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Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Luckenbach, Texas

Guess where we are planning to go for our anniversary this weekend? I cannot wait! I've only been once as a child, and I a convinced it will be much more fun as an adult! Dan has never been so this will be a first for him. I still dream of renewing our vows at Luckenbach...how country am I? LOL. Anyway, I am really lucky forward to doing something fun for our 13th.

This song is so good and is so true of how most people live these days. Dan and I want so badly to slow down and live a simple kind of life. Take things easy, enjoy our family and each other, not be so materialistic. We are slowly but surely getting there. To me the song talks of getting back to what we really need, love and each other.

Plus, the four men singing it in this video are phenomenal! Does it get much better than these country music legends? I find all of their voices incredibly comforting. On my worst day, any one or all of them can bring me back to a good mood. Oh, and the Hag, he can do it to. I find them incredibly soothing. So, if you enjoy great country music, be sure to check out the video of Waylon, Willie, Kristofferson, and Cash. They were amazing together!

Monday, April 27, 2009

Ain't To Proud Too Beg ~ Musical Monday

I just happened upon Musical Monday and it seems like a fun idea! The theme for today is Best Song From A Movie. This one is hard for me, as I have a serious thing for movie soundtracks and there are so many great ones! After much deliberation, I chose Ain't To Proud To Beg from The Big Chill. It's one of my favorite movies ever, and the song is during one of my favorite scenes. Enjoy!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Simple Man

My sister in law Abby recently posted about the poem If by Rudyard Kipling and how it said all the things she wanted to say to her son Milo. I agree it is a wonderful poem and does make me think of what we all want our children to be when they grow up.



But, when it comes to my own sweet little boy, that poem is not the first thing that pops into my mind. Tristen makes me think of Simple Man. I realize that it's a huge leap from Kipling to Lynyrd Skynyrd, but just roll with me on this one. It's a beautiful song with a mother telling her son what she wants for him. There are no fancy words, frills, or anything like that. It's simple, straight forward, and brings me to tears every time I hear it.

I want Tristen to realize there is more to life than money and things. To know the love of Our Father. That it is the ones you love that are important. To be true to himself. To be a man he can be proud of!

So, Tristen my love, this is my song for you.
Mama told me when I was young
Come sit beside me, my only son
And listen closely to what I say.
And if you do this
It will help you some sunny day.
Take your time... don't live too fast,
Troubles will come and they will pass.
Go find a woman and you'll find love,
And don't forget son,
There is someone up above.

(chorus)
And be a simple kind of man.
Be something you love and understand.
Be a simple kind of man.
Wont you do this for me son,
If you can?

Forget your lust for the rich mans gold
All that you need is in your soul,
And you can do this if you try.
All that I want for you my son,
Is to be satisfied.

(chorus)

Boy, don't you worry... you'll find yourself.
Follow you heart and nothing else.
And you can do this if you try.
All I want for you my son,
Is to be satisfied.

(chorus)

Monday, April 20, 2009

Forever & Ever Amen

We had a wild weekend! We took a trip up to Lubbock to visit the in laws. The whole family met up at Garcia's Mexican restaurant for a family dinner. Dan and I split beef fajitas; they were yummy. But, suddenly while chewing a piece of steak, the steak sorta fell down my throat without too much chewing. And the craziness ensued!

I couldn't cough it up, believe me I tried. Apparently coughing requires inhaling, which was not possible. So, I stood up, wrapped my hands around my throat, and preceded to give crazy desperate looks to those around me. Dan says I hit him repeatedly in the arm, but I don't remember this. He didn't know the Heimlich maneuver so he started beating my on the back. Not the thing to do, but it was all he knew to do. I didn't feel it at all and during the whole ordeal I didn't look over at him. I'm not sure why. I do remember thinking that I didn't want the other half of the table to see me, as that is where my kiddos were at. I worried about scaring them. At some point my wonderful sister in law Abby yelled out something about me turning blue. This came about the time I had decided that this was the end. I was blacking out and heading towards the floor when my other wonderful sister in law Tammy pushed Dan off me, wrapped her arms around me, and Heimliched me. She did it twice and that beef flew out of my windpipe. My sisters in law rock!

Folks, I 'll tell you I have never been so freaked out in my life! I am told that he whole incident lasted about a minute, but from where I was out it seemed like hours. I kept thinking that my kids were going to sit there and watch me die in front of them. Panic is not the word. Neither is fear, they just don't seem adequate to cover the range of thoughts and emotions going through my brain.

The next morning I felt terrible. I have a wicked bruise between my shoulder blades where my loving husband desperately tried to save me. He told me he was very afraid that he was going to lose me. The only good thing that came of it is he is being so much more affectionate and considerate than normal. I hope that behavior sticks around :-) He sang me to sleep Friday night to the tune of Forever & Ever Amen. I am a truly blessed gal!

So, now I am going to make the whole family take a CPR/first aid class. I am certified in CPR/first aid, but when it's happening to you, it is very hard to remember what to do. I think that the Heimlich at minimum is something everyone should know.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Tight Fittin' Jeans

It seems all my jeans are tight fitting these days. I really hate it. I've always been a large gal, but it is getting ridiculous. I am starting to have trouble keeping up with my kids and that is unacceptable in my mind. For the first time in a long time, I am putting a lot of effort into losing some weight. And so far it's getting me nowhere!

I'm trying to be more careful about what I eat and am making an effort to move more. The Wii Fit has helped me to get more active, which is great. I do not like to exercise, so anything that can make it more fun is great in my book! I think my main problem is when it come to eating. If I eat at all during the day it's at breakfast, but normally I only eat breakfast a few times a week. The norm is for me to eat nothing until dinner. So, at around 3 in the afternoon I am starving. Thank goodness we don't keep much junk food in the house or I'd be binging on whole boxes of it! My eating habits, and basically making myself eat healthy meals during the day I know would make a difference. I'm just truly usually not hungry in the mornings. Maybe I'll make my self do Slim Fast in the mornings or something. I've got to take control of my eating habits, my weight, and my overall health.

Do any of y'all struggle with weight issues? I'd love to hear from y'all any good diet and/or exercise tips you may have.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Take The Money And Run


Take the Money and Run, one of my favorite Steve Miller songs. Heck, I like most Steve Miller songs. But, this post is not about Steve Miller.

In January, I rescued a full blood dachshund from the local pound. She had all her shots, was spayed, and absolutely adorable. Was I looking to adopt a daschund? No. But, we were looking for a small dog to join our family. Lucy came home with us because she'd been in the pound here since November. The pound here is awful...the worst one I've ever seen. The conditions are repulsive and our "animal control officer" does not allow volunteers to work out there. He says he can handle it all himself. It's shameful! The place is dirty, smelly, and the poor animals get no socialization or human interaction at all. I paid for Lucy's city tag and got her out of there. My plan was not so much to keep her, but to find a daschund rescue to take her. I knew there had to be a no kill shelter or rescue somewhere and I just could not leave her there.

So, last week I realize that she is just not a good fit for our family. She hats the kids. She hates the cats. She hates the other dogs. She needs a family that can be an only dog household. I'm think a retired person or couple looking for a lap dog. She is yipping at me now because my computer chair does not let me have a good lap for her to sit on. Anyway, we call a few rescues and the closest no kill shelter and no one will take her. I decided to put an ad in the paper in an effort to find her a proper family. I prepared a whole bunch of questions, expect references, the who nine yards. She is a special girl and deserves a forever home.

The first call I get is a relay call, from a hearing impaired person. I'd never received a call like this before and getting through it was a challenge because it's very different from just talking on the phone. I finally get an email address and we start communicating that way. The man says he lives in Ohio and wants to have Lucy shipped to him. I replied back that there was no way she was going to a family that had never even seen her. At the time I was thinking "Aren't there daschunds in Ohio?" He replies back that he will pay me $100, double my asked for adoption fee, if I'd reserve her for him, plus he'd pay shipping costs. Via CHECK, written for over the amount of the adoption fee. Then I was to WESTERN UNION the difference to the "shipping company". I bet you could hear the alarm bells going of in my head. I did an IP check on his email. He was on the third floor of an office building in Nigeria. Lovely.

So, I started doing some research. It seems using the relay phone system for the hearing impaired is the new way these scammers operate. They can call you and you have no clue they are from another country. The poor relay operators have to take the calls and do their job because they have no way of knowing who is legit and who isn't. It seems the puppy scam is one of many similar scams. I am so thankful I realized what was going on really quickly, but I wonder how many hundreds of folks fall for this. I would have been sent a check for say $500, taken to the bank & cashed it, them wired the $400 to the "shipping company". Then the check would bounce because it's a fake, I'm out a lot of money, and the crooks have taken the money and run! Apparently, these types of scams take a lot of people everyday. Worse yet, it doesn't seem that US law enforcement can do anything about it! All sorts of scams, especially work at home ones are on the rise it seems. I guess so many people are looking for extra income during this economic down turn, that they are sadly easy prey for crooks.

So, be on your toys y'all! I cannot believe how low these guys will stoop!
As for Lucy, the scam phone call is the only one we've received. I do not know what we are going to do, but we just cannot keep her. She's such a sweetie, but she needs a new family. Keep your fingers crossed that I can place her soon!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Make Her Fall In Love With Me Song

Gruene Hall,
the oldest dance hall in Texas.
Photo by Lodigs.

I want to take you back 14 years. Fourteen years ago, I was a cutie! Rockies, Wranglers, boots, belts, if it said country/western, I loved it! And I looked good in my tight jeans and boots. I so wish I could still say that. Anyway, I loved country boys. My idea of a great time was scootin' across a sawdust floor in the arms of a hottie in Wranglers, a hat, and smelling of Stetson cologne. I danced blisters onto my feet more weekends than I can count! I loved it so much! Cowboys were my guy of choice and I seldom ever strayed.

Enter Dan. Dan, who I developed a crush on at age 9. Dan, who played golf of all things! Dan who has my heart and has for years. Did you see those things I listed above? He does wear Wranglers, just not the tight, creased, starched variety. And he does wear Stetson, which makes me oh so happy. But, he does not now and never has, danced.

Our 13th wedding anniversary is next month and in all those years the man has never scooted me across a floor. I've never swayed in his arms to a slow song. There is no fox trotting, jitter bugging, or twisting going on around here. Dan does not dance! It makes me insane!

I love to dance and miss it so much! I heard this song by King George today and was two steppin' with a mop. The song sure brought back some great memories! I don't so much miss the cowboys, just the fun & dancin'! I'm afraid my only dance partners for the rest of my days will be cleaning implements. What a bummer!

Does your significant other not do something you really enjoy? Surely I'm not the only one in this boat?

If you haven't heard this song, go check out my playlist. It's wrongly labeled Troubador for some strange reason!

Monday, April 6, 2009

Forever & For Always

My DH turned 32 yesterday. I spent the day with him, so am just now getting around to posting. I am incredibly blessed to be loved by this amazing man! There are so many songs that make me think of him, but this one says what I want to say him today. I love you so much Dan!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

I Love NASCAR!

Image by wishymom

The headline read: Obama NASCAR Policy: GM & Chrysler OUT!

I swear there was probably smoke coming out of my ears awhile ago. I read that President Obama was going to mess with my NASCAR. You have no idea how many articles I went through before I found this! Boy was I glad to read it! I love my NASCAR!

I'm sure that NASCAR does costs the auto makers a lot of money, but I'm pretty sure it generates a ton of money as well. I've read a ton of comments saying us "dumb rednecks" would just have to wise up and realize that these are tough economic times, which made me mad as heck! I know how bad the times are! All you have to do is go to the gas pumps or grocery stores to figure it out! But, why pick on NASCAR when big companies are spending millions on sports arenas for everything from football to basketball. I feel that there is way too much money spent on professional sports, but I still enjoy watching them.

Anyway this was one heck of an April Fool's Day joke. Good one, Car & Driver...you had me going there for awhile!