This makes me laugh

Long time, no post

Weekend away! Yay!

Flu! Ick.

Raising kids is sometimes hard. Sigh.

That about sums up the last few days.

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!

In which I play Barbie with my teenage daughter

Take some really straight hair...

Add a few curlers, hot chocolate and make-up...

Then take a picture of pretty hair and glam-rock make-up.

Unfortunately, there was no place fancy to go. We settled for emptying the dishwasher and taking out the trash.

I quit!

Will it ever be flip flop season again?

Kitchen: before and after

Here is my blah, beige/white and everything apartment-like kitchen.

Here is my PINK kitchen! Not really that pink, I guess, even though that word was on the paint chip. I riillly like it. I think it's a good change.

I still need to do the trim and then the living room is getting it's face lift next. No more living in the land of baked potatoes for us! That's what my daugther said. With all the beige and brown and tan it feels like she's living inside a baked potato.

Paint is such a cheap way to make a big difference. It almost feels like a whole new place.

Why don't you come on over and have a cup of tea in my new kitchen!

Bits and pieces

I'm don't have anything wonderful to post, but I can't go from Saturday to Saturday without posting anything, so I will just talk a little about what I've been doing.

I used my birthday gift certificate to have my manicure this week. My nails are a shimmering gold color and the whole process was wonderfully relaxing.

I had lunch with a friend (Chinese!) this week.

The coffee shop got a new espresso machine and it is too fabulous for words. I'm going to have to limit myself or all of my expendable cash will be spent there. And where would that leave my friendly little thrift shop?

I've done some ebay research and found that a lot of the things I find in the thrift stores are too readily available and I that avenue is not a real money maker for me.

I still have not painted the kitchen, but the paint is waiting for me, already bought and paid for. The task of scrubbing down the kitchen does not appeal at the moment. I also want to dejunk the kitchen.

Speaking of de-junking - the whole house needs to be done. Anyone need a job? I'll pay in yummy latte's.

My daughter. My lovely, lovely daughter. I had a sad moment yesterday and she willingly hugged me tight and when I made the first move to let go, she squeezed tighter. Sometimes I don't feel like I'm doing anything right in her area, but this gave me hope. I love her so.

There is more snow. And below zero temps.

Survivor is having open auditions less than five hours away from me. Hmmmm???

My exercise program is back on track. Yay!

I got a new pair of jeans. Levi's 515's are where it's at.

Gotta go! I'll try to do better next week. I've got pictures in the camera to show you.

Oh, the blog world in which we live

I have a few blog favorites and I have made a few blog friends.


I visit lots and lots and lots of blogs but only comment at a few. I get intimidated if there are more than 7 or 8 comments and figure that blogger doesn't need any new friends. I read one blog that regularly gets 400, 500 and even once more than 3000 comments. I would never even think of commenting there.


In the past couple of weeks I found some blogs that for some reason I used to read and then lost touch with. Two of them have experienced divorces, and two have had babies. It was quite shocking, really.


I love the crafty blogs, but again, don't comment there much. They all seem to be writing books, which makes them AW-THURS, and thus, out of my league. Not that I'm star struck or anything, I just figure they already have enough on their plate.


There are a few of you, if I were traveling through your town, I would stop to see. And for a couple of you, it wouldn't feel weird.


I work with a couple of bloggers and that is fun! It lets me see a different side of the people I work with. But it was VERY hard to share with them that I, too, had a blog.

I haven't shared with too many of my real life friends this little hobby. I feel extremely vulnerable about it and I don't know why. It's not like I'm spilling my guts out here. I think probably because it is not an accurate representation of who I am. Well, it is and it isn't. I haven't been as adept as some of you out there who have great blog voices.


I have a friend who should definitely be a blogger. If you are reading this LD, this means you! Everybody would fall in love with you, even if you are de-caffeinated.

Thank you, all my bloggy friends, for sharing your life with me, a stranger. You have added to my life and made me think and laugh and pray for you. You make me want to be a better blogger so I have something to give back. I hope you find this little fluffly bloggy something to look forward to as much as I look forward to yours.

Go forth and blog!

A pretty shiny video

I find this video very charming for a "too late, so sad" song.

Do you think I could get away with a dress like this for work? Thought not.

Yup, it's the 25 things things I never tire of post

I am ashamed to say that I made my list during church. I kept covering it with my hand when my husband looked over and he asked me later what I was writing, but I didn't say. Now, he'll know I wasn't paying attention.

But that's okay. He often will get screenplay ideas during church and asks to borrow paper so he can write out an outline. I wonder where those scraps of paper go.

So, without further ado... my 25 things.

1. Sharpie pens
2. Blank books/thank you notes/stationary/paper supplies in general
3. lip balm - My current fave is My Favorite Lip Balm from Bath and Body
4. East Coast bloggers, they are the early posters! And west coast posters who give me something to look forward to in the afternoon.
5. The library
6. clean sheets
7. pajamas
8. nice people
9. thrift stores
10. fabric scraps
11. taco salads - I eat them almost every day
12. knitting patterns
13. craft books
14. long sleeve t-shirts, even in summer
15. aprons
16. the mall - mostly for people watching and lattes
17. pajama day - stay in and be cozy days.
18. It's a Wonderful Life
19. My kid's art
20. thoughtfulness - intentional acts of kindness. The random acts are good, but I like the on purpose ones better.
21. kids who take a shine to me
22. fairy lights
23. reading
24. dates with hubby
25. lists

Today

Today is nice!

I have a FRESH new haircut for the new year. I lost seven inches!

I think I'm going to buy my paint for my kitchen today. Courtesy of a gift card from my hubby. Yay, hubby!

I am determined to get to the bottom of the laundry room floor.

I finished the last few chapters in book two of a series, so I get to start book three later. After I have mopped the laundry room floor.

My bedroom is clean, my desk is next, I already exercised, I had a latte, I think I'm going to the movies, the sun is shining, my hubby took care of a really gross mess for me. (I cooked a turkey in the crock pot, took out the turkey, but left all the bits and pieces and then forgot about it. For three days. Yay, hubby!)

In general, I'm feelin' just fine! All motivated and grateful and fresh!

Un-decking the halls

Taking down the Christmas stuff is not nearly as joyous as putting them up, but we are done!

The house seems so much bigger without a huge tree in the middle of it. It feels nice and clean.

I'm proud to say that I have begun tackling the giant mess that is my bedroom. I have made some great progress. This weekend I will attempt to find the top of my desk.

It is also clean sheet day! A reason to celebrate in and of itself. Not that is happens so infrequently, but because I love it so much. If I weren't so busy with other stuff, every day would be clean sheet day.

Happy New Year, friends!