The Never Ending Search For The Perfect Purse

Hello, dear and faithful readers. I had to think long and hard about a topic for today's post. As I was toting my purse around today, and feeling every heavy pound that it weighs, I was reminded of how I ended up with the purse that I currently carry.

You first need to understand this about me: I'm not one of those people who have a million purses (like my friend Jessica) and changes them out several times a week based on what I'm wearing. I'm more of the mindset that you should get a purse that goes with everything and you use it until it can be used no more. Now that I think about it, that hasn't always been true for me. Yes, I do tote a purse around until it has lost its usefulness, but as far as the going with everything....well....does my Spongebob purse and my Power Puff Girls purse count?

In my mind, the perfect purse for me exists, but I just haven't found it. It should have a shoulder strap, not one of those backpack type things. I'm afraid if I had a purse like that then someone could steal something out of it when I wasn't looking. And since the purse is on my back, I would never see it. So, it has to have a strap. It needs to be a single strap, not a double. I don't have time to fight with the straps when I'm putting it on my shoulder. The strap should be long enough to hit me somewhere close to my waist. I don't do the little,bitty purses that barely fit under your arm. To me, those purses look like someone is carrying a football during an important play-off game.

The purse itself should be made of leather. This is only because it is durable and won't crack on you. I hate it when a cute purse starts to crack on the handle. It always pinches you. Now if the purse has sequins, bangles, rhinestones, fringe, or other sparkly stuff, that's a bonus. In that case, if it's really tacky, it won't matter if the material is man-made. Things like that don't matter if you are making a fashion statement, no matter what you are trying to say.

The inside of the purse should be roomy. Multiple pockets are good, but not necessary. There should be a special place to put keys so that you can grab them quickly when you need them. The interior of the purse should be large enough for all my stuff. Sunglasses, makeup, wallet, basic toiletry items (floss, tweezers, eyedrops, allergy medicine..the list goes on and on), cell phone, tissues, hand sanitizer. There's so much I may end up needing. I pride myself in being the resident "MacGyver." If you need something, I've probably got it. Need dental floss? I got it. Need Motrin? I got it. Need a pair of scissors? mirror? lotion? I got it and so much more. I think back in the day there was a show called "Let's Make a Deal" they had a game where the host called out some random item like a hair pin and the first lady to produce it got money. I would so win a show like that.

So, I like large purses. This is obviously because I have a ton of stuff to carry. The problem with this is that the larger the purse, the more stuff I carry around. The more I carry, the heavier it gets. I've actually had to visit the chiropractor before because my spine was out of whack from carrying my heavy purse. I guess the upside to this would be that if I were to swing it at someone, I would have a good weapon.

Everytime I go to a department store, I always go by the purses to see if the fabled, perfect purse is there. I've found a few here and there that I can live with , but so far I've yet to encounter the perfect purse. In the meantime, I'll carry the moderately sized, brown leather number that I'm currently using and if you need to build something with toothpicks, cough drops, and dental floss, I'm your gal.

The TV Saga Continues

So first off, let me say that I have tried several times to upload a picture with this post and was not able to. Either Blogger.com is having some issues today or my STUPID DIAL-UP is getting in the way of my picture posting happiness. Imagine if you will a large smile at the top of this post. Got the image? Good...my posting can continue.

My previous post was about how my television suddenly died. If you know me, then you know how much my TV means to me. If you don't know me, you should read some of my older posts so you can get the general essence of me so this will all make sense.

I called my parents to chat, like I do everyday. I mentioned my TV woes to my mom, and of course she offered her little 12 inch TV. I told her that wasn't necessary and thanks for thinking of me. On a side note, my dad has a monthly poker group and this month they met at my parents' house. My mom mentioned my TV-lessness to my dad, who in turn mentioned it to my uncle, who is part of the poker group. My uncle offers a TV that is just sitting in his house not getting any use. Would I be interested in it? Sure, I say....I'll be there in just a minute. (My uncle and aunt live on the same street as me.) I go to my uncle's house and see the TV they are talking about. It was HUGE! The screen was twice the size of my dead one! David helped me get the TV into the truck, and we offered to buy the TV from my uncle and aunt. They didn't want any money...they just gave us the TV! Oh joy! Rapture!

When we got home with the TV, I had to move my movies stacked on the side of where my TV used to be in the entertainment center. I had to move them because this TV takes up the ENTIRE space alloted for a TV!!! As an added blessing, it was a Magnavox like our dead TV, so our remotes don't need to be reprogramed! SCORE!!!

On the down side, it was a hard day at work. I won't go into detail, but suffice it to say that the stress of it all may kill me! I only wish I had more time at home to enjoy watching my Netflix movies on my HUGE TV!!!!!

I'll post again tomorrow. Hopefully Blogger and/or my computer will let me load pictures. In the meantime, enjoy yourself and stroke your TV and tell it how much you love and appreciate it. 'Cause you don't know what you've got until it's gone.

I'm In A State Of Serious Mourning

I don't know where to begin. There was a really bad storm last night and I think that it killed my television. We only have one. We are a house divided on the television issue. I love it, David hates it. It appears that it may be awhile before I am able to replace it. I'm not sure I will be able to function. So, dear readers, I hope you'll forgive me as I take some much needed time and mourn the loss of my television that has faithfully served me for 13 years.

P.S. If you hear of any really fabulous sales on televisions, please let me know.

Twenty Things I Detest

Here is a partial list of things that I detest:

1) Washing dishes-I have a dishwasher but it's one of those that has wheels and you move it over to the sink and hook it up to the faucet. When I use it, I "forget" to unload the dishwasher. I don't mind messing up the dishes by eating, but I really don't like washing dishes.

2)Sweating-There is no way to look good and sweat. I've tried to take up running as a hobby, but I think the whole endorphin thing is a myth. Couple that with the intense amount of sweating that happens, and you can see why I hate it. I run because I want to lose weight. I hate sweating and keep deodorant in various places (home, purse, classroom) in the off chance I need it. I'm hot natured and live in the deep south-cut me some slack.

3) Snakes-There is no such thing as a "good" snake. I don't mind looking at them as long as there is a thick piece of glass between us. In my neck of the woods, coming into contact with snakes happens often. I shriek like a little girl when I see one.

4) Brussel Sprouts-These things taste horrible and smell even worse. I have tried them before and have never developed a tolerance for them.

5) Pokemon-I've collected more of these trading cards as contraband from students than I can count. I've seen little bits of the cartoon on tv and I'm still not impressed.

6) Flipping Eyelids Inside Out-This is gross. I've seen many a kid do this in hopes of getting a reaction out of me. I never leave them disappointed.

7) Used Band-Aids On The Ground-I know I'm not alone on this one! So gross I can't even begin to discuss it.

8) Yard Work Of Any Kind-When I was a kid I used to use my allergies as an excuse to not do yard work. It didn't work then. About 2 years ago I had extensive allergy testing done. I did not have a reaction to any of the outside elements they tested me for. There goes a perfect excuse.

9) Polictians And Politics In General-Honestly, some of this is due to the fact that I don't understand it all. The other reason is because I think that most politicians are dishonest. If you want to bore me to tears, turn C-Span on the television.

10) No Cable/Non-Working TV-The older I get, the more I love my television. I hate when some or all of the channels go out. I will sit and stare at the TV and beg it to fix itself.

11) Western Movies-They all look the same. Perhaps this is because the scenery never changes. The basic premise of all these westerns is the same. I've never seen a western I've liked.

12) Christmas Music And Christmas In General That Is Out Of Season-This is a weird one because during the Christmas season (for me that starts at Halloween) I listen exclusively to Christmas music and watch every Christmas movie I have several times.

13) Sports-I've not found any sport (with the exception of gymnastics and figure skating) that I fully understand and enjoy. The Good Lord blessed me with a husband who also is not interested in sports so we don't watch any games on TV.

14) Those Orange Circus Peanuts-What is this? Candy? Marshmallows? They taste horrible. Who invented these things and why are they called Circus Peanuts?

15) Swimming In Any Body Of Water That Isn't A Pool- I enjoy looking at the ocean. I don't like anything that lives in it. I've seen too many Shark Week shows. Swimming in anything other than a pool is like Russian Roulette. You can't see what's at the bottom and if you did, you'd be scared.

16) Rats/Mice-This is a weird one because I have a guinea pig as a classroom pet. I think mice in pet stores are very cute. I like gerbils and hampsters. However, if I see a mouse running around I will shriek like a little girl. When I lived in Key West, we had rats the size of chihuahuas that would crawl on the electric lines at night. They were enormous!

17) Not Taking A Shower- There have been a few times in my life when the pipes at the place I was staying froze and burst. Not having water is a bad thing. Outside of not being able to flush toliets and wash hands, I don't like how I feel when I haven't showered and washed my hair. If it ever happens to me again, I'm sure you won't enjoy this one either-especially if we bump into each other.

18) Paper Cuts- I get these all the time and they hurt! It takes awhile to even know exactly where they are....you feel the pain but there's no trail of blood to follow.

19) Vomit- I'm a mother so I've gotten better at this one. Before Raelynn, if I saw someone vomit (this happens a lot when you teach) I would vomit with them in sympathy.

20) Dial-Up- This one is the thorn in my side. I live in the country and apparently there's no way to get high speed internet at my house. It makes my online travels difficult. Have you ever tried to watch a YouTube video with Dial Up? I don't suggest it.

There are lots of other things that bug me....notice that I didn't mention anything about people...that would be a post a mile long.

That's a post for another day.

What Does It Mean When You Watch The Same Shows As Your Kid?

Okay, for those of you who know me, when I say Raelynn you know who I'm talking about. For those of you just joining us, she is my daughter. She is 7. She will tell you she is 7 and 1/2...like she really knows what that means. I want to tell her to stay young as long as possible, because a day will come when you want to be younger, not older. So in a nutshell...she is an only child and all girl. When you add the fact that I waited awhile to have her, you get a recipe for someone who is unique in character (or at least I think so!)


Raelynn likes pink. She wears it everyday. Her second favorite color is purple. Interestingly, my favorite color is purple-second favorite? pink. Is this a merely a coincidence? Read on..... she, like me is addicted to television. Up until about a year or so ago, her favorite shows were Dora the Explorer and Strawberry Shortcake. I'm sorta over them. Apparently, so is Raelynn. Her new favorite show is "Hannah Montana." This may not sound strange, but if you take into account that I also enjoy this show, it all starts to add up. She's trying to be like me. Or is she?

There are times that I think I need to be more like her. She is a bit naive about people. She thinks everyone loves her as much as I do. She hasn't had that big heartbreak experience yet. When I think about her outlook on life, I realize she's pretty happy. Happier than I am most of the time. If you went around thinking that everyone loved you, wouldn't you be pretty happy too? Along those same lines, she also thinks she is smart, beautiful, and talented (which as her mother I can say she truly is...this is a fact, not an opinion!) Again, she doesn't doubt herself. Another good trait to have. She likes to sing, act, dance, paint, read.....the list goes on and on. She has fun everywhere she goes. Hmmmm.....this sounds like something I also want to have.

So, in short, I think that I may be trying to be more like my daughter. She loves everyone, trusts everyone, and loves who she is. Doesn't it sound like we need more of this attitude in our lives? So, I will pick up my hairbrush and sing at the top of my lungs the next time Hannah Montana comes on tv. Because you know, with my daughter's outlook on life, I think I too can have the "Best of Both Worlds." Rock on fellow bloggers, rock on!!!!

If A Washing Machine Had Wheels, My David Could Drive It!

Okay, so I have to ask...did anyone miss me? It seems that I've added another addiction to my arsenal. My first is facebook . I'm now adding blogging to the growing list! How will I make when I go back to work and have less time for these "hobbies?" Sending a shout-out to my friend Crystal who I think enjoys blogging as much as I do!

So on to today's ramblings. For those of you who are movie buffs, you may recognize this post title as a quote from the movie, "Apollo 13." Tom Hanks' character's mom (that grammar looks so wrong!) says this (except instead of David, she says Jimmy) to Neil Armstrong as she is awaiting his return from space. It's a good movie. If you haven't seen it, you should. Get Netflix...I'm enjoying it so much!

Which brings me to this....my husband David is a very gifted driver. I don't just mean how he drives, because he's good at that too, but really my focus today is more on what he can drive.

Yesterday, I went with David to help him cut up some tree limbs at a rental property for my dad. David took the truck and our trailer and off we went! I was sitting in the truck, not really looking forward to doing yard work 'cause I hate to sweat, and then David amazes me by backing into this teeny, tiny driveway with our ginormous truck and trailer. And he hit his mark dead on the first time. I know I couldn't do that. David pulls our car hauling trailer and his dad's borrowed horse trailer and makes it look so easy. He has really good spatial sense and hasn't wrecked any (at least as far as I know.) I once tried to drive our lawnmower with a small trailer and almost had an emotional meltdown because I couldn't back up about 4 feet. So you can see why I'm impressed.

Since I've already mentioned the lawnmower, I'll talk about that next. When we moved to Mississippi and bought our house and land, we invested in a lawnmower. Let me state here that I don't do yardwork. I appreciate nature from a distance, but I don't enjoy sweating or digging in the dirt. David thought if we got a riding lawnmower that I'd enjoy cutting the grass. I think I've done that twice in the past 5 years. It's not because I can't drive it...it's more because I don't understand all the gears and handles and stuff that you have to remember when stopping and starting this machine. Again, David is a master of the riding lawnmower. He cuts our yard and pasture and frequently takes the mower to my parents' house and cuts their lawn too. He hasn't wrecked on this thing either and makes it look so easy.

Yes, that's right....David can drive an 18 wheeler. In an earlier post, I mentioned that I met David many years ago just as he was entering truck driving school. He drove cross country for awhile way back then, and just within the past couple of years, drove a truck for a local company as a summer job. I've always heard David tell stories from his days as a trucker, and I got the chance to experience first hand! I went with David on one of his trips when he drove during the summer. He was able to find his way in an unknown area, back up expertly, and not plow over any slow drivers. (Come on people...check your mirrors...if a truck is behind you, either speed up or move over and let them pass!) These big trucks have like a gagillion gears, knobs, handles, etc. It made my head hurt. He did an awesome job!

He can also drive a motorcycle. Back when I first met David I was 17. I had very limited experience on motorcycles, so naturally I was scared of them. I met David, liked what I saw, and when he asked me to go riding with him one sunny, summer day, I agreed. Let's just say that I enjoyed sitting on the back of his motorcycle, hanging on to him, and feeling the wind on my face. Everything was fine until we stopped for a little while and the motorcycle wouldn't start again! David, of course, fixed the problem. In case you didn't know...David is also a mechanic. He's the kind of guy you can say, "Hey David, my car is making this noise...(insert bad imitation of car noise) and he can tell you what is wrong with your car. But anyway, he had a motorcycle for awhile and someday I think he'll get another one. If he does, I know I'll still enjoy riding with him.

I feel like this a given, but I wanted to include it. David enjoys riding bicycles. We used to do more of this when Raelynn was smaller, but lately we haven't found the time. When Raelynn is a little older, David will continue giving her bike riding lessons that he started last year. He is a good bike rider. Me, on the other hand...not so much. I was involved in a car accident while on my bike when I was 9 and I've never mentally recovered. I don't feel safe on a bike and I'm a very timid bike rider. He still loves me anyway!

I may be dating myself here, but I am a talented skater. I feel I need to say this since so far, I haven't painted a great picture about my driving abilities. My parents used to own a skating rink, and I worked there. I got lots of skate time in, so I became pretty good. David made friends with the guy who owns our local skating rink many years ago, so he also got lots of skate time in. When we were "courting" many years ago, we went skating several times. I really enjoyed this, especially the "couples only" skates. He is an accomplished skater. We enjoyed skating around and around and around (in front of our parents no less.)

I think the only thing that has wheels that David doesn't know how to drive is an airplane. I'm betting that if he had enough practice, he'd master that too. I don't know if this counts, but he can also drive a tank. It has some wheels.

All I know is....If I have to trust my safety with anyone on anything with wheels, David is my guy. (That's right....he's mine and not yours...so don't hate!)

Friends Help You Move, Real Friends Help You Move Bodies

The topic of today's random thoughts is my friend Jessica. She and I met in the fall of 2006. She was assigned to my class as a student teacher. Let me say, she totally rocked. The kids loved her, I loved her...and we became friends.

If you read her blog, you'll see that her life is full of "drama." I put it in quotes because even Jessica will tell you that she worries way too much about the little things in life. I can say this because I am the same way. We "get" each other. We know when it's time to rant, and when it's time to listen. Lately, we've taken turns venting almost on a daily basis.

Just last month, Jessica made one of my childhood dreams come true. I was a bridesmaid at her wedding. Until this point, I've only been in one wedding-my own. I was thrilled when she asked me and I quickly agreed. After all, Jessica was interning with me when she and Adam became an "official" item. I'm sure that story will make it to one of her posts someday. Shortly after agreeing to be in her wedding, I asked about the other bridesmaids. There were 6 others. Keep in mind that all of them were about 50 pounds lighter and about 15 years younger than me. Can you say panic time?

So I began to get ready-like, 5 months early. I went to the tanning salon and worked hard on my tan, I lost a few pounds, I let my hair grow....you get the picture. I couldn't let those "whipper snappers" show me up! I had to represent for all the old, fat people everywhere! Many people teased me about my enthusiasm for this wedding...but truly it was because Jessica is so dear to me and I wanted to be a part of her special day.

In the end, the wedding was beautiful, Jessica was beautiful, and my dress still fit. I had a great time at her wedding. I'm very blessed to have such a great friend in her and hope that when the day comes that I ask her to help me move (regardless of what I'm moving-see post title), she'll be there...because that's what real friends do....they help you out when you need it most.