Jerry's Sno-Cones and More

Last night we went with our neighbors to Jerry's Sno-cones for some Memphis favorite sno-cones. All summer long you will hear people talk about going to Jerry's. This was only our second time to go, but I swear that place makes a killing. We got there about 7:30pm and the line was all the way to the street. This place is not in the best of neighborhoods and you have to watch your back while there. Just kidding...not really! This was our neighbors first time to go and they followed us out there. We followed our directions obediently from Sha-nay-nay, our GPS (What? Don't you name your GPS?). I know they wondered where we were taking them when we turned on to a residential street where the men hanging out in their front yards were wearing wife beaters and cars jacked up on bricks loitering the yards. Yep, deep in the heart of Memphis! This place sits right in the middle of a residential neighborhood. They have about 25 different flavors to choose from. One of which is called Wedding Cake. I haven't been brave enough to buy a whole cup of it to try but people swear it is wonderful. I opted for a safe blueberry. My neighbor quickly whipped out his camera to capture my unknowing blue lips and teeth! Other flavors chosen by our group were, cherry, grape (yep, we're adventuresome!), green apple and wedding cake. Mind you, wedding cake was ordered by our neighbor. He mixed it with green apple. Odd combination, but whatever. As we sit outside and eat our sno-cones, I observe the different walks of life around me. To our right was a family with 2 kids sitting on a hill with the kids taking turns rolling down that hill right at our feet. (No, thanks, not a problem Ma'am.) Then to our left, two teeny boppers who are obviously on a date. She was sitting so close to him, I swear she was sitting in his lap. Then, THEN to our far right there were three girls that were...interesting. One of the girls had tattoos adorning all the way up her arms (attractive) and another girl had a earring in her nose. Now to round out this little group, the other girl was wearing a little yellow damask dress and yellow shoes looking like she stepped right out of Leave it to Beaver! She was only missing the pearls! I think we were the only normal people there. I wonder what they were thinking of us?

Being that this is Memorial Day weekend, what would the weekend be if you didn't have a cook-out? Tonight we have plans to get together with two other couples and cook out ribs. My mouth is watering already. We are excited to get together with these other couples. I think we have a lot of things in common with them. One of them is the family of Drama Queen's boyfriend. I hope our friendship can withstand it if they ever break up. They are actually approaching their one year anniversary together.

That is the only plans we have for our weekend right now. I plan to relax and maybe do a little cleaning and a little wash. Maybe we will get out the paddle boat and paddle around our lake.

So, what are your plans for the weekend?

Creative Movement

Creative Movement
Originally uploaded by TNsouthernbelle

Yesterday the evening service at church was led by the students Worship Arts. The drama, creative movement and choir all performed. It was really good. Drama Queen performed with the Creative Movement team and they did really well. Unlike her name, she does not do drama! The church always loves it when they perform. The last song they performed, Amazing Love, always brings people to their feet. Good job girls!

Not the picture I wanted to post

Not the picture I wanted to post
Originally uploaded by TNsouthernbelle

This is not the picture idea I had planned for tonight. My daughter tried out for cheerleader today after having clinic all week. Tonight we went to the school to see the posting of the ones who made it. Well, she didn't make it. :( So, I decided to take a picture of me and my girls. You can probably guess which one didn't make cheerleader.

Valentine's post

It was another exciting or rather busy weekend. Thursday night something rather unfortunate happened as one of the houses in my neighborhood caught on fire and is a total loss. It started about 2:30 in the morning and they had to call the Arlington and Memphis fire departments to help. Some of the firemen were hurt and sent to the hospital. The good news is that the homeowners were able to get out and are safe. I heard rumors that the family was actually getting ready to start packing the house because they were moving to another house in our neighborhood. I guess that means that the house had been sold to someone else. I don't know how all of that will workout but what a pain! The local high school will be doing a fundraiser for the family and our neighborhood association is also going to help them out in some way.

Friday night Steve and I went out for our Valentine's dinner. We went to eat at Hunan Pacifica a local chinese restaurant. I really like their food. The girls stayed home because Drama Queen was having two of her friends to sleep over. After eating we went to rent a movie that ended up not being very good. We stopped watching about 20 minutes in. I can't even remember the name of it. So, we watched a couple of episodes of King of Queens. We love that show!

Saturday I spent most of the day at my sister's house. My mother and I helped her to swap the kids room around and make room for the new nursery. We emptied drawers, shelves and closets, moved furniture from room to room and I even cleaned carpet. I was exhausted by the time I got home.

Sunday we went to church and then met our care group at Jason's Deli for lunch. I then took Libby to the movies to see Confessions of a Shopaholic for her birthday. It was a cute movie. Sunday night we went back to church to see the christian magician David Garrard. The place was filled with kids who were constantly raising their hands to be used on stage. Neither of my kids were picked this year. I think Hurricane A was picked last year. Drama Queen was sitting with the youth. She appears to have her first boyfriend which I am so not ready for. This boy asked her to "go out" several weeks ago and I know she told him no. ("going out" does not mean to go on a date, for those of you that asked "where are they going?" like I did. It just means to become one's boyfriend or girlfriend.) Well, yesterday he sat by her in the morning and evening service. He also brought her a box of candy, a poem that he supposedly wrote for her and a coupon for a free ice cream cone at a local ice cream place. Isn't that sweet? This boy even started chatting with Steve and I on Facebook this weekend! I think something is up. It embarrasses Drama Queen when I try to ask her so I have to figure it out by myself! UUGGHH! ( I am waiting on the phone to ring because I have not told my mother this yet!)

Today and tomorrow the girls are out of school for President's day. We had to work so they spent most of the day with friends. So, like last weekend, I had to go back to work to rest and rest I did because it was incredibly slow today!

My Memory is Failing and it Won't Come Back

Okay I am curious about something. How many people have actually gotten to the point in your house where you are completely out of toilet paper or your wash is so backed up that you have no towels and washcloths to take a shower with? Be honest, has it happened to you? It happens to me more times than I care to admit. This past weekend it happened again. What made this past weekend so special you ask? Well Drama Queen had a friend sleeping over. Yep I had to succumb some other poor child to my poor house upkeep. Saturday night when the friend was sleeping over, we had gone to the Grizzlies game. I got a call on my cell from Drama Queen and she told me that we were almost out of toilet paper. We had about a quarter of a roll left. I told them I was sorry and to use it very sparingly, only one sheet per person! If that ran out they could use the paper towels from the kitchen. Whew, won't that feel good? Yes, I knew we were almost out but come on, you don't expect me to make a trip to the grocery store before the weekend do you? When I got home Drama Queen had resorted to her own measures. She found a pack of pocket tissue to use.

The next morning before church we were taking showers. Yep you guessed it, I needed to wash clothes. I had to give the poor girl a beach towel and a very holey washcloth. To my poor children, "Use your hands!

At breakfast I ask the girls what they would like to eat. Now on Sunday mornings, to be honest with you we usually do not eat breakfast because we do good to get out the door on time and then are usually still five minutes late. They first say that they would like some cereal, then I remember that on Wednesday when the girls were home by themselves they left the milk out on the counter all day instead of putting it back up. Cereal was out, waffles were the next choice but we did not have enough time for that. I did have everything for that though! Finally I told them they could have 1 slice each of Banana Walnut bread that I had bought for our Sunday School Class. It was our week to contribute to the birthday breakfast. So, they had 1 little slice each. Drama Queen told me that everyone could hear their stomach's growling all during church. I said that made for good entertainment!

So, what are the chances that this girl's mother will let her sleep over again?

Home again, home again, jiggity jig!

I'm back again. I posted here on this blog about a year and a half ago. I then moved to Wordpress because I had heard several others using it with good results. Me...not so much. I did not like the fact that I was very limited in the page design. I plan to load some pictures and get this design to reflect a little more of my life.

This title also has another meaning. I am going to try hard to post on a regular basis. It probably will not be daily but hopefully enough to keep readers. I know I need to alert everyone who read my last blog that I have changed sites. I also am going to try and just write about what is happening in my life and not try to write like an expert, because I am not an expert. This is a amateur writer so therefore an amateur blog.

Now, for what is going on. Today is a little bittersweet. My sister and brother-in-law are grieving as Mr. Hallum was taken off life support yesterday afternoon after a week long recovery period from a stomach aneurysm surgery. He did not do very well and basically was not able to get off the respirator. He passed away about 3:30 this morning. He was not in the best of health anyway and everyone knew the chances of his surviving this surgery were not the best. My sister is pregnant and due with her third child in April. It is sad to think Pop will not get to meet his new grandson.

As far as my immediate family, not much going on. Drama Queen is in 8th grade and will be going to high school next year. They have recently had meeting at school with their counselor to discuss routes they may want to take out of college. That will help them determine a direction to go in in high school as well. She is thinking she might like to go into Real Estate. I would like to do that one day before I retire. Maybe we can make a mother daughter team. That would be fun.

Hurricane A is in 4th grade and doing pretty well. I can't believe next year is her last year in elementary school. My babies are growing up.

For now, I guess that is all I have to report.

Night and Day

How is it that you can give birth to two children and they can be like night and day? Drama Queen, my first child, is basically a shy and quiet child who loves attention. I know, shy but loving attention? But REALLY she does. Hurricane A can be wild and rambunctious. Drama Queen is a complainer and Hurricane A is not.



Drama Queen has been home the last two days with a virus. She was so excited to be staying home "sick". However, at the mention of going to the Dr. she gets ballistic. Monday afternoon she started running a fever and said "Finally, a fever!" She also wanted to know if I had called Nana and Bo (my mom and sister) to tell them that she was sick. Uh, no, the world does not stop revolving because you have a few sniffles! She must take after her daddy, isn't that the way most men act? Then I noticed that she put on her away message to her friends, "trying to sleep...sick" PLEASE! LOL. I have to laugh at her because when she is on the phone with her friends, she will walk through the room and give this very exaggerated cough or will say "Mom, do I still have fever?" Even Hurricane A will tell her to stop showing off to her friends. It cracks me up. She just wants someone to show her a little attention. I don't know, maybe I don't give her enough attention.



Hurricane A will not complain unless she is actually sick. When she complains then I know she isn't feeling good. How can they be so different? I pass the sames genes on to each of them. The only thing I can think is that she must have gotten her daddy's sick genes!

Christmas shows

We are sitting here watching Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. Well, some of us are watching it. I am on the laptop reading my blogs that I subscribe to. My family is a little annoyed with me because I never watch it. I watched it when I was a little girl I told them. They don't understand why I don't watch it over and over each year. Because I don't like to watch anything over and over. Never have and never will. Does that make me a dud? They started asking me questions like, Which elf wanted to become a dentist when he grows up, What island did they land on. I DON'T KNOW AND I REALLY DON'T CARE! Call me a bad mother or whatever. That is just not fun to me. Do you like to watch christmas shows or any children shows each year?

On another note, Hurricane A is Star of the Week this week. I had to send pictures of her and her family yesterday. Today I went and ate with her and read to the class. We read Lyle the Crocodile and Where's Chester? I took McDonald's for us to eat and we ate up on the stage. On Friday I am supposed to send a treat for the class. She wants a large cookie. I will be glad when the Star of the week thing ends. My sister teaches 3rd grade also and she no longer does that. This teacher does but hopefully this is the last one I will have to do. No more finding family pictures etc.

Drama Queen is just growing up before my eyes. She is really turning into a beautiful young woman. Where did the time go? Her friends are already starting their cycle. She hasn't yet and I don't expect she will for another 2 years maybe. I was a late bloomer and did not start until 9th grade. She seems to be following in my footsteps in that regards. So, I have another couple of years on that one.

That's the latest on this southern family.

Pre-teen Back to School shopping

Think back if you will, to that time when you were in Junior High. Remember the discussions you had with your mom about the current styles and what you would and would not wear? I was in Junior High back in the late 70's and early 80's. I can remember vividly telling my mother that I refused to wear those shirts with a bow tied all nice and pretty like at your neck. Ewww, gross, no way! Another thing I refused to wear was the preppy look. No one was going to get me in those Izod shirts, Khaki or plaid pants and those horrible penny loafers with the nice shiny new penny in the center. You want to know the funniest thing about that? When my husband and I went on our first date, do you want to know what he was wearing? Picture this in your mind... A guy that looked amazingly like Steve Perry of Journey wearing khaki pants, button down shirt with a sweater tied around his neck (Awww) and penny loafers with a penny! I am so not kidding! Anyway, if you have noticed, the plaid shorts are in style right now. I think they are cute! Who woulda thunk it?



So, now it is that time for me to be the parent shopping with my pre-teen for school. She is going into 7th grade. I remember that being a really tough year when peer pressure is really big. We went shopping this weekend and I noticed how much peer pressure influences what you wear. I also have a younger daughter who is going into the 3rd grade. She is just now able to wear clothes from the Limited Too. She was excited to being going in to buy clothes where all the cool girls buy clothes. No more Gymboree for Hurricane A! (sniff) So, we are looking around and Hurricane A is picking out clothes left and right. I notice that Drama Queen is only holding a shirt. I mention that shouldn't she be looking at jeans. She desperately needs some more jeans. She gives me this look and says "Mom, no one wears Limited Too Jeans in 7th grade!" Oh well, please tell me what jeans they do wear I ask her. She said "Abercrombie or Hollister" I informed her that she can also wear some jeans from Limited Too because I refuse to buy her 3 or 4 pair of $60-70 jeans. Especially not the ones with the worn out holes in them! (I vaguely think I might be sounding like my mother!) I make her try some on and she comes out and I think she looks all cute and the jeans fit perfectly. Her first response is "These are too big in the leg!" I say "What do you mean too big in the leg? They look fine." She says, pulling at the material on her legs, "Look at all this? They are too big." I said, "What, you have maybe a half inch of room? I am not buying you skin tight jeans." "But, that is what everyone wears! Mooomm, you just want me to look like a baby!" (Have I heard this conversation before about 30 years ago? UUGGHH!) After a few more exchanges of words and looks I made her buy one pair of jeans from there. So, we proceed to Abercrombie where she picks out several pair of jeans to try on. I put my foot down about the ones with holes. I bought her a pair last year that were about $70 and after the first washing she had to wear leggings under them every time she wore them! That is ridiculous! She goes to the dressing room and tries on the first pair. I hear her say "These are perfect!" She comes out and the jeans look like they are a second skin. When she walks the jeans crease into her legs like a sausage link. "Those are too tight" I say. She informs me that this is the way everyone wears them. I have already learned that by everyone, she actually means maybe one or two girls. I all of a sudden notice a pattern in what she is trying on. She is trying to look like this girl in the neighborhood who wears her jeans that tight and her shirts revealing two perky "girls" that seem too perky for a girl in 7th grade. I say "I'm sorry, you are not going to go out of the house looking like A. I can't believe her mother lets her go out of the house looking like that." (OMG did I actually say that? NOOOOO!) She assures me that isn't what she is doing and I make her try on some other style jeans in the same store. After much discussion we buy one pair of jeans and several t-shirts. After that I decide I have had enough for the day and we go home.



Do you want to know the biggest lesson I learned that day? I have turned into my MOTHER!