Lazy Daisy Log

Happy Birthday America!

2008-07-04T10:17:00.002-05:00

Today is the 4th of July. Mr. Wonderful and I have the day off and it's like getting two Saturday's in one week! We will do the traditional grilling out (Hebrew Nationals....sorry Nathan) and grill some steaks this evening. I will watch the hot dog eating contest on Coney Island to see who the mustard belt will go to this year. The watermelon is cubed and ice cold. The potato salad is waiting and I'm making a strawberry, blue berry cream cheese pie (red, white and blue through and through).

We are all set to watch the fireworks from our front porch and watch the Macy's firework on TV where I will oooh and aaah with the best of them. We went to the library last night and stocked up on action adventure books for Mr. Wonderful ( sounds like some serious cave time for my man). I know he also has plans for puttering in his basement and taking an occasional nap.

Hope your Independence Day is full of all your favorite F's....food, family, fun and friends.

Thursday Thirteen...13 writing ideas

2008-07-02T13:23:00.006-05:00

13 Ways to Start Writing

We have all gone into writer's block at one time or another....the following are suggestions taken from Abigail Thomas' article "Everyone Has a Story to Tell". Shes gives her writing class assignments because it is hard to make something out of the clear blue sky. It doesn't have to be a story. It doesn't have to be an anything. Nothing is more deadening to creativity than the grim determination to write. She asks for two pages on these suggestions:

Write two pages of apologies....
Write two pages of instructions to the child you once were.
Write two pages in which something is broken.
Write two pages about an unwelcome surprised .
Write two pages about a proposal of marriage.
Write two pages in which you do something wrong you do not regret.
Write two pages about where you would fly if you could.
Write two pages about a bad haircut.
Write two pages about scolding a child.
Write two pages in which you were unmasked.
Write two pages on the best meal you ever ate.
Write two pages about something you wish you didn't know.
Write two pages on something that makes you laugh every time.

According to Thomas, "A lot of writing consists of waiting around for the aquarium to settle so you can see the fish. Writing memoirs is one way to explore how you became the person you are. It's the story of how you got here from there. Believe me. It's a good story."

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Wordless Wednesday...Our little firecracker!

2008-07-02T13:17:00.002-05:00

Any Guesses Who I'm Missing?

Family Portraits

2008-07-01T08:32:00.002-05:00

All of these are my favorites....but you know this is the one that I have on my desk.

I love this picture of my girls ! (I can hardly wait to get one of these with Suzy and grandson!)

Knowing full well how biased I am....you have to agree this is a terrific picture of our Canadians.

I know you have been holding your breath waiting for our family portrait....they finally arrived and I think they were worth the wait. What do you think? Any time you can get four adults and a baby looking pleasant at the same time is nothing short of a miracle.

I'm so vane

2008-06-28T08:36:00.002-05:00

When most people drive down a country lane they look at the landscape, the flowers, the animals and houses. Not me.....I check out the roof for weather vanes. I have become quite fascinated by them and have been doing some research on them.

When Mr. Wonderful asked me what I wanted for "Mother's Day" I promptly told him a weather vane and even showed him the web site , which one I wanted and he SURPRISED me and ordered it. My weather vane has been sitting in the box waiting for just the right time to be put on the roof.

I think I should add here that :

Mr. Wonderful is not good with heights and especially roofs.
Mr. Wonderful is not good at asking for help.
We have a tin roof which gets hotter as the day progresses.
Mr. Wonderful was already tired from loading a container on Thursday.
I am simply ground control, hold the ladder, and call EMS.

By now you are probably thinking that I should make my weather vane a garden ornament an
call it a day. I am nothing if not persistent, so I called my good friend and neighbor Beckie and she talks to her hubby Mike and the next thing I know I hear the pitter -patter of little feet on the roof (no, it wasn't Santa).

What followed was a lot of male bonding and anxiety. We call our home the Nest so I choose a Hen with chicks to top our cottage. I'm happy to announce the mother hen is now properly displayed on the roof summit and no one was hurt in the process.

GPS and EZPass

2008-06-23T15:06:00.004-05:00

I'm a person who has no internal compass. I can get lost in my own drive way. I really don't know my right from my left and people who know me never ask me for directions. I know certain patterns that get me to work, church, or shopping. Get me out of my patterns and I'm totally lost.

So it makes perfect sense that we should get a GPS for the car. I love it! I can program in where I want to go and it tells me turn by turn how to get there. We used it to navigate around New York City. It was so helpful to know which lane we needed to be in and how quickly we needed to get there. It also was good to find attractions and places to eat. Before leaving New York, New Jersey, we also bought an EZPass that can be renewed. It will certainly help with all the tolls as there are so few Cash only booths and they are usually in lanes that are hard to maneuver into . I'm thinking with a new baby, GPS, and EZPass that we will be making more trips to New York.

It's all happening at the Zoo

2008-06-22T16:24:00.005-05:00

This is a picture of Emma sitting in a very large ( made for pictures) Nest at the Bronx Zoo. Since we call our home the Nest I thought it was appropriate to get a picture of our little fledgling.

We also went to the Butterfly Gardens at the Zoo. Emma is demonstration how caterpillars chomp on the leaves. She really seemed to be "in the moment" while we were taking this picture. Poor mom is below her hold her up telling us to hurry.

I love this picture of Emma and her Mom. They were looking at the fish in the pond. Auntie Suzy took this shot of the two of them enjoying the sight.

I enjoyed the Butterfly Gardens too. I seem to attract the large Metal variety as well. I like to get Christmas ornaments from places that we visited so natural I got a Christmas ball with butterflies on it that says Bronx Zoo New York City.

Of course Mr. Wonderful enjoyed the Zoo also. He seemed to fit in no matter where we were. They say you have a kiss a few toads before you find your handsome prince....do you think he is reverting back to his old toad days?

Auntie Suzy enjoyed the Butterfly Gardens and took a turn at posing as a Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly. This butterfly pollinates Blueberries.

Mr. Wonderful got himself in the "hall of Fame" as a Midge Fly ....the only pollinator of the Cocoa Plant (where we get chocolate from!) What a man! Is there any wonder why I love him!
(Click on any picture to make it bigger.)

Saturday Photo Hunt.....Water

2008-06-21T07:01:00.003-05:00

This is our grand daughter Emma taking a bath in our shower!

Life after Emma

2008-06-20T08:09:00.003-05:00

My Canadians left yesterday and arrived safely home after a very long day. Emma was teething (2 year molers) so had a really rough day. As you might remember, when baby has a bad day so do the parents. I'm sure glad they will have some recovery time before heading back to jobs.

Today, I'm putting away toys, cribs, high chairs and reminders of a toddler. I'm catching up with the laundry and missing my babies.

We stopped by the library last night and I picked up some biographies about Ben Franklin as we are planning a trip to Philadelphia for our 35th Anniversary (July 14th). I also picked up a copy of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. (I've decided to read all 6 of her novels this summer.)

I miss my helper (Emma) so I had to water the flowers and check the bird feeder all by myself. I also had to admire the dancing ribbons in the breeze and swing on the porch swing without a buddy. It makes me sad to see the baby swing under the tree waiting for a little one to come swing.

Life after Emma is definitely a lot less entertaining. Dancing by yourself is not nearly as much fun.

My Canadians will soon be in flight

2008-06-19T07:34:00.004-05:00

Well the day I've been dreading is finally here. My Canadians head home this afternoon and so begins a long dry spell of being empty- nesters again. Our little nest has been bursting at the seams for the last month and we will miss the baby chatter, laughter and most of all the open mouth kisses from one little girl and the heart melting smiles as she runs to your arms.

We have been blessed to watch her grow in front of our eyes! I've loved going shopping with my girls, cooking and cleaning together, playing dominoes, actually being able to baby sit. We've enjoyed lots of strawberries, Chick-fil-a, the Bronx Zoo, and most of all the thrill of just being together.

We were able to go and have formal pictures made yesterday afternoon that were amazing. We ordered a bizillion so guess what everyone is getting for the next major holiday? I will be looking over pictures and reliving the moment for a very long time.

I'm sure there is a balance here some where. I love the extended time together created by the distance...but I hate the distance that keeps us apart for holidays and birthdays.

We leave this afternoon to take them to the airport. Keep them in your prayers as they fly back today. I'll be by to visit with you tomorrow.

We're Back!

2008-06-18T08:50:00.004-05:00

This is Miss Emma in her Bronx Zoo Sun Glasses. She looks like she has been on safari! We spent several days with Suzy and Tim. Uncle Andy was there also so the whole clan was together.

A Big "Shout Out "to Suzy and Tim for opening their home to all of us and for planning unusual outings such as the Bronx Zoo and we also experienced Nathan's Famous American Hot Dogs (so I can check both off my to do list for New York!)

You may remember that Nathan's hosts the 4 th of July Hot Dog eating contest every year. They are good hot dogs but I wouldn't want to eat them as fast as the contestants do. (Some of us were more into the experience than others.) As you can see Emma wanted to help and promptly donned on the proper hat immediately. What a girl!

Emma really loved the "Critter Carousal" at the zoo. Instead of horses all the rides were bugs and critters. She really had a great time. I especially like this picture taken by Auntie Suzy. Don't ya just love Emma's converse all star high tops? Be prepared to see many Zoo pictures in the next few installations of the Emma Tour.

Emma with her Diva and Poppa

We have one more full day with our Canadians. We have had a wonderful time watching Emma grow right before our eyes. Our "nest" will certainly seem empty once all the toys and baby things are packed away. We are hoping to have some studio portraits done this afternoon. Thanks for your prayers for all our travels. Please pray for our travelers tomorrow afternoon as they make their long trek back to Canada. Our car certainly knows the way to Richmond airport and to Chick-fil-a.

I promise to visit and catch up with the blog land soon, but as you well know Babies don't wait.

Fruit Pizza and Strawberry Cream Pie

2008-06-10T14:51:00.002-05:00

This is the Fruit Pizza I am taking to New York!

Every Summer I get in a panic because it is strawberry season and I don't remember where I put our favorite strawberry recipes. So I decided to go ahead and post this on my blog so next summer I can look it up on my own blog.

Fruit Pizza

1 package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract or other flavoring (almond, orange, or lemon)
Fresh fruit (your choice) well drained
1/2 cup orange, peach or apricot preserves

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line an ungreased 14 inch pizza pan with cookie dough. Bake 12 minutes or until light brown; remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract, spread over cool cookie crust. Arrange fruit over cream cheese layer in any design you want.

In a small saucepan over very low heat, make a glaze by heating preserves and water. Brush glaze over fruit, making sure to cover the fruit that will turn dark. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

This is the low calorie fresh Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie I'm taking.

Single graham cracker crust
8 oz reduced calorie cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup egg substitute
3 Tbs of Honey
1 tsp of vanilla
3 1/2 cups of sliced strawberries
1 Tbs corn starch
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup reduced sugar Strawberry jam

Mix cream cheese, egg substitute, honey, and vanilla together till smooth. Pour into graham cracker crust and bake 15 to 18 minutes. Cool until room temperature.

Arrange strawberries on top of cream cheese filling.

Mix Corn Starch, and water until smooth. Stir in preserves and bring to a boil. Continue to cook and stir for 2 minutes until mixture is thick. Spoon over berries and and chill for 2 hours.

Emma and Auntie Suzy

2008-06-10T08:46:00.002-05:00

What a cute picture of Auntie Suzy with our Emma. (You can't even see her baby bump!) This Saturday daughter Becky and I have been invited to a baby shower for Suzy. How sweet to schedule it so we could attend.

We are bringing up lots of clothes, baby items, and baked goods, not to mention a high chair, stroller, baby gate and wading pool.

This Diva is determined to get a family picture taken since it is a rare occasion that we are all together at the same time.

This is a big "shout out" to son Andy who just scored a new job. So if any of you are at Planet Hollywood at Times Square....ask for the cute waiter! We are so pleased at his determination and drive to work and attend college to work on a degree in Business.

My New York Baby

2008-06-10T07:51:00.002-05:00

Rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated! My sweet Emma and her parents left for the Big Apple early Thursday morning. They were able to spend the weekend with Auntie Suzy and Uncles Tim and Andy.

This is the Divine Miss Em tackling her first New York Slice Pizza. As you might guess.....she loved it! Which is a good thing since very early in his life Uncle Andy declare Sunday Night to be Pizza Night. ( A time honored tradition in our household and extended family!)

Poppa and Diva had obligations at the mission and at church this past weekend so we will be heading up to New York on Wednesday morning to be with the whole family. If you think that I'm missing my baby then give yourself 10 points and a pat on the back.

It's killing me! So today I'm baking, washing, packing, cleaning, lining up cat care and getting ready to leave bright and early. Breath a prayer for us and watch for pictures.

Another busy day of play

2008-06-03T19:10:00.005-05:00

Emma at play!

Emma, Becky and I decided that a girl could never have enough strawberries so Mom went picking while Emma and I played in the parking lot with the rocks. We banged them together and sang silly songs, we stacked them up and knocked them down, we threw them and we scattered them. By the time we were tired, Mom had 14 dollars worth of berries picked . SWEET!

Poppa was eager to show off Miss Em at the Mission so she made a guest appearance. She was a big hit. She rummaged through some stuffed toys and came home with a lime green stuffed dog . She enjoyed riding in the laundry carts the most, especially when Poppa would push . I'm not sure, who had the most fun! Poppa has a pretty big grin on his face!

Emma enjoyed playing in the grass at the P. Buckley Moss Museum the most. She loved rolling in the grass, picking up leaves, checking out sticks and rocks and just reclining. This is one little one who knows how to relax.

The little "berry patch"

2008-06-02T11:27:00.004-05:00

Just got back from a trip down the street to pick some berries from friend Beckie's garden. They are on a long over due vacation to the Outer Banks where Beckie can take some ocean pictures. She told us to come by and pick berries from her patch while they were gone so that's what we did. Emma liked her berry pail as it was just the right size for her. Being low to the ground was an advantage also. She soon found out that eating is lots more fun than picking! Of course Diva got camera happy and snapped about 40 pictures all of which are keepers. Feel free to check out our berry special day here.

Emma and I wore hats being the proper southern women that we are. She took to berry picking like a duck takes to water.

I definitely think we will plan on making a Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie tonight. We'll post a picture tomorrow.

Emma learns about Art

2008-06-02T07:51:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was another learning day for Miss Emma and her very knowledgeable Poppa. They set out to create a masterpiece for Diva's refrigerator (which has never featured a young budding grand child artist before!) Poppa decided that she was into Contemporary or post modern art with a definite flair for the abstract . She worked very hard and was most diligent with her choice of colors. (This Diva can hardly wait to take her to the Crayola Factory when she gets a little bigger.)

Mom and Dad took a field trip into Harrisonburg and Waynesboro using Poppa's GPS. They really enjoyed being able to get around so quickly by punching in Sonic, Walmart and Target. The GPS certainly has made our life easier.

Diva has plenty of pictures to choose from. Now all I need is a
magnetic frame to show it off. More fun today. We ate all our berries before we could make our pies so looks like it's back to berry batch for us today.

Emma learns about wind

2008-05-31T20:58:00.003-05:00

Poppa and Emma were sitting on our porch swing this afternoon discussing politics and world affairs when sudden showers appeared making the temperature drop and the wind pick up.

Using every moment for a teachable moment, Poppa decided to teach Emma about wind by letting her feel the wind blow and watching Diva's ribbons dance in the wind.

The discussion was rather one sided but went a little bit like this:

Poppa: Emma did you know that wind is the fastest growing source of electricity in the world?

Emma with soother in her mouth says nothing but reaches out for the pretty ribbons beginning to dance in the breeze.

Poppa: Some experts say it can sometimes be the cheapest form of any kind of power. Generating power from the wind leaves no dangerous waste products behind. Best of all, its supply is unlimited.

Emma with her finger in her mouth begins to contemplate the validity of this statement while Poppa explains further.

What followed was a discourse on wind farms, the jet stream, global wind patterns, plus land and sea breezes. The discussion was possibly more than one little explorer could handle, so of course she ran to her Diva and instantly fell asleep. Some how I think I got the best part of the day. I got to kiss her little head, hold her close and whisper prayers over her while she slept. It amazes me that she seems to be growing right in front of us. I miss my baby but I'm enjoying this bright inquisitive little person.

Wading Girl

2008-05-30T21:00:00.005-05:00

Here's the Divine Miss Em wiggling and dancing in the new wading pool in the back yard. Mom bought her this swimming hat, shirt, and skirt all on sale at Target. The water was very cold but our girl danced and waded to her heart's content.

Hopefully the sun will warm up the water tomorrow for another wading session. If not Poppa and Dad hung the baby swing from one of our cherry trees for her enjoyment.

I'm sure there will be more pictures coming and Mom even took a video of the splash party. We had strawberry pancakes for supper and I've got a recipe for strawberry pie from my mom that you know we will have to fix.

More adventures will have to wait till Saturday afternoon as Mr. Wonderful and I are working with volunteers Saturday morning.

I did notice Mr. Wonderful reading the story of the little "Red Hen" to Emma before dinner. Of course he added suggestions on how the little red hen should have diversified her efforts , obtained a small business loan, and employed her friends to help make a marketable product thus adding to the economy and multiplying profits. What a guy!

One Berry Sweet Girl

2008-05-30T14:05:00.003-05:00

We went strawberry picking today. The fields were very crowded this morning and the sign said they were picked out. We were disappointed but decided to head to the Farmer's Market in Dayton instead. This was the cutest thing at the Farmer's Market.

We ate lunch at the Thomas House which features Mennonite Cooking. The food was good as always and their rose bush was bursting with color. I tried to get Emma to sit down by the rose bush but she would have none of it. Lucky for me Mom sat down and held her so I could catch this picture of my girls. Aren't they both gorgeous? Not that I'm at all biased!

We decided to stop by the strawberry field on the way home and buy some berries. This time they were open and we were ready to pick. Emma and I examined all the rocks in the parking lot before sitting under a big shade tree to eat grapes and swap stories. Mom and Dad made short work of picking. It was so much fun watching Emma discover Strawberries.

Hmmm....What are these?

I think I'll take a closer look!

Maybe I'll just poke one.

I'll just try one!

The many faces of berry addiction!

Needless to say Virginia grown Strawberries are delicious and picking them from the field is half the fun. Emma decided Dad needed some help picking so she went out to help. All in all it was a berry sweet day....now to find some strawberry recipes. I'll post pictures of our creations tomorrow.

It amazes me how much Emma can communicate without very many words. She said the word, "Birdy" while watching the birds eat at the feeders and points to the cats and says "kitty". When this girl gets her words I'm sure she will have many stories to tell. Sure wish I had half her energy!

Mr. Wonderful and I have to work till noon tomorrow so we will have to have an afternoon adventure. Stayed tuned.

Second Full Day with Emma

2008-05-30T07:45:00.004-05:00

Emma loves bubbles so naturally her Poppa had to buy her a bubble gun. She likes to pop them and is pretty good at blowing them too. It was fun to watch her chase the bubbles in the wind.

Yesterday was a catch up day for sleep. Jet lag hit mom and dad pretty hard. Emma hasn't adjusted to the time change and new bed yet either so has been very restless and waking frequently. You know if baby doesn't sleep neither do Mom and Dad!

Berry picking is scheduled for this afternoon. I think Becky was a migrant worker in another life. I've never seen any one who can pick berries faster than she can. My mouth is already watering for field ripen berries.

Ever the educator, Poppa had to show Emma all the different trees in the back yard and explain each one to her. She liked the feel of the leaves except for the pine needles. She was attracted to the Maple leaves....do you think it's because she partly Canadian?

Outdoors can be exhausting and even little explorers need a break. Poppa and Diva did our best to wear her out. Why do they call it babysitting.....you never get to sit?

Mom and Dad took a much needed break to go to a movie and dinner while we took charge of the little one. We got lots of smiles, and stole lots of kisses. Bath time was fun, but cuddle time was even better.

Check back with us tomorrow and see our"berry special" girl in the Strawberry Patch.

First full Day with Diva

2008-05-29T08:30:00.003-05:00

Our Canadians arrived right on time and Miss Emma went right to Poppa . (They have a special connection....she bats her eyes and he turns to mush!) After collecting baggage and several attempts at putting the car seat in correctly, we were off to Chick-fil-a ( Becky's favorite). On the two hour drive home, all of them fell asleep in the back seat ( hey, it's a long plane ride and Momma are the last to get any rest!)

Wednesday was spent shopping for the girls, and Barnes and Noble for the Daddy. Emma was quite patient riding in the buggy while Mom bought replacement dishes (broken from the flight), baby food, and lots of things she doesn't have in Canada. Conversation went something like this..

Becky:....."Do you know how much I pay for this in Canada?"

Me: "No, I don't have a clue."

Becky: "At least twice as much"

Who knew how much excitement you can get from baby wipes and cereal? Needless to say there were many conversations that started this way. The merchants were pleased to take our money and the car was packed by the time we got home from shopping and grocery buying.

Lunch was spent at (you guess it! Chick-fil-a!) Emma delighted her Diva with her new trick, drinking from a straw! Any guesses who bought her the Daisy bib? I was also introduced to baby place mats. Plastic colorful mats that have sticky strips that you peel to stick to the table and keeps it from sliding. Emma loves finger foods and loves feeding herself. She enjoyed the freedom and mom enjoyed the clean surface. Clean up is easy too, just by rolling up the uneaten food in the mat and tossing it.

Emma enjoyed our big back yard where there is always a new discovery. She liked the grass and enjoying rolling in it. Poppa especially liked her new hat. No outside retreat is complete without a ride in the new red wagon. Emma and Poppa took it out for the inaugural ride. It was hard to decide who had the best time....Emma or Poppa!

Last night we ate at Cracker Barrel....this time both a Mommy and Daddy favorite. We made a quick trip to Target for a wading pool for Emma and some allergy medication for Mom. Both Emma and Mom have allergies. Em is cutting more teeth so this Diva wiped lots of runny noses and drooly chins yesterday.

Emma loves her bath time but we only have a shower. Leave it up to Poppa to come up with a way to keep our baby happy and clean. He bought a small pond liner for a water feature that is black plastic and fits inside the shower. As you can see Emma liked the concept really well! When she is done it is easy to empty the water down the shower drain and easy to fill from the shower head. Emma slept all night long which definitely makes for happy parents. More adventures today! Stayed tuned!

Count down to Virginia touchdown

2008-05-27T07:25:00.005-05:00

The Cats are all looking out the window and waiting for the Divine Miss "Em". They had better get their rest in now. I'm sure she will find them fascinating and will want to play chase. JJ will be a nervous wreck for the next three weeks . Lucy is a little braver. They may want to retreat to the basement or attic till they get used to having a little person in the house.

Pop pop spent some time putting the little red wagon together for his girl and bringing down the high chair, changing table, baby bed, Emma chair, and assorted toys. The wagon has a back and also a safety belt! He still needs to hang the baby swing. We've heard from reliable sources that our girl is a real swinger.

This Diva is prepared to be on the run for the next few weeks. Miss Emma is a free spirit and likes the wide open spaces. Fortunately we have a big back yard for her to explore and plenty of time to make discoveries.

These anxious grandparents are all set to have big goofy smiles for the next three weeks. We leave this afternoon about 2 o'clock to pick up our Canadians in Richmond about 5 p.m. First stop after the baggage claim?.....why Chick-fil-a, of course! Stay tuned for the adventures of Diva and Em. Keep us in your prayers as we travel.

Back from Savannah.....

2008-05-24T14:18:00.004-05:00

Yep, that's me and Floozie! ( Note the new glasses for me!) It was really hard to leave Savannah after a fun filled, whirlwind adventure. Sandy and Mike, as always, made us feel more than welcomed and even gave us our own key to come and go as we needed. Leaving Sandy is always the hardest part about going home again.

We truly tried to see as many people as possible and we were very successful. We talked to 3 small groups that support us as well as 3 groups that have either already come to the mission or are planning trips in the near future.

I always have a list of things I want to do, places I want to go, food I must have and friends to call or see. Sandy would always ask...."ok, what's on the schedule for today?" We met friends for lunch and ate at "Sweet Potatoes" (southern cooking), Olive Garden (Italian), Hironos (Chinese), Moes (Southwestern) , Cracker Barrel (southern comfort food) as well as happy hour at Sonic (can you say Lemon Berry Cream Slush?)

I had to buy Key Lime Coolers (cookies) for my girls, Savannah Sweets pralines for our boy, a lace parasol for me (something I've been wanting for the past 20 years!) dark chocolate for friend and cat sitter Beckie , as well as delicacies from the World market.

My favorite place is the Tea Room and Sandy always makes sure I get to go. What a treat to meet up with Barbara and our friend Susan. After the tea room we went to City Market and did some shopping on River Street. The weather was perfect and the friendship and the laughter will keep me smiling for a long time.

While waiting to pick up our new glasses we had to make a trip to Party City.....second home of the blogger babes. I found the perfect hat and boa for Sandy....I told her that these were our "Floozie Pictures" what do you think? Does it look like we should be working on a street corner in an unsavory part of town? (Yes, I know these aren't "virgin pictures" Melli but some things are so much fun they bear repeating!)

I was surly tempted to buy this T-Shirt for all of you. Our funds were lacking so I took this picture for each and every one of you. Hope you get a chuckle from it.

Dear Diva,

2008-05-22T00:59:00.002-05:00

I know you're having trouble publishing pictures, so my mama wanted me to tell you that it's Blogger's fault, and not hers (or her ISPs). Apparently lots of people aren't able to publish pictures on their blogs for the last few days.

To make up for it, here's a picture of me that my mama took the other night, when I decided to stay awake until 10 PM! I think I just needed to get in some reading before bed.

Love you! Can't wait to see you in less than a week!

love,

Emmalee Anne

[mama's note: Not bad for a 16-month-old, is it?!]