Celebrating a birthday!!!

Tomorrow, we will be celebrating Tyler's seventh birthday. It's a big day -- it is always a big day. Parties have been his mother's (Sandi) forte since she was just a little gal. She organized her own birthday party (Strawberry Shortcake) and asked her sisters to invite friends. She was a loner by nature -- well, I should say she was a stay-at-home child. She tagged along with me to the library and errands but wasn't all that outgoing. (I know -- if you know her now you can't even imagine this!!) I say all that to say this -- She's still the 'party' gal and folks beg to come to her parties. Yes, they do! When she decided to cut the number for Tyler's party last year from about 135 down to around 60, close friends told her that there would be people who would be hurt by that. However, Tyler does better with small groups -- small being a relative term!

I looked through my photos and could only find two parties' photos quickly. She has had everything from a Thanksgiving feast the first year. That was intended to thank all their close friends for their support throughout the previous year. Tim had lost his father in an automobile accident about 6 weeks before Sandi got pregnant. They had been married for 10 years so we all rejoiced that they were having a child -- and her sisters claim that is when she became a 'normal' person! LOL!! She's more organized than I could hope to be in a lifetime. She has lists and lists and everything comes out as it should -- down to the most minute detail!! She has had a carnival, a 'farm' complete with a milking machine -- which was 'handled' best by a lady past 90 years old!! She has had a Winter Wonderland complete with a snow ball fight in Florida -- in November -- thanks to an ice skating rink which provided ice shavings! She's had a petting zoo! You name it -- you got it! Last year, it was a Safari and this year -- it is Star Wars! I'll have pictures to prove it!

So, thought I would share some of the photos from the two years I could find quickly!! We'll have a great day tomorrow -- I'm making chili for it. There will be hot dogs, corn dogs, chili -- my kind and Indiana kind ... and lots more! Of course, a birthday cake made by ... who else? Sandi!

Grazing .... you'll find it at Sam's Club!!

Wow ... I knew Sam's Club might be busy today since it is a Friday but I had no clue what we would find when we started shopping! The parking lot was full and I expected long lines at the checkout lanes. Hardly ... in fact, when we checked out, there was no one waiting -- except us! No lines ... so where were all these people??? Grazing ... yup, you got that right. It was about 12:30 and there must have been a whole lot of people who thought, "You know what? I'm a little hungry -- let's head to Sam's! They have food ... We'll just go graze the samples!"

The scenario including trying somehow to make it through the aisles of people waiting their turn to try the latest food 'fad' for the week! And, of course, we are entering the 'snow bird' season and although it was later than the 11am crowd, it was busy with carts, canes and motorized wheelchairs. I could hardly get through -- and when you get in the way of someone who is waiting for their "taste", watch out! They need 'aisle police' to monitor the situation! Usually, the folks pushing their 'wares' or 'food stuff' are asking for people to stop by. Today, they looked frazzled by the number of people pushing in close to see what was there to offer. I heard someone remark about "shrimp", but when I looked up to see what was stacked behind the kiosk, it was boxes of fudge! Go figure -- I was trying to get out of the way so as not to get run over by a cart gone wild!

I got the stuff I needed -- which totaled a whopping 6 items (including a DVD that Sandi was getting for Tyler) and we got outta there!! I had previously decided not to shop at Walmart at 11am -- I guess Sam's Club at noon is out of question, too!

It runs in the family!! Scary, huh?

A few weeks ago (or months ago, time is passing so quickly), I shared my embarrassing moment when I realized I had on two different shoes and had traipsed around town for a while before I knew what I had done! Okay, I know, you always have to wear two shoes but usually they are a matching set. I somehow slipped into two of my older shoes (that are well worn and so comfortable but definitely mismatched) and went out shopping. It wasn't until later in the day that I discovered my oversight -- much to my kids' delight. My brother, Mark, thought it was hilarious -- until it happened to him. Actually, he laughed harder at himself than he did at my misfortune. When he related where all he had been in those shoes, he realized that he had really made his mark (pun intended) for all to see. Chances are, no one cared and he worried for nothing!

The shoes?? As you can see, mine were different colors, his were really just different styles. Such fun!!

Okay, so I'll have some fun, too ...

I don't always fill these out but I was intrigued by reading some of the responses such as Jennifer Olsen and Mary Ellen Huff (loved their answers and I think they are much more organized than I am! ugh!) so thought I'd try it, too ... would love to hear from others!!

My House:

1. What kind of soap is in your bathtub right now? I have one of those great garden tubs -- might be dangerous since you can fall asleep in them. But, I seriously doubt whether I would drown in it!! Oh, the soap? Soft Soap, "Pure Cashmere".
2. Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator? No, wonder why that question. Now, Sandi and Tim -- they might since Tyler LOVES watermelon!
3. What would you change about your living room? Probably would re-carpet the room. And maybe move one of the organs out. We have two organs and a piano -- but there is still plenty of room to visit. (We need to do another sing-along soon!)
4. Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty? I have no clue. I've been gone and since Roxanne and Chris are staying here right now, I'm sure there are dishes in it -- whether they are clean or dirty, I don't know.
5. What is in your fridge? Too much stuff! Outdated yogurt -- I'm one of those who doesn't like to eat it past the date that is stamped on it. Bob tells me that it is safe to eat for a while after that date -- but doesn't it say to "use by this date". Maybe I should read it again!!
6. White or wheat bread? Yikes -- I prefer white even though I know it's not as good for you as wheat!
7. What is on top of your refrigerator? A potpourri cake. Yup, it looks just like a beautiful iced cake with a piece out of it. Guess it's pretty old by now -- like maybe 6 years or so. But, it still looks good.
8. What color or design is on your shower curtain? Which bathroom? Three of the baths have glass doors and the other one has a dark blue shower curtain that Roxanne bought me for Christmas. It matches the towels.
10. Is your bed made right now? It's not quite 9am -- it will be made within the next half hour for sure. Can't stand it to be unmade!
11. Comet or Soft Scrub? Neither -- I prefer Bar Keepers Friend. And whatever the good cleaner is for my stove top.
12. Is your closet organized? That would have to asked here! Parts of it are. It's a big walk in closet and it seems I can just stuff things in there from time to time -- it's due for one of those major cleanups!!
13. Can you describe your flashlight? I usually keep one of those heavy square ones for our power outages -- although I don't think I've had to use it this year! Wow!! I also have another one where you can 'telescope' the ray or whatever you call it.
14. Do you drink out of glass or plastic most of the time at home? Big plastic glasses that hold lots!
15. Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now? No, I have been lazy lately and picked up 'diet' iced tea at Publix.
16. If you have a garage, is it cluttered? Cluttered ... how about full to the brim!! Stuff that needs to be trashed or given away!
17. Curtains or blinds? Blinds in the bedrooms, valances throughout the rest of the house.
18. How many pillows do you sleep with? Two king sized -- I know, why two?
19. Do you sleep with any lights on at night? Not in our bedroom but I do leave one on over the stove in the kitchen.
20. How often do you vacuum? Whenever it needs to be done -- usually. I doubt I do it often enough!
21. Standard toothbrush or electric?Standard.
22. What color is your toothbrush? Orange and white.
23. Do you have a welcome mat on your front porch? Yes but it doesn't say "Welcome". I did have a special one that welcomed people to "Nana & Papaw's" house but it was white and it got dingy looking.
24. What is in your oven right now? Nothing -- I just got home last night.
25. Is there anything under your bed? Nope
26. Chore you hate doing the most? Dishes!!! Even though I have a dishwasher!!!
27. What retro items are in your home? Have no clue unless you call old photos 'retro'.
28. Do you have a separate room that you use as an office? Yes
29. How many mirrors are in your home? Oh, my goodness --- I'm not sure! I think six or so but one is almost the length of our master bath!
30. Do you have any hidden emergency money around your home? Not on purpose!
31. What color are your walls? beige except for one wall in the dining room that is wallpapered.
32. Do you keep any kind of protective weapons in your home? No but I do have a good security system.
33. What does your home smell like right now? Cinnamon and no, not because I am cooking cinnamon rolls. (lol)
34. Favorite candle scent? Cinnamon!
35. What kind of pickles (if any) are in your refrigerator right now? Dill
36. What color is your favorite Bible? Navy blue
37. Ever been on your roof? Are you kidding??
38. Do you own a stereo? Yes.
39. How many TVs do you have? 8. We entertain overnight quite a lot so all bedrooms have cable TV in them. All the comforts of a hotel room and the atmosphere of home -- doesn't that sound like some kind of sale's pitch.
42. How many house phones? 3 cordless. I do have a land line phone somewhere in case we lose power -- but I'd probably have to find it in the dark because I wouldn't remember to find it before the power went out!
41. Do you have a housekeeper? I used to ... then figured I would save money and do it myself. It doesn't get done like it should so I usually pay someone to come in and do a more thorough job from time to time.
42. What style do you decorate in? I used to have a plaque that read, "My decorating style is Early Lived In"!
43. Do you like solid colors in furniture or prints? I have a Burgundy chair in the living room and a couch which is a combination of pastel colors.
44. Is there a smoke detector in your home? Yes -- and what is good and scary (at the same time) is that it actually calls the fire department directly in case of fire. One of those smoke detectors is fairly near the kitchen so I have to make sure I don't burn anything. I'd hate for the fire department appear to hear, "Oh, sorry ... I just burned dinner, that's all." There is a pocket door between the kitchen and that smoke detector -- I have been known to partially close that door to make sure I don't set it off accidentally.
45. In case of fire, what are the items in your house which you’d grab if you only could make one quick trip? Wow ... there are so many things I'd want to take but probably photo albums and important papers. Then again, how can you drag an entire file cabinet out the door. Adrenalin might kick in!!

All you fellow bloggers...feel free to copy this and do your own version, always fun to learn new things about each other.

Properly puzzled ... out!!

Okay, so I actually sat for, let's see, about 6 hours working on a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle .. and that was after putting together a 300 piece on Saturday. (I didn't say we did it on Sunday, did I?) The sizes of the puzzles were the same -- I guess I should have guessed how much smaller the pieces would be on the 500 piece. But, I was a glutton for punishment ... yet, I was proud of myself for actually keeping at the task !! Maybe I learned a new sense of 'self-control" but probably not! Only time will tell!!

And then there was Tess .. a seven year old gal (who couldn't quite remember whether she was still six or had turned seven already) who wanted so badly to help us with our puzzle. She'd wander from one side of the table to another .. studying the pieces and actually putting a piece in here and there. However, her family sitting nearby was concerned that she was being a 'pest' so went outside to visit rather than leaving her to circle our table. I assured them that she was just fine -- as did Bob -- adding that since we have 8 grandchildren, we didn't think a seven year old gal would be any problem at all. She was so excited about helping!!

So.... I think I'm puzzled out for the time being. That is, for a couple weeks. I am really getting into this puzzle thing -- watch out, Elaine!! Here comes New Year's Eve and our typical 'puzzling' time!! Maybe I will actually add a piece or two this year ...

Getting older ...

So, I celebrated a birthday this week -- yuk! And one of the ways I celebrated was to pull out the video of my 50th birthday party. Okay, it wasn't like I went hunting for the video. I was actually trying to find a blank video to tape a program for RJ. I found it! I'm not sure if it was good or bad -- I definitely was smaller -- that was depressing! Several who were on the video have gone on to heaven -- that's depressing! And Dex and Grace Martin who decided to sing their very morbid "Happy Birthday" song for the camera -- that was definitely depressing! So, what wasn't depressing? My parents had sent me an orchid corsage - the orchid has special meaning for our family, so that was definitely an upper.

The girls had thrown a 50's bash -- complete with setting up our family room like a 50's cafe' with several ladies in poodle skirts, LP records hanging from the ceiling, bobbie socks and bubble gum .. it was quite the occasion. They really outdid themselves. Lots of people and definitely lots of laughter. I remembered Roxanne's comment after I remarked that I was feeling old now that my oldest was nearing 30 ... "How do you think your mother feels about having a 50 year old?" Touche'!!

It's quite funny that Teri actually set her alarm yesterday morning to see if she could call me 'first' to say "Happy Birthday" .. she probably went back to bed after that!! Actually, Sandi had already written a special birthday message (which can be found on her blog "Just Me" link). And, of course, throughout the day, I heard all kinds of renditions of "Happy Birthday" from my dad to Roxanne's family .. to Shonna's greeting and to Teri's girls calling.

Do I feel older? I have no clue .. I always like what my brother, Joel, tells me when I ask if he's getting older. "It's always a matter of mind over matter ... I don't think about my age!" And Bob usually adds, "If you don't mind, it doesn't matter!" Joel actually turns 50 in a little over a month but he doesn't look it nor act it. Oh, but maybe he does .. he told me on the phone that he had missed his granddaughter's birthday -- He forgot to call her until the day after her birthday and apologized for the oversight. He called me today ... hmmm ... my birthday was yesterday. But, as Sandi shared in her post, we rarely ever celebrate a birthday on the actual date. We've been known to celebrate a month or two ahead or afterwards. Depends on the year -- or maybe whether we actually forgot the day!!

I thought about my mother yesterday morning and knowing that, if she were still alive, she would have made the rounds calling everyone to remind them it was my 'day' ... and we'd all grumble a little that after all these years, we really should remember. But, probably not -- I'm in Atlanta and my brother, Tim, asked me last night ... "Uh, who's birthday is it today? Yours or Mark's?" (Mark's is on the 15th ). Oh, by the way, Mark, "Happy Birthday" in case I forget ... yikes, I am getting old!! Hide the mirror!!!