Graduation Celebration!

Hey Yall! Big celebrations in the Jackson Family! We traveled to Raleigh last weekend to celebrate Christopher's graduation from North Carolina State University! We are so proud of him!

Thursday night we all piled into two cars and headed downtown to Woody's which is a sports bar restaurant that according to Chris has the best wings. They have about 8294 big screen tv's on the wall showing different sports. The guys were particularly interested in watching a basketball tournament. Sorry, you can probably tell I am not a sports watcher because I don't even know who was playing. We made plans to go while the game was on, you know, so we wouldn't have to talk and converse..... Imagine our shock when we were told that they did not allow any basketball games to be shown on the tv's! What? Surely this was a joke! They beg, they pleaded, they talked to the owner. No. No basketball game would be shown. So if you are ever in Raleigh and you want wings to eat and you want to watch a basketball game while you eat said wings, do not, I repeat NO NOT GO TO WOODY'S. The wings turned out to be good though.

Julianne's friend and my second daughter Angie, or Angie Pangie as I like to call her, came for a few days to celebrate with us. She is the one in the picture of Jamie and Chris torturing someone!

We really had a good time, well, except for the game thing, which was the reason we went there.

Linley's Graduation

Hey Yall! This weekend we traveled to Cullowhee, North Carolina to celebrate Linley Shea's graduation from Western Carolina University. She received her Masters and will be a Speech Pathologist. (Please correct me Linley if I am wrong!) Cullowhee is a beauiful town which mostly consists of the college. The whole area up there was just beautiful. It was so nice to get to see Linley's parents, grandmother and brother. Linley, we are sooooooo proud of you and can't wait for you to become a "legal" member of our family in July! I said legal because you are already a member of our family in our hearts. We love you and are very proud of you!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day Mom! I love you!

Happy Mother's Day!

Hey Yall! Happy Mother's Day! I hope you all have been pampered and waited on all day! It has been quite here in Frannyland. I did sleep late and it was glorious. Thanks Mr. Frannycakes!

I just wanted to post a picture of my heartstrings along with the furry child and grandchildren. It was hard to get a picture with everyone and the dogs. Chris had his wisdom teeth out two days before this picture was taken and this was the only one that had him smiling. We were taking pictures for out Christmas card and this was one of 2845 we took.

I love yall!

Honey Do Party

Hey Yall! I am so sorry it has taken me this long to post the pictures we took of the Honey Do Party that was given for Christopher and Linley. I know I have told you this before, but I mean it with my heart. I have the best friends a person could ever hope for! This party was given by my friends John and Elaine (who graciously opened their home for it!), Virginia and Henry, Beth and Scott, Barbara and Jim, Katharine and Kenny, and Barbara and Danny. We didn't get alot of really good pictures because the camera flash was reflected on a mirror. But we had a fabulous time and Chris and Linley received a lot of very nice gifts.



Chris and Linley modeling their aprons.



Linley with her parents and grandmother



Chris and Linley with their parentals.



The Hosts and Hostesses



Elaine and Frannycakes

Dancing the Pole.....continued....

Hey Yall! Today I received the following comment which was Anonymous but signed by Julianne's friend Julie.....


Anonymous said...
Mrs Jackson-

Julianne is relieved to hear it's not any pictures of her...

-Julie



So am I Julie, so am I.

Dancing the Pole.....

Hey Yall! Frannycakes MAY or may not be in possession of some very in-ter-est-ing photos from this past weekend. I am sure you all would love to see them, but someone may not want Frannycakes to post them. hmmmmmmmm......I will keep you informed.......

What I Did Today

Hey Yall! Well, here it is because enquiring minds want to know.

1. Woke up on Benson's' couch. Slept there because I was coughing.
2. Wiped the faucet that was running from right nostril.
3. Sneezed.
4. Blew nose.
5. Eventually showered.
6. Coughed.
7. Blew nose.
8. Went out to Groucho's with the Benson's.
9. Asked Mr. Frannycakes to walk into Food Lion and get me some Puffs with lotion.
10. Looked in mirror while in car.
11. Resembled Rudolph.
12. Sneezed.
13. Blew nose.
14. Dozed while Mr. Frannycakes drove home.
15. Sneezed.
16. Blew nose.
17. Spilled dinner on clothes.
18. Changed into grubby sweats.
19. Sneezed.
20. Blew nose.
21. Sent thank you email to Elaine for weekend.
22. Sneezed.
23. Blew nose.
24. Received a reply from Elaine.
25. Sneezed.
26. Blew nose.
27. Read that she highly recommended I go get some Zicam.
28. Sneezed.
29. Blew nose.
30. Grabbed purse.
31. Sneezed.
32. Slid feet in shoes.
33. Sneezed.
34. Blew nose.
35. Drove to Walmart in record time.
36. Coughed.
37. Sneezed.
38. Blew nose.
39. Speed walked into Walmart with grungy sweats.
40. Sneezed.
41. Blew nose.
42. Noticed people moving to make way for me.
43. Sneezed.
44. Blew nose.
45. Panicked.
46. Couldn't find Zicam.
47. Called Elaine.
48. Sneezed.
49. Blew nose.
50. Found Zicam.
51. Picked up x-large bottle of Advil.
52. Sneeze.
53. Blew nose.
54. Picked up x-large bag of Halls Cough Drops.
55. Sneezed.
56. Blew nose.
57. Self checked out.
58. Sneezed.
59. Blew nose.
60. Speeded home.
61. Sneezed.
62. Blew nose.
63. Ripped open box.
64. Medicated self.
65. Medicated Mr. Frannycakes who is sneezing and if he ends up feeling like I feel
right now will be in intensive care....Just saying.
66. Sneezed.
67. Blew nose......etc., etc., etc.,


There you have it.

Welcome to My Morning!

Hey Yall! Happy St. Patricks Day! Today is a special day in Savannah. St. Patricks day is HUGE here. People have been partying downtown since Friday. Frannycakes and Mr. Frannycakes are not the party-all-night-downtown type of couple. It would be especially hard for Mr. Frannycakes since he goes to bed at 9. Hopefully you can see that todays newspaper is printed on green paper! Sorry it had to have that horndog Tiger's picture at the top. Just don't look at him. While I had the camera out, I looked around to see if there was anything else I could show you.......hmmmmmm.......not really anything picture perfect. So, lest you think I keep a picture perfect clean, everything put away house, this should set you straight. We live here, therefore, first thing in the morning, you get what you get. So here goes....






Actually, there is nothing wrong with this picture. Just some orchids that I bought and planted in an outrageously expensive bowl that Elaine made me buy a thousand years ago that I have to use everywhere I move because it was outrageously expensive. I love these orchids. I hope I don't kill them. Think good thoughts for them....






Next is Weezie in her bed. She is not amused. It is not time for her to be awake and doesn't like to have her picture made anyway.






These are Christophers' shoes. Right where he took them off last night. Nice.






This is Weezies' baby. She left it here when she......okay, I won't go into that. Anyway, she left it right there.






Obviously, there was a big party here last night because this lamp has one wonky lamp shade. Was it Weezie and her baby.....






Here is my coffee hot and ready to drink while I check the blogs...





Computer is waiting for me to sit down and get serious. You know, by checking the blogs.






Isn't this a pretty bush? It is beside our patio.






Note to self.....need to plant pansies.....






Do you see the egret on the other side of the...er....intracoastal waterway?






These geese love to hang around our lot during the morning. I love to see them dive for fish.






Surprise! BoBo, aka Christopher, came home last Saturday and left this afternoon. It was so nice to see him and get to visit. It has been a long time since Christmas.

Talk to you later!

Johnny Mercer and the Parentals

Hey Yall! Johnny Mercer and the Parentals....you heard me right, but it's not the name of a new band. This was taken last weekend when the parentals were here in Savannah to visit. We had gone downtown to eat at Vinny Van GoGo's and the new Johnny Mercer statue is in the city market area.

Happy Birthday Gran Gran!

Hey Yall! Today is Gran Gran's Birthday! Hope you have a great birthday!

Birthday Fun!

Hey Yall! Since I am another year wiser, hehehehehehe, I decided that I should update on what else happened on the celebration of the blessed day of my birth. I also decided yesterday during my reflection of things important in my life that I should update my blog more often since it gives some people so much joy. Cough, Cough. During that reflection I also decided that I should get a pedicure more often and neti-pop my sinuses regularly along with many other things that I won't bore you with. Well, not today.

When I said in my "51 Things about Me" that I have the most wonderful Family and Friends, I meant it! Thank You, Thank You, Thank You to everyone that wished me a Happy Birthday by a phone call, card, email, or facebook. I was truly moved that you all thought about me. It was a great day!

Now let me tell you how I was feeling yesterday. Ugh. Awful. My sinuses were full and threatening to burst. As Rosanna Rosannadana said, "I thought I waz gonna die." After talking to my sinus expert friends, I decided it was time to pull out the old Neti-pot and do the Neti. Unfortunately, after searching every cabinet, closet and drawer, I was unable to find it. You see, no good deed goes unpunished around here. I cleaned out my cabinets in the kitchen and rearranged it all so I didn't look like a pack rack or even worse, one of the hoarders on tv. I decided that no one wanted to see my Neti-pot in the cabinet when they opened it, so I put in a special place so I could get it without exposing it to the world. Well ding dang, wouldn't you know, I can't remember where that place it. I looked everywhere all the while my head was about to split. So on to plan B. I had a bottle of saline nasal spray. So I hang my head over the sink and proceed to empty the bottle spraying massive amounts of saline solution deep into my nasal cavities. After about 15 minutes, it happened. Oh my mercy.....the pain and burning. THE BURNING! I lay on the couch, I walked around the house, and my right eye watered. What was up with that? Only one eye watered! Finally, it eased off after about 30 minutes. Note to self......go get another Neti-pot TODAY! And use it daily. So the next time you come to visit me and you see this cute little white tea pot looking thing on my counter, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT, decide to make tea with it. You have been warned because it will now be displayed and ready for duty.

Mr. Frannycakes called me yesterday morning and told me that he would be taking care of dinner. And he did! There is a store that sells casseroles and cakes and stuff that you can get frozen or hot and ready to eat. He brought home a wonderful seafood casserole and things to go with it. Yum Yum Yum. You did good Meester! Jeb and Brandi joined us. They brought me something that came in this bag:




It was a delicious ice cream cake!




Confused over the "49" on the cake? Let me explain.....I didn't particularly like being 50 last year. I don't feel 50. I am sorry. I don't feel grown up and 50 is just a grown up number. So I have decided to start counting backwards. So this year I am 49. Don't judge me! And I can't tell you how happy it makes me to say I am 49 and I don't care what anybody says, I am 49 now and look forward to being 48 next year. Try it, you might like it.

Here is a picture of Jebbie and Brandi from last night.




Mr. Frannycakes brought me some beautiful flowers for my birthday.....





When Mom and Dad came Saturday to celebrate the blessed year of my birth, they brought me the most precious, beautiful cake. It was like a babycake and it had a flower that covered the entire top of the cake. Mom knows I like lots of icing and a little bit of cake to go with it and this cake was perfect! I had wanted to take a picture of it before we cut it but I was needing a sugar rush and we all had a piece before I realized I hadn't taken a picture. So here is the front half of the cake. Just pretend it still has the back.....




And here's the back.....




So I guess you can tell I had pretty much a perfect birthday! Thank you again for all the Birthday wishes and believe me when I say that I know I am blessed with such loving family and friends. I love you!

Happy Birthday to ME!!!!!

Hey Yall! Happy Birthday to Me! In honor of this glorious day, I have listed 51 things about ME. Now why you would be even remotely interested in reading this boring list about me I don't know. You might find out something you didn't know, or want to know! I saw this on another bloggers blog who is also celebrating her birthday today. Believe me, her list was shorter and much more interesting.


51 Things about ME!

1. My birthday is March 8. (This is going to be easier than I thought!)

2. I love bunnies.

3. There are 2,729,381 bunnies, figurines and dust, in my house.

4. I have lived in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee,
North Carolina and Maine.

5. I miss living in Maine.

6. I have the most wonderful family who loves me. Most of the time!

7. Mr. Frannycakes is the best husband I could have ever hoped for.

8. Sugar is not my friend even if I love it more than my luggage.

9. Steel Magnolias is one of my favorite movies.

10. I have been to the town where Steel Magnolias was filmed.

11. “Good. Real good.” is a saying that is spoken a lot in my family.

12. I am afraid of heights and Mt. Washington is responsible.

13. I love “Reba”. I hate that it was cancelled. Hate it!

14. My son Jamie, 28, has a business degree and is back in school to be a nurse.

15. My son Chris, 25, who will graduate in May in Mechanical Engineering.

16. My daughter Julianne, 22, is a Chemical Engineer major.

17. I have a daughter-in-law named Lesley who is going to be a Dr. Lesley.

18. I have a list of prescriptions I want filled when she can legally write them.

19. I have a daughter-in-law to be, Linley, who will be a speech therapist.

20. Linley will hopefully teach me how to speak without my thick southern drawl.

21. I doubt Linley will be successful in that removal.

22. I loved college and all my friends I made there. I can’t wait to catch up
soon.

23. I have been to Italy and loved it and want to go again.

24. I have been on a cruise to the Bahamas with my family and loved it.

25. I love to go to Happy Hour at Sonic.

26. I love to go to look for treasures at thrift stores. Love it.

27. I have a Honda Accord and love it.

28. I use love it too many times……

29. My favorite word to use is “Dang”.

30. I need to lose weight.

31. I hate going on a diet.

32. I don’t have a gall bladder, appendix or uterus.

33. I have a road map of scars on my stomach.

34. My children make me laugh!

35. I hate to exercise.

36. My hair is curly. I have tried to make peace with it. Tried.

37. I need my glasses to see. Dang.

38. I have a dog named Weezie who snores like a man.

39. I love blogging.

40. I love margaritas but rarely have them.

41. I love sweet cream ice cream with strawberries at Cold Stone Creamery.

42. Diet Dr. Pepper is my drink of choice.

43. I have broken one foot twice and the other once.

44. I broke both feet at one time. Talented!

45. I love shopping.

46. I love vacationing at Pawleys Island.

47. I am blessed with the best friends in the whole world.

48. I love to sew, mostly for the house.

49. I love my furry grandbabies, Grace Darling and Maeby Shea.

50. I can’t remember numbers.

51. I once worked as a PE teacher…..hahahahahahahaha. I swear!

Jimmy Buffet

Hey Yall! Isn't that the greatest picture? I love it! Saturday, Frannycakes and Mr. Frannycakes went down to Jacksonville with the parentals to see my brudder and his adorable family. Good company! We converged on Tommy and Doris' house and had a shrimp boil for dinner and it was delish! Did I mention beer and margaritas? Delish! After the great dinner, we headed downtown to see Jimmy Buffett!!!!!! Everyone was having a great time in the parking lot tailgating. Some were having way too much fun. We had great seats and were able to sit down and see the concert. My standing up and dancing for hours days are so long gone. Come to think about it, I am not sure I ever had those days. Anyway, Jimmy (we are now on a first name basis) put on a fabulous concert and we are now close personal friends. Thanks Parentals!!!!! We had a great time!!!!!!
'

Happy Valentines Day!

Hey Yall! I hope you are all having a wonderful Valentines Day! My Valentine and I had breakfast at Cracker Barrel which always starts the day good. Mr. Frannycakes has been working a 16+ hours night shift for the past two weeks during the yearly shutdown. He actually "volunteered" to work this shift. I guess he thought he was still in his 20's or even 30's. He has actually faired pretty well, you know, for his age.....hehehehehehehe......but I hope he doesn't "volunteer" again. But back to the story...His last night working was supposed to be last night, but he broke it to me at breakfast that he would have to work one more night. I am almost used to it now. So no big deal.

He went to bed shortly after we got home and I sat down to read the paper. I did a few more things and then my eyes started to get heavy. So I decided that I would just take me a quick little nap. Unfortunately, I couldn't get warm, so I went and got a heated throw and plugged it in and proceed to go straight to la la land. For a total of 4 whole hours. It was glorious.

I saw something Saturday in Savannah I have never seen before. At the corner of intersections, people were selling Valentine gift baskets. You know the kind, baskets filled with gifts and wrapped in cellophane and tied with a pretty bow. Obviously, I have seen gift baskets before. But one of the things in it was what I have never seen before. Of course you know that a dozen roses is a pretty standard thing to give to your loved one for Valentines. Right? And what happens after a few days (if you are unlucky) or a week (if you ARE lucky, real lucky)? They are gone, dead as a door nail. I love that saying. So instead of having to go out and buy these beautiful roses that may not make it till tomorrow, why not give something, that looks the same, but can be enjoyed for years to come? That's right! A framed picture of a dozen red roses! Now these framed pictures weren't small. They stood high in the baskets, so high that I could actually see it clearly from the far lane looking to the corner where they were selling them. And the scary part is, most of them were gone by the time I went back home. Somebody is enjoying their beautiful roses in a picture. They might actually be on to something there. But not at Frannycakes house. Never. You got that Mester?

I guess I better go....still kind of sleepy.....

Georgia Snow

Hey Yall! When we moved back down south, I figured I had seen the last of that thing we called snow. Hmmmmm. I guess not. It has been snowing for a couple of hours and will probably continue for another couple. Our yard looks funny covered in white. But after living in Maine, this only qualifies as wimpy. Sorry. Even Weezie wasn't impressed.

Talk to you later!