Sunday was a wonderful day. It was almost perfect. The only thing that was missing was 2 of my boys. Alex was too sick to leave home, and Ian was tied up with things in Birmingham. BUT, the rest of the family was together, and it has been a while since that has happened.

Mom fixed lunch for us: Chicken, Dressing, gravy, peas, steamed cabbage, fresh corn, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole (with crunchy goodness on top),and fresh squash. Joy made an angel food cake with fresh strawberries, and blueberries, and whipped cream. Heavenly…just heavenly!

It has been over a year since Mom has been able to have us all over to her house for a meal. This is something she loves to do. And, being the good family that we are…we are happy to enjoy the fruits of her labors. 🙂 This is just one of the ways Mom shows her love for us. She so enjoys setting a pretty table, and fixing the foods that we all like. She loves to have us all together at her house. She told me on Monday, what a blessing it was for her to sit in the dining room and hear her grandchildren laughing and talking and being silly in the kitchen. Three married couples now…Adam and Suzanne, Tara and Will (expecting the first great grandchild), And Lori and Ben (newlyweds). Truly, this was such a sweet family time for us, and something we have all missed. Mom has had several bouts of illness that have taken a lot out of her. But, we thank God she is feeling better. Nothing else feels right when your Mama is sick…no matter how old you are.

Here are the 4 of us..laughing and enjoying being together.

Remember the post I did about Pop on Father’s Day? Well, I put all of those pics and messages into a book for him…he loved it!

Brother-in-law, Tommy, with his 2 girls…Lori and Tara.

This is our sweet Uncle Allison, with Joy and I. We are just standing in for his daughters Jan, and Jolene.

Suzanne, ready to enjoy a spoonful of that yummy whipped cream!

And, a very sassy shoe, along with orange toe nails, on Lori…cute!

Because my thoughts are on staying cool…and only on staying cool, I find myself lying down, and flipping through magazines quite a bit the past few days. Now, I do love me some magazines. However, I let all of my subscriptions lapse before we moved, and have not renewed any…but soon.

ANYWAY, as I was perusing one of my fav magazines today, I caught a glimpse of this bag…
cute, isn’t it? Well, NOT IF YOU HAVE PLANS TO EAT FOR A MONTH!!! This crazy thing, by Anya Hindmarch is $625.00. Yes, I said…SIX HUNDRED and twenty five dollars! I ’bout stroked. Now, I know this is a ‘fancy-nancy’ brand, with prices to match…AND…I have occasionally..maybe once or twice…paid too much for a ‘designer’ bag. BUT, not a straw tote to schlep to the beach and pool. Not a bag to have my Diet Dr. Pepper turn over in. Not a bag where the top falls off the sunscreen and coconut scented lotion oozes out of the straw bottom. Not a bag where the sand gets stuck in all of the above and will not let go. NO, just NO!

So, I set out on a mission to find a more suitably priced tote. I stuck to those fashioned out of straw, so the comparison would be fair.

Here’s the first one I found. It’s by a company called French Basketeer, and sells for $69.00. Now if you ask me…this is still too steep a price for a beach bag. But, I do like how you can draw the top closed to hold your belongings inside.

Now, this is from that store we all know so well…G*P. I really like this tote, and of the 4, it’s my fav. I really like the shape.The price for this one is $35. Reasonable, I think.

And, lastly, this one from Beall’s comes in several different color combinations, and sells for $10.00…regularly $20.00. I’ve seen many variations of this bag at every discount store around, and while it is serviceable, to me it just looks cheap.

Since we are well into June now, I would imagine that you have already bought a tote for this year. But, that wasn’t the purpose of this post, anyway. The purpose is to point out that everything can be found in a price that is reasonable for you. All these totes are nice to look at, and will carry out their intended function. So, it is with most consumer goods. We can find a nice looking pair of jeans for $200.00, $80.00, or $ 19.99. Or take a couch, for instance…$2000.00, $1200.00, or $400.00.

The next question, then, is the quality. Now that $625 tote will last forever. But, will you tire of it before then? I sure would! I’d much rather have that Gap bag and discard it when it comes unravelled…and get a new one. The jeans…you pay for good quality here. That $200 pair is going to offer the best fit and the best quality denim. But, if you are only going to wear them to work in the yard or to ride your 4 wheeler…go for the cheapest! As for the couch…since I am still in the process of furnishing The Creek House, well…let’s just say…I have a little problem being objective about this…at the moment…but I am sure I will get much better…as soon as the furnishing are all purchased! 🙂

With the economy such as it is at the present, we all have to make our dollars buy the most that they can. Just a little shopping around can yield you a good buy, with money left over. And, while some of us enjoy shopping around and looking from store to store…some of you despise it. Though I don’t understand that, I know it is a fact. So, there’s the internet, and even the flyers in the newspaper. One of the things I have started doing when I shop is trying the store brands at the grocery store and for over-the-counter drugs. Most of these have the same taste and quality as the name brands…and I will be the first to admit that I have been a bit of a ‘name-brand snob’. I am trying to do better. But, I refuse to change from Kraft Mayo! 🙂

I leave you with this ‘funny’……..

What do you think of this beauty?

As much as I love having a new purse to carry…I just don’t think I could carry this one! But, it would look perfect in my house! I just don’t think I feel like dropping $200.00 for it, though!
This beautiful succulent garden is from Smith and Hawken (naturally) and is supposed to last for years…just soak it in water once a month.

Have you seen these posters popping up all over the internet? They are everywhere!
Here’s the story…


This is the one you see everywhere…the modern day version…

Of course, most people can’t leave well enough alone…and they try to change it up. So…

The design is being seen on many different objects…I’d buy this one…

A Mom must have designed this one…

Here’s one I follow…daily…

This one was designed during the swine flu epidemic…

For those of us who are crafters at heart…

A nice cup of hot tea would be calming…but I prefer mine iced with lemon…and sweet…

Have a cupcake with your tea…yummy…

Even an inspirational directive…good to remember…

Here’s one for the ‘rockers’ among us…

And…after all is said and done…

This is my Pop, my Daddy, my Father…Papa to his grandkids…
I think there are many facets to us all, and this is true with my Pop. He is many different things, and the sum of the parts makes a very special total….
So, here are some of the men he has been and still is…

The Navy Man…Phillipines

The Motorcycle Man…#1…

The Dapper Driving Man…

The Loving Man…

The Handsome Man…

The Fishing Man…

The Racing Man…

The Sandy Man…1954…(with me and Mom)

The Motorcycle Man…#2…

The Travelling Man

The Flat Top Man…

The Family Man…1962…

The Little Ladies Man…

The Teaching Man…(with Adam)…

The Business Man…

The Friendly Man…

The Visiting Man…

The Family Man…2008…

The Godly Man…

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Pop, you are all these things and more! Let it be a warm blanket of sweet blessings to know that you are loved today by Ella, Tonja, Joy, Don, Adam, Suzanne, Alex, Ian, Tommy, Tara, Will, Lori, Ben…along with too many others to count. You lead us, you inspire us, you love us. We are blessed beyond measure.

Happy Father’s Day…2009