H&M Store in Ceasar's Palace Mall - Amazing!

Things to Do!

The things you do to occupy a child's time so he don't cry; like the photo booth! This photo booth was within the Rain Forrest Cafe in the MGM Hotel and Casino.

What a Scene on the Vegas Strip!

In front of the Venetian Hotel & Casino, while I was in Vegas, you could see Garfield and Mickey impersonators that had drunk a little too much. The sad part was that there were so many small children outside the Venetian ice skating, watching performers, and checking out the Christmas decorations. Of course the older visitors were laughing, and even giving them tips.

I don't want to name any names that put money in their buckets, but one person was Robin. Hopefully Debbie rolled Grady away in a hurry so he didn't see. I think they probably should wait until after dark to do this demonstration.

I did think it was funny though; forgive me!

Mandalay Bay Headless Statue

Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924), who was one of the leaders of the Soviet revolution, was a controversial figure in history and there is a statue of him outside Red Square restaurant. It initially caused quite a stir when it was unveiled in 1999. Mandalay Bay received complaints about having a statue of a Soviet leader in its hotel, and after finding out that heads were being removed from many Lenin statues in Eastern Europe, the hotel decided to decapitate the Communist leader’s likeness and stain the shoulders and shoes with simulated bird droppings. The head was originally hung from the ceiling above the statue, but in a strange twist, it was stolen and was missing for several weeks before finally turning up in a large pile of items donated to a local thrift store. The 250-pound head is now safely encased inside a block of ice within Red Square’s walk-in freezer. Only the visitors that purchase the expensive vodka can see it in the freezer if they ask, or that's what they say.

Las Vegas Baby!

If you want to exercise, you must go to Las Vegas, NV. Robin and I were missing our niece, her husband and their little boy. So we booked a plane to Vegas to see them.

The first night we arrived at 11:30 p.m.; our family picked us up at the airport, and our adventures begun. We walked from Excalibur all the way to Mandalay Bay; we saw the pyramids, Egyptian statues and everything in between. We got back to the hotel at 3:30 a.m.

Next morning; we were off to the breakfast buffet at Circus Circus, it was the cheapest. Then onto the Adventuredome. All the rides you could imagine; they were a little pricy at $5 a ride, but you're in Vegas. I was talked into going to the Sponge Bob Square Pants interactive movie. You wore 3D glasses; things happened that was on the screen. The pirate who introduces the shows spits, and water is spurted out at you. The only part that was yucky was they showed a massive pack of rats, and it looked like they were coming after you. Amazing film, even if I am an adult!


Below is a picture that was taken at the Adventuredome: front row - Robin, Penny and Debbie, Back row - Jim, Mike and my Grady Man. Grady is two and a half years old; he did really well sight seeing with us. I did realize that I'm not as young as I used to be. :-)



Then we spent some time with our family at their home; we went to Oat man, AZ where the burros roamed free, and watched a live gun fight with blanks in the guns of course. Laughlin, NV is another gambling strip; we walked the River-walk, rode on the Riverboat and had a strawberry daiquiri. I did a lot of drinking; I don't know if that's good or bad.

We also went to a In and Out Burger joint; I have a shirt to prove it, and it was really good. The staff were all so nice, the restaurant was so clean, and my niece said that the employees got at least $10 an hour. They even went to Hawaii once a year, and it's hard to find a job there. No one wants to leave.

Our last few days we were in Vegas; we walked from The Excalibur to the Venetian and back. Boy were we tired, but there were some amazing things to see. The lion habitat, flamingo habitat, Caesars Palace was my favorite. The Bellogio was really fancy, everyone was rude. I don't want to stay there. One man even ran over me while I was walking in the front door. We even got to go into the "Kardasian Chaos" store in the Mirage Hotel.

Unfortunately we had to leave on Monday; our plane left around 3 p.m., it was delayed due to the arriving flight had to be deiced in Denver. Of course that made our connection delayed, and we didn't make it home until almost midnight. I'm so tired, but it was so worth every minute with my family.

My Birthday 2011 - Better than I Thought!

When I woke up this morning, I just wanted the day over. I've always spent my birthday with my Mom and Dad, or at least one of them. This year was the first birthday without being with my Mom, and being without my Dad since the year 2000. My thought since I was off work today was that I would get some items done that I needed to, like calling to find out about insurance policies that my Mom had left within a filing cabinet. I just found the papers while cleaning last week. Of course after calling, now I have more work to do.

Then I thought I would visit my Internist to get some blood work done while I was off; that was fun, they were not able to draw my blood. It kept clotting to fast, and the vein would quit supplying blood. Now I have to go back to that office to get blood drawn.

Well now let me tell you the things that made it a good day!

• Anna: an old friend that I haven't heard from in a while texted me Happy Birthday while she was on her way to work. She said it always made her feel better when she talked to me.
• Robin, my amazing sister, texted me Happy Birthday.
• Kevin, Paulette, Steve, Brooke and Vicki from work texted me Happy Birthday. Kevin even remembered today was my birthday all by himself.
• I had 59 Happy Birthday messages on Face Book from all my friends; it was so touching, and I just couldn't believe they took time to do that for me.
• My unbelievable friend and co-worker Abatha emailed me last Friday to wish me a Happy Birthday and a fabulous weekend. So sweet!
• My Internist, which I think so much of, gave me a birthday hug. He said he would sing to me with the help of his staff when I left. He would have too, if he wasn't in another patients room. Thank goodness, that would probably have embarrassed me. I love him for the hug and the thought; he's the best.
• I got a birthday card from my chiropractor for a free visit; he forgot to tell me Happy Birthday when I saw him today though. He needs to do better, but his nurse told me Happy Birthday.
• I got to have my favorite chocolate cake at Stoney River Restaurant in Cool Springs with my Sis.
• I get to see my niece Debbie, her husband Mike, and my great nephew Grady very soon; I even got to talk to her on the phone Sunday until Grady decided to stand up in the car while it was moving. :-)
• Presents!

Thanks to everyone for making my Birthday this year so special; you don't know how much it meant to me, I think someone above must have been looking out for me. He worked through all of you. I'm so lucky to have you all in my life!

Opryland Hotel - Remembering the Flood of 2010 at Christmas

Walking through the Opryland Hotel at Christmas is a little melancholy this year; I keep looking at each area to see what's new, and what was saved from the flood of 2010. Below is a picture of the front desk, registration area. This was updated with all this new technology; nothing like it used to be.

Below is a picture of the lights outside; the tree looked pretty much the same, but I did notice a few lighted items missing. I believe there was a toy soldier that wasn't anywhere to be seen. They did have the nativity scene outside though, with its story being said through speakers.

Here is a covered gazebo within the Cascade area; it looked the same, just a little more shiny and less flowering vines.

Here is in the Delta area; it does look different, no fountain. The fountain, I believe, is where the Christmas tree is located right now. The Delta is where the waterways take visitors on tours of the hotel.

Good things can come out of bad situations; they were able to save the beautiful staircase, it reminds me of the staircase within the Tara mansion in the "Gone with the Wind" movie. Then the new glass scultpure within the lobby adds a beautiful touch.

Many of the businesses have reopened within the Opryland Hotel area; there are still a few that haven't reopened, they were devastated by the flood. One business that hasn't opened back up is the wax museum; many of the wax figures floated in the water during the flood, and many of the emergency personnel thought they were victims. The emergency personnel put theirselves in harms way to try and save these figures they thought were victims, but turned out to be a wax figure. So many of the wax figures were damaged beyond repair.

I overheard a person talking about the mall the other day; they were wondering what happened to the aquatic life that lived within the mall. There was a petting zoo of sting rays, a restuarant with fish, sharks and such within a huge tank. They were worried that if they went to a movie that they may look down and see one of these creatures. People think of everything!

This really taught Nashville that you never know what will happen tomorrow; we didn't ever in a million years think that there would be a flood that would cause the Opryland Hotel and the Mall to close for almost a year. So don't take things for granted; enjoy the holiday season one day at a time, and hold onto those memories. They could last a lifetime.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Doesn't Look Like My Childhood Library!

Stress Management - Things to Remember

Seminars with Dr. Hinz - STRESS MANAGEMENT

Description: Stress, Stress, STRESS!!! You can’t escape it, you can’t avoid it, and sometimes it’s overwhelming to deal with. Stress is a part of Everyone’s lives; it comes in the form of little slips and falls, work, and day to day activities. Come learn the different kinds of stress, how they affect you and how to overcome them. I thought with the holidays coming up that this seminar would be appropriate. Holidays can be extremely stressful, and I think Dr. Hinz described me to a "T" with his seminar description above. Why does he always look at me when he talks about little slips and falls? It just happened once while I was in my sock feet running for the telephone. The different types of stress are Physical (body), Chemical (Anything you put in your mouth) and Emotional (feelings or thoughts). Stages of stress are Alarm, Resistance, and Exhaustion. I think we all have experiences all of these stages at one time or another. Actions to take to help with stress: Breathe from your diaphragm (several times) Exercise (Get outside - Burst Train) Burst training is walking, then run and then go back to walking and etc. Laugh (often) Drink more Water (You should drink 1/2 your weight in ounces of water.) Sleep (Best position is on your back.) Organize your Priorities (Create a top 5 list, do a 80/20% list or etc.) Get Adjusted (Yeah right - Dr. Hinz is a chiropractor) I am on a mission to not stress out during the holidays, get back to eating right, and not kill anyone. So, I am going to try these actions to see if they work. If they don't, Dr. Hinz is in trouble! Try them for yourself, and keep me updated.

Joke Friday

Kevin, a co-worker of mine, told me a joke. Here it goes!

"A skeleton walks into a bar; he asks the bartender for a beer and a mop!"

Get it? The skeleton's beer would go right through, then he would have to mop it up. Took me a little while too; I was just happy that he told me a joke!

"Deep Thoughts by Penny"

I'm following my good friend Abatha's lead, and writing down some deep thoughts. I try not to have too many deep thoughts due to it's just too exhausting. Here it goes though.

1. I've realized that I'm so attached to electricity; arriving home last night and realizing that my electricity was out due to a car hitting a pole, just bummed me out. It had been out since 2:15 p.m. and didn't come back on until 6:15 p.m.; I had to figure out what to do for almost two hours without my TV, Computer or lights, it wasn't easy.

2. Good thought: I won two prizes at a seminar yesterday; one was a $50 restaurant card and the other was a folding outside chair. The bad news is that I didn't win the Kindle.

3. Thank goodness I have a sister that puts up with my bad, good and ugly moods. I've had them all the last few weeks.

4. I'm too old to clean out a house to sell, work, get a car repaired that needs a temporary license to get on the road, keep up the house I'm living in and love, have some fun and lose weight!

5. St. Louis Cardinals won Wednesday and are still in the playoffs; next game Friday, Oct. 7. I'm excited and skeptical at the same time!

6. I'm pretty darn lucky compared to a lot of other people within our world today; that's what I am going to keep telling myself.

7. I'm going to see "Wicked" in a couple of weeks. AWESOME!

I have no more thoughts; it's only 7 a.m., and I've been up since 5 a.m. My brain is just not working correctly this early.

Good idea Abatha - We need to do this again!

My Good Friend Danny!

Last Sunday morning I woke up ready to get all the projects that I needed to get done off my "To Do" list; I was fortunate enough to get grocery shopping done, and then around 1:30 p.m. I got a text. The text said "Danny had a heart attack this morning and that he was at Centennial Hospital awaiting surgery tomorrow. "

I've known Danny as long as I've worked at my current job (Twelve Years); he's always picked on me, watched out for me, and just made me laugh. He even drove to KY to give me a hug at the funeral home before my Mom was buried last December. He's pretty special, but I didn't know how much he meant to me until I got that text. My first response was to call the person who sent it to me, and find out how bad the situation was. I was able to call that person in between crying, but they didn't have any additional information.

I just couldn't stay at the house when I didn't know how he was; so, I jumped up and drove to the hospital. I got confused in the hospital trying to find his room; a nurse walked me all the way to his room, I must have looked pitiful. There he was laying flat; he was pale with all these tubes and blood, and I just knew it was bad. He did wake up and say my name; he was trying to explain what happened to him when the surgeon's nurse came in to ask him questions about what had happened. I knew the shock of seeing him that way so sudden made me feel faint; I had to get out of that room before I passed out, so I slipped out while the nurse was talking to him. I barely made it to the waiting room, but I did calm myself down and I was OK. Of course, Danny sends his sisters/family to find me.

My good friend Danny Sue (He calls me Penny Lou.) made it through surgery; he has a long way to go, and some life changing decisions. I know he can do it; he has so many people behind him, especially his family and friends. He called me on the phone today to tell me that he had been moved to a regular room, and to let everyone know. That's exactly what I did, but I was so excited to hear his voice, it took me a little while to get the word out.

This year, this week has been rough for me, and many others. You don't realize how much some people mean to you. I didn't think when I got that text; I just was determined that I was going to find out how he was, so I could deal with it. I laugh now thinking back that I held Danny's hand all the time that I saw him that first time, kissed him on the cheek, and told him that I loved him. I can't believe I did that, but I guess you don't know what you will do in those situations.

Danny is such a "GREAT" friend; I have so many more great friends, and thank you for being my friend. Just don't scare me like Danny did, you don't know what I may do.

Love you all!

Monell's Sad Fish Story

Tonight Robin and I went to the "Folk Festival" within Centennial Mall; then we decided to go eat somewhere that we had never ate before, and Monell's Restaurant was just up the street. One table had two chairs left; we had only missed the salad portion, and we started passing the vegetables to the left. Monell's food is served family style; we had ten other people at our table. The menu was mashed potatoes with white gravy, green beans, corn casserole, fried green tomatoes, white beans, broccoli salad, slaw, barbecue ribs, fried chicken, fried catfish, biscuits, cornbread, and banana pudding. Needless to say that my diet wasn't followed tonight, and I was completely full. If you ever have a chance to eat at Monell's, forgo the diet and enjoy!

I was in a picture taking mode outside (as usual) within Monell's patio; it was so beautiful, and one of the employees was taking a break. He had been so nice to us in the restaurant by giving us an event listing of the Italian Festival at St Pius Catholic Church that was being held next week. He began to talk to us outside too. There was a small pond with Lilly pads and a little bridge that crossed over it under an antique light post.

The story the employee told us was that there used to be close to sixteen fish within this pond; one morning when he arrived, the fish were laying sideways. He ran and got help; they drained the pond, and had a water sample tested. Someone had put chlorine in the pond; most of the fish died, but one big fish lived. That fish had swam to the pond through the waters of the Nashville flood.

It is so sad that those fish died; it is also sad that someone would pour chlorine in a fish pond, but wasn't it so touching that the fish that made it there from the flood lived. Sounds like there's a lesson to be learned; the more you struggle the harder you fight maybe?

I love listening to stories and sharing them with others.

My Great Nephew's 2nd Birthday - My Grady Man

My family was reunited with my niece and her new family last year; we were fortunate to spend some great times with them while they were living close to us in Ft. Campbell, but now they have moved to be near my niece's husband's family in Arizona. He is going to be working with the police department now, and she'll be working at a local hospital. Currently they are looking for their own home, so they can get settled in.

This week is Grady's birthday; it'll be hard not to be able to see him, but Robin and I purchased one of those story books that you read the pages. Now he'll have our voices all around until we can get there to see him. Hopefully that will be soon, I sure do miss him bunches and bunches. He's a good little boy!

Happy 2nd Birthday Grady - We love you & miss you!
"I had a 2nd Birthday at one time - That was too long ago to remember!"

Zumba with Black Light Atmosphere

Zumba is a Latin-inspired dance fitness program that involves dance and aerobic elements. Unlike a typical dance class where counts are used, Zumba involves following the music with repetitive movements. Zumba's choreography incorporates hip-hop, samba, salsa, merengue, mambo, martial arts, and some Bollywood and belly dance moves. Squats and lunges are also included.

Oh can't you see Paulette, Eurica, Robin, A'Della, Amanda and I doing this? We have; Paulette, Robin and I have went to this class twice now. I don't know if I make any of the moves, but at least I move. After the first session I was so sore that I it was hard to walk and even breathe, but after last night's session I'm just tired this morning. Hopefully that means I'm getting better!

The wonderful thing about this particular class is that the instructor turns off the lights, and turns on the black lights. That way you can't see each other that well!

Williamson County Fair 2011 Quilt Story

Robin and I went to the Williamson County Fair last night; needless to say I am quite tired this morning, but it was so much fun. I had not been to a fair in over 10 years, but it was a little more expensive than I thought.

There was one section that was called the "Old Days", and there were quilts, lanterns, weaved baskets, looms, and the sad part is that I remember some of these items from my childhood. I'm not as old as some of my friends (Paulette, Lori, Georgia, Vicki and etc.); I bet they would remember all of these old, precious things.

One of the people manning this exhibit told us a story; I'll never forget her telling it, and I wanted to share with you. There was this beautiful quilt hanging on the wall; during last year's fair, everyone could participate in creating a quilt square that would be quilted together for display this year. She said that this big, burly, tattooed man came up to her, and asked if he could create a square. Of course, and he put together this purple star burst with a dark color in the background. The attendant asked him if there was a story behind that square; he said yes, and began to tell his story. His mother had passed away within the past year; he wasn't able to go to the funeral due that he was in prison, and they wouldn't let him out to go. Purple was his mother's favorite color, the dark color of the background was how he felt about not being able to go to the funeral. He thanked the person who helped him put together this quilt piece; he said it helped him to have closure. Everyone in the exhibit was hoping that he would come back this year to see his square quilted together with all the other squares; they had it displayed on the back wall of the exhibit.

The lady telling this story to us said, "You never know who you are going touch, or even help out"! She had an image of this guy with all the tattoos, being in prison to be such a bad guy, but it turned out he was just a big old teddy bear. (That was her exact words.)

Don't judge a book by it's cover, and no matter how much stuff you have or don't have, there's still a chance that you can help someone else. This was just a quilt square to most of the other people creating them, but it meant the world to this man who seemed to love his mother dearly.

Amazing, Amazing story that brought a tear to both Robin and my eyes; I sure hope he came back to the fair this year to see that quilt! I wished they were creating squares to make a quilt for next year's fair; I would have made one, and tried to put as much thought into as this nice man did.

Monday's Recipe - This is for Abatha who is out of the Country for her 10th Wedding Anniversary!

Slow Cooker Taco Chicken - Penny's Creation

4 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 Bag Broccoli Florets
1 Package McCormick Taco Seasoning
1 16 oz Can Diced Tomatoes
1 Package of Whole Wheat Pita Pockets

Place chicken and Broccoli Florets in slow cooker. In a bowl, mix the Taco Seasoning with the 16 ounce can of diced tomatoes. Pour over chicken.

Cover and cook for 3-4 hours on High or 6-8 hours on Low. Serve in whole wheat pita pockets. Optional items on top are sour cream, green onions and salsa. Of course, I put Heinz ketchup, but I put Ketchup on everything! YUMMO!

Note: Abatha has a probe on her crockpot that sticks in the meat. You can set it so that when it reaches the "cooked" internal temperature, it switches the pot to warm so that you don't come home to scorched food if you have to be gone more than 8 hours a day. I don't have a probe, my crock pot is way old, but the chicken was falling apart after 6 hours on high.

Enjoy!

Paulette is a Grandma! - Boy is she old!

Owen Harris Maynord

Born July 26, 2011

11:40 AM

6 pounds 1 ounce

19 3/4 inches long

Robin & I drove to Cookeville last night to see this precious little boy named Owen; Caitlin and Brandon were so excited, and were doing GREAT with him. Of course, Grandma Paulette couldn't put him down. She was able to pull away from him for just a few minutes so Robin and I could hold him. I haven't held a baby in over 20 years I think; he was so little, and made all these faces. Thank goodness Paulette was sitting next to me, because at any moment I thought he was going to start crying. He didn't cry though!

I got to see the nursery, and Brandon & Caitlin's house. It was so beautiful! Clothes and more clothes for Owen; I hope he gets to wear them all. Robin and I took them a "Snowball" plant with a blue bloom; I just had to get that plant, Paulette always corrects me on the name. It's really a "Hydrangea" plant. Poor Paulette; does she know that I just like to harass her? Maybe? The sweetest gift that I saw (besides Owen) was a ruby/diamond ring that Brandon had gotten Caitlin; it was a push gift, and the ruby is Owens birth stone. The diamonds are Brandon's birthstone! Two for one; it's so sweet that Brandon thought of that, and it was completely beautiful. Paulette and John raised an amazing son; I have no doubt that Caitlin and Brandon will raise an amazing son!

Congratulations Maynord Family!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

See Mom, I remembered your birthday! I found this picture; it's the exact way I want to remember you, a smile on your face and a Pepsi in your hand. Boy, you liked those Pepsi's almost as you liked all your kids. Wendy, Robin and I were lucky to have you as a Mom; Debbie and Kris were lucky to have you as a Mamaw, you were a GREAT Mom and Mamaw.

Happy Birthday Mom (July 24th); we love you!

Skate of the Union Address - Predators Fan Day 7-13-11

I receive the Predators newsletter weekly, and last week I noticed there was going to be a Predator's Fan Day open to the public on July 13 from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. My life has been a little stressful lately; I needed some shopping therapy and fun. Thank goodness Paulette was up for this adventure. We both got off work, and planned the day.

We met at Cracker Barrel at 8 a.m.; Paulette ordered 2 eggs, bacon, granola, yogurt, and a blueberry muffin. Of course, I had to be like my friend Paulette and said "I'll have the same". Well, it was nutritious with protein, carbs, fiber and surely something else. It did last until 1 p.m. when we had lunch.

We parked and got to the Predator's arena at about 9:45 a.m., there were a few people there, but not too many. When they opened the doors at exactly 10 a.m. we saw all these people running to get in line for something. We ran to the sidewalk sale at the Pro Shop instead; it was amazing, shirts for $5, hats for $5, bags for $20. Boy, I racked up on a few Christmas presents and a few items for me.

After that we found out why people were in line; it was the used equipment sale, and it didn't start until 11:30 a.m. It was 10:30 a.m., but Paulette and I took turns going to get free Cola drinks at the pizza place. Free drinks and Free popcorn all day long. AWESOME! While standing in line, Paulette had to go to the ladies room. She left me in line to hold our place; while she was gone the line started moving, and only season ticket holders could go in. I'm not a season ticket owner; boy did I panic, but the line stopped four people from the door. They were only letting fifty people in at a time; thank goodness Paulette made it back to the line once she found where I was. I purchased a hockey stick used by GOC and a Predator's long sleeve new shirt that Reebok had made for the team. Only forty dollars, Paulette purchased a hockey stick and shirt. John (Paulette's husband) loved his hockey stick.

It was lunch time now; we didn't have to be back to the arena until 2:30 p.m.; that's when we needed to be back to get the Predator's Dancers and Skaters autographs for Paulette's husband. Merchants is where we ate lunch; we had fried green tomato sandwiches and fries. It was a swanky place with the water already on the table within a glass bottle. The food was excellent, it was a little pricey, but was worth going. Nice employees; I would go back, but probably not often.

Then it was onto the tour of the locker room at 4 p.m.; we road the elevator down one floor, and we got to go through their locker room, lounge, play room and weight room. It concluded at the rink where Paulette and I got paws painted on our face and took a few pictures.

Next it was to go stand in line for the hockey player autographs; the line was wrapped around the arena, and it was suppose to start at 4:30 p.m. It didn't, at 5 p.m. they were not there yet due to an interview. Paulette and I were tired, so we decided to skip out on the autograph session. They only had an hour to sign autographs; we were so far back in line, I don't know if we would have made it. So, we got a picture and autograph from Gnash the mascot. He was ridding a scooter.

We went and bought a t-shirt with their new logo on it, and then started walking back to the car admiring all the buildings along the way. Their new Jerseys would be reviled that night at 6 p.m. at the Skate of the Union Address; the new logo had a yellow stripe though the predator head, and it had some additional features. Musical notes, keyboard, guitar pick with the Tennessee logo of three stars within it. They had a yellow and a white jersey for the 2011 & 2012 season.

There was a card board cut out of the player TooToo right where we were leaving; we both took a picture by it, and Paulette had to tell someone close by that she almost had to hurt someone at a game due to the fact they kept blowing their whistle when TooToo came on the ice. I so am getting her a TooToo whistle for Christmas!

Good Things Happen on the 4th of July 2011

I am proud to be an American; I don't know how proud I am of my neighbors shooting fireworks off until 11:30 p.m. when I have to go to work the next day, but I'll be a good neighbor and be happy they had fun. Probably will rethink that decision when I have to get up early in the morning though.

I did have a fun 4th of July weekend this year!

1. Robin found my favorite wine at a local liquor store; it's from the Mountain Valley Winery close to the Smokies, and it's called Country Red. Tastes just like grape juice.
2. Jim mixed some champagne with a peach mix that you freeze; it was completely delicious, and I still have some.

*I didn't drink that much!

3. My Aunt came to stay with us for a couple of days, and we got along for the most part. :-)
4. Went to "Franklin on the 4th"; there were crafts/vendors around the square downtown in Franklin, TN, and we walked/shopped for a while (It was a little hot!). FUN!
5. My niece Debbie called; I got to talk to her and her son Grady, made the whole weekend the best. Her husband Mike may have a job offer close to Las Vegas; glad she is doing well, and boy do I miss her. We're getting matching tattooes when I go visit her; Robin says I will chicken out.

Hope everyone had an AWESOME July 4th like I did!

It's the Little Things that Make Us Happy!

My boss went on a trip, and left her car keys with me. She was returning today, and I realized that her keys looked different. That's because her car starts by pushing a button; I just had to go try it out, and I needed someone to take the fall in case the alarm went off. So, my buddy Paulette went with me to check it out. See we found the button, but it wouldn't start. Paulette's foot wasn't on the brake. Don't laugh to hard, we did finally get it started!

Short video below:

Kathy: thanks so much for having such an awesome car, letting us start your car, take photos standing by it, and making our day. You are the best ever!

You will leave your keys with me again right?

My Adopted Puppies for the Weekend!

My best buddy, Paulette, went on vacation to the mountains over the weekend, and she let my sister and I take care of her puppies Saturday. Robin and I had it all planned, we would go to a few yard sales in the morning, have brunch at O'Charley's, get a pedicure, get some treats for Jake, Hannah and Scout, feed them, play with them for a few hours, and then right before we leave give them their treats. Great plan right?

Part of the plan came together, just not all of it. We did make it to one yard sale in the morning around 8:30 a.m., and then it started pouring rain. So that ended the yard sales for me; I don't like going through wet yard sale items. The rest of our plan worked, except we got a pedicure before going to brunch.

Then we were off to see the puppies; below is Hannah, she is the sweetest dog. She jumps in your lap, licks your face, and just wants to stay right with you. She gets along well with both Jake and Scout. She's the middle child.


Then, below, there is Scout. Scout was actually given to Brandon, John & Paulette's son, but he stayed at Paulette's house while Brandon was sick and became attached to John & Paulette so he stayed. Scout is a beautiful, big dog; I can't spell the breed of dog he is, but he has so much energy. It was actually hard for me to get a picture. Paulette had warned me about something that Scout would do, but I had forgotten. He likes to walk through your legs; well, Robin and I are a little shorter than John and we almost sat on his back like a minature horse. It was quite funny! Scout is the number three child; such a sweet dog and she may be the last. You never know, Paulette may find another one though.


I left the best for last, Jake. Paulette found Jake in the road one day; she picked him up, and took him home. Jake is getting older; I always try to make sure I pet him, I liked him before I had ever seen Scout or Hannah. Jake doesn't really like the playing between Scout and Hannah; most of the time he ignores it, but just don't get next to his food. He's still such a friendly dog, and you could tell he was missing his family. He'll be mad if they don't come home soon.


I will not forget Lady; she was an outside dog that John and Paulette had for years, and Jake was there for a few years before she passed away from old age. They would bring her in during the winter or on raining days, but she liked being outside. Lady was black, a little bigger than Jake, and she had long hair. We miss you Lady!

Robin and I had a ball playing with, feeding, watering, and giving them treats. I don't know where John & Paulette get the energy to keep up with Jake, Scout and Hannah (especially Scout) every day since they are getting up in years. I'm way younger, and I was tired afterwards.

Thanks for letting us take care of your boys Paulette & John; we loved doing it!

"Shadowfever" - I Can't Put it Down!

My sister and I were walking around Target about three or four months ago, and the cover of this book, "Shadowfever", stopped me in my tracks. I didn't know what the story was about, or if it was a series. I just had to find out.

Karen Marie Moning also wrote the "Highlander" series of books; I hadn't read the books, but I loved the movies. This Fever series had five books, and that includes the last book for now "Shadowfever" that came out in January of 2011. She had dreamed this story, and it took her a while to decide to write her thoughts down from her dream.

My favorite sis got on Amazon and bought me the whole series of books in April, and I didn't slow up reading them until I got to the last one. The one I saw on the shelf at Target, "Shadowfever". I don't want them to end, and I accidentally turned to the last page a few days ago. I was so excited to see that the last sentence ends with, "for now"! So now I'm full throttle ahead with reading, then I will get it to Robin to read, then to Paulette, and finally Brooke will get it.

What amazing marketing of that cover; it got my interest, and I kept going. I've even got three more people on board. This series even has music, merchandise, blog and chat room. The only thing I will warn you of is that some of the sex scenes get a little descriptive. You'll fall in love with Jericho Barrons though.

Karen: Please write another book soon, I will not be able to contain myself if you don't, and thanks so much for writing this series. They keep you thinking all the way through, but I hope some answers are in book five. I love them!

Things I Like - I'm Going to Try this Abatha.

Life is getting me down this week; I remember that Abatha does these posts about what she likes, and that way you think about good things and not bad. So, here I go.

Below are few things I like!

1. Pictures - I love looking at my photos, my friends photos, and even strangers photos; you can find out so much from just looking at a photo. I've found so many old, really old - older than Paulette, pictures lately; I don't know everyone in these photos, but I could look at them for hours.

2. Friends - I'm so lucky to have all the great friends that I have; they keep me going, and cheer me up. We had a "Soon to be Grandmother's Snack Day" yesterday for Paulette and A' Della; it was touching to see how excited they are, and I can't wait for the stories to start rolling in when their grand babies are born.

3. Listening to Music - I was lucky enough to go to Beachaven Winery last Saturday to listen to some Jazz music; this Friday I'm hoping to go to Arrington Winery to listen to the San Rafael Band, they sound a little like Santana.

Well, that did help. I have a tear in one eye, but I'm smiling really big. It's nice to remember good memories and things you like.

Kudos to Abatha for thinking of this!

Customs House Museum and Center in Clarksville

Saturday Robin, Jim and I met Debbie, Mike and Grady in Clarksville at their house; we were spending the day together before Deb and Grady takes off on their new adventure of moving to Arizona Sunday. We got to Clarksville about 8:30 a.m.; Mike and Jim went off to play golf at a course on the base, and Robin, Deb, Grady and I was off to do something. First we went to the waterfront and played on the playground, then we walked by the river. The water was almost up to the bottom of the rails. At the end of one walk, we saw several sheriff cars and law enforcement boats, but we never did find out what was happening. After the park, we went to the Customs House Museum in downtown Clarksville. Debbie is setting by Grady beside the fountain; we all threw coins into the fountain, and made wishes.

These are sculptures that children had made with cans and such to show that you can make things out of trash (Trash to Treasures). Grady loved getting up on the platform with Thomas the Train; Robin had to catch a couple of the sulptures so they didn't fall off, and she only had to yell help once!

Grady loved playing with the trains; they even had a couple of train stations that you pushed buttons to make them move. The two other rooms that we all loved; one was the bubble room where you could make bubbles and you could even stand in a bubble, and the other room was where you rolled golf balls down all kinds of obstacles. So Amazing!

This is the original spire from the top of the Customs House Museum. It was wrenched from the building during the January 22, 1999 tornado and recovered several blocks away. I had forgotten about that tornado; it happened while working at Nation's Bank Business Center, and it was around the same time that I was trying for a job at the Small Business Development Center at TSU with Kathy and Billy. Such a GREAT move!

There was a room within the museum that showed all the sports greats that had been from Clarksville; I think Grady had fun climbing instead of looking at all the exhibits. Isn't he so cute?

The top of one part of the museum building looked like this; I was so intrigued by all the dormers and windows.

A plan of eating Mexican food was on the books; when I said the word Japanese, Debbie was taking us to Shogun's. There was some excitement when we pulled into Shogun's parking lot, there were three cop cars helping a huge group of Harley riders out of The Lodge restaurant next door. We went into Shoguns; there was a beautiful water fountain with fish. The food was awesome, and Grady loved the show that the chef put on. I liked the onion valcano.

Jim and Mike arrived home right after we had gotten there; they were tired, so Grady and the girls watched TV and even went outside to play football with Grady. The boys slept for a little while, and then we went to get hamburgers down the street.

The end of our visit was going to the Beechaven Jazz Fest; there were so many people at the festival, and Mike, Deb, Robin, Jim and I took turns walking with Grady. He liked to dart through the middle of the grape vines, play ball with the other children, and dance. We even caught Jim dancing with him while that Jazz music was playing. The counter where we were buying a couple of bottles, the cashier told us that other people were mixing the Beechaven Blackberry with their Peach wine. It was completely delicious; not to sweet, but not to dry.

At 8:45 p.m. we made our way to the car and told Grady, Mike and Deb bye. I knew it would be hard, but I hope Arizona is exactly what Debbie wants it to be. Believe me I will be visiting every chance I get, and hopefully we'll get to Las Vegas while I'm there. Good Luck Debbie!

Harley Day at Work - Photo Opportunity

Did you know that when you see a Harley Davidson Bike, it's a photo session? When Harry told me that he had rode his bike to work; I grabbed Paulette, and we convinced Harry to come with us. That was a good day.

Harry and Me on his Harley; I like this picture.
















Harry, Steve and Wesley with Harry's Bike.
















Paulette and Harry with his bike; what a day for Paulette to wear a dress.















After we all were able to take pictures with Harry and his awesome bike, it made us want to go out and buy a leather jacket, black shirt, black blue jeans and leather chaps. Paulette may even look for a leather skirt, and I can't wait to take all those leather outfit pictures!