So...A little behind in updating lately.  Just been trying to get caught back up since I returned from vacation and all.  It was a short trip but better than nothing, that's for sure!  Surprisingly I did not take many pictures this trip but I will post a few. 

Gracie exploring the condo (I haven't taken her in 3 years!)

Eating sand and playing in the ocean

Investigating the beautiful shell Jeramy found that morning

IT WAS ALIVE!

Surfside Pier from the Garden City Pier

This past Sunday we celebrated Father's Day since I was out of town on Father's Day.  I made homemade (and from the garden) Cucumber Dilly Salad, pasta salad, Sock-It-To-Me cake, sweet potato fries, corn on the cob and Grilled Italian/BBQ Chicken....it was all really yummy!

Yummy cake and my fresh cucumbers which went in all the salads

Work has been well, lets just say a little hectic and a little more than stressful!  Friday the 25th we walked in the Relay For Life in Downtown Knoxville.  Overall our team (The Knoxville Optimist Club) raised $7,000.00!  I know, it's crazy!  Everyone did a wonderful job and once the sun went down it was great!  I could have stayed longer and kept walking but I think my Gracie was ready for me to come home and let her out!  LOL  We got home about 1am.

Will have to add this picture tomorrow!

Had a visit today from a good friend and met his wife and little girl for the first time!  Hayden turned 1 on June 27th.  She was a sweetie and was running all over the house exploring everything.  Getting around quite well for a 1 year old, I was surprised!  It was great catching up though in person rather than long distance.

Well I will try and update some more over the next few days, just a quick update.  

"If we do not plant knowledge when young, 

it will give us no shade when we are old."

~ Lord Chesterfield

Deep inside my Soul.......Somewhere deep inside my soul there is a starving artist..... (an unemployed one) HA!  Seriously though, there seems to be nothing artistic that does not touch me.  I am not sure what it is or where I get it from.  I don't see it the way it is in me in any of my family.  It seems it was just randomly dropped into my soul for reasons unknown.

There is just nothing that seems to keep my attention like art.  Walking through a museum....gosh I could spend all day.  Occasionally I just see something that I cannot take my eyes off.  It just speaks to me.  While in NY in 08' I went to see All My Sons by Arthur Miller on Broadway.  It was filled with top names; Katie Holmes, John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest, Patrick Wilson and so on but when I sat in my seat and started taking in this amazing story I didn't seem to pay any attention to who the actors were.  I was so enthralled by the story itself.  I didn't pay attention to the people sitting next to me or behind me and I am sure some carried on their own conversations but I didn't even notice.  It was wonderful.  When it ended I was sad, I didn't want it to be over.

Music is different for me as well.  I mean I listen to just about anything and everything!  Old, new, well known, not so well known.  I find myself listening to it more when it has a real story or I can put a real meaning to it.  For example Her Diamonds by Rob Thomas, I enjoyed the song the first time I heard it and was immediately interested in what it was about.  Once I discovered that it was about his wife's battle with an auto immune disease it mattered to me more.  I don't hear music I actually listen to it.  There is a difference.  I mean if the music is playing and I am doing things around the house or carrying on a conversation over it that is one thing but then there are just those songs, those that when you hear them come on you just have to stop what you are doing and listen.  You have to take them in without distraction.  Jeff Buckley, Hallelujah, when I hear the music start to play I just have to stop and listen.  Soak it all in.  I can shut my eyes and for a brief moment be somewhere else, somewhere peaceful, serene.  

I can sit and watch someone dance but on occasion you see someone dance that draws you in, you no longer just see the motions and the people in front of you, you feel it.  You soak it up and you feel the emotion in the dance, in the story they are sharing with you.  Lyrical, contemporary more often than not just really pulls you in.  It will make the hair on your arms stand up and a chill comes over you.  It is just uncontrollable, when it happens it just happens, you can't make it happen.

Everyone knows I am a movie junkie.  Old, new, silly, dramatic, action, thriller and on and on.  I am not a fan of reading sub titles but I have been known to watch movies with them.  If the story is really there, if the characters are really there, you don't need to know the words.  You know the story just from watching it.  It is almost as if I manage to block out the words and it does not even bother me that I can't understand a single word they are saying.  When you can do that, when you can get the gist, understand the story without all that added stuff, that is a good performance.  That is worth watching.

"The aim of every artist is to arrest motion, which is life, by artificial means and hold it fixed so that a hundred years later, when a stranger looks at it, 
it moves again since it is life." 

~William Faulkner

Pictures...

I always knew there was something to this quote.  I have always liked it and maybe it has a little to do with my photography hobby as well.

"Do you ever look at a picture of yourself and see a stranger in the background?

Makes you wonder how many strangers have pictures of you.

How many moments of other people’s lives have we been in?

Were we a part of someone’s life when their dreams came true?

Or were we there when their dreams died?

Did we keep trying to get in as is if we were somehow destined to be there?

Or did the shot take us by surprise?

Just think. You could be a big part of someone else’s life and not know it."

"You can't do anything about the length of your life, 

but you can do something about its width and depth. "

~ Shira Tehrani

I found out today that an old friend from school is fighting stage 4 liver cancer.  32 years old, single mother of 2 (10 & 12).  To find out you have it and the just a few weeks later find out it is stage 4.  I mean one just cannot begin to imagine what she is facing, what she is dealing with, her struggle of how to talk to her children about it.  Back to my blog from Friday:

1. Cancer - It can happen to ANYONE at ANYTIME at ANY AGE to ANY RACE to ANY SEX to ANY RELIGION - YOU ARE NOT IMMUNE!

You just can't help but wish there were something you could do, something you could do to make it better, make it go away and you just can't.  My thoughts and prayers are no doubt with her and her family during this  time.

Our school mate Gary Rice has been battling cancer as well and it seems things are looking up for him.  Keep him in your thoughts & prayers as well.  There is only so much within our control.  We can give our thoughts and prayers, we can find a cause and support it.  Whatever it is.  It is all we can control.  So when I walk on June 25th I will have so many people in my thoughts and prayers and so very much on my mind.

So again, find a cause, find something that you can do to make a difference and do it.  If you are interested in helping with Relay, joining or donating let me know I will send you the link or whatever it is that hits close to home for you, that you are passionate about, just do something, somewhere.

Please pray for a friend I'm thinking
of today who is very sick with cancer, 

32 yrs old. She has children that need her. 
God please bless her, keep her safe, and heal her. 
Life is so difficult sometimes, 
often makes you ask why things are so hard.
Thank you for blessing me & my family with our health.
Something we all consistently take for granted, 
let's be grateful more often and more gracious to others always! 

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet.

Only through experience of trail and suffering can the soul be

strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved."

~ Helen Keller

Already looking forward to growing more stuff next year.

Plants, flowers, garden....everything!

TOXIC NICENESS.........

OK.....Buckle down people....this one is going to be a little long....sorry for that but I had a lot to say and a lot to address.

Niceness is becoming toxic to my health & well being these days.  I actually read a little in regards to this on a daily basis.  I think today I have come to realize that this has become a huge issue for me.  I was taught to always try and be a GOOD person, try and do the RIGHT thing, do my best to always take the HIGHER ROAD, try and be the BIGGER PERSON.........Well guess what.....I have tried this and it seems to me it is just not all that it is cracked up to be.  I have a few friends that repeatedly tell me not to worry about other people but yet over and over again I do worry about other people.  I worry about how they feel, what they think, what is going on with them.  It does not seem to work the other way around though.  I have learned over the past 10 years that some people just flat out SUCK.  They are rude, disrespectful and socially unacceptable! (my mom will enjoy that last one)  There are some people that you can really go out of your way for.  You buy a closet full of crap you don't need, don't want and will likely never use in order to support their new side career.  Of course when given the opportunity they do absolutely 100% nothing to support your side career.  You put together a casserole, deliver it and as a thank you they return to you a carrier that was once nice that they ruined oh and then a few days later they let a "thank you" slide out.  My friend Christie actually mentioned yesterday how the majority of people these days lack the ability to be appreciative of anything.  Not even a simple, GENUINE, "Thank you".  It is like we live in this world of people that just feel they are "entitled".  Really, I am just curious, what on earth makes you so flipping special?  Some people tell me that certain people have some sort of "jealousy issues" or "have gotten too big for the britches".  Really?  Get over it.  I mean we all have something in our lives or going for us that someone else wants just as much as there is always someone out there that has something we want or that we long for.  One person just can't have everything so why behave like you are in 5th grade?  You can't even be mature enough to look someone in the eye when spoken to?  I think once you hit 30+ there is just no excuse whatsoever for that behavior.  Everyone is IMPERFECT ( I think one person's church around here actually tries to teach that), Everyone HAS something and Everyone WANTS something.  It is part of life.  In recent years I have come across so many just truly ungrateful people and I swear sometimes I just want to jerk them up and shake the crap out of them.  Instead......I put a smile on and I try and be the bigger person.  I will continue in my life to be this way BUT I will begin today making exceptions to that rule!

See I do suffer from some true Libra traits.  Some good, some not so good just like everyone else in the world.  I like things to be equal (yes I am aware they are not and I have to suck it up)  I like people to be treated fairly.  (yes, again I know)  I think all of that plays a part in how often I get my heart hurt by others around me.  I do take things personally.  I had someone tell me one day that I was a good person AND I had a good heart.  So many people actually confuse those things.  They are not the same at all.  They gave me an example:  A good person sees a homeless person in the snow and just thinks, gosh, that is so awful, I just hate to see that and they Genuinely mean that.  A person with a good heart will actually take action on that.  I guess referring to my habit that started when I was about 10 with feeding them and such.  I will never forget it, that first time.  We were at Brendles on Tunnel Road in Asheville, NC and I had bugged my mother for a toy all day!  I was driving her crazy so finally she gave my sister the keys to the car and gave me some money and asked her to take me across the road to K-Mart and get me a toy!!  (ha ha I could be pretty persistent)  While sitting at the red light there was a very frail looking man standing on the corner in the snow with a sign that simply said "WILL WORK".  So I talked to my sister and we rolled the window down and told him to go up the parking lot to the Burger King where we preceded to go through the drive thru and spend all of my toy money on hot food, orange juice and coffee.  The man sat down behind the drive thru menu to block the wind and snow as best as possible and I will just never forget the look on his face, the look in his eyes.  No maybe this did not forever change this man but it did change me and it did help him.  My sister and I sort of made a routine of this.  We do not give them money but we buy them food, something warm to drink.  I remember a few years back leaving the Copper Cellar on Cumberland in Knoxville  on Christmas Eve and this man was asking for food, gosh by some people reactions you would have thought he was trying to hold people at gun point.  I just simply handed him my to go box with my leftovers and the man could not have been more happy and appreciative.  Someone in the car actually said "Well, I just never thought about that, I never thought that was all he wanted but I could have done that" as they sat there with their to go box in hand.  I mean some people genuinely need help and some don't and you cannot always tell but does that to go box of leftovers that will likely sit in your fridge until trash day really mean that much?  It really just takes simple gestures that people just don't stop to think about.  It was a gesture that didn't cost me and didn't cause me to have to go out of my way, just to be nice and considerate of someone other than myself.  

I have been fund raising for Relay For Life.  I actually had someone ask me the other day "Why does it matter to you?".  Seriously?  Did someone really just ask such a thing?  Ok, no problem, I got this. I can even explain it to you based on Relay and based on my above paragraph.

1. First, WHY NOT????
2. Why on earth do we feel so entitled that we feel like everyone should go out of their way to help us, do for us, support us when we are not willing to do the same. I mean have we all forgotten what is Known as the Golden Rule, many Christians will know this as a Christian saying: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you".  If you are not willing to help others, why should they help you?
3. Cancer - It can happen to ANYONE at ANYTIME at ANY AGE to ANY RACE to ANY SEX to ANY RELIGION - YOU ARE NOT IMMUNE!
4. Homelessness - In this economy, in this day and age it CAN happen to ANYONE at ANYTIME at ANY AGE to ANY RACE to ANY SEX to ANY RELIGION - YOU ARE NOT IMMUNE!
5. If someone I love, care about, anyone in my life has to face either 4 or 5 or anything else for that matter I absolutely would want anyone and everyone to do anything and everything within their control to help!  Wouldn't you???

I could easily go on and on but I think that sort of sums that up.  

Personally my budget is very tight right now and I don't quite think that even describes it.  I am pushed to the very limit.  With that being said, since Jan 2010 I personally have given:

• $20.00 to March of Dimes
• $50.00 to Relay for Life (I normally always support at least 1 other team member when doing this stuff)
• $100.00 to ALPS (our local Alzheimer's Association - hello people we all get old, we all reach a point where we need help)
• $25.00 to Juvenile Diabetes

I really do live paycheck to paycheck right now so I understand 100% tight budgets and fearing every week that my life could change and I might not get a paycheck that next week.  I see everyday on facebook all of these people that have already (it is only June 4th) taken multiple vacations this year, some to the beach, some to Greece, some to more amazing locations than that.  They can't simply say THANK YOU and mean it.  They can't take a few minutes out to do something nice for someone or to just call or email and say How are YOU today?  It is all about them.  They are buying new cars, eating out every day, buying their $8 fancy coffee drinks and they seriously have an issue with putting $10.00 towards a good cause.  Towards a cause that may one day, at even given moment be them.  You could end up out of work, falling on hard times, falling ill to cancer, heart disease any one of a billion different life changing some life ending diseases.  

Can you HONESTLY, sit there, look me in the eyes and say You would NOT want anyone to help you for be there for you??  If you are going to dare try and say yes to that question you should first tell everyone within 200 yards to step away from you because the lightening is coming!!

On another note.....TGIF!  It is Friday, finally!  I hope that everyone has a good weekend with the people in their lives.  

"You cannot dream yourself into a character; 

you must hammer and forge yourself one."

 
~ Henry David Thoreau

One of my FAVS!

Long Weekends & Short Weeks!

Well the long weekend was very much needed, even more so than I thought for me.  Friday night met up with Linda, Girl Terri (we have two Terry/Terri guy/girl in our group) and Mom and went to see Sex & The City 2.  Ha ha it was hilarious!  Samantha cracked us up the entire time.  It was good.  Work/life has been so full of stress lately a good evening of laughing was just what the Dr ordered.  

Saturday night about 15 of us went to Hillside for Linda's birthday.  We had a good time and dinner was great although we got a little loud back there in that corner!  Sunday did a little around the house and a little cleaning and then we decided to bring snacks/appetizers and a couple bottles of wine to the back porch where we watched The Bounty Hunter on the big screen and enjoyed the summer sounds outside.  All of the little critters are out and about this time of year.  

I came home Sunday all excited that I could sleep in on Monday.....HA!  I was wide awake at 5:18 am....Wide Awake!  So about 7 had this great idea to go walking and sent mom a text to see if she wanted to meet at walk...She said 8.  About 7:45 we were ready to go and both realized it was raining....lol  So plans changed and we went to Lowes.  We got 600lbs of stone for her house and then off to TJ Maxx where I finally found the perfect pot for my Hibiscus plant...for $9.00!!  Heck the plastic ones at big lots were $17.  Crazy!  Finally got my plant re-potted it it's pretty new pot!  

So back to the house where we then unloaded 600lbs of stone at mom's and then sat on the back porch for a while.  I finally got home and got the rest of my pictures hung.  The 1st set I purchased for the hallway that I painted the frames ended up in the guest room and the 2nd set i purchased for the hallway are now hanging in my living room...ha ha ha  Well my hallway does at least have one picture that I chose and stuck with so at least it is no longer bare.   I seem to have misplaced (or rather I think dad hi-jacked and left in his drill case) my masonry drill bit so I had to wait for dad to come by before I could hang the water hose holders at the front and back of the house.  He had been at Misty's so he had a box of drill bits with him, not the one we needed but we got creative and made it all work and got both hung.  

Today was our Monday for the work week.  It went fairly smoothly although I am still very pleased it is a short week.  I went and worked out then came home and tackled Gracie and gave her a bath then cranked up the grill for dinner.  Killing two birds with one stone I grilled part of the chicken and boiled part of it on the grill eye for quesidillas tomorrow night so at least dinner is for the most part ready for tomorrow night.  Maybe I will get some laundry done!  Watching a little tv and here at knock at the door....A surprise visit from my nephew Jeramy and his friend Kurtis.   About 30 minutes later someone rings the doorbell (now I know this is not Jearmy because he has yet to catch on to the fact that the thing by the door that lights up is a doorbell and he just bangs on the glass door. lol) so I go to the door....Another surprise visit, this time from my niece Starla!  I love that we are all in the same neighborhood!!

Before & After  :o)

A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, 

the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, 

and the lawn mower is broken.  

~James Dent