Randomonium Prevails....

Whenever I feel kinda adrift (I think that's the best way to describe it) I do a 

Randomonium post and it all makes sense again... so here goes...

I think I've mentioned the goings on at Chez McGilli lately, the improvements

are tremendous and I'm noticing not only does it look better around here it feels 

better. There's a kind of flow, a niceness, just a thing..I don't know but i'm 

liking it whatever it is. 

The girls will have their birthdays soon, how quickly time flies when 

you can see them growing right in front of your eyes. They never cease to 

amaze me though... the other day this happened... Ash blew bubbles......

and Syd said "if bubbles were alive they'd run away from you"!!!! 

I laughed. 

Syd has adopted a new tactic when dealing with a telling off, she stares at me with 

attitude all over her face. She watches a lot of animal planet and I'm guessing she's

going with the whole whoever looks away first thing is the loser...well I'm bigger, 

older and your Mama, I'll always be alpha dog in this house!!! 

I'm really starting to stink at the photo a day project (and pretty much stink on the blog

lately too). It seems there's just not enough things to take fantastic pictures of every day 

without them becoming forced and boring. Unlike the one above, that is the 

type of thing I'm looking for in a picture and it just doesn't happen every day. 

I wish I was better. 

The best thing happened to me the other day, I was as per usual trying to find 

a groomer who would take the dogs NOW. I never plan ahead so therefore 

they are always booked. One vet's office gave us the number of a new place in 

town and they had a spot... so I took the dogs there only to discover it was 

the chick who grooms them at the other pooch parlor and she's gone out on her

own... I'm pumped!!!! She has a fresh, new funky salon (or whatever you call it) and

I already know she's good, and she's cheaper... Booyah!!!! 

Finally, the weather here is gorgeous and I could sit out back with a glass of

wine every minute of the day and night... but alas I have laundry to attend 

to... laundry, wine out back, laundry, wine out back, laundry, wine

out back.... where did I leave that cork screw????

How does your garden grow...

So, it's time to think about new beginnings, new life, the sprouting and growing of 

all things wonderful. For the last three years or so our little corner of this wonderful 

earth has been colorless....well no, can't say colorless, there's plenty of different

shades of green but not a lot else. I drive by other homes where their gardens are bursting 

with vibrant shades of red, yellow, fuchsia and blue and feel so envious. 

So my bloggy friends the time has come to do something about all that, I have 

embarked on Project Flower Power. Yesterday we started out with some of these....

 Red Azaleas, this one fell off... yep.. off to a good start!!! 

and one of these... I don't know what this is called but it's quite beautiful!!

And a couple of geraniums... can't go wrong with these right???

We all got involved in the planting and have too say they look great.... Ash

named all the plants, I hope she remembers the names, on Sweet Potato Vine as the

fortune of being called Bob!!! love it. 

There's more work to do and wouldn't you know it....looks like rain today! 

Still, it was awesome to get up this morning and look out and see some actual

honest to goodness beauty in the back yard!!! 

I'm feeling very pleased right now!!!! 

Happy Hour Friday.....

OK.... 

very short this week... 

Really happy that I finally sent off my application for my US Citizenship... 

Happy that in two weeks I'll be headed home to see my wonderful family and friends in 

good ole Blighty... 

Happy that I found little Ash after she went missing this afternoon... 

Happy to have had a very open email convo with a wonderful blogger and 

discovered a new BFF!!!... 

unhappy that my little shih tzu is lying next to me on the couch FARTING 

very smelly FARTS as I type.... UURRGGGHHH!!!!!!!!!

GO check out the Bambs and tell her I sent you it will make her really 

crazy!!!!!!! phewwwww get the fuck off my couch dog!!! 

Corner View... Architecture

This weeks Corner View theme is Architecture and I'm wishing I was in Europe for this one... seriously... no offense South GA, but seeing Jane's pictures makes me want to travel!!!!

In this corner of the world there's an abundance of what I like to call practical, not necessarily beautiful, buildings. I really didn't know what "anytown USA' meant until I saw that any town you go, there are the exact same retailers and restaurants and they all look the same. However, in my little town at least we have a beautiful downtown which looks and feels great, Saturdays were made for strolling around Downtown Thomasville GA.

Thanks for stopping by, now head on over and check out the other CV's. Have a lovely Wednesday and don't forget to look around  you!!!!! Besos!!!

In which he caves and gets them chicks....

So, Spring is definitely in the air, the trees are blooming, the grass is showing

signs of greening, there are little pretty flowers everywhere and the local hardware store

has chicks and baby ducks for sale. 

So, seeing as my all things farming source told me about the chicks and ducks, 

I figured what the hey, I can take the girls on a field trip to see the cute little baby 

chicky wickies!!!! I'm a bad mama, I took four excited little girls to see the cute

wikle baby waby chickie wickies.... and solidly told them NO.. we were not getting 

any chicks... we're city folks and don't do CHICKS!!!!!!!! 

Yep I grabbed them all by the hair and tugged them out of that store screaming and 

yelling..... "my life will not be gooooddd until you get me a chick". 

That was Ash... not too dramatic is she???

Later that day.... Syd's playing with her friend, friend's daddy decides to take them 

back to the store to check out the chickies one more time. 

He caved, oh yeah, he crumpled big time, cannot stand up to two nine year olds... I got 

a call from one excited Syd telling me she's the proud Mom of a chick and her friend has

one too... oh really... well they ain't stepping their little cute selves into this 

house, we're city folk. 

The girls are now way excited and they're taking care of Yoko and Omelet just

like they birthed them all by themselves. They were gonna call 

them Chickadee and Chickadumb which I thought was hilarious!!!!! 

I have no idea what's gonna happen 

when they grow up, and they really don't even know if they're roosters or hens.

Still they make great little models and I love taking their picture!!!

Happy Spring y'all..........what's hatching in your neck o' the woods???

F&@K Me, did it really take over an hour to do this?????

If you want to know what all this is about.... hop on over to RxBambi and see what we've been

up to. You may learn a thing or two!!! 

p.s. she took the picture of the white wine... fancy isn't it????

Happy Hour Friday!!!

Helloooo Bloggers!!! 

and it's time for Happy Hour Friday, hosted by none other than mojoless 

RxBambi... her heart is still in Mexico, romancing with Bob. 

But I'm here to tell you how happy I am that she's back and that she had a great

time and that she shared some awesome pictures of what looked like an awesome trip.

The McGilly's have been doing a little modification of the homestead and it's really 

making me very happy indeed... yes it is... I have to say that when it comes to DIY that 

His gorgeousness is really interested in.... like all things electronic.... he's Sparky on the

Spot!!!! We now have a lovely TV installed with in-wall speakers and a cute 

little computer hooked up so we can watch ANYTHING we damn well want to 

at ANY TIME!!!! So.. 50" Plazma with all the gizmo's... check.... finish painting the 

outside of the damn house... not even close to check!!! sigh. 

I have already posted that I'm happy to be taking part in my photography class but it

makes me so happy that I have to just repeat it once more so that you're clear on that

point... happy, happy, happy to be taking my class!!! 

For the past ten or eleven days my good farmer's wife friend and I have been on the

South Beach diet... it's paying off. I feel great and have lost 5lbs so far. This is 

a good start only 550 lbs to go. Farmer's wife has hens, therefore she graciously 

supplies me with lots of eggs.. hint hint.. I'm out... you need a lot of eggs on the 

South Beach Diet.... the name is very misleading... I assumed being the South Beach 

diet I'd be drinking Champagne and eating lobster and caviar. Nope, just lots of 

eggs and ham and peanut butter. But I'm happy! 

Soccer season is finally over... this makes me happy!!!! Well done girls!!!!! 

I know you're asking yourself, why, pray tell,is Syd not in her soccer gear?

This was the last game of the season, she had a little surgery done on her mouth and

could not play the last game but by God she was gonna be there to cheer on her team!!! 

She's a trooper that one and that makes me over the moon happy!!! 

That's about it, I could actually go on and on about how happy I am this week but 

it would make you all so depressed that you're not me living my fabulous life!!!

Now, get on over there to Bambs and check out the other Happy Hour Fridays!! 

Photog Class going well....

So whatchya think???

Don't comment on the sheer handsomeness of the subject, we all know he's gorgeous... 

I just need some constructive criticism applause on the actual quality of the photograph.

See I even call it a photograph now, it's just too fab to be a mere picture! 

OK, I'll stop now. 

If you have been thinking of taking a class and there is one in your area (check with your

local tech college) you really should do it. It is SO MUCH FUN!!!! 

I have learned something new every single week and it's starting to sink in and come together

so that I think I could probably take some half way decent pics. The aperture and shutter speed are still somewhat confusing but when you put them together by using a light meter... ping... the bulb 

goes off!!!!!  I can't justify the purchase

of a light meter right now (just got my tripod!!) but it's right at the top of my wish list.

I'm still pounding away at the picture a day project, it's kinda hard to fit in to my schedule and I 

feel I'm somewhat neglecting the blog but if I quit my job and sold the kids I could do it all! 

Now if only I could get my pictures imported from the damn card I could show you

a couple more from recent weeks... but the darn thing keeps giving me some kind of 

an error that's about to get on my last nerve!!! I really think it's something to do with 

me trying out that stupid free trial of Lightroom ... it's totally effed up my downloading

into Picasa... Grrrrrr. 

Well that's if from me today, hope this little snippet inspires those of you into amateur

photography to go take a class and get fancy!!! hee hee.

  

Corner View... front door.

This weeks theme was "front door"... well ... here's mine... 

note the lovely poinsettias... no they're not still up... 

I'm a lazy woman and remembered this picture was taken at Christmas and 

so I don't have to get up and take another one!!!! 

really need to do something about the ugly hanger though!!! 

Go check out the other Corner Viewers on Jane's blog at Spain Daily. 

Happy Wednesday y'all.

Besos.....xx

A Very Quick Quickie Quickity Quick Quick...

Time for more... RANDOMONIUM!!!!!!!!

Today is a very special day... the day before St Patrick's Day.. it's... 

AUNT KIM'S BIRTHDAY!!!!! 

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY WE LOVE YOU!!!!! 

This was my cake but I'm willing to share with you!!! xxxx

The time change has kicked my ass well and truly, that and the fact that I never, ever, ever

get a good night's sleep... even in the new bed!!!!! 

I have been doing a quiet little survey of the parents dropping their kids off at school in the 

mornings and I have come to the conclusion that smokers are less likely to let you in than

 non-smokers!!!!! I detest that they are even smoking in the car with their kids, but they are rude as well!!

(I am an ex-smoker, I let everyone in).

Today is day eight of the 1st phase of the South Beach diet, I tried on my 

string bikini this morning... um may need another 80 days of phase one!!! 

That chick who slept with "Johnny" Edwards.... ppshhhttttt. 

Hubby recently wrecked his car, they have totalled it, his fleet department don't have

another car spare so he'd driving around in a rental, a Ford F150, he looks like a 

big boy now!!! I love that he's having fun in his big boy truck.

Syd and Daddy went to SeaWorld on Friday, a school trip. Thankfully no trainers

were drowned while they were there. 

That's all from the McGillicutty NewsDesk for this morning... check back with me tomorrow 

for another week of Corner View!!!! Yes I'm actually planning on doing one 

tomorrow before Jane fires me from the project!!! Besos Jane. xxx

Wordless Sunday...

DSC_0026, originally uploaded by McGillicutty1.

Well not quite. I have stuff to say but not a great deal of time! I'll try again tomorrow... for now, I hope you enjoy this lovely picture of the tiny blooms on a Bradford Pear tree. They are beautiful trees... so red in the fall and so pretty with their tiny white flowers in the spring.
Besos!!

What a Wonderful World...and it's all mine!!!

So.... recently dear readers... I mentioned that the gorgeous one and I are making 

some new purchases for the home. Yes, it's a big deal because we're not the kind of people

who rush out and buy new furniture at every change of a trend. I know, I know, y'all have 

the impression that we're cutting edge, dedicated followers of fashion and up to the minute 

chic... sadly, we're not. We're just a couple o' old fuddy duddy's who enjoy our comfort 

and as Gorgeousness likes to say... "if it works, why change it?"

because it's fugly!! that's why!!!! 

So in our quest to update some of our living space (that's an HGTV term, dig it) we 

have been searching high and low.. online, offline and in some cases, way outta line!!! 

I have come across some wonderful little hidden treasures in my quest for beauty

in my surroundings... for example if you're looking for counter stools go no further.

I think once we get into the realms of updating the kitchen with an island or peninsula

this will be our first port of call. I will have more on this site soon, so check back with me later. 

Also while in search of all things lovely and decorative I have actually come across

some lovely new blogs... and some of them are even Southern! yay. So I have

been busy visiting them and commenting and following... I'll be doing a post on new

blogs I've discovered somewhere in the not to distant future. 

Once I have some photo's of the new improved Chez McGillicutty I will gladly share 

them with you. For now it's suffice to say that I am drowning in all the preparation...I think 

this is the first time ever I have had to empty all my drawers (stop it!) and have the 

room totally clear for ALL NEW FURNITURE!!!! It's exhausting so when I collapse 

on that nice new comfortable mattress I may just sleep for a freakin' eternity!!!!! 

Recovery from a life not lived: Taking a Survey....please stop by and cast your vote....PLEASE

Recovery from a life not lived: Taking a Survey....please stop by and cast your vote....PLEASE

Hey, if you stop here please stop by Open Heart's blog and just answer the question!!!! it's harder than it looks although I make everything more difficult than it needs to be!!!!

Thanks dahlings!!!!!!!!!!

Photography is fun!!!

Tuesday nights are photography class night... OMG... it's so much fun I can't tell you!!! 

I love it. The guy who teaches it is a local portrait photographer and although I am sure that's 

not where my forte lies, as seen in the pictures below, I am learning from him and I love it!

This week he asked us to take models ... of course I took the girls!! Not that I actually wanted

to, I knew I was asking for trouble, but his gorgeousness was out of State.. not only out of 

town but out of the damn State!!!! 

So off we go to the studio, it's all rush, rush, rush, i get there and he's talking, talking, talking

then he starts metering the light... yes I know... metering the light... and tells us what to 

do with out f-stop and blah blah.. I can tell you're impressed. And it hits me ... 

dumb ass McGilly left the battery for her Nikon in the charger!!! Grrrrr!! 

Dingbat... that's me. So I ran home and got it.. y'all forget we live in a wee tiny 

place and nothing is more than five mins from my house. The class then proceeded and I 

took some of the worst pictures you've ever seen!!!! 

Here's Syd making faces behind teach's head!! 

I was taking pics and dying of shame all at the same time!!! 

He was a real sport, what she didn't know was that he could see her in a mirror

all the time.... funny stuff.

Here's Syd and Ash looking like a couple of stuffed dummies from the eighteen 

hundreds!!! I am quite sure this is not the type of picture i want to take.

And here is my necklace on my nightstand when I got home and into bed!!! 

I used what I had learned about this setting, that number, this light metering and that

depth of field and took this with nothing but the light of the lamp on my nightstand. 

and I like it!! Don't love it but I like it!!!!

Most of all I love that my teacher recognized the type of pictures I want to take and 

when I was leaving the studio he let me borrow one of his books on still life. 

It's incredible and I'm honored that he's already clicked with what I want to do and that

he's not trying to force me into the type of thing he does.. now that's a class act!!! 

Can't wait for next week... a field trip.. woo woo!!!!! 

Things I regret not knowing....

I didn't know they grew wine in Nevada.. much less organic wine... but no that's not the point of this post!

Very recently I have mended some bridges that were burned many moons ago, particularly that of the relationship with my eldest sister. For reasons beyond our mortal comprehension Sissy and I have been at odds, it seems, for  longer than is good for the soul.  It's a long complicated story that bears no importance, the important part is that we are now getting to know each other again via cyberspace and I love it!!! We actually have more in common than I remembered.  It appears big sissy is as nuts about photography as I am, and I am so inspired by her pictures. I have always taken pictures and carried them from one home to the next and even shipped all my snaps here when I made the transatlantic move, none of them were great but I love them all still the same. I can't remember Sis ever being so keen other than family snaps and holiday memories. She has a keen eye and has always been an art lover so it really shouldn't be a surprise to me that she likes to take pictures... she says they are not "on the wall" good but I beg to differ. People see pictures in a very different way so everything should be on the wall and then let the viewer decide.

The other thing we have in common is our desire to travel, it appears that she is well traveled in Europe and I know she went to South Africa once.  Also, maybe she's a little bit of a celeb spotter. She revealed that she has a picture of her with Johnny Depp... yes... I repeat... my sister has a picture of her with Johnny Depp!!!!
WTF?? I have an autographed picture of Johnny Travolta, which he actually wrote MY NAME on, but I have never met him and I have a picture of Kevin Costner on a movie set in England close to where I lived, but I don't actually have a picture of me with anyone interesting... other than my family of course!! they are all interesting.. but not famous!!!!!!!!!! I'm beside myself with envy which I am not ashamed to admit.

Sibling rivalry is once again rearing it's ugly head and I am on the look out for anyone with an A list status that I can accost and take a picture with. It's ON people.... Johnny Depp be damned.. I'm on the hunt and it will be done... watch this space. If I can ever convince her to show me said picture I will then post it here for all to see... then I'll be out there... hunting down the Hollywood elite like a manic stalker!!! I so should have gone to Tybee Island when Miley was there!!! I'm kicking myself in the ass for that one although I seriously don't think Miley and me would trump a Johnny and Sis!!!

It's fun to rekindle relationships and rediscover the people who were so very close to you at some point in your life. I know I can't be the only one in this situation.. share your story.. it's good for you!!!! Maybe when I'm home in April I can even take a picture of Sissy and Me!!!!

Spring is almost springing...

At least it's trying to in North Florida. We took a ride into Tallahassee today and here are some of the pictures I snapped along the way, using my lovely zoomy lens. Note the Aston Martin... tres jolie!!!! I was snapping away when I remembered I had that big lens on there and he probably thought we were paparazzi following him!! or a PI or something!!! What fun!!!! LOL. It was such a beautiful day, we rode around in the sunshine stopping at some of our favorite places, World Market, Radio Shack, Books-A-Million and Tarjay!
I have to say it was nice to get out and not be freezin' our buns off for a change.

Now we're home relaxing before the onslaught of another busy week.... urggh! Why can't the weekend be five days and the work week be two??? Now there's a concept!!!!

WoW... what a weekend...

Guess what we did Friday night? 

Actually by "we" I mean "me" and five little girls... his gorgeousness missed out on all the fun.

Yes, I am quite mad (English meaning of Mad, not the American)

I sat there with five little girls ranging in age from five to nine years old and enjoyed one of 

the best movies I probably have ever seen, I was totally immersed in it!!!

Johnny Depp is Da Bomb!!! His gorgeousness is quietly jealous of my Depp Raving.. i know it.

Yesterday was a whirl wind too... we did some long overdue shopping for the house.

Seemed like we drove all over South GA in order to get just what we needed but it was 

worth it. I am starting to feel like after being in this house for five years things are 

finally coming together. If only I could get the outside finished... it's been in the process 

of being painted for well.. about three and a half years now!!! And we're starting 

other projects inside??? yes I am completely bonkers!!! I have a busy day again today

so I"ll make this a short post. I'm really hoping that when I get out for a little bit

today I can take some pictures and get some mojo flowing again in that 

direction. I did manage to snap this the other day and it makes me hopeful that 

Spring is on the way!!!! Please God send us Spring!!!!! 

Happy Sunday y'all... hope you're having a good weekend too!!!! 

Hello Thursday, how ya doin'?

The pic has nothing to do with the post.... just like it!!! wanted to share... hoping to bring a smile to your face!

So... I'm being particularly polite to this Thursday morning, stepping carefully, trying to not aggravate it too much... reason being you see... is that by seven o'clock tonight Thursday will have KICKED MY ASS!!!!!
Oh yes, royally beat me into submission. Here's my to do list....

Take a shower (of course)

Get dogs to the vets for a bath

Go to the Damn Post Office and mail box of random goodies to sissy

Go to work (there's a whole nother to do list waiting there)

grab a quick lunch and book a flight to England

Pick girls up from school and deliver them to sitter where there's a whole nother

to do list to go over with her (she's awesome!)

Run back to work for an hour

Leave work and pick up daughter # 1 for Baton practice (fifteen minutes between

leaving work and getting her to the Y... that's not long)

Sit there and fester at the way my Thursday is shaping up

Run her from Baton to soccer while she changes her shoes in the car and whines 

about being hungry and thirsty, meanwhile I inwardly cringe 'cos I didn't have time today 

to pick up a drink or a snack for her!! 

Call hubby while en route to make sure he has daughter #2 ready for soccer and will 

meet us at the fields on time. 

Get the girls to their respective games which are, of course, three miles apart, spend 

the next hour running between their games and shouting expletives words of encouragement.

Drop into the car, frozen, exhausted and nerves in tatters, drive home wondering 

what the fuck i ever did to deserve this weekly ass kicking from Thursday! 

How is your Thursday shaping up?????

Corner View...Coffee Companion

This is what goes with my coffee this morning. 

YUM

For more corner views head on over to Jane at SpainDaily and see what she's having. 

Then check out these fellas.... Happy Wednesday! 

p.s. three more followers can't be wrong. :) 

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad,

caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeannette, outi, ritva, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, skymring, elizabeth, allison, lise, cate, crescent moon, erin, otli, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, nicola, vanessa, britta, april, b, kyndale, samantha, kristina, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, mcgillicutty, aimee, sunnymama, britta, juanita, inna, daan, myrtille, cris, ibb, jodi, gillian, travelingmama

athena, pienduzz, kelleyn, demara, mus, ninja, guusje, di, sammi, theresa, cherry b, victoria, kathryn , lisa, liza, juliette, mulot, anne, lucy, leonor, elizabeth, helene, dominique, shokoofeh, cole, jenna, podane, grey-lemon, line, nihal, urbaNiche, inner toddler, puna, lucylaine, adrienne, emily, lynn, skywriting, eliane, the wanderer´s daughter, carole, anna, dorit, kenza, sherry, conny, susan, l´atelier, elis, kamana, anne, rosamaría, marinik, elisabelle, victoria, malo, the yellow door paperie, tikjewit, juniper, ocean girl, emily, soisses, monica, marcie, annabel, andrea, valerie, karin, michelle, merel

blah blah and more blah.....

OK this stinks. I have no photog inspiration! i'm afraid i'm trying too hard and have

pushed my limits to the end by trying to squeeze in something every day, but why, why 

am I sacrificing quality for quantity. And another thing, I don't feel like I am learning anything

so I need to slow down a little and read a little more before picking up the camera. 

The kids won't cooperate, I could quite easily take some fantastic shots of them but they

are running away hiding from me whenever i pick up Mr. Nikon!!! 

This long, horrible, brown, drab winter isn't helping... i need sunny days and color, i need

flip flops, ice cream treats and bright colored bathing suits. I bought myself some Tanqueray and 

tonic the other day and dreamed of the picture I could take...fizzy with a little lime! 

 but then realized i don't have any really nice glasses to photograph... so I'll have to go buy some!!! 

heee heee.

I drank the gin and tonic. 

I have been looking back a lot lately too.... back at pictures... back at memories and 

things I have done in my life.... revisiting things I have experienced and places I have 

been. What a lovely thing we have in our heads, a little hard drive in which to store those

most precious of times... so that, when it's yukky and times are hard, we have something which

nothing and no one can take from us, marvelous memories which lead to marvelous 

day dreams... ultimately leading to marvelous contentment! 

Now here are some of my better pictures... hopefully... I'll take some soon that will be 

more interesting and fabulous and I'll get over this little case of the blahs!!! 

Please stick around... there'll be some inspiring stuff soon I promise!! 

thx 

and i lost a follower today... blah.