Funny What Influences Real Life Has in Dreams.

This morning, after my sweet husband had toddled off to work, I fell back asleep and had the loveliest dream.

 I drempt Paul and I had a lovely spacious apartment, and had a little dog and a kitten.(This part was due to the fact I have been looking at flats(apartments) in the paper lately when I'm also looking for jobs). The complex where we lived had 5 swimming pools.... three in-ground, and two underground.(This part I think was because of all the kids we heard in their paddling pools over this weekend and I was SOOOO jealous of them!!!) I decided to explore the pools so I put on my running capris and a sports bra top- and went by the complex office to get a copy of the complex map.( I've also been walking and running and have recently been reprogramming my fitness regime to see if I can up my weight loss.) They were locked up tight, so I couldnt get a map for myself, but they had one posted on the window, so I took note of the pool locations and off I went to find them.  I went outside and found the first one just fine. A couple of my friends, Stephanie King and Kimberly Moffet, were in it but it was only three feet deep and they were going to look at the other ones. I went in one direction and they headed off in the other and we said we would call each other and let each other know about the other pools we found. Now these pools were on a terraced area- One was at the back of the building where our apartment was...Thats where I found Steph and Kimbers.
The next one I found was a little ways down the path- but lo and behold- it was only a kiddie pool and had less than 6 inches of water in it. So I walked to the end of it- and almost walked into a hole in the ground. I backed up and looked into the hole and saw a pool in the underground, but had to find a way down to it. (I think this part was due to the amount of MINECRAFT I've been playing lately...) So I went into a hallway and lo and behold, there was a steep stairway- almost like a gangway on a submarine to the lower level....I slid down it- back to the actual steps with only my feet and hands on the actual rails(let me tell you- my athletic ability is simply AMAZING in MY dreams) and when I got to the bottom- I was at the base of the lower deck pool. It was absolutely stunning, all curves and deep blue water with a white sand beach and sand on the bottom of the pool.....more like a natural lagoon except it was underground)- and not a soul in sight. (I've been having daydreams about going to a deserted island with clear blue water and white sand beaches a LOT lately- and I am NOT much of a beach person, per se.)


But for some reason that pool just didn't interest me anymore. I landed on my feet and after a quick glance at the lovely sight of it- I was running down the trail outside the building. I felt amazing....so light and free. I felt so on top of the world I just kept running, and kept running(I saw a quote from Forrest Gump the other day so this is prob where that part came in- I LOVE that movie!!)...Past rows and rows of houses that looked amazingly like the houses on Crescent and McDaniels Avenue in Greenville, South Carolina.
Big leafy trees and the sweet smell of azealas and magnolia and jasmine blossoms in the air and a gentle breeze blowing making it perfect for a walk or run in the park. (A touch of homesickness seeping into my dreams?)


And then as I came to the end of my run, there was a trail up a mountainside and I could see a beautiful  black polished granite building at  the top of it, so I decided to walk up there and check it out before going back to the apartment(flat).
When I got to the top- it was a lovely restaurant, all glass and chrome and black leather. The view was spectacular- and when I walked around the side of the building, there was the most amazing pool I had ever seen.( I chalk this up to the Pinterest stuff I've been pinning lately.) It was on the side of the mountain- just below the sight of the restaurant, and it had a cascading waterfall that filled the main pool about 25 feet below but it was amazingly quiet! The cascading water sounded more like a fountain  water feature you would find in the back garden(yard) of a nice house.(Again- MIL talking about getting her water feature up and running yesterday when we was doing out BBQ in the back garden) Just about 10 feet above the main pool and off to the side inset into the rock was a jacuzzi spa overlooking the main pool.(The Jaccuzi spa is due to the photos of Whirlpool baths I have been looking at with my MIL since she decided to re-do the bath in our house- No- she wasnt looking at them for the bath- we was just thinking in a PERFECT world that's what we would want in our bath)
Well, There was no one in this amazing pool either, so I did what any relatively sane female in my family would do.

I went skinny dipping.
And just as I laid back to enjoy the sun and the water and the solitude...I woke up.

Dohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(I know that was only 4 pools I told you about, but I never found the last one....and I never heard back from Step and Kimbers either, so I figure they found it and it was so nice they completely forgot to call me because they were having such an amazing time!!!)

So far....21 Day Sugar Detox Results- Day 5 Results

Well, The 21 Day Sugar Detox is going SWIMMINGLY well!!!! I started it Monday- and have weighed myself every morning as soon as I get up and come downstairs. I started out at 15 stone 13 lbs...and today am at 15 stone 4 lbs. A loss of 9 pounds so far.

I was worried last night because we went out to an Indian Restaurant to celebrate my Father-in-laws 60th Birthday and I had never eaten Proper Indian food before. ...when I got there, I was pleased to find a clay baked chicken dish served with rice, curry sauce and salad on the side. amongst all the cream sauces and hot spicy tomato sauces. So I ordered the chicken dish, and when it came I'm delighted to say it was very nice. I ate not a spoonful of the rice, and only had a teaspoon of the curry sauce on the chicken. I ate all the salad, PLUS my husbands tomato slice and cucumber slice he didnt want to eat. Then when we were served the Birthday cake, I had a tiny slice- and I fed half of it to my husband and I only took two bites of it and left the rest on my plate. And the cake that was leftover and brought home- I havent even had the slightest craving for it or been tempted to go get "just a bite".

I am SOOO loving this Detox. It's suggested that when you do this detox, you slowly introduce the "avoid" foods back into your diet after the detox. I think I will, but I think every couple of months I might do the detox again until I reach my goal weight of 10 stone.(140 lbs), and I want to be at my goal weight by Christmas.

Have a GREAT weekend Y'all!!!!!

WARNING- Adult Language Ahead- You've Been Warned.

Well,altho I thought she was gone, me, in all my Southern Redneck Goddess glory, finally showed up and came out swinging yesterday at the damn dentist.

Well, I told yall that they(the dentist) told me last month that I needed to get all my teeth on the bottom pulled or I was gonna lose bone in my gums and wouldnt be able to support a denture, right?

Well, last week she told me she wanted to leave two in- the sort of vampire teeth...canines she called them.

I told her no- if they was gonna pull them I wanted to do them all at once- I didnt want to leave two and have to go thru the expense again in a year which was all the time she gave me for the others two to stay before they had to be pulled too.

Well, Yesterday, I went in- and all of the sudden, without consulting me or giving me a choice- AFTER me paying for the extractions and dentures to be done, she decides that they arent going to do the extractions OR the dentures.Neither was needed.

WTF???????

And OUT the Goddess popped.

I said" Wait a minute...What was all that emergency crap you told me last month? So all that was a LIE???

Then she started backpeddling and all and was trying to say she didn't say all that- but I have the dam paperwork they gave me that she wrote up herself saying EXACTLY what teeth needed to be pulled and all to prove it.

And I told her so.

She tried to change the subject and said"Well, you have a filling in the tooth that's broken off that we can replace today and then..."
And I told her " Uh-uh...no you ain't. What's gonna happen is I'm gonna go home now and decide if I wanna sue your ass for all the stress you put me thru....AND I want a refund for all the work thats NOT gonna be done now and I want it TODAY."

I am STILL pissed about it. And I still havent decided what I'm gonna do- other than find a new dentist.

One Year Anniversary-Part II-What I LOVE About England

Well as I said yesterday. I DO miss many MANY things about home.
But- there are many MANY things about living in England that I LOVE as well...

...the weather. The temperatures are much more level here. Not nearly as extreme cold and hot as at home. Yeah, it's a bit more wet here for a lot of the time, but I can live with damp as long as there's not a lot of money for a leaky roof involved.
...The countryside. Everything is such a lovely green here!!! Must be all the rain we get over here!!!
...Clouds. No matter what the day you have them...big white fluffy ones on nice days. Grey and white ones on partly cloudy days... and heavy grey ones on the days it's raining. All lovely.
...New foods. It's been a real education trying new foods- and new versions of foods we have back home too. Dining out(and sometimes IN) has been an adventure in itself and I have loved almost every second of it.

...being able to walk almost everywhere. I walk to the post office, to the market, to the doctors office for my appointments, to the library, the hair salon and to my friends and in-laws houses.  It's been a real BOON to my weight loss and since moving here I'm no longer even PRE-diabetic. Almost EVERYONE walks here.
...Public Transportation. Most people wouldn't consider P/T a plus, but I do. I LOVE riding the bus and taking the train to the bigger cities and towns. And as I said before- walking around in the towns when I arrive there. I never thought I could ever live in a town or city, but I'm getting used to the lifestyle and could easily see myself living in a flat in City Center somewhere.
...The accents. It seems to me that every 5 miles a different accent emerges. And I love listening to people talking with them.
...Body image. It's MUCH more realistic here. If people are a bit overweight- no one much cares. You arent under the pressure to look like a fashion model or movie-star or celebrity all the time. Actors and actresses on TV dont all LOOK like perfect people...they look like someone you would pass on the sidewalk as you walk to the market. Yes, there are a few exceptions to that rule- but arent there always a few exceptions? And that's what I like about it- it IS the exception- NOT the rule.
...drinking. It's not frowned upon like it is in the South. If you drink, it's normal, and you're not looked down on or made to feel like you're a BAD person. You're just part of the group.
...The medical system. I can be looked at if I'm sick, get my meds for so much less than in the states, and not have to worry about having to decide if I am going to pay the medical bill or pay my rent and get groceries.  I LOVE this country's system.
...I've loved having this time off work. I've had a good resting holiday, but I'm ready to go back to work now please. That's all I'm saying about that.
...Aero Candy bars. Fish and chips. Scones. Bacon that's really Ham. GREAT coffee(once you find out which is the GOOD brands). Chocolates. Lager and Lime. Irish Meadow. ByGone Times.  Tesco. Aldi. Iceland. Gregg's. Mark & Spenser. Puntos. Ford Mundeos.  Wine. Beer. Vodka. Jack Daniels. Gordons.

Yes. All in all, I can't say I'm NOT happy here. If I had some familiar faces from home I would be PERFECTLY happy-
but Life is Good, and getting even better!!!

We Left On A Jet Plane...One Year Anniversary Today

Today marks the one year anniversary of Paul and I leaving South Carolina to come live in England.

It's been quite an experience, especially for me who has never lived anywhere but South Carolina the entire *Mumble-tee-mumble* years of my life...


I've missed SO many things since moving here.....


... my family and friends. I miss being able to go to their houses and being able to do lunch or dinner with them or just being able to show up and surprise them with a hug and a 5 minute chat if I'm running errands in their neighborhood.
... my car and being able to drive where ever I want-when ever I want.
... Sweet Iced Tea and the Snow Cream Ice treats from the Sno-Hut on Wade Hampton Blvd.

...Real honest to God SHORTENING to make BISCUITS (the AMERICAN scone type ones- not the cookie type ones)
...Pulled Pork or Chicken BBQ with Mustard based sauce. OMG.Nowhere but the South can you find it like it SHOULD be.

...Fast food joints. McD's, Jack-in -the-Box, Burger King, Subway, Zaxbys, Wendy's...take your pick. I miss em all. I also miss chain restaurants like, Cracker Barrel, IHOP and WaffleHouse.
...having a job. Just the routine of getting up, getting dressed and having a schedule to keep while making money.
...having regular days off when Paul and I would sleep all morning, then get up and go for a ride to the mountains or the lake and then come home and watch movies until 3AM and then hop in the car and ride to the local Waffle House for breakfast- or supper...whatever meal we was in the mood for.
...Having a house to ourselves.
...having 7 acres to be able to walk on, or go out back and target practice with the rifle, or shotgun, or the GLOCK....or just to play a game of awesome Lazer Tag.
...being able to walk 50 yerds down to our very own fishing pond for a few hours of relaxing fishing. Even if we didnt CATCH anything, it was awesome to not have to worry about having a fishing license if we wanted to fish.
...WALMART. OMG- I never knew how MUCH I would miss that place. I cannot find anything here in England.....I'm S-L-O-W-L-Y learning hwere to find a few things, but I'm going to die of old age before I find the equivalent of basic things I used in the states. They have so many specialty shops here for things you would think would be in places like the pound shops(The British versions of Dollar General or Freds or the 5 & dime stores) or ASDA(the British version closest to our WALMARTs-only NOT) or Morrisons or Sainsburys, or Tesco(the British version of Bi-Lo or Ingles or Winn-Dixie..only so NOT). Thankfully, both places have ALDI!!!!!
...Guns. OMG...guns.
...Knives- as in my stilletto switchblade. No you can't.
...Pick-up Trucks. I've seen TWO since I've been here. That's it...TWO. They were small ones like Toyota Tundras sized.....Not a single big old honkin' crew cab or doolie or Monster truck. I mean HOW do people MOVE their stuff around here?? Seriously!!!
...Country Music. I brought a lot with me- stored on my computer of course, but then my compter crashed and burned and I lost it All. I'm hoping we remembered to back it up on our hard drive- but I'm not holding my breath. 
...Big houses with lots of room. Add one bedroom to our house back home and thats the average size of houses here....and from what I've seen, there is no such THING as an "open floor plan"... the rooms are TINY compared to rooms back home. That may just be MY perception of it tho.
...seeing luxury cars. Cars are tiny over here too. They have to be to fit in the tiny narrow roads becuase they dont have-
...Big wide roads with plenty of room for a slight error.
...Pine trees. I miss the smell of pines so much. Maybe just because we always lived in the middle of a half dozen stands of pines scattered on the estate.
...The Carolina Blue sky. It's usually gray and overcast here. We do have sunny days too- and the sky is absolutely stunning when we have clear days, but  there's nothing like a Carolina Blue sky with the puffy white clouds floating by.
...service in restaurants. As much as the wait staff stopping every  5 minutes to ask if you needed a drink refill or anything, it was much better than here where you buy *A* drink and dont get free refills and the wait staff just disappears as soon as you're seated. Southern Hospitality- you just cannot beat it.




This is just the major things I miss. There's a lot to be said for things over here too...but I'll cover THAT part of it tomorrow- when it will be the One Year Anniversary of us ARRIVING in England.


There are two sides to every coin.

Princess Alyssa's First Fancy Gown.

In the South, a new baby's "Coming Home " from the hospital outfit is one that's carefully planned and thought out and planned for.

I have 9 grandsons and one stepgranddaughter. Princess Alyssa will be my first TRUE Granddaughter and I got to buy her Coming Home gown.  For the other grandkids, I made a special blanket, or crotcheted a baby afghan for them.
Princess Alyssa was a complete and totally wonderful surprise. None of us was quite prepared for the news that  another new baby was on the way. Mama & Daddy already had 5 boys. We all thought the grand baby days were over. Next would be Great-grands!!!
Well, the Lord had a completely different plan laid out for us all.

Alyssa is the only baby that I won't be there for the birth of. Circumstances won't allow it. BUT My sister and daughter are planning to set up a SKYPE session so I CAN be there and at least HEAR her being born. I wont be able to hold my daughters hand, but I can be there to offer words of encouragement and love.

Anyway, I've been looking for Princess Alyssa's outfit for weeks....ever since we got the news from the ultrasound that she was a GIRL!!!!! I've seen a few that vere cute- but just not quite the "right" one. I said I'd know it when I saw it.....and Monday, when I went to the dentist in town, me and my friend, Lynn(who had went with me for moral support) did a bit of spot shopping to pass a lovely afternoon together, and we happened into a YARN SHOP, of all places- and this outfit was on the clearance rack!!!

I looked at it and fell in love with it at first sight!!! I looked at the regular price and about had a heart attack, my heart sank because no way could I pay that kind of money for a baby dress, but then I flipped it over and saw the SALE price and started squealing like a little girl because I most certainly COULD pay the sale price for my only granddaughters First Fancy Gown. I would have gotten it if I had to only eat bread and water for a month to make up for the price of it. So I bought it, brought it home, photographed it, packed it up, and sent it to her yesterday morning.
And this is what it looks like.....(The lighting wasn't too good so it looks ivory- but it isn't, it's snow white.)

As I've said before.......I'm Tickled PINK!!!

New & Improved Dental Plan!!!

Yeah, I have a feeling I'll be losing some more pounds this week....probably in the next two or three weeks...its called the Dental Plan of Weight Loss. I'm having loads of dental work done...it started today with a molar being pulled that has been giving me fits for the past 6 months. Next week I go back for more x-rays for more pullings. From the looks of things, I may end up having to have all the bottom teeth pulled and a lower plate made. I'd say that would put me well below the 50 MORE pounds lost mark on my weight. I could think of MUCH less painful ways to lose this weight. But- on the upside- it will go off much faster with dental work. And once it's off- I'll be DANGED if it will be put back on!!!!

See? Silver Cloud. I'm a "Glass Half Full" kinda girl!!!