A Makeover and a Medley

Hello my friends.....yes, I'm still kickin'!

I can't believe it's been since before July 4th that I have posted anything.

I don't really know why...I mean nothing earth shattering has happened to speak of.

Do you ever just get that way... and blogging almost becomes sort of a burden?
And steroid withdrawal didn't help matters either... the struggle is real, folks!

My excuse last week was that I took a week of "staycation".

All week long I was busy working on projects that I had been putting off for months and months needed done around the house...from early in the day until late in the afternoon.

Needless to say, the old gray blonde mare, she ain't what she used to be...

...at least until I am able to get my mojo back!

I actually surprised myself by not falling off the step-stool as many times as I was up and down it!

There's still lots to do, mind you, but getting that tiny master bathroom redo accomplished
was a big check mark off my list.

So before I get to the Medley questions,
I'll give you a little peek at my teenie-weenie bathroom makeover.

There are no before pictures but believe me when I tell you it was quite a transformation.




I used the same wallpaper (yes, I said wallpaper) that I papered our bedroom with

a couple of years ago....and you do realize that wallpaper is making a comeback, right?

It never really went out of style in my world, at least.
Anyway, unless I wanted to put up all new sheetrock, wallpaper was pretty much a necessity.

Whoever built and decorated this house back in 1985,

chose to put wallpaper in nearly every room...right on top of raw sheetrock...

...no sizing, no primer, nothing but raw sheetrock...and it and the wallpaper became one...

...impossible to remove without ripping layers of the that white chalky stuff.

So I have basically been re-papering the walls as long as we have lived here,

adhering any new paper to the original, irremovable paper!

The paper I replaced was a dark-ish, marble-ish, textured-ish looking paper.

WOW...what a difference this made in brightening up that tiny bathroom!

And I do mean tiny...another question mark as to why a master bathroom would be this small!

But if the room had been any larger, I may have actually died redecorating it! 😩

So now let's get on over to the Medley...

This week it's all about family...cousins, aunt & uncles to be precise.
So just copy and paste the questions from Terri's blog to yours...
...and well, you know what to do after that

1.  What can you tell us about your cousins, please, or someone who is close like a cousin?

Coming from a family the size of mine (8 kids) and since both of my parents also came from large families, I had so many cousins I couldn't keep track of all of them. Also, many of them lived quite a distance away from us, therefore we didn't see each other very often growing up and many of were not close. Oh yes, there were family reunions on both sides but it was really hard to keep track of that many people when you're a little girl.

Some of my older siblings among some of the cousins. I can't identify some of the cousins...lol!

My older siblings have a much better recollection of who everyone was and closer relationships as well. Since I was one of the younger ones, most my cousins were quite a bit older than me and I wasn't really super close to any of them. Of course I have many people in my life that are not actually "blood" family that I love dearly but comparing them to a cousin would be doing them an injustice since I didn't really have that experience.

2.  Do you still see your cousins and will you contact them on National Cousins Day?

I can't remember when I last saw one of my cousins...isn't that sad? Of course many of them still live up in Ohio and the family reunions of yesteryear just don't happen much if at all anymore...but when they do, I am rarely able to attend. When the aunts and uncles who were their parents passed on (which they just about all have), many of the cousins didn't keep the reunions as a priority. I have reconnected with a couple of my cousins on Facebook and even found an older cousin who I never knew until she stumbled upon my blog a few years ago. You can read about it here.


My long lost cousin, Sharon.



3.  Terri had a favorite aunt and uncle she will tell us about.  How about you?

Out of all my aunts and uncles, I did have had a few favorites. Among them was my Aunt Clara, one my mom's sisters and I have written about her on my other blog. She and Uncle Bud lived out in the country but pretty close to us. Their children were probably the closest in age to me and my siblings and we visited each other often. I loved visiting them at their old farm house with the wrap-around porch and the cow pasture across the road.

My sweet Aunt Clara who lived to be 103 years old!

4.  Did/does your family have reunions and can you tell us about them?

All throughout my childhood and beyond, family reunions were something I always looked forward to year after year. They were held every summer, always on a Sunday, at the same park in Troy, Ohio. This particular reunion was started by my mother's parents and was always known as the Davis Reunion. I don't remember any of my grandparents on either side but I do know they had LOTS of kids! The Davises had seven, each of the seven went on to have that many and more of their own. That gives you just a hint of how large these reunions were at one point.



My mom and five of my siblings at one of the Billheimer reunions.

My dad's family (the Billheimers) also had an annual reunion that I remember attending a few times but we were closer with Mom's side of the family. All of the Davis children are gone now and so are some of their children. Things change. For the past several years, my siblings have tried to keep up with our own reunion. We were unable to meet last year and of course we lost our dear oldest brother in 2017. We had a different kind of reunion that year...bittersweet as it was. Nothing has been planned for this year due to one reason or another but hopefully we can all get together in 2020!

5.  If you have children, are they enjoying relationships with their cousins, aunts, uncles?

Oh, they absolutely are! Our grandchildren range in age from 20 down to 10 and I can't remember a time when they weren't absolutely thrilled to be in each other's company, no matter what age they were. The older boys have always loved visiting the Tennessee Bunch...they LOVE their Uncle Adam...and Adam's two are always thrilled to see what "toys" their Uncle Aaron is tinkering with at any given time. The older ones even especially enjoy visiting the great aunts and uncles in Ohio and have frequently made those trips with us as well. And thanks to Facebook, my own two boys are probably closer to many of their aunts, uncles and cousins in Ohio and other states that they would not have had otherwise! So now, I shall bore you with some photos of my favorite group of cousins...

Cousins...when it was just the boys.

Cousins...and then there were four...finally, a girl!

Cousins just wanna have fun.

Cousins chowing down on some good grub and Parker's trademark silly face...lol!

Cousins chillin' in the pool.

Cousins with a moose.

Cousins/Uncle Adam group hunt.

The gang's all here!

6. Tell us something random about your week.

So I am back to work this week after my aforementioned staycation and it has been good to get back into my regular routine once again. To make things even better, the blood test results from last week's visit to my hematologist are coming back (there are a few still out) and so far, everything looks good. I think she took a dozen vials from me ...no kidding. Since the first of the year when everything started to go haywire, my blood platelets had been dropping like flies... BUT...these tests revealed that they are on their way back up! It's comforting to know that I won't bleed to death when I have my upcoming surgery! Also, we are currently experiencing a nice break from the heat after a dozen days of 90+ temps...a few days were nearly 100 degrees! It was in the 70s earlier today and is in the 60s as I am writing this. I am savoring every moment, as short-lived as it will be. Fall, I am ready for you!

*****

So that's it for me this week.

May your days be blessed until we "meet" again!

A Medley of Cheese and other Stuff

Hello, my friends and welcome June!



It was feeling like the middle of August this time last week...the mid 90s!
I have never felt it so hot and muggy in the month of May before and now that we are in June,
it has finally cooled off a bit to feel more seasonable.
It is still comfortable enough to enjoy the porch and I try to get out there as often as I can
while the weather still allows because once the heat and humidity kicks in,
 it's pretty much unbearable until the fall.

I found this set of pillows (with the birds on them) a few weeks ago at Goodwill.
I loved the pillow ticking combined with that lovely print, don't you?



So I've been having some trouble blogging lately.
I can't seem to gather my thoughts long enough to even get a decent post together.
I can't tell you how many posts I have started and then I wind up deleting them.
I just don't know what it is..........well wait a minute, yes I do.

These wicked steroids have really been messing with my thought processes.

But I am on the down-slope...I started my taper a couple of weeks ago and in another month,

I will be off of them completely...YAY FOR ME!

I guess it's been a while since I gave y'all an update on my health issues.
Did I happen to tell you that my doctor said that as of where we stand now,
there was no reason why we shouldn't be able to move forward with our "plan"?
This benign so-called tumor may be staying with me for the long haul...
...something that can be watched and managed, he said.
He also said he would help me get connected with some great doctors in Tennessee at Vanderbilt!
I am still trying to wrap my brain around this roller coaster my life has been on this year...
...but I am only sure of one thing ... and that one thing is that God is SO very good!
~
So, let's see...... oh yeah...
...the whole family had a great time over the Memorial Day weekend.
We were able to surprise the birthday boy with a certain delivery man who was actually his brother.
How that all came about is w-a-a-y too long of a story to share right now but just let me say,
it took a while for Aaron to recognize his brother with "Billy Bob" teeth in his mouth,
wearing a "wife-beater" t-shirt and his cap pulled down over his ears. 😁
 Am I the only one with big plans of taking lots of pictures of certain events and then getting none??
Not. One. Photo. Was. Taken.
This is the only one I have to share that Michelle took of Aaron and Dylan before their pull.

Aaron got third place in his division and Dylan got a full pull in his exhibition run!
It was a great weekend and we all had a blast.
And speaking of Dylan, this young man will be graduating high school next Saturday.
It seems like just a few short years ago, this Mawmaw was changing his diapers!
And later this summer he has plans to join the Army.
We couldn't be more proud of him for wanting to serve his country!



But it is Wednesday...and that also means it's time for Terri's Wednesday Medley.

Today, it's all about cheese, which I love...
...the only problem is I can't eat much of it anymore.
LOW FAT DIETS ARE NOT FUN, PEOPLE!
So head on over to the Medley and you just might find out some interesting facts about cheese!

1. National Cheese Day is Tuesday, rather than Wednesday, but I think we should celebrate cheese this week!!  Let's start by sharing your favorite cheese with us.  Which one is always in your fridge?

My hubby's most favorite of all cheeses is extra sharp cheddar in block form and you'll most likely always find some there in the cheese drawer. Sliced swiss is also among our favorites and you will also find a bag or two of shredded cheese of some sort and Kraft single slices for grilled burgers when we have them... although I really don't think it qualifies as "real" cheese. 😏 

2.  What is your preference? Mild, Sharp, or Extra Sharp?  How do you use cheese most often?

Well, I think I answered that question somewhat above...I like the flavor of different varieties, even the mildness of a great havarti, muenster or string cheese (mozzarella). Even though I can't be eating a lot of cheese these days... I do sneak in a piece on a turkey or ham sandwich or have a tiny bit of the shredded kind on my eggs. I do buy the Polly-O string cheese sticks...they make a great snack.

3.  Cheesecake?  New York style or what other flavors would you rather have?

This is torture, Terri....now your making me talk about cheese CAKE! I love cheesecake pretty much in all forms or flavors but my favorite would have to be with strawberry or cherry topping. Or chocolate with cracked pecans drizzled with caramel or......whatever!

4.  When you do grilled cheese sandwiches, which cheese do you prefer to use and what condiments do you use, if any?

When I was eating grilled cheese sandwiches, I would butter up some great grainy, seedy bread and usually tuck in a couple of types of cheese...a slice of cheddar and maybe some pepper jack...but no condiments for me. Now Jim, he likes his a bit different...same grainy, seedy bread but with the Kraft singles with mayo and dill pickle chips.

5.  Number 5 on June 5th... Say happy birthday to my sister, Tammy!!

Happy Birthday, Tammy! May you have a most enjoyable birthday on the 5th!

6.  Share something with us about your week. If it includes using cheese in a recipe, please also share that with us too!!

No cheesy recipes to share today but I will share with you a recipe I tried WITHOUT cheese. Have you ever made cornbread waffles? I am always on the lookout for interesting or unusual waffle recipes...it's amazing how many things you can make into waffles! And if you wanted to add some cheddar to these, they would be awesome I'm sure.

So it came to me how easy it would be to make cornbread waffles and sure 'nuf, Pinterest had bunches of them. You can use any recipe you like but if you ever use those little boxes of Jiffy Mix, that's what I used for mine....easy peasy! Prepare as you would normally then pour the batter into the waffle iron. They were delicious and I have been eating them off and on all week since I made them over the weekend. I have kept them in the fridge and heat them up in the toaster oven as I go. I ate one for breakfast with maple syrup and then had another last night with a tiny pat of butter and honey along with my air-fried asparagus and mushrooms. YUM!

Here's another random thing from last week...and it has nothing whatsoever to do with cheese. For quite a while now I have been keeping my eye out for a vintage kitchen scale. To me, they are kinda like clocks...and y'all know how much I like my clocks. And if I had a dollar (well okay maybe ten dollars) for every photo I have taken of that cherished family heirloom pocket watch I could go on a very nice vacation (hmmm...maybe to Ireland!)

There's just something about the dial, the numbers, the history...I don't really know what it is that intrigues me...BUT...anyway...I FOUND ME A SCALE! 

And a great old scale she is! I fell in love with the color and the wonderful patina.

I found her right here in my town on our local Facebook Marketplace. She had belonged to this young lady's grandmother (how could she be selling this??) I promised her I that would take very good care of it.

And as you can see, we had us a little photo shoot...no surprise there. 😊

So that's it for me this week!

Until next time...

Much love,

A Memorial Road Trip Medley

So has the month of May really nearly passed us by already??
That is CRAZY!
So here we are, looking at Memorial Day Weekend...
...just in time for a.....ROAD TRIP!!



It just so happens that this week's Wednesday Medley is all about road trips.
After all, it seems this coming Friday is 

NATIONAL ROAD TRIP DAY!!



If you head on over to Terri's she'll tell you all about it!
And then just copy and paste her questions to your blog and answer them.

1.  Have you ever done a spur-of-the-moment road trip?  Where did it take you?

Since you didn't specify, I am assuming it doesn't matter the length of the road trip to actually qualify as one. When I was a little girl, we often piled into Dad's old Buick (or later on, the station wagon with the third seat facing the back) and made our way into the country settings of the places where my parents were raised and began their homestead. These places were probably no more than 30 minutes to an hour drive from our home but they seemed as though we had driven miles and miles to get to them...probably had something to do with those hilly and bumpy back roads we had taken. Actually, I think they were ALL back roads, come to think of it! We heard story after story about who was born where...or how the cows got away the day they broke through that fence...etc., etc. Fun times! When I had a family of my own, we usually had a plan as where we were going but there was one time in particular when we packed up, got in the car with the boys and headed to the beach...no reservations, no certain destination. As it turn out, we found an adorable vintage motel right on the beach and had one of the best unplanned vacations!

2.  If time and money wasn't an issue, what roads would you choose to travel and how long would you be gone?

I actually think I could spend a long time on the road and I would take mostly back roads. Our dogs are great little travelers and I would make sure the places that we stopped were pet-friendly, without a doubt. I always had a desire to travel out west to places I've never seen and if money were no object we'd rent an RV and just go for it! Just don't put me behind the steering wheel. 😉

3.  When you go on a long road trip, what snacks and beverages do you take?  Do you pack a picnic? Does the back seat turn into a nest?

If we are starting out in the wee hours (as we do often) Jim will need his coffee...but bottled water is usually our drink of choice for the most part. And we don't ever have to worry about driving too far without rest stops...between Jim's coffee and his diuretic medication, he pretty much stops at every rest area we come to. Me? I stay in the car mostly. I've been told I have a bladder of steel. 😄 As far as snacks go, I prefer mine to be healthy ones such as fruit, nuts or protein bars while Jim goes in for the candy bars and little packages of mini donuts. He occasionally sabotages my good snacking habits by bringing me a pack of Peanut M&Ms when we stop to get gas. Well, they are kinda healthy aren't they?? Some of my favorite road trip memories do include picnics along the way at picnic areas or rest stops. A cold meat sandwich and a bag of chips never tastes better! These days, the back seat is just filled with whatever won't fit in the back of my CR-V but back in the day when we were traveling with two boys (sometimes our two and other times our two grands), you couldn't even see that there was a back seat! 

4.  Please tell us about something interesting or strange you have seen on the side of the road.

I am sure through the years there have been many strange things that we have come upon but the first thing that came to mind was something we saw just about a year ago when we went to the Cass Railroad in West Virginia. As we rounded a corner of a road filled with many twists and turns, out of the ditch came a bunch of what looked like fuzzy little puppies...and they were standing right in the middle of the road...OH MY GOSH!!! Mommy was not with them...or so we thought. Jim stopped the car and just as I was about to get out, I caught a glimpse of Mommy, still in the ditch but she didn't look like any mama dog I'd ever seen. They were actually not puppies at all (well, they were...kinda) but a litter of adorable baby foxes...and Mommy looked as if she didn't much like me! Needless to say, I got back in the car and as soon as we saw they were safely off the road, we drove off. My only regret is not getting a picture. (And sneaking one of them home with me.)

5.  Who does the driving when you head out in the car?  Do you stop in the rest areas along our Interstate highways when you have to use the facilities, or do you choose a fast-food restaurant or gas station instead?  Not TMI... inquiring minds want to know!

Oh...this one's easy, especially since I already answered part of it a couple of questions back. First of all, there is never any argument about who will be driving...whether we are just heading out, somewhere in the middle or pulling back into our driveway, Jim would be the one behind the wheel. One time, years ago, I offered to drive part of a trip to Ohio so he could sleep....well....I vowed right then and there I would never offer to drive again. Between him not being able to get comfortable to sleep and worrying about every move I made, that was the first and the last time that happened. But that's okay...we have traveled many a mile together since then and it's all good. Rest areas are my husband's our facilities of choice...that is until we get to the next restaurant...or gas station...or whatever. I don't think there is an establishment that Jim has ever entered where he hasn't checked out the "decor" of the facilities.....get my drift???

6.  Please share something with us about your week so far.

Excitement is in the air as we get ready for our Tennessee bunch this weekend. We have a very special birthday to celebrate over the Memorial Day weekend....Aaron will be the big 4-OH! on Saturday! How can this be?? Many of you who have been following me for a while know some of the struggles he has had for many years with his alcoholism and there were many times throughout the past 20 years when we wondered if he would even make it to his 40th birthday. God, in all of His amazing grace and mercy has given him a brand new life for the past few years and we are just so very grateful! Some of you may have seen him on his souped up lawn tractors.

Here he is on his baby, "Plum Crazy", which he will be taking to a truck and tractor pull event in western NC, on Saturday, also his birthday. Last weekend, his youngest son, Dylan drove Plum Crazy in another competition...his first time EVER driving it...and he actually won FIRST PLACE out of 7 or 8 others! Way to go, Dylan!

So as we are speaking of road trips...we are about to embark on a fairly short one...only a couple of hours long. Aaron doesn't know that his whole family will be there to watch him do his "thing"...and to help him celebrate his BIG DAY! It's going to be a hot one too....mid 90s temperatures and lovely humidity combined with red dust flying everywhere...what's not to love?? The things we do for our loved ones....

Have a safe and wonderful weekend 

as we remember those who fought and died 
for our freedom!

A Medley of Memories of Mom

So Mother's Day is almost here and that means it will be June before too long.
And we all know that June is the sixth month and that means 2019 is almost half over!!
Whaaat??
~
This past April 30th marked the ninth year since my mom went to be with Jesus.
I have shared quite a lot about her since I began this blog and I'm re-sharing some of it today.
No matter how old we get, we never stop missing them after they leave us, do we?
~
So Terri, our friend from Florida, has all the low-down on the history of Mother's Day.
She shared the following on her blog about this special day.

MOTHER’S DAY – Second Sunday in May

MOTHER’S DAY

Everyone has one or has someone who is like a mother to them.  On the second Sunday of May, we honor those women who are our mothers. Whether we shower her with gifts, take her to a fancy dinner or make her a homemade card, what moms want most is to be surrounded by the love of their family.  Knowing the people they love are safe, sound and healthy is a mom’s number one priority.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Remember to put mom first on Mother’s Day and use #MothersDay to share on social media.

HISTORY

Mother’s Day has been celebrated around the world since, well, since motherhood. In the United States, Julia Ward Howe inspired the first movement toward a national Mother’s Day during the Civil War. Appealing to the public for a “Mother’s Day for Peace” after witnessing the devastation left by war, Howe went on an international crusade. While her efforts never gained formal recognition for an official observance, she was acknowledged posthumously in 1988 for her achievements and her efforts for women’s rights.

It was in 1905 when Mother’s Day was finally introduced successfully by Anna Jarvis, the daughter of Ann Marie Reeves Jarvis who had followed Howe’s campaign and had pursued her own volunteer efforts during the Civil War. Her mother died on May 9, 1905, and she missed her greatly. She started a dedicated letter-writing campaign to declare an official Mother’s Day. Through Andrews Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, the first Mother’s Day was observed on May 10, 1908.

This day, to honor Anna Jarvis’s mother, grew into a National Observance until in 1911 when every state participated. Soon it was spreading internationally, and on May 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Mother’s Day a national holiday to be held on the second Sunday of May.

So why not head on over to her blog, 
get the scoop and copy and paste her questions to your blog.

It's the

1. Where did your mom grow up?

Rural southwestern Ohio.

2. Tell us about her siblings, if she has/had any. Did you have a favorite aunt or uncle?

Mom (Mary Elma) and her twin, Edna Mae, were #5 and #6 out of 7 children. There was Ella, Raymond, Anna, Clara, Mom and Edna, and the baby, Amos. Here are the twins as infants, Mom is on the left. I think my baby pictures strongly resemble hers. 

And below,  I am guessing the twins might be about ten here and that is older sis, Clara in the middle who was two years older. Can you guess which one is Mom? There's that forehead that I inherited! 

And then finally, here are the twins at their 90th birthday celebration. Aren't they adorable? They probably look more like each other here than they ever did...and the Old German Baptist (Dunkard) church dresses and caps helped them out a bit. The twins were the only siblings who continued in the tradition of the church in which they were raised all their lives. 

Of course I loved all of my aunts and uncles but I'd have to say that Aunt Clara was my favorite sibling of Mom's...probably because our families lived the closest to each other and we cousins were closest in age than any of the others. Aunt Clara was two years older than Mom and her twin, Aunt Edna but she lived the longest...103 years! I wrote a post about her back in 2013 in honor of her 100th birthday.



Click on the link below (if you like) which will take you over to my other blog, Memories of my Childhood (and other blessings) and read all about my beloved Aunt Clara.

Fresh Country Air  

 3.  What is ONE of your favorite memories you can share with us of your mom?

Oh...there were so many wonderful memories. I have written quite a bit about my mom over the years and again, you can find them over on my other blog. I have chosen this as my favorite if you choose to click on the link and read it. I know some of you have read them before...no pressure.
 



 Apron Strings...the Ties That Bind 

  

 4. Please share a picture or two of your mom with us.

 

This is one of the last kisses that I gave her. It was Easter Sunday, 2010 and she was in the hospital. It would only be a few weeks later that Jesus would call her home. If you want, click on the link below and read about our last visit together.

Her Crowning Glory
  



5. Let's not leave out the grandmothers. Share what you will.
 

My dad's mother died when he was only seven and when his dad remarried, well, just let me say that they had another bunch of kids together and unfortunately she favored her own children over the steps. It created hard feelings with my dad (of course) over the years and his and our relationship with her was not close after his father died. During my growing up years, I didn't see her very often and barely even considered her a grandmother figure in my life...no surprise there. My maternal grandmother had already passed by the time I was born so I have no real "grandmotherly" memories to speak of. I have always felt a little sad about that but since my mom was much older when I was born, I actually have those kind of memories of her. Dos that make sense?

6. Do you have any special plans for Mother's Day?

At this moment in time, I have no clue...probably will at least go out to eat after church. But then again, all of the restaurants will be ridiculously crazy...may need to have a plan "B".