It's Hard Being A Woman

For years and years I have went to various drugstores, department stores, discount stores and the like.  All of them are different on style, products and prices.  But in each of these stores there is a common thread that has always really bugged me.  In each one towards the back is an aisle that is named "Feminine Hygiene".  Now if you look closer you will see that there is not an aisle for "Masculine Hygiene".  This is a complete oxymoron for me because I know more men who have hygiene issues than women 10 to 1.  What is worse is that I have seen women, grown women, (I am 100% guilty of this I am ashamed to say) skulk down this aisle and throw whatever they need in their cart and then cover it up with kleenex or paper towels or something.  As long as it's big and bulky and hides the words tampon or pad or feminine anything.  The only other thing that comes to mind that you hide in your cart would be Preparation H or contraceptives.  For real??  I can remember when I was in my twenties I would not even buy any of said stuff from a store if the cashier was a man.  Yes, people, I am that silly and immature.  I still don't like too.  Why are we so backwards??  When I was married I even changed the channels on the TV if a commercial came on selling Kotex or any of the other products we hide in the back of the bathroom cabinet.  While I know this is a necessity of life to have all this junk I also know that men have some hygiene issues of their own.  So I went to the trusty drugstore and found all kinds of stuff that is placed on many different aisles.  From the foot care aisle to the skin care aisle.  I thought men hated shopping around the store??  Anyway, I think women's products should be placed all together on one aisle and just call it something cute like "Lady Land" or "Girl Garb" or Women's World" or whatever tickles your fancy.  Heaven forbid it all just be placed on the soap and toothpaste aisle!!!  I just kind of resent being referred to as having my own aisle for hygiene.  Like I stink or something??  Or I need a bath in the worst way.  I know a few men who could use a bath....in the worst way but they don't have their own aisle.  Maybe the rest of you have no time to notice this issue and I am glad for you.  Obviously I have loads of time (not) to notice this particular problem.  Being a woman in this world is hard...even for silly women like me!

A Perfect Fall Weekend!!

This weekend was spectacular!  The weather is just spot on....not too cool and not too warm.  The leaves are changing to some beautiful yellows and oranges and just a few reds.  This upcoming week looks gorgeous too with some cold weather coming in for the weekend.  Erica and I took the girls to the pumpkin patch on Friday.  It was lots of fun and the girls loved running from section to section.  On Saturday we went trunk or treating at Erica's best friends church and we had a ball.  On Sunday the "kids" carved their pumpkins.  In the photos below you can see which kids I am talking about.  I just love this time of the year.  It is just an explosion of colors and beauty all around.  The sky is just so blue and the clouds are just so white.  I honestly do not understand how any one in the world could deny that God exists.  Why the very trees and skies cry out His glory and beauty.  Amazing!



Here are my two little cuties posing in a corn shack with a big old pumpkin!

Savannah was giving her mommy "the look"!!

Piper thought this scarecrow was leaning over for a hug.....ummmm, no sweetie...he isn't.

Savannah liked to just pet the little scarecrows

Erica looks fabulous during this pregnancy.  She has had a very rough time but she looks great!

My big girl....she is growing way too fast!

Sweet Savannah...she is just too pretty for her own good!

The girls watch as their daddy starts cutting their pumpkin open.

Both Piper and Savannah were big sissies with the pumpkin guts.....so Uncle Thad showed them that there was nothing to be scared of....  I, for one, would not put pumpkin guts on my head but Thad had no problem with it!

As you can see the little kids abandoned the big kids to cut out the pumpkins.

Jumping in the big leaf pile was way more fun!

Friends we can laugh with

We gave Erica a small shower this weekend.  It turned out great.  she got a lot of great and useful things for the new baby coming.  Lots of diapers, blankets, clothes, a highchair and all sorts of sweet baby things.  She has wonderful friends and a very loving family!  As I was looking at all the sweet people that came I thought about all the friends that we have in life.  How some wander in and wander out.  How some drop in and disappear for a time to just splash right back in and pick exactly right up where we left off. I have several friends like that.  No matter if we do not talk for months or even years...we can pick right up where we left off.  Then there are those friends that know us.  the ugly us.  The pretty us.  The real us.  Those I don't have too many of.  My daughters each have some very close friends too.  I saw some of Erica's childhood friends at the shower and it makes my heart just swell that these girls still come out and support one another.  Even of they do not talk every day.  They still have that connection.  They can still laugh and cry with one another.  That is just so wonderful.  I have new friends in my life that have come to mean a great deal to me.  I love them with a fierce and protective kind of love.  Then with my old friends I have a love that is deep and cherishing.  One that I can let myself go with.  Take off the masks and just let me be me.  And them be them.  You know??  I hope I am a good friend.  Helpful, supportive, a prayer warrior for them, a shoulder, a defender.  Last night I went to my monthly book club meeting.  At this gathering there are some new friends, old friends and the like.  You know, associates.  Associates are people we do things with on occasion that are fun to be around but your paths seldom really cross.  I think we all have lots of those.  At book club we laugh, discuss, pray and truly enjoy each others company.  It has been so good for me.  As my friend, Diane, says, "I need this!"  I do too!  I can't wait to start a new book.  One of my dearest friends in the whole world.  A sister to me really, is Kelley.  She would do anything for me and I for her.  Today my phone rang and it was her.  She asked what I was doing.  Nothing I told her.  she asked me if I could come over and help her because her refrigerator had fell on her.  This is not a request I have gotten before.  So I just said," I am on my way."  When I got to her house she was sitting in the living room with these huge gushy splotches on her jeans and a hug mess in the floor with her fridge moved all the way across the kitchen and its' doors and drawers all askew.  She had to call 911 to get it off her she said.  They have had some water damage to their house and a renovation guy was on his way to her house and she was on the phone with him emptying the fridge when it just fell over on her.  He was terrified to say the least.  Being the awesome friend I am....I laughed.  I mean there she sat with this icky goo all over her legs which at first I thought was glass sticking into her knees but she informed me it was eggs.  I started grinning then and she did too.  It was a whole two dozen she said!!  I bet it was because there was eggs all over the floor.  And juice and everything in the fridge of every person I know.  All over the floor.  So her husband Billy took her to the ER to be x rayed.  She was really limping by the way.  She could be seriously hurt and just "shell" shocked and not know it!!  Could not resist the shell reference with all those eggs laying around.  I cleaned up the mess and brought home what I could salvage for her.  I am still waiting to hear what the x rays say.  I am praying that there is no real harm done to her hip or legs.  Her fridge is a hug one with those nice french drawers. It is a real monster.  Praise the Lord!!  I just spoke with Kelley and there was no fractures or anything.  Just some minor contusions and muscle strain.  I am glad my friend is okay.  Really glad she is my friend and gets me.  She really gets me.  Even though this could have been a tragic event God is good and she is fine....and we both laughed.

Observances of the week

This has been one long drawn out week.  I thought it would never end!!  The weather has finally broken and we are in for a long span of cool sunny days.  Just how I like the fall of the year.  We had a lot of gloomy, foggy and musty days of late.  So sitting back and recapping my week has brought some very humorous things to mind that I have seen and now.....cannot unsee.

Just today at school I looked out into to the parking lot and saw two women on the ....ummmm...rather large side of the size scale and they had on camis.  For tops.  They are not tops.  Not.  And when your bra size is reaching into the double G size....I repeat they are not tops.  Nor bras.

While at Walmart this week (I went twice....commit me, please) I saw and elderly lady who had to be pushing 90 years old.  She had on jeans and a t-shirt that was tucked into her jeans.  That was a fine look because she was very old but looked all cute and hip...until I read her t-shirt.  It was black with neon pink stick figures in two sections.  The first section said, "How to drop your boyfriend"  The girl stick figure was crying, head down and a boy stick figure was standing all proud with hands on his hips.  The second section showed the girl stick figure laying the smack down on the boy stick figure.  Didn't expect a 90 year old to promote wrestling moves on your not so great boyfriend.  But I was at Walmart....go figure.

We had our Harvest Fair this week at church and out in the parking lot we had set up several inflatable rides for kids.  One of those was a giant slide.  Piper and Savannah slid down it several times.  Each one giving me a tiny coronary.  It was just so high!  Erica said I was silly.  If she wasn't pregnant I might have pushed her down the slide!!  Well Piper met up with her friend Harper and up the ladder they went.  But once at the top Harper did not want to slide down.  Well then Piper did not want to slide down.  So in between them came Godzilla (or Savannah) and down she came like a tiny streak of lightning.  Still no Harper or Piper.  So the line is really backing up and so up the ladder goes....me.  The crowd is shouting "Go Cindy, Go"  I am sure the sight of my big ole backside climbing that blow up ladder was awesome.  And then down this slide came Harper and Piper and me.  I will need therapy for that event.

Each year at this Harvest Fair we have a big Chili Cook-off and Dessert Bake-Off.  I enter both each year.  About 10 years ago I won the Chili Cook-Off.  A year or so later I placed third.  I have won the dessert once too.  But I had been on an eight year dry spell of not even placing.  This year I won them both.  BOTH!  That may take care of the slide therapy.

My grand daughter Savannah spent half the night in the emergency room last night due to her shoving one of those craft stick-on crazy eyes up her nose.  They tried everything to get it out.  Blake even stuck the vacuum cleaner hose to her nose to try to suck it out.  That kid.  I just pray when she gets older and goes to school people don't say her name and then shake their heads and say, "Yeah...that kid"

I watched a giant praying mantis stand on its hind legs and charge at my dog yesterday.  Penny backed right down too. My life is just one laugh riot after the other.

I am looking forward to a very busy weekend with a surprise birthday party for a friends husband tomorrow night and Erica's baby shower Sunday afternoon.  Lots of baking and cooking tomorrow.  I will have some photos from the shower to post early next week.  Right now I am off to church to see a bunch of super strong guys break concrete blocks and lift a bunch of kids on poles and stuff.  They are called Faith Force.  A bunch of power lifters reaching the world for Jesus through their strength.  I am sure they will be something to see!

Do you need a laugh?? Because I sure do!

I have had one stressful several days let me tell you.  It is is too stupid to discuss and to stupid to even dwell upon.  We just all have no good, horrible, very bad days!!  Mine has just lasted for several in a row.  So I was thinking about stuff to just make me laugh.  And out of the blue I thought about the oldy but goody video of...Bon Qui Qui.  If you have never seen it I think you will find it amusing to say the least.  To me, it is totally hilarious because it is totally reality!!  I know i have seen this worker first hand whether at McDonalds, Burger King or any fast food chain that exists.

I just so wish that I could call "Sa' kurrrr-iteee" anytime I wanted too and when oh when is my Dejuan ever gonna show up???

Fallish Things

I love this time of the year.  There are tons of things going on everywhere!!  We had Homecoming at church on Sunday.  I did a mini-photo shoot that afternoon that was....really short.  Savannah just did not want her picture made at all.

 As you can tell.  Piper is into these "funny" poses and Savannah was just not having it on Sunday.

On Monday we went to the Dixie Classic Fair.  It is our local "big" county fair and it is always a lot of fun.  We saw and did a lot of things.  We saw the Dairy Cow show and we went to see the sheep and bunnies and chickens.  The girls rode rides.  They both like to ride things but poor Savannah was too short for a great many of them.  She was really good about it and is easily distracted to other stuff.

Everyone likes the Merry-go-round!  Even me!

Savannah got to drive her own car!

Piper chose a truck even if you can't tell here.  Her Aunt Megan would have been proud!

Piper loves the swings!  They scare me!!

The little girl with Blake was afraid to come down the big slide so he held her hand and she was fine.

I wish he would have held my hand!!!  I am not a fan of rides any more!

Thumbs up to the airplanes!!


We also ate a lot of Fair Food!  Erica and Blake think it is just the greatest and the girls did pretty good too.

Roasted Corn is pretty good though....

Washing it down with fresh squeezed lemonade is the only way to go.


Speaking of Erica I did get some photos of her this week.  I have not done a pregnancy update lately because she has just had a very difficult pregnancy this time around.  She looks really great though.



Erica and Piper...Savannah had ran away and was not doing one more shot!

This little man is the size of a pineapple this week.  He looks a little bigger than a pineapple to me!

Erica is such a pretty pregnant girl I think

Next week we have Harvest Fair at church and then the Pumpkin Patch and then a trunk-or-treat and then Halloween!  Woo-hoo!  I am worn out just thinking about it all.

It's a miracle

I have had a very bust few weeks and the future looks busier!  On Wednesday of this week I got to go with Erica and Blake and the girls to Greensboro to a 4D Prenatal sonogram clinic.  Blake's grandparents, who live in Wilmington, gave them a gift of a sonogram with a dvd and photos of their baby boy.  As a special surprise Gary and Faye drove all the way from Wilmington to Greensboro to see their great-grandson on the big screen.  That was just so sweet and so special of them!  They are in their seventies and he is still recovering from bypass surgery a few months ago so this meant quite a bit to Blake and Erica.  As we all sat in the sonogram room and watched the baby on a 54 inch screen we all just sat and watched him move around.  Faye leaned over and said, "That is just a miracle we are watching."  She was so right.  Watching my grandson open and close his eyes, stick out his tongue, suck his little thumb was just miraculous.  I could not help but think how in the world anyone could ever abort their baby.  I am not trying to sounds harsh or judgmental or mean but I do believe with all my heart that every single woman who is considering abortion should watch her baby in 4D.  It is so obvious that it is a real live life.  You see the heart beating.  The fingers waving.  The hair floating in the amniotic fluid.  Toes kicking.  Eyes, ears, tiny lips just waiting for kisses.  I know all the pro-choicers scream their agenda ... loudly.  What about women who are raped?  What about victims of other atrocities?  Incest.  Molestation.  The pain in those offenses is overwhelming.  But....it is a life.  One that was knit in the womb of that woman by the very hands of God.  Each tiny finger, toe, ear, leg....handcrafted by our heavenly Father.  It is a life that has each day planned by God.  I can't imagine the heartache and the pain a woman feels if she becomes a Christian or is already a believer and she chooses abortion then comes to the place of deep regret and sorrow and anguish over her choice.  My friend Kelley told me she once counseled a girl who became a believer and thought that once she saw her baby in heaven...because they are there....it would hate her.  She told her there is no hate in heaven.  As a woman who has had two hard miscarriages I for one cannot wait to hold my children in heaven.  To touch them, kiss them, hear them...finally. Each July and February i hold a private birthday party for the two babies I never got to hold in my heart.  All these years later and I still grieve those children.  I have no clue if they remain babies in heaven but I like to think so.  I know many women who long to hold their baby....not their grown-up.  Jesus loves children and I hold on to that hope that their are many children in heaven.  Watching the miracle of my sweet grandson on that screen....was almost more than my heart could stand.  I already love him to pieces.  Piper said, "he's so cute!!"  How precious was that.   Just so you too can see...that miracle....that tiny life.  Formed by the very hand of God.  A miracle.