A Little Whine and A Lot of Cheese

I have written so many blog entries in my head over the past week that I was surprised to see that I haven't posted anything at all since last Tuesday. Wish I could remember those awesome posts that I wrote in my head but every time I sleep it's like my brain becomes an etch-a-sketch after it's been shaken.

Some things I can remember...

Yesterday my parents closed on the sale of my childhood home at 6766 Sherwood Dr, Riverdale, Georgia. They had owned it since 1976 and, if I recall correctly, paid $25,000 for it. Sadly, they didn't get much more than that when they sold it. Home values in that area have decreased immensely over the past ten+ years. That's how they were able to acquire the house next door, which is where Cody and Marquee live.

We sure got a lot of use out of that old house, though, it has been home to myself and my four brothers, two of my kids, my kids' dad, my brother's girlfriend... not all at the same time, of course. Most of the people I went to school with have seen their childhood home sold long ago. My parents just adapted to the changing community and as the houses around them were sold they would make an effort to be good neighbors to the people who replaced the old neighbors.

Cosette watching tv with her mommy

Anyways... selling the house meant that my parents went down to spend the night Sunday night with my aunt and uncle so they didn't have to drive down and back on the same day. I had Austin and Tasha come spend the night so they could help with Lady dog. I got some great bonding time with Cosette but she was pretty fussy both Sunday night and yesterday. I spent a lot of time holding her and bouncing and I'm definitely feeling the pain from that now.

Also... Evil Gut Pain has had an extended visit this time. I'm back to calling it Evil instead of Crazy Gut Pain because anything that makes life so miserable must surely be of the devil. I don't think... well, I know for sure... I haven't told you about my latest doctor visit about it because it was Friday and I haven't posted since then.

The following paragraph involves discussion of "girl stuff" so if you don't want to be exposed to TMI, skip this part that is in italics. 

Basically we've gone through a process of elimination to determine what the heck is going on. My primary care physician has overseen the process. Friday's visit was with the Gyn because we just can't escape the fact that the pain is at it's worst when I'm ovulating or when it would be that time of the month, although the surgery I had seven years ago makes it so I don't have an actual period. I have premenstrual migraines like I've had for all of my life and I have a few other things that clue me into what time of the month it is, even though I don't have the usual evidence. The doctor I saw last Friday believes that I may have a complication from that surgery seven years ago. He's had several patients who had scar tissue or other problems from that particular procedure. It could also be a recurrence of the problem that led to the surgery in the first place... or it could be a problem from having my tubes tied. At any rate... I saw him here in Cleveland in a satellite office where he works one day a week. He wants me to go down to his main office in Gainesville and have his Sonographer redo the ultrasound I had done in February. He thinks that she will be able to look for specific things that might not be apparent to a technician who isn't as experienced in that area. 

'mater sandwich - tomato is so big I only need 1 slice!

So that's what I'll do. I am anxious that we will reach a point where nobody can figure out what's causing the pain and having eliminated the big, scary possibilities, it just ends up being something else I just have to live with. Frankly, I'm tired of having to "just live with" so many things that cause pain. This time the Evil Gut Pain has been present to some degree or another for almost two weeks straight which has never happened before - that I can remember. My back HURTS almost all the time. My head HURTS bad enough and often enough to be a nuisance. My hip HURTS any time I walk too much or climb stairs or when the weather is bad. My shoulders HURT. My hands HURT from arthritis. I mean, you get the point. There are just too many things that fall in the category of "just learn to live with it". Also, my blood pressure was pretty durn high on Friday, almost certainly because of the pain and the stress of seeing yet another doctor about this.

At any rate... this blog entry ended up much more whiny than I thought it would. Sorry for that! Nobody wants to be around a whiner, do they? SO... other news...

Remember when we had the bad weather and I started feeding a stray cat? We named her Rosalita. Recently she started bringing her friend, who I christened Sneaky Boy because he used to run away if he saw anyone coming. I've been feeding my fat, indoor cats a little less and feeding these two the rest. I really have no idea if they're boys/girls. I just decided long hair must mean girl and short hair must mean boy. You can't argue with that logic, can you? They wait patiently by the backdoor and Little Kitty comes and taps my arm and makes his sweet little meow to tell me they're waiting.

 


We are getting much closer to time for Oliver to be born! I'm anxious about the logistics of when to go, where to go, etc. I've told Cody to call me at the very first pain so I can avoid taking meds that might make it hard to drive. We won't necessarily go down right away... it's a 2 hour drive, though, so we won't want to wait too long. Marquee, like Tasha and much like myself doesn't want anyone in the delivery room with her except Cody. I totally agree with her. I just keep thinking about how long it took for us to be able to actually go back to meet Cosette after she was born and how short that visit was. My preference would be to go on down there and be ready to go to the hospital when she's pushing but I know I won't be able to stand the suspense of not being there to get updates because nobody has time to make phone calls during the process. I'm also DYING to get a cousin picture at the youngest possible age of Cosette and Oliver together but that will be tricky because I don't think I can take a baby to the patient rooms at the hospital and Marquee isn't wanting to have company over when she gets home. Also, Tasha's not crazy about the idea of being a hundred miles away from home, which I totally get. It takes a homebody to fully appreciate being a homebody. I also want to get the five generation picture with Grandma Leta, Pop, me, Austin and Cosette which has also proven difficult because the two days a week Austin doesn't work are two days a week that Pop is busy.

I guess I've chatted enough for today. Thus ends the whine and now for the cheese - I'll leave you with a photo dump for those who aren't able to get on Facebook or might have missed these... Love and hugs, y'all!

First... my new addiction... Swedish fish. Me, Pop and my brother Bryan were at a Walmart in Connecticut buying snacks for the rental house. Bryan picked out Swedish fish and I said, "ewwww... I don't like those." Fast forward a few weeks and I'm having a late night sugar craving here at home. I start digging through the leftover snacks from our trip and decide to give the old fish a try. I AM SO ADDICTED! Fun fact, though... did you know Swedish fish are made in Canada?

 

Stubby having tummy time

Guess who is 2 months old now???

taken on Nana-cam

Jealousy

Putting his paw between me and Cosette

Trouble holding hands with Cosette

 

Reasons To Love Tuesday

Lazy Summer days... 

Back during my years of gainful employment I used to really struggle with Mondays... looking forward to five whole days of being chained to my desk... the fatigue and eventually the pain that made working miserable. To make matters worse, for awhile there I worked for someone who thought Monday morning staff meetings made sense because nothing eases you into a week like having to be at work half an hour early, right? Reasons To Love Monday posts were my way of facing the week with a positive attitude and gave me a way to sort of count my blessings, even if I didn't feel like it.

These days I have to think really hard most days about what day of the week it is. The view from here only changes as often as the seasons, not in a weekly cycle like it used to. I picked up Cosette and her parents on Sunday morning and brought them over to hang out with us. We pulled in the driveway and Tasha said, "where's Pop? Golf?". Nope. It was Sunday. Pop was in church. But that's what happens. Austin's work week runs Wednesday to Tuesday with him getting paid at midnight Tuesday night so their weeks are wonky too, even with him working.

Although I am no longer punching a time clock, I still have bad days and good days that have nothing to do with Staff Meetings or quotas or workplace drama. Sometimes I have really bad days that nobody really knows about because I mostly just stay tucked in my nest on those days. Sometimes I have a couple of bad days in a row and I get frustrated. I reach into my old blogging bag of tricks and find reasons to love that day, no matter what day of the week it is and thus you have today's entry of Reasons To Love Tuesday. Counting your blessings makes any day better!

Reason #1  - despite waking up at 5:45 this morning feeling like my guts were being ripped open... I had several options for easing the pain. #betterlivingthroughpharmaceuticals There are certain positions that are more comfortable. I have a rice bag/microwavable heating pad that makes it better. I have a couple of options for pharmaceutical pain relief. And, let's not forget, I don't have to rush off to work while I'm miserable. So that's nice.

Reason #2 - I've had several bad gut pain days in a row. My prescription refills have been ready since last week and I haven't been able to drag myself into town to get them. Pop was kind enough to pick them up for me (and pay for them) while taking Austin to work this morning. Living with pain is no bueno but easier when you have help. For so many years I had only myself to rely on and it was hard. Even though the pain is worse, my support system is so much better now!

Reason #3 - Speaking of help... mom made me an awesome tomato sandwich for lunch today and brought it down so I didn't have to climb the stairs. She also scooped out the litter box, took my dishes upstairs to be washed, did my laundry yesterday and so on and so on and so on. It makes a huge difference. If I had to climb the stairs for every meal I'd be a skeleton by now. Or living on Luigi's Mango Italian Ice.

Reason #4 - I'm so grateful that I have a curious mind because it makes being sedentary so much more enjoyable! If I come across a topic that I don't know much (or anything) about, I immediately go see my good friend Mr. Google and have a crash course in that subject until my curiosity is satisfied. It may be as simple as reading a Wikipedia article or watching a video or... whatever. I feel like I have the world at my fingertips and even though I don't get out much, I feel like my mind is always active.

Reason #5 - I love Tuesday because tomorrow is Wednesday and tomorrow night is the Season Premiere of BIG BROTHER!!! Lots and lots of mind candy ahead as I read the live feed recaps, watch the episodes and record Big Brother After Dark every night to watch the next day while I'm working on my needlepoint.

Reason #6 - and speaking of my needlepoint... when I first woke up this morning and was feeling miserable, I bargained with myself to reward myself with a day off from sewing but... honestly... I miss it on the days that I don't sew at least a little bit. I have learned a new type of needlework and am really enjoying working on a pattern I designed all by my little lonesome with that new (to me) stitch! It's a great outlet for creativity and I spend lots of hours thinking good thoughts and praying over the person who will eventually be gifted with the finished product. This new stitch goes much faster than cross stitch which encourages me that it might one day be a profitable venture for me.

Reason #7 to love Tuesday is according to www.accuweather.com we're going to have a spell of cooler weather beginning on this coming Saturday, temps in the eighties instead of the nineties. Truth be told, I don't get out much when it's hot out because I'm already a bit dizzy and nauseous in the best of climates. Also, I live in the coolest part of the house - cool enough that I can't wear shorts or dresses above my ankles and ALWAYS wear my thick fuzzy socks! There is a noticeable difference as you descend the stairs to the Whine Cellar and that is Reason #7.5 - air conditioning! Either way, in case I DO have to get out and about, I'm a fan of cooler weather

Reason #8 to love Tuesday this week is because my oldest son is moving back to the South TOMORROW! For many, many years he has worked for a company that installs organs (the musical kind, people always ask, no beer coolers with kidneys on ice in his work truck!) and has traveled all over the place, sometimes being out of town for weeks at a time. He's had quite an adventure but has had to be based in Pennsylvania which just got old/cold. He has been given a wonderful opportunity to go to work for his girlfriend, Sara's dad, with the prospect of taking over his business one day. The business is based in Myrtle Beach, SC  so they are packing up the U-Haul and heading South tomorrow! That puts him in the position of being able to settle down and (eventually, not any time soon) get married and have more little grandbabies for me to cuddle! Instead of being 12 hours away by car, he will be more like six hours away and living near the beach I grew up going to every Summer during church camp. Anybody want to take a road trip?

Five weeks to go but I don't know where she'll put him!

Reason #9 is knowing that every day that passes brings us one day closer to meeting Oliver! Marquee is literally, ALL BABY and their a/c hasn't been working great. Ironically... when I was 8 months pregnant with Cody and on bed rest our air went out. A guy who had grown up with the kids' dad worked in heating and air and he was able to fix it for us on the cheap. It was a funny story... this guy's mom was British and pretty outspoken. She called him and told him we needed him to check the a/c for us and he said he'd get around to it. She said, "she is 8 months pregnant... you need to go there right now!" I think her actual quote involved profanity and/or "bloody well" or "jolly good" or some other British slang. At any rate, he came right over and got things cooled down. It was in July, by the way... if you haven't lived through July in Georgia, you can't really appreciate the necessity of air conditioning, especially while incubating!

Reason #10 to love Tuesday is Austin's first full time paycheck hits his bank account tonight! He was hired at the local Ingles grocery store as a part-time bagger two months ago. They used him as a bagger, then sometimes in the garden department, then stocking in the meat department and then last week made him a full-time "Meat Associate" which means he is stocking, labeling, unloading, etc  exclusively for the meat department and no longer bagging but the best part is that it's full-time. No raise with it yet as he is still in his first 90 days but I'm really encouraged that he is doing well enough to be promoted so quickly. You know I've worried about Austin's transition to adulthood since he was a preschooler. I knew it would be difficult and it has been but having Cosette has really made him settle down and step up to the plate. I'm really proud to know that Austin is making enough money to take care of Cosette AND Tasha AND himself. Really, with all three of my boys I'm proud of their work ethic. They're all responsible, productive men and I feel an enormous sense of relief to see how they've sorted their lives out so well... I mean, you know, with lots of help from God, I'm sure! I'm also really proud of how well Tasha has done with Cosette. She's an awesome mom and Cosette is a happy, healthy baby!

I could probably give you another ten Reasons To Love Tuesday but I've rattled on for long enough. The pain meds from this morning are wearing off which means I need to refer back to my pain management methods in Reason #1. I hope that no matter what ails you that you are able to count your blessings and find your own Reasons To Love Tuesday! *hugs*

Reasons To Love Helen (the person, not the town)

My new sister-in-law is celebrating a milestone birthday tomorrow and since I won't be there to celebrate with her in person, I thought I'd honor her with a Reasons To Love blog entry. So here you have...

Reasons to Love Helen:

1. She's left-handed. Me too!

Pink sampler I made her for Christman

2.Pink is her favorite color.

3. She throws a good party/wedding/whatever.

4. She is a professionally trained chef. Everything she cooks is amazing. She could cook poo and I'd eat it because I know she can't make a bad dish. (ok... maybe not POO but you get the idea.)

5. She went to boarding school and I am fascinated with that life... so different from Riverdale Senior High! I always liked watching Facts of Life because I thought it was so cool to go to boarding school

6. She went to Wellesley which is awesome just because of the movie Mona Lisa Smiles (check it out if you haven't seen it) but also because she made some really awesome friends that we had the pleasure of meeting.

7. She wants babies. WE want babies! Match made in Heaven.

8. We were sure that Bryan was going to be the bachelor uncle for the rest of his life but he's not!

9. She knows how to knit/crochet and since she's left handed she can teach me how!

10. She bought me my first pair of Tieks. Which, by the way, are the cutest little ballet flats ever and feel good even if you're on you feet a long time. I wore them with a pair of socks before the wedding to have them just a tiny bit loose to accommodate the inevitable swelling from being on my feet for awhile.

11. She loves my nieces. The way to my heart is through those two little red haired girls!

12. She gives great gifts, more than I could possibly repay. She's just incredibly generous!

13. She flew me, my mom and my sister-in-law to New York for her bridal shower. While we were there we met so many lovely people! It was a quick trip but it's a time I will always treasure because it gave us the opportunity to truly see Helen in her element. It also gave me an appreciation for what a rare gem she is!

14. Although she was crazy busy with school and wedding planning and wasn't feeling well, she went out to brunch with us the day after the shower and drove us to the airport.

15. Her name is Helen... we live near a town called Helen... it's funny to say, "do you mean the person or the town?" when a family member mentions Helen.

16. She has a wonderful family who are all entertaining, delightful people and I quite enjoyed getting to know them. I'm particularly fond of her maternal grandma.

17. We heard so many kind words about her during the shower and rehearsal dinner and wedding... she's a really special lady and we are honored to have her in our family.

18. Her initials are now HG! Mine are too!

19. She's the youngest of all of my sisters-in-law.

20. She's passionate about the things and people in her world. She makes things happen. She's determined without being stubborn. She has a can-do attitude. She's positive and upbeat and cheerful. Maybe each of these sentences needs their own point but...

21. She has an insanely huge cookbook collection. I could spend months curled up on their couch reading cookbooks. I won't, of course.

But the most important Reason To Love Helen is....

22. She makes my brother happy. The love they have for each other is so magical that even people like me who are cynical about love begin to believe in Happily Ever After again by just being around them. She's a gift not only to Bryan but to all Gants. She is what was missing from our family.

Happy Birthday, dear, Helen! So proud to call you my sister!

Love and hugs, y'all!

What Matters Most?

Over the years, disappointment, depression and pain have made me less social than I used to be. It's hard on me, both emotionally and physically, to get out and about. It's also hard to disappoint people if I make plans that I end up not being able to keep so usually I don't bother even making plans.  I am also not as outspoken as I was when I was younger. I've learned that sometimes it's just easier to not share every thought that comes to mind in order to avoid conflict. As time goes by I find that even if I don't share the exact same ideals and principles and political opinions with people, we can still be friends. I also find that in many cases I value those with opposing views so much that I wouldn't want to say anything that might be hurtful to them. I'm really just not into conflict, it's as simple as that.

Then the other day I made an observation on Facebook that went something like, "So... Caitlyn Jenner and the white chick who pretended to be black have inspired me. I've decided that I identify as thin. I will need you to ignore my buddha rolls and double chin because the inner me is a size two. That's just who I am, y'all." making light of the concept of not being happy in the skin you're in.

And I got 99% positive response for it except for this one girl who took exception with me poking fun at Caitlyn Jenner. This wasn't someone who was simply an acquaintance. This is a girl that I've known since she was a teenager. Her best friend came out to me. For awhile there my home resembled a refugee camp for gay teenagers all of whom were loved unconditionally. I went with this girl to her (and my) first Gay Pride parade. Of all people who should know my heart for the LGBT community, she, more than anyone, should know. Long story short... she tried the whole social shaming thing on me and everyone else either ignored her or rebuffed her and she ended up deleting all of her comments and me as a friend.

From a practical manner it doesn't change my life at all. I haven't seen her in probably ten years and although we spent time together in the past, we've always been at different stages in life. She lives a long way away and I don't travel well. There are very few people who don't live here in Northeast Georgia that I've seen in the past few years. For that matter there aren't many people who DO live up here that I've seen in awhile. I don't get out much.

Her reaction doesn't change my life but it did get me started thinking about the bit of truth behind my "just kidding". Most jokes do have some measure of truth behind them. The truth is that I gave two examples of people who have chosen to change their exterior to match what they feel is their true self. While Bruce Jenner is undergoing the more dramatic change to become Caitlyn, Rachel Dolezal carried out a larger deception about her true race to become who she felt she was. Without judging either one as right or wrong, is it that far-fetched to say that almost all of us have something about the shell we're in that we would want to change if we could? That was the point I was trying to make.

My friend took huge offense at my inclusion of Caitlyn Jenner in my comment because she knows people who are in Caitlyn's position of not feeling like the body they live in matches who they feel like on the inside. She deleted her comments or I would give you her direct quote but basically the premise was that transgendered/transexual people have it worse (I guess) than, for instance, someone who is overweight. And... apparently... their cause is more noble than, for instance, someone whose entire life has been changed due to crippling arthritic and chronic pain. Who gets to decide which "dysfunctional outer shell" is more traumatic than another's?

What bothers me the most about this argument is the idea that certain social groups demand priority over everyone else. I didn't start out making a comment about the painful part of my existence. Instead I tried to make it funny by making about being overweight because EVERYONE KNOWS that it's ok to joke about being fat. Or, like my friend Purple Michael did, about being poor... because it's ok to joke about people not being where they want to be financially. I just don't understand why it's ok to joke about those things... or about Rachel Dolezal pretending to be black.... but not ok to joke about people who feel like they identify with a different gender than the one they were born with. Especially when you carry it out to the extent that resounds most deeply with me, living in a body that can't do what I want it to do. Does gender identity rank higher than disability? Who makes that decision?

As I mentioned, I used to be much more outspoken that I am now. Part of my self imposed censorship comes from a desire to avoid conflict but if I'm being honest, as the years pass and I am exposed to more diverse situations and circumstances, my perspective has evolved- matured even. The older I get, the more I realize that I don't know as much as I thought I did. I used to feel one way about interracial relationships but then my brother married a lovely African-American woman and I saw that love didn't have to be confined within one race. I didn't understand gay folks until I met Purple Michael and spent time with him and realized what a wonderful dimension he added to my life. I was firmly in the "get over it" camp when it came to people with depression but then... I became depressed and realized it's not that simple. I used to malign people in my life who missed out on things due to pain and then one day four years ago I woke up in pain that has only gotten progressively worse. Life has a way of changing our hearts and minds, doesn't it? It's important to love beyond what you understand and it's also important to love those who don't understand you.

We should be open to growth but not liquid. Don't change to fit whatever container or circumstance you are in currently but bend often enough that you are not so brittle that any wind of change could cause you to break. People are not attracted to piety, they're attracted to humility.

Some years ago I heard a quote that really stuck with me... "live your life in such a way that if anyone says anything bad about you, no one else will believe it." I have to tell you, although I was hurt by my friend's rebuke and sad to have someone consider me "unworthy" of friendship, it felt good to have people stick up for me and my motives. It feels good to know that there are many people who believe the best of me. It makes me want to live up to their opinion. If you look for faults in others you will surely find it. If you believe the best about others, you are more likely to be surrounded by people who believe the best about you. These people become mirrors to reflect our best intentions back to us. And while I applaud the courage it takes to transform the outer shell to match who you are on the inside, it's the inside that really matters most, isn't it?

Love and hugs, y'all.

Linking UP With Catholic All Year for Answer Me This

I've done Answer Me This in the past and find it to be a great blogging prompt so I thought I'd give it another whirl (twirl?). I'm in the middle of a much more serious blog post but I'm riding the Crazy Gut Pain Train today and don't trust my ability to articulate well when I'm partially drugged/partially miserable. Check out the insightful and witty Kendra Tierney at www.CatholicAllYear.com. Her questions this week are:

1. Any big plans for the summer?

Yes, two big life changing events... the birth of a grandson and the (hopeful) resolution of my Social Security disability claim. Oliver is due to arrive toward the end of July and my hearing is on August 5th. I'm appropriately anxious about both events but not in full on "freak out" mode quite yet. In the meantime cuddle time with Cosette is a great distraction.

2. What is the strangest thing you believed as a child?

There were probably a lot of crazy things I believed as a child. Those of you who know my older brother and his penchant for puns will understand how hard it was to stay a step ahead of him. Come to think of it... at my younger brother's rehearsal dinner one of his groomsmen said in his toast that he isn't always sure when Bryan is joking. I second that emotion. Gants are funny people, at least we think we are.

Probably the weirdest thing I believed was dog biscuits tasted like animal crackers. I can't remember how many bites it took me to figure that one out. I also vaguely remember a great-grandmother that Jim was scared of who, he told me, was a lion or monster or something. He has better recall about the events of our childhood because he was older and probably had a less active imagination than me. There was also this time when he told me that if I ate toilet paper the firemen would come and get me. I don't know what that was all about - if he was trying to break a bad habit or what.

3. What is your favorite amusement park ride? (can be a specific one at a specific park or just a type of ride)

I SOOOOO miss being able to go on amusement park rides! I have a little problem with things that spin and get really queasy on the kind of rides where you're watching something on a screen while being moved around. Motion sickness is not pretty on me. I loved (past tense) roller coasters so much but hated anything with the possibility of getting wet. Wet in public is also not pretty on me. But if I had to give my favorite ride ever, it would be the Mind Scrambler, I think it was called, at the Pavilion Amusement Park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Our church youth group would spend a week in Myrtle Beach every Summer and we would have one evening where they turned us loose at the Pavilion. The Mind Scrambler was the type of ride described in this quote from an article named "Ten Classic Amusement Park Rides" on the website How Stuff Works. 

There are many names for this ride and its variations, but Americans usually call it the Scrambler. Whatever name is emblazoned on its side, this ride is fast -- really fast. Picture this: the ride has three arms. On the ends of each of those arms are clusters of individual cars, each on a smaller arm of its own. When the Scrambler starts, the main arm and the little arms all rotate. The outermost arms are slowed and the inner arms are accelerated, creating an illusion of frighteningly close collisions between the cars and their passengers. The Scrambler proves that you don't have to go on a roller coaster to lose your lunch or have the wits scared out of you.

The thing that really added to the experience was that the Mind Scrambler was housed in a building with mirrored walls. As the ride was going there was loud rock music playing, the lights were turned off with all kinds of black light and other lighting effects. It was also really well air-conditioned, something that was greatly appreciated in the middle of a week long camping trip in the Summer in the Deep South. Most trips to the Pavilion this was the only ride I rode and I would ride it over and over until my money ran out. 

4. What's on your summer reading list?

Mostly I just read websites. I do read a large variety of websites daily with everything from news to celebrity gossip to historical stuff to travel info to blogs to biographies - lots of diverse stuff. I've got a couple of books going on my Nook but nothing particularly noteworthy. 

5. Have you ever fallen asleep in public?

I sleep in the car if I'm not driving. I sleep on planes, sometimes. I'm rarely in public places other than the grocery store or doctors office and sleeping would be weird in either place. 

6. What is your favorite smell?

There was a lilac bush right outside our rental house in Connecticut that was intoxicating. I both labeled it "jasmine" and called it jasmine repeatedly because I'm not great at plant names but my mom, who is good at plant names, assures me it was a lilac bush. Whatever the case, it was amazing! I'm also a fan of honeysuckle, gardenias, roses ... just about any sweet floral scent. I also love rosemary, basil, mint... so apparently I'm big on natural scents. 




So that's Answer Me This for this week. Hope everything in your world is coming up roses ... or lilacs... 
love and hugs, y'all!

Photo Dump

Oliver's nursery

 Marquee's mom painted that big Mickey on the wall! So he will have a Mickey painted by one grandma and a birth announcement of Mickey sewn by another grandma!

Also, I have to say that the blue and gold matches my Jr. High school cheerleading uniforms. Every time I look at these pics I hear in my head, "let's hear it for the blue and the gold..."

Photos from the photo booth at the wedding. We had so much fun doing these! I'm not going to label the names because I think by now you know who everyone is. I will just say that the unfortunate ponytail that shows up on me halfway through was the result of those crazy medicine induced hot flashes. Usually I do a higher ponytail because it looks better but... yeah. Not my best look. HOWEVER... the double chin really adds to the costume in some of these....

 Next up... anniversary dinner with Tasha and Austin and Cosette from this past Saturday.

 

And that's all folks!