Delana's Project 365: Take 2

I think I am very impatient

2009-08-13T19:20:00.002-05:00

I just wish that this cottage was done already!! The plumber has been here this week and this is what he has accomplished. This is what will eventually be my kitchen sink! In the back you can see what will be the bathroom. The toilet pipe is sticking up. The electrician should be coming in next week. Then windows and doors, floors and walls!!!! Can you tell I'm excited? LOL
But as exciting as all this is, and after waiting for so long to get this done, Mike and I may not even be able to live in it. Right now we're kind of like so many other people. Living paycheck to paycheck, hoping and praying that the car doesn't break down, or the animals don't need to go to the vet, etc., etc. So Mike has been trying to find a better job and he has found one that would be absolutely amazing, only it would require us to relocate to Louisiana because it would be insanely ridiculous to travel that distance every day. He's already taken a test (this is an experience that I MUST blog about when I get a chance, btw) and found out that he meets the requirements for the position. Now, we're just waiting for him to get called in to interview. We have been praying that he gets this job, but also praying that we'll be able to keep on keepin' on if he doesn't. So if y'all would throw some prayers out for us too, or if any of you might know anyone with Shell Oil maybe put a little bug in their ear, it'd be awesome!!

Calmer days

2009-07-30T13:35:00.002-05:00

The kids went back home Sunday and it has been so quiet around here (which I LOVE!!) and things are getting back to normal. Life becomes a little too hectic for me when they are with us, and I'll just leave it at that to keep from sounding like a complete witch. Everyone tells me that it's difficult for all step parents, but it's hard for me to believe that it's THIS HARD for everyone. I had to pray for patience all the time to keep from slapping one of them for their language and attitudes! And I finally realized that if I do ever have kids, I'll probably be one of those mamas that gets locked up for "child abuse" cause they got caught spankin their youngun in the grocery store! (OK, I know that child abuse is a very serious thing, and I hope none of you are offended by that, but when you spank a kid that's throwing a temper tantrum cause they aren't getting their way it is NOT child abuse) Yep, I'll be like those old ladies carrying their switches around with them!! LOL But until then I am quite satisfied with my "baby". Here's some pictures of her most recent trip to the beach. She actually got out in the water this time!!

So, I'm not exactly a 365er anymore...

2009-07-22T12:44:00.003-05:00

...but I've decided that it's quite alright. The world did not end. LOL

It is still extremely hectic in our little household. The kids are still here and I do believe that the cousins have decided to just live here as well. Construction (well, deconstruction, actually) has officially started on the cottage. They are tearing out ceilings and insulation that was still inside, and replacing windows and doors. I have one pic of the outside now, but I want to wait until the new windows and doors go in to start doing some before/after posts. So exciting!!

This past weekend, it was Mike's daughter's choice of "family activity". She decided to do 4-wheeling. Mike's sister and her husband loaded all the "toys" up and hauled them out to their land for our day of fun. My fun was actually at the end of the day when all the kids actually wanted to go to bed instead of the usual staying up all night!

Mike, his son, his sister, and her two boys (the cousins).
This is his youngest daughter. She doesn't like being photographed and would probably die if she knew I had this one!
And finally, his son again. He had an absolute blast driving us around on the golf cart.

I don't know what day I should be on...

2009-07-12T19:33:00.002-05:00

so I thought I'd post a few of what's been going on the past few days. While I have some spare time (aka: not doing laundry, dishes, cooking or picking up after younguns!)

These are Mike's nephews on the lovely Spiderman slip-n-slide. It wasn't slippery enough so the kids put dish liquid on it to make them slide faster! And I've been wondering what ever happened to the plain old yellow slip-n-slide. Can you even buy those any more?

This is what we did on Saturday. Or attempted to do anyway. The fish weren't biting, the crabs didn't want anything to do with our delicious chicken necks we were trying to feed them, and Mike couldn't even manage to catch any bait fish. And it was so stinkin hot we just decided to pack it all up and come on home.

And today, I made this blueberry pound cake. It was absolutely wonderful!! And so simple to make!! For any of you that might like to try it here's the recipe:

1 yellow cake mix
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
2 cups blueberries

Mix first four ingredients. Coat berries in flour and fold into cake mixture. Bake in a well greased bundt pan at 325 for one hour or until done. For glaze, mix 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla (or 1 to 2 tsp lemon juice) and 1/2 cup hot water.

I made the entire amount of glaze using lemon juice and it was very good, but it makes a lot of it. I think the next time I will only make half of the glaze.

So, I found my camera...

2009-07-05T17:54:00.004-05:00

This is my brother's little girl. The pic is from the fourth, and I've been trying to upload it since Monday, but haven't been able to cause our internet goes all screwy! But isn't she just adorable!! On our beaches we don't really have pretty shells, but after digging around for a while she did find this piece of one. She was so excited to find it! We had a great Fourth of July. Did some cooking on the grill and had homemade ice cream!!

For an update on the cottage, it's being rebuilt on a very SMALL budget, but I got an exciting little tidbit of info yesterday. We may be getting solid cherry cabinetry and granite counter tops!!!! The contractor is a friend of ours and her brother is friends with a guy that does cabinets and counter tops. So keep your fingers crossed!! I was just excited that I would finally have my own kitchen and would have been happy with plain old laminate, so needless to say, I am just beyond excited about this little possibility!! We've also decided to acid stain the concrete floor in the kitchen and living room so I can't wait to see how that turns out.

Also, the kids are here and their cousins have also been staying with us. So we now have 3 adults, 2 teenagers, 2 children, and 2 dogs living in this house. There hasn't been one dull moment all week, but it has also gone much more smoothly than the previous summers. I am so relieved about that and hope it stays that way!!

Busy, busy days

2009-06-30T18:10:00.004-05:00

I haven't quit! I promise!! I have just been unbelievably insanely busy for the past few days. To make a long story short, after two long years of paperwork, inspections, and more inspections, it looks like we will finally be able to actually repair/rebuild the cottage Mike lived in "pre Katrina"!!! I am super super SUPER duper excited about getting this project going! I've been gathering paint, cabinet/counter top, flooring samples, and picking out the stuff for the bathroom and kitchen. But I must say, I am enjoying every minute of it.

I've also been getting things ready and sort of cleaned up for this weekend. We have my brother and his wife and daughter coming down for the weekend, Mike's aunt coming in to spend the week, and his kids coming in for the rest of their summer. I'm really stressing that one, because by the end of August my nerves are always shot and every one's attitude is soured. But that is a story all in itself, and I'm sure many of you will see it unfold!

But anyhow, I just wanted to jump on here and let y'all know what's been going on and I promise I haven't quit! I will start posting again just as soon as I remember where I put my camera. Yep, that's right. I have no clue where the last place I had it is!!

Day 156

2009-06-20T16:31:00.003-05:00

It's been another scorching hot day today. And no sign of any rain to help cool things off either. I went out to spray everything down and thought this would be a good pic for today. I just love love LOVE drops of water on flowers and plants!

Day 155

2009-06-19T18:24:00.004-05:00

This, for me, is one of the best parts of summer. A good ol homegrown tomato sandwich. They bring back so many good memories of my childhood. Of the summers spent at my mamaw and papaw's house with cousins. These are what we practically lived off of. All the time I spent there I rarely ever remember trips to the grocery store. My grandparents always had a huge garden and practically everything we ate came out of it. I remember going through entire loaves of bread at one meal eating tomato sandwiches! For a plain tomato sandwich, you would need a really fresh loaf of "good" white bread. A loaf so fresh that it wants to stick to the top of your mouth. No store brand would do because they usually weren't soft enough. And it would just be bread (untoasted), mayonnaise (Blue Plate only), tomato, and salt&pepper. Simple as that. We would only have BLTs for supper though. And they were always made with toasted wheat bread. Mamaw would have fried squash or okra and usually butter beans to go with it. And sweet tea. Now, I know I sorta started rambling there, but for me, that was just a little piece of heaven!!

Day 154

2009-06-18T15:21:00.004-05:00

On our trip up to North Carolina we went out to Kings Mountain and walked the trail with the monuments and grave. These are a few of the pictures from our afternoon there.

Day 153

2009-06-17T17:09:00.003-05:00

It's freakin HOT!!

Inside and out! It is 5:12 pm and it's 95 outside (I really think it's hotter than that) and about 81 here in the computer room. With the air running. And a box fan blowing in here too.

Day 152

2009-06-16T14:18:00.003-05:00

Another flower...

...because I didn't think y'all would want to see the only other thing I've been looking at today. Laundry, laundry and more laundry!

Also, maybe it's just me but it seems like the more I look at the word laundry, the more it looks like it isn't spelled correctly.

Day 151

2009-06-16T13:22:00.004-05:00

My sister and her husband decided to come down here for a little mini family vacation instead of doing the whole honeymoon thing. Mike and I drove over to where they are staying last night and we all went out on the beach so the kids could chase crabs.
They were so excited about catching crabs and the baby fish.

WARNING!!

The following two pictures are just a tad bit disgusting. The first is some dead fish that none of us knew what it was and the second is a sting ray that looked like it had been attacked by some crabs.

All those missed days...

2009-06-14T17:45:00.004-05:00

It has been one crazy hectic week! We got home only a few hours ago and I am dog tired. Of course the first thing I had to do was get on here!!! LOL This is only a few of the pics and I think I might wait until later this week to post a few others.

this is Mike's oldest daugter (you can see the middle daughter's elbow in the back. she doesn't like being photographed although she is an absolutely gorgeous girl!)

Mike and his son

my cute little nieces

wedding cake topper (i thought it was just too cute)

my parents and all their young'uns

this is our entire family

and finally Mike and me!

Day 142

2009-06-06T18:41:00.003-05:00

More pink flowers

I've been getting things ready to go to North Carolina for Mike's oldest daughter's high school graduation. Then we will be going back to my parent's house for my sister's wedding next weekend. That means lots and lots of driving. Ughh. And since we don't have a laptop and my parents still have that awful, horrible dial-up I won't be able to get online to do any posts for at least a week. But at least I should have something besides flowers to take pictures of all week!!

Please keep us in y'alls thoughts and prayers while we're doing all this traveling.

Day 141

2009-06-05T13:19:00.002-05:00

What a spoiled dog we have!

This is about the only time I'm able to get a picture of Kimbo. (or when she's sitting for a treat) Her bed is in the same room we have the computer. It's an actual twin bed with covers and a pillow! And she is very, VERY picky about it. Like last night, she kept wandering in and out of our bedroom. Then I remembered I left a basket of clothes sitting on it earlier in the day. She doesn't like anything on it that isn't supposed to be when she goes to sleep. The stinker wanted it OFF of her bed so she could snuggle in her covers!

Day 140

2009-06-04T12:15:00.004-05:00

I just love this picture! I think it's probably one of the top ten favorites of the pics I have taken. This is the same type of flower from yesterday's post. I'm not exactly sure what it is but they are lovely. We got a packet of mixed flower seeds in the mail and decided to do a little row of them out by our mini vegetable garden. Now they are all starting to get flowers on them so it should be interesting to see what all they look like.

Also, I found this little bit of funniness. It's Jeanne Robertson's Left Brain's grocery list bit and let me just tell y'all, it had me about to wet myself!!

Day 139

2009-06-03T14:05:00.003-05:00

I just love when I have a day to myself and can do whatever I want to!

(like play around on the computer editing pics!!)

Day 138

2009-06-02T16:55:00.003-05:00

Made a butter cake today. With BUTTER. Not margarine. And TWO tubs of chocolate icing. Oh yeah...it's been one of those days!!

Day 137

2009-06-01T19:42:00.003-05:00

Suntan Season

"Suntan lotion is good for me. You protect me, hee hee hee."

-Adam Sandler as Billy Madison

After work this afternoon, I went out and worked on my tan. I should have remembered to take my camera because I could have got some better pics there on the beach. There was an adorable little boy who kept yelling "Biscuit!!" for no apparent reason and wandered over my way to tell me I had a strange suit. Then there was the flock of seagulls that I was almost devoured by when I got out of my car. But it was a beautiful day!!

Day 136

2009-05-31T18:38:00.002-05:00

A few (about 60) members of the choir from North Ridge Church in Plymouth, Michigan came down and did a little volunteer work and then had what we called when I was little a "singin" today. It was such a blessing to hear them sing. We had a pot luck lunch after the service and I made this banana pudding to take. I forgot to get the whipped cream for the top but I hope anyone who ate it enjoyed it anyway!

Award's Day!!

2009-05-30T11:06:00.002-05:00

I was given an award today and also one weeks ago that I want to pass along to some of my blogger buddies and to those who entertain and inspire me!

This is the first one which was given to me by Vicki M. at My 2009 Project 365. For any of you that don't follow her blog, I highly recommend it. The things she can do with just her camera (she doesn't do any type of editing) never cease to amaze me!

The Renee Award was created by two women, Bella and Ces, to honor their friend Renee.

My eight nominees are:
365 Days
Picture This
Oz Girl's Photo Spot
Digital Detours Photography
heARTshare
keli takes pictures: project 365
Picture a Day Project
2009 Photo Project

This award was given to me by Vicki at Another Day...Another Rambling . The rules for this award are as follows:

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

My nominees are:

mcdougall photography: the blog
My 2009 Project 365
A Snapshot of Her Life
Tina's 365 Project
Christina Photo
Andy C-Project 365-2009
Bloomingdale 365
A 365 Project: Photography in Image
A Photo A Day
Dot's Photoaday Spot
Nikon Sniper
Project 365
One photo a day for a year (2009)
RALLENHILL Project 365
Mari's Recipe Blog

Day 135

2009-05-30T10:51:00.003-05:00

Pickin blueberries...

We got up at the butt crack of dawn to go and pick blueberries at a nearby farm today. I had so much fun!! I've never been picking like that before and it was a new experience for me. They don't use any pesticides so you can just eat and pick and eat some more until your bucket (or belly) is full. Needless to say, I did the pickin and Mike did the eatin!! We did wind up with two gallons of berries for only $14 which I thought was a GREAT deal!!

Day 134

2009-05-30T10:50:00.002-05:00

Day 133

2009-05-28T18:44:00.003-05:00

Pigs in a blanket

The nephew is here tonight so we had fun food for supper.

Day 132

2009-05-28T16:08:00.003-05:00

This picture didn't turn out too great. I tried to take another one but the lizard wasn't having any of that. He ran away and hid under the front porch.

Day 131

2009-05-28T16:07:00.002-05:00

Day 130

2009-05-25T21:33:00.003-05:00

Mike and I went to visit my family this weekend. When we were leaving today, I made him stop so I could get a picture of the road my parents live on. Their land is surrounded by the Bienville National Forest. This is where I grew up and have always loved this road in the spring and summer. Even though it's been years since I've lived there, every time I get to our road I really start to feel like I'm back home.

I'm also posting another pic from yesterday of my nieces. I can't even describe how much I love these girls!! Right now, the red headed one is going through a stage where she absolutely will NOT smile to take a picture. She either makes a goofy face or frowns! I think it's because she has recently lost her two front teeth!! Or maybe she's just starting to act like her daddy, my brother (in the background)! LOL

Day 129

2009-05-25T21:27:00.003-05:00

After church on Sunday, my soon to be brother-in-law decided we should all go for a ride. I snapped this picture while they were getting everything gathered for our little trail ride. That's my daddy and his wagon/mule team. His gear was all hand made by an Amish gentleman in Tennessee.

Day 128

2009-05-25T21:21:00.002-05:00

Eco friendly lawn mower

My parents have been having so much rain over the last few weeks, it's been impossible for them to use the mowers or tractor to cut the grass. This is their solution for keeping it from getting knee deep. The horses have been let out of the pastures and now they just wander all over!

Day 127

2009-05-25T21:19:00.002-05:00

black eyed susan

Day 126

2009-05-21T17:05:00.003-05:00

We finally got some rain today. I can't even remember the last time it did rain. Honestly, I wouldn't mind a few DAYS of rain just to get rid of some of this dust and dryness that is killing everybody's sinuses!!

Day 125

2009-05-21T16:59:00.003-05:00

Who'd a thunk it!! Sugar free candy that's got energy boosting stuff that's kosher and still tastes good! It's been two months without smoking now and I'm still eating candy and gum like crazy. The past few days have been harder than before cause all I can seem to think about is how bad I want a cigarette!!

Day 124

2009-05-19T14:47:00.002-05:00

I spy...

...some "maters"!!!

It seems like I've been gone from blogger for forever! Actually, I'm somewhat disappointed in myself for skipping as many days as I have. I've had a lot of things going on and just got stressed to the max and felt like I needed a vacation from something. And this was the only feasible thing for me to take a break from. LOL

Day 118

2009-05-13T11:41:00.003-05:00

Thought I'd try a collage today. The bottom left is from a bouquet, and the rest are from our yard. The top right is so tiny! I never even noticed them before today.

Day 117

2009-05-13T11:36:00.003-05:00

Squash, squash, and more squash!! Our plant is LoAdEd with blooms and even has two little squash already on it! I can't wait until all the vegetables start coming in. There's just something about homegrown vegetable that is so much better than store bought.

Day 116

2009-05-13T11:33:00.003-05:00

Is it...

...a pancake?, a crazy pita? Nope. Just some nastiness growing out in the yard!

Day 115

2009-05-10T18:03:00.003-05:00

We went out lookin for gators again today. Some actually got close enough to get a picture of them, so I was pretty excited! This was the smaller one and was probably about 4 feet long. The one that stayed farther out looked like it was huge. All we could see was the head and comparing it to this one I would say the larger one was at least a 6 footer!!

Happy Mother's Day to all you mother bloggers!

Day 114

2009-05-09T18:07:00.003-05:00

Mommy juice

I'm not a fan of Merlot. My mother-in-law just raved about this so I thought I'd at least try it. I think I'll stick with my wine in a box!!

Day 113

2009-05-09T18:00:00.003-05:00

Gardenia

They smell absolutely lovely. When we were still in the FEMA "mansion", we had what I called a little courtyard area. Our trailer was in the corner of the yard and we were surrounded in the front by the azaleas and gardenia bush. I loved sitting out there in the mornings with a good book and cup of coffee breathing their scent!

Day 112

2009-05-07T11:53:00.003-05:00

More yard flowers!! I'm sure y'all are getting pretty sick of pictures of them everyday. To be honest, I kinda am too! I need ideas!!!

A little side note.. today is the national day of prayer.

Day 111

2009-05-06T19:29:00.003-05:00

Nothing unique about this, I know practically everyone has done something like this. I'm bored and this is the best it gets for today.

Day 110

2009-05-05T16:26:00.002-05:00

Just some more of my flowers that are starting to come back out. I really need to take the time to clean out all the flower pots and just spruce everything up out back. Some plants need to go in larger pots and some are just plain dead. I keep saying I'm gonna do it but by the time I wake up it's already 80 somethin outside and I don't do hot. It's just not my thing.

Day 109

2009-05-04T17:56:00.003-05:00

"I once had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: no good in a bed, but fine up against a wall." -Eleanor Roosevelt

The roses are starting to bloom. I've never understood why people are so crazy about them. I mean sure they're pretty, but they don't really smell. I think that there's plenty of flowers that smell as good as they look and I would prefer those over a rose any day.

Day 108

2009-05-03T18:44:00.004-05:00

"Is it raining at your house like it's raining at mine

Do you miss me like I miss you, is it cloudy all the time

Do you tremble when the phone rings and you think I'm on the line

Is it raining at your house like it's raining at mine

Does it thunder and lightnin' even when the sun shines

Is it raining at your house like it's raining at mine"

I thought the way this flower looked on the sidewalk was just so sad. It's best days are behind it. By tomorrow, it will probably be forgotten. For those of you who don't "follow" country music, these lyrics are from a Vern Gosdin song (the one playing now). He was one of the greatest voices of country music. And this song and picture convey how I'm feeling right now.

Day 107

2009-05-02T17:51:00.002-05:00

Cookies are a girl's best friend.

Day 106

2009-05-01T15:46:00.002-05:00

These little yellow flowers are growing on the white plant that never died from my Day 63 post. This plant is absolutely huge now, covering most of the pot and the part that the flowers are on is hanging over the side. I really like how the yellow of the flowers look against the trees and sky behind them.

Day 105

2009-05-01T10:45:00.003-05:00

Kimbo was very patiently waiting on her treat.

Day 104

2009-04-29T16:43:00.003-05:00

Feeling a little "artistic" today...

I just love antique roses. We have a vine of white ones and they smell absolutely delicious! I felt like playing around with the picture today and had time to kill, so I did this on Picnik.

Day 103

2009-04-28T16:47:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure what kind of tree this is, but the flowers on it are pretty cool and it smells good too.

Day 102

2009-04-27T19:11:00.002-05:00

"Tomatoes and squash never fail to reach maturity. You can spray them with acid, beat them with sticks and burn them; they love it." -S.J. Perelman

Our garden is really starting to look good! We've got tomatoes, squash, bell peppers, and cucumbers. You just can't grow big country gardens in a subdivision. But oh how I wish I could! Who needs a plain old yard anyway?

Day 101

2009-04-26T17:36:00.003-05:00

Self portrait?

We had family over today after church and cooked out on the "grill". I want one of those monstrous built-in ones. You know, one with the refrigerator and sink and anything else your precious heart desires?!! But I guess I'll just have to keep dreaming and pretend that this pitiful thing is one.

(btw...although my legs are short, I don't think they are this short! lol)

Day 100

2009-04-26T17:28:00.003-05:00

Watermelon

"When one has tasted watermelon he knows what the angels eat." -Mark Twain

I didn't have time to do a post for yesterday. We went to Mike's sister's house for a family "Wii night" and let me just tell you, I want mii a wii!! I wish I would have taken my camera with me, cause we laughed our rear ends off! Especially when we were doing the boxing game.

Day 99

2009-04-24T14:22:00.002-05:00

Pink

"Actually, I wear the nail polish to hide how grubby my nails are." -Caroline Corr

I had this idea that it would be oh so cool to get a pic like this. Well, I wasn't about to waste my good nail polish, so I went to the dollar store and got this cheap one that's almost the same color. One thing I didn't think about was how fast the nail polish would come pouring out of a full bottle and the "puddle" is bigger than I wanted it to be. I was going to clean it all up and try again, but wound up dropping the bottle, splattering the stuff all over my bathroom floor, toilet, and rug. After getting it all cleaned up I decided that this would just have to do.

Day 98

2009-04-23T18:22:00.003-05:00

Brown

Melts in your mouth, and in your hands.

These are mocha flavored Premium M&Ms. They're alright, but the plain old peanut ones are much better.

Day 97

2009-04-22T19:05:00.003-05:00

Green

“By reading the scriptures I am so renewed that all nature seems renewed around me and with me. The sky seems to be a pure, a cooler blue, the trees a deeper green. The whole world is charged with the glory of God and I feel fire and music under my feet.” -Thomas Merton

Day 96

2009-04-21T23:44:00.003-05:00

Yellow

I'm running out of ideas, so I thought about doing a set of pictures of things that are the basic colors.

(red, orange, yellow, etc.)

Day 95

2009-04-20T15:25:00.004-05:00

Guilty Pleasures

The Fluffernutter Song:

Oh you need fluff, fluff, fluff

To make a fluffernutter

Marshmallow fluff

And lots of peanut butter.

First you spread, spread, spread

Your bread with peanut butter

And marshmallow fluff

And have a fluffernutter.

When you enjoy, enjoy, enjoy

Your fluff and peanut butter

You're glad you have enough for another fluffernutter.

Sorry if I might have busted y'alls bubble, but I did not make this little song up. Or the sandwich. Have any of you ever had one? They truly are fabulous! I mean this thing is so good that when you take a bite you can hear the angels in Heaven singing! Well, almost. I am a strong believer that you've gotta have something to treat yourself with every day, and this was mine for today. A big ol sugar loaded, hip widenin, butt blubberin Fluffernutter! (notice the extra portion of fluff) I also found a website that tells you all about marshmallow creme and the fluffernutter.

Day 94

2009-04-19T16:27:00.003-05:00

Just another lazy Sunday afternoon...

Having dogs is like having toddlers I do believe. You can clean up after them and ten minutes later their toys are all over the place again! I actually thought this was kinda funny though. The way the bear is sitting up like he's trying to get some sun.

Day 93

2009-04-18T16:00:00.003-05:00

Peppermint

Doesn't this remind you of a piece of peppermint?

I have tried for a few days now to try and get a good shot of this flower and just couldn't do it no matter what I tried! For me, that causes big time stress. (LOL) I am such a perfectionist that I expect everything to be done correctly the first time. When it isn't, I immediately start beating myself up over it. I know that's not a good thing, but it's just how I am. This P365 is definitely pushing me to my limit with that lately!!

Day 92

2009-04-17T19:23:00.003-05:00

Just some tree bark.

Day 91

2009-04-16T22:41:00.002-05:00

Tonight was the first game for Mike's softball team. They didn't win. Didn't even come close to winning. But I think everyone enjoyed it. They played the team from the Air National Guard and they had some pretty awesome players. I decided to get a quick photo at the end because I didn't want to embarrass Mike during the game constantly taking pics of him! lol Our team has prayer before and after every game and I thought it was pretty cool of the ANG guys/gals to join them at the end. We are the only "church team" in the league. When some of the members from our church decided to form a team a few years ago and talked with the pastor about it, he didn't want them playing in the church league because those people are already in church. He wanted them in the city league where they could hopefully share God's love!

Day 90

2009-04-15T18:12:00.003-05:00

Tax Day Tea Party

Are you fed up with a Congress and a president who:
-vote for a $500 billion tax bill without even reading it?
-are spending trillions of borrowed dollars, leaving a debt our great-grandchildren will be paying?
-consistently give special interest groups billions of dollars in earmarks to help get themselves re-elected?
-want to take your wealth and redistribute it to others?
-punish those who practice responsible financial behavior and reward those who do not?
-admit to using the financial hurt of millions as an opportunity to push their political agenda?
-run up trillions of dollars of debt and then sell that debt to countries such as China?
-want government controlled health care?
-want to take away the right to vote with a secret ballot in union elections?
-refuse to stop the flow of millions of illegal immigrants into our country?
-appoint a defender of child pornography to the Number 2 position in the Justice Department?
-want to force doctors and other medical workers to perform abortions against their will?
-want to impose a carbon tax on your electricity, gas and home heating fuels?
-want to reduce your tax deductibility for charitable gifts?
-take money from your family budget to pay for their federal budget?
If so, participate in the TAX Day TEA party rally, the Taxed Enough Already (TEA) party.

(taken from the National Tea Party Day website)

Day 89

2009-04-14T18:16:00.002-05:00

In the beginning...

...there was dirt. Only, not enough of it. We're planting a small garden (SUPER YAY!!!) and this is how far we got today. Dug up the grass to "sod" patches in the yard where the grass still hasn't grown back in from Katrina, went to Lowe's and got dirt, plants, and a new lawn mower (another SUPER YAY!!). But Mike's mom and I underestimated the amount of dirt we'd need. I think Kimbo was confused because we were digging up grass and playing in dirt and she isn't allowed to. LOL

If you make the picture larger you can see how awful my baby is looking these days. She has demodectic mange and had an outbreak about a month ago. The meds that she usually takes for it isn't working for her anymore, so now she will have to get the "dips". She had her first one yesterday and will have to go back in two weeks for another one. I really hope this helps her, because from what I understand about this type of mange, if it is left untreated or gets to the point where it can't be treated it could be potentially fatal for the animal.

Day 88

2009-04-13T21:07:00.003-05:00

No time for pictures today. Here's another one from our great adventure outdoors.

Day 87

2009-04-12T16:17:00.003-05:00

Happy Resurrection Sunday

These are a few of the eggs that we managed to bring home last night. The kids did maybe two or three eggs apiece before they got bored. Then us "adults" did the rest! Someone had a great idea to use crayons to draw on the eggs too, since there weren't enough of the clear colors for all of the kids. I think they all turned out pretty darn cute.

Day 86

2009-04-11T20:55:00.004-05:00

Mike and I decided to go walking on this nature trail today. It is 11 miles from start to end (22 if you have to walk back to your vehicle). Now, I think I need to say first that we are by no means professional hikers, joggers, walkers, or anything that even remotely resembles any form of exercise. Alright. So, this is at the beginning of the trail. Looks pretty nice, huh? Pretty well shaded, a nice flat and wide walking path. Well, it sure don't stay that way for long! We start going down hills and crossing over streams on what look like 2x4's and climbing back up hills that turn into what feels like a mountain. And did I mention that I was wearing FLIP FLOPS?!? LOL

Alright, so in other words, it started to get a little "uncomfortable". But we kept on trekking! Now, in our town, the bridge that crosses over the bay (the Bay of St. Louis off the Gulf of Mexico) has what i guess you would call a pedestrian lane that people walk across for exercise or just for fun (??!!). It's a little over two and a half miles if you walk across the bridge, turn around and come back. Well, on our little hike today, we had been walking what seemed like an eternity. I thought, you know, I bet we've already walked at least the length of the bridge. I was so proud. We kept going. Another length of the bridge (or I thought) and I had sweat drippin and comin out of places that didn't even know what sweat was until today!! And still, we kept going. Then we meet a couple on their way back, sweating just as bad as me, and asked them how far they had gone. About 2 and a half miles they answered. Hmm. I told Mike they couldn't be right. Surely not. But just around the corner was a mile marker. Mile 1. Yep, we made it one whole mile of the 11 mile hike. My feet were black and almost to the point of oozing blood. I was so sad that I just wanted to cry, because I so badly wanted to be as cool looking as nature family. I forgot to mention "nature family" as I called them. You know, cute mom and dad with their equally adorable kids in their little hiking gear looking all happy. We met them coming out as we were going in.

But after we made it back to the air conditioned car, I decided I WILL be like cute little nature family, dang it! This time next year I am determined that I will be able to walk at least the 11 miles, if not the entire 22!!

Day 85

2009-04-10T18:29:00.003-05:00

new shoes!

"You cannot put the same shoe on every foot." -Publilius Syrus

I know that not everyone will find these shoes particularly appealing, but I think they are just freakin cute! I have had a little white sun dress for over a year and never wore it cause I didn't have any shoes to go with it. Well, now I do!! I also got a cute little short sleeve sweater to wear over the dress until the weather gets hotter. (Although I may not even use it since the temps have been in the high 70's - 80's!) But anyway, I'm excited about my new outfit! Kinda reminds me of when I was little and would always get a new dress for Easter.

Day 84

2009-04-09T16:20:00.003-05:00

A baby turtle was standing at the bottom of a large tree and with a deep sigh, started to climb. About an hour later, he reached a very high branch and walked along to the end.He turned and spread all four flippers and launched himself off the branch. On landing at the bottom in a pile of soft, dead leaves, he shook himself off, walked back to the bottom of the tree and with a sigh started to climb.About an hour later, he again reached the very high branch, walked along, turned, spread his flippers and flung himself off the branch. Again, he landed on the bottom, shook himself off, went to the bottom of the tree, sighed and started climbing.Watching these proceedings from the end of the branch were two little birds. Mummy bird turned to Daddy bird and said, "Don't you think it's time we told him he was adopted?"

Day 83

2009-04-08T12:30:00.003-05:00

"it's the simple things..."

"When I grow up I want to be a little boy." -Joseph Heller

It's spring break and the nephews are here today. This is what was built on the porch. Notice the extension cord? That is leading to a t.v. so they could watch movies! Oh to be a kid again!!

Day 82

2009-04-07T16:52:00.003-05:00

Matthew 6

19Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

This is our patio table that needs to be cleaned and repainted. Why Mike's mother thought it would look good to paint only the top of the table a mint green color but leave the rest black I can not seem to understand. Luckily it is starting to chip away and I see a project in my future!

Day 81

2009-04-06T22:30:00.005-05:00

"all the good ones are gone"

" To cease smoking is the easiest thing I ever did. I ought to know because I've done it a thousand times." -Mark Twain

You might be wondering what the picture and the quote have in common. I'm trying to stop smoking (for good this time) and it is sooo freakin hard! I have been eating Jolly Ranchers, IceBreakers, and suckers and chewing gum like CrAaAzYyYyy! I still don't remember what is was that made me think I wanted to smoke to begin with. I have been smoke free for 4days, 8 hours, and 38 minutes!!! And I'm doing it all by myself with no gums or patches or anything. Last time I tried to do it, I had a semi-nervous breakdown on the second day and I was boo hooin and throwing a temper tantrum worse than a toddler in a toy store. Needless to say, I started back again. I am determined to do it this time!!

Day 80

2009-04-05T19:24:00.003-05:00

I was just playing around with the original of this picture, trying different crops and although it's not really much to look at I really like how it turned out.

Day 79

2009-04-04T20:31:00.002-05:00

We went to the air show that is being held on the Air Force base here. There were tons of planes that you could do a sort of walk through tour of. We went in this one but it was packed full of people. I mean we were like sardines in a tin can! It was so hot I had to get out of it before we even made it to the cockpit. I can't even imagine being inside it for hours flying somewhere!

Of course there were parachutists, stunt pilots, etc., etc. The highlight for me was the F-16! Talk about SPEED!! WOW! It was also so loud that when it flew by/overhead it felt like the ground was rumbling below us! All in all it was a pretty great day. After a week of storms and rain it was a greatly appreciated warm and sunny day!

Day 78

2009-04-03T20:34:00.003-05:00

I don't get "permission" to take many photos of Mike, but I kinda snuck one today!

His nephew is staying the weekend with us and they were out playing ball. (notice the little person basketball?)

Day 77

2009-04-02T16:53:00.003-05:00

"Gotcha!!"

We had some stormy weather blow through here today. I've realized that you can tell when Spring has truly arrived here on the coast by the weather. When it's rainy and storming every day, it's Spring.

So after all the rain and lightening finally let up, I went outside to try and find a pic for today. I was going to get a shot of this plant because it is just gorgeous whenever it has just rained! (I think it's because all the pollen, dust, etc. gets washed off of it and the water makes it just glow in the sunshine) Well, I took some pics of the rain drops and shadows and whiskers on kittens, LOL, and after seeing them on the computer I wasn't that impressed. Went back out to try again and look what was waiting!!

Day 76

2009-04-01T18:30:00.003-05:00

"fern"

I just love ferns. This is one growing beside the house.

Day 75

2009-03-31T19:05:00.002-05:00

"A weed is no more than a flower in disguise." -Unknown

Our yard is covered in clover. So much so that unless it has just been mowed, it doesn't even look like we have grass in some areas. Well, we don't have grass in some areas. Cause of this stinkin stuff!!!

Still workin on the macros. I wish I could figure out how to get the background to go really blurry. Practice, practice, practice! I did turn down the saturation in Picasa. I think it looks prettier this way.

Day 74

2009-03-30T19:33:00.003-05:00

“There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart...pursue those.” -Michael Nolan

I didn't have time to do a picture today, so this is one from our little "gator huntin" trip we took in February.

On Mondays, I clean a house that is the second largest home in the state. It is a little over 30,000 sq ft. Luckily, I don't have to do the entire thing every week. But I do for the tour of homes and Christmas and it is a week long, back breaking chore!! But today I was just dog tired when I got home and didn't feel like even trying to take a picture. I'm such a slacker!! :)

Day 73

2009-03-29T18:23:00.003-05:00

“When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else. Most people in the city rush around so, they have no time to look at a flower. I want them to see it whether they want to or not.”

-Georgia O'Keeffe

I think this is a lilly. I think that the bright red color of it is just fabulous! I'm trying to improve my macro shots. ( I guess this is considered macro? Just like plant names, I'm not very well educated in the language of photography ) I think I took close to 20 pictures of this same flower trying to make the image better each time. Sad to say, this is as good as it got!

Day 72

2009-03-28T18:13:00.004-05:00

"washed up"

“The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach - waiting for a gift from the sea.”
- Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Mike and I took a walk on the beach today. Well, actually, it was the seawall that we walked on mostly. There are little patches of beach all along it and since the sand looked a little more solid (translated: it didn't look like I would sink up to my knees) I walked out on it to take some pictures of the sea gulls. While I was making my way back up to the sidewalk, I noticed these sunglasses in the pile of washed up debris. Needless to say, this was my favorite pic from the many that I took today.

I did some stuff to it with Picasa, and even though it's not as clear as the original photo, I really like how bright the sky and the sunglasses turned out!

Day 71

2009-03-27T17:38:00.002-05:00

"Superboy"

Had to get Mike's nephew off the school bus today and this is what he did for most of the afternoon! Normally, he pretends he's a wrestler and uses a humongous bear to practice his moves on. But today, he piled all these stuffed animals up and would jump off of the back of the couch onto them. He thought this was an "awesome idea". I thought "you're gonna break something kid!!" But it did make a pretty funny pic.

Day 70

2009-03-26T16:12:00.002-05:00

“There are moments in life, when the heart is so full of emotion That if by chance it be shaken, or into its depths like a pebble Drops some careless word, it overflows, and its secret, Spilt on the ground like water, can never be gathered together”

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

We had one heck of a storm come through here early this morning. This is the same plant that the frog pic is from. It has yellow flowers on it and I was going to use a pic of one of the flowers for today, but I really liked this one. I know the detail isn't as good as some taken with one of those great big cameras (this is my way of trying to be funny, insert your laugh...here...LOL) but it was my favorite for today!

Day 69

2009-03-25T13:38:00.003-05:00

"how cute is this little frog?!"

I went into a French restaurant and asked the waiter, 'Have you got frog's legs?' He said, 'Yes,' so I said, 'Well hop into the kitchen and get me a cheese sandwich.'

-Tommy Cooper

Day 68

2009-03-24T20:12:00.004-05:00

"Supper"

“A man once asked Diogenes what was the proper time for supper, and he made answer, If you are a rich man, whenever you please; and if you are a poor man, whenever you can.”

-Diogenes

Just a baked potato with butter, sour cream, and black pepper.

Growing up we had three meals: breakfast, dinner, and supper. We didn't call it breakfast, lunch, and then dinner. Do any of y'all still call your third meal supper?

Today wasn't such a good day for me. Between worrying about bills and the dog (she has demodectic mange and is having a flare up of it right now and she also has a hematoma on her ear and will have to have a surgery to drain it!! poor thing), I got a call from one of my sisters about a bunch of family "drama" which got me all worked up. I just had to keep reminding myself that there are people with problems much worse than mine and I just need to get over it! Tomorrow has GOT to be a better day.

Day 67

2009-03-23T17:48:00.003-05:00

"I wish I had a Sonic ice machine!"

I have been chompin on ice since I first got teeth in my mouth! Seriously. And the best ice in the world is at Sonic. In fact, the highlight of my Mondays is getting a Route 44 Diet Dr. Pepper. Yes. I said a Route 44 DIET Dr. Pepper. That's just how I roll.

Day 66

2009-03-22T17:36:00.002-05:00

"It's a mOnStEr!!"

Well, not really, but it does make me think of cookie monster! It's just another plant in our yard. Some kind of palm thing.

Btw...I can't even begin to tell y'all how excited I've been about all this pretty weather and color starting to show up everywhere! It just makes my heart want to sing!

Day 65

2009-03-21T17:58:00.003-05:00

"an afternoon at the park"

Mike has decided to play on the church softball team this year which should be quite entertaining. We had to go buy a glove and ball for him today and I never knew that you could get neon yellow balls! My younger sister informed me that they also come in hot pink and that I should have made him get that color. LOL

After attempting to pitch the ball to him myself, (apparently he wants to be somewhat "prepared" for their first practice tomorrow) he decided that his nephew would be a better practice buddy. I told him the way I see it, I've gone 27 years without playing sports and I can't find any reason why I should start now! I'm guessing that the pose in the picture will become the norm for me on Thursdays! (their game days)

I tried to get some pics of the guys pitching to each other but neither were very interested in being my P365 photo for today, but I have a feeling that tomorrow might be a different story!

Day 64

2009-03-21T00:58:00.004-05:00

"self explanatory"

Today was a pretty busy day for me. I had to go to our vet to pick up new flea and heartworm preventatives, cut grass, do some housework, and then my sister called and told me she was coming by tonight! Her fiance is a truck driver and she was riding with him for a few days. They were passing thru our town to take a load to Louisiana and decided to stop in for a visit. We were going to eat at the casino buffet, but the line was so long we just had a beer and listened to a band for a while. Then we went to a steak house and we were going to get daiquiris after but were way to stuffed to even attempt to force one down!

:-)

I had already gone to bed and decided I didn't want to skip another day so I got up and did this. After all, it doesn't matter what the picture is of. Right? LOL

Day 63

2009-03-19T18:51:00.003-05:00

"Still hangin in there..."

This is what is still alive in a mixed flower pot that I did for my back deck last summer. I thought that the little red flowers were gone for sure because they were just brown twigs during the winter. And the white thing, well, you couldn't even tell it was in the pot during the summer, but it just took off during the cold weather. I've also posted a pic of what it looked like when everything was fully grown and looked really pretty :) You can't tell from the picture, but it was probably a good 4 feet tall from the bottom of the pot to the top of the green leafy plant. (I'm not good with plant names!) I'm not sure if the green leaves will come back up or not because I can't see any of that trying to come up yet but I sure hope it does!

btw..if you look closely you can see the white thing peeking out on the right towards the back.

Day 62

2009-03-18T12:04:00.003-05:00

"Apple Strudel Pastry"

"The fine arts are five in number, namely: painting, sculpture, poetry, music, and architecture, the principal branch of the latter being pastry."

-Marie Antoine Carême

Finding good pastry on clearance at Wal-Mart totally makes the trip worth it!!

Day 61

2009-03-17T16:47:00.003-05:00

"Clover"

May luck be our companion

May friends stand by our side

May history remind us all

Of Ireland's faith and pride.

May God bless us with happiness

May love and faith abide.
-Irish Blessing

Day 60

2009-03-16T19:39:00.003-05:00

"Orange Blossoms"

"Life is officially back to normal!"

-Delana Stroud

LOL! How do you like that!! I can't believe that I haven't taken any photos for the past FIVE DAYS!! My goodness, I feel like I've abandoned ship! We spent another weekend in the hospital after Mike's heart cath because his BP dropped when he got up to walk. The doc decided that this was because of the meds he was given. Also, we found out that there were NO BLOCKAGES!! PRAISE THE LORD AND HALLELUJAH!!! Seriously, I am so glad that they didn't find anything. Now, the doctor is thinking that his chest pains could either be from muscle spasms or acid reflux and gave him some new meds for that.

Hopefully, life can remain somewhat normal for the remainder of the year and I won't be missin anymore days!!

Day 55

2009-03-11T18:43:00.003-05:00

"Blue Sky"

"When you love a man, he becomes more than a body. His physical limbs expand, and his outline recedes, vanishes. He is rich and sweet and right. He is part of the world, the atmosphere, the blue sky and the blue water."

-Gwendolyn Brooks

I spent the day doing laundry and trying to get caught up on some house work because Mike is going in for a heart catheterization tomorrow. Since we don't know if he will be kept overnight yet I figured I better get as much stuff done today as possible, so this is as good as it gets as far as pictures go today. The black triangle in the corner is the roof of the house.

Day 54

2009-03-10T16:28:00.003-05:00

"Spring"

"Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world. "

-Virgil A. Kraft

Day 53

2009-03-09T19:05:00.003-05:00

"Take time to smell the azaleas"

It's always hard for me to have time to take any decent pictures on Mondays. And I figured y'all are probably tired as all get out of seeing my food! LOL So I just stepped out on the porch and took a picture of one of the azalea bushes there. Then I went to picnik and did this crazy stuff to it, but I really like how it came out! I also posted the "original" so you can see a before/after.

Day 52

2009-03-08T20:12:00.002-05:00

"Beignets"

Not as good as the real deal but still pretty tasty!

Day 51

2009-03-07T19:19:00.003-06:00

"Die ants...DIE!!!"

That caption might sound a little harsh, but if you've ever had the pleasure of coming into contact with fire ants you'd understand where I'm coming from! We spent the morning poisoning the massive ant beds that have taken over our yard and also doing the yard to get rid of fleas, ticks, etc., etc...Don't we have such an exciting life! haha The picture isn't as good as it could/should have been but project 365 was my "oh well, whatever" thing for today.

Day 50

2009-03-06T18:00:00.003-06:00

"Comfort Food"

"Food is the most primitive form of comfort."

-Sheilah Graham

Grilled cheese, tomato soup, and Blue Bell ice cream. How much more comfort could one ask for?

(Thanks for your comments and Mike is my fiance)

Day 49

2009-03-05T19:28:00.002-06:00

"Powerade and Pepto..."

I think my nerves are shot! Mike went for more tests today and the doctor called tonight to let him know he wants to schedule him for more tests to check for blockages in his heart. Since he went into the hospital Monday night I have been a nervous wreck and my bowels are letting EVERYONE know!

But seriously, I would like to ask all of you to pray that God will give Mike the strength to make it through all of this no matter what the outcome may be.

Day 48

2009-03-04T20:32:00.003-06:00

"bed, sweet bed"

When we got home at about midnight last night, it felt so good to be back in our bed. So comfortable in fact, that we didn't even get out of it until around 5 tonight!!