Happy Halloween!

I hope you all have a fun, safe Halloween weekend. And remember, hair belongs on your cat, NOT on your chin:)

"Blogging Best Friend" Tag

My friend Suz over at Alive in Wonderland gave me this little BBF tag earlier in the week. As children, we attended the same "charm school" - of course, we were on different coasts, but THAT doesn't diminish the bond that only Wendy Ward graduates share. I LOVE the pictures on her Daily Photo Blog. She is out to prove that Orange County, CA is warm and fuzzy, NOT cold and cynical. She's managed to convince this country girl that there ARE places in her neck of the woods that would make me feel right at home! She's also rekindled my interest in Roller Derby, and H.R. Puffenstuff:) Scoot on over and pay her a visit - tell her BHE sent you!

Here are the rules:

1. Only five people are allowed.

2. Four have to be dedicated followers of your blog.

3. One has to be someone new or recently new to your blog, and live in another part of the world. (This will be difficult because I am not yet known worldwide:) Heehee!)

4. You must link back to whoever linked to you.

(Suz said that she would still be my BBF if I chose NOT to respond to the tag, so I will extend the same sentiment to my chosen ones!)

1. Sometimes Serendipitous Girl SSG will have to count as my person from another part of the world - she lives in Portland, and that is a LONG way from here!!! I enjoy her site because I am able to live vicariously through her. Trips to Paris, Lemon Drops, firemen, a snuggly pooch, and fabulous friends are just another day in the life for this cool chick!

2. Belladella If you want to feel relaxed, GO TO THIS SITE IMMEDIATELY! The photos of her farm, the old general store and her cozy home will make you want to move to the country....today! If you're not careful, she may have you heading out to thrift stores to search for hidden treasures and vintage thingies.

3. The Incredible Woody My friend Woody has had a difficult time of late. She sprained her ankle, and that may keep her from going on a wonderful trip. She's the traveling, adventurous type, and such an injury would prevent her from being able to ride her bike like the wind again - if she were to come across another BEAR! Thank goodness she is back in Tennessee with her family. What would she do if Dad wasn't around to pick up a few groceries?

4. Busy Bee Suz Suz is a wonderful new addition to my blog roll. She has just welcomed a new son into her family - one with four legs! All of the effort was worth it once they finally got the little guy home. Most of the time, she gets more done before breakfast than the rest of us do all day; however, she HAS been known to lounge on the porch in her fuzzy robe. Decadent.

5. Bossy Yes, I did. I'm tagging Bossy. I LOVE Bossy. She's tall, she has big hair and she's in debt just like the rest of us. Why wouldn't you love her??? BTW - Bossy, that dip you made for the World Series party, I didn't love that. Sorry.

If you've never "met" these ladies, pay them a visit at your earliest convenience. You'll enjoy your time with each one.

Cute Costumes

I know you have all been anxiously awaiting the Big Costume Reveal of 2008! If you are disappointed, don't tell me. It will hurt my feelings. Really.


I wanted to wear these.........



But these seemed more appropriate. ( Pardon the grass and dog hair on the floor. It's all part of the scenery at Casa de Envy. )

This picture is out of order, and I am not going to do them over because it takes too long. Your first clue....I am NOT the witch in this picture. THAT costume would be too much like real life for me. Just ask my family...

Cool Breeze shaved his goatee for the occasion. (I'll be glad when it grows back!) Have you figured it out yet? Tina Fey & Bill Clinton?? No, but that was a good guess!

Look at this little cutie!!! She has the BEST HAIR ever! You've seen this chickadee before - she was the Supermodel Diva in the swimming pool.

I'm glad we didn't go with the Pebbles & Bam-Bam costumes. It's really no fun to party with the parents. Fred and Wilma are cool and all, but you never know how they are going to act when they get around Thing 1 & Thing 2.

OK, HERE WE ARE - Sarah Palin and John McCain! We were SO excited about the photo op with Captain Morgan. We hadn't seen him since last summer. He's always dashing!

We can't go anywhere without having our picture taken a hundred times. The campaign trail can be grueling.

Several times, we were accused of inappropriate political canoodling. Thank goodness they didn't mention THAT on Meet the Press Sunday morning.

Snow White spent a lot of time "dying" Cool Breeze's hair to make it white. She also wielded a curling iron for 30 minutes to make my hair as BIG as possible. (I regret not getting a picture of the back. It was fabulous!) I loved it so much, I had to take one last picture before going to bed. So long Big Hair, it's was nice knowin' ya.

Now. What are we going to be next year...

Spooky Snacks

We had SO much fun at the Halloween party Saturday night! A big thanks to everyone who offered costume and snack suggestions.

The first snack I chose was "Lil Smokies Mummies" - Just wrap Lil Smokies (mini hot dogs) in crescent rolls, bake, and add mustard eyes. Couldn't have been easier. I saw this recipe when I was standing in line at the grocery store last week. Since I already had all of the ingredients at home, I knew I just HAD to make these! The second snack I prepared was an old standby - taco dip. I've been making this hot taco dip for years, and people don't seem to be getting tired of it just yet. I typically make it in a 9x13 casserole dish, but I decided to use a round baker so I could add the spider web on top. Do you like the spiders and snakes???

There really isn't a true recipe for this, but I will tell you what's in it:

1 lb. ground beef - browned and drained
Stir in one pkg. Taco Seasoning Mix

Layer the following in order in baking dish:
-8 oz. cream cheese - softened
-8 oz. sour cream
-15 oz. can refried beans
-Jar of salsa
-ground beef mixture
-shredded cheese

Bake at 350 until bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips or Fritos. We like Fritos Scoops because they don't break when you dip:)

The recipe as shown in the photo has been doubled.

Be sure to stop back by tomorrow for the BIG COSTUME REVEAL!!! Guaranteed to make you laugh:)

No More Beans

The field in front of our house is a great source of entertainment. OK, I'll admit that we don't get out much. Don't judge! Anyway, since the first day we moved to this little slice of Heaven, we have enjoyed sitting on the porch and watching the deer, turkeys and hawks meander through. Occasionally we catch a glimpse of a groundhog, or even a bald eagle.

The farmer who farms this property rotates between corn and soy beans. This year, he chose soy beans. Mid-summer, he decided that it would be a grand idea to fertilize this field with sludge. If you do not know what sludge is, do not look it up. You DO NOT want to know. Consider yourself warned.

This "fertilizer" certainly put a damper on our summer activities. Nothing like sitting down to eat outdoors with friends, and suddenly catching a whiff of Eau de Outhouse. It's a wonder anyone returned. Perhaps the smell was less noticeable when they were in the pool......under water!

We found it interesting that even the wildlife couldn't take the odor. I'm sure they ran as far away as they could. At least far enough away so that they were able to breathe! Fortunately, the smell has subsided, and our beautiful animals are starting to return.

I was SO happy that I was home early enough one day this week to catch a glimpse of the farmer in action.
Look at this awesome piece of equipment! I believe the brochure said it has central air and indoor plumbing.

I wonder what he has playing on the radio. I'm sure it's something about a girl thinking his tractor is sexy. Or something about a dog.

I waved to him, but he didn't see me.

The dust started to get to me a little bit.

But, he was gone as quickly as he had arrived. Mission accomplished.

The field now appears to be an extension of our yard. This weekend, I am looking forward to sitting on my porch and watching for the deer and turkeys. They will certainly be out searching for a snack in the freshly cut soy bean field. Hunting season is only a week away, and my beautiful animals will once again retreat into the woods....at least until the season is over.

What will you enjoy doing this weekend?

Mooned

I was on my way to pick up some lunch a few minutes ago, and I GOT MOONED! This guy threw his drink down and dropped his drawers in broad daylight! The NERVE! Fortunately, bloggers are like Boy Scouts...we are always prepared. To snap a photo, that is!



Should I file a police report?

We're Going To A Halloween Party!

Cool Breeze and I have been invited to a Halloween Costume Party. We estimated that it's been 15 years since we have been to one. I'm not sure I even remember what to do at an adult Halloween Party! I'm sure it's just like riding a bike...

This is where you guys come in. I need your best costume and party snack ideas. I'm leaning toward a pirate theme for our costumes, but haven't settled on that just yet. I don't sew, so the costumes need to be really simple to make, or store-bought. For the snack, I would like to take something that isn't sweet. I LOVE to cook, so the snack can be as simple or as complicated as you like.

Can anyone help?

Friday Funny

On my way to work this morning, I saw a license plate that made me laugh out loud:

OJDDIT


The car flew past me so quickly that I didn't have a chance to snap a photo to share with you. I'll try to do better next time! Forgive me?

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Middle Sis Turns The Big 4-0!

Today I want to use this space to wish my middle sister a VERY HAPPY 40th Birthday! Last night, I dug out some pictures to commemorate this special occasion.

This picture was taken on the back steps of our grandparent's house. Middle Sis was about a year old. The following Easter, she performed her first amazing feat - she rummaged through her Easter basket and managed to shove six marshmallow Peeps into her mouth at once! We have the video to prove it. She looked good in drool. Speaking of Easter, here we are dressed up and ready to go to church Easter morning. I was probably jealous because I didn't get to wear a bonnet and she did. We were both really good at twisting our feet. I think it helped us break-in those new patent leather Mary Janes! They were THE BOMB!
Middle Sis has always looked good in a bikini. Even at 40, she can put others to shame - including me! I should hate her for that, but I don't.
This is a photo of all three of us with our PaPa. Middle Sis was always a snuggler! It's likely that Grandma made our dresses. She would let us pick out our own buttons and trim when she made us a dress. We loved it!

Middle Sis even took cute school pictures. I could always count on my eyes being half closed!
When we were teenagers, I liked her enough to encourage her to go to my Junior Prom with a boy in my class. The Surveyor and I double dated with them. What a FUN night that was!!! Can you hear those dresses screaming "IT WAS THE EIGHTIES"??
Speaking of the eighties, Middle Sis ROCKED the big hair....and the sassy jean mini skirt!
This last photo was taken several years ago at one of our favorite restaurants. We were celebrating both of my sisters' birthdays - they always get stuck with a combined celebration because their birthdays are so close together. Bummer. Middle Sis is on the right. I am the one in the middle with the green balloon reflection on my face. Nice! Just like the Easter bonnet, I was jealous because they got to wear tiaras and I did not.

I hope you have enjoyed our little trip down memory lane. In closing, I would like to sing a song to Middle Sis. It's a heartwarming diddy from our childhood. Pardon my voice...

Happy Birthday To You,

You Live In A Zoo,

You Look Like A Monkey,

And You Smell Like One Too.

Happy Birthday Middle Sis! I Love You.

Well Tag Me Twice!

I'm going to catch up on my tags today! I have received two tags for the same meme. The first one came from my friend Marlene at Country Girl on the Chesapeake Bay. She's a quilter/crafter who loves mermaids and merdudes, and she lives on The Spit! Don't know where The Spit is? You'll have to go see her to find out. You'll enjoy the visit. She may even make you some Mt. Dew Dumplings.


The second tag came from my world-traveling friend Grandma J. She enjoys long boat rides to Alaska, and she is always surrounded by men. Sometimes, they take their shirts off. The men. Not Grandma J. When you stop by her place, be prepared to sit a spell....and to laugh a lot! She'll pour you a glass of wine, and challenge you to predict who will win "Dancing with the Stars" this season.

Seven Random / Weird Things About Me:

1. My husband and I are both right-handed. Our daughter is left-handed.

2. My favorite part of an ice cream cone is the very last bite. I LOVE the way the ice cream melts down into the cone crannies and sits there. YUM!

3. I can't stand for my hands to be dirty. I wash my hands about a hundred times per day. No, I have not sought counseling for this OCD behavior. Do you think I should? Excuse me, I need to go wash my hands.

4. I have sort of a tote bag fetish. Not pocketbooks, tote bags. Whimsical beach bags, monogrammed L.L. Bean Boat & Totes, free giveaway bags from Estee Lauder.....you get the idea. Can't get enough of them. My daughter seems to have inherited that gene. Poor kid.

5. I have a HUGE crush on Kiefer Sutherland. a.k.a Jack Bauer. 24. Two hour movie special to air November 23. Guess what I'll be watching.

6. I love the smell of Noxema. (Raise your hand if you, too, are a child of the '70's) I also love the smell of magic markers. No, I don't use them to catch a buzz. I just like the way they smell.

7. The day I got married, I weighed 96 pounds. Six years later, when I went to the hospital to have my daughter, I weighed 192 pounds. Now, I am somewhere in between - thankfully closer to the lower number than the higher one....at least for now. My Blogger Butt is really starting to concern me!

The Bloggers I'm Tagging - I chose these ladies for a variety of reasons, but the primary reason is that I want you to go send them all some Bloggy Love!

1. Tami W. I am in love with her cat, Lorenzo! He's a BAD BOY...just my type!

2. The Girl Next Door She lives next door to her ex-husband. Can you imagine?? Check out her site for her latest adventures in civility.

3. Heidi - The Milk Man's Wife She lives on a farm and has FIVE boys! Again, can you imagine?? Her stomach is iron-clad, and she makes a mean John Deere cake.

4. Krissa She is recovering from Hurricane Ike, and has just finished caulking her roof...BY HERSELF. Go help her pick out a color for her front door!

5. Mom x 2 She is in Cancun right now. She told me not to be jealous because it was a "business" trip for her husband, and they would have to entertain people the whole time they were there. Yeah. Right. Bwahahaha!

6. Travel Girl She's a walker, a biker, a traveler, and she worked in a jail for two years helping inmates get their GEDs. She needs for us to commiserate with her because she has to share a computer with her hubby!

7. Monica Davis Monica is a new blogger who came my way via Marlene (one of my taggers). Monica is a beach baby who has fantastic BIG hair. She is going to give it to me when she cuts it.

If you don't wish to do this, it won't hurt my feelings. I'm flexible like that!

Have a great Tuesday!

Blue Monday

The title of this post has nothing to do with my mood today. We had a wonderful weekend at Casa de Envy, and today's warm temperatures have me smiling all over myself!! Even a trip to the cell phone store hasn't dampened my mood - but it came close...

The following pictures were taken by one of Snow White's friends. She is one talented girl, and her photography continues to amaze me. I'd like to start featuring some of her work on my site - I just need to get permission!
This is a picture of the bean field in front of our house. It's almost time for the beans to be picked, but I enjoyed looking at them immensely over the summer.
This picture was taken along our driveway. Snow White can't go anywhere in the yard without that sweet old boy tagging along! Our dog has been around since she was in kindergarten.

I hope you've enjoyed a little glimpse of a future artist's work. She has been part of our family for longer than I can remember. I hope she remembers us when she makes it big!

I'm working on a little giveaway! Stay tuned this week for more details. I have never done a contest before, and I want to make sure I have it straight before I post it!!! Just a hint - start thinking about your hair...in the eighties...or last week...just start thinking about your hair!

T-Shirts

Some friends of ours recently started a t-shirt printing business. I've been tossing around the idea of having some BHE t-shirts printed, and yesterday I finally got around to it. They are done with ink, as opposed to the iron-on method, and I really like the look. The pictures are pretty lame - they are much cuter on an actual body. I ran out of time this morning...so this was the best I could come up with! I went to Wally World and bought some three dollar sale shirts because I didn't want to use expensive shirts in the "creation" phase of this venture.
Snow White and I plan to have pajamas printed for her friends for Christmas. We thought the logo would be cute on cami's and boxer shorts. What do you think?

Homecoming 2008

The Hawks Homecoming weekend started with a little parade and a big football game on Friday night! The kids went all out to support their team. Snow White and The Boy with the Perfect Teeth are on the right in the first photo. It was close, but the Hawks emerged victorious with a 49-0 win over the visiting Wildcats. Most of the kids left during the third quarter. Something about Starbucks....

Saturday evening we went into town for the annual Homecoming picture-taking ceremony. It was an intimate group of 12 couples and their parents. Of course, the first picture should always be taken with Dad.
The girls didn't need much encouragement to pose for photos. They are all naturals. And they were all stunning. The only problem they had was trying to keep those high heels from sinking into the lawn.
The boys, on the other hand, awaited direction from one of the moms. Thank goodness she has two boys, and was able to whip them into shape fairly quickly!
I was a little late getting in line to take the group shot, but I think a candid photo here and there just keeps it real.
Once the flashes subsided, the girls weren't sure what to do with themselves.

So they decided to pose for more pictures!!
SW & TBWTPT carpooled with some good friends. I think this was the last picture I took before they started yelling at me to go away. I was feelin' the love!
I was able to snap a few more before I was officially dismissed. These two black and white shots are my favorites. My girl sure has grown up.

After pictures, the kids headed off to a local restaurant for dinner. They had reserved the banquet room. I can't imagine how all of that went!!

The Surveyor and I, along with my MIL, headed out to the new Bass Pro Shop. The intention was to have dinner; however, the restaurant has some "you will not get a table for two hours" rule. They give you a blinker and send you off into the 4,395,551,846,721,772,009 square foot store. When we tired of looking around, we knocked people off of the bar stools so we could sit down, um, we waited for some nice people to leave so we could have a seat at the bar while we died of starvation. The food wasn't great, and I was SO sleepy. Next time I think we will just go home and cook on the grill.

Calling All Laptop Users

Hi. My name is BHE, and I have dial-up internet. "Hi, BHE!"


Welcome to the Support Group for the Technologically Challenged. We have come together in search of guidance and direction in our quest to better ourselves as we venture into the blogosphere. It's not a place for the faint of heart. It's a place where we laugh and cry together. A place where we spend countless hours sitting at our computers, and loathe the dreaded Blogger Butt that seems to plague us.

Today, I am not asking for tips on shedding the Blogger Butt - although, that may be one of next week's posts. No, I am begging you to tell me about your laptop. Which brand did you purchase? What do you like or dislike about it? Does it make your eyes cross after looking at the screen for six hours at a time? What is the price range? Does it come in cute colors? Is it easy to transport?

I would also like to know which internet service provider you use. Do you have to plug the computer in, or do you have wireless service? If you have wireless service, have you had any problems connecting? What type of security measures do you have in place?

Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated! Last night, I sat at my home computer waiting for my DIAL-UP connection to actually CONNECT. EIGHTEEN MINUTES LATER it told me there was a server error. AAAHHHHHGGGGHHHH! I wanted to throw the whole thing out of the window. I believe I said this out loud. About that time, The Surveyor quietly left the living room and went into the bedroom to watch television. I'm certain that he will be pleased that I have started this support group to help with laptop research. It's much more comfortable to watch t.v. in the Lazy-Boy.

Thank you for your participation. This support group may prove to be extremely popular. Please be sure to sign up in advance.

Breakfast of Champions

I stopped by the local 7-11 store this morning for a nice hot cup of coffee. There was a fresh pot brewing, and I waited ten minutes for it to finish. In the past, I have been running behind and have had to settle for the sludge that has been sitting there since 1987. Not today! I was early! I stood and chatted with three others as we anxiously awaited the final drip. Of course, they were all retired and had nowhere to be until noon. But I digress.

Snow White attends school in a neighboring county. It's a 45 minute trip each way. For seven years I dropped her off and picked her up EVERY DAY! My life revolved around her school and activity schedules. When she got her driver's license this summer, I was nervous. OK, I was terrified. I couldn't imagine my baby being out on the road without me. I had no idea what her new-found freedom would mean for me.

My commute has been cut in half. If I am able to leave work early, I can go straight home. If I want to go to the gym after work, I can do so without consulting my daughter about pick-up times. I do not have to get up early to take her to weekend show choir or play rehearsals. If I want to stop by 7-11 for a cup of coffee in the morning, I can do so without worrying about getting behind a bus and delivering my daughter to school late. The amount of free time I now enjoy is mind boggling.

Despite all of the positive things, I really miss that time with my girl. I miss having an hour and a half of one-on-one conversation with her each day. I miss hearing about what's going on at school or work. I just miss HER.

It's our job as parents to teach them to fend for themselves once they are thrust into the cold, cruel world. I'm hoping we have done a decent job. We'll find out soon enough. Until then, I guess I will just appreciate the little things......like a fresh cup of coffee and a chat with the retired folks at 7-11.

Hope your Monday is filled with sunny skies and hugs from your children.

Jury Duty

A couple of weeks ago, I was the lucky winner of a subpoena for jury duty. Jealous? They pay you enough to cover your lunch. Gas is on your own. You are instructed to report to the courthouse at 8:45 a.m. for the cattle call, I mean, jury selection. There are no further instructions. Sixty people show up in various states of dress (NOT UNdress) and wander around with that "deer in the headlights" look about them. I'm a reasonably stable person, but I felt as if the men in the little white coats were going to show up at any moment to carry us away!

Keep in mind that I have never won the first door prize at a Tupperware Party, but you can bet your sweet bippy that I was going to be one of the 20 people whose names were drawn out of the hat to be part of the actual jury. Yessiree, #17. That's me! I was still hoping that I would be one of the 8 who were eliminated by the attorneys. No such luck. I was in it for the long haul.
The good thing about this whole experience was that I was able to spend the entire day in and around this beautiful, historic courthouse. Like most everything else in the county, the courthouse is far removed from civilization. The county is about 60 miles long and 10 miles wide, and the courthouse is located near the center. This is an older photo, so you'll just have to use your imagination to see the leaves starting to turn on the trees.
The next picture shows the addition which was completed several years ago. Inside, it has all of the bells and whistles; however, it just lacks the charm of the original building. The only time we went over to the new building was when we were permitted to go to the bathroom. You really have to appreciate indoor plumbing.....especially after a cup of coffee and a Diet Coke.

The historic marker tells you a bit more about my beloved county. On my trip down Route 14 yesterday morning, I took my time and enjoyed the beauty of the changing season. The fields are changing from green to golden, the leaves are beginning to turn red and orange, and the air is a little more crisp. Maybe Fall isn't so bad after all.....

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!