The reputation of Southern women for having the gift of fascination is perhaps due not to prettiness of feature more than to the brilliancy or sweetness of their ready smile. That Southern women are charming and “feminine” and lovable is proverbial. How many have noticed that Southern women always bow with the grace of a flower bending in the breeze and a smile like sudden sunshine?

-Emily Post

Calculus you say? I hear it's invading to the north...

As much as I love blogging, there is no time to do it when you’ve got calculus up to your ears. The image below sums up my life. I’ll keep you posted! Until then, feel bad for me! and send a few prayers ( or "whatever you prefers" ) my calculus exam is tomorrow! Here's aiming for a B! BTW::ALERT:: if anyone could explain Newton's Method to me with any sort of clarity, you would be my eternal hero. I would even buy you a cape! (tights optional!) On with my studying. Lots of love to everyone!

Living Like a Lover with a Radar Phone

So, since my apartment is completely and utterly undecorated and uninspiring, and the lovely answering service I work for doesn't in fact pay me a whole lot, Will and I have been frequenting the yard sales and estate sales. Estate sales are my favorites because they are normally in an old person's house, and old people generally tend to have old things. (I'd have to consult a priest, but I'm pretty sure that sentence just doomed me as a heartless hell-goer.) At any rate, Will and I went to an estate sale a couple of Saturdays ago, and I bought a really cool lamp from the 60's. It's not quite the midcentury design that I love so much, but I still thought it was funky and unique and with a little love could be great. Haha, Will thought it was hideous and didn't want me to buy it, but what does he know? Besides, It was only ten dollars, and with a little brown paint over the hideous shade (see below), it makes a perfect accent next to the typewriter my grandfather gave me. I bought a whole smorgasbord of paint colors to find just the perfect color match for it ( I was actually thinking painting it green, blech.) and I bought a cheap canvas to paint some wall art and use my left over paint. I started painting on it today, but that's a whole 'nother blog. I also managed to pick up a butter dish that PERFECTLY matches the Carnivalware set my aunt/ grandmother gave me. I was so excited! I had been wanting a butter dish for a while ( since my BFF has one and leaves her butter on the counter so it's all soft and easily spreadable) and how great was it that I found this one! with a price tag of 45$, it was a little out of my range, but I managed to argue the man down to 18.50$. Still a little pricey, I know, but did I mention it matches perfectly?

The next day, The weather was gorgeous! So after a breakfast of homemade bread and apple butter on the porch, and watching the birds and the Mondonormous squirrel that live in our tree, hash it out at the birdfeeder over the sunflower seeds, Will and I went on a random Sunday drive down Buford Chapel Rd, across from our house and the countryside was beautiful! My favorite part though was stumbling across a two-story gazebo randomly in the middle of a pasture. Will and I stopped (and trespassed) and snapped a few photos of it.(Click them to make them larger)

It was a little derelict, but entirely built by hand with a wrough iron staircase to the 2nd level. What was weird though, is there are no houses around it. So I'm not sure who owns it, or uses it, but it was a pleasant surprise for us on a beautiful Sunday morning. Also, I totally think Momma and Daddy should convert their gazebo into a two-story one. It would be so great there next to the lookout! So I'm sure by now everyone knows that my brother's trampy ex-girlfriend dumped him on Easter ( pics of which are coming soon (of Easter, not my brother getting dumped :P), and I had already bought her two kids Easter baskets! Well the boy one was easy to split up for Makagan and Davey, but what to do with the girl basket? Enter Emily, the adorable
little girl of Sarah, our tech manager at my work. She hangs out with me at work, and colors and draws me cute little notes, and she adored the Easter basket (that's her left, with the pompoms and hair clips from the basket) I think she drove poor Sarah crazy, shouting her made-up cheers in the megaphone, but she was adorable doing it so, it's okay. She's one of the few kids who don't get on my nerves, she never shrieks or does anything annoying, other than being annoyingly cute. Moving on up to last Thursday, I was out cleaning off the porch and doing some gardening, so I decided to let out my beautiful cat Ozma (named after the Princess of Oz. Yes, I know it's not in the movie, Read a book once in a while!) She loves to go exploring, and sniffs everything her extremely long whiskers can get close too. However, this particular Thursday, she decided to be a mischeivious little devil and tree herself in a dogwood! She was so sad looking! Will and I tried everything to get her down, but couldn't reach her, so she just sat there and mewed so that it nearly broke my heart. She acutally convinced Will that he could climb a tree. He couldn't of course, and hilarious laughter erupted on my part. Eventually she flopped her bowling ball of a butt over the branch and backed down the tree. Will swears she'll never go out again.... but.... we'll see. :) The next morning, I got up at 3 AM to go to the library to study for my calculus test. I got dressed drove all the way into town, then decided to be a slacker and check my e-mail first. I'm glad I did, turns out my test was cancelled, and moved to the following Wednesday. It was actually good though, I had a whole lot of extra time to study. Too bad all of that studying did me absolutely no good. I still did really bad on it. I'm embarrassed to say how bad, but it's okay though, as long as I do well on the final, my lowest test score will be dropped. So, there is still hope for my B average. After my test I drove to Memphis to spend the day with G'ma, shower-flopping and paintin' up the town. We ate at Macaroni Grill, which is ridiculously over-rated, although my spinach orzo was good. Of course, maybe if I had actually eaten pasta instead of following my diet and staying below 600 calories, the food might've been better, but that's no excuse! They only had 1 under 600 calorie meal, and lots of places have lots of excellent food for under 600 calories. I mean seriously, get with the program Macaroni Grill. Anyways, G'ma and I went to Lowe's 42 times over the day and a half I was there, hunting down Knockout Roses, Sedums, and Irises. We also went to Digger O'Dells, and while the fascinating display of numerous blossoms were captivating, he didn't really have anything unique. I did end up buying a 10$ knockout rose, some pink geraniums, a purple columbine, and a pink double impatiens. I really like double impatiens, and I'm hoping I won't kill the rose. I always manage to kill my roses! I spent the night at my aunt's house, so G'ma and I could sit in our night gowns together, drinking Diet Orange Crush, and bickering about who gets to play for their Pogo badges first. G'ma and Aunt Chandra had really been working on Aunt Chandra's backyard ( I say Aunt Chandra, but only because she funded it, as I'm pretty sure G did most of the work :P).


Isn't it gorgeous!?

That's all for now! Leave me some comments and more will come soon!

Say it Softly and It's Almost Like Praying

I watched West Side Story for the umpteenth time last night. I love old musicals; they're like balm for my chapped soul, and while West Side Story isn't the happy-feel-good-time of say, Singin' in the Rain, Guys and Dolls or The Sound of Music, it's still magnificent, and a little surreal. I mean where else but in old movies to people get shot and no one calls an ambulance, where people say Daddy-o, lousy, and swell like it's the hip new phrase? and just so you know, yes, in my world, all gangs snap in time and do a mean pirouette!

Random Happy Thoughts #1

I like the way green beans squeak against my teeth when I eat them.I like the smell of paper fresh from the copier. I thoroughly enjoy buying office and school supplies. I like the way my skin feels after a good sugar scrub. I like using towels that are fresh and hot from the dryer,I like waking up on winter mornings, toasty from the three quilts on the bed, and the air around me is so cold it stings my lungs. I like when my G'ma and I call each other at the same time. I like how the smallest most insignificant things can make life so special.

Thanksgiving 2008

So, I'm a day ( or two) late on this one, but I finally thought I would share my photos from Thanksgiving that I took with the fam. My entire family was there, and good times and good food were had by all. It was so much fun, except for you know, the cooking and the cleaning up. It was really nice to have both of my grandmothers there, and my Aunt and Uncle from Memphis who seem to NEVER make it down. So, on with the pictures.( this was my first post ever, so excuse the horrible and confusing layout, I'm too lazy to go back and fix it.) (EDIT: I did go back and fix it, let's hope it worked)

hanging out on Momma's couch, you can see the beautiful hand-carved triptych I got her on the wall. Aunt Chandra's cheesing in the chair, Lizzie and her extremely tall boyfriend ( who, poor fellow, kept hitting his head on the ceiling fans), and Shauna, being Shauna, i.e. ignoring everyone.

Daddy and Uncle Joe in the pine needle cemetery my parents insist is an actual front yard.

Momma and G'ma looking battle-weary; the turkey and 14 dozen rolls finally surrendered.

I told you he was tall.... look at the ceiling! I liked this fella too, he seemed so nice, and so perfect for my cousin....(hint, hint Lizzie)

My cousin Shauna, and her husband John.

Uncle Charlie is making the face I make when studying for Calculus; who knew carving a turkey could be so hard!

Somehow Mamaw Ruth was the only person aware I was taking a picture.

Brandon and Makagan being cute.

My mom and Aunt Chandra, actually hugging and being nice. In other news, Saddam Hussein defeated Adolf Hitler in a one-on-one ice hockey match today.

Brandon teasing David. David looks annoyed, Brandon looks like Satan, and all is right with the world again.

Daddy, Mamaw Ruth, and me.

Papaw Tommy and Buster, sitting in the chair Momma is borrowing from me.

G'ma and her granddaughters-not sure what's up with that little curl of hair in my face, but it's driving me crazy.

Food's out and ready; someone has apparently already been in the dressing, but I still see a crunchy corner with my name on it.

Whatsup my homeslice?

Poor Papaw Tommy looks so sad in the corner! it's okay though, he'll have peeps shortly. Everyone else seems to be digging in just fine though!

Momma's centerpiece G'ma did, on the table that my mother also has on loan from me

Everybody digging in.

See! I told you Papaw Tommy would find his peeps! In the form of Momma, Mamaw Ruth, Daddy and myself.

Brandon and Makagan being adorable.

Brandon is giving a suplex to my nephew Davey, Dee Dee, is trying her best to give Davey a bit of an edge.

Makagan at the lookout.

my two nephews, and McKenna-- looks like Brandon gave Davey quite the workout.

Makagan and his Thank You Banner- he passed it around and everyone who held it had to say what they were thankful for, Most everyone said family, except Davey, who was thankful we had homemade Oatmeal Pie.

What are you thankful for Aunt Chandra?





Daddy's thankful for Makagan! He's just so sweet!

Mamaw Ruth's turn.




Papaw Tommy and Makagan, and the pretty flowers Daddy gave Momma on the table....On a sidenote, I really need to convince Momma to STOP WITH THE BARRETTES ALREADY.

My entire family!From left: Uncle Joe, David, Lizzie, Brandon, Uncle Charlie Whitney, Jennifer, Papaw Charles, moi, G'ma, Momma, Aunt Chandra, Daddy, Mamaw Ruth, and Papaw Tommy, Aunt Geraldine, McKenna, Davey, Makagan, and Alex. ::Phew:: (click to enlarge)




Momma, G'ma and Aunt Chandra--and yes, I am slightly disturbed by my grandmother's shirt.

Momma, me, and G'ma..... again with the curl of hair! you think it would have driven me crazy then too!

Mamaw Ruth and Makagan--He got his Christmas present early.They were both very excited about it.




::sigh::

My brothers and I; I just realized I'm a hypocrite! I'm wearing a barrette! Oh NO! The curl forced me! I swear!

My Aunt Chandra and I; the curl has nowrecruited others to its rebellion.


Four generations of Massingills! ( Brandon, Daddy, Mamaw Ruth, and Makagan)

G'ma and Papaw... taking a picture of Papaw is like taking a picture of a Wombat. It's extremely hard to capture, but when you do land that rare picture, they're always in a funny pose and slightly bug-eyed.

Mamaw Ruth, dishing up leftovers.


Buster, hoping for just a bit of the leftover leftovers.