Thanksgiving and Mom's Chocolate Pie

This year was rather non-traditional for us. It seems as our family is growing up, we are doing things in more non-traditional ways each year. Since we had just been together during the wedding week and ticket prices are still very high, Rachel decided to stay in New Hampshire this weekend. Chris' family had planned a big dinner at his brother's home and I think she was excited about those plans. My brother and sister-in-law, Hounie (nickname from Richard) and Glo invited us up to Fayetteville for dinner with them and their crew. Glo is sharing an apartment with their daughter Megan during the week since she is now working in Rogers.

Mary Beth and Jon came over before they left for Fort Smith to have dinner that night with Jon's parents and family. We stopped and picked up Greg too. Glo had grilled a pork tenderloin and we had lots of good veggies and all to go with it. I made my mom's chocolate pie recipe, of course. It is a must in our family to have the chocolate pie. Mom probably made about a million of them in her lifetime. I don't think mine ever tastes as good as hers, but people seem to lap it up anyway. If you want the recipe, just email me and I will be happy to share it! (mombaer@cox.net)

Now who is that good looking couple?

Steve and Hounie managed to find a football game on tv before the meal was ready.

Jon and Mary Beth brought a new game they had gotten as a wedding gift called "Fact or Crap" and it was a lot of fun. Not sure who was the most full of crap....but Glo seemed to be the best at winning the fast rounds!


Mary Beth, Greg and Jon planning their strategies.

Now THAT looks like a table full of crap, don't you think???? Yeah, that's a fact.

Nathan, Megan and Haley enjoying their Thanksgiving meal with Greg. When our six were little and all about the same size, no one could tell which three were siblings....all 6 had brown eyes and definitely looked enough alike to be siblings. Lots of fun memories were made from those weeks they spent all together in Harrison or Fort Smith.

The newlyweds, Mary Beth and Jon getting ready to enjoy their meal. Mary Beth is getting all "Betty Crocker" on us and baked her first banana nut bread.

Steve in the middle of getting the food ready. I think he learned a long time ago that if he helps get it ready then he can make his way to the front of the line and no one will give him a hard time about it.

Glo and Hounie, the host and hostess....always know how to make people feel welcome!

Haley and Mary Beth pose for me. Haley is starting to look like Rachel, don't you think folks??? And you also get to see Mary Beth's new haircut. Looks cute!

Megan and Haley worked hard to get everything finished on time.

Flowers from the arrangement on the table...just couldn't resist taking a photo!

And of course, here's the photo of Mom's Famous Chocolate Pie. Yummy!

I'll Join In on that List....

(inspired by Rachel's post)

• maybe I should start planning for my career after I finish my final phase of supervision, which is coming up soon and since I spend a ridiculous amount of time complaining about the company I work for that maybe it is time....
• i love my car. I've said it before but I can be in the WORST mood ever, get into it and turn the music on and find myself feeling better. It helps if the temperature falls in the perfect zone to put the top down! (and that means above 60 and up)
• people would say I'm outspoken. I think as I've gotten older it is usually in a good way. If I'm really tired and frustrated I tend to not care so much, but I always want to stand up for what is right and fair.
• I don't understand why some people that you love and care about can't give you that back. I have been taught the saying that you can't buy bananas at the tire store, meaning some people just don't have it to give....but it still hurts sometimes. I keep thinking if I love them enough...... not really talking about my immediate 4 folks!
• when I wake up in the morning I like to read the paper pretty much from cover to cover....thank you Connie. And part of that goes to my coworker Marlene, who could NOT believe I didn't scan the obits daily! So now I do. Every day. Does that mean I'm old???
• I lost a lot of things over the years but fortunately as I've gotten older I don't remember them! I haven't lost anything recently...did I just jinx myself?
• life is full of surprises. Don't ever get too comfortable because that's just when a surprise happens....they can be good or bad, but they happen. I love being surprised in good ways. For real...I'm just like a 5 year old! When the kids surprised me in August by bringing Rachel home for a much needed visit, I just will never forget that. That's the cool thing about your kids growing up and being close to your heart....they KNOW what their mom really needs and when she needs it.
• my past is full of old friends, ex-husbands, memories from Special Olympics and Partners Club, living in Wynne, juggling work with three small children and lots of clips stashed away in my memory bank....and in case that starts to go, I have about a million photos.
• i get annoyed when people treat me in an unprofessional way and try to humiliate or embarress me in front of others when I have worked myself to death. This is especially bad if the person doing this is short about 7 years of college from what I have....I'm not sure that annoyed is a strong enough word here, but since it was the word of choice I'll take it.
• parties are a thing of the past except when someone has a birthday or special occasion. Believe me, I have put my time in on them in college and after that. Whoo boy! I prefer a quiet night at home to snuggle up and watch tv or read. I'm old.
• I wish I had enough frequent flyer miles (or money) so that Rachel and I could fly back and forth whenever we wanted or needed to (and bring Chris too!) without having to worry about how much it costs
• dogs are good if they are not barkers. We have a new German Shepherd next door that I have grown to hate. And I don't hate dogs. But Moxie has got to go...especially at 6:30 on a Saturday morning!
• cats are easy pets but I'm frightfully allergic so when Zoie leaves me that will be the end of the line. We've not had luck with getting friendly cats. She likes me and that's it.
• tomorrow I'm celebrating with Steve and Greg at my brother and Glo's apartment in Fayetteville with a non-traditional lunch. Their kids will be there and Mary Beth and Jon are coming too. I'll try not to think about the lakehouse where we all were last Thanksgiving. I still get sad and miss the lakehouse...especially that hot tub!
• I have a low tolerance for people without honor that do not do the right thing even when the choice is so blatantly obvious to be the right thing, the fair thing and the honorable thing to do. I admire Steve because he always chooses to do the right thing and never squirms his way out of it....you knew there would be a shout out to Steve in here somewhere!
• I'm totally terrified of snakes. Visit my nightmares, when I have them....they are there too. One of the bad things about growing up in rice country.
• I wonder why bad things happen to good people. I've often wondered why God doesn't just ask me for a list of the bad people that deserve that shit.....I'd be happy to email him a few names.
• high school was crazy because suddenly I was going to a new school and didn't know hardly anyone--a private school that was very small. It had its advantages and disadvantages.
• when I'm nervous my palms get sweaty and my voice will tremble sometimes.
• take my advice: enjoy your life every day and take lots of photos...you will always treasure having them and tell the people you love how much they mean to you.
• making the bed happens daily as soon as I get out of it usually. Can't get back in it unless it has been made. What...Rachel doesn't make hers??????
• I'm almost always working these days...but that is going to change very soon friends.
• I'm addicted to my blackberry(took me 2 months to learn how to use it!), Sonic unsweetened peach tea (Sorry Rach--knowing you don't have those up in NH!), Pandora radio, my Ipod with the craziest variety of music ever, texting (how did I live without doing THAT), my parking spot right outside of my door at the school, anything made from bananas and taking photos of everything I can.
• I want someone to decide that today they are going to make a difference in their life and start living it their way and being happier....life is too short. From your therapist...
  
  

Blogging vs. Journalling

I never did keep a journal past the 6th grade. I have really been enjoying this whole experience of the "blogging" world. But I have to admit that there are times like this.....today....when I would like to VENT and I can't because you are just out there in the world. If it involves your job or someone could read it and it could have an impact on someone, you have to be cautious and think about it before you write. I've never been good about doing that. Heaven knows that!
If I were, then I might have spared burning a few bridges in my time. But that was yesterday.
I ran into a colleague today who is somewhat (and I use that term loosely) of a supervisor. He wanted to offer his assistance with my work that I do because a year or two ago when I was beginning I had mentioned in staffing that I wanted to do a good job and was "open" to constructive criticism. (again a term I use loosely - depends seriously on where that stuff is coming from, doesn't it????) Today I guess he felt it was time to help me.
I think he was sincere, but it had been a long day, an even longer "end of the month" for me and all I really wanted to do was get home.
I won't go into the conversation here for the above mentioned reasons that I do want to keep my job for a bit longer. But it is a shame that we can't just blog away at random like the good ole journal days. Now that I think about it, that was sort of a problem there too....I always had to worry that my mom was going to get those and read them!!!! Same sort of problem!!!
Anyway, I have ended another month of paperwork and will be free of it until Monday. I seriously need to do things to get my mind off of it all until then. Seriously.
Maybe I need to buy a journal.......

Top Five Things I Like About the Holidays...subject to change

Oh boy....the girls are going to love me for posting this lovely photo of Christmas morning last year. But, this is what I love! Look at those faces! They are all just huddled up talking and enjoying each other and loving the moment. I only have about a million of those photos. I only hope I live long enough to scrapbook them all! I should be working on paperwork, but the procrastinator in me (see last night's posting) just decided to take a moment and write about something fun. Rachel gave me the idea to start listening to Christmas music today while I work. I mean, honestly, why not? It's everywhere. While driving home from Wynne last night, I saw numerous homes already with their outdoor lights up. Of course, we are in Arkansas. If you all have not discovered the online radio station of Pandora.com, you really should check into it. You can simply type in your favorite song or artist and it starts a station just like the music you choose and finds other similar music that you can give a thumbs up or down whether or not they should play it again or not. Awesome! I started a Christmas station today and it provided a wonderful distraction!

So now I've been thinking about some of the things I like best about the holidays, which really does include Thanksgiving as well because we have moved Christmas back so far that they run a lot together. Remember this is how I feel right now and I may change the list between now and the 25th of December. I challenge the rest of you to work on your list too!

1. the music: "Jingle Bell Rock" the best fun song that I actually know all of the words to. Of course, the music to the Nutcracker will always warm my heart because the girls were in it for so many years with Western Arkansas Ballet. I worked backstage and when I hear the music I can close my eyes and see just what is supposed to be going on onstage. There's nothing like it.
2. the Christmas cards: I just LOVE LOVE LOVE them. Not many people send them anymore, but I still do. If you want one from me, just send me one and you'll get one! I still write the letter and send a photo to! I like it because for some people it is the only contact we have with them all year!
3. the Christmas cookies: Oh yeah. We have the BEST cookie recipe and if I am lucky enough to have sugar cookie dough left (it seems there are 3 large mice that like to eat it right out of the bowl in the refrigerator), then we roll them out and bake them, ice them and decorate them. We make a ton of them. I have to admit they are decorated much prettier at the beginning than at the end. I still have my cookie cutters from when I was in 5th grade.
4. the Christmas tree: Our poor tree has just about run out of room for ornaments. We started when they were babies picking out an ornament one a year for them, then when they were old enough they chose them for something they liked that year. Steve and I did it too! We labeled the ornament by the year. Each person is responsible for hanging their own ornaments on the tree each year. It is a very sentimental thing to do.
5. the traditions: We have several, although we have gotten away from several of them as the kids have gotten older and busier. We always manage to watch Chevy Chase in a "Christmas Vacation" together because even though we've seen it a million times, it is still one of the funniest movies ever. We also like to open one gift on Christmas Eve from each other. The rest are for the next morning, along with the stockings from Santa.

Well, that's enough Christmas for one day. There'll be more later.

503 miles later....and I'm boycotting People Magazine

Chris Daughtry performing at the AMA Awards recently. And then, People Magazine somehow managed to OVERLOOK him in their listing of sexiest men special edition recently. What were they thinking? I think it must have been an oversight. I may have to reconsider my subscription to the magazine. Of course, I AM partial to those sexy guys with not so heavy on the hair on top....now if I could get Steve to sing like that!!

The 503 miles thing is about how much I travelled today. Crazy, I know. It was really for a good cause. And I may crash before I finish writing this. Honestly. After the local VW dealership nearly permanently damaged my "Baby" I promised to never take her back there. So it was time for her check up, so I had to take her to North Little Rock early this morning for the 15,000 service checkup. I decided to just "swing by" Wynne while I was down in that part of the state and see my parents.

Steve reminded me that the passenger seat belt was "twisted" so I asked them to check it, thinking that would be a simple fix. Well, of course that was the thing that took most of the day! It was so badly twisted that it could not be fixed and they are having to order a complete new one. They had never seen that happen before and we are still not sure exactly how and when it happened....and of course the BIG question is WHO did it!!!

I finally got out of the VW place around 1:00 and left for Wynne. Met my folks at the local restaurant that they love. My dad was working at Walmart today. 83 and still working full time....giving them all a hard time every day. We caught up on everything and thoroughly enjoyed our short and sweet visit. Mom and I went back to their house and looked at wedding photos and talked about the wedding memories and all.

A huge vanilla latte and my ipod full of songs helped me make it home tonight. I'm sure that there is a rock group somewhere missing a backup singer that I was meant to be a part of.

Remember it's always something.....

Okay...so I procrastinate. Go ahead and light the fire.

Yes, dear friends. It is almost hear again! What is that, you might ask.....Thanksgiving....Christmas....the weekend.....payday? Oh no.
The end of the month. The time each month when I am reminded that I am a true procrastinator and that my gene pool has passed that on in such a strong and significant way that it will last for generations to come. No doubt. There will be future little Dianne's out there hundreds of years from now wondering what the hell happened and why they can never get things done on time regardless of how hard they try!!! They will get organized at the first of the month, make a plan, set the work out to be done and dive in.

The first few days always go well. So well indeed that it amazes me sometimes and I wonder why can I NOT do this all month long? Then the work day gets longer and longer and longer, stretching from dark to dark...and the exhaustion sets in.

Then I begin the "dragging of the work to and fro" portion of the month. I know this part well because I spent YEARS doing it as a teacher. Same technique, different stuff in my bag now....but the same basic plan. Pack it up, double check that you have everything and more than enough, almost too much for a pack mule to carry......and then load it up in the car and take it home. Once you get home, (after dark, of course) you have to be VERY careful about slowing down. If the slow down process begins then it is all over sister and the bags will NEVER be opened and work will not be done. (and I know this how???) There is nothing more self-defeating than having hauled 20 pounds worth of crap home to work on only to return with it the following day in the same state it went home in. I don't know....maybe I am thinking of the story of the Elves and the Shoemaker and that those little suckers will just magically appear in the night and type away! Hasn't happened yet, but one can hope.

By the middle of the month I really do start the "feeling sorry for Dianne" part of my month where it appears that all of the other kids are having fun except for me because I'm having to stay in at recess...or so it seems. My days get longer, paper work slows to a near halt during the day sometimes and more of it gets put on the "I'll just catch up on that when I get home" pile. I guess I've just not made it home yet.

Then comes the crunch time. I know it's coming, I see it coming, but it's like a wreck happening in slow motion....just over and over again. This means I have to spend 10 hours finishing up this weekend!!! Recently I have confessed that I believe I am not ONLY a procrastinator but also a POOR judge of how much time it takes me to do certain tasks...such as complete 4 days worth of billing. When I think it should take 2, it always takes 4. I am always way off on my estimate, so I am going to have to stop even making one until my skills improve.

As for the future generations that will have to accept the procrastinator gene, I will try to make up for it with green eyes (would someone in my bloodline please get them?), cute toes and my stunning wit and personality that is sure to be passed along.
Just remember, it's always something......dbaer

We still have it in us!

Steve helps Glo hang a mirror in the apartment, while Connie and I provide important directions. We needed a tape measure and couldn't find one, so we came up with our version of an "Arkansas tape measure", which consists of a piece of yarn that you use to just measure where you think it should go. (see next photo)

Here's a new way to frame photos in Arkansas....take a photo of the people you want to frame in a mirror that has a pretty frame. Voila! Who says I'm not creative????

Here we are with Glo and Connie at Buffalo Wild Wings. Great food and the start of a great night for sure! We had been shopping and decided it was time to eat. Then came the moment of the big decision: 1) Go back to Glo's, build a fire and watch a movie OR 2) Go to Dickson Street and check out Willy D's, the piano bar.
This group decided that even though it was already 8:00 and we were all usually winding down, in our pajamas by then, we would just GO FOR IT! Connie had been to Willy D's before, but the rest of us had not. I won't tell you the nicknames we gave each other as the night went on, but Connie's DID have something to do with her knowledge of bars. =-)
We got a great table and started ordering the buckets of beer, which is the way to go at Willy D's. And away we went for sure. It was five buckets later and 1:00am before we got out of there and found out way to Glo's apartment to spend the night! I haven't spent the night in my clothes in a very long time for sure. There were so many funny moments during the night, our jaws hurt this morning from laughing so hard. Steve could not talk because his voice was so hoarse....and that, my friends, was from singing at the top of his lungs most of the evening. But we all were, quite honestly. It is such a fun place that they won't allow anyone to just SIT. Lots of group participation and fun. We will definitely be back, although it will be a while for us to recuperate. We just didn't jump back like we used to, but we did it. I saw several former Partners Club members that were quite surprised to see "Mrs. Baer" out in Fayetteville, so that was a pretty funny thing. Other than the beer that some random girl accidently spilled down my back and the other random girl that really needed to get a room with the 2,3 or was it 4 guys she was with.....the night was awesome! It was the most fun we've had in a long time.

Here's Steve with the rum and coke he won for singing the loudest and waving his arms while singing. Yes, folks.....out of the whole crowd they picked him. We needed video here.

Here's one of the cutie piano players that entertained everyone. So much talent!! Not a piece of music in front of them and they could sing and play just about anything!! Didn't hurt that he was easy on the eyes!
Here we are toward the end of the evening....not looking too shabby! Amazing what 8 hour lipstick can really do.
Glo and Steve look like they are missing the lyrics here. It didn't really matter. Everyone just sang whatever.
Yeah, baby....we still have it!

Make New Friends, But Keep the Old????

Arkansas Counselors Convention today in Fort Smith. Last year I was in Hot Springs with Erica and Larissa. Oh, Erica, the memories we have from that trip!!! woohoo! It was here yesterday but I was working, so I missed that part of it. Caught several early seminars this morning that were interesting, although they didn't really pertain to me in particular. The school counselors far outnumber the licensed counselors who work in private practices, etc., so much of it is geared in their direction obviously. Learned a lot at the luncheon and at the State Board forum today. Mostly how my letter of request for clarification of an issue turned the whole world of supervision upside down apparently....it was good to shake the board members hands afterwards and put faces with names.

It was nice to be around professional people all day who are all coming together for a common reason, to learn more about the job they are doing, to improve their skills, to get questions answered....to even meet up with old friends and coworkers. For me, being new to this part of my life, the coworkers are on a short list. So, I met a few new folks and talked to them. Since the only requirement for me to converse with someone is for them to possess a pulse, it worked out quite well for me today!

During the LPC luncheon, I actually had one of those moments of being introduced to someone that I KNEW I knew their name from somewhere before. Paul Bokker. It took a while for us to run through the list of people and places, but discovered he had been the pastor at my parents little church in the country years ago while I was in college! He described them as my dad being a rascal and my mom being the maker of the best chocolate pie he'd ever had in his life. I knew he had them pegged.
I also met a guy named David who is the treasure of our organization. He's a high school counselor. I asked him from where and he said "I'm from Wynne." I couldn't believe it! I never meet anyone from Wynne! I told him I was from Wynne and we began the old "I know and do you know..." He even knows my dad out at Walmart Automotive. Small world for sure. He also described my dad as "quite a mess". He had him pegged.

While in that meeting today I was elected President elect of the Licensed Professional Counselors division of the ACA. (its really like elect-elect cause I won't be the total prez until July 2010) Maybe I'll have the job figured out by then! Or maybe total senility will set in by then and they will have to find someone else. Of course they promise it doesn't require hardly ANY work and NO fundraising....so I'm in. Ugh.

I'm going back tomorrow. Who knows who I might meet? Hopefully I won't come out with anymore jobs!! Maybe I'll remember and even snap a photo or two!!
And props to Glo for starting that blog today! Now it's Connie's turn!

Three Things I'm Thankful for on Thursday (yeah I know it's Wednesday)

What a day it has been. Yes, I KNOW it is Wednesday. It should be declared Hell Day for those that know the job that I do (LOVE the actual JOB) and know that it is the day for staffing and paperwork. ugh. It really doesn't matter how hard I work on the weekends or at night, I never seem to be able to keep up! Connie asked the other day how other therapist do it and I think the ones that have the caseloads like I do are working just like I am. We have no life. If I take a break, it is by knowing that there is work waiting next to the computer to be done.

I went to get my weekly allergy shot this morning and decided to come back home and just get that paperwork "knocked out" and then get on over to the school to see some clients. Well, the work ended up taking MUCH longer than anticipated. (I really suck at figuring out how much time I need to work on my paperwork...maybe it is just that I am always hoping it will take less!!) Anyway, it ended up taking most of the day and I gave up the notion of going to work and making any $$$ today. I went to the clinic to print out ALL of the paperwork to save money (by not printing at home on MY printer) and of course ran into complications there....taking longer than normal. UGH. Staffing continues to be right up there on my list next to hitting your toe on the corner of the door or finding out that you have poison ivy...again. We have so many amazing professionals and they are working so hard to do such a great job. I do not know why that it seems to be so hard for all of us to do that for the company we work for. It just doesn't feel like they want us to do that sometimes. Know that feeling????

Anyway, I went to the ACA (Counselors Convention) tonight and got a nice surprise when I heard a young man and his wife sing. It was Ben Storie and his wife. Ben and I have group supervision together and I knew he could sing....but they can really sing!!! They sang a song about "How you Live" and even as corny as it is for me to post lyrics...I want to copy the lyrics here...they are so perfect..then please read my post at the bottom about what I REALLY wanted to write about today!!

Wake up to the sunlight With your windows open

Don't hold in your anger or leave things unspoken

Wear your red dress Use your good dishes

Make a big mess and make lots of wishes

Have what you want But want what you have

And don't spend your life lookin' back

Turn up the music Turn it up loud

Take a few chances Let it all out

You won't regret it

Lookin' back from where you have been

Cuz it's not who you knew

And it's not what you did

It's how you live

So go to the ballgames And go to the ballet

And go see your folks more than just on the holidays

Kiss all your children Dance with your wife

Tell your husband you love him every night

Don't run from the truth 'Cause you can't get away

Just face it and you'll be okay

Turn up the music Turn it up loud

Take a few chances Let it all out

You won't regret it Lookin' back from where you have been '

Cause it's not who you knew And it's not what you did

It's how you live

Oh wherever you are and wherever you've been

Now is the time to begin

So give to the needy And pray for the grieving

E'en when you don't think that you can '

Cause all that you do is bound to come back to you

So think of your fellow man

Make peace with God and make peace with yourself '

Cause in the end there's nobody else

Turn up the music Turn it up loud

Take a few chances Let it all out '

Cause you won't regret it

Lookin' back from where you have been '

Cause it's not who you knew

And it's not what you did It's how you live '

Cause it's not who you knew

And it's not what you did

It's how you live

Now since I know I will be "conferencing" all day tomorrow I wanted to write the three things that I'm thankful for on Thursday, but I'm writing it on Wednesday. (last week I did this on Friday....maybe I will get it on schedule at some point!!)

Here goes:

1. Steve always remembers to close the blinds near our bedroom in the early morning before he leaves for work because we have an insane dog in our house. Insane dog, named Koko, thinks she sees things outside that she must bark at like a banshee. She has cataracts and cannot see past her nose, but somehow she feels compelled to start barking if this blind is up. Steve leaves very early and knows how I treasure early morning sleep...even 5 minutes. God bless him.
2. Another Steve thing. He always comes out to help me bring in my laptop bag and my load of crap of work (see above paragraphs) to do at home. He usually comes out to help bring groceries in too.
3. Final Steve thing. Yes, I know this is his night and he doesn't even know it. I'm thankful that I NEVER and girls, I mean NEVER clean up after him. I don't know if it was the advantage of marrying a guy when he was 38, but whatever the deal...I may have picked up one pair of socks in 17 years. Never a glass or plate. Nothing. Nada. He is just not a messy guy. He has his little lists of things and all, but he keeps them hidden safe.

Little Known Things....or Other Ways to Put Off Paperwork

It's Sunday and the weather is absolutely gorgeous. If I weren't such a famous procrastinator, I would have my paperwork done and be able to go do something interesting and fun outdoors today. The good news is that it isn't midnight the night before it is all due--which is usually when I am typing furiously and drinking coffee by IV. No, today, I just have to type and watch the leaves falling and the sun shining from indoors. The plan is to work a while and then play awhile later maybe. Of course, by the looks of things...it appears that I am playing first and will have to work later!
I thought I would see if I could come up with some little things that folks may not know about me. Of course I feel like I've always been such an open book and talk so much that there's not much left to tell....but let's see what I can come up with.

1. I'm very patriotic. I get teary almost every time I hear the national anthem and see the flag being raised. At the same time, I want to go beat up people who continue talking and being loud while it is being played. I don't think I was always that way. 9/11 did a lot to change how a lot of us viewed our freedom.
2. I was a cheerleader in high school. While in junior high I even broke my leg while preparing for tryouts...and apparently not doing something correctly. It was so different then than it is now. The year was 1974 and we were so cool. I even remember most of the cheers. No, do not ask me to do them for you because it will embarrass the children.
3. I passionately HATE snakes. Any shape, form or fashion. Even cartoon ones. I grew up in eastern Arkansas where they are everywhere! Our house sat surrounded by rice and soybean fields that were all irrigated, which provided the perfect breeding ground for water moccasins. ugh. They were always in our yard. Always. If I have nightmares, they are usually in them.
4. Believe it or not (and some would say I'm not), I have this thing that keeps believing that people will change and so I keep forgiving them. Even when they should not be forgiven. I don't know why. Maybe I think there is some hope for the hopeless. I really should get over this because it has been the source of a lot of pain.....but I just seem to keep doing it!!
5. I have to watch my sailor's mouth. Honestly. We've laughed that I will be that old woman in the nursing home that the workers will all avoid because I will curse them out if they are not doing what I want them to do! My favorite term is "I don't give a rat's ass." I don't know where that came from and how I ever started saying it...but it IS my personal favorite.
6. I have this dream of some day having time to sit and watch Lifetime, Oprah and CNN all day and scrapbook every photo that I've collected since my children were born. I have collected enough supplies to make this happen, but getting to the work just hasn't happened. I've made efforts to start. I have most of a Christmas scrapbook finished. It's quite good, as a matter of fact. But that is one of those things I suppose would be on my "bucket list" if I were to write one of those. Maybe on another day, another blog.
7. I love flowers. I really don't think there are any ugly flowers. It's funny too because Steve is not a "sending flowers" guy. Not at all. But I love to plant them and I love to have them on my desk at work. The funniest story about him sending them is on our very first Valentines Day, I was really expecting flowers at work like so many teachers get. There had been years when I would even send some to myself just to save myself the embarrassment of not getting anything at all. Our anniversary of our first date happened to be Feb. 15, so he had planned a big deal for THAT day, thinking he would skip Valentines. Woo boy-not a good plan. I was so disappointed, until of course, I found out what had happened! Needless to say he has been so good to remember since then!
8. I love and LIKE my children. Not everyone can say that. I would like them even if I just met them out there somewhere randomly. That is a lucky thing. And it is a real compliment because most people know that I do not throw compliments out to just hear myself talk. I really mean them! I like the people they have become. But you likely knew that one, didn't you?
9. I am a true camera hound. Rarely do I go anywhere without my camera. I miss the great photos I used to get with my 35mm, but the convenience of the digital makes up for it.
10. Hmm...the last thing is a funny one. No one, and I mean NO ONE works harder at having nice nails than I do....to have such bad nails! I had to give up wearing acrylics years ago and I continue to have the absolute weakest nails on the planet. I work on them daily. And I mean daily! It's like an obsession, but that really does no good whatsoever because they still look the same.

Aww...Saturday

It has been a while since we have had a quiet Saturday at home. It was welcome indeed. The weather has been cool and crisp and I love hearing the leaves crunching as you walk down the driveway.
Steve and I had some errands to run and had planned to go watch the Razorback game at Friday's. However, when we got there it was so packed, there were no parking places....we decided to go eat steak at Logan's Steakhouse and just go home to finish listening to it on the radio. As it turns out, it was not a game that we missed out on much except more of the mistakes we have been so famous for this season.
Turns out the trip to Logan's, which we never go to, held a nice surprise. We ran into Ryan Duncan--a fun blast from the past! We found out that he and Gentry just had a baby girl they have named Evie about 10 weeks ago. She was a preemie and is still in the hospital, but is gaining weight and showing lots of improvement. Of course, the proud dad had photos on his phone to share. We enjoyed hearing about Corbin and what all they have been up to since we last saw them. We laughed about some of the memories from Special Olympics and good times we have had together. What a great surprise it was to see him!!

Steve went with me to pick out four comfy chairs for my round table at the office. I've been spending a lot of time sitting there recently and with my back problems (sounds like a good excuse to me!) I decided I needed something more comfortable. I think the families and clients visiting will appreciate them as well. Of course I found a couple of cool things to sit around, which I may not have needed but they were really cool looking. We also found a round coffee table and end table for the "group" area. Looks like I'm getting all set!

I'm moving into Phase III of supervision for being a licensed therapist. In Arkansas, it is a requirement even though a therapist is fully license, they have to go through three years of supervision. It is a good idea, but as you get near the end you really get ready to not have to pay for the supervision any longer!!! It also means that Steve and I will eventually be thinking about what we are going to do after I am a full "P".....lots to think about and plan for!!!! (wasn't my last blog about change being good????)
We came home and watched some football and have caught up on some Grey's Anatomy's that we have had recorded and saved.
Mary Beth called and they are in London. Piccadilly Square. Wow.

Thankful Thursday on Friday

Good heavens- that photo I took of myself is close up and personal! haha!

But I just had to show everyone my rosey cheeks from my steroid shot I got on Wednesday in my hip--who would think it would still be having that reaction by today??? At least I didn't have to wear any blush for the day.

Well anyway....Hayley Nicodemus dared me to write the Three Thankful Things for Thursday....only I didn't read her post until this morning and I had a ----load of work so far today and have just gotten around to it. I'm going to skip the usual thankful for my kids and husband because I will write about them later for sure...and you all hear about how awesome they are plenty, don't you?

#1 My first thing I'm thankful for today is actually my JOB. Yes, people, you heard it hear first. I was thinking about this earlier today that even though the paperwork drives me crazy because I seem to always be behind with it, and even though I work with a lot of families whose lives are totally upside down and I feel totally incapable of helping many of them....I love it. I love it when I feel like I am good at something and THIS is something I feel I am good at! I think a big part of the job is making people feel that you are really listening and that you care. And I do. I love being my own boss, so if I decide to take off for lunch with Steve then I just lock up and go!! I love it when I get a part of the plan exactly right and when you start to see change happen in a positive way that you know you set into motion....that is sweet indeed. We all like to feel that we have made a difference in the lives of others in some way or another...and this job lets me do that. It doesn't work all the time and there are some people that aren't happy, but TODAY I am thankful for this job.

#2 I am thankful for having a dependable, fun car to get into every day to take me where I need to go. I feel so bad for people that are having car trouble and all. There are so many days when I can be in a bad mood and if it is 65 degrees or above, that top is coming down!!! That helps my mood so much that it should be shameful! Steve teases me because I will put it down to go the five minute drive to Northside, where I have to put it back down for the day. I don't care. It is worth it. I don't even care about my hair. I'll brush it when I get there. You can't imagine how good it feels.

#3 I am thankful for changes. Changes are hard, but they are so good for us. I'm the most resistant person to changes and it seems that just when I get all settled in and think I have things on my own personal cruise control, that's when something happens to change things. I don't usually like them because it often means people leave us too soon or decisions are made that we don't agree with and know in our hearts that better decisions need to be made....but sometimes later on we see there was a reason for it all. When I moved to Fort Smith 23 years ago, it was the hardest change in my life up until that point. But if it hadn't been for that single change, that decision, look at the impact it would have had the lives of so many. There wouldn't have been a Steve, or a Connie or a Tammy....my children would not have had their list of friends....they likely would not have gone to school in Fayetteville....there are just so many things that would have been different if I had not made that one major change. So, today I am thankful for changes. We are facing some changes in our future and I hope I can remember that tearful 29 year old facing a new home, new career change, new friends and how things turned out so well.

So there's my Three for Thursday on Friday, Haley!

The story of the dress

Well, yes, this is a view of the "mother of the bride" dress that I wore for Mary Beth and Jon's wedding a couple of weeks ago. This is a photo I took soon after I bought it. It has been a point of a lot of emotion for me over the last week and I thought the good ole blog was a good place for me to vent some of that.

For those of you that are closest to me, you know that my weight has been a point of concern for me for years. I have made efforts at losing it, especially this summer when I knew the wedding was coming in October. I even delayed purchasing this dress in hopes that a lower dress size would eventually be what I would be hunting for! I even convinced the doctor that I needed to make a change in medication that I thought might be making me be resistant to losing weight. Faithful workouts to the fitness center and watching my diet helped to lose a few pounds and maybe an inch or two. I did feel better and had more energy, but the BIG weight loss just didn't happen.

My shopping for the perfect "M.O.B." dress took me to several dress shops to find a lot of dresses that all seemed to look a lot alike: matronly looking dresses with sheer jackets over them. Just not my kind of dress. I decided to go to Rogers and look one day and Mary Beth met me. She pulled dresses while I tried them on in the dressing room. It was a fun afternoon while I played the role that she is usually in! (how many hours have I spent outside of dressing rooms waiting on those girls???) She found this coppery skirt with a separate top that we both liked a lot but they didn't have the top in my size....but Mary Beth found out they could order it. So it was done!

The next plan was to get some "spanx" that the girls said they are getting now. Sort of funny because they are the ones that really do not need them. With their cute little figures, they have not a clue about having to suck in and hold in parts that won't hold in any longer! So...I bought a pair that fit from below my bra down almost to my knees, thinking that should cover the vital parts!

I got home and took them out of the package to show them to Steve. I held up the little pantyhose looking thing that was about 5 inches wide and 10 inches long, looking like it could fit a doll. He asks the honest question (that he's so good at and that always get him in trouble!) and said "Did you buy the right size?" Of course I did. Believe it or not, he's still alive today.

Anyway, back to the reason for this blog....I got dressed on wedding day feeling like I looked pretty good. I was rushed as most moms are on that day after getting everyone else ready and you put yourself last and all. But, I really did feel like it was a good choice for me and that it was a "different" dress and the color was a good choice with my haircolor, etc....and so off I went.

Last week I got the photos back from Celia Kay. When Steve and I started going through them I thought I was going to be sick! Either the lighting hit the skirt funny or the spanx were not doing their JOB, but whatever the deal was (it couldn't be that I am just simply overweight!), most of the photos that show me full length were not flattering at all. I know I'm often very hard on myself, as most of us are. But truly, the photos of me look terrible! I'm having her work on them as we speak! I've checked with those closest to me and they have assured me I didn't look like the photos in real life...if I did then they are forever fired from "I promise to tell you if you will promise to tell me" duty. That's what people that love you do. But no one did.

So...I suppose I have had enough days now to just think that I looked okay and it must have been the sunlight or the spanx or something else.

The important thing is that I have learned that I have a lot of people that really love me and whether I'm perfect or plump, they still love me. That's all that matters in life.

Is it really November???

Love these weekends where you actually have time to sit down and enjoy yourself again. I think I had forgotten how to do that! Greg came through Friday night and went shopping with me. We went to the new Best Buy in Fort Smith. I wanted to get a portable external hard drive for my laptop because I've been paranoid about losing all of my information recently. His computer messed up last month and, even being a computer geek (yes, I said it), he did not have a backup, and lost some important GAMING info which was high on his priority list. So, I've been sweating since then thinking what I would do if this laptop were to freeze and fry and I could lose all of my photos and information and files. ugh. What a nightmare. So, he agreed to go with me and get me hooked up. We got to have a good look at the new Best Buy, which is rather Star Trekkish on the inside, but I like the look. We bought the hard drive, which the smallest amount you could get was 250 GB. Pretty funny to think how small we used to buy and when they first started coming out with "gigs" we thought one "gig" was massive! Oops-showing my age here.

We left there and went to the mall to catch Greg up on some survival clothes...jeans, shirts, etc. for school. We also ran across this funny little Razorback cap that he thought he might just wear. It has a fuzzy warm lining. Here's a couple of photos with he and Steve trying it on at home. What do you think, folks? Should I get Steve one for Christmas? He looks like one of those old fashioned football players from way back when I think! We had fun though and I hated to see him leave.

On Saturday morning, Steve and I got up and washed "Baby" (my car) and took off for Fayetteville to watch those Hogs play one last time for this season. It really was a gorgeous day. As my friend Connie and I would say, the "foliage was lovely." We have decided that is the real sign that we have crossed into middle age when we say that.

We picked up Glo and Megan at their place and put the top down on the car and cruised through Dickson Street. Had lunch at Flying Burrito until we could not eat another bite, then decided to park over by the high school and walk to the stadium.

It was great football weather and everyone had a good time. I can't believe we won, but it was a good way to end the home game season for sure! We drove back to their apartment and looked at wedding pictures, then left for home.
Yesterday was a lazy day.....finally. I was actually caught up on my paperwork and laundry for a change. Steve watered the mums and all outside and we tried to catch up some on some things we had to do indoors.

Mmmmm....I love Sundays. I love lazy days.

Mary Beth emailed from France. Having a blast of course.

Will post wedding photos soon. I promise!