Crazy Eights-The Meme

I'm IT, I'm IT.........Remember when we were kids and we played tag in the backyard with all of our friends? Unlike most of those kids I loved being tagged and then being IT. Being IT made me feel special I know this sounds crazy but go with me here. It meant I was the center of attention, everyone looked to me for the next chosen one. I felt important.

Well I've been tagged and now I'm IT. Snooty at Snooty Primadona's Sparkling Outlook tagged me in the Crazy Eights Meme. Thanks Snooty, I love being IT.

Eight things I have a passion for:

1. Family (whether it be mine, my Trucker's or friends)
2. My pets
3. Nascar Racing (specifically Dale Earnhardt Jr., awww)
4. Traveling (anywhere I don't even care)
5. Swimming (in lakes or creeks)
6. Long drives through the forests
7. Antiques (of any kind)
8. White gold jewelry

Eight things I would like to do before I die:

1. Travel Ireland
2. Travel Scotland
3. Drive a race car at 200 mph.
4. Travel the nascar circuit for one year.
5. Skydive
6. Live long enough to see all my grandchildren grow up.
7. Celebrate my 25 th wedding anniversary and renew my vows.
8. Buy a home in Virginia and raise horses.

Eight things I say a lot:

1. I love you. (to everyone of my family every single day)
2. Please shut the refrigerator door.
3. Were you born in a barn.
4. Damn baby you got a cute ass. (of course this is to trucker)
5. I only married you for the sex.
6. Please drive careful.
7. Don't text and drive or the car's mine.
8. Did you lock the doors.

Eight books I have read recently:

1. The Red Hat club rides again.
2. The Kudzu Debutantes
3. The Kudzu Debutantes Revenge
4. Flirting with Forty
5. Match Me If You Can
6. Certain Girls
7. Harry Potter
8. Trace

Eight movies I have seen eight times:

1. Up close and personal
2. Under the Tuscan sun.
3. Practical Magic
4. First Knight
5. Merlin
6. Dumb and Dumber
7. Independence Day
8. Day After Tomorrow

Now for the eight people I am tagging. Don't you feel all special?

1. Country Girl at Dreams of a Country Girl
2. Kate at Chronicles of a Country Girl
3. Kacey at Wine on the Keyboard
4. Suze at Suzel's Sass
5. Jennifer at Thursday Drive
6. Momma at Mental Pause Chronicles
7. Nancy at The Other Side of 40
8. Nap at The Chronicles of a SAHM

Menopause Parking by Chonda Pierce

I just discovered this woman and now love her. LOL. She says it all for me.

Sky Watch Friday

I see so many other bloggers doing Skywatch Friday's that I thought I would join. I have found myself lately taking picture after picture of clouds and the skies that I fell compelled to share.

Sky Watch Friday can be found at Tom Wiggers World and you can view many other beautiful sky watch pictures.

My overnight adventure

After my week with my grand babies and the ensuing meltdown from that said week Trucker and I left for his run/overnight delivery around noon on Sunday. Georgia here we come! I was pumped and ready to go. Nothing was going to keep me from getting out of the house and away from the kids for a day. I do mean nothing! Because on Saturday I woke up with the worst sinus infection and sore throat I have had in years. So I packed a big bag of Luden's cough drops, antibiotics, and Tylenol in my overnight bag.

As you can see from the picture of me I did not feel well but put on my "happy face". You can also see why I have taken to calling Trucker his new nickname of Farmer Brown. I hate this straw hat he bought. Before we left the yard Trucker done his usual truck check and discovered a huge bolt in one of the tractor tires. Being a Sunday his boss told him to "limp" the truck along and get it patched or replaced somewhere on Monday. Gee what fun would this bring us? Trucker ended up having to air the tire up at every stop we made along the way.

Our trip took us through Mississippi, Alabama and into Georgia. I had seen every state and in fact the same interstates except for Georgia. However it is all beautiful along the way. The weather was gorgeous, the clouds looked like cotton balls and the sky was a beautiful blue on Sunday. We stopped in Talladega, AL at a truck stop next to the Talladega Speedway so that I could buy myself a new Dale Earnhardt Jr. t-shirt. Since he no longer drives and races for DEI I had to have a new shirt. No southern woman's (at least those of us into Nascar) attire is complete without one.

We arrived in Atlanta around 11 pm on Sunday night and spend the night in the truck in the yard we were making the delivery at the next morning.

Both Trucker and I crawled into our bunks and decided to turn the DVD player on and watch a movie. We didn't make it past the beginning credits. LOL. Since I was running a fever I opted for the bottom bunk so that the air vents could blow directly onto me and maybe I could sleep better. Was I wrong in this decision. At some point during the night I woke up and the air was blowing as hot as if the heater was turned on. I was literally suffocating. Drenched in sweat from head to toe and it was worse than any hot flash I had been horribly subjected to at any time in my life. I started opening windows as fast as I possibly could and punching buttons like crazy on the air conditioner. All the while yelling for Trucker to "please wake up". He never heard me! It's a miracle I didn't manage to knock the truck into drive and roll us out of the parking lot in my hast and ransacking for cold air. I don't know what I done but it finally started blowing cold again. I lay back down and tried once more to sleep. Later I woke up freezing my patootie off but did not dare to turn the air down for fear I would make it blow hot again. Now I am laying here shivering and piling on more blankets. No way was I messing with the controls again at this point. I did reach up and steal most of Trucker's blankets from him. He never moved or even realized I was up. He was dead to the world. That man could sleep through a tornado I swear.

The next morning after getting unloaded Trucker realized that the tire that had the bolt in it was flat and completely off the rim. So we had to wait on a repairman and a new tire to show up. I waited patiently by sleeping and sucking on more cough drops. God I felt like shit! When I climbed up in the passenger seat for the day Trucker took one look at me and said (in his sweet way) "damn honey you look like death warmed over"! "I love you to dear" I replied. Leave it to my man to make me feel so good in his sweet natured loving way.

After looking so forward to this trip I couldn't be happier to return home to my own air conditioned bedroom (cave).

Happy Hump Day Everyone

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Meltdown and Away

I now consider myself a full fledged survivor. No I didn't survive any type of major illness, unless you count grand babies an illness anyway, but I have survived a full week of fun, frolic and torture to my sanity. I must confess because after all my blog is called confessions, that I couldn't take another day of the lovely grand babies. They have gotten the best of me. Whittled me down to the rotten core, they have. I started my day today the usual way: coffee with bailey's. Which was then followed quite quickly with 1/2 Valium pill and 1/2 Xanax. Thank God for drugs in the legal form. Bless my good doctors heart. I survived the day. I wish I could say completely intact but I had a major meltdown around 4 pm. I did in fact curl up and cry for over an hour. I banished all children from my cave when this occurred leaving them in the capable hands of Princess.

I was still lying in this same position, with tissues all around, when Trucker arrived home from work. He took one sad, puppy dog looking face at me and ordered pizza delivered. After which he gave me the news that made my heart swell in gratitude and love. It dried my pitiful, whiny tears. He is taking me away! Away from children, away from home and away for a day or two. Nothing glamorous, nothing anyone might consider a vacation, but to me, I don't care. It's away and it doesn't involve kids, cooking or cleaning. He has a load to deliver in Atlanta, GA on Monday morning and I am going with him. We leave at noon on Sunday and won't be back home till very late on Monday if not then Tuesday. I am rooting and praying for Tuesday. Two adults, alone, on the road, in bunk beds.

To me it will be my little slice of heaven!

Thank God It's Friday

Day 5 (I'm losing it)

Today is the fifth day and new morning of the adventure with the grand babies (Rug Rat 3 & 4) and also Rug Rats 1 & 2.

I have about now lost all sanity from the fun and good times. I remember now why God gives most of us especially me the gift of children when we are young and have patience/nerves of steel. God was smart this way. I keep reminding myself that this only happens about twice a year. This is the number 2 time and I will make it through. Please know that if you do not see me around for a week or so I am thinking of you. Please think of me as I curl into a ball on the floor in the fetal position and cry in frustration and despair.

I have lost enough sleep that I feel like a walking zombie. I am going through the motions only. I am so tired sleep doesn't come fast enough or last near long enough. What is sleep anymore? I seem to recall what it was like if I concentrate hard enough but when I try to concentrate someone interrupts me tattling on someone else. I am stepping on the bags that hang from under my eyes with each zombie step I make across the room. Damn it hurts.

My smile has turned into a slight grimace and frown. Which I know will soon become a bark followed by a jaw breaking bite. Which will takes heads off in an instant. I only hope I do not eat my young.

I look and feel like death warmed over. Calgon take me away.

Happy Hump Day

Instead of the usual Hump Day Hunk picture today (I'll do that again next Wed.) today I am giving you pictures of how my week has gone thus far. I'll let you decide if it's been good or bad so far and a glimpse of how the remainder of the week will be. You be the judge! Do I look like we are having fun? Do they look like they are having fun? And last but certainly not least, Do I look like I'm glad it's Hump Day?

Daddy's Hands

I have been blessed to have the most wonderful father in the world. A man who loves me unconditionally and was always there and still is for me when I need(ed) him, no matter what I may have done.

He was born into a large family with 10 other siblings and learned from a very early age what hard work and loving a family meant. He is only one of two boys in a house full of all women besides his father. Together they farmed cotton, soybeans and rice. By the time my father was four years old he was working in the cotton fields as hard as any adult. He had to do this because grandfather didn't think the girls should work in the fields. So I have been told. My father doesn't talk or like to talk about his life as a child. What I have learned over the years I learned from my own mother who was raised just a few miles away. My dad was never treated as a child, never got to be a child and from very early in his life had to be the man of the house. Bearing all the responsibilities that go along with it. He had a hard childhood.

When my father asked my mother to marry him they took over the family farm. Dad was only 21 years old. At this time he farmed over 1,000 acres alone with only my mother's help. He also continued to raise his siblings. Purchasing them all store bought clothes for school, most of the time the majority of the groceries as well. My father has never NOT been a father in one way or another. He never complained or complains about it. To him, that's just the way it was and was his responsibility.

When I was born along with my own siblings we never worked the farm. At least not myself and my sister. We were both highly allergic to the crops and the dust but even if this were not the case, my dad wouldn't have us doing the work of grown men. He drew the line when we were born. I remember being very little and since I was allergic to dust in such a bad way, that my father would come straight into the house, change his clothes on the front porch and head straight into the shower. All of this before even being able to give me a kiss hello. With this many acres to farm there were many summer months that I only seen my father late at night after being in the bed. He would leave for the fields long before I woke in the mornings and wouldn't return till way after I was in bed at night. He never ever forgot to come in and kiss me goodnight. I could see the glow of his cig coming across my room after dark and knew he was checking on me.

My daddy farmed all those acres till he retired at the age of 65 years. He no longer has the farm we grew up on as he had rented the ground all his life. Never actually owning it himself. To me it will always be daddy's farm ground no matter how old I get.

When I see my father I see strong loving arms wrapping me tightly in a hug and hearing him tell me he loves me. I see hardened callused hands from working the farm and taking care of machinery and those same hands holding my tiny ones and going for a walk through the toy store. I see a face with a farmer's tan, wrinkled lines across his brow, and a smile only a father can give his child.

I see a strong man who always put others before himself as a loving father always does. I see my DAD.

Gearing Up

How many times have you mentally prepared for something that is about to happen? Gearing yourself up with mental thoughts for what is about to take place. Constantly telling yourself things like: I'm not going to get sick, This WILL be fun, I can do this, I have lots of energy and some to spare, what's adding two more to the mix? and just saying "I will be supermom". This is what I have been telling myself all week long.

I'm not preparing myself for anything bad by no stretch of the imagination. I am preparing myself for the fact and the joy that I am picking up my two grandchildren tomorrow and having them here for a week or more. However long my nerves can take it. I must mentally prepare for a week of no time to myself, no energy by the end of each day as well as the headaches from all the laughter I know will come. Am I the only one who suffers from headaches like this? Not only will I have the two newest Rug rats underfoot but also am keeping Rug rat 1 and 2 all summer long as well. I feel my energy slowly creeping away now.

Rug rat 3 is 5 years old and a little stinker and requires all of my attention when here. To which I happily oblige him since I don't get to see him but a few times a year. Rug rat 4 just turned 2. OMG the horrible two's. Can I live through it? The last time she was here she learned to walk right in my living room. I was the winner of seeing her very first steps. Like watching a newborn deer in all the clumsiness as she took about four tentative steps across the floor. My heart swelled with pride and at the same time I thought to myself "Oh God now I have two to chase around".

I know though it will be a week I will never forget. A week in which to bond again with the both of them. A week of fun, frolic and chaos will ensue. A week of headache causing laughter to which each night I will lay down in bed and thank god I have them both to enjoy.

Happy Hump Day

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Supper Table Discussions

I'll let you all in on a little secret. In the south "dinner" is not called "dinner" but rather for some unknown at least unknown to me reason it's called "supper". My family had always practiced a ritual at supper time in which everyone actually sits down together at the dining table, regardless of how busy we are, and has this meal together. This is our bonding time, our time to discuss the day's activities and share things with each other. So when Trucker and I married this same tradition continued. Much to the happiness of Princess and the Rug Rats. Trucker's family had never taken part in this tradition which was totally astounding to me, but regardless, he is happy about it and loves it.

There is however one huge difference between the supper table discussions in our household now versus when I was a child. My childhood meals were always fun but never gut laughter and what was considered to be ill-mannered talks. By ill-mannered I mean, discussions of bodily functions. This is probably the case in most households across the country as well. And God forbid one of us actually burp by mistake, this was also a huge NO-NO. If this did happen we were politely asked to leave the table and head to our bedroom alone.

We now have lively discussions at each meal. Things that probably make most people's heads reel and bring shock to anyone who hears. I also want to point out the kids know not to act this way outside of home. This would be horrible to do this sort of thing at Cracker Barrel on a Saturday night and they all know it. And in the two years we have been married and frequently eat out the children have never embarrassed us. We figure a family who discusses most anything during a meal will have children who will not be afraid to discuss anything with their parents.

So now I give you a video that Trucker took while we were eating dessert the other night. We did not at first realize he was doing this. He had the camera out and we assumed he was fixing to take some pictures, not really taping us in the act. He found great joy in the thought that when the children are older he can show this and have memories. He also found great joy in the thought it would and will make a great blackmail story for Princess.
I also want to be sure and point out there is not much on earth that embarrasses me. As you can attest after watching the video. Also let it be known that I had worked my ever loving ass off that day cleaning house and I normally do not look like this during a meal or anytime while at home. So be prepared for the horrible sight of me. It's OK to laugh, poke fun and be shocked. Hey, you can even tell me if you want to. I think the previous weeks of heat in the house affected our minds. Tee Hee.

A family that laughs together Stays together.

Now there's four

Two days ago we noticed that momma cat had moved her kittens once again. This time right beside our back door. We noticed there were still the five little adorable runts meowing away. All was well for momma and her babies. They are now about 2 1/2 weeks old. Yesterday afternoon we noticed we only had a total of 4 kitties. Trucker, myself, and the Rug Rats searched high and low for number 5. We followed momma cat everywhere she went thinking that maybe, just maybe, she for some weird reason had moved the 5th one. We never found it. It has vanished off the face of our yard.

While sitting watching TV last evening we were discussing what happened to the little thing. I thought perhaps one of the male cats had found it and got rid of it. Trucker told me that if that were the case we would have found number 5 somewhere outside and that he feared the worst for it. He didn't want to say anything in front of the Rug Rats but he thinks a large snake had it for supper. Last week we found a large snake skin in our backyard up close to the house. We warned the kids to be on the lookout for the snake and immediately tell us if found. Not that we expected them to decide to play with it or anything but with boy child this might be possible.

After hearing what might have happened I could think of nothing else. So I decided to bring them into the house. I could not bear the thought of something having a midnight snack of them. I would not be able to sleep. Momma cat has never been an indoor cat and we weren't sure how she would take to this notion either. Plus we have our two male cats indoors as well as our Shi Tzu, Babycakes. We still brought them in though.Momma cat loves it. She may never want to leave. Babycakes loves it. She is sitting guard over the pet bed most of the time now which doesn't even bother Momma.

Now I can sleep in peace and so can Momma Cat. Now babycakes, not so much, as it's her bed they are in.

How Hot Is It?

in my house right now? It's this hot. Hot enough to explode a can of biscuits. No need on whomping em against the counter in this heat. Just lay em on the counter and then before supper is ready, they are ready to eat. Can't get any easier than this I'm here to tell ya.

These steaks are already prepared and ready for the tastebuds. I simply took my griddle and laid it on the counter, spread with a little butter, which melted instantly, laid the steaks down and wala..........done in a heartbeat.
It's so hot that the ice cream is melting in the freezer. Instant and ready in a flash "Ice Cream Shakes". Now that my hungry bunch has supper all ready to eat, I'm heading back into the cave. Cave being my bedroom which has the only air conditioner working for now. Till tomorrow, at which time I hope to be able to say "The air is fixed, the air is fixed" insert Eddie Murphy's voice here.

Meet the new family members

They arrived a little over a week ago and are the cutest little things. Not really belonging to us but our next door neighbor actually. However we both take care of each other's cats and for the moment they are in our yard. Not sure if mamma cat will move them yet again. They started out as a group of 6 and trucker found one had passed so it received a proper burial. To which the Rug Rats were not invited.We have aptly named the little orange one "Possum" as he definitely looks like a baby possum with that ferocious look upon his face.

Happy Hump Day everyone

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Don't tell us you're BORED

My parents always amazed me at how busy they kept us when we were both children and even when we reached our teenage years. I never had many moments in which I said "I am so bored" as I always had something to do or somewhere to go. They made sure of this.

I learned how to do household chores from a very early age. Scrubbing the bathroom, vacuuming my room and the rest of the house, cooking, and general cleaning. Then when I reached the age of about 12 my dad bought horses. Now if you're not sure what all having horses involves let me tell you. They were bathed once a week, stalls cleaned twice a day, fed and watered twice a day, and we also rode them at least once a day. It also meant since we had horses and showed them on a regular basis throughout the summer months that we had saddles and bridles to clean, the silver on them to clean and keep clean, our show clothes to wash and iron, chaps to take care of and numerous other horsey associated cleaning to do. It was also my responsibility to hand wash our pick up truck and 4 horse horse trailer each week. That is if I actually wanted and had time to take the truck out on Friday nights I had to keep it clean.

I was also a cheerleader for 9 years and this alone kept me busy and hopping. What with practice, ballgames and all the activities and events from this. Gymnastics, baton twirling, and so many ways to keep busy I honestly don't' remember them all. So it was very very rare I ever said "I'm bored". I remember once and only once actually voicing this to my mother and when I did this she immediately gave me a busy hand chore. Which meant washing all the kitchen cabinets with a bucket of spic and span water and towel drying each one afterwards.

So when my own children were born this same ritual continued on. There wasn't to many times although definitely more than one that my children said they were bored. If they made this simple mistake they got the busy hand chores pawned off on them.

Trucker and I try our best to find things to keep Rug Rat 1 and Rug Rat 2 occupied and busy, so as not to develop the "I am so bored" words that do come out of their mouths on occasion. But with those two kids it is really hard to find something for them to do. Since I work in the home I keep the majority of the housework done and Princess helps as well. We also do not have horses and really wish we lived where we could have them and teach the children the meaning of "responsibility" in their care of them. I have taught both of the Rug Rats how to vacuum and some minor household things that they can do and will be doing from now on. At one time both rug rats were involved in soccer, which only happens during certain months and this leaves all the other months empty. But we are catching the hang of this "bored" notion.

On Sunday Rug Rat 2 made the mistake of telling Trucker he was bored. Not once, not twice but three times that morning we heard this. Each time we gave him something minor to do. Each time he complained that he wasn't getting paid for this. Needless to say this burned our behinds to hear this comment from a 8 year old. Upon the third time Trucker got this gleam in his eyes and said "Well boy put your tennis shoes on and your long pants and come outside with me". Rug Rat 2 got excited and started jumping up and down. He thought they were going fishing. Muhawha........................Instead Trucker took him straight out the back door and to the push mower. You should have seen the look on Rug Rat 2's face. It was priceless and it was shocking to him to think he had to do something so horrible as mow a yard, to work to not be bored. "Daddy it's to hot to do this" he said more than once.

He mastered the fine art of pushing a mower and done a very good job. One in which he now has the privilege of doing each and every weekend for the remainder of the summer months.

I don't think he will ever tell us how bored he is again.

Heard at my House

Here's a short list of some of the things heard around my house over the weekend. Can you guess which were really said and which were not?

1. It's my turn on the computer, would you get off NOW!

2. It's ok if you are still on the computer, we all enjoy sharing.

3. God you're a "gassy girl" full of farts.

4. Did you just relieve some pressure?

5. Hey dad the car makes farts noises. Ha. Ha.

6. Dad why is the car making that funny sounding noise?

7. I want chocolate ice cream covered in chocolate sauce and a chocolate shake to go with it.

8. Oh no I don't want chocolate, I hate it.

9. It's my turn to pick out the tv show so would you please get off it and give me the control.

10. Oh, take your time watching that boring show afterall you never have the remote control.

11. My God we have to get the air conditioner fixed it's hot enough to roast a pig in here.

12. No don't worry about the heat, sweat is good for you.

13. Stop touching me with your grubby hands right this minute.

14. I love hugs and touching.