Happy Easter...

We are going to Kasey's for Easter dinner tonight.  My only contribution is dessert and deviled eggs, so I thought I'd make these cute little deviled eggs I saw on Pinterest awhile back.  I think the kids will like them.

I had some trouble getting the yolks out without tearing the white on a few of them.  You can see the one on the front right corner is torn.  Ah, well, just lends authenticity to the chick bursting out of its shell.  :)  

I used a plastic bag with a snipped corner to pipe the filling into the whites.  The eyes are ripe olive pieces.  The beaks are carrot.  To get them to stand upright, I placed lettuce leaves over the cups of a mini-muffin tin and settled the egg into the little depression.  Worked great, and I don't think they will be rolling around, too much if at all, on the way to Kasey's later.

I hope that all are enjoying a beautiful Easter Day!

Like my mother used to say...

My mother used to have a favorite saying.  She embroidered it to have above the mantle.  She quoted it...OFTEN.  And I can still hear her say...

Be careful of the words you say.

Keep them soft and sweet.

You never know from day to day

which ones you'll have to eat.

Where is this going, you ask?  Well, I have proclaimed loudly and often that I would NEVER have another Dell.  My first  one was an unhappy experience from day one.  But when I found a new computer tech that instantly came across as a really smart and all-around good guy, I believed him when he said that he used to feel the same way, but that they had changed his mind...quality improved..service improved...etc.

It's been a kind of long process.  He worked on my old laptop a couple of times.  After deciding that due to its age and limitations I didn't want to invest any more money in it, I asked my new friend to start looking for a new one for me.  He found me a good deal.  He even took care of the registration and warranty and moving everything from the old one to the new one.  LOVED having someone do that for me.

And now time will tell.  I'm hoping it wins me over.

So far, so good!

Eye Opening...

Today I had an appointment with the ophthalmologist.  This photo was taken about five hours after dilation drops were put in.  Even now, eight hours after dilation, they feel weird.  

I've recently had an eye-opening report regarding my computer also.  First I lost the ability to connect wirelessly.  When I took it for repair, I learned that it had a VERY limited life expectation...it's a Vista and won't be supported after the end of the year...thanks Microsoft.  So I decided not to invest in new parts.  Labor alone only got the wireless working for a couple of days.  Right now I'm sitting right next to the router, kind of cramped and uncomfortable, so that I can be plugged in.

A new laptop will be arriving a little sooner than I had been planning...another week or so maybe.

It's blue...to match my eyes.  :)

Seven random thoughts on the 7th...

1.  I meant to post yesterday that I'm reading March by Geraldine Brooks.  It's the other side of the story of Little Women by Louisa Mae Alcott...this one is told in the voice of the father gone away to the American Civil War.  I am almost done...and it's okay.  I probably would like it more if I had liked Little Women...even as a child I didn't really care for that one much either...just to syrupy.

2.  I say I MEANT to post that yesterday, but just days after I had the computer repaired, it decided to quit speaking to the router again.  Grrrrr.  No wifi for me.  :(    As I type, I am in an uncomfortable chair a foot from the router, all plugged in.

3.  My boss is going to be gone all next week...going to England.  Am I jealous?  NOPE!  Not that I wouldn't love to go to England, but not if I had to do his job to get there!  He asked me what I wanted him to bring me.  I said his left over pocket change.  :)  I love foreign currency.

4.  Here it is Thursday, and the weekend stretches before me.  Tomorrow morning doctor visit, take the computer for more repair, and then what?   Hmmmm....

5.  I haven't spent much time with my camera lately.  I should.  I really should.

6.  But then my sewing machine is calling out to me also.

7.  Since the computer may be out of the house for awhile, who knows when I'll post again.

Making it Monday...

The supplies for this wreath have been in the craft room since I found this tutorial on Pinterest last year.  I decided today was the day.  I threw it together in less than an hour, and it kind of looks like it, but I want to get to bed early tonight, so I gave myself permission to do it super fast and imperfectly.  I'll spiff it up a little later and rearrange the mantle.

Ticks a couple of boxes for me: 1) using up supplies on hand, and 2) make 6 Pinterest projects over this year...make that 5 now.  :)

2013 Goals...February progress...

Not an exceptionally productive month, this, but I DID get my computer repaired!  Yea!  And this weekend I got three pairs of slacks hemmed and ready to wear after months of hanging in the laundry room awaiting action.  And my closet still looks as tidy as the makeover 'after' photos, so all is not a total loss.

Here's February's goal update:

PERSONAL MONTHLY GOALS

• Lose 2 pounds
• 0 / 2
• Turn computer off by 9:00 pm on work nights
• 4 / 16
• Begin bedtime routine by 9:15 pm on work nights
• 4 / 16
• Get back to a more Paleo eating plan
• got a slow start...but a start
• Make my iced coffees instead of buying them 4 times a week...I only drink coffee on my way to work, and I only work 4 days a week (gave up iced coffee)
• Take my lunch to work twice a week
• 3 / 8
• Cook twenty meals at home per month   (not counting breakfast/lunch)
• did not do much cooking this month
• Cook / freeze two meals per month
• 1 / 2
• Stretch for ten minutes 15 times a month
• miserable fail
• Walk for fifteen minutes 15 times a month
• miserable fail
• Visit one new church a month until we find a new church home
• miserable fail
• blog 20 times a month
• 12 / 20
• have one or more of the kidlets overnight once a month
• 1 / 1

PERSONAL ANNUAL GOALS

• Lose 25 pounds
• Complete one Bible study
• Organize home office / craft room
• Organize photos
• Paint cabinets in guest powder room
• Reorganize laundry room
• Paint laundry room cabinets
• Complete the 2013 Reading Challenge
• 1 1/2  / 12

GIVING GOALS (for the year)

• Knit 12 hats to donate
• Donate 12 boxfuls of household goods / clothes to Goodwill
• 4 / 12
• Donate 12 books to the library
• 3 / 12
• Donate to two good causes

FINANCIAL GOALS (for the year)

• Be more deliberately mindful of finances
• Contribute maximum to our IRAs
• Add $100 to each of the five college funds
• Build / finish the garage apartment
• Price / plan future kitchen remodel

CREATIVE GOALS (for the year)

• Hand quilt Rita May's quilt top
• Make 52 cards 6 / 52
• Knit 6 dishcloths 4 / 6
• Sew 2 hot pads
• Knit 1 cowl
• Make 6 Pinterest projects