A Southern Belle with Northern Roots/Junkflirt

Between the trees
        Along the side of the road.....




I think she was smiling at me. Her hair in front of her eyes, her rouge a little faded, one tooth missing and a tattered golden dress, she was still beautiful.




The long black train passing by seems to never end.




She doesn't mind at all, she keeps on smiling.










blessings and thanks for visiting

 Did you go black Friday shopping? Yes we did, perhaps for the last time.
Our first stop was Walmart, this footage is not from our Walmart but I could have been, you see we were standing by the $3 waffle makers...and something pretty similar happened. Add to our fiasco flying food choppers to one another across the aisle and Paula Dean cookware clanging to the floor. Pots and pans crashing everywhere! Uff da......that is Norwegian for Holy Cow!







 My son was at the games...and it didn't go much better there. The display was torn down, games flying everywhere and one man being escorted out.
Next onto Target






 WE stood in line 90 minutes...at least it was fairly warm.....low 40's with a slight wind, yet by the time the doors open we were indeed getting chilly.  We were entertained by the ladies in front doing situps on the big red Target ball, free Luna bars and discussing dumb teenage boys in shorts and no jackets. Target....A+  Security, barricades, no one and I mean no one was budging in line and no one was getting out of order there. The let people in 30 at a time in 15 second bursts. We entered around 12:10, when we left at 12:34 people were still being let in by the 30 at a time!

Next the mall to rest and have more coffee, more coffee, more coffee.
A quick trip home and a hot bath. My back went out!
Onto Menards and another 90 min wait outside.
More rushing crashing, shoving(not me). I must say many people were polite and said excuse me, many rolled their eyes as if to bond temporarily in a moment of "Can you believe this?"
so...
now it is over, presents to wrap, tree went up and civilization has turned to normal Christmas spirit. A girl can dream right?
Things I learn while black Friday shopping
1. people will budge in line if you let them
2. the person next to you that has become your friend in line....will tear your eyeballs out for a waffle iron
3.17 year old boys don't have brains
4. women who wear high heels to shop....have no brains
5. shopping carts are useful for holding your junk and running people over
6. $3 waffle irons probably don't work anyway
7. People in their 40's don't do well missing a night's sleep
8. I Love the Target lady!!!
Merry Christmas....Let the season begin!




blessings and thanks for visiting

 Blogger blahs!
I have a bad case, not much inspiration....lots of stuff going on in my head but no umph to get it done! I am behind to say the least.
What has been going on? Changes on the horizon...

 First the limbo of Thanksgiving -Christmas.... ready to decorate but overwhelmed at getting started. If only Pinterest would pop to life in my house (you know off the pin board and into action!)
Second and most important.....Our children are getting ready to move out! I know...... my son planning on this weekend after Thanksgiving, he is 19, which put my 22 yr old daughter into high gear on the roommate chase. She and a friend are beginning the apartment search.
so....... Plus side - two rooms to decorate! more room for crap storage
            Minus- empty nest!!! my babies are going
After being a home school mom this will be a big switch. I knew it would come and began praying a couple years ago for God to prepare me for the day.
It's ok....they are old enough and they will be close by, I am very thankful for that.
So.... boxes, transitions, shopping for basics equals......limbo. Almost paralyzed with so much to do that nothing gets done!
To do list- Help kids pack
                   help daughter find apt
                   cook and bake for holidays
                    shop for holidays
                    plan holiday party
                    plan room decorating
                   get off Pinterest and actually get something done
                  and someone should really clean the house! wowza
I am sure your list has many of the same things on it and many of you have perhaps made the empty nest transition so let your advice roll.
  I have managed to get a couple things done like a kitchen transition

 Before.....chickens

 After- tin tiles







 I tried the sock bun curls. You can find this by searching sock bun on You Tube


 I made dinner for guests...with a yummy cranberry cheesecake- recipe to be posted on ND Kitchen soon.




 Being a list person, I hope tonight to just get the lists done, some plan to begin somewhere and have a goal everyday!  do you do lists? What is you motivation?
  I hope to get writing more on Pig Tales soon, but don't want to rush any posts. Thanks to all who have stopped by to read my story.

Here's to lists....first thing on the list....get off the computer. pfft!





blessings and thanks for visiting

 The winner of the vintage cosmetic bag and napkins is..........

 Congratulations Sherry of Blessings From Our Nest!!

 You are the winner!! I will contact you and be waiting for your address.

Oops I almost forgot....I was going to tell you the cost of everything.
Ok  great guesses, they ranged all over the place.
Now I love y'all and really  would spare no expense but hey....I am cheap and love, no LOVE a good deal so here you go
 Napkins were 1.50
ice cream cone wrappers .20
cameo  .50
and believe it or not cosmetic case......25cents
yep! a total of $2.45 wow!


blessings and thanks for visiting

 We have been married almost 24 years, I have always loved the over sized chair and a half, my husband has not. When we bought furniture I would always  ask.....and he would always say, "I hate those things."  We would be at someone's home that had one and I would point out how good it looked, he would grimace.   The last furniture we bought is a neutral brown tone and I wanted an accent piece, I decided on a white recliner. He protested but I remember asking if we could get a chair and a half instead. yeah, you know the answer.  He compromised with the recliner and, Well he was right, that white recliner was impossible to keep clean!  shh don't tell.
So, you can imagine my surprise when he was looking at the classifieds this weekend and called me over to show me the above chair.....for sale.....in white!  And then said, "do you want to go look at it?"
heck yeah




 so bless his heart for putting up with empty frames and fences on the wall

 of old crates and rusty whatchamacalits.



 of musty books and clocks that tick loud enough to wake the dead.

 And bless his heart for buying me a new, albeit used chair and a half....after only 24 years of whining.




 Joining
White Wednesday
Wow us Wednesday
Feathered Nest Friday
Show and Tell Friday


blessings and thanks for visiting

Sunday drives
time to slow down
 to take it in.
I grew up on the slow side of the state, filled with small farms and towns and small town ways.



Grandma and Grandpa would take me along on road trips, sometimes to a relatives farm but mostly just a drive on two lane dirt roads dotted with grain bins, combines and 3 legged dogs.


We would drive along in grandpa's Lincoln, his front triangle window cracked just enough for the smoke from his Camel cigarette to pass through, listening to him suck on butterscotch candy and hum his trademark song..."die-di-die-de dum, dum-de-die...." always vaguely similar to his last tune.


Out in the middle of nowhere kickin' up dust thicker than grandpa's smoke you would spot anther Sunday driver; each  would pull over, slowing down to pass with grace, able to actually look one another in the eye, then.....
offering a modern day cowboy tip of the hat by nodding to one anther as if to say howdy partner and lifting one and only one index finger from the steering wheel.
 A Casual
 Slow
Civil
Greeting


You never met a stranger, you had things in common and you knew it somehow.









Now and then my husband and I set out for our own country drive. The towns are bigger, the farms are fewer but the dirt is still to be found, a far cry from the busy in town 4 lane hustle.
In town no one looks you in the eye, we don't smile or nod and if someone offers you a finger, it usually aint the one you want.



So we pack a lunch, a hot cup of coffee and set out talkin' about nothing.


We kick up some dirt, spook a few ducks, and we move to the far side of the road when another car comes along.
It is usually a truck that has seen better days, often a man with a John Deer cap and a Carhartt jacket behind the wheel,
We nod and we give him the finger. He nods back, salutes and we have something in common.


We take time to slow down.














blessings and thanks for visiting