TGIF

Here is an updated photo of our bedroom after my parents helped me hang the curtains that coordinate with my "new" bedroom ensemble. We just love it and it satisfied our need for a java-colored room. (Thanks!)

See my exercise ball in the corner? I step over it every day and call that exercise. haha Seriously I really need to get on the ball and get back to exercising and toning up my tummy. :o) (No pun intended)

Uncle Joe and GrandPat went to a local music store to hear a guitar player named Bugs Henderson. I don't know anything about him, but you can read about him here:
I hope they have a good time. Maybe he will inspire some new guitar licks for Joe to play for us tomorrow.
(Update: Joe came home with a rockin' cd of this man's and it was great!!)

Cassidy's school sponsored a "Trunk or Treat" tonight. Have you heard of that? The participants parked their cars and opened their decorated trunks and passed out candy to the children. It was over quickly but Cassi was happy with her small haul of candy. I am sure she and Joe will sit in the floor later and ooh and ahh over what she got.

Carly is having her first sleep over guest tonight: her bestest cousin, Elle. Not too much giggling is coming from the living room just yet, but the night is still young. ;o) These girls are so funny together. They can find a treasure in anything you put before them. Tomorrow I imagine them outside in the garden or under a tree creating a little city of nut shells, pine needle houses and rock cars. You just never know what they will create together. :o) I love that about them. They are very different, but also alike in a lot of ways.

I am just glad it is Friday.

The eyes have it

Here is the "face" in our kitchen watching us cook.
He kinda looks like that creature on FarScape. What do you think his name should be??














This "face" creeps me out. It is in our bathroom. Good thing Batman is there too. I am thinking of hanging SOMETHING over this face, or at least the eyes. haha

















Posted by AJ

Happy Boo Bah!

Happy BooBah to Jen!

She is turning 33 today

Go on over and wish her a happy day........

We called to surprise her with our own Okie Singing Telegram :o) Joe picked out Happy Birthday on the guitar and the girls and I sang along.

Cuppa Joe

Ever wonder where "cup of joe" came from??

Go here to find out.


Mmmmmm I already have my grande joe. (he is 6'2")

:oD

I Got a Wild Hair.......

Before
















After

Whaddaya think??

I like it. I did it while Joe was asleep again. What's up with that?

The Clown Who Couldn't Spell

Bless his heart....he can't spell.














He was very sweet and boy, could he make a balloon thingamajigger!

House-o-Joe's

Here is our "new" home....actually it is the 20+ year old house that my dad built for his parents in 1983. It is right next door to the house I grew up in, so I really moved "back home"! This first view is the kitchen. The floor was updated as well as the sink (I don't think that is visible in this photo, but it is great! Thanks Mom!) and just freshened up with a nice coat of paint. We left some of Nan's things here and there...the little shelf by the back door for one.
There is a great plate rail above the cabinets that Joe promptly filled up with all our doo-da's. Some are antiques some are just things that tickled our fancy. Notice the Hello Kitty lunch box? The block letters below it originally spelled C-O-U-N-T-R-Y or W-E-L-C-O-M-E and Uncle Joe, being the creative dood he is, rearranged it to spell M-E-O-W. :o) I thought it was funny!
Here is the girls bathroom. We thought coming here they would be so excited to have their own bathroom. The shower has a seat in it and the spiffy new shower curtain is just what they like. OH BUT NO!!! They want in the big middle of mine and Joe's bathroom!! We have the bathtub/shower and they LOOOOOOVE to take baths. Oh well, it saves me from having to clean TWO bathrooms. So, I guess this is really Charlie the Cat's bathroom.
This room is the brain child of me and my parents. They are both aware that I struggle with a Laundry Monster on a daily basis so we re-thunk the layout of this room, took out a freezer and a cabinet and added a laundry folding station! It has a large table for folding, shelves underneath to hold 4 small laundry baskets for sorting clean/folded laundry and 3 large laundry hampers for sorting dirty laundry underneath the table. Dad also added a sturdy pole for hanging laundry. That is my favorite. This has saved a huge mess in our living room and bedrooms. I LOVE THIS ROOM!!! (and it smells good!)

Here is our bed room. As you can see, it is small, but CLEAN. Bedzilla has taken up most of the room. I love our King sized bed and hated the thought of giving it up, so we didn't. The bedspread is Mom's deal-of-the-day that she found at a yard sale just up the road in the new housing addition. If the owner's husband was telling the truth, it is a $800+ set and we got the whole ensemble: comforter, bedskirt, pillows, shams (that I dont' have pillows for) and 2 curtains, all for $100! I caught them at the perfect moment: CLOSING TIME! Despite our best efforts to enjoy this comforter, we still sleep with our old one (It is just so comfy!) and just put this one out for show.

One thing that you cannot see in this picture is the great bookshelf Dad put in a dead spot on the wall just around the corner to the right. He raised it off the ground so there is storage down there for our one suitcase and 5 shelves to hold all our books/magazines etc. He painted it coffee-bean brown for us, the color we actually wanted on the walls but decided against in such a small space.

My parents worked so hard on this house for us all summer and words cannot ever express my gratitude for their tireless work for me and my family. I choke up with emotion every time I try to speak my gratitude to them.

Nan has been gone for almost a year now, hard to believe. I know she (and Pap) would be so very very glad that we are living in her house. She would be glad that Joe is working in her yard, making a garden. She would be glad that Cassi has the Doll Room and kept her shelf for dolls, and even rescued a baby doll from a garage sale just last week. She would be glad that Carly is using her bedroom suite that she saved for us all these years. She would be glad that her house is filled with the sounds of little girls laughing, crying, singing and fussing. She would be especially glad to hear the music that comes from within these walls from Joe & Cassi. She would be glad to see our daughters making friends all through the neighborhood, playing outside and riding their bikes. She would be proud of me for helping to make this house into a home.

More pictures will follow , so please stay tuned!!

Sam & Ella Ain't Got Nuthin' on Uncle Joe

Here are a couple of pizza's Uncle Joe whipped up this week. He made the pizza dough from scratch too......































They were very yummy in our tummies.

Fair Fotos

Here is my dad....Papa to the girls. Do you like his hat?? He is a hat guy. Always has one on and loves to see his grand daughters wearing hats.

Here is a cool cake we saw at the Cake Contest. I thought Uncle Joe, Ted, Roy and Kahuna might appreciate this one. :o) The contest was featured on The Food Network. We could see cameras in the middle of all the cakes, but we steered clear of them. They had the most fabulous wedding cakes I have ever seen. I would have hated to cut them!

I assume this is a brown sugar "sand" castle. I bet it is very sticky. Do you like Cassidy's pony tail holder? I put something bright on her so I could spot her if she got seperated from us.

Carly, Salani and Cassidy on the way to the fair.

They looooove their cousin Salani. They fight over who gets to sit by her. I am sure she gets sick of being in the middle all the time! She is literally and chronilogically in he middle of them. She is 8, Carly 11 and Cassidy 6. Just the right spaced between them.......

The Law of PP

My fatigue factor is directly proportional to the probability that I will get a call to do a drugscreen.

I was sitting at the computer about to fall asleep about 11:15pm this evening , ready to turn in when the pager went off. I had to drive to the hospital to collect a drugscreen. The donor could not go and I had to wait for 30+ minutes for her to finally go.

*Yawn* I am feeling Mr. Sandman again........

Good night Bloggers

Meme Me

I am very tired and have nothing better to post than this.

1. How many keys are on your keychain: 8 identified and 1 unidentified
2. What curse word do you use the most: holy canoly!
3. Do you own an iPod: no
4. What time is your alarm clock set for: 6:00am (do i have to admit how many times i hit snooze too? OK 3)
5. How many suitcases do you own: 1 and i have to share it with Uncle Joe.
6. Do you wear flip flops even when it's cold outside: Only if it is for a short while
7. Where do you buy your groceries from: Harps/Walmart/Albertsons
8. Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture: both. i have too many pictures of others and not enough of
ones with me in them.
9. What was the last movie you watched: The Illusionist (it was ok but wait for the video)
10. Do any of your friends have children: all of them i do believe....one even has 5
11. If you won the lottery, what's the first thing you would buy: my house
12. Has anyone ever called you lazy: Not lately!
13. Has anyone told you a secret this week: it is Sunday so the week is still young!! I am hopeful.....
14. When was the last time someone hit on you: Saturday morning...Uncle Joe hit me on my arm and it hurt.
15. What did you have for dinner: cereal and toast
16. Do you wear hoodies often: no not often
17. Can you whistle: oh yes....very loudly too.
18. Have you ever participated in a protest: just protesting work
19. Do you think people talk about you behind your back: yes on a daily basis
20. How big is your local mall: it is big but a lot of it is empty
21. Are you shy around the opposite sex: yes they make me nervous especially when the smell good
22. When was the last time you laughed so hard your sides hurt: last week when Joe read me his Western Love Story
23. What movie do you know every line to: Wizard of Oz, Babe, Joe vs the Volcano, most Disney movies
24. Do you own any band t-shirts: not currently, but i used to.....
25. When was your last plane ride: sadly, 1993.
26. How many chairs are at your dining room table: 6
27. Do you read for fun: yes doesn't everyone?
28. Can you speak any languages other than English: I am fluent in the language of Love *snicker*
29. Have you ever cried in public: yes and i really hate to. i hate for people to see my ugly cry-face

wow that took 30 minutes.
now i am really really tired.

good night all

Fairly Fun

Whew. I have never been so glad to be home! We had a buzzy-bizzy-bee day today.

We had an early rise (which was hard after a late night at the Fort Gibson vs Sallisaw game AT Sallisaw, an hour away) and went to a Pancake Breakfast at Cassidy's school. For some reason I thought they would also have other food items. Wrong. It was pancakes. Only pancakes. Served with apple juice and coffee as thick as mud. Needless to say I ate only one pancake. (I am a pancake snob...i will only eat them with Griffins Butter Pecan syrup and sausage)

Outside in the parking lot, they had rented parking spaces to have a community garage sale. We found a few treasures: some cherry capri pants for G-mom (hope she doesn't see this before we give them to her!) a cute little Smore marshmallow snowman picture holder, several shirts for Carly and some cool jeans, a ginormous pot for Uncle Joe to make dumplins in and a wonderful stuffed monkey that Cassidy named after her teacher: Mrs. Roff. I wonder if she would find it as funny as we did??

We had the energy and the spare change to go to one more garage sale after leaving the school and found several more treasures: a leather Fossil wallet for a quarter, a baby doll for 75 cents (Nan would be so proud of us for rescuing her!) and a sparkly purse for Cassidy. By the end of that treasure seeking escapade it was time for us to get ready to go to the Tulsa State Fair with Papa.

Papa picked up my niece, Salani, then me and the girls and we were off for some fun at the Fair. (UJ stayed at home. He didn't feel too good)We got there about 1230 and immiediately found our favorite fair food: roasted corn. We got four ears and had a seat and got all buttery and salty and enjoyed our corn. We smiled with corny teeth the rest of the day. Our other favorite fair food is Cajun Shrimp On A Stick. You talk about SO good!! We look forward to that every year. We also ate a funnel cake and frozen cheez cake. We got only one cheez cake and shared and it was 'just enough' for everyone to get a good bite or two and not be overloaded.

The girls got to ride several rides, maybe 5 each. Dad did the math on the last ride the girls rode and figured each time the ride started, they made $125.00!! Holy canoly!! That is just insane! There were several new rides but the lines were too long for Carly to ride them. I saw a few I would have liked to try, but at $4 to $5 a pop, I just couldn't bring myself to pay that! Carly is at that inbetween stage in her life. Not a child and not a teenager so she had difficulty finding things she wanted to ride with the little girls. Next year we will plan a trip and bring someone her age to ride with. :o)

It was a long day but a fun day. We had to listen to the gaggle of giggling girls in the back seat all the way home from Tulsa but they were singing and laughing, so we didn't even care. I love to hear them getting along happily.

I took several pictures, but I am just too tired to download them right now. (Blogger is so naughty it probably wouldn't have let me download them anyway.)

Hoping you all are having a great weekend!

Pepper Rallies and Pizza

Cassidy came home from school last Friday very excited. "Mom guess what we had at school today? A parade and a Pepper Rally!"

It was Homecoming and they had an all school parade and a Pep Rally. :o) heehee!!

If you have never been, I recommend you try The Incredible Pizza Company. My mom and I went along with Carly's Girl Scout troop for a big Field Trip. It was so much fun! They have several themed rooms to eat in (Family Room, Diner, Starlight Theater and Gymnasium) and lots of activities for the kids when they are done (Go Carts, Bumpber cars, Mini golf, Bowling, games games games) They don't use tokens or quarters for the games/activities either. You put money on a "credit card" and the kids scan it to play games. The prices were very reasonable. The girls each got $12 on their card and that was more than enough to play everything they wanted. We even had to scold some of them to "spend your money so we can go!"

I want to take Cassidy back there soon since she didn't get to go with us. Maybe Carly will volunteer to show her the ropes.

Happy Fall Y'all!!

I am Falling

It is finally starting to feel like Fall in Oklahoma. The weather is getting chillier and chillier in the morning and evenings. I am outside watching Cassidy play with one of the little neighborhood girls, Molly, age 4. She knows everything and isn't afraid to tell you about it. Cassidy is getting a run for her money.

Carly has a flat tire on her bike so she has been homebound for a week. Good thing the phone lines work! She and her friend, Madison, have been keeping the lines hot. She went to Meet You at the Pole yesterday at 7am. She got up so good and mom actually got her to school on time. I was a little nervous though as a storm was brewing complete with thunder and lightening. Later she went to a Youth Rally in Muskogee and had a blast

Halloween should be fun in this neighborhood. I remember when we lived here as a kid that it was packed! I am looking forward to it. We usually don't participate in "Halloweeny" type stuff but it might be OK to pass out some candy. We lived in Muskogee for 10 years and had only 2 trick or treaters. I expect hundreds here. It is a nice and safe neighborhood and the town knows it. :o) Gotta stock up on some candy now!

I am craving Thai food so bad right now. I have been for a couple of weeks. Seems we usually have some excuse to be in Tulsa every month or two so we can get a fix. Maybe we just need a date night for Mom and Dad. :o)

I am also wanting to make some caramel apples. Real caramel apples complete with the stick. I haven't done it since Middle School!


If you need a good laugh, go on over to Joe's place and check out his Western Love Story. He had me cryin' the first time I read it.

How is the weather in your neck of the woods?? This is my favorite time of year......

Host My Hubby

I have come to realize (after some good advice) that I need to find a hubby.

It is hard to think of a hubby for me.

Will you help me?

No rock climbing- too fluffy

No jogging- too bouncy

No recreational geometry- too silly

No guitar picking- i love my nails!haha (that and my fingertips got numb after a lesson the other night)

No kick boxing- I live with Batman...I don't need kick boxing to protect me

No kayaking-too far to travel to the rapids (unless McBunni invites us over!)

No water skiing- too bouyant (Islands in the Stream)

No singing- I sing through my nose I am told (i still don't believe it......heehee!!)

No sculpting- too muddy

No painting-unless it is by numbers

No cake decorating-too many calories.....and i would HAVE to taste my work!!

No bead making- i hear it involves hot tools and that is just what i need lying around my house a mini-flame thrower.

No golf-too long and it looks boring....although i have it on good authority it is loads of fun.

No wine tasting- it made me tipsy and almost fall down. ;0)

What would you suggest my Blogger Friends??

A Boy of Summer

Please visit my brother in law, Jory-San's blog for a tribute to his late friend, Jeremy.

Ugly Car Contest

Here is my submission for the Ugly Car Contest over at Susie's place.

It is a hearse that my Father In Law's neighbors drive daily. It has a flaming skull on the front quarter panel and some scary graphic on the back quarter panel. (I took the picture back in May on a rainy evening, so that is what the white specks are.) Needless to say these neighbors go all out for Halloween.....with lots of yard decorations, house decorations and of course the hearse front and center. It kinda gives me the creeps with the scary graphics. *shivers*

I will look forward to using my nice shiny new stapler and set it next to my spiffy red fan.

If I see any other strange vehiclemobiles I will be sure and post them too.

You know.....

You know you are from Oklahoma if you have to use your heater and air conditioner in the same day.

Yesterday I had a call to do a drugscreen collection about 2:30am. It was very chilly and I had to use my heater on the way. After work yesterday, it was very hot in my car and I had to use the a/c a bit just to cool off.

We have had wonderful weather lately. Chilly mornings and warm afternoons. Makes me wish we had a picnic table at work.....or better yet a hammock to lay in a read. Ahhhhhh wouldn't that be heavenly!

Please keep Joe's mother, G-Mom, in your prayers today. She is having an angiogram and at least one stent put in her heart, and possibly more. She will be at an area Heart Hospital where they specialize in cardiac care, so she will be in excellent hands. Our prayer is that she come through safely and without incident, and that this procedure alleviates some of the symptoms she has been having lately that have prohibited her from enjoying her normal active life. She loves to be active in the lives of her grand-daughters and grand-son (and grand-dog) and they love to be with her. They especially love taking turns spending the night one by one. There
are 4 grand-daughters here locally and they keep her hopping!

One day last week something strange happened to me. I wasn't having a particularly BAD day at work....just feeling a little stressed. This man checked in and when I asked him what he was here for he answered me in a Donald Duck voice! I put my head down and laughed so hard, then got so embarrassed for laughing that my face turned 9 shades of red. It broke the tension that had built up in me and was so funny! He also had other voices, but none of them seemed quite as funny as that unexpected Donald Duck.........

Yesterday Cassidy told me "Mom I don't want to ever hurt Jesus' feelings cause he is my favorite."

Carly and I went to a foot ball game here Tuesday evening and of course she wanted to pal around with her friends. (Who wouldn't?) She went up and down the bleachers so many times that her legs were sore the next day. I am so glad she is making friends. She seems to be happy and having a good time with them too. THey are a little herd of giggly girls doing all those things giggly girls like to do.

The Courtyard Bistro Gig

The Courtyard Bistro gig that Uncle Joe had Friday night went off without a hitch. He had a nice quiet evening picking and grinning for about 13 people (including the owner and her assistant). The music he chose was nice jazzy type music that wasn't too loud or too busy. We visited with each other as we listened to him. He played everything from jazzed up gospel, show tunes and some original compositions. He used a gizmo called a looper that records a 30 second snippet of music and plays it in a loop. (That is why it's called a looper DUH!) You can add layer upon layer of music to this 30 second snippet. He used that, and made a one guitar performance sound like several. (pretty cool!)

Look who showed up at the Bistro! It's Leslee!! And Peanut!! What a surprise that was. She called to say she was on her way to Tahlequah to visit her family and wanted to stop by. She followed my expert directions and found the Bistro without getting lost. ;o) Leslee is pictured here at our home claiming the "Furthest Traveled" prize.

It was a fun evening and the food was fabulous. We (Me, Leslee and my FIL Patrick) all had Corn Chowder followed by an Italian Tomatoe Pesto Sandwich (tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts, cucumber sauce, chipotle sauce, tomatoe and cheez on ciabatta bread Yum) followed by the most wonderful creation.....at the moment the name escapes me.....Leslee help me out here!! It was a crunchy/gooey chocolate brownie with very vanilla icecream and whipped cream on top. That and three spoons made Leslee, Peanut and me very happy girls! Hey chocolate ALWAYS makes ME happy!!

Joe made $6 in tips and got a free Mocha Freeze.

Something funny: the owner, Donna, asked if Leslee and I were sisters. :o)

The evening ended with Joe playing some gospel music and Donna, Leslee and me singing along.

It was a good day.

UJ Strips

Go on over to Carly~Fries blog and see UJ's strip.

P.S. it really isn't that far to the kitchen