Major is (will be) 1 yr. old!

Tomorrow our puppy Major will be 1 year old! He's registered name is Major Jakie Bear. The "Jakie" is after Alan's Dad, whose is often called Jake by his family. Our first collie was named Prissie after Alan's Mom (if you know Geraldine, you'll understand!), so it was only fair to name Major after J.P., and he owns Major's parents. BTW-he has a couple of new collie pups ready to go to new homes!!

It doesn't seem like it was a year ago Major was so tiny...(Minor?)

He's about 2 wks old in the photo above.

This photo was taken on April 4th.

He's not so tiny now! Now you know why the "Bear" part of his name! He still wants to be a lapdog some days, though. He loves to play with his rope. He slings it, chews it, and chases it. He's pretty good at fetching and bringing it back for us to toss again. He's got his people trained well. His other favorite toy is a plastic flower pot! He will carry it all over the yard, retrieve it when we throw it, and chew it. Then we get a new one so he won't get cut or eat the plastic pieces. He has brought lots of joy & laughter to our lives.

Here is Major with his first flower pot when we brought him home last May!

It took us a couple of years to get another collie after Prissie had to be put to sleep. She was with us for 13 years and was so much company for Alan, especially after he had to stop work due to his back problems. She followed him everywhere around the yard and shop. Major is following in her footsteps in that regard. If he would just stop barking so much!! Prissie only barked if something was wrong or someone came around. Major barks at the birds at the feeder, when he wants to play, while he's playing, when someone or some animal comes into the yard and sometimes just for the heck of it, I think. Hopefully he will soon mature enough not to bark so much. We love the noisy ole boy though!

Happy Birthday Major!

Hi, I'm Sue...

It's been so long since I've blogged, I thought I may need to re-introduce myself.

I haven't really had anything to blog about, and haven't really felt like it. Still coughing and battling sinus issues. Week before last, I had a rheumatoid (sp) arthritis (RA) flare up in my hip & leg and couldn't walk for 2 days. It's frustrating, but I'm so fortunate that the medicine usually keeps it in check. Anyway, I'm much better now. There are so many people with so many more & worse problems than mine.

This week was all about making it until Thurs. at 1:30 when we got out for Spring Break!!! I worked until 4:45 though-nice and quiet-actually got some stuff accomplished.

I was thankful Wed. night at Weight Watchers for a 1 lb loss! (I must be following Kelly's idea of 1 lb/wk). That's a total of 9.4 in two months. Hopefully with losing so slowly it will stay away forever! Hoping for 1-2 lbs loss next Wed. at least to get to 10 lb loss! Due to the RA flare up, I didn't get any extra walking in. I'm working on those Activity Points this week! I did the trim mowing with the push mower today. Hopefully I'll get to do some walking on the beach sometime this week when we visit my dad's side of the family in the Shallotte area. (But my uncle's cooking will push my daily points too! We call him "Emeril").

I was feeling a bit mischievous (imagine that,LOL) yesterday afternoon. My mom can't stand Easter egg trees, so I tease her every year about it. For years I've wanted to decorate one of her trees when she was gone, but haven't been able to work it out. Well, they went to the Maundy Thursday service at their church in Roanoke Rapids last night and I had my eggs ready. I didn't have many, and I wanted to make sure she saw it when they drove up, so I hung them on her gardenia bush at the end of the driveway (forgot the camera). Dad called on their way home and I told him to make sure the headlights hit the bush. We're always doing something to aggravate her. Well, when they drove up, Dad said at first she didn't say anything, then she said "Look at that! That mean daughter of yours has put eggs on my bush!!" 'Course she was laughing. So she called and said she was gonna get my britches when she saw me. I responded as usuall with "My Diddy won't let you!" Well, this morning I rode with Alan to get the trailer & lawnmowers (stored at their house). While he was loading up I went inside to see her. Of course she didn't get me-we had a good laugh. Later, when we took the lawnmowers back, I snuck around and got the eggs off the bush and hung them on her Norfolk Island pine in the back porch. Later she called saying she had found that and I was gonna get it for weighting down her NI pine. Well, I asked it she laughed, of course she had. I told her see I knew she needed a laugh, and was only doing it for her stress relief. She needed a laugh-she had just dumped a lemon chess pie upside down on the oven door as she took it out of the oven! Some days are like that! Anyway, I get my mean streak from her, so she can't say much about it.
Hope everyone has a great Easter!

Catching Up!

Hey everyone! I've been sick since March 12th with the sinus infection CRUD going around. (I haven't seen Shari in weeks, so she didn't get hers from me!). I haven't even been on the computer until today since the 15th. I was too sick to go on our trip to Raleigh on the 13th-Alan went alone and I stayed in the bed or recliner all weekend. We haven't had a chance to even do anything special for my birthday yet. I did go back to work this week, but some days I thought 3:00 would NEVER come. I'm still coughing & taking antibiotics.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes on the 15th! I enjoyed your blogs & photos from Blogger Blast. It sounds like you really had a great time.

I missed Weight Watchers last week, but had lost 2 more lbs last night. That's a total of 8.4 lbs in 7 wks! Not amazing, but let's hope "slow & steady wins the race"! I wasn't sure how I would do this week since while I was sick some days I hardly ate anything, and when I felt like eating, I didn't think much about points. It's kinda good to be back tracking again this week-that feels normal now.

Hope everyone has a great Friday!

Week Four Results

Thankfully, it seems I'm back on track. I lost 2.8 lbs this week!! I lost the 1.8 lbs. I had gained last week, plus another pound! I made sure to meet my points (or slightly over) each day this week, and I got in a good walk two days. Got to try to get more consistent with the activity. Hope everyone in the Thursday group has good results tomorrow night.

P.S. I hate I'm not able to join everyone at the Blogger Blast Friday. Alan & I already had another commitment. I know you'll have a great time! Looking forward to hearing about it from everyone else. Maybe next time.

Happy Birthday Corey!

Just wanted to wish the best nephew in the world a Happy 9th Birthday tomorrow, March 10th!! Hard to believe that he's so grow up, yet it's hard to remember life before Corey. I'm sure it was quieter, but not half as entertaining and exciting!! Corey is so much fun! We have a great time playing together. He's either gonna keep us all young or wear us out faster. Uncle Alan enjoys building things with Corey and playing with motorized toys. Corey & I enjoy putting puzzles together, sometimes reading and just exploring outside. Corey has always been a child you could talk to-really carry on a conversation with. I love his enthusiasm for learning (things that HE wants to know about). I enjoy sharing our common interest in science and nature (except the snakes & spiders -ICK!!) He is resourceful and creative. He's sensitive and deep. Sometimes he says or does such amazingly deep things, it brings tears to our eyes. Like at Christmas he took it upon himself to write a special blessing to say on Christmas Eve! Needless to say he was probably the only one with dry eyes!! His smile or a hug makes our day! Corey, we love you to pieces!! Hope you have a good birthday!! Love Aunt Sue & Uncle Alan!!

Refreshing Weekend

This weekend has been so refreshing and relaxing, I sure needed it. School has been crazy lately! I've basically collapsed every evening after I get home, some days in extremely BAD moods. Alan has been very patient, giving me some space, yet listening while I vent, cry or mope around. Enough of that depressing mess.
The big event this weekend was celebrating my father-in-law's 80th birthday! He's a wonderful man and we are all so fortunate to have him in our lives (even though he thrives on teasing me!) I wouldn't have it any other way though. I had planned to have everyone here for supper Sat. night, but Friday night I got feeling really sick and feverish, so we opted for Cracker Barrel (YUM).
Since we were going out for supper, I had a little more free time Sat. (didn't have to clean & cook). Thankfully I felt good Saturday morning. I raked some pine straw & played with our collie, Major; anything to be outside and enjoy that weather!! After lunch I went to my parents' house for couple hours. They live at my mama's homeplace, beside her sister on the family farm. The farm is my most favorite place in the whole world. My roots are extremely deep in that dirt! I spent my earlist years living beside my grandparents on that farm, and then Alan & I lived in the same spot for 7 years after we were married. We have always loved rambling in the woods or just walking on the farm. Whenever family members would come home for a visit, a major part would be walk, or drive the old farm truck, around the farm or in the woods -to reconnect with the land. Yesterday my parents & I walked around the edge of the woods, although the area we walked isn't much woods right now. It was logged several years ago and the pines are just a little taller than I am now, but there are a few hardwood trees in that area. The little kid in me came out and I had to explore/follow some of the deer trails through the underbrush. I got caught on a few briars, but not too bad. As a child, I spent many hours following my granddaddy everywhere on the farm. He taught me so much about nature and wildlife. It was just so freeing.

I left there to go home to get ready to go out. But I stopped on the way at a cousin's house. I had to rescue her from weedeating :) It's been too long since we just talked and spent time together. Then one of our other cousins came up, and the three of us had such a nice relaxing time just hanging out for a few minutes. Unfortunately, it seems we only get together when someone dies. Anyway, it was one of the highlights of my weekend!

Then we went out to celebrate JP's birthday with Alan's parents, sister Shari, her hubby Colin and our nephew Corey. We had a great time, as we always do when we get together. We couldn't talk as well as if we had been at home, but no one had to wash dishes afterwards. I thank them for agreeding to going out! I'll cook for us another day.

Today after church, we went to lunch at Alan's parents, as usual, except Shari wasn't there. She was working at Corey's school for a couple hours. I did cheat on WW just a tad- I had a itty bitty piece of homemade carrot cake, JP's birthday cake! It was divine!! Then we went to look at the newest collie puppies. They are so precious! I had to love on the cats too. Can't shun any of the critters! We stopped briefly to check on my parents, then home for NAPTIME! I had taken some medicine for vertigo before lunch-got feeling a bit woosy during church. By the time we got home I was a walking zombie. After a nap, we went outside to play with Major for awhile enjoying that extra daylight!!

Now it's almost time to go back to school. :( Hope everyone has a good week!

Week Three Results

Oops! I gained back 1.8 lbs this week. I know some weeks will be like that, but it's still a bummer. I'm grateful that it wasn't more. I am proud that I didn't give in and eat for comfort when I had a horrible day Friday! I think part of my problem this week was I was trying so hard to make sure I was eating because I was hungry, and not just for comfort, that I didn't eat enough -and I didn't use all my points two or three days. I'm not giving up though. I just have to work harder this week, to relose that 1.8 lbs, plus some more. Hope everyone else had a better week than me.