🎄🎄🎄🎄Wrapping Presents on the floor

Yesterday, I decided to start wrapping my Christmas presents.

I put all the presents into boxes, and I started cutting the wrapping paper.

I had to sit on the floor to wrap the presents and some of the time I was on my knees.

I am not a spring chicken anymore and today my knees were talking to me.

I was having a difficult time getting up. 

My mind was playing tricks on my body. 

My mind said you are still a spry chicken while my body said who are you kidding.

When I was down on my knees wrapping my presents I knew I was going to pay a high price for it tomorrow.

Well today, my knees are talking very strongly to my trickery mind.

My body is telling my mind you old woman don't you know better than to listen to me.

Paying Attention!

Yesterday I went to town to pay some bills and shop.

My first stop was Kohles.

The line at the register was long, so I decided to shop.

I think I shopped in every department not sure why but I guess I was looking for a bargain.

I walked through the shoe department looking at shoes not sure why because I had just bought a pair of boots.

I guess women have a thing for shoes.

I walked through the kitchen section looking for Rachel Ray dishes. I love Rachel Ray cookware and utensils.

I walked thought the bedding and then on to lingerie.

Next, I went to the women’s department looking for a pair of Chap jeans.

I picked up a pair of Chap jeans and walked to the register to check out.

I laid my jeans on the counter and started looking for my coupon.

I had put both the coupon and Kohles check in the front pocket of my jeans.

I looked inside my purse and jeans pockets but could not find the coupon or the check. 

The woman at the checkout gave me the twenty percent off my jeans.

I walked outside to my look inside the car for the check but it was not in the car. 

I looked everywhere but no avail.

I went back inside Kohles and I started asking people if they had seen a check lying on the floor.

A housekeeper even went through her trash.

I found the twenty percent coupon lying on the floor in the aisle near the candles.

I had everyone in the whole store looking for my check.

I left my name and telephone number and I left the store.

I continued shopping: 

 At Finishing Line, Ultima's and 

at Sally's, I bought nail polish and hairpins.

At Best Buy I went to purchase the new Marvel Movie Guardians of the Galaxy. Which will not be released until December 9, 2014.

I guess my head was still in turmoil about the lost check because I ended up buying X-Men Days of Future Past.

I think I just looked at the many characters on the package. I was just not thinking straight.

I did not even notice that I had purchased the wrong movie until I decided to enter the code at Disney Movie Rewards for Guardians of the Galaxy.

Later that day I called my daughter and told her about my strange day. 

She laughed and said let me tell you about my day.

 I had an hour before I had to go to work so I decided to go shopping. 

I went to the store (Sears) and the sales woman was very helpful.

 When I got ready to pay for my purchases I looked at my coupon! 

The coupon I had was for JC Penny’s not Sears and all this time I was shopping in Sears.

I explained to the sales woman that I thought I was in JC Pennys, she laughed. 

She said JC Pennys has a good sale on the item that I want to purchase and if they don't have it then I will come back.

I had to leave for work, no more time for shopping. 

After I got off work I went by JC Penny’s and made my purchase. 

The moral of my story is 

be careful where you put your money, checks and coupons.

AND 

Pay attention to where you are shopping. 

Later that night I got a call from Kohles, they said 

clean woman had found my check.

The check was made out to Kohles for a payment and I told the saleswoman to go ahead and make the payment.

I ask her to leave me a receipt at customer services.

All it all it was not a bad day!!!!

Hair, lotion, & Bio-freeze

I went on vacation with two of my siblings to visit another sibling in Charleston South Carolina.

We stayed in a fully furnished apartment.

Every morning we would get ready and spend the day site seeing or shopping.

One morning while taking a shower my youngest sister washed her hair with lotion.

On the sink were bottles of lotion, shampoo, and conditioner.
 My sibling grabbed a bottle of lotion and climbed into the shower. 

Pretty sure she was not wearing glasses when she picked up the lotion.

She poured the lotion onto her head and started lathered her hair in lotion, not noticing that the lotion made her hair stiff. 

When she got out of the shower and dried off,  said to herself my hair sure feels stiff.

She put on her eyeglasses and went back into the bathroom to see

what she had washed her hair with.

She came back into the living room laughing and said, "I washed my hair with lotion".

She did not have time to rewash her hair and it was plastered to her head all day.

I thought this was funny until I tried to Gel my hair up with Bio-Freeze.

I put the Gel into my hands added a little water and applied to my hair.

My head started to tingle and when I looked at the tube and it said Bio-Freeze.

Both of us are natural Redheads.

But we both could be classified as legal blonds.

🍔🍔🍔2014~ Nov 19, Wednesday Staggs Hamburgers

We are always stopping at places like McDonald's, Burger King, or Wendy’s for a hamburger.

Most of their hamburgers are precooked, they are okay if you are hungry, and you are in a hurry. 

Sometimes, it is nice to sit down to a real home-cooked hamburger.

My husband said, If you want a real home-cooked hamburger then let's go to Staggs, they have the best. 

So, for lunch today we went to Staggs in East Florence. 

Staggs is located in an area of Florence that once was home to Sweet Water Mill, and many other industries but now has lots of empty buildings, all industry is gone. 

The train depot that sat empty for many years has been remodeled and is used for parties, wedding dinners, birthday parties, and many other functions. 

Staggs is a small diner that cooks your food on a grill right in front of you 

We watched as the girls patted out the hamburger meat, put them on the grill, and the smell filled the air.  

It was lunchtime and many workers filled the store, many would place their orders to go. 

The dinner was small and filled up fast with customers. 

The workers formed a line and a short-order clerk took their orders, very organized.

One person cooked the hamburgers, another dressed them, another bagged them. 

When their order was complete, they would walk back to the cash register to pay their bills. 

There were only three or four long tables in the cafe, I guess most of there customers were workers that came in groups. 

The table where we were sitting filled up fast. 

We savored every bite of our hamburgers, as we watched the lines of workers getting their food to go. 

When everyone finished the waitress would clear the tables.

We paid at the register when we finished eating. 

On the counter just above where the food was cooked was a tip jar.  Probably everyone shared the tips. 

The food was very good, the people were friendly, you got your food fast, and they were very organized. 

A great restaurant for its size. 

I would give it a thumbs up for a great place to eat good fast food!!!!

Staggs Restaurant East Florence

👣👣👣👣 2014 ~ Nov 15, Saturday, Footsteps of the Blue and Gray

Today, I took a walking tour and followed the footstep of men and women that walked these streets over one hundred and fifty years ago.

Our first stop was Wilson Park where soldiers from the battle of Shiloh planted sycamore trees that were no longer growing in the park.

Our second stop was the site of the Synodical College a school for young women.

Dr. William H. Mitchell who served as Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Florence also served as president of the college until 1871.

He was taken a prisoner of war for praying for the Confederate soldiers during his sermon.

The building was torn down and replaced by the US Post Office and Federal Courthouse.

Dr. William H. Mitchell

We walked down the street to the location of the former Masonic Lodge that burned down during the Civil War.

We walked about a block to the rebuilt Masonic Lodge and we were greeted by members of the lodge.

We were seated, told the history of the lodge, and served hot chocolate and cookies.

We thank the members and walked up the street to the home of Edward O’Neal a member of the Confederate Army who later served as governor of Alabama.

There were Confederate soldiers guarding Coby Hall.

Our next stop was Courtview/Rogers Hall the home of Sallie Foster who read from her journal about her life during the Civil War.

In addition, in front of her home, we were shown how to load and unload a gun.

We were shown how to shoot a gun and how to carry a gun.

Confederate Soldiers & their guns 

We walked to Wesleyan Hall, which was used, by both Union and Confederate Soldiers during the Civil War. 

General Sherman said, “War is hell!"

We listened to many different bugle calls.

General William T Sherman

Our next stop was Pope's Tavern where brother against brother, friend against friend fought against one another during the Civil War.

Many wounded were brought here. We waved to the two soldiers standing on the front porch of Pope’s Tavern, one was dressed as a Confederate Soldier and the other as a Union Soldier.

If they died, they were buried in the Florence Cemetery at Soldiers Rest.

We did not visit this site.

Pope's Tavern

Our final stop was the home of Richard Pickett who served as a Captain in the 35th Cavalry under General Philip Roddey. We meet Captain Richard Pickett and his wife, they were standing on the front porch of their home. 

Home of Captain Richard Pickett and wife.

The tour took over two hours, very informative and we met many characters along the way.

General Sherman, Governor Edward O’Neal, Sallie Foster, General Pickett, bugler, and many Confederate Soldiers

Route of the walk

Freedom Trail 👣👣👣👣 👣👣👣👣 👣👣👣👣 👣👣👣👣 👣👣👣👣

Today we are going to Boston, Massachusetts to walk the freedom trail, on the way we stop at Dunkin Donuts at 7:30 AM so my daughter could purchase a tea and a pumpkin spice bagel that she had cut in half.

I ate a banana and a slice of angel food cake for breakfast.

It took my daughter about two hours to drive to Boston, MA.

We parked at 50 New Sudbury Street Boston MA 02114 (617)-227-0385 at 10:10 AM.

We had a good view of downtown Boston from the parking garage.

I took several pictures before we left the parking garage.

We were not sure where we were going so we made several wrong turns. 

My daughter had to use the restroom and we were not sure where to go. 

We asked several different people where the restrooms were and finally, someone said to go to City Hall.

Faneuil Hall Visitor Center and Retail Shop is where we purchased tickets for the Tours of the Freedom Trail. (Here is where the trail began once cattle grazed here).

The tours of Freedom Trail is where a ranger takes a group of up to 30 people on a 60-minute walking tour where they tell you about people, places, and events that happened in Boston that helped shape the American Revolution.

We walked past the Old State House built in 1713, implanted in the concrete is a marker of the Boston Massacre, we were told the Water Street story, we walked past the Old Corner Book Store, Old South Meeting House, and our last stop was Park Street Church where the hymn “American” was first sung. 

This is where the tour ended.

My daughter and I began our tour walking along the red brick-walking trail.

Right across the street was Boston Irish Memorials and from there, we followed the red bricks to Old City Hall. 

At the site of the first public school, we saw a statue of Benjamin Franklin, the democrat donkey, and the Republican Elephant standing in opposition footprints, a statue of Josiah Quincy 1772-1864 (who served in the senate, congress, judge, mayor, president Harvard University).

We followed the red brick to Kings Chapel Church and the cemetery where John Winthrop, the colony’s first governor is buried. 

This cemetery inspired the book The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

We visit the Granary Burying Ground was Paul Revere and his family are buried. 

Mother Goose, John Hancock, James Otis, Samuel Adams, Robert Paine, and the victims of the Boston Massacre are also buried here.

We walked past the Capitol building through the park to 84 Beacon Street to Cheer’s Club “Where Everyone Knows Your Name.”

We split Rebecca’s Fish and Chips, which was a plate of Crispy, and flakey Cod lightly battered and deep-fried served with fries and slaw.

Dipping tartar sauce for the fish and Ice tea with lemon to drink total cost  $16.45 plus tip.

After we finished lunch, we walked upstairs and took pictures of side famous actors, actors from the Cheers TV show.

We took a few pictures outside the restaurant and then we walked back to the park.

We stopped at the Visitor Center on Tremont St to use the restroom and look around.

At the visitor center, I took my daughter's picture with one of the volunteers.

We also stop to take a picture of a living statue.

We walked past Central Burial ground and at the Government Center where there was a Lebanon Day Festival going on.

They were dancing, playing music, had exhibits, folkloric, and they were just having a good time.

We walked back to Faneuil Hall where we first began to use the restrooms.

We walked upstairs to Faneuil Hall a 1742 public debate in Boston and Meeting Hall. 

We saw John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Daniel Webster's statues in this hall alongside pictures of George Washington and James Faneuil.

We walked back downstairs and over to Market Square where we split a chocolate fudge candy. 

We exited out the side door, were turned around, and we were going in the wrong direction. 

We were headed to visit the Paul Revere Home.

We met a US Coast Guard who was on his way to catch the bus home and he asked if we were lost and if he could help.

My daughter said we were going to Paul Revere's home and we needed directions.

He walked with us to get us going in the right direction, said goodbye, and then went to catch his ride home.

We walked along Cross St to Hanover St passing Ristorante Villa Francesca 150 Richmond St Boston, MA (617) 367-2948 and Limoncello’s Lebanese Ristorante 190 N Street Boston, MA (617)-523-4480.

We arrived at Paul Revere's house at 19 N Street Boston; Ma's cost to enter was $3.00 each.

On the night of April 18, 1775, a silversmith, Paul Revere left his small wooden home in Boston’s north end and set out on a journey that would make him into a legend.

We walked through a park where stood a statue of Paul Revere riding a horse. 

Inside the park were plaques on both walls.

We stopped at the printing office of Edes and Gills where he was showing the process of printing a legal document.

On to the Old North Church “the midnight of Paul Revere” on April 18, 1775, where Robert Newman hung two lanterns in the steeple to warn Charlestown of the advance of the British.

Next, we stopped at Copp’s Burying Ground where British soldiers placed cannons to bombard Breed’s Hill.

We are headed to Charlestown but first, we must cross the Charles River Bridge. 

We strolled through Charlestown City Square Park where we saw a fountain, marker (Charlestown established 1828), fish, (markers) Great house and three cranes Tavern City Square continuity Change, and four large markers listing the American Soldiers killed on June 17, 1775.

We walked past the Vietnam Memorial, firehouse ladder number 24, St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, and the Deacon Larking House.

We are on our way to Bunker Hill where the famous quote: “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.”

There were 294 steps to the top of the monument; by the time we arrived, the monument was closed.

Thank God! 

By this time, we had walked from Beacon Street in Boston, to across the bridge to Charlestown.

Our last stop was the USS Constitution at Charlestown Naval Yard

To go inside the gate and board the ship required a photo ID.

I took pictures of markers, “A State of Perfect Chaos”, Charlestown Navy Yard, Dry Dock #1 How it Works, Dry Dock 1, Serving the Fleet, “Old Ironsides “in Dry Dock 1”, The Changing Yard, Boston, the Navy Yard, and the War of 1812, the Yard as Home, Working in the Yard, Life, and Work in the Navy Yard in 1812, of anchors, dry dock ships, Old Ironsides and many more.

It was now getting late and my daughter and I were both very tired from all the walking. 

We tried to board the trolley but they were done for the day, no more trips.

We met a couple and started talking to them, they said they were going to take the ferry back across the Charles River to Boston, so we followed them. 

We also met a man from Chicago and we told him about the ferry, so all of us rode the ferry back to Boston.

Ferry ride cost three dollars each.

The man from Chicago took my and my daughter's picture while we were riding the boat back to Boston.

I also took some great shots of Boston as the sun was setting.

As we arrived in Boston Harbor, we saw a Godzilla Boat and Legal Sea Foods.

We started our walk back to the visitor center stopping at Dunkin Donuts to use the restroom. 

We were going to get a sandwich but they had stopped making them for the day.

We saw a small red brick building (Crosio) nestled among giants (skyscrapers).

We pass the Old State House and we are on our way to the parking deck.

You pay before you go back to your car costs thirty-five dollars; we got our ticket and headed to the car.

We took the elevator this time and not the six flights of stairs.

It had been a long day and still, my daughter had to drive us back home.