Kelly's Solace Challenge . . .

Kelly challenged us today to share what brings us solace . . . comfort . . . makes us happy. Whenever I'm stressed out or have tension the one thing that brings me peace is water. All I have to do is sit by the shore & hear the water lapping up on the beach or hitting the rocks & all the stress & tension leaves my body. There's something especially calming when I watch & listen to the waves hitting rocks. I have no idea why, but I can watch & listen for hours - never tiring of the sight or the sound. I'm lucky enough to live in Florida where I am surrounded by water so I can do this on a daily basis if I want/need. I've also been lucky enough to visit the gorgeous waters of the Bahamas & Cozumel several times. I guess being a Pisces (the water sign) doesn't hurt, huh? ;-)

Thanks for the fun challenge Kelly! Below is one of my all-time favorite layouts showing the beautiful water & rocks of Cozumel. Oh, I just realized that I used a water shot of the Bahamas for yesterday's challenge! I guess I really am a water person! Love & Peace ~me

Elizabeth's Journey Challenge . . .

Thanks for the fun challenge Elizabeth!! It reminded me immediately of this layout I created. An oldie, but one of my favorites. If you click on the layout, it will take you to a larger version where you'll be able to read the journaling. Thanks for looking. Love & Peace~ Terri

Getting Baptized . . .

takes a lot out out of you.

More photos & info about the weekend will come soon. Right now, I'm just plain exhausted.

Love you all ~ Me

Busy, busy, busy!

Busy weekend coming up! Yesterday morning my niece & great-niece arrived from Boston for Jilli's baptism on Sunday. My niece, Erica is Jilli's Godmother & they finally got to meet each other for the first time. We had a fun, fun, fun tea party to celebrate my great-niece, Mya's, 4th birthday. Everyone had such a great time with the tea party, even the boys - including Tyler!! Then we set up the kiddie pools, slip-n-slide, etc & just let the kids have fun trying to keep cool in the hot, humid Florida sun. It was just a GREAT day!!!

Today we all head off to Busch Gardens for the entire day & we're all REALLY looking forward to that!! First stop Cracker Barrel for breakfast!! Yummy hash brown casserole!!!

Tomorrow we're all going for a tour of Buddy's fire station & then more swimming & playing.

Sunday Is Jilli's baptism & party afterward, so that will take up the entire day.

Monday we'll have a good old fashioned Memorial Day picnic & just try to relax from all the activity! I'm thinking we're all going to pretty tired, but it will be a good tired.

Hope everyone has a WONDERFUL weekend whatever you do!! Love & Peace ~ Me

Growing up . . .

No, not me. I don't think I'll ever grow up.

Talking about the grandkids. Jilli is 6 months old today. 6 months old already. Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday we were anxiously waiting for her to arrive. She is such a happy, sweet little girl. Her adorable personality just blossoms more & more each & every day. She has 4 teeth; 2 front bottom & 2 front top. She looks so freakin' cute with her little teeth & her huge blue eyes. She's sitting up like a pro, rolling over like crazy & is starting to scoot around & even crawling a bit! Madly in love with this precious, sweet girl.

Tyler is now an eighth grader. His final year in middle school & then he's off to high school!! My little buddy is growing up WAY too fast for Grandma here. He's as tall as I am (he thinks taller) & just gets more & more handsome each day. He's still shy & introverted, but does seem to be coming out of his shell a little bit. We all went to a reunion at our old church/school last night & he actually had a conversation going with 3 girls who were quite smitten with him. I had tears in my eyes as I watched him. Good, happy tears. Still so madly in love with this precious young man & I cannot wait for him to be here throughout the summer months!

That's my world. Watching & enjoying each new moment with my grandkids. Ken & I are so blessed to have these kids. So very blessed & so very lucky!

Peace & love ~ Me

I love my brother & my brother loves me . . .

Mere words cannot express how much I love these kids & how much they love & adore each other.

The Offense MVP!!!!

Tyler was named by his fellow players as the Offense MVP for football this season!!! We were all just beaming with pride!! WTG Ty!!!!

Saturday again . . .

No football for Tyler this week. He's in the county wide band competition this weekend. He had two performances last evening & scored a Superior on both of them!!! That, by the way, is the highest score possible!! Yes, I'm beaming & so proud of him!!!

Anyhow, I really loved this photo from last week's game, so I'm posting it today! That's Ty in the front of the pack!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

From us to you! May be your day be filled with surprises of love. XOXO

It's football day!!

Tyler's playing flag football now & just loves it!! He's just as good at football as he is at baseball (which starts 2/24!), so we're off to his game this morning! It's a beautiful morning here - bright, warm & sunny! Gotta love Florida in February!

Oh, Ty LOVES his mouthpiece . . . LOL!

You know you're a grandparent . . .

When you go to Club Med for a vacation & you miss your grandchildren so much you can't wait to get home. Ken & I LOVE these kids!

A study . . .

A study conducted by UCLA's Department of Psychiatry
has revealed that the kind of face a woman finds
attractive on a man can differ depending on where she
is in her menstrual cycle. For example: If she is
ovulating, she is attracted to men with rugged and
masculine features. However, if she is menstruating,
or menopausal, she tends to prefer a man with scissors
lodged in his temple and a bat jammed up his ass
while he is on fire.

One Flaw In Women . .

Thank you Denise for sharing this with me . . .

Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness, love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.
They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution.
They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you.
The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.
They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideas.
They give moral support to their family and friends.
Women have vital things to say and everything to give.
HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,
IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.
Please share this with all your women friends and relatives to
remind them just how amazing they are.

Male and Female Daily Prayers

FEMALE PRAYER

Before I lay me down to sleep,
I pray for a man, who's not a creep.
One who's handsome, smart and strong.
One who loves to listen long.
One who thinks before he speaks.
One who'll call, not wait for weeks.
One who pulls out my chair and opens my door.
Massages my back and begs to do more.
Oh! Send me a man who'll make love to my mind.
Knows what to answer to "How big is my behind."
I pray that this man will love me to no end, and always be my very best friend.
Amen.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

MALE PRAYER

I pray for a deaf-mute nymphomaniac with huge boobs who owns a liquor store and a bass boat. This doesn't rhyme and I don't give a shit.
Amen

Tagged . . .

by Lisa:

2 names you go by: Terri & Grandma
2 parts of your heritage: German & English
2 things that scare you: fire & car crashes - worse a firery car crash
2 things you are wearing right now: shorts & a tank
2 of your favorite bands or musical artists (at the moment): Aerosmith (always!) & Keith Urban
2 favorite songs (at the moment): Twilight Zone (Golden Earring) & What About Me? (Keith Urban)
2 things you want in a relationship (other than real love): compromise & laughter
2 truths: What goes around comes around & you can fool some of the people some of the time but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.
2 physical things that appeal to you (in the opposite sex): a broad smile & a nice ass ;)
2 of your favorite hobbies: scrapping & reading
2 things you want really badly: to have another grandchild & to finally finish renovating our house
2 places you want to go on vacation: Jamaica & Bahamas
2 things you want to do before you die: see my great-children & see Tyler hit his first home run in the Majors!!
2 ways that you are stereotypically a dude/chick: love chic flicks & I'm a bitch
2 things you are thinking about now: this quiz & needing more coffee
2 stores you shop at: Best Buy & Target
3 people you would like to see take the quiz? Julie, Denise, & Tonia

What About Me . . .

Cutie-patootie Keith says how I feel these days so much better than I ever could.
Thanks Keith.

I'm livin' in a world that won't stop pullin' on me
I'm not complaining but it's true
It's like I owe my time to everyone else
'Cause that's all I seem to do

You might not notice but I need a good friend
Someone to talk to when I'm down, down, down
There's so much on my mind that I want to get out
But there's no one around

Sometimes I can't help thinkin' what about me
Some days go by that I don't even see
Yeah I'm doing everything right and I can't break free
Oh is this the way it's always gonna be
What about me

Well I'm dreamin' I'm on a highway with the windows down
I'm burnin' up the road at my own speed
But I'm stuck here goin' nowhere in this traffic jam
And there's a woman with her kids in the car next to me
And I swear she's singin'

Sometimes I can't help thinkin' what about me
Some days go by that I don't even see
Yeah I'm doing everything right and I can't break free
Is this the way it's always gonna be
Hey, what about me

Oh, sometimes I can't help thinkin' what about me
Some days go by that I don't even see
I'm doing everything right and I can't break free
Oh is this the way it's always gonna be
What about me

Ooo what about me
Hey what about me

(Keith Urban)

Twilight Zone . . .

My new favorite song is a blast from the past! Man, I am lovin' 
this song & I keep hitting 'repeat on the CD player! Like they used 
to say on American Bandstand "It's got a good beat & I can dance to 
it!" And I do! I dance like nobody's watching!!

Somewhere in a lonely hotel room there's a guy starting to realize
that eternal fate has turned its back on him. It's 2AM.

It's 2AM - it's 2 AM
The fear is gone - the fear is gone
I'm sittin' here waiting - I'm sittin' here waiting
The gun's still warm - the gun's still warm
Thinking my connection is tired of taking chances

Yeah, there's a storm on the loose, sirens in my head
Wrapped up in silence, all circuits are dead
Cannot decode - my whole life spins into a frenzy

{Refrain}
Help, I'm stepping into the Twilight Zone
The place is a mad-house, feels like being cloned
My beacon's been moved under moon and star
Where am I to go now that I've gone too far
{Repeat}
Soon you will come to know
When the bullet hits the bone
Soon you will come to know
When the bullet hits the bone

I'm fallin' down a spiral, destination unknown
A double cross messenger, all alone
Can't get no connection, can't get through, where are you

Well the night weighs heavy on his guilty mind
This far from the border line
And when the hitman comes
He knows damn well he has been cheated
And he says

Help, I'm stepping into the Twilight Zone
The place is a mad-house, feels like being cloned
My beacon's been moved under moon and star
Where am I to go now that I've gone too far
{Repeat}
Soon you will come to know
When the bullet hits the bone
Soon you will come to know
When the bullet hits the bone

Help, I'm stepping into the Twilight Zone
The place is a mad-house, feels like being cloned
My beacon's been moved under moon and star
Where am I to go now that I've gone too far
{Repeat}
Soon you will come to know
When the bullet hits the bone
Soon you will come to know
When the bullet hits the bone

(Golden Earring)

Interesting facts & a funny . . .

**Donkeys are responsible for killing more people annually than plane crashes.

**Reindeer milk has more fat than cow's milk.

**Pittsburgh is the only city where all major sports teams share the same colors: black and gold.

**A shrimp's heart is in it's head.

**80% of millionaires drive used cars.

**Bananas contain a natural chemical which can make a person happy. This chemical is also found in prozac.

**Honey is the only food that will not spoil.

**Most alcoholic beverages contain all 13 minerals necessary to sustain human life.

**The bark of an older redwood tree is fireproof.

A police officer in a small town stopped a motorist who was speeding down Main Street. "But officer," the man began, "I can expain." "Just be quiet," snapped the officer. "I'm going to let you cool your jets until the chief gets back." "But,, officer I just wanted to say..." "And I said to keep quiet! You're going to jail!!" A few hours later the officer looked in on his prisoner and said, "Lucky for you that the chief's at his daughter's wedding. He'll be in a good mood when he gets back." "Don't count on it," answerd the fellow in the cell. "I'm the groom."

Criminal Justice . . .

A kleptomaniac woman had been caught shoplifting in a supermarket and had to appear in court, taking along her long-suffering husband for marital support.

The prosecution proved that the theft had taken place so the judge told her that, considering her record, he was forced to impose a jail term.

"This time you stole a can of tomatoes. Let us suppose that there were six tomatoes in the can. Do you agree?"

The woman agreed.

"Then I sentence you to six nights in jail."

The husband jumped to his feet, addressing the judge, "Your honor, may I approach the bench?"

"Well," said his honor, this is somewhat unusual but I will make an exception in this case. You may approach the bench."

The husband wasted no time getting there and, leaning forward, he said in a low voice, "She also stole a can of peas."

A couple funnies . . .

INTOXICATED

After last call the officer noticed a man leaving the bar so intoxicated that he could barely walk. The man stumbled around the parking lot for a few minutes, with the officer quietly observing.

After what seemed an eternity and trying his keys on five different vehicles, the man managed to find his car which he fell into. He sat there for a few minutes as a number of other patrons left the bar and drove off.

Finally he started the car, switched the wipers on and off (it was a fine, dry summer night) -- flicked the blinkers on, then off a couple of times, honked the horn and then switched on the lights. He moved the vehicle forward a few inches, reversed a little and then remained still for a few more minutes as some more of the other patron vehicles left.

At last, the parking lot empty, he pulled out of the parking lot and started to drive slowly down the road. The police officer, having patiently waited all this time, now started up the patrol car, put on the flashing lights, and promptly pulled the man over and carried out a Breathalyzer test. To his amazement the Breathalyzer indicated no evidence of the man having consumed any alcohol at all.

Dumbfounded, the officer said, "I'll have to ask you to accompany me to the police station. This Breathalyzer equipment must be broken."

"I doubt it," said the truly proud Hillbilly. "Tonight I'm the designated decoy."

DOUBLE PANED WINDOWS

Last year I replaced all the windows in my house with those expensive double-pane energy efficient kind. But this week, I got a call from the contractor complaining that his work had been completed a whole year and I had yet to pay for them.

Boy, oh boy, did we go around!

Just because I'm blonde doesn't mean that I am automatically stupid. So, I proceeded to tell him just what his fast-talking sales guy had told me last year ... that in one year the windows would pay for themselves.

There was silence on the other end of the line, so I just hung up, and he hasn't called back. Guess he felt really stupid, huh?