Just East of the Bridge

I Caved!

Ok, I'll admit ... I finally caved in last night and turned on the heat in the house.  I really don't like hot air blowing on me in the house ... it just makes my throat close up and I feel like I can't breathe.  And the first 'heat of the season' where all the smelly dust burns off makes me gag.  I'd much rather wear a pair of socks or some slippers and a sweater, and keep the heat off.  Then if I'm still chilly, I go for my 'Aunt Joan Blanket' and cover up with that.

Night before last I went and got a second blanket for the couch just to watch a Christmas movie.  Movie ended, I crawled in bed with my velour blanket and purple comforter and I was cozy warm in a couple of minutes.

But last night ........ I just could not get warm.  Socks, sweater, two blankets ... still chilly. Cooked supper in the oven and when it was done, left the oven door open.  Still chilly.  Ok, more than chilly.  Downright COLD!  Finally I went and looked at the thermometer and it was an astounding 53 degrees.  So, on came the heat. 

I left it on all night, but, truth be told, I should have turned it off before I went to bed because with the velour blanket and the comforter I was too warm.

It's only 65 degrees now ... at 4:15.  Where is it that I live again??  Florida??  This sure does NOT feel like Florida weather to me!!!!!

 

 

Last Minute Gifts

Eight Gifts That Don't Cost A Cent
by Author Unknown

1. THE GIFT OF LISTENING... - But, you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listen.

2. THE GIFT OF AFFECTION... - Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.

3. THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER... - Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."

4. THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE... - It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.

5. THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT... - A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super job", or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.

6. THE GIFT OF A FAVOR... - Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.

7. THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE... - There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.

8. THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION... - The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone. Really it's not that hard, to say, "Hello" or "Thank You".

2009 Family Photo Day

Our once a year sojourn to a JCPenny's photo studio.  Everyone did great .... except for 2 year old Maddy who did not want her picture taken.... EVER!  To get a good picture of her you have to be patient and take it when SHE is ready or when she's not looking.

Here's our pics!

Brendyn is 8 3/4, Tyler is 4, Madelynne is 2 3/4, Adreya is 14 1/2 months and Baby Wyatt is 6 weeks old.

He is the best big brother ever.  It's hard to believe he's almost nine!  He is my heart walking around outside my body and has since been since the day he was born!  I love this boy!!
Sweet but stubborn -- he has opinions and he makes them known.  He also has the longest eyelashes in the world and gives great butterfly kisses.  He loves his siblings and tells me all the time that he is my favorite -- and so are the other four!  He doesn't belive that favorite is synonimous with exclusive.  I love this boy!!!
It's hard when you are 2 and people are making you take a picture that you don't want taken.  Not even M&M's could bribe a smile out of her.  We don't think modeling is in her future ... but she sure is pretty enough.  This is one that does not need assertive training. She's going to be a strong, smart woman and make her Grammy proud.  My first granddaughter and I love her endlessly!
This is the sweetest, most even tempered baby ever.  She is also the only blue eyed one of the bunch and the only one with light hair.  There might be a curl or two forming in the back but all of her energy gets used in this million watt smile.  She is a baby on the move.  She spends all day long walking around carrying something from room to room. She is her Grammy's sweetheart. 
And here is the newest one looking like a cute little man-child.  This is Baby Wyatt and he is 6 weeks old.  Or as his brother Tyler recently told us, we can just say 'Wyatt'.  He is a doll and we all love him!  Don't try to tell his siblings that you are taking this one -- you'll have a fight on your hands! 
One very good looking family. And the best part of my life.

And me!

  
 

Chilly Saturday Morning!

It's more than a bit chilly here in Central Florida ... it was 42 degrees at my house at 8am.  I tried to sleep in.  Thought I had slept in.  But when I looked at the clock, wide awake, it was 5 minutes to 8.  Used to be that I could really sleep in ... like 10 am or even later.  But since I've been sleeping with my sleep apnea machine, I sleep sooooo much better and this was the best I could do on a chilly Saturday morning on a holiday weekend.

Yesterday the girls and I ventured out for our traditional Black Friday adventures.  The adventures actually started at 6:45 a.m. Thanksgiving day when I threw on jeans and a sweater and crocs to hurry up to the little Circle K near me to buy two newspapers.  One for me, one for Christina.  Then as Thanksgiving Day progressed we go through the ads one at a time, looking for deals, looking for Christmas present ideas, looking to look.  Sometime Thanksgiving night we compare lists ... who wants to go where.  What time do we need to get there.  What are we interested in that has a time constraint?  How important is it and how early do we want to try?

I was interested in the Cricut Create that Big Lots had for sale and at about 7pm, realized that it was a Thanksgiving Evening sale and they closed at 8pm. No way I could get to one by then.  Thats when Christina remembered that Walmart did price matching.  So we called our local Walmart, asked if they price matched Big Lots and they said 'yes if you have a printed ad.  So we took off, got to Walmart at 7:45, I ran in, grabbed the Create from the fabric department and hustled up to customer service.  They said 'any checkout person can do this'.  Went straight to a check out counter only to have the girl say 'oh, I don't know how to do this, let me call someone .. and this expires at 8pm!' Yes, and it was 7:52 at the time, so lets not waste any time!! The Create at Walmart was tagged at $184 and change and the ad from Big Lots was $99.  And they honored it!!!!!  Yay me!!   My little Cricut has quit working and is out of warranty and would cost $120 through Provo Craft to fix it.  Since that was my 'go to crops' machine, I really wanted to replace it.  The Create has more features and I'm very happy with my DEAL!

Now back home, we continued to plan our Friday.  We've been, in previous years, in the lines that wrap around the building when the doors open and the chaos begins.  We've been in the lines for a particular item when there were 200 people vying for the same items, only to be told there were only 4 in the store to begin with.  This year we noticed a lot of the ads listed '1000 total in all stores', 'minimum 6 in each store'.  This year we also noticed stores opened earlier -- like 4am.  There was nothing that critical for any of us so we decided that we'd head out after we fed baby Wyatt his 6am bottle.

So Wyatt woke us up and then we swapped him around while the other two got ready and headed out from Christina's about 6:30 a.m.

The good thing about living in the middle of nowhere in Central Florida is that you have choices of equal distance.  From Christina's house, we can go to Clermont, Leesburg, Wesley Chapel or Lakeland in about 35 minutes.  From my house, we can go to Brooksville or Inverness.  In an hour we can be to The Villages, Ocala, Orlando or Tampa.  Yesterday we decided we'd help stimulate the economy in Lakeland as they had the closest Joanns -- which, as it turned out, ended up being the store we did not go to.  Funny how that worked out.

We went to Walmart, Michaels, Target, Sears, JCP, the Piercing Pagoda, Bath and Body Works, and American Greetings.  We ate breakfast sandwiches from Dunkin' Donuts. Salad lunch at TGI Fridays and ice cream on the way home.  We filled the backseat of Christina's truck. We found some of the things we were looking for, bought some things we didn't know we were looking for, crossed some things off the Christmas list and each of us came home with something for ourselves.  Christina replaced a broken griddle for her house and Betsy got a 6 quart crock pot, each 12.88 after rebate from JCP.  And I took advantage of Micheals 60% off Cricut cartridges deal.

All in all, a good day.  Austin kept the kids and we came home and had eggs, sausage, ham, biscuits and tator tots for supper.  Once Aunt Betsy had the 3 oldest ones involved in a game, Adreya had gone to bed and Baby Wyatt was settled in Mama's arms, I decided that was a good time for me to return to my little house in the woods.

So I came home and settled in with long sleeve jammies, a fluffy robe, my favorite slippers, my best and most wonderful blanket afghan that my sister made me, a Diet Mountain Dew and the tv remote to catch up on some shows that had been tivo'd.  I love Tivo!

Now, Saturday, its off to unload the truck, vacuum the living room and then clean up the scrapbooking room.  Maybe watch a movie, maybe take a nap, no plans kind of a day, just to let the day take me where it will.  I love days like this!!!!

Thanksgiving Eve

As holidays go, Thanksgiving is my favorite.  There's no presents to wrap, no baskets to fill with grass and eggs, no costume to buy, it's not a hearts and flowers day, nor nice enough weather to organize an outside event.  It's a day for families to gather around a table and to pause with the world long enough to realize that we all have a lot for which to be thankful.

The very fact that you are reading this on a computer, puts you and I ahead of a lot of the world who is struggling just to survive.  Yes, this has been a hard year financially for a lot of people and those struggles may not be over yet but we live in a richly blessed nation with a lot to be thankful for.

Here's PART of my list:

I'm thankful for a daughter that lives nearby that calls me every day just to chat, or check in on me or to share something funny that the kids have said.  She calls and asks for my advice and gives me her advice.  If something is going on, good or bad, she's my first phone call.

I'm thankful for a daughter that is teaching others children and is strong and independent.

I'm thankful for a son in law who indulges my wierdnesses with good graces, manners and tolerance with his wife, his children and in his house.

I'm thankful for Five Beautiful Grandchildren.  Each one of them is special to me in their own way.  They each touch my heart in their own unique ways, make me laugh, make me cry and make my life so very very rich in blessings.

I'm thankful for beautiful loving friends who know my heart and loves me for who I am.  For calling just to say hi.  For every email.  For encouraging me to leave the safe little world of my house and venture out for some fun.  For every hug at every crop anytime I see them.

I'm thankful for my extended family that stays in touch with me.  And extended family that's connected by heart strings and not blood lines.  Many of my beautiful loving friends are also my family of my heart.

I'm thankful for a surgeon, who, 22 months ago tomorrow did the best job that he could do to fix my wrist.  He made me no promises other than that he would do his best.  He did.  And the Great Physician did the rest.  I have a left wrist that is strong enough to type on a keyboard, play the guitar, pick up one of the babies and is reliable and pain free.  I couldn't ask for anymore than that.

I'm thankful for a church that knows that true Christianity is not judgemental.  That missing a service is a reason to say 'I missed you' instead of a chastising 'why weren't you here?'

I'm thankful for my job and that I still enjoy going there as I have for the last twelve plus years.  I contribute.  I make a difference.  The owners are wonderful people that I am proud to work for and with.

I'm thankful for my little house in the woods that has become my safe haven.  I didn't have a lot of time to find this house.  I asked to let me know which house was mine, when I walked in the door.  I looked at about a dozen houses.  When I walked in this one, I knew.  I've lived here nearly 13 months now.  It's the first time in my live I've lived alone.  And you know what?  It's ok.  I'm ok. I made the right decision.  I have peace .. and that is priceless.

I'm thankful for a ton of little things ranging from the ridiculous (Cheerious) to the sublime (seeing 4 deer the other night), and a million other things I would never be able to list.

And I know as soon as I hit 'publish' I'll think of a dozen more things I should have added.  And I will add them to my journal.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, from my heart .... to yours.