Valentine's Day Memories

My friend Chere reminded me that exactly two years ago we were on a Hawaiian cruise aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines. Chere, Deb, Jamie and I joined ScrapMap for a scrapping good time for nine glorious days. It was also Jamie's 30th birthday gift from me. Nice, huh?


There were adventures every day...swimming with turtles on The Big Island, zip-lining through the forest canopy and horseback riding on Kauai, biking down Haleakala on Maui...


...our first luau...



...mudbugging...



...and hanging out together.


We had such a great time we decided to go again. We're joining ScrapMap for the Ultimate Scrapbook Cruise 2010 to Mexico and Honduras. Check out Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas itinerary here.

What's your favorite Valentine's Day memory? What ever you do and where ever you are, I hope your Valentine's Day is wonderful!

Ummmm...honey?

Me: [on the phone with Doughboy] Uh, we have a problem.

DB: [sounding slightly annoyed or bored] I'm more than 800 miles away...you can handle it. What's the problem?

Me: Well, we had a lot of wind from all the storms in the plains. Anyway, I thought someone had stolen our patio furniture. I could only find two chaise chairs.

DB: [silence]

Me: I found them...they are in the pool.

DB: So? Can you get them out? [duh]

Me: [peering into the deep end of the pool] No...they are in 7 feet of frigid water. What should I do?


DB: It's outdoor furniture...they're used to getting rained on. Just leave 'em there. [duh again]


At this point all common sense has flown right out the window. And I'm annoyed he can't do something - NOW! Yes, I know Doughboy is in Pittsburgh. Yes, I know that perhaps, just maybe, he is right about the furniture being alright for the time being. For some insane, irrational reason this is really under my skin. I keep walking outside to stare into the pool as if by magic the chaise chairs will fly out on their own. This just goes against my grain and all reason to leave them in the pool. But I can't get them out alone.

Guess what Doughboy has on his "honey do" list for tomorrow????

A Mind Of Her Own

Kady Elise (a/k/a Bug) has a mind of her own which is typical of her breed. When you call her to come, she may or may not respond depending on her mood. Most often she gives you "the look", then completely ignores you as if you were something messy she nearly stepped in.

Kady, come here. [long pause]

KADY! COME! HERE!

Did you see that? She just flipped me the dew claw!

Being ignored by a dog is an all time low. At least I can always count on my main man Leo to give me some sugar :)

Leo? LEO!!!!!

Perpetual Motion

Having grandsons in my life has been quite an adjustment. Let's face it - boys are much different than girls even at an early age. I had one child - a girl - who was mature well beyond her years. I always considered her as having an old soul. Jamie was content to play with her dolls or draw for hours on end with hardly a noise. On the other hand, boys are all noise and action. Always in motion! At almost 3 years old, Jameson never stops moving. I snapped the first two photos while he ate breakfast. It was a momentary opportunity to catch Jameson in photo without blur.

Keeping still didn't last long. He was in motion...again...

Yup, it's out of focus. {sigh} I guess I should feel fortunate to get two out of three photos in focus. I think this may be a new record.

It's a good thing he's cute.

Isn't She Lovely

Strawberry creams and wonderful dreams,

Ladylike airs and teddy bears,

Fairy tales and wedding veils,

Thats what granddaughters are made of.

He Has A Sense Of Humor

Twenty years ago I married a man I knew a mere 5 weeks and 6 days. We barely knew each other when we began our life together, but some things you "just know". So it was with Doughboy. He is gentle and loving, honest and laid back. But what I love more than anything is his sense of humor. Another quirky trait is that he cannot wait until a special event to give me a gift. One week from Valentine's Day is too long for him to reveal the gifts he bought for me.

Today he announced Gift #1 - tickets to see Larry The Cable Guy at the Fox Theater. Larry The Cable Guy is a redneck comic who is part of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour - he makes me laugh so hard I can hardly breathe. Check out his web site here.

Gift #2 took a lot of thought and planning. The photos on the M&M candies are of us taken on one of our Caribbean sailing adventures. Here are a few images...

Gift #3 defies explanation.

How did I get so lucky to marry such a man? Some women covet jewelry and furs...I want romantic love and a man with a sense of humor. I have all the riches I could ask for...and more!

It's Hard to Say Goodbye

The downturn in the world economy is on the minds and hearts of everyone. Each time I turn on the television or pick up a newspaper, the news is grim. Long time favorite retailers like Linens 'N Things and Circuit City are gone forever, while many others struggle to keep afloat.

There is sadness in the scrapbooking community when yet another local store closes or a favorite publication fades away. Such is the case with one of my favorite publications Simple Scrapbooks. Here is an excerpt of the official announcement...

"I am saddened to share that, due to difficult conditions in both the economy and the publishing market, the May/June 2009 issue of Simple Scrapbooks magazine (on sale April 14) will be its last. "

If you are a SS subscriber, not to worry. The remaining balance of your subscription will be transferred to Creating Keepsakes. Rather than paraphrase, you can read the complete announcement on the SS blog here.

Another popular publication - Digital Scrapbooking Magazine - also bites the dust. You can read the complete announcement here. Both SS and DSM are publications of scrapbook giant CK Media.

“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”—Winston Churchill

Just For Grins

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are this year's winners. Read them carefully. Each is an artificial word with only one letter altered to form a real word. Some are terrifically innovative:

Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.

Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.

Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's, like, a serious bummer.

Decafalon (n.): The gruelling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

Glibido: All talk and no action.

Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.And

The #1 Pick:

Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole. (I work with a lot of these.)

It's So C-c-c-old!

I was born and raised in the mid western state of Wisconsin. Winters were cold, snowy, and long. Soon after Doughboy and I married we moved to the windy city of Chicago. Winters were cold, snowy, long, and windy. I don't do well with cold and was ecstatic when we moved to the southern state of Georgia 9-1/2 years ago. Yeah! No more cold, snowy winters that last forever!

It rarely snows here and even then it is short lived. You may recall this post from last January when Georgia had its only snowfall of the winter season. The brief winters usually fade into spring rather quickly without the long drawn out seasons found in the northern region.


To keep underground pipes from breaking, our pool has a freezeguard protection. The waterfalls will automatically flow when the temperature drops below 32 degrees. It is never a good sign when the waterfalls flow outside of their normally programmed time - it means the temp is bitterly cold.

But wait...what's this I see?

Could that be ice? You've got to be kidding! Arghhhhhh! Around here this sight is as unusual as a snow plow.

I... HATE... COLD!

Blog Award

I have a confession. I am obsessed with Google. I Google anything and everything, looking and searching for God knows what. It's a total waste of time and energy, yet I can't stop myself. This time, I had a real purpose in mind - I Googled blog awards. Did you know there are literally dozens of major awards floating around in cyberspace? This number doesn't include the smaller awards given as recognition from fellow bloggers.

As little as 2 years ago I never even heard of a blog. If I did, the word went in one ear and out the other. Here I am today - blogging for more than a year - and the recipient of a blog award from Deb at Drivin' 55. It is with great pride that I add the Friendship Award to my list of others. Okay, I only have two other awards. But they are important to me.


The following explanatory paragraph is to be included when you post about this award.

The Friends Award isn't about being the most popular blogger or having the most read blog. It is just because you are a friend. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

It's very difficult for me to choose bloggers on which to bestow an award. I worry about hurting someone's feelings. Therefore, I am giving this award to all the blogs on my blogroll list. I visit them every day and consider each one worthy of the Friends Award.

Thanks, Deb!