Hannah and Laramie

Hannah is a new friend of mine. She is soooo close to having this baby. I just am hoping we can get through this lunch without having to make a trip to the hospital.

She chose this really cute Mexican place to eat.

I love the atmosphere. And the guacamole. I'm not gonna lie about it. You can get the grilled (sauteed? fried?) jalapenos and some guacamole and you will faint. They taste so good together.

Today, Hannah and I are making plans for her and her Mary Kay business. Got some presents for her and some info to leave with her and I just know that she will take it and run. Even though the baby is not even here.

She's having some twitches in her lower abdomen!!! We're praying the baby will get here tomorrow.

Have you ever met someone and just instantly liked them?

Well Hannah is that way. Sweet, intelligent, grounded and happy.

This is Hannah. She has a beautiful smile. And look at her eyes. Her happiness goes all the way down into the middle of her. I just love her.

Can't decide which picture I like the most, so I put both in the blog for today.

Now for a picture of little Laramie!!!!

There she is!! Laramie!! It;s a 110 outside and Hannah has that beautiful smile on her face. She's happy and ready for that baby to be born.

Happy Birthday Laramie!!!

More later, Linda

Retail Therapy!!!

Today I found my new FAVORITE STORE!!!. I bought 3 blouses, a coffee pot and a charm for my bracelet and a new purse. For less than I would have thought.

Carla

Then we went to my NEXT new favorite store. It had my soda things and the flavor and pots and pans and bed stuff and towels and on and on.

WONDERFUL!!

Lynn and yes she IS wonderful!!!

Then we went to the bead shoppe. Marvelous. All sorts of beads.I got some to make a grandmother purse jewelry. I can hardly wait until I get it all done.

Me, I don't like to have my picture taken

Met up with Diane, Diana and Diane's mom, Noveline. They are all so cute.

Novaline

Then we went to the Target. Got some pencils and a hand sharpener. Some snacks and candy.

Diane, Novaline's daughter

On to the Jack in the Box.  They had a sign that said large cokes for $1. We all got one. I think I could have had a small, because that LARGE was really a LARGER. I about popped before we got home.

Diana

Jerry is a wonderful husband because he never said a thing about what I bought , but ---Why didn't you get more.

This is what was in the back seat. You should  have seen the front

Maybe next time I will.

More later, Linda

Food---FUN---GIFTS

I told you we had FUN at Seminar!!! Here's Donna doing--well, learning---a line dance after lunch one day. I know why the one with the long blonde hair is so skinny. SHE'S one of the dancers who entertain us during the general sessions.

More food time!!! We eat, we go to class, we eat and we go to class and then we eat again. This day we were in the Sport's bar at the hotel. WONDERFUL food. I had the nachos.  FABULOUS!!! The girl seated is Judy and the one standing is Kathy.


And then we have GIFTS!!!

Not a very good picture of the bumble bee. It is SO gorgeous. And when I get to the level of Director I can get one---or even sixteen. I just have to find out how!!!!

More gifts!! This is what the Director's in Queen's Courts get. Is that not FABULOUS??? I'm gonna have one.

So you see why I love Mary Kay. They gave away about 30 of these necklaces to our seminar. And there are five seminars. Talk about a big chunk of cash.

And we feel appreciated!!! This makes the appreciation tangible. It makes it personal.  EVEN if we don't have one YET!!!

Where could I work and get this kind of compensation?  No where.

More later, Linda

Baby Girl and Sarah

Sarah---I am REALLY po'd!!! I have to share. Baby Girl had to have a drink and guess where she got it.

You guessed it. MY bowl. Hers was still outside.

I don't like to share. ANYTHING!!!

There she is. That one over my left shoulder. 

If I don't look that means she's not there.

But it is hot. I think it's 105 degrees. I suppose she HAS to stay in the house.

Now she's sleeping!!! What am I gonna do, she's sleeping in MY bed!!!

Do I HAVE to SHARE  with BABY GIRL.  I mean that's like naming a giant TINY!!

Me--I start petting her and calling her over to me. Jerry does the same. and before long she really settles down.

She even decided that the couch was hers. NOT!!

so she sleeps on the floor and so does Sarah. For Today!!!

Right now they have been taking naps all over the place and it sure is cute. I mean Sarah is about 1/10 the size of Baby Girl!!!

Here's Baby Girl sleeping by the door. And Dave is on the computer. Dave named her Baby Girl when he got her. That's like Lynn naming her 2 pound Yorkie Killer.


 They are two happy people.

And YES the are TOO people!!! We call them pets, but they really are our babies. Now fess up. They're people to YOU too!!!

Baby Girl is too a people. She's a FURRY PERSON you know...just  like Sarah, Georgie, Mandy, Killer, Bo, Radar, Wheezer, Sable, Java and the cat that's in the Furry People cemetery in our back yard.

If we ever move-----the cemetery goes with us!!!

I have SPOKEN!!


More later, Linda

Awards Night

This does not do justice to the splendor of Awards Night.  The entertainment!! The Diamonds!!! The gowns and the acknowledgement of achievement!! I mean, it's Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White all wrapped up into one part of SEMINAR !!!

I took these pictures by my iPhone and I didn't do so good. That's why I like my camera. It has IMAGE STABILIZER printed on top. I got it just for that because I get too excited to keep the camera still.

I was sitting right next to Terri and Jennifer. They are too cute. Both are beautiful women. And just nice to be around.

One of the beautiful gowns. It was filled with glitter and fitted like a glove. I have to say I can hardly wait until I can go gown shopping!!! I never had a gown before. NEVER!! It's exciting to even think about

There was a woman who slipped right out of her shoes at the end of this group. Do you see the man in the middle and to the right of the picture? Well just to the right of him is a staircase with 8 or 9 stairs. Two men on each step to help the women down. We women get excited and aren't used to heels and the floor is slick. These men are there to make sure NOTHING happens to us as we descent those stairs. The LAST woman in the group slipped and fell out of her shoes just before she got to the stairs. Four men came to help her. They didn't hesitate. One man picked up her shoes, Two others helped her after the fourth one asked her if she was hurt. What other business thinks far enough in advance to provide such assistance if it is even needed. That beautiful woman got up and someone put her shoes on for her and she waved to the roar of the crowd. WHAT an exit!!!

More later, Linda

Registering Day 0

This is one of the ladies in our unit. She lives in Texas. She is a LOOT, well she has a lot of fun and she has a LOT of loot in front of her. All the new HOLLYWOOD collection. Which I personally love---love---love!!!

And the firming cream and eye cream from the new collection of cleansing. It feels so smooth going on and it only takes 2 little squirts. For the face and neck!!! 

AWESOME!!!

Can't order the rest until September 16th. If you have sun damaged or aging skin let me know and I can order you some.

 

And this is Teresa. She lives in OKC now, but spent 8 years in Houston. When they had a chance to come back to Oklahoma they took it because all the family was there.

And then we have Kathy. She is from South Carolina. She has been a consultant for 25years or more. And is always in the top 10 of sales.

And THIS is our Director Donna. She is from OKC. A wonderful, mentor and friend.

Some of the graphics we had to look at and digest. Though that's not a requirement. All of these panels help us in our business and that is the company's business. To help us do our business is what they do best.

We have a new fragrance for both men and women. OMG!! What wonderful scents. Just don't let your husband wear the new men's cologne without you being around. Just saying!!

And this is the back side of the booth about the new TW Repair system. This model is not 16. You can tell by looking at her. She is a mature woman, though she is not my age. But that's what I like about Mary Kay. They don't use models for their anti-aging products who are 16, 17 or 18. They use age appropriate models. So they show us what we can look like when we use these products. This is the BOMB!!!

So now we get to go to supper and we all decided to go to the sports bar. No drinking for us, but we had more fun in that place than anyone else who was in there. We are just a very happy group of women.

More Later, Linda

Diamond Seminar is Over for 2012

Our Seminar began July 22, 2012. I was so excited!! Jerry was beginning to be excited for me. But Sarah----

Well, Sarah was po'd~~~ BIG time. She was really po'd!!!

Ten minutes later this is what she looked like. I'm telling you------she is po'd!!!


But we went on to Dallas and had a fantastic trip. Jerry took me to the Fried Pie place at Turner Falls and that's where we met up with the rest of the ladies. I rode with Donna and Kathy Heptig. The others rode with Teresa.  No time at all we are at the Hotel OMNI. It's adjacent to the Dallas Convention Center and sooooooooo nice. It is just opened. But they didn't forget about Mary Kay being in town. We were met with-----

Pink Lemonade and pink------

COOKIES and PINK POPCORN.  It was awesome.

But the best thing was when we checked in. 

Lexie had planned on getting married during these 4 weeks. But the hotel wouldn't let her any of those weeks so she and her fiance decided to wait until October. I don't remember what date.

THANKS Lexy.

Did you notice the room key???
 It has Mary Kay Seminar 2012 on it. I kept mine.

So sue me.

Jan's husband came with her to the hotel and stayed while we went to dinner.

I can't show his face or Jan will kill me.

That's part of Day O at seminar.

More later, Linda

It's ---SEMINAR

Tomorrow we will be in Dallas at Seminar. The three week Mary Kay gathering.

There is teaching, girlfriend time, more teaching, awards, recognition and, oh, did I mention girlfriend time?

This is not just a ---let's get r done meeting. It is a time to learn about who we are in our Mary Kay business. What do we want to accomplish next year. What do we need to change or modify so we can get to our goal.

It's also the 50th year of Mary Kay cosmetics.

Fifty Years. And her lawyers and counselors told her it wouldn't work. That her bonus plan was going to bankrupt her.

Now they study the Mary Kay business plan at Harvard School of Business. Not bad for a woman who bucked the system in 1963. 

Thank You Mary Kay for doing it anyway!!!

Hair---sometimes it's a MESS

Sometimes life just gets in the way of anything else. I mean REALLY!!! When was the last time you went to the grocery and got out without a $150 receipt? Or when did you go to the dentist and NOT have to go BACK to get a filling fixed or a tooth pulled?

And then some days, it doesn't pay to get out of bed. Like those days that your hair is a complete

MESS!!!

Or worse still when you have to go out and it's 108 in the shade. Or you just KNOW that the boss will find out about what happened with the copy machine. Even though it wasn't REALLY your fault. Or one of the worst of all is when your hair will NOT stay in it's pony tail.

And then you hear about things like the senseless shootings in Colorado. And the hair and the copy machine and the bad caramel macchiato don't really have any meaning. Lives were taken recently  in Colorado for no reason. Lives are more important than hair.

More later, Linda

Hailing----YEP

In Oklahoma, it is true that the wind blows. Not always from the north to the south. Sometimes it is even from the south to the north. But when it blows from ALL directions we have problems.

Everyone knows about the tornado that went through Moore OK in May of 1999. We also had the tornado that went through the northern part of Oklahoma about 6 years ago. 

We also had the tornado that came up from Wichita Falls Texas and into our area back in the 60's. Bad stuff.

But when the wind blows from all directions at once it can mean more than tornadoes.

It can mean HAIL!

Like this. Yes that is hail a few years ago. This spring we had hail in OKC that was softball size. I remember one time when Nonie and Andrew were here with me and I thought I should put the car under the carport. The sky turned a little green. Well, It started hailing just as I got it under the cover. I ran back to the house.

And the door had shut.!!!!

Our doors had the regular lock and the dead bolt. You could unlock the dead bolt, turn the handle and go out. As long as the door didn't shut you were alright. Because when you didn't turn the regular lock to open it would still be in lock position and would still be locked when the door shut.

The door was shut!~!!

I banged on the door.  Hail hit my body.

I screamed---Let me in!!! More hail hit my body.

They finally opened the door.

I had bruises for about 3 weeks. Thank God that the hail was only pea size that day.

Sarah is getting a good look at the hail.  She wanted to go out so I told her about the only time I was in hail. I can't imagine what would have happened to me if it had been any larger.

One of the hail stones looked likes this. We went out after it quit. It was much cooler and the hail didn't melt for about an hour.

The big hail this spring in OKC went through windshields, back glasses, and probably killed some dogs and cats that were outside.

Sarah's take on the hail. 

What! ME go outside?   NOT on your Nellie!!!

More Later, Linda

I could talk about---

I could talk about the guy who tried to bomb the pentagon with remote control airplanes filled with explosives.

Or I could talk about the man who opened fire in a movie theater and killed 10 and wounded 50. Some of them children.

Or I could go on and on about the weather and how hot it is.

But I'm gonna talk about FOOD!!!

I made some hummus last night and NO one ate any but me. Now I had never made hummus before and was I in for a surprise.

Did you know that you CAN'T use a potato masher on garbanzo beans and get really smooth paste.
NO way will that work.

So I got the stick blender out. The beans filled up the bottom around the blade and STAYED there.

That didn't work either. Time for the BIG guns!!!

I got out the food processor that's missing the piece that keeps the food from coming out of the spout.

The beans did OK. I thought that they were not as smooth as I would like so I added some more of the fluid from the cans. Actually I used all the fluid from the cans.

Next time I will just pour the beans, fluid and all, into the food processor and be done with it.

For flavor I added some olive oil, because it was still too firm. Then I added some cumin, garlic and salt.

PERFECT!!

On to the harisse........

Remember the missing piece of the food processor?? Remember that??

Well I forgot about it.  I put those dehydrated peppers into the food processor. Turned it on and------

Peppers and water went everywhere. Onto the counter top-----onto the floor---onto the doors. Me and everything else it could find to make a mess on.

And to top it off the peppers were good, but not RIGHT. Know what I mean. The flavor was off.

So----I didn't even put it on the table.

NO WAY JOSE--- Nada--- non --- c'est tout!!

I poured it down the disposer this morning.

The hummus goes into the freezer and will come out next time everyone is here. That will be the 19th of August.

So the moral of the story is this.

Find out what your guest like. Make that and forget about anything else.

Makes for a happier, less stressed you and much happier guests if they have something to eat.

Thank you Kay for bringing that wonderful salsa!!! It is so good.

More later, Linda

Sarah is ----- what can I say

Sarah is so unique. She is NOT like any other Yorkie I have ever been around. Here she is in her bed. Not the bed she usually sleeps in. But her bunny house bed. In the MIDDLE of the day. Look at those eyes!!! She is definitely NOT in a good mood!!!

But now she is because Daddy is gonna rub her tummy. She likes that. She REALLY likes that. She will roll over onto her back half way across the room and expect us to come to her and rub her tummy. Saucy little wench isn't she?

Uh oh daddy quit rubbing her tummy. I guess he got tired of leaning over the chair and trying to find her so he could rub her tummy. She DOESN'T look happy. No sir ee!! NOT happy.

I'm telling you Daddy, I am not happy--that's what she looks like she is saying. Doesn't it?? Of course that's what she is saying!!

I am NOT a happy camper right now. I think I will just go out and eat WORMS!!! No body loves me, everybody hates me so I might just as well eat worms!!!!

Now I am ALL alone. I have no one to rub my tummy. I don't like this. I think I just might have to rethink that eating worms thing. YUCK!!! What was I THINKING????

WORMS????

I'd rather just forget being mad.

She got over her mad. And look what happened. Daddy and her are having a 7am nap.  Isn't that cute??

It really pays off to forgive and forget----especially when the outcome is what you wanted. Just some happy time with the one you love.



More later, Linda