Quilted Memories

Retailers put a price on clothes. A pair of slacks for $60. A pair of jeans $50. A T-shirt $15. The funny thing is, despite the price tag, the item of clothing is priceless. It has a perceived value as far as dollars go to the store selling it, but once you get it home and wear it, it has value far beyond the bar code.

*Life, love, and laughter - what priceless gifts to give our children*

When the tag is cut off, the shopping bags are thrown away. The real value sets in. A shirt worn on a family vacation, a pair of jeans worn on the tractor, A shirt worn on the last Christmas together, a sport coat worn on the last living weekend, a shirt that was worn on the last night on this earth. All of these items are items I remember my Daddy wearing. All the items have sentimental value beyond any price tag in the world.

*Our clothes are too much a part of us for most of us ever to be entirely indifferent to their condition: it is as though the fabric were indeed a natural extension of the body, or even of the soul. ~Quentin Bell*

They say you don't need alot of stuff, it's not like you can take it with you when you die. When someone dies, they don't need the things they've acquired over the years, but the people left behind do. Memories are what keep someone with you, memories keep you sane, memories are what remind you of what you had. Memories come in all sorts of packages, memories cling to all sorts of things.

*Memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.*

After my dad died, I couldn't for see getting rid of his clothes. I just wanted to grab all the hangers off the rack and hug them all closely. I know there are needy people out there and that we should donate them, but in my mind, no one is worthy of wearing his clothes. My sister and I decided to pull all the pieces that had meaning to us and that memories were attached to. They are being made into a quilt. A quilt that I can look at and remember when he wore that shirt, jacket, or jeans. A quilt that will be a walk down memory lane. A quilt that brings my past to my future, to my future children so they can have a piece of their grandfather they won't get to know, but would have spoiled them rotten and adored them if he were alive.

*Blankets wrap you in warmth, Quilts wrap you in love*

Quilts are meant to bring warmth, but this quilt will not only bring warmth, it will bring comfort on the sad days, it will bring security on the hard days, and it will bring love to my soul every single day. On the days I miss my Daddy the most I can wrap it around me and feel his hug.

Shit....I have a headache now from all the crying....

My "I'm ready for Fall" Wish List

So a new season, brings about new needs, am I right or am I right?!? Fall brings about happy dancing memories of mums, pumpkins, football season, crispness in the air, and a glass of wine on the back porch surrounded by mums, pumpkins, crisp air, and pretty leaves...dang it...LEAVES...please refer to my previous blog "Pretty Leaves my ass". Anyway lets get by to the nice, pleasantries of Fall..... Thanks to the wonderful blog Possessionista I have fallen in like, maybe love down the "leaf covered" road with a pair of shoes....these shoes....See Possessionista's blog on themI will probably ride out this desire to purchase and focus a little more on say....devising a plan to save time, energy, and my back on raking leaves....What if I put down fish netting all the way around my tree....then pick them up all at once...would that work?!?! Just an idea...I FREAKING hate raking leaves....and now I suddenly dread the fall....these shoes have turned happiness into shear and utter dread. Leaves....%@#$^#$%&#$^*#%^#%....okay I can now breathe and get on with my day...I just had to get that out of my system! Peace, Love, and I HATE LEAVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spanx you very much

Is it love?Is it hate? Or is it indifference? That is the question(s). I tried on a dress this morning, albeit the only article that still remains from high school (If I find a picture of me in it from HS later, I will post). It still fits, but just a little snug in the hips (which is surprising, because I actually have narrow man hips). So my light bulb goes off.....SPANX... yep that'll do the trick. They worked, but before I left for work, I needed to go to the bathroom, which requires you to pretty much undress every time you go to the bathroom (because they need to be pulled all the way up to the bra line). After the extremely time consuming potty run before heading out the door, I caught a glance of myself in the mirror as I had pulled the Spanx up. They were just over my hips. I will say, that had to be to the most disgusting thing I have ever seen. It was like everything starting above my knees was being jacked up my body and pooled right at my mid section. Holy Hell!!! Spanx should now come with a warning....DO NOT...I REPEAT, DO NOT look at your self in the mirror while trying to put your rear into them. It may cause heart failure, or extreme dieting. Side note: I will not be drinking my 64 oz. of water today, because I can't handle getting a full body work out, nor having to undress every time I need to go to the bathroom. Spanx, I love you because you helped me wear a 10 year old dress (not a dress for a 10 yr old, but a dress that I bought 10 years ago) Spanx, I hate you because I saw what I looked like putting them on Spanx, I am indifferent towards you because you did keep me motivated on my quest to shed a few unwanted lbs. Peace, Love, and SUCK IT IN!! (See even skinny Celebs are Spanxing- So I don't feel so fat)

Just around the corner....

IS VACATION!!! Whoop Whoop..Yes, I am dancing on the inside, but calmly typing on the outside. Every year my boyfriend and two of his friends from High School (the group grows as people get married and have babies) go on a beach trip late August. Last year was my first time joining the group. There are 6.25 people going (the 1/4 of a person is Abby, she's just a little of a year old and still compact size and precious). Last year we went to North Myrtle Beach were there is an endless supply of putt putt courses and piss (I pissed in my pants while playing putt putt...I am not proud of this, but it is still dang funny...don't make me laugh too hard...I tend to leak...in this instance the shut off valve was broken.....there was a puddle) This year we are opting for a more serene location.....drum roll please....dom...dom...dom...dom... (that's my typed version of the drum roll)........Holden Beach, NC. (reference Red dot please) I am very excited this is the first time I will have been to a North Carolina beach...EVA! But I am not very excited that I will be forced to watch Shark Week on Discovery this week, and to boot...when I googled images for Holden Beach this shiz came up..... (FYI...not for weak stomachs) ....accompanying article If it wasn't official last night after watching people in Cali get eaten by sharks, it is after seeing this article and picture....KELLY'S ASS SHALL STAY UPON THE SAND....I might splash around in water deep enough to cover my feet, but that's it...If anyone wants to go swimming at their own risk that's fine, if you need a beer I will throw you one from the beach! I don't want to be shark bait!

I want my shake with a side of Frye's

Everyone has a little big of wiggle when the walk....if you don't, you better start putting your hips in it!!

But hey, I would rather accentuate my "shake" with some Frye boots. I will give it to them...they made some dang good looking boots! It makes me beg for Fall and Winter...I want it here ASAP, but I don't want colder weather without these AMAZING boots. Here are a few of my favorite in some Celeb sightings....

Anne Hathaway from Frye's Facebook page

Katherine Heigl from Frye Facebook Page
And a FAVorite of mine...
January Jones from Frye's Facebook page

Check all their boots out on The Frye Company website

Dear Mother Nature,

First, will you make money grow on trees so that I can afford a pair, and after that, make the weather suitable for boots!!

Your the best,
Kelly

Do your ears hang low?

On Sunday I feel in love with a set of ears. What was attached to those ears was a black/tan/ and white bloodhound mix puppy, with eyes that said take me home and cuddle with me and tie my ears in a knot (not cruelly, just as I sing the song...can you tie 'em knot, can you tie 'em in a bow)


I named him Clampett, you know from Beverly Hillbillies. It just seems so fitting doesn't it. I didn't bring him home, but if you know anyone that is interested, he has a brother that looks just like him, and a sister that is a redbone color.

They are available at The Great Dane Rescue of the Carolinas where doggie kisses are always free.

Standing puddles causes spinning

You read the title and probably are trying to figure out what this is about. Well my friends, it's about a term calling hydroplaning. The definition that wikipedia gives me is this: Hydroplaning (tires), a loss of steering or braking control when a layer of water prevents direct contact between road vehicle or aircraft tires and the road or runway surface. At this point, cars can slide across the top of the water like a skier until their momentum decreases enough where they sink or they reach the other side of the road.

Here is my version of the term:

Driving down I-75 in Georgia. Me and my sister, and my sister's friend (who ended up being my roommate and now best friend), are heading to our house in South Georgia, from Athens for the weekend. Please note that this is Daniela's (our friend) first trip down to the country. About two hours into the drive and about one hour left in the trip, it starts raining so hard, and next thing you know, my car turns towards the inside wall of the interstate. I thought we were going to hit head on, then something happens and then we head back across over three lanes of traffic towards the trees along side the interstate. We managed to slide across the interstate without hitting anything. All I could see was rows of pine trees ahead of us....I had a brief flash that this was it, I was about to meet my maker. The mud kind of turns my car to the side and then we smack the tree then bounce back and kind of sink in the mud. After a few seconds of catching our breath again, and actually being able to get words out, we get out of the car. I immediately go to look at the damage....

I keep looking, and keep looking....there isn't a damn scratch....what just happened...I am scratching my head at this point. I trek through the mud to look at the tree. I can't see any marks, but I do see a stumpy knob growing off some of the root of the tree...holy crap....my tire hit that and bounced of the tree....
It was a miracle....I can't remember who, but someone in the car saw a flash of a semi heading straight at us, but we managed to miss it, we missed all the traffic....we hit NOTHING! How did that happen?!?

As we sit there going, what the heck do we do now. I call my dad, because what else do I do when something car related happened. We call 911, and they sent out a cop. My car is stuck in the mud, there is no driving out. While we wait for help, I see a car pulled over on the road not very far away. I run down there and I am like "OH MY GOSH! Did I hit you?" The lady looked at me dumbfounded and replies "What, I am having car trouble?" She didn't even see us stuck in the mud and thought I was crazy. Well I will settle with crazy if I didn't get slapped with fixing someones car.

So we called a wrecker prior to the cops getting there. The cops told us to get out of the rain and sit in the back of the car. While we waiting one cop decides he thinks he can drive my car out. He said I know it's illegal to call a wrecker then leave, but he said I don't want you to have to pay for a good tug, because that's all that it needed. The cop tried and tried, but to no avail.

Guess what...here is where it get funnier...between three college students, how much cash do you think is in the car?!?! A full total of less than $20. So the wrecker pulled me out then told me it would be $4o. I asked if he took checks, he said cash only....ummmm...dude it's either you take less than $20 cash or you take a check...he took the check. We all got lectured from out parents about carrying emergency cash for such a thing. Oooops....we spent it on beer the week before :)haha

It was all a miracle, that much I know...but we have all had laughs that day and any time this memory comes up!!


PS. It was brought to my attention by one of the participants that I forgot to mention the little fact that before the hydroplaning, all three of us had to use the ladies room, and after the spin we were shocked that no one pissed their pants. Needless to say, after the whole debacle and about an hour later and were able to get back on the road and legs tightly crossed, we stopped at the first exit and used the most god awful bathroom EVER!! (If you know me, you know it's a miracle in itself that I DIDN'T pee in my pants...I tend to do that...especially if I laugh really really hard)