Warning.... Exciting Weekend Ahead!!!!

It's Memorial Day weekend here in the States and it marks the first of the McGilli Family Getaways this summer. Due to the fact that my vacation days were sucked up in to a volcanic ash cloud earlier this year, I am relying on weekends to get away with the fam instead of the traditional family vacay this year.

We're headed to the East Coast of Florida (you know, oil in the gulf and all that) and we have an itinerary, I know, we usually fly by the seat of our capri's but this time there's a well thought out plan. I'm really looking forward to it and at this very moment I ought to be packing and preparing and pouring over details... but I'm not.  I'm getting my post done 'cos I'll be MIA for the next few days... can't let my readers think I'm slacking again. I'll actually be gathering plenty of little tid bits for next weeks posts, taking pics galore and having the time of my life. Well, really a mother dragging two kids and a grumpy ass husband around in searing heat kinda time of my life.

What are your plans for this weekend??? I'm sure I'll take my darling net book with me so I can do a little reading late at night while everyone else is snoring in the hotel room!!!!

Coolest Mom in town....

Oh yeah that's me!!!! It was a pretty hot one here in the South so 

whats the only thing you can do with restless kids on a scorcher like this???

Get them slathered in sun block and get them out into the pool. 

Oh yeah, come one, come all, if there's a spot in my new roomy SUV (what oil crisis)

i'll load up you and your towel and we'll take over the pool of one poor unsuspecting 

great grandfather two blocks away.

Six little girls, open windows and sunroof, Miley Cyrus and a Party in the USA.

The swim was anything but relaxing, there were cannonball competitions, 

races with me at the stopwatch, water tag you name it. Then I ordered them out of

the pool, back into the bus and it was time for pizza and lemonade, I was shocked

at how much pizza six little hungry chicks can put away!!!! 

The activities continued with a choice of badminton on the lawn or a movie 

inside... yes people by 9 pm. they were worn slap out and Mama was 

triumphant!!!! Actually Mama was worn slap out too but at least it 

was a quiet night with all of them sleeping well the whole night!!! 

I love evenings like that, this my friends is what it's all about when you're 

about seven years old and live in the sweltering South.... bring it

on summer of twenty ten, I'm ready!!!!!

btw, another way to alleviate boredom is to get them to 

was your SUV..... what child labor laws??????

Fine Art Photography.....

So... for such a photography fan I guess I'm in the dark when it comes to fine art photography, or at least the term "fine art photography". When I think of fine art I'm thinking Turner or Constable, something of that ilk, a masterpiece produced by a Master.

Not that fine art photography isn't done by Masters... just not as I perceived it in my mind. The reason for this post is that I have come across it more than once in the past couple of weeks. There is a really good bookstore in town that has opened a gallery upstairs and they're hosting a fine art photography exhibition. Seriously something I need to go and check out.

I've been trying to figure out lately what it is exactly that I love about taking pictures and it's kinda given me a block...you see I was all about flitting around (if I can flit, i'm a little heavy to flit) taking pictures of nature or macros of fancy earrings or birdboxes... then I took a class and it was more about portraiture and it led me down a different path and I find myself yearning for my still life pics again. I did learn a lot about light and aperture and all that but there was a lot of posing and softening and which way to slant the head so that the guy doesn't look gay etc etc. However, the strange thing is, why in the heck do I feel the need to pigeon hole myself?????  Can't I just be a regular old picture taker and be done with it??? Why do I feel I need to pick a field and stuff myself into it and never dabble in something else???

I love "Fine Art Photography" ..... now that I know it has a name... but i also love to see the portraits capturing people at a certain moment in their lives.... I guess I just love it all.... what do you think??? or do you just think I'm a nut and over thinking all this??????????

Memoir Monday's....

OK, I'm new to Memoir Mondays, but i have so many cheeky little memoirs I figured I join in. It's hard to know where to start!!!!!

This one time, at band camp! no not really but I was in the band and did go to band camp twice a year throughout high school... high school was six years in Scotland not the measly four that they do here in the States. Anyhoodles.... this memoir has nothing to do with band camp, I'm seriously ADDing!!!!

It is however, everything to do with Scotland, that bonny land where I grew up, or was raised or however you like to say it. We lived in the Wee Kingdom of Fife, just north of the Firth of Forth which is just north of Edinburgh. Now, Edinburgh, holds some fond memories for me, like the time I skipped school and went there on a train for the day with a local pot dealer, or the time I went there to stay with my eldest sister and we had hair cuts and bought some cute earrings. Or the time I went to see Return of the Jedi. See, oodles of fond mems.

This particular time was a complete doozie though... a day that is etched in my memory forever... a day that when I think about it, I can't help but smile to myself and damn near laugh out loud.  My mother, middle sister, best friend and I decided to hop on the train and take ourselves off to Edinburgh for a serious day of shopping.  Yes siree, when you live in a wee village such as ours you go to Edinburgh when you want to get something better than a dog turd to wear. So off we go, nonchalantly skipping onto the train headed directly to the big Smokey... as it's called (that could be Glasgow, my memory is a little hazy). We arrived safely at the station known as the Haymarket and disembarked to see throngs of people in the street right outside the station... Princes St.. one of the main streets in the city. (google earth it)
What's all the commotion?? why the heck is everyone crowding the streets??? did they know we were coming??? We all giggled and looked and tried to figure it out... then it became apparent... the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were in town... here they come.. in the black Rolls Royce, waving and smiling to the crowds. Oh how wonderful it was, as kids we didn't get a glimpse of them often but today we had elbowed our way to the front of the crowd and had a perfect view as the gently glided on by. What a treat!!!!  So as we stood there after they had passed waiting for the entourage to go by and the road to open up, we were all laughing and joking about how they must have visited for the day just to come and see us.  Then the traffic stopped at the red light where we were waiting to cross... there in the limo at the light was none other than KIRK DOUGLAS... now remember peeps we're talking about when I was fifteen so it was the mid eighties. Well that was it... it was on... my bff just started calling out to him in her lovely Scottish accent "Kirky Baby... take me with you!"  she was hiking up her skirt and calling to him... he was laughing and trying to not really look at her while she was making a total exhibition of herself.  It was totally hilarious!!!

The light changed and off he went chuckling to himself and of course we were in hysterics by now, we hadn't even gone anywhere and already our day was shaping up nicely.  We walked a good ways down Princes St and I honestly thought I was going to pee my pants I was laughing so much.  The day went on without too much more excitement, other then the giggling from events earlier in the day. I think we laughed all the way through lunch in well into the afternoon. By the time we'd moved to the far end of Princes St, there's a hotel there called The Caledonia, we were coming around the corner there and ran slap into a pile of people outside the front door.  We literally ran into them and one lady hit the ground, and guess who it was, none other than Linda Carter from Dynasty... the blonde one married to Blake Carrington.  So we were off again, laughing and whooping it up about all the stars we'd seen that day!!!!!

Apparently that weekend was a big charity event in Edinburgh called Night of a Thousand Stars... well it was definitely a big day for us!!! We laughed all the way home, that day will stick with me forever. It was just so random  and crazy for some girls from the Wee Kingdom of Fife.

So it just doesn't stop....

For those reading this in the US, I'd like to direct your attention to a Volvo 

commercial from about six or eight months ago... remember? the one where there's

a little girl just talking, talking, talking all the way home.

For those in other parts of the world who may not have seen this 

commercial, it's just about your precious cargo. The little girl is about 

five or six and her dad is taking her home from school or something

and she's just incessantly chatting away, he's hanging on her every word. 

Well people... that was me today... only I really wasn't hanging on her every

word... I was a little irritated with the monologue that never seemed to have

an ending. My five year old chatter box kept on talking and talking in

her kind of high pitched Southern drawl.

I couldn't take it any more and after about five miles of blah blah blah

I yelled "STOP!!" as loud as I could. 

Silence... 

for a couple of minutes, total silence, bliss! 

Then a little voice from the back of the Jeep... 

"Just sayin!"

I smiled the rest of the way home....

Gotta Keep Reading - Ocoee Middle School

Got Snot????

This time of year sucks... in the allergies department anyway. 

I have been suffering with sinus problems (again) for a few days now. 

The other night I was banished to spare room 'cos his gorgeousness couldn't get

any sleep due to the decibel level of my snoring and apparently gross

phloem breath....ooohh sexy.

Last night, same thing, although I got to stay in my cozy bed while he slept

elsewhere.... I don't know exactly where... could have been with the ho down 

the street I wouldn't have cared. 

It's making me crazy, I'm stuffing drugs I can't spell down my gullet and 

using millions of tissues to expel the snot. There's eye drops a plenty 

and I'm miserable.... in short it's turning me into a crazy(er) bitch!!!! 

I was so pissed when hubby was late home yesterday that I bitched and bitched 

at him when he came through the door (at 8 oclock!) he got mad back at me 

and it wasn't pretty.  He then walked to the pantry to give the dogs a treat 

and ended up putting it in his own mouth!!!! Hilarious!!!!!!! Now that's the 

way to end an argument. 

So folks if anyone out there has any remedies or old wives tricks that will 

end this torture please, please let me know. I'm willing to try anything...

yes anything... I don't care at this point.!!!!! 

it's all your fault, pretty little, good smellin' Jasmine!!!!!

Look Mama

Look Mama, originally uploaded by McGillicutty1.

OK all you wonderful arborists (I guess that's not a word) tree fanatics... what the heck is this? I know it comes from the magnolia tree but can't quite fathom what it is exactly.

Ash found a million of them and insisted on bringing them home... they're really neat, like furry leaves.

Answers in the comments please..... 'preciate it.

Pictures, pictures, pictures.....

This has been an extraordinary year for me so far, it's moving pretty quickly but then that's to be expected, I'm getting older and that means time just whizzes by you.  I set myself some goals this year and I'm pretty much on my way to accomplishing them... sort of.

The photo a day project took a severe beating this past month, not because I didn't take a picture a day, quite the reverse, but because I"m completely crap at documenting and posting. I hate the organizing and tagging and numbering, those among us who are far more chronologically minded are gasping in horror right now!!! Sorry.

I'm the kinda girl who has oodles and oodles of randomly named files in 'my documents' and most of them are duplicates and some are actually named "random"... "random i".. "very random" you get the pic.  Then I stress when I want to find that exact picture I took on that day.. remember the day at the thingymajig.. in the pink shirt... the sun was shining!!!

I did manage to take my photography class and learned A LOT!!! also learned I still have A LOT to learn. It's waaayyy more than just point and shoot. It's been fun but I may have to take another class. I'm loving it and hoping to actually set up a page on this here blog dedicated to just posting my pictures, no words, no fancy descriptions... just pictures.  I actually wish I had a studio... I know that's a grand plan isn't it!!! For now just a wee page on my blog will do. Now that I have paid Google $5 for extra storage space the sky is the giddy limit... as we Brits say.

What are some of your goals this year... are you accomplishing them or wallowing in slackerdom?????

Muchas Gracia Monday

Ive said it before and i'll say it again....I love Kim at Too Many Kids... she's very funny, very generous and most of all has this great idea for a Monday post. Check her out now... I insist.

Here's my little list of things I'm feeling  Muchas Gracias about today...... yes I know it's Monday and i'm not your typical kinda perky Monday kinda person but there are some things I can acknowledge and be thankful for..... yes... I can!!!

I am thankful that this week marks the end of the school year in our neck of the woods. Yep, I'm looking forward to a tiny bit more time in slumberland each morning... no hassles with what they should be taking to school in their bags, what shoes to wear or whether they need a hair clip.... summer means let it all hang loose in our house!!! Chill, take a bath when you need one, wear shoes and shirts if and when the mood takes you and don't bother me unless your bleeding.

I'm thankful that this evening I can sit here on the porch and punch out this post, the sun is blazing but I don't care, I can hardly see the screen but what the spellcheck..it's all good. I feel a gentle breeze, I got me a chilled glass of wine and all is lovely!!!

I'm thankful for Ash, my crazy little companion. She's so sweet and funny, she can sit here for a very long time just talking complete drivel and she's totally satisfied. Right now she's showing me the azaleas in the yard and telling me what their names are.... Bob.. she's very proud of him for growing so big... then there's his brother Edward... Nice!!!!

I'm thankful that my beloved husband just called to say he's on his way home... plenty of notice so I can blog some more then quickly throw dinner together and pretend like I've been slaving away since I got home! hee hee. Sneaky I know but one has to keep on ones toes if one is to maintain any kind of harmony in the McGilly house!!! I'm sure it's not just my beloved who feels that blogging is too time consuming... admit it... some of you are secret bloggers right???????

and finally I'm thankful for the snakeskin sandals with giant bling that make any day a wonderful day!!!!

now... go check out kim and join in.... it's never too late.

Summer's Here... not where you are... but here!!!!

 Who's more afraid, her or the frog???? LOL.

Yep, it's here, beautiful weather, sunscreen, 'kini's (not for me of course), cold drinks

and lazy afternoons. Just a few snaps from poolside yesterday. These are the days 

we live for!  They found that little toad in the pool and rescued him, Ash was 

squealin' and squeakin' at me, "take a picture Mama, take a picture".

Too funny. 

This morning we're forming a plan of action for the summer. This year we'll have 

a schedule, a direction, a purpose. We have weekends away, day camps, visits with 

family and a hefty ole gas bill I'm sure. I'm determined not to let this summer pass me 

by without doing some of the things we always say we should do. Like tubing down 

the Itchetucnee River, visiting Tybee Island, spending a day at the zoo in Jacksonville

to name just a few.  

So... what you got planned for the summer?????

Ahaaa... got it....

I have been noticing lately that the bird feeder is now actually being used, the girls told me they had seen one or two cardinals up there pecking at the seeds. It was a while before I witnessed the beautiful sight myself... cos I'm always so busy!!!!!

Well here it is... this time I managed to sneak to the window with my trusty camera and quickly grab a shot...it's not perfect but anyhoo I got it. I love snapping things like birds, squirrels, wildlife... it makes me feel like squealing "gotcha"... they always avoid humans so much that when you capture an image it gives you kinda of a rush like you've accomplished something.  I'm a geek I know!!!

 Mrs. Cardinal, grabbing a quick bitaroo... 

and throwing some down to lazy ass Mr. Cardinal on the lawn.

He was harder to capture but at least it's a semi-ok picture. 

Kindergarten Grad

Look at us.... the proud parents of a five year old Kindergarten Graduate!!!! Yep, she did it... she learned her ABC's, she can count to a gazillion, she's reading War and Peace just for fun. This was a proud moment in our lives, our youngest is about to move on to First Grade, to life outside the warm, loving confines of the little school she's attended for two years. She'll move on to days without naps, days of having more than just a couple of teachers, she'll go to the science room and the music room for lessons. There'll be PE, actual proper PE, no more riding tricycles!!!!!

Having a kid is a real instrument of measurement, without her milestones would I just let time slip by unnoticed in front of me? These are precious days, days to be savored and remembered, days to capture ourselves on film so we can look back and say... awwww!

'Tis the season for graduation, new beginnings and fresh starts... what's your story????

Randomonium Prevails....

OK as is customary in this here little blog land of mine, when I can't get it together I throw out some randomonium .... tiny tidbits of bologna that are floating around my head for your enjoyment and consideration. I am not sure where this blogging block is coming from right now so this will have to suffice for now......

I am so glad that I still have 118 followers, that number has remained steady although I am sure you're still not stopping by as regularly... prolly 'cos I have been slack on the reading/commenting front. Must do better!!!!

I came home tonight and selfishly painted my nails... yeah.... before all the domestic hoopla got underway!!! I sat on my ass in the living room, watched the news and painted my nails. I'm still reeling from that fact. I only have one other member of the family here with me right now and she's busying herself by dying things with food colorings. She walked her five year old self thru the living room and told her friend... "I'm going to get my lab coat".  Giggle.

The weather here is gorgeouso... I mean absolutely perfecto... you have to be so jealous of me right now. The thermometer out here on the patio... (yes I'm reporting live from the patio) says 98 degrees, however, I beg to differ. It feels more like 78, yeah you heard me 78... it's that perfect. There's a slight cool breeze and very, very little humidity. Makes me think of a lovely summers day in England, you remember the one???? There is not a bead of sweat on my body, yet I feel comfortable and relaxed..... optimum conditions for a soiree.... but just not tonight, it's a Monday for God's sake. No one has a soiree on a Monday!!!!!

We have the loveliest cardinals living close by, they stop in and eat from my bird feeder, which I think is too close the house, but I have seen one or two taking a snack there. I just wish that I could sit here very quietly for a very long time until I can snap one of them and show you how unbelievably gorgeous they are. Maybe the shit tzu's will catch one and I'll have it stuffed then post a pic for ya!!!  You see that's the problem, when you have two shitties and two young girls, you're never gonna capture a cardinal with your Nikon... nope never, evah, evah!!!!!!!!  Nor will I ever get a pic of the woody woodpecker that's tearing up my neighbor's playground.

Well, I suppose my little bit of me time is done, I need to get back in the kitchen and rattle those pots and pans. I'll be back later to visit all of you out there and try to rekindle the funny wonderfulness that was blogging prior to my hiatus. Remember November... it was a blogging Hoot!!!!!

What randomness are y'all experiencing.... do tell??????

yep, random... my friend has a posh outside loo!!!! 

Let's Party!!!!

Just saying... hee hee.

Today was the perfect day... no really... it was. The mother's day weather Gods were smiling upon us. I got up (early for me on a Sunday) and went to take some pics of a gorgeous family downtown. I'm really pleased with the results but they're not ready for unveiling on the old blog yet. My "big computer" is messing with my mind right now and that's where I have downloaded them to..... so all being well I'll share soon. I'm seriously having download problems all over the place so I'm thinking of inventing some kind of Activia for computers!!!!

OK... after that I relaxed a while, spent time with his gorgeousness and the girls before heading to a nearby park with a lake. We had a beautiful funfilled walk through the award winning gardens before heading to the lake for a swim. Seriously... no humidity, no clouds but no beating sun either... surreal for this part of the world. Gorgeous!

I am settled quietly in the back yard, enjoying a glass of red, watching the birds eat from our feeder and enjoying life immensely.  I love it... his gorgeousness is about to dish up some of his famous chicken with red potatoes mashed with the skin on and some broccoli... life doesn't get any better than this!!!

I truly hope all you lovely Mother's out there had a day as wonderful as mine.... what did you do?????

Such a gorgeous walk....

Several people have asked that I post some pictures from my trip, I have so many it's hard to choose so I'm going to split it up into some posts about experiences I had while I was there. Here are pictures from a walk I took with an good friend of mine and her daughter, Jo and Jess are just awesome and really made my stay one to remember.

This particular day we took a walk on the "town path" which is a walking trail from one side of Salisbury to the other through the meadows or wetlands. You can get some fantastic views of the Cathedral here, Salisbury Cathedral has the tallest spire in Britain and is home to the Magna Carter. Well worth a visit if you're in the area.

We had lunch at the "Old Mill" and it was wonderful, we had fantastic weather, good food and a couple of pints of lager. Wonderful. Thanks Jo for the lasting memories!!!!!

OK there are more but for some reason the "server" has rejected them... wtf does that mean???? will try to add them at a later time.... until then, enjoy these and imagine the rest!!!!

Happy Birthday Dearest Darling Deborah....

Happy Birthday Deb.

You are the funniest, crazyass, kindest, sweetest and 

spontaneous person I have ever known!!! 

Sometimes I laugh out loud and people think I've gone mad but it's just

'cos a little memory from way back pops into my head.

Have a Brandy and Coke for me and enjoy your day.

I love you!!!!! 

Even if you are old as dirt!!! xxxxx

Do You Recycle????

OK, one of the biggest things I noticed while I was swanning around the UK visiting with friends and family is that they're all recycling... everyone is at it... some more than others but it's a way of life, a given, no second thoughts about it.

My sister even recycles left over food into a brown square box, I think there was a plastic bag in it... a green plastic bag but plastic nonetheless. There are wheely bins for glass and paper, some for plastics and cardboard and a regular trash can. I couldn't help feeling totally guilty about my lack of recycling. I mean, I know I should do it but no one is forcing asking me to do it. My local utility company just gives us a large wheely bin to fill as we please and they come and very nicely pull it to the road, then they empty it, then very nicely put it back in it's place. Nothing more for me to think about.

There is a recycling place down the street to which I take cardboard boxes so as not to fill the trash can, but I never take my milk jugs or my magazines and newspapers there. I never take my shredding to the local pet shelter, I don't keep my glass bottles and take them to the bottle bank or anything like that. There's a huge chain-link pen type thingy at the fire station for aluminum cans, but do I take our cans there?.... no... we don't drink out of cans that's probably why.

The other thing that struck me as strange at first was that every time I went into a store to buy something they'd ask me if I wanted a bag... yes of course I want a bag... I need something to put this crap in. Oh.. in good old M&S they CHARGED me 10p for a freakin' plastic bag. My sissy was quick to explain their tactics of charging for bags as a deterrent to using plastic bags!!! Should have taken my "shopper" with me. I bought a few "shoppers" while I was there because I didn't want to have eggs thrown at me for carrying plastic bags.

So all in all it's left me wondering just what we can do to make South GA catch up with the rest of the world in their efforts to rid the planet of all the waste we're creating.  First things first, I am totally committing to taking my "shoppers" with me EVERYWHERE!!!!  There are so many cute ones to be had, it's like the latest must have accessory. Secondly, I am purchasing a rotary clothes line to plant in the yard, hubby is dead against this but he's fighting a losing battle on this one. The laundry smells so fresh and clean when dried outdoors so rotary line it is. Join me, bloggers, get yourself one and let me know how you like it. Of course the nether garments will remain inside and be dried by the big bad drier but it won't take long will it??? what do you mean my Granny panties may take three hours on hot?????

I think I'll also lobby the "City" to find out what they're doing about recycling and why we don't have to separate our trash? You know me, I'll keep on and on and on and on and on and on until they can't take it anymore!!!!!! Why in the world are we so behind with this... why don't they give you paper bags at Walmart, why is the Earth round??? Check in later for answers to these and other questions!!!! for now... Recycle baby, recycle!!!! Think Green, WOOP!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Syd...

I'm back... it's been a busy, busy week but what better way to get back into the blogosphere than to post about my gorgeous NINE year old!  I can hardly believe it, time really does fly when you're watching your little ones grow.  She's absolutely the sweetest, funniest, most caring little girl a mother could ask for.

The coveted present this year is a new bike, now she's a leggy little nine year old so we're no longer talking about popping into Target and picking up a Huffy, no siree!!! We're now into the realms of trekking around the proper bicycle shops and measuring, fitting, blah blah blah. And the price tag... let's just say this one better last until she's nineteen!!!! Daddy has to make the trip back to the bike shop sans family today so that he can bring it back in the truck with the seats folded down. Speaking of trucks....Mama got a new toy too. My little Compass although I loved it to death was just not cutting it with the kids, friends and bookbags on the school run. So, I took myself off to my friendly neighborhood dealer (yes people go to someone you know, you won't regret it) and the lovely Tommy found me a Jeep Commander... everything a mother of nine and six year olds needs. It's not brand new..... won't do that again.... but it's just what I needed.

So, all in all a fun weekend for all. Happy Birthday little Syd, I love you more than you can possibly know!!!!!