Laughter, conversation, food, more conversation, tears, still more conversation, more laughter, more food, more tears = knowing you are in a safe place.

Last Friday night 5 men and 19 children generously allowed their wife/mom to spend about 24 plus a few hours down on Jekyll Island. Another man and 4 children gave up their wife/mom for a few hours so she could join us for supper and the evening.

We had a 3-bedroom villa with decks looking out over the ocean. It’s good we did because we spent very little time out on the beach, oddly enough. But if you know us, you understand. Like Carolyn’s husband says, it’s a little hard to figure out who’s listening to who.

And yet in the midst of the laughter and 3 conversations going on at once, we seem to be hearing each other’s hearts, and that’s what keeps the friendships alive.

It was windy, windy on the east side.

Awesome food at Bonefish Grille (on St. Simons). Lois made a chocolate cookie cheesecake that we ate later that was fantabulous!!

You’re never too young to learn to drink sweet tea. (or was it coke)

If you’re on Jekyll Island, make sure to check out the bookstore near the millionaire’s village. Every room has a different theme. Even the bathrooms, one of which is functional, have lots of items for sale in them.

Carolyn’s family met us there so they could spend some time on the beach. That was special too since it was the first time several of our friends had met her youngest son.

 

Love you ladies!!!

It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood,
A beautiful day for a neighbor,
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?

It’s a neighborly day in this beautywood,
A neighborly day for a beauty,
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?

I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you,
I’ve always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you.

So let’s make the most of this beautiful day,
Since we’re together, we might as well say,
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
Won’t you be my neighbor?

Won’t you please,
Won’t you please,
Please won’t you be my neighbor?

No, please don’t hop away!! I promise frog legs are never on our menu!

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

as summer thinks about coming to an end.

I’ve wanted to do a post on this for a while but lost the receipts from earlier shopping trips there and haven’t made a good run with them real recently.

Today everything I purchased was on sale, plus I had coupons for most of them. CVS’ prices are typically higher than dollar stores and wally world so I try to wait until I have a coupon and a sale combined. Otherwise, if I just use one or the other, I pay the same thing as I would other places at regular price.

Let’s see, left to right. The Mott’s applesauce was on sale, plus I had a $1 coupon.    Total Cost $1     Reg. Price $2.99

The 40-load Tide Powder was on sale plus I had a coupon. It was the same price as the 32-load liquid.    Total Price $4.98     Reg. Price $10.99

Celine Dion perfume. Not sure what the original price was.    Clearance for $4.25.

Glade Fragrance Collection reed diffuser. On sale for $6.99, their sale this week gives you back $6.99 in Extra Bucks, plus I had a coupon for $2.    Total Price  -$2.00      Reg. Price $9.99

Progresso Soup. Good as homemade? Absolutely not but I like to keep some at the office for an occasional, quick, low calorie & low fat meal. I only really like about 3 of their soups. I can rarely find them for less than $2. On sale occasionally for $1.50 to $1.75. CVS had a sale buy 3 for $6, get $2 back in EB. I had a $1.10 off purchase of 3.    Total Price $ .97 per can.     Reg. Price $3.19 per can.

The Dawn soap is their small bottle. This was on sale plus I had a coupon.      Total Price $ .75     Reg. Price $1.99

Softsoap Nutri Serums body wash. I had a coupon for $1, plus they gave back $2 in EB.    Total Price $1.99     Reg. Price $4.99

  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

My Total Cost with tax $15. 40

My Total Savings: $30.94 (includes Extra Bucks but excludes whatever I saved on the perfume, since I don’t know what the original cost was)

The only thing I haven’t done is checked to see what all of these items purchased at Freds or Dollar General would cost. I think I’ll try to do that and post what I found. Might be really revealing.

I get some coupons from online sources. Occasionally I’ll pick up a Sunday paper. Several months ago I heard about the All You magazine which is similar to Good Housekeeping or Better Homes & Gardens. All You is known for their many coupons. Supposedly Walmart carries them but I couldn’t find any at our local store so I found a site only where I got a 1-year subscription for $9. (Mags Direct.com) I figured if I don’t use many of the coupons it would still pay itself off. I got my first magazine last week and it has about $80 worth of coupons. Granted, I probably won’t use more than $10 of them but if so, that pays the subscription off in one edition.

Coupon clipping can get kind of complicated, especially if you try to match them with sales, and epecially if you live in a small town where there aren’t many stores to choose from. And also with only 2 of us living in the house, we don’t go through things as fast as those of you with families might.

Anyway, I’m probably the last person to actually start doing this!  You’re all probably pros at this by now. Thanks to Judy for the first inspiriation, and to Linda for explaining how you get your good deals. It’s fun to get good deals!!

It’s time to take the camera out again. Haven’t done much of that this summer although I did do some engagement pictures last weekend.

Here are 3 shots from the last summer or two that I had fun reworking in HDR. High Dynamic Range is a process that involves using software to combine mulitple images that have different exposures. Digital camera sensors can’t properly capture a scene when there are big contrast in lighting. So you take several shots of the same scene, taking several underexposed (or dark) to overexposed (bright). The software combines the images and you can keep them fairly realistic looking

or more artsy looking.

Kiss the summer goodbye, we are nearly at the fall season. Looks like September will be fuller than I thought.