Friday Funnies - Dock Jumper...

Ok, I just might be the only one who thinks this is funny,...well, besides Kim, and her hubby and kids, especially her oldest boy who asked to have it played over and over, LOL. Truth is, my Honey just cracks me up. Here he is jumping off a dock at the lake when were visiting Debra...enjoy! :)

Get some more laughs by visiting Kim. Have a laughter filled day!

In My Garden...

"And there He makes the hungry to dwell,
So that they may establish an inhabited city,
And sow fields and plant vineyards,
And gather a fruitful harvest."
Psalm 107:36-37


Gardening is one of my passions, I get so excited when I see something changing, growing, blooming, fruiting, blossoming, sprouting, etc....


I feel like a kid in a candy store and usually run to take my hubby away from some important task in order to show him a little baby plant or a tiny bell pepper, a rose that bloomed on seemingly dead wood, or to count the number of pineapples that are growing.To most visitors, this might look like a green jungle, out of control and wild...but to me this is... the sweet taste of honeysuckle nectar... the scent of heaven in confederate jasmine... the surprise of an orchid blooming on a "stick"... pineapples hiding among mounds of purple lantana, which in the glow of twilight are dancing with bumble-bee hummingbirds... the smell of suntan lotion in yellow plumeria... the happy sunshine laughter of golden cosmos... and the gentle sound of trickling water...

This year my garden is adorned with 7 pineapple fruits. As I watch them grow, I start imagining the taste of vine ripened pineapple, pineapple coffee cake, smoothies with fresh pineapple and watermelon, and yummy pineapple and chicken shisk-ka-bobs....mmmmm... the possibilities of what you can do with pineapple are endless!

Today I picked the second of my 7 pineapples...here I am showing off my "catch"...

(don't you just love the totally cute garden boots my sister gave me!)

I decided to post a week of pineapple recipes to showcase these tasty fruits. Starting Wednesday, July 16th, pop over to my cooking blog, The_Wooden_Spoon, to see what you can whip up with pineapple...

Now head outiside and find something to make you smile!

I really am here...

I haven't posted anything in a whole week!!! I had my wisdom teeth taken out last Monday, so I wasn't really in the mood to do much that day. I was impressed with the job the Dr. did though, as it only took about 30 minutes to take all 4 of them out and I didn't have any swelling or bruising at all! Yeah!

Tuesday, my dearest friend in the whole world, Kim, came over (she's not going to the gym if I'm not going, LOL) and we watched a silly movie and had coffee. I did a "typical Kathy" thing and accidentally splattered half n' half all over my kitchen counter (shook the container when the cap wasn't screwed on!). I got to watch her enjoy eating my leftover brownies (I could smell them, but not eat them due to the holes in my mouth).

I couldn't post any recipes this week, because I wasn't able to eat anything but "mushy" stuff (yogurt, applesauce and pureed oatmeal get old after 2 days) and the thought of real food made me want it too badly!

Yesterday I began to feel more able to eat, so I grilled some chicken for lunch. In my "typically Kathy" way, I put the chicken on the grill and turned to walk away, blindly reaching out to close the grill, I completely missed the handle and placed all four of my fingers directly on the sizzling hot grill lid - YUP - blisters on all 4 fingers!!!! Ouch! What was I thinking?

I am quite recoverd now, LOL and ready to enjoy this beautiful day that God has set before me. We are going to take our boat out to the river and watch the Blue Angels perform at the Kennedy Space Center Airshow. I'll be sure to take some photos and video to share.

I hope everyone has a beautiful and blessed Sunday!

The Bridge

This beautiful short film sent to me by one of my sister-in-laws touched my heart in such a way that I wanted to share it...

http://www.maximumreferrals.com/videos/bridge/bridge.html

Have a fantastic and blessed Sunday!

Nightmare at Walmart...

I had a nightmarish experience this weekend at Walmart, and I need to vent, LOL. I have to give a little history first...

I am what my hubby calls a "low maintenance" woman. It don't require a lot of "upkeep", lol. No fancy hair styles, expensive perms or dyes, no visits to the nail salons, I hardly ever buy clothes and if they aren't cheap I won't buy them, lol. That said, I am pretty basic in the way I wear my hair. I have worn my hair long and straight for pretty much my whole life and because of that, I have a pretty good idea of the "proper" way to trim/cut long straight hair. I won't go into too much detail, or we will be here all day, but basically, it should be thoroughly wet and taken up in layers so that each layer is trimmed exactly the length of the next for a smooth edge on the bottom. I don't like to spend a lot of money on having my hair trimmed, but I do want it done right.

Since Walmart opened a hair cutting place inside, I thought "Well, that would be convenient, I can just get my hair trimmed when I go to get groceries". So a couple of months ago I went. A nice lady named Flo trimmed my hair - she did everything she should have done, I was very happy with the job, and went home.

Saturday, I decided that it was time for another trim, so I headed out to Walmart. I popped into the salon and Flo was not there. There was only one gal on duty and she said she'd be happy to do my hair. MY FIRST MISTAKE: In my mind, she looked about 12. I was a little unsure about this, but certainly if she worked there, and Flo did a good job....

Since I had just showered, she didn't need to wash my hair, so she sprayed it to get it damp on the ends. She asked me how much I wanted taken off, I replied "1 inch" (that part is important, so keep it in mind). Then she had me stand up (my hair is long, but I have never had to stand for a haircut before). She combed my hair straight down all the way around my head and proceeded to trim all the way around, took off the apron and said I was done. MY SECOND MISTAKE: I should have questioned her while she was trimming, but I have a fear of telling someone how to do their job, especially when they have scissors in their hand and are cutting my hair!!!! She never offered me a mirror to see the back, and I didn't even think to ask (3rd MISTAKE).

The next day I took a shower and stood in front of my mirror to comb out my hair. As I combed it straight, I saw a LOT of long strands sticking out below where she cut (BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T DO LAYERS!). I thought I would just clip them off with my own hair scissors. Hubby assured me that since I had paid for this job, I needed to go back and have THEM fix it. The day got busy, soI planned to go the next day.

Monday, I took a shower and headed to Walmart. I figured I would pop in there, they would fix it up, then I could do my little bit of grocery shopping and be home in no time. My 4th MISTAKE - I should have clipped the hair myself.

I went into the salon and an older woman was there, I told her my problem and she went to get the manager....the manager was the 12 year old who cut my hair in the first place!!! Oh my!
The older woman said she would handle it as the 12 yr old was dying someones hair.

I sat in the chair and she put on the apron and turned me away from the mirror while we began to chat. MY 5th MISTAKE - I was not paying attention to the fact that A) she never wet my hair and B) she had been clipping away for almost 25 minutes to do something that should have taken less than 5!!!!
She asked me to stand and face the mirror so she could finish up and when I looked in the mirror I almost couldn't speak, I was literally shocked at what I saw.

(Now, I must insert here that I am a CALM person, I never get angry, I don't yell at people, I like people and I understand that we all make mistakes, but I was feeling a bit upset at this moment.)

I saw that my hair was about 4 inches shorter than it had been on Saturday morning!!! I also noticed that the hair was jagged, there was NO straight line to speak of AND the left side was a good 1 1/2 inches shorter than the right. It truly looked like a 5 year old had cut my hair with her round tipped school scissors!!!

My eyes got really big as she started to come toward me with her little scissors. I told her I was starting to get concerned and that I was "done". She again tried to cut more of my hair and I had to back away from her and tell her that I was "done", and that I would fix it myself at home. She argued with me saying there was a long piece she needed to get. I took off the little aprong, said thank you, and walked quickly toward the exit.

The 12 year old asked me if it was all better, LOL. Um, NO, LOL. I left so quickly that I forgot my sunglasses and I was in no mood to buy groceries, so I went home squinting (not wanting to go back in there for my sunglasses lest they chop more of my hair off, lol). So, after I vented at home, I wet my hair and did my best to make my new shorter doo look "evenish". By most standards, I still have long hair, but 4, almost 5 inches is a LOT when I only wanted 1 inch trimmed!!! :)
So that is my vent, I'm going to look a little funny for a couple of weeks because I need to let my hair grow back out a little before I can face the scissors again. :)

Have a blessed day - and stay away from the Walmart Salon!!!

The Beach - Our God is Amazing!

I moved to Florida from Texas about 14 years ago. Thinking back, I remember that after I moved here, one of the things that made me stay was the beach.

When my son was young, we spent countless weekends body surfing and jumping waves, building sandcastles and looking for shells. As he got older, the trips became few and far between, he mostly went with his cousins to go surf now and then, and I went on my lunch hour to have a little quiet time and contemplate and be reminded of how Great our God is. As life progresses and my days are filled with the things that need doing, I realized that I had not been to the beach in 3 years, not our beach that is.

Now, understand me, I have no desire to be a sun "junky", I do not want to have skin cancer, nor do I want to look like a leather handbag when I get older. I just really like the beach, there is something so amazing about looking out at the ocean and the vast sand and knowing that our great God created it all with his hand.

I began to miss the smell, the breeze and the sound of the waves. So I decided that I would plan a trip to the beach. Today I packed my swimsuit, sunblock and a beach blanket. After I left the gym, I headed East for the entire 12 minutes that it takes (and I haven't gone in 3 years???).

This really is the perfect time for a visit; school is in, the tourists have gone home, the 9-5ers are still at work, and the beach is just as I like it...quiet and calm.

I spent about an hour just enjoying the sights, smells and sounds of the beach. There were only a handful of people there. No radios, no loud teenagers, no obnoxious drunks, no beach bunnies, just a few small family groups and some individuals soaking in the sun. I sat there watching the waves and loving the sound of them rolling down the coastline - God in his greatness created them to make just that specific sound. I enjoyed hearing some distant screeches and giggles from young girls playing in the surf - sweet laughter that our God was so gracious to gift us with. I watched birds running through the surf snatching little critters out of the sand - His beautiful creation. The salty sweet smell of the ocean is unique and I know that God made it's delicate balance to hold sealife.

Then a storm began to roll in from behind me, the sky was beautiful. Brightest blue ahead of me, dotted with puffy white clouds, then as I looked to my left and behind, the deep gray blue was rolling in and distant thunder rolled through the clouds - how fantastic and awsome our God is. Then I knew it was time to head home (you don't hang out on the beach when there is thunder...). It was a nice break from the routine of my day and a breath of fresh air - Florida really is a pretty place to live, and I am thankful that God created this little piece of land sticking out into the ocean. I am thankful that He moved me here and I am thankful that I can see His handiwork in all that He has made.

Have a blessed day!

The Jane Austen Brunch

The Jane Austen Birthday Brunch

My best friend Kim, has been so kind as to provide me with a daughter... ok, not REALLY, but close. I never had a daughter, so I have fulfilled all my "girlish mothering desires" through hers, as "Aunt Kathy", and I am thankful for the relationship we have.

Since she will be having her 15th birthday soon, and the three of us are obsessed with all things Jane Austen, I decided to throw her a Jane Austen style brunch. I began a few months ago by making each of us a Regency Era day dresses, I made each bodice and sleeve just a little different for variety, and for some reason I decided on "blue hues".

For brunch, I prepared Spinach-Bacon-Quiche, spiced-blueberry-muffins, stuffed-strawberries, Italian-Cream-Cake, and of course coffee and tea - during this time we listened to the soundtrack from Pride and Prejudice.

For a craft we made Regency Era bonnets while Pride and Prejudice (the movie) played in the background. Unfortunately Kim took home two nice size glue gun blisters.

Of course, we had a lot of fun and laughs and took a gazillion photos of our time together. Kim, however, went into a laughing fit over one of our photos and when this woman laughs, there is often no way to pull her out of it...

It was so much fun, next year maybe we'll do Civil War Era....I think I'll need a bigger living room with those hoop skirts though, LOL. :)

Have a blessed day!

In My Garden This Morning...

Gardening is one of my passions. I love to plant new things, rescue dying plants, fill my garden with fragrance, color and texture. I love the feeling of seeing a flower bud open for the first time, I love the first time I get to smell Confederate Jasmine in the spring. I head out to my garden often to pull weeds, trim plants and just see how things are growing, today I wanted to invite you along...

This is what I see when I am at the computer or at my sewing machine, this "butterfly garden" sits in front of the windows. I have witnessed many birds bathing, and butterflies fluttering here...

Early morning is the only time that I can catch these pretty little blue flowers, as soon as the day heats up the flowers close ... This honeysuckle vine curls up right next to my garden swing, where I can pluck a flower and taste the sweet honey-like nectar...

The tiny orange and yellow flower of the ground orchid plant is so delicate, and sits up high on tall stems ~ I love the bright, happy colors in this flower.....Sweet Pink Plumeria (or Frangipani) flowers are wonderfully fragrant and pretty to look at. These tropical flowers come in many colors and are used to make Hawaiin leis...

I have had the same Hibiscus plant for about 14 years and it occassionally sends off a "double" bloom, like the one shown here. I love the ruffled look...and apparantly the squirrells love the taste, they will clean the bush off in a day...This little white begonia is a hardy plant that is very forigiving when I forget to water. It has died down to the soil before and comes up after a good batch of rain...

I have completely forgotten the name of this plant, maybe someone out there in blog-land can help me out???? I love the little snapdragon type pink and white blooms, very delicate and pretty....I have two clematis vines at the base of two of my rose bushes and they rarely ever bloom, I was surprised to see this peeking out at me the other day....

It is really kind of late in the season for Gladiolus to be in bloom here, it's too hot, but we have gotten a LOT of rain and it has brought up several of my glad that I thought weren't going to bloom at all. I love the golden red of this one....This bright orange and yellow "happy" Lantana is what I call a "volunteer". I never planted this one, it came up near my back fence one day (no doubt planted by a bird), and it has become huge plant that needs constant cut backs. I can't get rid of it though, as I have terrible "plant guilt", lol - besides I love the flowers and the strange pungent scent of Lantana...

After a gentle rain everything looks so refreshed... Here a Venezuelan Buttercup is happy for a good watering (this is another volunteer plant of which I have TOO MANY)... This is one of my favorite flower photos, I love the way this Mandevilla sort of just said "take my picture"... :)

A freshly opened bud of Carefree Wonder Rose is happy to have a little sun-shower...My big yellow Plumerias are unbelieveably fragrant, they smell like Coppertone Suntan Lotion!!!

If there is a "scent" that I could associate with what I think heaven will smell like, it would have to be the freshly opened flower of Butterfly Ginger ~ I wish you could smell it...I can only describe it as a mix of gardenia, honeysuckle and jasmine - beautiful.

Have a blessed day!

I came across this photo as I was looking through albums last night. Yup, that's the same boy as in the post below! He was ready to join even then, hee hee. Please do not consider me unpatriotic, at that time in my life, I really had no clue that I was mistreating the flag by allowing this. :(

Have A Blessed Independence Day!!!

Let this day be much, much more than fireworks, hot dogs and games - let us never forget what we are celebrating, and why we have the freedom to do so.