Day 15: Timeline of my day...

  4:00 a.m. went to bed
  8:30 a.m. up and dressed waiting for counter top guy
11:00 a.m. counter top arrives
  2:00 p.m. Carey went to work
  3:00 p.m. counter top installation complete (YIPPEE!!!)
  3:15 p.m. yard stick, tape measure, pencil/paper,
                  calculator...figuring amount of shelf liner
                  needed for cabinets and drawers
  4:00 p.m. on road to Container Store
  5:00 p.m. checking out with 15% discount
  5:15 p.m. Trader Joe's  
  6:00 p.m. picking up dinner out
  7:00 p.m. Doc Martin
  8:00 p.m. computer
  9:00 p.m. bath
10:00 p.m. early bedtime

One more cabinet installation tomorrow morning...then I am putting in shelf liner...and starting kitchen reload at long last (2 1/2 months after emptying it).  Monday the plumber comes to hook up sink, dishwasher, and refrigerator water connection.  Still need to purchase stove and microwave, raise table/island to counter height, put up back splash, caulk, build open shelving...

Day 14: What is in my handbag...

Let me just say that this is a 48 inch table.  The purse is huge. Clockwise (sort of) starting from left it contains:

• 3 triangular-folded plastic bags for quick car clean outs
• pink fabric folded shopping bag (never used, always forget I have it)
• telescoping back scratcher
• WetOnes hand wipes
• under WetOnes are outdated business cards in case
• collapsible umbrella
• clear makeup bag w/ first aid items, nail kit, lipstick, etc
• navy zip clutch/wallet, matches purse
• Kindle in its red cover
• a toy camera key chain w/ actual flash still on display card (recent purchase)
• spare phone charger
• keys
• 3 peppermint lip balm (only flavor I like, so I stocked up)
• paint chip and auction bidder card
• still inside purse are pens, mascara,lipstick, hand cream, more keys...

I think I may know how I injured my arm after all.

Day 13: Favorite Quote...

I did an Internet search for my favorite quote to make sure that I attributed it here correctly.  But when I found it, I was confused.  I was sure I had seen it attributed to someone else.   I continued searching, and I found it tons of places with no attribution at all.  It kind of made it not my favorite quote anymore...at least I didn't feel like sharing it at the moment.

And that reminded me that I have a quote on my email signature that fits this situation exactly.

photo credit: Google Images

The thing about quotes on the Internet is, you cannot confirm their validity.
                                          Abraham Lincoln

photo credit: Google Images

And I can no longer see an image of Abraham Lincoln these days without it calling to mind the 'five dollar Bill Murray.'  Nothing and no one are what they seem anymore.

Day 12...If I won the lottery...

photo credit: Bing clip art

If I won the lottery (disclaimer: it would have to be the mega bucks, not a scratch off) I would let my husband retire.

If I tell him that, he may actually start buying tickets.  :)

Day 10...

Day 10:  First celebrity crush...

Batman?  Well, maybe not.

 But his alter ego, Bruce Wayne?  Oh, yeah.  The chiseled jaw, the ascot, the cool digs...

When we played Barbies, my Ken was always named Bruce Wayne.  :)

31 Day Blog Challenge...

The other day I had a new visitor (Pamela) leave a nice comment.  I had to go check out her blog (and started following).  She is participating in a 31 Day Blog Challenge which I found appealing, so I decided to jump in and play without trying to catch up.

Day 9: Piercings or tattoos?

No tattoos.  Ears are pierced just the once.  The most interesting thing about them is that I had them pierced in Mexico when I was ten.  My mother and sister were having theirs done as well, but they made me go first, figuring that if I didn't go first I'd back out.  

The jewelry shop owner sat me down on a stool.  She rubbed my earlobes with alcohol for maybe 30 seconds or a minute.  Then she manually shoved a stud post right through my earlobe.  The first time was okay, I wasn't expecting it.  The second time I jumped, and it went in a little crooked, so it's always a little difficult to get an earring in to this day.  

The piercing was done.  I got up and began looking at jewelry in the display case.  My sister sat down for her turn.  And I keeled over in a faint.

Next thing I know the women in the shop were buzzing around, sitting me down, telling me to put my head between my knees, take a deep breath.  The shop owner's husband quite generously asked my mother if they should give me "a leetle tequila" to which my mother looks at him and says, "She's TEN!"  LOL  

We used to have some interesting trips to Mexico.  Sadly it's not exactly a safe day trip over the border any longer.  sigh 

Sunday Stealing: Books Meme...

Oooooh, I haven't done a Sunday Stealing post in a long while.  When I saw this week's topic over on Mum of 4 was 'book meme', I had to join in, so here goes...

  1. Favorite children's book: Love You Forever by Robert Munsch

  2. The last book you've read: last one finished was The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion...right now I'm reading Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

  3. Books on your to-read list: 2014 

    Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

    To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
    Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
    Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
    The Call of the Wild by Jack London
    Lord of the Flies by William Golding
    Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
    Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
    Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
    Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
    Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
    A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
    Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
    A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute

  4. Top 5 authors: Ken Follet, Susanna Kearsley, Barbara Delinsky, Thomas Perry, Bess Streeter Aldrich

  5.  Favorite genres: I am kind of all over the place, but I do really like historical fiction as well as time travel. 

  6.  A book that has made you extremely mad: The Land of Painted Caves by Jean Auel...ugh!  She should have hung up her typewriter on this series several books back.

  7.  A book that you've cried over: The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

  8.  A book that made you laugh out loud: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

  9.  Fiction or non-fiction: mostly fiction

10. First book you've read by your favorite author: The Eye of the Needle by Ken Follet

11. Best book-to-movie adaptation: Not technically a movie, but I love the series based on the Call the Midwife books by Jennifer Worth.

12.  Do you read comics/manga?  No.

13.  Hardcovers or paperbacks? Paperbacks

14.  Do you buy books as soon as they come out or wait awhile?  Usually get on waiting list at library, but if a much-hyped book is a Kindle Deal of the Day I will definitely buy it.  For a favorite author, I might even pre-order.

15.  Do you buy books spontaneously without any prior knowledge of what happens in it?  No...I usually read books that have been recommended to me or books where I have heard the author interviewed.  I for sure read the cover description, and almost always check out the reader ratings.

16.  Have you ever bought a book based on the cover alone?  Hmmm...I can't think of any off hand, but I would guess that I probably have.

17.  Where do you usually buy your books?  Library book sale...Half-Price Books...Amazon

18.  Book that had a strong impact on you: The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman

19.  Historical or Science Fiction: historical, but I do like a good time-travel story

20.  Dystopian or Utopian? Dystopian

21.  Worst book-to-movie adaptation:  Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

22.  Book that should have a movie adaptation: I hate to answer this question, because I'm always afraid that they will really mess up a good story by making a bad movie out of it.

23.  First book you've fallen in love with:  The Collector by John Fowles

24.  Humor or angst? Humor

25.  How many books do you own?  For sure hundreds...including children's books and Kindle books probably over a thousand.

26.  Do you go to the library?  YES!

27.  How many books do you read a year?  Last year I think it was only around 40-some, but I had a really difficult schedule.  This year I think it will be substantially more.

28.  Favorite 'required reading' book:  I loved The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald, and I had a thing for Sinclair Lewis' work.  I'm sure both authors were assigned.

29.  Favorite quote?  I have quoted long passages that really meant something to me in previous blog posts.  But the one that pops into my head that is short and easily remembered was a joke that one character told another in a Fannie Flagg book:  "Why did the wife shoot her husband with a bow and arrow?  ...She didn't want to wake the children."  :)

30.  A book you absolutely hate:  Poison by Sarah Poole

It's been ages...

...since I've done a bit of Sunday Stealing.  So here goes.

1.  Where was your profile picture taken?
     At Kasey & Beau's wedding.

2.  Name someone who made you laugh today.
     No one yet.  But it will happen.  A day without laughter is like a day without breathing  for me.

3.  Do you believe exes can be friends. 
     Some of them.

4.  How do you feel about Dr. Pepper? 
     I could really go for one right now...I haven't had a soft drink in days.  And I'm a Pepper, he's a Pepper, she's a Pepper, we're a Pepper...wouldn't you like to be a Pepper too?

5.  Who was the last person you took a picture of?
     I'm kind of mortified to admit this, but I am the last person I took a picture of...but I had a good reason! 

 

It was for a text message for a friend's birthday...and it's not being texted till tomorrow, so I hope she's not reading this today!

 

6.  Are you upset about anything? 

     Mildly upset that I squandered a four-day weekend nursing a bad back instead of scratching things off of my to-do list.  But, hey, there's still time, right?

 

7.  Do you think relationships are ever really worth it? 

     I think relationships are ALWAYS really worth it!  Even the bad ones are learning experiences.

 

8.  Are you a bad influence? 

     Well, I TRY not to be, but...

 

9.  Night out or night in? 

     IN...definitely in.

 

10.  Has anyone ever called you perfect before?  

     I suppose a long time ago, there may have been a poor misguided soul or two.

 

11.  What song is stuck in your head? 

     That really awful Dr. Pepper jingle, thank you very much.

 

12.  Someone knocks on your window at 2 a.m., who do you want it to be. 

     Well, it BETTER be a paramedic, because if someone knocks on my window at 2 a.m., I'm going to have a coronary.

 

13.  Do you smile a lot? 

     Absolutely!  It's the quickest, cheapest, most painless facelift there is.

I'm it...

I've been tagged by Michelle at Life With Lou.  It's been a long while since I've done one of these, and the questions were quite different than what I've done before, so I thought I'd give it a go...

1.  Musical or plays?  And what are your favorites? It's been ages since I've attended either...unless you count the kids' school events.  Oh, wait...do the innumerable reenactments of Mama Mia by the crazy cat lady count?

2.  Do you have any 'hidden' talents that have not made it into your blog?  I think I've pretty much shared it all.

3.  Are you a reader?  If so, what are you reading right now?  I'm always reading something...at the moment it's The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver and The One Year Bible.

4.  What is your favorite time of day?  Inspiration and/or motivation usually strikes between 6:00 to 10:00 pm which is pretty cool...except if I really get in the groove and I'm up till 2:00 am on a weeknight.

5.  Do you save the selvages from fabric?  Have you ever made anything with them?  Nope...probably one of the few things I don't save.

6.  What is your favorite quilt you've ever made?  My first...a nine patch for my daughter.

7.  What color comes up most often in your quilts? It's been so long, I'm not sure I remember!

8.  Do you play music while you sew?  What songs get you motivated?  When sewing on the machine, I usually have the TV on.  When hand quilting, I like audio books or talk radio.

9.  What's the worst injury you've ever suffered?  Multiple injuries in a car accident.

10.  Do you come from a large family or a small family?  Medium-ish?  I have 3 sisters.  But I'm the youngest, and was still pretty little when they left home, so I was kind of an only child too.

11.  Have you always lived in your current hometown?  If not, how far away do you live from the town where you were born?  I'm about two hundred miles north of the town where I was born and raised.  Of course, I could go that far again (maybe even twice that) in any direction and still not leave Texas.


Now, see?  Wasn't that fun?  I never tag anyone (all that chasing and never catching!), but if you want to play, feel free.

List of 100 things...

I have somehow managed to bring on another muscle spasm in my back.  Luckily I still have some muscle relaxers in the medicine cabinet...hope they are still good.  Also trying a little electro therapy and taking it easy.

Anyway, I decided to go through my list of posts and see if there was anything in draft form worth saving, and came across this one.  Not sure where I found this originally, but it has been sitting in draft form for a l-o-n-g time.  Decided to go ahead and post it.

You bold the ones you’ve accomplished. Some of these I have no interest in.  Some I hope to accomplish in the soon-to-someday range...those are the ones in green.  And looking at it in preview, I see there are some formatting errors...and I just don't care...publishing as is.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (I've watched one from above in an airplane--that was super cool.)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child (No, but used to be a foster parent.)
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping...(well, not completely, and not on purpose...don't ask)
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (well...I had a teacher, and I'm not very good, but I've spent a lot of time and effort on it)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied - - doesn't take much to satisfy me
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (hmmm... I've paid for the coffee of the person behind me at a drive thru)
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma...I tried

65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check - that's what happens when the hubs is in charge of balancing the checkbook
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London.
77. Broken a bone - OH yeah

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book (participated in a publishing a cookbook once)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car (not the brightest thing I've done)
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Called 911
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cellphone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

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.

The Alphabet Meme...

Found this meme over at Caroline's this morning, and I couldn't resist. I did alter a few of the questions a little.

A is for Age: 53

B is for Beer of choice: Guinness

C is for Career: Financial Administration

D is for favorite Drink: Coke from Sonic

E is for Essential item you use every day: Refrigerator

F is for Favorite song at the moment: I wouldn't say it's my favorite, but Chumbawamba's Tubthumping is stuck in my head

G is for favorite Game: Yahtzee!

H is for Hobby: Blogging, Knitting, Creating

I is for Instruments you play: I do not play them currently, but I took years of piano lessons and played the flute in school band.

J is for favorite Juice: Cranberry

K is for Kids: Two by birth, one in law, five grand

L is for Languages: English, Spanish (muy poco), and Pig Latin!

M is for Marriage: 34 years!

N is for Never have, and Never will: skydive

O is for Overnight hospital stays: TOO MANY!!!

P is for Phobias: Phlebotomists!

Q is for Quote: That the birds of worry and care fly over your head, this you cannot change; but that they build nests in your hair, this you can prevent. Chinese Proverb

R is for current Radio setting: NPR

S is for Siblings: 3 sisters

T is for biggest Time waster: Web surfing

U is for Ultimate self-indulgence: staying in bed all day with a good book

V is for Vegetable you love: Brussel sprouts

W is for Worst habit: Procrastination

X is for X-rays you've had: Back, foot, chest, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand...

Y is for Yummy food you make: Buttermilk pie

Z is for Zodiac sign: Scorpio

Would you rather...

Snagged this from Caroline and couldn't resist. You'll see that it's very difficult for me to choose either/or...which kind of goes along with my annual theme...hmmm.


Would you rather...

...be extremely beautiful or extremely intelligent? A little of column 'A,' and a little of column 'B.'

...go without brushing your teeth for a year, or go without washing your hair for a year? Hair, definitely.

...be rich or famous? Rich. Fame holds no attraction for me at all.

...have an amazing shoe collection, or an amazing make-up collection? Hmmm...books, please.

...be able to sing, or be able to dance? Most days I would probably say sing, but today I feel like saying dance.

...be stranded on a desert island, or in the desert? Island.

...have a computer or a TV? Computer.

...wear spots or stripes for the rest of your life? Stripes...vertical, please.

...drink out of a teacup or mug? Tall glass please, with lots of ice, and a straw.

...receive a bunch of flowers or a box of chocolates? I love flowers, but since I once won a European vacation in a box of chocolates, receiving a box always gives me a nostalgic thrill.

...have a hug or a kiss from someone you love? Hug.

...wear Converse or stilettos? Birkenstocks!

...meet Johnny Depp or Robert Pattinson? I couldn't really care less, but my friend Debbie loves Johnny, so it would be fun to send her an autograph and/or photo of him.

...be a fairy or a mermaid? Fairy.

...a coffee or a cup of tea? Both, but only poured into a tall glass filled with ice!

...pink nails or blue nails? Pink, with white tips, please.

...live somewhere sunny or somewhere cold? I live somewhere sunny...and I don't want to move; but I would like a cool place to retreat to in the long hot summers!

...have an amazing house or an amazing car? In houses and cars, comfortable and in good repair trump amazing for me. So again, I'd like to opt for a nice balance.

...be kind or funny? I would like to say kind, but again, I need both.

...hold a tarantula or a snake? No, thank you.

...laugh or smile? LAUGH!!!

...have lots of money or lots of friends? Can't I just opt for a nice balance?

...love or be loved? Or? No. And, and, and!!!

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.

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...

Sunday...

...stealing again.

1. Make a list of five things you can see without getting up...television, a plant that desperately needs re-potting, an antique movie poster display case that I'm trying to decide whether to paint or hang raw, a vase full of vintage croquet balls, and a very dear painting that a very dear friend entrusted to me.

2. How do you style your hair? How often do you cut it? It is so short right now, that I hardly have to do anything...maybe a little styling gel. I try to go about every six weeks for a cut.

3. What are you wearing now? Honestly, is this question on every list? Jeans/t-shirt...again.

4. What's your occupation? Do you like it? I work for an investment firm. I love it about 98.4% of the time.

5. When was the last time you took a nap? Was there a special reason? Last weekend...I lay down with the girls so they would take a nap, and I clocked out too.

6. Who was the last person you hugged romantically? My sweet husband.

7. What was the last full meal that you ate? Baked fish and spinach salad.

8. What was the last e-mail that you received? A funny one from my cousin.

9. What one website do you always visit when you go online? Google.

10. What was the last significant thing that you bought? Are books significant enough?

11. What musical artist did you not get at first, but then became a fan? Lyle Lovett.

12. What did you think about before you went to bed last night? Locking the doors, and turning off unnecessary electricity drains.

13. What was the last CD that you bought? Garth Brooks in the bargain bin...last MP3 album was Mr. Completely--Twice on Sundays.

14. What is your favorite weather, and why? What's the weather like today? I love a cold day that's crisp and clear. It energizes me. Today was HOT...that does NOT energize me!

15. If you could have a special artistic talent, what would it be? I wish I could paint like Polly Jones.

16. Did you watch the Idol 9 finale? If yes, what are your thoughts? Didn't watch. I am SO tired of reality/contest television!

17. What's something you'd like to say to someone right now? G'night.

There were a couple more questions, but I didn't have good answers, and I think the previous is a good last question/answer anyway. :)

Been gone so long...

At first because nothing much was happening, and I couldn't think of anything to write about. Then because there was too much to write about, and no time to do it anyway. So today I'm going to jump back in with a couple of memes.

First something Straight Out Of The Camera.

This is Miss Chloe yesterday while she and Caitlyn were here. She found gloves in her drawer.


And now a little fun from Sunday Stealing.

1. What is your middle name? Louise, after a great aunt on my father's side.

2. How old are you? 52 (Recently, I've actually been thinking I was 54, until my husband set me straight the other day...sweet man!)

3. Where are you from? Are you living there right now? Texas...I live about 3 hours from my hometown.

4. Is it cold where you are? HA! It's already in the nineties regularly! Summer, please be mild!

5. What's the time? 3:31 p.m.

6. What are you wearing? Cheeky question! Jeans/T-shirt...my uniform.

7. What was the last thing you listened to? Radio in the car. Switching between NPR and a mix station.

8. What was the last thing you ate? A Ding-Dong...(my boss saw the box in my office last week, and told me that I shouldn't eat them out of professional courtesy. Arr-arr.)

9. What was the last thing you watched on TV? At this moment, I'm watching The Man From Snowy River.

10. What's your favorite TV show and why? Medium...well written, and the characters look like an ordinary family, not a movie-star-pretty family.

11. Quick! Find a book or something with text on it! Flip to a random page, and post the second paragraph's first sentence. Ted's vanity, which was extended to his fleetness of foot, compelled him to believe that, even from a standing start, he could have outrun Mrs. Vaughn in her Lincoln....from A Widow For One Year by John Irving. (Finally finished! See opinion on my Reading List.)

12. What was the last movie you saw? How was it? Like at the theater? I can't even recall what/when it was much less how it was!

13. Do YOU think you have an accent? Where in your country do people speak with strong accents? Many areas of the US have distinctive accents...Texas taking its place in that group. I do have a southern accent, but it is strongest when I'm angry. Usually strangers think I sound like I'm from the Midwest...which I attribute to both of my parents being from the Midwest and to my being part of the television generation where the only people with strong accents seem to be the subject of ridicule.

Okay, that's it. I'll try to be a better blogger.

Saturday 9

We're starting to see some of these about.

Dare I do another Saturday Nine right before it's time for my 7 random thoughts? Well, it's all I got, so here ya go...

1. No matter what's going on in your life, what always makes you smile?
A mirror! I look so much better when I smile! :)

2. What's the biggest lie you've ever told?
I have an overactive conscience, so I don't tell big lies. I lie by omission mostly...like not saying how much I spend for something...and not telling my weight...ever.

3. Do you hold a grudge?
Is it a grudge to have a long memory if someone hurts my feelings, or takes advantage of me? I think of it as self-preservation.

4. What is the worst job you've ever had?
Call center...the WORST!

5. What would be your dream job?
I love the job I have now.

6. What is the happiest event you've experienced?
Motherhood and grandmotherhood.

7. What is the saddest thing you've experienced?
Losing my best friend to cancer.

8. Do you tend to exagerate or underestimate?
Exagerate probably.

9. List the cars that you have owned. Give us just a few words about each one.
'73 Mustang...first car I bought myself.
Some big brown thing.
Pontiac Parisienne...never liked it, just got tired of car shopping.
Jeep Cherokee...LOVED IT...drove it a quarter million miles!
Mazda 626...okay, but not built for the country.
2002 Chevy Trailblazer...I lived through a rollover accident in it (3 revolutions) unfortunately it wasn't so lucky, so I bought another
2006 Chevy Trailblazer...love it, and will keep it as long as absolutely possible.

Saturday...

I was so excited to catch this photo yesterday at the beach.
Perfect for a Saturday post, no?
Wasn't I just posting about our snowfall a couple of days ago?

Ran across Saturday Nine a few minutes ago, and thought I'd play along...

1. Have you ever been on a date and you had to tell the person to just go away?
Well, I wanted to...but since he was threatening me with a pistol at the time...discretion is the better part of valor. And NO, I never went out with him again.

2. Do you wish you were someplace else right now? If yes, where?
Nope. I had a glorious day at the beach yesterday, so today I am blissfully content to be at home nursing my slight sunburn.

3. Do you have any pet peeves?
Many, but the one that popped into my mind upon reading the question is people who spit on a public walkway. Gross!

4. Tell us about a guilty pleasure of yours.
There is an awesome car wash in town where you just drive up and pay, then stay in your car while the staff sprays your car and uses mild brushes to loosen all the dirt, then you drive through the automated wash tunnel. So quick and easy to run through on my lunch hour.

5. If you could change places and become a celebrity, who would you like to be?
The key phrase for me in this question is 'change places.' Hand over the heart tugs, the laughter, the sweet loved voices on the phone, the hugs and kisses, the hand to hold, the occassional argument and make-up to someone else? I don't think so.

6. What do you consider your biggest talent?
The creativity that comes out in my Jill-of-all-trades sort of way.

7. Do you have a favorite actor/actress that is not a big star, yet they are your favorite?
Right now Skeet Ulrich

8. Name your 5 favorite rock bands of all time.
The Eagles, BTO, ZZ Top, B52s, and I'll leave the last slot open for all the others that I can't pick from.

9. If you were to start a new relationship (for whatever reason), how much of your sexual history would you share? Would you resort to lying?
A clean bill of health is all I would want to know, so that's all I would share. :)