Chili Time and Zombie

Fall is starting to show its chilly side here in North Carolina. The wake up weather has been down in the 40’s. Brrrrr. I’m not a fan. The only thing I like about Fall is the smell and colors. I’ll admit though that do I love snuggling in a blanket and warm drinks. But that’s it.

Speaking of Chilly. I mentioned to my husband it was about time for some of his homemade chili with beans. I am lucky to have snagged up a man that can cook. He made a trip to Food Lion Grocery store and bought the things he needed to whip up a pot of chili. Our daughter loves his chili too. This is the only way we can get her to eat beans. She will come for a visit this weekend, so I jarred her up some to take back home with her.

 

He makes chili beans using ground turkey instead of beef. I like the turkey meat better. There is no difference in the taste. The turkey is leaner, healthier and you never have to worry about biting into a piece of gristle. 

Fall weather also brings out the goooley things like halloween themed foods and drinks. Today, Nick drove me across town StarBucks. I ordered the Zombie Frappuccino. Though I would have rather had a hot drink, I wanted to try one of these gross looking drinks. It was actually good.

It’s made with green carmel apple flavor, dark chocolate mocha, and brains (pink whip). It tasted just like a caramel apple. I love anything caramel. 

I never eat real caramel or candy apples. If you have ever bit into a rotten apple hidden by candy, you wouldn’t eat one either. 

Later we headed next door to the nieghbors who were having a halloween get together. We didn't stay but a few minutes and I left with loaded pockets of candy. Ha! 

Now I’m calling it a day. I have church in the morning and a shower to attend in the afternoon, but not before I enjoy a bowl of left over chili. Nite.

When All Else Fails

Hey yall. I’m sorry im slagging on my blog post. I’m trying to get my blogging mojo back on. 

I just haven't felt like thinking. You may even notice my comments on your blog post have been a bit short. I’m still here. I still read everyones blog post weather I comment or not. Just know im reading. I’ve just wasting too much time worrying about my health issues. Most of you already know, but I am currently fighting two issues going on. For the record, I’m healthy, not sick and nothing serious is wrong with me. 

For over a year now, I have suffered ear ringing (Tinnitus). It gets so annoying at times I could scream. At a low it sounds like a radio out of tune on an AM station. (Haha thats bad). On a high, it sounds like a freight train applying it’s brakes, but never seems to run over me. It causes me to be dizzy at times and just last weekend, I had another episode of verigo that lasted for hours. Sickening! The doctor just says I have to learn to live with it. 

Then the chest pains. What used to come and go as spasms since July, now are pretty constant all day long and my whole front chest feels like I’ve been kicked by Bruce Lee. I have had every test possible to try and find a cause but they all come up normal. EKG, xray, ultra sound, gallbladder hida scan, stress test and even an endoscopy. The doctors just shrug their shoulders and call it acid reflux, give me Prilosec and send me away. 

So, when all else fails, I listen to my friends and family. “Go see a Chiropractor” they say. 

The thought of that scares the bajezus out of me. But I caved after my last vertigo episode and made an appointment.

First visit to the Chiropractor was yesterday. He saw I was nervous and said he'd take it easy on me and wouldn’t pop anything today. I laid on a bed with a back roller for 15 minutes. He talked with me and actually listened to my problem. He did an xray of my neck and back and pointed out that my neck was too straight and didnt have the normal cervical curve. 

Then he pointed out that I have a compressed c6 disk. These issues could be causing both my ear and chest problem due to the pressure on my spine. He did lots of smashing and poking around. He said I’d be sore and gave me some bio freeze samples.....

I mean, just how sore was I gonna be? Yikes....

Well today I was pretty sore! I went for my second appointment and he popped and twisted some things, sent me home and wants to see me again Monday. 

I hope this works. I mean, If all else fails, try something new. Right? 

Camping Flag

One of our favorite ways to vacation is by camping in our travel trailer at our favorite campground. Once we get there we get the camper leveled out, sewer hooked up and wheels chocked. While my husband is busy doing those things, Im on the inside putting linens on the bed and gettting the purties in place. Once we have done our part setting up the camper, I will hang our name sign up, cover the picnic table and attach the clothesline. 

Everyone in the campground shows off their name and where they are from. We currently have a sign in the shape of an ice cream cone that my father in law made for us when we first started camping as a married couple. It’s beginning to weather and fade. We let the daughter repaint it once already. 

Next time we settle in at the campground, I have something new to mark our spot.

A camping flag. 

We have some friends we met when our daughter was in high school. We both had daughters in sports, therefore we were all members of the booster club. 

They own an embroider shop called New Era Embroidery  We have drifted apart the past couple years after they have become grandparents and life got busy. We rarely see them anymore unless we run into each other at the bank.

Well, now their daughter has gotten busy. She creates lovely things with screen printing from the same business. You can find her facebook page HERE. Stop by and tell her hello sometime and like her fb page while your at it.

I noticed the other day that one of the things she creates are custom made garden flags. I have been looking for someone thats does this kind of work and was delightd to know she was the one. 

I drew up a not so fancy draft of what I wanted it to say then asked her to add a little camper in the center.  She worked on the design and after a couple minor changes, she emailed me a photo. “Is this what you want?” 

“perfect” Thats just what I asked for. 

We had a fall festival uptown Saturday and she had a booth set up there. I stopped by and picked up my new flag. I cant wait to show it off when I get back down to my “Wheel Estate” on the sand. 

Halloween Craft Ideas

I’ve made several crafts for Halloween through the years. 

Today im short on words so I’m just sharing some links to my favorite creations.

Most of these were made free with things laying around the house or less than 5.00.

Enjoy.

Cheese Cloth Ghost. Fun and easy. This is my most favorite.

Book Pumpkin Just grab an old book

DIY Mummies With just a couple whatnots

Painted Pumpkins fun with My daughter

Cheese Pumpkins delicious and easy

Lace Pumpkin Panty hose here yall

Bundt Pan Wreath Grandmas pan.

Fish Net For A Mermaid

My daughter and her friends start thinking about what they want to dress up as for Halloween as early as March. Yea, I don’t really get it but obviously it’s a big deal. Needless to say, every year they never really come up with anything until the first of October. 

I never bought my daughter Halloween costumes when she was growing up. I always managed to create a great costume from craft or thrift store finds. She’s been everything from a bowl of spaghetti to Cat in the Hat. When she got older, she bought a couple on her own dime but that was short lived.

Shes always wanted to be a mermaid. We were just never able to create one that she thought was flattering. This year is no different. “Mom, I still want to be a mermaid”. Shes 26 by the way. 

She found some ideas online that seemed easy to accomplish (less material too). Lord help. 

Anyway, she asked if I would look for her a fishing net at the beach. She wants to use it as a wrap around her skirt. I gave it a thumbs up because more coverage, the better. 

Though I looked around the beach when I was there for a fish net, I didn't find one light enough for her to use. I told her “Ill just crochet you a net and if you dont like it, you can go to Hobby Lobby craft store and buy one”. 

She agreed to give me a chance. 

So for the past few days, little by little, I whipped up a fish net wrap. Then I had to kill the acrylic to give it more form and softness. 

(killing acrylic is simply applying a moist towel over your flattened out crochet and iron over the towel. The heat and steam kills the scratchy thick acrylic and gives the crochet a flat and silky feel and the project keeps its shape)

I like how it turned out. The best part was picking up shells from the beach last week to finish it off.

Weather she chooses to use it or not, I asked if she will give it up to me after Halloween so I can maybe use it at my beach spot. That’s if it last through the halloween parties! 

Though we never go out on Halloween, I like to dress up for the fun of it and visit neighbors. 

I did attend a halloween wedding last year and dressed like Wednesday from the Adams Family. 

You can see me as Wednesday here. 

This year I might be Pee Wee Herman. 

Do you dress up? If so, what do you plan to dress up like?

The Witch Is In

One of my sweet blog friends,  Diana at “Nana Diana Takes a Break” has started a new blog. Her new blog is called “A Cottage on The Cove”.

In her new blog she talks about all the pretty things she has for sale in her new Etsy shop.
Boy isn't she getting into things? You should go visit her Etsy shop Here, but not until you finish reading my post!

To get things started on her new blog and shop adventures, she held a giveaway. The prize was “Hilda the Witch”. To be fair, She let one of her grand children draw a random name to announce the winner. Guess what? The winner was me! I was so excited! 

Yesterday the witch arrived on the cardboard express. My husband sent me a text picture of the package. “The witch is in”.

Once I got home from work, I tore the box open to reveal the ugliest witch. Ha! That's a good thing right? Also in the box was some really cool handmade items, candy and trinkets. 

I found a place to display each piece. I just adore the handmade velvet pumpkin and cigar box diorama. More of these can be found in her shop. You should see the pink pumpkins! Oh my!

Hilda is an ugly witch but makes a good brew while standing on my mantle. I think I’ve rearranged it about twenty times. 

I stopped before she got mad. She likes where she stands. She is frozen tired from traveling from Wisconsin to North Carolina.

Now head over to one of Diana's blogs and say hello. Don't for get to give her shop a visit too! 

Thanks again Diana!!!
and the candy is gone!

Creepy Crawly Foggy

As usual, my fit bit gave me three vibrate alarms to my wrist while I was curled comfortably in our little full size bed.

I peeled back the covers and got going with my daily morning routines. I ripped open a Nutrisystem muffin and threw some egg whites on the griddle, then straight to the coffee maker. As I poured myself a cup of coffee, I pulled back the curtains to catch the sunrise. Not today. It was foggy and 72 degrees.

The yard looked creepy as the fog and morning dew lit up all the spider webs like little lazer beams. First, let say, I am freaked out by spiders, so if I run into one, I will show the whole neighborhood my ninja moves. It aint pretty. 

Staring out the window, my eyes were glued to a large unique web on the grass. I grabbed my phone and ran out to the patio. I analyzed my path through the yard. Webs were everywhere! I tipped toed through the yard dodging webs like I was in a James Bond movie. I got to the web and zoomed in on my shot.

The web was amazing and there was a sider sitting in the center cone waiting on his prey. For now on, I will keep in mind that these are all over the yard, but unless it’s a morning like this, I will not see them.

Later I headed to work. The fog was so heavy, I felt like I was driving through a street party on Jamaican pride day. 

Harvest Moon And Sunrise

Well I'm back from the beach and it’s back to the work grind. After spending nice quality time with my love, its hard to come back to the reality of getting up and going to work the next day. 

The East coast beach is nice in October. Last year it was cold in October. This time it stayed in the 80’s. We didn’t have to pull out the little electric heater at night. In fact the air condition cycled as if it were the middle of July. 

One night we were out shopping at the outlets when I noticed across the parking lot, a big orange ball in the sky. “ Awe! It’s the Autumn moon! We must get to the ocean!” I said with excitement. So we took off running to the car like two kids running from a clown. The ocean was only two blocks away. 

We didn't get there fast enough. We parked at the camper, and took off running to the shore. The moon had already turned ivory. That didn't stop us from admiring its beauty. It was perfect. 

I would have loved being on that boat out at sea. (See the tiny little boat light?)

When we awoke the next morning I could see the sun was rising as the darkness was slipping away. 

“Thats it! I said to myself. “ I’m not missing this one!” I threw on some yoga pants, put my hair in a hat, slid on my flip flops and ran out to the ocean. What a sight I saw! 

The sun took the place of the moon as it hung there long enough for me to focus in on a few shots. When I came back to the camper, Nick knew what I had been up too and we both just smiled as he fixed me a cup of coffee. 

I cant wait to get back to that place in the spring.

Im Here

Im here. Trying to catch up on blog readings and itching to write a new post.

But Im on a beach and the internet sucks. I have seen the harvest moon over the ocean, lots of sun and the weather is warm.

I’ve done lots of walking with my love and tore into some crab legs on ocean drive. 

It’s bike week (again) here so the roar of motorcycles fill the air. 

Ill catch up later. Im heading out for another walk and looking at wheelestate. 

Maybe an ice cream cone too.

Even though it is just 10:00am on a Saturday. 

Birthday Baked Apples

My daughter has gotten to celebrate her birthday all week! Her birthday was September 23rd. She turned 26. We went to her town and took her out to breakfast on her birthday. We also gave her a couple gifts and a cheese cake. She was booked up with plans with her friends the rest of that weekend and the next. The soonest we could get family together to celebrate her birthday was this past weekend.

The birthday girl complained that she got every kind of cake for her birthday except her favorite. We asked “what kind of cake would that be?” She answered, “birthday cake!” She likes white cake with white buttercream icing. Of course, as her mom, I knew that. 

The family piled in after church for a birthday dinner. Me and Nick spent all morning in the kitchen preparing the food. The menu consist of bbq chicken, macaroni and cheese, slaw, squash casserole, green beans, rolls and baked apples. The apples were a last minute decision as I wanted to have a Fall themed dinner. 

There is something about the aroma of baked apples. They were a treat that went over good and made my house smell like a country bakery. 

I grabbed some New York apples because they were cheap. 

I would have much rather had honey crisp apples but they were tripple the price. The New York apples worked just fine.

I carefully cored out the centers and removed all the seeds and any hard stuff. Then I trimmed the peeling from the edges. Usually this will keep the skin from splitting and keeps the apples in tact. That didnt really work by the way. 

Next I stuffed each hole with a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins and pecans and butter.  I baked them until they were soft. They are great as a side or add ice cream to make it a delicious dessert. 

We were expecting twelve people for dinner but ended up with only eight. Needless to say we had lots of leftovers. We are those people that over prepare so nothing runs out. We make sure everyone can have as many helpings as they want. 

The food was great and YES, the girl got her Birthday cake with plenty to take home to share with her friends.

Another Cat!

This is the 2nd stray cat found around the office. The first one was a few weeks ago. I found it in a storm drain. We found it a home that afternoon.

Last week one of the guys here at work parked and got out of his car to the sound of a kitten cry somewhere under the frame. After a few searches, a small tiny kitten was found . It had somehow rode to work snuggle inside his wheel fender. 

Again, we searched for someone to take it home and made post on social media advertising a free kitten!

No one came to its rescue. No one is interested in a stray tabby.

I guess we have an office cat now. Still not sure if its a male or female but we named it Odessa. The first few days it was timid, scared and cried a lot. I am the only one that it would come too and it still favors me. I’m also the one that feeds it when I come into the office in the mornings. 

It’s been over a week now and it seems to be getting a little more comfortable around here. Though it constantly wants me to hold it, I just can’t. My allergies are already acting up. However, I will take a several moments out of my day and play with it and other times I keep my front office closed off so it doesn't sneak in. It’s learning to trust other employees as they are in and out all day and reach down to give it a pat on the head.

I can’t wait for it to grow up so its not as needy. I’m also hoping it will take care of the spiders here in the office as they are big enough to wear boots!

Pumpkin Pie Protein Shake

This post is for my Nutrisystem friends or those who want to know a healthy way to make a delicious protein filled Pumpkin Pie flavored shake. I suppose any protein or shake mix will work but my favorite Nutrisystem.

Let's face it, we all like a cool refreshing shake any time of the year. Right? Well the weather here in the Carolina's is still on the warm side. We have not pulled out the sweaters and boots yet. Sometimes we skip Fall and jump right into Winter. It's crazy like that here.

Well today I'm going to share with you this delicious Pumpkin Pie Shake using Nutrisystem's turbo vanilla shake mix. It’s packed with protein and fiber plus 22 vitamins and minerals. But wait, It doesn't have that healthy vitamin taste. This shake is so creamy and flavorful, you will think it came straight from your favorite sweet shop. 

Lets get started.

1. Mix your *Nutrisystem vanilla protein shake as directed. 

2. Add in 1 cup of pumpkin puree and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. 

That's it! Now how easy was that?

Oh and did you know, you can actually add all the ingredients into a Mason jar and it will fit right onto your blender? Just screw the blade onto the mouth of the jar. It's ready to go without the mess. 

I’m not a fan of pumpkin spice but this recipe taste like sweet pumpkin pie which is ok with me. I had no idea I would really like it but I did! As you see, I added a tad of whip cream on top. I mean, whats pumpkin pie without the whip topping?  

But hey, If you like pumpkin spice, then just add the spices.

Enjoy.

I am not being paid or compensated by Nutrisystem for this post. The opinions are my own. I simply have had lots of success with Nutrisystem and love sharing my ideas and results. 
*You can  purchase Nutrisystem’s protein shake mix and other nutritious foods by visiting Nutrisystem.com 

Crochet Fairy Pumpkins

My plan this season, is to decorate using only things I made added to some old stuff I already had. Blaah! I may toss the old stuff to the road after this year. I hate the smell of old fake floral when it ages. Being in the attic all summer, this is exactly what happens. Now, I know why people burn lots of fragrant candles during the holidays. Ya think?

I have a slew of remnant pieces of yarn left over from other projects. The pieces are too small to make anything useful so I decided to make some tiny pumpkins to use in my Fall decorations. Cute huh?

They call these fairy pumpkins because of the size and the wonky little stems. Sort of  like the ones you see in fairytales. 

I was inspired by THIS PATTERN found at "A Time for all seasons" blog. 

I adusted the rounds a bit to create different sizes and used my own imagination on the stems. 

They were so fun and quick to make that I had to stop myself before they ended up all over the house. 

Meanwhile, I have had some request from family and friends asking me to make them a couple of these cuties, so back to my yarn stash for more pumpkin making. This will be fun to do while I enjoy some Hallmark movies in my recliner. 

A Birthday Weekend

This weekend was my daughters birthday. I blinked and she was 26! How did this happen? I mean wasn’t I just teaching her to walk yesterday?

Every birthday she has is also a special day for me. I was told in early adulthood I would most likely never be able to have a child. I have more faith in the Lord than the words of a doctor. My daughter is proof of that.

We did not have any real plans for her birthday this weekend. We had planned to be out of town and she had plans with friends. Our plans fell through so we called her up to ask if she would like for us to come take her to breakfast. That girl will not turn down food so of course the answer was yes.

We jumped in the car and headed to Charlotte. We let her choose a place. “I know a nice little bakery just a half a mile down the street” she said. 

We wanted to walk since it was such a beautiful day. 

So a few blocks down, we settle into a cozy little bakery. It was small and felt like walking into grandmaws kitchen. It was called Sun flour bakery company. 

I ordered an egg, cheddar and avacodo on toast. I guess for breakfast it’s called toast, and for lunch it’s called a sandwich. The birthday girl and Nick ordered the cheddar biscuts with bacon and egg. Together we shared a giant cinnimon roll that was out of this world. (It was gone before I could get a photo). The place was a little pricey but the food was worth it. 

Afterwards we headed back to her place where we then gave her a birthday present and her very own cheese cake. Of course Nick had to fix a few things around her apartment because some things have to be fixed by dad. We left in time for her to meet up with the girls for some time around the pool. We will see her again next weekend as we plan to give her a birthday dinner with family.

Wow 26! I wish I could have bottled her up and keeped her little forever. 

DIY Cotton Stems

Happy Fall yall!
Gosh that was hard to say. I’m a sunshine and Summer gal.
We were suppose to head to the beach this weekend but the campground has no vacancies. This has never happened to us before. I’m thinking it’s due to all the Florida folks in for higher ground. Uggh!!! We will just have to wait a couple weeks. The beach in October is still good. It may be a chill in the air but it is what it is. So,with that being said, I went ahead and put summer behind me and got busy creating a few decorations to go with the season.

Today I’m going to share my latest craft I have been itching for months to make. “Cotton stems”.

For the record, there were no farmers, slaves, immigrants, maw maws, paw paws or kids used in making this decoration. It's just the work of my own two hands and maybe Johnson and Johnson. 

My husband has pretty much stopped asking “why?” when I mention needing certain random things. I may get “the look” but he knows by now that I have a craft idea in mind and when that happens, there is no stopping me. I'm sure he appreciates this more than if I were to go on a shopping spree to Hobby Lobby. 

I pulled out a bag of cotton balls from the cabinet and a glue gun from the craft room. I asked my husband to pick me up two pine cones on his morning walk. I snapped a few dry twigs from a Crape Myrtle. That's all I needed for this project. 

I cut off several spikes from the pine cones and glued them onto the hand puffed cotton balls to look like the pods. 

With another dab of hot glue to the middle of the pods, I slid the end of the branches into the cotton. I wish I would have stuck to the darker pine shell. It gives it a better look.

Once finished, I put them in a vase, or jar to make the perfect natural decoration for the season.

I always admire the cotton fields we pass in South Carolina on our beach trips. My creation looks almost like the real thing minus the beetles.

Question: Just how long is a cotton picken minute?
My Answer: As long as it took daddy to fix something.
I've heard it many times "Just give me a cotton picken minute!"

Lemon Seeds

I had no idea I could actually grow a lemon tree. I read on the Internet that you can actually grow a lemon tree from lemon seeds. Really? Ha! Okay, I knew that but wasn't sure it would work for me.

I read that the seeds need to be from a fresh organic lemon. My lemons were NOT organic. In fact, they had also been in the fridge for a week.

The truth is, I rarely buy anything organic unless its on sale and that's only because of the price. I’m not a big believer in the whole organic craze. Organic to me is right out of my garden. I call bull on any of the organic claimed items in the store. Personally I’d rather have my foods grown protected from insects and diseases. But that's just my thoughts.

Ok, back to the lemon seeds. 

While cutting up a lemon for Nicks water, I managed to scoop out some seeds. I didn't follow the instructions on how to get them ready to plant. I just stuck them in some dirt. Two weeks later, I had lemon sprigs! 

I was tickled. I did read that once they have a couple leaves to them, I can transport them to a larger pot, so I did and they have mature just a bit.

Now I wait. The weathers is going to turn cold soon so I plan to bring the plant inside and keep it by the bay window for sun. I really hope it continues to grow.

Rustic Bundt Pan Wreath

It's September. I hate to see Summer go but I do like the smell of Autumn. I enjoy the colors its brings. I like flannel and fire pits. It's that time for falling leaves, football games, bonfires and Pumpkin flavored EVERYTHING hits the selves. I have a confession: Pumpkin flavor is not my favorite. Pumpkin Pie is ok if its loaded with whip topping.

I'm ready to bring out my Fall decorations but we don't want to rush it. We want to get one more beach trip in first, so I'll wait until its officially Fall. 

Meanwhile I had this bright idea to make a fall wreath. We do not have much money so I'm always thrifty. When I say thrifty, im talking thrift store or dollar store thrifty. Today we made a trip to the dollar store for some cookies. They have a kind I like and they are only a dollar!

I never go to the dollar store without leaving with a handfull of "things". 

Today I grabbed a spool of seasonal ribbon and a floral stem. 

My husband just gave me a look. "I have a plan", I exclaimed. He just nodded and said "well, ok".

Once we got home, I had an hour to waste before meeting my brother-in-laws for dinner. My husband was resting on the sofa. I quietly pulled out my old rustic and stained bundt pan from the cabanet while my craft idea was still fresh in my head. I cut the ribbon and twisted the floral stem until the idea became reality. 

I created a fall wreath to hang in my kitchen. It took me all of two dollars and two minutes to create. 

The bundt cakes will have to wait till Winter. 

Three Months is Too Long

Ok here I go complaining again. I told myself I would not post this whiney stuff anymore but I honestly do not have anything else to talk about today. Sad huh.

Despite the smile on my face, and fun in my heart, I'm still in physical pain. This all started the first week of July. I started getting chest pains that felt like a heart attack. They would come and go and woke me during the night. It was even accompanied by sweating, racing heartbeat and shortness of breath.

I have had several test. I had two EKGs, blood test, chest xrays and a nuclear stress test. Nothing wrong with my heart. So we move on to possible gallbladder problems. An ultra sound and hida scan later, nothing seems wrong there either. I've had to wait a week between each test and thats annoying. I want a solution. I guess the 25 years of paying thousands of dollars for insurance is finally gonna benifit me, but I doubt it. 

The pains get worst by the day. I'm feeling sick now. Pains are now pretty consistant instead of comming and going. They are from my lower sternum to my collar bone and upper back. I'm so uncomfortable. At times I feel as if a 600 lb. bear is hugging me. I have shortness of breath, I can't enjoy exercise though I try every day. I toss and turn with chest and back pains during the night and it grinds all day long. 

The doctor has now gone back to his first instinct and thinks it's acid reflux or Gerd. I'm not really feeling that, but I do have some symptoms that suggest this could be possible. However, I wouldn't think Gerd would feel like I've been kicked in the chest by a kung fu fighter.

As a last resort, I'm scheduled for an endoscopy in two weeks! Uugh the wait!!! I'm on the list if they get any cancelations to see me sooner. He thinks I could also have a hiatal hernia or esophageal damage. Fingers crossed they find something thats nothing and I can get this taken care of. I'm miserable. Three months has been too long! 

On a good note. I have another beach trip planned this month before the test. Salt air heals everything, right? 

Speaking of salt healing, has anyone ever used the salt lamps? They are really pretty but do they really work to enhance lung and brain function, or is this some kind of weird gypsy belief? 

Note: please keep all comments on this post here or by email instead of facebook. Thanks.

We Survived

Last night while laying in bed we could hear the winds ripping across the house. The attic creeked and popped withstanding the wind gust. We could hear the bushes whipping the shutters then drifted off to sleep. 

The winds were just gusty and I think the strongest was 30mph winds. Not enough to tear a roof off but enough to clean the dead branches out of the tall pin oaks in the neighborhood. 

Our lawn is free of trees except a dogwood out back and a butterfly bush that is now leaning even more than it was. I'll go out and straighten it later. I usually cut it way back in the Winter anyway. 

One neighbor was not so lucky as Hurricane Irma toppled a tree on his property. No one was hurt but it was a site for the neighbors. We may gather up and help with the debris and may need to have a chain saw party. 

Below is a photo of the damages. 

We are survivors.

Note: Yes im taking this as a joke but remember there are many that are devistated with damages. Keep

Praying for those lost and damaged by this storm.

Irma Feeling It

After a night of tossing and turning I awoke as usual. Sneezing and sniffing as my allergies awaken with me. I dragged myself into the kitchen feeling like I only had maybe two hours of sleep. I have a lot on my mind. I worried more than normal last night.

I poured myself a cup of coffee and popped a couple waffles into the toaster. I walked over to the bay window and could see the trees blowing in the wind. I stepped outside and I could feel the cool air and wind as Irma was brewing a couple states below me. She is headed our way later this afternoon but we will not be getting the worst of it. I think we will just have lots of wind and rain.

My daughter was home, so I made a pan of can buscuits for her but I ended up burning them. I forgot I had them in the oven as I don't usually make biscuits anymore. So she opt for waffles too as she pulls her computer up to begin working remote from home today. 

I rushed off to work for a couple hours before I headed back home. Then we all rode up to church. My sister in law lost her battle with cancer last week and today was her funeral. She was only 40. She left behind a loving husband and 4 little boys. My family is heart broken but relived that her 9 month battle is over.

I'm now back at work. Customers are not calling. The air feels eerie as hurricane Irma is moving in. It feels like Fall. I'm concerned about a few blogging friends down in Florida. McWheeler and Dina are in the Tampa Area. Hope they are safe. I'm glad Jack over at Shipslog is here in NC for the time being, but his son is riding the storm out down in Florida. I'm fixing to head to his blog and check on things.  

I pray for all those in the line of this storm. My thoughts are also with the surviors and families of the tragic 9/11 attacks that we will never forget. 

I hope my heart doesn't feel so heavy and my worries turn small as I lay back down to sleep tonight. But first..I better get back to work.