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Wow, it has been over a Year!!!

I am sure no one is still reading my little blog, but if so, I cannot believe it has been 2 days over one year since I posted on here.  Time has gone by so quickly. 

On the 24th I will celebrate the 2 year anniversary of my little store.  Business has continued to pick up and sales have been good enough that as of January 1st I have been getting a paycheck.  I just signed another 2 year lease on the building, after that who knows what I will do.  I am getting old, but I love working, so I just may keep going and going (kinda like the Energizer Bunny).

On April 29th I lost a friend of 30 years to the big 'C'.  Over Thanksgiving she got pneumonia and was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer.  She was a non-smoker so it took us all by surprise.  She was quickly told that the cancer had moved into her hip and pelvic bones, but she started a new treatment and seemed to be holding her own.  On April 15th she sent me a very positive email to let me know that the scans showed the tumors were not growng, and she was feeling great.  Her local friends (she lived in California) had thrown her a Birthday party on the 13th with live music.  She said she had a great time and even did some singing.  I was so happy to hear that news.  A few days later I got news that they had found some spots in her brain, then she had some seizures and on the 29th she was gone.  Such sadness! 

Since I last updated on this blog I have been blessed with another grandson.  He was born on October 7th and is such a cutie.  Here is a picture of the 3 littlest grandchildren taken in the library.  They love the library. 

J is 2 years 6 month, C is 3 years 10 month, and R is 7 months.  I do not get to see them as often as I would like, but soon I am going to visit them and I cannot wait. 

My other 3 grandchildren are doing well.  Big S is 22, Little S is 14 and J is 10.  Cannot believe how fast the time is going.  They keep me smiling. 

I hope if anyone is still reading this, that you are well and happy and enjoying life. 

One Year

On May 24th my little store will have been open for one year!  I cannot believe the time has passed so quickly.  Since the 24th is during the week I am having an Anniversary Celebration tomorrow.  Starting with a tent sale at 7AM, then at 10AM I will give away hot dogs and drinks to all my wonderful customers.  I am selling anything that has been in the store for 60+ days at 25 and 50% discount.

I hope everyone is enjoying their spring and has great plans for the summer.

Spoke to Soon

On March 14th I blogged that summer was here, well this morning I woke up to 30 degrees....guess I spoke to soon....The End!

Ouch! That Hurt

I have been dreading today for the past few weeks.  I needed gum surgery to ensure the safety of a couple of teeth.  I was not sure what to expect, but I knew it would not be pleasant since I am one of those 1 in 8000 people that is allergic to dental anesthetic. 

So this morning at 8:30 I arrived at the periodontist office.  I had taken 1mg of anti-anxiety medication (no I did not drive myself).  I agreed to have a small dose of Nitrous Oxide (some may know this as Laughing Gas).  I think it helped, but I hated having the mask on my face while my mouth was open.  The whole procedure took about an hour, and my mouth is full of stitches (which I did not expect). 

All in all, it was not to bad.  My doctor told me in his 32 years of practice he has NEVER done this procedure on someone without anesthetic and he wanted me to know that he thinks I am 'very brave'. 

Here is hoping this takes care of the problem and that I do not have to have this procedure done again EVER!  I am taking antibiotics, using an antibiotic mouthwash, and he gave me some prescription pain pills (just in case I need them).  Right now the pain is minimal, so I hope I do not wake up tomorrow with more pain. 

Well that is my tale of woe.  How was your day?

Happy Birthday Song

The very best 'Happy Birthday' message a Gramma could receive, at least I think so.  I don't get to see these babies very often, but we do Skype.  I love them beyond reason, so enjoy this little video their mama sent to me this morning. 

He is only 2.5 years, and that cute little redhead is 16 months old.  The are such a delight.  I hope you enjoyed the video. 

A Day in the Life

Since I opened my little store (well even before then, as I had to set it up) I have worked 6 days a week (sometimes 7).  I am off on Monday because that is the day my store is closed.  Every week I think I will just stay home, clean house, read and/or watch T.V......that never happens.  Here is what I did today:

1. Managed to stay in bed until 8 AM.  Felt good to just relax before my feet hit the floor.
2.  Met my DIL and we hauled 2 pickup loads of branches and yard waste to the dump.
3.  Returned home and balanced my checkbook.
4.  Went to Target and picked up 6 1/2 sheet cakes and delivered them to my granddaughters middle school.
      (They are for a project in one of her classes.)
5. Went to the Credit Union and deposited some money into my checking account.
6.  Went to the Bank and deposited money from sales at the store into the store account.
7.  Went to the CPA's office and picked up both the business tax return and my personal tax return. 
     (Best news ever....I DO NOT owe the IRS any money).
8.  Went to the grocery store and picked up food.  Since I had not been grocery shopping in almost 3 weeks
     it was a large shopping trip.
9.  Came home and changed my clothes and watched Ellen.
10. Mowed the lawn. 

Now I am sitting in my chair with my feet up.  How was your day?

Yes, I know the spacing is off on this post.  To darn tired to fix it. 

Summer Got Here Today!

Okay, this weather is just insane.  It was 88 degrees here today and I was not prepared for that much change in the weather.  I was hoping to get some nice Spring weather, you know, like in the high 60s and low 70s for a few weeks before it turned to Summer! 

Now I have to pull all those bins of summer clothes out from under my bed.  Yeah, I live in a small house so I store anything not being used under the bed.  Time for spring cleaning whether I am ready or not. 

The up side of all this warm weather is that I am looking forward to filling all those pots on the deck with colorful flowers and pulling out the grill.  The down side to all this warm weather is that I will have to start mowing the lawn again.  In my brain, colorful flowers and grilled food makes mowing the lawn worth the work. 

I love Spring!  How about you?

Why I Never Post On This Blog

Because I am so freakin busy all the time.  I write posts in my head but they never make it to this blog.  It is a very good kind of busy, so I am not complaining.  My little store is still doing well and I find myself wishing I had a bigger building.  I opened 10 months ago on the 24th of this month, and the time has gone by so fast. 

All my grandchildren are doing well.  S1 is now 21 years old (no longer a child), S2 turned 13 in January (OMG, a teenage girl), J celebrated his 9th Bday in February (this child makes me laugh with his vivid imagaination),  my little C will be 3 in July (he is a true delight and he loves his Gramma K), E is now 16 months old and is talking up a storm (she has a true redhead personality, just like her mom).  The best news of all is that I will be a Gramma again in late September. 

Now about the crazy weather.  We did not have a winter, it rarely got below 40 for more than a few hours.  We were having 70 degree days in January, and right now everything is in bloom.  The odd thing is we had snow twice in February.   One week is snowed on Monday, and on Friday is was 74 degrees.  I am hoping we do not get a hot, hot, hot and humid summer.  Ha, like it is ever not hot and humid in the south. 

I hope everyone is getting some nice spring weather and enjoying life.  Hopefully I will get some of the blog posts out of my head and into my computer in the near future. 

The End.....

PS...I know I need to update my Blog Template.....that pink is getting to me too!  I will soon.

A Few Questions

One of my blogging friends (http://simplyhappymama.blogspot.com) tagged me on her blog and asked that I answer these questions.  So here are my answers: 

 

1. Do you like to cook or bake ? Both or neither.  What is your favorite recipe?  I love to bake (I like to cook, but I love to bake). My favorite recipe is a homemade chocolate cake. The recipe came from one of my aunts more than 40 years ago.  

 

2. A place you would love to visit but have not yet ?  I have always wanted to see Paris, France.  It is on my bucket list.  

 

3. Favorite childhood book?  I remember loving the Nancy Drew series.  I have been an avid reader since 1st grade, so I have read many many books.

 

4. What restaurant do you like to take your kids (grandkids) to ?  Why ?  I love to take my grandkids to Applebee's.  We live in an area with not a lot of choices, but we all can find something on the menu at Applebee's. 

 

5.  Favorite flavor of ice cream ? Hands down Vanilla, that way I can dress it up with anything I want, like Hot Fudge. 

 

6. Are you a thrift store shopper? Yes, I have always been a thrift store shopper, and I am currently a thrift store owner (Children's Resale). 

 

7. Are you a sweet or salty lover ? I love both, and sometimes I eat them together. 

 

8. Favorite color ? My favorite color has always been red, never any other color. 

9. Best movie you have ever seen ?  Oh so many movies I have seen were the best at that time, but it changes as new movies arrive.  Old movies, well I loved Gone With the Wind.  

 

10. Winter or summer vacation ? I prefer winter vacations.  

 

Well, that is all the questions and answers.  If you would like, just copy them to your own blog and put in your own answers.  Your readers will love knowing more about you.   

Some things are just not fair ** UPDATED**

1/30/12 Edited to Update News:  This beautiful little boy had surgery this morning.  The news was so much better than anticipated!  NO Retinoblastoma.   The mass behind his eye is a disease in which the retina and retinal pigment epitheluim are fused togethter to make a benign tumor like area.  Chances of delayed vision development in the other eye are likely.  No definite diagnosis on vision yet, but this is great news!


I am trying really hard not to spend the night crying.  A sweet friend just got news that her adorable 3 month old son is not only blind, but there is a strong possibility that he has retinoblastoma.  One of his eyes has a mass behind it and the retina is detached.  The other eye appears okay but no information is reaching the visual cortex, so he is totally blind (cannot even see any light) in both eyes.  They will have to do another procedure in 10 days to determine how bad this situation is and possibly start him on Chemo.

My heart is breaking for this family.  They have a daughter that will be two years old soon.  They are a wonderful young couple that have been part of my life for the past 4 years and I truly care deeply for all of them. 

I would be very grateful if you would please keep this family in your thoughts and/or prayers.

Holiday Eating Tips

I got this in an email from a friend.  Do not know the author, but I love it!

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention.

Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by:

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

The Holidays are Here!!!

I keep hoping I will find more time to blog, but that just has not happened in the past 6 months since I opened my little store.  I did take a week off early in November and went to Boston to celebrate the 1st Birthday of my youngest grandchild.  Just wanted to post a few pics of the Birthday Girl and her Big Brother. 

Hooray, I am '1' today!

Enjoying a cupcake

Big Brother really likes chocolate cupcakes...

Here is what big brother looks like when he does not have a face full of cake!  

I had so much fun with these babies.  The are cute, good and loving to their Gramma Keli.  They will be coming to visit me for Christmas, and I am so excited.  It is always wonderful when all three of my children and all my grandchildren are in the same place during the holidays.  

My little store is doing well.  I have officially been opened for 6 months and 4 days.  I have met so many nice people.  I really enjoy getting to see people be able to buy affordable nice clothing for their children.  I have also had the opportunity to donate some clothing and accessories to some people who were in need.  The part of owning a resale shop is the 'in your face' realization that there are so many people that struggle daily just to feed and cloth their children.  I have been so lucky that there are many people who have donated clothes and other child related items to my shop.  These donations allow me to help when needed, and also to keep the prices very low in my little store.   All in all, owning this little store has been a great experience. 

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that you are ready for Christmas.  I am trying to get my self to go up in the attic and get down all the decorations, so far I have found an excuse not to do it, but I think I am getting down to the wire and will need to 'suck it up' and get up there soon. 

It's Finally Fall

I am so excited that the weather has finally turned cool at night and in the 70s during the day.

I finally got an engineer out to look at the water problem I have been having at the store.  Today they put in a super drainage system that I am hoping will solve all my issues.  Now I can finally really clean up and put in new area rugs without fear of them being ruined by  more flooding.  Business continues to be excellent and I have been blessed to find lots of really nice clothes to sell in the shop.  I continue to get new customers each week, in addition to many return customers.  Word of mouth is spreading about the store, which is the best advertising I could hope for.  

I am looking forward to the holiday season.  I believe I will have all three of my children and my five grandchildren with me for Christmas, which is the absolute best.  Not sure what is happening for Thanksgiving.  I will be making a trip to New England in early November to celebrate the 1st Birthday of my youngest grandchild.  She is such a cutie with her red hair and blue eyes.  She is already walking everywhere and her mother reports she is making lots of new sounds, so it will not be long before she is talking.  Her brother (who is now 2-1/2) is talking like a big boy and I love that his mother shares with me all the cute things he is now saying.  

I hope you are all enjoying Fall as much as I am.  I am hoping for a winter without the snow we had here last year.  I don't mind the cold, but when it snows in the south it brings everything to a stand still. 

That's all for now, and no, I did not get better at updating my blog, but there is always hope for the future. 

Just a few words

It has now been one day over a month since I last posted on my blog.  I had such good intentions when I last posted.  I really thought I would get back into the blogging groove and at least post 1-2 times a week.  Somehow my plans went down the drain as the month progressed.   A quick recap of the past month:

1.  My store has been really busy, which is a really really really good thing.
2.  My store has flooded 3 times in the past month.  It appears that the lack of gutters on the building causes the water to build up at the base of the building on 2 sides and it flows in between the cement slab floor and the walls.  Fortunately I do not have anything sitting on the floors, so the only damage done has been to the many throw rugs I have scattered around the shop, and the indoor/outdoor carpet in my storage room.  Cleaning up all that water with a wet vacuum has made me have a back ache.  When you vacuum up 15-20 gallons of water it is tiring.   The good news is that on Monday a work crew will arrive to install gutters, and dig a french drain to eliminate any build up of water.  I hope it works!!
3.  My lovely daughter had emergency surgery.  She is now completely recovered, but it scared the beejeezus out of me.  To protect her privacy I will not go into any details on my blog.   
4.  I have just been to darn busy to think about blogging. 

So that is my story, and I am sticking to it.  I hope you have all had a great end to your summer.  We suffered with more over 95 degree days this summer than I can ever remember.  Thursday it was again over 90, then on Friday it dropped to the mid 60s.  I am so grateful for cooler weather, especially the nights in the 50s.  I would like to say I will continue to update my blog on a regular basis, but we all know that I have said that several times in the past, so only time will tell.  Peace Out.

Bad, bad blogger!

I have been neglecting my blog for the past few months.  I have an excuse, I opened my own business.  My business opened on May 24th and it was a slow start, but about 3 weeks ago business started to pick up and has been doing great.  I even made enough money this month to pay all the bills!  Wow, I cannot believe it. 

Now that things are starting to run smoothly I hope to get back to blogging on a regular basis.  Only time will tell.  I hope that everyone is having a great summer, got to take a wonderful vacation and are ready for school to start.

I am looking forward to taking a vacation in November to beautiful New England.  We will be celebrating my youngest granddaughter's 1st Birthday, so it will be lots of fun.

Watcha been up to this summer? Tell me in the comments....I love comments.  

How hot is it?

To darn hot! 

Big Cousins with Little Cousins

The 8 year old playing with the 8 month old.  

So cute!

The 12 year old reading to a very tired 2 year old

Precious!

Giving Thanks

Cats are so dramatic

 

(disclaimer :  I did not take this picture, it was sent to me by someone who also did not take this picture)

Happy 4th of July

Have a Happy and Safe 4th of July!