My boss, my friend!

This is my awesome boss (friend) of 20+ years, Radha! She was admitted to the hospital via ER last Sunday evening about this time with a case of bacterial meningitis that developed from an ear infection. She had another MRI today to see if there is enough improvement to allow her to come home to recoup for the next 5-6 weeks on IV antibiotic treatments. Since she is a physician (anesthesiologist) as is her daughter, Lakshmi that resides with her, we are hoping that she will be released by Tuesday, June 2nd. However, the neurologist that is treating her is talking more like releasing her around the 8th. I have spoken with her several times on the phone, she sounds very encouraging and is hopeful she will leave the hospital on Tuesday. I sure do miss her and wish I could go visit, but her visitors are limited until she is totally "out of the woods"! I just felt like doing a page for her and ask that y'all say an extra prayer that all will be okay! After all, we still have 3 more years before we wanted to retire together. This is a photo of her from our trip to India in January 2007 when Lakshmi was married, the QP is one of Linda's from Angelscrappers Kit Iwishitwasspring and Linda's awesome wordart, cause Dr. Nair and I are always hugging and I wish I could hug her now. Well, so much for this weekend, it is almost over, so guess I better go do my salad and bread. Chat later y'all! Luv, Mat

Swinging Wukee

I know it sounds dirty, but it ain't! Wukee is my neighbor's across the street little girl (she does not know she is a dog....shhhh!) When we go to the park to walk, she goes with us so daddy can swing her and let her slide. I'm serious!! Here's proof she likes to swing, these were taken yesterday, but the slide is too mooooving to get a great photo of, I will have to take my camera and see if we can get one. The real children just love to see her swing, as do the older folks and the ducks, cause they know as long as she is swinging she is not chasing them. Anyhow, just thougt this was so cute, had to make a page. Enjoy looking. Chat with y'all later! Luv, Mat

Miss Scarlett's Restaurant

Hey Ladies, this says it all! I think she's been holding out on us. I'll bet they even serve her fabulous Mint Juleps too! The background is mine (from the sky in the photos) the rest is all Angelscrappers Ivory and Old Lace Kit. Latr y'all, Luv Mat

Stick my boa

This is Stick, my sister Kathy's 14 yr old cat, he decided to sleep with me each night and to be my boa during the day. My sister Penny took this shot. After we left on the 20th, Kathy called and asked us to come back and get him as he would not shut up crying while looking everywhere for us. Too cute, he must know how much I adore cats. I used Miss Carol's Angelscrappers Maui Sunrise kit for this one. Chat later, off to join Weight Watchers again tonight....what fun! LOL! Later, Luv Mat

Little Miss Hayden

This is Hayden, Penny's granddaughter. She is 7 months old. We had brought her a small recliner chair back from Kathy's and she was sitting in it. When you pick up a camera, she looks right into it, loves her picture taken. I took this one and cropped her to place her, her pony and Chester (Penny's dog) on a park bench with some flowers to show her off. Lance and Margaret are her parents, she is the little darling and apple of her granddaddy's eye. She loves him so, she is always laughing and jolly! I once again used Angelscrappers Summer Kit and the word art is by Random Thoughts by Linda. These are both freebies by some fantastic, giving designers. You can find a link on the right side of the page if you want to download them. Will chat a little later y'all, still trying to get back into the groove of working again. Luv, Mat

Grandpa's Girls

I just finished putting my brother-in-law, Jim, on a park bench with both of his precious granddaughters, Ruby & Jade. The original, they were sitting on the stairs....love this new Summer Kit by Angelscrapper. Will chat more next time, off to bed early as tomorrow I go back to work after 11 days off...got to get up early. Chat later y'all! Luv, Mat

The Family

Here we all are! This was the 17th about 10 pm after Penny and I got to Illinois (12 hours driving). Jeff set his camera and took a photo of all of us together. First time since 1982 that we were all in the same place at the same time. In the back row, left to right is Jim (Kathy's hubby of 40 yrs) Penny, Tiffany & Jeff; middle row is Jason and Me; front is Christina holding Ruby Grace and Kathy holding Jade Rose. This was a first meeting of the great nieces for both of us as well as the first meeting of Jeff's wife Tiffany. Penny had never met Christina either, but I had gone to IL for a motorcycle rally and met Chris shortly after she and Jason married. Both the nieces are Christina & Jason's girls. We had so much fun catching up and swapping tales, stories and photos. Well, off to bed, just thought I would upload this before dropping off. I used two of Miss Angelscrappers older kits called Sunshine & Springtime and her Cute Kit. All freebies, Thanx Carol for your lovely gifts of these kits. Will chat later y'all! Luv, Mat

3 sisters

Hello All! I'm home again! Had a great trip with only minor snaffus! Anyway, I had problems getting to Georgia because of weather delays, then Penny and I drove through a lot of rain going north to Illinois. After we got to Kathy's all her kids and grandkids were there to greet us. We got to see everyone and her son Jeff took a photo of all of us together. We told tales, laughed and sighed and cried, but generally the visit was a good one. We had trouble with construction delays on the way home yesterday, but I had smooth sailing on the flight yesterday, even arriving 30 minutes ahead of schedule. When I finally got to check my e-mails I had 189 with a lot of hugs and many birthday wishes that I really do appreciate. I quickly found that the blogger was not working. I am happy to see that the problem seems to be fixed for now. Here's a copy of the photo Jeff took of the 3 of us. Kathy is in the front without the glasses, Penny is behind her and the other tired, but happy, one is me. I used a QP that I made with Ms Carol's (Doodles by Angelscrapper) freebie...Ivory and Old Lace Kit. I will make more pages soon as I return a movie and pick up my mail at the post office. Luv y'all...later...Mat

It's here!

Okay, today is the day to finish all my errands and get packed. I leave around noon tomorrow, but have to be at the airport by 10:30 (this artifical knee takes awhile to get through the checkpoint!). Hope I have enough room for all the hugs and lovely wishes you guys have sent. I still have to go get a haircut, get my "harmony" shot, pickup refills, go by the post office and bank and finish the wash....but I could not sleep last night because of the excitement, so I charged my camera and digi photo frame and found some photos I took of the "girls" on the 10th when I took them out back in the full backyard for the first time. They had so much fun exploring the rose garden and all the trees, you would have thought they were on a hunt in Africa or something. Pumpkin got scared of all the birds at first and hid in the rose bushes, but Oreo just enjoyed rolling in the thick St. Augustine and MzKitty just had to explore EVERYTHING, including climbing a tree (and they have no front claws). I had the most fun snapping the photos. Anyhow, I decided to make these three pages before I went back to bed. Enjoy my "girls" little foray into Spring. Two of the kits were freebies from the Spring Blog Train, MzKitty is in a kit called Beautiful Spring by Jaelop Designs, Pumpkin is decked out in Simply Spring by JPH Designs. Oreo is wearing Especially for You by PascaleA, you can find a link to her site on the right. I will try to check my messages as I can, but...with the road trip, who knows where I will have service. If I don't check in while I am gone, will chat with all of you on the 22nd. Thanx for all the hugs to take so I will no go into DTs! Love to y'all...Later Mat

Mom, I love you!

Mom, though you have been gone to your other home since 1992, I love you still and wish you a very happy Mother's Day. You will be happy to know your 3 girls will be together this time next weekend for the first time since 1982. An early birthday present is an airline ticket to Tallahassee, where my baby sister Penny is picking me up and she and I will make a road trip to Illinois to visit Kathy. Watch out I get to see all my great neices for the first time, mucho photos will be taken. Plus I will get to see my brother in law for the first time in 24-25 yrs and my nephews and their wives and Penny will get to meet them all (sans the BIL) for the first time. And she will get to see areas of the USA that she has never seen. Sure am looking forward to this trip. I know you will be proud Mom, that we will all be together again! I used one of my QP's made from DoodlesbyAngelscrapper's latest free kit called Ivory and Old Lace. Later y'all, this has really been a busy and emotional weekend for me! Luv, Mat

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all my loved ones, sisters, sister-in-law, friends and special family members. I may not be a mother (to human babies anyhow!) but I am a terrific aunt and great aunt and friend. I made these two pages for my sisters Kathy & Penny as a special MD tribute to them. I used the freebie Mother's Day kit for SBF by Sooze. The one for my brother's daughter and mother is a freebie called From the Heart by PascaleA. I hope to add some more later today or tomorrow. To my "special family" members scattered throughout the world, I wish you all a day of happiness, togetherness and most of all love, can't wait to see your tribute pages. Enjoy it y'all! Luv, Mat

This is Kathy's two boys on the top and her 2 granddaughter's on the bottom.

These are Penny's twin boys and daughter and the top right is her daughter-in-law and granddaughters.

This is my brother Edward (Pepper) & Myrl on their wedding day and the best thing to result from their union, their daughter Sebrina.

Reruns

I've been scanning photos to be able to use them in my online ancestry tree. I cropped this out of a professional photo of my other life I am amazed at how looking at old photos can start a rerun of what was going on when the photo was taken, thus the wording on this page! I so love the gorgeous new kit by Angelscrapper that I wanted to do another page with the kit. Hope you like it. BTW the photo is from 1985, man how 24 yrs can change a person...LOL! Well, got to get busy since this is my Friday at work! Chat more later y'all! Luv, Mat

Just Plain Cute

Miss Carol's (Angelscrapper) newest kit Maui Sunrise Kit (Freebie on her site) just made me think of my sweet Pumpkin so found a cute photo of her that I have not used yet and made this page! Of course, Miss Linda's Random Thoughts wordart is just the perfect finishing touch too. Hope you enjoy this one!

I've just about got my new computer loaded up with my programs and now will have time to do some scrapping, I hope! Still can't find my Family Tree Maker program though, it is probably still in some of the boxes up in the extra bedroom over the garage. Guess that will motivate me to start sorting through them this weekend. LOL!

Think the rain and the rough weather is over for the rest of this week. Well, back to work, break is over for now! Have a great day and rest of the week, whatever you do, make it fun! Chat more later y'all.....Mat

Owwwww!

This is in sympathy with Judy, who had knee surgery yesterday. I certainly can empathize with you on the pain and being sick. This was my knee when I had a total replacement done in October 2003. I missed 3 months of work (that is going to the office, I did work from home)! This is with no stitches either, they used body glue!! I am allergic to pain medicines so a lot of it was grin and bear it!. Could not use crutches because of the surgeries I've had on my breasts, but had to use a walker! I just wanted to let you know MommyJ that I DO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH, take your pain medicine and sleep through as much of the healing as you can, cause the therapy comes next. Love you and hope you are up and around soon! I used a freebie kit called OOPS to make this page! Later y'all, doing my chores today so guess I'd better get back to them...Luv ya! Mat

Happy Anniversary to Rhett & Miss Scarlett

Happy Anniversary to my friends Jude & Gary or as we know them Rhett & Miss Scarlett! Get the Mint Juleps ready on the veranda cause we're gonna party to celebrate all the love you two have and WILL share! Hope you have a great day and that you have many, many more years together! I used Wordart by Miss Linda at Random thoughts, the background and heart frames are from Wedding Day kit by Mirella and the photos were snitched off Miss Scarlett's website by Carol.... Love ya! Later y'all! Mat