Updates

I have been really busy lately what with procrastinator parties and kids and all that jazz. I do want to thank everyone who commented on my chairs. I had fun doing it under the time crunch and will most definitely do another project party again.
Once I got the dining room finished I turned my eye toward the back porch/office this weekend, and threw out the door all the junk that was cluttering it up so horribly. I am one of those people that will clean my bedroom in the middle of the night if I can't sleep because of the clutter. So out it all went! One pile for garage, one for the yard sale this Friday, oh, did I mention that while I was doing this de-cluttering I thought that it would be a great time for a yard sale? So now I am into it for the duration.
Jay even took out the old built in work space that was out moded for us. At the time he built it we had 2 desk top pc's and now we are using laptops, so out with that, too! I cleaned the carpet and brought in my new love seat and my old handmade desk, a reading lamp and table that I repainted white, hung curtains and made a tiny little space just for me! I picture myself early mornings, curled up on my cozy love seat with a cup of coffee in one hand and my online devotions on my laptop on the table next to me. Ah, it's the little things that make us happy, yes?

Also, I stopped babysitting. I need to concentrate on what I need to be doing here. Like exercising regularly.

Jay and I will be taking a mini-vacation the last 4 days of this month. We are going to Nevada to see a dear old friend for a couple of days, by ourselves, no children added. We really need this!

My garden is growing, albeit slowly, but it is past the danger of being frozen. There is some small bit of pride in that I started it from seeds, every bit! We also planted a june berry bush and a honeysuckle vine and they are thriving as well. Our grapevine looks very sweet with its blush colored leaves just beginning to unfurl. I always tell people that in our yard all we have to do is dig a hole and plop whatever it is we want to grow and it will take off on it's own. Which reminds me, it's dark now and I can flood my yard and garden unobserved.

One more thing: I am reading Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott; Thin Within -a Grace oriented approach to weight loss- by Judy and Arthur Halliday RN & MD respectively; and Chuck Colson's How Now Shall We Live?. One meaty book let me tell you. I read fiction at night to help me go to sleep and if I wake up and can't sleep I can think about what I just read and if that doesn't seem to work then I will pray. That usually does it pretty fast for some reason.

Green Living and other things

I found yet another website that has tips on living "Green". http://www.greenlivingtips.com/
How easy to remember is that?

Why am I having so much trouble controlling my appetite?! I saw myself in a picture from Harley's birthday party and for a second there I didn't recognize myself. I wanted to wire my own jaw shut right then and there but I got up and ate instead. This is what I ate all day.

1.Two egg omelet w/o yolks no cheese just a few diced onions. Blech!
2.Lunch was a very small hamburger w/lettuce, tomato, onion.
3.Supper, a leftover hot dog w/ ketchup and sweet relish and a baked potato with a couple spoons of salsa. I think that was the picture shock. I don't even like hot dogs.
4.A bunch of goldfish cracker and a cup of hot chocolate..(hey, its cold outside, AGAIN!)

All food bought by Jay. The saboteur? We have a bag of frozen spinach and a bowl of salad.
Well at least he doesn't consider corn and fried potatoes the only edible vegetables...I sent him out to the store, he mainly does the grocery shopping so I can't complain.

I have an eliptical in my bedroom but I use it like once a week. It makes a great clothes tree though. I know, apparently it's my own fault.

I realize why some senior citizens are mean. I think they are angry because they are getting older and there is not one dang thing they can do about. I sometimes find myself getting angry over the fact that I forget stuff, or that I am simply not as strong or have as much stamina as I used to, or the pure and simple fact that there are fewer days ahead than there are behind and I don't want to waste them but sometimes I'm too tired so I waste that day anyway. There has to be some sort of compromise here. Really.

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Harley and sis Lily
Harley Abigail is 2 years old today. Party @ Gramma and Poppa's!

Mike Laffey

Well, Mike, you are now rejoicing with the others that have gone on ahead of us. You got the best of the best now. I will always remember the day some of us heard you play for the first time back in the fellowship hall on a church clean up day. Everett was taking a break and was pounding out a bluesy tune on the old piano back there. All of us within earshot dropped what we were doing and gathered round to listen and I saw you whip out your harp from your pocket. You blew such a sweet harmony to Ev's I wished it to go on forever. When you two ended your music you said to Everett..."Consider that an audition!" ...and you found a place in our hearts forever that day. Until we meet in heaven and hear you play again, God Bless you dear man, I will miss you.

It's ~L I N D A~

I don't believe anyone in my immediate family knows I have a name. *GASP*
It's not "Hey you, hey mom, hey lady, or even just plain old "hey".
Not "Hey, I'm talkin' to You!"
"Oh, excuse me, I thought you were talking to him. You were just a second ago so I concluded you were still talking to him."
Now this girl cat that belongs to a friend of mine, well, I can't remember her name so I call her
Hey, cat."
But myself is a different story.
Mi llama es Linda, or Lin for short to my close friends.
I am lost in the anonymity of my life.
I don't require constant attention or ego stroking,
but a few well placed, well chosen words can go a long way.
Like,
Linda.

Not again...

Almost every spring we get this wet heavy snow. ~sigh~ Tomorrow another one is coming this way. I am so over this. It's really pretty when it happens but I still have deal with slush and mud and my car being dirty with mud on the carpets and tracked into the house.
I really wouldn't mind it if I didn't have to go out in it. But I always do...for some reason or another. I am ready for spring rains and thunderstorms. Rushing rivers and swollen creeks. Daffodil, crocus's, and tulips. Warm breezes and watching spring training. I have a feeling we will go from winter straight into summer heat. Mm Hmm...

15 things I miss

1. Living on the beach.
2. My grandma’s house.
3. My kids being small.
4. Eating anything I want.
5. Staying up as late as I want.
6. Eating homemade ice cream from the HoD.
7. Being 12.
8. Riding my bike as my main transportation.
9. Raising & riding horses.
10. Hanging out with friends as a Saturday pastime.
11. Sleeping in as long as I want.
12. My mom’s fudge at Christmas.
13. Dressing ‘cool’ instead of functional.
14. Sex whenever, wherever, lol…
15. Real, quality time to myself.

A one year plan

My husband of 18 years, Jay, and I are in the process of putting together a one year plan. We are looking to relocate to a warm place with tropical, or at least warm, breezes and miles of beaches to walk upon. We want, need, to slow down our lives and enjoy living. South Padre Island and Carrabelle, FL are just two of the places we are considering. In the past we have been to areas very near to both of these places. I grew up on the water and have missed it more and more.

1 YEAR OLD!

Today my grandson Chase turns one. It is bittersweet. His grandpa Bob was diagnosed one year ago today with liver cancer. He passed away in June and he fretted over not seeing his grandson grow up. Chase will miss a great opportunity to know a man who could have taught him much. I imagine when Chase develops certain talents as he grows older someone will remember all the things that Grandpa used to do and tell Chase that he is a lot like him.