This and That

Charlie had to go to Texas (again; he's been so many times) for work shortly after Sean's birthday (which was April 9th). He came home a week ago Saturday. It was looking like he might have to go to Charleston (that would at least be closer), but hasn't so far. Hopefully he'll be home for a month or more before he has to go anywhere again, but you can never count on that with his job.

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A mockingbird made a nest in one of our gardenia bushes a few weeks ago. The babies left this past Tuesday. They were so sweet. I kind of miss them.

Mama bird in our redbud tree, which is right next to the gardenia bushes, calling to her babies. I think she was trying to get them to fly.

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I've gotten rid of several articles of clothing over the past month or two. The main reason being they didn't really look good on me. Just because something is pretty doesn't mean I should wear it. lol I'm trying to be choosier when shopping and not just buy something because I like it. If it doesn't look good on me (not just "okay"), no matter how pretty it is, I don't buy it. Not anymore anyway. And, of course, I always look for sales. I don't like to pay full price. 40% off or more, in most cases.

Anyway, this is what I've bought over the past couple months:

I got this at Dress Barn. Just $44. It covers my kness. I wore a black shrug with it and black slide heels.

Dress Barn. Only $40.

 
I'd been looking for a green purse for a long time, a year or more, when I finally found this one at Macy's. Originally $149. I got it for about $78. I love this purse (green is my favorite color) and carry it a lot.

I got this at Stein Mart for about $20 or $25. I couldn't find it at their website or any pictures of it online.

I also got this at Stein Mart for about the same price as the shirt above. It's not the prettiest top, but it's very comfortable.

I got this top at Stein Mart for $35. It's by Democracy.

**All sleeveless items will be worn with a shrug to cover my arms and a cami or tank underneath, if necessary, to cover cleavage.** 

American Eagle Outfitters. I don't remember how much this was. $30? $35? Something like that.

Macy's for $10. I got this (and the white one below) to wear under other shirts.

Macy's. I wore a white shrug over this.

I got this at Cato for $20. It covers my knees.

Dress Barn. Just $28. It's not quite as bright/harsh as it looks in this picture. A reviewer gave it 2 stars, saying it runs very small. I disagree. I got my normal size and it fits perfectly.

I got the white shrug. Not the dress. $20 and change after coupon. Dress Barn.

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Mother's Day was May 10th. We got my mom some pretty purple flowers to plant in her yard and a card. Charlie got me flowers, a pink "Happy Mother's Day" balloon, and a read heart-shaped balloon that says "i Love You", and I bought some things for the kitchen - a big, new frying pan with lid, bamboo cooking utensils, a cutting board. Seems like there was something else, but I can't remember what.

We were going to go out to eat on Mother's Day, but all the restaurants were packed (no surprise). So we went on Monday instead. Mom wanted Olive Garden, so that's where we went.

Flowers from Charlie.

Sean got me the carnation at church.

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After church last night, I went to Food Lion to pick up a couple things. Something unexpected happened shortly after I walked in and I thought I was going to die laughing.

I walked in and got one of those little buggies. As I was going towards the check-out lanes (to pass them and get to the food aisles), I saw a roll of bubble wrap on the floor and part of it was unrolled. It was the kind with the big bubbles about the size of a 50-cent piece or bigger. I went to go around it, but ended up running over it instead.

Pop-pop-pop-pop! It sounded like firecrackers or something. This woman nearby spun around real fast, with fear on her face, and said, "What was that?!" ROFL!! Maybe she thought it was a gun, I don't know. lol 

I was laughing and had tears in my eyes. A man who works there was also laughing and told the woman that it was bubble wrap.

When I got to the aisle I needed to go to, I called Charlie to tell him about it and that's when I really lost it. I was laughing so hard, tears pouring down my face. I had to get a tissue out of my purse to wipe my face and eyes. I laughed most of the way home. Every time I thought of the popping or the look on that woman's face, I'd bust out laughing again.

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I finished reading Paper Towns a few days ago. I had seen the trailer for the movie and thought it looked good, so I read the book. It was okay. There were a few things I didn't like, especially since it's supposed to be written for teens/young adults - multiple uses of the F word (something that would get it an R rating as a movie - the kind of movies teens aren't supposed to watch), drunk teens, a male teen talking about something sexual that he'd like to do to a teen girl, multiple male genitalia mentions/"jokes". Most of these things aren't in the adult  books I read. :-/ So, all that took away from the book for me.

The part I liked best was the disappearance of Margo and the search for her. I thought that was very good. The mystery of where she went and what she was doing is what kept me reading. I wish the author had focused more on that. I understand other things were happening in the lives of the main male character (Quentin) and his friends, but it wasn't nearly as interesting. And I guess I just have little to no appreciation for stupidity and immaturity - drunk teens and sexual talk.

I'm now reading The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. I've only read the first chapter so far, but I really like it and look forward to reading the rest of it.

Surprising Ancestry and a Weekend in Southport

I've been busy lately doing the wife and mom thing, as well as doing a little more research into my mom's side of the family tree. I finally got somewhere with her dad's side. I made it back to the 1200s and discovered that we have royal Spanish and Portuguese ancestry (never saw that coming) way, way back. Among them are the first king and queen of Portugal and El Cid.

Among my wifely duties, I've been helping Charlie with gardening. Well, he did the ripping out of the old non-flowering bushes and he's been doing the planting, but I picked out the new bushes and flowers (purple dahlias, white azaleas, light pink azaleas and jasmine). :-D He wants to get some more orange lilies as well.

I'm really looking forward to the weekend. We're going to Southport. It's been over 2 years since we were last there. I've really missed it.

Sean update. Kelly's dr visit. Park photos.

Sean's foot was feeling better over the weekend, but by Monday afternoon he was limping and hurting again. I called and made an appointment for him at the orthopaedic's office for 3:50 the next afternoon. I got Sean out of school early (a couple hours before his appointment, since he was hobbling around) and after Kelly got out, we went on to the doctor's office.

They took x-rays and couldn't see a break. The doctor said either it's too small a break to see or he sprained it. (The part of the foot he hurt is the top/front part near where it bends between the foot and the leg.) He was fitted with a special boot and we were out around 4:30.

We went to La Hacienda for supper, then to Food Lion to pick up milk and cereal, before coming home.

Wednesday was Kelly's physical. Her doctor said she looks very, very good. Her height (52 3/4 in.) and weight (67 lbs.) go together "perfectly". She passed her hearing test, but we may have to keep an eye on her vision. Her right eye is 20/25 and her left eye is 20/30. The doctor said it could just be that she's growing (I don't remember how he put it) or she could've just been having an off day - maybe her eyes were dry. But since I had to get glasses when I was 11 (Kelly's 10), there is a chance that she too could develop vision problems.

After leaving the doctor's office and getting Sean from Mom's, we came home and I made a quick supper. I then helped Sean with his school project (another one!), which he actually didn't finish until before school this morning because he "hated" doing it and kept sitting around not writing. Very frustrating. But he got it done.

Kelly and I went to the park after she got out of school today. I wish Sean could've been with us, but with his sore foot and his boot, he wouldn't be able to do anything except sit on a bench. Instead Mom got him from school and he played video games at her house.

We walked one of the trails for awhile and then Kelly played on the playground some. Naturally I took pictures. I look forward to the trees blooming and blossoming and turning green again. Some are beginning to bud.

You can see my red car on the other side of the lake.

Cute duck. Kelly said he (or she) sounded like he was laughing.

Follow the leader. While on land, one of these geese sort of went after the duck. Then they followed him into the water, but didn't go after him.

Anyone know what kind of tree this is? I'm thinking a rose tree of some kind, but I'm not sure.

I picked a flower from the tree and Kelly put it in a bowl when we got home.

Daffodils near the playground.

When we got home I made arroz con pollo. I had never made it before and it turned out so good. We loved it. I'll definitely be making it again.

Pictures of more of our flowers:

Daffodils

Hyacinth, I think.

Unexpected Visitor

I was outside with Pippin waiting for him to do his business before getting Kelly from school when I saw the guineas in our backyard. They belong to the neighbors behind us, who live in a huge brick house and have a horse pasture (with one horse and a few donkeys), pond and goats. Geese and ducks like to hang out back there too. The guineas haven't come around in several months. As I was standing there watching them (and waiting on Pip), something unexpected came from behind our house. A peacock.

I know some people have them, but no one who lives close to me has ever had one and I wasn't expecting to see one. I like how peacocks sound. Hopefully I'll get to hear it sometime.

Anyway, after Pip was done, I brought him inside, grabbed my camera, then went out to get a couple pictures of the peacock. It was a couple houses down by then, so the pictures didn't turn out so well.


After I got Kelly from school, we went out to the top of the hill in our backyard to look into our neighbor's backyard, but we didn't see the peacock or the guineas. The horse saw us and came up to the fence, so Kelly and I walked down the hill to the fence. Kelly ran inside the house and came back with an apple. I was afraid the horse might accidentally bite my hand, so I was afraid to feed her from my hand. I decided to drop the apple near her and it hit her on the head. lol She kind of threw her head back, but then bent her head down to eat the apple where it had landed in front of her.

After coming inside, eating a little something, and getting online, Kelly and I got Sean from school and came back home. He has a mini-concert for rising 6th graders in band class this evening at 6:30. Practice is at 6:00, so we'll be leaving at 5:45. I need to get off of here and get ready for that.

There's a bee on the flower on the bottom left.

This and That

When the kids and I went shopping for new school clothes for Sean a little over a week ago, I was kind of shocked by something I saw in the Juniors section at Belk. Denim shorts so short they looked like thick denim panties. They were so tiny! I would never, ever allow my daughter to wear something that makes her look like she should be standing on a street corner. I can't help but wonder what the designers of those shorts think about teenage girls, or even females in general.

The shorts were similar to these, and may have been shorter.


Now, if an adult woman wants to walk around in short shorts, that's her choice. (I never would.) But to design, create and sell shorts like this for teenagers, who are still children, is disgraceful in my opinion.

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The kids and I went to church last night. It was a really great service. We had a visiting minister. He preached about the rain settling the dust of your trial and suffering. Here's hoping that the rain of refreshing and blessing and deliverance falls soon on my life. I'm desperate for it.

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More of our crocuses have opened up. When you stand back, they look like little bouquets growing from the ground.


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I made that chicken pasta dish again a couple nights ago that I had made for the first time early last month. It was sooo good. Only I used a little too much red pepper. It was almost too spicy for me. Unfortunately it was too spicy for Kelly. I'll be leaving the red pepper out next time. I ate what was left of it last night. I can't wait to make and eat it again. I'll probably do that in a couple weeks.

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The weather is supposed to be very nice this week. Well, except for a few days of rain. But temps are supposed to be in the 60s all week and rain in the 60s is so much better than rain in the 50s or colder. It's supposed to be 70° tomorrow. I'm planning on taking Kelly to Hagan-Stone Park tomorrow. (Sean will be with Mom.) One of my favorite places. As usual, I plan on taking pictures.

Purple and Yellow Crocuses

Our crocuses bloomed about a week ago and I took some pictures. They're not great pictures (if only I had a better camera), but here they are.