Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Short Week

Tomorrow is Thursday all ready! This has been a short week!! Yeah, it is almost FRIDAY again! lol
Well, today was Tessia's LAST DAY of 8th grade....and she is now "officially" a FRESHMAN! Oh my...it
is hard to believe....so hard, in fact, I think I will NOT believe it!! lmao
My baby girl is not a baby anymore. :o(
I am very proud of her (can you tell??).
She has gone over to Kayla's house tonight to spend the night....and Kayla's mother is
getting married Friday. ( 2nd marriage) Tomorrow, Tessia and Kayla will be helping to decorate the
venue for the 50's SockHop themed wedding! It sounds like so much fun....they will all
be dressed as "the 50's"....poodle skirts and all! They have invited Tessia and me....and I
think it will be a lot of fun. The reception is going to be an actual "sock hop" dance. I'll have to be
sure to take my camera...so I will have photos to post here! :)

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Memorial Day Weekend

It was a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend for Tessia and me. We spent most of it at Cove Lake in Paris, Arkansas....which is near Mt. Magazine. The first day we went, the weather was PERFECT. Tessia and Baylee met up with some guys that they used to go to school with last year, but who had moved to Paris. They all had a blast. The second day we went, the weather was good for about 2 hours, the girls rented a paddle boat and had a blast......then clouds began to roll in and it began to rain. We stayed there for a bit in the rain, because there did not seem to be any lightening. However, after about 30 minutes, I noticed lightening....and I waved to the girls for them to come in out of the water. As they began to make their way out of the lake, a huge lightening bolt struck and a LOUD clap of thunder rang out!! It was frightening, and made EVERYONE get out of the water in a hurry!!! Everyone was saying that they felt the lightening through the water....they said it felt like an electric fence jolt! It scared me to death!!! But, everyone got out all right....and we left.
All in all, it was a really nice weekend...spent with my daughter. :)





Friday, May 26, 2006

Hooray for The Geek Squad!!!


I was at The Geek Squad at Best Buy last night in Fort Smith....I took
Tessia's computer for repair. He opened it up....hook it up to their
diagnostics and discovered it had been hit by lightening!!! So, I have
to buy a new power supply. However, because it is a Gateway
computer, The Geek Squad can't order the part...I have to order it
directly...then bring the CPU and part back to them...and they will
install it...clean up the hard drive, etc...and it will be ready.
I ordered the part this morning...she said it would be in by the middle
of next week. So, hopefully, I will have a home computer by the June 2 or 3!!!
The Geek Squad guy also said that Tessia had several viruses and spyware
that he will remove and I am purchasing a powerful virus protector, firewall,
and spyware buster.
Whew! lol

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Hot Thursday

Been crankin' up that air conditioner!!! WHEW! I even had to buy a fan for my office because the air conditioner can't seem to keep up.
There has not been anything exciting happening lately. The work day is almost over and it has been a GOOD day.
I've posted a few more photos today:














This is what Tessia gave me for Mother's Day; a Willow Tree "Mother & Daughter"
I absolutely love it!!
















This is the pizza plate I painted last Saturday
at Hue & Me: Paint Your Own Pottery Studio.





















And this is me, being silly. LOL

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Blah blah blah

The Snitch, the backstabber, the fake
As dangerous as a poisonous snake
She’s got my pity however,
For she’s too dumb to be clever
To selfish and arrogant to realize
That friendship is a great prize
Anyone can win and gain
Without backstabbing pain.
Just not the Snitch
Her we’ll quickly ditch –Because she’s just a Snitch
----By Birgit and Roger Pratcher

Monday, May 22, 2006

Monday Lunch Break

Today is sunny and H O T. Temps getting up above 90F today. *whew* I am such a wimp! lol
Well, I did not stay home and read yesterday; Tessia and I drove the 36 miles up to Mt. Magazine, just outside of Paris, Arkansas. The new lodge and cabins were recently completed and are now open to the public. It is really beautiful up there! I have attached several photographs from our trip.


This was on Highway 309, just outside of Paris, AR.
I thought the shape of these trees was very interesting.




Below is a photo of the Lodge, back in the distance
I took it from the Hang Glider's Launcing site.



This is one of the many cabins; all of them have
a great view and a hot tub on the deck.
















This is the entrance to where the hang glider's
launch.















These next 3 pics are of the actual launching area for the hang gliders....Tess in the last one.
































A closer view of one of the cabins




This is the deck of the cabin in the above photo



Tess and I, standing on the hang glider launch site.



This is one of the many scenic overlooks


This was taken from the above scenic overlook,
looking back toward the road

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Sunday Morning


Well, summer is HERE. The heat has moved in and my air conditioner has come on!!! lol
Yesterday, Tessia and I went to Fort Smith for some shopping....and she got her hair cut. She had Dell, her hairdresser, take off about 4 inches!! I think it looks really good, but Tess was a little disappointed; she said it was too short. I think it was just too drastic of a change...and once she has time to get used to it, she will like it. While we were there, 4 or 5 girls were also there getting their "prom hair" done. Last night was Senior Prom in Fort Smith. The mother of one of the girls was there and she was talking about how she wished she had brought her camera to take photos. Well, as it happens, I had my brand new Sony Digital Camera in my purse! :)
So, I took photos of her daughter and emailed them to her this morning.
Tessia and I also drove to downtown Fort Smith to go to our favorite Internet Cafe...only to find it had gone out of business!! I was so disappointed. So, instead, we went to one of our other favorite places in Fort Smith....."Hue and Me"....a "paint your own pottery" studio. Tessia painted a small container shaped like a die, and I painted a plate shaped like a slice of pizza. We always have fun there.
Today, I am going to do a little laundry and read some in my current, fiction book, Night Swimming by Robin Schwarz. Here is a synopsis:
Charlotte Clapp is dying. With only one year left to live, Charlotte has decided to do just that--live. On her last day at work she steals $2 million, fakes her suicide, and heads to Los Angeles. Charlotte dubs herself Blossom McBeal (after connecting with the obituary of an 88-year-old rabble rouser), buys an apartment, and finds herself falling in love with the pool boy. The cops back home suspect Charlotte's staged crime scene and start tracking her down.

Friday, May 19, 2006

Friday Friday Friday!!! :)

It is finally Friday! This morning was very cool...but the high today is suppose to get up to near 90F.
Tessia is riding the bus home with Bailey after school today and will be spending the night with her at her grandparent's house in the country. She will not be back home until sometime late on Saturday.
So....I will be all alone....lol....I have been trying to think of something to do, but have not come up with anything spectacular yet. :)
I may travel to Fort Smith and go to Books-A-Million. That is one of my favorite places to spend time....and I can spend A LOT of time in there!
I need to go shopping for a new digital camera. In the last 4 years, I have gone through 2 digital cameras!!! I am not sure what happened to the first one, I think it just wore out. The second one was dropped several times (I won't name names) and now is not working properly. I've been without a camera now for over 2 weeks...and I simply can not stand it much longer.
Photography is my PASSION.
So, perhaps that is what I will do this evening....buy a new camera!! :)

My humble abode.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

The 5 D's---A Late Night Post

I've been able to browse several blogs....now that I am in the blogging world....and
I've discovered there are many without photographs.
A blog Devoid of Depictions is Dull, Dreary, and Dry.


My beautiful daughter, Tessia.


My sweet poodle, Jasper.


One of my co-worker's office, after the wrath of
another co-worker! lol


My bedroom rug

End of Work Day


Well, it is the end of another work day and I thought I'd make one more post today.
Something about me: I have a tattoo of a bumble bee on my right ankle. (In the pic, the flowers underneath the bumble bee are a temporary tattoo - I am going to have them permantely inked soon!) I got it when I graduated college in 2002 at the age of 39.
Now, here is the reason I chose a bumble bee:
Scientifically, a bumble bee should not be able to fly, due to the ratio of it's body size compared to it's wing span. However, a bumble bee DEFIES the odds and flies anyway!! That is how I felt upon graduating college at the age of 39! I defied those who said I was too old; I defied my own doubts and insecurities....and graduated Cum Laude!! (patting myself on back-lol) :)
So ....to all of you out there who think you can't fly....reach for your dreams, defy your doubts and look to the little bumble bee for inspiration!!


This is right after I accepted my diploma; I was so HAPPY and I was not letting go of it!!

This photo was taken after graduation; you can tell how hot it was in there by looking at my hair!!! LOL

This little bumble bee was in my front yard the other day, so naturally, I had to photograph it!

~Another Beautiful Day in Arkansas~

It is another beautiful day here in Northwest Arkansas and The River Valley. Temps are still very mild and loads of sunshine.
I spoke with my mother this morning, and she had a rough day yesterday. She said the knee pain was pretty bad and she had to take more pain meds. Still, considering the surgery she had...she is doing very well.
Tessia's tutor was not able to come last night because she was sick. So....I am hoping she will be able to see Tess before next week to help her get caught up. Tess is so excited for school to be out this year. I am looking forward to it myself. :)
By the way, here is a link to my Alma Mater:

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Some May Events in NW Arkansas

The Will Rogers Follies May 16 - May 18, 2006
Walton Arts Center
"The Will Rogers Follies--A Life in Revue" explores the life and career of America’s “favorite son”. Return to the days of Vaudeville with Will and his entire family as he tells the story of his life through witty anecdotes and hilarious commentary about the state of the world.

Heritage Days Festival
May 27 - May 28, 2006
Belle Grove Historic District
Fort Smith, Arkansas

9th Annual Oak Cemetery Tales of the Crypt
May 29, 2006
Oak Cemetery
City of Fort Smith Parks & Recreation Dept.
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Historical and educational guided tour of people at Oak Cemetery that shaped the west and built Fort Smith. Actors in period costumes portray the deceased citizens of Fort Smith. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes and clothes; this is a walking tour.

May 30 - May 31, 2006
Walton Arts Center
Back for a return engagement, the Pulitzer Prize winning landmark American musical, RENT, is raw, rowdy and downright loud. It is also one of the biggest Broadway hits of the 1990s. RENT deals with modern-day issues of young adults, weaving tales of urban life through powerful music and hip, edgy characters. In 2002, RENT stormed Northwest Arkansas with a record-breaking run.

Mid Week


Today is beautiful! Blue skies....slight breeze....and the current temp. is around 63F....the high is only suppose to get up to 79 today, which is unseasonably cool for May in Arkansas.
Tessia only has 2 more weeks of school....she gets out on May 31st. Tonight, her Algebra tutor will stay an extra hour to help her make up work from last week, when she was absent. Tess is doing very well in all her classes; Algebra has been her only challenge this year, but having the tutor has helped a lot. It is hard to believe that Tess will be a Freshman in August!! Time does fly.....it seems only yesterday she was my baby girl, playing in a sandbox!!! :)

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Teenage Driver :)

Tonight, Tessia is studying for her Driver's Test to earn her Learner's Permit. I don't believe she will have too much trouble with it. She has been looking over the book for 2 months and recently received the study guide from her school. The study guide has 4 pages of questions/answers and is suppose to be really helpful for new test takers. I am hoping she will earn her Learner's Permit soon....that way, she can help drive to Florida when we take our vacation! :)
We are taking a mini-vacation to Panama City Beach, Florida very soon. We will be staying at a friend's condo on the beach. It is called Edgewater Beach Resort, and it is very nice.
Click the link to read more about it. We are so excited and can not wait to go!!

First Post


Tessia and I are back to work/school after being off a week. We went to Little Rock to stay with my mother while she was hospitalized for a total knee replacement. Her surgery was May 9. By May 11, she was walking without assistance of any kind! She is amazing. I am so thankful that she continues to do well. I spoke with her this morning, and she is feeling better and better each day---already talking about going back to work!!! She is my hero - :)