November Happenings

November is almost over, and I haven't blogged in a long time.  Why?  It isn't like I don't have the time, I do have time. 

I helped grandson (this was my hub's son's child...no blood relations at all but from birth till he was around 6 he practically stayed with hub and I a lot (no regrets at all!!) but things changed and his father didn't allow hub and I to see him due to his lifestyle)  so he is no blood relation BUT to me he is and will always be my grandson, Nate.  Nate was able to spend eth Saturday and the night with me.  I told his father about the paper and explained there was no way we could get it finished unless he was allowed to spend the night.  This was the first time he had spent the night in over TWO Years!!  Yep, TWO Years.  Anyway, Nate did the research, wrote the essay on paper, then transferred this to the computer.  I helped with the bibliography.  So the day and most of the night was spent working on the paper.  I enjoyed the time with him.  A few weeks ago, he was so excited because his paper was chosen to go on to the county.   He placed in the school division and now on to the county division.

I gave him a huge hug and told him I was so proud of him.  Was working on the paper difficult?  You better believe it was.  Like I said this was the first time in two years he was able to spend the night and we had to do school work instead of having fun.  Maybe one day, his dad will allow him to spend the night with me.  It will help me tremendously....I get so lonely and the nights are so long.
I miss him and our snuggles.

Snow???  About two weeks ago, we had our first little snowfall.  It was very little accumulation which I am glad.  I use to love the snow but not so much now.

I hope this isn't just a taste of what is to come.

November is a tough month for me.  My dear husband, Charlie, passed away last year the day before Thanksgiving.  Turning the calendar to November, I began counting the days to that one year anniversary mark, which was this past Thursday...11-21-19.  That night prior to Thursday, I went to teach my Wednesday Kid's Church, but when I got home the tears flowed.  I sat down and just couldn't quit crying.  I tried to scan the television to something comedy to watch but still just cried and cried.  It was around 5 that morning that I finally took a shower to get ready for school that I quit crying.  I was so thankful that I was teaching middle schoolers that day.  I made it through the day with a few hugs from my teacher colleagues.

Later that evening, youngest daughter, called.  She is expecting identical twin boys in April.  She and her husband along with their son, Blake, who will be two in January wanted to come down.  They had been to her doctor appointment, and they wanted to eat dinner with me.  Since she is having twins, the twins are in the same placenta but in different sacs, she sees a specialist every other week.
Before dinner, she explained to me that both boys are doing great...they are growing and are the same size and she will return in two weeks.  After dinner, she showed me the pic of the ultrasound and told me they had decided on names.  Twin A 's name is Aiden Charles (after my dear Charlie) and Twin B's name is Liam Grant (Liam comes from William and William was my father's name who passed away shortly after I got married with cancer).  The tears flowed again well, more like heavy, heavy tears.  I love the names.  She said she had thought about her dad all day and I told her I had to.  She was sad that he won't be here to see them,  But I told her that Charlie hand picked them in Heaven and sent them to her and Kenneth. And just like I tell Blake about his Buddy (Charlie was called Buddy not Papaw) I will make sure these two boys will know what a special person their Buddy was.

Courage....my word for 2019...seemed fitting.  I am not looking forward to the holidays.  I think last year I was still numb and in shock but this year is different.  At Thanksgiving, hub and I would prepare a dish, take it to the church, and then help deliver over 500 meals to families who had little.  After delivering the meals, we came home and would set up and decorate our Christmas Tree.  This year, I will prepare a dish but not help deliver meals.  I just don't want to without hub.
As for as decorating for Christmas, I don't want to.  It just doesn't feel good to decorate without hub.  Hoping this feeling changes...but right now I am hurting.

I see pictures and read post of many people getting in the Christmas spirit and I am like ...No, not me and then I cry.  I know hub is no longer suffering (colon cancer) but gosh I miss him terribly.  Like I said, I think last year I was numb but his year it is like for REAL!

I went this afternoon to see this little guy, Blake.  He had just gotten up from his nap.

Yes, Christmas PJ's.  I smiled and gave him a big, huge hug.
Courage....for this season...this beautiful season to celebrate Our Lord and Savior. I will hug this fellow a little tighter and remember the good times.

Until Next Time....Take Care and Enjoy Life

Tammy

It is October

September has come and gone and where did it go??

The beginning of September I began staining my deck.  Hub had replaced the deck last year and I was told that I needed to stain it.  I was told this in May so the first of September I tackled this project.  Shew!!!  the deck wasn't so bad but all the railing....now that was a different story.

I also began trimming my hedges....yep I was told this needed to be taken care of before fall...so I started this job.  It was soo hot that day.  I remember this day like yesterday.  September 12th to be exact.  I had just come in the house to grab a cool drink because it was extremely hot.  #2 daughter called and asked where I was.  I told her I was trimming the hedges and she replied..."No you're not."  Which I then said...well, I just came in the house to grab a cool drink...I am dying it is so hot.  No sooner had I spoken those words when I caught a glimpse of #2 daughter's hub walking around toward the back of the house.  My mind began racing...now grandson just started going to a babysitter in August ( I kept him for 19 months) and I began thinking the worst...grandson had fallen, grandson was sick, etc.  I quickly went outside.  Emily (#2 daughter) was standing beside her hub.  She was smiling...They came to tell me she was pregnant.  I yelled....Yeah!!  Then they proceeded to tell me she was pregnant with TWINS!  What?  Did you say twins?!  So twins it is...due date is April but the doctors are telling her she will deliver early.  Right now, the doctors are saying they are identical twin boys.  As long as daughter and babies are healthy...I don't care about the sex.

The following week, #2 daughter's hub had to go to Las Vegas for a business trip. ( I could handle that business trip.)   Emily asked if I would spend the week with her and help her with Blake.  Gosh..don't even ask...I was thrilled.  Although, I must admit, I had forgotten how tiresome it is to keep up with a 20 month old toddler boy.  I enjoyed giving him a bath and tucking him in at night...but I was ready for bed too!  I had made plans in the summer to attend my sorority reunion and was leaving that Friday so #1 daughter, Amanda, spent the night so I could carry on with my plans.  Emily's hub arrived home Saturday morning.

My sorority reunion was a blast!  My college roommate and I shared a room together that weekend.  It was so much fun.  We attended the cocktail hour that Friday evening.  On Saturday we went to a brunch, tailgate meal, and watched the football game.

Such a fun weekend!!

The next week was going to be a busy one.  #2 daughter's hub had to be in New Jersey plus it was Apple Festival Weekend in my town.  Apple Festival is celebrated every year in September...the last weekend in September.  This festival has been going on for 50 years.  The festival includes a craft fair, many food vendors, a parade, a pet show, art shows, and a band competition.  I knew this was going to be a busy week.  The weather was extremely hot and I do believe this is one reason the crowd was down from previous years.  #1 daughter entered a float in the parade/competition and placed second..Yeah!

The festival is a three day event.  All seemed to enjoy the festival.

The following week, that Monday to be exact, I was just chillin at the house.  #2 daughter calls and her hub was very sick.  His temp was 103 and he was aching all over.  She and grandson wanted to come to my house; her husband was going to the doctor the next day.  I still had Blake's bed as a baby bed; they (daughter and hub) had changed his bed at his house to a toddler bed.  The first night, Blake was not a happy camper.  He wanted in his toddler bed and it was a very rough night.  Shew!  The next day his bed was changed to a toddler bed!!  A piece of cake for the remainder of the week.  Her husband didn't have the flu; doctors called it a virus.  His temperature finally broke that following Friday and he began to feel better.  

So the month of September is kinda a blur....a lot was happening.  

Here it is the middle of October!!!   The weather is beginning to feel more like fall...temps cooler in the mornings and evenings now.  I have started back walking in the afternoons, something I missed during the month of September and I plan on going to my Pound Exercise class this Thursday...something I haven't been to in a while.  

After having this little man around...

I feel lost!!

Until Next Time....Enjoy Life!

Wednesday Medley

Wednesday Medley


1. The first week of October is National Mystery Series Week. Do you sleuth alongside Nancy Drew or Miss Marple? Fan of Nero Wolfe? 

I am not into mysteries :(   Most genre I love but not mysteries.

2. The first week of October is also National Chili Week. Do you plan on celebrating with a bowl of red? Have a top secret recipe to share?

No Way!  I love chili; the hotter the better BUT we are still having temps in the 90s!!  I know it is crazy, right?  I might celebrate with a cool drink full of ice!


3. October 2nd is National Name Your Car Day. Does your car or did a family car have a name? 

I think I remember when growing up, we named our family truck.

4. Today is also National Walk To School Day. Did you walk to school with your friends? Take a school bus? Ever have someone carry your books home from school? 

I rode the bus most days to school.  It was fun standing in line waiting on the big, yellow bus while talking to my friends.  In high school there was someone who would carry my books...oh to be young again.

5. And it is National Pumpkin Seed Day. Do you like pumpkin seeds? Do you carve the pumpkin and roast the seeds? Do you buy packaged, prepared pumpkin seeds? Or more of a pumpkin spice person?

I like pumpkin seeds.  I haven't carved a pumpkin in about 7 years.  The last pumpkin carved was with my hub's grandson who at that time was 3.  I enjoy carving pumpkins but with no little ones around anymore, I don't carve them.  My grandson will be 2 in January so maybe this is the year to start again.
I don't buy packaged pumpkin seeds as far as pumpkin spice can take it or leave it.6. Please tell us something interesting about your week. 

The weather has been extremely hot!!  Our community celebrated the Apple Festival this weekend.  The crowd was definitely down due to the heat.  #2 Daughter entered a float from her drug store and won second place.

Have a great rest of the week....Enjoy Life

Girls' Trip

A few months ago, some college friends came up to spend a few days with me.  We were talking about taking another girls' trip.  We had taken one in 2016 to Asheville and enjoyed the trip.  We talked and talked and decided to try Asheville again.  When my friends left, we began messaging each other and trying to make plans for our Asheville trip.
The Asheville trip turned into a Hawaiian Trip! Now that is a trip...
One of my friends had a timeshare on the island of Maui, and she invited us to go for a week.  Yes...how can one turn this down...a once in an opportunity to travel to Hawaii.  .
Plane tickets were arranged ( I had to fly an extra day ) and we were OFF!!

Our flight left Atlanta on a Sunday morning.  We arrived in Dallas just 20 minutes prior to our connecting flight to Hawaii.  Shew!!  we ran through the airport and barely caught the train (one friend actually grabbed on to the pole as the train was pulling out) but we made it!!

The flight was a little over 10 hours.  I thought this would be the hard part for me...flying for so long because I am not the type of person to just sit still.  But with the movies, the books, the food/drinks, and a few cat naps (even though an entire can of Coke was spilled over me..ahem)  I made it.

We managed to get our rental car and stopped to pick up a few snacks and drinks before heading to our resort.  We didn't really plan this out because our rental car was already packed with luggage and then we piled it fuller with food and drinks.(smh)  Thankfully, the resort had people who unloaded our stuff and took it to our room.

Reservations had been made for massages.  I had never had a massage before and was a little bit skeptical.  The girls had helped me choose beforehand the type of massage I wanted, Thank you Ladies. The Grand Wailea is one of the largest massages/spa places in Hawaii.  It had five specialty baths, Roman tub, cascading waterfalls, Swiss jet shower, and a Japanese furo.  I left feeling completely renewed!!

The outside was just as magnificent as the inside.

The Banyan Tree in Lahaina was something to see.  The canopy was so large.  I can hardly imagine how this tree was so small and now this...

We went to a luau one evening.  Great food and entertainment.

A few people told us we needed to travel to Haleakala.  After the luau, we headed to pack our bags and catch a few winks before leaving at 1:30am to catch the sunrise.  The temperature on Haleakala , which is a dormant volcano...is 41 degrees so we needed to dress warmly and pack a change of clothes after the sunrise.  The gates open at 3am for visitors.  We parked our car, decided to catch a few more winks before the sun came up, so we set our phone alarms.  Our phone alarms didn't go off because one could see the pink in the sky so everyone started running toward the summit. It was cold and windy.  All stood in awe as we began to see the different colors of the sky.  BAM...a cloud came up and blocked the view.  The tour guide said it could be 5 minutes or 5 hours no one knew exactly when the cloud would leave.  Even though I didn't see the sun rise over the volcano, the sight I did see was spectacular.  An amazing sight....only God could have painted.

The silver sword plant, a very rare plant  grows on  Haleakala. Maui and the Big Island are the only two places this plant grows.

We stopped for breakfast at this cozy place.

Yummy!

We also traveled the road to Hana. 

The road consist of many stops to see:

Waterfalls

Rainbow Trees

Black sand

And many interesting sights.

The sunsets in Hawaii are breathtaking.

Our trip had other adventures as well.  We saw banana trees

Olive trees

Sea Turtles

Chickens...roam freely

We blinked...it was time to head to the airport and leave.

Before leaving we were told to return our leis back to the earth.  One could throw them in the ocean...but before doing so, one must cut the string and toss each flower or hang on a tree.  We all decided to hang ours on a tree.

A beautiful place to visit...and one blinks and it is time to head home.

Until Next Time....

Take Care and Enjoy Life