Picture This

Grandma J lives with a boat load of family.   When she says family, you know she means JJ, Phillip Johnny Bob, Crusty and Henrietta.   Unlike your household, not all things are fair and equal at Grandma J's place at the ghetto Spa.

The love is there for all creatures big, small, wet, chewed, bossy and demanding.  Grandma J tries to give equal time and space to all.......

A picture is displayed front and center, with no  preferences to any one in particular....stop barking JJ!

Grandma J does admit that some members of the household chew on take advantage of others.  

JJ being the Alpha of the group, claims to be an advocate of equality and wasn't happy when I wouldn't adopt the stray cat that he played with.

He invited the cat in the house to play when Grandma J wasn't looking....

but it was cut short when Henrietta started clucking like a hen banshee.

Really, JJ has plenty of playmates at daycare, and of course he loves chewing on playing with Crusty.   To show his love he showed Grandma J he framed his very own family photos.

Can you feel the love?

Vancouver Olympics
the out takes

Due to the lack of  qualifying credentials funds and credibility with The Canadian Broadcasting Czar, a few up and coming stars on the US Olympic team didn't get any TV coverage.

Because she's a patriot and a stage mother sports enthusiast, Grandma J wants to share with you a few photos of one of the athletes in action.

It's our own Phillip Johnny Bob......who took it upon himself to carry the torch across the international border.  For the record, this wasn't the official torch....but let's not get all caught up in details.

Like most Olympians, PJB was all geared up for his big event, the taco eating contest,  highly dangerous luge.

With the  form of a true athlete, and the muscle tone of  a fried twinky the fittest of the fittest,  Phil barreled down the mountain in no time flat.

Unfortunately, Phillip Johnny Bob and his teammate Crusty were disqualified during the doubles.   Crusty didn't think he had to wear any protective safety gear....due to the fact that he WAS MADE out of ironclad protective gear.

After all was said and done, is anyone surprised that PJB walked away with an Olympic Gold Metal despite all his challenges?   I didn't think so!

STAY TUNED.........
.....for yet another episode of

Check your local listings for times in your viewing zone area. That would be 350 fehrenheit, or approximately in a while. 

This delay is brought to you by the people who torture Grandma J with physical therapy.

Amen, Dear Brother

On Sunday, Grandma J decided to bring Phillip Johnny Bob to the earliest Mass ever church at 7 A.M. because they serve breakfast burritos afterwards, and they beat the heck out of the donuts after the 9 A.M. Mass. Being a nice guy who wants to bond with Crab in the worst way.....PJB asked if Crab could come with us. Grandma J, who loves to volley between referring to herself in the first and third person the idea of inclusiveness, said sure, why not?

So it was off to church without incident.





Afterwards the Phil and Crab seemed to be getting along, and I could see that eating burritos attending church together was a good idea.






Until Crab went for PJB's throat!





Crab was made to ride shotgun where grandma J could keep an eye on him. But all this brings up other issues that could be contributing to Crab's behavioral problems because I don't think most crabs live in Texas attack bears.

There are some ideas coming down the pike, or since we don't live near a pike, the cow trail. By ideas, Grandma J means a contest...a contest with a super gift.

Check back tomorrow for the details, and how you can be the big winner of the best contest ever. By ever, Grandma J means the best contest ever sponsored by her..

It's Time For A - Z MONDAY

This week's letter is W, and boy does Grandma J hate it when she has to think too hard on Monday morning because it seems like we just did the letter W the other day she slept right through the whole morning.

My W word is WAGON.....

Didn't everyone have a red wagon growing up? If not, it's because your older brother got one, and never shared.

Our family bought a brand spanking new 1955 Ford Stationwagon to forge ahead to Southern CA, where Grandma J's father had no job, relatives or friends. All he had was a wife, four kids, and a burning desire to never spend another winter in New England. Oh and yes, we had the two door model because it made it so much easier to kick Rita's pressure cooker to the pavement as you climbed out of the back seat.

Of course farmers had Wagons like this powered by real horses!

This is how New Englanders traveled out west before Ford came up with the stationWagon.

Here is the promo ad that ran on all the network channels for the deluxe covered Wagon, fit for a family of six, traveling across country.

Can you say "cute"? Grandma J can just imagine Jen having a Wagon like this, because birds love her and they do all kinds of stuff to make her blog special.....very special.

And you knew Grandma J wouldn't let Phillip Johnny Bob go without a Wagon!

Be sure and visit A to Z Mondays, and read all the other W posts. Hey, and it's not too late to join in.

Things that make me say....
"Thank you"

Mostly simple things....nothing big, but yet to Grandma J, miraculous just the same......



Like a strawberry Fruitista from Taco Bell when it's 102 degrees at eight o'clock in the evening. I sip things like this slowly.....savoring the luxury of this refreshment.




(click picture to enlarge)
Some rain to quench the weeds the parched earth.....but be careful what you ask for. Praying for lots of rain can be taken much too literally. Just saying.







Of course, any body of water, big or small, brings out the neighbor kids.






And of course Phillip Johnny Bob is a follower, not a leader! Just giving the neighbors one more thing to talk about.

(Almost) SILENT SUNDAY

Texas is under a severe drought.....and no one is allowed to water their lawns. People are encouraged to narc on their neighbors.



Despite the drought, Grandma J found this blossom outside her back door this Sunday morning.






It's attached to this weed.....





In the back courtyard that's supposed to have a lush green lawn. So someone who might have some extra rain clouds, please send them to Texas before Grandma J's grandsons arrive from Colorado! Being cooped up with two active boys + A-Ron for a week could have serious consequences.

On a lighter note.....Phillip Johnny Bob talked Grandma J into buy him some new clothes....something from Dollar Tree fashionable.




Some surfer threads. He wanted me to make sure and show his good friend, Little T that he doesn't always wear dorky clothes with his shirt tucked in.

RAUNCHY IS LOOKING GOOD

Because Grandma J went to see The Ugly Truth today....due to the overwhelming consensus of her fellow bloggers.

Phillip Johnny Bob was ecstatic going off to the movies with Grandma J. They hummed and swayed to show tunes on the radio as they made their way across town.....only to find out PJB wasn't allowed in the theatre because he was commando he was too young.

It was too warm to leave him in the car, so Grandma J took him back home to the spa. Of course she had to wait for the next show at 1:50....and had to pay the extra 50 cents.

Now, let's talk about the movie....The Ugly Truth, shall we?

Abby Richter (Katherine Heigl) produces a morning news/talk show, and is livid when her boss, who, wanting to boost sagging ratings, hires Mike Chadway (Gerard Butler), a raunchy (I'm loving that word more and more) late night TV personality who exposes the ugly truth about what men like about women.




Abby is single and somewhat controlling. She can't seem to find "Mr. Right" and is not a fan of the advice Mike gives to his audience.

While Abby is appalled at the funny as heck blunt sometimes vulgarity of Mike's advice...her morning show's ratings soar, leaving her alone in her unapproval of the change in programming.

Mike torments Abby's inability to land a boyfriend, and she eventually takes him up on a bet to let him help her find her prince charming.

Even though the outcome is no big surprise, and predictable like most comedy/chick flicks, Grandma J still loved it for it's edgy, teasing, and steamy scenes.

I give The Ugly Truth five out of five bottles of wine....because that's what the blogfest attendees would want.






And look who was waiting for Grandma J when she returned home. Could he look more pitiful if he tried?


*note to Sue from the other side of Temple, across the bridge near the swim park......thank you for commenting. I take my grandson to a pitching/batting coach out on a piece of farmland off Jupiter Rd on your side of the bridge.

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN!

Grandma J missed going to a matinee last week because she was on a blogging adventure in Mathews, Virginia. I'm sure you wish I'd shut the heck up tell you more about Blogfest, but it's time for Grandma J to settle down, and take care of business.

Once again Grandma J needs your help, because it's important that she sees a movie that you might want to see. Of course if you like violence, sci-fi, shoot-um ups, or blood sucking scary stuff, you are in the wrong place. Grandma J loves comedies, non-fiction, animals that don't die in the end, Pixar stuff, and raunchy sex if it's in a comedy forum without hummus.

Here are your two choices. I will go with the majority so don't be shy. Let me know before 10:30 CT tomorrow morning because Grandma J goes to the first showing to save fifty cents. That makes every eleventh movie free.

The Ugly truth is rated R, and it's funny and a bit raunchy.....


G-Force is action packed, which isn't usually Grandma J's forte, but it stars guinea pigs, so all bets are off!!

Keep in mind that Grandma J is bringing Phillip Johnny Bob to the movies. He is going through withdrawals because he hasn't seen a movie in weeks! Oh, and PJB wants you to know he likes "raunchy".

BLOGFEST 2009




The welcome signs were in code.....blogger code, to keep the riff raff out.





What can I say? Yes, my bags were searched. Someone probably told Homeland Security that Grandma J was going to have "fun", and those feds always get suspicious whenever Grandma J decides to have fun.


Now, about Blogfest! Can anyone believe that Grandma J is capable of being tongue tied?




OOPS! Excuse me, Gustaf, we know you aren't tongue tied! Grandma J loves the way you blow her some kisses...yes, she does.



The experience was out of this world with the most breathtaking backdrop, and the most beautiful, talented, drunk funny, group of lushes bloggers on the continent.


Our wonderful hostesses, Chesapeake Bay Woman and Big Hair Envy left no stone unturned. Big Hair Envy went out of her way to provide Grandma J with ground transportation to and from the airport, and even swung by her home to introduce me to Cool Breeze, Snow White and Dodger......






Hi Dodger, I know you don't give kisses right away, but I love you and thank you for the hand shake. Kisses next time maybe?






Here's Chesapeake Bay Woman, who opened up her home to me....giving me the master bedroom! Honestly, I didn't deserve that, but boy let me tell you, I slept like a log. Seriously, the generosity around Camp CBW is out of this world.

All of the bloggers who attended are incredible photographers, and they have posted the most breathtaking sunsets, water scenes, and people photos on their sites. Please check them out.

I on the other hand will post a few that might give you a slightly different perspective, because the majority of photos I took of people were....








From the back.....





Or hanging out with Phil sporting a tux and his new sun glasses, like Noe Noe Girl. He loves his new shades....thank you Noe Noe Girl!





Except for this favorite of mine....CBW's mother with Phillip Johnny Bob, clapping along to a bit of entertainment.




And yes, Grandma J loved all the water stuff....lots of water stuff.

Please check out Chesapeake Bay Woman's site for a list of links to the other Blogfest attendees. They have some great posts and pictures.