Birthday Bash

Is this not the most beautiful cake you've ever seen? Hubs did a great job this year. And, yes, as you can see from the number I turned 48 on Monday. If I could figure out how to move the pictures around I'd put cute captions under everything. But nooooooooooo I am still illiterate in blogland.

Bill and Joe came over after Joe got off work. And Brittany (Bill's friend) was here too. (She's the gorgeous brunette in the picture) Being the mother of sons I knew when the big pink sack with pink tissue paper came in the door who wrapped my present...Pink's never been a big color at our house. Denim and beef are the two life sustaining forces in this place!

I'm headed to the salon to get my gray roots blasted back to blonde. I'm so glad someone invented bleach. Lord, where would I be without it???

May Jesus pour out his blessings on you and your family today!

Jan

TEXAS FIGHT

Ahhhhhhhh...the Texas-OU game is on! And I am sitting here watching it alone. Normally, Hubs and I spend Saturdays together watching SEC football. But he is on the golf course and Joe is at work.



Being a native TEXAN I long for the state fair, Fletcher's Corny dogs and anything else deep fried that is served. I read this morning where they are actually serving deep fried bacon. We used to go the state fair and the game (if we could get tickets) . I have great childhood memories of this. The zipper, tilt-a-whirl, ferris wheel, and, of course the petting zoos. Big Tex absolutely blew me away as a little girl! They have added some new



Since Hubs is a native Arkansan, he HATES all things TEXAS. My sons get a kick out of listening to us when I list all the things I love about TEXAS and Hubs lists all the things he dislikes about it. What can I say? Twelve years of TEXAS history will do that to you. (just kidding, I think it's more like four)



Gotta run. Halftime is over and OU has the ball. Gotta get my Hook 'EM ready...



Plus, my HOGS are playing AUBURN pretty soon but it's on the radio. Besides, we'll probably get stomped again...



May Sam Houston watch over y'all.



Jan



ps DERN IT--OU just scored. My blood pressure just took a hike. It's 28-20

Bummer...

Tonight I should be with Hubs in Kansas City eating a big hunkin' slab of cow at the Mad Ox. But guess what? I'm sittin' here in my ratty pjs reading everyone's blogs. And it stinks. Yes, it stinks. I would rather be in the cute little outfit I just bought from Belks hanging on to my man's arm waiting to order cheesecake and coffee. It was a birthday surprise (sort of) even though my birthday isn't until next week.

Why am I not there you ask? Because my stinkin' arthritis flared up Saturday and I was in the bed for two days. (that rates at least 3 poor babies, don't you think?) He has a meeting tomorrow and the plan was for Bill to come over (Mr. Collegeman) and stay here with his brother. But nooooooooo my body didn't cooperate so here I am eating my second ice cream sandwich. (they're minis...don't worry...I am not pigging out here)

There was a very bright spot this weekend, though. One of my former college SS girls (who is in graduate school somewhere else) came in town for the ball game (if you can call the whoopin' we took a ball game) and stayed with us. I LOVE it when my college girls come back to see us. It's so neat to see them grow in the Lord and get plugged into new churches wherever they land after college. Plus...girls smell nice. Very nice.

Which explains three men and a mom ...in case you ever wondered.

It's 8:20 and I'm going to bed. Good night. Sleep tight.

Jan

Does this look like a killer to you?

I just returned from taking young Oswald (aka Ozzie, Oz, Ozman, Pooch, Poochetta) to get his yearly vaccinations. I was SHOCKED when he tried to take the vet's hand off at the wrist. We're talking show your teeth, growl, and emit things from (how can I say this in a ladylike fashion?) the back end. I felt like a young mother in the pediatrician's office with an unreasonable three year old.

This dog has never, ever done anything other than lick us to death, lie on the sofa, and beg for dog biscuits. I was so surprised that I didn't know what to say. So, I said "you know, we think he was abused as a puppy before we adopted him at the shelter." Dr. Vet looked at me and nodded like I was crazy. It's true. Oz still won't drink water from a bowl. He stares at it like it's a snake ready to strike. His food bowl has to be completely full before he'll eat from it. What can I say? He's not the brightest bulb in the box, but we love him.

I asked Dr. Vet to cut his toenails since I was there and Dr. Vet is, after all, a PROFESSIONAL-- he had to manhandle him while the sweet little technician cut his nails. Ozman continued to growl and emit---I'm still in shock. WHO KNEW? that primal instinct is always lurking under the surface.


Kind of like me in my MENOPAUSAL STATE.

Oh well, a hot flash is comin' on. Gotta run.

Blessings,
Jan

Has it been 25 years?

This is the new fountain that was built long after I was there.

The front of the house where we use to wait for the bus to shuttle us up the hill to class.

A friend from Oklahoma who I had not seen in 25 years.

Valerie, Misty and me. We were in the same pledge class.

Yesterday afternoon I relived my college years. My college sorority won the national award for best chapter. This is a HUGE. The Arkansas chapter has won it two years in a row. The only other time in 99 years that they won the award was in the forties. Let me just say that we DID NOT WIN IT WHEN I WAS THERE--WE DIDN'T HAVE THE GRADE POINT. (what can I say? we were more about hair and having a date to the Hog games)

I had not been to the house in over 10 years. I don't do the alumnae club. I really enjoyed the four years I had with my friends but that was then and this is now.

Until...I saw three women that I hadn't seen in 25 years! And they have daughters living there now. I had a blast!! We walked through the house and looked at our old rooms. We found our pictures on the old composites. Talk about a shocker...Eighties hair was not pretty friends...and don't try to convince me otherwise.

All in all it was a beautiful day. The cool, crisp air brought back so many memories of fun days going to ballgames. When our biggest worry was making it to class...lying on the roof of the laundry room to catch some rays...and finding that perfect date.

I am soooooooo far from being the typical sorority girl today, but it was fun going back in time for a little while.

Blessings,

Jan

Van Gone

I said goodbye to a good friend Friday. My blue minivan. It has driven many boys over the last five years. Stinky, sweaty teenage boys with shoes big enough to ski on...Sonic cups littered the floor on most days. Beth Moore's teaching cds blew through the speakers.

Hubs and I calculated that I've been in the minivan business for almost 20 years. TWENTY. I'm not sure how that can happen since I'm only 29 years old. LOL

My tenderheartedness was short lived. Hubs went out and bought me the cutest CONVERTIBLE you've ever seen! I was shocked. I've never really been a car person. But that could all change :)

Anyway, I've driven all my girlfriends around town and on the interstate. The mountain air is cool and crisp right now and the leaves are just beginning to change. Hubs has a meeting two hours from here tomorrow and I think I might just tag along for the ride--since he's taking my ride!

The funniest thing is seeing my sons' expressions. Joe (16) took one look at it and said, "I'll never drive it will I?" I was rolling on the floor. Bill (19) went for a spin and just shook his head.

Our kids see us as MOMS. Period. They forget that we are 18 year olds trapped inside forty-something bodies. At least, I am.

Ooh, a friend just called and wants to ride. The laundry will have to wait.

Blessings,

Jan

Enough is Enough

Sometimes you gotta put your size 5 1/2 foot down and say, "Enough, already!" That's precisely what I am doing today. I have sat in the recliner, laid on the bed, and had enough pain pills to supply a small nation. Seriously...this has been the summer from south of the eternal border but it ends TODAY.

I made it to Sunday School yesterday. I knew I couldn't do church and SS so I chose to go where people would hug my neck and lie between their teeth saying how good I look. And am I glad I did. Our teacher (who is one of the ministers) taught on David and Goliath. By the end of the class I had decided that my five rocks would be as follows: a can of Pledge, Febreze, my 8# Oreck, Ozzie's dog hair brush, and some serious Tide. Nothing defeats Goliath like a good cleaning. IT WAS SO PATHETIC... I'd dust a while and sit a while. Febreze a chair or two and sit a while. Fold a load of towels and sit a while...

But, God gave me the strength to lift myself up and get on with life. It's like my precious grandmother used to say as she swatted mosquitoes from the rice farms in southern Arkansas.
"Do what you know to do, honey. And everything will be just fine."

Girls, sometimes you gotta do what you know to do. When your teens are being, well, teenagers. When you feel like the south end of a north bound mule. DO WHAT YOU KNOW TO DO.
I read part of Daniel yesterday afternoon. He did what he knew to do and am I glad he did :)

Blessings,
Jan