Is It Monday Again? ...On Tasks Finished

Washed and ironed:  stacks of fresh dinner napkins that I use as place mats on the dinner table.

My husband and son took off for a long weekend on Thursday morning.  You should see the list I made for myself, thinking of all the things I wanted to accomplish while I had the house mostly to myself (I still had my older son's dogs to watch during most afternoons).  


They were big jobs, like cleaning closets, cleaning the entry way, deep cleaning the kitchen (I did get the stove done, oven and all, but not the rest!) and some sewing (got the shower gift finished), movies to watch, (I did watch two)...and more.


Well, as usual, I over-dream, and my lists are too long.  Less than a fourth of the items were checked off.


This morning, they're heading for home and I am trying to remain positive about what tasks I DID accomplish--rather than the list of unfinished items.


Do you do this, too?  Us list makers, we are a disappointed lot sometimes, aren't we?


So today I'm trying my best to not beat myself over the head too hard with the un-accomplished tasks still left to do, that will, of course, take three times as long with people in the house once again!    


Sigh...well, Water For Elephants was a good movie, and I congratulated myself on being able to operate the DVD player without having another person in the house to help me, the dogs didn't know what they were doing!  Haha!

Good Stuff: Glossing Shampoo

I don't often make recommendations from this blog unless something is awesomely good.  Like Dunkin' Donuts coffee...that required a blog post. 


This shampoo has me smiling.  Why?  Because after years of being gray and having my hair colored--and I'm not going to stop!  Well, my hair has been over processed and was like a pile of straw, dry and dull--wild and crazy.  


One day I went to Sally Beauty Supply and this was sitting on the counter.  I bought it--it was on sale and I had a store credit coming and I paid five dollars for both bottles.  I thought that if nothing else, if hard times come, I'd have a couple large bottles of shampoo and conditioner to tide us over.  Yes, that's how I think.

I didn't use it right away, but in the last week, and to my absolute amazement, I have been using it and have noticed that once again my hair looks like hair, not like a pile of straw!


This shampoo, for me, has been nothing short of amazing because of so many frustrations with dull and lifeless hair and for someone with thick and wavy, unruly coarse hair-- to have shiny and smoother hair, well, it just requires a shout out!


Soft, shiny hair?  Me?  No way!


Yes, it's true!

GOOD STUFF!

Got any recommendations of your own?

What Was Your First Job?

DO you remember...

What it was you did...

Your first job...

That came with a REAL paycheck?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mine? 

I worked in a hardware store, as a combination of 

payroll clerk, secretary and cashier.

I made $1.85 an hour for my first wage!

I learned a lot, working in a hardware store,  information I would keep and use for my whole life.




(I also learned that plumbing parts can have very 
embarrassing names--especially when I had to write out 
those  charge tickets longhand while the (male) customers watched and waited.  I literally turned red from blushing!).

What was YOUR first job?  
What did you make an hour?


Fun stuff to recall!

Royal Wedding: Blabbity, Blabbity

This is the best I can do... I know, so irreverent.

((Whispering behind our hands))


((You know, we are related to the Royal Family through the gardener:  illegitimately, of course.  We know this little secret, and I am quite sure that they do not.  Otherwise, the Royal Family would be all over us and would have been scrambling to invite us to the wedding.  After all, we look just as about as good in our hats as they do.))

Squeeze, Kiss, Bite, Pinch or Spank?

The other day, I noticed when we women talk about babies, we all have something we all do:  we say CWAZY things like this to each other about babies:

"Oh, couldn't you just bite him, he's so sweet?"  

(My friend Patsy says that!)

"I just want to pinch those cheeks!  

Admit it, you do it, too.  

:0)

I especially like the things southern women say.  

(Cuter than cute, what they say.)

Personally, when I get hold of a baby, I just want to hug that baby up close and then "Spank, spank, spank." that little diapered bottom.  (Gently, of course!). 

So...which one are you?

What do you say when you see a sweet little cherub?

Of course, a little newborn, I would never spank, 

I have to wait until they are past the sniffing, 

snuggling, rocking, and kissing their hair stage!  

I save the "special" treatment for when they're a little sturdier! 

;- )

Do you

PINCH

SQUEEZE

SPANK

BITE

KISS

or...

???

I thought this one might leave you with a smile!


Okay, so what are you?  Squeezer?  Pincher?  Kisser?  Spanker?  

Should I Blame Blogger or Picasa?

A big raspberry to my beloved Picasa or to BLOGGER....I just can't figure out where the problem lies.  


I always used to upload photos from my digital memory card to Picasa, then I'd edit them, then used their "BLOG THIS" button feature to upload to Blogger.  


It made choosing photos much more simple and easier to construct the story I would tell with those photos using this feature.


I have checked my capacity for photo storage, and I am not exceeding it...unless there's something I don't know about capacity?!


For about ten days, NONE of my pictures that I upload straight from Picasa will show up.  The cumbersome nature of uploading from files on the computer will not allow me to post all the good stuff I have to show you.  


This hassle has made blogging more of a pain than the joy it once was!  I can't believe how frustrating it can be!


We went to some awesome places in Alabama yesterday, and as soon as I can figure out the problem I'll show you all these beautiful photos I shot...  


If any of you can help a girl out, I'd be happy to know your solution.  I have not used Internet Explorer in over a year, have even changed browsers from Mozilla Firefox to Google's own CHROME version.  Still won't let Picasa load my photos directly to my blog.


In the last week, I've noticed this is a problem on other blogs, also. 

Know When To Fold 'Em...

So, what do you do when the cold north winds blow?

And your original farmhouse entry doors have a slight "crack" in between them?

Nuttin' to do but what grandpa might have done.

Fold newspapers, fill cracks. Temporary crack filler.  

Yup.

That's how we roll in the old farmhouse.  

Some things just can't be perfected.  (It's either that or lose the original entry doors!)


Recently, on a spring-like weekend, I removed these bad boys while I was cleaning.  I regretted it, because they were needed these past few weeks!  I think by doing this, I jinxed spring's arrival in Michigan.  It's all my fault!

Sometime, I'll have to, pardon the pun, "fill you in" on how at home growing up, we locked our door with a butter knife; instead of a lock. Now that was real innovation!  It was always amusing to our guests!

Shadow Shots: Potluck

We went to a potluck the other night.  Oh, how I love potlucks!  

Don't you?

Rushin' around the kitchen, packin' the hot stuff in the cooler, running in with the picnic basket...I love it all!

Takin' in our hot dish and a dessert, and putting it all together with everyone else's goodies, oh, my!

We got there early and set our dishes out (I took my trusty Baked Mac 'n Cheese and a good pan of brownies with homemade frosting) and went to our table and visited, and in ten minutes, magic had happened, the table was LOADED somehow!  (I just love that!)

There were some GOOD cooks at this particular gathering, there was everything!  The basketball players went first, and they were so proud and looked so happy carrying their loaded plates to their tables, the way it looked, there would be nothing left for us when we made it through the line.


But I was wrong, so wrong!

There were huge pans of fried chicken, Swedish meatballs, sloppy Joe's, taco salad, pasta salads, baked beans, mac 'n cheese, mostaccolli, lasagna, vegetable trays, desserts of every description!  Texas sheet cake, huge pans of pudding, chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting...oh my gosh.

There was enough grub to feed an army!  


I have stand-by dishes for potlucks, my go to list is:
deviled eggs
baked mac 'n cheese
brownies with cooked fudge-y frosting

A sign of success?  Nothing left in your dishes to take home.  It's embarrassing to take food home from a potluck, is it not?  

(I have NEVER taken a deviled egg back home, I can tell you that much for sure!) 

Of course, a potluck delights me because I LOVE to load my plate with all the different salads!  I take a little bit of every kind of salad and especially love Asian coleslaw!  Yum!!

Soo........

What's your favorite potluck dish to take? 

To eat?

DO TELL!

:0) 

*~*~*~* J-E-L-L-O ~*~*~*~

Mmmm....orange JELLO!

There was a time that JELLO was the cure for just about any sickness one had.

Tonsils out?
Chicken pox?  

The flu?

Surgery of any kind?

Just have a baby?

Hello!  
Jello!

Yes.  
Jello was fit for what 'ailed ya'....
or at least it was when I was growing up.


I've tried to faithfully carry on that tradition.

This week, I had to pull out the familiar box and boil the kettle and of course, get the glass bowl out, no other kind will do...

My teenager had his wisdom teeth surgically removed so I'm doing all that soft food diet thing and 
J-E-L-L-O
 is just what the doctor ordered!  


ORANGE is my go-to flavor.  
It's cheery and pretty and it tastes the best
especially when you're sick!


By the way, Luke is doing really well.  He got sick from the anesthesia when he woke up, and that was the worst!  


I'm sure his surgeon must have done a stellar job, the teeth were impacted but so far, no swelling on the outside, no bruising on the outside, seems to be healing well.  We iced it yesterday and are doing moist heat today as well as gargling with salt water and taking the antibiotic.  He is taking the high-dose Ibuprofin only twice a day and we are faithfully following the discharge orders.  He hopes to be back to school Monday because he has two big tests then.  


The next big thing?  Driver's Education!  I am not ready for that, quite.  




WHAT'S YOUR J.E.L.L.O. FLAVOR?

Don't Tell Mom!

My mom would be so ashamed if she knew just how often...

I DON'T dust!


Shh...don't tell, okay?


I sometimes wait for six weeks, I hate it so much!


(One day last week, I found my husband dusting the top of the china cabinet because he couldn't stand it any more.  That's when I knew I better get the rags out, because it's really bad if a MAN notices!  Bahahaha!!)


What's your most dreaded household chore?

A Watermelon Story

We grew it ourselves.  It doesn't get any sweeter than that!

ONCE upon a time...


When I was preggers for my youngest, at about 6.5 months along, I fell hard one summer day and broke my ankle.  All I was doing is walking, but I had flip flops on, and it had just rained.  


Well, it cracked like the limb of a tree and I was sure I knew what had happened.  A ride in the ambulance to the hospital where it was confirmed and it was casted.  They sent me home sans crutches.  But that's another story for another day.


Two weeks with a cast and then they tell me I need surgery in order for the bone to properly heal.


During surgery, I had a spinal; pregnant women should not be administered general anesthesia.  I had my eyes closed for some of the surgery just (sort of) relaxing-- listening to the sounds of the power drill, ((((((shudder)))))) the doctors and nurses talking about their weekend coming up...and in walks a  resident.  


He looks around and starts chatting.  He doesn't know that I am conscious, he thinks I'm out.


He notices that I am rather...rotund.  He doesn't know I'm with child.


He also didn't know I was awake.  Did I say that already?  Yes.


Well, he commented about my...rotundness.


"What happened here?  What's with her belly?!


Belly was draped but my children were large babies.  I'm sure I looked HUGE there compared to my legs.


Oh.  I loved it.


I kept my eyes closed and loudly said:  


"I ATE A WATERMELON SEED!"


I think that was one of my best lines, delivered in the best possible way at the best possible time.


I.  Scared.  That.  Man.  To.  Death.


I hope that if he is ever in a teaching hospital, that he warns his students that there is more than one way to approach a patient that LOOKS LIKE she's asleep.


Did I ever mention it was quite comical to have a broken ankle, with a cast from my toes to my knee while pregnant? I think I sense a new series coming on.

Don't Mean to Torture You...

But...

Just...

Thought...

You...

 

Might...

 

Need...

 

Color...

 

Right about NOW.

(I'll take the BLUE one, thank you very much.)

(Oh, well, actually, I'd take EITHER, when it comes to purty old Ford trucks.)

You?

A Whole Fresh New Year...

 

WHEW!  Christmas is over and the New Year is here.  Christmas, for moms, no matter how simple you try to keep it, is like running a marathon (not that I'd know what running a marathon is like, I've never done one!) it's run, run, run, and do, do, do, and then it's done, done, done.  


(And sometimes we get done in and run down in the process, don't we?)

 

We are back in Michigan and the flu that Jamie and Thad had while we were in Alabama visiting got to our oldest son, Mark before we left.  I thank God I didn't catch the flu while we were making the trip back, but I got it the first night we were home.  I'm still not "over it" but I feel much better, feeling somewhat human again.  


My back hurts from laying in bed all day, I can't even remember the last time I did that.  I also can't remember the last time I had the flu like this and wow!  It was a doozy!


The stomach flu is no fun, but would have been extra grueling if I'd had to go through it in the back seat of a Suburban.  I'm so thankful to have gotten home first.

 

So this post is just to catch up with you.  I haven't taken down Christmas yet, heck I haven't even gotten unpacked from our trip south!  


Taking down my 2010 calendar when we got home and putting in its place a fresh, clean, empty calendar for 2011, it got me to thinking.  I am looking forward to this New Year we've been blessed with.  But looking back on 2010, I thought I'd ask...


What was the best thing that happened to you in 2010?




(I think you already know WHO was my best thing to happen to me in 2010!)

Little Lessons from the Back Roads

It's Friday! Another week has flown by!

Christmas is in the back of my mind...more and more lately. The local station has begun its Christmas music and that always lights a fire under me, making me realize how close it's becoming.

I've been asking the kids for lists, and I've been thinking about what I'm giving this year. There are a few things that are can't miss: Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift cards; iTunes gift cards, Burt's Bees products (oh, yes!), and food and other goodies made from your own kitchen--they always seem to be a hit with friends and neighbors, co-workers and extended family. (I have bought red and white gingham jar lids this year just to make my apple pie filling look more festive when I give it.)

I usually like to get Thanksgiving done without preparing for Christmas...I think Thanksgiving deserves to stand on its own, so there it is--I just get lists made and plans in my head and wait until the turkey's put away.

Well, today my major goal is to dust the furniture throughout the house, and girls let me tell you, it's my most-loathed chore, I'd much rather clean toilets, wash windows, clean the oven, even. Can you believe it?

So how about you? Do you enjoy or loathe the dusting!?

What is your least favorite household chore?

Sweet & Random

I walked this morning: it's COLD and I am thinking we'll have snow falling soon. I heard a Christmas song on the radio today so it's time to get the mood building for Christmas decorating. I need to get started soon but it's hard to get in the mood with sunshine and mild weather, for me anyway!

(The pictures in this post are just plain sweet and have nothing whatsoever to do with my writing. The picture of the long-gone coconut cream pie that I made, above, is actually quite gorgeous, if I do say so myself. The pictures that follow, are even MORE sweet, and even MORE gorgeous!)

I shot myself in the foot today. Oh, no, not literally. Figuratively!

Here's how: I walked for an hour, and then stopped at our little local bakery and bought a fresh raspberry scone the size of a bear paw. It was QUITE good.

I am also getting shorn today. Literally, not figuratively.

My hair is wild, curly and unruly. Now that it's grey and white underneath, even MORE so! When it gets too long, I feel like a sheep who needs to get all those curls lopped off.

When it goes over that line of needing to be cut and it has to wait a week or more for the appointment, it drives me insaaaaaane! So in a little while here, I'm leaving to go lose some of the wildness that tops my head. Hallelujah! There'll be no bleating here!

(I told you things would get sweeter! ;-)

I am needing to get things in order for Thanksgiving. It snuck up on me this year. First clean, decorate just a little for it, and then bake. The menu stays pretty much the same, so that's a no-brainer.

(This foot was made for eatin'!)

How boring am I? I am all excited to be going to a local craft show with two of my friends this weekend. I'm hoping they want to leave the craft show early and head to the antique mall, too. I am excited because I get to see to gals that I don't see that often and I miss them: the crafts don't excite me much at all, wandering around browsing with my friends--that does...

I hope your day goes well....I need to go so I'm not late to my appointment....baaa!

Is It Monday Again?

Is it Monday again? Oh, yes.

Everything that could go wrong --did-- this morning: to greet the morning in style, our mini daschund got sick in his kennel and I had to clean that up before I ever dried my hair. (Let me just say I'm glad it was the mini dog that made the mess as opposed to the eighty pound dog!)

Other things went wrong too --before 7:00 while the coffee was still brewing-- and even a neighborhood dog helped the situation today. This dog is notorious for escaping quite often and runs the countryside --

Copper showed up in our yard and I had to stop cleaning up my doggie's mess, look up the number in order to call the owner whose dog it is to come get the dog, but first I had to find a collar and leash and wrangle him into it and put him in our spare outdoor kennel. And in the meantime, our dogs went nuts because another dog was in their yard! Heaven FORBID!

(The stray dog tried to hump me--him standing up--four times while I was leashing him up....I'd say he needs to go get some surgery done, wouldn't you?)

The owner showed up just in time --exactly when I was supposed to leave to take Luke to school. (Because of all the mayhem I didn't get Luke's lunch made and found out he forgot his gym bag, too so he'll have to take a zero in his phys ed class today!) All of this before 7:30.

When I pulled into town, a fire truck pulled out of the station...

When I left town, an ambulance pulled out right in front of me.

My perspective changed.

So, I left town thinking many other people have had a worse Monday morning than I have!

I need to clean my house after a busy weekend, my sister is coming down to do some canning: she wants to learn how so we're going to spend a couple days making applesauce and apple pie filling. I'm looking forward to it.

And she celebrates a birthday while we're together so that should be fun...I hope what I have planned works out and I hope to be able to share it with you.

How has your Monday morning been?

IMA PIGG

My house smells like burnt bacon,
I need to clean my purse,
My closet is a shambles,
The garage? It's even worse!

The spots that dot my carpet,
Oh, I blame them on the pets,
I've got weeds to spare,
They're the tallest thing
In that garden over there!

The deck it needs a stainin'
And my back it's been a painin'
So I'll add those jobs, too,
To a long, long list of "THINGS TO DO"!

The laundry room is drownin',
Can't open that door for frownin',
Clothes and stuff strewn everywhere,
It makes me want to growl like a bear!

And then there's the
Nightmare up the stairs,
Please don't venture there,
You'll never get over the scares!

The driveway ashphalt's crackin',
The old brick sidewalk is lackin',
The trees they need a trimmin',
Can you tell my mind is brimmin'?

The roof has seen its better days,
The windows they have, too.
I need to call a roofer,
Do you know a glazier, too?

You might think --if you just go by
The pictures blogged that catch your eye--
That my life is nearly perfect,
My apron's always donned,
A yummy dinner's always done,

But that would be a myth,

...and not the only one!

You see, a blog can give credit
To show all the "pretty" things one might do,
But you should know
I'm just the same--even worse--as you!

(WORSE! Did I mention my PURSE?!)

It's all about the edit...
The camera gets the credit...
My life is not just what you see here...

Now...I want you to know...

I can be a PIG!

(Is that CLEAR?)

Penned by
your friend
who oinks--
Joni

Five 5 Five 5 Five 5 Five 5 Five 5

Five Things About Me

1. My name was AMY for three days before my dad named me "JOAN".
?

2. I have a dream of becoming a writer.
This blog, it turns out, is my preparation for that.
The discipline of writing an entry almost every day is getting me prepared
for the job it will be to write.


3. I like to people-watch. Always have, always will.
As kids, my sisters and I had the best time imitating accents, voices and mannerisms.
Without a television, we found a way to entertain ourselves.
It's FUN!

4. I love my country and wish I could have been a soldier.
I think I would have been well-prepared for it because of the way I was raised.

5. I would like to be buried in pajamas as opposed to uncomfortable Sunday clothes. And please NO GLASSES on the nose
when I'm laying in repose.
(I'm a poet, dont'cha know it!?)
Who sleeps with their glasses on, I ask!?!?

Now, aren't you glad I didn't write TEN things about me?
Heh.

*Ü*

Have a nice weekend!
XOXO
Joni