Happy Halloween!

To keep things fun in the office on Halloween Tammy and I decided to dress in costume for work!

Tammy (the bill collector) needs a sign on her office window that reads

"The Witch is IN"!

I just got back from a "running" trip to Spain!

New Hair Cut!

Okay, so I got a new hair cut last week and Tammy was nice enough to take before and after pictures at work for me! (I got it cut over my long lunch break from work!)
Here is the before:

And....here is the after!

I was talking to Megan on the phone while she was taking pics!

And this one I was paying attention for!!

The livingroom Make-Over

So, we had enough with our super worn out carpet and decided it was time for the living room to get a face-lift!

This shows our disgusting, dull, thin carpet and laminate that was in front of the doorway.

 You can see our tester pain between the window and doorway.  I chose the colors based on a pair of my favorite ceramic candlesticks.

 We were THRILLED that our flooring arrived an entire week early.  The original plan was for me to do a yard sale in the front yard while Kevin laid the flooring down but since it was here an entire week early we got right to work (and he was helpful at the yard sale!).  It was a win-win for the both of us since we could help each other out!

 Once we had the walls painted and the carpet ripped up, the girls tried out the bare floor....
And, since our lives revolve around these gorgeous girls, it only seems appropriate that I throw in a picture of them too.

 The first two planks are down....SUPER EXCITING!!  Once we had it ordered, I couldn't think about anything else.  I carried the sample around with me and showed EVERYONE who would take a look!  I hear "it's the simple things" that makes all the difference in the world!

 Here is Kevin, diligently at work....

 Once we had it all laid out, the girls had to take another turn around the room, smelling and leaving hair remnants as proof that this is "their" house!

 HERE IT IS........IT'S BEAUTIFUL!!!  We LOVE it!

 I was so excited about the flooring I almost forgot to add some pics of the paint.  We are so happy to be rid of this awful pinkish-beige color from the living room.  The entire house was painted that color when I moved in.

A trip to the Hills with the Girls....

I've been terrible at blogging...the sunshine keeps dragging me outside!!  

I had the Wonderful pleasure of meeting up with some girl-friends on mine from college for a weekend get-a-way to a cabin in the Hills of Hocking County.  Erin and I (of course) stopped by thee ole' mother-ship (aka-trailer we rented in college) and seemed to find it in worse shape than we had expected.  Although, we did live there ten years ago!

 

And, of course a trip to Nelsonville is NEVER complete without a trip to The Mine Tavern.  I was a bartender here so it was super fun to go back and see how things have not changed there...not even the locals!  I was shocked to walk in and find old friends tending bar-last time I was there...I was serving them alcohol.

 

After our quick stop at the Mine, we headed on down the rainy, curvy roads that lead us to the cabin.  The rainbow had both of us girls excited since it was a "sure sign" we were going to have a great time!

We of course were so excited to see each other that we didn't take any pictures and instead cooked a wonderful lasagna dinner, caught up with what we have all been doing the past ten years and enjoyed our girls night out!

It's crazy how so much can change but how so much still stays the same!
I had a blast catching up on old times and reminiscing with long lost friends.

A visit from the Curtis's

Ken and Erin

We just could have a visit without taking them to our favorite spot...Johnny V's in J-town!  Great People, Great Food and Beer!!

Erin & Me

We have been the best of friends....14 years!

LOVE this girl!

 This night we spent with friends and neighbors or ours, Justin and Courtney!  Here the boys are, posing in the midst of a very serious game of Catch Phrase!  You can see below how fierce the competition was!

 And-of course and night with Erin and Kevin includes an argument on who has the best taste in music!

 And...definitely not complete without a dance off!

It was great seeing you guys!  Come visit any time you like!!

Okay, so on my way home from work every day I pass this little church that always has cute saying on their board outside with service times.

The sign this week reads like this:

Aspire to Inspire

Before You Expire

All week I've been driving by this sign and thinking back and trying to find a recent moment in my life where I have Inspired someone.  Today......I figured it out.

If you have been to our house you have seen the Meadows Apartments on the cross street of our street.  Earlier this summer, we met a gentleman who lives there, single, with his two little boys.  The boys are probably btwn the ages of 5-8.  He has been watching me plant trees, flower and a garden in my yard and I noticed one night as I was tending to my trees he was crossing the street.  He introduced himself and asked if I worked for the Utility dept. since I was using the flag markers as my tree markers.  The Utility companies had been by the week prior to mark the lines on where I could and could not dig.  Since I had figured out where I could dig, I pulled up the flags and used them as my markers as to where I was going to plant my five trees!  I stood there and talked to him about planting and gardening and about how I just got a Horticulture job at the Louisville Zoo (and of course, like a lot of other folks, had to explain to him what "Horticulture" was).

The next weekend, I noticed he was out with his two little boys, tilling up the little bit of yard they have (apartment living) and planting tiny little vegetable plants.  When he sees me out watering or tending to my garden and plants, he comes out with the boys and tends to his garden.  This has been a pretty constant happening.  I know when I get my gloves on and my water canteen filled up that I'll be greeted by two little smiling faces and shouts of joy across the street as to what they have grown and how big it is compared to a couple days ago.  Pretty cute to see them so happy.

So, I was out this afternoon and watering my trees when I see them pull in the parking lot, bags of groceries in their hands.  They all yell their Hello's from across the street, drop their bags and run over to see what I'm doing and to ask what kind of trees they are and "my how they've grown".  When I planted them they were only about 12 inches tall and now a couple of them are waist high and one is to my shoulders (I'm pretty proud, black thumb and all!!).  He instructs the boys to come back over to help put groceries inside and the next thing I know, here they come again, only this time they all three come over, not just the two little ones.  They were all three beaming from one ear to the other and were super excited to share with me a bag of crops from their garden.  They gave me two Egg Plants and two Squash.  I can't wait until my cucumbers are big enough to pick, as I am planning to make home made pickles and am thrilled with the idea of gifting to them some cucumbers and home made pickles.

It dawned on me today that that little church sign helped me to realize that I have inspired them to grow their own garden.  My gardening neighbor told me today that he's NEVER grown anything before and was happy to see me gardening and happy that he was able to show his children that hard work does pay off.

Pay it Forward Today....go Inspire someone to do something Great!

OUR HOUSE
I'll light the fire
You place the flowers in the vase
That you bought today

Staring at the fire
For hours and hours
While I listen to you
Play your love songs
All night long for me
Only for me

Come to me now
And rest your head for just five minutes
Everything is good
Such a cosy room
The windows are illuminated
By the evening sunshine through them
Fiery gems for you
Only for you

Our house is a very, very, very fine house
With two cats in the yard
Life used to be so hard
Now everything is easy
'Cause of you
And our la,la,la, la,la, la, la, la, la, la, la.....

Our house is a very, very, very fine house
With two cats in the yard
Life used to be so hard
Now everything is easy
'Cause of you
And Our

I'll light the fire
While you place the flowers in the vase
That you bought today

So, this is where I work!!

One Light Bulb at a Time

A physics teacher in high school, once told the students
that while one grasshopper on the railroad tracks wouldn't
slow a train very much, a billion of them would. With that thought
in mind, read the following obviously written by a good American ..


Good idea .. . . one light bulb at a time . . . .


Check this out . I can verify this because I was in Lowes the other day for
some reason and just for the heck of it I was looking at the hose
attachments . They were all made in China . The next day I was in Ace
Hardware and just for the heck of it I checked the hose
attachments there. They were made in USA . Start looking ..


In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects
someone else - even their job . So, after reading this email, I think this
lady is on the right track . Let's get behind her!


My grandson likes Hershey's candy . I noticed, though, that it is marked
made in Mexico now. I do not buy it any more.

My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in Mexico ... now
I have switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything ..

This past weekend I was at Kroger. I needed 60 W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets . I was
in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off-brand
labeled, "Everyday Value . " I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats -
they were the same except for the price ..
The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the
thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO
and the Everyday Value brand was made in - get ready for this - the USA in
a company in Cleveland , Ohio .


So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that
are made right here ..


So on to another aisle - Bounce Dryer Sheets . .. . yep, you guessed it,

Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada . The Everyday Value
brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA ! I did laundry yesterday
and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using
for years and at almost half the price!


My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for
everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA - the
job you save may be your own or your neighbors!


If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others in your address book so
we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time! Stop buying
from overseas companies!


(We should have awakened a decade ago .. . .. . . . )


Let's get with the program . . . .. help our fellow Americans keep their jobs and create more jobs here in the U . S . A ..

I Passed this on ........ will you ???????

We were lucky enough to have a warm enough weekend to get outdoors with the dogs and get some hiking in! Here are some pictures from the day. I would individually comment on the pictures but for some reason blogspot is jumbling all the pictures into words and I can't seem to figure out the spacing. But, if you are ever curious of what "Love" looks like, check out the picture of Kevin and Dyna looking at each other. How cute are they?!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
WELCOME 2010

It's funny how this time of year seems to "bring out the best" in people. Everyone ponders what they will change or do better and make a New Years resolutions. Normally, based off my experience, the resolution is not followed through. I do my best to avoid "resolving" to do something, anything different. I do find myself pondering my experiences and events of the previous year. I have moved around so much in my adult life and have left behind friends in all nooks of the World. I seem to find myself more and more, every year, thinking about friends and wondering how they've been, how they've spent their year. I do my best every year to try to see most of them, although it doesn't always happen that way. It's funny-the older I get the more I appreciate the little things that have followed me through my maze of life. I have been blessed first with a wonderfully large family! Spending the holidays this year with family is most likely what has spawned this blog posting! The second thing I have been blessed with is a fabulously supportive and understanding husband! And finally third...my friends...all of whom have shaped me into the person I am today. For those of who I haven't had the pleasure to visit in 2009...hopefully 2010 turns out to be a tad different!

Anyways....I suppose since I've not ever had a "New Year's Resolution"...this year will be the year! My Resolution is to say "Thank You".

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!

Thank You All for making my life as Wonderful as it is. I would not be the person that I am today if my life had not been touched by YOU!

I LOVE YOU ALL AND HOPE TO SEE YOU IN THIS NEW YEAR!!!

Okay, so I was going through some pictures today and found some good ones and some old ones!!

This first pic is us about a year ago at a work Christmas party that was a huge flop...we still had a great time!

The very first time I ever rode my Harley! I was thrilled!!!
This is from this past summer when Kevins mom came to visit and we took her to Bardstown to show her where we "tied the knot"!!
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs2MIPuVHRuBfIliCYAZCMMVtNZUQrdP_GbB0Nm7QMfDOlQBL3mIL76YMI4bK7d8C2wlJ4aPiA0GazTGOt6P1FF2WA0dflngSAO6b4ATU_IyHR9SzPsEtyR7W3caLhjB_DG15rpbT-iOMm/s1600-h/July+09+Bardstown.jpg">
The Beautiful Stephanie and Sexy Lexie and I all doing our best Charlies Angel pose at Lexie's wedding a couple years ago....us three girls have a lot of fun together!
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyjoDBR5lIe2YgpwE_0yybWQdJ_wqYNQg_V-Ld4KC7pwAm2nB0Ib_w1sC32yEEN-Rxyy1BGKHwNvuGk6QGN0bQtEvxSCc-oWHwfhXaJb7x9WKu87Zit0zIQBghPbNsPf3qs7dIlDVM9Sd-/s1600-h/The+Haggerty+Wedding.jpg">This was from this past summers "Derby Kickoff"...Tony, Kevin and I at the Velcro Pygmies concert on the river!

One of my All Time Favorites:

May God’s blessing keep you always,
May your whishes always come true,
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

THANK YOU to all the service members!
Active Duty, Reserve, Retired and Veterans.
We are All eternally grateful of the sacrifices and commitments you have given to our great country.
God Bless You
and
God Bless the USA!!

The crew below are my fellow Air Traffic Controllers from Ellsworth Air Force Base from when I was active duty:
and of course, the only picture I have of them is in Civilian clothing!