It's a Rainy Monday and I'm Tired...

Yes - exactly as the title says. One of the greatest phenomena in the world is how you could sleep till 10 in the morning Monday through Friday, but when a Saturday rolls around and you have the chance to sleep late, you're awake by 8:30! I don't pretend to understand this, but I do know that when my alarm went off this morning I was in the kind of sleep where you feel positively drugged! I was at the bottom of the rabbit hole and I had to claw my way out of it and into reality so that I could start the day. And it's gloomy and drizzly...which means; in my opinion, that everyone should be allowed to sleep late!

Monday lunch - it's finally cool; as in, not as hot as the surface of the sun outside anymore! Rejoice!

Watson on Monday morning - he really didn't intend to get up. I had to practically pull him from his bed by his two front legs... What can I say; he's like his Mom...he loves to sleep!

I love my parents - my sweet Mom & Dad, who send me cards & notes & $5 randomly in the mail. It's always nice to get little pick-me-ups, especially on a Monday. 

Ugh - life...part one.

Life has really been playing hard ball with me lately. I mentioned last week that it was a ROUGH week. And yes, it needs to be capitalized like that because it was that kind of rough. This past week wasn't as rough but there were still some bumps along the way that I could have done without. Part one - my tire. I'd noticed on Sunday that it seemed a little low and our family friends, the Deans, were so kind as to help me put air in the tire. My tire holds 31.5 pounds of air. We filled it up on Sunday afternoon around five and by Tuesday, it was down to 22 pounds. So, I went to my Uncle's house on the way home, he put the dummy tire on my car and then I had to go home and just chill until the morning. When Wednesday morning rolled around, I was at the tire shop when it opened at seven - and the little guy working there asked me "did you know your rim was dented?" Ha-ha...I wanted to tell him "sir, I know that my car is gray and that is about the extent of it..." which wouldn't really be true because I know a little bit more than that...but still...at 7:10 on a Wednesday morning, that it was it felt like. The blessing? They were able to fix the rim and patch the tire and it all only cost $10.70 - thank you sweet Jesus.

My sweet boy - comforting me on Tuesday afternoon when I got home & was thinking "oh life...geez..."

Demon caterpillars that have taken over my front porch - seriously, why?

Hickory Tussock caterpillars - here is your nature lesson for the week. Don't touch them! I kept seeing them all over my porch and they looked slightly creepy, so I googled them. They were on a list titled "Ten Beautiful but Extremely Toxic Caterpillars" - oh good. If you mess with these things, they have poison in all their little spines and they will stick you. Once you've gotten a stick from this little buggers, you will develops welts (whelps? How do you spell that word?) and they will burn, burn, burn and sting...for several days. I don't normally kill caterpillars, but I have to say...I've been smacking these. I'd rather not get stung by accident, just trying to walk down my stairs and accidentally touching one. No thanks.

Master of acrobatic feats of balance...especially when food is involved....

Oops...I think this candle is done...

Hey Mom...have a kiss. I know the week has been a little stressful....

Ugh life - Part Two

As I said, life is playing hard ball. I came home Thursday night, ate a turkey sandwich and intended to chill for just a little bit before heading to Zumba around 7. Well...life had other plans. In the form of me getting sick to my stomach around 6:30 and laying on the couch for the next 90 minutes, trying to keep the sickness at bay. It didn't work...but thankfully by about 8 or 8:30, it seemed that it had passed. I guess I must have eaten something funny; the jury is still out on what that might have been...but needless to say: Ugh...life.

Such a lovely Friday morning drive...in the pea soup...

My office sponsors a golf shootout every year and this is the first time I've been able to go - and it was; surprisingly, fun. It helps to finally have a friend at the office; things are always better if you have a friend to pass the time. I drove our golf cart like I've been doing it all my life, we ate chicken tenders at the food tent on whatever # hole it was on the course and then we explored the country club grounds. Not bad for a late Friday afternoon...and thankfully it wasn't a million degrees out - which is possible in MS in late September.

This could be trouble - at least, so said my boss...but we were fine. I'm an excellent driver.

Chilling at the country club...munching on chicken tenders with a four year old...

The lovely company in my golf cart - the four year decided to be a stowaway...

Saturday morning Tango conversation....not sure what we are doing....but you can't even see my Dad's face...

I spent most of Saturday in the car...or in the semi-swamplands of Picayune MS for one of my closest friend's wedding. My friend David and I road-tripped down the interstate to Picayune for the wedding - which was beautiful! I loved the setting; it was so perfectly Lisa and the wedding was absolutely beautiful. I did get a little tickled at one point; as the sun sank behind the trees, the woods came alive with all the sounds of the night and with the Spanish moss hanging from the trees and the secluded location of the house, it seemed like a swamp creature could come up at any moment and pull you away! Ha-ha, it really was beautiful though! I loved all the romantic little settings; a secluded garden with a fountain that looked like it was straight off the cover of the book "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"...night blooming flowers snaking through the fence..it was lovely.

David HAD to have McDonald's before the wedding...so he ate food. And I just drank a little milkshake...

Such a gorgeous setting!

Wedding guest selfie!

I love the little kid that was tearing it up on the dance floor...all on his own. I should have gotten video...

See: Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil! I love it.

A lone little night blooming flower....

Smiling with the beautiful bride! So happy for Ben & Lisa!

Walking out of the incredible gates...the perfect end to the evening!

The perfect breakfast on Sunday - coffee, Sprite and sugar cookies; made with Lotts of love...because now Lisa's last name is Lott. Too cute!

I LOVE Christmas - seriously, I do. But let's chill out - it isn't even October yet.

Talk about such a sweet surprise! I went to get the mail on Sunday and I had a little package; which was totally unexpected. I got the sweetest, most precious necklace in the mail from my friend Nickolee - okay, the necklace is from Nickolee but it actually came from Texas, because she had another of our friends, Victoria make the necklace. And because Victoria is just the sweetest, she made some matching earrings to go with my lovely necklace! It's always so sweet to get an unexpected package and it was such a great way to start off my birthday "week". Also, if you need anything awesome - you should check out Victoria's stuff; she is SO talented (hello - do you see that necklace?) and she's also one of the sweetest people - that's a winning combination!

My first birthday present for year 29 - I love it! 

The verse on the necklace - true & one that is perfect for me, in this season of my life. Nickolee knows me too well.

The fluffy pup, settled in to watch the season premiere of Once Upon A Time!

Well - that's all for now. It's my birthday week guys - I'll be twenty-nine on Sunday. Yeesh. I told my Dad that after this birthday, I'm not having birthdays anymore; I'm just going to celebrate the anniversary of turning twenty-nine. I'm hoping this week will be a good one; I'm going to be Virginia bound on Thursday at 4:30, so I'm hoping and praying for good days this week, safe, smooth and on time flights and just a good week/weekend all around. I can't wait to see my family; I can't wait to be back in Virginia, even if only for a couple days, and I can't wait for Thursday.