My Journey as a Potential Big....

Initial Interview Day........
There's only one BBBS in the metro Atlanta area and of course it's in downtown Atlanta. LOL!

I arrived at the BBBS, they provide parking on the side of the building, which was great! They were very professional and asked for my ID, as well as a $30 donation. (they gave me notice about the donation)

The interview was about an hour and it was painless. The majority of the questions were about me, my life, my family and my experiences. She also asked, "if I did a search on FaceBook, is there anything on there that would embarrass you? I said, no.

She asked, what type of little was I looking for, such as age, ethnicity, type of activities and proximity to my home. She informed me that there will be an extensive background check. I'm cool with that.
At the end of the interview, she was not able to say how long it would take to match me with a little.

Now I wait......

Months Later.........

Rec'd a call today (October 10th) that they had found a match.  AWESOME!!!!

Yes, I am a little nervous but, I am looking forward to meeting her and her family.

Match date is set for October 21st.....

I have read all of the materials and I am attending a 2 hour class to further my knowledge.

I will keep you posted.....

Please excuse any typos....we are all human...

My Journey as a Potential Big Sister with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Atlanta

My Journey as a Potential Big Sister with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Atlanta

My journey started in May 2017. A good friend of 20 plus years suggested it to me after a conversation about the state of young children. We both shared stories about a person from our childhood that made a small or large impact on our lives. For me, his name was Skip...never knew his last name.
Funny how things were back then, Skip would drive up and down the street looking for children that wanted to go to the rec center. The rec center was a great way to spend a summer day. We would play softball, basketball, kickball, or tabletop games. Not to brag, but I was the table tennis champ one year. No one could beat me. LOL!
They provided a nice lunch and a ride home at the end of the day. He would ask, "who wanted a ride back tomorrow" and of course we all did. Remember, this was a time when parents would have you clean the house in the morning, give you a good lunch and say, make sure you are home before the streetlights come on.
No cell phones, no watches, not one single word from us or them for hours. We would all materialize on the front porch just as the streetlights started to flicker. Awww, the good ole days!

Other than my mother and my godmother, no females really talked or shared any of their wisdom with me. It has always been men. Maybe because I was a tomboy? I am not sure. I do know that I have always been partial to boys.

Upon contacting the bbbs organization here in Atlanta, I had many questions, one was could I mentor a boy along with my husband. That was a big fat no. They do not connect the mentors as a family unit, only on an individual basis. As a matter of fact, my potential little sister will never spend time with my husband or my children. They explained all of the ins and outs of how the program works.
I am a huge fan of their system...now that I understand.

I am looking forward to the next steps...

A couple of days later I rec'd an email with instructions for an interview with BBBS of Atlanta.

Consider Boarding School

Take a serious look at what boarding school has to offer your child.
We learned about boarding school when our son was a 7th grader. I won't bore you with the details, but you may want to consider it as a way of affording your child a great education.

Some parents start their children on an athletic path early in life, mostly because they want their child to receive a scholarship to a great university. Consider this, the word is "scholar" ship.  Not athletic-ship.  I would bet on my child's learning ability over an athletic one.
Here's how it works...
There is a test, the SSAT, that gives your child access to the top 10 boarding schools. The great news is, if you make less than $50k to 70k a year, your child could potentially attend one of these schools for free. Yes! Free!
Is this easy, no but it is so very possible.  They are seeking diversity as well as talent. This is something that I wish we had known about when our child was younger. Nonetheless, we know now and that is why I want to share this information.

There are thousands of Asian families applying to these schools and they are paying top dollar. Your child could potentially attend them for $0. The good news is, most schools are looking for well-rounded children, not one dimension students. And, most schools are seeking American students.

Check out this testing website:  http://www.ssat.org/

Then check out this website: http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/

The above website gives you the break of each school, including the cost, average scores they accept, amount of scholarship awards. Lastly, when you go to a particular boarding school's website, they will explain everything about the school and the financial aid (free money, that does not have to be paid back). It is not a loan. The money is given to your child directly from the school itself. Most of the graduates from the top ten schools attend top ten universities.

I'm here to help, just hit me up if you have questions.

DIY Tiki Bar

We moved into our new house in November. Well, new to us. LOL! Which gives us a lot of time to prepare for the upcoming spring and summer. After many years of asking hubby (Greg) to build me a pool in our backyard; I finally have one in our new house. 

Therefore, naturally I began to put some DIY, design ideas into action. Most of my family and friends know how thrifty I am. No shame here. 

After discussing it with Greg, I got to work on building our tiki bar for the outside pool area.

The finished Product...

First, I needed pallets.

I started by browsing Craigslist for free stuff. To my surprise; all of the free pallets were gone within a few hours after they were posted.

I bought 7 pallets for the job; it only calls for 3; but, 

I wanted to get more, just in case. ($5 each)

i am not savvy enough to turn this picture upright. LOL!

Sorry about the upside down picture: 

I used the above stain and sealer. ($33)

                                           I stained the front completely and the back partially. Just to ensure that I would not run out of stain.

                                                   

                                            After carefully measuring everything, Greg and I decided that the Tiki Bar should be 8 ft. long.  Greg and Michael screwed the pallets together.

     We placed the base on rollers, so we could make sure the base does not sit on the ground.

     Hopefully, that will work to keep the base from getting wet. (rollers $4)

                                                 
                                          We purchased an 8x4 piece of plywood for the bar top. ($12)

                                         Michael and Greg cut and screwed the bar top to the base.

  After the bar top was screwed on.

 I practiced with something smaller, prior to taking on the Tiki Bar.

I practiced with something smaller, prior to taking on the Tiki Bar.

                                 

                                Bought a $7 queen size flat sheet (orange) to use as my base to cover the wood.  Used the decoupage to glue the sheet to the wooden bar top.
($6) Walmart of course! I purchased 2/32 oz.

                                      

                                        Used mod podge to glue and cover the plywood with orange material

                                                                      After top is covered

                                           

   Decorated with crushed seashells (Don't do what I did.)
Wait until you pour your resin on to add the shells. Or, glue all of the shells to the cloth.
 My glue dried before they adhered.

                                                                                                                                        

Added a couple of marine life portraits. The white stuff you see around the crushed shells is wet mod podge. It dries clear.

         Added a couple of maps indicating places that Greg and I have lived. 

     I made sure to cover the material and the pictures 

with 3 coats of Mod Podge.

The above Enviro Tex Lite Pour on is awesome! Very costly. This was by far the most expensive part of the Tiki Bar. ($32) I had a Michael's coupon for half off.  I paid $16 and we needed 7 of these.

Be sure your project is leveled when using any pour on epoxy resins. It will save you a lot of money. The resin spreads over your project and if your item is not leveled the resin will run off the sides.

 Finished product! Whew! If you plan on doing a large area like I did;

 I would encourage you to get a blow torch. Because I had to physically blow out all of the bubbles.

 The brackets will hold the bamboo roof of the Tiki Bar. My husband decided to make it so the roof of the Tiki Bar is removable. That was a great idea because, I was able to pour my resin in a controlled environment (the garage) and, when the weather is bad; we can take the tiki roof off.

One of the brackets will be used to secure the bar to the fence.

 All of the above (9) pictures are after the pour on resin has dried and harden. As you can see; it is crystal clear. Two coats.

 

Bamboo grows here in Georgia. I am a bamboo lover; therefore, I always notice it while driving around. There are a couple of homeowners that uses it as privacy trees. After the ice storm I noticed that a lot of bamboo had fallen. We politely pulled into the driveway of a stranger and asked if we could have some of the fallen bamboo. The gentleman was very happy to give it away. We used the bamboo to frame the hut/roof of the Tiki Bar. We are going to use the bamboo leaves as thatching for the roof and between the pallet openings. I will post some updated pictures of the tiki roof/bar top when my husband decides to assemble it. Feel free to ask questions. It was a fun family winter project.

1. 

If you look close, you can see the bar in the right corner of the pool. As I stated earlier, I will post some updated pictures of the tiki bar when my Greg decides to assemble it the roof of the bar.

Please excuse all and any typos.

Share a Recipe...Bison Shooters

Hey all, I just want to share this very tasty, low in fat, fun and fast meal.
I was inspired by Ted's Montana Grill.
Bison shooters and a nice big salad with walnut-chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Yum!
Take a look.

 Organic spring mix, I added kale, spinach, capers, feta, red onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, and the dressing is in the picture.

For the free range, no antibiotic bison, I use celtic sea salt, which isn't in the picture and one egg as well. I made one big burger for hubby. I only used approx. 8 oz, although I bought 16oz.

 The made some caramelized red onions for sauce on top of the bison burgers instead of ketchup. Fee free to email me or use the comment section for the recipe.

 Toasted shooter buns with cheddar cheese

Dessert...Walnut chocolate chip cookies

Do The Math

Why does Georgia have a State tax? Where does the money go? What is it spent on? Well, apparently not on the things that are necessary for the citizens of the state.
I have had the privilege of living in many cities and states. This is by far the worst place I have ever lived.
When I lived up north, I did not mind paying state taxes. Why, because while I was asleep, they where busy making sure every road had salt and the snow was plowed.
This place called Atlanta is so backwards. There is no reason for us to live as though we can't do better. Every day millions of people travel the same highways for one to two hours for work.
They refuse to give us a rail or bus system that works for the people. They refuse to build another airport.
There is a backward slave mentality here. It's a place of "the haves and the have- nots."

According to the last census; there are 9.9 million people in the State of Georgia.
Every two weeks millions of people pay state taxes from their pay checks.
Do the math. Let's use a good round figure of 2 million people in the work force within the State.
Let's say the average person pays $24 a month in State taxes. Yes, I know that number is very low.
That is $48 million a month that is collected. Now, take that $48 million a month over the coarse of a year. That is $576 million a year in state taxes.
Please tell me why we cannot have salt on the ground; when there is a snow threat?
Ladies and gentlemen, where is our tax money going? Every person stuck on the road should to come together and file a class action lawsuit against Gov. Deal and the State of Georgia.

Who is going to pay for the thousand of dollars in car repairs? Who is going to take responsibility for deaths?
I know I sound angry. Yes, I am. My sister-in-law was on the road for 6+ hours. Finally, she decided to walk to a hotel. They allowed the stranded to sleep in the lobby. She had to sleep on a table in the lobby. Others, slept on the floor, using table cloths as blankets. My husbands friend/co-worker had to sleep in Pappadeux's restaurant. (Thanks to both companies for helping out)
This entire city looked like a 3rd world country. Women all around the city had to sleep in the car with small children.
Shame on you Deal!
You are not governing. You are a spectator.
We need more of our tax dollars spent on items that serve the people.
Please excuse any typos

Merry Christmas!
Christmas is in the air. Christmas is a day that was set aside to honor Jesus' birthday? I love this time of year. Not to mention it’s also my birthday month. Remember that Jesus is the Reason for the Season! Give thanks to God for Jesus’ birth and for the Holy Spirit. Remember that Jesus’ birth was for the sole purpose of atonement for our sins. He is the, I AM, King of Kings, the perfect sacrificial Lamb, and He deserves praise and worship.
There is no other reason that Christmas exists or occurs. Therefore, while you are out shopping, feel free to greet others with a kind greeting of Merry Christmas. Show each other the love of Christ and let Jesus know that you appreciate all that he has done and will continue doing for humanity.
Merry Christmas to all!

Well, as we close out summer heading into fall; I find myself longing for one last summertime gathering. Once I was hanging out in Hollywood Florida with a friend. We were at the Hard Rock, on the concrete boardwalk.
It's funny how some things stay with you while others don't. I ordered a watermelon mojito. It was very tasty and refreshing. By far the best I ever had.
If only it did not cost $15, I would have had two.
So, before the cooler temperatures begin to take over; I think I will do my best to hold on to summer by making my own $15 mojitos and pick up some barbecue or jerk chicken to go along with it.
This will be my first attempt at making a watermelon mojito; therefore, I am sharing a recipe below; just in case you may want to try making your own.

http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/view?recipeID=280
One other article suggested lemon flavored rum.

I think being from Miami causes me to dread fall and winter temperatures. I thank God for all seasons; although, I am partial to spring and summer. I tend to hibernate in the winter. Georgia gets almost no snow; however, the temperatures can run close to the New Jersey and New York numbers.
I will do my best not to gain the parochial 5 pounds this winter. Last winter I did an aquatic Zumba class twice a week for an hour. :) I think it helped.

Remember to love one another.
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
John 13:34, KJV

Life is good?

     As I sit alone in the dark, my mind thinks of a simpler time. A time when children were actually called children (not kids), and the children were happy to be young and care free. A time when a boy enjoyed the chase of a girl.
     Yes indeed, these were simple times. A time when it was okay to ride your bike to the pool or the park; although it was two miles away. When we left the house we had no real destination. Our only motive was fun. And, fun we had. No cell phones; no way for our parents to reach out and touch us. Not one child I knew was going to waste a nickel on a pay phone to call home.
     All of my friends lived in a 3 block radius, which was cool. We would walk, and walk. As we walked, we would pick up a friend here and there. We never hung out with more than 3 or 4 at a time; not sure why, but for some reason that would be the extent of our group.
     We always had each others back. Our unwritten code was "no man left behind," even before the military adopted that saying. We were thick as thieves and true blue; that is, until a boy was thrown in the mix. Then, all bets were off.  
     As for me, I would opt out of those situations. I thought it was just down-right-wrong to let any boy know that I liked him. I'm not sure why, but that was not in my DNA. Why do women chase men? It usually does not turn out right. Doesn't seem to be the natural order of things.
     Yes, I have been called old-fashioned most of my adult life. No complaints here though, because it has kept me on the straight and narrow. Remember, we are all spiritual beings with flesh and blood. Try connecting with your spirit-man; which is how God speaks and shares with us. And, when you do, you will find that life is good!
     Something to ponder...The lioness does not chase the lion; however, she does submit to him, once he fights for her.

"In the grand scheme, the most important thing is how we treat each other"

R.P. Jones

Peace and Blessings!

Please excuse any typos...we are all human.