* I Have Just Spent Almost $200.....

Well, another day at the sausage factory. Today I decided to go online and do something I've been dreading. Our health insurance has a "wellness plan" that encourages (browbeats) you to do all sorts of healthy things...I guess so they won't have to pay out so much on your illnesses. I've avoided their calls, tossed the letters and in general just ignored their endless badgering. But after my close call the other night at Michael's (see Mirror, Mirror On the Wall blog post), I decided maybe they knew what they were talking about after all. So today, I went online and took a look at their babble about controlling your weight.

Why, why, why do I do things like this? Why do I allow others to torture me about something as personal as my weight? I don't know the answer to that, but today was the pits. The very first two questions were 1. What is your weight? 2. What is your height? They didn't give you any place on the questionnaire to explain WHY you were said height and weight. (I have some very good explanations...like my grandchildren love Sonic Blasts and it wouldn't seem right for them to eat one without their old grandmother joining in; or I am now in my twilight years and can't see very well, I had NO idea all that behind me in the mirror was actually ME!) Oh, noooo..they just wanted "the facts, mam, just the facts."

So I gave them the unvarnished truth and the computer sputtered and blinked slightly and then spit out this summary. It went something like this, "You are as wide as you are tall and you aren't going to live very long if you don't do something about it PRONTO! We are reducing your caloric intake to 720 calories per day and strongly advise you to exercise HARD for at least 60 minutes 7 days a week. We want you to weigh between 100 and 109 pounds!"

Who are they kidding? 720 calories a day? I thought that was like criminal or something. Can they be serious? I think people stranded in the desert get more than that. And 60 minutes of HARD exercise 7 days a week? Obviously they haven't heard of the Day of Rest...but really now...60 minutes? And they had all types of exercises they wanted me to begin immediately...strength, load bearing or something, cardio. Another thing, I was to list all the exercise equipment I had access to...If you count the Princess Reeboks I wear every day...that's about it...they asked about stretch balls, bicycles, dumbbells. The only dumbbell I know anything about is me for getting into this in the first place. And what a hoot! 100 pounds?! Yes, I remember being that weight maybe when I was four or five.

For a minute I thought this was a joke. I looked around to see if anyone was watching me and laughing. But after about 30 minutes of this drivel, I found out they were serious as that heart attack they were warning me about. They even had all my meals planned out and get this, my 5 page weekly grocery list was made out! So I took the list home and sat down to make out my real list. The reason this post is so late is that I have just returned home from a 2 hour shopping trip to the Richland Wal Mart (couldn't go to Pearl, I might have been seen). I spent almost $200 on stuff that I've never even heard of and I'm not sure if I can choke down. I had to check the sugar and fat and fiber content of every product before I tossed it into the buggy. I looked down once and it looked like I was buying for a family of 10 instead of just for myself.

When John arrived home from his Tuesday night ballgame, he said, "Why are you still up?" Why, indeed. I had just gotten home from the grocery store and it was 9:15! I'm going to keep you up to date on my progress, but I have a feeling that when all those Weight Watcher Fudge things are gone, that may be the end of this fiasco. 100 pounds and 7 days of HARD exercise...oh, please.

Quick & Easy Autumn Centerpiece

The purpose of this post is to show a layering technique that might be enjoyed in your decorating schemes. Tablescaping is a really fun process. I would much rather plan, gather materials and decorate for an event than to actually go to the event! (I know, it seems rather antisocial, doesn't it?) Anyhooo, this is a quick centerpiece that I put together for a library display of cookbooks and tailgating publications.

I began with an autumn hued plaid tablecloth. I made sure there was enough purple in the plaid to be able to bring in purple berries in the arrangement. I love orange, curry and purple combined. I used a faux magnolia leaf wreath as the base of the arrangement and topped it with a light orange berried wreath. I then inserted into the berry wreath, purple berries, dried hydrangea and feathers. In the center, two gold mercury glass candlesticks were placed and topped with candles. I couldn't find the color candles I wanted, so I just painted some old ones I already had. I sponged on purple, orange and gold. The mottled effect is actually prettier than the picture displays. Around the top of the holder I tied berries, hydrangea, some miscellaneous fall foliage and tied the whole thing with twine. The big puffy bow is that stiff mesh that I spoke of in yesterday's blog. I tied the bow onto the wreath with twine also. Twine is the bomb for rustic decorating!!

Layering is a process that was born out of never having just the items needed for centerpieces!
If you layer and use what you have or what you find around your yard, the effect is usually very pretty. I would suggest a few other things to add to this centerpiece such as this: acorns that have been painted gold or left natural, autumn leaves, McCarty or Peter's squirrels or birds, small deer and/or branches that have silk leaves hot-glued on. If you don't have the wreaths, use a grapevine wreath (and use real magnolia leaves) and buy your silks at Dollar Tree...they have great Fall stuff!

My theory is that you can never have enough Fall! As I've stated before, I begin putting out colored leaves in September, add pumpkins in October and the ever-present turkeys in November. This gives you three good months of warm colors to decorate with and ushers in the Christmas season in a beautiful way.

Weekend Tips of the Week: I've Been Shopping!!!

Picture #1: An old sheet music book of Christmas Carols. (They are NOT normal size sheet music...smaller.)

Picture #2: An old rusted red metal rake head.

Now: Read #1 below.

Two or three things to let you know about!

1. This weekend I visited the Highway 49 and Magnolia Flea Markets. One of my favorite vendors was having a half price sale...oh, YAHOO! I found two things that I have ideas for, but wanted you to tell me what YOUR ideas are for these items...just comment and let me know what you think or comment on FB if you'd rather. I would like to use them for decorating at Christmas...but the rake could be used year round.

2. I have found some more blogs that I thought you'd like, so I am listing them under "About Me". Check them out...really cute, but very diverse.

3. I stopped by a place on Hwy. 49 in Collins, MS that I have often wondered about, but never have taken the time to stop. It's a big metal building on the left if you are heading toward Hattiesburg. It's across from the Antique Galleria on 49. The name of it is Shirley's. I didn't have high hopes when I entered, but it's really a neat place and I wanted to alert you to it. They carry tons of fabric and I love Premier Fabric and I couldn't believe how much they carried. All of the Premier is $6.99 a yard (plus 20% extra off until Sept. 11.) Very good fabric prices and lots of it. ..minky dot in all colors...also upholstery fabric. Also had all that colored stiff stuff that everyone uses for Christmas bows for their wreaths and trees. I don't know the name of it...looks like loosely woven burlap in beautiful colors...about 18 inches wide...7.99 and 9.99 per roll.

4. And THIS IS THE BIG NEWS....I just saw a colored leaf falling from a tree!!! Ya'll, really, I think Fall is breathing down our collective necks!!!!! Yay!!

Sunday at Sunrise

What a beautiful sight...freshly mowed pasture! Sunday morning at 6:00 A.M., temperature was a breezy 68 or so and the birds were eating a big breakfast of sunflower seeds. Peaceful and cool...what more could you ask for? Thank you, Lord, for your magnificent creation.

Oh, The Joys of Football Season

Nobody who knew me well could believe it! Angela? Marrying a football coach? What in the world is she thinking? As a high school cheerleader, I never knew what was going on in the game. I'd say "Yay" when the other team scored, I'd say "Boo" when my team did! I never knew what offense and defense even meant. I just liked shaking my pompoms and going to pep rallies. The game stuff was rather boring to me. So when my ever loving soon to be husband proposed (at the Liberty Bowl, no less) the fact that he was a coach didn't matter one bit. I'd learn to love the sport...or so I thought.

Now thirty two seasons later, I still don't understand the game. Wishbone, ham bone...I don't know what all that nonsense means. Wing T, buffalo wings...what is it about the game that is so enchanting? I've tried, heaven knows, but I just don't dig it. I can count on one hand how many games I've actually gotten to attend with my husband sitting next to me. If he were there in the stands by me maybe I'd have a clue about what's taking place. However, sitting in the bleachers sans hubby is NOT my idea of fun. I loyally attended all my son's games and my husband's for over 20 years and one day I woke up and thought to myself, "I can't go to one more game by myself. I'm staying home tonight." Guess what? They won even without me there! I guess I wasn't the lucky charm I fancied myself to be.

I DO know that coaches are a maligned group. Unless you've been married to one, you have no idea how many hours go into coaching young people to do what they are supposed to do so that their performance brings home a victory. Pre-game planning, washing uniforms, making bus reservations, packing equipment, handling injuries, practice, getting the team fed, weight lifting, listening to their wives gripe about how much time they spend away from home and then there's the game! I could get really personal here, but I won't. It's an interesting job, but it's also an extremely demanding occupation. I wish everyone understood that.

Once, my friend Greer and her family took me to Ole Miss to a ballgame. I got extremely carsick and Greer's mom gave me some Dramamine. It knocked me out and I slept with my head on her lap the entire game.. that was an omen. Now I don't have to take Dramamine, turn the game on the TV and I automatically fall asleep!!

Tonight is different. It is a really big game between Brandon and Pearl. A huge rivalry has developed since 1949 and it's a featured game on Fox Sports...it's nationally televised!
So tonight I want to wish the Brandon Bulldogs a victory. I have had a little power nap and eaten my supper. I am ready to watch the Ya'll vs. Us game on Fox Sports South. I will cheer every time I see anyone on the Brandon side cheer and I'll boo every time I see anyone on the Pearl Pirate side cheer. (I have figured out that much.) I hope my husband's linemen do their part to insure a Bulldog victory because I can promise you HE has done HIS part!! Go Dawgs!!