Heard Around the...um...while out shopping

Hubby, Kiddo, Little Bit and I went to "town" tonight for dinner and a little minor retail therapy. We stopped in to our local Cooks Corner to look at the pot racks. I had Little Bit on my hip and she POOTED on me! (Sorry - that was the only word I could come up with that wasn't FART!) Me: "What was that?!" Little Bit: "My butt." Laughing ensued. OK - I guess you kinda had to be there - but she's not even 2 yet!!! TTFN JMS

Kiddo's Galerie d'art

As we spend a Saturday morning with paint and creativity - I thought I'd take the time to scan and share some of Kiddo's more recent pieces of art. I think they're amazing! My Special Picture (I use it as a bookmark) - Pencil on Notepaper Get Well Picture for Kiddo's Grandmother - Pencil on Paper Flying Birds with dirt, a cloud, a flower and the sun - Crayon on Paper Mountain with flower and bird - Kids Washable Acrylic Paint on Paper Kiddo's version of a Neighborhood with tree and buildings - Kids Washable Acrylic Paint on Paper Ocean Sunset - Kids Washable Acrylic Paint on Paper

TTFN JMS (a.k.a. Proud Mommy)

Signs of Spring

Ah - the signs of Spring are upon us! I walked outside this morning - headed to work - expecting it to be cold and rainy. It wasn't cold, it was barely raining, and there was a slight breeze. I stopped just outside my front door and closed my eyes, savoring the morning. I realized I was hearing something I hadn't heard in months! The little tree peepers were singing in the woods across the street! If that isn't a sign of warmer weather on it's way, I don't know what is. I just stood there for a minute or two and took it all in; the temperature, the breeze, the wet pavement, the smell after a rain, and the little chirps from the critters proclaiming, "It's Spring!" I've seen robins for several weeks now - and I remember my grandmother telling me to watch for the first robin because that was a sign that Spring was around the corner. Now the tree peepers are out! Several of the trees at the office have little leaf buds on them. There are daffodils pushing their green leaves up out of the ground at my house and, I'm waiting on crocuses and Lily of the Valley. I'm waiting on the return of the birds. Sooner than I know, I'm going to have to fill the hummingbird feeder for another summer full of watching the tiny birds sip the red liquid outside my living room window. I'm looking forward to being outside in the back yard with my kids, swinging and playing as if Winter had never happened. TTFN JMS

Exalted Beauty

I just found the most wonderful and beautiful blog! My heart is leaping at the beauty! (♥em♥ - this one will appeal to you!) Go see Exalted Beauty now...I promise you won't regret it! TTFN JMS

I ♥ Satchmo

Doesn't Louis Armstrong make you want to sing, sway, dance and tap; just get up and move? Doesn't he just make you all warm inside with his lovely tunes and deep gravelly voice? It's so amazing how versitile he is, how he can go from What a Wonderful World to Skokiaan in a heartbeat and make you feel two completely different things? Satchmo blow that horn! TTFN JMS

Heard Around the House

Kiddo: "Mom, what am I smelling?" Me: "I've got some bacon in the oven." Kiddo: "Mmm. I can barely taste it with my teeth." HUH?

Family Arts & Crafts Night

Boy - did we have fun last night! I bought Kiddo some paints the other day and promised him that some night this week we would sit down and paint. However, I told him the only way I would do this was if Hubby was home to watch Little Bit because I was (and still am) convinced that if she got her hands on any paint, it would be everywhere. So last night, I taped some newsprint on the dining table, put one of my old t-shirts on Kiddo and got him all set up to paint. I'd also bought myself some basic water colors and brushes, so while Kiddo painted, I did to. I haven't painted, drawn or done anything remotely creative in years, so this was probably as much fun for me as it was for Kiddo. Little Bit wanted to paint, but Hubby sat her in her high-chair and handed her a lump of Play-Doh and a couple "implements of destruction" (namely a dull holiday cheese spreader and a plastic baby spoon) so she could do some damage to the blob of blue stuff. Then Hubby sat himself down at the table with us and also got out a lump of Play-Doh (his was red). We all sat at the table and "created" for quite some time and it was so great to have the four of us all doing something together like this. Hubby put on some fun music (XM Kids, channel 116) and we crafted. Little Bit didn't last too long, though, and eventually started hollering, "I wanna paint, too!" She spiraled downward into near-hysterics until Hubby finally gave up and took her away for her bath and an early bedtime. (Note to self: Never wash Little Bit's blankie right before bedtime. It creates havoc and more screaming and there is not a viable substitute for the real thing.) After Kiddo had painted three pictures, he decided he was done, and we tucked him away in bed. He said to me as I was tucking him in, "Mom, I sure am tired tonight!" Good. He was asleep in minutes. Hubby and I watched NCIS (love that show) and then I went to bed at 9PM. I think maybe we need to implement Family Arts & Crafts Night more often. And maybe, just maybe, Little Bit would do OK with paints if we got her some that she could use; some that were created just for toddlers. Gotta think about that one, though. I had a thought to bring my sketchbook in today and scan some of the stuff I've drawn over the last couple of days, but when I ruined a perfectly good sketch of a fireplace by trying to paint over it with my water colors, I thought maybe I ought to practice some more before I shared my work (I use that term loosely) with the masses. Maybe I'll change my mind. TTFN JMS

Heard Around the House

When Kiddo heard me lamenting about what I should wear to work tomorrow: Kiddo: "Maybe you should wear some orange shoes, Mom!" Me: "I don't have any orange shoes, bud!" Kiddo: "Well maybe you should buy some." Me: "I don't want to buy orange shoes." Kiddo: "Why not? They'd look good on your feet." TTFN JMS

Bar Pan #3

Tonight, our 2nd Pampered Chef Bar Pan went KABLOOIE!!! Scared the S*** out of us, too! Hubby turned on the stove thinking he'd turned on the burner under the copper kettle on the back...but he'd turned on the front burner, where the bar pan was resting after a long evening in the oven. KABAMMM!!! "What the h*** was that?" we said together. So now we're on to Bar Pan #3. I wonder - will we make it to #4? I hope not. TTFN JMS

Laughing at Myself

I had some silly fun yesterday. OK - granted, it was at my own expense, but it was fun none-the-less. My friend KB, with whom I went to high school in Michigan in my younger years, sent me a photograph of me all dressed up for Homecoming. I laughed so hard I nearly cried because 1) I can't believe anyone ever got me to dress up like that (especially in a strapless dress) and 2) because I can't believe there is proof of it! I posted the picture yesterday (omitting my escort for the evening, not having his permission to post his picture on the web) both on my blog and on my FaceBook page and have been so shocked at the reaction of my friends and family! I have never, ever thought I was beautiful but some of the comments that were made were so kind and sweet and, frankly, flattering. I wish now that I actually felt beautiful when I was beautiful. Of course, I guess that's what being 17 does to a person, huh? I also posted something funny that Kiddo said yesterday - so if you get a chance, check it out. Anyway - back to the silly fun. I pulled the picture out of the envelope and G happened to be standing there. I showed her the picture and she immediately snatched it out of my hand and took off running down the hall! She made me chase her! I didn't know what her plans were with my picture, except possible blackmail - LOL! She scurried (as fast as her adorable wing-tip heels could carry her) into the lobby and tossed the picture at our security guard. They had a good laugh at my expense...dammit. I'm laughing all over again. It really was funny. TTFN JMS

Heard Around The House

When talking about dinner being ready in about 15 minutes: Kiddo: "Mom...I just really want some raisins to keep me occupied until the food is done." Um...when did he skip years 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and suddenly become a 10 year old? TTFN JMS

Blast from the Past

There is unfortunate proof that I did, at one point in my life, dress up for a school function! This was Homecoming, 1991 (I think...).

What an AWFUL pic!

TTFN JMS

Randomness Revisited - Hubby's Mom & Kiddo Scuffle

It's funny how you can have so many things to write about but not be able to come up with something you feel is post-worthy. Aside from a rather uneventful weekend, and a huge "scuffle" with Kiddo, and Hubby's trip north to visit his mom in the hospital, and church on Sunday, and housework, and coloring my hair and...and...and... We don't really know much about Hubby's mom except that as of this writing, she still has not had surgery. I'm guessing there's a law-suit pending, but nothing has been discussed yet. We're still saying fervent prayers that she comes through surgery with flying colors, that her pain is minimal, and that her recovery and rehab are swift. This poor woman really doesn't need anything else to deal with in the "health" department; she's already been through so much! If you're saying prayers for GM, please continue - she needs all the help she can get! The "scuffle" with Kiddo was over the fact that he flatly refused to clean his room on Saturday. Hubby told him, before he left for work that morning, that he expected Kiddo to pick up the stuff all over his room by the time Hubby got back that evening. Kiddo did everything but clean his room and no amount of threatening seemed to make any difference. Hours later, I finally set the kitchen timer for 1 hour and told Kiddo that if the timer went off and he hadn't made significant progress picking up his room, I was coming in with a big black trash bag and everything that was on the floor was going in the trash. He screamed, he cried, he fought - but he did not clean. When the timer went off, I stopped what I was doing and marched in his room with a trash bag and started putting his things in it. More screaming ensued, but I was not swayed. I felt like the meanest Mommy in the world, but I felt that if I didn't follow-through with my threat that Kiddo would never believe any future threats. I don't see that I really did anything wrong by doing this, though. It's a lesson for him that I hope he takes with him for the rest of his life. While I was silently and methodically stuffing things in the trash bags (I used 3!!!) he screamed and cried and kicked and screamed some more... I finally said, calmly and with much feeling, "Buddy, the next time Mommy or Daddy ask you to do something, what are you going to do?" "Do it," he says, teary-eyed and sniffling. "And do you believe me now when I say I'm coming in here with trash bags and throwing everything away?" "Yes ma'am," says he. "Well, I hope you've learned something today," I tell him. The biggest screams and sobs came when I picked up his Sea Monkey aquarium thing. He really thought I was going to flush them or something, but I simply put them on the dresser in my room and told him he couldn't have them any more - that they were my pets now and I would take care of them. I felt awful, but at the same time, I felt justified. He needs to learn this lesson early. And just for the record, I did not actually throw his stuff away and he can earn his things back, but for now - everything is in the attic. TTFN JMS

My Date with Kiddo & Mother-in-Law Needs Prayers

I had a date with my best little guy last night! That's right - Kiddo and I went out together for some much-needed Mommy & Me time. I had one place I wanted to stop first, which was the local used book store, but otherwise I let Kiddo pick what he wanted to do. Do you know what he picked? Bowling. That's right. Bowling at the local bowl-a-rama...bowling alley...place...thingy. It's been something like 20 years since I've bowled and boy, have things changed! Everything is automated now which really threw me for a loop. My intent was to not to keep score at all and just let Kiddo do all the work but the machine did it anyway. I don't even know if we played well - but he sure had fun! He was so excited and happy and it was so wonderful for me to see him so excited and happy! Then we spent 30 minutes in the arcade there and got enough tickets to get Kiddo a Krazy Straw, a little red race car, and a red ring. He was amazed at his good fortune and kept talking about how well he did - and I didn't say anything at all about the fact that most of the tickets were gotten when I was playing the games! Doesn't matter. He hung out with me all night, slept in our room with me, fell out of the bed...again...(I think I've decided that he does that because he's used to having a wall on that side of him at night and there isn't one there in our room). And this morning, when he woke up, the first thing he said to me was, "Mom - I've gotta go poop!" Me: "Well go then - don't lie here and talk about it!" Good Morning! On another, and decidedly less uplifting note: My Mother-in-Law, GM, fell yesterday and broke her hip. Her other hip. The story as I understand it is that she'd stopped at a gas station on the way home from TN to VA after visiting her brother. The gas pump didn't shut off automatically, and spewed gasoline all over the place! She took a couple steps and was OK, but on the next step, she went down - HARD - in the gasoline all over the ground! No one even came out to see if my 67 Year Old MIL was OK! She lay there, in pain, covered in gasoline, and waited. Eventually someone who was driving by saw her and stopped. He covered her with a blanket and called the ambulance. The idiots at the hospital couldn't find anything wrong with her, except that she was in obvious pain and physical distress. So, the brilliant medical gurus at the hospital made her try to get up and walk! While they were shifting her around on the bed, they heard something POP! and yes, her hip is broken. Dumb asses! She's scheduled for surgery tomorrow, I think. And now she'll have to spend a 3rd time recovering from hip-replacement surgery. The first one (on the other side) was replaced once, and then replaced again because the first time the doctors didn't do something right. Please say a big prayer for her, for a safe surgery and swift recovery. Or, say several small prayers as often as you can. She'll really need it. And, not only does GM need it, the rest of the family needs it too as we help her through this latest health crisis. Poor woman, she can't seem to catch a break! TTFN JMS

Fun Evening and a Funny Kiddo Story

My friend G came over for a little while last night and we just hung out. The kids immediately took to her and, at bedtime, Little Bit said, "Wanna say goodnight to [G]!" Pouty lip and all. So G came in and kissed Little Bit goodnight, and, though LB cried for a few minutes afterward (this is a nightly thing now, not wanting to go to bed) she eventually settled down. Kiddo wanted to stay up with the girls and watch the movie with us, but after I explained to him that it was not a movie he could watch and that he had a big day ahead of him tomorrow, he, too, settled down and was sound asleep in less than 30 minutes. G and I watched Practical Magic, which is one of my very favorite movies (for a lot of reasons) but one which G had never seen. She laughed at all the right places, teared up when it was appropriate and otherwise really enjoyed the movie. I'm very glad that I was able to "turn her on" to this movie because now, when I talk about it, she'll know what I'm referring to! (I tend to quote movies I love and have seen many times...so now when I come up with one of my random Practical Magic quotes, she'll get it. Oh, and can I just add that I still want my hair to look like Sandra Bullock's hair in this movie!?) We had a very nice evening and I was really glad she had some free time to spend with me and mine. Hubby worked late last night, and then went to the movies with The Guys from Countryside Tire and Auto (see yesterday's post). They went to see The International, with Clive Owen and Naomi Watts. I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet to discover if the movie was worth seeing in the theater or if it's a wait-for-it-to-come-out-on-DVD-and-rent-it movie. On another note, here's something funny I wanted to share: Kiddo uses a wooden stool in our living room as his "desk." He brings the little chair in from his room (just the right size for him), parks it in front of the stool, gets a coloring book and crayons or a notebook and a pencil, spreads everything out on the stool and "works." It's really rather adorable to see! A couple of days ago, Kiddo was doing just that and I was in Little Bit's room putting away laundry when I hear, "MMOOOOMMMM!!! [Little Bit's] disturbing me!" I thought this was so funny because he's not even 5 yet!!! How many kids that age not only know the word "disturb" but can use it in context? To be fair, Little Bit was, in fact, disturbing her big brother, but only because she's at the stage where she wants to do every little thing he does - so she wanted to color, too! I got her her own coloring book and her cool triangle crayons and that ended the issue. I'll never forget it, though. "MMOOOOMMMM!!! [Little Bit's] disturbing me!" TTFN JMS

Countryside Tire and Auto Service: Shameless Plug

Admittedly - this is a shameless plug for a friend. And, although he doesn't know I'm doing this, I think he'd be pleased (well...I hope he'd be pleased) to know that I think highly enough of him, and his mechanical abilities, to pass the word along to those I know, and those who stumble across my blog. Those that read my blog regularly have seen me mention Our Favorite Mechanic before. He is not only our mechanic, but also our friend. He and his stunning wife and their two absolutely beautiful daughters came into our lives shortly after they moved here and started coming to activities at our church. (Personally, I don't get to see them as often as I'd like; they are such wonderful people and I just love them. But Hubby gets to visit "The Shop" occasionally and also goes to the movies with "The Guys" when the mood strikes them to see something action-packed!) Now normally, I don't use actual names and places on my blog because I don't want to put anyone at risk of having their personal information fall into the hands of unsavory characters. (Don'tcha just love that!? Unsavory characters...) But I thought today I would break from that mold and do a plug for Our Favorite Mechanic and his business. Please remember that he has not asked me to do this and that I am doing this because I think so highly of him and his family. Anyway - Our Favorite Mechanic is the owner of Countryside Tire and Auto Service in Oak Ridge, TN. It's a small, family-owned, business that, though I really can't speak to this factually, is probably struggling in these difficult economic times. He's honest, has integrity coming out of his ears, and he and his crew (whom Hubby and I affectionately refer to as "The Guys") can fix just about anything! If you're looking for a good, reliable, and reasonably-priced mechanic, it's a good bet you'll find what you're looking for at Countryside Tire and Auto Service. Now for the fun part! Here's the business card I did for him almost 2 years ago! Give them a call. Just ask for Scott and tell him I sentcha! (Not that we've got anything worked out, but he might like to know where his business comes from or who sent whom in his direction!)

Of course, I'll make certain he knows I did this so that when the masses of people needing their cars fixed start showing up at his shop all vying for service he won't be surprised! Happy Thursday! TTFN JMS

I got a "Fabulous Blog Award!" Isn't that awesome?

I'm going to call her my friend, because there's no other way to describe her - though we've never met face-to-face. (I seem to have several "friends" in this capacity, and it's just the best!) But, Emma (yes, I'm using her real name because I know I can and that she won't be upset with me) and her blog, Fine Little Love (a.k.a. Light & Writing), gave me an award for my blog! I'm so pleased with this I can't even tell you! I start my day spending about 15 minutes catching up with the folks I blog with and was so pleasantly surprised to see this:

"I wanted to pass this onto Jennifer and her Random Ramblings! She is the sweetest and writes her life in a line of wonderful short stories that make you laugh, love, and see life's little adventures as fun amusement park rides. Truly, go read! (p.s. she also helps save animals, whats not fabulous about that?!)"

I've never recieved an award for my blog before and this really made my heart swell! Thank you, Emma - for truly making my day. I'd like to pass this award on to a couple other folks who I know, because not only do I think this will also make their day, but it will make me feel good, too! Claudia @ Cloud Nine Creations Jewelry: Her blog is filled with wonderfully creative things and such witty and fun humor and I just love it! She's another of my blogger-friends-that-I've-never-met-face-to-face, but it really doesn't matter - I think the world of her! And, she does pretty much the same type of work I do, so I think we're pretty similar creatures! Archeobot @ Dances with Hippopotami: She's just gotten back into the swing of things with her blogging after being absent from the blogging world for almost a year! I know that her life is filled with busy things and daily frustrations, but her writing is wonderful and her humor just kills me. Some of the things she finds and posts, to share with the rest of the world, are just amazing and I've often wondered where she comes up with this stuff! Sunday's Pearl @ Practicing Poetry: She's a real-live friend, whom I see nearly every day and someone who makes my life just that much more fun and interesting. I love her style and I love her poetry and her brain is as warped as mine, which makes us perfectly compatible in the friend department! I had intended to write about the fact that my wonderfully talented Hubby revived "The Beast" and, though there are still a few things left to be done with it, it is now drivable again, and insured! I'm talking about the 1990 Volvo 240 Station Wagon that's been sitting and "rotting" in our back yard for a year. I'll talk more about this another time, though - but it looks like I may be able to have a car with heat and a working speedometer after all, without us having to "buy" a new one! I think it's great! And, no car payments! But seriously - check out the above blogs - and especially look at Light and Writing, because she posts some of the most lovely things and I daily look forward to the light she brings to my morning! Have a wonderful Wednesday! TTFN JMS

Be Grateful Today

Guess what? I got out of bed today! Isn't that fantastic? I mean, when you look at it, I get to face another day and have the opportunity to enjoy it. I think that is one of the most wonderful gifts anyone can get; and most of us get this gift every single day! I really do think that is fantastic! You can decide to turn over a new leaf every 24 hours! You can do today what you didn't do yesterday (or, what you should have done yesterday). You can be the bigger person and forgive someone you are upset with. This makes you feel good, you know? You can wake up and thank God for your beautiful family, immediate or otherwise, and know you've been blessed. I'm feeling very grateful today for my family, for my job, for my love of music and for so many little things too numerous to mention. I'm grateful that I am healthy and happy. I am grateful that I know how to work the stupid laminating machine in the mail room at work. I am grateful for Scott Joplin and the beauty of his talent. I am grateful for the anticipation of the sun rising above the horizon; the anticipation of another lovely day in East Tennessee. I am grateful for the fact that I have a car that runs well enough to get me to and from work with no major issues, even if it doesn't have heat or a speedometer that works. I am grateful I am alive. I think all this gratitude was sparked by two things this morning: 1) Hallerin Hilton Hill, who starts his early morning talk radio show with encouraging words and who challenged his listeners to think about things they are grateful for every hour on the hour yesterday, and then to start writing about them today. An entire week of different things to do to express your gratitude. This is awesome and so very powerful, you should try it. 2) I saw, from a distance, a horrible wreck as I was driving to work this morning. It happened on a road that I sometimes take because it's a bit more scenic than the Parkway and still dumps me out exactly where I need to be. I usually don't go that way when it's dark or raining or otherwise not light outside, because it's a somewhat twisty-turny road and, though my driving skills are impeccable (if I do say so myself) I don't want to risk depriving my family of...well...me. Then, after I passed the spinning red, blue and white emergency lights, wondering in my head what actually happened, Dave Foulk came on the radio explaining that someone had been killed in a wreck on that road and the emergency service crews were still working to recover the body. Ah...so that's what happened. It just makes me all the more grateful that I woke up healthy and able this morning. And my stupid finger is most likely not broken. I had x-rays taken yesterday and don't really know anything for sure, but I saw the images and to this untrained eye, I didn't see any fractures. Thank God! Even if it were broken, I still woke up today and am 99% functional, which, as far as I am concerned, is something to be grateful for. Thank you Hallerin, for putting me on this path of gratitude. Oh - and to share a very quick story: I opened a pill bottle this morning to take my AM meds and immediately dropped the pill on the floor. My first thought, as the pill fell in slo-mo to the floor was, "Ah crap!" because I knew I'd have to shut the bathroom door, turn on the light and pray that I found the pill so the kids or the dog didn't get it. But just as quickly, turned my face to the Heavens and said, "Thank you, God!" because the pill landed - "PLOINK!" - on my foot, between my big toe and the one next to it. Perfect as you please. If that's not God talking, I don't know what is! TTFN JMS

The FINGER Incident OR Another Stupid Jen Injury

Do you remember this post from back in September? What I have now dubbed "The Foot Incident..." Also, do you remember this more recent post about short vs. long posts? Yeah, well, they're now nicely connected. A) I managed a stupid injury to the ring finger of my left hand and am now sporting a splint, which is a lovely fashion accessory, and B) I can now only type by hunting and pecking. It's amazing how one's typing skills go to you-know-where when one hand (er...finger) is injured. Long story short (because I don't have the skill to type the entire story) we spent a wonderful Sunday afternoon with our marriage/bible study group from church at the home of one of the couples who hosted a fun bar-b-que for the group members and their families. It really was a lot of fun! (Although, on a separate note, I'm amazed by how many people there didn't know the green things we brought were called AVOCADOS!!! But that's another story.) Anyway, one of the ladies in our group brought her 2 sons (one of whom is in my Sunday school class) and their short, stout, sweet, strong bulldog, Rosco. Her youngest son was trying to hold Rosco's leash while attempting to swing at the same time, and because Rosco is so solid, the boy wasn't getting too far on the swing. I offered to hold the dog's leash so the boy (this is the one in my class) could swing unencumbered. Little Bit and I spent a few minutes loving on Rosco, who really is a sweet thing. He's a rescue dog and therefore probably very grateful to have a family that loves him and 2 boys to run around with. Eventually, the older boy (the big brother) got off the swing and decided to start tossing his football around. I was busy with Little Bit and Rosco who were very sweetly getting to know one another - lots of kisses and grinning and giggling! I saw Rosco stiffen, perk up, and then before I knew what was happening, he took off as fast as his short little legs could carry him across the yard to retrieve the football just thrown by his owner's oldest son! The leash, which was wrapped around my left hand, got taught almost instantly and I knew enough not to try to hold on to the thing for fear of injury, but even though I let go of the leash, it still managed to get wrapped around my finger and when Rosco hit the end of his tether going full-tilt toward the football, it jerked the tip of my finger, twisted it, and it popped...twice! Needless to say, there's quite a lot of bruising and swelling and pain. I do not know if it is broken because I have not had it x-rayed yet, but it's definitely sore, definitely purple, definitely swollen and definitely uncomfortable. Hubby bought a splint and some tape and stuff to wrap it up, along with an ice pack and we've doctored it as best as we can. The plan is to see what it's like this afternoon (24 hours after The Finger Incident) and if it has not stopped swelling or if the bruising is any worse, then I'll head to the clinic to get an x-ray. I think it's probably not broken, but maybe either sprained or dislocated - but it still hurts and I'm still feeling foolish. What is it with me and stupid accidents? Happy Monday! TTFN JMS (PS: The "S" key is particularly hard to type considering it's the "home" key where the injured finger is supposed to rest and, though I'm going to use the spell-check feature, I am making no guarantees that I've typed...um...legibly.) (PPS: It took me nearly 30 minutes to type this...) (PPPS: I guess this post isn't really all that short, is it?)

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Hubby was gone when I woke up this morning, so I called him only to find that he'd been to the grocery store getting "goodies." When he came home, he'd also brought me a Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks (the only thing I ever drink from there). It was one of the mid-size ones so don't ask me to tell you what it is that Starbucks calls them because I can never remember - something Italian, maybe? Anyway, I nuked it (for those who don't speak the lingo, that means I stuck it in the microwave) for a bit and then drank it. Hubby just came in and said something to the effect of, "I'm sorry I didn't get you a vat of Peppermint Mocha!" I looked at him with an eyebrow raised and said, "What do you mean?" He said, "You drank it already! It's gone! You sucked that thing down!" True - but this is why I rarely get those things because I can't pace myself! On another note, I stumbled into the kitchen this morning to get Little Bit some juice only to find that Hubby had propped my Valentine's Day present up on the counter! It was a Jensen Digital Music System for my iPod! I am SO excited about this, I cannot even tell you! I've got to spend some time figuring out how it works, because it's also an alarm clock and a radio and who knows what else - so it's pretty complicated - but I did manage to get it to play some of The Sting and it sounds really good! My wonderful Hubby. He's so sweet and thoughtful and he just seems to know, you know? (Like Peanut says to Jeff Dunham when Jeff is stopping Peanut from getting in his face, "It's like you know!" - See Arguing with Myself for more of this wonderful ventriloquist/comedian who will make you laugh so hard you'll cry!) My contribution to Valentine's day for Hubby? Jeff Dunham DVDs of his 2 Comedy Central specials, Arguing with Myself and Spark of Insanity. We spent Thursday night laughing and then falling asleep with aching abdominal muscles and burning lungs! Happy Valentine's Day to all my wonderful friends, family & followers! TTFN JMS

More happiness! (The Sting & Scott Joplin)

Speaking of things that make me happy - let's continue with that theme, shall we? I recently put another album on my iPod. I've been listening to it for as long as I can remember and this one makes me think of my grandmother, Tennie. It's the soundtrack to the movie, The Sting (1973), with Robert Redford and Paul Newman. This is, without a doubt, one of my all-time favorite movies, and it goes without saying that the music from the soundtrack is some of my favorite music. First of all, I've always had a love for Scott Joplin. His ragtime music speaks to me in a way that no other music does, unless one considers that I have a similar love for the music from The Phantom of the Opera. When I was taking piano lessons oh-so-many years ago, I got to a point where I could play the Maple Leaf Rag without error - and was very proud of myself! The Entertainer, probably Scott Joplin's most famous piece of work, was also on my list of things I was able to play. I miss playing the piano and have wanted to take lessons again for years! Back a few years ago, our very good friends J&EB bought a new house and when they moved in, the previous owners had left their piano! Can you imagine? The thing is, though, J&EB knew of my love of the piano and GAVE me the piano the previous owners left behind! I was so excited and happy about this that I actually cried. I cried! Now, a few years later, J&EB are still housing the piano they gave me in their garage because we haven't been able to afford to move it from their place to ours! I am determined, though, to get it in the house sooner than later because I so want to be able to start playing again! I want my kids to love music the way I do, and, more specifically, piano music. So lovely! But, back to the soundtrack to the movie The Sting (different link here so check it out). I realized yesterday that, though I love all the songs on there, there is one that I have now dubbed, "One of Jen's Happy Songs!" It's called Little Girl and it's just so upbeat it makes me feel good whenever I listen to it, regardless of the mood I am in. The instant the first note of the violin hits my ears, I am instantly in a happy place. This is something that I highly recommend to anyone who loves music, but most especially to anyone who has a love of ragtime music or the movie The Sting. Hmmm....back to my ear candy! TTFN JMS

Rant... New Car? Rant...

I'm bothered by something, but I think I'm probably the only one that is bothered by it. The issue is that, though it bothers me and I really want to talk about it, I can't do it here because I don't want it to get back to the person who said the thing that bothered me to begin with. I would love to get opinions from friends and family to find out if I'm just reacting badly to this, or if my level of "upset" is unwarranted. This person has known me my ENTIRE LIFE and I never, in a million years, would have ever thought this person could say something like this. It almost makes me want to rethink everything they have ever said to me, taught to me, or commented on. Is this person as shallow and ignorant as the offending statement sounds or was it just a one-time honest thing that made me see more deeply and clearly into who this person is? Ugh. I hate not being able to go into detail so I think it's time to change the subject. I might - REPEAT: MIGHT - be getting a new (old) car. I think I'm excited about this and am honestly not even sure why. Yesterday, Hubby drove a 1982 Volvo 242, 2 door, standard shift with an after-market CD player. It is currently on Craig's List and seems to be a good little car. The guy who owns it (I'm guessing he's the owner) also runs a mechanic shop in town that specializes in Volvo repairs. (This is not Our Favorite Mechanic, just to clarify.) This guy said that he would be willing to trade for the 1990 240 Volvo Wagon we have sitting (and slowly rotting) in our backyard. Trade our old wagon for an old 2-door sedan that has WORKING HEAT & AIR and a SPEEDOMETER that actually tells me how fast I am going? Sounds like a pretty good deal to me. I'll let you know what happens. And, on one last subject: Can someone please tell me why it is so hard it is to wash one's hands after one uses the restroom? Water, soap, scrub vigorously, rinse, dry. Seems pretty uncomplicated, if you ask me. TTFN JMS

Today I Give You...A Little Happiness

I thought I'd break away from my "normal" posts today and just write a little about things that make me happy. In no particular order: My children: They are the light of my life and the beauty in my day. My biggest happiness comes when I step in the door at night after a long day at work and hear Little Bit's voice exclaim happily, "Mommy's home!" Then, shortly thereafter, she is at my feet with her arms upraised wanting me to pick her up and love on her. And Kiddo coming around the corner with some project or other in his hand, giving me one of his famous Kiddo bear hugs (all arms, legs, and squeezing) and then showing me what he has been busily working on all afternoon. Or, the sweet kisses I get when I tuck them in at night and hear them both say, "I love you, Mommy!" These things make my heart swell with happiness. Finishing a Crossword Puzzle or a Celebrity Cipher in the newspaper. It gives me an odd sense of satisfaction mixed with something like, "Hey! I know more than I give myself credit for!" Warm, breezy nights and twinkling stars. Even better when said nights and stars are by the rolling surf of an ocean and the faint scent of wet sand. Light & Writing (a.k.a. Fine Little Love). Her blog just gives me chills. In fact, today's post was inspired by the beauty she posts every day. It's a little slice of joy each morning while I'm sipping my coffee and organizing my day. Cloud Nine Creations. She's so incredibly creative it just blows me away. I would never think to do some of the things she does and she does them with such class and charm. Sunday's Pearl (a.k.a. Practicing Poetry). A new blog, but an old friend. She's moved away from dark and sadness into things that make her heart sing and I just love her to death. Her writing makes me feel. It doesn't matter what it makes me feel, it just makes me feel. Ya know? A good cup of coffee. Hubby and I were just discussing this last night when he queried, "Do you ever notice that some coffee leaves a bad taste in your mouth and some doesn't? Why is that, do you think? Cheap coffee vs. good coffee?" Probably. Mint Chocolate anything. I've discussed this before and probably don't need to say another word about it. A shiny sink, a sparkling bathroom and freshly laundered clothes. I'm constantly in search of these things and have only found them on occasion, but when I do, it certainly makes me smile hugely! When Hubby comes up behind me and just puts his arms around me and squeezes. A silent "I love you" that doesn't require any words. I live for this. Hope this brought a little happiness into YOUR day because I know how much even thinking about these things brought happiness to mine. TTFN JMS

Short Posts vs. Long Posts

I've heard, often, that people don't like to read long blog posts - and that's probably true. I am writing today in defense of myself and my ultra-long blog posts. Short posts? Never heard of 'em. OK, so maybe I've heard of 'em but I certainly don't do them...often. Occasionally, I might post something I find amusing or a snippet of a brain wave I had - and those posts are short, for the most part. Otherwise, my posts are inevitably long. I can't help myself. I just have so much to say and I cannot write anything without detail upon detail. Can you ever forgive me? I guess the problem lies in the fact that I write like I talk. A LOT! My poor Hubby is constantly tuning me out because most of the time what I'm saying just isn't interesting to him. The times when I do, in fact, have something important to say, I have to make absolutely certain he's listening to me, and then he gets frustrated. I know he doesn't always listen, but then again, neither do I. I'm that strangely unique individual who likes to talk and can listen 'till the cows come home, but at the same time, also prefers peace and quiet. It's so hard for me to come home sometimes to the chaos I know is waiting for me - all the chatter and TV noise and just daily goings on - but I wouldn't trade it. I just wait for the time when all is quiet and I'm lying in bed listening to the ringing in my ears waiting for sleep to overtake me. Does that means I'm conflicted on a lot of levels? TTFN JMS

It's Monday again - after a lovely weekend!

You know, I should have sat down on Saturday evening and written a post, because Saturday was a very good day for stuff to write about, but now that it's Monday, and I've slept some, I can't remember all the things I wanted to say! The only thing I really remember was spending an hour on my knees with a flashlight and a kitchen knife scraping an unknown, dried-on, substance off the inside back of the clothes dryer. Just picture me, with my a** hanging out of the dryer, nearly crying in frustration as I tried to dislodge the somewhat sticky pink stuff off so that we wouldn't have to purchase another dryer; so that the one we had would be safe to dry the rest of our laundry in without leaving a pink residue on our good clothes! I thought it was probably Silly Putty. It had the consistency of Silly Putty that had been washed, melted, dried and cooled. I thought maybe Kiddo's Silly Putty had gotten on one of the dog's blankets that Hubby kindly washed and that it somehow wound up in the dryer, happily melting and smoothing it's slightly-pink self all over the place! Then, the more I thought about it, the more I realized it couldn't possibly be Silly Putty; the color was too pink. Later, to my horror, I found that the training underpants I'd gotten for Little Bit (which said, clear as day, that I could tumble them dry!!!) had melted!!! Needless-to-say, they wound up in the trash. Money wasted. I've half a mind to write the company and complain bitterly that they lie!!! I want my $5.00 back, dammit! Maybe I should just tell them that I want a new dryer - do you think they'd pay for that? So after I'd given Kiddo what-for about leaving his Silly Putty in a place where it could wind up in the dryer, and after he'd apologized to me for having left said Putty in a place where it could wind up in the dryer, I wound up apologizing to him for having falsely accused him. (Did that make sense?) Hey, I own up to it when I screw up. Then, I woke up on Sunday morning with a kink in my neck. It was so bad I couldn't turn my head to the left at all; I had to turn my entire body if I wanted to look in that direction. What a pain in the neck - literally! It's better this morning, but still quite painful. Then, I screwed my diet by obliging Hubby at 8PM last night and making a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Hey, a chef's gotta taste, right? Gotta make sure it all comes out OK, right? However, after being so good on my food intake for the last...um...however long it's been...my stomach is in absolute turmoil today. I'm back to my yogurt and grapefruit today so hopefully I will feel better quickly. Other than that, Kiddo, Little Bit and I spent a lovely Sunday evening outside playing in the almost warm weather! Little Bit spent a goodly portion of her outside time on her swing and Kiddo rode his John Deere tractor up and down the back yard. It was such fun! Oh, and I took a pretty cool picture of the moon through the trees last night. I was inspired by Paprika's Perch and her Moon Over Connecticut post. I like it, but it didn't exactly turn out the way I'd intended it to! Happy Monday! TTFN JMS

Little Bit & the night of no sleep - almost

Today begins anew. (Aw...look at me trying to be poetic when I'm tired and cold and completely unmotivated!) Little Bit was extremely difficult to get to bed last night. She hollered, "Mo-om, where are oou!?" over and over last night. Hubby turned down Herbie Fully Loaded and said, "Listen to her! She sounds like a broken record!" Which was entirely true, and somewhat funny. Hubby finally went and got her after 20 minutes of this repetitive yelling and she watched the rest of the movie with us. Of course, for being almost 2, she was less than quiet and Kiddo, who fell asleep with no trouble at all, slept through the entire thing! Finally, after she'd started screaming - and I mean true crying - while Hubby was holding her I said, "That's it - bedtime for Bonzo!" and took her from him. We rocked for a few minutes and then I stuck her in bed and said, "Time for sleep, little girl!" with as much force as I could muster. This was just after 10PM! Her normal bed-time is between 7:30 PM & 8:00 PM. "OK," says she, "Where's my blankie?" I handed her her blankie (she is her mother's daughter, after all!) and she curled up and I didn't hear another sound from her. Thank goodness. I feel quite tired today, and my eyes look like someone punched me (they're all puffy and have dark circles under them) but I guess I feel OK. I'm quite thrilled that it is Friday. This week has been very busy and I'm looking forward to being able to stay home for a couple of days with no obligations other than my children and the laundry, that is once again threatening to gobble up the house. Oh, monstrous entity that it is. (There I go, waxing poetic again. I'd better stop before my fuzzy brain starts thinking that it can actually compose anything worth a hoot today.) TTFN JMS

One Parent's Frustration Explained

I'm tired today, but actually, I feel pretty good. I mean, aside from the fact that I'm trying to type with frozen fingers, that is. I don't know if I'll warm up until summer! Maybe by the time this post is done, I will have worked the cold and stiffness out of my fingers! We went to eat last night at O'Charley's. Kiddo was pretty decently behaved, but Little Bit was an absolute terror. I know that the reasons for her behavior are that A) she's still not feeling 100% and B) she's almost 2; but that doesn't make the screaming any easier to deal with. Although when you say to people around you in a restaurant, "She's 2," they smile and nod sympathetically, as if you've just given them the most perfectly logical explanation there ever was. They never even look at you again and just take the fact of her age as face value for her behavior. It's nice to know that people understand what being 2 means, but it still doesn't make me not want to perform some sort of baby torture on her right there for everyone to see! She screamed all through dinner: "Don't wanna sit in my high chair!" "Don't wanna sit, wanna get down!" "Don't wanna eat chicken, want [Kiddo's] corn dogs!" "Get down!" "Mommy! Wanna get down!" "Get outta this chair!" "Wanna get down!" "Don't like broccoli!" "Hold me!" "Carry me!" "Sit on your lap, Mommy!" "Sip!" (of either my soda or Hubby's tea) And on and on and on and on until we were both ready to kill her! Then, as if the restaurant weren't punishment enough for attempting a family outing with a nearly 2-year old, we went to Target! (I needed a couple of things and we were right there, for goodness sake!) She wanted to sit in the basket (not where she's supposed to sit, but in the part where you place the stuff you are going to purchase), then she wanted to walk, then she wanted to push the cart, then she wanted to wander aimlessly, not caring even one iota that Mommy and Kiddo were headed in an entirely different direction. Then, when I'd finally had enough of chasing her down, I stuck her in the carts child seat and she screamed bloody frikkin' murder for the entire rest of the time we were at the store!!! Hubby finally said, "Will you please take them outside and I'll finish up in here." We were both frazzled. Kiddo and Little Bit hit the bed the second we walked in the door at home around 7:30PM. No more. We were done with the arguments and the hollering. Kiddo was actually mostly good but LB was an absolute nightmare. Hubby and I were so frustrated that we went about our nightly rituals of getting clothes ready for the morning, dog feeding, walking, getting ready for bed...in pretty much absolute silence. It's not that we were mad at each other, but that we were relishing the quiet. For my friends who don't want children, sometimes I definitely understand your decision, believe me. Especially at times like this. However, even though sometimes my children make me insane and make me think of horrible things and make me understand how easy it could be to cross "that line" I still don't ever regret having my family and always know what a joy they are to me. For my friends who do want children, all I can say is, "This too shall pass." They might give you grief at intervals over their entire lives, but I think they are totally worth all the suffering they might put you through. Even though I am sometimes ready to turn tail and run, I never once have actually considered bailing out on my family. OK - I guess that's not entirely true, because I suppose you could consider my need for three or four hours of uninterrupted girl time with friends an act of abandonment to my family, but hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do and, conversely, a mommy's gotta do what a mommy's gotta do...right? (That goes double for my awesome SAHD Hubby, as well. When he gets the phone call from Our Favorite Mechanic that he and his friends are going to a movie and would Hubby like to go along, my answer is always, "Yep - go for it!" He needs some uninterrupted fun time, too!) TTFN JMS

Can I just say...

...that I hate those stupid foil covers on yogurt? They're difficult to open, and when you do finally get them headed in the right direction, they spit gooey fruity stuff all over you. Ugh.

Snow again, Family Updates and Toy Story Troubles

Ok. It's cold. My fingers are still numb from driving my freezer-on-wheels to work this morning. I'm extra glad I wore my warm, black sweater! It's attempting to snow again, but the things falling from the sky can hardly be classified as snowflakes. They're more like teeny tiny pin-pricks of ice. And they're not falling so much as floating. And they're eddying on the streets like mist off a lake. Sounds lovely, but...not so much. I have been hearing so many people say how much they're over the snow. I'm trying to relate. I'm trying to remember growing up in the snow belt (as Allie so aptly put it) and being done with the snow after only one or two days. I'm trying to be sympathetic to those folks north of here who are still digging themselves out from the recent inches that fell or waiting for their power to be restored after the ice storm of the century! I am thanking my lucky stars that I am not one of them, but at the same time, I kind of miss those days. But maybe I miss them because they remind me of a different time and place in my life when I was younger and more apt to enjoy something like a good snowfall. I don't know. Anyway - everything is good right now. Hubby got the medicine cabinet installed in the bathroom yesterday, but somehow the corner where one would instinctively reach to open the cabinet has a big chip in the mirror that cannot be fixed so we'll have to get a different cabinet. Poor Hubby - all that work. It's nice to be able to dry my hair and actually SEE what I'm doing, though. (Am I the only one who needs a mirror to dry her hair?) Little Bit is now coughing. I'm wondering if whatever she has been struggling with health-wise has moved into her chest or if this is the beginning of the end of her current distress. Poor kid. She spent a majority of last night coughing and crying. I finally went in there and got the humidifier started (which I probably should have done before she went to bed) and that seemed to ease things a bit. She doesn't really cough during the day, just at night. What's up with that? Kiddo is acting funny and I'm afraid he might be coming down with something, too. I've been monitoring his temperature, but so far, it's been normal. He fell asleep last night in seconds and before that, he really didn't want to eat his dinner. Oh, and something funny. Our friends P&DW got Kiddo and Little Bit movies for Christmas, but they just brought them over a couple of days ago because they were in our area. Kiddo got Sky High and Toy Story and Little Bit got a Winnie-the-Pooh movie. We've watched Winnie-the-Pooh, to high praise and laughter. (I'm a WTP fan from WAY back...thanks to my grandmother who read A.A. Milne poems to me as a child - which I still love. I am now trying to instill that love for Milne in my own kids.) We're waiting to watch Sky High because it's not really a Little Bit friendly movie, so Kiddo and I will watch it some night after Little Bit has gone to bed. But last night, I put in Toy Story. Now, as most of you know (because I can't imagine anyone not having seen it by now), it is a Disney/Pixar movie and one of the most wonderful movies ever made. Kiddo had not ever seen it. I put it in last night and he kept leaving the room saying, "I just don't want to watch this, Mom!" This also meant that he was not eating. I kept trying to encourage him to come back in the room with things like, "This is the best movie EVER!" or "This movie was made by the same people who made Cars, buddy! You LOVE Cars!" All to no avail. Finally, as the movie was nearing it's end, he was completely fascinated. I caught him smiling and laughing and gasping at all the right places and realized he was not actually NOT INTERESTED, but was afraid something bad would happen! My poor sensitive kid. I'm waiting for the day when he says, "Hey Mom! Let's watch Toy Story again!" TTFN JMS

From Mommy to Mom to Mother

Real Mothers don't eat quiche; They don't have time to make it. Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox. Real Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids. Real Mothers know that dried Play-Doh doesn't come out of carpets. Real Mothers don't want to know what the vacuum just sucked up. Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?'...and get their answer when a little voice says, 'Because I love you best!' Real Mothers know that a child's growth is not measured by height or years or grade...it is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother. **** Thanks to my sister-in-law, DW, for sending this to me. I don't know who originally wrote it or where it came from, but I really identified with it and wanted to share it because I figure most of the folks who read my blog are mothers (or parents) themselves! TTFN JMS

Oh, for the love of all that's....um...

The excitement, for me, of seeing the big, fat flakes floating from the heavens ended when I got home yesterday afternoon. I arrived in my usual parking spot on the street to find that there was hardly any snow at home! I work 12 miles from my house and I would guess (not being a meteorologist) that we probably got about 1.5"-2" of snow at the office. Someone even made a little snow man on one of the tables on the patio. I noticed him when I went out there to stand in the falling white stuff and grin like a fool for a few minutes - remembering when I used to do the same thing growing up in CT. Snow fascinates me and it is, to me, the most serene thing there is. (Well, besides a warm, crackling fire in a fireplace and a mug of hot chocolate! But we don't have a fireplace at home, so the falling snow will have to suffice.) Snow always makes a busy world seem muffled and quiet; peaceful. I do wonder, sometimes, at the panic that follows the threat of snow. Granted, when the powers-that-be at my office declared the Inclement Weather day yesterday (beginning at 3PM) the snow was still headed downward from the skies and, though it was relatively warm, it was supposed to freeze overnight. (Which it did, by the way.) We went into immediate "emergency" mode to make sure that everyone could get home alright, and back in safely the next morning. Those that did not feel comfortable navigating the treacherous hi-ways and bi-ways were shuttled to a local hotel for the night and picked up again this morning. We take care of our own. But, this morning, aside from my usual struggle with de-frosting the windshield on my car, I had no issues getting to the office. My 12 mile drive was, to put it simply, cold. That's it. Period. Now, I am not making light of this, because I know good and well that there are some areas around here that have either not been treated or scraped, or are so far out that the folks who live there really are stuck. Ice can be such a sneaky, slippery beast. But, thankfully, I had not one single issue other than the minimal space I had to see through my windshield. We're expecting some more of the fluffy white stuff sometime this afternoon and maybe tomorrow, but I can say from my nearly 10-year stint in East TN, that we'll probably get no more than a dusting. I'd like to say that we're due for a good blizzard that would shut us down like the Federal Government in January of 1996 when there was 3 feet of snow on the ground in the DC area...but wishing for a good shut-down snow and actually getting one are two completely different things. I will, eventually, get over this snow thing...but honestly, my main reason for wanting a good, solid, snow is because I want Kiddo and Little Bit to know what it means to really play outside in Winter. I want them to be able to make a choir of snow angels. I want them to build snow forts and toss snow balls and get red-tipped noses and benumbed fingers and then enjoy a cup of steaming hot (OK, warm, for littler bodies) cocoa with tons of marshmallows. I can personally suffer through not feeling my ears or my nose or my toes for one good afternoon romping around with the kids in the snow. TTFN JMS

SNOW!!!!! YAY!!!!!

I've said it before and I'll say it again! I LOVE SNOW!!! Of course, I'll change my mind sometime this afternoon when I'm driving home in my unheated car, but right now, it's BEAUTIFUL!!!

Had to share these pix I just took from my "office" window!

A panoramic from left to right of the pretty snow falling outside my office window.

A closer-up of the snow. My snowy, heat-less car. (It's the one with the HB tag on the front) TennSwede out shoveling snow so we can avoid any visitors falling on their a**es! Go TennSwede!

Steelers win, Christmas stuff, Extreme cold, Attainable goals, & Picture Tag

So the Cardinals didn't win, eh? Whoopie. I feel for JF, though. I wonder if he'll come dragging in here today all down in the dumps...? The Steelers now have the most rings of any team in the NFL, though...is that right? 6 Superbowl wins!? Impressive. I really don't care. **** We finally managed to get all the Christmas stuff put away up in the attic yesterday. I also put the couch back where it should be and managed to vacuum both under and on the area rug. Not that it lasted that long, though. The dog came through seconds later and decided the freshly vacuumed rug would be a good place to lay down; and shed on. **** The extreme cold and snow we were expecting seems to have avoided us again. It's 40 something degrees out this morning; quite warm. It's supposed to rain today and then get colder tonight with possible flurries tomorrow, but I'll believe it when I see it. I didn't even have to scrape off my windshield this morning! (Oh, and I bought some of that De-Icer fluid for my windshield. I haven't put it in the well yet, but at least I didn't need it this morning!) **** I've got to spend some time cleaning off my desk this morning. It's a complete disaster again and that particular Attainable Goal is going down the drain. I'm still losing weight, though - which, if I do nothing else, I will be quite happy with! I'm down 17 lbs now and finally got myself a decent digital scale! It actually remembers the last weight and will tell me how much I've gained or lost between weighs! Pretty cool, eh? My clothes are much looser anyway, which is a very good thing! Maybe I'll actually get down to a size 12 by April! **** And, to finish off today's post - I am responding to Paprika's Perch, who tagged me to do a Photo Tag. I'm supposed to post the 6th photo from the 6th folder in my "archives." I won't tag anyone else, because it seems I've done quite a lot of tagging lately, but if you want to participate, feel free! So, without further ado: This is my very good friend CRJ's wedding in '07 in Statesville, NC. I did not take the picture and I hope that she'll forgive me for posting it here. But, it really is the 6th photo in the 6th folder... TTFN JMS

Super Bowl Sunday '09

Yippee. Wow. Hooray. I'm so enthused I could jump for...well, my health. You know, football and I - not the greatest of friends. I prefer basketball, and college basketball at that. So the current and ongoing game between Arizona and Pittsburgh just really isn't that interesting. I'm routing for the Cardinals, though - just because they're behind but also because I don't want to listen to JF tomorrow if they lose. He's got a red bird on the white board in his cube, so I'm guessing maybe he's pro-Cardinal? Kiddo fell asleep on the couch watching football with Hubby. It was kinda cute. Hubby and Kiddo snuggled up on the couch doing guy things like grunting and saying, "Go Team!" The next thing I know, Kiddo is fast asleep. Little Bit was all wound up today after being sick - again - on Saturday. I took them to Wally World and while we were there, she started looking pale and her eyes had a red tinge to them around the edges that made her look like she'd been crying; she had not. She fell asleep in the car on the way home (maybe a 10 minute drive, if that) and after I transferred her from the car to her Dora bed, she slept for 2 solid hours. When she woke up, I took her temperature and sure enough, 100.1°. She was pretty listless the rest of the day, even though I began the Tylenol thing again. We kept her home from Church today, even though she seemed to be feeling better. Kiddo and I went; I had to teach Sunday School. (Miss NL thought she had to teach, too - so we both did it. I actually learned quite a lot because of Miss NL's experience with teaching. I really don't have that much of it so it was very good for me to have her there, too!) Anyway - I guess that's probably about it. I'm writing for the sake of writing and it's February 1st so I just cannot miss posting on the first of February. Why? Not a clue. TTFN JMS