I hope your day of memorializing is dry and warm. Now, I'm going to batten down the hatches on our green house so it doesn't blow away during the impending rain & wind storm -- while wearing a bikini! ;->
Happy Memorial Day!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Memorial Day Rain
Friday, May 28, 2010
Virtual GNO - Not Ready For The Bikini
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I'm having low self-esteem issues.
I've been exercising like crazy but the numbers on the scale aren't going down. Boo. Yesterday my 9 y/o was going to be in her school's Talent Show , but I didn't know about a rehearsal that happened on the previous day. Missing the rehearsal threw her for a loop so she didn't want to be in the show any more. Boo. Then, while I was taking some bowls out to make healthy, air-popped, lightly buttered popcorn (who am I kidding, I was going to make cookie dough for us) my 2 favorite bowls dropped on my big toe, breaking into pieces, fully expressing how I was feeling about myself in the first place. Ugh. Know what I'm in the mood for? A Virtual Girls Night Out!
* The blog-hopping VGNO has been partying since 2008! To get on the VGNO guest list check out this post then add your blog name & blog link to Linky Tools below. Click on blog links that have joined our party - it's a blog-hop! Tell the bloggers you visit "Happy VGNO!" *
Time For A Cocktail!
Red, White, & Blue Frozen Berries & Cream Cocktail
Ingredients:
~1 oz. Strawberry Vodka
~5 Fresh Strawberries
~1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
~½ cup Small Ice chips
~2 oz. Vanilla Vodka
~1 Large Scoop Vanilla Ice Cream
~1 oz Heavy Cream
~1 oz. Blueberry Schnapps or Blackberry Brandy
~Whipped Cream, optional
Directions:
(My directions are to put it all in a blender, pour & enjoy! To see the incredibly lo-o-o-ong, descriptive "directions" click here)
Time For Some Tunes!
Local Natives "World News"
Silly, silly video. But the music gets your toes tapping and hopefully your body jumping!!!
Time For A Party Game!
Sweet As Candy
If you were to have a candy bar named after you what would it be called? Just for fun follow the guide below to create your candy bar name. Ex. If your first name starts with an 'A' and your last name starts with an 'H' your candy bar would be called "Sweet Confection". Try it out.
Your First Name
A - C = Sweet
D - F = Honey
G - I = Lucious
J - L = Sugar
M - O = Precious
P - R = Savory
S - U = Delightful
V - Z = Heavenly
Your Last Name
A - C = BonBon
D - F = Tart
G - I = Confection
J - L = Chunk
M - O = Honey
P - R = Blossom
S - U = Bits
V - Z = Buns
Let us know what your candy bar name is. (What it's filled with is completely up to you :-> )
*OK, blog pals. Time to get blog-hopping at this VGNO. Add your blog link to Linky Tools and have fun visiting the blogosphere! And... if you don't have time to blog-hop tonight, that's cool. Add your link anyway & I bet you'll be able to visit friends tomorrow... or the next day... or the next day. Happy VGNO! *
And... could you leave your Twitter ID in the comments? If I'm not following you I should be :->
VGNO Party People!!!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Tuesday Tracking - Rose Bud Pt. 2
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Keeping up with this beautiful rose bush. Here's last week : Tuesday Tracking - Rose Bud
And a couple of days later...
You are not going to believe what happened after this photo was taken. Check in next Tuesday ;->
Monday, May 24, 2010
I'm Annoyed
Tweeting while watching T.V. seems to be a pretty common practice. I get wanting to share your experience with those that are as excited. I understand wanting to make a connection. But what I DON'T get is when people Tweet away with "OMG! I can't believe they killed so-and-so!" Or, "Why did he pick (insert name here)". Why are some t.v.-watching-tweeters Spoilers?
Not everyone watches a program at the same time. And I'm not talking about those that are taping a program to watch at a later date. I'm talking about those that live in a different time zone and have no choice.
Twitter Etiquette 101: While sharing enjoyment/disdain for T.V. shows, no play-by-play of said T.V. shows. Please keep in mind those in different time zones.
While waiting for my series finale show-time to start, I was checking in with my Twitter pals. When some started sharing info. on the show I was waiting for, I reminded my Twitterverse that not all could be watching the show due to the time difference. I was given this comment, "Why is it so hard for west coasters to just get off the internet if they don't want to come across spoilers? Instead they just complain :P "
Excuse me?
So, due to the fact that I live in a later time zone I am to avoid the internet. I see. I didn't realize it was that difficult to hold off talking about important plot points. Perhaps it's Twitter Tourette Syndrome. I don't know.
Is it so hard to keep some info. to yourself? Those who over-share might keep their followers that way.
Friday, May 21, 2010
VGNO - I'm Older Than Pac-Man
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Rain, rain go away. Really.
Living in the Pacific Northwest means never having to change your closets with the seasons. One day it's sunny and 75 (which is warm for us) the next day it's raining and cold. If you were to wear a turtleneck, sunglasses while carrying an umbrella no one would look at you funny. (Unless you're wearing socks with sandals, then laugh away.) I want to get my mind off of this cold wetness and blog hop at the Virtual Girls Night Out!
* The VGNO has been hopping since 2008! To join just check out this post then add your blog name & link to Linky Tools below. Click on blog links that have joined our party - it's a blog-hop! Happy VGNO! *
Time For A Cocktail!
Happy 30th Anniversay Pac-man!
Pac-Man
Ingredients:
1 oz maraschino liqueur
1 oz strawberry schnapps
1 oz peach schnapps
2 oz apple juice
2 oz pineapple juice
Directions:
Add the ingredients in the chronological "level" order (cherry > strawberry > peach > apple > pineapple), stir, and serve in a highball glass on the rocks. The glass is then garnished with a banana slice that has been cut to resemble Pac-Man's open-mouthed head!
*Side note: There is also a non-alcoholic Pac-Man drink (click here). But, it's a VGNO so I went with the liquor!
Time For Some Tunes!
OK Glee lovers, you caught Neil Patrick Harris on the show last week, right? Fantastic! For those that aren't as familiar with his singing you must, absolutely must watch Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog. NPH plays a would-be super villain, Dr. Horrible, whose arch nemesis Capt. Hammer (played by Castle's Nathan Fillion) crushes his spirit by going after the girl he is secretly in love with. Got it? It's the best!!! Here's a one great scene.
Neil Patrick Harris & Felicia Day "On The Rise"
I could go on and on about this show. It's a MUST watch! All episode's are on YouTube. Have questions about it? Just ask me.
Watch it. Love it. Sing-A-Long!
Time For A Question!
Now, for those of you who remember hangin' at a new place called the Video Arcade back in the day, you'll remember playing Pac-Man. Can you believe it came out 30 years ago?!? I remember Tron and how wild it seemed. My favorite video arcade game was Galaxia. If you spent your time in a large, dark room filled with crazy computer noises and flashing lights what was your favorite arcade game?
*OK, blog pals. Time to visit blog friends at this VGNO. Add your blog link to Linky Tools and have fun hopping around. And... if you don't have time to blog-hop tonight, that's cool. Add your link anyway & I bet you'll be able to visit friends tomorrow... or the next day... or the next day. Happy VGNO! *
And... could you leave your Twitter ID in the comments? If I'm not following you I should be :->
Proud Party Players!!!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Ode To A Swimsuit
Last year I bought a swimsuit that I thought looked great. I was so excited to have finally found a suit that covers my mommy-bulge and showed a little cleavage, ya' know, a little sexiness thrown in while I try to suck it in. My husband was going to take one look at me in this suit and say "Victoria's Secret model's have nothing on you Honey."
Boy was I delusional.
It didn't really hit me until I saw pictures of myself from our vacation. There we were, a family playing in a pool and I noticed that my swimsuit didn't look as great as I thought it did. If I was going for a Victoria's Secret model look this suit was in their AARP section. I looked like I was wearing my grandmother's swimsuit!
How could I have talked myself into thinking that this suit looked good on me?!? I had to put it on again to figure this out, and that's when I understood. It wasn't that it helped my body look better; it just fit my butt, and that made me happy.
Lesson to self: Just because it fits your derriere doesn't make it right to wear.
I had to laugh at myself. It really was a ridiculous swimsuit. The search continues. Ah, swimsuit season... you bastard.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Editing Myself
`
I have written - and deleted - 3 blog posts today.
So many thoughts are going through my head.
I'm editing myself. Too concerned with losing my cool. Too concerned about how some might respond.
I guess the words will keep rolling around in my brain.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Tuesday Tracking - Rose Bud
Monday, May 17, 2010
She's In There Somewhere
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Any chance the "responsible", "happy", "cooperative" girl (as reported by her Outdoor School teachers) that just returned from said Outdoor School, could share some of these qualities now that she's home?
The child that claimed "she likes salad after all" - only to say "Maybe it was the fresh air that made me like salad" when presented with a lovely vegetable selection at her home. Let's keep that salad bowl rolling, shall we?
The child that gave her little sister a big hug, surprising little sister completely, who now tells her to "Shh" everytime she begins to speak,... could we have the huggy-lovey big sis back please???
I don't think one week was enough.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Virtual GNO - The Gang's All Here
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She's home She's home! My Outdoor School adventuring 12 yrs. old is home. It has definitely been a quite week here. Now we are waiting for her pictures to be developed and seeing if OxyClean can really take out embedded grass and dirt stains. Time to relax and have a Virtual Girls Night Out!
Time For Some Tunes!
I've been thinking about Motherhood a lot lately and this song keeps popping in my head. It seems a perfect soundtrack for Mother's - The Movie. (Someday someone will write the screenplay, I'm sure.)
Chumbawamba "Tubthumping"
"I get knocked down, but I get up again, you're never gonna keep me down". THAT'S what being a mom can feel like sometimes.
How can you not sing along to that tune?!?
Time For A Cocktail!
"He drinks a whisky drink..."
Barlely Legal
Ingredients:
2 oz. Perrier - or more
1 oz. Glenlivet Scotch Whisky - or more
Instructions:
Mix and serve over cubed ice in old fashioned glass. Garnish with a twist of lime.
Sounds perfect right about now.
Time For A Party Game!
As I look around my house I see a LOT of Barbie's. There's the Barbie in her scuba suit and the Barbie who's a Vet. These Barbie's are outside on the swing-set and in the garden too. But, these dolls don't represent the way I think they should. If I were a Barbie I would be "Sunscreen Barbie". Follow the chart below to see which Barbie you would be.
"Modern Barbie"
Use the chart to find which Barbie you are. Use the letter of your first name.
A - D = Sunscreen Barbie
E - H = Lactose Intolerate Barbie
I - L = Migraine Barbie
M - P = Blogger Barbie
Q - T = Mini Van Barbie
U - Z = Bi-Polar Barbie
Now, which Barbie are you? If you need to tweak this a bit, have fun!
*OK, blog pals. Time to visit blog friends at this VGNO. Add your blog link to Linky Tools and have fun hopping around. And... if you don't have time to blog-hop tonight, that's cool. Add your link anyway & I bet you'll be able to visit friends tomorrow... or the next day... or the next day. Happy VGNO! *
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Eat Pray... What Now?
I have tried not just once but twice to read Peace Joy Harmony. Or, wait... it's Love Peace... no, oh Eat Pray Love.
I don't know what my problem is.
The women in my family loved this story. I've heard wonderful things about this book. They've made a movie with Julia Roberts in the lead for crying out loud. Why can't I get through it?
I've made it through the "Eat" part in Italy. I got through 4 pages of "Pray"... and that was a month ago.
I don't know why but I feel I should finish this book. Finish what I start, right?
Here I go.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Tuesday Tracking... Iris Bed in Bloom
`
Yes. It's Wednesday. The days just get away from me sometimes.
After tracking the month long growth of our beautiful Iris bed, the flowers have reached their full bloom.
I wish you could smell them
Monday, May 10, 2010
Eerie Silence
.
Yesterday my 6th grader left for Outdoor School.
While parents and children mulled around the buses making sure everything on the list was packed, giving hugs and kisses, some parents were saying "This is a great Mother's Day present!" Of course we laughed. It sounded funny. But it didn't really feel funny to me.
I want Katie to have an amazing time, of course. She was so excited and that made me happy. There were some children who were very weepy and I was grateful I didn't have to deal with a meltdown before she got on the bus.
The energy in the house was different last night. Her little sister is reveling in having the bedroom all to herself, and wants me to paint it pink while Katie is away. (I don't even want to think of how she would react to that discovery. No thank you.)
I am obsessed wondering what Katie is doing right now. Is she still excited? Is it raining on the mountain? Did I pack enough jeans, socks?
Maybe I should go for a little drive....
Friday, May 7, 2010
Virtual GNO - Yes. I Am Aware Of What This Sunday Is.
This morning my 12 yr. old has to give a speech in front of the class. Ugh. Does anyone enjoy doing this?!? And last night she decided to change her topic. Way to add more stress there Honey. Her father and I have experience speaking in front of an audience so we gave as much advice as she could handle. I'm still nervous. I know what I need to take my mind off of it... a Virtual Girls Night Out!
* The VGNO is for those bloggers who need a break from the demands of our families, if only for a little bit, and want to hang out in the blogosphere. The VGNO has been hopping since 2008! To play just check out this post then add your blog name & link to Linky Tools below. Click on blog links that have joined our party - it's a blog-hop! Happy VGNO! *
Time For A Cocktail!
Sweet Mommy
Ingredients
*2 oz. Pomegranate Vodka
*6 oz. HINT Pomegranate-Tangerine
*2 Mint Leaves
*Dash Honey Syrup
Directions
Find your prettiest glass, add ingredients and stir. Enjoy!
Time For Some Tunes!
"A Rap For Mother's Day"
"You're my mom, Mom. And I love you like my mom." Fantastic!!! (I'm going to pretend that these are my girls due to the fact that, like in the video, my youngest is also named Lily. Pathetic... I know)
Time For A Giveaway!
Guess what giveaway I have going now? The NINE DVD! I love musicals! For your chance to win please visit Ann Again... and again Reviews. (Due to advertising restrictions giveaways happen on my other site.)
Time For A Question!
So, what are your plans for Mother's Day? What has been happening for the past, oh say 6 years, is that my husband takes our girls and has Father/Daughter time while I get the house to myself, watch a movie and drink champagne. Yeah baby! Well, this year will be different in that my 12 yr. old will be leaving for Outdoor School on Sunday afternoon. *sniff* I'm sad, but her little sister, who she shares a room with, is very excited! ;-> . What are you doing this Mother's Day?
*OK, blog pals. Time to visit blog friends at this VGNO. Add your blog link to Linky Tools and have fun hopping around. And... if you don't have time to blog-hop tonight, that's cool. Add your link anyway & I bet you'll be able to visit friends tomorrow... or the next day... or the next day. Happy VGNO! *
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Always The Last Place You Look
Allergies are hitting us hard this season. After looking all over the house for that box of tissues I KNEW we had, but couldn't find, I sat on the couch in the living room and took a break.
What's that?
What am I looking at on the bottom shelf next to a heat vent where my youngest likes to hang out?
Is that...?
Ah... I see. Barbie's fluffy bedding takes precedence over her families discomfort.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Tuesday Tracking - Irises & Mama Hummingbird
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Now we are on to tracking the bloom of our iris bed. (Click here for last week.) The fragrance is so lovely.
These blooms never disappoint
My how the iris garden grows
Check out this delightful video from Phoebe Allen's Live Webcam, Mama Hummingbird in her nest. (I believe she has 2 eggs in there.) She comes and goes... so wonderful.
Streaming .TV shows by Ustream
Isn't it just incredible?
Monday, May 3, 2010
Fuchsia's On The Patio
When looking to buy a home there is the saying "Location, Location, Location". The locations we wanted to purchase in were so out of our price range that we had to adjust our wants and go with what we could get. Little did we know that buying what we could get would give us more than what we could have dreamed.
The purchasing process was horrendous, so much stress. Even though it was 13 yrs. ago I remember like it was yesterday. When we had the deal signed and sealed we thought that was the best part. But the true best part was meeting our neighbors. And one particular neighbor comes to mind today, our honorary Grandma-Next-Door, Eleanor.
Eleanor lived alone but was never lonely. If her friends weren't visiting (partying was more like it ;-> ), or taking her to Bunco or lunch, my young Katie was at her house, eating cookies or playing games. She became a member of our family quickly. We loved her.
Time passed and Eleanor felt living in her house was too difficult and choose to move to an assisted living facility. We did everything we could to have her stay, but she wanted to live (and party!) with her friends that lived in the facility as well. We couldn't blame her.
A large part of our hearts broke when, after living in her new "home" for over a year, Eleanor passed. I still cry. A very selfish part of me thinks that if she would have stayed in her house she would still be with us.
A few months ago a young couple chose Eleanor's home to be their first home. It seemed perfect. The couple had an Open House and our neighborhood came together to welcome them.
Spring is here and that means more time in the garden. Eleanor loved her garden. One thing she always did was put hanging fuchsia baskets on her patio. Every year. And guess what the new neighbors just did for their patio? Fuchsia baskets, hanging from their patio.
Eleanor is still watching over her garden.
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