Things that make you go hmmmmm........

My post yesterday garnered many comments. 1 ANONYMOUS user (anonymous users are not allowed to comment anymore) posted a link to Urban Legends where my post MAY OR MAY NOT be true. The fact is that no one can say it isn't true...it can not be substantiated at this point. However, it is true that artisans are already sending ornaments to the White House as the do every year. Now whether or not this is happening to the White House trees or to the Capitol trees, I still find it disgraceful. I think most of my readers will find it disgraceful, sickening, and saddening as well.

White House Christmas - A Disappointment

Forwarded to me by someone else: sad :(
When have you ever known a President to NOT have Christmas be part of our countries tradition

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This is a message from my friend who was mayor in Lubbock, Windy Sitton. She attended all the White House Christmas parties during both Bush years. This is a personal message to me and not a "scare tactic from unknowns" on the internet. Pretty much says it all.

Thought you might be interested in this information from the White House. This isn't a rumor; this is a fact.We have a friend at church who is a very talented artist. For several years she, among many others, has painted ornaments to be hung on the various White House Christmas trees. The WH sends out an invitation to send an ornament and informs the artists of the theme for the year.

She got her letter from the WH recently. It said that they would not be called Christmas trees this year. They will be called Holiday trees. And, to please not send any ornaments painted with a religious theme.

She was very upset at this development and sent back a reply telling them that she painted the ornaments for Christmas trees and would not be sending any for display that left Christ out of Christmas.

Just thought you should know what the new residents in the WH plan for the future of America. If you missed his statement that "we do not consider ourselves a Christian Nation" this should confirm that he plans to take us away from our religious foundation as quickly as possible.

A Very Preppy Giveaway...

But you have to hurry because today is the last day to sign up for it. The incredible Beth Dunn of Social Climbers is hosting a wonderful giveaway for all of us preps out there in blogland.

Not only do you get the opportunity to win a signed copy of her book:
But also a deliciously preppy calendar for 2010: So head on over to her site and enter the giveaway fast...remember it ends today!

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This past week has been crazy. DD is still recovering mono but finally made it back to school. She went to her morning 2 classes on Mon, afternoon 2 classes on Tues, 1st 3 classes on Wed, 2-4 on Thurs, and all day today. She is feeling much better but still have pain in the spleen area. This afternoon she left with her church youth group for a girls retreat at the beach. Last Friday, my daddy had surgery but ended up being more involved than originally thought. He was originally only to stay 1 night but ended up coming home late Tuesday. With hubby having to work tomorrow, it is going to be very nice enjoying a day to myself! Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Remembering....

Today, I have no words to say.

I am borrowing a post from a dear friend's blog. I don't think she will mind. She is a wonderful writer whose blog is filled with both the provacative and the wit. With seriousness and silliness. Love for her family and for her retail therapy. She is the epitome of True Southerner and more importantly, True American.

Her post today was nothing but a link. A link back to 9/11/2006 (I think her first 9/11 blog post after she started blogging) in which she posts what she had written in her precious new born son #2's baby book on 9/11/2001.

Here is the link itself as I hope that if you have never visited her blog, you will venture over and check it out....you shall not be disappointed.

Southern Somedays: September 11th

And here is the actual post if you just can't get over there now...

September 11th
Written in DS#2’s baby book:

Where were you? Between 8:45 and 9:03…we (dh, ds#2 and myself) were standing outside taking photos to remember how happy we were…little did we know how much our world was changing. Our lives changed along with the world.

Tuesday, September 11, 2001 was a beautiful day. It was warm and the sky was as blue and clear as I can remember. DH and I were excited to be taking DS#2 to his first Doctors appointment that morning.

As we readied ourselves for the trip to the Dr., the morning news had a breaking story about a plane hitting one of the World Trade Center Twin Towers in NYC. We watched the photographs being telecast in awe and wonder at such a freak accident.

Before leaving for the Dr.’s office we took Baby outside on the front stoop to take some photos of him. He was so tiny and perfect. I felt so happy and good. All was right with the world.

Upon entering the examination room our Pediatrician walked in with tears in her eyes and said, “They have bombed the Pentagon!” We were in shock, and then learned that the plane we had seen hit the World Trade Center Tower wasn’t an accident and there had been a second plane to hit the other tower. In a few short minutes 3 planes became hurling, death machines for thousands of people. There was even more sadness to come as another plane was crashed in Pennsylvania as part of the same attack.

Our world was under attack. After leaving the Dr.s office I rode in back with my new baby and cried. Fear was there…fear for our country, our way of life, my new baby, my sweet other children…fear of the unknown. We had no idea where these attacks had come from or where they would hit next. There was fear and anxiety on what we should do next to prepare for what ever terrible turn came. DD and DS#1 were in school and we wondered if we should go in and get them from school.

The next few hours held little comfort as we watching in horror as the two landmarks of the western world fell with 1000s of people trapped inside. I was so scared and all we could do was pray.

It was the day that the world stopped turning…a day when we all stopped and stood still.Little did I know that a year later I would find myself holding my precious 1 year old and commemorating the 9-11 attacks in our new home in NY. It was a surreal experience and yes, I took pictures. It was as if I wanted the photos to prove that this attack didn’t stop us or our great Nation. It may seem odd that I included the horrors of the 9-11 attacks in DS#2’s baby book but I need for my children never to forget and know that the world changed for them…that day.

Our church showed this preview for a documentary on the Crosses that rose from the 9-11 rubble and it was a wonderful reminder that God is right there and right here...in the center of it all. He knows, He remembers. Please take the 9 minutes to watch this and see His signs of hope...http://www.worshiphousemedia.com/index.cfm?hndl=details&tab=MM&id=5536

As my dear friend "Bella" ended her post that day, so shall I today...

GOD BLESS THE USA!

Since I last posted...

I have celebrated my 41st birthday and my 5th wedding anniversary.

I actually received my birthday gift from my DH and girls while we were at the beach so it could be most appreciated during that time. You see, I received the grandfather of all frozen concoction makers, The FIJI by Margaritaville Frozen Concoction Makers....
No, it is not your typical blender. You fill that top compartment with ice. (If you fill to the max line, you can make 5 pitchers of most frozen concoctions) And you add your ingredients to the pitcher. You select what type of beverage you are making using that first knob on the left, be it a 'rita, daiquiri, slide, or something else. You turn the knob on the far right to either 1,2, or 3 drinks for that pitcher (of course your ingredients should match how many drinks you plan to make) and then you flip that left switch. The little dots in the middle light up as the process goes along and it stops when mixed to perfection. We had delicious margaritas, we had virgin pina coladas (for the girls but we enjoyed them just as much) and we had MILKSHAKES!!!!! Let me tell you, this contraption is LARGE and doesn't even fit on my kitchen counter....it is bigger than my KitchenAid mixer. Thank goodness for the gift from my parents:

The FIJI carrying case!! The FIJI fits in very snugly and it has a storage pocket for your salt and limes and a few other items if needed. Both of the above can be found at Bed, Bath & Beyond; QVC, and others...but my favorite place is Margaritaville Cargo.

For my actual birthday, hubby and I went out to eat by ourselves to Carino's and then next night our girls and hubby's closest brother, SIL and their daughter met us for dinner at Cheesecake Factory. It was delicious!!

September 4th was my 5 yr anniversary (yes, this is my second marriage) and I guess the second milestone anniversary???? We celebrated by going to dinner at Fleming's. This was one of our best dining out experiences ever. The staff was amazing and we were addressed by our formal names by everyone. They do monthly events so if you get the chance to enjoy a Fleming's in your area during September, I highly suggest the Memorable Meal: Trio of Filets. It was Divine!! We were originally supposed to go the beach for the weekend, just the 2 of us, but that changed to going white water rafting in the mountains with hubby's brother Ronnie & his wife and 2 college kids, sister Joan & her boyfriend, daughter, son, and their cousin, hubby and me. Our girls were supposed to go so this would be the 3 youngest of his family and their kids so the cousins could all get together because of their ages, don't get to spend a lot of time together. However, stepdaughter's mom would not let her go and my baby girl has come down with mono. It was 68 degrees, cloudy, occasional rain, and water temps of 44-56 degrees. However we had lots of fun and rafted about 8 1/2 miles and through 2 Cat 3 rapids. Hopefully we can do it again with our girls along as well.

As I just mentioned above, my baby girl developed mono on Friday. It was very rapid which is not usually the case and has hit her hard. She did spend the day we were gone with my parents so she was well looked after. We go back to the doctor tomorrow and get an update on what she can do. Please say a special prayer for her. This is not the way to start out senior year and she is just to active to lie around so still and she is already so tired of being sick.

Until next time...

How Time Flies...

This is my baby on her very 1st day of school years ago....
This is my baby today as she starts her 1st day of her last year of high school!

I am so proud of her...this year she is taking AP English IV, Honors Vocal III, Honors Spanish III, and College Psychology this semester. Next semester she will be taking Critical Thinking and Analysis (a continuation of AP Eng), AP Statistics, Honors Vocal III, and either a class on the Law or another college class.

Yesterday, on her last day of summer, she received a nice thick package from a prestigious university encouraging her to apply. We are now in full senior mode...sr year, sr pics, college apps, and more...all in prep for our goal of graduation and college next year.

Now if only I can keep her from getting senioritis!! :D

Good luck to other moms of seniors, other seniors, and to all the kids that start school this week!

I'm Back...

Sorry for being missing so long. For some of my faithful readers who have still checked in daily or weekly, thank you for hanging around.

This past week, we were at the beach for a MUCH NEEDED vacation, and what better way is there to end the summer than a week at the beach before school starts back. I can't believe that my baby girl will be a senior this year. Already we have had her "official" senior picture in that "tacky" drape thing that will be in the yearbook. We will have official senior portraits done at a later date with our fav photog. http://apportraits.com/ Also, bragging rights allowed, DD had one of the highest GPA's at school, thus earning her a numbered, reserved, senior parking space. So that coveted parking tag is in hand ready to hang on the rear view mirror in the morning. All preppy school supplies are purchased and in her new preppy backpack, ready to walk out the door in the morning. (backpack: white (mother's fear) with pink and green plaid!

Back to the beach, we had a fantastic time. Having 2 teenage girls (DD is 17 and DSD is 16) allows my husband and I to have more "us" time and I do believe we needed it. We had a great time as the 2 of us as well as the 4 of us. Pictures later as I was finishing up 2 disposable water cameras that will have to be developed.

Wednesday was gorgeous and as a family, we took a sail on a catamaran from Beaufort over to Cape Lookout Lighthouse (hence the name of this blog).
It was about 1 1/2 hours to cruise over and then back. However, in between we experienced a delicious catered lunch from Beaufort Grocery Company of veggie wraps, 4 different subs, hot dogs for younger passengers, pasta salad, green bean salad, various chips, pickles, and my favorite cookies, white chocolate chunk macadamia nut. They also provided throughout the entire sail (day) all you care to drink soft drinks, lemonade, and water, with beer and wine at only $2 if you cared to partake. Upon our last boarding for the sail back, they also had fresh fruit sliced up and also more bags of chips. The mate was fantastic and made sure everyone was well taken care of. We actually dropped anchor on a little island (can't remember for the live of me what it actually was) to go shelling, swim, etc. We didn't find any shells per se but we did collect 16 fairly large sand dollars. I will post a pic of one once I finish the bleaching process. Trust me, they do not come out of the water smooth or white!! On this island you could basically float or swim around as there was no currents or waves, just clear blue, smooth water. Or you could actually swim in "pools" where water has come up on to the island at high tides and formed pools of water, some quite deep. After about another 1 1/2 (and many people taking turns jumping off the side of the catamaran, we sailed over to where Cape Lookout Lighthouse actually sits. You can't tour this light house now but once the government finally finds funds to refurbish the lighthouse, you will actually be able to go all the way up. We did get tour the light keepers house which is now a museum and my husband and I actually found the ruins of the original lighthouse about 250 ft from where the current one stands (the current one was built in 1857 or 1859). Finally we boarded once more and headed back to Beaufort. We had great winds heading home and I do not believe we motored at all until we hit the waterfront. On our cruise out, we saw dolphins, but on the way back, we saw MANY wild horses on Carrot Island which is directly across from the Beaufort Waterfront. If anyone of you ever make it to the NC Crystal Coast and find yourself in the vicinity of Beaufort, I encourage you to take one of the cruises. From more info click Lookout Cruises. Once again, picture later.

As we were cruising on Wednesday, my husband commented to me that he had promised to call and check on this couple, Mr. and Mrs. Vick (89 and 96 respectively) but had left the number at home. I told him we could call home and have someone get us the number. He said they would be okay till we got home but made the comment that he sure hoped nothing would happen to the Vicks while we were gone. This couple lives on my husband's mail route (as most of you know, he is a letter carrier and MOST of the people on his route ( a walking route) become quite attached to him as he does to them. However, the Vicks were especially special. Up until a few years ago, they would spend about 6 months of the year in Mexico and south Texas. They would send gifts to our girls and bring things home to us. (Let me tell you, when baking there is nothing better than Mexican vanilla to me!) If their TV would go out, they would call him, every day they would have a drink and usually something to eat waiting for him when he showed up, as their health has declined in the last year and they have pretty much quit cooking, eating only microwave meals, he would run and get them dinner most nights of the week. Mrs. Vick is a gracious woman and so fun to be around and you would never believe her to be 96 years old. Mr. Vick was such an intelligent man and I would be amazed at the stories he would share with me. I remember the first time after my husband and I met that we took our girls over and Mr. Vick "teaching" them what they need to do to succeed in life. He was a very successful and well loved man. As you may have noticed, when referring to Mr. Vick, I am using was quite often. As we returned from vacation, as most people often do, we checked the answering machine. The last 2 messages were from their wonderful next door neighbor, Ann. She had called to let us know that Mr. Vick passed away Friday evening about 5pm and also to let us know how Mrs. Vick was holding up. The second message from Ann was to let us know arrangements. Visitation was actually last night, and we were able to attend. They have been married for 41 years and dated 14 years before marrying. This is the second husband that Mrs. Vick has buried. Usually we just go to visitation, make our appearance, speak to the family, and pay our respects and leave. Last night, we were the last to leave (along with the next door neighbor and the neighbor across the street who helped out so much last Friday) as Mrs. Vick was visiting with her husband one last time. She just didn't want my husband to leave. In fact, upon our arrival, everyone was so glad to see him. The thing that Mrs. Vick repeated over and over Friday night after his death and again on Saturday was to make sure we knew what had happened. She was more worried about my husband finding out the wrong way or not at all until arriving at their house to deliver mail.

Today was Mr. Vick's funeral. Unfortunately I could not attend because of a Dr's. appt. I could not change but my wonderful husband did. Mr. Vick was buried with military honors as he served this great country in the army during WWII. And printed in the little program was a poem that I had never seen before (but I am sure it is used quite often for funerals) but sounded just as if he had wrote it himself.

Miss Me But Let Me Go....

When I came to the end of the road
And the sun has set for me,
I want no rites in a gloom filled room,
why cry for a soul set free.
Miss me a little - but not too long,
and not with your head bowed low.
Remember the love that we once shared,
Miss me - but let me go.
For this is a journey that we all must take,
and each must go alone.
It's all a part of the Master's plan,
A step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick of heart,
Go to the friends we know
and bury your sorrows in doing good deeds,
MISS ME - BUT LET ME GO.
~author unknown

Please, my dear blog friends and readers, say a prayer or 2 for the lovely Mrs. Vick and the friends that loved Mr. Vick so.