Wednesday, November 9, 2011



Our favorite link is some place other than the usual, e-mail, bank, etc., that we visit almost daily.  I think my favorite, though I don't go there daily, is Pintrest.  www.pintrest.com 

For starters it is an amazing place to share neat finds from the internet with a ton of different people.  I find it an especially fun way to find new crafts ideas, share things I love (like food that I will probably never make, but will drool on my keyboard over), interesting decorating ideas (that I have no money to do). It's also a place where I can check and see what my sister loves, since she lives clear in Mississippi and I don't get to see her often.  It's also a place where my daughters can show me what they like and beg me to make for them...hahahaha!  I just find it an awesome site.  If you are not a member and are interested in joing, do NOT, I repeat NOT, ask for an invitation on the page.  The waiting list is very long.  However, if you want to join, please feel free to send me your e-mail address (via facebook) and I will be more than happy to invite you...which means automatic inclusion to the site, which is free, by the way!! 

So, go check it out!!  You'll be amazed at the things you can find there!!!! 

If I had one special talent I would want to be a fabric artist. I love fabric and sewing.  However, I don't have the "creative mind" to be a fabric artist.  Yep, that's the talent I would love to have at this stage of my life!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Ahhhh, it seems I've written a lot about trips this challenge.  I love to travel, though I really didn't start traveling until I met Randy.  Our dream trip is Hawaii.  So, according to the challenge we will have two free round trip tickets and $25,000 to spend on "fun, food and transportation" while at our destination. 

So, we arrive in Hawaii and we rent a Harley Davidson.  Yep, the best of the best!  Where do we head? To any and all out-lying areas.  We love back roads and sights!  We'll surely have to try some Polynesian food and attend a luau.  Of course, we'll take breaks to sit by the beach and have the beach boy bring us drinks.  :)  If we're feeling up to it we'll take a chopper ride over a volcano, I think Randy would get a kick out of that, more than me!  lol 

Yep...Hawaii it is!! 

Easy and fast (since I'm behind by 3 days now)!  Perfect morning...being woken up by my husband with a huge cup of coffee and the command to just lay back and relax while he finishes making me breakfast!  lol 

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Well, I must admit that I have been on quite a few nice vacations since having met and married my husband, Randy.  We've been together since 2004, so it's only been a few short years.  In those few short years we have traveled more than I had in my entire life.  But, far and away I believe my favorite vacation was to Las Vegas in 2008.  Yeah, yeah, I know, who wouldn't love Las Vegas, right?  Well, I for one like a few things about Las Vegas, the town itself, mainly Fremont Street and the light show at night.  I'm not a big gambler, nor am I big drinker and I must admit that the time difference really messes me up.  But, each time we have gone to Las Vegas, we've managed to get some side excursions in and those are the best!  You see, when we go to Las Vegas, it is on business, but we always add extra days to the trip for some sight seeing! 

In December 2008, we decided to just "explore" the areas around Las Vegas.  We traveled way out on the Extraterrestrial Highway in search of "aliens" and Area 51. 



Unfortunately, this was the only Alien we saw:




And, while we did find the outer boundry of Area 51, we were NOT allowed to take any pictures of the fence and the camera that was "watching" us.  Yep, it's that big of a secret!  Nothing to be seen but a guard house, with one way windows and the motion activated camera, not to mention the Government truck that sped out at us, before we even reached the point where we could see the gate, to hopefully scare us off.  Not us, I tell you!  We'd traveled too many hours to see that gate!  lol  I will tell you that the people who live in the town that sits right outside of that gate have a great sense of humor as evidenced by the Alien "junque" in their yards and around their businesses. 





During our travels we also went to a ghost town or two.  The main one was Rhyolite near Death Valley.


We also enjoyed visiting an abandoned Silver Mine:
And the General Store that was part of the abandoned silver mine that had been restored:
The family who had bought and restored most of this property were amazing people and welcomed everyone like they were family!  We had such fun!  


Along the way we saw free range cattle, not fenced in, alive and dead.  Can't say I've ever seen a cow that has been hit by a vehicle until then!  The rivers in Nevada are the most gorgeous blue and we even managed to find, out in the middle of no where, a beautiful lake sitting in the desert.  I can't begin to even show you the 172 pictures that I took!  I love the plants in the desert, so took some pictures of that.  We even drove into California (a first for me and Randy) into Death Valley!  We had a lot of time to just enjoy being with each other and going places we have never been before and may not ever get to go to again! 

Yes, it was my most favorite vacation! 



Friday, November 4, 2011

Day #4 of the challenge is, if you had $20,000 what would you buy?  It has to be fun stuff and can't be used for paying bills.  So, this is what I'd buy and why.

The very first thing that I would buy would be the Babylock Ellisimo.  It is a combination sewing/embroidery machine.  It has a large throat, plenty of room for machine quilting a quilt larger than a twin size and has great "stadium" lighting. 



The second thing I would buy is for my husband.  Another motorcycle.  I wouldn't be able to buy him a new Harley,but I think I could afford to buy him a used one.  Let's see, something like this:



Please notice that I chose one that would be most comfortable for the passenger!  lol  We'd really have to negotiate the price! 

After having bought those two items, I would say that I might and that would be a very big "might" have enough money for one of these:



Yep, for those that don't know...that sewing machine is THAT expensive!!  lol





Thursday, November 3, 2011

Well, today's blog challenge is to listen 10 things I find tacky or distasteful.  Hummmm

1.  It's tacky to be a father only when it suits your needs. 
2.  It's tacky to tell other's how to live their life, when you are not perfect yourself.  Or as Mama used to say, "Don't try to clean my cupboards, when your's aren't clean!"
3.  It's tacky to be disrespectful to your elders.
4.  It's tacky to dress like a 20 year old when you are 50 something and everything is sagging.
5.  I think UGG boots are tacky when worn in the summer...just sayin'
6.  I think it's tacky when you lay on your horn because someone didn't "go" right when the light             turned green. 
7.  It's tacky to keep others waiting.  What makes you think that their time isn't as valuable as yours?
8.  It's tacky to stare at handicapped people.
9.  It's tacky to let your underwear show, unless you're a little baby!
10.  And, because I craft...it's tacky to ask someone to make you a hand crafted item, when you don't really want to pay the price of said hand crafted item! 

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Wow, this is gonna be tough. While I love music I rarely remember the names of songs, so I'm really going to have to think on this....hummmmm. Well, I do love music that I can understand the lyrics and "sing" along to, so I think I'll make sure that this one is on there:

King of the Road - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4yvGxXInxU By Roger Miller
The House that Built Me - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQYNM6SjD_o&ob=av2e By Miranda Lambert
And just for fun: Pray for You - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFJu8DCH_b0&ob=av2n
By Jaron and the Long Road To Love
I love oldies, and country oldies. But, as evidenced above I also love some of the newer country too! Happy Travels!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011


First, it is obvious that I haven't blogged in like forever, so, this is a real challenge. I'm friends with people who have challenged me to blog every day for the month of November. Today, the blog topic is What is one thing on your bucket list that you WILL do? So, I really have to give this some thought. There are a ton of things that I have on my bucket list, but with the economy being what it is, I would say that I've really cut back on dreaming big. Having said that....
I do believe that if I could only choose one thing, I would choose to be able to go back to Texas and the Shoemaker Family Reunion. You see, my mother was born into a huge family. Her father was the third child in a family of 10 children. My great grandparents had a home with some acreage in Crosby County, Texas, between the towns of Ralls and Post. When my great grandmother died she left the home and acreage in a way that it would always be in the family so that none of us would ever be homeless.

My Great Grandparents and their 10 Children

So, every year there is the Shoemaker Family Reunion, held on the first full weekend in August, in honor of my great grandfather's birthday. All the family that is able, congregate at the farm for what is "supposed" to be a one day reunion. I will tell you that for most of the family it is a three day reunion and for others it is a whole week! I've only been to this reunion twice in my whole life, having been raised in Virginia.

Most of the Original Grand children
(My mother is 4th from left back row)



My second family reunion was August 2010. My Mama died that year and we were taking her ashes to be buried in New Mexico. And I have to tell you, the experience of love at that farm is something that I absolutely crave and must have again before I die. It is amazing to go to a farm, out in the middle of nowhere, dry Texas, and find about 150 people, numerous dogs and tons of little children running around, hugging, laughing, crying, and just enjoying each other! The people who go every year, bring their campers or tents, shower under a water hose in the back yard and let the little children play in the mud! Everybody knows everybody's name and those they can't remember are just called "cuz". They even know which dog belongs to who and the dogs name! I call that LOVE!



So, my biggest bucket list desire, is to be able to take my husband, my girls, my grandbabies, to the Annual Shoemaker Reunion, just one time! I want them to feel and know for themselves the family of Love!

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