Talking Ben

 

Precious little Ben is almost eleven months old now and obviously has a lot to talk about.  Videos like this will be such a good memory for him some day, totally priceless...

Ladies Night, Mary Kay Andrews

This is the best read of the summer, at least so far.  I'm a huge fan of Mary Kay Andrews and have been for years.  I started with Savannah Blue and Savannah Breeze, enjoyed her hilarious stories so much that I went on to read all of her books.   I introduced them to my daughter-in-law, Deanna, and she has read them all, too.  Her latest, Ladies Night is such a trip, and of course since it's about a blogger, it's especially interesting to yours truly.

So if you're looking for easy, breezy this summer, take this for a spin, you won't be disappointed.  

~ Jan

 

Rising media star and lifestyle blogger Grace Stanton’s own life gets torpedoed after she drives her cheating husband’s pricey sports car straight into the family swimming pool in a fit of anger. Soon she’s locked out of her own palatial home, checking account, and blog, forced to move in with her widowed mother who lives above, and owns, The Sandbar, a rundown beach bar. Attending court-mandated weekly “divorce recovery” therapy sessions with a group of three other women—marital misfits whose only common denominator is betrayal—Grace and the women soon ditch their therapist and move their Wednesday “Ladies’ Night” sessions to The Sandbar. They begin to help each other, walking a fine line between revenge and justice, as each one finds closure in ways previously unimagined. Can Grace figure out a new way home and how strong she needs to be to get there? Told with Mary Kay Andrews’s unique blend of humor, heart, and unpredictable plot twists,Ladies’ Night will have you raising a glass and cheering these characters on.

So how many pictures are on YOUR hard drive!!!!

 

Outta control doesn't begin  to cover it.  I take pictures, thousands of pictures, and they are only filed by date in folders on my hard drive.  At least  they are backed up to an external drive, but that's as good as it gets.   They are all jumbled together, they are so mixed up that trying to do any kind of organization is beyond me.  I keep "hoping" that someone will eventually come up with a program that will help filter them.  But i have no tags, nada nothing, so I'm pretty much SIL!

Things are so bad that I can't even try out the new Instagram video feature on my iPhone.  I was talking to my buddy V awhile ago, she was asking why I hadn't done any video, well it's because there is no room on my phone and now I have to make yet another folder and move all my iPhone pictures, all 1,750+ of them to my hard drive.  My organizational skills or lack thereof sometimes is mind boggling.

Just whining.  That is all….

Snoopy on a Saturday morning ;o)))

Ashleigh and Pudsley, Britains Got Talent

 

What a wonderful video this is.  Pudsley is an amazing little dog,  and this is one of those feel good videos that stays with you long after you've watched it...

Dial Gold Antibacterial Body Wash, it's NEW!!!

Oh, I get excited by the stupidest things, and this just made my day!  Mother's soap of choice was always a bar of Dial Gold.  I love the smell and the memories associated with it,  and use it occasionally, but I'm spoiled by body wash.  Its just a royal pain to use a bar of soap.  How lazy am I??? Ya, ya, I hear you, I know it's silly, but just telling it like it is...

So, today I was at WallyWorld, cruising the body wash aisle, and Bingo, there it was, sitting on a shelf, front row and center in front of me, NEW, DIAL GOLD BODY WASH!!!!

I may have to go take another shower just to take it for a spin.  Doesn't take much these days to excite this old(er) girl...

Uppie'sbeads59, Tammy's Messy Side Bun Hair Tutorial

 

You all know what a fan I am of Crazy Miss Tammy.   Well, this lovely 50 something woman has done it again.  Her messy side bun is an amazing look.  And no, I don't have long hair and never will again *sigh* but it sure is fun to watch her do this and see the end result with her gorgeous earrings.

Take a break today, sit back and enjoy.  This woman is just lovely and such a sweet, sweet person!!!!!

Subscribe to her YouTube Channel and you will get updates for all her videos.  She is going to do a makeup tutorial later this week on the makeup she used in this video.

Here's the link to her channel...

Firing Paula Deen, my two cents worth

 

I think, this is without a doubt, a total travesty, destroying this woman's entire career because of a remark, albeit racist,  that happened twenty year ago.  Twenty years ago.  I'm certain that if most of us were held accountable for things we said or did twenty years ago, we would be landing in a pile of doodoo, too.

I admire the woman for what she has accomplished.  Sure she can be crude, rude and obnoxious, but should she be fired for a racist comment made years and years and years ago.  Oh, puh-leez.  

Following are lyrics from a Chris Brown rap song.  A black man, who beat his girlfriend to a pulp on the way to the Grammy's  and was still invited back to the same Grammy's a couple of years later and forgiven for his transgressions, still singing his songs with filthy lyrics and making millions of dollars for doing so.  Why???  Is what Paula Deen did as bad as these lyrics that were written and sung by this same black man, Chris Brown.  I think not!  And this is just a  minuscule drop in the bucket, a mere blip on the radar screen, but it's shocking to see.

And let's fast forward to the politicians.  Andrew Weiner and Weinergate.  All the sexually explicit photos and messages he sent, in part to a 21 year old college student, while he was married and his wife was pregnant.  Was he ostracized?  Oh hell no, he's now running for mayor of NYC!

And then there is Mark Sanford who disappeared totally for six days when he was Governor of South Carolina,  he left his wife for a woman in Buenos Aires in 2009.  Was he slapped on the wrist?  Was his career over?  Nope, he's now a congressman in South Carolina.

I could blog for hours about people who did far worse things than Paula Deen.  Far worse, but they are forgiven and all is well.  Even Martha Stewart who went to prison never missed a beat when she returned to society.

I think this is appalling, it's a witch hunt, and this woman got caught up in it.  Totally ridiculous, in my opinion, punished to the extreme for nothing worse than other people in the limelight do on a daily basis...

Tiger Lilies always make me nostalgic...

Hubby and I drive the county roads often, and now the tiger lilies are in bloom.  They were Mother's favorite, she had them on her ditch bank, and as a child I never appreciated them, but now they just make me nostalgic.

That's happened a lot this summer, being nostalgic… When I hear a train whistle I'm transported back to my childhood, running to the front porch to sit in the porch swing and watch the far away train wind through the hilly countryside.  Summer rains remind me of days spent at my friend Roxie's house, playing endless games of Monopoly that went on for days. 

I was browsing thru an antique store and saw aluminum glasses, the ones that Mother had, they were so popular in the fifties, and they made your tea so cold that it would sting your mouth and Mother put so much sugar in her tea that it puckered your lips, not from the sour, but because it was so syrupy sweet.   And the white ducks we fed last week when Abby was here transported me back to my Aunt Liz's house, she always had white ducks in her yard.

I'm thinking I need a trip to Enfield.  I like to park the car on the road by our old house in the country and listen to the familiar nature sounds.  Drive down our gravel road and sit and gaze at the ditch.  Just remember my childhood when life was carefree and the world was a better place.  And maybe I'll find some Posey County Cantaloupes for sale on the way home,  and if I'm really lucky some summer squash and zucchini.  Yep, that's just what I need, to be transported back to my childhood, if just for a few hours….

Abby Reads...

 

 

This is my last Abby entry, it's a short video of her reading.  Ryan and Lindsay were telling me that she can read, so I bought her Dick and Jane books, the ones I read when I started first grade, wondering if they would be too difficult for her at three and a half.   I just handed her the books, she had never seen them before and she read them with no help from Grammie.   Then I gave her Dr. Seuss' The Cat and the Hat and she read that!   So much for Dick and Jane...

Abby and the Golden Necklace

When Abby was visiting last week, every day we would go for rides on Milly down to the woods, and Milly would transform from a golf cart to a Magic Pirate Ship, and the woods became an Enchanted Forest.

When we would ride thru the field to the Enchanted Forest, the field became the ocean and it was pretty rough going, but we persevered.  Captain Hook, who was a bumble bee, led the way with us yelling "Ahoy Matey," and we were screaming the whole time because the bad pirates were chasing us, but we were faster than they were and always outran them.   We were looking for the Golden Necklace that the bad pirates had stolen, and every single day, we made this trip, some days,  two or three times, always looking through our telescope, trying to find the golden necklace.

Well, naturally grandparents want to make a little girl's dream come true, so Larry went to a tag sale and came home with two huge bags of Mardi Gras beads. 100+ necklaces.  Then the night before she left to go home, he went to the woods and dropped piles of beads along the path, ending with a whole pile of golden necklaces.  For those of you who know Larry, you are probably smiling, because he never does anything half way, he always takes it to the extreme, and of course, since it was for Abby, he really pulled out all the stops.

So the last evening, we went for one last treasure hunt, searching for that golden necklace, and the following video is the result.  It's rather long, but I couldn't bear to edit it, this will always be a real treasure for her in years to come.  The farther into the video we go, the more excited she gets, just watch and you'll see what I mean...

 

 

 

 

 

 

She was so excited, after we came home with her treasures,  she kept saying over and over again.  "I never saw anything like it."  "Never in my entire life."  It was as though she couldn't believe it had really happened.  Now what do Grammie and P-Pa do to top this?  I'm clueless right now, but it sure will be fun figuring out what we do for her the next time she comes to stay...

It's all about the grandkids this week...

 

Ben, Abby's little brother, is ten months old now, cutting his first teeth, and is just adorable.  Abby went home today, I have a couple more posts to make about her, then it's back to business as usual.

I do all of these blogs about my grandchildren and tag each one with their name so that some day, when they are grown they will be able to look back at their childhood thru the eyes of Grammie and her blog.  I think it's a special gift I'm giving them.  So bear with me ladies, all the Grammie gushing will be over soon, pinky swear it will.

The house is quiet now, LC and I miss her so much, but she will come again.  She had a blast visiting us, I haven't laughed so much in years as I have this week, oh we had such fun with her...

Huh, what crayon???

 

Most dogs eat off the floor, pick things up, put them in their mouth, but  that has never been Maggie.  She just doesn't.  You drop food, she ignores it, she doesn't sniff for crumbs, nada, zilch.  

Well, that has all changed since Abby's arrival.  Three year olds leave lots of things behind, things that would entice any little dog, and apparently Mags has decided that she likes what Abby likes.  She has a particular fascination with crayons.  Why, I don't know, but she licks them, she carries them around in her mouth, and her human Mom is not a fan.  I wouldn't think crayons would be toxic, after all they are for kids, but I don't like her carrying them around in her mouth.

Abby is good about not dropping things, but she's not perfect, so occasionally I find "things."  This afternoon Maggie had dibs on an apple slice from Abby's Happy Meal, and she wasn't giving it up.  She just follows Abby around seeing what treasure she can eat and/or play with.  Kids and dogs, is there anything cuter….

Abbyisms...

 

Abby:  Grammie, I really like your home.

Grammie:  You do Abby, why?

Abby:  Cause you have pretty stuff… and no stairs!

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Abby:  Ppa, why are your feet dirty?

Ppa:  Because I've been walking in the garage barefoot, Abby

Abby:  Well, you need to wash them...

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Abby:  Grammie, does Mrs. Dowd have a little girl? (Mrs. Dowd lives in the condo next door)

Grammie:  No Abby, Mrs. Dowd is old

Abby:  How old is she, Grammie?

Grammie:  96

Abby:  NINETY-SIX, that's almost a hundred, Grammie...

Dear Abby...

 

Today I would like to introduce you to Miss Abigail Leigh (wearing Grammie's glasses).  She graciously sat down for a question and answer session for The Daily Dish.

Grammie:   What is your favorite thing to do?  

Abby:  Play with my Dad

Grammie:  What games do you like to play?

Abby:  Horse, it's my very favorite.

Grammie:  What do you do at school?

Abby:  Ummmmm, I do stuff.

Grammie:  Who is your best friend and why?

Abby:  Chloe, because I like her, I give her a snuggle and a  kiss.

Grammie:  What is your favorite thing to do with mama?

Abby:  Ummmmm, I like for her to read to me.  My favorite book is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Grammie:  Who is your favorite dog?

Abby:  Izzie and Maggie because I like them so much.

Grammie:  Abby, what do you want to do when you grow up?

Abby:  I want to be a good drawer.

Grammie:  What is your very favorite thing to do with your brother?

Abby:  I like to play with him because he swings with me

Grammie:  What is your very favorite food?

Abby:  Big crackers, because I like them so much!

Grammie:  What food do you think is icky?

Abby:  Chicken, because I don't like it, it tastes funny.  Macaroni and cheese tastes funny, too.

Grammie:  Are you looking forward to going to the zoo tomorrow?

Abby:  Ya, I want to see a unicorn (oh-oh).

And that concludes our question and answer session.  She sat on my lap and informed me when I forgot to put a question mark at the end of my sentences, and reminded me to put Abby and Grammie at the beginning of each question and answer.  Oh, dear Abby...

 

 

More from Glamperland

If you love all things retro, and who doesn't, these campers will just make you swoon.  I'm not even a camping type girl and these make me want to rush right out and buy a vintage one just to see what we could do with it. 

But no, I'm not going too, I'll just drool over these and post pictures for all of you….

Enjoy ~ Jan

Abby's Summer Visit 2013

Lindsay and Ben brought Abby half way to Heavensville  today, we met at Cracker Barrel for a quick lunch, and Abby came home with us for a few days.  It's her first visit, and she was reassuring her mother.  Linds was telling her goodbye and hugging her tightly and Abby said, "Don't worry, I'll come back."

We've got so many things planned, what a fun week we have ahead...

Miss Minnie Smartest Little Yorkie I've Ever Seen

 

 
 

This little dog is less than six months old.  I am absolutely, positively astonished at how smart she is.  When my Yorkies were six months old, I was still trying to teach them not to pee in the floor.

If you're a dog lover, you must see this video.  It is one of the sweetest things I've ever posted, well except for that precious two year Emma and her horse Cinnamon...

Oh, this tiny little fur baby brings back so many memories of Maggie, with her wispy hair.  She reminds me of my friend Diane's Miley, as well.  I do adore Yorkies...

It's National Eat Your Veggies Day...

 

 

Okay gang, last week I told you about what I now know to be called "zoodles."  It's the faux spaghetti made with summer squash and zucchiniNow you all know that I've always given you good information, and trust me, this is absolutely the best, ever!  Last night, thanks to Ang bringing me a grilled pork tenderloin that she had wrapped in bacon, seasoned with Tony Chachiare Creole Seasoning and grilled, dinner was easy breezy.  The tenderloin was amazing, and since I'm low carbing, I made strips of Zoodles with summer squash, using my nifty julienne cutter, sautéed them for just a minute in butter, salt and pepper, and you have no idea of how good this is.  I had been tossing them with olive oil, butter takes it to a whole other level ;o)  And tonight, I'm making it and adding fresh basil from my garden and shards of freshly grated parmesan.  Yum!

It's a must try, pinky swear it is.  And yes, I know I just blogged about this peeler last week, but it's so good that it's worth repeating  with a bit more information.

I have this Oxo julienne peeler, but people like the the Kuhn Rikon even better.

Here are the links, do yourself a healthy favor this week and buy one.  I got mine at Bed Bath and Beyond, but its 's much easier just ordering on Amazon.

Such a good thing...

Here's the link for the Kuhn Rikon

Here's the link for the Oxo that I have

 

 

A Glamper! Is this not the cutest thing ever...

 

Quite possibly one of the coolest retro-camper yet.  We need one of these hubby!!!!!