Saturday, December 27, 2008

*stomach gurgles*

*coping with the stomach flu*

Hope you all are well! Happy Holidays!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Visit to Baltimore

We had a nice day, going into Baltimore to buy some candy at Rheb's. While there, we saw our former neighbor who works in the store. The store is located in our old neighborhood, and we used to walk 1/2 a city block to get there. The candy is really good, and there were lots of people buying their candy today. They are always busy this time of year.

The little candy factory is in the basement of a townhouse on Wilkens Avenue, and the candy is sold in a converted garage made into a store behind the candy factory. One year, they bought out free samples for people who were waiting in line. The samples were quite edible, just not "perfect" enough to make it into a Rheb's candy box.

The factory hires seasonal help to make all their Christmas candy, and the factory is kept busy almost day and night during the days before Christmas.

So, I told our former neighbor we were going down the street to visit her aunt. That small neighborhood houses a lot of their relatives, which is nice.

We dropped in on Sandy, and she was surprised. Of course, she said her house was a mess, but really it was like ours, so we felt at home. She is a bit older than we are, and has 2 grown kids in their 40's. Her mother lives with her, and her husband was off driving a truck. They have a farm in Delmar, Delaware with 50 acres, and an old farm house, where they hope to retire someday, but with the economy being the way it is, they just don't know how long it will be before John can quit his job, and move to Delaware.

They bought the farm back in the 80's, when the price was just $120K. Now it's worth much more than that, because there are people who want to buy a farm with horse stables in that area, and there aren't that many of them available.

John and Sandy are planning to build a new home, and tear down the old one.

Anyway, it was nice to see someone from the old Baltimore days. As neighbors, we shared so many memories.

Then we went to Wendy's to eat. There was a Santa Claus there, but we were the only customers in the place. The real action was across the highway at the new Super Walmart, with a lot of other eateries available. I wonder if this Wendy's can stay in business.

We went over to Walmart, and found it to be busy, but bigger than the either of the 2 Walmarts we have in Frederick. It was nicely laid out, to display all of their pots and pans, and kitchen stuff. I only wish I had a bit more browsing time.

We went from there to my parent's old house, where my brother and sister still live. It had changed, and fortunely, they had taken up the old smelly carpet, and gotten rid of the 2 cats who weren't using the litter box. They did clean up some stuff since I'd seen it last.

My brother was the only one home when we got there, and we had a nice talk. I didn't bring up the will yet, because I needed to feel him out, and find out how his health is, and what's going on between him and my sister. He opened up to us more than he ever had before, and I was grateful he was talkative. It is hard for him, because he suffered a stroke about 5 years ago, and has trouble enunciating his words.

Joe has been paying the utility bills, and keeping Wendy afloat, while she waited for a judgement on a SSI case. She is going to receive a settlement soon, which will help her get back on her feet. She has gained at least 50 pounds, and looks very tired. She is bi-polar, and on about 11 different medications.

Compared to their lives, my life looks like a piece of cake. It did me good to see them, and they were happy to see me. It might have been the box of candy I'd bought for each of them. :D

Just kidding. I know they really love me, but sometimes it's hard to stay connected to your siblings, when life takes you here and there. I found out through Joe that Wendy still has the same boyfriend, the boyfriend who stole money from my father when my father was dying. The boyfriend who is a drug addict.

Well, at least Joe doesn't do hard drugs anymore. I think he just smokes a little weed. He knows better, but only because of that stroke that almost took his life. He told me he does go to the doctors every 3 months, which is good. His right side is numb, so he can't drive, but I think he has a small motorized bike of some kind.

I had a nice talk with my niece Carrie who has taken up residence in the living room as her place to sleep, compute, and watch television. She is looking for her own place, and is working at the aforementioned Walmart.

I told her to look into the Lansdowne Apartments where I used to live. She said they had a 2 year waiting list. That was the same thing they had told me back in the 70's when I phoned to inquire about an apartment. Then, I had decided to go into the rental office there, and ask if I could put in my application.

Well, I was floored when the manager told me there was an apartment available within a month's time. I was happy, though, and the apartment was nice.

I told Carrie to just go visit the office. Maybe she could get an apartment sooner than she thinks.


Monday, December 22, 2008

Church parties

We had an international dinner Friday night, and I bought Hungarian stuffed cabbage with barbecued ribs on top of it. It was delicious, if I say so myself. The barbecued pork ribs were gone before I knew it.

We had all kinds of Asian, European, Hispanic, African, and more I can't even remember, dishes. I sampled a lot of different things, so I basically had small bites of a large variety of foods. I loved it, especially when I scored a piece of chocolate cake that was really moist, the way a good chocolate cake should be.

The next day, I had leftover stuffed cabbage, and if there's anything better than stuffed cabbage, it's leftover stuffed cabbage. I remembered that it was that way when my mother made it when I was growing up. I did not exactly use her recipe, but threw one together with a general guideline of an online recipe. I used cooked brown rice, ground turkey, and ground pork in mine. I filled up a roasting pan with cabbage rolls filled with the meat mixture, added a can of sauerkraut, topped it with a can of tomato paste, topped that with the pork ribs, and cooked it for 2 hours in a 350 oven. It was nice and done when I took it out, and I put some homemade barbecue sauce on it for the last 15 minutes. The ribs looked a lot better wearing the sauce.

Then we had a little gathering after church today, and I brought some pigs in a blanket that were from the frozen section of the dollar store. I had cooked them on the indoor grill last night, and then heated them up to serve at this little after church party. They went quickly. Most of the finger food was sweets, at least when I got to the tables, but there were some grapes, and some cheese and crackers.

DH asked me if the "pig" in the blanket was sausage. I told him I thought they were hotdogs, but really did not know, because I had not made them from scratch. He was surprised to learn they were from the dollar store. I did bring 2 packages, so it only cost me $2 to look like a good cook. Well, at least to some people at the party, lol. I did not even try them. I'd had them before and really did not think they were all that great. People at our church parties will eat just about anything, though.

As I put the plate of food on the table, I turned, and an acquaintance of mine was spilling her plate, so I helped her get it upright. She coldly said, "Thank you.", and then turned to her son who is 15 years old, and weighs about 300 pounds. She was asking him what the food I had brought out was. He had already scarfed one down, and was grabbing some more. He told her they were sausages.

I mention this here, because this woman has been difficult for me to deal with for the past few years. I thought we were okay, but recently she's been complaining about something that happened 2 years ago, when I could no longer help her family in a driving situation.

Well, just to get it off my chest, I've done a lot of favors for this person, and she still did not appreciate it, and still doesn't understand why I had to stop doing this almost daily driving favor. I have sleep apnea, and it is severe enough that I've had to curtail my driving for my own personal needs, like going across town to shop. I stay closer to home now, and I only drive when I'm rested enough. I can't take a chance on getting into an accident.

I really can't help it, but the whole thing just makes me sad. I thought the problems we had were water under the bridge, but I think she takes joy in holding grudges against me. Well, I have my own life and all that. The weird thing is that my family has helped hers and taken them all out to dinner since that time. You would think I would have been forgiven, but apparently not.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Family Christmas Photo


Well, here it is - my family in a Christmas photo. That's me on the left, DD in the middle holding Dusty Sneakers, and DH. This was taken after Church in our backyard, where we figured the light would be better.
Merry Christmas, everyone!

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Blogger is driving me crazy!

That last post was supposed to be separated into paragraphs. Blogger kept taking out my blank lines, so it doesn't look as 'readable' as I would like it to be.

I Scored at Linens and Things




The only thing that bothers me about buying from them is they don't accept returns, but the price on a Super set = a comforter with bedskirt, 2 regular shams, 2 European shams, 2 decorator pillows was too low for me to resist, and I love the look of the set. I really want to dress up the bedroom. I also bought 2 tablecloths - again, too cheap to pass up. The whole order with shipping was $49 and some change. I can't beat that with a stick.

The tablecloths are laser cut with holly leafs around the edges, and I bought two different sizes because of the leaf in the table changing the table size. I only wish they had it in red, but alas, it was only in green. Buy one, get the second one for 50 percent off the already low price of $3.24. Wow!

Another bargain I got recently was a pair of prescription glasses for only $1 plus shipping. They look like reading glasses, but I bought them in my nearsighted single vision prescription. They are really cute, too! I only paid $5.95 total, and I got a hard case with them, too.
I bought another pair at an optical place, and using our insurance, I paid $118 for them. I think they are just okay, nothing too great. I was a little too quick in deciding on them. I thought they were cool because they came with magnetic polaroid shades that are easy to put on and take off.
When I came to pick them up, they told me to pick out a soft cloth case - which is totally worthless, IMHO. If I wanted a hard case, they would charge me an addition $7.50. No wonder their store has so few customers when I've been there.

I've since told DH to cancel my optical insurance because I have to go to an eye specialist anyway, because of my diabetes. They eye specialist gives me my prescription on a laminated card, and I can use it to order glasses online.
My next pair will be rimless with progressive lens and transition (the darkening out in the sun). These will cost me approximately $80 on the web. Also, I don't like that the insurance only covers new frames every 2 years. I want new ones every year, and I can easily afford them at the online prices, without paying for the stupid insurance.

I'm coming out of a depressed mood. I'm struggling to get things done, for health reasons. I'm suddenly realizing how high maintenance my life has become. I have to inject myself with insulin every day. I have to wear a sleep mask for my sleep apnea. I have to take prescription medications.

I think I'm feeling better now, though.

Oh, and I found 2 hard eyeglass cases in new condition for $1 each at Salvation Army last night, so I am all set.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Change is good, sales are even better

Barack Obama is to be our next President. He is giving his first speech as President Elect as I am typing this.

I am proud of him. I wanted him to win. I believe in him. This is the first election that I have felt this way about any candidate. I hope he is up to the challenge in taking on this job.

Barack's kids are getting a new puppy! Woo Hoo!

Earlier today I went shopping for a pair of Naturalizer shoes. I had preselected them last week, and had to wait until today to purchase them, because my credit card cycle begins today. I was a little concerned that they might not be there in my size, but not only were they still there, but there was a "Senior Sale" I had to ask at what age do they consider someone to be a senior. Happily, the lady behind the cash register said age 55, so I told her I was 56. Then she asked to see my driver's license. Woo Hoo. I don't look my age.

Anyway, I got 15 percent off, so I saved $7.50. That was a nice reward for waiting to buy my shoes. The only problem is, I want to go back tomorrow to see if there is anything else at the Bonton I would like to buy on the Senior Sale. The sale is on for today and tomorrow only.

I took my DD to vote for the very first time. She and I are both elated because Barack Obama won. Yayyyy!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Get out and vote!

I don't care which party you vote for, just be sure and vote. It will be DD's first vote, and she is excited.

I think Obama did a good 30 minute ad last night. He's ready for the POTUS position, IMHO.

Meanwhile, DH says he is voting secret ballot, so he won't tell us who he is voting for. Tee hee - I know it's Obama.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

New Speakers

I just received new speakers for my laptop. I'm excited, as now I have better quality and louder sound. Now I can listen to some great tunes, and movies. Yay!

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Beautiful Fall



Love the music and the scenery.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Started a Facebook account

I wanted to find a way to stay in touch with my sister who doesn't have a phone. I guess I will be writing her and my brother letters instead, giving them my information. We really need to talk about that will.

In the meantime, I have good days and bad days. Yesterday I tried exercising on the rowing machine. It took me 15 minutes to figure out how to get down on it. I have pain in my knees and this was not easy, though I think my knee pain diminished afterward, so I will use it again today.

DD has a cold, so she didn't go to her morning class, and we haven't gotten her learner's permit. I guess that can wait until Monday, because tomorrow is going to be busy. DH and I are going to the DC Temple, and having lunch at the Hong Kong restaurant down in Kensington. I enjoy Chinese food, but I really wish they served it with brown rice. I wonder if there is a place that does that? Maybe in California, but probably not in MD.

I usually order something with shrimp in it. I think the Hong Kong has better food than most of the Frederick restaurants.

I still have a store trip to make to buy orange juice, chicken noodle soup, and english muffins. DD had a fever of 102 last night, so that's when I knew she was really ill. I just hope I don't catch it.

DD and I had lunch with our friend Stephanie on Wednesday. It was a little hard to pin down a restaurant as our tastes are different. We finally decided on Boston Market. The lunch was $5 specials, and I had a coupon for DD and I. I ordered the dark meat rotieserrie meal with mashed potatoes, and corn bread, no drink. I brought filtered water from home in my stainless steel cup. I left it out in the car though. DD had the chicken salad sandwich with mashed potatoes, and a drink. Stephanie had the rotiserrie chicken sandwich with a side of yams, and a drink. We had a nice little talk.

I think the next time we go, sometime next month, it will be at Wendy's maybe. I can enjoy a Mandarin chicken salad. Their dressing has changed and doesn't have high fructose corn syrup in it.

I really don't believe those advertisements for hfcs. They've really got to be kidding.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

The Chocolate Pearl


Well, I have this ring that I bought a while ago. I purchased it from the internet, and it was an estate (read used) piece. It was 2 4mm pearls in a gold setting with 2 small diamonds. I hardly ever wore it because it was kind of boring.

Then one day I remembered the day and night pearl ring I used to have as a teenager. A BF had bought it for me. It was a going steady ring. Do kids do that anymore? Anyway, I gave it back to him when he broke up with me. He didn't ask for it back, but I just thought it was the right thing to do.

I decided it would be nice to have a day and night pearl ring again, but they are either expensive or hard to find. I took that 2 pearl ring, and colored one of the pearls with a black magic marker. Of course it looked tacky. I then decided I wanted to remove one of the pearls so I could replace one with a black pearl. I tugged at one of the pearls, but it did not budge at first. Then, in the process of wearing the ring, one of the pearls fell off. Wahla! Now I could replace one of pearls with a black one.

I then decided to look for a small black pearl online. It would have to be about the same size and round, not one of the fresh water pearls.

I did find a place that sold black pearls, but in the process of choosing a pearl, I decided I really liked the look of the chocolate colored pearls, so I ordered one to glue onto the ring. I'm not a professional jewelry maker or anything, so I'm a little apprehensive about doing this.

I ordered the chocolate pearl, but forgot to inspect the ring first. It turns out that I need a half drilled pearl, but I had ordered it not drilled at all. This would not do, so days after I had placed my order, I emailed them. My email system informed me the mail was undeliverable for some strange reason.

Much to my surprise, the company answered my email, telling me they would change the order. I am so excited. I can't wait to get my hands on my new pearl.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Community College

Today DD and I went to the Community College in our area for an orientation. We have already been through placement testing (last week), paid for tuition (over $700 for 2 courses), and bought books (218 total, 155 was for an elementary math book).

It was interesting to see the staff as they informed us of what to expect. The college president is a nice lady, who has a good presence. I need to be more like that. Lately I've been lacking some self-esteem. Anyway, the presentation was valuable.

Now, here's the thing. I want to apply for a position there at the college - one that seems to be right up my alley, but I have to convince them of that. The last 2 jobs I applied for told me I did not have any "secretarial experience", even though my days as an accounting technician was mosting typing reports, answering phones, filing and such. I disagreed, but decided not to call them on it. It just felt like I wasn't supposed to get that job.

This job is in the registration and transcript department. I would be doing lots of data entry, helping people register, and so on. It is a full time job, though, and I've been wanting just a part time position of 20 hours a week. I don't know if I can hack it, and take care of my house.

Anyway, getting a job there would mean DD's tuition is absolutely free. I would love that part, but I'm her ride to school, so she would have to possibly take a bus to or from school on some days. It would not hurt her to do this. She has a class on Monday night, and one on Friday morning. The job is mostly days, but there is one night until 7 PM.

I'm a bit nervous just thinking about the interview. I haven't worked in 19 years, even though I've done some computer work for the church in the interim, and I've worked as an elections judge.

I really think a better job is out there. I would love a part time job in the library, working at the circulation desk. I've seen them posted, but the timing has not been right. Maybe I should just wait. Most of the library circulation desk jobs are 17 to 20 hours a week and that would be just fine, except for maybe having to work weekends.

We just want DD to get used to going to school, so no job for her yet. She may be able to apply for Christmas jobs in October, because there are numerous opportunities right here in our neighborhood for that kind of work.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Hair curlers

Last week in the Giant Eagle grocery store, I saw 2 women wearing hair curlers with kerchiefs over their heads. I thought that look went out when people started using hot rollers, blow dryers, and flat irons. What the heck?

Granted, I grew up in the 60's, and can remember when people did wear curlers in public. It just doesn't look right. It's almost as bad as wearing your pajamas in public.

Saturday, August 09, 2008

GED

DD had a pretest on Tuesday, and then a practice test on Thursday. We received the results for the practice test yesterday in the mail, and they were good. I'm glad, because she has been studying the book for about 6 months now. She should know this stuff well enough to take the test.

Now all we have to do is fill out the application form, write out a check, and send it in to Baltimore before the 15th of August. They will let her take the GED the 2nd weekend in September, and we will get the results in October. By that time, she will be halfway through her first semester at Frederick Community College.

Monday, August 04, 2008

Family Reunion

Yesterday was the White Family Reunion in Mummasburg, PA at the Mummasburg Sportsmen's Club - which is a baseball field with a small building with bathrooms, kitchen, and a community room. The building is air conditioned, but this year we did not need it. It was so beautiful outside - perfect for the picnic.

Everyone brings something - like a potluck dinner. I usually love the fried chicken selection, but this year it was so much grease. Maybe I am not used to it anymore. I prefer skinless chicken these days anyway.

Things of note: One of my cousins has lost 120 pounds, motivated by a stroke she had. She is about 52 years old. She had always been heavy her whole life, but now is a more regular size. She almost lost her vision because of the stroke, and she loves to read, so it was a difficult situation for her.

Another thing: I started talking to cousin Nancy about my parent's estate. Dad died back in 2002, and my mother died last year in May, 2007. They had told me 14 years ago that I was the executor of their will. I don't know if that has changed at all. My brother told everyone, except me, that the house is his. It's probably just wishful thinking on his part, but I really need to know if I am supposed to be dividing up the property three ways - my sister had been living with him in the parental home, but they were not getting along the last time I heard. She always comes back there to roost when she can't manage to pay her rent or house payment. She has lost 2 homes to foreclosure through the years, and declared bankruptcy 2 times.

Anyway, neither one of them is good managing their money. My brother has had a stroke and is on disability. At least he has some income coming in. He used to be a junkie, and now he still indulges in marijuana.

My parents' old home is a mess. I would not want to live there for any amount of money, but it is a single family home that could fetch up to $150 if it was sold.

So cousin Nancy told me I must get in touch with my father's best friend and neighbor so I can find out the name of the lawyer who drew up the will. My brother has a copy of it in his safe, but we have not spoken about it. Frankly, I am a little afraid of my brother's temper, as I know he does not want to have "his home" taken away from him. Darn it all, my family could use the money. My DH is working overtime to pay for home repairs and the upcoming college tuition for DD.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

98th post


Well, today I cut DD's hair and frosted it lightly. It looks better. She has a lot of hair, and it's very curly, so it's not easy to cut evenly. I did manage to make it look even though.

I have a few sewing projects I need to do - like make a handbag and make my own bra. It sounds hard, but I don't think it will be that difficult for me, as I have been sewing for years. I have the handbag fabric, but need to find the right bra fabric. I'll post a picture when I get the handbag finished. I hope to get it done tomorrow.

DD and I need to get over to the community college for placement testing and registration. They have a great curriculum that sounds like it is right up her alley. She takes loads of digital pictures and videos. The AA program is called Digital Media, and they have a 20 hour certificate program for Computer Graphics that she can start with, and use the courses from that to fulfill the AA degree in Digital Media. I'm excited for her, but DH keeps putting his 2 cents in. For example, I don't think she should start off taking math the first semester, but he thinks she should get it over with, especially since it is still fresh in her mind.

OTOH, I don't want her to get all discouraged because math is her least favorite subject. I almost want to lie to him and tell him they don't have an available class for her in math. I know I should not feel this way. She is only taking 2 courses this semester, and looking for a part time job.




Friday, July 25, 2008

RIP Mr. Mystic

Just wanted to acknowledge the passing of Mystic's husband. While I didn't really get to talk to him at the Niagara Peep meet, I feel somehow changed by his passing. I am frightened, I think, of sudden loss of family members.

Both of my parents have gone to the other side of the veil. I feel that they were ready for that transition. In both of their cases, they had been basically invalids for at least 5 years previous to their deaths. The quality of their lives was not very high.

Topped off with the dizzy spell I had on Friday, I decided that I need to make some changes to my habits to improve my health. I have had 2 days basically to myself. The laundry has been done on Monday. I did a favor to a friend by picking up her kids at the airport on Tuesday. I prodded DD to pack her things on Wednesday, and tried to catch up on my sleep. Yesterday I spent the day reading a book, giving myself a manicure, and just enjoying some me time.

Today is another day mostly to myself. DD is attending a Youth Conference at Mcdaniel College, which used to be Western Maryland College. It's located in Westminister, MD, which is not far from here. I hope she is enjoying her time there. She will be back tomorrow.

This week I researched on the net: Hydroponic gardening. I want to do this in my kitchen windowsill. I have a nice light source there and a shelf for it.

That research was prompted by the ad from Vitacost. They are selling the Aero Garden for $99.95, which is 50% off the normal price. I would love to have one, but I would only be willing to pay $30 at most, and I don't need the overhead light. So I looked it up on the net, and there are some systems being sold, and some people with some online instructions to make your own system. There are also lots of books for sale, both hardcopy and ebook instructions for sale. I will try to gather the supplies to make this system and try it out. I might not do it until August, though, because of the costs of buying materials. It's not a lot, really, but I have to keep the budget in line for July. The new billing period for my credit card begins August 4th, so after that I will be looking for the materials. I'm thinking I should check out the natural food stores to see if they sell any of the pots and other materials I will need.

Also researched this week: Natural hair dyes. I did not find enough consistent reviews on Naturtint to make a sound decision to buy this stuff, particularly the really blonde shade that I wanted to buy for DD. She tried to blonde her hair with Nice N Easy, and it did not do much, except to lighten her hair just a couple of shades. I told her we would put some blonde streaks in it next week with a Frost and Glow kit we already have, and that would be the best way to procede.

I also told her she could have it done professionally when she gets a job, so she could pay for the expense and upkeep herself. I don't want to buy one of the over the counter blonding kits only to have her wind up with orange hair. I know the Frost and Glow does work, because I've used it myself in the past.

I did buy some Revlon Colorsilk in an ash blonde shade for myself. I know that if I buy light brown, it will make my hair darker than I want, but ash blonde should be just right to match my roots up with the rest of my hair. I don't have that much gray yet, and my natural color is dark brown. I don't want to dye my hair dark brown, though, because it would make me look hard, like my sister looks with her too dark waist length hair. I think she really needs a good haircut. Fifty two is too old to be sporting waist length hair, IMO.

My hair color now is light brown with some blonde highlights. The last dye I used was a blonde shade and it matched my color well. The Colorsilk was on sale for $2.50, so I could not resist.

I also researched reviews for blonding products, but did not find any consistent reviews there, either.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Church Picnic

I guess it was really too hot for the picnic today. DH and I had bought 200 hotdogs, because last year they only bought 100, and we went through those really fast. There were many more people there last year and the year before. Some people left sooner because of the heat, too.

It was nice, though, and somewhat nicer because Cygnus and LC joined us. DH was cooking hotdogs, sweating it out over near the grill, like he usually does, and LC, Cyg, and I were just looking for a cool place to sit. That pavillion is smaller than I remembered. We did have a nice crowd to play water balloon catch, but we just sat and watched. Usually there are all kinds of games, but I guess it wasn't as well planned this year, or maybe because so many of the members were missing. A lot of the people were there without their other halves.

Anyway, that's out of the way, because we had to shop for the hotdogs, buns, and condiments. I made some cole slaw, and chopped some onions. We have quite a bit left over, which is okay, because I'm using it for dinner tomorrow. We are having turkey burgers cooked on the indoor grill, cole slaw, and Bush's baked beans. I'll grill the onions, and I have some small sweet peppers to grill, too.

Saturday for lunch we had grilled pizza on the indoor grill. I have to break a frozen pizza in half, but it is really good, quicker than baking in the oven, and I don't have to heat my kitchen up.

Happy Sunday, everyone! Cyg and LC, I hope you sell the house quickly, but I will miss having you nearby for "peep meets".

Friday, June 27, 2008

Feeling better

Getting better sleep and my blood sugar is under control. I feel better than I've felt for a long time.

I'm eating Just Corn mixed with some Just Peas, and some pumpkin seeds. It's kind of like my own little self designed trail mix.

I must work on my bras today. I am checking them for fit, and making modifications. I'm also about to rework a bathing suit top pattern to make my own bras. I'll report back when I get one made.

I went to a baby shower last night. I won some candy by being the first to answer the clues. First one: Hospital Bill, answer: 100 Grand (I got a pack of 8 small 100 grand candy bars), second clue: Hospital Accountants, answer: Nerds. I now had 2 candies, and was the envy of everyone in the room. I laid back a bit, then came up with the Snickers answer for the clue : baby giggles.

This was a double diaper shower. Both women are having girls, so being the girly shopper I am I bought them each two cute onesies. One said "I was born to be adored", and the other said "When God Made Me, He was just showing off".

Both moms have other daughters. One has a six year old who is so happy that she will have a baby sister. The other has 4 year old twins, plus a 2 year old, all girls.

The shower food was terrific, and I tried to avoid the sweets, but gave in at the last minute. Oh, well. I could have done worse.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Happy Tuesday!

I feel pretty good today. The weather is nicer than ever, with temps in the 70's, so it's time to get out and do some gardening. See ya!

Monday, June 16, 2008

Fat Wallet

If you order stuff online a lot, you would definitely want to check this out. FatWallet.com. It gives you rebates on online purchases for a number of merchants.

In the past week, I've earned $6.74 on just 2 orders, and I know I've got more coming from another recent order on HSN. As soon as you have $10.00 in your account, you can request your check.

It appears to be fairly simple. Just use the FatWallet website to get to the merchant, and click on the rebate or coupon, and it takes you to the merchant's site. Then you just place your order as usual.

Has anyone else ever tried this? I order from Vitacost.com, Roaman's, and The Woman Within quite frequently. As a matter of fact, I ordered a couple of jumpers and skirts for me and my DD, and the jumpers only cost $2.83 on clearance, and the skirts not much more than that. To receive a 4% rebate after that is remarkable.

The jumper is long, in a denim jacquard and it is nice, especially for the price. I threw it on over a nightshirt yesterday to go out to return a movie. It is handy.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Tongue in Cheek

Sometimes I say things I don't mean literally, as kind of a habit. Last Wednesday I was helping a 10 year old girl make a skirt. It was a church project and I gladly volunteered to help by bringing in my sewing machine and helping the girl, Dimitri, a very bright child, to make her skirt.

In talking to the young woman who works with these girls every week, I said I "inherited" lots of fabric from my MIL. She asked me if MIL has passed away, and I said no. I then realized how flaky that may have sounded, but it seems I have always used that term to describe my receiving that rather large stash of material from MIL.

Perhaps I should change my habits. I hate to be misunderstood.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Applied for a job

And I have low expectations, because I have not worked in 19 years. The companies I've worked for all those years ago either don't exist or have changed names. I haven't kept up with that. I did manage to find my old boss' phone number on the internet. I didn't call him and give him a heads up, though. I mailed my application in to the place downtown where they accept the job applications for Frederick County.

It's a part time 20 hour a week job with weekday daylight hours, which is what I want in a job. It pays $13.14 an hour. I guess I'll be lucky if they even consider me at all. I do have the right kind of experience, but it's old experience.

We have been able to make it on DH's salary, and I have other things I could try to make a small amount of cash, including writing stories for this one web site that pays for the traffic you bring to the site. I will be working on that tomorrow, plus I have a few things to sell on Craig's list. In the meantime, DH has been working overtime. His overtime is flexible, too, and he makes time and a half.

Happy Friday the 13th, everyone.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

19 Years and a tag

I've been married for 19 years to my sweetheart. If it weren't for him, I'd probably be an old maid. I'm not sure what I would be doing, but I know these past 19 years have been a change of direction for me. I have had the opportunity to become a mother. We have a wonderful kid, who really gave a great talk in church this past Sunday. I am so very proud of her. She is humble, and a really nice young lady.

The marriage has been a good one. I was not unhappy being single, most of the time, but I never knew what I was missing until I got married.


Now, on with the tag:


The rules:

a. Link to the person who tagged you.
b. Post the rules on your blog.
c. Write six random things about yourself.
d. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
e. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment at their blog.
f. Let your tagger know when your entry is up.


Julia tagged me


1. My hair is naturally dark brown, but I've been dying it a few shades lighter for the past year or so. I mostly use Loreal's Excellence, but bought a different brand this past purchase. Now I'm almost afraid to use it because I chose a blonde shade. The chart says it will dye my dark brown hair a light brown like I have now, but I don't have a lot of faith in those hair color charts.

2. I just started using insulin for my diabetes this past month, and every time I tell someone, they express their sympathy. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing, just a necessary inconvenience to help me manage my disease.

3. I've turned into an insomniac and I don't like it. I sleep with a CPAP machine, but my sleep schedule is off, so I tend to sleep during the day. I took a sleeping pill the night before last and was almost rested when I arose yesterday, though not quite. I still have to work at it. I didn't sleep much last night and didn't take a pill.


4. It seems like I spend my life at the grocery store lately. We always need something, and milk is used up quickly here.

5. One of the reasons for number 4 is the cookie eaters - DH and DD. They must have milk with their cookies. I might buy some extra gallons today to put in the freezer just to have it here in case I don't want to go to the store. I'm thinking 6 gallons - 3 to use, and 3 to freeze.

6. Another reason for milk usage is I've been making ice cream in our Cuisinart Ice cream maker. It's great to have homemade ice cream. I've even used Xylitol sweetener to make frozen yogurt, and DH didn't notice any difference in taste. I have made a tasty strawberry ice cream using half and half, a cherry vanilla using whole milk, a banana rum raisin using whole milk, and a banana rum yogurt, using mostly yogurt, with alittle whole milk added. It has all been good eating.

I break chain letters all the time, so I'm breaking this tag because I think I've done this same or similar meme before, and I don't want to have it come back to me again, lol.



Wednesday, June 04, 2008

My Singing Debut


I've always been shy, so it was a little out of character for me to volunteer to sing solo. My church had a talent show Friday night, and I had decided to get up and sing two of my favorite songs. I know all the words to these songs, but I printed the words out anyway, because I knew I would be too nervous to remember them.

The first song was "Dream A Little Dream of Me", made famous by Cass Elliott. I was going to sing a solo for that one, but my DD wanted to sing with me, so we did. There were about 50 or so people out there in the gymnasium. I had decided to sing ac capella. As we started, DD had a little false start, and corrected herself, but when I looked up, I could see one of the teenage boys smirking. I know he doesn't like her, but it was still rude of him.

As we sang, our voices became stronger. Our voices are very similar. We did not try to sing in parts, though. After that song was over, we had nice applause, and then I sang "Mercedes Benz", a song that was made famous by Janis Joplin. I told the crowd this, and that I don't have a Janis Joplin voice. I felt confident singing this one, and was met with applause.

Of course, every act was met with applause. There were two 5 and 6 year olds doing ballet for us, and a teenaged girl doing her more advanced ballet. One child was terrific on the drums. It seems he is a prodigy - he picks up everything very quickly.

One of the numbers that I enjoyed was "Henry the 8th", where the audience joined in on singing the chorus. It was fun. My one friend brought her needlepoint pictures, which were very beautiful. She has had a lot of medical problems, and also a great deal of time waiting in her vehicle for her teen aged children when they went to the mall. She has had difficulty with her legs, so she would stay and needlepoint.

DD drew a picture of the three of us taking a walk. It is a cartoon character style, somewhat like anime.

At least 5 people complimented me on my singing, that night and on Sunday. I guess I did good. Now I'm thinking of looking for open mic nights at my local restaurants - there are two here in Frederick. I don't know yet if I feel brave enough for that. I want to go scope them out first to see how it works.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Healthy Foods

I just ate the best applesauce I've ever tasted, plus it's organic and has no sugar or anything else added to it - it's just apples. It's from Eden foods. I didn't find it in my local grocery store - I ordered it online. I only ordered one bottle because I just wanted to try it. I had a number of other things in the order, so it came in a big box. The applesauce is packed in glass jars, but there was no breakage.

I will definitely order some more, or look for it in the local health food store.

On a somewhat related note - we have some blossoms on our apple trees this year. They were planted in 2004, and are not all that big, but we should have a few apples to harvest. I have to go read about spraying them. DH had been pruning them too much in the past, so we never had blossoms (well, just one).

We have 3 grapevines that will probably be bearing fruit this year. The year before last was the best year, last year was awful. Well, I should specify that the 2 older vines did produce fruit the year before last. The newer one was installed last year as I recall. The newer one is a green grape, the older ones are red and purple varieties, all seedless. The red ones are more edible than the purple ones, but the purple ones have a great flavor. I will use the purple ones to make grape juice this year. I stand ready with the mason jars and canning equipment. I look forward to trying this.

Also, this year I will attempt to plant strawberries in the bed on the side of the house. I will also be planting tomatoes in the other half of the same bed. I hope they can co-exist together.

I am thinking I need to buy some marigolds and impatiens for the window boxes out front. It always cheers me when I see pretty flowers outside.

We have some great looking tulips growing right now. I have to move some of them up to the mailbox flower bed. There's also the whole big rectangular bed out front that needs to be moved to the one in front of the house wall.

I need to plant some sunflowers somewhere, too. I love those, and so do the birds.

I got my hair cut today for $6, plus a $3 tip. I went over to the Frederick Beauty School. I asked for a razor cut and the girl did a decent job. Now I have to wash it again, and use some product. My hair is lighter in weight now and I'm hoping for better shape and volume.

MIL is here to visit from UT. Bonus for me - we get to take her out to eat. I really want to go to Dutch's Daughter, but DH wants me to make reservations for Monocacy Crossing. We wanted to go to Old South Mountain Inn, but it is not open for lunch on weekdays. DH is taking off on Friday.

Now I am dreaming of a crab cake lunch, no matter where we wind up eating. All of these places have great reviews. Dutch's Daughter is famous for their crab cakes.

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

The Dog in the Grey Flannel Pants

Every once in a while I see someone in my neighborhood walking a very large dog. I do not know what kind of breed the dog is, but from the back, he or she looks like a man wearing grey flannel pants. Silly, I know, but every time I mention it to my DD she laughs, because it's so true. The dog does look like a man in grey flannel pants. We just saw the dog and it's master a few minutes ago, and the dog was doing his business.

I said "Look, the man in the grey flannel pants is pooping on someone's lawn".

DD - uncontrollable laughter.

DD: That person might think I'm laughing at them.

Me: Didn't you see them? They're too busy picking up that really big poop to notice you laughing.

Oh, well, you just had to be there. Or not. I think the dog's master must wish they had chosen a smaller dog when they have to do poop duty, or doody duty.

Me? I have an easy to maintain cat. He does like to be let out for a walk, but we don't let him outside unless we hold him, and he likes to do his doody in a box inside the house. I still want a dog, though.

Sunday, April 06, 2008

Tagged by Miss Hippo

The directions:

1. Pick up the nearest book (at least 123 pages)
2. Turn to page 123
3. Find the 5th sentence
4. Post the 5th sentence on your blog
5. Tag 5 people

So, the nearest book to me (there were actually quite a few to choose from because I read about 5 a week) is 'A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose'. You know the one Oprah is taking classes on.

Page 123, 5th sentence:

"People unknowingly sabotage their own work when they withhold help or information from others or try to undermine them lest they become more successful or get more credit than "me"."

Hmmm, 5 people? Cygnus, Puffy, Kimmah, History Detective, and Debcapsfan

Thursday, April 03, 2008

Spring break vacation



Well, we got back home last Wednesday about 2:30 PM or so, and were very glad to be home again. I know I will have to convince DH not to drive so much and to settle into a place for several days and just chill. He really doesn't know how to do that. I think his memories of family trips are of driving long hours across the country to get to Utah, where his mother's relatives lived. They stayed at cheap little motels along the way, and the cars were bigger back then, and kids did not have to wear seat belts. I remember those days.

I'll start posting about the trip the next time. We went to Cleveland, OH, then to Indianapolis, IN, to Nauvoo, IL, then to St. Louis, MO, to Nashville, TN, Pigeon Forge, TN, Christiansburg, VA, and then home. All of this in 8 days time. Whew!

It was good to be home again after so many hours on the road. We missed the cat, too, and it seems he did miss us, because he asked for extra loving when we got back. We had our friend Tim come in to see how he was doing while we were gone.

Oh, and 1st the food picture on the right? Is a the big burger at Bennigan's that DH ordered. We started eating our food before I took the picture, but you get the idea. The second picture is my big burger with onion rings (one of my favs, not on the upcoming diet, though) and DD's plate is in the background. She ordered chicken miniburgers and she loved them. Bennigan's is now one of her favorite places.

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Bridal Shower


This took place sometime last year, and I even used my little Vistaquest (a pink keychain camera) to take them. I think this one is nice. I like seeing women together all focused on the bride-to-be. Showers game? Yeah! I don't remember what we did, though. I'll have to ask Stephanie, the lady wearing the brown top, what we did. She was a big part of planning the shower.

Last night we had a lot of downpours and wind. I guess I should be glad it wasn't a tornedo. It had warmed up a lot yesterday, so it wasn't cold enough to be snow. I'm glad it's going to be Spring soon. Spring forward this weekend, as a matter of fact.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Trip Planning

Today is DH's birthday, so I'm including this picture of him. I took it back in October when we attended a class reunion with his sister. It was her 40th class reunion, and they invited all of the underclassmen, which included DH and his class. The tickets were waaay expensive - 118 each. The meal was okay, but not worth all that money. They served filet mignon, which I liked, but DH said he likes my dinners better. I think I gave him points for saying that.

The four of us could have eaten a heck of a nice meal for the price of one ticket, but then SIL would have missed seeing her friends. DH didn't see any of his friends there, unfortunately, but I had a nice time meeting people. I liked this nice Jewish couple who were sitting with us. I think that some of the people at our table may have been millionaires, but then again, they might have been putting on the dog, too. Lots of fancy dresses and boobage. I didn't know that women in their mid to late 50's would dress like prom queens, lol.

Ultimately, we had to leave because the music was uncomfortably loud. Maybe you had to be drunk to enjoy it, because it sure isn't enjoyable to us to have our eardrums blasted. It's a shame, because I did want to dance at least one dance.

We're going on a Spring vacation, so I've been making reservations at various hotels. We will start off our trip on a LDS Church history tour, beginning at the site of the first LDS temple in Kirtland, OH. The LDS Church no longer owns it, though. It now belongs to The Community of Christ, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There are some other early Church sites there. We will go from there to a place near Indianapolis, Indiana, because it's the halfway point between Kirtland, and our next Church history stop, Nauvoo, Ill.

I visited Nauvoo back in 1983, but things have really changed since then. They've rebuilt the temple, and there have been more historical sites added to the city. I found a nice 1 bedroom Villa there for a good price. So far, the average hotel price is $50 per night, so we are doing okay.

We will go down to Memphis from Nauvoo, and stay at the Memphis Plaza Hotel and Suites - with a special room rate of less than $50. It pays to join AARP, because that's how I got such a good rate. Then we will stop in Nashville, on the way to the Smokies (Gatlinburg). From there, we will stop somewhere in SC, and then on to home. I can't wait to see it all, although road trips can be hard on the bottom.

We'll try to get some good food along the way. I've looked up Road Food and Drive-ins, Diners, and Dives. We might possibly stop at some place in Indiana. Road Food has a lot of listings for Indiana. I think we are going to stop at the Beacon Drive-in in Spartanburg, SC. I've been there, too, way back in 1982, but I think I only had the onion rings, which were piled high.





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Sunday, March 02, 2008

Too many prescriptions


I'm taking Metformin, Glucotrol, Synthroid, Licinopril, and Lipitor. It's a drag because I haven't been feeling well, and don't know if the Metformin is causing my ill feelings. I've been sick with the flu, and from what I understand, the flu going around stays with you a while. I'm ready to feel better. My sinus stuffiness is abating a little bit.

I had my hair "frosted" the Saturday after Valentine's Day, and it looks good. I was a little taken aback when I first saw it, though. It's really blonde in the front, and I've always been a brunette. I don't know how I will maintain it - I guess the beauty shop will help with that one. I went to the local Beauty School, and they did a nice job. I might go there this week to have a manicure done. I deserve it. What OPI color should I choose? Hmmm.

The picture? Is just a random picture taken by DD. It's her friend Liz with her Seminary teacher, Nora.

Friday, February 29, 2008

Friday Night Date

We went to The Main Cup for dinner tonight and the food was pretty good. I ordered the grilled Romaine wedges. DH ordered the Spinach salad, and then we shared an entree of crab cakes, red skinned mashed potatoes, and baby zucchini (which looked more like regular yellow squash to me.) The romaine wedge was just kind of boring and plain. The spinach salad was really good, and was large. It was a good thing we shared an entree, because there was so much food. The crab cakes were full of crab meat, not much filler, but they were dry. I used some tartar sauce with mine, and DH mixed his with the mashed potatoes. All in all, a nice meal. I had a piece of turtle cheesecake. It was delicious, but I only took 2 bites and took the rest home.

We'll go back again someday. It was a small homey place with a casual atmosphere. We enjoyed the spinach salad more than any other part of the meal. Next time I might try the quiche with fruit on the side. Menus can be found at www.TheMainCup.com. I saw the kitchen on Cable channel 10 here in Frederick. A host named Todd goes to local eateries to try the food and talk to the chef and the owners of the restaurant. Although The Main Cup is basically a coffee place, the food is good, and we look forward to dining there every now and then. I love Middletown!

Monday, February 25, 2008

Still the same

Hopefully, I'll get over this cold/flu soon. I served leftover chili and rice tonight for dinner. I really need to go shopping, but haven't been feeling up to it yet.

We canceled our Dish network on February 9th, but received a bill for ongoing service today. The idiots didn't put the cancellation through and were going to charge our credit card again this month. I told them and they wanted their equipment back (everything except the dish). DH had thought those things were ours to keep because it would be like a cell phone. The phone is yours to keep after the contract is over. Well, he had sold them to his friend Phil at work, so he had to call and tell Phil we need them back. Now DH is mad at Dish. I don't understand why the person on the phone didn't tell me this during my first cancellation call. They must have problems training their people.

I got call number 3 from TV Guide tonight. Somehow I had signed up to receive their magazine, but I don't remember it. I didn't want to continue receiving it, so I told the first caller "No, I'm not interested in renewing." Well, they called again the next week, and again tonight. I told DH (who answered the phone at dinnertime) to tell them I won't take their call, but he just stood there all confused, so I took the phone, yelled, "Don't call me again." into it. Then I had to explain to DH why I would not take their calls. Maybe I'll sue.

TV guide is junk these days, anyway. They don't have full listings during the day, only prime time listings. They don't have late night listings, either. I can get free info on the net, so why subscribe?


Saturday, February 23, 2008

Nora Roberts

Her hotel in Boonsboro burned down this week, but the stone walls are still standing. I don't know her and haven't read her books, but I feel for the people of the town. Some people lost their homes. I might go up there this spring for a visit. I love quaint little historic towns.

I managed to make a pot of chili for dinner, even though I'm still sick. My right ear hurts, and I hope it doesn't get worse. I hate having to take antibiotics. The chili was good. I made jasmine rice, because DH and DD love to eat their chili with rice.

Resolved: Post more blog entries

Yep. I'm going to try to post everyday. Right now I am trying to get over the stupid flu. I had my flu shot back in October, but I guess it was not effective. The head cold that accompanies it is making my diaphragm hurt from coughing and sneezing so hard and so much. I can't wait for it to go away. I still cook dinner every night, though I did serve pizza one night. I made some sourdough bread pizza and used up a Wolfgang Puck from the freezer downstairs. DH said he liked it. DD and I liked the sourdough pizza better, though.

Tonight I made steak with onions and brussel sprouts cooked in coconut oil, baked potatoes and green beans (DD won't eat brussel sprouts). DD was supposed to go to some church activity night where they served pizza, but it got cancelled because of the weather. We don't have snow, and the roads aren't too bad, but there is some ice. I am looking forward to spring now.

Now that we have the high speed there are so many things I have to do. I have to plan a trip, list some things on Craig's list for sale, and post my Office episode summaries on a site that will pay me for the traffic. I hope it is successful, because I would love the extra income, and don't want to go to work in an office. I'd rather do something creative.

I think I need to encourage DD to do something creative to make a living, too. She helped someone at church by illustrating a story for them, and they published it into a book for their family. It is really a cute book.

I told her I want us to do a book about our cat, Dusty Sneakers. She's excited about that, but she thinks we ought to call it "Dusty Sneakers: A Cat Tale". I'm not so sure about that title, but I haven't thought of a better one yet.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Hi Speed Internet

Yes, we will be getting high speed internet on Saturday, and I can hardly wait. Will I blog more? We'll just have to see. I imagine I will get through surfing a lot faster, so I'll have more time to blog.

We are all doing okay, but I have a hole in my sleep apnea mask, so I am waiting for delivery of a new mask this week. I hope I get used to this thing after that. I really have been tired. It might take me a few weeks to really get going with it. I have high hopes as usual.

This week my back has started hurting. I go to the doctor tomorrow morning, so I will mention it to her. I have this back massager that helps me somewhat, but I could not find it until today. I used it for a few minutes and it helped.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Time sure flies by quickly

I keep forgetting to blog, and to read other blogs. I've been busy - still trying to get my life in order. Well, not all of my life is a mess, just my house right now. I'm slowly getting the organization together. I went out to buy some more of the plastic boxes I have in my sewing room. They are a good size - hold 20 quarts. They seem to be only sold at Walmart, but when I got there a few weeks ago, they were sold out. I wound up at the Dollar General Store to buy 2 other sizes of clear boxes. I bought 8 files boxes, and now my patterns are looking better. I threw out the old cardboard pattern boxes. The file boxes only cost $4 each, so that wasn't so bad. I think they are more expensive at Walmart, although I bought one a few years ago for $1 at a Christmas clearance. It has red and green on the lid, but it's the same file box they usually sell for about $5 more.

Anyway, I also bought some other size boxes, sweater boxes, for $2.50 each. I bought 14 of those. When I checked out, one of the cashiers asked me if I was moving. I said, no, I'm staying. It will be easy to move stuff when we do move about 10 years from now.

I'm going shopping at Walmart tomorrow, so I will look for those 20 quart boxes, because I could use another 12 of those for the hall closets. They fit very nicely 3 across.

Happy New Year, and thanks for dropping by!!