Home Again!

Wow, that was a fast and furious trip!  Just home from Panama City Beach, FL to attend Dave's funeral! It was a very nice service, with a lovely eulogy by his daughter Lea Anne! Debbie needed the support of her family as well as Dave's, thus the mad dash over there.  The company he worked for treated all of us as family while there....enough delicious food to feed (and did) an army! The trip was just a really rushed and very short one!  I got back in time for the nasty weather to hit...(Hello Spring)...3 tornadoes touched down just northwest of us last evening, lots of wind, 17 cars on the train coming south jumped the tracks from the wind and high water,  lots of lightning strikes causing at least 2 fires (one a gas refinery)  and hail in some places big as softballs.  There were power outages and flash flooding everywhere, including DFW Airport.  We got a lot of heavy rain....I have mud in my driveway and all my plants were lying in mud this morning, all the hanging ones were sitting on the ground.  Today is still kind of overcast and calling for more severe weather tonight, and tomorrow and Sunday! But, no loss of lives and we still haven't had it as bad as Oklahoma! I so feel for all those folks up there.  The good thing from all this weather is it cooled off some, which is nice since my AC needs some TLC and is not cooling at the moment (repair will happen this weekend) and I have open windows...the breeze is not too bad, but the humidity is at 100%...very sticky!

Before I left on Monday, I created a page for Maggie of a photo she sent me of Calvin and Hayden walking in the cornfield....isn't this adorable?

I used some Easter freebies that I got from CheyOkota Scraps and some Wordart that I have had for a very long time.  I had started my Mother's Day pages for my sisters, my nieces and one for my mother and one from me to all of you, so here they are....

This was a double page I did for Mama's book....Top is the right side and is filled with Kathy's family, the bottom one is Penny's family and the left side of the book.  I created this as a QP for Miriam's Scraps that I will be putting up in a few minutes if you want the QP...LOL!

This is my sister-in-law, Myrl with her daughter Sebrina in a creation using Kyra's kit Fréderique and clusters by Arlene!

This is Miss Amy Jo and her family.  She is about to deliver her second daughter this month. This, too, is from Kyra at With a Russian-Dutch Heart. and cluster by Florence.

This is Margaret (Maggie) and her family in a QP by Miriam's Scraps MK20 

And this is Christina's family in a lovely frame by Neli at Lugar Encantado da Neli

This is my Mama with her 4 kids back in 1982 first and last time the 4 of us were together as adults! Now Mama and my brother are deceased...Kathy, Penny and I try to see each other often, but we live so far apart.... :(  This QP I created using CheyOkota freebies from her Believe Kit.

And here I sit in a field of bluebonnets with my family tree....LOL....I used a thumbnail of all the pages I just put on here...this frame is also one of Neli's Mother's Day Frames...!  Thanks to all the super talented designers for so generously sharing your work that makes our scrapping so much easier.  You can find a link to these designers either in the list on the right here or by placing your mouse over their names in this post.
I wish for all of you to have a FANTASTIC Mother's Day, enjoy your family and friends, make lots and lots of memories to share.  Chat more with you later, the weather is turning the sky kind of dark, so will have to get off this computer...Hugs! Mat

Tragic Loss

http://www.newsherald.com/news/crime-public-safety/update-pcb-man-killed-in-motorcycle-crash-on-state-390-1.471859

My ex brother in law (for 24 years) was tragically killed in a motorcycle crash on his way to work yesterday morning in Panama City, Florida.  He leaves behind his wife of 25+ years, Debbie, one daughter Lea Anne and her husband Adam and their 6 children, his mother Theresa, his brother James, his 2 sisters in law Jannette & Sandy and 2 brothers in law Mike & Michael.  I am so saddened for this family and their loss, I send you my sincerest condolences and deepest sympathy....May Dave forever Rest in Peace in the arms of our Lord and may HE Bless those of us left behind. We will all miss you Dave!
Hugs, Mat

Class of 1965!!

Time sure does fly....I just can't believe I've been graduated from high school 50 years already! (I'm not old enough...LOL) I thought this was a real milestone....so I bit the bullet and went to this reunion. The last one I went to was my 20th.  I'm really glad I went this time, I saw some that I had not seen in the 50 years since graduation and others that I have not seen in the thirty years since the last one I went to.  It's a good thing we all had name tags, cause there were some I would never have known otherwise.  I am the one that moved away and they all grew old together....still the same "clicks" too....ROFLMAO!! Here is a copy of all of us that attended...I think we had 131 in our graduating class, 26 has passed on and some are in nursing homes and some were just not able to attend, but there were about 90 people (with the spouses and guests) that attended the dinner and dance on Saturday night.  Not a very good photo quality, but the lighting was poor! This is classmates only, I am first one standing in front row...LOL

There was a sock hop for all of us on Friday night, but I didn't make that as my niece Amy had a baby shower that night at the same time and I chose to go to that instead...I did a little Thank You for Lindsey the young lady that hosted it....we had a great time. The QP is by Neli at Lugar Encantado Da Neli

It rained the whole time I was in south Georgia and from what I hear we had lots of storms and strong winds here too, I know I had turbulence on the way over and back and the trip back was delayed an hour and a half and it is attempting to cloud over now. Supposedly we are to have some really rough weather this afternoon and evening.  We need the rain, we just don't need the bad stuff like hail and tornadoes.  But, we have to take what Mother Nature gives us, right?  I am going to close this early and get my "room" ready for the bad weather, get my cell phone and both iPads charged fully, change batteries in my flashlight, get some bottled water, etc and put in there and get my fur babies prepared to get in there if we need too!  Chat more with you next time....I really have a lot of scrapping to catch up with.  Y'all be safe and make lots and lots of memories to share! Hugs! Mat

Whew...I'm tired!

Man this week at work was so very, very hectic...I came home each evening just pooped...I fed my critters and my fur babies, put on my night gown to watch a little TV only to fall asleep (thank goodness for DVRs) to not awaken until morning and then start the day all over again! Well, only 3 more days until no more filing time...we are doing extensions just as fast as I can...LOL!  Then it will be back to a lady of leisure to do my own thing again....YEA!  I have enjoyed this little (3 months) break of working again though. 
Yesterday I spent doing a few things I have neglected....like cleaning and storing away the heating blankets for the outside kitty condos....washing and drying all their bedding...putting out new boxes for them to sleep/play in...storing away my winter sweats and jammies....cleaning all litter boxes and putting in all fresh new litter....dusting away the hairballs and dust bunnies....washing and drying all my bedding and remaking the bed....getting a haircut....buying some new plants and potting soil...spreading weed & feed on the lawn....and of course feeding all of them and me...no wonder when I put on my gown to stretch out and watch the NASCAR race (was here this week) I fell asleep after about 105 laps, but awoke before the end and got to see my JJ (Jimmie Johnson # 48) win it...then I went back to sleep until 4:30 this morning.  Today is a finish up the wash day and try to catch up on my friend's blogs....but....Sideways has other ideas....he wants to sleep on my mouse and my hand trying to prevent me from typing....LOL!  See...

Every time I try to remove my hand, he grabs it with his claws to bring it back.  I think I have created a little stinker, he follows me around everywhere just like a puppy and he cries for me to pick him up and snuggles with me at night...and is sooooooo sweet! I guess he is really thankful for rescuing him.  He doesn't wobble as much on his legs now, but his eyesight has not improved nor has the development of his teeth, he still only has the 4 eye teeth and he is constantly biting his tongue....poor baby, but I love him to death and he is the man of this harem around here....ROFLMAO!
I am so far behind on my scrapping, have so many photos of the great nieces and great nephews to scrap, that I will probably have enough to keep me busy for a couple of months after this job ends.  I did manage to create another QP for Miriam's Scraps that you might want to snag....here's what it looks like. If you would like it, just drop by her site and pick it up.  I used her MK19 kit to create it.

Well, I need to stand up for a bit and it is about time for the dryer to stop, so need to hang up my clothes and get ready for tomorrow...will chat more next time with y'all and hopefully I can catch up on everyone's lives that I have missed.  I think Facebook misses me....so many messages...LOL! I think I will try to pot or replant some of the plants I bought yesterday before the rains hit this afternoon.  Y'all have a great week ahead and make lots and lots of memories to share with us....Hugs until next post! Mat

A Blessed and Happy Easter Y'all!

He is Risen!  Hallelujah!

Here I am again....in a pretty Easter QP by Laurrie at CheyOkota Digital Scraps using her Painted Easter kit. Isn't it lovely? This is my wish for all my family and friends this Easter Sunday!
Here are a few more pages I've created for the great nieces and great nephews too....thank goodness for QP freebies as I have been too busy to create them this year.  First is Hayden in her pretty dress that Maggie sent to me yesterday....Hayden had been hunting eggs at school. I used a couple of freebie clusters from CheyOkota CT Arlene and a background from Laurrie's kit Sweet Sister Spring.

Next is her baby brother Calvin in a great Easter frame by Neli at Lugar Encantado da Neli. She has some awesome frames for Easter this year as well as some lovely cards and Easter scenes. Don't ya love the bunny?

Here's another frame by Neli this time Miss Annabeth is posing for her mommy in her Hello Kitty bed.  She is just growing up way too fast, but is simply adorable in this shot.

The Hill gang went to an Easter Egg Hunt and all got their faces painted like bunnies....so Neli's frames were just perfect for them too....here's Jade's

And Ruby's.....

And handsome little Jayson...just look at those "killer" eyes!

And then I created a QP for Easter to give away on Miriam's Scraps using her clusters and I just had to use this terrific new photo of my niece Sebrina...doesn't she look lovely in it...you can find the QP on Miriam's page.

I hope all of you enjoy your family and friends with good food and lots of eggs and chocolate and remember the reason for this holiday. Again may it be a much BLESSED one for all! Chat more with you next time.
Hugs, Mat

Spring Cleaning...!!

Hello y'all!  First day of spring and I am spring cleaning....and very tired....so taking a break to chat!  We've had rain again...for 15 days out of 21 in March....but not too much at one time, just soft gentle rains mostly, the kind that sinks in....we so desperately need it, the lakes and water sheds are beginning to resupply! It is raining again today, thus the cleaning mood.....LOL! All the trees and weeds are so green and growing so fast!  I have been so busy with this temporary job and the taking care of the eyes...etc...that I have not had time to clean properly.  This morning my bathroom, bedroom and the kitchen and dining area got steam cleaned, even the floors and re-shined! It is in the low 50's, cloudy and gloomy outside, but the inside is glowing (well, half of it anyway)! I've worked up a sweat so time to take a coffee break...I got some Southern Pecan flavored coffee and creamer....it is so yummy and tastes like a real treat.
I've got my bed changed and the sheets and spread washed...the couch cover has been changed and washed too...now all I need is a small load of towels and whites and a medium sized load of shirts/tops and one of jeans...then I will be all ready for next week. 
Sure is getting hectic at the accounting office, everyone just insists their taxes be done before the deadline of April 15, but it ain't gonna happen, some will have to file extensions...we have over 115 that have been dropped off to date and that doesn't count the 20-25 that are done each day! I have been trying to plug in some of the forms and correcting addresses or adding new information so that it will not take as long to finish the returns, but some of them are just way too complicated and the new laws with the Affordable HealthCare Act means more forms and takes longer to file, so at the end of the day I am too tired when I get home to clean or do laundry.  I barely get litter boxes cleaned and all the fur babies fed before I am in my jammies and on the bed watching TV....ROFL!  Getting older don't ya know?  (Actually, The Voice, American Idol and Dancing With the Stars and some others that I have to DVR, are for me to fall asleep to)! LMBO!!!
I think I did manage to do a page for Calvin last week and I did a couple of QPs to give away at Miriam's Scraps this week using her MK19.  The QP of Calvin is a gorgeous gift from Dawn at OklahomaDawn, that girl sure makes some awesome papers and elements, then gives them away and her templates are the greatest. This entire page is her template and her kit called Rustic Charm (you can find it on her blog)! The photos are a series that Margaret took of Calvin playing in the dirt with his trucks.  Isn't he adorable?

The QPs I've made (5 so far, but not all uploaded yet) for Miriam's Scraps were so fun to make,  her MK19 is supposed to be a mini kit, but is an awesome MAXI kit that she is generously sharing with all of you on her blog! Check it out you will love it! Here are the first 2 QPs I've made if you are interested...I've even made a page of Ms Annabeth in the #2 QP. Thanks Dawn and Miriam for all you share with me!

I think I have bored y'all enough....my coffee is gone and I still have 3 loads of clothes, another bathroom and the living room to clean and then I MIGHT THINK ABOUT cleaning this office up....maybe later....or not!  LOL! Well, whatever you do to make memories this weekend, make lots of them and then share with us! Have a fantastic one. Hugs, Mat

Time to Spring Forward

Boy O Boy!! We have had a very weird winter and I for one, hope it is over! I am so ready for Spring to arrive! I am anxious to see how the trees, flowers and grass do this year.  They all started budding and blooming and then "Whammo" we got a quarter inch of sleet and freezing rain and 3-7 inches of snow (4 inches at my house) on top of that with really howling winds that made drifts last Wednesday night.  Now this may not seem so strange to my northern friends.....but, for us here in Texas....it brought us to another standstill. Broke records for most snow in March ever and most snow period in 5 years in this area.  Best thing, we all got to stay home on Thursday and watch the sun melt the most of it...that's the only good thing with the weather, it doesn't last forever down here! I know I can hear you laughing "sistas", but when you are not used to it, it is strange and unnerving as no one ( poor 18 wheelers) knows how to drive on it...especially all those 5 high overpasses and bridges cause we don't have enough sand trucks to accommodate all of them. Me, I don't know how to drive on ice and will not put myself or any other driver in jeopardy because of it. However, my outside fur babies just loved playing in it...look!

At least they have warm "condos" with heating blankets where they can warm up....LOL! I felt so sorry for them having to be out in the cold, but it looks like they were having fun. I had a hard time opening the back screen door as it was frozen shut (it faces the north) and was covered in ice.

Their food and water bowls were frozen to the ground (good thing they get clean ones each meal)! This is the 3 little ones out in my back yard, the two with the longer fur are boys, the little one is the only girl and they are sweet as can be. Well, enough about the snow...it is over and gone....now we have some slow soaking in kind of rain, but the ground is really saturated so I will probably have another river running in the back later today.  I have to get someone out to see where the back up is....I think it is behind my back fence at the businesses back of me...I have checked all along my fence line and it all seems to be clear!

OK, since I had Thursday off, as I was washing and drying laundry, (and waiting for the slush so I could sweep off my drive) I decided to create some scrap pages...I did a couple for my sisters-in-law, Jannette and Debbie, on the beach at Panama City, FL.

 I created this page with a freebie by Arlene at Baby Bear Digital Scrap, she really has some pretty gifts, you should visit her and her Etsy Shop too! I'm sorry I can't seem to find who the wordart is from, I got it a while back with no TOU with it.

This one of Debbie is by Vero called precious...it is also a free QP.  Vero is a designer at Digital Scrapbooking Studio where they give away stuff at least 3 times a week in the newsletter and if you get newsletters from the designers you get even more freebies. 

But this is my favorite scrap for awhile now....Margaret sent this adorable photo to me on Facebook of Hayden and Calvin being so sweet and I just had to make a memory page with it.  The kit is another freebie called Fading Hours by Kyra at With A Russian Dutch Heart.  This lady also gives freebies at least 3 times a week and some awesome gifts by her CTs Arlene and Florence.  The word art is by Miss Boots at Random Thoughts at Linda's Place that I picked up a while back also.  She has awesome QPs and some fantastic word art for you all free too! Stop by some of these very talented designers and snag a few (or a lot) of the fabulous freebies.  Visit all of them listed on the right of this blog...they are so GENEROUS!

I had my final post surgery check up last Wednesday afternoon, YIPPEE I have 20/20 in both eyes now. It is so strange to not put on glasses each morning or take them off each night.  I still try to out of habit especially getting into the shower...ROFL! I do use some reading glasses for working at the computer, to not have much eye strain until all the drops are stopped and all the healing is finished.  Afterwards I will have to make a trip to the DMV to have my drivers license changed with not restrictions for wearing eye glasses...LOL!  Yesterday after work, I came in and cleaned litter boxes, swept the whole house, then vacuumed  the area rugs, then mopped the whole house as I couldn't stand the tracks anymore...so nice to be able to do all that again...and Monday I can wear my makeup again! (No more post surgery restrictions)

Hope you didn't forget to set your clocks forward last evening...I did, but then I had to rewind my grandfather clocks this morning so I set them as I did that.  The only other clocks are the microwave and the stove, those are done too, the phone and computer and IPads change automatically.  I am all caught up with this springing forward and ready to go for the real Spring to get here!  My coffee is gone so need to make another cup and get my hiney out of this chair for a bit...have a FABULOUS week ahead and make lots and lots and lots of memories to share! Chat more next time.  Hugs, Mat