Amy Z and Me

I have had online friends for years.  Many of them since I first visited Scrapbook.com.  Amy Z is one of these friends. I think I actually got to know here when I was on Scraplove.  We are all women and one man who started out with scrapping in common and developed into friends.  One of the things we all have tried to do is meet each other in real life whenever possible.  That possibility came to be today when I drove down to Gainesville and had lunch with Amy.  It is still a mystery to some people who people who know each other only online can be friends without ever meeting in person, but when you talk to each other almost daily for five years or more, I would say you get to know each other very well.  As a matter of fact, we may know things about each other that real life people don't know.

We ate lunch at a very nice restaurant named The Swamp.  This is UF home country after all.  The food was great and we talked about a lot of stuff.  We then went around the campus which is enormous and I got to see the football field.  Football is big stuff in Gainesville, there are pro stadiums that aren't this nice.  All in all this was a great day and thanks to Amy for taking me around.

Old Friends and Blueberry French Toast

I met an old friend and her husband for breakfast.  I love the fact that I am able to see people I know even though I am halfway across the country from my home.  This is Yvonne Ames Everson and her husband Ken.  Yvonne and her family lived across the street from us when I was growing up.  I hadn't seen her in years even though my sister keeps in touch with her until she friended me on Face book.  I asked Yvonne how far she lived from Valdosta and we discovered they would be coming through town , so we had breakfast together at The Cracker Barrel.  It always seems that it should be strange to meet people  again after all this time, but it very rarely is.  We talked about our families and what we have done in our lives.  It is very satisfying to have these ties to my past.  By the way, the blueberry french toast at Cracker Barrel is delicious.

Random Thoughts from Georgia

I have been in Georgia for three days.  I haven't taken a single picture.  I have however, spent $800 to get my son's sewer fixed, cleaned up most of his house  I still have to do his bedroom, since I  set an appointment to have his carpets cleaned.  Apparently mothers will still mother their baby boys even though they are twenty six years old. In my defense, I will say, that he is still an invalid. 

I haven't worked out or run one time.  I had entertained going to the the track at the high school, but it is hot here in south Georgia, really hot.  I thought it was humid in Kansas this year, but I have learned that you cannot compare it to what the weather does down here.  I have discovered that while the Y offers Pilate's and Muscle Pump, they do not have an indoor track, but Moody AFB does.  So tomorrow since Andrew is inclined to sleep late, I am going to the Y to lift weights in the morning and then go do my long four mile run in the afternoon.  I am eating like I should, but I know I have to burn the calories too.

I have scrapped. I am working on my July 4th pictures right now.  Then I will start on the vacation photos.  It is really nice to just have to do my own pages.  I will make a couple of cards too, but that will be later.

Andrew is doing all right after his surgery.  He seems to be feeling better than he did after the last surgery.  He isn't as cranky, and his appetite seems to be good.  I like getting to do my "Mom" duty and cook meals.  I get to cook Weight Watchers style too, since the man took after his mother and needs to drop about fifteen pounds.  I don't have any temptation foods in the house.  It is wonderful.  The skinny husband always must have cookies, etc, all the stuff I love.

Andrew has a pickup truck.  I have been driving it.  I drove it over to Columbus to pick him up from the hospital and back to Valdosta again.  I like it.  I never thought of myself as a pickup truck sort of person.  I also thought Andrew would be more antsy about me using it, but he hasn't twitched visibly since I got here.

I like Valdosta, Georgia.  It is a southern city, but not too big like Atlanta.  The people are very nice and very friendly.  Andrew is ready to move on, he is in the Air Force after all, but I think it will be hard to find a nicer town than this.

I am still surprised at how times have changed.  It was a given that I would bring my laptop with me on this trip, just like I have on our last several excursions.  It wasn't that long ago, that having you laptop with you was an unheard of idea.  I have to have it with me you know.

I think my random spell is over.

Hero Arts Decorative Cards

We will be making these Hero Arts stamped cards on Saturday August 28th.  The cards use advanced forms of techniques taught in Stamping 101, and we will also be doing masking and image cutting as well.  I think everyone will enjoy these cards.

Bo Bunny Roughin It Tent Album

I am leading this class Saturday, August 5th at Scrapbook Garden.  It is a fun little book with some interesting techniques for the class to learn.  I haven't camped in so long I am not sure what I will do with the album after the class, but I do love to look at it.

Four Miles

I ran four miles today for the first time.  It only took me a month to get here.  Each mile has gotten easier after I broke the barrier of the first mile.  I keep thinking that soon it will be too hard and I will just stay at the same level.  It is very satisfying to do this.  Every now and then (this morning) I try to tell myself to skip a day, but I make myself run and it is worth it.

I had two goals at the first of the year, running one mile was one and being able to do a Pilate's curl up was the other.  The curl up proved to be the greater of the two challenges, but with the help of one of the instructors, who showed me how to use a cushion to support my lower back, I am now doing them.  They aren't pretty yet, but that will come in time.

Now I have to reset my goals.  I think I will take a while to consider this.

Just for the record

I reached my final preferred goal weight today.  I started Weight Watcher on July 27th 2009.  So it has taken me almost a year to get here, but it has been worthwhile.  I have dropped from a size 18 to a size 8.  I exercise regularly which I have never done before in my life and like to think that I look as good as I ever have.  Even at my age.  Now just to learn how to live with the maintaining of this lifestyle.

Dad's 91st Birthday

July 8th was my Dad's 91st birthday.  We had him and Jaunita and my brother's family over for a small barbecue on Sunday.  I think everyone had a good time even though it was really hot outside.  I am so grateful that my father and stepmother are doing so well and living on their own at this age.

Vacation Bible School 2010

I am doing crafts this year for Vacation Bible School at First Presbyterian Church in Derby.  It is a lot of fun, but I am tired at the end of the evening.  The kids have so much fun and that mean more pleasure for me.  The hardest part but the best part is letting them do what they want in creating the crafts we do each day.  This is one of the pleasures of being retired.

Kits Classes

Scrapbook Garden is offering two kids classes in August.  This will be a first time I guess for summer kids classes.  The first class is the star ornament and the mini album. The second class will be the headband and the clipboard.  All of the projects were a lot of fun to put together and look really nice.

Graphic 45 - Pine Cone Press Project

I just finished another Graphic 45 - Pine Cone Press Options kit.  Each kit comes with a booklet that has several different project that can be made with the included paper and embellishments.  This class will be offered at Scrapbook Garden in September.  We will be making the accordion album as the primary project and there will be a choice of a scrapbook page or cards for the bonus project.  The mini album is very cute and not too difficult.  Graphic 45 is a great paper company.

Montezuma (South Gray) Kansas High School Reunion 2010

Class of 1960

Class of 1962

1965

I took pictures at Ray's high school reunion back in June.  For some reason, it never occurred to me that it might be a good idea to post them here.  Ray's school has an all school reunion every five years.  This year was his classes 48th anniversary.  It is so strange, it used to be people who graduated that long ago were OLD!

We all had a very good time, and it was great to see everyone again.

July 4th, 2010

It rained and rained on Independence Day this year.  I was certain that we would not be able to shoot off our own fireworks, let alone be able to watch the show that the city puts on each year.  It was just too wet.  However, the rain let us in the afternoon and everyone ventured out into their yards and started blowing things up.  We did not actually buy any fireworks this year.  Andrew had bought a huge box last year and then was too tired to shoot them off.  I sent him some money for them and we blew them all up this year.  The pieces were all very nice and Thank You again Andrew for leaving all this with us to enjoy this year.

Wyatt and Andrea both enjoyed the spectacle.  Wyatt learned how to snap poppers and Andrea wanted to try everything, but she was too small.  We grilled hamburgers and sausage, with all the usual side dishes.  Leroy and Jackie came over to help us eat it all.  I was lucky and able to send a lot of stuff home, so there aren't very many leftovers.

July 4th Parade

We took Wyatt and Andrea with us to the annual July 4th parade this morning.  The weather was just perfect for a parade.  It was overcast and just barely 80.  There were lots of organizations throwing candy.  I think the kids picked up more candy than they get for Halloween.

Andrea had an unfortunate accident.  She tipped over one of the folding chairs and bumped her nose on the sidewalk behind us.  It looked worse and hurt less than you would have expected.  She cried for a little and then was happy to sit on my lap for a while. However, the bump was all forgotten by the time the parade went by.

We sent half the candy home and put half in a dish here for treats later on.