Christmas Time is Near!

Christmas is 2 days away and I can hardly believe it.  Could it be the 70 degree weather outside?  Merry Christmas from SC!
It's been an interesting year, and this is always a time of reflection for me.  How can time go so fast?  Seems like we just celebrated Christmas and here it is again.  Who knew that 2011 would be so eventful for our family?  There was some sadness: Brian's house fire, saying goodbye to our friend Ana, losing both Sophie & Kira, and moving Granny into an assisted living facility.  But there was a lot of joy: bringing Lucy home from the Animal Shelter, celebrating Grace's first birthday, having Granny with us for another year, Hubby starting a new job, gaining a deeper appreciation for my job & the wonderful people that I work with, and just being blessed with all that we have.
As with any blessing, I am thankful beyond words.  I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a fabulous new year.
Goodbye 2011!

Let's get ready for 2012!

Yeah for saving $$!!!

I recently went to a Southern Savers' coupon class to get some tips on how to save more on our grocery bill.  I've been cutting coupons for years and trying to take advantage of weekly specials, but I wasn't saving as much as I'd like.   I got lots of great tips and started trying to incorporate what I learned.
At CVS today, I saved over $11 on my purchase (thank you, ExtraCare Bucks!) and paid less than $5 for my items.  Then at Bi-Lo, I was happy to note that with the Buy One Get One Free specials and my coupons, I was able to say 41% on my total purchase!  We usually save 25-30% on our shopping bill. 
Although I still have lots to learn in order to save more money, I am super-excited that I've been able to make small changes in our shopping habits.  I'm certain these small changes will lead to bigger savings down the road.

Breaking Bread Can Break Barriers

What is it about food that brings people together? If you feed them, they will come. At least that is what we usually say in jest. But it seems to be true. On Friday, we had a staff covered dish luncheon. I figured that the usual suspects would participate, we'd have a few laughs while enjoying good food and go back to the business of serving our clients. Well that is partially true. The usual suspects did come, but a lot of others joined in the fun, too. It was a great event!

People who didn't know each other very well broke bread together and shared some laughs. People made new friends at the office and just had a brief time to forget all the stress of our jobs. We had an opportunity to mingle, share stories, and just get to know one another. It was truly a time of fellowship.

You know- sometimes it's the little things that can make the biggest difference. You work with people every single day or pass them in the hallway and say a brief hello. But do we ever take the time to get to know them? Do we stop and take a time out from the daily grind to learn more about these people? Usually we get so busy and wrapped up in our list of To Do's that we miss out on these golden opportunities of fellowship.

I highly recommend taking a break in your day and asking a co-worker about their family, hobbies, likes/dislikes, etc. You might find you have more in common than your place of employment. You never know- you might just make a new friend. And couldn't we all use good friends?

Want to get the conversation started? Offer them something to eat!

Let's Celebrate Our Independence!

Happy 4th of July! A day of independence and remembrance. Last year, I blogged about my heroes and their sacrifice to ensure our freedom. This year, I'd like to reflect upon what personal freedom means to me.
I have the freedom to choose where I live, where I worship, who I love and what I choose to do with my life. I come and go as I please, have a good job that I enjoy, and can get together with friends whenever I want. I was blessed to be able to get an education and advanced degree at the university of my choosing. My parents didn't choose my husband for me, and he is now a part of our family and I am a part of his. I don't have to hide my Christianity for fear of persecution. We can travel freely throughout this great land in exploration of new destinations. I can surf the internet and put my personal thoughts out there on this blog for others to read without someone knocking on my front door and hauling me to jail for my opinions.
These are just a few simple pleasures in life. Simple pleasures that I can enjoy because I was fortunate enough to be born in the United States. I'm fortunate enough to live in a country where men (like my brother) and women choose to serve in our Armed Forces and defend these simple freedoms. For that choice and their sacrifice, I am forever grateful.
Celebrate your independence in whatever way you choose. That is one of your freedoms!

Missing Sophie

Note to Blog followers: there won't be any sarcasm in this post. I'm writing it as a sort of therapy.

On May 16, Jamie and I had to do the unthinkable. We had to put our beloved Sophie Pug to sleep. I say unthinkable because I always hoped that I would not have to make such a decision- not where Sophie was concerned. I wanted her to just go to sleep on her own and not wake up- just like all my pets did when I was growing up. Unfortunately, God and Sophie had other plans.

In March of 2004, my brother called me to ask if I wanted a dog. He knew someone who was trying to find a home for her daughter's Pug. I was hesitant to give her a home b/c I knew with my work schedule that I wouldn't be home with her a lot. I'd also never had my own dog. I grew up with dogs but my Mama fed them and took care of them. All I did was play with them. When Brian said that she was housebroken, I figured why not? So on March 27, 2004, I drove home to meet my new "roommate". Sophie was recovering from bring spayed and wasn't feeling too great. I remember meeting her, and she didn't pay me any attention. I stayed at my parents' house all day, and she had NOTHING to do with me. Then, I got up after supper and said, "OK- I'm leaving. See y'all later." I was completely prepared to leave her with Brian b/c she was so attached to him. Yet the strangest thing happened when I said goodbye and headed for the door. Sophie got off the floor and followed me to the door. She was ready to leave with me! It was crazy how she knew that she was supposed to leave with me. So I loaded her, a bag of dog food, a blanket and toy into the car for the drive back home.


I remember her just laying on the passenger seat and looking up at me. She was like "who are you?" I knew that she had been through a lot in her 4 years. Her previous owner was not a good dog mommy. She would take Sophie places and just leave her with friends or family and take off. If you know anything about Pugs, then you know that they are companion animals. They were bred to be companions for Chinese royalty, and they live to make their master happy. So when she left Sophie with her mom and took off to parts unknown to not return for a long time, her mom found Sophie a new home. A home with me.

Sophie brought me so much happiness. She was content to sleep and explore the house while I was at work. She would greet me at the door when I came home and was super-excited to see me everyday. Things went great until the day I came home to find that Sophie had a bit too much fun. She'd knocked the TV onto the floor and broken some of my stuff. To this day I have no idea how she got the TV on the floor and she never would say. I'll never forgot driving into the carport one afternoon and looking through the window to see her standing on the end table. I started yelling at her through the window to get off the table. I felt like such white trash. From that day forward, she became a crate dog.


She hated thunderstorms and would hide under the covers when thunder crashed. She snored like a person and would take over the pillow beside me. She was a snuggler- on the bed, the couch, the recliner, wherever. She didn't like to be alone in a room. She had to be wherever you were in the house or yard. She lived to make you smile. If you were sad, she would just lay beside you in an effort to offer comfort. She loved to go for car rides. All you had to say was "Car car bye bye" and she was running for the door. At our old house, she would squeeze out the gate and explore the front yard if I didn't watch her. Once I started to miss her and found her sitting in the front yard near the street. A carload of teenagers were calling her to their car. She didn't have her collar on and they thought she was lost. If I'd been 1 minute later, she would have gotten in their car. Little hussy!

Sophie met Jamie and loved him instantly. I figured that if Sophie thought he was a good guy then maybe I should give him a chance. She was an excellent judge of character! She enjoyed mingling with other Pugs each October at Pugfest in Atlanta. She enjoyed the car ride there and staying in a hotel. On our first trip, we came back from dinner one evening to find that she had escaped her crate and was sitting on the AC unit looking out the window at the interstate. She had the most innocent look on her face when we caught her. Once we discovered my co-worker was willing to make her costumes, Sophie began placing in the Homemade Costume Contest. She made a lovely Lucy van Pelt and a most holy nun.

As Sophie got older, she started to deal with serious health issues. The most damaging was a nerve condition that hindered her ability to walk. We watched her walking get worse over a 9 month period. When we realized that she couldn't walk anymore, was losing control of her bodily functions, and just acting so sad, we knew it was time. We took a weekend to say our goodbyes and make some more memories with her. I've never cried so much as I did over those 5 days. When we took her to the vet's office on May 16th, we knew it was over. The staff was very compassionate, and we were with her until the end. It was peaceful, and we were the last people she saw & heard. We had her cremated and picked up her remains today.

I had 7 wonderful years with Sophie. I was her mommy for most of her life and the only mommy that she'll remember. She'll remember me b/c I loved her and took care of her when her first mommy couldn't and wouldn't. She brought so much joy and happiness into our lives. I am a better person for having spent the last 7 years with her. Not a day goes by that I don't think about her and miss her terribly. Yet I know that she is in a better place. She can walk and run, has all her teeth and is enjoying her time in the sun. If you believe in the Rainbow Bridge concept, then you believe that one day you'll be reunited with your beloved pets and cross into Heaven together. I believe. On how I believe.

Sophie Henson Sanders
March 16, 2000- May 16, 2011
Found her forever home on March 27, 2004 and stayed there until the end.

Some Changes Have Been Taking Place

Wow- it has been a crazy 2 months since my last blog post. I've felt that life has been pretty boring and that I did not have much exciting news to share. In an effort to get back on track, I'll just share a few things that have changed with me.

I blogged a while back about starting Weight Watchers. After many months of working the program and losing little by little, I have achieved Lifetime status!! I'm 35 pounds smaller than when I started with the program in August. I've had to shop for new clothes- awesomeness!! And I feel like a brand new woman! Hubby has even joined WW and is doing great!! He's already down 22 pounds. I'm so proud of him!!!

I must confess that I still suffer from an addiction to books. However, my addiction is about to take a new form. After much contemplation and doing research on the various options, I've asked Hubby to give me a Kindle for my birthday (which is fast approaching). I've already been adding Kindle editions to my Amazon wish list. I have explained to Hubby that I will still need to purchase the occasional book- like Stephen King or Anne Rule. I cannot give up owning new editions by my favorite authors.

Another change I anticipate is paying more attention to my blog. I'll even start sharing the boring details of my life in order to stay on track if I have to. I know, you can hardly wait for those exciting posts. Thanks for hanging with me!

Losing is the Hardest Part

No one likes to lose. Whether it's a bet, a board game, a college/pro football game or whatever, losing sucks. What sucks even more than any one of those things is the loss of someone too soon. On Sunday, Hubby got a message from his mom that a dear friend was in the hospital and the outlook wasn't good. We went to the hospital to be with her husband, neighbors and friends to see if we could do anything. Unfortunately, no one was able to do anything except offer love & support when the doctors gave us the bad news that she was gone.


Ana Todd was an amazing woman. I'd only known her for a few years, but she treated everyone like they were a lifelong friend. She loved reading Danielle Steele novels, camping with her husband and Bischon baby, shopping at JC Penney, anything chocolate and feeding everyone. She was a phenomenal cook and made chicken salad that was like a bit of Heaven on Earth. She was a caretaker. She was always looking out for guests and was a world-class hostess. No one could throw a party like Ana & AW. If you left their house hungry, it was your own fault.
We had dinner with them a week before she died. As we drove home from the hospital in shock, Hubby said, "Who would have thought that last Sunday would be our last supper together?" We certainly didn't think it then and can hardly believe it now. It's been more than 24 hours, and I still can't believe that she is gone from us. It's hard to comprehend & even more difficult to understand.
Yet, it is not for us to question God's will. I guess He needed Ana with Him more than we needed her. Whatever the reason, it hurts a lot, and I'll miss her. She had a heart of gold that few people in this day & age possess. What I do know is that this world is a better place for having had Ana in it, and we are better people for having known her-no matter how brief a period of time.


We'll miss you, Ana. Godspeed!

I'm Back (for a select few)!

Since I've apparently causes chaos & drama with a recent blog post, I've decided to limit access to my blog as much as possible. However, I recognize that some "anonymous" followers may have slipped through the cracks and may still be watching. So if any of them decide to take offense to what I post, I'd suggest you follow someone else who will write about sunshine & lollipops all the time. This isn't that kind of blog.

For the record, I have accomplished a lot in my life, and I've made mistakes along the way. Who hasn't? There has only been one perfect individual, and He alone can cast judgement on me. I don't need anyone to remind me of my past and use it to cause heartache for anyone, including those who have already been hurt. All you have succeeded in doing is opening old wounds and bringing up a flood of very unpleasant memories for all parties involved. Here's some advice- grow up and stop causing drama! This isn't middle school.

Do I regret my past decisions? No because all those experiences have made me the person I am today. Is that a person that everyone loves? Not likely but I can't control that. I can only control how I treat others and how I respond to life situations. I haven't always treated people the way they deserved to be treated, and I can own up to that. I've done my best to apologize to those individuals and make amends as best I can. I even respect those who don't wish to accept my apology.

So with that being said, please note- if I offend you, have the guts to tell me. Don't feel the need to tell everyone but me. Or just stop reading my blog and move on with your life. Heaven knows the rest of us have!

An Apology

It has been brought to my attention that some people were upset by my most recent post. I've since removed the "offensive" material. I would like to remind those following me- publicly or anonymously- what a blog is. It is a person's thoughts and feelings at any given point in time. Sometimes I may use examples from my past to make a point. In using a specific example, that does not automatically mean that I continue to spend hours upon hours reflecting on that experience from my past. We live, we learn, we move on. Sometimes we even learn a lesson.
Since I apparently have some anonymous followers who like to stir the pot, I'll make sure to watch my Ps and Qs in the future. For those who were truly upset by what I posted, I am sorry.
Peace Out!

I've created a monster!

Happy New Year! 2010 has come and gone. 2011 is here in all its glory. Here's to a great year for all of us!

I've been quite open about own personal addiction to books. I've said it before and I'll say it again- books are my version of crack. I love browsing through bookstores and libraries. While I only got one book among my Christmas presents, I made up for that by buying several books after the holidays. Thank you, Christmas money; and kudos to Anne Rule & Stephen King for publishing new books before the holidays!!

I've also been open about Hubby's feelings about my addiction. He is tired of me bringing more books into the house. He would sign me up for a 12-step program if one existed for book obsessed people like myself. He also makes a running joke that he can't read. Anytime someone suggests that he read a book about a subject that might interest him (can you say Bigfoot?), he says that he can't read. I think he does this more or less to annoy his mom because she is annoying in her own varied ways and is a retired teacher.

So imagine my surprise at what has transpired in our home since Christmas. Being the wonderful wife that I am, I decided to give Hubby a gift that he has been eyeing for months- an iPad. Hubby is a computer person and loves his technical gadgets. I just assumed that he would surf the web and what-not on the iPad. Little did I know that you can download and read books on his gift. I just buy these things- I don't get closely acquainted with them.

One evening, I notice that he appears to be staring at something intently on the screen. When I ask what he's looking at, he says that he is reading a book he downloaded. Reading? My husband? Same sentence? Really???????????????? Several nights in a row, he gets off the couch about an hour before our usual bedtime and says that he is going to bed to read. I can hardly believe it! Hubby can actually read!!! When I ask him why the change, he says that it must be the iPad b/c he sure couldn't read before. Smart ass!! But then again, so am I so that's one reason we work so well together.

It seems that my addiction may be rubbing off onto Hubby. He just has the electronic variety which he loves to remind me doesn't take up an entire room of our house. Again- sarcasm is a keystone in our marriage and the name of this blog. Now, will his new love of e-reading rub off on me?? I'm not 100% in love with the thought, but I am considering it. Stay tuned!