Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Two Thousand Ten or Twenty Ten?

...or maybe Two O-One O, or just Ten.
Decisions, decisions....
Whatever we call it, it's almost here.
Have you made any New Years resolutions?
Are you going to?
Is it even worth the effort?
I mean if you don't keep 'em or even attempt to keep 'em is it worth it?
I have lots of good intentions, but we know what road is paved with good intentions....
Lets just say I'm going to do better at a lot of things.....
I've been a backslider about my "no sweets". I think it's okay during the holidays though. Next week it's back to the straight and narrow.
I'm gonna start back to Pilates on Monday. I've missed my Pilates buddies.
I've thought about joining one of those 365 groups that takes a photograph everyday for a year... I don't think that'll happen so I may have to pass on that one.
I might start my own 365 group called "Kiss Zane 365", I believe I can handle that one.
Let me know what your resolutions are or if you are a total NO RESOLUTION freak... I want to know... I'm funny that way.
Have a Happy 2010! however you want to say it!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Merry Christmas


Yep, it's almost here....December 25th, Christmas Day!

It's 4pm on Christmas Eve and I'm still doing embroidery for Christmas! The last item is on the machine now. (that's why I have a minute or two to blog) It has been such a busy week that I'm still spinning.

When I leave here shortly I will go on over to my moms and we'll make the cornbread dressing for our Christmas Dinner. Then it's home to wrap presents and try to make heads or tails out of everything I bought for my loved ones. Zane and his mommy and daddy have gone to Tennessee for Christmas Eve with Nana, Granddaddy, Grandmama, Uncle Mark and the twins Ian & Aaron. Zane will be the superstar I'm sure! A little update on Baby Zane, he's laughing now. It's precious. I love saying something to him and hear him just bust out laughing. He has quadrupled his birthweight, he's over 16 pounds now. He has also grown 8"! He's fixing to start eating solid foods... next thing you know he'll be in kindergarten. Dan and I are soooo loving watching him grow and change on a daily basis. We are truly blessed.

I reckon this is a good time of the year to reflect and thank the good Lord above for our many blessings. I know this year He has been mindful of me! He has blessed me beyond belief and I am truly thankful.

The love of family and friends overwhelms me and I'm thankful for each and every one of you!

So here's wishing you all a Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Ready or Not....Christmas is Coming....

This is what the voice in my head keeps saying. And believe me when I say this, "I'm NOT ready!"
It happens every year. We work like crazy getting orders out for folks so they have them by Christmas and our own shopping is done at the last minute. Anything I have this far in advance is because I ordered it on-line. Now I realize I should have ordered more on-line. Some members of my family have yet to tell me what is on their wish list. Next year I'm gonna start hounding 'em in July for the "list"! Remind me of that please.....
Enough of that already....

Last weekend was the Lone Star Rodeo Finals in Cullman, Al. One of the perks of making the finals is that you receive a contestant jacket. (They were really sharp this year.) Rachel had asked me months ago if I would come down and be available to embroidery names on jackets if the contestant would like to have that done. I can't say no to Rachel and it was a paying job and I like to buy Christmas presents even if it is at the last minute. So off we go on Friday, the 4 of us. Ned, Kelly, Zane and G-mama. This was Zane's first rodeo! He got to meet quite a few new friends. Ned and I worked hard all through the rodeo and went back Saturday and worked some more. Zane and Kelly stayed home on Saturday but Ned and myself headed back for another busy day. We had fun despite the cold and despite the fact that we were located directly under the speakers. ( I was deaf until late yesterday!) Well, the cold was only a problem while we were loading and unloading our stuff, the building was heated.

Monday was my Daddy's 81st birthday! I had put out the word for friends and family to send cards or call. They did! He was soooo excited about his cards and phone calls. It amazes me that in this fast paced world of technology a few lines written in a card or a five minute phone call can absolutely change a mood and brighten someones day beyond words! I'm sure Daddy has read and reread his cards a hundred times.

I did find time to shoot a few photos this weekend. Enjoy!

Me at the rodeo! I had my cowboy hat with me but it's getting a little small and it doesn't cover my ears!


How 'bout these fancy duds that my G-mama got me? Your diggin' my cowboy boots aren't ya?


Ned working....


Our neighbor at the rodeo.....


...and his friends

Our machine was set up just on the other side of the fence on the right...


The contestants wearing their jackets waiting on the group "shot".....


Papa Tom, Gran, me and Daddy....

Everybody SMILE!


I hear you talking but I'm not sure what it is you're saying.....


How old are you anyway Papa Tom?


Gran is ticklin' my 'piggies'......


Gran & Papa Tom


Uh, sorry 'bout the slobber-drool on your shirt mom.....sometimes I can't help myself...


This is the face I make when I'm blowing bubbles.....


...then we all laugh and laugh....


I'm watching G-mama's embroidery machine....she keeps telling me about working hard...the machine does all the work... I was watching it!

Friday, December 4, 2009

It's December...It's Suppose to be COLD!

But maybe not this cold....

My weather bug on my computer tells me it is 11:34 am and the temp is 37*!
Yesterday my little weatherbug buddy didn't get above 38*.
I'm not a fan of cold weather.
Never have been, never will be. PERIOD!
It may snow somewhere in the heart of dixie tonight and tomorrow but probably not here. That's okay with me. I lived in snow for 13 long winters. Thank goodness my kids were little then and we played in the snow, made snow men, slid down the hill past the pine trees, under the cable fence and into the outdoor arena on a regular basis. That part was fun. The part that wasn't so much fun was the fact that the animals still had to be cared for even when it was umpteen degrees below zero! Ice had to be broken out of the water buckets and filled up with fresh water. Stalls had to be cleaned. Customers horses had to be ridden. Steers and calves had to be tended to. Our life had to go on despite the weather and that could be a bummer! We wore a lot of winter clothes. Everywhere. You bundled up to go to Wal Mart or Krogers or just to the post office. Everybody did, you didn't stick out like a sore thumb and you didn't think anything about going to Wal Mart and parking beside a 20' high pile of snow that had been pushed there by the snow plows. It was simply a way of life. A way I'm not going to go back to if I can help it. I'm not thrilled about the cold yesterday, today, and tomorrow, but I watch the weather, I saw where next Wednesday's high is 60's. That keeps me from getting depressed over the cold weather. It provides a break from this bone chilling cold..... and buddy I'll need a break! Meanwhile, I'll just sit by my heater here at the ole Shamrock and listen to the hummmmm of the embroidery machine.
Do you like the cold? The snow? Or are you a warm weather gal or guy like myself? Leave me a comment and tell me how you feel about the weather. I want to know....

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

On the Road to Recovery...

That's me!

Recovering....

Taking it easy....
Bossing folks around....

Bonding with my recliner....

Bossing folks around....

Making plans for the new year....
Bossing folks around....

Last Tuesday, one week ago today I had surgery. I'm feeling better every day and looking forward to the Holidays. I'm at the store for a while today so I thought I should blog and put up some photos of my 'sunshine'....Baby Zane! He makes us smile everyday! He's changing rapidly now and will be 6 months old Thursday, December 3rd. Last Saturday he paid ole Santa Claus a visit for photos! (We don't have them back yet) You'll just have to enjoy mine today!

When I go to the store and it's cold my mommy dresses me up like 'Winnie the Pooh'...


I like it....I think....


Thanksgiving morning.... PaPa entertained me while my mommy and daddy got ready for our trip to Grandmama's house in Franklin, Tn.
Me and my buddy "William, Jr."....




Daddy and me....


I'm a pretty sharp dresser don't you think?

Mi familia.....I learned that from tv....




After I saw Santa Claus on Saturday my buddy Trevor Hill came by the store with his mommy and daddy!


That Trevor....he's a mess! He's only 2 months older than me.....


Mommy and G-Mama found my Christmas outfit online at Macy's....Ain't I adorable?


This is where I pretend to be a bear.....


A sleeping bear.....


I like to pretend I'm a prize fighter before my bath.....


I'm still lovin' my whale of a tub....Are you lovin' me in it?

Rub a dub dub....


Oh yeah...laid back...takin' it easy...just enjoying my bath.....



This is where it gets exciting....I love it when the water comes splashing out of this thing...I even try to catch it!


Mommy and Daddy, I think I'll keep 'em!

Monday, November 30, 2009

The Winner Is......

Thanks for entering the contest!
It was fun for me...
Hope it was fun for you...
We will have another giveaway hopefully before Christmas...
I really enjoyed reading what you all were thankful for.
Everyone was especially thankful for their family! This warms my heart. This confirms what we already know...that material things don't matter as long as we have our families. Nobody mentioned being thankful for their posessions even though I know we are...We are thankful for the opportunity to have nice things. But we'll be alright if they are gone tomorrow as long as we have our families.

Now for the winner!

Drum roll please...

Drum roll a little longer.....and louder....

And the winner is



Jolyn Wells

Congrats to Jolyn! We'll get your necklace and earrings to you ASAP! Thanks for entering.
Don't forget to check out our website www.shamrockm.com I've updated the jewelry page. I know you'll find something you really want for Christmas! And we'd really like to sell it to you! I have no shame....

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Giving Thanks & Giving Stuff Away!






Our Jewelry Parties are going GREAT!
Our jewelry sales at the store are going GREAT!
We've got some really cool stuff!
Folks are diggin' it!
We're thankful!
Thankful beyond words....
So thankful we are going to give this gorgeous set away....Necklace and matching earrings. And yes, the earrings and the necklace are the same color. This morning when I was trying to snap some adequate photos for the contest I was in a hurry and didn't set up a really good shooting area...I'm really busy okay? Soooo the color of the pendant in the close up is a little dark...the first shot really shows the true color but I wanted you to be able to see some more detail...hence the close up, that I'm not so proud of...Let's just move on!
Now here's how you win.....
Leave a comment at the end of this post telling me what you are thankful for.
Leave your first and last name.
You may have to leave a comment as anonymous, if so, make sure you leave your full name.
Only one entry per person.
Contest ends Monday, November 30th.
Winner is selected by random draw.
Winner will be announced Monday afternoon.
Men can enter too even if they aren't loyal blog readers. If they win they can give this to their wife, or girlfriend, or sister, or aunt or the mail lady. I don't care... I just want you to enter. I also want you to go to our website www.shamrockm.com and look around. I'll be getting more jewelry photos up ASAP. I promise.
I'm thankful for my blog readers...You're the BEST!
So enter up now and GOOD LUCK!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Yard Sale Weekend....

It was BEEEEE-U-TE-FUL! Kathryn and I had been planning this yard sale since September. Every weekend we were both home so was the rain. It rained a lot! Finally, last week Kathryn said, "if it rains this week we are just cancelling until next spring!" Well, it didn't rain and in fact I don't think we could have requested better weather. Friday was our best day! We were selling like crazy. We were raking in the dough. We were on fire. Saturday not so much....

But Saturday was still my favorite day. We were just sitting there enjoying the fabulous day when I looked up and my buddy Julie Kloberdanz was walking up! This wouldn't have been that spectacular except Julie doesn't live here anymore. She and her family live in Brighton, Colorado. They used to live here. Her husband Dan works for Lockheed-Martin. He's a rocket scientist. He was transferred here a few years ago. Julie has horses. They lived less than a mile from our feed store. They bought their house from Dr. Beasley and his wife, the Beasleys were feed store customers. They were moving to Mobile. The Beasley's told the Kloberdanz' if they needed anything to come by the feed store and we would help them. They came by. We became friends. See how easy that is... making friends has always been easy for me. And luckily for me I make friends with the best folks imaginable. You know the kind that their Mother told 'em, "to have friends you have to be a friend." My friends all know how to be good friends! Lucky me!

When my doctor told me a few years back that I needed to start walking everyday I was going up to the community center and walking by myself everyday. Julie came in the store one day and we were talking... when the conversation got around to me walking Julie said, "I'm going to start walking with you." She did. She kept me on track. She came by the store every day and picked me up and we walked and talked and became even better friends. Julie and her daughter Miranda was with us when "Flash" took Kelly's photos for her wedding portrait. It took all of us to get that wedding dress on Kelly in that little Church bathroom! These are the memories that just stay with you. Julie made both the Brides cake and the Grooms cake at Kelly and Ned's wedding. They were beautiful and delicious! I don't think I could have ever gotten everything done for that wedding without Julie. We went to Pilates class together, talked about horses, sewing, and just about everything under the sun. Then it happened. Her husband Dan was transferred back to Denver. I was happy for Julie, I knew how much she missed Colorado and her friends and family and her Rocky Mountains, but I was sad for myself. Good friends like her are treasures. We keep in touch. She's got an embroidery machine too. She also has a new Canon camera and is persuing photography. Julie was here for a week visiting with a friend who has had a rough time this summer. I know Julie's visit was good medicine! I told her when she can come back I'll need her to myself for at least one whole day and I'll take 2 if I can get it!

Now, I'm gonna share some photos of guess who?

You guessed it...Zane! These were taken yesterday morning. Dan and I were getting ready to head out the door going to work but I had to get out the camera and take some shots of my precious baby Zane! He is soooo happy in the mornings. What a blessing God has given us!










Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Zane 5 Months Old Today

Can you believe it? Doesn't the time just fly by? In 5 short months he has more than trippled his birth weight. He's over 13 pounds now. He has learned to smile and coo. He sleeps through the night. He knows how to let you know when he's hungry. He's found his thumb and likes it.... A lot. He has learned how to hold his head up despite the weight of those unbelievably fat cheeks. He has us all wrapped around his tiny little finger. And, he has acquired 4 pony saddles! He even dressed up for Halloween! Not really a costume but an adorable outfit! (Next year I'm sure we'll all be excited about trick or treating!) Thank goodness I've taken those 3 million photos....he's changing so fast it's easy to forget what he was like last week! When I went with my favorite daughter-in-law Mary to Ohio I didn't see Zane for almost 2 weeks. This was the longest I had gone without seeing him since his birth. I was amazed at how much he had grown!

Here are Zane's Halloween photos. Enjoy!