3.31.2009

Wordless Wednesday - Peeking



Go here and here for more wordlessness.


3.28.2009

Sweet





3.27.2009

The Little Things

So often I find that there are things I just sort of ignore or blow off because they are, after all, just little things. However, God is showing me how it's really in the little things that the substance of my life comes to be. So what exactly are the little things?


Thinking that I can do a day of homeschool flying by the seat of my pants. Ha! Ha! That is absolutely ludicrous! I cannot sit down and relax once my kids go to bed, thinking this is time all for me. It is only free time for me if I've wrapped up the loose ends of the day - papers graded, tomorrow's plans ready to go, perused my day planner, etc.

Thinking that it doesn't really matter of the dishes aren't clean tonight. Of course, this totally goes against FlyLady's "shiny sink" system! The dishes don't magically get clean and I will be scrambling the next day to figure out when they'll get washed. I don't have to report to the boys where clean dishes are - in the cupboard or in the dishwasher, or worse yet, there are none! We'll be using paper this morning, boys. Besides, it really does make my morning SO much nicer to see a shiny sink in my kitchen.

Thinking that it's okay to pay the bills a day or two after the paycheck comes in. That's financial suicide. Every day when the money isn't managed, some portion of it (which increases exponentially every day) is flying right out the window at breakneck speed!

Thinking that one package of Little Debbie Swiss Rolls won't affect my weight loss efforts. Ha! That one little package came with its friends, the other five little packages and they feel terribly neglected sitting in the cupboard without their friend. Naturally, I feel sad for them and must eat them as well. Nothing like an extra 1,620 calories, 72 grams of fat (30 of which are saturated), and 156 grams of sugar over a few days!! Even just one little package is 6 points, for all you Weight Watchers folks out there! Good grief!

Thinking that some things are too little for God to be concerned about; that I don't really need to ask Him or seek His input because it's such a little thing. If God wasn't interested in little things would He know the number of hairs on my head? (That's saying something, because I have a LOT of hair.) Would He have formed all of creation so intricately and beautifully? Would millions of snowflakes be unique? Would bees fly?

Habits and character are all built one tiny little step at a time. Life happens one moment after another. It is far too precious and fleeting to think that little things don't matter. They are the building blocks of everything.




originally posted on 3/5/07

3.26.2009

The Rest of the Story

It felt a little funny putting pix of romance novels in ziploc bags on my blog with absolutely NO information. But it was Wordless Wednesday. Wordless, as in, NO WORDS. And I don't read romance novels, so that made it slightly awkward. There were a lot of questions about the books in the bags lying in the parking lot island, so here is the rest of the story.

While leaving the grocery store, I saw these books in ziploc bags sitting on the rocks on the parking lot divider. Naturally, my camera and I had to see what that was all about. I didn't get it at first, but upon reading the little pink label, realized it's a plan for recycling books. Apparently, when you've finished reading a book, you put it in a bag (for protection obviously), slap a label on it, and leave it somewhere public for someone else to pick up. Someone mentioned that it was a little ironic that people are essentially littering in order to recycle. Ha! Ha! Ha!



Of course, if I ever am in the mood for a romance novel, now I know where to pick them up. In grocery store parking lots. I'll file that away under really useful probably-won't-use information. If you want more details, go to the site on the label (book crossing dot com). They'll give you the whole scoop, not merely the condensed version.

Now you know. Go forth and enjoy your Thursday with slightly more knowledge than you had previously.


3.25.2009

I FOUND Them!!!

Okay, this will definitely bring out the age variance amongst those of you who read this blog.

Give a shout out if you remember these . . .


. . . .


. . . .



SPACE FOOD STICKS




Can you believe that I found them?!?! Two places where you can purchase a remake. Either here or here. They supposedly taste the same as the original. Or as close as humanly possible. I don't know, because I haven't tried them. But, oh man, I am SO ordering these.

My sister and I have talked about them a few times over the years. We sure loved these tasty treats. She's going to be SO surprised to discover that they exist. Again.

And to make your retro trip complete, here's the commercial that ran back in the 70's. Oh, and the scoop from the box:

The energy food developed by Pillsbury under a government contract in support of the U.S. Aerospace program. Balanced nutrition. 41 calories.





Don't you just want to run out and buy some? Or go click and order? Go for it! You have my permission. If you do? Come back and let me know what you think.

3.24.2009

Wordless Wednesday - Bored






For more wordlessness, go here and here.


3.22.2009

Spitting Fish

Hubby's surfing around on tv and he just paused at the Science Channel. They're currently highlighting the Archer Fish, which is AMAZING. This little fish has a very interesting hunting method for sustenance. It lines itself up under a bug on a branch hanging over the water and then SPITS at it. It shoots a concentrated beam of water up to 6 feet away with enough pressure to knock the bug off its branch!! LUNCH!

You can see a photo here or a video here.

I love the creativity and variety that God used to fill our planet!


3.19.2009

Little of This and Some of That

Today is Day 19 of the 40 Days of Water Challenge. Tomorrow marks the half-way point. In the beginning, I did very well drinking only water. Part way through, I waffled a bit. Yes, I found some excuses loopholes through which I stepped. But I am still drinking MUCH more water than ever. I need to update my little ticker up there, but I'm pretty sure I'll be able to hit $100 by the end of 40 days.

Both my massage therapist and chiropractor could tell a HUGE difference in my body because of the water. They've always encouraged me to drink more. And they always knew that my veins were pumping with Dr Pepper. I know, I know, water is a good and necessary thing. Even though I doubt I'll give up the DP and chai lattes for good, I intend to keep up with "much more water." It's cheaper, healthier, and just all around better.



Yesterday, I won a Wacom Bamboo from the awesome folks at Play With Pictures!! It's a pen tablet that you use with your computer (click the link for more info). I've wanted one of these for quite some time now, so I'm super excited about that. The timing could not have been better. The Comedian just turned 14 and got a digital camera for his birthday. He loves taking pictures (hmm...I wonder where he got that from?). Last week, I ordered a unit study on digital photography. As soon as that arrives, we'll incorporate that into our school days. I figure ClayGuy can use my point & shoot and we can have some fun, fun, fun.

Oh, so back to the Bamboo. My sweet friend, Dawn, turned me onto this crazy fun program called Play With Pictures. It's a simple way to do wild things like this:

You can even download a free trial copy for 15 days to check it out and see what you think (It's inexpensive if you decide to purchase because you love it so much. Which you will.). I know, you're probably saying, "Don't you already have Photoshop CS3?" Yes, I do. But this is just a super quick and easy way to truly play with your pictures. You don't have to know all the ins & outs of PS or anything highly technical. Just jump in and have some crazy fun. Well, the PWP people are having all kinds of fun contests. They've already given away a digital camera, IPods, the Bamboo tablet, and now they have two IPhones up for grabs in the Gadget Givewaway. If you'd like to enter, head on over to their blog for more details. Oh, and be sure to click on the link to Dawn's site and see her fun and creative designs with PWP.



We interrupt this regularly scheduled blog post for a PSA.

The Department of Redundancy Department really appreciates it when you continually use one word over and over and over and over and over without ever bothering to pick up or look up a thesaurus for something else. Therefore, the Department of Redundancy Department is very proud of this blog for using the word "fun" a total of seven times, yes, that's SEVEN, in the section.

Thank you for your time. We now return you to your blog post already in progress.



Speaking of photos, I'm still keeping up with my Project 365 - at least on the shooting side of things. The uploading and posting . . . well, I'm slacking a bit there. I'm in the midst of a bit of busy chaos (not to be confused with unbusy chaos?) right now, but I should be back on track shortly (famous last words. well, not really. here are more words. and a few more.)



Speaking of last words, we got a new game the other day which is "an uproarious way to have the final say!" (notice I didn't say it's fun) Guess what it's called? LAST WORDS. If you're a word person and can think on your feet (or quickly while sitting), this is a game for you. I picked this one up at Target, but I'm sure it's available at many other places. It's put out by Buffalo Games, those quirky people who create and sell all kinds of fun enjoyable and entertaining games.



Well, it's nearly Friday. Go forth and enjoy your weekend. Play a game. Shoot a picture. Play with pictures. Do something, er, FUN!!


3.17.2009

Wordless Wednesday - St. Patty's Reflections



More Wordlessness can be found here and here.


3.10.2009

Wordless Wednesday - Tulip



For more wordlessness, go here or here.


3.09.2009

Monday Miscellany

Brilliant title, isn't it? My astounding creativity just never fails to deliver.

Hubby is off today and tomorrow. Plus we didn't have any big plans over the weekend, so it's been nice having him home for a four day weekend. For me, Saturday and Sunday included going through the rest of my boxes of kitchen stuff. Although that also meant that I had to entirely reorganize my kitchen. It seems that when we first moved here (5 months ago), I just put some things away and that worked out fine. Except that there were at least a dozen boxes and totes in the garage -- with all the rest of my kitchen.

While it's not 100% done, it's about 90%, which is a huge relief. I actually have access to things I haven't seen in some time. I can grind wheat again. I can keep my tortillas warm. I can have a small glass of something to drink. And other such goodness.


Although there is this one shelf. The Shelf of Indecision. Sigh. That real estate could certainly be put to better use. But that would require me to make hard decisions. Which I will do. Eventually. It's partly motivation and frame of mind, though. When I'm in a hardcore get-rid-of-ALL-excess, it's much easier. Seems I'm a little soft right now. Here's the partial rundown:

1. My cobalt blue glasses. I love these glasses. I have 5 glasses and 3 stems. They're nothing fancy, but I've always loved them. However, if they live in my kitchen cupboard, I am the only one who uses them. And not all the time. Occasionally someone else comes to visit and uses one. But I can't bring myself to take up space in my very minimal kitchen cupboards to keep them there. Yet I really hate storing things that aren't used. Unless it's like my baby blanket, teddy bear, or high school yearbook. That's different. So. There they are.

2. These are the most fun Halloween mugs that my mom bought for the boys. They really love them, too. Although they have to be hand-washed. Which does detract from the fun factor. But they're cool and they're a gift and they're loved and they're big. Haven't decided if I'm willing to give up minimal cupboard space for them. I suspect the boys would be crushed if they went away.

3. The three mugs across the front were painted by the boys & me at a paint-it-yourself ceramics joint. August 18, 2003. Last day before school started that year. It's funny because when you look at each mug, you can see the personality of the artist. For many years, I used that mug every day for my iced chai latte at breakfast. Again, hand-wash.

4. This would be the tool caddy that I used for a long time. Until I got a Pampered Chef Tool Turn About. Which holds more and is more convenient. Although it does occupy more counter top space than the red caddy. And the red caddy totally goes with my kitchen when I have the whole red and white cherry thing going on. I haven't gotten there yet. I'm thinking maybe I could repurpose it (apologies to Antique Mommy . . . well, and me).

5. Vases. Three of them, to be precise. A big one for a lovely bouquet of flowers. From the garden or the store, it really doesn't matter. A medium vase for a small 2-3 flower bouquet. And a bud vase. I don't have flowers all that often. But if I don't have the vases, will I wish I did? Or would I just find something else to suffice? Good question that remains unanswered.

~~~~~~~~~

Sunday afternoon, I went over to hang out with Mom for awhile so Dad could run some errands. She just came home on Friday after a stint at the hospital with knee replacement surgery. We played some Scrabble and watched part of a movie. So that was fun. We'd been Scrabble-less for far too long. I won the first game and she won the second. I also got to photograph her tulips. Many times over.



~~~~~~~~~

That brings me to today. Now that the kitchen is 90% addressed, it's time to move on to the studio. Whenever I say studio, I think of Sussudio by Phil Collins. It's just how my brain works, what can I say? Taking a ride down my musical journey each day can be rather interesting. Anyway. We return to the randomness already in progress.

My awesome friend, the Gremlin Wrangler and her fam are coming for a visit next month. We'll be having a serious slumber party (Does that sound like an oxymoron to you? Maybe it's just me.) with 10 people in our house, which will be, like, total coolness. But I'm guessing that Carrie & Charlie would prefer sleeping in a room with actual floor space (there won't be much), and not sleeping on boxes. So I'm working like crazy to purge out some excess stuff. It's amazing the amount of accoutrement one can acquire when one has been rubber stamping and scrapbooking for thirteen years or so. Maybe not so much amazing as overwhelming. Once again, time to make the hard decisions and seriously pass on some stuff. That also brings me to a goal that I'm not doing very well with this year. USE WHAT I HAVE. Stop buying new supplies. It's different if there's something very specific I need for a layout, but I really have to start working on using what I already own. It's a good thing, I tell ya'.

I've made some pretty decent headway in here. Sussudio. Is it just me, or is that a very silly name for a song? Although I am noticing that it will probably be a little cozier for Mr & Mrs Wrangler than I first thought. Shhh. Don't tell her. Once she's here, she can't change her mind.

~~~~~~~~~

I should really learn to break all this randomness into multiple posts. Somehow neither my brain nor my life work that way, though. That would look something like . . . oh, I don't know . . . BALANCE. That ever elusive concept that dares not to grace my doorstep.

~~~~~~~~~

Speaking of scrapbooking (well, I was. awhile ago.), Lucy & I have been getting together every Friday and having ourselves some cropping fun. We made it to a crop at a local store one night and otherwise, have been working at our dining room tables. We used to crop regularly, but haven't done so in a few years. So it's been a good time, a time of accomplishment, and the kids love it, cause they all get to hang out together and play.

~~~~~~~~~

Well, I guess that's it. For now. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

3.07.2009

ABSee Photo Meme - D

Today's post brought to you by the letter letter d -



Dianne



3.06.2009

6th Day of Water

It's been easier and harder than I anticipated. As much as I'm known for my love of Dr Pepper, it's the iced chai latte at breakfast that I miss most of all. I also miss milk. I really do love milk.

Caffeine withdrawal symptoms have been varied.

Day 1:
I was fine all day. Drank plenty of water, wasn't sleepy, no headache.

Day 2: I had my SUPER tired day on Monday. Hardly able to function.

Day 3: The day was pretty good. Only tired a little in the afternoon.

Day 4: Twinge of a headache, bad muscle ache in my knees and thighs. I didn't know that muscle stiffness/soreness was a symptom. Ended up taking an epsom salt bath because my legs hurt so much.

Day 5: A little stronger headache twinge part of the day. Thighs hurt again. No time for a bath, so I used a hand massager. That seemed to help. By night time, they hurt a lot again, so I took another bath. When my legs hurt like that, I just want them to be as warm as possible, so following the bath, I sat in bed with the electric blanket on, while playing on the laptop.

Day 6: I still have a twinge of a headache today. I don't feel horrible, but I sure am dragging compared to my normal self. I'm highly unmotivated. In some ways I want to modify this plan. Stay off the soda, but allow myself chai and milk and tea. But then I think that'd be pretty lame of me. I'm also wondering if any of the muscle pain could be a result of decreased calcium and other milk goodness.

They (whoever "they" really are) say that caffeine withdrawal symptoms should last about a week. I'm hoping that this weekend, they will be dwindling away into nothingness. If not, modification may be in order. Or not. I'm such a harsh taskmaster. Only to me.




ps - notice the little ticker up there, keeping track of my savings? I put $100 as the total as a guesstimate. Who'd have thought? Five days into this and I've saved over $17?!? Wow. Even if I cave and modify this plan, which I probably won't. Or might. I'm so fickle. I'll still put in the same amount of money. The whole point of this is to help out others. I wouldn't want them to lack because of my weakness.

3.05.2009

Tell Me Thursday

I'd never heard of Tell Me Thursday until I received this comment on my Wordless Wednesday this week:

Ok, we're curious... we talked about you on the Tell Me Thursday podcast this week. Hope you'll tell us more!

This is a fun site because they decided they wanted to know more about true Wordless Wednesday posts. I think many of us have that desire, but these gals acted on it. They have a podcast where they talk about the posts and they list the links so you can go check them out. If yours is one of the links they've discussed, you do a new post explaining your photo, then go back and sign their Mr Linky. Now everyone can get the rest of the story.

Oh, I almost forgot. That means I need to post the rest of MY story. Ha! Ha!

We were playing cards with my parents and after my husband had unwrapped his Baby Bel cheese, he put the red wax halves on his eyes. Of course, his wife cried "photo op" and grabbed the camera. And the rest is . . . Wordless Wednesday and now Tell Me Thursday history.


It Doesn't Take Much

If you haven't been over to Gleaning the Harvest, I encourage you to check it out. Matt & Jacque Dixon began this ministry to fulfill God's call to His People to care for the widows and fatherless with their gleanings.

One really wonderful aspect of this ministry is that ALL the money donated goes to the families in need - right away. No donation is too small. If every person that visited the site donated even a DOLLAR, it would make an enormous difference in the lives of these families. I know that I can't always donate a large amount to organizations or causes, but we are still in a place where I can give a few dollars here and there. Instead of thinking that it's "not enough" or a puny little amount, I'm going to do it anyway. Hopefully other people will do the same, and together our little offerings will bless these families. Please consider joining me, even if it's just a little bit.


3.03.2009

Wordless Wednesday - Red Eyes



To see what others aren't saying, go here, here, and here.


3.02.2009

need. caffeine.

I'm happy to be doing the 40 Days of Water Challenge. I'm even okay living without Dr Pepper. You know, for the most part. Not that I wouldn't like to have some, but it's still okay. The part that's really hard? No chai for breakfast. Ergo, no caffeine.

Yesterday was just fine. I drank a LOT of water and didn't mind not having other beverages. Today? Not so much. I am a big old slug. A manatee. A woman without a drop of energy. Yes, I've eaten. Yes, I'm drinking water. Yes, I took a walk. Yes, I worked in the garden. But I am in desperate need of a second wind. Or maybe it would be the first. It's hard to homeschool when the teacher's half comatose. We were discussing Fallacy Detective this morning and I began speaking in mush. Plus my eyelids had anvils on them, pushing them shut. Not good at all.



I'm sure this will pass. I just hope it's soon. There's far too much to do around here for me to be marginally coherent. At least I'm not "mostly dead all day."


3.01.2009

Changing of the Guard

I'd like you to meet my morning BFF. This is the cup from which I have iced vanilla chai latte each and every morning with breakfast. A close look confirms that this is a very well loved and used cup. It was a birthday present from my parents about six years ago. Sometimes, your BFFs have to go sit on a shelf for awhile. Or for 40 days anyway.



Now I'd like you to meet my new BFF.









My new BFF even has a lovely, but dirty, blue jacket. Because the water? It must be cold. Very cold. If not colder.


This is the companion that will go where I go, quench my thirst, and bring refreshment. Not only that, it will provide for a donation to Blood:Water Mission's 40 Days of Water Challenge. It starts today. You can still join in. I dare you.

If you're wondering where the Dr Pepper container is, well, there really isn't just one. At home I use the red cups. When I'm out, whatever cup is provided by the cafe, restaurant, or gas station will suffice. At Mom & Dad's, the stemmed or polka dot glasses. Too many choices for photos.


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