Blue Skies and Butterflies ~among other things

Four Days to "Get Er Done"

2012-01-30T10:32:00.000-05:00

My mind is spinning this week of all the things that need to be done before flying the friendly skies on Friday. I am mostly packed, but then there are all those things that must wait until the very end. Medicines, forgotten "must have" clothing items, hairbrush, phone & plug, etc... Then there is leaving a clean house. A must.
Then getting everything ready for the business. YIKES!
Make sure there is enough dog food....
Last minute laundry....
Taking all the "yuckies" out of the fridge
Oh MY! I best get busy!

Sure Fire Way to Weight Loss

2012-01-28T10:10:00.000-05:00

But, not so fun. I've been sick for the past 3 weeks. I'm not sure what's going on. I thought I just had the flu. But, I am now thinking I am having some sort of reaction to meds. I'm working with the doc to figure out what is going on. I simply don't feel like eating. Well, not simply. I also have nausea,headaches, dizziness and chronic diarrhea. Hoping to get to the bottom of this before leaving for FLORIDA on Friday!! Don't forget to check out my new, other blog: http://creativecookeryhealthfullyso.blogspot.com/ I think I like it better then this one. It might be my new main blog.

Wednesday HodgePodge ~ 1/25/2012

2012-01-25T20:20:00.000-05:00

1. Have you ever been ‘asked’ to report for jury duty? Were you chosen to serve? If not, were you happy or disappointed?
Yes, twice. I was not chosen. I was very disappointed. I would love to be on a jury and be a part of the legal process. Just once. How come the people who want to be chosen are not; and the people who don NOT want to be chosen: are.

2. On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being very), how mechanically inclined are you? Give an example to back up your answer.

Not, not, no not. Maybe 3. I get all jumbled up. I am WAYYY to impatient. That it gets in the way of simple tasks. For example opening lids, screwing in screws, putting the vacuum peices back on the vacuum, etc...

3. Beets-cabbage-cauliflower-butternut squash….of the four, which is your favorite fall vegetable?

Um, probably cabbage. but i do like the rest also. Love cabbage and sausage, or cabbage and corned beef.

.
4. What do you recommend to overcome self-pity?
Get involved in a project that takes the focus off of yourself. Focus on someone else.

5. Do you enjoy classical music?

Yes, some of it. I probably have a few favorite peices.Jesu Joy is one of them. I also enjoy fuges. AND Handel's Messiah.

6. October is National Book Month…what’s on your reading list this month?
I plan to start the latest Janet E. book in FLA or the latest Sue Grafton novel.

7. What is your idea of ‘cute’?
Kids! Kids are so so so cute! All of them.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Nada. My brain is mush.

Ups & Downs of 9t.89 the Weather8888888888888888885

2012-01-23T13:48:00.000-05:00

.If you see letters and numbers that don't belong it's because a monster baby was helping me compose my63 blog today.
The extreme changes in the weather is causing me to have great headaches & the great headaches are causing dizziness. Had a bad headache and dizzy spell at IKEA yesterday. Saw many cool things but only bought a 2 - pack of cutting boards and some containers for food storage. They do have a lot of neat items that are organization helps.
Went to bed very early because of the headache last night. In the middle of the night I got the chills. I was very afraid that I was coming down with something icky. I'm doing a little better today. Have a milder form of the headache. No dizziness or chills.
I need to try and grocery shop later this afternoon. It may just have to wait until tomorrow.

A Little Trip

2012-01-22T12:05:00.000-05:00

IKEA

Decided to get a little walking exercise today. Going to take a trip to IKEA down in Canton. Renee, Syd and Sis are going with Sarah, Peyters and me. I was trying to decide between walking around at Frankenmuth, Great Lakes Crossings or IKEA. I decided I needed to get out somewhere and walk. Renee said she'd like to go to IKEA so that was that. I'll be reporting tomorrow on all the cool things I saw. Maybe I'll "pin" them up on "Pinterest."

Their Two, Their Four, Their Six Their Eight

2012-01-21T12:51:00.000-05:00

Anyone know what that is? I'm sure my nieces Michelle and Karen do. It's the first line to the Thomas song. I've been watching Thomas with Peyton this week. He likes the music. He likes music period. Songs he loves: (when I sing to him)
Baa Baa Black Sheep
This Old Man
Prince Ali (from Aladdin)
Thomas Theme Song
A Peanut Sat on A RR track
I'm trying to get him to like 10 little monkeys. I used to sing it to my nephew Paul. He loved it and used to laugh and laugh.
Check out my new blog: http://creativecookeryhealthfullyso.blogspot.com/
I'm trying to find a format that I like for recipes and meals ideas. Plus, maybe even a little tracking of successful meal plan days.

It's Been One of Those Weeks

2012-01-21T01:26:00.000-05:00

First the engine light went on in the van - $625.00
Then a tire blew out on the van - $172.00 (minus $5 for having Financial Plus Benefits)
Then the furnace started acting up - Furnace guy gave directions on phone to fix. (hopefully that does the trick)
Sigh.................
I went to a "Nook" class at B & N on Wed. Got a few pointers that were helpful. I learned how to search for free books and apps. Cool. I love my nook for Florida. That's the main reason I got it. I really hope the weather stays warm down there. It's been in the high 70's all week........

Wednesday HodgePodge

2012-01-18T09:59:00.001-05:00

1. A new Miss America was crowned on Saturday night-did you watch? If you were a contestant what would your talent be?

Not remotely. My talent would be stand up comic.

2. Do you have houseplants? Real or fake?
Yes, I have two. Well the Rosemary plant is out in the garage for the winter. And, I brought my Bay plant inside. That's it. They are baby attractors.

3. When you were in school did you speak up or were you more of the hide your face, avoid eye contact, and pray the teacher didn’t call on you type of student?

Honesty, I can't even remember. Probably a little of both. I don't think I was afraid to speak.

4. Next Monday marks the Chinese New Year…what do you order when someone suggests Chinese food?

Egg roll, almond chicken and wonton soup. soup. Wonton soup, egg roll, and pepper steak. Egg roll, wonton soup and chicken egg foo young.
5. How would you define a miracle? What would it take for you to consider something a miracle?
A miracle is something that happens and it's supernatural by nature. It''s a significant thing. Like an angel sparing one's life.

6. What’s your favorite Disney song? If you’re stuck you’ll find a list here.

Under the Sea from the Little Mermaid!

7. I should have____:
Oh my word, there is so much that could be said here. Probably paid more money towards the quarterly taxes this year...

8. Insert your own random thought here
I can't wait to go to Florida. I love it there!

Nut's or What?

2012-01-17T09:03:00.001-05:00

I'll be babysitting Peyton on M, W and 1/2 day Friday. Well, my friend called to see if I could watch her little guy, Brayden on Wednesdays. He's the lil guy I watched last year. Sure why not, I said, bring him. Maybe he'll help entertain Peyters. I'm thinking he might not be napping anymore, however. AT leaast there is a house full of boys toys. Plus, spending money for FL. Ok, so it's all good, right?

Will I or Won't I

2012-01-16T13:28:00.000-05:00

Be in the play this year. I"m having a hard time getting motivated to do this thing. I'm thinking it will be boring. Mostly because we just did a very similar production last fall. If I go tonight it will be a last minute thing. I am curious who will be there. Anyone from previous productions? Maybe I should look for a different venue. But then again it is something to do on Monday nights. Check back tomorrow.

To Blog or Not to Blog

2012-01-14T08:17:00.000-05:00

When your number one fan is out of the country. So, really you must decide what is the purpose for your blog. Not really sure at this point.
Anyway, It's been a rather busy week. I had the stomach flu, or rather believe the Noro-Virus for most of it. The worst stomach pain and diarrhea that I've ever experienced.
I went to the play tryouts. Rather disappointing. It's going to be a radio show based on a musical review. VERY similar to the one that we did last fall. Not sure If I'll be doing it or not. I may just go and see what it's about and who will be there. The director is rather busy "doing taxes" so she doesn't have time to do a murder mystery. Boo.
Got up early today to book the campsite for Otsego with the Renee clan. Have to book exactly 6 months to the date you want to go. I was told the website opens at 8 am. But, alas I found out on Saturday it opens at 9 am. So, here I sat, coffee in hand, fingers itching at the keyboard. Thus, another blog entry.

It's A New Year

2012-01-02T12:05:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! There will be no "New Year's Resolutions" from this blogger. I have enough to do. Maybe some goals. The first is I need to stop eating stuff with sugar. Man, it gets so hard. Sugar, sugar everywhere calling your name. I'm not even a sugar addict.

As if I don't have enough to do I've started making homemade baby food for Peyton. Consummate chef that I am. It's not all that bad though. Between yesterday and today I made: bananas, pears & apples, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, and carrots. Oh yeah, and squash. That should make it at least a week or so. I wish I had the baby bullet. But, he won't be eating the mushy stuff for too much longer so it would be a waste of $$. I just use my mini food processor.

I'll be busy for the next week or two getting all the year end stuff complete. My goal on that one is to be done and to the CPA before we leave for FLA on FEB 3rd.!!

Tuesday is Genealogy meeting, probably go to that. If the topic is any good. I need to keep working on that. There will be a trip again to the library in Ft. Wayne in April or May. I hope to attend that.
And of course a new play for this year. It's a radio show apparently. The date is March 24 & 25 I think. The tryouts are next week.

12-31-2011

2011-12-31T22:24:00.000-05:00

Just chillin with JoAnne & William. Watchin Rockin New Year's Eve. The boys are sleeping. They had a wild night. Played with ALL the toys. Chased each other and ate Mimi's mashed potatoes and chicken. I made crab/cream cheese dip, cream cheese and pepper jelly, pizza rolls, and chicken satay. That was all really hard. NOT. It's a chillin new year's eve. Probably won't even make it until the ball drops., We're too tired to even play cards. We all worked today. JoAnne & William have to go to a house and remove debris tomorrow. Happy New Year's to them.
Happy New Year's Everyone!

Almost The End of the Year

2011-12-30T10:36:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted this year nearly as much as last year. And no way to catch up since there is only today and tomorrow. I'm not in an expressive mood, so I don't have much to say, really. Christmas was very nice; here and abroad. Enjoyed watching the boys open their gifts. They liked tearing off the paper the best. Had a Russell family gathering; it was great to catch up with everyone, especially my dad.
Yesterday we took everyone to Sagano's Japanese steak house. The little guys really enjoyed the "fire show." The big peeps really enjoyed the food. Just catching up today. Tomorrow we'll babysit both little guys. Should keep us running!

On The Day of Christmas

2011-12-25T19:48:00.000-05:00

I crashed. :)
Busy, busy weekend. Christmas Eve morning we celebrated as Christmas morning. The gift opening took way longer than usual because of the little munchkins this year. They had a blast opening their gifts. Then I made 2 kinds of french toast, eggs, sausage & bacon for a late breakfast. Then some basic vegetation and then prep of the holiday foods for the Christmas Eve dinner. Tried a new recipe; corn pudding. It was very tasty and went well with the ham dinner. More gift opening; again major lengthening of the time involved. The little guys fell asleep about 1/2 way in.
Peyton hadn't been feeling good for the past couple days. Diarrhea, lethargy and slight fever and runny nose. Then he started to get a bumpy rash. When we got home last night we looked up the symptoms on the Internet. Yikes, it seemed like he may have had Meningitis. We decided to take him to ER since he wouldn't be able to go to the Dr. or anything till Maybe Monday or even Tuesday. And the possibility of Meningitis was quite frightening. The docs examined him thoroughly and felt that he has a virus due to the type of bumps and the fact that is lethargy was "on and off." Thank God!
Up this morning later than usual for the lad to open his "Santa" gifts. In the afternoon we went to see the movie, "We Bought a Zoo." Very good movie. A+++ I loved it & highly recommend the watching of said movie. Then home to veg. Watched the traditional "Christmas Story." Sarah cooked tenderloin, scallops and twice baked potatoes. Yumm! Then we just had a surprise door bell ditch complete with pumpkin pie. Thanks Lisa & Robbie, Jo-Jo and Bill!

On The Second Day of Christmas

2011-12-23T19:17:00.001-05:00

Had both boys today ~ had a ball.
Cleaned up the house. (quick clean)
Ate at the Chineese restarurant
Going to soak the beans for the beanpot. I make my mom's (which she got from her Aunt {pronunced Auunt} baked beans for Christmas Eve.

Waking up tomorrow for Day Early Christmas with the kids.

On The Third Day of Christmas

2011-12-22T09:01:00.000-05:00

Winter Sostice
Just made it through the longest night
First day of Winter (bah humbug)
No snow
Grocery shopping
Days/nights are getting shorter
Gotta clean the house

On The Sixth Day of Christmas

2011-12-20T04:24:00.000-05:00

6 dirty dishes
5 gifts to wrap
4 dirty diapers
3 rd longest night
2 loads of laundry
and a painful sinus headache!

On The Seventh Day of Christmas

2011-12-18T08:36:00.000-05:00

I seemed to have skipped a few days, oh my. Those days were filled with laundry, babysitting, working, even picked up the cuties across the street from school. Syd and I colored some wooden ornaments that.............. came from, now where did they come from? Oh yes, a house. :)
Of course and a little shopping. I think the shopping is officially done.
On Friday we took the little angel to see Santa for his 1st time. He was happy and all smiles. The Santa said he wished all the babies would be just like him! Soo cute! He is really turning into such a loving and funny little boy. I am scared that my name is "Ba." He often looks at me and says, "Ba." We're not sure yet if he's asking for a bottle or that is my name. Laugh out Loud. I digress.
Friday night we had our work Christmas party. It was very nice. Eight people in all. We even received gifts. How thoughtful and a nice surprise. Work has been a little scary slow for the past couple of weeks....
Today will be the family Christmas get-together at Sarah's Aunt's house. We only have to bring chips-n-dip and a dessert. whew! The gifts have been long time wrapped. So we are all set for that one.

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas

2011-12-14T12:49:00.000-05:00

I'm not getting much done. Babysitting and he is being very needy today. However I am eating mini pitas and hummus from Trader Joe's. Yumm. I wish we had a TJ's closer. Henceforth I decided to make the trip down to Novi every 6 weeks to stock up. It will be worth it. I did buy a lot of nice things this weekend. Their prices are VERY reasonable too.

To make things worse [ about today] we just had to order a $500 pool cover to cover a stupid pool. In Flint of all places. Who has pools in Flint? A week and a half before Christmas, no less. Ah, well things could always be worse. Still need to do all those things I listed yesterday. Ah well. My voice (which I lost and couldn't find) is coming back a little today.

On The Twelfth Day of Christmas

2011-12-13T15:18:00.000-05:00

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas ~

Two more gifts to buy
Groceries to get for the various celebrations
Gifts to wrap and get ready for the USPS
Gifts to take to the USPS
Clothes to wash (and iron if wrinkly)

Not in bad shape at all. (I think)

Tis The Season

2011-12-12T11:37:00.001-05:00

For catching a cold, stuffing your face, etc. Well, actually I don't think I exactly have a cold. My siuses (well yuck) and making my throat sore. Went to Frankenmuth last nite and over-stuffed. I gained back the pound I lost. Overall though, at least my weight is stable and I'm not gaining. I better be careful though.
Yesterday I started the day by going swimming in the River Walk at the Livonia Rec. It is way cool, I wish we had one around here. Best we have is the pool at the local gym. Probably going to join that; it's only 10 bucks a month. The BUNCO party was "rave" and I think everyone had lots of fun. Now, it's back to the daily grind. Lot's to do this week. The annual work Christmas party is Friday. Whoo hoo.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

2011-12-07T18:50:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Will you be hosting any house guests between now and the end of December? Does that thought make you happy or crazy? Do you do anything special to make your house guests feel welcome? How long should a guest stay?

No house guests per se, however I am the loverly hostess of a holiday BUNCO party. Which commences on Friday, this. I am thinking it will be loads of fun. Lots of fun women attending. Thanks to niece Kris for directions!
Walter Elias Disney was born this week back in (Dec 5) 1905...what's your all time favorite Disney movie?

So many to choose. But, I do love The Little Mermaid. Love the music and humor, and well I've always loved the ocean.

3. What's the last thing you purchased that you realized was a mistake after the fact?

hmmmm. That's a hard one. Maybe the Mustang, maybe not. Kind of not very practical, but it was a good deal.

4. What percentage of your Christmas shopping is done online?
Not, much, maybe 10%. Only shopped 2 places online.
5. Amaryllis...snowdrop...poinsettia...your favorite winter blossom?

White & red poinsettia.

6. What is one thing on your personal wish list this year? I think we all want peace on earth so let's make this an actual item.

New slippers.

7. If you could only use one word today what would it be?
Nap. ha ha I need a nap. My days have been very busy. Taking care of a cripple, an 8 month old, the household chores, and trying to do a little work.

A Doozy of the Last Day of November

2011-11-30T14:56:00.000-05:00

First rain, then ice, then finally last night about 6 p.m. the snow started pouring down from the sky. We ended up with about 6 inches total. Good thing though, it stopped some time in the middle of the night so I guess they were able to plow the roads. No snow days. And the crew was able to go to work. I of course remain cozy and tucked in. Didn't even take the outgoing mail, out to the mailbox. And lucky me, we got a package that wouldn't fit in the mailbox, so the nice mailman brought me the mail. I should have given him the outgoing, duh. I think I will stay IN for most of the WINTER!

Thanksgiving Ever After

2011-11-27T15:05:00.000-05:00

What I've been doing since Thanksgiving ~
Shopping
Made the traditional day after "creamed turkey"
Wrapping gifts
Eating out
Shopping
Watching sappy Christmas movies
Being thankful for the beautiful weather (& enjoying)
took the 'stang' out
Putting the fall decorations away
Putting up the tree

Odds ~ N ~ Ends

2011-11-20T10:10:00.000-05:00

We went to the SC dinner theatre last night. They presented a musical called NunSense. It was cute and funny. It sure was weird being on the other end of things and just watching. I would never have been able to wear that nun habit on stage.

Read my last post on 4Months2DoIt today. I'll just be updating from time to time on this blog.

Today's high temp of 57 degrees was at 5:oo a.m. this morning. Weird!

I'm so glad I'm not cooking the turkey this year. Just mashed potatoes, fresh cranberry relish, rolls and pickles.

Trying to organize a BUNCO game. Never played it, but I know people that do.

Cold Weather Has Set In

2011-11-18T16:01:00.001-05:00

(I hope not for good.) The wind is making it feel so icy. I went out to work today. Several layers. Took my gloves off for a few and boy it didn't take long. At least the sun was out!! That makes it so much better. We made a quick veg/beef soup yesterday for lunch out of a leftover piece of frozen beef from the freezer. That was so nice & warming. Found the Canada Dry "hOlIdAy SoDa" at WallyWorld in Grand Blanc. Yumm, haven't had any of that for a few years. Going to have a BUNCO party. Just bought the set at Kohl's. Don't know how to play but should be a fun time. Maybe Kristen can give me some pointers in her "spare" time. LOL

I've got to get busy on the car and condo rentals for FLA. Christmas shopping, etc..

Poor lil Peyters is teething really bad. He's a cranky butt. His first tooth is popping through. Drooling, sneezing, coughing, lil fever, not sleeping. Yuck.

From 11-11-11

2011-11-15T08:12:00.000-05:00

I am a few days late with this post. Better late then never. We headed up north by about 10 am. First stop was the outlet mall at Birch Run. Big mistake. Forgot it was "deer widow" weekend. We quickly left. I thought maybe the outlets at West Branch would be better. I was right. Did some shopping. One item for me, one Christmas gift. One item for me, one Christmas gift.... It was a beautiful sunny day. Arrived in Boyne around 4 and checked in to the hotel. Water Street Inn. It's new - right on the water. Very nice!! A good find. I have mom's skills. Walked around downtown in all the familiar shops. Dinner at Red Mesa. (of course) Then, back to the hotel to read by the gas fireplace.
Got up early, Breakfast at "One Water Street." Then a very nice visit with my dad. He was having a good day ~ sure was great to spend some time with him. Headed to Petoskey for the afternoon. Had a great time shopping there. Lunch at a new place (for us) Mitchell Street Pub. It was pretty good. I had white chili. Late afternoon hot beverages at Roast & Toast. Then to the park for some pictures. (my batteries died in the camera :( Back to Boyne for some relaxing by the FP, then dinner at Boyne Mountain. We chose that because we read that there would be an entertainer. Read that in the local "Graphic." Get it every time we're there. The guy sang and played the guitar. We really enjoyed that. The food was tasty too. A bonus. A very enjoyable weekend.

The Day After Day Light Savings Blues

2011-11-07T14:27:00.000-05:00

I think I invented a new disease. It's called: "The Day After Day Light Savings Time Blues." I could swear I feel like this every year. Blah. That's a word that describes how I feel. My sleep is all messed up. I woke up (wide awake) at 3:00 a.m. So I got up and did some work. Went back to bed at 5 am. then slept restlessly until I got up again at 8 am. Plus, the sun is gone, very cloudy and just kind of icky. The leaves are almost gone.... So sad. I'm thinking I'm just going to take a hot bath and a nap and see if I can shake these ole blues.

A Get Er Done Kind of Day

2011-11-06T07:41:00.000-05:00

I'm so glad the weather cooperated. We had planned to put all the yard toys, decorations, planters and all "summer stuff" away. It was a beautiful afternoon. RJ was here so we took him outside to "help." Syd the kid came over so that helped with RJ. For the most part we got everything stored in the shed. :( I always hate putting it away. I looked into the woods and was surprised to see that almost all the leaves have fallen. I also hate that. It was a nice warm sunny day however. I decided to take some pictures of RJ, since he will be one next week.

Speaking of RJ turning one, we hare having his first b'day party here. There are 17 people coming. So, we decided to have the party downstairs. Sarah quickly painted some of the walls that needed painting. We rearranged the carpeting and furniture, tacked the hanging wires up into ceiling boards. AND I got to go shopping at Kohl's and pick out some new decor for the walls. It looks pretty good. All that really needs to be completed is to put in a ceiling and floor and door moldings. Maybe some time this winter....

Getting Ready For Daylight Savings

2011-11-03T08:03:00.000-04:00

The end of Daylight Saving Time -- this year scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 6 -- makes people groan and complain, as the sun begins to set earlier and late afternoons grow dark, but researchers say that the return to natural rhythms can be healthy.

Though individuals may see their biological clocks reset, and will get an "extra hour" of sleep or rest over the weekend, researchers say that the stress caused by time changes can be bad for the body. Those vulnerable to sleep deprivation should be extra careful. (ABC NEWS)

All I know is, I don't like jumping time back and forth. It messes up my sleep patterns for days/weeks. I do like that it is lighter in the morning. I don't like that it gets darker earlier in the evening. I guess it only benefits the early risers.

Not Wednesday Hodgepodge

2011-11-02T12:27:00.000-04:00

I just couldn't get into the Wed. H.P. for this week. Maybe because I am surrounded by skunk smell. Bailey got into a skunk last night. PEE- Eww. Sarah washed him twice. He still stinks. Our groomer said to use, peroxide, baking soda & Dawn dish detergent. So he will get that treatment tonight. Just me and Peyters hanging out today. Not sure how we got to Wed. already. Well, Monday was taken up mostly with my stress test, then Halloween stuff. Yesterday I got a flat tire in the Mustang, so that kind of killed my afternoon. Last night I went to genealogy meeting. So here we are at Wednesday. Here are some pics from Halloween.

Just Plain Hodgepodge

2011-10-29T12:16:00.000-04:00

Hodgepodge

*What gives you goosebumps?

Music sometimes. Cold weather!

* Halloween-are you a lover or a hater? Okay, that sounds harsh…Halloween-yay or nay?

Not so big on it, really. I have a few decorations around that will come down immediately. I like to hand out candy. Don't go to halloween parties, I think they're dumb. Mostly, I have memories from when I was a kid. Making the "homemade" costumes and running from door to door with friends ~ aka the Laukkas.

* Can you respect someone you do not trust, and can you trust someone you do not respect?
No I don't see how you could really. They are pretty hooked together. I definately can NOT respect someone I do not trust.
*Apples or oranges? Yes, you have to choose.

Oh man thats a tuffy. (ha) I guess I would pick apple over orange because they're easier to eat. But, I do love a juicy orange. Just had to put that in.

* What is something you wish was in your town? (shop, restaurant, attraction, etc)
Olga's Kitchen.

*What non-food item is in your refrigerator or freezer?

A bottle of vanilla spray cologne.

* Are you at all superstitious?

Nope.

A Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-25T12:10:00.001-04:00

Sunday we decided to take the fam to the pumpkin patch. We started with breakfast at OCB. Then proceeded to Spicer's Apple Orchard in Fenton. What a beautiful day. Everyone else thought so too. The guys had fun, they really seemed to enjoy it. They played in the "corn" box. Saw the animals. Went on a train ride and then a tractor hay ride out to the pumpkin patch. RJ would only go to the pumpkins that had green on them. He would walk up to them and then sit up on top of them. So cute. We did not buy any cider, doughnuts, or apples because the lines were toooo long. Ran into one of the teachers from LCA, she has two little ones now. Good too see her. I only have one pic. so far, but I will upload more when I get them. ~ I forgot the camera. :(

In Search OF

2011-10-22T06:07:00.000-04:00

the perfect cup to keep coffee hot. I have tried:

metal travel cup
plastic
plastic insulated
ceramic mug
glass mug

None of the above seem to really be able to keep the coffee hot longer than say, 15 minutes. Then you have to warm it back up in the microwave. I've been wanting to try the new double ceramic cups. So, yesterday I splurged and bought one at Kohl's. If that doesn't work I will have to try something else. I know there are several different kinds of the double ceramic. Perhaps the $20 cup from L.L. Beans.

A Very Mini-mini 1/2 Day Vaca

2011-10-19T15:59:00.000-04:00

I was supposed to go out to some jobs on Friday, but we decided to scratch that and take a mini vaca. First stop was the Parshalville Cider Mill in Parshallville, near Fenton. It is a historic site in MI. I got hot cider and a doughnut. Next stop was the Spicer Orchard. A sign posted said that they used to have orchards at Haggerty Rd. in Northville. I'm thinking maybe this is where we went to get apples and cider as kids.? Anyway, they had wine tasting, so I tasted a few real sweet fruit wines. Didn't buy any. :( But I did buy some kettle korn. Yumm! Then we went on to Brighton and ate at a nice little Bistro. Almost got killed going around in circles's on those darn round-a-bouts! Then I remembered a quaint little shop in Dixboro, so we decided to venture out and see if it was still there. Indeed, we were rewarded for the venture. It it still there, a little general store that was all decked out in Halloween decorations. We decided we would like to go back for their Christmas decorations!! Back to Brighton to the Barnes & Noble for some hot beverages and a couple hours of reading and relaxing. Finished up the day with dinner at Olga's Kitchen. Yum-O!

Ancestry Dot Com

2011-10-16T20:27:00.001-04:00

I had some "free time" ? last night so I decided to get back into my genealogy research. I realized I had some cool records that I had found on my "genealogy trip" that I went on last spring to the Ft. Wayne Library. I had found some kind of registration cards, census records, US depart. of Labor Manifest, all for my paternal grandfather, Robert J. Russell. So last night I dug around and found his Naturalization record, then I found out the ship he sailed from Ireland and have an actual copy of the Passenger List. I found out that he sailed on the ship Columbia from Londonderry Ireland which left on 25, September, 1920. The ship arrived on 5 October, 1920 in New York, New York. So I thought wow, that must have been Ellis Island. So I looked up the record for Ellis Island and found out that is where the ship landed. Pretty exciting stuff.

Fall, Fall, Falling

2011-10-12T13:50:00.000-04:00

I love Fall, but it seems to quickly it's been here and gone. I havn't even been able to have a minute to take some new pictures. These are pictures from last year. sigh. Now the wind is kicking up and we are expecting rain. Next look, the leaves will be all gone. sigh. We are going to send a box of leaves to our little friend in Fla. who doesn't get to see the leaves change colors. I think she'll get a big kick out of that. Brace yourselves one and all for the onslaught of colder weather. Hmmm, please wb and give me a few of the nicer aspects of cooler weather. PLEASE!

Books That I Would One Day Like to Write!

2011-10-10T19:22:00.000-04:00

I have some great ideas for some books I would like to write. Here they are in no particular order:

The role of siblings, Sibling interaction, or sibling rilvary etc.. even among adults
My experiences at Living Science
Kids and the funny things they say
I raised a baby wallaby( or maybe that would just be a chapter in the LS book above)
Recipe book, probably for diabetics or just healthy eating, but tastes good

Way Back When-sday Hodgepodge

2011-10-08T12:25:00.000-04:00

Way Back When-sday Hodgepodge

1. What’s your favorite meal to serve on a chilly autumn evening?

Probably spaghetti, white chicken chili (which everyone loves) or maybe soup.

2. Are you a creature of habit? Explain.

I would say mostly. Other people would say definately. It's more a matter of: I like everything done my way. I like things to fit inside my own little box.

3. What food product (no longer readily available) do you remember and miss from days gone by?
I can't really think of anything specific. Like give me an example here.

4. What’s something you’ve lost that you’ve never been able to find? Any theories as to what happened?

I'd have to say my sanity. I can't seem to find it anywhere. I'm not really sure what happened to it. Life happened to it. LOL I hate to lose things. Oh yeah and my temper. It's gone. I lost it.

5. Zoo~circus~ carnival…your favorite?

The ZOO for sure. Don't really care for the circus or carnivals. Love the zoo. Can't wait to take the boys!

6. What song makes you feel instantly happy?

Many many songs. I love music!! Too many to list. sorry.

7. To what extent are you an argumentative person?

Ha, what word means "more than extremely?" I was born to argue I think.

Some Things I Love About Fall

2011-10-04T13:27:00.000-04:00

Colorful landscapes and trees.
Carmel Apples
Cider and doughnuts from the Cider Mill
Sunny - warm days
Clear crisp nights
Taking a Fall trip
Great sleeping weather with the window cracked open
Pumpkin spice latte
Taking a walk on a beautiful clear day
Warm spicy cider w/ a cinnamon stick
The smell of burning leaves

kicking through a pile of leaves

October

2011-10-01T11:04:00.001-04:00

October's Bright Blue Weather

by Helen Hunt Jackson

O sun and skies and clouds of June

And flowers of June together,

Ye cannot rival for one hour

October's bright blue weather;

When loud the bumblebee makes haste,

Belated, thriftless vagrant,

And goldenrod is dying fast,

And lanes with grapes are fragrant;

When gentians roll their fringes tight,

To save them for the morning,

And chestnuts fall from satin burs

Without a sound of warning;

When on the ground red apples lie

In piles like jewels shining,

And redder still on old stone walls

Are leaves of woodbine twining;

When all the lovely wayside things

Their white-winged seeds are sowing,

And in the fields, still green and fair,

Late aftermaths are growing;

When springs run low, and on the brooks

In idle, golden freighting,

Bright leaves sink noiseless in the hush

Of woods, for winter waiting;

When comrades seek sweet country haunt

By twos and twos together,

And count like misers hour by hour

October's bright blue weather.

O sun and skies and flowers of June,

Count all your boasts together,

Love loveth best of all the year

October's bright blue weather.

All In The Past

2011-09-29T17:16:00.000-04:00

This is my post from Sept. 29, 2007
Number Three

Surgery that is. In a 13 month time span that is. The Doc says my gall bladder must come out. Soon! Very Soon! I many small gallstones and apparently I am passing them. So he is afraid they might get lodged. Going to see surgeon on Tuesday. Can you believe it? My body is falling apart. I'm just trying to catch up to Marlene, HA! So, I guess it's a no big deal surgery, but it's just the whole process of getting the surgery. (every time I have to write down my surgeries i forget the date. Now I at least know what year they were!) See, blogs are good for something. )

Here is the one from 2010:
Weighty Matters ~ Week 3

Minus 2.6 lbs and total WL of 4.6 It's a start down the long and winding road. Dude on Biggest Loser lost 41 lbs. this week. Yikes! That sounds scary. It barely made a dent tho cuz he was over 400 lbs. Today's focus at the WW meeting was about how to shop smarter at the grocery store. Come on, is there any more smarter shopper than I? I could've guest taught the lecture. LOL I will look for some way in which to improve. You have to look at the total picture especially the fiber.
Upcoming Events:
Going to the Northville Farmer's Market with my sistopher
Getting my hairs cut
Garage sale this weekend
Going camping next weekend ~ FALL COLORS!
(hmmm, interesting. ~ oh and almost had a GS this weekend, but the weather is too crapy.)

2011-09-28T12:59:00.001-04:00

1. Do you like chili? Red or white? Beans or no beans? Spice or no spice? Toppings?

I like both really. Beans in both. Spice in both. Cheese and crackers on the red. Cheese, cilantro and tortilla chips on the whte.

2. Red~Orange~Gold…your favorite fall color?

Love the fall colors. Love fall. Probably orange.

3. Who did you idolize when you were growing up?
John-boy Walton? My sister? Betsey Ross? Clara Barton? I guess I didn't.

4. When was the last time you did something ‘arts and craftsy’? Share please.

Um, hmmm. I can't even remember. I guess that would be scrap booking. That's not really a word is it?

5. What’s a place that makes you really nervous?

Tall bridges. Yikes. the doctor's. Hospitals. I once drove over the Golden Gate by myself.

6. Horse back riding…yay or nay (neigh?)
. Used to like it, but not so much anymore. Once took a horseback ride in the Mountains in Gatlinbur.

7. What is your favorite cliche?
Time flies when you're having fun. Time is money. Hmm. Maybe I am obsesed with time. YIKES. So maybe "The acorn doesn't fall far from the treeeeee." ................

8. Insert your own random thought here.
blank here.

Thanks for stopping by, see you next Wednesday!

So...

2011-09-20T20:56:00.000-04:00

My stress echo test came back positive. I had to meet with the Dr. today to discuss the results. Of course he scheduled a new test. Another type of stress test. There is a possibility that I have the begining of a small blockage. Yikes! Time to stop messing around with the whole diabetes thing. Ya think? Been very busy, thus no blogging. I had to go out to work the nasty houses for a few days. And even mowing. blah. Grass everywhere. So........... I'm not real chatty just now.

Blue Skies Here In The North

2011-09-10T11:17:00.000-04:00

Decided to go up to Tawas for the weekend. Weather man said it would be a bit more sunny north of the Tri's. Should've taken the rag-top. It's sunny and pretty warm. Especially after all the clouds, cool & rainy weather we've been having. Thinking about going canoeing. There is a Triathelon competition here this weekend. Darn, I should have enrolled in that. NOT. Just gonna mostly chill. Brought a couple books. Love to just sit and look at the water.

So, Yeah I Couldn't Resist

2011-09-08T13:03:00.000-04:00

It was a price too good to be true. I keep getting stuck at home without a vehicle. And well you know. I have wanted a Mustang, probably since I was a kid. My brother had an awesome Red one when he first started driving. I thought it was so cool. It's probably gonna turn out to be a gas hog, and well it's not real smart to have a ragtop in Michigan. But again, the price was right. It's in very good shape. It was hard to sell because it's a 5 speed. Kids today can't even drive those. But, I can! It will be fun!

Is It All Down Hill From Here?

2011-09-06T12:00:00.000-04:00

Weather wise? You never know. We went from near 100 degrees to only 60 degrees in the span of about 48 hours. So, we could still have some warm day. Not sure so much the nights. Just got back from the Third Annual Labor Day Camping Trip at Myers Lake. Didn't do a thing on Saturday because it was just too darn hot! Had a couple storms, mild in nature and a bit of rain. Got back yesterday early because it was just too darn cold! LOL. Felt sorry for the people in tents. Did my grocery shopping for the week, then chilled out and watched a movie in the evening. Today, it's just Peyter and me for a couple hours while Nicole goes to school and fixes her schedule and finds her classrooms @ Mott. Nothing special this week; just going to try and catch up on all the work I've been neglecting.

A Day Late And A Dollar Short

2011-09-01T09:17:00.001-04:00

Wednesday Hodgepodge (Ok, So Thursday)

1. Do you think the world became a more dangerous place on September 11, 2001 or did we just become more aware of the danger? How has your own life changed as a result of that day?

I think maybe we just became more aware of the danger. That was very personal to many people and was maybe even more horrific because we watched it on live TV and then again repeatedly in reruns. It affected us in other ways, air safety, foreign travel etc. I flew to Nashville later that year and there were armed guards at the airport. That was pretty weird. I think I am more jumpy now when I fly or travel and now think twice about traveling to certain areas, like Washington DC, New York and overseas.

2. Did you think your parents were too strict when you were growing up? How about in hindsight?

Ah, maybe yes a little. But I think they did the best they could under the circumstances. My dad was an only child raised by really strict christians and my mom lost her mother at age 12 or 13.
3. Share one random but candid fact about yourself.

I like to be in charge; nuff said?

4. Would your nearest and dearest describe you as simple or far too complicated?
Uh, pretty sure WAY far too complicated. One never knows when I'm going to be nice or have an explosion. ha ha

5. What is your favorite stadium or carnival food?
Nachos with halepeno's. Hot dog at the ball park.

6. Tornado, hurricane, earthquake...how many of these natural disasters have you experienced? Which event do you think would be the scariest?

Tornado came close thrice. Like in the basement under the table. couple blocks away. or in the hospital ~ out in the hall with all the patients they moved (beds) into the hallway. Couple streets away. Or with the school kids in the hallway, arms over our heads. Again couple streets away. But, NEVER actually been through one. Hurricane would freak me out ~ all that flooding. Earthquake would freak me out. I freaked out last week when I felt the tremors in Cleveland from the one on the East Coast. I thought it was me, so I had a HUGE panic attack.

7. Labor Day weekend is approaching so a work related question seems appropriate. Growing up, did your parents assign you regular chores? Were you paid for doing those chores? If you're a parent do you assign chores to your own children? Why or why not?
Yes, I had chores. Dishes every night. Clear and Clean-Up. or Rinse and Load. Clean the bathroom and my room every Saturday. I don't remember being paid. But, I'm glad I had those because I think it made me appreciate being neat and clean. I'm a bit freakish about it, but "hey." Yes, kids had chores. They need responsibilities.

Last Day of August

2011-08-31T11:11:00.000-04:00

Who would believe it? Just haven't felt much like blobing lately. One reason is, I have been in much PAIN! I did something to my back/hips. My hips are out of joint. Went to Chiropractor 3 times, and even had a massage yesterday. Woke up very sore today. I think the Chiro used too much force yesterday. So, now I kinda hurt worse then ever. I'm sitting with a heating pad in my chair today. We have been crazy busy at work, I have had to go out on the jobs more than I would like. I think maybe that's how I threw my back out. We are supposed to go camping for the Labor Day weekend. Third annual "group" camping trip out to Myers Lake in Argentine. I hope my back gets to feeling better. Pain makes me crabby!!

Signs That F%LL is Approaching

2011-08-17T14:58:00.000-04:00

Nights are getting cooler
Flowers are looking faded
It's time for the safeguard conference
Labor day camping is only 2 week-ends away
The grass is growing again
The lawn mowers are breaking down
I'm in the mood for spaghetti, chili, stuffed peppers
and even soup
Berry then apple season

Just a Chillin' Kind of Day

2011-08-15T14:51:00.001-04:00

Got up, walked the dog and decided I wanted to go out to breakfast. Found a country place called "the Hotspot" in Coloma, Mi. Not bad. Drove around seeing the sights on the Blue Star Hwy. Stopped at a dunes beach and walked down to Lake Michigan. What a hike back "up" the sandy trail. Went to a fruit market. There are literally millions around. So many fruit jams, spreads, salsa's, toppings, sauces" it's so hard to pick! Then went to an Antique place that had everything including the kitchen sink. They had 2 or 3 barns full and a yard. It all smelled moldy to me. LOL Then went to another winery. This one only sold fruit wines. Very sweet and yummy. Bought 3 bottles. Only 2 for me; one for a friend. Came home (back to the camper) made tortlilini with alfredo sauce and a mandrin orange/almond salad with "Salad Expressions" dressing. I did indulge in 1/2 of the dark orange truffle. Very good! Some lucky person is gettting a 2-pack. Tonight is homemade sloppy joes and probably all the leftover veggies etc...Dessert is blueberry/peach pies cooked over the fire. I know I'm eating too much sugar~ Well it IS vacation. I'm trying to still go "easy."

Camping, Storms & Blueberries

2011-08-14T09:13:00.001-04:00

We are camping again, this time with our friends the Hinspeters in South Haven. We're at a KOA where they have full hook up ~ Yay. So you can run the water all you want and "potty" to your heart's content. My niece Karen would appreciate that. Woke up to a nice thunderstorm about 7 am Sat. morning. It is Blueberry season, so thus the Blueberry Festival. You can pick blueberries everywhere and even right here at the campground. We picked 5 lbs on Friday at a "U Pick" farm. A buck and a quarter a lb. They're quite tasty too. I'm going to freeze them.

We had blueberry pancakes at the campground sponsored breakfast on Saturday. We also went to a vineyard and did a little wine tasting. Bought one bottle of a white wine that was quite tasty. Then we went to a Chocolate store called the Chocolate Garden. Apparently it's famous and rated in America's top chocolates and has been featured on the Cooking Network channel. Someone I know is getting a tasty, yummy treat from there! Then a storm blew up so we headed back to the campground. Upon arrival we saw tents and other things that had been blown around or blown over. I'm kinda glad we were in town.
Today's events may include going back to the Blueberry festival in town and picking peaches and perhaps raspberries or blackberries.

Christmas List 2011

2011-08-10T11:09:00.001-04:00

Here it is folks, hot off the press. This year's Christmas Wish List! What's that you say, I must have too much time on my hands? Contrair. I'm multi-tasking. Babysitting, (he's asleep), working, laundry, shower, dishes, etc. While I was in the shower I was thinking about stuff I might need. (want) he ha ha

Barnes & Noble Gift Card (for Nook)
Queen Bee charm from Pandora
Ceramic coffee mug 12 oz or 16
Scarf-like belt (to wear with jeans)
New jeans in a new size! (probably 16)
Coffee pods for Keureg maker
July Birthstone charm from Pandora
Airline Ticket to Florida (just thot I'd sneak that in)
new bedspread

Wednesday Hodgepodge ~ A Day Early!

2011-08-09T10:48:00.001-04:00

Hodgepodge
1. Share a favorite song lyric:
Oh my word, music is always circling in my head. So a fav. lyric? Ummm

BROOKS & DUNN "He looked at me and smiled, said

I raise my hands, bow my head
I'm finding more and more truth in the words written in red
They tell me that there's more to life than just what i can see
Oh i believe"

2. When was the last time someone yelled at you?
Not sure, people don't yell at me; I yell at them.

3. Money, fame, happiness…are they mutually exclusive?

I don't even know exactly what that means. I don't think they go together if that's what this means.

4. What is your favorite dish to prepare for family and friends that doesn’t require turning on the stove, oven or an outdoor grill?

This is very limiting. Let's see. I guess that would be fondue. Everyone loves when I make that!

5. The first week of August is National Simplify Your Life Week. What is one thing you could do this week to simplify your life? Will you do it?

Hmmm. I can't think of something for this one. My life is not that complicated, LOL.

6. On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being 100% and 1 being not at all) how tuned in are you to your country’s national political scene?

IDK, maybe a 5. Right in the middle. I try and follow the main events.

7. What are your final parting words to the month of July?

Why were you so HOT? Normally, I love you July, but not this year.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I have to get tons of work done this week, because I am WAY behind! Leaving again for camping @ Grand Haven for the weekend.

Sunday, Sunday

2011-08-07T15:46:00.000-04:00

I made myself a veggie egg white omelet and coffee, Ahhh. Then a trip to the Swartz Creek Farmer's Market. Whoo, hoo! It's small but I do like buying local. There is a farmer that always has nice fresh picked produce and his farm is only a couple miles away. I got peaches, red skinned baby potatoes, green beans, pickling cukes, a red onion. Was supposed to have blueberries, but somehow they were left behind. I decided to try my mom's recipe for "freezer pickles." Going to make a batch tonight. The blueberries were for some bran muffins, but I think I still have some in the freezer that I can use. There is a pot roast in the crock pot. Smells pretty good. Then we went to a neat restaurant in Grand Blanc, Brick Street. We ate outside, very nice. Then a stop at Meijers to get some supplies for the pickles. Think I'm in for the day now. Still battling the wicked cold that keeps hanging on.

What? July is Almost Over?

2011-07-30T05:06:00.000-04:00

I feel like I've been gone for a month. Or most of it. I did take an extended camping trip ~ 11 days. Eight days at Otsego Lake with the Renee's and family. It was hot, hot, hot. Good thing the camper has air conditioning. We needed it most nights. One night was too hot to have a campfire! We spent most of the days either lazing around or in the lake. Too bad the boat broke on the first day. Then I spent 3 days camping with neicopher Karen and the kids. Their first camping experience. Poor Riles had to sleep on the floor. She wasn't crazy about that, but I think she enjoyed the rest of it. Including the giant marshmallows over the fire and made into smores. Even Brady Boy seemed to have fun. I surely enjoyed spending time with them. We swam in the lake, picked up sticks around the campfire, cooked "boyscout" dinner, visited Dad, walked around Boyne City, played giant horseshoes, and a little baseball. Now, back to the regular routine for a while. Until next time.

Cottonwood Campground

2011-07-03T10:01:00.000-04:00

A lovely spot right on the green pond. Campfire last night. Huge fireworks show right from our spots. I mean serious fireworks, professional ~ huge! Oh the things people spend their money on. So glad we had the foresight to take the dog home yesterday. I am sure the outcome of leaving him alone in the camper while we attended the wedding would not have been good. Hoping today will be truly a day of rest. I refuse to think about the fact that after returning home on Monday there is out of town guests arriving on Tuesday....
My one goal is to finish the book I'm reading. The last in the Fr. Tim series. What will I read next? I've been reading through the series for almost a year. Excellent books! Okay, I hope the "hound dog" across the way stops barking. Just a random thought. I'm so glad that "Bailey is not a "barker." FYI: Grilled Chicken and corn on cob tonight for dinner.

Camping or Bed & Breakfast?

2011-07-01T20:08:00.000-04:00

After a grueling day of mowing ~ 12 lawns (there were 3 of us) we arrived home around noon. We hadn't had time this week to get things ready so we had all the packing of clothes, towels, food, etc. Move the trailer around, hook up the camper. Load up the camper, take a shower, kisses to Peyton. Drive to campground. Set up the camper AND all the paraphernalia that goes along with that. Get dinner ready. Grill the burgers, heat up the beans, get the plates, forks, napkins out. Finally sit down to dinner., Whew, that was alot of work. We started pondering whether or not the whole "camping experience is worth it. Mentally, physically and even financially. It was 81 bucks for the weekend. However, you really should add the cost of the monthly payment, insurance, etc... hmmm. Something to think about. Anyway, here we are. Just cleaned up from dinner and it's thundering. But, it does seem like maybe it is going around us. I surely hope so. Camping and thunderstorms do not mix in my book!

Thursday, June 30 ~ The Last Day of The Month

2011-06-30T06:41:00.000-04:00

As overheard on the news. Wow, is June really over? Seems like it has just begun. I'd like to see the stats on how many days the temp reached over 70 degrees? Why am I watching the news? It's just one "Bad News" story after another.

What Is July?

Independence Day
Fire Works
Summer Swelter
Camping Trips
Birthdays (mine and many others)
Outdoor dining
Tubing (add to my wish list)
Biking
Boating
Endless watering of flowers
Ahhhhh!

Time Flies

2011-06-26T14:04:00.000-04:00

Seems like it anyways. Peyton is 12 weeks and starting on rice cereal. Hoping that helps the massive spit up situation. He's asleep right now while I'm catching up. Sarah & Nik are returning all the Grad Party stuff that has to be returned to it's rightful owner. Found a whole bunch of old books down the basement that we forgot we had. Ordered some books from the library regarding antique books. Going to see how much we can sell them for on E-Bay. Went to the Drive In last nite to see Cars 2. Cute movie. Drive In is quite a place to people watch. All the cars drving around with lights on was a bit irritating though. Mowed 3 lawns this morning ~ whew. Riding mower of course. Should get on the ole bicycle later...

Summer Wish List

2011-06-23T12:42:00.000-04:00

Charity Island Dinner Cruise
Visit The Shores of West Michigan
Ride in a convertible car
Start Exercising
Biking at local parks
Go to the Northville Farmer's Market
Visit Calan & Emmett
*Go for a luxurious weekend brunch on the Royal Park Hotel's patio overlooking Paint Creek in Rochester.
Eat at Red Mesa

Wednesday Hodgepodge

2011-06-22T09:38:00.000-04:00

1. Summer’s here-whoohoo! What’s your favorite sight, sound, AND smell associated with summer?
Sight - The sun. Sound - birds chirping, cicadas buzzing. Smell - campfire smoke

2. Fireflies or lightning bugs…what are they called in your neck of the woods?
Lightning bugs for sure!

3. What is something from the past week that reminded you of your childhood?
Mowing the lawn on the riding mower.

4. Define ‘the good life’.
Living one day at a time. Wow, like that's easy. Being thankful for what you have and not complaining about what you don't. Not comparing your life to others'. Being thankful period. Having a positive spin on things. wow, like that's easy too. LOL

5. Tell us what we’d see if you took a snapshot of your desk/work space?
Yikes, right now there are stacks of paper everywhere. Boxes, E-Bay stuff. The office is a mess, and I hate that.
6. Peaches or watermelon…yes, you have to choose.
watermelon

7. Ever been skinny dippin’? Is that too much for the Wednesday Hodgepodge? Rest assured we won’t need details…unless of course you feel you must but remember, this is a family friendly blog so keep it G rated.
No way. All that free flopin? nope.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
I love summer! But, I love spring and fall more. Love the green everywhere. Love the beautiful colors of flowers and birds. Love to go camping - that is a summer only event. When I was a kid I loved going to summer camp - the highlight of the year.

Check Out My New Blog

2011-06-21T12:12:00.000-04:00

Check out my new blog:

www.4Months2DoIt.blogspot.com

Wednesday Hodgepodge

2011-06-15T13:52:00.004-04:00

My first Wednesday Hodgepodge. A list of questions. Thanks to my sister and her friends.

1. What is one thing on your bucket list? If you don’t have a bucket list let’s pretend you do.
Umm, I have always wanted to live on a lake.

2. What makes a good dad?
He's always on your side, you know he loves you. Does what's best for the family.

3. Are you afraid of insects? Which ones?

Yikes, bees, spiders, I hate JUNE BUGS, gross.

4. We’re barbecuing…what’s on the grill at your house?

Porks chops with asparagus and pineapple.

5. Do you believe that playing is more important than winning?

Ohhh, I wish I could say yes, but I LOVE to win and HATE to lose. Enough said.

6. Do you tan? Use self tanners? Visit tanning salons? See your dermatologist at least once a year?

None, nada, nope.

7. Five years ago I would never imagine that today I would _______________.

have 2 grands.

8. Insert your own random thought:

I have none at the moment. Just want to be on the other side of the graduation party on Saturday.

Time's A Flyin

2011-06-03T17:20:00.002-04:00

Whew! Can't believe it's June. Been busy doing the regular stuff plus extra chores here and there to get ready for the Grad Party. Speaking of, I need to kind of finish her scrap book. Yikes! Days are just flyin I tell ya. The little guy is looking good and growing stronger. He weights 9.15 lbs now. He is sweet and I'm very attached. Also, speaking of grad stuff, Nicole was asked to be a speaker at the Grad ceremony. She will do great I'm sure. Have a couple grad parties to attend this weekend. The flower beds received their annual mulching today. They are looking good.

Well, little man is squawking so I'm going to go and try and stuff the "paci" back into his mouth.

Balloon Fest & Dog Bowl

2011-06-01T09:37:00.004-04:00

Balloon Fest & Dog Bowl = fun times.

Severe weather threat = everyone packing up and getting out of there.

Took a little trip with the Aurands up to Frankenmuth to go to this year's balloon fest. and the dog bowl competitions. Stopped at Culver's in Birch Run for a quick lunch. The first show we wanted to see was the border collie sheep herding. It was awesome to watch those dogs corral the sheep into a pen. Next up was the Wiener dog race which I so wanted to see. Can you imagine all those little "hot dogs" running a race? But, the storm clouds rolled in and rumors of severe storms were heard all about. So we headed back to our vehicles just as the first of the rain sprinkles could be felt. We drove thru some fierce rain on the way home. 5 minutes later the tornado sirens could be heard. We gathered up our stuff and headed for the basement. When it seemed all clear we gathered up again and went back upstairs. About 10 minutes later the wind started whipping the trees behind the house and it got really dark. The sirens started going off again. So back we headed to the basement. Meanwhile I was trying to bake some brownies. We did finally get to the brownies and ice-cream later. Evan said he was really anticipating them!

Busy Bee

2011-05-30T08:43:00.002-04:00

That's me. I've just been trying to learn how to get stuff done while babysitting an infant. It's been quite a challenge. But, I'm getting the hang of it. Last weekend we took a mini vaca and took a camping trip. The campground was really nice; a private church campground. They had all their activities for free and the camping was 2 nites for the price of one. The activities included horse/carriage rides, zip line, rock wall, boating, and fishing. The activity I chose was, "sitting around the campfire." Wonderful. The best thing was that the campground had "full hook up." For you non campers, that means that you hook a hose directly to a water spicket and a potty hose directly to a sewer. Unlimited water!! Really roughing it, LOL. The first warm weekend - so enjoyable.

The next task is getting ready for Nicole's graduation party in three weeks. Yikes! Spent $100 on flowers the other day, so I must get busy planting. Yesterday we began the task of cleaning out the garage. It's all slowly coming together.

Gone Camping

2011-05-20T13:00:00.000-04:00

Gone Camping for the weekend. Bye Bye!

Stressed Out!

2011-05-16T18:36:00.001-04:00

That's me.
I am.
Stressed out.

Garage Sales and Grand Babies

2011-05-08T20:04:00.002-04:00

That's what I've been up to for about the last 10 days. Last weekend the G.s. was Fri. - Sun. Since all the stuff is in the garage anyway, AND there is lots more in the storage unit, we decided to have it again on this Thur. and Friday. Altogether, we took in over $800. AND, most of that is other people's stuff. Of course there was quite the array of interesting people. People that buy the weirdest junk. Like one lady that bought a dirty, greasy 2 qt pot. yuck. One older lady was here for an hour. She walked around and around picking up almost everything and asking, "what's this?" or "how much is this?" Her patient husband would traipse around after her and carry everything she picked out. He paid each time she would finish, but added more. I think maybe she had a little dementia. He was so sweet to her! When not garage saling, I was attending to one or the other of the boys. RJ is getting so big, he is so full of smiles for everyone.
Today (Mother's Day), Katie took us out to Old Country Buffet and Sarah's mom & dad joined us. We stuffed ourselves then went home and took a nap. (Had Peyton 3 a.m. feedings for the last 2 nights.) Later, we weeded out the herb/perennial garden and planted a basil plant. Also, re potted some Gerber daisies in cool giant coffee cup that I received last year from Syd the Kid. Took the bay tree outside. Keeping the stevia plant that I bought at the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market inside based on advice from my green thumbed sistopher.

Easter is Over, and So Is April

2011-04-26T09:25:00.004-04:00

It's hard to believe that April is almost over. It can leave and take it's winter weather and showers too. Looking forward to finally Spring, right? It's going to be busy. Nicole will go back to work in a few weeks. And then on Mondays and Wednesdays Sarah and I will be coaching a girls youth softball team. Syd the Kid is going to give it a try.
Had 12 for dinner on Sunday. I cooked a spiral ham, cheesy potatoes, southern style green beans, and made a jello salad. Others brought rolls, pickle/olive tray, coleslaw and an ice-cream cake. The ham was a Kroger brand; but very tasty!
Peyton will be 3 weeks old on Thursday. He's doing pretty good. He definitely feels a little heavier. I weighed him on the scale and he weighed in around 8.6 pounds. The Doc ordered a script of Zantac for him. He still spits up on and off. He's a good baby. He usually only gets up once in the night time.

Whew! And Then Some

2011-04-18T13:38:00.002-04:00

Had RJ from Fri. afternoon til Sunday. I can't imagine people who have multiple babies. Crazy. We had to have stations. Feed/burp station #1. Change station #2. Swing station #3. Crib station #4. Jumper station #5 (only for RJ of course) Repeat every 30 minutes. So we just watched movies all day on Saturday. Then Sunday we went with the girls to the mall; they wanted to take the babies to see the Easter Bunny. Man, inflation. The least you can spend is $20 for 2 5 x 7's. So they each got one and split the cost. Then Sarah and I were off for a little escape time. We went to Lansing to go to "Five Guy's Hamburgers." We had gone to one of those in Ft. Myers in Feb. They are pretty awesome hamburgers and fries. (don't get more than a small) We like the Cajun fries. The fill up a cup place them in a brown paper bag & then dump a whole bunch more in the bag. Then we drove around MSU campus. Then we took the loooooooong way home. Driving very slowly of course. It was a much needed break...

Mimi's Boys

2011-04-15T18:48:00.005-04:00

Got both boys tonight. RJ is like a giant compared to Peyton! LOL He is such a good boy. Peyton is snoozin away and RJ is playing with his sippy bottle. Fun times!

I Don't Like ...

2011-04-13T12:55:00.003-04:00

Snow past Spring. What else I don't like:

leftovers

smelly lotions and perfumes

scratches in my glasses

incompetence

cloudy days

headaches

bellyaches

and waking up and not falling back asleep!

Welcome PRT

2011-04-10T10:54:00.003-04:00

Welcome to the world Peyton Russell Terry. He was born on April 7, 2011. His mom had quite an easy time. 8.1 lbs., 20 inches long. Quite an amazing process to watch. The doc turned him upside down and he let out a wail. He's a sweetie. He: sleeps alot & poops alot. LOL This is short for now because I have many things to do to get my house back in order!

Fine, I'll Write Another Post

2011-04-06T14:32:00.003-04:00

It's been pretty crazy busy around here. Getting ready for the new arrival and all. Plus the play last weekend. We had rehearsals all last week, dress rehearsal on Friday and even an extra rehearsal on Saturday afternoon because the dress rehearsal on Fri. went so poorly. We finally got our act (no pun intended) together. It was actually quite a funny play and there was lots of laughing and compliments. The best part: chicken dinner each night! I had an An upper gastrointestinal (GI) scope or endoscopy (esophago-gastroduodenoscopy a.k.a. EGD) yesterday. Then I went home and slept all day. Doc said everything looked okay. Did a biopsy to check for something called Barrett's disease. Check back later...

Magical Ice Kingdom

2011-03-25T10:43:00.003-04:00

Last night on my way to play practice I was overwhelemed with the beauty of the ice on all the trees and bushes. The sun was not yet set so it created a kind of sparkly magical Ice Kingdom effect. I called Sarah and asked her to take a few photos. Alas, I finally had a subject for my next blog. I only hope all that heavy ice doesn't wreck havoc on the trees.

Last night's dish:

Thai Shrimp & veggies over pasta

Really awesome and healthy.

Soak the shrimp in the Thai Curry paste (2 - 8 hours)

put oil in the pan - heat up 2 minced garlic

add veggies: - I used mushrooms, onions, broccoli, cut up tomatoes

after veggies cooked add: 3/4 cup white wine, lime zest and 1/2 lime juice

add shrimp - cook another 4 minutes or so

top with more lime juice and cilantro

serve over whole wheat spaghetti

80/20 Rule

2011-03-16T15:09:00.002-04:00

Embrace the 80/20 Rule ~ From Biggest Loser
Why perfectionism can stop you in your tracks

It's a struggle our Biggest Loser Club weight loss coaches help our members grapple with every day. As Greg Hottinger, RD, and nutrition expert told a BLC member recently, perfectionism is not the road to long-term weight loss success. He urges members to strive for meeting their plan's goals 80% of the time, and to give themselves a little slack 20% of the time. If they follow that principle, over time the weight will come off.

On a more personal note, I was so happy to see the sun and feel it's warmth today. I even went for a walk. It was quite a gang. Sarah, Katie, RJ in the stroller, Bailey and I all took a walk. Very nice. I had a nice Dr. visit today. I am on a new injectable diabetes med. My sugars are heading in the right direction; down. We have RJ until tomorrow night, that should be fun.

Snirt

2011-03-15T15:14:00.002-04:00

Everywhere you go: snirt. What is it? Dirty snow. Yuck. Everything is so drab waiting for the color of spring to arrive. Six more days until the 1st day of spring. But, that doesn't always mean much does it? Sometimes we get a bad snow storm even in April. It does mean we're closer to warm weather tho. We may even reach the mid to upper 50's this week. No bad at all. Why even down in Florida where my sistopher has been nesting (I mean resting) they had days of 58 or 59. I'm ready to get rid of the "comfort" foods of winter time when cooking too. Perhaps even drag out the grill soon. So, here's to warmer, brighter, sunny days!

Potent Quotable - Why Not?

2011-03-13T19:03:00.001-04:00

Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

Top Ten

2011-03-11T13:52:00.002-05:00

Top Ten....... (But not in any particular order - that would be a job)

MOVIES

Shawshank

Princess Bride

Gone With the Wind

Dolores Clayborn

Corinna, Corinna

BOOKS

Gone With the Wind

The (whole) Mitford Series

Dr. Seus ABC

Johnny Tremain

The Bible

MUSICIANS

Amy Grant

Michael W. Smith

James Taylor

Melissa Ethridge

Phil Collins

PLACES TO VISIT

Florida - anywhere!

Boston, Ma

Charleston, Sc

San Francisco, Ca

Maine

Fav Foods

Spaghetti

Pizza

Biscuits & Gravy

Melba Toast - ha not really just seeing if you're paying attention

A good burger & fries

Turkey & stuffing

Thing I Like to Do

Play guitar, sing/listen to music, garden, read, eat, travel

Place I'd Like to Visit - One day

Seattle, Wa: The Keys in Fl: Alaska: Australia: Ireland

Left Over "Leftovers"

2011-03-10T13:01:00.003-05:00

Today for lunch I digested a bowl of soup that was leftover from last night. But you see last night's soup was really a product of leftovers from 3 different meals. Ah haa! Leftover lentils, leftover ham chunks, and some chicken stock I made from a previous broiled chicken dinner. The product? Ham and lentil soup. It's pretty tasty I might add. Oh and I had the leftover bbq chicken and chipolte ranch sauce and made a wrap. Talk about being thrifty why don't ya? I should have been on that new TV show; the next restaurant or what ever it's called.

Did You Know I Love ~

2011-03-08T12:44:00.003-05:00

campfires ~ especially the smell

The smell and sound of the ocean

playing games: board, card, computer, tv

spring rain - the smell, the sound

creme brulee'

spring flowers on a mountain side

collecting lighthouses

visiting lighthouses

singing, or listening to music

sitting in a comfy chair reading a good book

warm, crackly fireplaces

fall: leaves, trees, weather

sitting by a lazy stream

These are a few of my favorite things....

Ughh!

2011-03-07T16:40:00.002-05:00

That's how I feel right now. Dealing with insurance companies, lawyers, corporate talking heads, etc... Sometimes doing business or owning a business is soooo frustrating. sigh... Other than that, life is clipping along. It's already March, good grief. (Charlie Brown) I spent the last week on the couch with a baaaad cold. My head really hurt, then the sniffing, coughing, etc. It's on the mend now, yea! I didn't even go to play practice. I'll be going back this week. Had some bad weather, in the past couple of days. Nicole slid her car into the ditch on Maple Rd. Saturday night. Thank you Lord she (and Peyton) are fine! Just waiting for a little warm up, soon!

Sneeze-drip-wipe-cough-drip

2011-03-03T17:59:00.003-05:00

The bane of my existence this week. A cold! What? All because I told the med. assist at the Dr. office a few weeks ago that I haven't had a cold in about 2 years. Big mouth. ugh. I tried to do a few things yesterday and now I'm worse today. whoops! I had to direct the making of eggplant parm. from my bed. My sous chef did a great job tho - it was really good.
Thank you Renee for stopping to get me some cough drops today on her day off! I don't know where the week has gone. Tomorrow is already Friday. Oh, wait I've been on the couch for most of the week. The whole durn cold started on Monday. Today I began the incessant ordeal of coughing. Cough - ouch - cough - pee a little - cough - drip - wipe (the nose that is. ). I know, you get it. My sister told me to drink some green tea with lemon and honey. I did. It seemed to work pretty good. The problem is I have to be drinking the tea or sucking a cough drop or I start all over. Hopefully tonight I will get a little whiskey to slip in the tea and help with the sleeping.... zzz. Drink up!

Mid-Winter Blues

2011-02-27T07:44:00.002-05:00

or is it Blah's. Whichever, I wish it would go away. Tired of the snow and cold. And all the up and down temperatures are giving me a daily headache. Yesterday, was a major couch potato day. I think I watched TV for 12 hours. Didn't want to move. So I didn't really. Weather man said we got another 4 inches. Well, at least February is almost over!

Tuesday's Tidbits 2-22-11

2011-02-22T10:01:00.002-05:00

I don't know what to tell ya. I'm missing Fla.; wishing I was still there. Especially in light of this new storm. Which we probably got as much or more snow than the infamous "Snowmazilla." LOL. I guess I will bore you with answers to some randomness.

1. Your favorite Chocolate treat?
Um, I'm not a chocolate freak or anything, but I do love a brownie with vanilla ice-cream and HOT fudge poured over the top.

2. What more than anything makes you feel loved.
Random act of kindness I suppose. A gift out of the blue, a back rub, someone else making dinner without me asking. A phone call to see how I am. Etc...

3. Cherries or blueberries?
I Like both, but I love a cherry pie or crisp. My mom used to make them for me. Oh, I like cherries out of the jar, and just picked cherries off the tree.

4. What is the one trait you would most want the leader of your country to possess?
To be a Christian and follow God's laws, and to not be a politician. LOL

5. Are you a saver or a spender?
I'm kind of both. Depends on who's money I'm spending. I freak out about having enough money to pay bills, so I save. But, if I have a wad of money I can think of lots of things to spend it on.. However, I do waffle back and forth before coming out with the dough. So, I'm a SAVER. Whew, that was rough.

6. If you gave a party for all of your friends would they already know each other?
They would have at least heard about each other. I don't have allot of friends...

7. Are you interested in antiques?
Yes, but mostly family heirlooms.

8. Do you pick your nose in public? ha ha ha I added this one.

I'll never tell.

Pelicans

2011-02-17T11:37:00.005-05:00

When I'm in Florida I'm always stalking the Pelicans. Ever since the first time I went to Florida, I've thought they were the coolest birds I've ever seen. They're just so different than anything we have here in Michigan, or the Midwest. This year was no different; I took lots of pictures of the Pelicans, and watched them any time I was near the water. They're always diving and swooping for their food. We saw a lot of them when we went on the Jet Ski Dolphin Tour. Which was quite awesome I must admit.

Pelicans are large birds with large pouched bills.Pelicans swim well with their short, strong legs and their feet with all four toes webbed The tail is short and square, with 20 to 24 feathers. The wings are long and have the unusually large number of 30 to 35 secondary flight feathers. A layer of special fibers deep in the breast muscles can hold the wings rigidly horizontal for gliding and soaring. Thus they can exploit thermals to commute over 150 km (100 miles) to feeding areas.[1]

Pelicans rub the backs of their heads on their preen glands to pick up their oily secretion, which they transfer to their plumage to waterproof it.[1]

Way Back Whens-Day

2011-02-16T13:25:00.005-05:00

I know, I have stolen the idea from my sister. But, sometimes a good idea is just that. Besides, I think she pilfered it from someone else anyway. I was going through some pictures a couple of weeks ago and found this one. I thought, ah-ha a perfect pic for "Way Back Whens' Day. This is my brother and his family quite a long time ago. The kids are WAY older now. Just thought it was so cute. This was taken up north at "the cottage."

Here is a preview pic from Nicole's Grad pics taken on the same tree ~ many years later. Okay, so I just looked again, don't think it's the same tree ~ they are not going in the same direction. Must be on the other side.

Stop and Smell the Snowflakes

2011-02-15T16:15:00.004-05:00

:) So much going on, I almost forgot. Really enjoyed the sunshine and warmth of yesterday and today. It's nice to come back from Fla. and not have to deal with so much freezing weather. Oh BTW, for my adoring fans: I decided to take a "lesser" part in the play. Dealing with so much and I was crazed to think about memorizing all those lines. So, if people decide not to attend I will understand. It's still going to be good plus a good dinner; so come if you want to; would love to see you all. Been running around doing lots of errands, housework, office work etc...
There are so many little projects I need to start. How does one accomplish all that? I wanted to make prints of some of my bird pictures, fla. pictures. Will I ever get to that? I need a vacation for my vacation!

One Dream of Mine

2011-02-13T20:37:00.003-05:00

I've had this dream for a while now, about opening up a kind of alternative restaurant. It would be "healthy" food. For all types of diets. Vegan, Vegetarian, Low sodium, low fat, gluten free, diabetic. You get the picture right? Tonight during dinner we started listing some of my "signature" dishes.
The following is a list of some of the dishes we came up with:
pork roast with cranberry sauce with roasted red skinned potatoes
ratatouille
Mom's spaghetti
vegetarian pizza on the grill ~ homemade wheat dough
salmon patties
fish tacos
oriental patties on rice
white chicken chili
fruit smoothies
peanut butter/chocolate smoothie
omelette's (egg white)
pork chops with Dijon mustard sauce
stuffed mushrooms
taco salad
stuffed pepper - meat or vegetarian
vegetable soup
WW cabbage soup

Back and (un) Loving It

2011-02-11T14:59:00.002-05:00

Thrown back into the home life! YIKES!! Spent last night cuddling with RJ, that was nice. But this morning was a duezy. Had to dig the trailers out (both of them were buried in a foot of snow.) That was not fun. I had to drop one off and pick back up. That always blows my day. Trying to un- pack, (Packing is so much more fun) wash, grocery shop, all the usual. Niki's shower is tomorrow, so gotta wrap stuff and shop. Geesh, maybe I should plan a few extra vaca days just to unwind! Then on top of it all I have a headache. Probably not a good time to try and back off the caffeine. Plus, I'm thinking the change in weather. Even tho it is a whopping 25 degrees. LOL All in a Day's Work. Happy Birthday to my niece-o-pher, Kristen. Hope she's having a great day. Hope they're not still burrowed under all that s-n-o-w in Chi-town.

The Pink Shell Resort and Spa

2011-02-07T20:03:00.002-05:00

Man o man. Sometimes when you book a place sight unseen, you're not too sure how it's going to end up. I did right this time. It's kinda swanky, but not too much that you feel uncomfortable. Nice place, on the 4th floor with gulf view. There's an outdoor bar and grill, an inside restaurant. Breakfast included. We'll see how that is tomorrow a.m. 3 pools, one deep, one kinda regular and one for wading. You wear a bracelet that is your room key and gets you into the pools and everything else on the property. It's almost like an "all inclusive" joint. Tomorrow we are going on a dolphin sighting tour on jet ski's. Might just have to visit the "spa" when we return. I think I'm finally starting to relax! Oh yeah, they even put stamps on the "free" postcards for ya.

A Most Beeee-u-tiful Day

2011-02-04T18:23:00.002-05:00

Got up, walked to the local Mickey Dee's in Ft. Myers Beach. Ordered (free) oatmeal and an iced latte. Took it outside, ate across from the ocean. ahhhhh. Drove to Bradenton. Had lunch on the pier by the beach. Ahhhhhh. Walked the pier with the cute lil girls. Hung around and just enjoyed the 78 dgs. temp. Now, making homemade pizza on the grill and awaiting the blueberry martini's. Ahhhhhhh!

Way Back Whens - Day

2011-02-02T11:42:00.005-05:00

This is a picture from one year when I went down to Florida (not sure what year) to visit mom and dad. Perhaps my sister who is so good with times and such could come up with an approximate year. We would often go and visit a wonderful dear older friend of my mom and dad's; Sadie L. She passed away quite some time ago. She always loved to visit with us. She had a beautiful condo overlooking the bay. Can't quite believe mom's been gone six years now. Can't say I look forward to Ground Hog's day anymore.

Mom's favorite Psalm:

WAAAAAAA

2011-02-01T10:53:00.002-05:00

I don't want the BIG EVENT, at least not right now. I know everyone is excited bout snow days an all, but I want to get on my airplane on THURSDAY to Fort Myers. Waaaaaa! I'm so trying NOT to stress out about it. Tried to get out of here on a flight for this morning but they're already all booked out. Crap, should have tried yesterday. Could they give the thing any more hype, I ask you? Man the Kroger parking lot was slammed last night when we drove by on the way to play practice. Which is moving along quite nicely, I might add. We practiced on stage last night which really helps alot. Last year we didn't get on stage until about 2 weeks before the big night.

Where'd All the Snow Come From

2011-01-29T11:17:00.002-05:00

I wasn't prepared for this one. What? I was not up on the latest weather info which I almost ALWAYS am. I usually watch the news, weather channel, or The Weather Channel on my computer. But, ya know I was kinda busy yesterday. Then the GB came over, had to fuss over him, feed him, etc... then we took them all out to Wise Guy's for pizzza last night. So, I was ill-prepared.
So much to do. Go to Kohl's and spend my "Kohl's Cash. Go to BBzRUS and spend my Geoffery Bucks or what ever they are. Watch the play CD a zillion times and work on my zillion lines. Unpack and repack the suitcases a zillion times. :) Clean the house , again. Do some more laundry. Take the pop bottles back for more spending $$ for FLA. Check the weather a zillion times. Ok I had a large coffee and my mind is going faster then my fingers can type. whewwwwwwwwwwww

Same Ole Same Ole

2011-01-26T11:25:00.003-05:00

Just trying to get everything done. Did some cleaning and doing the wash. Trying to finish up year end. Dropped 1/2 lb this week. Better than nothing I guess. Mostly packed for Fla. I know, it's kind of early. It keeps me going. Don't have my vehicle again today; should get alot done. Plan to walk at the middle school tonight. Planning to make spinach and feta omelettes tonight. They've been on the menu now for 2 weeks!
That's all folks dee da la dee dee.

A Cold Snowy Blowy Weekend

2011-01-24T12:40:00.002-05:00

Wasn't it? Didn't feel much like going out. So there was lots of:
football watching. (yuck)
Reading I am extremely enjoying Jan Karon's Mitford Series. Love, love, love the books.
Naps
Hot beverage sipping
Jammie pants wearing
I did venture out on Saturday however to have lunch with 2 old friends, Laura Jean and Betty Jean. Met at Olive Garden in Novi. The roads were terrible on the way down. I did talk to my dad in Fla. He seems to be enjoying the weather. For those of you following my culinary side: tonight is beef stew cooked in the crock served over wild rice.