Together We Can ....

Hi, Sweeties!  I have 2 awards to post (though I strive to remain award free) that I am SO humbled and honored to receive.  One is from Alexandra of ropcorn.com , the Stylish Blogger Award. If you have not visited her, you are really missing out, so I hope you will drop by and leave her a comment so she knows you've been there.

The second is from Aries of Krazy Monkey Tale.  She is such a little doll!  In one post she even explains how to make your own alfafa sprouts.  She truly is a 'jack of all trades'.  I hope you will pay her a visit, leaving a comment as we all love reading what others have to say about our little piece of cyberspace!

 There are SO many special blogs to pass these on to it is difficult and, in fact impossible, for me to choose just a few, soooo I pass them on to everyone who is reading this post!!  Please, if you are reading this, post these awards on your blog and enjoy them as I have!  This recognition and appreciation is what keeps us going.
Oh, by the way, speaking of recognition I neglected to give credit to the creator of the graphics I used when I made the scrapbook page in the post 'Come On Grandma, You Know You Can Do It'.  The sweet, generous lady who created the kit was Mary of Mary's Mixes.  I would love for you to visit her site if you have not done so.  Her kits are all free and her work is beautiful.  Her most recent freebie is an absolutely gorgeous purple kit.  Everything you need to make a page for your album is in this and each of the kits she so freely offers. I would give anything if I could design but cannot, so I must rely on people like Mary who so graciously share their creations with us.
Don't forget ... I mean it ... take your awards and place them on your site!!  Alexandra and Aries, that means you as well ... you gave them to me, soooo right back atcha'! There is great strength in numbers, so we'll just all stick together and see what we can do!!!!
Love to you all and be sweet ... treat others as you would like to be treated. XXOOXXXO

Sunshine Award

Mary Anne Gruen of the Starlight Blog gave me the sunshine award!!!  I love this award!!  It is so colorful and to me also full of meaning.  I am happy to receive this award and feel very honored that Mary Anne chose me as one of her recipients.  If you have not been to visit her blog, I hope you will and I can guarantee you will find a gorgeous blog loaded with great pictures.  I have to tell you this ... Mary Anne has a dog named "Virginia".  Don't you just love that?  She has posted a picture of Virginia sitting beside a branch that had fallen from a white pine.  I just love the story in that post and now I love her dog as well!!  My name is(are you ready for this?) Virginia Paulette!! 

Now, most people wonder how in the world anyone ever got "Polly" from that!  My mom told me that my grandpa started calling me "Polly" when I was only a few days old and soon everybody followed suit.  I have lifelong friends who don't know my name is not actually Polly.

When I was a child, my dad would call. "Polly" and if I didn't answer or come right away, he said in a voice that could not be ignored, "Paulette!"  You better believe when my dad called me Paulette, I knew for sure I had best get moving!! 

My sweet little daddy stayed with me the last 2 years of his life, because he was so lonely and almost grieved himself to death when my mom died of a massive heart attack.  They not only were husband and wife, but best friends.   He came to my door one day, knocked (which he never did) and I asked what was he doing out there knocking, to get in here!!  He said, "Sis, can I stay with you for a couple of days?  Every where I look I see 'my buddy' and my doctor says I have to be out of the house a few days, because all I can do when I am home is cry and think of your mama."  I said , "Why are you asking?  I love you and you will stay as long as you want or need to." 

He could not even go back to get his clothes.  Bless his sweet little heart.  I went to get his clothes and whatever else he needed and he never went home again!!!  He stayed with me until he went to Heaven to be with 'his buddy'. 

I said all that to say this ... even when I grew into an adult with children of my own, when my daddy said "Paulette!"  I got moving!!  When he became very sick and needed something, he would call me and if I didn't hear him or respond the first few times he called me, I will never, ever forget, he would say in that voice that simply could not be ignored, "Paulette!" and you better believe I went running!!!

All this because Mary Anne has a dog named Virginia!!  Now I know why I tell my kids I haven't lost my marbles, but they are pretty well scattered now!

Thank you for the Sunshine Award.  That has quite a ring to it ... a Sunshine Award from the Starlight Blog.

Be sweet, all!

Golden Heart

This is the Golden Heart Award, given to my by my friend, Kim, who received the award and passed it on to other blogs she liked.  I am humbled at being a recipient of this award.

Kim has recently changed the look of her blog, stuff could always be worse, and it has a new very pretty background.  I love reading about what she fondly calls her "hillbilly family", for my family fits right in.  We are about as country as you can get.

My mom and all her family came from the hills and mountains and did everything the old way. My great grandmother was an Indian, with that jet black hair and high cheekbones passed down to my mom, who, in her seventies still raised a garden big enough to feed the state's National Guard!  She still dried apples, picked blackberries and made jam ..... she did it by choice, not out of necessity.  I have had many a dress made from flour sacks.  I still remember Mom's disappointment when she only needed one more sack to have enough material to sew a dress for me but by the time she needed flour again, not a single sack remained with the pretty blue flowers!  On the long ride home I can remember her saying it was a shame to use that pretty material for pillow slips, and what a perfect dress it would have made.

I still have a tiny dress that she made for Debye, my first daughter.  Both of my girls wore that dress.  I love to just hold it close to me and imagine my mama's sweet little hands sewing the buttons on.  

Kim, thanks again for the award.  I am honored.  I will pass it on to five others, but I wish I could  pass it to a hundred others.  If your blog is not one, please remember, your award sits in my heart!

Balsam Ponds by Design

The Retirement Chronicles

Make or Break

frugal southern mom

Learning to be Crafty

These are all wonderful blogs you should pay a visit to.  I am sure you will enjoy them as much as I do.

I have not sent Anjanette (Momma Young) any new pictures to put in my slide show in a long time, so I better get busy on that.   I have also got to check with Sara on The Breathing Post, see how new little baby Cole is doing!! 

Be sweet everyone.  Big hugs!!!!

 

 

Tagged Twice with the 8 Tag

That Sara has tagged me again!! Sara's blog is The Breathing Post and I. along with who knows how many others, am anxiously awaiting the birth of her first baby.

I also got this tag from The Great Retired One, who writes a hilarious blog, The Retirement Chronicles.  

This is called The 8 Tag, so here goes:

The 8 Tag

8 Things I'm looking forward to:

1. Seeing my great grand daughters.
2. Welcoming my new great grand child, due in a few months.
3. Visiting my son and daughter in law who live in the opposite corner of the state.
4. Hearing my brothers' voices when they call.
5. Pink blossoms on the little flowers at the foot of my big oak tree.
6. Getting scrapbooks completed for my children and grandchildren.
7. Standing in my oldest son's garden and eating a ripe tomato right off the vine.
8. Getting new pictures of my three littlest angels.

8 Things I did Yesterday.

1. Took a nap.
2. Made homemade ranch dressing.
3. Read a craft magazine.
4. Aggravated Pepper, my sweet little doggie.
5. Missed my family who do not live close enough to see and touch.
6. Wished I were not such a procrastinator.
7. Decided life is too short to worry about procrastinating.
8. Aggravated Pepper some more (just kidding...actually played with him).

8 Things I Wish I Could do.

1. Mow the yard.
2. Go to Northeast Arkansas, then South Louisiana then Kentucky then home.
3. Rest one week and head out to North Dakota.
4. Have the will power to eat right, exercise more and lose weight.
5. Stand on a street corner and give out hundred dollar bills the week before Christmas.
6. Sing and not be afraid for people to hear me.
7. Be twenty and know what I know now.
8. Make a difference.

8 Shows I Watch

1. The Mentalist
2. Diners, Drive Inns and Dives
3. 20/20
4. Dateline
5. Larry King
6. The View
7. 48 Hours
8. 60 Minutes

8 People I Tag

1. Pehpot of Make or Break

2. Kaye of Random WAHM Thoughts

3. Glynis of Scribbles

4. Momma of Momma Young's at Home

5. Melissa of Real Parenting For Real Kids

6. Jlo of [zany life = crazy faith]

7.Julia of Everyday Mom Ideas

8.Pattye of Two Greyhound Town

Don't feel pressured to participate and most of all,     be sweet!!

My Award From The Little Mama (Sara)

That sweet Sara, soon to be Mommy, at The Breathing Post has given me an award, the Worth Following Award.  How cool is that!?  Sara says Va Bookworm at Confessions of a Bookworm created this award and wants to see how far it will go.  We should check out Bookworm's blog.

This award is given to blogs that you would highly recommend to other readers and the rules are as follows:

Give this award to three of your favorite blogs.  Choose ones you make a point of reading as often as possible!

When you nominate them you have to write a short description of the blog (just a few sentences) and why you nominated that blog.

Link to each of your choices as well as the blog that nominated you.  Spread the love!

The hardest part is just choosing three, but here goes.

The first award winner is New Scribbles From Glynis Smy.  This is an exceptional blog with an exceptional author.  Glynis has encouraged me from day one!  She is one busy lady who writes very well on many subjects.  Great style of writing along with a great sense of humor makes this blog recommended reading for anyone. 

The second award winner is Actuate Life.  This young man is a great motivator and believes we all are capable of great things!  When I read what he has written I, too, believe we can accomplish our goals and more.  I am inspired by his writing and it becomes easy to acquire that positive attitude with his can-do approach to life. 

The third award winner is a blog I have only begun reading recently, tender graces, but I love the style and the posts are so interesting.  I feel a kinship with the author of this blog for some reason.  The posts make you feel as if you are sharing the experience and you feel right at home here.

There are so many more blogs I love, visit, read and enjoy.  It is a shame I can't list them all, but you all know I love you and value the friendships we have created.  You are all special!!

You know, guys, I have received other awards in the last month....please do not think I have disregarded them!!  I would never in a million years do that!!  I value and treasure each and every one, they are so, so special to me just to know that you think I should have an award for anything blows me away!!  I have lost a post passing them on to others, my links and everything.  I have been sick, so have sort of let things slide.  

I guess I better design an award for all of you!!  Be sweet and good!!!!

Noblesse Oblige Award

I am so honored to be included in this group! I have received this award from Sara. Thank you so very much!

The award is presented to bloggers who display consistency in any one or a combinations:

1.The blogger manifests exemplary attitude, respecting the nuances that pervades amongst different cultures and beliefs.

2.The blog contents inspire; strives to encourage and offers solutions.

3.There is a clear purpose at the blog; one that fosters a better understanding on Social, Political, Economics, the Arts, Culture and Sciences and Beliefs.

4.The blog is refreshing and creative.

5.The blogger promotes friendship and positive thinking.

The blogger who receives this award will need to perform the following steps:

1.Create a post with a mention and a link to the person who presented the Noblesse Oblige Award.

2.The award conditions must be displayed at the post.

3.Write a short article about what the blog has thus far acheived - preferably citing one or more older posts to support.

4.The blogger must present the Noblesse Oblige Award in concurrence with the award conditions.

5.The blogger must display the award at any location on the blog.

I will first say, "Right back at you, Sara!" Her Breathing Post is a wonderful blog, delightful to read. I will pass this on as required.

Two Greyhound Town

The Retirement Chronicles

Cen's Loft

Ghunibee Scraps

Words to the Wise

The Frugal Housewife

When I began this blog, it was to be simply a place to share pictures I was scrapbooking with my family. I told my daughter in law, Carol, that my blog was getting out of hand!! I honestly was not even going to make it public. After a while, I thought - oh, why not? Now, I have received awards, I have followers - there are those I follow. This from someone who thought only a few years ago that a mouse was something you caught in a trap! When I almost gave up blogging, Glynis encouraged me and I listened, so here I still am, pounding away at these keys like I actually know what I am doing. Be sweet.

Lemonade Award (And Ice Storm)

I am just so honored!! I was very surprised and very happy to open a message from Two Greyhound Town with a message that she had given me The Lemonade Award and it was waiting for me at Quick And Easy Cooking! I am very humbled by all these awards.
The Lemonade Award is for sites that show gratitude and a wonderful attitude! How great to be included. Thank you so much.
The rules of this award are as follows:

1.Put the logo on your blog or post.
2.Nominate at least 10 blogs that show attitude and/or gratitude.
3.Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4.Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on a post.
5.Nominate your favorites and link to this blog.

I am almost sure some of you have already received this award, but a second one will be even nicer, so my nominations are:

Ghunibee Scraps
RandomWAHMThoughts
The Breathing Post
The Retirement Chronicles
Berry Blog
Stories and Scribbles
Loribeth's Artistic Romance

I have many more I think are deserving of this award, so many I would still be putting nominees on this list a week from now. I appreciate all of you and love reading what you write. If you have not been to Two Greyhound Town, pay a visit. It has some great pictures and she describes the greyhounds as 45 mph couch potatoes!

We have been in the big ice storm. Some families will not have power again for days. It is the worst it has ever been. I have been in a panic because a couple of cell phone towers have fallen due to heavy ice and I have been unable to use the phone to call Keith and Carol, or my brothers to check on them. We have not had a land line in a few years---use cell phones for everything and are lost without them. Me, who grew up not knowing what a phone was! Have internet service today, so will try to email them. The house directly across from us still has no power and finally went to a shelter. My daughter made coffee for them. They have had no power for days. I swear, it is like a war zone, so many limbs and trees, etc. are down. Lots of streets and roads are impassable to to being blocked by trees. Two of my boys had to go out to Debye,s and try to remove enough tree limbs for her to get out of her driveway, but some are so big they will have to be cut with a chainsaw or pulled with a wench. She finally made it out by driving through her yard. Her car was under the carport of she would not have a car left. Two limbs are lying on our car in the driveway. I will try to get pictures. Later! Be sweet.