A Year in the Life

If you've read my postings before, you know I'm not shy about giving my opinions about things.  I'm not a big fan of being wishy-washy.  Yeah, I know, you're shocked. What  you might not know, is that I don't publish all of my posts.  Sometimes I use it as a way to get my thoughts out of me so I don't choke on them.  You know how some thoughts feel like they're on instant replay?  I just have to get them out.  Then I can take a big breath & hopefully move on. One thing I need to get out, which I posted on Facebook last night... Teenagers & college age kids, please don't post selfies of you & your friends on social media sites with cute little tornado sayings.  For those of us who are living it, it is not cute and not funny.  When so many have lost their lives and/or lost everything, I don't think you're being cute.  If you have any comments, feel free to talk to some of my family members who survived the tornado in...

Harry Harry Harry.  My 17 year old quick witted, sometimes smart mouthed and who is the child who is clever in his arguments.  I hope he becomes an attorney, good gracious he would be a great one!  He's the child that thinks that the worst thing you can say is no & no doesn't always mean no from the parental units.  His cute clear blue eyes will look at me & say bet maaam.  (it's really but mom & it's what Cartman says on South Park , but it sounds like bet maaan.)  Because I tend to see things in black & white, it's hard when he pushes his limits.  Black and white ~ good, you know where you stand...shades of grey ~ bad, too much unknown. Harry told me today that he hasn't had the chance to watch his favorite show, Maury Povich, in forever.  He loves to talk about what's going on on the shows.  He comes down and says with a grin on his face & little laugh to his voice:  "OK mom, you're not going to believe this. ...

As you know, the fam has a new puppy.  Love our Allie.  She's so precious & just a mess.  Tomorrow will be two weeks since Als came to the fam.  It's just a crazy life with a puppy.  Love it, but as I wrote in my last posting, I'm just glad it won't last forever.  Of course she already has several nicknames; everyone in our fam has nicknames.  Allie's are:  Allie Cat, Als & Allie Girl.  Harry calls her Dumbness.  It's to match Bella's nickname of Stupid.  (Harry's friends call Bella Stupid too. :/) But my oh my, what is going on up in here??? Because of the puppy, Bella (the Chihuahua) has become the neediest older dog.  We've had to move her food bowl into our bathroom because Allie will gobble her food down & then muscle B out of the way to eat her food.  So, Bella now eats in my bathroom & will not eat unless someone is sitting there with her.  :/  Yeah, that's just what I have time for, to...

Well, I've done it.  I've officially gone & lost my cotton picking mind.  You know, my life is crazy.  (like every mom I know with multiple involved children.)  Crazy but manageable.  April is beyond it all.  Here's a sampling of April:  Relay for Life, Prom, Interviews for a friend, lacrosse games, practice, dance, dance tryouts, photo classes, an art show & I'm co-chair, Easter, college child's finals & move out by May 2nd.  Yeah, this month is going to be nuts without anything else thrown in, but with everyone's ages it is also easier. Three kids still at home:  all can wake themselves up; shower; clothe; brush their own teeth; wipe their own bottoms; tie their own shoes; make their own lunches. I have one crazy chihuahua, almost 6.  Pretty much house broken.  She doesn't chew up underwear, socks or anything else any more.  It's good.  Well, it was. I want to thank my brother & sister-in-law for intr...

By now from reading my blog you should know what kind of parent I am.  For those of you who are new, first off, welcome!  I'm so glad you stopped by, now don't be a stranger.  :) ***Please read disclaimer:  I believe that I am not a perfect parent.  I believe that I do not have perfect children.  The opinions stated below are just that, opinions.  Take from it what you will. I parent "old school".  I believe in modeling what I expect of my children.  I believe in love and laughter and your word being your bond.  I believe in children having responsibilities from an early age.  I believe in setting boundaries for kids.  I believe in discipline; spanking if needed.  I believe that you show elders respect in word and deed.  I believe in building up children and having high expectations for them. I believe in giving children roots when they are young so when they are older they can spread their wings and fly.  Al...

A friend of mine called today & when we were swapping what we were up to, she mentioned she was cleaning out her refrigerator.  It made me think of my fridge & what a mess it is.  I really wish someone would come over & clean mine out.  I just opened my refrigerator a minute ago & yep it looks like I thought, a mess. I'm not a fan of messes.  As a matter of fact, I would go as far to say that it is one of my pet peeves.  Just FYI, I've been peeved for a long time. ;)  No one else around here cares if the house is clean or clothes are folded & put in the proper place or for that matter if the fridge is clean.  Yep.  Just me.  All by myself, over here in 'I have to deal with everyone else's clutter because they can't seem to put anything where it belongsville'.  But I digress. When I looked in my fridge today I realized it feels like my life to some degree.  It's crammed full of a little bit of everything. ...

That should be the new motto of my state & city.  I stand in utter amazement this morning as I read about all the acts of kindness.  Is there anything more humbling than being served by someone? There have been pleas on FaceBook to rescue elderly grandparents, children, stranded motorists.  Churches opened their doors; neighbors opened their doors; businesses packed people in.  There were friends who abandoned their cars to start walking home last night, and stopped to rest at restaurants that were slammed with customers.  You know what they did?  They became servers!  How great is that?  (Kim & Jason)  Have hands, will serve. This morning an alert went out that there was a good Samaritan that didn't make it home last night & he was not responding to calls or texts.  He is also diabetic.  Oh yeah, and it dropped down to 17 degrees last night.  SCARY!  You know what a group of people did?  They formed a...

The snow had just started. Snow, it is the four letter word here in Alabama.  It sends fear into the heart of every mother.  Last night they predicted that we would get just a dusting.  Um, they messed up our forecast by just a bit.  Our favorite weatherman in town has called it a "horrible forcasting error".  We received around 2 inches, and it hit fast. My totally precious Zumba instructor, Kaitlin. Now, if you are reading this in a state that gets a lot of snow, I know you're laughing.  You know what, I would be too.  What you need to realize is that we don't get a lot of snow.  We are in the deep south.  We do summer really well, not snow.  As a matter of fact, after Christmas, I would be so totally ok if spring would come.  I am done with winter. Here's the Terrible, Horrible... The snow hit so fast that within 30 minutes you couldn't drive on the roads.  At this point in time (around 10:30 this morning)...

I'm going to send you over to my sorority alumnae website for a blog posting I did for the new year.  It's called Just Throw It Away . You better be careful if I get my trash can out, because I just might start purging a closet or two or three, or your room. :) It's a short piece, but good to remember that sometimes it's good to clean things out so we can start something new. Y'all have a great weekend of Celebrating Life, ~ashley

I need to learn that when I haven't had a lot of sleep I do not need to write on this blog or anywhere else. Oh.My.Goodness. They say that if you drive while you're very sleepy it's almost like driving under the influence.  Well, I guess that applies to writing as well.  I need to learn to just say no.  I wanted to get the pictures on Pinterest of the Magnolia leaves I used on the buffet table & wanted to  have a blog posting to go with it.  Well, that went well didn't it?  Thankfully a friend called me out...Allyson...yesterday over my phrasing.  I heard how I wanted the sentence to sound in my head, and it was fine.  But, the transfer to the blog was disastrous!  After I got over my mortification I had a pretty good chuckle.  I know y'all all laughed at me, so I might as well laugh at myself too.  But no worries, I promptly fixed it. I told everyone I had a huge breakfast & then I pooped.  So not what I was t...

Had a big breakfast, that I hosted this morning & can I just say I am pooped.  It's only 12 PM, but I feel like it should be about 5 or 6 in the afternoon.  I guess that's what happens when you start your day at 4:30.  I'll drink a Coke Zero & be fine in about 30 minutes.  Yea for caffeine! I have to say that I think it was a success.  You know when you know something will just work?  I had a feeling that this would just work.  It was happy food, so how could it not work???  I'll stop talking so you can see what I did.  Here is the room.  I know, it has an industrial feel, but it was not too bad.  I tried to go simple on the decorations. I was limited with, well, everything.  Maybe a better word would be steward.  I was trying to be a good steward with my resources.  There were five tables total.  I couldn't fit the last one, that would be at the bottom right, in the picture.  Every table was f...

You will be glad to know that I have finally decided what I want to be when I grow up.  I know I'm 42, but hey, better late than never.  I have decided to be...a Disney princess.  I have thought about this and I have very valid reasons for wanting to be one.       Disney princess are smart.  I know most of them don't come across that way, but when you dig down into their personalities they are.  Most of them end up in some sort of perplexing situation and they have to use their resourcefulness to get out of it.  The only two, I think, who have to wait to be rescued are Aurora, in Sleeping Beauty & Snow White.   Disney Princesses are kind.  Every single one of them is kind to others.  Some may be bristly, but under that rough exterior is a caring young lady.  Some have to deal with hateful step-families, people who have kidnapped them, beasts, war, evil magic, and uncontrollable powers.  In the end they p...

How do you cram 20 years into 400 words or less?  How can it even come close to everything Hopson & I have experienced together?  In truth, it can't.  But, I'm going to give it 'the old college try'. I met Hopson at Auburn.  We were on a double date, with different people.  My life was about to change forever & he remembered my name.  It's funny what a difference it is when someone calls you by your name.  I will never forget that day.  Hopson was helping to build Fiji Island.  He was shirtless (which was not a bad sight); he smiled at me and said 'Hey Ashley, I'm Hopson'.  We talked for a bit & I went to visit my friends at the house.  May 7th my dad passed away & I was thrown into a funk.  I didn't a pretty good job hiding it, but I don't remember a lot from that summer.  Hopson says he called me to go on a date with him in June (I think), and claims I stood him up, but I don't remember it.  Then h...

I have MANY things in my life to be thankful for.  Much more than I deserve.  Today is Harry's birthday, he's 17, where did that time go?  Hopson's birthday was yesterday, I won't tell you how old he is, but he's one year older than me.  If you need to know my age, click here .  :)  I was able to do something earlier this month that was one of the coolest things ever. I love to dance.  I always have.  My friend Steven, who was my boyfriend in middle school, used to put his hand on top of my head to try to stop me from dancing.  My theme song back then was, All She Wants to Do is Dance .  You know, not much has changed.  I hear music & I just have to dance.  (granted, things to move quite like they did 30 years ago.)  So does Elizabeth.  I'll be cooking dinner; music is playing; E & I are dancing around the kitchen.  Yes, it's a personal problem, but a good one if you have to have a personal problem, but...

Merry    Happy    Blessed These are all things we wish each other during the Christmas/New Year season.  But sometimes the season is not merry, happy or blessed.  Sometimes it feels quite the opposite.  How well I have felt the opposite. This year I have said goodbye to two men very close to me.  We were not related, but for all intents and purposes we should be.  I have friends who have parents and spouses in the hospital right now hanging on for dear life.  Where is their merry, happy and blessed? From thefeministintellect.com I know where it is.  I know exactly where to look.  I know that despite any circumstances this world throws at us; the merry, happy and blessed happen.  Emmanuel.  God with us.  God with me.  God with Ashley.  God with you too.  He didn't leave us alone to suffer through our hardships.  He came to be with us, always.  The King of Glory shed his ma...

...It's my birthday too,  yeah!   I was going to put the clip from 16 Candles on here, but they say a few not very nice words & um, I couldn't bring myself to put a link to the clip.  So, there's a video of the Beatles singing it live.  It's amazing how sensitive I've become over the years. Me at 42 Well, it is my 42nd birthday & this blog's 2nd blogaversary.  Wow, I'm 42.  I remember when I used to think anyone 40 & over was old as dirt.  (That included my parents. I thought they were ancient.)  Funny how when it's you facing the numbers they don't seem so old anymore.  I still feel like I'm in my young 20's...I just don't look like it anymore...and I'm not quite as fearless with some things as I used to be.  I mean, I  used to jump from high places.  Counters, stools, stairs, chairs...no fear.  Don't judge, I'm 5'2.  I need a stool to climb up on my bed.  Now if I have to climb up on a bar...

"MANNERS!" I love this line by Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games.  I wish there were more moms and dads out there that stressed manners to their children.  If the did we might not have so many kids acting a fool, and then posting their foolishness on social media sites.  There are just some things you don't do, and you know what, it seems even adults need to learn these things. 1.  When you're at the dinner table, don't be on your phone.  I don't mind if you need to see who is calling or texting you, but if you are going to answer said call or text, excuse yourself from the table.  Do NOT initiate a text or call.  If you are with your family, your friends can do without you for 20 minutes.  Believe it or not, there was a time when we didn't answer the phone at all during dinner. 2.  Know how to act in public.  No one wants to see you being a selfish brat in a store, restaurant or really anywhere for that manner.  Quit thinking...

...and the agony of defeat. This is going to be my honest take on last night's Iron Bowl, and then, I'll be silent. The phrase above perfectly sums up the 2013 game.  All of you know where I stand, but just in case you don't, I bleed orange and blue.  3rd generation and all that with the 4th generation currently an AU freshman.  I try to not be a fan.  Fan is short for fanatic.  A fanatic is, according to Websters: fa·nat·ic     [ f uh - nat -ik ] noun 1. a   person   with   an   extreme   and   uncritical   enthusiasm   or   zeal I like to think of myself as, what an AU grad and former AU AD, David Housel said:  "an Auburn woman".  I don't just cheer for my team, I love them because they are a very small part of my school, my home, my Auburn.  But I digress...here's the honest take, for what it's worth. First of all, no one believed Auburn could pull out a win, except t...

This video about Obamacare and the lies that have been told since it's conception is one of the best explanations I have ever seen.  Click HERE to see it.  The only thing they left out was Nancy Pelosi saying that Congress needed to pass the bill to find out what was in it.  What?!  What kind of crack smoking logic is that garbage?  That should have made her constituents do a double-take, but I guess the really could care less in Cali. There's a great speech by Ronald Reagan at the end.  DON'T. MISS.IT!  It's prophetically scary.  I'm about to email my members of Congress to encourage them to stand firm & keep trying to REPEAL REPEAL REPEAL!  I don't want to be telling my grandchildren about the America that was! Standing firm! ~ashley

free·dom ˈfrēdəm noun 1 . the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. AMENDMENT I to the US Constitution Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. I love being an American.  I appreciate the opportunities we have in this country.  I appreciate the work our founding fathers put into starting our country and forming our laws.  They were intentional when considering what laws would be included, and what order they would be in our governing documents.  I respect that.  I love that they relied on their Judeo-Christian beliefs to guide them.  Even those who were not Christians, but deists, agnostics, and atheists, recognized the importance of Christian values in our politi...