Wow Long Time No Posting

Can't get over how long it's been since I last posted. Quick Catch Up---
Baby girl turned 29 on the 17th! We celebrated on the 19th with family meal here.

On Sat. the 18th we went to Surry to the Pork, Pine & Peanut Festival. Not sure if I got the order of the names correct. It has been a favorite show of ours for years. Held on Chippokes Plantation on the James River. Usually hotter than blazes but this year the weather was wonderful and in the shade with a breeze almost chilly. HOWEVER, huge disappointment this year. The craft vendors were way down and of course the ones we loved NOT there. And the biggest disappointment was FOOD. Always great. BUT this year the family we always bought ham sandwiches...REAL SMITHFIELD HAM...and the most wonderful Apple Jacks and Sweet Potato Jacks WERE NOT THERE!!! And a Hunt Club who did curly pig-tail fries they cut there from fresh potatoes were NOT THERE...they had good hot dogs and other foods too. I kept asking around the food vendors if they had applejacks or sweet potato jacks and was finally directed to the only booth there selling them. WELL let me TELL you they were AWFUL The crust/pastry part was thick, heavy and bread like NOT the FLUFFY pie crust like that local family always made. That booth did have Real Smithfield Ham sandwiches so all was not a bust.

Baby girl and her three baby girls went with us and the 3 and 2 year old had a blast. The 10 mo old enjoyed it too. A great petting zoo set up and the blow up jumping things were a hit with them. I found two booths one had hair bow/clips and one had large bead bracelets and the two oldest little ones picked out a few they had to have which Nana bought.

Normally I buy a lot of gifts there and stuff for myself but not this year. Only a new welcome slate with flip-flops painted on it to go in my sign by the light pole which I change out seasonally and when the mood strikes me. Much easier on my wallet this year for sure. But a HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT FOR SURE! At this rate I don't see it being around much longer. Normally huge crowds and this year way down. Used to be $5 a car now $5 a person over 10. And have idea what they charge vendors have gone up too...going to ask my childhood friend who displays her paintings there and wasn't there this year...Afraid those running it are pricing it out of existence.

Last week we and oldest grandson (15-1/2 years old) took a QUICK trip down to OBX ---we ran around from Duck to Manteo. We had a good time. ATE too much GOOD food. Got some shopping in.
OBX for those not familiar with this area on the East Coast is the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Been taking in the final games of the season of the Coastal League Baseball team the Peninsula Pilots! This is last week of the home games held here at the historic War Memorial Stadium. This season has flown by way too fast.

And the bummer is our telephone has been out now for over 10 that's right ten days. Out a day before I got to neighbors to call. Was told be here in ten days which by the way is today--Tuesday, July 28th of July. HOWEVER, last Thursday a Tech showed up and said problem not in house as I already knew as no service at the box on the outside of the house either. He went to the junction box a few blocks away, did something there but he not from this area so didn't have key to get into another box to check something else he felt was wrong. Came back here to make sure my phone and DSL working. Now my DSL has worked most of the time during this except at nights it acts up. Everything was working. That is for two hours it worked. Then goes out again. Get call from them the next morning automated one and I do what it says to get an agent that the problem still exists. Back on list for today. Two calls from daughter's house got in but most just rings and rings on her end but not here in house. Got three automated calls from the telephone company and two telemarketers got through. After a call gets through it works from 10 minutes to two hours and goes dead. Sunday a tech shows up and runs tests and says problem either in lines coming down street and to house or a card in box at the junction box a few blocks away. He goes to switch out card if bad and if not bad will be back. To my knowledge never came back. Sunday night get call phone is fixed a card replaced but that time the phone was dead. I call from daughters three times that night...told problem was in my house to unplug all wires from all jacks and all electrical plugs where phones and or answering machines are plugged in as well as all computers and modems. Wait five minutes and test the box outside. It was dead. Call back...this brain child of someone tells me she just ran a test and it is showing up my Direct TV is causing the problem I asked her how was that she said the satellite wiring into the house. I asked how could that be as I don't have Direct TV or any satellite TV service. Then it was my modem. How can that be it's unplugged still. My cellular phone charger is causing it. Don't have a cellular phone much less a charger for it. My cordless phone that doesn't connect with a jack just to electricity causing it. Don't have one of those either "sweetcakes". AND the box OUTSIDE is DEAD. Service isn't getting into the box outside the house. Well, she'll have TECH come out FRIDAY.....Did you see the steam coming out of the top of my head??? I told her I had been down for Tuesday for over a week now and I wanted Tuesday back they had been here twice and still not fixed the problem. Well I apologize that you have been out of service and a credit as been issued to your account. I told her well that is all find and dandy but I was sorry but she and heaven only knows how many other people by now at least a dozen people have apologized but that still didn't fix the problem with my phone service. And here I sit with still no phone service.

I was told my DSL isn't as sensitive and enough is getting through to run it but not give dial tone for phone service.

GUESS who is about to get a NEW phone service provider if something isn't done quick!

GIVEAWAY ALERT ! !--- Quilt Kit ! ! !

My neighbor Chris just told me of a giveaway Kati Cupcake is having. Go by and leave a comment, tell her Chris and I sent you and sign up for this wonderful Giveaway! I just love this quilt...so bright and cheery...love the fabrics and colors she used!! Click HERE or on Kati Cupcake and as my g-gm would say "".....(take a look)....

Check out this giveaway

Go by and visit JUST ANOTHER HANG UP and enter for this beautiful tote she is giving away, which my neighbor Chris told me about. I "borrowed" the above picture from her blog. She has several more pictures of it showing pockets inside and such!

CHRISTMAS IN JULY ! ! ! LOOK WHAT I WON ! ! !

It was Christmas in July today when the box from Tonya of Toyna's Sewing Room arrived for me! In case you didn't know I WON her fabulous Giveaway. Click on her name or blog name above and go visit her!!!

There were two sets of templates in various sizes of stars and hearts! A spool of metallic gold ribbon that is to die for! Three pieces of cross-stitch fabric including the small grid one that I have not been able to find in a LONG time! Since Piece Goods closed around here years ago. A package of white vintage ric-rac...Why I say Vintage it had a price on it for 50 cents and it's COTTON!!! A pair of battery scissors! Can't wait to take those babies for a spin around the cutting mat!!!

There was this darling picture frame with flowers on the top edge and at the bottom of the frame it reads if Friends were Flowers I'd pick you! The flowers show up here but the phrase along the bottom the flash faded it out. Here's a closer look as it's sort of covered up in the above picture.

There were 14 yes fourteen fat quarters of gorgeous fabrics!! Just take a look and drool! Here's a closer look!
She also had the cutest card in there with elephant jokes on the front and the answers inside and a really nice note!

Thanks so much Tonya!!! I am THRILLED!!!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY !

Fourth of July has been had various traditions throughout my life. As a small child it meant going out on my grandfather's boat during the day and then my Dad's side of the family cookouts on New Point Beach that evening . One year at the beach on the Fourth I stepped on hot coals covered with sand there and burnt the bottom of my foot when I was around 4 or 5. Did not tell anyone, went down to the water's edge and soaked it in the bay. Kept it from hurting. But when we left boy did it hurt. Saw the doctor who prescribed an ointment and the remainder of the summer meant it was bandaged and then had to wear a sock over it to protect it.

Years later after my granddaddy sold his boat the morning was spent helping Daddy trim the shrubbery and azaleas. And helping getting ready for the family cookout around noon at my grandparents house who lived next door. A cousin always sent my granddaddy a pound cake on the Fourth....her grandmother had always made one for his father/her brother as his birthday was the on the Fourth. After his death she continued making it sending it to my grandfather. She also did it for Christmas. I have her recipe and always make it at Christmas and sometimes for the Fourth. Relatives and distant cousins who were from near and far were in attendance. Always a huge crowd. Daddy cooked on the grill. We ate under the shade of the huge elm tree. Evenings meant a family picnic at the oldest of Daddy's brothers house with his side of the family.

After I was married the Fourth was a cookout at our house for both sides of our families. When DD Robyn started playing baseball and each year made All-Stars and played in the Little League's District 7 Tournament which was always going on that week and we spent the Fourth at the baseball fields watching her play. The year she graduated from high school she was in an national ASA fast pitch softball tournament out in Boulder, CO. Her team didn't have a game on the Fourth so we all went up into the Rockies and the team had a snowball fight. That night we all went to the fireworks at CU. They were the most awesome fireworks I have ever seen. Since then none have compared.

When oldest grandson played baseball and All-Stars again it meant we were at the baseball field watching the District 7 All-Star Tournament. This year was the first time in years we didn't spend the Fourth on a baseball field. We had the family over on the evening of the Third for a cookout. On the actual Fourth DH and I rode over to Gloucester. He had seen ads for a new Tractor Supply Store over there and wanted to go...got there and it didn't look anywhere near to being open for business...just the sign 'opening soon--Tractor Supply". So we hit the Wal-mart over there and the Ollie's, too. Didn't get anything. Then stopped by the Stage Coach. It's a flea market type place with some antique/junique shops. It used to be awesome. Heard it had gone downhill. And over all we were disappointed on this trip. It had been several years since we had stopped by there. There was a shop I used to love and always bought from her. She sold it to another lady who operates it under the same name. It wasn't open which was a big disappointment as I always found a treasure or two in that shop. There were a bunch of tables set up under some tents. They had tables of stuff for $1. an item or 6 for $5. I found this bowl--Anchor Hocking Sandwich pattern. And could not pass it up for a dollar. I have several pieces of it I have bought at flea markets, shops, inherited from my mother, grandmother and great-aunt. It's small about six or so inches across.
Then on another table I found two pieces of Shawnee Corn Pottery. There was the small teapot for $5. Which had to come home with me. I've collected Shawnee Corn off and on for eons. Off when I can't find any at a decent price. I don't have a lot of it. But love it. I have one shelf in a china cabinet devoted to it. I didn't have either of the teapot sizes. They also had the cookie jar. The lady said it was $8 and it was going home with me but the man said no it's $30. So I left it there. I have one that was my Mom's which my Grandmother brought her back from a trip one year. If I was missing it I most likely would have bought it at $30 or ask if he could do any better.

Some of the neighbors set off some fireworks last night and they were very pretty for not being professional fireworks....some were rather professional looking. My grand-baby-daughters were either loving them or not too sure about the noise...but today were enthused about seeing them last night. That was fun watching them and the only traditional thing about yesterday.

ABC

Saw this on my baby girl's blog and decided to do it on mine....

ABC

A - Age: 57

B- Bed size: Queen

C - Chore you hate: Cleaning the tub scrubbing the floor.

D - Dog's names: Legend and then Sampson stays here a good deal of the time.

E - Essential start your day item: Caffeine in the form of coffee with whipped cream or diet Pepsi or Diet Sam's Cola

F - Favorite color: Any clear bright springy color.

G - Gold or Silver: Gold

H - Height: 5'9

I - Instruments you play: Piano....well years ago and I MEAN YEARS AGO

J - Job title: Nana, mom, wife...

K - Kid(s): 1 bio and 2 step all three grown and kids of their own.

L - Living arrangements: House

M - Mom's name: Mary Braxton, rarely anyone called her by just her first name, but was called by her first and middle name.

N - Nicknames: Lane/Laney/Laney Boo (years and I mean YEARS ago)

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: Tonsil and adenoid removal, hysterectomy.

P - Pet Peeve: Telemarketers...recorded telephone calls, dialing a number and push for English, dialing somewhere and having to push numbers for 30 minutes so they know how to direct your call and you rarely ever get to speak to a human and if you do you get someone in some third world country who you can't begin to understand and doesn't understand a southern accent, political correctness.............

Q - Quote from a movie: "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn." Rhett Butler---Gone with the Wind and "I'll think about it tomorrow." Scarlett O"Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler---Gone with the Wind.

R - Right or left handed: Right but almost ambidextrous as far as writing....sewing strictly right handed.

S - Siblings: One sister.

T - Time you wake up: 5:30-6:00 most days

U- First word that comes to your mind for "U": Umbrella

V - Vegetable you dislike: Canned peas

W - Ways you run late: Letting dogs out to potty, getting dogs back inside and getting cats inside.

X - X-rays you've had: Hands, lungs, teeth/jaw

Y - Yummy food you make: Rolls

Z - Zoo favorites: Monkey's and Giraffes