Weekend B-day & Fighting Frumpy...

Good Evening All! I've had a few busy days....busy yet not busy....I'm sure you've had days like that too!

My in-laws got home from Texas Wednesday...John was home for a spell on Wednesday, went to work then back home on Thursday and won't go back out til sometime Monday. Saturday was his 45th birthday & we celebrated with the boys, their girlfriends & a few other friends having dinner at Lula's.... They do have the best ribeyes! Not to mention their shrimp and baked sweet potatoes! After spending days out on the road and eating truck stop food, you'd think the last thing he'd want to do is go out to eat yet it seems this go round of him being home, that's all we've done! Granted, one night the eating out was going to his folks for supper before the big MIZZOU game! I shouldn't complain, right?! I used to cook alot more...and bake....but with just me and Briar here most of the time, it just doesn't take much for us!

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I want to share a new blog with you... http://fightingfrumpy.blogspot.com/. This is by talented writer friend Rita Templeton! Hope you take a moment to read!

Well, our gourmet dinner of cardboard pizza is ready and calling my name! Then I suppose I should work on my "homework" so I can drop them off tomorrow. I've been with Duval & Reid for almost a year now & it's still working out just great! Work there, work here, as long as it gets done!

Have a good night!

Took a little while....

...but it did end up being a productive day! It was cloudy, rainy, stormy...all day...until very late in the day the sun did finally peek out. So glad I ran errands on Monday instead of putting it off a day as the thought had crossed my mind. Monday turned out to be beautiful even though it started out gloomy! But anyways....I had my list in my mind of things I wanted to do yesterday but I just couldn't seem to get motivated to get started on them....don't ask me what I done between the hours of getting up out of bed & noon. Besides sitting here at this thing & meandering from room to room for whatever reasons, I didn't do squat...it was so gloomy out...pouring down rain...I really just wanted to curl up in my chair & do nothing all day! But, I knew I couldn't do that & finally found some motivation! My sisters birthday is today so beign the nice sister that I am, I made cupcakes for her to take to work. ***HAPPY BIRTHDAY DENNI!!!***
Once I got them done, I got the other things done as I'd hoped...couple of alteration pieces & then Monday night I finished stitchin' up another little cross-stitch number so last evening, I got both finished up into little somethin's. I will be posting the finished pieces to my etsy shop later today!


Both of these designs are by Primitive Betty....I just love her designs & don't know why it has taken me so long to work these up. I really enjoyed working on these counted cross stitch pieces & I look forward to doing more.
Well, John is passing thru home for the day & he's already waiting on me at the truck stop to pick him up so I'd better get off this thing & get myself ready to go!

Hope you all have a wonderful & productive day!!

Sister's Weekend...

What a great weekend!!!

By 9:00 Friday morning, the girls were here & we were loaded up & headed out for our sisters weekend!

We decided to take the "scenic" route & stop in at a little shop in Bowling Green...Didi's & Gigi's Purse Strings n'Things....if you remember, I hosted a purse party some weeks back & this is their actual store! Cute lil' place...so glad we took the time to go by!

Then off to St.Louis! We went to the St.Louis Art Museum first....check in at the hotel wasn't until 3:00 so we had all kinds of time. I wish I had more time to visit museums & libraries.

We finally got to the hotel, Crowne Plaza, around 4, got checked in & walked around to see where things were at.....then decided to have an early dinner. The bartender recommended a few places & we decided on the little Italian restraunt that was just across the highway. Oh my gosh ... the food...the service...the atmosphere...All good! They've been there for 35 years! It reminded us of a cross between Lula's & The Pear Tree restraunts here at home!

Back to the hotel, we decided to brave getting into our swimsuits & going down to the hot tub! Well, Susan decided to go to the gym....oh did that hot tub feel great! I REALLY need to get mine fixed!

Saturday, up early & checked out by 9:00 or so & a quick breakfast at the IHOP next door then off to The Mills shopping mall! Seems we all pretty much forgot about the cameras once it was time to shop! LOL.....What a nice mall! Large & indoors! There's a nice scrapbooking store there... Archivers & you can check them out online at www.archiversonline.com . There were a couple of purse stores there too but not as cute at Didi's & Gigi's! We stopped at a couple other malls.....one to check out a Home Goods store then to the "outlet" mall in Warrenton.

Once back home, I did what was absolutely necessary & curled up in my chair the rest of the time! I was BEAT!!! I did finish a little cross stitch I'd started last week PLUS started another one! I'll show those another day! Now, I must get off this maching & start my day! Play & lazy time is over...it's cloudy & rainy here today & I have errands to run!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Have a GREAT day!!

Have a GREAT weekend!

Just a quick note wishing you all a wonderful weekend! Chores are done now I've just got to get myself ready to go! Three of my sisters and I are headed out to St.Louis this morning....a sisters get-away for Denni's birthday (March 25th). We do wish our oldest sister could go but she feels it's better if she stayed home. We'll take lots of pictures....maybe she'll get to make the next one! I'm posting a writing I know I've posted before but it's bears sharing once again....I don't know who the author is....it's one of those emails that finds itself passed around again and again!

Have a GREAT weekend....Have some fun!!!

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SISTERS
A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day,
drinking iced tea and visiting with her Mother. As
they talked about life, about marriage, about the
responsibilities of life and the obligations of
adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her
glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance
upon her daughter
'Don't forget your Sisters,' she advised, swirling
the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. 'They'll
be more important as you get older. No matter how
much you love your husband, no matter how much you
love the children you may have, you are still going
to need Sisters. Remember to go places with them now
and then; do things with them.'
'Remember that 'Sisters' means ALL the women...
your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other
women relatives too. 'You'll need other women. Women
always do.'
What a funny piece of advice!' the young woman
thought. Haven't I just gotten married?
Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a
married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely
my husband and the family we may start will be all I
need to make my life worthwhile!'
But she listened to her Mother. She kept contact
with her Sisters and made more women friends each
year. As the years tumbled by, one after another,
she gradually came to understand that her Mom really
knew what she was talking about. As time and nature
work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman,
Sisters are the mainstays of her life.
After more than 50 years of living in this world,
here is what I've learned:
THIS SAYS IT ALL:
Time passes.
Life happens.
Distance separates.
Children grow up.
Jobs come and go.
Love waxes and wanes.
Men don't do what they're supposed to do.
Hearts break.
Parents die.
Colleagues forget favors.
Careers end.
BUT.........
Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how
many miles are
between you. A girl friend is never farther away
than needing her can reach.
When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you
have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life
will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on,
praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on
your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the
valley's end.
Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk
beside you...Or come in and carry you out.
Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters,
daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers,
Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended
family, all bless our life!
The world wouldn't be the same without women, and
neither would I. When we began this adventure called
womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or
sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we
would need each other.

Tuesday ~ Wednesday

It was such a beautiful day out yesterday! John was home so we took the afternoon off & got the bike out! It was wonderful! I think we took off somewhere around noon & got home around 8! I was beat when we got home. John had to go to work for a few hours.....Today, we stayed in & took it easy! The day started out really nice but by early afternoon, the sky turned gray & now it's raining!

A dreary afternoon & evening....a good day for staying in! I've been piddlin' with a little of this & that today from laundry to alterations. I am SO out of whack with this counted cross-stitch thing! It's been years since I've worked that....but I'm gettin' there....keepin' it simple for now!

So what's going on in your world today?

Monday Ramblin'...

Hello All! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!! Nothin' excitin' here...I went to Columbia, picked Denni up just so we could visit while I shopped for supplies. It wasn't a long day, I was home early & I ended up curlin' up in my chair, actually found a couple of good movies on tv & punched the afternoon/evening away! Didn't quite get finished with it so I picked it up again on Sunday & guess what?!

Yep! I finally finished it!! I still need to do something with the foundation fabric...put some stain to it & decide how I'm goin' to finish it but at least the punchin' is done!!

Now on to the next project!! I'm thinkin' maybe a little bit of cross stitch? I need to get some things done to put in my Etsy shop!

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I worked at home today....I brought home a couple of projects from work & my goal for the day was to get them done! I had me an audio book so popped that in & started sewin'! The first one didn't take long but the second one I knew would take a good portion of the day! It took 5 hours or so...but it's done! Whew!

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It was really nice out today & I've heard tomorrow the same or a bit warmer! I hope so!

Hope you have a most wonderful day!!

Working from home....progress!

It always feels SO good to me when I've gotten a job....or two or three...done! I spent yesterday at home working on a few things I'd had sitting for awhile and gosh it felt good when they were done! I set my goal for the day and I made it! I wish I could do that every day, but that's one of the disadvantages or advantages to being able to work from home! I still have yet to finish that darned punch needle project....maybe this weekend?!! I started to bring out a new project yesterday....a counted cross-stitch, something I've not done in forever! but I caught myself before I started to dig out the supplies! I'm going to finish this one first! It's almost there!

So what is on your agenda for the weekend? I picked up a movie....'Rachel Getting Married'....think I'll watch that while I punch tonight! Tomorrow morning, I think I'll meet up with Denni in Columbia & pick up a few needed supplies. And of course church on Sunday!

Hope you have an awesome weekend!!

Still cold...but the sun is shinin'!

It's still so cold out, but at least the sun is shining.

I was fine with the cold as long as it was cold and stayed cold...but after having 70+ degrees last week I am so more than ready for summer....more than I was before!

Well, I found the colt yesterday....after walkin' down to the creek, by the pond, thru the woods and all around, once back to the house with no luck in finding him, I walk around to the back side of the house one more time and lo and behold there he was! In the pasture just grazin' away! Where was he the last time I looked down that way?! He looked to be feeling better by then...his eyes were much brighter than they had been the day before! Poor little guy....so back to the little pen we go...got him all resituated and he's doing fine and still there...he didn't escape!

Since I took Lucy with me on my little hike, we decided to take little Ruger on his first little adventure to the woods! My goodness he loved it! If Lucy ran thru it, so did Ruger. If Lucy jumped over it, so did Ruger! Too cute! Of course, he doesn't know he's not as big as Lucy and he just about landed IN the creek rather than on the other side! LOL

Can't wait for all that brown to turn green!

While I was workin' on the pen, five geese came in to the pond....rarely do they land in ours when the neighbors across the road have a much, much larger pond....they came in with such a splash, they got Lucy's attention...she sat down and didn't take her eyes off them til I took her in!

Needless to say, my day didn't go according to planned yesterday. After spending 2-1/2 hours outside, by the time I got Lucy cleaned up then myself, the day was half over and I was beat. I sat down to work and I just couldn't focus! I did start on part of the alterations....and I did go thru my bulbs & seeds....whew! I've got quite a collection! Not sure all the bulbs are usable...guess it won't hurt nothin' to pop them in the ground or some soil and see what happens tho' huh?! Since today was grocery/errand day, not sure I'll get back to the alterations....that just might be my Thursday work since I don't plan on leavin' the place tomorrow!

Hope you are having a GREAT week!!

Dreary March Morning....

I can't believe it's been over a week since I last posted! I didn't think I'd been THAT busy! I did have a busy weekend....John was home, longer than what he's been for a spell....mercantile open house, I worked parts of all three days & always enjoy it! Friday and Saturday were just beautiful days out....John finally got to get the bike out that's been garaged since last fall!

We woke Sunday morning to clouds & cooler temps....I don't remember when we started to get rain...Sunday afternoon maybe...& it's been gloomy since. Been wanting to walk out around the place & I got to do that this morning....not really what I had in mind...esp when it's cool & drizzly but I had to go look for the colt....still have not found him....I'm waiting to hear back from the owner & get some help to go out and look again....he's not been well & we had him pinned off from the other horses, I went out to check him this morning and he's gone.

Today is a work at home day....have a couple things to alter then I think I'm going to go thru my flower seeds & bulbs....hopefully find some that are still good enough to plant! I don't know how many I've got in there or how long I've had them. Look at this hyacinth! So pretty.... Mmm...smells good too! Sherrie had a variety of plants in for the open house & I just couldn't resist!

Then much later today, I think I'll settle in with my coffee & some needlework. I will one day finish that punch needle project I started weeks ago...it's getting closer tho'. I'm a bit disappointed in this one....after spending the extra money for the recommended hand-dyed floss, I ran short on a couple of the colors but I've decided to improvise using regular floss & it's not lookin' bad at all...in fact, unless you know it's there, you might not even be able to tell it's different! It's a piece that I will probably be keeping for myself....I don't think I could sell it for what I have in it plus my time! From now on, I think I will stick to using regular floss & age the finished piece using my own method....I wasn't that impressed with the $2 per skein hand-dyed.

So what's been going on in your world?

Wanna go shoppin'?!

The new porch overhang, sign & double door where the big overhead door used to be for the sign shop! Wait til you see the inside!

The Spring Open House begins Friday, March 6th....10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 7, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

And Sunday, March 8, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Free gift w/$30 purchase......

Spend $100 and receive a free Randolph Mercantile T-shirt PLUS the $30 free gift!

The weather is supposed to be really nice next weekend and what better way to relieve some of that cabin fever than stopping in at Randolph Mercantile to get ready for spring!

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I hope you've enjoyed the tour.....hope to see you there!!!