Back to Normal

Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. ~James Matthew Barrie

Today, life gets back to normal (or what passes as normal in our house). We actually had a pretty decent vacation with DH around -- he "hired" out for projects for other people so didn't putter around our house so much ... when he's bored, he's difficult. *G*

He did manage to squeeze in ONE project though: staining the deck. We're putting it on with brushes so it's taking a LONG time -- but spraying gets in on the lawn, my plants and the vinyl siding, so there isn't a choice. We only got half done yesterday -- all the hard stuff thankfully. Our poor deck was in desperate need.

He powerwashed it first to get all remnants of the old, peeling sealer off (and various things like hornets nests under the railings), then we went to work.

We got the top "layer" done, along with the benches and the railings (which are a PAIN).

Railing done, but not the main deck:



Top "Layer" done:


Still need to do the stairs -- this pic shows the difference between stained and not stained best:


We'll finish next weekend, assuming the weather holds. Fun times!

How was your weekend?

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You Are the Yellow Bird

You are very determined. You put a lot of energy behind everything you do. No obstacle is too big for you to overcome. You're going to change the world. You are amazingly energetic. You don't just get second winds - you get third and fourth winds. You do things your way, and you always get results. You'll work as hard and long as it takes.

What Angry Bird Are You?

I don't know what Angry Birds is ... but I agree with their choice!

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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Monday, Monday ....

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

Normally I'd be hooting and hollering about it being Monday. Monday means "back to normal" at my house, and I love my routine. Especially after having two weeks of DH home (ergo absolutely NO routine whatsoever).

But ...

DH was called for jury duty. So, it's not routine here. Granted, he'll be heading out this morning at the same time, but even so ... it's not routine.

I really get stressed out when I don't have a script of sorts to follow. I can deal with it for a while, but then I just get amazingly irritable. I could tell that I hit my wall yesterday. I was Ms. Cranky! Of course, having only about four hours of sleep might have contributed. I also do not do well on very little sleep.

I've been worried about getting up early again starting this week. We "closed" LASR/WC for two weeks (in the past, we've noticed a distinct drop in visits around Christmas, and so don't think it's fair to authors to spotlight or interview them then -- they don't get enough bang for their buck) so I didn't have to get up to load pages onto the site. I've been a lazy slug, laying around until 6:30 or so every morning.

However, my body has apparently taken care of that worry for me. Both yesterday and today I woke up at 3:30 a.m. This morning wasn't bad, since I'd gone to be early last night, but I'm not sure I'm ready for this to become a habit.

In any case, DD is doing school today and DH is leaving the house (even if it's not for his usual number of hours) so I should be feeling moderately settled.

Praise be for Monday!

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You Seek Comfort

You are whimsical and a total free spirit. You enjoy things while they last and try not to get attached. People love that you have a down to earth side to you. You're often the reality check for other's dreams. You are a creature of habit. You relish all of the routines in your life. You work best when you're inspired. You can't just work mindlessly. Your work has to have meaning.

What Does Your Kitchen Say About You?

HAHAHAHAHA... this cracked me up (see the part about relishing routine?). I'm not particularly whimsical, but otherwise this fits to a "T".

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Monday Mumbles

The odds of going to the store for a loaf of bread and coming out with only a loaf of bread are three billion to one. ~Erma Bombeck

It's Monday and we'll be mostly back to normal today... of course it's Thanksgiving week, so DH will have a half day on Weds and then is off Th/F/S/S but after this week, I do believe routine will return (except for Christmas/New Year's week).

I miss routine.

Of course, we have dentist appointments today, so that's going to mess with us a bit, and I want to get DD's hair cut (she's donating to Pantene Beautiful Lengths -- they're like "Locks of Love" but they take shorter hair, 8" instead of 10"), too ... maybe there is no such thing as routine?

So, I went to a different grocery store yesterday -- the same chain I usually go to, but a different place -- and discovered that their prices are lower. It's only about eight miles away from the other store, and their prices are lower. Why is that? It made me a little cranky, because it's just not that convenient for me to go there, despite the fact it's not *that* far away, but I'm going to feel obligated because their prices are lower.

It's amazing how much prices differ from store to store.

For instance, a half-gallon of soy milk (something I buy regularly) is VASTLY different.

At the natural foods market: $4.99
At Shaws: $4.29
At Hannaford: $3.29

Or, this great new local organic baby spinach that's suddenly entered the markets here:

At the natural foods market: $7.99
At BJs: $5.99
At Hannaford: $5.99
At Shaw's: $6.99

Guess where I do most of my shopping?

It frustrates me because I really prefer to support the independent "little guy" stores and wish I could do the majority of my shopping at the natural food store, but when the prices are that different I just can't justify it.

Do you find the prices varying greatly between the stores you shop at? Do you make trips to different stores when you do your shopping in order to get better deals?

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Hey all, just a heads-up because I know Melissa McClone is very quiet about promoting herself. She's hanging out with us this week at The Long and the Short of It in our author spotlight. You should swing by, read her daily posts and keep her company.

My particular favorite of her posts (yes, I peeked) is the one for Friday. Cracked me up! *G*

Hope to see you there.

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You Are Cinderella

You believe it's important to do the right thing, even if you aren't rewarded for it. Not everyone treats you with respect, but good people see your goodness. You've had a lot of bad luck, but these days it feels like you luck is about to change. Even though times are tough, hang in there. You'll eventually get the life you justly deserve.

What Fairy Tale Are You?

Interestingly enough, I DID clean the fireplace this morning... ;-)

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Hooray for Routine!

I love the routine. I love the structure of it...I know my life is kind of orderly. I just like that better. - Andrea Martin

I'm so glad it's Monday! This last week has been crazy -- DH was off work and it really messes with my routine with DD. We got even farther behind on school (DH thinks everyone should be on vacation when he is, so schedules jobs for us -- like moving rock) and I just felt unsettled.

At this rate, DD will be doing school into July.

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I think I'm going to put my garden in this week. It's looking as though the weather will be mild enough, plus I'll use my greenhouses over my tenderer plants ... I'll just make sure I bury them down enough they won't blow away, or put the tomato cages around them.

I'm also going to lay down compostable weed block to save me work later. It's newspaper (about 2 - 3 pages thick) covered with straw. As the garden plants get bigger, it's terrifically hard to weed between them (not to mention time-consuming), so I'm hoping this will help a lot. We'll see.

I have 18 tomato plants currently (Big Boy, Roma, and "rainbow" heritage with yellow, orange and black fruit), but might get one more 6 pack. I have two kinds of squash (summer and winter), cucumbers (but not enough, so I have to go on the hunt -- I prefer "burpless" because they have fewer seeds), broccoli and cabbage. I'll plant from seed: green beans (LOTS of these since we eat them AND I use them for the dog's food), carrots, spinach and chard.

I think I need a bigger garden.

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You Are a Crocodile

You are fierce and strong. You go after any prey that is in your sights. You have a take charge personality, and you are quite dominant. You are not easily intimidated. It's likely that you've had to struggle for survival in your life. You've had to develop a very thick skin. You can be brutal, but you can also be tender. You tend to have two sides to your personality.

What Australian Animal Are You?

Mostly right...

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