A Coke and a Smile

On our recent trip to Georgia to visit family,  we went into downtown Atlanta to visit the World of Coca Cola.   It is the building in the front right of the picture.

The first thing you do is get your picture taken in front of some of the decorated bottles.  There are dozens of these bottles all over the museum.  Some of them are really cool.  Here are my husband and I, my daughter and her husband and their two daughters.

When you go inside the museum there is a huge room of Coke memorabilia where the guide gives a talk.  This picture is my daughter and her family listening to the talk.

Then you watch a cute little move and then move on into the museum.  There is a 7 foot tall polar bear waiting to take pictures.  Here are the girls: myself, my daughter and granddaughters.

Then we managed to talk my husband into a picture also.

Here are the granddaughters at the replica soda fountain.

Then there was a really fun 4-D movie.  The chairs rocked, we were splashed by water, wind blew on us and other surprises.  It was great.

We got to sit on the American Idol couch from the show.

Here we are with more Coke stuff.

 It was really a fun place.  We also saw the Coke being made and bottled.  The last room was the tasting room.  There were many self serve fountains, each from a different continent.  At each fountain you could taste samples of different Coca Cola products that are made and sold on that continent.  Some were very good and some were awful.  

Finally, on the way out everyone received a freshly brewed bottle of Coke to take home.  Of course you exit through the gift shop where you can purchase the photos that were taken during the tour and many other great Coke items.

It was a fun tour.  We had a great day.

Visit from the Grandson with cookie recipe

Our Grandson is staying with us for a few days.  One of the perks of having the summer off is being able to babysit while his family is waiting to move into a new house.

His cute 7 year old smile.

The first morning we made pancakes.  He asked if I remember how to make Mickey Mouse pancakes like I used to.  I don't remember ever making them for him but I didn't mention that to him.  

Micky Mouse pancakes for breakfast

At the convenience store:
     Clerk to boy....you are such a cutie.
     Boy....everyone ALWAYS says that

After watching a commerical telling about a contest with a $10,000 prize, the boy stated his desire to enter and win such contest.  I asked him what he planned to do with his winnings.  His reply:  I would give it to you grandma!

Every trip to Grandma's must involve cookies.  I let him help.  His and Grandpa's favorite cookies are No Bake Cookies (recipe below)

Making cookies

Yummy!!!!!

We removed a tick from his head, played Wii and computer games, watched lots of Disney channel, rode the 4 wheeler around the yard and lots of other fun things.  It is great to have him here.

No Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

1 stick margarine

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 1/4 cup oats

Mix sugar, margarine, cocoa and milk in large pan over low heat until all melted.  Bring to a boil.  Boil 3 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Add peanut butter and oats.  Mix well.  Drop by teaspoon onto wax paper.  Let cool and set.

Changes

With state funding cuts and lack of payments, my school district has made the decision to eliminate the program I work in.  I have known this for several months.  After surviving two rounds of layoffs I am secure in the fact that I have a job for next year.  Yesterday I finally learned where it will be.  I haven't been notified of the exact position but I do know that I will be working in another building than the one I have worked in for the last four years. 

I never wanted to leave my current position but I know that it is inevitable and I'm ok with that.  I am very sad to leave my coworkers though.  We have a team that works so well with each other.  We are all friends and we love our jobs.  It is very sad that we will all be separated by circumstances beyond our control. 

I have no doubts that I will like my new position in the new building.  I know I will make new friends among the coworkers there.  I will be fine. 

But I am very sad.  There are only a few more days with my current class of kids and only a couple of more days than that to work with those wonderful women.  None of them will be going to the new building with me.  Not one.  I will only know one person there and she will be new like me.  I won't know where the bathroom or the break room are, or the best place to park.  I know I'll be ok but I am just very, very sad.

What I did between 3:30 and 6:30 (in bullets)

• got off work
• went to my car
• car failed to start
• called husband
• went back into work to wait for husband
• chatted with coworkers
• went outside to greet husband
• watched husband test battery
• battery dead
• watched husband jump battery
• drove to w@l m@rt with fingers crossed
• pulled up to service center
• left husband to buy battery
• went to phamacy
• bought two new meds to replace the one med that insurance won't pay for ($37.00 copay as opposed to $25)
• went back to service center
• saw car still sitting in parking lot; battery not changed
• went to w@l m@rt Subway and ate pizza (yummy!)
• went back to service center
• car still not moved
• stood around for 1 1/2 hours waiting for battery to be changed
• paid for new battery that only took 10 minutes to change and 2 hours of waiting
• drove home.
• set radio station and clock in car
• noticed that gutters needed cleaned out
• carried lunch box and jacket inside
• informed husband that rain is in the forcast and gutters need cleaned
• checked facebook
• checked blogs
• checked email
• checked facebook again
• swept nasty gutter gunk off the front deck

I am wiped out!  So glad that we ate at Subway and I don't have to cook.

The Little Tree that Could

Spring is my second favorite season.  Fall is my first.  But right now I am in awe of the wonderful spring we are having.  Everything is turning green and we have been having beautiful weather for the last week or so.  I love it!

We moved here about 4 1/2 years ago.  It was late fall and the yard was so overgrown and neglected that we really didn't know what was here in the way of plants.  I have since discovered Easter Lillies, hostas, a miniature rose bush, peonies and several other plants that I don't know the names for.

Then there was this tiny little tree.  We thought it might be a red bud tree but weren't sure.  It was only about 2 foot tall.  Each summer it has leaved out and grown just slightly but it never bloomed.  Until now.  Yesterday my husband was mowing the yard and told me that our little tree has finally grown up.  It is still only about 4 foot tall and pretty scrawny but it gave us our first blooms at last.

I really don't know much about plants and do not claim to have a green thumb so I don't know if it is common for trees like this to take years to have blooms but I am so happy to see them.

I hope the rest of my plants make me as happy as this little tree this spring.

Easter

The weekend before Easter my son and his family came to spend the weekend.  As the big kids played Wii in the background, the little kids colored eggs.

My grandson is 18 months old.  He had a great time with the project.  He called all of the eggs "blu"  and wanted to put them in the cups and remove them by hand.  We pulled all of the chairs away from the table during the wait time and he would pull them back so he could get to the "blu" eggs.

My granddaughter is 6.  She enjoyed the process too but would have been much happier if her little brother wasn't involved.

Later in the week we got to visit with two of our grandsons that were visiting from Florida.  They are 14 and almost 7.  We can't believe that the 14 year old is almost as tall as his grandpa.  I wish we could see them more often.

On Easter day, I made dinner at my house.  Since we moved a couple hours away from my family a few years ago we don't get to have many dinners here.  Usually we go there because more people live close together.  But more people came than I expected and we had a great dinner.  It was a beautiful day and the guys got to hang out outside.  My sister-in-law and my nephew made this wonderful Easter bunny cake.  It tasted as good as it looks.  The eggs around it are jello.

My grandson loves to ride.  He begs everyone he can.  I came outside to take pictures of him and grandpa and he insisted that I sit down.  The front of the four wheeler is not very comfortable but I did my lap around the yard with them.

My nephew really enjoyed playing the Wii.  He liked boxing and tennis the best.  I played a round of golf with him but he didn't like that very much.  I'm sure my brother is going to hear a lot about them needing a Wii.

My daughter even got my dad to play.  I was amazed that he did.  They played pool and then others took turns as well.  Later I got my mom to play bowling with us.  She really enjoyed it.

It was a wonderful day full of family, food, fun and great weather.  I hope we can have more family events here this summer.

Here is the latest haul from the library.  I am reading these books for the Support Your Local Library Challenge (<-- link to my challenge page).  Click on the picture below to join the challenge.

 

• 
  
  The Husband Habit by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez
• 
  
  The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine
• 
  
  The Deep Blue Sea for Beginners by Luanne Rice
• 
  
  The Prodigal Wife by Marcia Willett

I have started The Three Weissmanns.  I am so far finding it a little slow going.  I put it down for a few days and just picked it up again last night.  I am also currently reading The Husband Habit.  It seems good so far.

I am finding that I don't have the time to read that I would like.  I keep checking out four books at a time for a two week period.  I am barely getting one book read in that time, so next trip I will be cutting back on the books.

2 years

Today is my blogoversary.  I have had this blog for two years now.  I'm not a very good blogger.  In two years I have published a total of 54 posts and have had 32 comments.  In my head I want to be a Blogger but I haven't figured out yet how to make that happen.  Here's hoping the next year is much more productive on this here blog and that I start getting the hang of it.

Comming up... New library books for the library challenge and some pictures of my grandson with the BigFoot monster truck, and maybe some pics of our recent weekend away if there are any good ones on the camera.

TGIF

Happy Friday.  I can't wait for this weekend.  I have so much stuff to do and I need days off work to do them.

1. I have books to read.  One of them is due at the library today and I'm only half way through it.  I have already renewed it and don't know if I want to try to finish or not.  So there will be a trip to the library in the plans for tonight and guess what?  More books to read.
2. DVR - oh my goodness, I can't catch up.  In addition to the Olympics (Why do they have to go until 11 at night? Don't they know I have a job and can't stay up that late?)  I am way behind on everything else.  I need days to catch up but the shows keep comming and making me further behind.
3. Wii - We spent last weekend at some friends' house and played lots and lots of Wii.  I just had to have one.  I have never really desired one before or thought that the money spend was justified.  But after having so much fun last weekend I kind of changed my mind.  So.... off I went to the store and purchased it.  It is currently still in the box, waiting for the weekend so we have time to set it up and play. 
4. Wii and DVR operate on the same television set.  Somehow I am concerned that one might cancel out the other and then I'll still be behind on the DVR.
5. Laundry - enough said.
6. Grocery shopping - ditto
7. Clean this disaster of a house
8. taxes need to be ready for the accountant
9. etc, etc, etc

I think I'll need some days off to recover from the weekend. 

PS.  What happended to the spell check???  It seems to have disappeared.

In Debit

Last night hubby and I went to Captain D's for dinner. He had a birthday coupon that was about to expire and we cannot pass up a free meal. On the way out the door, I suggested that we drive my car as it was almost on empty and snow is predicted. After paying $6.24 in cash for our dinners and eating them in the dining room, we drove to the gas station for the required fill up.

This particular station is at a grocery store where they give you cents off per gallon for spending certain amounts on groceries. I had a coupon for six cents off per gallon so I had to get out of the car and work the machine since my hubby didn't have his glasses. (likely excuse!) Did I mention that it was approximately 19 degrees outside?

Anyway, I scan my coupon and then am prompted to insert my debit/credit card for payment. The screen flashes "Card Expired" at me. I look at the card and sure enough, it expired last month. I have two checking accounts at different banks and I knew the other card was expired and remembered getting the new one in the mail. But did I have it activated? No.

I started to freak out a little bit. I always use that debit card for everything. I never carry the checkbook. I couldn't figure out why the bank didn't send me one. I was thinking that I had to call the bank the next day and it would take weeks to get a new card and what would I do in the meantime? Luckily, hubby pulled out a credit card and took care of the gas payment for me. I am so glad I took him and wasn't at the station alone, 14 miles from empty and no card to buy the gas.

Hubby kept saying he thought we received the replacement card but I couldn't remember it. I remembered getting the card on the other account and a replacement credit card but not the one for the account that I use all the time. When we arrived back at home, I searched all the mail for the last two/three months and finally found the card. I don't know how I can't recall every seeing it before but I am so thankful that it is here.

Morals of the story: Always keep track of expiration dates on all of your cards and always take your hubby with you to pay for the gas.

January Update

I have had a great time visiting with family this month. My daughter and her family came to visit from GA. This is me with 3 of my granddaughters. They are 6, 5 and 4 with actually only a year and a half between them. They are so fun at this age.

Cousins

My hubby celebrated a birthday this month. Here he is with his favorite meal, home made pizza. We also had cake and ice cream.

In other news, I have been working, reading, watching too many shows on television and trying to stay warm. I freeze to death in my house and hubby burns up. Usually you can find me in the evenings on the couch, wearing two pairs of socks, pajamas and a blanket; reading a book and watching something on TV.

Today we will be going to celebrate one of my granddaughter's birthday and spend time with some of my family. There might be snow at their house. We didn't get any of the snow here.

Next week is groundhog day. I am hoping that critter is nice to us. I am sooooo ready for spring.

Book Challenge

This is my Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge post. Click the link to sign up. I have pledged to read 50 library books in 2010. Here is my progress....

1 Miss O'Dell: my hard days and long nights with the Beatles, the Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and the Women They Loved ~ Chris O'Dell with Katherine Ketcham ~ Completed 1/24/10

2 The Secret of Joy ~ Melissa Senate ~ Completed 2/8/10

3 A Great Kisser ~ Donna Kauffman ~ Completed 2/6/10

4 The Husband Habit ~ Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez ~ Completed 3/?/10

5 The Three Weissmanns of Westport ~ Cathleen Schine ~ Completed 3/7/10

6  The Deep Blue Sea for Beginners ~ Luanne Rice ~ Completed 3/?/10

7  Water for Elephants ~ Sara Gruen ~ Completed 3/?/10

8  Bed of Roses ~ Nora Roberts ~ Completed 3/28/10

9  Mr. and Mrs. Anonymous ~ Fern Michaels ~ Completed 4/5/10

10 The Fixer Upper ~ Mary Kay Andrews ~ Completed 4/6/10

11  Millie's Fling ~ Jill Mansell ~ Completed 4/?/10

12  While My Sister Sleeps ~ Barbara Delinsky ~ Completed 4/?/10

13  Being Elizabeth ~ Barbara Taylor Bradford ~ Completed

14  A Rogue of Her Own ~ Johanna Lindsay ~ Completed

15  Sometimes Mine ~ Martha Moody ~ Completed

16  Stay a Little Longer ~ Dorothy Garlock ~ Completed

17  The Sweet By and By ~ Sara Evans with Rachel Hauck ~ Completed

18  A Reliable Wife ~ Robert Goolrick ~ Completed 5/23/10

19  This Fine Life ~ Eva Marie Everson ~ Completed 5/24/10

20  Not My Daughter ~ Barbara Delinsky ~ Completed 5/27/10

21  The Bag Lady Papers ~ Alexandra Penney ~ Completed 5/29/10

22  I Love You and I'm Leaving You Anyway ~ Tracy Mcmillan ~ Completed 6/2/10

23  Never Less than a Lady ~ Mary Jo Putney ~ Completed 6/4/10

24  The Wives of Henry Oades ~ Johanna Moran ~ Completed 6/7/10

25  Roses ~ Lela Meacham ~ Completed 6/12/10

26  Staying True ~ Jenny Sanford ~ Completed 6/8/10

27  Miss You Most of All ~ Elizabeth Bass ~ Completed 6/17/10

28  Never Say Never ~ Lisa Wingate ~ Completed 7/10/10

29  Her Mother's Hope ~ Francine Rivers ~ Completed 6/23/10

30  Twelve Rooms with a View ~ Theresa Rebeck ~ Completed 6/20/10

31  This Time Together : Laughter and Reflection ~ Carol Burnett ~ Completed 6/17/10

32  Sister's Choice ~ Emilie Richards ~ Completed 6/?/10

33  Never the Bride ~ Cheryl McKay and Rene Gutteridge ~ Completed 7/1/10

34  Recipes for a Perfect Marriage ~ Morag Prunty ~ Completed 7/3/10

35  Sing Them Home ~ Stephanie Kallos ~ Completed 7/8/10

36  Happiness Key ~ Emilie Richards ~ Completed 7/16/10

37  Tending Roses ~ Lisa Wingate ~ Completed 7/18/10

38  This is Where We Live ~ Janelle Brown ~ Completed 7/20/10

39  703 How I Lost More than a Quarter Ton ~ Nancy Makin ~ Completed 7/21/10

40  The Aloha Quilt ~ Jennifer Chiaverini ~ Completed

41  Big Girl ~ Danielle Steel ~ Completed 8/15/10

42  Escape ~ Carolyn Jessup ~ Completed 7/25/10

43  Prarie Tale ~ Melissa Gilbert ~ Completed 7/29/10

44  The Quilter's Kitchen ~ Jennifer Chiaverini ~ Completed 7/30/10
(I almost hate to count this one because it is also a recipe book and I didn't actually read every single recipe.  But it also has a story that is part of a series that I am reading so I decided to count it anyway)

45  The Winding Ways Quilt ~ Jennifer Chiaverini ~ Completed 7/31/10

46 The Lost Quilter ~ Jennifer Chiaverini ~ Completed

47 The Quilter's Holiday ~ Jennifer Chiaverini ~ Completed

48  Here's the Story ~ Maureen McCormick ~ Completed 8/15/10

49  Sweet Misfortune ~ Kevin Alan Milne ~ Completed 8/21/10

50 Season of Second Chances ~ Diane Meier ~ Completed 8/??/10

The list of shame.  Books I didn't finish:

High Society : The Life of Grace Kelly ~ Donald Spoto
The Prodigal Wife ~ Marcia Willett
Rich Again ~ Anna Maxted

*The fine print: I do have Amazon Associates links on this page. If you purchase anything from a link you click on, I will earn a few cents. I do not earn anything if you only click through to read about the book.