Tuesday in Paradise

Good morning from Mayberry, where it is softly raining and completely overcast. I am enjoying the bird chorus and sound of the raindrops as I sit on the deck. And now I am joined by a sweet Jammie boy. One up, one still sleeping. Sweet!



Of course this rain might just mess up our big swimming plans. Bugger. Two girls are joining us for some Grammie time later today. I'm sure we will think of something fun to do.

Goodbye, July...time and the calendar march on. Rapidly.

And now it is time to enjoy some sweet sugah!

Life is good, y'all!

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Olympic fever…

We both have it, and are enjoying watching it on TV.  I wouldn’t want to be there in the crowds though.  It was fun back in ‘96 being in the middle of everything, but watching the games on TV is sooo much easier.  If we want to see a replay of a move, we just back it up and watch it again.  Easy peasy.

Friends Larry and Michelle lured us from the games yesterday and took us for a boat ride here on the lake.  Silly us for being inside on a beautiful summer day!  Duh…that’s what TIVO is for, right?!

So now it is Monday, blessed with another beautiful summer day, but work and laundry and broken equipment all loudly beckon and we have to be adults and git’er done.  Bugger.

But first…(you knew there would be one), I need to decide what’s for dinner and check my grocery list.

Did I mention that it is Monday?

Foggy Sunday in Paradise…

 

This is what I looked and felt like yesterday after our little mishap in the GEM, my little electric car.  I think Ansley accidently hit the accelerator instead of the brake, as well as over-steered into the R turn.  Coupled with the slant on our road, that recipe took us right into the ditch.  The tree saved us from rolling over…thank you, Mr. Tree.  Glad you are tough.

MM wasn’t home, so Logan and Haley came right on over.  His assessment was that it could be driven straight ahead and on out.  He moved tree limbs to keep the windshield from breaking, and away I went.  Easy peasy, plenty of room.

Ansley didn’t want to get back under the wheel (probably EVER), but back on that horse she (unhappily) went, without little sister to backseat drive (annoy).  I had her do a couple of loops through the property, and asked if she was ready to park it.  Nope, she wanted to do ONE more!  That’s my girl.  She did great.  Srsly.

I told Ansley that she had gotten her first accident over and done with early in the game.  Smooth sailing ahead for this gal…I’m certain she is not damaged for life over this.  As MM would say, it builds character!

And the GEM?  It is a mixture of two previously wrecked ones, so it has had a hard two lives already and the battle scars to prove it.  MM bought another wrecked one that he’ll fix up (since he has a lot of parts) and sell.  At least that is the plan.

Slightly shaken, but not stirred, life is good, y’all!

Saturday oops!

The girls decided playing with their cousins outside was more fun than going to the Green Bean Festival:

So Macey got to drive the GEM and did fine:

Ansley flunked Driving 101, but everyone is OK:

  Maybe we should have gone to the festival after all!

Stuff happens…and life is still good!!!

It’s Friday in Paradise…

 

And my inbox is full…and not just with papers!  My helpers are so (un)helpful.  Gotta love’em!

Raise your hand if you are excited about the Olympics!  I am, especially since Joy and I were volunteers at the ATL Olympics back in ‘96.  Man, was that a long time ago!  I also had the honor of being one of the torch bearers here in our mountain county when the torch came through en route to Atlanta.  Good memories.  I never did finish that scrapbook…and it won’t happen (again) right now with that pesky cruise coming up pretty soon.

This has already been a “but first”morning.  You know, you start one thing, then “but first” need to do this one other thing…that leads to three more.  Oh yes, I am Queen of But Firsts, which is why there was no post first thing this morning.  MM was one of those interruptions, needing some tax (boring) stuff.  Done.  Check.

And now the wait is on for the computer geek to arrive and tweak our house networking that is not doing its job so all the computers can communicate.  Looking forward adding that particular CHECK.

It’s just another Friday here at the ole fun factory.  Have yourself a whole bunch of smiles today, y’all!

Grammie Camp…

Boys and girls, what is this shape?

It is an OCTAGON.  Let’s count the sides:  1, 2, 3…

Good morning!  Two boys are content watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while I get ready for the day.  They wound up spending the night with us.  Love it!

So yesterday at Grammie Camp, Jennie brought her Sean over, Macey arrived, and the kids played inside and out on the deck and then wanted to go fishing.  Bad day of fishing…no fish biting, but then again, three boys couldn’t quit talking!  And I didn’t take a single photo, too busy untangling hooks and stuff.

Macey elected to leave the wee boys to go have fun with her mom, so Jennie and I fed the boy critters and then took them to see Ice Age, which was a very cute movie.

After dinner and  Dr. Seuss story time, two wee boys went to bed.  Followed by Grammie and Grumps doing the same not too long afterward.

End of Day 1 of GC. 

Nana picks the boys up this morning so that Amy and I can go do some errands together after Amy’s morning meeting.

End of Day 2 of Grammie Camp.

Can you stand all this excitement?!!!

Life is busy, so savor each day and smile, y’all…and roll with the punches!!!

Fun in the sun…

MM pounded with the sledge hammer and won me a purple inflatable alien!  Doesn’t every girl need one of those?!  MM at least had fun.  He is still my oldest child.

Dollywood is not just a “fun” park, it is also a place to learn about stuff.  It has a 30,000 square-foot aviary, which houses the country’s largest presentation of non-releasable bald eagles. You get a rare glimpse of some of nature’s most impressive birds of prey in this beautiful mountain setting as members of the American Eagle Foundation interact with these spectacular animals.

Birds of Prey at Dollywood are under the care of the American Eagle Foundation, which is authorized to possess birds for education, exhibition, rehabilitation and breeding under permits from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

We thoroughly enjoyed the bird demonstration and highly recommend seeing the show.  Pardon the blurry photo, but this big guy wouldn’t quit moving!

 

                                         But these boys were just sitting around having a pow-wow and loving the attention of those passing by and admiring their fine feathers.

Dollywood and Splash Country are both great family entertainment areas.  We will go back!

But now our thoughts are on to our next great adventure, the upcoming river cruise.  Our info packet arrived, as well as our German rail pass.  Boy howdy, it is gonna be fun!  And the ship has complimentary wi-fi.  That makes me smile!

But first, Grammie Camp is in session today, and I need to get ready for that.  I hope you have some smiles in your day.  I sure will!

Life is good, y’all!

Check out our cutie pie!

Our own Doodlebug is waving to everyone at the almost beginning of this video about the upcoming Green Bean Festival at the farmer’s market.  Check it out…and smile!  Ya hear?!  Be here, y'all!

http://youtu.be/xNtWKqaIY5M

The (wild) eagle has landed!

This is the beautiful entrance to America’s first wing coaster at Dollywood, known as the Wild Eagle…

Up, up and awwaaay…

And then this ride takes you straight down, and then into a loop, a 360 roll, back into another loop, then into another 360 roll, a hard L and then a R turn and back to the station…in 2 minutes, 14 seconds.

Now you know why Dan and I sat on the wall and waited for these smiling (crazy) survivors.  MM says to sit in the outside seats…for more motion.  Check.

If you have the nerve to try this out for yourself virtually, you can go here:  http://www.dollywoodwildeagle.com/

Or here for more thrills:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KwjtDW5arU&feature=relmfu

These girls (and Haley and Logan) thought it was way cool!

Buckle up, buttercup.  Don’t get your feathers ruffled!!!

Sunday in paradise...

It is foggy here, so have a look at a pond at Dollywood:



And a view of the inside of Dolly's retired Prevost tour bus:



Dolly did the cooking on the road! Look carefully at the next section where there are 3 bunks on the right. Across from them is a potty before getting to Dolly's private area.

Here is her bedroom:




It was a very quick tour, since the line to go inside was getting quite long. Joan and I enjoyed it without the guys.

So that is your tour. I am enjoying today's final Tour de France, happy to see sunshine in France. And trusting son Brian will be safe and have fun on his mountain bike race today.

MM and I have a cultural outing planned. Life is good, y'all!

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Saturday festival

 

Joan and I are going to the Butternut Creek Art Festival shortly.

I am sure we will see lots of the above, plus these:

And run into lots of folks that we know.

Unloading the moho can wait.  It’s another fun day in paradise, so we are going out to enjoy it!

Homeward bound!

In drizzle. Goodbye Pigeon Forge. It's been fun. We'll come back, but home sounds mighty good!



Yes, two kitties are present. Check

Miles of smiles!

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Thursday in Pigeon Forge

Our river view.

We are hoping for more sunshine as the plan is for Dollywood today. That plan got nixed by rain yesterday afternoon, so we played marbles. Macey is quite an opponent! She plays for keeps.


I feel a rematch coming up, baby cakes!

Life is good, y'all! Make some smiles today.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wonderful Wednesday in Tennessee

 

Thunder shut down the water fun yesterday just as I was about to do the river float.  Bugger.  There is a 15 minute park requirement of all clear wait (no thunder) before allowing folks back in the water, so we enjoyed lunch…and still waited.  MM and I decided to head back to the moho and let the kids wait it out and to guarantee that the weather would clear up.  It did (of course), and the kids had a blast!  We knew Dan and Joan were due to arrive shortly at the campground, which they did, so that was another reason for us to head back.

And we got an additional bonus—W Palm Beach friends Johnnie and Susan called and said they would stop by to visit with us.  We got them to stay for crockpot ribs (cooked while we were out playing…or trying to play) and BBQ chicken.  Family, friends, feast…life doesn’t get much better than that!

So the kids are off to Dollywood this morning.  Us old people are thinking about driving over to Cades Cove this morning (MM and I have never been), and Dollywood this afternoon.  The weather is sunny and beautiful.  No rules, no deadlines.  Freedom…ahhh!

WYWH, y’all!

Hello from Splash Country!

Let the fun begin for the kiddos. Old people are enjoying the shade for now.

WYWH, y'all!

How to begin a vacation…NOT!

 

KC’s idea of a good time:  Play hide and seek where your parents can’t find you, then proceed to stay for 6 hours while the whole campground is looking for you!  Yeah, that’ll be exciting.

KC was nowhere to be found when we got set up in our site yesterday at 3ish.  I mean NOWHERE, and we thought we knew all the nooks and crannies where he could hide, but he wasn’t in any of them.  He was GONE.  MM and I assumed he must have snuck out while we were stopped at the CG office when I registered us in while he unhooked the towed/toad (car).   That’s the next logical conclusion.

We weren’t too worried, hoping he was still inside, until he didn’t respond to the dinner bell -- shaking the food container, both inside the moho and out in the campground.  That always, always gets that boy’s attention, even when he is asleep.  No boy.  This is not good.

Macey and I had been crying; I was ready to print up flyers to post.  Oh yes, one other snafu.  We bathed both kitties the night before, so neither had their collars on.  Can this situation get any more fun?

At o’dark thirty I was back in the bedroom putting away stuff when MM yelled here he is!  KC was sauntering toward the litter box (well, he had been missing for 6 whole hours and the boy had a need!).  Apparently he had been up inside the steering column area…a place MM thought no way could that boy fit up inside.  Ha.  That chunky body is soft and pliable, and KC fit right up there.

So, this morning KC is napping under a blanket, and that is A-OK with us.  Both kitties have their collars on…and I need to make happy thank-you flyers announcing that our boy is safe and sound.

I’m not looking closely, but I probably have some grey in my hair this morning, and it isn’t fur!

Life is (now) good (again), y’all!

On the road again…

 

The moho is mostly loaded up and ready to roll, exchanging this lake view for a stay alongside a river…in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee!

Splash Park…Dollywood…here we come, along with Haley, Logan and the girls!  Woohoo!!!

So, it is time to close down and load up the electronics.  Check.

Check the list.  OK.

Who wants to tag along with us???

Saturday in paradise

Hello, sunshine!  We sure missed your warmth yesterday, because we had to forego our planned tubing trip down the Chattahoochee River (the Hooch).  Sorry I forgot to ‘splain that.  Thanks, Joy!

Doodlebug did a bit of early fishing (caught 2 large mouth bass!) before we headed to the playground and our picnic with Joan and her kids.

Macey played on her iPod while two boys napped, then we hit the lake:

Scooter only wanted to ride in the boat with Grumps and me.  He is still a little scared of that tube thingy, but this is the same boy who has soloed on a motorcycle already.  Figure that one out!  But the little stinker wouldn’t look at the camera. 

They all enjoyed a swim, even the dogs.  Yes, dogs plural.  The other one is quicker than the camera:

MM and I have gone from skiing and tubing to being merely the boat driver and spotter.  At least we are continuing to make good memories for the young ones, and can smile and remember our own younger selves.  That is the cycle of life…and it is good.

It is not only Bastille Day in France today, but it is sweet Faith’s birthday…a cause to celebrate!  Hugs from us to you.  And thanks for this photo I stole of you and Briney.  Love ya both!  Love those smiles.

And now, back to loading up the moho for another adventure.  Stay tuned!

Shoot the Hooch!

 

Joan, Carey, and I are heading to Helen and tubing with the kiddos this morning, at least that is Plan A…if the weather cooperates. 

Plan B?  Back here to enjoy the lake…in between rain showers.    I do see some blue patches of sky now, so we will hopefully have some happy, water-logged kids.

I will see if my new waterproof phone holder works.  (No phone inside, silly.  This is a trial run…um, float.).

Happy Friday the 13th, y’all.  Go out and have some fun!  We sure will.  Come on, sunshine!!!

Sweet dreams!

 

I have had a very busy day…laundry, marketing, paperwork, library visit, beading…what?  Beading?!  Yes, just a small project.  I am sooo out of practice.  Bugger.

So since I didn’t get to say Good Morning, I shall say Sweet Dreams!  Night, night.  Sleep tight.  Don’t let the bed bugs bite.

Zzzzz…

Overcast in Blue Ridge

Tubing with the kids in Helen is out today.

Gem mining in Blue Ridge was Plan B. They are closed.

Plan C. Inspect the train.

Plan D. Let the monkeys play on the city playground.

We may be at Plan Q before the day is over, entertaining four kiddos...with Amy, Joan, and Carey.

Life is never dull with energetic wee ones!

Creature comforts…and comfortable!

 

Check out these cool dudes on their new clouds of comfort.

Amy got the idea from Pinterst to make these pillow loungers for the boys to play on, watch TV, whatevah!  Two different fabrics (upper and lower) and stitched into compartments to make it possible to remove the five pillows to wash the fabric.  Often.  Boys are messy creatures, especially these two active ones.  But they are sooo adorable…and funny.  Did I mention smart?

And now their wee girly cousin wants one.  Amy will be back to the fabric store for pink stuff.

I’m loving being a grandparent…the reward for not killing your teenagers!  Not that ours were bad, of course.

Life is good, y’all!

Monday smiles…

 

Aren’t Amy’s toes the cutest things?!  She painted them yellow/green in honor of Scooter’s recent John Deere birthday party, but I forgot to post this.  They make me smile. 

So does this:

And this cousin love:

I’m easy.  And I didn’t have to clean up the mess.

But it is Monday here and I do have my own share of duties of the cleaning variety…and paper variety, so I shall tackle one project at a time and git-er-done…while watching the Tour de France.

Life is good, y’all!  Share some smiles.

Sweet memories…sweet family!

 

Happy Anniversary, Haley and Logan!  Seventeen years and two beautiful daughters later, you two are still going strong.  Keep up the good work!  We like happy kids.

Enjoy your special day.  Heck, enjoy EVERY day!  Blessings and hugs.

MM and I plan to have a lazy day taking it easy.  It is going to be another hot day in the GA Alps, so I’m thinking leftover fried chicken and a game or two of marbles.

Who wants to play?

The gang’s all here!

 

Our motley crew, waiting on dinner to arrive.  We had the porch overlooking the golf course all to ourselves for most of the evening, having gotten bumped from the banquet room due to a wedding rehearsal dinner conflict.  Bugger.  It had rained, so it was nice and cool after the sun went down.  And the grill gave us a discount and free dessert all around for our inconvenience and slow service.  Sweet!  It is smart to have happy customers.  We’ll go back.

So baby sister left this morning, heading back to hawt South Georgia.  Bugger.  We had fun laughing and reminiscing.  Hopefully she will be back soon…or off with her head!  What say you, Nan???  An occasional comment from you would be nice!

She was a good sis and helped me get a few things ready for our annual RV park meeting this afternoon.  Even the temptation of a great potluck dinner couldn’t sway her from the call of her own bed, since she has been away all week.  Monday and work will arrive too fast, so we understood and let her go.  This time.

How is your day going?

Happy Anniversary to us!

 

Look at us—44 years ago today…and still counting. And smiling…3 kids and 4 grandkids later!

Happiness is being married to your best friend, and that we still are.  We have stuck together and made everything work out.  Of course there have been “bumps in the road.”  Every marriage has those.  But we began with a commitment to each other, and have honored it all these years.  And we considered ours to be a 99-year contract, with an option to renew.

Honey, you’re still a keeper!  I love you very much, but I’m still not cooking dinner tonight.   That’s a (my)rule around here on our anniversary…and mama rules that part of the roost!

Actually, all the kids are joining us for dinner tonight, with the addition of my sister Nan.  We are delighted she is here, but that tale is for another day.

Camera.  Check.

Remembering to use it…doubtful…but I am confident at least one of our chitlins will snap away.

Life is good and blessed here in paradise, y’all.  I hope yours is too!

Tilt!

I think the glass had one too many!


Having fun with friends and my sister at Dan's Grill.

Life is good!

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Happy Independence Day!

 

Thanks to our forefathers for their wisdom and vision for our great country.

And thank you to our troops who died for this freedom we so enjoy, and for the current ones who are keeping us safe…and still free.

Stay safe on this holiday, and count your blessings, y’all!  Life is good.

Baby love!

Check out this cutie patootie lump of sugar!  This is Eva, friend and sista Joy’s newest addition to her family.

This was her very first visit to Mayberry yesterday, so Haley and I went over for a baby fix.  Boy, were we in heaven!

 

I shared the little sugar factory.  Note the cute tutu, the first of many to come!

Joy has been “auntie” to all of my grandkids, and now I have that honor with her very own wee one.

A child can never have too many folks to love him or her.  Miss Eva is well loved…and very blessed.

So today is my day to call bingo at the senior center.  Those seniors are just as appreciative of a smile as this sweet baby is.  Always remember that…so share a smile or two today!  There is someone out there who needs one.

You can make a difference in a life.

Two men working…

And one watching…supervising?

MM is such a smart guy.  He bought this Airstream travel trailer “right” because it had some major rear-end damage.  Since he had to replace the bumper, he used a tool box that he already had (extra storage is always welcome), and bolted it onto a pull-out tray that will now store the sewer hoses and keep them out of the way.  Final touch--a bike rack mounts on top of the tool box.  Brian helped him get it moved into place while Dan supervised and I photographed.  Teamwork, right?!  MM’s knees are now rebelling a bit, but otherwise, he is a happy camper with the outcome.

We spent the hot afternoon watching the Tour de France, keeping cool, and being lazy.  Knowing we had a wake to attend in the evening for a local young man kept our day to a slower pace.  It is always sad when a life is cut short.

Life is not a dress rehearsal, so enjoy each and every day, y’all.