My Big Fat End Of Summer Pool Party

Summer’s drawing to an end. Kids are headed back to school. (yeah!) We didn’t vacation this year, we worked, so I’m a little nostalgic for the summer I missed.  Labor day is right around the corner, and every year with only a few exceptions I’ve thrown my Annual End of Summer Beach Side Pool Party.

This year some things will be a little different and somethings won’t.  And there are a few things, you need to know about. (If you’ve lived in my old home town, Birmingham,  for many years, you’ve no doubt heard tales of this party from someone)

1. I don’t have a pool, never have. This is a bring your own pool party. (Don’t laugh, we’ve had lots of fun with this one)
2. I don’t have a beach in my back yard. I import the sand and put up the volleyball net.
3. I don’t own a huge parking lot, but there are teenagers sans license to park your vehicle in a remote location.
4. Family and friends of family are always dropping in. (The more the merrier) So, bring the kids, and friends or more family.

Those details out of the way. We host a great party. Our menu usually includes, but don’t limit me, barbeque of all kinds (from whole pig, to goat, to gator), seafood (BBQ shrimp, boiled shrimp, taters and corn, crawfish (if we can get em), fried fish (crappie, bream and catfish), Potato Salad, Coleslaw, Aunt Dot’s BBQ Beans, favorite side dishes brought by guests, home made icream, italian cannoli, and gallons of home made iced tea (sweet of course) and home made lemonade. I always mention on my invites to bring along an appetite. All this food is too good to miss.

We have movies for the kids after dark and a live band playing beach music for the grown ups.

This year, my party will be a virtual one. Thanks to Auds over at Barking Mad for the great suggestion and the lousy economy keeping me from traveling for anything but work. (But we’re gonna have fun!, y’all!)

Now, lets get this party started !

I’ve posted the invites and hopefully you’ll all get to meet some of the folks I’ve been reading for a while. (And some great new writers/blogs I’ve found)

Nate and Tricia and little Gwyenth from Confessions of a CF Husband are way over on the North Carolina coast, but I hope they’ll make the virtual trip here to share in our fun. This little family has an awsome,  blessed story, and a future that’s as bright as the full moon. If you haven’t yet met Nate and Tricia, please visit their blog, read their story here, leave a comment or two and remind these two inspirational folks, we’re hoping they’ll be here! I’ve learned so much from Nate and his beautiful family over the past year about faith and hope and true love. I hope that he’ll share some of all of that with you all.

I found Sondra Santos LaBrie of Happy Healty Hip Parents (that’s a mouthful) over on Alltop Moms. She’s a literary marketing pro, and a certified parent educator. Along with a wicked wry sense of humor she boasts a healthy respect for shoes, shoe addiction and chocolate. What more can I say. I’m looking forward to getting to know Sondra and reading more of her great witty book reviews like this one. Hopefully, she’ll drop by with her son and maybe one of the men from her 4 Man Plan.

BooMamma, Alex(Boo) and D. are totally invited, because A) BooMamma is so a Kudzu Queen, and I love reading her stories about being Southern and living in the South.  And B) BooMamma is a relocated Missisppian just like I’m a relocated Alabamian.  And C) this one’s really important, she ‘BLEEDS’ maroon and white (just like ehubby). She’s a fanatical Mississippi State Fan (Go Dawgs! Bell Yeah!). BooMamma has recently been on a trip to Africa and has blogged her southern heart out about the wonderful work Compassion International does. BooMamma is a convicted Christian and one of the sweetest sprits I’ve ever read. I know you’d all enjoy learning more about her,  her takes on the South and life. Remind her to bring the beans!

I read this lady’s blog almost every day, and while I feel I know her, I don’t. Kristen over at We Are THAT Family, her three children and best friend husband remind me of us. A much younger us, when we were starting out. Something’s always afoot at her house, most of it non life threatening and she’s managed to keep her sanity through writing. I’m looking forward to getting to know her better. Kristen is also a deeply convicted, godly mother. I’d really love it if she’d take on the “wildman” for a while and whip him into shape for me.

Like me, Mir is “overeducated and underappreciated” or so she says. (I’m not buying it for a minute) She’s one of the busiest writers I know. When she’s not being interviewd by a major magazine, she’s working on her weekly column at one of 4 or 5 other blogs. Her latest gig is with Scholastic Books and I’m really going to enjoy reading her Kitchen Table Reviews. Mir and her hubby “Otto” and kids Chickadee and Monkey are within a few hours of us. I’d love it if they’d drop in on our party. Mir too shares my addiction (um, healthy respect) to shoes and chocolate.  And she grew her own herbs this year! Bring us some rosemary for the piggy Mir!

By now, you all know how totally addicted I am to Mommy Pie, Sandiego Momma and Foolery. These west coast chicks rock. And I hope, even though Deb has an aversion to flying and MP’s last flight wasn’t exactly all roses, that they’d find a way to spend the holiday weekend with us. What fun! Its guaranteed a laugh a minute! Dates, husbands, and kids are all welcome at the Nest. Y’all come on!

When ever I feel my sentences are running on too long, I pop by Rocks In My Dryer, have a read with Shannon and I feel cured. Shannon’s got a thing for proper english usage and punctuation and though she’d have a field day with my writing, I’d love to have her as my editor. She also was in Africa with Compassion International and I’d love to her some of her stories. Of course, she’s a good southern gal, moved west, but Shannon, hubby and all four of her wonderful children would surely add life to any party!

Now, this was all Auds fault. Even though she hates lobster, I’m going to try to convince her to join us at our Big Fat Pool Party! Besides, there’s no lobster here in Mississippi!  Auds and the complete cast of Casa Barking Mad, will keep you in stiches. (not the medical kind, the ones you get in your side from laughing so hard) There’s always something going on up in Maine but, since she hasn’t been South in a while, maybe she’ll bring the crew on down for the weekend.  Oh and Auds, bring the sunscreen would ya ?

It’s gonna be a lot of fun here in a couple of weeks! Don’t forget to bring your pool!

LAISSEZ LES BONTEMPS ROULE!

Weekends Were Made For This

I got a message last night on my voice mail, that I might just keep forever. It was my grand-son. In his sheepishly shy voice he asked could he come see me and grandpa. Over and Over. I couldn’t call him back fast enough to ask what this was all about. He told me “I just want to see you”. “I love you”.

Well, folks let me tell you something right now. If you melted the first time your child said “I love you Mommy”, wait until its the grandkid! Sadly I had to explain to him that Vicksburg was quite a drive from Birmingham, but that we’d be back through there in the next week or so to see him again.

I talked with his mom and dad, and Beano said “he’s been like that all day”. “He wouldn’t quit asking for you so, I just dialed the phone for him!” Alrighty then. Gotta love me some huggin from that boy!

I’m working on a couple of things this weekend to bring to you next week, I know, with Christmas just around the corner you’ll all be pleased that Frugal Fanny™ will be back in full swing with a regular weekly column and money saving tips, coupons, giveaways and more!

In the link love department, Auds is having a Dinner Party, yep she is, and she wants YOU to do the same. Check and see who she’s invited to her party and link up yours. Parties at Casa Barking Mad are always the cat’s meow!

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Tramps and Thieves

Ok, I’m a tightwad. I own a 1984 mercedes benz.(300 DTD) Bought and paid for in the days when diesel was 50 cents a gallon. (It only went sky high in the last 4 or so) When the cost of diesel fuel went through the roof, along with gasoline prices, I decided that it was more economic for us to park the car that used the expensive fuel and drive the little gas saver. This all worked well until today.  I went to the driveway, to give the car a crank, check the fluids and do some basic maintenance. Key in the ignition…turn…nothing. I don’t mean weak, I mean nothing. This I thought was a bit strange, however, its been in the 100’s here and well batteries don’t get along with sweltering heat too well.

Step 2, pop the hood. Again, all seemed ok until I went to the front of the car and noticed that the pull apparatus was umm missing. Yes missing. You see, on the old benz there is what looks like a little pull tab, but you don’t pull it you push it and voila, the hood latch disengages and poof, the hood opens. But its missing…now that’s odd. Necessity being the mother of invention, and my penchant for wooden clothes hangers, I wondered if the metal hanger end was strong enough to pop that latch. Worth a try. And yep, it worked ! This would be easy enough. Attach the battery charger and while the battery gains new life, I can do the remainder of the maintenance and then be off to Birmingham for the funeral.

Well, hells bells Miss Agness..that was a little too easy…one major problem!

SOMEBODY STOLE THE FREAKIN BATTERY

And…boys and girls, this rocket scientist didn’t simply remove the battery, he

CUT THE FREAKIN CABLE CONNECTION TO IT!

Now folks, I’m not dirt poor, well these days maybe. But the cost to repair this lovely car are going to be way out of my range. So, here goes. Its for sale. As is, for what ever anyone wants to use it for. Parts would be my guess. The engine still purrs like a kitten and the tranny’s still good. So, if you know or live with a car freak, who wants to rehab a standard diesel burner into a veggie burner, this would be your car!  Seriously, if you’re interested in this car, use my contact form and give me a shout.

As to my bad attitude, well all I can say is its gonna be a whole lot worse if I ever get my hands on the moron who did this. This car wasn’t a brand new playtoy, it was my transportation. My way out if I needed it. Now someone’s taken that from me. And frankly, that worries me a bit.

So, as I sit here writing this rant, they are celebrating the Mass of the Ressurection for my dear aunt, may she finally rest in peace. I won’t make the services, but I am with the family in prayer.

For the thief who needed my battery for drug money or worse. You took away my saftey net. You took away my way out. I hope your pleasure was worth that.

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