On this day in {my} history...

Being that most bloggers talk about themselves.. and why not... it's what we know most about.. I am taking a look at what I was up to on this day in 2010 and in 2009.  Loving the fact that I can just scroll back and take a quick look see!!

2010... looks like I actually finished a challenge.... whoop!!!

So this is it... 31 posts in 31 days.... 

urgghhhh i'm exhausted. I thought it would be a pretty easy 

challenge. Alas not. 

I though "I post every day anyway, piece of carrot cake"

obviously, I really don't post every day, every single day.

I take a break when I have nothing... it's not forced.. not squeezed out

just for the sake... Blog for Blogs sake!!!! 

This has been pretty draining to say the least... but after all I did it!!! I

actually completed the challenge... something is finished, done, 

executed to the bitter end. 

Now, can we all get back to normal around here and have some

pure, unadulterated, blogalicious FUN!!!!!

Yipppity Dooo Daahhh.

and in 2009... I'm not showing the whole post here ... rather showing what I have learned in the past two years about the importance of post processing and churning out a much better picture than that which is sometimes delivered right from the camera.... or SOOC if you wanna be hip 'n' cool.. like me.. heh heh!! 

Ashley had just had her ears pierced on this day in 2009 and I obviously took the picture without a care in the world about tone or white balance or any of that stuff.... so today I worked a little PSE magic on it and voila.... she's looking a lot prettier than she did two years ago!!!

So what's happening on this day in 2011.. not a great deal... just happy with the outcome of that picture and now wondering if I should rummage around and find some other disasters to fix from my archives.... just think.. wouldn't it be great if we could go back and fix some life disasters like this... hmmm. Happy last day of August y'all.... see you in September! 

is it just me or has the world gone completely nuts??

It is just me?? OK then good, for a minute there I thought everyone on the planet was headed 

to hell in a handbasket with me! phew.. for yous guys! 

So I went blog hopping today into territories unknown, I have a little (well about 584) regular

blogs I try and keep up to date with... and by up to date I mean I visit once ever y584 days if you're

lucky and I'll comment every 2608 days if you're even unluckier!

So what I found today were some fabulous, funny and occasionally freaky blogs... I love it!!! 

Bloggers are awesome... pat yourself on the back and pour yourself a 

large one.. on me...you're welcome!

I'm having a little trouble with my best friend Mz Toshy the netbook, well I seriously think the 

problem is with Mz Toshy's battery... glad I just pointed out she's a net book otherwise you

dirty minded little freaks would be imagining all kinds of kink!! 

You see, and if there's a techy out there I need you to verify this theory, when I'm using 

Mz Toshy and she's not plugged in I get this crashy thing happening where a dreaded blue

screen pops up and then it reboots. This doesn't seem to happen if I have it plugged 

into the wall... hence my deduction that it's the damn battery. I have had it two years 

or maybe a little more... can't quite remember. Think I need a new battery????

Answers please people. I cannot afford to lose all the precious stuff I have stored

on this baby... like the little voodoo post it stickies I make when I'm grudging... 

see....

 In other news... I'm waiting for some news... nothing I can actually blog about which I know

is ridiculous to even mention it if I can't actually mention it... forget I mentioned it. 

In other, other news... my kid made a weird comment last night which is nothing new to be

perfectly honest.. weird comments are her specialty. She said that her little black friend only knows

one white singer and that's Justin Beiber... Huh??? why would that even be something they'd 

discuss... I know we live in South GA and to be honest it hasn't exactly changed much in 

the past 50 years as far as mixing the pot but really... do kids discuss the color of the artists

these days??? I hadn't even thought about it... good music is good music regardless of the 

race,color, creed or dare I say "orientation" of the musician. sheeeesshh. 

One more before I go.. seem to be on a roll here.. other than the roll of gelatinous butt 

I'm sitting on I mean. Father of my children and man I'm married to... can't say his name for 

he is all mighty... has the task of being Ballet Dad this year. I am not in a position to be  

available at the times of their classes so he has kinda graciously stepped up to the

plate and is involved in all things ballet this year! hee hee... giggles. 

He calls me from the car and says.. it's storming and the girls don't want to go to ballet

tonight because it's a metal building.... Ballet Dad say WHAT???

Almost speechless I reminded him that we are spending an ugly amount of 

hard earned cash on classes, shoes, little chiffony skirts....yes, my friend, they can take their

graceful little butts to class and suck it up. 

Surely if there was a danger the class would not be taking place ... right??? right???

Once again.. I call upon you experts to leave me a comment as to the 

safety of ohhh a hundred or so little ballerina's in a metal building during a storm. 

And that my friends is it for tonight's episode of thoughts from the depths of Mama hell. 

Tune in next time where we talk about shih tzu hairballs and how to cover the 

scratches on the front bumper of my Jeep where I drove into a metal railing. 

güle güle

Snippets of conversation..

10 yr old.. "it's a guy"

7 yr old "uh uhhh.. it has pigtails it has to be a girl, boys don't have pigtails"

10 yr old... "well he's a boxer, girls aren't boxers"

7 yr old..."helloooo there are boobies it has to be a girl!!"

Yes it's another edition of Guess the Gender from the Just Dance Wii game.

Macro Monday... droid style!

It's Monday again folks... seems to come around pretty quick doesn't it. I'm happy to say that this week again I have found myself willing and able to join Lisa for Marco Monday.

 This little offering was taken using my Retro Camera App for Droid. I don't have a fancy iPhone people even though I kinda sorta wish I did only for the camera. The Droid cameras really not that great!! BUT... the Retro App is not bad for fun little shots like this one. It's a gumball machine and I actually very much like how this turned out. Very periodesque.... even though the machine was actually stamped in 1989.... which isn't that old for goodness sakes!!! So my lovelies why don't you head on over to Lisa's place and join in on the fun.

So you think you can weather the storm...

Hurricane Irene is ravaging the East Coast of the US, in particular Nags Head North Carolina as I post....I have never been to the coast of NC but it's on my list of places to see. High on that list, just not this weekend!

Its riveting, I can't seem to keep myself away from the weather channel... I think it's because it's so ridiculous....  TV peeps get themselves out there in the mash-up and broadcast live while they're have their hair literally ripped from the follicles by the winds and their faces sandblasted... yes with SAND! What makes these people think they're above it all?  Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they do because I love to just how bad it gets but I can't explain my fascination with it all. I think it's the frustrated roving reporter in me... in another life I would be that person coming to you live from the eye of the storm!!! I'd be there teetering at thirty degrees trying to find the words to sensationalize the situation...hooorahhh!!!

I tried it once, I know... idiot.  I have blogged about it before but it's worth repeating.... when a hurricane comes to town (unless you are a weather channel reporter) stay in a safe place and let it pass. Do not, repeat, do not head out in your little Jeep and try to get action shots of the storm ripping apart your hometown. It's not a wise thing to do and you'll realize that fact when the pine tree topples and hits your Jeep and scares the freakin' bejesus outta ya!!!!! Ever wondered what goes through your mind when something dramatic like that happens??? As I recall it was literally "HOLY SHIT!!" We were fine and I remained calm, the worst part was that I had the hubby and kids with me, and I felt like a complete asshole putting my kids in danger like that but the wonderful thing about me... I learn from my mistakes. I will never, ever do that again...no never!!!  Oh and just to clarify, we actually live inland, yes inland, these storms are not to be messed with, if you're on the coast... get outta Dodge!!!!

My hope is that Irene will not be as bad as the dramatists are forecasting and that she will have mercy on the East coast... I am going to keep one eye on the Weather Channel while I go about my Saturday morning business of laundry and blogging... a fabulous combination I know.. don't you wish you had my life!!!

There ARE no family photos...

You ever get one of those days when you're just... well irritated???

It's no one specific thing that's got my goat, just a general irritation that's festering

under the surface ready to ravage some poor unsuspecting do-gooder.

I have been listening to Cosmo Radio for a long time now, in particular I love the 

Wake Up with Taylor show, a while back I had a little obsession with it but 

I'm over that now. Back in the real world. Anyhoo.. I was listening today and they 

mentioned something about the peeps on their FB page, so I thought I'd pull up the 

page and check it out. I can't freakin' find it!!!! I know I had "liked" it at one point

and although I haven't looked at it in forever it has to be there somewhere!!! 

How freakin' irritating is that??? I poked around a lot and couldn't see anywhere to find

the stuff that I "like" rather than actual friends... where the  Eff is that stuff???? 

This kinda thing really pisses me off... I'm like a crazed freak trying to find that stupid page! 

Someone help me!!! I'm starting to get all paranoid thinking they blocked me for my 

stalkerish behavior!! .. ????

Secondly, while poking around FB looking for the Wake Up page I was distracted by 

photo albums of friends... I like to see what they're posting.. how the kids are 

growing.. where they've been all that shit... and now I'm getting all fired up again!! 

Where are all my FAMILY pics??? Nowhere.. that's where... we don't have any..

no family pics involving the four of us. No... well there's one taken about 

three years ago at a wedding which sucks.... prior to that there's one that

my good friend who's a pro photog took FIVE ..read it.. FIVE YEARS AGO!!! 

There aren't even that many of the girls actually with either one of us parents.. in fact there are 

practically none of me in recent years. I can't stand having my pic taken any more.

I was on one friends page and there were pics of the four of them on trips and at Christmas

and at home and blah de blah blah.... All the while I'm smiling thinking .. awww

what a sweet family they are... then my smile fades as I get in a little frenzy thinking 

we're a sweet family we should have pics of the four of us plastered all over the net.

I won't let anyone else use my big girl camera but I do have two other perfectly above

average camera's that they can use... but who is "they".. when are we with someone

else who can take a picture? urgh... I allowed an old guy take a pic of the four of us when 

we were in Tennessee but I hated the picture! I looked like a full term pregnant

hefalump and the kids were making weird faces!!!! It wasn't like I could take time 

to pose us all and make sure we were all in the correct light and have him take three

hundred shots to get the perfect ONE.... not to mention it was the middle of a three 

thousand degree day and sweat abounded. I get all agitated when I ask hubs to take 

one of me and the girls... I can't relax... I feel like firstly I'm bothering him to take

the pictures... and secondly it's so posed, stiff and awkward. 

I feel every one of those extra ten pounds the camera is adding not to mention every

one of the thirty pounds I've gained  in the last few years...sigh.. irritated effin' sigh!! 

To add to the irritation today, I have a hair appointment booked after work. 

I'm going to go in there thinking that she's going to change my life and come out all 

pissed that I'm still the same old me but with shorter hair, there will be no miracles on 

54th street or extreme makeovers, just a trim that may look good until I have to "fix" it

in the morning by which time it will have morphed into something like Mickey Dolenz.

The morning grapple with the do and trying to get the kids do's done is enough to send 

me over the edge. No wonder I'm constantly irritated!!! One day I'll be all  

glamorous and I'll wake up to breakfast cooked by a house keeper, my bath drawn and then a

 little pampering by my personal stylist before I leave for the morning school run, I'll drop the 

kids off with a cheery smile and a wave; I'll move on about my business with the light

and breezy disposition of a lady who's catered to. Sigh... one can dream!!!! 

Randomonium Roundup...

OK, summer is officially over.... despite the fact its still a gatrillion degrees here in the 

Deep South.  For those of you outside of the US I'd like to clarify that the "Deep South" is 

anywhere below Virginia(ish) and to the right of Texas/Oklahoma; it's always

hot, humid, hospitable and homely.

There's ain't no one gettin' in a hurry in the Deep South, bless 'em! 

I recently "found" an old friend, an old best friend by searching the internet 

profusely until she could hide no more. Actually she was right where I left her

about ten years ago which is wacky right? and no she's not in fb so it was quite 

the accomplishment to track her down and make contact again. It made me so freakin' 

happy to almost have her back in my life, at least to exchange emails, she's in Scotland

so it will be a while before we get together but get together we will, I can promise you that.

I have been racking my brain to decide which of our many teen/early twenties stories

to recount on the blog and I'm sorry to say that I'm coming

up with a very short, shortlist of escapades which are actually publishable. 

I am however having a ridiculously good time sifting through the memories! 

If hairspray could talk... we'd be in trouble!!! 

Have you guys been listening to "Whatever" with Jennifer Hutt on the Martha Stewart 

Channel on Siruis radio? You should.. and go check out her website... she's awesome! 

I'm thinking she's gonna bring out the stalker in me, she has a blog and a fb page 

and she's very intelligent and witty so I'm following all her social media outlets.. could this

be a bloggy crush!! LOL... whatever... just tune into the radio show and you'll 

get it...Sirius channel 110 from 5 - 7pm.

Yesterday was one of the most bizarre days that I have experienced in a long time.

Some asshole good for nothing called a bomb threat into the school system of the 

town in which I work. So they proceeded to evacuate something like sixteen schools in 

the area, sending kids home on buses and having parents come pick them up. 

What a freakin' nightmare for one small town!!!!! It was Crazytown USA for the best

part of the afternoon, I am happy to report they have arrested the perp. 

Add to that the fact that there was also an Earthquake in Virginia (which didn't have any effect on me 

personally, other than to make me wonder what the heck is going on!) and it was quite

the day.  I mean... what happened to just going about ones daily business without the drama?

We are shopping for new tires for my Jeep... I learned what the numbers on the size of 

tires mean.  You see I don't like to call up and give someone a random number not knowing

what that number measures... I hate being given information without knowing the

background.  So now I know, I'm informed in the world of rubber meets the road, and I 

am one step closer to being a Modern Mom... all informed and shit.
fyi... we spell it tyres in England, you see all this stuff I've had to learn in order to live in the US. 

I mentioned Virginia twice in this post, now that's random.

Well that about wraps up the randomonium for the day, I feel I have only scratched 

the surface of the junk going on in my world but you get the picture!!! 

Au revoir tout le monde.... y'all come back now y'hear!! 

Macro Monday....

Hi, my name is McGillicutty and I'm a macro addict.... well sort of. I do love 

taking macro's...but getting them up and linked to our beloved Macro Monday is another

story. It's been several weeks since I linked up although I am still chasing 

tiny critters and stopping the capture the minutia of life as I go charging around at a 

million miles an hour. 

What do I love about this one? Well his blue helmet of course, just in case he 

should misjudge and hit is head on something while he's flitting around. 

It's a pity he had to rest on the ugly clothes line, I did snatch a couple of pics while

he was on the flower basket hook but not nearly as detailed as this, which by the 

way is sooc... not even a crop (although it could use one!).

Just one more thought about Macro Monday... I'm so glad it's on a Monday because

this particular Monday I need some cheering up and what better way than to 

share a macro and then go check out the other beautiful pictures posted

by everyone else today. It soothes the soul to immerse yourself in art and creativity

when all around the drama of suburbia rattles on. 

Hope you are enjoying the offerings of MM today too... stay a while, relax

and put your feet up!!!! 

wishing for a silent Sunday....

Silent Sunday... supposed to be silent anyway but I usually have to say something! 

I could quite easily live without TV... there I said it!!! 

I know if I said it out loud everyone in my family would GASP in horror and have 

me committed to the nearest mental facility immediately...but it's true. I am so sick

to death of the damn TV being on and it sucking the very existence out of us.

I would rather be online creating pretty pictures, checking out interesting stuff or 

having little chats with my peeps all over the world. Reading a book is way more

satisfying that watching a movie and being outdoors actually fishing gets my thumbs up

over watching the Outdoors channel every time. So lets start a movement... shut it off.. 

and live your life!!!!!! 

That is all. 

p.s. all that has absolutely nothing to do with a dragonfly.

Snapshot of a coffee table...

Hmmmm what do you have on yours????? yesterday it struck me rather odd that we would have such a random assortment of crap on the coffee table. I slumped on the couch after work and this is what confronted me.... tv remote (at least it's not stuck in the couch cushions) a rubber snake, ball cap, nail clippers, two #2 pencils and a wireless keyboard and mouse. Apparently these little acoutrements are what my attempt at home decor needed; the lovely Italian silk embroidered runner, picture frame and dainty little flowers just aren't cutting it. Oh and the lovely monogramed coasters that I usually arrange in a neat pile are clearly happier strewn across the table in a hap hazzard style akin to abandoned frizbies on the lawn.

Thank you family for your contribution to the neat little center piece of the family living room... nice, real nice!!!!!

Gah.... in which Daddy had no part...

So, interesting conversation was had in our household last night, one which will probably make me giggle for the rest of my life.... or at least until the memory of it fades and something else takes it's place. That's what happens with funny conversations, unless of course you blog about them, in which case they are preserved forever!  But even blogging about them sometimes doesn't do the whole essence of the interaction justice.... sometimes you just had to be there. This was one of those times.

I don't even really remember what sparked the conversation to be honest, but it was along the lines of my adorable seven yr old Ash praising me for something that I had done for her. It then progressed into what a fantastic person I must be because I actually 'made' her and gave birth to her... at that point she very pointedly told Daddy that he had nothing to do with it!!!!  Of course I just had to jump in and let her know that she was totally right... all he did was hang around the maternity ward and tell me to breathe and stuff (even though he really didn't even do that because both my kids were C-sections!). I was getting a  really big grin on my face now... it was so funny to encourage her in this direction when he was struggling to justify his part in the whole creation of little girls debate. His retort was to let her know that without him there would be no Ashley... or Sydney.... and that I hadn't in fact done it all on my own. He quite assertively let her know that women can't have babies without men.  Oh yeah?.. well she wasn't having any of it, not a bit, it's all just a Mom thing and the Daddy doesn't help at all. Of course I was taking her side and declared that women were having babies quite happily these days without the involvement of an actual man... so what exactly had he done???? He squirmed and ended the conversation the way he always does when backed into a corner... awkwardly... telling her "you just don't know!!" while we all laughed at him.

OK the conversation was pretty funny but the cutest, funniest part of it all was that the older sister who is now ten and feeling pretty worldly wise was listening in and very coy about the whole thing. She has this way of giggling and turning a little red when adult themes are discussed, she thinks she knows stuff and loves it when she might just know something that her little sister hasn't even dreamed of yet. So although she didn't totally join in and have her say, she was obviously on Daddy's side but didn't seem to want to commit for fear of having to explain exactly why. Her pretty eyes just sparkled and her cheeks glowed as she watched me make Daddy more uncomfortable and Ash became more sure that she was right about my super powers of making babies all on my own. Syd had that "in on the joke" kinda look about her and she was loving it.

Yes.. the talk is imminent... I did actually approach it once before and kinda shimmied around the subject;  I'm well aware that now Syd is in middle school I need to get my skates on before some snot nosed little brat fills her head with nonsense. I just don't relish the thought... it's only going to confirm my worst fears that she's growing up and needs to learn more about her parents than I'm willing to let her know... EVER!!! Eeeewwwww!!!!!! I know I'm making this more about me than it really is but I just can't help it, and I don't feel mature enough to discuss the monkey dance with my own offspring... it's just not right!!! I mean, I still have memories of those ridiculous "films" they made you watch way back when I was a pubescent pre-teen... you know the ones before pubic hair stylists existed and Brazil was still famous for football players and not runways.

So just gimmie a little longer and I will get to it, like Hubby will get around to finish painting the house (which is now approaching the fifth anniversary of the start date). I guess my true fear isn't really having the talk with Syd who obviously knows something already... but having the talk with Ash later on and shattering her little illusion when I tell her that he DID have something to do with it!!! Now.. she's the one who will leave me needing a large brandy!!!! Why oh why did I think that having kids would be a walk in the park???????

yes.... these are nuts!!

paint the moon.....

Have you check out Paint the Moon yet? I think I may have already posted about Annie and her fabulousness... well this morning I purchased her Dancing Light collection of textures. It's so frustrating to me because I'm having some of my own technical difficulties in PSE... mainly because I'm so useless at retaining things and don't tend to bookmark tutorials like I should... urgh!!! I want to be able to do it and do it now.

So.. despite my own learning curve I have managed to crank out a reasonable effort at doing some justice to her fabulous textures... and my fabulous pictures!!! I tend to get a little crazy when trying to work new stuff by myself but I know I"ll get there in the end. If only I had a million free hours in the day to play it would be marvelous!!! Check back later when I have something really fabulous to share... at least I hope I will!!! LOL.

back to school....

It's been a really busy week... kids are back in school and LOVing it!!! 

I am still coming to terms with being the mother of a middle schooler but honestly I

think it's a better fit for me. At last my kids are growing up to be kinda the age

kids I should have at my age, does that make sense? I don't have to try

and look all young and hot because now I have a middle schooler.

Ash seems to be large and in charge in second grade, no worries there! 

The mornings are going well, we have managed to be on time everyday so far.

Hip hip hooray! 

Honestly I had done a much better post about the first week of school but I

accidentally did it on my other blog! urgh...and now I am a little too tired 

to get all creative again. So this is it!!!! 

lame i know!!! 

Insane!!!!

That is all. 

Ten things I adore....

I treated myself to some fresh daisies.... absolutely beautiful, simple, bright and colorful.... and they have inspired me to make a list of ten things I adore...daisies being at number one!

2.... the quote in the picture, one of my favorites because it's true

3.....gin cocktails in the summertime

4....the smell of fresh laundry right off the line

5....a walk on the beach right before sunset

6....a good book, all well read and loved

7.....my sweet little dogs all cuddled into me

8.....the smell of freshly cut grass (this is hint to his gorgeousness)

9.....the way his gorgeousness will find documentaries that he thinks I'll like.. such as one on Duran Duran that we watched together last night

10....making a collage and then blogging it

What's making you happy today?

moving on...

i haven't been too good at keeping up on this here old blog lately have i?

although it really is my favorite thing to do

i love blogging, and i am a self confessed addict of messing around in editing 

programs and downloading fonts.... 

this particular one being my latest love... thanks to a kindly fellow blogger

Grey Street Girl.

honestly tho' is summer really coming to an end.... i can't quite believe it.

i always thought August is just way too early to send the kids back 

to school and me back to early mornings and piles of papers

at the end of the week.

the last couple of weeks have been pretty hectic with one thing or another and

i miss sitting here chatting to no one in particular. there are things going on

in real world that are scaring me to death to be honest so i'm taking

the 'one day at a time' approach to life right now. 

and this is how i relax...one post at a time. don't you love these little birds?

i love the way they chase the waves in and out and 

run busily along the shoreline on their fragile little legs... it's almost

as if they are completely weightless. 

what are they thinking about? do they think? or are they just being?

what would life be like if it was this simple; uncomplicated and pure. 

one wave at a time, one day at a time.

hmmm sounds good to me. 

She sells sea shells....

wordless wednesday.... 

Ladies of the lake...

Nothing like playing in the lake to help cool you down on a hot summer's day in Georgia! 

I suck... have been incredibly busy with one thing and another and no time to blog. 

I will just post when i have something interesting to share... and I hope this is interesting enough.

Hope everyone is staying cool... remember pets and elderly neighbors!!!