The Weekend in Reviews (and Pictures)

The only reason why we ask other people how their weekend was is so we can tell them about our own weekend. ~Chuck Palahniuk

We had a really gorgeous weekend (well... it rained Saturday evening into Sunday morning, but we needed it). I didn't do a lot of gardening, but I did do a lot of walking. Thought I might have overdone it yesterday (had some knee pain) but as soon as I stopped and sat, it went away and it feels fine this morning. YAY.

Lots of bulbs are blooming here -- wish they were thicker, but we're still recovering from the Cunning Voles of Doom from a couple years ago.

We have grape hyacinths

My photo:



DD's artsy-fartsy photo:



Daffodils:

My photo:



DD's artsy-fartsy photo:



And these purply-blue things that I don't know what they are

My photo:



DD's artsy-fartsy photo:



I also found the way to alleviate her pack-ratish tendencies: pay her to discard. Yep! I paid her $1 / bag -- to give away or throw away. Also, for books she no longer wants, the donated ones she earns $$, the good ones that go to the UBS I buy her credit, and then her reading books from her homeschool curriculum will go online at eBay and we split the profit (I get some for my time ... I hate listing on eBay).

She wants to start collecting Breyer Traditional sized model horses (she's been doing the Classic size), but they're significantly more expensive, so she's trying to earn money wherever she can.

And her room is getting cleaner by the hour. :-D

How was your weekend?

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You Are a Black Leather Jacket

You are a simply happy person. You feel fortunate to have so much light and laughter in your life. You are sometimes unprepared, and you're fine with that. You prefer to remain open and flexible. You know how to have a good time. You have something to smile about every day. You are good at getting people to let loose. You are the fun one in your group.

What Color Leather Jacket Are You?

This is so far from correct it's amazing ...

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Monday Meandering

Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer, when they complained about the heat. ~Author Unknown

I've been reading online about how folks down south (like Tori and Brandy) got snow this weekend and just have to laugh. Here I sit, only a few hours from the Canadian border and ... nothing. Forget global warming, I think our poles are shifting...

It's been clear and quite cold. There is ice on the sides of the road and on my lawn, making it nearly impossible to give Dakota any exercise. She was bouncing off the walls this weekend, so yesterday morning, we decided to crash the Sunday agility class and get her some exercise.

It was fun -- I got to see some folks I hadn't seen in a really long time. Dakota had a hard time focusing (so did DD who was running her), but we still accomplished what we'd come for. She was at least a little tired when we left.

Today, I'm starting to really follow FlyLady. I need to focus and get done what needs getting done, and her system is really great. For Monday, she has what's called "home blessing".

From the FlyLady website:

On Mondays, The Weekly Home Blessing hour is the time FlyLady spends blessing her home. No detailed cleaning required; vacuum the middle of the floors only! The time on this can depend on the size of your home, could take less than an hour or more than an hour but on average about an hour. Set your timers and have fun - you are blessing your home and family!

FlyLady sets her timer for 10 minutes to work on each of 7 ways to bless your home:

Vacuum
Dust
Quick Mop
Polish Mirrors and Doors
Purge magazines/catalogs
Change Sheets
Empty all trash cans

Easy enough (except the quick mop ... when you have pets, you can't just mop the floor... too much hair). I'm going to do it in reverse order so I can get the garbage outside for the garbage guys to pick up, and I don't have magazines or catalogs to purge, so that's one less thing.

I'm kinda excited to clean my house. How weird is that?

Happy Monday all!

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You Are Compassion

You are not a petty person. You truly want the best for people, and you feel empathy for them in their struggles. You believe that we are all interconnected. When someone is happy, it makes you more joyful. You believe that you have gained a great deal of freedom from not judging others. You don't believe that anyone should have to suffer. It pains you to see others living a hard life.

Which of the Four Divine States Are You?

Hmmm... yeah, mostly, I guess...

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Cleaning, Pillars and Win a Book!

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. ~Charles W. Eliot

Read on to find out how to win a hardback book...

The weather has been quite nice out here lately -- still warm but far less humid and bearable. Unfortunately, now Dakota is a bit under the weather (on our first walk of the day yesterday, she plodded sedately at my side the entire way. Dakota is seldom sedate), so we haven't enjoyed it as much as we might have.

I have done quite a bit of weeding, so that's something. And, yes, I actually enjoy weeding. It really makes me feel like I've accomplished something. I can look at the results and feel good about it.

Speaking of which, I've been watching the show "Hoarding: Buried Alive" which is a bit like a car accident that you can't look away from. But, every time I watch a show, it inspires me to clean and purge my stuff. This week, I gave DD (who has shows a frightening tendency to be a hoarder -- she attaches memories and emotion to everything she owns, including trash. She had used tissue paper crumpled up and stuffed away in a drawer that she didn't want to throw away because it came from a gift "Grandma gave me.". I want to get her a new comforter for her bed. The one she has is eight years old, torn and has some stains. "I love this comforter, I don't want a new one, I'll feel awful if you get rid of it." Oy.) ... so I gave her a paper grocery bag, sent her to her room and told her not to come out until it was full of stuff to give away or throw away.

Then I did the same thing. To look at our house, you wouldn't think we have that much stuff to get rid of. My house is pretty well clean and uncluttered (my DH is a neat freak -- I fall somewhere between DH and DD, lol). Still, I found plenty to fill my bag.

We went to Goodwill yesterday and donated four bags of stuff and DD's old bike (that was amazingly painful for her, but she managed), and then a bag of books to the library. It felt WONDERFUL.

I'm also purging my own bookshelf, and thought I'd offer some to you folks if you're interested. I'll give away at least a book a week (sometimes more depending on what I find) and I'm only giving away books that are new or like new.

So ... today I'm offering a hardback copy of "Kiss Me While I Sleep" by Linda Howard.

Here's the blurb:

Efficient and unapologetic, Lily Mansfield is a hired assassin working as a contract agent for the CIA. Her targets are the powerful and corrupt, those who can't be touched by the law. Now Lily is playing a deadly, unauthorized game, seeking her own vengeance, compromising her superiors and endangering her life. Fellow CIA agent Lucas Swain's orders: either bring her in or bring her down. Yet he too is drawn into the game with Lily Mansfield, dancing on a tightrope, trying to avoid a major international incident while battling a tenacious foe dogging their every step. Vigilantly watching her back, Lily doesn't see the lethal peril directly in her path . . . or that loyalty has a price.

If you want this book, just leave me a comment -- you can say other stuff too, but mention that you'd like to throw your name into the hat. I'll draw a winner Sunday and announce it on Monday.

Good luck!

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In Pillar Place: Monarch, Omicron hatched. Another boy, apparently shy because I had a terrible time getting a picture, and I never did get a really good one:




We have well over a dozen pillars who have started cooking in their chrysalis', and another many who are still eating like pigs. Yesterday, I found yet another egg (unbelievable!), so we're up to "V" in the hurricanes (we named the one before Ulysses, because they don't have a U hurricane name, and the last egg is Virginia, because their name -- Virginie -- was too weird).

I imagine things will be fairly quite over the next week or so, but they we're going to be buried in butterflies (there are worse things *G*).

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You Are Alive and Energetic

You are most comfortable when you are mixing things up a little bit. You like novelty in small doses. You are drawn to harmony and compassion. You value commonalities over differences. You have a deep and interesting inner world. Your thoughts are vivid and interesting. You believe that if you look closely enough at people, you can appreciate them more... flaws and all.

The Ocean Test

About 75%...

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Attack of the Killer Pollen

“I used to wake up at 4 A.M. and start sneezing, sometimes for five hours. I tried to find out what sort of allergy I had but finally came to the conclusion that it must be an allergy to consciousness.”
James Thurber

I'm so incredibly glad I don't suffer from allergies, because the pollen lately has been nuts! A heavy layer of yellow coats everything, indoors and out. On Sunday, I'd mopped upstairs in the schoolroom (DD had spilled some grape juice and tried to get it up, but had missed some spots) and expected the mop to come up purple or brownish ... but it was bright yellow.

I swore right then to declare war, because while I may not have allergies, my DH does and DD has been complaining of severely itchy eyes the past few days.

Yesterday I spent hours and hours: sweeping, mopping, dusting, wiping things down. I did the entire downstairs, moving EVERYTHING and even wiping the tops of the cupboards. I shook out and washed all the throw rugs, vacuuming the furniture and lampshades and blinds. The saddest thing, though, is that it doesn't LOOK all that different. After so much work, I wish I could sit back and SEE the change.

Still, based on the number of rags I went through and pads for my Steam Shark (all of which were YELLOW) and how many times I dumped dustlike particles out of the vacuum, I know I accomplished a lot.

Now, if I could just get the car to stay clean for more than five minutes ... it's wearing a coat of yellow dust, too.

Ugh.

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I was going through some old pictures yesterday and stumbled across my drama ones. Here's a funny for you -- me at seventeen (and the guy from whom I'd get my first onstage kiss)!



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You Are Civilized

You are mild mannered and even a bit shy at first. It takes a while for you to come out of your shell. You are conscientious and savvy. You enjoy the healthy things in life. You are a person of complex taste. You like how different elements go together. No one would describe you as boring. You have a fresh and interesting outlook.

The Taco Test

Blogthings: Cheaper Than a Therapist

Pretty close!

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Tightwad Tuesday: Take Care of It

A man builds a fine house; and now he has a master, and a task for life: he is to furnish, watch, show it, and keep it in repair, the rest of his days. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I've got a great suggestion on how to save money: take care of the things you have!!

Save on paint: don't let your kids draw or put stickers on their walls.

Save on clothes: Have two sets -- play/work and regular stuff.

Save on furniture: Keep it clean and don't abuse it ("No more monkeys jumping on the bed!).

Save on home repairs: Regular maintenance of anything and everything will keep you from having to replace it, which is a far more costly endeavor.

I've mentioned in the past that my DH is a bit of a neat freak. I've had to adapt my clutterbug self in order to promote at least some harmony in our house. I'm also a bit of a freak about order and organization, and so my heart sang when I discovered FLY LADY.

Some of you have most likely seen her site or her books. She is a woman after my own heart (though I will say that I don't wear shoes in the house, only slippers or socks, or I go barefoot). She has a control journal that tells you when to clean certain areas of your house, and hints on making it easy to KEEP the place clean.

I'll say it again: if you take care of your things (and this includes cleaning them and putting them away properly), you won't have to replace them as often.

Check out Fly Lady. See what you think. I'm telling you -- her Fling Boogies are addictive.

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A general note: Tightwad Tuesday is going to change to a once a month posting after today. I should probably think of a new name... hmm... any ideas?

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You Are Not Messy

You're so clean, people have accused you of being a clean freak! You like things tidy, organized, and smelling fresh. Messes drive you crazy, especially when you didn't make them. It's hard for you to live with a slob - or someone who leaves their dishes in the sink.

Are You Messy?

Monday Morning Meme and Much More!

When buying a used car, punch the buttons on the radio. If all the stations are rock and roll, there's a good chance the transmission is shot. ~Larry Lujack
First off...

LASR is having a poll for the Best Book of 2008. In the running are all books and stories that rated a "best book" (except one category which had none -- we used five books for that). Please click here to vote!

And next...

I'm in the author spotlight at LASR. The woman who was supposed to be received some very bad news regarding a furry family member and wasn't able to participate, so Judy asked me to jump in at the last minute. If you've ever wondered where I got the ideas for some of my books and stories, then check out the spotlight. As an added bonus, just for playing you're eligible to win ANY of my eBooks.

Now, onto the Monday Morning Meme:



1. When was the last time you vacuumed out your car? How often do you wash your car? Do you wash it, or do you run it through a car wash service? How much money do you generally spend to wash your car?

It's probably been a month or two since I vacuumed. I tend to do it more frequently in the warmer months because, after all, who wants to be out in the garage when it's 15 degrees?? It's in desperate need though, and bothering me enough that I'll probably brave the cold to take care of it very soon. My vehicle is washed when it needs it. In the summer, we wash it in the driveway, but in the winter I use a car wash. My DH will wash HIS car in the driveway in the middle of a snowstorm, but I'm just not up for that!! I typically use the wash where you spray it off yourself ... so $2.75, but now and then I just don't feel like it and will run it through the "touch free" wash up the road for $8. Yes, I'm a crazy woman... :-)

2. What kind of car do you drive? What color is it? Do you like your car? How long have you had it? Is it reliable? Would you recommend it to a friend? If money were no object, what car would you buy for your family? Now, which car would you buy for yourself? Do you have an opinion about people who drive expensive cars? (Jealous? Disgusted? Curious?)

I drive a 1992 Toyota 4Runner. It's (unfortunately) red ... but when you buy used, you don't get a lot of color choices, lol. We opted to worry about how it ran, not what color it was. It's VERY reliable and I love it. We bought it with 175,000 miles on it (yes, really) and it now has about 250,000 miles and still runs like a champ. DH is starting to make noises about replacing it, though (when the noises start, it usually takes a year or two), and I'm sad. I love my truck. We'll probably replace it with another 4Runner -- but the main issue for me is this: I prefer to drive a manual transmission, and they stopped putting them in the Runners after 1992 or 1993. I do NOT like automatics, especially when driving in the snow. But, sadly, I may not have choice. So, would I recommend it? Absolutely. And -- my truck gets as good, if not better, gas mileage than most cars, so how can I complain?

As far as expensive cars? If people want to throw their money away, I suppose it's their business. If I had all the money in the world, I wouldn't buy a Jag ... I'd probably still buy Toyota. Maybe I'd splurge and go for a Lexus, lol. But that's about it.

3. What’s the biggest thing on your mind right this moment? Why is this issue so important to you at this time?

The biggest issue on my mind right now is how to fix things so my mom and I live closer again. I worry because her move to California didn't work out like she'd planned and she is, for all intents and purposes, alone. While she's certainly not infirm or on death's-door, she's still 75 y.o. and I worry. We are trying to work things out logistically, but in the meantime, I worry constantly. And, I miss her.

4. Have you ever cried when hearing about the death of a celebrity? If so, who? And if so, why? Who was the last celebrity you remember feeling sorry for? Why? Pick one celebrity you would miss if he/she were to die. Why this person?

I balled like a baby when Karen Carpenter died. Yes, I really did. When I found out, I shut myself in my room and played all my Carpenters albums and sobbed. The last person whose death made me cry was probably Steve Irwin's, though. That was awfully tragic, and I was especially sad because he left behind his wife and two babies.

A celebrity I would miss if he/she were to die? That's tough... I think, anymore, I miss the "greats" who die. We don't really have movie stars like we used to: the Jimmy Stewarts and John Waynes, the Katherine Hepburns and Bette Davis's, do we?

I suppose I'd be VERY sad if one of my fave authors died. Yo, Nora, take care of yourself, you hear?

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Puppy Peculiarity and Merry Christmas Eve

Once again we find ourselves enmeshed in the Holiday Season, that very special time of year when we join with our loved ones in sharing centuries-old traditions such as trying to find a parking space at the mall. We traditionally do this in my family by driving around the parking lot until we see a shopper emerge from the mall, then we follow her, in very much the same spirit as the Three Wise Men, who 2,000 years ago followed a star, week after week, until it led them to a parking space. ~Dave Barry

So, I shared my cat's weird behavior yesterday. It's only fair I share the puppy's.

She loves shoes.

No, not in the way you might think. She doesn't chew them or anything. She sleeps on them.

Yep.

She is, even as I'm writing this, curled up on a pile of shoes by the door. She's especially fond of snow boots. DH won't let us leave jackets on the floor for her anymore, says she'll have to get used to NOT having them to sleep on. So maybe she's simply transferred her affection. So, now, when we can't find her, we just look for shoes.

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I cleaned like a maniac yesterday. And baked, though not as much as I wanted to. I got two kinds of cookies done, and two kinds of fudge. I just flat ran out of steam. But, I've done enough. Today, I have to clean my bathroom. And wipe down the counter in DD's (she used cleanser to clean and there is this lovely white residue on everything).

Then Christmas. I'll be glad when it's over. It's been a rough year this year. I emailed my mom and told her how weird it would be for me this year to be the child who called her on Christmas. I can't remember the last time I wasn't around her at Christmas-time. Even when she didn't live with me, I went over to her house.

**sigh**

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One of my favorite renditions of "Mary Did You Know":



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You Are 54% Misanthropic

You're somewhat misanthropic, but you're not willing to write off the human race (yet!). There are a few people you like, and even them you like at a distance.

How Misanthropic Are You?

Christmas Prep -- Or Drugs For Cats

Cats seem to go on the principle that it never does any harm to ask for what you want. ~Joseph Wood Krutch

Yesterday, I was using bleach along the edges of my linoleum (does yours get a little dirty line where the mop doesn't get to... the edge all around the kitchen? Tell me I'm not alone...) and I noticed my cat behaves very oddly when confronted with a bit of bleach.

She rolls in it. And then she rolls around near it. And sniffs where it used to be after I've cleaned it up. I ended up having to lock her in the spare bedroom while I scrubbed it with an old toothbrush. And then, when I let her out? She made a mad dash to the spot and sniffed and rolled again.

Who needs catnip? Sheesh.

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Yesterday at dusk, I was outside with the puppy letting her pee and run around a little. I considered letting her off her leash so she could really run around -- she always comes back because she has learned that I keep dog food in my pocket and every time I call her, I feed her. She's no dummy.

Anyway... just about the time I decide to let her off her leash, a huge owl flies over and lands in a tree branch nearby. I've seen him in the backyard before, and we also have a pair of hawks who nest somewhere close (though I haven't seen them in a while... do hawks migrate?).

I look at the owl... then at Dakota who, though having grown tremendously, is still a little bugger. Then back at the owl, who I swear was licking his chops. And I was grateful I hadn't let her off her leash.

Eventually, she'll be too big for those birds of prey, but not yet.

Sometimes it's cool to live in the boonies. Sometimes, not so much.

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And... another random quiz:

What You Know About Your Guy: Practically Everything

You have gotten to know your man really well From his hopes and dreams to favorite things... You definitely have enough info to figure out if he's *the* guy In fact, you may know him a little better than you know yourself

How Well Do You Know Your Man?

Saturday Sunshine

A snowflake is one of God's most fragile creations, but look what they can do when they stick together! ~Author Unknown

If only the sun was hot enough to melt the snow. I took pictures yesterday, because it really was quite pretty -- and I managed to get the photos done prior to my DH driving the snowmobile all over the lawn, so it looks relatively pristine (not so anymore). It'll be sunny again today, and they're expecting rain (RAIN! Woot!) tomorrow since we're having a heat wave (a high of 44 degrees -- so warm, my DH suggested we let the wood stove go out, LOL).

Today, I have to work on some deep cleaning. Scrubbing of the floors and the bathrooms. Shampooing the carpet. DD will get the job of wiping down the doors, door knobs, lightswitch covers, windowsills and heater vents.

Fun times at my house. Wanna come over?

Tommorow, since it will be gloomy and wet, we'll do the baking--snickerdoodles, thumb-print cookies and cake mix cookies are all planned. I might make some sweet bread as well (pumpkin or squash). We'll see. I'm also considering some homemade dog treats for Dakota.

DD and I realized that she has NOTHING under the tree for her daddy, so we're heading to WalMart (UGH... on the last Saturday before Christmas, yikes!) this morning. I'll pick up some Fluff and sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips while I'm there and make fudge. Yeah, baby. That sounds like a GREAT idea.

How are holiday preparations coming at your home?

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Today's random quiz:

Your Mood is a 4

You're feeling a little down, but not totally bummed out. Your mood is on the low side of average.

How Does Your Mood Rate?

That's pretty much right on the mark. You?