New Do

I have a new hairdo! I got the notion to cut my hair when I realized I’ve been wearing my hair practically the same way off and on since High School. So I called up Heather and set up an appointment. Today I went over and she cut about 4” off then layered it a bit. No more super curly just a nice smooth Now style. I may have to actually have to invest in and use a flatiron.

30 Years Ago

The Frog and I knelt across the altar and promised to love each other for eternity. It was a bit overcast and very cold but otherwise the weather was okay. Today it’s bright clear and sunny but still cold. I did a bit of welling up but have managed to keep it together today. I even taught Sunday School without completely falling apart. I know it will get harder as the week goes on but so far so good.
Three years seems like yesterday and forever. Happy Anniversary Sweetheart I love you to infinity and beyond…..

Happy Hoho!!!

I’ve decided that I’m almost officially an old fart. Yes you read that right….

Why?

Because Big Little Brother and I didn’t even start opening our gifts til 4:30pm on Christmas day. I think that qualifies us for old farts in training. If either of us would have had to put in our teeth before eating Christmas dinner it would of allowed us to skip a few steps toward our ultimate goal. I don’t think Blane’s braces count.

We enjoyed a great day Andy and Sarah’s visiting with all our cousins and their kids. I’m getting so old Miriah is almost old enough to Date!!

Happy Birthday Honey

Last Saturday night the ValleyVeiw Cemetary had their annual Christmas Luminary Lights. It was really beautiful to see the lighted bags all over. It's so much work to do I should really write and tell the staff there how much I appreciate their efforts. There were alot of cars driving thru when I was there so I didn't stop this year. Teresa said that there weren't as many when she came by a little bit later
I can't believe it's been 3 years since the Frog passed away.  He would have been 52 today.

Ghosts of Christmases Past

So it's really quiet tonite I have nothing pressing to do other than wrap a few packages and I'm thinking about Christmas Past.
1980 Our official first Christmas Steve gave me the lovebirds but one broke. There was a flat tire in the van. Jacque was a Senior in HS the Frog and I had been married 1 year. Her Santa present was stored at our apartment so she couldn't snoop it out. There we were at 4am bumping down 6 flights of stairs with a Lane Cedar Chest waking up quite a few of our neighbours so she could have it first thing Christmas morning. Then there was no way to sneak it in thru the front door so we took it in the back and left it in the family room with a big bow. She was feeling a bit short changed til she went in there just before breakfast and found all her gifts inside the chest!!

2006 The Frog's family came over on Christmas Eve to sing Steve a Happy Birthday. The entire family crowded into our bedroom, bath and closet. Justin was at the MTC so Flat Justin was in all the photos. Humberto's fabulous Chocolate Cherry Birthday Cake with 49 Marachino cherries fed everyone well. Terry and Tara were there too and spent the night. Cami had a bit too much family and brought baby Benjamin over on Christmas Day and I got a great photo with the Frog and Ben. We also posed him in the sleigh.

197? Daddy in the hospital, Grandma and Grandpa Byington staying with us and the Great Christmas Eve Sneak foiled by Uncle Denny sleeping on the living room couch. Scared the crap out of us.

1987 The family came to Utah. Blane was on leave from Basic and Tracy Dawn  (8) was sure Santa wasn't coming if he slept on the couch so he sacked out in the hallway and she stepped on his head during her Christmas Sneak. Steve and I woke up to Daddy yelling at everyone to get back in bed! Bruce got a skateboard and was in heaven til he tried it out and biffed it and ruined his brand new jeans. Brian had my name that year and gave me my Christmas on Temple Square picture with the Christus Statue reflected in the glass. So very special  because the Christus room was where Steve proposed and we were married at Christmastime. Brian won the blue ribbon at the State Fair for the photo and the Church even offered to buy it, but he gave it to me. It hangs by the front door.

1978 Seventeen years old the Worst Best Christmas ever.  I got a door. That's it ....... a door. Knobs, hinges and screws were wrapped and under the tree providing me with hours of shaking opportunities to guess but of course I never did. Who in their right mind would guess lumpy heavy packages contained hardware? A door to my bedroom. Needs disguised as gifts........huge disappointment to a teenager......Priceless priceless memory to the adult she became.
I realize now that my folks spent a huge amount of the Gift budget that year to get me that door so I had more privacy than a curtain provided from sharing the basement with 3 little boys. And I thought they didn't understand me!! Still it was sort of fun going back to school and telling people "I got a door" I even perfected my delivery to sound like Charlie Brown in the Great Pumpkin when he keeps getting a rock while out Tricks or Treating.

1977 Kevin Hartelius and I came home from Christmas Eve with his family and caught Santa in the act. After helping fill stockings and making a trip with Daddy to the school for the stash. He helped bring in a Basketball Backboard, Net and Hoop and then uttered the fateful question...."Where is the Ball?"  They'd forgotten to buy one!!!!! LOLOL
Jacque got and IOU from Santa in her stocking and the promise of a ball by her birthday on January 19th.

Christ in Christmas

Little Guys

One minute he is a big boy and the next he is too little for Primary. One minute he is spelling his name E M L I L and the next he's singing BINGO!!
He doesn't have an airplane yet but is sure he will for Christmas. He met Smokey the Bear. He went hiking in the forest with Travis and Amy and Daddy chopped down a Great BIG Christmas Tree that broke and went crash. Then it had to be re-cut once it got home. It doesn't have shiny balls or decorations on it. It has Oar-No-Mints and a pretty angel. It is tall tall tall. This big during which he dropped the phone trying to show me just how big.
Neighbourhood Grandma brought scraps of gingerbread over after cutting out her walls and roofs so his mouth was full of yummy stuff

Momma went to visit Obama. Daddy is home taking care of him and working from home at night when he sleeps while Mom visits Aunt Jenny who works at the White House. Yes that White House. If you can't tell by now I had a nice long phone chat today with Emil. Who will be a Big Bruthr in about 6-8 weeks.

Twilight Moves

Twilight Years from Tom on Vimeo.


My cousin found this and posted it on Facebook. Which is apparently where I spend a ton of free time lately. So no posts. Been really busy this last couple of weeks.

November 1983

A couple of days ago I was showing Erin a picture in one of the photo albums and when I was putting it back she noticed a journal on the shelf. I told her it was the Frog's and picked it up. There on the last entry is Steve explaining the process of getting his MS diagnosis. I honestly didn't even know it was there. So many things I'd forgotten or blanked out as too painful to remember. I think it's the longest entry in the whole book. What did come shining thru and brought both of us to tears was his testimony that with God's help he'd get thru it all. A Frog Kiss from the other side.

Wasting the Day Away

Things I have accomplished today.

Absolutely Nuthin!!

Been so sick most of the weekend I can't even think straight. Just about passed out teaching my lesson on Sunday but made it thru. Of course didn't stay for RS afterwards, spent most of today and alot of yesterday on the couch or in the bathroom with horrid stomach cramps. Darn pain pills aren't working at all.
i keep thinking of doing something but everything seems like so........ too much effort.
Did get a visit from my new Visiting Teachers!! Woo Hoo!
Got Lucy out for a walk then about halfway the little pill stopped and kept trying to climb into my arms! She wanted me to carry her cuz it was too cold out for her!! No Way Baby you wanted to walk you walk. Since then it's been Crusty Looks amd the old Stink Eye.

How do I Love U Tube?

With very little effort on my part I can totally waste 1/2 a day or most of the night. Even with tons more important things to do.
Plus it's easy to share.


Love love love this commercial!! I get such a kick out of the villians saying they are sorry. Isn't this way more fun than most of us have?

This is another one that I love to see.

Happy Anniversary Surprise!!

This was the invitation Caralee and her friend Gwenie Photoshopped and worked so hard on.

What a great weekend it was!! We kids had heard the cat was out of the bag but it really wasn't until  the Columbia Basin Herald ran an article about them in Wenesday's newspaper. Funny thing is Mom & Daddy  don't even take the paper! They had gone to the Dr's Thursday morning and someone there told them Happy Anniversary, then it happened again getting Lab work done so they asked how the person knew. Then they stopped by Dr Vernon's and asked Jac if she knew what was in the paper. She was like I don't know I don't take the paper. they found a copy and read all about themselves and that there was an Open House for them on Saturday! It was a terrific surprise!

All of us who were in town went over on Friday night surprised them and gave them their gifts. Shirts and a picture frame along with an list of the next days activitites. Beginning with Family Photos in the Park. We used the same photographer from Tracy and Eric's wedding an she did a great job despite the wind blowing that morning. She even suggested we all say a prayer for a bit of calm, so we did and the wind did die down enough for some good shots. Then she rememembered a fun tree down by the water and there was hardly any wind there at all. So most of the family groups were done there. Blane, Bruce Jay and I were our own "Family group".

Emil didn't want his picture taken and Gray was a little fussy too but since I managed to get these good shots I'm sure Julie's will be fabulous! Emil loved tossing stuff into the lake but Daddy Terry was close by to make sure he didn't fall in the water.

I love this shot of Tracy's family. I went over to Pullman and visited them on my way home. Gray is walking really well between Mommy and Daddy but he doesn't go off by himself yet. It is funny since Eric will be in the family room and Tracy in the kitchen and the kid is walking the whole length of the house.

After pictures we all went to Inca's for some great Mexican food. They were great! It helped alot that we had Cherise call them on Friday and warn them there were 22 of us, we'd be there about 1 o'clock and we needed 2 high chairs. After lunch it was time for Tracy, Gray, Emil, Tara, Daddy and Mom to head home for naps while the rest of us went and decorated the church and got the food prepared for the Open House. We had Chicken Salad on roll, a big tossed salad, fruit and veggie trays, cake and all the Auntie's and Klista brought different salads so there was alot of food. Bruce was responsible for the music along with Mom and Daddy's fresh flowers. The boutinerre and corsage matched the silk centerpieces I did perfectly.

Blane did a great video slideshow on his laptop and got Bruce's TV and it played all night. We had a little over a hundred people come to celebrate with us. It was a wonderful party and I'm so glad we did it.

Why Is It?

....that some people say in print or on the phone things they'd never say to someone's face? Or maybe they would and I just don't associate with people who talk like this.
This was the message I opened up while playing FarmTown on FaceBook tonight. I don't know exactly why it really irritates me that this was sent by Ms Monica on Sunday but it does


___I think you're full of shit. I am on facebook everyday. Stop sending me crap!___


This was my response________________

If you are on FaceBook EVERY day you obviously have plenty of time to waste. So I can't believe that you don't know of a very simple little keystroke you may use that will allow you to put people on Ignore. Which if you if you had understood the rules lets you un-friend them and cut them out of your Facebook life completely.
Since I don't know a Monica at all IRL (unless Ms Monica is only a screen name for gaming) I must have either hired you or worked for you on the FarmTown game. Either you must have asked to be on my Buddy/Friend list and I must have agreed, or vice versus. However I will have absolutely no problem at all deleting you off my list forever. If you will delete me from yours I would, of course, appreciate it.
If you need help finding the directions on how to do this, please message me again and I will tell you exactly where to go to get them.

I thought I was extremely polite. Don't You?

Romeo, Romeo,

.....where for art thou Romeo?





BTW That sounded a whole lot better than the one I was considering
(after all "Lucy Got Laid" sounded like a title for a porno movie.)
Thanks Shakespeare.
This is Romeo isn't he a cutie? He is 2 years old and is a silver and gray standard Yorkie. It took a little while to find him but we did and he's not that far away. Best of all there was no stud fee since his family would just like Pick of the Litter. He and Lucy Belle hooked up together for a Blind Date yesterday and again today so around Halloween we will have Puppies!!! Then they should be able to leave Lucy about Christmas time.
I don't think Lucy liked it all that much she sure made a fuss yesterday. In fact it scared her so much she did a little doodie on him. Today went alot better but then she kept making like a long drawn out Ouch noise that was really pitiful. I gave her lots of cuddles when it was over but since I still felt a little guilty about pimping out my dog, we stopped at Arctic Circle and I bought her some Corn Puppies as a treat.
Now she loves me again.

Cute Doggy Pics

Aren't these CUTE!!!!!!! My little girl is all growed up and weighs just under 10lbs. She loves a good cuddle and adores having her belly rubbed.
Soon we will need to be finding her a boyfriend so she can have a couple of babies.

MMMMmmmm Chocolate! not against the Word of Wisdom, Yet!

I am not sure how or why this works but it does!
Something fun to play with for a minute or two.

This is what my friend Lisa sent me today. I tried it and it was right on. Totally got my age right and everything!




Don't tell me your age; you'd probably lie anyway-but the Hershey Man will know!

YOUR AGE BY CHOCOLATE MATH

This is pretty neat.


DON'T CHEAT BY SCROLLING DOWN FIRST!
It takes less than a minute .
Work this out as you read .
Be sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out!
This is not one of those waste of time things, it's fun.
1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate (more than once but less than 10)



2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)

3. Add 5




4. Multiply it by 50 -- I'll wait while you get the calculator


5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1759 ..
If you haven't, add 1758.


6.. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.

You should have a three digit number




The first digit of this was your original number
(i.e., how many times you want to have chocolate each week).





The next two numbers are



YOUR AGE! (Oh YES, it is!!!!!)



THIS IS THE ONLY YEAR (2009) IT WILL EVER WORK, SO SPREAD IT AROUND WHILE IT LASTS.

Ponderings

A few weeks ago I got a new calling at church to teach the Gospel Doctrine class. I've read thru the lesson a few times now and I still am feeling woefully inadequate. I have no real focus as yet and I teach this Sunday for the first time.
Do you think the adults would like a rousing game of "Don't Eat Pete!" ???
There is so much material and so many good points to make. I guess it will come but I'd really like a bit more divine inspiration about now.

A whole year

I've had my little Lucy Belle for a whole year now. When I got her she was just a little ball of fluff. She weighs in at just around 8 lbs and is the size of a cat. Now she has learned to go to her room when told......she doesn't always STAY there unless latched in but she's learning. Mostly she has to go there because she was barking in the house. Big NO NO!
The no sitting on the furniture rule was broken long ago and now even if she starts out in her bed I'm awakened almost every morning with Wet Willies in my ears or her nose at my mouth to see if I'm still breathing.
.......I've been such a slacker at posting. I realized this as I was trying to catchup on friends blogs. Haven't been doing that as often since I became addicted to FarmTown on Facebook. Even pretend gardens take time. So now I'm updated to all their news I'll try harder to post a bit of mine more often.

Farmer Girl

You can blame Facebook and specifically FarmTown for the lack of entertaining and enlightening posts. For months I avoided Facebook while all my friends were online and connected. Finally I joined. People started writing on my walls only I wasn't sure why or what I was suppossed to do about it. While still trying to figure out what I did and didn't want the world to see, people began flinging food at me, kidnapping me, talking about MafiaWars and challenging me to Pillow Fights. Then someone sent me a tree for my farm in late June and I've been hooked ever since.
Now I log on and tend to my farm before I even read an email then when I can't sleep and there is nothing to plant or harvest I move stuff around. I barely plant anything in the yard anymore because of various allergies but I have a great little spread growing by leaps and bounds on the internet.

A Bit of Laughter

I haven't posted in a while but that's because I've just been too darn busy! So rather than doing a catch up post I thought I'd brighten your day with a post of the funniest newscast. I'm thinking it was an extremely slow news day.


Some things I want to know
Was the bear really Life sized?
Don't bears climb up higher than that into the trees?
Was that a poo paw print?

My Stalker

I know most of you have heard about my stalker. He's the little round kid that lives in the Circle down the way. He comes by at weird times of the day to see me and play with Lucy. Sometimes they are extremely WEIRD times. Like last night. It was almost 9:30!!
I know there are parents who are lax in their childrearing but his really take the cake. The poor kid looks and smells like he sleeps in his clothes for days on end. He also wanders the neighbourhood at all hours. I've put him to work when he comes around. I've taken Lucy for a walk with him so he doesn't come in. I've went to his house and met his dad once so they'd know he was hanging with and he (the Dad) didn't even care!!??!!
More and more lately I've blown him off at the door and don't let him in because things come up missing when he's around. I don't know what to do. I swear it's like I'm his only friend. He hasn't been around for a long time but now it's been 3 visits in 2 days. I'm gettting scared to open the dang door again.

Missing in Action

For most of the past month I've been battling pneumonia. It has totally kicked my butt. Not only have I had to reschedule every Dr appointment I had. I made a few unscheduled ones as well....like a trip to the ER for IV therapy from being too dehydrated. I missed out on all kinds of things that I was really looking forward too.
Just like always I lost my voice and it's still a bit scratchy.
Justin & Katrina's wedding. I was able to get their flowers done with alot of help. Thanks so much Cami and Kristen!! Melissa was chauffer extraordinaire since I was too sick to even drive to get them.
Chayla, Ashley and Brittany's Graduation all happened when I wasn't all here. Three neice's and 3 different schools all in the same couple of days. Chayla got a scholarship to play Basketball at Big Bend so proud of her!!
I also missed out on the Garrick Wedding and the Cabin Crop up at Scrappin' Smiles. Though I did eat a marshmellow and some chocolate and wore my brand new Froggy PJ's when I crawled back in bed. Tamara kept me in the game and sent Patty home with all kinds of fun things for me and a pink T-Shirt.
I finally started feeling a bit better and went scrapping last week. I didn't get an awful lot done but it was nice to get out of the house.

Dogs Rule Cats Drool

Found these Dog Rules online and decided that just for LucyBelle I would post them.

Dog Rules

1.The dog is not allowed in the house.

2.Okay, the dog is allowed in the house, but only in certain rooms.

3.The dog is allowed in all rooms, but has to stay off the furniture.

4.The dog can get on the old furniture only.

5.Fine, the dog is allowed on all the furniture, but is not allowed to sleep with the humans on the bed.

6.Okay, the dog is allowed on the bed, but only by invitation.

7.The dog can sleep on the bed whenever he wants, but not under the covers.

8.The dog can sleep under the covers by invitation only

9.The dog can sleep under the covers every night.

10.Humans must ask permission to sleep under the covers with the dog.

Now in all fairness to LucyBelle she doesn't like being under the covers and she doesn't like it when I am under the covers either!! So sleeping in in the morning is pretty much a bust unless you want an ear full of "wet willies". She pulls at the covers til she has a bare ear or neck and then she just can't seem to hold her Licker! Still she is the best reason to get up and out of bed in the mornings so tit's all good.

So here it is Mother's Day and I totally skipped out on the whole flower at church thing...again. Last year on Mother's Day I was busy sitting and waiting for cabin colours and flight numbers to be called. Brother Blane and I were getting off the ship and flying home from our Alaska Cruise. I spent alot of time reading the final chapters of book 3 of the Twilight series, in fact I started Twilight at the airport going to Seattle and finished Eclipse just a few minutes before we touched down in Salt Lake.
Today I made Gluten Free Spaghetti, last year we dined on Anthony's superb Halibut au Gratin inside SeaTac. Totally worth the $$$ though I do remember freaking out that it was almost $70 for the 2 of us for lunch! Nothing like the taste of a jet set lifestyle.
Instead today i made the time to watch all 3 1/2 hours of Schindler's List. I've only ever seen it all the way through once before. It was right after it came out but it made a huge impact on me. The last week or so it's been all about older movies. Not Classics but stuff that came out in the 80's and 90's. I think movie scripts were better. More acting and a lot less blowing shit up. That being said I am going to make time for Star Trek and Wolverine this week. LOL
But today Schindler's List and Spaghetti suited my mood.

Baking and Banana Bread

I love bananas I really do but I hate that they go mushy before I get them eaten. I've tried to just buy a couple but I get such weird sympathetic looks from the cashiers I go for the whole bunch. so there I was stuck with 3 moushy bananas. What to do? Make Banana Bread of course. Not just any recipe would do though. Any I want to eat myself has to be Gluten Free. Using 1/2 ground bean flour and 1/2 of the Blue Chip Groups GF blend of potato starch, brown rice flour and tapioca starch. I made Banana Bread. A bit more crumbly than I remember but just as tasty. Maybe, just maybe getting back into baking is a good thing.

I'm in LOVE!!

I have fallen truly, madly and deeply in love this weekend.
The object of my affection is this amazing little guy here.
For some joy may come in the morning but mine showed up Saturday afternoon sucking his thumb and holding on to Bear for dear life since Lucy was determined to take it away.



We still have some issues to work out. Since his Mommy and Daddy kept telling him they were going to Grandma's but they stopped here first I've been called Grandma alot the last couple of days. Now Emil knows who Auntie Vic is we've been the best of buds. After all she let him watch his favourite show on TV. He gets a 1/2 hr a week and he chooses to watch Cops!! Sings and dances along to Bad Boys Bad Boys and says "Don't do drugs!" "Don't run from Police!" when they catch the bad boys.
He still gets upset with Lucy but has mastered the phrases "Buzz Off Lucy!", "No Barking in the House" and "You go time Out Bad Puppy!" Auntie Vic scored high on the list for rescuing a huge giant Polar Bear from the dumpster, washing him and then letting Emil waller it to death in the middle of the family room. That thing is bigger than me!!
Another good call was his early birthday gifts...sets of finger Puppets from Ikea. He played with them for a long time and can do most of the animal sounds for all of them. But the fish were a little hard to come up with sounds for. Church was alot of fun. For the most part he played pretty quietly with them. If you ask him what does the starfish do he sings Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. The Shark goes da dunt da dunt da dunt da dunt like Jaws. Those in the pew in front of us got quite a chuckle.
He gets to dress up cute for his Uncle Brian's wedding tommorrow. I'm sure he'll be the belle of the ball.

Cousins

Can I just say how very much I love the women I come from?
This week has been all about my extended family and both giving and getting a little compassionate service.
Tuesday Cami helped me chip away at the mountains of stuff in the sCraproom once again. Meanwhile I worked on the storeroom. Even nauseous and pregnant she can out clean, sort and quickly deal with all the cluttery stuff that makes my butt look big. Can you tell I've seen a bit too much of Oprah??
Sarah called a few times to have a reasonably intelligent conversation with someone over 3 feet tall.
Thursday I took Julie up to the U for her liver biopsy at 7am, left at 10:15 to pick up Trina from the Airport (she was flying in from Hawaii) and was able to catch up with a mission buddy of the Frog's waiting to get the car from the valet and took her home for a nap.
Went back up to the U and got Julie and got her settled in. Then yesterday Trina got me motivated to do some spring cleaning, rearranging the familyroom while I cleaned out the fridge and freezer. Cami will be happy to know there is no longer 3 month old expired yogurt in there. Then we went scrapbooking at Roberts 50's Crop with Natalie, Trudie and Patty we both won prizes. I got a Cricut cartridge in the cakewalk and she got a prize for coming the farthest.
Did a bit more cleaning and grocery shopping today. Tonite we've had a nice dinner with TD and Tara while Emil has entertained us all. They are in town for her brother's wedding. All in all a very good week.

Rest in Peace Bea

One of my favourite older actresses. The gravelly voice. The lush Vera, the in your face feminism of Maude, Dorothy's classic common sense voice of reason. Thanks for the laughter you brought to me dear lady, rest in peace.

Dancing in the Rain

Apparently I do dance in the rain. I don't think what I was doing was actually dancing though, I was just chasing Lucy round with the camera trying to get photo's of her protecting her turf.
The neighbourhood TomCat has it in for her. I swear he comes and sits on the fence just to torment her. She then goes nutso!! Til I let her out and then she really goes beserk. It's like watching a Tasmanian Devil cartoon. She runs jumps twists and twirls all while barking furiously!!
It's actually very very funny to watch. The other day there were 2 cats on the fence and Lucy picked up a stick about 3 feet long and started HITTING the fence with it. What a smart little puppy I have!! Of course the cats are wise to her now and just let her wear herself out til they get bored, then they leave.

What People Do to Entertain Themselves

Obviously what I do to entertain myself is to surf the web for fascinating subject matter to share on my blog or to find the wild, wacky, weird and funny side of life others have so imprudently at times shared with the world.



Enjoy!!

My Rainbow

My friend had this on her blog and I think it really fits her personality. Being the rather adventurous soul that I am I took the quiz too. No big surprise! my rainbow sees PINK proving once again that Pink is not a colour it is an ATTITUDE!!

Your rainbow is intensely shaded red, violet, and pink.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is says about you: You are a grateful person. You appreciate beauty and craftsmanship. You are patient and will keep trying to understand something until you've mastered it. You get bored easily and want friends who will keep up with you.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

Harbouring a Hormonal Hound

I could have also titled this post any one of the following:
Puppy PMS
Yorkie Yo! Mama
the Case of the Cursed Cutie
Pamprin for Puppies
Looney Loopy Lucy
A Visit from Aunt Flo
Pets with Periods
Yes Gentle Readers that's right, my little girl is a woman now. We are so proud.(That's a collective "we" by the way...she's keeping the neighbourhood awake with her yappy barking.) LucyBelle is in heat.

I am finding out a few things that I never knew or just plain didn't notice with the pets growing up. But the biggest surprise was her little girl parts do actually bleed. Right in fact on my cute Duvet cover from Ikea.























Fortunately they make little period pads for just such an event. Actually they are Doggie Diapers they are even cut out for her itty bitty tail. Sadly she hasn't been wagging it too much the past week. Do cuddly cuties get cramps???












Lucy is a completely different dog right now. If she isn't sleeping she is furiously barking at everything. The wind, car lights, TV, her reflection, the littlest sound will set her off....like the fridge kicking on, a blade of grass moving, the pop pop pow of the gun club. The fellows working on the highway behind the house. EVERYTHING has become a reason to run amok for a few minutes then drop exhausted to sleep until the next small disturbance.
I'd rather deal with teenagers.

I'm just barely literate in Ruff Ruff Woof. I don't do Psycho Puppy Poochie at all. She's even stealing all the air from the fan in the bedroom when I have Hot Flashes! Whatever happened to "My House, My Rules"?

I want my little baby back!!!!!

The Rainbow Only Comes After the Storm

I found these photo's the other day when I was making up the gifts for YW's. The caption has really made me do some deep thinking and praying. Don't look so shocked it has been known to have happened in the past.
I 've never cried over being released from any calling before....though I have cried alot about being chosen for callings that I've felt terribly inadequate and overwhelmed in. Number One was as Ward Chorister and Choir Director in 34th Ward. The Bishop had gotten tired of seeing us coming in late so he diliberately gave me a job to make me on time. LOL
Be that as it may I know I've fallen far short on innumerable occaisions (Sundays,camp,PP,Activity Nights) in this calling but I have loved every minute of it. I often joked that it gave me a Social Life wether I needed one or not. I felt rather sorry for myself the other night that I wasn't going with the kids to the Food Bank. Oh how I love those girls!! They will always be my Beehives.
They have literally brought me out of the darkness dealing with being alone and into the light where I have friends of all ages to help me along. Now I just have to keep going.....

Limited

In the musical "Wicked" which BTW, I stood in line 3 hours for tickets only to be told they were sold out about 30 people before me, there is a song called "Defying Gravity" Love Love Love that song!! Some people call it the I hope you're happy song. Anyway some of the lines go like this
Something has changed within me.
Something is not the same.
I'm through with playing by the rules of someone elses game.
Too late for second-guessing.
Too late to go back to sleep!
It's time to trust my instincs.
Close my eyes, and leap!
It's time to try defying gravity
Then later:
I'm through accepting limits,
'Cuz someone says they're so!
Some things I cannot change,
but 'till I try, I'll never know!

Good advice Right? So for the last few months I've been trying to find a Quote to go over the north window in the sCrapbook room downstairs. I've mulled over and discarded a whole bunch of really good ones. Actually spelling out LLTTF&JB, Well behaved women rarely make history, .......there are all sorts of very good ones out there. I'd practically decided for sure on a quote from Maya Angelou that says "You cannot use up Creativity. The more you use, the more you have"That was then
This is now...I stumbled upon this thought
"Never be limited by other people's limited imaginations"
Perhaps I shall use them both.

Safely Gathered In

I've been experimenting with a bunch of different flours this month. I've even baked cookies twice!! Shopped til I dropped at the case lot sale. Bought a few small self rotating can racks for the store room. Tossed a few out of date items.....like the yeast TK used at Christmas. To be fair I didn't even know I had yeast in the fridge, but since it was more than 10 YEARS out of date I guess I'd better start wiping down the doors more often. LOL The shelves need to get the once over much more frequently too.
Anyway this is all leading up to a bit of a very funny article I saw in my LDS newsletter. Go ahead laugh a bit...I spit milk out through my nose as I was reading it.

Top Ten Signs you don't have enough food storage!

10 - The beanbag chair in your living room holds every legume in your house.

9 - Your plan for survival is to move in with your parents.

8 - The only items you have purchased that would last your family a full year are garlic powder and toothpaste.

7 - You are hopeful that your children will learn to savor the taste of boiled wheat three times a day.

6 - Your entire reserve of drinking water is sloshing around in your waterbed.

5 - You asked for a case of soup for your birthday.

4 - After being discovered, your year's supply of granola bars was eaten in just two weeks.

3 - You are extremely proud of your year's supply of salt.

2 - Every time you need flour your borrow it from your neighbor.

and the number one sign you don't have enough food storage---You feel carefree after stashing away a year's supply of pizza coupons. (Latter-Day Saint Wit and Wisdom, p. 21).

BTW if you want some fabulous ideas to use every inch of space for storage you owe it to yourself to go to Flicker.com and type in food storage and look at any photo tagged with Linda & Clark. This gal is awesome!! I've decided that she must teach this stuff somewhere because wow she's got some neat ideas. And I stole the photos from her.

Shades of Gray

Baby Sis sent these photos a few weeks ago. Her friend took them while she was watching him. She's a professional and took the ones of PG Tracy too. He is getting so very big!! I keep thinking I need to visit soon or I'll have missed all his babyness. Don't you love the little gray wolf outfit? They change so quick.
Emil is already talking pretty plain for only 20 months old. TD said they will be here sometime in April for Tara's brother's wedding. I don't know which brother but hopefully Auntie Vic will get to play with the kiddo while everyone else is busy. What wonderful ulterior motives I have....

Seventy Five Cents

That's the balance currently in my checking account after a $100 transfer from savings.
So no going to pick up meds tonite...no going anywhere that uses gas....seeing as how the savings only has the required $25 balance now.
Did I mention the extra $206.00 the mortgage company wants for the shortfall on the escrow account? Damn property taxes went up again. The good news is if I just pay that ahead before the 7th my actual house payment will go down about $15.00 for the rest of this year.
Good thing I've been doing a bit of stockpiling lately. We won't starve but I also don't feel much like eating from my newly re-stocked storage room. I did finally get over to Blue Chip Group and get a few GF items for right now. I'm impressed with their outlet store so if the mixes are any good at all I'll go back. They had elbow macaroni and linguine that I haven't seen before. So I got some, now if I'd only gotten some Kraft Yellow Death when it was on sale I could have mac and cheese by keeping the cheese sauce and tossing out the noodles, which is exactly the opposite of how I made it for the Frog. LOL
Did I mention pay day is Monday?

Thanks for the Memories

Got asked a question today about the worst meal the Frog ever made and if I was polite enough to at least try to eat it.
Thanks for the Memory......
The Frog got laid off from his job 2 weeks after we got married back in the 1900's (1979). One of my shower gifts was a big box of canned goods from Liz Taylor.......with All labels removed!! For a few weeks we were so broke that we literally each picked a can of something and made dinner out of whatever was in the can.
One night Stephen made dinner while I was still at work....tuna sandwiches and slimey spinach. I HATE Spinach cooked unless it's well hidden in a Artichoke dip and I've only recently decided I like it that way. There is nothing in the world that will get me to eat something that looks like it came from the back end of a cow....except maybe love.
It was so yucky!! He had apparently fixed it with a little vinegar only it was alot more than it needed. So I hurriedly took a bite of my sandwich only it wasn't any kind of tuna I'd ever tasted! Even he agreed that it was awful so we looked at the can again. There on the bottom was stamped Purina......it was cat food!!!
Thirty years later I can still laugh about it.

Busy Week

Ever take a minute to stop and just be? Not me. At least not this week.
I don't think I really accomplished much of anything around the house except to get some food storage items at Harmons Annual Case Lot sale. That's been my preferred way of canning for the past few years, bye the way. I think I really did well even though I forgot a couple of basics, baking soda and peppercorns....found that out when I went to make cookies on Wenesday. Yes! I have been known upon occaission to bake cookies! I don't like to do it but this was for YW Stake meeting that night.
No worries about the soda I just used baking powder...they came out a bit too crumbly for oatmeal cookies but that could be cuz I packed them full of chocolate chips, raisins and coconut. Did I mention they were Gluten Free? They went very well with our Hot Chocolate Tea Party. Found some darling Pink mugs. Also got everyone feather Boa's and little Tiara's. Even Bishop DeVries wore one. A Boa not a Tiara the man has some pride after all. Bro Heywood from our ward was helping to serve so he even gussied up with a Red feather clip in his hair for the rest of the evening. Don't worry I've got photos to prove it all.
So that was Wenesday.
Monday night I met Teresa and Gavin for dinner at the OLd Spaghetti Factory. It was a really fun visit and really good food and super busy!! Shortly after I got home Trina came in for a visit. I invited her to come to the Draper Temple Open House with me on Tuesday.
So that's what we did on Tuesday. Teresa and Gavin came with us and it was so neat to see his face light up as he recognized pictures he'd seen in Primary. We were quite hungry after dropping them off so we met Craig, Liz and Melanie at Q4U and had a good BBQ dinner. We didn't wait for them to come because we were so hungry but we ordered dessert and had a great cheesecake....Trina ate the crust.
The last couple of days have been hard. Alot of pain so I bailed on Scrapping with Patty last night. Today I've been laying about watching Seasons 1 & 2 of the Tudors and I've taken Lucy out for 2 walks in all the fog. I'm not sure if she is finally getting potty trained or I'm just not catching her peeing on the rugs but the puppy pad isn't getting used except late at night. She just jumps on me and then runs for the door and I let her out. Or I'll catch her staring out the window and wimpering a bit and she goes out and almost immediately does her stuff. Oh The joys of being her human.

More Resolutions

I thought of even more areas of improvement last night. Not that I really NEED to improve anything. After all it's just Moi and Mary P. that everyone wants to be. You know......Practically Perfect in Every Way.
However this is always a question we seem to ask alot this time of year so I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon to self-improvement.
Since this years YW/YM theme is 1 Timothy 4:12 "Be thou an example...." I've decided to really work on my words and conversations and tackle my profanity problem this year. I'm pretty sure I'm intelligent enough to tell someone they are a total idiot without actually coming right out and calling them a Freaking Dumbass. I can borrow the many great ways of doing this from one of my favourite sites
I can for instance politely ask "Can you shift gears? or are you stuck in Stupid." Or use another great phrase "But if I agreed with you we'd both be wrong"
So dear readers if you think of any minor improvements that I need, please feel free to make a sugestion or two. Just keep in mind that "I used to Care but my give a Damn is Busted"

My Resolutions

I'm not one to make alot of New Year's Resolutions. I usually start "NEW" in July...my birthday or September....something to do with a new school year. In fact I don't remember the last year I made a New Years Resoultion, though I do recall that I have managed to keep them.
They were
1. give a smile to someone everyday and
2. to always wear my seatbelt.

So this year I've been doing a bit of thinking and this is what I have come up with for my new list of Improvements
1. I will not eat Brussel Sprouts no matter how tasty others think they are.
2. I will walk Lucy at least 6 times every week
3. I will keep my gas tank above the 1/3 mark at all times so as to hasten my fast getaway should the need arise
4. I won't mean mug slow checkers at the Grocery store. Instead I will loudly sing along with the PA system and get others to join in.
5. I will put on a bra whenever I leave the house.....no need to scare children and small animals with my bodacious boobies. Exceptions only for trips to the mailbox