Netflix and God

"I just drop this in the mail and they will send the next movie on our list, right? So what happens if the movie gets lost in the mail and it never gets returned?"

"Well, there is a claim form on the website and you just fill it out. I think that Netflix gives you the benefit of the doubt the first time or two. I don't think that they charge you for the movies unless it becomes out of control."

A mischeivious smile broadened across my husband's face.

"So what would happen if this movie got lost in my DVD collection?"

"Well, dear, then it becomes a moral issue. On your judgment day, do you really want to stand in front of God and have Him question why you stole that movie?"

"I really think that God would say, 'Man, that is a GREAT movie. I would have kept it too!'"




"You are going to burn in hell."

"Okay, I will send it back."

An Addiction of the Worst Kind

My name is Heather and I have a problem. I am an addict……there, I said it. Actually, I never tried to hide it. I will talk about it to anyone that will listen……..but only a few close friends really understand. Few people know the depths of my problem.

I am a Potterphile.

It all started over seven years ago when Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was being released and the first movie was coming out. I didn't understand the media frenzy that was happening. A friend brought me Sorcerer's Stone and told me to read the first chapter. If I didn't like it, I could bring it back to her the next day. I called her at ten o'clock that night to tell her to bring me the next book. Before I knew it, I had purchased all the books myself. I couldn't keep borrowing the books to get my Potter-fix……..I HAD TO HAVE MY OWN! It is like crack….really!

I found myself standing in line at midnight when ever a new book was released……I am usually one of the only people without a child with me. I am that freak talking to your kids with words that you don't even understand…..like muggle, animagi and gillyweed. (See…my spell check even thinks I am crazy!) I am usually well into the first chapter while standing in line to buy it.

I am not the only Potterphile around Dickson. I called a friend when Half-Blood Prince was released and she didn't even say hello…..she just screamed "I'll call you back tomorrow! I am only on chapter 10!" She called back the next day and we met at the Mexican restaurant to discuss…….there is nothing like trying to pronounce "Slytherian" after a couple of margaritas.

Currently I am counting down the days until the release of the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. (Just in case you are wondering it is 44 days, 2 hours and 19 minutes.) I am rereading all the books again, just to refresh my memory…since I haven't had a HP fix in a while. Plus, I have a few friends that are reading the books for the first time and I want to read along with them……I think I have turned a few more people onto my drug of choice.

Deathly Hallows will be the last Harry Potter book. This breaks my heart, but I am excited to finally get all of my questions answered. Will the prophecy really be fulfilled? Why is it important the Harry has his mother's eyes? What and where are all the other Horcruxes? And for the love of Christmas..........who is R.A.B.????

Are there any other Potterphiles out there??? Are you as excited as I am??? If so, maybe we can start a support group……I think I need help!

Praying That I Don't Burn Myself

I have to bake tonight……..this scares the chocolate out of me.

Okay, so I am not that bad of a baker……I just don't have much experience. I don't bake, because I don't have too. Granny Garton and her sisters are the queens of baking. Their made-from-scratch-so-much-butter-you-will-have-a-heart-attack-crust is nothing to compete with. Why in the world would I ever bake something when it will just look and taste like a cow pie next to their exquisite homemade confectionary creations?

Their recipes actually call for REAL ingredients……vanilla extract, unbleached all-purpose flour, baking soda, etc. My view on cooking follows a more modern approach…….I approach the directions on the box of cake mix, add eggs and milk and pray that I don't burn it. I have found the up-do-date modern replacement for their fresh whipped cream-cheese icing or mile-high meringue…….icing in a spray can!!! You can write your name or spray directly in your mouth…… for the love of all things holy, why did they not have this when I was a child?????? (They probably did and my mother never let me know.)

The real reason that I am baking is my company is having a hamburger cookout as a fundraiser for our Relay For Life team. Relay For Life is very important to us, as we have had many employees touched by cancer this year. We take this event very seriously and want to raise as much money as possible for the event.

Please drop by after work tomorrow and start your weekend off right! With every plate of food that you buy, you receive a FREE warm fuzzy feeling that you did something nice for your community and to help raise a few dollars for a great cause…….oh, and every plate also comes with a raffle ticket for some great door prizes…….especially if you like tools.

So come grab a plate and hang out with me a while! I promise that I won't make you eat anything that I make!

Hairy Cheese and Green Algae

Spring has sprung at Casa de Garton. Sprung to the point that I am thinking about cleaning……really, no kidding.

The weather is beautiful and hovers around 80 degrees on the hottest day. I, of course, have flung open the windows to allow fresh air to flow through the house and remove that winter-time stench. I love this weather. I love fresh clean spring time air…..it makes me long for the smell of Mr. Clean, Windex and Pledge.

I actually cleaned my refrigerator this weekend. Now, I am not talking about pulling out Tupperware containers that I forgot I owned or throwing out cheese that has hair……I scrubbed the darn refrigerator. I pulled shelves and drawers out and soaked them in Mr. Clean. I cleaned nooks and crannies that I didn't even know were there. I defrosted the freezer and emptied and cleaned the ice maker (that hasn't worked in over a year, but still deserved to be cleaned).

The one thing that I am most excited about cleaning is not at my house. My neighbor has a swimming pool that has gone neglected. It wasn't covered during the winter month, the pump hasn't been on and there is lots of debris and other yucky slimy creepy stuff in the murky water. It is so neon green with algae that I am surprised that it doesn't glow at night. Any frog, snake or swampy animal would find it cozy.

So, after about two margaritas and a little encouragement from Sweet Carolina, I called my neighbor (who doesn't live there and he is trying to sell the house). He didn't answer, so I left the following message on his voice mail:

"Hi Joe, it is Heather from next door. Say, I know what would help your house sell much faster. I think that you really need to get your pool back in shape. I will be happy to help and then I could maintain it since you aren't here. Every once in a while, I could even jump in to check the water temperature and make sure that the buoyancy of floats is top-notch. Let me know what you think!"

Joe called back the next day and told me to do whatever I wanted with the pool…….whatever I wanted with the pool!! I HAVE A POOL FOR THE SUMMER! Or at least until his house sells. Now I just have to figure out how to get the darn thing from neon green to crystal clear and sparkling. I am sure that I can handle it…….I got a B in college chemistry. I am going to shock it tonight and get the filter and pump working again. I will be scrubbing the sides and vacuuming the bottom this weekend, if anyone feels the need to get slimy with me.

YEE HAW!!!! I HAVE A POOL FOR THE SUMMER! If there are no more blog posts until October, you will know where to find me.

(As a side note, please keep Sweet Carolina in your prayers. Her air-conditioner broke last week and this 80 degree beautiful spring weather is just TOO MUCH for her to handle. She and her husband spent Sunday afternoon at our house in order to escape the burning depths of hell that their condo has become. She even abandoned her husband at the condo last night to go spend the night at her parent's house because she could feel the skin melting off her body. Please pray that the air conditioner man comes to visit her today….or I have a feeling that she is going to move into my guest room and force me to turn my air conditioner on full blast.)

Rejuvenated

Our anniversary was this past Monday, so Kyle and I loaded up and spent a long weekend in the Great Smokey Mountains. There is nothing more inspiring than surrounding yourself with nature……and believe me, we needed it. We spent four days driving in beautiful untouched mountains and valleys, randomly stopping at waterfalls, roaring creeks and mills built over 200 years ago. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

It was also good to spend some much needed quality time with each other…….away from everyone and everything that makes up our everyday life. No work, no computers, no pets, no laundry, no nothing……..and I think that it got us back to ground zero…us. Kyle and Heather. It reminded us that all we need is each other.

There could possibly be a lot of new changes in our lives pretty soon. (Don't freak out Queen Pins….I am not pregnant!) But some things could be coming to an end. Which is sad in some ways, but it opens the door to so many other opportunities. My spirits have been really down lately, but I am trying to look at things in a different light. Things are changing in our world…….and we get a fresh start, a new beginning.

And I know that whatever happens, Kyle will be right there beside me.

That Spring-Time Yucky Feeling

Do you ever just not "feel pretty"? I know that I am not the most attractive gal in town, but I don't think that I am bad to look at. I mean, people don't run and hide when I enter a room, so I can't be that bad looking……..but lately I just don't "feel pretty".

I know that it has everything to do with the time of year. The beginning of spring is never a good time for me. My white pasty dry skin has been hiding under thick turtlenecks and wool pants suits all winter long. I don't want to be "that girl" that has shorts on with legs that glow in the dark. And get this…….I own a tanning bed. Well, part of a tanning bed at least. My mother-in-law and I share a tanning bed, but it is at her house and I am too lazy to drive 3 miles to lay in it. Well, that is not entirely the truth. Ever since my mother had skin cancer eight years ago, I feel horribly guilty laying in a tanning bed…….and scared of the consequences it might bring.
My skin isn't just pasty and pale……it has wrinkles too. WRINKLES! WHAT THE HELL??? If these lines on my forehead get any deeper I am going to scream. The wrinkles between my eyebrows are starting to hang out in groups and crows feet are starting to appear. Speaking of eyebrows……they look like huge caterpillars on my face. I am in desperate need of a waxing.

I have not cut my hair since January…….which is not odd for me. I only get my hair cut about 4 times a year, usually whacking off about 2 inches at a time. But it is in desperate need of some attention. My highlight roots can be seen from space, my dead-ends are starting to get very fuzzy and the gray hairs are staring to become more plentiful. You can't really tell if I wear my hair curly all the time…….which Kyle is loving. Of course, my beautician is opening a new salon and won't be open for another week, so I have to suffer a little while longer. I think that I am going to do something different this time. Blonde? Red? Shorter?

My fingernails are not polished and they are far from straight and even in length. I am horrible about trimming them…….and on occasion I still bite them. Don't even get me started on my toe nails and winter feet……..but that problem should be solved this afternoon. Sweet Carolina is treating me to a pedicure. I think she has the winter-time bla's like me.
I guess that I am just feeling sorry for myself. Turning 30 didn't bother me……but I don't want to look older. I hate feeling unattractive.

And after feeling mopey and un-pretty and yucky and completely unattractive…….my husband told me that I looked beautiful today as I was leaving for work. That one little sentence has hung in my mind all day. Even though he didn't know how I feel about myself right now......he still thinks I am beautiful. Gosh-darn-it.....I LOVE THAT MAN!

Sounds of a Small Town

We drove to another town last night to have dinner with some friends that we had not seen since our wedding. They were in town from South Carolina where his military service has taken them. It was good to sit for hours and talk with another couple that is very similar to us.
I was thrilled when they said they were going to move back to this area when his military service was finished. They weren't sure about what town to live in, not wanting the city life of Nashville , but something a little more rural and homey. Then, they asked about Dickson.

Now, I tease about Dickson all the time. It isn't hard. Dickson is about as country as turnip greens. There are things in this town that have not changed for fifty years. That is the way that people like it and that is the way it is going to be…….dag-nab-it. If you don't like it…….go somewhere else.

If you listen to the only AM radio station in town, you will get a good feel of what Dickson is really like. WDKN aired its first broadcast in January of 1955 and it sounds like nothing has changed in the 52 years that it has filled the airwaves. Some of the daily lineups include the agri-business news, friendly neighbor time, Crazy Chucky's Country Classic Corner, things to do in Dickson County and the staples of Paul Harvey and Focus on the Family. There are prayers and hymns sponsored by local churches and an obituary report every afternoon. (Because the paper is only published twice per week and someone might be pushin' up daisies before it is in print.)

There are two times in the day that I really get a kick out of…….Swap-N-Shop Times! This is a very popular show in Dickson that comes on in the morning and the evening. If you are ever in the need for fresh farm eggs, chicken manure, guns, puppies, Volkswagen parts, Star Trek tapes, Cadillac converters or ping-pong tables, please let me know. I will be happy to listen to Swap-N-Shop for you.

The best part of the show is listening to the people that call in. Apparently it is the same people every day and the DJ knows them by voice. They talk about how their daddy is sick or how hot the weather is…….and somebody is missing a real deal on the goats that they have for sale.

WDKN also shows a softer side to Dickson. For the whole month of April, the radio station has an auction for one hour in the afternoons. All of the proceeds go to Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society. It melts my heart to listen every afternoon. Today is only the fifth day of the auction and they have already sold over 700 items. Almost every business in town donates some kind of item or service. There are homemade cakes, cookies and pies of every kind made by every grandmother in town………some that sell for well over a hundred dollars. There are ferns, peonies, lilies and tulips. Items can range anywhere from a tea-kwon-do gift certificate to a stop sign donated by the public works department…..each item donated in the memory of someone special.

I am glad that I live in a town that has a radio station like WDKN and I think, no matter how much I giggle, that its programming reflects our small town life to a T. I am glad that I live in a place where Sundays are filled with church and family, where people eat dinner together, where there is bluegrass music at the Grand Ol' Hatchery every Saturday night, and where there are more hardware stores than clothing shops. I am glad that I live in a place where I am not scared to leave my door unlocked or my windows open. A place where I look forward to raising my children, where lightening bugs dance in my yard at twilight, and where there is a 90% chance that I am related to the person driving the tractor down the road.

I truly hope that my friends and their children come to live in Dickson County . I am sure that they will appreciate its charm as much as I do.

March Madness Mistake

My boss called me into his office yesterday. He stood up and asked to shake my hand. I was obviously confused. I know that I am a good employee, but I couldn't remember doing anything worthy of a stand-up-smiley-hand-shake. Then everything became clear when he said, "You obviously know your basketball! You are so far ahead in points that no one can catch you. YOU WON!"

I WON! I WON! YEE-DOUBLE-HAW! I did my happy dance right there in his office! I was so excited! I was a GIRL and I won the office NCAA basketball pool! I tried to pat myself on the back and found that my arms weren't long enough.

My boss sent out an email to everyone that participated congratulating me and the runners-up. I quickly forwarded the email to Kyle…….because I knew that he would be totally unimpressed, but proud of me anyway. I pulled up the email and opened the spreadsheet to view my sweet victory. It was the prettiest spreadsheet I had ever seen. For a minute, I contemplated taking it to Kinko's, having it printing it in four-color poster size, framing it and hanging it on the bare walls of my office.

Then…..well, then…….I saw it. One little number. It glared at me like the reflection off Brittany Spears' head. He had made a mistake in my score. He had calculated that I had nine wins in the regional semifinals. Since there were only eight spots to win, I knew that he had calculated my score incorrectly. I pulled out my highlighted brackets and only counted seven wins.I took my brackets and slowly walked to his office, the sweet taste of victory slowly disappearing. "I know that I have already done my happy dance and you have already sent out my congratulatory email with a BEAUTIFUL spreadsheet, but my score is wrong."

He double checked it. Unfortunately I was right. DAG-NAB-IT!

He gave me everyone's brackets and I carefully audited everyone's wins and compared them to the email spreadsheet. There were a few mistakes here and there, but only two big ones. In the end, I lost sixteen points and the person in second place gained a few points. In the end, there were two people that could pass me in points.

I know that I should be all poor-poor-pitiful-me and be a big ol' whiney baby about it, but I am actually excited. This makes watching the Final Four even more fun! Each person that has a chance to win has picked a different team, so that adds a whole new level of excitement.

So if you are truly my friend……I will expect you to be cheering for Florida this weekend. I really want my name in that darn company newsletter!

Sweet Smelling Monday

I walked into my office this morning and I knew that it was going to be a good day. A fresh bouquet of roses and daisies was sitting on my desk. The flowers are BEAUTIFUL and they make my office smell wonderful…..I would rather have the smell of roses over the smell of new paint and carpet any day! It turns out that one of my employee's daughters got married over the weekend and he brought all the ladies in the office a bouquet that had hung from the church pews. How super nice of him!

Plus, as an added bonus, I got to call Kyle and tell him that I got flowers from another man. He didn't get jealous at all, he just said "Really, that is nice." Like it was no big deal.

Then after a minute he said "Whose ass do I need to kick?"

Empty Spaces, High-Pitched Voices and Echos of My Past

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law have built a beautiful speck house that has been on the market about a month. So with this big open area and hardwood floors….there could not have been a better place to throw a slumber party! There is nothing quite like the sound of fifteen shrilling little girls echo in a wide empty space. My hearing finally came back around three o'clock on Saturday afternoon.

Big kudos to my sister-in-law for keeping everyone entertained the entire time. Some of the many activities included decorating t-shirts, movies projected on the wall, charades, jump-roping contests, rain dances, singing karaoke at the top of our voices, multiple dance routines and, of course, SPOONS! I played truth-or-dare with some of the older girls and OBVIOUSLY CHOSE TRUTH, because those girls were VICIOUS with their dares. I wasn't about to lick anyone's foot or show the whole group my butt, so I had to tell about the first boy that I kissed.

Early in the evening everyone got their hair decorated with green, blue and pink hairspray, which left my fingernails permanently blue. I looked like a Smurf; everyone else looked like Rainbow Brite and smelled like Aqua Net.

As with any slumber party, there were hurt feelings because "She won't let me be part of her dance group." or "I didn't get in the cheerleading picture." For the most part, tears only lasted a few minutes and there wasn't any problem that couldn't be solved with a glow-in-the-dark bracelet.

Sleeping bags and air-mattresses filled up the floor early for some of the younger girls. All-in-all things settled down around midnight and I heard girls saying, "I can't BELIEVE that we stayed up this late!"

I think that Haley had a wonderful birthday party and I had a great time remembering all the silly stuff that I used to do when I was younger. But, believe me, I will never play truth-or-dare with them again!

I Bleed Blue....At Least In March

I am from Kentucky, so naturally basketball was embedded in my X chromosome at birth. It is EXPECTED of you in Kentucky. You have to LOVE royal blue or you are frowned upon. You have to own at least one shirt, sweatshirt, coffee mug, beach towel, tattoo or bedspread that bears the wildcat emblem. I kid you not, I know someone that has a toilet seat cover with that darn wildcat on it.

Those of you from Tennessee will understand. I have seen you crazy fanatics that drive the orange truck with the big T in the back window, while wearing your orange hat and sweatshirt, with your coon-dog named Smokey riding in the bed of the truck….wearing his very own orange collar AND BANDANA!

Kentucky is kind of like that…….except we are blue and we think that Lexington is the center of the universe. Knoxville is just another town with a football stadium.

So, naturally, when the NCAA basketball brackets arrived on my desk last week, I filled them out with more vigor and excitement than my Girl Scout cookie order form! I will admit, it wasn't easy. Living in a football state, it is hard to catch a basketball game on television. This may come as a shock to my friends back home, but I didn't watch a Kentucky game all year. You can disown me now if you want.

Everyone at work was supposed to fill out their brackets and donate $2, but then someone complained and the money aspect was withdrawn. The actual reward of winning has yet to be named……but I have a feeling that the winner might be mentioned in the company newsletter. OH PLEASE GOD LET IT BE ME!!!

I made a copy of my brackets and diligently highlighted each win that I had. I even took my brackets home over the weekend and tacked them to my bulletin board for safe keeping. Each win of the first two rounds was carefully highlighted, even the one where Kentucky got beat. I didn't have very high hopes for them after looking at their stats. Sorry Kentucky people…I play to win! (Apparently a lot of you do to, hence the reason that Tubby Smith is going to coach Minnesota next year.)

At the end of the weekend, I had a lot of teams highlighted. I was proud of myself. I knew that I had done well and I was eager to see how everyone else at work had done. So when the email arrived early Monday morning, I almost fell off my chair. I was SECOND. Let me repeat that…..I was in second place. HOLY RUPP ARENA!!! And I was only behind by one stinkin' point! Darn those Duke Blue Devils…..they foiled my evil plan for getting my name in the coveted company newsletter. I was thrilled, as I was one of three girls that entered the contest. Then I realized that all the guys are football fans…..so I wasn't really beating anyone that knew what they were doing. (No offense Barry.)

Tonight is the start of the regional semifinals and you can bet your sweet sixteen that I have my highlighter ready. Keep me in your prayers. If I actually make headlines in the company newsletter…..I promise to send you a copy…..highlighted.

Because When Sweet Carolina Ain't Happy, Ain't Nobody Happy

"Well, I put a post on your page today."

"You did? What did you say?"

"I said that you haven't put up a blog post in a while. It is has been over a week. I am having withdrawals. Are you okay?"

I laughed. "Yes, I am fine. I just haven't had much to talk about."

Sweet Caroline usually gets her way. That is one of the qualities that I love about her. So, of course I have to put up another blog post just to please her. The thing is, I don't know what to write about. My life is kind of boring right now.

I am drowning in work, which is a good thing. The days go by quickly and I am learning new things every day. My office walls are still bare and boring, but I am so busy that I barely notice. I went picture shopping this weekend. After a trip to Target, Fred's, Wal-Mart, Big Lots, and Old Time Pottery, I still turned up empty handed. Maybe I am being too picky. Sweet Carolina and I are going to partake in the Nashville Flea Market this weekend, so maybe I will find something there….at least I will be able to get a polish sausage and maybe a new purse.

I am still addicted to American Idol. Kyle, Jake, Elwood and I watch every Tuesday and Wednesday night. Jake prefers Jordin, because they have names that start with the same letter. (He is learning to spell, but that is a whole other blog post.) Elwood is partial to Haley, because that is my niece's name and he plays with her all the time. Kyle loves Melinda Doolittle, not just because she is from Nashville, but because she has an awesome voice. As bad as I didn't like the little beat-boxing kid in the beginning, I am finding myself strangely attracted to him now. He is just cute…and he can sing, yeah that's right, he can sing. And I swear to all things holy that if that Sanjaya kid makes it one more round I will pull all of my hair out….strand by strand. Kyle is planning on holding a rally on the footsteps of our nation's capital to protest the show if Sanjaya makes the cut this week…and he says that people will listen because everyone knows who the Birddog is. JUST SAY NO TO SANJAYA!!!!

Okay, Carolina, there is your post! Are you happy now?

I promise to do better in the future. Stay tuned.

10 Reasons I Have Had A Good Week

I got an email from a friend that said that she read my blog. She said that she missed me, loved me and has the same screwed up sense of humor that I do. Thank goodness that I am not the only nut out there. If she only knew how alike we really were!

My husband has been home for an entire week. He has been traveling on business so much that it is a blessing to have him at home all the time. Things are going well with his business, so not only is he home, but he is in a GREAT mood all the time. I love his smile, I have missed it. Not only is he been at home, but he has been working from home…so I come home to a clean house and supper on the stove. What more could a woman want????

All my bills are paid and I am actually going to get ahead on some. THIS IS UNHEARD OF AT CASA GARTON! My 2007 budget is actually working!

I totally know that you are never supposed to blog about work, but things are going GREAT! It is an odd occurrence when things go my way at work. The futures so bright, I gotta wear shades!

American Idol is on THREE nights this week. Count 'em. THREE NIGHTS! And it is finally to the good part, where you don't have all those freaks that their momma told them they could really sing.

My little brother got engaged over Christmas to a girl that I love as much as him. They are closing on a house this week. Things are going really well for him right now. I know that I don't tell him as much as I should, but I AM SO PROUD OF HIM AND I LOVE HIM VERY MUCH!

I have a girls night planned for this weekend. We aren't going out on the town, but having a fun night at my house…and I am really looking forward to a new Pear Martini recipe that Sweet Caroline is bringing. Maybe we can convince Em and Tobi to play Spoons…..let the blood-bath commence!

It is February 21st and it was 65 degrees today. It freakin' snowed five days ago! I have spring fever BAD.

Jake and Elwood are acting like I am their favorite parent. They are usually stuck up Kyle's butt, but since he has been gone on business so much, they have totally become momma's boys. I am smothered with doggy-kisses and wet noses as soon as I walk in the door. It is like I am carrying t-bone steaks in my pocket.

I have accomplished almost everything that I wanted to do by the time I turned 30 years old….and I am getting close to finishing my list.

Now New and Improved With Springtime Freshness!

I really think that the year shouldn't begin in January, but at the spring equinox. There are so many NEW things this time of year, shouldn't the year begin NOW? It seems like the world around me is finally waking up. The trees in my front yard are beginning to show signs of little red bulbs, the days are slowly growing longer and I am spending a longer time staring in my closet trying to figure out what to wear.

There are lots of new things around Casa Garton right now…

I have a new job within the company. My office is newly built and it smells of fresh paint and new carpet. There is a new desk and new chair and new everything. The walls are bare and are screaming for decorations, but I am still undecided on what artwork I need to put up. If anyone knows how to decorate an office let me know. Plants die as soon as I look at them, so that is out of the question.

We have new neighbors that seem really nice. They have a couple of dogs which has sent Jake and Elwood into a tail-spin. The barking and butt-smelling phase is almost over......with the dogs, not the neighbors. The Brothers Garton are happy to have some new buddies with which to play. Their new canine friends come over to our porch for an afternoon treat and everyone seems to be getting along.

New furniture was delivered to our living room last week. As with the afore mentioned bare office, I am not a home interior expert either. I moved that darn couch more times than Lindsay Lohan has been in rehab. I have vacuumed in places that haven't seen daylight in over a year and I found that missing flip-flop. Sweet Carolina came over last week to rearrange and make sense of the chaos that I had created. It is starting to look like an actual living room…but I need a few more new things to finish the look.

A close friend called to let me know that there was a new ring on her finger. I am ecstatic about her great news and can't wait to see her and give her a big hug and ogle at her ring.

My cousin called to let me know that an old friend of mine is expecting a new addition to their family. But my cousin would NEVER pressure me to have a baby….she just wanted to let me know that these people were my age, got married on the same day that I did… and just happen to be pregnant. No pressure…"But when are you going to have one?" (As this is a blog post about NEW things, let me note that this is NOT a new question….I have heard it for two years.)

I am glad that spring has finally sprung, that people are getting married, friends having babies and that I found that darn flip-flop. I am really excited about all the new things that are happening in my life…except I really need some new springtime clothes. Shopping anyone?

Time Marches On

One of my favorite things about this time of year, other than the warmer weather, is the March flowers. They were popping up everywhere this weekend. Last week on my way to work I didn't see any, but today they were EVERYWHERE. There is even a business close to here that has HELLO SPRING written in daffodils on their front lawn. I smile every time that I see it.

I remember my cousin and I picking daffodils on my Mamaw's farm when we were little. We would gather as many as our little hands could hold and then take them inside, where she would put them in a large mason jar. The best ones were down the country road just a bit and back in an overgrown area of trees. That is where my great-grandparents house was at one time. I always thought that it was neat that they grew in two little rows, where a path used to be.

There is a wide open field close to my house that has a large perfectly square group of beautiful buttercups. Kyle said that there used to be a large farmhouse that used to sit there. One of his childhood friends lived there, but the house fell into disrepair and had to be torn down. There is no sign of that house now….but the little yellow flowers tell a story of the past.

Now I think about that house and my great-grandparents house every time that I see a patch of buttercups. When I see a group on the side of the road, I think is that where an old driveway used to be? Did someone grow up there? Did they pick daffodils to take to their grandmother? If they did, I hope that she put them in a mason jar……..March flowers shouldn't be displayed any other way.