Labor Day Friday

After taking Harry to the Doctor and getting a good progress report. I took him back to work and then took the girls to the beach. This is as far as Reagan would walk because sand was getting into her croc's. I had to go pick her up and carry her out of the loose hot sand. She was fine once we got down to the hard dirt. She chased the sea gulls all over the beach. She took a 3 hour nap when we got home!! Yea!

They both love digging in the dirt.

As you can see the beach wasn't very crowded at all! We had a nice few hours. They're mama took them to Summer Waves today!

Now on to Photoshop for Photographers!

When the Teacher handed me this certificate after last night's class, I just started laughing. I asked him what in the world I was going to do with this and he said, " well with this and a dollar I could get a cup of coffee anywhere!" Yeah, right! That would be great if I drank coffee. I won't say that this class was a waste of time, but I don't feel like I know much more about Photoshop than before taking the class. I sure hope in the next class I can learn a little more. Not that I'm a "photographer" but I do take pictures. :)

In a matter of seconds

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday: TipNut.com

I've found a website that I just love! I signed up for the daily e-mails! I've learned so much already! Here is just a one day post! So many of things are just fun! Click on a few or check out their website. I think you'll like it too.
TipNut.com

12 Useful Things To Make From Repurposed Items

Recycle Magazines Into Gift Bows
Recycled Sweater Totes
Cashmere Patchwork Quilt
Spring Mini-Tote From Old Sweater
Lavender Sachets From Vintage Tablecloths
Denim Pocket Bulletin Board
Repurposed Light Fixture Into Birdbath: No instructions, but easy enough to figure out
Wine Cork Trivet & Board
T-Shirt Rag Rugs
Make Slippers From Old Wool Blankets
Knit Totes From Plastic Bags
T-Shirt Drawstring Bag
Also See These Goodies:
25 Things To Do With Old Jeans
10 Ideas For Recycling Pillowcases
10 Ideas for Recycling Old Towels
20 Things You Can Use Twice Before Tossing

Monday Mornings and Bug Bites

Busy Monday Morning!

Shelby and Reagan's Gamma Smith had cataract surgery this morning at 7:00 AM. I had to have Pop pop at the wound care center at 8:00 AM this morning and Christon had Reagan across the street at Dr. Coopers office at 8:00 AM this morning with this "impressive" mosquito bite! Apparently she is very allergic to mosquito bites! Great! He's going to cover it with an antibiotic because it's so "impressive" the Dr.s word! I had to go relieve Christon at 9:45 because she was still waiting to see the Dr. and had a 10:00 o'clock class at the college. So that meant I got to hold the screaming child so the Dr. could examine her! Not fun! If this is any indication of how the rest of the week is going to go, I'm not "impressed" or excited!

Perfect Love

Artist Del Parson

The Isaacs

"I Surrender All"

"Hero's"

Nathan and Me

It was so wonderful to get out of the house and to enjoy the beautiful music. These people are blessed with such awesome God given talents! I promise you want be disappointed.

A Rainy Night In Georgia

I braved tropical storm "Fay" last night and met Barney's friend Chris for a date to see the "Isaac's"! If we didn't have a foot stompin, hand clappin, head shakin, Amen, Praisin the Lord, kind of evening, then, I don't know what? If you ever get the chance to hear them don't pass it up! They are a bluegrass, gospel and country group. Our "cousin's" son, Nathan Fausett, plays the drums in the group. It was so fun to see Peggy and Nathan and the Isaac's again.

Weather update: Tropical storm Fay continues to hammer us. Schools have been canceled and we are under a tornado warning, not watch!! We lost electricity for a while last night but so far today we still have it. Sure hope we can keep it. Our big bridge is closed and roads are flooded. Stay home folks!

Update: kudo's to Echo, she guessed what my early and only present was! Nikon D-80!!!!

Better Early Than Late

74 days until the

US Presidential Election

74 Days until my birthday!

104 days until my 31st

wedding Anniversary!

126 Days until Christmas!

It's Christmas in August!

And I got my combined birthday, anniversary

and Christmas present early!

Bet you can't guess what it is???

Wordless Wednesday

Amazing!

"He's the eighth wonder of the world"
U.S. swimmer and all-time Olympian Michael Phelps poses exclusively for the August 25, 2008 edition of Sports Illustrated in this photograph taken in Beijing, China on August 17, 2008. This photo of Phelps, 23, posing with his eight medal collection, the richest gold medal haul ever from a single Olympic Games, marks Phelps' fifth appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Phelps has more SI covers than any other swimmer including Mark Spitz, who is second with three. The August 25, 2008 issue of Sports Illustrated will go on sale on Wednesday. Photo taken August 17, 2008.

Tasty Tuesdays

There use to be a joke about not leaving your car doors unlocked during the summer because some one would leave bags of Zucchini in your car seat. To be honest, I'd love it if some one would leave me any vegetables in my car. Any way, when Prudy posted this recipe, I knew I wanted to try it. My carrot cake has pineapple in it, so I knew this would be great! Boy was it ever! So, so good. I ate a half a loaf and then gave the other half to Barney's friend Chris. I gave Amanda the other loaf. I just have no self control over sweets. I just have to give them away quickly.

Lightened Up Zucchini
and Pineapple Bread
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple
about 2/3 cup buttermilk
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
2-3 cups unpeeled shredded zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, if desired
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda, powder, salt and cinnamon. In a 1 cup measuring cup, drain , the juice from the pineapple. Add as much buttermilk as you need to make 1 cup of liquid. Pour into large mixing bowl. Add sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in dry ingredients being careful to not over mix. Add pineapple, zucchini, and nuts if desired. Pour into 2 greased 9 by 5 inch loaf pans and bake for about 45 minutes. Cool for ten minutes and remove from pans

Purty painted toes!

The day after Harry got out of the hospital a few weeks ago I went to the farmers market in downtown Brunswick. I wanted some fresh summer vegetables to cook for him since he had just had two weeks of hospital food. As I was mulling over the prices of the fresh veggies. I was thinking that they were high for the way the vegetables looked. Or otherwise I wasn't impressed with the quality for the price. I kept asking what the price of things were. $1.00 for two cucumbers, good price since they are going for .89 each at the store, I got two. $1.00 for one big zucchini, got it. 5 tomatoes for $3.00 got'um (although I really hated paying that price since we got a 5 gallon buckets full for $6.00 in Waycross just the month before, but I wasn't in Waycross and I wanted some fresh garden tomatoes.) I got a quart of shelled fresh butter beans for $4.00. Then I asked how much the cabbage was? A $1.50 for a small head of cabbage, I was thinking that was high and I was trying to decide if I really wanted it or not when the old man behind me said, " you lady's don't mind paying to have your toes painted those purty colors! But you want us to give you our vegetables for next to nothing!" and he went on, "and they all look alike! That must be the only color they make!" Well of course I look down at my freshly pedicured toes and couldn't really say anything. I bought the cabbage and picked up all my other fresh veggies and left. Now that's why my blog's name is Afterthoughts, after the fact, I always wish I would have said this or said that, or said something! But then you know what mama always says, "if you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all."

The King

"Elvis"

Today is the anniversary

of his death, August 16, 1977.

31 years ago.

Do you ever wonder what

could have been?

Gas Prices

This is pretty neat.

My mama sent this to me last week.

Just enter your zip code in the site below, and it will tell you which gas stations have the cheapest prices (and the highest) gasoline in your area - It's updated every evening. http://autos.msn.com/everyday/gasstations.aspx?zip=&src=Netx

I checked mine last night and Flying J has regular for $3.53.9
Sorry, I don't think that this works for my overseas friends. Be a good neighbor and pass this along !

Hubby Shirt Saver

I saw this over on Vanilla Sugar's site.

I just loved it! Now that's a great idea!

Dress For Dinner Napkins
As seen on the Today Show! Even if the guy's dressed in his favorite old white tee shirt, with this napkin at his neck he'll actually look like he made the effort to get dressed for dinner. A great conversation piece at any party. There are 20 3-ply paper napkins to a package, 4 designs - 5 of each tie. Cello wrapped.
Price: $5.95

Order your's here!

Wordless Wednesday

YES!!!

School starts today!

Shelby will go M-F 9:00-1:00

Reagan will go T-TH-FR 9:00-1:00

They love their school and had

a wonderful time the other

night at open house.

Reagan didn't want to leave.

Tasty Tuesdays

Monster Cookies

Over on "South In Your Mouth" She posted this recipe for Monster cookies a few weeks ago. What intrigued me about this recipe is that it didn't have any flour in it? Shelby and I finally got around to making them.

Shelby loves to bake.

I hand her the items measured and she dumps it into the bowl. Then she mixes it up with the mixer with my hand on top of hers. I put them on the pan and open the oven door and she helps slide them in and then she gets to close the oven door and watch through the glass as they cook. It's a lot of fun. We wait to bake when Reagan takes a nap, so she's not underfoot. I love baking better than cooking.

She was eating her share of chocolate chips.

Finished Product!

They were wonderfully delicious!

And they were "hooge".

"Second Opinion!"

So the recipe makes a "hooge" amount. I had a bowl of batter left from when Shelby and I had baked them on Tuesday so I got up early on Friday to make a dozen or two to take to Harry's Dr.s appointment.

I set them down right in front of Dr. Brooks as we were passing his computer station on our way to an examination room. He grinned and said "Oh No." We went on in and waited maybe 3 minutes and he comes in chewing and said "oh, man, what do you call those cookies" so I told him Monster Cookies! They are big cookies and I guess that's why they are called Monster Cookies, but he loved them! He told us that in the Dr's. lounge at the hospital, they have a stack of peanut butter cookies, oatmeal cookies and chocolate chip cookies and he is famous for taking one of each and smashing them together and making one big sandwich cookie for lunch. He told us that he loves sweets and that he absolutely loved this cookie because it had peanut butter, oatmeal and chocolate chips in it, all of his favorites! I of course was thrilled he loved them and told him that I love to bake and since Harry is a diabetic and I'm a sweet-aholic the only time I seem to bake is for my Sunday School class. He said he'd take any thing he could get! His wife is also a Doctor (eye) and I think that they have a busy schedule. I just love him and his whole staff. They treat us like friends when we go in that office.

Ingredients
6 large eggs
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
3 cups crunchy peanut butter
9 cups oatmeal
1 1/2 cups plain M&M's
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Directions
1) In very large bowl, use mixer to combine first seven ingredients--eggs through peanut butter.
2) Add oatmeal, candy, and chocolate chips and mix thoroughly by hand.
3) If dough is too sticky, either refrigerate or add another 1/2 to 1 cup oatmeal.
4) Scoop ice cream size balls of dough onto cookie sheets, with plenty of space in between.
5) Bake at 350° for 13-15 minutes. If using two racks, switch top to bottom and bottom to top about halfway through.

Cajun Home Security

HOW TO INSTALL A CAJUN

HOME SECURITY SYSTEM

1) Go to a second-hand store, buy a pair of men's used size 14-16 work boots.

2) Place them on your front porch, along with a copy of Guns & Ammo Magazine.

3) Put a few giant dog dishes next to the boots and magazine.

4) Leave a note on your door that reads:

Hey Bubba, Big Jim, Duke and Slim,

I went for more ammunition. Back in an hour. Don't mess with the pit bulls - they attacked the mailman this morning and messed him up real bad. I don't think Killer took part in it, but it was hard to tell from all the blood. Anyway, I locked all four of 'em in the house. Better wait outside.

Cooter

Little Children

Matthew 19:13-14

13 ¶ Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.

14 But Jesus said, suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

He's Baacckk!!

And we're speaking again!

And he's doing a great job!

And I'm HAPPY!

Thank you brother

(aka Barney's Friend Chris)

for being the matchmaker and

getting us back together again!!

We Have a Winner Folks!

And the Winner is

#23 Prudence

I used Random.org to pick the winner.

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers: 23
Timestamp: 2008-08-09 09:15:05 UTC

I gave every one a number in the order you commented. A few of you commented several times, but that didn't help you win. I only put your number in once. :)

THANK YOU EVERY ONE FOR PLAYING ALONG. I GOT SOME GREAT SUGGESTIONS ON SOME NEW BOOKS I WANT TO READ. MAYBE WE'LL DO IT AGAIN SOON. I LOVE CONTEST! HOPE YALL HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

08/08/08

A Special Date

August 8 is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years). There are 145 days remaining until the end of the year.

The date is not only catchy but the number 8 is also considered very favourable in Chinese culture. The Chinese pronunciation for ‘eight’ (ba in Mandarin and paat in Cantonese) sounds similar to the word for ‘prosperity’ (fa in Mandarin and faat in Cantonese). The more eights involved in a couple’s lives, the better chance they have for luck and wealth (so get booking!). Numbers play a large role in choosing a wedding date for the Chinese (many Chinese couples are given a selection of auspicious days on which to marry). I read somewhere yesterday that there were 9000 weddings planed in China today.

This applies to any special event in Chinese culture. In fact, the summer Olympics in Beijing will begin on 8/8/08, at 8:08 p.m.

Along with the good luck associated with the number eight, 8/8/08 has a few other factors that might make it a desirable day to get married. August is always a popular month for weddings and when the numeral “8″ is turned on its side, it becomes the symbol for infinity — a fitting motif to represent the beginning of a marriage! I was wondering how many people will play those numbers in the lottery today? I just thought those facts were interesting!

Don't forget to sign up for my 200th post give away in the blog below this one. It ends tonight at midnight EST. Join in the summer fun!

200th Post Contest

Hey yall, this is my 200th post!

So time for a little give away.

I thought since I posted about

Charles Martin yesterday, that

I would offer the winner one of his books!

Your choice! Just leave a little comment

on who your favorite author is and I'll draw

a name on Saturday morning and

post the winner. Lets end this contest,

midnight EST Friday, 08/08/08!

Now I know that most days I have 20-25 different visitors. Some days even more. But most days only 5 or 6 of you leave a comment. Now is the time to come out of the closet. If you still haven't figured out how to leave a comment then e-mail me and I'll post one for you. Come on, play along it's not that hard and it can be fun, especially if you win! Good Luck!

"Where The River Ends"

The very day Harry went into the hospital a dear friend showed up with Charles Martin's new book, "Where The River Ends." It had been released the day before. I couldn't believe it. It was so thoughtful. She knows how much I love his books. This is #6. I've got the other 5 signed by him when he came to the Ford Bookstore on St. Simons Island. He's coming again in September and I'm going to have him sign this one too. BUT.... I can't bring myself to start this one. It deals with terminal illness. And with Harry's situation right now, not that it's terminal, it's just that he is sick, I just can't read it now. I'll wait another month or so, I do want to read it before he signs it though.
PS: If you want to read one of his books, start with "The Dead Don't Dance" then read the squeal, "Maggie" then read the rest of them. He's a good southern writer from Jacksonville Florida.



Editorial Reviews
A powerfully emotional and beautifully written story of heartbreaking loss and undying love. He was a fishing guide and struggling artist from a south George trailer park. She was the beautiful only child of South Carolina’s most powerful senator. Yet once Doss Michaels and Abigail Grace Coleman met by accident, they each felt they’d found their true soul mate. Ten years into their marriage, when Abbie faces a life-threatening illness, Doss battles it with her every step of the way. And when she makes a list of ten things she hopes to accomplish before she loses the fight for good, Doss is there, too, supporting her and making everything possible. Together they steal away in the middle of the night to embark upon a 130-mile trip down the St. Mary’s River—a voyage Doss promised Abbie in the early days of their courtship.Where the River Ends chronicles their love-filled, tragedy-tinged journey and a bond that transcends all.

Tasty Tuesdays

Over on Prudy's site, she posted

this recipe for

Chocolate Glazed Oatmeal Peanut Bars!

One day last week when I had the girls,

I let Shelby help me make them.

She just loves to help bake things

and then watch it from the

oven window as it cooks.

This is how they turned out.

They were easy to make

and were so yummy.

Thanks Prudy.

I Hate Change, Sometimes

(My New Phones)

Sometimes I hate change.

Even though the darling Mr. AT&T

came last week and put in new phone

lines for us, we still had some static.

My phones were about 8 years old and

have been dropped no less than a

thousand times. It was time, past time

to get new ones. But I hate change!

Not so much change,

I guess, maybe it's the fact

I have to read the directions on

how to use new ones.

Maybe that's the real problem.

I just hate reading directions,

unless it's in a cookbook.

But I am kind of excited

because when the phone rang

today, it talks! It told us who

was calling! Apparently these phones

work with the caller I D. It's going

to be interesting if it tells us

there is a Telemarketer on

the other end.

Getting Ready For Church

It Be Nice

Mr. AT&T

(My AT&T man was cuter than this one!)
Finally Mr. AT&T came today and spent about an hour and a half drilling two new holes into my walls and set a new phone jack and a new line for my computer. Also put in a whole new box on the back of the house instead of the side. Now you can call the house phone and maybe we will answer. I would appreciate it if you didn't all call at once, please.



I would like to say that it has been one of those days!! We had the girls today. A home health care nurse and Mr. AT&T, all before 3:00pm. I'm done and ready for a quiet weekend, thank you very much!