Our family church, St. Mary's. We lived just a block away and walked to church on Sunday's. You go behind the church, down the alley and down through their backyard to my Aunt Barb's house. We walked to church when we visited and stayed with her too!

This is my elementary school, Andrew Jackson Elementary. It's still in use and still looks exactly the same. I'm sure the kids who were outside thought I was nuts! A middle-aged lady standing up in a sunroof taking pictures!

The road leading to Jackson Elementary is still made of brick and still well maintained. It made me very nostalgic! I used to walk to school in my little jumpers and saddle shoes *sniff*

The leaves definitely decked themselves out in their best colors! They were much appreciated. I don't know when i've saw such beautiful fall sights......

The beautiful Appalachian Mountains!

I got to see my nephew Rob and meet his little girl Hannah. I was his surrogate mother when he was in elementary and middle school. I always went to his school functions and took him trick-or-treating, made easter baskets etc. He cried when we left.

The "Switzer girls" and our beloved Dad whom we call "Pop". That's me, Gail, Bonnie and Kathy and that is in chronological age order also. Anybody care to guess which on drives the *snort* LUXURY Chrysler 300? Hehehe.....

Despite going up for such a sad reason we sure did enjoy ourselves and had some awesome family time.
Aunt Barb looked as good as a dead person could look. She suffered at the end and I was so glad she was finally, finally not suffering anymore. Still it broke my heart to see her laying in the casket. I kept expecting her to sit up and yell "OH Hell you don't REALLY think i'm DEAD do you?". She was something else. Something special. They played Elvis songs at her funeral and she was buried in her pajamas. That should tell you something about her right there!
I can't tell you how many shopping hours we logged together. If my Mom would nix something I wanted (usually because it was too expensive and this was before I was old enough to have a job) Aunt Barb would always sneak back and buy it for me saying "It's our secret" - as if my Mom wouldn't notice but she never said a word.

Even when she was diagnosed with cancer she'd grab her oxygen tank and they'd come down to South Carolina. She didn't let anything stop her. She saw Madison more than some people who live right down here did! She loved Stacy too, got the biggest kick out of him and she would make "whoopie pies" for him. A very labor-intensive treat originating with the amish people. She was just so so so special. I know she knew how much she meant to me - I was never shy about telling her and i'm so glad I did. I never missed a chance to give her as many hugs and kisses as I could. She was last down here before Christmas last year, she wore a crazy pink hat because she had lost her hair to chemo but she nevet let it get her down. She never said "Why me?", never complained. Ever. Ever.
I hope I can be half the woman she was.
Aunt Barb, I love you and I will miss you like crazy the rest of my life......

We had a wonderful visit in Beaufort, SC. Here I am before we took the Haunted Trolley Ride.

A bottle tree over on St. Helena Island. I saw one of these in Southern Living Magazine years ago and I loved seeing one in real life! It is an old gullah tradition - meant to keep away the 'haints and hags!

The Beaufort river, we were drooling over the beds of oysters!

The front door of the Old Point Inn where we stayed. I can't reccomend this place enough. I have more pictures on F@cebook. The innkeepers Paul and Julie were awesome.

This is their slogan, they gave me two coffee mugs and a fancy pen for my birthday. I loved it! The Inn was fabulous. So comfortable and I felt so at peace there, something I desperately needed.

Just out goofing around a little bit!

Sadly after we came in from taking this picture I received a call from my sister that my beloved Aunt Barb had passed away in Pennsylvania. She has been battling cancer for so long and took a turn for the worse before Labor Day but still I wasn't ready for this news. We cut our visit short and they even refunded us a night's stay which was unexpectedly kind of them. We headed to Summerville to pick up Madison, visited with my MIL for a little while and then headed home to Darlington. I packed, got about three hours sleep and we were up and headed for Pennsylvania. I was terrified of bad weather (they had snow the preceding week) but we were blessed with wonderful weather and the foliage was gorgeous. I know Aunt Barb probably ordered it up especially for me. I was her pet. I will blog more about that trip this week.
Peace and Blessings from...

Five years ago this was the happiest day of my life
(well a toss-up to my wedding day) and God blessed me with the most wonderful little girl imaginable!

Thank you Daisy & Man for sending her a surprise in the mail, that will be a seperate blog post but she was so excited and I really appreciate it! It helped occupy her while her Mamma was gone.
We had a party on Saturday at Top Hat Special Teas Tearoom, all the pics are on f@cebook but here are a few...

Mommy, Maddie & Daddy before the big event!

Madison & her cousin "J" peer into the window

Getting make-up done - I LOVE her in that hat!!!

Walking the run-way - supermodel!

Alas the Vikings lost yesterday but she did love her shirt!!!

blowing out the candles & making a wish!

This cake is not only pretty - it was yummy too!

Happy Birthday Madison Moore Tindal from your Mommy....
aka.......

Okay.... I know this won't exactly SHOCK many of you... but I accidently DELETED the whole video of Madison's routine. Yep. This is the only picture I have. She broke her original fan even before her dance recital so this was a sub we bought. It was huge, she looks like she's hiding behind it but she wasn't. She is NOT a shy child in public!
None of the kids were enthusiastic at all during the numbers. They didn't like these routines when they did their dance recital last May and didnt' like them now.
She may not like it but i'm going to strongly suggest to Miss Patsy that she have much better costumes this year and peppier songs. Otherwise it will be our last year because the "Around The World" was CRAP.

Moving along........ her and Daddy observing the "jump thing". I have no idea what it was I just know we paid $7 for her to do it and it was all she wanted to do.


This child has waited all year to do this! All hooked up and raring to go!

Up - UP - and AWAY! She loved it. Best $7 I - er, her Daddy - ever spent!

Okay, for me this was the worst Sweet Potato Festival I have ever been too.
It was chaos trying to get her ready, WAY too many people milling about the area we were getting ready in. It was BEASTLY sickeningly HOT. I didn't even walk around and look at anything. I hope next year is about 15-20 degrees cooler. I also might go to the Catfish Festival in Society Hill in November just so I can walk around and enjoy it because thankfully we are not dancing in that one.
At any rate i'm still glad my baby had fun and she did well and that's what really matters! If I can get through tomorrow i'm off to spend some special time with my honey!

Saturday night me, Stacy, Chad & Chandler went to the Fright Night at Boone Hall Plantation.
First off let me say i'm glad I went. I love stuff like that and despite a few minuses we did laugh, have a good time, and it was the first time in a long time the four of us did something together.
First off it was not actually "at" Boone Hall but on what appeared to be the back side of the property. I never saw Boone Hall nor anything associated with it.
Just the four attractions plopped in the middle of a fallow strawberry field.
The attractions were: the Haunted Hayride, Bloody Mary's Haunted Manor, Killer Zombies, and the Spooky Corn Maze. We only went on the Hayride, the others looked wayyyyy too cheesey even for me!
We had to park a good bit away and walk through alot of loose dirt and sharp rocks.
Something my feet nor my moccasions appreciated!
I am usually cold at any outdoor evening functions so I wore my Scarowinds Hoodie and about passed out while we stood in line. Once we were in the wagon and moving though it was tolerable.
We were with a pretty fun group. Alot of screaming and those !@#$ stupid chainsaws. When will the powers-that-be who organize these haunted festivities come to realize there is nothing scary about a chainsaw. You know the chain is detached and the noise is frankly just loud and annoying. I'd like to find out who came up with that bright idea first and beat them over the head with said chainsaw! Argggh I hate those things.
As i've said before i'm a freak magnet. Never mind i'm standing there with Stacy, Chad & Chandler, the guy in front of me felt compelled to turn around, talk to me and tell me his life story complete with which child lived where with which mamma.
Yeah.
Anyway I am very appreciative of my sweet husband for taking me and also for buying dinner at the Noisey Oyster on the way home. The red rice and oyster sampler platter were "to die" for!

This little face was READY for Halloween so when her Daddy got home we started hauling out the decor...... outside shots to come later because we don't have it all up yet. Yes we decorate for Halloween like most people decorate for Christmas!

This ghostly group parades down the table in my entranceway. These were my Mamma's and last year she gave them to me!

This picture hangs above the same table - I got it last year at TJ M@xx and I loved it from the moment I laid eyes on it. In case you can't read it says "The Hal and Lou Ween family"

This is the left side of my TV stand, that is a witches hat and iron shoe below a pair of bright witches shoes on the middle shelf

This is the right side, more bright witches shoes (different patterns) and below a big glass witches boot. I think at one time it had a lid but that's long gone. I don't mind I love it anyway! Maddie and I got those mercury glass jack o' lanterns from Hobby Lobby @ 80% off last year!

This litte trick-or-treating ghostie came from Cracker Barrel years ago....... I will probably add some more decor so stay tuned!

of Halloween!

**** Madison's o'alls have "Maddie" spelled down them and that is her prized
Vera Bradley bag in the 'pink cupcakes' pattern. My little fashionista!