Mostly Wordless Wednesday - Laughter

"A merry heart doeth good like medicine" ...Proverbs 17:22

What had happened wuz...

An entire weekend spent with rib aching, body shaking laughter...

Laughter is the BEST medicine. It warms the spirit, exercises the heart and lungs, helps balance stress and it is CONTAGIOUS!!!

Mix together wonderful friends, a lovely setting and some good old "story telling"...toss in some beautiful weather...ta dah...a recipe for laughter and joy!

Dear Jeanne...please send photos as I was laughing too much to get everyone!!!

Dear Ladies of SOS Fall Migration...each are a joy and a treasure...love to you!!!

Dear Mary Jane...still thinking about the spaghetti and meatballs...

Dear Strangers from Philly (?) thanks for the extra laughs!!!

Dear Everyone else...find something to laugh about...it can turn the whole day around!

One Lump or Two

Imagine, if you will, a quaint, picturesque small town (think Mayberry) about an hour from the state capitol...Ridgeway, SC is the home of Laura's Tea Room located in The Thomas Company building. Begun as the I.C. Thomas Company by Isaac Thomas in 1885, the store sold general merchandise of every description. The present brick store was erected in 1911 and is still owned by a fourth generation member of the Thomas Family. Now, imagine a group of lovely ladies decked out to celebrate a birthday (as did the floozies), a bridal shower, a daddy-daughter outing or an afternoon of socializing complete with fabulous refreshments and servers that cater to your every whim! Sign the guestbook...select your cup and saucer...prepare to enjoy...

Lunch menu: iced herbal tea with lemonade and ginger ale, variety of black and herbal teas, scones, quiche, a variety of tea sandwiches (yummy) and a variety of desserts (think chocolate dipped strawberries) all served on beautiful china.

You may wear your own hat or select one to borrow...this is NOT a borrowed hat that our lovely Diva is wearing...Yes, she did have to walk through the door sideways. Can you see three of us in the picture? Jeanne is in there somewhere behind the plumage...she still has afterglow from the Hawaiian Honeymoon!

Let's try on some hats and open presents! So, whaddyathink...is it me, does this hat say "Princess" to you?!

How cute am I....

The "floozies" do what "floozies" do best LAUGH, talk, eat, drink and be merry whilst being waited on hand and foot. Oh did I mention the lovely general store downstairs...we are just darling at shopping...boosting the economy, if you will...

Ridgeway for all its quaintness also has A police car and they will give you A GIANT ticket if you are a fraction of a mile over the speed limit...everyone who has ever driven through the town to get to I-77 knows this for a fact. The town had to build a new police station to house THE police car. The old police station was open until 1990...how is that for progress.

A good time was had by all...the floozies and entourage will be heading out to Shagging on the Strand, affectionately know as SOS and yours truly (who does NOT dance) will enjoy the festivities as well! That is if I get a release (no, not from an institution) from the el doctorow...I am SUPPOSED to stay home and rest...All is well, dear friends...I am not having a heart attack...just inflamed, infected pleura...and blood pressure a tad too high...

I wish she'd get those darn feathers out of my face...it ain't easy being a Princess with a Diva for a friend!!! She gets all the attention...we love her anyway.

Santa's Helpers

Mix together a lovely group of fun filled, life loving floozies, assorted hats, delicious treats, Kendall's annual "surprise" beverage, generous doses of laughter and kind, loving, giving hearts and an annual Flamingo Floozie Luncheon takes place with fun had by ALL!!!

Thanks to the Lauren that stood in for our errant photographer. Tom had errands to run...hmpf

He generally hides out until he is called for the photo ops.

The hostess with the mostess (the Diva) and her partner in crime (the princess of quite alot)!

Since the Floozies are an extraordinarily blessed group...in lieu of purchasing each other gifts we decided to purchase Christmas for a dear family... a single mom with two lovely very young daughters. Thanks to generous offerings of the Floozies and diligent shopping by the Princess of Quite Alot and the Diva, each child will receive a toy, several pairs of shoes, a winter coat and an extensive winter wardrobe. In addition, a gift certificate will be purchased for their Mother.

Woohooo!!!

Let the wrapping begin!!! Santa's helpers busy boxing and wrapping the gifts in the Flamingo room.

A Very Happy Birthday to Rhetta (far right) ! Can you put your thumb here for just a sec! I was taking pictures and making gift tags.

All enjoyed watching Rhetta open her birthday gifts! Ellie looks like she wants a set of those!

More birthday festivities! The Diva played the stereo this year instead of her beautiful piano!

Sometimes a picture is worth more than a thousand words! We all lead such busy, diverse lives but we come together in the spirit of fun, friendship and giving.

Our friend Bonnie had another committment and could not attend...we missed you!

A moment was shared by several of us remembering our dearly departed Dot Dot...she would have loved this party the best!!!

May each of you be blessed with gratitude, love, and friendship this holiday season.

Twenty Seven Years Ago!

Elizabeth Michelle - Born on October 5, 1981 - seven weeks early in a hurry then and still in a hurry! Happy Birthday Meech!

It is no telling what could happen when sisters get together! Woohoo! Aren't we cute.

Having a bad hair day!!!

Handprints taken at Montessori School around 1986.

Puts herself in the corner!

Church Girls Camp! Awesome Youth Leaders! Best time at Camp EVER!!!! High School Graduation! with Honors. and then some. Happy, Happy MOM!!!On trip with Grandma and Kathy. Washington D.C., Ohio and New York. Niagra Falls

One of the engagement pictures. Married seven years with two children. Wow, so young!
Easter...4 generations!


Here's to many more happy returns! Love MOM

Lessons from the Diva

Happy Birthday to the Diva...September 7...no current pictures from recent celebration as the floozies are being slackers and have not sent them to me! Love Ya'll anyway! We celebrated the Diva's birthday at Travinia's in true floozie fashion. A fun time was had by all. I have known Paula, aka as "The Diva" aka as my evil twin (some days I am the evil twin) The evil twin misnomer came by way of the Diva's students thinking we were sisters...we are sisters in spirit! I have known Paula approximately fifteen years...our daughters are the same age and quite frequently could be seen together. We have experienced grief, tragedy, divorces, joy, laughter, a series of adventures, workouts and everything in between! Paula came by the nickname Diva for a number of reasons, the main one being a mutual friend had a sign made for Paula referring to the Diva and the rest as they say is history or herstory! Paula has always been a swan, it took her a few years to totally embrace her beautiful persona. This is the woman my husband would leave me for if she were to have him, just kidding. Carl loves being around Paula but so do alot of other men, sorry Tom! In honor of this zany, crazy beautiful friend I have compiled a list of lessons learned from the Diva:

• You don't have to have a beautiful solo voice to sing in a choir, it's fun and it takes many voices to create a beautiful sound.
• Birthdays are too special to celebrate for just one day.
• Feathers and sparkles are a good thing.
• You can never have enough feathers, sparkles, black pants and tops.
• A little jewelry is great, more jewelry is better
• More is more!
• The joy of jacuzzi ownership
• Shopping is a good thing... it stimulates the economy
• Sometimes you have to let go of "friends" that drag you down or require more than you are willing or able to give or "cost" your well being in some way
• To enjoy excellent meals with good friends
• How to be a great hostess
• You can never have too many flamingos (that is a story for another day, while Kendall is responsible for the Diva thing alas I am responsible for the beginning of the Flamingo epidemic
• It's okay to be forked (not what you think, again a story for another post)
• Be Yourself and true to yourself, if someone doesn't like it...they are missing out
• Everyone is a potential friend
• The higher the hair the better

I could mention a few more things however the Diva is already very comfortable being fabulous...we wouldn't want her to get a "big head" The best lesson of all LIVE BIG OR GO HOME!!! So, again wishing the Diva a wonderful Birthday Month and then some. Much love from all your floozie friends!

One Wrong Turn

"Small errors can have a larger impact on our lives. The longer we delay corrective action the larger the needed changes become" as taught in a lesson by Karen Connell.

I was supremely lost. One initial wrong turn and then another...where in the world was I? So close to home, so close to my destination! No GPS to guide me. A cell phone left at home. Friends expecting me 45 minutes ago. Attack of the full fledged hissy fit. As I drove and drove in the middle of seemingly nowhere I became more and more frustrated and aggravated. I was angry with myself and ready to go home except I had no idea which way was home. I was continuously circling, so close yet so far. If I wanted to attend church there were dozens of churches, one on each corner! Yet, I continued to drive and rage at the world. I finally saw a church with a sign that said " When in crisis, turn to the Lord and Move On" Hmm...I finally saw a road that looked remotely familiar, however, I was on the "wrong" end. I pulled into the quaint church driveway pictured above and sat for a minute and gathered my wits (what was left) said a prayer, took a few pictures and drove on. Finally, I was making progress and reached my friend's house one hour later than originally planned. Upon arrival I launched into a diatribe of my whereabouts complete with unladylike language, amidst much laughter I was welcomed and given refreshments! A fun time was had by all. Yet underneath all the fun I felt a sense of unease. As dusk settled upon the land, I arrived home without incident. Reflecting on the days events I was able to pinpoint the reason for my unease. I had relied on myself and in frustration behaved badly. No one was there to witness my outburst, however, I knew it was not my best self. I have been relying on the "world" lately and less on the "spirit". I know that before a situation turns to a crisis to call on a higher power. In my case, my Heavenly Father who knows what I need often before I do. As I expressed gratitude for my day and my blessings I felt at peace. On Sunday, the talks and lessons were very much directed towards relying on Heavenly Father and believing in Him. One part of the Sunday School lesson mentioned that Korihor (Book of Mormon) was speaking out of both sides of his mouth. In effect he was saying I believe there is a God, but I can't see him, so unless I see some signs I don't believe in God. So which is it, you either believe or you don't. For me, I know God lives I just don't always listen and always regret that decision. We are given a great gift of the Holy Spirit and if we will listen to the still, small voice, we won't have to resort to outrageous behavior. The lesson from our Relief Society meeting was based on making errors and taking corrective actions quickly. On my way home I gave a great deal of thought to the messages I received and went home to ponder them further. The thought that kept coming to me is that if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. I have been reading a lot of diverse material lately, some good, some questionable. I have been enjoying a non fiction book by a well known author and midway through this book, the author refers to religion and church in a very negative manner particularly the religion of her birth. As I continued reading, the stories and characters in the book resembled the very things the author would have been taught as a result of her religion. For all of her bravado, her bitterness shines through. I am unable to finish the book (which for me is highly unusual) I pick it up only to put it back down. I feel that sense of unease and so choosing to listen to that still, small voice I think I'll pass on finishing this particular book.

As for me, I am not ashamed to stand for God, the Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I SEE THE MOON AND THE MOON SEES ME!

My pitiful attempt at capturing the most glorious full moon. It was so beautiful last night. I attended our monthly book club meeting which is always, always a good time. A group of people who love to read, discussing, laughing and just having a great time! My grandchildren are learning very early to love books! Little Miss Anna attended book club last night. I rode with her in the backseat...on the way home we looked for the moon, she was soooo excited every time she spotted it. I remember reading Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown to my children every night for what seemed like years. The words "I see the moon and the moon sees me" popped in my head and I was reciting parts of the book for Anna. Every time she would spot the moon she would say "I see the moon and the moon sees me". My daughter called me and asked if I would take some pictures from my house as I have such a clear view of the sky. She said that Anna was still looking for the moon and kept talking about it. I tried many attempts at stabilizing the camera (I need a tripod or a better camera) I finally retrieved a blanket from the garage and just sprawled out on the lawn. DH was in the garage working on a new airplane...sigh. I cannot begin to describe the loveliness of lying on the grass looking at the night sky. It reminded me of childhood drive-in movies and yard camping.

I have been "coming out" of my cocoon at a very alarming rate. The revelations, ideas and epiphanies that are swarming through my brain are astounding and exhilarating...stay tuned for this crazy journey! I feel like I have been asleep at the wheel and am waking up to a whole new world!!! What truly amazes me is my strong desire to be outdoors. My children and I spent a great deal of time outside when they were "small". As they got older and went their separate ways and a series of life events occurred I settled indoors and nested. Now it appears I am being kicked out of the nest by my own inner voice! I am excited to wake up in the morning to see how the new day will unfold! Yippee!!!!

FOURTH OF JULY

Tomorrow will be the fourth of July whereby our nation celebrates its independence from tyranny. We must all be thankful for the many blessings we share by living in the United States and having life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness readily available to us. I personally will have a long moment of silence to honor those who serve our country both past and present.

Dear Husband and I may spend the day at the Fogle Family Compound in Neeses, SC. There is a huge convergence of Fogles with singing, eating great food, water sports and much laughter. I still owe Uncle Bobby a couple laps around the pond. Just so you understand the depth of this promise...the pond is a full size, competition sized water skiing, swimming, fishing and boating sized pond!

We will enjoy a 4 day weekend. THANK YOU! I have lots of things to do around the house and I have tons of great books to peruse! YIPPEE!

We will celebrate Chloe's 4th birthday on the 4th. She shares her birthday with her other grandma, so Happy Birthday Chloe and Gayle!!!

Little Miss Firecracker, born on the 4th of July. Full of love, life, joy and laughter!!!


Happy Independence Day to you where ever you may be tomorrow! Have a Great One! Show some sparkle!!!

Talk To Me

Somewhere above the eyes between the wrinkles in my forehead reads a sign that apparently says "Talk To Me". Seemingly random strangers begin conversations with me and impart information that would be best left to their therapists. I am not a therapist nor do I play one in the theatre or on television. I must have the "look" that says you can tell me your deepest, darkest secrets, I do not mind and I have all day! Generally this occurs at gas stations, restaurants and grocery stores. Grocery Store lines are the preeminent place to collect nuts. Being a genteel Southern Belle it is very difficult to extract oneself from these tricky situations. I am offering this bit of advice, DO NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT. Go about your business, do not look left or right, absolutely under no circumstances are you to look behind you. This is a sure signal that you are interested and will stay until the clerk starts clearing her throat or you look to the clerk for rescue. A sure way to start a conversation in the grocery store line is to purchase "unusual" vegetables even the check out folks do not recognize such as daikon, leeks, rutabagas and parsnips. I love to talk to people, really I do, however in the grocery store before dinner and after work is not my favorite time to be cordial. I want to get in and out as quickly as possible. Due to the exorbitant cost of gasoline...gas station conversations are almost impossible to avoid. It is a quick segue from "wow, these gas prices are killer" to "yep, I've had to give up my mani and pedi" or "looks like I'm having beans and rice for supper again." Here again, the key is to not make eye contact unless you have all the time in the world. I frequently talk about strangers being friends we haven't met yet and while this is true...every stranger is not your friend nor would you want them to be. I am sure a serial killer somewhere is waiting for me to make eye contact. Due to the eclectic nature of my reading habits I have encountered some very unusual people in the bookstores. My advice here would be to quickly shift your eyes from right to left and look over your shoulder alot, this discourages quite a few interested parties from extensive conversation. Of course, there is the option of talking to oneself....and answering. Works every time.

DISCLAIMER: The author of this post claims no responsibility for advice given at this location. She is also very talkative herself so much of this advice can totally be disregarded.

How about you? Are you a magnet for conversation wanted or otherwise?

FRIENDS: I LOVE THEM ALL

The Diva, my evil twin...the woman my husband would leave me for if she would have him!
Her singing voice melts his heart! Since my husband worships and adores me I guess I am safe, mediocre singing voice and all. Paula has a soft, gentle wonderful side that her good friends get to see frequently. The Diva sings, dances and entertains! Paula never meets a stranger! A good time is generally had by all when Paula is around! Often feathers ARE involved and not optional.

Music, music, music...It tames the savage beast, it triggers our deepest memories. I love music just about every kind! My daughters find it highly amusing when "Hey Ya" by Outkast plays on the radio. I HAVE to sing and car dance. It's not pretty but that's how I roll! Friday morning's selection was none other than "The Beatles" Only one of the best bands of ALL TIME!!! I was enjoying the CD so much so I brought it inside and am currently listening while I work, with earplugs, natch. I was listening to the song "In My Life" and it brought to mind the many, many friends I have had in my life and the ones I have now. Some of the lyrics state, some are gone but not forgotten, In My Life, I've Loved them all...I get a teary when I listen...the song reminds me of the blessing of friends. The term friend has so many different meanings and we have different levels of friendships! The Level One friends are people that come into your life and you are NEVER the SAME after knowing them. These are the ones that rather you did not call at 3 A.M. but totally listen to you should you call them at said crazy time. These friends will do ANYTHING for you and YOU will do ANYTHING for them. They love you at your worst! Level Two friends are people you meet up with and have a good time with, you totally enjoy them but probably would not request as much from them as you would expect from Level 1 friends. Level three friends are those you talk to and share email jokes, support what they are doing in their lives...these are the ones you don't see in your day to day life...such as blogging buddies, some you have never met but feel you've known them forever. Anything lower than Level Three is more in the acquaintance category...you are kind...talk to them when you see them but do not go out of your way to be with them. Friendships evolve and change, some for better and sadly, some change due to unfortunate circumstances or misunderstandings. Along with the various levels of friendships, you also have different types of friends such as work friends, book club friends, walking friends or gym friends, dancing friends and so forth. Friends enrich my life so much. I enjoy my down time by myself but nothing beats a friend to hang out and shoot the breeze!

Some are gone but not forgotten...

Dorothy was the type of person that when you met her, your life would NEVER be the same. She was a friend to all especially the animal kingdom! I was fortunate to have her as a BEST friend. I still miss her everyday however am fortunate enough to feel her spirit constantly!

Eddie was just the nicest guy ever. I met him in middle school and we had classes together through tenth grade. He was electrocuted during the Summer after 10th grade while he was working part time. He was shy and quiet. He had the most beautiful smile and smoothest, blemish free skin with the rosiest cheeks. I would not have given him the time of day in high school because I was in my rebel without a cause mode! I was also soooo in love with the guy who would become my first husband. This guy would have been the best boyfriend and husband ever! He was kind, gentle and considerate. He would be the type that would come over when you heard some crazy noise and make sure you are okay and totally not expect something in return.

Time goes on....

I am lucky to have a husband that is my best friend too! He is so funny and entertaining when he isn't annoying me.

Jayne, my church friend evolved to book club friend, walking buddy, shopping pal...one of the wisest, well read, interesting people I know!!! Also known as Marlajayne and Mom's Musings.
Jayne put the "y" in her name because she did not want to be just plain Jane...ya gotta love it.
Kristi started as a church friend, book club friend and has developed into a friendship neither one of us can quite explain. We think the same...which is scary for one or both of us!!! Kristi keeps me sane throughout the day with her funny emails!

One of my greatest joys in life is having my daughters as my friends! We have a great time together and I still tell them what to do...I'm just not responsible for their decisions anymore!

I LOVE Kelly she is one of the most enthusiastic friends. She thinks outside the box, is an excellent teacher (professionally and otherwise), photographer, artist. She keeps life very interesting. Kelly sometimes has to be reeled in...she is sooo crazy...that's why she has a "normal" friend like me to keep her straight! Time for a road trip to Jacksonville!

Level One, Two and Three Friends. Guess which one you are!!! Just amusing myself.... I Love You All!!!




I obviously could put tons and tons of pictures and remarks here about the many people I call friends. I am thankful for EACH and EVERY ONE of YOU!!! Wishing you the most fabulous, wonderful weekend where ever you may be...