Surprises!

It's almost like a big wrapped box with a brightly tied bow on top. You want to shake it, listen to it, see how heavy it is, turn it around and upside down, poke at it and sniff it. What is it? Hm... so I ask for a hint:

• We are going on a tour
• About an hour away
• Do you like boats?
• We may get dirty
• But I can still wear my flip flops

I'm not really sure these are good hints because I have no idea where we are heading this morning. It's been driving me crazy, really!  I had to lay down some quick no-nos: I don't like zoos - they make me sad, I don't do heights, and I'm not a "lets-go-on-a-hike" kinda girl.

So I've been told to bring a camera and not to worry about the rest. Instead of sitting here telling you about it, I better be hitting the shower and getting ready! :)   Hope you have a wonderful weekend and I'll let you know where I end up!

So Thankful. So So Thankful.

I can't begin to grasp the full scale of what all has happened in the past 48 hours.  So many lives have been impacted.  The losses continue to rise as communities begin to dig out from underneath the rubble. 

To hear from my friend outside of Tuscaloosa who is safe, her home is fine - it was such a relief. Knowing I'll be visiting her in less than a month, I just can't wait to give her the biggest of hugs.

It so sad that I need something like to serve as a reminder of what is important in life. These everyday little dramas are completely immaterial. They are nothing. And they do not deserve the energy and attention that they often receive.

While I say thank you, Lord, for keeping my loved one safe, I ask for you to comfort so many who have lost so much - please help these communities rebuild on all levels.  They need Your strength.

Covered in Cheese.

I believe if we could somehow cover the world in cheese we would all get along so much better. Not agreeing? Easy enough - here have some cheese. Would you like that in cubes, sticks or in sauce form? Sauce form, please. 

Forget Coke. Cheese could bring harmony to the world! 

(guess what I had for lunch...)

Yum.

I've been writing in my Thankful Journal - part of my "appreciation" word for this year.  I also put my prayer requests in there as a way to remember all those things I wanted to focus on at the end of the day.  One that has been frequently popping into my head is Forgiveness.  Not one of those topics I'm really good at - forgiving people. Well, that's not true. It's forgiving people I just don't like. So I'm hoping to overcome this major flaw in my personality with some help.  :)  Maybe I need to offer them some cheese and we'll see harmony as a result! 

I haven't been as appreciative as I believe I need to be for the blessings in my life. So I'll try to refocus on telling people Thank You and acknowledging the small and large blessings that are given to me on a daily basis. :)  It's a good thing. I'm lovin' positivity! 

(Reminds me of Pete the Cat when he stepped in strawberries while wearing his new white shoes.  And did Pete cry? Goodness no! He just kept walking along, singing his song - I love my red shoes, I love my red shoes! )

Happy Monday - from Muffin

Ahhh... daydreams of running through the soft green grass and chasing after those birds that taunt me. My generous owner opened the window a crack for me so I could enjoy the Spring air. She even left it open while she was gone, so I really got a nose full of the pollen and spores floating around out there! When she came back tonight, there I was, still pressing my nose to the window crack! AAhhh... so nice to enjoy the smell of Spring air!

Hope your week is wonderful - filled with fresh Spring air and tasty treats... (I really like treats! Speaking of which, my owner needs to loosen up on the treat giving!) Happy week!

*heart*

Muffin



Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to all my friends! I had a wonderful holiday, beginning with a great sermon at church, focusing on the Easter story (of course) but from a bit different perspective. Greatly enjoyed it.  Followed by a delicious lunch with family.  A nap may have messed up my sleep schedule tonight but I believe it was worth it - the nap and the reason I needed it. Received many Easter wishes from family and friends today and that always makes you feel special!

More importantly, it was just a blessing to have a reason to celebrate Easter - to be someone who feels the true meaning of this holiday and to appreciate the gravity of these events.  Up from the grave He arose! And with His triumph, He gives us the opportunity to have eternal life in the presence of the Lord.

Many blessings to you and your family! :)

Doggy Smiles!

"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. 
For me they are the role model for being alive."  ~Gilda Radner

It is a nasty day here, dark clouds and periodic rain.  Grey skies.  Ew.  I'm not a fan of rain and grey skies and dark clouds (oh my!)  So I'm using Shelby, my furry niece, to brighten my day.  How can you look at this crazy bug-eyed face and not just want to scoop her up and HUG HER CROSS-EYED?! I'm so glad I'm an animal person (granted, I'm more of a cat person, but Shelby is still really cute) because animals can bring much joy to our lives.

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter weekend filled with family and friends.  I don't care how old you are, go boil some eggs and pull out the dye! And please remember the real reason we are "celebrating," - because God gave His ONLY Son, sent Him to this earth to live among us, only to be crucified for us.  I can't being to imagine the loneliness, sadness, the anguish Jesus felt on the cross. Being betrayed and murdered after paying for every single sin each and every Christian has ever commited.  Beyond our understanding. Far beyond mine.

So take a moment to be thankful! :)

Leap of Faith.

Isn't this adorable?  It came straight to my inbox to inspire me and make my day a bit brighter. I suppose I signed up for it - don't really remember, but I'm very happy to be included! Click on the picture and it will take you to Blissfull Elements, which is super crafty and also connected to an Etsy Store filled with fun things!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Happy Hump Day, my friends! :)

Muffin Monday!

Muffin encourages you to become an avid reader -

she pounces on every book left out on one of her happy spots!

We hope your week is fun-filled and happy! Enjoy the lead up to EASTER!

For America

Red White and Blue! The Stars & Stripes. Waves of Amber Grain. Old Glory. I love it all. 

I'm a freaky Patriotic person with few outlets to show my love of country.  I *heart* our troops and pray for them and their families.  I *heart* the USO and promote and support them. And I make cards and send them to veterans and current service persons both. It started my sophomore year in high school when we went into Desert Storm.  Our class adopted several soldiers and I sent letters to two. I made friendship bracelets of red white blue and yellow.  One guy actually received special permission to wear his with his uniform, which made my heart swell! I have the matching one I made for myself here somewhere, along with the letters we wrote back and forth.

I was in the dollar store this week and I always check out the books - you never know what you'll find in that random assortment. I found "For America. Simple Things Each of Us Can Do to Make Our Country Better."  I've enjoyed reading it. Not that I believe all of these things - I think there could have been some better options than a few that were chosen - but it's awesome to see someone take the time to think of ways (simple ways) we can improve our country.

I recommend it - by Sacha Zimmerman, although to look at the dust jacket you'd think it was written by Presidents GH Bush and W J Clinton - but nope, they only did a forward.  Regardless, it's a pretty decent book for a buck! 

Just say NO to Casablanca.

Yeah yeah, I realize I'm the only American in this great nation who just doesn't appreciate Casablanca.  I was inspired to watch the old greats in the film industry - starting with Casablanca. But I just couldn't do it. After being lost for about 30 minutes, it had to go. Maybe I'll find another film great that will impress me... but Casablanca isn't it. :(

I'm really happy with all the great friend-visits this past week (Gary, Sara, Donna) and then discovering my company name - yay! Gary and I had movie night (just say NO to Casablanca), Sara and I did a play and dinner (just say NO to The Country Wife) and Donna and I shopped. Shopping is good!

And yes, you read it right - after some debate, indecision and stress over what to name my side venture of fun - my over-sized craft project of registry books - I've decided to go with the name Pressed Clovers.  Much like searching for those 4-leaf clovers and placing those found treasures between the pages of large book to preserve, I hope my books will be pages filled with sweet treasured memories that will preserve the moments leading up to weddings and babies. Thankfully Paulene of Leen Machine has agreed to do a logo (thank heavens!) that I'll share soon. :)

On an unrelated note: I'm so thankful those horrible storms passed us over today.  We had the wind and a little rain, but thankfully missed the tornadoes that ripped up the Midwest.  I'm ready for the weather to settle down and allow me to sleep without fear of flying through the air in the middle of the night. I even wear different clothes to bed. Have to look good if I'm going to be sucked up out of y house...

Ok ladies and gents - I'm heading for bed. I'm wiped out and smiling and ready for some ZZzzzzzssss....

Sunshiny Weather Gadgets Make Me Happy!

The sunshine on my desktop weather gadget makes me so happy to see today!  Yesterday's gadget was dark and dreary, predicting overcast skies.  I could have used that sunshine yesterday after sleeping three hours and working 15 hours. I never sleep well before an election, afraid I'll oversleep and find myself in a heap of trouble. So instead I toss and turn most of the night.

But I survived, slept well last night and dreamed of elections. (Can I count that as timed worked on my time card?? ha ha!)  Today I'm even wearing my Hello Kitty hairpins, which are just adorable.  I never take the opportunity to wear and share them with the general public. Hm... now I wonder if the cat heads should be facing in the other direction? Maybe I should have tossed my bangs to the other side. Oh well, too late now!

This picture just tickles me because I love seeing those photos of AH and Ellie in the background.  When I first interviewed for this job, I was asked what I would do on my first day.  Obviously, I had no clue what answer they were looking for here - do I say I'd follow my co-workers around and pepper them with questions? Or should I read a manual that I'm not even sure exists? Or what? So I answered truthful (imagine! The truth!) and said - I'd unpack all my family photos because that is one of the most important things to me - my family. I spend so much time at work, I like to know they are there with me. :) Guess they liked the answer ok, I got the job!

I hope all of my imaginary friends out there are enjoying your week and enjoying the sunshiny days before the dog days of Summer kicks our butts! :)  Happy Happy Joy Joy!

Muffin wishes you a Happy Monday!

MUFFIN MONDAY! Woop Woop!

 

This is a vintage Muffin photo, from the old house we lived in.  This was her cat perch, which ended up becoming a cat hammock under her hefty weight. Of course, it ended up breaking under the strain. Thankfully, her granddaddy is clever and created a wooden base for it so she could use it again. We covered it with blankets and towels to make it comfy for her. (see it in the Weekend Cat Blogging below).

I stumbled across this idea below. I tried it out and decided it's not for me. But, for those of you who may just need something to get you started - here you go!  Linked to this blog, called The Simple Woman's Daybook.  -- Ya'll have an awesome week!!

(please note, these answers were done last night!)

 

Outside My Window... is an opportunity to win a contest for a backyard makeover. Crossing my fingers because I could really use the help!

I am thinking... I need to finish my Thankful Journal entry and go to bed.

I am thankful for ... beautiful days and birthdays! Celebrated my Brother-In-Law turning 36 this weekend! 

I am wearing.. jammies. :)

From the kitchen... cleaned it today in case Movie Night ends up at my house.

From the Learning Room… I'm still learning about blogging. I am not techo-geeky!

I am creating... I have decided to do a scrapbook of my sister's weddings and all the shower leading up to it. Wish me luck, I know I'll be bonkers by the time I'm done.

I am reading... nothing really. But I do need to return some books to the library.

I am remembering…that I need to be focused on my long-term happiness.

I am hoping... that I can make it until my vacation!!!

I am hearing... nothing. And it's wonderful.

I have noticed.. the dogwood trees in beautiful bloom EVERYWHERE! I love it!

A Favorite Thing... my bed. Love it. Crawling into it in just a moment.

Pondering these words...  A good friendship is often times more important than a passionate romance.

A few plans for the rest of the week.... movies and plays and dinner - oh my!

 

 

*sigh* It's been lovely!

What a wonderful weekend. Shopping with Mom, dinner to celebrate my bro-in-law's birthday, (which included, of course, AH!), church this morning, lunch with the ENTIRE family (minus AH) at my brother and sis-in-laws... just been one of those love-filled, fun-filled weekends!

Ok, could have done without the crazy hail storms/winds/tornado warnings on Saturday that scared the poo out of me!  Just as I looked outside and nothing was going on, in a blink, hail came flying from the sky at an almost 90 degree angle from the ground. I just stood and watched my car get pummeled. But it could have been worse - my friend had hail the size of baseballs. SERIOUSLY. The size of BASEBALLS. So the damage here is nothing compared to that.

This coming week is going to be awesome. An election on Tuesday, Movie Night with an awesome friend on Wednesday night, dinner and a play with another great friend on Thursday night, and hopefully HOP with AH and fam on Saturday.  Can I say WOOP WOOP on the fun-factor for this coming week? Yup. Excited.

Have been working on the positive attitude, as well. Trying hard, although I've had my moments. *breathe in... breathe out... breathe in... breathe out* But I do think it makes me happier. And a happy Beth is a good thing.  :)

Weekend Cat Blogging.

Happy Weekend Cat Blogging! :) 

Today I'm sharing Allie and Chloe with the world - my furry nieces! They are adorable lively kittens that are into everything: the trash, dishwasher, fridge, bedrooms, bathtubs, and window sills. :)  I love 'em.

Granted, here all you can see is their booties!  They are on their special cat perch, enjoying fresh air from the open window.  Nothing like a good whiff of fresh air, right?

Happy Weekend Cat Blogging, my friends and many thanks to Amar and Luna at CatSynth for hosting! :)

Positivity.

I'm not sure that's a real word, "Positivity?" POSITIVITY! Whatever, I love it, so it a word in my book.

I love positive things, happy things, things that make me want to SING, things that make the sun feel brighter! I enjoy JOY. :)

Today kicked off the first Females in Business meeting with guest speaker Denise Price Thomas. The thing she said that made the most impact was this:

If someone gave you $1440 in your bank account every day, could you find a way to spend that money every day?

In the same concept, God deposits 1440 minutes into your "time account" every day.  How are you spending them? And once they are gone, they are gone, so are you making wise choices with you moments?

I love it. It goes back to that re-evaluating priorities and how to make choices. Something I've been thinking about and playing with in the back of my mind.  So it was like a *smack smack* to the face! WAKE UP!

So I'm going to work on cutting out the whining, complaining, getting irritated and aggravated.  And focus instead on JOY, HAPPINESS, LOVE, BLESSINGS, FAMILY, FRIENDS, SUNSHINE & GIGGLES, RAINBOWS & LAUGHTER.

Positivity.  1440 minutes of positivity a day. :)  Join me?

Good Advice.

"Do what you feel in your heart to be right - for you'll be criticized anyway.

You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't."

                                                                                            --Eleanor Roosevelt

I adore Eleanor Roosevelt. In another life I was a travel agent. A travel agent who had never been on a cruise ship or a plane. A travel agent who had no idea what I was doing in the travel world. A few people became snarly as I tried to learn the ropes and really upset me. I felt like a failure.

The person who I was replacing wrote on a Post-it note
and taped to my computer this quote:

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

                                             --Eleanor Roosevelt

And this started my adoration of Eleanor Roosevelt.

I could say some really ugly things here about my day. But I won't. Because it doesn't matter.  I will continue to do what is in my heart.  I'm sorry some people don't approve of my methods or actions - but understand this: you are but one voice in a crowd of thousands, and the voice in my heart sings louder than them all. I may have lost my confidence for a moment, but it's back. :)  

 Her words are wise -- there are more to be enjoyed here.

What do you see.

I have been working on the "Positive Attitude" part of my life - mainly through appreciation.  Appreciating the small stuff, the big stuff, the blessings, the close calls, and so on and so forth.

Often times, with all this being said, it's hard to appreciate myself. To appreciate the compliments, the skills and talents I've been given, to believe I have MUCH worth in God's eyes - that He loves me the way I am because He is the one that made me!

A friend on Facebook posted this link and WOW, it's good. You need to read it. You need to look at it and appreciate what it is saying. I haven't read the comments or even looked anywhere else on the page. Just enjoyed the one entry that spoke loud and clear.

The LORD does not look at the things people look at.
People look at the outward appearance,
but the LORD looks at the heart.
(1 Samuel 16:7b)

*sigh* Makes you feel good, doesn't it? It sure did me.

________________________________________________________________

Had a WONDERFUL dinner with my brother and sister-in-law last night at their house. It was so nice to just sit around the dinner table or stand around the kitchen and TALK. Just talk and talk - about insurance woes and travel plans and allergies and animals - just about life. AND I got to play with Spoof, Snowflake, Chloe Bella, and Kelly! :)  It was a really great time, a great memory and I'm so thankful to have them in my life.  My family is just amazing - one of the best gifts God has given to me. :) 

I will now advise all of you to go to this link, shared with me by Angela, and enjoy these two children's extreme joy over this book about Pete the Cat's White Shoes. It will get completely stuck in your head, so join me in singing, "I love my white shoes. I love my white shoes!"

Stormy Monday Night.

Rough night last night. I live in the Southeast, which was hammered by violent storms last night. I ended up pulling a fold-up chair into my bathroom and talking to a friend that works night shift to keep my nerves calm.  One of my GREATEST fears is torandos. Hate 'em. So I wasn't loving the horizontal rain, wind and hail last night in the wee hours of the morning. My booty is dragging today (as is everyone else's in my office, since we were all a little nervous last night). Caffine please!

So I didn't do a weekend want and I can't add this to Amazon list over there on the side (maybe I can, I'll check later).  Anyway, I discovered this art museum in Atlanta and loved this scarf by Frank Lloyd Wright.  It's call Waterlillies. So pretty, but I'm not sure what I would do with it.   

I really like museum gift shops, because you can find some intresting items that aren't easily available in other places.  Neat jewelry, cools art prints and my favorite - POTTERY.  Love pottery. But in this case, love this scarf. :)

Ok, I'm focusing again. Or trying to on 4 hours of sleep... ZZZZZzzzzzz.....

Happy Muffin Monday!

A vintage Muffin picture. It's a hard life being a cat...

She will crack me up when she starts yawning. She'll yawn 10 times in a row.

(Like she's done something to exhaust her all day...)

Happy First Week of April, ya'll! Have a HAPPY MONDAY!

Ellie Bellie Turns 3!

Oh my! I can't believe the little baby girl has grown up and become a little girl with a very full vocabulary and lots of energy to run around and be wild! She is so adorable!  It's very exciting to see her grow up and become smarter every day.  But so sad, too! She's GROWING UP!! *sniff* And she ain't even my child! lol. I consider her my adopted niece (my best friend's niece). What a cutie.

Hash, BBQ, Dora cupcakes, jumpy inflatables, face painting and two dozen cameras recording her every move.  It was a very successful birthday party! I just can't believe she's three... *sigh*  Just yesterday we painted her nursery.  I held her almost in the palm of one hand she was so little.



Newborn Ellie

 

Ellie's 1st Birthday




Ellie's Second Birthday

 

Enjoy the pics below of Ellie's Third Brithday!!! She's all grown up! :)

Weekend Cat Blogging :)

It's Bethie and Muffin love!

Ok, so Muffin is not lovin' the lovin', but she's putting up with it pretty well.  

HELP ME!!! lol...

 

This is my entry for Weekend Cat Blogging! :)  Glad to be back this week!

Thanks to iMeowza for hosting a parade of cute kitties this weekend!

PS - this marks my 100th post! Whoo hoo!

Apple Trees & Ellie!

"I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station,
through which God speaks to us every hour,
if we will only tune in "
~George Washington Carver

I can't tell you how much I am enjoying this beautiful Spring this year! Making a commitment to pick up my camera has encouraged me to enjoy finding beauty in my viewfinder. It really has allowed me to stop and acknowledge how surrounded I am by God's amazingness and perfection. Can you tell I'm enjoying taking pictures this year?? Sorry to bore you with them, but they are tickling me pink. 

_______________________________________________



I'm excited about the weekend - little Ellie Bellie turns three this coming week, so her Dora the Explorer Birthday Party is tomorrow!  Her first birthday she was very quiet and didn't do/say much.  Last year, she was so very sick and didn't play at all.  But this year I hope she's going to be happy and healthy - and super excited to celebrate! I'll let you know how it goes. :)

Everyone have a WONDERFUL weekend!! I'll see you back here for some Weekend Cat Blogging!