Two more days and Thanksgiving will be here. The older I get the faster time seems to go by. A lot of the time I forget just how old I am and think I'm ten years younger! I do not feel like I'm 57 in my head, but I know I look every one of my 57 years and believe me, my body FEELS every one of my 57 years! Aging can be frustrating. I get mad when I can't open a pill bottle (I have arthritis in my hands), and even when I can open the dang bottle, I can't read the dosage on it! Where's my reading glasses? Can't remember because my memory is bad. Vision is going downhill, fingers don't work like they used to, and my knees feel like they're going to give out every time I get up from a sitting position! How can the image of myself inside my head be so different from what's really going on with my old body?!! I just have to remind myself of what my sister says, "It (aging) sure beats the alternative"! I love my sister so much!
Now on the fashion scene...lol...my fashion scene...remember when I was all excited about that apron dress from anthropoligie that my friend Kim had posted a picture of on facebook? The one with the little scottie dogs on it?  I just had to find that dress and order it! It was such a steal at $32! Well, I got it in the mail last week and was shocked to find that it isn't a dress afterall, it's an APRON! One of those old fashioned aprons that mom and grandma used to cook in! OMG...are you kidding me?!! I didn't even think they made those things anymore! This just goes to show you how impulsive I am with my shopping. I didn't even know exactly what I was ordering online, I was sure it was a dress...and I had visions of myself in it with matching scottie dog earrings or a bracelet...Im crazy enough that if I found scottie dog shoes, I'd have bought them too! One of my crazy theme outfits!! Anyway, seeing that the only place I could wear this thing is in the kitchen over an oven, it's going back to anthropoligie! I don't cook, so where in the heck am I going to wear it?!! It is cute, but it just isn't going to get any use from me! Here it is....

and here's a picture of the pearl necklace Pat bought me for our anniversary....

It's a beautiful necklace. It has a heart shaped clasp with diamonds on it in the back. I usually do not like heart shaped jewelry, but I do like this necklace! Don't know if you noticed, but I had it on in the picture of me in the scottie dog apron too....I felt like June Cleaver with that apron on with the pearl necklace!
Now for my exciting news..Pat got a job! Thank You Lord! He interviewed on our anniversary and found out he got it on that same day.  He starts the 3rd of December. He won't be making as much as he did at anheuser busch, BUT....this job is in Shiloh, which is a lot closer to us then Anheuser busch was (in St Louis). It's a contracting job and has good benefits, we'll just have to pray that they keep renewing the contract. Now it's time to play "catch up" with our house payment and mortgage. We've fallen behind about four months on them. We've been using credit cards to pay for our food and gas and basics. I never ever dreamed we would be in this situation. But we were. It's taken away a sense of security I had. I took too much for granted.  When Pat opted for an early retirement with anheuser busch last oct. his plan was to retire while the settlement money was still on the table, use it to dig out way out of the massive debt we made, and put some back for when he really does retire. He figured he'd take off three months to chill out and then go back to work. Ha...that three months turned into six months, then nine, and before we knew it a year had passed by. And it wasn't like Pat wasn't looking for work, he put in for a lot of jobs and he interviewed for more then a few. He'd come home feeling good and confident about the interview and then we'd never hear back from the place. I know this made him feel bad. I on the other hand was angry more then sad. I was mad that these places didn't hire him. I decided that it had to have been age discrimnation because Pat is well educated (he has a masters degree) and he's very smart. So, in my mind I decided that it was either his age, or that he was over qualified. I guess we'll never know why the companies he interviewed with didn't hire him, but I am over my anger I was feeling toward them. It's their loss and the company Pat will be working for(s) gain! Now we both need to work on our spending habits. I may need extra therapy for this one! I just love my shopping! Even with him being out of work I got my Christmas shopping done...with the credit cards we paid off last Oct.! I have an excuse...remember, I'm manic depressive! Thats my excuse and I'm sticking with it!
Here's my dose of cute for today!

Just two more weeks from today and we'll have another dose of cute in our lives! Kate's having her baby girl on December 4th and I can't wait to meet her!

Today is such an emotional day for me. My memory takes me back 38 years ago, it's a cold day,and I do not like cold weather, but it doesn't even phase me because I'm on my way to marry the love of my life! I'm in my ivory colored knee length dress at the courthouse pledging my love to my knight in shining armor. (Pat,  you may not believe it, but you really did save me.) I was searching for love in all the wrong places...that sounds so cliche (isn't there even a song about this?!), but it's true. All I ever wanted was to feel loved and you filled this void far beyond my wildest dreams! How ironic that I say I was "looking for love in all the wrong places", when I think about WHERE we met! We met in a bar called "the Sandbox" in Mansfield, Ohio. I was with some high school friends, and the way you tell it, I went over to the jukebox to play some songs (Pink Floyds "money") when you saw me and  knew that I was going to be the girl you would one day marry! All my searching, and you found me!
We were friends before we dated. We met in the summer, Pat was home from college and when it was time for him to go back to school (Kent State) he asked me if I would move into an apartment with him there. I told him that not only would I NOT move in with him, but that I was NOT going to wait around for him either. I knew what I was doing when I told him this, it was my sneaky little plan to get him to propose! He must not have picked up on it though, because I think I proposed to him! And it must not have been a very romantic proposal because I really have no memory of it, other then my ultimatum that I gave him. "NO...I will not move in with you"...and "YES...I am going to date other guys when you leave". Sneaky, but it worked!
We were planning a March wedding. I went to a Bridal shop and found the gown of my dreams. I tried it on and felt like Cinderella! I had my friend take a picture of me in it. I'm glad I had my camera in tow, because I never did get this gown. Because we moved the date we were going to get married on to a sooner date, I had no time to save the money for my Cinderella gown. We gave my mom and dad about a weeks notice and Pats poor mom and dad were told the night before! No wonder his dads response was, "did you get this girl in trouble"?!!
I remember the day I told my dad that I was getting married like it was yesterday. We were on our way to Perkins Pancake House when I told him. He laughed and laughed. Not the response you would expect to get from your Dad, but I know he was happy for me (and I'm sure he was ready for me to move out)!  Mom was amazing, she took me to a shop called "Brooks" where I found my dress.She made sure I had my "something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue" I carried one of my Great Grandmas lace hankies for my something "old", my dress was my "new", my Great Grandmas wedding band was my "borrowed", and my garter belt was my "blue". Sky high beige high heels completed this brides wedding attire! My groom had on a pair of brown dress pants and a beige courderoy blazer. I think his hair was as long as long as mine!
Mom, Dad, John, Mildred (Pats Mom and Dad), my Grandma and Grandpa Maple, my sister Christie and Pats brother Dick (who were our witnesses), and Pats siblings all attended our  courthouse wedding. I do not even remember my 2 little brothers, Rick and Jim being there, I think they went to school instead! We were married by Mayor Richard Porter.
Our reception was at my Mom and Dads. Mom decorated the kitchen and had more then enough food for everyone (my sister in law Shelly still laughs at the pickled pigs feet that Mom had, hey....my Mom and Dad are "down to earth folk, salt of the earth"...what can I say?!! Our families were there, along with some neighbors and friends. The booze was flowing and by the end of the night, Pat's Dad John, had managed to piss off my Grandma, who was pouting in the basement, he and Dad had more then a few silly little arguments, and he fell down the stairs on his way out of the house! Thank God he wasn't hurt! He picked hiself back up and looked at my Dad and said "Now the silence begins"..referring to Mildred! He knew he was in trouble!
Pat and I spent our first night as husband and wife at Mohican Lodge, compliments of John and Mildred. Our second (and last) honeymoon night was spent at Salt Fork Lodge. Our first home was a tiny little attic apartment in Mansfield. From there we moved into a trailor that Pats Dad bought, which is where we lived until Pat joined the Air Force. When Pat filled out the paper work of the bases he wanted to be stationed at, he filled it in
with bases on the east coast, Myrtle Beach AFB, a few in Fla, and I think one in Ohio, Wright Patterson AFB.  Whoever decides where to station new AirMen and Women must have had a wicked sense of humor, because the base we were headed for was Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota! Where the heck is South Dakota?!! I'm getting sidetracked here, like I always do. I swear I have AADD. Back to our wedding day....at times it feels like only yesterday when two dumb young kids who thought they could live off of love alone (I forgot to mention that Pat didn't even have a job) were standing in that court house pledging their love and saying their vows, and yet at times it seems like a million years ago. We have been thru a lot in our 38 years together. Pain, heartache, joy, elation, worry, loss of loved ones, the miracle of new lives! We've fought and made up, cried together, and laughed together.  We have lost both of our Dads, and Pats Mom. Gone are Grandma and Grandpa Maple. Life carries on and with it we have been given four of our most precious gifts, Dave, Ally, Kate, and Christie. God continued to bless us with six beautiful grandchildren, Patrick, Eve, Harrison, Cole, Anderson, and Chloe, with two more on the way!
Two years ago today... my memory takes me back to our grandson Andersons birthday. It's our 36th anniversary.  We are in our car driving as fast as we can to get to Dallas. I am still praying and pleading with God to let Anderson live. We know that the odds are against him. Allyson found out in her fifth month of pregnancy that her amniotic fluids were very low and that her baby was going to have a lot of problems IF he even survived. She was sent to specialists and told to abort by a few of the doctors she had seen. She would not hear of it. She was going to carry Anderson until the day God placed him into her loving arms. We all prayed for a miracle. My sister in law, Jo, is a real prayer warrior. She set up a schedule for some of us to fast on while praying for Anderson to live.One day she asked that we all pray for one hour, (at the same time), for Anderson to be healed. I went out into our garage because it is the only place in our home, where I can go to where there is total silence. I sat down on the step and began to pray....Lord please heal this precious baby, over and over again, I prayed for this..I begged and pleaded, PLEASE Lord let him live! I KNOW You hear us, so please just give us this miracle.

Ally called us early in the morning to let us know that she was in labor. It's another cold day, but once again it is not phasing me. I'm on my way to meet my new grandson.  I have no memory of what I have on or what my knight in shining armor has on this day. I just want to get to Dallas as fast as we can. I'm still praying for a miracle, asking the Lord to let Anderson live. Ally calls us with occasional labor updates. We are somewhere in Oklahoma when she calls to tell us that Anderson has arrived and he's alive! She was told that he would probably be still born. She asks if we can hear him crying....at the time one of the millions of trains that goes thru Oklahoma just happens to be going by and we can't hear him crying. I am able to hear Ally crying and this breaks my heart. Oh how I wish I could take this pain away from her. When we hang up, I call my mom and sister and tell them that Anderson is here and he's alive! Thank You Jesus! Hurry up..let's get to Dallas! We knew that Andersons time here on earth was going to be short, so now I'm praying to make it to the hospital in time to see him while he's still livng. The next call from Ally comes close to two hours later. She tells us that Anderson has passed away. She says she was holding him when he took his last breath and that it was very peaceful. Now I'm mad...I'm angry with God for not healing Anderson. I'm angry at God for taking him away from us, and I'm angry at God for not allowing Anderson to live long enough for us to see him and hold him and tell him how much we love him. We make a bathroom stop and I break down. I just let it all out. I had so much bottled up inside me and I was still clinging to the hope of a miracle. Why couldn't you give us this miracle Lord? Even with the doctors telling Ally that Anderson was not going to make it, we still clung to our faith that You would heal him. Ally asked me if we wanted her to keep Anderson in her room until we got there so we could at least see him. Yes, we want to see our grandbaby! She calls a few more times to see how much longer we're going to be. It seems like an eternity, but we finally make it to the hospital in Dallas. Going up the elevator I feel sick to my stomach. A part of me wants to run and pretend like none of this ever happened. When we get to the maternity floor the first thing I notice is the bottle of hand sanitizers that are hanging on the walls outside of each of the rooms. I'm still angry with God when I think to myself, "no need for us to use that". We walk into Allys room and what I see is forever etched into my mind and memory. Mark is sitting on a couch beside Allys bed. Ally is in the bed holding her baby. Anderson is wrapped up in a blanket. If you didn't know any better you would never think that anything was out of the ordinary here. You would have seen a mom tenderly holding her newborn baby in her arms. But we know that this isn't the case. Ally is holding her beautiful little boy whose spirit has been gone for well over two hours. She asks me if I want to hold him and as she's handing him to me, I start to cry. Ally tells me not to cry that it will only cause her to cry too. How can I not cry when inside my heart is breaking into a million pieces for my beautiful daughter and her precious son. I take Anderson into my arms and think how heavy he feels. He's not a big baby, he's very small, yet he feels so heavy. I move the blanket away from his little face so I can see him better. He really is a beautiful baby. Small, but in my eyes perfectly beautiful! I want this moment etched into my memory...because I know it is the first and the last time that I will see Anderson here on earth. I look at his eyes, his nose, his ears, his little fingers. I am taking a photograph with my mind. I hand him to his peepaw to hold. I don't think peepaw is as comfortable holding him as I am, but he still holds him. and looking back on it,I believe he is glad he held him. I do not know how long we stayed at the hospital, but it didn't seem long enough. No amount of time would have seemed long enough because we knew that once we walked out that door that we would not be seeing Anderson again here on earth. In the elevator on our way up to Allys room I wanted to run away, after getting to her room, I didn't want to leave. We head over to Ally and Marks to relieve Marks mom Becky from babysitting the boys. You can feel the grief in the air...it feels as thick as fog, like you can cut it with a knife. Patrick and Harrison are asleep so we can't see them until morning. I cannot even remember what peepaw and I did the rest of the night before we fell asleep?
November 15th, 1974 was such a happy day for us! A day of celebration! A ceremony of two people who are so in love! Thirtysix years later, on November 15th we are mourning the death of our grandson Anderson. Life somehow doesn't seem fair to me on this day. I am hurting for my daughter, for her husband Mark, for their two little boys, Patrick and Harrison, and for myself and Pat. I am hurting for Dave, Kate, and Christie, for everyone who knows and loves Ally and Mark. I am still angry with God. I just cannot make sense of His taking a baby from us.
Now here we are two years later. It took me a long time to come to terms with this. I was seeing a hypnotist who is also a (Baptist) pastor and when I asked him why God would take a baby, he told me that even he cannot make sense of it...BUT...maybe He did it to spare the baby from something bad that may have happened later in his life. A cancer, or some other painful disease? I never thought of this.
I have a friend who I met on facebook. Her name is Mara and we've become what you could call facebook penpals. We have never met in person, but we have gotten close thru emails. Years ago, Mara lost her only brother, Tim, from a drunk driver hitting him when he was on his bike. The driver did not even stop. She left Maras brother laying in a ditch to die. At the time Maras brothers girlfriend was pregnant with their son. Tim never got to see his child. He never got to hold his son.  This year his son got married on the date that his dad (and Maras brother) died on. Mara told me that she was finally able to look at this date as a day of happiness and not the sadness that she felt for all the years since her brother died. There was a reason to celebrate this day now! She also told me to think of the day that Anderson died on NOT as the day that we lost him, but as the day that he was ushered up into heaven! What a beautiful way to look at it. Altho I will never understand why God took Anderson from us, I am no longer angry with Him. I thank Him for the short time that Anderson was here on earth. We did not make it in time to see him alive, but his mommy and daddy and two big brothers did, they were with him, along with Marks family and some of Ally and Marks friends when he came into this world and when he left this world. Ally was able to kiss her baby and cuddle him. She was able to look into his eyes and tell him how much she loved him. She was able to hold him after the umbilical cord was cut and he took his first breath and she was able to hold him when he took his last breath and his spirit entered the kingdom of God! Although this is not the miracle all of us had been praying for, it was a miracle none the less. That short amount of time that Anderson lived here on earth was a gift from God! His birth was such a blessing in all of our lives.
Allys faith thruout all she endured has left me in awe! I thank God for this! Everytime I pray I ask God to tell Anderson that his gamma loves him very much. I ask Him to let my dad and grandmas help take care of Anderson. I ask my dad to sing Anderson a lullaby! I ask God to continue to heal Allys hurt. and Im now asking Him to bless us with two more perfectly healthy babies! Kates little girl will arrive Dec 4th and Allys little boy will arrive in Jan. Life goes on...but we will never forget baby Anderson and we will always love him, and for the first time since he passed away, I feel like it's okay if I enjoy my anniversary. It was a privelage and a gift from God having Anderson born on our anniversary. I guess I'm seeing past the heartache and anger that I felt when Anderson died,  and into the blessings that came with his birth and his short little life here on earth. Thank You Lord Jesus for baby Anderson, no matter how short his time was, he counted and he is loved by us all! and thank You for my knight in shining armor! He has helped me every step of the way!

Happy anniversary Pat and Happy birthday Anderson! and thank You Lord for blessing me with Pat and Anderson!

It's a beautiful day! Cold, but the sun is shining! I do not have near as many warm winter clothes as I have summer clothes, and with the 16 lbs that I've put on over the past year, my choice as to what to put on for the day is even less, Grrrr! I'm really trying to take off some of this weight, but with my love of food it aint easy! Yesterday I did good all day UNTIL late last night when I sat down on the couch in front of the t.v.! Before I knew it I was shoving ritz crackers with the cheese from a can on them down my throat!
On my last attempt at a diet, Pat was taking a picture of me each and every morning in one of my bikinis (that I have NO business in) because I thought if I saw myself in it, it would make me stick to the diet. And, when I saw the progress I was making, it would make me stick to the diet...NOT! I've decided to have one taken once a week from now on.

I love photography! I used to love everything about it, most of all taking the pictures, but I loved being in front of the camera too. I was (and still can be at times) a real ham! I've learned that with the right lighting, the right time of day, and the right lens, anyone can look younger! I bought a new flash this past year and it's amazing how if it's used outside at the right time of the day, it erases almot all of my wrinkles! ALOT cheaper then botox and fillers or a full fledged face lift! Of course, my facebook friends who have not seen me in years, might not recognize me if they saw me in person! I guess I'm a facebook fraud! lol! Sometimes I think I put too much stock into pictures that I see of myself. If I do not like the way something I'm wearing looks in a picture, I will never wear it again. I could save a lot of money if I would carry my camera with me and snap a picture of myself in the clothes that I'm trying on before I buy them! As crazy as this sounds, I have had Pat take pictures of me before I bought some of my sunglasses! BUT..I splurge on my sunglasses. I bought my first pair of Coco's about 6 or 7 yrs ago and I still have them. (Dang it, that picture did not go where I wanted it to go again..i've got to figure out how to get my pictures I post here to go where I want them)! Oh well, above is a picture of my first pair of Coco shades! Nothing subtle about them being Coco Chanels with the HUGE CC logo on the sides of them! Yep...that's my style...gaudy granny! I do believe that there are three things a woman cannot spend too much money on, her sunglasses, her watch, and her pocketbook. These are things that you shouldn't feel guilty about spending a lot of money on because if you buy the right ones, they will last forever!  I'm still wearing my Gucci watch that I bought in Sicily (when we were stationed there) 22 years ago! I own two of the three things I believe it's worth splurging on. My shades and my watch.  I love my pocketbooks because they allow me to show off my grandkids without having to pull out my wallet that's full of their pictures. I buy them from an online site called snaptotes, but I'm still dreaming of one day owning a designer handbag!  When my daughter Allysons husband Mark surprised her with a Louis Vuitton pocketbook I think I was more excited then she was! I immediately ran to my computer to check out the Louis Vuitton bags to find the one I want! With Pat being out of work for over a year now, I've got a long wait until I'll be carrying myVuitton! Oh well, I can always dream!
With my saying this, I have to tell you that I have absolutely NO money sense! Which is no doubt, why we're in the financial shape we're in. I try to blame it on my mom, because as a child, I remember her saying more then once that "you might as well spend your money today, because you may not be alive to spend it tomorrow". Better to blame her then myself! yep it's all your fault mom!
I think I already mentioned in this post how my daughter Christie thinks I'm manic depressive, because when I shop I feel like I'm on a high...I get giddy! It's not until after I've thought about what I've done that I start to feel depressed! Online shopping is on a whole other level...because I don't even have to hand over or sign a credit card, it feels like it's free shopping to me! Kate will tell me about some new makeup or nail polish and I'm running for my computer, typing as fast as my big crooked fingers can type, ready to place my order! Poor Kate, she always tells me "oh no..please don't tell dad that I told you about this"! She knows her mom all too well! I tell Pat and I say "it's all Kates fault"! I have to give my mom a break from being the one I blame!
Yesterday I saw a post on fb from a friend, (Kim) of a dress from anthropolgie that she liked, I immediately clicked on it and purchased it! It is a cute dress..it has scottie dogs on it! and it was a steal at a mere thirty some dollars!  I know, I know, a 57 yr old woman should not be in a scottie dog print! But remember, in my head, I think I'm in my 20's! Let's just hope that I don't get scottie dog obsessed! Usually when I buy a top or a dress with print on it, I have to find earrings, a bracelet, and/or a necklace to match the print! I call these outfits my "theme outfits". I have my leopard theme outfit, my seahorse theme outfit (I even found seahorse sandals to go with this one), my starfish theme outfit (and yet again a pair of sandals to match this one), and my anchor theme outfit (yep..anchor sandals too),  I usually wear them on cruises. That's just one of the awesome things about a cruise...you can wear whatever you want and not have to worry about anyone looking at you like you've flipped your lid! Or maybe it's all the booze...you just don't notice them looking and laughing at you, because you're two sheets to the wind?! Being on a cruise ship is like being in another world! One cruise I wore a strapless black bra for my swimsuit top..no one even noticed! If I could afford it and it weren't for getting cabin fever, I'd live on a cruise ship!Okay, so my purchase of my scottie dog print dress is Kims fault! Lol...hey, I have to find someone other then myself to blame!
I can't believe that we're so close to welcoming our newest little grandaughter into our family! Kate has less then three weeks to go until her C-section. I'm ecstatic! And not too much longer after she has her little baby girl, Ally will be having her little boy! I just wish Ally and her guys didn't live so darned far away. I miss them terribly. I do thank God that Dave and Kate and her family live close to us, and for His bringing Christie back home to us. That was an answer to a long time prayer!
And with that I shall close...but not before adding on my dose of cute!

DANG it...it did it again...somehow too many pictures posted here! I clicked on three pictures, and I somehow ended up with 6 showing up on this page! The ones of Patrick and H and Eve and Cole are of their halloween costumes...the ones of Chloe Belle are not of her halloween costume...but it is an outfit that of course, gaudy granny bought! Next time she's in it, I may just have to get out my leopard theme outfit and have grandpa take a picture of the two of us!

Today is Sunday and I love my Sundays because the kids are here! I wish Ally and her guys could join us! I miss them so much that it hurts! We're having an easy meal, spaghetti, compliments of Ragu! I used to love to cook and bake, but no longer do, so we try to have as easy as possible meals most of the time. Speaking of cooking, I can't believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner. We already have our turkey in the freezer...a 26 pounder! Yikes..we're going to have turkey coming out of our ears!  Dangit..I never get these pics to go where I want them to go..anyway, these pics are from our Comiso days. Where we met the Creggs!

I was suprised to get a facebook post from a sweet friend, Kim Cregg/Richards. She told me she enjoyed reading my "gaudy granny" blog! I was shocked that anyone other then Christie is even reading it! We met Kim and her family when we were stationed at Comiso Air Station in Sicily. Kims' family is the kind of family that we all should strive to be like. They were (and still are) a very close knit family and they're all so darned nice! Sincere, honest, loving, and just good people! Shortly after we moved here (to corn country USA, aka Mascoutah, Illinois) we got word that Kim lost her dad. My heart broke for Sue, (Kims mom) and Kim and her siblings. I cannot imagine losing my husband. And when Kims dad passed away, I had no idea how hard it is to lose your dad either. Since then I have lost my dad and there's not a day that goes by that I don't think about him and miss him. Our daughter Ally and Kim were best buds' in Comiso and I worked with Sue at the school on base. The Creggs were so good to Ally. They were good to everyone they knew! I feel blessed that we met them! When you're overseas, what they say really is true, "your friends become your family"! I've lots of good memories from Comiso! It's hard to believe that our kids are grown up, some with babies of their own. Kim recently married and she looked like a little Barbie doll in her pictures! Everyone should be so lucky as to have friends like the Creggs!
I've got to get ready for my kids to arrive. I'll post more later! Hope you all have a fun Sunday!

Wow..it's been a long time since I last wrote or typed in this blog! I hate to admit it, but I forgot about it until Christie told me she went to read it last Sunday and there was nothing new on it. So, this one is for Christie! I think she's my only "reader" I have! Thank you baby girl! At least someone out there likes to see what I'm up to! Lol!
Today Pat and I ate at my favorite restaurant, The Asian Kitchen. It's a Korean restaurant and they have THE best food ever! OMG..we got 17, count em...17, side dishes! We've been there enough that the woman who runs the place doesn't even have to ask us what we want, she tells us! We always get the same thing, I get dolsot bibimbop and Pat get's pork bolgogi. I love Korean food! I once had a Korean woman tell me that I must have Korean in my blood because I love kimchi so much! My dad used to love kimchi too. He was in the Korean war so spent time in Korea. I still miss my dad so much. With Pat being out of work for over a year now, I really could use one of my dads pep talks! He had a way of making you feel like everything was going to be okay, no matter what was going on in your life! His enthusiasm and optimistic outlook on life were contagious and since he's passed, I feel lost without him here to cheer me on and hear him say that EVERYTHING really is going to be OKAY!
The job situation is not good. We thought Pat would have a job within three months of his taking the Anhesuer busch early retirement. Here we sit 13 months later, over three months behind on our house payment and using our credit cards (that we paid off) for food and gas. I never ever thought we would be in this situation. Dad....can you please send me a message from Heaven telling me that EVERYTHING is going to be OKAY?!!
Needless to say, I've had to put a hault on my shopping addiction! Oh, I still made sure I was able to buy the kids Christmas gifts, I've already started my shopping for the grandkids with one of our credit cards. I"m sorry, but I don't care what anyone thinks about this, as long as I can find a way to shop, I will shop! No way would I not buy my grandbabies Christmas goodies! and after I'm finished shopping for them, I'll start shopping for the kids. We have cut down what we normally spend. We cut down the amount we spend by half. I'm not happy about it, but hey....it's the best we can do right now!
My two pregnant daughters are doing well. Well, Ally was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, which stinks, but she knows it could be a lot worse. She's working at getting her blood levels under control in hopes of avoiding having to take insulin. I'm praying for her to get it under control and for it to go away (and never come back) after she has her baby! Kate is getting close to her due date. December 4th we will welcome our newest little Martin grandbaby! Allys not too far behind with her due date being in Jan. I just love my grandbabies! I love them just as much as I love my own kids, but I can enjoy them more, because with age, I've learned not to sweat the small stuff and to enjoy each and every minute i have with them because I know all too well how fast time flies by. Don't blink! I just wish that Ally and her guys lived closer to us. I do not like this long distance living!
Today I recieved a package in the mail from a dear friend, Olivia, for the girls babies. She bought the cutest little hand knitted sweaters and ugg booties from the farmers market near where she lives (in Montana) for the babies. I've never seen anthing like them. Even the buttons are adorable! Olivia and I recently re-connected on facebook. We met in South Dakota back in the mid seventies. Our husbands were stationed at Ellsworth AFB and we were neighbors in both Rapid City and then again on Ellsworth AFB. When we moved, we lost touch, until I found her or she found me on facebook. I believe that God brought her back into my life at just the right time. She is one of the most loving and giving women I know. She loves the Lord with all her heart and soul. She is a devout Christian and I'm sure she has brought many people to the Lord with her witnessing, because she has a way of doing it that is not judgemental. She sees past the flesh and into the hearts and souls of everyone she meets. I feel blessed having her as my friend!
I've found thru facebook that there are a lot of mean spirited people out there! I have gotten zapped by more then a few of them! I just do not understand why some people feel the need to hurt other peoples feelings? I was called "a joke" and "a pathetic sister" because of the way I looked in a picture I posted on my fb, by a woman who I have never even met! What good did this woman get out of this? All it did was hurt my feelings and make me feel embarrassed. I've been tempted to close out my fb site, but I'm too darned nosey to do it, not to mention that I enjoy looking at other peoples pictures they post there. Guess I could toughen up, but I don't want to toughen up! I would rather be dumb and naive and risk getting my feelings hurt, then to get a hard shell.
Okay, I'm ready to close this one out already! Time to get into my pjs and chow down on the left over bibimbop and kimchi that I brought home from the Korean restaurant! I'll add more tomorrow..with some pictures!

It's been over a week since I last wrote in this blog. I've been in a bit of a funk and I have no idea why? I'm beyond blessed. Even when I think I have problems, I can always find someone else who has it a lot worse then I do. So, now I'm going to try to pull myself out of my little pity party and tell you about my past week!
Pat, Dave, and I went to the "tough mudda" race in Poplar bluff last Saturday. My son in law, Chris, was crazy enough to enter it so we went to support him! I'm telling ya, there were some tough obstacles in this race. I could not have made the 12 mile run, yet alone doing the obstacles. They had some CARAZEE obstacles! One where you had to make it thru mud and water with live wires hanging above you. One wrong move and ZAP!  Another one where you had jump into a big vat of ice water and swim underneathe boards in the water. Then there was the "Jesus walk", where you walked thru muddy water that was so dirty that you could not see the bottom of it, there were pot holes thruout it, one wrong step and you were in mud up to your knees! The scariest one was a giant wall that the people had to run up and over the top of. OMG...are you kidding me?! Most people slid down the wall at least once before making it over it! They had a human chain of guys who were helping people over it. But you had to make it to the top and grab onto their hands to get the help! This race was all about comraderie and the proceeds of it went to the wounded warriors. Chris was a real trooper and did every single obstacle (we knew he would)! He's now gearing up for the next "Tough Mudda" race to be held in st louis next April. Goooo Chris! I'd love to be able to join him, but I'm afraid the 5K walk that we made for the color run race was as daring as I will get!

 Here's some pictures of some of the obstacles....

 this is the Jesus Walk!

 and some more..

 this is the live wires...NO WAY would I even try this one!

 

 All in all it was a fun day! The sun was shining and on a stomach with little food in it, the 3 beers this old lady sucked down thru a straw, made me feel NO pain!

Now for my fashion news....afterall, this is supposed to be a blog about fashion!

One day this past week Pat was using different settings on our flash and camera...of course, I was his model! Will I ever stop being a ham?!! Here's a few shots he took outside with the flash....

 I love my Doc Martin boots!

 I love this flash...if the natural lighting is just right (not too sunny) and you use it, it's a miracle worker with wrinkles! It washes them all away....who needs a facelift....a flash is a heck of a lot cheaper and pain free!!

   I'm loving this free people skirt! I love victorian looking clothes! Victorian and fifties vintage!

...this is Pats and my halloween costumes for this year! We're going to wear them to a party were going to next Saturday. I laughed so hard at Pats wig that I almost peed my pants! He in turn found my cat eye glasses pretty scary.....

and now for my double dose of cute.....

grandmas little munchkins! I'm really missing Patrick and Harrison! I am hoping we'll all get together at the same time and in the same place some time this year!

I'm glad I wrote in my blog...I'm starting to feel better already!

 

Do you remember the old commercial about Calgon bath products that had a frazzled woman in a pink bathrobe in them who had a rough day and said "Calgon take me away!"? Well, unfortunately, with my champagne taste on my beer budget, I prefer for RCCL (royal caribbean cruise lines) to take me away! Forget about relaxing in my tub, I would rather be relaxing on the deck of a cruise ship!
I've been in a bit of a funk lately and I can't figure out why? I have so much to be thankful for. I am beyond blessed! Yet something is bothering me and I can't figure out what it is? I've been tossing and turning in my sleep and getting up way too early for me! I got up at five AM again today. I don't know, maybe it's worrying about my cat Rat? She's on her last legs. She's old, 17 yrs old, and she seems to be going down hill fast. I check on her more then a few times each day (she lays under our bed most of the time) and I am always afraid of what I'm going to find. I know her time is short. I have to believe that there really is a rainbow bridge up in heaven for all our four legged babies! My mom and dad used to joke around saying that my grandpa (moms dad) must look like the pied piper up there, because grandpa, like me, loved his cats! He used to feed all the strays in the neighborhood. I remember seeing him going into their garage (where the cats would eat) every day, with a trail of cats following behind him! My grandpa was a soft spoken man, really, he didn't say much at all. He didn't need to, you knew he loved you and he made you feel safe. He was a big man. Not heavy, but big like a football player. He had an infectuous laugh, a head full of white hair until the day he died,  and a gold capped tooth! I never even thought about asking why he had that gold tooth until after he passed away.  Grandma said he knocked his tooth out ice skating when he was a little boy. In younger pictures of him he reminds me of Elvis with his dark hair and blue eyes. Grandma once told me that after he met her, he said "boy I'd love to wake up with her (Grandmas) shoes by my bed"! Although it was hard to imagine my grandpa ever saying anything like this, it makes me smile. It wasn't like today, with guys saying "I'd love to get my hands down her pants",the times they have a-changed, and I think I liked them better in grandpas day!  Grandpa was also known to be very thrifty...okay, cheap! He worked hard and saved his money. Maybe this is why when I was growing up my mom used to say "you might as well spend your money today, because you may not be alive to spend it tomorrow". Whatever the reason for her saying this, unfortunately for Pat, it stuck with me!
I have been good the past two days with my shopping addiction! I've been on ebay, but have not bought anything! Of course, I still have a vintage green blazer and and yet another hair piece coming in the mail! Pat does not know I bought these things, and I'm trying to figure out how I can get them past him without him finding out?! I always get caught...will I ever learn?!! Thank God, he, like my grandpa, is a soft spoken man too!
I just love shopping! I used to sometimes shop in vintage stores. I love Victorian clothes, the corsettes and lace (and lace up boots), the big hats. I love clothes from the '50's too. I love looking at pictures of my mom when she was young. I wish she would have kept all her clothes. She did give me her wedding gown, which I still have hanging in my closet. It's a ballerina length (lace) gown with a little bolero that goes over it. Over the years it's yellowed, I wish I would have known to have had it preserved. If I had, I'd wear it on a cruise on one of the formal nights! That is my favorite night of a cruise, the formal night! You can get all dolled up and no one looks at you like you're from another planet! I think I spend as much on my formal night gowns and shoes and jewelry as we do on the cost of the cruise! We're planning our next cruise in the spring of 2013. I already have my gowns ready! I bought a black one that I've never worn yet AND I'm going to wear a white one that I wore on our cruise last Dec., gasp.....Im going to wear a gown that I've aleady worn before!! Miracles never cease! This gown is one of my favorites. It's white and flowy and has a (of course) blinged out top! Stones that look like diamonds cover the top of it. When I wore it last year, and a man saw Pat and me walking to supper, he shouted out "Congratulations", thinking that we had just gotten married on the ship! We just smiled and said "Thanks" and laughed...seeing that we had just celebrated our 37th anniversary the month before!
Okay, I'm going to post a few pictures of my mom, who says she has never been into fashion. My sister and I fail to believe her, because she always looks so beautiful and put together in all the pictures we have of her!

and here's moms wedding gown....

She looks beautiful!

and here's the gown that I'm going to recycle and wear again on our next cruise!

 I just wish that we didn't have to wait until this next spring! I'm ready for RCCL to "take me away NOW"! but I guess for the time being, I'll have to go with the calgon! maybe if I drink enough beer, I'll think I am in the Caribbean instead of my bathtub!

 Here's todays dose of cute! My little Chloe belle in her grannys fedora and a mermaid costume, this baby is a mini me!!