Travels in the South

Welcome my friends to another edition of Travels in the South.  Today I want to share something with you that my mom recently found.  She was so intrigued by this that she had to buy a bag for her and dad to try.  They are cashews which are already yummy.  But these cashews are roasted with blueberries, cranberries and quinoa (which mom has always wanted to try).  Mom and dad had one word to explain the taste.  Are you ready for that one word?  Here is goes – YUMMY!   Mom found these at the local Cracker Barrel restaurant.  If you have a Cracker Barrel in your area, pick yourself up a bag.  They are so very tasty!

 

Long Distance Eating

Leave it to mom/dad to go out on their own unattended to find trouble.  It is the weekend, right?  They might as well have been wearing matching shirts that say, “Here comes Trouble 1 and Trouble 2.”  I’m just sayin’.

So mom/dad pulled themselves out of bed yesterday morning to go to our local Cracker Barrel restaurant – you know for a cozy breakfast.  This trip was anything but cozy mom found out.  They had gotten these new tables not too long ago.  Do you see anything wrong with the tables?  They look fine – all in perfect condition, no scratches or uneven legs.  But, look closer.  Mom said it felt like dad was sitting in another zip code away from her.  You see it now, right?

Mom told dad that it was hard for her to talk to him because she felt like she had to speak up volumes for him to hear.  Dad of course with his witless humor told mom to get some cups with string…. shakes my piggy head.  That’s my daddy always ready for a joke or three.

Have you ever been to a restaurant that the tables were this far out from one side to another?  And it was a four top – not a huge table for a big group.  But boy did mom say it felt like that for sure.

 

Pay it Forward

Okay Friends – Here We Go!

My sweet friends at Nikitaland have started this monthly issue of Pay It Forward.  We asked for you to keep this in mind all month and to share things here today on what you have been able to do.  Paying it forward is not for bragging purposes – it’s an attempt to show how many different things we can do to pay it forward – lots of them don’t even include money.  Gestures that we take for granted may be a God send to another person.

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What have you done this past month to pay it forward?  Here’s what mom/dad have done so far.

One night, mom/dad went to a local restaurant called Cracker Barrel.  They were having dinner, it was kind of crowded and this guy got seated between mom/dad and another couple.  You could tell that he was a homeless man.  He ordered two glasses of water and a coffee.  He was content with just sitting there, enjoying the heat from the fireplace and drinking his coffee.  He spoke to everyone that made contact with him – and was such a very pleasant gentleman.  He wasn’t asking for anything from anyone except for conversation.  Before mom/dad could buy him dinner, the other couple offered and did.  Mom went up to the register and also bought him a gift card to use at the restaurant so he could also come back for another dinner without having to pay.

Mom is also still continuing with her donations of plasma.  She has now made 13 donations and is getting closer to her commitment of 20. Some people ask does it hurt.  There are times when you can’t even feel the needle and there are other times that you feel it and continue to feel it until the donation is done.  Mom says that it doesn’t matter because what pain she does experience is nothing compared to the help it offers others.

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My buddy Nikitaland made up a good deeds sheet.  You can get it here.  You can print it, hang it on your fridge and just jot some things down that you do during the month.  That way at our next meet up, you can share what you have done to PAY IT FORWARD.

AND if you are interested in getting some Pay it Forward bracelets, check out Nikitaland’s post here for ordering information.  Believe me friends – WE CAN ALL MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Next meet up will be February 3rd – mark your calendars!

 

It was a LONG weekend – I mean really LONG

Oh my friends.  Have you ever had one of those weekends where you did so very much that you finally just prayed for Monday to get here STAT because of being tired?  Can you relate?  Mom and dad had one of those weekends.  Mom was already feeling slightly under the weather with her flare up.  But Sunday night, she could barely walk.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.  So this is what those two humans of mine did.

Saturday – They got up for breakfast early and tried a new restaurant.  Yes mom took pictures that I will post soon.  They looked good too.  After breakfast, they had to go to Kaiser to pick up some prescriptions.  Then mom finally got her nails done – which was long needed.  Then they went to Petsmart.  Trust me, all of us anipals here at the Hotel Thompson wanted to go to Petsmart.  But mom/dad said we couldn’t go because they were running all errands this morning before coming home to crash… which mom did 🙂  So after Petsmart and doing what dad said was ‘buying them out’ – rolls piggy eyes, they went to Wally World – Walmart for those that know the place.  Daddy then got a haircut and afterwards, he and mom looked around for some things they needed.  So, you see mom/dad did a LOT of walking all over the place.  Which normally wouldn’t be bad but with mom’s current flare up situation, it wasn’t good.  They left the house this morning around 8AM and didn’t get back home until way after 2PM.  Then they had to unload the Jeep and put everything up.  That’s a lot of work.  With mommy not feeling too well lately, daddy wanted to go someone special for their date night tonight.  So they left the house again at 4PM to go to a restaurant that is about 35 miles away.. not just any restaurant though.  They have crab legs 🙂  Yum…. not that they brought me any back tonight – snorts.

Sunday – They got up for round 2 of shopping and getting errands done.  They got up and went to a local place for breakfast – Cracker Barrel.  Afterwards they had to go to a home improvement store named Lowes.  Mom had some stuff she needed to return and they had pick up light bulbs and air filters for the Hotel Thompson.  Of course, one things leads to another and the next thing they know they have a buggy full of stuff.  But some of the things they found my friends – Oh my piggy heavens.  I’ll share with you on another post on that – my parents are too hilarious!  After dropping off these items at the Hotel Thompson, mom and dad wanted to go to another Wally World location to see if they had something they wanted that the other store didn’t… so off they went again.  Not only did they find some things they were looking for but of course they found some more stuff.  Did I mention that mommy *hates* shopping?  She does.  She can’t stand it.  So she waits and makes lists and then tries to get everything at once.  Silly mom huh?

Afterwards, it was time to do the monthly shopping so off they went to Kroger.  Once there, they had to pick up some other medicines they had filled at their pharmacy.  Then the major shopping for the Hotel Thompson.  And did I mention that mom is a HUGE coupon shopper?  She tells us anipals that she has to be so she can’t keep us accustomed to the way we are living.  I don’t get it – do you?  Mommy keeps up with her grocery list on her iPhone – there is actually an ap for that – snorts.  So when we are out of something, she adds it to the list for the next trip.  She also keeps up with her coupons on her iPhone.  Mom says the one thing about shopping with coupons is organization and that it takes time.  So they were at the grocery store for over two hours!  Daddy told mommy at one time that just because they have room in the Jeep now doesn’t mean she had to fill him to the rim in this one trip – snorts – silly daddy.  But then daddy also said that thank goodness they had Casper the new Jeep because everything they got would NOT have fit into Albert the Smart car.  See all of the stuff in the back of Casper.  You want to take a gander of the cost?  Now mom/dad grocery shop majorly every 2-3 months.  They will go every other week just to get milk and bread.  The total cost of this shopping spree came out to be $178.00 – she then handed the cashier all of her coupons and told him to ‘make it rain savings’.  Snorts – that’s my mommy.  After mom’s coupons and such, it came down to a final price of $127.00 – mom said even the cashier was shocked and amazed at that.  All of this for two somewhat adults, one pooch, two purr things and of course me who daddy says eats like a small child – snorts.

Then they came home to unload everything.  Now mom has a great conclusion to this.  She says, you shop all over the store and put things in your buggy.  Then you have to unload everything at the register to be rung up.  Then you have to load everything in your car to take home.  Then you get home and have to take everything into the house and THEN put everything up.  What a crap play huh?  But daddy knew that mommy wasn’t feeling to good so he parked her in the kitchen and he brought everything into the house for her… aaww – that was sweet.  Mom put everything up and crashed on the couch afterwards.

There she was medicated trying to get some rest while waiting for my Auntie Tina and cousins Savannah and Maverick to make it home.  See they are visiting for a couple of days and was due to arrive at Nanas Sunday night.  Mom finally got the call and her and dad then went to pick them all up for dinner.  They went to a great pizza place and talked, laughed and got caught up.  Afterwards, Auntie Tina and my cousins came to the Hotel Thompson to visit all of us anipals.  That was great fun!  We are all older now and loved the extra attention.  And a certain piggy may or may not have done some cute things for that extra attention – just sayin’ .  When they were done visiting, mom took them and Houdini up to Nana’s for a short visit.  She was only there for a little over 30 minutes and then came home.  After doing the medicines, for the week, she crashed pretty hard.  Who cards that it was only 7PM, right?

So you see, we are all kind of excited that this past weekend is done.  Completed.  Over.  Finished.  All but one little itsy bitsy thing.  What you ask?  Snorts – I’m glad you asked.  Tonight mom/dad are taking Houdini to a new groomer.  This should be fun.  Their appointment is at 6PM, right after mom’s work.  Houdini doesn’t know yet.  I’ll keep you posted on the results my friends.  And one little question, is it the weekend yet?  Snorts

 

Silly Mommy

Mom/dad have been at it again – loose in public.  Some days I just can’t trust them to go anywhere by themselves.  On a recent trip out to dinner, mom found a cute little piggy at the local Cracker Barrel.  She had a fit over it.  I don’t know why.  She has the real thing right here at home in the Hotel Thompson.  Right?

Happy Friday my friends – hope you have a fantastic weekend!