Wild and Crazy Week

Things have been pretty nuts around here.

I still have enough pears to-well I don't really know what one could do with as many pears as I have.
Let's just say I still have scads of them.

Than had the garage sale with some fabulous finds.

And my kiddo is sick.

Either it's an ulcer or something with her gallbladder.
No ulcer causing bacteria and liver function is normal.

So she gets to have an ultrasound this Friday and maybe a scan if they think it could be her gallbladder.

So, I have been a bit of a basket case over the weekend.

I have also been trying to get my yummystuff posts up and I just haven't had much time to do this one.

What is that saying?

Life gets in the way when you're trying to do stuff.

Ain't that the truth?!

And I had to cut down the fat in food.
I am just not a low fat kinda girl.

But, I did it and it still tasted good.
Score one for me, Super Mom!

But she couldn't have cheese and all bland food.
Not that she had much of an appetite.
I think it was the thought that she wasn't supposed to have it that she hated.

How fun is that?
Yeah, she didn't think so either.

It's not like she is a complete carnivore.
She does eat lots of vegetables.

But she does love her cheese and the skin on chicken.
I'd rather do without the chicken skin, but whatever.

But, tonight cheese is back on the menu.
I just hope she doesn't get worse after though.

I think it will be light on cheese.
Just for some flavor, ya know

But, absolutely no chicken skin.

So, if you don't see me much lately it's cause my baby needs me and I don't have time.

Yay For Garage Sales!

I love me a good garage sale. I love the bargains I can find. Who says you can't find quality at bargain basement prices.
These are some things I got today.
I collect glass decanters and the two above are the latest in my collection.



This is another of my great finds. $10 for this bad ass leather coat. Can you say AWESOME!


These are freebies that couldn't be gotten rid of so I lucked out there.

I got all these books for a dollar. I was looking through the stack and the lady told me I could have the whole stack for $1. Can't resist a bargain.

This is another coat I found for 50 cents. I found this before the leather coat or I may not have got this.

So all in all I spent $13.50 for all this.
It was rainy today. And cold. But, it was also a day of great bargains.
We held our own garage sale and all in all made over $100. Yay!
I have always loved garage sales.
There are such bargains to be had. Over the years I have gotten a great many things that I still have.

Just Because You CAN Doesn't Mean You Should

OK, I am feeling a bit soap-boxy today.
So, I might as well climb up on it and get it out.

I was raised as a Methodist so I know all about the good book and the ten commandments.
I, however, no longer consider myself religious.

But, I do still go by the "thou shall not judge" thing.

No one should judge ANYONE for ANYTHING.

You might say they are stupid, cause they are acting that way.

But, you don't need to act like someone is just terrible through and through because of what they do or say or even dress.

If you believe in God, you should not judge.
At all.
No question.
Doesn't matter what it is.

You may not agree,but it is not your place to judge.
It would be God's job.

I really don't care if the bible says it is wrong, you don't need to condemn a person.
Once again,
You believe in God so won't He being doing that?

At the same time, if you believe in your religion, you don't just pick out what you want to follow and forget about the rest.

I am so tired of people not respecting other people for who they are.

I read things on the internet and I like to read comments sometimes.
So many are just filled with hatred for no reason.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

As you know, opinions are like assholes, everyone's got one.

So many people say they are Christians and do the church thing, but do SO many things that go against what it says.

There truly are people that really never talk bad about anyone and live their lives as good as they can.
But, that is pretty rare in general.

And I am not just picking on Christians.
All religions are like that.

And the same is true of atheists and agnostics.
Just cause they don't pray doesn't mean they are immoral.

There are good and bad people in every belief in the world.
It is human nature.
And humans can be pretty sucky sometimes.

Think however you want.
But, just because you can say it doesn't mean you should.

Missing The Good Old Days

Ya know, I do.

I know we have the internet now.
Which is pretty nice.

But, I miss a lot of how life used to be.

I miss the simplicities of life.

Like if you hated your job cause it was shit, you could quit.
Cause you knew you'd find another one before you lost EVERYTHING.

I miss how when companies would send you things in the mail that you didn't ask for, you didn't have to pay.
Since you never ask for it to be mailed to you.

When you got a free edition of a magazine, you used to get the free one before a bill came.
Now a bill comes and you never even got your free trial yet.
That so pisses me off.

You used to be able to go to the doctor and if you had insurance, you didn't have to pay anything until they heard from insurance.
That was so nice.
Cause what if something came up and you were short of money so you don't have co-pay money?
You just don't go, that's what.
I even know an ER that expects a co-pay before being checked out.
What a load of crap.
My daughter has pneumonia and can't breathe, but OK here's your money.

By the way, I don't go there anymore.
Besides that, they have crappy doctors.

What about loaner cars?
Car dealerships used to let you have a car to drive when they had to keep your car.
Not anymore.
You have to rent a car or find a way to get home.
Seems like they don't want you sleeping on their floor.

You used to could send a check to some place cause you knew by the time they cashed it money would be in the bank.
Now, most places represent your checks electronically so that isn't a such a great idea. Chances you won't win.
Mail is faster too so the odds are all the way in the company's favor.

You didn't have to worry about having caller ID just to make sure it wasn't a telemarketer on the phone when you answered.
I don't even think there was such a thing as telemarketing 25 years ago.
Yeah, that do not call law.
It works SO WELL!

All the companies do is not put their name on caller ID so you don't knew who is calling.
So you can't report them.

Bravo, Congress!
Another well though out plan.

Yes, we have drive-thrus everywhere for everything.
We have direct deposit.
We have debit cards and ATMs all over.

But, when it gets right down to it,
I liked things way back when.

A Labor of Love

Fourteen years ago today, I went into labor with my daughter.

I didn't have her until the next day though.

I went to the hospital about 10 at night and the nurse sent me back home.

Two hours later I was back.
This time they let me stay.

I had back labor so my contractions weren't registering on the monitor.

It was a very long night.

I fell asleep in between contractions and my husband fell asleep too.

Morning came and they gave him my breakfast.

10:30 in the morning I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.
She was 8 lbs. 9oz.

And she was so loud.

The only girl in the nursery.
Bigger than all the boys too.
And the loudest.

You could hear her when she was in the nursery.

I still remember her birth.

We have been through so much in her young life.

I really, really hated being pregnant.
I never want to go through labor again.
No drugs, maybe that's why.

But, I love my daughter so much and my life is richer for having her in it.

There have been times throughout the years that I wondered about my skills as a parent.

I have had my moments when I have been tougher on her than I should have been.
There have also been times when I gave in when I shouldn't have.

But, there truly is no such thing as a perfect parent.

As I look at my daughter and realize the person she is becoming, I am proud.

I am proud of myself for raising her to be this amazing person.

I am also proud of her for being true to who she is.
She is smart and sweet and determined.
She is silly and responsible and giving.

My daughter is great and I'm her mom.
And I am so very glad.

Hello, Are You Dead?

Exactly what kind of a email subject is that?

A phishing one, that's what kind.

It came from Nigeria and I am the long lost benefactor of some dead relative.

Yay!

That is unless I am dead.

Hence the question.

So, I guess I am dead since I do not plan to answer.

I do have to hand it to the Nigerians.
They are a persistent lot.

Those and the people trying to sell me Viagra.

Number 1, I am female so I have no need.
Number 2, I have drug insurance so I think I could still get it cheaper if I had to buy it.

My ISP wants me to BUY spam protection so it won't even come to me.

Don't I give them enough money?

Hotmail and Yahoo do it free.
Why is it so hard for my ISP?

Plus, they'd probably screw up and send me things with my email and my husband's email as the sender even though it is spam.

I wonder how they do that.

Isn't that kinda weird?

Why would I send something from my email to my email?
Maybe from one email to another one of my emails.
But not from the same one to the same one.

And since it says its it's from my exact address to that address it doesn't go to my junk.
Even though, it so obviously is.

I know you can send copies of cards to your email and it has your email as to and from.
But, you don't have the subject as
Viagra @ 60% off
Cause, Hallmark doesn't have cards for that.

I know.
I have been to their site.

For many of these email sending people
I would like to say

Good-bye, I AM DEAD!

I'm a Killer!

Yep.
That's right.
You heard me.

I did it.
But, I had to protect my girl.
She hates them.

In fact, she is down right freaked out every time she sees one of them.

Can't say I blame her.

I always hated them.
No, not hated.
I still hate them.
I just no longer am scared of them.

I am, of course, talking about the mighty spider.

I, seriously used to run from the little buggers.

One time, I was alone and saw this huge spider and I went and got bug spray and kept spraying it until it's gigantic head just kinda deflated.

My heart was beating fast the whole time.

My husband was my designated spider slayer.

But, now I am a parent so I get to be the spider slayer.

And I just killed one.

It came running out from behind the computer monitor and I got the sucker.

I think it was living there cause it had been spotted on the desk before.

Wap
Wap
Wap

That was all she wrote.

So, we are all safe.

Not sure why they have always given me the willies.
They just have.
Maybe it's a girlie thing.

They are crawlie things and so little they can't hurt you.
Unless you meet a poisonous one.
But, that is rare.

Dad used to keep telling me that they are more scared of me than I am of them.
I'm so much bigger.

But, I am not so sure about that.

If they were as scared as me, their little bodies would just give up and die from sheer terror.

But, I am better.
I hate them, but I am not scared.

Come on Spider.
Bring it on,
for I am the mighty spider slayer

It's My Reflection Period

So many things are happening right now and every thing makes me think.

My daughter turns 14 this coming week.

It is great and yet kinda scary.

It truly does not seem like she should be so old.

I can still see her riding around on her dad's back like he was a horse.

And now she is in her final year of middle school and wearing braces.

Mom used to say the older you get, the faster time goes by.
So true.

Before I know, it she will be out on her own.

This year there is so much more going on.

I have a friend that is getting married tomorrow.
Good for her.

She has waited so long to find the man she wanted to marry.

So that is another great thing going on.

But, I also found out today another person I know has breast cancer.

Things like that puts a lot of things into perspective.

She beat it once and now it's back.

Now, thinking about how I am going to juggle all the bills this month seems a lot less insignificant.

I know the bombing of the twin towers is in a lot of people's minds.
And it is a very bad thing that happened.
There is no doubt about that.

But, all my thoughts are a little closer to home.

And in the end that is what you need to bring back from everything you experience in life.

What really matters to you.

For me it is everyone that I care about.
As it should be for us all.

Celebrate life! That is what it's all about.

Pears and Apples, Oh My!

I received a huge bounty from my parents this week.

I had told my mom that I'd take some of her pears when they were ready cause she doesn't really want them.

So, Mom decides to give my a boatload.

Seriously.
A boatload.

This isn't even all the pears. I have some over on some racks that I normally used for onions and garlic.
None of those this year so a pear holder it has become.

Plus, Dad picked me some apples.
A bushel full of apples.

So I am going to be busy for some weeks to come.
I now have to make jams and jellies.
Sauces and butters.
Pies and breads.

Oh, the fun I will have.

I didn't even take all their pears and anywhere near all the apples.

I have a feeling I may be sick of pears before it is all over.

I Really Shouldn't Have Read That

Do you ever wish you didn't know something?

Yes, knowledge is power.

But, sometimes it gives you the EWW factor as well.

Today, I was label reading on the bag of bread.

When you read all the ingredients that you can't even pronounce it really makes you not want to eat that bread again.

Maybe, just maybe, I need to start baking all of our bread.

I don't put diglycerides or ethoxylated things in it.

Do you know what that means?

I don't know what that means.

I read somewhere that if you can't pronounce the ingredients and have no clue what they are, you really shouldn't be eating that product.

But, at the end it tells you the bread contains wheat and soy.

Duh.
Those two ingredients are clearly listed and easy to read and pronounce.

No mention of the stuff I don't understand.

That is most likely on purpose.

They don't want you to know what you are putting in your body.

They just tell you breads are good for you and that's all you really need to know.

I am somewhat curious about what these things are, but once again not sure how much I really do want to know.

After all, I have been ingesting this bread or ones similar for many years.

It's probably something that will do us all in.

Shhhh, don't eat the bread, it has funny sounding stuff in it.

Plus, have you ever smelled it?
Sometimes it has a smell to it I don't like.
Might be the vinegar.

Why put vinegar in bread?
Who knows?

But, I always love the smell of freshly baked bread.
No vinegar smell.

Choices, People!

We have choices to make.
Big choices.

Chunky or smooth?
Wavy or flat?
Baked or fried?
Do I really want fries with that?

It is the world we live in.

It ain't simple, but it's what we got.

Everything in life is a choice.

From the time we wake up...

...to the time we go to sleep.

These are the types of choices I love making.

What should I bake for snacks?
That is a great choice to make.

Forget the HUGE decisions like who should be governor this fall.

That is so not a fun choice.
I rather like- spaghetti or chicken enchiladas for supper?

That isn't to say I don't vote.
Cause I do.
It just isn't fun.

And life should be fun.
At least sometimes.
Don't you think?

It shouldn't be all about working to give money to companies for services and government for services.
It shouldn't be all about saving for the future and our children's education.

There has to be some fun in there or what is the whole point of even doing any of it.

So, pancakes or oatmeal may seem like a small choice to make.

But, to me
It's big

You know why?

Cause it is all my choice.

It is my world and I get to decide and I get to be happy with my decision.

Sayings, Cute Or Corny?

Do you have some old sayings stuck up in your brain that your parents or grandparents used to say?

I do.
I have some doozies.

Not sure if they fit either cute or corny...
OK, maybe more corny,
but they make me laugh for some strange reason.

Maybe cause they are a bit goofy.

I thought I'd share a few with you.

Here goes.

God didn't dam it the beavers did.

That comes from my mom.
Now where she got it, I will never know.
But, that is why one should not say Goddamn it.
Cause He didn't.
The beavers did.
See the logic there?

I do find it strangely hilarious.

Another gem is about the walk/don't walk lights and crosswalks.
My grandpa used to say this when the little man turned green or the walk was on.

Don't walk and run like hell.

When I was little this always confused me.
It says walk, not don't walk.
But, my mom always said he was right cause the walk sign always seemed to switch to don't walk when you're in the middle of the street.

After all these years, it is a fond reminder of Grandpa, no matter how goofy I still think it sounds.

As a small child, we tend to get pouty lips when we are mad.
Heard this one a million times.
My dad's words of wisdom.

If you keep stickin' your lip out like that a bird is going to come poop on it.

Come on!
The odds of a bird pooping on your lip is pretty slim.
So, that has to make cornball category.

She'll get glad in the same pants she got mad in.

Another of Mom's.
True.
Children don't seem to hold grudges for days. Most likely, they will quit being mad while they are wearing the same clothes.

There are others, but these are the ones I remember hearing most often.

Some old sayings are so corny, that you can't help remembering them.
I am glad I can remember them.

Ya never know, I may just have to pass a couple of them down myself.

Cashier Lady, Aren't You Forgetting Something?

I really don't know why I always have to be the one that gets the cashier that charges me double or forgets to put my stuff in the bag.

It's not like I can just run across the street and get it.

I live in the country next to a tiny little town in Iowa so when the cashier leaves my roast laying on the counter at Fareway, that means I have to turn around and drive at least a half hour back to pick it up.

That really happened

I get home and start putting everything away and I realize I didn't see my roast.
So, I call the store.

OK, they will hold it to when I can come get it.

So, my husband drives back to get it and turns out the cashier lady had never even noticed it laying there.
It was still there when I called and the man just went up and took it back to the meat counter.

How could you not notice that sitting there for a half hour?

And when Honeyman goes in and gets it, he gets all these apologies.
EXCEPT
from the lady that didn't give us the roast we paid for.

Another time, I had gotten charged twice for one item.
I think that was in same store, different cashier though.

I didn't complain too much about that one because I had gotten free chicken another time.
It was on the bottom part of the cart and we assumed she scanned it or keyed it in so never even noticed til way, way later.

So, I am thinking the chicken and pop double charge pretty much cancels each other out.

But, now there is the roast incident.

And just yesterday we went to Walmart and I bought my daughter some eyeliner.
It got scanned, but it didn't come home with us.
It was $1 so a bit far to drive to Ankeny to get it. That is about 50 miles from my house.

I seem to have this problem.
I buy things but it doesn't come home.

Even years ago this happened.
Way before the free chicken.
So, it isn't karma biting me in the ass.

Probably 20 years ago, I bought a cake from the bakery in a grocery store and I get home and it's not with me.
My sister told me the person behind me probably got it in her bag.
How lovely!
Happy birthday, Lady that I do not know.

Another time, I bought envelopes and same thing.
No show.

Is there something wrong with me?
Does life want to screw with me?
Or do I just end up with a lot of stupid cashiers?

Maybe they just don't get paid enough to care if people get their stuff.
Well, you can't put a price on...

...yeah, I guess you can.

It's called a receipt.

Letters, Words? Hmmm, I Think I'll Do Both

Yes, it is time for me to break out another one of my seemingly, endless pet peeves.

You know when people say ATM machine?
They shouldn't do that.

Ya know why?

ATM stands for
Automated
Teller
Machine

So, when you say ATM machine, you are in fact saying automated teller machine machine.
Like WTH?
See, I didn't say WTH hell.
Cause that would just sound stupid.

If you are going to use letter abbreviations, you just don't use a word in the letter abbreviation after it.

It sounds like you don't know what you are talking about.

Like, in my daughter's school, all the kids say ITBS tests.
ITBS stands for
Iowa
Tests
of
Basic
Skills

So why say tests after?

Apparently, the teachers in her elementary all say it.

That really makes me worry about the public school system.

OK, that is not the only thing that makes me worry about it.
It is just one of many.

But, teaching students redundancy and idiocy ranks right up there.

I understand no one is perfect but, shouldn't you know what you are saying when you say it?

I mean, who repeats the last word of every sentence they say?

If I did that, people might think I had some sort of medical condition.
Or at the very least...

...odd.

Don't you think think?

United We Stand, Divided We Fall

I am wondering whatever happened to that.

Now it seems to be
Either you are with us or you are against us.

We are not just Americans.
We are democrat or republican.
We are liberal or conservative.
We are Christians or we're going to hell.

I, for one, am sick of it.

Everyone just picks and picks and picks.
It drives me nuts.
No party is perfect.
No religion is perfect.

Nothing EVER gets done because no one wants to meet at some sort of common ground.
It is either their way or the highway.

You have a right to your opinion and I have a right to mine.
Arguing and bad mouthing is not going to get anything accomplished.

I really hate listening to any of these political commentators.
Doesn't matter who.
They all spin things to make them sound like a different viewpoint is evil.

You have to go look it up to separate bullshit from fact.

And many religions are the same.
The different religions all look at theirs as the one true religion and all people need to believe in that one and not others.

Religion is a belief.
Pure and simple.
It is the belief in a higher power.
It's in the dictionary.

Catholic, Jewish, Pagan, or Muslim.
It doesn't matter.
It is still believing in a higher power.

And no one can say they are 100% right, because they haven't died to meet their maker yet.

I don't know when it happened, or if I just notice more.
I don't know why.
But, people just seem less tolerant of each others beliefs.

Maybe it is just how our country is.

We finally look on other races as good enough to eat and drink in the same room with us so we need to find other things to divide everyone up.

I think that is pretty God Damn pathetic, but I guess it's the American way.

Thank You, Mr. President!

Does anyone else hate that every time the president has a news conference it is on
EVERY
SINGLE
CHANNEL
IN THE FREE WORLD?

Or at least the United States.

Now, all the shows are running late.

I forgot all about him being on and at first couldn't figure out why the news ran late and than Letterman.
Now, my favorite night time dude- Craig Ferguson- is starting late.

Totally not cool.

Maybe it is just me, but I don't get why he was on.

I know.
The end of combat troops in Iraq.

But, ya know what?
They are still over there to help the Iraqi people.
And won't be leaving for God knows how long.

So, the troops are still in danger just by being there.

So, he didn't say "Mission Accomplished".
Good for him.
How impressive.

But, let me say this...
It is not over until all the troops are home.

And that could be years.

But, I am going off into my own little views and not focusing on the point.

The point is we don't need 1500 channels showing the same damn thing.

You have all the networks plus cable news networks plus any other cable channels that want people to be informed.

And really, does it matter?

They will rehash the whole thing on all the news programs.
If you have internet, you can read all about it.
If you buy a newspaper, the whole speech is in there.

Don't get me wrong, I am all for being in the know.
After all...
knowledge is power.

But this is just overkill.

Now, I gotta stay up even later to watch my Craigy.
He is just sssooooooo funny!