Home Again
This is Mary, left, and her mother, Sarah, finishing up our breakfast that Sarah made for everyone this morning before we left for home. I’m telling you, her homemade cinnamon rolls are just the most amazing things ever. We had such a wonderful time.
We got home a little after one this afternoon and Marshall mowed the yard while I straightened the house. It has been a wonderful weekend. We enjoyed seeing our son, and we had a terrific time with our friends. :)
That’s all, folks. G’night.
Hey! We Lost-AGAIN!
Cain can tackle you with one arm AND while running the other way. :)
Cain had his first start on defense tonight and he did a GREAT job. I was so proud of him. He hurt his nose pretty bad and also hurt his thumb but I think he’ll be ok. :) His team lost, but he did great and I’m just really very happy about that.
Last night we stayed with Jubba and Sarah, and they are our friend, Mary’s parents. They have a beautiful cabin on a lake near Manchester, Tenn. and we are staying here again tonight. We have had SO much fun. I just wish we had more time to spend here with them. Sarah made a delicious breakfast for us this morning and she and Jubba rode with us to the game and we thoroughly enjoyed talking with them.
Hope you have a great night. :)
Tennessee
We are in Woodbury, Tennessee, staying with some of our friends. Mary, whose son plays ball with Cain, has the sweetest parents who let us all stay at their amazingly beautiful cabin (on a lake, even!) for FREE! This place is so beautiful and we have had a great time tonight.
Cain’s game is tomorrow at 1:30 and after the game we will all be coming back to the cabin. I’m really looking forward to the game but I can’t wait to get back here and explore a little bit before we have to head home.
We ate at a Mexican restaurant tonight. I don’t eat Mexican food but I did anyway. I won’t anymore though. My tummy was like, “Um…nuh-uh. Forget it.” So, no more Mexican for me.
Peace out.
I Love Google
This was my view from the woods yesterday when hubby and I sat under a tree and relaxed and listened to all the goings-on. It was so enjoyable and the leaves are just beautiful.
I got up and headed to the gym this morning. I had a GREAT workout. In class we did everything in reverse order and even though I thought I might pass out, I hung in there until I felt like my arms might fall off. I had to stop two or three times during one of our arm exercises but I did just fine.
I just love Google. Today is the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street and this is what Google did:
Cute, huh? :)
Later, gators.
Enjoyed a nice day on my back porch with Lucy and Humphrey. It was warm out there, around 71ish. It felt great but TRULY I’d rather have cold weather. It IS November after all.
I really just need to move to Colorado. I really do.
Marshall and I went on a hike through the woods. I enjoyed myself greatly. The colors are hanging on and it was just beautiful. We sat down near a tree and just listened and watched. It was great–really great, EXCEPT for the stupid mosquitoes. Don’t they EVER die?!
Peace out.
Slacker
This morning I got my fat butt up and headed to the gym. I haven’t been in a while, and while I do have some valid excuses for not going to class, there have been days I just didn’t go. No more of that bullcrap. The results I get from going are too fabulous for me just to be a slacker. And I know once you get out of the habit it’s so hard to start going back. I’m not going to let that happen.
I’m seriously ready to put the Christmas tree up. And no, I’m not kidding. The holiday doesn’t last long enough as it is as far as I’m concerned. Cain has a game this weekend or I’d go ahead and put it up then. Maybe I can convince Brooke to do it. Oh, and also, a couple of friends (thanks Lisa and Jen!) let me know that 98.1 The Legend in Chattanooga is playing Christmas music 24/7 and you can listen online, too. :) Click HERE if you’d like to listen. You’re welcome!
It’s a beautiful day outside. I hope that when hubby gets home from work we can get some yardwork completed. Brooke broke my very favorite rake last year so I’m going to have to go buy another one. :( I hope I can find one like that one. It was great because the leaves couldn’t get all stuck in it.
Have a good one!
Babysitting
This is a Crowned-slug caterpillar. Neato, huh? It was very tiny -maybe about an inch- and I almost stepped on it while getting out of the truck one day. It’ll grow up to be a moth.
I’m a babysitter now. Humphrey, my daughter’s puppy, requires a LOT of attention that I’m more than happy to give. Of course, that means I can’t go anywhere or do anything because he hasn’t had all of his shots yet and I FOR SURE don’t want him to get parvo or any other horrible disease that kills puppies. I had a blue heeler puppy that I loved SO much a few years ago and it got parvo and died before we could do a thing about it. I didn’t think my broken heart was ever going to heal over that and I fo’ sho’ don’t want to go through it again.
I got up at 5 this morning and was ready to rock and roll. I showered and got dressed and then went to work on my house. My honey cooked supper for me and it was delicious. He is such an angel. :) Anyway, I cleaned off the screened in porch and the deck (it was quite a mess) and it looks beautiful. We sat out there for most of the evening.
I’m so sleepy that I can’t keep my eyes open. I think I’ll hit the hay. Have a great evening!
I Missed WordPress
Obviously, I’m back on WordPress. I promise that I won’t move again. Hope all of you have followed me here. :)
Well, all of my Halloween decorations are put away and now I’m ready to get my Christmas stuff out, even though the rest of the family said no way–not yet. ;) Not too much longer though. I can’t wait.
Did you remember to set your clocks back last night? I did, and I’ve been up since quite early. I was very excited to start my day. The sun was even out and we were SO happy to see it. When hubby got up, we rode over to the foot of the mountain and I took a few photos. We weren’t out long because Cain texted me and said he was on his way back home from his friend’s house.
Cain left to go back to school this evening and I wasn’t very happy about that. As usual, he didn’t stay here and visit with me and his Dad for very long. In fact, I feel like I’ve barely even got to see him. :(
Have a good night. :)
Still Awake
Hubby and I rode around on the mountain today and drove my beautiful car in places it shouldn’t have been driven. ;) Anyway, this is where we ended up — a piece of Little River Canyon that is just absolutely beautiful. We had a great time.
I want to be asleep right now. I’m not. Last night I fell asleep a little after 2 a.m. and at 2:37 I woke up when hubby jerked my pillow out from under my head SO hard that I’m surprised that my neck didn’t snap. I should’ve pushed him out of bed.
Just a few more days until I’m in Florida. Have I talked about that already? :)
Night!
Dot Dot Dot
I TRULY don’t have anything to say today.
I need to have my heart checked again. It has been a while.
We go to Florida in just a few short days. A-woo-hoooooo! We’re going to be near THREE state parks. Can you just imagine the photographic possibilities? Yay! :) I’m so looking forward to going to Florida. We haven’t been in a few years. Well, I’ve been twice in the past year but I haven’t been with my family in a while. We’re staying down a full week, too. I’m VERY excited.
Nighty night.
Greenlife
See how cute?! :) Rowan is always smiling. Sure she has rough patches every now and then but I think it’s safe to say that 98-percent of the time she is happy as she can be. We love her bunches.
Today Marshall, Kandi, and I went to the Chattanooga Market. We went and *I* forgot my camera. :( That was my first trip to the market and it was so neat. There are lots of great things to see.
After there we headed to Greenlife Grocery and did a bit of shopping. I love that store. :) We came home and cooked out then worked on our project for a while. We had a great day. :)
Swimming
:) :) How cute is Rowan? We had a great time in the pool today. She looked SO cute in her little Speedo hat. She also rocked some little cherry sunglasses which she actually wore for a really long time. I can’t believe she kept them on.
We enjoyed ourselves in the pool for most of the afternoon. We cooked out and then sat on Dawnia’s screened porch when a rainstorm moved through. It was a great way to spend the day.
I took Axl Rose to the vet this morning. Turns out she did have a bite under the left side of her jaw. The vet gave her a shot and then sent us home with some antibiotics. He said if she’s not better by Monday that I’d need to bring her in to have the wound lanced. You know, she drives me batty because I’m constantly having to run her off from around my birdfeeders. I scream and yell and rant and rave but if anything happened to her it would just devastate me. I hope she’s ok.
It’s TOO Hot!
This is a Clouded Sulphur butterfly. It’s one of those little yellow butterflies that you see fluttering in crazy patterns from one place to the next. They rarely, if ever, keep their wings open. I took about 8 gazillion shots of this beauty today in hopes that I’d catch him about to fly from one place to the next–and I did! Yay!
I met my Dad, stepmother, and her uncle over on Pigeon Mountain and we spent nearly all day taking pictures of butterflies. I’d say we had a very successful trip but it’s SO hot that we had to call it off around 3:30ish. We were miserable.
When I got home hubby and I just relaxed here at the house under the air conditioner (why is it called an air CONDITIONER?). He watched old western movies and I uploaded all my photos from the 5 hours we were out (about 500 pictures).
Axl Rose (my kitty) isn’t feeling well. I’ll be taking her to the vet tomorrow. :( I’m not sure what on earth is wrong with her. I brought her in and crated her in hopes that it was just the heat, but she’s still not eating or drinking. I found her this morning under the azalea bush and didn’t really think anything about it. When I got back though, she was still under the azalea bush. I offered her food and water and she just meows. :( Hope my little buddy is ok.
Good night.
Wow
First off, I was absolutely brokenhearted over hearing that Farrah lost her battle with cancer. When I was a little girl, 8 or 9, I suppose, I was a HUGE Charlie’s Angels fan, and of course, Farrah was my favorite. I had the classic Farrah poster hanging on my wall and I wanted to look just like her. :) I had a Charlie’s Angels t-shirt and I had it up until a few years back and it just disappeared. :( I’m heartbroken that she is gone. What a fight she put up; so sad that she lost the battle.
THEN if that’s not bad enough we learn that Michael Jackson died of a heart attack. This news is still so new that I don’t think my mind has processed it quite yet. Whatever Michael did or did not do (all those accusations) are between him and God. We are not to judge, right? That being said, I really liked him. I was a teenager in the 80’s so I was watching tv when Thriller made it’s debut. I was watching tv the night he did the moonwalk across the stage. I was blown away. Anyone can tell you how completely into music I was, and MJ was IT. Of course, my sister and I listened to him back in the 70’s, too. One of the benefits of having an older sibling is that you’re much cooler than you would be if you were just out there on your own. She is the one that introduced me to Steve Martin & SNL, but this isn’t about her. :)
Entertainment Tonight: I am disgusted that you posted a photo of an already dead Michael Jackson on your website. What a shame that the internet has created a “Who has the story first” quality that, in situations like this, makes me absolutely sick. It’s all about who gets the most “news” out FIRST, no matter who it may hurt.
Other than the news of the loss of these two, I had a great day. I spent the day with my Dad and stepmother. I helped Dad learn a few things on flickr, then we walked around the yard and took pictures.
What a day…
RIP, Farrah.
RIP, MJ.
Are You On Facebook?
This is a bad picture of a fox squirrel. We don’t see these around here too often anymore. This guy was NOT cooperative and this was the best shot I got of him.
I got up at 5:30 this morning and got ready and drove to Sand Mtn. to get my mother. I drove her to Cleveland, Tenn. for a doctor’s appointment. We had lunch at Cracker Barrel, then I drove her home. We enjoyed one another’s company so that was very nice.
The project that hubby, Kandi, and I worked on last night was quite successful. We’re very excited. :) I’ll tell you more about it later.
My right leg is swollen so large that it feels like my skin might burst open. Gross, huh? It hasn’t done this in a REALLY long time. I’ve had tests ran on it to see what’s going on and the doctors couldn’t find anything. They initially thought that I might have poor circulation but they ran dye through the veins and everything was just fine. It’s a bit painful and I hope that this is a one-time thing.
Are you on Facebook? Me TOO! I’ve reconnected with so many friends on there, even several friends that I’ve known since grade school. I love reconnecting with everyone. Anyway, if you’re there, you can add me as a buddy. My link is http://facebook.com/rachelpennington.
Later, gators.
Title? I Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Title
Pump class was great. :)
Came home after buying a few things we needed for a new super-secret project we’re doing. Marshall, Kandi, and I worked on the project for the rest of the afternoon.
You’ll know soon enough what’s going on. It’s going to be great!
I Think I’m Broken
Seems like on Mondays I’m just never a happy camper. I don’t know why. I don’t have any reason to be grumpy. I like being left alone for the most part on Mondays. I do NOT know why. I’ve always been that way. Why that happens on a Monday, I just don’t know. I really think I’m broken.
Today has been a lazy day around the house. I’m trying to catch up on the wash and that’s about it.
Seems like everyone has planned my week out for me this week. :( Yay.
Happy Father’s Day
Today we headed to Marshall’s parents house for a cookout for Father’s Day. We enjoyed some yummy food that they cooked out and then jumped in the pool for a while to cool off.
After we swam everyone played horseshoes and then a game of croquet. I tell you, the sun really drained me. I guess that’s the first time this summer that I’ve been in the sun for a long period of time and I think I was walking around like a zombie after I got out of the pool.
We had a FABULOUS time and I so enjoy going out there. We always have a good time. They are all coming here on July 4 for a cookout and to watch the fireworks from my backyard.
Hope you had a lovely weekend. :)
Lake Conasauga
This morning honey and I traveled over to the Cohutta mountains and went up to Lake Conasauga. We had been there before, two or three years back, but didn’t really explore around the lake. It is absolutely beautiful there. This time we hiked the trail around the lake, and Marshall did a little fishing.
We spent all day there in the mountains and had a fantastic time. :)
Two Years
This morning I got up early and got ready. Kandi met me at the house at a few minutes before 11 and we hauled butt to the Rave theater to see “The Proposal.” It was fantastically funny. I have loved Ryan Reynolds since Brooke and I watched him on “Two Guys, A Girl, and A Pizza Place.” He’s so gorgeous. The movie was just wonderful. We were there for the first showing along with about 15 other people, and everyone in the theater was cracking up. It’s a great movie. Oh, and you get to see his bare butt, so that’s fun, too. ;)
After the movie we headed to Sam’s and I got a few things I needed from there, then we had lunch at Lupi’s Pizza. It was delicious. I had two slices of cheese pizza, and a little piece of their homemade bread loaves. I instantly felt horribly guilty, even though each bite was like a little bit of heaven. We got home and went straight to the gym. Hopefully I worked off every calorie I consumed.
On June 19, 2007, we brought Lucy home to live with us. :) She was very tiny and we couldn’t even see her eyes. Cain picked her out. While the other puppies were biting our shoes and growling at us, Lucy just sat there, as cute as a bug, looking at Cain and then looking at me. “I want that one–look how sweet she is,” Cain said. I protested, having fallen in love with another one, but decided to go with Cain’s choice. He was wrong though. Sweet? Ha! Maybe when she’s asleep! :D I took the photo above on the drive home. We were totally smitten with her by the time we got home about an hour later.
She was SO tiny. She’d fit right in the palm of your hand. I took her to the groomer the very next day in hopes that under all that fur, she did indeed have eyeballs.
She’s so funny and has provided us with so many laughs these two years that I couldn’t even begin to count them. Like when she’s biting us:
Or mad because the groomer put a bow in her hair:
And especially when she decides she’s had enough walking and just plops down:
Or when she’s sliding on her face while running back and forth between me and Marshall in hotel lobbies, or running back and forth between us in a field:
And when she has that windblown look while she’s looking out the car window for cows. Boy howdy, does she LOVE barking at cows. Not horses. Not goats. Just the cows, please.
And then the face she gives us, and the threatening barks when she’s ready to play:
And then all the times that she’s my little sweet angel dumplin’:
And now, all grown up at two years old (as of April 26, 2009) and wearing her Dorothy/Wizard of Oz bow:
You may see that I’m absolutely, 100-percent crazy about her. :) I’ve had great dogs throughout my life. Nothing will ever compare to Danda, our Doberman who grew up with the kids and died of cancer at age 12. :( But Lucy…Lucy was a lifesaver for me when the Empty Nest Syndrome came into my life. I love this dog SO much. :) She’s my best buddy, and like an American Express card, I don’t leave home without her. She goes everywhere we go. Anyway, yay! Two years ago today Cain and I went and picked her up. We sure are crazy about her.
Dizzy Girl
Pump class just about did me in this morning. I don’t know why but I had a really hard time with the exercises today, and the exercises didn’t vary much from the usual ones we usually do. I was very shaky while doing squats and when we finished I saw those little bursts of stars that you see sometimes when you feel like you might faint. It was not enjoyable. The class was enjoyable, how I felt wasn’t.
I worked on the house today and that’s about it. When I walked outside at 8 a.m. this morning to head to gym class the humidty was so horrible it felt like a hot slap in the face. Needless to say, I didn’t spend much time outside today.
Later.
Bunches
Bunches, huh? The little guys are Eastern Tailed-Blues and the yellows are sulphurs but I can’t remember what kind. :)
I got up this morning and took Lucy to the vet to get shaved. Bless her heart, she has so much fur that she can’t enjoy being outside. Oh, and speaking of being outside, what is UP with this 90-degree weather?! Good gracious.
I drove to Summerville and got some pretty new tires for the Tahoe so we’ll be all prepared for our Florida vacation, which happens to be only 26 days away. Woo hoo!
I came home and changed and met my buddy, Dona, for lunch at Olive Garden. It was yummy delicious. Dona and I have been friends since first grade. I absolutely LOVED spending time with her, but as per usual, it went by too fast. :( I picked up the Goose and went straight to the gym to work off all the fattening things I ate. :)
My house is really, truly a disaster area. Tomorrow after Pump class I’m coming straight home and sending my family outside to work while I work inside. I do better when they are out of my way. I’m too easily distracted. :)
G’night.
No Title For This One Because I Get Tired of Coming Up With Titles
I love passion flowers. Isn’t this beautiful? Really I’m not even sure if it’s a flower. I think it’s an alien from another planet. ;)
I got up early this morning and MISSED MY GYM CLASS so that I could head to Ider, Ala. to take care of some business for my mom. Afterwards I headed back home but stopped by my Dad’s house for about an hour and looked around his yard for butterflies.
When I got home Marshall and I got ready and met with my friend Betty B. and her hubby for supper. Betty is from just right outside St. Louis, Mo. and she and her hubby came here to check out the Chickamauga Battlefield. She loves all things Civil War. :) Marshall and I are planning on taking a trip up there to visit with them in the fall. I can’t wait. :)
It was a great day (sans the drive to Alabama). Hope your day was great, too. :)
Stressed
I have so much going on right now that I’m completely stressed.
Tomorrow things should be better.
Yay!
Should’ve Stayed In Bed
Today could’ve been better. I should’ve stayed in bed.
We did go to Pigeon for a while and that was fun, otherwise, not the best day.
I’m still thankful to God for my wonderful husband and for my wonderful life.
:)
Good night.
I Was Kidnapped (Sort Of)
This is where hubby and Cain fish a lot, and where I take a lot of butterfly photos. :)
You know, I was going to blog about today but I’m so tired that it’ll have to wait for tomorrow.
The short of it is that I went out to my Dad’s house this morning while I waited to hear from my buddy Kandi. I was planning on taking butterfly photos and then heading back off the mountain around 11. Instead I went to a family reunion. My stepmother’s family all met at Cloudland Canyon. It was great to see folks that I haven’t seen since I was a little girl.
When I got home Marshall and I went back on the mountain to see his parents. We had a nice visit with them until 9:30ish tonight. I love going out there, I really do. They have lots of blueberries that are about to be ripe and I can’t wait to visit them then either. ;)
Night.
Lazy Day
I walked around my yard this morning taking picturese while the lighting was still good. I caught this little gal hanging out on my flower. Cute, I know. :)
We lazed around the house for most of the morning then headed off to Kandi’s late father’s house to do some cleaning. Actually I walked around and took pictures while Cain, Marshall, & Kandi threw wood and pieces of an old, burnt shed into a dumpster. The cleaning ended after about 1.5 hours when Cain was stung three or four times by yellow jackets. He was stung right on the ear, too. Marshall started calling him Dumbo. :) Bless his heart, his ear was huge. We gave him Benadryl and we headed home.
Kandi treated Marshall and I to supper at Logan’s. I haven’t been there in such a long time. My meal was delicious. :)
We came home and watched the Braves. We’re watching the Ox-Bow Incident right now and I’m already getting teary-eyed. I remember the story from school. Ever read it? Ever seen the movie? So sad…
Later, gators.
Poor Fishy
This is my very first coneflower blooming. :) Isn’t it such a pretty color? It’s still opening and there are lots more buds under it. The birds and butterflies love them so I’m very excited.
Pump class was great. We did new exercises and new stretches so I’m sure I’ll be sore later. I added another weight to my bar and my arms were shaking like crazy but I made it through. Yay!
Brooke’s fish, which she named “Vitrolla” for reasons I’m unsure of, died this afternoon. Brooke had her for almost three years, which is about the right lifespan of a betta fish. You may remember that its mate died a few months back. Brooke was at work when Vitrolla passed away, but she called me as she was on her way home and I told her the bad news (we knew she was dying and didn’t expect her to make it through the day). We both fake cried together and then to cheer her up I said, “It was probably because of something you did.” We laughed and laughed.
Yep, I’m a good mom…here for my kids. ;) Our family has a weird sense of humor, what can I say?
Poor Vitrolla. I really, truly am sad about her passing. Betta fish are fun to watch and we had a nice tank for her, not one of those stupid tiny fishbowls. How could a fish enjoy living in something no bigger than a cup? Anyway…
Later. :)
Storms and Whatnot
Brooke and I took our bikes to the Chickamauga Battlefield today. We rode about six miles and we had SO much fun. As we were pulling out of the driveway it started raining, and about halfway through town the bottom dropped out. It was raining so hard that we couldn’t even see the road, and then it started hailing. We thought about coming back home but we figured it would be cleared up by the time we got to the park so we went on. I’m so glad we did.
Oh, and yes, we did ride without helmets today but we WILL use helmets. I have one but just forgot it. I’m not sure if Brooke has one or not. Anyway, we had such a great time. We saw butterflies, an Indigo Bunting, a doe with her little fawn, and a black snake. It was a great way to spend the day.
We watched Gran Torino last night and we all really, really liked it. Clint Eastwood’s voice is so gruff that I came to the conclusion that he must’ve been the inspiration for Christian Bale’s insane Batman voice. ;)
Night!
Rocks
The plan was to walk through a wide open field to a pond near Pigeon Mountain. BUT hubby said we could park at another location where we’d be closer to the pond and not have to walk through the field.
Hmmph!
See those rocks? Those were the SMALL ones we walked over. I’m holding two cameras and trying to balance myself, and anyone that knows me can tell you I’m one of the clumsiest people you’ll ever meet.
The “pond” ended up being about two feet deep so we walked back over all those rocks and I’m surprised that I survived. Go me!
Pump class at the gym was great this morning. I love that class. I really enjoy going so much, even if it makes me feel like I’m going to die. :)
