"Nana, Is This Creative?"

Well, we're almost to the end of January and it has been a little busier than I anticipated.  We did go to see Unbroken on a cold windy Monday.  Neither Bubba or I enjoyed it.  It was just too intense, too much torture, and too much suffering.  I thought the main character was portrayed as a superhero, which I'm sure he would have been the first to tell you that he was not.  His dependence on God was not portrayed as predominantly as I understand it was in the book.  It was just not my kind of movie although I'm very proud of our military and their sacrifice.

Bubba and I raked leaves one day.  I actually enjoy raking leaves.  I surprised Bubba with this leaf scoop which I ordered from Amazon.  He really likes it.  Now if I had asked him if he would like to have one, he would have said "no",
thus the surprise.

While Amelia was here we talked some about the meaning of creative, probably because I told her that something was creative.  We talked about all the creative things she does like making up dances, making up songs, writing stories, drawing, etc.

 This is the "song" she wrote while she was here.

Later I heard her in the dining room and wondered what she was doing.  She called me in and asked me, "Nana, is this creative?"  She had taken the apples out of the basket and spread them out on the table runner.  I thought it was creative, don't you?

Now this is what I will be doing before we go back to Atlanta for a visit.

I can't believe that I'm going to sew again.  It looks so simple but inevitably causes me to say "Oh Crap!" more times than a proper lady should.  I'm going to try to make Amelia some dresses for her American Girl dolls. I told her on the phone that I had bought a pattern and some material for sewing doll clothes and she said, "Nana, That is so AMAZING!"  She doesn't get her enthusiasm from either Amy or Darryl but it definitely makes another sewing project worth doing.

The Rest of December

No matter how you look at it, I have failed as a blogger for the month of December.  I had every intention of posting immediately after anything significant happened, but I just kept waiting for the "muse" to guide me and nothing happened.  So now I will do my best with my feeble memory to sum up the rest of December.

I did have some old friends from work come for lunch one day.  Deneen had just been promoted to sergeant at work and the other friend, Junior, has worked his last week before his retirement becomes official in the spring.  The third guest, Tammy, works with them.  For lunch I fixed chicken and dressing, chicken and dumplings, baby green limas, layered salad, homemade rolls, banana pudding, and coconut "poke" cake.  We had a good time visiting and I enjoyed hearing all the latest news from work.  A lot of people have come and gone in the past year.

I gave Sgt. Yon a red velvet cake for his retirement gift. 

The newly promoted Sgt. Mears loves pound cake.

Later in the week we attended a Christmas gathering at the home of an old friend, Linda.  It was a gathering of church people, neighbors, and former school teachers who had worked with Linda.  It was a nice evening and the food was delicious.

Christmas Eve there was a candlelight service at church.  Singing the carols, reading the scripture and taking communion all brought to mind the reason for the season.  Our new pastor and his wife are doing a great job and we are fortunate to have them at our little Methodist church.

This was our finger food fellowship for two following the service.  It was pretty good.

Christmas Day was blah.  There is just no other way to put it.  When you spend the day without family, it is just not the same.  Bubba grilled steak for lunch and that was the highlight of the day.

Finally on the Saturday following Christmas, Amy and Amelia arrived and it began to seem like Christmas for us.   Following a simple supper, Amelia handed out presents and we enjoyed the evening together.  Amelia liked the dress with the sequins and did some very expressive dancing for us.  Rather than buying gift cards this year, I took a chance and selected two sweaters for Amy that she actually seemed to like.  I had bought four sets of towels to give to Amy and Darryl together because after helping them to move in, I perceived that was the only thing they might possibly need in their new home.  Amy and Darryl gave us a Keurig.  This is something that I have been debating for quite some time so Amy made the decision for us.  My cousin, Vicky, sent a rack for the k-cups and several boxes of cider, hot chocolate, coffee, and tea.  I really think we will enjoy it -- probably not for morning coffee since I drink a pot every morning but for my afternoon breaks or just when I want a cup of something hot.  Bubba likes the hot chocolate very much.

Amelia reminded me of her mom checking out how many presents 

she had under the tree.

The next day, Sunday, we had our traditional Christmas meal of turkey and dressing with all the trimmings.  Following lunch, Amy announced that she needed to go to Target (30 miles away) so Bubba kept Amelia so I could go with her.  I have determined that Target is addictive for some people.  I cannot remember Amy ever coming from Atlanta to visit without having to leave to go to Target.  What is there about that place?

Bubba cooked the turkey in "The Big Easy" which gives a crispy brown crust like fried 

without the grease.

 Amy is actually wearing her new red sweater.  Success!

Amelia loved this $6.00 puzzle of the United States.  She put it together pretty quickly.  

She also told us all about the western states that were acquired in the Louisiana Purchase.  

She is wearing the sequin dress to play.

Me and my girl!

On Monday, Amy left to go back to Atlanta leaving Amelia with us for the week.  She and Darryl were going to the Rose Bowl Parade and Game in Pasadena where they were very disappointed when FSU lost.   

Amy said that her favorite float was the one with the original cast of

 "The Love Boat" on it.

On Tuesday, we packed up and left for Opp to spend a few days camping at Frank Jackson State Park and visiting  with Joe and Judy who had arranged to have John for a visit.  He and Amelia were happy to see each other and played well most of the time.  Judy, of course, outdid herself preparing food for us.  Bubba had smoked a ham and we took them out to eat one night, but for the most part she cooked and it was GOOD.  She made the very best cheesecake that I have ever eaten and every day around 2:00, we sat down with a cup of coffee and a slab of cheesecake.  I guess that this is the point where I should say that I have gained 5 - 6 pounds.  I'm hoping that since I have eaten everything I could possibly be craving and plenty of it, I will be able to get back on track when we return home.  As usual, we enjoyed our visit in Opp.  Joe and Judy are great hosts!

Amelia made a list of things she wanted to take camping with her.

Amelia enjoyed playing with John's race track and cars.

 Amelia wanted her picture made with this leaf.

 She told me that she loves nature.

And yet another picture of Amelia and her leaf.

We took Amelia back to Atlanta on Monday the fifth and she returned to school the next day.  She was excited to be going back.  With sub freezing temperatures forecast for the week in Atlanta, we decided to return home early where it was warmer and to get out of the way while Amy, Darryl, and Amelia prepared to fly to Disney World this weekend where Darryl will be participating in a marathon along with members of his family.  That's what I call living in the fast lane.  There is no way that I could do that much going in that amount of time.  I think they are all tired.  I know Amy is.

We enjoyed our time with Amelia.  She is a delight.  She is smart and funny and so loving.  One morning she got up and went in our bedroom looking for me.  Bubba said that she kissed him on the nose and said, "I love you, Paw-Paw" and then headed for the living room.  We (Amelia and I) slept together two nights and she wants to sleep close.  She would rub my arm and tell me over and over that she loves me so much.  She also told me that my neck was "squishy".  Another item to note from the week is that Paw-Paw has now watched two Tinker Bell movies.  I don't know how many times I've heard him say that he hates animated movies.  I guess it just depends on who asks him if he will watch it with them.

This little girl is our heart.  She brings such joy!

We're looking forward to the new year.  The cold weather is not conducive to camping, but we will go when we can.  We have a few little projects around the house to work on and of course the yard is full of leaves now so there is plenty to be done outside.  I'm getting back on the treadmill.  My heel is just not going to get well it seems so I guess I'll just grit my teeth and walk.  I actually enjoy walking and watching a tv show or movie on the ipad.  We want to do more fishing this year for sure.  It's also about time for our annual movie.  I'm thinking Unbroken would be a good one.  So....2015 bring it on.  We're ready!

So What Else Is New

We're ready for Christmas.  I wrapped the last of the presents today.  I used to love wrapping presents, but for some reason it seems like a huge chore now.

Since Amy and Amelia will not be here until after Christmas, we thought seriously about not putting up a Christmas tree.  I don't know what made us change our mind, but we did get the tree up and are enjoying it very much.

I made Bubba a fruit cake and have baked some goodies for other people.  My weight is staying the same.  I have enjoyed some good meals, some sweets, and a lot of nuts, but I'm watching the quantity and trying to choose carefully when I indulge.  If I can just maintain through the holidays, I will feel victorious.  

Our long time neighbors and friends, the Pattersons, seem to be aging rapidly.  He will be 90 in February and she is 86.  We try to take meals to them every chance we can.  They are fortunate to have two sons who are seeing after them.  We love them and try to assist where we can.

We attended a community Christmas cantata Sunday night.  The choir had 55 voices and involved churches throughout the town.  It was wonderful and approximately 350 people attended.  Our church will have a cantata Sunday morning.

I'm having some friends from work over for lunch Monday.  That is all I miss about the job -- the people.  I took a big step last week and packed up my work clothes and gave them to Good Will.  I'm still enjoying retirement.

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park

Finally, I have a new location and experience to write about!  The second week of December was spent at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park near Destin.  This park used to be a private campground and it looks nothing like other Florida state parks we have visited.  The sites are all roomy and paved with a cute street lamp marking each one.  They have cable tv, sewer, shuffleboard, ponds, and a swimming pool.  There is a shuttle that carries campers down to the beach or you can walk or ride your bicycle -- no motor vehicles allowed.  The week we visited was perfect.  The weather was great and there were no neighbors on either side of us.  I can imagine that things are quite different in the summer time.  This was not a park I would visit to enjoy the beach, but for Christmas shopping, it was great!

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were all about the same.  We slept well and late.  Then we ate a light breakfast and went shopping.  We went to the Mary Esther Mall, Bass Pro, and the outlet mall.  We shopped until around 3:00 each day and then returned to the trailer where we spent some time outside, ate a light supper, and enjoyed television until we got sleepy.  We found a new restaurant that we liked, Callahan's Restaurant and Deli.  I got the best pimento cheese sandwich and Bubba got the fried shrimp special for $9.50 which had all he could eat.  We carried food to grill, but since we ate a big lunch every day we just got by for supper.

The park looks like a resort with the swimming pool and beach chairs.

 We're enjoying the nuts we bought at WalMart.  

Bubba went through the bin and got us a bag 

with a lot of walnuts and Brazil nuts.

I'm learning to ride my bicycle with training wheels.

Bubba says I won't fall, I hope he is right.

This is a sample of Bubba's shopping.

He's going to catch flounder with this stuff, I hope.

This is a $65.00 dress that I found for Amelia.

I only paid $15.00 for it.

I thought she would enjoy singing and dancing in it.

To sum it all up, this was a good week because we got all our Christmas shopping done.  We were able to divide it up over three days as we were staying so close to all the good shopping.  We enjoyed eating out more than we usually do. BUT it was a location we would probably only stay in once a year.

I always said that my dream vacation would be to stay in a motel close to an outlet mall and this was even better.  Thank you, Bubba, for being a good sport.

Happy Birthday, Little Vicky!

Sixty-two years ago a very special person entered my life.  My cousin, Vicky, was born and I had a friend for life.  She was the most beautiful baby.  There are so many pictures of our tea parties and our little table at family functions.  She has a picture of both of us sitting on Santa's lap.  I mean we go way back.

Vicky at a Christmas dinner with my family

I can't remember exactly when Vicky's health issues began.  She was in the hospital in Atlanta at a very young age and from there things just got worse.  I was too young to know exactly everything going on with her but she had issues with her kidneys, a mole removed that was diagnosed as a melanoma, and the spinal disorder scoliosis.  I can remember one scary night when my parents were trying to get the highway patrol to get word to her father in route to Atlanta that she had taken a turn for the worse.  At one time she had orthopedic shoes, a back brace that had the support under her chin, braces on her teeth, and prescription glasses.  Her family lived in a house that didn't have air conditioning.  I don't know how she ever survived the summers in those braces, but she did more than survive - she thrived.  I don't remember her ever using her "issues" as a reason for not doing something.  If she complained, she didn't do it to me.

Isn't she a cutie?

When she reached high school, she made a lot of friends, many whom she maintains a relationship with even today.  She kicked up her heels a little and made her mother crazy, but she was going strong.

She attended college and received her doctorate in art history.  During this time she had surgery to have a rod inserted into her spine to correct the scoliosis.  Later she went to law school and became an attorney.  During this time she met and married Robert, another attorney.  They have a beautiful home, two greyhounds, and many friends.  Vicky has become a gourmet cook making things that I've never heard of using ingredients that I probably wouldn't recognize in the produce section.  She is the only person who has been able to duplicate our grandmother's teacakes and believe me, I've tried.

Vicky was a visitor in our home from the time Bubba and I married.  Everytime she came home from college, we picked which night she would spend with us.  She continued this up until she got married.  Amy used to love for her to visit.  She would talk about all the different cases she was studying and we both listened with rapt attention.

Vicky holding Amy (5 months old)

I tried to teach Vicky how to make biscuits.

This one looked like a pine cone.

Vicky, Amy and me at a party prior to her graduation.

She always remembers my birthday by sending a card and/or calling.  She always remembers Amy's birthday with a gift.  She was there when she graduated from college and has given her some beautiful jewelry through the years.   Now she has become "Bebe" to Amelia and is just as thoughtful with her.

"Bebe" and Amelia walking the greyhounds

We have never quarreled.  Through the years she has been my sounding board and support in the various issues I faced with my mother.  She always seemed to understand my side and was always willing to listen.

Vicky and husband Robert celebrating their anniversary

Very few people call her Vicky today.  To most, including her husband, she has become Victoria.  After all, would you trust an attorney named Vicky?  To me she will always be Vicky and I will always be thankful for her presence in my life.

Happy Birthday, Vicky!  I love you.

Thanksgiving in Opp

When Joe and Judy found out that we would not be in Atlanta with Amy and her family for Thanksgiving, they graciously invited us to join their family for the holiday.  We had made reservations to camp already but were happy to cancel them for the opportunity to spend time with family.

We arrived at our favorite campground, Frank Jackson State Park, on Monday afternoon.  This park has everything for "roughing it" in a proper manner -- sewer connection, cable tv, and internet at every site. In addition, most of the sites are located on the lake so there is always a good view.

Judy and I made a couple of trips to the nearby WalMart in Andalusia and I found a few bargains in downtown Opp.  A lot of my time was spent watching Judy cook for the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner.  She had already done a lot of cooking each day before we even arrived at their house.  On Tuesday night, they allowed Bubba to fry mullet for them and I fixed a couple of easy side dishes to go with it.

Joe had been under the weather lately so Bubba helped him with a few of his farm chores -- including taking a horse to the vet.  There was also a lot of time spent talking.  The good thing about talking to someone your own age is that they may have heard the story before, but they don't remember it.

"He ain't heavy, he's my brother."

Thursday was a sumptuous meal with their family -- son Jody, grandson John and daughter-in-law Melissa, and Melissa's parents who are visiting with them from Canada during the cold months.  They are such nice people and we have enjoyed eating with them several times in the past few years.  I always say that it is not about the food, but I would be remiss if I do not include the menu for the day.

• Turkey & Ham
• Dressing with Gravy & Cranberry Sauce
• Chicken and Dumplings
• Creamed Corn
• Baby Lima Beans
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Homemade Yeast Rolls
• Dessert (Coconut Cake, Butternut Cake, German Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Cake, Pecan Pie & Ambrosia)

Everything looked so pretty.

This is just some of our Thanksgiving feast.

Needless to say, we enjoyed some fine leftovers that night and the next day.  Judy is an excellent cook and does it with love.  The food was great but the company was even better.

It was great to see John again.  I was sorry Amelia was not with us.  He made me a beautiful birthday card when he learned my birthday was on the first.

Friday evening was spent playing Monopoly at John's request.  Does that game ever come to an end?  We played until it was past our bedtime and we reluctantly said good night and good bye since we would be heading home the next morning.

It was a good holiday and we appreciate Joe and Judy for including us in their plans.

 

A Move and Birthday #7

Amelia turned seven years old on November 12.  Her mom and dad ate lunch with her at school taking Frozen cupcakes to share with her class.  That evening they ate at Chuck-E-Cheese.  In a phone call to wish her a happy birthday, she told us that she felt seven and it was way better than six.  It's hard to believe how fast she is growing up.  However, that was not the only big event that week.  On the Friday following her actual birthday, her parents met at my cousin's office (an attorney) for the closing on their new home.  By the time we arrived in Atlanta around 1:00, the house was a beehive of activity with all the carpet being cleaned.  Then Amy and Darryl left Bubba and me at the new house putting down shelf paper in the kitchen and they went to pick up a rented truck and Amelia at school.  The big move had officially begun.

When Amelia came in, we stopped with the shelf paper so that she could open her birthday presents.  She had asked for a disco ball and some "glitter" shoes in a bigger size than the ones we got her last year.  We weren't too sure about the disco ball, but we did find a light that accomplished the same effect and we got two pairs of "glitter" shoes, and a new dress to go with it.

Amelia set up her light, put on her glitter shoes, and selected music for her performance.

  I love how graceful she is when she dances, especially with her hands. She has long slender fingers just like her mom's and she moves them so delicately when she "performs". She is very self-assured. She tells us that she has many talents -- among them are being the fastest runner, a singer, a dancer, a musician, and an artist. I don't know how she will ever choose what to focus on.


We all spent Friday night at the apartment and the next morning Darryl left to pick up his helpers and start the move. They had a storage unit full of things that wouldn't fit in the apartment that he was going to tackle first. After he left we began to pack up the apartment so that it would be ready to go when he got there. I felt sorry for all the movers, including Darryl, because the apartment was on the second floor and when they got to the house, there was also a second floor. It was a long day but by the time it was over, we were all able to shower and sleep in the new house on the freshly made beds.


Sunday morning moved a little slow since everyone was tired, but that afternoon things picked up as Amelia had her birthday party at a local gym which followed the Frozen theme and included a rock climbing wall as the activity. Amelia and her friends seemed to enjoy the party and as I have been known to say more than once -- a good time was had by all.

Amelia and her friends line up for a picture.

 It's almost time for cake.

And here it is, look at that smile.

She is fearless!

Hang on Amelia!  Don't "let it go"!  (Frozen, get it?)

Paw-Paw and Nana declined to participate in the rock wall climbing.

I've got to give Amy credit for being a super mom this weekend.  I don't know how she pulled off a birthday party in the midst of the big move.  I don't think I could have done it.

We stayed until Wednesday helping where we could.  I'm happy that they are finally settled into what we hope will be their home for years to come.  The house is beautiful with lots of space.  I can picture Amelia as a teenager there having her friends over to visit.

Well, it was a busy week.  A lot was accomplished.  If you ever need to move, call Darryl.  He has gotten really good at it.

And Happy Birthday, Amelia!  We all love you so much.

St. Andrews State Park in November

Early November we returned to St. Andrews State Park for a five night stay.  Everything was working great on the trailer this time.  The weather was great and we had an enjoyable trip.

So beautiful and deserted this time of year

Bubba tried throwing his cast net from the pier along with several other fishermen, but had no luck.  He returned to the camp site and as it got dark we began to notice that there would be a mullet jump every now and then right out from us.  Bubba donned his waders, gathered up his net, and waded out into the water.

Mullet beware -- Bubba is after you!

And....he catches them.

He caught enough in three throws that we had enough for a fish fry the next day and some to freeze for later.  It's kind of funny that he spent so much time looking for them at the pier and they were right there behind us the whole time.

We went to Pier Park to shop and eat out one day, spent some good time relaxing and enjoying the view.  Our next trip will be to a park that we have not been to before so maybe I'll have more to report.  We've been completely retired for one year.  It went by so fast, but it has been good.   

I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar!

I had a big adventure at the end of October that I'm just now writing about.  I vowed to never get this far behind with my blog, but I guess I just needed to get in the mood to write.  I did something totally out of character for me, totally spontaneous, and (according to Amy) totally crazy.

I drove to Atlanta all by myself to see Amelia in a play that was "produced" by a children's drama workshop that she was participating in after school.  Amy felt that it was too far to drive for something like that, but I really wanted to go.  Bubba reluctantly agreed so I packed my one little bag and drove up on Tuesday, attended the play that evening, and drove back home the next day.  Not only did I want to be there for Amelia, I also wanted to see Amy who was going to celebrate her birthday in a few days.  Now that Amelia has come along, we go for her birthday and rarely get to be with Amy for hers.  I baked her a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and fashioned a "41" for the top out of pecans.

I waited for Amy to get out of school so we could pick up Amelia together.  Amelia was so excited when she saw me -- that made it all worthwhile.  I hope she will remember one day that Nana loved her so much that she drove six hours to see her in a 20 minute play.

The play was really cute.  I've waited so long to write that I can't remember the name of it or what it was about, but Amelia was a princess named "Lily" and she gave an academy award worthy performance.

Amelia and the rest of the cast pose for a picture.

Princess Lily poses with Nana.

There always has to be a super hero pose, doesn't there?

My girls!!

After the play we celebrated Amy's birthday at a local restaurant.  Since I was not thinking about my diet, I had the best sandwich ever with fried green tomatoes as a side.  Later after I helped Amelia get ready for bed and read her bedtime story with her, Amy and I had a big slab of chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream on the side and some special mother/daughter time that we rarely get any more.

The next morning I saw them off to school, enjoyed drinking coffee, eating chocolate cake for breakfast and watching "Good Morning America" before I felt it was late enough to avoid the morning rush hour.  

I'm quite proud of myself for doing this.  The Atlanta traffic is always terrible, but I got in one lane and stayed there until I got through town and after that it was a piece of cake.  I don't want to turn into the kind of little old lady that has to have her husband drive her everywhere.  I appreciate that Bubba was okay with me going although I know it made him nervous.  Who knows?  He may want to do something crazy one day and I may have to be okay with it.