New blog URL!!!

Since Persephone has been a part of our family for a while now, I thought it would be appropriate to update my URL to include all of us.

Previous: http://ahjones2010.blogspot.com

New: http://ahpjones.blogspot.com

If you follow me - make sure to update your bookmarks/links!

Trip to Great Granny & Grandpa Jones

Hardy's paternal grandparents live in Young Harris, GA.  It's not extremely far, but we have to go up/over the mountain past Helen so it makes for a hellacious ride.  I get horribly car sick if I'm not the one driving sometimes, especially during stop and go traffic and mountain roads - I.will.vomit.  Unfortunately over the years, we only made the trip to their house during Christmas.  This year I made a promise to his Granny that we would make a better effort to visit more often. 

Occasionally I send them emails with pictures of Persephone and what she's been up to lately.  His Granny is always so sweet and responds with joy.

On Saturday March 22nd, we made our first "non holiday" trip.  We got up there around 12:45pm and had a delicious home cooked lunch.  Afterward, Granny, Hardy, Persephone and I went outside exploring.  Persephone loves to walk and check things out, so being on their property was like a gold mine to her.

She enjoyed checking out the flowers, sitting on old lawn mowers and tractors, playing in their bird bath..etc.

 

These two are like peas and carrots

Hardy's grandparents built their house themselves.  It is quite an amazing structure shaped like an octagon and it's three stories, with a small crows nest at the very top.  Just before we were preparing to leave, Hardy and his grandparents took Persephone up the crows nest to look out the window.  Unfortunately, as Persephone hugged a stuffed animal his Granny had up there, she was stung by a wasp!!!!  I was sitting on the couch in the living room and heard her crying, then they all came tromping downstairs.  She wasn't screaming bloody murder, but certainly wasn't a happy camper.

His Granny raced to break a piece of an aloe plant off so we could rub it on her sting.  At first we weren't sure where it got her.  I thought her hand was swollen, so we rubbed it there first.  It wasn't until I changed her diaper 5min later that I found it got her right on the rib cage (bad momma....her hand was just chubby like it normally is).  His Granny got another piece off her aloe plant and we rubbed it on there.  It was like magic, within 20 minutes the horrible sting had shrunk to a barely visible "pimple like" bump.  I was of course wondering if she was allergic, freaking out how soon we would see the signs of it.  Lucky for us (and her) she wasn't.  Once the initial reaction wore off, she was acting like her usual chipper self.  His grandparents were sweet enough to send us home with our own potted aloe plant for any other occassions we may need it.  They swore that the aloe helped all kinds of skin ailments.  Cuts, stings, scratches, burns...the list goes on.  I must say, it certainly worked it's magic on the wasp sting because by the next day you couldn't even tell it happened.

She enjoyed her visit with her great grandparents just as they loved her company.  We will definitely be making a trip back up there soon!  Hoping for no more wasp encounters of course.

Days of the Dead - Atlanta

I thought for sure after having Persephone I would still be on top of my blogging, turns out that's not true.  Between not having much of anything to report and that I've turned into a book worm in the last year, I just haven't devoted any time to it.   I'm back now!

In 2013, Hardy, a friend of mine from work and myself went to Days of the Dead in Atlanta at the Sheraton downtown.  We went because Ace Frehley from KISS was appearing.  Hardy and Pamela definitely wanted to meet him and get an autograph.  We also met a few other famous actors/actresses from the horror/sci fi genre.

When they began announcing guests for the 2014 we were just as easily excited to go.  Dee Snider from Twisted Sister, Twiggy Ramirez from Marilyn Manson, Roddy Piper, Don Jamieson from That Metal Show on VH1 Classic, Stephen Pearcy from RATT, Dee Wallace (actress from E.T., The Howling, Cujo, Critters and many more).  Like the previous year, we chose to only attend on Saturday which was $25 + the cost of any purchases you made.  This time, my younger brother Trevor tagged along with Hardy and I.  The trade show (which is one of my favorite features) showcased a lot of really cool businesses/artists/collectors with items for sale.  We bought a sign for my mom to hang in the garage with appropriate, yet inappropriate language, a few books which we got signed by the authors who were there.

We had a fantastic time and can't wait to hear who's on the roster for 2015!

So here are a few photo's from our adventure that day

My first experience was meeting Dee Wallace.  She was so sweet and adorably cute!

And she looks almost exactly the same.

Next up, Hardy met with Twiggy Ramirez who is the guitarist/bassist for Marilyn Manson.

Like every one we met that day, he was so cordial and probably

would have talked to us all day long if we had lingered around his table.

Then...Dee Snider of Twisted Sister! Super friendly.

 

One of the first people the convention announced as a guest was Damien Echols.  You may have read about him in a previous post I wrote a few years Injustice (if you haven't, definitely take a look).  I was so excited to get the opportunity to hear him speak/meet him.  As the convention drew closer though we realized we didn't have the money to meet every.single.person.  I had no idea luck was on my heels that day.  After we ate lunch, I was waiting on Hardy to run to the restroom.  As I stood next to the elevators I noticed Damien and his wife Lorri sitting in some chairs watching TV.  I was so nervous, more nervous than I was for any of the famous people we had met that day, let alone in my lifetime.  I approached them, explained that I followed his story and was so happy to see they had been released from prison regardless of the Alford plea they had to agree to (basically the plea allows the three men to claim their innocence, but they aren't dropped from the previous charges.)  Damien then asked if I was going to sit in on his panel and I explained I couldn't.  He pulled out a business card of his and signed it for me.  I shook his hand and told he and his wife what a pleasure it was to meet them.  Before getting on the elevator I asked to take a photo with him and he happily obliged.  Of course when men take a photo, they never do a great job and this is what I ended up with (THANKS A LOT HARDY).

Here is the business card he gave me

Nostalgia

Today a few co-workers and I started talking about old toys we played with as kids.  We went crazy on Google Images trying to find photos of some of our forgotten favorites.  Here are a few of mine!

Magic Nursery Dolls

You could get a baby

 

or a pet!

You would I think wet their hospital gown under warm water and it would unveil a plastic package with their clothes inside.  So clever.

The ORIGINAL Polly Pocket

(back when she was a legit chocking hazard)

 

 My awesome mom (have I mentioned that before) saved many of our favorite childhood items and over the recent years gave them to my brother and I to hang on to.  She saved ALL of my Polly Pockets (even though this photo isn't my collection, but it's similar).

My First Sony

I wore this tape player/recorder OUT.  I could sing along to tapes or record my own radio show - it was the best.  I have no idea where it is now, probably was thrown away some years ago.  Last I remember seeing it, the door was off :(

Puppy Surprise!

 Another amazingly awesome toy.  I had the black/white dog with three pups.

Playskool Dollhouse

This was my ALL TIME most played with toy I believe.  

When I got tired of using the plastic family, I moved in a plethora of plastic animal toys instead. 

Lil Miss Mermaid

She sang underwater, it was the neatest thing!  

I think they actually knocked off The Little Mermaid, because her 

song sounded just like Ariel.

The ORIGINAL Littlest Pet Shop

I had a bunch of these, but I actually still have all of the animals

included in this photo.

Tamagotchi

I now realize I got this toy only because it was popular.

My tamagotchi died all.the.time.

Skip it

I don't remember my highest skip count, but looking back

it kind of felt like a kid version of a ball and chain.

Talkboy

Wanted one because of Home Alone 2, but didn't want it bad enough.

Trolls

God these things were/are hideous.  Why were they such a hit?

Popples

I don't know if I actually had one of these when I was younger.  

But my baby blanket (which I still have) has Popples on it.  

I think Hardy's mom got me one for Christmas one year in like 2004?!  haha.

Toby Terrier

He was a lot similar to Teddy Ruxpin? 

Only he was a dog and you aimed him at the TV while playing

one of his VHS tapes.  He would respond by barking, growling and

wagging his tail.

Barbie Corvette

I totes magoats loved this car.

I even tried riding in it when I was too big for it, but it still served a purpose.

So tell me friends...did you have/play with any of these gems?

What were your favorite childhood toys?

Carving pumpkins

Last night I decided it was time to carve our pumpkins from Kinsey Family Farm.  I wasn't going to waste any money on a stencil, so Hardy and I just free handed them.

To begin with Persephone was having fun.  She even helped us put the seeds in a bowl so we could bake them later.  Eventually she became fussy (cutting tooth #2) and I had to finish the pumpkins while Hardy kept her company.

The bigger pumpkin was only $11 and the smaller was $3 at the farm - I thought not too shabby for as perfectly shaped they were.

Notice the giant butcher knife just a foot away from the baby....we're trying to teach her young about horror movie weapons ha ha ha.

My pumpkin was supposed to be your average jack-o-lantern and while I was trying to shave off some excess around the nose I butchered it...no pun intended.  So now my poor pumpkin has a ginormous nose.

Hardy opted to give his pumpkin spiked teeth....not too bad actually.