Monday, November 30, 2009

Heads or Tails - She's not Mine, but I'm Proud Anyway

Heads Or Tails

The theme/prompt for THIS week, December 1, is:

HEADS - "Proud"


I ought to come up with something of my own for this week's Heads or Tails. But...

Instead of writing my own (unless I come up with something amazing tomorrow), I'll just point you to Tammy's post, because her daughter Aurora was an Olympic Torch Bearer, and that is definitely something to be proud of! She's not even my daughter, and I'm extremely proud of her - and just downright thrilled. What an amazing, awesome experience that she will never, ever forget! I'm sure her proud mom will never forget it either. Be sure to check it out - there are pictures and video, and it's hard to watch without getting just a little tear in your eye, at least.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Camera Critters (#86)

cameracritterspost

Beth brought new kitty Teddy up to visit for Thanksgiving. Actually he’s supposed to be Tana’s kitty, but Beth keeps threatening to keep him if Tana doesn’t take care of him by feeding him and taking care of the litter box. I said Teddy could come for the weekend, but he doesn’t get to come here to live.

Teddy is a calm, easy-going handsome boy. He’s a little older than Weasley, but quite a bit bigger. Both Weasley and Teddy have been enjoying having the other one to play with. They run all over the place, jumping on each other and wrestling. Then they stop, take a little break, and go at it again. I just happened to catch them both on a break.

Tillie, for her part, has been mostly keeping out of the way and letting the boys play. I think she’ll miss Teddy when he leaves, because Weasley will be wanting to play with her again, more than she wants.

Camera Critters is a fun weekend meme hosted by Misty Dawn.Visit the Camera Critters headquarters and join in.

Note: I keep forgetting to mention this here, but Beth has been living with my brother the last few weeks and helping him take care of his daughter Montana. Beth has to get Tana up in the mornings and off to school and be there when she comes home in the afternoon - basically be there while her uncle is at work and can't be. I don't know how long she'll be there, but it's a big help to Mark and Tana, and it's good that Beth has been able to do it. And it's nice to have all three of them here for Thanksgiving - even if Mark won't do the dishes!! :P

Friday, November 27, 2009

All That Food Means...

I just want to say that I'm really thankful to my family for cleaning up after Thanksgiving dinner - NOT. After working all day Wednesday cooking and then making dressing, peeling potatoes, cooking sweet potatoes, and whatever else still needed done Thursday so we could eat, the LAST thing I felt like doing after eating was clean up the kitchen. I did pretty good keeping things washed up as I cooked, and I got all the leftovers put into the fridge, but the dishes were just too much. I guess they were just too much for everyone else, too, because this is what my kitchen looked like this morning:

I did eventually get around to washing them all, and Cory dried and put them away - just in time for turkey sandwiches for lunch! We used paper plates for that.

Oh, and just saying - the food was so good! Yep, I cooked it all (Beth mashed the potatoes) and I can say that. I love turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, rolls, the whole thing. (and I don't have any pictures of the actual food - just those dirty dishes)

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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

So Much to Do, and it Takes so Much Time

All right, I finally got to sit down - but I made a German Chocolate pie, Oatmeal Rolls, a pumpkin pie, and cranberry sauce - and cooked a turkey today. I made African Burritos for dinner, too, then had to clean up the kitchen and get the turkey all cut up and the broth put in a pan so I can use it tomorrow. And now I'm just tired.

I've also decided that we'll have to give up Thanksgiving if/when I ever have to get a job outside the home. Not that I really want to, because I'm already making list of things that will have to go and Thanksgiving is the least of them. But my husband seems to think that when Cory gets out of high school that I'll want/need to go back to work. Never mind that I don't know what I would want to do - definitely not rv repair and preferably not retail again, but other than that? And who is going to do what I do now? Still me? With less time?

I know other people do it, somehow. And I used to do it before kids, but I forget how, and back then we lived in a much smaller place. For now I guess we better enjoy this Thanksgiving while we have it, and I better try really hard to get things caught up around here.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Cooking for Thanksgiving

Oatmeal BreadImage by kendiala via Flickr

I've got a lot of cooking to do tomorrow, because Thursday is Thanksgiving, and we're having it here. We're not having a big group, just us and my brother and his daughter, but I've still got to fix turkey and all the rest. It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it all. So tomorrow I'm cooking the turkey, baking rolls and some pies, and maybe making cranberry sauce. I say maybe on the cranberry sauce because the people in my house like the jelled stuff that comes out of a can, but I just really want some real, fresh cranberry sauce.

I always cook the turkey the day before because it's just easier to deal with that way. I can cool the broth, remove all the fat, and have it to make the dressing and gravy. I add some broth to the sliced turkey and reheat it in the oven. No pretty turkey for the table, but so much easier. And seriously, I've never been able to get the turkey out of the pan in one piece.

So if the turkey and the baking is done tomorrow, all I have to do is dressing (I already have the bread laid out to dry a little), mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, and a vegetable on Thursday. Right? I feel like I'm forgetting something, but I have time to figure it out. As it is, it sounds like there's going to be so much food people are going to need appetite suppressants or they're going to eat so much they'll explode. Time to start talking up the benefits of leftovers, I think.

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Monday, November 23, 2009

Peter Pan Pics

I finally got pictures from Peter Pan uploaded to Facebook. You can see them here.

I took a bunch of video, too, but I haven't had a chance to look at it or upload it or anything.

I think Cory was an awesome Captain Hook! (and not just because I'm his mom)

Heads or Tails - Soft

Heads Or Tails

The theme/prompt for THIS week, November 24, is:

HEADS - "Soft"

This is pretty easy, because we have the softest cat in the world living here.

Everyone who touches her remarks on how soft she is, and it really is hard to walk past her without touching that soft fur – especially when she rolls over and exposes her Tillie tummy, which is even softer than the rest of her.

Heads or Tails is a fun weekly meme created and hosted by Barb (aka Skittles) – feel free to join in!

Who Do You Think Will Win?

So far this Dancing With The Stars season I haven't picked a favorite and haven't voted for anyone. In the past I always had my favorites - Emmet Smith, Kristi Yamaguchi, Apolo Anton Ohno, Ty Murray - and I voted. I didn't go so far as to get t-shirts or promo keychains, but I used several email addresses and my home phone and my cell to vote. This season, no one really stood out, and it wasn't until last week that I decided it should come down to Mya and Joanna, because they were the best dancers. I still didn't vote, though, and Joanna got eliminated.

So now here we are in the finals. It's down to Donny, Kelly, and Mya, and I might even go ahead and vote. Of the three, I think Mya is the one who deserves to win. What do you think? I think Kelly is adorable, and there are flashes of good dancing in her performances, but she just hasn't put the whole package together. Donny always seems to have so much fun, and he really knows how to put on a show. But Mya can really dance. If the Mirror Ball Trophy goes to the best dancer, then she should win.

I guess we'll find out tomorrow night.

ETA - never mind. I'm voting for Donny (if I can get through and if the ABC website will cooperate) - that freestyle was awesome!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Camera Critters (#85)

cameracritterspost

I caught Weasley watching TV on Thursday.  Good Morning America was showing just a little about the huge cruise ship they were planning to show the next day.  Wow is that ship huge!  Did you see any of the GMA story on Friday?

Weasley, are you planning to go on a cruise? 

Who, me?

He looks a little guilty, don’t you think?  Maybe I better check my credit cards and be sure nothing’s missing.

Camera Critters is a fun weekend meme hosted by Misty Dawn.Visit the Camera Critters headquarters and join in.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Looking at the Sky on Friday - 36

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I’m so glad there’s a meme like Looking at the Sky on Friday, because it means all the time I spend looking at the sky, and taking pictures of it, has a purpose! Click the badge for more info.

I went to get the mail.  I don’t remember what we got in the mail, probably just some credit card offers, bills, something from a store trying to sell us a ps3 and some games we don’t really need, something like that.  What I do remember is the sky.  I grabbed the mail from the box and hurried inside for my camera.

If you enjoy skies as much as I do, be sure to check out Looking at the Sky on Friday.

Does Movie Theater Popcorn Have to Be So Bad?

19/05/2007 (Day 170) - The Popcorn QueueImage by Kaptain Kobold via Flickr

Did you hear on the news this morning about all the fat in movie theater popcorn? No wonder I always feel sick after I eat it! Of course the fact that we always buy the large and get the free refill, and I always seem to eat most of it myself has absolutely nothing to do with it. Why is it that I just can't stop eating that stuff until the bucket is empty?

I'm just trying to figure out why they think they need to add all that fat. On its own, popcorn is a healthy, whole grain, low-fat snack. It's all the oil they pop it in and then the butter (or butter flavoring) that is drizzled on top. I never get added butter because that's just too greasy, but apparently the popcorn is about as bad for you even without it. The news report said that some of the theater chains tried selling air popped popcorn, but the customers didn't like it. I personally love air pop, but I know a lot of people don't, and I'm pretty sure the theater had to know that too. Of course the customers weren't going to buy it - well, except for me if I'd known.

But anyway, customers weren't buying the air popped stuff, so they went back to using lots of oil and fat. After all, they tried, right? But my question is - isn't there somewhere we can meet in the middle? Use less oil, don't cut it out altogether. And for the theaters that give free refills - if they're like the theaters we go to, free refills are only available on the largest popcorn size. So, to get our money's worth, we usually buy the large combo - a large popcorn and two large sodas. How about making 1 free refill available no matter what size you buy? If people start out with a smaller size, even if they get the refill, the end result is less popcorn. Oh, and did I say use less oil?

Luckily going to the movies is just a once in a while thing.

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Never Run Out of Toilet Paper

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Alice.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

A friend once asked, "What one thing have you never run out of or would never want to run out of?" My first thought was something like flour or onions, but then she said for her the answer was toilet paper. No one wants to run out of toilet paper! I have to agree with her. Of course, there are lots of basic things we need around the house - laundry detergent, dish soap, shampoo, deodorant, etc. It would be pretty inconvenient to run out of any of them. Maybe not as inconvenient as having no toilet paper, but...

I tend to stock up on all these basics when they're on sale, so I have quite a stockpile, and I don't think we're in danger of running out of anything for a good long time. That didn't stop me from signing up for a free account at Alice.com about a month ago, or maybe that's why I signed up. I don't just stockpile stuff because it's on sale. I stockpile because I don't want to run out and then have to make a special trip to the store and probably pay a higher price. Now, with Alice.com I can actually use stuff up and let the supplies dwindle a little, which will make my husband happy. He says we have too much stuff around here.

You see, Alice.com is a site where you can shop for and buy all your household essentials. They have tons to choose from, so chances are you can find the brands and products you usually use. The prices are very competitive, and they even find and apply coupons to get you the best deal possible, and there's no clipping involved. And, shipping is FREE. So, you can sit back, log onto your computer, and do all your shopping for household essentials from the comfort of your own home, and have everything delivered to your door for FREE. How cool is that? Now I'm wishing we were almost out of something so I could actually order something.

What I am doing is looking through the products available in all the different categories and adding things I know I will need eventually, the body wash Cory likes, hand lotion, facial tissue, etc. That way it will be quick and easy to find when I need it. It also looks like Alice.com pays attention to my choices and uses them to offer me special deals or suggest products I might like, which I really like. Also, as you add things to your products, you can tell Alice how often you need to buy each item, and Alice will remind you when it's time to buy, so you won't run out!

I encourage you to check out Alice.com because I think this site is going to be really handy. If you hate shopping for basic household needs and would like to save some time, money, and hassle, this might be just what the doctor ordered. Alice.com has a Refer a Friend program, too - so if you sign up for your free account and then refer your friends, Alice.com will pay you, too. You'll get 3% of the total dollar amount of each one of their orders on Alice for an entire year. Each person you refer will also get a $10 credit in their Alice account once they spend at least $50 on the site. Here's my referral link - http://www.alice.com/referral/4D789F8D - so if you copy that into your browser, I'll get the 3% of your orders for a year, and you'll get $10 after you spend $50. Sounds like a good deal for both of us, right? (or just click the ad in the sidebar)

Oh, and what one thing would you never want to run out of?


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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

I Keep Coughing

I woke up Saturday morning with a sore throat. Yes, I'm perfectly fine, spend a few nights around other people, and I wake up sick! I had some hot honey-lemon water, drank a packet of Emergen-C, and took some Vitamin D - and stopped eating the chocolate that is always at the sound table. After Saturday night's performance I had some hot tea and took it easy, though we stayed up way too late because we had a basement full of cast members, crew, and friends.

Sunday wasn't too bad, more tea, Emergen-C, Vitamin D, etc, but, by the time the performance and clean-up was finished, my legs ached and I could tell my voice was leaving me. More tea, more vitamins, etc. Monday and Tuesday I couldn't really talk, and if I moved around too much or tried to talk, it made me cough. I didn't feel too bad, just overall tired.

Today I actually have a voice, but I can't stop coughing sometimes. I just get this really dry tickle in my throat, and it won't stop. I watched the first video suggested by Zemanta, and I think some of it is that I haven't been drinking enough water - mostly because with all the coughing and gunk in my throat, nothing tasted good, not even water, which I normally drink a lot of. So, more water, more rest, more whiskey. Oh, I didn't mention the whiskey? Yep, very important, but after watching that 2nd Zemanta-suggested video, I think I really should have tried a Hot Toddy. I guess there's always next time, because I'm not all better yet.

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Sunday, November 15, 2009

I Need a Script Writer

Why is it that I always think of what I should have said later, after it's too late? If only I had a script to use and always knew what to say and how to act. But no. For instance, last night we had some people coming to watch Cory in Peter Pan. A lot of the kids had already saved seats, but the front row was available so I grabbed some there, but then the girl who played Wendy needed some seats for her family. There was nothing available up close so I volunteered to move our seats, because our friends didn't really need front row. We did some rearranging of other seats to get her the ones she needed, then I went to put the tape I had peeled off the front row on some seats further back - basically the next available row on the aisle. It was a ways back, but simpler than trying to rearrange a bunch of other seats. That's when some woman I never saw before came rushing over and prevented me from putting my tape on the first seat. "Those are my seats!" Never mind that there was nothing on them. I told her that my kid is a senior, and seniors get priority, and she basically said "SO? These are my seats. I was just waiting on the tape." At that point I just got extremely frustrated and walked away. There may have been something about shoving a chair, too.

Looking back I wonder why I didn't just calmly explain to her that my kid is a senior, and he's playing one of the main parts in the play. What part is your kid playing? Not Wendy because I just moved off the front row so her family could sit there. Not Peter Pan because she has the first three rows on the other side. So, that means my kid has priority over your kid, and if I want to put my people here, you're just going to have to move back a row. But I didn't, I walked away, she got the seats and all I got was upset. Where was that script writer when I needed her?

Later I found out that this woman's child was a 3rd grader who was playing one of the Lost Boys, not even one of the main Lost Boys, just one of the extra Lost Boys, the ones that were only in the play to fill the stage or so their parents would come to the play. But, those parents did not deserve to reserve better seats than any of the kids who had actual, real roles in the play. I'm pretty sure this woman was aware of that, but she pretended not to, and I didn't explain it properly. Then again, it really frustrates me to explain the obvious to people.

Let's just face it - I am not a people person. I'm thinking I should move to a beach on oahu hawaii, make that a private beach, and avoid people altogether. Oh, and if you know more about Oahu than I do, don't disillusion me by telling me that I'd have to deal with people there, too. I just can't handle that right now.

Camera Critters (#84)

cameracritterspost

I was just thinking that I really don’t have time for Camera Critters this weekend, what with being at the school all the time for the musical.  Then I realized there’s at least one critter in the musical, and I have been taking pictures and video, so why not use one of those?

Just in case you can’t tell – it’s supposed to be an ostrich.  There’s also a rather important crocodile, but I haven’t gotten a very good picture of him.  For some reason I’ve been concentrating more on that ornery pirate, Captain Hook.  I can’t imagine why!  

Yes, I know that Captain Hook is not a critter, but I’m posting his pic anyway.  It’s my prerogative as his mom.

Camera Critters is a fun weekend meme hosted by Misty Dawn.Visit the Camera Critters headquarters and join in.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Looking at the Sky on Friday - 35

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I’m so glad there’s a meme like Looking at the Sky on Friday, because it means all the time I spend looking at the sky, and taking pictures of it, has a purpose! Click the badge for more info.

Oops, I missed Looking at the Sky last Friday.  I had every intention of posting, just let the day get away from me.  How does a day go by so fast?  Time just seems to fly – a week goes by and before I know it it’s been three, a month, three months.  I don’t want to admit it, but the way time is flying, I better start looking for the best wrinkle treatments now, before I wake up, look in the mirror, and wonder where all those lines came from.

Speaking of the passage of time, I took these photos of the moon about a week and a half ago, when it was nice and full.  As of this morning, it was a fast-waning crescent, meaning another month is about over.

If you enjoy skies as much as I do, be sure to check out Looking at the Sky on Friday.

Monday, November 09, 2009

Apparently, I'm TinkerBell

Tinker Bell (film)Image via Wikipedia

Jeffrey went to play practice with Cory Saturday morning so he could watch and get an idea how the play goes. He called me from practice to say they have a job for me - like helping him however I can while he runs sound isn't enough. OK, I really don't do that much except try to follow along with the play and help him know when someone is coming on stage and needs his or her mic turned on. And once he's seen the play a time or two, he usually doesn't need too much help with that.

So, I get to run some laser light to represent TinkerBell. The only thing is, I know nothing about it - either running the light or how the play goes, so this should be interesting. I started reading through the script today, but don't really understand how it's supposed to work. So, tomorrow I'm going to play practice. Hopefully they will run through the whole play so I can take notes about who's on stage when, etc. - and figure out this TinkerBell thing.

Their first 'performance' is Wednesday afternoon, for the elementary school kids. The dress rehearsal is actually the next evening on Thursday. They just got the set today, and they've never run the whole thing through. It will be interesting to see how it all comes together.
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Saturday, November 07, 2009

Camera Critters (#83)

cameracritterspost

Time for some pics of our resident critters, Tillie and Weasley – the cutest kitties in the house, maybe the whole world.

Tillie still isn’t too sure about this interloper.

And Weasley just wants to be close.

Camera Critters is a fun weekend meme hosted by Misty Dawn.Visit the Camera Critters headquarters and join in.

Friday, November 06, 2009

We've Got Candy

Reese's Halloween Peanut Butter PumpkinsImage by Scorpions and Centaurs via Flickr

I think we have more than enough candy around here. It's so hard to resist those after-Halloween candy clearance sales. The candy is just as good the day after the holiday - it just costs half as much. Makes me wonder why anyone would be dumb enough to buy it beforehand. Anyway...

We hit Walgreens on Sunday and got a whole bunch. Then yesterday I bought just one bag of peanut butter kisses when I went to Walmart. When I got home, Cory asked me why I only got one bag. I told him I thought I was the only one who really ate them, so I only needed the one bag, otherwise I'd either feel really bad or be searching for the best weight loss pill because I ate so much candy.

That's when he informed me that he, and his sister, were guilty of getting into my bag of peanut butter kisses last year. No wonder they disappeared so fast!
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Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Five for Fighting - Slice

If every album provides snapshots of where an artist's mind and heart is at the moment, Slice, the latest offering from John Ondrasik (aka Five for Fighting), is a collection of digital jpegs and faded Polaroids. The album takes stories of friends, family and even American servicemen, and sets them to music shot through with the spirit of the great songs of his youth. It's a diary, or a blog, in which Ondrasik speaks his mind about current issues, experiences and sentiments, while setting those thoughts to piano, bass and drums.
I like a lot of different music, but I had never really paid attention to Five for Fighting until I was offered a chance to download the new CD Slice. Sure, I had heard of Five for Fighting and even heard of a couple of the songs, Superman and 100 Years, but that was it.

I've really been missing something, because I'm loving this CD! I'm pretty sure he had me from the first notes on the piano, and then the lyrics, well, I'm loving them, too. Lyrics like - "There was a time a long, long time ago/Chevies and levies played on the radio/No cell phones just 20,000 lights, swaying on a Saturday night." from the title track. And how can you not smile at a song that begins, "This is not our favorite song"?

I wasn't home when I first downloaded the CD (prior to the October 13 release date) so I didn't really get a chance to listen to it for a while. Since then I've burned it to CD so I can listen to it on my home stereo and listened to it several times. John made several television appearances, which I missed because I hadn't really listened to the CD yet or paid attention to the dates, but luckily several of them are available on the Five for Fighting website. John is also currently on tour with An Acoustic Evening with Five For Fighting, so check the tour schedule on the website to see if he's coming to a city near you. Of course, seeing all the SOLD OUT dates, I'm thinking that you better already have tickets! The closest he got to here was Chicago this last Friday night, but I missed that one. I guess I'll just have to play the CD again...

Please enjoy the video for Chances, the first single from Slice:



Slice is available now. You can buy it on iTunes and Amazon.com
Album Tracklisting:
  1. Slice
  2. Note To The Unknown Soldier
  3. Tuesday
  4. Chances
  5. This Dance
  6. Above The Timberline
  7. Transfer
  8. Hope
  9. Story Of Your Life
  10. Love Can't Change The Weather
  11. Augie Nieto
Note: I received this CD download at no cost thanks to One2One Network in exchange for my opinion.

Oh, and I am going to have to look up some of the older Five for Fighting songs that I missed.

Monday, November 02, 2009

New Floors

I should take some pictures of the house now that we've got things basically put back, but so far I haven't. I do keep admiring my new floors though. You can see some pictures of the whole project here, though. (If you're interested)

Another Cookbook

Remember how last week I was talking about needing to get rid of some cookbooks? I actually boxed up a few of them to get rid of. It's a good thing, because this morning I found out that I won another cookbook! I won The Pioneer Woman Cooks from The Frugal Girls, and I can't wait to get it. Sure there are all kinds of recipes, with mouth-watering pictures, available on The Pioneer Woman Cooks!, but again, there's just something about a book.

And I might actually have room on the shelf for it, either that or figure out what other one to get rid of because this looks like a great book.


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