Getting my Zzzzzz's

Wow, I am slacking! I can't believe I haven't blogged since last Saturday. It has been a crazy week. I knew last week was going to be a harder week for me. My boss was on vacation and would be taking his calls as well as mine....and boy was I right.

Every night, I come home and collapsed on the sofa...eat my dinner, and then rest. I am just now looking at the mail for all last week - that's sad...

Friday night - poor Ed. We went out to eat dinner which was wonderful, but when we got home...I went sound to sleep, at 8:30 PM - poor Ed.. I just couldn't stay awake to talk about anything or plan for the weekend.

On Sabbath morning, we went to church, listened to pastor Mike talk about the beliefs of the dead - heaven vs hell - and the second coming. It was a pretty good sermon. Great for those just entering into our denomination, and a good refresher for the rest of us.

We picked mom up for dinner later on in the evening and all headed for Red Robin for some fantastic hamburgers. We had many storms roll in through Nashville today and this evening - with several tornado's spotted here and there - but we didn't let that get in the way of our hunger drives.... ha ha ha

Ed and I got all caught up in the happenings of the world and last week, and have taken it easy today - other than doing our bi-weekly grocery run.... yes bi-weekly... we don't have as many needs with the girls gone - the "EMPTY NEST"

I think that I got all my Zzzz's in for the time being - my boss is back to work on Monday so it should be back to normal. :)

SPRING FLOWERS

Our flowers are blooming !!!! I love seeing the colors added to our yard. Ed has already started seeding the yard to have beautiful green grass in a few more weeks

My new Office

I think I have finally settled into my new office at work. I have a few more pictures to hang on the walls..but it's getting there.





Yes...I am OCD - I have a white board with all my sales goals listed and binders on my shelf of all our product lines...

I am so ready for Spring Time

I don't care if its not 70+ degrees today...I'm in the mood for spring! I got out one of my new spring jackets and Ed said,"You look nice...I have to take a picture." Feels good when you get early morning compliments from your husband before heading off to work. :)

It was suppose to rain today...but I guess mother nature had different plans and let us enjoy the sunshine and 60+ temps today.

Buttercups are blooming - I will take some pics and post them tomorrow.

HAPPY SPRING!!!!

Saint Patricks Day Blessings

The shamrock, which was also called the "seamroy" by the Celts, was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring. By the seventeenth century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism. As the English began to seize Irish land and make laws against the use of the Irish language and the practice of Catholicism, many Irish began to wear the shamrock as a symbol of their pride in their heritage and their displeasure with English rule

A more bona fide Irish tale tells how Saint Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day.

I hope that the luck of the Irish spills my way...

Jillians Spring Break Week

Wow....Christie brought to my attention this morning that I have not blogged in forever...

well, there has been a lot going on this last week, and I am still adjusting to the new hours and workload at my new job. Jillian and her friends came home for spring break. They arrived on the 8th late in the evening. There plans was to stay a few days and visit with us and then go camping at Roan Mountain Wed thru Sat. Mother nature had other plans. We had freezing rain, snow, and lots and lots of rain. Needless to stay - they decided not to go camping and stayed here all week. I loved it! I really enjoyed meeting some of Jillian's new friends - Sarah and Courtney.

Tuesday night was a special night. Ed took off from work - spent the day with the girls - and then fixed a Filipino dinner - yes Adobo, Korean beef, Pancit, and of course Rice! All the kids were here and we ate and ate and ate! Yummmmm.

Thursday the girls went and got a massage - it was Sarah and Courtney's first experience and they loved it!

Friday - Ed was off work all day - so he took the girls out, and they went bowling. They all had a great time.

Through-out the week - I had to work, but when I got home ,me and the girls ate and watched shows, and just enjoyed each others company. It was a lot of fun and I am so glad that they got to come home.

Middle Name Pride Day

Middle names - those names that are often not known or easily forgotten. My middle name is Jean. I was named after my mother whose middle name is also Jean.

My husband Ed said that they never had middle names. They always took their mothers maiden name as their middle name - his is Andal.

We had no rhyme or reason for our girls middle names - no namesakes - just picked them because it sounded good with the first names.

Nicknames

Cassandra is the only nickname that I ever had. When I was the quality control manager in the mammography department where I worked, the radiologist there would say, 'here comes Cassandra!" The name means - better of bad tidings. When I had to meet with him - it was usually because there was a problem. I have never had any other nickname.

Sissy is a nickname that evolved over time for my youngest daughter - I don't think I know how or why it evolved but still sticks with her even today.

When I asked Ed about his nickname he said that he was called Edong. Auntie Becky -in Canada use to call him that and some of his friends, but he can't remember why it evolved either.

Learn what your name means day

The meaning of the name Theresa, or Teresa, is "one who reaps". The Greek name implies one who is destined to work hard, but who will receive great bounty for her efforts. The name is associated with the fall season of the earth's life cycle: a time of harvest, of plenty, of purposeful labors, of warmth and generosity. Theresa shares her harvest with the world, as the earth has given its fruits to Theresa, thus respecting and supporting the natural cycle of life.

The first bearers of my name appear to be from the Greek island of Therasia. The popularity of two saints, Teresa of Avila and Therese of Lisieux, has resulted in the creation of many variants.
The popularity of this name in America over the last 15 years is falling, according to the US census. It was ranked as the 717th most popular name for girls born in 2006, down from 74th in 1965

Happy Bonza Bottler Day!

WHAT ?? you ask - read below. I missed the first two this year - thought this was interesting.

The History of Bonza Bottler Day
August 8, 2005 marked the 20th anniversary of the first official celebration of Bonza Bottler Day, which was created by Elaine Fremont in 1985 when she realized there were no special occasions to celebrate one month. She decided to give herself a reason to have a party and some fun with this special day every month. Ms. Fremont held a contest to name the day, which a student from Australia won. When Australians like something, they might exclaim, “Bonza !” which means “super,” “great,” or “fantastic.” “Bottler” is slang for “something excellent.” Thus, the celebration each month is now known as Bonza Bottler Day , which was first officially celebrated on August 8, 1985 in Greenville, South Carolina, where Elaine Fremont was born and lived.
The founder of Bonza Bottler Day, Elaine Fremont, died in a car accident on April 8, 1995 at the age of 43. For ten years, she celebrated every Bonza Bottler Day with her friends or family. It was her desire that Bonza Bottler Day be a day that friends and family had a reason to enjoy life and get together every month. Though Elaine has passed on, her sister Gail Berger has taken over making sure her memory and her desire for Bonza Bottler Day to be a day of celebration live on. In whatever way you celebrate, we hope you, too, will enjoy many Bonza Bottler Days

Unique Names Day

In case you are wondering - this week is all dedicated to names....
I come across a little website that has some neat name creation tools and resources to help pick a perfect name that is still unique.

Unique-names.com hosts 4 ½ tools online to help you create a unique word or name for your project, your business, or even your child. You'll see our name choosing tools on the menu at the right. We're most proud of the Word Mixer and the Word Generator, so be sure to give them a try.

I had fun typing Teresa and Ed together to see what it come up with!

Namesake Day

Namesake day is a day that you think about where you got your name and if you were named after a special person. According to Wikipedia “If a person, place, or thing is named after a different person, place, or thing, then one is said to be the namesake of the other.”
Who were you named after and where did you get your name?



My oldest daughter Jillian was named after actress Ann Jillian. I was pregnant when I had the distinguished honor of meeting this wonderful lady soon after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. In the mid-1980s, the then 35-year-old actress made headlines when she was diagnosed with breast cancer and she became a vocal advocate for cancer research and prevention. Her own cancer was beaten following a double mastectomy and her battle with the disease was chronicled in a 1988 made-for-TV film, The Ann Jillian Story in which Ann portrayed herself. Ann Jillian continued to act and had a son in 1992. Her TV and film credits have been sporadic since the late 1990s, as she decided to devote herself to raising her son Andrew Joseph and to promoting breast cancer issues. Today, she mostly works as a motivational speaker and also performs as a singer in corporate and symphony pops circles.

It was in 1988 when I had the honor to meet this one - as she was an inspirational speaker at an event that I was involved with. I admired her strength and love for life and knew right away that I would name by child if she was a girl after this wonderful woman.

With my youngest daughter Christie - I did not have a namesake inspiration. When she was born, Ed and I looked at each other and said - she looks like a "Christie" so that is what we did.

Today is the opportunity for you to really connect to all of those people who share your name. Google them, look them up in the Yellow Pages and then reach out and say hello!

Empty Nest and Empty Feelings

I'm not sure how to explain the feelings that I am experiencing right now. For those of you who have moved from time to time may or may not be able to understand. Ed and I drove by the home where I grew up... 4802 Milner Dr....to find out that it is no longer there. The entire house was removed from the property....I understand why....but not sure how I feel about the home being gone....permanently gone.

When dad passed away, we begged mom to move over closer to us so that she would be safe and also so she wouldn't have to worry any more about the creek flooding. For as long as I can remember - this house would flood anytime we had heavy rains. It was simply a part of life...we didn't ever put anything of value downstairs or if we did - it was placed very high on shelving. Anytime there was even a threat of flooding - we would always move the cars closer to the street so that they would be spared the savage of the floods. Flooding is why the house was torn down. All the homes in the immediate flood area wee bought up by the government and torn down to prevent any further insurance claims.

It's an odd feeling... Wayne and I spent many many hours outside in this yard... had many good memories in this home, and both my girls grew up here as well. Mom raised the girls while Ed and I worked at the hospital. This was their home away from home.

I am so glad that we convinced mom to move closer to us, but I will have to say that after seeing this empty property - I feel like a part of me has left as well. I know...a house is just a house...but it is also a dwelling full of memories.