Stuff

The computer is not quite back to being fully loaded, so I don't have any of my own pictures to share.

I thought I would share a couple of my favorite things, though. To tide us over.

Have you used this stuff? It's fabulous. Especially when you live in a place where winter will never, ever end and you are destined to be cold and flaky for all of eternity.
My favorite lip balm is actually called 'My Favorite Lip Balm'. Worth every penny. I keep it on my night stand and use it every night before bed. Also great for the forever winter environment in which I am now dwelling.

I have just a slight lip balm addiction and usually have some sort of lip product in every room. I keep one next to my knitting (lip smacker) One in my purse (aquafina) one in a drawer at work (blistex silk and shine) along with many, many others.

This is the only medium cheddar cheese we like. Yummy! Nice and hard and very easy to grate.

In other news... I am learning a latin chant for my part in the Sound of Music. Very challenging. And I also have discovered I get to sing one of my favorite lines... 'I would like to say a word in her behalf, Maria, makes me laugh'. Makes me very happy.

Hopefully we are coming to the end of the revolving sicknesses around here. We have not all been at 100% for some time.

TTFN, friends!

Cute!

Lost!!

My big list of favorites.

All gone.

It took me a really long time to collect those favorites. Only some I read daily, but lots I check in whenever the mood strikes.

I hope I can find them all again!

Saved!

My fabulous, smart, wonderful, creative husband has rescued all of our photos!

Just in the nick of time too. The computer is on a slow crash, but crash it will at any moment. He's going to wipe the hard drive and we will start again. It's an old thing, and I wouldn't mind a new computer, but, ya know... Money doesn't grow on trees.

Last night we began practice for our local production of Sound of Music. I am in the role of Sister Margaretta. I can't wait to wear a habit. My youngest daughter was one of seven children out of 152 to be chosen to play one of the Von Trapp children.

My two youngest girls are close in size. Actually, my second grader looks older than my fourth grader, which meant they were up for the same part. So sad. To be so happy for one and so heart broken for the other. Ah, well. Life isn't fair, is it?

Off to work! I've been doing lots of crafty/knitty stuff that I'll show you soon. Some with success, some without, but it's all good practice.

Ack!!!

My computer is breaking, or is broken.

If it's just breaking, then there is hope to get three years worth of photos off of it before it is officially dead.

My husband is super smart, so I have faith that he will be able to rescue our photos.

The other stuff on there is mostly kids reports, a couple of starts on about three different novels that I will probably never finish, lots of knitting patterns and my resume.

I am willing to sacrifice it all just to get my pictures off.

Please send happy thoughts! And go burn your photos to a disc right now.

Have you discovered the Pioneer Woman?

If not, please check out this site. This is one of the most fun blogs I've seen in a while. (Not that I don't like yours, too. You know I love you!)

This is my favorite post. Please click on it. You won't be sorry.

Also, look around the site for Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. It's the story of how she met her husband. Serial reading at it's best.

Go over and then come back and tell me what you think.

Homesick

This is a picture of my home town on the Columbia River. This is where I grew up and where my husband grew up. We had two of our kids there.

My mom and step-dad still live there. My mother-in-law lives three hours north of there. My husband's grandparents are there. My brother, his sister. Our nieces. A church we love. An awesome Farmer's Market.

Right now it is 48 degrees and overcast there. Here it is snowing at the same time it is -3. I didn't think it was possible to snow at that cold of a temperature.

I'm mopey right now. Tired of snow. I haven't seen the ground since Dec. 1. And I'm afraid that we haven't even reached our snowiest month yet.

I miss the steady, small trickle of rain. They say it rains so much there, but it's not that it's really SO MUCH, but just a little bit, often. It never stopped us from playing outside when we were kids. Not like this frost-bitey weather keeps my kids in.

Snowy weather was always a treat for me. It would snow enough to make a snowman and then be gone in the next day or two.

Now it's too powdery to stick together and is all gray from the sand sprinkler. With frozen dog poops on top of it. Not a magic winter-wonderland at all.

Of course, there are blessings here, too. I'm just missing the other place today. I'm done whining, now.

Things I know about Vicks

Vicks feels better on the chest if you lay a heated wash cloth over it.

You should always take your contacts out first before using Vicks. It can sting up to four hours later, no matter how much you wash your hands.

I don't know who started this lie, but slathering Vicks on your feet and sleeping in socks does not magically make a cough go away. It's just gross.

Children will do almost anything to avoid being rubbed down with Vicks. I never show them the jar. I just goop some on a finger a hide it behind my back and then accost them with it. Of course, as soon as I lay that warm cloth on them, they are thanking me.

Vicks stains everything.

Using Vicks is not very happy-making. It means that sickness is abroad.

Out on 'tetanus'

He forgot the 'a'

But there were 32 kids out before him, which was a sizeable chunk.

So proud of my spelling bee-er!