Didn't realize I was gone so long!!

Hmmm, where did the last two weeks go? It's been very busy at work (which is a good thing). My town had our annual Harvest Day Festival on Saturday. It was raining off and on so a lot of the vendors didn't show up but the ones that were there had some neat stuff. I bought a gourd painted like a pumpkin and also bought two shawls. Of course, I had to have a funnel cake too!! Love those things. A few items sold out of my booth at the antique mall so all in all, it was a good day even in the rain.

This Saturday Hubby and I will celebrate our 11th anniversary. We were planning to stay at a cabin or bed and breakfast in or around Clarksville, Georgia but the least expensive room was $180.00!! Seems the Octoberfest is going on in Helen so rooms are few and far between. So, we will just go and visit a few prim and antique shops, visit Helen, Georgia and head back toward home. It's only a couple of hours away so it will be a nice day trip.

Let's see, not much going on here. I'm working on a couple of things and will post pics soon. One is for my friend Rebecca at Rebecca's Thyme in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. It is the Santa and Reindeer from Olde Country Cupboard. Really neat pattern. Can't wait till it's finished!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week. I'm heading to work now!! Take care and I'll be back soon.

Oh, for all who asked for an update on my last post.....hundreds of people closed their account AND the County also closed its account. That was a BIG hit. I have also learned that the branch manager that removed the flags has left the bank too. A group of people held a protest last week so this mess is not going away as Bank of America had hoped!!

Hugs to all!! Chatty Kathy

You can see the smoke.....

coming from my head. I am furious!!! Of all the lamebrain, stupid, idiotic, disrespectfuly, non-american decisions that are made, in my book, this one is at the top of the list. Here's the story.....

A local young man, Lance Cpl. Chris Fowlkes, age 20, was killed in Afghanistan on September 10, 2009. Yesterday, his body was brought home.

A neighbor of the Fowlkes family wanted to show her support to the family by placing flags along the procession route down the main street in his hometown. Well, someone at Bank of America REMOVED the flags placed in front of their bank saying that it was against corporate policy. WHAT?? Placing a flag in front of a Bank of AMERICA is against policy? I was appalled when I heard this. I bank at Bank of America but will not be there long. They won't notice my piddly money being withdrawn but from the public outcry over this I am not the only one who will be taking their funds elsewhere. I hope the backlash of their decision hits them like a ton of bricks. I could say a lot more but my words would not be nice. My mother taught me that if I didn't have nice things to say that I should say nothing at all.

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Go check this out!! http://www.countercrafts.blogspot.com/ Great giveaway!!!! Hugs, Chatty Kathy

It must be Christmas!!

This box was sitting on my front porch when I got home last night.

Look at what I found inside!!!

Man oh man, I had a wonderful swap partner for the Harvest Swap organized by Char/The Pickled Pepper Patch. Colleen/And Baby Makes Five really knows how to pack a box full of goodies. Stitcheries, boxes, star, candles, bags of mini bowl fillers, soap, plates, note pad, towels….WOW!!! And most of it was handmade!!!Colleen, I could never thank you enough for all these wonderful items. Everything fits in perfectly with my fall decor. I feel very blessed to have you as a friend!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

Our trip to Pigeon Forge last week was lots of fun. We got a couple of rain showers but overall the weather was nice. Cool temps felt just like fall. Here is what we drove….

My ‘56 Lil’ Black Bird. This was my Dad’s car and when he passed away, my son restored it for me. We have a great time riding around and cruising in that baby.

Next, is a shot of the Old Mill water wheel. It wasn’t running while we were there but listening to the waterfall is so relaxing and the flowers are beautiful!!

And of course, I went prim shopping!!! Had lunch with my dear friend Rebecca at Rebecca’s Thyme and also visited Primitive Treasures. Both shops are fabulous!!! I could just spend the day walking around and drooling and dreaming of my house being filled up with all those treasures.

I was sad to learn of the loss of Patrick Swayze. He was a great actor and I loved his movies Dirty Dancing and Ghost. He fought a hard battle but now the battle is over and he can be at peace.

Well, ladies, I must log off and head to work! I hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday and I’ll see you later. Hugs, Chatty Kathy

A Productive Labor Day!!

I finally started and finished a project in ONE day!!  That doesn’t happen often….heck, I don’t ever remember it happening!  But I did it today.  I took this picture frame that I have no idea where it came from but I’m sure I didn’t  pay much if anything for…..

and this old easel that I got for free from a gone out of business salvage yard that was being torn down……

and made a chalkboard for my porch!

It has to cure for three days before I can write on it but I couldn’t wait three days to show you.  I love it!!  The frame has the chippy paint finish and looks great!

As you can see, I also started my fall decorating.  Still have a few things to get out but most of it is done.  I have never decorated for fall this early but after seeing some of the wonderful displays you gals have done, I just couldn’t wait any longer.  Hopefully, I will find some fall goodies in Pigeon Forge this week.  I will be having lunch with Rebecca at Rebecca’s Thyme on Thursday and will definitely be doing some shopping while I’m there! 

Hubby and I will be going to school with Shelby in the morning to enjoy Grits for Grands.  She just had to spend the night with us tonight so we wouldn’t be late in the morning.  We will go to her classroom first and see her work and then go the cafeteria for breakfast and watch a short program they put together.  She is very excited about it!!  I’m sad that I won’t be able to join my grandson, Griffin, on Thursday for his Grits for Grands since we will be out of town.  His Mom is going with him so I hope he will not be too upset with me. 

Gotta run and get some shut eye!!  Take care and have a great week!  Hugs, Chatty Kathy

The innocence of children.....

makes me smile.

Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge.
The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. Some of the winners were:

A four-year-old child, whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman, who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old
gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy just said, 'Nothing, I just helped him cry.'

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Teacher Debbie Moon's first graders were discussing a picture of a family. One little boy in the picture had a different hair color than the other members. One of her students suggested that he was adopted. A little girl said, 'I know all about adoption,I was adopted.'

'What does it mean to be adopted?', asked another child.

'It means', said the girl,'that you grew in your mommy's heart instead of her tummy!'

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On my way home one day, I stopped to watch a Little League baseball game that was being played in a park near my home. As I sat down behind the bench on the first-base line, I asked one of the boys what the score was 'We're behind 14 to nothing,' he answered with a smile.

'Really,' I said. 'I have to say you don't look very discouraged.'

'Discouraged?', the boy asked with a puzzled look on his face...'Why should we be discouraged? We haven't been up to bat yet.'

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Whenever I'm disappointed with my spot in life, I stop and think about little Jamie Scott. Jamie was trying out for a part in the school play. His mother told me that he'd set his heart on being in it, though she feared he would not be chosen. On the day the parts were awarded, I went with her to collect him after school. Jamie rushed up to her,eyes shining with pride and excitement. 'Guess what, Mom,' he
shouted, and then said those words that will remain a lesson to me....'I've been chosen to clap and cheer.'

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An eye witness account from New York City, on a cold day in December, some years ago: A little boy,about 10-years-old, was standing before a shoe store on the
roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering with cold.

A lady approached the young boy and said,'My, but you're in such deep thought staring in that window!'

'I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes,'was the boy's reply.

The lady took him by the hand, went into the store, and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel. He quickly brought them to her.

She took the little fellow to the back part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet, and dried them with the towel.

By this time, the clerk had returned with the socks. Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she purchased him a pair of shoes. She tied up the remaining pairs of socks
and gave them to him. She patted him on the head and said, 'No doubt, you will be more comfortable now.'

As she turned to go, the astonished kid caught her by the hand, and looking up into her face, with tears in his eyes, asked her. 'Are you God's wife?'

That last one brought tears to my eyes....have a great day!! Chatty Kathy