Thursday, September 3, 2009

An Unwelcome Visitor in the House, My Giveaway & (Late) Faithful Fridays!

This past Saturday, I had an unpleasant experience that involved an unwelcome visitor in my house! I was sitting at the dining room table, working on my laptop, when a slight movement caught my eye at my right shoulder level. I looked down at my shoulder to see (what appeared to be) a striped lizard come rest on my shoulder! My instant reaction was to flick it off with my fingers......being unsure that was what I was actually seeing and not wanting to take ANY chances! I jumped up, looking around on the dining room table and floor to see where it landed. After looking, and looking, everywhere, there wasn't a lizard in sight! I sat back down and this overwhelming creepy feeling came all over me.....I knew that WAS a lizard I had seen and if it wasn't anywhere to be seen....just where was it? I had this feeling it might be hiding ON ME somewhere! I yelled for Joy (who was upstairs) to come down. I asked her to look and see if anything was on me anywhere.....like a lizard....on my back....anywhere! She came pretty close to observe and as I turned around, I got my answer! She screamed, "It's on your back...." and went running back upstairs! I yelled, "Get it off, PLEASE"! She yelled back, "I'm sorry mom....I just can't." There was lots of yelling going on! As a matter of fact, one of Joy's friends was holding on the phone and her entire family heard this whole thing taking place! (I learned this the next morning in church when her mom came in asking if I had any lizards in my purse)! lol! Anyway....I'm glad Joy refused to help in the house anyway, after I thought about it, because had she knocked it off in my house, I would be searching for the lizard.....afraid I'd turn my bedcovers back and there it would be! I was sure that lizard was trying to traumatize me. I might be a country girl, but let me make one thing clear.....I don't like lizards or snakes or anything that even slightly resembles one! I am thankful, though, it wasn't a snake...they probably would have been calling an ambulance for me!

On with the story....I was holding my shirt tight around my neck to keep it from crawling down my shirt. (I have the creepy crawlies just remembering this and writing it). I ran outside and told Joy to knock it off with a stick. It seemed like forever....her looking for a stick and all....then I saw my hero.....Jason....next door....in sight in my mom and dad's yard! About the same time, Joy and I both yelled for him! He came running (it seemed like in slow motion to me), not knowing what to expect by the looks (and sounds) coming from us! I turned around again screaming, "Get it off, get it off." He did. And I have to say that lizard's life was cut short by Jason's shoe. (He did that for me, otherwise he would have just let the little fellow go). Sorry if you love lizards....Jason just knew me well enough to know I wouldn't have been satisfied knowing that lizard was still alive....capable of making his way back in to my house. Sorry but when they invade MY space, they cross the line! And besides they just shouldn't look so much like a snake! These days, I'm really paranoid....looking over my shoulder...literally!

It also didn't help that a visit recently to Richie and Missy's house (my brother and SIL), Jason and I had my nephew's room (Kemper). He shares his room with Paco......an iguana! Paco does live in his own big enclosed habitat in Kemper's room, but there's nothing like going to bed and have Paco staring at you! I think he knew Joy and I didn't really like him all that much! We rushed by when we had to pass by "his place". I also put Jason on the side of the bed near Paco...I was as far as I could get from Paco on the other! And believe me, I just left there very thankful that our son, Colt, never asked for an iguana growing up and that Joy doesn't like them either. (Hey that's part of my Faithful Friday post....what I'm thankful for)! :)

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But lizards aside (hopefully far, far away), it's time to tell you about my giveaway! Instead of focusing on fall, I decided to give away something that Jason made and we painted. It's a pegboard with star cuts and rusty old screw pegs.



Here it is shown sitting on the little ledge at our chair rail level next to the red wall. It is 32 1/2" long and 8 1/4" wide. It is painted black distressed with barn red.



I am opening this to bloggers and non-bloggers. If you're a non-blogger, leave your email address, so I can contact you if you win! Leave a comment letting me know you'd like to enter, and you'll get an entry, and if you have a funny or scary lizard story, I'd love to hear that too! If you are a follower, you get two extra entries. Like so many others have expressed, I really don't like the term follower, because I don't like to sound like a cult or anything! lol! Why couldn't blogger come up with a better term, like fellow bloggers or bloggin buddies? Anyway, I'll have Miss Joy draw out a name on Wednesday, September 9th at 9:30 p.m. Oh, and because of the cost of shipping, this giveaway is open to the lower 48 continental US residents only. Good luck!



And one more thing before I go, since I missed Faithful Fridays yesterday. I'd like to give a little praise report. We are actually out of town right now at our friends house (Betty & Richard). If you remember, I asked prayer for Richard. He did have prostate cancer, but he received a good report that it hasn't spread and surgery is scheduled in about 2 weeks to remove it with a good prognosis. Thanks for your prayers and please continue to pray for him! We give the glory to God!

And oh yeah, I am really thankful that Colt never asked for an iguana!

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Thanks again, my friends, for stopping by! Have a great Labor Day weekend! :)

61 comments:

Zaroga said...

Poor lizard. I lived in a house for a while when I was about 4/5 years old. Lizards (green anoles) abounded in the house. We were not allowed to harm them. They took care of the undesirable pest, such as roaches. We did get to play with them. I had not remembered getting bit by one as a child. Our home now gets an occasional lizard in the house. One time I got bit when relocating one to the great outdoors... the critter did not want to turn lose. Finally it did. Frank did not believe me that they bite until it happened to him one time. We both now get a rag or paper towel to help protect our fingers now :-)

That is a nice giveaway. Enter me please :-)

Parsley said...

I'm smiling at your lizard experience. Sad it isn't around anymore but I do understand. EEK!

Enter me please.

Bobbi Jo Nichols said...

Tammy,
OH MY GOODNESS! Your poor gal. I hate lizards too. I feel for you.
Love the pegboard. It looks great.
Hugs, Bobbi Jo

basketsnprims said...

Tammy ~
I don't have a lizard story but I could share a story about a wood tick but it's too long but hilarious. Glad Jason came to your rescue.
Love the peg rack ~ please enter me.
I'm so glad your friend is doing OK with no spread of the cancer. Prayer works miracles.
hugs,
Pam

Lakeville Vertical said...

Would love to win that beautiful peg board. I myself have no lizard stories really. I live in the North and only see them on vacation and am super in love with them each time. However, I know I wouldn't want one crawling on my back. :)

Linda - Behind My Red Door said...

OH Tammy - I have the creepy crawlies now! LOL You were smart to go outside- I would have ripped my shirt right off my back!!
So glad that Richard had good news - I hope his surgery goes well!

Have a great weekend!

WoolenSails said...

Lizards are something we don't have around here. The only unwelcome guests we get is spiders and moths. I do not like moths that get in, especially with my wool.

Love the giveaway and the stain you used.

Debbie

Christie said...

lol....no lizard story, but I am terrified of spiders. I had a similar experience with an ugly spider. *Something* caught my attention at the end of my vision. Looked at my shoulder and sure enough! SPIDER!!! Looking at me! I'll be honest, my first thought was just to cut off my arm. lol It wasn't working anyway, my arm. I couldn't raise it up or shrug my shoulder to shake it off. I just stared at the spider and yelled "get it off" to my 11 yr old son who about passed out (he too is afraid of spiders). He hit me hard enough that I thought maybe he HAD taken my arm off. lol Killed the spider right on my white shirt. Gotta love that!! At least it was dead and that shirt came off faster than any other shirt I've ever worn.
Great giveaway!! I'd love to be entered!!

Christie said...

Oh, and I'm a *follower* of your blog as well! lol

At Home With Amy said...

I'm sorry Tammy but your lizard story cracked me up. I could just see you in a panic flying around the house with him clinging to your back holding on for dear life. I'm so glad Jason came to your rescue though before you had the big one.
Thanks for sharing Richards good report with us. I love to hear stories of God goodness and faithfulness to his people.
Have a wonderful weekend Tammy,
Hugs,
AMY
ps. Almost forgot, please enter me in your giveaway!

Parsley said...

Forgot to mention I'm a follower.

Lois Christensen said...

Sorry about the lizard! BUT, I do have a similar story only it involves a roach, yes a roach. But you have to understand it's the kind that you all have down south everywhere. We were living in Atlanta while hubby was on active duty about 3 years ago and we had a small one bedroom apartment that I just loved, because we were all together. Anyway, I had the computer set up in the bedroom and I would do my transcribing job there. One night while I was working I kept feeling something on my foot, but checked twice and didn't see anything. But the third time was the charm and as I looked down I saw the biggest roach crawl over my foot. Boy did I scream! We've seen these lovely bugs out on the balcony many times and even on the stairs leading up to our apartment. They are so huge!!! You all grow them big down south!!

Would LOVE to win that shelf!!! Love your blog!!

A Bit of Colour said...

Oh I can relate with the lizard in the house thing but I never had one crawl on me. When we lived in the Carolina's we had the fusia green/blue striped little ones running around the firplace; that is where they came in. Thank GOD they never landed on me. I really don't know what I would have done. PRAISE GOD about your friend! please add me to your giveaway!

Bonnie said...

Oh, I can just see that experience! I don't know what I would have done. I don't have many lizards, but sure make up for it with spiders! Yikes!
Love your peg board and have the perfect place for it! I too am a follower.

Never So Simple said...

Oh my gosh I can't stop laughing. I think this is the funniest story. I so needed a good laugh! Tammy I can just see you and Joy running around the house. This happened to me once when I was laying out in the yard. I kept hearing something like a tapping sound and sure enough there he was sitting right by my head on the chair. Almost as if he was tapping his tail to my music. I'm sure my neighbors thought I lost my mind when I jumped up screaming and running around in my yard.

I so love the give away and would love to enter. I love the wonderful work you and Jason do together.

So glad to hear about Richard. I will continue to keep him in my prayers. Hope Joy is feeling better! Once again thanks for the laugh!

Donna

Karen said...

You poor thing! I think I would've died if that had been me! I couldn't stand anything like that crawling on me! LOL
I love the pegboard that you and Jason made. It looks so nice. I would love to be entered into your giveaway.
Have a great weekend, and hopefully, with no more lizards!
Karen

adsgram said...

I am not so big on creepy crawlies, either. My son DID have an iguana for about 3 weeks...he didn't take care of it, and they don't smell so good after awhile. His friend took it, thank goodness! That was over 20 years ago, and I still get 'icky' feling thinking about it!

I would love to be entered into your giveaway..that is a nice peg rack, and I am sure it would love to live here with me... Enjoy your weekend!

Lynne
dlynne172@yahoo.com

Sherry said...

Oh, my word! I am sorry, but I laughed so hard picturing you going around screaming and your daughter screaming - all with the lizard hanging on for dear life. We've got lots of alligator lizards here in Southern California, but I've never had one on my back! ;]
I'd love to win that pegboard - it's lovely. I am a follower too! =]

Yankee Ridge Primitives said...

You are too funny, as I was reading I had to giggle! I would have done the SAME thing as you as I hate all creepy things. Jason has snakes but they are in the basement in tanks so they dont bother me too much! So glad your Jason was able to be there to get him off AND kill him:)

Juanita said...

Tammy,
I sat here and laughed so hard when I was reading your story.We have lizards all over the place around here. They change colors and they are not very big.Now if I would have seen a snake....well lets just say thats a different story!My sons when they were little used to squeeze their mouth open and hang them on their ear lobes and say "look mom,earings " and i would look and they would have several hanging from their ears. LOL!! Anyways you know I'm a follower and I love the giveaway. So I'm in! Have a blessed day!
Juanita

Colleen/And Baby Makes Five said...

Oh my! We don't have little lizard invaders here in New England. Though we've had our fair share of field mice and chipmunks around over the years.

I'd love to be entered into your giveaway, Tammy. And I'm a follower too.

Happy Weekend!

Debbi said...

Sorry about your lizard experience, but thanks for the laugh. Please enter me in your drawing.

Linda ★ Parker's General said...

Wow! Poor little guy was probably wondering just what he had gotten himself into. They are just too curious. Once, back in the 60's, we lived ina village along the Mississippi River. This particular spring, the riveer rose to completely surround our house. We went to live in the school house with several other displaced families. After we moved back home, there was tons of cleanup to do but us kids weren't part of that. A couple weeks after moveing back home, I got up in the morning and had to use the bathroom. Just as I was lowering myself onto the seat, I saw a snake slither behind the toilet. I screamed and ran out of that bathroom. My Dad took care of it and I don't even know how. I wouldn't look. Talk about having the pee scared out of you! That was 50+ years ago and I still get the creepy crawlies thinking about that.
Tammy, you know I am one your blog buddies. I try to keep up. And I love the work you and Jason put out.
BTW~I now know that God's creatures don't seek us out to harm us but are as or more startled than we are when we have those chance meetings. Bugs --- now that's another story. They truely are pests.....

Cat Nap Inn Primitives said...

Oh I just love your giveaway..yes please enter me..and I am a follower too..my story is about grasshoppers..my family and neighbors when I was growing up put about 20 or so all over me, down my pants etc..while I was sleeping..I woke up with one on my nose..and wondering what was going on..freaked me out..I had a huge flying kind down my pants that my brother got out..they bribed me with kool-aid not to tell what happened..my mom was in the hospital at the time and my dad left to go to the hospital to visit..I don't recall if I tattled or not...lol..to this day..don't like grasshoppers..:)have a wonderful weekend.:)

Lee Hill Primitives said...

Hi,
That is a nice giveaway! Enter my name. It looks very prim.

The Farmers Oldest Daughter said...

Thanks for a great story. I am the same way with mice. I have a story about mice when I was pregnant, many years ago, but I won't bore you with that.

Prayer works miracles. So glad your friend Richard is doing great.

Please enter me in your wonderful giveaway.

Maxine

dctm said...

I do have a lizard story! In our old house (and the house was very old) one morning after my husband left for work, I went to the kitchen and there in the middle of the floor was a lizard. I hate any kind of insects, etc, etc. so I was not happy. My husband had to leave work and come back to the house and catch the lizard - it was so funny.

Christie
dctm at bellsouth dot net

Madison said...

LOL! I told my mom about your visitor and she said to tell you that we practically play with lizards! I would love to win your giveaway! I don't have a lizard story but I do have a bee story! At my friends house we will go in her pool. Now every time we go out there begining a couple weeks ago a bee comes and attacks us. The same bee every time. Sometimes it goes in our eye, sometimes it goes on your arm really anywhere. And it's a huge bee too. Now were really scared to go swimming now. I think it's the Devil's bee. Anyway hope you have a great day!

Love, Madison

missy said...

oh my gosh......please count me in on the give away.....i love the it!!!!!! if i do not win do you sell them?!!!??!?!?!?!
and i do not have a lizard story.....but snakes freak me out so i am quite sure the little lizard would have been scared of me after i got done screaming!!!!!

arkie said...

So glad you survived the lizard attack. I hope I don't dream about your lizard, as I am reading this at night! Great news about your friend!

Love your woodwork!

Ann said...

Your lizard story was hilarious and entertaining. I am not so much afraid of lizards as I am with roaches so I can say that lizards are friends of mine just because they hate roaches too.

Debbie said...

Being the mother of two boys... I have a lizard story. The boys went to one of the local parks and came home with two little lizards in a jar with aluminum foil on top. They were so proud of their find. They cam running into the house to show me their catch and of course they took the foil off and the lizards escaped. I was startled but quickly helped catch them and made the boys release them outside.

When they got a little older... the boys, that is.... them and their dad did talk me into letting them get an iguana. They pick one out and get it home and then they are all too scared to hold it. Luckily I wasn't scared of it.

Well... they kept 'Koopa' in a 20 gallon aquarium with a screen on top. I came home from work one day, went to my room to change clothes. Went to my dresser to get some shorts. Opened the drawer, closed the drawer and then looked on top of the dresser to see this 1 1/2 foot iguana just looking at me. Apparently they are good climbers. At first it shooked me and then I just laughed and called them in to take a peek.

I can still picture him just sitting there like he owned the place. lol

Hope you have a good holiday with no unexpected visitors. :)

Take Care,

Debbie

•♦•©The Olde Weeping Cedar •♦• said...

Hi Tammy!

No lizards here in PA (that I know of anyway)...I have enough other creepy crawlers here!! I had to chuckle at your story--the way you told it...I can just picture it!
I am so glad your friend got a good report.
Your giveaway is wonderful and very generous! You two do fantastic work ;) I would love to be included, but I would also like to let someone else have my chance at winning this awesome gift! I can have hubs make me one, and there are others who do have that option...so I'd like to see them win it.
Thanks for the chance to win this, it's wonderful, and prim-perfect Tammy (& Jason)!

Best of luck to everyone ;)

Hope you and the fam had/are having a wonderful holiday weekend!

hugs♥

Anonymous said...

Tammy, I know that I would have definately been jumping out of my skin!! I don't like ANY kind of creepy crawly things, whether they are big or small!! So glad that Joy and Colt were home to come to your rescue!! That would have been quite scary, no doubt!!

I recall one time when we were camping, and our daughter needed to go to the bathroom, and lo and behold, outside of the campground bathroom, on the right side of the building was this humoungous spider!! I mean the biggest spider I've ever laid eyes on!! He looked to be a foot wide!! No kidding!! No way did I want it to come crawling inside the bathroom door, which was on the left side of that building, and especially since we had to use that door to exit out of the bathroom!! Luckily, he must have decided to crawl someplace else instead of near or around the entrance of the bathroom door....Thank goodness!! I'm so glad that we only spent one night at that campground!! I was real glad that we were sleeping in our motorhome instead of a tent too!! ;)
If we would have been in a tent, I would have been up all night long with my flashlight turned on, while staring at the door of the tent!!
Please do enter my name in your great giveaway! Jason and you did it again!! I love this pegboard you both made!! The color of it would go lovely with my shutters too Tammy!! :) I'm one of your followers too!! I have always loved coming here to visit you and your family and reading your blog!

I was so glad to read that your friend Richard had a good report..Praise God!! We will be keeping him in our prayers Tammy..

Have a great Labor Day too!!

Love & Blessings,
~Lynn

Gettysburg Homestead said...

LOLOLOLOL.. sorry about your misfortune Tammy. That sounds like me with mice. I just laugh at the way you tell the story. I like to use the excuse our landlord doesn't allow pets. :-) But we still have Mr. Fishy. I can deal with a goldfish.

Have a great time with your friends.

Mary

Paula said...

Oh my! I know that I probably would have freaked out and ripped the shirt off quick!

I'm looking forward to the give away! Have a great time with friends!

Nancy M. said...

I'm sorry the lizard scared you so bad! I would have freaked out just because it was in my house! I like lizards, but I wouldn't want one sneaking up on me, lol!

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you had a very interesting day! I would have freaked too! Don't mind spiders, but all the other creepy crawly things better find a home some where else away from me! Love your blog and would love to be entered into your giveaway. Not a "follower" as in having my own blog but do read a few to be enlighted and inspired by you wonderful girls out there.
Blessings,
Sheila

ghomeschool said...

I feel your pain or willies. I remember the lizard that was in our house when we were supposed to be at your house. I couldn't leave without knowing that thing was outside and dead. At least mine wasn't sitting on my shoulder!!! Yuck. I'm glad Jason was there for you or you might of had to streak. LOL

Shannon Sisk said...

Oh my goodness! As I read this, I could just feel something crawling on me! Luckily, it was nothing! I don't like lizards at all. Glad you got it off you and I absolutely love the peg board! Please enter me!

~Shannon~

Anonymous said...

oh count me in on your giveaway!! that is a really nice peg board!!
my email jillybean@hvc.rr.com
and you know I am a follower for sure.

I have a lizard story....my mom took me to Bermuda when I was 16 and the motel we stayed at had lizards that would sit on the OUTSIDE window ledge and they would blow up the skin on their chins....I used to have a pic of one but they got lost. They were ok as long as they stayed outside!!

but having one on ME would have freaked me out too!! UGH!!! I feel your pain!!

Jill from NY

carolyn@simple~primitive~devotion said...

HEyw Tammy! OMGosh! Your lizard story is funny, but I know I would feel the same way! We have thsoe striped lizards here too, but I don;t care if they are polka-dotted! I don't like them either and I am so afraid of them! We see them on the screens of our front windows sometimes, and I have a basket of pinecones on the front porch that I believe some have made homes in. Steve told me to dump them out and see, and I said, I will when it turns cold! LOL! I know thye will be long gone by then! He thinks its funny that I'm afraid of them. I am not a fan of critters & insects, bugs, spiders, and especially not snakes! EEEEKKKKK!!!!

So glad to hear that your friend's cancer has not spread and I will continue to pray for him and his family to get through this trial.

Nice give away prize too! And I'd love to win it, but I don't have that much wall space for it anyway. So I will just wish everyone that enters good luck.

I hope you have a great week!

Janel said...

Oh I just love your peg board! You give away the sweewtest things! Sorry about your unwelcome lizard :( I hope that you have recuperated by this point :)

Blessings, Janel in NJ
ccd4thgrade@yahoo.com
PS...thank you for e-mailing me with the colors of your beautiful bathroom!

Anonymous said...

Hello,

My name is Julie, and I absolutely love reading your blog! Though I am not a blogger myself, I still check yours out on a regular basis. I love your decorating ideas, and funny stories! I also enjoy your encouragement to other homeschooling Moms like myself.
I'd like to enter the giveaway contest. My email is:
dennisjulieleblanc@yahoo.ca

Thanks!
Julie

Jamie said...

Hi Tammy! What a great giveaway you are offering! I am a follower and would like to be entered in the drawing. I have no lizard stories, but got a good laugh when I read yours! :)

Mandie said...

Yes, I would love to be entered in your giveaway. I am having one too, feel free to enter.

I don't have a lizard story but sure did enjoy reading yours!!

Wendi said...

As welcoming as I like to be I don't think I would have welcomed the lizard either. Yuck!

Elle Bee said...

OH I can't stop laughing about the lizard!! Not that I find joy in you being creeped out, but just because your reactions were so like mine would have been! AHHHHH!!!! Very nice giveaway!
Elle

free indeed said...

We can ALL relate to that story!!! Thankfully we don't have lizards in our part of the country...(northern Maine), but there are plenty of creepy crawlies about, and things moving just out of our peripheral vision...
Glad they caught the cancer soon enough...my BIL was diagnosed with that cancer a couple of years ago too....he is fine...
Such a lovely primitive rack...would love to display here in my 100+yr old house.

ohiofarmgirl said...

Oh yes...enter me too. I don' think I have any stories that are "lizard-like" but it was funny.
I think I found some goo remover that I might try ...still sticky.
i will keep you posted. Dianntha

Dawn said...

Tammy, I love love love that shelf, it would be so great for fall decorating!! I am a faithful follower so add me up!!

Jo-Anne said...

So sorry about your lizard experience! You probably wont want to come to Arizona anytime soon. There are an abundance of those little critters here! ;)
I love the pegboard!!
Have a great day!
Jo-Anne

COUNTRY MOM said...

I love the shelf and would love to be entered in your contest. That is a great giveaway. We live in the country and have lots of lizards and spiders (Outside) lol. Have a great day. Blessings,

Gayle said...

That would give me the willies to have a lizard crawling around on my clothes - I'm glad you survived the encounter! LOL Great giveaway!

momstheword said...

Oh wow, I would have been running around outside with my shirt off, lol!

The only lizard story I have is that we found one in a store once and my son caught it, much to the relief of the manager!

Oh, and I am already a follower!

Christine said...

Hello there- I just found your blog- and am now a follower! I know it was traumatic, but that lizard story was funny! Can't wait to see what else you have written about. Please enter me in your giveaway- if it's not too late! I'm having one now also, if you would like to check it out!

~Christine~

Paula said...

What an awesome giveaway, Tammy!! You are so sweet!!!

Except with lizards... *LOL*
Are you sure he wasn't just trying to sell you some car insurance? *giggle*
I can see the headlines-
"Blogger kills Gieco Gecko".

Ronda said...

Tammy,

I love the peg board! As for the lizard.......I feel for you. I hate slimy creepy crawlers too! I would have gotten it off of you though!
I had a rattle snake on my back deck last summer! I freaked out...major big time!
Ronda

Shelley said...

Glad that lizard didn't take a bite out of you! LOL! I can picture the mayhem! (I ran around the house like a crazy woman after I found a spider on my arm last year so I totally empathize!)

My Colonial Home said...

I have to say I loved your lizard story...I was giggling and I'm sorry but I could see ME doing just what you did! lol

Now I'm sorry I was gone for a couple days...i missed your wonderful Give A-way!!!!

Hugs, Karen

Sharon said...

OMG girl I was about to have a heart attack. I don't know how you did it for so long.
I don't like any of those creepy crawlers.
Thanks for sharing your horrible experience.
Have a great weekend.