November Thanks...

So....what are YOU thankful for this year??

Here's a few things to get you started at this time of year!

My iPad and iPhone

Dishwashers

Streaming movies on Amazon Prime!

My smoke-free Little Red Campfire

The local farmer’s market

Pumpkin and all those other luscious fall flavors

Cozy Sweatshirt Weather

Sunday afternoons, with coffee and a good book.

Crockpots

My KEURIG!! Because I really need my Coffee!!

Pillows.

Google.

Restaurants that serve amazing Thanksgiving dinners that make it SO much more relaxing...

Ice cream with Homemade pumpkin pie.

Health—even on days when it isn’t perfect.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate...oh...and Nutella!

Books and movies that help me escape for a few hours.

Mason jars, and the Pinterest boards of crafts waiting to be made

Puppies!

Delivery food.

Correct grammar.

Cute little coffee shops

Caller I.D.

Color-coordinated office supplies.

Snail mail.

Vacations.

Warm Fuzzy Socks.

The healing power of music.

Fall leaves changing colors.

Spellcheck. (But not Autocorrect.)

Candles that make your home smell like the holidays.

The Weather Channel iPhone app.

Mugs that tell it like it is.

A cake that doesn’t stick to the pan.

The perfect playlist.

Thick albums full of photos.

A continuous string of green lights when you’re already running late.

Colorful stationery.

Long drives on open roads by myself.

A heartfelt thank you note.

The last slice of pie.

Holiday sales.

Real Simple Magazine

How's that for a list to get you started??  I could go on and on and on.....Ha!!

Sneak Peek of Things to Come!

This is a sneak peek of things to come...

Can you guess what the girls are doing?

Do you know what we are going to be discussing in the coming week?

Unglued...

Ever feel like you are just plain overwhelmed...like you don't quite know where to start??

I must apologize to those of you who I haven't been able to visit lately.

My world is closing in on me and I feel like I'm going in about a zillion different directions all at once!!

Haven't been home very much lately as we have been running around picking up different bits and pieces to put the kitchen back in order...and thankfully...it is looking much better than it was.

Coupled with some family issues I am dealing with, I'm about ready to burst.

Reservations are confirmed and house-sitters have been lined up...cars have been reserved and golf carts too!!

Now, if the snow would just STOP so that we could get the RV uncovered and OUT of the backyard so that we could bring it to be inspected before we go, we'll be good!!

See that pic up there!!

I keep telling myself to BREATHE and I'll be there soon enough...

One step at a time...

Hope you are having a great day!!

Anniversary 19 Years!

We celebrated our 19th Wedding Anniversary!  Had a nice dinner at Steamboat Landing and a little Road Trip.

Hope everyone's having a Happy Sunday!

Learned in the Sand Pile at Sunday School...

Pretty Basic Stuff:

If Only Today's kids would learn from these basic lessons...

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit or bite people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life -
Learn some and think some
And draw and paint and sing and dance
And play and work everyday some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world,
Watch out for traffic,
Hold hands and stick together.
Be aware of wonder.

 by Robert Fulghum

Kinda like Abileen:

You are Smart.

You are Kind.

You are Important. 

Such easy lessons.

Yet, I find myself sitting in a restaurant watching these totally out of control families around me and thinking...."Is it ME?" 

Why am I the only one that thinks it is the kids controlling the parents rather than the other way around.  My husband and I ponder this just about every time we are sitting in a restaurant waiting for a meal. 

It drives me nuts!!! 

 

What's Your Take?

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
— Mark Twain

 I need to get something off my chest that I have been worrying about lately.  Someone very close to me is going to be retiring very soon and it appears to me that he is extremely depressed about this situation.  And NO, the person is not my husband...who has been retired for three years already!

 One of the reasons I am so concerned is that this person is single.  He has some outside interests, but as we all know a large part of our worklife is also the social aspect of it all.  Due to my declining health, I was forced to stop working full time back in 1998.  I didn't go through all of those regular "retirement" feelings as I was too sick to deal with them at the time.  When I finally began to see the light at the end of the tunnel, there was probably a period of about a year where I kind of struggled to find out which direction I wanted to go in.  Now, at the time, my husband was still working full time, so it was a bit different than both of us retiring at the same time.  

Crafts were a large part of my day back then...and they still are, when I can find the time!!  Now, I feel as if I'm always either cleaning or packing!  All right, I admit, I have gotten rather used to my husband being home all the time and we can kind of take off and go whenever we want to...we really don't have any set schedule.  But, it is amazing how BUSY we actually are!! 

 Back to my friend...that I am worried about.   He has done some research and has joined a few leagues, but he's still worrying about the "unknown"...I think it is the fear of the unknown.  I venture to say that I went through that to when you are used to getting up at 5 or 6am every day for your whole life and then all of a sudden...it doesn't really matter what time you get up...there is nobody waiting on you.  It is a life changing moment.  He doesn't seem to "get" the fact that he WILL be busy...he WILL find that his time is consumed with OTHER things.  He actually thinks that he is going to be bored.  

 I'm trying to help him, I just don't know how.  He does not live in this area, so I am limited in being able to offer much in the way of support.  So far, I have told him the very first thing that he should do is rescue a DOG!  He has always wanted one.  He's not sure if he wants to jump into that in the beginning.  I can understand that.  

 It sure would be great companionship for him though!!!  

Got suggestions??  Send 'em my way...please!  I need all the help I can get!!

 

It Started Out Differently

I sat down to write this post. Then I did a random search on cinnamon rolls...I know....WHY cinnamon rolls?? Because I happen to have a roll of Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls in my fridge. The expiration date has expired by a couple of weeks. My husband says...use it anyway! I say...nope. I'm googling it. Whatever did we do before google?? Basically I found out that you can actually use it...unless it smells or looks funny. It is an ongoing battle here in my house. I throw out anything that is past the date. My husband keeps AND EATS everything past the date! PS...whose food would you rather eat??

Anyway, while I'm googling my cinnamon rolls question, I stumble across another blog that I have fallen in love with! Every now and then I go blog-hopping...even when I'm not planning on it! Anyway, the blog I am referring to is Joy the Baker! Joy writes like I think...all random and all over the place! I love it! I can relate to it! See what you think...are you often attracted to blogs that just DRAW you in?? Even when not specifically searching for a blog...I stumble across some great ones! That is actually how I have found some really good ones that I like to read fairly often! Sometimes you will see a blog appear on my sideline for awhile, then disappear. The reason for that is I don't always have the time to check the blog out when I find it, so I put it over there on the sideline to read when I have more time. And, there are times when I read for awhile, then lose interest. We all do that, right??

Anyway...the reason this started out differently was because I was planning on talking about the fact that many people have asked whether we are on the road right now. The simple answer is NO. We will be going on our trip to Minnesota...just not for awhile.

We need to get this bone graft situation straight before I can leave town!! Another appointment with the surgeon tomorrow as it appears the stitches have somehow come loose and the bone may still be affected. So, I'm waiting to see what he says. Much depends upon my medical situation. So, for now...we got the RV inspected.

There's a whole bunch of things I still need to get done before the final arrangements can be made...still need to get the girlz in to the vet for their annuals and shots...get flea meds and put Ben's car back on the road. Lots of things have been set aside for the time being...I am supposed to be resting. Yeah...right.

They Left Us AGAIN...

She said that they were just going to be gone for a little while...something about going to the mall...we know that trick. It is ALWAYS more than a little while.

Mama likes the decorators they have at Anthropologie! They have some pretty cool stuff decorating their walls. We don't see anything that can be chewed...

The good news is that she also ordered some stuff from Amazon...and guess what...she ordered us a new DUCKIE!!

Yeah...the pictures aren't the greatest, but she was in a hurry to get home and open the Amazon Box! Personally, we think she was much more interested in her stuff...than she was in the duck!

All was forgiven when she arrived home with this!!

Sorry!

Blogger ate my post...I had a really long post with a bunch of photos scheduled for today...it was supposed to publish at midnight last night.

We were out of town and we are back now...I will have to create a new post for tomorrow! Hope you all are having a great Thursday!

Hoarding. In General.

Tonight. It hit me. I think I must need some sort of Intervention. Or perhaps I should volunteer to be on the show, Hoarders.

I went to Michaels tonight specifically to pick up some Harley Davidson stickers to make my SIL a card for her birthday. She is in to that stuff. They did not have any at my little store, and told me I'd have to go to one of the larger stores that carry more inventory. One would think I could have just walked out. Nope. I had to check out what was on SALE. I had to browse! I had to go directly to the Martha Stewart section...because I love her crafts! Then, I had to check out the little dollar bins. Oh...and just for good measure...scrapbook paper was on sale four for ONE dollar!! How on earth could I pass THAT up??

So, I managed to fill up a small basket full of items...you know...they were on SALE! Then, I get into a discussion with the woman at the register. Told her I think I should just volunteer for the show Hoarders. She laughed, and said...anyone who is in to papercrafts of ANY kind...qualifies for that show!

I didn't feel so bad after that!

And for today's pics of the girlz...here ya go!

OH! And we were featured!!!

Please go check out all of the COOL Dogs in Cars on Bailey's Blog!!

Google Friend Connect...To Be or No???

There has been much discussion in the blogosphere regarding Google Friend Connect.

It appears to me that many of us that have been experiencing problems with Blogger...are probably having these issues because Google and Blogger are working on a new Google Friend Connect...called Following. You can read more about it here!!

Since I am on the Blogger Platform and have been since the very beginning (four years ago) I was freaking out because I thought I'd lose all of the Followers I had managed to build up over time. So, I started adding widgets to my blog...I created a page on Facebook and added the Networked Blogs Badge.

Now, I can heave a sigh of relief as I have discovered that my followers will not be affected by these changes. Wordpress was interesting to me and I had considered making that move...but to be perfectly honest, I'm just afraid to move platforms. There's been so much time and energy channeled into this blog, that I cannot even imagine it all being wiped out in an instant! I know it can be.

I just don't want to think about it!

In other news, PICNIK is going away!!! How awful is that???? I loved Picnik!!! I've found a ton of new photo apps on my iphone, but I'm going to miss Picnik!!

No Fear!

A real cowboy has NO FEAR!!!
BOL!!!

Yikes! That Wasn't Supposed to Happen

Ok, so most of you know that my daughter is a hairstylist.  She specializes in color!  It is difficult for us to coordinate our schedules as she works constantly!!  So, when she was coming over for her birthday, we decided to throw in a quick cut and color!

Rather than have her bring all the supplies, I volunteered that I had what we needed!!  So, after the birthday celebration...off we go upstairs to do the quick hair thing.  Now...I had not used these particular products in awhile...no problem!  Or so I thought.

Check THIS out!

Are you freaking kidding me?????  Let me explain...Meish was in a hurry so when she was done, I said goodbye and I'd dry my hair after she left. 

Said hair was dry after she left and I was TOTALLY freaking out!  C'mon...I do NOT look good in this color!  I know that there really are some humans who like to have orange hair.  I am not one of them.  I looked like a really bad Lucille Ball imitation!!

Ok, so now it is late...after midnight and I am trying to figure out what to do as I know that Meish has a full client day.  I also didn't want her to think that SHE did something wrong.  As I actually figured out that the developer that I thought was new...was NOT!!  So...apparently OLD developer does not mix well with color...weird reaction!!

I texted her on Saturday in the afternoon and she told me to come right over after her last client.

She FIXED it!!!

I am over the moon happy!!!  SO happy!!!  Nothing like having my very own hair back!!

No...those pictures up there were not my ACTUAL hair.  I refuse to post those on my blog.

The girlz were not amused by this turn of events.  Chloe was in her crate when I got home as she pooped in the living room to show her dad that she wasn't happy that mama left AGAIN!!

Just a Quick Update

Yes, we are home.  We do NOT have my Jeep.  It has been towed to the Jeep Dealer about 150 miles from here.  HOPEFULLY it will be fixed before next weekend...I've rented a car for then...to go and pick it up.  In the meantime, we are looking at the 2012 Ford Fiesta...or the Focus...not sure yet.

I do believe the girlz will be happy with the smaller vehicle...they loved the Fiesta when we rented it before!

That's all I got for my Manic Monday....that's how I feel today!

There's Just Something About...

Chinese Food!!

After a long day of housework and cleaning and yardwork...we were just plain beat.

I perked up quickly when I found out I didn't have to cook!

Always a good thing!!

Here's a little look at what we had!

Sweet and Sour Shrimp is the BEST!!

The HEAT has really begun to descend upon us here in Upstate NY!

We are talking NINETY degrees today!

It is only the first week of JUNE!

I sure hope that it is not just a glimpse of what the rest of the summer will be like!!

The A/C is getting a workout!!

We ARE looking forward to going to the first Farmer's Market in town here! YAY!!

Have a great Tuesday!!

It is Official

I have officially decided that car salesman just suck.

Seriously.

Really ruined my day.

And I didn't get the really super cute loaded Jeep that I fell in love with.

I am drowning my sorrows in Strawberry Milkshake.

Wonder What the Menu is Like??

Can you even imagine what the menu is like?

What do you think they serve????

I do love me some Southern Cooking!

No Patience

Share three things that you have absolutely NO patience for!

I would have to say...

1. Waiting for a table in a restaurant

2. Parents who don't mind their kids

3. Price gouging of ANY kind!

What would your answers be?

Beautiful People

What's up with all the backlash about Jennifer Lopez being named as Most Beautiful Woman by People???

I personally think that she deserves it!  The woman is amazing...and multi-talented to boot!! 

What is wrong with people today...are they blind??  You can formulate your own opinion here...

but I totally believe that she deserves the title!!

Happy Friday!!!

Thanks will.i.am

If this doesn't make you sing HAPPY FRIDAY and make you want to be a kid again...

I don't know what will!!