What's on Your Mind this Week?

Ginger stole my camera and wouldn't give it back, this is one of the resulting images. The rest shall remain a mystery!
3 people today told me that they are enjoying the daily blogging. 3! Today was stellar!

What are you thinking about this week? What is on your mind? What's keeping you awake, making you happy, keeping you ticking?

For me there are so many things, some profound, some small, but all on my mind. It doesn't have to be big to be on your mind:

1. My baby boy is turning 2 on Valentine's Day. I can't even begin to tell you the gazillion thoughts I have on this subject, but yes, it is WAY on my mind.
2. How much more can I take of the shelter without my heart breaking? Ginger volunteers at Forsyth County Animal Control every Tuesday. I look at the website and it kills me. Ginger recently adopted Leroy from the shelter. He is a great little guy, but so many of them aren't as lucky and it kills me to think about it. Ginger is trying so hard to make a difference and she is, but it also frustrates me how limited she is in what she "can" give to the shelter. Just today we were brainstorming some stuff for work and I was reminded by what great ideas she has, but that she isn't able to exercise them. UGH! Ginger, I hope it is ok to say this here, and I will not stop pushing you until you tell me to stop.
3. Why do so many people hate Valentine's Day? You don't have to love it, but why hate it? You also don't have to be in Love to love it. Every year I want to go to the aisle and buy a box of kid's Valentine's and just hand them out to my co-workers, the mailman, you name it. It is just a day to tell someone they are special. I think it is so much fun!
4. Biltmore. Biltmore is on my mind this week. I had such a good time up there. I am so curious about every room. I can't wait to go back and see the flowers in bloom.
   
5. Egypt. You might not know this about me, but I am fascinated with mummies and pyramids. I love to watch anything on the subject. I think it stems from a trip to see Ramsees the Great in high school. It was such a fun day and it was so weird to be so close to a real live mummy. Yes, I know, mummies are not alive. This unrest in Egypt is so puzzling to me. I don't understand it. I get why they are mad, but how do they know who is who? How do you know in a street brawl who the enemy is? Do you stop and introduce yourself, is there something in the way you are dressed, I just don't get it. I head today that some of King Tut's artifacts had been damaged in the chaos. Such a shame.
6. Avery started a new room this week at school. Today was his third day and he barely cried when I left. I really like the teachers, but I don't get a daily sheet any more. I have no idea how long his nap was or how he ate. I feel so lost.
7. We are going to the circus on Saturday. This makes me very, very happy. I hope Avery will love it! I have noticed lots of people listing a trip to the circus in their FB status. I wonder who we might see there?
   
8. My sweet friend Christy. She had a knot in her neck that she ignored for a bit, and then went to the doctor to have it checked. Turns out it is cancer. Christy is going to be just fine. I can feel it in my bones, but it is so scary. Put her on your list for me. Think happy good thoughts. She has two super sweet little kids and she needs all of the good vibes she can get.
   
9. Frustration. I struggle with frustration. I stew on things. I have a handful of things that I have been stewing on and I am hoping I can get them out of my head very soon. Stewing it such a giant waste of time. I wish I could be more duck-like. Quack, quack!!
10. Pictures. I really do love pictures and I love taking pictures. Can I be honest for a minute about pictures? It really bugs me when people don't love and/or appreciate pictures. If you are fortunate enough to land in front of my camera, I sure hope I capture something that you want to print and put behind glass. It sure does make me happy! I have a wedding coming up in April and I am so excited. (Jen don't you want to come tag team again???) Ginger took a family picture of us at Biltmore that I la-la-lovity-love. I will love it for the rest of my life. Don't you love it too?
    

Biltmore Part 1 of TBD

Is there a place that you just love and you can't put your finger on why? Loving a place is one thing, but loving it and not being able to say just why is quite another. I had never been to Biltmore, and honestly never even considered it. Greggie really loves history, and he enjoys the mountains so it occurred to me we should try Biltmore.

We went and we LOVED it. Every time we go we LOVE it more. Going with four other people who love it makes it even more fun. This time we spent some time in the downtown area and it made me love Biltmore and Asheville. I really am in love with the area.

There wasn't a single flower in bloom, the grass was kind of brown/green, and the place was still stunning.

Thank you Biltmore for another amazing day! I wanted to take about a million pictures, but it was super windy and I feel like I bug the cuss out of people with my camera. I did manage to get a couple of reluctant shots from the peanut gallery!

First up was B-Tim. He is always such a serious poser. Doesn't this look like it could be on the cover of Men's Health or some fitness magazine?

Next, B-Tim's lovely bride, RA. RA is the best kindergarten teacher ever, so you won't find too many silly pictures of her out there. You've gotta be careful when you are a teacher.


As you can tell from RA's gloved hands, it had gotten pretty cool by this point. It gets cold in Asheville and it gets cold quick!

Who knew Christopher could be such a jokester. When we had our picture taken in the house he busted out the Charlie's Angel pose lickety split, but Ginger gave him the cut-it-out eyes and he opted for a sweet smile instead.
I managed to pull a little silly out of him for this one!

Then there was Ginger. I was expecting pure seriousness and a stoic nice smile. Well surprise, surprise, surprise. Look who has a freak flag, she just doesn't fly it:


The Vanderbilt's were no sticks in the mud and they built this house for fun and relaxation. I am sure it brings them great joy to know people are having this much fun in their front yard!

Wait until Ginger blogs about the creepy grown up couple making out in the Halloween room. In their defense they had just passed what I think may be the only nude image in the whole house (I had never actually noticed it before), they were right past the bowling alley, and we had just been through a party room. If that doesn't get you worked up what will? I am just sorry I missed it. Both Ginger and RA looked like they had just been pepper sprayed or seen santa with his pants around his mistletoe!

Dear Martha Stewart, Are You Kidding Me?

Ok, I have been thinking this for a while, but I have to get it off of my chest. I love Martha Stewart's Magazine, her craft line, her kids magazine, and her show. The woman surrounds herself with brilliance. She went to the big house, and she still has more money than I will ever see in a lifetime. She has to be one of the most successful ex-cons of all times. Can you imagine how dramatically your life would change if you spent a year in the hokie? I would say it would be quite an update to your current lifestyle.

I legitimately thought spending some time in the BIG HOUSE might bring Martha down a notch or two, but I think she has more success than ever. One of my favorite parts of each issue of Martha Stewart Living is the Great Finds section. I swear, it has gotten completely ridiculous. The prices are insane. Yeah, it is a great find if you are one of the freakin' Kardashians. On the front page of Great Finds this month:


Cool right? I mean it is a tree, and a bookshelf, and it is super cute. Take a wild guess at how much it might cost you to secure such bookshelf. Before you guess you should know it is 6-foot-6 3/4-inches tall.

You ready for the big reveal? $2,500!!!! Wow! What a GREAT FIND MARTHA! I will take 3 of them. Since I know you are going to want one too, here's the website: designartist.co.kr

Maybe I shouldn't pick on Martha. It must be so difficult to be filthy stinkin' rich. Poor, poor ex-con!!

It Went Swimmingly....

Saturday morning we were up and off. Off to the YMCA in King for Avery's first swimming lesson. I am always amazed at how much stuff one little guy needs. I know I over pack, and on top of that, I always forget at least one thing. UGH!

We arrived at the Y early. That never happens. We managed to find the locker room and get to class promptly. Avery was very scared walking through the showers. It was hot and weird, and when we opened the door to the pool he was not very happy. It didn't occur to me to take a lock, so I was dragging everything along to the pool and I was fully clothed. It was so freakin' hot in there I thought I was going to faint. The good news is, for the first time in 2 days I could breathe through my nose. Avery reminded me of the dogs at the vets office. He would not move a muscle. He was frozen.

Lucky for me Greggie had agreed to be the parent in the pool, so he came over and coaxed the little man over to the pool area. It was at this point that I noticed a couple of sets of parents there for the class. It had not been something I even considered. We could both get in the pool with him! Dang this lack of common sense. Avery seemed really distracted by my being there and not being "in".

He was pretty afraid during the class, and I can't say that I blame him. There were some weirdos in there tossing their kid around like a pool toy. This kid was wearing a necklace, and he spent about as much time under the water as he did above it. I will be honest, I think these people were showing off. Everyone was looking at them, and they loved it. The kid was like a freakin' tadpole. He didn't need a class, he needed to be leading a clinic for the love of swim fins.

Once class was over, there were 15 minutes to swim at your leisure. During this time Avery really loosened up and even smiled and laughed.

Today I bought a one piece bathing suit (a requirement of the class) and next Saturday I will take a lock and I will be in the pool with my boys! I can't wait. Bless the hearts of any and all in attendance. Shamoo is making an appearance in King, NC!

Curious Sisters That I Like to Blog Stalk

I have been following a blog for quite a while. I loved it and then the author almost died in a plane crash. Since then she has become quite famous, and if I am honest with you, a little too "sellish" since her recovery. Don't get my wrong, she has every right to earn a nice living and have nice things, and maybe it is all in my head, but it seems like her celebrity has changed her blog. She is always showing some gift sent to her or her children, or some speaking engagement, or selling her calendar. The calendar did it for me. That cuss calendar was mentioned about a million times. Again, she has a right to earn, I just miss the days of her honest blog about how much she was in LOVE with her husband (which kind of wore me out, she seemed to be in constant heat) and how much she loved her kids. I never loved everything she wrote, but I was most definitely a follower.

Then the small plane her husband was piloting fell from the sky and she was burned very badly, alive, and in a medical coma. This girl was beautiful, and she still is, but the accident really changed her look.

While NIE was sleeping, I started following her siter CJANE. CJANE is very alike and very different from her sister Stephanie. Her blog has also changed considerably since Stephanie's accident. I do still love both blogs, and I admire both writers.

I found this picture on CJANE's blog and I heart it so much I had to share. Isn't this the best picture? I think I heart it!

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I Love You, Tomorrow, Your Only A Day Away....

I have been looking forward to Tomorrow for a while now. Sometime in November/December I said to Ginger, casually, I thought, that as a Biltmore season passholder if she couldn't find anyone to take her free tickets Greggie and I would love to use them. Well, imagine how thrilled I was when Ginger asked me if we wanted to take her up on the tickets! I was over the moon excited. Biltmore is EXPENSIVE, but worth every penny.

Just a few days ago it occurred to me how incredibly rude and forward it was of me to do what I had done to Ginger. Honestly, she and Christopher have the MOST friends of anyone I know. They both have siblings and parents in the area in addition. Ginger is such a nice person, and I am sure once I asked her for those tickets she would have never considered just telling me no.

So tomorrow, I am going to Biltmore. Sorry friends and family of Ginger. I have weasled my way in to your free pass. Please don't hate me, I didn't do it on purpose. The year Greg and I were season passholders we had a devil of a time giving our free passes away. We are not as popular as Team Nixon!!

Tomorrow is also Avery's very first swimming lesson at the King YMCA. I am so excited. Greggie has agreed to be the parent in the pool. I dodged a bullet there. I am hoping lots of fun pictures will follow!


Today, however, is the most precious little boy's birthday, Skylar Christian Lawson, a little boy who came along and saved us all. (Part of this post was deleted, not because it wasn't true, but because some wildly misinformed "anonymous" coward who "knows my family well" is raising my blood pressure with untrue, unsubstantiated comments, that I will not rebut here.) Wild horses couldn't keep me away from this boy. Happy Birthday sweet Skylar. You are still my best pal!

My First Cousin

Can you believe this is my first cousin? This is my mom's little sister's youngest son. The kid who had a pet squirrel. I know it is hard to believe, but I am genetically related to this boy. I am super proud of him. He has used his good looks to serve him well. Ryan has traveled all over the world and is now living in New York City.
Tomorrow is Friday. My favorite day of the week. We have a big weekend on tap. Swimming lessons Saturday morning followed by a trip to Biltmore. It might not be New York City, but it sounds like a ton of fun to me.

Is this totally lazy blogging? I hope not, I consider it a teaser!