Meltdown at Walmart

   Yesterday I went to the Walmart in Mt Olive for the monthly "Haul". The cart was loaded. As I proceed to check out, there are NO CHECKOUTS open. I bypass 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and proceed on to number 15. Of course there is a line. I wait, and wait, and wait. Everyone behind me is grumbling,

kids are yelling, parents fussing at them, the natives were getting restless, including myself.

  I look up to the sky and in my Strongest voice shout, "We need another register open".

The cashier smiles, the kids behind me are silent, and the others in line are laughing. Still, no action. 

I wait a couple of minutes and again shout out "Is there a manager in the store? We need another register open." Wait a couple of minutes, and still no response. So, I give it one more try, " OK kids, there is no one running the store, just grab what you want". Then I hear the microphone click, "register 5 is now open, and customer service is open for 25 items or less". I hear laughter and claps from behind me as the customers head on to register 5.

  I ask the cashier, where are the other cashiers. She nods towards customer service. Sure enough, 6 women standing around talking, while 15 carts are in line. 

  Welcome to Walmart.

Happy Birthday Brandon!

Happy Happy Birthday.

Juice

Well I'm back at it again. This time canning grape juice. My neighbor has a grape vine and didn't want to mess with them, so me and my kids come to the rescue. We got a box full and now are processing grapes. So far we have 12 quart jars. Happy Canning!

Sherrill's new Sandwich

My dessert for last week was spice cake with cream cheese frosting. There was extra frosting left over, so I just put it in the refrigerator. Sherrill came along and started making Peanut butter and cream cheese frosting sandwiches. Now this is the same man that usually makes peanut butter and marshmallow creme sandwiches. So, looks like when he is out of one of them, he just grabs anything!
   I think this weeks dessert will be Walnut brownies.

Grandma's little angel

We were messing around with Photo Booth on the Mac the other day.
Lauren loved her hearts!
And yes, that is the sewing machine still on the table. I'm such a slacker.

Floor Cleaner

No, this is NOT my floor. Mine looks a lot better!

   The floor man finished up yesterday. This morning Sherrill and I got up, ready to get some cleaning done. Sherrill takes the Bona floor cleaner, gets on his hands and knees and goes to work. I go for the
dust mop and get up all the little pieces of sawdust and trash. Sherrill was having a hard time cleaning up some glue, so he was going out to get some paint thinner. What! He is NOT putting paint thinner on my new floor!  I had him call Chris the floor man, and Chris suggested to use mineral spirits, or even better than that to use denatured alcohol.
   I can just imagine Sherrill and a can of paint thinner....... all the polyurethane would be gone, as well as the coloring of the stain. What was that man thinking? So, now he is off to Lowe's to get denatured alcohol, or whatever that is. I wonder why fingernail polish remover wouldn't work?
  After we get the floor clean, we can put the bed back together. We are going to hold off an extra day to move in the heavy furniture.

Nick

Yep,
You can look at him and tell he is kin! This is his first year in high school.

Joe singing

I had to go ahead and take this off youtube. Chances are Joe might take it down once he realizes it is there. He was riding in his car singing and recorded it for a friend as a joke.
Go Joe go!

Judy vs USPS

 I went to the Post Office to mail out a package today. I put in it in a priority flat rate box. The lady at the counter tells me $11. and something. I tell her no, I want the $5.00 box. She already has the sticker on it, and tells me that it is lightweight, but because it is in a flat rate box it is the $11 whatever.
I told her I didn't want to mail it then. I looked around for a regular priority box, but they were all flat rate. I repeated to her I wasn't paying 11 dollars for something I could have put in an envelope.
She acted as though she couldn't void the transaction, but then I saw her supervisor coming through, so she jerked those stickers off the box and gave me the box back.
  Why don't they put on the boxes "Heavy things in this box", and "lightweight things in this box".
Just too many boxes, too many rules, and too much drama!

Now for the rest of the story!
   We go to Mt Olive to the Pig Store (99 cent Pepsi). The Post Office is two doors down.  I take my box, and go to the Post Office there to pay my $11 and whatever. I decided by the time I go home, repackage my box, the last mail truck would have already gone. Then I would have to go to the Goldsboro Post Office, because the Dudley Post Office isn't open on Saturdays. I hesitantly gave them my money, and shipped the package out. There! Now it is done with. They won! That's OK. Wait until Christmas, I will CRAM everything I can in tiny envelopes and boxes, just to see them bulge.
  I will WIN this battle......... Battle of the Bulge!

Oh What a Mess!

This is what my closet looked like last Monday.

This is the stuff I had already taken OUT.

2 totes, 2 clothes baskets, plus a basket full of pictures

This is what it looked like when I finished. I still have a large section of quilts to straighten on the right hand side. I think there's like 25 of them. At least I can see the floor, can walk in now, well, I could until Sherrill moved furniture in there. While I was at church today he moved a big mirror in. Now I can't even get to my clothes. Sherrill hauled off a car load of clothes, shoes, and misc items to the Habitat Store. They LOVE seeing him stop by.
   I never realized how messy I was. But hey, it was all behind closed doors!

I love about anything cooked in the crockpot with cream of mushroom or celery soup. I don't like all the sodium though. When I came across this I decided to give it a try. I haven't fixed it up yet though.

Soup or Sauce [S.O.S.] Mix

Ingredients
2 cups powdered non-fat dry milk
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup instant chicken bouillon (regular or low sodium)
2 Tbsp dried onion flakes
2 tsp Italian seasoning (optional)

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a recloseable plastic bag, mixing well.
Equal to 9 (10.5 oz) cans of cream soup.

To substitute for 1 can of cream soup

Combine 1/3 cup of dry mix

with 1 1/4 cups of cold water. Whisk until well blended.

Cook and stir on stove top or in microwave until thickened.

Add thickened mixture to casseroles as you would a can of soup.

Or just eat it! :-)

http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/03/soup-or-sauce-sos-mix.html

News for the Day

   It has been just one of those days, everyone needed to call a nurse or doctor. It all started out with Eli waking up feeling a little "under the weather". He missed a day of school. Allergies already!
  Christy had to go for a procedure, it ended up going wrong, and she ended up in bed with pain meds.
  Isaac has his EKG and echo, and he's doing fine. Pulse still too fast, but they are watching it.
  Mom (Grandma Cat) went to the doctor, had to go for X-rays for her knees, and ended up on stronger pain meds. Goes back again on Wednesday.
  Poor Sherrill is walking around with a finger that keeps bleeding (where he took a chunk out of it).
He can't understand why painter's tape doesn't make it better.
  Oh, Sto got a couch for his room (some assembly required). He wasn't able to get it together, so he was calling some friends to come over tonight to help him. He now goes to a "single's ward". For those who don't know, that is an entire church for young people, usually ages 18 to thirty something. No more hanging out with "Ma" at church.
  As for me, I'm doing GREAT! I'm still getting my room put together. Sherrill is still painting, and had some flooring patchwork to do today. He should finish up the painting tomorrow. I'm walking on a bare floor with those carpet staples sticking in my feet. I can't wait for the flooring man on Saturday.
  Kelli, are you still out there girl? We haven't heard from you in awhile.

Hello.........

Sherrill is painting.
I'm sending out invoices for dad.
Jack is pouting because he can't go in my bedroom.
Grandma Cat goes to the Dr today. She still has problems walking, and wants a shot of cortisone.
Grandaddy's truck is in the shop ready to be painted from his "fender bender".
All is well in the world today....... as far as I know anyway!
Oh...dessert for the week is Spice Cake with cream cheese frosting. Feeling a little spicy!

My Life

Please copy and paste this and watch this. I feel like this is my life. Anyone else? 

Picking out colors

   Well, it's that time again. Sherrill has a couple of days off work, so it's time to put him to work! All the furniture is OUT of my room, except for the ginormous dresser and mirror. That won't be moved until the floor man cometh. I think these will be my colors Soft coral on three walls, and sea spray as the accent wall that goes from the back wall, all the way through to the dressing area. The tile in the shower is a light blue. Hope it doesn't clash too much. I'm ready to get rid of that beige (sorry Kat). My bed has been taken apart and is in the living room against the wall. I had to move the quilting frame to the living room too. I've asked Sherrill to move it there every since I saw Christy's in her living room. Who wants to sit in a back bedroom to quilt? I want to be in the center of things
   I went online and picked out a granite counter top for the vanity. It was a mere thousand dollars (double sinks do cost a little more). Sherrill just walked away, so I knew my answer. I'll just happily settle for a new paint job and flooring.
  The closet was finally clean (after a week's work). Then, we had to load more stuff in it when we cleaned out the room. Grandma's Jeanne's hutch is sitting in the middle of it right now. I can't wait to get all of this stuff together. I am ready for a CLEAN, clutter free room. I don't want anything out to collect dust! I guess now there will be no excuse for clothes laid out.
   Gotta go....time to watch Big Brother.

Who's the MAN?

You're the MAN!
Happy Happy Birthday Sto Baby.......Oops, I mean "STO MAN"

Another athlete?

Did you see what Cindy has been up to?
Biked 30 miles today.
Go girl go!

Birthday girl........

And........
What do you do on your birthday.........
A Pedicure of Course!

Happy Birthday Olivia!

Happy Happy Birthday Liv.

Be sure to go back to last year's post and see everyone singing to you.

Call us today.

Love YOU,
Grandma Judy and Papa

Grandparent's Day

Grandparent's Day is September 9th. While cleaning out my closet (photos to come) I found this original copy of my Grandma Naomi's class picture taken around 1923-24. The problem with the picture though was none of her children couldn't identify which one was her. Even her sister couldn't pick her out. After blowing this thing up super size and really studying it, I was able to find her. Look in front of the tree, the girl in the white dress with the brown hair (kinda looks like a chubby Mandy). That's her! To make sure, I sent the picture to Aunt Debbie, and yes, she agreed.
  Then I went online to find the name of the school.

Yes, Here it is, Gaston School. It's just turned around. Notice the chimney!

More pictures of Grandparent's to come.