Back to reality.....

We woke up Sunday to the knowledge that it was time to head back to reality. Since everything about our trip was so nice, it wasn't as hard as it could have been. Even though it was hot, every day was gorgeous and special to us. On Saturday we had lunch at Ballyhoo's and it was delicious. We were sorry the owner (Mae's grandson) wasn't there but we were not sorry we had lunch there. We got there a little after the lunch rush and the service was great. Roseanne got a nice, juicy hamburger and waffle fries and I got the Spinach Wrap and Sweet Potato fries. They say a picture is supposed to be worth a thousand words - I think this picture says it all don't you?  Since we had used all our coffee, we decided to pick up breakfast on our way out Sunday. Everything was packed and ready to go - except - for - PRINCESS MIYA CHULA YUM-YUM who decided she wasn't ready to leave.  She got way up underneath Eileen's king sized bed and Roseanne was laying flat on the floor trying to coax her out while I was squeezed down as far as I could get between the wall and bed on the other side with the long duster trying to push her out.  THAT didn't work.  SO - I closed the door and we went to pick up some sorely needed coffee and breakfast.  After we ate - I opened the door and she was right there - all poised  to take off again. GOTCHA!  Poor Roseanne is allergic to cats - especially Siamese. As long as Miya didn't get close to her face, she was okay.  She was careful each night to close the door to her room so Miya couldn't climb on the bed with her. That worked well until Roseanne woke up to her sleeping on the bed one morning. Oh my.....she is a curious little bugger.

Time to say good-bye again. Thank you so much Eileen and LC for sharing your wonderful slice of Paradise with us. We both appreciate it more than you will ever imagine. Speaking of reality, I have been home all day trying to wade through laundry (BigD got back yesterday from a fishing trip) and paperwork.

Almost over......

Oh well - I didn't get to sleep until quite late last night while feeling really bad because I had failed to get Miya's meds in her the night before and she was still hiding. When she finally tried to get in bed with me later - I knew I had to get up and give her the meds. Then I couldn't get back to sleep! Arggghhh!! I finally gave up and started reading my book again to go back to sleep. It felt like I had just gone to sleep when I heard Roseanne making coffee and getting ready to walk on the beach. I decided to opt out of a walk this morning and take it easy. I can't believe this is our last day here. It makes me remember the few times we went to the coast for a week when I was still young.  I don't know how Mama and Daddy did it with all of us girls. I was just talking to Roseanne about it and how the last two years we came as a whole family for a week - my parents let me bring my friend Eileen. I know that was an added expense as far a food but Mama not only knew how to make any spot we were in for longer than a day feel like home; but how to stretch a dollar to the limit. I wonder if that is the reason I always unpack my suitcase when I go somewhere and put things away as if I live there?  BigD never unpacks his suitcase - even if we are at the coast for a whole week.  I used to unpack for him, but he asked me not to since he knows where everything is when he wants it. Go figure.

I decided to open the blinds and let the outside in - at least until it gets too hot. Roseanne decided to organize some of the treasures she bought in Beaufort yesterday. We both love pottery (even though I have  NO ROOM for any more) and we both love dragonflies.

Roseanne bought the bigger one and I chose the smaller one that has a Baked Brie recipe in it. I plan to use mine for my fruit salads. Some people will never understand what that means - but eating out of a plate or bowl you love makes everything you eat out of it taste special. Kind of like when I drink tea out of one of my dragonfly cups I bought from the same shop many years ago.

We are trying to decide what we want to do on our last day in this little piece of paradise. Sit around the lovely cottage and watch shows we never have time to watch, read our books, and eat our special treats or get in the hot car and drive in the weekend traffic to go to shops and spend more money we don't have? Hmmmmm - that should be a no brainer but we'll see.

Emerald Isle 2011......

Yep - Roseanne and I are one of my favorite places (and now one of hers) - Eileen's lovely beach cottage.  I just can't imagine what else she could do to make this place more of a Paradise than it is!  I LOVE the fireplace - got a picture for BigD to look at to see if it is what we want in our living room if we ever switch to gas and get a new TV.

I guess you could say Princess Miya likes it. As a matter of fact, she likes this entire cottage. Daisy isn't here this time and she is the ruler of the roost so to speak. We left Wednesday morning and "stopped by" Krispy Kreme to pick up a few (a dozen) chocolate glazed doughnuts.

And if you think we only got two of them you are NUTS! Great news is there were 3 left as of today and they may not get eaten at all - we'll see said the blind man.

Since I forgot my bathing suit and we needed just a few things from the grocery, we drove to Wally-World and I bought a floral bathing suit that is really a bathing dress. Yeah - I already look like a beached whale so let's add a few flowers to the mix. We ate at Chowda-Head our first evening down and it was yummy. We were going to eat at Ballyhoo but they were closed and wouldn't be open until after we wanted to eat. Last night we had sauteed salmon, roasted veggie, and wine. Yesterday we made the rounds to Swansboro, Cedar Point and all in between. We had yummy hot dogs and cherry cokes at Yana's and Roseanne blew her wad in the shop next door. Hot dogs, cherry cokes and she got one small order of fries - $20.00!!!! Cha-ching. I got BigD a new shirt and we picked up a few other doo-dads. Today we drove over to Beaufort and had a scrumptious lunch on the waterfront. I bought a cool pair of earrings and a little button for the both of us.

BigD has called from Chesapeake area every evening when they get in to let me know how it is going with him. I can tell he is having a good time but all he asks me every evening is - "are ya'll behaving yourself?". What could he mean? Why would he ask that? Could it be, he is hearing the Cha-Chings all the way up there? Man - are we both back in debt but you know - we are on VACATION!! It isn't like we have bought only for ourselves (well at least Roseanne didn't). LOLOL We bought a bottle of another of my favorite wines in Beaufort for tonight and are just resting.  Roseanne has read one book and half-way through another and I'm still working on Margaret Maron's latest.  It has been so much fun being on her FB and hearing all they things she and her friends talk about writing. How did I know she would be so nice and down to earth? Hmmmm  We found out on our way down that my friend who died a year ago yesterday's youngest daughter's twins are going to be a girl and a boy!  We were squealing when we found out and are trying to stay in close touch with her to show as much support as we can.  She misses her Mama.  So a few more pictures from our little escape to Paradise and maybe more later.......

So - Roseanne and I will say so long - don't be tooooooo jealous.....and yes BigD - we ARE behaving ourselves. Yuk, Yuk, Yuk

Where to begin.......

Okay - here we are in June but I need to digress. I haven't mentioned mine and BigD's very short trip up North to visit Kurt, Leah and Page2!  We had a lovely drive in our silver Cadilacky through the mountains while enjoying the gorgeous day.  We drove up last Saturday morning and were home by Sunday afternoon.

Leah's flowers and plants were looking good. Page2 and I walked around their lovely home and I took another picture of one of the dogwoods in their yard. I love dogwood trees.

Most of the natural Spring flowers - like the Peonies - were gone but the place still looks great. Princess Miya did pretty good with her brother and crazy Vincent.

BigD and Kurt were enjoying the outdoors while Leah brought the marinated steak and chicken breasts out for them to work their magic over the coals. We also had salad, baked potatoes, green beans, and, and...in other words - it was a feast. We went up to give Page2 a little gift of cash for her big trip with Papa and Grandma. She is getting so excited and I know she will have a wonderful time. We got up Sunday morning and ate breakfast together at McDonald's after which they went to the meeting and we headed South again. All in all - it was a very satisfying little trip. As usual, we were missing them before we got off the mountain.

Nine days ----

Nine days since my last entry - where to begin.  I have had some typical adventures for Moi.  Had some bites on my arm - no I don't know what bit me and it really doesn't matter because evidently everything LOVES me and my body HATES everything that bites me and the circle continues around and around.  So I tried to get in to see my Dermatologist before the assembly this past weekend and no go there so I went to Urgent Care of Durham and they are so wonderful. I went in on either Tuesday or Wednesday because it got bad and some new bites showed up. Met with a lovely doctor and we had a great time "bonding". She gave me some cream for my arm, some antibiotic cream for my sty (my first sty ever) and sent me on my way.  Well on Thursday the 5th, Rosanne and I went in service in the morning with Eileen. Eileen had to go home so Roseanne and I had lunch at a new place for both of us which was great and caught a movie.  I wore a shirt that had 3/4 length sleeves that hugged my arm and when I got home, I could not believe my arm.  I almost went to the ER but after looking at the directions on the cream (yeah - I'm a ding dong) it said to NOT cover the bites with the medication on it. So I decided to take some Advil for the inflammation and go back to Urgent Care the next day.  So on Friday I met another of their doctors and we bonded also - do you see a pattern developing here - :-).  He told me to keep using the cream but he prescribed some antibiotics just in case infection occurred.  So - I hate antibiotics but felt like he was right so for the most part - I have remembered to take all 4 pills each day - for the most part.  And yes - if you are wondering - I do have the beloved yeast infection that comes with those lovely little miracle pills.  He said if the bites looked good after 5 days on the antibiotics, I could stop but guess what?  Yep - three new bites during the night.  I had the feeling something had gotten me while I was sleeping but I have been sleeping in the back room in a different bed all week while washing all the bedding for my bed.  The only other place I can think of is the chair I sit in.  I have been putting a lap blanket across the arm I put my arm on but still have bites in the same place.  I have used the flea comb on Miya several times and can't find any fleas on her and usually fleas get me on my legs and ankles.  HELP.  Guess I'll be taking all the antibiotics after all.  Fun, fun.  The assembly was wonderful.  Even though there was a last minute change in who rode with me, it worked out okay for everyone.  My sister Rose and her husband were supposed to ride with me, Eileen and Luz.  Thank goodness the car is big enough for five passengers.  It turned out that Wayne wasn't feeling well but Rose got to both days so that was good.  Eileen and I were talking about how Rose and Wayne were so good to us when we were young and especially me when Page was just a baby.  By the time Page was three and a half and Kurt was a baby, it was the three of us until they were both grown and moved out.  I remember when Kurt was a very small baby and we were going to a two day assembly far enough away we had to stay in a hotel.  We were low on funds so I took an ice chest filled with milk, boiled eggs, sandwich fixings, etc and cereal.  The hotel room had a coffee maker in it and I would fix us breakfast, eat lunch at the assembly (that is back when we had full meals) and then we would have a sandwich for dinner.  I pulled my Camaro up to the front of the hotel on Friday night, picked up Kurt and had Page hold onto my skirt while we went in to register.  After that, I pulled one of the luggage racks out to the car, put Kurt and Page back into the car while I loaded up the luggage and ice chest.  Then I got them back out of the car and while I held Kurt and Page held onto to me - I pushed the cart back into the lobby up to the desk and asked them to watch it.  Then it was back to the car so we could park it - then back to get the luggage and on the elevator and boy did those bed look good!  But I was young and Page was such a good little girl.  She always did what I asked her to do.  She just knew to always hold on to me tight and trusted that I would take her the right way. :-)  Of course we were tired of eating out of that ice chest by Sunday morning when we had to repeat the Friday night ritual.  Believe it or not, that is a good memory to me - our little family working together.  I was blessed with great children and even though I know I brag too much - it's true.  I have always been and always will be proud of them. The Circuit Pioneer School was held at our KH on Friday before our assembly and was wonderful.  The whole weekend was refreshing and just what I needed.  I know this isn't that exciting because it doesn't have pictures but since I use this forum for my on-line journal as much as anything else, I decided I wouldn't put any pictures here for this particular entry except for an older picture that is already on here somewhere - it makes me smile......

Yep, BigD, Page and Page at one of our favorite places from several years ago. Can't wait until we get back down there. There is a good chance I'll be in EI the first of next month - maybe alone and maybe with someone. Dear Eileen has offered me her lovely home for a week and the first part of the week BigD will be at coast somewhere else. So I may just go alone with Princess Miya....we'll see said the blind man.

Rain - lovely, cool rain....

As some of you know, it has been unseasonably HOT these last few days. Just a few minutes ago we had a downpour - I'm so glad I had my back door open - I felt the air cool down a good 10+ degrees.

I checked on my four new plants and thought to myself - "Ha - now you are watered for the day"! One of the reasons I shouldn't be allowed to own plants - I forget to water them! Gail and Luz decided I needed at least a few flowers on my deck so after service the other day we went to Lowes and they picked a few perennials for me. They picked those so they would come back. When we got home, Luz insisted on putting them in the pots herself so she would know I had them. Yesterday I had a VM from her reminding me to water them last night because it was so hot yesterday. Yep - they are on a mission! The problem is this - I LOVE flowers and plants - I just don't love gardening. Just another example of why I should have been born rich instead of beautiful - to be able to afford the gardener, housekeeper, etc, etc., etc.. When Gail told me I could have a shrub in a pot - it has inspired me to find the right large containers for two shrubs I want - Peony and Hydrangea - I love both of them.  I'm going to look until I find something I really, really like - something like an old wash tub (would put wheels under it so it can be moved).

Anyway - I'm just happy the rain cooled things off but I still hope to get the car cleaned before we leave for Kurt's tomorrow. I think we are going out to eat on Saturday - our treat - so it can be a nice relaxing time for all. Oh - just in case you are wondering Leah - we only put one plant in each pot so they will spread and so they will be more likely to come back next year. We'll see... we'll see.

One of the many results of bad eyesight......

I've known I have bad eyesight for quite awhile but didn't realize just how bad it had gotten until a few moments ago. I use drugstore glasses for everyday reading, bi-focal sunglasses for driving and different bi-focal glasses for computer use.  I just can not adjust to trifocals which is the reason for the different kinds of glasses. Our
doctor told me as long as I use the drugstore reading glasses, there is no need to have my vision checked more than once every two years. We really take things like our hearing and eyesight for granted when we are younger - just like we take our nice firm, non-mottled skin for granted.  I believe I have mentioned how Eileen's Mom always told us to notice our skin every so often - especially after we have children or turn 30 because it would change after that.  From time to time as we would be riding somewhere together, I would notice my reflection in the rear view mirror on the side of the car and would look at my skin - especially the area of my neck.  Oh yeah - she knew exactly what she was talking about.  Now I have brown (and other color) spots all over my arms and legs (too much sun) and a few places that I can only call "crusty".  There are also wrinkles - not only at the base of my neck but also on my chest area where my "cleavage" starts.  So back to one of the many results of bad eyesight. I jumped up from the computer to run (yes - I do have to run these days) with my glasses on to the rest room and while I was washing my hands - I noticed that the sink was really NOT up to par in the being totally clean department. Oh MY!! Now I will have to start

wearing my glasses when I clean the sinks!!! Oh man!!! I wonder how many people have noticed my - "not so clean" sinks?  In the event they did notice and told me about it - don't worry - I didn't even hear them. As bad as my eyesight has become, my hearing is much, much worse.  I'm was thinking about taking a vitamin someone told me about that will help with the very loud tinnitus I endure every day - all day and night.  I asked my doctor about it yesterday and he said he didn't know if it would work or not and that it is up to me.  We both agreed that I need to think about it because there are so many "things" my body just does not like - things that are harmless to most people but for whatever reason, may not be harmless to me.  Ahh - to be unique!