August was a Happy Month

August 9th, 1975

34 years ago!!!!!!!

Incredible Daughter, Jessica, age 1

Incredible Daughter, Jessica, age 3

Sir Paul McCartney at the BOK Center in Tulsa

Loving the Peace Sign

Fabulous Concert!!!!!

Our anniversary present to each other!

August is a very important month in our family.....August 2nd, Incredible Daughter, Jessica, turned 29!!!!!!!!!! How can that be????? I should still be 29 and on some days when asked how old I am, will tell someone I AM 29....oh sure! It doesn't seem that long ago that Jess-Jess was terrified of thunderstorms. Not that long ago, Jess loved the Smurfs. Not that long ago, would tell me she was going to grow up and move to Boulder, Colo. and have an Old English Sheepdog named Moonbeam. Jess hasn't moved to Boulder, but does have an Old English Sheepdog whose name is Ralph. Not that long ago we watched Saved By the Bell and ate nachos every afternoon after school. Not that long ago, we had a HUGE plastic replica of a Tic-Tac box in our den that Jess had made in art class. Now, Charlie has the best Mommy any little boy could ask for and Mark has the best wife any guy could want. Sarah has the best friend in the world and Jared has a great sister-in-law. As for Pops and I, we have the most loving, caring and fabulous daughter in the world!!!!! WE LOVE YOU, JESS-JESS!!!!!!!

August 9th, Pops and I celebrated our 34th!!! wedding anniversary. How can that be??? It honestly seems just a few years ago that we met....even though I was 13 and Pops was 15 when we started dating! We were also next door (across the field) neighbors. The last 34 years have been splendid! I can truly say I married my best friend and soul mate. I love you, Gary, with all my heart and being!! You have made me happy every day of the last 34 years! Thank you for being my best buddy!

Our anniversary present to each other was concert tickets to see Sir Paul McCartney in Tulsa. What a fantastic concert he performed. All I can say, is there is nothing better than Sir Paul sitting down to a grand piano and playing Let It Be. I cried during most of this song!

On to September and football.......GO HOGS!!!!!!!!!

Peace be with you,

Mimi

Charlie called me "Mimi" for the first time not too long ago and that sweet little voice filled my heart with so much joy and my eyes with tears!!!!!

Wild Kingdom... and Family Beach Trip

Our "songbirds" eating out of the bird feeder

The cutest beach baby ever!

Charlie and Pops enjoying the Gulf of Mexico

Do these two look like best buddies??!!!

Fourth of July fireworks over the Gulf

Full Moon over the Gulf of Mexico

Charlie having the time of his life!

It has been awhile since my last post. So long, that I had trouble signing in to post!

The summer is going by way too fast for me. I can't believe that it is almost August and that means it is almost incredible daughter, Jessica's, birthday!!!!! It is birthday week this week.

This summer it has been Wild Kingdom at our house. Remember I wrote about the fabulous songbird birdseed and how it would attract little songbirds. Well, it also attracts raccoons!! I guess raccoons only like pricey bird seed. I couldn't believe one night that we had a momma and baby raccoon hanging off the bird feeder. The other night just the baby showed up. The dogs are NOT too excited with our new friends. The raccoons are not at all scared of us or the dogs. Every morning I can see "raccoon tracks" in the dew on the grass in the backyard coming up from the pond to the feeder. The other night I heard the dogs barking crazily and thought the raccoons were back, but no, this time it was a huge armadillo. He was not attractive. Sitting out in the pool the other day, the roadrunner came up and ran right along the edge of the pool looking at me as if to say, "excuse me, but I have varmints to go catch in your yard." I am just waiting on the next critter to appear!

Our family beach trip was FABULOUS!!!!! Charlie had a super time and thought the sand was the best playground ever! I love my shot of the moon, so much so, that I have had an enlargement made and framed to hang in the house. I love when vacation falls during the full moon. I think I could live at the beach year round!

I called Charlie's momma yesterday and told her to alert Harvard that Charlie will need early enrollment. Charlie "accidentally" kicked the dog's water bowl and splashed out water and I said "we are going to have to wipe that up, so you don't slip" and the next thing I know Charlie had gone into the laundry room where I keep a stack of towels for doggie accidents and brought a towel into the kitchen and wiped up the spill!! I just watched in amazement! What a baby genius!

My camera is in the Nikon hospital for battery issues. I feel like part of me is missing without it. I hope that it recovers soon!!

We are going to have birthday weekend for the birthday daughter. I can't believe how old she will be!! Where do the years go???????

All next week I will be attending a Teacher Leadership workshop to fulfill my 60!! hours of teacher professional development to renew my Arkansas teacher's license. That is a whole different post about how irritating the 60 hours are to keep my license!

Have a great weekend. Enjoy each and every summer day.

Peace be with you,

Mimi

Summertime and the Livin' is Easy

Pops swimming his daily laps 

Do you think this little guy was having FUN???

The clean up

Pops and the future Michael Phelps

Pretty summer flowers by the pool

Charlie and his Great-Grandpa, Peaw, (my dad)

The FINAL  burn pile from the ice storm!!

Rainbow during Memorial Day weekend

I have been having a hard time with my blog lately.  It wouldn't let me post pictures, so today I have tried a few options and have finally made progress.  We are in our summertime mode of living each day and I am loving life.  Charlie and I play outside a lot during the day, I rest by the pool during his nap and then Harley and I sit and watch Pops swim his daily laps in the pool and I enjoy an adult beverage.  I love the summertime!!

The other day, Charlie was "helping" me water the porch flower pots, and he would take the water jug over and place it under the faucet, pretend to turn it on, then make a "shussing" sound like the water was running!!  It was the cutest thing ever!  He will then take the jug over to each pot and shake it on the flowers.  What a helper! :)

Charlie would play down in Pop's garden 24/7!!!!  He is so cute.  He will get his little blue shovel and dig and dig in the mud.  You can tell from the above  pictures how dirty he gets.  He likes to help Pops pull weeds, but sometimes gets good plants and weeds confused.  He has to learn how to garden at an early age.  We have a very small bell pepper, a very small chocolate pepper and lots of flowers growing nicely.  All of Pops plants are looking healthy and soon  to be fruitful.  

I saw a commercial for Song Bird birdseed and bought some to try it out.  We have been having fabulous birds at the feeder.  I am not sure a Woodpecker classifies as a song bird, but he is so much fun to watch.  The other day I spotted an Indigo Bunting and wish I could match his color of blue to paint a room with.  They are beautiful birds!

Jack and Lily had their 7th birthday on May 30th.  I can't believe they are 7!!  I still call them the puppies.  

I had a COMPLETE 70's flash back while down on Dickson St. the other night.  I saw a "long haired freaky person" standing on the corner waving his arms joyfully in the air, so I was curious what he was so excited about.  Much to my amazement, his friends were pulling up in their old bus that was painted in all 70's psychedelic colors.  I had serious thoughts of jumping on the bus, but remembered those days are sadly over.  I assume they were all on their way to a fabulous four days of music and camping at Wakarusa.  Even though, Pops and I are veterans of Woodstock '94, we decided we would probably be some of the older ones at this music festival.  The weather has been lovely for the event.  

Hope everyone has a great weekend and upcoming week.  Summer is short, so enjoy EVERY minute of it and wear flip-flops.  Don't they make a lovely sound as you are walking around???

Peace be with you,

Mimi

Charlie and a visit from a "critter"

Charlie LOVES the water

Charlie and his Great-Grandmother, Meaw, & Harley

Charlie and his Ma-Ma and Da-Da at Farmer's Market

Charlie at the Farmer's Market

Alligator Snapping Turtle (SCARY!!)

Somehow, even with the weather, we had a fabulous Memorial Day weekend.  We had known all along that Charlie was going to love the pool and sure enough, we were right!!  He played and played in the pool between rain showers.  

Saturday we met up with Charlie, Jess and Mark at the Farmer's Market.  We are so lucky to have such fresh produce to select from at the market.  I have never seen it so crowded.  We bought some fresh salad greens, onions and new potatoes.  Lots of good people and dog watching to do at the market.  

Charlie is one lucky little boy that he gets to be entertained some days by his Great-Grandparents when he is at Mimi's.  He loves his Meaw, (my mom).  Jessica named my parents, Meaw and Peaw when she was around 14 months old, so that is what they have answered to ever since. To say the least, they think Charlie is pretty special!!

Last, but for sure not least.........our friend, Terry, found the pictured above "lovely" critter in his garden and thought we needed to see  an alligator snapping turtle up close and personal!!  Terry had put on heavy gloves, loaded the lovely lady up in his truck to take to a local lake where she could have a "better" home.  I couldn't stand to watch her snap with her BIG teeth, so there is no picture of her in action!  I also didn't know snapping turtles put off such a  nasty scent.  I HOPE one of her relatives doesn't appear in our garden.  

Everyone have a great four day week!

Peace be with you,

Mimi

This, That and The Other Stuff

Guess who's PRECIOUS feet these are??????

They belong to this little cutie pie!!!!!

Paintings on the parking area walls in Eureka Springs

A FABULOUS Peony in my favorite color

Pops and his "mini me."

I have some random stuff to write about.  First, I had a wonderful Mother's Day/Mimi's day.  Thanks to my incredible daughters, Sarah and Jessica, for my lovely dinner and presents.  Have I told ya'll about Tervis tumblers?   They are the BEST drinking glasses.  Pricey, but well worth the expense!!  The girls found me a set of 4 pink ones!!!!  I have sets of beach houses, tropical fish, flip-flops, Razorbacks, etc.  I love them.  Also, the girls gave me a wonderful pink prayer box with a crown on the top.  Sarah made us Paula Deen's 5 layer bar dessert.  One of the best, richest desserts I've ever eaten!!  How could it not be delicious with a stick of butter and a can of Eagle Brand Milk as part of the ingredients!!  

Does Pops not look so content with his little Charlie boy in the above photo??  They are pretty special buddies!!

On a past trip over to Eureka, we discovered the art work on the walls where we parked.  There were fabulous paintings of several images.  I loved the one above of John Lennon   There was a pretty good one of Elvis too.  Worth the price of parking!

I took the digital photo that is at the top of my blog of the beach to Sam's and had the most wonderful print made of it on canvas.  I was VERY pleased with the end result.  It looks like an oil painting!!  I want to have one done of Charlie.  Check it out sometime when you are in Sam's or the website.  

Pops spent the last  rainy weekend painting our entryway.  I have become very fond of shades of light green for the downstairs.  It is amazing how a light color makes the space appear so much larger.  This is from a woman who loves hot pink!!  Our dining room used to be lime green on the bottom, hot pink on the top.  Jessica once said a five year old could have a fun birthday party in our dining room because it was so bright!  Now it is a soothing shade of frosty lime (very mild for me)!  Sarah says our rooms have been painted more times than the horse in front of the florist out by the mall! ha!

Last but not least, I have read two really good books lately......The Help by Kathryn Stockett(very interesting times during the 60's in the South) and Some Day You'll Thank Me For This by Metcalfe and Hays.  The second book has some laugh out loud "southern" wisdom in it.  It also has some old, favorite recipes in there.  One for homemade mayonnaise, who knew?????

Surely the weather is going to make a turn for the better this weekend before we all have to move with Noah to the Ark!!  I need warm, sunny skies and so do the flowers.  

Have a fun weekend everyone!

Peace be with you,

Mimi

 

My BABY is 26!!!!! Happy Birthday SARAH!

The Beautiful Birthday Girl with her Handsome Hubby

The Birthday Princess, Sarah, with Mark, Jessica and Jared 

Harley says "Happy Birthday, Sarah."

Our fabulous Pink Azaleas with a Huge, Buzzing,  Bumble Bee

Pops and I can't believe our incredible daughter, Sarah, is 26 years old today.  How can this be possible????  It seems like just yesterday her favorite saying to us was, "You are not the boss of me!!"  Doesn't seem that long ago that she cut her bangs off to her hair line and then tried to tell me that Pam, the hairdresser, cut them that way.  Doesn't seem that long ago that she was out on the driveway this time of year catching bees in a jar and never getting stung.  Doesn't seem that long ago that she would sit on the bathroom counter in the morning with her own shaving kit and "shave" her face with Pops.  Doesn't seem that long ago that I would wake up in the mornings to find her sleeping on the floor beside our bed because she "heard" something in the night.  Doesn't seem that long ago that we would come home and find Sarah with the Sheriff here searching around the house, because she had called them that she had heard someone outside.   Doesn't seem that long ago that she would dress Rosie, our first Westie, up in doll clothes, put her in the baby stroller with a bottle and push her all around the driveway.  Doesn't seem that long ago that you could almost beat your Daddy swimming butterfly.    Doesn't seem that long ago.......( I have to stop now for crying!!)

 You have brought your Daddy and I more joy in life, more laughter and just a few tears than any proud parents deserve.  Jared is one lucky husband, Louie is one lucky dog, Charlie is one lucky nephew, Mark is one lucky brother-in-law and as your lucky, incredible sister, Jessica, says "you are the light of her life!!"

WE LOVE YOU SARAH BEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My week in a "Corona Commercial"

This view is why I felt I was in the Corona Commercial

Pops on a zip line over the Caribbean

Mimi and Pops on Dolphin Discovery boat

Great Granddaddy Iguana

Westin Resort Beach

Cigar Man

Favorite Lunch Spot

View from Hotel Rooftop Bar

It has taken me several days to adjust to being back in the real world.  Pops and I had the most incredible, relaxing vacation.  Cancun was fabulous and the weather was sunny and 85 everyday.  Back during the winter months when I would see the Corona commercials on tv, I would long for the beach and sunny weather.  Well, that is just what I had in Cancun.  

Some highlights of of the trip were Pops and I swam with dolphins.  I have had that activity on my "bucket list" of things to do for years, so we decided this was the time.  I have no pictures of how great it was, because they make you buy their pictures and I don't know how to scan photos yet, but maybe an incredible daughter will help me in the future.  Anyway, I got to kiss a dolphin, hold onto two dolphins fins and get pulled through the water and also do the "foot push".  This is where you swim out and two dolphins come up behind you and push you through the water to where you can almost stand up.  It was a very thrilling experience.  Pops also chose to do the zip line, but I stayed comfortably in my beach chair for this activity.  

We stayed at the Westin Regina Resort which is almost at the end of the island.  If you walk down the beach there is a protected cove and the sea is just like pool water there.  Very calm and beautiful!!  There are iguanas everywhere!!  Incredible daughter, Sarah, had an iguana when she was in the 5th grade and I told her I took Chili Jose's great granddaddy's picture.  

Pops and I ate at some wonderful restaurants.  One was right over the water and while we were eating people kept looking over the railing and RIGHT below us was a at least 12 foot crocodile that had swam up looking for his dinner.  I had never seen one so close.  He was "pretty" in his own way!  Riding  what we call, El Buso, one night, two young local boys got on and started "entertaining" the bus riders with their guitars and maracas "singing" Beatles songs.  They were hilarious.  Naturally, they passed the hat.  Locals were selling numerous items on the beach.  I had forgotten how you can shop from your beach chair if you so desire.  Items for sell were cigars, jewelry, puppets, hats and tablecloths.  To round out the memories from the trip, one morning Pops got up early and was out in the hallway from our room and said that he passed a totally naked man trying to get into his or someones room.  Pops said not the picture he wanted to see early in the morning.  Just Pop's luck!  We got to spend an extra night at another Westin, this one at the Dallas airport.  The ac on the plane from Cancun, wasn't working right, so we were delayed leaving and missed our flight into XNA late Sunday night.  On Monday, we were late getting home, because the door to that plane wouldn't close.  I was beginning to think we would never get home and I really needed to see my dogs and family, especially, CHARLIE!!  He was thrilled to see Mimi and Pops.  

The warm weather has made adjusting to being in the real world much easier.  Pops got all the pool furniture in place.....so let summer begin!!!!!

Peace be with you,

Mimi

Happy Birthday Week to Incredible Daughter, Sarah.  How are you sooooo old????????????

I Had to Take to My BED!

My FAVORITE Cowboys and Cowgirls

Pops, Mimi and our Little Birthday Cowboy

Harley hunting Easter Eggs

Charlie's hand painted Easter Pail

Another view of Charlie's Easter Pail

What a weekend we had.....I had to take a long nap Sunday afternoon!!  Cowboy Charlie's birthday was AMAZING!!!!  What a great, fun time we had for two days.  Incredible daughter, Jessica, and da-da, Mark, gave Charlie a great Cowboy birthday party.  We had so much fun!!!!  Dressing up like cowboys was entertaining.  Pops really went all out!!  Charlie's cake was fabulous.  He loved eating his smash cake.  We didn't have those for the incredible daughters back in the day.

Pops and I got Charlie a Cozy Coupe.  Watching him traveling around his backyard brought back lots of memories.  When his Mother was 16 months old that was the only item she wanted for Christmas.  He looks so much like Jess riding in the coupe.  Charlie's is the 30th anniversary edition.  

Saturday night was the Easter Vigil at our church.  The Easter Vigil is the highest mass the Catholic Church does all year.  My " bestest"  friend, Susan, joined the church at the Vigil.  I have been her sponsor and we have attended a class every Tuesday night starting back in the fall.  What a very emotional experience for the two of us.  Congratulations Susan!!!!   We all celebrated at Village Inn with "breakfast" at midnight.   Sunday morning, Pops and I were back in church for the 9:00 service with the family.  We couldn't miss Charlie's first Easter service.  What a rainy Easter Sunday!!  I know the devil had a hand in the weather.  I love our church.  The Easter decorations and the homily by our Priest was so uplifting.  I was so thankful to look down our pew and see my incredible daughters, their husbands, Jessica's in-laws and one year old precious Charlie.  I am soooooo blessed!!!!!:)

Easter lunch was great.  Charlie had an indoor egg hunt with the help of Harley.  I had bought a galvanized bucket and had it hand painted at a store here in town.  The girls each had a personalized bucket when they were young, so naturally, Charlie had to have one.   I was very pleased with how fabulous it turned out.  Charlie would drop his eggs in his pail, then have to pull it back out and look at it.    

Today when I would ask Charlie if he is a big boy and if he is one year old, he will raise up one finger and chuckle.  He is sooooo cute!!!

After all this excitement, I will give you a hint about the upcoming week for Pops and me.

Cancun....... take me away!

Peace be with you,

Mimi

Big Cedar and Birthday Week

First present for Birthday Week...Buzz Lightyear

To Infinity and Beyond!!!

Champagne Brunch at Big Cedar

Mimi, Susan, Tony and Pops

Dinner at the cabin

Boyfriend, Susan, Tony, Terry and Sheri

What a big week we have this week!!!  Charlie Man's birthday week and Holy Week.  Jess doesn't know how Man's birthday just happened to fall on Good Friday this year.  What a special treat!  I love Easter.  I think it is probably my favorite Holiday.

This past weekend, Pops and I were treated like royalty by our good friends, Susan and Tony.  We spent the weekend at their cabin at Big Cedar.  What a treat!!  Susan fixed a fabulous dinner Sat. night for us and our friends, Sheri and Terry, who were at Big Cedar for a conference.  Sunday we had brunch at the Wormen House.  The food was lovely, as were the Mimosas.  We attended Palm Sunday services at Our Lady of the Lake (isn't that a great name for a Catholic Church) in Branson.  Beautiful new church, with a good gift shop that Susan and I had to investigate and support after mass.  We had a fabulous weekend!  Thanks Susan and Tony!  Pops and I also took time to do a little shopping at Branson Landing.  Fun place.  We had an afternoon "snack" at Cantina Laredo overlooking the river.  I also found a Disney Store that had "buy one get one free" on the stuffed Disney characters.  Pops couldn't believe how many Charlie "needed" for birthday week.  I couldn't make up my mind which ones were the best, so lets just say we have several for each day this week.  

Sunday night was family pizza night to begin Birthday Week.  I chose Buzz for the first gift for Birthday Week.  I think Charlie loved Buzz!  Charlie is really walking everywhere and his "talking" is really sounding like "words".  He points to everything and says "dat"?  I must name thousands of items in a days time.  

I am super jealous that incredible daughter, Sarah, got to see the ducks at the Peabody.  On my list of items to do someday.  

The weather has to improve from THIS!!  Everyone enjoy this week and remember all the blessings you have in your life.

Peace be with you,

Mimi

A BIG congratulations to Stephanie and Jimbo on their engagement!!!!!!  We can't wait for your special day.....much love to you both.