Jilly Putty

2009-07-26T16:41:00.003-05:00

Hi there! This is iPOP! testing out Jill's new blogging experience. Hope it works. Signing off with Jill's signature.

2009-07-26T16:31:00.002-05:00

big is beautiful

2008-05-12T22:11:00.001-05:00

A cousin for Felicity, Eli and Addie...

2008-03-21T17:56:00.006-05:00

I know, I know...

it's way overdue for me to update this thing.

I guess I was waiting on something exciting enough to talk about.

Well, here she is!

Baby Camille

she's already smiling!

Doesn't she look so snuggly!?

More pics will follow, but maybe not until June!

Great news traveling fast

2007-10-22T15:11:00.000-05:00

More and more people out there are spreading the good news about Mona Vie!!

Here's Dr. Andrea Pennington on Fox News...

Watch THIS

Health in a bottle

2007-10-10T21:49:00.000-05:00

Well if you haven't already heard about this amazing juice then you will eventually.
Josh and I are so blessed to have found it. We both are experiencing more energy and we are feeling so much healthier just after drinking it for a few weeks!
Anyone who wants to feel better and live longer should definitely be drinking it.

Look at my website if you want to know more about the health benefits.

eg

2007-09-04T20:16:00.000-05:00

FINALLY something worth blogging about!

Since his poor daddy is a TAD bit busy right now with everything....may I proudly introduce...

Elijah Graham
born August 15th, 2007

more pics to come...

I don't want to post all the good ones! Okay, wait....they're ALL good!!!

I'm so proud to be the aunt of the cutest little baby boy EVER!!!

I miss him so much and can't wait to see him again.

OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX <---------- for Eli ;-)

The story of three trees

2007-04-27T10:32:00.000-05:00

Last night was interesting and crazy.
Well, let me start with yesterday afternoon...
No, actually a few weeks ago when I noticed the tree. Yeah, okay so there's this tree in our yard that hasn't yet sprouted green leaves and I was all worried about it so I checked it out only to find it was dead and termite infested. Sad and gross at the same time. I'm not a "tree-hugger" but I wanted to hug this one goodbye. It was so pretty last summer and now it's all brown and brittle. I really was sad! Plus it's our only tree in the back yard that has a branch for my bird feeder.
(my once pretty, now dead tree) :(

There is one more back in the corner too, but I noticed it kicked the bucket as well! It wasn't as pretty and I wasn't as sad for it for some reason. And then about a week ago we had some strong wind that took it down...almost right on top of our ghetto above-ground pool! whew!
When I broke the news of the dead pretty tree to Josh, he was more sad about having to spend a day chopping it down and hauling it off somewhere!
So yesterday... I was relaxing in the hammock staring up at the once pretty, now pitiful tree still standing, wondering if and when it fell on its own, which way it would fall. One way would send it diving into our pool, the other way into the vacant yard behind us most likely taking power lines with it. I decided I needed to take down my bird feeder soon.
As I swung back and forth in the hammock I noticed it was considerably breezy. It was a nice compliment to the bright sun and Harley and I were thoroughly enjoying the perfect afternoon. He was in "squirrel-hunting" mode and every little noise in the trees would make his head jerk and then freeze.
Then we heard a big noise.
It was a crack like a squirrel biting into a nut, only about 10 times louder. It was coming from behind us...up in some tree over in the neighbor's yard. A gust of wind would come and then 'CRACK'!! Again! We both just stared up in the tree as if expecting a 40 pound squirrel to appear.
Hmm. No giant squirrel, no more 'CRACK'ing, I went inside.

Later last night around 10:30 I was in my closet getting dressed for bed. This is when I heard the next 'CRACK'. I froze and in that split second I honestly had a mental picture of Josh setting off fireworks with Harley in the back yard. That's what it sounded like! As I hurried out of the closet and into the bedroom I heard a series of 'CRACKS', and a huge 'CRASH' and 'THUMP'! A second later I was at the top of the stairs and yelled "JOSH!" The house shook, the power went out and I froze again. It scared me and I was standing at the top of the stairs whimpering. Josh ran up the steps, found me in the dark and held me. I was muttering something about it being our tree that fell and I needed to save my bird feeder. He held onto me and told me everything was okay and asked me if I saw it happen. I didn't, but I knew our tree had fallen and I wanted to see if it was in the pool or the neighbor's yard. Josh ran down to assess the damage while I changed clothes in the dark. As I stumbled down the stairs I heard him say,
"It wasn't our tree."
"WHAT?! Then what WAS it?!"
I lit a candle and found my way to our half-moonlit back yard to see for myself. He was right. There was my brown tree still standing with bird feeder still hanging. I looked around and realized the half moon was the only light on our whole block besides a few curious flashlights. I met Josh in the front yard with a neighbor and they were looking up at a lop-sided tree in our other next-door neighbor's back yard. A HUGE branch had broken off and fallen a looong way down, crushing our fence, and landing halfway in our backyard.
(Stupid 40 pound squirrel...find a bigger tree!)
And this was no normal sized branch. It was actually thicker than the trunk of my pretty dead tree!!
The next 15 minutes consisted of me lighting every candle I could find and Josh opening all the windows to let in the cool outside breeze. By this time it was 11pm and Josh was remembering he had an early morning ahead of him. So we closed all the downstairs windows and made our way up to our already warm, candle-lit bedroom and attempted to go to bed.
We were hot. And not in the romantic sense. Our A/C was off, the windows up there are small, and we were being reminded that heat rises. Josh usually cannot sleep in less than perfect conditions but with his early morning approaching by the minute he decided he had no other choice but to obey his tired body. I, on the other hand was wide awake and ready for adventure!
I sat for a while on the bed fanning my sweaty husband, gazing out the window at the clear, moonlit sky, beginning to remember how tired I was. After a short while I heard a loud truck on the street behind us. Voices and flashlights followed and I was suddenly no longer tired! I had a height advantage being on the second floor and watched the bucket truck come to a halt and power company guys begin traipsing through peoples' yards assessing the damage with their flashlights. Oh this was way too exciting now. (I'm easily entertained.)
Then Josh suggested that we sleep downstairs in the family room where it was cooler. So with pillows and candles in hand we made our way down and rearranged the couches and cushions to make one big "bed" for us. Much to my delight we were right under the large window looking into the back yard so I could keep up with the action. It was a lot cooler down there, but poor Josh still tossed and turned. The action stopped for a while so I decided to lie down. It was quiet without the A/C and frig running except for an occasional frog croak from the retention pond caddy-corner from us. You know, our frogs don't "ribbit." In fact, it's such a horribly strange noise that I would've never thought it came from a frog!
"rrRHAUHT, rhauht. rrRHAUHT, rhauht." And when one starts, the others copy him. Kinda annoying.
Okay, so I'm lying there actually trying to get some sleep when our friendly power company workers finally find where the problem originated. Our back yard. They never actually had to go in our back yard thankfully. They worked in the vacant yard behind us and the retention pond area. But I could hear them like they were right outside my window! You would THINK they would take into consideration what time it was, but nooooo. They had a job to do and they were gonna have fun with it. One of them had his Nextel volume on high and I kept hearing the beep-beep and then some one's loud voice. One of them kept yelling across the back yards and thought it was funny to tell his buddy to "WATCH OUT FOR THE PIT BULL IN THE YARD!" and then laugh really loud. Yeah, pretty funny dude. One of them had a slightly higher pitched voice and every time he would yell the frogs apparently understood him and replied with "rrRHAUHT, rhauht." Whatever that means.
And imagine with me the sound of power lines being jerked and pulled out of tree branches. In the middle of the night. On the lumpy couch with a snoring husband. Here he is enjoying a full REM cycle and all I can think is "action SMaction! I want sleep!"
So somehow amidst the drowning noises of emergency graveyard shift workers, obnoxious frogs, and random snores, I found myself drifting off to dreamland despite the fact that my feet kept accidentally touching Josh's. AAHHGG!! (Is it just me?!)
I don't know how long it lasted but I was awakened suddenly by another noise. A familiar noise that definitely required electricity. The upstairs A/C cut on and I was happy but not thrilled about walking up and closing all the windows at 2am. I left him sleeping on the couch with a nice breeze and I crashed upstairs in our bed. By myself. With real air.

(note: we do not have bushes in that corner... that is the fallen tree branch. It's like half a tree! The fence is behind it, now covered.)

(front view of broken tree...that branch fell from the TOP!)

Needless to say, I slept in. And now I hear a chainsaw coming from the neighbor's yard so I'd better go get my dose of action for the day!

Sorry my blog has "gotten a little behind"...

2007-04-26T12:37:00.000-05:00

Felicity has brought such joy to our family. Each of us take turns bragging on what we've taught her. There seems to be a little bit of all of us in her too. Most will agree she resembles MY baby pictures (as well as my mom's.) I, no doubt, see myself in her in many other ways too.

I will admit though, she takes after her mommy and daddy a lot. Before she could even read at all, her mommy LOVED books. And I guess maybe her daddy LOVED toilets because he became a plumber.

As is evident in this photo, she takes after them both.

PS: Happy 10 month Birthday to Felicity!!! Today!!

Random Updates

2007-04-02T20:48:00.000-05:00

"And The Two Became One"
We found a great home for Dundy so he and Harley said their goodbye's and Harley is back to being an only child and loving it more than ever. Every now and then we miss Dundy...like, the cuteness...not the annoying puppy ADD part.

"Mam's Fam"
This is all of us when we went up to Tennessee for Mamaw's funeral back in December. It was a sad time, but good to all be together for once. We had a nice time together - laughing and crying - it was how she would've wanted it. Plus, Derek (and Yancy) made an appearance so I KNOW she would've been pleased.

"Grand-Diva's"
Mamaw loved her some diamonds and was blessed to have had 3 lovely granddaughters to pass them down to. As you can see, we did not mind at all sportin' our inherited ring bling. We had to represent...it's how she would've wanted it. Seriously.

"Super-Size"
The three of us also inherited the jumbo knees you see here. Yeah, you can't miss 'em. We each had our struggles with them during adolescence, but we're pretty much over it now. Poor Felicity...hers look like two Cinnabons!

"An Evening with The Coz"
Josh and I were fortunate enough to have the chance to see the entertaining Bill Cosby perform. It brought us back to Clif Huxtible days. He's the same, just with gray hair.

"Addie-Tootie"
This is Josh's sister Lisa with her sweet Adelle, stylin' in her jean skirt. They are smiling because they are shopping in Target. Lisa's startin' her young.

"Felicious Genius"
And here is my sweet Felicity! She is reading her Bible and apparently very excited to learn about Moses. She's so advanced!

"The Bride's Maids"
Here is Cousin Em (soon-to-be Mrs. Cousin Em) with Caroline and I on either side representing her Bridesmaid team of six. Without our support she would most likely turn into Bridezilla.

"Three Dorks"
For Josh's B-day present I got us tickets to see our favorite comedian, Jim Gaffigan, at Hard Rock Live in Orlando. So after the show we definitely got to meet him and get his autograph and chat and now we're best buddies! Notice how excited we were to the point of looking like severely constipated retards!
(BTW: Don't believe anything Josh says about what I said to Gaffigan when we met him.)

(No, I'm not preggers...it's the shirt, I promise.)

So there's another nutshell for ya. Stay tuned in case more exciting things happen in our lives.

Barking, Benadryl and Beer

2007-01-30T19:18:00.000-05:00

I never thought I could do this, but we are going to find another home for Dundy.
He's so sweet and loving and playful and cute. . .and hyper and loud and energetic and out of control!!!
We have thought and prayed about this and believe me, it was a very difficult decision to come to, especially for his mommy :(

So we will soon be "interviewing" a man Josh's mom found for us who wants a male Weim. But in the meantime, and in this very moment in fact, Dundy barks and cries and whines almost constantly. We are in a different house now with a smaller back yard with a pool and with poison ivy that is not quite under control yet ( I know, it sounds scary.) So Dundy is confined to his crate in the laundry room, or a 15 ft. cord in the back yard. If you know anything at all about Weimeraners you know it is impossible for them to live in these conditions. They need their SPACE! They HAVE to run and gallop and explore.

Well, Dundy is at that age somewhere between toddler and adolescent so he's a "terrible two year old" one minute and a rebellious 14 year old the next minute! He chews everything in sight, and we're not talking about a cute little puppy gnawing on the corner of a box trying out his new little teeth. Nooo, this kid EATS boxes!
So we are constantly Dundy-proofing the area and when there is a break in the barking you can usually count on finding something ripped to shreds in the back yard. Today he somehow managed to get his cord tied in a huge knot with the garden hose. Yesterday he attacked my rose bush because it had a sheet covering it to protect it from the freeze last night. I cringed when I saw him bite into a thorny branch! Yeah, didn't faze him.

He deserves a better life than this. He just wants to be out and about with us, exploring and getting into things. I feel terrible about it. He doesn't understand why we have to confine him. We've tried everything to make him stop barking. When he was really little we mixed some vinegar and water in a spray bottle and squirted it in his mouth when he would bark for no reason. He learned quickly and eventually got to where he would immediately lay down when he saw us with the water bottle. We gradually fazed out the vinegar and the water alone seemed to work. Well, ever since we moved in our new house it hasn't been quite as effective. But we still squirt him...or squirt AT him. I know, it sounds so mean.

Since we have a much smaller back yard now we've started the habit of taking Dundy and Harley to a nearby soccer field right after dark to let them run out all their energy ( or for Dundy, about 20% of his.) Well last night it was in the 30's - waaay too cold for us Florida folk to be outside - so the boys didn't get their run in. Weimeraners get used to routine and don't like it when you break it. So our punishment was Dundy's non-stop high pitch pitiful bark/whine. Josh had to study for a test so this just would not do. We'd heard that you can give dogs Benadryl to calm them down and we'd tried it once before and it seemed to work for a couple of hours. Too bad it doesn't warn you on the box that it's virtually ineffective without a run in the soccer field first. He seemed even more hyper after I gave it to him! Then I read on the box that children and adults over the age of 12 can take two pills. After doing some quick math in my head I decided that Weim puppies were the exception to the whole "dog years/human years" formula because his level of energy and annoyance is well into middle school age now at only 8 months. After he got his second pill I read some more of the small print on the box...funny thing, I read this one part that says "may cause excitability in small children." I did some more math. I wanted to call that 800 number and say, "Define 'small'."

There was also a "100% Satisfaction Guaranteed" seal on the side of the box, but I couldn't figure out how to explain our "special situation" without the risk of getting reported.

I read on. "...alcohol, sedatives, and tranquilizers may increase drowsiness." Okay, Josh already said no to my idea to give him an Ambien... we're fresh out of tranquilizers... wait a minute! YES! There is one can of beer sitting in the back of the fridge left over from our football party last weekend!
It only took a few laps for him to realize he hated it. He backed up to the back of his crate and just stared at the bowl of "carbonated urine" as I like to call it. I thought about trying to explain to him that it's an "acquired taste", but I just went straight for the squirt bottle. Dumped out the water and carefully poured Miller's Best in its place. He didn't like it but he was cooperative enough.
I know! I'm such a bad mom!!! I only gave him about one third of it. Though if you are going to accuse me of abuse you are first required to come stay one night at our house and endure the torture.
We'll see how things go tonight.

Oh, and FYI...beer gives dogs the runs. More fun for me.

vacation rocks

2006-10-30T12:40:00.000-05:00

this is for all my readers and fans that have been begging me to post on my not-too-soon-forgotten BLOG
(okay, so it was just Aunt Marlene who missed me...but just in case the other 4 of you who read this still care...)

* my store is in the (very long) process of being sold. thanks to the LORD for bringing in the last minute buyers during our final days of liquidation!
so i'm without employment (aka: FREEEEEEE !!!!) at the moment and enjoying every bit of it!!

* Josh and i have taken advantage of this freedom of mine and spent some time away from Ocala. we love mountains and decided to tackle the Rockies AND the Smokies within a 2 week time period. what fun adventures!!!
I finally got to meet his cousin Brian and wife and kids - Castle Rock, CO.

We got reaquainted with his cousin AJ and wife Andie (my favorite cousin-in-law EVER!!)- Littleton, CO.

We visited my brother Osh, wife Mandy and kids Kane and Kylee - Birmingham, AL.

Hung out with my cousin Em and her man Jack - Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, TN.

and found a few hours in between to stop by Aunt Marlene and Uncle Bruce's - Knoxville, TN. And Mamaw's - Farragut, TN.

WHEW!!! a fun, action packed 2 weeks and lots of pictures to prove it!
here's a sampling...
"Garden of the Gods"
Pike's Peak!! WOW!!
snow was so exciting and cold!

more vacation pics...

2006-10-29T09:21:00.000-05:00

us at Pike's Peak
AJ & Andie - the fabulous cousins!
me, Andie and Shadow
Josh fly fishing in the Colorado mountains!!! a dream come true!!
Josh and AJ found a nice "little" fishing hole - haha
the Ocalians went all the way to Colorado for their first time horse-back riding
in Birmingham, Osh showing us his rad tennis moves
the Tennessee Smokey Mountains in the fall - BEAUTIFUL!!

still more...

2006-10-23T11:05:00.000-05:00

Jack and Em looking gorgeous
best cousins!
me and Mamaw :)
Dundy and Harley!!

more pics coming soon! ...as soon as Blogger is nice to me!! AAHHHH!!!

a sad day

2006-09-04T10:31:00.000-05:00

Goodbye, Steve.

We will miss you...

SCREAMING

2006-08-15T09:32:00.000-05:00

...for a caption.

Help me out...

priceless

2006-08-11T11:57:00.000-05:00

our Wednesday night activities included:

2 Dave Matthews concert tickets: $50 each

driving to Tampa in Josh's company vehicle: $0.00

leaving our "unauthorized" folding chairs at the gate and renting "authorized" ones inside: $10

my organic banana chips for snacking: $3

more snacks and drinks inside the amphitheater: $28

inhaling plenty of second hand cigarette smoke and pot: $a few brain cells

having the following conversation with a complete, drunk stranger:

"D'you got trees?"

"Do I got WHAT??"

"Trees."

"Um...no, I don't think so. What do you mean?"

"YOU know...TREES!! WEED!!"

"Oh gosh no!"

"Then what's in that bag?"

"Oh this? Chexmix. You want some?"

"Uhh, no dude...but that's cool...that's cool. Later."

priceless.

(I said second hand, Mom, SECOND hand.)

Dundy

2006-07-31T10:30:00.000-05:00

for the past couple of months Josh and I have known about the task we would have in choosing a name for our puppy. We searched internet baby name sites, we considered names of our favorite foods, restaurants, movie stars, cartoons, cars, sports figures and cities, we played the "alphabet game" with Josh's family (that was fun and interesting!)....and STILL we could NOT come up with a good name that we both agreed on (how the heck are we gonna name a KID!?!?)

So the other night we were watching recorded reruns of our favorite sitcom and it hit us:
DUNDY was chosen.
(short of course for Dunder Mifflin)

in case anyone else out there is experiencing a similar dilema, maybe our previous top ten will come in handy: Bratwurst, Bailey, Fisher, Amos, Bogey, Sonny, Hershey, Crockett, Bennett and Mackeral.

8 weeks, 19 lbs.

2006-07-26T10:44:00.000-05:00

we brought home 4 puppies last night (out of 9 total)

gave one away today -

one goes to his new home tomorrow -

Rachael takes Sophie home on Friday -

and Harley will only be left with one to take care of...

Cruisin'

2006-07-18T14:11:00.000-05:00

My amazing husband scored big numbers last year at work so they sent us on a cruise to the Bahamas.
FREE!!

His company paid for the cruise, the tips, the drinks, the transportation and gave us each $50 to spend!!!

So we cruised, ate, snorkeled, ate, relaxed, got pampered at the spa, ate, sun-bathed, swam in crystal clear water, shopped, and ate some more.

They also had presents waiting for us in our room every day! We were surprised with a tote bag, an underwater camera, sunscreen, CHAPSTICK (yessss), a photo album and champagne.

Wow did we need this!

It was super fun and I would recommend cruises to everyone!

just love me

2006-07-13T09:17:00.000-05:00

events from our busy week...

2006-07-11T12:50:00.000-05:00

the little Johnson family with their new addition

Rachael giving me my cool Ukrainian gifts!! thanks Rach!!

me showing Rach where she can put her gloves in her "new" car

Homecoming

2006-07-10T11:16:00.000-05:00

well a lot happened this past week, but two events in particular will never be forgotton in my family:

Sunday July 2nd Jodie and Aaron brought home their precious new baby Felicity!!!

she was so cute in her little dress!

she finally got to meet her Uncle Osh and Aunt Mandy

welcome home Felicity...you are very loved!!!

the second unforgettable event happened on the Putty side of the fam:

Josh's sister Rachael who has been in the Ukraine for 10 long months doing mission work came home July 4th!!!

we surprised her with a "new" car that we don't need anymore since Josh bought me one.

and she surprised us with lots of wonderful Ukrainian gifts!!

Welcome home Rach...we love you!!!

(I HAD LOTS MORE PICS BUT STUPID BLOGGER WON'T LET ME ADD THEM!! AAAHHH!!! stay tuned....- sorry Rach! ) :(

Happiness is...

2006-06-30T09:28:00.000-05:00

~ Felicity ~

Soul Food

2006-06-19T11:12:00.000-05:00

This was my devotion for today. It's just what I needed so I thought I would share it with the world.

"The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul." Psalm 121:7

Under Thy wings, my God, I rest,

Under Thy shadow safely lie;

By Thy own strength in peace possessed,

While dreaded evils pass me by.

A.L. Waring

A heart rejoicing in God delights in all His will, and is surely provided with the most firm joy in all estates; for if nothing can come to pass beside or against His will, then cannot that soul be vexed which delights in Him, and hath no will but His, but follows Him in all times, in all estates; not only when He shines bright on them, but when they are clouded.

That flower which follows the sun doth so even in dark and cloudy days: when it doth not shine forth, yet it follows the hidden course and motion of it. So the soul that moves after God keeps that course when He hides His face; is content, yea, even glad at His will in all estates or conditions or events.

- R. Leighton

Let God do with me what He will, anything He will; whatever it be, it will be either heaven itself or some beginning of it.

- Wm. Mountford

too cute for words

2006-06-17T09:22:00.000-05:00

Prego Progress

2006-06-16T13:02:00.000-05:00

Jode (and Felicity) came to visit me at work today! Totally made my boring day exciting!!
Just look how cute she is!!!

Em says she looks like she swallowed a watermelon.

Aaron told her that her legs look very skinny (which made her day!) What a nice hubby.

A kid that came in my store pointed at Jode's belly and said "What's that!?"

If you ask me, I think she's the most beautiful pregnant person I've ever seen!!!

Felicity, you have a great momma!!

(3 days to go!!)

Worth the Wait

2006-06-07T11:46:00.000-05:00

THEY'RE HERE!!!

9 babies born on Memorial Day.

These were taken at 9 days old.

5 girls, 4 boys.

Momma Hildy makes a great mother.

Stayed tuned for more updates!!!

Brilliant advertising

2006-06-05T11:19:00.000-05:00

So I was reading the phone book today and came across this helpful ad:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

HOW TO CHOOSE A

BIRTHDAY CARD

if you can't read.

Have the clerk point you to the right section.

Look for a picture of a cake.

Say you forgot your glasses

and have someone read you the verse.

Hope you haven't chosen an anniversary card.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This yellowpage ad measures 1 3/4 inches by 2 1/4 inches and is followed by an 877# to call if you have interest in becoming a volunteer for LVA (Literacy Volunteers of America.)

I found the ad helpful, but I feel sorry for the illiterate people who for some reason pick up a phone book in search of some help with picking out an appropriate greeting card and finally get to the "V" section of the yellow pages when they somehow discover the ad they've been searching for, only to end their quest in frustration with the original reason their search began in the first place.

My Favorite Antique

2006-05-30T16:11:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to wish my Mamaw a HAPPY BIRTHDAY online!!
She's never used a computer and probably will never see this, but I wanted everyone out there to know it's her B-day today and she is the most special Mamaw in the world.

I was able to visit her this past weekend in Tennessee and spend some time with her. We all went to O'Charley's for lunch and they sang to her and wished her a "Happy 21st Birthday!" heehee

We love you, Mams. . .hope your day is happy!

ps: If only I was computer savvy and could Photoshop those strangers out of the pic...this is where talented siblings come in handy!

Birthday Buddies

2006-05-24T10:02:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited! My BFF Christie had her baby on my birthday!!
Caleb Daniel was born at 12:12 am on May 19th, 2006. (He waited on purpose 'cause he knew I needed a birthday buddy.)

This is the first person I know that I am 30 years their elder. Wow.

Bed, Bath & Breakfast

2006-05-22T15:17:00.000-05:00

There is this beautiful Victorian house in the historic district in Ocala - actually, there are lots of them. The MOST glorious one is the Seven Sisters Inn, a bed and breakfast I have passed by countless times in my life always hoping that someday my wish will be granted to stay there for a night.

Well just call me Cinderella! My wonderful Prince Charming secretly arranged for me to spend my first night in my 30's in the most enchanting room in all of Ocala. . . "Lottie's Loft"!

He also had peach champagne and Dove chocolates put in the room for us to indulge in before tea time.

I was so excited to learn we were allowed to go explore any other unoccupied rooms. Mom and Jodie joined us as we soaked in the exquisite decor and traveled back in time admiring all the antique rooms, each one very unique!

The front porch kept calling our names with its whimsical colors and one-of-a-kind chairs and hammocks.

My wonderful husband treated me to dinner at the Melting Pot where we had a romantic time stuffing ourselves.

The jacuzzi was waiting for us when we returned.

OH. MY. GOSH.
Now THAT's what I call a BATH!!!

Breakfast the next morning was different, but delicious. We are accustomed to cereal, but we learned what a 3-course morning meal involved:

Hot coffee and yummy juice to drink (hot tea was also an option)-
Fresh cranberry muffins served straight from the warm basket to our decorative plates,
Next came blueberries & cream in the most delicate china bowls,
Our main course was a chicken stuffed pastry complemented with sauce and dried cranberries.

After breakfast we indulged in another jacuzzi experience before we packed up for the long trip home. Haha.

What an amazingly awesome birthday present I will cherish always!!!

' 76ers

2006-05-17T13:07:00.000-05:00

Here is my tribute to a few who made their debut in 1976. . .

Not too shabby for 30!

I'm beginning to think it isn't so bad.

For one thing, people are always shocked at my age when I tell them since I look 10 years younger. It's cute when an old person asks "Well now, how old are you sweetie?" And after I tell them it's like they talk to me in a different tone or something. Weird.

And then when people come into my store and ask to speak to the owner or manager and I'm like "Yeah, that's me." It totally throws them off and they lose focus and sometimes forget their whole sales pitch.

So since 30 sounds SO much older than ANY age less than it, I'm preparing for some really shocked reactions. I'm just gonna have fun with it.

At least I don't get asked what school I go to anymore. Maybe they see my wedding ring.

Here are some who might be showing their age a little more. . .

And my favorite 30-year-old of ALL!!! (the stud at the bottom, not the Apple)

COUNTDOWN

2006-05-16T09:35:00.000-05:00

<--- same age -->

This is the last Tuesday I will ever spend in my 20's.

I should do something fun.

And instead of celebrating my birthday on FRIDAY, I think I'm going to celebrate my "last day in my 20's" on Thursday. Hmm, what should I do?

What would someone in their 20's do that someone in their 30's probably would not do?

A Case of the Muendays

2006-05-08T10:23:00.000-05:00

Anniversary vacations ROCK!! The only sucky part is having to come back. . . and go back to work. . . on a MONDAY. blephsch!!

We love beaches and we'd never been to South Carolina, so a condo in Myrtle Beach was our home for 7 days. Oh what fun!! There was sooo much to do and the weather was awesome (thankyou God) and the people were real nice (or "nass" if you're southern - *cough* Derek *cough*)

One of the first things we did when we got there was go to a Pelicans baseball game Sunday afternoon. They are the minor league team of the Braves. Josh had a hot dog and I did not.

Our one year anniversary was on Monday May 1st and we went to the show Le Grande Cirque which is a lot like Cirque de Soleil. We had our seats reserved and they were awesome! Middle section, second row, on the aisle, baby! Oh Yeah, they were good seats. . . if "good" means getting called up on stage by the mime that entertains the crowd between acts and having him flirt with you in front of hundreds of people you can't see cause of the blinding lights, but you can hear them laughing hysterically. And then watching the mime take your husband to center stage and make him dance in front of those same hundreds of people. And then having the mime whom you've never met ask you for a kiss and when you finally agree to kiss his cheek, he plays the dirty trick of quickly turning and planting one right on your mouth!! (sorry Josh!) Too bad they didn't allow flash photography.

Another highlight for me were the ducks. There were ducks everywhere we went! We bought 2 big loaves of white bread (I normally stay away from the nasty crap, but I'm pretty sure it's healthy for ducks) and we provided many meals for ducks living on the streets of Myrtle Beach. I feel good about doing that.

We learned that Myrtle Beach is the Golf Capitol of the World so we had to participate in the local past time. I scored BIG too!!

And it's not only the golf capitol of the world, but also the "huge cheesy touristy beach store" capitol. (Yeah, even more than Daytona, which is bad.) There was literally one every 2 blocks!! We reluctantly visited one of these neon nuisances very briefly for the sole purpose of some high quality post cards. We got a little distracted. . .

. . . and for those of you expecting a beautiful beach postcard from us, sorry, they were just too cheesy (at least I thought about it, Derek!)

Our sweet condo resort had 3 outdoor pools, 2 indoor pools, 2 jacuzzis, and the best part - one 400 foot lazy river! This is right before their busy season starts so we basically had it to ourselves. It was naaaass ;)

I have more cool pics but they are on our computer at home so I'll post them another day. NOT on a Monday.

( *Note: sorry all these pics are small and not large like I told them to be since "Blogger" is sometimes rebellious and makes me want to karate kick it into outer space!!! I'll try to change them, but for now just use your Go-Go Gadget eyeballs to zoom in. )

"Homemade Taste in a Bottle"

2006-04-18T12:34:00.000-05:00

I'm not gettting paid for this by the way.

When I find a good product on the market or an awesome place to shop/eat (especially locally owned) I like to spread the word. The word today is "peach." As in... Sweet Leaf brand peach tea. I discovered it at a healthy store where I like to shop and decided it to be worthy of a plug. It's "all natural" and it does have sugar but it's "pure cane sugar" so that's supposed to be better I guess. The best part is the picture of the portly grandma on the label! This tea tastes amazing!! I can almost compare it to Publix brand peach tea (which is sooo yummy, but I'm sure does not contain pure cane sugar. . . it's more like 1/2 a gallon of pure sugar alone!)
So far I've only found Sweet Leaf in the 16 oz. bottle. I kinda hope it does not come in gallon form because I really need to be drinking water more. (I would do a plug for water too but I think pretty much everybody knows about it.)

Well, I Never!

2006-04-11T12:31:00.000-05:00

I'm rounding that corner in the race of life where 29 turns into. . . the next number. Yeah, in May I'll join Josh in the, until now unknown 3rd decade. I know I'm not over-the-hill, but it seems like I'm about to go over something. Maybe a speed bump. It's not that I'm all depressed or scared or anything. (I mean I still only look 23.) I was just thinking about what I've accomplished thus far in my seemingly short life. And you know when you think of all the things you have done you are forced into being reminded of what you have NOT done. So as a result of my boredom at work, I've decided to share some of the results of my sheltered life with BloggerWorld.

Here is my list of random things that probably most people HAVE done or might assume that I have, but since I'm so special I've somehow refrained from, missed out on or avoided.

I've never. . .

driven a stick shift
been to the Grand Canyon
seen "E.T." or "Gremlins"
been to Epcot
smoked a cigarette
broken a bone in my body (maybe my toe one time...)
been in a car accident
seen all 3 "Lord of the Rings" movies
believed in Santa Claus
watched an entire episode of "Grey's Anatomy", "CSI", or "House"
ridden in a limo
had stitches
taken Spanish
learned the 50 state capitols
water skied
read the entire Bible
met a celebrity
voted for a democrat
eaten brussel sprouts
eaten escargot
worked at a fast food joint
been to a high school dance
been drunk
watched a human birth (yet!)
been a football fan
seen the Pacific ocean
worn high heels
been to public school (explains a lot)
missed an episode of LOST (until last week!!)
owned a brand new vehicle
given a speech
been fired
gone skinny dipping
picked up a hitch-hiker
been on a blind date
got a speeding ticket
tried to surf
flown first-class
attended Catholic mass
donated blood
had a wart
roller bladed

There. Now I feel like I have no life. I'm gonna go make a list of things I have done.

I've never liked champagne this much!

2006-04-07T12:50:00.000-05:00

Harley and I were only 5 minutes into traffic yesterday afternoon after leaving work when it happened. It was bumper to bumper on 17th Street (not exactly "rush" hour, more like "rush-to-pick-your-kids-up-from-school hour", which is even worse.) I remember picking out my clothes that morning and hesitantly dressing in a (very light) semi-long sleeve, slightly transparent shirt and tank top thinking "It's not summer yet, I'll only sweat a little on the way home..." - my A/C takes about 30 minutes to produce cool air in this weather (the first of April and it's already 82 degrees!)

So there I sat, beginning the process of perspiration, in my little Acura Integra in a line of intimidating SUV-driving soccer moms on their cell phones determined not to be the last one to pick up their kid.
Then it happened.
The familiar obnoxious rattling came to a halt and the warm air ceased to blow out of the air vents. I turned the key only to hear that horrible sound that when translated from car language into English means "Too...tired...can't...go...anymore..." After about the 3rd attempt, traffic was back in motion and the patient SUV driver behind me waited a while, honked, then swerved around me leading the rest of the line into the turning lane as well. Normally I wouldn't mind being the center of attention and causing a traffic jam such as this, but my windows were still up, Harley was drooling all over the back seat, and I in my frazzled state couldn't find my hazards!! I immediately called Josh (what did we do before cell phones!?) and left a desperate message on his voicemail. Then I called Dad, then Mom who called me back to let me know a tow truck would be there within 40 minutes. Super.

I wondered, God is this what I get for cutting off that Explorer back there cause I'M SORRY!

At this point I had my shirt unbuttoned (good thing for that tank top), discovered that my power windows still worked, and managed to turn my hazards on so people driving by would keep their yelling to a minimum hopefully realizing it was just some poor helpless girl stranded in her suffocating car with an 85 lb. dog drooling down the back of her neck. No big deal.

It didn't take very long for God to send me a Good Samaritan. Big truck, big smile and big muscles that pushed my car into the middle turning lane officially making me the "center" of attention on the busiest road in town. I noticed his shirt was labeled with the name of our friend's contracting business. I told him I was Josh Putty's wife and he shook my hand and introduced himself. (Josh knows everyone!!) I thanked him and he left when I assured him a tow truck was on its way. Josh called me back right when he heard my message and let me know he would be there as soon as he could. . . coming from Dunnellon (30 minutes away.) Harley and I "stayed put" per Josh's request, as traffic zoomed by us on both sides forcing me to roll the windows up and bear the insufferable heat.

Before I knew it my knight in shining armor arrived to rescue me. No, it wasn't Josh. . . it was a nice man with his shiny tow truck eager to rescue me from the fiery furnace!
The fun part about this was riding shot-gun in the truck while I watched Harley in the side mirror being towed with his head hanging out the window, ears flapping in the wind. Poor guy. We arrived safely at my mechanic's garage with Josh 5 minutes behind us. When Bo (mechanic) saw me come in he said "Was that you I saw stranded on 17th Street?" . . . "Yeah, she finally died on me." (I guess Bo is neither knightly nor Samaritan. Thanks dude. No, he really is a cool guy.)

I was trying to figure out how I would get to work the next day and was reminded that we have been contemplating the purchase of our friend Dan's Acura RL (luxury indeed compared to my 13 yr-old hatchback!) Bo also services Dan's car so I thought this an opportune time to ask him about its reliability. Ironically, Dan had it there in the shop at that time so Bo knew the very one I was asking about. "That's a great car," he nodded toward it out front, "it'd be a nice upgrade for you." Enough for me!

Hmm, Maybe this will urge Josh to make Dan an offer. . . !

As I transferred hot Harley from my ride to Josh's, Bo and Josh went inside and my tow truck knight wrote up my bill. When I mentioned using a credit card he suggested we stop by his shop on our way home and he'd just run it through then (don't you just love small towns.)
I went inside to give Bo my car key and he and Josh were looking over paperwork and seemed to be ignoring me. I noticed Josh had his credit card in hand and was signing something. When I asked what it was for, he continued to ignore me but looked at me with that sneaky little smile. Bo said he'd call us when he knew the problem and we thanked him. I was trying to figure out what he was up to and, knowing Josh, he probably gave Bo his credit card info so he could just charge tomorrow's repair work to his card leaving me free and clear of another bill. And being the wonderful husband that he is I imagined him secretively telling Bo to go ahead and fix the A/C for me as a surprise. ; ) Yeah, God blessed me with a good one!

We got in Josh's car and noticed Harley had managed to give the entire back seat a bath in his drool. Oh well, at least the A/C was cold. aaahhhh.
We drove around the building to the front and I pointed out Dan's car to Josh (hint, hint!) "Hey, did you see Dan's car is here too?" I said. "No, that's not Dan's car," he argued. "Um, yes it is. Bo told me he had his here too." (duh, how could he miss the "I (heart) my WIFE" bumper sticker on the back window!) "Jill, that is NOT Dan's car." Frustrated with his ignorance, I turned to face him, "YES, it. . ." - just as he held a big, fat key in my face and said, "It's YOUR car."
My reaction must have been good 'cause when I looked outside again Bo and his wife were standing there staring at us, grinning ear to ear.

Can I just describe to you how awesome those leather seats felt when I got in my 'new' car?!
And how much fun POWER locks are!!
And how nice it is to be able to listen to the radio instead of a noisy engine!
AND HOW FREAKIN' COLD THE A/C IS!!!
Whew!
(I did get goose bumps on the ride home and the A/C was on LOW!)

The first thing I asked Josh was if he had somehow planned for me to break down in the middle of the road. No, it was a huge coincidence (which I don't believe in) but it woulda been a cool plan. (Nice work, God.)
He was having everything done to the car and was planning on surprising me on our anniversary (May 1st for those of you who need a reminder.)
This is by far the nicest anniversary gift I've ever received.
And the best husband I've ever had too.

I gotta peel that bumper sticker off. . .

There's Something About Hildy

2006-04-03T11:04:00.000-05:00

Harley/Hildy Date Log:

aaaand ACTION: Wednesday, 9:02am
- Well it looks like Harley's a morning guy. Yup, he finally figured out his purpose (and position) in life. This was of course after he humped Hildy's face for a while. Hildy's mommy and I would have been celebrating, but I guess we were just so in awe at the way nature works things out. . . and at the fact that they totally got stuck together. Poor helpless things! They didn't act like it hurt or anything, it just annoyed them. Here they were so tired and they had to experience what it's like being Siamese twins stuck at the butt. (Ok, sorry, I'm wandering over into PG13 territory.) Our neighbors warned us that this might happen but I didn't believe them. After about 15 minutes of torture (for those of us watching) our 2 dogs were relieved of having to share their personal space with one another and spent the next 10 minutes licking themselves. Hildy was gone by 10am and Harley spent the rest of the morning panting like crazy! He's a new man.

(yes, I do have pictures and video but I choose not to post them in fear of Blogger.com labeling me as a porn site.) sorry Derek

You've Got Male!

2006-03-30T14:59:00.000-05:00

Harley/Hildy Date Log

take FOUR: Tuesday, 3pm
- Today something clicked inside Harley's head that told him he was actually supposed to be doing something with Hildy when she comes to visit. He would sniff, get all happy, then lean his head over her neck and move back and forth - thus creating a new image for the term "necking." This continued for more than an hour while Hildy willingly complied to his peculiar method of making out with her. What worried me about this (other than the fact that my un-nuetered male dog is clueless to the origination of the term "doggy-style") was that he was wearing himself out and had to go lay down and rest every 3 minutes!! This thought hadn't occured to me until now, but what if by the time he figures out what to do and where to do it, he's too tired!? I mean he's not old or anything, but he doesn't work out a lot either. Ok, this is rediculous. . .my dog is smarter than a lot of humans out there who have no problem at all figuring out how to reproduce! I guess they just need some time. Harley's got himself a patient woman!

"Prelude to a Kiss"

2006-03-29T18:47:00.000-05:00

Harley/Hildy Date Log

3rd Time's the...whatever: Sunday, 1:08pm
- This relationship reminds me so much of me and Josh when we got together. We became friends and I made it clear from the beginning that's all I wanted it to be. Josh didn't push me into anything else...in fact, he didn't even try to impress me at first!! (at least he didn't poop in front of me!) Everyone around us was like "C'mon guys...when are you gonna hook up?!?" Then I got to wait for him to make his move. During our friendship we did go on a lot of walks together. This is the point Harley and Hildy were today. They followed eachother all around the back yard. It really was sweet...and nice of her not to snap at him at all. He's on his best behavior and she's taking her time waiting 'til she knows he's "the one." Hang in there, Hildy, I know how you feel!

Proof of Wife

2006-03-28T10:50:00.000-05:00

Harley/Hildy Date Log

TAKE 2: Saturday, 3:44pm
- Today was better, but still no honeymoon. Harley was a bit more brave when Hildy's hormones kicked in. He didn't try any "moves" but the sniffing became much more frequent between both of them. She would snap at him then lick his ear (what a tease!!) That of course would drive him crazy, but he is very patient. He showed her around his yard a bit...being careful not to invade her space. She let him know she was only interested in friendship, but Harley wasn't worried - he had his sign from God that she is the one for him.....

(Harley is the one on the left)

When Harley Met Hildy

2006-03-27T10:42:00.000-05:00

Harley/Hildy Date Log

First Date: Friday, 3:12 pm
- Lots of sniffing on Harley's part (typical guy), Hildy kept snapping at him when she realized what he was interested in (typical woman.) Harley was turned off by her attitude and decided to ignore her. She refused to leave her mommy's side and glared at Harley every time he came near her - a true example of a b****!! Isn't this supposed to come natural?? I mean, they're DOGS!! We decided to leave them alone on the porch together. We watched from inside as Hildy growled and Harley groaned with frustration. Poor guy, he's never encountered a situation such as this and I think his body was about to explode! After several attempts to woo her with his studly-ness, he tossed all useful dog tricks training out the window and pooped right there in the middle of the porch! Right there in front of the woman he's trying to impress! (Now I've had some bad dates, but none of them behaved like this when they didn't get what they wanted.) He was able to get in a few good licks but paid the price with some teeth marks in his ear (is that even first base?!?!) After 2 hours we said good-bye for now to a very hormonal Hildy. Josh had another "talk" with Harley later that night so we're hoping for some action tomorrow that doesn't involve as many teeth and as much poop. Stay tuned...

5 Year Old Virgin

2006-03-16T10:47:00.000-05:00

Today is kind of a big day. Not so much for me though. Our boy Harley is about to meet his possible soul-mate. He's saved himself for the perfect girl and we're about to find out if she's the one! Here's how it will go down:
Within the hour, "Hildy" should be arriving here at the store with her mommy. Her mommy will come in and meet us and Harley. Then Josh and I will go out to the parking lot to meet Hildy. Harley will probably need to stay inside so he won't get too excited. Plus I need him to wait on customers while I'm outside (the most useful of his useful tricks learned so far.) If all goes well and the parents all approve, we will "set a date." It will probably be soon - like this weekend. Josh had "the talk" with Harley last night so we're hoping he understood. (From what I overheard, I think he knows what he needs to know.) I will keep everyone posted on the details, but their first date will most likely take place in our big back yard. We were looking in our Weimaraner owner's manual the other day under the topic of "breeding" and found a paragraph entitled "backyard breeding." It spoke very negatively of those who "think they have the greatest dog in the world" and decide to hook it up with another good one even if they are not in a "pure-bread champion lineage." Whatever that means. So anyway, Osh bring your video camera this weekend (not the VHS camcorder one.) It will be a most memorable event and we would love to capture it on tape...or disc..whatever. And if you even dare say this is gross, you will change your mind when you see the result.

Trick for Treat

2006-03-11T13:00:00.000-05:00

When we were growing up we had the best (small) dog in the world. She was actually a gift to Mom from Dad and she soon became the 6th member of the Frantz family. For some reason I took on the task of teaching her tricks. I learned soon enough the difficulty of teaching a new dog old tricks! After hours of attending my classes our malti-poo, Cubbie, eventually learned the basics and "sit", "speak" & "shake" became regular vocabulary in our household. We knew we had a smart dog in our midst.
Often we would let her out and leave the door cracked so she could push it open to come back inside. The problem we found with this is by the time she'd come back in, we'd be settled back on the couch and would fight over who had to get up and close the door. Then one day the question hit me: I wonder if you can teach a middle-age dog new tricks? This is when Cubbie enrolled in my new class "Useful Dog Tricks 101." Naturally she passed with flying colors, and to this day when she prances inside and hears one of us say "Cubbie, SHUT THE DOOR," she will turn around, throw her paws up at the door and jump forward! It usually slams by the 2nd try and she is rewarded with our praise. Growing up with a little dog this smart (not to mention strong) is nice - especially when you want to impress your friends.

Now that I'm all grown up with a husband and a dog of my own, I am learning even more about training (they're both fast learners.) We adopted our 5 year old Weimaraner, Harley, a year and a half ago from some really nice people who also obviously know the benefits of useful dog tricks. Harley is the most well-trained dog I've ever met, and Josh and I are constantly amazed at how smart he is. He has mastered all the basics and is excelling in his intermediate classes. One of his first lessons involved wiping his feet before coming inside the house. No, he hasn't learned how to do this himself (yet.) As the sliding glass door is opened for him to come back inside, he first sits and raises one paw to be wiped off with a towel. The other paw comes up next, and then as he stands up, one back foot slowly comes off the ground followed by the other. It takes a little time on our part, but it helps keep the floors clean. However, it's not near as good as his pooping trick. We have a huge, grassy back yard which is pretty much Harley's Kingdom. He keeps the squirrels in their trees and the lizard population is definitely kept to a minimum. The back part of the yard is lined with several trees against the vine-covered fence creating the only shady area. This area is known as "Harley's Bathroom." I want to hug the person who taught him this, but he will ONLY poop in the bushes!! We have yet to find a "Harley patty" in the grass and he seems to keep it this way on purpose. I don't know if he's modest, polite or just really smart. The same thing happens when I take him for a walk outside at work (he comes with me to the store every day.) He sniffs around until he finds that perfect spot (in the bushes of course) and then backs it up as far as possible to do his business. The funny thing is, he's so big, and sometimes the bush is smaller than him, and when he squats he is actually "hovering" over it. Then a nice pile remains on top of some poor little bush for people to laugh at as they walk by. So I guess that's useful too...no one will step in it for sure.
I know it doesn't compare to Jinxsy Cat's genius ability to flush, but I kinda wouldn't want Harley's "big pile o' business" in my toilet anyway.
Josh has requested for Harley's next class to be: "Find Daddy's Car Keys"

BLAHg

2006-03-02T17:56:00.000-05:00

Ok, so Osh has been bugging the h-e-c-k out of me to post a blog. The thing is, I've known what will happen when I do finally give in to the "my-life-is-boring-so-read-my-random-comments-about-it" club. It will be as any addiction is and he will only want more. But remember I am just one little me only capable of so much randomness. (How am I doing so far?)
As for the boring life thing...seriously at this point my normal every day routine is unfortunately eventless (is that a word Derek?) Now don't get me wrong - I have a wonderful family, husband and dog whom all fulfill their rightful duties at filling the gaps in between my 15 hours a day spent working and sleeping.
My highlights at work consist of chatting online with Osh and Jode, reading Osh's blog, taking Harley for a walk, and laughing at the occasional stupid questions of customers....and if I get bored enough, I may just have to post some of them!
My highlights during sleep are none of your business.
I do however have plans for a more eventful life in the near future:
* I am already in preparation for the role of "Aunt" I will be taking on in less than 4 months.
* A much-needed vacation is in the works for me and my hubby (hopefully this summer some time.)
* I'm getting my hair cut next month.
* And I have 9 boxes of books to process today.
And that's only the beginning!
So stay tuned for the plethora of random thoughts and events in the world of me.