Recently in Daily Category

What I planned to do: Prime and paint large window frame in kitchen. Prime and paint small window frame in kitchen. Prime and paint corner of baseboards behind woodstove. Scrub kitchen floor with ammonia then wax to a gleaming shine. Begin painting the dining room to coordinate with the lovely finished kitchen. Make curtains for kitchen from fabric purchased nearly two years ago that is now discontinued and can't be found anywhere at allwhatsoever. Work in backyard, spray clover and weeds, trim up and clean up noticable public areas that are showing signs of neglect from the last snow storm. Pot up plants for hanging baskets for front porch. Scrub planters for front porch and place lovely ferns on either side of the front door. Fill planters with lovely flowers for the front porch steps. Work on blog template requests. Finish quilt. What I accomplished in 1 week: Prime and paint large window frame in kitchen. Prime and paint small window frame in kitchen. Prime and paint corner of baseboards behind woodstove. Make two of eight curtain panels. For three days get Colby to work. Pick Colby up from work. Try to find rims for her Explorer that do not cost $400+ each. Cook three meals a day, every day for children home on Spring Break. Bring in firewood and keep fire going in woodstove due to temperatures barely cliimbing into the 50's all week. Wash dishes. Wash clothes. Wash dishes. Wash clothes. Wash dishes. Wash clothes. Rinse and Repeat. Wash dishes. Wash clothes. I am really struggling to get things done today. Colby doesn't have to go to work so she is going to help me with Steven today. Maybe I'll get to the point I can show you a few photos tomorrow. Then I dropped a piece of firewood. It nearly broke two of my toes. One toe is cut and bruised. There is no way I can wear a closed toe shoe but the foot is so ugly in its current state that my cute sandles and slides don't look so cute with black and blue and bloody toes poking out the tip.

It is a cold spring break. I am keeping the fires burning. We are carrying as much firewood now as we did back in January. The children are out of school for the week. J. is with us. While them being home creates far more work with the need to cook more meals and offer more snacks, etc, it is also easier as they play with Steven and I can accomplish larger projects in the day. I am finishing the painting in my kitchen. Almost done! Today is day 2. I am making great headway! Yayyyy me! I'll have photos of the kids from Easter to post later. No Easter egg hunt though. It was far too cold to have the baby out and it was way too wet to hide eggs. I do not remember a spring this cold. All of my plants are doing great in hot house of my kitchen. Though space is running very short on the counter tops. I'll be posting photos of the vegetables that have sprouted and will be transplanted to the garden in a week or two. I am so excited to get things underway. Last year the rains flooded out my garden. This year I hope it doesn't freeze. I want a bumper crop of good things. Oh, the tv series 24. I hate that show. Why do so many people like it? Keiffer Southerland - ugh!

Yesterday it was 80 degrees. Warm and wonderful. Tonight it is sleeting and snowing. I am sick of winter. Send help.

Guess What the weather is doing here? We even had snow flurries last night. Maybe Jack Frost will stay awhile. Finally! Guess Who got an academic award at school for her very good grades? She forgot to show it to us friday - :-/ Guess Who is walking now? Here we go! Young Frankenstein's Monster All of these have helped to lighten my mood just a bit. The fireplace is flickering. Steven is playing at my feet. Life is good.

Typhoid Mary came to our house while we weren't paying attention and left lovely packages of disease for us all. Steve and I have a severe case of sneezing and running noses. Colds require many naps. Gracie has a terrible sounding but non-productive cough. Colby was gifted by Mary with the grandest disease of them all! She went to the doctor with (and I am quoting) "one of the worst cases of strep throat I have ever seen" -said the doctor. She is on two antibiotics, a gargle and oxycodone for the pain. Colby likened the pain to swallowing shards of glass. Yikes. Bless her heart I do not know how she has managed to get by as long as she had before I sent her to the doctor with orders not to leave that office before she was seen by the doctor no matter how late she was for class. Steven is a little snotty but that is attributed to the teeth he is cutting. He has 3 top front teeth in and the fourth is just under the skin waiting to burst through. I have tried my best to get a photo but he is just not having it. See my two little bottom teeth! In other homemaking news - I bought drapes for my livingroom - after a year and a half of having only sheers in place. I love them! They are floral jacquard chenille and are wonderful. They hang beautifully. They are thick enough for winter but still nice for year round use plus they go very well with the upholstery on the living room furniture. They were a bit more expensive than I really wanted to pay but ... Beautiful drapes that will finish being hung in my house by Friday. What do I expect to get for a silly small amount of $$ to fit 95" windows? Yes, drapes and curtains for my windows have to be at least 95 inches long. Nothing standard works downstairs. I am fortunate that 84" works perfectly upstairs. It is an expense that had to be spent. Steven is again screaming for me to hold him and let him nurse. I hate this teething thing! He doesn't sleep at night. He bites! But he doesn't realize he is biting. I will be so glad when this part is over. Any more of the biting and I may have to wean him very soon. Oh, Badger mentioned a few books in my previous post comments. I have one of those and one is on its way to me via the US Postal Service. I have yet to find copy of the mothering book that is in good shape and a reasonable price. I can't believe you all did not recommend something to read. Are you not reading these days? While we sat and Steven played I worked on a new design for my journal. What do you all think of the snazzy new duds? Can you tell I am so very ready for fall to begin and winter to come?

Unfinished Business - The doctor's appointment yesterday was the same as every other doctor's appointment lately. They did a monitoring session and the baby kept moving away and didn't want his little self to be monitored on their seismograph like machine. LOL The doctor came in and said, "Why are you still pregnant?" I wanted to scream at him, "Because you won't induce me, you bastard!" But I didn't. I kept my manners and said politely, "I don't know, you tell me why." Then came the disgusting part that involves a glove, lubricant, and major dignity damage. Nothing, nada, zilch. No thinning. No dialating. NOTHING! My cervix seems to be like the airlock on a submarine. The he says, "Let's wait and see if you go by friday." Right about now I am thinking all of you people jinxed me and this baby won't come until the next full moon which is February 13th. You and your damn guessing games. Who put the whammy on me? Which one of you did it? One day you will get yours, I promise you. I say that as sweetly and kindly as possible. I love you all. :-) I am keeping tabs, ya know ...

9 lbs., 2 ozs? On January 11th and probably 21" long. kenju 7lbs 10oz and 20 inches long on January 12. LadyBug 6 lbs 15 oz on January 13th - Judy 7 lbs. 6 oz. January 14th. She'll go into labor two hours after finishing his nursery! Lucinda 7.3 pounds. 21 inches. January 15 at 3:05. Raehan I say 8 pounds - 20 inches. Jan 16th. As for a time? Whenever he feels like poking his cute little head out into the world! :) MommaK January 17th. 8lbs. 10 ounces. blackbird on the 19th (great ppl born that day, lol)and weighs 7lbs 14oz and will be 20 3/4" Hope 7 lbs. 4 oz., 20 inches, January 23rd. L January 25, 9 pounds (sorry, Angie) and 21 inches. MistressMary January 26, 8:17 pm, 8 lbs 11 oz, 21 inches long. InterstellarLass 9.1 lb Jan 27..20 inches. J&J's Mom Jan 28 at 8#6oz. ; 20 and1/2 inches. Vicki Jan. 28th weighing 8lbs and 4 oz. and 21 inches long peggy 7 Lbs 9oz and I think our little cowboy will arrive on the 28th. jakapk 9.3 on jan 29th! jennifer January 29th and weigh 9 lbs., 2 ounces Susie Sunshine 8 pounds 14 ounces and 21 1/2 inches long. And he'll be here on the 30th. Jenny Feb. 1, 9 lbs 2 oz, 21 inches. Carolyn R. 7 lbs, 14 ounces. Feb. 2. 19 3/4" old horsetail snake 8 lbs 5 oz 21 inches long Born on February 2 (Groundhog Day) Lorraine 8 lbs 11 oz 21 1/2 February 5th! kate

In all of this guessing the absolute funniest of them all to me is Lorraine's. You have no idea how groundhogs have tormented Steven all summer and fall. I even commented once this baby was hibernating like a groundhog and probably will try to climb back in if he sees his shadow during birth. O'kay so maybe it's not that funny after all but it made me laugh. Funny Business - I find this to be very funny. I have my own collection of my kids in similar positions over the years. Old Business - I mean what I say and say what I mean. If I meant to say something else I would have said something else. Thank you. New Business - If you link to me would you please be a dear and let me know? I am working on a whole new me to be revealed when I get my body back and don't have to share. I don't want to leave out anyone and would be ever so grateful if you just left a note in the comments or whip off an email to let me know you read here. I would really like to come visit you in return. During the 8,678,903 hours I will spend sitting and nursing a crying hungry baby I know at some point I will multitask and read ya'll at the same time. Who knows I may even be able to type one handed and leave many more comments when this is all over and done with.

- Early morning doctor appointment -check - Purchase new Seally Baby Posturepedic crib mattress - check - Pick up some fresh veggies - check - Finish Laundry - check - Light fire under ass and start painting baby's room - sort of check but not really, still thinhking about it. - Send thank you notes - check Other Things I Did - - served spinach salad and chicken parmesian for supper - took a nap - drank a diet coke - had a stress test for the baby (everything is fine) - had some last trimester blood work - gained 1 pound

Mr. Darcy has decided he doesn't like the snow and refuses to stand in it for any reason. Making the animals go out for bathroom breaks results in pretty much having to chase them out the door. Have you got one of these gadgets? It is not fancy. It isn't electric. It is a diaper pad on a stick with a scrubber pad and a battery powered spray bottle. But I tell you it will save the hell out of your back if you have as many floors to mop as we have in this house. I am not one to buy all the new fandangle money wasters that come out on the market but I am glad I bought this one. It really did the job! Oh and don't be taken in by the spam about Swiffer harming pets. That is an untrue urban legend that really needs to stop. I guess a company as large as Proctor and Gamble will always have to fight some form of lies and slander about their products. And while I am hawking products this morning ... the Tide To Go stain pen -ROCKS! Handy dandy little stain remover has found a home here with me. Today I am baking. Hershey's kisses cookies and Red Velvet Cake. Judy, are you using Windows XP? If so the snow applet in my head graphic might be blocked as a pop would. Look at the top of the page and see if you have the little message that XP blocked something from loading on the page. If so, unblocked it by right clicking and selecting the proper option. I am still hunting for other reasons why you can't see it. Here is a screenshot so you can see the graphic not in action but as I see it on my laptop.

I woke up in a fair mood this morning. Over the following hour my mood shifted and not for the better. I am in a hateful grouchy mood. Looking at me gets you a death ray stare. Speaking to me pegs my you-pissed-me-off meter. How easy it would be to unlatch my jaw and swallow people whole when they get near me. I am laying the blame on pregnancy hormones. I fear you think I am a Susie Homemaker and everything is to the standards of June Clever at my house. It is so not the case. My house gets messy. My hardwood floors show dust. I can see dust bunnies under the big TV armoire. Laudry piles up. I have a basket waiting to be folded. If I spend a day cooking alot nothing else will get done. And you know what? I doesn't bother me at all. Things out of order and out of place would send my mother and grandmother into a full fling tizzy. I mean they would need a valium if they didn't clean everything to perfection. Me? I am not so spastic. It will get done when I get to it. If not it will still be there in a day or three. I learned along time ago not to sweat the small stuff. Life is just to short to worry about everything. Does it nag me my house is not always spotless? Yes, it does, but I don't let it cause me stress. Which is why I am perfectly comfortable to show photos of my freezers and mudroom pantry. Several of you have requested these. Click on the thumbnails to see the larger image. I haven't had time or the energy to paint the inside closet and you will see the garish green and stained paint. When we first moved in this was a coat closet. I don't need the coat closet. I needed a place to store items that I keep on hand as extras. There isn't much I can't prepare with this pantry as my backup. Both freezers are full and ready for winter. We have two because when we lived at the townhouse there was only room for the small freezer. When we bought this house I wanted a giant freezer but I had trouble getting rid of the small freezer -no one wanted it. The cost of the giant freezer was $800. OUCH! I got the medium size freezer for $350 and the two of them have as large a capacity as the giant freezer, maybe larger. Things in the freezers include, fresh summer corn on the cob and creamed corn, fruits, lots of chicken stock, all sorts of meats, (including lamb, pork, beef, chicken, fish and shrimp), soups and stew I have made and put up, tomatoe sauces and whole tomatoes, any number of assorted vegetables, breads and muffins I keep to send with Steven to work daily for breakfast, cookie dough, cheeses, sandwich meats, ready to go meals, timtams :), ice cream, ready to heat and serve taco/fajita meats, premade BBQ, roasts and meat pies, -you name it, it is most likely in there. Inside my refrigerator where I have spent the week cooking, it is nearly empty save for fresh veggies and fruits, milk and other dairy products, luncheon items, butter, apple sauce, whipped cream for the kids hot chocolate, jasmine tea, eggs, made a couple leftovers and all of the condiments we love. Gracie loves egg nog. she always has. As soon as itbegins to appear in the grocery store I buy it for her. She looks forward to this time and year and is greatly disappointed when it leaves. I do keep an emergency can of bordens egg nog in the pantry for those emergency attacks that might occur in March. I told you before we are condiment people. all of us seem to have out favorites when it comes to condiments. Steven is a tobasco and hot pepper sauce guy. The kids love all varieties of jellies. I cook with alot of different things and I love mustards, expecially for really nice super sandwiches. The Sara Lee deli mustards are very good and very affordable. There is always at least 1 (or 3) of some kind in the frig and a brand new spare in the pantry. The spice cabinet is more than just spice. I have a lot of different herbs and things here but I also keep opened boxes of brown sugar, cornstarch, canisters of dried beans and fruits as well as things for baking. I have started collecting my nuts and food coloring and those tiny one shot bottles of liquer for baking during the holidays. I find it is much more economically friendly to my budget to buy a few things along starting in summer than to have to buy everything in November and December for special dishes. There are local wines in the rack that we have tried and like. As well as wines my mother likes that I keep on hand in preparation for her visits. She is able to come up only once or twice a year and I like her to have things she likes and to be very comfortable while with us. I strive very hard to be a prepared and gracious hostess, especially to my family. There are wines that I like and can't drink right now. The Australian marriage wines in red are yummy. I have a center island that I keep all of my day to day items in. open flour and sugar in canisters which when finished I use the flour and sugar in the pantry and buy fresh flour and sugar to replace it. I rotate stock so everything is fresh. Can goods and all sorts of pasta and things are kept in there as well. You might find quick baking mixes, instant oatmeal and cereal in there too. I love home cooked meals but I am not against taking a short or two when needed in a pinch or I don't feel like doing it the long way. In another cabinet by the stove I keep canisters of more dried beans and peas, as well as mixed beans for soups, grits, coffees, dried creamers and milk, canisters of pasta and various tall things that won't fit in other cabinets. The best revenge is living well. It takes a little effort but you can live very well on a budget. Just remember to use it up and wear it out. Try not to waste anything. And don't be so picky about what you eat. You don't need the best cuts of meat all the time. Cheaper cuts of meat are where the flavors are and you can really stretch your dollar if you learn to use everything and waste as little as possible. I always save meat scraps and vegetable scraps to make stocks with. Left over vegetables are used for delicious soups and stews that do not taste like a mish mash of left overs. The kids probably have no idea that much of the things served are leftovers in another form. I am so thankful I am not married to someone who refuses leftovers or is extremely picky about eating. I have only cooked onr thing he has stated he would rather not have to eat again, stewed tomatoes and rice. I have no idea what the big deal is with it. :-/ I'll tell you something though, as hard as I try, we do waste things, but not intentionally. I make mistakes and forget things are in the frig drawers and end having to through it out. I also have been known to cook things no one likes or wants to eat again -and it gets thrown out. Being prepared and ahead of the game where meals are concerned just takes practice and time. It is work but it's not that hard. Cooking for 8 is just as easy as cooking for four. If you plan to cook on a large scale get help. Round up kids or your husband and as you prepare let them wash the dishes or load the dishwasher. < segway into a rant>

I have always had my girls in the kitchen from an early age. By the age of 15 Colby could put a meal on the table as well I can. She loves to cook, to experiement and loves a wide range of foods she may not have been willing to eat if she had not helped to prepare them. Whoever said it is not your children's responsibility to help out with kitchen work and other smaller siblings have their head up their butt and more time on their hands than they know what to do with. My girls are expected to help cook as needed, for example when we are running late or have a big dinner for guests or just when we want to bake cookies or make something special. They are in charge of cleaning the kitchen after supper. Everyone helps for the betterment of the entire family. They are also responsible for cleaning their rooms and bringing down all of their laundry. They are also responsisble for the condition of their bathroom. They live here, too. We all have a job to perform. Chores have never hurt a child. I find it makes a better adult. Girls cannot become great mothers and wives without being taught how. I do not want to see my girls struggle with trying to figure out how to cope with a home and family to raise when they get older. Things learned now will come naturally and they too will have children to teach how to care for themselves and a family. I was raised to be a damn good wife and mother. I think I live up to that expectation and want no less for my own daughters. When this baby boy is born I have the exact same high expectations for him as well. Boys can cook, help with laundry, take out garbage and help clean the yards. I am an equal opportunity mother.

< /end rant> What's in your pantry? *****Updated to add this photo for Judy***** This past weekend at the pumpkin patch Judy, I would have to guess he has gained at least 30 lbs. When we met he was skin and bones, yellow tinted skin, ulcers, literally almost a skeleton. His eye were dark and slightly sucken. He did not eat well at all and did not try to take care of himself. He was on the tail end of years of negelect in a bad marriage and even worse nasty divorce, followed by a realaitonship with a woman who lied to him and he found out was married. He had really given up and thought he would be lucky to live another year. Seriously, he will tell you he expected maybe to live one more year or be in the hospital in severe care for system failure. He intended to never have anything to do with women again. He was finished and would be a bachelor till the end. I guess someone had other plans for him. :-) I put him on vitamins, all sorts of heavy herbal treatments and whole natural foods to heal his body and those damn stomach ulcers. It has taken a year and a half to get him to this point now. He weighs 155lbs @ 6'2". He is still quite thin. His skin is tanned from working in the sun. His eyes are sparkling and full of mischief. He laughs often and loudly. His waist is now 32 inches. And OMG is he handsome!! Photos always come out badly because he doesn't like photos taken. :-/

The last couple of days have gotten away from me -just zipped right by in a flurry of errands and chores. Monday - Coordinated the work to be done by the plumber, the electrician, the chimney sweep and the landscaper. It seems they all need work next week so every single one of them will be in my house at some point between the 8th and the 11th. The contract for the pool was signed and the guy was late for our appointment which put me an hour behind my errands of returning rental DVD's and a quick stop at the landscapers business. Tuesday - OB appointment which takes up most of a morning. A trip to the grocery store because my husband requested Reese Cup ice cream. Also he worked all day monday, all night and all day tuesday. I didn't see him until later afternoon!! Wednesday - MORE errands - Stand in line at the tax office and purchase the county sticker for the 2nd truck Steven bought just before we left on vacation, then stand in line to get the current dog license. Stand in line at the bank waiting to make a deposit because the drive thru line was 9 cars long and I thought it would be quicker to run inside. Go to the lawyers office and make an appointment to finish our business with him. Go to the courthouse and get a plat of our property then drive to the other end of county because no one in this one horse town has a fax machine for public use except one little tiny pharmacy on the other end of the county and fax the paper I got from the courthouse to the pool builders so they can begin rounding up all the building permits and such for the pool. Take Colby for her registration process which was far quicker than any other chore on our list. Gracie starts back to school on the 24th and I have to round up school supplies and get school clothes together. I really hate the end of summer. I like having children home. I hate getting up and sending them off to school for so many hours a day. I get lonely without them. This year even Colby will be gone. :-( I will be home all alone. Right by myself. What will I do all winter long? On top of all of that I have tried to catch up on my reading. I have read almost half of you all. I will finish and leave comments - hopefully today or tomorrow. If I haven't gotten to you, I will. You know you have read too many journals when you dream about people from those journals at night. For instance, last night ... I was in an old minivan on my way to visit Susie Sunshine. During the road trip north the van aged and as I passed a car dealership I decided to stop and trade it in. They were not open and I decided to sleep in the van until they did. When I woke up the mail man had come by and left my mail on the seat beside me with a note I should not sleep with the windows down and the doors unlocked. So, I am trading in my car when I look at the newspaper that was in my mail. The article was about a car saleman who dressed like a member of KISS. This was the dealership I was at! I decided not to buy a car from him and checked into a motel. It was a dumpy little place but the only motel between Virginia and Michigan. I had no choice. The car salesman came to my motel room and tried to get me to test drive a car he had but I refused and finally he left. About that time Susie walks in and stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips and says, "Never buy anything from a man who uses face paint instead of concealer." Does anyone want to explain this dream?