Rainy Days and Mondays

Talkin' to myself and feelin' old
Sometimes I'd like to quit
Nothing ever seems to fit
Hangin' around
Nothing to do but frown
Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down.
- ROGER S. NICHOLS, PAUL H. WILLIAMS

Yes, it is raining. It rained all day yesterday. And our long range forecast is predicting rain every day but one for the next seven days. Fun time.

Sorry about the prolonged absence, though all of you with Blogger know that the stupid thing was down Thursday and most of Friday. Worse, when they did the "fix" on Friday, it deleted everything done Wednesday night forward. So, even though I *could* have posted on Friday, I had to do massive damage control on the LASR/WC site... all our reviews, our guest blogs, our spotlights -- ALL had to either be recreated or retrieved from draft.

Nope, I was not a happy camper. Which has led me to dusting off a PHP / Java / MySQL computer book and sending myself back to school. We hope to get all the LASR/WC stuff off blogger and onto a dynamic website over the next few months. We're actually planning some pretty massive changes so if I disappear, it's because I not only have to learn an entire computer language (well... three, actually), but also need to reimagine and rebuild the site.

I can't believe I did this on purpose.

However, I did have a wonderful Friday. The weather was GORGEOUS: warm and sunny. And, since there was rain on the forecast until June (that's only a slight exaggeration), I decided to put in my veggie garden.

We planted 24 tomato plants, 21 cucumber plants (yes, I really DO want pickles this year!), 4 butternut squash plants, 3 yellow summer squash plants, 3 eggplants, and uncountable pea and bean seeds. DD already planted carrots and I have my lettuce growing. I forgot to pop in my chard seeds, so I'll do that today.

We ran out of steam on Friday, so didn't put my "weed block" (i.e. newspaper covered with straw or grass clippings -- it all breaks down into compost eventually, but BOY does it do wonders for the weeds) down until Saturday.

Unfortunately, Saturday was cool and overcast and DD and I got eaten alive by mosquitoes.

In any case, the garden is in and happy. The flowers are blooming. I really, really love spring (and summer). I am just not a winter person at all.

Want a tour?

Here's the garden from in front (see the woods? Is it any wonder I have to fight deer?):



And from the side:



My rhubarb is crazy -- I wish you could use it for more, because I always have about ten times what I need, and end up throwing it away:



DD's little garden:


I swear, there are plants there! Here's my squash plant -- you can see my super professional weed block:



DD took a tour around the flower garden, too... here's a sample:

English daisies:



Our peach tree:


Wild blooming dogwood:


Rhododendron:


Bleeding Heart:


Mountain Laurel (from our woods):


Grape Hyacinth:


Creeping Phlox:


There are tons more flowers -- I love flowers -- but I won't bore you :-)

How was your weekend?

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You Are Dominant

You like to put yourself to the test. You don't feel alive unless you feel challenged. People usually totally love you or totally hate you. You are extremely intense. You are a little demanding. You know what you want, and you're not about to settle. You have a very strong personality. You don't tone it down for anyone.

The New Hair Color Test

As a funny ... that's actually not a "new" hair color -- it's what I have now. I didn't like the others (if they'd had a real auburn, I'd have chosen it -- but that "purple" auburn is ugly). AND... this is really pretty much true... guess I have the right hair color for me?

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The X Factor

Books are delightful society. If you go into a room and find it full of books - even without taking them from the shelves they seem to speak to you, to bid you welcome. ~William Ewart Gladstone

What "grabs" you about a book? What makes a book the kind of story you can't put down? Can't stop thinking about when you have to close it?

That's something that I've been wondering about for myself lately. I've been trying, and failing, to find new books that interest me. I've picked up dozens, opened and started to read only to lose interest quickly and put them away. One I tried is by an author I usually love and I know why I stopped reading this one: the story starts with the H/H in love and then the hero discovers that the heroine has lied to him about something.

I know they're going to find their way back to trusting each other again, but that isn't the point. Oddly, I wouldn't mind having them at odds in the beginning if they weren't ALREADY in love. It's the destruction of their relationship I can't stand to watch. I'm not sure what to do about this book because it's part of a series, and I feel as though I need to read it. I guess I'll just have to wait until I can handle the sadness I'll feel.

But the other books? I'm not sure why I haven't been able to read them. It's been discouraging, and I finally started hitting my 'keeper' shelf instead.

Yesterday, though, I got an ARC for the LASR site. I usually pass them on to my reviewers, but this was from a very well known author I've never read before, and the review is actually due ASAP, so I thought I'd give it a try. I wasn't that hopeful, to be honest, since I'm apparently in a reading slump, but I figured it wouldn't cost anything if I hated it.

I didn't. I loved it. I didn't want to stop reading even when I was completely exhausted. I'm not sure what grabbed me, though. It didn't start with a huge bang, though it is a suspense book. But whatever it was... I wish I could bottle it.

I'm not teasing you when I say I can't tell you what book it is -- since I'm going to review it for the site, and I HAVE to stay anonymous, I can't share. But assuming the book continues as it starts, I know now why the author is so popular.

What do YOU think gives a book that "X" Factor? What pulls it from just okay to amazing?

What books can you recommend to me that you think have that? Because I'd sure love to populate my Nook with some great books.

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You Get Your Point Across by Thinking

To the outside world, you seem to move at a snail's pace. You contemplate everything. You are detail oriented, and you take things one step at a time. You are very accurate. You tend to formulate ideas and make decisions alone. Once you're done, you're ready to talk to others. You work best alone and at your own pace. You have a quiet and low key way about you.

How Do You Get Your Point Across?

About 75% right.

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Tuesday Traipsing

"Joy is the simplest form of gratitude." - Karl Barth

Finally got my last crit (of sorts) on "Now and Forever" ... and a couple things are clear. I need to work a LOT on the ending (which I knew) and a couple more scenes need to be added (though I haven't a clue what they will be). *sigh*

This writing thing is WORK. *G*

Speaking of, I gave a shout out to Maria Zannini yesterday about her interview with my old editor, but I was a slacker on mentioning that she has an awesome new fantasy romance release out from Carina Press called "Apocalypse Rising". Though it's the second in her series, it's written to stand alone (though you could always just buy the first book, too: "Touch of Fire" from Samhain Publishing).

If you're a fantasy fan, I'm betting you'll thoroughly enjoy her books.

Yesterday, Brandy asked (in comments): Are you buying items you regularly use if you have a coupon, or are you buying items that you haven't used before because you have a coupon?

Before I started watching "Extreme Couponing", I would idly go through the coupons and clip two or three for items I buy anyway and then use them the next time I went to the store. Yes, I saved my $.075 or whatever, but what I've learned since then has been two-fold.

First: I really don't have a lot of brand loyalty. I'll use Colgate or Crest or Aim or whatever for toothpaste (and toothbrushes ... OralB or Reach or Colgate -- it's all the same to me).

Second: You never, never, EVER use a coupon on a regular priced item. You combine them with sales.

What this means to me is that I clip about 90% of the coupons in the flyers now. There are some things I know I'll never use (allergy medicine, contact solution, diapers, denture adhesive, etc) so I skip those, but if it's something I *might* use, out it comes. They're organized by type of item (Food, personal care, household cleaning, pet, etc) first and then by specific item (toothpaste, canned vegetables, laundry soap) and THEN I paperclip brands together (all my Colgate toothpaste coupons, all my Tide coupons). Though many couponers recommend NOT clipping, I can't rely exclusively on the websites to tell me what date of flyers goes with what sale. It's just easier for me to compare flyers to my coupons. PLUS, there have been times I've been out shopping and stumble across an unadvertised sale (like the Ken's Dressing at Shaws) and if I didn't have my coupons clipped (and with me), I'd miss out.

So, Brandy, long story short? I spend a few hours a week perusing the sales flyers for our three local grocery stores and our three local drugstores for sales and compare it to my coupons. If it's something I think I'll use (I'm going today to Walgreens and getting two big bottles of Listerine for $0.50 after coupon ... I don't usually USE Listerine, but at that price I just might give it a try *G*) and it's a good price (like a few cents or free), I pick it up. In a pinch, if I have to use a different brand of sanitary napkins or toilet paper than I usually do, it's okay.

Right now, I'm still having to buy some things at full price because I haven't been doing this that long. But, as time passes and my coupon supply AND my supply of goods expands, I expect that to end. So, yes, I buy things I may not need right away (I bought six bottles of dish soap the other day ... it'll take me a while to go through it, but I have room to store it so why not buy it when it's almost free?).

Still, I'm not like the ladies I saw on the show... one who has something like 75 things of diapers and NO kids. Or the lady who has hundreds of cat treats, but no cat (they paid her to buy them -- $0.05 per each to take them out of the store after coupon). I *hope* those ladies donate their goods to a local women's shelter and animal shelter...

It can be time consuming, but I'm all about saving money. The sooner we have our house paid off, the sooner we have a decent amount in savings, the sooner my DH can quit working 70 hours a week at a job he hates and enjoy his life. So, it's worth a few hours a week.

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You Are Steady

You value your own opinion over the opinions of others. You know when you're right. You trust your intuition. So far it has a good track record of not leading you astray. You prefer logical to emotional appeals. You like well structured arguments. You are very clean and tidy. You take pride in taking good care of your possessions.

The Old-Fashioned Car Test

Um.. yeah. That's pretty spot on.

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Monday Again

Maria Zannini is interviewing my old editor, Deb Nemeth at her blog today. You should go check it out.

My weekend was quiet and though I'm not entirely out of my funk, I'm working on it.

I did do some couponing yesterday morning at Rite Aid and Walgreens.

At RiteAid, I got Carefree pantyliners free after coupon, Speed Stick deodorant for $.50/ea after coupon, and three packs of Irish Spring soap for $.75/ea after coupon.

At Walgreens, I got Mitchum deodorant for $.99/ea after coupon and granola bars for $1/box after coupon.

It was good.

Today we're going to hit Shaws grocery stores for Ken's Dressings (which we love). They're on sale for $1.99/bottle and I have a $1 off coupon. Yay us.

:-)

It's the little things in life that matter.

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Your Summer Vacation is London

You are pretty conventional when it comes down to it. You have mainstream tastes and interests. You're looking for something a little different to shake things up... but nothing too foreign. You consider yourself to be a normal person. You fit well into this world. You have high standards, and you are fair to everyone. Manners are important to you, even if that's old fashioned.

What's Your European Summer Vacation?

That's all true...

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In My Cave

Having one of those moments and when I have them, the best thing to do is hang out in my cave until it goes away. So ... I'm taking the day off blogging... will be back on Monday. Wishing you all a lovely weekend. Hope the weather is gorgeous for you!

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Your House is Ruled by Mars and Pluto

You don't feel comfortable in large crowds of any sort. You get overwhelmed and exhausted. You may seem quiet and withdrawn, but you're paying attention to every single thing around you. You are highly principled in your actions. Ethics guide every decision you make. You are service-oriented. You are willing to pitch in if it helps others.

What is Your House Ruled By?

Oddly, that's pretty close to right. Weird.

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Tick Tick

God in His wisdom made the fly
And then forgot to tell us why.
~Ogden Nash, "The Fly"

Today was pretty much a repeat of the day before, only it was raining. LOL...

Quiet (YAY!), routine (YAY!).

I did have some ickiness first thing in the morning. Found a tick on Dakota, pulled it and en route to the potty to dump it, DD finds another one. So, I dump tick #1 and return, pull tick #2, dump ... and DD finds another.

And another.

And another.

We pulled -- in total -- TEN ticks off the dog. By the time I was done, she was a quivering mass of canine jello. She was shaking, drooling and her tail was tucked so far between her legs she looked like she didn't have one. I felt terrible, but the ticks had to be yanked. She was well rewarded after :-)

Here's the problem. First, the flea and tick meds (like Frontline and Vectra) burn her skin BADLY. I've tried them all. Not to mention that there is some evidence that they can cause cancer (they are, after all, a pesticide that we're adding to their bloodstream. If it was totally safe, they'd recommend humans use it ... yes?). I've lost one dog to cancer and will do everything I can to NOT lose another one to the beast.

I've tried some of the natural remedies like essential oils (clove, lemon, etc) that are out there. They are a repellent, not a killer, but I've found that they have to be reapplied on an almost daily basis and they made Dakota stressed (she paces, drools and won't settle for hours after I apply them... even if I reduce the dose).

Normally, simply checking her for ticks works. But this year, they are especially bad, and apparently they're everywhere, including the lawn. DH and I have BOTH had ticks on us already this season, and we weren't hiking in the woods.

My next try is Skin So Soft. The smell is a little less obnoxious than the essential oils and I'm hoping it won't stress out the dog.

Ten ticks. :::shudders:::

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You Are Good

You have an ethical code that you live by. You think it's important to be a good person. You are idealistic, and you don't really care if your ideals are unrealistic. You are a complex and deep person. There are many layers to who you are. You seek meaning and purpose in every part of your life. An empty life terrifies you.

The Garden Test

That's mostly right.

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Calm Days and Couponing

“Life's a game, all you have to do, is know how to play it.” - unknown

Yay for quiet days!

We had a pretty uneventful day, yesterday. I am eternally grateful. When we're back into a routine, everyone is happier. Calmer. More peaceful.

I made someone laugh the other day at the dog park when I said I raised my daughter like I raised my dog (she said, "With a choke chain and a crate?"... lol... Okay, so maybe it wasn't EXACTLY the same!). For those of you who watch "The Dog Whisperer" you know that Ceasar is always saying that dogs need "rules, boundaries and limitations". Same with kids.

DD (and Dakota) were given rules, boundaries and limitations. Punishment for disobedience, praise and reward for observing those rules. As a parent, I did my best to be consistent and fair. Inconsistency confuses kids (and dogs). If one day they are allowed to do something and the next they're punished for it, they never know what's right.

I think having a routine is the same. It gives us parameters to how the day should be. And having those parameters makes people (me, at least) calmer.

Speaking of the dog park, I found that one of the ladies there works for Cigna (of the "Monarch Massacre"). She was talking about how "green" they are and was sharing all the green things they do ... so I brought up the field of milkweed, explained about the monarchs and asked if she knew who to contact about their mowing schedule. She did and was going to do it for me. I should find out this coming weekend at the dog park (assuming it doesn't rain) whether she was able to ask them to NOT mow until after the first hard frost. Hopefully there will be no Monarch Massacre this year.

On a fun note, I did my first foray into serious couponing yesterday. I'm not totally crazy -- I have no plans to go the the store and rack up a $1000 bill, then pay $9 for it at the end like the crazy coupon ladies on Extreme Couponing. I'm not going to buy what I don't need. And I don't have 70 hours a week to dedicate to it.

But ... for a few bucks, DD can clip coupons for me. It takes me 30 mins or so to sort through and keep the ones I'll use. Once or twice a week, I'll match them up to flyers, and hit the stores. I'm lucky that I have EVERYTHING in a fairly close radius: CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid are about two miles away. WalMart and Target are about five miles away. I have two grocery stores very close (soon to be three).

Here's what I brought home:



Here's what I paid at two stores:




That doesn't look THAT impressive, until you realize I got back $12 in certificates to spend on my next order. So, I paid in total $27 for $92 worth of stuff (a 70% savings). For a couple hours work. If I hadn't bought the paper towels (which were a good deal -- but still costly: $4.99 after sale and coupon) it would have been even more impressive. *G*

Today, I can get toothbrushes free after coupon at WalMart, and I have several coupons. So... go me. If I can cut our grocery / sundries bill in half, I'll be thrilled. I don't need to get everything for free, but cheap would be nice.

And don't worry, I won't bore you will all my shopping hauls... this was my maiden voyage, though, so I had to share!

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You Are Balanced

You are a peaceful and content person. You don't ask too much of yourself or those around you. You are confident and self-assured. You never try to be someone you're not - you believe that you are enough. You have a healthy skepticism about the world. You don't buy into a lot of mainstream values. You've found a better way to live - through deep reflection and understanding yourself.

Are You Bouncy, Bold, Behaved, or Balanced?

About 50% right.

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