I slept so hard I think my brain fell out. That's pretty rare for me, I'm usually a light sleeper. On the rare nights when I do sleep like last night, I have the hardest time waking up. Couple cups of coffee, a shower and Gryffin waking up in a good mood helps.
Yesterday I watched the Inauguration. What a moment in history! One step closer to equality for all and hopefully better times ahead for the nation (and world).
Last night I did something I haven't done in forever. I made pizza. It was so good that I forgot to take pictures before we devoured it. Gryffin ate three pieces! I know that I've posted the recipe before, but knowing me I forgot to label it so here it is:

Freezer Pizza
3/4 cup warm water
2 T olive oil
2 c flour
1 t sugar
1/2 t salt
2 t yeast

Place the above in order in a bread machine and turn to the dough setting. Let that baby do the work. When its done, pour the dough out onto a floured surface and roll out until the size of your pizza stone. Prick the center with a fork to keep it from bubbling up and bake for 10 minutes on a pizza stone at 400. Carefully remove the crust and top with your faves or freeze for use in the future. If not freezing, return to oven all topped with goodies and bake addition 10-15 minutes.
To cook from frozen: no need to thaw, just top with what you like and place on a pizza stone in a 400 degree oven until cheese is bubbly and crust is GBD (golden, brown, delicious), about 15 minutes.

We just had a simple pepperoni one last night. While making it I read the label on the cheese and got really ticked at Sam's Club. They have stopped selling the 2% low-fat Kraft shredded cheese in favor of their own which is definitely not low in fat. 9 flipping percent! I cook as healthy as possible and this will not work. I'll just have to go back to looking for the low-fat stuff on sale and stocking up. Luckily, it freezes really well.

There's a dusting of snow on the ground, it's cold and I'm out of coffee. At least one of those (the most important) can be remedied. I just hope they haven't closed Day Out because of the snow. I know Mojo is happy to have it. Nothing makes and old Husky smile like snow and maybe a good belly rub and some table scraps.

Mike takes his Series 7, investment broker's test, on Thursday. He's been studying like a madman and after spending 15 years in the industry, I know he will do well. Don't go asking him to be your stock broker though, he plans on staying behind the scenes. Sometimes I miss having a job. Most, if not all, of you know that he and I worked together for over 10 years. From what I've heard, I wouldn't want to go back there though. Times are a changing, for better or worse who knows.

I definitely plan on catching some Inauguration coverage today. Yippee! My side won, now let's see what they can do. Sorry Dad, don't mean to rub it in.

Ok, the jammies and robe aren't cutting it and Gryffin won't share the blanket so I better get off my duff and put the homeless look away. Or maybe I'll just pour another cup of coffee to warm up.

Ok, we're safe. Infact, better than safe.

The seafood chowda' turned out lovely. I won't post the recipe just yet, as it's not perfected. Next time I will use all seafood stock instead of half seafood, half veggie. I will add more crab and salad shrimp, lots of paprika and maybe even some other kind of whitefish.
I am really proud of my first attempt though. I just need to learn how to cook for us and not the whole neighborhood because even after delivering some next door to P & S, I have about a gallon left.

Oh Lord, I think it might be takeout night

I'm currently trying to make a seafood chowder, with corn and potatoes, crab and shrimp. I'm not real confident about it, but we'll see. Stay tuned for the sordid details.

You know it's gonna be good when...

You're wearing killer boots,
Got Loretta Lynn, Social Distortion and Elvis Costello on shuffle
And with an empty house
Are cleaning.

Damn, I'm good. (And humble)

I've been trying to get Chicken & Dumplings right for months now. And I've finally done it.
I started off making my own chicken stock. I had roasted a chicken for Monday's dinner and saved the carcass. I put that and an onion, bay leaves, fresh parsley and rosemary, some Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute and water into the crock pot yesterday morning on high. I let that simmer away until about 3:30.

After straining it into a big stock pot, I got this lovely golden stock. I then made the dumplings, which are so easy:

1 cup flour
1 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
1 T shortening
1/2 c milk

Mix the dry ingredients and then cut in shortening. Add the milk to make a stiff dough. Roll out on a floured surface until 1/4" thick, cut into 1" squares. Bring the stock to a boil and add the dumplings one a time to prevent clumping. Let them boil for about 10-15 minutes.
I then added the leftover chicken meat, minus the skin and a bag of thawed peas & carrots. I dissolved about 2 T cornstarch in a cup of low fat milk and added this to the pot. I turned the heat down and let this simmer away until nice and thick.

This is the hearty, thick, uber-yummy Chicken & Dumplings that we had the pleasure of devouring last night. In fact, I had to keep myself from eating the leftovers for breakfast this morning.
From now on, I'm making my own stock. It truly made all the difference in the world and was so easy to just throw in the crock pot. I'm sure that if I freeze it, I can just pop out a couple cups and make a smaller batch of Chicken & Dumplings in no time.
Which on a single digit temperature day- like today- would be an awesome way to warm up. Of course, last night Dad gave me the wonderful idea of making Pork & Dumplings, using ham stock. Mmm, I've getting hungry all over again.

The visit with Mike's Aunt & Uncle was short but good. And I got a clean house out of it. Yesterday I hit the grocery store for some Can't Pass Up deals. With the uncertainty of the economy we have decided to stock up on frozen and dry goods. I got 5 boxes of cereal and two huge bottles of laundry detergent for $30. Doesn't sound like a deal until you realize that these purchases got me a $15 off coupon for my next trip to the grocery. Plus, they were things that I needed anyway.
We also stopped by Lowe's to pick up a shelving unit for the basement. Mike set it up next to the deep freeze and I'm going to spend some time today cleaning the upstairs pantry and putting the extras in the basement. This is a much needed task since I overloaded a shelf in the pantry and it tipped backwards spilling all my canned goods over. Oops! Luckily, nothing broke.
I also got a loaf of Honey Wheat bread baked yesterday and have a chicken defrosted for roasting today. I think along with a little laundry that will be my course of action for this cold Sunday.

Maiming Mood LIfted

I'm no longer in a maiming mood. My jaw is well enough to eat some cereal and drink coffee. That's really all I require.
We are getting some out of town guests this evening and Dianne has been kind enough to agree to watch Gryffin while I scour the house. Something about out-of-towners makes me want to make the house perfect. That and the fact that I really haven't had opportunity to get much cleaning done this week. Note to self: never schedule an appliance repair, chimney sweep and dentist appointment all in the same week.
Along with cleaning today, I have to hit the grocery store and maybe pickup a little firewood. Better get started by getting out of PJ's, slippers and robe.

Dental hygienists should be shot in all four appendages, hung from a tree upside down and used as a pinata until their teeth fall out. But this is just my opinion and only a temporary one at that. I'm sure once I'm able to move my jaw again the anger will subside. A little.

Ice, #*&%!

Ice hit last night and the schools are closed. Damned ice. This was to be Gryffin's first day back to Day Out since before Christmas and I had a bazillion things to do. Oh well, I guess they will just have to wait. At least there is still hot coffee.

Pinching Pennys

Here are more of my strategies to saving (or avoiding spending) money.
1. Use cash, when it's gone it's really gone.
2. Break bills, never give change away. When you buy something use bills and let the change collect. Once a week I clean out my wallet and put the change in a big jar on the dresser. When that gets full, I turn it in for anywhere from $40 to $100 at a time.
3. Save first, set up automatic transfers to your savings account on payday.
4. Use credit for bills, I have every bill I can billed to my credit card and an automatic payment to my credit card set up from my checking account. That way, I rack up the cash back bonus and use it, along with all that change as a Christmas Club.
5. Calculate the cost, I keep a small calculator in my purse and use it to figure out price per ounce or unit. I did this the other day at Target and found that buying 72 Pull-Ups was cheaper by $.10 a diaper than buying the pack of 44. This also comes in super handy at the grocery store.
6. Clearance, Clarence. I only buy clothes from the clearance racks. This goes for me, Gryffin and Mike. I usually don't even waste time looking at the full-price stuff.
7. Coupons, we usually only go out to eat if we have a coupon for the restaurant or we get it as take out to keep from having to tip. Plus, when you eat out if you order water that's a good $2-$4 savings per person. I even go so far as to ask for hot water and bring my own tea bags.
8. Track the sales. It seems like our grocery store has the same things on sale about once a month. By keeping track of what goes on sale when you can figure out when to stock up and when to hold off. Take spaghetti sauce, our store puts it on sale every other week. I only buy enough to last two or three weeks because I know it will going on sale again soon.
9. Wash in cold. Mike is going to kill me for this one but, I wash everything in cold water. We use a good detergent and Oxy-Clean, so cold water gets everything just as clean. Every once in a while I do a load of bleaching, this is the only time I use hot water. I also skip the extra rinse cycle. It is also important to clean out the lint trap on the dryer EVERY time you use it so it can work efficiently and not be a fire hazard.
10. Don't go shopping unless you NEED something. Wandering through Target is a nice way to spend a few hours but it can turn into an expensive trip. I also try to leave Mike and Gryffin at home, this makes for a shorter run.

Crockpot Beef Stew

My attempts at crock pot cooking have either been hit or miss. Not just miss by "it needs something", I mean hit by " eek, gross, throw it out- NOW". My last attempt was of the latter category. Chicken and Dumplings that turned out to be Chunky and Dump It. Today I'm trying beef stew. I really, really, really hope this works out. This is what I did:

1 lb of stew meat
1 lb of baby carrots
1 lb of potatoes, chunked
1 onion, sliced thick
1/2 cup flour, seasoned with salt, pepper and TJ's 21 Seasoning Salute
1 T olive oil
1 can beef broth, low sodium, fat free
1 can tomato sauce
1 T garlic, chopped

I coated the meat in the flour and cooked in the olive oil until just browned. I added this along with everything else to the crock pot and set on low. It's 10:30 am now so I'm hoping to have dinner by six.
I'm also hoping it tastes good. Stay tuned...

UPDATE: It was awesome and perfect and perfectly awesome. Dinner at six, Mike home at 6:30 and I'm really hoping to get a book, bath and a glass of wine in- all at the same time.

MMmmmm, coffee.

That's exactly how I feel this morning. A rough night of no sleep past 2 am and an early morning of Gryffin being up at 6:30, that ought to make for a lovely, groggy day. Oh well, I've made it through worse situations.
The New Year brought about new changes to my daily routine and a review of the budget. I didn't keep up on what I was spending on Christmas and went a little overboard. Along with getting the fridge fixed, the chimney cleaned and a dentist appointment this week, things are going to be tight. Tight like trying to cram my fanny into a pair of size six skinny jeans that just came out of the dryer. That's OK too, nothing a few paychecks and eating out of the pantry won't cure. But all of this did make me realize something... my envelope trick works- when I use it!
You see, I have in my wallet six envelopes labeled: Fun $, Me, Grocery/Lottery, Jeep, Sam's and House. Every payday I fill each envelope with the allotted funds, the Fun $ gets $50 for eating out, movies, etc. The Me one gets the same, this is my allowance. The other envelopes get their allowance. When the envelope is empty, no more spending! This week the grocery and house envelopes got emptied immediately. These are the days when I wished we got a paycheck every week instead of every two. But I WILL make do. I'm bound and determined to get back on track.
Speaking of getting back on track, I better get some laundry in while Gryffin is embroiled in a battle of good vs. evil playing with his Batcave.

Fat Free Gravy

Do those words make you cringe? Do they make you think of jarred, gelatinous goo that tastes a lot like poo? Think again, my friend.


My husband is a gravy lover. I've always liked the taste of it, just couldn't stomach the fact that it was so fatty. Last night for dinner I made mini meatloaves, broccoli & cauliflower and mashed potatoes and FAT FREE GRAVY. It was solely done as an experiment and I really didn't think it would work, but it did. Here's how I did it:

Fat Free (yet yummy) Gravy

1 can of fat free, low sodium beef broth
2 tsp onion flakes
1 T cornstarch
1 tsp browning sauce- you can find this in the spice isle or sometimes with the nasty canned gravy

Add about 1/2 the broth along with the onion to a sauce pan, bring to a simmer.
Add the cornstarch to the remaining broth and mix until dissolved. Add this to the pan along with the browning sauce. Whisk together and let simmer until thick.

Even more surprisingly, this gravy stood up for leftovers the next night! Hmmm, I wonder if it would freeze well?

Avalanche to crafty, at last!

After

After. That's Betsy in the corner, she was a Christmas present from Mike. Yay!

After

Before

Before

New Year's Eve was just as I had predicted... Gryffin and I asleep with Mike playing video games. I think he kissed me at midnight. Our New Year's Day was just as kicked back. Gryffin helped Mike take down the outdoor Christmas decorations and I cleaned out the avalanche room, aka- sewing room. It had accumulated all the bits and bobs for wrapping presents along with all the other stuff that needed a temporary storage spot.
When I got it all in order, I sat back and admired my work. I wanted to start something crafty but found that the mood didn't last long. I was exhausted. I'm thinking this weekend I will get my craft on and at least start something fantabulous.

Last Day!

It is the last day of 2008, did you hear?
Ringing in the New Year around here is pretty much the same as ringing in every new day, with the exception of Mike sneaking in for a midnight kiss while I do my best Sleeping Beauty impersonation. I spent my younger New Years Eve's doing what younger people do, spending way too much money and acting stupid. I just don't get the need to be out on the road with a bunch of amateurs. I don't need to sleep in a hotel bed when mine is clean and comfy. I don't need to spend a gazillion bucks on drinks when my favorite wine is here and chilled. I don't need to share a special evening with strangers when I have Mike and Gryffin. Yeah, I'm old, sorry.
Don't let me get you down. If you're going out tonight, please be careful and have enough fun that it will only take a day to recover from.

Accountability Tuesday

I'm going to lay it bare here, so all of you know. I know at least one of you will hold me accountable for my actions, or lack thereof.

My Weekly Plan:
Mondays- Clean the bathrooms and wash the towels
Tuesdays- Dust & vacuum the whole house and wash the darks
Wednesdays- Clean the kitchen and fridge and wash the lights
Thursdays- Clean the bedrooms, craft room and wash the sheets
Fridays- Wash Gryffin's clothes.

This grand plan will mean that I have no more than 30 minutes of work and two loads of laundry to do per day. Plus, to make sure I stay on track, I've set up reminders to hit my email box everyday to let me know whats on the agenda. Yes, this is where my Virgo-ness gets out of control to the point of OCD.

But all of this crazy, uber-organization has more than just a clean house as a goal. Over the years I've realized that there is a direct correlation between my depression and the condition of my home. You all know the state of cleanliness I grew up in, if you don't, let me know and I will be sure to give you nightmares. Anyway, the worse my house is, the worse my depression is. The more depressed I am, the less I want to get up off my butt and do anything- like housework. It's a never ending circle of disaster. Then there is the super lazy/ hate housework side of me. I flippin' hate, abhor, loathe and throw inappropriate sign language at housework. If I have to face cleaning the whole house in one day I won't do it. It's overwhelming. But if I break it down into little pieces it is bearable. If I can be in labor for 12 hours, I can clean for thirty, even without pain medication.

I know at least one of you are snickering thinking, "Crazy red-head, your house is always clean." Thanks to Mike, it is. But he's been taking on more and more, which has made me feel more and more guilty. He works at a job he doesn't like for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. I get to stay home and play with Gryffin all day every day. Its not fair that he should have to come home to another job as housekeeper or use his weekends to catch up on laundry. Of course, this doesn't mean that he gets out of loading the dishwasher after dinner. We made a deal long ago that if I cook, he cleans the mess and why change that sweat deal after its worked so well for over a decade.

So I guess all this being said, I should get off my rear and get on with the laundry, dusting and vacuuming so Gryffin and I can play. I'm thinking maybe some time outside while its close to 60 today before tomorrow when it won't even reach 40 is in order.

Shew! We made it.

It's over! It's over! Time to sit, relax and breathe for a while- or a minute.
Christmas was excellent, as usual. Wonderful time spent with family and friends, lots of laughter and love shared, not mention some pretty cool stuff given and received.

On to the New Year and a fresh start. I'm not a big believer in resolutions. Every year I make the same one, to not make one. It's the only one I've ever been able to keep. But I do rethink the year and decide what I personally need to work on.
This year has been full of clearing out the crazy people and bringing in the craftiness. I've unloaded burdens and loaded up with positive things. No regrets there. Life is too short to waste it on things that don't make me smile.
This coming year I've decided I need to work on health, home and family. First off, health. I am not overweight, but sorely out of shape. Santa took steps to help this by delivering a Wii Fit down our chimney. Also, snack foods will be nonexistent in this house, except for fresh fruit and veg. I don't really know how I can cook any healthier, so portion control will be key. Second, the home. I'm a pretty organized person, but I've fallen slack on a few things like menu planning and doing a little bit everyday rather than killing myself trying to get it all done at once. Last but not least, family. I need to take more time with them. Not just time spent, but quality of time spent. I don't have much longer before Gryffin starts school and I take second fiddle to his growing social life. I like being best friends with my son, he's the coolest kid EVER. I need to make more time for Mike too. I can't remember the last time he and I had a date.
What about you? Anything you're going to work at changing?

Love Thy Neighbor (With Their Weight In Toys)

We are NEVER moving. Not only do we have great neighbors that we like, but they like Gryffin. Boy, do they like Gryffin. On a night when its raining slush and ice they come bearing gifts for him. Sarah and Paul got him the most adorable super hero costume, complete with cape, mask and wrist guards. The kid tore into it and put it on immediately. He's only had it off long enough to scarf down some dinner before returning to it. Then, 'What the hell', then... Dennis arrives with an entire garbage bag stuffed with presents for him. There was a Black Spiderman and Batman sword from his parents, Denny & Rose and three, count them- THREE different Batman's from Dennis & Lee.
Not to mention that Sarah & Paul gave Mike & I a big ol' bag of booty enhancers, aka: yummy treats and Denny, Rose, Dennis & Lee gave us a big box of cheese & sausage.
I think the only reason we would ever move now is to stalk, I mean follow these lovely people to wherever it is they try to run away from us to.
A deep, heartfelt thank you to all of you. You rock! Even though you never leave a comment on this blog, you trolls.

"What the hell?"

Last night was Gryffin's Christmas program at Day Out. As usual, the children were much better behaved than most of the adults. Gryffin actually sang without throwing super hero punches at the crowd; although, a few times it did look like he was flashing gang signs. In between the songs he would cup his mouth with his hands and scream, "Clap Grandma!"
After the theatrical production there was a sugar coma buffet. Beqi and I scoped it out and snatched treats for us and the kiddies. Then there was Santa's arrival! Gryffin and Mike waited in line to see to him patiently. I couldn't believe it but Gryffin even sat on Santa's lap. You see, Mike had made him a little paranoid about it because he told Gryffin that Santa wouldn't like it if he got tooted (farted) on. Anyway, Gryffin and Santa had a lovely conversation which ended with Santa telling Gryffin to look under the Christmas tree for his gifts.
As soon as we got home Gryffin rushed into the house, looked at his little Christmas tree and proclaimed, "What the hell?! There's no presents!" He then proceeded to start to cry. I tried to calm him down but I was laughing way too hard. Between Mike, Dianne and me we did get him calmed down and reminded that Christmas wasn't here yet.
Come Christmas morning I think the kid is going to jump out of his skin with the realization the waiting is over. Then he will melt into disappointment to realize that it's only ONE day.

As requested:

Christmas Tree 2008
Almost 250 ornaments all in white, silver and pewter, several strands of silver ribbon and white lights. Next year I'm thinking of adding some feather boas in silver and white too!
A special thanks to Mike for assembling, fluffing the limbs and lighting... all the things I hate doing.

It was a pretty quiet weekend here, as usual. I like those weekends where we stick close to home and just kind of hang out. We did some last minute Christmas shopping, I think we only have one more gift to buy. I hung yet more ornaments on the tree. There's close to 150 on there now, all silver, white or pewter, with white lights and silver ribbon. Its hypnotizingly sparkly. Mmmm, shiny things!
This week is filled with karate lessons, last days of Day Out before winter break, knitting, sewing, making enormous batches of cookie dough and card addressing. Mike has next week off so I'm trying to make sure everything is done before then so we can concentrate on doing fun, family stuff and leisurely wrapping presents. That dreaded midnight wrap fest on Christmas Eve kills me.

Just can't keep it up anymore

Y'all know I have an infamous 'food blog', right? Well, I'm just not posting to it as much as I would like. Why? Because I'm: A. Lazy, B. Time Constricted, C. Photographically Inconsistent. That is why I have decided to merge the personal with the passion.
That's right folks, from now on you will be getting my wonderific foody goodness right here. No longer will you have to make that extra click. Consider it an early Christmas present.

(Gee, I hope no one gets offended.)

My kid, the bowling pro

The other night I was taking a nice, hot bath with a good book and a glass of wine when I heard the most happy laughter and yelling. I sat there and enjoyed the sounds for a minute and then realized what fun I was missing. I hopped out, dried off and slapped on some jammies. What I found took me aback.
My son, the three year old, was playing bowling on the Wii! And doing better than I do, mind you. He and Mike were bowling up, laughing up and playing up a storm. I sat and cheered them on and dished out hugs and kisses when Gryffin got a spare or yes, even strikes!

Thanks

Every night I thank God for giving me such a wonder life with Mike and Gryffin, but so far I've neglected to thank them.

Thank you Mike for giving me a life better than I ever thought I could have. Thank you for loving me in spite of me, for taking my faults and neuroses in stride. Thank you for giving me the encouragement to make my own way in the world and thank you for being there when it led straight back to you. Thank you for supporting me and comforting me. Thank you for being you.

Thank you Gryffin for making me laugh, cry and smile all at the same time. Thank you for making me look forward to waking up (and going to bed). Thank you for being so smart that you keep me on my toes and being so silly you knock me off my feet. Thank you for being you.

Lump Sum Car Payments

We paid off our 2001 Jeep several years ago and have been lucky that it has required very few repairs over the years. Earlier in the week the check engine light came on. I didn't think too much of it since a few years ago the same thing happened and it was just a sensor that had gone out and she was running just fine. Last night we finally got her to the dealership for a checkup.
They called me bright and early to let me know that my gas cap was leaking fumes and that was the problem; however, since the Jeep has 60,000 miles on it and didn't have the 30,000 maintenance done, there is a lot of things that need to be seen to. After going through the $1200+ list of 'suggested' items, Mike and I settled on a few of the most important. We are further breaking those down in to what we have the cash to do this pay period and what we will get done next paycheck. So I guess we still make payments on it, just in large lump sums every few years. That is still better than having car payments on top of repair bills!

Christmas is coming and I can't stop it!

Three days in and not enough to show for it. I started knitting a scarflette for a friend's Christmas present but didn't like the colors, so I pulled it all out and started over last night. Now I know black does not go with EVERYTHING. Oh well, solid colors are OK too, I guess.
So far I've got one full size scarf, two circle scarves and two scarflettes done, with the exception of blocking. I have my nephews and niece bought for, Gryffin's gifts are done, Mike is almost done and everyone else gets handmade. Plus, I picked up some flannel to make us all matching jammy pants for Christmas morning. Aaaawwwwwwe. I would love to make a new tree skirt and try my hand at stockings but let's face it, I got enough left to do.
I guess that means that I should probably get off my rear and get to getting... there's also a laundry monster that needs to be slayed today.

Santa vs Sensei

We are those rotten parents that threaten to tell Santa when Gryffin doesn't behave. Hey, it works and we know that it won't for much longer. Now we have a new VIP to use which will last much longer and year round. Sensei.
Gryffin is dying to take karate, or kung fu as he calls it. We took him to watch a class of 3-7 year olds at a local dojo. That was a mistake. All the kid wanted to do was don a ghi and jump right in. Mike and I were there to see if we liked the Sensei. I don't think it will be the dojo Gyrffin goes to but next time it will be only one of us going to check it out. The really good thing about taking Gryffin was the fact that he witnessed the respect that Sensei demanded. He took that very seriously. Now when he does something he shouldn't we just tell him that Sensei would not approve and neither do we. It usually whips him to attention.
Some might think 3 is way too young for a kid to take martial arts, but what they learn at that stage is how not to hurt themselves or others and respect is key. What kid shouldn't learn that at 3? Besides, with the winter setting in the kid has got to get exercise other than running laps in the house.

Ready, steady.... CRAFT!

I am making the majority of Christmas presents this year, from edibles to wearables to playables. Needless to say, I've got some major craftiness ahead of me. I've already finished four scarves and one dishcloth. I've got jammy pants to make and a few other things I can't mention here because chances are, if you read this, you're getting something.
I'm not a big believer in giving to get. I give because I feel like it and don't expect anything in return, except maybe a thank you and unending devotion and adoration. Just kidding on that last part. I am exceptionally blessed and like to bless others, isn't that meaning of this season?

Back in the blogging again

We got hit with a round of bad luck since my last post. I won't go into details except to say that there has been a lot of praying, crying and semi-relief.
I spent my Saturday doing something I've been wanting to do for months. I reorganized the kitchen. Ever since the addition of the big ass pantry, there have been empty cabinets just waiting to take the overflow. It took me the whole day, but I did it! I swear, you hear angels sing when the cabinet doors are opened.
Mike single handedly slew the laundry monster. It was not a small feat and took all weekend. It was interspersed with leaf raking, Gryffin wrangling and small projects.
I wasn't much good yesterday. My sinuses have gotten the better of me. My head is about to explode and all the drainage has got my stomach in an uproar. I know you wanted to hear all those lovelies. but that is the update.

Pictoral Update

Gryffin's helping Mike with the leaf situation in the back yard.

This is what Spiderman does on his day off.

Walking through the zoo, enjoying the fall colors.

Rock star in training.

Scooping out pumpkin gutts for a jack-o-lantern.

VOTE!

If you don't you won't have a right to complain about the government. Then what would people talk about?!

Happy Halloween!

This is the costume for this year. The only thing I made was the skirt but I'm still pretty proud of it.

The economy is in the toilet, the dirty, germ infested, paraphernalia scattered, gas station toilet. Now, I'm not saying this is a good thing, but maybe there are some good lessons to be learned. Since our grandparents generation this country has never been much for earning and saving. We grew up in an era of instant gratification with credit cards, fast food and prepackaged meals. My generation has no idea how to go without or cook from scratch. We don't know how to darn a sock, patch holes in jeans or fix a leaky sink. I have a feeling that these are lessons that are about to be learned and very quickly.

Pop is with my brother and his family now and will soon be on his way back to the desert. I miss him tremendously. If you hadn't guessed, he means the world to me.
This week is dedicated to readying for Halloween. I have costumes to make & finish, decorations to dig out and put up, pumpkins to pick and carve and candy to stay out of, that's the most difficult thing.

As if you didn't already know, my Dad rocks.

I have been searching high and low for a crucial piece for my Halloween costume. I'm going as a WWII pinup girl. I've got the jacket and shoes. I need to make the skirt. I bought a wig, broke my heart a little too. I used to wear my hair in Victory Rolls before I got it whacked and always got rave reviews on it, but I like my new do too. Anyway, I needed a Garrison cap to be the crowing glory but alas, our military surplus store closed. I hit the costume shops to no avail. I asked Dad to visit the surplus store by his house, but they didn't have any.
So how does my Dad rock, you ask? Because the Garrison cap I will be wearing with pride will be the one he wore when he was in the army. Thanks Dad, not just for the cap, but for your service to the country.

No rest for the wicked

I'm ready for the rest and relaxation of toddler chasing. I spent Saturday helping Beqi paint her living room the most gorgeous shade of coral. Its a perfect match for the mid-century kitsch of her house. I'm jealous. I got home around 6, ate a quick fajita that Mike was so wonderful to make and started in on scouring the kitchen and digging out the craft room. Weird, but working hard only makes me want to keep working until I drop.
Yesterday I finished off the craft room. Our neighbors, Paul & Sara (aka, Gryffin's girlfriend) gave us a really nice futon that I put in there. It is now MY room. A TV and DVD player, sewing machines, crafty crap, my knitting supplies, a lamp and a comfy place to curl up and relax. I spent the day cleaning and organizing, making everything pretty.
Yesterday I also picked up a nice metal rolling cart for a $1 at a yard sale. It has a drawer and door with two shelves inside and a towel rack. It looks vintage and I'm suspecting that it's pretty old because they don't make stuff that heavy anymore. Today I have to scrub it down and prepare it for a quick coat of paint. Mike agreed to let me buy it since I knew exactly where it would go. I'm putting it in the kitchen to hold my heavy duty mixer and mixing bowls.
Mike and I made an agreement a long time ago that we can't bring anything new in without knowing exactly where it will go and what it will be used for. This cut down our level of clutter dramatically.

T minus 6 days

Every morning Gryffin asks me if today is the day we see PaPa. I think he may be a little excited. Let's face it, we all are! There is so much to be done before his arrival. I need to clear out the craft room and make room for a futon that our neighbors are giving us. I need to get the master suite scrubbed and organized. I need to clean the oven and wash the windows. Not that my Dad would notice or care, but I would. All of these things have been needing to be taken care of for a while, he's just the best reason to get me off my duff.
Besides, the holidays are coming. Better to get a jump start on all the cleaning and organizing now instead of putting it off until the last minute, like I always do. I also need to get a jump on making presents, but that has to wait until after Halloween, which around here is just as important as Christmas.

Yesterday I was able to get some things accomplished. I ran an errand,made dinner,started digging out the craft room, made a new post to the food blog and finished knitting a new dishcloth. Today, more of the same. I'm still sniffling and coughing but I'm vertical. My voice has, sort of, come back and my headache is almost gone. So is my first cup of coffee, better remedy that.

So many things I could talk about: Strange Folk, the economy, the elections, the wonderful weather, etc. But I just don't have the energy. I'm sick. It seems that after running on empty for two months getting ready for SF, I have acquired a cold/sinus thing. For the past week I've shuffled around sniffling and snorting, coughing and hacking, dressed in pajamas and fuzzy socks.
I'm hell bent on getting over this TODAY. I'm going to guzzle tea with honey in hopes of my voice coming back. I'm going to set an alarm to take my medicine every four hours and I'm going to rest as much as Gryffin will allow.
I've got important stuff to do. Catching up on blogging and picture posting both here and at: http://frozensustenance.blogspot.com. I've got to get the craft room unburied and the laundry caught up. I also need to make a Superman costume for Gryffin for Halloween, not to mention make my own costume. Then there is the most important thing of all, Dad's visit in a week and a half!

Strange Folk Festival now a two-day extravaganza

BY SCOTT WUERZ

News-Democrat

O'FALLON --

--

Started three years ago as a way to give hip, young artists a creative outlet, the Strange Folk Festival has grown into a two-day extravaganza that has seen participation increase five-fold since 2006.

Organizer Autumn Wiggins said 20 vendors signed up for the first festival. This year, 120 will be there selling artwork, eclectic clothing, purses and other crafts, many of which are made out of recycled materials.

"The response, it's been just great," Wiggins said. "We have vendors signed up from all over the U.S. and Canada. The selection was juried this year, we had a lot more applicants than the 120 we approved."

The festival runs from Saturday through Sunday at O'Fallon Community Park.

Wiggins said the festival, which drew small crowds on one rain-soaked day three years ago, could draw as many as 10,000 people this year.

"When it was on Saturday only, some people had a tough time being here," Wiggins said. "Now that it has been expanded to Saturday and Sunday, it's only going to get bigger."

City Administrator Walter Denton is thrilled to hear those projections for several reasons.

"There are community benefits to festivals like this," Denton said. "First, it is an opportunity for residents to come together and enjoy a local event. Second, it is important to quality of life to support cultural events like the Strange Folk Festival. Third, these events have some economic impact in that visitors who visit the festival may stay in our hotels and shop in our stores."

In addition to a broader slate of vendors, Wiggins said a slate of musical acts are planned and food options will be greatly increased as well.

"This sort of event usually does pretty well in big cities, but I wasn't sure at first how it would go over in the suburbs," Wiggins said. "But it is one of the best-attended shows of its kind in the country. As far as local participation is concerned, it's one of the best shows there is."

This is an article that appeared in this mornings paper. When I read it I felt a little flutter of panic in my stomach. "As many as 10,000 visitors", that's enough to make me want to sew more. I struggled with sewing this weekend. Not just because my machines are worn out, I am too. Yesterday I spent the majority of the day making odds and ends, earrings, barrettes, magnets, push pins. By the end of it, I had a headache from the glue fumes and my hands were coated in sticky residue. But damned if I didn't get a lot done.

Time line to Strange Days:

Today- spend some much needed time with my son and work on displays

Tuesday- sew, sew, sew and oh yeah- sew

Wednesday- make the displays and make them portable

Thursday- last day of sewing for a good long while

Friday- pack it up and hit Oktoberfest for some family fun. My kid digs sausage and polka!

Saturday & Sunday- set up, drink coffee, hopefully not puke from nerves and then when I'm not selling my little heart out- crack jokes with Beqi. She pulled some strings and got me a booth right next to hers. Kind of makes up for the dream where while I went to get her coffee she packed up went home and the dream where she made me late and got us hopelessly lost.

Redemption through polka

Tonight Gryffin made up for the panic he caused me this morning. We took him St. Augustine's church carnival. To make a long story short because I'm exhausted:
Gryffin won a toy trumpet, sat in and jammed with the two accordionists while they played, what else, polka. He then took to dancing and noticed that it was all couples dancing so he told Mike to dance with me. Sweet, but neither one of us know how to polka so we faked it for a few seconds and quit. Then Gryffin handed Mike his trumpet and reached those little arms out to me. My kid asked me dance! And dance we did, until the rain shorted out the band and we had to run for cover.
My kid is freaking amazing, wonderful, loving and sneaky, but I wouldn't have him any other way.

The fastest (and worst) way to wake up

This morning when I got up I noticed the front door open. Then I noticed Gryffin's door open. Then my heart dropped somewhere around my knees. I ran through the house calling his name and woke Mike up. Lets just say, I've never seen him get out of bed so fast. I took off out the front door yelling for Gryffin.
I found him on the other side of our neighbors house, clutching one of the rings I made. He got scooped up and I ran him back to the house. Mike asked him why he did that and he said that he wanted to go over to his girlfriend's house. Said girlfriend would be our neighbor Sara, whom we had over (along with her husband that Gryffin calls her dad) for dinner last night. The boys three and already sneaking out of the house to see girls!
Anyway, I commented on the ring he had and he said that it was his power ring, like Green Lantern's. Mike told him that it was my ring and I promised to make him his very own power ring- in green, just like Green Lantern's. He sweetly slipped the ring on my finger and said, "Mommy, this is your power ring". I choked back tears.
I thanked God that he was OK and home and for giving me such a sweet, little boy. I think my heart is back in my chest, but its still beating pretty fast.
Needless to say, Mike is getting latches for the top of the doors today.

Weekend Update

Eight bags, five coin purses, one belt, a trip downtown for hot dogs and some shopping, a party in the middle of nowhere and a horrendous backache. That about wraps it up. My life is so exciting.
Today is back to being CEO of the house. I've been seriously neglecting my house-Frau duties. Thankfully, I must have been a saint in a previous life because I've got a great husband who hasn't complained once about having to be Mr Mom the past few weeks.
I've got the kid fed, a load of laundry in and four cups of coffee downed. Hey, its a start!

The Sweatshop is open

This weekend I have to put the pedal to the floorboards. The sewing machine pedal that is. I've only got 24 bags made. I've had to reevaluate my original goal of 50 because I also need to make belts, zipper pouches and other assorted small dollar amount/high profit scrap busters. Oh, and come up with a display set up, price tags and business cards.
How did I get myself into this?! Oh yeah, Beqi. I blame her, thank her and curse her all in one breath. Thanks for being my fabric pusher, Babe!

Did anyone see that bus?

I think it ran me over. At least, that's how I feel this morning. I slept hard last night, which is good, but I had horrible dreams the whole time, which is bad. On nights like that, I would rather get no sleep.
The last dream I had I remember being so upset and crying that I actually woke up with my face wet and my head pounding. Luckily, I awoke to a little voice asking, "Mommy, can I be wake?". Of course you can, Little Man! Saved by a three year old.
My face is dry now but the headache persists. Maybe another cup of coffee or the incessant hum of my sewing machine will cure it. Doubtful, but a girl can always hope.

Shower- check
Coffee- check
Goof on the net- check

I do more before Gryffin wakes up than most people do before they wake up. Its a stretch, I know. Actually, most mornings Gryffin wakes me up. Today is different, its the first day of Day Out. Its been out for summer break for a month and my, oh my what a month. I have loved hanging out with my kid and take comfort in the fact that Day Out is only two days a week, but I need to get cracking and work.
This session Gryffin has a new teacher, Miss Holly. Yay! His summer session teacher sucked, and that is putting it nicely. Miss Jan couldn't ever spell Gryffin's name right and didn't comfort him when he cried at my leaving. She even went so far as to tell Gryffin that maybe I could stay with him and help out. What?! Uhm, no. That's why I pay you (too much, obviously). This session will be different though. Miss Holly rocks.
Uh oh, I just heard a door open so my little man is up. On to the mommy duties!

27 - 3 = 40

Today is the third, Strange Folk is starts on the 27th and I have 40 bags left to make, not to mention headbands, belts and other assorted accessories to crank out. What does all this mean? I'm in trouble.
All of this trouble is multiplied by the fact that I cannot find black canvas for under $8 a yard. I use this to make my messenger bags. That way they are super durable and hold their shape. If I use a lighter weight material I would have to use heavy duty interfacing, which is a total pain and ain't cheap either.
I'm sure with the few brain cells the alcohol didn't kill Saturday I will come up with something brilliant.

No jail, no broken furniture- are you sure it was MY birthday?

Before y'all go wondering if I'm in jail from the confrontation with "She Who Must Not Be Named", I'm not.
My birthday started out wonderfully. Mike presented me with a card in all my morning-glory-bed-headedness, which announced that not only did I get a gift certificate to get my hair done but that my appointment was for 11:30 THAT DAY! We went to breakfast and did a little party shopping where afterward I jumped in the shower because I did not want to get my hair did in some fancy say-lon looking all homeless. About 15 minutes before my scheduled departure the dreaded doorbell rang. I opened it, told her that she had to leave now. She gave me a card and I reiterated that she had to leave and promptly shut (and locked) the door in her face. That was it, she left. I haven't opened the card and probably won't as there isn't anything she can say to make a difference. Then, I got my hair done. Three hours later I came home with the most awesome drastic swing bob with purple low-lights. Yes, I said purple!
Then it was party time! I would go into details but I don't think y'all would believe me anyway. I'll just leave it at yesterday was pronounced, Recovery Day.

Have to laugh

A little birdie warned me that my egg-donor has plans to accost me this Saturday morning. Some of you may not be aware but I gave this woman her walking papers several months ago. After a lifetime of hurt, I had finally had enough. Now, on my birthday none-the-less, she is planning on coming to my home early on a Saturday to beg for forgiveness, pull more crazy out of her butt, rant like a loony? My guess would be all of the above plus a couple more tricks from her unbalanced trunk.
I thought of a lot of ways I could handle this. From evacuating like a psycho hurricane is coming to having Beqi show her knuckles. Neither of these were suitable, but they were fun to think about. I have decided on a plan of action, with my main concern of not allowing my son to see or hear any of it. I'm not going to go into details because I want to know what my readers, all three of you, would suggest. Come up with something funny, just go crazy. Make me laugh about this, so I don't cry or punch a wall.
Leave it as a comment so we can all enjoy it!

Mmmm, doughnuts!

Gryffin's favorites are chocolate long john's and anything with sprinkles. I hope he never outgrows a love of sprinkles. I know I haven't!

Last night I was hit with a bout of mild depression/bad mood/stress. After talking with Mike, I'm thinking it has a lot to do with all the work that I need to get done for Strange Folk. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the sewing, but usually the fabric will kind of tell me what shape or style it wants to be made into. Not this time. I look at all the gorgeous fabric and get nothing. Except stressed.
I will prevail though. I will beat it into submission and make it talk, I have my ways.

Since we have moved, an illness has hit me. I've never felt like this before and am trying to deal with it as best I can. Yes, I've contracted Party Fever. It seems as if I don't entertain on a regular basis I feel weird.
Over the past week Mike and I have repainted the front door, the entry way, the front living room and the dining room. We painted the fireplace insert with high heat paint for BBQ grills and changed it from brass to black. We also painted the brass drapery rod to make it black.
I feel that we need to throw a party to show off our handy work. I'm thinking I will just have put this on hold though. After all, we still have the accent walls in the dining room to paint, draperies to be sewn (along with a whole heck of a lot of purses) and trim work.

"Long way to go and a short time to get there"

I mailed off the registration and fee for Strange Folk today. There is no turning back now. I'm on a one way track to crafty town. I've got a lot of sewing to do and a deadline of just over a month to do it. Luckily, Day Out starts the first week of September.
Plan B is whatever doesn't sell goes into my Etsy Shop for sale.

Inferiority inferno

I may have sabotaged myself. I went looking at all the wonderful vendors that will be at Strange Folk and found myself feeling inferior. There are some awesome artists that will be there. Just looking through the artists that make bags and purses left me feeling very intimidated and out-classed. Then looking at all the others is when I sat down, with my head in my hands and thought, "What the heck did I just get myself into?"
Then I realized that this just means that I will have to crank it up a notch and come up with some really amazing stuff. Its going to be a challenge but I will do my best.

One apron and one purse down. Many, many more to go. Gryffin wasn't exactly happy to see me sewing instead of playing with him but after I explained that Mama has to start earning the toy money he calmed down, a bit.
My kid really is great. He's willing to play by himself, he understands reason and is pretty even tempered. I think after all of this is said and done, I will buy him the toy that he has been begging for for months. I'm all about rewarding good behavior, which is why when Strange Folk is over I'm getting myself a massage.

How many ways can I say, "Oh Sh*t!"

After weeks of sitting on my tookis thinking I didn't make it into the Strange Folk Festival, I did! Holiest of all holy craps!
I have sooooooooooo much work to do in the next several weeks. Fusing, cutting, sewing, swearing, you name it- I've got to do it! Not to mention supply buying- with what I don't know cause I just spent my wad on wonderlicious WWII wearables.
Ok Self, calm down, breathe. Dammit, why can't I find a paper bag when I'm hyperventilating?!

The Wonderful Weekend That Was

Friday night Beqi came over to bake cupcakes for her son and husband's birthday party Saturday. I'm glad I was there to intervene or else none of the cupcakes would've had any icing. Before we got to work on the baking, I had made pizza for dinner. The first pie was christened "Disaster Pie". When I put it in the oven all the toppings slid off onto the pizza stone and instantly adhered themselves to it. Mike helped salvage what we could and it didn't turn out that bad. The second one was perfect though. Of course, now I have a lovely burnt cheese smell and smoke every time I turn on the oven. I guess that's my ovens way of telling me it's time to be cleaned.
Saturday morning we headed out to the local farmer's market and then stopped at the Army Surplus store that is going out of business. We scored big time there. Mike got a nice black jacket and some pants along with a heavy wool peacoat, Gryffin got a black flight jacket that I'm going to punk out with patches and I got, are your ready: a beret, a wool sailor's pullover, an army dress coat and a marine dress coat, all of which are WWII era. Now, I won't tell you how much we paid for all this loot but I will say it was less than we could've bought Mike a cheap peacoat for.
It was also Party Day. And boy was it! The boys had a lovely birthday party, with an impromptu after-party at our house. We threw various hunks of carcass on the grill and whipped up some side dishes for a lovely meal. While Gryffin and Little Eddie were running rampant the adults went bowling, played tennis and boxed to our hearts content on the Wii.
Yesterday was spent running errands and putting the house back together. Amazing how one day of not picking up after ourselves can destroy the whole joint. Mike also installed my new in-cabinet trash can. Yay! No more looking at a trash can in the kitchen.
Today is laundry, laundry and more laundry. I hate doing laundry but I'm OK with it today since the heat index is going to hit 110. (And Mike won't move to the desert because it's too hot, hmm.)

The Paint Fume Cure

Who would've thunk that paint fumes could kill a headache? Ok they probably didn't, but getting the blood pumping by doing something might have.
I painted the accent wall in the entry way. Its a pretty orange. Reminds me of cantaloupe or orange sherbet and it looks great with the print we purchased at an art show for the space.
Our entryway, living room and dining room are all open to one another. The main walls of each are going to be a khaki/beige. Yeah, I know. Beige. Anyway, there will be two accent walls in the dining room that are going to be an apple green. All the rooms will have bright white trim.
I just hope it turns out like what I've pictured in my head. If not, then it will look a lot like a rotting bowl of fruit.
I'm really not used to using bright colors. We prefer dark but this house is already so dark that if we used the ones we really wanted we would be living in a cave.
Oh well, it really can't be any worse than the icy baby blue that covers the front half of the house and the institutional green that covers the back half.

Here I sit with one cup of coffee down wondering if my right eye will pop out into my empty mug. After a night of hardly any sleep, I always wake up with a eye popping headache. The good news is that I caught a Hogan's Heros marathon for a few hours starting about 1 am.

My husband loves me!

He spent all day yesterday giving me more storage space in the kitchen. Even though our 'new' kitchen is twice the size as the one in the old house, it doesn't have nearly the storage.
He is going to be installing an in-cabinet trash can soon. We hate having to look at a garbage can. I'll relocate the Mojo's dishes and get a rolling island to put here.
Look at all the glorious space! I might have to start canning since I now have room to put them. This cabinet freed up the small pantry and three cabinets. Now I'll have room for all of my serving dishes, bakeware and more dry goods.

Oh, he also cleaned out the garden shed so we have a place for the bikes!

We are slowly but surely making this place our own. I think (I know) Granny is proud and happy for us. I thank her regularly for blessing us, her ghost hangs out in the guestroom.

Everybody was kung Foo Fighting

Last night Mike and I went to the Foo Fighters concert. It was awesome. I would go into details about the opening acts, the play list, etc but I know if you really cared, you would have been at the concert yourself. That, and I'm just too dawg gone tired. Partying on a school night was never my thing, even when I was still in school.

Damn you, Beqi and your fantabulous inspiration and encouragement. Now you've got me obsessed with making a garment. I swore off making clothes years ago because they frustrated the hell out of me but now, what have I been working on the past few days? A shirt to wear to the Foo Fighters concert Sunday.
My first attempt looked something like a silky flour sack. I ripped out the seams and started over. The second attempt is better but I still need to redo the redo. Third times a charm, right?
If it ever turns into a wearable garment, I'll post pics.

This morning while reading the news and drinking coffee I was hit with the feeling of 'Things are only going to get worse". Not only is one of St Louis' largest employers being bought out by an overseas company but even more locally, our farmer's are struggling with getting their corn crops to grow and our two generation owned military surplus store is closing.
There were articles about how gas is only going to go up, along with prices for everything. Crops are looking dismal because of the wacky weather this spring. Property taxes have sky rocketed and property values, it seems, are being determined by the whatever hair tickles the assessors backside.
Are you gloomy yet?
I'm trying not to be. I realize that farmer's know the risks of their profession, especially here where weather is unpredictable. I know that businesses close, I just hate to see the small, family one's go under. The price of gas has just made me become better at planning trips and become more inventive with things to keep Gryffin occupied around the house.
All this economic instability just means that we have to tighten our belts. Maybe even redefine what the American way of life should be. We are a country of excess. Excessive vehicles, houses, waste and waistlines. Hopefully, with a little cutting back and reevaluation of our lifestyle we won't feel the pinch too terribly.

Big Boy Bed!

Today we set up Gryffin's big boy bed, aka a twin size. He's out of the crib and I'm both sad and elated. Last weekend we went shopping for the perfect bed. I was not about to let my kid sleep on one of those cheep, plastic covered, starter mattresses. We picked out a nice one with lots of support and a pillow top for comfort. With the back problems Mike and I have we want to insure Gryffin doesn't inherit them. We them took Gryffin to pick out sheets for his new bed. Of course, he picked out Hulk ones. I also picked him up some plain ones and a waterproof mattress cover. He's potty trained, but that doesn't mean he still doesn't have an occasional accident.
The bed came in this afternoon. Mike dismantled the crib, I tried not to watch for fear of crying. Gryffin helped and got all excited to finally have his big bed. We broke out the Hulk sheets and the Spiderman blanket and along with the stuffed effigies of these two super heroes, his bed was made. To which Gryffin promptly initiated it by jumping up and down on it and insisting Mike and I lay on it too.
My kid is awesome in that he swings with the punches or swings the punches. Either way, he adapts without much fuss. He's excited to sleep in his new big boy bed, with his super hero friends, sheets and blankets. He didn't cry when the crib was taken away and thinks the guard rails on the sides are cool. Again, he's awesome!

Up to speed and hoping to coast

Long story short: Pa, after spending less than 24 hours in a nursing home, fell and broke his hip. Saturday he had it replaced and today is set to be released from the hospital. Mike has been frantically trying to find a different nursing home that isn't a urine smelling death trap. Ain't easy.
Gryffin has decided that since everyone around him is stressed and tired that now would be a good time to push limits again. I can't really blame him, when you're three understanding the complexities of adult responsibilities is too much to handle. Heck, Mike and I have felt like throwing tantrums, hitting and crying hysterically lately too. Things will get back to the normal routine soon.
Mike's birthday party turned out well, except for me forgetting to haul out the cake while the majority of people were here. Mike got much needed fun and laughter out of it and was totally shocked that I bought him a Wii. The neighbors & gayhbors stayed until almost 11 pm, good thing they didn't have a long trip home.
Oh, did I mention? My MIL just called and wants to take Gryffin overnight tomorrow after he's done at Day Out and wants to keep him until Friday evening! Just the thought of having the house and husband to myself is wonderful.

Too much going on to blog.
When the spinning vortex of fun is over I'll let y'all know.

I don't know what my deal is. The past couple/few days I felt almost flu like: achy, tired, headache, tummy troubles. All I've wanted to do is, well, nothing. I have to do a better job of faking feeling fine because we have a party to put on!
Sunday is my husband's birthday and we are celebrating on Saturday with various friends, relatives and neighbors. Nothing fancy, just some munchies and chocolate cake with chocolate icing (as requested).
Coffee is gone so it must be time to get moving.

Pa Update

Pa is still in the hospital, but as of last night was finally able to eat. After getting the menfolk haircuts we all headed to visit with him. I was really apprehensive about it. Not that I didn't want to see Pa but because I wasn't sure how Gryffin would handle it.
All the way there we talked with Gryffin about he needed to be three things: gentle, soft and quiet. He was awesome, even shushed Mike when he was talking to the nurse. When we got to Pa's room he was sound asleep, which kind of scared Gryffin. He clung to me like a baby monkey and I could tell by his face he was scared. Mike quickly checked Pa's chart to see what he had been up to that day and we headed home.
It was important that Gryffin see where and what his Daddy has been doing lately. I'm hoping it will not only solidify his awesome view of his father but also help with the 'I want my Daddy' tantrums.

Super Hero's really do exist

Yesterday I played Little Sally Homemaker, in Grateful Dead jammy pants and a T-shirt. OK, so it was more like Little Hippie Homemaker. Either way I made some damn fine stuff.
A loaf of honey-wheat bread, 2 quarts of vanilla ice cream and a cherry & raspberry pie. De-pitting cherries by hand sucks. Its a good thing my shirt was already red.
I also spent the day trying to keep Gryffin occupied while our Direct TV system was installed. He kept 'supervising' the installer dude and saying, "Hey Guy! I think you forgot sumfing". We played Memory (the super hero edition), we played with Play-Doh (aka, squishy), we read book upon book upon book- and then read them a few more times, I broke out the VTech and let him play video games designed for kids his age. What has this world come to!?! I convinced him that the TV would be fixed if he took a nap and after reading a couple more books he napped for a whopping hour. Luckily, installer dude was finished by then.
Mike's Pa (grandpa) has been in the hospital all week. He is recovering nicely. Mike has been spending the evenings with him and last night I really struggled with missing him. He is doing what needs to be done. He is an awesome, caring person. I/we will get our time with him again soon. But I've really come to realize how much I need him. I am not cut out to be a single parent. By the time he made it home last night I was so tired I could barely talk. All I wanted to do was spend a few moments with him but we were both too exhausted to even entertain the idea much less each other. But he still took time to play with Gryffin, which was the most important.
He exhausts himself taking care of others only to let his own needs fall by the wayside. He is a remarkable person. I love him with all my heart and soul. If anyone is a Super Hero- it's him.

Always expect the unexpected

Too much. That is what has been going on this week. Things have popped up that no one expected and every one/thing is back on the road to normalcy.
Today I have to come up with a menu for the next 7 days. I need to bake another loaf of bread. I'm going to bake a loaf and freeze the dough for another loaf. I just can't stomach paying $3+ for a loaf of bread when I can make my own for a third of that.
Last night our friend Brian was kind enough to bring us our Fair Shares food. It was chocked full of goodies: aged cheddar, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, endive, herbs, cabbage, cherries, raspberries, beef, salsa, toffee peanut butter, a green pepper, a banana pepper, whole grain rolls and beets. Beets? What the heck do I do with those?
The last time I had beets they were from a can and I was in elementary school. This may require some culinary research.

The Wonderful Weekend That Was

This weekend was nice. We stuck close to home and finished up some long awaited projects, cleared out the clutter for a yard sale next weekend and ate some really good food. What more could a girl ask for?
This week is dedicated to more decluttering and procrastinated project busting. My sewing room is an avalanche waiting to happen and since we cleared out the garage I have a major shredding session in store, amazing the papers that accumulate.

Pickles & Ice Cream

We are ice cream prudes. A couple years ago a quaint little ice cream shop opened up just around the corner from us. They had all fresh, home made ice cream and got as many of the ingredients as possible locally. This year when they opened up for the season it was under new ownership. Now they sell, gasp, Edy's.
If I wanted that crap I would walk across the street to the market. Its cheaper there too! But I cannot stomach the stuff. It tastes like chemicals rather than cream, sugar and milk.
Home ice cream makers have come a long way, baby. I found one at Sam's (aka- Satan's) Yes, I know. They are a horrid, terrible, evil axis of bulk but they sell appliances, underwear AND meat! Sometimes in the same isle. The box said it could make ice cream in 20-30 minutes. Sure. It did. Granted it wasn't hard ice cream like we like it but soft serve.
An afternoon in the deep freeze fixed that and last night we enjoyed bowls of fresh, home made, I know everything that's in it, ice cream. It was so good my eyes rolled back in my head and I heard angels singing. I would love to share pictures of the finished product with you but I couldn't put my spoon down long enough to snap the picture.
I also made pickles yesterday. Bread and Butter refrigerator pickles even. I used my Dad's recipe and it couldn't be easier. In fact, the hardest part of the recipe is finding pickling cucumbers. These babies are sweet and tart and crunchy. I've been known to sit down with a bowl of them and a fork and call it dinner. I ended up with six jars of them, five of which made the neighborhood rounds. The last one I'm cherishing like Grandma's china. The best part about this recipe is that you can just keep adding veggies to the brine so you never run out.

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All I can really say right now is that it will be the Pickles and Ice Cream edition. Hint, hint, hint.

Happy Anniversary to US!

Yesterday was our 7th wedding anniversary. Mike surprised me and came home early with four bottles of my favorite wine and two dozen roses. He then promptly announced that he was taking us out to dinner. My man is awesome!
It hardly seems that seven years ago he and I were surrounded by family and friends taking our vows. Time flies when you're having fun.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Dad's Day to all the wonderful Dads in my life. Pop, Mike, you are both wonderful. Thank you.

2nd verse same as the first

Another night of painful sleeplessness. But as a wise man once told me, 'The pain reminds me I'm still alive".

Nip/Tuck

I had a little nip and tuck done at the doctor's office yesterday. Unfortunately, it wasn't the kind that prettified. I had what the doctor thinks is a fatty tumor hacked out from under my left arm. All I can say is that its a good thing I'm right handed. It hurts like hell. Last night I told Mike that I wanted ice cream, not to eat but to put that small, round container of frozen goodness in my arm pit. You know I'm in bad shape when I want to desecrate ice cream.
Even though I stole a Darvocet from Mike, I still didn't get much sleep or pain relief. Thank goodness Day Out is today... I'm napping.

One man's trash is my treasure

Yesterday Beqi and I took the day off. Day Out is back in session so we had five hours of kidless freedom. We usually spend this time handcuffed to our sewing machines working so it was a real treat. We scouted a new coffee shop, which turned out to be totally awesome except that they hadn't gotten any food in. Oh well, we will be back I'm sure. Then we hit the junk shops downtown. I picked up an old leather suitcase with a blue velvet interior for a dollar. It will be an end table with toy storage. I also got the most awesome vintage cardigan. Its ivory with white beading.
Beqi scored big with housewares and a pair of shoes that I might just have to shoejack from her.
We also stopped by the local spice shop where I picked up our custom blend of Highlander Grogg and Death By Chocolate coffee beans, as well as some file (FEE-lay) and some creole seasoning. Hmm, wonder if some gumbo is in our future?

Goodwill Hunting

Last night after stopping at the toy store to let Gryffin pick out a toy we stopped at Goodwill. I love Goodwill. For less than $40 I scored 2 CD's, 4 shirts, 3 skirts and a pair of shorts. Most still had the tags on them! Cool. I would've bought an awesome pair of electric blue, patent leather wedges but they were too similar to a pair Beqi has. In fact, I think they were the exact same.
I almost bought a huge T-shirt that said, "I got Crabs... in Maryland". For some reason I just found that hilarious but you all know my sense of humor is a bit distorted.
Oh and just so you know, Gryffin for once didn't pick out a super hero toy. He chose action figures of 'those meddling kids' and a Mystery Machine. So far he has insisted on having Daphne with him at all times. I'm a little flattered since she and I have the same hair. I'm the prettier, smarter one though.

Monday, Monday

What do you do when storms are in the forecast, you wake up with a monster headache and almost every piece of clothing your family owns is dirty? Dumb question, huh?
Yup, I'm relegated to staying in. I'm hoping the medicine I took will kill the headache but even if it doesn't it won't ruin my enjoyment of doing laundry. I hate it regardless.
There are hints of a trip to the toy store tonight to reward Gryffin for such wonderful behavior this weekend. He was such a blessing to have around (as always). Mike wasn't feeling too well and Gryffin was loving and gentle. How did I end up with such a great kid?
Tomorrow I'm taking a play day and hitting downtown B'ville. I'm in search of some awesome junk. Not anything specific, except maybe some chairs to replace a couple the neighbor broke during a rousing game of drunken Yahtzee a couple weeks ago. Good thing the chairs weren't my style anyway.
Off to tame the laundry monster, wish me luck!

Happy Birthday, Pop!

Happy Birthday to the best Dad a girl could hope for.

Yup, I still remember how to b*tch

I don't know why but the past few days I've been really agitated. I had a glass of wine and a bubble bath the other night to think about it. I do my best thinking with a glass of wine in hand. All I really came up with was a slight feeling of rejection from someone. Not a big deal, probably unjustified and something that I will get over soon. It wasn't enough to justify the snappy, crabby, pessimistic bitty I had become. Its not even close to Demon Week, so that's not it. It could be that Day Out has been closed for it's two week Spring Vacation, but Gryffin and I have had fun together so I doubt it. I can't figure it out so I will just chalk it up to a chemical imbalance and maybe this hot, muggy weather. Or I could blame it on the old egg-donor for old time's sake.

Lets see if I still remember how to do this.

I know, I know, I've neglected all of my three faithful readers. Sorry, I've either been too busy or too tired. Things have settled down to a more tolerable speed so I'm back.
Gypsy Caravan went well. Other than the morning weather. Nothing brings three women closer than a 10x10 tent chocked full of crafty wares and a thunderstorm. A couple hours in and the rain cleared, the people came and my wallet filled. I actually made enough to cover two weeks worth of bills and expenses! Yippee!
This past Saturday night we decided to have a party. It was a lot of fun, a rousing game of Yahtzee and our neighbor breaking two (yes, two) of our dining room chairs. Unintentionally, of course. I wasn't heart broken, I hate the set and its only rarely used. But it does make me lament not buying the set at Gypsy Caravan I fell in love with. Cafeteria chairs from the sixties in metal and yellow melamine. Oh well.
We closed on the house next door without any issues. The current owners stopped by Saturday for a little bit and left after not making the best impression. Some were a little taken aback when the new owner made a comment comparing the color I used to have her new/my old living room painted and a brothel. She's young and seems to think she's from 'The Big City' of St Louis. Maybe it was only nervousness, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and not hold it against her. Can't say the same for the other neighbors that were aghast at her comment though.