The Tuesday Post Without A Title

Quiet, though busy day yesterday. Boiled a turkey for Dakota's meal -- and hopefully my next turkey will thaw by Thanksgiving! Did some last minute grocery shopping (bought two more turkeys ... yes, I really did) and felt like I was running around getting nothing done all day long.

DD has a Grandparents Day celebration at her school today. My mom will be going and taking here there. I'm so excited to have one less trip today! DD is off tomorrow through next Monday, so life will be out of routine again.

My friend, Michele, will be coming up with her family for the weekend following Thanksgiving, so I'll get to see her again! I'd thought the last time would be the last until spring, so this was a nice surprise.

Still no word from Samhain about my "Kitchen Matches" sequel ... I'm really starting to get both antsy and a bit nervous. *sigh*

Lexie is settling in very well. She's finally starting to spend a bit more time upstairs and is, as I write, laying sprawled in front of the wood stove. She's still being really good about not climbing on the counters and is seldom on the furniture (which I consider negotiable ... I'd rather she slept on the couch than on the dining table). She and Dakota are still working things out, but she's pretty much stopped smacking the poor dog in the nose whenever Dakota sniffs her.

Today will be spent finishing making Dakota's food (yes, it's a two day ordeal) and digging out my Christmas cards (yes, I do buy them the week after Christmas for the next year and then have to find them!). I like to get them mailed out right after Thanksgiving when possible.

I still refuse to start celebrating Christmas until after Thanksgiving. One holiday at a time works for me. I remember when I was little watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade so I could see Santa for the FIRST TIME EVER. He never showed up in shopping malls or anywhere else until after Thanksgiving. Now? Meh...

It's too bad.

Have a great day!

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You Learn by Teaching Yourself

There's very little you can't teach yourself. You are a huge self-learner. You don't have one learning style that works for you. You try everything that works. You experiment with learning and figure out what works best for you in each context. Your most important attribute is perseverance. Even when it feels like something is impossible to understand, you don't give up.

How Do You Learn?

Mostly right!

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The "S" Word

Sorry about missing yesterday... but I was totally blank. I'm not much better today, really, since I finally managed to drag myself out of bed at 4 a.m. (I've had my alarm set for 4 a.m. the past couple of weeks, but haven't actually managed to get my lazy self up until nearly five).

I need to get up earlier now because it's the start of hunting season, and DH has taken off the next two weeks starting with Friday. He's very, very good at filling my day with jobs, so if I'm going to do NaNoWriMo (and that still feels like a pipe dream to me, but I'm going to try) and get the rest of my usual work done, I need to give myself some extra time in the a.m.

We went to dog agility for the first time in a really long time last night. While I really do love going, it's gotten to be SO difficult with DD's school stuff. We had a great time, though, and Dakota was thrilled to see all her friends.

The weatherman said the "S" word. Yes, it's true, we might see some snow tonight and then again this weekend. Already! It usually doesn't snow until Thanksgiving or so. Granted, the ground isn't frozen, so it's not going to stick, but even so .... we're going from late summer weather to winter practically overnight. I swear it's getting to be two seasons anymore: summer, winter. Who needs spring and fall?

I need to dig out my flannel sheets. :::shivers:::

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You Are Oxygen

You are highly observant. No detail slips past you. You follow the rules - even if you don't particularly like them. Beyond being a good leader, you are good at inspiring others. You push everyone you know to be a little better. You are polite and courteous. You always mind your manners.

What Periodic Element Are You?

That's pretty much right.

Ramble, Ramble, Ramble....

I'm empty today, so I'm going to ramble a bit.

I do think I may have found one thing that will make life easier for me on the LASR site (it has to do with review request receipt, posting, tracking and issuance -- something that takes at least a couple hours a day). We're also planning a complete restructuring of the LASR site effective January 1, 2012 assuming I can find the time to actually do it.

DD was assigned a science project: freeze cold water, lukewarm water and hot water and find which freezes first. We started the project last afternoon and then promptly forgot to check hourly, so I Googled it this morning. Here's what I found out from Scientific American:

It all depends on how fast the cooling occurs, and it turns out that hot water will not freeze before cold water but will freeze before lukewarm water.

I'd wondered why they added "lukewarm" water to the test. Now I know. And, huh. Who knew?

DH and I had a lunch date planned for today (we've been having "date days" on Fridays -- his day off -- since DD has started school) but work decided they had to have a meeting at 11:30 today and he has to dial in. So, no date for us.

I found a Where's George bill a few days ago. I never remember to actually log my own cash in (yes, I have an account), but when I find them, I always put them in for tracking.

This one said: This bill has travelled 116 Miles in 2 Yrs, 188 Days, 10 Hrs, 6 Mins at an average of 0.13 Miles per day. It is now 116 Miles from its starting location.

The initial entry read this: My name is Isabella and I am four. My daddy is going to use this bill to buy gas on his way to work tomorrow.

It's interesting to see what happens to them.

That's about it for me. No big plans for the weekend... I'll probably spend most of it taking down my veggie garden and stacking wood. Ah, preparation for winter. Fun times.

Have a great weekend!

====================

You Eat Like a Conservative

You may or may not be a political conservative, but studies show you sure eat like one. You gravitate toward comfort foods and classics. And you don't waste your time with fancy food trends. You prefer to eat what's tried and true. You get annoyed with people who have hangups about what's healthy. Pass the mac and cheese, meatloaf, fried chicken, and apple pie. Your tastes are all-American as they come!

Do You Eat Like a Liberal or a Conservative?

Yep ... no Thai food for me thankyouverymuch...

==================

Yadda Yadda

You've got a lot of choices. If getting out of bed in the morning is a chore and you're not smiling on a regular basis, try another choice. ~Steven D. Woodhull

Not much to say today. Yesterday was busy but uneventful, and hopefully today will be the same. The dog is miserable with allergies: runny eyes, rash, and SUCH bad itchiness. I bought a pile of new medicated shampoos, tea tree oil and oatmeal spray, etc., that we'll try. I despise steroids with an all-consuming passion (which is what the vet suggested), so we're just going to have to stick it out until it freezes (which considering it got down into the 40s last night, might be sooner than later).

My garden is pretty well done -- the chipmunks are eating the few tomatoes I have before they even get more than a blush of pink on them, the cucumbers are doing their "fat butt" game where they are bitter and full of seeds, and the squash borers did a number on my summer squash. My eggplant never grew one blossom. The butternut squash is still going gangbusters, but the rest? Finis.

Six days until school starts, and I'm ready to go back to homeschooling.

I've decided that the stores have figured out that people are coming in to buy their loss leaders only and have quit offering the really amazing deals. I haven't done much couponing the last couple of weeks because the bargains just aren't there.

So are the days of my life.

You?

=======================

You Are as Laid Back as They Come

You are a risk taker. You love to roll the dice on everything. You are surprisingly easygoing. You like to keep everything as low-pressure as possible. You like to be in the middle of the action, although you don't purposely seek attention. You are an easygoing person who feels very comfortable about others.

The Park Test

Mostly right.

======================

Rambling

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. ~Anne Frank

Craziness abounds!

I spent yesterday working on book video creation. I've been inundated with requests to make them, which has been a "good news / bad news" thing. I skipped agility both nights to try to blast through the backlog and got several done. I still have seven more, but I'm getting there.

We're planning a massive overhaul of the LASR/WC site in order to make it better for the reader, but less labor intensive for us. The problem is, I need time for that and I'm so backlogged, I have none. But Judy and I would like at least a little of our lives back, so that's what we're working toward. Currently, if we're breathing, we're working and that's just a little crazy.

On a related note -- while most of the authors we work with are absolutely wonderful, occasionally we get a rotten apple. It's amazing how unprofessional some folks can be and it really makes working myself to the bone for nearly nothing a difficult task. It's sad how a few bad apples can spoil everything. But I'm so grateful for the 99.9% of authors who are just amazing.

My mom got to participate in one of DD's meltdowns yesterday. My poor daughter is SO emotional and sensitive. She always has been, but being this close to puberty is just exacerbating the problem. Poor kiddo...

Today, I'm gathering together a care package of self-care items for the Salvation Army. Every week I get free or nearly free toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, etc. And really, who needs 50 tubes of toothpaste on hand at any given time? Especially when I replenish the supply so regularly? For those who snicker at folks who coupon, for the merchants who get irritated at us, for people who call us "hoarders", THIS is why I do what I do. Not only do I save my family money, and we never have to run out of the things we need, but I can help others.

So, yes, my linen closet is full of 30 sticks of deodorant. I have every kind of razor known to man. My DH could wash his hair daily for the next year and have enough shampoo. I'm proud of my stockpile. And I'm even more glad I can share my bounty with others.

And now ... I have to go wake up the family, so I wish you all a wonderful weekend!

=====================

You Are Quirky

You don't think you are weird but others do. You have your own definition of normal. You have a strong personality. You are who you are, and you're darn proud of it. You act spontaneously, without planning. You don't like to commit to any one thing. You are a calm and steady person. You may be whimsical, but you're also well grounded.

The Sphere Test

About 50% right....

================

New and Notes

Lots of people talk to animals.... Not very many listen, though.... That's the problem. ~Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh

Woke up with an amazingly bad headache, so any brilliant ideas I might have had for a blog post escape me (and it seems like I *did* have something to say).

We still haven't found any swallowtail caterpillars. The day before our insanely bad storm last week, we thought we had a black swallowtail laying eggs on the rue -- but have to assume that the wind and deluge of rain must have killed the eggs. DD is very sad at the thought of having NO swallowtail pillars. With the exception of the one black swallowtail butterfly we saw, we've seen no others. Very sad.

I pulled up all the lettuce in my garden -- it had bolted and was bitter. Everything else appears to be VERY happy, though. And several plants I thought were dead (leaves shriveled to the ground) apparently decided they were only taking naps. I have three cucumbers and an eggplant coming back from the ashes, so to speak.

My mom is moving back here after leaving us almost four years ago to live in California. She's slowly driving cross country, visiting family. Her last solo stop is Kansas City, where my DH will go pick her up and drive her back. We're very excited to see her again! Only ten more days...

Father's Day is Sunday and we haven't gotten so much as a card for DH. I should probably remedy that today.

DD has two more days of school... she's VERY excited to be done. And her new school starts off with a barbecue / orientation for their first day, so that should be fun. She's thinking about playing soccer... something she's never done. So, I'll probably invest in a soccer ball and she and I will practice over the summer.

Maria Zannini has a new book out. She sneaked that sucker through without even letting us know she was WORKING on it. Just BOOM! Oh, by the way, I have a book out... sneaky, sneaky.

I bought $66 worth of stuff at CVS yesterday for $14 (including toothpaste, deodorant, fish oil, gum and a razor and refill blades. My best scoop yet.

And that's about all my brain can say today. Sorry... hopefully my meds kick in soon and I can function normally.

Hope you all have a great day!

==================

You Would Be a Logical Doctor

You are a very rational person, and it's nearly impossible for you to be swayed by emotions. As a doctor, you would let logic be your guide. And with it, you'd find some ingenious remedies and cures. You are a natural problem solver. And you never give up until the problem is solved. You would be well suited to being a neurologist, pathologist, or oncologist.

What Kind of Doctor Should You Be?

That's mostly right.

=====================

Tuesday Tidbits

Some folks might sa-ay that I'm no good
That I wouldn't settle down if I could
But when that open ro-oad starts to callin' me
There's somethin' o'er the hill that I gotta see
Sometimes it's har-rd but you gotta understand
When the Lord made me, He made a Ra-amblin' Man. -- Hank Williams

I'm kind of all over the place today, but that's my brain this morning. It's a scary place to visit, but living here is even more ... interesting.

Hey, it's snowing out. In case you wondered.

DD starts art lessons again today. Last night, she ran up to me, hugged me so tight I couldn't breathe and said, "I'm SO glad I have art lessons tomorrow!" and then ran off again.

I think she enjoys them.

DH went in to swim in the jury pool again yesterday. This time though he got hooked and landed. He starts as a juror on a civil case next week. Oh. Joy.

At least it wasn't a capital murder crime. We have one going on currently -- four guys broke into a house and killed a mother and almost killed her daughter -- the weapons were a machete and a knife and the mother curled up around her daughter. Saved her life. Broke my heart.

Anyway....

My mom's computer died (a virus again -- I hate hackers), so she's been calling me every day and I check her emails. She gets upwards of 40+ spam emails daily. Amazing. It made me wonder: do people REALLY think they've won $50,000,000 pounds in the British lottery? Do they actually BUY drugs online from people they don't know? As an aside, my DH says those folks who peddle cheap V1aGrah don't care if you buy their stuff, they're looking to get onto your computer.

If people would stop falling for the idiocy of spam mails, maybe they'd stop.

As for Mom's computer -- she's sending it here to me, so my DH can fix it and we'll send it back. While it's going to take longer, it's WAY cheaper than taking it to the Geek Squad (heaven forbid) and I know it'll be fixed correctly.

I wish she was out here. *sigh*

I suppose I've rambled enough. Time to wander on somewhere else.... have a great day!

==============

You Are Sensitive

You are very intuitive and insightful. You understand what's going on around you without needing to be told. You are naturally nurturing and caring. You look out for people, even if they don't ask you to. You tend to stay attached to those you love. It's hard for you to let go when you need to. You are in touch with your emotions. You know exactly what you're feeling and why you're feeling it.

The Donut Test

Um... I'm not really sensitive, but some of the rest fits. And I LOVE me a Boston Creme donut. Oh. Yum.

Flat

Remedy it, or welcome it: a wise man's only two choices. ~Terri Guillemets

Had a really nice day yesterday. Took Dakota to the dog park to play with her friend, did some weeding, watched "Eureka" and "Warehouse 13" (was terrifically behind on those), and worked on the website. It was really relaxing...

...right up until I got a call from my DH that the boat trailer had a flat and he was stuck on the side of the road.

*sigh*

He had help coming for the trailer, but didn't know how long it would take so asked me to drive up and get all his passengers and bring them back. It was late, it was dark and off I went on my almost hour-long drive there and another hour back.

We got home quite late. He wasn't too far behind me. But, wow, did it end the lovely day (for them, too) on a downer.

Oh well. At least we're expecting nice weather again today. I plan on doing some garden clean up. Most of my perennials are past, so I need to cut them back before they reseed. I really, REALLY don't need any more coneflower or black-eyed susans.

=========================

You Are Cranberry Lemonade

You are sassy and snarky. You are full of attitude. You may be a bit sharp and sour at times, but you're always lively. You bring a bit of zing to every occasion. You are loud, honest, and spirited. You love to tell it like it is. You're one of a kind, and people love that about you.

What Flavor Lemonade Are You?

LOL... that's pretty much right.

=========================

A (Not So Good) Day in the Life

Alice came to a fork in the road. "Which road do I take?" she asked.
"Where do you want to go?" responded the Cheshire cat.
"I don't know," Alice answered.
"Then," said the cat, "it doesn't matter."
~Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

The vote was overwhelmingly for the picture with Dakota (maybe I should have let Dakota wear the shirt? *G*), so I'll be sending that to Lori today.

DD decided that I didn't have a good picture of Dakota as wallpaper on my phone, so took a bunch.



Pretty puppy.

We released four more butterflies yesterday, and have two more emerging today and then we're done for a little while. We had three pillars left and two made their "J" yesterday, so will be butterflies in about 10 - 14 days. After the last one does his thing (soon!), we'll be done for the summer.

In butterfly news, too, we were horrified to discover that Cigna (bad, bad Cigna) who owns the HUGE field of milkweed across from our library MOWED it yesterday. WHY? They couldn't wait until our first freeze? It's not as though they use it for anything. It just sits there and feeds monarchs and tussock moth babies. And those rotten humans destroyed the nursery. It was undoubtedly a mass Monarch-pillarcide (based on how many we found this year, there were probably upwards of a thousand, maybe more, in that field). I wish I knew how to get in touch with someone who would care... DD was almost in tears.

It was just not a very good day for DD. She also got stood up for her play date. She waited. And waited. Then cried. The people did finally call at around 7:45 -- they'd had a funeral to go to (not immediate family and the death was one they'd been expecting), but I'm thinking they probably knew about the funeral before yesterday afternoon. I had rearranged my entire day around that play date and both DD and I were frustrated, angry and sad.

But, HEY! It rained last night! A real rain ... just falling from the sky over a long period of time. Certainly not enough to do any real work at filling the empty ponds and rivers, but it watered.

Speaking of water -- it's mind-boggling: my flowers are dying, my grass is dying, my veggies are dying, but the weeds? THRIVING.

In any case, here's hoping today will be better.

=======================

You Are a Geek

You definitely have some nerdy ways, but you've evolved into something way cooler - a geek. You are free spirited and quirky. You're proud of who you are, and you've got style. You may not fit in completely, but you don't have any problems socializing. You're witty, smart, and very knowledgable. You believe that everyone should embrace their inner geek!

Are You A Nerd or a Geek?

I embrace my inner geek daily...

===============

The Blog About Nothing

The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity. ~Dorothy Parker

So ... I was trying to think of what to blog about today, but my life just isn't that interesting. This morning, for some unknown reason, I was thinking about all those reality shows that follow people around in their day-to-day lives, and decided mine would be a flop.

Here is Marianne cursing at her computer.

Two hours later, Marianne takes the dog out to pee.

Fifteen minutes later, Marianne sweeps the floor and does the dishes.

One hour later, Marianne starts dinner.

Woo hoo! Pure excitement!

My friend, Judy, decided to help by giving me topics.

"Pets I've had and why I loved them"

Yeah, not going there right now... we're dealing with Dakota's best friend having cancer and just plain getting old. She's a 12 y.o. lab mix and every day with her is a blessing because we know there won't be many more. So, I'm not prepared to think of my own pets I've loved and lost right now.

"If I had a million dollars, I'd..."

Move.

There ... easy peasy and makes for a really short blog.

"Ways to Annoy People in the Checkout Line"

I'm usually the annoy-ee not the annoy-er, but my biggest pet peeve is screaming kids that are then pacified by the adult giving them whatever they're screaming for. GAH.

Okay, moving on...

"Things I feel neutral about."

Um.... nothing really. I tend to be pretty passionate about everything, whether I'm for or against.

Why live if you don't have passion?

So, I guess I have nothing to blog about today. Sorry folks.

*G*

What are some topics YOU can think of?

======================

You Are the Middle Toe

You are naturally very aggressive and competitive. You go for what you want. You like to get ahead, but there is nothing traditional about your approach to success. You use your creativity and your wit to your advantage. You are a flexible thinker. You have a lot of inner fire and strength. You harness your passion well.

What Toe Are You?

Yep, mostly right!

====================

Nothing To See Here ....

Give a man a fish and he has food for a day; teach him how to fish and you can get rid of him for the entire weekend. ~Zenna Scha

Nothing new here. It's hot, we have pillars (found yet another new one yesterday ... sheesh. We named him Quentin, since the hurricanes don't have a "Q" name.), my garden loves the weather (even though I don't), I'm already giving cucumbers away (we eat 1 - 2 a day and are harvesting twice that).

I did spray and dress my squash yesterday. I also squished a squash borer moth, little bugger. Hopefully I put the nylons on my squash in time, but I plan to saturate the socks with that poison regularly, so if eggs DO hatch underneath, the worms should die before they can do damage.

I actually harvested three squash -- but I can't have too much squash. Unlike cucumbers, I can freeze squash. You can only eat so many pickles.

In any case, that's all for now. A boring weekend (no, I'm not complaining... there's nothing wrong with boring!) and not a lot to say.

Have a great weekend!

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You Are an Intense Person

You are thoughtful and responsible. It's rare that you find yourself in a bind. You are naturally low energy. You have to nurture yourself in order to cultivate endurance. When you get tired, you slow down at first... but then you usually get a second wind. You are happiest when you reflect on what you have to be thankful for in your life. Happiness is a choice.

The Mountain Test

Mostly right :-)

======================

Random Thoughts from a Random Mind

I love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts one might have, beautifully expressed with much authority by someone recognized wiser than oneself. ~Marlene Dietrich

It's raining! Color me happy, happy, happy. It's supposed to rain on and off all day long. I'm so thrilled. :::happy dancing:::

I've been watching the female crab spider we have outside. At first, I thought she was hiding underneath the milkweed leaf to hunt (they don't spin webs, exactly, they wait for an insect to get near and then - WHAM! - they nab it). She's there every day, legs outstretched just looking like she's ready to grab something. But I finally looked closer and realized ... she's guarding her egg sac. The tip of the milkweed leaf is folded over and then sealed with webbing, and she backs up onto it and guards it. The sad thing is that she'll die before her babies are born. I was worried about her eggs over the winter (I'm feeling very "Wilbur-ish"), since the milkweed dies down, but I discovered that they hatch in summer (which means I won't have her to watch much longer) and grow to be about 5mm, then overwinter in the ground as spiders. I hope I get some again next summer. They're fascinating.

Yesterday, while walking Dakota, we encountered the Schnauzer at the end of the street again. I don't think I mentioned our last encounter with him a week or so ago, but it was ... interesting. He came charging out, barking and posturing as always, and I had Dakota on a short leash behind me (because he attacks her) and was slowly backing him into his driveway like I do when -- BAM! -- Dakota slipped between my legs and attacked! I guess she'd just had enough of him and gave this low-throated bark-bark-bark and lunged. He lunged and we had an old-fashioned dog fight on our hands. Thankfully, all it took was me yelling at them to knock it off, but it was a little dicey since my dog's leash was wrapped around one leg (why she had to got THROUGH my legs, I have no idea).

In any case, when we saw him yesterday, he was about 100 yds away and started barking. I refuse to be forced to not walk anywhere on my street, so I put Dakota on a short leash (and warned her very sternly to be good this time) and walked around the circle. That's when the most incredible thing happened -- when we got about 75 feet away he shut up. And at about 50 feet he slowly retreated into his driveway, watched us walk past with nary a yip, and let us pass completely unmolested. He's always been afraid/cautious of me, and won't challenge me, but I guess Dakota putting him in his place finally showed him that we weren't to be messed with.

I told DD -- that's the perfect example of a bully. He picked on Dakota as long as she was weak. But the moment she showed her strength, he backed down. Fascinating.

I've picked five nice, long cucumbers from my garden (I grow the burpless kind that are long and skinny, with few seeds) and have about a dozen more that will be ready in a week or so. My squash is growing like crazy ... BUT... I saw another squash borer moth yesterday, so don't expect it to live much longer. I've been spraying the base of it with an organic pesticide that will kill the worms if they ingest it and it doesn't affect beneficial bugs like ladybugs (though it will kill bees, so I've been careful not to spray the flowers and pulled all the blossoms from the base of the plant). I don't know if it will work or not, but I'm doing the best I can. These stupid borers are the only bugs I can't "pick" and it frustrates me to feel so helpless.

In Pillar Place: Monarch, all the pillars are growing like weeds. It's truly amazing how quickly they grow! While getting food for them yesterday (had to pick TEN milkweed leaves), I found two more teeny, newly hatched pillars, so we have a new Upsilon and a Matthew. 25 monarch caterpillars. I'm a little afraid to look for them at the library ... but we have to go there today to drop off/pick up books and it's become a bit of a compulsion to at least glance at the milkweed.

We have four pupae thus far: Xi, Rho, Pi and Omicron. They take 10 - 14 days to emerge, and Xi became a pupa on the 11th ... so earliest will be the 21st. I can't wait.

I'm so thrilled it's cooled off outside.. and there's a break in the rain for an hour or so, so I think I'm going to take a walk! YAY!

Have a great day.

========================

You Are Mild

You get as many thrills as wild people do, however your thrills tend to be more of the laid back variety. You believe that the deeper you get into something, the more you enjoy it. And you need calm to do that. You are one of the least superficial people around. You have intense and passionate interests. You don't get bored easily. How could you? There is so much to learn about and think about!

Are You Wild or Mild?

Yep ... that's quite true.

====================

I Ramble ...er ... I'm Versatile!

If you wish to forget anything on the spot, make a note that this thing is to be remembered. ~Edgar Allan Poe

Lookie! Liz Fichera has awarded me the versatile blogger award. I've often said that I tend to ramble ... perhaps I have too many things I enjoy, or it could be that I just talk a lot (just don't ask my husband which he thinks it is). In any case, I was quite flattered (thanks, Liz!).

The Versatile Blogger award does come with a few strings attached, though.

They are:

1. Thank the folks who gave you the award and and link to them;
2. Share 7 things about yourself;
3. Pass along to 15 bloggers (and link to them); and
4. Pay it forward: Comment on their blogs to tell them they are now recipients of the Versatile Blogger Award.

So ... okay ... here goes.

Seven things that I haven't mentioned before. This it tough, because I'm honestly not that interesting.

1. There are very few foods I won't eat... but lima beans are one of them. When I was little I can still remember my dad setting the timer on me and I had to eat them by the time the timer went off or get punished. And I would sit and cry because I didn't want to be punished, but I would NOT eat lima beans. Still won't -- but there's no timer involved anymore, thank heavens.

2. I have a very low tolerance for repetitive noise. If someone ever wanted to torture me, they'd only have to tie me up in a room with a dripping faucet. I'd lose my mind (what's left of it, anyway) in no time at all. The worst part of this is that my DD is a fidgeter and will often sit and just ... tap. Her foot, her finger, her pencil or whatever. Drives. Me. Nuts.

3. I always wanted to be a veterinarian growing up. But, after high school, I decided I couldn't face eight years of college. It's one of my great regrets.

4. I can't NOT multi-task. I watch TV and work on the computer. Eat and read. Have twelve windows open on my computer. Cook dinner and clean the house. Doing only one thing makes me crazy. Doing nothing? Would send me to the funny farm. My DH doesn't understand why I don't want to go somewhere isolated on a vacation and just veg. :::shivers:::

5. I spent several years of my young life living in the boonies with no power, phone or running water. I learned how to milk goats, wash clothes on a wash board, how to garden, raise chickens and ride horses. I also learned how to do homework by lantern, how to take a spit bath in the winter and that it's really cold in the middle of the night when you have to potty and the outhouse is 150 feet away. And now, my DH doesn't understand why I don't like to go camping...

6. I have a deep-seated fear of swimming in natural water. If I *have* to swim in it, I won't touch bottom unless I'm wearing shoes.

7. I love rodents. They are so incredibly cool. Sadly, my DH does not feel the same... but I plan to outlive him, so I'll be an 80 y.o. lady with pet rats. Ha! I'll be the crazy rat lady. *snort*

Fifteen Bloggers? Dear dog ... okay (:::deep breath:::), here goes:

1. Diane Craver
2. Dru
3. Groovy
4. Allie Boniface
5. MJ Fredrick (Mary!)
6. MaryC
7. Keri Mikulski
8. Melissa McClone
9. Jennifer Shirk
10. Brandy

ACK ... my blogging time is nearly up for the day. I'm calling ten blogs "close enough", and nominating anyone who comes to my blog to comment today and isn't on the list. Okay? *G*

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In Pillar Place: Monarch, Xi turned into a chrysalis, Pi is in a "J" and Earl hatched. We also found another egg (I SWEAR, I'm not looking, but when I'm picking food, I check for them and they're everywhere!!!), so we're now up to 24 monarch pillars/eggs.

I expect to have another mass hatching today.

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People Are Drawn To Your Passion

You are intense about every thing you do, and this intensity inspires people around you. It's clear that you care deeply about the others. You make everyone feel like they're your best friend. You are always doing great and interesting things. You leap into action. And while you're busy, you take time to connect and re-connect with others. You are very thoughtful.

Why Are People Drawn To You?

Um... not so sure about this one...

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A Haiku

The only problem
with Haiku is that you just
get started and then
~Roger McGough

Woke up late
Need to start day for family
Blog suffers

In Pillar Place
Iota Hatches and Dries Her Wings
Another Female!

Favorite Haiku:

Haikus Are Easy
But Sometimes They Don't Make Sense
Refrigerator


What's a Haiku to describe YOUR day?

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You Are a Couplet

You're not much for words, so you write a little ditty. It might not be a novel, but at least it is witty.

What Type of Poem Are You?

*G*

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Yesterday in Pictures

A good snapshot stops a moment from running away. ~ Eudora Welty

Yesterday I stepped out of my shower just as a note was slipped under my door. DD does this quite frequently -- apparently the 23 hours we spend together each day aren't enough... that 30 minutes when I hide in the take a shower always brings something to her mind that must be shared IMMEDIATELY.

Here is the note (which cracked me up! I felt like I should salute and say, "YES, SIR!):



Beta is one of our pillars who grew quite a bit, and his food was a tad wilty so he was dangling precariously over the side. And, yes, I took care of it immediately.

DH took the car around for repair quotes yesterday. Want to see what $2k in damages to a car looks like? Here it is:



*sigh*

Since we no longer have a food budget (or an anything else budget for a while), it's a good thing I just made gallons of strawberry jam (during which time I was so frazzled, I forgot to take pix to put on my Healthful & Homemade blog... sorry):



You can live on strawberry jam, right? *G*

And that was my day.

How was yours?

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You Shine Early and Late

You're the type who's both a morning and an evening person - you just tend to slow down in the middle of the day. You wake up fresh and ready to face the world, and then you get a second wind right before bed. You are calm and steady. You try to pace yourself and find balance in your day. Your do best in the spring when the world is full of hope and possibilities.

When Do You Shine?

Interestingly that's pretty close. Every day around 2:00 I'm ready for a nap, but an hour or so later, I get my second wind. And I do love Spring.

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A Trip to the Dentist

If suffering brought wisdom, the dentist’s office would be full of luminous ideas. ~Mason Cooley

I've fallen behind in inviting authors to my blog for interviews... *sigh*... so no fun and goofy stuff from someone else today.

I've been enjoying your answers to yesterday's post -- it's HARD to think up lies that sound true, and truths that sound like lies... I imagine the authors I nominated are going to find out the same thing!

I'll post the answers and explanations along with the winner of the free book/gift certificate on Saturday morning.

Today DD and I head back to the dentist.

I need a little bitty filling -- I have all four of my wisdom tooth (having had my four bicuspids pulled for braces in high school, I had room and they grew in straight!), which tend to be softer and more prone to cavities and so they like to fill up all the crevices and bumps for me to keep cavities from even forming. One of those crevices is in need of a refill, lol.

DD, OTOH, needs a tooth pulled. One of her perm teeth is literally drilling into the baby tooth instead of pushing it out. As a result, the baby tooth is dead (and gray, ick) and oozing bacteria into her gum. She sprouted an abscess a few weeks back, and they've tried treating it in various ways, but nothing is helping, so today ... out with her tooth!

She asked me three times last night if it hurts to get a tooth pulled. I told her the story of when I had my five pulled (four perm and one baby)... One the drive home, with my mouth full of cotton and a pile of paper towels held at my chin to catch the drool and blood ... our car broke down. So I was stuck, numb and drooling, hoping the paper towels would hold out until we got home (they didn't). The pain meds started wearing off before we got help. All-in-all a really bad day. But I told her, "I lived through it and nothing you're having done will be that bad."

LOL... what? I should have lied?

I always figure if she's prepared for the worse, than the actual procedure will seem like a breeze.

I remember my first roller coaster ride. I was TERRIFIED. We were at Disneyland on my senior trip for high school. I stood in line for Space Mountain, holding my best friend's hand and probably crushing the bones. Every step was difficult. My heart pounded, I wanted to cry and run screaming out one of the exits.

I didn't. I got on, and the ride started. And it was NOTHING...the plane ride there had been worse. I laughed like a loon all through the ride. I'm fairly certain everyone thought I'd lost my mind. But, if I'd gone on thinking it was nothing? Then things may not have turned out so well.

======================

You Are the Breaststroke

You are a happy and content person. You try to enjoy every day and every moment to the fullest. You don't push yourself too hard, but you do try to stay consistent. Slow and steady does win the race, and because of this, you're miles ahead of everyone else. You live mindfully and intentionally. You take every decision seriously.

What Swimming Stroke Are You?

About 50/50...

======================

Building an Ark

The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain. - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

It's still raining here... raining and raining and raining. You should SEE the dirty looks I get from the dog when I put her out to go potty! "You want me to go out THERE? It's wet and windy!" She goes, but it's clearly under duress.

I *think* today is the last day it's supposed to rain. I hope so. The "creek" out back is a raging river and water is beginning to seep into my basement in one area where the water is puddling (note to self: that needs fixing this summer).

DD made piles of jewelry this weekend -- about eight new bracelets and many pairs of earrings. I need to get them up on the DistinctivelyDD site ... hopefully today. She did a fabulous job, don't you think? Here's a sample:





====================

I bought a new coffee grinder this weekend. My old one had died, and I needed one to grind all the herbs I plan on growing and drying this year. And, I needed something to grind flaxseeds as well. And, probably coffee, too! *G*

Other than that excitement it was pretty quiet here over the weekend, which is good, I suppose. I do hope we can get out into some decent weather, soon, though. I miss walking.

What did you do this weekend? Anything exciting?

====================

You Are the Dragon

You are powerful and a bit intimidating. While you do have a bit of a temper, your bark is much more vicious than your bite. In general, you tend to be fair and even noble. You treat everyone with respect, and you try to do right by people. However, if someone crosses you, you can get downright nasty. Your emotions can get the better of you. You don't literally breath fire when you're angry, but enough. It's best not to make you bad.

What Part of a Fairy Tale Are You?

LOL... actually, this is rather close...

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This and That

Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I'm not there, I go to work. ~Robert Orben

Thanks to all for your encouragement yesterday -- I appreciate your thoughts. Some were pretty close to right, lol. Fact is: my DH works 12 hour days at a job he doesn't like, so spends the weekends destressing. He does that so I can stay home with our daughter. He's also quite a neat freak, so my way of helping him be less stressed when he is home is by keeping the house very clean. DD helps where she can, but her school takes up a LOT of time anymore, so it's really up to me.

Also, I'm a wife and mom before I'm anything else -- that's MY job -- so those things relating to being a wife and mother take priority over everything else. OTOH, it's true that I don't deal well with letting things just sit when they need doing, especially when someone is counting on me to get them done.

But, I did take time for a walk again yesterday and that was good. I'll work it out.

====================

I posted on Healthful & Homemade today -- how I make my homemade pet food.

=====================

Speaking of people counting on me, I have a crit partner who asked me to take a quick look at a short story this a.m. -- so I'm off to do that.

Have a great day!

======================

You Are a Lava Lamp

You are dreamy, relaxed, and contemplative. You like to get lost inside your own head. You never know where your thoughts will take you, and you consider reflection to be a wild ride. You're happy to sit and be alone for long periods of time. You only do well with others who are like minded. You appreciate other peaceful, creative types. Great things can come when great minds get together.

Are You a Lava Lamp or a Disco Ball?

Yeah... that's mostly right.

======================

I'd Like To Thank...

The words "I am" are potent words; be careful what you hitch them to. The thing you're claiming has a way of reaching back and claiming you. ~A.L. Kitselman

I got an award!

jmberrygirl awarded me the Honest Scrap award.



The rules are as follows: Thank the blogger who awarded you, and then list 10 honest things about yourself. Choose 7 other blogs to receive the award, and inform the bloggers that you've chosen them.

So... wow... ten things... hmmm...

10. I'm honestly not squeamish about very many things. I don't mind spiders or snakes or rats (in fact, I really, really LIKE rats). Blood or other bodily fluids don't squick me out. BUT... I REALLY REALLY HATE TICKS. They freak me out in the worst way if they are on me. If they aren't on me? I'm fine and dandy. I can pluck them out of friends, family and pets without a shiver. But on ME? ACK!!! GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF!! And, after finding even one on me, I typically have the need to shower and wash all the clothes I was wearing in scalding hot water immediately.

9. I honestly hate when people mess with my stuff. I put things where I put things because that is where I want them. When I lived alone, I could have walked through my house and found every single thing I owned with my eyes shut. Now, I live in endless frustration because PEOPLE MOVE MY STUFF. I remember watching a movie where someone was like that, and every time they left the room, someone would move something ... usually only an inch or two, and every time the character returned, they'd move it back immediately. That's me.

8. I honestly can't sleep on my stomach. I prefer my side, but I do sleep on my back sometimes. But never, never ever on my stomach. Just thinking about it gives me a headache.

7. I'm honestly the person you'd want around in an emergency, because I don't panic. I remain level-headed and I'm a great problem solver. I don't mind dirt or blood or fire, flood and pestilence. I'll be a wreck afterward, but during the emergency, I do great.

6. I have an honest obsession with brushing my teeth. When I was in high school and had braces, my orthodontist showed me pictures of some kid who didn't brush his teeth thoroughly when he had braces, and they were just disgusting. He warned me that I had to be diligent, and I took it to heart. Apparently, I'm a little TOO diligent. My current dentist tells me I'm too aggressive about brushing and it's making my gums recede and exposing my dentin. They give me extra soft brushes and tell me not to brush so hard or so long. And here I thought I was doing a good thing!

5. I honestly think water is the best refreshment. I love water. Water is the only thing that makes me feel rehydrated when I'm truly thirsty. BUT... I don't like bottled water (except Dasani) and I'm not fond of city water. We have a well, and the water tastes pretty dang good. Best water I every drank, though, was when we lived up in the boonies and had a spring. YUM.

4. I honestly cry at anything the least bit sappy. I used to cry at those old phone commercials and always at Hallmark commercials. I cry at the end of "Charlotte's Web", I cried at "ET", I cried when Flower died in "Meerkat Manor" (with that one, DD and I were both inconsolable -- we cried, hard, for a good twenty minutes).

3. I honestly don't understand how anyone ever thinks a writer will run out of ideas. I get ideas for stories every day. My problem is never lack of ideas, but only lack of time. I completely believe the "thing" that separates a writer from a non-writer is the ability to see ideas in everyday life, or the lack of the "what if" gene.

2. I honestly can't believe I'm going to do NaNoWriMo this year.



1. No offense to the rest of you folks, but I honestly think I have the best daughter in the world. Just saying.

Now... tags? Hmmm... how about:

1. Ceri

2. Anne-Katherine

3. Dru

4. Groovy

5. Keri

6. Judy

7. Mary

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Tomorrow I'll talk about some of the great new blogs y'all pointed me to on Tuesday. THANKS!

===================

Phew!

Can we actually "know" the universe? ... it's hard enough finding your way around in Chinatown. ~Woody Allen, Getting Even, 1971

From Discovery.com:

World Not Ending in 2012, Says NASA

I feel better.

As an aside, in that article they talk about the upcoming movie, 2012, and how they're trying to make it realistic by setting up Facebook pages, etc. And then it says: "...the fictional fiction..."

Hmmm....

If a double negative is a positive, then is "fictional fiction" true?

===================

Not much to say .... it was a quiet day yesterday. DH puttered (of course, he was inside and my DH has no indoor hobbies except puttering). He painted our "new" door -- the one we replaced 18 mos ago), he painted trim, etc.

DD did her thing, school, reading, crafts.

Dd did her thing, eating, sleeping, pooping.

The cat did her thing, eating, sleeping, eating, sleeping, eating...

I did my thing, working on the website, cleaning, cooking.

A day in the life. So exciting!

=====================

Your Pet Should Be a Human For Halloween

Your pet tends to act just like a human. In fact, your pet probably thinks he or she is human! Your pet is content to stay inside, be close to you, and if possible, do whatever you're doing. It's likely your pet is an only pet and hasn't had much socialization with other animals. Or maybe your pet is just simply super intelligent and knows that the human way of life is best.

What Should Your Pet Be for Halloween?

Blogthings: Waste Time at Work!

That was for Dakota, who is NOT an only pet, and has had plenty of socialization. She loves to be outside, but the rest is pretty accurate.

=======================