National Homemade Cookie Day got by ME?

Yep, I just found out that I missed out on a national holiday

that I am sure was created just for me!

National Homemade Cookie Day

October 1st!

You know what that means? You will each have to send me your favorite homemade cookies so I can sample them and give a (late) report (sorry) on my blog! My friend Joan O, the one who posted about this Holiday, also posted a recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies, one of my Favs. and Peanut butter....(sorry Joan, I think I have THE best Peanutbutter cookie recipe!)

Can't wait to try your Choco chip one though! I will have to get out my apron, crank up the oven, now that the AC is fixed and the humidity is coming down!



Speaking of Aprons...my silly husband...was looking in our pantry, which is a nice sized pantry and he commented on my aprons. He wanted to know first of all WHY I needed 9 aprons!?? I said, oh, I only have 9? Well, there are several more vintage aprons I have my eye on. He knows very well that I am very proud to have my Grandmother (Nanny's) aprons and my Mom's from when she was a little girl. I have a nice collection going, my kitchen is like a 50's diner, and I love the fact that aprons are BACK!

Then he says "do you have somewhere else you can store these aprons?"

I said, oh, somewhere besides the kitchen? Where do you think I should keep my aprons? In YOUR Garage?



That got me the silence I was looking for.



Sometimes he gets in "my" closets and thinks he can reorganize them! ha Funny, Funny man

Going Round N Round!

We are ok. This is not us.

Life is going Round N Round, but at least we are not literally!

Well, we are truly blessed this hurricane season, once again. We survived Fay, only having to hunker down in the closet twice for small tornado sitings, but we barely even had any rain. She hardly effected us here in Orange Park, although some in Jacksonville Beach and even closer areas had pretty severe damage. Fay did show us that we need a new roof, yesterday (before Fay), but hot glue will have to do for now$ All in all, we were blessed!

We have been missed by Gustav, Hannah and now Ike. Fay prepared us though, woke us up for what may be coming. Let us know that we were NOT ready. Just because you are ready one year, does not make you ready the next. Especially when you eat all your canned goods! I am now watching Ike heading over Galveston and Houston. Please pray that all those living in those areas did evacuate and that they will be safe.

This destruction, the day after 9/11- makes it hard to complain that our AC went out two days ago. I came on here to explain why I may not be blogging lately...like it's different than any other week!! My computer does not like to be hot, so I can only use briefly in the morning. Hopefully we will get the AC fixed tonight, otherwise Louie may wake up to only a nightgown laying on the mattress in the morning. Remember Wizard of Oz...the wicked witch of the west? It's very humid here....


Be sure to catch my friend Pat's blog on Beijing. Yes, she went to the Olympics! She won a contest! That is all I am going to tell you, you will have to read about it and check out all the photos. Once in a lifetime experience. Be sure to read from the bottom up...http://bloggingfrombeijing.blogspot.com/

Crazy Pat!

Her link is also at the bottom of my page, along with my other favorite blogs

Other than that, we are back into the school stuff, Boy Scouts, Academic Team, Math Team, Church, and active with marching band. Keeping TJ on task and running the "Kingsley Taxi"

GO RAIDERS!

To see photos that I take for the band go to : http://spotted.myclaysun.com/pages/galleries.php?type=you
my photos are under OHHAPPYDAY. My friend and PR partner Karen has photos under Strandberg.

We put the photos there so the parents can all go there and download the photos of their children they would like, plus it puts the band out to the community. My Clay Sun is a community insert to The Florida Times Union newspaper for Clay County. They ran a story on our new band director, Mr. Gaines, a few weeks ago and just yesterday ran another story written by a student, AND used a photo of our band (not taken by K or K, but that is OK!) We are thrilled to be in the paper twice in two weeks! Part of the "Pit" crew. Far right, my baby TJ

The Band Parent Organization is working on getting as many donations as possible since the district funds have been cut and keep getting cut and we are in need of so many things, including instruments, storage, music, competition fees, the list goes on. We do have a formal letter for corporate sponsors, let me know if you would like one. We are blessed that the music program has not been cut completely and I pray it never does. So many children benefit so greatly from being in the band. I have personally seen it keep children out of trouble. Karen and I have a goal to make Orange Park High Band become known as an awesome group in Clay County. We have a great start this year with our new director and his impressive section leaders.
These kids have fun!

If you are reading this and are moved to make a donation, you can always send it to me, make it out to Orange Park High Band. Make sure you put Band on it, so it doesn't get put in the general fund. It is a non-profit organization, so it is tax deductible. I will see that it gets to the Treasurer and I will have them mail you a receipt! If you were in the marching band at your high school, you may want to think about sending them a small donation (or large one if you can!) even $25 or $50 is always welcome! We are trying to contact our alumni to see if they can help support their old band! Thanks for reading!
TTFN-BE SAFE!

AARP wants ME!

Ok, This is the second AARP card I have gotten in the past 3 months. Talk about feeling old! It seems like my parents just got their cards the other day. I am so far away from being 50 years old....well...pretty far...I guess I will be 50 when TJ graduates from High School. He just started 9th grade! Ouch...that hurts. It does seem like Louie and I are the "older" parents when we are around TJ's friends parents. Now with Kelli and Wendi we are considered "younger" parents.

Age doesn't really bother me, it's just a number. You are only as old as you feel! Well, let's not get into that...I will happily accept an AARP card so I can get my 10% discount on everything, but they don't need to be pushy about it. Louie is a whole year older than me and he isn't being sent any. I think I will turn in his name!

I think I can, I think I can, I know I can!

Trying to convince my husband that I AM going to get a job is a job in itself. Too bad I can't get a paycheck for it! I know I will get a job...the process has just been a little delayed due to my being sick. All of my friends are looking out for me. I have new job lists sent to me daily and I scour the internet everyday. I know THE right job is out there and I am going to get it very soon. I am still taking every freelance job I can get whether it's flyers, postcards, business cards, logos, or photography, but I need an additional 25-30 hours a week permanent work.

As far as Craigslist goes, I could be a dancer at the "Solid Gold" nearby...(You can imagine what kind of dancers they might be!) but I doubt they are taking 47 year old "fluffy" women. Apparently there is a need many sign spinners...hmmm don't know if I could even get a sign under my arm, much less spin it. Although I am sure my baton twirling talents would come in handy. However, I have gotten even more uncoordinated as the years go by.

So, remember me if you know of anyone in the Clay County area that needs a personal assistant, marketing or administrative assistant. You can contact me at opdesignworks@aol.com or give me a call!

Aprons...yes, Aprons!

I am not so much into cooking. I love to bake, but lately it gets harder and harder. I keep making mistakes and my cookies don't turn out or I just do dumb things. Even today I made a simple recipe for my Dad, Zucchini Bran Muffins to take to him in the hospital. I can't even admit to what I did, but luckily it didn't effect the final product! It just makes more work for me and causes me total humiliation.

That is where aprons come in handy! I still love aprons! I only have one that is really "mine". It was a gift at one of my bridal showers 26 years ago! A friend of mine that I worked with at Disneyland made it for me. It has jungle animals on it, I guess because we both worked in Adventureland. I thought I had a photo of me in it with a chefs hat on, at our first apartment back when we were newlyweds! (just had the memory) but when I searched the photo albums, it is Louie in the apron and hat!!! I will scan it and add it here when I get a chance.

I am a messy baker, so aprons are great. However, I don't know how the June Cleavers of the world did it back in the day. They wore those stiff, neatly pressed dresses, panty hose, which I am sure weren't "panty" hose then, they were probably the kind with the garter belt (yuck). Plus, they wore the high heels. Then of course the apron, so they didn't mess up their pretty dresses.

When my Nanny passed away no one wanted her aprons, but I did! I even got one of my Mom's apron's from when she was little and it has her name stitched in embroidery thread on it. I LOVE these aprons!!! I also have a few from when my girls were little. I bought them at yard sales for them to play dress-up. They really got more than 50 cents use out of those aprons too!

One thing I have noticed is the different types of aprons. Some are very matronly. Some people would argue that they all are. Some are more the BBQ type. Well, I have a few that I am wondering why they are aprons and not lingerie! They are made out of the same fabric and they are see through! My thinking is that perhaps housewives back in the day wore those over there dresses AFTER the meal was cooked only while they served the meal when they had company or a dinner party? If anyone knows why they would have those kinds of aprons, please reply! Maybe they weren't made for the kitchen at all? hehe.

On the Sandra Lee cooking show the other day (food network), she had on a crossword puzzle apron! I am sure someone on her staff made it because she had a window valance that matched it. She is not usually an apron wearer. That is one reason I like her show, she does "theme" shows. Like in this one her whole set was black and white, then she used crossword puzzles on her table scape. She also makes things semi-homemade, that is what I am into these days. No time or energy to cook from scratch.

Here is the photo I use for myself on Facebook.

That is me...yeah, right ;)

Where has time gone?

Guess I haven't been too good at blogging! Things got busy at the end of the school year and then the beginning of summer. Then I haven't been feeling so hot (thanks Fibro). Wendi is home for the summer! She got a job at Patches, a wonderful gift shop that sells Vera Bradley, so she is in heaven. She loves her job. She is working full time and seeing friends full time. TJ loves having her home. She is so good to him, they are really great friends.

News on the whole "slip" investigation. "People don't wear slips anymore" that is from Oprah herself, yes, the one and only. Not a direct quote, but the best I could do. Yep, she said it. So my question has been answered.

My Dad broke his hip the other day and had to have a full hip replacement. I expect nothing less than the Bionic Man moves from him now!



It will be a long road of physical therapy, but he has a good outlook on life, so I know he will do great. I think this is going to be a good thing for him. He was having a lot of pain in his hips anyways, so I hope this takes care of that.

Nap time!

My Nanny

My Nanny was the best Grandmother in the whole world. She passed away last July after being in a nursing home for almost 4 years. She left me with some of the most wonderful memories ever! When she turned 90 years old, I compiled a list of 90 memories that she had given me. As soon as I get it typed onto a computer, I will add it to this blog. She was a real character and had a great sense of humor! I think about her all the time and feel her presence around me. I know she is up in heaven giving everyone a run for their money!

Nanny, Kathy(my sister) holding her baby doll and me at Christmas in 1964

This is TJ giving Nanny the soft, colorful flower that he picked out for her. Nanny called TJ her "Little Buddy" He usually went with me when I visited her at the nursing home, it really lifted her spirits!

Endangered Species!

The slip. No, not the shoe. The slip. If you are under 30 years old, you may not know what a slip is. I guess the fashions of today don’t call for slips, obviously if some girls are wearing short skirts and no underwear, why would they bother with a slip? To be honest, today's fashions to not call for a slip, I am just trying to cover as much skin as possible while staying cool in 98 degree temp with outrageous humidity.

I have a wedding to attend tomorrow and I got a new dress that needs a slip. It has rather thin fabric, it’s long and I would feel better if you couldn’t see through it. I have a half slip, but I wanted a full slip, so I wouldn’t have VSL (visible slip line at my waist). I went to at least 4 stores. I finally asked the young girl at Target if they carried them anymore. (I knew they didn’t, I just wanted to test her to see if she knew what they were!) She said no, no one wears them anymore, they wear those body things. I said, well I don’t want to be a sausage, I just want a nice loose slip so my dress is not see-through. She kinda laughed. She said I might could find them at Sears or JC Penneys. I haven’t made it to either place yet, and don’t know that I will. I might have to do with VSL.

This makes me feel really old. If I had known sooner that I would need one, I am sure the ladies in that Polygamists colony could tell me where to get one.

Now, I had thought of taking a scrap white cotton sheet I have and making one, it would be easy to do, just a time thing….yeah, right!

Time to Blog!

I had a really sweet message written about my Nanny and had not posted yet (or learned from previous erased blog experiences) and my computer froze up for the first time ever. So, lost it all.

So, for tonight I will praise my sweet son, TJ age 13. He recently got his Life award in Boy Scouts, which is a great accomplishment for him, as he started Scouts later than most boys do. He really, really wants to make Eagle Scout, and I know he will!

TJ also loves music and is very talented, unlike his Momma. He plays the French Horn in Symphonic Band and the Bass in the Jazz Band. Bass is his true love. One of the band Mom’s at school is trying to arrange for him to be able to play it in the marching band next year at High School (yikes!), by playing in the pit, with a few other instruments that stay there. This would be ideal for my “Mathelete”! Summer marching band camp is killer in FL!

Have a good Memorial Day-Say a prayer for our soldiers and Veterans.

Not all days can be Happy

In memory of Wes Whiddon, 17 year old son of Angie, the Principal at the school I used to work at. He and a few friends were fishing off of a tressel Wed. night, a train came and the two friends made it off (with minor injuries) Wes did not. He was the star of the football team and his Momma's heart. Please keep the Whiddon family and friends in your prayers.

Kelso finally got Lei'd!

This is my precious dog Kelso. He is the best dog!!! I always said if I ever got another dog, it would be a girl. Well, I fell in love with him (even though he had the cutest sister Zoe) and I think he looks like a "she". So I call him my Gay Dog.
Oh, and he is so like the character Kelso on That 70's Show...Cute, but kinda dumb!

He finally got Lei'd! Right after I got "Pinked"...more on that later!

FREE RED SOFA-Decent Condition...except....

This is an actual FREE AD on Craig's List. I highlighted all the important information. For full comedic effect, please read all the way through and if you can take it, check out the photos! Priceless!-K

this couch is bright red...in decent condition except it will need to be steam cleaned because a dog peed all along the front and sides. the top has a rip...and there are cat claw marks and it's hairy. and the mattress (it is a pull out bed kind) is not included. works great without mattress. nothing else wrong with it. just make sure you clean with steamer and it would be fine. please call 904-741-xxxx or xxx-429-xxxx and ask for cynthia for pickup information. thank you!

First Happy Ole Day

This is not going to be a journal about my daily life, most people don’t get online to take a nap! I tend to go on and on in my emails about nothing, so I thought I would just start a blog to keep you up to date on my recent thoughts, ideas and opinions. As most of you know I am more into long emails than long phone calls. I like being able to read and write when I can.

These photos are of my friends taking me out to dinner at my favorite Mexican food restaurant ~La Nopolara~ to celebrate my last day at work. Better, not bitter. The second photo is Diane (also a Pink Lady) and I, not only a friend at work, but at church, a sister in Christ, and a special friend. I miss working with these girls, they are a lot of FUN!