Yeah, I'm the party pooper...

I just wrote a comment on my friend Jen's site - Dust Bunny Hostage - and I feel kinda bad about it. She had a great, funny post about a wasp and her tanning bed. But, I was such a party pooper, a downer. I thought about going back and deleting the comment. But instead, I think I'll explain. I don't talk about this a lot, because...

A couple of years ago, I got a 'spot' on my face. Just a ring of dry skin on my upper lip, between my nose and where the color begins. I asked my doctor about it and he said it was just dry skin. I am prone to that. This 'spot' (I don't know what else to call it) was just a small ring of dry skin. It would be red and scaly, clear up, get red again...a continuous cycle. The doctor prescibed creams and kept telling me it would clear up. I trusted him...for a year! Finally I went to a dermatologist. She took a biopsy. I waited 3 weeks for the results, not thinking it was really anything. Well, it was cancer. Not melanoma (thank goodness), but squamous cell carcinoma (still scary...sounds even scarier, huh?)

So...I had to have it removed. The dermatologist sent me to a plastic surgeon. She said it had to be removed immediately. I had a friend take me to the hospital, because hubby was working out of town...not that he wouldn't have come home...but I hate surgery (have had 5 in the last 2 years) and would rather do it alone...I'm not a good patient! The surgeon did a MOH's surgery on me. He removed one layer of skin at a time, looking at each layer until he saw no more cancer cells. Then...he had to take a skin graft from my neck and sew it onto my face. Really...not pretty. Just a big piece of meat sewn onto my face. I have pictures, but I don't want to gross anyone out...it grosses me out! Now, I have a big scar the size of a half dollar on my face (not to mention the scar on my neck). But, thanks to God and Mr. Surgeon...it's gone.

Please don't take this wrong. I'm not writing this for pity (that's why I don't talk about it), but mainly as a warning. Don't let your babies go into the sun without a really high SPF sunscreen, don't let your teenagers tan for hours at a time, and YOU-check yourself out! I got cancer from burning and blistering as a child and that is how most of us (older folks!) get it.

And yes, the self tanners may smell, but the alternative is...

So, if you see that stinky, orange woman wandering around the drug store looking for sunscreen...it's me!

(I'll post a happier, though remodeling woe post tonight if I have time!...Gotta go call the plumber (another sad story!).

Later,

Debbie

Dead tired...

This will probably be short and sweet.

I said I would show what I picked up at our thrift store outing, so here we go:

Set of sheets - New - $5

Quilt - hand quilted $5

Close-up

Can you believe someone would basically throw this away? I always wonder about things like that. Who made it? Did they give it to someone who really didn't know how much time and love was put into it? Maybe it's just me.

Now, I hate to put ya'll through this, but I'm also using my blog to show my progress on my remodeling projects. That's why I'm so tired. I finished taking down all the wallpaper in the master bath, cut the sheetrock to put in cement backerboard and was going to replace the faucets when I found a leak...so now all progress is halted there until the plumber comes...there's only so much I can do...plumbing and electricity are the two I don't mess with!

So I went to the kids/guest bath and started work in there. I got all the wallpaper off, and now that I can't use the master bath, 'Bama girl and I are sharing this one. Fun times! NOT!

This is what we're sharing!

Auburn Guy is thinking about coming home for a visit...maybe he should read this and think twice!

Ugly wallpaper...what was I thinking?

Well, enough of that! At least for tonight. And I'm really having trouble getting this to space right, it's double spacing everything. I'm beginning to have a complex...nothing is going right! And yes, I know I use {...}'s too much...sorry! I write the way I talk!

Later,

Debbie

You get three guesses about what I've been doing.

Making aprons? Quilting? Relaxing?

No, you're all wrong! I'm remodeling my house! So far, 'we've' decided that 'we're' going to put tile on the floor in the bathrooms and kitchen, wood flooring in the living area/dining room, and carpet (maybe) in the bedrooms. New countertops in the baths and kitchen. All new appliances and sink for the kitchen, and new faucets to replace all the old ones.

I've been running around getting estimates and picking out materials. I've decided on granite for the baths and kitchen. Travertine stone for the floors and travertine for the walls. (I'll be doing the tiling on the walls, but not on the floor - free installation...I'm may be slow, but I'm not stupid!)

Why am I doing this? Because my house is 17 years old and so is most of everything in it! Especially the appliances!

Did I mention I'm painting all the rooms and removing wallpaper? Well, here's what I've done between all the running around:

Before

Master bath (very outdated wallpaper!)

After

And...ta da! This is what I'll be replacing it with:

See the nasty burgundy formica? Say bye-bye!

This is the granite I'm replacing it with.

And this is a 2"x 2" crushed glass decorative tile insert. Pretty, huh?

Okay, don't believe I can tile? Look at my kitchen, uh huh!:

But, I may have to rip this out for the new countertops.

Sorry all of you are having to suffer through this. Mostly it's for my husband, because as you know he's in Wyoming and is having hardly any say in the matter, so i though he'd want to see my decisions! So, this is for you, babe!

But, Debbie is not all work and no play, I'll show you later my finds from the thrift stores that 'Bama girl and I hit today...don't look tomorrow, honey!

Later,

Debbie

New Roomie!

The guys are gone. Auburn guy is safe in Auburn and hubby is back in Wyoming.

Soooo...it's just us girls (with the exception of Chance!). 'Bama girl and me! She will be home at least until the end of July when she'll have to go back to "the University" for band camp. She's going to be taking a couple of classes at the local community college to get ahead so she can concentrate on her degree classes when she goes back. And yeah!!!! She has a 4.0 (excuse me...a 4.099) for her first year! APPLAUSE!!! Thank you very much!

Give her a pat on the head!

Nothing else much is happening here. Oh...I got my etsy shop up, the aprons turned out pretty cute (if I say so myself!). 'Bama girl is so funny in the pics!

Guess it's time to say good-night, so....

Later,

Debbie

Same song, second verse, a little bit louder and a whole lot worse...

Yeah, I'm still busy...'nuff said!

My son graduated from UNA Saturday. My brothers and their families have gone back to Louisiana. 'Bama Girl is home for the summer. Good times!

After the graduation hubby, Auburn Guy (official now!), and I went to Auburn on Monday to find an apartment. Found one! A nice one...an expensive one!

Came home and packed up the Guy on Wednesday, and we all (including 'Bama Girl) trekked back to Auburn Thursday - U-haul behind us. We spent most of the day moving him in. And...it rained. Buckets! But...it's done.

Did I cry at graduation? Did I cry when I left him in Auburn? Need you ask? He's my baby, my first born. At least when he was at UNA, I got to see him at least every other weekend.

I know...he's twenty-two and has a promising future and career ahead of him - I've got to cut the apron strings...

Speaking of apron strings....well, as you can see I've been so (insert "ugly word") busy, that I haven't had the time to do anything about my aprons. I started on two of them Tuesday, got the pockets wrong on one, threw my hands in the air, packed up the sewing machine and declared I was done! Not done forever, but done with sewing until everything settled down. Now maybe they have and I can get back to it.

Gotta go take the U-haul back now....

Later,

Debbie

Going, going....Gone

Not forever, but it will be a few days before I'll be able to post - again....too busy to even sit and type! But I will check in on your blog! Amuse me!

Now...I want to take a few minutes to show my age!

I was in the 'hateful, stand-in-line the rest of your life' discount store that I only go into once in a blue moon and almost lost my religion!

Here's my version:

1. Was moving into a check out line, when a man pushed my buggy (cart) aside and jumped in front of me! Oh no he didn't! I said "Excuse me"! and proceeded to give him a lesson in manners, while all the time he stood there staring as if I had lost my mind! (I had!)...of course, he didn't speak English. Oh well...my bad.

2. So...I moved into another line (20 items or less...I had two...2!) The two men ahead of me had 57 items...I counted! At first there was another lady ahead of me (she applauded the first incident!)...but, she forgot cat food and left the line. Back to the men... Of course the check-out clerk would not say anything about the number of items, and after 15 minutes of checking them out, she put their check through....and....it was declined! Manager is called...takes another 15 minutes of explanations and they were finally moved from the line. I was steaming and asked the clerk why she took that many items in this line? I was told it is the policy not to say anything. Then why have this line? My bad for getting into a 'speedy' check-out!

3. In the line (from which I had moved previously) was a mother and son buying a small bike (about 2 feet high with training wheels - the bike, not the boy). The child grabbed candy and the mother said no put that back. The kid balls his hand into a fist and hits the mother on the back (he's about 4 years old)...did she do anything? NO! Would I? Oh yeah...bring child protective services on...'cause somebody would have been crying all the way to the car!

4. Finally got checked out and was thankfully leaving the store when...dum da dum dummm...the above mother was sitting on a bench while kid was riding the bike and blocking the exit. I tried to maneuver aound them, but...he ran all over me...okay, again....My bad!

Side note: Yes, my darling family I know you're glad you were not with me (especially Alabama Girl - she would have dug a hole and crawled in!)

Is it too much to ask for a few manners? Can people not control their children? If you don't have money, don't you know you can't buy anything?

My point: Is it me? Am I just too old and grouchy to be let out of the house? Have I lost my mind? Maybe so!

The next thing you know I'll be telling little kids that there's no Santa Claus!

Have a nice day!

Later,

Debbie

Busier than a one-legged man in a butt kickin' contest...

Busy as a bee...Busy as a beaver...Busy as a one-armed paperhanger! Okay, that's all I could think of!

And yes, I have been...I've made jam, made bread, cleaned house...(raked out the kids rooms). And I've been sewing - Aprons!

Alabama Girl will model these when she gets home, but I'll give a preview:

I'm thinking about opening an etsy shop soon...seems like everyone else I know has one, so why not? We'll see.

I went to Huntsville today with a friend and forgot the mexican restaurant we love is closed on Sunday. We went to Jason's Deli instead. I love the muffaletta's (they remind me of New Orleans - have I ever said I grew up in Louisiana? That's another story for another time!) If you've never had one, try it..but only if you like olives! It's ham, salami, cheese and an olive relish...ummm good! And their salad bar is to die for!

Well, with relatives coming for Auburn Guy's graduation, I've still got a lot of things to do...I have to mow the grass, grocery shop, cook...and on and on and on! And this is not just for the relatives...Alabama Girl is coming home for summer, Auburn Guy will be here two or three weeks (maybe) and my darling husband will be here a week! Yay! He's taking some time off for graduation and so that we can go to Auburn and find 'the graduate' an apartment! Hmmmm, wonder what needs to be fixed while he's here? Seems like there's always something!

I smell coffee, so I guess I'll fix me a cup and get back to sewing...just for today - back to chores tomorrow!

As Scarlett O'Hara said, "I shan't think about that today, I'll think about that tomorrow. After all....tomorrow will be another day."

Later,

Debbie