I don't have a cottage,
but I sure do love these moss, sage and kelly greens cottage colors.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Al from Dadeville
How Investigators Found Harvey Almorn Updyke, The Man Who Poisoned Auburn University’s Famous Oak Trees
by Brad Cohen | 11:26 am, February 17th, 2011
In what could be a case of taking a school rivalry way too far, some one has maliciously poisoned the oak trees at Auburn University’s historic Toomer’s Glenn.Police arrested suspect Harvey Almorn Updyke, 62, of Dadeville, Ala., and charged him with Criminal Mischief for applying a lethal dose of herbicide to the trees, which host one of most unique traditions in American college sports—after Auburn Tigers victories, fans gather at Toomer’s Glenn to roll the trees with toilet paper.
Investigators began looking into the situation after a man who went by “Al from Dadeville” called the Paul Finebaum Radio Network and claimed he poisoned the trees the week after last year’s Iron Bowl, the annual game against Alabama, because he said he saw a newspaper clipping from 1983 showing Auburn fans rolling Toomer’s Corner the day legendary Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant died.
If there were any doubt’s about intentions, the radio caller said he said he used Spike 80DF and the trees “definitely will die.” He then signed off with “Roll Damn Tide.”
So, it appears the perpetrator took revenge 27 years late in a completely unwarranted fashion. Killing oak trees that are more than a century old is a little more harmful than, say, painting Tommy Trojan blue. You can’t exactly just throw on some paint remover to fix this situation.
Despite efforts from the school to save the 130-year-old trees, it appears they will, indeed, die. Consequences of the herbicide might even be worse than originally expected.
“We are assessing the extent of the damage and proceeding as if we have a chance to save the trees,” said Gary Keever, an Auburn University professor of horticulture and a member of Auburn’s Tree Preservation Committee. “We are also focused on protecting the other trees and shrubs in Samford Park. At this level the impact could be much greater than just the oaks on the corner, as Spike moves through the soil to a wide area.”There have been countless ill-conceived pranks pulled against rivals throughout the years, but Harvey Almorn Updyke’s may go down as the most needlessly malicious.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Check 1,2....
Trying to set up text and email posts. Here's the email one...is this thing on?
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Sent using BlackBerry
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Sent using BlackBerry
Sunday, February 13, 2011
New Old Favorite
My husband and I have pondered the fact that since having children we will have to move to "baby safe" music. It saddens us that the music we currently listen to and enjoy so much may not be as wholesome as it needs to be for a little Boogie. So when we find something like the artist below, which is a member of a band that we absolutely love, we get so excited and it motivates us to search high and low for compromise tunes. Check it out...
This is a kids song put out by one of our favorite artists, Elizabeth Mitchell, from the band Ida.
And just for fun...
This is a kids song put out by one of our favorite artists, Elizabeth Mitchell, from the band Ida.
And just for fun...
Homemade Molasses Candy
- 12 Servings
- Prep/Total Time: 25 min.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened, divided
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup light corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Directions
- Grease a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. pan with 1 tablespoon butter; set aside. In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup and vinegar. Cook over low heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium; cook until a candy thermometer reads 245° (firm-ball stage), stirring occasionally.
- Add molasses and remaining butter. Cook, uncovered, until a candy thermometer reads 260° (hard-ball stage), stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Add baking soda; beat well.
- Pour into prepared pan. Let stand for 5 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Butter fingers; quickly pull candy until firm by pliable (color will be light tan). When candy is ready for cutting, pull into a 1/2-in. rope. Cut into 1-in. pieces. Wrap each in waxed paper or colored candy wrappers. Yield: 1-1/2 pounds.
Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 202 calories, 3 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 8 mg cholesterol, 88 mg sodium, 47 g carbohydrate, 0 fiber, trace protein.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
All in the Family
JF (hubby) has started a blog. Mostly music related as the majority of our family's free time is filled with discovering and rediscovering feel good tunes. Take a look, www.jfrankyo.blogspot.com .
Friday, February 11, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Valentime's
Make your reservations today! Or click the title of this post and send your love a Waffle House Valentines ecard :), like this one...
2011 VALENTINE'S DINNER LOCATIONS
Surprise your sweetheart with a Valentine's dinner they won't soon forget!
Treat your Valentine to all of their favorite WAFFLE HOUSE foods in a romantic
candlelit atmosphere. Call one of the participating locations below for your
reservation!
Surprise your sweetheart with a Valentine's dinner they won't soon forget!
Treat your Valentine to all of their favorite WAFFLE HOUSE foods in a romantic
candlelit atmosphere. Call one of the participating locations below for your
reservation!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Water Colours Into the Ocean
Check out Destroyer here and swoon, http://www.myspace.com/destroyer-**
Search Amazon.com for destroyer
Monday, January 31, 2011
Birth Story
Well, she's here! Anna Claire arrived on October 27, 2010 at 12:52pm and boy was it an event. After much soul searching and research John Frank and I decided to try our best to have a natural labor and delivery. My pregnancy was such a spiritual experience for me and I felt the call to go into delivery the way God had intended and described in Genesis 3:16, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children." I believe the severe pains of childbearing in this passage are not only referring the physical act of child birth but also to the love we will have for our children bringing them up and the pain we will feel for them when they are hurt, sad or lost. So the second part of that verse, Painful labor, doesn't sound so bad. Call me crazy but I feel I have the right to forego a painful birth if I want, right?
We studied all different types of pain coping like meditation, positioning, Lamaze, the Bradley method and the option of hiring a doula (earlier post). We decided to go with the doula and I don't think I could have had a successful medication free labor and delivery without her (Kelly Denson) and the doula in training she brought along (Amy Kuhn). They were wonderful and I will definitely have TWO doula's the next go round!
This is how the story is told....
On the morning of October 22nd, which was a Friday, I was feeling waves of yucky for a couple of hours and then started getting mild crampy sensations in my belly. Being a first time mom and nearing my due date I thought I may be going into labor. Even after doula Kelly told me NOT to go to the hospital but call her when I felt weird, I panicked and went to my doctors office. I had an appointment the next day anyway so why not go and get it over with. I had only dilated to one centimeter so they sent me on my way. Later that evening, at Babies R Us, I started having severe cramping and just knew I was about to deliver! This time I went to the hospital. They admitted me and monitored my contractions, which were real, but I wasn't dilating any more so after a couple of hours they gave me a coke (made me feel much better, really), sent me home and suggested I drink plenty of fluids. I had mild cramping on and off until Anna Claire's Birthday.
Tuesday evening, October 26th, I made curried chicken for dinner. After about 2 bites I couldn't eat any more...it was the most disgusting thing I had ever put in my mouth. I love curried chicken so Im not sure why I didn't take note of this earlier.
Wednesday morning at about 5:30 am I got up and went to the restroom (as I did several times a night) like normal. I came back to bed, climbed in and felt a sudden pop. I thought I had woken Anna Claire and she was kicking really hard but shortly after I felt a slight gush of liquid. I got up again, went to the bathroom and noticed there were little puddles of what looked to be water on the floor where I had stepped. My water had broken!!! Which was one thing that all of my research said rarely happens on its own so guess who freaked out? Me.
I send my Mom a text (which she claims she never got) and then the doula. Kelly left a voicemail and said my labor would probably last for 10 to 12 hours and to try all of the things we had discussed at our meeting the week before, eat, drink, tee tee as much as possible and try to sleep. The pain was severe again not like what I had read. There was no contracting for 30 seconds then a 10 minute break. I wasn't even getting a 5 minute break. It was happening just like the Friday night before. 1 minute contraction, 1 minute not as bad of a contraction but still feeling contraction then another 1 minute contraction. It went on like this until about 8:30 when doula Kelly came on over. She had suggested at 6:30 on the phone that I try taking a shower so I did but by the time I got out the pain was so overwhelming that I was unable to dry my hair or even finish getting dressed. The only place I was semi comfortable was the birthing ball. I sat on it from the time I got out of the shower to the time we left for the hospital at 8:45. Breathing and trying my best to stay relaxed. When Kelly got there she helped me through a couple of contractions then decided we might should go on to the hospital since they were so close together and weren't easing. So we packed up, I got in the front passenger side with seat leaned back and me leaning over it facing the rear of the car. Im sure that was a sight for the passers-by.
We got the the hospital at around 9:30am. They rushed me in, got me a room and saw that I was dilated to 7cm. I was amazed and excited that Anna Claire was so close to being here! We set up the room with dim lights, soft music and the doula's massaged my hands and arms to keep me tension free. The nurses monitored my contractions for a while, which were every minute or so, and had me sign a bunch of paperwork. Talk about hard to do when you're nearing the end of labor au naturale. Lets just say I was not a happy camper with anyone but my doula's at this point. I knew nurse Rhonda had never been in my shoes and I was done entertaining her (which I felt really bad about later so I made up for it with jovial "Hi Rhonda's" for the next few days).
I labored and labored and labored for what seemed like days but was only 6 hours start to finish. Finally it was time for the doctor. Once she got there the pain was gone and I could only feel pressure. I pushed about 20 times and out came Anna Claire weighing 7lbs 12 ounces, 20 inches long. She was a beautiful redheaded baby girl and the labor was so worth it! As far as recover...what recovery!? Once she was out that was it. I had not recovery pain to speak of. There were only sore muscles in my legs arms and back which felt like I had a hard day at the gym.
Where was JF during all of this? Right there by my side being as quiet as possible but staying within my sight (I had to look at his face often for reassurance) and working hard with the doula's to keep me comfortable. I think he agrees that next time we will again have a doula or two.
Here is my sweetums at 9 weeks....
We studied all different types of pain coping like meditation, positioning, Lamaze, the Bradley method and the option of hiring a doula (earlier post). We decided to go with the doula and I don't think I could have had a successful medication free labor and delivery without her (Kelly Denson) and the doula in training she brought along (Amy Kuhn). They were wonderful and I will definitely have TWO doula's the next go round!
This is how the story is told....
On the morning of October 22nd, which was a Friday, I was feeling waves of yucky for a couple of hours and then started getting mild crampy sensations in my belly. Being a first time mom and nearing my due date I thought I may be going into labor. Even after doula Kelly told me NOT to go to the hospital but call her when I felt weird, I panicked and went to my doctors office. I had an appointment the next day anyway so why not go and get it over with. I had only dilated to one centimeter so they sent me on my way. Later that evening, at Babies R Us, I started having severe cramping and just knew I was about to deliver! This time I went to the hospital. They admitted me and monitored my contractions, which were real, but I wasn't dilating any more so after a couple of hours they gave me a coke (made me feel much better, really), sent me home and suggested I drink plenty of fluids. I had mild cramping on and off until Anna Claire's Birthday.
Tuesday evening, October 26th, I made curried chicken for dinner. After about 2 bites I couldn't eat any more...it was the most disgusting thing I had ever put in my mouth. I love curried chicken so Im not sure why I didn't take note of this earlier.
Wednesday morning at about 5:30 am I got up and went to the restroom (as I did several times a night) like normal. I came back to bed, climbed in and felt a sudden pop. I thought I had woken Anna Claire and she was kicking really hard but shortly after I felt a slight gush of liquid. I got up again, went to the bathroom and noticed there were little puddles of what looked to be water on the floor where I had stepped. My water had broken!!! Which was one thing that all of my research said rarely happens on its own so guess who freaked out? Me.
I send my Mom a text (which she claims she never got) and then the doula. Kelly left a voicemail and said my labor would probably last for 10 to 12 hours and to try all of the things we had discussed at our meeting the week before, eat, drink, tee tee as much as possible and try to sleep. The pain was severe again not like what I had read. There was no contracting for 30 seconds then a 10 minute break. I wasn't even getting a 5 minute break. It was happening just like the Friday night before. 1 minute contraction, 1 minute not as bad of a contraction but still feeling contraction then another 1 minute contraction. It went on like this until about 8:30 when doula Kelly came on over. She had suggested at 6:30 on the phone that I try taking a shower so I did but by the time I got out the pain was so overwhelming that I was unable to dry my hair or even finish getting dressed. The only place I was semi comfortable was the birthing ball. I sat on it from the time I got out of the shower to the time we left for the hospital at 8:45. Breathing and trying my best to stay relaxed. When Kelly got there she helped me through a couple of contractions then decided we might should go on to the hospital since they were so close together and weren't easing. So we packed up, I got in the front passenger side with seat leaned back and me leaning over it facing the rear of the car. Im sure that was a sight for the passers-by.
We got the the hospital at around 9:30am. They rushed me in, got me a room and saw that I was dilated to 7cm. I was amazed and excited that Anna Claire was so close to being here! We set up the room with dim lights, soft music and the doula's massaged my hands and arms to keep me tension free. The nurses monitored my contractions for a while, which were every minute or so, and had me sign a bunch of paperwork. Talk about hard to do when you're nearing the end of labor au naturale. Lets just say I was not a happy camper with anyone but my doula's at this point. I knew nurse Rhonda had never been in my shoes and I was done entertaining her (which I felt really bad about later so I made up for it with jovial "Hi Rhonda's" for the next few days).
I labored and labored and labored for what seemed like days but was only 6 hours start to finish. Finally it was time for the doctor. Once she got there the pain was gone and I could only feel pressure. I pushed about 20 times and out came Anna Claire weighing 7lbs 12 ounces, 20 inches long. She was a beautiful redheaded baby girl and the labor was so worth it! As far as recover...what recovery!? Once she was out that was it. I had not recovery pain to speak of. There were only sore muscles in my legs arms and back which felt like I had a hard day at the gym.
Where was JF during all of this? Right there by my side being as quiet as possible but staying within my sight (I had to look at his face often for reassurance) and working hard with the doula's to keep me comfortable. I think he agrees that next time we will again have a doula or two.
Here is my sweetums at 9 weeks....
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Natural Birth-Doula
We have a doula(s)! We are so excited and so at ease now that we have finally found a doula to assist with my labor and delivery! Her name is Kelly Denson and she is a certified doula from the Birmingham area. Amy Kuhn, a doula in training, will probably be with her during our labor as well. I say the more the merrier if it helps me be able to deliver Anna Claire naturally and with less discomfort.
For those who don't know (I didn't know until recently), a doula is a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical (non-medical), emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period. Numerous clinical studies have found that a doula’s presence at birth
- tends to result in shorter labors with fewer complications
- reduces negative feelings about one’s childbirth experience
- reduces the need for pitocin (a labor-inducing drug), forceps or vacuum extraction and cesareans
- reduces the mother’s request for pain medication and/or epidurals
Friday, September 24, 2010
FALL!!!
Hooray, fall is here!
Fall is my favorite time of year and its finally here. Last night my husband and I were able to walk the park in our neighborhood without being drenched in sweat. And the fall 2010 fashion is awesome! I absolutely love these 3 outfits from Anthropologie (nevermind the horse). I wish they would show a complete head to toe shot with each outfit though, I always have a problem with finding the right shoes and really need the examples. If you REALLY like these looks you can click on the title of this post and it will take you directly to Anthro's website, as with any post where I reference a specific article or website.
Fall is my favorite time of year and its finally here. Last night my husband and I were able to walk the park in our neighborhood without being drenched in sweat. And the fall 2010 fashion is awesome! I absolutely love these 3 outfits from Anthropologie (nevermind the horse). I wish they would show a complete head to toe shot with each outfit though, I always have a problem with finding the right shoes and really need the examples. If you REALLY like these looks you can click on the title of this post and it will take you directly to Anthro's website, as with any post where I reference a specific article or website.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Strategy
We are now 34 weeks pregnant and lately I have had a roller coaster of emotion. We are so excited that the days are drawing near and soon we will see our beautiful baby girls face... but not so positive thoughts are finding a way of getting in. We finally finished the nursery and last night it hit me that soon we will have a tiny little baby in that room. I was overwhelmed with joy and then became so nervous. I pray often that the Lord will lead us as parents to raise our children in His likeness. But still, there is always that doubt of if I will do it right. Even though we don't know the path He has laid out for us there are little signs and blessings that are so obvious (and some not so obvious), His way of letting us know we're going the right way, I got one of those signs today. I received a baby gift from one of my best friends from the 5th grade. We were neighbors and went to school together and spent so much time together but have lost touch over the years as many friends do. It is just so comforting to know that God put her in my life then for a reason. After all of these years the note with her gift reminded me that He knows what we need and uses the most special people to help us get our footing. Her note says, "Congratulations Keri! You are going to be a wonderful mother! I couldn't help but cry. It softened my heart a little more to remember how many blessings I have had in my life and the time spent with my friend Brook's entire family has definitely been one of them. Thank you for your sweet words!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Nursery
We've almost completed Anna Claire's nursery! All of the major items are in its place. We do have some minor organization and a few small items to purchase (the pad for the changing table, the rest of the silver baby keepsakes to go on top of the changing shelf and hanging the rest of our cutesy outfits) before we are completely done but I am so excited to have gotten to this point. I love to sit in here for a few minutes when I get home from work, it is so calming and peaceful. Here are some pictures.
And we are still trying to figure out what to do here. Its the slanted wall you face right when you walk in the door. We are thinking of getting this to put there, http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/wire-birdcage-decor/?pkey=bshelving-pegs-hooks,
And we are still trying to figure out what to do here. Its the slanted wall you face right when you walk in the door. We are thinking of getting this to put there, http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/wire-birdcage-decor/?pkey=bshelving-pegs-hooks,
Monday, September 20, 2010
Just because
The only radio stations I listen to in my car are NPR and Jox 94.5 Birmingham. I listen to Jox for Paul Finebaum and his slew of funnies and crazies that call in (my husband turned me on to it) and NPR for many many reasons but today for the Diane Rehms show. Most of the time it is difficult to follow along with Diane and I rarely know what the show is about because I pay so much attention to her voice and pronunciation (those who listen know what I'm talking about) but I always go back for more. I can rarely recap the show to my husband but I can always do my impersonation of Diane. Thank you Diane for provided me a soothing voice and precise grammar to make my 30 minute drive from Bible Study on Monday nights more pleasant.
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