La la la laaaahhhh!

Okay - this is just pathetic. I've been facebooking (like I said earlier, it's way easier to do that than think of something coherent & clever to blog about) and checking out craigslist for funny free things. SO - here's one last one. OKAY? Then I'll get back into facebooking...er... I mean, BLOGGING. YEAH! I'm going to blog!

Piano for catapult/trebuchet practice (Redmond/Union Hill)
Reply to: sale-975128333@craigslist.org [?]Date: 2008-12-30, 7:40PM PST
Lovely old Sherman Clay upright. Nice big sound, a few dings, keys in need of some repair (one sticks and three or four are chipped). If you have a big enough catapult and practice field, you should come get this! Piano will need a good pre launch tuning and could stand to be polished as well. This piano does NOT come with a bench, so if you want to launch a pianist, you will need to make separate arrangements. This piano is to be used for practice only, as the NATO Rules of Engagement strictly forbid the use of upright pianos and harpsichords in an offensive capacity (grand pianos, uprights and small organs are only cleared for defensive purposes). The piano could be played by someone who wanted to take a stand against musical instruments being pressed into service as fodder for war machines. Said person probably recycles too. Wimpy musicians. I posted this last week and patiently went down the list of responders awaiting replies. Well, this week is war baby. I've got to get it gone, so the first person who shows up with a truck and some friends can have it and a left over candy cane. Peace

Ad found on craigslist. Seriously - y'all should come cuz we're so DONE with the snow!!!

Free Snow- Great for skiing, sledding, or throwing at your spouse (Tiger Mountain/Mirrormont)
Reply to: see below Date: 2008-12-26, 10:27PM PST
It's fun, for about two hours and if you're creative you can use it to make snow cones. We've had enough. Bring your own truck to Mirrormont and help us out. If you have shovels that would help too, since we've been trapped here for days. And watch your head for falling ice from the trees. (Like they said back in 1906 in San Francisco, you counted yourself lucky if you weren't hit in the head with a brick.) Hurry though, because it is melting. At least until tomorrow.
Location: Tiger Mountain/Mirrormont

Who knew craigslist could make me cry?

Hi there, I have a new teddy bear that I would like to pass along to a mother/father/caretaker that is having a tough time financially providing presents for the little girl in their life this year. Email me if you are local to the Sequim area, can pick it up, and really do need something to bring a smile to a little girl's face on Christmas morning. God bless!


My family would like to take in a small family with kids to come and share our Christmas dinner with my husband and daughter. If you have no family and no way to pay for your Christmas dinner and would like to have dinner than email. If you are a single dad or single mom with kids than you are welcome as well. I am making a big Christmas dinner with the works and we would like to share our dinner with you. If you don't have family or money to give your kids and yourself a nice Christmas dinner than please email me and you can come and enjoy dinner with me and my family. Please email and tell me about yourself and I will respond back. Please tell me when you email how many kids and who will be attending. We live in an apartment so can't have a big family but certainly take in a small family or single family with kids. No strings attached. You don't have to bring anything at all. Just yourselves and your belly. Please also tell me the ages of your kids as well if unable to buy a gift so if you come they will have a gift under the tree. Please no smokers and please be drug free.Thanks and GOD bless. We haven't found anyone yet but would like to hear from someone before Tuesday so we can buy a gift and so I can know how many people will be coming so I know how many places to set. If your a needy family who can't afford a gift for your young kids under 12 and can't afford food than email and you can join my family. Can only have a small family since we live in an apartment. Thanks and Happy Holidays

HELLO! MY NAME IS SHERI, MY HUSBAND JIM AND I ARE GOING TO OPEN OUR DOORS FOR SINGLE MOM'S AND DAD'S WHO HAVE NO FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN THE AREA FOR CHRISTMAS DINNER! PLEASE COME JOIN US AND OUR 6 KIDS AND GRAND CHILDREN! WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU! Here is some but NOT all of the food we will have! Turkey Candied Ham Candied Yams Mashed Potatoes Stuffing and Gravy Corn Fruit Salad Rolls and of course Dessert

I had to do it folks. I'm so sorry but I had to. For my sanity, I had no choice.

I clicked, "Mark as Read" on all of your posts in my google reader. I really am sorry.

My heart about seized as I pressed the button.

But I just couldn't make my way through 273 posts. Seriously. When I had a week of no internet, it was 250 during my absence. I tried to get it down and was able to get it down to about 150... but that meant everything else was being neglected. Then when it jumped back up to 273? *sigh*

I am still making the rounds to your blog. Just be patient.

Whatever. I started facebooking. BIG DEAL! Who cares that I spend oodles of time doing searches for long-lost friends. Who cares that I find it easier to facebook rather than narrow my thoughts into something comprehensible to post about.

*sigh*

I do.

SO - here's a post for you to read.

With having no internet for some time, I have been reading up a storm. LOTS of books. The more I read, the faster I read. It's a family trait. What I'm not sure about is... I find myself wishing that I had a narrator just talking about my life. You know what I mean? For example, "There she stands. A confused look on her brow as she contemplates if Chicken a la king should be tonight's meal. Or if perhaps it would be better to just simply serve leftovers. As she stands in front of the refrigerator pondering this dilemma, her head immediately snaps up as she hears a sound she shouldn't be hearing. That of the cat throwing up."

See? That's how I'm thinking these days. It's quite entertaining to be in my head... albeit, perhaps alarming to some degree. Maybe that's something I should've just kept to myself. Hm.

I have been gone TOO LONG! I've missed you, my fellow bloggers!

I have so much to write about so bear with me.

But...

I'll probably forget everything when I sit down to blog. Ah well. lol!

After much fervent praying, crossed fingers, and muttered whisperings.... all it was, was a dead battery. Go figure. Turns out that the batch of batteries I had were completely defective. I was given a whole new box of batteries which is 6 packages of 8 batteries for FREE! Suh-WEET!

I'm giving thanks upon thanks for this particular blessing.

:)

Especially as I don't feel so naked anymore.

I might get really witchy today.



Just so you know.



Meanwhile...my stomach is in knots.



I'm dreading my 3:30 appointment today.



My brand-new hearing aid, the one I get excited about every morning and do the happy dance every time I get to put it on decided to go on the fritz. Yes.



I can't handle it.



For more than just one reason.



Now that I have this beautiful piece of high-tech, I can't live without it.



I feel naked without it on.



Truly.



I also don't like noticing how much I don't hear without it.



*sigh*



I hope it's something that just got bumped in there. So it's just an easily "fixable" thing. That it doesn't have to be shipped, or *gasp!* even worse, REPLACED.



I couldn't handle that. Let alone if there's any cost involved.


Especially when I told the technician about it and she replied, "Oh! That type of hearing-aid isn't supposed to do that..."



*cries*



What a dumb Monday morning.



Yes.



I might just be really witchy today.



Don't say I didn't warn you!

As requested by my friend at My Ice Cream Diary...

Before I go on though, I'm ashamed to say, there is one reason why I'm hesitant to post this particular recipe.

*SIGH*

The recipe is so simple that I'm ashamed that I'll lose all credibility in the kitchen. YOU know, it's one of those recipes that takes 15 minutes because you're just waiting for the um.... well... you're just basically standing there.

HOWEVER, because she's a good friend, I'll post the recipe below.

INGREDIENTS:

• ALMOND BARK
• MICROWAVE LIGHT POPCORN

(See? Embarrassingly simple.)

1) Go to TOPS grocery store and buy this Almond Bark. I've tried other brands and well, I just don't like them at ALL. This one is YUMMERS and it's on sale right now! 2 for $5.00! GO! RUN! It's a seasonal product so HURRY!

2) While you're there, pick up the microwave popcorn. Ew - don't buy the butter stuff. It'll just make a big mess of it and you'll be so crabby about it. If there was ever a time where you needed to just blindly trust in someone? This would be it. (Again - another plug for my favorite Almond Bark.)

3) Now, you're home. Get out a saucepan. Take that package of Bark and whack it on the counter. Go ahead. Just think of some icky bug that's under there or something. When it's broken up into pieces (no need to make it turn into powder), dump it all into the pan and turn it on LOW. You can't rush on this. TRULY. This stuff will seize on you, i.e. turn CRABBY on you by way of burning & turning nasty. Low & slow is how it goes. You don't have to hover over it, but you do need to stir it up from time to time.

4) You're gonna start popping the popcorn. Yep, you're going to use all three bags that come in that box. When you've got one bag popped, get the next one going. While that one's going, dump the first bag into a bowl and using your hands, sift out the good popcorn into a second big bowl. Leave the half-popped & unpopped kernels out of it. In fact, when you're done sifting, DUMP THEM INTO THE GARBAGE! Okay. Need to calm myself down here.... *breathes* Okay. You're going to do this for each bag.

5) Once all the popcorn is popped & sifted and the bark is melted, you'll want to make sure that you've put down either silpats down on the counter-top or some waxed paper. I probably should of mentioned this earlier... Sorry.

6) Back to the popcorn & bark. Pour the bark over the popcorn and start mixing it up. I find that if I just scrape the bowl and pull it up through the middle (think "folding" method) it gets it pretty covered. You're gonna get a little bit on your hands. That's okay. I don't think anybody has ever died from licking almond bark off one's fingers.

7) Pour the coated popcorn onto the silpats/waxed paper & use your spatula to break up the larger clumps. Leave it alone and let it set. That means, let it dry. Try not to have this sitting under hot kitchen lights otherwise, it'll take for-evah.

8) Once popcorn is dry/set, just break it up more and put into baggies or an air-tight container. We prefer to put it in our mouths.

What makes this Munchy Popcorn so Magical? Well, it's that secret ingredient I didn't mention above... but I'll give you a little hint. It's added when you've sprinkled a little love on it by sharing it with a friend.

I tend to stay away from delving into "heavy" subjects on this blog. Mostly because I know I have some readers here that are in my ward. I know that I'm taking a risk by typing about something that is so personal but guess what. This is MY blog. This blog is about ME. If you choose to have loose lips, then I have to cut you off from my list. So, be respectful please...

I'm typically not one to share my innermost thoughts with those around me. In fact, I can count on one hand of the number of women that I have shared my deepest part of me with in the past 6 years. That would be a total of 4 women. 2 of them have moved away. NOT because my thoughts & feelings have scared them off, lol! Then there have been some women online that I have shared some things with. Not too much (Can you tell that I'm stalling?)

This year has been a year of the most incredible pain. Surprisingly, more than having a parent die. What could it be? The shattering of one's heart. Literally. I remember the day. I can recall the time, the day, what I was wearing, what was happening, where the kids were, everything about that day. I don't think I've ever experienced greater pain... and I certainly don't wish it upon anybody... not even my worse enemy. Not that I have one. Not to my knowledge, anyway.

******************
I feel like I need to put a note in here - DO NOT MAKE AN ASSUMPTION about why. That's not what this post is about. I know it's human nature to just "pick a little, talk a little" like chickens in the Music Man, to figure out what's going on but DON'T. You know what they say about the word, "ass.u.me..." Should I also say that people shouldn't fret? However things work out, it'll work out.
******************

ANYYYYWAAYYyyyy... I have a friend. An atypical friend. She's older than me. Her children are grown. She works. She can't bake worth beans. Yet, I love her more than anything. At first, we were just acquaintences. "Hi! How are you doing?" was the extent of our conversations. Just short and sweet. You know, since we were obviously from different walks of life. Then, this year happened. I didn't tell her what happened but she noticed something. She began to look closer. She didn't pry... she just would look at me quietly and just ask, "Are you okay?" Not really having any kind of a relationship with her, I would put her off with a superficial, "Oh yes. Everything's fine." Even though my heart was bleeding and my mind was screaming for help.

Over time, I began to open up to her. Tell her of some of the challenges I was going through. Some of the hurts. I reached out to her to ask if there was perhaps, somebody that could watch my kids at night while I went to a much-needed "away" time. She jumped in and said she would do it, no questions asked. She has been doing this for 6 months. Every single week. Then, she invited me to start chatting with her. Just the two of us so I could clear my head. I dreaded it at first. This was going beyond what I was comfortable with. Remember? I don't confide in people generally. Yet, I needed to be able to spill all my darkest fears. My concerns. I needed somebody to be able to look at all the junk and help me sort through it. She was the one. She didn't just let me gab at her. She asked questions. She asked for clarifications. She asked, "why?" She also let me just be quiet. With all the turmoil in my mind, all I craved sometimes was a little peace. She was able to offer that.

This morning, I received an email from her. It was short... and stated that she was feeling depressed herself and didn't feel up for our get-together. Not to worry, it would break in a few days or so.

I started to cry.

I saw her last week when she dropped off a book for me to read. I noticed that something wasn't quite right. I asked her how she was doing and when she replied that she was just, "Ok." I asked her why just "okay?" She told me that she was feeling frustrated that alksjdflaksjdflakjf(code for: not going to disclose here.) I'm kicking myself because I didn't pursue it more. I left it at that. I have been so wrapped up in my own troubles and depression that I failed to be the friend that she has been to me.

So, I ask... have I done poorly to any of you? Have you reached out to me and I just didn't see it? I am so sorry, so incredibly sorry if I failed to see.

Btw - I know we're not getting together, but I'm determined to do something. Friendship is not meant to be a one-way street.

My family went back to the waterfront with our kids in tow. Boo wanted to see the place where we had our "mini-date." Towards the end of the family outing, I saw this dude and said, "Whoa! Hero - look at him! Quick, take a picture so I can put it on my blog!" Hero said with a nervous laugh, "Nooo! Are you kidding me? He could take me down!" I quickly grabbed the camera and said to Boo, "Smile Boo!" and without even bothering to aim it at her - took his picture.

He walked past us, totally oblivious to all. I turned and watched to see where he was going. Then I see him walking into the ocean and dropping a weighted string down.

I don't know what the purpose of this activity was. I was going to keep watching him to see if he was doing it at intervals or what. But my Little Man and Boo distracted me with some shouts of wanting me to look at some newly discovered seashells. *sigh* Kids. (You do know that I'm speaking in jest. Right?) Anyway, I turned and he had disappeared. Completely. I don't know where he went off to. Either walked into the ocean or onto the dock or up on the pier to walk behind some buildings. I just. don't. know. But am totally intrigued. He's an enigma. The enigma of Edmonds.

But I can't look at his picture for too long. It starts to disturb me.

In answer to HRH if the seals were real (From one of the pics of my recent mini-date with my husband.) The answer is no. :)

Have you ever wanted to do something, create something because it really interests you? Yet,you don't. You shut yourself down with a comment such as, "Oh, I don't have the talent for that."

How do you know? Do you think talents are just born in you or are made? How do you know if you have a talent (or flair) for something without trying?

Just curious.

People tell me that I'm so crafty.

I'm NOT. At least, I don't believe I am. I just like to try new things and see what happens. I like to think of things as experiments. If it works out - FABULOUS! YAY FOR ME! If it doesn't - man! And I try to figure out how to make it work.

Like this.

I don't know how to sew. Correction: I don't know how to read patterns. I know how to sew in straight lines. Which is why jumping from making simple receiving blankets to a SKIRT?! SCARY! Even if the pattern is called, "Lazy Days Skirt" and touts the fact that after making this simple skirt, you'll have time to, "Sit on the porch swing & sip lemonade." Yeah right. After *coughs3hourscoughs* I figured out what "selvage" was. It's all gobbledygook to me...

After this labor-intensive job of pinning... I had to watch a cooking show. Just to take my mind off of things. Sewing is definitely not my forte (with the accent on the e).

Did I ever tell you that I hate going too fast? I feel like I'm going to lose control? I go like this... puh-puh-puh-puhhbrrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrWHOAHHHpuh-puuuhhh-puhhh. It takes me for-evah.

I cheated on this step. I was supposed to take ribbon and fold it over and sew it... and then sew it again... and at one point, iron it. I think. Instead, I just got some quilt-binding that comes all pretty & ironed and just stuck the raw edges into it and sewed it shut. I actually like it because it made the skirt stand out more. See? It's all about experimenting!

And - I don't have a finished picture. Sorry, I'll make my daughter model it so you can see the finished product.

Anyway, the moral of the story is:

EVEN IF IT TAKES YOU 7 HOURS TO MAKE A 2-HOUR SOMETHING (I.E. SKIRT), GO AND TRY SOMETHING NEW! You'll be proud of yourself! :)

"Though rapture brings us delight, the weakness of our nature at first makes us afraid of it, and we need to be resolute and courageous in life."

I had a lovely surprise last week... Hero stayed home from work on a TUESDAY. Actually, he worked from home but he scheduled some "AWAY" time for the two of us. I had already scheduled Little Man to be at a babysitter's so as I was up to my elbows in suds, doing the dishes, Hero comes in and turns the water off and says, "Let's go!" We grabbed my camera and went down to the waterfront in Edmonds. I know, you're probably thinking - MORE pictures of the waterfront? Well, there's just so many places to explore! Anyway, although it was freezing, I had the most delightful time just walking along with my Hero and snapping random pictures.

Thank you Hero... I think this mini-date did more for me than had we gone out to lunch at some restaurant. I love you.

Wow... we have a new president! After that crazy ride, we now have President Obama.

Now, let's go to the neighborhood...

Yesterday, one of my visiting teachers (who is elderly) was expressing the upcoming relief she would experience when this election was over because then there would be something good on tv again! Apparently she had just had enough with flipping through the channels and not being able to enjoy her regular programming. lol!

This morning, Boo & I were greeted by several little girls in her class. They were all trying to talk over each other and I had no clue what they were saying. I finally asked one and she said, "We have the wrong president!!! The right people got the wrong president!" I hope I did okay by saying to this group, "You know, I'm so glad that you guys watched and learned about the voting and the elections. It's okay to feel bummed if the man you wanted to win didn't win. We can't change anything right now about that. But what we can do is support the new president and help him by being good people and making good choices ourselves. We can help him make good choices too by letting him know how we feel about things and what we can do to work things out. It's going to be okay. Alright? We're a team!" Surprisingly, the girls all took deep breaths and nodded and went on their way. Calmed... I don't know by my spouting off or if it's just a grown-up getting down to their level and talking in a calm voice. Regardless, it tickled me that they were so concerned about it... and that they also saw that it was not the end of the world.

"This is our one and only chance at mortal life — here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization it is brief. Don't let the most important things pass while dreaming of an illusive future based on time to fulfill leisurely pursuits. Instead, find joy in the journey — now. What is most important almost always involves the people around us.
... Send that note to the friend you've been neglecting; give your child a hug; give your parents a hug; say 'I love you' more; always express your thanks.
... Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey and share our love with friends and family. One day, each of us will run out of tomorrows."

--Thomas S. Monson

More information regarding my nieces, Emma & Taylor!

2 SISTERS, 1 HEART A Figure 8 Films production for Discovery Health

"They may be two sisters with only one heart, but it's enough heart to make the most out of two extraordinary lives. At 19 months, Emma and Taylor Bailey are possibly the longest living conjoined twins who share one heart. The girls are not in need of medical contraptions, constant health monitoring, or intervention. On the contrary, Emma and Taylor are thriving, and developing at a pace beyond anyone's expectations. Their cardiologist refers to them as "miracle babies" because they weren't expected to survive even one full day. The girls' parents, Mandy and Tor Bailey, have watched them tackle all sorts of activities, including learning how to sit upright, scoot around the kitchen floors, and attempt to walk with four legs and four arms and two distinct mindsets. Taylor is the curious twin who likes to flirt and try new things. Emma is more reserved and intimidated by strangers and new experiences. Their differences create one conundrum after another since the girls can't avoid what the other one wants."


The Tetra Society of North America: Custom Assistive Devices:

With having conjoined twins, one of the challenges had been transporting them safely in the car. Read here for information on the wonderful volunteers who created the carseat for Emma & Taylor.

As most of you are aware, I'm one of several aunts to Emma & Taylor, conjoined twins. (Albeit, their FAVORITE Aunt Sara.) They are currently here in Seattle for some preliminary testing at Children's Hospital for possible separation. There will be more details later on their blog about that.

MEANWHILE! Set your TIVOs, DVRs.... or whatchamacallits (sorry - don't know the latest lingo as we still have rabbit-ears at our house), for:

WEDNESDAY, October 22nd 8pm on Discovery Health

They will be showing a documentary called, "Two Sisters, One Heart."

For more information on the documentary, click HERE. Please feel free to spread the word!

See...this is what happens when you've spent the previous night laughing until the wee hours of the morning with your favorite (one of, okay?) sister-in-laws and her husband and then spending all the next day at the Farm with 8 kids of which 4 of them were under the age of 2, 2 grandparents, 4 parents, 2 strollers, and 5 pumpkins. Petting the kittens & bunnies, watching the trout races, pig races (really - this is quite hilarious!), hayride, jumping in the haybarn, sliding down a precarious slide in the middle of a haymaze inside another great big barn, eating lunch while dodging yellow-jackets, and etc. THEN to continue the fun by having a lovely hot meal at the grandparents and then having a "kids activity" which was painting pumpkins and it not turning out right so the moms took over. Hence... the eyebrows. Don't they look lovely?

Pumpbats or batkins?

(L to R)

Little Man, Paige, Boo, Cole & Drew

I like how Boo is holding her hands like a bunny.... Bunnicula?

This list has been making the rounds on blogs. (I got this from my friend's Lisa's blog... sorry, her blog is private.)The Big Read is a National Endowment for the Arts program designed to encourage community reading initiatives and of their top 100 books, they estimate the average adult has read only six. That's outrageous! I've marked 63 that I've read. What can I say? My mother was an avid reader and she passed that gene along! :) Here’s what you are supposed to do: Look at the list and bold those we have read. Italicize those we intend to read.*Star the books we LOVE.

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6. The Bible
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12. Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34. Emma - Jane Austen
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52. Dune - Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility- Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte's Web - EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

You'll note that I didn't star any of the books. It's pretty hard for me to NOT like a book. So, there you go. Uh, with the exception of "Lolita" & "Bleak House." Don't like those.

Polls, polls and MORE polls!

Good grief.

Every day, we're getting calls for political polls & radio surveys.

We sure are popular!

Don't like it.

Actually, I don't mind the political ones because I feel those are important to be involved with... to a certain extent. It's the mindless radio surveys that get me. "Do you listen to music for more than 30 minutes a day? Yes? Press 1. No? Press 2. Do you feel Seattle would benefit from more music stations? Yes? Press 1. No? Press 2. Do you feel Seattle would benefit from more TALK radio?" Blah blah blah.

This is a lame post. Ah well. It's all I've got for now.

Remember THIS story?



Well.... the practice has been banned here in the state of Washington. Read HERE for details.

CLARIFICATION to the previous post.

1) She was NOT a cancer patient. She had a lovely head of hair that was thick & straight. Initially when I saw her and the curls, I thought it was that new fashion. You know... well. Anyway. Please note, if she had been a cancer patient, I would've NEVER even commented on the kerchief. Ever.

2) The dude HAD clothes on under the plastic garment bag. In fact, he had on a white shirt & tie (I could see the tie through the white plastic) and he had slacks on. It just sounds funnier not mentioning that part though, doesn't it? Or maybe I should've mentioned it because for the attire - you'd think a trench coat or a wool coat would be more appropriate than a plastic garment bag with holes poked through for the arms.

Two things I saw today that made me both shudder and laugh and wish passionately that I had a camera to snap it all up to share with you all.

1) A young girl was in line across from Boo and she was just all smiles & chatter. So cute. She had on this little kerchief on her head with little curls cascading down. A few minutes later I happened to glance back at her and noticed she had taken her kerchief off and she was playing with it. . . . . . . . and the curls? They were SEWN ON TO THE KERCHIEF! It was the oddest thing and it made me thing of scalpings. It was too heebie-jeebie for me.

2) A skinny man was standing on the corner and he was wearing something shiny and white. From his shoulders down to his knees. Shiny, white & smooth. With the letters, "KOHL'S" emblazoned across his chest, hips and knees. Huh? He was wearing a plastic garment bag from the Kohl's department store. He had his head through the top and then had stuck wholes in the sides for his arms to go through. Well! How clever was that to protect his clothes from the rain? Hm. Too bad he didn't have a regular-sized bag for his briefcase.

Uh...
I hope you people realized that when I yelled out, "They don't even have computers there!" That that was my defense mechanism? I don't EVER want to leave the state of Washington. I love it here. I was almost born here. Almost. I just had to wait four years before my parents got a clue and moved here from Colorado.

Indiana is a lovely state.
Beautiful houses there.
Beautiful cornfields.
Has lovely bloggers living there.
In general, has a good educational system.

If some of you thought that I was looking for a buddy in knocking Indiana, please forgive me. Not the case. What I was looking for was.... I guess, sympathy in not wanting to move from a place called "home."

That's all. It's all groovy.

(Ooooh - let's see how long before this becomes a rumor in my ward.... )

Last night, Hero comes up to me and says, "So, would you consider a move across the country for my work?"

Stunned silence..... on my part.

"Um. Where are we talking about?"

"South Bend, Indiana."

"SOUTH BEND INDIANA? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? THEY'VE GOT THE WORST SCHOOLS IN THE NATION! THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE COMPUTERS THERE!"

Stunned silence.... on his part.

"Now, if we were talking about North Carolina - I'll start packing."

And with that, I finished loading the dishwasher.


***disclaimer - I'm sure they have computers in their schools. I just personally was not impressed with the people there when I lived there for 3 weeks. Yes - I lived there for 3 weeks. GENERALLY SPEAKING - the people were so crabby, never smiled, so totally different than Seattle. I dunno, maybe it was the weather. Wearing down parkas in 60F weather... Hello, that's when we wear shorts in Seattle! I do happen to know of 2 families that live in Indiana that smile. One family took care of my son as a newborn. The other family lived in Seattle before heading out there. Perhaps you think of me as being overly critical. Perhaps. Just know, that if it came down to it - that we needed to move for my husband's work - I would do it happily. And do the best I could to make it a positive move for my family.

Just an fyi for y'all.... click here. Be sure to leave happy wishes! :)

I'm in love with a new artist... Well, not a "NEW" artist. Carl Larsson was born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1853 and died in 1919.

Masquerade

Cuz SHE made me....

1) Do you like blue cheese? Tried it once, a teensy bit. And? That would be a BIG, RESOUNDING - Nope.
2) Have you ever smoked crack? No.
3) Do you own a gun? Yes.
4) What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? Never been to Sonic. But I have been to a Sonics game. That would be "basketball" in Seattle.
5) Do you get nervous before doctors appointments? Yes, that I'll forget to tell them all the symptoms and that it will somehow skewer their diagnosis/treatment.
6) What do you think of hot dogs? Migraine-inducers.
8) What do you prefer to drink in the morning? WATER!
9) Can you do push ups? Bras - sure.
11) What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My larimar ring.
12) Favorite hobby? Photography (but if I didn't have to limit myself to just ONE - it would also include drawing, writing... pretty much anything related to art.)
13) Ever been in a car wreck? Fender-benders.
14) Do you like thunderstorms? Hero should answer that one.
15) What's one trait that you hate about yourself? Worrying too much about what I think others might be thinking about me... whereas in reality, they're probably thinking the exact same thing themselves.
16) Middle name? Yes, I've got one!
17) Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? 1) I wish for a migraine-free life, but that would probably mean I'd have to be dead. 2) Little Man is being too quiet. 3) I think I really screwed up the zucchini spice cake I made just now. BUT - it won't be my fault because NOBODY WAS HOME WHEN I CALLED TO ASK THEM HOW TO DO ZUCCHINI!!! *ahem*
18) Name 3 things you bought today? Nothing.
19) Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Water, milk & lemon-water.
20) Current worry? Medical bills. They've really hit us hard this year.
21) Current hate right now? Anything related to what we've gone through this year. Sorry, that's gonna have to be code for "not gonna tell ya."
22) How did you bring in the New Year? No idea. Probably slept.
23) Where would you like to go back to? Boston.
24) Name three people who will complete this? That would be... nobody. C'mon, you know it's true!
26) Do you own slippers? No.
27) What shirt are you wearing? White t-shirt.
28) Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? I did once. On a water bed. I didn't like it because I kept thinking I was going to fall out of bed. (This was back in high school and I was ALONE.)
29) Can you whistle? No, but I can make my hearing-aid do it! Huh, maybe I should do that in the Ward Talent Show.
30) Favorite color? Blue.
31) Would you be a pirate? No. Captain Feathersword kinda ruined it for me...
32) What songs do you sing in the shower? No. It's in the wee hours of the morning and I need to keep quiet so I don't wake up the kids.
33) Favorite girl's name? My daughter's name.
34) Favorite boy's name? My son's name.
35) Whats in your pocket? A little Composition notebook with a lime-green elastic hairband wrapped around it. It's always with me for notes I want to jot down.
36) Last thing that made you laugh? I can't remember. It's a migraine day - so I'm prone to tears today. Stupid migraine.
37) Best bed sheets as a child? We never had anything fancy. Understandable with 11 kids.
38) Worst injury you've ever had? A cut on my forefinger just shortly after getting married. I was washing a butcher-knife and it slipped. Hero took me the clinic and I got 2 stitches.
40) Favorite flavor potato chips? Used to be Doritos but now, I really can't stand most any junk food.
41) Who is your loudest friend? Sam. And it is totally said with love because I love her for it.
42) How many dogs do you have? The way Little Man eats.... I think I have one.
43) Does someone have a crush on you? No idea.
46) What is your favorite candy? See # 40. Sad, really. Chocolate doesn't even excite me anymore.
47) Favorite Sports Team? None.
48) What song do you want played at your funeral? No funeral. I just want people to go to the beach & have a barbecue. Maybe some 80's music... lol!
49) What were you doing at midnight last night? Sleeping. Didn't last long though.
50) First thing you thought about when you woke up? Noooooooo - NO MIGRAINE! My meds aren't working! So sick of it!

Sheesh - that was long. Hope it was a good distraction for those that needed it!

This morning, we were fortunate enough to be able to snap these pics of these whales in Seattle. They are of the "bronze" pod...

Don't you just love this? Originally they wanted me to model one of my phenomenal moves for them as they were putting up these all around Seattle Center but I couldn't. I needed to go volunteer in my daughter's classroom at the time. Guess they just got some person off the street. Pity because my lines are way more graceful.

This just totally cracked me up... and made me happy.

Last night, we went to Ivar's and I saw this man... I liked that he had his headphones on. I don't know if he was bebopping away to some music or perhaps listening to a book on tape. Regardless, he looked satisfied.

In our drive about town, we came upon this archway. Love it! Especially the grounds too.

When y'all come to visit me in La la la laaaahhhhh! -land, we'll have to stop here for our spa treatment.

We came upon an empty store... with a filled window display. Huh? Anyway, sorry about the window-glare, I don't know how to get around that yet.

Some textile we found on a sidewalk sale. We got all excited & happy because it was 50% off!!! The price with the discount? A cool $60.00. Yeah, not exactly a "bargain."

We ended up at Brackett's Landing by the Kingston Ferries. (You really must come visit.) Hero heard this rustling and looked to see what was causing it. Little birds, just like this one.

The last thing we spied, okay - HERO spied was this lamppost. A quaint one in the midst of all the wires. Here you go, sweetheart.

All in all, a lovely date.

A few weeks ago, I came out of the library to the parking lot and to my utter delight - I found this parked next to my van. (Sorry it's a bit blurry. Used my cellphone...) I SO want this car.

Perhaps I should clarify, dear readers, that I am not in the abysmal pit of despair. NO. I am not about to abandon my children, my husband, my faith, nor my life. NO. What I've come to the conclusion is, the old sariqd that I am, just doesn't suffice. It's not enough. It's not... I just can't put my finger on it. It's as though, perhaps.... I've let what I perceived other people's opionions of me become my truth.


"Really, there is no beautiful style, no beautiful design, and no beautiful color: there is just one beauty, that of the truth that is revealed."

Auguste Rodin

I've forgotten what my truth is. Too long have I let what I thought other people thought about me mold me. No longer. I must shed that. For example, I'm not a shy person. When did I let that happen? I must change those bits & pieces that I don't like. I must work through the metamorphosis that one goes through in changing, stretching, and growing. It might be an ugly business but you know.... there are some mighty pretty butterflies out there.

I hate that I keep having to say that I need to "lay low" for a bit until I can get a grip on life because, I feel like I should already have one. All I really have a grip on is.... my fear of just completely losing my grip. Wha-huh? Ya. THAT makes sense! *rolls eyes* SO - for now, I'm going on a photo journey. Just pictures on this sweet ol'blog o'mine. No worries, okay? I just need to figure out what...er....what I need to figure out. Oooh - good start! Sheesh. ;-) In fact, why don't you read Van Gogh's letter to his brother that I have posted at the bottom of my blog. Like I said, no worries. Hopefully it'll be back to sunshine, lollipops & rainbows soon. Better than ever.

Now. Enjoy this lovely photo that I just took this afternoon. Isn't it lovely? I really love blue, items of threes, flowers, and stars. Quite serendipitous to have that all there!

Hello friends! It is time for LOVE/HATE
Here we go…

Love sunny days. "Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happpyyyyy" as sung by John Denver. Love him!

Hate spiders that think sunny days is their ticket to a “free-for-all” in the garden.

Love my lush garden.

Hate spiders that think it’s totally cool to spin webs that span the whole length of tomato plants. That would be 6 tomato plants.

Love picking ripe tomatoes, ripened by the sun.

Hate scary spiders just glaring at me.

Love the smell of freshly picked tomatoes.

Hate the King Spider just resting on the tomato leaf just above my head. I know he’s just resting but to me, he’s LURKING there. Just waiting to pounce on my head and make me do the heebie-jeebie-shake-my-hair-wildly dance.

Love remembering to take out the broom to sweep the webs away BEFORE picking tomatoes so I can avoid doing the deadly spider vs. tomato picking dance.

Other than that... I really don't have issues with spiders.

HAhahahahAHAhaHAHAHHA!!!!