[MemeToo]

I'm back!

It took us 7 1/2 hours to make a 4 hour trip ... 3 accidents and road work. We sat in traffic ... unreal. We were just about stopped for nearly an hour on the mountain going. Then, coming back down the mountain on the way home it pour the rain. At the cemetery yesterday our visit was cut short by rain, also. Then, when we got to my Aunt's house after the decoration (a lot of us congregate there afterward) it was raining so hard we couldn't even get inside. We sat in the driveway in cars forever before we decided to finally just make a run for it. We were so wet. We were all laughing our heads off, though. We're a crazy bunch of people ... wet people laughing because we were wet. My cousin came in soaked ... her husband said, "I was afraid I was going to scratch her car with the umbrella so I was holding it over her and yelling go to the left and she just STOPPED ... right in the middle of the driveway in the rain ... she just STOPPED." She was dying laughing. She said, well ... see ... I was trying to figure out which way was 'left'. My hubby said, "That's a SHEPHERD thing (that's all of our mother's maiden names) because she (pointing at me) does the exact same thing! I looked at all my other cousins and they all just hung their heads ... guilty! It rained every day but we still got to see everyone and managed to have a good time in spite of it. My aunt that's in a rest home is really bad ... I went at lunch time and helped her with that. I took her some candy ... she loves chocolate. She acted like she knew me but I'm not sure if she did or not. She was always real comical. She told my husband why didn't he grow a wart on his nose so he could pick at that and stop picking on me! She's a mess! She did say I was always her favorite and she's told me that since I was just a little girl ... so maybe she did remember me somewhere in her swiss cheese brain. The next time I go will probably be for her funeral ... that makes me sad!

Pain wise, I'm at about a 20 right now. NC always makes me hurt worse. And the bed was horendous. Like laying on the floor and we bought an eggshell mattress for my bed. I dread KY next month ... that's for FOUR nights!!!

Hi to the new member of our thread ... I'm in a brain fog tonight and can't remember your name ... was it kaplods or something like that? Anyway, welcome. Let me get rested up and I'll do better next time, I promise!

Tammy, I'm glad you had a good trip, too. I loved history when I was in school but I wasn't real big on the battle grounds. Have you ever been to Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga? I've been to that one a few times ...

Mima ... you sure are eating a lot of different kinds of foods ... what's THAT all about??? Maybe you said and I just missed it.

Awesome picture Joanne ... you look so nice. I love the white dress (and the CROWN!) Neat!

Anne ... all that traveling around would kill me. I'm getting to be a homebody!

Where's Candice? Probably pulled all her stitches out by now!

[Tammy]

Meme, that is too hilarious about the rain and the relatives!! My husband always makes a comment about Schmidt blood (my mother's maiden name) when I do odd things. My cousins are just like me.

It sounds like maybe your aunt did know you. That's sad knowing that the next time will be for a funeral. I know that feeling.

I've never been to Lookout Mountain. Maybe that will be a trip we'll need to take. I was on-line making more reservations last night. When Tim comes home from Europe, we are picking him up in Detroit then heading for Mackinaw City. Instead of driving all the way there that night, we'll be staying in Frankenmuth. Love that town (and the shops!!!)

Meeting friends for brunch this morning. I made a big fruit salad. Yummy!! Later Tim and I are off to the dentist. I keep marking things for a garage sale. My sil and I haven't decided for sure which week we are having it, but I'm trying to get ready a little bit at a time. Before Tim leaves for Europe, I need to have him carry things out of the basement.

[Joanne D]

Meme- That was a fun but tiring weekend.. I was not alone.The dress is really nice. I don't know when I will wear it again. I don't dress up much in the summer. It is a size 10.. Now all I have to do is keep the weight off. That is harder for me than anyone knows. I stay right on the edge of goal. I would like to lose 5 more to feel safe. I just go up and down with 1-3 lbs. I guess as we get "younger" everything gets harder.I guess we were on at the same time last night. You are getting the rain we want here in west central Fl. It is cloudy ,maybe tonight.
Tammy- Sounds like you have a nice trip lined up. Have fun.
Hello everybody..I am going to the T/M.. Just vision 1 hour on a T/M.Joanne

[Tammy]

Joanne, I don't dress up too much either. I guess maybe teaching older kids, I'll wear more dresses. With the 2nd graders, I was usually in pants (sometimes dresses) because I tend to get down on the floor. Well, I used to get down on the floor more than I have in the past year.

Right now I have a couple boxes on the T/M that I need to go through for garage sale items. If I don't bolt things down, I think Bob will sell everything!!

[MemeToo]

Sometimes I think I'd like to just sell everything and start all over ... that is if someone else would come in and box it all up for me and carry it off! I look around and I wonder how I got so much STUFF! ? !

I've been up to Mackinaw a few times. I like it up there. We went out to the Island and road bicycles all the way around it when my daughter was only 2 weeks old. (Don't ask!) Wish I could still ride a bike! I'd like to lose 5 more pounds, too, but I'm not going to diet. If it happens, it happens. I'm just eating when I'm hungry and what I want to eat. My problem is, I've been craving chocolate lately. REALLY CRAVING IT. Wonder if I'm pregnate!!!

My back has been quickie since I slept on that bed last weekend ... not good!!! Hubby told me tonight we could cancel our trip next month if I wanted to. I don't know what to do. Nika is getting haircut tomorrow ... I'm kind-of worried about what she's going to look like without all that hair. Right now she looks like a little bear cub!

[Tammy]

Meme, my son always rides a bike on the island. I always did too until last year. I don't think I'll be doing it any more with the fibro.

I eat when I'm not hungry, which isn't a good thing.
Pregnant?

Nika is so cute! You'll have to send us a picture after the haircut.
Plans for the day - go get the last few things for Tim's trip (phone cards, card for camera, another pair of pants). I hope that's it. This trip is getting even more expensive!!!

[MemeToo]

I'm kidding, Tammy.

KIDDING!!!

[MemeToo]

I'm still crying over Nika's haircut. It's killing me that she doesn't look like a baby anymore. I look at her and say, "Who are you." Then she jumps on me and starts to rip off my clothes ... and I remember!

[Tammy]

Meme, lol, Ok, so you aren't pregnant. Me either, and I haven't had TOM since the beginning of May. Stress from the stuff at school and Tim leaving for Europe????
Nika still looks cute!!!

[Joanne D]

Meme- The haircut really changed the look of your baby.. What breed is she?
Tammy- I wouldn't worry about TOM unless you think you are pregnant.
That stopped for me at 38. I haven't missed it at all. The Dr said I was pre cancer. Surgery was done but they left the ovaries. I had to take care of that this past fall. No fun..
Tell the son to be real safe on his trip..
It has been a quiet few days. I hope everyone has a great weekend.
Hello everybody..Joanne

[MemeToo]

I just opened a Dove chocolate and there is little 'sayings' on the inside of the wrappers. This one said, "Learn something from everyone you meet." That's really hard with some people ... And what some have to teach might corrupt me! Hubby opened one the other night and started rubbing my leg ... I said, "What the heck are you doing." He said, "Well, the paper said 'Do what FEELS good!'" I smacked him!

Nika is a toy poodle. Joanne ... that stopped for me after I had my daughter at age 24. My uterus fell and grew to my back after she was born and I had to have it taken out, like you, when she was in Kindergarten. I had such backaches I had to stop going to college. Didn't know what was causing it until I finally went to a OB/GYN. I actually wanted another child and we tried but it never happened. Guess those little spermies couldn't swim that far. They left my ovaries, too. Still have them.

My day absolutely STANK. I couldn't get anything done for the dufusses in my driveway asking stupid questions ... over and over ... and the phone ringing. I'm telling you what ... they ask and I answer and then they ask the same question five minutes later. And while I'm out there with one the phone rings FOUR times with more dufusses calling. So help me I wish I hadn't run that last ad in the paper. I'll get started doing something and the phone will ring ... by the time I get off the phone I forget what I was doing ... so I start doing something else ... just get into that and the stupid phone rings again. I was trying to get my house half way clean because we had company tonight. I had to just close the door on my bedroom ... it's a disaster. And I don't even want to talk about the basement! All my jeans are dirty and I haven't even started on the wash from last weekend ... I'm so far behind I won't be caught up until July and I have Ross and Jenna next week!
Can I come stay with some of you guys until summer is over??? I promise I'll wash my jeans before I come ...

[Tammy]

Joanne, nope, not pregnant. Just thinking about it at this age scares me!!!

Meme, too funny about hubby doing what feels good. lol
You can come to my house, and I'll even let you wash your jeans here if you wash our stuff too. Will that work?

[Mima]

Good morning-we came back yesterday from Maine. It was so hot-96-we went to the Strawberry Festival in the am and then decided we might as well be home with the central air. We are going to a grad. party today and my church is having the 50th anniversary mass at 4. It's a bit cooler. Joanne, that pic is gorgeous!!! My daughter has been having stomache pains and vomiting-had some tests-waiting for the results! Spounds like gall bladder to me-she's 27 but my sil had hers out in her 20's. If it is, I hope that they can do laproscopic. My stomache seems to have calmed down but it's not perfect. Maybe I will have to live with it because I have so much diverticulosis. Or maybe have surgery????? The dog threw up big time this morning. Our neighbor feeds him-I will have to ask him not to give him so much. The minute we got home he went over there. Oh yeah-the place we were camping did not have their pool working and that's why I picked that campground!!! Yesterday was a big time pool day! But we still had a good time-I read 2 books and made another baby poncho. And we walked quite a bit and Brad's cousin took us out to eat. Bye for now. Mima

[MemeToo]

Now that's what I've been talking about. I'm not sure I even WANT to go anywhere for our anniversary next month. It's just going to be TOO hot! It's supposed to be in the 90s here this week and it's even hotter in July. We were supposed to go to KY for a convention and decided to cancel that. Well ... I called the Hyatt yesterday to cancel our reservations ... good thing we decided not to go ... they had LOST our reservations and were completely booked for the convention. We didn't even HAVE a room reserved according to them. Hubby's talking about going to the mountains now. It would be a bit cooler but even that will be hot. And we've been there so many times. I told him I'm about in the notion of letting everyone BELIEVE we're going but just staying at home! Maybe we'd have some peace and quiet that way. If we stay here and everyone KNOWS we're home they'll bug us to death ... will you do this and that. My pastor asked me to drive all the way back to town tomorrow and make a bank deposit when he KNEW he was going to be right there ... at the bank. I didn't know he was, though. I thought a minute and said ... well, I hadn't planned to go to town tomorrow (it's about 15 miles to the bank from my house). Could it wait 'till Tues when I go get my grandkids? (I told hubby and he said it could've waited). He just looked at me. So I repeated my question a different way and said, it's a pretty good little drive into town ... if it won't hurt until Tues. I'll be glad to do it for you. Then he said, I'll just do it ... I've got to go to the bank anyway. Can you beat that. He was going to let me make a trip all the way to town when he was going to the bank anyway. I almost got righeously indignant! I must have a sign on my back or something because people do me like that all the time. I'll probably wind up going somewhere next month ... just to get away from everybody & get some rest!!!

I sang a 'Blue Grass' song in church this morning. Ever hear of the Isaacs? It was one of theirs. I think I kind-of shocked everyone. That's not usually my 'style'. It was kind-of fast and wild! A real toe tapper!!! I usually sing songs by Janet Paschal, Karen Peck or Jeff and Sheri Easter ... soft and slow. But I was rockin' baby!

[Mima]

You know that I know all those singers-what song did you sing-we have a lot of bluegrass cds-We went to the party for Brad's step-granchild-deliscious hamburger-went home and cooled down and went to my church's anniversary Mass-it started to pour when we left the house so we waited to go in but finally I went and Brad came later-but people took his seat-I couldn't say no to them!! So he stood!! But it was an awesome celebration in the heat-the priests and the Bishop in their robes!! We have a Spanish community so they did some in English and some in Spanish. Even the music and then they had a beautiful CATERED buffet-the caps are for Meme-after the service. I have only been there 3 years so I didn't know all the former Pastors but the 74 year old one that we have now is awesome. Anyhow-that storm brought down major power lines on RTe 2 and it was closed for 4 hours. Brad went down the street to get milk and he couldn't get across so he came back. It's all fixed now. It's supposed to be cooler today-my kids will be here a week from Friday so I have to Evan proof the house. I also bought new sheets and a pillow-top mattress cover so I will put them on the bed, Bye for now, Mima ,who was awake for 2 and a half hours last night.