Stuff I'm Thankful For In 2013

Like many of you, I began participating in that Facebook tradition of posting what I'm thankful for every day in November.

Yeah, I lasted about a week, then crappy crap started happening. Instead of trying to catch up, I figured I'd make a list of things on my blog.

So, here ya'll go.

1.) Gravy.

2.) My Mom. I don't know what I'd do without her. She's been here for me no matter what. She's a Ride Or Die Mom.

3.) The way Morgan talks. "Tops ride in a top tar." She has the cutest lisp, also.

4.) The fact that I have things to pass along. For instance, I showed Chelsey how not to burn the crust of a pumpkin pie. I also showed her what my stepmom taught me to do -- sprinkle cinnamon on the top.
On Christmas, I'll show them how to make reindeer food. The glitter is what makes them fly.

5.) My husband. He fought the crowds this morning and got last minute stuff, PLUS he brought home sausage biscuits!!!

6.) The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I wish someone would tell them that nobody gives a dang about that Broadway stuff or the singing. We just want the floats and balloons, thankyouverymuch.

7.) The way dudes smell when they get out of the shower. mmm

8.)  Smartphones.

9.)  Memories. No matter what, I have memories of the past holidays and the people who made it special. I also have the chance to make memories with my family every day. I know it seems sappy, but  the thought of spending this holiday and Christmas and many more special days with everyone makes me feel good. Even if members of your family are in Heaven (or outer space, whatever you believe), you have their memories and stories to share to the ones you have around you right now.

10.) Elastic pants. Very important on days like today.

11.) Chocolate peanut butter fudge. It's an old family recipe that we call "Cake Candy" and my awesome seester brought me some today because she loves me.

                        

12.) The Young & The Restless.

13.) Grape juice. Not grape drink. Not grape Kool-Aid. Grape Juice.

14.) Brand new white tennis shoes.

                                                   

15.) Children. Not anyone else's. Just mine (including stepchildren, I love them like my own.) And my nieces. And my nephew. Grown-up kids, too... like my other nephews. Shoot, my whole entire family.

Well, I've got stuff to do. Green bean casserole to make. I hope y'all enjoy your Turkey day and your post-turkey naps. May all your dishes be paper and all your pants be stretchy. Love y'all!

Sh!+ I'm N O T Thankful For

In this season, we're all thankful for many things, as we should be. We should all have an attitude of gratitude. Life is precious and we shouldn't take our blessings for granted. 

That said, each one of us have things we cannot stand. Something that sucks all the red off our lollipops. 

So, here is my list of sh!+ that I'm NOT thankful for. Things that just need to disappear or get the heck out of my life, all in no particular order.

1. That oak tree that keeps trying to grow up under my crepe myrtle tree. I cut it and cut it, yet it still comes back. It's like cutting it makes it stronger.

2. Bats in the cave. Always check your nose before you go out in public. Nobody wants to see that stuff.

3. Comb-overs. 

4. Calories.

5. Limp handshakes. Especially from dudes. Shake it like you mean it!

6. When people put apostrophes when there shouldn't be. I just tried to do one on purpose and could not stand it. 

7. Those four-holed Hush Puppies shoes. My old art teacher used to wear them and those shoes made me angry.

8. Alarm clocks. 

9. Close talkers. Back up, I can hear you from three feet away, I promise. 

10. Emus. They just look evil.

11. Muffin tops. Lord knows I hate mine, although it is more of a loaf top. See #4.

12. Pull up your pants!!!

13. The fact that as nasty as they are, there is no coating on Prednisone pills. Why?

14. Bell peppers. Blech!

15. The fact that the skin on my elbows is dark. I do not know why. It just is.

16. Fire ants. I once poked a hole in a fire ant mound, put dryer lint in the hole, and set it on fire. Now, that's entertainment.

17. These things:

18. "Your card has been declined."

19. Cancer.

20. Bad parenting. It runs the spectrum. I was going to start naming examples, but it makes me angry. If you don't want your kid(s), then give them to someone who does. Or, better yet, use birth control. No child should be mistreated, taken for granted, or made to eat bell peppers.

21. Onions.

22. People who can't take a joke. 

23. Having an itch in that one spot in the middle of your back that you can't reach.

24. How fast the stupid battery on my stupid phone dies.

25. Bills. 

26. People who do drugs, especially the people who brag about it. 

27. When Pinterest recipes don't turn out the way the pin describes. Like that cornbread recipe.

28. Getting caught doing something stupid. You know that person is going to remind you daily and tell everyone.

29. Every time I get a new shirt that I really like, I get a stain on it before the second washing. 

30. When I make dinner and nobody thanks me. I did work, ya know. Be thankful it's not Totino's.

Okay, done.

The cool thing about this list is the fact that it was MUCH harder coming up with things I'm not thankful for. The things I appreciate and enjoy every day come to mind way easier. 

So, tell me... what are you not thankful for?

Sh!+ I'm Thankful For

As I'm sure we are all way too aware of, we're supposed to post a Facebook status every day of something we're thankful for.

This month has had a rough spot or two, so I've fallen off that bandwagon.

Sure, there are things to be thankful for every single day, but I was too busy pouting or being ticked off to post some happy crap for the world to see. Screw that.

So, to get it all over with at once, I've compiled a list of things I'm thankful for. They are listed in no particular order. Here goes:

1. My mouth. Food goes in it and I can speak my mind with it. I can make boo-boos all better with a kiss and, seriously, where the heck else would I put red lipstick?

2. DVR. I'm too forgetful to remember to watch certain shows at certain times. Plus, I can watch the soaps uninterrupted while everyone else is at work/school.

3. My divorce. If I hadn't gotten a divorce, as unpleasant as it was, I would never have been able to marry John. Marriage is amazing as long as it is to the right person, and I've finally found him.

4. Fall leaves. Who doesn't like fall, and the wonderful weather? The leaves are beautiful! 

5. My kids. One in Heaven, one here. Both are amazing examples of how I can pass on both good and bad things... mostly good, of course! lol On a serious note, though, NEVER, EVER take your kids for granted. They are blessings, planned or not.

6. My stepkids. I hit the lottery on this one. I've heard horror stories of evil stepchildren. The ones I've been blessed with are really awesome kids. I'm so glad I didn't get ones that are evil, stink, or are just generally bad.

7. The filling in Oreos.

8. Sweet tea. The bane of my existence, so bad for me in all it's deliciosity.

9. The roof over my head. Too many people take that for granted. Sure, I don't live in a mansion or in a cookie cutter community, but this is the home I grew up in and its solid and full of love.

10. High thread count sheets. Its like sleepin' in butta.

11. My parents. So many people take their parents for granted, especially teenagers. I did when I was younger. I got really good parents, though. My mom is the funniest, sweetest lady. My dad was like a superhero to me (race car driver and always could fix stuff, excellent judge of character.) 

12. All the chores my stepmom made me do. Seriously. I resented doing them, but it made me a better, more responsible person. 

13. Technology. I love technology. Computers, social media, smartphones, my Keurig coffeemaker. 

14. Rain. I love the rain. 

15. Full House reruns. It makes me so happy that my kids actually like watching that old show, since it doesn't have bad innuendo or embarrassing subjects (like Two and a Half Men).

16. Pumpkin pie.

17. King Vitamin cereal. That stuff ain't no joke. The best cereal ever.

18. Ponytail holders. Otherwise, my hair would be getting on my nerves all the time.

19. My friends. And they are better than YOUR friends.

20. Baby/toddler giggles. I can't think of a sweeter sound.

21. My nieces and nephews. I'm probably the proudest Auntie ever in the history of Auntie-dom. From the oldest to the youngest, they are seriously awesome.

22. My siblings. They have my blood running through them, so of course they're the best. lol The step-siblings are pretty dang cool, too.

23. Karma. Enough said.

24. The sweet ass car I get to drive. Frickin' sweet. 

25. The fact that my husband finds me sexy even though I'm old and fat. 

26. My MADD friends, the Charleston County Victims Advocate, and Amy from the Impact of Crime classes. All the people who share my passion for making the world a better place, and for giving me a way to do so.

27. Thanksgiving dinner. p.s. I make the best collards next to my first stepdad. 

28. Electricity. Except the bill.

29. Medication. Keeps me alive/doing fairly well, and helps me suffer through an airplane ride.

30. Hugs. I frickin' love hugs. 

Okay, so there you have it. I'm thankful for big things and minor things. I'm grateful to be alive and to have things that make me grateful. 

What are YOU thankful for?

My handy, dandy soda bottle holder!

I had posted the pics of this on Ravelry.com, but here it is if you would like to make it yourself... I'm too lazy to post a pic of it right now, so just click on the link below to see it :)

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/kellywentcrazy/handy-dandy-soda-bottle-holder

Round 1: Ch 2, 6 sc in 1st ch. Join with slip stitch in first sc. (6 sc)

Round 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in each stitch around. Join with slip stitch in first sc. (12 sc)

Round 3: Ch 1, (2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc) around. Join with slip stitch in first sc. (18 sc)

Round 4: Ch 1, (2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next 2 sc) around. Join with slip stitch in first sc. (24 sc)

Round 5: Ch 1, (2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next 3 sc) around. Join with slip stitch in first sc. (30 sc)

Round 6: Ch 1, (2sc in next sc, 1 sc in next 4sc) around. Join with slip stitch in first sc. (36 sc)

Round 7: Ch 1 (1sc in each sc around)

From here on, don’t end each row with a sl st, just work in the round until height measures approx. 6 1/2 inches.

Handle: without fastening off, Ch 1 and turn. Sc in next 5 sc.
Ch 1, turn, Sc in each of next 5 sc. Continue until handle is approx. 12 1/2 inches.
Find the middle of the other side of the drink holder so you can attach the handle to the other side (with sc)
Fasten off.

I'd Forgotten What I'd Been Looking For

From Dani The Great, a suggestion on a blog topic:

"Beginning and sustaining a relationship while maintaining a challenging illness."

FIRST of all, this is one hell of a challenge, because I write SOUTHERN HUMOR-type blogs. This topic sounds about as funny as a root canal.

At any rate, I view this as a challenge. So, here goes:

___________________

So, I met this dude...

...when I was a baby.

Our fathers once worked together and our parents were friends with each other.

I hung around his sister because we were in the same grade. I had no idea that he was actually my age, and the sister was older than me. So, I viewed him as 'my friend's annoying little brother.'

Fast-forward to modern times...

I added him on Facebook and then pretty much ignored him. I remembered him as he was when he was a little boy and hadn't seen him since WELL before puberty.

He messaged me a few times, etc., but nothing much came of it.

One day, my WONDERFUL friend, who knows this guy well, told me to give him a chance. I resisted a bit, but gave in.

WTF was I thinking when I was ignoring him all this time?!

He took me out on an amazing, romantic first date and we hit it off instantly. That poor guy, he's not gonna be able to get rid of me. He's been claimed. And, I suspect, he's pretty damn OK with it. He's already been to my family reunion AND met Dani The Great, and he hasn't run off screaming into the night, so he's not easily scared off.

That said...

He had no idea I have Multiple Sclerosis before we went out. And, frankly, I had to ask him (Hereby referred to as 'Hot Mess', a name my MADD BFFs have coined for him, because they think he's hot and has to put up with my mess) when and how he found out about the MS. His reaction was so minimal that I didn't even remember telling him.

He told me that, as long as I take my meds, he's totally cool with it all. He even said he'd take care of me if it ever came to that.

Considering the fact that I needed a cane to walk about two months ago and quickly eliminated my use/need for said cane, I don't foresee me needing ANYONE to take care of me ANYTIME soon. I'm much too stubborn and independent for that crap. Also, as I've said to more than one person... There is a lot to be said for prayer and steroids.

It's nice to have someone to remind me to take my meds, though, as I tend to be a forgetful soul.

What was I talking about again?

Oh, yeah...

Hot Mess.

As much as I hold dear my ability to rely on myself, I have to admit that it's awful damn nice to have someone to lean on in my dark, weak moments. I'm not sure humans, in general, are meant to walk this world alone. I have a big ass load to carry (y'all don't be thinking I'm talking about my ACTUAL ASS, smartasses) and having someone to help me tote all this is pretty sweet.

My basic take on the whole thing is this:

If someone TRULY cares about you, it doesn't matter WHAT is wrong with you. All that person sees is what is RIGHT with you.

Fat, Happy, and F F F Freezing!

I can never manage to get my pool all the way clear, no matter what I try.

However, today, I got it as clear as I could today, and Garrett and I decided to jump in.



HOLY CRAP, THAT WATER IS STILL COLD!!!



Even Garrett got right back out, and that says a lot! That kid will swim in water til he gets hypothermia. Boys always act like they aren't cold, anyway. It's how they show toughness, I guess. Either way, he lasted about ten minutes in the pool and declared he'd rather watch TV.

Taking advantage of the fact that I already had my suit on, I decided to lay out and get some good ole' Vitamin D. It felt good, and it was pretty relaxing. I started thinking, though...

A lot of commercials talk about "fitting into your bikini for summer." I have a bikini. I can fit into it.
The thing I would be most concerned about is how many children would run away from me, screaming, covering their eyes. haha




Screw this, I'm going to go watch TV.

The price of beauty. About 14 bucks.

Lately I've been broke. And, by 'lately', I mean for the last few years.

This past year, however, I had been splurging on getting blonde foil highlights.

They looked pretty damn good. I miss them.
It took almost $200 each time to get that done. Not anyone can pull off blonde highlights on hair that's almost black, not without making the hair look like red Georgia clay.

HOWeverrrr... I don't really have the funds for such a splurge, so I had to resort to doing them myself at home and getting Supercuts haircuts.

Yes, I am still pouting.

At any rate, here I sit with "Step Two" in my hair. I did the all-over color day before yesterday and I'm just getting around to doing the highlights. Damn, how I miss going to Stella Nova.


I have a few more minutes to go, but I know it won't be that fabulous blonde that only the expert stylist can achieve. I just don't have that luxury this week.
I had to do SOMETHING, since my grays were staring back at me in the mirror.

I was just thinking... Isn't it funny how long women take to put on their makeup, to achieve the 'natural look'?

Anyway, I just got out of the shower and dried my hair. Meh. Nothing like mousy brown with streaks of Georgia clay.


Guess I'll have to go to Maybelline and get my 'natural face' on.