Hidden Magnolias

Getting ready for the workweek has become satisfying weekend ritual. A few things I do to make sure upcoming week goes smoothly. What are nine things you should do to help you prep and prepare for the week ahead? Only you can decide, but here are my nine. 1. Plan work clothes for week When I plan my clothes for the week, I avoid the early morning stare at closet pondering the eternal question, “what will I wear?” Only to cease on an outfit and discover that there is a stain on the top. If I check over the weekend, I still have time to throw the offending piece into the washer.  Pinterest 2. Saturday Chores I always have something that needs doing. Because I really dislike doing heavy housework on the weeknights, I usually reserve Saturday morning as “chore time.” This can include anything from mopping floors, to cleaning baths, to cutting grass – just whatever needs doing. The chore list changes every week. And, once it is done, I reward myself ...

Over the 4th weekend, we had just a little vacation. But for someone interested in Family History, adding some genealogy into the mix makes the perfect vacation. First stop, Cross Creek Cemetery to see the grave of my 5th great grandfather, Lewis Barge. He owned a tavern called Barge's Tavern and he and several of his buddies would meet there to " discuss the British problem ." Out of that came the Liberty Point Resolves. A fore runner to the Declaration of Independence. Barge's Tavern Lewis Barge - Cross Creek Cemetery Closer with DAR marker Can barely read, but inscription is still there Monument to the signers of the Liberty Point Resolves Me checking out my ancestor's signature on facimile document From the website : The Liberty Point Resolves, formally called the Cumberland Association, was a document signed by 55 Cumberland County patriots on June 20, 1775 in Fayetteville, N.C. The men had formed themse...

I am just thrilled. After 37 years of watching the Derby, Preakness and Belmont, I finally see a Triple Crown winner! American Pharoah. The perfect Secretariat got me hooked in 1973.  in 1977, the dark Seattle Slew captured everyone's hearts. He was the only horse to win the Triple Crown undefeated. And he was fast. Then the very next year,  1978, Affirmed won.  It was almost unbelievable -- three Triple Crown Winners in one decade. And then the dry spell. and it was very dry.  My all time favorite, Big Brown, was hyped in the news and media more than any other horse. Even UPS, jumped in.  He was going to be the one to break the Triple Crown drought. Happily retired now, his  easygoing nature allows Big Brown to travel. He spends his summers in Australia for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season, where he’s extremely popular. Of course, that’s not to say he isn’t...

Saturday was absolutely a perfect day, filled with activities I love: meeting other people interested in family history, searching for a missing graveyard, a cute little Southern Town, and big houses. It all started when a family member of the Maddux family reached out to me to help her "straighten out" an old family graveyard's documentation on Find a Grave. The documentation and the information found on Internet was incorrect. Through our conversation it was decided finding the cemetery was the best way to confirm dates. So a day was planned and off I went. I arrived early, so I ran over to the nearby Methodist Cemetery. Established in 1805, it has some of the oldest graves in Jasper Co. I was looking for my 3rd great grand uncle: Jeremiah Pearson.  As soon as I entered the cemetery and gave a scan across, I saw what I knew in my heart was Jeremiah's grave -- above ground tombs under a huge cedar tree. Up close with the help of cheap foil, I...

It is Spring. It is horse racing season. And today, it is the Kentucky Oaks. This is my favorite race. The Kentucky Oaks is the running of the fillies.  The girls go first. The Longines Kentucky Oaks is considered by some to be among the most popular horse races in American horse-racing society due to its high attendance.  It attracts about 100,000 people in attendance a year. So why is the Kentucky Oaks so fun?  It is very pink. The Survivors Parade is a march of breast cancer survivors.  And everyone wears pink. Andrew Kung Churchill Downs Including the fillies. The Hats are Pink!! Hats from  www.courier-journal.com The parties are pink. I love this one called "Fillies and Lillies." The drinks are pink. Even the winners get pink. History was made in the 138th running when a long shot Believe You Can, ridden by Rosie Napravnik, the first female jockey...

It is Easter Sunday evening and I am searching for old Easter pictures. I couldn't find any Easter Pictures but found a few of me and my dolls.  The pictures brought back such sweet, sweet memories, I had to blog about my dolls. As a little girl, I loved my dolls. I spent hours, dressing, feeding, tending to their make believe needs. The first doll I fell in love with was Tiny Tears. You would feed her water and she cried. She had a really hard head and was quite heavy, but I would spend hours nursing her. Tiny Tears was never short of childish attention. dollinfo.com After nursing, if you squeezed her stomach she would cry.  Manufactured by American Character Doll Company, she was offered in a variety of sizes and became one of the most popular dolls in the 1950 and early 60's. dollinfo.com Here is a picture of me with Tiny Tears. Dec 1959 My second favorite doll was Chatty Cathy. mattel Chatty Cathy was born in 1959 by Mattel. She was a...