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Blog Prompt: If you planned a field trip for you, your family or group where would you go, why, and what would you do?

When I moved to Florida, I had to find out more about this great state.  So, I went to the book store and bought a book called the Oddities of Florida.  Florida has some great places in history and odd places to visit. 

The first field trip we took with my parents was to Spook Hill and The Bok Singing Tower and Gardens.  This was the last trip we took together before my dad wasn’t able to get around for long periods of time.  I will always cherish this trip with him because he truly got a big kick out of how Spook Hill works.  I would definitely take anyone that would want to go to this place again.

Spook Hill is in the small town of Lake Wales, FL and we just had to go to it and see if when you park your car on the white line, put your car in neutral will it really pull you backwards. IT DOES!!!! That was better than any ride at Six Flags. There is also an elementary school right down the road that is called Spook Hill Elementary School and their mascot is Casper the Ghost.

Legend says, “Many years ago an Indian village on Lake Wales was plagued by raids of a huge gator. The Chief, a great warrior, killed the gator in a battle that created a small lake. The chief was buried on the north side. Pioneer mail riders first discovered their horses laboring down hill, thus naming it “Spook Hill.” When the road was paved, cars coasted up hill. Is this the gator seeking revenge, or the chief still trying to protect his land?”

I also did a layout of the day we went to Spook Hill.   If you look closely at the picture I took that’s next to the Spook Hill sign, you can see that where the road dips down is where you park your car and then it rolls up the hill. Your car is facing the taller hill and the car would roll toward the bottom of the picture. We had to do it 3 times just to make sure it worked!!

credit - Laura at DSP

Tags: family by Tammy
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Blog Prompt: Yesterday was Kiss and Make Up Day. Describe an argument you had with someone and how you resolved the problem.

I am too old for stupid anymore and it seems that most arguments are over stupid stuff.  One thing my wonderful husband has taught me is to communicate and discuss something that is bothering me, instead of festering over it and then blowing up.  That’s what I use to do many years ago.  Terrible temper.  Something I acquired from my father.

So I can’t say I have had an argument with anyone in a very long time.  And I hope not to have one any time soon.  I love being happy.

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NO PHONE SERVICE!!!!!

My phone has been out of service now since last night and since the only cell phone we have is in Georgia with my husband, I only have email and YM to communicate.  For some reason, my DSL works just fine. 

I can text my husband via YM, which is pretty cool, to let him know why I haven’t called him since last night.  We have minimum minutes, so we talk before 9 am and after 9 pm. 

I contacted my phone provider via repair ticket and it’s suppose to be fixed by 7:15pm tonight.  At least I was able to do that.  I went to the chat area and they couldn’t help me!!  OH MY GOSH!!!!!  I don’t have phone service to call you and you tell me you can’t start a repair ticket for me?  I hate how these companies force you to have someone at your home all day long.  I can stay home, but all you lovely ladies that have to work!  What do you do when you need service like that??  Do you hire a baby sitter for your home to let someone in to repair what ever?

Oh well.  I will just sit tight, play on the computer and wait for the phone repair guy.  Maybe he will be hot!

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Miss Clever Crow Designs has some wonderful kits and hatchlings to choose from in her store.  If you are into the more grungy look, then she has what you need. 

Miss Crow has been preparing heaps of goodies for the First Annual Scarecrow Spectacular!! More information to come soon.  I can’t wait to see what she has to offer then.

The layout below is of my dh with his two children.  Since we live far from them, there aren’t too many pictures of the 3 of them and I was glad to get this one.

credits - All items from Clever Crow Design

Tags: family by Tammy
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My brother was stationed overseas for a year and it was always nice when we were able to talk on the phone, which wasn’t but a couple times. I think if he had had international phone cards to use, we would have stayed in touch more often.  It surely was a long year and not talking to my baby brother very much.

GetMeCallingCards.com is one of the largest retailers of phone cards. They carry a large number of phone cards from all major vendors. Our phone cards and calling cards allows customers to call from 153 countries around the world

I went to look up what getmecallingcards.com have to offer if I need to call him over there again and I was really impressed what kind of calling cards are out there for international calls.  The highest amount for calling is 2.7 cents a minute.  That’s not bad to call to talk to loved ones across the globe. 

When your card runs out of money, just go to the website and refill it again through your account.  Very easy and convenient.  Great for all your military families out there!

Tags: family by Tammy
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Let’s start this week’s diary entries with: What makes you cry.

The day my son graduated from high school was such a sad day for me.  My son was all grown up and in a couple of months, he would be going to college and leaving the nest. 

I cried all through the ceremony and you can see that in the picture.  I just knew the day we took him to college and left him there I was going to cry the whole time.  But, no!  I saw how happy he was and that he was going to have a great time there and I was fine. 

During the 1st year he was gone, I would have my crying spells.  Missing him terribly.  And then he came home for summer time.  I was soooooo happy!!  My baby was going to be home!! 

He was home for about 2 weeks and I asked him, “Son!  When does school start back up?”  He was driving me nuts.  I was in a routine of just having 2 people in the house and then he came home, threw his stuff every where and well, mom’s, you know what he was doing to his room and every where else. 

He came home for 2 summers during college and then ended up staying at school, working and living in an apartment.  Even though he has been gone now over 10 years, I miss him and love seeing him when we can get together.  But, I know one thing for sure.  He ain’t coming home to live again!!!!!!!!
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Clever Crow Designs has a great kit called Into the Woods. Anything and everything you would want to scrap about the woods is in that kit of papers and elements. 

Our recent trip to the Georgia Mountains goes great with this kit, Into the Woods.
 

Tags: Clever Crow Design Studio, family by Tammy
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In this exercise write a letter to your spouse/significant other for your 59th anniversary. You can do this in the past, present or future tense.

Dear Sweetie,

I can’t believe its been 59 years now.  Oh how wonderfully, blissfully, loving time passes by.  It’s a miracle we found each other all those years ago through the Internet.  Can you believe that story?  We met online, fell in love, married and have never looked back. 

We both still laugh today at all the reports of how you shouldn’t date people online.  We heard of all the bad things that happened to people who met online,but still tooted our own horns.  Well, honey, we showed them.  Seems the news never reports the good stuff and we definitely are the “Good Stuff’!!

We’ve watched all those grandchildren grow into fine young people, with great values and wonderful families.  Can you believe we now have all these great-grandchildren?  I guess we will always remember those good days of going to the Georgia and Arkansas games watching your grandson’s and my nephew play.  What fun was that.

I would have never seen this great country of ours, if it had not been for you.  We traveled a lot, didn’t we?  Going from state to state, learning the history of each one and bringing home all those coffee mugs!  I still love looking at them and remembering where we got each one of them.  My favorite place to visit, of course, is Charleston, SC.  The place where we married and joined our lives together for ever.

I still look in my box of cards you have given me over the years and yes, I still have every single one you have ever given me.  I love reading all those love letters you wrote me while we were dating.  Me living in Missouri and you living in Georgia.  They will always be treasured.

You will always be my rock, my soul mate, my best friend and the person whole stole my heart.  I will always love you. 

From my heart to yours, Tammy

kit credit - Retrodiva Designs

Tags: family, retrodiva designs by Tammy
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Write a dream page for a/your child(ren)

Miss Tink comes up with some really great blog prompts and today’s is no exception. I am really having to dig deep in my aging brain to answer this one.    So here goes.

When my son was born, I knew I didn’t want him to grow up without knowledge that his parents, family and schools could give him.  My biggest dream for him was to learn as much as possible, use it in life and grow up to be a great asset to his community.   I wanted him to stretch his wings and live beyond our small community.

So, from a very early age, I exposed him to what ever I could get my hands on.  Books, puzzles, games and early version’s of Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers. These were great tools he loved to play or interact with and I felt like it wasn’t a chore to get my child to learn.  

He did well in school and talents oozed out of him I had no idea he had.   His talent for playing instruments and music still amazes me today.  

He had told me many years ago, that he wanted to teach young children the world of music and to play instruments and that is what he does today.  He is still working on furthering his education and hopes to have his Master’s done in the next few months.

He has made this mother very proud.

credits- DSP freebie kit

Tags: Uncategorized, family, music by Tammy
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My Mother’s Hands

credits-April Staker

My mother’s hands have worked hard all her life. Raising two children alone most of the time while my dad served in the Navy overseas and as a beautician for 40 years.  She is a great cook, seamstress and has great detail.

I remember my mom use to make my birthday cakes and they were spectacular.  She took cake baking classes and I was just amazed at what she could do.  She made a Barbi cake, a cake that looked like a carousel and even helped me make cakes for my son.  She still has her cake making items in a shoe box from all those years ago.

I also remember one morning waking up and seeing a shadow coming toward me.  I had a tooth under my pillow and I knew this was the tooth fairy.  I felt movement under my pillow and couldn’t wait till the shadow was gone to see what was there.  As I grew older, I realized that the tooth fairy was my mom.

I’m glad now that she is able to enjoy life in her retirement community and all the new activities she has to enjoy.  Even though she is alone now, her new life will be busy and happy with all her new friends.

One of my mom’s day trips

Tags: April Staker, family by Tammy
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Did you have a birth announcement? What did it say, or if you didn’t have one, what should it have said.

If I had an announcement, I don’t know about.  But, my mom kept a baby book that has all that great stuff in it and I still have it.  Then when my son was born, 22 years later, I was able to buy the very same baby book for him. 

Here is what I know what happened almost 51 years ago.

During my aunt’s Sweet 16 birthday, my mother left to give birth to me.   Needless to say, my mother and I stole my Aunt’s thunder that day.  There was also a terrible thunderstorm and tornado’s in the area during my birth.  Here are more details.

• Where - Sikeston, MO
• When - June 30, 1957, 3:30 pm
• Weight - 7 pounds
• Length - 19 inches

Well, almost 51 years have passed since that day and life has been good!!  Great family and friends, wonderful husband and a life I love. 

My body is starting to show 51 years of wear and tear, but basically still works great.  I try to eat well, work out as much as possible and I have even given up desserts for fruit!!! 

So, why when I went for my yearly GYN check up the other day, did I have the funny feeling the doctor was telling me I was getting, “OLD AND FAT”!!  I KNOW I have gained a few pounds, well ok, it’s about 20 pounds and I KNOW I am getting older.  I don’t need to be reminded of that.  Even the dentist and eye doctor reminds me of that!!  She also asks me, “Have you had a colonoscopy yet?”  A blank look came over my face and then I snapped out of it and I told her not only “NO”, but “HELL NO!”  Let’s just keep focused on the area of the pap smear right now, I was thinking.  Turning 50 means a mamogram, bone density test and colonoscopy in the near future.  “Ok, ok, I will get this done soon”, I told her.  I just didn’t tell her when soon was. 

So, I will try even harder to get rid of some of the weight, keep taking all my vitamins, make appointments for the dreaded tests and keep working out.   And hope my body will hang in there for 50 more years!

credits - Beautiful Soul kit by Rene’ Bross

Tags: About Me, family by Tammy
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Last week we focused on recent vacations. So this week take a walk down memory lane for a childhood vacation you hold dear.

Our whole family took a week vacation, a few years back, to Destin, FL.  It was my 40th birthday and I wanted to go to Florida so bad and what a great time we had!  My brother, my son and myself went snorkeling, swimming at the beach, we stayed in a great condo, my son had a blast at the Big Kahuna water slide and taking a parachute ride over the water.  He told me we didn’t want to see what he saw swimming close to shore!  ugh

But, I think our best time on the trip was when we went to the Billy Bo Leg’s parade.  It was kind of like a very small version of a Mardi Gra parade.  My dad wasn’t too thrilled about going and he sat on the side of the road and waited.  Well, the first float that came by had a lot of, well, belly dancers.  My dad wasn’t really paying much attention, until one very attractive, well built young lady came over, doing her little belly dancing moves, and put a necklace on him.  Very close!  Well, from that moment on, the parade had his undivided attention.

There were tons of floats, throwing necklaces, plastic cups and just junk, but what fun we had the best time trying to get the most stuff.  After we got back to the condo, we all poured out our jewels and treasures to see what we all had.  We took tons of pictures of all of us wearing all our necklaces.  The picture on the right are of my mom and son with all their treasures.

We have taken a couple other family trips like that and some day I will tell you about our Trip to Las Vegas.  What another great time we had.

I’m so glad for these memories and how they make me laugh.  I hope that if our family takes another trip, that my dad will be watching over us and enjoying it with us.

Tags: Florida, family by Tammy
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Blog Prompt: On May 30, 1922, The Lincoln Memorial is dedicated today in Washington, D C, by Chief Justice William Howard Taft. What is your favorite historical monument and why?

While my dad was stationed in Hawaii, back in the 60’s, I went to the USS Arizona a couple times when my grandmother’s came to visit us there. 

Even though I was young, I remember standing there and looking at all the names of the men that died on the very spot I was standing.   I would stand there and look in the ocean where you can still see the ship and the oil still leaking from it.  I remember how it bothered me so much that some of those men were “daddy’s” and that my daddy was doing the same kind of job and he worked on a ship at that time. 

To this day, I will never forget what all those “daddy’s” sacrificed for our great country and how proud I was of my daddy for being so brave.
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One of the lazy days we had in Georgia was spent at a really nice park. The kids got to play all afternoon, grandpa got to play ball with his grandson and son and we also had a nice picnic.

The playground they have was for all different ages.  The little one just had a ball on the slides and equipment for his size.  The two older ones were able to play on equipment made for their size.  There is also a great walking trail that you can walk your dog on.  Ernest would love that for sure. 

Great park for everyone and we all had a great time!

 
Grandpa playing ball

 
Loved all the playground equipment

Tags: Georgia, Uncategorized, family, grandchildren by Tammy
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