Post-It Notes Tuesday Karen Style!

My good friend Jeannie created a monster in me with her Post-it Notes Tuesday.  Today, I was feeling a little sassy so I thought I would follow suite.  Hope you enjoy.

Happy Tuesday to All....and to all a GREAT DAY!

Hey, It's Okay Tuesday!

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. They have a section called Hey, It’s Okay and will list a bunch of things to be okay about. I think I’m going to do this every Tuesday now. You're welcome to join in and do something like this on your diary. Doesn't have to be on a Tuesday either.

Hey, It's Okay....


To not understand how women can name their son’s girl names. Like I went to high school with a guy named Courtney. And I’ve come across another guy named Shannon. Did these women just really want daughters or what? (And yes, I realize that Shannon started off as a boy name but still...)


To not have known something called a pre-dating agreement existed. Apparently dating couples are putting together a contract stating who gets what if there is a break up. I’d stake claim to the DVD sets. Those things ain’t cheap.


To think Rielle Hunter is really icky.


To have been saying for years that people should hang up their phones and drive and be a little bitter that as soon as Oprah says it, people start to listen.


To wonder about the sanity of the chick on the forum I write at who tried to justify being the other woman. (Rielle Hunter fan I guess?)


To occasionally have a jar of frosting for breakfast.


To think that the guy who played opposite Jennifer Lopez in The Back Up Plan was really needy. (Several times I wanted to shout, “Oh, grow a pair and hush.”)


To wonder about Jim Carrey’s health after reading some of his Tweets. (He’s on a ‘boing’ kick. I’d describe it to you but I’m really not quite sure what the poor guy keeps going on about.)


To once have stuck your husband’s dirty socks outside with a sign because you had ENOUGH of finding them around the house:

What is a Christian?

My friend Gene is always sending me some of the most uplifting emails and today he outdid himself and I just had to share this sweet story with you all....it is especially sweet to me...because of course, Frank is a preacher....and this story is about one.  I hope you enjoy my Monday Moment:

"Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston , Texas . Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, 'You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it.' Then he thought, 'Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a 'gift from God' and keep quiet.' When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, 'Here, you gave me too much change ' The driver, with a smile, replied, 'Aren't you the new preacher in town?'  'Yes' he replied. 'Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday.' When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, 'Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter.' Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Christians, and will put us to the test! Always be on guard -- and remember -- You carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you call yourself 'Christian.'  So today, let me ask you....what does your life say about you?
P.S.  I have one more little real-life story....years ago...my mom cashed a check at the Barnett Bank....it was for 250.00.  The teller was on the phone....and aggravated at my mom because she had bothered her.....she counted out the money and slid it over to my mom rather gruffly.  My mom looked at it, counted it, slid it back and asked the teller to please double check the amount of cash with the check request.  The teller audibly sighed...counted it again...and slid it back to her....telling her it was correct.  My mom took the money over to the bank official...explained to him that her check had been for only 250.00 and the money totalled 2500.00.  Big difference....my mom could have walked out and considered herself blessed....but she didn't.  She gave the loan officer 2250.00 to put in an envelope....so that at the end of the day...when the teller came up major league short...he could save the day.  The little girl called several hours later and apologized for her behavior.  My mom was so gracious....I have never doubted for a moment that my parents were Christians....they definitely walked the walk.  Happy Monday!

Shopping. With A Man.

Shopping with Tom is....

....an adventure.

And that’s just my polite way of putting it.

We went to Kohls on Saturday. Have I mentioned that I love Kohls? Tom tried to stick me with Natalie while he wandered off to look at his things. I told him he had lost his ever-loving mind and that HE was going to take Natalie so I could look at my clothes in peace. See, Natalie is awful in Kohls. For me, at least. She’ll immediately slip out of the cart and run off. “Bye,” she’ll say sweetly and stomp away. And if I attempt to try on clothes she slithers out from underneath the changing room door. I startled this old lady when I chased Natalie in only my bra. At least it was my pink one and not the ugly tattered brown one.

“Fine,” Tom grumbled and took the cart with him. Because Natalie is a perfect angel for him. It’s just not fair.

I had Tommy with me. And okay, Tommy isn’t always patient but at least he doesn’t try to escape. He just trailed behind me as I checked out clothes.

“What do you think about this?” I asked, holding up a pink shirt.

He shrugged. “It’s pink.”

Really? No kidding?

“What about this one?” I held a button up green top.

Tommy made a face. “It’s the color of poop.”

Um. What the hell has he been eating?

By the time Tom returned, I had several shirts and dresses slung over my arm to try on.

“I’ve shopped the entire store and you’re still basically in the same spot,” Tom said, frowning.

“I was looking,” I explained. I mean, that’s what you DO in a store. You don’t just blaze past everything.

Tom sighed. “Are you almost done?”

I held the clothes up. “I need to try these on. And then I need to check out the rest of the store.”

“I already did that. There’s nothing interesting,” Tom assured me.

“I’ll see for myself.” I went into a stall and started trying on things. One shirt made me look totally fat. Another made me look skinny, but I could barely breathe in it. But still, breathing is overrated right? If it made me look skinny, I could deal with not breathing. I tried on several dresses as well because over the summer we always take family photos. I showed Tom one dress and he was all,

“Looks like something your Mom would wear. You could be twins.”

Now. My Mom wears some nice things so I wasn’t sure if it was a compliment or not.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I demanded.

He shrugged. “It’s just…your Mom would wear that dress. If you want to look like your Mom, get it.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Another man waiting for his wife sucked in his breath. “Wow, dude. Fix it. Fix it now,” he advised.

Tom put a fake smile on his face. “You look lovely, dear.”

But he was obviously just SAYING that. Ugh, I hate shopping with men. I should have gone to the store with Amanda.

I ended up buying another dress. Though when I came out in that, Tom just went, “Mmmm.”

“Is that a good mmm or a bad mmmm?” I wondered.

“It’s great. You done?” All Tom wanted to do was LEAVE. Could he not just tell me what he THOUGHT OF THE FLIPPING DRESS?

After I finished with the clothes, I checked out the other sections of the store. I found this ultra adorable dress for Natalie and Tom went, “Doesn’t she have a dress like that?”

“Well. Sort of. Only that one is in green. This is brown,” I explained.

“She has enough clothes. She probably has more clothes than the both of us combined,” Tom said.

He really makes shopping suck.

I put the dress back on the rack angrily.

“NOW where are you going?” Tom whined as I stomped off into Tommy’s section.

“Tommy needs jeans!” I yelled. He always needs jeans. The kid wears out the knees of his pants so fast. And no, I won’t put patches on them. That just screams NERD, BEAT ME UP in the second grade.

When I started going through the photo frames, I thought Tom was going to pass out from anger.

For the rest of the time at Kohls all I heard from him was: “What now? Why do we need that? We’d never use that. You don’t even DRINK margaritas so why are you looking at a margarita machine? Huh? You’re just looking at it just because? That doesn’t make sense, Amber. You almost done? Wait, why are looking at the flip flops? Don’t you have flip flops? Oh, you don’t have them in blue? Well, pardon me. CAN WE JUST GO?”

“You suck,” I told Tom. “I am NEVER shopping with you again.”

I always say that. It’s never true. It should be true though.

We were headed towards check out and I bet Tom was thinking, “Hallelujah, almost done.” But then I saw a shirt that caught my eye and abruptly turned.

“STOP? Where are you going?” Tom sounded panicked.

“Look. It’s the baby from The Hangover.” I held up a t-shirt with a cartoon baby strapped to the front. “That movie is just so funny, it always makes me laugh and—”

“Haha, great, it’s hilarious, are you ready to PAY?” Tom cut me off.

What an ass. And I was going to get him that shirt, too. Not anymore. I re-folded it and set it back down.

On the way out, after our stuff was mercifully paid for and bagged, Tom was all, “I’m never coming here again.”

But then again, he always says that too.

An Ending....and a Beginning

The blooming season ended today with the birth of high winds.  It always saddens me to see the blossoms from my azaleas and my snowball plant drop to the ground.  Today, before the winds hit 25 mph I took my camera out for one last picture.  Aren't they gorgeous?  This will be my last season to see these particular flowers bloom because we are moving.  Two hours after this picture was made there was just a handful of blooms left on the shrubs.  Yep, it is official and listed on the North Alabama Methodist Conference website...Frank was given a new church assignment and we will be leaving Waverly United Methodist and going to Rock Mills United Methodist.  Rock Mills comes with a parsonage so we will be moving sometime in June.  Normally, moving day is the Wednesday before Father's Day weekend....which is the first day of new assignments....but the people at Rock Mills asked if they could fix up the parsonage before we moved in....hey...I am all about new paint and stuff....we even volunteered to help.  Our new church is just outside of Roanoke, AL and a stones throw from the Georgia line.  I will be commuting to BRHS everyday and am excited about that prospect.  I will start having my quiet time with God in the car each morning.  I am naming my prayer time....Hwy 22 prayers.  The parsonage is located on Hwy 22 and this road runs all the way to Alexander City....a straight shot.  There is only two stop lights between me and the parking lot.  If I cut through the mill village there is only one....talk about lucky.  I have friends who have commuted for years...so now it is my turn.  I am sad that I will live farther away from Mary....excited that I will only be 20 minutes from Amanda....sad that I will have to give up the Arbor service(I told them...after 10 years...and being there from the beginning....that I was just taking a sabbatical....who knows...in a few years....where we will be moved....and I am not one for burning bridges.  I am excited about our new ministry opportunities.  So it is with mixed emotions that life continues.  I am fortunate that my mom is in Alex City at Adams Nursing Home and I will be here five days a week for work so I will see her daily.  I am also lucky that I am only 45 minutes away in case I am needed.  We could have been given a north Alabama church...say...Huntsville...or Tuscaloosa.  So, with my new venture facing me....it is time to get out the boxes...and start packing. 

Thought I would share the snowballs with you too....they seem to have held up a little better in the wind.  Have a blessed Sunday...and a great week next week.  I am counting down the days....20 to go. Whoo hoo!

Happy Birthday Chuckles!

Today is my dear friend, Chuck Price's, birthday.  HE has been my friend...since he started dating Susan. Sue and I have known each other since we were 5 and I moved into the Vedado Park neighborhood.  Sue and Chuck are my daughter's godparents.  They love my child as much as I do and that makes them even more special in my book.  Chuck was, is, and always will be a Tennessee boy...he would always tell me he was a ridge runner....I never knew what one was....but if Chuck is one...they are ok in my book.....he is from the Knoxville area of the state...and I love to hear him talk.  Remember...I was a Florida girl....we sound like we are from the north...or midwest.  Chuck's lyrical drawl has always held my attention....and he is such a wonderful storyteller.  He tells the greatest history stories about Tennessee, the mountains, the people....and his parent's are even better! When I go and visit...usually well after everyone else is fast asleep, you can find me sitting mesmerized by the velvet sounds of Chuck's southernese and his wonderful stories.  Happy Birthday my dear friend!  I hope you have a great day....and I am looking forward to many more years of stories, laughter, love, and fun!

Fashion - 18th-Century Shoes, Shoes, Shoes

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1798 William Clarke. Mrs William Frazer of Delaware.


I have just posted some photographs of 18th-century ladies shoes on my blog It's About Time. Hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I.
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