Island Girl At Heart

Life Lessons

2011-04-26T16:08:00.000-04:00

It's been a really long time, and a lot of changes have come about. I'm no longer a Carolina Girl, and I'm no longer happily married. But I digress...

Just wanted to get my thought for the day out.

***People come in to your life for a reason. When you have learned what you are to learn from them, it is time for them to move on. You must accept this and not be bitter or angry at their departure.***

I was looking back and remembering those who've come in to my life and those who've gone out of it and what I learned from them. I've tried to condense what I learned from them into something less than a novel.

Over the years, from different people, I've learned...

~strength and courage. I've learned that I can and should stand on my own and be an independent woman.

~the down side of trust. The walls I've built are too high for anyone to climb and too thick for anyone to tear down. I'm sure over time, those walls will deteriorate, but for now they are standing strong.

~that I should never take a single moment for granted. If you get too comfortable, life has a funny way of pulling the rug right out from underneath you.

~that I should never be afraid to tell someone what they mean to me. I learned that the *really* hard way, and I'll never get that chance with one person in particular. It took me years to even be able to go to that cemetery, and now all I can do is put flowers on a grave and talk to a piece of stone with a name carved in it.

~that some people come in to your life to test your breaking point. Some will use you until they have used you up if you let them. From them, I've learned how to say no.

~that I have to take care of me. I've struggled with this one for so long because I felt like I was being selfish. I still struggle with it every day.

~that forever does exist, but it's just not in the cards for some of us. Noone wants to believe that maybe they're meant to fly solo, but for some of us, it seems to be the hand we're dealt.

~that you don't have to be a beauty queen or a genius for people to look up to and admire you.

~that you deal with what comes your way, adjust, suck it up, and move on. Good things are waiting ahead. Over the span of a lifetime, it's taken such a small fraction of that time to learn that.

~that I should laugh every day and not get so bogged down in worry. I wish I had learned that before the vertical wrinkle that rivals the depth of some glacial crag took up permanent residence front and center on my forehead.

I've learned a lot more, but these are a few that stand out to me today.

My Thanksgiving Blessing's Progress

2010-02-15T21:37:00.004-05:00

On November 26, 2009, I was blessed with two very good reasons to be thankful. First and foremost, the prayer I've prayed for years was finally answered...my youngest daughter was finally coming home. I bought her ticket that day, and she stepped off a plane the next day. I thank the good Lord every day for bringing her home to me.

Second (and the reason for this post), we rescued a purebred Miniature Schnauzer. She was such a scruffy, abused, timid, untrained little mess, and I knew I had my work cut out for me. I've wanted a mini for so long, and this one needed me as much as I needed her.

Her coat was so matted that it took us over two hours to cut the mats out.

She knew no commands at all.

She cowered at a raised voice.

She'd spent the majority of her life in a crate that was too small for her, so she wasn't housebroken or leash-trained.

She chased Gracie.

She had some food aggression issues and ate way too fast.

She ate her own feces.

And worst of all, she had several large spots on her back where there was discolored or missing hair. Every professional in the animal care field agreed that it was a chemical burn...something had been poured or spilled on her.

My "clearance puppy", as Michelle called her, stole my heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fast forward to today, February 15, 2010.

We've visited the vet a couple of times for an exam, a spay, and getting her where she needed to be health-wise.

We've gone for lots of walks and are still working on leash training.

We've worked on lots of commands and tricks. She knows at least a dozen now.

She has a basket full of toys and a nice big crate that she sleeps in only at night or when noone is home.

She and Gracie have become playmates, and she gets very upset if Gracie lets one of those drama-queen meows out.

She is not only house-broken, but she rings a bell I hung at the door when she needs to go out.

She LOVES to go for car rides, no matter how short or long they may be.

She has blossomed. She is no longer timid or food aggressive.

And the most outwardly noticeable change...we found a GREAT groomer. Kudos to "All Four Paws" in Beaufort, SC. She finally looks like a Miniature Schnauzer and those discolored spots on her coat are GONE.

Check out her before (November 26, 2009) and after (February 13, 2010)!

It made my day

2010-01-18T21:59:00.003-05:00

One of my pet peeves is people taking up more than one parking spot.

The Hub and I spent the weekend in Florida, and on our way home yesterday we stopped at a rest area. As we pulled in, there was a pickup parked all kinds of stupid, taking up the 3 spots closest to the building. We parked in a nearby spot, and as we were getting out of the vehicle, a Florida Highway Patrol officer approached the moron's truck. He spoke loud enough that it was easy to hear his side of the conversation, which went like this...

"Sir, can you explain to me WHY you are parked this way? Do you have a good explanation for parking the way you did? You see these other vehicles and the way they're parked? Each of them are taking up ONE spot, and you're taking THREE. You need to move your vehicle and park the way you're supposed to. There's just no sense in parking like this. I'd hate to have to write you a ticket. Now, go on and park right."

Weird!

2009-10-16T18:15:00.003-04:00

The other day I noticed a spider web in front of one of my windows. When I went out to tear it down, I saw something that was so strange looking that I had to go grab my camera. How bizarre is this thing??

After watching it for a while, The Hub took care of it because we weren't sure what the heck this happy face, spikey little bastard was and whether it was poisonous or not.

I got online and googled images for "Happy face spider" and that freaked me out even more. Try it and look at the crazy damn creatures you get! Anyway, after several pages, I found out that it's called a crab spider.

Even though I know what it is now, I hope I never see another one. We have enough of a problem with Wolf spiders, brown widows, and other miscellaneous creepy crawlers spinning webs everywhere outside!

The find of the century for me

2009-10-08T15:09:00.002-04:00

I absolutely love antiques, and over the years I've acquired a few really nice pieces. One that I've wanted since I was 13 has eluded me all these years. When I'd actually find one, I couldn't afford it. That changed yesterday.

My friend Michelle (you can check out her work here at http://mdgdesignsjewelry.com/default.aspx), Breeze and I had our semi-weekly goof-off day and went to a couple of antique/thrift/consignment stores here in town. I walked into one of the rooms of the first store and there it sat. I gasped, looked at the price tag, and thought, "Someday I'll have one." The owner then told us that the merchandise on the floor was 50% off, and my wheels started to turn. When I asked if it was 50% off the original or the marked down price, I'd already decided that I COULD afford it either way. She said it belonged to a friend of hers, so she was sure it would be off the original price. She then walked away, and I continued to look at other things in the room, feeling myself drawn to this beauty. The store owner came back in and said that she had called her friend, and the friend was willing to sell it for 50% off the marked down price. My jaw dropped, and I immediately pulled the tag and told her I'd be buying it and taking it with me. Check it out!

A Singer treadle sewing machine! WITH ALL THE ATTACHMENTS!

When I got home last night, I did some research, looked up the first digit of the serial number, and found out that it was manufactured between 1908-1909. Upon closer inspection, I found that the bobbin is still threaded, but the thread is so old that it breaks if I pull too hard.

I am so excited that I finally got my treadle machine!!

Robbed by Alzheimer's

2009-08-29T09:52:00.003-04:00

I love this picture. That's my maternal grandparents in 1942, soon after they married. She was 14, and he was 21. It was a different time then. He went off to WWII while she kept the home fires burning. They wrote letters (and she still has them). When she was 18, they welcomed their first child, a son, into the world. Over the next few years, they had two daughters and another son. They weren't wealthy, but they were rich in what was important. They were married for 53 years and only had eyes for each other. They were in love with each other as much after all those years as the day they wed. She lost him right after breakfast one day in 1995. She put up a brave front for several years, but in truth, a huge part of her died with him that morning.

She's waited for 14 years to be with him again. Every year, she has deteriorated more and more. Now, she is weak, frail, and bedridden, and Alzheimer's Disease has taken her mind. Some days she doesn't even recognize her own children, but she knows him. She doesn't know that he's gone anymore. She sees him and talks to him. She's so confused and tormented, and it rips my heart out.

I know the day isn't far away when she will join him again. While I will mourn the loss of one of the greatest women I've ever known and be sad for myself, I will be happy for her.

My beloved grandmother is the fifth victim in my family who has been claimed this thing. With all of the medical advances and research, Why do we not know what causes it? Why do we not have a cure? WHY is this disease still winning??

Here we go again!

2009-08-09T10:58:00.006-04:00

No, not actually "going" as in moving. We've begun chapter, oh what is it now, 432? of "Living in a construction zone". Having the house in chaos drives me nuts, but the payoff in the end is worth it.

First, the girls have switched rooms again. With Breeze going off to college, we opted to give Kat the bigger bedroom. So this is once again Breeze's room...remember the lilac walls with that black harlequin pattern on the accent wall? Yeah, that one. Carpet's gone, wood floors in. Walls repainted, new window, new baseboards, trim, etc. And this time, I chose all paint colors. I went back to Valspar's Shrimp Toast that I had originally used in the living room.

And now Kat's new room...

Here's a taste of what we started with when we bought the house.

Yeah, gross.

For a while it was like a dark cave, designed by a teenager.

Well, this is the same room now. I hadn't put the window treatments up when I snapped the pic.

And one last pic...

This is what I finally decided on for the living room. That huge wall unit is now gone, along the chair in the left side of the pic.

We now have ZERO carpet in this house. We've put down Pergo flooring in all 3 bedrooms. We've replaced all the windows, exterior dooors, and interior doors now. My craft room will be getting Pergo flooring this weekend also.

2+ years of work, and we're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. The house is *almost* finished!

Regret

2009-06-12T11:59:00.000-04:00

I've heard so many people declare that they have no regrets in life. There are tons of clever, uplifting quotes about it floating around in cyberspace. Sounds like a great way to live.

Dictionary.com defines it as a sense of loss, disappointment, dissatisfaction, or a feeling of sorrow or remorse for a fault, act, loss, disappointment, etc.

I'm talking about the feeling of remorse for an action. How can people NOT have that? To those of you who profess to live without regret, I have some questions. Have you never done anything that you wish you hadn't? Have you never broken the heart of a loved one? Have you never made a bad decision? Ever wished you'd gone to college or majored in something different? Never wished you hadn't married the ex? Never harmed an innocent person? If not, you're either lying, or you're a better person than I am.

I have many regrets. Do I let them dictate my life? No, but they're there. I don't wallow in the "coulda, shoulda, woulda's", but there are so many things that I wish I could go back and change. Some of them are just there in the past, but some seem to raise up and smack me on the head over and over. I'm not going to list them because it's a very personal issue for me. I just want you to stop and think about it.

How do you *really* live with no regret?

What are the boundaries of friendship?

2009-06-08T09:17:00.000-04:00

Exactly what IS a friend?

From dictionary.com...
1. a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.
2. a person who gives assistance; patron; supporter.
3. a person who is on good terms with another; a person who is not hostile.

Synonyms:1. comrade, chum, crony, confidant. 2. backer, advocate. 4. ally, associate, confrere, compatriot.

As someone attached by feelings, a confidant, a *true* friend, where is the boundary on speaking freely? Is it ever okay to tell them things like, "You are such an incredibly intelligent woman, so how the fuck can you be so stupid??" or "How can you overlook the mountain of bullshit you've been fed for so long?" Or how about, "You have happiness sitting in front of you, and you're hell-bent on throwing it away with both hands." Can you tell them, "I love you, but you really need to quit whining, suck it up, and keep going."

Just thinking about a lot of things this morning after the screwed-up dreams I had all night.

2009-06-04T16:43:00.002-04:00

The past month has brought many changes with it, and I don't even know where to begin. Let's see...

I've started an online course in Medical Coding and Billing with http://www.careerstep.com/ and I'm using brain cells that have been asleep for way too long now. Hopefully my college A&P and Pharmacology courses will help me out when I get to that point. My crazy-ass medical history has already helped somewhat, and I've been enrolled for just a week now. I'd *like* to do the Medical Transcription course when I'm done with this, but we'll see how it goes.

We finally got ALL of the windows replaced in the house! Our utility bill has dropped to less than HALF what it was at this time last year. Amazing.

Little Matteo (see my previous post) has already been in the hospital and scared us all half to death. Poor thing was so jaundiced and couldn't maintain his body temp, but he's home and doing much better now.

One of my chosen sisters had back surgery and is still on the mend. She has a long road ahead, and I'll be right there every step of the way.

Breeze is graduating on TUESDAY. I still can't believe it. Poor thing better enjoy that day b/c she's having surgery the day after. We discovered what seems to be the source of a lot of her breathing problems...a SEVERELY deviated septum, so an outstanding ENT/Allergy specialist is going to fix her up.

Kat is coming home on Saturday! Woo Hoo! I'll finally have my family whole again under one roof. I just wish it were permanent, but I'm focusing on the positive. She's now a 10th grader!

Oh, and my dad, stepmom, and oldest nephew came to visit. My nephew is 15 and fell in love with Beaufort. :) He says he's moving here when he graduates. What's not to love? The beach, fishing, and a gorgeous little town full of charm.

My precious baby, Molly, (my new Dodge Nitro) already had to have a new windshield. :( Breeze and I were driving home from Charleston, and a rock hit the windshield. I was PISSED, but our insurance company rocks and had a tech out here asap to replace it. I'm happy, Molly's happy.

So that's life in a nutshell here. Someday, I'll post more regularly...maybe. ;)

A new life

2009-05-12T02:50:00.002-04:00

Welcome to the world, Matteo Antonio Salano! I'm so honored that your mom and dad asked me to be there for your arrival. You're going to be one spoiled little man. We love you!

Human nature? Fear? Or something else?

2009-03-24T14:01:00.005-04:00

This dilemma has come up several times lately with people I know, and it continues to puzzle me. In the movie "Some Kind of Wonderful" (great movie, btw), Lea Thompson's character, Amanda Jones, speaks one little line that seems to be what so many people live by.

"I'd rather be with someone for the wrong reasons than alone for the right."

Why?? Why do so many people choose to be with someone who they know isn't right for them instead of being on their own? Why do so many teenage girls feel like they HAVE to have a boyfriend? Hell, why do so many single women of all ages feel the same way?

Do they feel like a third wheel otherwise? Do they feel like they're some kind of social reject if they're alone? Do they feel they're incomplete as a person? Or is it something deeper?

I know that there's that line of thinking that "the one" is out there somewhere. If you believe that, and you believe in fate, then don't you also believe that they will come into your life regardless? And if you're a "serial monogamist" tied to some loser, then what about when "the one" does stroll in?

There's also the line of thinking that "we need to stay together for the children". In my younger days, I tried that. IT.DOESN'T.WORK. If you're with someone because of your kids, but neither of you is happy, what environment does that create for those children? Instead of home being a peaceful sanctuary, it's tense, sad, or even hostile. Why do that to your children?

And then there's the "but he/she says he/she's sorry and will change for me". Uh, no. I'm not saying that people can't truly be sorry for their actions and change their behavior. But really, ask yourself, "Is he/she sorry for what he/she did or sorry that he/she got caught?" And they can't change FOR YOU. They have to do it FOR THEMSELVES. The only way they can truly and successfully change is if they sincerely want to be different.

There are a million other excuses. I've heard 'em all, and I still don't understand.

Before you think, "Yeah, you're happily married, what do you know?", trust me, I KNOW. I've been in an unhappy marriage. I've been divorced. I've been a single mom. I've been in the dating scene. And I've been ALONE. I wasn't out hunting for a relationship when The Hub walked into my life. As a matter of fact, I was just the opposite. I had my life and my career, and I was happy with that.

Damn, I love that man!

2009-03-12T21:28:00.003-04:00

We went to see Jeff Dunham last night in Savannah, and I haven't laughed that hard in SO long. It was even better than I had anticipated and was worth EVERY PENNY. If he ever does a show anywhere near you, trust me...GO SEE HIM.

I just wish I had a better camera. My trusty little Kodak did the best it could, and I'm not a pro photog, so this is as good as it gets.

I was thrilled to see "Guitar Guy" (aka Brian Haner) there, also. What a freakin' NUT! And, oh holy shit!! I did NOT know that his son is Synyster Gates! Yeah, Syn of Avenged Sevenfold. Did YOU know that??

Like I said, fantastic show, laughed my ass off, and Breeze laughed so hard that she had an asthma attack. Not so fun on that aspect, but she's fine now.

Speaking of Brian Haner, check him out at http://carneyman.com/home.html and be sure to watch his "Octuplet Babies" and "Year of Change" videos.

Sunset and replenishing the soul

2009-03-08T22:10:00.006-04:00

This week has not been the greatest week ever. One thing after another brought on a need to go. The fam got up yesterday morning and hit the road...no plans, no deadlines, no to do list. These are some pics I snapped along the way.

Lake Moultrie

Dinner at the Charleston Crab House...fantastic views, great food, and good prices. What more could you want? Their sign out front worked...it caught our eye, and we had to check it out. Great marketing!

Moonrise before sunset.

Sundown in CharlieTown

Sunset on the Stono River

Anytime life gets too bunged up, the salt air and watching a beautiful sunset always replenishes my soul. Yesterday's trip was just what I needed.

Rejection and acceptance

2009-01-25T10:48:00.003-05:00

Along with senior year comes the task of checking out colleges, applications, etc. Breeze had her list of colleges, and applied to her top 2. #1 was Pratt in NYC, and the thought of her venturing off to the big city on her own scared me shitless.

We waited a few weeks after she applied, and one day that thin envelope came in the mail. Rejection. Of course she was devastated, but she bounced back pretty quickly. I was impressed because the way she handled it showed a lot of maturity. They did recommend that she start out at another art school and transfer in, so at least it wasn't a flat-out "No, we don't want you."

So on to the next. Less expensive, closer to home, in a familiar city, but the compromise is in her major. They don't offer fashion *design*, but they do offer fashion and retail mgmt. This would be a good thing, because it'll show her the business side of the industry.

After the application process, several trips to the campus, and countless phone calls back and forth, we finally got word on Friday. She has been ACCEPTED to the Art Institute in Charleston! WTG, Breeze!!

Along with the joy comes the feelings of "Holy shit, my little girl's going to college THIS year" and "We need to win the lottery". I am so proud of her, though. So to those who've tried to squash her dream and push her into a different path in life...FUCK YOU!

SNOW!!!!

2009-01-20T19:20:00.002-05:00

In Beaufort!!! Can you believe it?

Normally, "snow" and "Beaufort" cannot go in the same sentence without a word like "rarely", "doesn't", or "never". We seem to get 3 flakes every 6 years or so.

I've begged for it for months, and I got my wish today. Granted, none of it stuck. Heck, it melted *before* it hit the ground, but it snowed off and on all day today. I was so excited that I had to keep going to the door at work to look at it. I tried to take a pic with my phone, but it didn't show up. :-/

Yeah, I know. No big deal to most, but IT SNOWED!!!!!

Dear Matt Lauer, you're so pretty

2009-01-16T23:11:00.003-05:00

When one of my girls has a really blonde moment, I tell them, "You're so pretty." In the Dee to English dictionary, it means, "That was a really dumb thing you just said/did." Today Matt earned that sentiment.

I always have the Today Show on in the background while I'm getting ready for work. Don't get me wrong, I dearly love Matt Lauer. He IS the reason I watch this one instead of the countless other morning shows. This morning, though, I really had to stop and think, "WHY are you asking this woman stupid questions?" He was interviewing a survivor of the plane that crashed into the Hudson River. This woman was on there with her kids (who were also on the plane).

**Sidenote** WHY in the hell do they have the kids on there when they're doing an interview? The kid gets bored and fussy and starts crying. I'm sure I'm not alone in this camp. I cannot stand to hear babies/small children crying and throwing a fit. In my younger years, it didn't bother me, but I've become cranky over the years. The sound pierces my eardrums, screeches into my brain and does a really bad tap dance on every nerve in my body. This is NOT an experience I enjoy, especially that early in the morning!! For the love of all that is good and right, and for the sanity of all, if you INSIST on having your adorable little tricycle motors on TV, give them something to keep them occupied instead of expecting them to sit and patiently look into the camera until you're done!

Ok, now, back to Mr. Lauer. He has the survivor, along with the guy who pulled her and her kids out of the water to safety, and he says, "What would you like to say to him?" Umm, hello? Of course she's going to say something along the lines of "Thank you for saving the lives of me and my children. I'm eternally grateful." And then, to make me like Mr. Lauer even less this morning, he goes on. "To the pilot who brought this plane down upright and intact, what would you like to say to him?" WTF do you think she's gonna say?? "Good job, wingnut, you crashed the plane into a freezing fucking river in January"? Of course she's going to be grateful that his quick thinking and actions were able to save the lives of those on board and not let the plane go hurling toward the general population on the ground in flaming pieces.

C'mon, Matt. Inside that pretty head IS a brain. Use it to think about what you're asking next time.

Merry Christmas to all

2008-12-24T19:49:00.003-05:00

During the hustle and bustle of the season (which has arrived WAY too quickly), I hope you all take a moment to treasure your blessings. We all tend to get bogged down with stress, wants, and wishes. Take time to enjoy what you do have.

This year, despite a lot of stressful caca, we have so much to be thankful for.

The Hub is with us instead of halfway around the world.
Breeze is loving life and doing great in school and is friends with some good kids.
Kat is healthy and safe and doing great in school.
We have a beautiful home that we've created as a family.
We have each other.
We have so many wonderful friends.

This is just a small list of what I've been blessed with. I hope you all remember yours, too.

Blue

2008-12-01T19:22:00.003-05:00

Today's been a total crap day. Kat had to fly back to Totoland, and I wasn't able to go to the airport. The Hub and Breeze took her, so I'm on my own for the night. They'll come dragging in sometime in the wee hours. We've been doing this for several years, but it just never gets any easier.

I went in to work after they hit the road and lasted for 30 minutes. All it took was one friend/coworker saying something about putting my baby on a plane, and I burst into tears. I decided that I needed to be at home, so I switched off today for Saturday. Yes, I'll be working another Saturday, but I just couldn't put that smiling, happy face on today.

On a different note, I think Santa is in my neighborhood tonight. I keep hearing a siren that doesn't seem to be going anywhere fast, and it is about that time of year. He comes around in a fire truck to wave to all the kidlets.

Our latest remodel is complete. We tore a wall down to increase the living room. Kat's room was absorbed, so she got moved across the hall. We put down hardwood floors (the real deal, complete with the requirement for sanding, staining, and sealing), put up beadboard/wainscoting, and a chair rail. I'm not happy with the color I picked for that, but I won't repaint until I decide what color I *really* want.

The Christmas tree and lights went up Friday after I got off work. Yes, I was subjected to the insanity of Black Friday shoppers, but I was on the opposite side of the cash register this year.

Thanksgiving was a nice, quiet one for us this year...just the four of us. Hope you all had a great one, too.

Who is this and where did my little girl go?

2008-10-26T14:30:00.002-04:00

Seriously, how did this happen? Fair warning to all of you with kids...soak up every minute you can because this will be here before you know it. It seems like no time since I was taking her to kindergarten on her first day, and this week we were ordering graduation invitations.

She had her Halloween party last night, and this is the costume she made for it. She was putting the finishing touches on it up until 15 minutes before her guests arrived. Talk about down to the wire!

It was a huge success, and all the kids had a blast. More importantly, The Hub and I survived a night with a house full of teenagers! Only 3 of the kids she invited weren't able to make it, but they all called and said they wished they could be here. One just got out of the hospital, one had to work, and one was leaving for vacation EARLY the next morning.

We just can't seem to quit!

2008-08-26T12:35:00.002-04:00

Every time The Hub and I finish up a room/project, we say, "Okay, that's it. We're DONE for a while." Then no sooner do the words come out of our mouths than we're tearing something else up.

The latest room has been many things over the past year+. Mostly, it's been a thorn in my side. I LOVE that we have that extra room, but it was just ugly, dirty, yuck. First, it was my craft room. I didn't love that because I had to walk thru the bedroom we'd made for Mom to get to it. Then we flip-flopped the rooms so that we had to walk thru my craft room to get to Mom's bedroom. We never *did* anything with it, though, as far as updating. We put down a carpet remnant for a temporary fix instead of bare concrete floor.

Now that Mom's gone back to MS to take care of Grandma, Breeze wanted the room for herself. Initially we were going to do a switcheroo of the girls' rooms but changed our minds. Yeah, remember all those harlequins I taped off and hand-painted last year? All for nothing, I guess. We've butted heads over air conditioning and doors open/closed, so it really is for the best.

So enough rambling; on with the pics! This is the left and right sides of the room before. Once upon a time, it was obviously a carport that got enclosed.

You can imagine my cringing every time I looked in there b/c I despise that awful 70's paneling. We knew that behind two of those walls there was brick. I wanted that left exposed because I think it just looks so cool.

We also took out those two closets at that end of the room, and built one at the opposite end. A new window went in as well as insulation, wiring, and drywall.

So lots of work, demolition, cleanup, etc. happened, and this is where we are now.

Since Breeze did a color change on me, she's in need of a duvet cover because that purple just screams against the red. Oh, and it isn't fire engine red like that last pic looks. It's Valspar "Fabulous Red" which is quite red enough for my taste.

We still need to install closet doors and put down the rest of her flooring, but I'm just ecstatic that the dungeon room is actually pretty nice now. The things we do for our little gothic princess.

And they asked why

2008-08-14T13:29:00.002-04:00

http://www.beaufortgazette.com/local/story/518410.html

Scuttlebutt has it that one of the teens involved was the same one who was shot outside a basketball game last year AT THE SCHOOL.

It ain't nicknamed "Assault & Battery High" and "Battle Creek High" for nothin'.

And just yesterday, there was a drive-by within a couple of miles of where those 4 morons were "playing with" their stolen handgun.

After shit like this, I really wonder how the Board of Education could honestly (and with a straight face) ask me WHY I wanted to transfer my daughter to another school.

One word

2008-08-13T17:11:00.002-04:00

I thugged this from Nesa's blog. :)

You can only type ONE WORD for your answer. It's not as easy as you might think.

1. Where is your cell phone? table

2. Your significant other? Hub

3. Your hair? short

4. Your skin? oily

5. Your mother? away

6. Your favorite thing? family

7. Your dream last night? none

8. Your favorite drink? soda

9. Your dream/goal? security

10. The room you're in? bedroom

11. An ex-boyfriend? asshole

12. Your fear? clowns

13. Where were you last night? crop

14. What you're not? thin

15. Muffins? blueberry

16. One of your wish list items? time

17. Where did you grow up? Mississippi

18. The last thing you did? cooked

19. What are you wearing? sweats

20. Your TV? annoying

21. Your pets? Buddah

22. Your computer? convenient

23. Your life? blessed

24. Your mood? wishful

25. Missing someone? yes

26. Your car? truck

27. Favorite store? J's

28. Your summer? boating

29. Like someone? yep

30. Your favorite color? blue

31. Last time you laughed? today

32. Last time you cried? Monday

33. Who will resend this? none

34. Whose answers are you anxious to see? anyone

Stormy day

2008-08-08T16:21:00.003-04:00

Yesterday afternoon, we had a hellacious storm sweep thru our area. Most of the town lost power, and many are still without power this afternoon. We had a lot of trees down, transformers and houses struck by lightening, a boater stuck in it and forced to beach his boat, no traffic lights working. It was BAD here.

Not the greatest time to discover that your brand new generator is a piece of shit. Grr... Fucker's supposed to put out enough juice to run the fridge, freezer, and a/c...it was putting out 3V. Yeah, you read that right THREE VOLTS. That's not even as much as the friggin' battery in my alarm clock!!

The Hub got called in to work and didn't get home til after 11 last night cuz they were trying to get power restored on base.

We lost power for over 5 hours, and we were one of the lucky ones. Like I said, many still don't have power this afternoon. There are trees down all over town, and the storm did damage in several surrounding counties, as well.

To show you a small sample of how nasty Mother Nature decided to be, take a look at these. This is my friend, D's Durango. She was at work when this happened. I got cold chills when I saw these.

She works in that building with the red roof. Can you say "shitting kitties"??

Thank God there weren't any serious injuries from Mother Nature's wrath.

New doors and a kitchen I love

2008-07-12T10:04:00.004-04:00

We've been at it again...another remodel that was long overdue. It all started a couple of weekends ago with a set of shitty sliding glass doors in the dining room that didn't slide worth a damn and were NOT secure at all. We were both sick of it, but The Hub had his fill when he bumped the door and the pin that locks it fell out. He went to a building supply store here in town and got a set of French doors. We put Gracie in Breeze's room and began demolition. Since we live in a "midget house", none of our exterior doors are standard size, and we had to cut a bigger opening for the new door to fit into. I've still gotta stain the casing, but I LOVE that both doors open!

With that redo, we decided to repaint the dining room. We went from "Shrimp Toast" to Kilz' "Cinnamon Apple", and it looks like a completely different room now.

Once that was done, looking at the kitchen was just depressing. We priced unfinished oak cabinets, countertops, etc. and decided to keep going. We ripped out the old kitchen, painted, installed all new cabinets, countertop, sink, faucet, electrical, etc. Now I LOVE my kitchen! I still have some minor things to finish up, but for the most part, it's done. The only thing that wasn't replaced was the floor I did last year and the appliances I bought when we bought the house.

Just in case you need a reminder of what we started with a year ago, here it is.

And I've despised this ugly-ass sink since Day 1.

Out with the old, and in with the new!

We still need to get the stainless backsplash up behind the stove, and I have to sand and paint around that outlet, and we're doing away with that phone jack over the stove.

And I finally have a REAL pantry!! We still didn't have enough room for a dishwasher, so our portable one rolls out of the way when we need to get to the pantry.

Here's a closeup of the backsplash we chose. I think it just ties everything in together so well. We went with "Labrador Granite" countertops (Formica), a black sink, and a Moen faucet with a satin finish.

We weren't even finished with the kitchen when we decided that our front door just had to go. The glass in it wasn't tempered, and it wouldn't take much to break one of the panes right by the lock and get in. There were also gaps underneath and on the side, so we were losing a ton of energy and allowing a place for bugs to potentially come in. You guessed it...we took great pleasure in ripping that old thing out and replacing it with a steel front door. Just like the back door, we had to make a bigger opening, so that's why there's an unpainted drywall patch up there above it. I have to sand that down, paint, and then The Hub will get the top of the casing put up.

Wii finally get to play, too!

2008-06-28T00:02:00.002-04:00

You've seen the Wii commercials with the two old guys at the door saying, "Wii would like to play." I've been trying to get my hands on a friggin' Wii console for the girls since before Christmas...not the stinkin' $700 bundle bullshit...just the regular console. Always a day late, it seemed. That is until Thursday. The Hub called around and the WallyHell out in Hardeeville had ONE tucked away in the back of the store. The VERY nice guy he spoke to on the phone agreed to hold it for an HOUR. So The Hub called me, gave me the news, and I told the girls a fib, hopped in good ole Smokey, and hauled ASS. We did a little sneaky-moving that evening, and I took the girls with me to teach my class at the LSS.

As always, I called him when I started to leave the store to let him know I was on my way home. We walked in, and he had the camera ready. (Yes, pics will come later.) He had gone to the WallyHell here and got the two games they really wanted and a few extra accessories. He then put it all into a HUGE box, tied it with a bow, and printed a sign on the side that said, "Happy Birthday Breeze & Kat. Use caution...wild animals" and he had his finger all bandaged up. He told them to be careful opening the box b/c he had a hell of a time getting the animals into the box and they bit him while he was trying. I'm trying desperately to not laugh out loud at this point. They had no clue what the hell was in that box, so they were standing as far back as possible to untie and untape the box. Just as the last piece of tape was being removed, he flicked a throw at them and yelled. They both squealed and jumped like they'd been attacked.

When the lid was opened, they were ecstatic to see that they finally had a Wii! We got them DDR (Dance Dance Revolution), Guitar Hero III, and Wii Play for now. They have played it every chance they've gotten. I played a couple of the games so far, and I'm really groovin' it.

Now, I'm sure you're wondering why they got their birthday gift in June when their birthday isn't until August. Well, Kat flies back to TotoLand in a few weeks, and we wanted them to be able to enjoy it together before that. Plus, we all know that there's no way I could hold onto something like that for long without absolutely bursting.

So after many, many months of trying, "Wii" get to play, too.

License to give gray hair

2008-06-19T15:44:00.002-04:00

You guessed it. Breeze has her driver's license now. Check out that huge grin!

When the hell did this happen? That's my little girl, and it couldn't have been that long ago that she was playing with Barbie dolls and learning to ride a bike.

They grow up so quickly, and you look back and wonder where time went. It's even worse for me b/c I feel like I missed out on so much. That's my cross to bear, though.

So anyway, along with the license came a need for wheels. Yes, we could've handed her the keys to one of the other vehicles, but after a lot of discussion, we decided that wasn't the best route to take. So a few weeks ago, we left her home with Nan, went to Savannah, and brought home this.

She had no idea whether we'd come home with it or not, so she was VERY surprised when we pulled up in the driveway. Yeah, you may be saying that we're spoiling her rotten. I disagree. We made a deal with her, and she kept her end of the bargain, so this was our end. Part of her earnings from a summer job (the equivalent of the car payment) will go into her savings account and not be touched, so *technically* she's paying for it herself.

She made her first excursion alone today. And then her first with just her and her sister. Both times went very well, and I'm so proud of her. But yeah, she now holds a license to give me gray hair (and potentially a coronary). When Kat's turn comes, somebody needs to find me a padded room somewhere.

What's an Island Girl without a boat?

2008-06-05T11:34:00.003-04:00

Just a girl who's STUCK. That's been me for a while now, but we've remedied the situation. The Hub and I have been wanting another boat since we moved back home. After a long search and several prospects that just didn't feel right, we have a winner.

We went to James Island (outside Charleston) on Monday to look at it, and The Hub, Breeze, and Mom went to get it yesterday afternoon. I was taking a Pergamano class, so I couldn't go. When I got home, there she was.

Check her out! We're taking her out on her maiden voyage on Saturday. Thanks again, Donna and Keith! We look forward to y'all coming down to visit.

And yes, she's almost as tall as the house. If we didn't have this goofy low-pitch roof with no attic, it wouldn't be an issue. Someday we'll be able to remedy *that*!

Wow, long time no talk

2008-05-07T20:20:00.003-04:00

Not a lot to say, really, but I'll catch you up on life in the Lowcountry.

Since I posted last, The Hub and I have both gone under the knife. I've recovered well, and he's on his way to recovery.

I've started a local knit and crochet group. We're still VERY small, but I'm hoping our numbers will grow.

Still teaching classes at the LSS.

Family life is unchanged.

Only one renovation lately. I bought a new a/c for our bedroom yesterday, so we put that in and spiffed up the surrounding window by making it NOT a window anymore. It will be a recessed shadowbox over the a/c. Still need to sling sheetrock mud, paint, and build the frame and shelves.

I found a bit of interesting reading this morning. For anyone who doesn't "get" what life is like with fibro or many other diseases and ailments, you SHOULD read this. It's the best description I've ever run across. The author has lupus, but the story relates to so many other things. Check it out here. It's a PDF file, so you'll need Acrobat Reader.
The Spoon Theory

That's about all I have for now. I'm off to veg in front of the TV and do some knitting.

He's here!

2008-03-23T12:12:00.002-04:00

My new nephew decided he didn't want to miss the Easter Bunny this year. He was born at 6 this morning. 9 lb. 8 oz., 22" long. Mom and baby are doing fine.

Welcome to the world, Logan! Can't wait to see you!

Congrats, K & D!

Lots of catching up

2008-03-22T21:03:00.002-04:00

It's been a while, so this will be a long post. There have been a ton of things going on around here lately, so I'll try not to forget anything.

A couple of weeks ago, we went up to Charleston to see the Angel Oak. This tree is incredible! It's estimated to be about 1500 years old, and it is MASSIVE! http://www.angeloaktree.org/ Check it out! If you live anywhere nearby, you have to go see it.

Kat's been here this week for Spring Break, so we went out to one of the fishing piers this afternoon to get a few pics. I ended up with more silly ones that anything else.

The Hub was in a particularly piratey mood, so these are some of the pictures I ended up with.

Aren't the "wee bits" growing up so fast?? They're outgrowing ME, so I'm soon to be the "short shit" of the family.

In other news, I got a new baby this week. Meet Smokey. I LOVE HER!

Yes, we now have 5 vehicles, but two are going up for sale. I've been wanting another truck for so long, and we found this deal that we just could NOT pass up.

Aside from that, the biggest news around here is that the girls are headed to their dad's for Spring Break next week. They leave Monday morning, and Breeze will be back on Saturday.

The other big news is that I'm going "under the knife" on Tuesday. Yep, another surgery. I've arrived at my destination on the hysterectomy highway. I'll be out of commission for a while, but I have lots of crafting lined up to do while I'm recouperating. I hope that I won't be out for too long because I have classes to teach at the LSS. People keep telling me that I'm being overly ambitious in thinking I'll be able to get back to that fairly quickly. I'm choosing to be optimistic, but I'm almost certain that they're right.

So anyway, that's a quick summary of life these days. I'll post again when I can.

Remodel pics finally

2008-02-13T21:09:00.004-05:00

So, they've been done for a little bit now, but I'm just getting around to posting the pics. The craft room and hall bath are DONE!!!

First, this is the before pic of the craft room...hideous, huh? That green carpet came out the day we closed, but that left me with a bare concrete floor. It was still better than that nasty stuff, though.

Now, the same side of the room...
This is the opposite wall. The table at the farthest end of the room is the one The Hub built for me. There's a shelf underneath with 5 of those 2-drawer storage carts (minus the wheels) and under the shelf are my baskets of fabric.
And shelves! With bins all labeled nice and neatly. The cabinet on the wall back there was the bar I ripped out of the kitchen on closing day. The Hub took the countertop off, flipped it, and hung it on the wall for me.

And I LOVE my new floor!! Instead of doing ceramic tile again, we found this peel and stick vinyl tile stuff, and I had to have it. Easy peasy, quick, and it looks like the real deal.

Now for the hall bath. This was the remodel project from HELL, I tell ya! It kicked our asses majorly, but I'm so glad we did it.

Here's the before pic.

And now...totally redone from floor to ceiling.
Close-up of the new floor...
More storage...
New tub...Yay! No more depressing, ugly pink thing with shower doors!
New faucet and knobs...

AND!! My new washer and dryer came today! I friggin' LOVE these things. I'm in laundry heaven now b/c I can't hear them, the washer doesn't walk out in the middle of the floor, and the dryer doesn't squeak and whine like the old pair did.

So that's it! The last of the remodeling for a while. Baseboards still need to be done, but other than that, I'm off of the remodeling train for a while.

We found a fort!

2008-02-10T01:02:00.000-05:00

The Hub, Breeze, and I went for a drive today out to St. Helena Island. We wanted to see something we haven't seen before, so we headed out toward Land's End. It's so peaceful out there, and there are some beautiful houses and lots of farmland.

While we were out there, we went down a dirt road and found a FORT. We had no clue it was there. Turns out, it's called "Fort Fremont", a Spanish-American fort, and the county recently bought it with plans to clean it up and restore it. Check it out!

This is up on the second level.

And up on top.Off to the right in this picture, you get this view.

And if you follow the trail through the woods, down the embankment, you come to this.

Isn't that cool?! It was low tide, so the water was way out there. We walked along the beach for a bit, and of course I had to pick up some shells. I cannot set foot on a beach and not pick *something* up!

I had a flashlight in my purse, so we went all thru that fort. Some areas were pitch black in there, so when I'd snap a pic, I had no clue what was going to appear in my viewfinder. I hate that its been vandalized so much, so I hope Beaufort County works quickly to get her back to her original beauty.

Take off and go exploring sometime! Today proved that you just NEVER know what you may find. And all it cost us was some snacks and a little gas in the Jeep.

Summary of life at warp speed

2008-02-04T01:39:00.000-05:00

A summary's about as good as it gets right now.

~Teaching at the LSS again. More classes with more sign-ups means more work, but it's cool to see someone light up when they "get" what you're teaching them.

~Doctors visits...trying to lay the groundwork and get all the tests out of the way for my hysterectomy. Tests, ultrasounds, labs, the works. I'm hoping to get that done in a few weeks, so maybe I won't have some of these female probs I've been dealing with.

~Flying trip to the ER when The Hub sliced his thumb half off. Sharp blades do a shitload of damage when they hit a knick in a metal straightedge.

~Bathroom remodel - We gutted the hallway bath and redid it from the floor up. New plumbing, tile, drywall, tub, sink, toilet, lights, towel bars, medicine cabinets, shower curtain rod, etc. That was one project that started out not so big and quickly turned into MAJOR renovation. Holy shit, I don't ever wanna do that again! Pics will come soon. I still have a few touchups to do.

~New craft room - We switched my craft room and Mom's bedroom around. We ripped out the ugly ass paneling that was on one wall and put up new drywall. New paint, new flooring, revamped cabinet, new craft table and sewing table (I found great deals on countertops at the Habitat ReStore). Once I get it all organized, I'll post pics.

~Oh, and let's not forget...HOSPITALIZATION. I have a narrowing in my esophagus and went in last Monday for a routine outpatient EGD (esophageal scope and dilation). Doc found an ulcer (shocker) and a hiatal hernia (no wonder I've been poppin' Rolaids like damn candy). I went home afterwards to sleep off the drugs and woke up around 9 that night feeling incredibly nauseous. Went to the bathroom and threw up what seemed like half of my body's supply of blood. Yeah, I know...gross, Dee, TMI. Anyway, The Hub rushed me to the ER, where I passed out. My BP dropped to 77/40 and my CBC was all jacked up. I lost so much blood that I was almost in need of a transfusion. Talk about some scary shit! Anyway, I spent the night and the next day in the hospital and was the subject of a few arguments between the doctors. The attending docs at the hospital thought I should stay, but my GI doc insisted that I be released. Seems that a blood vessel at the site of the dilation popped or got knicked or something. I'm okay now, but I'm still not back to 100%, but I'm *willing* myself to be well.

So that's part of life lately. All of that in addition to raising a teenage girl is keeping me on my toes these days!

Another remodel!

2008-01-08T22:37:00.000-05:00

The Hub and I have despised our bedroom ever since we bought this house. We've made all the other rooms take priority, but this weekend we had had enough. This pic is before, but the colors aren't true. The walls were "institution green" as I call it, gross brownish-yellowy doors, and the beige carpet was stained and gross.

I took down those disgusting curtains right off the bat, but we've been living with the rest of it. Right after The Hub came home from Iraq, he took out the baseboard heater, and I patched the hole from the wiring.

Saturday, we emptied out the room, ripped up the carpet and padding, took up the old lino floor underneath and started with the concrete slab. I cut out the old crumbly drywall where the baseboard heater had been and patched it up, along with some cracks and dings in the walls. Then it was time to paint! We went thru a couple of color choices (trying to use what we had), but we didn't like any of it. I wasn't sure how it would look, but I knew I wanted dark, chocolate brown walls with pale blue accents. I painted a strip up on the ceiling to give the room some more height and the illusion of a tray ceiling.

Still need to make new curtains. New lampshades are on the list to be replaced, too.

And touch up the closet doors. I saw something on one of those remodeling shows that I plan to do to the doors, also. The took a print (or fabric) and framed it out on the doors. I just have to find the right print or fabric, get some molding and cut it, and replace the door pulls. I'd love to find an old map-looking print with lat and long lines in the background, with sailing vessels and compasses for each. Finding 8 (top and bottom/4 doors) of something like that will be next to impossible, so I may try to do that myself, too. I may luck out at a fabric store sometime, though.

I just love that print above the closet. It's one of the inns here in town, and I fell in love with it the first time I ever saw it. The boat shelf is the perfect place for The Hub's wallet, keys, phone, etc. That's his mp3 reflecting the flash.

We had bound carpet that we had bought brand new when we lived in NC, and it was still in great shape, so we cut it down and installed it. It's kinda on the "dusty" denim side colorwise.

We also lowered our bed by 7 1/2". The experts say that a taller bed makes a room feel smaller, while a lower one opens up the room more. I agree! It feels so much bigger now!

I had been saving artwork all these months b/c I knew I wanted it on those walls. My dad painted the two you see in the pic above. The one in the mirror is a puzzle we had put together and sealed. There's also several other pieces on the other walls. That mirror is one I found by the curb with someone's garbage up in NC. Gorgeous old antique and in mint condition! All I did was clean it up a bit.

I plan to recover the headboard with the same fabric I use for curtains/roman shades, and they'll match the pale blue bedspread. The tan one's only there b/c it got chilly with the windows open last night.

Even though I'm still not totally done with it, my bedroom has become my absolute favorite room in the house.

How was your Christmas?

2007-12-26T23:16:00.001-05:00

We had a good one here in our own home for the first time. The Hub and Kat both came home for it, so for the first time we had the whole family under one roof for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Mom was here with us, too.

I got up Christmas morning and made a fritata (how the heck do you spell that? It looks weird.) for breakfast. We opened gifts and then I started making Christmas dinner. The girls LOVED their gifts, and dinner was a hit.

So now the rush is over and it's time to put away the decorations for another year. Time for those New Year's resolutions...if you're into that. I don't ever stick with 'em, so I don't know why I even bother.

Anyway, I posted a bunch of pics of what I've been up to over on my craft blog if you wanna check it out.

Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season!

That time of year again?

2007-11-26T01:04:00.000-05:00

The turkey's been devoured, thanks has been given, and Black Friday came and went. Tis the season now. We've put up Christmas lights outside, but I haven't gotten around to putting up the tree yet.

Yeah, tis the season. But when did the season turn into such a huge, expensive, commercial *thing*? People going into debt up to their eyeballs, frantic searches for the latest and greatest, and stressed out, miserable consumers. When?? When did we forget that this is a season of joy and peace? Good will toward men? The birth of Jesus? Away in a manger? Remember that?

I'm going nostalgic now.

I look back on Christmas as a child, and it makes me sad. I didn't have a wish list that consisted of several pages and hundreds (or thousands) of dollars. Each year, there was that ONE special toy I wanted. We didn't "celebrate" Christmas at home (Mom's religion), but Popsy insisted on a compromise. There was no Christmas tree or decorations, but there would be gifts and a celebration at Mamaw's.

We went to my paternal grandmother's house on Christmas Eve every year. The house was FULL because all of my aunts, uncles, and 9 cousins were there, along with Mom, Popsy, my brother, and me. We had a HUGE dinner, we opened TWO gifts (one from grandma and one from drawing names among the cousins), and then we went outside and the uncles (and my Popsy) helped us shoot fireworks.

Mamaw always made different candies...divinity, fudge, and the still popular "doo-doo candy". It's a date loaf (kinda like pralines with dates), but my oldest female cousin nicknamed it that one year when she walked in the kitchen before Mamaw got it cut into pieces. To this day, Mamaw still gets requests for "doo-doo candy", because even though we grandkids are in our 30s and 40s now, the name STILL stuck.

One year my two youngest male cousins got matching battery-operated firetrucks and fireman hats with sirens and lights on them. Back in the '70s, batteries must've worked differently than they do now. The batteries got put into one of the trucks backwards, so the truck ran in reverse. The grown-ups tried to fix it, but that cousin burst into tears. He *wanted* it to go backwards.

My brother and I got ONE gift each from our parents back then. There are two that really stand out in my mind.

When I was around 4, I wanted a "Baby Tender Loves" doll more than anything on earth. I had talked about it (apparently) to everyone who'd listen. That Christmas Eve, one uncle was flying in from Cali, and another uncle thought he'd be funny. I grew up surrounded by people with a sick sense of humor. Not-so-funny uncle walked in at my grandma's and said that he'd heard on the radio that Uncle B's plane had collided with Santa's sleigh, and there were "Baby Tender Loves" flying everywhere. I was DEVASTATED, sobbing uncontrollably until my Popsy convinced me that Not-so-funny was fibbing. I remember glaring at not-so-funny every time I saw him for the rest of the night. The next morning I woke up, and there on the sofa was my beloved baby doll. I played with that thing for years and eventually the velvety coating rubbed off in spots. My brother got one of the worst whippings of his life over that doll b/c he said she was ugly and threatened to bury her in the woods. I wish I could find another one b/c I don't know what ever happened to her. I outgrew playing with dolls, and she disappeared. Maybe he did bury her. grr... I wouldn't put it past him. I wonder if he'd 'fess up if he did.

Another year, I was awed by music. I wanted an organ so desperately, but I didn't dare ask for one b/c that was too expensive. I watched so closely anytime I saw one being played. That Christmas morning, I awoke to find an organ and book sitting in the dining room, just for me. My Popsy and Mom must've gotten rich! They must've read my mind! Funny how kids think. I played that organ until it finally died sometime in my teens.

THAT was the time of "Merry" Christmas. As you go rush off to the mall or fill up those cyber shopping carts, try to remember what this season's *supposed* to be about.

I love this

2007-11-13T00:02:00.001-05:00

The Hub was looking at a vintage signs website when he ran across this one. This is an old fave saying of mine that's now been brought back to life.

I will be placing an order in the near future, because they have TONS of great ones.

Well, we met "the boyfriend"

2007-11-11T02:24:00.000-05:00

Breeze's boyfriend came to the house yesterday, along with his mom. We have a rule that we have to meet parents before she's allowed to go off with friends. We had let it slip on Halloween, so when Breeze told the boy we wanted to meet him and his 'rents, his mom drove him up to the house so we could meet. Cool of her, I thought. She's a nice lady, and I love that she's so involved in her son's life (like we are with B).

He's a sweet kid, kinda on the gothy/skater/grunge side, but no biggie. Lip ring. That's her type. She doesn't go for the testosterone-driven jocks, redneck Bubba's, playaz, or motorheads. Desperately needs a haircut, but what teen boy doesn't these days? Oh, and he's younger than her. (Read that as 'he can't drive yet so Mom chaufers him around').

I think he has the fear of the Gunny instilled in him properly. Poor kid looked like he was scared shitless standing in front of The Hub.

I have to say that I'm not too worried about this kid. B's got her priorities straight, and we still play 20 questions before she walks out the door. I had hoped she'd swear off dating til she was about 25, but she just wouldn't cooperate. ;)

Let there be LIGHT!

2007-11-10T00:41:00.000-05:00

She cried. And because she's married to a kick-ass electrician who wants her to be happy, there was light. I love fairy tales. ;)

Seriously though, my craft room for the past 5 months has been a dark dungeon with one working tiny wall sconce and an overhead light on the ceiling fan. It made my sanctuary a very unpleasant place to be, so The Hub fixed it for me. He installed THREE flourescent lights, took out the shitty sconces (there were two, but one didn't work), and fixed the ceiling fan light *again*. See?

This room still needs SO much work. That dark ass paneling has GOT to go. The floors still have to be dealt with (I have a bare concrete floor). Organization MUST take place. I'm ashamed to show you the mess that is my happy place, but I'm so excited about the lighting that I'll suffer the embarrassment. Yay for light!

I just realized that I should've at least closed the closet doors (on each side of my work table). *sigh* Oh well.

Oh!! See that lamp on my table? The brown one? Look closely, tilt your head and squint, and maybe you can see it thru the shitmess on my desk. Yeah, there it is! I scored that at the Habitat ReStore for like $10. Got it home, did some research, had The Hub check it out, etc. It's all original circa 1940! I love my antiques. I was gonna paint it a brushed nickel, but now I can't bring myself to alter it at all.

Happy Anniversary to us!

2007-11-04T02:03:00.000-05:00

Ten years ago today, I made the best decision of my life. I married my best friend. Y'all know the story.

In a way, it seems like we've always been together, and in a way it seems like the past 10 years have flown by. We were talking about some of our favorite memories earlier tonight. Like the night we spent in a moving truck (freezing our asses off) in Las Cruces, NM and how the most gorgeous sky we've ever seen was on our wedding day in Lake Havasu, AZ. Good times. *sigh*

I know I promised pics of our progress on the house, but I haven't taken them *yet*. I'll get to it, though. I'm just gonna enjoy the last few days of The Hub's leave. He'll be headed back to work next week, and I'm not looking forward to it. At least it isn't Iraq, and at least he has orders coming home in a few months. But for now, I'm enjoying.

It's finally over!!

2007-10-10T22:25:00.000-04:00

The deployment from HELL, that is.

The Hub got back from Iraq last week, so I went up and spent a few days with him. He's still not *home home* yet, but he will be in a matter of days. They had crap to take care of there before they could all go on leave, so he's actually only been *home* for one weekend.

He's groovin' the house, and sees that the "Honey Do" list that's been growing and growing is actually justified.

A few months more and he'll be home every night. Orders in June, baby! At least there are a crapload of holidays/long weekends coming up soon, so he'll be home for those. He won't be missing *another* anniversary, *another* Christmas, *another* Thanksgiving, etc.

I'm really hoping and praying that this deployment was the last one, but I won't hold my breath. Funny thing happens when they make a name for themselves and are pretty widely known as someone who knows their shit and WILL accomplish their mission...they're in high friggin' demand. I guess only time will tell. All that matters now is that THIS FRIGGIN' DEPLOYMENT IS BEHIND US!!!

Hot damn! I crafted something non-swap related!

2007-09-17T14:43:00.000-04:00

hehehe Check it out over on my craft blog. http://have2craft.blogspot.com/

I've done some knitting, too, but those things aren't posted. Completely jacked up my wrist there...damn tendonitis.

Other than that, we're in the final stretch before The Hub comes home finally. *YAY*

Teaching my first stamping class tonight. Can you say "bundle of nerves"?

That's about it from here. Exciting life, huh?

A tale of two floors

2007-09-05T19:07:00.000-04:00

The kitchen floor is FINISHED!!! After 3 days and a lot of sweat and sore muscles, the tile is in! Humor me because I have to show the progress.

Remember from previous pics? Yeah, yuck.

This is what it looked like where I ripped that bar out. Eww, gross. A rug has been covering that all this time.

So I decided Monday afternoon that I wanted my floor done THAT DAY. We started ripping linoleum and old tile up. This shit was STUCK, so it came up in tiny pieces.

We *finally* got it all ripped up, swept up, and ready for tile.

I was in charge of the tile saw. Can I just say, "I LOVE cutting shit with these heavy duty tools!" By 9:10pm on Monday, all tile (except those pesky 3 I was short) was cut, and I was soaked and covered in shards of ceramic tile.
On Tuesday, it was time to grout. Word of advice for those who may try this someday...don't waste your time, money, or aggravation on grout bags. They SUCK! We went back to the traditional rubber trowel method.

This morning brought with it the need to clean and seal the grout. A lot of work, but very necessary to the process. After going over the floor 5 or 6 times trying to get ALL of the residue up and then sealing, then putting the stove and refrigerator back in place (and being scared to death I'd screw up my new floor), it was done! VOILA!! I just love it!

I just noticed that my cabinet by the stove looks crooked. I guess I left that door ajar when I took the pic or something. I dunno.

All that's left to do is replace the countertops, sink, and faucet and install the knobs/pulls on teh cabinets, install the dishwasher, and the kitchen will be complete.

Little by Little

2007-09-01T14:56:00.000-04:00

This house will be remodeled. My small changes to the kitchen have turned themselves into a major overhaul. I have things sitting and waiting to be installed...dishwasher, flooring, cabinet, new countertops, you get the pic. By the time I'm done, the only original thing that'll be left in that kitchen is the upper cabinets, and that's only because we can't afford new ones for a while. Well, because my body betrays me daily and won't let me do what my mind wants to, it's a slow process. BUT! My cabinets are repainted!

This is before...

Then I had this attempt at a beachy, distressed kind of look. I didn't love it, and The Hub hated it.

So we discussed it, and he reminded me about the terra cotta kitchen we both LOVED in a house in NC. So the cabinets went neutral.

This is now.

It's called "Satin Weave". It's not white, but it sure looks like it. Amazing how much brighter the kitchen is now with just that little change. And did you notice? That awful flowery contact paper backsplash is gone, too.

Downhill slope now

2007-08-23T20:38:00.000-04:00

We're well on our way on the downhill side of this deployment. Thank God b/c this has been a rough one! Oh, and he has orders!! HOME!! He won't be moving home until June '08, but I'm not complaining. Between the time he gets back in country until then, he'll come home on long weekends, holidays, etc.

The house is coming along pretty well. I just came in from weeding flowerbeds again. My Dad gave me some plants when I went to MS a couple of weeks ago, and I *must* get them set out in the morning. I repotted some aloe vera plants he gave me, too. I'm hoping I don't kill them b/c I've never had a green thumb for anything but roses.

Breeze is settling in to her new school nicely. She's already making friends and learning her way around. She's adjusting much quicker here than she did in NC.

Kat has braces now. She got them Monday, so she's still a bit tender.

I'm giving teaching another shot. Beginning in September, I'll be teaching a beginner's stamping class twice a month at the LSS. Maybe it'll go better than the last classes I taught.

Been knitting some dishcloths, so I need to post those over on my craft blog. Maybe I'll get to that tomorrow.

That's about it from here.

Can today please be over?

2007-08-05T19:26:00.000-04:00

*Griping and bitching ahead, but there is a good laugh in there*

Today has been a day of "kick Dee's ass and piss her off" for everything around here. It's hotter than hell for starters, and that has effectively kicked my ass, shortened my fuse, and given me a killer headache.

Started my day off by hauling off a load of weeds, dead plants, and crap out of the flowerbed. I dunno why people insist on pulling up right on your ass on a hill when you're in a stick shift, but thankfully I can start off without rolling backwards. The usual place's yard waste container was full, so it was closed. Had to drive across town with dead limbs scratching at the back window the whole way. After unloading and cleaning up after myself, I came home to shower. Sweat and mud just do not make me feel feminine.

Thought, ooh, before I shower, I need to mow the yard. Tried that, but a) it was too fucking hot, and b) my old faithful Husquie wasn't herself.

Decided maybe it needed a new sparkplug, so I needed to take the old one off. Couldn't get it out with the "regular" sparkplug socket and couldn't find the "other one". After throwing a few tools, I finally found the "other one" and got the old one out.

This is the point where I showered, although now it seems fairly pointless b/c I need another one.

So I went to get a new sparkplug. Decided to take the Jeep and ride with the top down. Nice ride, tunes blaring, wind in my hair kind of thing. Still sweated my ass off, but it was worth it.

Came home, installed new sparkplug, tried to start the mower, and NOTHING. Threw a few more tools (I'm really getting bad about that. Must reel the temper back in.) and sat down on the picnic table glaring at ole' Husquie. It took me a couple of minutes, and I felt like a real dufus. In my "I'm so proud of me cuz I'm fixing the mower without The Hub's help", I FORGOT TO PUT THE PLUG WIRE BACK ON. Talk about feeling like an idiot! Yes, go ahead and laugh. But I did get it fixed, and ole' Husquie's back to her old self. ::insert huge grin:: Sometimes the simplest things make me so happy.

Because I was still beat from the heat earlier, I went inside for a couple of hours to cool off and get in my compression pump (my ankle was damn near the size of my calf at this point). Must lie still for this whole ordeal and of course, the RLS was having NO part of that. So I suffered thru as long as I could stand it.

By this time, it's getting later in the day, and I decided to go out and put the top back on the Jeep. Sounds simple enough, huh? WRONG! I fought with that damn thing until I was drenched in sweat and shaking all over. The windshield clips will NOT latch. Hope it doesn't rain tonight b/c I had to walk away from that one. I went ahead and secured the rest of the top, but those damn clips can just flap in the breeze for all I care at this point.

So like I said, "Can today please be over now?"

We will miss you

2007-07-19T23:57:00.000-04:00

This is a post I never wanted to make, and I couldn't even bear the thought of doing this until tonight.

Tracey spent the last 3+ years battling cancer, and her battle ended Wednesday afternoon with her family at her side.

I never thought that the last time I saw you would be the last time. Tracey, you were always such a wonderful friend to us, and we will miss you more than you know. I've spent the last 24 hours remembering times we spent together.

I remember the first time we met in person. We had met online well before that, and at first sight, it was like old friends reunited. We spent your anniversary with you & Victor, and when my anniversary came around, The Hub was deployed to Iraq. Because you didn't want me to be alone, you came down and spent that weekend with me. I still remember you standing in my kitchen in your jammies having your morning tea.

I remember the 4th of July when your family came to spend it with my family. You and I watched the hubbies and kids playing in the pool, we grilled out, and then we went shrimping before the fireworks display that night.

I remember the weekend you organized and got so many of us together for a scrapping weekend where not much scrapping was actually done. You and I shared heart to heart talks, laughs, fears, joys, and tears over the years.

We didn't always agree on things, but we never let that stand in the way of our friendship. I remember so many phone calls, emails, and messages just to say hi and see how I was. You were always like that...more concerned about others than about yourself. You made our lives brighter and our world better. Thank you for all of it.

Everytime I hear Nickelback's "Rockstar", I think of you and always will. You are our rock star, Hon. Rock on. We love you and will see you again in a better place someday.

Shrimp toast and brown stick

2007-07-12T00:04:00.001-04:00

hehehe The living room is done! Well, with the exception of the floors, but that'll be a while.

This is before. The previous owner left those hideous curtains, and this was just a day or so after we moved in. That front door is going bye-bye eventually, too, but one thing at a time.
This is now. I chose "Shrimp Toast" for the wall color, and the door/trim is "Tender Twig", but I call it "Brown stick".
Gracie's just so glad the living room is put back together. She's been mad at me for two days for wrecking her world.

Yep, that's Guapo from "Will & Grace" there on TV.

We still have to finish the dining room trim and the doors and trim in the hallway tomorrow. Not a bad day's work, though, considering a storm knocked out power here for about 4 hours today. I haven't decided what I want to do as far as curtains, but my old ones will do until I figure it out.

Feeling SO skeeved out

2007-07-08T01:16:00.000-04:00

In the past two days, I've encountered TWO creatures that have totally turned me into a complete girl. DO NOT keep reading if you're skeeved out by creepy crawlies! There are pics, so consider yourself warned. The third pic also has some blood in it.

Yesterday, I was out front cleaning off my porch and was sweeping off the vinyl siding before I hosed it down. There was a spiderweb in one of the crevices that I couldn't get with the broom, so I reached in and pulled it out. Attached to the cocoon/web nastiness was a friggin' BROWN WIDOW! *shudder* I had never heard of such a thing, but I knew it had to be a widow b/c of the hourglass. I googled and looked at images, and sure as shit, there is such a thing as a brown widow. Check her out.

This one's blurry, but you can still kinda see that hourglass. Oh, and these bastages play dead! You *think* it's dead, but it isn't! I had to drown her in "Raid" to kill her.

Today, I mowed and did some weedeater-ing before the rain came. I was all over that yard like it was cool. This evening, we were out on the back porch and started back into the house. Mom glanced over by the back door, and there was a damn snake! It was partially in a hole, and I didn't know what kind it was. It wasn't like I could run in and Google it at the time. She ran to the shed to find a shovel, Breeze ran next door to get the Marine there to come kill it, and I was standing guard with a bucket in hand in case it tried to escape. Yeah, yeah. I know. I try to handle anything and everything, but a snake on my porch made me a shuddering lump of worthlessness. Well, the Marine's son came over, but in the meantime, Mom hacked it with a shovel and tried to drag it out of the hole. It was injured and pissed off by the time that kid got back there. He hacked its head mostly off while the three of us stood there completely freaked out. I took this pic so I could figure out what it was. Turns out it's a garter snake (I think), but it was in MY yard, so it was destined to be a dead snake. It is currently dead, in a bucket with a lid, and waiting to be hauled off tomorrow.
Now I'm all paranoid about shit in my yard! So that's been my past couple of days. Hopefully there will be no more surprises lying in wait out there. These two have been quite enough!

More pics

2007-06-30T00:34:00.001-04:00

With the exception of putting her desk together, Breeze's room is done. I snapped these pics before she got everything put up, so it's pretty messy.

This is Kat's mural that we waited forever for. It isn't as big as I thought it was going to be, but she likes it. I still have to finish painting that strip of wall above it.

Tomorrow is crop day, so we're taking the day off. We'll go back to this stuff next week. I think we've all earned a day or two off. ;) Have a good July 4th weekend/week!

Finally done with the wall!

2007-06-28T00:35:00.000-04:00

I've been dreading this wall since Breeze pitched the idea. It turned out to be easier than I was expecting. We went from blah, previous owner wall to Wild Orchid wall, to a work in progress today. I started out with a pencil, a template I made (which didn't work afterall), a yardstick, and a level. This is what I started with after that. After taping off alternating diamonds, I began to paint. Before long, it was a family event, and Mom and both girls were helping.

I was determined to finish it up tonight b/c I plan to take the kids to the beach tomorrow. We all need a little unwinding. Anyway, here's the finished product! The other 3 walls are solid Wild Orchid. I'm letting it dry overnight, and tomorrow morning we'll put her room back together. We painted her dresser and bookcase black, but since my Grandpa built the bed for me out of cedar and hand-carved the pegs when I was a teenager, paint WILL NOT touch it.

And yesterday evening, we took off to go shrimping. We had a good time, caught a few shrimp, a lot of things that we threw back, and 3 blue crab. Breeze caught 2 of them, I caught one. Here's mine. ;)

So that's the jist of life here lately. We're still waiting for Kat's mural to come in, and I'm beyond ticked off with Lowe's right now. They said it'd be here this past Sunday, and I *really* want her room finished before she has to go back to her father's. I'll post more pics as progress is made.

I'm a renovating FOOL!

2007-06-20T22:42:00.000-04:00

The house is still a mess and full of boxes, but I'm too damn old to do it the way I used to. Here are a few pics of how things are these days.

Our new stove, microwave, fridge, and ceiling. Still need to paint and re-do the floor. Slowly, but surely. Eventually we'll refinish or replace the cabinets.

Speaking of floors, here's the tile I bought for the kitchen floor. LOVE it! Hoping to get that done within the next week.
And my ceiling fan! I just LOVED it when I saw it in the store.

That's all for now. I'll post more pics as things progress more.

Homeowners again!

2007-06-04T00:22:00.000-04:00

Hot damn! It's finally ours! I went down for the closing last week and spent a few days with one of my friends. We closed on Friday at 1pm, and Mom, my daughters, and I started on the house Saturday afternoon. We ripped out carpet and tile from the office and took the bar out of the kitchen. And I have to add, 'GROSS!' Have you ever seen what's under 40 year old carpet?? No matter how good you think your vac is, trust me, IT'S NOT! I won't ever have carpet again. ::shudder::

I also bought the ceramic tile and other shit necessary for installation for my kitchen. And since the light fixture freakin' BLOWS in there, I got a ceiling fan/fixture for it, too. I'm so excited! It's SO cool, and I love it. Have I ever messed with electricity? Not successfully. Have I ever installed a ceiling fan? Umm, no. Wish me luck, though. It can't wait til The Hub gets home in the fall.

We drove back up to NC this evening b/c Breeze has finals this week. I'll be a packing fool b/c I pick up the moving truck on Saturday morning.

totally lacking in creativity and funny things to say

2007-05-27T00:11:00.000-04:00

So, I borrowed this from Hunz, Nes, and Wendy.

SCATTERGORIES

The object is to fill in each category using the first letter of your name. This shit's hard!

Famous singer/band: Drowning Pool
4 letter word: dork
color: dark blue (how many colors start with "d", but not "dark"?)
street: Dogwood
gifts: diamonds!
vehicle: Dodge
things in a souvenier shop: destination guides
boy's name: David (not really, but I can't give away Breeze's WAY in the future son's name)
girls name: Dorian
movie title: Dark Water
drink: Dr. Pepper!
occupation: doctor
flower: daylily
celebrity: Diesel, Vin ;) But if I must go first name first, then Diane Keaton.
magazine: Dog Fancy
US city: Denver, CO
Pro sports team: Dodgers
Fruit: dates
reason for being late to work: damned traffic
something you throw away: diapers
things you shout: Dickwad!
cartoon character: Droopy

These Teens

2007-05-19T22:21:00.000-04:00

I had a yard sale today, so I was out front ALL morning and part of the afternoon. In our neighborhood, there are kids of all ages everywhere you look. The teen skater boy crew came thru showing off for Breeze and another neighborhood girl.

A few of them decided to come over and see if we had anything that might interest them (aside from my daughter, of course), and spotted a tiny little Elmo beanie. They debated over who got to buy Elmo, and once one of them became the proud owner, they bolted across the neighbor's yard yelling, "Dude! We got Elmo! Check it out!" I still laugh when I think about it.

And what is it with the boys and their hairstyles these days? Am I really *that* old? My mind screams, "That kid needs a haircut" at the sight of almost every one of them around here.

The girls in Breeze's circle really impress me. There's one that I'm not crazy about, but Breeze has put some distance between the two of them lately. The others, though, are very polite, sweet, funny girls who aren't afraid to speak to ME. I don't trust a kid who avoids all contact possible with their friends' parents. A couple of them showed up today while B had gone to get change for me, and they hung out and talked to me for a half hour. Another one has begun calling me "Mom". And none of these girls are the uber-girly cheerleader types, either. They aren't the giggly, squealing, silly carbon copies of each other whose world revolves around shopping and boys. Yeah, they're interested and most of them have boyfriends, but they haven't lost THEIR identity. I LOVE that about them.

So much going on

2007-05-09T00:05:00.000-04:00

Where do I even begin?

Tragedy has struck very close to home again. A Marine was out at the beach with his family this weekend. Two boys got caught in the rip current, and this Marine swam out to save them. His teen daughter followed him out with a boogie board to help. The boys were saved, and the daughter was unharmed. The Marine, however, was lost to the current and drowned. That Marine is the father of one of Breeze's friends. It was her friend who swam out to help and was right there when her father died. The memorial service is in the morning. Please keep Katrina, her mom, and her brothers in your prayers.

This Nor'easter has been kicking some NC butt this week. The winds seem to be *finally* dying down, but not before I had to go on a hunting trip for our garbage cans this week. Driving the mom-mobile has been an experience. It's like driving a huge wind block, especially across the bridges. Breeze was nearly blown over several times as she walked to and from the bus stop. I told her that's what she gets for being a skinny mini. ;-)

The inspections and appraisals are all complete on the house, and we are GOLDEN! That allows me to breathe a huge sigh of relief, but then brings the jangled nerves screaming, "SO MUCH TO DO NOW!" I *must* get more packing done so I'm not jumping thru my ass at the last minute. I do not look forward to driving a 26' moving truck 370 miles. The thought of it brings on a panic attack, so that should be fun on moving day.

Tess is coming over tomorrow to hang out and craft again. I always have such a good time when she's here. Her creativity seems to rub off, and I actually get things accomplished. *giggle* I've learned so much from her.

The Hub is "out of pocket" for a while. I've learned to not ask many questions, b/c I figure he'll divulge what he can now and fill me in on the rest later. OPSEC During these times, I email him as usual, but one-sided convos get pretty difficult after a couple of days.

Um, there was something else. What was it? Oh yeah. Friday I get to be a chaperone for a high school art field trip. Lord, please help me. The bus will be leaving the school at 6:30am! Yuck! I'm *so* not functioning at that hour! We're going to an art museum in Raleigh, and it's very important that Breeze experience it. THAT is why I'm willing to get up at an unGodly hour, ride a school bus, and deal with a bunch of teenagers all day long. Wish me luck!

Oh, and I *so* scored at the thrift store today! I got a white antique chenille bedspread in MINT condition for $7! And this little chest for $15! It stands about 2 1/2 ft. tall.

So that's an update from here. Maddening, frustrating, stressful, lonely here.

Another plane down

2007-05-04T00:14:00.000-04:00

Just a couple of weeks ago, we lost a Blue Angels pilot when his plane went down during the air show in Beaufort, SC.

This afternoon, a plane went down just outside Havelock. It was here to be a part of the static display for the air show here this weekend. Thankfully, noone was killed and no homes were damaged. The pilot is listed in critical condition, and the other 4 on board were treated and released.

Very sad.

Wow, what a week it's been!

2007-04-25T18:46:00.000-04:00

I went home to Beaufort Sunday on a mission. It was a complete media circus around the air station, but I was on the other side of town. Are you sitting down? Of course you are...who *stands* at their computer? Anyway, I went to look at a house, and made an offer. We're under contract!! Pending the appraisal and inspections, we'll be closing on June 1st.

We're paying about $30k less than any other semi-comparable places around there, and that means A LOT of work! Structurally, the house seems to be in great shape. It's just desperately in need of new flooring and updating. So on with the pics.

Here's the front view. There's practically no pitch to the roof, so it looks like a midget house. When we get ready to install central heat/air, that may have to be changed. It has window units and baseboard heaters that work really well.

The shed out back (which The Hub is *so* groovin' the idea of). That's my uber-cutie, sweetheart of a realtor in the pic.

The back patio, which will someday hopefully be glassed in to make a kick-ass Carolina room (that's a sunroom in every other part of the country).

And now for the "*gasp*, what the hell is Dee thinking??" parts. ;)

The kitchen is very small and WILL be one of the first things updated. Small I can deal with. The rest of it makes me cringe, but that can all be ripped out and redone.

Check out these insanely retro (but actually original) countertops! Don't know if you can tell, but that's that starburst whatever you call it design that was big in the 60's. Breeze says they look like spiders. Don't ya just LOVE that wallpaper there on that one wall? Yeah, can we say tile backsplash there?

This will be the office. Isn't that green carpet and awful paneling hideous?? OMG, that is SO going first!

Attached to this room is another room with that paneling and a concrete floor. The floor will be painted, and drywall will go up in place of that dark shit, and it will be transformed into my craft room. :::insert HUGE grin:::

PINK!!! At first this bathroom (well, both bathrooms) made me cringe and think, "Oh God, that HAS to go." But after further consideration, I really think I can work with it. The sinks will be replaced with ones that aren't hanging on the walls, but the tile is in really good shape. Those medicine cabinets will be history, though. *ick*

And because The Hub and I simply cannot pick a "normal" house, I'll show you some of the quirky things that made me either giggle or scratch my head in wonder.

There are tiny fences in random places around the back yard. We're talking 2ft tall fences. At first, I thought "dog run for a small dog", but there's a 4-5 inch gap *under* the fence.

There are also tiny gates that make NO sense at all. This one goes to the bird bath. Not so strange? Well, try this on for size. You can WALK AROUND the gate!!

Another tiny, non-sense gate is to this garden in the back. Notice that there's no FENCE around this garden, but there's a tiny little gate at the opposite end of it. Can you see it down there?

Oddity #3 (or 470,000 if you will) are these eyelets screwed into the concrete pad here. Yes, I understand that it's for the purpose of tying *something* down, but what is THAT shape that needs to be held down THAT strongly?? There are at least a dozen pair of those damn things!!

And because the old man loved gardening, there are TWO compost piles in the back corner.

So there you have it. Well, part of it. Am I crazy? Well, we've already established that a long time ago. But I really see the potential here and what this place can be. I guess time will tell, huh? Lowe's, Home Depot, the Habitat ReStore, and the discount building supply place up the road will ALL get to know me very well. They'll all probably giggle when they see me coming.

So many thoughts and so much to say

2007-04-19T22:44:00.000-04:00

So where do I begin?

First of all, my heart goes out to all the Hokies and their families and friends.
Second, I'm disgusted that the media keeps airing the vile filth that sick, demented man spewed. By replaying it over and over, they're aiding him in reaching back from beyond the grave to hurt people all over again. Enough already! Do you not realize how many high school loners and outcasts see that and consider following suit?? I know b/c the threats have been made HERE TODAY in this very small town. Do you not remember the outbreak of school shootings that were going on several years ago? Did you media jackasses sell your souls and your consciences?? I could rant for DAYS on that topic, but I'll spare you. Besides, I've been battling a headache for the past 4 days, and I really don't want my blood pressure going thru the roof and making it worse.

So on to some hopefully good news. The wheels are set in motion as of this morning. I made the phone calls necessary to begin the process of becoming a homeowner again! The Hub and I have found a house, and I have our realtor checking into it. I've given "Mortgage Man" the heads up to be available when I need him and to start his side of the deal. After being scarily close to a breakdown yesterday, I woke this morning with a refreshed state of mind. I *CAN* do this. I *WILL* buy a house and move home. I *WILL* move myself (with a little help from family and friends).

On the craft front, I do have a couple of things finished up to post on my craft blog. I don't know how non-crafty people cope. I'd be in a padded corner with a drool cup somewhere if I didn't have this creative escape to get my mind off the mundane, stressful yucks.

I'm still trying to compose my thoughts on "green" crafters. They've made me think differently about a lot of things, so that'll have to be a post for another day.

I need what?

2007-04-18T12:03:00.000-04:00

Borrowed this idea from Nesa.

According to Google, these are some of the things I need.

*Dee needs a bigger trophy cabinet. (Umm, why?)
*Dee needs anger management. (Nah, me? Really? ;) )
*Dee needs something special to wear "to the ball."
*Dee needs to make this look as real as possible. (hehehe...This one makes me giggle deviously.)
*Dee needs new ink. (Uh, what paper artist doesn't?)
*Dee needs to complete a series of gruelling training and qualifying races. (Yeah, but first I would need a new body.)
*Dee needs support.
*Dee needs to use another method.
*Dee needs Psycho Therapy. (Okay then. And here I thought I was just quirky.)
*DEE needs to be improved. (What?? You mean I'm not perfect already?)
*Dee needs to blow that shack while she can, while her soul is still intact. (Insert confused German Shepherd look here. By "shack", do you think it means North Carolina?)

I have to admit, this little exercise did cheer me up. So now it's your turn. Google your name with the word "needs", and see what Google says you need. Let me know your results!

Okay, stop the damn merry-go-round!

2007-04-16T23:47:00.000-04:00

I'm ready to get off for a while!

Being everything to everybody freakin' sucks! I AM NOT SUPERWOMAN!! There, I said it. I can't carry the weight of everyone's world on my shoulders.

We're a little over a month into this deployment now. That means for over a month now,---
*I've only received emails, a handful of phone calls and TWO pictures of my best friend. I miss him so much that it physically hurts.
*I've had to be mom and dad to the girls.
*I've tried to keep bridges from being burned, ties from being severed, and keep way too many stinkin' balls in the air.
*I received a "Surprise! I'm moving there and I need you to find me a job and a place to live. But I promise I'll have my own life and won't be up your butt every day."
*I'm supposed to be saving every penny I can, but I find myself self-medicating with retail therapy. That leads to guilt, which leads to feeling even lower. Can you see the pattern here? MUST break that cycle.
*I'm going to sell the 'Vette. Don't have a coronary. The Hub said I could.
*We've decided that we don't want to wait 2 years to move home. BUT since The Hub doesn't come home til school's started after the summer, guess what that means. Yeah. I get to do *this* side of the real estate thing on my own. I already did the seller part by myself (and I kick myself daily for selling that house.) So that leaves me to wonder where exactly along the road that my fucking brain fell out of my head.
*As if all this weren't enough, I'm trying to lose weight.

I'm exhausted, over-stimulated from information overload, hungry, and I get to catch a stray cat tomorrow and take it to the shelter. Little bastard won't stay out of the fan housing of my engine. I'm *NOT* cleaning up that mess if I forget to pop the hood and check before starting the engine.

Calgon, take me away! *please???*

Change in lattitude and attitude

2007-04-06T01:04:00.000-04:00

It's amazing what a change in location can do for the spirit. It's no secret that I don't like where I live, and that my heart is (and will always be) in Beaufort, SC. So since Breeze is on Spring Break this week, we took the opportunity to go back home, recharge the batteries, and rejuvenate the soul. Even though it was only the halfway point of the trip to paradise, I felt a huge weight lift when I saw THIS.

The closer we got, the better I felt. I seriously had to choke back tears of joy and relief when I saw THIS. Going home was *that* emotional for me.

By the time we arrived and got checked in to the hotel, I was completely exhausted. Nevermind that, though. I *had* to go see things. I had to see the marshes, the rivers, the moss in the oaks. I had to smell the salty air and feel the wind in my hair. This is the bridge that goes from downtown over to Lady's Island.

The next day (after a good night's sleep), we ventured out for shopping, catching up with friends, and lunch. If you EVER find yourself in this slice of heaven, you *must* go HERE.

It's just a tiny little unassuming place that most people wouldn't give a second glance. But we locals (and a few tourists who know the right questions to ask) know what a treasure awaits inside. At lunch time, a parking spot is prime real estate. They make THE best sandwiches you'll EVER have the pleasure of tasting. This was my choice for the day. Roast beef and turkey. Alvin Ord's simply CAN'T be beat.

Another *must* if you're in the area is the Chocolate Tree. *gasp* Just walking in the door is enough to make you breathe heavier. All their chocolates are made there on site, and if you time it right, you can watch them making it. While we were there, one of them had whipped up something new and came out into the store for patron opinions. It's not everyday you turn around to a stranger wearing a huge white hat and apron, holding a gigantic whisk, saying "Taste this."

We met up with friends while we were there, took over 200 pictures, shopped, and dragged ourselves away at the end of our stay. We got home Wednesday evening, and I'm homesick already. I'm counting down the days. Just over two years, and I'm home for good.

Life under a microscope?

2007-03-24T00:45:00.000-04:00

Do you ever wonder if you're being watched? Not to be paranoid, but do you? Whether it's a neighbor who glances out their window on occasion or a clerk in a store you frequent or members of a message board online, someone's watching and paying attention.

Before I moved in December, I always went to crops on Friday nights and stopped at the same convenience store on my way home. I felt safe stopping there, and the clerk was always very friendly. One Friday I didn't go, but on the following Saturday, The Hub and I were out and about. We stopped there for a soda without even thinking. When I got to the cash register, the clerk said, "I was worried. You didn't come in last night." That made me realize how predictable I am. As a Marine wife, we're taught to never get into a routine. Always change our route home, vary times when we can, and don't EVER be predictable. We're making ourselves an easy target when we do.

It isn't just that, though. It happens online, too. Whether you realize it or not, people you knew once and have parted ways with could be frequenting the very sites you call home. But they may never let you know their identity. Or maybe they're a complete stranger to you, and you caught their eye somehow. But know that you ARE being watched.

We become too comfortable sometimes, and I've had a wake-up call again this week about this very thing. Do I sound like a paranoid freak? Yeah, maybe. But I feel like lessons keep presenting themselves until we learn them. I've been reminded once again that we're not invisible and that people do watch and keep up with us. Got it. Be more careful. *sigh*

And so it begins

2007-03-12T01:56:00.000-04:00

*I typed this up in the wee hours this morning, but didn't get around to posting until now.*

Deployment day 2007 has arrived. The Hub has left for his third tour in Iraq. We never say goodbye, but that moment of departure never gets any easier. This time is different in a lot of ways, but the same old thing in others.

Different how?

This time Breeze is here. Not only am I dealing with my own emotions and trying to put on that strong woman face, I'm dealing with the emotions of our 15yo. She's been there for a homecoming, but never this. Watching her see him go and watching him tell her "See you in 7 months" was agony for me. *I* can do this. It sucks and I cry and I hurt and I miss him so much already that it physically hurts. But I can. Seeing two of the three people I love most in tears is so much harder than dealing with my own tears.

This time is different because his flight left from HERE. I didn't have to drive 300+ miles to see him off. I drove 5 minutes from our house. I didn't have a six hour trip home to adjust before walking into that house and seeing his things where he left them. It took me five MINUTES. That's no time for adjustment. That's why I'm sitting here staring at a computer screen at 2am when I know I have to be up in 4 hours to get Breeze off to school. That's why I'm thinking, "Okay, surf the net? Knit that hat? Finish that flip book? Work on those LOs? Or go eat that bag of chocolate in the kitchen?"

So, how's it the same old thing as before?

He's never left at a decent hour. Our "see you laters" always come in the wee hours of the morning. Other people leave at some normal time like NOON, but we've never had that priviledge.

I always drop him off, hang around for a minute, and then leave without a long drawn out scene. He has a job to do, Marines to lead, and a mission to focus on. I won't hang around and distract him from any of that. I won't have him losing his composure in front of his troops, either.

So here I sit...exhausted, emotionally drained, but nowhere near sleep.

I can't stand it anymore

2007-03-06T09:16:00.000-05:00

I've been trying to let my hair grow out, but it's driving me absolutely nuts. I'm going this afternoon and getting my short, spiky, fun hair back. I just hope Gerald is at the salon, because I don't like for anyone else to come near me with scissors. Must call.

Oh another front, we're approaching the start of deployment #3 to Iraq. I know that this is the life we chose, and the deployment isn't my gripe. What chaps my hide is the fact that this is #3 for us, and others have been 2, 3, or even 4 times, but there are these jackasses that hide out and NEVER FREAKIN' DEPLOY. How in the name of all that is good and right can someone reach a certain rank, have spent 13-15 years in the military, and NEVER DEPLOY?? *Grrrrr* If you're gonna wear the uniform and reap the benefits that come with it, then by God, PULL YOUR WEIGHT!! Those of us who miss out on holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, summer vacations, etc. over and over are tired of carrying your sorry ass.

Okay, I'm stepping off the ranting block now. I'm off to start my day.

Cancer sucks

2007-02-14T08:50:00.000-05:00

I love you, Tracey. You're in my every thought and prayer.

A LOT of changes

2007-01-26T08:24:00.000-05:00

Wow, I haven't blogged since Christmas? Yikes, we've got a lot of catching up to do. So for starters, the kiddos came for Christmas, got spoiled rotten, and had to go back far too quickly. BUT...

On New Year's Day, I got a call from their bio dad. He had FINALLY agreed to let B come live with me & The Hub. Sheesh, I was wondering how far he was going to let his pride overshadow what she needs. He's still an ass and won't let the youngest come, but she's doing fine.

So, we got B registered at the local high school. She was off for a stinkin' month waiting for the semester here to end (long story). But now she's back in school, trying to adjust, and hoping to make friends soon. She's like I was at that age...painfully shy and quiet. As much as I want to, I can't fix this for her.

I'm trying to quit smoking also. Today is my quit day, and so far so good. Well, not *good* b/c I'm going thru some withdrawals already, and it's only 8:30am. Ugh, I hate this. But in my defense, I've been up for over 2 1/2 hours now.

Things are settling down and we're getting into a good routine...for now. The Hub will be deploying again soon. NOT looking forward to that AT ALL, but I've been around that block more times than I can count. That's just a part of the life that I chose.

Now that I've switched over to the new blogger, I hope I can access this blog regularly. Since I have two blogs registered on the same email addy, I'm having issues with that. *Hopefully*, I'll be able to keep this thing updated now!

Merry Christmas, y'all!! And "Will I ever learn?"

2006-12-25T23:50:00.000-05:00

I hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas and have been richly blessed and surrounded by those you love most. My thoughts are with those who serve our country in far away places and their families left behind. My prayers are with those who are less fortunate than I, and with those who aren't well. While I am very blessed and very fortunate, my heart breaks today for a dear friend of mine who's more like a sister to me than anything. She's had to spend the holiday in the hospital instead of at home with her husband and children. I send all of the strength and healing vibes I can muster to her. Love you, Hon. You're a strong woman and you'll beat this.

Now for the 2nd part of my post...

Yesterday, The Hub and I drove out to Harker's Island to have a look around. We stopped at the park so I could snap a pic of the Cape Lookout lighthouse. Since it was Christmas Eve, the ferry boats weren't running. So I snapped a couple of pics and then handed the camera to The Hub. Will I ever learn to not be completely goofy when he has a camera in hand? THIS is what happens...

I got these new Skecher boots the other day, and I LOVE them! He says it looks like I'm wearing dead squirrels, so my oh-so-cool and comfy boots I love so much have been nicknamed the "Dead squirrels". So anyway, he took a normal pic of me first, and then I made that face and showed him my boots. *sigh* Chalk it up to another one of those pics.

Christmas came early

2006-12-20T15:19:00.000-05:00

Wow, a whole month since I've blogged? Time sure flies.

Yesterday, The Hub gave me my surprise Christmas gift early and COMPLETELY took me by surprise. I'll give you a little background. I've never been real big on diamonds and jewelry. The only diamond I've ever wanted was a princess cut diamond ring. Nothing big b/c that's just not me. Well, I always said, "Someday maybe I'll have one" b/c there are more important things than a rock on my finger, and I couldn't justify spending the money for it. Well, "someday" happened yesterday. Check it out! I've been grinning like a fool ever since. The best part of the whole thing that just melted me into a mushy blob was when The Hub said, "You deserve it."

His only stipulation was that I can't wear it when I'm cleaning fish (I never let him clean them), inking, and painting. Oh, and shrimping b/c it may get tangled in the cast net and end up in the ocean. *lol*

I LOVE my ring!! I have to take it and have it re-sized b/c it's a little big, but I'm wearing it anyway until then. That's my wedding band with it. It's the 3rd one b/c The Hub is ROUGH on his rings, and we always have matching ones. Some of you know the story of this set, but I'll tell it anyway for those who don't know.

Back in '02, The Hub was stationed in Okinawa, but had to go to the Philippines (that spelling looks weird) for a while. He had some down time while he was there, so he thought he'd do a little shopping. He bought a "chunk" of silver (what's the right word I'm looking for?), described what he wanted and sizes, and the jeweler MADE our rings while he waited. There are no others like them. He never mentioned them to me. When I picked him up at the airport when he came home, he handed me a little box and told me to open it. When I did, he said, "Will you marry me again?"

He always says he's "about as romantic as a stick", but when he decides to make a romantic gesture, he REALLY knows how to turn me to mush.

Which one are you?

2006-11-20T14:12:00.000-05:00

As I was driving home this afternoon, I drove past a church. We've all seen the little messages they put on their signs out front, but rarely do I see one that really hits home.

It read, "Are you a good example or a horrible warning?"

I try to be and like to think that I'm a good example, but it so many aspects I truly feel like a horrible warning. I know that it all stems from my self-esteem and "need for perfection" issues, but nevertheless, that church succeeded with their message today. It really made me think.

Oh, and I didn't come up with that label about perfection for myself. My college psychology professor tagged me with that one b/c I was bummed that I got a "B" on an exam once. Yes, I have issues, but we aren't even going there.

So which one are you? Do you even care which one you are?

The newest member of the herd

2006-11-20T14:05:00.000-05:00

Since our house was being shown Saturday morning, we skipped out and went to Wilmington for a little shopping. We all know how much I love cows, and my kitchen is done in cobalt blue, black, and white with cows scattered about. THIS is the newest addition.

When we saw her, we both giggled uncontrollably because Gracie sits like this. Granted, Gracie doesn't hold a book and a bucket, but she regularly strikes that "sitting Buddha" pose with her jiggle belly poking out and her tail wrapped around her.

The best thing, other than it being a COW, is that the belly is a chalkboard! No more wondering, "Where can I put this note so The Hub will see it?"

I can't wait to get into our new house so that I can unpack her and introduce her to the rest of the herd. ;)

::Groan:: Oh, SO too full!

2006-11-14T19:05:00.000-05:00

Chinese food...it's what's for dinner.

I decided to order take-out tonight, and now I'm miserably full. Cashew chicken (picked out all the mushrooms *blick*) and crab rangoons from China Garden do it every time.

Rush hour in this town is horrible, but the food was well worth dealing with the traffic and witnessing 1 car accident and THREE near misses. The traffic in this town is a whole 'nother post that would turn into a novel.

For now, I'm going to waddle to the couch, stretch out, and do some knitting while parked in front of the TV. Afterall, it *is* NCIS night!

An accent? Me?

2006-11-12T23:44:00.000-05:00

I saw this quiz on Hunzer's blog.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The South That's a Southern accent you've got there. You may love it, you may hate it, you may swear you don't have it, but whatever the case, we can hear it.
Philadelphia
The Midland
The Northeast
The Inland North
Boston
The West
North Central
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

Fun weekend

2006-11-06T14:41:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday night was our unit's Ball. As much as I had dreaded it, we had a great time. It wasn't without its moments of drama, but overall, I'm glad I went. We got a room and spent the night there at the hotel, so we didn't have to worry about driving home afterwards.

Here's the view from our room. Isn't that just too fabu for words? *sigh* So peaceful. Yes, as soon as we got checked in, we were out on those docks!

After the "Reception" (read that as cocktail hour), everyone was seated, and the ceremony began. Speeches, speeches, *yawn*, more speeches. Then came the cake cutting ceremony. Traditionally, the first piece of cake is given to the oldest Marine present. This "old man" and his wife are a complete HOOT! I think the world of them.

At all the other Balls I've been to over the years, the SECOND piece of cake is given to the youngest Marine present. At this one, though, the first piece was tasted by the oldest Marine and then passed on to the youngest to symbolize the passing of the torch, so to speak. I've always seen the cake cut with a sword also, but that wasn't done here. *sigh* I digress... The youngest Marine always makes me feel OLD. This year's was born at the beginning of MY SENIOR YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL!! *groan* Before long, they'll be the ones born the same year as my kids.

Anyway, here's a not so great pic of the cake. Who doesn't love cake? It was GOOD, too.

After the ceremony, we had dinner. This year they had a very good idea. Instead of the fiasco of who wants chicken, who wants beef, blahblahblah, they did kind of a combo plate. We had a small piece of steak (cooked just right IMO, but not done enough for The Hub's taste), a small boneless chicken breast (which they didn't season), and a skewer of grilled shrimp along with steamed veggies and mashed potatoes (real ones, not that instant crap). I liked it.

After dinner and cake came dancing. THIS is where the fun began (being sarcastic AND truthful here). I made some friends, laughed, danced, played Mother Hen, mediated, ran interference, drank beer...you get the picture.

Since I griped ALL last week about the dress, I guess I should show a pic of it, huh? It's NOT my best work, and I didn't love the dress, but it was comfy (as formals go). As many pics as were taken that night, there are none of the full view of the dress. It's long in the back, but comes up to a point at about the knees in the middle of the front. The shoes lasted about 2 hours, and then I went barefoot (yes, even outside). This is NOT unusual for me. Before the night was over (which was 4am for me), I was in jeans and a polar fleece. Here's a pic of us. Amazing what nine years does to a person. Something weird with the pic that makes one of The Hub's eyes look wonky, but it wasn't like that on the original pic.

Yep, that's a Corona in The Hub's hand. My beer was on the table behind the camera. There were A LOT of those consumed that night. ;) We had a lot to celebrate...the Marine Corps birthday, our anniversary, and The Hub's promotion. And boy, did we celebrate!

It's official!

2006-11-01T11:11:00.000-05:00

Thirteen years in the making, countless deployments, more BS than any human should have to wade thru, but it is official. Say hello to the GUNNY !

Of course afterwards, his troops (ALL of whom think he walks on water) swarmed around him to congratulate him.

I even got up at 5:30 this morning AND wore a dress for this occasion!

He's worked so hard for this, dreamed of this day since he joined the Corps, and now it's a reality. I'm SO proud of him and all he's accomplished.

Procrastination

2006-10-28T17:45:00.000-04:00

I am the QUEEN of procrastination. For some reason, I put things some things off until I'm down to the wire on getting them done. Once again, I'm faced with a short deadline. The USMC Ball is ONE WEEK from today, and I *just* bought the pattern for my dress this afternoon. Did I buy fabric? No. I'll probably get around to that Tuesday. We'll see how good a seamstress I really am, huh? The Hub swears that my work comes out better when I'm under pressure than if I take my time.

So why do some of us procrastinate? What is it in the cranial wiring that makes some of us wait until the last minute? I'm no psychiatrist, so I can't answer that question. I guess it's just another one of those mysteries of life. Oh, well.

So I'm going to be really busy this week. I just hope the pattern I picked isn't *too* intense. I've been known to get frustrated with a project and throw it in the garbage. That's where The Hub (and my mom when I was a kid) come to the rescue. They always fish it out of the garbage, lay it beside my sewing machine, and give a lot of encouragement because they know I'll come back to finish it up. Gotta love a support system like that.

Autumn events here

2006-10-26T16:58:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been a little while since I posted, so I gave the ole blog a new look.

Autumn seems to be the time of year when life really starts to get busy (at least in my house). There's Halloween (which I've totally skipped decorating for), mine & The Hub's anniversary (9 years), and the Marine Corps Ball (which happens to be falling ON our anniversary this year). Then there's a little lull before Thanksgiving slaps us in the face, Christmas shopping and decorating rush, etc. Well, this year, there are a couple of more VERY good things.

On November 1st, The Hub gets promoted. Yay!!! AND...

December 1st, we *finally* get out of this God-forsaken town! While that means YET ANOTHER move, I'm stoked about this one. I've never been so miserable in one place in my life. I feel like the life is being slowly sucked out of my body here. I won't get all whiny and "poor me" on you.

So since we're moving again (6th time in 4 years...ugh), I'm packing boxes. I told The Hub I'll give him TWO more moves in his career, but after that I won't be the cooperative, smiling, good little Marine wife. I'm beginning to feel like a bit of a gypsy, and while I used to get bored if we were in one place too long, lately I haven't had that opportunity! I sincerely hope this upcoming move will be the last for at least 3 or 4 years. We'll see, I guess.

It has been jokingly said that the motto for a Marine wife is "Semper Gumby", meaning "Always Flexible". I'm beginning to think that the "powers that be" *really* want to see how flexible I can be without breaking. So far I feel the strain, but I'm trying my best to keep it together without cracking under the pressure.

Since it's Friday the 13th

2006-10-13T20:10:00.000-04:00

the subject of superstitions came up today. Are you a superstitious person? Do you have little things that you do for luck? Knock on wood, throw salt over your shoulder, etc?

I am. I have lots of little "quirks", as my mother calls them. Here are a few:

*Knocking on wood to counteract something said.
*Knocking on the window of my vehicle when I see a vehicle broken down. It's for luck so that MY vehicle doesn't break down, too.
*Scratching the roof of the vehicle when driving thru an intersection and the light changes (once for yellow, twice for red) so I don't get pulled over by a cop.
*Kissing a lottery ticket when I buy it. ~Okay, this one obviously hasn't worked for me.~
*Marking three x's on the windshield if a black cat crosses the road in front of me.
*NEVER open an umbrella in the house.

Wow, looking at the list, I've discovered that most of my superstitions are vehicle/traffic related. Hmm...interesting.

Need to's

2006-09-19T13:47:00.000-04:00

I'm a compulsive list maker. I have a day planner, and if something's not written down in it, it more than likely won't happen. Over on TRL, we have a daily random thoughts post. Mine seem to turn into a list of "need to" things.

Do you ever get tired of the "need to's"? i.e. "need to go to the post office", "need to get laundry started", "need to start supper", etc.

Today I'm in a really good mood, but I'm so tired of the "need to's". Sometimes I just want to round file that list and do something fun and spontaneous. I think with Halloween approaching and all the junk that I've been dealing with the past few months, I'm jonesing for some excitement and carefree time.

Does being an adult always have to be about being responsible and meticulous? Why do we let daily responsibilites weigh us down until we're simply spent? Every day shouldn't be filled with only a list of boring tasks. Each of us needs to (ugh, there's that phrase again) carve out a little time every day to let our hair down, loosen that tie, and ENJOY. Take a deep breath, slow down, and do something you WANT to do. Recharge those batteries! Shake things up!

Some quotes on my mind today...

~Carpe Diem!
~Enjoy today, because none of us are promised tomorrow.
~If you're hung up on nostalgia, pretend today is yesterday and just go out and have one hell of a time.~Art Buchwald
~If you have one eye on yesterday, and one eye on tomorrow, you're going to be cockeyed today.
~Life lived for tomorrow will always be just a day away from being realized.~Leo Buscaglia
~Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious.~Brendan Gill
~We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything than when we are playing.~Charles Schaefer

If life were like the movies

2006-09-13T11:38:00.000-04:00

What character would you be? Since I can't really think of any soap opera or tv show characters I can identify with, I chose Scarlett O'Hara of Gone With The Wind.

No, I'm not a wealthy plantation owner's daughter or a flirt who doesn't know what a good thing she has. I see myself as being like Scarlett in other ways.

~Scarlett had a silver tongue and southern charm and could cut a person to shreds while giving them that sweet, southern belle smile. That's a trait I'm told I inherited from my great-grandmother.
~She was a very strong woman. She faced tough times with squared shoulders and a "bring it on" attitude. She carried the weight of her family on her shoulders, did the best she could, and somehow made the best of it when times were really tough. Every trial and tribulation she endured made her that much stronger.
~Many of those around her looked to her for guidance and leadership.
~She was stubborn and determined. She knew what she wanted and didn't let anything stand in her way. Granted that bit her in the butt a few times, but I've suffered that bite before, too.
~Underneath it all, she had a good heart. She truly loved those close to her and would do anything for them.
~There was a side of her that remained child-like. Even though she put up a tough, no bull front, there was a part of her that needed nurturing and consoling sometimes.
~In her younger days, she was flirty and fickle.
~She was a proud woman who wouldn't let it show when someone hurt her.
~She was a bit of a procrastinator when it came to things she didn't want to deal with. Her famous line, "I'll think about it tomorrow...Afterall, tomorrow is another day"? Yeah, that's me.
~She was spoiled. Yeah, that's me, too. I admit it.

*eta...She had a fiery temper. I was reminded that I "conveniently" left that part out. ;)

My Gracie

2006-09-12T12:51:00.000-04:00

**I've been trying all day to upload a couple of pics, but either I'm an idiot or blogger doesn't like Gracie. Alas, no pics of her at this point in time.**

It has been said that cats don't have owners, they have staff. Truer words have never been spoken when it comes to Gracie.

August 17, 2000

I was at an all-time low emotionally. In an effort to lift both our spirits, The Hub took me to the pet store and bought me a kitten. She was such a tiny little calico furball with HUGE ears. She made me laugh, and we joked that she was narcoleptic b/c she'd fall asleep sitting up and fall over. She went for days without a name because I couldn't decide on anything that "fit" her. She was this clumsy, goofy, skinny little thing that made me laugh all the time. One night I was sitting on the couch watching "Will & Grace" when it hit me. GRACE! GRACIE!!! Debra Messing's character was like this kitten! Clumsy...check. Goofy...check. Makes me laugh...check. That's how our Gracie got her name.

~~~~~~

When she was about 6 months old, I took her to the vet to have her spayed and declawed. One more trip up my curtains and one of us wouldn't have survived, and I cannot live with a cat in heat. So anyway, she had her surgery that morning, and I went to see her that afternoon. The vet and techs were concerned b/c she wouldn't clean her paws. Apparently that's one of those things like "You have to poop before you can be discharged from the hospital." One of the techs said, "I just don't get it. When I walk into the room where the kennels are, she'll sit up on her hind legs, shake her paws, and meow at me." I started to laugh, which made the tech look at me like I'd sprouted another head. I told her, "She wants you to fix it! When something's wrong, she knows that *Mommy* will fix it, and she expects you to do the same." They ended up putting her in a tub with a couple of inches of warm water to force her to clean her paws so she could come home. Even back then, she was a drama queen.

~~~~~~~

Over the past six years, she's become so much more than a pet. Well, she never was a PET. She's our Moo-Shoo kitty, and she's become such an important part of our lives. She's gone from a tiny thing that would fit in the palm of your hand to 16 pounds of sass. She's learned some tricks over the years and has her routines. Talk about disgruntled if you stray from HER routine! When we go out of town, we entrust one of a select few friends to check in on her every day. This checking in involves making sure she has fresh food and water, give her treats, play with her, and pet her for a little while, and clean her litterbox.

The Hub tells me all the time that she's so spoiled because of me. Don't let him fool you, though. That's his baby. She's got both of us wrapped tightly around those furry little paws.

Some of her quirks and cool attributes...

~She has hearts on her fur
~She LOVES warm blueberry muffins (not cold), olives, Keebler Club crackers, popcorn, and cheese.
~HAS to sniff Daddy's coffee in the mornings
~Has her own furniture and blankets and there's hell to pay if you sit in her rocker or on her barstool
~HAS to have her "Mommy snuggle time" during the morning news
~When she wants a treat, if you tell her to remember her manners, she sits up on her hind legs, reaches with one front paw, and meows.
~Will flop over and roll back and forth and look at you upside down if you tell her to be cute
~Jumps into my arms like a dog.
~HAS to snuggle under the top blanket for a few minutes every night at bedtime
~HAS to drink from the tub if you're taking a bath. Doesn't matter that the water is hot and soapy. She likes "human soup".
~CANNOT STAND to be shut out of a room you're in. She'll paw at the door, reach under with her paw, and meow incessantly until you either come out or let her in.
~Camera shy! No matter what she's doing, if she hears that camera turn on, she's gone. I can't tell you how many blurry pictures have been taken over the years.
~Can be an anti-social little witch. HATES other animals, and isn't fond of small kids, either. Adults are a case-by-case basis.
~Instinctively knows when something's wrong and will snuggle with you to try to make you feel better.
~Understands a lot of what we say. Some may argue with this, but I *know* Gracie understands us.
~Reaches up and her meow sounds like "Mama" when she wants attention
~Tracks and corners a bug until we come to kill it. She learned her lesson about eating them.

We DO have rules and limits, though. She is NOT allowed on the counters, tables, etc. She isn't allowed in the laundry room, either. She doesn't ever go outside. Outside to her means one of two things...vet or new house. No canned or poor quality food for her. She gets brushed whether she likes it or not. She gets annual vet visits.

We love our GracieBelle, and nothing is too good for her. She even gets her own plate at Thanksgiving! Okay, it's a saucer with turkey on it. She gets Christmas presents. Her birthday is celebrated every year.

I can't imagine what life would be like if we hadn't gone to the pet store that day.

I'm no Van Gogh or Monet

2006-09-09T23:09:00.000-04:00

but by Jinkies, I'm trying!

When I was growing up, my dad would sit down at the dining table and paint these beautiful landscape scenes. He had no kind of instruction, but he had sheer talent. I have several of those pictures hanging in my house, and they are among my most treasured possessions. I can remember wishing that I could paint like that. I've always wanted to be able to paint the images I see in my head.

Over the past few years, I've tried my hand at painting different things for the house (my daughters' dressers, little decorative things for the bathroom, etc.) but they just aren't great. They're just okay, and I'm not happy with "okay".

Recently I've started really paying attention to the brush strokes, shading, etc. in different paintings. I decided to give it a shot with a little wooden frame I picked up at ACMoore. I'm still not as good as I want to be, but I can see my progress, and I'm proud of myself for it. Whaddya think? I know I still have a long way to go, but just maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks. ;)

One year ago

2006-09-07T20:45:00.000-04:00

Hmm, life was SO different one year ago. Let's see...

THEN
The Hub and I owned a house that we absolutely loved in a town we absolutely loved in SC.
I had a pool and palm trees in my backyard paradise.
I got together with my friends every week.
My mother was staying with me for a while.
The Hub had just left for his second tour in Iraq.
We planned on being in SC for a LONG time.
We owned 2 vehicles and a boat.
I went fishing, shrimping, and crabbing on a regular basis.

NOW
We're renting a house we don't love in a town we hate in NC.
We're getting ready to move *again* in a few months.
I have ONE friend here. Although she lives like 2 miles from me, I don't see her often. She's a busy, busy woman.
My mother is back in MS and now sees that my asking her to go back was the best thing for her.
The Hub isn't deployed right now, but that's only because WE'RE MOVING AGAIN.
My oldest daughter is coming to live with us at Christmas. Hopefully the youngest will, too.
We now own THREE vehicles AND A HARLEY. No boat, though.
I can't remember the last time I went fishing, shrimping, OR crabbing.

So, some things are better. Some are worse. That's life, I guess. I'm *really* hoping things will improve drastically after this move. Sorry to be a downer with this post, but I miss home.

Peas in a Pod

2006-09-07T09:19:00.000-04:00

Yesterday's topic for our TRL blog challenge was "Attatched at the hip? Two Peas in a Pod? How did you meet your s.o./best friend? Tell us about that first time meeting them. Did you hit it off instantly or think they were stalking you?"

I've told the story about how The Hub and I met many times, and some of my closest friends read this, so y'all already know how we met. ;) Instead, I decided to blog about my "ya-ya's". That's what The Hub named us. When I first met this group of ladies and started getting to know them, they reminded me of the characters in "Steel Magnolias", but The Hub swears that we're the Ya-Ya's instead.

When we first moved to SC, I was a hermit in the worst way. One day I got an email from a lady who had just moved to the area and was looking for other scrapbookers to get together with. She called and we made plans to meet up at Starbucks, bring some of our albums, and get acquainted. We hit if off instantly, and over the years, she's become like a sister to me. That's Michelle. Crazy, funny, beautiful inside and out. She's a bundle of energy who burns the candle at both ends. At any given time she has so much going on at once that it'd make a normal person's head spin.

After meeting her, I decided to go to one of the weekly crops at the LSS. The store owner (Janet) seemed like a nice lady, and The Hub kept nudging to get me out of my shell. When I got there, the store owner and these three other ladies were laughing and cutting up and having such a great time. They weren't actually scrapbooking, but they were having fun! Because they aren't the quiet, shy type, they introduced themselves, asked me all about myself and had me laughing and having a great time before the night was over. That's how I met Lorrie, Sharon, and Paula. How do I even begin to describe this group? They're funny, amazing, kind, loving, crazy, wonderful women. They're the kind of friends who welcome you into the family for life. While my relationship with all of them is wonderful, my friendship with Janet is different. Janet and I became very close and confide in each other about so much.

Several months later, Amy joined us. She and I didn't hit off so much when we first met. She was quiet, reserved, very religious, SAHM to four kids that she home-schools and kept to herself at the opposite end of the room for a long time. The first night she came to crop, I think she thought I was the devil reincarnate. I was wearing my HIM t-shirt, baggy carpenter jeans, black clunky combat-style boots, several bracelets and rings, my leather cord necklaces, had four earrings in each ear, and had short, red spiky hair and dark blue fingernails. Me being the kind of person I am, found it very amusing. She eventually came around and we became friends, too.

Whenever a new person would reserve a spot on crop night, Janet would always tell the five of us to "Behave". We could be a bit loud, talked about everything under the sun, and would break into song at any given moment. Oh, and we rarely got any layouts done on crop nights. Dinner beforehand was a must for us. By the time we all got done eating, it was 7:30 or 8pm and the crop was supposed to be over at 8:30. We NEVER left that store before 10 or 11pm.

I can't imagine my life without the "Ya-ya's" in it. Even though I live over 300 miles from them now, we still keep in contact. As soon as we can, The Hub and I will be moving back there, and they'll once again be a part of my daily life.

*Since Blogger's being a PITA right now, I can't upload a pic. grrrr*

Reading lists

2006-09-06T14:50:00.000-04:00

Before I became a mom and when my oldest was an infant, I read *all* the time. Back then, I had two favorite authors with VERY different writing styles. Stephen King held my attention b/c I love a good, scary story. I'm still a King fan. I think I've read almost everything he's ever written. My absolute fave short stories are "Popsy" and "The Night Flier", and "Misery" is still my fave novel of his. My friend Tracey introduced me to VC Andrews' stories when I was around 19, and she remained one of my favorite authors thru my early 20's.

As time went on, my second child came along, they both got older, and life got in the way, I didn't take time to read. I figured seeing the movies would suffice. In the past few years, as I've gotten older and (I hope) wiser, I've started taking time again for things I love.

What jumpstarted my reading again was actually a movie. The Hub had read many Dean Koontz books and told me he thought I'd really like them. I always used the excuse, "I don't have time to read a book." One night "Intensity" was on TV, and he told me that I should really sit down and watch it. I became so enthralled in the story that when Koontz came out of left field on me, I couldn't disguise my shock and surprise. That instant, I became a fan. I went out and bought "Whispers" and read it cover to cover and couldn't get my hands on another Koontz book fast enough.

The Hub got a huge kick out of my reaction to the last Koontz book I read. Several people had told me "You just HAVE to read 'Life Expectancy' if you like Dean Koontz." I did and got SO into the story that it was too late when I discovered there was a murderous clown in it. I have a HUGE dislike of clowns and always have. Why? Because THEY KILL PEOPLE! ~When I watched Stephen King's "It", I had nightmares. Don't Like Clowns At All.~ But, I finished "Life Expectancy", and it was a GOOD book, in spite of the clown.

I became a Nicholas Sparks fan when "The Notebook" came out. It's SUCH a great love story! As rough and tough as I can be, I still have a mushy side. ;) After I saw the movie, I *had* to read the book. I borrowed it from my mom and started reading it on my way from SC to NC when The Hub deployed last time. Normally I can't read in the car, but I was so into the story, I somehow escaped the usual car sickness that accompanies even trying to look at a map. I finished the entire book in less than five hours. I've read a few other Sparks' novels since then and plan to read "True Believer" next.

A few years ago, I bought "The Witching Hour" by Anne Rice. I thought, "Hey, the vampire movies based on her books ROCKED, so this HAS to be good!" To date, I've *tried* to read that thing about 4 or 5 times now. It was so slow in the beginning that I just couldn't get into it. I'd put it down, read something else, and come back to it after I'd forgotten what I'd read so far. This last time I got farther than ever before, but once again I put it down. This time, I was into the story, but I couldn't get past my revolt of the incest in it. When the one witch held her father prisoner so she could have sex with him to have a child of "pure blood", I knew I couldn't keep reading. So once again, I put it down. Who knows if I'll pick it back up again.

My grandma has tried to loan me some of her MANY Danielle Steele books over the years. Although I've never actually read one, I don't think they could hold my attention. If I could get a review from someone other than my very sweet and *still* naive, 78-year old southern belle grandmother, I might give one a chance. I couldn't love the woman more, but she still turns about 12 shades of red when "an ugly word" slips every once in a blue moon.

Today I picked up a non-fiction from the library. It's "Daddy was the Black Dahlia Killer" and is based on one of the co-author's memories of childhood that she had repressed for 40+ years. She claims that she witnessed her father murder Elizabeth Short, "The Black Dahlia" in 1947. Not sure if I'll like it or not, but I'll let you know.

What's in your wallet?

2006-09-04T20:31:00.000-04:00

Okay, guys carry wallets. Chicks carry purses. Today's challenge topic was taken from the Capitol One commercial. Purses come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Sometimes I wonder what these women have in these teeny tiny little purses. Some women carry purses that could double as a suitcase. Those make me curious, too. I'll admit that I LOVE purses and have quite a collection. Cute little evening bags, giant, heavy duty ones, a sporty little "Nike" purse, and even one trimmed in feathers all have a home in my closet. Okay, I've NEVER used the feather one, but I keep it anyway. It was my mom's first knitting project after I taught her, so she made it for me.

My current fave in the group is a smallish, camo messenger bag-type purse with red and white embroidering and silver nailheads on the flap. It even has a nifty little pocket right there on the outside. It *would* be perfect for my cellphone if its leather cover didn't have a mondo belt-clip on it. Oh well, the little pocket holds my really bad habit instead. ;) I'm trying to design a new one in my head. I'm thinking a pink one. *gasp* I just realized that I don't have a PINK PURSE! *gasp, gasp* Or a PURPLE ONE!! Oh, that has to be rectified!

Anyway, getting back on track now. My purse is my lifeline. I'd be totally lost and never make an appt if not for that thing! I've referred to it as my source of power. Even though we've been married for almost nine years now, The Hub WILL NOT go into my purse for anything. Even if I ask him to bring me something out of it, he'll bring me the WHOLE purse.

So what's inside?

Well, aside from the usual wallet, checkbook, and keys, there's a whole conglomeration of miscellaneous "necessities" lurking in my purse.
~First and most important is my day planner. I tried keeping up with things on a palm pilot, but it was simply too much of a PITA. I have notes, lists, appointments, finances, and contact info for all my docs in there.
~Said palm pilot still hangs around in my purse, even though the cover broke off. It's basically a glorified address book now. The calculator comes in handy at times, and it has a few games, too, so it's worth hanging onto. It keeps me occupied if I find myself waiting somewhere unexpectedly.
~Compact and lipstick even though I rarely wear make-up.
~Breath mints AND drops b/c you can't go around with stinky breath.
~Ink pens (at least 3 in case two decide to die together)
~Feminine products, no matter what time of the month it *actually* is. I have a fear of being out in public when the much dreaded "Aunt Ruby" shows up. Plus, you never know when you might need to help another damsel in distress out!
~My Leatherman tool is an absolute MUST. It's a tool; it's a weapon for self-defense. What's not to love? Every woman should carry one.
~Cigarettes and a lighter. Even when there are no cigarettes, there's a lighter. You never know when you might get into a bind and need some fire. ;)
~Inevitably, there's always some piece of miscellaneous jewelry hanging around in the bottom. (a necklace, ring, or bracelet that was driving me a little bonkers or an earring that broke or lost its back)
~My cellphone. I NEVER leave home without it.

So there's a glimpse into my source of power. What's in yours?

Do we really want to re-live the '80's?

2006-09-03T20:01:00.000-04:00

Today's blog topic is the 80's (or 70's or 90's, depending on your age). I was a child of the '80's. Looking back, the fashion and hairstyles were laughable. Yet, I see some of it sneaking back into the mainstream. *eek*

I wore my fair share of oversized rugby shirts with those pencil-legged jeans, WIDE belt at the hips, fluorescent shirts with matching socks and door-knocker earrings, and a watch to match every outfit. I never did the parachute pants, Michael Jackson leather jacket, or "Members Only" jacket, though. With my head lowered in shame, I admit that I did attempt the "Valley Girl" speak for a short time, even though I lived in southern Mississippi. I'm not proud of it, and hearing the "young girl accent" these days reiterates how absolutely ridiculous my friends and I must've sounded.

My absolute FAVORITE parts of the '80's were the hair bands and those Brat Pack movies. St. Elmo's Fire, The Breakfast Club (had a HUGE Judd Nelson crush), Pretty In Pink (*still* love Jon Cryer), Sixteen Candles (although now I wonder what the big deal was about "Jake Ryan"), The Outsiders, and Red Dawn all bring back so many memories. I still watch some of them EVERY time they come on TV, and I *still* think Patrick Swayze is way yummy. ;-D

When Pretty In Pink came out, Molly Ringwald's style meant that I had to have a whole new look. I'd describe an outfit or article of clothing to my mom, and she'd make it for me. Thank goodness she was (and is) such an amazing seamstress! If I couldn't find a pattern that was close to what I wanted, she'd MAKE a pattern and then the outfit. Thanks, Mom!

And those hair bands...I'll admit that I have one of those "Monster Ballads" CD sets, along with several other compilation CD's of Twisted Sister, Whitesnake, Great White, Motley Crue, and so many others. On the Pop scene, A-Ha and Tears For Fears were the be-all, end-all of bands in my eyes. It makes me feel old to find out that the soundtrack to my teens is now "Classic Rock".

The very first concert I went to was Whitesnake and Great White. It was 1988, and I went with a guy that I'd had a major crush on for about 3 years. Although I wasn't allowed to wear make-up, I had to look just right for that night. The wings and mile-high bangs were shellacked to the point that a hurricane couldn't move 'em! We had a great time, but I decided not long afterwards that I was little more than an ego boost to this guy. We never went out again.

I have good and bad memories of that decade, but who doesn't look back on their teen years that way? There's no way that I'd ever want to re-live those years, though. It was hard enough the first time!

Personal mantra(s)

2006-09-03T09:20:00.000-04:00

Okay, I haven't been keeping up with the daily topic challenges over at The Red Lily. Bad Dee, no cookie. (Inside joke). Instead of trying to catch up on the last several days, I decided to pick the one topic that spoke to me the most, so here goes.

What is your Mantra(s)? How did you come by them? What mantra(s) did you have in the past that you have changed?

I have a few, and at times it seemed like repeating them was the only way to get thru things.

1. The Good Lord won't put more on me that He knows I can handle.

I've faced some really tough challenges in my lifetime. Rape, divorce, betrayal, being a non-custodial mom, my husband fighting in a war, loneliness, health issues, death of loved ones, and cancer, just to name a few. There were times where I felt like "I can't do this" and "I'll never get thru this", but telling myself this one little quote made all the difference. I don't go to church, but I have faith in God and I pray daily. In my younger years, I had the attitude of "Why me?" when difficult times came about.

Now, I look at each challenge and rough patch in the road as a chance to grow, become a stronger person, and hopefully set a good example for others. As my friends can attest to, personal strength is a HUGE thing to me. I know now that I could've never become a strong person without facing difficult and challenging times. Sometimes, I jokingly say that I wish the good Lord didn't have so much faith in me. But I know that He'll never bring me to something that He won't bring me through.

2. Bloom where you're planted.

I saw a cutesy little flowerbed decoration once with this quote on it, and it struck me as so profound that I never forgot it. As a matter of fact, I took it to heart and live it every day. Being a military wife, changes and moves are inevitable. There have been duty stations that I absolutely loved and others that I hated from the beginning. But because I'm the type to make the best of whatever life throws at me, this quote suits me to a "T". Our current duty station is a perfect example. I absolutely despise this town, and there are times when it feels like it's literally sucking the life out of me. I've had to repeat this mantra so many times over the past few months. I *make* myself look at the positive things this town/base have to offer. It's taken me longer than usual this time, but I'm determined to BLOOM here, not wither away.

3. The most important things in life aren't things.

I even painted this one on a wooden sign and hung it over my kitchen sink. In today's society, so many of us get wrapped up material things and keeping up with the Jones' that we forget what's *really* important. What's that old country song about "a 4-car garage and we're still building on...maybe it's time we got back to the basics of love"? In society's rat race and pursuits to have more and be more, family, God, and simple pleasures in life fall through the cracks.

One of my fondest memories of this past summer was sitting in our back yard watching The Hub jumping on the trampoline with our daughters. Another one was sitting on the floor at my Grandma's house and playing dominoes with my mom and my daughters. That's four generations of our family laughing and having a good time just *being* together. Another was walking along the beach looking for shells with The Hub.

Those who know me know how I LOVE landscapes, the sky, and nature. I have TONS of pictures of different landscapes I've seen in my life. The beauty of it all sometimes stops me in my tracks. When's the last time you stopped and really looked around you? Can you remember the last time you saw a gorgeous sunset and stopped to watch it for a while? Have you ever just picked a direction and drove just to see what was there? The Hub and I took off from South Carolina all the way to just outside Bristol, TN one weekend just because we'd never been there. We ended up in a small mining town that was tucked away in the mountains, and it was beautiful! If we'd never gone there, I'd have a few less mental pictures of quiet, serene landscapes decorating my memories.

How often do you get a chance to be totally alone in peace and quiet with your thoughts? So many people are so caught up in so many activities and going in twenty directions at once that they never just STOP and listen to their own breathing. We've become so rushed and hectic that we (in general) don't take time for ourselves. Do you really know YOU? Do you take care of yourself? I do. I like the woman I see looking back at me from the mirror. She's a pretty cool chick. ;)

I could go on and on about what's important in my life, but in an effort to not write a novel, I won't.

And last but certainly not least...

4. Friends are the family we get to choose.

We are born into and marry into our families, and often our relatives drive us absolutely bananas. But we love them and they ARE family, so whaddya do? But what about our friends?

I see my friends not simply as people I like and have things in common with. We confide in each other, cry on each other's shoulders, lift each other up, laugh together, hang out together, and so much more. We have our ups and downs and don't always agree on things. But we respect each other. We're there for each other NO MATTER WHAT. We love each other. These friends are my family that I *chose*.

Scrappy Snacks

2006-08-30T16:08:00.000-04:00

Today's topic challenge is snacks while scrapbooking. I have such a bad sweet tooth all the time. I really should make an effort to snack healthier. Yeah, there are a lot of things I *should* do.

Normally I keep a stash of Smarties in my craft room. I ran out before we moved and haven't replenished my stock. ::gasp! Oh, the horror!:: Now that 'tis the season for Halloween candy to be displayed everywhere you look, I'll have to buy a GI-NORMOUS bag of 'em.

I unroll those little gems of bliss on my craft table, spread the wrapper out flat, and let them scatter all over. How I avoid getting ink, paint, glue, or embossing powder all over them escapes me, but I've been lucky so far. :knocking on wood: They are the king hoo-yah's of scrappy snacks!

I bought a bag of Sweet-Tarts and Sprees last week, but I'm just not loving them as much. The Sweet-Tarts are too hard, and by the time I eat a few, the roof of my mouth feels like it's been raked with a cheese grater. The Sprees are just "eh". I don't love them and don't hate them.

Lately I've been snacking on plain M&M's when I work. I LOVE M&M's! They aren't as good for snackiness while scrapping as the Smarties, though. You see, I like my M&M's melty and gooey on the inside. And the ad geniuses are full of hooey. They DO melt in your hand, and you get little blotches of color all over your palms and fingertips. So worth it, but I don't want little blobs of color all over my work, so I'm forced to eat them in their non-melty state. They just don't taste as good that way.

So I'm a Smarties girl all the way. Smarties are goooood. Need more Smarties.

Another clean scan

2006-08-30T15:58:00.000-04:00

::happy dance::

Today I went back to the oncologist for my CT scan results. Every year for some reason, I prepare myself for the worst possible news. I guess that's so that no matter what the news is, it isn't as bad as I've prepared for. In 1998, I was caught TOTALLY off-guard with my diagnosis, and I don't ever want that again.

Now I can breathe a HUGE sigh of relief and squeal, "ANOTHER GOOD YEAR!"

Love thy neighbor?

2006-08-28T12:55:00.000-04:00

Neighbors come in all shapes and forms. Being military, we've never kept neighbors for long, and I've experienced the good, the bad, and the HORRIBLE in my lifetime. I grew up in the same house my dad still lives in, and two of his neighbors have been there since before I was ever born. They look out for each other's property, sign for packages for each other, check in on each other when one is sick, etc. Someday I'd like to have neighbors like that.

I've had neighbors who were very anti-social and never uttered a word to us the entire time we were neighbors. I've had neighbors who on the outside seemed very congenial and friendly, only to actually be like Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde. This neighbor was almost sticky-sweet to everyone she encountered, but we lived in a duplex and shared a wall. When she thought she wasn't being heard, she SCREAMED at her kids constantly and expected her husband to comply to her every whim, whether it regarded their home, his career, or anything else.

Then I had a neighbor who became like family to us. We hung out together, looked out for each other, took care of each other's pets while one family was away, had cookouts, laughed and cried together on many occasions. We haven't lived next to each other in over five years now, but we've recently been stationed at the same base. They live two miles from us now. When we moved into our house, they came over to help us unload the moving truck in the rain, even though they were exhausted from their own things. Anytime we drive up at their house, their kids will drop whatever they're doing, and run squealing from wherever they are to give us hugs. I'm at the top of the emergency contact list for her kids' schools. We've been there for each other from the beginning, and "friend" or "former neighbor" doesn't even begin to describe our relationship. I truly love this family.

THEY are the exception to my experience of neighbors, though. I've had some truly AWFUL neighbors, too. You know the kind I mean; those neighbors who make you long to live on a remote island where you can't even SEE the nearest house.

I'll start with "neighbor 1" at our old house. From the day we moved into that house, "neighbor 1" made me raise an eyebrow. "Neighbor 1" and her husband BOTH grew up on this street, both sets of parents still live there, and it's NOT a big street. Our back yard had a pool and was enclosed with a 4ft chain link fence. When we first looked at this house, the pool was GREEN and very uncared for. By the time we closed on it, the sellers had it sparkling and beautiful. Anyway, "neighbor 1" made me think of the Jeff Foxworthy joke about "...if your family tree doesn't fork". Before the pool was cleaned this grown woman, mother of 3 children, told us that her husband told her she'd have to quit climbing the fence to swim in the pool. ::insert horrified look of disgust on my face:: Her husband later told us that when he went to work, his inlaws had to come and stay at the house b/c his wife "couldn't be left alone". This was after I witnessed him having a cow b/c she was standing in the front yard when he came home one day. Her oldest son is autistic, but the sweetest kid you've ever seen. At first the strange noises coming from their backyard were a little unnerving. After living there for a while, I learned his different sounds and could distinguish when he was happy, upset, hurt, ect. He never talked, but that kid touched my heart. I'll never forget the look on his face when I put candy in his little bucket on Halloween night. It still brings tears to my eyes b/c he couldn't have been more excited or happy if I'd given him a million dollars.

Soon after we moved in, I noticed stray cats EVERYWHERE. I called the local animal control, but was told that they were so short on manpower, that there was really nothing they could do. These cats wouldn't let anyone get near them, but "neighbor 1" SWORE they were her cats and got all kinds of upset when I told her that if she didn't keep them out of my yard and my trash, I'd kill them. Now I'm a huge cat person, but the smell of cat poop in MY yard and my trash being torn into and strewn made me not like these feral mongrels AT ALL.

The kicker is, "neighbor 1" wasn't the biggest pain in my rear in that house. Now for "neighbor 2". "Neighbor 2" lived 2 houses down to the right of my house. ("Neighbor 1" was on the left.) When we moved in, the house of "neighbor 2" was empty. After we put up a privacy fence, "neighbor 2" moved in. "Neighbor 2" consisted of a man, 2 women, and I'm estimating 5 or 6 kids. I never knew who belonged with who, but from the time they moved in, their front porch looked like a perpetual yard sale. There was CRAP stacked everywhere. They also had a dog. Now, I'm a country girl, and I love a hound as much as the next country girl, but this little bastage barked 24/7. A hound's bark isn't exactly one you can learn to tune out, either. I also try to be a good neighbor, and I understand that sometimes parties get a little loud. I try to overlook that b/c I was young once and we had our fair share of noisy parties. But when I can hear you TWO DOORS DOWN, talking over your music, and it's drowning out MY TV, we've got a problem.

After summer was over and The Hub had gone to Iraq, I had winterized the pool and covered it. One afternoon, there was a knock on my door. One of the kids from the "neighbor 2" house was standing there and asked if he could swim in my pool. I told him "no" thinking...

1. You're out of your damn mind.
2. I don't know you.
3. I've already winterized and covered the pool.
4. You're out of your damn mind.

I closed the door and went back to what I was doing when it dawned on me. "How does that kid know there's a pool back there? They moved in AFTER the privacy fence went up." That's when I walked out my back door to find a small footprint on the now caved-in lid of my trash can. OH HELL NO! I opened the back gate to find these kids playing in the back yard of the neighbor between us (a single woman who wasn't at home). I asked this kid, "Did you climb my fence and go into my back yard?" The kid innocently says, "Yes". ::temperature rising, heart beating in my ears, take a deep breath, don't strangle this kid:: The fact that there were no manners or "ma'am" in there didn't help matters. I told him very sternly, "You do NOT climb my fence or go into my back yard. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME? And by the way, this lady is NOT home, so you should not be inside her fence, either." This is when I saw who I assumed was his mother, standing in her yard at 4pm in a nightgown with a cigarette and a beer in her hand. I walked over and asked if that was her son. As if I had inconvenienced her, she sighed, "yes". ::ah, the apple didn't fall far from the tree, huh?:: "Ma'am, I live in that house over there. Your son just admitted that he climbed my fence and went into my back yard without permission." She raises one eyebrow as if she's thinking, "so what?" ::temperature rising, heart beating in the ears again, deep breath, don't strangle this woman:: "Ma'am, that's a wooden fence. If one of those panels broke from his weight, he could be seriously injured. He could fall and be seriously injured. There's a POOL in my yard. I will not have him or anyone else go back there and possibly DROWN. I'm willing to overlook it this time, but if it happens again, I will call the police." ::eyes widen with a look of shock on her face at the mention of the word 'police':: "Do you understand what I'm saying, ma'am?" She gives me a dropped jaw, stunned, "uh-huh". There was no "I'm sorry, I'll talk to him" or anything.

THAT is the kind of neighbor that makes you not EVER want a neighbor again in your entire life.

My neighbors now aren't bad. They aren't loud or annoying. One has parties, but they're never out of hand. They're friendly (with the exception of stuck-up Gunny across the street with the friendly family). Their teenagers aren't loud or disrespectful. My bicycle has been on my front porch since we moved in, and noone has bothered it. They always wave or speak. They've come over to introduce themselves (again, except for stuck-up Gunny). My neighbors here aren't the close kind you can't bear to move away from, but they do make life pleasant. Maybe I won't have to move to a remote island someday.

My home, my safe haven

2006-08-27T20:43:00.000-04:00

Being a Marine wife, we say that home is wherever the Marine Corps sends us. Currently it's a 4br rental house that I don't love, but it's not forever. One of the challenges of moving around as much as we do is adapting and having the ability to make any place "home". I've decorated our home and filled it with things that make it cozy and comfortable to us and to company. I've never wanted a house that felt "stuffy" or made people unsure of whether they could sit down when they came in the door.

One of the rooms I love is my kitchen, although not for the size and design. It's far too small with a non-working "working triangle". I love to cook, so I'm surrounded in there by things that make me happy. The colors I chose are cobalt blue, black and white. I altered a clock for my wall with ribbon, paint, and a cow stamp. I love cows, but there's no way I'm going bovine crazy in any room. I also painted a terra cotta flower pot to hold some of my MANY kitchen utensils. I have such a weakness for kitchen gadgets and cookware. In my dream home someday, my kitchen will have a very Tuscan feel to it.

In my dining room are some of my most prized possessions. There's an antique buffet that I've had for over 15 years now. It was given to me by a very special person once. My tea set is displayed in my china cabinet. The Hub bought it for me in Okinawa, and I've never seen another set even similar to it. Any time we move, it gets boxed up first and rides on the seat in the mom-mobile b/c it's too precious to me to be packed away and possibly damaged. My dining room is also where my "Gone With The Wind" collection is displayed. I have movie posters, b&w movie stills, plates, music boxes, and figurines that comprise this treasured collection.

Our living room is a sort of blank slate right now. It's very neutral b/c I can't decide which direction I want to go with it. No matter where "home" is, though, one wall in our living room is FILLED with family pictures. It keeps us close to them in a sense. Over our fireplace mantel is all of The Hub's plaques from different units in the Corps. They're reminders of his accomplishments, fellow Marines, and good times. There's a bookshelf with some of my angel collection and a shelf full of the albums I've done. There's also a couple of rocking chairs, one of which is an antique from Mexico with lots of hand-carving on it.

There are antiques and family heirloom pieces scattered throughout the house that cannot be replaced. My oldest daughter's bed is the one my grandfather built for me when I was a kid. He built things as a hobby after he became disabled, and that bed is the only one he ever made. It's made of cedar (as were most of his pieces) and put together with hand-carved pegs. The only metal or steel on that bed is the brackets for the side rails to attach to the head and foot. The four posts are made of 4x4 cedar studs and built to last! That thing does not move if you bump into it! Her chifferobe was one of the first pieces of furniture my other set of grandparents bought when they got married.

My craft room is definitely my favorite room in the house. It's the one room that's totally mine to decorate as I want. It's done in sage green with a touch of different shades of lavendar. My craft desk is a custom piece that The Hub built for me. I have a shelf with framed pictures of family and friends. On another shelf is a crate with all my stuffed cows in and on it. THAT is where my cow collection hides. ;) There's also a stuffed "Sully" from Monsters, Inc. up there, along with a Mickey Mouse that speaks Japanese (another souvenir from Okinawa). I have bookshelves and a cabinet that hold all of my crafting goodies, along with totes in the closet with other craft supplies in them. I have a few art pieces on the walls, like the puzzle from a puzzle swap I was in, an altered canvas I did, a framed pic of an angel that a girlfriend of mine gave me, and a few other misc. things.

No matter what our address is, my goal is to always have a safe haven and refuge for me and my family to escape the rigors of the outside world.

Playing catch-up

2006-08-27T11:11:00.000-04:00

I've been slacking on my blog for a couple of days now, so I thought I'd take a few minutes to catch up.

Friday's topic was "fave outfit"

I don't really have one outfit, so much as a type of outfit that I love. In the summer, I love my denim capris, a tee or tank top, and my Skecher flippies. I have two pair of those shoes (for now), and I LOVE them so much. I wear 'em with shorts, jeans, skirts, doesn't matter. They're comfy and with the issues I have with my right foot, they are wonderful. *sigh* I just can't say enough good stuff about 'em. They're NOT made for long-distance walking, however. When trying to keep up with The Hub and his long strides, they will leave a blister or two. So I learned that when we're going on one of our marathon, sight-seeing, explorations, it's best that the Skechers stay home.

In the winter (or when we're on the Harley), I love my Levi jeans, my black, clunky, man-boots (think combat boot-ish), some misc. shirt, and a hoodie. Ah, another true love of mine. I rearranged my closet the other day, and I have at least 8 or 9 hoodies/polar fleece pull-overs in there. That doesn't include the ones that *really* belong to The Hub, but I wear 'em, too. Some are fleece, a couple are woven "Mexican blanket"-ish that I got in Mexico a few years ago, some zip, some are pullovers, but they're all cozy and comfy.

Saturday..."Must have's for your day"

This one's pretty simple and straight-forward. First and foremost, I MUST have my morning Dr. Pepper and a cigarette. (I know, bad me.) As soon as I get out of bed, wash my face, I head for the refrigerator, slip that can into my USMC coozie (we have several, but that one's MINE), and head to the garage for my morning smoke. (I don't smoke on the back deck in the mornings b/c the sun is KILLER and my eyes are way sensitive.)

Another "must have" is my computer. I've proven that I *can* live without it (when visiting my family who still live in the stone age), but it's not pleasant.

I absolutely, positively MUST HAVE a good-bye kiss from The Hub every morning. I don't get up with him b/c that's his time, but he always comes in to kiss me before he leaves. When he's deployed I obviously don't get those, but when he's home, there will be kisses every morning.

Gracie is a "must have" for me. She's our 6-yo calico cat that we've had since she was about 5 weeks old. We have our morning snuggle time where she sits in my lap while I watch the news. Bedtime is time for more snuggles, as she curls up under the top cover for a few minutes before going to her basket for the night. She's my baby and a HUGE part of our family. She's so smart and even does tricks! Yep, a cat that will sit up on her hind legs, reach for you with one front paw and meow when you tell her to remember her manners, and also jump into my arms when she wants to be carried (never will do it for The Hub, though).

The last "must have" for me comes about an hour before bedtime. 20mg of Requip. I have Restless Leg Syndrome, and trying to sleep without that dose at night is torture for me and The Hub. I hate to be dependent on a prescription, but nights are almost unbearable otherwise.

Oh, Brother

2006-08-24T21:39:00.000-04:00

Today's topic...siblings. Hmm, where do I start? I have an older brother, and it's just the two of us. Being almost four years apart, we were sworn enemies until he moved out to go to college. Don't get me wrong, I love my brother dearly, but sometimes I'd still like to shake the snot out of him.

We're like night and day in every aspect.

~He's a tall, dark-haired mountain of a man. I'm a short little redhead.
~He's a pro at keeping things bottled up inside, while I have the shortest fuse ever and blow up all over the place.
~He's never lived outside the state we were both born in (with the exception of the year he went to college and still came home every weekend). I, on the other hand, have lived ALL over creation, it seems. My ex was in the Army, and The Hub is a Marine, so all of my adult life has revolved around the military.
~In high school, he was Mr. Popular, Capt. of the football team, stud extraordinaire, and went to parties every weekend. I was a geek. My friends were geeks. I didn't hang out with the popular kids. I didn't date much, and can count on one hand the number of parties I went to during my entire 12 years of school.
~He was "Daddy's Boy" and came and went as he pleased. They'd go off fishing and hunting together all the time. I was "Momma's Girl" and was SO overprotected that it's actually kind of sad. I won't even go into that whole thing.

It's a wonder we even speak to each other, huh?

Anyway, I totally blame him for my fear of the dark. Well, not actually the dark, but what's IN the dark. Yes, I'm 35 years old and cannot walk down a dark hallway without having a panic attack. You see, my brother has always been a big-time prankster with a mischievous streak about a mile wide. Nothing gave him more pleasure when we were kids than to scare the bujeezes out of me. Hiding behind doors, in dark doorways, under my bed, you get the picture. He'd wait until his "dumb little sister" came by and jump out and yell. He *still* picks on me when I go back to visit the family.

And fights? Oh, boy, they were doozies. That's practically ALL we did growing up. We were latch-key kids (before that was even a term), and it's a miracle my parents didn't come home from work to find us both dead with our hands still clenched around each other's throats. And when he'd tear something up, he'd MAKE me take the blame for it. My parents KNEW that he was the one who did it, but he'd never 'fess up. Why did I take the blame? I was younger, smaller, and he was in charge when we were home alone. My life was already hard enough without throwing that monkey in the blender.

The boy tortured me on a regular basis. When I was around 3, I had no friends in the neighborhood b/c they were ALL boys. So I did what any annoying little sister would do. I tried to follow them every step they made all thru the woods and everywhere else. He got tired of it one day (my mom was in the house), so he fixed the problem. He convinced me that we were gonna play "Cowboys and Indians". Well, I got captured and TIED TO A TREE in the yard. Then he left me there and went to his friend's house! My mom said she kept hearing me call him from the same place in the yard and wondered why I didn't try to go find him. When she came out, there I was. Who knows how long I would've been there otherwise. And my mother is still amazed that I spent so much time alone in my room growing up. Gee, Mom, I dunno!

The torture didn't stop there, though. Like I said, we fought like cats and dogs. When he'd get tired of it, (keep in mind he was bigger than me) he'd tie my hands and feet up, throw me on my bed, stuff a sock in my mouth, and shut my door. All of this happened while our parents were at work. Of course, to get rid of any evidence of such a thing, he'd untie me just a few minutes before they got home. I still told on him, and he'd get in trouble, but it never stopped him from doing it again. HE was the stubborn one back then. The tides have now turned. ::insert evil grin here::

Oh, and when I got into junior high and high school, he beat up ANY boy who even looked at me. Yeah, we're talking slamming them into lockers and threatening their very lives. He was VERY protective of me. No wonder I didn't date much, huh?

Times weren't always bad, though. I still giggle about the yarns he'd spin, and I was naive enough to believe them. One always comes to mind. I was maybe 4 or 5 years old. He had a BB gun and had tossed it on his bed one day and punched a hole in the sheetrock of his wall. When I asked him what made the hole, he told me that there was a monkey inside the wall. Stupid me believed him and proceeded to make this hole bigger to try to see this monkey. Well, who got in trouble for the hole in the wall? ME. I don't know why that still strikes me as funny, but it does.

Back then, smoking wasn't the big "no-no" it is now. Since our dad and our uncles all smoked, we (along with some of our cousins) decided to try it one day at our grandma's house. I still, for the life of me, don't remember where grandma and the moms were, but I'm sure the dad's were off fishing or hunting somewhere. Anyway, there were no cigarettes in the house, so we decided that DRINKING STRAWS would suffice as a good substitute in this situation. Sheesh, we lit those things on fire in the kitchen, and it's a wonder we didn't burn the house down. Needless to say, we didn't enjoy smoking.

There was also the time grandma's vase was mysteriously broken (again while we were all there unsupervised). We glued it back together, and to this day we all swear that the vase had ALWAYS been that way.

After he went to college, his weekends home were different. The two of us would go off to the movie together or go get a pizza or something. I think it finally dawned on us that we were growing up and wouldn't always have each other *right there*. It was time to mend fences. I had always been the annoying little sister, and he was always the mean big brother, but things changed.

So, yeah, growing up was an adventure, and it wasn't always easy, but he's the only brother I'll ever have. There's nothing we wouldn't do for each other.

The best and worst in scrapbooking supplies

2006-08-23T14:52:00.000-04:00

In my four and a half years of scrapbooking, I've had my hands on a LOT of different tools and supplies. Some have become "must have's" while others fall into the "that is the most awful thing I've ever seen!" category. Here are a few:

Love 'em

~Cutterpede trimmer - I've tried so many different trimmers, but the Cutterpede is the best I've come across. Crooked cuts and "off" measurement lines aren't an issue with this little green gem.

~Quickutz, especially the new squeeze hand tool - Their dies ROCK! It quickly becomes an obsession that overtakes your brain, screaming, "MUST HAVE MORE!" The old hand tools took more effort and were harder on the hands, but the new ones are heavenly.

~Perfect Layers - I mat a LOT of photos and journaling blocks, and this set is completely idiot proof. The mat that comes with it went into the trash soon after arrival b/c it stunk to high heaven, but those two ruler things are a definite "must have" in my stash.

~Xyron - OMG, how did I ever scrap without one? LOVE IT!!! The little "X" is invaluable! I have a 500 also, but I don't use it nearly as often.

~Bazzill cardstock - Yes, I started out using the flimsy non-textured cardstock that comes in packs at Wal-Mart. People told me that once I ever got my hands on a sheet of Bazzill, I'd turn into a paper snob. Whaddya know? They were right. On occasion, I don't have the right shade of Bazzill (oh, the horror!) and am forced to use something else that's been in my stash forever and a day. *ick* The weight, texture, and colors that Bazzill has is just beyond comparison to me.

~K&Co albums - *sigh* 'nuff said. They're pretty, durable, and the page protectors are true to size.

~Tim Holtz Distress Inks - Holy cow, what I wouldn't do to see into that man's imagination. I'll spare you my Tim Holtz babbling, though. Those inks are the greatest thing ever, and I have almost every color. Love 'em! Period.

Now that I'm in this dreamy stupor of scrapbooking heaven, I'll relive some *blick* moments of discovery.

Hate 'em

~QVC kits - I've bought two in my lifetime. Hey, I was a beginner and thought I had to have everything I saw that was scrapbook related! They're such a waste of money to me! Yeah, I used the albums, but most of the paper, stickers, and diecuts are STILL in my stash of "Please God, make my daughters use this crap!" I totally blame Lisa B. and David V. for that lapse in sanity.

~Page protectors that aren't true 12x12 - "ARGHHH!!!" That is THE most annoying thing ever! It sends me into tangents similar to an exorcism that would make sailors blush. Because I've run across the horrid things on more than one occasion, I stick with K&Co albums and refills because I *know* I wouldn't scare small children if they watched me put a LO in one.

~Creative Imaginations older lines of paper - Once again, can these people NOT measure a freakin' piece of paper??? I often layer patterned paper onto cardstock, and when I have a gap at the top or bottom b/c the 12x12 paper isn't *really* 12x12...well see the comment about the page protectors for my reaction.

~Paperkins - Yes, I used these little dorks in the past, and I have a couple of templates to make more, but I've evolved. I can't even begin to explain what all I hate about them.

~Tombo repositionable tape runners - Ugh. I just can't even go there. Licking the back of your picture to stick it down would give you better holding power.

And the worst thing EVAH???

~The grey and orange Fiskars paper trimmer!! - Ack!!!!! It's horrid. I had one for a while. It flew across the room several times b/c it refused to cooperate. All I ask is for a STRAIGHT CUT, for cryin' out loud. Is that too much to ask? I was so dissappointed in it b/c as a seamstress, I've been a devoted Fiskars customer for many years. Their dressmaker scissors are just the cat's meow. They just seriously missed the mark with this little hunk of junk. I've heard that their other trimmers are much better, but I'm not willing to give them a chance. I've found my trimmer.

So there you have it. The good, the bad, and horrible according to me.

Goals

2006-08-23T09:15:00.000-04:00

We all have goals. Some are short-term, while others may take years to achieve. Here are some of mine, in no particular order.

Short Term
Lose weight
Exercise more
Quit smoking (okay, this one may turn long term on me)
Get packed so our move in December will be as smooth as possible
Move and settle in to our new home
Catch up on craft projects that I haven't done yet

Long Term
Be the best wife and mother I can possibly be
Get out of debt
Provide a comfortable, safe, happy home for my family to come home to
Find a vehicle that I truly love and will love for more than a year or two
Buy a house in SC and move HOME (this won't be until after The Hub's retirement)
Put our two girls thru the colleges of their choice
Start my own business (once again, this will be after his retirement)

The lists go on and on, but these are a good starting point.

Cancer revisited

2006-08-21T17:03:00.000-04:00

Back in June of1998, after 7 short months of marriage to the man of my dreams, I was given a diagnosis that shook me to the core and left me forever changed. I was diagnosed with Clark's Level IV malignant melanoma and told if I didn't undergo surgery and chemotherapy, I wouldn't live.

Today was my annual check-up, and since we recently moved, it was with a new oncologist at a new office. I wasn't sure what to expect and hoped that this one would be different from my last oncologist.

A little back history...When I was first diagnosed, my oncologist (an absolute angel sent from heaven) told me that I would need check-ups with an oncologist and dermatologist for the rest of my life, along with CT scans, blood work, full body examinations, etc. Like I said, this man was heaven-sent, and his word was and still is gospel to me.

When I was in South Carolina, my oncologist wasn't proactive at all and made me feel that since I had hit my 5-yr. mark with no recurrence, I was wasting his time by taking a few minutes of his time once a year. I had to be a complete witch to get him to do referrals for my scans b/c he "felt they were unnecessary at this point".

Fast forward to today. My new oncologist didn't even give me a chance to say, "I haven't had a CT scan in a year, and I need you to put in a referral for one." She asked me! "When was your last CT scan? When was your last female exam? Have you ever had a mammogram? When's the last time you saw a dermatologist?" Imagine the look of complete shock, amazement, and joy on my face at this point. She cares! She IS a good one! I walked out of that office with an appointment already made for my CT scan and mammogram, which will both take place THREE days from now.

But now I have to share the part of my day that reached in, grabbed my heart, and touched my soul. Before I saw the doctor, the nurse called me back to do the whole weight, blood pressure, temp. thing. When I sat down in the chair for her to draw blood, I looked at the room I was in. It was the treatment room. "Dear God, give me strength. I *can't* be in here." So many feelings and emotions came rushing back to me that I had to fight back the tears. This was the first time I'd been IN a treatment room since I went thru chemo. In the center of the room was a half-circle of recliners, each with a little table beside it. In the corner was a refrigerator with juices and sodas. Next to it was a shelf with snacks and soups. There was a TV, but for the life of me, I don't know what was on it. There were several pale, frail-looking, bald people sitting in these recliners, covered with blankets with IVs hooked to them. Although they were complete strangers to me, I felt a kinship and a bond with them. I was there, in one of those recliners, having that poison pumped into my veins just a few years ago. Although much of that year of my chemo is a blur, I remember my oncology nurses and my husband begging me to eat *something*...just a little soup, maybe some crackers, *anything*. My heart was breaking for these patients, knowing what they're experiencing and knowing that some of them may not see the other side of this mountain they're climbing. At the same time, though, my chest swelled with pride for them because despite everything, they're still fighting that fight and still have their sense of humor. They're not letting it beat them.

It was a moving experience for me, to say the least. These people, although still strangers to me, will remain in my thoughts and prayers. My greatest hope and wish is that there will come a day when each of them can look back and say, "I beat that horrible monster called cancer."

Bad Habits

2006-08-20T21:40:00.000-04:00

Me? Are you kidding? I don't have any bad habits!

Excuse me while I duck to avoid lightening striking. Whew, now I'll 'fess up.

I am notorious for my bad habits. To avoid writing a novel by going into detail, I decided to just list some of them. Okay, I *might* explain on some of 'em.

-I'm VERY picky and VERY stubborn.
-I smoke. I know I should quit. I plan to quit. But I *enjoy* it.
-I pick at my fingernails and tear them off when I'm stressed.
-I'm THE world's worst procrastinator, especially when it comes to medical check-ups. The Hub makes sure I don't gaff them off for long, though.
-I'm HORRIBLE about keeping in touch with people. That goes back to that procrastination thing.
-I drink too much soda.
-I don't eat right.
-I don't exercise enough. As a matter of fact, I hate to exercise. Too bad I wasn't one of those people born with a metabolism that stays in high gear.
-I am way hard on myself.

So there you have it. It's not pretty, but it's me.

Jumping in vs. Wait and see

2006-08-19T10:36:00.000-04:00

I've never been one to jump onto something when it's brand new. For some reason, I wait around and say, "No, I don't wanna do that" only to change my mind later. One of my friends (you know who you are) has told me several times that I should blog, but I resisted until now. Why? I don't know.

It was the same way with scrapbooking. I had a group of friends that got together for weekly crops, and I'd go and hang out with them, but it 'wasn't for me'. Ha! Wrong! Once I decided to give it a shot, I was COMPLETELY hooked. The entire room in my house that holds scrapbooking, stamping, and other craft supplies shows that it didn't become a hobby...it became a way of life. I can't look at things without my mind immediately shifting to "How could I alter that?" "That would make a great pic for a layout!" You get the picture.

Same story with television shows. I never watched Sex & The City until it went off HBO. Now? I've seen most episodes several times and LOVE it. Why wasn't I interested then? Just recently I've started watching (and enjoying) Grey's Anatomy. Yes, almost everyone on a message board I'm on watch it religiously, but nope, not me. Well, maybe *this* season I will. ::grinning sheepishly::

So why do I do this? Is there something somewhere inside me that fights "fitting in" and being like everyone else so much? I do love marching to the beat of my own drummer. There's no figuring me out, though.

Why start blogging now? Because it gets awfully noisy with all these thoughts and ideas rattling around in here. This'll give me a chance to set some of 'em free. We'll see how it goes.