Wednesday, October 31, 2012

U-Hoo....Just a Reminder

U-Hoo..... wanted to remind all of my sweet friends that we now have..... 55 days.... until Christmas.


Bet you thought I was skipping over Thanksgiving, but nope....I'm not.....21 days until this special day arrives.

I love all of the foods that we serve up at Thanksgiving...Ham, Turkey (only a Greenberg Turkey will do) Cornbread Dressing, Cranberry sauce, congealed salads, veggies, sweet potatoes, and DESSERTS.


this means it's time to say goodbye to Halloween and the Fall Festivals....


I kinda get sad when it's time to put up
my lighted jack o' lanterns.  

I usually light them up on the first of October and keep them lit all through the month.   These little guys make for some good night lights.   Guess I need to find some lighted Turkeys to sit around.

The next two months are always so busy!!  So much to do to get ready for the Holidays.  Decorating, shopping, cooking, trying out NEW recipes, making homemade gifts for friends, party's, having friends over, Church functions......Whew!

I'm Ready.....How about you??

Shug



Tuesday, October 30, 2012



Life.....it is WONDERFUL  during the Fall Season!

There are endless amounts of joy bouncing all around us as we embrace the Autumn season.

Cool Weather.....Oh yes!  for me it's like a breath of fresh air.  I love inhaling the cooler air....I love the feeling of the clean, crisp air as it makes it's way down into my lungs.  It's as if the coolness gives me a pure feeling inside.

I also love camp fires....EVERYTHING about camp fires...the smell, the smoke, the beauty of the embers, and most of all the great fellowship that can be had while sitting around one of these camp fires, with friends.  AND...one cannot forget the delicious foods that can easily be prepared around a fire.

Pumpkins..... Who doesn't love pumpkins?  I see nothing but goodness in a pumpkin....Delicious pumpkin pie, roasted pumpkin seeds....and FUN, lots of fun decorating with pumpkins and carving them into neat little faces.  And then, you have the beautiful colors of all shades of orange...just gorgeous!

Decorations.... Scarecrows, cornstalks, pumpkins, colored leaves, mums and other beautiful Fall flowers.  People seem to let their imaginations have such freedom when it comes to Fall decorating.
I have seen all kinds of scarecrows...some funny, some scary and some are just down right precious.

Aromas..... Oh my goodness, the aromas that are flowing from the kitchen.  Sweet apple pies, pumpkin breads, comfort foods of all kinds, spicy foods, and chocolate....HOT CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE PIE, CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES, CHOCOLATE CANDIES AND CHOCOLATE CAKES.....

Anticipations.......  Anticipations of the what is to come...the Holidays, the food, festivals, parties, get-togethers with friends, 
Church functions, and spending time with family.

MEMORIES...... I definitely love this part of the Fall season!
Having memories of playing outside.  Playing in big piles of raked up leaves.  I love thinking about hayrides from the past and I also love dreaming about hayrides for the future.  Memories of my moms "German Chocolate Cakes"......Memories of moms delicious tasting "Cornbread Dressing."   Lots and lots of memories of when our girls were little and the things we did together as a family, during the Fall season.

Fall is simply one of the BEST seasons of all!

Whew, I'm having lots of happiness just writing this post about FALL..

Until next time....
Shug



Monday, October 29, 2012

Is it Monday or Just the Full Moon??


Well...just a few more hours and this Monday will be 

OVER!!

You know, there are some Monday's when it's just best to
stay in bed....and this was one of those day's for me...

But, this is the way I'm gonna look at it.....

"It's Monday, but it's OK"

****

I woke up a little late this morning, but I didn't let that stop me from making 24 chocolate chip muffins, and having them on the breakfast table by the time the kids arrived this morning....

After I served breakfast, I went to get myself all dolled up for the day...After all, I needed to be dressed to take Mylee Jo to her little pre-school by 8:30 a.m.

As I was walking out the door, I saw my phone setting on the table, but decided I wouldn't need it since I was only going a short distance....(Maybe 3 miles)

As soon as I returned home, I checked my phone to see if I had any missed calls.....and I did....plus a message.
It was my doctor's office leaving me a message to call them back....

I did just that and I was told that the results of the blood work I had given some three weeks ago came back and that 
there was a positive showing on one of the test.  The nurse told me that I needed to come back in for more blood work and that they were referring me to a specialist for some other testing.  I went and had the blood work done and guess what?   It took 3 sticks just to draw my blood!!
Now I have three pretty blue spots on my arm.

Worry starts to set in.....Worry starts to set in more!

Just happens that our Pastor preached on "Toxic thoughts" yesterday.....I was certainly having some toxic thoughts.

*****
So....I've now done the blood work....and now I'm waiting on the other doctor to call me to set up the other appointment.

Could it be days...could it be weeks before I know what is going on????  Well, it could be....but I'm not going to worry about it.  Whatever is causing the havoc in my body isn't going to stress me out!  

God is in CONTROL of this situation and I know it's going to be alright.

*****
It is still Monday and the way I can tell is because 
I just lost a filling out of my tooth!!!  

Maybe it's the FULL MOON....who knows!!

Tomorrow is going to be a Brand New Day....

Hugs Y'all
Shug






Sunday, October 28, 2012

Fall Festival...Trunk R' Treat


Whew.....just finished the church Fall Festival, or should I say....."Trunk R' Treat?"

What fun!!  This year's event was a Sports Theme.  There were some really cute decorated trunks and in my case....tailgates!

Yes, as you can see in the above photo, I was throwing a tailgate party.  It's not showing in this picture, but I even had SMOKE coming out of the pit.  The dried ice really made it look like we were cooking up some good food...

 


Right next to me, was Trista's trunk.....the kids had a great time playing putt putt.....  Her event was golf, and yes...she does have on a football uniform!  I'm thinking she looks pretty good in that thing!  BTW...I asked her why she wore the FB uniform and she said because it was FREE.
Can't beat that!!


This is my adopted daughter (Calecia).....our pastor's wife!
Her game was Fishing....and her trunk was simply adorable!


Of course....we had the "Chandler Duck Dynasty Team" doing the duck game....Aren't they cute?  BTW...the back of the truck was filled with water, with several ducks floating around!!


My helper....(Tyler)....was the best!  Needless to say, we had a lot of people stopping at our booth, just to see the guy with the crazy hair and the backwards jacket!!
The kids all wanted Tyler to give them their candy!
Hmmmmm....


I love these beauties...these ladies are all so very precious.
I promise...this picture was not staged...just so happens that they all were sitting right there in front of the "Handicapped Sign."  We all had a big laugh when we noticed it!!


Here is my other helper....every tailgating party needs a cheerleader...


This is what I worked on Yesterday.....I glued all of these cute little things to the sticks....

Fun, Fun, Fun....

And the object of this game was....if the bottom of your stick was black, you got to choose one little item from the box...if it was white, they got candy.
The little kids loved this game.

We had a wonderful time....I HAD A WONDERFUL TIME.

Blessings 
shug

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Hoots, Cold Weather, and Coffee

I'm sitting here this evening.....waiting patiently for the COOL FRONT to come through.....
Our 80's are going to be turning into 60's and dropping down into the 40's at night....AND the good thing is that this is suppose to last through out the weekend!   WOO HOO!




One of the BEST things about cooler weather, is Hot Coffee.....I love sipping on a cup of Hot cup of Coffee throughout the early morning hours.

I also love Cold weather and FOOTBALL!  Call me goofy....but I do love wrapping up in blankets to stay warm at the ballgames.....this is also another great place to sip on a cup of Hot Coffee or a cup of rich Hot Chocolate!!

****

I just bought me a New pair of Uggs!!  Not boots, cause I know I would be way too Hot in a pair of boots.....What I did buy was a pair of loafer Uggs.   Looks like I'll get to wear them sooner than I thought....like this weekend!!  I'm definitely a barefoot kind of gal, but during the cooler months, I don't mind slipping my feet into a soft pair of shoes.  Can any of you agree with me here?  

*****

This past evening, I enjoyed a wonderful night out with friends.....It was "Girls Night Out."
We had dinner at the clubhouse...(Steak Night) and then we went back to my friend, Susie's house for a 
whole lot of chit chat and laughter!   All of us graduated together and just enjoy getting together once a year.   Please let me tell you....I don't think I have ever laughed as much as I did last night!

We talked about everything.....AGING, ACHES AND PAINS, FAMILY, THE YOUNGER YEARS, GRANDCHILDREN, ACHES AND PAINS, THE FUTURE, and we even talked about THE NEW THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE OR TRIED since we last met!!  Oh my....we were all Hoots!!

AND....WE  all ATE A WHOLE LOT....The food was delicious and the desserts were even better!!

Let me tell you.....we all need to enjoy more fellowship like this!

*****

Now you all know the happenings that have been going on around here.....How about the rest of you?
What's been happening in your life?

Blessings,
Shug

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Update......

Oh WOW......My brother and I have been busy ALL week.....trying to take care of our dad.  Both of us have spent many hours this week, trying to get some answers for the cause of dad's frequent "Panic Attacks."

Well....today, we met with a New Doctor who has given us Hope for some relief for our dad.  This Doctor is a Neurologist and he is very knowledgeable about this kind of behavior in Alzheimer's patients.

For one thing, I was very impressed with the amount of time that this particular doctor spent with us today.  I would estimate that he spent close to an hour with us....going over every detail that was written up in dad's chart.

Immediately, the doctor eliminated some of the meds that dad has been taking....He did prescribe
a couple of new medications, but both of these have been very successful in helping patients with
extreme anxieties.

All day long, I've been singing......

JESUS, JESUS.........NEW LIFE, NEW HOPE, NEW JOY HE BRINGS!!

We are keeping our fingers crossed, that dad will get some much needed relief with the help of these
new meds that the doctor has prescribed.

My thanks to each of you for your prayers.....

shug












Sunday, October 21, 2012

Lean on One Another

There are times in life, when we have to lean on one another...   I believe that when we don't understand, the best
thing to do is to ask questions.

When doctors can no longer give you any answers and it seems as if they have simply washed their hands of dealing with a disease....then we sometimes have to reach out for wisdom from others....

Alzheimer's/Dementia........Both of these are horrible diseases and can lead to a very challenging journey for a family...

It would be my prayer for none of us to have loved ones with 
this horrible disease, but......the truth is....WE DO.

Seems like the most popular statement in our family these days is......"I just don't know what to do!"   These words come out my mouth much more often than I care for them to.  Sad thing is, these same words are spoken over and over again by my brothers and my niece.....

All we can do is to put our trust in the Lord and wait for His answers....

It is sad enough for a person to have a disease that robs them of their humility....but way too often, Alzheimer's loves to bring along other humiliating counterparts that can make matters worse..

Things like severe anxiety attacks....or it can dramatically change the only way they know how to live and to survive.

In my dad's case, we are dealing with anxiety attacks.....so severe, that they are requiring our constant care.

At first, he was only having them in the wee early morning hours....for the past couple of months, these attacks are so un-expected and can come on without any warning at all...

We would love to have some answers....but every where we turn, a huge wall is what we are coming up against....
Medications are not working and therefore we are not getting the help that is needed from any of the physicians....


On the other side....the good side......he does have some good days and  this is where it seems that we are stuck in the middle...........................
My dad is not quite to the point that he needs to be in a facility, but......at the same time.....when he has one of these attacks, it requires us to be only a phone call away.

What to do???   Have any of you ever dealt with a situation similar to the one that my family is facing?  I would so much appreciate any insight that any of you can give......

Perhaps someday.....someone will need my wisdom for the things that we are going through with my dad....if so, I sure hope I will be able to help in some way.

Hugs to you all....
Shug



Saturday, October 20, 2012

Queen of the Road



I have a new occupation......it's called Mudding!!

dig this truck.....and I even had to have a ladder to 
get up into the thing....

No, it's not really mine, but I must admit....I think I look pretty good way up there in the driver's seat!  Not so sure of how good of a driver I would be.  I think you're suppose to stay on/in the mud tracks, but with this kind of vehicle, I'd probably end
up in the ditch or up a tree.

I'm thinking of taking up this sport!!  ha!
Who knows, it just might keep me young.....

One thing, is for sure....no one would want to mess with me on the road!  I could be King   "Queen" of the road!!

Y'all have a Blessed Sunday!!

Shug



It's a Win!!

Woo Hoo......the BEARS....won their 

            Homecoming   Game!!

Hoping to get some blogging time tomorrow!!

Shug

                    

Thursday, October 18, 2012

A High Five


It's a High Five to everyone in BEAR COUNTRY this morning....  It's HOMECOMING  week for the Bears and all the past Bears that graduated from Brownsboro High School....here in East Texas.



Don't you just love this......FAITH....FAMILY....FOOTBALL!

The events for this week's Homecoming game begins tonight with a Parade that starts at the High School and winds it's way up to the Football Field.......    Next will be the 
Homecoming Pep Rally, where everyone comes together, bursting with energy.....ready to support the Bear Football Team.



I am so excited....... The class of 1971  (my class and Sam's class)......is honored to be the float which carries the 2012 Football team.....right into the stadium!


There will be lots of bells and whistles....ribbons, flowers, and Bows....



There will also be a lot of laughter and fun....
and tomorrow night, we are counting on a 

BIG WIN!!!!

All of these things make for SIMPLE PLEASURES 
in life!!

So.....come on, join the fun and give me a 

Big High Five for the day.....



And another one for the game......



hugs,

Shug


Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Busy Week

What has happened to me???  Big question.....isn't it?
I am sooooo far behind on EVERYTHING!  In other words, I am WAY TOO BUSY this week...

And, I know that I am the only person that can choose to do something about it!!


I've been too busy to blog....too busy to leave comments.....too busy to do housework....
too busy to do laundry...too busy to cook

AND,..... if I'm not doing any of these things, then what on earth am I too busy doing?

1.  Taking care of my dad who has Alzheimer's

2.  Taking care of my sweet Sam and his kidney stones

3.  Making Homecoming Mums

4.  Spending hours at the service center, having my car checked out

5.  Planning a trip to Branson with some of my High School Friends


I keep telling myself.....SLOW DOWN,  SLOW DOWN, SLOW DOWN.

Now, if I can just teach myself to listen..

OH WELL.....TOMORROW IS A BRAND NEW DAY!

I really am glad to be able to help others....I'm glad to have this value in my life.

Looking forward to a less busy week....NEXT WEEK!


Sleep tight......Don't let the bed bugs bite!

Shug









Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Do You Know What THIS is?

A beautiful morning is what I am witnessing today.  The cool crisp air just warms my heart....Such a precious blessing!


How many of you know what this is????

a kidney stone....

Seems that these kind of stones.....LOVE..... my wonderful 
husband....(Sam) and they Love making their home in his kidney's.

He has another one.....a HUGE one.....that is way too big to pass.

In just a few hours, his huge rock will be crushed.
The doctor's are going to blast his 7mm stone, and we are sure hoping that the pieces become like sand.

He will be totally sedated when they do the blasting, but the concern he has is after he wakes up....Reason being,  he still has to pass all the little pieces after the blast.

I know all will be good....all will be well.

***

Getting older sure seems to be an adventure!!!

Blessings y'all..
Shug ~ 

Saturday, October 13, 2012

A No Stay at the Pumpkin Patch....



For some reason, I thought the Pumpkin Patch was suppose to be a Fun place to go.....A place of adventure for the 
kids.......and for family.

  This past Friday, I had planned a very special day for my precious granddaughters..

I had planned a special "Shug and granddaughter day" out!

We woke up.....had breakfast.....spent a couple of hours rolling our hair and getting all dolled up....before heading out the door to go to the Pumpkin Patch....and to take pictures!!

This was not our local Pumpkin Patch.  Oh no, we had to drive about 20 miles to get to the magical place we were so
anticipating to bring us a day of total FUN!

As we pulled up...the girls became very excited.   They could see the big green tractor, pulling a trailer that was lined with hay bales.   (The same tractor that was suppose to taking us out to the pumpkin patch)

As I parked the car, both girls could hardly wait to get out. We made our way over to the entrance gate, paid our money ($21.00 to be exact) and was placing the bright green bands on our wrist, when I heard a 
lady ask:  "Now, what school are y'all from?"

I told her that we were not with a school, and that we came by ourselves.   The lady then proceeded to tell me that they had made some changes and that individuals could now visit the Pumpkin Patch (only) on Saturdays and Sundays.

She said:  "Y'all can just come back tomorrow."  I don't think she ever looked down at those sad little faces on my two darlings.

this was not good....I had two sad little girls standing there, looking up at me....and there was no way that we could come back "Tomorrow" .....which was today!  So what was I going to do?

At this point, I had to do some mighty quick thinking.....
I told the girls we could go eat...wherever they wanted to go and then I would take them to the Children's Park.....

Yes, they chose Pizza!!


They ended up having a great time and we all three enjoyed spending a fabulous day together....



Shug...

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Fall Fashion




Have you noticed all of the gorgeous Fall fashions in the stores these days?  I certainly have, and I think the sweaters are calling my name......I LOVE SWEATERS.....I LOVE JACKETS!

Only problem is......my body does not seem to love them!  My brain does...but the body doesn't.  Must be the warm natured side of me.

Another issue is that you need to have one of those Skinny types of body frames, in order for sweaters and jackets to really look good.

Guess What ?  I don't have a skinny body.

The question is.....Why on earth would I be so attracted to something that would not be very becoming on me ?

I do own several sweaters and jackets.....(poor choice on my part to purchase such things)   Year after year, they hang in my closet, just hoping that I would have shed a few pounds before the cooler weather came.

Not likely!


Honest speaking....I am guilty!  Guilty of making purchases for such items....just because I really like it, knowing full well that I will not be able to wear it.  

This year, I'm promising myself that I won't buy anything that I can't wear at the time.  I'm not even going to allow myself the excuse of....."I promise I will fit into it next year."

If it doesn't fit....then it's back on the shelf!  If it's gonna be way too hot....then it's back on the shelf!  After all, these kind of extra things, take up a lot of space in my closet.

I suppose I could learn to love Bikinis......One good thing about a bikini is that I would be able to stay cool.....another is that they would not take up too much space in my closet!!

I think I once read:  "Bikini's....Skinny Body Required."

Oh Well....

Shug ~


Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Positives or Amnesia?



Remember the positives in life and claim Amnesia for the rest!!!!!

Listen....it is way too difficult to let negativity control your life.  I said, it is way to difficult to dwell upon finding the negative  all day long.

Have you ever been around a person who only sees the NEGATIVE  ??  They really are miserable people.   Their lives are controlled by :

Jealousy....Failure.....lack of self esteem....
being stingy....and unhealthy choices.  They look at every facet of life as if it's doomsday.
Their buckets are always full of gloom and doom.  They are always trying to blame others for their own unhappiness.

This is SAD!!

On the other hand, the life we live can sure be happier when we fill the empty spaces with happy thoughts.  By doing so, it's easy to find goodness....not only in ourselves, but in others as well.

By finding goodness in others, we gain contentment, peace, and fulfillment for ourselves.  

The great thing is, that by being a positive person, others can feed off of our positive energy....and vice versa.

It is just so simple if we allow it to be....

healthy choices, happy thoughts = A simple, fulfilling and happy life.

Sounds good to me!!

Shug


Monday, October 8, 2012

To All My Canadian Friends...


Happy Thanksgiving to all of my
wonderful Canadian friends!

sure wish I could be there to taste 
all of the delicious foods that were served
today!!  yum, yum!

Thanksgiving here in the US is not until
Thursday, November 22nd.  I don't think
I can wait.....I am so hungry for Turkey and Dressing....

So, can you guess what I'm cooking this Wednesday?  That is exactly right....Homemade Dressing!!!

I'm not going all out with all the side dishes, but one thing for sure is that there will be dressing, cranberry sauce and some sweet potatoes on my table.....

As you all know, I haven't really been into cooking this past year, but check this out....
Look what I made yesterday!


Two ...  Coconut pies!

I couldn't help myself....I kept reading about all the great foods that my friends from way up North were going to be serving today!

Made me Hungry!

Hope you all have enjoyed a beautiful day....

We have much to be thankful for!

Shug


Sunday Thinking

  Happy St. Patricks Day!   🍀 Tomorrow, I will be filling my hummingbird feeders.  The little beauties should be arriving any day now.  I a...