This is it....

This is the only thing I could capture at the hummingbird feeder....... and I'm done!!!!!!

at least it's keeping the ants off my picnic!!!!!!

So, what's up blogosphere??? I haven't managed to be around as much as I'd like and for that I apologize, I have managed to read a few blogs here and there but have been a butt about commenting cos I'm on the fly!
I'm feeling a little out of touch with the outside world but it's all good. Had a lot going on personally that's been keeping my occupied so I don't actually feel deprived. It's good to be busy but would be good to be busy blogging too if you know what I mean. I have even managed to gain a couple of followers... welcome!!

In other news.... next week is fall break for my kids... the first week of October. Phew. I feel like they just started back never mind it already being fall break. The neighbors (who we love btw) have already put up their Halloween lights... um hello... it's just a weeee bit too early there Mr n Mrs Neighbor. I'm about to send my kids over to whine in your ear about how the meany McGilli's won't put up the Halloween lights until, well,  Halloween.  When does everyone else put them up??? if at all???? never bothered before we had kids.. .and question number two... when will the kids grow out of it??? I"m too old for all this stuff!!!!

And finally on a more sombre note... one of our own was tragically killed in Afghanistan last week, he's a native of our little town and graduated from the high school that my kids will attend. His funeral is to be held in the auditorium tomorrow afternoon with full military honors and then there will be a procession to the graveside. A flag parade is planned, I won't be able to be there but my neighbor (did I mention I love her) is taking my kids. So, dear readers, please stop a moment tomorrow and remember Sr Chief Blake McClendon USN and his family.

OK can we not discuss the feminine products....

So, I've had a busy day, it starts with wake up and get everyone ready, the school run, busy day at work, show my face at home for literally ten minutes before heading out to a meeting. Blah blah blah at the meeting... lets get it done people 'cos I still have to get to the grocery store before heading home to do homework with littlest and listening to how biggest failed her PE test today.

Have you ever experienced that moment where time stands still and all the rush, rush, rushing around is frozen in a moment of Oh My Gawdness.???? I was hurriedly adding my purchases to the belt and the cashier (who is about what??16?) asks me if I have a lot of girls in the house... what?... "well yes" I said meaning there are three of us and one man. I'm also including all the girls friends who stop by 'cos of course she asking me this question because she sees all the boxes of Go Gurt and the Lucky Charms and Pop tarts... funny... she's really good if she figured out this was all little girl food.  Please don't judge... these are the occasional snacks they get to have in between the grapes, baby carrots, bananas and organic raisins.

Anyhoo... then she starts on about all the emotions and the hormones rushing around at once and I realized she's actually decided to home in and make a comment about the tampons and pads in my cart!!! WTF?/? aren't they told in cashier training not to mention these particular items.... especially to an over 40 yr old who needs them RIGHT NOW and will likely strangle you with the chain holding the pen to the freakin' cash register!!!!!!! I was a little shocked... and embarrassed.

It didn't stop there ladies... oh no.... it went on and on... the cashier and the bagger.... discussing the different brands and how some were thin as paper now but still ultra absorbent... and then there was the problem of changing them in the Walmart restroom and how much noise they make. We were in Publix by the way, so why she even mentions Wally World I have no idea. Of course it was totally assuring to know that this girl was proud to tell me that she would rather have someone hear her rustle the fem prods in the bathroom than be a pregnant teenager "it's just not worth it" she told me. I nervously agreed and looked around to see who else in the store was listening to this rather loud and inappropriate convo.... the mayor.. the police cheif... anyone within earshot would no doubt realize the situation of my menstrual cycle ... unless of course they thought it might be all the girls in my household mentioned in the beginning of this nightmare. Oh no of course the Lucky Charms and kid food didn't tip them off that the girls in my house had not yet reached this    golden age! Those ka-jillion boxes of femmie prods are all for ME BIOTCH!!!! and I'll kick your ass if you don't shut your damn teenage mouth!!!!!

I made it outta there without killing either one of them and although I was dying to shut them down with a cutting remark I just didn't have it in me... not at the top of my game shall we say.  I drove home and dived right into the fat pants, opened a bottle of Red and enjoyed the curry that was lovingly prepared by dearest. I will now proceed to the ice cream and the cookies before retiring to bed!!!!

Sunday snippets....

It's Sunday and I have to say it's very quiet and relaxing around McGilliville today.

Almost eerie, kinda like the calm before the storm, it's officially fall and the leaves are 

now making a definite impact on the lawn.... it's brown instead of green. 

The sky is overcast and there's no wind... the light is something I may not have stopped

to notice a year or so ago before I really got into photography.

The summer flowers I had in pots on the patio are dead for sure. I haven't 

paid them any attention and it's probably been a month since it rained here.

It rains all around, a little to the North, a little to the South even some of our

friends on the other side of town have had a little rain but not a drop at our place. 

Time to get out there and tidy up a little.. my least favorite thing to do! 

I'm ready for cooler temps but it also means things are hotting up around here

in preparation for "the Holiday" season. Thirteen years in this country and I still 

can't get the whole Holiday Season thing down. It's still unnatural to me... I feel 

all stressed out and haggered (this is misspelled according to spell check... if you can,

just peek at the alternatives offered)....before Christmas even gets here I'm over 

it... had enough and the magic is gone!!! One day I will take the family home

to England and have a real Christmas; Queens Speech and everything. 

I'm ready to start some new projects around here too. I haven't taken a picture

in probably over a week, and I miss it but have decided to dive into a couple of other

groups and themes so that I can draw inspiration from some of the bloggers and

photographers I have been enjoying lately. So, don't abandon just yet... check back 

and see what wonderful creations I can create!! One of my thoughts is to try 

and catch leaves as they're falling.. very challenging indeed... the bright sky, the 

angles, and the motion all at once. We'll see how it turns out. 

So ... my little laid back friends.. hope this post relaxed you but didn't put you 

totally to sleep. See you next time!!!! 

Phew.. been a few days since I posted... just can't seem to find the time to really plan a post in my head. Seems like the ramblins have subsided and absurdly for me there's more organization and concentration going on. Spooky, non?

 

So ... lets talk Fall, why not? seeing as today is the official first day of the season. The season for beautiful rich colors wherever you look. Just bought a lovely pair of chocolate suede shoes.. mmmmm.. perfect for fall. Now I need to add a couple of things to my wardrobe to go with them. I genuinely thought I had more brown things but seems I've been hoarding the grays and pink/purples lately. Ho hum... need to buy some new clothes gosh darn it. I wish I was thinner it would make the whole process more fun, I promised myself I would work on that.... and I will.

 

Although the leaves are starting to fall here in South GA it is still very hot. It makes it hard to know what to wear and look appropriate... I mean... there's a law against white after labor day but honestly it's still very wearable in this heat. Southern Belle's turn into the meanest bitches when it comes to the laws of what not to wear... they still completely abide by no open toe shoes between this day and that... no white after labor day.. you better switch to autumnal colors and padded vests at this time of year and please don't sweat... only glistening is allowed. WHATEVAH!!!!!! It's a million degrees and my toes need some air.. those padded vests (waistcoats for my Euro readers) are good for three weeks in January and that's it as far as I'm concerned. Don't even look at me in that tone of voice... it's hot...I don't care and you can save your "bless her heart" for someone else.

 

One of the most wonderful and interesting things that happens here in the fall is the cotton harvesting. I'm lucky enough to drive a very rural road home each evening and see the heavy farm equipment out there stripping the cotton plants and all that white, fluffy cotton gets packed into the huge "bundles". There's cotton all over the side of the road, it hasn't rained for weeks so the tractors are kickin' up dust and it's a magnificent site to see them in the fields... oh I love it!!!! Must be a country girl at heart. Keep thinking that I'm gonna see Kenny Chesney out there one day with his bronzed muscles shining in the sun!!! Whoa there Nelly.... I really don't even think he's attractive!!  Anyhooo... if I had the courage I'd stop and get some pictures but somehow I feel I would look a little odd in my professional office get up snapping away. I don't know... I just think it would be weird, right? 

 

I did stop and take these pics a couple of weeks ago, and it was weird. So you'll just have to make do and imagine the rest.

 

I am supposed to be posting a Corner View today... and seeing as for some reason I totally don't know what the theme is... I'm making fall and harvesting my theme today... rebelious of me to use CV for my own ends but there you go. I will get back in line next week and be a good CVer I promise!   I will be checking out the others I just had to get this down first... ass backwards as usual.... come back and see me y'hear!!!!

 

Photo A Day Project

I'm looking for a new project... I think... I mean I feel loyal to the group I started out with in January, mostly because I 'know' the members and we all had something in common. I just feel like I'm struggling to get a photo a day. It's hard when there is so much going on. I have some great ideas and if my kids were more cooperative I would be posting some great stuff, however, they don't want me to take pics of them and secondly they don't want to come with me when I want to go somewhere and take pictures.

The other thing is I feel like I'm struggling in general; life has been so hectic and any little time I have to sit down and do something for me feels like stolen time. For instance, right now, at this moment I know I should be doing laundry and vacuuming the house, not to mention the yard... it's a total nightmare! I don't feel happy go lucky right now but I do keep telling myself it could be worse, there are a lot of people out there a lot worse off than me. At least I exercised this morning... yep got up and walked a mile. It's a start.

So, if any of you have a suggestion for a new group, maybe a picture a week or something I'd love to hear it, and for now here are a couple of pictures I did yesterday with the kids. Syd was off to celebrate one of her friends tenth birthday, Syd and Mason have been friends since Pre-K... it is so amazing to me that they are literally growing up together and I love, love,, love this picture....

Mason has a hammock in her yard, yep, it was just too irresistible for Ash... who wouldn't want to relax here?

Have a lovely Sunday y'all !!!! 

Randomonium Friday Fun

Here's today's fur ball of random crap... and there is some mighty random crap going on right now I can tell ya.

So, I have been back in the workplace for almost three weeks and all is peachy. One of the things I like about it is my commute.. yes... I know.. I'm surprised too. I tune in regularly to Cosmo and Martha Stewart Radio and I'm in awe at what I have been missing out on all this time. You see while I was working literally six minutes from home I didn't see the need to have satellite radio, unjustifiable expense I told myself. Well now that I'm in the car for about an hour a day it's totally worth the expense to be able to listen to Cocks with P on Cosmo or the best of Whatever with Alexis and Jennifer on the Martha station. I even called in.... yes..... I did... and they took my call and I sounded like a totally cool listener getting her two cents worth on a NATIONAL RADIO SHOW!!!!! I'm stoked and will giggle about it forever. I just wish I had told them my name was McGilli and I have a blog.. darn it.. next time.

Syd got braces. I am kinda shell shocked by it all, she's so little, she's my baby, she's almost up to my chin and had braces, how in GODS NAME did this happen so quickly???  It's more traumatic to me than her first day of Kindergarten or her first sip of Champagne.. wait that wasn't traumatic at all I was so proud of her!!! Now she's all floss and wax balls.

For the last time people.... it's "I COULDN'T care less"... not "could" care less!!! and it's 'without further ADO' ... look it up if you're gonna use it. Sorry, I don't mean to be a grammar bitch 'cos God knows I could use some help from my friend the 12th grade English teacher, but these are the basics. Thank you.

I was hoping to get this posted yesterday but sorry folks, I had a prior engagement, I went out with a couple of my most favorite girlfriends and we had a dinner that was beyond fabulous!! I just like to use that "beyond" terminology 'cos it makes me sounds like Kate Gosslin..  not that I want to be like her in the slightest... well maybe some new boobs and a tummy tuck. We ate at an Italian place in town that is in an old Railway station... truly adorable setting. The food and wine were completely yummy and I enjoyed the company no end... only thing was... the damn chairs are not that comfortable... what up wi' dat??? How can you stay and soak up the ambiance (as you soak up the wine) when you're ass is in a vice... literally. Other than that... fabby night out and I wish I could share the topics of conversations but alas... you just had to be there!! !

And finally, there was a survey or poll, or whatever you want to call it, done to show that people who use Facebook are narcissistic....why in God's name do they need to do a survey to come up with that little nugget of information!!! We know it, that's why we indulge... oh yeah, we pretend to be interested in the lives of our friends and family but seriously, isn't it all about me, me, me and what my status is????? a lot like bloggin' really only I do see bloggin' as more of a kind a pen pal situation. The truth is... there's a teeny tiny narcissist in each of us, only some more than others, and that's just fine as long as you're not being totally obnoxious but isn't that the whole essence of these social networks anyway, to allow you to toot your own horn while you can sit in the privacy of your own home and spend hours and hours getting your status updates JUST SO... before releasing to the public at large. Much more conducive to sounding like you know what the eff it is you're on about...or not! Just saying... and tongue is in cheek... just in case you didn't already get that!!!! sometimes have to clarify.. just sayin'.

Corner View... 7

In five, four, three, two...one... cue Corner View!!!!

OK so I'm like a week or so late, the other more reliable CVers have already posted one CV post for the season and me being the eternal slacker, well you know how it goes.  It's all part of my passive aggressiveness, a symptom of PA is consistent lateness in order to disrupt things.

If you are a recent reader... welcome... the fun part of CV is that you can join in at any time. The host for the time being is Theresa.. she has a fantastic blog.. and a super creative family... go give her a look see. Jane of Spain Daily, who is the mother of CV, is on a hiatus right now... hugs Jane.. luv ya... If you'd like to check out other fantastic Corner Viewers just click on the links to the left of my page. I will just say that my list may be a little outdated, some of the CVers have dropped the project, others have dropped blogging completely. Maybe one day I'll figure out how to update the links.. or maybe Theresa or Jane will... see how lazy I am.

This weeks theme is SEVEN.  Seems easy enough.. only it was not.. 'cos I left it to the last minute .. again.. and hastily snapped this shot of seven mints at my office this afternoon. I totally couldn't stand the thought of not posting so this is what I came up with... lame I know. Promise to do better in future.

now... go check out the others... see you tomorrow with another in the series of Randomonium... and I may have a very exciting giveaway to share!!! Besos!!!!!

The old diet coke & mentos trick...

This is how we pass the time .... all five seconds.. on a Sunday afternoon! The totally amazing thing about this is that it was such a let down to the girls! Sorry cool kids of today, this still makes me say Whoaaa, what the hell is wrong with you?

And that's all I got for today... crap I know... this has been a particularly weird weekend, not on top form I'm afraid so instead of wasting your time I'll let you go and promise to be back another day with something Fabulous!!!! In the mean time, why don't you head over to Keely at the Un-Mom... she's got some sound advice to dish out... love it!!! Hilarious!!!

Tell Laura I Love Her - Ray Paterson w/ Lyrics

This is for my good friend Laura who apparently has never heard this song!!!! although I have been singing it to her goofy ass for six years now!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Laura... I love you!!!!

Coming to you live from my sick bed..

OK, what the heck is a sick bed???? is it different from a sleep bed??? or a flower bed??

Anyhoodles...I really don't feel good today and seeing as this is my blog and I can do it laying down I am striving  to keep my readers amused while I suffer from "the crud". Here are my symptoms, my throat hurts, my back aches, I feel like I have three pounds of cotton stuffed in my sinuses and ear canals. I have taken some painkillers and I'm settled in bed to read a while, snooze a while, watch tv a while and rest 'til this bug finds a new host.

Here are some random tid bits I have been pondering lately and I'd like your comments please...

How long does a gnat live? There has been one hippity hoppin' around inside my windshield for a week now and I can't reach the dang thing to squash it. Should I even do that? he's not harmful, just freakin' annoying... actually annoying to the point he could cause an accident so maybe I'll get Ash to stand up there on the seat and reach the little bastard.

I have come to realize that seeing as my phone now has a keyboard to send texts I can't figure out the phone numbers that are listed as words... you know.. 1-800-get shit... when you're calling the home shopping network, or 1 888 81 COSMO.. talk about aggravating. I was driving home last night and as I now have a "commute" I have had my Sirius turned back on and I love the Cosmo Channel... they had a phone in called "what your beef is" and I was totally in the mood to share some beef when it hit me... I can't call 'cos I don't know the damn REAL NUMBER!!!! and even if I did have a phone with the letters on the numbers isn't that like texting if you're trying to figure it out while driving... and that's illegal in GA!!! Boo people... give us real numbers so we can plug them into the speed dial and keep harassing you whist abiding by the law!!!

This week has not been a good photography week.. at all... in fact... any pictures I have taken are complete shite and I'm only sharing them because I feel the need to cheer up the blogosphere.... you see.. .they are so bad you'll be RAOTFLYAO.  Peeps need to quit with the masterpieces and let us see the crap that seeps from the memory cards once in a while.  Let's hope this crud goes away quickly and allows me to get back into the Nikon saddle!!!! I was supposed to be having a little session this evening but had to cancel... big boo.

 A cotton field in rural South GA... all over exposed and using totally the wrong lens...crap.

 That effin' hummingbird... see him.... no... look closely... double crap.

 The humming bird feeder...sans hummingbird... the effer flew away... crap! 

 See this... complete white... yes ... this is what happens when you accidentally have your

camera set on manual but you haven't set any settings.. you get.... white!!! 

and finally... an over exposed shitty lookin' tire of a huge piece of farm equipment. I can't

even be bothered to edit this or play with it... Ashley Sisk if you're reading... take this and make

it wonderful would ya? there's a doll. 

And that's it from me... gotta lay down a while... starting to feel shitty again... don't know if it's the crud or if it's the effect of looking at those crapadoodledo pictures!!! Check in witchya later. Toodles xxxxx

Reasons to be cheerful...

So.... today I went into serious panic mode... I got a call from my FANTASTIC neighbor without whom I would be nothing. The sitter had dropped the kids at home and run.... they were there without supervision... luckily for me it was all a big misunderstanding and I do have the neighbors from HEAVEN!!! THANK YOU GOOD PEEPS WHO LIVE SO CLOSE!  Seriously, when you don't live in close proximity to any family and you are pretty much self reliant it's awesome to know you have someone looking out for you... and this my friends I am eternally grateful for. God was totally on my side when he placed this family right next to me on this planet. Gush over.

So with a couple o' phone conversations with good neighbor and some juggling we managed to get kids to the Y for their activities and I was set to pick them up after work. Well I now work outside of our town and have to drive about 30 minutes to get home, and wouldn't you know it, I had something urgent to do at 5pm which could not be left until tomorrow and I had to pick up the kids at 5:30 pm.... I'm driving home like a bad ass out of hell and I see I have six minutes to get there, sixteen miles to go and my truck tells me I'm six miles til empty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WT ABSOLUTE F??????????????? and i'm outta blood pressure pills as well as CRAZY pills....... this my friends is what you call a totally effin' pain in the ass situation when I would give anything not to be me!!!!!!!!!!!

Long story short, the kids were fine (of course) they're at the Y and being totally looked after by some more of my totally wonderful neighbors... have I mentioned I live in the best community in the WORLD!!!!!!

We got home and my ankles are now cankles ... have to take a water pill and elevate feet. The girls are happily reading and we're waiting for Daddy to come home and cook dinner. I am still a tad stressed. Why is it that we can't be everywhere at once? Why is it that when things go wrong and your good friends come to  your aid you still feel bad.. I mean you feel good cos you have great friends but bad cos you have to lean on them!!!!!!!!!!!!  I would do it for them but still feel bad asking.... urgh.

In other news... for those of you in the States... Walmart is now selling back to school stuff at a total steal... I bought four composition books for $1... and you know what that means... two hours of sheer joy on the girls part and two hours of complete peace for me!!! Well worth a buck dontchya think???????

In other, other news... I have taken a couple of pics later but still haven't downloaded them... so this will have to do for now.  Mwuaahh!!!!!

To Shoot a Hummingbird....

The quest to shoot a perfect picture of a hummingbird continues.

The weather here has cooled slightly to a more manageable 98 degrees! so I have cleaned off the patio and spent a little time out here.... the goal in mind... to capture a decent pic of Mr Hummy and his family. Not a snowballs chance in hell!!! First off the little bastards have been divebombing the patio at beyond Mach speed or warp speed or whatever it is that is super duper fastido.

Secondly, the battery on Nic the Nikon decided to die (um why doesn't a super duper picture taker like me have a spare??) I scrambled into the house and grabbed the little Kodak (it sometimes captures great things) and after a few more minutes of unrelenting teasing by the Hummy family the battery on the Kodak went tits up too!!!

Sorry but wtf does a girl have to do to get a decent power supply around here???? just checked and my net book's about to die... urrgghhh!!!!! Since losing the cameras I decided to enjoy the garden anyway and watch  mother nature in all her glory while i have a moments peace. Guess what.... Mr Hummy had decided to quit with the hijinks and come have some lovely nectar from the feeder... oh what a glorious sight!!!! and to just sit and enjoy his beauty is astonishing to me. I don't think I can remember seeing anything so beautiful...his graceful tiny body, the bright red breast and iridescent green back... those wings... and the delicate beak!!!
It's so calming to sit here watching this marvelous scene.... how lucky I am. Now that I am lensless he's taunting my by resting on top of the shepherds hook, drinking at the feeder very leisurely and hovering right in front of me displaying all his tiny perfection!!

And in related news.... the leaves are very slowly starting to fall from the trees...bright red already and gracefully floating down one by one. Thank God for Fall.... it's been one helluva long hot summer!!!!!

Something to blog about...

Fruit salad... yummy yummy...


Syd the kid is cookin' dinner!

So, the Peanut is off playing with a friend and Syd is at a loose end here at home with the
boring grown ups. What to do? what to do?

We went to the store and bought some provisions for a delicious dinner for three.
She's already put together a fruit salad, I keep singing that Wiggles song in my
head... arrggghhh!!!! She did a great job although I was nervously flapping
around and worrying about sharp knives etc.

She grabbed her little Lowe's apron (seem to be missing her cooking apron!!) and
told me she was "ready to get her cook on".
So we set about preparing the potatoes for a-bakin' and I told her she could pretend
to be Rachel Ray. "No mama, why do I have to be her? I want to be that
good Southern lady..... Paula Dean." I thought it was hilarious so she proceded
to describe her every action in a very southern, southern accent!!

Later, after dinner she's going for a drive to Dairy Queen with her friend in
her Dad's Barney Car.
It's a 1964 Ford Galaxie 500, all decked out with the Mayberry RFD star
on the doors. If you're outside the US and don't know about Mayberry you may
want to google it. Anyhoodles.... it's turning out to be quite the evening for Syd.

Normal Service has been resumed...

After my marathon posting in August I had to take a break... I was just out of ideas.. out of things to say and out of enthusiasm to be perfectly frank!!!!

So what's been going on whilst I've been on my little hiatus from the blogosphere? what have I missed? who's been the funniest? who's been the snarkyest and who's been revealing their innermost secrets???? I have a busy day of shopping ahead and don't have time to go thru my entire reader so if you'll oblige and just give me the abridged details in my comments I'd appreciate it!!!

So new job is going well, like it, like it a lot and that's all I'm gonna say about that.

Kids, well that's a whole different bag of cartwheels right there....just when you get one part of your life together there's always another steaming turn just waiting to be discovered. School is not the pleasure cruise it used to be, we're struggling in places we used to cakewalk and it's really becoming no fun whatsoever. The hard part is that no matter what you tell  your kids they cannot possibly comprehend the importance of education from an adults perspective... they are not there yet.. they are still living it and we all know what that feels like. My plan is to just take it day by day, a little consistent encouragement every day will go further than a blow up once a semester!!!! I'll keep you posted!!!!

On the domestic front... it's a freakin' nightmare to work full time and keep this place the show home I aspire to.... LOL... that is a joke peeps.. but I do like some assemblance of order and no health hazards lurking in the kitchen.  I feel a housekeeper coming on in the near future, either that or the chore chart in the kitchen will need to be adhered to!!!!! The kids decided to enter initials into the squares so we all know what we're responsible for on any given day, check it out, M stands for Mama and D for Daddy.... I'm pretty happy with the arrangement in theory although it seems no one is actually DOING the chores.

i also realize it's unfortunate to have a chart like this when all our names begin with A or S!! 

In other news... I am now the proud owner of a complete Jeep, the rear bumper has been replaced following the little altercation  in the school pick up line recently. The rear sensors have been replaced and work as they should and I can be proud to be seen around town in my ride once more!!! Let me just say this... BACK OFF.... do not follow closely, do not talk on your phone... and for Goodness sake get your kids under control!!!  I cannot be responsible for my foul mouth and pissy attitude should anyone else rear end me!!!!

So, that's all for this Saturday morning round up. Glad to be back, have been slackin' on the photography front too so hope to get some pictures this weekend and get back to Corner View!!! Have a great labor day and please... lets all wear white on Tuesday!!!!