100% pure cotton...

I love the way these towels look in the children's bathroom over at Kasey's. I love fluffy cotton towels. And with these in particular, I like the repetition. The symmetry. The monochromaticity. (I didn't make that one up, but i did have to look it up to check the spelling.) Most of all I love knowing that they snuggle the munchkins fresh from the bath...sweet smelling and ready for bedtime.

Happy Thursday...

A day off for me, and it is a nice one. Sitting here in the living room with the windows open...loving the fresh air and the bird songs outside.

Kasey is here working. She works from home, but they are getting new floors installed this week, so her house is a little too loud and busy for concentration. She's been hard at it on the computer and conference calls all day, but it's a special treat just to have her near and companionably quiet interludes.

Because I like to pamper my baby occasionally, I made her a special lunch. I made the remainder of last night's rotisserie chicken into a salad, and scooped out a tomato to serve it in. Rounded it out with crackers and iced coffee. Her surprised and grateful acceptance made me happy that I thought of it.

She's a good girl. I'm a lucky mama.

It's so cliche...

Opportunity knocks but once...have you ever passed on an opportunity that you regret? --Not really, because the path I've taken has brought me here, and I wouldn't really want to change anything.

The pot calling the kettle black...do you ever catch yourself criticizing others for something you are guilty of yourself? --Yes. When I find myself feeling an instant dislike for someone, I can usually find something about them that reminds me of my own worst habits.

Pride cometh before a fall...what event made this cliche real for you? --I'm not the most graceful person, so you would think I would know better. At my high school reunion (!), before the dancing got started, I took a shortcut across the room to talk to someone...so in the middle of an empty dance floor and in front of lots of people, I slipped and fell flat on my tuche.

Be careful what you wish for...what was something that you wished for, that had a less than desirable result? --Usually when I wish for more free time, it means less money and/or accident or injury that keeps me off my feet!

Good things come to those who wait...what have you had to wait for that was totally worth it? --Well...as much as I loved living all alone on top of a remote hill, I often wished that we lived close enough to run to the store etc. And now that we can, I do LOVE IT!

Love is blind...what is a really annoying habit of someone you love, that you have learned to live with? --Hmmm...my love doesn't have a lot of bad habits (which in and of itself can be really annoying), so I have to say expecting everyone to live up to his standards...he isn't very empathetic.

Misery loves company...when have you just wanted the company of an understanding ear rather than a problem solver? --When I have gained weight. I'm not stupid...I know what causes weight gain...I don't need any oh-so-helpful input, thank you.

Put your money where your mouth is...do you have a favorite charity or cause? --Cancer charities.

Live dangerously...what do you do that others consider dangerous? --Travel on my own. It's in my genes.

Read between the lines...do you take notes in books you're reading...yes or no? --Yes. Not library books, mind you. :) And not (usually) novels. But if I'm reading non-fiction or self-help/instructional, I like to highlight and underline, write notes in the margins, etc. Particularly if I know I'll be passing it on to a friend, so they will know what I found worthy of thought and discussion.

Pearls of wisdom...what's the wisest piece of advice you ever received? --Never threaten anything that you are not prepared to follow through on.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...what do you love that others do not see beauty in? --Birkenstocks!

Finders keepers, losers weepers...Did you ever find anything that you happily kept? Did you ever lose anything that you still hope you will run across someday? --Some of my favorite finds were things that previous homeowners have left in homes we purchased...a large mirror that was in our first home, and we still carry it around with us today...and large glass serving plates were left in our second home that I still use when I entertain. On the other hand, when moving houses once, I think I left a necklace hanging on a nail, and I still wish I was mistaken and that I will find it in a trinket box someday.

While the cat's away, the mice will play...When you get a day all to yourself, what do you do for fun? --Something crafty!

Old habits die hard...What is the one habit you wish you could break? --Procrastination!

Tying up some loose ends...what project do you need to finish up? --I've been meaning to go through my cookbooks and pare them down drastically.

No 'kid'ding...

There I was at the office, minding my own business (pardon the pun). It was turning out to be a real put-on-my-thinking-cap kind of day, and I was all by my lonesome. All at once the door opens, and in walks this group of 4H students with their teacher chaperons and Billy the 'Kid.' Part of a very cute Get-Your-Goat fundraiser. Business people pay to have the goat delivered to a friend (or foe maybe?), and the recipient then has the opportunity to have it delivered (for an additional donation) to someone else. I can't believe no one but me was in the office to see this. And I am SO relieved that they didn't leave Billy alone with me till the boss got back! Actually, if they had threatened to leave him, I would have made a hefty donation to just get him out of the office before he had an accident or ate the plants. :)

Luckily I had my camera with me today...YAY! Now when I tell everybody I saw a little brown goat at the office, they can't ask if maybe it wasn't really a pink elephant.

Oh my darlin' Clementine...

Am I the last one on the bandwagon again?

For the last couple of weeks, my coworkers have been bringing little Clementines to work and singing their praises. Okay, so they're little oranges. Big deal. But since I'm trying to take in more fruits and veggies, I decided to give them a try and picked up a bag while I was at the grocery today.



Size comparison anyone? That plum is a little on the large size, but it's not a giant.

Good things do come in small packages. These are really good...sweet, seedless, easy to peel. If you've never tried them, give them a whirl.

Daylight Savings Time...

This is where I attempted to put my paper recycling today.

Crazy time change always knocks me for a loop.

Experimentation...

I was looking for a whole grain bread recipe for the bread machine. I found one online that uses seven-grain cereal. It sounded good and had great reviews. Of course, I was wondering if I could make it even a little healthier. I replaced the bread flour with whole wheat...the white sugar with brown sugar Splenda...and the margarine with olive oil. It's not the prettiest loaf I've ever made, but (holy moly!) it is SO delicious! Dense and moist...nutty and flavorful. YUM.

Can't wait to try it in the toaster for breakfast.

I think I'll play with the recipe a little more. I'll post it after a few more tries.

If money were no object...

If money were no object, I would like...

...to have my sweet husband retire immediately (though having him home all the time would require an adjustment on my part and possibly therapy...lol)

...to get the piano repaired

...a really comfy sofa

...college funds for each of the kidlets

...a round dining table

...a hybrid vehicle

...a contractor for the garage apartment

...an ipad

...wood floors

...to hire help to clean the floors and windows

...to travel

...slipcovers for the window seat cushions

...a swimming pool

Nothing my happiness depends on...except maybe the first one.