Squirrel!

I received an email the other day from an author I follow. Actually, I signed up for his newsletter a while back in exchange for a free copy of one of his books. A book I have yet to read. Will I ever read all those (or any of those, for that matter) free Kindle books I keep grabbing? But I just can't resist grabbing them. They're free!

Anyway, the point of this particular email was to ask for feedback from the readers. This author has written a series of books, but very few people ever read through the entire series. They'll read one or two or three of the books, and then they'll quit reading. He was asking how far we'd read and why we'd quit when we did.

Of course, since I haven't read any of the books, I couldn't speak to those books specifically, but I did give my best guess - there are many, many books available, and readers tend to get distracted.  Seriously, my TBR list is already miles long, and it just keeps growing. Every time someone mentions a book that looks interesting I add it. So, even when I start a series that I really like, I usually only end up reading 2 or 3 of the books. Then I decide to take a break from the series and read something else. Next thing I know, it's been 3 or 4 years... (there are a lot of something elses)

Here are a few examples:

• I read the first three of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series in 2008, stopped for some reason and never continued. Now that we've started watching the series on Starz, I'm wanting to start that series again and read them all. But there are so many...
• I re-read the first 4 Harry Potter books in 2011, fully intending to finish the series, but I took a break and haven't gone back since. (Though to be fair, I did read all of them as they came out, so maybe that's not the same?)

• I started George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series in 2013 - After finishing #3, I took a short break to read other books and had definite plans to read the remaining 2 books in 2014.
  It's 2019, and I haven't gone back. Not because I didn't LOVE the books, because I did. (We did watch the series on HBO. Just waiting till April so we can find out what happens next)
• I read Justin Cronin's The Passage and The Twelve in 2016 because the 3rd book in the series was coming out. I'd read The Passage several years before (in 2010) but never continued on... So I read both of them in preparation for City of Mirrors. Loved them both. And still haven't read City of Mirrors. (I do have it on hold at the library right now, so maybe I'll finally get to it)

• And I started re-reading Stephen King's Dark Tower series in 2015. I've read a lot of other books along the way, but I haven't actually taken a complete break from the series. I'm still working my way through it and planning to finish the last 2 books this year. Check my 2019 book list when I post it next year to see if I actually accomplish that.

Yes, there are some series that I've continued with - Jan Karon's Mitford Series, The Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer (wanna listen to those again!), J.D. Robb's In Death series. And that's the real question - WHY do some series keep us coming back for more? And why do some fail to get our attention back once we've been distracted by all those other books?

I just need to learn to read faster, so I can read all the books.

It's Not the Cold; It's the ICE

I walk every morning - unless it's pouring down rain or the windchill is colder than -20°.  Seriously, bundle up properly, and it's really not that cold.  But the weather is supposed to be crazy cold around here the next couple days. Schools are closing, libraries are closing, grocery stores are selling out of everything. Well, I don't actually know about the grocery store thing because, unlike all those people who apparently don't have enough food in the house to survive a couple of days, I have plenty of stuff. So I didn't run out to the store.

But it does sound like it's going to be colder than my cutoff temperature of -20° windchill, so I'll have to skip my walk for a couple of days. It'll probably be safer that way. Not because of the cold - because of the ice. It has to snow quite a bit before they do anything with the streets in our neighborhood. What that means is the snow stays until it goes away on its own. Some streets get driven on more, so some clear off sooner. Others clear off a bit during the day and then refreeze at night when the sunshine goes away and the temperatures get colder. And when I go walking in the mornings, the ice and slushy snow make every walk an adventure.

My dad Fred has made a bunch of wooden walking sticks, kinda like this Natural Wood Walking Stick, but more rustic, so I use one of those when the streets are iffy. It's really helpful to have something to hold onto when my foot hits a slippery spot. I probably could have used one of those all those years in Wisconsin, but the streets were usually a lot better. Here a walking stick is a definite need. And sometimes even that isn't good enough - like this morning when my foot hit a hidden patch of ice, and I ended up on my butt. I'm a bit sore... (and hopefully no one was watching)

I'll probably be glad to stay inside tomorrow morning and avoid that crazy cold windchill.

Crazily enough, we're supposed to have temperatures in the 50s by Sunday and Monday. That ought to clear off those streets. At least until the next snowfall. Or freezing rain.

25 Things Peggy Said About Me Once

I was looking for a post on my old livejournal, and I came across this fun list. It still makes me smile even (almost) 10 years later.

25 Things Peggy Said About Me - originally published in March 2009

About a month ago I was working on doing that 25 random things list on Facebook. I was having some problems coming up with my list, so my friend Peggy helped me out. Of course, I didn't open my email until after I had already finished my list, or I could have saved myself all kinds of work. Just for fun I've been meaning to post her list too - just finally getting around to it.

Peggy's 25 things about Anna: (any comments by me in RED - because Peggy hates red, and I'm just that kind of friend)

1. does laundry on Mondays--- if I don’t do laundry on Mondays the whole week is shot! Or, Monday is the day I spend with my favorite Washer and Dryer. Monday is my workout day, 20 times up and down the stairs to do laundry.
2. For years thousands of people have relied on my team (my friends and I) to keep their kid’s school activities straight— I have had a large part in the set up of the printed calendar that the school system sends out to the community. (this one needs work)
3. I am addicted to blogging, I have 4 of my own and have helped ? number of my friends and family set up theirs. I just can’t help myself, they’re free! (LOL! - love that free comment)
4. frugality is my life, I refuse to pay full price for anything!
5. I can account for every penny earned and spent in this house since 19?? Receipts rule!! (not quite)
6. I see no redeeming purpose in dogs, but cats are the coolest! (Well, Tillie is the sweetest, anyway)
7. I have two amazing kids….. oh, and a husband that isn’t bad either.
8. I have walked across America. Or , I walk 2 miles every morning, ? days a week. so I estimate that I have walked --- (pick one) across america, to austrailia and back, halfway around the world and my goal in life is to make it around the world. (LOL!)
9. I have walked ? miles in my current pair of walking shoes. 
10. frugality is my life, I refuse to pay full price for anything!
11. I have made some of the coolest websites on the internet or, I love to make website/pages and have designed, or helped design many websites. Here are a few you can check out: http://www.audiorescuers.com http://webpages.charter.net/neverhere/hollis/ http://www.feastgoer.org etc
12. I have naturally curly hair, I like it short, Jeff likes it long--- I indulge him sometimes. (I wouldn't exactly call it curly - just thick and wavy, I guess)
13. I have a coupon for everything
14. I am the queen of rebates
15. I live with a man who hoards Jack Daniels and won’t share. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jchagen/sets/72157594464335174/)
16. I see no real purpose for the existence of sugar
17. I rarely shower alone (on the weekends)
18. If you are going to argue with your husband, you should get naked first
19. I often wonder why anyone would put a white plastic spoon in the spaghetti sauce
20. if you come to visit me at my house, bring slippers
21. Jeff is making me a pergola (I think he's making it for himself, but I'll enjoy it too)
22. live life in the sun is my motto---air conditioning is evil
23. I have 3 brothers and really cool parents (yes, I do!)
24. there is my way of doing things, and the wrong way.
25. I have this great friend who can’t remember how to do anything in Photoshop, but writes really cool things about me. (LOL!)

See, that was fun, wasn't it? It was fun for me, anyway.

Some of the things haven't changed much - I still do laundry on Mondays; I still walk every weekday; Jeffrey has even more Jack Daniel's; Peggy still needs help with Photoshop.

I Just LIKE to be Barefoot

But it looks like there are plenty of benefits too!


I'd heard that walking barefoot outside is very beneficial, but this video shows much more than I was aware of. I'm going to have to make a point of walking barefoot on earth more often. Though, with winter fast approaching - it was 18° this morning - I may have to wait a bit. Unless I want cold toes.

I have been known to put my bare toes into the snow... (though that was a warm and sunny day and most of the snow had melted except for this little pile right here)

'On-Trend' for Fall

I happened to turn Good Morning America yesterday right as they started talking about putting together a capsule wardrobe for fall. I've heard the term - capsule wardrobe - but I wasn't really clear on what it is, so I settled in to watch.

They took six basic pieces, mixed them and matched them, and created an entire wardrobe good for everything from work to a casual night out with friends to date night. Overall it was quite interesting and has me thinking of going through my closet - which has way more than six basic pieces - to see what I can mix, match, and coordinate. It would be extremely handy when it comes to packing for a trip. (We just traveled to Utah at the end of September, and even though I packed quite a bit less than I normally do when we drive, I still took way too many clothes.)

I can't say that I was a huge fan of the outfits they came up with for the GMA story. I really did not like that sweater (especially not belted over the dress) or the robe coat (and I would never pay even close to the price these pieces all sell for), but it did have me thinking of some of the pieces I already have in my closet and how I can combine them. Of course, I have a pair of black pants (or 2 or 3 or 4, who's counting?), a white blouse, and I even have a red blazer - 3 of the pieces used in the story. The one outfit I did like was the first one that combined those 3, except I think those pants are too short. But, I can do that! (with the pants I have that are actually long enough)

Apparently, red blazers are 'on-trend' this fall so I really should pull mine out and see if I can wear it at least once.  (with my leopard print shoes, which are 'on-trend' too - wow, I am going to be so stylin'!) Of course, since I spend most of my time at home and don't go out if I can help it, I'm not sure exactly when I'm going to be rocking my 'on-trend' outfits - but it will still be fun to see what I can come up with.

Not that I usually worry about fashion or what's 'in style'... In fact, there are many times I look at the clothes in magazines or even the weekly store ads and wonder who decided that looked good. Nobody is dumb enough to wear that, are they? But if you ever go out in public you know there are people who will apparently wear absolutely anything.  I find myself wanting to ask them if they have a mirror in their house - because they could not have looked into a mirror and believed for one minute that they looked good enough to go out in public...

Perhaps they just went shopping and picked up some of these new fashions available at your local Target. Oh my, what in the world are they thinking?

Who's ready to be 'on-trend' for fall?

Happy Solstice!

or, so that's where the 12 Days of Christmas came from...

I signed up for a free ebook last night. (I admit, even though I will never have time to read them all, I am seriously addicted to downloading every free ebook that crosses my path) This morning I got an interesting email from the author entitled Yule - The Pagan Holiday That Celebrates the Sun.

Celebrated on the winter solstice, Yule is a holiday dedicated to the return of the sun. Pagan deities associated with the celebration include: all newborn gods, sun gods and mother goddesses. Kris Kringle, the inspiration for Santa Claus, receive the honour of becoming the Germanic Pagan God of Yule. The winter solstice, as the first day of winter and the longest night of the year, has been celebrated for centuries. It signifies the return of the light, as the days become longer and the countdown to the life-giving spring begins. The Yule festival lasts for 12 days and involves great merriment and feasting, as well as many traditions each with its own meaning.  (read more)

I wasn't expecting that - guess I should check out that free book soon.

Seriously, I've known all my life that the origins of Christmas stem from paganism, though I don't really know all the details or haven't paid that much attention. Or actually care that much. It's enough for me that God gave us days to celebrate, and I have no need to look for replacements.

I have wondered what this 12 days of Christmas thing is when my calendar only has one day marked.  (and these days it seems that one day is stretched out more and more) Of course, the 12 days of Christmas come from the pagan holiday too. Why am I not surprised? (I think extending it beyond that is all retail)

Of course, there are many people who have celebrated Christmas all their lives with no clue that it has any meaning except for celebrating the birth of our Saviour. Others used to know the pagan origins and believed God when He said that He is not pleased when we attempt to honor Him by adopting the ways of the nations (pagans) around us, but somehow they have forgotten or decided it doesn't matter anymore. Or maybe God changed?

I'm pretty sure God hasn't changed. That would call into question a whole lot of other things besides holy days and whether or not pagan traditions can somehow be made acceptable and even honorable. So, I'm going to continue celebrating the days God set aside in the Bible - appointed times that remind us just who God is and what He has planned for us. Settling for pagan traditions painted and prettied up by man seems kind of hollow by comparison.

It Really Is the Doorway!

Have you heard that walking through a doorway can cause you to forget why you went into that room in the first place? Sounds crazy, right? Though I'd rather believe that than thinking it has anything with being old enough to have a couple grandchildren.

I just read this article that does a very nice job of explaining why walking through doorways makes us forget, and it actually makes sense. That doesn't make it any less annoying though!

I have figured out how to remember - walk back through that same door! At least it worked once, and I only discovered that accidentally. I ran upstairs to get something - I can't remember what it was now, and I could not remember what I was looking for when I got upstairs. I stood in the bedroom and looked around, but nothing jumped out at me. So, I gave up and went back downstairs. As soon as I walked back through the doorway into the kitchen, I remembered exactly what I had been upstairs looking for.

I immediately turned around and ran back upstairs to get whatever I went up there for in the first place - repeating over and over again in my mind what exactly it was I was going up there for. Success! And extra exercise.

No promises that it will work the next time, but it kind of makes sense - walk through a doorway and forget; walk back through that same doorway to call back to mind the thing you've forgotten. It's worth a try anyway. Either that or carry around a notepad and write everything down.

How's your memory?

Is it Too Early for a Fire?

I know summer isn't quite finished, but I've been seeing signs of fall all over the place. Suddenly the leaves on the trees are starting to turn yellow and red and even falling to the ground. It won't be long until they're all brilliant and gorgeous like this picture from last year. Mornings are cool, and I need to wear a long sleeved shirt when I go for my morning walks.

It seems like it happened overnight. One day it was summer and the next fall had arrived. (Let's just ignore the fact that the temperature is supposed to be in the 80s by the weekend)

These cool evenings have me pulling out the cozy flannel pants and wondering if it's too early for a fire in the fireplace.  Our fireplace isn't really a source of heat, but it's just enjoyable to have a fire going. We enjoy a fire many evenings when the weather turns cool. Since it's a gas fireplace, it's fairly easy to get a fire going, and put it out at the end of the night.

When I was growing up we heated our house with a wood stove, and I use that term 'heated' very loosely because we really only tried to heat a couple rooms in the house while the rest of the house was closed off and very cold at times. I still appreciate being able to get warm when I go to bed at night and not waking up with snow on my pillow some mornings. But we did survive, and I guess we have memories and stories to tell because of it.

I did not have much responsibility for the fire except for carrying in wood quite often after school. The boys may have played with the fire a bit more. Isn't that a guy thing? I remember one time us kids were home alone and the chimney behind the stove started getting hot, and the cover in the next room started turning black. We were terrified that the house was going to burn down and ended up calling the fire department. Everything turned out fine, but it was very scary. I think it was something as simple as the damper on the stove not being closed so all the heat from the stove was going up the chimney instead of staying in the stove where it belonged. I know it could have been a lot worse.

I've been reading about how birds' nests and other debris like weeds, twigs, and grass can accumulate in a chimney during the summer when the fireplace or wood stove isn't being used, meaning that the first fire of the season could inadvertently spark a blaze that could spread to the rooftop. It sounds like it's not a bad idea to hire a DC chimney sweep, or general handyman to inspect and clean the chimney and roof before that first fire of the season.

Unless you want to climb up there yourself, which isn't exactly the best idea because it can be nearly impossible for the typical homeowner to figure out how to sweep out the chimney.  It also takes special equipment long enough to reach past the stack at the very top and vacuum hoses that can extend far enough down the chute to reach everything embedded inside. Professional sweeps come to your home with all of this equipment on hand and ready to use.  Before they get started, they inspect the chimney to make sure live creatures like squirrels or raccoons are removed safely.  They can then start removing nests, grass, weeds, and other debris from inside the chimney.

I don't think we ever had any such thing done to our old farmhouse in the country. Thankfully, we survived to tell the stories anyway.

Sometimes You Gotta Spend More to Spend Less

We love shopping at Kohl's. Of course, the fun is in the savings and not really the shopping itself. I don't understand people who actually enjoy shopping for the sake of shopping. But when I can stack savings on top of savings, then I'm having a bit of fun.

Last weekend we stopped into Kohl's because we had some Kohl's Cash ($7.84) from an earlier return, and we needed to spend it before it expired. Combined with the 20% discount we had, we figured it was a good time to find something we needed. I ended up finding a quilt/bedspread - originally priced at $219.99 but marked down to $43.99. Since we had been looking for something just like that, we decided to grab it and go, which is the best kind of shopping trip - in and out without wasting a lot of time.

1st rule of shopping: Start with the clearance racks.

I can't actually imagine that anyone would spend $220 on this bedspread because the 2nd rule of shopping is to never pay full price. Of course, that's similar to the first rule but can also include sale prices. I personally think sale prices are usually too high, which is why I wait for things to go on clearance, and even then I usually wait for 70%, 80%, or 90% off before I'm willing to buy.

So, we got a nice quilt/bedspread for a total cost of $30.94, which was a pretty good deal - until I realized that we had a coupon for $10 off a $50 purchase for Mother's Day. I was thinking women's clothing, jewelry, purses and accessories, etc. and didn't realize it also included items from the Home department - which would include the quilt. No, we didn't spend $50, but we did spend $43.99 (before discounts and Kohl's Cash), which meant that all we had to do was spend an additional $6.01 to be able to use the coupon and save $10. If we had bought something else that cost exactly $6.01, using the same Kohl's Cash and the same 20% discount, we would have spent $27.53, saving $3.41 - and getting an additional item. More merchandise for less money. Who can argue with that?

It gets even better, though. We didn't make it back to Kohl's until this past Sunday. I asked if they could re-ring my purchase if I found something else so that I could use the coupon - because I would have if I'd realized it applied. They said sure, so I found a blouse I liked - not exactly $6.01 but close. It was on clearance for $8 (80% off). After 'returning' the quilt and then re-ringing the transaction with both the quilt and the blouse - with the 30% discount we now have - the total cost was $25.57, a savings of $5.37. (and remember, I got a blouse, in addition to the quilt I originally bought)

Of course, when we have a 30% discount we do like to see what we can find, so we did a bit more shopping the clearance racks. I found some more tops, some dresses, pants, etc. - enough to use the coupon again - and Jeffrey found some golf shirts and t-shirts. We spent enough that we got $10 Kohl's Cash, and when I added the receipt from the quilt and blouse I bought first, we had enough for another $10 Kohl's Cash.

This, of course, means that we have to go shopping again next week when the Kohl's Cash is valid. And if we wait until Thursday, there's a coupon for $10 off a $25 purchase. That means if we find something(s) worth $30, we can use the coupon to save $10 and then pay the difference with our $20 Kohl's Cash, and actually pay absolutely nothing.

Note: Kohl's Cash is only valid during specific dates. If you can't find something you actually need or want, just buy something, anything. Hold onto the receipt, and next time you go to Kohl's, return whatever it was you grabbed. They'll give you Kohl's Cash (good for 30 days) to spend then when you're ready.

Be sure to start with the clearance racks.

What is Art?

I don't tend to think of myself as artistic. People who can take pen, pencil, paints, canvas, or other art material and create something that other people can see the beauty in, those people are artists. People who can sing, perform Shakespeare in front of an audience, write poetry, crochet blankets, make jewelry, or knit a sweater are artists.

The first definition of art on dictionary.com is:

the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.

"Of more than ordinary significance" I like that. Art should lift us above our daily existence and show us something special.  It's possibly the best way to share how we see, hear, feel, or otherwise experience the world in a way that others can (hopefully) understand.

And this is where I think, "But I'm not an artist!" I have some very talented people in my family, people who draw and paint, write poetry, and play music. I have a very talented son who can make Shakespeare understandable. I love to watch him on stage! And my daughter can crochet an amazing blanket in an unbelievably short amount of time. I have absolutely no idea how she can take a bunch of string (yarn) and create such gorgeous things. I'm not sure where my kids got their artistic talents, because their dad and I have none of that. It must have skipped a generation and come from their grandparents, though that doesn't explain my musically talented brother and the serious photography skills of my youngest brother. (I'm sure my other brother has some great skills with that truck he drives, but I'm not sure that's art. Or is it?)

Another definition under 'art' on dictionary.com reads:

the principles or methods governing any craft or branch of learning: the art of baking;

So truck driving absolutely can be an art. We already know that it takes some serious skill, and most of us would never dream of driving one of those big trucks, let alone trying to back one up. In fact, I know a truck driver who does not back up. She lets her partner and husband do that. But she's very skilled in all kinds of other artistic things.

But let's get back to that last definition of art and the example used - "the art of baking" - I bake! And I cook. And apparently that can be viewed as an art. Which would mean that I am artistic after all. I may not be able to take a blank canvas and create something you'd want to hang on your walls, but I can definitely create something you'll want in your belly!

It's not quite the same as this video I saw on Facebook the other day, but in a way it is. The artist takes the sounds she hears, and sees as colors, and creates gorgeous pictures. I can usually read a recipe and know what it's going to taste like before I've even tried it, which is why I'm always changing recipes instead of actually following them. They're more like guidelines, anyway.


So now that I know I actually am artistic, what am I going to do? Oh yeah - feed people!

What will you do with your artistic skills?

I Don't Always Steal Cereal...

...but when I do, I take it back.

A few weeks ago, I bought a couple boxes of granola. At least I thought I had bought some granola, until I wanted to open a box and have some for breakfast. And then I could not find that granola anywhere. I checked the shelf I normally put cereal on; I checked the top shelf where I store the extra cereal when I have too much for the regular shelf; and then I checked again. Then I checked my van, just in case I had somehow left a bag in there. And I checked again. No granola. It just was not in my house.

I started wondering if I had actually bought the granola, or maybe I just thought about buying it and then decided against it. Then I dug out my receipt and checked. Yep, I definitely bought granola.

So I called the store - even though it had been almost two weeks - just to see if perhaps they kept a record of any items left behind at the registers. Nope, no record. They keep things for about a week and then put them back. But, Kyle said that wasn't a problem, and they'd be happy to replace my two boxes of granola. So I wrote his name on the top of my receipt, and finally got back to the store about a week later. They were indeed happy to give me two new boxes of granola to replace the two I couldn't find. No questions asked.

I took my new boxes home and placed them in my cabinet. Then a few days later I moved some oatmeal boxes - and found my original boxes of granola behind them.

Which means next time I was out, I took those replacement boxes back to the store. The lady behind the customer service desk just smiled.

Rules of the Aisles

I don't like shopping very much at any time, but it's particularly crazy this time of year.  There are so many people in the stores.  It's practically impossible to get from Point A to Point B, grab the things I need and get out of there.

So now's as good a time as any - probably a really good time - to ask:

When you meet up with someone in the store aisle, which way do you move so that you can get past each other?

To me it seems obvious - move to the right. The same way you'd move if you were on the road driving. I asked this question the other day and had at least one person wondering if that's a rule in the store aisles.  Is it?  Does it need to be an actual rule? What about common sense and trying to help traffic flow through the store so that we can all get in, get our shopping done, and get on with our lives? While avoiding that awkward dance where both parties move in the same direction, and then in the other direction - back and forth until someone finally stops or makes a dash for it.

But why do they seem to always choose to move to the left first? Isn't it ingrained in those of us who drive to move to the right? In my mind, these are the same people who always insist on walking on the right-hand side of the road with the traffic, but somehow that doesn't follow them into the store.

Mostly I just avoid the awkward dance. I move to the right - because that's the only logical thing to do, and I can't do otherwise - and then just stay put until the other person goes around me.  And I do a lot of extra walking - looking for the empty aisles to walk down instead of fighting through the people-clogged aisles if I don't need anything in those particular aisles and am just trying to get from one side of the store to the other. If there are any unclogged aisles...

There's nothing as frustrating as not being able to move. Or get where I need to go. So many of these people seem to be in no hurry whatsoever, and they really seem absolutely unaware that there is anyone else in the store with them. The question of which way to move probably never even crossed their minds, because why would they ever need to move over. Or move forward at anything greater than a snail's pace?

I think I'll just stay home until this insane season is over. Or forever. Aren't there services that deliver groceries now? Or at least bring them to your car after you order them online.  That sounds nice. Maybe I'll check that out...

What's So Great About This Thing They Call a Dishwasher?

I never had a dishwasher until we moved to this house a couple years ago.  Unless you want to count the kids who mainly just grumbled about having to do something around the house and seemed to have a hard time actually getting things clean.  Thinking about it now, they probably did that on purpose so they could hopefully get out of washing dishes in the future.  And it worked way more than it should have.

When we built our house in Wisconsin, I had the choice of putting in a dishwasher or just having a cabinet in the spot next to the sink.  I chose a cabinet, because you can never have enough storage in the kitchen.  And I didn't want to pay extra to have the dishwasher. When we moved here, there was already a dishwasher.  We did end up buying a new one when we bought our new refrigerator so that it went with the other appliances better, and we gave the one that was here to Beth, along with the washer and dryer.

You'd think, because we actually spent money on it, that I would actually use the dishwasher, and I have - a handful of times.  I just haven't figured out what's so great about it yet.  It seems it takes longer to figure out how things are supposed to go into the dishwasher than it actually does to just wash the dishes.  Seriously, I really have no idea how things are even supposed to go in there, and I just end up getting frustrated.

And then there are the things that can't go into the dishwasher - wooden handled knives and wooden spoons that will dry out, silicone scrapers and plastic things that will pick up the smell of the dishwasher soap and hold onto it for ages, anything that will rust if it's not dried right away, etc.  The only things left that can actually go into the dishwasher are usually glasses, plates, bowls, and other easy-to-wash things.  I mean, I suppose at least I wouldn't have to wash those, but if I have to fill the sink with soapy water to wash all the other things, it seems silly not to just go ahead and wash everything while I'm at it.  Considering it takes 2 to 3 hours for the thing to run, it's definitely quicker to just wash the dishes and get it over with. 

Also, there are only two of us.  There are definitely dishes every day, but it would take several days to fill the dishwasher up with the things that can actually go in there.  My thought is that it takes the same amount of water, power, detergent, and time to run the dishwasher no matter how full it is, so there's no reason to run it unless it is completely full.  It would just seem wrong.  The problem with that is there are things I use on a regular basis, and I need to have them clean before I'd ever think of running the dishwasher.  So, even if I loaded things in there, I'd be pulling them out again so I could wash them and use them.

I usually wash dishes after dinner, stack them in the drainer to dry overnight, and put them away in the morning while the coffee brews.  It works perfectly because I hate drying dishes.  If the dishwasher runs and I don't remember to crack the door open so air can get in overnight, unloading and putting the dishes away also includes drying.  Did I mention that I hate drying dishes?  Honestly, I have a hard enough time getting my hands dry sometimes, let alone trying to get dishes dry.

So, those of you who think you just can't live without your dishwasher - what is so great about this thing?  Oh, I'm sure I'm doing it wrong, but I honestly don't mind washing dishes.  It's one of my two favorite things to do when I want to warm up.  Or maybe that's three favorite things...

To Do

I used to keep lists all the time - lists of the things I needed to get done, lists of the clothes to pack when going on a trip, etc. Then somewhere along the line I stopped making those lists.  I kind of made them in my head, but I quickly found out that didn't work too well.  I'd think of something I needed to get done, think to myself that I needed to be sure and remember, and then I'd promptly forget.  I'm not saying I never got anything done, but I know I forgot plenty.

Recently I have started making lists again - after several months (or longer) of telling myself that I really needed to start writing things down again.  I'm sure I don't write every little thing down that I maybe should, but I've been trying.  It is kind of satisfying to be able to check things off when I actually get them done.

Today I was thinking about - not writing down yet - all the things I need to get done around the house.  I started listing bathrooms that need cleaned, furniture that needs dusted, floors that need swept, vacuumed and mopped, shirts that need ironed, food that needs cooked, etc.  I started wondering if it would be easier just to make a list of the things that don't need done!

Of course, that would take away the satisfaction of checking off the things that I get done, and I can't think of a single thing to put on that list of things I don't need to do.

How's your to do list looking?

Winter Sport or Weight Lifting?

Once again I've started my winter exercise program - snow shoveling!

Actually, I walk like usual all winter, unless the roads are too snowy or icy, or if the wind chill goes below -20°, like today.  I just add some snow shoveling to the program, as needed.  Yesterday it was needed 4 times!  I suppose we could have waited until it finished snowing to shovel, but it was some pretty wet and heavy snow, so we shoveled every few hours, just so we could keep up with it.  It was heavy enough when we only had 2 or 3 inches to clear.  Imagine if we'd had to try and move the entire 12 inches or so all at once!  As they said on the news, doing that could be 'bad for your body' - not to mention hard!

As it is, we got plenty of exercise yesterday, and I can definitely feel that I did something.  The muscles are a bit sore!  Shoveling definitely works different muscles than walking or the exercise videos that I do.

The driveway is on the other side of the snow-covered bushes.
*snow enhancement courtesy of Google

It was really nice getting outside yesterday, even it was to work.  The snow coming down was absolutely gorgeous!  It was a bit frustrating to finish shoveling the driveway just to have it completely snow covered again, because the perfectionist in me wants to get it done.  Perfectly.  Yeah, no such thing.  That's also why I always want to get the driveway done before anybody drives on it - so there won't be any snow-packed tire tracks to deal with.  Thankfully yesterday was Sunday, and we didn't have anywhere to go.  So no tire tracks.  Until the last time we went out to shovel.

Back Yard from the kitchen window

Somebody had decided to pull into our driveway, probably to turn around, or get out of the way of another car.  Since there didn't seem to be any snow plows out, the street was pretty much one lane of tire tracks forged by whatever vehicles had to come or go.  While we were out shoveling one time, two cars met on the street and had to back up and maneuver around one another to get by.  One of the drivers seemed to think it was the other guys fault for not paying attention and driving down the middle of the street.  Never mind that there was really nowhere else to be!  I guess the next guy found our driveway.  Oh well, pretty much the whole driveway is a packed layer of snow now, since the temperature dropped overnight, and the wet snow froze to the driveway.  Frustrating at the time, though - couldn't he have just pulled into the driveway of someone who had already driven in or out and packed their own tire tracks into their driveway?  They never would have noticed.  Or probably cared.

It was probably our own fault, anyway.  The time before, we had shoveled out to the part of the street where cars had been driving - so that we could actually get out if we had to.  It was like an invitation, really.  Or at least we made it easy for them.

More falling snow courtesy of Google,
but it pretty much looked like this ALL DAY

My biggest question in all this is - not whether snow shoveling should be classified as a winter sport or weight lifting - but where are the snow plows?  In Wisconsin the plow would have gone by several times over the course of the day, and we would have had to shovel that mess of heavy, wet, slushy stuff off the end of the driveway every time.  I guess I don't miss that heavy, slushy mess, but passable streets might be nice.  Then again, I'm not going anywhere...  And Jeffrey only has five minutes to work.  Or maybe 10 when the roads are in this condition.

How's your winter exercise program going?

A Couple Things I Never Thought I'd Have

We've moved.  You probably guessed that from the post with the picture of the big moving truck, right?  We sold our house in Wisconsin, bought a new house, and moved, not necessarily in that order.  Since then, we've been busy unpacking and organizing and getting settled. 

Along with the new house, we'll have a couple things I never thought I'd have or even really wanted.  One is a dishwasher.  When we built our house in Wisconsin, I didn't want to give up the cabinet space to have a dishwasher put in.   Besides, I had two kids to wash dishes.  That didn't exactly work out, but I really never missed having a dishwasher - partly because I really don't mind washing dishes (drying is another thing), and partly because I'd never had a dishwasher, never used one, and therefore couldn't really miss it.  Well, here we have a dishwasher.  We not only got a dishwasher when we bought the house, but we actually bought a brand-new one and had it installed.  We had to buy a refrigerator so we figured while we were at it we'd buy a new stainless dishwasher to go with the rest of the appliances.  We gave the one that came with the house to Beth.  Along with the washer and dryer.

So now I have a brand-new, shiny stainless steel dishwasher.  And I've actually used it.  Twice.  I'm still not convinced.  I suppose it will come in handy when we have company and have lots of dishes to do, but otherwise it just seems ridiculous that it takes over 2 hours to do the same dishes that take me15-20 minutes to just wash.  And then, the next morning, when I want to be able to put all the clean dishes away, I find that I have to dry several of them - or at least that's what happened last time I ran the dishwasher.  I won't know until tomorrow morning how they turned out this time.  Did I mention that I really really don't like to dry dishes?

The other thing I thought I'd never have?  A king-size bed.  We don't actually have that one yet, but the mattress should be delivered Friday.  I hope I don't lose my husband...

Four Forty Four

A typical digital 12-hour alarm clock indicating p.m. with a dot to the left of the hour (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What is it about waking up in the middle of the night, just happening to glance at the clock, and finding that all the numbers are the same?

 - 3:33 am - 4:44 am - 5:55 am -

I don't think I saw 3:33 this morning, but I saw both 4:44 and 5:55.  Not any other times; just those. And I did see 3:33 this afternoon on Jeffrey's clock - just happened to glance at it just then.

Does that happen to anybody else?  Is there something that causes my eyes to fly open and find the clock right at that exact time, when all the numbers match up?

It's just weird.

Truth of Advertising

I don't know about you, but I rarely pay attention to television commercials.  Except during the Super Bowl, and even then it's iffy.

You know how it is with commercials - that's the time to leave the room, whether you're going to the kitchen for a snack or running to the bathroom.  Nowadays many people don't even watch shows live, instead choosing to record them to the DVR and watch later. Then, of course, the commercials can be fast-forwarded through and skipped altogether - though that does make it hard to get anything else done while watching a show.  Or maybe that's just me.

I think people are more likely to listen to and pay attention to sirius radio advertising than to television commercials.  I mean, it's not like they can get up and leave the room if they're listening while driving down the road!  I suppose they could change stations, but I'm imagining that it's just easier to stay on the station they're listening to - especially if they're listening to something they really like.  Again, maybe that's just me.  I like to find a station I like, and I like to keep it there.  Bouncing around all over the dial makes me crazy.  So yeah, I'd be a lot more likely to listen to radio advertising than I am to pay attention to television commercials.

What about you?  Do you listen to radio advertising?  Watch television commercials?  Is there anything that you've bought because you saw or heard an ad?  Are there ads you've heard that are really clever, and you remember the ad but can't remember what they were selling?  That's me- occasionally I actually do sit down and see a commercial, and sometimes they're laugh out loud funny or really clever, but I probably couldn't tell you what they were selling to save my life. I'm sure the advertising executives are hoping that IS just me.

I Was Never a Girly Girl

I was never much of a girly girl.  I never liked dolls or tea parties or dressing up in fancy frilly dresses. I would always rather climb trees and play with Lego with my brothers. Or read.  Books were always better than dolls any day.

I didn't know what to do with my little girl.  She wasn't so much into fancy frilly dresses like these sugar pageant dresses - did they even have dresses like this and beauty pageants for little girls back then?  She did love her dolls, though and liked to cuddle them and dress them.  She was just always more girly than I was growing up.  I'm not sure I even knew what to do with her.

Now she's got a goofy little boy - no frilly dresses for him!  He's cutest in jeans and shirts.  What is it about a little person in jeans that is beyond adorable?  Yeah, even the little girls.  If and when Beth decides to have another kid, I know she'd like a little girl - a little girly girl she can dress up in those fancy dresses, play tea party and baby dolls with.  I keep telling her boys are easier, but maybe that's just my experience.  Come to think of it, maybe a little girl is just what she deserves!

They do say that it's more fun shopping for little girls than for little boys, because of all the cute frilly stuff.  I just never cared about shopping either.  See - not a girly girl.

Should My Ice Maker have a Water Filter?

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We've used a filter on our kitchen sink for years.  We had to have one when we first moved to Wisconsin and lived in the apartment because the water tasted terrible.  I drink a lot of water, and I could not have survived otherwise. Then when we moved into our house, the water tasted OK, but we had the filter so I figured we might as well continue using it.  I'm sure it filters out things I don't want to be drinking, even if they don't taste bad.

What we never did was put a filter on the water line to the ice maker.  It seems like it would make sense to add something like this electrolux refrigerator filter to make sure the ice cubes are as good as the filtered drinking water, but we just never did it. 

Something like a PureAdvantage water and air filtration system would have been nice.  The one I found is designed to fit the Electrolux brand refrigerators, but I bet there's something like this for mine, too.  If it was as easy as visiting a web page, like this one for Electrolux appliance accessories, and ordering the right filter for my refrigerator, then I really don't know why we never got around to it. I'm sure it would have been much more important if we had one of those fancy refrigerators with the ice and water in the door, and I was getting my drinking water from the fridge instead of from the kitchen sink.  And if I ate ice cubes as much as I used to.  I used to crunch ice cubes all the time.

The air filter part of this system helps reduce refrigerator odors. Not that I really notice a lot of odors in my fridge, but now I'm wondering if there's an air filter that I should have added. Or changed somewhere along the line.  Maybe I needed to get a refrigerator that came with water and air filters?

Oh well. If you've got an Electrolux refrigerator, there are definitely some filters and accessories you can easily order online.  I'm going to have to do a bit more research to see what's available for my fridge and decide what the best option is.

Do you have a water filter on your refrigerator and ice maker?  How important have you found it?