TGIF...

I am TGIF today because I have a 4 hour work day and that's savin' me on this weekday after thinkin' I can hang with with the cool kids and stay out till 2 AM on a school night... This old lady can NOT hang like last night unless I want to be HUNG the next day...

Riddle me this Batman...????

I don't remember hangovers when I was young... Are hangovers like child birth????????? You conveniently forget the pain so you can do it all over again like a blithering idiot... (Is that a word? Must be since spell check didn't kick it back)


In the words of a dear friend...

HURT LOCKER!!!

So here is how it all started...

And today I needed some of THIS!!
BBD II (Brookside By Day 2)

Signed,

Conveniently Forgetful

My Thursday Thoughtful Spot...

On this wonderful Thursday I am thoughtful about my friends...

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same"

I love this saying... My thoughts are this... Friends are like clothes, they define you, they leave a first impression, they can make you look good or make you look stupid...  they come into your life new and sometimes you give them away but rest assured that they will go into someone else's life and someone else will find great use from them... Sometimes we grow out of friends and other times we fit back into old ones... Some friends are the ones that we only take out every so often, and true friends are the kind that stand the test of time and are like that expensive black blazer that never goes out of style, fits no matter what size you are and you keep forever.

I have friends that I have had since I was a child and even though my life is different and not connected to them its like time has not passed when we see one another.

I also have friends that I have had the majority of my adult life and we have grown together

I have friends that are family

Friendships that have started because of work...

I have friends that have come into my life due to marriage

I have friends that are new

I have friends that have left my life and will forever be missed

Some are there because of my children and have grown into friends outside of the kids

 

No matter the style, color, texture cost or age of my friends I am blessed to call them friends. I can only hope and pray that I have been a great friend and that one day I will enrich their lives like they have mine...

Signed,

Friend

What Im lovin' Wednesdays...

Today Im lovin'

Okie Chicks-Thelma and Louise

 road trip Blog soon will follow...

Signed,

Thelma



TGIGoodF...

Well Hello Peeps...

I am thankful that its Friday and its Good Friday!!! I am ready for a GOOD FRIDAY!!! 

I am mobile because I am in Louisanna right now so I will keep this short and sweet... 


I will get through today and honor the life of my dear friend as we lay his bady to rest... I am at peace because I know he is smiling down on us and wanting us to smile and remember the good times...

R. I. P. Mr Timothy Stanley


Signed,

Friend

 

My Thursday Thoughtful Spot...

I am and have been thinking about my sweet sweet husband all week...

~Stephen Charles Wilkins~

During this crazy week with all the drama going on and mourning over the loss of one of my Best Friends I have had full 100% support from my sweet sweet husband...

He put a card on the seat of my car... It said all the right things that he cant think of on his own as far as emotions and sympathy at this time of loss for me... hes a typical dude... very very unemotional... But... the best part of the card was what was hand written by him! He said (hes going to kill me for blogging this)

Dearest Ronnie,
I am with you always. Time will heal your pain. Trust that I will be anywhere for you, keeping our lives as normal as possible.
Love,
Steve

So... in "Steveism"... that means that while I run around in circles being the crazy busy strong one planning and helping and making myself feel useful so I dont have to stop and think about the sad stuff... (breath)... he will take the kids to practise and fix dinner and make sure the house doesn't burn down... It also means that he will be there when I need a hug but he wont smother me... Ahhhhh...

Thank you dear...

Everyday this week he has sent me a text in the morning or a email at work or a message on FB telling me "Good Morning" or "TAU" or " Hi Beautiful"... He has made a point in his own sweet little way to remind me of Tim and yet also tell me he's thinking about me and loves me....

I am so blessed to have a husband who isn't jealous or controlling... who lets me be who I need to be... and even though he doesn't always read my mind and get me... he tries! And THAT is one of the little things in life that do not cost a thing and yet they are priceless...

My Thoughtful Spot on this sad Thursday as I travel to Lafayette for my dear friends funeral services is this...

I am blessed to have Wilkie in my life and I want you to know how much I am thankful Dear Wilkie...

Thank You!

Signed,

Mrs Wilkie

Wee Bit About Me Wednesdays...

  {one} have you ever fainted?yes, as a child I use to pass out when I was even slightly hit in the head. 



{two} what is your favorite casino game?Craps... lemme tell ya people I can roll me some craps! Once rolled a 7 on a come out roll 7 times in a row in Las Vegas... The cameras were for sure watchin'!! 



{three} do you have a good sense of direction?I can find my way out of the desert at high noon... ask my husband and any friends Ive ever traveled with... this girl knows where to go! 



{four} laptop or desktop?Prefer a desktop to write on but I love having the convenience of a laptop... I like to be mobile... :-) 



{five} what is your go-to hair style when having a bad hair day?I will blow dry the bangs to the side and then put the rest in a knot on the right side of my neck... loose and messy knot! Sometimes even a hat over that Hot Mess...  



{six} do you read the newspaper on a daily basis?Heck no... I watch the news a couple times a day, but never ever read the paper...  



{seven} do you have a favorite celebrity chef?Oh Baby, I have personally met Curtis Stone with the Lil Cousin... the man is tall, rock hard and has that crazy hot Aussie accent! Mmmmmpphh 



{eight} what tv show would you like to make a guest appearance on?Young & The Restless! I have watched that stupid show my WHOLE LIFE... seriously my whole life! But I really really want to be actually on The Amazing Race! I would be good at that show! Im tellin' you...Good people... I would WIN!!!  



{nine} do you have satellite radio in your car?Nope, that is what Pandora on my I-Phone is for and a AUX cord! 



{ten} what was the last movie that made you cry?I really don't cry at movies... and the last movie I saw that was somewhat sad I saw with Wenie and it was Country Strong and we both got a little teary eyed... My Sisters Keeper was a bawl fest too...

Have a Fabulous Day Peeps!!

Signed,

Thoughtful



Monday Morning Coffee...

This morning I am sad... I lost one of my very best friends Friday afternoon... I want to talk about him this morning and tell you about what a wonderful person he is...




Mr Tim Stanley came into my world originally as a customer of the Clubhouse Grill where I managed. We immediately became good friends and we jokingly say that the infamous plane trip to a Texas Rangers Baseball game was when it all really started. He took some customers and business people to a game and asked if I would like to go... Hummm private airplane leaves Jenks lands in Arlington where we are escorted to at private suite to watch a MLB game in style and I am home safe and sound by 11 o'clock that night... Ahhhh... lemme think about it... YEAHHH! A Texas Rangers T-Shirt & Hat... A fabulous experience courtesy of My Stanley and 6 hours later I was home safe and sound! I had been blessed by the laughter and larger than life man I would come to call My Friend...

He was the kind of person that made everyone around him feel special. He was a big flirt and joked with every single waiter or waitress he ever met... he had the best Louisianan accent Ive ever heard... His silly antics made me laugh out loud... he knew how to put a smile on my face even when I thought the sky was falling... Tim was loving, giving and honest. He told me stories of his life and would glow when he talked about his kids and grandkids... Ive never seen a more proud parent and grandparent...

Tim was funny about pictures! He would always take pictures of me and of my kids and if he took them with my phone he would say "send that to me!"... he probably has 100 pictures of us on his phone and he would always tell me that he needed pictures so that when I was too busy with my life to hang out with someone ugly like him, he could at the very least look at a picture of me and TAU... He sent me a text every morning saying good morning and have a great day and I miss you and TAU ( Thinking About U)... I will miss the constant touch from him, weather in person or just in a sweet text he never forgot...

Tim had the best advise on life! When I was struggling with things he always made me look for the good in the situation and he would give advise that made me think outside of my box... He told me stories of his life with his wife and marriage that have helped me so many times in my marriage. He use to tell me

"It will always be about the little things Ronnie... things that cost money will never matter... Its the little things that don't cost a penny that will hold your relationship together... never forget to kiss in the morning before you leave, always say I Love You, leave little notes for one another and tell each other everyday how much Steve means to you... remind him that You think he is a Great Dad... its the little things in life that really matter"

I will miss his advise in my life soooo much

When I traveled he would always make a point to tell me "Please by careful you are carrying precious cargo" The first time he told me that I asked What?? And he said "YOU! You are precious to me and please be careful..."

He would say things that made me laugh out loud "Are you tired? you look exhausted!!" then he would say "You should be exhausted because you've been running through my head all day!"

He use to tell Wenie "You are my future Step Daughter but just don't tell your Mom... she doesn't know yet" He took us to dinner a few weeks ago and when the server came to the table to ask if we wanted any dessert I politely said No, and he looked at Jen and said "Girl you better order dessert, and I'm going to get some coffee. Do you want to know how I like me coffee?" Wenie said Yes... I knew what he was about to say and I just sat back and waited... This was going to make my teenager blush... He looked at the waitress and said... " I like my coffee like I like my women, Hot, Sweet and Slightly Tan Please" LOL... Wenie turned bright red... He always said things for the reaction... and a reaction he always got!

Tim Stanley was bigger than life... his absence on this earth can not ever be replaced and will forever be missed... There is nothing that can ever fill the hole left in my heart from him being gone... he took a piece of my heart with him to the clouds... I am sad... I can not imagine my days without him and with out his uplifting smile and constant love...

As he always said to me...

"Good Morning... I'm TAU... I Miss You...I Love you..."

Signed,
Blessed to be called Friend by My Friend Mr Timothy Stanley

TGIF...

Its Friday Peeps... Thank God!

Its another Edition of Weekend at the Wilkie House!!!

Sister time with Banana and TayTay...

Girlfriend time at the Bedlam Baseball game with CoryJo and The Dutchess tonight...

Baseball game with Wilkie and the Lil Man tomorrow...

Softball practice for Wenie...

and last but for sure not least Church on Sunday!!

Signed,

A Blessed Girl... 

My Thursday Thoughtful Spot...

My thoughts on this sunny Thursday morning concern relationships... Not necessarily boy & girl love relationships but all kinds of relationships... Husband & wife, ex husband & ex wife, parent & child, friends, coworkers, boss & employee.


So here is my thoughts... maintaining a good relationships is two things... its a choice and a two way street... my other thought is that relationships are of value and if you have value in the relationship or no value in the relationship THAT will determine what the choice is. Let me explain...for example, if you have a child with a person, then there is value to the relationship with your child's other parent...  if you have love for a person then you have a reason to have a relationship with them... if you value a friendship and it adds something to your life then there is a reason to maintain it... if you like your job or vise versa you like the work your employee does then there is value in the work relationship...


When a relationship goes astray or is tested or just completely falls apart it is a choice based on the value of the relationship on weather or not to maintain it or end it...


When my Ex husband and I went through a divorce, it was ugly and there was a ton of hurt and pain... but after time had passed, and yes time does heals pain, it became a choice to maintain that relationship or not... I once told him this:

"If at one point and time I cared about you enough to date you, sleep with you and eventually marry and have a child with you then no matter what happens I can choose to go back and find that happy place and be friends with you, at the very least I can be your friend"

and he eventually agreed... We are great friends now because we have Jenifer ( she is the value ) and because of her we made a choice to have a good relationship. Period!


So as you go through life living and loving remember this... relationships are a choice and if at some point and time you liked the person you had or have a relationship with then no matter what happens you can choose to have a positive relationship with that person again IF there is some sort of value still in it. So find your reason or figure out the value of the relationship and move forward... choose to be positive and if the person at the other end of the relationship will meet you half way then it is possible...


Signed,
NOT a relationship expert.. but hopefully a valued friend,
wife, mother & employee...

What Im lovin' Wednesday...

I am lovin' WINE on this fabulous Wednesday!!! I have a crazy crazy busy work day and the perfect end to a busy day is a wonderful glass of vino...


I have been a wine lover since I remember tasting it for the first time when I was in Europe with my Grandmother... She could order a dry white wine in many different languages... French - vin blanc sec  German - trockener Weißwein  Italian - vino bianco secco and she could always find it on a menu, no matter the country we were in...


I tend to order a good dry white that sits somewhere in between a heavy buttery oaked wine and a sharp fruity dry. In the last few years a unoaked chardonnay has become very popular and it tends to produce the perfect chardonnay for me!


Here are a few of my favorites!

The perfect house wine is Chateau Ste. Michelle It is a Washington’s Columbia Valley wine it has bright sweet citrus fruit character with subtle spice and oak

A great wine for a party gift is a conversation starter by the name alone. It is Folie A Deux Menage A
Trois, the Red and the White!!

I really enjoy Mirassou Pinot Noir it is extremely inexpensive but I am Not scared to like a less expensive wine... It is simply one of the best Pinot Noir's I have had. The taste is wonderful and the price is unbelievable. Mirassou is a classy Pinot.

Last but definitely not least is my FAV... a good Chardonnay-nay!!! This girl loves her some Nay Nay...

This AMAZING NayNay combines ripe, intense peach, nectarine and tangerine fruit, with touches of floral and spice. Gains body and depth, turning creamy in texture. Ahhhhh... might be perfection in a bottle....

Signed,

Uneducated wine lover with very opinionated taste buds!

Top Two Tuesdays...

Top 2 Drinks (alcoholic or non)

1. An Arnold Palmer is a beverage consisting of half iced tea and half lemonade named for golfer Arnold Palmer.   It is often called a half and half... Its AMAZING with green tea as well... It is my fav in the summer, a Starbucks Shaken Green Tea with Lemonade, no sweetner... Please and Thank You!!! ;-)

 

Hellooooooo, Joel!

 Please please uncork your Chardoney-ney...  

Mmmmmmppphh

I have fallen in Love!!!

The simple class of the label makes it a perfect bottle to present for simply elegant host...Its a simply delicious spirit that makes it a lovely pour for everything from a dinner where atmosphere and the wine selection is everything to a casual evening cooking and chatting with friends in the kitchen... or maybe sitting around the outdoor fireplace. Not too expensive... Worth every damn penny.

Signed,

Thirsty!

Monday Morning Coffee…

( this is a Monday Morning Post from a week ago Monday... I forgot to post... so I've decided it was too good to pass up... )
This weekend was a busy work and fun weekend for me personally! Wenie was gone to a softball tourney in Jefferson City Mo and the rest of us were home.


Friday night I stayed home with the boys and grilled steaks watched them play catch and hit in the yard… I had a few beers and sat by the chiminea with Wilkie… That’s a boy’s night if ever wanted one, but I love my boys and enjoyed the quiet evening…



Saturday morning came early and I had a list of things to do including work. I finished up the catering around noon and met the girls for coffee and then went to Utica with a friend of Dutchess and mine “Auntie Em”… The weather was perfect and Utica was AMAZING! We wondered in and out of a few shops… Restoration Hardware was spectacular and makes me want to redecorate my whole dang house… I took a few pics…


Then Lil Man had a baseball game that afternoon… They kicked butt and took names!

Saturday night was a night out on the town with SaraBear from the office for the big Kenny Chesney concert!!! WoooHooo… put my $hit Kickers on and went out for some good tunes, singing at the top of my lungs and then dancing afterwards with the girls!! We had a blast!

So… Here is where the crazy Monday Morning Coffee story really begins…


Remember that Wenie was gone all weekend? I had a brief look into what my life looks like without her in it!! Wow!!! Wake up to my life with just the boys…


The crazy boys in my life LOVE WWE wrestling… I mean LOVE it! I think it is the dumbest thing I’ve ever ever laid eyes on… you can’t even compare that craziness to a soap opera because it doesn’t even mimic real life…

So apparently the highlight of WWE is this pay per view even called Wrestle Mania… $39.99 to watch this 4 hour long event… and my boys were pumped! They specifically requested Toss Taco’s for dinner… That is a Wilkie growing up favorite… it’s like a bad twist on a taco salad… instead of corn chips there are crushed Fritos, and instead of salsa there is ketchup, oh and NO BEANS… Lil Man has a countdown going on!! He tell me “Mom should you start dinner, Wrestle Mania is in 3 hours and I want my plate in my lap and ready to go when it starts!!” Seriously… this is Big Dog Guy’s night… Lil Man starts fetching beers for Wilkie and they are both walking around the house going “WOOOOOO… and slapping each other and saying “doooffff” when they whack each other’s chest…

6 o’clock comes and dinner is served… I remove myself from the living room and take my dinner and wine to the only safe place in the house… My bedroom… I get out my laptop and start trying to write… The Dutchess calls and while we are girl talking about our weekend evens she asks “what is that noise in the back ground?” … … … “That, I tell her, is the decibels coming from the living room where the boys are having Wrestle Mania!!”

At this point I’m out… I look up movies on the internet and in my PJ’s I walk out the front door and head to the movies alone… I didn’t get home till almost midnight and Wenie is not due back till 4 AM!! So I doze in and out listening to my hubs snore waiting for the front door to open and for my sidekick to come home… Ahhhh… I NEED a girl in the house with me! That crazy boy weekend (except for the Chesney concert) was almost more than I could handle….

OMG… what am I going to do when she leaves for college?????? I’m in a panic…. And I’m running on 2 hours sleep!


Thank God for Coffee!

Signed,
Tired Mom

The Kennedy's Our Friends...

Seriously.!?..?!?..?!

Love me some Kennedys!!

This is just a little synopsis of the wonderful weekend we had in Austin TX!!! LMAO...

It was a wonderful weekend with great friends and exactly what the Dr ordered for the craziness that makes up Me... If you know me, you know exactly what I am talking about...

Deep Breath... Ahhhhh

Signed,
Mentally recharged girl