Best friends...30 years later

Met last night with friends from high school and had the BEST time!!  2 of my closest friends from school recreated an old photo I had.....

This is Marnie, Cheri (Me) and Holly...in junior high (8th or 9th grade), on the way to a Six Flags field trip.  Pig tails, really.........??  lol

30 years later.....

We didn't do the exact order....Marnie's on the other side of me.....I wanted to take the photo from the thighs down.......lol.


Edit to add this photo from a friend at the party - my favorite, I think!

I believe it was 11 of us that got together to visit....to catch up...several of us coming from out of town...Indiana, Colorado, Mississippi....

While many people knock Facebook, it is the conduit that allowed us to get together for the 3rd year now in a row!!  Holly lets everyone know when she's coming down to visit her folks and we all try to meet in some way or another.  Thanks Holly!

P.S.  I DID travel without the recliner in the van....and am doing great.  Our 18 and 22 yr old boys came with (didn't have to drive their own car - the recliner takes up the entire van...) and having stayed up all night prior, they slept the entire way.  We felt like we had babies in car seats....when we stopped for potty breaks, we took turns and left the car running and the same with lunch.  *Roll Eyes*  They woke up within 30 minutes of our destination (8+ hour car ride one way).

P.S.  On the drive down, I crocheted 2 new washcloths and they are utter perfection...they are actually a perfect square WITHOUT manipulating them to "look" that way.  Ha!  I've decided natural light makes a huge difference....can't wait to get photos in the light box and show you!

Hope you are having a fantastic week too!

Show Us Your Life - Marriage Advice

I really thought I had already written about this....guess I had plans.....:)

When I saw this as the subject over at Kelly's Korner in her Show Us Your Life series....Marriage Advice...I thought it was about time...

We met and married in under 8 months and I can't say we knew much about marriage.  We've been through some really tough times.  Things we could control and much we could not.

Multiple moves (14 houses, 7 states)

Job Loss

Financial Collapse

Miscarriages (4 babies lost in 3 pregnancies)

Health Disaster (and healing!!!)

Marriage stress

Children stress (heart break version)

........

So I just wanted to share one huge thing with everyone.  If you get to the end of your rope....you think you cannot go on....there is no hope left...even if you are dealing with some big issues (we were not, thank goodness)... and all you care about is telling your kids and everyone else you did everything you could?

Then go to Retrouaville -  A Lifeline For Marriages.

A program to help couples heal and renew their marriage.

• Do you feel lost, alone or bored in your marriage?

• Are you frustrated, angry or hurt with your spouse?

• Are you constantly fighting?  Or, do you simply shut down?

• Have you thought about separation or divorce?

• Does talking only make it worse?

•          

•   ..............Retrouvaille provides the marriage help!

Retrouaville is an INTERNATIONAL organization dedicated to saving marriages.  3 couples who have "BTDT - been there done that" lead the weekend....Friday evening to Sunday morning...and what you will learn and share will just leave you speechless.  In our group, folks were there who had already filed,  were suffering from adultery or addiction, atheists/agnostics and one couple had already divorced!!  From what we could tell, all but one couple reconciled with exuberance and the one that did not..walked out holding hands as friends.

You've likely heard of the Marriage Encounter weekends...those are for good marriages to get a refresher course.

Retrouvaille is for the hurting marriage, the marriage hanging by a string.....even if you are already divorced, or already filed or SO OVER IT you can't imagine even saving it BUT you DO want to know you tried everything.

I can promise you this - if Retrouvaille does not only restore your marriage but bring you back to the reasons you married in the first place, it WILL bring you peace about moving forward.  You WILL be able to confidently say you tried everything.

We owe our 24 year+ marriage to the lessons and discoveries we made around year 15 or so....when friends kept our boys and we trudged off with bad attitudes to the "we did everything we could" marriage seminar.

The "us" that came back to retrieve our boys left our friends amazed.  They hadn't seen anything like it. Nor had we.

Since that experience, we regularly go to marriage seminars in general...just to keep fresh on meeting each other's needs and not taking each other for granted.  It is great to have time just for US.

You owe this to yourselves or to the friends/family you know who NEED this information.

Best of all?  It is free to those who have no means for donation.  You won't be sorry.  Trust me.

Click the link above or below and see when the next available weekend is in your area.


Good luck and God Bless!

Retrouvaille

WIP Wednesday (on Thursday)

This week has been a little rougher with the medication wean-down and I thought - why not start a crochet project to distract myself?  (Thankfully yesterday, I was feeling much better!)

I was visiting my blog roll (and visiting other crochet blog rolls) when I saw a brand spankin' new FREE pattern at Whiskers and Wool and I thought - THERE!  That!

Simple Stripes Dishcloths

Literally just published YESTERDAY...I jumped on it.  It looked fun!

I had recently received my order from the massive Peaches & Creme  sale (that I got in with one day to spare - the company sold out to Spinrite and their former inventory prices were slashed....)...so I picked my new Mocha Swirl cone with some Sugar 'n Cream Rose Pink.  (Not sure I like the combination after all...would use white next time as the accent color)...but here is the project in progress:

Don't know if you can see it, but there is a pink band at the bottom and I am starting the pink band at the top.  Check the pattern photos for clearer finished dishcloths.


I'm going to finish this one and start on another with a better color combo.  I love this stitch pattern because I don't think it will end up with "holes" in it when wet.  My oldest son has adopted another one of my crochet washcloths and says it is great for facial exfoliation.

Hope you are having a great week!

Make Something Mondays at Sarahndipities

WIP Wednesdays at Tami's Amis

WIP Wednesday at Ambassador Crochet

WIP Wednesday at Every Day Crochet

Finished Object Friday at Tami's Amis

Fiber Arts Friday at Visions of Sugar Plums

Fiber Arts Friday at Wisdom Begins in Wonder

Creative Friday at Natural Suburbia

Weekend Randoms

We had a busy weekend.. if I had worn a pedometer, I'd have a lot more to add to my exercise log...

Week before last, we walked 12 miles over 7 days at the park.....and that doesn't include the nightly walking the dogs around the neighborhood.  So fun!

This week, we walked 11 miles....Andy has an iPhone app that has GPS and tracks our exact path plus tells us how long we walked and the distance.  Love that.

Here is a photo of Sage last night - her favorite part of going walking - the car ride.  lol

She sits up in the chair like a big girl....then we get to the park and have to coax her out.  Once we get going, she loves it.. the geese at the park...don't love her.  lol If they only knew what a scaredy cat she is....

We've gone to several movies and I have been surprised at how strong my legs are.  I used to walk up the movie auditorium steps one at a step...now I just walk up them strongly and quickly.   Walking DOWN the steps, I used to stand behind Andy, holding his shoulders for support, one step at a time.  Now he prefers to stand beside me holding my hand, but my balance and strength are night and day improved.  Yay!

We've also been trying to find a new dog food that helps Sweety's allergies without having to spend hundreds of dollars on allergy testing and meds....final result - Blue Buffalo chicken adult food with a small spoonful of Blue Buffalo wet food mixed in for Sage.  We learned that German Shepherds (she is half German Shepherd and Golden Retriever)...can be really picky eaters.   We had them on Bil Jac for years...with it being the first and only food they both loved.  But now with Sweety's allergies and Sage's new fatty lipoma on her shoulder, I researched dog foods.  Bil Jac is a 1 star food.....high priced Purina, I guess.  Darn!

We decided to get a 4 star dog food or higher....tried Avoderm, the Blue Buffalo Wilderness (both grain-free)...then the Blue Buffalo chicken....after chatting with an expert.  Sweety will eat anything...Sage.....food strikes regularly.  lol  Blue Buffalo is actually a 5 Star food.

And the best part?  Petco took back the opened 2 dog foods that didn't work out...Yay!!

And finally, we're planning a trip to our hometown..to visit family .....

AND

We aren't taking the recliner!!  We aren't going to travel like the Clampitt's!!  I'm gonna sit in the front seat like I used to......

Oh, speaking of that...I am now down 80% in former medication related to the nerve damage....only 20% to go.  It's been going great...just a few days where I felt a little tired...I've still only taken one dose of the medicine given to me for reactions and withdrawal...it is just amazing.

Hope you had a great weekend!!

Sam Edelman Katrice - Wanted

Long-time blog readers might remember these shoes I tried on last year, dreaming of the day I would be healed and able to wear "real" shoes again, let alone sexy shoes.  I almost bought these....and I swear I went back to that store 4 times and wore them around.....almost pulled the trigger.  Now I wish I had.

Sam Edelman "Katrice"  

Black and White Zebra, Size 8

I have never tried on wedges that were so perfect for my feet or as comfortable as those.  So I thought I'd give a shout out just to see if someone purchased these and never wore them or knows where a pair is....Size 8.

Here are my beloved photos:

I actually had a fellow shopper take this photo for me....Andy had a heart attack....it scared him to see me in such shoes with the state of my "numb" feet.....lol 

Anyone happen across my blog doing a search for these Sam Edelman Katrice shoes and have a size 8 to part with??  Please email me - link in the right side bar!!

I believe I will receive these shoes if they are for me to have or their equivalent!

Spam Comments

As you read in my Word Verification posts, Blogger has a new spam software program that blocks spam comments.  I still get an email when the comment is received but it does not land on my active blog.  Goes in a special spam folder.

Sometimes these comments are just crazy and I thought I would share this one for some laughs:

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Who writes this stuff?

Do you get any crazy comments?

Bang Photo

I decided that I like the side part better.....

I Got Bangs

Now, before getting horrified, I made sure I wouldn't look like someone who needs a "bang intervention", but I have to be honest...I was in shock when I turned around and saw myself in the mirror at the salon.  (I DID have a bang intervention in the early 2000's.....it wasn't pretty. I've been SO proud of myself for growing them out......lol)


I humbly share this photo from 1987 - just after marriage.  Don't you miss 80's perms (and hairspray)?  This was back before I learned I have naturally curly hair.....*roll eyes*....):

Back to my bangs today....


My salon gal did a great job....I guess it's just been so long since I've had them.....


See, now that it is summer, I wear my hair up all the time...and this left what I thought looked like a "comb over" with my shorter yet still longer face-framing hair.....


Comb overs are NOT pretty on females.  Shoot, not on anyone!  lol


So, if I part my hair down the very middle like she did, my HAIR (not me) looks just like Jennifer Aniston's character in the current movie,  Horrible Bosses (which we saw last weekend):

Photo edited to be family-friendly....lol

Is this a good thing?  Husband thinks so...but he loves ANY new thing I do to my hair as long as I don't come home with red hair....he's easy.  He actually PREFERS I change it up frequently..

I was happier this morning when I did my hair MY way....isn't that always the case?

And instead of fretting..if I don't bond with this, they will grow........

Do you have bangs?

Bad News - Good News

Bad News - My one month old Mac computer has been having "airport" issues.....multiple times most days, the wireless internet would stop working and I would have to turn off and on the "air port".  Drove me crazy.  After talking to Apple techs on the phone, they finally made us an appointment at the local Apple Store.

Good News - My computer acted up in front of the tech!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I was validated!!!!!!!!!!!

Bad News - It is a hardware issue, not a software issue.  They kept my computer.

Good News - I am getting a BRAND NEW Mac!!!!  I will get it in 24-48 hours, after they transfer my files over to the new one.

I'm bummed I didn't think to email myself my photos and some files off the computer so I can still enter parties this week with my Face Scrubbies.  Darn........

I'm still grinning ear to ear - I was validated!!!  (Like taking your car to the mechanic...and it doesn't act up...)

Be back soon!

I've Been Featured

Pam, over at Be Colorful, featured me last week on my Word Verification post.

Have you visited her blog? It is SO amazing...she is such a talented artist....go check it out now!

Thanks Pam!!

Face Scrubbie

I finally got my crocheting bug back and decided to make a quick project....

Face Scrubbies!

I got permission from the designer, Lesley Dietschy,  to post the FREE Flower Scrubbie Pattern I used - 


Free Pattern Here


Here are the photos....I decided to make coordinating scrubbies....and oddly, although I am a "loose crocheter", no matter what I did, I could not get one that was the described "4 inches across"....the first one I made was too small, the next two I tried to crochet as loose as I could..and although they got bigger, none ended up 4 inches. Ah well....lol

I may be joining THESE parties!

Edit:  I forgot to add what yarn I used:  Lily Sugar 'n Cream cotton yarn in Green Twists and Sage Green.

Do You Heartsy?

Have you heard of  Heartsy?  It is a discount type site for all things handmade, whether through Etsy or other modes.  I have been surprised that by the time I even open the email, many vouchers have already been sold and some sold out.  Shows how popular it is!


So far, I have ordered from Mae Minerals (mineral makeup and skin care items) and am awaiting the shipment.....almost every deal is OVER 50% savings.  Wow!

They have this sample sale at 50% off.....$10.00.  A great way to test their products/colors before purchasing at full price.

Check it out and see if you find some wonderful deals for yourself or gifts:


Heartsy - Exclusive Deals on Fabulous Handmade Designer Items!


This is not one of those referral sites.....just simply a regular site you can check out.  Once you sign up for free, you get an email a day (not sure if it is 7 days a week....)..showing 6 or so "deals" of the day.  Everything from handmade soap, jewelry, paper products, crochet/knitted items, even food items....pretty much anything you can imagine someone makes and then sells online.....


They even have an area on the main website where you can "rate" potential deals.....do you want to see deals from those type of stores?   Fun!