I Gave in to Peer Pressure

So on October 25th I gave in to Peer Pressure

My twin sister has embraced her inner Silver Goddess

                                                                      Then and Now

and she keeps reminding me that my original hair color is not Blond.  Of course I know that, but my hair has been lightened for the past five or six years and I do not recognize the person I see in the mirror now.  My natural hair color is a dark brown and the gray that I have is mousey and does not add to my looks in a good way.

My husband has silver hair and it is beautiful.  When I told him I thought I might try out the gray he encouraged me to not do it.  He thinks my sister's hair is beautiful, but he likes mine blond. 

I decided to change it up for a while and darken my hair.  My husband loves the new Brownish Red, but I know he would tell me to go back blond if I were to ask.  I value his opinion and preferences and also my twin sister's opinion. 

I believe a woman has a right to change her mind and I will most likely change my mind and my hair color again in the near future.

Maybe by the age of Seventy I will embrace my Silver Goddess.

Crustless Coconut Custard Pie

Crustless COCONUT CUSTARD PIE

1/2 cup Bisquick (™)
3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 cup milk
1 can (3 1/2 oz.) coconut
1 tsp. vanilla
1 TBS. butter, softened

Combine all ingredients and pour into 9 inch buttered pie pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes until custard sets. Like magic it layers into crust, custard, coconut topping. Cool.

I used ½ Splenda ™  and ½ granulated sugar.

Audrielle enjoyed sharing her coca cola cake with Sierra on her 5th birthday.

A Day in my Life

FOR TODAY


I am thinking...that I am more blessed than I deserve.

I am thankful...for my grandson David who is here with me drinking hot chocolate.  He has covered up with a throw because he thinks it is cold in my house.  We can pretend it is cold here in FLorida since I keep my air on73 degrees.

In the kitchen...sits some groceries to put away and some dishes in the sink.

I am wearing..Some fairly new stretch jeans that are too baggy.  I need to shrink them in a dryer..

I am going...to have the weekend all alone except for tomorrow night

I am wondering...if I will ever quit feeling guilty for saying "no."

I am reading..blogs and the November Real Simple.

I am hoping to nto get stressed this weekend....

I am looking forward to...a cruise in November

A favorite quote for today..If I cannot keep my own secrets, why do I think someone else can keep them..

One of my favorite things is spoiling my grandchildren

A few plans for the rest of the week: I am going to a birthday party tomorrow afternoon for a special 2- years old little boy.

A peek into my day. I got annoyed today when someone made life about themselves while sharing with a person who needed to feel special about themselves...

Picture is my hubby flyfishing in GA in September.

John and Me on 8-9-12

We went on the Carnival Dream with Andy and Carol Horvath from August 4th to August 11th, 2012 to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Hurricane Ernesto kept us from going to Belize and Honduras, but we went to Cozumel, Progresso, Mexico, Freeport, Bahamas and Nassau .

9-11-11

John and I were married on the 10th of September and we left on a cruise for Cozumel, Cayman Islands, Belize, Roatan, Honduras on  The Carnival ® Legend.  We did not even get off the ship in Belize, as we have been there before and John was not feeling well.

The food on the Legend is delicious, the service is excellent and the layout and design of the ship is perfection in my humble opinion.

My wedding attendants

 

I chose the colors coral and peach for my wedding, but it ended up being more turquoise and peach. My older grandchildren stood up there with me.

My dad performed the ceremony, since he is a minister. I am very blessed to still have my parents.

Audrielle posing for school picture

Schools make so much money by suckering parents into buying pictures

throughout the year.

Parents who cannot afford it feel like they are made to feel like bad parents if they

don't purchase the photo

package. Well one of my girls succumbed to the preasure a few weeks ago. But

then wouldn't you if your daughter

looked like this? And to top it off Audrielle who is now 4½ years old had cut her

bangs very short. Did not matter

with the cute hat. She looks so much like her mom did, that it is quite scary.

Sleepless in LOL

After ten years of being menopausal one would think I would quit having these awful symptoms.

The worst symptoms are not being able to sleep at night and the intense hot flashes I get.

I become so exhausted during the day and by afternoon I end up falling asleep for an hour or

more.

Although I go to bed by midnight, I usually lie there for hours tossing and turning. Then the

vicious cycle repeats itself. I go from one bed in the house to another trying to get

comfortable or cool enough to sleep. My feet can be as cold as ice, but my inner temperature

will be boiling hot. Sometimes I take a sleeping pill. It took me years to get a doctor to give me

some Ambien. The sleep doctors said I have a bad case of apnea, but the sleep machine made

me feel so claustrophobic and I knew I would not use the machine. For many months I had

restless leg syndrome. I took Mirapex for several months and that helped. Side effects could be

excessive libido or uncontrollable urges to shop or gamble. I thought the increased libido would

be interesting, but I got no side effects.

So tonight I will watch television until I feel like I cannot keep my eyes open and then I will toss

and turn for an hour or so. After I fall asleep I will suddenly awaken and feel very hungry.

I will make my way to the pantry and get a teaspoon of peanut butter. Who am I trying to fool?

I will get up and have a TABLESPOON of peanut butter and drink a bottle of water or a glass of

tomato juice and take a sleeping pill. BY four o'clock I will pass out. At six o'clock John will kiss

me goodbye and I will probably call him later and ask if I was dreaming, or did he really tell me

goodbye.

Sleepover at Yaya's

Saturday night the 22nd of January Leah and Sierra came over for a sleepover.

They loved playing with the dollhouse that I got at a garage sale for $8.00.

I did spend $17.00 for dollhouse furniture, but it was so worth it to see them

enjoying themselves. They watched a Barbie movie and had popcorn and then ended up

sleeping with me. Sierra sleeps very lightly and was still awake at midnight.

Leah slept in the twin bed most of the night, but eventually she awakened and got

in bed with Sisi and me. Of course John had to get a camera and take a picture.

Leah is five and Audrielle is four

On Sunday January 16th we celebrated the

birthdays of Audrielle who was four on January 9th

and Leah who was five on the 19th of January.

Everyone came except Scotty, Dawn, and Tracy.

We had pizza and other snacks and then cake.

My family brings me lots of happiness.

Incidentals not always known about me.

1. what is your favorite restaurant/s?

I love Cracker Barrel for the homey feel and comfort foods.

2. Which inspires you more: a good conversation, a song, a book or movie?

It would be hard for me to choose.

3. What is your favorite board game?

I hate board games today in most cases. I love scrabble. but monoply is the most boring game ever.

4. As you grow older, are you more or less patient with small children?

I think I am much more patient. I expect children to be children. When I was younger I sometimes expected adult behaviors from little ones.

5. Name one item you never let yourself run out of.

Toilet Paper.

6. Do you agree with Tennyson's assertion, "'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?"

oh yes. The memories of such love can feel the emptiness of being alone.

7. Name one national treasure or monument that you have visited.

Most of the monuments in D.C.

8. What brings me the most joy in life?

watching my grandchildren grow up and enjoying all the loving, talking to my friends and my parents.

9. What makes your kitchen uniquely yours?

the vases on the cabinets. most of them are antiques by Roseville and Hull.

10. Are you a crafty person?

Not at all

11. What is your favorite traditional picnic or bbq (cookout) food?

hotdogs, hamburgers and potato salad

12. My most favorite times are? when I am on vacation.

I love trying new foods, seeing new sights and enjoying the wonder of it all.

13. At one point in my life I made most of my own clothes.

14. I love being by myself. I would not be afraid to travel alone to a new city.

So I made it into the newspaper

On August 7th, 2010 I participated in a chivaree-also know as a "belling."

we performed a "Belling". This is a Rockingham County folk tradition dted to the 1700's. The tradition was inherited from German settlers who migrated into the Shenandoah Valley from Pennsylvania. It is a form of the old "chivaree" where a community would honor a citizen who had attained a new status, such as marriage. The frolicsome crowd would go to the newlywed's home at night and get them out of bed. They would parade down the street clanging cowbells, smashing pans together, and shouting cheers. The groom would push the bride down the street in a wheelbarrow.
My cousin Roger who is deceased had a daughter get married in June, so we "belled" Britney and Brandon. I was born in Rockingham County, VA and the Daily Record came and took pictures of the Belling.

Will spring ever get here?

On Sunday the 14th of March we had a princess tea party for Sierra's third birthday.

The kids had so much fun.
I love the cooler weather, but I am so tired of gray clouds and rain.

My azaleas are starting to bloom and the grass needed mowed, but

that is the only sign of spring.

I had such a nice break when I took my mom on the cruise last week to

San Juan, St. Maartin, Tortola, and Nassau. My life is GOOD.

A fun Saturday

I woke up this morning to my little Audrielle kissing my face and saying "I love you, Yaya." She is such a precious three years old granddaughter. Shrtly after that my sixteen years old granddaughter Ashley texted me. We made arrangements for lunch and after checking out Cracker Barrel we decided to go to Panera Bread. Her dad showed up there, so she went home with him.

Tonight, I am taking John out to Charley's Steakhouse for his 67th birthday celebration. I am already salivating thinking about sashimi and filet mignon. Hopefully my headache will be gone completely.

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Free genealogy - Geneology

Atlanta Blues

We arrived in Atlanta last night around 6:00 pm. As soon as we checked into the hotel, we decided to find a place to have dinner. I had seen a Cheesecake Factory on the way in, so that was my suggestion.

The Embassy has very comfortable beds and we slept in late this morning. After a delicious "free" breakfast we went to Target and then came back to the hotel. I had my hair fixed by Becky's hairdresser.

As we left for Target we witnessed a bad fight in the Embassy parking garage. I called 911 and it took three agencies before Dekalb county decided it was their responsibility. By the time they got to the hotel the people (20 kids) were gone. I know one guy got hurt pretty bad and a girl started the fight.

It is raining and cold. I love Atlanta but not when it rains.

The picture of Liam was taken on the 7th of January. Liam was one month old that day and I got a picture of him smiling at me.
Liam is five weeks old today and tomorrow I am taking Liam to Fort Myers to visit my parents and to celebrate my mom's 80th birthday. Liam spent the first two weeks of his life in my parents home in Sc, so they feel very bonded with him and his sister Sierra.

Audrielle is three

Saturday was Audrielle's third birthday. Her grandma Terri gave her a Chuck E. Cheese party with ten of her little friends and cousins. It was a bit much for a three year old. She wanted to play and she got very tired of opening gifts. Audrielle is very blessed to have a grandma who has stepped in for her dad who isn't part of her life.

Cathy's graduation