The Simple Things ....

You know, you can really learn alot from a dog.

Practical things such as drink lots of water and stay in the shade on hot sunny days... or if you stare at someone long enough you'll eventually get their attention.

You also learn to spend as much time as you can with your loved ones and when they come home, greet them like you haven't seen them in a million years or when your loved one is having a bad day, snuggle next to them on the couch and be real quiet.

(Here's my dog. Her name is Oreo. She's playing with a balloon. She played with it for 2.5 hours. She has her own toy box. It is filled with toys that were hand-picked from Petsmart and Wal Mart. She'd rather play with the .10 cent balloon. For hours.)

And the lesson learned? .... the simple things in life are often the best !!

Wiregrass Tri-State BBQ Festival !

Each year, the Wiregrass area holds a Tri-State (AL, GA, FL) BBQ Contest here in Dothan! Hundreds compete for prizes and the coveted title of BBQ Master ! And thousands come to enjoy the free (yes! free) BBQ sliders as well as the festival atmospher -- and all that entails !


(I kept Oreo on a leash --- didn't want anyone mistaking her for a "live sacrifice" ... just sayin'!)



There was plenty of friendly competition! And the smells were just wonderful ! But I really liked the names ... "Hog Rules" -- "Big Daddy's" -- "Divine Swine" ... cute, huh?



After standing in line for only a "few" minutes, I got to finally taste a BBQ slider! Mine was from tray #3, and it was D-LISH !!! I voted for it! I could have tried all of them if I wanted to but look at the size of that slider ! One was enough !



Oreo could have cared less -- all she wanted was some shade ! And Jordan? Well, she's twelve.... nuff said.

As we were leaving, I saw a sign that read "New Orleans style Beignet". What? Had I miraculously slipped into some surreal black hole and been transplanted somewhere other than LA? (Lower Alabama).... no! It was real !!! And the apple filled beignet was out of this world D-Lish !! (Even if Jordan threw a fit because I took a picture of it -- it was still D-Lish !!)

If you want more info on the Tri-State Festival visit this website http://www.tristatebbq.com/back_comp.html

Surprise !

Remember when I posted that we had a family of six in our Boston Fern? Well, we actually have a family of 7 and two of them have hatched!

Helpless balls of fur ! Sort of cute .... and ugly....
in an ET sort of way (just bein' honest.)

Oh, my. This little one is hungry .... and my maternal instincts are kickin' in....... hurry home Mama Bird !

HAPPY EASTER !

Easter is my favorite Holiday! For obvious reasons, I mean my eternal salvation hinges on Christ's death, burial and resurrection. So, Easter pretty much trumps every other holiday !

Plus I love how we celebrate it ! Aren't the colors just Heavenly :-)

And everything is so creative, artsy, craftsy -- love it !

But let's face it --- Easter has the best candy than any other holiday hands down!


Yes, Oreo got a basket too. What?

Happy Resurrection Day ! And remember, Jesus is the reason for the season !!

April Fooooools !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE April Fool's Day -- just love it ! So, I was more than willing to help Jordan play a prank on her school buddies...... bwahahahahhaaaaa !!!


OOOOHHHHH, AHHHHHHHH.... OREO COOKIES !!!! Aren't they Heavenly! Devine! D-LISH !!!!........ or ARE they ????? bwahahahahahahahaaaaa


We scraped out the filling and replaced it with Colgate toothpaste ... bwahahahahahahahaaaa !!!


Watch out Carver Magnet School! Jordan's armed and dangerous !!!!
bwahahahahaaaaaaaaaa !!!!!
Happy April Fool's Day :-)

Now, I can't be left out of the fun... so, what did I do when I got to work?

I taped my "partner's" phone along with the front-desk receptionists and our clinical head nurse's so that when they picked it up it would keep on ringing -- LOL They thought it was funny .... but I think they're planning on getting me back ---- HA !

Happy Birthday To YOUUUUUUUU !!!

Hey, look who turned 49 ... again !! :-)

Happy Birthday, Mom !!


Come on, girl ! You can do it ! Blow out those candles !



Oooooh, what did you get?


Do you like it ??

Do you really, really like it ??? Happy Birthday to the greatest mom ever ! We love you very, very much ! ... now come on and let's go get our hair did !

Rattlesnake Rodeo in Opp, Alabama

What's the old saying? "When in Rome, do as the Romans do?" Well, this weekend marked the 48th annual Rattlesnake Rodeo in Opp, AL. Why I felt compelled to go, I'll never know?


This event was like any other fair-like, festival-like event. Plenty of local vendors displaying their many talents... such as leather making and cow-hiding? And... "dumb-ass" sign making. Apparantly Lower Alabama has a large number of dumb asses and well, they need alot of signs. (just an observation....)


And racoon-tailing.
So, does one still wear these tails on hats?


OH! Never mind ... one now wears them on one's behind.




Oh, look! Lower Alabamians love Jesus and their Confederate Flag! (Is it just me? Anyone else see the irony here?) LOL!


Ah, and look ! Something fun for the kids ... smokeless cigarettes with ash that falls from the end! ... train 'em young !

The cuisine was at it's finest !! I had a hard time deciding between the shark-a- bob and the alligator-on-a-stick but alas the lines were too long so I settled on a turkey leg.

Now on to the main attraction! Diamondback Rattlesnakes.

They had three "heats" throughout the day. The racing rattlers were placed in this large tin can. (I suppose to make 'em good and angry --- I'm sure they're hot in there ?)

Then the handlers would pour them out onto the middle circle.

The "MC" would call the race -- much like being at the Kentucky Derby! Several spectators were placing bets with one another and shouting out "Go Squeezer" and "Come on Chopper you can do it"!!

But in the end, it was "Killer" that won the heat and by a landslide !

( the snake's name is Killer - 'nuff said.)


Killer smile :-)

Well, what can I say ? God bless America with all it's craziness !!! LOL

Welcome to our family !

It's Spring, and with that comes the birds and the bees. Pun intended !


Did you know that the male Wren, will make up to a dozen nests for his love interest?


And then, she, in turn will pick out which nest is her favorite and will decide where to live. (as well it should be)



Apparantly, Momma liked this nest the best ! Who knew that our ordianary Boston Fern would house a family of 6?