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 really liked the clouds on Wednesday. OK, so I like the clouds every day, but…
Those are really pretty, aren’t they? I took the first pic from my back deck, looking across the neighborhood. Then Jeffrey and I went out that evening to go see a movie. We saw Date Night. Before the movie we went to Home Depot, because we needed compost and mulch. If I lived on a farm like my brother, we could make our own compost, but we don’t, so we bought some. I need to get the garden going – now that all danger of frost has passed.
After we Jeffrey loaded the compost and mulch into the back of the van and went to take the cart back, I took a couple shots of the sky over the parking lot while I waited for him.
Then we went to the movie and to Dairy Queen afterwards for ice cream. It’s fun to have a Date Night every once in a while!
Tonight was the Dancing with the Stars finale, and as I started watching I realized that I didn't vote all season. Usually I pick a favorite or two and vote online, but this season I didn't really care that much. I think that the right three couples made it to the finals and that the right couple won, but I wouldn't have been too disappointed if it had turned out differently. Except if they had kept that annoying Kate Gosselin any longer than they did. She could not dance at all.
And Niecy and her 'jiggly parts' - whatever. Most people who go on the show talk about how good the whole dancing schedule helps them to how to lose weight fast, and they really get in shape. It makes me think we ought to take up ballroom dancing so we can get in shape, though I doubt it works as well if you're not training intensely for hours every day. Jeffrey did start walking with me again this week, so hopefully that will help him get in better shape. That will have to do for now, considering he doesn't have time to devote hours to ballroom dancing. It does look like fun, though - doesn't it?
There are so many styles of women's pajamas, it would be hard to pick just one, wouldn't it? I remember having a flannel nightgown on some of those winter nights when I was growing up, but what I really wanted was some super-warm footie pajamas - the kind babies and toddlers wear. Do they make those in women's sizes?
I was thinking a different material, but these flannel ones would be nice. I found them at womenspajamas.com where you can buy women's pajamas, and only womens' pajamas. Men have to get theirs somewhere else.
Speaking of men, my husband probably wouldn't like these flannel footie things, but I'd only need them for those nights he's not home. The bed is a lot colder when I'm the only one in it. Of course, now that the winter is over, that really isn't an issue. Now I need something a whole lot cooler (womenspajamas.com has those too), that is, if I'm going to wear womens pajamas at all.
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Nexx Online. All opinions are 100% mine.
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I was looking up a home insurance quote and watching the news this morning when I saw that the governor vetoed a bill that would allow raw milk sales in the state of Wisconsin. I'm not sure what the big deal is. If farmers have cows and people want to buy the milk, why shouldn't they be allowed to? People were drinking raw milk way before the whole process of pasteurization and homogenization became the norm, right? But the government is concerned about the 'health risks' and of course the public, and the dairy industry, must be protected.
Yeah, right. How about educating the public and letting them make their own decisions? Maybe there's some kind of small business insurance farmers could have that would cover things, just on the off chance someone does get sick from drinking raw milk. Then the government wouldn't have to butt ininterfere be responsible. The farmers in Texas could get Texas business insurance. Wait - are there dairy farms in Texas, or do those farmers just sell raw beef?
What do I know? I just grew up drinking raw goat's milk.
It figures. Today, when I actually get to be home and have lots to do on the computer, my wireless connection won't behave. It keeps dropping and re-connecting and dropping and re-connecting. I don't know why it does this every once in a while, but it makes it hard to do anything. Web pages won't load, or they take forever. It's getting very frustrating.
I may have to give in and reboot my computer if it doesn't improve. I have no idea why it helps, but sometimes it does. And, if that doesn't help, I'll have to run down and re-boot the router and maybe even the modem. It's just frustrating because I want it to work, without a bunch of rigmarole. Then I can get straight to writing posts, checking credit reports, paying bills, and all the rest that needs done.
I had to vacuum again today. The little Weasley brat got into my plant. Again. There was dirt everywhere. Again. And I had to clean it all up. Again.
And while I was vacuuming all that dirt up, Weasley was right there watching me. And when I looked down at him, all I wanted to do is pick him up and squeeze him. He was having none of that because I just got after him for messing with the plant, but seriously, what is wrong with me? Does his cuteness really mean that he can get away with anything? I'm pretty sure that if he takes up smoking Davidoff cigars that will be the last straw, because nobody is cute enough to get away with smoking anything in my house or anywhere near me. But, other than that, Weasley seems to be able to get away with all kinds of stuff.
I mean, he gets in trouble, but it doesn't seem to phase him for long - and I just can't stay mad at him.
I was just reading this website on teen drug treatment and saw where it says that peer pressure is one of the big reasons why teens start taking drugs. It seems to work that way, because from some of the things Beth has told me about her friends, even the best kids can get in with the wrong crowd and make a whole lot of bad choices. One of her friends who seemed like such a nice guy back in high school has apparently been in jail for drug possession and maybe even dealing. And it sounds like so many of her other friends have at least experimented with drugs, and some of them could really benefit from teen drug rehab.
I don't know all the teen drug statistics, but on the surface it would seem that teens living in a small town would be less likely to get addicted to drugs than teens in the big city. Apparently that's not the case - teens from anywhere can be at risk. Thankfully, even though she hasn't always made the best choices when it comes to friends, and other things, Beth has avoided drugs. At least I choose to believe her when she says so, especially when I see how upset she gets when Tim's so-called friends want him to smoke weed with them. Maybe his 'friends' should look into teen Marijuana rehab? Except that they're no longer teens, and they don't seem to want to quit. This is, apparently, what they want to do with their lives. Sad.
Unfortunately, as long as Tim considers them friends, Beth is going to have to deal with the whole thing. She's not really having to deal with her high school friends and all their issues because she doesn't see them much anymore, not since she started dating Tim - but that's a whole other issue.
Did anybody see this story on GMA this morning? Apparently there's a video spreading like wildfire around the internet. It features little girls, 8 and 9 years old, dancing the the Beyonce song Single Ladies. These girls are dressed in skimpy outfits and dancing in a way that seems completely inappropriate for their ages, or any other age for that matter. They'll grow up soon enough and be learning to drive, looking for the best acne treatments, and worrying about boys.
Honestly, I don't even like watching Beyonce and her girls dancing to this song, but at least they're adults. The parents of these girls don't seem to have a problem with it - except for the fact that the video has gone viral and there has been taken 'out of context' instead of just being part of a dance competition. I just think it's really disturbing.
For some reason, when I'm eating tortilla chips, I just can't stop eating the broken ones. It's like I'm trying to clean up the bucket of chips. (We buy the big box of chips at Sam's Club and empty them into a big container) I keep eating broken chips thinking I'll stop when there are no more broken ones. Except, it seems, there are always more broken chips. Who broke these chips, anyway?
Eventually I just have to make myself stop and put the lid on the container. Sometimes, though, I take the lid off again and start picking broken chips out. If I don't get over this obsession with the broken chips, I'm going to have to find a quick weight loss diet because even the broken ones have have calories. And they definitely have a lot of salt. Eating all these chips is making me thirsty.
We got the last progress report of Cory's high school career yesterday. I've been doing that - last play, last concert, last whatever, as we count down to the end of school. It's an exciting time, but sad all at the same time. With Beth, it all just kind of sneaked up on us, mainly because she was finished with school after first semester, and she only went half days while she was in school.
With Cory, he's going the whole time and involved with everything. Well, maybe not everything, but plenty. With so much going on and all the things coming home about graduation and activities, it's a lot easier to see how this whole high school thing is coming to an end. All those years of pencils and notebooks, lockers and school furniture, bells, hallways, teachers and friends are coming to an end.
I'm excited to see what life holds in store for him, but I also know it means he'll be moving on and moving out when he starts college in the fall, and I'm gonna miss him.
Well, I didn't get a nap. Instead I had a cup of coffee - I tried making this cold brewed coffee yesterday, so I had to see how it turned out. It wasn't bad at all, though from what I've been reading, there isn't as much caffeine in cold brewed coffee, so it probably didn't do much for me. It was the idea of it, I guess.
It was enough of an idea that I got Cory's shirts ironed - both the white one and the black one because he's not sure which one he's wearing to prom. It depends which one looks best with the bow tie. Then after the ironing, I cleaned our bathroom, which really needed it. And for dinner? Grilled cheese and turkey salad on homemade sourdough bread - easy but yummy.
By the time the dishes were done after dinner, I was more than ready to sit down. My head doesn't really hurt any more, but I am so tired. I really don't want to move until it's time to head down the hall to bed, but Beth wants us to go over to her apartment and see her new table and how she's got her tv stands and other furniture arranged. It sounds like they're pretty much unpacked and settled in and even have pictures hung on the walls. Just the fact that she wants to share it with us is enough to make it worth getting up and going over there and going up all those stairs... She's so excited to have her own place, the least we can do is go visit when she asks us, right?
I wonder when she's serving us dinner on her new table?
For some reason I woke up with a headache this morning. Combine that with the fact that I didn't get to go walking this morning because it was raining, and I just don't feel good at all today. I've been slowly trying to accomplish something today, but the list just seems way too long. I wonder, will I ever get caught up? I've got emails to respond to and send, posts to make, charts to convert and get uploaded, bathrooms to clean, dinner to make - once I figure out what to make, and I'm pretty sure there are a bunch of other things on there that I'm forgetting.
I should probably start with making an actual list, so I don't forget anything and so I can cross stuff off as I get it done. That will make me feel like I'm accomplishing stuff, right? Though I honestly don't feel like doing any of it - not talking about life insurance rates, ironing Cory's shirts so he has something to wear to prom Saturday night, or any of it. Mostly I just feel like curling up and taking a nap.
Life Insurance is not something any of us really want to talk about. We want to believe that we'll always be around to take care of our families. Hopefully that's the case, and life insurance is something you get but you or your family never have to use. I know I never want to collect - though Jeffrey and I joke once in a while about how rich the other one would be if anything happened. I'd much rather have him around than be rich - and really, I wouldn't be rich, but I would be able to continue paying the bills. Without that insurance, I don't know what I'd do. Losing a loved one is hard enough, without having to worry about how you're going to stay in your house.
Even though it sounds like another monthly expense that you don't really want, the peace of mind is worth it. Also, the sooner you get Life Insurance Quotes the more affordable it will be, because rates just seem to go up the older you get. You can check around with different insurance companies to find something that works for you. Maybe start with a little coverage and increase it as you can.
If you don't feel that you can afford a life insurance policy, you might want to consider at least getting Funeral Insurance to help cover the cost of a funeral. An average funeral can cost more than $6000, which just seems like adding insult to injury. As if it's not bad enough that someone you love dies, you get hit will all these extra expenses. It would certainly be nice to have some help with that.
It's also a good idea to discuss your coverage with your agent once in a while to be sure the coverage is still what you need - not that we've been taking that advice recently. Our agent's office keeps calling trying to set up an appointment, and Jeffrey is just so busy with work that he can't commit to a meeting time.
- and who really wants to talk about life insurance?
Beth finally did it - she moved out, as of the first of the month. She didn't move far, though. It's only about 1/2 mile from our house to her (and Tim's) new apartment. So it's not like we'll never see her. Sometimes I think we've seen her more since she moved out than we used to when she lived here. One morning last week she even got up in the morning and went roller blading along with me while I walked. She hasn't done that since 6th grade! Of course it was only one morning.
They've got a small one-bedroom apartment, but it ought to work just fine for the two of them, and the cat. They don't really have that much stuff, so that's good. She bought a couch and chair for the living room - from an actual furniture store. They've got a bed and a couple dressers for the bedroom, and that's about all that will fit - but there's a really nice walk-in closet. The kitchen doesn't have many cabinets, and the stove and refrigerator are tiny, but there's a nice little pantry. They found a table and chairs at a garage sale this weekend and someone sold them a very large TV for about $20. She needed her dad to help carry that thing up the stairs. Did I mention that this apartment is upstairs? I'm sure moving everything in was lots of fun - going up those narrow stairs and around the corner to get in the door - but they did it and mostly by themselves.
This was probably the easiest move they will ever make - except maybe the fact that the apartment is so small will keep them from accumulating too much stuff, so whenever they move out of there it won't be too hard. Now, if we ever have to move, that will be a whole different story! Where does all this stuff come from? We'll have to be looking for someone to help us, not Movers NYC, but maybe we can find some good info and recommendations on movers in the Milwaukee area, and hopefully get a good deal. Either that or I will be sorting and packing and sorting and packing and tossing and sorting and tossing and packing for ages and ages and ages. Just the thought of it makes me tired!
Maybe I can get Beth to help, since she's the expert on moving now.
Cory went to prom last night. He asked a young lady to be his date, got all dressed up, went out and had a good time. Before they left the house, I had to take a bunch of pics - of course. Then, when I posted them to facebook, I got comments like, "our Cory is all grown up!"and "Are you sure that's Cory? Looks too grown up to suit me." I have to agree. What happened to my little boy? Where did this handsome young man come from?
It seems just yesterday that he grew out of toddler clothing and had to start wearing Boys' sizes. I remember he was such a skinny little guy that I always had to buy him the Slim sizes. He's filled out a bit now and shops in the Men's Department, and he's been taller than I am for a while now. So I suppose it's a little hard to ignore the fact that he's all grown up, no matter how much I might like to. Typical child - no matter how many times I told him to stay little, he just refused to listen!
Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way. From the time he was a little bitty baby, his job was to grow up, and he's been doing that ever since. He used to need me to feed him, dress him and read him children's books (a lot of the books listed here) - but he learned to feed himself, dress himself, and read, and he didn't need me for those things any more. I like to believe that no matter how much he grows up that he'll still need me for some things - like loving him, supporting him, hugging him when he needs it, and just being proud of the young man he's become.
And if he doesn't need any of that, at least I can take the prom pics.
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Lunchables. All opinions are 100% mine.
I always took field trips for granted. We always took at least one or two field trips a year when I was in school, and my kids have always gone on field trips with their classes. I went on as many of those as I could, too, because field trips are fun. The kids enjoy getting out of the classroom and being able to experience some of the things they've been learning throughout the school year. I'm realizing now that we've been some of the lucky ones.
One of our friends was teaching summer school last year and decided to take her class on a field trip. Most of these students were seniors in high school, and they had never been on a field trip! This was their first one ever, and those students were so excited. Those kids aren't the only ones, because according to a 2009 report from The American Association of School Administrators, it’s estimated that over the course of the current school year, the number of school districts eliminating field trips will increase by 56 percent. That’s more than 30,000 schools. Those darn budget cuts again!
Are field trips really that important? Some people might think they're just a waste of time or an excuse for kids to get out of school. I don't think classes should take field trips just for the sake of taking a trip or just for fun, but if a field trip gets students excited about something they are learning, it's invaluable. Field trips to museums to see things they've been studying in science or art class, field trips to the State Capital to see government in action, field trips to historic sites to see where the things they've been studying in the classroom actually happened - you just can't get that from a book.
Check out the faces of these students as they experience something no one else has:
The Lunchables Team believes so strongly in the importance of field trips that they've started a program called Field Trips For All. Through this program 50 classrooms will be selected to go on an inspiring, educational experience. Anyone, ages 6 and up, can nominate a classroom. Simply go to www.lunchables.com and click on the "LUNCHABLES Field Trips for All: 50 Field Trips" icon to register and submit an application. Applications must be submitted by June 1st, so if you know of a deserving classroom, be sure to nominate them right away. Since I won't have a kid in school next year, and my kids have been some of the lucky ones, I really don't know who I would nominate. I really hope some students who have never had the opportunity to go on a field trip get to experience something great.
I'm going to pretend I have a really good reason for not blogging in ages. I guess I do - there's always something going on. Last weekend it was Cory's play. The last play of his high school career, which is kind of sad if you think of it that way. But I'm sure he's going to go on to bigger and better things. There will be opportunities for him to act in college, and maybe he'll go on to be a famous actor someday.
Whether he's a big time actor or if he sells Kohler toilets for a living, I'll still be proud of him.
For now Jeffrey and I are trying to decide when and where we're going if we decide to go to Vegas, so hopefully I'll have time to catch up soon.
