OFF WORK TODAY!

Today is my first and ONLY day off this week til next Tuesday. Thought I would whine about that for a second and let that be my explanation as to why I haven't updated this week.

Today is Friday, so ya'll know what that means! PUMPKINTOWN TONIGHT!!!! WOO-HOOO!

I got Courts guitar shined up, glued and ready to go! hee

Nothing new to update...Court had her senior pics done the other day...I usually don't buy them because USUALLY, they're not that great. When Britt and Ash graduated, Dad and I took them in their cap and gowns outside by some blackberry vines and took their pics. I used one of them (mine probley! ha) to put on their Graduation cards. THOSE pics were awesome! Of course, I had great subject matter!

**NOTE TO ASH** We sure are missing youuuuuuuuuuuuuu! Lauren texted me the other day and asked how you're doing and all. Boomer goes out and sniffs your old car every once in a while and he was in your closet the other day sniffing your clothes...he may have been looking for a stray little debbie cake! ha

Have a great day everyone and Mike will be taking pictures tonight and I'll put them on here probley Sunday afternoon.

Joan

Georgia Mountain State Festival, Hiawassee, Ga

We're BACK!!!!

I just want to say that we had the best time in Hiawassee and I can't stress how BEAUTIFUL it is there....only to be beat by fall time when the leaves are changing. It was GORgeous!

Our motel was on top a hill overlooking the mountains and a big lake.

Britt even had a good time, which I thought she would have been bored.

Let me say here that there isn't a tree, leaf, mountain range or body of water that I didn't take there picture with! BAHHHHHHH-HAAAAAAAHHHHH!

I took this one of Court enjoying the view...and the three of them...

3/5th's of the family!

More of these pics in a sec...so anyways, Ronnie McDowell was performing Friday night and we were there for that. Also, he brought his SON along...Tyler Dean...his 19 year old son. Court was all eyes...

So, after the show, Court went to get her picture taken with his Daddy and lo and behold, there was Tyler Dean...checking HER out! So, I was sort of smiling and I looked back at Court and there she was checking HIM out! HAAAAAA! Then I looked back towards Tyler Dean and there was Mike...checking BOTH them out! and he wasn't smiling! BAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Mike just rolled his eyes and went and stood by the wall.

They talked...

I made them pose together... and again.... Other people wanted their pics too! She went back stage and they talked some more. She came back out to where we were looking disgusted! I asked her what was wrong...DID TYLER DEAN SAY SOMETHING TO UPSET THE BABY? (horrors!!) She said no, that he told her he just recorded a song he wrote called, "TAYLOR SWIFT". WHA???! She said, "Mama Taylor Dean is HISTORY...I ain't liking no boy who writes songs about other girls." HAAAAAAAAAAA!!! And she was done with that!

Then Britt had to get in on it too...notice her HUGE smile!After all that eyeballing, it was time for Court to sing...

and she sang!She was invited to perform the next night when the Bellamy Brothers was there.

So, the next day (Saturday) we hung around the fair grounds and I had to take pictures of them...This picture is great and it ain't because of my awesome photography skills! hee!! Here they are with Mike's parents...

Here they are in a replica of an old house...in an old school bus...I took this one looking thru the window in an old school house...

They grabbed my camera and took some pics...

Why is it when you give a teenager a camera, they take pictures of THEMSELVES?!

Then the Bellamy Bros. went on...

He liked me! HAAAAA!

I had to get Court's pic with them. Britt didn't want to.

Then we waited for Court's turn to sing...this is what she wore... So, we entertained ourselves...

and ate! Britt has been working out everyday and has lost alot of weight...!

I didn't get a lot of good pics of Court singing because I wasn't sitting in the right spot and I wanted to listen and watch the crowd response.

After she sang "How Great thou Art", she got a standing ovation! That did her alot of good to get that type of response. ALOT of places she sings at, the crowd doesn't appreciate traditional Country music or Southern Gospel. There was over 2000 people there who loved it and she was SOOO happy to perform for them!

After that performance, she was...and hopefully it all works out...invited back in October to headline her own show with that band. I've learned in this business to not get too excited about things because they don't always work out, but knock on alot of wood, she'll be back and that could lead to other things! That's how it works!

I had woke up Sunday morning and went to get some coffee in the breakfast area. The hotel there is like a big lodge with huge windows overlooking the mountains and lake. I noticed some guy out on the porch taking pictures with his massive camera. Hmmmm...not to be outdone by ANY means, I go and grab MY beautiful camera...and I go outside and plop all my equipment on one of the tables out there. The only thing I didn't have was my tripod, which I didn't bring, but will next time.

Can't no one call ME slow!

I made a big production of changing my lenses and attaching the polarizing filter etc...

HE IGNORED ME! whatever.

So, it was then that I turned to see what he was taking pictures of and it was the most beautiful scenery!

So, after all that, we packed up, loaded up and headed back to home. BUT FIRST, I wanted to stop and get the girls pics by a lake....

and coming down the mountain, I wanted to get their pics at a scenic outlook pull off place...I liked the fence...

and I took this pic of Britt and it's probley my most favorite one of the whole trip...

I took aLOT more and you can check them out to the right here under album #3 photos.

I wanted to say here too that ASHLEY CALLED while we were there! She is doing GREAT! She was SOOO happy to walk on land! They were only on land for a couple days and now they're headed out again. She should be calling home in a week or so. She sounded great and said she bought me some COFFEEEEE! LOVE IT!

Have a great day everyone!

Joan

I'm OFF WOOOORRRRRKKKKK today! Except I do have to go to a meeting tonight. We have the weirdest meeting times at the hospital. I just hope I don't forget!

I haven't taken any new pics since last weekend, so I scoured thru some of my pics and came up with this one, which I don't think I have posted before. I took it last fall over some railroad tracks close to where I live.

I know, visually stunning! hee Actually, I had the idea from another picture I had seen, I think on a cd cover for who know who, and I tried to re-create it. The only touching up I did on it, was I lightened up the "back" of the photo...where the railroad tracks disappears into the woods, and I added some red to the banks on the both sides of the tracks. God did the rest!

Ash emailed last night! She's doing great...extremely worn out and can't wait to get to a port call! She also can't wait to come home again, which who knows when that will be. I had hoped to have her and Courtney's birthday parties together in Sept. We'll see. We sure do miss her!!!

That's it for today...I have a guitar lesson today! My left hand fingers are still sore from playing so much last Friday night. My instructor will be SO proud! hee

Have a great Tuesday everyone!

Joan

Our Weekend...

After a not so great week at work, I was SOOO glad it was the weekend. I'll be glad when everyone's vacations are finished so I can just get back to my regular 3 days of working a week again. I did buy a few jars of Chow-Chow from a girl at work who's Daddy makes it...

We started off Friday night at Pumpkintown where we all went. Dad, Courtney and I showed out as usual and the people were so happy to see us! In fact, when I walked in ahead of the rest of our herd, everyone immediately looked past me to make sure Dad and Court came too! Wasn't that sweet!

I forgot to mention that Court purchased herself a new Guitar...I may have mentioned this before. Anyways, it's a Martin BackPacker...

Isn't it cute! (the guitar, not the lady standing beside her....) She ALWAYS trys to get in Courtney's pictures.

I think SOMEone hit a bad note...look at Courtney's expression! HAAAA

AND..."You-Know-Who" had to get in on it too....she's ALWAYS trying to hog my spotlight.

Gets on my last nerve.

This is us sittin', pickin' and grinnin'!!! hee

Here is Court with one of the regulars that goes up there...

and here she is doing what she loves...

Saturday, Britt and I went to a Job Fair offered by Greenville something or nother. There wasn't much to it but Waffle House, Wal-Mart, Kroger, the Army and every insurance co. known to man was there. Mary Kay told Britt if SHE gave THEM $100., they'd "guarantee" her a job! Wasn't that nice?! She did hand out 2 resumes for Phlebotomy positions. We'll see.

Then she and I went to a new Japanese restaurant that opened up and Britt could NOT figure out what to do with the chop sticks...

Then last night, we went to Music on Main or whatever it's called.

Court sang. Will was there...it was her Birthday!

I think Mike got bored....

and had to pick on his Grandma...

I thought this was a neat pic Court took....notice how I'm in it too? There's that lady again trying to steal my "moment". whatever.

Court gets her photo skills from ME!

Then we went to....GUESS?!?! GUADALAJARA! Geeeeze. We didn't stay long because there were SOOO many people there, including the "GEEK CLUB". That's this group of people that advertise as being those who were picked on in high school, who "never fit it" etc...they're in their 30's and they meet there one Saturday night a month, which was last night. There are about 40 of them.

If you SAW them, you'd understand why they were picked on, but that's just my opinion.

NOTE TO GEEKS: STAR TREK IS O-V-E-R.

That's about it for the moment.

**ASHLEY UPDATE**- She is QMOW QUALIFIED! What is that, you ask? It's "Quater Master of the Watch" and now she gets to "QuaterMaster" alot. Not sure exactly what that entails, but she sure is excited about it. Now she's working on getting "Boat Crew" qualified. I know what that means...she can ride out on these tiny little boats and board other boats! She's VERY excited about training for that.

That's it for today, I reckon. ya'll have a great day!

Joan

Lift Off

I see where our space shuttle finally lifted off yesterday. The manned ones always makes me leary. Back in the mid-80's, right after I graduated from college, I can remember exactly where I stood, what I was wearing and who I was talking to when I heard about the space shuttle Challenger. That was probley my first tragedy I'd ever been alive for. Then, when the Columbia exploded, it was equally horrific!

I don't think I'd want to ride in a space shuttle where the name of it begins with a "C"!

Well, back to work today after a couple days off.

**ASHLEY UPDATE**- GUESS who is no. 39 on her A-School list?!?! I saw the list yesterday morning and immediately emailed her! She emailed me back yesterday afternoon and said she should get her orders the middle of next month to begin A-School in OCTOBER! She was SOOOO excited!

That would put her home on Christmas! We're SOO excited! To have all my chickens under one coop for Christmas...that's MY Christmas present! (happy sigh!)

She's doing great, they're just extremely busy. I just can't imagine her going 3 weeks now without SHOPPING! OH the withdrawals she must be having! haaaaaaaaaaaaa I did check her bank account balance, and it's actually above $50.!! (astounded sigh!) ha

Well, that's about it from here. Here is a pic I took the other day of Boomer!

I KNOW he looks plump here, but he's actually lost a couple of ounces...he slept thru one of his snack times over the weekend. That's gotta be worth a few ounces!

Joan

slow down

As ya'll can see, I haven't posted alot in the last couple of weeks. I have been WORKING. But, now that Donna (the girl who works opposite me at work) is back from HER vacation, I can get back to my regular schedule of only 3 days a week! I even worked 3rd shift the other night. GAG. That made me realize why I don't work 3rd shift anymore! ha! I hit the wall, crashed and burned at 4:30am! I think I may have dozed off on the phone talking to radiology! geeeeze.

I had my guitar lesson yesterday and as usual, I excelled! ANY improvement from terrible is great! hee. I can say when I'm sitting around the house strumming to beat all, the dogs no longer run to the back of the house!

Britt and Court have been exercising like crazy and doing great on their diets!

They have been doing SOOOO good and it shows. Britt won't let me get her picture. She's been going to the "Y" every day and doing Zoomba Tues. and Thurs.'s. Court runs a mile every morning and does an hour on the eliptical in the afternoons and Zoomba with Britt.

Here's another pic of Courtney...

She looks more and more like me every day! BAH-HAAAAA!

OH...and I grew a flower! I planted wild seeds in a pot and I had one to bloom!

Simple, yet pretty! I don't know what happened to the rest of the seeds, but this one took forEVER to grow!

**ASHLEY UPDATE** - She emailed me and said that she may get to call over the next couple of days, but she was unable to. She couldn't get a phone card and had to stand duty. OH well...she also had said in an earlier email that she had injured her knee, but that it was better. She hasn't mentioned that anymore, so I assume it's fine. She also misses Boomer. hee!

Have a great day everyone!!!!

Joan

FINALLY an update!

It's not that I've been overly busy...just busy! hee

I also wanted to include here that I did NOT watch Elvis's ex son-in-laws public memorial service yesterday. Buddy was constipated and I had a commode to clean. Time better spent. ha

We're still going to Pumpkintown every Friday night. I'm getting so good now, other pickers there just stare at me in amazement! Or it could be horror. whatever.

WOW!

OOPS! How'd that get in here....geeeze.

Anyways....besides that, guitar lessons, helping Britt with her resume, listening to Courtney, taking Buddy to the vet for his constipation issues (resolved) and work, there ain't been much else happening.

Ashley is gone out on patrol and we haven't heard from her in almost a week. They're always so busy on patrol, but happy!

Have a great day and I'll update again soon...even if I don't have anything to blog about, I'll update!

more soon

I've been pretty busy working and all, but I'll be updating this soon! Everyone is fine and happy! Britt's room is nearly finished, Ashley has been calling me alot from wherever she is, so that makes me happy and Courtney is busy RUNNING and working out on the eliptical.

More soon!

Joan