Man's Best Friend

Hey! Just wanted to share a couple of pages I did of the dogs, Sammy and Sebastian.
Maddy Fernandez created the perfect kit for doggy pages, so I did a couple to show off her kit!
The kit is "Man's Best Friend." You can find it at Digitals.

Another Week Bites the Dust!

On Monday, we drove to Talcott, WV (3 hour trip) for the 60th Annual Mountain State Missionary Baptist Bible Conference (as the sign below clearly indicates, lol!). They usually begin the services after the 5:00 meal on Monday. However, this year the services started at 2:00. So, we were late. It was 2:05 when we pulled into the parking lot of the church to pick up the key to the cabin where we would spend the night. The parking lot of the church was full, which was unusual for this time of the day. Tim saw someone walking across the parking lot and asked what was going on. They told him the services had started at 2:00. OOOPS! We were not dressed to stay for the services, and instead of interrupting Bro. Stalnaker for the key to the cabin, we just hoped that someone was still there so we could get in to change our clothes. Well, that was not to happen! So, guess where we got dressed? On the deck in the back of the house which is next to the woods. Fortunately, the houses are not that close, so no one could see us. You should have seen me trying to hold my clothes and undress and dress without anything touching the dirty deck! I tucked my blouse between my legs, slipped my skirt over my head and over my shirt and capris. Took my shirt off. Folded it and placed it on the cleanest spot I could find on the deck railing. Put my blouse on. Slipped my capris off and folded them and laid them on my shirt on the railing. Put my slip on and readjusted my skirt over it. Then slipped my dressy sandals on and I was ready to go! Did you get all of that as a visual! :) Then we headed back to the church, which is about 5 minutes away from the cabin.

We slipped in the back door of the church near the fellowship hall so we could use the restrooms before entering the auditorium. We slipped into a back pew so we wouldn't disturb the preaching that had already started. At 3 they broke for a snack before the second preacher would begin. Then at 4 we were released until 5 when we would meet for the evening meal. We got a key and headed back to the cabin to unload the car. Also, Tim had to change clothes again because he learned he was scheduled to preach that evening instead of Tuesday evening like he thought he was scheduled for.

The rest of the time we were there went alot smoother than it started out, lol! The only other problem was that I had a rough night in the bed, which was comfortable enough.....it just wasn't home. You know how that goes! Sometimes your own pillow just isn't enough to help you sleep in a strange bed!

On Tuesday, we got up in time for Tim to join the preachers in prayer at 7. Then he came back to get me for breakfast at 8. The preaching started at 9. At 12 we broke for lunch. After lunch, we were free until the 5 o'clock meal. So, we headed back to the cabin. Tim changed clothes, I just changed into my flip flops and we walked down to the Greenbriar River that the cabin property is on. That's when I took the butterfly pictures below.

I tried to take a nap the rest of the afternoon, but just couldn't catch but a few winks. But I guess the rest helped, cuz I was able to stay awake and was more alert through the evening preaching than I was during the morning preaching! After the evening services on Tuesday we headed on back to NC so we would be here for the Wednesday services. It was about 12:15 a.m. when we got home. And I slept like a LOG!

Wednesday, I worked on VBS stuff all afternoon. I just straightened up our painting mess and fixed the tables and chairs for the dinner we are going to have this Sunday for one of the girls who is going to Grenada in the West Indies for her veterinary studies for 3 years! Doesn't that sound wonderful!

Today, we did our usual thrift store shopping and picked up some fish for my little tank.

Here's some pictures from the week with explanations posted above them.



Banner at the conference. Too dark because I took the picture from the back of the auditorium.

This was totally gross as these butterfly were doing something with this pile of animal droppings! Surely that isn't why the butterflies are so pretty! YUCK!!
This is the teeny tiny fish tank I got at the thrift store last week. This week we saw a 10 gallon one with a stand for $15! Doesn't that figure!
And, here's my 3 Neon Tetras that we got today. And you can see the pink coral decoration that I got today, too.
Here's a clearer picture. Notice how the Tetra furthest to the right of the picture is rounder than the other two? Well, when I noticed this, I told Tim I thought that I had a pregnant Tetra. But, in reading about breeding Tetras, they need special conditions to breed, none of which they had in the pet store. But, the females are rounder than the males, so I believe I have 2 males and a female. I love their coloring!

And that's my story and I'm sticking with it! Until next time!

Boy! Is it hot!

We were out door knocking this morning and within 1/2 hour I was feeling the heat pretty badly! Those of you who know me, know I inherited not being able to take the heat from my dad! My face starts turning beet red and if I'm not careful, I end up with a headache that sends me to bed! Fortunately, that did not happen today! I tend not to sweat, excuse me, perspire.....but today I was sweating like a ..... hog? dog? You finish the saying cuz I don't remember, lol!

After going door to door, Tim and I made a couple of other visits and the air conditioning in the car took care of cooling me off! And when I step outside of the car, my glasses immediately steam up! What a pain! It's ok as long as I'm not having to read something! Getting old is a pain! Literally! It will be so nice when we all get to heaven and all of the aches and pains disappear! No more tears! No more sorrows! It is hard to imagine, isn't it?! And, the way the world is these days, I just have a feeling the LORD could return any day!

The rest of the day was spent painting on VBS props and sorting and getting the crafts ready! So, Jessica D, if you are looking, unless something unexpected comes up, it should be no problem to meet you half way to pick up the girls one week from Monday, August 2nd.......that is the correct date, right???? as I smile remembering a past trip! :)

Hope everyone has a blessed day in the LORD's house tomorrow!

Weekly Thrift Trip

No pictures of the day, just because! Since Tim and I are trying to change our eating habits (I don't want to say the "D" word!) HE decided we didn't want to eat out 2 times today! :) So, to work around that, we didn't leave until after lunch, which was my first time to eat for the day. I had a glass of orange/guava juice earlier, which was long gone by the time we ate lunch!

So our thrifting today took us to Greensboro because we wanted to make a stop at the Farmer's Market that is right off I-40 at exit 208. Honestly, we just didn't want to pay the prices! I think we still can do pretty good at Aldi or Walmart. I know the corn we got at Walmart the last time was cheaper and was very good! But, I sure miss Virgie's Veggies in WV!

I did cost Tim some money today in our adventure! I bought some dressier flip flops and a teeny tiny hexagonal fish tank to sit on my desk. And Tim found a computer lap desk equipped with a reading light on a goose neck. I think it will work out great! The problem with using my other board that I have used for years is that my lap gets soooo hot, right through the board! This lap board is, as you have probably seen, cushioned with fabric and some sort of stuffing. I sure hope it helps, anyway!

I guess I'll have to take some pictures of my bargains today and post them at some point. Especially after I get fish in my little tank!

Tomorrow, more work on VBS props! Not to mention, getting the crafts finalized!

The weather today, for those of you interested, was 95 with a heat index of 104! That is just too stinkin' hot for me! I was really beginning to feel it when we were strolling through the Farmer's Market! WHEW!!!

My Rear is NUMB!

We left at 10:30 on Saturday morning and headed to Marlinton, WV. The traffic was bumper to bumper and we drove 2 1/2 hours in the distance that normally would have taken an hour! Finally, when we got to Wytheville, VA, some of the traffic split off to I-81, plus the highway now had 3 lanes, so the drive was pretty smooth sailing from there. We arrived at the "hotel" at about 4:30 or so, I believe. I say "hotel" loosely, because it wasn't actually a hotel. We stayed above the Appalachian Sports store where fishermen and skiers stay. But the quarters were very clean and comfortable!

Cochran's Creek Baptist Church was 20 minutes south of here, which we passed on the way in to Marlinton via Rte. 92. We are talking in the mountains! Snowshoe Mountain was not far from here. Watoga State Park was not far from here. We were in the middle of the Monontahela Forest. The church was back off the road in the woods in a clearing. I wish I had taken my camera so I could take a picture. The church auditorium was packed for their homecoming services today. Services started at 10 a.m. with singing from different groups and people. No SS classes this morning. Only singing. Good Southern Gospel type of singing. By the time all the singing was done and Tim preached, it was 1 p.m. There is a separate building for the fellowship hall and there is an apartment above the fellowship hall for visiting preachers/missionaries to stay. The meal was delicious, as all pot lucks are! :)

Bro. Frame wants Tim to come back in the fall and hold Revival services. He was talking about September, but Tim told him that he was already scheduled to preach at Addyston Baptist Church's homecoming in September, so Bro. Frame said we would look at doing it in October then. Tim doesn't like being away from Hillcrest on Sundays more than he just has to be. I'm telling you, he has been invited to preach away more since we have been here in NC more than the whole time we were in WV! I'm thankful the LORD is giving him the opportunities!

OK, now for the pictures from our trip.

This first picture is just to give you an idea of the trek we had to make up and down the stairs with our luggage!
Here is the back of the store and the decking for the 5 (?) "apartments" that the store rents to people. Bet this would be a beautiful view in the fall!
From the door, looking through to the bedroom which had 2 queen size beds and a queen air mattress standing against the wall. A dining room table. The bathroom being between the bedroom and kitchen. Everything was nice and clean.
Nice kitchen area and living area. One of the ladies from the church brought a fruit basket, coffee fixings, glazed donuts and sausage biscuits and oj for breakfast this morning, most of which we brought home with us.
If I look tired, it is because I was! I did not sleep much last night! You know how that goes!
I liked this bear greeting everyone! There was another bear carving at the Greenbrier Grill where we ate our dinner last night (across the street). I meant to get a picture of it this morning. That was a momma bear and had a fish carved into its mouth with a baby bear standing between her legs. Cute! This must be the daddy. :)

We were in LOTS of rain yesterday on the way up and it rained again on the way back today. I'll bet the lady sitting on the back of the motorcycle in this picture was not a happy camper! :) Can you imagine how nasty of a ride that would be? YUCK!
And, that was our weekend!

Another Week Gone!

What happened to this week?! How time flies when you are OLD and having fun, too! :) I just LOVE being able to stay home! While I can't spend money out the wazoo like I used to do when we lived in WV and I was working full time, it is not a problem! Take the bitter with the sweet, as they say, however, not spending money all the time is only bitter when I can't buy for the grandkids the way I used to do! :) I guess they will live! :)

Well, I'll try to catch up a bit from the week, if I can remember it all, lol!
Tuesday
Up at 6:30 to get ready so we could get Tim's car to the windshield repair shop by 8 a.m. The shop called and said the windshield they had ordered for the car was chipped, so they had to order another one, but it would be in by 10:30. We were able to pick up the car by noon, as promised!
In the afternoon, after lunch, I returned to the fellowship hall to finish the VBS logo for the front of the auditorium. I worked on it the rest of the afternoon, until about 4:30 and then fixed dinner. We had hamburgers with pepper jack cheese (which is the cheese of choice these days, even for Tim!). I also fixed the new baked beans made with black beans called "Fiesta Baked Beans" cuz they have corn and other things in them and are spicy and REALLY good! I think they would be good to use in chili, too! I also opened a can of German Potato Salad. I like it warm, but Tim does not, so I did not heat them up. He ate a few bites, but ended up eating the rest of the regular potato salad he had bought at Walmart while I was at Jessica's. Then I returned to the fellowship hall to put the finishing touches on the VBS logo.

The rest of the evening was spent fighting with the computer going off and on due to the thunderstorms we were having! There were tornado warnings all around us, but more north and west of us. We got a TON of rain, which we needed desperately! The grass is so much more green now after the rains through the week!
Wednesday
Honestly, I don't think I did a thing but play work on the new kit I'm working on, besides church! When I got groceries on Monday, I saw a turkey roast with mesquite flavoring, so I baked it tonight for dinner. The spices on the outside were too spicy, but the inside was delicious and very moist. Tim was not crazy about it, however!
The teacher of the primaries for VBS last year signed up to teach the Juniors this year, which is the class I taught last year. One of the ladies at church signed up tonight to teach the primary class for VBS, which I thought I was going to have to teach. And, I still might have to if her back doesn't get straightened out by that time. She has lots of back pain and has to get steroid shots every 4 months. She said she was not committing to it 100% at this time because of her back, but she is praying that the LORD will give her much relief because she loves teaching that class! So, I am praying that the LORD makes her back better. I told her I would plan to be her backup and I went ahead and gave her the teaching materials. I hope I don't have to worry about it because I will be working with all the crafts this year. The girl who did it last year is not attending the church any more, unfortunately!
Thursday
Our normal day of thrift store hopping. We left the house at 10:30 and were back by 2:30, maybe. We just didn't want to sit around here and do the same thing we normally do through the week, especially since that involves church work for Tim. He wanted to take the whole day off! So, we decided we would try to find a place to eat Chinese for dinner and went back out to some more thrift stores around and ended up at the Chinese diner. It was not great, unfortunately! We really like to do the Chinese buffets so you can get a variety of items. This place was a hole in the wall with a few tables, but they geared more to carry out. It was all good, but we were disappointed because of what we really wanted! But, we brought home lots of left overs!
Friday
Tomorrow we are leaving in the morning for WV as Tim is preaching the homecoming services at Cochran's Creek Baptist Church, which is way out in the boonies! So, today I have been working.

I stripped the bedding so I could do the laundry today. And I found a set of sheets at the thrift store for $5 (no pillow cases, however) last week, so it was good to be able to make the bed right away, instead of having to wait and mess with it later today because the sheets are always the last load I do. It is no problem that the set had no pillow cases because the set is white with black and gray stripes through it, so I'll just use whatever I have. I don't give a hoot that they don't match, anyway!
While the first load of laundry was washing, I emptied the dishwasher and began filling it again with the few dishes that had collected yesterday and today, mostly cereal bowls! Next, I swept the dining, kitchen and my bathroom floors. Then I filled the kitchen sink with some Mr. Clean Lavender Scent cleaner and water and mopped the floors I had just swept. And, don't you know, the first thing Tim does when he comes home for lunch is to drop a plastic container of left over chili right on my clean kitchen floor! We just both laughed as he cleaned it up with napkins and then I just wiped the rest of it up with my already damp rag. Problem solved! (Did I mention that I don't mop the "normal" way? See the picture below!) I HATE my swifter! I HATE using a sponge mop! My favorite thing to use is the old string/yarn mops, but I HATE messing with them, too! So, this method is the easiest for me! To each their own, you know! :)
OK, so it is 1:10 and I'm listening to Christian radio and the dryer and washer going and the rest of cleaning I need to do (sweeping the carpet and dusting) will wait for another day! Tim wants to go to Walmart to pick up some drinks for the cooler for tomorrow's trip. I'm sure we will end up with some snacks, too! Plus, he wants to get some cranberry sauce for leftover turkey sandwiches. I won't have to fix dinner tonight because we are going to eat left overs. So, besides the laundry and playing on the computer the rest of the afternoon, I'm done for the day!

SaturdayI'll go ahead and post this because I know I won't be around to do it tomorrow.
We will leave for WV in the morning, either right after visitation, or as everyone else is leaving for visitation. So, I'll be up early to pack. And, you know one of the things I NEVER leave home without is my computer (not to mention our pillows, lol)! So, if there is internet where we are going, which I doubt, I'll maybe check in tomorrow. But, mainly, I want to try to finish the new kit I am working on!

Love you all!


Not only do I have clean floors, I have clean feet and everything, including my feet, smell like lavender! :)

Monday, Monday!

Today was a busy day! I wasn't at the computer much! I got up at 9:30 (after going to bed at 2:30) and finished hanging, folding and putting away the last of the laundry that I finished drying last night (this morning at 2:30, that is!). Then I worked a quite a while on the church sign message. The first message Tim gave me was too long. The second one didn't have enough letters, so I had to make more letters and then laminate them! Finally, about 1 1/2 hours later, I was done and made my grocery list, mailed a bill and some bulletins, checked my e-mail and deleted several hundred! I get so many because I am on tons of yahoo groups for digital scrapbook advertising. I hope it is worth the hassle in the long run!

Finally, at about 1:50 I am ready to walk out the door to do my grocery shopping when I realized I hadn't even eaten yet today! What is up with that?! That doesn't happen much! But, there were no more bananas and I got involved with the other stuff and just never get back to the kitchen. Wish I could do that LOTS and loose LOTS of this fat! So, I fixed myself a grilled pepperjack cheese sandwich with some of Tim's sour dough bread he fixed before I went to Jessica's. YUM! Was that good!

Of course, by the time I am finally ready to walk out the door, it is pouring the rain! NP! We REALLY need the rain! The grass is deader than dead! Totally brown and crunchy! So, the rain was a welcome sight! I just went back in the house for the umbrella and a jacket. The jacket because I knew if I didn't that I would freeze in the stores with being wet from the rain! I'm glad I thought to get it!

I got back to the house at 3:30 and put the groceries away and started supper. Jessica called and we talked for about 15 minutes, I guess. Then I told her I needed to hang up so I could get her dad's dinner ready. I was in the mood for something different, so I found a mesquite flavored pork loin at $3.97/lb. But, we will get 4 meals out of it, so the $8 turns out to be $2/per meal. I put it in the oven, and while it was cooking, fixed mashed potatoes, bacon-flavored green beans cooked waaaaaay down, and some corn. When I turned the corn on the last thing, the circuit to the stove kicked. So I popped the corn into the microwave and pulled everything else. Fortunately, it was all done!

After dinner, I cleaned up the kitchen and ran the dish washer. While that noisy contraption was running, I went to the fellowship hall to paint on VBS stuff. 2 hours later, I am back at the house and going through more e-mail! Story of my life, lol! And, now I'm feeling like 11 pm will be a good bedtime tonight. Especially since I have to be up earlier than usual to take Tim's car to the windshield repair shop by 8 a.m. Then we will be able to pick it up again around noon. Sure hope my car gets us there, lol!

Enjoyed the cruise pictures of Jessica and Michael I saw on FB! Liz told me that I looked like mom in my picture I posted yesterday. I think it's the glasses! :) Actually, I agree and I think I am looking more and more like her all the time! Which is not a bad thing. Mom was a pretty woman, I think! You just didn't want to cross her! That Cherokee/Italian blood was not something to mess with! :)

Today is Gone!

Sundays always fly by! There just doesn't seem to be as many hours on Sunday as there are the other days of the week! I enjoy the feeding and being fed from God's Word. I enjoy getting to see my brothers and sisters in the Lord and hearing how the LORD has blessed them through the week. I enjoy coming home to a meal that is ready from either the crockpot or the oven. Today, I fixed pork chops and gravy and baked potatoes in the oven while at church and then just had to heat up some veggies and lunch was ready! I enjoy a relaxing afternoon, which ends all too quickly before it is time to grab a snack before church and head back for some more food from God's Word! No wonder I'm overweight! :) Actually, it's not that I'm overweight, I'm just not tall enough, lol!
Got a call from my sister tonight. She is planning to spend her vacation here with me. I can't wait to see her again! We are already scheming how and when we can see my newest grandson, her newest nephew! We will just have to take a road trip while she is here!

I have also decided that, since Tim and I cannot be with the grandkids on their birthdays, that I will have a big party for them while they are all here! They will get their gifts in a card, but the party (cake, ice cream, etc) will happen while they are all here together! That way no one will feel left out! No one will get gifts, just food and probably a trip to the swimming pool!

I haven't taken many pictures lately, other than when I was in Lancaster with Jessica. But, I did take one of Tim and I for my July Calendar, which I have not completed for my desktop yet! So, here is the picture and then I'll say good night! Hope you all have a great week! I'm looking forward to hearing about and seeing pics of Jessica and Michael's cruise!

Are You Missing Some Glasses??

While looking through the VBS items that I brought back with me from Liz's house, I discovered something in the crafts that I am 99.999% sure shouldn't have been there. The first picture shows the craft example and will indicate the bag that I found the glasses in (and probably the owner)! The second picture is a closeup of the glasses. Do you know who these glasses belong to? If so, let me know so I can send them to their owner! :)

Here in Paradise

You may or may not know that the name of my daughter's blog is "Just Another Day in Paradise." And, since I am was visiting with her last week, I decided this would be a good title for a post!The week slipped away quickly! We had a busy day of park hopping on Tuesday! We went to one park to walk in the creek, which turned out to be very cold, even thought the weather had been so warm! Then we went to another park so the kids could enjoy the playground while the adults just hung out with the newest member of the family, Sawyer. I got some great pictures there. And after dinner, we walked to a park close to the house. By the time we got home it was bath time for Hannah and Ryan, followed by bed time. Michael and I played a game of Battleship and a couple hands of Uno. He won all hands. Out of the 6 games we played, he won 4!
Here are some pictures to review the day.

Walking in the cold creek water. Hannah was with me watching baby Sawyer.
2nd park.
Michael and Ryan stayed on the merry-go-round almost the entire time we were there.
Terry came to the park during his lunch break.
Hannah did some posing for me in the gazebo at the park.
I took MANY, many pics of this butterfly!

Sawyer sleeping with not a care to the world!
Sea Monster at the park near the house.
Sawyer would not take a pacifier for a couple of days! He really sucked on it at the parade!