BLESSING's of COMFORT & JOY

You know how sometimes you get a thought in your head and it will not will not go away? That's what I've been experiencing for days now. I've known for days that I need to record all these memories while they are still fresh but a blog seem a bit to public so I haven't. Only I can't seem to find my journal. So here it goes...not my usual funny but my deep thoughts.

A few years ago a friend of mine gave a beautiful December Christmas lesson in RS about putting more " JOY" into our lives. She pointed out that the "J" in JOY stood for Jesus and how we all need to take the time to aknowledge him and his attoning sacrifice for us in our lives in the little every day moments we all seem to take for granted. The "O" stood for others and how we grow to love those we make the time to give service to. The "Y" stands for You or Yourself. How if we are to have true JOY we need to put ourselves first in things once in awhile just to replenish our own souls and spirits to face the challenges of everyday life.

She pointed out that all 3 things need to find a balance if we are to have joy in our lives. Ever since I've tried to follow her advice and every year at Christmas I find the little pin she gave to each of us as a Remembrance. I try hard so I don't get so caught up with the hectic pace of the Season that I forget the reason we have it in the first place.

The other night I met with a very special man. One I know is called of God to be in this position at this time. I recieved my reccommend to attend the Temples of the Lord from him. but I also recieved a special blessing at his hands, one that of course made me bawl like a baby but it gave me such comfort. I know I will have strength to get thru the next few weeks and beyond because of the words of the blessing he felt inspired to give me that night.
Sometimes I wish we recorded those blessings like we record those from the Patriarch, so that we can refer to them later and use them as a guide. I know though that sometimes it's Not the Words that are spoken but the feelings and emotions that are conveyed directly to our spirits that bring us the most Peace to our soul, Comfort to our minds and Joy to our hearts. How blessed I feel to have this knowledge now......... when I need it the most........ that I AM a Daughter of God who loves me and wants only the best for me.

I'm in awe of the Testimony of my beloved Frog. He has taught so much in our time together but never more than in these last few weeks. Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed with everything that is to come but he has made it so easy for me to know his wants and needs and be guided by the decisions he as already made and put into place. Hal said that Steve has born his Testamony over and over without uttering a word and he is so right. My Frog may not have made 'his mark on the world' but he has certainly left his mark on us that know and love him. He is the best Gift ever.

Frog Kissin'

Do you remember in the fairy tale, how the wicked witches spell

Turned the handsome prince to a toad?

By the power of a potion, she handed him the notion

He was lower than the dirt in the road.

And though she left him green and warted, her evil plans were thwarted

Their chanced to happen by a young miss

Who inspite of his complexion, offered him affection

And broke the wicked curse with her kiss
So if you've never been frog kissing

Then you don't know what you've been missin',

There's a wealth of opportunity under each and every log.

And if you've never been charm-breakin',

Then you've never been handsome prince makin'.

You've got to slow down, turn around, bend down,

Kiss you a frog!
Once upon a time ago, I was down and feelin' low

Like a lonely frog in a pond

My life was just a joke, and I was just about to croak

Cuz I'd be zapped by life's wicked wand.

But in the depths of my depression, there came a true expression

Of love from a person so sweet.

She gave me warm fuzzy feelings, feelings that were healin'

And she knocked me off my little webbed feet.
There's a happy-ever-after-land, deep in the heart of man

Where a prince and princess abides.

But all we get are glimpses, of the happy prince or princess'

Cause they're covered with a green warty hide.

Though they're full of life's potential, they're lacking one essential

To enable them to shine like a star.

That's a handsome guy or missus, to smother them with kisses

And love them just the way that they are.
That's the secret of frog kissing

You can do it too if you'll just listen

There's a wealth of opportunity under each and every log.

That's the secret of charm-breakin',

That's the secret of handsome prince makin'.

You've got to slow down, turn around, bend down, Kiss you a...

You've got to slow down, turn around, bend down, Kiss you a...

You've got to slow down, turn around, bend down, Kiss you a frog!

Hoppy Birthday You Frog You!

Hoppy Birthday Frog Charming

My friend TC did a trading page for me this summer with the title "My Frog Charming".

A Trading Page in Scrapbooking terms is just that. You send me your pictures and I send you mine and we both make pages for each others scrapbooks. It was so cute!! She even cut out little frogs and put them across the page.

Today is my Frog's 49th birthday. It will be his last.

For 27 years we have spent it together and I'm so very grateful that this one is no different. He is home. He is here with me. He most likely won't be able to swallow any pecan pie ( he rather have that than BDay cake anyday) and doesn't have the strength to blow out so many candles but this is what he wanted.

I woke to find him already awake and lying in the dark. He said he'd been laying there for hours just thinking. I asked him what about and I know he lied when he said " getting back to sleep". Funny how that works.......you live and love someone for so long you really DO know what they are thinking.

I'm going to miss him so very very much. Watching him slip away is almost more than I can stand to bear. He is so very skinny and he has no muscle left at all. his skin doesn't seem to want to accept any extra moisture and is very dry and paper thin.

How I love him.

We've had some good conversations but they tire him out so that I've tried not to let them go on to long. He asked if he'd get to run and finish a marathon in heaven and Blane and I told him we were sure he would be so busy running back and forth he wouldn't even know how slowly the time was passing for us here. Stephen knows he is going and he is so prepared to do whatever the Lord asks of him. I only wish I were that ready for him to leave.

I think of how I used to fall apart over getting my period after some of those fertility treatments we tried years ago and how awful I felt. That was nothing compared to this pain.

So Hoppy Birthday My Darling Frog Charming! Soon the witches evil spell will be broken and you'll turn back into my Prince and be running again. Know that I love you more than I can say, you are the very best part of me.

Hic-Ups and Slip Ups

My Frog had the Hic-ups off and on again all day today. He is the only person I know to make a ribbett sound. He gets them really bad after his Solumedrol treatments every month. I'm wondering if it's the antibiotic he's on that's giving them to him now. For the first night since I brought him home he hasn't run a high fever so I'm hoping that we'll both get some much needed sleep tonite.
Our Hospice nurse Jenna came out today and changed his catherter. It had gotten blocked and was causing him a bit of discomfort because I couldn't get it irrigated to clear it. It was already on the schedule to be changed today but I'd forgotten. Little Bitty Miracles occurring every day.
Craig stopped by after he got off work and de-iced the front steps and filled the watersoftener too. I hadn't realized it had gotten packed down and so slick there.
I'm being watched out for I know.

Ups and Downs

I have been constantly reminded over the last few days of how very much we are loved. How much of an impact that my dear Frog has had on those around us. As each day brings new challenges and worries. I also get new insights into what a strong and valiant spirit that my Frog has. How many lives he has touched for good......and as my BIL Hal put it last night......how he has born his Testimony to others throughout the years without even saying a word. What a blessing it has been to even play a small part in his life.
How very grateful I am to have been asked to share his life with him. What an honour and a privilege it has it has actually been. I journaled alot about the bad times and the difficulties we've gone thru, but I never really expressed in some of those pages the high points. The oftimes quirky sense of humor he brings to the things that he can accomplish. I missed recording some of those moments and now they are gone forever. Remembered only by the angels of heaven.
We had quite a few visitors last night. The young men brought the Sacrament in. Later on Humberto Puchea stopped by, visited a bit then came back with a lovely rice pudding and a cake, along with something he called Cha-chita for Stephen to drink and try and keep down, made with ricemilk and a bit of cinnamon that is very common remedy for those with stomach problems in his native Veneuzela.
What an extrordinary and humble man. How I love him and his family!! They are such an example of faith, giving of their time and talents so very generously to us. It was such an awesome gesture on his part. I remember when he was out of work in 2001 and how he came in on the days I worked and bathed and dressed Steve so tenderly. Fixed him lovely little lunches and then made dinner too so I wouldn't have to. So willing to serve his fellow man when he had the trial of providing for his own family.
Melissa came by when I needed to drive Baby Sis to the airport. A real adventure in the snow and fog. BLB was going to come from Lehi to take her but called to say he had about 16" of snow and it was still coming down hard. I took the opportunity to get the Frog some liquid Tylenol on the way home. Melissa and Dennis said it was okay an "Ox in the Mire" situation or in this case a Frog in the Mud. LOL. He did much better.
Then Kathy, Hal and the kids brought out Lila my MIL for a visit. Hal and I talked awhile, we made a couple of changes to the plan but it will be so much the better for it I think. I just hope I'm able to accomplish what he asked,

If You've Never Been Frog Kissin!,You Don't Know What You're Missin"

email sent Monday Dec 4th
first the good news
He is out of the ICU.... off some of the blood pressure crap and in a regular room.
Now the bad news
I'm sick!! tossing my cookies, horrible knots in my tummy, fever and chills. Called the Dr who called in some medicine for me and I get to go see her tommorrow. Meanwhile my cousin Craig picked up the prescription for me after going to see the Frog when he got off work. His son Aaron is leaving on his LDS mission to Uraguay next week so it makes it extra special that he took the time to stop in and see us both with all he's got going on to home.
Meanwhile the Frog's Dr's are a bit concerned that now he is all re-hydrated that his kidneys are not putting out very well. One thing after another. Welcome to my world.


email sent Thursday Dec 7th
the Frog.................. after 48 hours on the antibiotic I can go see him today! Woo Hoo!
Strep sucks!
His Dr's say I'll have to wear a mask for a couple more days but I don't have to completely stay away. No news on when or if he gets to come home. They are talking of discharging him to a care facility. I wish they'd just write the orders for Hospice here. He hated it so bad the last time. Today he gets some more X-rays to see if the PUmonia has cleared up any and they are doing an MRI to compare with his last one to see where we are on any new MS leisions. I'll keep ya posted. Thank goodness I'm starting to feel a bit better. Love, Love, Love my Visiting Teacher she came and cleaned a bit while I was so punky feeling.


email sent Friday Dec 8th
Yipee! the Frog is out of the hospital.
Unfortuantely he is in Holiday Care Center for the foreseeable future. Like until after Christmas maybe. Booby Hoo Booby Hoo
It's a bit better than the one he was in B4. Lots cleaner and doesn't smell too much like old people. I don't get why they didn't think I could take care of him better here but the insurance won't pay for extra home visits for IV meds. Evil, Nasty, Bloodsuckers that they are.
The problem is it's clear up on Holiday Blvd. Not good to go clear to 2300 East when you live on 8370 West and drive a gas guzzler like mine.
His roommate seems nice enough. He is actaully a bit younger than Steve and has some type of spinal injury. His name is Peter but he knows only a little English. He was speaking in one of the Scandinavin languages on the phone to someone when we got there. He sounded a lot like Uncle Chris, so I think maybe Danish? Anyway someone who says Ja for yes a lot.


email sent Tuesday Dec 12th

I need some more prayers.
My Frog Charming took a turn for the worst last night. I woke to a ringing phone and the Dr calling to ask what I wanted to do. He was doing fine on Monday evening but got sick to his tummy and things just cascaded down from there. early Tuesday morning. If they can work things out with the Insurance, the Dr.s & Hospice and it's resonably safe to move him then I'll be bringing him home.
If not then he'll be getting hospice there at the Care center. His fever was up high most of the day but broke around 6:30pm. When I left to come home for some rest about an hour ago he was able to talk very clearly for a tiny bit. He kept running out of breath even though he's getting enough oxygen to blowup the building if somone lit a match.
His poor body is so very tired, but that spirit of his keeps on wanting to fight and tuff it out. He's not in any pain but his lungs are filling with fluid and they are trying to knock back the infection with some stronger antibiotics. His heart rate was near normal after being dangeroulsy high all day. He and I both had blessings this afternoon that were very special and very specific to each of us and our needs now. My head knows it's finally time to 'Let Go and Let God" but my heart is finding it terribly difficult to do. So much for telling yourself you're prepared......... you're so Not.


email sent Thursday Dec 14th
My Frog is now home and "Seeing Christmas" like he wanted to do. He came home a little after 2pm today. and immediately got visited by his family and old friends. He was doing pretty well just a bit tired from all the excitement of coming home and getting settled in.
After tripping over things for the last 2 weeks my VT and the RS Presidency came over and set up the tree and all 130 plus Santas in the living room
The Little Angel Tree is set up on the cedar chest in our room right where he can see it, along with the Nativity waterglobe he gave me last year. On the wall above are the framed postcards that spell out Faith, Hope and Love. I never really noticed B4 or maybe I noticed but didn't pay attention. I discovered there are little cherubs holding the letters. So Angels are literally watching over him.
More proof of that has been coming in over the last day. Just enough apart that you sort of get to savor each one as the miracle it is before the next one happens and catches you by surprise again. There was a problem with the hospital bed we ordered being delivered on time, the Hospice case worker made another call and called me back that the bed would have to come from another company but would be here in the next hour. About the time I started to get anxious about the time and called a friend to come accept delivery on it.......here it was along with Melissa to make it up and set things round to be comfortable to visit with him.
Big Little Brother has been able to arrange things at his work to take off the time to see to details...........like making sure he does the driving when I had a little low blood sugar episode today.
Middle Little Brother gave his boss a heads up yesterday and a couple hours later was told that when he needed to leave a plane ticket would be there for him by the time he got to the airport.
Shortly after we got him home, Baby Sis called and said "I'm in Spokane and about to get on the plane It lands at 5 can someone pick me up?" Her boss had packed a lunch, driven her from Pullman into Spokane and even gave her some cash since she knew Tracy hadn't had time to stop at an ATM. She's here now safe and sound after a midnight run to Wally world for a few things I'd forgotten about.
Little Sis, Middle Sis and Baby Brother are all ready to drop everything and come as well. Even my Aunt called and said she could cut their road trip short and be on a plane home in a matter of a few hours.
Then BLB's boss called him to tell him that he'd gotten the payroll dept to cut his Christmas bonus check early so that funds would be avilable if needed for tickets for my folks and any other expenses that will be involved that hadn't already been planned for.
God is so very good to us. Thanks to your prayers which He is hearing and answering, He knows our needs before I even have a chance to know I need them.
I Love having such miracles as these a part of my life. I'd been taking a bit too much for granted lately and I guess I needed a slap or 2 upside the head, too bad it was with such a long 2x4.

And so it goes....

Things just keep on happening. Don't know if it's the Chron's acting up or what but I've been in terrible pain all day and not feeling well so I barely made it out of bed all day. Totally sucks cuz the MB TV is acting weird.
The good news is the Frog was moved out of ICU and into a regular room. Yeah!!

What's up with the Frog?

I'd talked with his Dr at the U and he had orders in place for the Frog to be admitted because of the labwork done last week while we were there, but when I called the ambulance for a transport they didn't feel he was stable enough to take him clear across town. So Steve was taken to Pioneer Valley. At the ER there they finally got things settled a bit and called for a transport but when they arrived his blood pressure had dropped again. This time to 40 and his heart rate just sped way up. He also wasn't getting enough oxygen and was having troubles breathing so the decision was made to admitt him there rather than send him across town. Once all the blood work and stuff came back everyone seemed to agree that he has some type of systemic infection going on but wether it is from a UTI, the pressure sores we've been fighting for the last few weeks or the puemonia that he also seems to have gotten we aren't sure.
So he is in the ICU there and is very very sick. He has had a couple of blessings over the last few weeks but we had our dear friend Dennis and Steve's nephew Justin give him another one tonite. Justin will be entering the MTC next week so he had the opportunity to to give his first blessing...... and it was beautiful..... but really enforced the fact that the veil is getting very thin and I won't have him with me much longer.
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. I'll keep you posted.


Sunday night/Monday Am
Stephen (aka the Frog~) sat up for a bit today and actually ate something.. True it was only some Ensure and a bit of Scrambled Eggs & Waffles but that's a " big improvement" over nothing at all. He even managed a bit of pasta and Ice cream.. His blood pressure is still weird and he is still recieveing a booster drug that needs to be closely monitered so he is still in the ICU at Pioneer Valley with no idea when or even if he is going to be transferred up to the Re-Hab Unit at the U.

Quite frankly I'm rather enjoying being only a few minutes from home. Y'all know how I hate driving the freeways at night. They were'nt quite so strict today about his visitors either so that made it a bit nicer as well. Though they were a bit snotty about kicking me out after visiting hours were over tonite.

Big Little Brother brought me a cell phone yesterday so even though I can't have it on in the ICU I'm checking it every couple of hours and getting some messages. I'm still trying to figure it out, so if you don't hear back try the house I've got that voice mail completely masterd. The Cell sort of scares me a bit when it rings. I'm soo not a techno geek.
I'm doing okay....a bit stressed which is causing the Chron's to act up with some truly awful cramping but otherwise I'm fine just took my Paregoric and Endocort and they've kicked in so I'm off to bed B4 I fall over

Holiday Edition of Getting to Know You

So I got this in an email yesterday filled it out then thought I haven't posted this week so here it goes
Welcome to the 2006 Holiday Edition of Getting to Know Your Friends! You know the drill. Don't be a scrooge!!!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Stephen's Mint Truffle Hot Chocolate! Egg Nog is for New Year's Eve

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa wraps everything

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? .White on the Trees, Coloured on the house if I can con someone into putting them up Otherwise it's just lighted garland on the porch.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Always

5. When do you put your decorations up? Well right now the boxes are scattered all over the living room. I don't usually do it til after Festival of Trees visit

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? (excluding dessert) Kitchen Sink Casserole ( it's just a ton of veggies in a chese and curry sauce with/ or with out chicken) but I make it ever year on Christmas Eve for the Frog's B-day for the family dinner at his mom's

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: I was seven and I got a whole set of white cornflower doll dishes with service for eight with all sorts of little molded foods Never seen anything like them ever. I kept them til my Little Sisters grew up enough to take care of them after I was married. Now they are at Grandma's and the Nieces played with them whrn they were little.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I'll always believe........ I still write him a letter every year

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We always opened our matching family PJ's on Christmas Eve as Kids then we'd have to put them on and go caroling round the nieghbourhood.
Now only the Frog opens gifts on Christmas Eve because it's his B-day. Then we go to his Mom's for a Family Christmas Eve party and we exchange gifts so I get a few to open there.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? I used to do a different theme every year. Now I have the LR tree in Santas, Angels and Cherubs on the tree in the bedroom and 12 Days ornaments on the Family room trees. LOL

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? It's definitely a Love/ Hate relationship I love it when I'm inside and hate it whrn I'm outside and shoveling it.

12. Can you ice skate? No I don't do anything that lets my feet skid out from under me, but I do adore watching it.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? It was the best and the worst Christmas of my life. In 1978 I was 17 and my parents gave me a door, all the cool shaking boxes under the tree were door knobs and hinges. Santa brought 5 yards of Royal Blue Velvet that I had to sew into a New Year's Eve dress myself and no new storybook. That was it. That was all I got.
It wasn't til a few years later that I realized what a sacrifice it was to spend that kind of money on just one kid when you have seven to buy for, and that they realized how important a bit of privacy was to a teenage girl who is sleeping in a bedroom in the basement with all 3 little brothers in the next room with a curtain between her and God and everyone.

14. What's the most important thing about Christmas for you? Family and the whole Nativity story.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Is Fudge a dessert? Mincemeat Pie

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Going to the Festival of Trees, Donut Holes for Breakfast on Christmas Day, the Lights on Temple Square on our Anniversary on the 27

17. What tops your tree? Usually a big bow

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? Recieveing stuff from the Frog. Even though his sisters take him shopping and they have my Santa letter he always surprises me with something he thought of by himself.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Any of the Forgotten Carols and Donny Osmond's Mary Did You Know?

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? YUM! Santa brings the peppermint canes and hangs them on the tree. When they are all gone the tree comes down, But then I also like Fruitcake LOL

Happy Turkey Day

It's not a Tradition to go round the table and saying what you are grateful for at my MIL's, (which is where we will be today) so I thought I'd post it here.

First I'm thankful to live in a country where I am free to worship, live, and pursue my dreams whatever they are. I'm thankful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of LatterDay Saints. I'm grateful for the scriptures which bring peace and comfort to my heart and soul and that I live where I can read them openly.

Next I'm thankful for this time with my beloved Frog. I know that the only reason he is alive now is because I've been home with him these last 2 years. It was brought home in a big way just the other day up at the hospital.

Third, I'm thankful for my family and friends, who support me in ways big and small to be able to do #2 on my list. What a blessing and support system they all are for me. I'm thankful I have a group of neighbours who call the minute the ambulance turns into our street to see what they can do to help us.

Fourth I'm thankful for my home, which shelters me from storm, wind and rain. I love my little cottage at the bottom of the mountain, weeds, dings and all. (I'd love it even more if were actually clean but that's a different post.)

Then I'm thankful for my talents whichI take for granted sometimes, but that I've been able to share with friends and family this month. I'm also grateful for their talents, and the ways they share them to bless my life.

Next I'm thankful for the opportunity to make my voice heard to the leaders of my country by my power to vote them out of office. To let them know if I'm not satisfied by the job they are doing and to give them a pat by the power of one vote.

And finally I'm thankful that I know what a precious gift that this life is...that I've learned to laugh thru tears and sorrow, to live in the moment.

Starbucks

What is a non-coffee drinking girl doing in Starbucks you may ask? What can she drink? What can she afford?

Well One...there's a Starbucks right inside the door of the new Target. So it isn't like I made a special trip.

Two...... I thought it might help my cold.

Three....I ordered the large which is really the small.

Four.....it tastes heavenly and did soothe my throat.

I was introduced to my new favourite drink a few weeks ago at my friend T's house. Now I'm addicted. I tried making it at home like she did but it doesn't taste the same without the clear caramel syrup.

So like a sheep I stand there and wait for the barista to fufill my dreams

Caramel Apple Cider mmmmmmmmm good!

and Away She Goes!!!

I really thought I'd make it through without getting my annual case of Laryingitius. I was wrong.
I've been squeaky and whispering since Thursday making all kinds of goofy and funny sounds. This is the 4th year in a row. I really thought I had it made when I got through October without even getting a cold.
I was wrong.
It struck with just a bit of a tickle, then horrible hacking and finally when I started to feel better ......no voice.
Go figure

Goodbye True Value, Goodbye

After almost 26 years my Aunt and Uncle decided to sell the True Value store. This is the original newspaper photo from the Grand Opening announcement in the Green Sheet of Daddy and Uncle Gaylen in 1981.

We had a Surprise Retirement party for them on Saturday night. It was a BIG Surprise!! They had no idea at all and thought they were stopping in at a reception after dining out with their friends. It was so fun to see the look on their faces when they saw that Gary & Jen had flown in from Indiana, and Steve and Lorell had come from Texas just for them.

I'm so glad that Roo & Sarah along with Mike & Di, decided not to just let it close with a fizzle but went all out with a BANG!!

They invited all the current employees from both stores and all the past employees that had worked there longer than a year along with the family. All in all I think Sarah said she sent out more than 150 invitations. So many people showed up it was great to catch up and reminense with some simple refreshments.

I've spent almost 13 years of my life working at that store. The first four years it ws open and then most of the 90's. It has changed alot over the years but one thing always remained the same...... "Help WAS just Around the Corner". You can't get that at the big stores like Home Depot and Lowe's. You have to walk miles and then buy whole packages when you only need 2 nuts and 2 bolts, if you still had trouble you just called and someone would stop by on the way home from work.

All the paint for all 4 of our homes came from "the Store" and so did the help in getting them painted.

All the assorted nuts, bolts, light bulbs, screws, joint compound, sandpaper, wood filler, stain, nails, electrical tape, extension cords, Christmas tree lights, glue, vacumn belts, craft paint, brushes, hammers, saws and screwdrivers we own came from True Value. So did the fabric for most of the curtains and the sofa we sit on, the rods that hold them up, the garage door opener, the sprinkler system and numerous other things.

Goodbye Dutch Oven Day

Goodbye Lawn Tractor Races

Goodbye Craft the Nite Away

Goodbye Hello My Friend what are you here for? How've you been? Back Up on the Til

Farewell Drippy Ceiling, too Hot, too Cold, key machine buzz, Speed sweeping races and as Matt reminded me the other night "Monkey Butt up there and toss me some paint"

There's a Hardware store on the corner but it will never be the same.

What to Do? What to Do?

So there we were up at the hospital again and it was SNOWING!!
I am so not ready for winter or anything like it.
I figured out that I have about 6 weeks til Christmas and that doesn't sound fun either....So not looking forward to it this year.
Twenty Seven years on December 27.
Christmas Eve he will be 49.
the Frog was so dehydrated today that they had to give him an IV before they could find a decent vein to do his blood work. He's been bruising so easy now too because of it, but he's sleeping anywhere from 15 to 20 hours a day...how can I make him drink more? I think we may have to do something more drastic soon if this keeps up. He's lost another 5 pounds so he's now all of 112. No wonder his tummy is concave and his hip bones are sticking out.... yesterday all he ate was applesauce and a couple of corndogs. Today some rice and beans and a couple glasses of milk.
I hate that he's fading faster. I think it was easier to deal with the progression than to see this slipping everyday a bit more. One of those so close to the problem you don't see it til you get away for a bit...you could fool yourself into thinking you were making a difference. Not anymore. Sometimes I think if we could just get even one of the pressure sores to heal he'd do better. I don't see it happening though. I'm guessing our next trip he'll be admitted with another raging UTI.
This is a depressing mood... Sorry just sounding off.

Just us Girls

Don't you totally love a " Girls night out"? I swear lately I just live for them. Big Beautiful studio downstairs to work in but I adore getting together with my Buds to play and be creative.
Last Night ( tonite) it was at Memory Preserve in my favourite take out of town visitors to spot...Gardner Village. Unloaded the car then made a leisurely trip to Sweet Aftons for fabulishous Fudge to share and scrapped the night away. Well til they closed at midnite anyway. Got some cute Chloe pic's and She got her Very First Secret Santa gift!! So cute and so Chole!
She is so spoiled.
I of course talked the night away and accomplished all of 8 cards and one half of 1 LO. But I had a ball!! it was my to me, myself and I gift for getting back into the pool and getting some exercise. Best of all I get to do it again next week at another Official Croppin' With Chloe store!

Chloe's so cool

So since she was begging me so much I gave in and got Chloe her own email address. It's sort of funny, she got a letter from Em already. I found some super cute pawprint background paper for her staionary and she has her own kids home page bcause I put in her actual birthday.
She's so spoiled! She got new clothes because of the new catalogue that came in the mail yesterday. Next she'll want her own blog. which might be sort of fun. But in the meantime if you want to contact Chloe her email is ChloeAzalea@msn.com

All Hallow's Eve

Happy Birthday Ronnell!!

It's not even 1:30pm and we've already had 2 tricky treaters today how weird is that?
I personally plan to ruin some fun tonite. Last year I had kids coming that were way taller than me so I'm putting a sign on the door for anyone taller than this line to get together and have their own party since they are too old to be out hogging all the candy from the little bitty kids. Of course first I have to go buy some candy.

The last couple of years I've handed out nasty candy. This year I'm going to go for the good stuff. Chocolate!!!

Happy Halloween everybodies!

Fall Back

Here we are at standard time again. Funny but I certainly don't feel like I got an extra hour of sleep last night. the Frog on the other hand has slept all day long and is still asleep now. I have to make this a quick post since Desperate Houswives is just starting.
It's such a goofy show. So glad people don't act that way in real life... we tend to have enough dumb issues without adding to the mix. Of course the neighbourhood here probalby has enough oddball things to maka a pretty good TV drama but I don't think we could last 5 episodes let alone season after season. We'd get cancelled for sure.
Yesterday was Teri's and I's Open House & Boutique. I did okay and had a few sales. Almost ran out of flyers. Only 1 person of the 70 emails I sent and 40 flyers I mailed came. I guess that's par for the course for me. LOL
Teri had quite a few friends turn up and I think everyone got something from her...even me.LOL She worked so hard on it and made so much yummy food. She even sent us home with some and the Frog gobbled it all up for his dinner. LOL Janette was thrilled to get the drink dispenser that HI is out of now for all her help.
Note to Self...get the recipe for the Chicken Curry Dip.

I'm Late I'm Late!!

Life seems to have been a series of rushing round and going crazy with long pauses between that never seem to last long enough to actually accomplish anything.
I've finally gotten do tired of being itchy & scratchy both. Since I'm out of ointment I broke down, called and got a refferral to the dermatoligst. The creepy mange remains and keeps growing my entire left leg and most of my right and new leisons are appearing on my right arm and my back which is totally the absolute worst.
Cami & Sarah came and played with me tonite in the S-crap room. turned up the fire and got a few things done for Saturday's Open House. Janette brought over her bouncy Santa so that will be really cute.
It's snowing outside now.
I'm so not ready for it to be cold yet. Fall barely even showed up it seems.
Yet here I am listening to the cars barreling down the hill and spinning out of control as they hit the tracks too fast on the slick roads. The Frog has his treatment tommorrow but, IF it's really nasty I may put it off til next week. I totally messed my knee up yesterday but good. It barely holds me I hope I'll be oaky transferring him.
Phone just rang...so nice to answer while online Cami & Ben made it home safe and sound. I love having her so much closer and being a part of SIU. She enjoys it soo much and is really growing much more confident in her SB designs since she's participating by jumping in with both feet into swaps and challenges.

Breathe

So I got another great deal on Craig's List today. This time is was 10 softy black cushiony stackable chairs for the S-crap room. I even got a couple of bar stools for the one end of the room. I decided after I moved the table and the leg fell off ....again. I'm just going to put the table top up on a few cabinets and work at it at counter height. It will also be alot better for doing the flowers since I can't seem to do a bridal bouquet if I'm not standing..... so yeah for me it's another business expense. Thanks alot Eric in Silver Summitt!! so Nice to meet you and Harley the dog.

Goody for me I had the most marvelous drive up the canyon. It was so beautiful it took my breath away. I just missed most of the leaves turning but it was still gorgeous! Unfortunately No camera!! What kind of a Scrapbooker are I? so I got these shots from KSL.com weather how cool are they?

Off to unload my haul. Then get ready for tommorrow's crop.

I'm in Trouble

So there I am reading Stacy's blog about fun stuff and I see this
http://www.quickutz.com/magpie.asp?CartId=&Show=new&selProduct=Magpie&FSCat=204
since I am
1 a total sucker for cubbies of any kind and
2 hopelessly devoted to the incredibly lovely and girlyness of Pink
plus the cubbie is only $30.00 and the Zipper binders are $24 besides which How COOL are the little suitcases? and you get 3 for $10.00 Oh so Fun!!
Then I see this
http://www.quickutz.com/revolution.asp?CartId=&Show=new&selProduct=Revolution
with it's accompanying array of fonts ( love the swirly & curly) and shapes.......get a load of the hard to find, perfect little library pocket and the funky flowers. But since I have my very pink Zippymate and have finally figured out how to get it to work for me most every time. I will not get the Revolution. I will not, will not get it.

But I'm still Toast.

On the other hand my room is really shaping up. I'm the envy of the neighbourhood. My RS pres came today with her little ones to invite me to RS board meeting and to a CTMH workshop she and Carrie are givng. I showed her my best CTMH toy........ their flip around stapler. The kids were excited. Especially when I offered them candy leftover from the crop on Friday. I got so much done then. C and Ben stayed over and when played til 5am. I think H left about 4:15, S and her friend Kim lasted til almost 2am. Lots of fun was had by all!
Chloe's costume that I got her didn't fit though So I quickly made her a different one. She likes it. It has Frogs and Wizards on it!
We had a baby shower for our niece K yesterday. I made her open my gift first since I'd left the Frog in bed asleep at home. She loved it. Then I gave H a matching page for little Carter's book. So fun!

Squishy Squeezes

First go here and watch it all the way thru

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4

Now let me confess... I am a Hugger. If I lived in Europe I'd so be into the kiss, kiss on both cheeks...people tend to frown greatly on that here in Utah. Unless of course they are related to you in some way. I come from a long line of hugggers.

One of the reasons I married the Frog is because he was a great hugger. Not one of these wimpy @$$ arms barely around you either, but stuck from the knee up Bear Hugs! He was great at it!! It hurts my heart that he can't hug me any longer.

Luckily I have other sources for my quota of Hugs. My little brothers are great at Hugs. Big Little Brother always gives Hello and Goodbye Hugs. Full on Great Big Squishy Squeezes!

Middle Little Brother gives great phone.........Hugs, he makes huggy noises and asks if he's hurting me......If I was lots skinnier we'd most likely do the run hard jump and swing round hugs when we get together in real life. He's very good at hugs. Baby Brother gives "crack my back" hugs he is so tall he lifts me off my feet. Of course I think it's the weight of my fat @$$ that makes my back crack.

I adore little kid hugs, especially E's. They tend to always come with sloppy wet kisses. So do puppy hugs.... only they lick your face and don't smell as nice.

I have friends that do good hugs, cousins that are good huggers and a neighbour who gave fabulous hugs......if we weren't already married to great people, I wasn't always so fluffy and he wasn't always holding a beer........ hummmmm who knows?

So since today I really need a hug, I'm going to make sure to give a few myself. Maybe I'll get a bone crunching Squishy Squeeze back.

Night Owl...sooo Busted!!

Last night's email to the MB at 2 am.
Okay so now I'm really going to bed. I've watched 2 Law & Orders and a movie that was more than a little strange, mounted 3 sets of stamps, organized my Qkutz and taken out the garbage. I even made 3 cards
I was such an IDIOT for staying up all night!!! I got so busted!! should have never checked in on the puter ended up playing Jeoprady for about 2 more hours.
I figured I was already up I'll just go to the pool for a swim and relax since the pool opens at 5 am. Completely forgot about the Frog's 8:00am appointment for PT.
I got home all relaxed, finally ready for bed and the phone rings "Where are you? I knocked and knocked now I'm at Mickey Dee's " Have to unlock the door and let Frank in after his stop ......good news is he brought breakfast for the Frog with him.
So I went downstairs to bed but then his shower aide shows another "Newbie" and just as I'm drifting off I get the whole where's this that and the other.
I think I've managed about 1/2 hour sleep in the last 36 hours. I'm putting dinner in and when it starts to burn I figure the smoke alarm will wake me up so I can feed the Frog still watch Heroes

My Meet Me Experiment

When was the last time you shaved your legs? Wenesday
What were you doing this morning at 8 a.m.?Just waking up...
What were you doing 15 minutes ago? reading my email
Are you any good at math? Not really but after 5 years at Discover Card I can explain interest rates like a pro
What did you wear to your prom? My one and only "store bought" fancy dance dress...... a Peachy Pink empire style dress with short sleeves
Do you have any famous ancestors? Only a couple that I know of that other people would know too
Have you ever taken out a loan to pay for school? No
Last thing received in the mail? Country Living magazine
How many different beverages have you drunk today?Water & V-8
Do you ever leave messages on people's answering machine?Yes
What's the most painful dental procedure you've had? Oh goodness, there have been too many to count......probably wisdom teeth, I had all 4 pulled at once :(
What is out your back door? yard and then Highway
Any plans for Friday night?A whole bunch of nothing!
Have you ever received one of those big tins of 3 different kinds of popcorn for Christmas? Yes
Do you re-use towels after you shower? I don't understand the question
What is your favorite flavor of JELLO? I don't really like food that moves on me, Strawberry I guess.
Are any of your great-grandparents still alive?Nope
Where do you keep your change? In the ashtray
When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group of people? At a class a few months ago there was about 40 people there
What kind of winter coat do you have? Navy Blue Parka & a Black wool Dress coat
What was the weather like on your graduation day? Very Hot from what I can recollect
Do you sleep with the door to your room open or closed? closed

Blue Monday

Woke up and got Middle Little Brother off on his trip home. Good thing he's not a big breakfast eater since I so don't have anything in the fridge and the cupboard is close to bare.
Went and got Bday flowers for nephew B to give his fiancee arranged and delivered them. they are getting married in June. Then came home and died for a bit. thought about finishing up some laundry, but didn't.
Then Little Brother come by about 5 last night after his plane landed to give me all the good gossip from up home about the Aunt, Uncles, Cousins and such. Got alot of good stuff, some a bit sad and a couple just plain funny stories. Then he says as soon as Middle Little Brother gets home with their car, Mom and Daddy are coming down here.
So here I am bawling like a baby and whining like a 2 yr old because I don't want my Mommy & Daddy to come. His visit was supposed to Prevent that!!
So I call Little Sis who is just home from her trip and is a s sick as a dog too along with her entire family with the flu. She was planning on going up first of next month. She calls them and finds out they were planning on leaving today!!! With of course a stop at her house as a Surprise.........when does just dropping in on family without a heads up become the norm? Is it after a certain age? Does it happen because your own house smells so much like "old people" you can't stand it and need to smelly up somone else's? Is it a genetic thing that you can inheirit?
What really makes it bad is that Daddy cancelled an appoinment with a kidney specialist that they've been waitng like 2 months to see to come. Who does that? The Frog's Dad died of kidney failure after having a transplant for 10 years, but he'd been on dialysis for a couple years B4 that. Daddy has said he doesn't want Dialysis and he's too old to even be considered for a transplant. Little Sis says maybe he's coming so we all see him, sort of a get your affairs inorder deal.
Either way I'm baffled as why someone would come 800+ miles without checking to see if they're welcome..............I don't have much of a life but I do have one.

OOOooops!

Got a phone call about 10 am yesterday.... What time can I pick up my corsage?
Did a fast save and said i'm working on someone else's just now. Can you say Whoops?
Took the world's fastest shower and headed out only to realize it was already too late . The wholesaler I use closes early on Saturdays. Thank goodness for Wally World's flower buckets. Thank goodness High Schoolers going to Homecoming dances aren't terribly picky the way Brides are.
I thought Homecoming was next weekend and all the orders were written on next Saturday. So Chloe and I missed going to PJ's to crop, but I made some $$.
And since the Frog wasn't doing well he slept most of the day, so it's good I was home.

Confessions of a Mad Scrapper

I do freely admitt that I suffer greatly from Accum-u-late-is More-is and I NEED nothing. but I went to the Making Memories Warehouse Sale anyway...it's those 4 little letters. SALE
I just went because I didn't want to watch the Frog getting his IV.
I mean after all is there anything more boring?? Except maybe getting one yourself.
So there I was hoping to score a cute Album or some fun accents....to my credit I did not buy 1 single sheet of paper.
One minute it was same old same old been there got that. Then next I looked, I had a full box of stuff so I booked it over to the counter, checked out and got the hell out of Dodge...or in this case Centerville. Then what did I do you ask.......especially after my last disasterous visit to the same sale last spring?
Yup you guessed it I stopped at the Memories Outlet Store and spent more on a QK bobbin spool and a new Frog. But I did get Kris a cute Baby book.

Miscellaneous Oowie's

So this is my week from hell. yesterday I got squished....again and since it's the second time this year the insurance wouldn't pay for it without a fight. does the term " High Risk" not make any sense to them or what?
Today we got the opportunity to try a couple of new chairs for the Frog. the DME rep that came seemed very knowledgeable until I pulled the van out and made him put his "test" models in. Of course none fit the ramp and 2 were too tall for the Frog to fit on the chair inside. How much more clear does it have to be? I could care less about all of a wheelchairs many features vrs the other if it doesn't suit the needs of the patient it does no good. AREN"T YOU LISTENING!!!! I'm not spending the $$$$.$$ on another chair to not have it fit inside the van with the Frog in it.Woo Hoo it comes it pretty colours!
After that fiasco, well maybe not, he measured both his chairs, the van and him countless times but said it could take another 2 months B4 it goes thru.
Anyway it was time to go to my guts and bolts Dr. and hear the whole Terrorist test results The medicine for the Chron's is not working.........DUH!!! ya think? some fissures are new, some show a bit of healing and some show no improvment at all. So off I went where they drew blood...lots of it.. close to an entire pint. After those tests the next step is another biopsy endoscopy. Yuck!
Tommorrow promises to be no better since I have yet another Dr appoinment. thursday was looking good til the hospital called to remind us of the Frog's solumedrol IV all day. Friday who knows. It really wouldn't be so bad if there wasn't a co-pay and at least 1 new prescription involved for every visit. Of course now I'm bruised terribly from all my bloodletting. Ever had elbow ache? wonder if that's a new diesase?

Democrat or Republican?

I'm the first to admit that I'm an extremely opinionated broad and usually don't have any trouble being heard but lately things are becoming a bit crazy.
Daddy always said growing up that we couldn't bitch about our goverment officials..... Unless I excersized my right to vote. So I vote in every election from water district to dog catcher.
I vote in primary and the general elections, so I guess that's where it started but this weekend I've had calls from both the Republicans and the Democrats wanting me to contribute to the cause. They were both a bit put out when I explained that I swing both ways. LOL
I VOTE ISSUES not parties and I'm proud of that!!!
Then this probably ten year old pimply faced twit doing the calling tells me that here in Utah we have to DECLARE our party affiliation and can no longer vote in both primaries but must choose. I liked whittiling out the chaff...I don't want to choose. I want to remain Strictly Miss Independant!! In a mostly Republican state I like to vote Democratic once in awhile. It shakes things up. It keeps everyone on their toes and It makes me feel like I'm in control once in awhile.
Soo for all of you who know me....and my loudly and sometimes longly voiced opinions
Am I a Democrat or a Republican?

Scrapped: A Movie Review

Got my "Scrapped: the Movie" in the mail the other day. The Frog and I watched it. I thought it was more of a comedy like movie when I ordered it but it is actually a very nice little documentery.
It is really cute in spots and really dull the second 20 minutes of it. That's when some freaky weird scientist type guy explains how we process memory in our brains. Lots and Lots of CM products shown there is even a tour of their facility in Minnesota. It has lots of interviews with people who are involved in scrapbooking and explains the scrapbooking mania to people who just don't "get it".
The best part is the star writer director going to a day crop. It was really funny ! He's carrying his own unquiely personal cropping tote...think biker studs, Harley patches and slogans all over a black CM navigator.
It was very moving too when he interviews both his parents. It makes the viewer "get it". That it's not about the colourful papers, stickers, punches and stamps....it's about the photos and the memories they invoke and the marvelous stories behind those photos. That it's not enough to just scrap the good...but also the bad and the ugly and the testimony of our faith that like AE says...live life, create art.
If you are a CM demostrator I think this is an absolute gotta have...if you're just curious about it call and borrow my copy. For an explaination and the fun promos and trailers or to purchase your own copy go to-

http://www.scrappedmoviecom/index.html

Love is in the Air

I've been to two weddings in two days. Last night it was for two kids in the neighnourhood who have been waiting along time. Alisha is very young, she just graduated High School in June.......maybe I'm just very old though. After all I graduated in May and was married that December, plus I didn't grow up with the Frog around most of my life. Wade has been so cute about getting married, very protective of her. She looked beautiful! and they kept things simple and elegant at their reception.
When we first moved here he was in my Primary class at church along with his sister Arica. Their brother John Jr was in the other class because they didn't want all 3 of the triplets together. Well it happened alot anyway because the other teacher was always sick. Now all my Valiant B's are married except Arica. Some are even having their first children. I am old. It was good to see John Jr in his dress greens, he looked so nice, he even wears a little bit different cap because of some special training he is getting in the Army. I hope that he stays out of harms way but the way he talked he will probably be seeing a lot of sand in his future.
Tonite's reception was very different! Our dear friends Shauna and Rusty married off their youngest daughter Amber. It was quite a party! If you went away hungry it was your own fault. The DJ was very good I need to get his name to recommend him. I got there a bit late and like Lacey's wedding last year it was outside in the yard. No rain, but it was very chilly. When it came time for the Daddy & Daughter dance Rusty was rubbing her arms to keep her warm since her beautiful gown was strapless. Someone finally went in the house and got her a sweater! I thnk alot of folks were dancing just to keep warm.
so the removing of the garter and the bouquet toss pictures she doen't have her teeth chattering LOL
Amanda and Darlene made the trip up to both receptions and it was good to catch up with them. A is planning on a mission in January and JD will be going sometime in November so they will have both kids out at the same time. Talk about the MT nest syndrome!! but when I came home and told the Frog he was very excited about it for them.

Spoiled? I think not!

So I'm lazying about yesterday afternoon and there is a knock on the door.
It was the Present Man!aka UPS with a package for me. Woo Hoo! It's wrapped in the whole roll of packing tape and turns out it's Chloe's little Pink Ironing board that I'd bought off of eBay. since I got charged more for the shipping than I paid for it I guess she thought I should get my money's worth. LOL
Chloe's closet is more full of cute clothes than mine. She needed an ironing board to keep things neat in there. I already had the little bitty pink iron from Heidi Swapp. How cute is this?

Today I am a Terrorist

So yesterday I was on liquids all day. Who's bright Idea was that I'd like to know? Labor Day BBQ and all.......So Not Fun!!
Today I look like some sort of Suicide Bomber with this thing strappped around me. A big black belt with supsenders and a computer thingy that is following the progress of little camera capsule they made me swallow. Which was not all that easy to swallow. It's about 3/4" by 1" and it blinks.
I don't know about you but I don't like food that moves, ie Jello nor do I think swallowing things that blink should be on anyone's diet for the day.
What if I blow Up?
What would happen if I just showed up at the airport?
That could be interesting....hmmmm..... Nope better not I don't feel good enough to get tackled by anyone. Plus they'd most likely make me pay for the whole machine and my insurance co-pay was bad enough. I'll have to take and post a picture I look ridiculous!!

My Fun Trip out of the Bog

So since I didn't post at all while I was gone I thoug I should take a minute to report on my trip up to Boise.
I left Thursday and when I got to the Southwest counter at the airport the line was so long I went back outside and checked my bags in with the SkyCap. something I've never done but it was so nice it was worth the $5 bucks I gave him since I had no $1's.
Getting thru Security wasn't too bad since I wasn't carrying anything contraband in my carryon. I'd talked with G and he'd said no to take any lotions or even lipgloss but to check it. So I did. What he didn't tell me was that they had people taking off their clothes and shoes B4 going thru the detectors. So that was sort of funny! all the jackets, hats and shoes getting scanned along with laptops and carry on's. The guy in front of me had holes in his socks.
Then I stood in line forever at the gate. My plane left about 1/2 late but we had a funny flight attendant that did the speil really cute just to see if we were paying attention. I got the window seat so that was cool trying to figure out where we were.
Poor Little Em was completely asleep after Little Sis circled the airport for 45 minutes that she was really disoreinted when she woke up. She asked where was the Frog and if we were going to see the Elves and Baby Jesus. We finally figured out that she thought she'd come to SLC to see me, rather than the other way round like last time...when i took her out to Gardner Village and Temple Square at Christmas. LOL
We had nice dinner at Sizzler, where she totally embarrassed us all by announcing loudly that she'd farted to the waitress not once but 2 or 3 times. Oh to be 3 again!
Em and I had a slumber party in her room that night and H couldn't come. We sang songs & danced to Augustus Gloop song. We talked about Boys, Lipgloss and Clothes cuz that's what the big girls did at Hi's sleepover a few weeks ago. LOL
Boys: she knows 10er more than Heidi. Lip Gloss: that didn't last long she said she was too little to wear lipgloss, let's talk about movies instead. She likes the Grinch better than Charlie Brown. Clothes: she only likes cute clothes but when she's hot, she says she just doesn't wear any. Being 3 must be sooo much fun!!
There was more but I fell asleep first. Good thing she doesn't yet know about putting the first to fall asleep's bra in the freezer!!!

Friday Little Sis had no day care going so we left the kids to home and went to the ChatterBox Warehouse sale! Then out to Lunch with G at a Mexican buffet. When we got home. She spread out her Haul on her bed and it covered the entire King sized Bed!! I was too scareyed to spread out mine......I'd spent $37 more than she did! But then I ended up taking almost everything out of the packaging anyway so I could fit it into my 1/2 MT suitcases for the trip home. LOL
I learned so much during the Technique book day on Saturday that I'm in total awe of the talent that so many of my fellow SU! demonstrators have. I finally met Janae in person (she's my upline) and we worked our butts off to get each of the 30 pages finished. C and I figured we had about 6 minutes per technique....so when I teach it I'm going to do only 4 or 5 in a 2 hour class. We ended up finishing a bunch of stuff up at home tht night like setting eyelets and things.
Sunday we lazyed about and watched Fun with Dick and Jane, then went to the outlet mall where I got some fun stuff for me and great Bday Gifts for Little Brother perfect for him. Then I flew home Monday on the same flight as G and he brought me home. Three whole days out of the Bog and the Frog was still alive thanks to the Frog Sitters....also worth every penny!

Craig's List Version 2

So this is my new sofa. Note that the photo was NOT taken at my house.
I'm totally in love with Craig's List!!
I saw it on Monday at Little Sis's B4 I left to come home and fired off an email to see if it was even still available and after my plane landed and I got re-settled in and made sure the Frog was still alive.
There it was a reply saying yes it was, but they wanted to be clear that they were firm on the price. Okay by me it was about 10% of what it is currently selling for at the store. So for $225 and $40 for last weeks chairs and some Rit Dye I 've got a completely new living room.
The best part is that the end tables I got at the Margaritaville yard sale last summer for $20 have sort of the same pattern carved into them as the sofa fabric. So maybe I'll be re-staining them to match the deep cherry wood on the sofa.
Actually the only thing that really stands out is the white Pyramid shelf so guess where it's going? that's right Up on Craig's List!!

Happy Birthday My Big Little Brother

Since it's his 40th he has been threatening to have a midlife crisis starting today.
I, being the kind wonderful big sister that I am wrote an email to everyone I had emails addresses for in the family and gave them his contact info and asked them to wish him a Happy Day and a wonderful Crisis. LOL
So this morning at about 9:15 I got a call from him saw on the Caller ID that it was from his work and started singing. he laughed then I found out that his email at work was full of Bday wishes from everybody but those he works with and quite a few took the time to call him!
Woo Hoo!

Craig's List

I'm having a love affair with Craig's List.com. Seriously I'm totally addicted to checking it out almost everyday. It's so bad I find stuff in Idaho for Little Sis to buy. I've even hooked Hi and now she's making money right and left getting rid of her "baby books" by selling them there.

Last week I totally scored with my twin cabinets with glass doors, old fashioned pulls and the skeleton key locks. Love them!

So today I spotted 2 of the cute chairs that I saw yesterday when there were 3. So I bought them! $20 each and they came with blue denim slipcovers.........Thanks Laurie! the ohter gal yesterday din't want the slipcover so she gave me the extra one too. I can use it as a pattern for new ones or since they are denim and thus Cotton I'm off to test out a Rit Dye job on the extra one to see if I can get a sage or deeper green.

In the meantime they fit perfectly in the living room.

Catching Up

On Saturday I became Great Auntie Vic to little Carter ?? Behunin. He was born very early in the morning about 3:15 am. K & R are now Grandparents! Freaky Weird since they were married about 4 years after the Frog and I. He has dark hair and weighed in at 8lbs 3 oz and 20 3/4" long. We just had a shower for H a couple of weeks ago so she's all prepared even though he came a tiny bit early.

I'm getting very excited. I get to leave for a few days and go to Boise. We've been bribing Em to get herself potty trained by telling her she can have a slumber party with me in her room. I don't know if it's really working or not though. She told me she was really good except she took a nap and woke up wet cuz her "algebras" were acting up. she of course meant her allergies but I think she's been kicked out of big sis's room one too many times so H could finish her homework.LOL she's such a KOOK but I love her and the other girls to death.........if only they'd write...are you reading this Girls?

She got her haircut the other day so I have to remember to take her a red hair ribbon so she'll look just like Matilda.

the Cowboy Way

I was reminded today by reading the blog of a scrappin' friend of mine of an old friend. So I did nothing much today but layabout and read. I finished the LDS novel I was reading which was book 4 of the Fairhaven Chronicles: a Thorny Path by Sharron Downing Jarvis early this morning before the Frog woke up.
Then after reading J's blog I polished off a couple of Louis L'Amour novels. I've read them so many times it only takes about 3 hours to get through them. So they are great for the Dr's office. My favourites are well thumbed paperbacks. Some I've managed to pick up in HB leather.
It's been kind of fun to remember the summer I beat Daddy in reading every one pf the 74 the Connell library had, then starting in on Zane Grey and reading all of those that were available too.
Of course that's also the same summer I fell asleep reading in the treehouse and rolled over and off...... right into the bramblebush not once, but twice! LOL

Time Flies

when you're having fun.......and even when you're not!
But I'm fine.

Really

I'm fine

Just perfectly

fine

Really

New Diet...

What is it about getting your hair or nails done by a guy that makes you feel more pampered than when its a girl?
That's my question for the day.
I love having that hour or so every few months when I get shampooed, cut and shaped. I love it even more when the hairdresser or nail artist is male.
I've decided it's because it's something I do for me...myself.....and I. Plus it must have something to do with me taking care of the man in my life so I feel more spoiled when it's a guy taking care of me. I wonder what Freud would say about that?
Whatever, after a hair or nail appointment I'm all cute and purty and feel soooo pampered. Especially with a Pedicure on a massage chair thrown in there for good measure. I'm in absolute heaven!
So I spent a bit and got the works the other day. Brows, Chin, Mani & Pedi
Of course I make sure the painful part of my salon visit is always first. The waxing. Can you say Ouch!? I HATE the Pre-menopause symptoms I'm having to deal with, extra eyebrows and sometimes even a full beard seem to be going on. Thank goodness for blonde brows and facial hair but not when it's 1/2 an inch long!
I think I've got a new diet plan in the works...........It can't cost much more than Jenny Craig.........I'd take a foot rub over food any day! Something to look into...everytime you feel the urge to snack go get a pedicure. Sounds a bit promising Wonder how I'll market it?

Not Quite Hot Enough

It's pretty hot out but it's not quite hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk. How do I know?

The neighbour kids are out there trying it.

The Ants Come Marching........

One by One..... Hurrah, Hurrah!
NOT!!!
Can you get ants and other critters by osmosis?
There I was talking to Little Sis about her sugar ant problem.....Everywhere BUT in the Kitchen.....in the laundry, E's bedroom, even under her computer keyboard and in her scrapbook paper in the office. Yuck!
I'm thinking how glad I am that I don't have little kids about so I can spray the bug killer very liberally anywhere in the house I want. She has to be careful of not only E getting into everything but also the DC kiddos.
We finish talking, hang up and I'm watching a movie with the Frog (who is asleep and snoring loudly) when there he is.....
ANOTHER FOUR LEGGED LONGTAILED LITTLE VARMIT!!!!!
Crawling about on my nice clean, unsticky, freshly mopped kitchen floor without a care in the world....totally ignoring the loud and obnoxious snoring of the Frog and the blare of the TV, he meandered all along the baseboard disappeared for a moment near the dishwasher then took off under the stove. Since I learned my lesson in the last couple of encounters with his little fiendy-eyed friends I neither panicked and broke my foot , nor threw the phone and broke it. I merely got out my arsenal and set traps. This morning nothing.......
Then I got to thinking, since traps were just set a few of weeks ago in the basement when we had the place sprayed to get rid of my sugar ant issues. Where had he come from?
Then I hear it...the almost incessant dut dut dut of the jackhammer outside that has now become such a familiar soundtrack to our life that I've blocked it out.
Of course! the little guy has been evicted from his perfectly nice little burrow in the barpit next to the skunk family between my backyard and the road they've been working on for eternity. Mr & Mrs Skunk of course had the good sense to take my advice and move across the road and get a few of the more annoying cousins squished by cars during their move. But no not the Mousecowitz Family! Who knew they would be extra brave and go East instead of West? Didn't they pay any attention to little Fievel at all? I'm off to rent An American Tale 2 just incase he comes back during movie time today.

Life, and Other Miscellaneous Interuptions to It

Ever really really wanted out of a committment?

Ever thought it won't matter someone else will just pick up the slack?

Not around here. Five! count them 12345 Five meals Monday for different members of the neighborhood . Four on Tuesday and at least 2 more in the next couple of days. Not fun! But considring I only got one traumitized call I think it went okay. I ended up doing the same family both last night and tonite but they really are special to us and I just called for Pizza for them. I hope everything went okay with everyone else.

It's either feast or famine...we go for along while without anyone needing anything then we have a short burst where everyone needs something and they always seem to conflict with my schedule. I like my calling in the church just not tonite.

Not while I have a headache anyway...... which BTW has been ongoing since early Sunday. Ick. On the bright side I managed to get 6 scrapbook pages done at our crop the other night and that was alot of fun.

1/2 Over LIFE

So here I am 45 + 4 days old and I've been telling people all weekend that my life is now officially 1/2 over. Sort of Funny weird, since I truly never think too far ahead...too many years of the Frog not feeling well once a Big Day arrives so then we cancel.
but I figured it out and if I average out the lives of both Grandmothers I'll live til I'm ninety, which means that at 12:17 pm on Friday July 7 2006 I was officially Over the Hill. Since I feel like I've been crawling up it on my belly hand over hand for so long maybe now I'm eally over it I'll gently roll downhill thru the rest of my life.....NOT!!!

I had a really good Birthday though and got the wonderful gift of seeing my family over the weekend at Little Sis's. I even met some of her friends, since after dinner and fireworks we crashed in on an Idaho Scrappers Crop then went to Breakfast with a bunch of really fun ladies! BTW Shari's Stuffed Hashbrowns rock!

The Fabulous Fourth

There I was hair in pigtails, juicy watermelon dripping from my chin, the part in my hair and top of my ears staring to redden up from the hot sun...and having the time of my life!
It was my birthday and I had the best parties in the world! My day would start with jumping in the car and hurrying to get the best spot for the parade. There were floats and bands and beautifully dressed girls waving, horses, cops on motorcylces tossing candy to the crowds lining the street and goofy clowns mingling and etertaining us with balloon animals. It was the big parade! Coming from Connell, anything with more than 2 marching bands and 4 floats was a big deal.

Afterwards we'd eat ourselves to death on 'Tucky Chicken , coleslaw, Grandma's potato salad and have a strawberry shortcake with candles all over it just for me with homemade ice cream and a few presents to open. With all the cousins and family around to run through the State park screaming and playing tag, swimming and goofing off. Naps on blankets under the trees when were we tired and lots of cold water and "Real Lemonade" made with the Pink Lemonade Kool-aide spiked with 7-Up and sliced lemons.

Later on there was the oooh's and aahhh's of the people watching the fireworks being shot off from the park out across the lake. Their brillant colours reflecting in the water so that we could doubly enjoy them. Then being carried to the car by Daddy and falling asleep on the way home. Who could ever ask for a better party?

As an adult it's been a more quiet holiday. Still fried chicken and potatoe salad, still strawberries and icecream only it's not homemade. I still get presents... mostly from my MIL on her way home from the parade in Grantsville.

Sometimes I wake up and it's off to the park for the all you can eat for $4.00 Chuckwagon breakfast with Fast Freddie Flapjack flipping out pancakes on his famous 12 foot long griddle. Waiting for a little fun with his old friends or a cocky teenager or two. Asking them to step back, no just a little farther, a bit farther please and watching him flip the pancakes to their plates from as far away as Fifty feet. It's all a part and parcel of the entertainment. For seconds you just stand and hold your plate and magically from thin air a hot pancake lands right in the middle of your plate! Fast Freddie is the best Flapjack Flipper in all the world!
The hashbrowns, sausages and the eggs are all playing second fiddle to the Star of the show!

I watch the fireworks from the dining room window or from the back porch, with the TV playing the fireworks from New York or DC to help the ambience and so the Frog and see them. Then it's out to the frontporch to watch the neighbourhood waste their money blowing up the illegal fireworks they drove to Wyoming to get. Who could ask for a better party?

I must have been about 7 or 8 before I realized that my birthday is actually on the 7th of July but the family all got together on the 4th so that was when I got my cake and presents. B's birthday fell on Labour Day alot so he had a big extended family BBQ party too. We used to tease J that her Bday was so close to Christmas she didn't get a big blowout cuz people were too tired. But secretly I was terribly jealous because she always got to take cupcakes to school for her Birthday and I never did. But I got a parade and fireworks.

So though my official Bday isn't til Friday I'm celebrating in a big way today! I slept in, I took the longest shower ever on record, I've watched a parade on TV, and vegged out with a Law and Order Marathon. Tonite I'll watch the Fireworks from the porch and take a few pictures of the neighbourhood blowing up hundreds of dollars worth of bottle rocks while I'm running my sprinklers full blast then tuck the Frog into Bed and have some Cherry Garcia over some fresh strawberries... Who can ask for a better party?