New age Santa

Straight from the People of Walmart site. I thought it quite inventive.

Gatlinburg trip-last breakfast

Sadly the trip came to an end with one last time together....breakfast. I did try the gadget for a pic of all of us but it didnt come out too well.

Gatlinburg trip- my new gadjet

Gary gave me an early Christmas present. You might notice my hand sorta raised in some pics. The reason for that is I am learning to use a camera extender. You screw your camera onto it. Nearly all cameras these days have an universal screw hole in the bottom for tripods and extenders. Allthese pics were taken with that. I am still learning where to aim the camera and how high to hold it so some are not so good. But it was fun taking them without another person doing the shooting.

Gatlingburg trip - grandsons.

My daughter Tab and her son Douglas

Devin, his mom Tab and Gary while waiting for a trolley

Tab and Douglas on the Christmas trolley

Devin and me in motel room, all 6 ft one of him and he only 14.

Douglas and Devin at our last breakfast

Gatlinburg trip- very cold there

It was very cold while down south and Tab forgot her hat so I loaned her mine. She laughed...said she looked like old lady with it. Sniffle...I thought she looked cute. It goes with my new red and gray coat just fine.

Wondering about the back story

While cruising one of my favorites sites....People of Walmart, I found this pic and I do have to wonder the back story of this photo. I think that might be more interesting than the photo itself...or at least make the photo complete. Hey people...don't let us hang here. If this is you...step up and explain.

Please.

And just for those wanting a few minutes diversion that is updated daily, here ya go. The writer who posts captions for each photo is hilarious.

People of Walmart

The first big snow

We got our first big real snow of this winter. And it was still snowing. Anyone know what is different about the last photo? If you don't know me well,,you  might not get the answer.  The first two are taken out the front door and the last out the back door.

Because they can, should they?

From my point of view, this is a total waste of money.  I read this article this morning on Yahoo news and was so shocked at why they would do this. The only conclusion I came to was "cuz they can".

tron movie reverseages

If you are not into reading this article it basically is about a new movie Tron and how they are manipulating Jeff Bridges to look younger. He is 61 and they want him to look 35. Ok..they use computer graphics, yeah...it is in all movies these days. But they use his head and change it AND put it on another actor's body. HUH?

This quote from the article about one of the characters. "Clu bears Bridges' face, altered to make him about 35 years old, but it's grafted onto a younger actor's body."

Why spend all that money, and this HAS to be expensive, to change these things. Just hire a younger actor in the first place. There is so much talent in the world, surely they can find someone good.

But I question something deeper. Why the need to keep our actors looking young? What the heck is wrong with aging. I personally find it disturbing when someone who is past 70, ahem, Like Barbara Walters, for example, to look early 40's. It just isn't right. What message are we sending our young? It is NOT ok to age? If your body is not perfect..change it?

Plastic surgery and photo manipulation have already gone overboard but this completely false representation of an actor is absurd!

Happy Thanksgiving

ahhh...thighs...my favorite part of the turkey.

and the biggest part of me...ROFL

Anxious for the holidays

Hi all,
Miss me?
 I know...I have been lax about posting lately but it does not mean I have not been busy.

I had been determined to have Christmas with my girls this year and have planned a special surprise for them. Yup..told them about it cuz they had to prepare for it too. I am taking them to Gatlinburg, Tn for a Christmas Holiday as their present. I got hotel rooms all booked and will soon get some special combo attraction tickets too. Gary and I will arrive a few days before them and make it our winter vacation too.

I can hardly wait. Christmas is my most favorite time of the year. I hope the weather is not too snowy so we can travel safely. I promise that I will post tons of pics right after. Cuz that is what I want them to give me...3 days of no protesting so I can take all the pics I want. My grandsons are camera hogs so no problem there anyway.

After George's passing...I want more memories to leave behind. So I am spending their inheritance now to make them..ROFL.

Any special holidays plans you have?

hugs, Pat

Pretty clever

Sneaky mother

While this won't work today, we do need minds like this person who came up with this idea. Maybe they could find a way around the droopy pants syndrome.

A Halloween silly

A special thanks

 A special hug to someone who always has time to give me words of comfort.......

    and makes me feel normal.......

                         even at times I am not.

You know who you are..... (Twinsy)

Just in case

Happy Birthday Mikel...where ever you are. Call so I can tell you I love you.

Maybe if I voice it....

I feel lost. For one of the first times in my life I have a new feeling I cannot describe. Lost without direction is the closest I can come to it. Or perhaps being a lone survivor which does not feel good.

I have been struggling with the loss of my brother and cannot seem to focus on anything. We were close but not that close but I guess I just always thought he would be there.

I finally come to realize that I would miss my hubby more than I thought  I would if he should pass. We have had our ups  and downs and a lot more of our share of downs..but as we talked today...we both realize that we sorta count on each other just "being there". As I was thinking about why I miss George so much...I realized it  was more that he just was "not there" and I could always use him as a person I could go to when I was stumped on how to do things or family history or I dunno know...a million little things.

Maybe it was the abruptness of his passing? I am just not sure why I feel this huge void.

Believe me..it makes me rethink this whole death/survivor thing. Now it makes me wonder how people cope at all with losing someone they  really love and has been a really important part of their life.

Yeah..I lost my mom..who really didn't even like me. And my dad who I miss but didn't like me much more and my sister who ignored me...literally for the last 10 years of her life. I coped with those pretty well...but then..I always had "George"  so I guess that is the difference.

I found out too that it has affected my husband as well. He is even rethinking what we mean to each other and how we would cope with the other one gone.

Myself, I know that even with our problems...I rely on him for more than just the mechanical stuff he does. Yup..I would miss that a lot cuz he can fix nearly anything or at least diagnose the problem. But mostly..he is "always there". We both agreed on that today....that being more important...arguments and our personal disagreements are just irritating side things.

Dang...I think this is actually bringing a good thing to our marriage.

Is this grieving?  I really have to hand it to people who come out of this and get on with their life. I have more respect for them. Many have lost much more than a brother. Sometimes whole families and sometimes a lifelong soulmate.

I know this is a passing phase but dang....I just had no idea until this death in my life how it can affect one.

I still wonder if it is cuz I feel alone as last member of my family or cuz of my age and how fast life seems to have gone. It leaves me wondering if my time is up soon too and what difference anything makes.

I have found that it is true...one cannot truly understand any situation until we live it. Up to then...we can only use an educated guess as to how it feels. My educated guesses in this matter were grossly underestimated.

Another middle of the night sleeplessness.... but maybe voicing it, first to hubby and now here to the world, I can release the ghost that haunts me.

Creative room

I found this on the web today on a picture blog I go to nearly daily. I thought it was fantastic and a great way to make a room feel bigger. Very imaginative and I think every young boy would love it.

Too much "stuff"

With the influx of my brother's "stuff" I m finding I got way too much. As if I didn't in the first place. 

I save the stuff that I "might" need later. Like boxes, jars, plastic containers, bags of all kinds. I even have the old tv tables...just in case. As if we have tons of company...HAHA. Granted, they are wood and they are still nice but we have opted for the lighter and more adjustable Tablemates which we love.  I have way too  many candy dishes and only have one out at a time. Funny how my brother and mom had them too. I have inherited them all!!!! I have gotten rid of a few but......

Now I wonder who I can send them to..hehehehe..any takers?

I am still trying to find room for all his office stuff too. At least I could part with his tons of extension cords ad they are the old style and I am slowly replacing all mine with either 3 prong or the kind that lay flat against the way. I actually found 3 prong which also lays flat against the wall. NICE!

But......I have made a dent in things this morning. I have bagged up tons of jars as well as pitched many. I will take the ones I deem nice with great sealing lids to the senior center crafts people. At least they "might" be able to use them. I bit the bullet and got rid of over a dozen boxes and sorted thru tons of saved seeds. I also pitched out tons of odd sized paper bags. Well..to the recycle box anyway. If I have not used ANY in a long time that I can't even remember...well..time they left.  I only use the largest grocery bags for paper recycling anyway. I do keep the plastic ones gone, except for the big ones. The senior center library uses them for when people take out books or whatever. So many people donate stuff to the center they need a bag and go to the library for one. They know me as the bag lady. SO they are used which makes me feel good about saving them. These seem like little things but gosh..they take up space.


Slowly I have also been weaning down my bookcases and giving books as I read them. I also have been biting the bullet and not going to the library book sales. I will try to take out books from the library after I get done reading the 300 or so I have now stockpiled. LOL.


Pretty ambitious for a Saturday huh? Especially with no sleep ...again. I have no idea why my body has decided it needs only 5 hours of late and then..time to get up. Having to be quiet at 3-6 or 7 until hubby gets  up is not easy.


Sooo..back to stuff. I  just will have to be harder on myself and get rid of more. Everywhere is way too cluttered.  sigh.......

Photo albums

Geezzz...I have been spending tons of time with my brother's photo albums. Some are very interesting though as they are from my parents early days.

I am finding lost love in my heart for my grandparents and aunts and uncles long gone, past vacations in my youth and realizing that although I had strict parents...there were some good times.

I was feeling very overwhelmed because I had to clean out his entire apartment in only two weeks. With the funeral arrangements...lots of days was eaten up. having no basement...space is not easy to find for all the things I still have to sort thru. I do hope to get my car back in the garage by the end of Sept though.


Soon I will post some old pics.


Thanks to Sandi for continuing to be my faithful reader.


Even if this is mostly about my yard..lol.

Picture dilemma

By now most know that I lost my brother the end of July.

Being his only living relative I inherited all his"stuff".

Most is just that...stuff ....but much is junk.

He was a picture taker before the age of computers and mostly even when he had them on his computer.

My dilemma?

I feel sorta guilty throwing away pictures of people I don't know. I gave back to his ex-wife pictures of their life together..albums and albums full.

I am left with all his other pictures of friends and vacations since then.

The other problem is now that I am the last of the line...I have tons of very old family pics from my parents and have NO idea who they are. George and I always intended to go thru them and try to figure them out by combing heads but never got around to it. Too late now huh?

Anyone else have the problem of throwing out pictures and feeling guilty?

Also the same feelings with tons and tons of cards he kept.

YIKES!!!!! tough.

Peppers in a pot

Easy to grow peppers in a pot.

Great size huh?

Front bed update

The front is filling out nicely. 

The castor beans have filled in for this year until the other plantings get bigger. 

The tallest is about 7 ft.

Snake gourds

Click to see full size. I am not sure they are finished growing yet either. They have to stay on the vine until late fall to mature and then dry over the winter. I tried to take a pic with my hand to show the size...huge. I will eventually woodburn them. or something.

Last pic of brother

Sigh.....

On July 29, 2010 I lost my brother. On July 18, he finally got his boat back in the water. He had not been physically able to for several years. He was so happy the last few months of his life. Sadly he ignored health warnings and his heart gave out. I will miss him a lot. Although he was older, I felt like his older sister and took care of him. I was glad that he agreed to move closer to me in the last few years.

Bye bye George.

Pot plants

I tend to grow all sorts of thing sucessfully in pots.

Here is cactus, which stays outside all winter, dill, yellow banana peppers and zinnas.

Makes perfect sense to me

The epitomy of laziness?

Nothing more to say

Outcast mom

When does a mom stop being a mom? NEVER!!! We can't help it..it is in our blood and was created when the sperm met the egg and is part of us forever.

I wonder why we go thru our whole life wanting our mom's approval though.

I opened my mouth once again and now it might be weeks or months before my kids talk to me again. My crime...I dare spout my concerns over their health.

Gimme a break girls!!! One of you had a stroke...at 40!!! And I am very concerned that you still only smoke or drink...JUST A LITTLE!!!! That is like saying..I will only play in the street when there is less traffic. Yeah right...nice and safe. Yeah..trying to quit is not good enough at this stage. And since you don't seem to care...I wonder why I do.


WHY?


Cuz I am a mom!!!


So I worry and voice it...shoot me!!!

Yellow garden beds

Here is one of my gardens beds that look so pretty right now. I LOVE yellow flowers. Actually my front gardens are all color themed. Basically yellow with red and white touches for contrast.