Things you see on the road.

Have I ever shared with y'all how much I'd love, love, LOVE to homeschool on the road?

Sell the house. Buy a motor home. Be nomads across this beautiful country of ours...I'd teach the little Crumb Snatchers a lesson on a certain place or activity while Big Shooter was driving there.

Talk about a real life education!

I have to say, however, each time we fantasize about it...

this is not quite the car I'd always imagined us driving around to explore in.

Now it is.

However, that was not really what I wanted to show you.
See that truck coming up behind me in the mirror?
Well, he's carrying a real important load.

How do I know?
Easy.
It said so.


That yellow strip right under the doors and above his bumper told us what prized load he was transferring across state lines.

The blurry words say,

"CAUTION - PRIZE CHICKENS"

Pucker Up Straight Shooter

It seems my friend Jenni over at One Thing and Grueling Homeschooling thinks I may be deserving of a Lemon Award...

She thinks it originated with the ole "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade" motto.

I cracked up because my initial reaction to a serving of lemons usually does not involve me whipping up a quenching batch of lemonade. No my friends. It is more like a whiny-hiney, extremely sour squirt down the throat that makes me look like I'm having a convulsion.

On the other hand, since Girl Child and I do love us some lemon pie and some lemon pudding and Lemonheads and even lemonade...I figured I'd better look a little deeper for Jen's sake and see if I could come up with some proverbial lemonade from 2008.

And wouldn't you know it? As soon as I started reminiscing about Big Shooter's trials and tribulations this past year the whole "Pooor me, Woebegone, Whiny-Hiney" line of crap soon gave way to overwhelming gratitude and extreme humbleness for my Maker.

With Him, through Him, because of Him we were able to turn cart loads of a certain yellow citrus into life lessons for ourselves and the Crumb Snatchers.

Here are a few things we found out about our family :

We possess ...

Incredible strength

Unshakable faith

Steadfast determination

We experienced...

Deepest humility

Undeniable power of prayer

True friendship

We came away with...

Unabashed devotion to each other.

So thank you Jenni! Thank you for making me stop and and re-evaluate our year, look at it through fresh eyes, different prospective, with a clean slate.

Now y'all know the drill. I pass it on to others so they can look for the positive in a yucky situation, write a post and then pass on the bloggy love. The problem is - I have to hold it to 10. Maybe it's me, but it seems everyone I read seems to always make bloggy-fodder lemonade out of icky circumstances. And usually, stinkin' hilarious lemonade at that! So I have enlisted Big Shooter's help in picking just 10. He's going to look at my extensive bookmarked list and do a kind of eeny-meeny-miney-moe thing for me. If you are not one of them and you are just dying to write your recipe for lemonade...by all means, consider yourself AWARDED!

Big Shooter is awarded this prestigious award, even though he doesn't have a blog...that we know of.

Soliloquy of She Just Had to Say It

Fringe Girl at The Domestic Fringe

Jessica at Farm Fresh

Marie at Losha's Hope

My friend at Happy Chaos

Bloggy Buddy at 6 Happy Hearts

Mama Belle at The Bayou Belles and Their Beau

Marcy at The Glamorous Life Association

My friend Queenie at The Queen B

Love Note to my Big Shooter: Drawin' a blank here...sorry. I guess it's just a plain ole, big mushy, gushy I love ya, Baby Cakes.

life in 6 words

Some time ago one of my bloggy friends did a post on their lives described in 6 words. It was probably Queen B, cause she's stinkin' hilarious. Or maybe it was Soliloquy cause she's so stinkin' hilarious. Or maybe it was Jenni, cause you guessed it - she's so stinkin' hilarious!

I don't remember where I read it.

Sheesh, I don't remember what day it is half the time!

Does anyone else have this problem?

Sorry, back to the point...what was it?

Oh yes. Describing our lives in 6 words.

Like I said, who ever it was, was stinkin' hilarious. I, on the other hand, am just looking for a quick post so I can say I did one today.

So folks, here is my life at the moment in 6 word phrases.

Big Shooter is cancer free - free!
Busy beyond any made-up nonsense words.
Loving every day with Big Shooter.
Our socks have been blessed off.
Every day is living a miracle.
Crumb Snatchers drive me bonkers daily.
I love them more than life.
JBF is consuming my cramped brain.
Loving the care-free summer fun.
Library books seem to breed overnight.
How much water could flowers need?
Simple meals - leftovers, sandwiches, fruit, pancakes.
Is chlorine green hair always reversible?
Nothing lives up to overnight camp!
Scary ice cream drivers in my neighborhood.
Swimming with friends when ever possible.
Need to buy new swimming suit.
Hate shopping for new swimming suit.
Where to buy whale size suit?
Will put off buying suit...indefinitely.
Giant salads with gorgeous, fresh colors.
Planning next year's homeschool lesson plans.
Pulling out hair over lesson plans.
Can't wait for next year's lessons!
Writing posts constantly in my head.
Convincing family posts should be shared.
Attempting to count my infinite blessings.
Loving my exact place in life.
Going crazy thinking in six words.
Gotta go get some things done.
Must. push. away. from. computer. now...


Love Note to my Big Shooter:
Can't wait to see your smile.
You are my most favorite thing.
Reminder- it is Friday-hubba, hubba.
I am counting the minutes down.
You make ordinary days, not ordinary.
You will forever by my hero.
I am nauseous from this sappiness.

...oh, and by the way, her cast is neon pink...

While we were away from civilization, several questions cropped up. So while I'm waiting for my already-super-missed-FIL to send me some great pix to post, I figured I'd offer some answers to some and comments on others.


Starting with the hunting post.

* I was raised surrounded by hunters. It was Idaho after all. What have I shot? Only deer, pheasants, ducks, rabbits, rock chucks, and crows. Do the kids hunt? No. They are just getting their first taste of BB guns thanks to my dad, Grandpa-in-Connecticut. You can enjoy that experience here in "You'll shoot your eye out!"

* My sweet girl Eula Mae did not ever get a driver's license because she is from the long ago era when wives didn't really leave their houses or neighborhoods. If she went some where or needed something her sweet hubby Norman did all the driving.

* You may (or not) have noticed I edited the music. It is no longer Auto Start. From now on, if you'd like to listen to it you'll need to go to the bottom and turn it on. Thanks for all your comments and opinions about it.

* The update on Big Shooter's Crackberry is that he has a "new" one. However, it is not new new. It is an older version like he had before the "new, shapely, racy and CURVY girl" he fell so hard for. His withdrawals have been curbed, but they are not cured. I think the only cure will be a shiny, new Redhead.

* The update on Big Shooter himself is Dr. Kangaroo said he is no longer experiencing any more side effects from surgery. So the nausea is caused from some thing else. He suggested we go back to the GI doctor who diagnosed the cancer to begin with. So we are waiting to see him now. BS is eating this time around. Just very small amounts. That's better than before.

* No, Big Shooter did NOT go to Silver Dollar City with us! He still gets worn out very easily. He got left behind to find his own mischief...more on that later.


Now that we are back to civilization (Internet) I will be able to post some pix of the past few days visit from our already-super-missed-FIL...

and by the way, Girl Child broke her arm at 6:30 AM the first morning we were gone.

It involved the Brain Dead Pug and 3 different doctors' offices...

Love Note to my Big Shooter: Thanks for putting up with me when I have a horrible case of self-imposed Sleep Depravation with a side of the Meanies. You are a Prince of the Highest Order.

The its, it's, there, their, they're Quiz...

It's another...

I drive Sashi crazy with my obsessive grammar rule following...we don't know why this is an obsession. I was not an English major or even come close to using correct grammar! Nor is it like I never make mistakes on posts either. But, for some reason, I am. Obsessive and weird about the grammar, that is.


Let's continue down Quiz Road shall we?



Click here to take the said grammar quiz.


And as always, if you can shoot 'er straight, please come back and tell your score.


Love Note to my Big Shooter: I love to hear you say certain things as much as I love to hear #1 and #2 say things. You always say chiz (cheese), or-dee-or-vees (h'ourderves) and bertday (birthday) just to name a few...

Okay Here's the Deal...

I am desperately dead-dog tired and want to go to bed knowing I could make one of the two of you faithful readers laugh out loud today....so I am cheating and sending you here X and... here X. When you come back and wipe the tears of laughter and streaks of snot from your face from snortin' so hard you can read my love note below...

Love Note to Big Shooter: I knew you were the one on date #4. You asked what I'd like to do on a Friday night. When I said, "Go to my Granny Grunt and Grampa Bozo's." Without hesitation you said, "Sounds like fun." Oh, yeah baby. You didn't mind hangin' with the geezers...you were in like flinn...

Freak out Friday...

Post Note at bottom...

Big Dogs =

...Big Dog Drool.

ooooo...oooOO.....ooooOOOO!!

Post Script: Since I've been emailed and asked a kajillion times today "How can you handle that?!" I figured I'd let you in on a simple little secret...I am a momma. What I mean by that is I know what all my kids are doing all the time. Therefore, when my sweet, new addition is getting a drink I am casually and calmly glancing around to make sure a Slobber Towel is within arms length. Cause I know he is going to come to whoever is nearest for a little ear rubbing and pat, pat, love, love when he is done. It's not brain surgery (and this I know about, by the way) - If ya hear the big lug slurpin' up a Big Gulp...get-a-towel-handy. Some people in my house don't have the Momma Gene. They end up with slime hanging from parts it shouldn't be hanging from. Others in my household squeal like little girls and jump up on chairs. #2 and I just shake our heads with sympathy. No Momma Genes, it's quite simple.

Middle or Maiden...Let's share

I usually hate getting those "find out about your friends eye color, her latest cry fest, favorite ice cream flavor, her panty size, etc. etc." So I think it's very apropos I would turn around and do a similar kind of post. (Saucy get off the floor cause I used that word...apropos.) It'll be fun. I hope you all participate. Especially those who are my faithful lurkers!

Here are the rules:
*Chose your middle name or maiden name (if you have one).

*List an adjective or short phrase describing yourself beginning with each letter.
(I am using both of mine. I was going to say to give you an example but you all know the truth - it's because I always have a bunch to say!)

A ~ always try to find the positive
N ~ never-ending harrassment
N ~ not always late

G ~ got a really good aim
E ~ every day is a gift
N ~ nocturnal
N ~ never tire of my family

Post yours in a comment! Purty pllllease.

Confession of Miss Pee-Pee Pants

Disclaimer: I am apologizing up front Grandma. (Wow. I am having to do that an awful lot lately, aren't I? That should tell me something. Shouldn't it...?)

If you know me...you know my little problem. I am an admitted pant wetter. For as long as I can remember I don't know I have to go...until I have to go. Like now. Right now. Like, "Get out of my way or I'm gonna pee my pants" now. A very embarrassing number of you have been with me when I come to a dead stop for no apparent reason. Those of you who know my little secret just casually stop and keep the conversation going as if I didn't just stop in the middle of a crosswalk. After a few long seconds for some reason I am granted a short reprieve and can start walking again. It's a handicap I've learned to live with and apparently so have many of my friends and family. It's embarrassing to say the least. So I find this little saying from Saucy Sashi to be very telling and a perfect fit. What do you think?

"A great friendship is like wetting your pants. Everyone can see it, but you're the only one who can feel it's warmth."

Last of Mystic Seaport ~ I Promise!

I just could NOT pass showing these to you all. I just love wreaths. These were so very cool in person. If a person (definitely not me) were talented in this manner these made lasting impressions on visitors. Okay, I am just speaking for myself here cause I love 'em. But, they were very beautiful, simple (looking, obviously not tying), and perfect for the season. I know many of you who read this are very artsy-fartsy and creative. Please send me photos of your wreaths. I have always loved wreaths. I already said that though. If you have ideas for wreaths - please leave it in a comment for me. I'm sure Big Shooter would love for me to have a few more hanging around.

sigh...