HUGE TURNOUT

We had a big turn out for Nathan's blood drive. Here are a few pictures of the Fire Dept guys giving blood. UBS wasn't thrilled with us taking pictures, so I only took those of the guys on the fire dept.

Jay Ezell...relaxing
Lil Bo Dixon...all smiles!! (could have been the cute girl that took his blood)

Daddy wondering what I volunteered him for (plasma or platelets)

Chris finishing up!

Justin Lloyd (didn't pass out even though he was scared he would)

Raymond Scott (East Franklin VFD)

Christian Ezell

Bodi Bass

Joseph Cothren

We as a dept set a goal of 50 units...and after LOTS of headache and problems we managed to get 47 units. Which we will get our goal of 50 by the 25th. The blood banks had a surplus of A+ blood, so we had to turn away any A+ people (which sadly was about 25 donors). BUT any A+ people that couldn't donate Fri can donate at FC memorial Hospital on Feb 25th and it will go towards this drive's goals! I was so happy to see a waiting line...Not that making people wait was what I wanted to do, but I was Glad that FC people showed up and showed out in support of Nathan and his family!! THANKS EVERYONE WHO MADE THIS A HUGE SUCCESS!

BTW: United Blood Services called to congratulate us on our turn out for it to have been a 1st time deal for us. She said that they honestly expected us to fall short by about 20 units..WE SHOWED THEM!!!!

Quiet...sort of

All has been quiet lately...busy but quiet. Have had nothing major to post pictures of. However this week from Wednesday on will be busy.... Wednesday after church is done, Mom and I have to do our weekly cleaning. Of course being the 1st Thursday of the month, we have fire dept meeting, and Friday we have a blood drive for this amazing guy!Nathan Steele. Our familys were very close as we were growing up. He's an EMT, along with a volunteer fire fighter. Nathan has been married for about 5 yrs now his wife Rebecca. Last year around Sept or October, he was diagnoised with Colon Cancer. Such a blow for a 29 year old man to face. But Nathan and Rebecca have stayed strong and he's taken his chemo like a champ with very little complicatons. On January 13th, he had the cancer removed from his colon and have had complications due to an infection. Please, I ask you to pray for this family as Nathan has a LONG recovery ahead of himself. He will undergo more Chemo once he is recovered from the surgery and infection. So if you are in Meadville, come out Friday to support our Fire Department as we show our Support to Nathan and Rebecca by a blood drive.

After the drive I'm coast bound with some friends to celebrate their mother's 50th birthday!!! Maybe I'll have some exciting pictures to post...until them, stay safe and remember to pray for my buddy!!!! Love you all!

Some snapshots from Christmas weekend...enjoy

I GOT ME A NEW RIDE.....FINALLY!!!!

We have had a "Winter Wonderland" here. I'm about a week and a half late posting these pictures, but never the less you can see it SNOWED!!! Hope for more to come before the winter is up....(always good for business!!)..

These are just a few pictures...I'll try to get more up later

Sorry for this post to be so short, it's almost time to go, I've got a wake to go home and get ready for....

COOKING CLASSES
As many of you know (who keep up w me thru facebook), I attended a cooking class called "Holiday and Party Food II". Taught by Ms. Annie P from Annie P Goodies.... I had a blast...don't have much time to go into detail, but here are a few pictures from our class...I'll upload some more maybe after the holidays....These are just a few of my favorites...FEW ...there were many more


Pecan Tassies (right) Over the top Potatoes (left)

"Fancy Rolls"

Sugar Snaps

Craberry Pecan Cheese Cake

WHERE OH WHERE HAVE I BEEN???

Where to even start....lets see...September for us at work is a month that we would like to forget. INVENTORY and prep work for year end close out! So really that explains the lack of posting...worked late and was mainly up at NAPA during the day. But the Lord has blessed me with a good job so no complaints...lets get to where all I have been...

Last weekend in September, I went to Richton to stay with Junior & Sara and to attend the Pecan Festival...let me tell ya somethin' If you haven't been you MUST do so. Booths, arts, crafts, mule pull, old time tractors, sheep herding and anything else imaginable is there. I came home with a few items. Next year I will go prepared to Christmas shop and be done with it all by Oct!! Yep, I'm tellin you it was that much stuff there!!! I do have pictures so i'll post them later. Oh of course we ate out alot that weekend...

Along the month of September and among all this other stuff I had two great uncles (brothers in fact) pass away on the same day, so sad, but they were both sick. I got to see family I hadn't seen in a long while. Mom and her girl cousins had a little get together the weekend after both funerals and had a good time.

L to right, Belinda, Vivian, Kathy, Mom, Joy & Brenda. These are all 1st cousins. They have an agreement between them all to have a Cousin's day about once every 3 months. They said no Aunts allowed!!

Then there was the dreaded work day at the Fire station! UGH!! INVENTORY again....but i guess I got off easy. The guys had to wash almos everything that had wheels! The only thing that didn't get washed was the Recovery boat I think...

I took a trip to Monterey this past weekend to see Will, Paula, Brother and Sister (Riley & Natalee). For those of you who don't know, I lived with them while I worked in the Jena office. Will was my boss and his wife quickly became my best friend. Brother played basketball while Sister cheered him on. I'm having trouble with the computer, so I'll post those pictures later also.

I have signed up for a cooking type of class thingy with Annie P. Goodies and that begins tomorrow night. 5 weeks of fun holiday foods! Bound to cause a person to gain a few extra pounds...The class will be every Tuesday night from 6 to 9 till the week before Thanksgiving. MaYbe I'll have some new idea to contribute to Turkey day meal!

As for tonight, I'm working at the sheriff's office filling in. The house is coming along well. We have like 3/4 of the siding up but next will be a porch to keep me from getting soaked when trying to get my door open!

Hope all is well with everyone and as I get pictures to work, I'll add them along the way.