Hair Down or Hair Up?
I was working the reference desk the other day and had my hair pulled up. I don't often pull it up while it work, but it was an exceptionally bad hair day. I had a patron who came over to me and said "We took a poll. We decided you look better with your hair down." Honestly! How sweet is that? Not only do they pay attention, they feel comfortable enough with me to come over and tell me something that sweet! (At least I'm taking it as sweet...)
Super Bowl
I am a part of a group that occasionally donates dinner to a men's shelter. Last night, we dropped off not only dinner, but snacks and appetizers to munch on during the Super Bowl game. Wow, that stuff really appreciated. I think we tend to forget that people who are struggling in one way or another appreciate having the ability to celebrate big events just like everyone else.
Cleaning and Organizing
Can I just say here how much I hate cleaning and organizing? One of these days I'm going to post a picture of just how bad the closet in the Master Bedroom got. It's pretty bad. I clean and organize it once a year, and every year, I say I'm going to do a better job of keeping things organized, and then 12 months later, I'm muttering under my breath as I once again pull everything out and organize it all again.
Zumbathon
A couple of weeks back, daughter and I participated in a two hour Zumbathon to raise money for field maintenance for the Parks Department. It was a wonderful time - the class was taught by a host of Master Zumba teachers. We had a marvelous time, and I not only lasted for the two full hours, I had so much fun!
Eclipse 2017
No, this isn't another Twilight book about Vampires. It's an actual solar eclipse that will be visible across a large swath of North America on August 21. I've only ever seen one other - back when I was in college - and let me tell you, it was way cool. I'm very, very excited to see another one!
Showing posts with label Manic Monday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Manic Monday. Show all posts
Monday, February 6, 2017
Monday, December 12, 2016
Monday Musings
What a weekend it has been!
We sang in the choir for the Christmas Cantata on Sunday morning. Dress rehearsal was Saturday, and we spoke with the kids by Skype on Sunday afternoon. At least the cold and sore throat managed to hold off through the weekend. It hit me hard this morning, though.
I finished reading the last of the picture books that were finalists for the Maryland Black Eyed Susan Awards. Overall, I've found a lot of excellent books on that list! I'm glad I've been reading from it, but I think I'm ready to take a break away from children's literature for a while!
Oh, I discovered Westworld on HBO Go last week. Now there's an odd, quirky, but compelling tale. I think I'm going to need to watch it more than once in order to get all of the details and nuances and stories within stories down. Have you watched Westworld? What do you think of it?
Lastly, little Coquito needs some prayers! He's back in the hospital, going through his second round of chemo. If you can spare a thought, a prayer, or some energy to head his way, I know the family would appreciate it!
I really need to start planning Christmas dinner soon. Can you believe it's 12 days away? Crap - I hate going to the store! Which reminds me - I need to get Christmas cards out sometime in the next few days. I don't think we're going to get letters into the cards this year! (How and why did that ever become a tradition anyway? Seriously... )
I hope you've had a great day!
We sang in the choir for the Christmas Cantata on Sunday morning. Dress rehearsal was Saturday, and we spoke with the kids by Skype on Sunday afternoon. At least the cold and sore throat managed to hold off through the weekend. It hit me hard this morning, though.
I finished reading the last of the picture books that were finalists for the Maryland Black Eyed Susan Awards. Overall, I've found a lot of excellent books on that list! I'm glad I've been reading from it, but I think I'm ready to take a break away from children's literature for a while!
Oh, I discovered Westworld on HBO Go last week. Now there's an odd, quirky, but compelling tale. I think I'm going to need to watch it more than once in order to get all of the details and nuances and stories within stories down. Have you watched Westworld? What do you think of it?
Lastly, little Coquito needs some prayers! He's back in the hospital, going through his second round of chemo. If you can spare a thought, a prayer, or some energy to head his way, I know the family would appreciate it!
I really need to start planning Christmas dinner soon. Can you believe it's 12 days away? Crap - I hate going to the store! Which reminds me - I need to get Christmas cards out sometime in the next few days. I don't think we're going to get letters into the cards this year! (How and why did that ever become a tradition anyway? Seriously... )
I hope you've had a great day!
Monday, April 18, 2016
Monday Musings
Did you ever decide to abdicate all responsibility for the weekend? Or at least a day? This was the first nice weekend we've had in a while. Who wouldn't want to abdicate all responsibility?
Daughter and I found a huge consignment sale over the weekend. It was solely for clothing, and many of the items were new - with tags still on! Daughter picked up one gorgeous blue lace dress for $5, and I picked up 3 brand new shirts for $20. Where else are you going to find designer clothes, with the tags still on, at 3 for $20?
We cooked in every night this past week. I tried recipes out of the new cookbook I picked up at the used book sale. Not all of the recipes were great - some were a swing and a miss - but it was very nice to try some new tastes! I've got other new and interesting recipes from that book lined up for this week!
I'm working on putting in vegetables in some unexpected places this year. I know from sad experience that an actual garden doesn't work well for me. I'm hoping that if I can make the vegetables a part of my landscaping, they'll thrive more. As a result, I'm looking for places that are closer to the house, that I'll hopefully remember to water! The current garden location is so far away from the water spigots that I have to haul water in buckets out to the garden on a daily basis. It gets to be a problem, and I end up forgetting that they're out there.
Daughter gave me a gorgeous butterfly plant last year for mother's day. This year, I put in a zucchini plant on either side of the plant - I'm hoping that the pollinators will be attracted by the butterfly plant and stay for the zucchini. This creates a small triangle of space - I'm trying to decide whether I should attempt to put a vegetable there along the hypotenuse or if I should put in more flowers. Whatever I do, I need to fix it so that husband doesn't
In the back yard, I have a hole where we used to have a pond. It's a small hole - the pump kept breaking, and with the looming threat of mosquito borne illnesses, we decided to pull out the pond. We're going to fill in the hole and plant something. I've been debating between an herb spiral and a strawberry tower. I think the herb spiral would look a little more at home with all of the mixed perennials I currently have in that spot. The more I think about it, the more I'm leaning towards an herb spiral.
It finally got warm enough that we've been able to turn the heat off in the house. Honestly, I've turned the heat off two other times this spring, but I think this time is FOR REAL. I'm hoping I won't need to turn it on again until the end of October, beginning of November.
My favorite little farm stand opened up this weekend. I stopped in on opening day and picked up a bushel of spinach for $4. We've been nibbling on it all weekend. I cut it into scrambled eggs, put a leaf into my smoothie, made strawberry spinach salad, and used it in place of lettuce in my sandwiches and on a hamburger. It was so good! I've still got about a quarter of the bushel left. I'm going to have to find something fun to make with all that green goodness for dinner tonight!
I'm looking forward to the warm weather we're expecting this weekend!
What great things did you accomplish this week?
Daughter and I found a huge consignment sale over the weekend. It was solely for clothing, and many of the items were new - with tags still on! Daughter picked up one gorgeous blue lace dress for $5, and I picked up 3 brand new shirts for $20. Where else are you going to find designer clothes, with the tags still on, at 3 for $20?
We cooked in every night this past week. I tried recipes out of the new cookbook I picked up at the used book sale. Not all of the recipes were great - some were a swing and a miss - but it was very nice to try some new tastes! I've got other new and interesting recipes from that book lined up for this week!
I'm working on putting in vegetables in some unexpected places this year. I know from sad experience that an actual garden doesn't work well for me. I'm hoping that if I can make the vegetables a part of my landscaping, they'll thrive more. As a result, I'm looking for places that are closer to the house, that I'll hopefully remember to water! The current garden location is so far away from the water spigots that I have to haul water in buckets out to the garden on a daily basis. It gets to be a problem, and I end up forgetting that they're out there.
Daughter gave me a gorgeous butterfly plant last year for mother's day. This year, I put in a zucchini plant on either side of the plant - I'm hoping that the pollinators will be attracted by the butterfly plant and stay for the zucchini. This creates a small triangle of space - I'm trying to decide whether I should attempt to put a vegetable there along the hypotenuse or if I should put in more flowers. Whatever I do, I need to fix it so that husband doesn't
In the back yard, I have a hole where we used to have a pond. It's a small hole - the pump kept breaking, and with the looming threat of mosquito borne illnesses, we decided to pull out the pond. We're going to fill in the hole and plant something. I've been debating between an herb spiral and a strawberry tower. I think the herb spiral would look a little more at home with all of the mixed perennials I currently have in that spot. The more I think about it, the more I'm leaning towards an herb spiral.
It finally got warm enough that we've been able to turn the heat off in the house. Honestly, I've turned the heat off two other times this spring, but I think this time is FOR REAL. I'm hoping I won't need to turn it on again until the end of October, beginning of November.
My favorite little farm stand opened up this weekend. I stopped in on opening day and picked up a bushel of spinach for $4. We've been nibbling on it all weekend. I cut it into scrambled eggs, put a leaf into my smoothie, made strawberry spinach salad, and used it in place of lettuce in my sandwiches and on a hamburger. It was so good! I've still got about a quarter of the bushel left. I'm going to have to find something fun to make with all that green goodness for dinner tonight!
I'm looking forward to the warm weather we're expecting this weekend!
What great things did you accomplish this week?
Monday, April 11, 2016
Monday Musings
This weekend was also the final Smith College Alumni Association Used Book Sale. Daughter and I went and bought a few books. She bought a handful of paper backs. I bought the three books you see on the right - the top one is the more modern book of my all time favorite Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book from 1982. This one was published in the late 90's. I've already found 5 recipes that we are trying out of this book this week!
The middle (blue) book is a Spanish Grammar Reader. I got this as a present for a friend of mine.
The bottom one is fascinating! Recipes from 10 Ancient Cultures that no longer exist! Wow, I can't wait to try these! I'm thinking I might put together a dinner party and ask everyone who comes to bring one of the dishes from a specific culture. Educational, and (hopefully) tasty!
I spent a long time in a planning meeting on Sunday afternoon. Anita Gutschick will be performing at our church on Sunday, and we are planning out the decorations - and food. Biblical food. This should be a hoot! I'm really looking forward to the event. On Friday, I'm helping to mix up some of what we'll be serving. Who knows? I might find something new and tasty to eat!
Skyping with the boys last night was fun. Oldest child could get audio to work, but not video. Middle child could see us and hear us, but had to type back his replies on the side bar. Once again, another fun and raucous conversation with the kids! I really enjoy these calls, and I am eternally grateful for the technology that allows us to talk with all of our kids at once.
I attended an online webinar on copyright last week. It was free, I found out more about copyright law, and I got a chance to hear the thoughts of my peers from around the country on Fair Use. Of all the webinars I've taken on copyright this week, this was my favorite!
Today is another cold and rainy day. Thank goodness there's no snow!
I'm ready for spring. How about you?
Monday, April 4, 2016
Monday Musings
Monday Musings or Manic Monday? Which one seems to fit better? I might have to change this to musings.... that is what I tend to do on Monday mornings. I get into a thoughtful fit after the weekend is over!
I got my hair cut last week. On the big mirror across the back wall, one of the shampoo techs had written across the top "You are beautiful. You are fierce. You are kind. You are a warrior. You are wonderful. You are amazing. You are gorgeous". Wonderful, life affirming messages that I think we all need to see and be reminded of. All of us tend to be too hard on ourselves.
During the children's sermon on Sunday morning, the children's minister was talking to the children about relay races. She asked the children who had run relay races before? One of the little boys answered "I've run them!" What happens when you run them? "I always lose!"
We had a very impressive windstorm Saturday night into Sunday morning. Wow - that wind was phenomenal. Wind gusts up to 60 mph. We had a lot of trees come down in the neighborhood - and a house in town that burned to the ground before the fire department could get there. The wind whipped the fire up and engulfed the house within minutes. The family was lucky to escape unharmed.
We had one of my favorite meals this week - vegetables that were cut into spaghetti strips, and fish. I sauteed the vegetables in a little olive oil with a lot of pepper. I fried the fish in the cast iron skillet with a lot of Old Bay. It was a quick meal - ready in less than 30 minutes, and it was so healthy! Spring green season is coming up fast - I'm looking forward to fresh kale and spinach!
If you can spare some energy to toss my way, I'd appreciate it. I've been searching for jobs, putting out resumes, and trying to find the best way to write a good cover letter, and I'm not hearing anything back from anyone. I'm more than a little discouraged. I'd appreciate your thoughts. I desperately need a change of pace.
Go out and conquer the world!
I got my hair cut last week. On the big mirror across the back wall, one of the shampoo techs had written across the top "You are beautiful. You are fierce. You are kind. You are a warrior. You are wonderful. You are amazing. You are gorgeous". Wonderful, life affirming messages that I think we all need to see and be reminded of. All of us tend to be too hard on ourselves.
During the children's sermon on Sunday morning, the children's minister was talking to the children about relay races. She asked the children who had run relay races before? One of the little boys answered "I've run them!" What happens when you run them? "I always lose!"
We had a very impressive windstorm Saturday night into Sunday morning. Wow - that wind was phenomenal. Wind gusts up to 60 mph. We had a lot of trees come down in the neighborhood - and a house in town that burned to the ground before the fire department could get there. The wind whipped the fire up and engulfed the house within minutes. The family was lucky to escape unharmed.
We had one of my favorite meals this week - vegetables that were cut into spaghetti strips, and fish. I sauteed the vegetables in a little olive oil with a lot of pepper. I fried the fish in the cast iron skillet with a lot of Old Bay. It was a quick meal - ready in less than 30 minutes, and it was so healthy! Spring green season is coming up fast - I'm looking forward to fresh kale and spinach!
If you can spare some energy to toss my way, I'd appreciate it. I've been searching for jobs, putting out resumes, and trying to find the best way to write a good cover letter, and I'm not hearing anything back from anyone. I'm more than a little discouraged. I'd appreciate your thoughts. I desperately need a change of pace.
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| Sunset on Friday night! |
Go out and conquer the world!
Monday, March 28, 2016
Easter Monday
I hope that you and your family had a wonderful weekend, filled with family, friends, and lots of love.
We had a fun weekend. Middle child surprised us with a visit home Saturday night - he went back to school Sunday afternoon, but that left us scrambling for dinner after the stores had closed. We ended up having roasted potatoes, salmon, quinoa pilaf, and fruit salad. It was actually a very good meal. Not what I would have planned, but it was about the company - not spending hours preparing the meal. We had a wonderful group phone call with oldest child in the afternoon, it was wonderful!
Luna has acquired a bunch of fleas. We don't know where they came from since she doesn't go out. It had gotten so bad that she had bald spots on the backs of her legs from where she was scratching and licking herself. We found some flea gel for her Saturday morning, put it on her that afternoon, and now she is no longer scratching.
We began our taxes this weekend. We're behind. They've usually been submitted long before now. Not sure when they'll actually get submitted - but the clock is ticking. Only a little over 2 weeks before they're due... And papers are scattered everywhere!
We did make it into Washington D.C. last week and spent some time with the Cherry Blossoms! I will be posting pictures later this week. Let me tell you, this year was perfect! The blossoms peaked on Saturday - and with the steady rain we are having today, they will be gone by the end of the day. We walked 8 miles the day we went in. I was exhausted when we got home - and I had a bruise under the middle toe on my foot - right where I push off when I walk. Not certain how that happened, but good golly it hurt for a couple of days!
All the kids are back to school now - they've all got about 6 weeks left in their respective semesters before summer. Daughter will be getting her wisdom teeth pulled the week after finals are finished. We met with the oral surgeon earlier this week - and met his resident who is working with him through the rest of this year. I verified - our oral surgeon will be the one actually doing the tooth removal. I'm sure the resident is good, but I am paying for our oral surgeon to do the surgery - and I am more comfortable with him. He's worked with our weird tooth conditions for years now. (Middle child had one tooth grow out through the bottom of his chin....)
I hope you enjoy your week!
We had a fun weekend. Middle child surprised us with a visit home Saturday night - he went back to school Sunday afternoon, but that left us scrambling for dinner after the stores had closed. We ended up having roasted potatoes, salmon, quinoa pilaf, and fruit salad. It was actually a very good meal. Not what I would have planned, but it was about the company - not spending hours preparing the meal. We had a wonderful group phone call with oldest child in the afternoon, it was wonderful!
Luna has acquired a bunch of fleas. We don't know where they came from since she doesn't go out. It had gotten so bad that she had bald spots on the backs of her legs from where she was scratching and licking herself. We found some flea gel for her Saturday morning, put it on her that afternoon, and now she is no longer scratching.
We began our taxes this weekend. We're behind. They've usually been submitted long before now. Not sure when they'll actually get submitted - but the clock is ticking. Only a little over 2 weeks before they're due... And papers are scattered everywhere!
We did make it into Washington D.C. last week and spent some time with the Cherry Blossoms! I will be posting pictures later this week. Let me tell you, this year was perfect! The blossoms peaked on Saturday - and with the steady rain we are having today, they will be gone by the end of the day. We walked 8 miles the day we went in. I was exhausted when we got home - and I had a bruise under the middle toe on my foot - right where I push off when I walk. Not certain how that happened, but good golly it hurt for a couple of days!
All the kids are back to school now - they've all got about 6 weeks left in their respective semesters before summer. Daughter will be getting her wisdom teeth pulled the week after finals are finished. We met with the oral surgeon earlier this week - and met his resident who is working with him through the rest of this year. I verified - our oral surgeon will be the one actually doing the tooth removal. I'm sure the resident is good, but I am paying for our oral surgeon to do the surgery - and I am more comfortable with him. He's worked with our weird tooth conditions for years now. (Middle child had one tooth grow out through the bottom of his chin....)
I hope you enjoy your week!
Monday, March 21, 2016
Manic Monday
Last week, we went to visit a potential graduate school or two with the middle child. He's not sure what he wants to do next, but he definitely wanted to look at a couple of campuses before he decided whether or not he wants to apply. Unfortunately for him, he's beginning to hit that point that we all hit somewhere in our schooling where we decided that we were just DONE with school, and needed to get out and get a job in the real world for a while. Going into grad school with that attitude does not bode well for success. We'll see what happens. Only time will tell.
I'm finishing a few blankets for a friend of mine. Her brother died, leaving behind several unfinished crochet blankets. I've finished them all off - but this last one was a challenge. It was such a riot of odds and ends of yarn. I believe he was finishing off the small bits he had left from other projects. But what to do? I met with a friend last week, and we went through her yarn stash and found stuff to finish this out. It was harder than I thought it would be. We needed to make it big enough to use as a lap blanket, but not so big that his stitches were lost in mine. I added a few rows around and took it out. I think it finished out beautifully. I'll post pictures of the finished work later on today.
I'm finishing a few blankets for a friend of mine. Her brother died, leaving behind several unfinished crochet blankets. I've finished them all off - but this last one was a challenge. It was such a riot of odds and ends of yarn. I believe he was finishing off the small bits he had left from other projects. But what to do? I met with a friend last week, and we went through her yarn stash and found stuff to finish this out. It was harder than I thought it would be. We needed to make it big enough to use as a lap blanket, but not so big that his stitches were lost in mine. I added a few rows around and took it out. I think it finished out beautifully. I'll post pictures of the finished work later on today.
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| One of the crochet blankets. What to do? |
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| Taken out a few inches - the blanket is finished! |
We had snow over the weekend. Not a lot mind you, but enough to remind us that this March is having more "Lion" days than "Lamb" days. The snow was heavy at times, but it was the perfect kind of snow as it never really stuck to anything.
The Easter Egg Hunt was held at church yesterday. Husband, daughter and I went to help out. Daughter helped with a craft station, and husband and I staffed the snack table. It was great to see all the little kids and their families, so very excited about Easter and the eggs! I got a charge out of them all!
Yesterday was the very cold first day of Spring! Snow, blowy winds, and clouds. And on Friday, it was in the seventies. Ahhh... springtime in the Mid-Atlantic. I love you! After the fun of the Easter Egg Hunt, we went out to get our free Italian Ice to celebrate the first day. Of course, it was so cold that we ended up eating in the car.
Lastly, I wanted to ask if you've heard about the nesting pair of Eagles at the National Arboretum? There's a live link to the webcam here: http://dceaglecam.eagles.org/. The Eagles are named "The President" and "The First Lady". They have two adorable little fluffy chicks that hatched over the weekend. When you get a chance, hop on over and check them out. They are so beautiful, elegant, and regal.
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| After 2 hours, this was the accumulated snow on the car. |
The Easter Egg Hunt was held at church yesterday. Husband, daughter and I went to help out. Daughter helped with a craft station, and husband and I staffed the snack table. It was great to see all the little kids and their families, so very excited about Easter and the eggs! I got a charge out of them all!
Yesterday was the very cold first day of Spring! Snow, blowy winds, and clouds. And on Friday, it was in the seventies. Ahhh... springtime in the Mid-Atlantic. I love you! After the fun of the Easter Egg Hunt, we went out to get our free Italian Ice to celebrate the first day. Of course, it was so cold that we ended up eating in the car.
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| Pina Colada ice was awesome! |
Lastly, I wanted to ask if you've heard about the nesting pair of Eagles at the National Arboretum? There's a live link to the webcam here: http://dceaglecam.eagles.org/. The Eagles are named "The President" and "The First Lady". They have two adorable little fluffy chicks that hatched over the weekend. When you get a chance, hop on over and check them out. They are so beautiful, elegant, and regal.
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Manic Monday (On Tuesday)
I hope your weekend was not terribly full of adventures and that you manage to catch up on your missing hour of sleep soon - very soon!
We took oldest child back up to college on Saturday - 3 hours up - made sure he had groceries - and then drove 3 hours back home. It was great having him home! He is at about the midpoint of his semester, and needs to do a lot of studying between now and then. His grades are not as high as he would like for them to be at this point in time.
Middle child is home now. He loves to cook, and he loves having his own kitchen to work in - not the teeny little faux kitchen that he has at school. We came home from church yesterday to the smell of hamburgers, onions carmelizing in brown sugar on the stove, and the most amazing hand-cut and seasoned sweet potato fries.
I've got a ton of stuff going out of my house this week. I'm cleaning out the last of my teaching stuff, and it's filling up the trunk of my car. If this doesn't pop my total of random crap that I've gotten out of my house over 1,000 I don't know what will. In addition to everything else, I've got a box of random small kids meal toys that one of my friends uses to give out as prizes to her students for good behavior. I'm not certain how many little random toys are in that box. It's at least 50, but I think it's closer to 100+. I actually didn't count as I was concentrating on deciding what was more appropriate to give away and if we needed to keep anything. (Not that much, as it turns out.)
A final thought for you all as we head into another day of Primary Voting:
Please get out and vote. Please put some serious thought into what kind of candidate you want to support, and how that candidate not only treats other people, but how that candidate will treat other nations. THIS is important.
We took oldest child back up to college on Saturday - 3 hours up - made sure he had groceries - and then drove 3 hours back home. It was great having him home! He is at about the midpoint of his semester, and needs to do a lot of studying between now and then. His grades are not as high as he would like for them to be at this point in time.
Middle child is home now. He loves to cook, and he loves having his own kitchen to work in - not the teeny little faux kitchen that he has at school. We came home from church yesterday to the smell of hamburgers, onions carmelizing in brown sugar on the stove, and the most amazing hand-cut and seasoned sweet potato fries.
I've got a ton of stuff going out of my house this week. I'm cleaning out the last of my teaching stuff, and it's filling up the trunk of my car. If this doesn't pop my total of random crap that I've gotten out of my house over 1,000 I don't know what will. In addition to everything else, I've got a box of random small kids meal toys that one of my friends uses to give out as prizes to her students for good behavior. I'm not certain how many little random toys are in that box. It's at least 50, but I think it's closer to 100+. I actually didn't count as I was concentrating on deciding what was more appropriate to give away and if we needed to keep anything. (Not that much, as it turns out.)
A final thought for you all as we head into another day of Primary Voting:
Please get out and vote. Please put some serious thought into what kind of candidate you want to support, and how that candidate not only treats other people, but how that candidate will treat other nations. THIS is important.
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| source: Facebook |
Monday, February 29, 2016
Manic Monday
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| The view of camp through the bell. |
Have you ever seen Avenue Q? It's a puppet show for adults. The program that we got said it was for "Graduates of Sesame Street". There were parental advisory warnings about the content of the show all over the theater. Content was intended for mature audiences only. And boy howdy, was it ever for mature audiences only! The production was put on at the Community College. We enjoyed ourselves immensely. And yes, the content was for mature audiences only, and not for the faint of heart. If you are easily offended, do not go see it.
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| The Princess going after a slice of Starbucks Pumpkin Bread. |
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| Luna |
Luna really, really likes pumpkin bread from Starbucks. Daughter stopped by Starbucks and picked up some pumpkin bread on the way home from class on Thursday. Princess Luna spent a lot of time getting the pieces out of the bag that daughter left for her. Our first cat loved to lick banana peels and eat grapes. What crazy things do your cats like to eat?
I was attempting to text daughter the other day, and Luna was all over my phone. I finally took a picture of her - she's rubbing her head against the edge of my phone, so all you really see are her eyes and the top of her nose. She is one very crazy cat. I love that crazy little kitten! (She's over 5, so I guess she's really not a kitten anymore, even if she does act like it.)
Have you ever heard of Believe Big? It's an organization that provides mugs to cancer patients. You can decorate the mugs any way that you want, with one caveat - you can only have one word on the mug - Believe. We made Believe mugs as one of our service projects this weekend. This is NOT my mug. It was provided by Believe Big for us to use as an example. If you'd like to make one, you can check into your local pottery store. Most offer some variation on Believe mugs. You have to pay a nominal fee to cover the cost of the mug and the glazing, and then they fire it and deliver it. Making them is a lot of fun! You really get to let your creative energy flow when you make one of these! 
We also filled bags with goodies for the children who are living in our local Ronald McDonald House. RMH will put these bags into the cubbies of the children who are staying on the property. When they get back from receiving treatment, they find some kind of something in their cubby to help brighten their day. Considering that these kids are going through hellishly scary medical treatments that make most adults weak in the knees and squishy in the stomach, it's really a nice gesture to have something like this waiting for them when they get back home. I like to hope it makes them feel a little bit better.
Monday comes all too fast after a great weekend, doesn't it? This is a crazy busy week for me - meetings that happen only on the first of the month and kids coming home from college (HOORAY!!) and dentist appointments OH MY! I'll be posting on Friday about some of the crazy things I do to help make dinner flow faster on these crazy nights. Tricks I learned when I had three young kids, soccer practices, scout meetings, and baseball practices to get to.
Enjoy your week! Make it wonderful!
Monday, February 22, 2016
Just Another Manic Monday
Ever have a morning where you forget to set the alarm clock? Tiger woke me up this morning after 6. I'm usually in the shower by 6 and out the door by 7. Somehow, I managed to stumble out of the house 5 minutes earlier than I usually do, and I even got to work 15 minutes early. I swear I wasn't speeding! I did do one thing differently this morning, though. I put oatmeal in a travel cup and filled it with hot water. The oatmeal was really runny, and the oats had more than enough time to plump up. By the time I got to work, I was able to sip my wonderful hot oatmeal out of my travel mug. It was great! This was an inspired breakfast idea! I'm going to do this again!
Note to self: STIR the oatmeal before you put the lid on, and shake it well a couple of times on the way in or you will end up with a big, giant ball of solid oat goodness at the bottom of the mug. It tastes great, but it won't fit through the opening to drink it, no matter what you do. And if you don't have a spoon with you, you will look a little undignified attempting to get at that oat ball... but it's worth it!
Last week, I had the nastiest of nasty bugs. Sore throat, high fever, chills, aching joints. Yes, I had the flu. It seems to have settled in my ear. (At least it's not my lungs.) If it doesn't clear out by tomorrow, I'm going to have to go visit the doctor and have it checked.
I think I've mentioned before that I finally found the Ben and Jerry's Non-Dairy Ice Cream. One thing I really, really miss about not being able to handle dairy is the fact that I can no longer eat ice cream. Enter Ben & Jerry. I've had to search long and hard, but I've found their non-dairy ice cream! The gluten free gal in me has to diligently scrutinize the ingredients label. As much as I love the dairy free chocolate brownie ice cream, eating that would give me as many issues as having real ice cream. So.... read the labels very carefully, and you, too can find the ice cream heaven! Our store only had Coffee Caramel Fudge. I stopped by another store, closer into Washington DC last week, and I found all of the flavors. I picked up some Chunky Monkey. I didn't see any gluten laden ingredients on the label, and by golly, that stuff was amazing! Ben & Jerry really nailed the formula! Thank you guys!
I found an actual working card catalog! I went to the Historical Society the other day and poked around, just to see what items they have. I had a ball, looking at old maps, seeing where the old farms were located, and looking at the old newspapers they had on display. If you have a historical organization where you live, you should definitely go check it out and find out more about the very interesting history of the people who lived before us. I know we like to think that they were all wonderful, never made mistakes, and were paragons of virtue. It's an awful lot of fun to hear their stories and realize that they were humans, just like us, and made the same mistakes that we make. Actually, I found it rather comforting to know that they were just like us, and they managed to survive and thrive!
Since daughter is now home and attending the community college, she has decided to redecorate her room. I'm thrilled, because for the FIRST TIME since she was able to carry and move things on her own - HER ROOM IS CLEAN. Let me repeat that - HER ROOM IS CLEAN. This has been a never ending battle with her for 18 years now. Everything seems to have migrated to her room over the years. I remember losing my engagement ring many years ago. I thought I had lost it while we were camping by Mount Rushmore. Six months later, I found it on the floor of her room on one of my trash bag forays into her room! Next to her big bookshelf, she found these cute little wooden wall mounted crates at one of the chain craft stores. We mounted them to the wall, and she is now storing her paperbacks, as well as her little plastic dinosaurs on here. I like the touch of whimsy that it adds! It's all part of the reading nook she set up by the window, with a comfy arm chair and lots of lights - both from a floor lamp and the window. Luna fights her for that space on a regular basis! She loves the sunshine!
I leave you with this picture of the river. I was stopped, waiting for the train and looked over at the river. It just seemed so serene. I don't think the picture accurately captures the serenity of the moment. I'm glad the train had me stopped and gave me the time to look over at the river. It set a nice tone for the day. (And yet, I still managed to make it in 15 minutes early. HOW did that happen?) Enjoy your day!
Note to self: STIR the oatmeal before you put the lid on, and shake it well a couple of times on the way in or you will end up with a big, giant ball of solid oat goodness at the bottom of the mug. It tastes great, but it won't fit through the opening to drink it, no matter what you do. And if you don't have a spoon with you, you will look a little undignified attempting to get at that oat ball... but it's worth it!
Last week, I had the nastiest of nasty bugs. Sore throat, high fever, chills, aching joints. Yes, I had the flu. It seems to have settled in my ear. (At least it's not my lungs.) If it doesn't clear out by tomorrow, I'm going to have to go visit the doctor and have it checked.
I think I've mentioned before that I finally found the Ben and Jerry's Non-Dairy Ice Cream. One thing I really, really miss about not being able to handle dairy is the fact that I can no longer eat ice cream. Enter Ben & Jerry. I've had to search long and hard, but I've found their non-dairy ice cream! The gluten free gal in me has to diligently scrutinize the ingredients label. As much as I love the dairy free chocolate brownie ice cream, eating that would give me as many issues as having real ice cream. So.... read the labels very carefully, and you, too can find the ice cream heaven! Our store only had Coffee Caramel Fudge. I stopped by another store, closer into Washington DC last week, and I found all of the flavors. I picked up some Chunky Monkey. I didn't see any gluten laden ingredients on the label, and by golly, that stuff was amazing! Ben & Jerry really nailed the formula! Thank you guys! 
I found an actual working card catalog! I went to the Historical Society the other day and poked around, just to see what items they have. I had a ball, looking at old maps, seeing where the old farms were located, and looking at the old newspapers they had on display. If you have a historical organization where you live, you should definitely go check it out and find out more about the very interesting history of the people who lived before us. I know we like to think that they were all wonderful, never made mistakes, and were paragons of virtue. It's an awful lot of fun to hear their stories and realize that they were humans, just like us, and made the same mistakes that we make. Actually, I found it rather comforting to know that they were just like us, and they managed to survive and thrive!
Since daughter is now home and attending the community college, she has decided to redecorate her room. I'm thrilled, because for the FIRST TIME since she was able to carry and move things on her own - HER ROOM IS CLEAN. Let me repeat that - HER ROOM IS CLEAN. This has been a never ending battle with her for 18 years now. Everything seems to have migrated to her room over the years. I remember losing my engagement ring many years ago. I thought I had lost it while we were camping by Mount Rushmore. Six months later, I found it on the floor of her room on one of my trash bag forays into her room! Next to her big bookshelf, she found these cute little wooden wall mounted crates at one of the chain craft stores. We mounted them to the wall, and she is now storing her paperbacks, as well as her little plastic dinosaurs on here. I like the touch of whimsy that it adds! It's all part of the reading nook she set up by the window, with a comfy arm chair and lots of lights - both from a floor lamp and the window. Luna fights her for that space on a regular basis! She loves the sunshine!
So, have you ever had your boss tell you - "get this done today before you leave" and then stand there and talk to you for half an hour? And you only have an hour left in your work day? Frustrating, frustrating, frustrating.
I leave you with this picture of the river. I was stopped, waiting for the train and looked over at the river. It just seemed so serene. I don't think the picture accurately captures the serenity of the moment. I'm glad the train had me stopped and gave me the time to look over at the river. It set a nice tone for the day. (And yet, I still managed to make it in 15 minutes early. HOW did that happen?) Enjoy your day!Monday, February 8, 2016
Manic Monday
Where to begin?
Daughter's tooth got massively infected last week. We spent days in the dentist office. One appointment to diagnose, followed by tons of antibiotics. Root Canals, a crown, and an unexpected trip to the Oral Surgeon for a consult before the root canal was done.
We headed down to Virginia to spend a day with my Mom over the weekend. She turned 85 earlier this week. We had a FANTASTIC time with her! We spent the day talking about everything and nothing. We went out to lunch at Bob Evans, where we had the most fantastic meal with the most wonderful waitress. What a great day we had! So much fun, so fortunate to have more time with my Mom.
Work last week was interesting. Most days I love my job, but last week, I didn't quite so much enjoy it. Maybe 1 out of the 5 days was a good one. I'm hoping that next week is a better week.
I had a unique problem this past week. I have read two fantastic books in a week. I finished Divergent, and then I read Born of Betrayal. Both books were fantastic, and I couldn't put either book down. Born of Betrayal was written by Sherilyn Kenyon. I've read other books by her, and she weaves a compelling story. This book did not disappoint. I was forcibly pulled into her world and did not surface again until I had finished the book. I'll be posting reviews for both books later this week, but wanted to put a note about them here. I wanted to point out one more thing that I'll point out again in the reviews. While Divergent is a Young Adult book, with themes appropriate for teens, Born of Betrayal is definitely an adult book, with adult themes and adult language. Keep that in mind.
One last thing to point out: more Primary voting takes place this week. If you live in one of the states that is voting, PLEASE get out and vote. Every vote does count. But, I can hear one or two people saying "But my favorite candidate has already dropped out. Why should I go?" Go and vote! Vote for your candidate if he's on the ballot. Vote for your second choice. Keep in mind - the candidates do get candidates who will cast their votes behind another candidate at the convention. Your vote could be crucial if the race comes down to a very close heat between two candidates. No matter what, remember - YOUR VOTE COUNTS. EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE. THE PRIMARIES ARE IMPORTANT.
Take care everyone! Have a great week! Stay safe and hug your loved ones tight!
Daughter's tooth got massively infected last week. We spent days in the dentist office. One appointment to diagnose, followed by tons of antibiotics. Root Canals, a crown, and an unexpected trip to the Oral Surgeon for a consult before the root canal was done.
We headed down to Virginia to spend a day with my Mom over the weekend. She turned 85 earlier this week. We had a FANTASTIC time with her! We spent the day talking about everything and nothing. We went out to lunch at Bob Evans, where we had the most fantastic meal with the most wonderful waitress. What a great day we had! So much fun, so fortunate to have more time with my Mom.
Work last week was interesting. Most days I love my job, but last week, I didn't quite so much enjoy it. Maybe 1 out of the 5 days was a good one. I'm hoping that next week is a better week.
I had a unique problem this past week. I have read two fantastic books in a week. I finished Divergent, and then I read Born of Betrayal. Both books were fantastic, and I couldn't put either book down. Born of Betrayal was written by Sherilyn Kenyon. I've read other books by her, and she weaves a compelling story. This book did not disappoint. I was forcibly pulled into her world and did not surface again until I had finished the book. I'll be posting reviews for both books later this week, but wanted to put a note about them here. I wanted to point out one more thing that I'll point out again in the reviews. While Divergent is a Young Adult book, with themes appropriate for teens, Born of Betrayal is definitely an adult book, with adult themes and adult language. Keep that in mind.
One last thing to point out: more Primary voting takes place this week. If you live in one of the states that is voting, PLEASE get out and vote. Every vote does count. But, I can hear one or two people saying "But my favorite candidate has already dropped out. Why should I go?" Go and vote! Vote for your candidate if he's on the ballot. Vote for your second choice. Keep in mind - the candidates do get candidates who will cast their votes behind another candidate at the convention. Your vote could be crucial if the race comes down to a very close heat between two candidates. No matter what, remember - YOUR VOTE COUNTS. EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE. THE PRIMARIES ARE IMPORTANT.
Take care everyone! Have a great week! Stay safe and hug your loved ones tight!
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