Happy 236th Birthday Marines

Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem.
Ronald Reagan, President of the United States; 1985

Marines I see as two breeds, Rottweilers or Dobermans, because Marines come in two varieties, big and mean, or skinny and mean. They're aggressive on the attack and tenacious on defense. They've got really short hair and they always go for the throat.
RAdm. "Jay" R. Stark, USN; 10 November 1995

The wonderful love of a beautiful maid,
The love of a staunch true man,
The love of a baby, unafraid,
Have existed since time began.

But the greatest of loves, The quintessence of loves.
even greater than that of a mother,
Is the tender, passionate, infinite love,
of one drunken Marine for another.

"Semper Fidelis"

General Louis H. Wilson
Commandant of the Marine Corps
Toast given at 203rd Marine Corps Birthday Ball
Camp Lejueune, N.C. 1978

It's the "Simple Things"!

Yesterday I was channel surfing on the television and I ran across some show and the topic was "simple things". We often get so busy with life and outside chaos that we forget the simple things so the result of this was to write down a list of the simple things in your life that make you happy. "Wow" was the first thought that came to my mind. I had to really think about that and *that* made me sad. I shouldn't have to "think" about it, I should know them right off the top of my head! My life is so busy that I have forgot about the simple things that make me happy. With that being said I have decided to write my "simple things" list so I have it as a reminder; it also may show that I am a bit OCD and neurotic:

* A cup of coffee in a pretty teacup before the house (Brody) wakes up.
* A bed that is made.
* All of my hangers facing the same direction in my closet.
* My sink being dirty dish free.
* The smell of Fall in the air and in my house (thanks to candles & Scentsy).
* A clean house that I didn't have to clean.
* A quiet house in the mornings.
* Sleeping in frilly vintage slips that belonged to my Mammaw.
* The smell of lavender on my sheets and clothes.
* Getting my hair cut and colored.
* Decorating inside and outdoors for every single holiday.
* A kiss in the morning from my husband.
* The kids telling me good night before bedtime.
* My fur baby, Alex, at my side all day and night
* Getting dressed up and applying make up for a date night with my husband.
* Enjoying my patio with a glass of good wine.
* Good music!!!
* An empty dirty clothes basket.
* Cooking dinner for my family and friends.
* Facebook.
* Making letters and cards to mail to the special people in my life.
* Any type of arts and crafts.
* Kisses, Hugs and cuddles from my little man.
* Victoria asking me to paint her nails or do her hair.
* Little notes from my loved ones.
* Making Brody's lunch for school.
* A hug from my Momma & Daddy.
* Sleeping on my favorite pillowcase when I visit my parents.
* Hearing my Pappaw call me "Darlin'...."
* Hearing Mike call me "Honey".
* Wearing heels with my favorite pair of blue jeans.
* Using my Mammaw's cookbooks to make dinner.


That's just a few but that is the start of my list....what's on yours?

Home.Sweet.Home

This morning I woke up early and decided to use the time for myself and catch up on TV and my computer while enjoying a fresh brewed cup of Kona coffee. As I was catching up on one of my favorite blogs; my dear friend Susie's. She mentioned that her husband made statement that hit me hard...."How are we ever going to live anywhere else?".....wow, that is a bold statement but a realistic one that has haunted my mind as well.

I ADORE  ALBANY (more like LEESBURG), GA.

Did I really just admit that??? I mean, this is the person who was terribly homesick (and still is) months ago and also the person who second guessed moving here. This is the person that cried the minute she walked into the front door, had a panic attack and was sent to the ER for heart palipations the very day we arrived on Doublegate Drive.

However, something has changed my mind and my heart about this quaint little town. Most people that were bred, born and raised here ask the same question "Why in the hell did you move here?".  I can't tell you the number of people I have heard that sentence from....more times than "Oh, you will love it here". I don't think I have ever heard that sentence uttered. Seriously.

Albany is very diverse and it's still very much small town living....although it is very divided it reminds you a bit of Andy Griffith times on occasion. Everyone knows everybody.... and their business. If there is something "shady" going on you will hear about it. People are cordial here and show manners that many large cities are lacking. It almost feels like you stepped back in time....that can be a good and bad thing.

I will be the first to admit that this small town does have it's own share of problems and inconviences. Race is very much a factor here and it seems that the town is still very much stuck in a 1950's "bubble". The phrase that comes to mind is "To each their own". The communities are still divided in a sense but I have never felt any animosity; although I am sure it's there in certain situations.

Living in the "Deep South" also means we are very much a part of the "Bible Belt" so being part of a church is a big thing. I think there is seriously more churches in this town than I can count on my two hands and feet. It's basically a ghost town during worship hours because people are attending a church service somewhere. However, if you ever want to skip church to get your grocery shopping done then that is the best time to do it because you are not part of a huge chaotic crowd....trust me, I have done it and it worked out well....no lines or aggrevation. However, if you are wanting to buy alcohol on that Sunday trip you are out of luck becuase there are no alcohol sales on Sunday in Albany....so you have to plan ahead if your wanting a drink while lounging by the pool or catching up on whatever sporting event is on TV that day.

We also live in what Georgia calls the "Plantation Trace" because there are tons of Plantations in the area. Agriculture is a big deal here and our biggest crops are Peanuts and Pecans. Quail hunting is also another big deal in these parts. We are also the only city in the WORLD to house a World Series MVP, Super Bowl MVP and an Olympic Gold Medalist....so I guess the city is doing something right. We are also the home of Paula Deen (yum!), Buster Posey (Go SF Giants!) and Ray Charles! I can't forget to mention the entire reason we moved here....the Marine Corps! Albany has one of the largest logistcal bases on the East Coast.

As far as educational things in the area we have The Parks at Chehaw (Zoo) and Flint RiverQuarium. There are several other things like the Civic Center, Museum of Art and several theatres of the arts that we haven't had the time to endulge in.....but in due time we will .We also have Albany Panthers which is a SIFL (Southern Indoor Football League) team.  For such a small city there is so much to do and see!

While all of those "perks" are fine and dandy it's not what made me fall in love with this city. My heart is in love with the house and neighborhood we live in. I am happy that our children seem to thrive in this enviroment. Victoria can't be in a better public school system than Lee County and she is so involved in school activities/sports that make her beam with pride. Brody loves his friends he has made in the area and even has a cute Geogia twang that echoes in my ears (ex: Drink =Draannk). I have met some great people whom I am lucky enough to consider really good and dear friends.

There is so much more than I even blogged about that I haven't had a chance to discover yet. I am excited about being here and I am hoping one day my parents can move closer to us because I share the same thought with Susie's husband JB....

"How are we ever going to live anywhere else?"

Hello There!

Hello World....I took a short break from life and I am back and ready to blog. I didn't have access to my phone, Internet, laptop or Facebook for several days and needless to say it was, well....weird and refreshing. Can that actually be a feeling?!?!? 


Ready to blog and it will be a doozy when it hits blogger. It will take me some time to compile and get it together but when I do it will be funny and humbling. 


Until then smaller blogs will have to do....Hope everyone had a great 4th! 

Time keeps on slippin' ....

Have you ever had one of those days where it hit you that there seriously wasn't enough time in a day to get ALL the things you want and need to get done? This afternoon was that type of day for me. It's like the old saying "Don't bite off more than you can chew" and that saying was drilled into my brain by my parents and grandparents on a daily basis while growing up but obviously it never sank in....I tend to do it more often than I should. I always cram as much as I can in a day and that leaves me up writing on these blogs until 1 or 2 in the morning because it takes me that long to unwind and I can only blog when the house is quiet!


The downside about blogging in a quiet house is that it's actually too quiet and my mind starts thinking about what I was supposed to do, need to do, didn't do or wasted time doing. It's very frustrating because I have so much I want and need to do but there are only 24 hours in a day and if I want to sleep then things keep getting shifted to the next day....and that adds on to "the list".


Funny thing is that my "To Do" list never gets done and I keep adding (imagine that) to it. I'm not a happy person if I am not staying busy so I guess it's good that my list keeps getting longer because I will never be bored, unhappy or restless....well, "rest-less" from lack of sleep! I still have so much I want to do in my craft room and that keeps moving over to new list(s)! I have sewing projects I want to start (and finish), put the finishing touches on some cards I started making with my Cricut, paint the wooden birdhouse I bought a while ago so I can hang it by the garden beds. We need to  hide the Geocoin we found while Geocaching months ago before some angry mob of Geocacher's hunt us down for it. I need to finish decorating the yard for Easter. I need to transfer my seedlings from their indoor trays out and into the garden beds within the next week. I need to start planning Brody's birthday party which is in July...

It's like the list has turned into a book. It's nuts. Good thing is that I will eventually find a way to get it all done and make it happen. That's one of those OCD traits in me and it's one I don't mind having. I do stay somewhat organized and make all of the chaos above happen. I may drive my family completely insane in the process but they will manage and I will too!

Needed: Rainbow or Umbrella

"If you're feeling low, don't despair. The sun has a sinking spell every night, but it comes back up every morning. The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."

I have been in a very foul mood today and when I get like this it ruins my entire day, I am not the type to let whatever it is bothering me roll off my shoulders. It usually annoys me even more that I am annoyed with myself for being annoyed. Did that make any sense??? 

Todays blog is just going to be a short and simple one because I don't want to spend anymore time even rehashing my day. Plain and simple. It sucked.

So my money is on the quote above and hoping I cash in and win a rainbow tomorrow because I have dealt with enough rain this week. 

Candy Hearts

I know, I know....Valentines Day is WEEKS away but I can't help myself! I love Valentine's Day and have ever since I was old enough to get Valentine's from that "special person". It all started in Elementary school where we made our own little boxes and received the cute little cards from our friends and if we were lucky maybe, just maybe, a lollipop came with it. As we entered Middle School we got Candygrams with the little tags attached and your friends and boyfriend could send all the sweets their allowance could afford. I remember I always liked the ones where the sender's name was blank because my "crush" wouldn't reveal his name and it kept me guessing for days, weeks and even now I still wonder who sent a couple of them. It was also a popularity contest because the girl that got the most Candygrams *had* to be the most popular girl in school (insert eye roll). Sadly, I wasn't that girl. Sigh.


When we entered High School that is when Valentine gifts got larger and more expensive. The front office would turn into a florist for the afternoon and we would all wait for the "call" on the intercom stating we needed to come to the office. That "call" would prove we were loved and admired...it also was a little jab at your ex-boyfriend, Mom or Best friend who hated your current fling. We no longer had the little shoe boxes where tiny greetings would be slipped in the top. No, that was too elementary now. We wanted Godiva chocolates, Roses delivered to school (it better have at least 12 stems), Jewelry and the Hallmark card (he better have had the gold seal on the back, too) or the "current" boyfriend would be a thing of the past. I know, shallow, some may say, admit it....when you are a teenage girl the word shallow should be your middle name.


Even to this day as we grow older we still want that "call" from the receptionist stating "You have something up front". The poor men in our life have been dealing with this crap for years. I kind of feel sorry for them because they have had these high expectations from girls since they were young enough to slip those little cards in our dolled up shoeboxes. 


Last night it hit me while I was working on the Valentines Day goody bags for Brody's class that I really miss the days of decorating my shoebox for Valentines Day. It was so much fun and so simple! Funny how something so insignificant could make you feel like a princess for the day. I think we need to get back to those simple days where love and admiration could come from a little card stuffed in a makeshift mailbox made from  a used shoebox.  Just sayin'.