Pets

What? You've never seen a jack-a-lope? Buck's Duck

Stripe is adapting to living outdoors

This year for Buck's birthday, Kim brought him a puppy. Stripe stayed inside until he chewed on one of Buck's shoes then it was OUT YA GO! He is a good watchdog (even if he is the smallest dog we have) A few years back, Buck was fortunate enough to go on a duck hunting trip with a group of his friends and he shot the duck. This animal travels well, very little clean up (I dust it from time to time) and it is a good conversation piece. The animal in the other photo can be found in Wyoming. It is a Jack-a-Lope ~ part jack rabbit / part antelope. I believe Wyoming is the only state that has this particular breed. Buck was never able to bag one but when we moved some of his friends got together and presented it to him as a parting gift. Wasn't that special?!?!

Since I take care of the animals; I really like the ones that don't require feeding, washing, or pooper scooping.
I even like cats. . .I just can't eat a whole one by myself :-)

Wife

I have been a wife almost twice as long as I wasn't. My parents did not encourage me to pursue a degree of any kind or try to establish myself in a career. I was born and raised to be a wife and mother. I have had jobs outside the home but for the most part ~ I've been a stay-at-home wife. I know that isn't very politically correct these days but that's the way it is around our house. That's not to say I sit around twiddling my thumbs all day. I mow all of our yard (almost four acres), take care of the dogs, clean the house, cook the food, do the laundry. The other day I was outside splitting logs for the fireplace. I can fix a toilet and a leaky pipe ~ during the summer I take care of the pool and (knock on wood) our checkbook always balances.

Buck started as a mechanic with Thompson Tractor ~ moved on to a small coal company ~ then a bigger one ~ because of his job we moved to Gillette, WY and then to Fort Smith, AR. When it looked like they were going to cut back or close down ~ we moved back to Alabama where we began. He works too hard and sometimes too long but deep down he enjoys it. I'm very proud of him and where he is now ~ Reed Mining General Manager.

We don't travel as much as we used to but I'm hoping that will change in the coming year. I think we could both use a break from the day to day stuff.

To shop or not to shop. . .

Mother ~ about to "get her grub on" :-)

This is the "turkey" I live with. LOL ~ You know I love you!
This is the turkey I roasted ~ BEFORE carving. (it was yummy)

I call this my "cooking" hair ~ up and out of the way so no strays fall in the casserole!

I am going shopping today ~ for groceries. I am not doing "combat" shopping at 5 a.m. If you are among the throngs that chose to go ~ more power to you. I have some of my gift shopping finished and did not see an ad for anything I wanted to fight for. I had a message from Aunt Doris,who is visiting her children in Indiana, and they left to shop at 3:30! Teresa called from Arkansas to say she was up at 4! Who are these people?!?!?!

We had a good Thanksgiving Day. Mother and Daddy came for lunch, Lisa got ALL of her laundry done, Kim and fam came over for dessert, and Buck got some rest. Lisa made it back to Mobile without a hitch. I'm just hoping she got up in time for work! The girl knows how to sleep! Jennifer and her family are in Lander, WY for the holiday. We spoke to the girls and her on the phone.

A special shout out to our son-in-law, Skoot, and my cousin, TB

ROLL TIDE ~ BABY ~ ROLL TIDE!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A short post to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. Mother and Daddy are coming for lunch with Buck, Lisa,and me. I will post photos later. Lisa will head back to Mobile early afternoon because she has to work the SALE at Old Navy in the morning at 4 a.m. Kim and fam will be here at supper. Another photo op.

Today as I count my blessings,

I will be counting family and friends. . .some twice!

May your day be without drama :-)

Blogday?

The next few days will be busy for all of us but when I started this I wrote on my calendar that Tuesday would be Blogday. . .that would be today! This is how I look while sitting at the computer trying to be creative. I changed the layout ~ put it back, tried to take a photo for the "wife" entry ~ deleted it, made a list of things to do today ~ haven't started. . . does that tell you how my day is going so far? As soon as this photo loads, I'm going to the shower, the laundry room, the kitchen, and YES the grocery store one more time! It's a good thing I have my personalized shopping cart at Wal-Mart, isn't it? Buck is eating at one of the pits today so I don't have to prepare supper. . .can you say cereal for supper????

It's MONDAY!

Do you suffer from the "OH NO it's Monday" syndrome? From the looks of these two photos we all have a bad day from time to time. Teresa looks like she's just lost her best friend. Jennifer and I were giving "goofy" a try. (did we succeed?) I think it's only fair to show some of the notsoflattering photos along with the cute ones, don't you?
Today I will be getting ready for Lisa's visit and Thanksgiving with Mother and Daddy. Kim and her family will be eating lunch with Skoot's family but I'm hoping they will come for supper with us and help Buck and me with the leftovers! Have a good week and I'm sure you'll be hearing from me again soon. ;-)

The Monument

Before Lisa left for Mobile she drank a Coke and left the can on the table beside Buck's chair. He was determined to leave it there until she returned to throw it away. He decided to build a little pyramid. I got tired of looking at it, dusting around it, and having to restack it every time I bumped the table so I snapped this photo to "preserve" the memory and took one of the cans to Mobile when I went to visit her. She set it on her bedside table and it is probably still there today.

Girl Power !?!?

Aimee's daughter, Olivia, seems to be in control of this situation. The boys had been chasing her around and around in Mamaw's house. By the time they got there it was too dark outside to send them out to play. Since we usual end up in the living room so did they.

No one got hurt

It was a battle to keep from laughing. They love to jump on each other.

This looks like brotherly love to me ~ how 'bout you?

The boys like to wrestle and I use to do it with them but they are bigger and stronger (and more aggresive) now and I don't do that anymore. They showed us some moves when they spent the night.

How to eat spaghetti

On a recent visit to Colorado I enjoyed not only the food but also the entertainment. We have all done the "silent slurp" where the noodle slides into your mouth without a sound and of course there is the "noisy as you can be slurp" ~ accompanied by giggles. Each of the granddaughters have their own unique style.

Claire goes for the "full frontal attack"

Sarah demonstrates the "double -side slurp"

Boy oh Boy!

Jakob slept in the papa san chair. He called it his nest.

I am adding the boys today instead of Tuesday, like I said earlier. Jakob is 9 and Christopher is 6. They are the sons of Kim and Skoot and LOVE to be loud and repetitive. On the way home from church today they were singing some silly little song about chicken wings and I finally had to ask them to stop. I love them but had a small naggy headache from the lunch "experience" with other family members. They spent the night with us last night and are in the process of beating a PS2 game before we have to leave for the airport to pick up their parents. I told them they could say up until midnight but around 10:30 they were settling in to watch some TV with Granddad and POOF ~ they were out for the count. No nagging on my part for them to GO TO SLEEP and no whining on their part TO PLEASE STAY UP A BIT LONGER. (and they thought I couldn't be sneaky ~ HA!)

To My Sweet Claire

Little Feet
Little feet
Small and sweet
Where will you go today?
May I walk with you
And talk with you
As you go along your way?

Sisters

Sisters are linked for life (whether we want them or not)
If you check the painting behind us you will see we are standing under our picture. (left to right ~ Wanda, Teresa, and Reba) The painting was done from black and white school photos Mother sent to her brother, Wayne Brown, when he was serving in Vietnam. He had the painting done for Mother and Daddy but could not make the artist understand the color of our hair, clothing, or the fact that Teresa was much smaller than Wanda or me at the time. If you are able to look closely at the painting you will notice a slight “Asian” influence in the eye area.

Sisters are an interesting group. We can hurt each other but won't let anyone else say the same awful things we have said. We can make each other laugh until we hurt and hurt until we cry. My sisters and I were not born "friends" but we have become friends as we have grown older and wiser (I hope) We have been called "the pretty one, the smart one, and the funny one" I am the comic relief. I will leave the other two labels for the reader to decide. I like being the funny one because I can be "pretty funny" and have been known to be "smart (aleck) funny". Teresa is quite a bit younger than Wanda and me. Believe me she NEVER lets us forget it. I like to think of it this way ~ the older I get, the older she gets and if I wait ~ she'll catch up cause I'm staying with the age I am for a while ;-) On the other hand; I fully expect Wanda to deck her one day for that very reason. Hope I'm there to see it!

DUDE!

I went to Mobile in October for Bayfest. Lisa, who is 20, lives there. It was AWESOME! The crowds were unbelievable and it was fun hanging out with her. She is the youngest of our three girls and sort of lost right now with what she wants to do with her life. She is in school at Bishop State with the intention of becoming a physical therapy assistant. I know she will be a great woman some day, like the other two, Jennifer and Kim. I don't care if she grows up and lives with 15 cats as long as she is settled and happy. Then I can say my work is done.

Wow! What was that? This started as a post about Bayfest. . . we saw Kid Rock, Hootie (don't remember his real name) from Hootie and the Blowfish, Saving Abel, and BowWow ~ to name a few. It was a diverse weekend ~ LOUD and wonderful. Lisa's friend, Chastity, was a little surprised that I knew the words to the songs. . rock on!

Today I am picking up the boys, Jake and Topher, for an overnight. Kim and Skoot are in Las Vegas until tomorrow. I probably won't post again until Tuesday, after I recover :-)

Daughter

I am a daughter and these are my parents ~ John and Tommie Panter. They have been married for 61 years and are both 79 years old. I went with them to the doctor yesterday. Daddy weighs 127 pounds! Yikes! Now why didn't I get that skinny gene? This is the way they look most days: close together, taking care of each other, each depending on the other. Mother had just returned from the beauty shop (where she goes every Friday) and Daddy was there waiting for her. I believe he is going for a haircut today. She will drive him because he doesn't drive much anymore ~ they have two trucks and a car. She is after him to sale the trucks and his four wheeler but he told her yesterday he just isn't ready to get rid of everything yet!

WAY TO GO DAD!

What to do??

Looking at other blogs, they are so creative! I hope you enjoy mine for the content, not necessarily the presentation. :-)

Had supper with family last night. Buck stayed home because he is SICK with a cold. First thing he said when I got home was "Did you bring me a plate?" I didn't because I thought he would be sleeping.

Trying to insert photo but haven't mastered that yet. I will keep trying. Have a Wonderful Wednesday.

It's a Blog!

Here it is ~ a blog by ME! I will try to keep up.