Mistletoe Marketplace 07

I must put in a plug for Mistletoe Marketplace 2007 - to be held Nov. 7 to 10 in Jackson. There is some doubt as to whether or not I will be able to attend this year......with Curtain Climber's due date being so close I may be busy with other things. Anyway tickets go on sale Saturday the first. Get your tickets that day for some of the limited-quantity events like Thursday and Friday morning shopping sessions. A special addition this year is a cooking event hosted by Bobby Flay on Friday night.

Birdseeders

Here are Sean, Todd and Dave at Tracy and O's wedding, immediately after dumping birdseed on each other, I believe. At least the wedding couple was spared!

Seven Month Club

Beverly and I are both due to give birth within a week of each other. Here we are at Tracy and O's wedding each enjoying a refreshing Sprite :-)

Tracy and O's Wedding

This past weekend we went to the beautiful wedding celebration of our friends Tracy and O. Here we are at the reception - from left to right is Stacey, Rosemary, Tracy, Lynn and me. Tracy did it up right - she had one of the shortest - yet sweetest - ceremonies I've attended - and my own was purposely short... So it was great to catch up with Hattiesburg friends during the weekend.

My Dog is an Honor Student

Some will gag when they read this, but our dog Rufus completed basic obedience training at Petsmart, and they let him wear a little graduation cap on the final night of class. We got a kick out of the cap and had to snap a photo.

How Hard is the Complaint Free World Bracelet

Last weekend I received in the mail my purple plastic bracelet from A Complaint Free World. I ordered the bracelet back in March after seeing the pastor of the church on Oprah and the morning shows promoting the concept. (The concept is you don't complain, gossip or criticize.) After a week of wearing it I have to say - a complaint here that it's hard. In fact I have taken it off. It was frustrating to Todd because he would ask me if I slept well, or ask me if my back was hurting, and I would hesitate to answer truthfully because I didn't want to complain. He said not being able to communicate with your spouse was reason enough to take it off for now. I had to agree - of course because taking it off was the easy thing to do - but I couldn't talk to him about situations at work or in my personal life because I did not want to complain. So before putting it back on, I have to make some ground rules for the complaining. The church who sponsors the bracelets does not give a lot of guidance on it, so I believe it must be open to interpretation. We'll see.

Childbirth Class

Todd and I have been attending childbirth classes at the hospital at which I plan to deliver. Tonight was the class where we learned about pain management and had a tour of the hospital. The nurse Debi had all the husbands participate in this skit and since I had the camera in my purse I couldn't resist taking a snapshot. The man seated is pretending to be the pregnant person, and the other men are the attending physicians, nurses, etc. Luckily she did not make him push. On our tour of the hospital, we determined that we will bring some pillows - the hospital has some wimpy pillows on each bed. By the way I am 12 weeks away from delivery.

Chocka Ca Ca

This past weekend on our trip to Perdido Beach, there was a group dinner at which our friend Doug presented with this lovely gag gift, Chocka Ca Ca. Inside the box is a baby diaper filled with chocolate poop. On the outside it says "This is as sweet as it will ever get." We got a big kick out of the gift, as did everyone else.

My Feet by the Perdido Pool

In continuing my tradition of taking photos of my feet by the pool wherever I go, here they are at the Perdido Beach Resort this past weekend. Luckily my large tummy didn't block my view of my feet and did not make it into the shot!

Perdido Car Trip

This past weekend we visited Perdido Beach Resort in Alabama for a work-related trip for me. We were able to shop and go to the pool, plus ate a couple of great meals. This photo was taken during our 30 minute stoppage in the middle of I-10 when a wreck happened just ahead of us and blocked the interstate.




Also road-trip related is this photo I liked of the beautiful clouds as we were going over the Mobile Bay.

Goodbye Rebekah

Tonight we got together at Pan Asia to wish a fond farewell to Rebekah, who has accepted a new job and is moving to Louisiana shortly. We'll miss you! Pictured are (back) me, Shannon, Nicole, Caron and Kelly; and (front) Gail, Rebekah and Susan.

42 Year Old Wedding Dress

Besides the graduation, the most excitement we had Saturday was opening a box that has been in Mike's attic for years. It was labeled 'Wedding Dress - do not open' and Todd and Kim's late mother, Barbara, was the one who sealed it up 42 years ago after her 1965 wedding. The occasion for opening the box? Kim is getting married in a month (she has already gotten her own dress) and wondered if any fabric could possibly be used in the upcoming ceremony. Guess what - the wedding dress and veil are pristine white and in EXCELLENT shape. You would never guess it had been in an attic for all this time. Kim opened the box with Mike's help and we were all surprised at the results. The dress was stuffed with tissue paper and folded gently, then put in a plastic-coated cardboard box, and all seams were closed with duct tape. Then it was put in the second brown cardboard box (labeled Wedding Dress do not open) which we had seen for all those years. I videotaped the opening process, which took about 5 minutes, and then afterwards took this photo of Kim and Mike with the beautiful dress. Kim is good at sewing and we discussed that she could possibly make a handkerchief out of the veil. We'll see - the wedding is in 5 weeks.

Kim's Graduation

We traveled to Monroe, Louisiana for Todd's sister Kim's graduation on Saturday. She earned her master's degree in education with an emphasis on special education. I took this photo of Todd, Charles, Kim and Mike with the ULM library building in the background. It was over 100 degrees so you can't blame Kim for not wearing her graduation cap in this photo. I don't know how she could stand around in that black gown as long as she did. Congrats Kim!

To Kill a Mockingbird

Last week I completed a re-read of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I think the last time I read it was in junior high or maybe high school. It was a very easy read and a great refresher on some terrific themes - racism in particular - that I need to be reminded about today.