Thursday, October 29, 2009

Time for Me Thursday

12:37 AM 0 Comments
Just a super short post because it's actually just before 1am here, but I did want to make sure this did get posted. I got a super surprise and found out that I'm not going to Canada alone. When everything went down on Monday, at first I thought the trip was cancelled then I found out otherwise! Nickle is awaiting my arrival and tomorrow, I have to drive to Detroit to pick up the someone special that is going with me. So, I won't really be around tomorrow. I have to get up, do a few things around the house and be out the door here by 2pm. I don't know if I'll get Friday's post up but if I don't, know that it will be up with the MckLinky next Friday. Love and hugs!

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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

(almost) Wordless Wednesday

2:39 PM 0 Comments
Wednesday..Wednesday...so good to me...Ok, those aren't the real lyrics, but even though I feel down right crummy (fallout from Monday's events) I am in good spirits. I just wish my to do list would do itself! Why don't they ever do themselves?

Well, I'm going to make sure to finish this post so that then I can move on to the next parts of my far too long list. So, over on Sunday Shutterbugs, the theme is Red. Now, I know that there isn't much red in this picture, but there's a story and stories are good, right?

Isabella basket kitty
So, this is Isabella. I posted pictures of her when she was just a tiny thing but as you can see, she's growing up fast. This is a basket I had emptied and she insisted on sleeping in it every chance she got. Right up until I filled it with other things and put it away, that is. So, this morning, I was in the bathroom and using Nair on my legs. Honestly, I had gotten tired of shaving and wanted to try something that would last a bit longer. Well, of course, I forgot to take a watch or clock into the bathroom with me, so I opened the bathroom door to see the one on the laptop. No big deal, right? Wrong. The girls, as usual, rushed into the bathroom the second I opened the door and little Miss Isabella rubbed right against my leg. The leg that had Nair gooped all over it. Now, I didn't want a bald cat, so I grabbed a washcloth and tried to wipe as much off as I could. I thought I'd gotten all of it until a couple minutes later when she walked past me again and I saw another streak of it. Now, would she come to me when I called her? Or even sit still while I'm trying to grab her? Of course not. Now, try not to laugh too hard as you imagine me...with Nair covered legs, chasing this kitten around the living room while trying not to get the Nair on either of the other 2 cats who were enjoying the chase or on the furniture.. In the end, I did manage to catch the rascal and rinse/comb the rest of the Nair out and other than her hair being slightly thinner in a couple of areas, she doesn't seem to be traumatized or any the worse for war. Mom's nerves however....

So, that's my really not even close to Wordless Wednesday. Do you have any photos to share this week? Are you planning on hopping over to Sunday Shutterbugs to post a link? Let me know here! I want to see too!

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Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Tackle It Tuesday

12:44 PM 1 Comments
Sorry everyone for not posting yesterday. Yesterday was one of those days that I never want to relive again. Because of that, I'm not going to post details here to the blog. I'm just going to say that it was a really bad, emotionally draining day that I hope some good came out of having to live through.

Now, because of that I didn't do a menu plan for this week. I'm not really going to worry about that though, because there is plenty of food here and I'm going out of town for the weekend. You won't hear me say this often, but thank god for Canada. More specifically, thank god for my friends in Canada. There is a lovely event going on there this weekend and I'm so glad that after 5 months here, I'm going to be back among friends and being wrapped up in their love. That's something that I really need this weekend. I can't wait to see nickle (who sometimes comments here), her lovely man Rob and gobsmacks of other people. Oh, and I get to finally meet Belladonna in person! She makes the most wonderful things and you know, I might talk to her about being a featured shop here on the blog. I don't know why that didn't occur to me earlier...duh!

Anyway, now that I've rambled on a bit and honestly, it helped me to do that...I should probably write about my tackle for today. There's a lot to get done before Thursday, but today my focus is going to be essentials. I need to write a shopping list, a packing list and to do at least 3 hours of kgb work. If there's time, I'll be sweeping the laundry room floor and changing the cat litter as well. I suspect that somehow I'll find the time. But, these things won't tackle themselves, so I'm off!

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Saturday, October 24, 2009

Surprise Saturday Post - Charity

3:03 PM 1 Comments
With the holidays fast approaching, I've been thinking a lot about how we're going to be doing things. The boys and I have some holiday traditions that we do every year, but this year, I'm going to start another one. Every year, we all get things for Christmas, even if it's just a little something because money is tight. I was reading earlier that 1 in 50 children (in the USA) this year are homeless. How scary is that? With unemployment so high and parents just unable to pay the mortgage anymore, more and more families are turning to shelters. Where we live, there isn't a homeless shelter, but there are plenty of organizations like Salvation Army and Goodwill. So, let me tell you about our new tradition and then I'll share with you some ideas on how you can be a Christmas Angel to a needy child or family.

This year, I'm going to be taking a decorated cardboard box with us to the family Christmas party. It's going to be our donation box. I'm going to ask that every family member donate 1-2 items to the box. For the kids, this will most likely be old toys, games or books. For the adults, it could be just about anything. These items will then be donated to a local charity. I want my children to learn that even when times are tough, they are often tougher for someone else and we should always be willing to lend a hand where we can.

Now, for those of you who do live near a shelter, I'm going to encourage you to consider one of these ideas:

1. Donate comfort items, such as stuffed toys or soft blankets. These could turn into items that the children could keep for themselves.

2. Go in together with another family and host a pizza party/game night at a local shelter. This could be just for the kids or for everyone staying there.

3. Buy new school supplies and donate them to be handed out at the shelter. Can you imagine what it must be like to not be able to buy your child the new backpack that they need for school?

I know that it might seem as if I'm throwing these ideas out early, but let's face it, people need year long, not just at the holidays. Plus, if you start setting aside a little money or time now to help make someone's life better, it won't be nearly as tough when Christmas does roll around!

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Friday, October 23, 2009

Finish it Friday

1:46 PM 0 Comments
Hello! Hello! Happy Friday! I'm determined that it's going to be a happy day even if it's raining...again! I've pretty much given up on the idea that I'm going to have nice days to get outside and prep the flower beds for the spring. Instead, I'm thinking that come early spring, I'm going to have a "Garden Day" where I invite family and friends over for a day of hanging out together and whipping these flower beds into shape. In exchange, they get the joy of seeing work done, helping out a friend and delicious food because I take care of my helpers..hehe.

As for today, I'm headed into Hastings to pick up Ben for the weekend. We'll be doing pumpkins and I'm not quite sure what else. He's not into crafting as much as his brother, but we may do a 2nd bird feeder, this one made out of a 2 liter soda bottle.

My Finish It Friday challenge, for you and for me, is to check out that fridge. A couple of days ago, I told y'all how to check the seals. Now, we're going to check something else. Open those fridge doors and take a good look inside. If your fridge looks like mine, it's filled with containers of leftovers and very possibly some food that has gotten shoved to the back and needs to be thrown out. Ewwww!

The holidays are coming and we need to make some room in those fridges for all of the goodies that come along with those days. If you're like me, you love to cook and to bake and to create delicious treats. Well, to do that, we need room in the fridge for those ingredients and then for some of those delicious creations. Take the time today to make your holidays easier and get those fridges cleared out!

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Thursday, October 22, 2009

Time for Me Thursday

12:45 PM 2 Comments
Holy cow! I just prevented the house from burning down! Ok, it might not be that dramatic, but it sure scared me. I kept smelling something burning but couldn't figure out what it was. I figured it must be the neighbor burning wood or something. Except, it wasn't! I happened to turn around from where I was sitting on the couch and noticed that my lamp was tipped over. Not only was it tipped over, but it was on and the bare bulb (my lampshade broke and I haven't had the money to replace it) was leaning against a suede pillow! The burning smell was where it was scorching the pillow! Thank god I turned around when I did. The pillow has a large scorched spot and had I not noticed it, it could have caught fire. How terrifying is that?

Know what I'm doing for me today? I'm taking a few deep breathes and counting my blessings. I sometimes spend too much time dwelling on the negative, like not enough money, not enough time with my boys, etc etc. So today, I'm going to focus on the positives...I have a lovely home, food in our cupboards, two incredible boys, 3 cats who keep me company and love on me and make me laugh with their antics, books to read, movies to watch, decent health and the list could go on and on...I really am a lucky girl.

What are all of you doing for you today? What are you thankful for?

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Wednesday, October 21, 2009

(almost) Wordless Wednesday

1:46 PM 3 Comments
Last weekend, Roger was here and we had a wonderful time together. Like any mom, I did manage to get a few pictures taken of the things we did and I wanted to share them with you. Now, over on Sunday Shutterbugs, the theme for this week was squares. As you can see, I guess I was hoping that it would be circles. For me, this time of year is all about circles. There are apples and pumpkins and ok, well that's all that's coming to mind but I'm sure there are other things too. *grins*

So, here are our weekend activities. I just love that he loves doing this kind of thing with me.

Milk Jug Birdfeeder
This is the bird feeder that we made together. It's now hanging outside on our trellice thing a ma bob (yes that's the technical term.) filled with homemade bird food.

Halloween Pumpkins
And here are our pumpkins. I did the one on the bottom and Roger did the one on the top. We call his Mr Scary Pumpkin Man. His shirt says I love Candy and I think he's saying something like Give me candy. Mine is just carrying a candy basket. I can't wait until Ben and I do his this coming weekend.

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Works for Me Wednesday - Fridge Seals

1:08 PM 1 Comments
It's been a bit since I've had a great tip for everyone, but I thought/came up with one last night and I just had to share.

Did y'all know that your refrigerator is one of the biggest energy hogs of your whole house? I suppose that makes sense since it's on all the time, working hard at keeping your food fresh and all, huh?

Now, my next question is did you know that the seals on your fridge can wear out? I honestly never thought about it until last night when I put my hand along one of them and felt the air leaking out! What? How much harder is that fridge working? Which means how much is our power bill going up? How much more wear and tear is happening on an already old fridge? Well, I don't know the answers to that, but I do know how to double check to see if your fridge seals need to be replaced and it's super easy! Ready?

Open up your fridge/freezer door and then take a dollar bill and place it right along where the door closes and close the door. Now, take hold of that dollar bill and tug on it. If it pulls out really easily, guess what? Your fridge seals are leaking air and ought to be replaced. I checked ours last night and ugh, total fail on both the fridge and the freezer! I've already added replacing those seals to my household to do list.

So, how do your fridge seals stack up? Today's challenge is to go check them out!

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Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Tackle it Tuesday - Laundry Monster

2:02 PM 3 Comments
Happy Tuesday all! Hopefully you're having a nice warm sunny day unlike here. I love Autumn, but has anyone else noticed that the dreary days just seem colder even if they're not?

So I'm a little sad to say that a few of my regular commenters seem to have vanished. I'm going to have to head over to their blogs and give them some pokes..loving pokes, of course. Kath and nickle, where the heck are you girls? Kath could be entirely busy with prepping for her new radio show that's on TrainREK on Sunday nights. I haven't had the chance to listen to it yet, but I bet it's great. As soon as I get a link to their website, I'll be sure to post it. I believe it's of a geeky nature, so those who like geek stuffs will probably love it.

As for me, I'm busy doing laundry. I totally confess that I let it get away from me and now I'm working on catching up again. In the process, I've also redone how the boys clothes are stored here at the house. Their soon'ish to be stepmother seemed a bit overly concerned that I send a new shirt back on Sunday, so I've decided to inventory their clothes here to see if I even need for them to send clothes over here. It turns out that I really don't. Granted, I'm going to need to find them some more jeans and some heavier shirts, but not having her send clothes over rules out any clothing issues that she might come up with. So, I think I'll put the call out here...if anyone has any size 8-10 clothing that their sons have outgrown and you're looking for a new home, please think of me. I can't afford much but I could probably at least pay for the shipping on it.

So what are all of you doing? Is your laundry all caught up? If so, have you gone through it to remove outgrown/worn out items? I challenge all of you to do that. :)

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Monday, October 19, 2009

Menu Plan Monday

1:27 PM 2 Comments
Well, the weekend is done and that's left me with mixed feelings. Y'all know that usually I totally adore Mondays but this past weekend, I had Roger here with me all weekend and it was so wonderful! We spent time talking and playing Guardian's Crusade together. On Friday, we picked up some pumpkins from the grocery store and drew faces on them. Saturday night, we made homemade meatballs together. Yesterday, we worked more on his game and made a bird feeder together. It was just a wonderful weekend of connecting with him and having him leave was hard for the both of us. More and more he tells me that he wants to be at my house all the time. I'm not sure how we'll handle it when/if he decides for certain the he wants to live here with me.

But, now it's Monday and I need to focus on the week to come. This coming weekend, I have Ben with me for the weekend so I'm going to making something that he loves for that. In between now and then though, I have no idea! I guess I'd better get my tush working on this menu!

Monday- Leftover Chili
Tuesday- Chicken Pesto Pockets
Wednesday- Breakfast for Dinner
Thursday- Foil-Pack Taco Chicken
Friday- Potato Hash
Saturday- Taco Casserole
Sunday- Leftovers

What are you having this week?
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Friday, October 16, 2009

Finish It Friday

4:51 PM 1 Comments
Wow, it's Friday and all I want is a nap! I was up too late last night and up too early this morning, but sometimes that's just how it goes. I have Roger here with me this weekend and we're already having a great time together. We went to the grocery store and picked up some pumpkins. When we got back, we drew faces on the pumpkins and put them on our front steps. We've done Legos and watched tv together and just really enjoyed our time together.

So, what did I actually finish? Well, I finished a week of working around the house and I'm enjoying time with my baby. Ok, I s'pose that's technically cheating, but sometimes that's how a Friday goes. The boys had a half day of school so I was out of here at 11 to pick them up. Since then, I've been having fun with him, so there we go. Now, I need to sign off because we have some delicious chili on the stove waiting for us. Happy weekend all!

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Thursday, October 15, 2009

Time for Me Thursday

1:36 PM 1 Comments
Happy Thursday, everyone! Is it as chilly there as it is here? The weather report is seriously calling for snow to be mixed in with the rain tomorrow! Ugh! I love Michigan, but I am so not ready for snow. I've been hoping that the dang rain would stop so I could get outside and cut back the rose bushes and all the other vegetation that has taken over the flower beds. They're in horrible shape. I swear the owner hasn't done a thing with them in years. Well, I can't control the weather so no use fretting over it. Instead, how about deciding what to do for ourselves today? What are we all going to do to make us happier campers?

As for me, I'm going to continue working on "The Wall." How is that doing something for me? Well, let me explain. Like a lot of people, I do not thrive in chaos. In fact, let's face it. Those of you who know me, know that ocd could be my middle name sometimes. When I'm surrounded by chaos and a lack of organization, my brain becomes chaos, etc etc. I actually swore I'd write my dissertation on this if I ever made it to that level of schooling. Anyway, now I'm rambling. So, basically, the more organized and clean my house is, the happier I am. Over the past couple of weeks, I've posted something like 6 listings on Freecycle and gotten rid of a bunch of stuff. I already have another small pile of stuff waiting to be listed. I just want to add a few more things to it. It's amazing what you find when you unpack boxes! Watching stuff that I don't need anymore, releasing it out of my home is setting me free. Every time I look out back and see that someone has picked something up, it's like a bit of weight off of my shoulders and who doesn't enjoy losing some weight? ;)

Ok, so that's what I'm doing today. What are all of you doing? Don't forget to sign my little linky thing below and/or leave a comment! By supporting each other, we support ourselves!

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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

(almost) Wordless Wednesday

12:48 PM 3 Comments
Before I get into the story that goes along with my picture, I just wanted to mention a new photo challenge group that I know of. Edie and Corinna have launched a new blog called Sunday Shutterbugs. Each Sunday, they will each post a picture that they took that day/week. They're both very good photographers. In fact, if I ever get married again, I want Edie to do the wedding photos. Anyway, they're inviting all of us to also post a link to a photo that we've taken. So, this week, I'll be posting this photo...

Meet Vegas

Now for those of you who have followed my photo stream over on Flickr, you know this handsome lad is Vegas. Vegas came to us from England and he is a very well loved member of our family. So loved, in fact, that Roger insists on taking him back and forth between his Dad's place and mine, even though Vegas actually belongs to me. Not only that, but he was going back and forth to school with Roger every day and even going outside at recess! That's where Vegas had a pretty big adventure. It seems Roger and one of his friends were playing with Vegas and somehow he got thrown onto the roof of the school! Oh my...I told the boys that monkies can't really fly... Anyway, it seems he spent 2 days (including an overnight!) up on that roof and of course it rained. Poor monkey. I'm sure he was thrilled when someone finally rescued him. Of course, then he had to take a bath and we all know that monkies do not like the washing machine. Vegas didn't escape unscathed, I'm sorry to say. His one eye is now scratched and his shirt will never look clean again. Roger and Vegas are still the best of friends, but Vegas has retired from the adventure circuit for now...

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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Surprise Crock Pot Recipe Post!

11:04 PM 0 Comments
Turkey (Chicken) Rotini Casserole:

Ingredients:

1 c reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 c water
1 sm stalk celery
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 dried bay leaf
2 turkey thighs (about 1.5 pounds) - or - chicken breasts
1 envelope alfredo sauce mix
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 pkg (9 oz) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
8 ounces uncooked rotini pasta
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

1. Pour broth and water into slow cooker. Add celery, thyme, and bay leaf. Top with turkey.
2. Cover and cook on low heat setting 6-8 hours. Remove turkey, celery and bay leaf; discard celery and bay leaf.
3. Increase heat setting to high. Mix sauce mix (dry) and soup; stir into slow cooker. Stir in broccoli. Cover and cook about 30 minutes or until thickened.
4. Cook pasta as directed on package. While pasta is cooking, remove turkey from bones and cut into pieces. Discard bones. (If using chicken breasts, use this time to shred with a fork)
5. Return turkey to slow cooker. Stir in pasta and cheese.

** Notes: I use chicken breasts and shred them. I also leave out the celery and don't always remember the cheese. **

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Tackle It Tuesday

2:02 PM 0 Comments
And now I'm here again and it's Tuesday again and I'm pondering what I should tackle today. There's always so much to get done around here and with it being just me, I swear I feel like none of it ever does. Well, I've decided to continue tackling "the wall." For those who don't remember, the wall is actually the front room on the house. It was dubbed the wall by my children when the boxes were stacked up so high, you couldn't even see into the room, let alone walk into it. It's really going to be our office/craft room, but there are tons of boxes still in there. So, my goal for today is to unpack 2 boxes. Note that I do not say that I'm going to put the contents away. The reason for that is there are so many boxes, I can't even get to most of the places where things go. So, I've decided to start unpacking the boxes, moving anything in them that doesn't belong in there to the proper rooms and then I'll start getting it organized. Sometimes it's easier to organize when you can actually see everything you own, anyway.

So, that's my goal...to tackle 2 boxes in that room. What are all of you tackling today?

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Menu Plan Monday

1:55 PM 0 Comments
Yes, I know it's Tuesday, but seriously, I just didn't have time...Ok, I didn't make the time yesterday to come here and post. Why? Don't I love you anymore? Well, of course I do! It's just that I did something seriously silly this weekend and I had to fix it yesterday. What did I do? Well, I had Roger put my wallet into his backpack and well, I forgot to get it out again. So, yesterday I had to drive over to Hastings to get it and while I was there, I did a bit of grocery shopping. By the time I got back home, I'd totally forgotten about posting my menu. But, I do have to say that I did make my menu yesterday before going shopping, so well..I get half credit, right?

Monday - Pizza
Tuesday - Steak
Wednesday - Chicken Rotini
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Chili
Saturday - Spaghetti w/ Meatballs & Garlic Bread (Roger's choice)
Sunday - Leftovers


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Thursday, October 8, 2009

(almost) Wordless Wednesday

12:59 AM 0 Comments
Wow! I almost forgot to post this! Dang nabbit. I went and got semi-productive and the day slipped away. Well, I made it...ok, technically it's Thursday but you guys won't tell on me, right? *grins* Well, good. Thanks, guys!

Now, on that note...I've been sick all week. My company brought me a case of the creeping crud and sure enough, I caught it. I have managed to get bits and pieces done around the house and after emptying one of my favorite baskets, guess who else decided they liked it? Give up? Well, here you go...


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Monday, October 5, 2009

Menu Plan Monday

3:39 PM 2 Comments
It's Monday again and I had a nice weekend. My friend Jim came over for the weekend and we hung out here at the house for a part of the weekend. For the other part, I got to show him a bit of the area. We went to lunch at Swede's and had delicious wet burrito and nachos. I love their wet burritos, but they only make them twice a week plus I can't really afford to go out, though I could get a wet burrito for $5 and its huuuuuge. Then, we went over to Lansing and after being a bit turned around because of construction, we found the movie theatre and saw the Toy Story 3D double feature. It was wonderful! I loved it! Plus, they had a 10 minute intermission where they did Toy Story trivia and fun little video clips. Afterwards, we had a really nice dinner at Texas Roadhouse where we talked about advice and therapy and teaching and such. I really enjoyed that. Then, after a trip to Meijers, we came back here to the house and hung out for a bit before bed. Sunday, we grabbed breakfast at McDonalds and not long after he headed out. It was nice.

Now, it's Monday and you might have noticed I'm not as cheerful as I usually am. I dunno what it is, but I'm not feeling so great today. I'm snuggled up on the couch and thinking about some stuff that I need to start doing. This week is a bit of chaos so I"m not doing any sort of real meal plan. But, I'm still going to do a basic one that I can pull ideas from.

Monday - Ravioli (leftovers from Friday)
Tuesday - Mac n Cheese w/ tuna & peas
Wednesday- Soup
Thursday- Grilled Ham & Cheese
Friday- McDonalds treat for boys (if finances will allow it)
Saturday- Homemade Pizza
Sunday- Eggs, Toast & Sausage

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Friday, October 2, 2009

Finish It Friday

2:19 PM 1 Comments
It's Friday! Wow! Where the heck did the week go? I coulda sworn that yesterday was Monday or something. Yet, here it is Friday already. I have company coming for the weekend (yes, for the 2nd weekend in a row. no, my house isn't much more ready than it was last weekend!) and in theory, he ought to be already on the road, but I haven't heard a peep from him.

I'll admit that I'm a tad nervous about having him here. While he, at times, has been a really good friend, he can also be on the judgmental side and that sure can ruin a fun weekend. Well, I'm going to think positive and just know right now that we're going to have a nice weekend catching up.

So, the real question is..what am I finishing today? I'm going to be flat out honest and say I haven't the slightest idea. I'm not totally sure when he'll get here, so I don't want to pull out or start working on a big project just to have to abandon it midstream...so my big plan for today is to just putter around and do what I can do. My Finish It plan for the weekend includes getting that a/c unit out and put away so if we need to, we can turn on that furnace! I've been putting it off because a) a/c unit in the window means cold air leaking in/warm air leaking out and b) I am nowhere near ready for the winter heating bill. All this being said though, it is currently 63 inside this house and I slept in a scarf last night. Let's hope that getting that a/c unit out and that window closed helps with that!

Well, I'm off to haul the recycling out to the curb. They only pickup once every two weeks so I don't want to miss it! My bin is overflowing as usual. I need to ask about getting a 2nd bin. We try to recycle as much as we can. Take care and be sure to sign the MckLinky and/or leave me a comment, letting me know what you're finishing today!

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Thursday, October 1, 2009

Time for Me Thursday

6:49 PM 0 Comments
Wow...the day is nearly done! Today has just been one of those days where nothing has gone as planned. Not a darned thing. I went to take some boxes to the barn and the cat jumped out through the torn screen. I chased him around the neighborhood for a good 20 minutes. It was a total game for him. When I finally said to heck with it, come home when you want and walked away, he turned around and started to follow me back to the house. Course he wouldn't let me grab him to bring him inside! Geez! That kind of exercise was not on my list!

I also tore my jeans, discovered my old doctor is not taking new patients so his office doesn't know if he'll take me back and did I mention that the house is like 63 inside? Brrrr! I don't want to turn on the furnace until I get the a/c unit out of the window, which will hopefully happen this weekend. Until then, I'm wrapped up in a blanket and drinking hot drinks.

So...what am I doing for me today? I'm giving up on the day, deciding that perfection won't happen and I'm going to work on just enjoying the rest of my day! How about all of you?

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