WTF---Friday

What The Fashion---Friday!

I'm starting something new here. Just another way to share a little of our life!

Last Saturday was the Iroquois Steeplechase. It's a huge social event benefiting Vanderbilt's Children's Hospital. We've had our box for about 30 years now. Over the years, we've taken friends and family. Now, the next generation (our girls) and the one after that (our grands) are enjoying it. Me, well, let's just say I'm "over" it. It's a long day---LONG---and oh, so, very HOT---in the blaring sun. Still, I'll be doing it when I can just to be with family. That's always fun!

Steeplechase is all about fashion. It's the place to see and be seen. Actually, that's the part I like the best---people watching! I enjoyed people watching right in our own box!

 Stephanie and Mindy start thinking about what they are going to wear weeks ahead.

As for me, I'm wearing the same hat I've worn for about 20 years! I just change out the scarf on top. This one happens to be the new Kate Spade one I bought last week at the beach.

Once the girls decide their dress, it's off to "Sunnybands" for custom made fascinators.

The whole thing is quite a production---food and drink---ice, coolers and LOTS of sunscreen. Butch went back to the car to get me an umbrella. I always say, I don't mind how hot it is as long as I can have shade. That still holds true. I'm not a baby about the heat. I did have a wash cloth that I soaked in the icy water and put on the back of my neck. It really makes a difference! The umbrella is a big help too. Of course, there are always risks with that in such a small space. I didn't actually bump it in to anyone in the adjoining box, but came close a few times. Enough that Butch was a bit on edge about it. I did knock Mindy's fascinator off once---she wasn't too happy about that! She gives me the "Mom!" And then, "Dad"---with that look that means, "can you control her!" The answer to that is---heck no! Anyway, I even knocked over my bloody Mary! Now that was bad---all over my white pants. WTF!

This year, Sunnybands also had the perfect pair of matching sunglasses for Mindy! Posing with the men in her life!

 There's a lot of drinking going on. Apparently, Mindy and Justin started a tradition of doing a shot of Jack before the Iroquoise race. For me it was about a quarter inch in these cute little red solo cups!

Bonnie and Dave are adopted members of the family now---since they've been to so many family gatherings and holidays! Bonnie decorated her own hat.

 I love this side view of the girls enjoying the races.

Alyson is one of Mindy's friends since kindergarten. They still see each other regularly, but it was purely coincidental that they were both rockin' black and white polka dots!

It would not be an Eads' gathering without some sort of competition! We always keep it friendly. Each couple put in $28---$2.00 each per race. Justin and Mindy were the big winners. They won $9.00. Bonnie and Dave were the big losers---they lost $9.00. Totally worth it for a day of fun!

That's it for my first WTF Friday!

Tuesday Thoughts about...

...cantaloupes.

I have read about so many ways to check to see if a cantaloupe is fresh, juicy and sweet. I've tried sniffing the stem end---a little weird. I've tried smushing both ends---supposedly if it is soft and "gives"---it's ready. I've even tried bouncing one on the floor. The produce manager didn't much appreciate that.

But, I have found a fool proof way to ensure your cantaloupe will be just perfect! Just leave it on the counter for a few days. I started doing it last summer and it really works. Now, I have not bought a cantaloupe in the middle of winter, but I just bought two this past week---one at the beach and one here at home. Both were delicious!

Give it a try. And that's what I'm thinking about this Tuesday! (Okay, not the only thing, but one thing).

Happy Mother's Day!

Hope you have something fun planned!

Throwback Thursday

 This house.

My grandma and grandpa Z. lived in Barnhart, MO---the sticks, the boonies, the country. Nearest neighbors were a mile away. Gravel roads, woods, caves, creeks, railroad tracks, mailboxes all lined up---I can still remember the smell---there's just something about the country.

They had a cistern which made the water taste "irony." They had a basement that had rooms that were dirt for storing vegetables and home canned things. There were so many awesome things about this house.

There were several "out" buildings. This one was called the clubhouse. It was set with picnic tables for huge family gatherings. There was another that had an old-fashioned soda cooler. You'd reach your had in to the slushy, ice cold water and pull out a soda. You never knew what you might get. It could be a Coke, Nehi Grape, 7-Up, Fanta, or Dad's rootbeer. They were always icey cold and tasted so good in the summer.

They had their very own "dump." There was an area on the edge of the woods where all the trash and garbage was dumped. Occasionally, they would burn it. Just standing there looking at all the garbage was surprisingly fun.

 The dining room was laden with cookies and candy of every description at Christmas time.

The eating area adjacent to the kitchen had this nifty pass through. I loved my grandma's depression glass dishes. You can't tell by this picture, but they were green. She always used tablecloths---of which I'm lucky to have two.

There was the room upstairs that we dubbed "the reading room." It was full of books, but it was the National Enquirer and True Romance that we were really interested in.

It was this that was my favorite.
The Porch....

I have such fond memories of this porch. It was hot in the summer for sure. There were fans. Still you'd find the men listening to the ball game out here. There was a daybed that we'd nap on now and then. But what I remember most of all were all the Scrabble games I played with my grandma here. She taught us other games too---Yahtzee, Blitz (she gave us nickels to gamble with) and  Tripoley (another gambling game with pennies). We worked puzzles out here. My favorite was definitely Scrabble. We had homemade peach ice cream while we played. I even had my very first Heath Bar on this porch. You can still see the red painted concrete floor. It was a comfortable, friendly place. It was fun to sit here when it rained and have the mist blow in on you.

We had some good times here. Sadly, the house has been torn down---probably 20 years ago. Still, I'll always remember it. Funny the little things you remember!

What I Buy Wednesdays

Well, I can't go to the beach without shopping at the Silver Sands outlet mall. As a general rule, I do not like outlet malls. I've always felt the clothing was either seconds or the stuff that didn't sell. Not this mall. It's top quality, nice brands and GREAT prices.

I always stop by Kate Spade---my favorite designer. I found several cute things today.

This cute printed purse will be perfect with my new green shoes. My new phone cover even matches. I couldn't resist the colorful wallet.

This is the wallet I'm replacing. Still, I'll keep this one---there's still life left in it!

Then I stopped in at Cole Hahn. I really like their shoes. They had some really cute ones.

They had these in just about every color. I LOVE them! I didn't get them because they were still pricier than I was willing to spend. Plus, I never would have been able to pick just one color!

I moved on down the sidewalk to Talbots. OMGosh! I hit the jackpot!

I got 9 blouses and tops for $148.00. Everything was 40% off. Then, the salesman said I could get another 20% off if I opened a charge. In addition, there was a promotion for $20 off of each $100 you spent (another $40 for me). This is unbelievable! There are 2 linen blouses, assorted knits with trims and 3 plain 3/4 length sleeves---plus that cute striped one that matches my new phone cover! I was showing my friends how it would blend in. You might not even know I was on the phone!!

After Talbots, I immediately left!! I had done enough damage for one day. I might be an impulse shopper, but I do know how to limit my impulses!

Now I just have to decide what I'm going to wear to Steeplechase on Saturday!

The only other things I/we bought this week were the flowers for the patio. More on those later!

What fun things have you bought this week?

Tuesday Thoughts About....

...book club!

I love book clubs. I've belonged to and started many over the years. The main reason I love book clubs is that it exposes me to literature and genres that I wouldn't ordinarily pick. I've discovered some great books that way---Pope Joan, The Sparrow, Into the Forest, and The Hunger Games---to name a few.

Well, book clubs aren't perfect. Mistakes are made. It's rare, but it happens.

This month, we are to read The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison. I'm about half way through and so far, I'm really enjoying it. I'm at the beach with my friends---several of them are in my book club. We were slightly discussing the book in that where people are in the book, have you started the book, etc.---some have finished---only to discover that there are two books titled The Silent Wife. Two of the girls had read the WRONG book---including the one who picked it!!!

Turns out there are two books by the same title. The other Silent Wife is by Kerry Fisher. They both pop up on Amazon, but the Kerry Fisher one shows up first because the author's name is first in the alphabet. An easy mistake to make.

I sent out an email to the rest of book club alerting them to the situation. After a little email discussion as to which book really was the correct one, I discovered that several others read the wrong one. What to do? Easy! We'll discuss both books! Since book club is still two weeks away, there is plenty of time to read the other book! That's a WIN for me! Any excuse to read!

BTW---both books are cheap. Fisher's book is $3.99 and Harrison's is $1.99---Kindle version on Amazon. Both books are really good---or so I've been told. I'll let you know when I get to the next one.

What have you read lately that you would highly recommend?

Which reminds me. I'll be doing the picking in July. Since I'm going to England in September with some book club members to meet up with our British book club member, Diane---who lives there, I'd like to read something set in or about England. Any recommendations? I've found one called The Forgotten Seamstress. I'm just afraid it might be "fluff." I'm looking for a good one that will teach us a little something too. Let me know!

Monday Mystery

You might be wondering where I am.

Never, ever have I seen it this busy. 3 rows deep on the beach. It's not even the prime of the season! Still, I'm livin' the life!