BINGO!!! "Ladies Night Out!"

My new BFF invited me to a local event this evening. Honestly, when she asked me if I like Bingo, I immediately had a vision of Roseanne sitting in the Bingo Parlor with her decorated stampers wanting desperately to call out "BINGO!"...that was not the case.

This was an event to benefit the local women's shelter. The only requirement was to bring along a personal item and a good attitude. When asked what to bring, my BFF, Colleen, just in case you wondered who it was, said "I'm donating some of the overflowing shampoo's I have acquired with coupon shopping." That was a good choice, but, I didn't want to copy, so I bought some good smelly bath wash.

Surprise, I left the 2 bottles at the house and had to make an unexpected stop to buy another donation and while wandering thru the drug store I thought, I would really miss my toothbrush and toothpaste if I was forced into one of the situations that might send me to a shelter. SO, I bought another bath-wash, one cool purple toothbrush and some minty, whitening toothpaste and when I hit the door to exit, I entered the abyss!! One thing they do well here in Ohio is, storm! My oh MY!! It was like being in Kansas again, the wind whipping, rain coming down in waves, and magically it had become as dark as midnight.

The drive over was interesting and I will admit I pulled off once, because I couldn't see a thing! If I had put my glasses on, which I just can't seem to come to grips with the fact that I need those things on my face every waking moment, I would've been ok. But, I arrived, 45 minutes late and we immediately headed for the wine bar! Upon the suggestion of her husband we tried their Iced Wine. What an interesting concept. Freeze the grapes at the peak of ripeness and then go through the whole wine making process. The wine was, and I will admit a bit much for me, very sweet and had a pear like fruitiness to it. I needed food to lighten the taste. And their bread with olive oil did the trick!

We entered the dining room set up for the Bingo, and there was a plethora of vendors: Scentsy, Tupperwear, Pampered Chef, Miche (I think I spelled that right), Thirty-one, Party Lite,Avon, and several more, that I wasn't too interested in. The goal of this game was to win one of the donated items from the vendors. They really had some nice items donated. Colleen ended up winning some smell good cream from a makeup vendor (whose claim is to be vegan, natural, and holistic). I didn't win a prize, but, I had a wonderful time.

There just aren't words to explain the beauty and pure pleasure from spending time with someone who you enjoy spending time with, and vice-versa. Our lives may be complicated and hectic, but taking a few hours out of the evening to just sit, gab and share, without putting on airs or hiding the things that drive us as women crazy, is therapeutic. Thank you Colleen for inviting me!

They announced they are doing another one in November.....I hope she will go with me to that one and we will try another wine and maybe I will win something?!

They Say it's your Birthday!

Today we celebrate David's Birthday!

In our family we are the September gang. When Alex was born on the 10th I had no idea what was about to unfold. I had no idea that September would become the month of Birthday madness..Alex shared his day with his paternal grandmother, Lois, and then we had Chelsea on the 8th, our nephew, Drew on the 11th, Trenton came screaming into this world on the 24th, and the last one we celebrate before the spooky month of October roles around is David, today on the 27th! This is the month everybody stays broke from buying presents and cards. My Mom actually requested that we no longer plan, or accidentally and have anymore grandbabies in September...it's tough on the pocketbook.

Just ask any one of the September babies, they will tell you there are lots of pluses to being a September baby. You get new school clothes, and gifts that have a practical purpose for your birthday, because Christmas is coming soon. Imagine walking into your new classroom the first week of school and trying to pass our Birthday Party invitations....not so much fun, when you don't know everybody yet. So, a big crowded party is kinda not practical and hard to plan. (I was being facetious, you get that, right?)

Milam family Birthdays became consistent, reliable and your Birthday became YOUR day! I will bake you a cake, any flavor, we can have ice cream and candles and I always sing to you, several times a day, and, that can be repeated for the candle blowing event. You get presents...and as parents we tried very hard not to make them practical, and the best thing is YOU get to pick out dinner! Whatever you want!! If that means we have to drive one hour to get to the restaurant, if that is what you wanted, then we did. It did not matter if everybody liked your choice, IT WAS YOUR BIRTHDAY! Your day...the day that God sent you to us and we revealed in the beauty that God created, a little bit more special on this day and we consider ourselves blessed to be a part of your life.

Since it was David's Birthday, I sang (several times), had 2 different cards picked out and statically placed for him to find when he got up, changed his screensaver to say "Happy Birthday!", got up early (which, as you know, I don't do mornings!) made him breakfast, kissed him and shooed him of to work and then baked him a cake, finished present shopping and when he decided he wanted to go out for dinner, I was more than happy to tag along, to Carrabba's. We came home, I warmed up the Keurig, lit the candles and sang once more! I'm thinking the old fashioned, "It's your Birthday, you get to have things your way", Milam mantra worked out just fine.
Happy Birthday David....here's to many more, may God bless you and keep you (with me)

Leave are falling

Living in Ohio during this time makes me miss the true WV fall leaves. The bright reds and oranges of WV are not here. Not anywhere that I can find them. There are lot of rust and yellow, but the awesome bold color of the sugar maples back home is what I really want to see. I have the luxury of getting my car and driving to find them, but, Chelsea doesn't. How do we capture that color, the majestic beauty of it and send it thousands of miles from home?

I really never thought much about it and truthfully have never been that fond of fall. David LOVES it! The color and beauty of how it occurs right on schedule without human assistance, knowing that God paints each leaf is a true sign that he does exist. For that reason, I love him. He always manages to keep me grounded and finds the simple things in life to remind me that I am not always in control, and that if I just let loose of the reigns just a little he will guide me.

Admittedly, I am a control freak! I like schedules and everything planned! Certainly things will not go or end well if I am not in control. Maybe that's another reason why I have problem with the fall season. I cannot control it, it means that seasons are changing, time is flying by, the fall season is the introduction into the cold, damp, gray winter that I despise of immensely. And that means yet the end of another year, so, another year older. Time just keeps marching by and sometimes I want to savor it. Then again, looking back, there are things about the past years that I am glad got put away.

If you are family, find some of those trees, take a picture or two and upload them to her facebook account or drop them in the mail to Chelsea. She is missing home and the majestic of the changing of the leave. Please?

Crumbs on my lap?

Today was my busy day. Restocking the pantry and fridge is time consuming and tedious, at least I think so. I try really hard to make a list while taking stock of what is left. My oh my, there wasnt much left. Last week the big purchases were cleaning supplies. Why is it they all run out at the same time? This week it was staples. Eggs, bread, veggies, (since the co-op has ended), and meats. Again, an expensive trip.

For there just to be two of us here, and Trenton on two weekends a month, it seems we go through the groceries. They are no longer cheaper. The economy is definately hitting our grocery bill. Granted I am a comparision shopper and I buy what is in season, and I run straight to the almost old meat section, but our bill has almost doubled in the last year. I can generally get the shopping done in the "W" place, but, I have learned to really like the Meijer chain that is here in Ohio. They are comparable on everything but meats. Twice we have tried their fresh meats and they just seem tough and not very flavorfull. Today was the "W" place. I always try to guess my total and was under by $40 today. Seems a grocery cart full of groceries for two to last two weeks runs about $190. There was only one paper product, some napkins, in the buggy. Everything was food. That is also a big problem shopping at the big chains, I am the impulse buyer. I have to avoid the sketchy areas, no electronic for movies, no clothing for their specials, and yes, they always have specials, and forget the pharmacy department. I can always find a new lotion or potion when I am there.

Over a year and half ago we got David one of the Keurig Coffee pots. We simply love the coffee, but the K-cups are an additional cost. The grocery stores sell smaller boxes at higher prices. I like to buy those at the big Bed, Bath chain. If it's coupon week, I can walk out with one free box. But, my wonderful husband bought them online at a huge discount this time. When we first moved here we noticed how hard the water is. Honestly, its soo full of calcium, the women here should never need to take supplements. In order to save our Keurig, we purchase Culligan full filtered water from the Whole Foods market, its honestly the best buy in the entire store! 39 cents a gallon. I really don't mind tromping to their store to get it, but when I mismanage my time, the extra stop can be dangerous. That would be today. I made the mistake of mismanaging my time. It was way past lunchtime! Everything in the place looked wonderful to eat. Great big rinds of cheese, fancy salads, heck, even the organic, wholesome dog treats were looking good. I should've known better than to not head straight to the check out....5 minutes later I was shoulder deep in the bakery cabinet snagging a still warm, fresh chocolate croissant! Now, knowing that they are crusty goodness, I knew I needed a coffee enhanced liquid and slid the cutest little chilled canned mocha in my cart. I turned the corner and "Wa-La!" There was there scrumptious italian Gelato, on SALE....2 for $5!!!! Long story shortened, my bill was $17.00!!

Feeling guilty, I went to the car and immediately ate the evidence! The croissant and mocha...I was giggling to myself, sitting in the car, on a rainy afternoon, acting like the fat girl that lives deep inside of me, oohing and ahhhing over the deliciousness of the croissant! Covered in crumbs, I started the car and headed home. Was that my reward for venturing out on a dreary, misty friday to restock my kitchen? I think so, crumbs and all!

New tv season!

I'm a prime time tv addict who loves wholesome good, make you giggle in your belly, after dark tv! I can't lie...

All the new shows plus season premier's make me giddy! DWTS...dvr'd, so don't tell me how the first 2 nights went. Parenthood...great start to another day in life, with a lot of truth, done.
The Biggest Loser...the weakest competitor went home after the first week.

I had to watch Up All Nite on nbc's website, because I forgot about it. Seems good, so far. And I'm looking forward to Whitney's premiere.

Now I wait patiently for The Middle, Big Bang Theory and Modern Families season premiers. Let's hope they live up to last season! If you need me I'll be watching my DVR'd secret passions: Dance Moms, 19 kids & Counting, and Dr Oz....


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

One tired puppy

This was our weekend with Trenton! All three of us enjoy his visits. When I say all three, that is including Emma Grace. They have become the best of friends. She follows him around, lets him lead her throughout the community for walks and even tolerates it when he locks all her toys in her crate.

When the weekend is over, we are all tired. Of course, David and I had our children young and having a busy almost 4 year old around is a joy, but, it is tiring. Those of you with young children now, all I can say is "Whew" and how do you guys do it 24/7? My 40 something body and mind love having the youthful little fella here. We sing, color, paint, and I can turn every little daily event into a learning experience. We are currently learning same and different, letter and number recognition and taking him into the kitchen is pure joy for me. My heart swells when he is flat on the floor, playing with his cars and suddenly just starts singing one of the new songs we have been learning. I can remember the days when my children were small and we watched Barney, Sesame Street, Allegra's Window and all the Nick daytime TV. Vividly, I remember the car rides with the Sesame Street ABC's and Children Favorite cassettes that were worn out and purchased 3 times. Trenton is now enjoying the exact same things. Of course now they are downloaded from Itunes to my Iphone but, we are singing our way thru the alphabet on a daily basis. I don't mind one second of it; playing, learning, singing, long baths, brushing our teeth reading bedtime stories and saying our prayers. The only real hard thing is to smile when the big purple dino says, "Super-de-duper", but, I am enjoying every minute of it.

Of course at this hour he is tucked away dreaming about his colorful, exciting world and I sit here typing and thinking just how tired I am and then I look over at poor Emma Grace. She is exhausted and trying to prepare for her nightly watch. When he is here, she goes back and forth from her bed by the Master Bedroom to the spare puppy bed in Trenton's room. It's sweet to know she is watching out for all of us. But, she's gonna be one tired puppy tomorrow, and so will I if I don't wrap this up. Goodnight Moon......

Foodie at heart...Fat Girl for LIFE!

Ok..I have an admission. I am a Foodie! All our vacations and trips must be centered around the food that is available in the area. What is sad is, I have to take pictures. Yes, you guys know I am a VERY amateur photographer, and it embarrasses my loved ones every time I pull the camera out. But, that is one of the ways I have documented my life. Why on earth would I not take pictures of the Foodie locations, and yes, I will admit, sometimes the food that I have eaten along the way. This is one of the first "Foodie" places we ventured into. It is a tiny little place in Savannah, Georgia. Admittedly, the first time we ate there we rushed in to do brunch. My were we surprised. The delicate croissants they baked freshly everyday were to die for and I made David buy 6 of them to return home with us. He had some kind of veggie filled omelet and raved on and on about it. It was at the end of our trip which had included, The Pirate House, The Lady and Sons, Uncle Bubba's, The Crab Shak, and Leopold's Ice Cream. All of which lived up to their names and the food there was exactly what we expected.

But, B Matthews was our find. Traveling to the south is what we love. We both have family down there. David's brother Steve and his wife Candy, as well as their adult children, Tiffany and Heather and their families are in Bluffton, SC and my sister, Larissa lives in Charleston, SC with her husband Walt and their small children Nate and Lillian. Logistically, Savannah is a good neutral location. We can get a vacation and see the family all in the same trip.

Last year when we headed to our beloved Savannah, we intentionally found another new Foodie locations, the "Blowin' Smoke BBQ". Can you say yummmeeee! They had the most awesome deep fried kosher dill spears and a spicy ranch dipping sauce that I could've slathered all over my face. Of course, I have pictures of the store front and a few from inside. It was decorated rather nicely, brick interior wall, with old school posters, signs and some local original art work. I believe the whole food experience DOES include the environment.

Very rarely are we let down. But, we did the Tennessee thing a few years ago, and hunted down a famous BBQ spot and boy were we disappointed. I remember the drive back to our 1/2 towards home hotel. My tummy rolled and grumbled and I did the "ugh my stomach hurts, so I gotta unbutton and unzip the jeans" thing all the way. First of all the BBQ was NOT spectacular, like everybody promised. It was served on a melamine lunch tray, the ketchup, and I am very, very picky about the ketchup was that generic, that no name tomato ketchup, the kind that has no real flavor. The restaurant was dark, and they had tv's blaring the Food Network Episodes of the proprietors running over and over. And, the bathrooms.....well, it says a lot about how the business is run and I refused to go in there! It was smelly and just grimy and dirty. I was excited to be there at first, and did take a picture of the food. What was I thinking, cause I don't ever want to remember that meal. I told David I should let the owners know. but, thought, well, they are busy enough, its their neck of the woods and I wont ever have to come back. But, I often wonder if that particular restaurant does well.

Loving food the way I do, it is no wonder I fight constantly with my weight. I could probably eat my weight in shrimp. Fix it anyway and I will eat it. As well as Burgers and Fries! I could eat a Burger for lunch and dinner probably 4 days a week. The absolutely best meal we ever ate was in Vegas, at 'The Paris" Restaurant. We walked up 8 minutes before the door opened, they ushered us onto an elevator and when we told them we didn't have reservations, we were sure we would have to wait forever and get a seat somewhere near the kitchen or with no real view. We were happily seated within 4 minutes and on the Bellagio fountain side!! The food was unlike anything I had ever eaten...service, well, I felt like royalty. We had 6 courses of the best food that had ever touched my lips. I do not exaggerate!! We highly recommend it. But, then we don't really matter in the big scheme of things. But, if your ever in Vegas, and have a big balance on your credit card, GOOO...do not pass up the opportunity to eat there. It was a once in a lifetime experience!

Guess we better plan those trip in areas where I can get a lot of walking in, like Vegas, Savannah or near a beach so I can beach walk. Honestly, the best part of the vacation is seeking out the "Foodie" location. One out of way too many to count isn't so bad, so, I'm not gonna give it up.

Sticking your neck out!

How tall and regal is the giraffe. His face is kind and noble, eyes dark brown and full of wonder about the world around him. Scanning through my pictures today, this particular one struck me...


As human beings we are blessed with the knowledge that God always has the upper hand yet we are all given free will. Our paths in life are walked with the hope that God is always with us and that he wants only good things for his children. Enter free will. Free will is also known as choices, these are the things that either help or hinder us along the way. How other's assist us has a lot to do with that as well.

Parents are a lot like God. We want only good things for our children. We pray that they are blessed and that their free will is used to lead them to that. And, like the Giraffe we too lift our heads high and stick our necks out to give them those opportunities. The knowledge that they must choose their paths, make their decisions makes sticking that neck out hard. Walking the life that God has chosen for you is not always easy, fun, nor is it what you planned. The difference in the giraffe and us is that we have outstretched arms and ability to comfort those children in our arms. When Zuri the baby giraffe was born at the Cincinnati Zoo, we made a point to go and see her at the zoo. I watched her canter around in the enclosed pen, her mother watching with those big brown eyes from a distance, allowing her to use her free will. For those of you who followed Zuri's story you know that she fractured one of her front legs and was casted for weeks. The veterinarians at the Zoo did everything possible to save her, keeping her confined, x-raying and changing the cast often to allow for growth and healing.


Sadly, all efforts were just not enough to save her. The Zoo and community was saddened when she had to be put down. It made me sad. Sad for the community, sad for the Zoo and all the employees who worked with her, and most of all sad for her Mother. Animals may not have the capacity to know all the details, but I am sure she has mourned for the dear little Zuri that she gave birth to, taught to eat, kept her clean and watched from a distance. Maybe the fracture was a result of her free will. The free will to run and jump and get into things the way children do, or maybe the fracture was a result of a physical defect. I never really got to the bottom of it. I am sure the Zoo has all the facts.

Ultimately, as a Mother. I have stuck my neck out for them on many occasions, but today I watch from a distance. Allowing my children to live their lives, choosing their paths and using that powerful free will to guide them. I pray they use it to their benefit and that God leads them.

Wicked Windy Wednesday

Soo....I spent my morning chatting with Chelsea on Skype. We talked about a variety of things: brownies, movies, guys, hairlines, Emma (0f course) and just spent time looking at each other and bonding. I can't imagine how service men and women have been able to handle deployment without modern technology. I have tried to wrap my head around it, visualize some newly married war bride, waiting patiently every day for the mailman. In the WWII days mail from abroad could take 2-3 weeks. The only way they could possibly be able to tolerate it or control their angst and reduce fears was by depending on family and friends. I myself have done just that, in addition to utilizing the modern technologies of the computer age, my facebook is up 24/7, my laptop STAYS connected to Skype, and I sleep with the ringer on my phone. Granted I have turned off most of my notifications and my locations service is completely off before my head hits the pillow. But I am connected and waiting to hear from her at any moment!

My television viewing has changed as well. I no longer watch the news, my news aps are still on my phone, but they are deactivated. We never did start a newspaper subscription so I don't have to worry about seeing any war news headlines. The last thing I need is to hear about bad things happening over there and not knowing if she is safe. The worrying is bad enough without the outside influences. I will admit, I like the old stuff. There is a new channel here in Ohio called METv, they have all the cool ones, from Petticoat Junction to the Untouchables. Most days you will catch me watching Mary Tyler Moore or The Waltons. I have no need for "reality tv" anymore. It's all fake and absolutely rediculous and I need to veg in front of the tv not think too much about it.

Since it was a pretty, sunny, cool and windy day, Emma and I headed out for number one of our two long walks. Emma was attached to her harness and me with a lightweight jacket on and off we went. I like our walks. They are cleansing for me. Honestly, it's the only time when nobody bothers me. I can clear my mind and calm my nerves. Most days, we take the beginning of the walk at a slower pace. This allows time for Emma to do her business. After the business end of the walk is done, it is ON! We bust a move! One of my walking tricks, and I have to have them, because I can't hear the cars when they are behind me and cannot enjoy the sounds of my favorite music playing via headphones, is to count my steps. I know! Sometimes I think I am crazy...does this make me "Rainwoman"?! It really is a good trick to clear your mind. Sometimes I walk and count ignoring every thing...the other dogs and their owners, the ducks and geese and even Emma, that is until I have my hand tugged behind me. Other days I leave with a purpose, looking for a certain number of things, or attempting to spell something with random letters in the community. I never much thought about it, I just did it. Today when we walked, I went searching for the word peace. I never found in spelled outright, that would be a super fantastic day! I bet I could find that one during the Christmas Holidays? Since I couldn't find it that way that meant I need to go on a letter hunt and I spelled 4 times on our walk. Searching for the letter in the proper order..seems the letter A was the hard one today. I carried my camera today and took pictures of them and the header collage was my best of the best. Send me out for more words....I will find them, even if I have to venture out of our home community.