Fireball at rest!

Normally Fireball is stalking around the house. He really does just walk that way, but he's constantly in motion. Unless he's asleep. *g* This picture was taken the other evening as we were getting ready for bed and Fireball decided he would, too.

It's been another looooong Saturday. I don't know why they seem to be so activity filled lately, but today has been. As soon as I could get Chris and the kids out of the house this afternoon we headed to Great Clips. Not for the kids, but for me. See, the one we usually take the kids to has closed that location and opened one a little over 5 miles from our house. And because it's a 'Grand Opening' they were offering a hair-cut deal. I've been asking Chris to trim my hair for almost two months now and he hasn't yet, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and get a hair-cut. The deal was for $3.99. Seriously. You know that saying "you get what you pay for"? The place is so new it's still a bit of an organizational madhouse. Fun. Not. I will admit they had me back quickly, though. They call me back and I happen to get the one hairstylist who seems to be having a bad day, or is (I hope not.) Ms. GLUM. She wanted to cut my hair dry. Uh, no. She tried to tell me it was the best way to cut hair. Uh, no, not when you have curly/wavy hair. NOT when my stupid thyroid has destroyed my hair in the last six months making it thin and dry and tangled (no matter how much I may comb it). She finally agreed to cut it wet and when she took a comb to it I noticed yet MORE hair had come out. *Sigh* I apologized and she gave me a look. I was really regretting the haircut at this point, but stuck with it. I had no where else to look but the mirror and just wanted to cry. Not because of her, but because I was forced to take a good look in the mirror at my hair for the first time in months. It's thin and where I once had nice natural highlights it's now dull and blah. I guess it'll keep me from being vain about my hair. But, after having 4 inches (and looked closer to eight after it dried) cut off-I was done. I paid and left. While I was getting my hair cut the kids and Chris went and bought fuel and then picked me up. We then headed to another local grocery store to find some pumpkins. We found a great deal on three and bought them. They were great, they even all had a good sized top.

We then headed to the next town over to find Daughter some wings for her costume. We again stopped at Party City, but they didn't have anything we liked. So, we went to Halloween Express. They had a great looking pair of wings. For $25. Yeah, no. I love Daughter, but the deal is $20 or less for a costume and she's already spent $6 of that on a scythe. We agreed to try one more place. An out of the ordinary for us place. K-Mart. That place? Is like a time warp. The store hasn't seen an update in over 15 years. It was sad. And no, no wings. We had one more stop to make, a run to Target to pick up a toothbrush for Daughter and then we headed home. And noted that there was one child on our street trying to Trick-or-Treat. Now, here's the deal. We live in the Bible Belt of The South and there has been some discussion on which evening to hold Halloween this year. I really don't understand why. Halloween falls on Sunday, you go Trick-or-Treating on Sunday. Some say that it shouldn't be that way because the kids have school the next day. Gee, wonder what the kids do the other days that happens upon? So, we've been checking the news. We found that one county wants people to go on Saturday, one city wants people to go on the regular Sunday. Here's where it gets fun. The town we live in has said Sunday. The town over from that and the one next to that both say Saturday. The county we live in say Saturday. HOWEVER, we called our local (tiny) city hall to inquire and were told our town's official stance was Sunday. Cool! What I don't understand? Is not asking. And then taking your kid out the night before and expecting candy. Our street? Most lights were off. We kept ours off. We'll take our kids tomorrow. I'll sit on the porch as I've always done and hand out candy as Chris takes the kids and their friends. And those who tried to practically force their way by going tonight anyway? Sorry for you. No, wait, sorry for your kids. Since we weren't going out tonight and had pumpkins to carve and we knew the local police force wouldn't be out with heavy presence in our neighborhood like they usually are every Halloween we decided to have the kids and their friends stay in and have pizza and drinks and watch a scary movie. They had a blast. They were loud and funny and didn't pay much attention to the movie, but they had a good time and we knew they were safe and their friends parents knew they were safe. And after they left the kids and Chris carved pumpkins. *g* Daughter's has the Jedi symbol on it. Son's was supposed to have Captain Rex, but it was so detailed it messed up. So I came up with an idea to fix it and make it something else. At first we thought a ghost with huge round eyes. But, instead we have an alien with those huge round eyes and a small mouth and we have wire and have painted two ping-pong balls we had for some odd reason (think FIL gave them to the kids for some reason or anther) silver with some spray paint we happened to have in the garage to make antenna.  It's going to look so awesome! Can't wait to show y'all a picture tomorrow. Chris carved an adventurer (think Indiana Jones) in his. It's supposed to have another smaller carving on the back that illuminates bigger, a Mummy, but Chris found it was tiring and difficult. *g* So, he just has an adventurer on his. Who happens to look kind of like Freddie Kruger. *g*

And that was our day. Pretty full, pretty funny towards the end and while we think we really dropped the ball with Halloween this year, (Our cardboard Mummy isn't doing well, it was so damp earlier this week while he was on the door he started to curl. *sigh*) (And not being able to find everything for Daughter who is not just going to be a Girl Grim Reaper.) we hope we made up for it a bit tonight with the kids and their friends. I haven't had much time to read today. *g* And am too tired tonight, but am hoping to get a small bit of time to read a bit tomorrow. I hope y'all had a happy and energetic Saturday. I wish a restful and Blessed Sunday for y'all. Goodnight, B.

Exercise: Can I count errands? Please? *g*

Oh, I did!

I did get a picture of Layla wearing the hat, but she looked downright grumpy wearing it. I'm hoping to catch her in a better mood and get another picture of her wearing it soon. *g* She's pretty smart, look how suspicious she is!

It was actually cooler today! Finally, a day in October that was under 80 degrees! Yay! After Son finished his last test and I had vacuumed, and taken care of some laundry we headed out today. (Daughter will take her tests next week.) We ran by the library to drop off some books and ran into The Boy Who Called. I was nice and stayed out of the way and let her talk to him for a few minutes, but she didn't seem that animated when chatting with him, so I didn't feel guilty when I had to move her along. We then went to Aldi and after that Sam's where I ended up picking up a few extra types of meat other than what was on my menu, just to have and put in the freezer. I do this every now and then and it's really come in handy for us. We then drove home and put everything away. Chris didn't even get a lunch break today, he was so busy, so he got off work a bit early and met up with us at home. We then went to WW to finish up the grocery shopping. We ended up having to go by yet another grocery store because we were going to buy the kids pumpkins tonight at WW, but they had maybe 3 left and they were small and not good for carving. Yes, I know we've left it kind of late, but with the weather being so warm lately we knew if we bought and then carved them and set them outside before now they would deteriorate quickly. Unfortunately the other store we went to didn't have any either. Wait, I take that back, they had a few white pumpkins, which I think are cool. But, they were EXPENSIVE. WTHeck? So, we'll look tomorrow. The kids picked up a book of Star Wars templates and I WILL find them pumpkins to carve them into! *g*

After all that today we headed home and met up with the kids friends. The kids all wanted to watch our local H.S. football team play. It was broadcast on ESPN-U this evening and everyone gathered at our house to watch. Unfortunately, our local team lost, but they tried. It doesn't help that 9 of the teams players graduated this year and now the team has to be rebuilt.

As for reading? I finished the Lisa Black book. It was a good mystery-type book. I will say a few things bothered me, which is maybe why I kept putting it down. However, I like the history aspect of the book and the relationship of the two cousins. Now I'm reading a J.D. Robb book. And am haunting my library's website for the new Nora Roberts book due out next week. My library stack still has 3 books in it, thank goodness and I have a few more books on hold. So far the library has been keeping up with me. Thank goodness! *g*

Oh, did I mention the boy called tonight? While we had a houseful of kids? Yeah. They talked for a few minutes and then he told Daughter he had to go and would call her later. He never called back and I think he was either threatened or put out that she was with a group of her friends tonight. Too bad. We'll see what happens. (But, if he's expecting her to wait around for him to call and not have fun? He's picked the wrong girl.)  Y'all would be proud of me, though. I did not break out into hysterical laughter when he called and asked to speak to her. *g*

That's all from me. It's late and I need some sleep. I may not have worked out today, but grocery shopping wears me out. I hope y'all had a Fun and Fantastic Friday. I wish an amusing and enjoyable Saturday for y'all.

Geez Butterscotch!

I think he forgets exactly whose chair that is! Look at the silly cat sprawled all over my chair. And the sad part? I stood right over him and he never even moved. As a matter of fact, he didn't even twitch when I took this picture. And that's saying something from the cat we call Twinkie the Twitchie! *g*

It's been a rather quiet day here. Chris' hours were even weirder because he had to be at work extra early and would get off earlier than we are used to when he follows a regular schedule. But, the classes he's teaching this week revolve around the Reps hours, not his. It's definitely put us off our regular schedule, but not as much as putting him off his regular schedule. He's hoping next week will be more on track.

We're finishing up most of the Quarter Tests, just one more tomorrow and a bit of regular schoolwork as well. Son has more subjects this year and that means more tests. I will give him pat on the back for doing his best. I already know he made an A- on his Science test and considering it covered everything from Volcano's to the Moon to the Milky Way I think he did well. (He took that test online because the paper version was laid out strangely and hard to understand. It was more clearly defined online.)
After the kids were done today they spent a bit of time outside. We didn't have MA today because the Pine Y was having their Fall Festival this evening and their teacher was needed to man a booth. We didn't go to the Fall Festival. It's a drive I'll willingly make when I'm paying for the kids to take classes, but with no class? I wanted to not have to make the drive. They spent some time with their friends, until their friends had to leave and then they came in. When they did I mentioned to Chris that I was going to go the MT Y to workout and after I left they watched Iron Man 2 with him. I had a good workout and then headed home. It was weird working out at a different Y than I am used to on a Thursday.

We fixed a simple dinner and enjoyed watching a bit of tv together and I've read a bit more of the Lisa Black book. Speaking of reading...... last night I just couldn't get into the book for some reason so I picked up another library book, Burning Up by Susan Andersen and read that book instead. I guess I just needed something a little more fun and light.  I finished the book and as written above am back to the Lisa Black book. This is not typical for my readings, but every now and then happens.

And nothing else to share from me. It's been a slow day. One I am grateful for. I did clean some and take care of some laundry, but besides going to the MT Y? It's been boring. And I enjoyed it. *g*

I hope y'all have had a nice Thursday. I wish a Fabulous Friday for y'all. Goodnight and Hugs, B.

Exercise: 8.02 miles on the stationary bike @ level 11 (just can't keep it on level 12 yet) and 30 minutes of weight machines, 5 minutes of situps.

Patches has her costume ready!

Doesn't Patches make a cute Witch? We picked this hat up at Target a couple of weeks ago on their famous $1 isle. She was very good and sat still long enough for me to take this picture of her this afternoon. Y'all can't see it, but the brim of the hat is sequined. Y'all know how I like to give my girls a bit of sparkle! *g*

It has been an odd day. It started out kind of melancholy because I've been thinking of my Mother so much. But, I was also aggravated because Daughter picked today to be a typical teenager. She took forever to get up today (at least longer than I allow) and to get dressed and come downstairs. And when she did come down I checked her room and her bed wasn't made and her room was a mess. *sigh* I swear that's an ongoing battle with us. I am very neat and can't understand her being that way. And yes, I know, pick your battles.
Anyway, that finally was straightened out and  schoolwork was done and before I knew it, it was time to leave and take Son to his KidFit class. I watched the kids head to Son's class and I went to Zumba. I had planned to be good and be kind to my feet, but I really needed the energy and exuberance that Zumba creates. While in Zumba Chris texted to let me know he was going home after work, his schedule being messed up this week has messed with his energy levels and I understood. But, after class I noticed I had another call. From a number I don't know. A voicemail was left. And since I so seldom receive voicemail and was walking out to the car after picking up the kids from Son's class, I had Daughter listen to the voicemail for me. I thought maybe it was a telemarketer. Imagine my surprise when Daughter looks over at me and says it was someone named __ and she says the voicemail said they were your Aunt and looking for you. WTHeck? The name was unfamiliar to me. I knew it wasn't on Chris' side of the family since it was for me specifically. I knew it wasn't my Dad's sister or one of his brother's wives. I knew it wasn't my mother's sister or her brother's wives. And then it hit me. And freaked me out. There was only one other person it could be. My biological father's sister. To say I drove home in shock? Well, that would be an understatement. I called Chris and told him about the message and when we arrived home I had him replay it and listen as well. She left two numbers for me to call and we sat and tried to figure out how she got my number and it could only have been my Dad. The Dad I haven't seen since my grandmother's funeral. Who didn't even call to warn me that a strange woman claiming to be my Aunt was going to call me. *sigh* Messed up family much, or what?
So, to break down my odd (though not so odd in this day and age) family relationships. My Mom was married to my biological father until I was about a year old. They divorced and she later married my Dad who adopted me when my biological father gave up parental rights. Over the years my Mother never mentioned my biological father. And I was curious, but also felt that my Dad was my Dad and it would hurt his feelings if I ever voiced those questions. So, I held it all in. And let it go. Only years later, after I'd had Daughter and was pregnant with Son did I ask my Mom about my biological father. She was reluctant to tell me anything. She wrote what she knew down and later gave it to me. It now sits in a box in my attic because she died not long after and I somehow felt it was disrespectful to her to pursue anything. And again, I placed it out of mind. Until tonight. I called the number. A woman answered and sounded so excited to hear from me. She told me she'd been searching for me for about five years. Really? Someone was looking for me? Being a suspicious person I didn't giver her too much information. Just that yes, I was married. Yes, I had children. She said she was sorry to hear my Mother had died. Somehow the topic of cats arose and she has many rescues as well. She said my Dad had given her my number. She wants to meet me. She lives in Georgia. She asked if it were okay to let my biological dad know she's talked to me. I said it was okay.
And I? Am confused as heck. She seemed very nice on the phone. It's just I'm scared. Mostly of the unknown. What does this person want from me? Is this for real? Why now? Was I that hard to find? She said my biological dad has been looking for me as well. It's all just so odd. So surreal! I really don't know what to think. So,  anyone have any advice?

Ack. We need another topic. Ah. After all that today I craved a slice of cake. *g* However, I had homemade macaroni and cheese. Chris made it and it was delicious.

I finished the Cathie Linz book this afternoon. I really enjoyed it. The heroine was sincere and nice and the hero was gruff and protective. There was a part of the book set in a Ghost Town that was pretty funny and there was also mention of PTSD for the hero, a cop. I've since gone back to the Lisa Black book tonight. I'd only managed to get a few more chapters read before I realized I had forgotten to post. It's been that kind of day.
This is where I stop. I need to get some rest. I am still reeling and am stressed and just..... *sigh* I hope y'all had a Wonderful Wednesday full of beautiful weather and good books. I wish a thankful and thoughtful Thursday for y'all. Goodnight and Blessings, B.

Exercise: 1 hour Zumba, and had a great time! We did something call Zumba battle where she divides the class into two and each side does a move and the other tries to out-copy them. Fun!

Nope, you computer is fine!

Daughter took this picture of Pepper the other evening when we were playing with the cats and the catnip. Daughter was on the floor looking up at Pepper and Pepper? Thought Daughter was nuts! *g*  She's even cute upside down! *g*

It's been an interesting day. Chris had to go in late and work late today, so we had lunch together before he left. I love the man, but I don't understand his need to make/cook a meal for lunch. What's wrong with a sandwich? Chris does like his food! *g* He's doing well though, since he stopped drinking regular cokes. He's lost almost 10 lbs.! (How is that fair, I ask you?)
After he left for work the kids and I really buckled down to finish schoolwork before we left for the day. Daughter was asked to come in and teach again today at the MT Y. She is getting really good at teaching. She knows how to keep them interested and how to keep a firmer handle on the class. She has two she talked to her teacher about testing for their yellow belts soon.

After the MT Y we headed to the Pine Y, but not before stopping at the snack machines and picking me up a diet sprite. The drainage the past few days has made me wake with an awful sinus headache and this afternoon I felt a little sick because of another one. I can not wait until we have our first frost. That will, supposedly, tone down all the Fall pollen. And speaking of Fall! I saw the most glorious colored tree today! It's leaves were that bright orange/red that seemed to light from within. I really do love this time of year. Except for the allergies. Bleh.

After arriving at the PineY for the kids MA class and their teacher was there! I worked out. And was freaked out for the last half of it. After working on the stationary bike I headed downstairs to the weight machines and got a huge shock because I think I recognized someone I went to H.S. with. Now, I detested H.S.. I was miserable, except when I was with Chris. I was bored with my classes and I don't think I've ever felt so alone. Being a shy teenagers is hard. I had friends. At first. But, when they gained boyfriends I was forgotten. Even after meeting and dating Chris I made sure to make time for my friends, but they couldn't be bothered. And that? Made it hard. I had no one to talk with, no one to spend lunch with, not really. My practice of taking a book with me where ever I went was my lifesaver. And the woman I saw today? Was one of those that was a friend. For a while. I didn't know how to react, so just went about my workout. But, my first inclination? To run away and hide. Because being dropped as a friend by this person? Hurt. I sure hope she's not there next week. *sigh*

Speaking of the past. Well, I was speaking of it. *g* I have been thinking of my Mom a lot this week. I miss her very much and wish she could see her grandchildren. What made me think of her? I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror the other day and I look so much like her at this age that it's startling. Personality wise? We are/were NOTHING alike. She was always take charge and a real people person. She was talented. She could draw and paint and do crafts and cook perfectly. Whereas I? I can sing and bake.  Yeah, I always felt like an underachiever when compared to her. And knowing all her faults (she was a very unhappy woman, depressed, what we now call bi-polar), well. I still felt like I never measured up. But, I miss her so very much. She was my champion, my encourager. She loved me. And all this was drummed up by a glimpse of the mirror. Funny how something so odd makes you relive your sorrow of loss.

Gah! Need to snap out of it. After working out and meeting back up with the kids we headed home and I made dinner. I made chicken fajita quesadillas. We call them that because we use fajita veggies in them-so good!
Chris arrived home safely. We've been under, and remain under, a Tornado warning all night. We've had violent storms come though and while I appreciate the rain, I worried when Chris had to drive home in it. Turns out he had to turn on the 4-wheel drive at one point because the roads became so slick due to the pouring of rain in such a short time.

As for reading? I am about a fourth of the way through the Lisa Black book. I like it, the main character is personable and the "case" is very interesting. But, I couldn't take the book with me to work out with today since it's a hardback and my hands can't handle that when on the bike. So, I grabbed Luck Be a Lady by Cathie Linz off my bedside table and was sucked straight into it. I am already halfway finished and hope to finish the book tomorrow. And then it's back to the Lisa Black book.

Sorry that this post is so all over the place. It's been that kind of day. Oh, and the boy? Hasn't called Daughter again since this weekend. I am on one hand relieved and on the other I am disappointed for her. Weird, I know. I hope y'all had a fabulous day. I wish a wonderful Wednesday for y'all. I send good thoughts of peace, well-being and the knowledge that y'all are special to each of you. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: 8 miles on stationary bike at level 12 for 2 miles and level 11 for 6 miles (I was so tired tonight.), 25 minutes of weight machines, 5 minutes of sit-ups, 1- minutes stretching.

Layla and my lap!

Layla is truly a lap kitty. She loves to crawl in my lap at night and to be petted for a loooong time. Of course she can also get cranky and then give me a look like this. *g* This is the look that says "You aren't petting me correctly, knock it off" and then she usually stalks off in a huff. Chris says Layla can go from 0-Cranky in 2 seconds. *g* But, I still tell her I love her every single night before I close my eyes. (I tell the kids that when I put them to bed and Chris that when he goes to sleep, too. But, while I do love the other kitties, I make sure Layla hears the words. And yes, I know I'm weird.)

Well, our schedule is a bit different today, but no so badly that we were thrown too much off track. Which is good. I think Chris is finally getting the message that I try and keep the kids on a set schedule and he's really trying not to mess it up. Of course this is just a day when he goes into work later than usual and gets off work later than usual. When vacation/days off time is around? Yeah, it's WAY different.

After Chris left we managed to get some schoolwork done. Though Son was dragging his feet because this week is TEST WEEK! Big tests, not our usual weekly tests. These are the Quarter Tests and the kids are not fond of them. They have the option of taking the tests online, but as their computer is offline, meaning it has no internet connection because Chris blocked it, they usually take their tests the old fashioned way. On paper. *g*
We then headed over to the Pine Y to drop Daughter off for her volunteer job and Son and I went home and finished up a few things, he schoolwork and me laundry. All too soon it was time to leave to pick Daughter up. We left a little early and went by the library and picked up a few holds of mine that had come in. I now have: Burning Up by Susan Andersen, Trail of Blood by Lisa Black (a recommendation from Dru) and Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or, How I Learned About Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat by Gwen Cooper. I peeked at that last book at WW this past week and it sounded really interesting AND had cats. You know I had to see if the library had it. I don't know why the library suddenly got in some of my books again, but I am grateful. *g* Oh, and I also had a movie come in: Death at a Funeral. This is the American version of a British movie that is supposed to be hysterical. Gosh I hope so. I can always use a good laugh.
After picking up the books Son and I stopped by and bought some fuel. He wanted to pump the gas, but I'm was in a hurry and told him he could try next time. *g* We picked up daughter and then headed back towards the MT Y. We stopped quickly and picked up some peanut butter at the grocery store first, though. The kids and I like peanut butter and it's a good source of protien. *g* We then went to the MT Y and Son went to Childwatch and Daughter sat in the lobby (her choice) while I worked out on the stationary bike. Afterwards I grabbed Daughter out of the lobby and we went to Yoga class. It's fun having her in class, though I don't think she sees it that way. *g*
All too soon class was over and we picked up Son and headed home. I made dinner because Chris wasn't home yet and went with something simple-our favorite salad again. We enjoyed watching DWTS and later Chris arrived home safely. We watched Castle together and have since headed upstairs after taking care of a few household things.
In my reading world.... I finally finished the Jill Shalvis book. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to read the next two books in the Lucky Harbor series. The book was classic Shalvis, hot with a great hero and a heroine who has to overcome obstacles. The next book was sort of set up in the last third of this book and there was also an excerpt for the next book. I've started the Lisa Black book, but haven't gotten far. I haven't had a chance to read much, but I hope to rectify that tonight. So far what I've read, I've liked.

That's it from me this evening. It's late and I want a bit of quiet time to myself before getting some sleep. If that means I stay up too late, well, at least I get some quiet time! *g* I hope y'all had a pleasing and stress-free day. I wish a terrific Tuesday filled with great books and good friends. Goodnight, B.

Exercise: 8 miles on the bike at level 11, 1 hour Yoga.

Guess what we have!

We grew catnip and didn't even know it! When we chopped off the dying sunflower stalks there was a small green plant at the base. We didn't think anything of it since it was close time for the garden to die for the Fall. But, the plant thrived and for the life of me I remembered planting something else there last year that we couldn't get to grow. I kept the seed packets in a cabinet (yes, I kept them for the pictures on the front) and I thought maybe the plant might be the mint we tried to grow last year. Close! It was Cat Nip! No wonder one of the neighborhood kitties (He has a home, he's also one of those kitties with an extra toe!) was rolling all over this plant the other day! So, I broke some off (it's a BIG plant because we've been lazy concerning tilling under the garden) and brought it in. Some of the kitties love it! Midnight and Patches LURVE it. *g* Here's Patches sniffing and trying to steal the sprig of catnip. The cats went loopy for about half an hour. I'm drying what's left of the stalk in the garage and will be keeping an eye on the plant outside. *g*

As for today? It's been a looong day. Chris had to work today so the kids and I went to Mass this morning and then after a trip by the pharmacy before we headed home. The kids wanted, GAH!, to watch the San Francisco vs. Carolina Panthers foot ball game, so I ironed the clothes for the coming week, swept, mopped, vacuumed the floors-the blinds-the ceiling fans-the car, wiped down the inside of the car and all the car windows inside and out, took care of some laundry, dusted and polished all the furniture and cleaned the LR windows. After Chris arrived home I made dinner and finally, FINALLY sat down for the first time since arriving home today.
And why all that? Because Chris had to work today, because the Y had a swim meet today meaning no work out for Brandy and I needed something to do. I could have read, but my mind was restless-not in a bad way- today and decided that I could take care of a few things. I love a neat and clean house! *g*

As for reading today? Um, yeah, no. Not yet anyway. I have my book out and ready to read as soon as I head offline. *g* I hope to finish the Shalvis book tonight. I'm still enjoying it. *g*

Anyway, hope y'all had a good day. That y'all rested and relaxed and had some fun. I wish a pleasing and low-key Monday for y'all. (Our routine will be messed up a bit this week because Chris' schedule is messed up this week, so wish us luck!) Goodnight and Blessings, B.

Exercise: Not today, darnit!

Growing Up

Son is growing so quickly. He's eight years old and look how close to hand size he is to me. I watched him today and noted he has his own sense of style as well. He wore a hat, a  hoodie, a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt (with Darth Vader on it) with tennies. Here he is with his hat, and since his face is not recognizable, I think it's okay for now, but will take it down later just to be sure. He's my funny sweetie. *g*

Oh, gosh, where to begin today! Daughter attended a "BBQ with a Vampire" luncheon today at our local library. It was a regular teen event and she had a fun time. She also was asked for her phone number by a guy who attends the teen events regularly, too. GAH! She told him she couldn't give him her number because her phone is restricted. (Meaning we control her contacts, who she can call, and allow no texting.) She told me this when she came home this afternoon and I said that she could give my cell number, that way we know when she talks to him and that she had to be at least in the kitchen and us in the LR when she talked with him. He's her age and attends public school and her best friend (the girl from across the street) knows him and said he was nice, so we felt it would be okay. Right after she arrived home from the library we headed right back up there because they were giving amnesty for fines if you bring in a can for the local food bank and Daughter? Well, she had some fines. Guess who was still there? Uh-huh. And guess what? She gave him my number. I told her I wasn't sure he'd call since he would have to call me to get to her and she said that was okay.
So, after that we headed to World Market to take back the wok we bought last week. The wok the Out-laws gave us works well until we can find one we really like. It's still heavy. I have to use both hands to pick it up so I won't hurt my wrists or hands, but that's okay.
After that we went to Target to pick up some Tylenol. The sinus headache yesterday was bad and I won't take ibuprofen anymore since reading it can raise my blood pressure. But, we were almost out of Tylenol. And btw, good luck finding any since there's been yet another recall. *sigh* We had to settle for the store brand.
Guess what else? We now have a Trader Joe's! (Until I read a comprehensive article last month I had no idea the family that owns Aldi's owns Trader Joe's.) It opened today and Chris? Well, since I've been telling him about the things I'd been hearing about the store online-he had to look around. And so we did. He liked the store a lot. I had no idea they were so small. But, some of the items offered were pretty neat. The bell thing takes some getting used to, though. We saw a few things to pick up the next time we go grocery shopping, but today were content to just look.
After that we headed home and made dinner and watched DVD 1 of the Second Season of The Big Bang Theory. Chris adores this show and I have to say Daughter and I get a kick out of it, too.

Oh, meant to tell y'all that while Daughter was at her luncheon today I tacked the hall closet and the paperwork within. I got rid of anything not needed anymore and now there's more room in there. It was nice to tackle it finally. Heck, we still had paperwork from when we lived in California!

As for reading? I am halfway through the Jill Shalvis book Simply Irresistible. The book so far has Shalvis' classic writing style. Her heroine is wounded and the hero is wonderful. There is plenty of fun and a few laughs, but it's also tender and sweet. It broke my heart a little to read the name of the hero's dog. Because I follow Jill's blog and know how much that name must mean to her and her family. I am enjoying the book and hope the next in the series is as good.

Oh, and the boy? He CALLED tonight after we'd arrived home and had dinner. He was very polite over the phone when he asked for Daughter and Chris and I? Were good right up until I handed Daughter the phone and then for some reason we both cracked the heck up! And yes, we'd already asked Daughter his name, his age, where he went to school and all that. But, it was also nice to have Daughter's friend let us know he's nice. They talked for about 45 minutes and I didn't bug her too bad about it. But, trust me. I will be asking her a few things later. *g* Wow! Daughter's old enough to have guys interested in her! WHOA! That means I'm ancient, right? *g*

And now I'm heading offline. It's been an interesting day. I hope y'all had an amusing and relaxing day. I wish a restful and happy Sunday for ya'll. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: We walked all over Target and Trader Joe's. Does that count? Probably not. But, I don't get out much (don't laugh, we're either at the Y's or the library-that's it during the week) and had fun just looking around.

Attention Grabber!

This is Layla's way of asking for attention. She will walk close to me, drop down onto her shoulder and then roll onto her back. Doesn't she look sweet? I have to be careful though because sometimes she grabs my ankle and does this. Talk about a tripping hazard!

It's been a rather slow day here. I've been fighting with a nasty sinus headache all day and it's winning. I even stayed offline most the day. Luckily we didn't have to go anywhere today which gave me time to rest after the kids schoolwork was completed and I had taken care of some laundry. A lovely surprise showed up at my door this afternoon and all I will say is that I am truly blessed and wish I could somehow return the blessings that have been shown to me.
I've also been reading today. I started and finished I'm In No Mood For Love by Rachel Gibson. The book is a reread for me, but it was so long ago that while some scenes were memorable, most weren't. (I can't think of a way to make that sound good, but trust me it was.) It was a nice, light reread and a good way to spend a sunny outside-but, not feeling well-day.
Chris and I made dinner together tonight. We made homemade fajitas. He grilled the meat and I cooked the veggies and shredded some cheese and chopped some tomatoes. It was, as usual, quite yummy.

This post is short tonight because I am still fighting the stupid sinus headache and really want to be in bed soon. I hope y'all had a delightful Friday full of fun and smiles. I wish an amusing and relaxing Saturday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: Ha, no. Movement was not welcome today.

Butterscotch is caught!

Caught looking at himself in the bathroom mirror again. *g* He doesn't even look that guilty. More like mildly curious as to why I bothered taking a picture. Silly kitty!

It's been a very long day. Again, we're having the oddest weather for the latter half of October, but it's been pretty so I'm not complaining. This afternoon we had another homeschool library event to attend. This one was for Son at our local library branch, the one that the librarians know us all, except for Chris, by name. They call Chris Mr. Brandy. *g* Cracks me up!
Today's event has been on our calender for weeks. (We didn't know they'd have an event for Son's age when we took Daughter to the Main Branch for her event yesterday.) One of the local news agencies Meteorologist visited and talked about weather and how they "predict" the weather and study the weather. We also learned that a Meteorology degree takes anywhere from 4 to 5 and 1/2 years and is heavy with math, science and computers. The Meteorologist was very nice and answered every single question the kids asked. She even promised to answer any questions that were thought of later and emailed to her. Pictures were taken with the kids and she promised that she would show it on air tonight if she could. AND SHE DID! Son is front and center and recognizable, so I won't be posting that picture here. Not to mention I'm not very comfortable showing the picture of the other kids faces, either. Sounds weird when it was shown on air, but the internet is a scary place and once a picture is out there-it's out there for a very long time.
After the event we picked up a few of my holds that had come in, Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis, I'm In No Mood For Love by Rachel Gibson and Eclipse Bay by Jayne Ann Krentz. Except for the Shalvis book which is new, the other two are older and rereads.
We then headed home where we finished up schoolwork and had a snack before heading to the Pine Y for the kids MA class. The kids MA teacher called as we were getting ready to leave and explained that he was calling, he was alive and his car was broken down on the side of the road and he needed Daughter to teach class because his Dad was on his way to pick him up and he'd never make it to class tonight. We agreed and headed to class. Turns out the kids would have been the only ones in class today, which is odd. Daughter had no one to teach besides Son for the 4-5pm class. And while I had a book with me I was restless since it was my normal work out time but can't leave the kids alone in the dojo during class time. So what did I do? I rearranged parts of the other room in a more neat manner across the small hall. Yeah, I get restless I clean. Weird, I know. But, it's neater in there now. And if I get in trouble for it, well, prove it was me. *g*
While the hour break between classes occurred I rode one of the stationary bikes while the kids looked at magazines in an area off the machine room. That way I could keep an eye on them, they weren't running all over the Y and I could still get in a small workout. I didn't work out my full hour because that wouldn't have been fair to the kids, so after half an hour we headed back to the dojo and waited for the arrival of the 6-7pm class. For that class there were 9 students. Daughter did a very good job teaching the class and afterwards we checked in with the MA Director to let him know that she did indeed teach and that there were nine students in the class, not counting Son.
We then headed home and had a quick dinner before settling down for a bit. I am so tired today and needed the down time.
As for reading today? I've reread Catch of the Day by Marcia Evanick. It was the book that started the 'Misty Harbor' series and I enjoyed rereading where it had all begun and seeing glimpses of the characters that continue to have sporadic spots in the later books. I finished the book this evening after everything quieted down upstairs and then realized that it was late and that I had forgotten to post! Oops. *g*

And now I need to get some sleep. I hope y'all had a fabulous Thursday. I wish a fun and enjoyable and sunny Friday for y'all. Goodnight and Hugs, B.

Exercise: 10.15 miles (in 30 minutes), sit-ups and stretching.

Pepper makes you laugh!

I know you're laughing looking at this picture. How can you not? We just wanted to get a picture of her wearing the bandana. However, Pepper? She just can't help being cute and making us laugh. And now I get to share the fun. *g*

It's been a very, very long day. It's been a nice day in tone as well. It started with rain and cooler temps, but we don't mind rain. The kids and I were out of the house early today. In the morning. Usually I don't leave the house in the morning unless it's for a Doctors visit, fewer questions that way. But, today we attended a Homeschool event at the Maine Branch of our County Library system. When I say big branch, I mean three stories. The children's area has it's own floor. Unbeknownst to us there was a homeschool event for Son's age at the exact same time as the one we were attending for Daughter. Daughter's was a Library Murder Mystery and they had to solve the murder of the librarian. Go ahead. Guess who won. Yes, Daughter won. *g* Now if only I could get her to use her powers for Good. *g* While Daughter was doing that, Son and I attended the even for kids in grades 2-6. His was "Pioneers and Cowboys". There were lots of books, some fun facts on Pioneers and their homes, their travel, their a small bit on why they traveled. I'm not sure how she hooked Cowboys into it, but she also talked about Cowboys- one of the most famous being William Cody aka Wild Bill and Annie Oakly and Wild Bills traveling show. She also talked about Cowboys gear such as their hats and the types, their spurs and boots, their chaps and things like that. The kids sang Home on the Range and had trail mix as well. It was cute. Son seemed to enjoy it, which was the best part. Next months event for Son's age group features The Constitutions and Daughters event will feature Forensics.
After the events we looked around the library and Son picked up a few books to check out and then we headed home. Trying to get the kids to do schoolwork today was like pulling teeth. Something I had been afraid of by attending the events and upsetting our schedule. But, eventually they completed their schoolwork and before we knew it, it was time to run by the library and drop off a book of Son's that we didn't know was late until we were at the other library today. We then headed to the Y for Son's Kidfit class and my Zumba class. I shouldn't be taking Zumba and may have to stop again. It's just that I get so bored doing the same workouts all the time and Zumba is so much fun. However, my feet are killing me this evening. Chris met up with us after our classes and we went swimming for a little while in the pool before heading home and making dinner.
As for reading? I just finished the Marcia Evanick book, Christmas on Conrad Street. It's a good book and mostly lighthearted, though there was a touching subject of Alzheimer's and how it affects the families. There were some funny spots in the book, but it was a touching and sweet romance and I enjoyed it. What's up next? No idea. I'm exhausted tonight and can barely keep my eyes open tonight. I only meant to write a short post and I apologize for any sentences that may trail off or words that are spelled incorrectly. Sorry!

That's my cue. It's time for me to get some much needed sleep. I hope y'all enjoyed your Wednesday. I wish a thankful and thoughtful Thursday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: 55 Minutes of Zumba, 5 minutes of stretching, an hour of swimming.

Layla says "Arghhh they kidding?"

Sorry, couldn't resist. When we picked up Son's Pirate accessories the other day we decided to have a bit of fun with the kitties. Layla is the most agreeable, I know-shocking, of the kitties when it comes to dress up. Hence the photo of our own Captain Layla Belle the Grumpy! *g* And yeah, we have WAY too much fun with the cats. *g*

Today was much better mood wise for me today. I'm sure the sunny weather didn't hurt. We are again going through the un-naturally warmer weather for this time of year and it was also in the low 80's today. Tomorrow, however, it's supposed to be a tad cooler and rainy. THAT'S fall weather. Though so far we don't have the majestic fall colored leaves here, either. The weatherman said something about the ground not being cold enough yet. I guess that means that late October will be glorious when the colors finally do change. And fun fact (I love fun facts!) the colors the leaves turn? Are actually the real colors of the leaves. The green is caused by photosynthesis and changes the actual leaves colors green. Cool, huh? And yeah, sad fact is I knew that BEFORE homeschooling the kids. *g*
Anyway, our day went well. Daughter is still teaching over at the MT Y and today a teenage boy came to watch. He is interested in classes for he and his younger brother. He asked a lot of informed questions, so I know he was serious and I did warn him that Daughter is just a sub and they are looking for a permanent teacher. So, we'll see how it goes. I did find out he and his sibling are homeschooled and he's Daughters age and he already participates on the Swim Team and his siblings take gymnastics. What? I have one of those faces that most people like to talk to and I listen. I hope he finds a class he likes for him and his brother.
After class we headed to the Pine Y for the kids MA class. Their teacher was on time and started on time for a change. I worked out and then met up with the kids after class. Daughter's teacher will talk to her about testing for her blue belt on Thursday. Tonight after class he tested the yellow belts who hope to earn their orange belts. I have no doubt they'll make it.

After class the kids and I headed home and met up with Chris. Chris had run an errand for me while we were in MA class. I gave up my trainer appointment this month and haven't been buying ANY books so that we can pick up things for the kids for Christmas. (It's SO hard! I saw the newest Cathie Linz book last week and wanted it BAD, but I was good.) Tonight after work Chris used the email I sent him with the few things he needed to pick up tonight on his way home. So, he picked up the hat I picked out for Daughter (she likes hats and looks so cute in them) and the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie for Son as well as a nerf gun for Son. The book I ordered for Daughter last week, the signed new release by Rick Riodin, was somehow lost in the mail (our tiny local post office sucks, pardon my language). And after a call to B&N a new one is winging it's way to us. I feel better knowing we already have a few things for the kids put away. I just wish I knew where to find a Sai case for Daughter's Sai's. I could just order one online, but I want to SEE it first to make sure the quality is good enough to last. Those Sai's are heaving!

Chris and I made dinner together and enjoyed watching a bit of tv together befoe heading upstairs tonight. He even washed the wok for me because it's too heavy for me. That? Is sweet. And not something I really expected. It was a nice surprise. I made brownies after dinner and everyone enjoyed those a lot. *g* Even me. *g* I couldn't help it, I don't like chocolate cake at all, but I do like a good brownie. *g* We've already established I'm weird. *g*

As for reading? I finished the Kandy Shepherd book last night and picked up a hold from the library this afternoon on the way to the MT Y, I started reading it, Christmas on Conrad Street by Marcia Evanick this afternoon. I have other books to read, but forgot to take them with me when I left this afternoon with my hands so full (purse, water, cooler with waters and snacks for the kids). Not to mention, a MM fits in my purse a lot better than a Trade size!

Jeez, my post if full of tangents tonight. Sorry about that. Tomorrow promises to be a somewhat busy day, we have a homeschool program in the morning for Daughter and then a class for Son in the late afternoon. Add in regular schoolwork and we'll be running tomorrow! *g*
This is where I leave y'all. It's time for me to get some sleep. I hope y'all had a terrific Tuesday. I wish a Wonderful Wednesday full of good books and smiling friends for y'all. Goodnight and Blessings, B.

Exercise: 7 miles on the bike at level 11, 35 minutes of weights, 5 minutes stretching.

Pepper attacks... the t.p.!

Do you see what cute can do? Here she is hiding under the side of my ottoman. To be honest? She's not hiding because she knows she did something wrong. She's hiding because she likes to sleep this way sometimes. It's so hard to be upset at her when she does something this cute! 

It's been yet another long day here. I so didn't want to get up this morning thanks to the chilly air and the lack of sunlight outside. It's been gray and overcast all day, but it seemed kind of pointless because there was no chance of rain. It also seemed to color the day. I had to call the lady who has been my trainer this  morning and let her know that I have to cancel this months appointment. Chris' overtime is over for a while and we need to concentrate on Christmas for the family as well as the kids tournament fees for the tournament next month. I felt bad canceling the appointment, but she was very nice about it. 

The kids and I tackled schoolwork and then we had to drive Daughter to the Pine Y for her afternoon of volunteer/training. Son and I dropped a few items at the library and then we headed home. I had a lovely surprise in the mail today and it cheered me up for a while, but then I started feeling guilty over it and the grayness of the day took over and I swear it's been hard to smile today. Just one of those days I guess. 

Son and I picked up Daughter and met with MIL who dropped off their old wok. Turns out it's almost exactly like the one we just bought. However, it will give us a chance to take the other back and to hunt for a lighter wok that I can pick up without hurting myself. We then thanked MIL and headed to the MT Y for me to work out. Why don't I stay and just work out at the Pine Y? Well, I don't know the Childwatch people there at all. And Son? He is my sweetie and I'm not leaving him with someone I don't know. Not to mention I did NOT want to miss my Yoga class. After dropping Son off in Childwatch Daughter and I headed our separate ways. She went swimming tonight because her ankle was bothering her. I worked out on the stationary bike and then waited for my class to begin. 

For some reason we had only a handful of people in class tonight (why, oh why couldn't the creepy man been one of those absent?) so our teacher shook things up a bit and had us position in a circle in the middle of the room. Yikes! Wanna guess where creepy man put his mat? Yeah. *sigh* But, other than that class was actually fun and interesting and when we were doing the balance portion of class the teacher asked if anyone had noticed an improvement to their balance by practicing yoga and I stuck my hand up and admitted that since I've been practicing Yoga I don't walk into walls as much. (Well, I don't!) Everyone thought that was funny. *g* I was telling the truth. I used to lean from one side to the other a bit when I walked (I still do when walking with Chris, I tend to lean toward him.), but either I've grown out of it, or Yoga truly has helped. 

After class I collected Daughter and Son and we headed home. Chris started dinner and I finished it. He was kind enough to put the stir fry pan on the stove and then later wash it for me. We had what has now become a favored staple in our house- Spinach buffalo chicken salad. To be honest, we take a whole bunch of ingredients together that probably shouldn't taste good (at least to others) and it makes one of the best salads we've ever had. AND I get Chris to eat salad! *g* 

As for reading? I finished the Esther Friesner book and am going to be checking around to see if I can put something by her on Inter-library loan soon since my library system doesn't have many of her books. Since then I've started Home is Where the Bark Is by Kandy Shepherd. This is a cute book. It has a bit of everything: romance, mystery, personal issues with relationships. All the fun things that make a book with just enough turmoil to make things interesting but not so much that you grow antsy about everything. And I must say, the dogs in this book are definitely supporting characters. Mack the Dog is absolutely a sweetheart and I would have grabbed him up in a heartbeat if he were right here. Seriously, a sweet read. With some sparks! 

And that's our day. Pretty boring, pretty blah, but at the same time a nice day. I guess you can't help feeling down some days. I think I'll blame the weather today. And hope for sunshine tomorrow. *g* In the mean time I hope y'all had a lovely and pleasant Monday. I wish a terrific and smile-filled Tuesday for y'all. Goodnight and Hugs, B.

Exercise: 7 miles stationary bike at level 11, 1 hour Yoga.

I did want to say thank you for reading these boring posts. Thank you for "Listening" to me whine. Thank you for being there and cheering me up when I'm down or when I'm in pain. Thank you for being there. 

MIdnight wanted to....

Dress up for Halloween, too! It's that time of year here where we have a blast putting little costumes on the kitties. We picked this scarf up last year and took it out today. Midnight wanted to wear this scarf for the rest of the day, but I drew the line after a couple of hours. *g* He didn't want me to take it off! Funny kitty!

It's been another tiring day. We had a hard time dragging ourselves out of bed this morning. So, we didn't make it to the grocery store before the Out-laws visit. They stayed for a few hours and then headed on their merry way. We then headed out to take care of a few errands. Remember that corduroy jacket I was excited to pick up around the end of August? I tried it on the other day and realized that it doesn't do me any favors, especially in the shoulders. So, since it still had the tags on and I still had the receipt we took it back. Funny enough Chris made me promise to buy something else for me. We then headed back by Sams where I took back the long sleeve t-shirt I picked up for Daughter Friday. She and I didn't like the neckline on her and that's why we bought another one at Marshall's on Saturday. We popped into the Dollar Store and picked up a few Halloween decorations. I was looking for another paper articulated skeleton since we had to throw ours away last year since he became torn. I miss that skeleton. Unfortunately they didn't have one, but they did have a cute paper articulated Mummy, so we're going to try that this year instead. But, I still miss my skeleton. I always put him in Tree pose on the storm door. *g*
After the Dollar Store we went to WW to finish up our grocery shopping. While there we found a Marvin the Martian shirt in the Men's department. Chris wanted it, he's a HUGE Marvin the Martian fan.  So, the money I got back for the jacket? I bought Chris the t-shirt instead. Now it's a waiting game to see if he'll actually wear it. He tends to tug at the neckline on t-shirts (why I switched him over to polo shirts years ago-it drove me crazy), a fact I reminded him of today, but like I said. He loves Marvin the Martian. *g*
After finishing the grocery shopping I was ready to go home and was very glad to put everything away and sit for five minutes. Since then we've had dinner and I've taken care of a few loads of laundry, ironed for the week ahead and clipped Chris' hair. My hands are tingling like crazy!
Which reminds me! The new wok? Is so heavy that for the limited time I used it last night my wrist was hurting today. Not sure that it's good enough to keep if I can't use it without causing myself more issues. *sigh*

I'm heading offline to read a bit of the Esther Friesner book. I'm really enjoying it and wish the library had more of her books.  I hope y'all had a Blessed and restful Sunday. I wish a low-key and pleasant Monday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.


Exercise: I'm thinking of counting all the walking from the errands/shopping again today. And am very so happy to be off my feet. *g*

Oreo stakes a claim!

This is our blanket chest in our bedroom. The other evening when Chris took out our blankets (Yes, our blankets. The man is a blanket hog, we each get our own because of it.) he didn't make sure the chest closed all the way. And since there is a safety hinge on the chest to keep it from slamming down Oreo decided to climb in and make herself comfortable. Here she is pretending not to see us so that we won't make her get out. Luckily for us another kitty wandered over and became curious and for some reason that made her mad and she stalked off in a huff. *g*

It was chilly this morning! And while I love Fall in the evenings, it's hard to get out of bed when it's chilly in the room. I wear a nightgown (probably TMI, but there you go) and can't sleep in jammies, so I'm more likely to drag my blanket with me to pick out my clothes for the day in weather like this. *g* Daughter's MA teacher texted me this morning to let me know that he was canceling testing this afternoon. He didn't have everything needed to test (the new belts) for the others who were the original testers today and wants to wait until they come in. That's what the text said and that's what I'm hoping is really what happened. We'll find out Tuesday.
This afternoon after prodding the family to hurry up and finish lunch we headed out to take care of some errands. We needed to find the kids Halloween costumes and we needed to find a decent hoodie for Son for the chillier weather. He has a nice thick coat for when it turns cold, but he outgrew his "in-between" hoodie from last year. We also needed a new stir-fry pan. Again. It doesn't seem like that long ago that we bought ours back in March. But this week it started peeling. We though it was hard anodized, but it had some kind of coating and that began peeling as we washed it one night. I'll admit we're rough on our stir-fry pan because we cook almost everything in it. It's perfect for cooking meat or veggies for our favorite dishes. We are good about only using wooden utensils to cook with, though. However, despite our care this one messed up. We were understandably upset. After all, this pan wasn't even a year old. Luckily it had a warrantee and we contacted the company we bought it from and they agreed that it shouldn't have done what it was doing and offered to replace or refund our money. We chose a refund. If one pan does this, what's to keep the next one from doing it. So, our first stop was to Marshall's to find a new pan. They didn't have any. So, we walked down to World Market and found one made of carbon steel. SOLD! I'm pretty darn sure this one won't peel! *g* So, one errand crossed off the list. We then headed to Party City to find costumes for the kids. Son wants to be a pirate, but their accessories were outrageously expensive. We looked for a Greek Goddess costume for Daughter. It was either close to being indecently short or over the budget we insist on for the kids costumes. We then went to Halloween Express. Whoa! They had tons of costumes and since when is it okay for your teen to wear skimpy and over-sexed costumes? Lucky for us Daughter doesn't like things like that. Whew. We did enjoy looking around, but their costumes were WAY over budget (I'm sorry, I refuse to pay $55 for a costume she'll wear one day this year.). They had one display that freaked us all out. It was of a scary wacko looking clown that kept chittering. Yeah, we don't really like clowns anyway and this thing just reinforced that idea. (I've never looked at a clown the same way after watching Spawn with Chris years ago.) We then went to Old Navy for Son's hoodie, thinking this would be a quick trip in because they usually have something. This time? Nope. Son was quiet insistent that the hoodie have an actual hood and that it zipped all the way. So, no fleece for the boy. Chris then suggested the Mall since we could look for a hoodie for Son there as well as ask the jeweler about fixing Daughter's claddaugh ring that broke this week. We almost didn't find Son a hoodie, but at the last second I found one buried in a rack way in the back. Score! One more thing off the list! We then talked to the jeweler. It would cost $10 to fix Daughters ring. But, he couldn't guarantee it wouldn't break again unless he added a stronger band on it. I'll be honest. It's a sterling silver (because it's her favorite metal) ring and I only paid $40 for it. It would cost that much to add the new band. Instead we left the decision up to Daughter and she chose to find a new claddaugh ring. (I found one this evening and ordered it and only paid $20 and it even looks sturdier!) So, one more thing taken care of. Off we went to yet another Halloween store. At this one we found a sword, an eye patch, an earring and a hat for Son. But, yet again, no costume for Daughter. I have been suggesting several costumes to her for the past few days and she lit upon one of them instead. I know she's disappointed to not be a Greek Goddess, but she'll make a fabulous Angel of Death. We stopped at Target and picked up a Scythe. We already have a black Halloween robe (It's Chris' from when they dressed up at work one year.) and we just need to find her some great black wings. She's excited about her new costume and has been carrying the Scythe around scaring the cats with it this evening after we arrived home. And yes, that was our last stop of the evening. We actually needed to finish up our grocery shopping but by the time we left Target we'd been going for almost 6 hours. Our feet were tired, we were tired and ready to go home.
While we were out and about today the Out-laws called. They'll be visiting tomorrow. Hopefully I can get by the grocery store beforehand and be done with it. I guess we'll see.
We used the new stir fry pan to make dinner. Well, to make the ground turkey for nachos. We add spiced tomatoes, garlic, pepper and cumin to the turkey as we cook it and then we add black beans. With purple onion, sour cream (that's mine only), cheese and jalapenos and you have yummy nachos. It's simple, quick and tasty. *g*
Since then we've collapsed for a bit in our chairs. I've been pricing a few Christmas goodies online, but the things I've looked at are around the same price in the stores as they are online. So no savings that way, darnit.
I haven't had much of a chance to read today, but hope to spend a few minutes enjoying my book before I can't keep my eyes open any longer. I better read fast. *g*
All this leads me to now. It's time to get some rest. I'm exhausted. I've babied my back most the day and it's feeling a little better, but still sore. I'm hoping one more day of taking it easy and it will be okay by Monday. I have a very busy week ahead and can't afford to be slowed down.
I hope y'all had an amusing and excellent day. I wish a peaceful and Blessed Sunday for y'all. Goodnight and Hugs, B.

Exercise: Can I count all the walking. My feet are kind of insisting on it. Did I mention I wore flats instead of tennies today? MISTAKE. *g*

Baby Red Bell Pepper!

This is the one and only red bell pepper that grew in our garden this year. Isn't it adorable? That's my hand that's holding the pepper and as you can see, it fits with room to spare. I'm not quite sure how to cook this very small pepper and right now we're still saying things like "awwww, it's so cute!" so I'm not sure we'll be eating it anytime soon. *g*

Late last night, early this morning I remembered that I didn't have anything for breakfast this morning and so decided to take advantage of the bananas that we had that were starting to turn. I normally gather all my ingredients and then start cooking and I had thought that that is what I had done this time. Until I noticed that I was out of eggs. Normally, I'd then put everything away and plan to go to the nearest grocery as soon as it opened in the morning to purchase some eggs and continue making my banana bread. This time? I decided that I was tired, it was late and what was the worst that could happen? That it be inedible? So, I went ahead and made everything except the eggs we didn't have. And the verdict? See the picture? A gorgeous golden loaf of banana bread (no nuts because Daughter won't eat it otherwise, darnit) that tasted no different than usual. I have no idea what eggs do for banana bread, but turns out it may not be necessary. *g* I had two slices of this with butter made from yogurt this morning. YUM! Oh, and for that hint of cinnamon goodness, before I baked this I sprinkled a bit of cinnamon sugar over the top.

After schoolwork today the kids and I headed out to run errands. We had Daughter's hair cut, she is now five inches shorter. It looks cute and suits her. I had the hair dresser cut it so that it would curve under on the edges since her hair is so thick and straight. We then headed to Sam's. When we were leaving I either strained a muscle or pinched a nerve when I was putting one of the flats of water in the car. It was on the bottom of the cart, so I was leaning down and twisting as I lifted the waters and I almost dropped them as the pain was that sudden and that bad. It's gotten progressively worse as the night has worn on, but I'm trying hard not to let it interfere in our evening. After Sam's the kids and I went by Aldi's and then home to put everything away. Not long after we arrived home Daughters friend from across the street invited her to a football game tonight (We didn't have sparring tonight.) and I agreed she could go. Son was very disappointed he wasn't invited (I tried to tell him he wouldn't have that great of a time and that this was really just a girl thing between Daughter and her friend.), he looked so sad that Chris and I decided to do something fun with him since it's usually all four of us and we don't get to spend a lot of time with just Son. So, we decided to take him to a local "Fun-park" (my idea). They had batting cages, go-karts, miniature golf, arcade games and a few other things. Son had a blast. His most favorite was the go-karts. He keeps telling his sister how he ran a red light. *g* The funny thing was there's a light on the track to warn you of how many laps you have left. The light turned yellow and then red letting him know he was on his last lap. However, he's never been there before and didn't know that's what it meant so when it turned red he stopped right in front of it! (I was laughing so hard at this point- it was so hilarious!) We waved him on and told him what it meant, but I swear it was cute and funny at the same time. After the go-kart he and Chris hit the batting cages while I watched. I was going to participate as well, but thought the twisting motion might not be so good for me right now. We then played a round of miniature golf and Son? Cheats. Badly. *g* I was cracking up the whole time watching him try and try and try to get the ball in the hole and then one time he took his club and dragged the ball into it and another looked around and then dropped his ball into the hole. Chris and I were nudging each other and grinning like loons. I will say I don't think we'll play miniature golf with Son until he's a bit older. He was too hyper past the fifth hole. But, we did what we set out to do. We made Son laugh and have a good time. *g* We met up with Daughter at home afterwards and ate a late dinner.
Since then we've moved upstairs and I took the hottest shower I could and downed some tylenol. I'm hoping that a few gentle stretches tonight and tomorrow help my back. The last time it hurt this bad I somehow knocked my pelvic bone our of joint playing tennis ten years ago. I didn't hear anything pop, so am seriously hoping that it's just a pinched nerve.
As for reading? I finished the Annelise Ryan book, Scared Stiff last night and really enjoyed it. As soon as I put it down after reading the last page my immediate thought was to question when the next book in the series would be released. Speaking of, anyone know? *g* I've since started Tempting Fate by Esther Fiesner. So far I like it, though I'm only two chapters into it.

That leads me to now. It's time to get some sleep so that we can face tomorrow. Daughter has her blue belt test and we're crossing our fingers, but also have faith that she'll do well. I hope y'all had an enjoyable Friday. I wish an amusing and relaxing Saturday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: Can I count all the walking we did grocery shopping and then walking around the fun park?

Smugness up high!

This look from Butterscotch seems rather smug to me. As if he wants me to feel bad because I can't climb up there and look down upon everyone else in the kitchen. Little does he know that I? View him as a kitty feather duster of my cabinets. *g*

Today has gone rather well. The weather is starting to turn cooler again, back toward actual Fall weather. It's nice. *g* Schoolwork was finished just in time today before we headed to the kids MA class at the Pine Y. We waited and waited for the MA teacher to show up and right about the time I was one part ticked off and one part seriously worried-he showed up. He's having severe vehicle troubles and was running late. I reminded him again, because I swear I turn into everyone's mother at some point, that people worry about him and that he needs to CALL them. He apologized and class went over to make up for the time, which was okay with everyone. While the kids were in class I worked out and while on the stationary bike I read more of the Annelise Ryan book. I came across a rather gruesome scene in it and was yucked out. I was already riding hard and breathing through my mouth a bit, so when I came across that scene I felt a bit queasy for a few seconds. After my work out I headed back to the kids class to pick them up and while I was waiting I read a funny scene that had me laughing so much I garnered a few looks. It was THAT funny. *g* Oh, and it seems that Daughter may be testing for her blue belt this weekend. Son was at first upset that she would be higher ranking than him, but we've explained that she's just learning at a faster rate than he is right now and that when he is ready we'll ask the teacher for him to test as well.
After we left and headed home with a short stop by the library to pick up two more books that had come in from Hold. We had to take a slight detour at first. A car had caught on fire and the road was blocked off. When I say fire, I mean a BIG fire. The car was black. I hope who ever was driving it was able to get out safely. After a quick stop at the library I now have Such a Pretty Face by Cathy Lamb and Tempting Fate by Esther Friesner (a YA by a new-to-me author. I was originally looking for a couple of other books with this author, but my library sadly did not have them.)
We met Chris at home. He actually arrived before we did for a change! We checked our garden this evening. We picked a tiny and cute red bell pepper. It fit in the palm of my hand. *g* We also had some tomatoes that we could finally bring in as well as a few more miniature jalapeno peppers.
We've since had dinner and are enjoying a quiet evening indoors since it's become so chilly outside tonight! *g* A few more weeks and I'll be sitting in my chair with my book and a shawl to be comfortable and cozy. *g*

And speaking of books..... time for me to read some more! I hope y'all had a good Thursday. One filled with at least one good book and some free time to read. I wish a fantastic and fun Friday for y'all. Goodnight and Hugs, B.

Exercise: 25 minutes stationary bike @ level 11, 30 minutes weight machines.

I'm asking for prayers for Dru for a private matter, prayers for Melissa because she and her daughter are sick and Birthday wishes for Jace's son and husband. Blessed be and love to all.

Lovely, Lovely Books!

Blessed be! The library finally got in a couple of my holds! I was delighted this afternoon to check my account and see these two available for pickup! Don't mind the Bear behind the books, he sits on my bedside table. He was a Valentines Day gift from Chris years ago and helps hold up my books for me. *g* Pictured here are Scared Stiff by Annelise Ryan. This is the second book in a new mystery series featuring a nurse turned deputy coroner. The other book is Home is Where the Bark Is by Kandy Shepherd. This book is by a new-to-me author; the premise seemed interesting with a slight mystery and romance.

Today may not have been busy, but we still had plenty to do! The kids and I started our day as usual and had finished schoolwork by the afternoon. After seeing the above books were available we left early on our way to the Y so that we could stop and pick them up. While it's been okay reading books off my keeper shelves, I just couldn't form any enthusiasm for them as if they'd been new, or new-to-me. There's something special about a new or new-to-me book. It's exciting and there's always that small feeling of trepidation-especially if it's a new-to-me author or it's part of a series and the fate of the main character weighs in the balance. Funny enough, I almost liken it to a blind date. You never know what you'll find, or what you'll like, but it's an adventure all the same. (Though I've never really been on a blind date, I can imagine what it must be like.)
After the library we headed to the MT Y for Son's Kidfit class and Zumba for me. Son had fun, as did I and we met up with Chris as our classes were over and then went swimming. We had fun just spending some time together, we even threw a ball around in the pool. I really need to learn to throw for distance. Daughter and Chris are good at it, but Son and I need some work. *g*
After heading home I made dinner and then we enjoyed a little bit of tv. I had been feeling pretty low energy all day and have been pushing myself to do everything so while I made it through, it was nice to just... sit. Days like this are hard because I know that I have many things I need to do and take care of, but have to force my body to do what I want. And while I feel better after doing these things, like Zumba tonight because it's so fun and makes me laugh, the energized feeling doesn't last long. But, Chris was nice enough to buy me some M&M's tonight, that helped with the Blah's.
I've begun reading the Annelise Ryan book. It seems rather appropriate as it's set during Halloween. And while I haven't read much so far, there's a scene with a kitten and and pathetic suitor that cracked me up!

Time for me to head offline. It's very late and I'm very tired. I hope y'all had a pleasing and wondrous Wednesday. I wish a Thursday filled with good books, good friends and lots of smiles. Goodnight and Hugs, B.

Exercise: 1 hour Zumba, 1 hour pool time.

Statue Kitty!

Oreo sits on my bedside table every night and in this pose. She waits and waits for the light to go out and then she stares at me until she grows bored or I fall asleep. There IS a reason we call her 'Stalker Kitty'. To me, in this picture, she reminds me of an Egyptian statue. *g* And just out of curiosity, WHY does my bedside table have to be the repository of Son's toys? I'm told that's an Omnitrex from Ben 10 next to Oreo.

It's been a very long day. We are still having our weird warm weather, but this evening it's gotten cooler and we even had drizzle! After schoolwork this afternoon the kids and I headed out for the MT Y where Daughter taught MA class. She had seven kids today, all white belts with two she hopes to talk her teacher into testing for yellow belt soon. Daughter needs these teaching hours to achieve her black belt later on and it's an ongoing process to watch her learn to teach. I do my best not to butt in, but I admit I will give her hand gestures or looks when a situation comes up with one of the kids or I think the kids need to move on to another activity. She was told by another parent she'd doing well, and I like that she's being appreciated.
After that class we had to drive across town to the Pine Y for the kids MA class. Daughter asked if I could stop by B&N because the Graphic Novel adaptation of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief was released today. Unfortunately traffic was too bad to stop on the way.
After we arrived at the Pine Y (who had their groundbreaking today for the new Y they're building for that branch) we waited and waited and no MA teacher. We never heard from him so we don't know what's going on, but he's been good lately about calling to let us know, so I am slightly worried. Daughter ended up teaching that class as well. I went and worked out (but first ended up helping the front desk lady prop open two meeting room doors, she was having difficulty with finding a shim that would fit under each door and needed a little help) (Um, she needed help because she's handicapped-missing one arm. She's great at her job, she just needed help this once.)because there are/were other adults IN the class and knew Daughter could handle herself. She seems to have more confidence at the Pine Y for some reason. According to one parent and another participant she did a good job. (Today was Torture Tuesday-a tortuous workout day.) She wore them out! *g*
Since we weren't able to go by B&N on the way TO the Pine Y we stopped by on the way home. Daughter was quite happy to purchase her Graphic Novel and was happy and grateful I'd printed out the B&N coupon that B&N sent me for Rick Riordan's titles that she used today. *g* Son and Daughter also spent their money on Vanilla Bean Frappuccinos.
After leaving B&N we headed home but stopped and dropped off library items at the drop box before arriving home. By that time I was very glad to be home. *g*
As for reading? I haven't really had time today, but also haven't had any holds come in yet, either. As a matter of fact, I've reached the quota for the amount of items I can have on hold! Oops. *g* Hopefully tomorrow a book or two will come in. And no, while at B&N I didn't buy any books. Scary I know, but I'm trying to not purchase as many books with Christmas and the kids tournament being so close now. And as for reading tonight? I picked Thanksgiving by Janet Evanovich off my keeper shelves. It's light, funny and cute. Just right for my mood.

That's all from me. It's time to head offline and to get some much needed sleep. I hope y'all had an engaging day. I wish a Wonderful Wednesday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: 20 minutes on elliptical at level 12, 25 minutes weights.

Cute as a button, Pepper!

I'm pretty sure I've used that title before, but c'mon! Look at this picture! Is she not the most adorable, cute and outright "awwwww" inspiring kitty? I took this picture this afternoon as we were doing schoolwork. I just couldn't resist. *g*

It was nice to return to Monday. It may have been Columbus Day, but schoolwork was still done and Daughter's Lifeguard training went on as usual. I don't think many places actually take the day off. Maybe someone should let the Post Office and banks know that. *g*
After dropping off Daughter Son and I drove home and finished schoolwork and before we knew it, it was time to pick her up again! We drove to the MT Y (after picking Daughter up at the Pine Y *g*) and I worked out before Yoga class. I almost wish I'd taken a change of clothes. My shirt was soaked and the Yoga class was cool (no Hot Yoga for me, thanks) and my shirt felt clammy through the whole class. Ewww!
After class Daughter and I grabbed Son from Childwatch and we headed home. Chris had to work late tonight so he had gone straight home and took care of dinner tonight. Yay! I swear I'm hitting the "I don't want to cook or even plan a meal" phase. Don't worry, it doesn't last long. Only a day or two because I'm not a fan of fast food and I think one night of breakfast night is all that I can stand. I don't think I'd have this problem this time if the weather had stayed cool. I planned our menu for cool weather. I can't imagine having stew or pot pie when it was 88 degrees today. And yeah, you read that correctly. Thankfully our cooler weather will be back by the end of the week! YAY!
As for reading today? I finished the Marcia Evanick book. I truly miss more books like this one. Good think for me I have almost all the Misty Harbor series. I am hopeful the library will have a book or two in for me tomorrow, though. With the way my hands have been lately I can't hold my iPod touch for too long to read the free ebook I downloaded this past Friday. I've read a few pages and so far I like the tone. There's already humor, which I have been in need of for the past week. (Nothing bad going on here(*knockonwood*), just in the mood to read something that will make me laugh.) Any recommendations for light, fun, humorous and romantic? I'm thinking it might be time to revisit my Crusie shelf.

Anyway, that's it from me. It's late and I need to get some sleep. I hope y'all had a delightful Monday. I wish a terrific Tuesday filled with fun and laughter. Goodnight, B.

Exercise: 6.75 miles @ level 11 on stationary bike, 1 hour Yoga.

Big Girl Sacked Out!

Patches is a sweet, but big girl. She wanted to nap on my ottoman the other evening and smacked any other cat that attempted to get up there. She wanted it all to herself. *g* Doesn't she looks so sweet? Until you interrupt her nap!

It's been a long and busy day. We've been enjoying the odd warm weather here and will be keeping it until the end of the week. Daughter and I both wore shorts today and thought it was funny that we both said it felt more natural than wearing pants yet. *g* This afternoon after lunch we left the house to run by the library for Son. One of his holds, a movie, had come in and while there I picked up Kill and Tell by Linda Howard. I think I've read this book before, after all-it's Linda Howard! But, it's better than having nothing! And I know that one of my holds is on it's way to me, hopefully be Tuesday at the latest. Thanks to Dru's recommendation I'll be trying Trail of Blood by Lisa Black.
After the library we went by Aldi's for some more cheese. We wanted to make chicken fajita quesadillas for dinner. YUM! We then stopped by Lowes where we looked at paint colors. The yellow is just not working for me with our duvet. If we still had our original white duvet (which is why and when we bought the yellow paint and then the duvet tore too badly to mend and had to replaced) it would work, but with the dark charcoal? Not so much. I was smart and took a swatch of the duvet with me, technically it's not a swatch, it's the cloth bag the duvet came in that is made of the same material in the same color. We found a color called Gray Ghost that works beautifully with the duvet color. It's gray, but with a touch of warmth to keep it from feeling cold. Since there was no time to paint today or this week, Chris will go by Friday and pick it up for next weekend. And this time we sought out a low VOC and environmentally friendly paint. Which is what I wanted last time!
We then headed home where the kids promptly deserted us for outside and their friends and Chris and I sat for a bit together before I went outside to mow my lawn. I had thought I was done with that, but with the warm weather? Not so much. So, I mowed, edged, weed-eated and raked where I had made the mulch fly around. I also swept up all the clippings and cut two limbs from our weeping willow tree that were too low on the trunk.
While I showered Chris and the kids worked on their weapons katas for next months competition. Son is learning a new Bo kata and Daughter is learning a new Sai kata. Since their teacher just doesn't have time, or the knowledge of Daughter's Sai's, Chris has been working with them. WITH their teacher permission.
After my shower I chopped and cooked all the ingredients for dinner and Chris assembled and then cooked everything together so I could get off my feet.

Again, no reading time today. So it's not a bad thing I haven't had anything come in yet! Weekends are usually supposed to be about rest and relaxation, but we seem to spend the time trying to catch up with things we couldn't take care of during the week!
After dinner I tried to help Chris with his "Letter of Intent" for school for his Doctoral program. Later tonight he said that his biggest influence on continuing his education was me. And my Mom. She would be so very proud of him. When we first married almost Eighteen years ago he didn't think he'd pursue his education, he thought he'd be fine without it and just move up the ranks in the Military. My Mom and I both told him that he NEEDED to attend college. And today? He has 2 (or is it 3, I've lost count!) Associates Degrees, a Bachelor's Degree, a Master's Degree and is now starting toward his Doctorate. Trust me, my Mother was already proud of him (as if he were her own), but to know how far he's come she would be extra proud of him. I know I am.
After we headed upstairs and while Chris had his shower I ironed clothes for the coming week and am now very happy to be off my feet! *g*

Nothing much else to share. We've had quite a busy day, to me at least! And I'm now hoping for some rest and a return to routine tomorrow. I hope y'all had a restful and peaceful Sunday. I wish a quiet and stress-free Monday for y'all. Goodnight and Hugs, B.

Exercise: I'm counting yard work. *g*

The Oreo Statue!

As you can tell this picture was taken before Chris started painting our bedroom. Oreo decided she wanted to play statue on top of the satellite box the other night. It's funny, because when we weren't looking she'd stare at us. But, as soon as we looked at her she closed her eyes. *g* (I can STILL smell the paint, btw.)

Another not so normal Fall day here. We made it to mid 80's again, and it's supposed to stay that way for the rest of the week. When I made out my menu for my last shopping trip we were having cooler weather and I planned for chicken stew for one night. Now? Who wants to eat stew when it's mid 80's? Agh! Oh, well. Guess I'll have to come up with something to replace it.
Chris took the last of the paperwork to the new Pediatrician this morning. I can make an appointment any time this week for Daughter and her ankle. Yay!

When Chris arrived back home we had lunch and then we headed to the MT Y for swimming! I've missed not being able to swim as much as we were and since there wasn't a swim meet this weekend we took advantage. The kids had a blast in the small pool (it's heated) and I? Was crazy and braved the big pool, which is NOT heated. It was frigid! I was crazy and jumped in. Easing into it would have made me run back to the small pool. *g* Daughter watched Son while I swam laps and Chris went and worked out and then joined me for a few laps.
When we were done we went by McDonalds as a treat for the kids. I tried one of their parfaits. YUM! We then went to Mass and afterwards we headed by Sams to pick up some apples. We've gone through two bags in the past week and a half. *g* We then drove home. The kids were eager to spend some time with their friends and Chris and I were eager to just be home. We both spend a lot of time running around during the week and enjoy the time we can spend at home.
We made buffalo chicken spinach salads again. So, so good. And Chris and I watched the last dvd from the 2nd season of The Big Bang Theory. I already have the 3rd season on hold. It's a funny, quirky show.
As for my reading? I haven't had a chance. It seems like on the weekends I don't have as much time to read. You'd think the opposite would be the case, but it's not. It's kind of okay, since I am out of library books. Funny enough I added yet another book to my Holds list tonight! I'm number one for quite a few of them. I seriously hope they come in soon! In the meantime I'm carrying around the Evanick book looking for a chance to begin reading it. I wish the author had written more. I don't know what happened, but there hasn't been a new book by her in over two years. I miss the Misty Harbor series, luckily I have almost all on my keeper shelves. *g* I really miss the sweeter contemporary books, where the characters begin a relationship before anything physical . It seems these days the characters get physical before the first hundred pages. I guess it's a sign of the times and I'm behind in them. Oh, well.

Anyway, time for me to head off. The dryer just buzzed and that's my cue to get a few more things done. I hope y'all had a relaxing and enjoyable day. I hope you smiled and laughed today. I wish a restful and peaceful Sunday for y'all. Goodnight and Blessings, B.

Exercise: 45 minutes of laps, 15 minutes of treading water. While the water was freezing, I still had a good time. After I quite shivering. *g*

P.S. Is it sad I'm enjoying the T.J. Hooker marathon on Sleuth channel?