I need...

(It's a pun. Get it?)

...to make a to-do list. It's the only way I really get things done.

...to get on the treadmill.

...to take out the trash.

...to pay the bills, and go to the grocery store, and vacuum the floors.

...to read my library book that has already been rechecked once.

...to knit something...anything.

...to have a 27,000,000 fling boogie.

...to refill prescriptions.

...to rearrange furniture in the family room.

...to pick up the blank check registers from the bank (that I requested and forgot to pick up last week).

...to dry and fold the towels.

...to change the bed.

...to get that jacket to the dry cleaner.

...to change the blade in my razor.

...to make a menu for the next week or so...preferably before I go to the grocery store.

...to get a couple of packages in the mail.

There. That ought to keep me busy for awhile.

Back to the drafting table...

Dug this one out of the 'drafts' bin from early June, and updated it a little.

1. It's 2am and you're not home. You are more than likely: Keeping the kiddoes!

2. What's the last thing you spent more than $100 on? I plead the fifth.

3. What do your bank checks look like? Plain blue economy/safety.

4. Where did the shirt you are currently wearing come from? Goodness knows.

5. Name something that will be on your Christmas wish list. As Time Goes By - Complete Original Series on DVD

6. What color is your toothbrush? Blue

7. Name something you collect and tell us about it. Unwanted weight in my southern region...nuff said.

8. Last restaurant you ate at. Who were you with? How was it? Clear Springs with a co-worker...insisted upon and paid for by our incredibly wonderful boss. It was FAB as usual!

9. Who was the last person you bought a birthday card for? I never buy cards. I make cards, but am really bad about actually getting them in the mailbox.

10. What is your worst bad habit? Procrastination

11. Name a magazine you subscribe to. Real Simple

12. Your favorite pizza toppings? The works!

13. Whose number were you looking up the last time you used a phone book? Someone whose last name I couldn't think of, and I was hoping looking through the phone book might jog my memory. Still haven't thought of it, by the way.

14. Other than family, who is the person that you love most? My best friends, but I can't narrow it down to one.

15. What is the last thing you cooked? Ground meat for a Taco Salad.

16. Name something that you wouldn't want to buy used. Underwear.

17. Which shoe do you put on first? Left

18. What is the last thing you remember losing? My mind

19. What is the ugliest piece of furniture in your house? We have three really crummy bookshelves.

20. Last thing you bought and ended up returning? I never get around to returning anything...unlike a certain friend of mine who is probably reading this. :) It is likely to just hang in my closet unworn, or get stashed under the guest room bed.

21. What perfume/cologne do you wear? If none, why? Philosophy, Pure Grace.

22. What is your favorite board game? Yahtzee. No, Trivial Pursuit. No, Sorry! No, Scrabble.

23. What was the last board game you played? Yahtzee

24. Where did your vehicle come from? Detroit

25. If a movie was made about your life, what would the theme song be? Fat Bottomed Girls

26. You're sad, who can cheer you up easily? The kids

27. What was the color of the bridesmaids dresses at the last wedding you went to? A gorgeous taupe color

28. What house cleaning chore do you hate the most? Dusting.

29. What is your favorite way to eat chicken? With a knife and fork.

30. It is your birthday. You hope the cake is... not ruined by all the melted wax from the MANY candles! Oh, and chocolate.

Sleep interrupted...

For some reason, I keep waking up in the wee hours lately.

Now I realize that some of you would choose to just get up and start your day at this time, but having just turned in a few hours before, that's really not an option I can go for.

I hesitate to turn on any lights, as that just seems to extend the time I'm awake...so no reading, no tv. But this morning, I thought maybe if I acknowledged and documented the moment, that it would free my mind to relax and sink back into sweet slumber.

So I walked through the house in the dark, retrieved my camera, and snapped this pic. I wasn't even sure it would turn out. I was pleasantly surprised.

It freed my mind to marvel over the fact that I know my camera well enough now to adjust the settings from memory...basically I can do it with my eyes closed...well almost. Then I ruminated on the quality of the darkness. As a country-life newbie, I missed the reassuring glow of street lights and traffic, but I've grown to love the ambient inkiness of unadulterated country dark.

I think I was back asleep by 4:30.

Peanut Butter in my chocolate...

How sweet is this little cutie? I saw the idea at Confessions of a Cookbook Queen awhile back. The Cookbook Queen's are really adorable, but mine turned out passable using what I had on hand. It's meant to be a cupcake topper...get it?...a 'cupcake' cupcake topper.

I just loved the idea, but I'm foregoing the actual cupcakes and using the idea as a tiny bite-sized birthday treat. We are having a bit of a health challenge going on at the office, so this is kind of a fun way of sharing a teeny-weeny little bit of birthday cheer for the boss man's birthday (this week).

In case you couldn't tell, it's made with a mini Reese's peanut butter cup. Pipe on a little icing, a few sprinkles, and a cherry (all I could find were some Runts and not the Mary Englebreit cherry sprinkles that were pictured on Cookbook Queen's).



And today is Jared's birthday. I am SO lucky that he loves an easy-peesy pie better than cake...hence the reason I had the mini Reese's on hand. Here's Jared's finished birthday pie ready to go in the freezer. The recipe is here.



I feel like I accomplished a lot, and hardly spent any time in the kitchen. Nice!

Life...

...is just a colander of cherries. For today anyway.

Saturday 9...

1.When was the last time you were told to go your own way? A few weeks ago...my cardiologist fired me...coolly decreed that I no longer needed a cardiologist. But I still need to take a blood thinner which requires at least monthly testing, which I was having done at his clinic. I practically begged to be allowed to continue going there for the testing as it is so handy for me. He grimly stated that it was NOT handy for them. And so began the wrangling with the insurance company and the search for a PT/INR monitor so that I can test myself and manage things with my primary-care physician. I had some luck yesterday morning...I'm keeping my fingers crossed. (Not to worry anyone...the cardiologist was only needed because of a pulmonary embolism after my hysterectomy...at which time they discovered that I had a genetic predisposition toward clotting...so if you are a relative reading this, and you ever need surgery, you should probably mention to your doctor that a family member has Factor V Leiden so they can test you beforehand. And don't think that just because you've had successful recovery from previous injuries/surgeries in the past that you are off free...I've had my share, and my doctor pretty much says I was just lucky before.

2. What one experience has strengthened your character the most so far? Hard times.

3. What's your favorite thing to do on a rainy day? Curl up with a good book!

4. How long can you go without your cell phone? I rarely use it. As handy as they are in an emergency, I would be giddy if all cell phones disappeared from the earth this very moment!

5. Do you wish you were somewhere else right now? Absolutely not. I had the chance to be somewhere else, and I cancelled so that I could stay home.

6. Of all the people you have ever known, who have you most feared? Several people pop into my mind, but I can't say that I really know them. I think that's what was the most scary...the fact that I didn't know what to expect from them.

7. Do people tell you that you look your age? No...I hang with very polite people. :)

8. Your ex shows up randomly at your house, what do you say? I don't have an ex...yet. Just kidding, he's too sweet to let him get away.

9. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance? I believe that God gives us all innumerable chances. I do the best I can to follow His example, but...

Seven planned goals on the 7th...

1. Call my sister, whose birthday is today (because I procrastinated on mailing a card...again! ugh)

2. Go to the book store to buy birthday gift for the Bobster.

3. Mail/deliver bills.

4. Pick up some groceries on lunch hour.

5. Make appointment for a haircut.

6. Call insurance company for round 2.

7. Walk for 30 minutes.

July 4th...

Happy Independence Day to all of my fellow U.S. friends. Thoughts and prayers are with all those, past and present, who have sacrificed to keep us safe and free.

We made a quick trip to my mother-in-law's over the past couple of days. I had hoped to bring home enough figs from her tree to preserve, but we came home with very few. Good visit nonetheless. Uneventful car trip, with Carey at the wheel and me with my library book. Almost immediately after our arrival, the skies opened up. There was lots of flooding in the area, but we were dry and happy. And I curled up with my knitting while we visited.

Another safe trip back, and it's lovely to be home again in my own comfy bed.