TTFN

Tata for now, as Tigger would say! We're taking laptop so if what we hear is true, there is free wireless internet in the lobby of the hotel so maybe I will get to post a few pics! Cya in November!

Today I was on 280, so

I took the picture of the mountain behind our old house. Not much color yet as you can see, and even more interesting was the fact that Longview Shell, or Exxon has it was most recently, was CLOSED! I had no idea. Not only was it closed, it was empty and as you can see from the pics below, there were "No Trespassing" signs all over it. So sad - another piece of our past is gone. I will never forget standing in the store when it was cold outside before we caught the bus. Angie and Mom ~ remember how dark it was in there? I think whomever put the "Thank You" with the heart message in reverse must have been one of the many who took shelter there for so many of their high school bus days! Oh well, maybe someone will come along and re-open it soon. Meanwhile, don't let all the color leave before we get back from Jamaica or at least snap a few photos to share with me if you see them starting to fade or blow away! (2 days and counting!)

I love these trees ...

at Kimberly Clark. I pass them every day on my way to work and have for four years now. They are always so pretty and usually they show the first signs of change. I just wanted to share them with you all.

The other favorite spot I have to look at all the colors is the mountain behind the house we lived in off Highway 280. It was always covered in every color of the fall season. Maybe I will ride over that way today and see if the leaves on that side of town have started to change. Of course that will be AFTER I do all my chores ... maybe ... did I tell you I got a new camera? Yes, something like a new camera has a tendency to distract me from my chores. Oh well, the chores will wait, but you can never tell how long the pretty fall colors will be around! (I am the queen of rationalizing!)

7 Days to Go ...

I never know exactly how to count the days left until something big happens ... do you count the day you're on? Do you count the day the event happens? All I know is that one week from today we will be on our way to Atlanta and one week from tomorrow we will be on the plane to Jamaica. Did I tell you I can't wait? I am so excited and I think if Frank were any more excited about it, he could flap his way there! He cannot stop talking about it.

Yesterday was Frank's birthday and we met Amy at Asiana for lunch. It was pretty tasty. Amy got him a gift certificate at Fresh Market so now he can buy lots of tasty food to put in the pretty new Calphalon stock pot that Art and Helen got him. I gave him a gift certificate for an "Introductory Flight Lesson." I was really hoping he would be able to do it yesterday, but weather conditions did not allow.

Did you know it has only rained 2 days this year? Really, as far as I can remember it rained on Amy's graduation and on Frank's birthday ... two days when being outside was such a really big part of the plans! Okay, I know it has rained more than two days, but not too many more.

Just a parting note, if anyone is bored this weekend, I've got plenty of packing, list completing, housecleaning chores to do before we can leave next Friday ... be happy to have company. Haha!

I love you more every year! Thank you for sharing your special day with me and making it a very special day for me, too!

This crowd loves parties & seafood!

From Art's Birthday Party at Tiffany & Shawn's house on the last weekend in September. Frank did a seafood boil and everyone really enjoyed watching Art try to guess his presents.

Yummy, Vegetable Soup!

Okay, so when I was a little girl this was not exactly my favorite meal. Now that I am grown up, however, I can really taste the homey goodness of vegetable beef soup. Especially when Mama has done all the hard work and used just the right amount of vegetables. Yesterday I decided to put my pretty new crock pot and some of the Christmas gifts from Mama & Daddy to use. I got out one jar of the tomato based vegetable soup base, some barley and the directions on how to use the automatic settings and the probe on the new pot. It seemed pretty easy ... I just browned the ground beef in steak dust seasoning and added it, along with about a cup and a half of barley, and one jar of soup, set the timer to automatic - stew - and dropped the probe in. About an hour into, I looked and the barley had soaked up all the liquid, so I added Jar #2 of Mama's base. It wasn't long until I realized that I was going to need even more liquid (that barley was sure thirsty.) I added a can of beef stock, waited, then added one more jar of Mama's soup mix. All of a sudden I realized my 6 quart crock pot was slap full of vegetable soup and there was only me and Frank to eat it! Oh well, it was quite delicious so I had two bowls yesterday, one for lunch today, and just finished my fourth bowl (only a cup each.) Hard to count the points but I am hoping they weren't too much. Frank took about 2 cups with him to work today and agreed with me that it was pretty good stuff. He said I definitely had to share the credit with Mama - I thought it generous I got to share - I probably would say she got ALL the credit! Afterall, even if it wasn't my favorite soup (that's chicken noodle) I was always paying attention to how she made it and what it SHOULD taste like. Well, anyway, thanks Mama, it was delicious ... oh, and I saved the jars in case you want to refill them again this Christmas :)

It's What I Do ...

On Saturday when Frank and I were in Greenville, I was just strolling around NOT taking pictures and Frank asked why I wasn't taking pictures, especially since I got a new camera. I just "ho-hummed" and he said, "I don't understand why you are not taking pictures. If were on vacation or in Jamaica you would be taking pictures of everything, what's different?" Point taken. I guess somehow I just wasn't thinking that the folks of Greenville feeding their faces and walking around the street fair would be that interesting. I am happy to say ... I was wrong ... Frank was right. I think I captured a few good shots to share with you. What you see is how I saw the event, what you can't feel is all the pushing and shoving and feelings of being lost in a huge sea of people. It was nicer during the early part of the day, but as the night went on, it just kept getting more and more crowded. Hope you enjoy the slide show.

Me & Frank at Fall for Greenville

Today was a great day! Started out with breakfast at Golden Corral with Art, Helen, Zack, Nick & Corey to celebrate Frank's birthday. Not a big crowd but as long as Dad and kids are there, Frank is good. Missed Joanna. Frank got some cute red socks and a great Calpholon stock pot from Art & Helen. Can't wait to see what he makes first with it! Breakfast at the Corral was Yummy! I had some of the french toast and thought it was really good, it had cinnamon on it.

After we finished breakfast we headed to Greenville for Fall for Greenville street fair. It was pretty neat - lots and lots of people and lots and lots of food. Frank tried the Blue Ridge Brewing Company's Smoked Duck Quesadilla and I had a steak sandwich from Larkin's. The proportions were a bit smaller than appetizers and so when we got home we finished off the pizza Frank made last night. Out of 43 food vendors there today, not one of them had anything nearly as tasty as Frank's leftovers! Oh well, I am really sleepy now. Will post some more pics on Sunday.

It's October and that means Basketball is just around the corner

Matthew has tryouts for the West team on the 29th and the Bulls started preseason tonight. Goodbye new shows, hello NBA Ticket (thank goodness for DVRs!)

Frank's Birthday

Publish Post

Frank has decided he would like to celebrate his birthday on Saturday morning, October 14, at the Golden Corral. We will be there at 9:30 am for breakfast and anyone who wants to attend is welcome. Please let me know if you are coming, so I can reserve a spot for all of us.

Happy Anniversary, Angie & Gene

Sorry I didn't get this up until late in the day, but the wishes are the same - Happy Anniversary - WOW 18 Years! You guys are getting up there! Won't be long 'til you all will be celebrating with one of those milestone anniversary parties like we've thrown for our folks!

Hope it was happy!

I Got John Edwards

This morning, I am up a bit early for a Saturday, but I had to shuttle Frank off so I thought I would take a little quiet time and surf. I went to a Jamaican website and the first thing on it was a link to a quiz to help you determine which presidential candidate shares most of your views. I think it is somewhat appropriate that North Carolina born John Edwards agreed with me on 41% of the issues. Granted it's not a very high percentage, but I am guessing it is the best I am going to get. In my heart, I feel like the country is going to agree that it's time for a Democrat (not my view necessarily) but I think just the same way that Heath beat Charles in this area, Southern Republicans with lack of a better party choice may return to their Southern Democrat roots and vote for Edwards. He does seem more sincere, I believe, but then again it could just be southern charm ... and I am a sucker for that sweet accent of his!

Try this link SELECT A CANDIDATE QUIZ. Then click on comments below and tell me who you got. I know it's a bit different to hear me talk about politics, but I am just curious to know if all the southerners I know think the same way ... or at least closely.

P.S. Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico, also scored 41. However, I couldn't possibly vote for a man who is the Governor of the state that gave my Dad a speeding ticket when we were "just keeping up to keep from getting run over." It was the only "bad" thing I think that happened on our two week road trip out west the summer before my Senior year.

P.S.S. The highest scoring Republican was Rudy Giuliani with 30.

Priceless

I love those mastercard priceless commercials. I always think they are so cute and that "this one" or "that one" is my favorite. Guess it's okay to keep changing them up once in a while, my current favorite is called "Robot Dance." It reminds me so much of Luke.

Here's a link where you can see them all:

PRICELESS COMMERCIALS

Harmony's 4th Birthday Party