B is for Bachelor's degree

We have a lot of these in our family and we’re about to get two more, from one daughter.  Birdie is going to graduate on May 7 with two degrees, one in Athletic Training and the other in Exercise Science.  Not that the rest of us never worked hard for our degrees, but the amount of hours that Birdie has had to put into her majors is CRAZY!  She has spent, literally, hundreds upon hundreds of observation hours in the training room, on various sporting fields and events, and even in orthopedic surgeries.  The courses she has had to take would easily prepare her for med school.  And she loves it.  Whenever she talks about some type of injury she uses those big words that none of us understand causing us to, repeatedly, ask her to ‘dumb it down’ for us.  Whenever more than one of those Athletic Training majors get together, they sound like they are communicating in a secret language that only they understand.  The rest of us have degrees in the arts, or social sciences, or education.  We know nothing at all about anatomy, physics, diseases, injuries…but Birdie does.  And she knows a lot. 
  

We come from family who believes, strongly believes, (ok, we might hinge on the fanatic side) in the value of a good education.  Both sets of my grandparents believed in education.  My mother’s parents stated, without hesitation, that “your education is not over until you have that college degree in your hand.”  My parents passed that on to me, and I passed it on to my girls (although they did have one advantage that I didn't, they knew it was also ok if they didn't want to go to college.  Oh, and that sound you hear?  That's my grandparents rolling over in their graves at that statement).  And it worked- we are 4 for 4 on daughters who attended college.  Our two youngest daughters are there now; one is graduating in May and the other, the last one, the baby, is finishing up her sophomore year and is an education major.  Between my mother, her sister, my four daughters and I, we are holders of 7 bachelor degrees (9 on May 7^th); 3 masters’ degrees; and one PhD.  And we are proud because we poured a lot of time and effort into those degrees—some of us poured a lot of alcohol during those years as well, but that’s another story altogether.  

The funny thing is, although I am very appreciative of my own degrees, it pales in comparison to how proud I am of my girls.  All of them have/will have more to show for their degrees than I ever did.  They worked harder, played harder, and were/have been/are WAY more involved in activities (sororities, sports, counsels, leadership roles, committees, etc.) than any of their predecessors.  Not a day goes by that I fail to realize how truly blessed we are by our four lovelies.  This group of education addicts just gets better with each generation.  Oh, and don’t let Hubs fool you.  Even though his parents did not shove instill fanatical crazy ridiculous over-zealous strong educational goals on their kids, he is one of the proudest fathers you will ever see at a college graduation.  He’s the one behind the video camera with the puffed out chest swearing that he most definitely is NOT crying.  Yeah, we’re saps too.          

This is the 1st day of the A-Z Blog Challenge for the month of April.  I decided to try this challenge in the hopes of keeping some momentum going; getting my brain to stay warmed-up; and trytrytry to improve my writing--well, really, to find my voice.  Just click the badge on my sidebar to join in the challenge!  

OH, and PLEASE go visit The LG Report and cast your vote for TUCKER in the cutest pet contest over there!  Tucker says, "Woof! Woofy, woofin!"  Which translates to: Please vote for me I really want to win that bag of treats!  A GREAT BIG Thank you and HUGS galore to those of you who already have voted for the Tucky Bug!

Pet contest, a Birthday, and Friday HOPS!

First, a bit of business.  PLEASE go visit The LG Report and cast your vote for TUCKER in the cutest pet contest over there!  Tucker says, "Woof! Woofy, woofin!"  Which translates to: Please vote for me I really want to win that bag of treats!  Meanwhile, I'll be trying to get that darn squirrel out of the tree. Thanks everybody!

It’s Deanie’s birthday today!  She’s been a delight and blessing to us for 24 years now!  And the time really did fly by.  Yes, she was born on April Fool's day, but she's nobody's fool.  Deanie is our ‘keep the peace’ child.  She does not like anyone to be upset or angry and she absolutely insists on truly appreciates status quo in the family.  She is our ‘prissy missy’ who would dig in the dirt, while dressed in her cutest outfits, pull worms apart and then promptly wash her hands before turning around and doing it again.  Her birthstone is diamond and she loves them- the bigger and more sparkly they are the better.  She has a voice that truly makes the angels in Heaven’s choir jealous (No joke!  When she was auditioning for high school chorus I was standing outside the door and heard the most beautiful voice. When I peeked in to see who it was-- it was Deanie!) and is a dancer extraordinaire (seriously she even turned down schools after high school because, in her words, “Mom, being a dancer is just like being an athlete.  If you get injured, your career is over and then, without a college degree, what are you going to do?”  Point taken but she truly was poetry in motion.).  Deanie loves life and would have majored in partying social life had they offered it in college.  She never meets a stranger and everyone just loves her.  She is sweet, kind, loyal, respectful, responsible, and diligent.  She can talk anyone, and I mean anyone, under the table and the same can be said of her about shopping.  She is a fashionista.  She is a true southern belle and yet able to take down a chauvinist male with the flick of a wrist.  She will go out of her way to surprise or encourage or uplift a friend.  She loves her dog, Becks, like he’s her kid (the 100pound chocolate lab).  The child is beautiful (inside and out) and resourceful.  There’s really nothing about her that isn’t truly wonderful.  Except that she now lives NINE FREAKING HOURS AWAY FROM US.  Anyway, a great big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our wonderful Deanie!  We love you!  

Our little thumb sucker at 19 months

She was the White Rabbit and Breezy was Alice; Halloween 1988

High school

College

This is when she dyed her hair dark brown and it still hadn't grown out.

A beauty even as a brunette. 

Getting a Christmas kiss from Becks (2010)

She's the one in the bridesmaid's dress...with the hand on her hip and her mouth open. (10-2010) 

 At a bridal shower with the college roomies- she's the tall beauty on the right. (8-2010)

And now it's time for the Friday HOP over at Hilary's Feeling Beachie called Follow Friday Four Fill-In Fun!  

Here we go:

1. If I don’t WALK TUCKER in the morning, my day feels off.  Because it's habit and because he will sit and stare at me until I take him!

2. When someone walks into my house for the first time, they usually comment on HOW COZY IT IS.  We live in a small (1300 sq ft) house that is decorated in fall colors.  Everyone always comments on how cozy and inviting our house is.


3. Every time I see the movie, PS I Love You (My Dog Skip; Brian's Song; Marley and Me; Pocahontas; Steel Magnolias; An Affair to Remember; most Hallmark movies and commercials; the list goes on but I think you get the idea)  , I cry. (Yes, I am a great big baby who SOBS at these types of movies). 

4. My feet feel best when they do not have shoes on them, which is most of the time because I HATE SHOES!  
 

I'm also linking to Java's Follow Friday 40 and Over at Never Growing Old!

CHEER

Cheering myself up can be easy or hard and met with success or failure depending on my level of willingness to accept the cheering mood.  That’s right.  I even sabotage myself in this area.  It’s sad but true; there are times when I just decide that I am NOT going to be cheered up.  Times when I feel like stewing over something.  Times when I just do not care to be cheered up.  Fortunately, for the people who have to put up with me, these times are infrequent—well, they are now, I’ve finally outgrown most of THOSE days.  Unfortunately, one of my most popular ways of cheering myself up --that I have NOT outgrown-- is with FOOD.  Good ‘ol southern comfort food.  Yes, dahlings, I am a walking, talking result of carbohydrate abuse.  Carbs are NOT safe around me.  If I see one, I’m gonna pop it right in my mouth and swallow it whole delight in every bite.  I’m referring to the carbs found in foods such as macaroni and cheese casserole; twice baked potatoes; homemade cornbread stuffing (with gravy); homemade yeast rolls; rice (gravy again---actually, the gravy is a given); mashed potatoes with cheese; corn; lima beans; and the like.  If the carb is of the sugar variety, well, you’d be smart to just get out of my way.  I will mow someone down for the sugar variety carbs!  This would all be just perfect if providing comfort and uplifting one’s spirit was all these foods do for me.  But, no.  What they also do for me is make me a great deal over weight which makes me unhappy and in need of cheering up.  This madness has GOT TO STOP. 

               

If you read Carol’s (Facing 50with Humour) latest post (A little of what you fancy...) she informs us that the way the French stay slim is by taking small bites and savoring every flavor as you hold it in your mouth and stop eating the very minute you can no longer taste the flavors in the food.  HA!  The only thing I take small bites of and savor is CHOCOLATE.  And I savor every single bite of the WHOLE FREAKING BAG of chocolaty goodness.  My meals are shoveled into my mouth and practically swallowed whole.  I actually believe I can track this bad habit down to its origins.  If I remember correctly, this began when the girls were getting old enough to sit at the table and eat regular food.  I was the lone stranger in the kitchen for preparing, serving and cleaning up after our meals.  I was also the lone stranger when it came to bath time and bed time.  So, in order for all the things that had to be accomplished between preparing supper and the girls’ bedtimes, I had to rush through my meals.  This is a very bad habit that has stuck around.  I need to slow down when I eat.  And savor those bites—I do love butter and would probably appreciate it more if I ate this way-- and stop when I am full (or no longer taste the flavors), not keep going until I can’t hardly move.  So, maybe it’s not so much the way I prepare our meals (I do use healthy methods and ingredients) but that I eat way too fast and way too much.  And maybe I could cut the frequency of the eating down also.  

Whatever it is I hope I figure it out soon.  And do it.  And stick to it.  And lose all this unwanted weight.   I am NOT one of those women who still look good even though they’re overweight.  And so, here we go again---losing the weight I have gained back from the 83 that I lost before falling back into those deliciously delightful really bad for me southern habits.  First thing is to throw away the fridge magnet that states: Never trust a skinny cook.     

  

This is the 31st day of NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) for the month of March. The theme for this month is: in a word! My chosen word for today is: CHEER and is from the prompt on Friday, 3/25/11  "How do you cheer yourself up?"

ENCOURAGEMENT

Wednesday Words of Weight Loss- the HOP

Patrice, at Everyday Ruralty, hosts Wednesday Words of Weight Loss every Wednesday!  It's a fun HOP that offers encouragement and company on the issue of weight.  It's never too late to join!  Come on, this is your week to join in the FUN! 

 

PATRICE writes: "If you'd like to participate, there are 5 questions that you can blog about. Some of them deal with weight and healthy eating. Some are just to "break the ice" and get us talking. Visit some of the other blogs and offer some words of support, or just say hello. You can get the button from my sidebar and then everyone can find the linky, and the other participants."

Before I get started with the questions, I'd like to thank Patrice not only for hosting this fun/supportive/encouraging HOP on Wednesdays but also for the fun contest that I WON!!!  And the prize came in yesterday afternoon.  Here it is:

See that stack of paper the products are sitting on?  Those are recipes!  It's baking time! 

Questions1. Is there something that triggers too much snacking for you? Yes, being awake.  Seriously, late night snacking in front of the television, but I stopped that two weeks ago.  Late afternoon is a bad snacking time too. 

2. What kind of music do you like while you're exercising? That all depends on my mood but it's usually either David Garrett, Sting, John Mellencamp, The Beatles or a variety mix that I put in a couple of playlists- one for fast walking, one for a slower paced walk.  Tucker doesn't plug in, he's to busy peeing on every darn thing we pass.  

3. What's your favorite thing about spring?  The garden- the prep work, the planting AND, best of all, the birthdays:  Deanie, my brother Tony, and BestSonInLawEVER.

4. Do you ever feel like you have to carefully weigh advice given in popular magazines?  Certainly, you can't believe everything you read.  Especially not these days when the media seems to be putting their own personal bias on everything and, instead of being there to report the news or inform the public, they merely try to stir up trouble and controversy where they is none.  As a matter of fact, we shouldn't simply weigh it but question the hell out of it! (Sorry, soapbox).

5. If you could invite 5 people you do not regularly see to visit with you, On a porch while drinking tea or coffee, who would they be?  I agree with Patrice here but, there is no way to narrow this down to only five--I would LOVE, absolutely LOVE to have ALL my bloggy friends on the porch drinking wine mint juleps coffee or tea.  And we could all go for a walk on the beach.  Oh, and those that have doggies should bring them.  Tucker wants to play!     

  This is the 30th day of NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) for the month of March. The theme for this month is: in a word! My chosen word for today is: ENCOURAGMENT because that's what you get from this particular HOP every Wednesday!

 

AUNTIE

The oldest living person in our family (that we really like) is my mother’s sister, my Aunt Betty.  And she is a marvel.  Aunt Betty never married, I’m not sure why as she did have proposals, so I was slightly doted on by her (which never bothered me one little bit).  She has a PhD in Housing and Interior Design from Florida State and has taught at Virginia Tech and UGA—a couple of other places too but these are the two biggies and the ones that I often visited.  No matter where Aunt Betty was, she always, without fail, came home for Christmas and to go with us to the beach every summer for vacation.  And she always took time to do special things with me from letting me stay with her for a weekend to taking me to Six Flags over Georgia to a trip to Washington, DC.  My favorite trip was when she had completed studying in Nevada and had my grandmother and me fly out not only for a visit but to drive us back to SC just so we could see some of the US.  We went to Lake Tahoe for dinner one day and I was amazed at the mountains being covered in snow in the summer.  She took us to the Golden Nugget in Reno and we saw Liberace.  I was only 12, but I remember that he was the funniest, most talented person I had ever seen.  When it was time to leave and drive back, she took us into California.  We went into the Redwood National Park and I was completely in awe of those big trees.  I took roll after roll of film just of the giant Redwoods.  She took us to Disney Land in Anaheim, CA.  We had the BEST time!  It was 1970 and one of the big things for women was wigs.  And Aunt Betty was wearing one when we visited Disneyland.  She got on to ride Space Mountain with me and as the employee was explaining certain things about the ride, Aunt Betty asked, “Will my wig fall off?”  She rode with one hand holding onto her wig!  She took us through the Redwood National Forest.  She drove us just into Mexico so that we could say we went there.  It was the dirtiest little town I’ve ever seen but I loved it.  I bought my mother some Spanish lace there.  She took us to the Grand Canyon and we were simply amazing by it.  We went through Texas where we stayed a few days with one of Aunt Betty’s friends from Florida State.  I’ve never seen such flat land before or so many cattle (steers?) nor have I ever been so HOT.  We drove through a thunder storm that produced to best light show I’ve ever seen to this very day.  It was one LONG drive to get through Texas.  We went through Helen, GA and Gatlinburg, TN and I am still in love with both of those quaint towns.  She took us to Old Salem in Winston Salem, NC and to the Biltmore House.  We saw so many beautiful sights on this trip and I have never forgotten it.   Aunt Betty took us to places she thought we would enjoy the most, and we did.  (I still have some of the photos from the trip but none are scanned into my computer and that takes forever because my computer can be a stubborn cuss).

Aunt Betty continued the tradition with my daughters.  She always took all of them every summer on trips to NC: Biltmore House, Old Salem,  Lake Junaluska, Tweetsie (UGH…LOL), Cherokee Indian Reservation, Discovery Place; in GA: Helen, Epworth by the Sea, Callaway Gardens, St. Simons, Unicoi State Park; in TN: Gatlinburg, Dollywood; in VA:  Williamsburg; in SC:  Christmas Tea at Winthrop University, Kings Mountain, Brattonsville…

 All those experiences were fantastic.  But what kind of person is Aunt Betty besides one who thinks her niece and great-nieces should have travel experiences?  She’s the person who will drop whatever it is she’s in the middle of and come to your aid.  She’s the person who stopped everything when Granddaddy died and stayed with Grandmother until she passed.  She’s the relative and friend who comes to stay with you at the hospital instead of visiting for an hour and going home.  She’s the person who is always thinking of everyone else and never herself.  She’s the person who takes care of plants and animals like they were people and she treats people like they are saints.  She’s the person who takes food to someone’s house when they are not well or have lost a loved one- and stays to clean up after the other visitors.  She’s nonjudgmental and she loves unconditionally.  She’s the person who gives and gives until she has nothing left and then goes and finds something and gives that as well.  She’s a friend, a sister, an aunt, a daughter, a teacher, a student—of life.  She’s a conversationalist.  She’s thrifty.  She’s patient.  She’s a Methodist.  And she loves soap operas. 

Aunt Betty is one of the most wonderful people I know.  Although she will tell you that she is blessed by us, we all know that we are the ones truly blessed to have her in our lives .   

Aunt Betty and Mother

Aunt Betty on Christmas Eve sometime in the early 60s

Mother and Aunt Betty, Christmas Eve- early 70s

Aunt Betty, Grandmother, and Mother 1990

        

This is the 29th day of NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) for the month of March. The theme for this month is: in a word! My chosen word for today is: AUNTIE and is based on today's prompt: Who's the oldest living person in your family? How much do you know about him or her?

THOUGHTS

My minds wanders.  A lot.  And, where it goes, depends on where I am, what I’m doing, and even the weather.  I hardly notice what’s going on around me when I walk my dog every day.  Some days, my mind has wandered to a place where, when I come back to reality, Tucker and I have already covered two or three miles.  These wanderings are usually centered around my current life- either my daughters or the plans for the day or Hubs—the latter often a result of him making me mad how wonderful he is.  If people could actually hear the conversations (yes, I have conversations with myself in my mind) that take place in my head—they would most likely wish they had a direct line to the state mental facility.  No wonder I lose track of the time- these conversations are a sure sign of lunacy profound.  Of course, if it’s really cold I am thinking about how cold it is and, if it’s really hot I'm thinking how I'd really like to smack someone about how hot it is.  

My mind will also wander while I’m washing dishes or cooking.  A little mind wander lust is not that big of a deal while washing the dishes however, when there is cooking going on, it’s not always a good idea.  I’ve forgotten whether or not I added an ingredient or two or simply forgotten to add something altogether.  I’ve misread recipes or skipped entire steps.  I’ve put things in the oven with turning the oven on.  Same thing with the burners on top of the stove.  I’ve also forgotten to set the timer.  All because my mind was off on a field trip.  The drudgery routine of housework will send my mind reeling about what a total waste of time housework is how Hubs will walk in and begin the dirty up the house process the wonders of life itself.  In the shower I am thinking about how I have GOT to lose this weight the new steam shower that’s been sitting on the FRONT porch for 2 years waiting on Hubs to get the bathroom remodeled the happenings of the upcoming day or what I need to do that I’ve been putting off forever and a day.   

But stormy days are the best days to get lost in my thoughts.  Stormy days take my mind back to my childhood.  I have loved storms since I was a child.  I mostly remember the storms of summer which came along every afternoon bringing sheets of rain, booming thunder, and crackling lightning.  Those were the days before central air conditioning so our windows were open and the winds that accompanied those summer storms caused the sheers hanging in front of the windows to billow out like sails and then float, slowly back to their original position before the next wind came through the screens and repeated the hypnotizing process.  If the wind was particularly strong, the sheers would rush straight out into the room and then float back down—until we rushed around and closed the windows because the next thing to come rushing into the rooms was the rain.  Some days we had to rush outside to get the clothes off the clothesline before they got wet but, when there were linens on the line, I would stand between the sheets as they blew all around me and breathe in their clean, fresh air aroma.  The smell that was left behind when the storms left was so fresh and clean and grassy (and no matter what they say, no one has ever been able to reproduce this smell in a fragrance).  These summer wonders only last a half hour or so, but they were quite enjoyable and have certainly provided me with treasured, sensory memories.  

My mind wanders so many times during the course of a day mostly into thoughts about the present and the past—oddly, I rarely venture into the future—sometimes resolving bothersome issues, sometimes recalling a particularly smile inducing event brought about by the four lovelies, sometimes lamenting over a frown inducing discussion with Hubs, sometimes revisiting my childhood and, other times, merely arguing redundant issues a philosophical position with myself.  

And I’m pretty sure this is perfectly normal…as long as I don’t venture out of my mind and begin talking out loud...or start walking around with glazed eyes and a stupid smile on my face...right?  

This is the 28th day of NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) for the month of March. The theme for this month is: in a word! My chosen word for today is: THOUGHTS.

A SPECIAL SHOUT-OUT HERE:  It's Deanie's boytoy's BIRTHDAY!  Happy Birthday Nichol-ass!  We love you!!!

         

WRAP-UP

It's time to wrap up the week, only this will include two weeks worth of wrap-up because I forgot to do it last time--let's attribute it to the age issue and leave it at that, shall we?

The last two weeks in the proverbial nutshell:

My daily walks with Tucker are getting hotter and hotter.  Spring sprung here over a month ago and I'm beginning to break a sweat on our walks.  Tucker is even having to go into the pond for a dip and a drink.  Although two days ago (Friday) we had a veritable cold snap as the temps only rose into the 60s.  After hearing some of your tales about the snow you're still getting, I'm really not complaining.  Much.

The time change is messing with me as it usually does.  I have no idea what time it is when my eyes open.  Not that it matters because, when MY eyes open...I am awake.  So I am awake now either around 4:00 am or 7:00 am.  This is not great on either end because my ideal wake up time is 6:00 and I miss it either way.  Getting up at 4:00 makes the afternoons difficult (and I am not a nap person) and getting up at 7:00 leaves me grumpy AND puts our daily walks later in the morning which means the day is getting hot which means my mood is not going to be that great.  It's a vicious cycle.

Have you seen us?

I managed to get all three raised beds all set for planting.  Each bed is 18" high and are 4'x4' squares.  This year I am going to try square foot gardening.  Last year's garden was a flop except for the peppers and tomatoes.  This year, I am hoping to find my elusive green thumb and have a garden filled with a variety of veggies!  The squash garden is just sitting there waiting on Hubs to get the tiller going---which means the probability of  having a squash garden is slim to none.  He always wants to go with me to select the plants (I'm not starting from seeds again--at least until he gets the greenhouse up--which means, well, you know) and we actually made it out yesterday and purchased a few plants to get started with-peppers (hot and sweet), eggplant, onions and some flowers. (We will hit some locally owned places next week in the hopes of purchasing plants started by locals).  When my mother was purging for her move to my aunt's house, I discovered a set of hand gardening tools that had never been used.  There was no way I was going to put those in the yard sale because they were perfect for working in the raised beds.  I put those tools away and, in the back of my mind, thought, "Are you sure you want to put those there?  You probably won't remember where they are."  I left them there.  I saw them about a month ago and repeated the mental thoughts with a slight difference, "Don't you want to move those to a more obvious location?"  I left them there.  I cannot find them ANYWHERE.  I would blame this on age, but I've been like this for as long as I can remember.  Also, I would ask, "When will I learn?"  But it has become painfully obvious that I'm never going to.

I made the girls a Philly dinner the Wednesday after they returned from their trip.  We had pierogies, spinach quiche, and shoo fly pie--all chosen from the Philly cookbook they brought back for me.  The pierogies were a big FLOP but I am not discouraged- I will  try again (I googled some recipes and they can be deep fried or baked--the recipe in the book said to boil them...don't); the quiche was delicious and they loved the shoo fly pie- I don't like molasses so I didn't like it.  This past Wednesday I cooked spaghetti for them with a huge salad and garlic bread.  Of course, they just appreciate a homecooked meal, regardless of what it is!

One of our good neighbors remembered that DoodleBug is very interested in joining the Peace Corps once she graduates and invited her to hear some guest speakers at the Center for Women.  These women speakers spent years in Afghanistan and completely eradicated small pox there.  DoodleBug is even more encouraged now than ever before.  SO, if any of you have suggestions on how I can redirect her interests and encourage her to stay here have ever been in the Peace Corps, I would appreciate your thoughts/experiences/etc.
  
So far my bracket is still alive thanks to UCONN, UNC (Oh how I LOVE my TARHEELS); AND KANSAS--at least as of this writing.  (WTH Ohio State?!). This won't mean anything to you if you aren't following the NCAA tournament (MARCH MADNESS baby!).  The GATORS messed me up yesterday but WHAT A GAME!  Oh, and I HATE BUTLER.  But, WHAT A FREAKING GAME!  (The UCONN/AZ game was good too--actually, most of the tournament games this year have not disappointed in the excitement and good basketball categories).  I'm depending on KANSAS to win today and KICK BUTLER'S ASS!  Yep.  We're all about March Madness here.  Then we sit and wait for FOOTBALL SEASON--preseason begins in August! God knows I love me some football!

Last, but not least.  I finally finished Tucker's doggie sweater- not that he'll need it until NOVEMBER.  But it's done!  TaDa: 

WTH Mom?!  It's 70 degrees out there!

  
This is the 27th day of NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) for the month of March. The theme for this month is: in a word! My chosen word for today is: WRAP-UP.