A little precursor. . . I started blogging way back in the beginning of 2006 on MSN Spaces before branching off to my website here and long before I’d even heard of Facebook. Back in the day, I immediately met some really nice people from all walks of life, different ages, different countries even. It was enlightening and . . . well, FUN reading stories about lives, their cultures, their goals, their dreams. . . getting to know them. . . becoming real friends.

I’ve blogged about meeting my blog friends from Seattle (where I became an official member of the RahRahs). I’ve blogged about meeting my Southern Soul Sista from Pensacola. Now I’m blogging about my dear, sweet friend from South Africa. . . all the way on the other side of the world. I haven’t met her yet, but maybe one day.

Julz is a young lady (not much older than my oldest baby) who is SO incredibly full of life, energy, passion and talent. She’s absolutely infectious! She beams happiness! Loves her family and friends fiercely! She’s a straight-shooter with a fabulous sense of humor. AND has more (undiscovered) singing talent than a lot of the mainplayers on the radio today. I say “undiscovered”, but I should add YET. I have no doubt in this girl’s talent, her heart, her drive and her kindness. She’ll be big one day! I have faith.

Last week, I received a Christmas card from my dear friend, Julz from South Africa. She had mailed it before Thanksgiving in hopes of arriving by Christmas. But due to the postal service and their commitment to timely delivery **note sarcasm**, I received it three months later. But you know what? It didn’t matter! I ripped it open as if it were Christmas morning. . . so excited. A Christmas card from South Africa!

And she included this keychain. She said it’s made by South Africans and the proceeds go to the purification of water in rural Africa. See how her heart works?! It is such a special gift to me that I will treasure for many years.

Both of our blogs have suffered a great demise (I blame Facebook), but we still keep in touch. Thank goodness for Facebook and email.

I am so happy to have taken that brave step into the unknown blogworld five years ago. I would have never known this bright spirit that I call my South African friend. And I’d have one less star shining in my day. Thank you Julz!!

I hate to tell you that it’s 77 degrees here today.

I thought this was cute.

So I broke down and bought a new computer. Whee! Is this thing ever fast! No more continuous spontaneous rebooting while in the middle of something. All my memory slots and USB slots actually WORK. I can now actually upload pictures again!! **The heavens open and angels sing** It’s stunning really for someone who is so used to taking a bunch of crap from a machine, it always calling the shots, letting me know what it would and would not do for me, mocking me the entire time knowing that I’m a computer person with too much pride to let a machine win. The bastard had to GO!

That’s right. Tossed. Kaput! Bye Bye!!! Now maybe I can start posting to my site again. I’ve got recipes to share (I made the BEST Peanut Butter Pie recently that actually made me moan in delight), photos that I’ve taken (I’m actually learning how to use this danged old camera) and stories to tell (so much to catch up on). And even though it’s Summertime and I spend an obscene amount of time at my pool and/or at the beach, I plan to spend at least a little time uploading pictures and catching my site up to date.

I feel so alive and so free! Amazing what a new start can do for a person.

This crazy group of women all met in Gulf Shores, Alabama to attend Momma’s graduation from Nursing school.  Neither of us had ever even MET Momma, but we all knew her as if she were our own family.  [Left to right: Momma, Me, Demery, Martha, Mo]

We’ve been talking to her via blogs, emails, texts, phone, etc for over four years.  We’ve come to know and love her as our very dear friend.  (She’s actually my long lost Southern Soul Sista)  We encouraged her and supported her in this leap of faith into the Nursing world (We KNEW she was one smart cookie).  And we all promised her 2 1/2 years ago that we’d be there the day she graduated.  And we were.  We had no choice.  She did her part.  She stuck to it even when things got rough. 

So we all hopped on planes and went to beautiful South Alabama.Three of them came from Seattle.  I flew in from Virginia Beach.  One of her dearest lifelong friends flew in from Vancouver.  So it was a full-fledged celebration!  Hats off to Momma!

But boy that was a short trip!  I can’t wait to go back!!!  When I can stay for more than a minute.  My dear friends from Seattle had apparently never been south of the Mason Dixon line before and had no idea of the beauty and charm of the Southern beaches AND our Southern men.  Yes, Mo was CHARMED.  Our Cabanna Boy called her “Darlin’” and I believe she went into a daze.

By the time we left, the girls were all shouting, “WE LOVE ALABAMA!!”  I tend to agree, but that’s just the “Southern” coming out in me.  What can I say?  I’m partial to the Southern Drawl, Darlin’, and sugar white beaches. 

I’m thinking RETIREMENT location.

If you haven’t seen the commericial, it’s worth a gander. Here it is:

So WHO IS this guy in the Old Spice commercial? His name is Isaiah Mustafa, an actor and a former wide receiver for the NFL who signed as a rookie with the Seattle Seahawks in 2000. He used to be a middle school math teacher too.

All I have to say to that is. . . MY middle school math teacher never looked like THAT!

What a winter we’ve all had this year!! (Let’s hope it’s close to over) Typically this area around Virginia Beach rarely sees much really cold weather during the winter. Snow is something kids dream of. But this winter has been different. We’ve seen snow. . . several times. In fact, it was snowing here once while I was texting my friends in Seattle, Washington where it was 60 degrees and sunny there. Talk about opposite weather forecasts.

I saw the predictions for the week and I saw 60 degree plus temps forecasted and I thought that was great. What I didn’t fully appreciate was exactly HOW WARM 67 degrees feels after you’ve been freezing your tush off for months. It feels like Summer!!!!! Woohooo!! Talk about a difference in my disposition. I broke out the t-shirt and shorts and felt like MYSELF again. . . only much, much whiter. (I’ll have to work on that)

My boss, the one I like, was in a really bad mood today. Something that usually really bothers me. (I take everything personally) (And well, it bothered me a little) But today, it didn’t bother me as much as usual. It’s something about warm weather that lightens up my day. No matter who’s grouchy. No matter how much stress I’m under. Sunshine and warm temps are the ANSWER!! My cure-all to what ails me.

BRING ON THE WARM SUNSHINE!!!! I’M READY FOR YA!!!

I’m ready for my flowers!! They’re coming soon!!!!!

It’s so tiny (8 weeks and 5 days) that we can’t tell if it’s a boy or a girl, but so far, baby is doing well.

Back in the day when my boys were born, sonograms weren’t done on a routine basis. Back then, they only did them if they suspected something was wrong. Heck, I didn’t even know that you could see the little nugget when it was this tiny! So needless to say, I never saw my babies in pictures before they were born. And their gender was still a mystery until the minute they popped out. The wonders of modern medicine.

I’m mixed on whether I’d have wanted to know the sex of the baby when they were born. On one hand, it’s great to be able to plan ahead, colors, names, etc. But then I did like that element of surprise the minute they were born. I guess it doesn’t matter what I’d have done because my daughter-in-law WANTS TO KNOW! And I do toooooo! I can’t wait to know now. They’ve already got names picked out and everything. So once we know, I’ll be able to refer to the baby by name instead of “it”. (I’ve never liked “it”)

I mean, honestly, it’s winter. I wear pants or skirts with boots to work. I wear sweats at home, pajamas to bed. Even I don’t see my legs till the sun comes out! Well, a neurologist DOES make you put on the paper gown and there my Mo’nique legs were in all their glory. (I do NOT know how that woman does it!)

Of course, since I was mortified, I commented on how if I’d have known, I’d have shaved the legs. In his driest sense of humor, he said, “I don’t care. I don’t shave my legs either.” Haha!

Suffice it to say. . . I shaved the monsters this morning. A day late and a dollar short. Just thought everyone should be kept aprized of the national event.

Another nagging little thought. . . Why do I have a zit at nearly 50 years old? I thought wrinkles were the trade-off for those nasty, little buggars.

Just saying’.