The Story of My Life

Check out the new blog about the Helena gnome hunt! Hewy, premiere Helena blogger, is once again up to his fun. Be sure to tune in..... WAIT. DON'T! I don't think it will be any fun ..... Just kidding. Come on out and play with us. We can handle the competition. My family and I are gonna, hopefully, add another notch to our gnome belt. Or garden. Here is my newest addition- I got him today from a new real life friend. I got the honor of meeting....the GNOME MASTER himself!!! Quite an honor. Thank you, my new friend. I shall name him Blogger, for the person who got me hooked on Helena blogging and shares my love for gnome hunts as well. I hope the Christmas gnome will be joining him this weekend.

Ok, Ok. So I didn't win the Golden Gnome Hunt. I am over it. Really. I am. But I did get myself some consolation prizes to help lessen the grief. The Biggest Tote Bag in the World, Animal print and Monogrammed just for me..... from Sew What . And a custom Name badge holder to match for my new official position---- (top secret clearance required.....) from Bead Biz , where Jess spent the day after the mad dash for clues. See what cute things you can get at our local little businesses??? Not a golden gnome, but will have to do. Oh and, Hewy did send me a Golden Gnome Piece of Flair on Facebook. Yet another consolation prize!

8 AM -I am out--rolled straight outta bed- with no makeup, a clippie in my hair, dragging my entourage collecting clues. Are YOU???????? GAME ON. UPDATE: 10 AM Have a new monogrammed book bag, coffee and a muffin..... and several clues. Bama Bell and LeighH - you are goin ' down. Competition is tuff this time. Noon: Have 2 new shirts, a beaded name tag holder, a massage to book AND all the CLUES but one!!! OK, so I didn't win. But had a great time visiting Helena businesses that I had always "meant to go by". *Got a huge GREAT animal print tote bag monogrammed for myself at Sew What , *a custom made necklace from Bead Biz , made with Love by Jess Jess, whom I dragged out with me, and her a really cool guitar pick necklace *Awesome Coffee and a muffin to start my day at Big Mountain *2 Abercrombie shirts for Little Man at Consignment Classics for $2.50!!!! (I had money in my account from things I took there....for his being dragged along as well.) What a fun da...

I found the book Hewy always refers to on Gnomes, and indeed the map highlights Helena as gnome territory. It also highlights my old stomping ground a little north of here where all our family mischief with gnomes takes place. How cool is THAT??? This is not Photoshop magic by Hewy, it is in fact, the map from the book by Wil Huygen, a Dutch author. He published an authoritative and comprehensive fact book in 1977 about Gnomes There is a 30th anniversary edition of the book for sale on Amazon and some other beautiful gnome selections as well. Not that I doubted you, Hew, just researching....... I found another a cool site while researching gnomes this morning- in my excitement over the Golden Gnome Hunt forthcoming. http://www.gnometownusa.com/ He has lots of gnomes and accessories for sale. And a t-shirt. Look at the gnome door !! How cute is that! I think I may just have to design and order a TEAM CHARNITA/LEIGH t-shirt and purchase them for my ...

The Gnome of Helena Hunt traveled about the town today to celebrate International Gnome Day in the lovely, happy place he lives. Hewy No Sleep , his namesake, and friend to all gnomes sponsored a gnome photo hunt for the occasion and Little Hewy was tickled to get to venture out of the flower bed. The Buck Creek Falls were beautiful and a nice man stopped him to show him a HUGE catfish he just pulled out of the creek. Then little Hewy Penhale Tucker gnome stopped by the old red caboose to say hello to his gnome friend who lives and works inside. My son tried to break him out of the caboose--and bring him to live with us on the day of the gnome hunt, but he said he was happy keeping his eye on Old Town. Old Town is a safe place, with many useful tips posted to ensure the citizens that the town is enjoyable for all. And someone is watching it 24 hours a day....may just be that little gnome in the caboose! And Hewy was trying to get out to that log that was on the falls for 12 days, 21 ...

Um...that's not how I remember it at all... See MY blog for the real story. http://www.eghopper.blogspot.com/ ........

Well, as you may know if you have been reading my blog for a bit, my family is a little, um, eccentric. We love games, practical jokes and laughing. Not a bad thing. And as several non-related observers of our antics this weekend pointed out, their families are boring and they had much rather be a part of our craziness than dull, uninteresting, non-brain-stimulating family affairs. We, too have a thing with gnomes, like Hewy. Our 4th gnome hunt of the family has been in progress over the last few weeks. I have been the virtual winner the first and second round (beating out my cousin who is in charge of the Internet and my uncle who is a secret agent) ......and my brother and I cheated my aunt, who had been the 1st round winner- out of winning the 2nd round in a very ingenious plot if I do say so myself. I figured out the location of the 2nd clue and was the virtual winner. I called my brother, who was off work that day and who had not even looked at the clue. He retrieved the clue from...

Oh another note, I got some clothes for the Bon Jovi Event at Macy's One Day Sale- that actually lasts 3 days- this weekend. 8 Days to Bon Jovi........ This is a perspective shirt for the Bon Jovi Concert. It is my favorite brand, INC International Concepts from Macy's. I adore their clothes, especially shirts. I have this other one that I am considering..... I had those wooden Dr. Scholls in my youth and I could not resist this sparkly pink pair. These are not for the concert, but the ballfield. They have plastic bottoms and a massagy feeling to the bottom of your foot. And a new pair of Flip Flops....can't have too many. Also, we are overhauling our landscaping. Let me say we are usually not do-it-yourselfers- especially not in the gardening area, so this is new for us. I did compliment my husband. He is as OCD as I am, whether he will admit it or not- just about different things. It bodes well for him in that he starts a project and finishes it....immediately. So, starte...

What a great Blogging weekend.....and family time and FUN. Friday began with the Friday Fashion Fiesta from Big Mama. I met so many new faces. AND HAD so many visitors. Big Mama, you a a ratings BOOSTER! Storms and hail on Friday afternoon left everything smelling fresh, wonderful and fragrant...and oh , so green . We went out to dinner and took a nice drive, seeing many power outages and some storm damage. No tornadoes, THANK GOD. Saturday was a nice morning- read gnome hunt clues, went to a baseball game, more clues and gnome hunting.......FUN FUN FOUND! Hewy is good for the visitors too! 2 record days ! Hewy Tucker Penhale - the name suggested by blog visitors-the gnome now resides in my flower bed by the front porch. We went to church and out to Sunday lunch yesterday and then had a nice quiet afternoon in the house- covered in a blanket since it is BLACKBERRY WINTER. ---A (mainly Southern) term used to describe a brief period of cold weather that coincides with the time the black...

LOST GNOME IN HELENA: FOUND!!! I love a good game and I love gnomes. My pal Hewy provided a gnome hunt a few months ago and sadly,I did not win. Today is his Blog Anniversary and he sponsored another Lost Gnome of Helena hunt for the honor. I have been anxiously awaiting the next chance.... My family and I started deciphering clues last night and my husband helped me decipher the 2nd clue this morning. I am not the greatest map reader- although I did figure out the first map, the 2nd one was all his!!! I pulled up a Yahoo map of Helena and compared it to the first clue- deciding that the heart was on the heart of the town- the city hall/Joe Tucker park area. My husband figured out that the clown was a Joe Tucker Map-I think upside down.... My Baby Girl and I hit Joe Tucker Park before my son's baseball game for SEARCH. I searched the whole park somewhat, but concentrated on the red area that I thought to be the small ball field. My son and husband went along for the first hunt, bu...