shopping ~ HO-HO-HO

~~~

I went shopping today and accomplished quite a lot...in fact, I'd say I'm about 2/3's finished! Goody for me!!   :)

   The past few days I've been feeling downhearted and overwhelmed with things...feeling like I can't possibly do all the things I've determined I must do... but today proves I can and WILL manage to get things organized and make things MERRY around here!

It was a long, long day for me, as I awoke at 5:30 this morning compared to my usual time of 8:00. I went to bed last night about an hour earlier than usual...but why do I wake up 2-1/2 hours early? No logic or order in my life at all!

I left my house to go shop about 9:30 and didn't get home until almost 5:00. Now that's what I call a long day of shopping!  haha

Charles took this pic of me just before I left this morning. If you think I look tired starting out,

( which I definitely did from too little sleep)

well-you should have seen me at the end of the day!

( really dragging!)

~~

We've had freezing temperatures the past 2 nights!  Our fruit is a lost cause this year again. The trees never really recovered from last year's freezes and the fruit we've had has not been sweet at all. I didn't even bother to try any juice because who wants sour OJ ? Not me!....So, anyway after the past couple of freezing nights I can just forget about the fruit and stop feeling guilty for not trying to use some of it. Truth is, we are just a little bit too far north for the citrus.

Hopefully tonight I will get enough rest so that tomorrow we might get a tree and get my decorating done!!

Tis the season and I'm wanting some festive lights around here!





Good night, all!

Junie Rose

Long, hot day-

Today was an extremely hot day here-probably actual temp  near 100°!  I had to do some shopping for our upcoming trip on Thursday! Wanted to buy some new clothes but didn't find much-except a pr. of capri pants/Jeans-lol- and 3 pairs of sandals! Oh well, at least me feet will be happy!!  :)

Also had to shop for my sister, Joy's B'day-and my brother's B'day.  Joy's is Aug.7th. and Ray's is Aug. 16th. Mission accomplished for that part of my plan.

I have mixed feelings about the trip-I DO want to go but really don't like being away from home that much,  these days!  Everything gets more complicated and worrisome as we get older...or is it just me?

There seems to be a million details that must be taken care of and not overlooked...like meds to be refilled- etc-etc- We still have a lot of that to do tomorrow. Also had to reschedule a  doctor's appointment I had. Charles has been having to go weekly for a shot for this latest heart problem he had... that will have to be shuffled around, too.

I had hoped we could  go in the car-much more comfortable for me- but Charles says we need to drive the truck because his brother has a  garden tiller he wants to give him!  Another reason I wanted to go in the car- besides the comfort issue- is the fact that I can't drive the truck!  It's big and wide and I have never driven it at all- C. even has trouble parking it!  I think about what if C. gets sick up there and is unable to drive... (yep-I do worry about things a lot)

OK-I have a couple days to get my head right about the trip...Lol- and I will - I always come through with whatever has to be done...and things almost always turn out ok!

When I got home my kids were here-Tina,Alli and Brian...Alli wanted to show me the dress she had made for herself!  Pretty good FIRST sewing project, don't you think?  :) Alli- a girl of many talents!  :)

We will be leaving early Thursday.


Love,

Junie

(Ginga)

Shopping with the girls!

~~~

Today Tina, Alli and I went shopping. This is only the 2nd. real outing/shopping I've done and I was grateful Tina could take me so that I could accomplish part of what I need to do. I now have at least gotten around with a couple gifts for all my folks! I will need to go out a couple more times...but if not...at least no one will be left out!

This season has been a hectic one for me with many things working against me! (of which I won't go into, in detail) Suffice to say ...there have been problems!

As for my decorating of the house- it too has been sparse this time...but I've done enough to make things merry, at least! I won't be able to do much more .... just not up to it!

Here am I with 2 of my favorite girls, as we were leaving for the shopping trip this morning!

Oh! We also would have a very nice lunch at Cracker Barrel - and to my delight - my meal was perfect in every way!

















Alli is home for her Christmas break. You may have picked up on the fact already that Alli LOVES my cats. Today's cat petting was directed toward 'Tiger' and 'Lucy!'
(General wasn't around for the pictures!)














I noticed yesterday that my one and only WHITE Camellia bush is blooming! I've only had this bush a couple years so it doesn't have a lot of blooms yet.

Charles cut these white blooms along with some red ones for me this morning for this pretty display! We have 4 , well established, red bushes that are loaded with blooms!

I love the way the 2 colors look together- very pretty for this season!





Early tomorrow Charles has another appointment with the skin cancer doctor. They have to do more cutting out of the latest spot that was treated. Charles tells me not to worry-that it is treatable- but I DO worry! As with all things we have to just take it a step at a time as it comes to us-and keep positive and upbeat! I try to do that!

Anyway-am turning in early for some sleep...am tired from my day of shopping and we'll be getting up early for the appointment.

Have a good night, my blog pals!


Junie Rose

Surrounded by Joy(S)

~~~

Today I was surrounded by JOY (S)!

No-really....I know that sounds corny lol...and you wouldn't expect a corny statement from me- right??? haha- no way!!... But this is a true statement...I truly was surrounded and overwhelmed with JOY today!

I went to lunch with, and then to shop for a wedding cake with, Joy my sister and Joy, my soon to be daughter-in-law!

I find it just one of life's little oddities that I now will have 2 girls close to me named Joy...because Joy is not that common as a name- is it?

Also our new Joy came into our lives all the way from the Philippines! :)

I just get a kick out of the twists and turns in our lives sometimes! LOL- Maybe some folks would not find anything at all to notice or think about in this JOY-JOY situation...but it sort of tickles me!

We ladies-June-Joy-Joy and Tina-( who joined us) decided on a cake today. It will be decorated with red Poinsettias-fitting for the season. The party will be small- so we decided on a sheet cake and a small bride and groom cake also.

OK- in one week my son and Joy will get married and the next day we will have a celebration here at our place.

I've got just ONE WEEK to pull this all together here!

Can I do it?

You betcha!



Love,
Junie Rose

Mom's fall flowers

NOTE:

My 'Sepia Scenes' post is below this one!




~~

Mom's Fall Flowers

Today my sister and I took some fall flowers out for our dear mom!

It's always an emotional time for us, remembering having to let mom go...almost 7 years ago now!

We both added what we wanted this time. I added the big yellow flowers, the leaves at the base and the little scarecrow guy. Mom would like that. She liked fun things!


This little offering of flowers to her a few times during the year is a small comfort to us.







I like to change the flowers for every season and soon it will be time again for Christmas flowers!


...The seasons seem to go by so fast....


Joy and I were mom's littlest girls! :)
(Joy was the baby...but I was Mom's baby, too!)


We each like to think that we are a lot like mom...in our physical appearance-and in our inner make-up as well!

In my opinion- to be like Mom would be the highest honor to achieve!

Mom was LOVE!

~~~
Our nephew and grand-niece are here very near Mom.
As you see on the dates, these 2 dear ones followed Mom just a year later!


...SO...an emotion filled day for Joy and me!

However bittersweet this day was for us we managed to enjoy these few hours out together-my sis and I! We had lunch out at this neat restaurant (new for me) then did a little shopping!


I finally found a small black purse that I needed for the up-coming event next weekend ~ the wedding of Joy's son! :)


Have you ever noticed the fine balance of sadness and happiness in this life?

All in His master plan!

~~~

AND

...often with bits of extreme aggravation thrown in-LOL- as in computer woes! But that's just minor stuff! Yep-still having those pesky problems! ... Just don't send me any E-mails because I can't open them! ;) ... But I AM still here-doing my blogging thing as usual - and on Face Book!

It'll work out!


Love,
Junie Rose

shopping with the girls

Today was another shopping outing with the girls...my sister Joy and my daughter, Tina!


( These pics are earlier this year:
My sister and me on my birthday in May-at Red Lobster.
My 2 daughters-Tina & Tammy- together at Tammy's house in Orlando.(for Zach's birthday in July)




LOL-
Wedding preparations require a LOT of getting out and about-a lot of walking and looking and deciding...and a lot of returning things for a different size or for a better choice of gift!

It also gives us opportunities to have lunch out with each other! ;) Today we had lunch at my favorite place -'Red Lobster!' I enjoyed it to the fullest- lol- (apt choice of words there.. too!) ;)

The main target of a gift today was a shower gift for the bride-to-be. We're invited to the Bridal Shower tomorrow night. (Tina and I-and of course my sister ....this will be her son's wife in 3 weeks)

Happy to say -"Mission accomplished!" Gifts selected and festively wrapped and ready!

The shower should be fun tomorrow night!



Have a great night.

Junie

days in the life...

~~~
One day last week my sweet daughter Tina asked me if I wanted to go shopping.

Here we are - ready to go!!



Of course I wanted to go because we have a wedding to attend in October! I needed to shop for a new outfit to wear. I mentioned this before...about my difficulties in finding something!

Well, as it turned out this outing with Tina produced 2 possibilities...though I'm not sure... and not at all thrilled with either of them. I'll still keep looking for a pretty dress...but if all else fails I will wear one of these blouses with a nice pair of blue silk slacks I already have!

( lol- at least I know I will have something other than my jeans-haha- or a dress that's 15 years old!)

As you see both these blouses are fall colors so even if I find something else I'll find these useful through the fall and winter season here!




(Oh, my- the trials of Junie Rose...)


Tina and I had a nice time out together...but we were missing our Alli!
We had a good lunch at Cracker Barrel. I love that place-the food-AND the store!

I bought this cute chicken candle holder!






(The big guy behind is not new!!)




Tina was also up Sunday..You see, we have this thing going...each Sunday Tina comes up with her scale and we each weigh. ( Charles, Tina and me...also Alli when she was home) It helps keep us on track to know that we all will be weighing-all in plain view of each other- each week! haha....Well...I'm happy to report I had a good wt. loss this past week...more than 3 pounds!!
YAY for Ginga!! :)

(Tina and Lucy)










Today I had a Dr. appointment...My BAD Cholesterol is a little out of whack! For the first time I'm on medication for that now! Dang it! Have to change that if I can! I go back in Nov. and am determined to have a much better report!

As we were about to leave for the appointment I asked C. to get my picture with my new baby. LOL- she looks like she could be my baby for real, doesn't she? (with her blue eyes and blond curls)




(lol- silly old girl - Junie Rose...or is that 'Ginga?')


Have a good night, my friends!

Love,
Junie

Sepia Scenes ~Sept 9, 2009

~~~

( go here for more Sepia Scenes )

This is my first baby girl.

Tam came to us in 1962! Oh, my - and what a sweet little baby she was!

Her brother, Christoper, was just 3 years older and he would soon have-not one, but- 2 baby sisters ! My second baby girl, Tina, came along about 15 months after Tammy!

You may have noticed I posed Tam with a rose! :)
I have always loved this photo.

~~~These are treasured memories...when my babies were little!~~~

~~~

Who would have thought- on this happy day of playing with and posing my new baby girl -that in just a few short years down the road of life...she would be going off to college in NYC!

I tell you -THAT was a hard one - letting her go to that big, distant city....but she had her heart set on her plan to go to FIT !

Well, it enabled us to see that city - at least one time!

:)

Here we are at Saks!


( Mom & Tam )


Here we are, 'antiqued.'


Love,
Junie

Shopping (and flowers)

~~~

Yesterday my sister and I went out shopping.



She had invited me and I was very glad of the chance to go with her, as I don't like to drive much! I seldom drive anywhere, on my own, except to MY side of town...Lol- which is Wal-Mart for groceries and Bealls ; where I do almost all of my clothes shopping-etc .

Anyway, Joy and I both needed to shop for a new outfit to wear to her son's wedding - which will be in October!

We went to 3 of our better stores to look...Dillards, Macys ... and ending up at JC Penneys. We saw absolutely nothing that we liked - at all! ...Honestly, I saw not one thing that I vaguely was taken with! The colors were gaudy and ugly- all BIG printed patterns -the fabrics remind me of the late 60s and 70s...the polyester blends . I saw no basic colors...I mean-toned down shades-all are LOUD ! The styles are atrocious-just plain unattractive~IMHO.

(Just give me some faded denim and a cotton shirt and I'm happy! LOL)

...But we both know we must find something suitable for the wedding...
Well, we got a few weeks to search...and ponder the problem!

Meanwhile, we're both going through our closets for possible garments of the past to consider. :) LOL-In my case I find things dating back 25 years or more.! Still- they are prettier than anything I saw yesterday-by far!

As I told Joy's husband when he asked how the shopping went..." Neither of us saw anything that we would even consider wearing to a 'Dog Fight,' much less a wedding! (lol- not that I've ever been to one of those )

Really-it was -disheartening-disenchanting-disgusting...lol-all those 'DIS' words!

Have to say, though, in spite of our unproductive outcome with the shopping, Joy and I had a fun time out...catching up with family news and having a relaxing lunch at Olive Garden! We both had the soup and salad, which was excellent! I have to pat myself on the back for being able to resist one of the great pasta dishes they serve there!
(good for me- one battle won, in a long line-up!)

Before leaving Joy's house I had to go out in her back yard and get some pics of her pretty flowers. These are plants I don't have and I don't even know the names- except for the Hibiscus! It's a very pretty color!

If anyone can name these plants, let me know!
LOL-Otherwise I'll have to go on another search!

(Click on pics to enlarge)

Junie

Visitors

I went shopping yesterday!

Oh my! What a hot day it was...but just look at this beautiful sky. I took this picture on my way to the store.

(you all know how I love these kind of skies!)


When I got home in the afternoon my sis and B-I-L stopped by with their visitors from Ga...These are their little granddaughters, Emily and Kimberly! Such very delightful little girls these 2 are! :)



Emily wanted to get this pic of the 2 'older sisters!' :)





OK- have a lot to do so I'll get on with it! (lol-my hair still needs attention!)

Catch ya later...
and hope to have time to catch up on some blogs before I go tomorrow!


Junie

LOL!!!

;)

OK- As you see I have been having fun with my Photo Booth...and iPhoto program...then taken to Photo Bucket...and then made into my blog header!

All this stuff is still new and fun to me so indulge me a little! I promise I won't keep that close-up of me up there very long as my header! It's just fun and challenging to figure all this cool stuff out! :)

It was a most glorious day here today. I went shopping and enjoyed the scenery. Our spring flowers are doing their thing now, along all the roadsides! Those meadows of pink are what first attracted me to this area- way back in the early 70s!

Today's sky was that blue with the puffy clouds that I, so, love!! (You all know that as I rave about that often!)

...but- wouldn't you know it...even tho it's SKY WATCH FRIDAY , I forgot to take my camera along so didn't get any captures of that blue and white sky today! Maybe next time I'll have something!

Oh! Let me tell you-I felt, indeed, blessed to still be able to be driving myself to shop! We should never take our precious privileges for granted! Our lives can change so unexpectedly and so quickly. Enjoy all the good times!

Later in the day, after I had put my groceries away and then relaxed a bit, I went outside to take in my own beautiful wildflower meadow! I got down to earth level and got some pics of the lovelies! :) Want to share a few with you all!























:) The computer picture fun times came a little later!!


Love,
Junie

A Birthday...and much more

Today was my sister's birthday...my baby sister! : ) Joy is 3 years younger than me.

I tell her she will never catch up with me, though, and I will always be the big sister-and she- the baby sister! ;)

Neither of us are 'spring chicks' any more...sad but true! ( Chicks, maybe, just not at the 'Spring' stage anymore! haha )

Here we are at about ages one and four.

And as teenagers...












And a more recent one of us.
I'm not sure when this was but it was Christmas. Joy had given me the fluffy chicken as a gift! :)







Happy Birthday, Sis!



We weren't able to get together today, but hope to one day next week! I bought her a neat gift today! :) It's all wrapped up and I must keep it as a surprise so can't tell, even you guys, what it is!






I got for me these new duds, too! Don't you just LOVE 70% off sales? I got 2 pants, 2 shirts and the birthday gift - all for $61.00 and change! :)




I came out of that store smiling!! :)

...I also got this cute little crafty , Christmasy looking, sheep at a little country type shop next door to the Dept. Store. I had never been in the store but they really have some neat things in there! I decorate a lot at Christmas and love the old fashioned look. This little sheep will fit in, fine!








I was really beat by the time I finished my shopping, including grocery shopping- so the rest of the day I did nothing at all! ( except cook a little supper for the guys)

I relaxed with some good Mark Knopfler music on Youtube and posted one for your viewing pleasure in the post below this one! :)

I DO become a little fanatical about things I like a lot! Have you noticed?? :) Oh well, that's just me... all part of the package!

~~~

Tomorrow I will continue with the Alabama trip!


Have a good night, y'all!


Junie Rose