Category: family and friends

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Got to keep the kids entertained

Little Joe just loves to watch movies, especially Disney movies.  I have now rediscovered some of my old favorites like Pinocchio and 101 Dalmatians.  Well since he enjoys watching Disney movies so much, I decided to join the Disney Movie club.  Not only will I have DVDs that Little Joe can watch, but I’ll also have a collection of DVDs that my guests can use to entertain their children when they visit.  I didn’t even know there was a Disney Movie Club and I found it by luck at disneymovieclub.go.com.  If you have little ones, it’s a great way to build up a good selection of Disney Movies.

You can get the old favorites like Old Yeller and Cinderella but you can also get Hannah Montana too.  You know, that’s one talented little girl Billy Ray Cyrus has there.  I like the positive songs she writes directed at young ladies too.  She’s had a few slip up but all in all, she’s a pretty darn good role model for your girls.  Much better than Brittney Spears turned out to be or Lyndsey Lohan.  Sorry girls but you fell off of the ‘good role model’ wagon a long time ago.

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Some women hate being called this but not me!!!

I have read this before many times but wanted to share it with you because this is who I am.  Yes I have been called this many times because I don’t compromise.  I am my own person and no one is going to change that.  So if that sounds like you, read on!!!

BITCHOLOGY

When I stand up for myself and my beliefs, they call me a bitch.

When I stand up for those I love, they call me a bitch.

When I speak my mind, think my own thoughts or do things my own way, they call me a bitch.

Being a bitch means I won’t compromise what’s in my heart. It means I live my life MY way. It means I won’t allow anyone to step on me.

When I refuse to tolerate injustice and speak against it, I am defined as a bitch.  The same thing happens when I take time for myself instead of being everyone’s maid, or when I act a little selfish.

It means I have the courage and strength to allow myself to be who I truly am and won’t become anyone elses idea of what they think I ‘should’ be.

I am outspoken, opinionated and determined. I want what I want and there is nothing wrong with that! So try to stomp on me, just try to douse my inner flame, try to squash every ounce of beauty I hold within me. You won’t succeed.

And if that makes me a bitch, so be it… I embrace the title and am proud to bear it.

B – Babe
I – In
T – Total
C – Control of
H – Herself

B = Beautiful
I = Intelligent
T = Talented
C = Charming
H = Heck of a Woman

B = Beautiful
I = Individual
T = That
C = Can
H = Handle ‘anything’

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Happy, Happy Valentines Day

Well you should have seen both Celeste and Little Joe’s faces when they saw the apartment.  Celeste had no idea that the apartment was for her.  She thought it might be for me as a get away from everything.  That would have been a good idea too but she needed to have a place of her own where she could feel at home instead of just ‘staying’ here.  She’s an amazing young woman and I wanted to show her my faith in her.

Little Joe was running from room to room yelling “Mommy come see this” he was so excited and down right tickled at just about every turn.  He absolutely loved his new bedroom.  He came out with a huge smile on his face, looked at me and said “Is this all for me?  Thank you Mamaw April, I love it all” and then gave me a big hug and a kiss.  He loved his bed and the wall mural my friend painted for him of all of the animals he loves so much.  I was quite impressed with the way it turned out myself.

Celeste cried.  She looked at me and said “How am I ever going to be able to repay you for all you have done for Little Joe and I?”  The look on their faces was all the repayment I needed.  I simply told her “Make yourself and Little Joe proud by going to college and making a wonderful life for you and Little Joe.  That’s all the repayment I need.  Well that and having you two in my life, I can’t ask for any more than that.  You have brought more  light and love into my life as I have yours and this is my way of thanking you for that.”

Needless to say, we stood there and cried like a couple of idiots but isn’t love grand?  Love comes in all shapes and sizes.  It comes in many different forms too and people need to realize that.  Love of a friend or child is every bit as important as Love of a husband or wife so cherish all forms of love you have!!!

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Right on schedule

We have decided that the apartment for Celeste has to be completed by Valentines day.  Or at least completed enough that she can move in as my Valentines Day gift to her and Little Joe.  Well if things keep going like they are right now, that is very possible.  The furniture I have ordered online for them is scheduled to be here on the 12th.  I just hope it’s not late.

An artist friend of mine is coming in on the 10 to start the special painting of Little Joe’s room.  She’s going to paint a mural all the way round the room of a forest with all of the animals he loves so much.  He spends as much time as he can with my animals so I thought we would surprise him with the animals in his room.  She does wonderful work and I know Little Joe will love it.

I’m really surprised that Celeste has not mentioned the apartment at all.  I guess she is so used to not being able to ask questions at home that she feels it’s better to just leave it alone.  That actually helps me to make the surprise even better I think.

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Things I believe

I Believe…That just because two people argue, it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other. And just because they don’t argue, it doesn’t mean they do love each other.

I Believe… That we don’t have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I Believe…That no matter how good a friend is, they’re going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I Believe…That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I Believe…That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I Believe…That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I Believe…That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you’re down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I Believe…That sometimes when I’m angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.

I Believe…That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief.

I Believe…That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but, we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe…That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don’t even know you.

I Believe…That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you – you will find the strength to help.

I Believe…That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

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The work has begun

Well today they started on the apartment over the garage.  Surprisingly Celeste has not mentioned anything about it.  I thought she would be curious as to what was going on but so far, she hasn’t said a word.  I guess she’s used to me doing stuff around here all the time.  Besides, between school and her other part-time job, she doesn’t have much time when she gets home for anything other than what she does around here, Little Joe and her homework.  A young woman her age shouldn’t have so much on her but she handles it so good.

I have been told by the contractor that by Friday, they should be putting up dry wall.  I guess if I’m going to have any of my ideas used then I better get off of here and draw them up for him so he can hopefully see what I’m wanting and let me know if it can be done or not.

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Time to do some remodeling

Celeste and Little Joe need a place of their own.  This isn’t something she is saying, it’s something I realized.  As long as she’s here in one of my rooms, she feels like she’s under my thumb.  I don’t want her to feel that way.  She has her independence from an overbearing father and sure doesn’t need to feel I’m watching her like a hawk either.  I sure don’t want her to leave so I have come up with the perfect solution.

There’s sort of a studio over the 2 car garage.  I have decided to turn it into a two bedroom apartment for her and Little Joe.  That way, she has her own place to call home and can work for me part time to pay for the apartment and everything that goes with it.  She also has a part time weekend job waitressing so she has some extra money of her own.  That will allow her to buy her food for them and pay her own insurance too.

My guy that does all of the work around here for me has already looked at it and said it will run me about $4,000 to do it.  That’s not bad at all so I told him to get the material list together and I’ll take care of it.  I guess you could call this a graduation present for her since she graduates from school this year.  I haven’t told her a thing about it and won’t until she asks what’s going on.  She doesn’t ask many questions so hopefully the apartment will be close to being finished before she asks.  We shall see though.

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New Years Eve

Well we’re completely booked for New Years Eve through Sunday.  What a wonderful way to bring in the New Year.  I really hope it will snow.  That would only make it better for my guests.  That’s one of the things they look for this time of year, snow.

We will have a buffet set up with all sorts of finger foods, eggnog, wine, and champagne for midnight.  There are plenty of noise makers and Little Joe is one of them!!  He’s been running around since Christmas laughing and squealing like crazy.  I love it too.  Nothing like joy in a child to bring this old house to life.

It’s been a year full of blessings, surprises and additions to not only my bed and breakfast (the barn and animals) but to our lives in the form of Celeste and Little Joe.  I can’t wait to see what the new year brings to us this time.  If it’s half as good as last year, I’ll have another wonderful year.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

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Here’s wishing you a Very Merry Christmas

It has been far too many years since I have seen the wonder in a child’s eyes on Christmas morning.  Santa has come and gone and left Little Joe the most wonderful gifts.  He and I made Christmas cookies for Santa on Christmas eve.  We all sat around the Christmas tree and sang Christmas carols, sipped hot chocolate and waited for time to go to bed before Santa passed us by.

Little Joe and I watched the Santa tracker on the computer and when he got over our state, it was off to bed without a whimper one.  He was so excited that I thought he would never go to sleep.  This was the first Christmas that Santa has been to our house for one of our own and it brought a joy here that I can’t begin to explain.

Santa brought Little Joe and battery operated 4 wheeler, a Lightening McQueen laptop educational computer, Mater bed set for his bed and more than I can write quite honestly.  Celeste even got somethings from Santa.  She got lots of clothes and boots and shoes, which she really needed.  She got more than she ever had before in her life she told me later.  The joy in their eyes was all the Christmas present I needed but

Celeste did get me something from her and Little Joe.  She had gotten one of those kits that you make a hand print of a child on plaster and wrote ‘We love you Nana’ on it.  I will treasure that for as long as I live.  It was absolutely the most perfect gift I could have ever asked for.  Here’s hoping that you and yours had a wonderful Christmas too.

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Quite week thank goodness

Well it’s been a quiet week around here, thank goodness.  A couple of local Christmas Tree growers brought us three deer they killed because they were eating their trees.  I made jerky from some of it, had some of the other made into sausage,  and the rest were cut into roasts and ground into hamburger.  A local butcher does all of this for me and he does a great job.

When he makes the sausage and hamburger, he always adds a little beef fat to it because deer is so lean that it’s so dry if you don’t add the beef fat.  Once that’s added then the sausage cooks much better and you don’t have to add any oil to the pan when it’s cooking.  I use the deer burger for soups and chili.  I’m not crazy about just deer burger to make meatloaf but if you put half deer burger and half hamburger, then it makes pretty good meatloaf.  Surprising how many people come here because I serve wild game.  It’s the only place they can try it and know it’ll be good.

I’ve also had a blast Christmas shopping for Little Joe and Celeste.  I guess I have spoiled them  because I got Little Joe a remote controlled car, a Nintendo Wii (I hope he’s not too little for it), a Leapster and a bunch of games for it, and a bunch of other small toys like dinosaurs and even got him a frog aquarium.

Celeste, well she’s like a daughter to me.  I bought her a used car but it’s a good one.  I had my mechanic check it out to make sure it’s a sound car.  I got her a Honda because they get pretty good gas mileage and are pretty darn dependable.  It’s a Honda Civic and I can’t remember what year it is.  I have CRS (Can’t remember shit) so you’ll have to excuse me.  I also got her a Dell Laptop computer.  She graduates from High School this year and is planning on going to college.  She’ll need a laptop in college and it sure won’t hurt for her to have one now.