Thursday, 31 December 2009

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I hope everyone has a Happy New Year. I hope that 2010 is a good year.

My mother and I are planning a very lazy quiet day tomorrow. In the past, we've either worked or cooked all day. We are going to watch the Tournament of Rose's Parade and the Auburn game. We'll probably eat leftover spaghetti.

I had a good day at physical therapy. I am now able to walk up and down my mother's back porch steps. I have to hold tight to the banister, but I can get in and out of the house so much easier than before. When I couldn't put weight on my foot, I would sit on the porch and scoot down the steps. When I came back in the house, I would sit on the porch and scoot across to the inside of the house and pull myself up into a chair. It was not very easy. Sometimes I could get in the chair on the first try and other times I needed someone to give me a boost. Things are getting better.

I hope everyone has a safe New Year's Eve and Happy New Year.

Wednesday, 30 December 2009

I'm getting better with my walking. Today, the physical therapist made me walk with just one crutch. I did real well. When I'm home by myself, I'll walk using both crutches. My new goal is to be able to walk with only one crutch and to do a few more things for myself. Maybe I can reach this goal by the weekend.

Last night while I was trying to do some work on our store records, the doorbell rang. My mother went to the door and there was a woman there that she did not know. The woman immediately introduced herself and said that she was here to see me. It was an old friend from elementary school and high school. We exchange Christmas cards, and this year I used some return address labels that had my mother's address on them. She was on her way to Huntsville from Atlanta and decided to look me up. It was nice in a weird sort of way. She stayed for about an hour and we had a nice visit. She lives in San Antonio, but was in Atlanta and Huntsville checking on the houses that she inherited when her mother passed away. What got us was that she doesn't have a cell phone. We couldn't believe that she was travelling from Atlanta to San Antonio without a cell phone. I wouldn't feel safe.

This weekend is supposed to be cold here. It is supposed to get down to 15 one night. Brrrr! They are also predicting sleet and snow. I'm glad that I don't have to go to work next week. I would hate for my mother to take me back in unpredictable weather. This weekend will be a good weekend to lay around and read.

I hope everyone enjoys the remainder of the day.

Monday, 28 December 2009

I CAN WALK!

Sort of... I can walk a little bit with crutches. My foot hurts when I take the first 2 or 3 steps.

I hope everyone had a good Christmas. Ours didn't go as planned. We had planned on having our family Christmas on Christmas Day. My mother and I woke up sick with horrible colds on Christmas Day, so we had to reschedule for Saturday at 3:30. At 3:08, my brother-in-law called and said that he would be a little late because someone had broken into his place of employment. By the time it was over with, the entire family was there trying to get everything ready for the police. We finally ate at 6:30.

Yesterday, my mother and I went to Huntsville so that I could get some new shoes. We also got more cold medicine and had a good dinner.

Today, I went to therapy. Even though, the therapist said I was doing good, I'm not sure I will be able to go to work on Monday. I hate to keep putting my boss off, but no use going back before I'm able.

I always do a lot of shopping on December 26, but this year, I don't have the interest. I saw a few odds and ends that I like at Talbots, but not sure if I'm going to order. I may hit some sales in the next couple of weeks. Maybe, I'll feel more like shopping.

I hope everyone has a good day.

Thursday, 24 December 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!!
I am feeling so much better today. I felt good yesterday, but I did not have time to post.

I went to the doctor yesterday. He said that everything has healed wonderfully. He said that I can now put weight on my foot. He told me to wear the boot until I'm comfortable without it. Then I can graduate to a good athletic shoe. While I was there, the physical therapist had an opening, so I was able to take physical therapy. After a few exercises, he stood me up and made me take a step. The pain was so bad that I screamed. He ignored me and made me take another step, then another. The pain got better. While there, I decided that I would take off another week and let him do my physical therapy next week. I'm going to get this guy to teach my how to walk.

Last night, my mother and I went with my sister and her foster son to Santa's Village and Galaxy of Lights. He liked Santa's Village okay, except for the cloggers. He loved them. As he watched them, he tried to dance also. He tried to put on a show. We all enjoyed the Galaxy of Lights.

Today, I'm being lazy. I need to get busy and do my exercises.

I hope that all of you have a very Merry Christmas.

Monday, 21 December 2009

I'm feeling a little better today. Saturday, I woke up really nauseated. I thought it would pass, but it didn't. I decided it was inner ear, so I took my inner ear medicine. I figured out that it wasn't inner ear, when I lost the medicine (didn't want to get too graphic). I took a nausea pill and that seemed to work. The only thing I ate all day was a couple of crackers, and it was all I could do to get them down. I slept most of the day. By bedtime, I felt a lot better. I felt better yesterday except for a bad headache. During the night I developed a bad cough. I'm feeling better now, except for the headache. I think it is sinus related. All I have been able to drink is Coke, Sprite and orange juice. Everything else tastes awful. I haven't had a bath since Friday night (I know, gross), but I haven't felt like it. I'm going to try and take a quick bath tonight. Maybe it will make me feel better. Tomorrow, I'm home by myself. Maybe my sister will stop in and check on me.

I'll post some more once I feel better.

Sunday, 20 December 2009

I'm not feeling very well. I'll be back once I feel better.

Friday, 18 December 2009

Yesterday was a fairly busy day for me. My mother and I went out for lunch. We went to a new Mexican restaurant that is housed in a building that we recently sold. The people that own it are very nice and most important of all, very clean. The food was delicious.

Yesterday afternoon, my sister picked us up, and we all rode to Huntsville. I sat in the car while my sister and mother went in to purchase baskets for gift baskets. Then we went to The Fresh Market. At first they said that they didn't have wheel chair carts, but my sister found one. She pushed me around and we bought what we were there for. My sister's 20 month old foster son rode in my cart. All of the check out girls were oohing, ahhing and flirting with him. He looked at them and grinned. We really got a kick out of that. While there, I purchased all of the different magazines put out by Cook's Illustrated. I also bought Orangina, Italian soda, Stonewall Kitchen's crackers, scones, muffins, and cheese straws. We had a good time. Afterwards we went to Chick-fil-A. We were gone for about 5 hours. We were all tired when we got home.

Today is a lazy rainy day. Today, my mother has been having problems with my sister's Yorkie. He refuses to go outside. We don't blame him. He finally gave in and went outside before lunch. I am having problems typing this. He insists on laying on my left arm to take his nap.

I hope everyone enjoys the remainder of their Friday.

Wednesday, 16 December 2009

I'm still dog sitting. He has been asleep most of the day. He did move over to my lap for about 15 minutes, then back to his chair. I have a feeling that we are going to be dog sitting this weekend. My sister and brother-in-law are going out of town to a family get together.

Today, I have been watching a recording of the Andrea Bocelli Christmas special that aired on our local PBS station. Apparently, I have enjoyed it, because I have watched it several times. When he sings "The Lord's Prayer" with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, I get chills. He is a very talented singer.

I've finished my shopping and mailed my cards. We have some baking to do and we'll be ready for the holidays. I always breath a sigh of relief when I get to this point. A few months ago, my mother and I vowed that we were going to get everything done by the December 1, so that we could sit back enjoy the season. We were going to have a small Christmas party. But....I broke my foot and can't participate very much. Maybe next year.

I hope everyone enjoys the remainder of the day.

I also want to wish a Happy Hannakah to those who celebrate it.

Tuesday, 15 December 2009

I am dog sitting today. My sister is remodeling her bathroom and there is a big hole in the floor. She is afraid that her Yorkie will fall in the hole, so she brought him over here. He has barked at everyone that gets near my mother's property. Right now he is sitting on my chest. I guess he is jealous of my laptop. He has slept most of the day. I guess he is resting up for the UPS man and the postman. He really hates them. He's been a lot of company to me today.

Tomorrow, my sister is coming over and we are all going to make Christmas cookies. Thursday night, we are going to Huntsville to the Fresh Market. I hope they have motorized carts. I really want to go in and shop. I'm sure we'll go to Chick-Fil-A for dinner. I have been dying for a Peppermint Chocolate Chip milkshake. Has anyone had one this year. Last year, every time that I passed a Chick-Fil-A, I stopped in for the milkshake.

I hope everyone enjoys the remainder of their day.

Monday, 14 December 2009

I had a very busy weekend for someone that is temporarily mobility challenged. I'm tired today, but it was worth it to get out and do things.

Friday night, my mother and I went to a Christmas party around the corner. The hostess had a chair and ottoman fixed for me. The food was good and the guests were all fun. We played dirty Santa and I got the gift that my mother brought. I told her to not say a word. She doesn't like it when people chose their own gift.

Saturday, we picked up a couple of her friends and rode to Huntsville to eat and see the luminaries. We went to Logan's for the early bird. We like to get a cheap meal every once and awhile. After we ate, we rode to the Twickenham district, which is the old historic district. They did not have the luminaries because it was misting rain, but we were able to drive around and look at the beautiful old homes and the tasteful Christmas decorations. My mother's friends had never taken the time to ride around the historic district.

Sunday, my mother and I went back to Huntsville to finish Christmas shopping and to buy a few necessities that we cannot buy locally. We went to Target, Belk's, Dillard's, Talbot's, Sam's, Panera Bread, and Publix. She went in while I stayed in the car. She said that she didn't get tired. I think she was glad that she was getting so much accomplished.

I am so glad that Dillard's sells Kiehl's now. I have used their Blue Herbal line for years now. I have been wanting a small bottle of Creme de Corps for my dry skin, but nowhere in this part of the state sells it. Dillard's started selling it a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday, my mother went in and picked me up a bottle of the Creme de Corps and a bar of the Grapefruit scented moisturizing soap. Hopefully between the two of those, I can tackle my dry skin problem. My face is oily, but my skin from the neck down is dry.

I hope everyone enjoys the remainder of your Monday.

Friday, 11 December 2009

HAPPY 101 AWARD




Thank you Beth Dunn at Social Climbers for this tag/award. She has an amazing blog. I have read her book, Social Climbers, twice.

1. List 10 things that make you happy.
2. Tag 10 bloggers that brighten your day.

Great mother that has taken care of me since my accident and surgery
Wonderful friends
The color pink
Pearls
Shopping
Funny movies
Britcoms
Holidays
Vacations
Wonderful coworkers

I tag:

Tickled Pink & Green
Preppy Pink Crocodile
Preppy Princess
Monograms & Manicures
Preppy Engineer
Etiquette with Miss Janice
Preppy 101
Her Preppiness (Preppy 50 & Loving Lilly)

I know this is not 10, but I have noticed that a lot of you have already been tagged.

Have a happy day!

Thursday, 10 December 2009

Last night, I watched Funny Farm with Chevy Chase. I just love that movie. I just love Bud and Betsy, the preppy couple that want to buy the house. They drive up in their Jeep Wagoneer wearing a duffle coat and buffalo check coat. Betsy is so 80's stylish with her boiled wool jackets and brooches at the collar of her blouses. I would love to have an LV wrist clutch like the one that Betsy carries.

My mother went out to run some errands. While she was out, she stopped at the Bake Shop and bought me a dozen thumbprint party cookies. And, I wonder why I can't keep my weight down. I can eat an entire dozen in the 4 blocks from the Bake Shop to the house. (they are really small, maybe 2 bites each) These are really festive. Some have white icing and the other have red icing. I like to get them in the spring and summer when they have pink and green icing.

Wednesday, 9 December 2009

I've just been sitting around watching TV for the past two days. I am now hooked on Frasier. I've always liked the show, but now I sit on pins and needles waiting on it to come on.

I just saw an advertisement for a place called The Chocolate Crocodile. My mouth is watering. I have a bag of candy on the table near me. I may have to break down and eat some of it.

We had some pretty bad weather last night. We had a lot of rain. Now we have a lot of wind. I felt sorry for the guy that has been doing repairs to my mother's garage roof. I'd hate to get up there in all of this wind. It's beautiful outside today, but it is going to get really cold tonight.

I just got a call from the HR department at work. They told me that I had never returned some forms that they sent me. I never got them. They sent them to the wrong address. By the time that I get them back to them, I'll be ready to go back to work.

Going back to work is going to take some adjustment. I'm going to have to get back on my regular sleep schedule. I haven't worn makeup since my accident, except to Church Sunday night. For the first couple of weeks, I may be wearing chinos and my Tretorns. Hopefully, I'll be able to wear a regular shoe real soon. I don't think Tretorns will look real good with my skirts and dresses. Plus, I'll probably have to lose a little weight in order to fit into my skirts and dresses. I'll work on that after Christmas.

I hope everyone has a good day.

Monday, 7 December 2009

I didn't do that much today. I watched my shows, listened to Sirius online, and surfed the internet. I feel better than I have in a while. I even ate lunch in the dining room.

Last night, my mother and I went to Church for the first time since my accident. We don't normally have a service on Sunday night, but they schedule one in December. This year we had a Christmas carol sing-a-long. I knew that there would probably not be a lot of people there. I was able to get in and out without any trouble. I am hoping that I might be able to go to the regular service the Sunday before Christmas. We'll have to wait and see.

With all of this sitting around with no exercise, I feel like I might have put on a few pounds. I've decided that after Christmas, I'm going to start a low-calorie, low-fat, healthy eating program. I researched the Mayo Clinic website. I decided that if the doctor says that I can start a light walking program, that I will go to the old executive dining room and walk around. As soon as I get my confidence up, I'll go into the auditorium and walk up and down the steps. Maybe it will help my foot and give me some exercise at the same time.

I hope everyone enjoys their Tuesday.

Saturday, 5 December 2009

I had a hard time getting to sleep last night. It was after 1:30 am when I finally went to sleep. I woke up about 7:00 and then dozed for about an hour. Even though I didn't sleep that much, I have felt good all day. I woke up to a few patches of snow on the ground. It was gone by 10:00.

My mother got up, got dressed and went to the Bake Shop and got sausage rolls. After breakfast, she and a friend of hers went to the Methodist Church for their annual Christmas Cookie Walk. You pay $5, they give you a go box and a plastic glove and you go along a buffet table with trays and trays of cookies. You fill up your box with as many as it will hold. The problem is, my mother and I sit around and eat cookies all day. Later in the afternoon, we watched the Alabama-Florida game. I'm not an Alabama fan, and I'm definitely not a Florida fan, but I pulled for Alabama. Alabama ending up winning 32-13. I guess that will move them up to #1. My mother and my cousin went to a Christmas party. As soon as they were out of the door, I turned the TV to Home Alone.

I hope everyone enjoys the remainder of the weekend.

Friday, 4 December 2009

I've noticed on the Chattanooga TV stations that our county is under a "Winter Weather Advisory". We are supposed to get snow during the night. It will probably be gone when I wake up in the morning.

I'm feeling so much better today. I don't get tired as easy. My mother and I are going out to eat tonight. It's going to be cold. I guess I'll wear my LL Bean barn jacket. I hope it is not too bulky under my crutches, but I don't want to get too cold.

My mother wants to ride to Huntsville Monday afternoon to do a little shopping. What that means is that she will get to go into the stores while I sit outside in the car. Bummer. I would love to go shopping, but I don't think I can manage walking that much on my crutches.

I hope everyone enjoys the remainder of their Friday.

Wednesday, 2 December 2009

If you are a fan of Christmas Vacation, you will be excited to know that it will be shown on AMC every night this week. You can watch it at 8:00 e/7:00 c and 10:00 e/9:00 c. I watched it last night and I may watch it again.

I am keeping to my regular schedule today. Maybe there will be a good movie on TV to break up the day.

I hope everyone has a good day.

**Update: I watched Christmas Vacation again tonight. Not too sad!!

Tuesday, 1 December 2009

I can't believe it is Tuesday and I haven't posted since Saturday. That shows you how boring my life is right now. I stay home alone on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. My mother doesn't like for me to be up and about while she is not here. I sit in my chair with my foot propped up on the ottoman all day. The only time I get up is to go to the bathroom. I do try to exercise my legs while I'm sitting here. I'm not much of a daytime television person. It is hard for me not to get bored. I do like some of the reruns. At 9:00, I watch Matlock while I record Frasier. At 10:00, I watch Will & Grace. At 11:00, I watch the recorded Frasier. At 12:30, I watch Barefoot Contessa. At 2:00, I watch Frasier. In between, I get on the computer or read. Then it starts over again the next day.

Sunday, my mother and I went to a family get together. I did real well. Usually everyone gets together in their cliques, but since I was crippled this year, everyone congregated around me. It was so nice to see everyone sit around and visit. Plus, the food was delicious.

Three weeks from tomorrow, I go back to the doctor. I'm hoping that he will let me start back walking.

I hope everyone enjoys the remainder of the day.

Saturday, 28 November 2009

I just got finished watching the Andrea Bocelli My Christmas special on PBS. It was fantastic! If you are a Andrea Bocelli fan, you don't want to miss this. Even if you are not a fan, you don't want to miss it. It will be on 3 more times in Alabama. Check the website for your state's public television for the times in your area. When he performed "The Lord's Prayer" with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, chills went over me.

I hope everyone has a good Sunday!

Friday, 27 November 2009

Happy Day After Thanksgiving and...WAR EAGLE!!

We had a good Thanksgiving. My sweet mother did almost all of the cooking. I mixed up a cranberry salad and she poured it into the mold. I also mixed up the filling for a pecan pie and a chocolate pecan pie for her to pour into the shells and bake. That's all I did. She normally makes a sweet potato casserole with pecan topping. This year she made sweet potato dumplings. I was skeptical, but they turned out great. All you do is take frozen sweet potato patties, cut each in half, and wrap each in a Pillsbury crescent roll. Put them in a baking dish and pour a mixture of melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans over them. Bake for 25 minutes. We had so much food left over. My sister fixed her next door neighbor a plate and took it to him. We'll eat the leftovers today and tomorrow.

This afternoon is set aside to watch what in Alabama call THE IRON BOWL That's what we call the Auburn-Alabama football game. This year Alabama is undefeated and number 2 in the nation, but we will be pulling for Auburn. I graduated from Auburn which makes me a DYE HARD AUBURN FAN (Pat Dye was the head coach in the 80's, hence the spelling of the word "DYE" instead of "DIE"). There are a lot of people in the state that are rabid fans of their team. We sort of turn our noses up at them. I think it's a little much to center your life around a college football team, especially if you've never even been to the town where the college is located. Then, if their team loses, it becomes the end of the world. Then they get on a campaign to fire the coach...all because they lose one football game. I'm sure there are people in other states that are the same way, but it seems like Alabama is the worst.

I hope everyone has a good Friday. If you go shopping, I hope you find some good deals, and please, please be careful.

Happy Friday and.......WAR EAGLE!!!!

**UPDATE: Auburn fought hard and led for most of the game, but Alabama scored the winning touchdown with only 1:29 left in the game. Auburn did not have time to score another touchdown. I'm still proud of the good game that they played today. They played their hearts out, but lost 26-21. WAR EAGLE, anyway.

Wednesday, 25 November 2009

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. We usually go to my sister and brother-in-law's house, but those plans got changed. They host both sides of the family, plus invite friends that don't have plans. My brother-in-law's mother has been in bad health lately, so his family wanted to eat at her house. We were invited, but it would be hard for me to get into her house. Her house is small and I take up a lot of room with my foot propped up. My mother decided that she would cook and we would eat ours at a different time. Afterwards, my sister wants to go to Huntsville for the Galaxy of Lights at the Botanical Gardens. That should be fun. I won't even have to get out of the car.

Our menu for Thanksgiving is the same as every year. We always have: Turkey and dressing (we don't call it stuffing), gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry salad, LeSuer green peas (it's not Thanksgiving without them), canned cranberry sauce with whole cranberries, pecan pie and chocolate pecan pie. My mother makes the best dressing that I have ever tasted. I guess she learned from my grandmother. I'm the only one that likes pumpkin pie, so we don't make that, but there is a store bought pumpkin pie in the refrigerator if anyone wants a slice. Someone gave my mother a mess of turnip greens. She might cook them and share with my brother-in-law's mother.

What do you normally eat for Thanksgiving?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Monday, 23 November 2009

When it rains, it pours around here. Friday, my mother went to Home Depot and bought some tulip bulbs. She planted them that afternoon. She woke up during the night itching. She realized that she had poison ivy. Her yard man got rid of it, but she said the oil was probably lingering in the grass. It is all over her right arm, her neck and her inside thigh. She went to the doctor today and got a shot and a couple of prescriptions. I know she is miserable. She is highly allergic. Many years ago, my father was burning brush behind the house. She walked out there to take him a glass of water and came right back in. The next day she was broken out with poison ivy. The doctor said that the smoke from the fire settled on her skin and it had the poison in it.

Yesterday, was a dark, rainy day. We laid around and watched TV all day. As soon as Frasier goes off, I'm going to take my bath and wash my hair. Then I'm going to get my mother to take a desk chair into the kitchen. I'm going to wash my Tea Drop tea maker and clean out the water lines with vinegar. As soon as I'm done, I'm going to make me a pot of Twining's Christmas Tea. I buy several boxes at the Fresh Market the day after Christmas. I drink it all year long. I'm thinking about ordering a tin of Harney's Cranberry Autumn and a tin of Harney's Holiday. Yes, I will drink those throughout the year also.

I hope everyone has a good Monday.

Saturday, 21 November 2009

Last night and this afternoon, I went out to a restaurant to eat. It is good to get out, plus I feel guilty for making my mother sit her and eat. We both hate being couped up in the house. Plus, we get to see people.

I think I fell for an email scam. I have an extra email account. I got a email from Window Live Hotmail alert. After I responded, I realized that is should have been Windows Live Hotmail Alert. I sent them info about me. I guess I need to report it to Hotmail. Maybe if I change my password right now, I'll be somewhat protected. Plus, I need to report it to Hotmail. It looked legit, but don't they all.

I hope that everyone enjoys the remainder of the weekend.

Friday, 20 November 2009

Yesterday, I had a lazy day. When I woke up, I had a sinus headache. I took a sinus tablet and slept for awhile. When I woke up from my nap, my headache was gone, but I was groggy for awhile. I sat around in my gown all day.

Today, I felt more motivated to do some things. Instead of just drying my hair, I also styled it. Instead of sweatpants and a turtleneck, I am wearing blue jeans, a Brooks Brother pink/white striped OCBD, and my pearls. Later I will put on a Brooks Brothers gray wool cardigan. Tonight, my mother and I are going out to eat at a local restaurant. It will be good to get out.

What I would really like to do tonight is go to Huntsville to Bridge Street Centre. They are having their tree lighting, plus....The Pink Pelican is having a Mad Men party as their grand opening. I don't think that I can manage going. Maybe I can go out there on December 26.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Wednesday, 18 November 2009

I have been very productive today. I worked on genealogy, read blogs, looked at the supermarket circulars, emailed, etc. Since I can sit in my comfortable chair and use the computer, I have been able to catch up reading everyone's blogs. I feel like I am back in circulation, even though I am confined to this chair all day on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Tomorrow, I am going to help my mother (the best that I can) to clean up around the chair and get my stuff organized. My sister's foster son is going to go eat with us tomorrow night. It will be good for me to get out of the house.

A friend of my mother's has volunteered me to address envelopes for a project that he is chairing. If I had some labels, I could do it on my computer. I love to play with the label maker on avery.com. It will be something to do while I'm sitting here.

I hope everyone has a good Thursday.

Tuesday, 17 November 2009

I finally got a laptop. I've been intending on purchasing one for about six months now. The one that I wanted was on sale at Best Buy this weekend. My sister went and picked it up for me. I can now sit in my chair with my foot propped up and use the computer. I haven't been able to sit at the computer desk very long. My foot starts hurting after a few minutes.

This past weekend, I was able to do more than I have been. Friday night, I was able to go out to eat in a restaurant. We went to a restaurant that did not have any step ups. The owner's son helped me to a table and helped get my foot propped up. He was so attentive. Saturday, my mother and I went to Birmingham to check on things. BFF MAB came over and we all went out to eat at Panera. Then we went back to my house and visited for awhile. Sunday morning, my mother and I headed back to her house. We stopped at Panera and got bagels. Then we went to Aveda and then to eat at the Cracker Barrel. I was so tired when I got home. Yesterday morning, I didn't feel well. I think I did too much over the weekend.

On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, my mother works at the store. The new owners wanted her to work 2 days a week. I think she enjoys it. It gives her something to do, plus a little pin money. When she is at work, I try not to get up and roam around. I sit in my chair all day and watch TV. Unfortunately, I'm not real fond of daytime TV. I usually watch Matlock, Frasier, Will & Grace, Barefoot Contessa and Paula Deen. Sometimes HBO has a good movie that I want to watch. I have a few DVD's that I can watch on my laptop. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks, I can manage a little better.

I hope everyone has a great Wednesday.

Tuesday, 10 November 2009

I can't believe it has been so long since I last posted. It is hard for me to sit at the computer. I have a hard time propping up my foot. I try to keep up with everyone's blogs when I can.

First of all...Thanks to everyone for the well wishes. I really appreciate it.

I went to the doctor yesterday. He said everything was going well. He told me to come back in 6 weeks. He also said that I cannot put any weight on my foot until I see him again. When he wrote my work excuse, he put that I would not be able to go back to work for 6 weeks. I'm going to stay at my mother's house until Christmas. I'm hoping that in a couple of weeks, I can be a little more self-sufficient. I can get around okay on crutches, but I can't carry anything. I use a plastic grocery bag to carry light weight things. I'm trying to think of a way that I can set up some kind of station in the kitchen so that I can help with cooking, especially for Thanksgiving.

When I told Queenie that I would not be back for 6 weeks, she seemed upset. Then she said, "You're going to get off work for all of the holidays." It's not like I'm going to be partying hardy during the holidays. Then she said that I'm going to be off longer than a heart patient. I tried to explain to her that I couldn't put any weight at all on my foot. Maybe she'll get over it. My boss was really nice about it. He told me to be stay off of my foot, watch plenty of TV and read. I think I will take his advice. The only problem, there's not much on TV that I like. My mother doesn't have a DVD player, but has a VCR. We're going to Birmingham this weekend. I may bring back some movies on VHS. I've been recording stuff as I see it on, but as I said earlier, there's not much on.

Thanks again for the well wishes. I'll post when I can.

Saturday, 31 October 2009

I had my surgery on Wednesday. My foot still hurts just a little. I"m keeping it propped up. I am trying to be very, very careful with it. I have decided that I am not going back to work until after Thanksgiving, at the earliest. My eight weeks will be up December 23. I would feel more comfortable waiting until then. I don't know what my employer will say. We'll have to see.

Sunday, 25 October 2009

I went to the doctor on Friday. He said that my foot is pretty bad and that I need surgery ASAP. I'm scheduled to have surgery Wednesday. I'm getting pretty bored. I would blog a lot, but the computer is in a room way way down the hall from the room where I stay. I'm still not very confident with the crutches. My mother has a friend that has a walker with wheels. She said that I can borrow it. I may take her up on it. When I think of a walker, I think of old folks in the nursing home. I need to get over that. I may be using it at work when I go back.

I'll keep everyone posted as to my progress.

Thursday, 22 October 2009

What happened to Preppy Sue? I went to her blog and it was not there.

I'm still crippled. I'll know more tomorrow after my doctor's appointment. My poor mother has been waiting on me today. She is starting to let me do a few things for myself.

I'll keep everyone posted.

Wednesday, 21 October 2009

I'm feeling better now...maybe. My sore throat was just that, a sore throat. It didn't develop into anything. Tuesday morning, when I was getting ready for work, I started feeling a little sick. The next thing I know, I'm in the floor. When I went to get up, my right foot started hurting. All of a sudden, it was swollen and blue. BFF MAB came and got me and took me to the ER. The ER doctor said it was just strained. After I got home and settled, the doctor called and asked me if I could come back that there was something suspicious about the ligaments on the Xray. I went back for another Xray and found out that I have a torn ligament. I have an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon on Friday and I'll find out more then. Right now, I'm on crutches and I can't put any weight on my foot. And, I can't drive. My mother is coming to get me and take me to her house. I can manage better there.

I'll check in when I can.

Monday, 19 October 2009

I went to my mother's house this past weekend. My mother, sister, brother-in-law and their two kids were all sick. Even the dog was sick....and they all shared with me.

I'll be back when I feel better.

Thursday, 15 October 2009

This week has not been so bad. Tuesday and Wednesday were busy, but nothing that I couldn't handle. Today was slower, so I was able to get a lot of stuff caught up. I hope tomorrow goes okay.

My sister is having a yard sale on Saturday. She told me that I could join her. I have 3 boxes of clothes plus 2 bags of books. I hope that I can get rid of everything. I also hope that it is not too cold. I plan on wearing sweats and a barn jacket.

I never sing along with the radio in the car, but tonight I couldn't resist. I was listening to the 70's on Sirius 7. They played "I Think I Love You" by the Partridge Family. I couldn't help sing along. I always liked The Partridge Family when I was young. I never missed an episode.

I hope everyone has a good Friday.

Wednesday, 14 October 2009

For My Readers


A few years ago, I bought a Sunbeam Tea Drop on sale at Target. I have absolutely loved it. It makes tea perfect. I think it is about to bite the dust. I poured 20 oz of water in it and I got about 8 oz of tea. I think I need to break down and buy a new one, but I don't know where they are sold. I don't see them at Target anymore. I guess I'll have to go online.

Queenie is on vacation this week. That means I get to do everything all by myself. It has been mainly sink or swim, but so far I'm doing okay. At least it is quiet. I think I am going to take my IPOD and docking station so that I can listen to music. Our local public radio station no longer plays classical music. It is just NPR talk radio now.

I hope everyone has a great Wednesday!

Monday, 12 October 2009

I had to go to Huntsville to the dentist this morning. I had to leave my mother' house around 7:00 am. I knew it was supposed to rain. Luckily for me, the bad rain was gone by then, but it was still raining. I woke up at 4:00 am and it was pouring very hard.

I got a lot of stuff done while in Huntsville. After the dentist, I went to The Fresh Market, Publix, Belk's, Talbot's, Sam's, The Pink Pelican, and McAlister's Deli. I was back at my mother's house by 12:45.

Today, I wore my LL Bean khakis, Talbot's long sleeved white tee, Talbot's hot pink cable knit cardigan, RL socks with hot pink polo man, leather Tretorns, pearls, and gold shell earrings.

I left my SUV at the Chevrolet dealer to have the signals repaired. They light up, but they don't blink. They had to order a part that was to be in by 3:15. Hopefully, it will be repaired soon. I want to leave to go back home by 4:30 0r 5:00, and it is 3:45 now.

I hope everyone enjoys the remainder of their day. Have a great Tuesday, also.

Saturday, 10 October 2009

Today is such a dreary day. It rained really hard last night and now it is cloudy and dark, but it's not raining...now.

I drove up to my mother's house last night (in the rain), but she's not here. She's in Cape Cod. I talked to her, and she is having a fun time. She has been planning this trip for months. I was going to wash a bedspread and comforter today and hang them on the clothesline, but I'm not sure about the weather. Maybe tomorrow. Don't you just love to hang your bed linens on the clothesline to dry? They smell so fresh and crisp.

I didn't realize until this morning that I haven't written a post since Wednesday. I know everyone is waiting anxiously as to what preppy attire I have worn. Thursday, I wore a Susan Bristol black/white mini houndstooth skirt, a Talbot's cotton mock sweater, silver monogrammed pendant, silver/black earrings, and Talbot's Mary Jane style flats. You know that skirt is several years old. Do they even make Susan Bristol anymore? Years ago, I used to love almost everything that Susan Bristol made. It sort of reminds me of Eagle's Eye. Friday, I wore my trusty LL Bean khakis and a Talbot's navy with white polka dot 3/4 sleeve sweater, pearls and gold shell earrings. This morning, I still have on my pj's. I'll decide what to wear when I decide what I'm going to do.

I'm sort of bored. I think I'll call my sister and see what she and her foster son are going to do today. I hate to get him out in the weather, but she probably needs an outing. She's been tied down to him for about a month now. She mentioned that Stein-Mart was having a sale. Maybe the three of us can go to Huntsville later. Maybe my brother-in-law and their other foster son wants to go and we can make it a family outing. I may call her right now.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Wednesday, 7 October 2009

When I travel, I usually dress preppy. This year was no exception.


I think this is the first picture of me that I have ever posted. I am wearing LL Bean chino capris, LL Bean red tee, Vineyard Vines hoodie and Tretorns with red gullwings. I think this picture was taken near Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

There's a lot of preppy going on here. LL Bean, Vineyard Vines, Tretorns, Maine, lighthouses...it's all preppy to me.

I hope everyone has a great Thursday.

Tuesday, 6 October 2009

I talked to my "team leader" today, and she said that she would see what she can do about my title remaining Executive Assistant. I think that is very nice of her. She seems to really want to help. I feel bad because I didn't include Queenie in my request, but I have to look after myself. She and I have different job descriptions. Maybe if she finds out, she'll ask for herself. I don't know if I've mentioned it but Queenie and I are working together in the new department, and we are getting along great.

Today, I continued with the preppy challenge. I wore a Talbot's navy corduroy jumper, an LL Bean light blue mock, silver monogrammed jewelry, light blue bead earrings, and Ferragamo navy wingtip oxfords.

Monday, 5 October 2009

I'm not sure if my outfit today will count on the preppy challenge. It is sort of preppy. I wore a Brooks Brothers navy sheath, a Lands' End red cardigan, pearls, and Ferragamo Veras.

I've finally got to the point in my new job where I am busy. It feels good to be busy. I like to be productive. I got a letter from my "team leader" stating that my new title was Sales Assistant. I was not happy with that. Over the weekend, I happen to remember that my boss told me that my job description was identical to a recent posting for an Executive Assistant. I emailed the "team leader" and explained to what was said. I requested that my title stay the same. I hope she doesn't think that I acted inappropriately. My ego is on the line. It's disheartening to have been demoted. At least, I'm able to keep my salary.

I hope everyone has a good Tuesday.

Sunday, 4 October 2009

I did good on the preppy challenge. Friday, I wore LL Bean khakis, a Talbot's brown long sleeved tee and a Talbot's brown cable knit sweater. Saturday, I wore LL Bean khaki capris, a Lacoste long sleeved polo, pearls, gold shell earrings and my Tretorns with a red gullwing. Today, I have on the same capris, a navy/light blue striped 3/4 sleeve tee, a Vineyard Vines navy hoodie, and my Tretorns.

Saturday, my mother and I went to Huntsville shopping. I have been waiting for months for the Lilly Jubilee bermuda bags to go on sale at Belks. They are still full price. I guess it is not meant for me to have them. I went to Dillard's to check on some Austin Reed separates, but could not find them. Again, not meant to be.

Today, I helped my mother pack for her trip to the Cape. She is going with her friends, and they are all excited. I know that they will have fun.


FYI - I called the lady that wanted to room with my mother and I. I got her answering machine. I left her a message letting her know that I hate to tell her no, but my mother was hoping that this would be some kind of mother/daughter weekend, and that I hope she understood. I felt bad, but I didn't think it would be a comfortable situation for any of us. Thanks for all of your advice.

I hope everyone had a good weekend, and I hope everyone has a good Monday.

Thursday, 1 October 2009

Today was day 2 of the preppy challenge. I wore a Brooks Brothers gray wool jumper, a pink OCBD, pearls (of course) and black Ferragamo loafers.

Tickled Pink & Green posted about Laura Ashley today. It got me to thinking about a LA black watch plaid jumper that is hanging in my closet. I may wash it and wear it one day next week with a yellow turtleneck. What color is appropriate to wear with black watch plaid, navy or black? I've seen and wore both.

I have a predicament that I need advice on. I am a member of a local ladies club. We have a national conference in a few weeks in a city that is about 6 hours away. I am taking my mother along as my guest. A member of our club asked me if I had a roommate. I told her I was sorry but my mother was going with me. She then asked if she could room with us and use a roll away bed. It sort of blind sided me. I didn't know what to say. I told her that I would have to check with my mother, and she said, "Okay, let me know what she says." This woman is very nice, but she can get on my nerves sometimes. She travels like she's going on Cleopatra's Barge. Plus, I'm the national president this year, so I have a lot of stuff also. I really don't know what to say. If I told her that my mother didn't think it was a good idea, it would make my mother look like the bad person. I can't use the excuse that my mother doesn't know her, because she has met my mother. I really don't know what to do. I don't want to hurt her feelings. Any advice?

I hope everyone has a good Friday.

Wednesday, 30 September 2009

I've been rather busy at work this week. I haven't been this busy in months. It's sort of hard to get used to, but I guess I'll have to.

I think I'm going to copy Beth Dunn at Social Climbers and take the preppy challenge. We'll see how many items mentioned in The Official Preppy Handbook that I can wear each day. Yesterday, I wore LL Bean khakis, LL Bean navy/green striped sailor tee and topsiders. Today, I wore black pants, red cotton turtleneck sweater, gold monogrammed pendant, and penny loafers. Tomorrow, I may only have on one or two items. We'll see. It's amazing that after all of these years, I still dress according to TOPH. HA!

I hope everyone has a good Thursday.

Monday, 28 September 2009

Yesterday, I was lazy. I read and watched TV all day. I did do about five loads of laundry, but that wasn't that much of an effort. Yesterday afternoon, I decided that I would move my stationary bike to the living room so that I can ride it while I watch TV. I rode it yesterday and today. My plan is to ride it five miles everyday. I hope I can keep it up. I know it's not as good as the treadmill, but I will be more motivated to keep it up.

With my new position came a move to another floor. To get in the door, you have to have a key card. This afternoon, I was by myself, and I heard a knock at the door. You will never guess who was at the door. My former boss. I was so excited to see him. Another one of my former bosses was already there. It was so great to see both of them. I almost started crying when they left. I miss our old gang so much. It's just not the same. Hopefully, in about nine months, we will all be back together again. I can't say anything about how we'll be back together, because I'm not sure of all of the details, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. A little hint...my bosses had a one year non-compete clause in their contract.

Tomorrow, I'm getting a new desk. I've been sitting at a counter that looks like a desk. Maybe after I get settled at my new desk, I'll feel like part of the department.

Tonight, the temperature is going to be in the 50's. That's about 20 degrees lower that it has been. I am so ready for fall. I'm ready for corduroys, sweaters, wool skirts, turtlenecks, and tights. When can one legally start wearing suede shoes? I know corduroy is okay after October 1 and wool is okay after the first frost.

I hope everyone has a great Tuesday.

Saturday, 26 September 2009

I had a fairly relaxing day today. This morning, I cleaned house. I finally got all of my clothes and purchases from vacation put away. This afternoon and evening, I caught up on reading magazines and watched the Britcoms and the Auburn football game. Even though it was mostly a lazy day, I feel like I got a lot accomplished.

Tomorrow, I'm going to do laundry while I finish catching up on reading my magazines. I subscribe to a lot of magazines. They include:

Vogue
Marie Claire
Allure
InStyle
Elle
Harper's Bazaar
Smithsonian
Southern Lady
Food & Wine
Cooking with Paula Deen
Victoria
Tea Time
Taste of the South
Weight Watcher's

I always purchase Cook's Illustrated. As I said in a previous post, I'm thinking of subscribing. I also purchase the seasonal magazines published by Hoffman Media.

I hope everyone has a nice relaxing Sunday.

Wednesday, 23 September 2009

Tonight, on the way home from work I stopped by Target. I went in there to get a bag of the Archer Farms frozen Wild Maine Blueberries, but they were out. I bought a bag of frozen mixed berries instead. I also bought a few Lean Cuisines, a plastic tumbler with pictures of candy corn, and some Pumpkin Spice Flax Kashi Bars. Thanks to Miss Janice for pointing out the Kashi Bars. As I was leaving, I picked up a magazine called Victoria Magazine Presents ENTERTAINING. I can't wait to read it.

I've gotten addicted to Cook's Illustrated magazine. I'm thinking of ordering a subscription. Do any of you read it?

I hope everyone has a good Thursday.
We've gone 24 hours without rain. I feel for those people in Georgia. They either have way too little or way too much. Maybe everyone will dry out soon.

I gained a few pounds while on vacation, and now I'm having a hard time losing it. Yesterday, I wore one of my new Brooks Brothers dresses. It was a little snug. I was upset all morning about it. As the day went on, it became lose. I thought it had probably stretched out, but I tried on the others when I got home. They were actually very lose. That made me feel a lot better. I don't have any clothes to wear at this time of year. I hate to wear my summer clothes, but I guess as I'll have to. I usually put them away about September 21.

I hope everyone has a good Wednesday.

Monday, 21 September 2009

I am not believing all of this rain. It has not rained as much here as it has in the Atlanta area. I noticed this morning that the Cahaba River was over it banks. I just heard that it is supposed to rain until Sunday. YUCK! We will be drenched.

This past weekend, I went to my mother's. Saturday, we were going to do some minor cleaning, eat lunch, buy groceries and then be lazy. We did not stop until about 8:00 pm. So much for being lazy. Yesterday, we cooked dinner for my sister's family. Today is my sister's birthday. My sister seemed to enjoy the dinner. She's having family problems right now. She and my brother-in-law have two foster sons. One is 17 years old and the other is 17 months old. The 17 year old is a great kid but is very jealous of the 17 month old, and it is very obvious. I told my mother that I sort of feel sorry for the 17 year old, but I think he brings a lot of it on himself. He can't help feeling jealous, and if he lets it, the jealousy will eat him alive. I hope he can find a way to come to terms with it. He says hurting things about the 17 month old, but then he will talk kind about him. I think that is his way of sounding off. My sister gets really angry when he mistreats the 17 month old. Maybe someone can talk to him.

I hope everyone has a great Tuesday. Maybe we will dry out soon.

Saturday, 19 September 2009

WAR EAGLE!!!!!

War Eagle!
Auburn 41 West Virginia 30
How about those Auburn Tigers!!!!!

Friday, 18 September 2009

Have any of you been invited to those "Gold" parties? In case you haven't heard about them, a host invites her friends, provides refreshments, and a representative from one of those companies that buys gold appraises everyone's gold jewelry and buys it from them. Something about it does not seem right. BFF MAB got invited to one, and the host said that she was given $90 for some old jewelry. My sister's friend said that she took 4 pairs of broken earrings, some earring backs and a ring and got $500. This sounds almost too good to be true. Have you heard of these and what do you think?

My new position is going very well now. I'm gradually learning things and feeling like I'm part of the department. Maybe in a few weeks, it will be old hat.

Today's Friday! YAY!!! Have a good Friday.

Tuesday, 15 September 2009

Southern Lady Celebration Giveaway

Miss Janice, who is the epitome of a Southern Lady, is hosting a giveaway to promote the upcoming Southern Lady Celebration. The prize is a gift bag full of Southern Lady goodies. For more details, read about it on her blog.

My definition of Celebrating the South is all of the tradition that goes with being from the South. It is also all of the good southern food, proper southern ladies and gentlemen, and the hospitality and genteelness of the South. If you've ever been below the Mason-Dixon line, you know what I am talking about. I've always thought there was something unique about the South and about being a Southerner.

Monday, 14 September 2009

I had a pretty good day at my new job. My new boss talked to me about my ordeal last week. He said that he was glad that I brought everything to his attention. We both agreed that we would put it behind us and make our department the best. I'm glad that I took this position. I was apprehensive at first. Everyone in the department is so nice. They have made me feel welcome.

Now, to tell you about my buys at the Talbot's outlet. I bought a hot pink corduroy blazer, a hot pink cardigan, a chocolate brown cardigan, a brown long sleeved tee, a white long sleeved tee, a navy with white polka dot 3/4 sleeve cardigan, some socks, a pair of tights and a pair of faux peridot earrings. Everything was 30% off outlet prices, plus I received double points.

Last Monday, I started a new eating program, but I was bad over the weekend. Today, I was good, plus I walked on the treadmill this evening. If I can keep it up for a few weeks, maybe I'll lose some weight. Wish me luck.

I hope everyone has a great Tuesday.

In Memory...

I just saw where Patrick Swayze lost his battle with cancer. That's so sad.

Sunday, 13 September 2009

Thanks for all of the kind words and advice about my job. I feel a lot better now. I started in my new position Friday. Everyone in the new department has been so nice. They seem like they are going to let me do as I please for the time being. Nobody bothered me.

I was busy most of the weekend. Saturday, I went with my mother and two of her friends to Chattanooga shopping. We started to visit Preppy Engineer at Gigi's Cupcakes but decided that she would be super busy on her first day. Maybe next trip. We got back about 2:00. My mother and I decided to go to Huntsville to run a few errands. We felt like we accomplished a lot. Sunday, we just went to church and came home to relax.

I think tomorrow will be a good day. I just had to get over my anger. It's hard when you feel like you've been stabbed in the back.

I hope everyone has a good Monday.

Thursday, 10 September 2009

I did not email A today. I'm not going to. He and B were out of the office, so I had the area to myself. C was also out sick, but emailed me many times. He told me to go ahead and move my things to an empty office and work there until my new desk arrived. I told him that I would gladly move since A and I had an altercation yesterday. I didn't bother him with the details since he was sick, but he will find out on Monday. I told my former coworker and she wants me to tell my former bosses. I don't know what that will accomplish since they don't work there any more. I just had to have my drama though. I emptied all of the drawers in my area. I packed everything that had ever belonged to my department. It is sitting in boxes in the floor in front of my desk. I have stationary items stacked about 3 1/2 feet high. I would take the copier with me if it would fit in the elevator. There is nothing in the desk but a small light bulb. I may or may not move the boxes tomorrow. I may wait until A is out of the office. C said that I could not take that stuff up to my new area. I told him to let me have my drama, it makes me feel better. I think I am going to move it into a storage room outside of the executive dining room. I am the only one that has a key.

I hope that y'all don't think it is me. This has happened to many people over the past year. Each month, more and more people are let go. I'm just lucky that C thought enough of me and my work habits to move me into his department.

I'll keep you posted on my drama.

Have a good Friday.

Wednesday, 9 September 2009

Opinions Please

I had an incident at work today that I did not handle very professionally. I need opinions on my method of handling it tomorrow.

As I have told you before, I am an Executive Assistant at a very large bank. The local executives were relieved of their duties back in June. Since then I have reported to this man I'll call A. A and I have adjoining offices. He has to walk through my office to get anywhere. Next to my office is a man I'll call B. For the past 60 days, the only communication that A and I have had is small talk, such as "Hi, how are you?". That's it. I am always bragging on how nice and considerate B is. I was told in June that I would be reporting to A for 90 days and then if no jobs became available I would be severed. About 3 weeks ago, a man I'll call C, approached me about being his secretary. It sounded like a good position and I accepted it. Yesterday, when I got to work, C told me that he and I would be moving to another floor and that I would report to a team leader. The team leader is nice, but has no clue as to what I am doing. She treats me like a member of the "steno pool." (In Mad Man speak, I thought I would be working for Don Draper, but found out I was working for Joan.) Today, when I got to work, A told me that someone would be coming in for an interview. I didn't think much about it until I overheard him telling someone that he and B were interviewing someone to be their Executive Assistant. I was livid! I looked up the job on the website and there it was. It was like the position didn't exist until I moved on somewhere else. I felt like I had been stabbed in the back. I printed off the job posting and attached my resume and took it and laid it in A's chair. Everyone that I talked to said that they knew about the posting, but couldn't tell me. I cried for a long time. I finally got over it. About 4:50, A comes up to me and says that he wanted someone with a marketing background and that is why he was interviewing the candidate. How did he know that I didn't have a marketing background (I don't). He's never seen my resume. He doesn't know anything about me except where I went on my vacation. He added that since I took the job with C, I was not available. I told him that I took the job so that I would not be severed at the end of the month. He apologized for upsetting me, but I just turned my head the other way. I couldn't even look at him. I started crying. I apologized for crying at work. I have never cried at work, except when there was sadness. On the way home from work, I decided that I am going to email him tomorrow and say:

"I'm sorry for the way I behaved yesterday. I have been an Executive Assistant for over 15 years and loved my job. In order to stay at the bank, I took a position in the other department. My ego is not handling going from being an Executive Assistant to the "steno pool". When I came into work yesterday and found out that an Executive Assistant position had become available, I was hurt. It appeared that the position materialized after I took a position in another department. I felt "stabbed in the back". For the past two months, I have tried to keep a positive attitude towards everything that has gone on recently, but yesterday was more than I could handle. I am always bragging about what nice guys you and B are, and I hope this does not tarnish our working relationship."

Does that sound okay? I'm not apologizing for how I feel, but for how I behaved. I also want him to know how I feel. He's not going to be there tomorrow, so I thought I would email him. If I find out that he talked to B, I'll copy B on the email. I dread telling C what happened. I'm afraid that I might cry.

I'm not in the mood to post about my vacation buys. I'll post about that tomorrow.

Thanks for any advice that you might give me.

Tuesday, 8 September 2009

I'm going to tell you about my shopping while on vacation. I will take it a day at a time. Yes...I bought that much, but I don't regret it.

Today, is Brooks Brothers outlet day. At the BB outlet in Freeport, I bought 2 wool sheath dresses, one is grey and one is black with rose and light blue pin stripes. Both were 70% off, and the black one is real BB, not "346". I also bought a black merino wool cardigan, a pink/white striped OCBD, a navy/white stripe cotton blouse, and a pair of silver tone hoop earrings. At the BB outlet in North Conway, NH, I bought 2 more wool sheath dresses, one navy and the other camel. At the BB outlet in Kittery, ME, I bought a pair of small gold tone hoop earrings, a pair of small silver tone hoop earrings, a strand of 12 mm faux pearls, and a box of ladies handkerchiefs.
At LL Bean, I bought 2 pairs of blue jeans, a pair of khakis, a green with navy polka dots cardigan, a green fair isle cardigan, a long sleeve white tee, a gown, and a natural with red boat n' tote.

I didn't buy much in Quebec. I bought some wool socklets, a wool dog bone and a couple of headbands at a shop called Lamberth. I bought a couple of Fleur Di Lis souvenirs at a tacky souvenir shop.

I bought some T-shirts and a sweat shirt in Portland and Halifax. I bought several kitchen gadgets and kitchen linens at various shops in Portland. I bought several gadgets and various food products at Stonewall Kitchens in Portland. I can't wait to cook with them.

I'll be back tomorrow with a post about my buys at the Talbot's outlet and the Pendleton outlet.

Have a good Wednesday.

Monday, 7 September 2009

I"m Back!

I'm finally back from my 2 week trip. It was so fun and relaxing. Here's a quick recap:

We left at 1:30 AM Saturday, August 22. We drove straight to Upstate New York and spent Saturday and Sunday night at MAB's sister's house. It was soooooo relaxing. About an hour from the house we met a fierce storm. We pulled over at a rest area and sat for about 20 minutes waiting for the rain to calm down enough to go further. After it calmed down, we started again. In a few minutes, it got bad again. We pulled off at an exit and sat for over 30 minutes. It finally calmed down enough for us to get there. We ate a quick bite and went to bed. Sunday, we sat around for a few hours. We went to the next town to see a photography exhibit of one of MAB's sister's friends. We hit a few shops and then came back to the house and took a nap. We then went to see the friend's recently renovated house. After dinner, we watched a movie and then went to bed.

The next morning (Monday), we set out for Quebec. We got there about dinner time. We stayed at the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac. I highly recommend it. It is convenient to almost everything in the Old City. Tuesday, we went on a walking tour/river cruise. We learned a lot about Quebec's history and architecture. Wednesday, we walked around the Old City, hit a few shops and then went to a museum. I was disappointed in the shopping, but the food was outstanding.

Thursday, we drove to Saint John, New Brunswick. On the way, we all of a sudden smelled this horrible smell. It was so bad that we started screaming. We tried to close off the vents and air out the car. It got worse and worse. We then discovered that a hog truck was driving in MAB's blind spot. It was awful! We spent the night in Saint John, and the next morning we drove to Halifax, Nova Scotia via Hopewell Rocks in the Bay of Fundy. We hiked and hiked until we got to the ocean floor. It was low tide and we were able to walk on the ocean floor.

In Halifax, we went to the Maritime Museum and on a Harbour Cruise. We both wanted to see the Titanic exhibit and the Halifax Explosion exhibit. It was a good thing that what we wanted to do was indoors, because it poured down rain all day. That night after dinner, the weather got really bad. Tropical Depression Danny was passing through. Sunday, we intended to take the ferry to Portland, Maine, but it was cancelled due to Danny. We decided to drive to Portland instead. It actually worked out better. We got there 4 hours earlier, plus we saved $400.

In Portland, we stayed at the Portland Harbor Hotel. The room was small, but the service was excellent. Monday, we walked around the area and hit many shops. Tuesday, we went to Bath and Freeport shopping. MAB's mother collects pink luster china. MAB found a set of six cups and saucers in an antique shop in Bath. She got them at a good price. Our last stop was LL Bean, of course. Wednesday, we went to Cape Elizabeth and Kennebunkport. In Kennebunkport, we shopped and took a ride on the Schooner Eleanor. I had to eat at Allison's before we left town. The food was casual, but delicious. Thursday, we went to Dover, NH for MAB to do some genealogy research. We then went to see a garrison that dated back to the early 1600's. That was fascinating. We then drove to the Canterbury Shaker Village and did the tour. After that, we drove to North Conway and did a little outlet shopping.

Friday, we left Portland and drove to Harrisburg, PA. On the way, we stopped at the Kittery, ME outlets and at the New Hampshire liquor store. Saturday, we drove to Bristol, TN with a stop in Staunton, VA. We always have to stop at Arthur's when we drive through. Sunday, we got up early and drove on in. We stopped at the Pendleton outlet in Pigeon Forge. Traffic in Pigeon Forge was awful, but it was worth it. We both found some good things at Pendleton.

I got a lot of things at the Brooks Brothers outlet, Talbots outlet, and Pendleton outlet. I'm going to have to lose some weight, so that I can fit into them. I think I may have gained a few pounds on my trip.

Today, I have laid around and caught up on all of the shows that I missed while I was away.

Tomorrow, it is back to work.

Monday, 31 August 2009

Just checking in. We are in Portland, Maine now. It is so nice to be back in the USA, no offense to all you Canadians. Quebec, Halifax and the Bay of Fundy were fun, but I felt like I was cut off from the world.

I didn't do a lot of shopping in Canada, but I plan on doing a lot here in Maine. Outlets, LL Bean, more outlets.

I'll be back in Alabama on Sunday.

Friday, 21 August 2009

My bags are packed, the house is somewhat clean and the cooler is ready to be packed. At 1:00 AM tomorrow morning, BFF MAB will show up and off we'll go to Quebec, Halifax and Maine. I can't wait. I think I will enjoy the trip more now that I am more confident in my staying at the bank. In between sightseeing, we'll do some shopping. There are many Brooks Brothers outlets on our route and we plan to hit all of them. When I get back, I'll report on my finds.

I hope everyone has a good Friday.

Thursday, 20 August 2009

I have gotten some of my clothes for my trip folded. Our family is a firm believer in the Flip N' Fold. I don't know if I am going to be able to get all of my stuff in a large Vera Bradley duffel, small Vera Bradley duffel and Vera Bradley hanging bag. I'm going to try.

I decided to take the position in the Commercial Real Estate department. The head of the department told me if it didn't work out he'd help me find another position either in the bank or elsewhere.. I was honest with him and told him that I had been looking for jobs elsewhere. He seemed to understand and appreciate my honesty.

Today, I'm wearing my Lilly Pulitzer khaki shirtdress, silver monogrammed pendant, hot pink Fitz & Frannie silk knot earrings and...my new A. Tierney hot pink bamboo bangle. It gives the khaki dress a new pop of color.

I hope everyone has a good day.

Wednesday, 19 August 2009

Last night I positioned my ironing board and a chair in front of the TV. I ironed as I watched a recording of Drop Dead Diva and Mad Men. Two hours of ironing. I'm leaving this weekend to go on vacation. I ironed 20 tops. I think that may be too many for a 15 day trip, but I'm packing them anyway. Now to pack all of this stuff. I'm getting everything organized. After a good night's sleep, I'm still tired.

Have a good Wednesday.

Monday, 17 August 2009

Today was a busy day at work. It's the busiest day that I have had in a long time. I had to fill in for the mail guy today. I dressed real casual because I thought we would get the remnants of Tropical Storm Claudette, but it did not start raining until after 5:00. It only sprinkled.

I have a predicament at work that I need some advice on. As you all know, my position is pretty much eliminated. I'm just waiting on September 30 for them to decide what to do with me. The man that is over the Commercial Real Estate department called me into his office the other day. He was inquiring about my status. He told me that there was the possibility that he would need me for his department. I was very flattered. I figured that he could care less about my future at the bank. He said that I would be his assistant and would do reports and some of the clerical tasks in the department. The pros to the job are that I would get to hang on for a while, I would get to learn something new, and I would get to work with nice people. The cons are that it would be almost a demotion, I would be working with Queenie, and I'm afraid that she would assume that she was my supervisor. I'm also afraid that if a good position comes available somewhere else, I would feel like a heel leaving. If I take this position, I would have to have loan training. I would hate for them to waste time training me and then I would be leaving. Of course, that is a big "IF". I have until Friday to decide. I really don't know what to do.

I hope everyone has a good Tuesday.

Sunday, 16 August 2009

I had a very busy weekend. Thursday, I drove to my mother's house. We got up early Friday and went to Atlanta. Two of her friends went with us. We all had a good time.

At Morgan & Company, I bought a silver monogrammed square pendant, a pair of silver monogrammed square earrings on hoops, a 16" silver snake chain, an 18" silver snake chain, and a pair of green earrings. At Jewelry Max, I bought a silver charm bracelet and a pair of silver cross earrings. When I got home, I discovered that I had a pair of silver cross earrings identical to the ones that I bought. Oh well, I'll give them to my sister. At Lenox Square, I went to Kiehl's and stocked up on what I needed. On the way home, we stopped at Trader Joe's and bought wine and snacks. It was a long day, but we accomplished a lot.

Saturday, I helped my mother get her house back together after having construction going on for 3 weeks. There was dust and sawdust everywhere.

Today, we tried to relax, but we had a few things to do.

Tomorrow, I have to work for the mail guy. It's supposed to pour down rain all day. I think I'll wear khakis, a tee and topsiders.

I hope everyone has a good Monday.

Wednesday, 12 August 2009

Yesterday when I got to work, I got an alert message that my computer had viruses...multiple viruses. I called IT at 8:02. 27 hours and 3 minutes later, the computer guy came to rid my computer of viruses. And, it was urgent.

This morning, when I was eating breakfast, a blueberry exploded and landed on my skirt. I didn't have anything else ironed to wear, so I went to work with blueberry stains on the lap of my skirt. As I was driving in, I noticed that I had on a monogrammed cardigan with a monogrammed pendant. I have a rule that I only wear one monogrammed item at a time. Even if I didn't have the rule, they were two different patterns. The cardigan had circle pattern and the pendant had Old English. I don't think anyone noticed.

I'm taking a vacation day on Friday so that my mother and I can go to Atlanta shopping. I want to go to Morgan & Co. in the Atlanta Mart. After that, it's on to Lenox Square for some real shopping. While in Atlanta, BFF MAB wants me to stop by a store and buy a bottle of that wine that has a picture of the naked nymph on the label. You know, "the wine that you can't buy in Alabama". I'm also going to buy some Two Buck Chuck for some hostess gifts.

I hope everyone has a good Thursday.

Monday, 10 August 2009

DISCOUNT REMINDER

JUST A REMINDER
A Tierney is offering a discount to my readers. Now through August 15, just use the code PCTAB and you will receive 20% off.I have the green bamboo bracelet and I just love it. It goes with so many of my preppy things. Check out the website.



There are so many cute and preppy things.




Sunday, 9 August 2009

What a weekend! My mother is having the floors in her bathrooms replaced. One is finished, but the other one is a major project. It is a half bath that connects to a laundry room which contains not only the washer and dryer, but the heat/ac unit and the water heater. They had to remove everything. She is without AC and hot water. The guy that is doing the floor has been taking his time. I went up there this weekend. The AC was supposed to be reinstalled Friday, but they called her and said it would be Monday. I thought "No problem, we'll stay with my sister." She's homeless also. She is having her hardwood floors refinished and everything that she owned was in the living room. She lives in a very old house. When they started to work in the small bathroom, they noticed problems with the floor. It was about to fall in and needs to be replaced. There's a big hole where the bathroom used to be. She also decided to knock out the wall between the kitchen and the dining room. The wall contained a built in hutch and cabinet. Everything that was in it was boxed up and stacked everywhere. I told her that her house looked like "Grey Gardens". It's a good thing that they have fast carpenters that work all day, because she is hosting a 50th wedding anniversary party for her in-laws at her house in two weeks. We ended up staying with my cousin.

Yesterday, my mother and I went to Huntsville to pick up a few things. I needed a couple of things from Sam's and she needed Clinique. While at Belk's, I bought a kelly green Lacoste that was on sale and then 50% off. Then we rushed home to go to a BBQ dinner that was a fundraiser for a family at church. A young couple at church has a three year old boy that is a little doll. A few weeks ago, they found a small knot at the back of his tongue. At first the doctors said it was okay, but they wanted to remove it so that it did not get on the little boy's nerves. They looked at it again and determined that it was malignant. When they went to remove it, it was larger than they thought. The little boy is going to have to go to St. Jude's to take chemo and radiation to shrink it so that they can remove it. There is another young couple at church that went through the same thing last year. They organized a BBQ fundraiser for this family. The tickets were $10 each. When my mother went to purchase our tickets, they were sold out. My cousin gave a large donation and was given 10 tickets. He gave my mother and I four tickets. We invited my cousin and a friend to go with us. We made another donation at the door. We found out that they sold 700 tickets. As of this morning, the amount raised was $9,500. After church, they auctioned off the leftover BBQ. We figured that they raised $10,000. I think that is great. The young family is very appreciative. They are going to miss work, have to travel 5 hours to Memphis, plus they will have to pay for meals. The money will help out tremendously. The couple that organized this also hosted a fundraiser for a foundation at Children's Hospital that helps patient's families with bills and expenses. This couple is an asset to the community.

Today, my feet have been swollen all day. I think it is this heat. It has been miserable outside.

I hope everyone has a great Monday.

Wednesday, 5 August 2009

BFF MAB treated me to dinner tonight at Brio Tuscan Grille. It was delicious. I had the chopped salad, lasagna bolognase and chocolate caramel cake. I was so stuffed when I left. But not too stuffed to go to Gus Mayer's shoe sale. Unfortunately it was 6:58 when I got there and they close at 7:00. I thought all stores in the mall closed at 9:00, but I guess not. Tomorrow, I go back on my diet.

I hope everyone has a good Thursday.

Tuesday, 4 August 2009

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes. Tomorrow is my dinner with BFF MAB. She is taking me out for Italian. Thursday, I have to go to a meeting which will have cake. This weekend our family will celebrate birthdays for my mother and I. I have a feeling that my diet is doomed for the remainder of the week. I'll get back on track on Monday.

I hope everyone has a good Wednesday.

Monday, 3 August 2009

Thanks Kappa Prep for the birthday wish. I had a nice relaxing day. I will celebrate with my family this weekend. BFF MAB is taking me to dinner later in the week. She already gave me Mad Men Season 2. I already have Season 1. I didn't post yesterday because of computer problems. I finally got them worked out.

Yesterday afternoon, I went to Belk's to see if they had any PJ's on sale. I ended up getting a pair of Lilly lazy pants, a pair of Hue lazy pants, a Lilly PJ top and a Lilly robe. Everything but the Lilly lazy pants were 75% off and then an extra 50% off. The Lilly pants were 30% off and then 50% off of that. I think I got a good deal.

This afternoon, I went to Vera Bradley to get a passport cover. I received a birthday card from Vera Bradley to present to get $20 off any purchase. The kelly green passport cover was on sale, so I got a Cupcake Pink memo cube. I ended up only paying $6 for both.

I hope everyone has a good Tuesday.

Saturday, 1 August 2009

Today was a very relaxing day. I slept in, did some housecleaning, read blogs, and talked on the phone. It was a good day to stay in. It stormed off and on this afternoon and evening. It did not get very bad. We just had thunder and rain. This evening I watched one of my favorite movies that was on TCM. I just love The Mad Miss Matson, a screwball comedy with Barbara Stanwick and Henry Fonda. Afterwards, I had planned to watch the Britcoms, but they were not on. I watched Mrs. Washington Goes to Smith on Hallmark. I can't imagine going back to college at my age.

Tomorrow is my birthday and Monday is my mother's birthday. Because my mother's house is torn apart with no AC or hot water, I stayed here this weekend. We are going to celebrate our birthdays next weekend. It probably worked out good, because my sister's mother-in-law had a spell yesterday and is in intensive care. They wouldn't be able to celebrate with us.

I hope everyone has a good Sunday.

Thursday, 30 July 2009

I am really enjoying planning my vacation. BFF MAB and I are going to Quebec City, Halifax and Maine. We haven't decided where in Maine, but we will be there for several days. On the way back, we are going to do some shopping. We will probably hit LL Bean and the outlets in Wrentham, MA and Clinton, CT. I am getting excited. We started planning this trip back in the spring. We put everything on hold when the chaos started at work.

Tomorrow Queenie is moving to another floor. They are putting this whiny woman at her desk. This woman either has had, has or is coming down with some ailment. And, she describes them in great detail. She doesn't completely read or listen to instructions and then panics because she doesn't understand. Queenie and I think they are trying to get rid of her. Both of us are upset about this. Queenie's boss knows how we feel. I am not looking forward to this woman sitting a few feet away. She does not know when to back off.

I hope everyone has a good Friday.

Tuesday, 28 July 2009

Well, I didn't get the job that I interviewed for last week. Thanks to everyone of you who wished me well. Apparently, it was not meant to be. I am going to send the HR manager an email thanking her for the opportunity and compliment the bank on how nice and professional everyone is. I'm going to ask her to remember me if anything else becomes available. Maybe if I do that, she will remember me. I was sad for about 5 minutes, and then I decided that I was going to take a vacation. BFF MAB and I had originally planned a vacation to Quebec and Maine, but put it on hold when everything fell apart at work. Now the trip is back on. I think the quick planning of the trip will take my mind off things. When I get back, I'm going to really make a big effort to find a great job.

I hope everyone has a good Wednesday.

JESSICA'S BACK!!

All you Murder, She Wrote fans will be glad to know that Jessica's back. Set your VCR/DVR. The show is on Hallmark Channel on Mondays at 1:00 am (Eastern)/12:00 am (Central). Maybe Hallmark will air more episodes a week and put it on at a better time.

Monday, 27 July 2009

Since all the turmoil at work, Queenie has been more than tolerable. As a matter of fact, she's probably my best friend at work now. But today, she got on my nerves really bad. I was trying to take an online course that is required for my job. She kept talking to me the entire time. I had a difficult time concentrating. I guess I knew that she was like this, but I had forgotten. I ended up getting 19 out of 20 correct on my test.

Have any of you ever bought anything by Austin Reed? I see it at Dillard's but have never purchased or even tried it on. I was wondering how people like it. It must be okay, since Dillard's has carried it for years.

I hope everyone has a good Tuesday.

Saturday, 25 July 2009

I hope everyone is enjoying their Saturday.

My mother is having carpenter work done in her house, and who knows when the carpenter is to arrive. I got up early this morning, showered and dressed. I went to the farmer's market, post office, the store, WalMart (shh, don't tell anyone), lunch and then home. I read and watched the TV Guide channel most of the afternoon. After the carpenter left, I decided to go to KFC to get some grilled chicken. The guy at the drive-thru said it would be 17 minutes. I just said "never mind". I couldn't think what I would do for 17 minutes. I decided to just eat squash, zucchini and tomatoes. I hope that fills me up.

Last night, a lady from church called to see if my mother and/or I would help with the 2-3 year old Sunday School class. We discussed it and declined. We both have some trips planned that would cause us to be out of town on Sundays. We didn't want to have to get a sub every time. Plus, my sister does not like the regular teacher. What was the deciding thing was that when it was mentioned, the dog growled. Bo knows! (No, the dog is not named after Bo Jackson)

I hope everyone enjoys the remainder of the weekend.

Thursday, 23 July 2009

I just finished watching Double Indemnity with Barbara Stanwick and Fred McMurray. What I didn't understand was Fred McMurray's character was a bachelor, but he wore a wedding band. I notice stuff like that.

I haven't heard anything about the status of my job interview. I think it is too early, but everyone keeps asking. I hope they don't drag it out. I need to make plans and get on with things. Maybe I'll hear something in the next few days.

I hope everyone has a good Friday. TGIF!!

Tuesday, 21 July 2009

I had my interviews today. I hate to be too confident, but I feel that it went well. As I was leaving the HR Manager's office, she said, "I've heard so many wonderful things about you." I don't know who she heard them from, but at least she's heard them.

If I get this job, I am going to have to do some major shopping. These people dress in suits. I don't have hardly any suits. Our bank has been business casual for years. I do wear wool skirts with jackets and twin sets in the winter months. I'm going to have to buy some for warmer weather. I might can hit Pendleton and Brooks Brother's "346"...if I get the job. This afternoon, some of us were complaining that we have a hard time finding professional work clothes. Where do y'all find your work clothes? We are not size 2's.

I hope everyone has a great Wednesday, and thanks for all the well wishes on my job search.

Monday, 20 July 2009

I remember 40 years ago, we were sitting in our den in our house in Huntsville, Alabama, aka "The Rocket City", watching man walk on the moon. It was on TV all day long. They were showing simulations that were filmed right there in Huntsville. My father knew Dr. Wehrner von Braun and several of his rocket team. They were great men. They turned a one horse town into a major player in the space race. If it weren't for them, many people would be picking cotton for a living rather than being engineers.

As of today, I have been on South Beach Phase I for eleven days. I am feeling so much better. My clothes are fitting better. If I can only last for 10 more days. Then I'll begin Phase II.

My big interviews are tomorrow. I have one at 11:00 and another at 11:30. Wish me luck. I really want one of these positions. I'm afraid since I'm so excited, I won't get either of the jobs. At least I'm giving it a good try. I'm not telling anyone from work, except my former bosses. They know the guys that I'm interviewing with and have made calls. I hope they help.

I hope everyone has a good Tuesday.