Monday, January 31, 2011
Monday adventures
I stopped off at the thrift store on my way to the dermatologist...got a couple of pairs of socks...no big deal. Then I was off to the dermatologist where he zapped me a half dozen times with liquid nitrogen. It only stings for a few seconds...but it stings. I joked with him that he was having a bad day and taking it out on me. When I got home I got the bathrooms clean. YAY!!! I texted step son several times from my computer....we talk more that way than any other sometimes. Next I colored my hair, it is red now. I've saw one blogger who colored her hair red and her eyebrows too. One person commented that true redheads (like me) do not have red eyebrows....nope, mine are blond, blond, blond. And I leave them alone, I do add color when I do makeup. For supper I'm cooking chicken breast and chicken corn chowder. I HOPE Hubby eats the chicken breast, but it was marinated so ????? I sampled the chowder and it is good! I love soup in the winter. A BIG snow storm is predicted for tomorrow evening.........will we have our Red Hat meeting??? Time will tell.
Weird dreams & the snowiest winter
At 5:07am the phone woke me from a dream in which we were trying to steal a red pick up so we could escape from a killer. The teenage son had killed a neighbor girl and was after one of us. We had to break a window to get out b/c in order to get out of the door we would have had to go under a huge piece of machinery that would have lowered and crushed us all. There is more to that dream but I won't go into the details. In another dream 2 babies (grandson & granddaughter) died shortly after birth. What did I eat last night??? Some of it may have stemmed from the book I am reading: The Lost Girls: Three Friends. Four Continents. One Unconventional Detour Around the World by Jennifer Baggett, Holly Corbett and Amanda Pressner. It is about 3 girls, in their 20's, who take a year off to travel around the world, many times in very poor countries...nothing glamorous. The book is over 500 pages long, it's good, but I don't think it's great.
ANOTHER snow storm is on the way. We haven't had this much snow in the last several winters. I suppose it will help put moisture back into the ground. We are all tired of winter and are anxiously awaiting sunshine and green grass.
I have a fun day planned: visit to the dermatologist and cleaning the bathrooms....NOT fun.
ANOTHER snow storm is on the way. We haven't had this much snow in the last several winters. I suppose it will help put moisture back into the ground. We are all tired of winter and are anxiously awaiting sunshine and green grass.
I have a fun day planned: visit to the dermatologist and cleaning the bathrooms....NOT fun.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Another book holder
Here is another book holder that I found that is good for holding a book while you read in bed (like I do) or for an ereader. I am going to order this one: the Book Gem http//www.bookgem.com/
"Wasted days and wasted nights"
After do nothing evenings on Tuesday & Wednesday I figured that Thursday I'd 'play' with my new toys: Martha Stewart's scor pad and Your Story Photo. Woo Hoo
Thursday was my day off, in the morning I had a nice phone chat with step daughter, then I got some bargains at Walgreen's. One shower product was $4.99, it had a $1 coupon attached, and you got a $3 credit for your next purchase. :-) In essence it was then .99. After I paid for that I bought some other items (with coupons) and used my $3 credit....what a smart shopper. *wink. After lunch I took 2 of my grandsons to the library, I was hoping they'd play so I could read my 500 page book....but they didn't play for long. S gets 'bored' very easily. So we came home with a ton of books, their desires for checking out books are greater than the desire to read. oh well. I made an easy supper, hubby had to bowl, so I had the whole evening to myself....my fave!
Well...............SIL called me, she asked if I'd like to go shopping and help her buy makeup. I always enjoy spending others money :-) (is that one of my thrifty tips??? if not, it should be). Since you can't cradle the new phones between your ear & shoulder I Was channel surfing as we talked and came across some interesting make up on HSN. I referred her to that program and we hung up to watch. I don't know how many times we called each other during that hour program to discuss the make up. LOL We both decided to order the same product online. I got my order in and she didn't (her hubby has an account but won't tell her the password) so she called and was told it sold out. M was NOT a happy camper. I was fooling around on the site and then it came up as 'almost sold out'....so I just ordered it for her. I called her once again and told her that I ordered it for her....now she is a happy camper. Five minutes later the phone rings again........I am thinking what does M want now? It is another friend who asks if could please pay her subscription for scrabble b/c she does not have a paypal account. I say sure...I just bought M some makeup and I might as well buy you some fun. LOL For $12 per year you can play email scrabble with as many people as your little heart desires. http://thepixiepit.co.uk/scrabble/ Easy games, hard games 2, 3, or 4 players. I enjoy it. In other words I was on the phone all night and did not do anything creative at all!!
This morning M and I went out for breakfast and to find some makeup. I love going out for breakfast and seldom get to. She picked up a couple of things at Menards and then we stopped at Younkers for a free make up consultation. When M wants make up she buys make up - the 'whole 9 yards', so she got the skin care products she needed . The make up gal was on break so we looked around at TONS of sale items.........I'm so proud, I bought nothing, nada, zilch. Nothing caught my eye.
Before we got home I suggested we stop at the thrift. I bought a set of new math flashcards...that was it!! Guess I am not in a shopping mood! Good for my wallet.
I keep forgetting that is not officially the weekend yet....it's only Friday. I LOVE my long weekends when I have fridays off.
P.S. Hubby is getting thrifty too! He went to test drive and Buick and will receive a $50 American Express card. He could not get on the correct site so I tried and couldn't find it either. I just kept trying and some how I found it! Are we getting good or what???? LOL
Thursday was my day off, in the morning I had a nice phone chat with step daughter, then I got some bargains at Walgreen's. One shower product was $4.99, it had a $1 coupon attached, and you got a $3 credit for your next purchase. :-) In essence it was then .99. After I paid for that I bought some other items (with coupons) and used my $3 credit....what a smart shopper. *wink. After lunch I took 2 of my grandsons to the library, I was hoping they'd play so I could read my 500 page book....but they didn't play for long. S gets 'bored' very easily. So we came home with a ton of books, their desires for checking out books are greater than the desire to read. oh well. I made an easy supper, hubby had to bowl, so I had the whole evening to myself....my fave!
Well...............SIL called me, she asked if I'd like to go shopping and help her buy makeup. I always enjoy spending others money :-) (is that one of my thrifty tips??? if not, it should be). Since you can't cradle the new phones between your ear & shoulder I Was channel surfing as we talked and came across some interesting make up on HSN. I referred her to that program and we hung up to watch. I don't know how many times we called each other during that hour program to discuss the make up. LOL We both decided to order the same product online. I got my order in and she didn't (her hubby has an account but won't tell her the password) so she called and was told it sold out. M was NOT a happy camper. I was fooling around on the site and then it came up as 'almost sold out'....so I just ordered it for her. I called her once again and told her that I ordered it for her....now she is a happy camper. Five minutes later the phone rings again........I am thinking what does M want now? It is another friend who asks if could please pay her subscription for scrabble b/c she does not have a paypal account. I say sure...I just bought M some makeup and I might as well buy you some fun. LOL For $12 per year you can play email scrabble with as many people as your little heart desires. http://thepixiepit.co.uk/scrabble/ Easy games, hard games 2, 3, or 4 players. I enjoy it. In other words I was on the phone all night and did not do anything creative at all!!
This morning M and I went out for breakfast and to find some makeup. I love going out for breakfast and seldom get to. She picked up a couple of things at Menards and then we stopped at Younkers for a free make up consultation. When M wants make up she buys make up - the 'whole 9 yards', so she got the skin care products she needed . The make up gal was on break so we looked around at TONS of sale items.........I'm so proud, I bought nothing, nada, zilch. Nothing caught my eye.
Before we got home I suggested we stop at the thrift. I bought a set of new math flashcards...that was it!! Guess I am not in a shopping mood! Good for my wallet.
I keep forgetting that is not officially the weekend yet....it's only Friday. I LOVE my long weekends when I have fridays off.
P.S. Hubby is getting thrifty too! He went to test drive and Buick and will receive a $50 American Express card. He could not get on the correct site so I tried and couldn't find it either. I just kept trying and some how I found it! Are we getting good or what???? LOL
Thursday, January 27, 2011
This says it all.....
I hope to get some creativity going SOON!!! I have been working on Valentines and have a class scheduled at Archivers on Feb 5.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
This makes me smile & it is so true
When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were. When they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning.... Uphill... Barefoot... BOTH ways. yadda, yadda, yadda
And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!
But now that I'm over the ripe old age of forty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a damn Utopia!
And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it!
1) I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the damn library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!
2) There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox, and it would take like a week to get there! Stamps were 10 cents!
3) Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our ass! Nowhere was safe!
4) There were no MP3's or Napsters or iTunes! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself!
5) Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio, and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up! There were no CD players! We had tape decks in our car. We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished, and then the tape would come undone rendering it useless. Cause, hey, that's how we rolled, Baby! Dig?
6) We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal, that's it!
7) There weren't any freakin' cell phones either. If you left the house, you just didn't make a damn call or receive one. You actually had to be out of touch with your "friends". OH MY GOSH !!! Think of the horror... not being in touch with someone 24/7!!! And then there's TEXTING. Yeah, right. Please! You kids have no idea how annoying you are.
8) And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your parents, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, the collection agent... you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!
9) We didn't have any fancy PlayStation or Xbox video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'. Your screen guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen... Forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!
10) You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get up off your ass and walk over to the TV to change the channel!!! NO REMOTES!!! Oh, no, what's the world coming to?!?!
11) There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying? We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little rat-bastards!
12) And we didn't have microwaves. If we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove! And clean the pan! Imagine that!
13) And our parents told us to stay outside and play... all day long. Oh, no, no electronics to soothe and comfort. And if you came back inside... you were doing chores!
And car seats - oh, please! Mom threw you in the back seat and you hung on. If you were lucky, you got the "safety arm" across the chest at the last moment if she had to stop suddenly, and if your head hit the dashboard, well that was your fault for calling "shot gun" in the first place!
See! That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled rotten! You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1970 or any time before!
And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!
But now that I'm over the ripe old age of forty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a damn Utopia!
And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it!
1) I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the damn library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!
2) There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox, and it would take like a week to get there! Stamps were 10 cents!
3) Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our ass! Nowhere was safe!
4) There were no MP3's or Napsters or iTunes! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself!
5) Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio, and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up! There were no CD players! We had tape decks in our car. We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished, and then the tape would come undone rendering it useless. Cause, hey, that's how we rolled, Baby! Dig?
6) We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal, that's it!
7) There weren't any freakin' cell phones either. If you left the house, you just didn't make a damn call or receive one. You actually had to be out of touch with your "friends". OH MY GOSH !!! Think of the horror... not being in touch with someone 24/7!!! And then there's TEXTING. Yeah, right. Please! You kids have no idea how annoying you are.
8) And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your parents, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, the collection agent... you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!
9) We didn't have any fancy PlayStation or Xbox video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'. Your screen guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen... Forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!
10) You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get up off your ass and walk over to the TV to change the channel!!! NO REMOTES!!! Oh, no, what's the world coming to?!?!
11) There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying? We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little rat-bastards!
12) And we didn't have microwaves. If we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove! And clean the pan! Imagine that!
13) And our parents told us to stay outside and play... all day long. Oh, no, no electronics to soothe and comfort. And if you came back inside... you were doing chores!
And car seats - oh, please! Mom threw you in the back seat and you hung on. If you were lucky, you got the "safety arm" across the chest at the last moment if she had to stop suddenly, and if your head hit the dashboard, well that was your fault for calling "shot gun" in the first place!
See! That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled rotten! You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1970 or any time before!
Monday, January 24, 2011
My day
Maybe I should practice what I preach??? Last night I watched a couple of Dr Phil shows about living w/in your means. On one program he had on the Economedies aka "America's Cheapest Family. http://www.americascheapestfamily.com/ There were a couple more families....one couple just tried to outdo the other........the unopened toys their 9 year old had, the purses )with tags on) in her closet.... Coach, etc. It was unbelievable! If I pay $30 for a purse on clearance I think really hard about it and have to love it! I thought it was interesting. I do like to bargain shop, hit the clearance racks and thrift stores...but could never do what they do. I am cutting coupons again and watching the sales. If I had a baby I'd buy some diapers at Wal-greens and use the coupon that was in the paper...but no need to. :-) I decided to do my shopping at Walmart, a rare occurrence and I guess I didn't do too good........I saved $2 with my coupons. I also stopped at the thrift store (remember I had to drop off my donation bag) and I got a cute quilted purse, a nice pair of Old Navy jeans for my grandson, dress pants for hubby, white t-shirt for grandson, and a small quilted ID case (I had been eyeing up a Vera Bradly one...for MUCH more).....all for about $5.
As I mentioned earlier President Obama is stopping here on Wednesday. Hubby came home and said the Secret Service talked to him today. The president is visiting a business next to hubby's. K is the company's contact. He is usually the one chosen (from the employees on the floor) to represent the company. The area between the 2 buildings must be secure and no one is even allowed to look out of the windows at the time of the presidents visit. Interesting, huh?
As I mentioned earlier President Obama is stopping here on Wednesday. Hubby came home and said the Secret Service talked to him today. The president is visiting a business next to hubby's. K is the company's contact. He is usually the one chosen (from the employees on the floor) to represent the company. The area between the 2 buildings must be secure and no one is even allowed to look out of the windows at the time of the presidents visit. Interesting, huh?
I just can't do it.....
Get off my soapbox, that is...............How can a mom loose snow pants???? Last year she lost 2 pair (kids are 5 & 6). And just last week another pair was lost, granted the kids need to keep track of their own clothing...but doesn't mom check their backpacks every day? I know other mom's who do. Fortunately I had an extra pair for the kid....none here now tho.
Other news:
the Green Bay Packers won the NFC championship and are going to the Super Bowl. NO, I am not a football fan, but it is good for the economy. The last time that happened I worked in a very small retail store that dealt with sporting goods and it was like Christmas every day to see what new Packer items arrived.
On Wednesday President Obama will be visiting our neighboring city, where I work. It is a big deal, whether you like him or not. It will be a huge expense for us....but .... We will be on the news!
I do have another grocery bag of items to donate to the local thrift store...one bag a week is my self imposed rule, especially since I am not doing any BIG cleaning yet.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Another great giveaway!
Do make jewelry? or do any other type of craft? Possibly since you read my blog....I dabble in different things. Well check out Lori's blog, link below, for a chance to win the metal stamping set. 
She makes beautiful jewelry.....check it out!
She makes beautiful jewelry.....check it out!Valentine ideas for kids
I actually got this idea from my daughter, she's done it with her kids. Now that 2 of my grandsons come over here (once in a while) I can try it with them. This is what we started with:
This is midway through the project. I will have to post the finished Valentine later. In case you are unsure, these are 'colorful crayons,' as grandson J says. I was thinking of buying the Crayola Crayon Maker for myself...but it was not on clearance (the Glow Dome is tho). Start with broken crayons first and Crayola brand works the best. If you have to remove the paper I suggest soaking in water for a bit. I could not find a small, heart shaped pan so we used a teeny, round, muffin pan. Before we got to this part I had quite a mess....spilled some melted crayon on the stove and pot holder. Fill the tins with bits of crayons, trying not to get too much that hangs over the cups....b/c it will be all over your muffin pan. To get that off just set pan upside down on some paper towels and leave in a warm oven (I had mine turned off) until it melts off and you can wipe clean with a paper towel. Back to actually making the crayons: put in a warm oven (275) for 10 minutes, cool, and pop out of pan.
We will cut out red hearts and attach the crayons and add a snazzy saying for the Valentines. I will post pictures after next weekend when we finish. I think I had more fun making the crayons than J did. LOL
Now for my blond activity of the day: I have had this laptop for over a year and when ever I wanted to post photos or upload I had to connect my camera to it....and I am too lazy to do that, or else I had to go in the basement and use the desktop. But, the other day, purely by accident, I discovered a slot in the front of my laptop for an SD card..........go figure. LOL Good news for me :-)
This is midway through the project. I will have to post the finished Valentine later. In case you are unsure, these are 'colorful crayons,' as grandson J says. I was thinking of buying the Crayola Crayon Maker for myself...but it was not on clearance (the Glow Dome is tho). Start with broken crayons first and Crayola brand works the best. If you have to remove the paper I suggest soaking in water for a bit. I could not find a small, heart shaped pan so we used a teeny, round, muffin pan. Before we got to this part I had quite a mess....spilled some melted crayon on the stove and pot holder. Fill the tins with bits of crayons, trying not to get too much that hangs over the cups....b/c it will be all over your muffin pan. To get that off just set pan upside down on some paper towels and leave in a warm oven (I had mine turned off) until it melts off and you can wipe clean with a paper towel. Back to actually making the crayons: put in a warm oven (275) for 10 minutes, cool, and pop out of pan.
We will cut out red hearts and attach the crayons and add a snazzy saying for the Valentines. I will post pictures after next weekend when we finish. I think I had more fun making the crayons than J did. LOLNow for my blond activity of the day: I have had this laptop for over a year and when ever I wanted to post photos or upload I had to connect my camera to it....and I am too lazy to do that, or else I had to go in the basement and use the desktop. But, the other day, purely by accident, I discovered a slot in the front of my laptop for an SD card..........go figure. LOL Good news for me :-)
Thursday, January 20, 2011
On the lighter side
I had a massage this morning, I love massages. I have decided that if I could get into shape with a massage 3 times a week (instead of working out) I'd do it!!!! :-)
We got a call today from an 888 number so I didn't answer it...they left a message. Lo and behold it was from someone I called for/from work yesterday. I had left my home phone number as a call back number. I have almost done that before, but actually doing it was a first.
I took a break this afternoon and turned on the TV and surfed for a bit. I found a 'Scrapbooking' show on HSN so watched it as I was working in the kitchen. I watch the shopping channels if I am bored with TV,.....purse shows are interesting...a teeny bit of jewelery...and a smidgen of clothing. I very seldom buy anything. This afternoon I did buy a Provo Craft 'Your Story' book binder. It is the small one (5 X 7 or 4 X 6) and does not laminate. It will be neat to make little books with....right? I think it will have endless uses.
We got a call today from an 888 number so I didn't answer it...they left a message. Lo and behold it was from someone I called for/from work yesterday. I had left my home phone number as a call back number. I have almost done that before, but actually doing it was a first.
I took a break this afternoon and turned on the TV and surfed for a bit. I found a 'Scrapbooking' show on HSN so watched it as I was working in the kitchen. I watch the shopping channels if I am bored with TV,.....purse shows are interesting...a teeny bit of jewelery...and a smidgen of clothing. I very seldom buy anything. This afternoon I did buy a Provo Craft 'Your Story' book binder. It is the small one (5 X 7 or 4 X 6) and does not laminate. It will be neat to make little books with....right? I think it will have endless uses.
a Simple life?
I am wondering if my expectations are not high enough? or if I am just a simple minded person? A recent facebook post was "I feel like I don't have a life" (No offense meant - J!!!) I was surprised at how many people agreed with that post. Generally I am content with my boring life. I am an introvert and NEED quiet time alone to regenerate. I am comfortable doing things alone (not all, and being with a friend is often more fun). I don't think I am envious of other people's things....although I sometimes am envious of relationships women have with a loving and communicative spouse. I'd love to be able to travel, but I don't have the time, money, or companion to do it with. I am able to do some things that I enjoy.
"and if you can’t be with the one you love, honey, love the one you’re with" Stephen Stills
When you're young and in school or college, that IS your life-to work hard and get the most out of it. When you're married and have children that IS your life-to love, to model a Godly life, and to raise responsible children. Unfortunately during that same time period you have to work harder than at any other time in your life to provide for your family. And with the economy at this time you are lucky to have a job. If it is making you miserable you have to find something that you can live with. (we went thought this several years ago with hubby and I know it was hard for him.) Hopefully you will make it to the empty nest stage, and then retirement and have your health and some money to enjoy your life with. I am just starting to think about it....even though it is years away.
I guess what I am saying is to be content with what you have, don't wish your life away. see the poem Present Tense in a earlier post.
I am not trying to be disrespectful of any one's feelings here! Or say I am so much better than you. I have been blessed with enough things to make my life easy. Enjoy the blessings you have today and try to change what you can. (my goodness, I have been doing a lot of preaching lately. sorry, but sometimes that is me. I am not always a quiet, make no waves person, I am very opinionated)
Philippians 4:11-13
"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
"and if you can’t be with the one you love, honey, love the one you’re with" Stephen Stills
When you're young and in school or college, that IS your life-to work hard and get the most out of it. When you're married and have children that IS your life-to love, to model a Godly life, and to raise responsible children. Unfortunately during that same time period you have to work harder than at any other time in your life to provide for your family. And with the economy at this time you are lucky to have a job. If it is making you miserable you have to find something that you can live with. (we went thought this several years ago with hubby and I know it was hard for him.) Hopefully you will make it to the empty nest stage, and then retirement and have your health and some money to enjoy your life with. I am just starting to think about it....even though it is years away.
I guess what I am saying is to be content with what you have, don't wish your life away. see the poem Present Tense in a earlier post.
I am not trying to be disrespectful of any one's feelings here! Or say I am so much better than you. I have been blessed with enough things to make my life easy. Enjoy the blessings you have today and try to change what you can. (my goodness, I have been doing a lot of preaching lately. sorry, but sometimes that is me. I am not always a quiet, make no waves person, I am very opinionated)
Philippians 4:11-13
"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
Monday, January 17, 2011
Monday Morning Thoughts
Brrr, it's windy and cold outside. I woke up this morning to the sounds of wind gusts and a snowblower. I thought we were in the midst of a blizzard, but it is yet to come - 3" to 5" predicted for today.
This weekend was full of ups & downs....Whatever happened to my nice, quite, boring life? I was successful at stopping the refrigerator leak. :-) Guess what? Hubby never noticed or said a thing about it, he was angry that I was trying to do something. I decided not to rub his nose in it either.....I have to live with him. *wink*
Saturday I went bumming with bff and we even stopped at Planet Fitness to work out, it was OK. I will never join though, b/c I KNOW I will not work out on a regular basis. Then we stopped at some one's house to drop off some chili I made. One of the people there made a rude comment toward me and this time I decided not to let it go and there was an incident. I was so upset with it that I posted a nasty comment on facebook (this person is not on facebook and I did not use a name). The next day I posted an apology to my facebook friends for my outburst. Ever done something like that? I do have to deal with this person so we need to resolve it. I wrote a letter stating how I feel and received no comment, not that I expected one. We don't really talk and I can not use humor at all either. I joke around a lot (with people I know and like).
Sunday I saw this person again and was cordial and asked if we could sit down sometime and discuss the problem. The reply I got was "I can't talk "...OK, so be it. My letter did not say you are a rotten person or I hate you, etc. It did state that I felt unappreciated and that I was rudely treated. I guess we will just tolerate each other. There is always drama surrounding this person.
Then I found out that my cousin passed away. No, I was not close to Judy, in fact I haven't talked to her for almost all of my adult life. I was just reconnecting with her.....but I still feel a loss. In her Christmas card to me she wrote a couple of sentences about my father. She is the only person (other than my mom) who remembers my dad. He (and my baby sister) passed away when I was not even 2, and I feel a vast emptiness b/c of it.
Now it is blowing and snowing out.....no wonder I am depressed. Guess I need to take my weekly trip to the thrift store. I have been taking a grocery bag of stuff there every week. It's not a lot but it's a start in de-cluttering. And since I don't buy much for the grand kids anymore I don't bring as much back home. :-)
This weekend was full of ups & downs....Whatever happened to my nice, quite, boring life? I was successful at stopping the refrigerator leak. :-) Guess what? Hubby never noticed or said a thing about it, he was angry that I was trying to do something. I decided not to rub his nose in it either.....I have to live with him. *wink*
Saturday I went bumming with bff and we even stopped at Planet Fitness to work out, it was OK. I will never join though, b/c I KNOW I will not work out on a regular basis. Then we stopped at some one's house to drop off some chili I made. One of the people there made a rude comment toward me and this time I decided not to let it go and there was an incident. I was so upset with it that I posted a nasty comment on facebook (this person is not on facebook and I did not use a name). The next day I posted an apology to my facebook friends for my outburst. Ever done something like that? I do have to deal with this person so we need to resolve it. I wrote a letter stating how I feel and received no comment, not that I expected one. We don't really talk and I can not use humor at all either. I joke around a lot (with people I know and like).
Sunday I saw this person again and was cordial and asked if we could sit down sometime and discuss the problem. The reply I got was "I can't talk "...OK, so be it. My letter did not say you are a rotten person or I hate you, etc. It did state that I felt unappreciated and that I was rudely treated. I guess we will just tolerate each other. There is always drama surrounding this person.
Then I found out that my cousin passed away. No, I was not close to Judy, in fact I haven't talked to her for almost all of my adult life. I was just reconnecting with her.....but I still feel a loss. In her Christmas card to me she wrote a couple of sentences about my father. She is the only person (other than my mom) who remembers my dad. He (and my baby sister) passed away when I was not even 2, and I feel a vast emptiness b/c of it.
Now it is blowing and snowing out.....no wonder I am depressed. Guess I need to take my weekly trip to the thrift store. I have been taking a grocery bag of stuff there every week. It's not a lot but it's a start in de-cluttering. And since I don't buy much for the grand kids anymore I don't bring as much back home. :-)
Saturday, January 15, 2011
So far, So good
The fridge is not leaking and I have ice cubes :-))) I am so happy. It should have been a quick fix but I wasn't sure where the drain was to thaw it so I just left the freezer off and open for 4 hours and maybe, just maybe that did the trick.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Reade Z
If you have arthritic hands or read in the tub or on the beach or get tired of holding a book here's an attractive solution. The Reade Z is an inexpensive book cover that holds the pages open for you! I know several people who have these and love 'em. Check it out. They are an excellent company to do business with. http://www.reade-z.com/home.html
Domesticity!
Yes, these last 2 days I have been very domestic. Today I did some grocery shopping, laundry, vacuuming, made bread crumbs from the heels of bread (I only buy Natural Ovens bread and refuse to throw anything away), and tidied up the kitchen. I emptied the freezer and tried to figure out the problem...but I don't think it is fixed - I may have to call the repairman, much to hubby's dismay. I use a lot of ice so that has to be fixed! At least now we have a VERY clean freezer. Supper was easy b/c I made a huge pot of chili yesterday....so this will be 'chili week' at our house. It's Friday night and it used to be a good 'gay TV' (to quote bff's hubby) night, but not anymore....hopefully I can find something decent to veg in front of.
Now I am sick of staying home...........I want to get out and do something!!! But it's the middle of winter, snow is on the way, there's nothing to do and no money to do it with. What should I do???
Now I am sick of staying home...........I want to get out and do something!!! But it's the middle of winter, snow is on the way, there's nothing to do and no money to do it with. What should I do???
My day off / Credit card points
I just love it when I have Thursday and Friday off, it makes for such a long weekend.....even tho we don't do anything, especially in winter. I am so glad I am able to work part-time, although lately I am dreaming of retirement (that won't be for several years yet).
Yesterday a friend called me at 8 (I had just gotten up) to meet for 'coffee'. So at 9 we met at her favorite place and had homemade soup and a roll (we needed to eat breakfast). It's a monthly splurge for us. After I filled the car with gas and used my coupons for free bananas and potatoes I stopped at the thrift store. I got a book LUTHER (Martin Luther's life-based on the movie) ,a sweatshirt for home and one or 2 other things....nothing much.
When I got home I decided to look at our refrigerator that has been leaking. Hubby turned off the water for the ice maker/water dispenser. That's his answer.....don't fix, just don't use. I got the "I can do it/try to fix it" gene from my mom. :-) I work for plumbers so I talked to the guys about it and was told what to do if the copper tubing was loose. (I had been single a lot so rely upon the men I work with to help me with 'stuff'). I pulled out the fridge, turned on the water, and waited for it to leak...but not from where I thought. Hubby was angry when he saw what I was trying to do. Oh Well, some one has to try. The more I think about it, I think this same thing happened years ago and something is froze in the freezer. The repairman who was here then showed me what to do.....not that I remember....but I googled my problem and the fix reminds me of what the repairman told me before. So today I will empty the freezer and thaw the drain??? (or something) Hubby will be wild again (because he is home on Fridays).....but he will get over it. Life goes on!
The credit card I use earns points so I decided to check it out. I have enough points to get merchandise, a $50 gift card, or $25 in cash or credit toward my bill. Hmmmmm......I believe the gift card is the way to go! What a discrepancy, huh???
Yesterday a friend called me at 8 (I had just gotten up) to meet for 'coffee'. So at 9 we met at her favorite place and had homemade soup and a roll (we needed to eat breakfast). It's a monthly splurge for us. After I filled the car with gas and used my coupons for free bananas and potatoes I stopped at the thrift store. I got a book LUTHER (Martin Luther's life-based on the movie) ,a sweatshirt for home and one or 2 other things....nothing much.
When I got home I decided to look at our refrigerator that has been leaking. Hubby turned off the water for the ice maker/water dispenser. That's his answer.....don't fix, just don't use. I got the "I can do it/try to fix it" gene from my mom. :-) I work for plumbers so I talked to the guys about it and was told what to do if the copper tubing was loose. (I had been single a lot so rely upon the men I work with to help me with 'stuff'). I pulled out the fridge, turned on the water, and waited for it to leak...but not from where I thought. Hubby was angry when he saw what I was trying to do. Oh Well, some one has to try. The more I think about it, I think this same thing happened years ago and something is froze in the freezer. The repairman who was here then showed me what to do.....not that I remember....but I googled my problem and the fix reminds me of what the repairman told me before. So today I will empty the freezer and thaw the drain??? (or something) Hubby will be wild again (because he is home on Fridays).....but he will get over it. Life goes on!
The credit card I use earns points so I decided to check it out. I have enough points to get merchandise, a $50 gift card, or $25 in cash or credit toward my bill. Hmmmmm......I believe the gift card is the way to go! What a discrepancy, huh???
Monday, January 10, 2011
Laziness, cookies, and more
What is with me lately? I have been so lazy???? My Christmas tree is still up and I always get it down a few days after the first....maybe I am tired of doing everything all by myself? I have so many things I want to do; from general house cleaning to organizing craft area, working on craft projects/photo & scrapbooks, redoing our spare bedroom and bathroom......but nothing gets done! :-( I was organizing in the basement yesterday when my back suddenly 'went out' so I had to take a break in my chair....that really slows things down.
I did crush candy canes and mints (actually grandson did) and made chocolate cookies yesterday. The peppermint adds a nice flavor to the cookies, especially if no one cares for candy canes. If you are lazy like me (see above) you can use a cake mix to make cookies. There are many recipes but I used this one:
pkg cake mix, any flavor
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
(add chocolate chips, nuts, M&Ms or whatever you want)
Mix together and bake on ungreased cookies sheets for 8-10 minutes.
Quick, easy, and tasty!!!
Right now I am reading CUTTING FOR STONE by Abraham Verghese. It's very good. It takes place in Ethiopia, has a lot of medical and local cultural information, and is about twins born out of wedlock who lost both parents at birth. Over 500 pages long but a good read. I would not have chosen it myself, but our book club is reading it.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Extreme Couponing
I watched a TV special on TLC the other day: Extreme Couponing
"Extreme Couponing profiles four shopaholics who use coupons to save thousands of dollars and amass huge stockpiles of goods.These shoppers go to the extremes, dumpster diving for coupons and spending hours a day searching the Internet for great deals."
Yes, it is extreme....but maybe most of us can pick up a few tips............the economy will get worse before it improves (IMHO). The program will be on again the 4th and 5th of Jan, or maybe you can watch it on their website. Just a suggestion.
"Extreme Couponing profiles four shopaholics who use coupons to save thousands of dollars and amass huge stockpiles of goods.These shoppers go to the extremes, dumpster diving for coupons and spending hours a day searching the Internet for great deals."
Yes, it is extreme....but maybe most of us can pick up a few tips............the economy will get worse before it improves (IMHO). The program will be on again the 4th and 5th of Jan, or maybe you can watch it on their website. Just a suggestion.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Christmas photos
Here are my grand kids at Christmas.
.My sons children T is 10 and her younger brother is 7.
M (28 mos) is much cuter when she smiles.
Me and 'Santa baby' (our youngest grandchild)....see him eyeing up those chips.....now you wonder why he looks like Santa??
My daughter's youngest, C (2-1/2) can do the splits with her older sister. I think this one will be a model, when asked if I could take a picture she sat herself down right in front of the tree and smiled.
Most of my grand kids: 'Santa baby', A holding C, S, J and my oldest grandchild C (10).
.My sons children T is 10 and her younger brother is 7.
M (28 mos) is much cuter when she smiles.
Me and 'Santa baby' (our youngest grandchild)....see him eyeing up those chips.....now you wonder why he looks like Santa?? My daughter's youngest, C (2-1/2) can do the splits with her older sister. I think this one will be a model, when asked if I could take a picture she sat herself down right in front of the tree and smiled.
Most of my grand kids: 'Santa baby', A holding C, S, J and my oldest grandchild C (10).After Christmas shopping ....gone wrong!
very wrong!!!!
I haven't done much after Chrsitmas shopping, not even at Target when I drove through Green Bay on New Year's Eve, so today (when the sales are 75% or more) I decided to see what was left. I dropped a bag of stuff off at the thrift store (got one outfit for the baby) and then went to WalMart. I picked up a few things for next Christmas and a couple of shirts for grand kids. Thank goodness I wasn't in a shopping mood........Hubby said the checkbook is not balanced so I used the credit card...............and it was denied....twice. YIKES!!!! I knew I used it all of December and we got a new washer & dryer but I didn't think we were anywhere near our limit. I had gift card in my wallet (thanks J) and used that :-(.....drat!!! I wanted to buy myself something. I mentioned it to hubby when I got home and he called the credit card company. Come to find out someone else was also doing after holiday shopping in New Jersey and swiped (yes, swiped) their card and it came up with our info. They obviously needed more than I did b/c they spent over $600. So our credit card company froze our account b/c that was out of our usual area (WI). I guess they sent an email....to my old email address. Hubby has corrected his email address and the charge was reversed. I guess you have 30 days to report a misuse of your card. To be on the safe side I'd check much more often!!! Let that be a warning, we were lucky! very lucky!
I haven't done much after Chrsitmas shopping, not even at Target when I drove through Green Bay on New Year's Eve, so today (when the sales are 75% or more) I decided to see what was left. I dropped a bag of stuff off at the thrift store (got one outfit for the baby) and then went to WalMart. I picked up a few things for next Christmas and a couple of shirts for grand kids. Thank goodness I wasn't in a shopping mood........Hubby said the checkbook is not balanced so I used the credit card...............and it was denied....twice. YIKES!!!! I knew I used it all of December and we got a new washer & dryer but I didn't think we were anywhere near our limit. I had gift card in my wallet (thanks J) and used that :-(.....drat!!! I wanted to buy myself something. I mentioned it to hubby when I got home and he called the credit card company. Come to find out someone else was also doing after holiday shopping in New Jersey and swiped (yes, swiped) their card and it came up with our info. They obviously needed more than I did b/c they spent over $600. So our credit card company froze our account b/c that was out of our usual area (WI). I guess they sent an email....to my old email address. Hubby has corrected his email address and the charge was reversed. I guess you have 30 days to report a misuse of your card. To be on the safe side I'd check much more often!!! Let that be a warning, we were lucky! very lucky!
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