Some brighter notes...

After all the bad news I reported in my last entry, here a few brighter notes. Melissa and Anitra both are doing well in their pregnancies. I have seen Melissa for the past three weeks in a row and her visible progression is amazing! Here's a photo of her and baby at 26 weeks. I don't have her 27 week picture because it was taken with her camera. She's going to be pissed that I even posted the ones I do have...Sorry Melissa, but this is sooo exciting and I have to share!
I've also got a new favorite photo of Teaspoon who loves to get inside of a bag, any bag will do but he especially enjoys noisy plastic bags.

About a month ago I saw a lady wearing some earring made out of dimes. I used to have a pair of these myself years ago and they were favorites. Somehow I lost one of them so I ended up getting rid of the other one as well. But when I saw this lady wearing a pair, I thought to myself, "I can make those!" So I got on eBay and bought some antique Liberty dimes from 1943 and 1944 and am going to make some earrings out of them which are sure to be my new favorites. Yesterday Dave (he's so smart and so handy!) drilled tiny holes in them for me to attach the earring posts. And today I ordered some earring posts from one of my favorite bead websites. After I put them together I'll post another photo, but for now here are the dimes all drilled and ready to be made into earrings!

And last but certainly not least, here's a photo of my brand new Vera Bradley bag that Dave bought me today for my trip to Minnesota! I've been looking at buying this bag for a few weeks now and today Dave spoiled me and got it for me.

Isn't it amazing how something as simple as a cute photo, a pair of earrings or a new pocketbook can brighten a girl's day? It's nice to stop and enjoy the simple things in life!

Good times and bad...

Seems like everywhere I go these days bad news follows. Obviously the older we get the more death and illness we experience and the more funerals we attend, but sometimes I feel like far too much of our time is being spent dealing with bad news. Cancer, freak accidents, long illnesses, and sudden tragedies--I've seen and heard it all in the past several weeks.

The people who have been in my thoughts and prayers recently are my friend Charlie Pitts whose wife Lisa passed away earlier this month after a three-year fight against ovarian cancer, the family of Hercules Darby who was involved in a fatal tree cutting accident last week, and my mom's friend Ann Ligon who's six-month-old granddaughter, Ellis Johnson, passed away last weekend after a brief battle with SCIDS (Severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome). And also I'm praying for the John Sullivan family. John, who's been my boss at the Department of Revenue for 7 years and whose children, Sara and John Press, I love and adore, found out last week that he has lung cancer and will not be returning to work.

In addition to all of this bad news, my coworker and friend Dree found out on Friday that after two stem cell transplants and only a few months in remission, she may now be out of remission again in her fight against multiple myeloma. I'm traveling with her to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota this weekend for a battery of tests, and possibly treatments, for her condition. We will be there for one week which should hopefully be enough time for her doctor to develop his new "game plan."

Whenever I hear bad news like this I make sure to take the time to thank God for all the blessings in my life. I continually try to ensure that I don't take these blessings for granted. And I try to appreciate every day that I'm given because we don't how many more days we will have with the people that we love. If only there were a way to slow down the passing of time...

Technology Times

It's official. With much thanks to Dave, I have become a tech junkie (sort of). Well, let me put that in perspective for you. I'm still farrrrrr behind the times compared to many of my peers (I don't have a Blackberry or a palm pilot), but I have come a long way since one year ago when I still did not have cable and was using my very basic green-screen cell phone from several years ago (no camera, no graphics, no voice commands, etc). When Dave started staying around more and more it became clear that I would have to move forward with the times. Fast forward from one year ago. I now have digital cable with DVR (which I LOVE!). I get to record all my favorite shows and watch them sans commercials--yey! And of course we have RoadRunner to use with Dave's laptop (with wireless internet connection, nonetheless). I've been making the most fabulous mixed CD's for myself and friends and family and desinging my own special labels to go on them (legal, of course!) all while sitting comfortably on the couch. And we've been wearing out Dave's Sony digital camera taking photos and then printing photo quality copies on his ink jet printer and framing them (Hello! Mother's Day gifts!). Then obviously there's this blog. And today Dave bought me a wireless ear piece to go with my blue-tooth capable cell phone which I purchased several months ago, a luxury I decided I needed since I saved money by getting rid of my home telephone months and months ago. So what does all this mean? I'm lazier than ever, my house is dirtier and less organized, and I am constantly submitting myself to overexposure of simultaneous sources of information and stimuli. I can now sit on my couch, watch my recorded shows fast forwarding through all the commercials, surf the net, download music and make CD's, update this blog, take pictures with the digital camera and upload them, and talk on the phone hands-free all at the same time. I'm expecting my brain to short-circuit at any moment. Do you have a mental image yet? So for those of you who have asked what I'm doing with my time these days (Still making jewelry? Still baking cakes?), well here's your answer. But I'm still "keeping it real" in a few ways--I still have the same $60 DVD player that I bought several years back that we have to "beat" repeatedly everytime we attempt to watch a movie in order to stop loud vibrating noises coming from inside the machine. I'm sure we'll be getting new one anytime now. Ahhhh....the wonders of technology!

Growing Bellies

My two best friends, Anitra and Melissa, are expecting their first babies this coming July within two weeks of each other. Anitra is having a baby girl! Melissa is having....a surprise! I have enjoyed watching them progress through their pregnancies and see the physical changes they are going through. Last week I visited Melissa (in her 25th week of pregnancy) and took a few pictures of her growing belly. Melissa's special 29th birthday request was a chocolate pound cake and I figured that was an easy wish to grant. This is a photo of Melissa preparing to enjoy her birthday treat. I will see her again tomorrow night and can't wait to see how her belly has grown in the past week.

We are all looking forward to meeting these babies! We are scheduled for our annual (and possibly last) Folly Beach trip the week of June 18th. Anitra will be too pregnant to attend and it's iffy that Melissa will be able to come (according to her husband). However, knowing Melissa every possible effort will be made to ensure her attendance. After all this trip has been a highlight for us since we were wee children ourselves. Since we're thinking Melissa will go full term (or longer hehehe) we're planning (fingers crossed!) on her attendance. One thing is for sure, Melissa's mom Sandra, sister Melanie, and niece Margaret will all be there with their swimsuits on!

More favorite photos

As promised here are some more of my favorite photos. I told you we take way too many photos of our animal children. Taffy seems to be especially photogenic--or maybe we just think she's extra cute. Most people our age are taking photos of their real human children, but that will be quite a ways in the future for us. So in the meantime...

Miss Kitty likes to eat Q-Tips as you can see by the mysterious white goatee.
Dave loooooooves the little muffin!

And obviously she loves him, too!

Baby Taffy used to sleep anywhere in any position.

Just adorable!

This was a very rare moment when Teaspoon actually allowed Dave to hold him. I assure you it didn't last long!

Some of my favorite photos

These are just a few of my favorite photos. I will probably be adding more photos because I love photos and I have so many that have been taken in the past year that I want to share with everyone.

Dave caught this "big fish" at Doc's pond. He was soooo proud!!!
Little Miss Priss wedged her way between the comforter and electric blanket. She's so cozy!
This kitty is the cutest little stinker and she has the biggest personality!
This is Mom's kitty, Fred. Looks relaxed doesn't he?
This photo was taken in the pecan orchard next to Mom's house.

Mom's 60th Birthday

Mom's 60th birthday cake--Chocolate with raspberry filling--YUM!

My cousin Mary Kathryn has her priorities straight--CAKE, CAKE, CAKE! She doesn't even need a plate!

Mom gets ready to make her special birthday wish.
Mom opens her gifts while Jim and Kathy (Jennifer's parents) look on.
Aunt Linda, Mom, and "Miss" Sandra (Melissa and Melanie's mom and my second mom)

For Mom's 60th birthday back in March, I hosted a dinner party at her house in Cameron. Some of our dearest friends and family attended and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. We enjoyed an Italian meal of Salad (with artichoke hearts, red onions, tomatoes, fresh mozzerella, and pine nuts) with homemade Balsamic viniagrette, Lasagna, Shrimp Alfredo, roasted asparagus, and garlic bread. I wanted to show Mom how special she is not only to me but to our friends and family. I succeded in giving her night that she will remember for years to come.