was on Diabetes meds, too.God bless the medical system over here. You have no idea how wonderful it is to be able to go to the doctor or hospital and have your problems seen to and not walk out worrying how the hell you're going to pay for it and the basic essentials of life too.

Food.....Nothing really tastes the same. Potatoes, coffee, milk, butter, water- everything tastes very different from home's. Especially bread. You have no idea how much sweeter bread is in the States. Bread here- tastes like you THINK bread should taste. There is practically NO sugar added to bread over here. I made some yeast rolls a few weeks ago-(Jordan Rolls from the Southern Plate website) and compared to the rolls we have been eating from the shops- they tasted like dessert. Seriously. Even their desserts have less sugar in them than in the States. And I'm REALLY beginning to like it a LOT.

My MIL, Joan, makes sure there's loads of veggies and fruits in the house all the time too. Bless her.

What have I NOT gotten used to?

Not being able to drive. It's flippin' killing me, altho I have to admit that I LOVE Paul driving me around. It's just occasionally, I would like the OPTION of doing it myself.
Soon. Soon.
I've gotten totally used to the riding on the "wrong" side of the road. Occasionally, if I'm distracted and I look up I will "jump" before I realize that I'm in England and being in the "wrong" lane is "right" here. I think more than the wrong side of the road, my biggest problem has been sitting on the left side of the car and not having a steering wheel and pedals in front of me. Not being "in control" of the car.

Yeah, I'm dealing with control issues. Not a surprise to those people who know me back home.
Also a problem for me is not knowing where anything is in my area. I have to ask about EVERYTHING. Where is this place...where is that place....can I walk there or is it a drive thing...or is it too far to drive on a daily basis. These little details are what is driving me crazy and giving me the most problems.

The jobs we thought we had lined up- haven't come thru yet. So while we're waiting, we have started looking for other options. And I'm STILL waiting for my former employers to send me my credentials so I can figure out what I need to get into security or law enforcement here. Without those credentials, tho, it's gonna cost me dearly to get re-certified here, so maybe a change in careers will be in my future.
I have faith that whatever is supposed to happen, will happen when the time is right.

I haven't gotten used to not having my family and friends near me. It seems I'm more of a social person than I thought. I crave the stimulation of chats with my family and friends. I'm as curious as a cat- and I'm not comfortable yet with talking with my new in-laws about things I talked with my peeps at home about. I do adore my in-laws and I think eventually, we will be great friends as well....but I realize that gaining that kind of trust takes time. well, I'm not planning on going anywhere anytime soon, so let the getting to know each other begin. Someday, when I get a job and get to get out in the world over here, I'll begin making some more friends.
And you know how I feel about that- you can NEVER have enough trusted Family or Friends.

All in all, It's been a Grand adventure, and it's just beginning. Thank y'all for being here for me. For listening to my highs, and lows, for giving me encouragement and advice, and occasionally, a shoulder to cry on. You have no idea how much it's meant to me!

Food For Thought....

2011-09-08T08:42:00.005-04:00

No this isn't gonna be a philosophical post.

It's about cabinets Vs. a Pantry.

I am a pantry kinda girl. I would LOVE to have a huge(or even not so huge) walk in pantry where all my foodstuffs are out on shelves where I can see it all at a glance. And a place for all the special occasion or extra dishes and all the small appliances that you use on a fairly regular basis- but not often enough (nor have room) to have out every day.

My parents old house in Easley had a tiny galley kitchen in it that had a open peninsula bar that opened into the dining-room. In between the kitchen and the living-room was a lovely little pantry where we kept all our boxed and canned food.

It was lovely. (It was also a lovely place to put annoying little siblings when they were being deliberately, especially, annoying....Yeah- we got punished for putting them in there- but for the 5 minutes of peace you got when you did it-not to mention the way they avoided you for the rest of the day-...it was well worth it. Heh.)

I just LOVE a pantry- it makes me feel like a kitchen queen surveying my kingdom.

Sigh....I need a life. LMBO!!!

Dinner With Anthony & Carlie

2011-09-04T05:19:00.002-04:00

Sunday Tea

Herbed Chicken Breast Fillet
Ranch Potatoes
Southern Green Beans
Glazed Carrots
Dinner Rolls

No-Butter Chocolate Cake with Mocha-Nut Glaze

Sweet Southern Iced Tea
Coffee

Hmmmmmm......

2011-08-31T08:59:00.003-04:00

Over the past few weeks I've come to a realization......

Altho I really enjoy eating something that smells good cooking, It's the delicious smells from the kitchen that are the best part for me.

This is kinda scary to realize. It's the same way I felt when I got down to 97 pounds when I was in my early 20's.

Don't get me wrong...it'll be quite a while before I have to worry about it- but I'm gonna have to be REALLY careful not to let that happen again.

Just Sayin.....

2011-08-29T08:08:00.002-04:00

Sometimes.....just saying.

Sounds Like a Plan....

2011-08-28T06:31:00.005-04:00

My mother-in-law has just told me that when she comes back from their holiday, she's starting on the No-carbs diet. Lots of meat, veggies, fruit....no starches like Pasta, rice, bread, or potatoes. No cakes cookies or sweets.

Oh My.

Honestly, I think it's a GREAT idea- IF she will stick with it and both of us not MAKE any of them. And not just have a "Just a little bit". (That's cheating...I don't care what you say- it IS cheating.) I will, of course, still be making my special occasion cakes.

When I diet- it's an ALL OR NOTHING kinda thing. If I'm serious about it- I do it right. I don't do it halfway. Yeah- it'll be hard, but I can STICK with it. I've been wanting to cut back on the bread and starches, and WAYYYYYY back on portions, but it's not MY house- and I just don't feel comfortable putting dietary restrictions on the family when I'm not contributing except for housework. You know? But since she's wanting to do this- I'm well behind her in her decision. We just gotta stay away from the food programs on the Telly. They are my downfall.........As a matter of fact- I'm gonna have to stay away from TV pretty much ALL the time. Damn food commercials.

Honestly, I think TV is da debil, Bobby Buchet!!!

Thru The Years......

2011-08-25T12:20:00.004-04:00

On August 26th at 4AM- I received the news that my Baby Boy, Clayton, had been in an auto accident.....and he hadn't survived. A part of my heart died with him that night. I'll never take anyone or anything for granted ever again.
I miss you son. I love you a Million Bazillion. Til we meet again. XXX-OOO

This was on my desktop on my computer when I got home from bringing the news to my eldest son and daughter......it's still a mystery as to how it got there- Paul had gone with me and the house was locked up tight......

He Only Took My Hand

Last night while I was trying to sleep, my son's voice I did hear,
I opened my eyes and looked around but he did not appear.
He said, Mom you've got to listen, you've got to understand
God didn't take me from you Mom, He only took my hand.

When I called out in pain that morning, the instant that I died,
He reached down and took my hand, and pulled me to his side.
He pulled me up and saved me from the misery and pain
My body was hurt so badly inside, I could never be the same.

My search is really over now, I've found happiness within.
All the answers to all my dreams and all that might have been.

I Love you so and miss you so, But I'll always be nearby.
My body's gone forever, but my spirit will never die.
And so you must go on now, live one day at a time.
Just understand, God did not take me from you ...

He only took my hand"

Minecraft....

2011-08-22T04:36:00.008-04:00

I thought today I'd write a post about my fav "Game Of the Year". It seems like every year or so I find a game that I just LOVE and play it almost all the time, and since I have a few friends(Cece and Terry especially) who love FV- I thought maybe they would be interested in this one too.

This years is Minecraft.

Minecraft is basically a sandbox game. Very much like FV- except instead of farming you mine. You make your tools, you design and build your own houses- or castles, or ships, or whatever you like. Only thing is, I'm not sure if you can get Minecraft for a MAC- but if you can- ......

Paul has created a series on YouTube showing you how to create everything you need. He created a new world just so he could show you. So if you think you might be interested- have a look at them and then decide if it's for you.

This one is a server tour- he shows you a few of the buildings/houses and a train/roller-coaster type transportation thing, and a few of the other things you can build in Minecraft.
This one is the New World he created and started building in from scratch.
The initial game costs a few $ to buy(around $13.00 I think)-and I do mean a FEW- it's REALLY inexpensive compared to most games for the computer or game console) but for the enjoyment you get out of it.....well worth it in my mind.
You can create multiple worlds to play in if you like, too.

Now the reason I like Minecraft so much is because it's sooooooo much better than FV. You can build the houses/structures the way YOU want them to look, not just pick from what you're offered- with the added bonus of not having to play weeks before you can GET the house. You can have a small one room cottage- or a HUGE castle......whatever you can dream up - if you can build it with a block- you can build it.Your only limit is your imagination- and MY friends all have wonderful imaginations!!!!

There are dogs/wolves on it too- so if you can get a bone by killing a skeleton, you can give it to the wolf/dog and he will be your CONSTANT buddy and defend you against the monsters. But they DO die if they're attacked by the monsters- or if they get hit my a tool like a pickax or a regular axe when you're working and they get in the way.....occasionally they will get caught up in some water-works and drown, like poor Keith in Paul's world. I think that one was a fluke tho.. (But anyway...I'm rambling.....)So you can have a pet. But don't anger the doggies/wolves- the will turn on you if they aren't your pet.

There's monsters......You can play with the monsters ON- or you can set it to peaceful and not have any monsters to worry about. There are Zombies, Skeletons, Spiders and Creepers.
Zombies....well they do what Zombies do- they eat your brains. Skeletons have bows and arrows to shoot at you. The spiders are docile in the day, and turn bad at night.They climb walls unless you can design something that prevents them from doing so(and yes- it can be done). The creepers are monsters that are like gunpowder- they blow stuff up. They especially like catching you unawares and blowing up your nice stuff you've just built. LOL- Luckily, they don't much like sunlight and will go away after a while.

There's lava, there's water, and there's snow and ice. There's diamonds, and gold, and fire-stone. There's iron, and lapis and roses. There's coal and pumpkins. There's sand- and with sand and a furnace you can make GLASS for windows or a Greenhouse or a glass house even... and cactus and polished stone and cobblestone. And grass and trees. And sheep for wool to make carpets and beds and paintings for walls. You can use the roses and lapis to make different colored dyes for dying your wool for different colored carpets too. There's bamboo to make maps and paper and books and bookshelves too. And you can even build a portal with the right materials and go to the NetherWorld- which is a hostile environment with lots of Lava and fire and cliffs...but there's also Netherrack and glow-stone . Netherrack is stone that makes a roaring fire and glow-stone makes light. So many things to make and place.

You can play solo- or you can find a public server to play with other people.... or you can pay something like 8.00 a month for a subscription to your OWN server so you can play with only who you invite.

As you can see- I REALLY DO like it. A LOT.

So go look at Paul's videos- they are each less than 15 minutes long- and then see what ya think.

Happy Playing!!!

Leaving on a jet plane..................(not just yet...)

2011-08-18T05:55:00.003-04:00

One day- real soon- I'm gonna pack a few sammiches, a couple of drinks, a blanket or throw or something, my ipod, and a book, and I'm going to go spend the entire flipping day at the park. Or maybe I'll just start walking and keep walking and not turn back until the sun starts to set. I have GOT to get out of this rut I'm in.
Get Up.
Let the dogs out.
Call the dogs in.
If any laundry needs doing-put it in the washer.
Have Coffee and water.
Hoover.(MIL and I share this and dusting...whoever gets up first usually does it)
Dust.Have water.
Sit on the computer for a couple hours looking for a job.
Apply for said jobs.
Have another cup of coffee or water.
Got the bathroom.
Listen to TV shows such as Jeremy Kyle and the morning talk shows my MIL is watching while doing all of the above.
Eat a bit of lunch.
Read blogs, or write a blog-post occasionally.
Look at my e-mail to see if anyone has responded to any of my e-applications.
Watch 60 Minute Makeover.(the flipping HIGHLIGHT of my day).
Go for a walk/run.(Haven't done that for the past two weeks tho due to tummy problems-spent this time back on the computer looking for more jobs to apply for.)
More water.
Eat supper(I mean "Tea")
Wash up dishes after dinner.(MIL almost always cooks the evening meal)
Watch the soaps with MIL.
Have a coffee.
Shower & Brush teeth.
Spend an hour or so with hubby(Yay! Alone time)
Coffee/Water.
Brush teeth.
Bedtime.

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Getting the picture?

......occasionally throw in a doctors visitor trip to the pharmacy, or VERY occasionally a trip with hubby to TESCO for MIL. We've been to one family bbq other than the one we had here for FIL's B-day and on two excursions with the in-laws in the six months we've been here. Don't get me wrong- I'm very grateful to them for all they DO for us- but I'm just bored and am getting frustrated with always being broke and I'm just not used to being dependent on someone for every little thing.

How the HELL did Paul cope for 7 damn years? Altho I have to say- we did have our own money(altho not much of it) and we did usually do something on my long weekends off even if it was just go for a drive to somewhere to get away from the house for a while. Pizza in the park was always fun. So was anything tho- as long as we was together and out of the house. We didn't have to have a lot of money to have fun....just a little bit.

God I need a job.

I Have A Dream.......

2011-08-06T07:21:00.010-04:00

Spend 15 minutes cleaning out your closet.
That was my Daily Challenge from website a couple of days ago.

I've had an idea running thru my head ever since. Because- Yeah- I HAVE to keep my closet organized- Paul and I share a wardrobe- and a chest of drawers here. That's the entirety of our storage space for our clothes.

But I was thinking how awesome it would be if there were self-organizing units for the house. You know ....wardrobes, dresser drawers, linen closets, kitchen cabinets.....medicine cabinets. I mean just think of all the time that you would save. Just open the door up- toss in the(insert items here) close it- and the next time you open it, everything is arranged in a neat and orderly fashion. No sorting or folding clothes, no ironing , Just take 'em off the line/out of the dryer and throw them in the wardrobe or dresser. Color coded, short to long sleeve formal dress to undies....everything all nice and neat and done for you. Perfect!!!

And that would be a DREAM in the kitchen too......I especially like all my spices and flavorings all nice and neat and orderly. (The rest of the food-stuff too, but that stuff stays kinda somewhat orderly anyway.) But when someone else cooks, the spices and flavorings just get put back in the cabinets willy-nilly and it drives me INSANE to not be able to open up the cabinet door and be able to pluck what I want out because it's been moved. To open up the cabinet and be able to pick up whatever without looking at it would be divine!!!!!

Just think of the possibilities for the "junk Drawer" we all have.

Linen Closet? No Prob!!!!

And what a DREAM for the bathroom..........

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh....Yes........well, if you know where I can GET these SELF ORGANIZING do-dads.........PLEASE let me know ASAP!!!!! Or get working on inventing them. You'll be a Squigillionaire if you do.

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

2011-08-05T09:52:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday Mom!!! 75 Years!!! Wish I was there- or you was here to celebrate!!! XXX

Kitchen Disasters & Small Miracles.

2011-07-30T18:23:00.000-04:00

Okay, so today, I took the pans out of the oven before turning it on to make mine & Paul's dinner...(Tea). Well, I didn't realize it at the time- but the glass lid to the big skillet had slid down the back of the oven- and was standing sideways right against where the open flame is...(we have a gas oven & cooker). So after about 3 minutes- it doesn't take long for the oven to heat up because it IS a gas oven- I opened the door and tried to put the pan with the oven fries in it. The pan wouldn't go in- so I got on my knees and looked back there- and saw the glass lid wedged in the back of the oven.
Well, thinking it hadn't been in there long enough to get too hot- I got a potholder and got it out-AFTER I turned the oven off, of course. There was a bit of a white spot on it but the black plastic lid handle on it wasn't smoking or melted even a little bit and so I put it on top of the skillet it belongs on to cool off. Then I turned the oven back on and put the oven fries in the oven to bake while I started the Hamburger patties on the cooker for supper.

The burger patties had been on cooking for about two minutes- and I went to the cooker to flip them to brown on the other side and JUST as I turned away from the cooker and took ONE step away- the glass skillet lid that had been in the oven EXPLODED and sent thousands of tiny glass shards all over the kitchen!!!!!

I was stunned- thinking the cooker had exploded. But I realized after a few seconds that it wasn't THAT bad- and I was alive and except for glass all over my hair and clothes and the kitchen, I was okay and the house wasn't broken. Except for the glass lid.

Paul was upstairs working on the computer with the headset on and didn't hear it- thank God.....if he had, he probably would have either broken his leg coming down the stairs or something equally bad.

I went out side- shook the glass out of my hair and flipped it off my clothes- then went upstairs to tell Paul what had happened. After making sure I was okay, he came down to see the damage and offered to help me clean it up- but I told Him I had it under control. I had to start dinner over- the meat anyway, and spent the next hour cleaning the glass from the surfaces of the kitchen... counters, floors, the cooker, the cabinet doors, that glass dust was EVERYWHERE.

God bless him- I love my hubby.......now I just have to face my mother-in-law and tell her I ruined her pan- the one she always uses to make her world famous Paella. Well, not the actual PAN- but the lid for it. Knowing what a sweet woman she is- she will be more concerned about us and the dogs and the house not being blown up than the pan lid- but that's neither here nor there.....I still screwed up. And I WILL replace the pan as soon as I get working.

*Note to self*- if this situation EVER arises again (GOD FORBID) turn the oven off and leave the pan/lid/whatever INSIDE the oven to cool off S-L-O-W-L-Y.

And Thank you, my Guardian Angel, for sitting on my shoulder today. A face full of glass shards would NOT have been fun today- or any day for that matter.

Thank God for small miracles.

Kitchen Disasters & Small Miracles.

2011-07-30T12:50:00.004-04:00

Deep Dark Luscious Delight........

2011-07-28T05:38:00.004-04:00

I'm sorry- but what is WRONG with some people. I just cannot- absolutely cannot -relate to anyone who doesn't like chocolate.
Choooooooooooccccccooooooolllllllaaaaaaaaatttttteeeeeeeeee!!!!
I adore chocolate. Most women(and men) do.

I personally love the darker, less sweet versions of chocolate. Love all the candy bars with dark chocolate covering a different kind of goodness inside.
When Hershey's came out with their Special Dark Cocoa, I was overjoyed!!!! Now I could bake all my favorite chocolate recipes and have them turn out the dark-almost BLACK- chocolate I have always loved.

But I'm surrounded by people who DON'T love chocolate....not only that- they don't even LIKE it.
Who wouldn't love the smooth ooie, gooie, meltie taste of a S'mores? Or Chocolate Lava Cake.....or Home-made fudge? Who could resist a big think slice of mile high chocolate cake, filled and frosted with a thick layer of swirly, dark chocolate mocha frosting? Or a pure white layer cake filled and frosted with that very same chocolate mocha frosting? Or a big slice of Mississippi Mud Pie?

What about a Cadbury's Creme Egg? Or a bag of Brach's creme filled candies? M&M's?
Quik milk? Milk Chocolate Stars??? Chocolate brownies........Chocolate Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies?
Remember Bar-None Candy Bars?... so rich and chocolaty you could hardly eat ONE?

Oh The Pain- The Pain!!!!!!!........of everyone not loving chocolate like we chocolate connoisseurs do.

Rufford Old Hall......

2011-07-24T10:45:00.001-04:00

Today we went to a National Trust house.....Rufford Old Hall...and when they say OLD- they mean it. The main portion of the house was built in 1580. The next newer portion had a brick on it dated 1662. Here are a few photos of the visit. The house sat right on the canal......The grounds were beautiful as was the house- altho we wasn't supposed to photograph inside the house except for the Great Hall.....because flash somehow makes things age or disintegrate or something like that. Sorry about that. At any rate- I still managed to get some good shots. Not great- Paul only brought his recorder and I thought it was his cam- so these were taken on my Phone Cam. But it was a lovely day out. And I enjoyed it thoroughly!!!!

Occasionally......

2011-07-20T07:23:00.003-04:00

Occasionally I make something that's NOT sweet that I want to share.......This is one of those times. I know it's like a zillion degrees in the states, but it's barely sixty here in England...so maybe you can squirrel it away for the cooler weather.

Hamburger Stoup

2 lbs. ground beef

2 tablespoons soy sauce or Teriyaki sauce

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil- or bacon grease

1 can diced or chopped tomatoes

2 medium onions, chopped

2 stalks celery, diced small(optional-but recommended- you cannot taste it if you chop it small enough and it makes all the difference in the world to the taste of the soup!!!)

½ cup carrot, chopped small

½ red bell pepper, diced medium

2 vegetable stock cubes

1-2 cups leftover Black-eye peas or pinto beans

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground pepper

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into chunks

Heat oil or bacon grease in skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and celery to oil. Lower heat and continue to cook until onions are translucent- about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. In the same skillet, brown ground beef. Drain excess fat. Add soy or teriyaki to ground beef. Dissolve the vegetable stock cubes in a cup of boiling water. In a large saucepan combine the ground beef and cooked vegetables. Then add the vegetable stock, tomatoes, salt, pepper, carrots, black-eye peas or pinto beans. Add water to the saucepan until it is 1 inch above the ingredients in the pan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for an hour. THEN add potatoes and simmer until potatoes are cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with biscuits, cornbread or crackers.

The Little Things.....

2011-07-14T09:51:00.001-04:00

Today I was having a bit of a tidy in our bedroom, going thru some of our boxes we shipped over from the states, seeing what we had in them. (I was actually looking for my cake decorating set which I haven't found yet.......)...but in looking thru the boxes- I came across one of the little golf-tee puzzles from Cracker barrel. I cleaned it up and have sat here for the past hour playing with it- (WITHOUT looking up the cheat-looking up cheats are no flipping fun at ALL)- and thoroughly enjoyed myself, just as much as I did the hour I spent playing the computer game MINECRAFT before I went up to tidy the bedroom.
That got me thinking and I remembered when my kids were little and I was recently divorced, working part time on weekends and struggling to make ends meet. The carpenters shop at work always had a half barrel of odd pieces of blocks and bits of wood left over from their projects at the end of the week. Very small pieces of them- like children's blocks you buy at the store and paid a LOT of money for. (This was back in the 80's, mind you).
One day, I found one of the carpenters working late and so I asked him if they used the leftover wood pieces in the barrel. He said no- they were just leftover scraps good for nothing, so I asked if I could grab a few of the "scraps" they had in the barrel. He said "Sure, feel free to take what-ever's in the barrel."... and when I came back by on my way back to the guard house, he asked me out of curiosity what I was planning on doing with them. I told him I had three small kids- two boys and a little tomboy girl, and I was wanting the blocks for them to use as building blocks since they loved the set my dad had gotten them for the previous Christmas, but they were WAYYYY too expensive for my budget at the moment. He laughed and said he certainly understood that and to help myself to whatever I wanted.
Every weekend I worked after that, there was a couple dozen or so bits of the blocks in a bag in the barrel. Not only was it the blocks...but they were sanded down a bit as well. My kids thought they were awesome and had the best time building huge cities with them the next few years.
God Bless Angels on Earth.

A Few Of My Favorite Things....

2011-07-12T05:35:00.004-04:00

Feeling a bit homesick today- so thought I'd take a trip down memory lane and think of all the things here that remind me of home...

...the smell of fresh sheets and pillowcases dried on a clothesline.
...the sound of children playing outside.
...the clear Carolina Blue sky(not quite as vivid a blue here in England- but beautiful, nonetheless.
...the smell of freshly cut grass.
...talking to my family and friends on FB and SKYPE.
...low-country Shrimp boil....
...fried chicken
...ketchup(go figure...)
...the black and white "neighborhood" cat that reminds me of my cat(now my brother's cat), Logan-but isn't nearly as big or as soft as Logan...
...traffic(but on the wrong side of the road).
...daffodils
...azaleas

And these are some of the things I don't have here that I miss......
...my family and friends
...being able to jump in my car and just go for a ride/drive
...waffle house at 3AM
...the sound of the train rumbling by every hour or so
...weeping willows
...going to work
...McRibs
...knowing where I'm at(or at least knowing somehow I WILL get back home)
...friendly cashiers
...accents I understand
...vanilla wafers
...real yellow cheese like I'm used to
...our favorite Chinese restaurant
...Carolina BBQ!!!!!!!!!
...MY spice cabinet with all my favorite spice combinations all mixed and ready to go.
....celebrations. No one really makes a big deal of birthdays or anniversaries or Wednesdays- or holidays for that matter, here......it's like just another day. I could always find a reason to celebrate something and I certainly went out of my way to make ALL birthdays especially Special at home. I love little celebrations and the laughter and fun that goes with them........
Maybe Christmas season will be different?

In the end- I have a few things here that are the same as home.......and I have more things I don't have but I can somehow try and make my own or duplicate. So it's up to me.

All That Jazz......

2011-07-11T08:42:00.002-04:00

Well, I'm a bit more optimistic today.

Altho I haven't heard anything from the positions I've applied for-YET....I'm certain I/we will soon.

I've added a new blogger to my Sunny Says Bloglist- her names Jazmine and you can find her blog here. She hasn't written but a few posts- but I like her stuff. Check her out if you have a minute- (or 30 as I did once I got there).
;-)

Otherwise- I'm working on my book some more this week- (Hunters Revenge). I'm also adding some recipes to my cookbook too. I'm finding recipes I like- but having to tweak them a wee bit to my taste.

I KNOW y'all don't wanna hear it- but Christmas is only 167 days away!!! I have GOT to find a job so I can get started on my shopping!! It's going to be a HORRIBLE Christmas if I don't get to get Christmas gifts for the family.

OMG- speaking of....That's one job I could NEVER have- working as a postman. It would be bad enough to deliver packages without opening them up-(I'm HUGELY bad about opening Christmas packages and seeing what's in the box and the re-wrapping them and no one being the wiser-I'm a flipping PRO at it now)....let alone having to deliver them and NEVER being able to know what was IN them!!!

The weather here is absolutely beautiful this weekend and week. balmy breezes- warm sunshine- occasional showers in the evenings...sounds like a late spring day in South Carolina to me!!!

I got to talk with my mom, baby sister, baby brother, and my daughter last night on SKYPE. It was the first time in like-5 WEEKS I had gotten to talk with my Baby Girl. But now- after talking with everyone for an hour- I feel sooooooo much better. Being thousands of miles away isn't easy. I don't know how my hubby did it for 7 years with only two visits from his parents over that time. I suppose I'll find out tho....I'm expecting to be bale to visit my family about every other year too.

So- That's it for me for now.....
Y'all have a great day!!!

Eight Pounds!!!!!

2011-07-06T08:00:00.003-04:00

Weighed and have lost from 16 stone 8 & 1/2 pounds down to 16 stone 1 & 1/2 pounds. (235.8 lbs. down to 227.6 lbs.)
What have I done differently? .... Well, I upped my water intake from a half gallon to a gallon......I've started walking every day again(outside- not on the treadmill), and I cut out ALL my sugar and practically all my bread. And I stopped drinking my diet sodas and have limited myself to ONE cup of coffee in the morning when I first get up- and ONE cup of coffee before I go to bed every night.(Down from at least 6-8 cups a day)
I'm still eating my potatoes(either baked wedges or an actual baked Potato or occasionally mashed), rice(VERY occasionally), and Pasta(Occasionally) but in controlled one cup portions instead of the huge unmeasured platefuls of before.

That first few days of going off sugar was BRUTAL tho.....altho I have to confess I DO still have two teaspoons of sugar in my coffee. So I haven't went COMPLETELY cold turkey.

But.......

EIGHT POUNDS LOST!!!!!! And I would have been happy with a three pound loss!!! Yay!!!!!!

Goofing Off A Bit......

2011-07-04T08:57:00.007-04:00

So I got up this morning, did a couple of loads of laundry, applied for a half dozen jobs, and then decided to goof off a bit til time for dinner. I went on Minecraft and decided to post a few pics of my Kingdom...or in my case My GODDESSDOM...I named it Lavahalla, a combination of Lavada and Valhalla.
Very Narcissistic of me.
This is a side view of my Main Palace. I have built three, so far.
Lavahalla is a nation of approximately 174 million.Crime is moderate. Lavalhalla's National Animal is the Ellenian Dragon, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the Catalyst. It's national anthem is "Ride Of the Valkyries".
This is it's national Flag-

This is a view of the Great Hall inside my Main Palace. I had to go to the Netherworld to get the NetherRock for my fireplaces. The Netherworld is a damn scary place. Nothing but huge cliffs, lava and fire....Basically- Hell. The red you see on the floor glows red at night when you turn the switch on. heheehheeheh....

This is my Mini Castle....Nothing more than a great hall and a kitchen so I can make stuff without having to go all the way back to my Main Castle.

This is a far off view of my main castle.

This is a front view of my Main castle from the servants courtyard.

A view from the other side of the castle.

This is from the bailey...if you can call it that.

I would post photos of the other Big castle- but 1) its above the clouds and doesn't photograph very well...and 2) It seems the farther you wander-the more world it creates to give you to wander....and I can't actually FIND that particular castle again. I can tell you it's in the high country of Lavahalla because there was LOTS of snow and ice. But it's REALLY pretty as well even tho it has no courtyard and bailey.
Oh and btw- I took this pics on my phone cam- so I apologize for the quality of them.......and the reflections of my head in the background...and the blurriness of them...I was beginning a blood-sugar drop and didn't realize how shaky I was til I had finished.

Ummm...yeah...so look forward to seeing those in the future.

Our Trip To Warrington!!!

2011-07-03T08:25:00.001-04:00

Friday we went to the city of Warrington to spend the evening with our friends, Anthony and Carlie.(I wanted to get a photo of them and Ant's little girl Maisey, but it completely slipped my mind til we were back home-so next time we go I'll be sure to do it at the BEGINNING of the visit!!) We had a lovely dinner of Roast veggies(bell peppers, new potatoes, garlic, red pearl onions, carrots and celery-OMG They were AWESOME!!!!!), bacon wrapped stuffed Chicken breasts, and dinner rolls. We drank a couple bottle of wine with dinner, too. We talked for hours, played Dance Central for a while, and just had a BLAST before finally "hitting the hay" at around 1:30am!!! They were awesome hosts and it was a wonderful creating some new memories.
The next day, while Carlie was at her hair appointment- Ant took us on a tour of Warrington to show us around.The photo above is of the Towne Centre. A lovely fountain in the middle of the square and those unusual lamps all around it!!

This photo is of the pavilion just off the Towne Centre...They have ice skating in it in the winter-time- about the same size- or maybe a tad bigger than the Pavilion at the Peace Center in Greenville. They were doing a Disabilities Awareness Event there yesterday and a big crowd of people.

This is a Letter Box in England......kinda looks like an over-sized Fire Hydrant, doesn't it???

This is a quick snapshot of one of the stalls in the Open Air Market. They do have them over here...and you can buy everything from candy to carpets to veggies to clothes there. I LOVE them!!!

My gorgeous Hubby as we're walking around. I love seeing him so relaxed!!!

Maisey beside the Golden Gates in front of the Stately Home. I took a photo of the Stately Home too- but it didn't show up for some reason. LOL. It was VERY pretty tho.

Another shot of the Golden Gates....with a BIT more detail. Looks kinda Asian influenced to me.

Of course, the obligatory photos of the Red Telephone Boxes!!!!! believe it or not- they are fast disappearing here in England and being replaced with the ugly standing pole type ones. Such a pity!!!!!

You're looking at brick that is HUNDREDS of years old here. There is the most amazing architecture here in the UK......but be warned- the locals get a mite miffed if you say their town and homes are "quaint". It's considered to be a bit condescending. Beautiful, lovely, interesting...all true and MUCH better ways to describe it to them....altho I still LOVE Quaint and use it to myself and y'all!! ;-)

Also some architecture and quaint buildings in Warrington on a side street.

Notice the unusual wood and wrought iron bench in the square. and the cobblestone pavers.
Just Beautiful!!!!!!!!

A wide view of the Golden Gates.

So that was our tour for today.
Honestly- I definitely could see us/myself living in Warrington.....It's a lovely city- about the size of Downtown Greenville Proper...from the old library to Stone Avenue to 385 to the corner of 123/124/Academy Street. Everything is within easy walking distance- including the Bus station and the Train station. I think my job hunt will switch gears to closer to the Warrington Area!!!!!

Anyway...It was great fun and I enjoyed the entire experience IMMENSELY!!!!!! Hope y'all enjoyed the tour as much as I did!!!!

Changing It Up....

2011-06-28T12:20:00.002-04:00

Yeah- I got bored with the format of the blog and decided to change it up a bit. I added a "List" widget to it, mainly. Every time I talk with anyone back home- one of the most frequently asked questions is..."What ya having for Dinner?"

First of all- Dinner is called "Tea" over here altho we RARELY have tea with it- especially not what MY friends and family think of as tea(except for Jennie R- she frequently drinks a cup of tea hot).

So I decided I would add the List widget and put what's for dinner (I mean "tea") up every day for everyone.

I also added the most popular posts widget on. Altho I can't for the life of me figure out HOW they figure out which ones are "favorites". I would assume that it's the ones that have had a combination of the most comments AND the most viewed ones. But it must be something other than that because some of the "most popular"s that are up have no comments!!! Go figure.

Is there anything else y'all would like to see on a daily basis?

Acupunture- Not For The Squeamish.

2011-06-28T10:17:00.001-04:00

OMG- I hurt my lower left back last Wednesday and finally gave in and went to the doc's today. Well, my regular doctor wasn't on duty, so I had to see his associate. Yeaaaahhhhh.....so I went in- talked with him- and he said he wanted to do acupuncture on my back. Okaaaaaayyyyy...I'm open to new ideas. So I agreed.......(I am so flipping stupid sometimes.)
I swear- he got me on the table, and started pressing on my back finding JUST the right spot... So he could torture me.
I don't LIKE needles anyway- but I can deal with them now as long as I don't have to see them sliding into the skin. Especially on me.
So it felt like he was using a high powered nail gun to stab them into my back in the most sensitive spots that were hurting like crap already. That's when I began sweating bricks. I'm not kidding- it was POURING off my face and I was crying when he finished.
Then he told me the good news.........seems it may take "several days" before the pain s-l-o-w-l-y recedes. Uh. Huh.
I got up- even more slowly than I got up on the table to begin with, and told him that procedure was designed solely for the purpose of torturing you so you COMPLETELY forgot about the original pain and I would NOT be having it again.
He laughed, no doubt thinking I was joking.
Let me assure you now I most CERTAINLY was NOT- in any way, shape, or form.
Then he proceeded to write me out three prescriptions...one for pain relief, one muscle relaxer, and finally, a sedative so I can finally get some sleep. (I haven't slept much since it happened because I can't lie on my left side- nor can I lie flat on my back- and after an hour of being on my right side, IT starts throbbing as well.) Thank GOD for small miracles. I took the pain reliever and the muscle relaxer when I got home- and they HAVE taken the edge off the pain- but it's still there. I can deal with it dulled a bit tho.
I think I'll be requesting Doc Edwards next time. Doc Jekyll wasn't exactly my "cup of tea"....but thank you anyway.

Tears Of Sorrow.....

2011-06-28T05:17:00.001-04:00

I was sitting here waiting to go to the doctors about my back, and listening to my ipod. All of the sudden I thought of Clay and just burst into huge wracking sobs and I couldn't stop. I've been sitting here for about the past 20 minutes with my heart just breaking. I hate crying...especially those like this one....but he's my Baby Boy and he didn't deserve to die and I just miss him and my heart hurts so much. I thought I had cried all my tears away.....but I was wrong.

Christmas Dreams???? Seriously?????

2011-06-27T09:11:00.000-04:00

I'm adjusting.
I must be, anyway, because for the past week, I've been having Christmas dreams. That usually doesn't happen when there's a lot of turmoil in my life.
My daughter has been having problems with her cable(ie internet) and so I haven't talked to her on SKYPE(or at ALL for that matter) since the weekend before Fathers Day. Now I know that may not seem like a LONG time to y'all- but to me(and I like to think to her, as well) that seems like half a lifetime. We communicated in some way or the other almost every.single.day.
Anyway, other than that- I haven't been upset or worried about anything. Thus the Christmas Dreams.
And it's WAYYYYYYYY too early for that.....well for MOST people anyway. Usually I start buying Christmas gifts around this time. That way I'm well finished by the holiday season and I can totally concentrate on decorating my home and actually ENJOYING the season because I'm not having to run around like a chicken with it's head cut off trying to find all my Christmas gifts. This year- IF I get working, I'll be looking for smallish special things to send back to everyone for Christmas. The postal rates or OMG OUT OF THIS WORLD over here. It cost me more than a pound everytime I send a LETTER!!! And I can't just stick a stamp on it like I did back home-....no- for some stupid reason I have to take it to the post-office and have them weigh every letter I send. It's ridiculous.
Anyway.......I'm starting back walking again this week...I mean a REAL walk-outside to the next town over-Earlstown....not walking on the treadmill. I'm not doing that unless I absolutely have to. I love the fresh air and sunshine(or clouds) whichever.
So.......That's all for me for today.
Have a GREAT Day Y'all!!!

"Want To Play A Game?" (a la JOSHUA in the movie "WARGAMES".

2011-06-18T05:03:00.003-04:00

Well, a few days ago, my darling hubby was playing a game on the computer when I sat down next to him....and for the next couple of hours I was absolutely and totally engrossed in just WATCHING. So, seeing how interested I was, he showed me how to set up my own little world so I could play too.
And so began my creating on MINECRAFT. It's very LEGGO-esque, but that's part of the beauty of it. Hubby plays with the monsters turned on so he gets to fight them when they come out at night to survive...but I have mine set to PEACEFUL so there are no monsters(per se) to fight. I'm just not that into fighting games. But I do have some things in my peaceful world that have gotten me killed. Like there are wolves(that I thought were dogs) and when I tried to feed it an egg- it attacked me and almost killed my little man. I also have managed to drown myself once by walking underwater trying to get to an island and I also fell into a underground river and was swept into a river of lava. And then somehow I managed to set myself on fire trying to mine around a lava flow(but I managed to put myself out that time) and then finally I fell into my lava pit in my castle court-yard, too. You can also die from falling off cliffs or if sand or gravel fall on top of you while mining.
The best part of this game for me- is the creating and building. You mine all sorts of rocks, and get all sorts or metals and minerals and such and can craft tools and furniture and build all sorts of houses and castles and buildings. In the more advanced stages of the game you can make things like watermills and mechanisms like that too.....needless to say, I haven't reached that level yet. But I have a HUGE cobblestone castle on a cliff with a courtyard, I have the peasant huts, a livestock area fenced off(yes- you get to craft the fences too), I have a beach house, a big log house, and several "safe" houses so if I decide to turn the monsters "ON" I have a safe place to be when it gets dark without having to build. AND there are secret dungeons you can find that hold treasure chests for you to rummage thru.
I forget what Paul called it- but it has a feature where the farther away from your spawn point you wander- the farther you can go...it sort of creates more distance you can explore....or at least that's how I interpreted what he told me. My mind works funny sometimes. ;-)
Anyway, so I've been playing this game a lot lately......Hubby's got to play a couple times. I've been trying to pace myself and not get all caught up in this one like I did Second Life tho. I don't want another game to take over my life like that and since I really do have an obsessive/addictive personality and I have to monitor it very carefully. I admit I did play non-stop for the first couple of days tho- trying to get the controls in hand so I could play without having to ask hubs how to do something for three weeks because I only played once in a while and forgot how to do all the stuff....again.
But it's a really fun game for me...I love it.....it gives me a place I can go and create- and move furniture all I want.....and if I get bored with it- I can turn on the monsters(which sound REALLY scary so if I do that- I'll be playing with the sound OFF!!!!). The only thing I would change about it if I could is I would REALLY like to have a GIRL avatar instead of a male one. And as far as I know- the avatars are only male. :-( But that's not bad for things I would change, huh?)
Oh- well, since you may be wondering what kind of monsters there are....there are Skeletons, SUPER HUGE Spiders, Creepers, and ZOMBIES!!!!!
And there's a NetherWorld you can go to if you find the right stuff to make a portal with- and man is THAT a flipping scary place!!!!!!! I haven't explored there much cause there's a LOT of fire and lava there- and with MY history with the lava.......
I mean.... I like it warm- but not THAT warm!!!!! ;-)

Thank God.

2011-06-17T06:23:00.003-04:00

Sooooo..... The past couple of weeks have been pretty quiet. Thank God.

I have got to get a job. Still looking. I also need to start driving as soon as I get a job. Things are leveling out a bit. Hubby is recovering from his surgery nicely. Thank God.

Occasionally I do dinner- trying to get used to cooking on a gas stove again...tonight is one of those nights and I'm doing Cottage Pie- A version of Shepard's Pie but instead of lamb, I use Ground beef in brown gravy with a diced carrot and onion layered with mashed potatoes and topped with cheese. I'm also making my mama's green beans. Paul LOVES those and Joan has told me Glenn likes them too. They aren't really Joan's favorite veg- but I'm hoping I can change her mind about them by doing them the way my mama does them. It's the ONLY way I like Green beans. I don't even like Green Bean Casserole- which is an American holiday favorite. When it comes to stoves- my ideal(and I WILL have this someday) is a Gas cook-top with a double Electric oven.

Anyway- I am getting used to it over here.
Thank God.
:-)

I also have found a catalog with boots that will fit me. Thank God.

Life Goes On.......

2011-06-09T07:55:00.000-04:00

Well, I've been searching for a job for the past month. Getting my CV(resume) updated and brushing up on my interview skills. Nothing so far, but I'm still optimistic. Paul is able to start looking for something after Next Friday so then we'll be in it together.

What am I looking for? A job. I don't really want management anymore....been there-done that. At this point, I want a job I can go into, do my hours, and come home without bringing work with me and having to worry about someone calling out and spending the next couple hours working trying to get the shift covered. I'll work my butt off while I'm AT the job-heck, I don't even mind being "on call" if needs be- but the days of bringing work home and spending an additional 4 hours are pretty much over for me. If i'm gonna be working at home- I'll do an "at home" job so I can have the flexibility of fitting the work around my BUSY BUSY schedule. (Ha! Yeah- I'm SOOOO bogged down "Busy Being Bored" right now.)

And I definitely don't want a wait-staff job. I don't know HOW they put up with the things they deal with on a daily basis. Mind you- this coming from a person who has worked law-enforcement practically all her life. Yeah- when I go out to eat- the waitstaff get nice tips if I'm paying.

I've done Police work as well as Security work(both active field work- and the office receptionist sides). I've clerked in retail shops, worked in a fast food joint, and I (have/had) my own business in the States as a "Seasonal Marketing Specialist" during the Christmas holidays. What is THAT???? Basically, I went into homes and businesses and decorated for them for the holiday.

My "Dream Job" would be to own my own Christmas Shoppe. To sell decorations and ornaments for Christmas as well as offer the Home/Retail decorating services. Maybe Someday.....

Quick Update....

2011-06-08T06:58:00.005-04:00

A couple of my friends was wondering what I had been up to lately since I hadn't blogged in a few days. So.........here it is.....

........nothing new. Haven't been anywhere yet- haven't been to the doctors for anything in a week......no fusses, no fights, no neighbors doing anything nutty. It's been REALLY quiet!! We may possibly be going on that trip to Liverpool end of the month. Hope to be getting lots of pics of interesting stuff when we go there!!! I'll keep y'all "Posted"!!!! Hahahahahahahahhahaahha!!!!

New posts....

2011-06-01T11:34:00.002-04:00

On my other blog. I'm cooking and didn't have time to post the videos on both blogs today....sorry yall!!

Oops!!!! My Bad.......

2011-06-01T07:28:00.000-04:00

Actual radio conversation released by the Chief of Naval Operations,10-10-95.

#1: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the North to avoid a collision.

#2: Recommend you divert YOUR course 15 degrees to South to avoid a collision.

#1: This is the Captain of a US Navy ship. I say again, divert YOUR course.

#2: No. I say again, you divert YOUR course.

#1. THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER ENTERPRISE, WE ARE A LARGE WARSHIP OF THE US NAVY. DIVERT YOUR COURSE NOW!

#2. This is a lighthouse. Your call.

Father's Day

2011-06-01T05:14:00.004-04:00

OMG- I just asked Joan what was planned for Father's Day. She said they don't do anything special... Glenn's boys get him a card- sometimes a gift. No BBQ- no Party- No fishing trip....
WTH?????

Mother's Day for me has always meant the family gathering for church(when we was little), then a nice dinner with the entire family there- or at the very LEAST- a Card and gift- a visit to see MOM and taking her out to dinner or lunch.

Father's Day has always been a card or a gift, and a BBQ if the weather permits- or a potluck dinner of Daddy's favorite foods brought and enjoyed together if the weather didn't permit a BBQ. Family was EVERYTHING to my Daddy. Nothing pleased him more than having us with him on his special day.

I just don't understand these people!!!

Happy Birthday Daddy....

2011-05-31T03:40:00.002-04:00

Today my daddy would have been 81. He's still my Hero....I miss him dearly.
Happy Birthday Daddy.

Happy Birthday Frank.

2011-05-30T10:35:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday to my Eldest Son, Frank. He's 29 today. Wherever you are, Son- I love you, miss you, have Faith in you and think of you often. I Love You Always, Mama xxx

Bring It!!!

2011-05-26T13:21:00.003-04:00

Fight!!!!!! Fight!!!!!!

Well, here in our household, we have 4 key players and two minor ones. Key Players include Glenn and Joan, (my in-laws) and Paul & Myself. The minor players are Mutt & Jeff...I mean Ding & Dong...I mean Tess & Barney....The Dogs.
Now Paul & I don't have paying jobs yet. Paul just had his surgery and won't be back in commission for a couple more weeks, and he does as much as he feels he can-due to that restriction. Joan and I do the housework together along with the cooking and washing up afterwards.
Now, tonight, Glenn tried to wash up the dishes. I told him I would do them. As he explained, before Paul and I came to stay, he did the dishes after dinner on most nights. I then explained that we all had our parts to play. Until I get a paying job I will do the dishes after dinner- occasionally I'll take a day off - but I don't see why Glenn should go out and work a full time job all week and then come home and have to wash up after the four of us. Joan & Paul & Myself are here all day- and YES- we DO do the housework and such- but WE can do the chores and have time to take breaks whenever we like for a cup of tea, or to watch a show, or just do nothing if we like. Glenn doesn't have that luxury. He leaves at 8AM and gets back most nights around 5:30PM ....sometimes working as late as 7PM. On the weekends if he wants to take a turn at the dishes- fine- I'll gladly let him on ONE of those nights- but as long as I'm in the house and not working NO WAY will he do the dishes on the nights he works to keep us up.
Glenn- I appreciate it. Thank You!!!

5K in July....

2011-05-26T05:29:00.002-04:00

Well, as I've said already- I'm doing a 5K Race For Life Cancer event in July. And looking forward to it, no less.
The thing is- there are adverts on TV for the events- saying how participant numbers are down this year. It's an all woman event. Here's the solution,....I think they should open the Event up to men, too. And if they DON'T open it to men- I think the men who want to participate should grab a pink Tee shirt- borrow a wig and join it just for FUN! Seriously.
Everyone thinks it's just for Breast Cancer because of the pink theme- but RFL supports ALL TYPES of Cancer research. And it really pisses me off that Women can have an "All Women" event- Minorities can have "All Black" or "All Hispanic" events- (such as the Million Man March in Washinton, DC)-but just let an "ALL WHITE MALE " event be scheduled and all HELL would Break Loose!!!
It's not fair- so let this Event be open to all walks of life....after all, isn't it for a wonderful cause?
Finding a cure for Cancer of ALL sorts!!!

Race For Life Fundraiser.....

2011-05-24T06:23:00.003-04:00

Well, looks like Friday, Paul's mum, Joan, and I are doing some baking for a Race For Life Fundraiser on Saturday. Not really looking forward to it after some of my spectacular disasters in the kitchen lately. I wouldn't mind if I could make a Pink Lemonade Pound-Cake, because I KNOW I can make that one because I've made three of the since being here and they turned out....well, if not perfect- very nice. My girls from home have sent me a PROPER Bunt pan, (2 actually!!) and the next one WILL be perfect. But we've been requested to make Pink fairy-cakes. (Cup-cakes to my US peeps.) My frosting hasn't been spectacular either. Who am I fooling- it's turned out particularly CRAP. Everything is so different over here I'm STILL working on getting the ingredients ratio sorted.
Paul's mum is going to make Pink Coconut Ice too. Whatever That is. Joan says it's like a candy. Let's hope there's some left for the fundraiser, cause I LOVE Coconut Candy. I love Coconut ANYTHING!!!! Maybe even MORE than I like Chocolate. And the combination of the two- like a Bounty Bar or a Mounds Bar.......HEAVEN.
Anyway....it's gonna be an adventure.

Better Today....

2011-05-21T11:57:00.004-04:00

Well, it looks like my additional medicationss the doctor prescribed for my elevated Blood Pressure are working. Today I can twirl my rings around on my fingers again!!! Thank goodness for Small Blessings!!!!

To Get My Mind Off Things I Can't Change At The Moment....

2011-05-19T09:30:00.002-04:00

I stole this from my friend Kiki..... Only I'm making it all MINE doing it as a Christmas Version!!

day 01 - your favorite song-Sleigh Ride

day 02 - your least favorite song-Away In A manger

day 03 - a song that makes you happy-Jingle Bells

day 04 - a song that makes you sad-Oh Holy Night

day 05 - a song that reminds you of someone-Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer

day 06 - a song that reminds you of somewhere-White Christmas

day 07 - a song that reminds you of a certain event-Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer

day 08 - a song that you know all the words to-Twelve Days Of Christmas

day 09 - a song that you can dance to-All I Want For Christmas Is YOU

day 10 - a song that makes you fall asleep and feel relax-Oh Holy Night

day 11 - a song from your favorite band-Merry Christmas- The War Is Over

day 12 - a song from a band you hate-Santa Claus is Coming to Town(old-school country singer)

day 13 - a song that is a guilty pleasure-Somethings Stuck Up In The Chimney

day 14 - a song that no one would expect you to love-I saw mommy Kissing Santa Claus(I DO hate that song)

day 15 - a song that describes you-We Wish You A Merry Christmas

day 16 - a song that you used to love but now hate-I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

day 17 - a song that you hear often on the radio-White Christmas

day 18 - a song that you wish you heard on the radio-I'm getting Nuthin For Christmas

day 19 - a song from your favorite album-White Christmas

day 20 - a song that you listen to when you’re angry-I'm getting Nuthin For Christmas

day 21 - a song that you listen to when you’re happy-Frosty The Snowman

day 22 - a song that you listen to when you’re sad-Christmas Shoes

day 23 - a song that you want to play at your wedding-Christmas Cannon(Cannon in D-and yes, I did)

day 24 - a song that you want to play at your funeral-I'll Be Home For Christmas

day 25 - a song that makes you laugh-Somethings Stuck Up In The Chimney

day 26 - a song that you can play on an instrument-Jingle Bells

day 27 - a song that you wish you could play-Deck The Halls

day 28 - a song that makes you feel inspired and creative-Deck The Halls

day 29 - a song from your childhood-Christmas Is Coming

day 30 - a song that makes you want to help the world, help the environment, end poverty, help society...Island Of Misfit Toys

I Miss........

2011-05-19T06:47:00.003-04:00

Oh God.

I think my first bout of Homesickness has hit. What triggered it? Noise.
All. The. Time.
The TV goes on as soon as someone gets up. And stays on practically all day. It NEVER goes off unless we ALL go out to the shops or a doctors appointment. Even tho no ones actually 'watching, it's on as "Background noise". I've taken to staying home when everyone else goes out shopping just so I can turn the TV off and enjoy 20 minutes of total quiet while I'm alone.
I go for a walk....traffic noise. And car stereos blasting. The park- Ghetto Blasters. Even the library isn't quiet. It's on main street and they keep the door propped open so the noise from the cars and buses is heard as they go by.

I miss being able to get in the car and go to Wal-Mart. I know- it's so redneck typical, but some of the funniest things Paul & I laugh about happened at Wal-Mart. I hear the UK version of it is ASDA- but I haven't been there yet. I haven't even been to a Costco. I've seen TWO McDonald's since being in the UK and only one KFC. Haven't actually BEEN to either of them tho. I've seen a commercial for Burger King but I haven't actually seen one here. They must be camping out around the Unicorn Cave, which btw, I haven't found either.

I'm in the process of looking for a job now- even something part time would get me out of the house a few hours a day, and I think help immensely. I thought coming over here Paul and I would get all our stuff sorted, have jobs and be on our own within a three or four months. I see now I was being overly optimistic. I see us being here til at least the first of the year.

Don't get me wrong, I adore my in-laws. They are being very generous about everything. It's just me and my Rose colored Glasses have set my sights a bit high for realism, I think. It's hard after being on your own for years and years to move into another adults home and try to stay out from underfoot....to try and make their routine as unchanged as possible to keep problems from coming up.

I'm sure all this will get better as soon as I get a job and have some time away from the house and gain a bit of independence again.

But for now- at this moment-I miss the wide open spaces of home. I miss feeling free and feeling like an adult, not like a child who knows nothing and is too stupid to know even the basics of life here-even tho I have done them a thousand times at home. I miss feeling safe and secure in the knowledge that I'm strong and competent and in control of SOMETHING-ANYTHING. I miss being good at my job. I miss my Family. I miss my pets(even stupid Lucy), and I miss driving. I miss me & Paul swapping the remote and choosing what shows to watch on the TV, or where to go for dinner on my days off. I miss my car with Clays memorial decal on it and I miss having a place to PUT things without them getting mislaid or moved. I miss alone time with my hubby and feeling like it's me and him against the world.

I don't LIKE this homesickness thing. It sux.

Conundrum........

2011-05-16T04:57:00.006-04:00

Okay, I dont know what to do.......This is my problem. I have three blogs. This one- my original SUNNY SAYS, I have my Diet & Fitness Trials & Tribulations Blog, and then I have my Newest one about my British Adventure called OVER THE RAINBOW. Now for the past few months, I've pretty much been posting about the same things, in some(or MOST) cases even Duplicating, the blog posts on Sunny Says and Over The Rainbow, cause they're intertwined now. I have many more readers on this one than the other one, so should I just post on here and do away with the OTR one? Or do I just keep double posting? I'm hoping maybe at some point to be able to do the publishing thing with OTR so I'll have a copy of the entire experience later...something solid- not just on the net, ya know?
I dunno- What do y'all think?

Anyway, on to my post now.......

So I'm sitting here waiting on The Parents to come back in from their weekend visiting Andrew and Marina and Madelyn.
We saw The Parents off on Saturday noon-ish. They haven't seen little Maddie(or "Mad Dog" as my hubby has lovingly nicknamed the child) in around 3 weeks so they decided it was time for a visit before she grows anymore.
Even with Paul's surgery and him not being able to be very active, we still had a REALLY enjoyable weekend. We ate if and when we wanted- which wasn't all that much. And , amazingly, everything I cooked turned out perfectly. Well, the Roasties didn't turn out PERFECTLY, but they were fine.
Sunday dinner I made Roast Chicken, roast potatoes (Roasties), Steamed Broccoli, Yorkshire Puddings, Gravy, and Chocolate Fairy Cakes with Mocha Frosting. The skin on the chicken was seasoned perfectly and crispy golden brown, the Roasties could have been a BIT crisper on the outside, but they were soft and fluffy on the outside and golden on the outside, the Yorkshire puddings rose perfectly and were toasty and golden on the outside and soft and silky on the inside, the broccoli was green and cooked til it was tender with just a hint of firmness left- not so mushy it turned into baby-food paste in your mouth. The Gravy was seasoned to perfection. And the fairy cakes were actually a cross between Brownies and cake. If I had used NO liquid they would have been brownies. If I had used milk for the liquid, they would have been cake- but I added a half cup of strong, cold leftover coffee from the mornings pot and it turned into a firm fudgey cake-like batter. And they tasted wonderful!!

I'm not sure, but I think I'm just trying too hard when my in-laws are here. Lord knows they haven't given me any reason to think this- but I just feel so pressured to be the perfect daughter-in-law that I'm sort of screwing myself over. Because the second Paul and I were on our own, I was fine and back to being ME. The Parents have never given me any reason to feel pressured. I think that I just want to make sure everything runs smoothly while we're all under the same roof. Paul and I don't do things the same way The Parents do, and it IS their house and there's no reason they should have to change their routine anymore than they already have just because we're living with them for a while. I just want everything to run as smoothly as possible as long as we're here.

Anyway- Saturday afternoon we had a couple friends over and we ate out from the chippy while watching Eurovision's Song Contest, which was a LOT of fun altho the country I was pulling for didn't win.Let me explain it for my American family and fiends...Every country in Europe is invited but not required to participate in a song contest. One nominee is chosen for for each country. You CAN'T vote for your OWN country. Interesting concept. So, since I couldn't vote for UK's song -(which BTW Kimberly would LOVE since its a Boy band called Blue)I was pulling for Hungary and then Ireland(Jedward). Honestly I don't even remember who won- I THINK it was Azerbaijan, but that wasn't the biggest point of it anyway. They had some truly strange groups on there. It was a BLAST just watching the thing. Never mind who won.
Then yesterday was our 7th anniversary. I made brunch for us. We sat and watched movies for a while, then I made our lovely dinner. After I washed up, we played a game of Trivial Pursuit(the British version which I had NO clue to the answers) and by sheer, blind, unadulterated, LUCK I won. (This only took an hour tho because we decided after a half-hour of neither of us getting a single answer right that the first one to get TWO wedges would win). I may be sending someone back home some money and asking them to purchase and send me an American TP game so the odds are a bit evened up. Then we played another game called True or False and Paul won that game....twice. :-) Then we came into the living room and Paul gave me one of his AMAZING foot-rubs while we watched some TV. We made more coffee and then it was time to go to bed around 2AM.

Because of Paul's recent surgery, we couldn't "re-enact our wedding night", but we did cuddle and kiss a LOT. Let me just take a minute to say I honestly believe my husband is the most AMAZING kisser in the infinite universe(s). I absolutely believe that if sex were outlawed and ceased to exist- as much as I would miss it, I would truly be satisfied with his kisses alone. They're just so indescribably incredible they take my breath away. And that's all I'm gonna say on that.

It was a REALLY GREAT weekend.

OUCH!!!!!

2011-05-12T06:03:00.000-04:00

I have a tummy ache today. I'm hoping its something like Aunty Flo FINALLY showing up and not another kidney infection. It hurts just like it did before when I had to be hospitalized. I can't hardly stand up straight. I have a doctors appointment Wednesday so I'll find out then if it's not any better.
Paul's procedure is tomorrow morning. Neither of us is looking forward to this experience very much. It's the first time EVER I've dealt with a spouse being hospitalized. And I'm not ashamed to tell you that I am scared to death. Paul told me he was worried beyond belief when I was hospitalized and almost died with that kidney infection a few years ago, but I didn't fully realize exactly how HE felt until we got all the details of his procedure.
One bad part is- over here- patients family members can't wait in a waiting room when they have an Out-patient surgery. They have to go home and wait for the nurse to call when the patient is ready to go home.
WTF????
I just don't understand that. So far it's the only thing I've found about their medical system that is a downside.
This sucks.

Don't Ask- Don't Tell.

2011-05-06T07:27:00.004-04:00

<--- Big Southern Breakfast(no pancakes)

<---Full English Breakfast

Well, so here we are, a few weeks into my new life here in the UK.
Things are way different here..... like food... and cooking styles.....but in reality- we're not SO different.

So I've been trying to find things that are the same as homes- and it's been difficult. Some things they HAVE here, but under a totally different name or Brand. Some are the same. Like Oreos...It seems OREOs are universal.
Other things not so much. We finally found Black-eye peas here in the local Tesco.

Now, one thing I HAVE learned is to not share my recipes with certain people. There are a couple of people who have specifically asked for them- and I gladly gave them what they asked for. But other people, who shall remain nameless, ask what is in a recipe and then turn their nose up at it before they even TRY it. I know some of our southern foods sound nasty when you hear the ingredients,but for God's sake- how about TRYING then before passing judgment?

Like Biscuits.....In the South, bisucuits are made with Flour, milk and shortening. That's it. Just baked in a pan and out of that seeming nastiness comes a lovely bread that's light and fluffy and filling and just plain decadent. Eat them plain, or cut open with butter, or with gravy (I'll get to THAT particular southern food in a minute) or ham or bacon or steak or chicken inside them. Or a pork chop even. YUM!!! Eat them with anything you would eat regular loaf bread with. And they're twice as good as plain loaf bread.

Now let's get to the Gravy... In the south we have three types gravy. One the Brits recognize is meat or brown gravy made with the meat drippings and juice from whatever meat they happen to be serving that night. The next on the list is Saw-Mill gravy. Made with the same ingredients as biscuits but in different quantities, with salt and pepper added in. Thick, but pourable, white or light cream colored, and perfect over potatoes, or biscuits, or grits(I'll get to those in a minute). The third kind is Red-Eye Gravy and I believe it's absolutely and totally a southern food. Before I describe what it is- let me just clarify something....

The Brits "Bacon" is what we call thin sliced country ham. What we call bacon is what they call "streaky bacon". What we call streaky bacon is what they call "Belly pork". Now that that's all clear and you're totally confused...

Our Red eye gravy is made by frying up some Bacon(country ham) and after it's browned up- remove it from the pan and leave the drippin's-(bacon/ham doesn't even leave any "grease" so to speak)- and then add a tiny shake of salt and a generous sprinkle of black pepper and then pour a cup of strong black coffee to it all and heat it up. That's it. Goes GREAT over grits or potatoes , or biscuits. A spoonful or so at a time til you decide if you like it or not. Which I almost gar-un-tee you will. My hubby doesn't. Which makes me sad- but different strokes and all that jazz.

The Wikipedia definition of grits....

Grits is a food that is common in the Southern United States, mainly used in breakfast. It consists of coarsely ground corn (when grits is made from hominy, it is referred to as hominy grits).

Grits is similar to other thick maize-based porridges from around the world, such as polenta. It also resembles farina, a thinner porridge.(But not so much-my observation.)

Grits are usually prepared by adding one part grits to two-to-three parts boiling water and seasoned with salt and butter. They are usually cooked for 15 - 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the grits become a porridge-like consistency. They expand as they are cooked and need to be stirred several times to prevent sticking and forming lumps. They may be served with grated cheese or topped with sausage or country ham "red-eye gravy". Those closer to the Mason-Dixon line (also known as borderline Yankee territory)may prefer to season grits with sugar instead of salt. (No southerner would be caught dead doing that-My observation.)

Grits can also be fried in a pan or molded to create a firm block. The resulting block can be cut with a knife or wire, and the slices are fried in a fat such as vegetable oil, butter, or bacon grease. (Alto I've NEVER in my LIFE seen anyone actually DO this...Again, this must be a Yankee Territory thing ..or possibly Southern Folklore created by some poor Yankee who didn't know what GRITS was and put sugar in it because they were too embarrassed to ask. Bless Their Hearts.)

And time and time again I've seen wrinkled noses about these very foods.

The closest I've come to any of that is saying "Excuse me- did I hear that right??/ ___ & ___ combined? That's an unusual combination- but I'll try it next time!!!" I'll try just about anything once. (The combination in question was an Onion and cheese butty(sandwich). And I wasn't hungry at the time was the reason I didn't try it THEN.) Two words for you in reference to try it then Judge-.........Black Pudding. I LOVE it but if you know what it is before you try it- you probably wouldn't try it at ALL.

Don't Ask- Don't Tell...sounds like a PLAN to me.

What's Really Awesome....

2011-05-02T18:41:00.001-04:00

Is when you have family and friends who care enough to talk and try and help.

You know who you are!!!

Most Recent Photos.....

2011-04-27T15:05:00.004-04:00

Beautiful!!!!!

An Easter Tale....

2011-04-23T08:49:00.002-04:00

A man is driving along a highway and sees a rabbit jump out across the middle of the road.

He swerves to avoid hitting it, but unfortunately the rabbit jumps right in front of the car.

The driver,
a sensitive man as well as an animal lover,
pulls over and gets out to see
what has become of the rabbit.

Much to his dismay,

the rabbit is the Easter Bunny,

and

he is DEAD .

The driver feels so awful that he begins to cry.

A beautiful blonde woman driving down the highway
sees a man crying on the side of the road
and pulls over.

She steps out of the car and asks the man
what's wrong.

"I feel terrible," ! he explains,
"I accidentally hit the Easter Bunny with my car and KILLED HIM."

The blonde says,"Don't worry."

She runs to her car
and pulls out a spray can.
She walks over to the limp, dead Easter Bunny ,
bends down,
and sprays the contents onto him.

The Easter Bunny jumps up,
waves its paw at the two of them
and hops off down the road.

Ten feet away he stops,
turns around and waves again,

he hops down the road another 10 feet,
turns and waves,

hops another ten feet,
turns and waves,

and repeats this again and again and again and again,
until he hops out of sight.

The man is astonished.
He runs over to the woman and demands,

"What is in that can?

What did you spray on the Easter Bunny ?"

The woman turns the can around
so that the man can read the label.

It says..

(Are you ready for this?)

(Are you sure?)

(You know you're gonna be sorry)

(Last chance)

(OK..... here it is)

It says,

"Hair Spray:

Restores life to dead hair,
and adds permanent wave."

Happy Easter!!!

What The Hell is Happening To Me?

2011-04-12T10:10:00.002-04:00

Pardon me a moment while I have a bit of a pity party.

This is me- out of my element. I'm having to learn everything again. Where I just a month ago was so confident, now I feel so totally useless it's terrifying. I can't cook...I'm having to learn what is available and how to substitute ingredients in dishes I've been making all my life. I've had THREE dishes turn out just like it did at home....one was Potato soup, One was Chocolate Oatmeal Drop Cookies, and the other was Cream Cheese Pound-Cake.

Everything works differently here too....I had to re-learn how to use the washer for Christ's sake. Here they have a washer/dryer combo...ONE machine does both. The water in the shower has a separate heater- so I had to learn how to use it too.
I can't drive yet. I COULD drive on my American license....it's good for a year here...but they drive on the LEFT side of the road- and yeah, my confidence level is coming up a bit on THAT front- I'm learning by watching and riding with Joan and Glenn, but if I go anywhere- I'm driven, or I walk or take the bus. Mostly walking. Not a bad thing, walking more. But it will be a couple more months before I try to drive anywhere.

Speaking of walking...there's another thing. At home(America), I'm a billy Bad-ass. I've had loads of training in all sorts of weapons and self defense and stuff like that, but when I go on my walks here,by myself, I take the "safe" routes. I wont go by certain bus stops and buildings. I say it's because I don't invite trouble, but in reality, I'm a scared little girl again. It's like me- 25 years ago.
I don't like being dependent on anyone-it terrifies me, but I feel myself going right back into turtle mode. Self confidence out the window- I'm starting to hide from the world again, bit by bit.

The family came over last night to see hubby's new baby niece, and I practically hid in the kitchen for a good part of the visits. Then I came out and visited for a few minutes, but when the crowd got to me- I slipped out an went for a COUPLE of walks. No one said or did anything to upset me- everyone here has been sweet as pie to me, I just was so freaked out by myself and these feelings of being out of my element I couldn't handle it.

Does that SOUND like me? No. Hell no....It doesn't. I just don't understand what has gotten into me. I don't understand it at all and I don't LIKE it a BIT. Not a Little bit. But regardless it's still happening. How can I stop it? How can I save myself from reverting into that loner who's afraid of her own shadow and has no confidence before it's too late?

I hope I figure it out soon.

Questions & Answers...With Photos!!!

2011-03-27T14:03:00.000-04:00

So, since I've been here friends and family have been asking me specific questions about an assortment of topics. So I thought that today I would post some photos and try and answer as many of them as possible. If I've missed anything you want answered- just leave a comment and I'll try and get a few shots of whatever it is you want to know about. I'm having a BLAST here, and there's so much that is totally fascinating that I can't decide what to show y'all first! If I remember who specifically asked me about a certain thing- I'll post it- if I can't remember then I'll just give y'all a general description of who-what-when-where.....okay??

So Here we go!!!

Today Glenn and Joan took us on a little excursion to the sort-of local antiques mall. To be honest it was more of a huge indoor flea-market type thing with a lovely mixture of both antiques and odd items from more recent times. I LOVED it and could have spent the entire day there just browsing around. When we came out- this vehicle was parked directly in front of the building and I couldn't resist taking a couple of snapshots of it once I had realized what it actually was!!!

When I saw this car yesterday in the car-park in St. Helen, I immediately thought of Rhonda and Karen...I wonder WHY???!!! ;-) Yes those ARE eyelashes on a VW BUG!!!!

This is one of the entrances to a residence Paul and I walk past every day when we go on our daily walks!!!Isn't it Picturesque????

This is another little pub we passed in St.Helen. There are about 25 or 30 of them in that little area.

Okay, Mom...Here are Joan's Kitchen Curtains. Aren't they adorable???.... reminds me a lot of your kitchen curtains and also the curtains Nina gave me for our kitchen in the house we just moved out of..... In case you cant tell, they are white Irish-type lace with yellow and white daisies in a line on them. Remember the white Poinsettia valances I used to have up in my kitchen in Kay Acres? Same kind of lacy pattern but daisies instead. VERY pretty!!!

This is a picture of one their doggies, Barney, in his natural habitat....his bed. He assumes if he goes and lies in his bed- he'll get a dog treat. Sometimes it works...sometimes it doesn't.

This is a photo of another bit of architecture in the town of St. Helen. There's SOOOO much stuff like that I could fill a BOOK about them all!!!

This is Town Hall. Isn't it beautiful? Notice the two Red British Phone Boxes on each side of the steps!!! CLASSIC!!!!

This is a fountain I thought my mom or Cece might like to try and duplicate in their garden/yard at home. It was outside the pub we stopped and had dinner at on our way home this afternoon from "Antique-ing". The place was called The Farmers Arms. Exactly what you think an English Pub would be like...smallish, decorated with white walls, dark floors and accessories, a beautiful polished wooden bar and filled with smiling friendly people just chatting away with each other!!! Dinner consisted of an appetizer of Cream of Chicken soup and a roll... (The cream of chicken soup we get in the supermarket doesn't even BEGIN to compare with the soup at that pub!! I could make a meal of it alone!!!) Main course was Roast lamb, Roast and new potatoes, Carrots, cabbage and green beans with gravy over it all. And dessert was an Apple Crumble in a vanilla custard cream sauce. Absolute BLISS!!!! As a side note- I've had quite a few types of wine- mostly red because I LOVE red wine- and a proper pub drink with a couple tastes of whatever Paul was having as well just to see what it was like. My absolute favorite drink so far is a half-pint lager with lime. I know it sounds nasty- but believe me- it is wonderful- doesn't even really taste like an alcoholic drink!

This is one of our neighbors front lawns...or "Gardens" as they call them. Paul laughs at me because we'll be walking along on one of our daily "constitutionals" and I'll see something really pretty like this and just whip out my phone and start taking pictures of them. Paul says they have a thing like a "Neighborhood Crime-Watch" in our area and he's just waiting for the day that someone calls the coppers on me or comes charging out demanding to know who I am and what's occurring? I just laugh and tell him he worries too much-....once I open my mouth and speak, they will totally understand...and probably invite us in for a cup of tea so they can hear more of my southern drawl!!!! :-) Yeah- I CAN use that accent to my advantage when it suits me!! Hahahaahahah!!!

This is the front of our house...or Joan and Glenn's house. :-) I'm not gonna be a Stacy and say it's not MY home- because in all honesty- Joan and Glenn (AND the rest of the family too) have made me feel so comfortable I'm beginning to feel at home here. I DO have my moments I feel a bit homesick...but with SKYPE and my phone, I don't feel SO VERY FAR away from my family and friends. I feel as tho I'm adding TO my circle of Family and Friends. And that truly is a blessing to me!!!

This last one- again is specially for my mom....This is a pic of Joans living room curtains...altho it isnt a very good photo at all....They are dark burgundy all over with a floral pattern woven into them.

I still need a translator for some people around town. I still haven't driven an auto. I still cant get a job til I get an NIN which is equal to our SS#.

Questions???? Requests?????
Fire away!!!
:-)

A Day In My Life Here........

2011-03-23T12:05:00.000-04:00

Well, we seem to be settling in nicely here. Somewhat developing a bit of a routine.

Weekdays I get up earlier than I have since my kids were in school. Quick shower, then I make a cup of coffee, make a slice of toast (sometimes even an egg), sometimes I vacuum a the living room rug and the entryway carpet, sometimes I don't. I read a bit- look at my blogs and of course the ever present Face-Book.

(Had a bit of a scare day before yesterday when I couldn't get B & N to download me any e-book purchases I was trying to make. Turns out I can't use B&N with my NOOK overseas unless I have a military account or a Govt account. But my hubby figured out how I could still use my NOOK. Thank God.)

Run a few errands, throw on a load of laundry if it needs doing, do a run to TESCO for the daily shopping. Come home, eat a bite of lunch (usually a half sammich or something light like a piece of fruit) and then watch a bit of telly until time to start dinner.

Have a bit of dinner, wash up dishes, watch a soap or two, then play a bit on the wii or watch a movie. maybe a bit more of a proper walk around the neighborhood, a bit of a chat with a few friends and family on either FB or SKYPE, and then head off to bed.

Weekends are a bit looser, a bit of a lie-in, a trip into the next town or just a lazy day catching up on chores or watching the telly. A bit of a competition on the wii or Xbox, maybe a meal out (or not), a walk about the neighborhood or a visit with relatives and friends who come by to visit.
a simpler life...a slower pace of living. I love it.

My next blog-post will be answering a few questions I've been asked since I moved here...more SPECIFIC things about the house we live in, the curtains, the car...etc....

I'm mapping it out now, so stay tuned...

THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES.........

The Adventure Continues.......

2011-03-18T10:31:00.001-04:00

Today Paul took me on a shopping/sightseeing trip to St. Helen, a small town just the other side of Haydock. I requested a round trip bus trip so I could figure out the public transportation system. Greenville had one in the states- and Grandmother Miller and I rode on it into town when I would go and spend a week with her and Granddaddy Miller every summer. I ADORED those trips!!! And guess what???? I haven't changed!! I was tickled PINK to be riding a BUS!!!!!

It cost us two quid each to ride it into town center where we got off and walked from. I was excited the whole way, snapping a picture here and there.We arrived and got off the bus. Let me tell you a little secret...buses round the world have the same exhaust smell. :-)

First we went to Argos to pick up my new Nike+ sensor for my exercise/weight-loss program. He paid for it then went outside and let me collect it myself. We went to several shops in the town, basically making a big circle as we walked round. Again, I snapped a few pics of the more interesting buildings. I tried to get a pic of one of the taxis but they move so dang fast that to get one I would have to throw myself in front of one of them...or push Paul in front of one and I just can't see me doing that to myself or my sweetie. ;-)

I wanted especially to look for a pair of boots to wear. I have proper dress shoes, and I have a pair of trainers and a proper pair Nike+ walking/running shoes. But over here, if you go out to some places, you need a pair of casual dress shoes to go in. I figured a pair of boots would do the trick. Wear them with Jeans, or leggings and a long sweater or sweater dress. Even with a proper skirt. But it seems, they don't make boots for girls with .....ummmmm.....abundant curves. :-) Yes, they do make boots with wide tops...but they are only an inch or inch and a half wider than regular sizes- so why bother. I could fuss bout it being a British thing, but it was JUST as hard to find them in the USA too. When will clothes manufacturers get smart and start making clothes for curvy women as well as slim ones?
Anyway....I went to a half dozen shops and didn't find a THING that was even close..(except UGGs and I effing DETEST UGGS) so I'm still bootless. :-(

So....then we had a brunch of a Chicken Pastie.
A Pastie is .....hmmmm......Okay, think of a Toaster Strudel with a meat and veggie filling with no icing, instead of a fruit filling with icing. That's what pastie looks like. And a chicken pastie basically tastes like a Chicken dumplings filling in a pot pie crust. And it is GOOD!!!!!

So we had one of those for Brunch and then we got a Mother's Day Card for our Moms.
Mother's day over here is the First Sunday in April...Ours in the States is the Second Sunday in May, I think.... Joan, my Mother-in-law, Always got her Mother's Day card almost a Month late when we lived in the USA. After the first year when I LEARNED after-the-fact that Mother's Day was different than ours...I bought a half dozen of them so Joan could get hers on time from then on....and Then I couldn't find them......Finally I just gave up on the idea of getting them to her on time and just sent her an extra nice one when we finally got to buy one in the States. I can only hope it slightly made up for it being late every year!!!

So anyway. After doing all that- and visiting a few games/electronics shops Paul asked was I ready to go home......and imagine his chagrin when I asked him to take me round the entire circuit 3 MORE times so I could get a bit of a bearing on where things were before we left. Bless his Heart- he was SUCH a GOOD sport about it all.

Then we walked back to The bus Depot and caught the bus back to Haydock.

I have to say, the most un-nerving part of this entire move has been my loss of control.
I freely admit I am a "Control Freak" with a Capital *C* & *F* and have an unnatural fear of being dependent on anyone other than myself. I'm fully able to put myself in someones care....as long as I have a contingency plan in place.
Yep- told you- Control Freak.

Here- I feel like I'm a kindergartner again. I even ask Paul to hold my hand while we cross roads til I learn to remember to LOOK RIGHT before crossing the streets. I had him do all the money changing for the first few days so I could see how the system worked. I have to ask him to translate something that's being said despite the fact it's English. And believe me- there's a HUGE difference in Southern English and British English alone without the Local Slang thrown in the mix.

But you know what? It's exciting. It's fun. And it's keeping me on my toes.

The Adventure Continues.......

Walk-About.......

2011-03-13T13:54:00.001-04:00

So this afternoon while Paul's Mum was cooking Sunday Roast Dinner and his Dad was off playing golf, Paul took me for a walk-about round the Village. It was about a mile or so walk we took...just so I could get my bearings and have an idea of where everything was located.
I took a couple pictures- when I get a bit more used to the area I'll take a few more at a time. But for now this is it.

Okay so the first pic is of a gate entrance to one of the houses on the Main Street in Haydock. The second pic is of a row of the houses in our neighborhood. It's really different over here.....places aren't really ZONED like ours are, there's a row of houses and then a few small businesses, then a row of houses again. And this is like that thru the entire Village.

We did go to St Helen on Saturday to do a bit of shopping and have a look around- but I completely forgot the camera and didn't get to take any pictures, so I suppose I'll have to go back and take some because there was some lovely places I could have taken some great shots!!!

Poor me...having to go do more shopping in this lovely place. I'll make the supreme sacrifice and go back and do that shopping tho...just so y'all can see the places I'm seeing. Sigh......
;-)
I'm such a GIVING person.
:-D

We're Here!!!!

2011-03-11T13:24:00.002-05:00

...We have arrived!!!
We got to Manchester England yesterday morning about 9:30 AM. It was an awesome flight.Even the food was good. The only complaint I have is that it was a bit cramped on both legs of the flight- but anyone who has flown before knows that's the norm.

The place we live in is called Haydock, a quaint little village just outside Manchester.
I haven't been out much to see what's about- but what i have seen of it on my short trip to Tesco today made a sweet impression.

My in-laws have been absolute dreams, making sure we both had everything we need to settle in and make the transition easier. They thoughtfully provided us with a gift basket with all the basic(and a few not so basic) items that we might not have been able to bring. That was a blessing since we were in such a tizzy we completely forgot to bring even our toothbrushes and toothpaste! My mum-in-law had even went out and bought Paul and I BOTH a new bathrobe!

After we arrived, Paul's dad, Glenn, made us a lovely English Breakfast(or in our case-Brunch). After we ate- I was shattered and decided to take a short nap, so Paul headed up to the Tesco with his parents to purchase us both a cellphone. We're now trying to figure out a plan so I can call my family when I want to talk with them since all my incoming calls are free for me but whoever is making them pays thru their carrier. So I basically have to wait for them to call me to get to talk with them more than a couple minutes. We're working on that- so soon as we figure it out- some of you'll be hearing from me in person.
:-)

Okay, so after I awoke and paul showed me his purchases, his family began arriving to welcome him home and me to the family. I have got to say that I was a bit nervous about that part of the move- but his family were very sweet and reminds me of my own family a lot. I wont name names, but there are such a thing as Doppelgangers because I've seen them!!!

We all had a lovely visit, then we turned in because it has been a WAY stressful couple of weeks for us all.

I, of course, woke up after 4 hours and just tossed and turned, so I finally got up and went downstairs and chatted with a few friends and family that were on FB at that time of night. I would say unGodly, but it was only 10Pm here.

So that was my time here so far...stay tuned...there will be more!!!

Well....12 Hours and Counting Down.....

2011-03-09T01:11:00.002-05:00

What an adventure......

We've spent the past couple of weeks furiously packing and sorting and cleaning. And now it's almost over. I'm absolutely exhausted. Completely spent. We've had the family dinner together, had a couple of friend farewell dinners, a couple of luncheons, went to the cemetery and am finishing up the last of the laundry and packing in just a few minutes.

Tomorrow morning, I'll be washing up the dishes, vacuuming the kitchen floor, and pulling the last of our possessions out of the storage room so Julie and Eddie can take load it all up and take it to the Flea market to sell this coming weekend.

Tomorrow morning I'll be sitting here, drinking a cup of something....coffee, hot cocoa, soda, water, wine, vodka............I'm not sure exactly what but something... and I'll look around for the last time for a long time on the place I grew up. The place I have come back to again and again and again for my entire life.

Who says you can never go home again? Not me.

Hopefully I'll love it in England and grow to love it there as much as I do here in South Carolina.

Paul asked me "Besides Family and Friends(obviously) what will you miss most about here?"

Here's my answer...
*Listening to the trains go by
*The Carolina Blue sky
*Good Southern Cooking
*Seeing the wildlife when I look out my window
*Knowing exactly where everything is or how to go about obtaining some obscure item
*Country music
*Our little spontaneous middle of the night trips
*Free refills on drinks when we go out to eat

I'll revise this list when I've been there for a month or so...Then we'll find out what I really miss(other than family and friends- that's a given and at the top of the list no matter when it's made)!

Wish me luck & Keep us in your prayers!

2011-02-22T03:00:00.001-05:00

You wouldn't believe the hilarious upside down day we've had....I'll update this later.

It's My Party & I'll Cry If I Want To

2011-02-17T02:30:00.004-05:00

Okay so tonight I went out for only like the sixth time in my adult life to a "Girls Night Out". I'm kinda old school like that- I don't really believe in the whole "Girls Night"-"Boys Night" separately thing if you're married....except on the very RARE occasions, that is.
But tonight was one of those special rare occasions.
A group of my BFFs all got together at our local(for some of us) Texas Roadhouse Steakhouse for a "Girls Night Out" to celebrate my birthday.....and a bit of a Bon Voyage, too.

Jennie, one of the girls, made a lovely white cake with strawberry filling and chocolate frosting. It was decorated with pink roses and sweet-peas, and on it she had written, "Happy Birthday Sunny. We'll miss you!!" It was delicious!!!!!

All together we had eight girls there.....There was Me(of course), Cindy(or Cece as I call her), Karen(or Kay-Bee), Jennie(no nickname for Jennie- it's a sweet little name for such a sweet little girl :-), Julie(my daughter), Valina( or Nina) My baby sister, Rhonda(Rhonnie, my BFF of 40 odd years), and Terry (one of my BFFs who started out as an online friend and quickly became a RL friend).

We all ate, laughed and had a WONDERFUL time. I took video of about half of it. They took photos on their cellphones and posted them on FB. After seeing one of me tho I feel like running right out and joining weight watchers again. Even after all that weight I lost- I still look like- if not a beached whale- at least a big cow. Ugh....but you know- they say that the camera adds 10 pounds to you...so I'm thinking that the lighting in there added another 20 and then the light shirt I was wearing added another 15 at LEAST- so that's why I still look so big.
At least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Anyway, it'll get fixed soon enough...I'm WORKING on it- it didn't take just a month to get it all ON so I gotta keep at it and not get frustrated that I'm not losing as quickly as I would like.

Anyway.......So I had prepared this little speech/toast for my girls,part prepared and part to be ad-libbed according to who was there, but every time I thought about getting up and saying it- I looked around at my group of beloved "Sisters" both Chosen and of Blood, and I teared up and knew it wasnt going to happen.
I have a week of work left and then 12 days after THAT before I leave for good, and if it's this hard to say that little speech now- I cant imagine how hard it's gonna be later when it really is the last goodbye.
I know there's e-mail, and FaceBook, and Skype, and phones, and planes.....but oh wow. It is going to be HARD.

So- to all my Sisters I just want to say....

Robin Morgan said “Sisterhood is Powerful”.
I have Sisters. Blood Sisters and Chosen Sisters. Sisters who have made me laugh and wiped my tears. Sisters who have seen me stumble, cheered me on & kept me strong. Sisters who have held my hand when I needed helping up and Sisters who have held my hair back after having too much “fun”. Sisters who got in trouble with me (coming to mind is a certain “handcuff incident” with one of you and we will NOT speak of it to anyone else, now will we??) and sisters who got or kept me out of trouble…and I certainly recall too many of THOSE to mention separately or we’d be here all night!
Sisters who have yelled at me, who have coaxed me, who have loved me in some of the most lovable and unlovable moments of my life. Sisters do not give up on each other. Sisters are Forever kind of Friends.
Every single one of you sitting here today fit into two or more of those categories. To all you- my sisters I just want to say Thank you- and I love you all!!!

We Can Haz Home???? (A Note From Logan...)

2011-02-13T18:37:00.003-05:00

Hi There!!

I'm Logan(Left & on top) and this is my friend Lucy(on bottom being cuddled during a nap with me).

We’re both very loving cats who were rescued from the shelter by our “now” owners, but our owners are moving to England in early March and we need to find a new home as soon as possible.

I, Logan, am an adult black and white male who has been “fixed”.(I personally don’t think I was broken to begin with, but they “fixed” me anyway.) I like to cuddle and be scratched under the chin. I rarely “chat’ and am pretty quiet and laid back most of the time.

My little friend, Lucy, is a 1 year old black and ginger sprinkled female who was too young to be “fixed” when we came home with our “now” owners and they felt there wasn’t really a need to “fix” her since I was “fixed” already, but they have the adoption papers for her so she can be ‘fixed” for free. Lucy likes to chase laser pointer lights, Or flashlights, and when she “chats” she sounds like a Tribble.

We’d like to stay together, but if we have to- we’ll go to separate homes.

Please contact our now owners at 864-855-6916 if you think you would like to have us live with you and could give us a warm and happy place to live. They don’t allow us to answer the phone- so if they don’t answer- please leave a message with your name and number and they will return your call as soon as possible!!

Hope to meet you soon!!!

Logan & Lucy

20 Observations......

2011-02-04T00:22:00.003-05:00

*Heartburn/Ulcer Pain is much easier to deal with -with the right meds.

*Cats cause ulcers. Especially when they are in heat and yowling all the time for a week straight.

*Husbands seem to think that snoring is something you can control and you do on purpose just to annoy them.

*Someone could make a million dollars if they invented dishes that have an automatic self-cleaning mode. Can someone get to work on that IMMEDIATELY, Please????

*According to a TV Commercial, kids will eat healthy veggies but only if you cover them in creamy fattening salad dressing....kind of defeats the whole healthy eating idea, tho, doesn't it?

*Sometimes, MAYBE actually does mean there's a possibility. My parents apparently thought it just mean NO.

*It's always a bad idea to push any button in a locked box so someone you don't know, somewhere in the world will die and you can get a million dollars....million dollars be damned....I ain't doing it....some bad-assed MoJo is gonna come back to bite you on the ass- HARD...mark my words.

*Naps now only come in two lengths.....43 minutes or 14 hours. Your choice.

*Apparently, the first thing to go as *I* age is the memory that you have to reinforce boxes with extra tape BEFORE you pack all sorts of heavy stuff in them. My Bad.

*It's REALLY bad form to whine and complain about fellow bloggers not posting when you only do it once or twice a month yourself....Again- My Bad.

*The computer's *On* switch has magical powers for alerting the cats to come running into the room and climbing in your lap. Works better than opening a can of tuna in the kitchen. This comes in handy if they're inside cats and they run out the door and you want to get them back in quickly and efficiently. Very Handy indeed!

*Fast food is NOT good for anyone trying to lose weight. Eventually the food is faster than you are.

*Walking in new shoes makes you have blisters on your feet. Putting band-aids on the blisters only causes more friction which cause bigger blisters. Just sayin'....

*Chocolate IS an addiction I can overcome. Lately, I'm craving fruit. Even my cakes are taking on Fruit flavors instead of my standard "Chocolate & ..." Themes. Scary.

*My Birthday Cake this year is going to be Snowflake Cake with Vanilla/Orange Filling and Cream-Cheese/Orange Frosting.

*Kids never tell you about the projects and reports they have to do until two days before they're due.

*Snow more then twice a winter season is not a good thing unless your name is Santa or Frosty or you're one of the Coca-Cola Polar Bears.

*Tax refunds always seem to be less than you expect them to be.

*I was always under the impression that packing and moving are a Royal PITA.....and my opinion hasn't changed a BIT.

*Everything in life can be played out with the Star-Wars cast in mind. (My husband will be so proud that I came up with this particular observation!!!)

Feel-Good Fest....

2011-01-31T04:47:00.002-05:00

This weekend I've watched a marathon of Little House on the Prairie while doing some packing.

I don't know why but when I watch that show- I get noticeably in a better mood.
Simpler time in some ways....harder in others. Kinda makes my life look more balanced.

Apparently I'm Now A Young Russian Girl.

2011-01-20T16:04:00.002-05:00

This appeared in an e-mail this morning in my account...it's sent from my OWN account. It also has a link attached to it.....
So if anyone gets any weird e-mails from me that you're not expecting....it's not from me. Time to change up my passwords...maybe even my entire e-mail account. I hate Hotmail. This is the second time this has happened to one of my hotmail accounts. Grrrrrrr!!!!!

Hi dear! I am for a decent man.

As for me, I am a young Russian girl
Do you like Russian women?

They are not just beautiful and smart, but very tolerant too.
Russian women value family and try to be with their husbands as much as possible.

It's time to get to know each other!
See you on marriage agency. Cheerio!

Food Is Love

2011-01-16T18:31:00.003-05:00

I've been sitting here watching "I USED TO BE FAT" on MTV.
You know- it's the truth in certain cultures, feeding people is showing love. Think about it..In Southern families, when someone comes to visit- it's just proper to offer food and drink during the visit. At dinners, to serve everyone's favorite is just the way it's done. Fried Chicken, Biscuits, gravy, banana pudding, cakes and pies galore.
In Italian families, same deal, Lasagna, spaghetti, manicotti, Canolli, Italian breads and Pizza....And almost everything smothered in at least ONe type of cheese and usually more than one. Greek foods are just as bad...Look at Baklava. OMG- that stuff is so good but holy cow......The calories are out of this world.

Food IS Love.

Numb Butts & Monkey Wrenches....Good Times!!!

2011-01-11T17:16:00.008-05:00

Yeah- we got 'em. It snowed a foot here over the weekend, then it froze over last night- and today was perfect for sledding.

Paul, myself, my baby bro Charlie and his wife Doris went sledding for about two hours this afternoon. Our butts are numb, our hair is wet, we got hungry, and cold, and tired, so we came in to eat, thaw, and rest for a bit- but never fear- we're going right back out after it gets dark!!

I haven't had this much fun in the snow since.......1988. The last HUGE snowstorm we had!!!

I tell ya- I was really pissed that Mother Nature picked THIS weekend to give us snow- I took a weeks vacation this week to get our house packed and sorted, and with only one room in the house with heat- this 20 degree weather is really throwing a monkey wrench in my plans. However- this weather has given me the perfect opportunity for some R&R before the weekend hits with warmer weather so I can get the packing and sorting done. The carrying stuff to the landfill and donation centers will just have to wait til it drys out a bit...because with the red clay driveway and melting snow- we might get DOWN the drive and get all loaded up- but there's not a "snowballs chance in Hell" we could get back up and OUT of the driveway.

<----Definitely NOT ME this week.....

S'all good. I'm LOVING Every Minute Of It!!! Just another of My Life's Little Mis-Adventures!!!!

Next Week- Vacation!!!!...(well, sort of...)

2011-01-06T21:40:00.004-05:00

<------Not gonna be me next week.

I work Friday, Saturday, & Sunday this weekend, and then I'm taking the entire week off next week to get the whole house sorted and packed. One room a day is what I've decided is doable and/or manageable and still give me a tiny bit of Down-Time - you know- since this is my vacation/holiday week. I know I'll probably have days that I can get two rooms done quite quickly- and maybe a couple days when I'll be working into the night to get a room completely finished.
:-P

But one thing is for certain. It WILL be done by the week's end. Then all we have to do is photograph and list all the things we want to put on Craig's List......And hope they sell quickly.
We also are going to do one Flea market and a moving sale to get rid of as much stuff as we can before donating or trashing the rest of it.
You know what they say- One mans Junk is another man's Treasure!!!!

Time is FLYING!!!!!!

Right On Schedule.....

2011-01-04T14:40:00.003-05:00

Well, Just back from the doctors visit. Not a happy bunny, Me.

Right on schedule- just about this time of year ALMOST every year for the past 25 or so- I've developed a case of Bronchitis. I think I caught it early this year- not constant coughing like it has been when I waited four or five months before going to the doctor. I also still have the sinus infection that settled in my ears and I went to the doctor about last month. So my doctor gave me a script for a stronger antibiotic and an inhaler to open my sinuses and airways. I also got a steroid injection to boost the antibiotic and get this out of my system sooner.

Other news is the results of the blood tests I had done back in November are back and I'm REALLLLLLLY pushing the "Borderline" for being put on meds for diabetes. My BP is a bit high again too- this is a result of not having had the money to buy my BP meds when they ran out a couple of weeks ago. Other things kinda came before those meds. But I'm getting them. This week.

I can't wait to get over to England so I can see this wonderful medical system I keep hearing about from my husband. I know that doctors over here can be stupid and insensitive in general, but for the most part- this problem I'm having is a recurring one that I've been treated for for years.... and it always works. No- I'm not coughing CONSTANTLY like I usually am when I get Bronchitis- but as I said- I usually WAIT 4-5 months before I go to the doctor about it, hoping against hope it's gonna go away by itself and I won't have to spend money I don't have on an office visit and prescriptions- and all I do is let it get so bad I'm unnecessarily miserable for MONTHS. But after that kidney debacle a few years ago, I tend to err on the side of caution when it comes to medical stuff. This cough and respiratory crud just started out seeming like an ear infection caused by a cold- but when the cough is getting so bad I use a 36 pack of pads in a weekend from leaking every time I cough- it's apparent that this is headed in a different direction and needs to be nipped in the bud. I know they symptoms of what I have had many times in the past- and know how bad it can really get- and to be honest, I want to be rid of this stuff before we move, I don't want arrive in England sick- and that's exactly what will happen if I don't get this taken care of NOW.

I'm sick of us being sick- and sick of all the doctors visits. And sick of the meds to get rid of this stuff. It seems like it's always something with me or hubby........Colds, Flu, Diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney infections, sinus infections, broken feet, shin splints, fishhooks in a foot........Damn- when does it END????

Ugh...

2011-01-03T03:36:00.003-05:00

Okay, well as wonderful as New Years Eve was for Hubby and I, everything since then has been terrible.

We're both still sick with whateve this crud is- in my case I'm still sneezing and the coughing is only getting worse. I see a doctors visit in my future next week if it doesn't get MUCH better VERY soon. I mean it may be TMI- but it's really bad when you're coughing every 5 minutes and you pee every time you cough. And to top it off, I got Aunty Flo visiting this week as well. Oh LUCKY LUCKY me!!!

It's not helping that I've gained back 20 of the 54 pounds I lost and that and the Cruds are BOTH affecting my breathing and I'm back to snoring at night and keep disturbing Paul's sleep. So we're BOTH crabby and ill, in addition to being sick.

Neither of us have felt even remotely like recording another podcast lately, either.

I'm taking next week off work to sort out the house for the move- Something I can ill afford to do- but something that MUST be done- and I cannot do it on my days off- there's just not enough time. I figure I can do one room a day until it's all finished. I have got to gather a few more boxes and buy more trash bags and packing tape. Paul's main job during all this sorting is going to be going thru all his personal items and then taking photos of the items we want to sell and placing them on Craig's List so we can get this all taken care of.

This week I have to go to work five out of seven days. I'm still sick and don't feel up to it at all... and God help the first person who tells me-"Well, you don't have to worry about THAT much longer." Little piece of advice for you all- telling me that doesn't help when I don't feel well enough to go in to work. Not At All.

Anyway, the silver lining is that 2011 can only get better.
Thank God.

2011-01-01T14:04:00.001-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

May 2011 be a hundred-fold more wonderful than 2010.

:-(

2010-12-29T03:49:00.003-05:00

I am NOT AMUSED...on SO MANY LEVELS.

2010-12-25T13:00:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas To All!!!!!

More Christmas Memories ....

2010-12-22T21:35:00.003-05:00

Christmas Morning....my sister Valina - about age 6-is opening her gifts so fast she not only tosses the tissue paper out of the box, but also the bathrobe wrapped in it. Oh, the LOOK on her face when she thought Santa given her an EMPTY BOX!!!
LOL!!!!!

Every year I gave a tin of Christmas Goodies to the men in my family. Eddie always wanted/got Double Chocolate Brownies. Charlie always wanted/got Chocolate Oatmeal Drop No Bake Cookies. Daddy always wanted/got a Double batch of Fudge. And all three of them always got Peanut-Butter Pinwheels(also known as Potato Candy) along with the Chocolate delights they requested. Daddy always opened his- took out a piece of the fudge, set the tin down, finished the piece, took out another piece, got up and went down the hall, tin in hand. Came back five minutes later, empty-handed. Mom left one Christmas morning to see where he went... and came back laughing. Seems Daddy had went to the bedroom and locked the tin of goodies in his dresser!!! It was the only thing in his life he didn't offer to share with anyone.

My Mama always made the BEST Christmas Breakfasts. Every year she made up a big ole pan of home made HANDmade biscuits. I don't mean those cut out biscuits either, I mean the kind that you sift a big bowl of flour, scooped a handful of shortening, and added powdered milk and water to and squished together, mixing with your hands!!! Then you pinch off a good half-handful of that dough, roll'em into a ball and put it on a biscuit pan til the dough's all gone from the bowl. Then you flatten 'em out a bit and stick 'em in a HOT oven for about 30 minutes til they are pipin' hot and golden brown. Then you butter 'em and fill em up with some of that ham we had left over from Christmas Eve Dinner at Grandma's house. Sometimes she scrambled up some eggs too...most times, we just ate them with the ham or got the jar of home-made Blackberry Jelly or Strawberry Jam she put up back in the summer.

Ahhh...Wonderful Memories....more tomorrow.

Christmas Memories.....

2010-12-21T16:58:00.002-05:00

....Here's another that might make you laugh....

I had two brothers and two sisters growing up. Baby Bro, Charlie, and I were ALWAYS the first up(around 4AM) and would wake the entire house up to open prezzies!! Mom and Dad thought that once we all grew up and moved out they would FINALLY get to sleep late-imagine their surprise when that first year, both Charlie and I, with families in tow, pulled up in the driveway of their house at exactly the same time...4:20 in the morning..... and started ringing the doorbell. I can still see the grin on my Dad’s face when he opened the door!!! I still wake up at 4AM on Christmas Morning too!

Dec 20, 1860...South Carolina Announces Her Sucession From The Union.

2010-12-21T06:47:00.006-05:00

There were many reasons for South Carolina's Secession from the Union...Slavery was just the one the Union chose to fixate on for their own reasons.

This pretty well sums it up.

If I hadn't worked last night and wasn't still sick, I would have written a damn good post about it- but this will have to do for now. I just couldn't let the 150th Year Anniversary go by without some sort of mention.

Yeah- I'm Southern, and Damn Proud Of it. I'm sure y'all will understand. I'm not trying to pick a fight with anyone- I just get a bit upset when someone tries to make it all about the slavery issue- when it wasn't, it was all about States rights.... Today it could just as easily be about the law requiring Motorcycle helmets being forced on South Carolinian's just because North Carolina has a law that requires them for everyone. State's Rights.

Okay- anyway, I'm off to bed now! Night Y'all!!!

Just In Time For Christmas...

2010-12-20T15:00:00.004-05:00

After a particularly long and disgusting weekend of being deathly ill, I'm on the road to recovery.

It reminds me of another Christmas when I was sick....

My younger brother, Eddie, had gotten a "Tot-Rod" from Santa- and trying to make me feel better, Eddie let ME ride it before even HE rode it! A particularly fond Christmas memory of mine!