Just wondering

Has any else seen the preview for the creepy owl movie coming out? I mean...really. They're just scary looking! I'm not an owl person anyway (no offense if you are), and this movie just looks weird.

10 Things About Me

Random tidbits since I haven't posted in a bit. I haven't had the time to actually think up a lovely post.


1. I love foaming hand soaps. Especially ones from Bath and Body Works. I stocked up during their semi-annual sale. Right now in my kitchen I have the Coconut Verbena. Yum-o.

2. I judge books by their covers. You know you do too.

3. I'm apparently a natural to live on a farm. My dad grew up on a dairy farm and Jeffry's dad did too. What are the chances?

4. I'm growing out my hair. My husband never had any preference on the length of my hair until recently. I decided to grow it out...now he decides he likes long hair. Men are so fickle.

5. I lead worship at my church every Sunday. And I love every minute of it. I get to make our set lists, run the practices, etc. It's not a glamorous job by any means (although some people think that!!); actually, it's not really a job when it's your passion.

6. My boys are in a fighting phase. Like not physically fighting, but arguing over the tiniest things! My nerves are constantly on edge. Paging Dr. Dobson....

7. I'm going through a declutter phase. Right now I'm working on my office in the store. It's so freeing to throw things away!

8. I am in love with Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes. My bff, Kisha, told me they aren't on the menu yet but you can ask for them when you order! AHHH, now I just need a Starbucks here in small town.

9. My church family is my second family. I don't know how else to say it. They are. I just recently became a Life Group Leader of some really wonderful ladies! We meet every Sunday night. I love them to pieces!

10. College Football is in the air. We have our season tickets for Southern Miss! If you watched them play South Carolina last night, please just disregard. We had an off night. Mizzou plays Illinois Saturday....woop woop! Go Tigers!

Ready for Fall!

I'm so ready for fall! It really is my favorite time of year. Just the other day, my friend Kisha and I were longing for Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks which I must say are simply-one-of-the-best-things-ever-about-fall. Sorry I get passionate about them. :)

I bought these last week:

I'm not a Yankee Candle snob, but yummm, how I love their Apple Cider scent. I haven't lit it yet...but this week for sure. 

Every time I've been to the grocery store lately, Caleb has begged me for Apple Cider, but they don't have it in stock yet. Boy takes after his Mama!

I'm ready to wear lots of dresses with leggings. And boots. And scarves. And jackets. 

I'm thinking about spending a lot of time here cheering on the Eagles with my boys:

Southern Miss TO THE TOP!

I'm wondering if I'm talented enough to make this wreath like The Nester.

I'm getting excited about our 2nd Annual Antique Car Show at our store, Jack's Home Improvement Center. I hope it's a chilly day like it was last year!

I really was going to pull out my fall decorations yesterday and start changing my mantle, but I thought my husband my think it was way too early. And then I looked back to see on my blog that I did it the exact same day last year! Haha! Maybe August 23rd should be my Fall Decorating Day. :)

Is anyone else anxiously awaiting fall and it's cooler temperatures?

Cyd's Bday Partaaaay!

This post is dedicated to my bestest friend, Cydnee! I am so excited because Cydnee, Kisha, and I are going to celebrate today. We always get together for each others birthdays. It seems like that's the only time we have been able to set aside lately! Everyone is so busy that it's hard to get schedules together. Cydnee's birthday was August 11th, and I ate lunch with her here in town...but let's be honest. Lunch at Pericos is not the greatest birthday lunch. We usually head to Hattiesburg or the coast for birthday celebrations and have lunch or dinner and a movie. Today we are going to Olive Garden in Hattiesburg and then we are going to see Eat Pray Love (I think!). I'm so excited to get to spend some time with my girlfriends! They are totally my support group! Here are some pics of Cyd over the years :) 

(Kisha is in half of these too! We are the 3 Musketeers!)

Christmas 2008, after I just had Trace

Preschool Awards Day I think

Cyd's bday last year (Julie and Julia) and my baby shower for Trace

Bachelorette party for our friend

Kisha's bday this year

One of our bdays in like 2007?

Bachelorette party!

Cyd with Trace at our church picnic this year

Cyd and me...date night with the hubbys :)

LOVE YOU BESTIE!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

Groupon Deals!

Have any of ya'll tried Groupon? It's a website that offers a daily deal, and there will be a certain number of people who have to buy the deal in order to get it.

For example, today I just bought a $25 Groupon for $50 worth of personalized photo cards from Photo Card Creations. I'm thinking Christmas Cards! The deal required 20 people to buy in order for it to go through. You only have that day to buy it. As I'm typing, 30 people have bought that deal and it has 13 hours and 30 minutes to go.

Many Groupons are region/city specific but a lot, like the photo card offer for Brooklyn, are not. If you have time, just click around on different cities to see what their deals are! Go check it out!

The Tale of a Legend

My Great Grandaddy bought B.B. King his first guitar.

That statement sums up one of my family’s most well-known stories that has been shared and passed on for generations with so much pride.

Let me start at the beginning…

Riley (B.B.) King lived in Kilmichael, MS, as a young boy with his mother, Nora Ella King, and grandmother, Elnora Farr. His mother died, and a year later his grandmother passed away. Riley went to live with his father, Albert King, in Lexington, MS, but he didn’t like living with his father. In 1942, at the age of 16, Riley rode his bike 50 or so miles back to Kilmichael. He was planning on staying with his family but all of his relatives had already moved back to the Delta.

A relative of Riley’s, John Farr, asked my great grandfather, Flake Cartledge, if Riley could stay with him. Grandaddy Flake picked up Riley and brought him home to Cartledge Farms. He moved into a small one room cabin that John and Lessie Farr had just moved out of. Grandaddy Flake took care of Riley; he bought him new clothes and gave him some work on the farm. Riley ate his meals at the Cartledge’s table.

A local young man named Denzil Tidwell had a guitar for sale. Riley asked Mr. Flake if he would buy the guitar for him and let Riley work to pay the money back. Grandaddy Flake agreed and paid the $15 to buy Riley his first guitar. Before that Riley had put nails and strings in the wall of his cabin and would play them like a guitar. A local minister, Archie Farr, helped Riley start to learn the chords, but he really more or less taught himself to play. This was the humble beginnings of the King of Blues, B.B.King.

Wayne Cartledge

My grandfather, Wayne Cartledge, was 9 at the time Riley came to live at the Cartledge Farm. I don’t know that you’d call them “friends” as there was a 7 year age difference, but my grandfather followed along behind Riley as any younger boy would do. Riley was the one who taught my grandfather, Wayne, how to ride a bicycle. They remained friends for life. Every time Riley was in town, he contacted my grandfather. The relationship was something that my grandfather was so proud of. He would always talk about B.B. and force us grandchildren to listen to B.B.’s blues music. Looking back, I can appreciate it, although I must say that at the time I often plugged my ears.  Too young to understand good blues I suppose.

Papaw showing the documentary crew around the farm
Photo Credit Suzi Altman

Several years ago now, BBC sent a crew from England and author Charles Sawyer also came to the Cartledge Farm to gather information for a documentary and book on B.B. King.  My grandfather loved entertaining the documentary crews and driving them around our family’s property showing them the spot where B.B. lived. "You can still drink from the creek B.B. drank from when he worked here as a young boy."

My grandfather, Wayne Cartledge, died suddenly in December 2006. One of the most meaningful things we received was a huge bouquet of flowers from B.B. himself. He was out of the country at the time, so he was unable to attend the funeral, but his gift meant so much to my family. My grandfather would have LOVED it. We placed them right beside the casket.

Photo Credit Suzi Altman

The B.B. King museum recently opened in Indianola, and my family received a special invitation to attend the pre-opening ceremonies. The picture taken above was taken when they were filming a documentary that is in use at the B.B. King museum. One of the exhibits are donated items and artifacts from the Cartledge family and a video interview with my grandfather. Since he’s no longer here, it’s my job to carry on the family story of how my Great Grandaddy Flake bought B.B. his first guitar.

*Some details paraphrased from Charles Sawyer’s The Arrival of B.B.King. Other details obtained by oral interviews of Jocleta Cain Cartledge and Marshall F. Cartledge, II.

Teaser

This photo is a little teaser for tomorrow's post. 

This is blues legend B.B.King and my grandfather, Wayne Cartledge. 

Wanna know the full story? Stop by tomorrow :)

Photo Credit Suzi Altman