Monday, July 21, 2008

Random Rambling

First, I wanted to take minute to say Thank-you for all the birthday wishes for my DD! I think she had a really nice birthday, although I doubt she would ever admit it, lol. TEENAGERS! Her friends decided to stay another day, so they didn't leave to go to Traverse City until Sunday. I gotta admit, it sure is lonely here right now :( I guess it's really starting to hit me that it won't be long now until she moves out on her own & then it'll be just Jim & I. Talk about a weird feeling! It's never been just Jim & I.....when I met him, I already had Shawn, so we were an 'instant' family. But now, reality is starting to set it....the reality that my kids are all grown up & I'm getting OLD! LOL I guess I need to look at this as a new chapter in my own life......a new start for me.....a new start for Jim & I. But it's still scary!
Here are some glimpses of her cake. Isn't Wall E cute? :)
And here is Eve, aka Eva.
After they left on Sunday, Jim & I decided to take a drive to downtown Royal Oak for their annual Antique & Garage Sale event. It was okay.....nothing to write home about. Just seemed like the prices were too high on most stuff. I probably would have enjoyed it more if it wasn't so hot & humid out! I only purchased 2 things while I was there.....the angel above for my garden along with this:
I fell in love with this plaque as soon as I saw it! Once Jim & I decide what we're going to do about moving, I plan on setting up a little garden area in memory of Karen & Jimmy which will include the angel & this plaque.
Here are just some more random pictures from around our porch/garden. This old milk can I purchased a few years ago at a garage sale for $5.00. It was all rusty, so Jim has a friend that offered to sandblast it & paint it for us & I just love the way it turned out! Now I'm trying to decide if I should decorate it at all with maybe some rub-ons, paint a design on it or something. Any ideas?
Here's a picture of our Black-eyed Susans, which Jim hates. They don't look like they're doing very good right now.....probably because of the heat.
I have no clue what these flowers are on the side of our house, but they're pretty. Anyone know what they are?
I just noticed these lillies blooming last night on the opposite side of the house.

As far as the moving situation goes, we still haven't made a decision as to what to do. Surprised??? ;) We do know that the expensive house right down the road from us is out.....turns out, a friend of theirs is going to rent it from them instead. But that's okay cause like I said, it just would have been cutting it too close financially.



We looked at another house on Friday that we really like.....mainly because it's new construction & we would be the first ones to live in it. BIG plus there! It's 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths with a jacuzzi tub in the master bath & it has a HUGE kitchen, but no pantry, which we've been spoiled with. I think that's one of our biggest problems.....we have been spoiled with different things & somehow, they've seemed to almost become a necessity when looking for a new house. Side-by-side fridge with ice & water on the door, glass top stove, central A/C, etc., etc. The other good thing about the home is that it's $150 cheaper a month than what we're paying now & there's a pond right behind the house, so the view isn't bad. The only downside to this house is that we're a little worried about the neighborhood. The house is on a cul-de-sac, but to access the house, you have to basically drive through an apartment complex, which doesn't look the best. But another plus.....it's only 4 miles from Jim's work, so it would save us a LOT on gas, but then again, it's further away from our gym, which we go to 5-6 days a week, so there goes our gas savings right there, lol. ARGH! Why is this so hard??? I do know one thing.....I'm just tired of stressing over all of this....it's really been taking a toll on me lately, but I need to stop letting it!


Jim & I received some sad news today. We just found out that a fellow bowler/friend passed away on July 8th :*( He was on vacation in Tennessee & apparently drowned. He was only 47 years old & he left behind a wife & 3 kids. We didn't know him real good, but good enough that we still considered him a friend. I'm going to make a card this week to send to his wife & children.

Till next time,
Benita

14 comments:

Lily said...

Thanks for sharing. I love getting little peaks into your life. I'm so sorry to hear about your friend.

mborrero said...

those flowers are so beautiful

living creating & appreciating my blog

Lorrie said...

Hi Benita!
so sorry to hear about your friend passing. How sad for his family...
good luck on the house front. What a pain, huh? You know, you could always move back down here to VA. I'd be your friend, and I'm sure you'd fit right in with my peeps!
Oh, and sounds like you're getting a bit of that "empty nest syndrome". I still have a while before I get that, but I get sad thinking about it anyway! =(

Unknown said...

I think that milk jug would look good at my house, you know, with you moving and all.
Delphiniums? For some reason that's popping into my brain.

Kip said...

Sorry about your friend, Benita, big hugs.
Love the flower pics too. Good luck in finding a house!

CircesMagic said...

Those flowers would be called Day Lilies, they come back every year, they come in orange and a burgandy color..I have them all over they are my favorites, I will try to post some pictures later. The cake looks great, we too are an instant family then expanded by 2. Sorry to hear about your friend.

Be well!

Janet said...

Such a sad story about your friend's passing. How difficult that must be for the family.

I love the idea of setting up a memorial/memory garden. The angel and plaque are perfect for it.

Your DD's cake is so cute! Love the theme!

I know what you mean about the "pending" empty nest syndrome. In 2 years, we will be in the same boat. We only have 1 DD, and I can't believe how fast the time is going. We have to enjoy every minute!

Val said...

trust me, it's great when you are alone! the orange flowers are day lilies and the purple ones look to me like a variety of phlox.

Anonymous said...

benita,

the garafe sale that i'm having w/ scrapbook stuff is on bonnie off of 12 mile just east of hoover in warren

toners said...

Catching up on your blog here. The photos of your flowers are so pretty! And the Wall-E cake is awesome :)

I know how stressful the moving/housing situation can be; the right place is out there for you, though!

Sorry to hear of your friend's passing. What a shock that must have been for everyone - and such a young age :(

Darcey said...

Hi Benita! Good luck with your moving decision. Sometimes it seems like nothing can be easy. Sorry to hear about your friend and his family. Take Care.

Sarah Coggins said...

Glad your DD had a good birthday! The cake looks delicious. :)

Love the angel & plaque. What a wonderful idea to create a garden in memory of Karen & Jimmy.

My condolences to you two on the loss of your friend. That is just too young. Prayers for his family.

Krissynae said...

I love the Wall E birthday cake it is too cute. The sign is beautiful. Anf I am sorry about the loss of your fellow Bowler.

Anonymous said...

You have a great blog. I love your scrap space and drool over what all you have.

The flowers that are on the tall stems with the pink blooms are called Liatris Violets. They are a perennial. I planted some this year and they are so pretty when they bloom.