Lovely!

I took this picture the other evening as I was mowing the lawn. I looked at that sky and loved all the colors. Everything I want to say pales in comparison to it's beauty.

Today about kicked my fanny. Daughter worked this morning and then I had errands to run afterwards. Before I knew it, it was time to pick her up and we headed home where I moved the garden stones we had around the AC unit because when the repairman was here last time he said they must be 18-24 inches away from the unit instead of the 6 inches away we had them. I also had to move all our hoses since we tend to clump them up together behind the AC unit as one of the outdoor faucets is there on the side of the house. Then I had to trim the weeping willow there, too. It was hanging over the unit and while I was thinking the shade it provided helped the unit from overheating the repairman said it keeps warm airflow from circulating correctly. So far the AC unit is behaving, though last night it quit working for a bit. We called the repair company and they should be returning our call soon, though it's still working again. (Better safe than sorry, right?)

Before I knew it Daughter had an event at the library. She texted me right when it was time for me to pick her up and asked if she and the fellow she likes could walk up to the Subway and could Chris pick her up from there. (At first she wanted to know if they could ride up there in a friends car. I nixed that quickly. No way, no how.) I realize I have to let her grow up. So, I let her. However, she pulled a fast one. As soon as I was in Yoga she asked Chris if she could stay at Subway and eat there with the boy and then walk back to the Y. (Over an extra hour.) He, not being able to get in touch with me thought that might be okay. And it might have been. If I hadn't laid some ground rules up front and she agreed to them. Why do teenagers do stupid things? I know it might sound as though I've over-reacted, but she manipulated Chris and she and I had already had rules set in place. So. She's grounded. I know she's 17. I know she needs a chance to 'unfurl her wings', but she needs to do it honestly and upfront. Anything else is a lack of respect and I won't tolerate it. It's funny, but in this case I'm the one who's being strict and Chris is the one who is more relaxed. Usually our roles are reversed. I know she's testing boundaries. And I am here to set them. I sound like an irrational, mean mom don't I? *sigh*

Change of subject. I've finished the Mallery book. The hero was a total snot right up until the end. I kept wanting the heroine to smack him and walk away. Oh, well. Now I'm reading Cloaked in Malice by Annette Blair. It's the fourth book in the mystery series featuring a vintage clothier and gifted psychometric.

That's all. I need to get some sleep. The yard work this afternoon was rough thanks to the heat. Ugh. I hope y'all had a pleasant Monday. I wish a terrific Tuesday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: Yard Work, Yoga.
Exercise Hours: 1hr., 45min..  

Looking Out!

Those of you on Facebook have already seen this picture. It's from when I took the gang to the Vet's a couple of weeks ago. They weren't very happy with what happened there, but were very glad to be home. Yes, all four of them were in the carrier at one time. It seemed the best way to take them, though quite heavy to carry!

Not much to talk about from today. I didn't get much sleep last night and so have been very tired all day. Not to mention feeling sick because of the drainage. So much so that I didn't make it to Zumba this afternoon and Chris had to pick up Daughter from work, something I normally do since he'll take her when she works on Sunday. (We trade off.) I can say that Chris made dinner tonight. He tried a recipe for homemade enchilada sauce, but it tasted too much like chili powder for me. That and I'm not sure he's ever heard of the expression "a little goes a long way". He not only put the sauce over the enchiladas, he put it inside of them, too. I tried to eat it, because I didn't want to hurt his feelings, but had to push it away after a few bites. Even he didn't finish his and agreed that maybe the sauce was too much. Oh, well, back to the drawing board for him. I told him I appreciated his attempt. That it meant a lot to me that he tried a new recipe (mostly for my benefit since enchiladas are one of my favorite foods). I told him next time would be the one that was great. I'm not sure he believed me, but I hope he does.

As for reading? I've begun the Mallery book, but the hero is already annoying the snot out of me. He is judging the heroine based on his past and one glimpse of her before they even met. I know the writer needs to set up the conflict early on, but it's just a trope that bugs me. Oh, well. Hopefully the library will get in some of my holds this week. (This wasn't one of them, I just looked at this one on the shelf and picked it up and hoped for the best.) *sigh*

Time to get some sleep. I have to be up early. I hope y'all had a peaceful and restful Sunday. I wish a pleasant and low-key Monday for y'all. Goodnight, B.

Exercise: 0. *Sigh*
Exercise Hours: 0. Back at it tomorrow. I've just been so tired....... and my allergies are really awful this year........ Gah. Sorry to complain.

A post of miscellaneous fillery!

My SIL & BIL collect salt and pepper shakers. I saw this at Target a couple of weeks ago and thought of them. Although, I probably won't pick this set up for them. I have my eye on a robot set that wind up and actually walk around. (And by 'collect'? I mean SIL has probably over 50 sets.) Do y'all collect anything?

Today didn't start very well. I woke with lots of nasty drainage and had to take a benedryl which made me so sleepy I ended up taking a nap not long after I woke up! But, the sinus headache and pressure were better afterwards. Always a good thing. We set out this afternoon to run some errands. First was Hobby Lobby. Daughter needed a new earring back and I needed pipe cleaners (make great cat toys). Then we went to Kohl's. I needed unmentionables. While there I tried on a sports bra that said it was great for yoga. Um, yeah, for someone without the need for a bra. It was so low cut I would hate to have seen what happened in downward dog. *g* While there Chris found a pair of shoes he liked (why does the man always have to buy something when I'm looking for something simple for me?), they were crocs, which surprised him because he was unaware they made anything other than the big round toe-d shoes. While he was trying on shoes Daughter and I decided to play. I tried on a few pair as well. The joke being I tried on heels. See, I can't walk in heels to save myself. I weeble and wobble all over the place. However, I found a style I can wear while there. turns out espadrilles are comfy and stable. Who knew? I still don't need heels, though. So, none for me. Daughter found a pair of patent leather and silver sparkle loafers and ended up purchasing them. That girl has shoe issues. *g* Me? I'm happy with a good pair of tennies and a good pair of sandals in the summer and tennies and loafers or a pair of sketchers in the winter. Although, I did try on one pair that made me taller than Daughter and almost as tall as Chris. That's not to say I could walk in them, but it was nice to stand there and look tall. *g*
From there we went to Ulta. I picked up a new buff-puff and then to Marshall's. Daughter needed jammies. Then to WW for a return and our last stop was to a local grocery store for caffeine for tomorrow.
I didn't make it to Lowe's tonight. I'll have to do that tomorrow. I need mulch for the bush beds and around the trees in the front of the house.
After all that we headed home for dinner, something simple. We spent a little time relaxing and then the kids played a game on the system and I headed upstairs. I did finally finish the McCall book tonight and will admit that while I liked it, Mimosa Grove is still my favorite. Next up? A Susan Mallery book I grabbed yesterday and forgot to mention. I'm not sure if I'll like it or not, some of her books are hit-or-miss for me.

And that's all. A pretty basic and kind of boring day, except for playing in the shoe department. *g* I hope y'all had a smile and laughter filled day. I wish a peaceful Sunday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: Does shopping count? Even if most of it is window shopping?
Exercise Hours: 0. (If it counted? 4hr..)

Puffed up Kitty!

Another blurry iPhone picture tonight. I had to share this one, too. It's of Elvis, but not the Elvis we know. It's the Elvis that has seen a big dog on his porch and freaked him out. He puffed up and stayed that way for at least an hour. It was actually funny and I felt bad for him, but it didn't keep me from laughing. Oh, and the dog? I called the number on her collar and Princess's Mama came and got her (she lived a street over and the dog had gotten loose when her granddaughter left the door open a smidge).

A rather slow day here again. I'm enjoying this week, to be honest. Well, except for the fact that I'm coughing like crazy thanks to drainage. I've had to reassure Chris several times that this is a different cough than the pneumonia cough.

Daughter worked this morning and while I would have liked to come straight home and mow the lawn after dropping her off it was already too hot and humid.
Son had an event at the library this afternoon. They made dreamcatchers from cardboard hoops, string, beads and feathers. While I love the library and all the events for the kids the tween coordinator really needs to lay off the crafts. (Colored sand in lightbulb shaped containers, owls made of pinecones, etc.) I don't think she has any idea how to relate to the age group and we've actually suggested a couple of different events. She's said she'd take them under consideration and will probably do a few. She relates better to the teens, but I think that's because she's pretty young, too.
Afterwards we headed home and I waited until after the sun set to mow the lawn. It was too hot today to do it at any other time. Heck, I was out there so late I should have borrowed Son's headlight. *g* But, the lawn is mowed and edged and weed-eated. I just need to pick up some mulch sometime this weekend and put it out.
As for reading? I'm already close to finishing the McCall book. I was kind of correct in my brainwashing theory for plot, but it's actually deep hypnotic suggestion. I should finish it tomorrow and then? Well, I need to scour the library database again and check out Amazon's free kindle books. I'm sure I also have a couple of keeper shelf books calling my name if I look over them.

And that's it. No more happening here. I hope y'all had an enjoyable Friday. I wish an amusing and laughter filled Saturday for y'all. Goodnight and Hugs, B.

Exercise: Yard Work.
Exercise Hours: 1hr., 15min..

Devotion!

I don't think I've posted this picture here. I apologize for it's poor quality, too. But, whenever you use the zoom on the iPhone most pictures come out looking a little grainy. However, I HAD to share this picture. Aren't Elvis and Zoe adorable together? So darn sweet!

Well, another rather uneventful day. Daughter only had to teach MA tonight, so while she did that I headed to my Zumba Sentao class. They're moving it to another evening next week and also down into the gym because of it's popularity. I hope the change works out well.

We also made a stop by the library, for Daughter, this afternoon. She had some holds come in and I picked up a Dinah McCall book, Storm Warning. I am not sure if I'm okay with a book with possible brain-washing, but we'll see.
I had to return that other book. It was driving me crazy. I only had about four chapters left to the book and still nothing had happened. Seriously? *sigh* I dislike giving up on a book and it's not that the writing was horrible, it was just a meandering type book and it was so slooooooow and I couldn't take anymore. I think it's because I found the female lead to be wimpy and boring and the male lead, while not outright wimpy was rather..... staid. Not bad when you're picking a spouse, not good when you're reading a romance. I think it was a romance. I had such high hopes as another of this authors earlier books is on my keeper shelves (actually 2 or 3 of them are) and I reread them at least every other year. If I don't like this McCall book I'm out of luck. I don't have any other library books in and my book budget is busted for the month. Hmm, may have to search the free books for kindle. Every now and then I find one I might like. What? I'm picky.

Anyway, time to head offline. I hope y'all had a thankful Thursday. (I'm thankful to be feeling better than yesterday.) I hope y'all have a fun and enjoyable Friday! Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: Zumba Sentao.
Exercise Hours: 1hr..

Loving Big Brother!

Einstein loves his little sister Zoe. And she adores him. Here Einstein is cleaning her one morning before I made the bed. Sweet boy.

Nothing much to share today. At all. I woke up at 4am sick. I had an acid reflux incident which flared my coughing from drainage up which caused.... well, um, ginger ale became involved afterwards. I had to wake Chris up because I had taken out my contacts and couldn't see anything when all that started and I was shaky. So, he took care of me and even took today off to make sure I didn't have to go anywhere and could rest for a day. I'm glad he did because I felt tired and my knees felt like jello and I've been fighting a sinus headache all day. I guess I'm so used to taking care of everything and everyone else that I forget to take care of me.
However, I did manage to take care of laundry, the dishes, made some butterscotch brownies and cleaned the bathrooms. I did that this evening, though, after a day of rest. What? That's the best I can do.

I did get a chance to read today. I'm about 3/4's of the way through the book and it's been so slow going I keep putting the book down. The hero and heroine? I see no spark, no reasoning for their budding relationship. To be honest they're probably the most boring couple I can think of, and her big scarring moment that lead to her being where she is? Not so scarring. The conversations are jumbled and the characters just jump out with weird comments. Why am I still reading it? I hate to give up and I need to read a HEA right now. The premise is good, should have been a whirlwind type thing, but it's just not playing out that way. *sigh*

And that's it, sorry. Pretty boring, I know. I hope y'all had a joy-filled Wednesday. I wish a thankful and thoughtful Thursday for y'all. Goodnight, B.

Exercise: none.
Exercise hours: 0. Back at it tomorrow.

Exercise:

Pepper the Cute!

For some reason this picture of Pepper makes me think of an anime kitty. I don't know if it's because her head is so round as are her ears, or if it's because her chin looks pointed and you can see the tip of her nose. All I know is, Pepper is darn cute!

Well, today was mostly uneventful. I was given the number of a group/person who may be able to help us with the feral cat situation. Supposedly they/it(?) trap the cats and then return them to their  habitat as long as we promise to feed and care for them- as we do now. I am hopeful this lead turns out to be true. We've tried and can't catch the cats, so am hopeful they can find a way.

The kids had MA tonight so off we went. I had Zumba and talked to my teacher after class about actually teaching Yoga (she teaches PiYo and Yoga) and she seems to think I'd be okay at it. I'm still hesitant. I don't know if it's a fear of failure thing or if I'm afraid to succeed. At this point I'm continuing to mull it over.
Tonight before leaving the Y I did turn in my application. I finally wrote up that letter to attach and hope it helps since my employment history is so sparse. I mean, I haven't worked in twelve years, but I did work before that and before Chris and I were married and then moved for the Air Force. However, I can't put any of that on the application since it's twenty years ago and those businesses have either moved or gone out of business. At this point it's out of my hands. But, I'm going to try and be hopeful.

Well, as for reading I'm still reading the Carla Neggers book. It's slow going and that isn't just me trying to find time to read, but also the actual story. I'm expecting it to pick up soon.

 And that's it. No more from me. It's time to get some rest. I hope y'all had a beautiful day. I wish an excellent Wednesday for y'all. Goodnight and hugs, B.

Exercise: Zumba.
Exercise Hours: 1hr..

Had to add a new word!

What's a group of cats called, a clowder? (Okay, looked it up, I was right.) Well, here you have a clowder of cats! Butterscotch, Elvis, Pepper, Teddy, Einstein, Oreo and Wicket gathered around the other day when I was making a sandwich. Yes, I may spoil them just a tad and each may have gotten a tiny piece of my sandwich meat...

Whew, what a day! Daughter worked this morning and then after picking her up this afternoon I stopped at the Main Branch of the library to look for a book that was supposedly on their shelves. The weekend before last I placed it on hold and all last week it said it was a "pending" request and then all of a sudden it was no longer pending and was stated to be on the shelf. Not transferred, but on the shelf. Um, okay. I figured there was an error and since I was going to be within a mile of the Library when I picked up Daughter we'd stop by on the way home. So, I looked, where it was supposed to be- regular fiction. It wasn't there, yet the computer database continued to insist it was. I looked on the teen section, Large Print book section and even the new book section. I went to the check out desk because I couldn't FIND a help desk. They said to go to the Help Desk. *sigh* The help desk has a sign over it that says: Audio Visual. Yeah, because  that means help desk. Grrr. I walked up, was polite, explained the situation and she checked on the computer. She then calls the library we usually frequent near the house (the one where we are known and on a first name basis with the librarians) and asked if they had it on the shelf since that's where I asked it to be held. No go, they don't have it and have no idea why the lady would think they did SINCE THE BOOK IS SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE SHELF. She hangs up, gives me a nasty look, though I said nothing at all and then walks off to the fiction section to look for it. Golly gee! It's not where it's supposed to be! She comes back and says that it must be lost and they'll have to order another one and that's it. She was snotty the entire time. *sigh* I know now I don't want to go back to the main branch. The librarians just aren't as nice as ours. And I told ours that this afternoon when I was there for an event with Son. I also told them I greatly appreciated all they do for us.
Anyway, on the way home Chris called. The AC repairman was on his way and might beat me back to the house. Well, I rushed us home and straightened up and still no repairman. I beat him to the house by half an hour and he was supposedly only ten minutes away. But, good news. The unit is hopefully fixed. Want to know the cause? There was a dead bug on the switch and so it would get disconnected and therefore turn off. He replaced the switch and so far so good! I'm keeping my fingers crossed, though.
Then there was the rush to out the door to the library event for Son. It was on Star Wars, so you know I couldn't NOT take him. He'd have had a fit. He enjoyed himself and I picked up a book since my TBR stack is not empty. I am now reading Secrets of the Lost Summer by Carla Neggers. I'm about a fourth of the way through it at this point and am enjoying it.
After dropping the kids at the house and heading to the Y for Yoga I ran into a former yoga student who now teaches and also is employed by the Y full-time for their marketing and childwatch supervisor., I was telling her about my application and she asked why didn't I teach Yoga since I have the poses perfectly (her words, not mine). She suggested I attend a workshop in September in the next state over and at the end of it I'd be certified to teach Yoga in the local Y's. Strangely enough, I am considering it. It's been a dream to teach yoga somewhere along the line. I'd just never been offered an opportunity  before. I am considering it. I just have to wonder that since I don't have the regular yoga body it might hurt and be a hinderance. And if I have the courage to teach, another worry. I am thinking about it.....
Anyway, time to head offline. I can't keep my eyes open. I hope y'all had a pleasing and delightful day. I wish a terrific Tuesday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: Yoga.
Exercise Hours: 1hr..

The Famous Mr. Ted!

Teddy, aka Mr. Ted. He is sweet and CRAZY. I watched him bounce around my bedroom this morning as he jumped all over the place. Silly boy!

It's been a busy day! Chris and Son went to MIL's this afternoon to trim a bush for her while I went to the Y and then to pick up Daughter. Daughter and I arrived home to find Chris and Son playing a game on the system. *g* I do kind of wish one of them had put a load of wash in the dryer, but I'm used to them not thinking about things like that. Sometimes it's actually for the best.
We all headed to WW to pick up the rest of our groceries. I have a feeling I'd have spent a lot less if I had gone alone. We had one more stop, though, before heading home. Daughter wanted a particular grocery item not available at WW tonight so we had to run by another grocery store on the way home. I really hope I won't see the inside of another grocery store for a couple of weeks.
Tomorrow the AC unit repair person should be here. I hope to goodness it's an easy fix. And now we've been told that we have to be here within thirty minutes of them calling and saying they're on their way. Um, yeah. To take Daughter to work is an hour round trip. To pick her up is the same thing. I'm hoping they give us a little more time than thirty minutes. Gah! Tomorrow is going to be rough. Son has an event at the library tomorrow, too. I don't want him to miss it as it's on his favorite topic EVER. Star Wars.

As for reading? Well, I'm still reading the Heather Graham book. I'm liking this one a lot. Of course the fact that Humphrey Bogart is a ghost in this one doesn't hurt. *g*

Anyway, time to get some rest. I hope y'all had a peaceful and restful Sunday. I wish a pleasant and laughter filled Monday. Goodnight and Blessings, B.

Exercise: Zumba, bike.
Exercise Hours: 1hr., 30min..

Sweet Dreams for Two!

Buddy and Elvis still curl up together and sleep like babies. Although, you may notice that they don't fit in together as well as they used to! My boys are growing up.

It's been a busy day, but much was done so I feel okay about it. We had the guys hairs cut and bought our veggies and such from the produce stand and then we were going to help MIL with something in her garden, but it started pouring out so Chris will go tomorrow instead.
So, instead we went to the mall. Daughter had been wanting to go and spent some of her paycheck today. She bought make-up, a new back for her MA gear, some costume jewelry and some buttons for the outside of her purse. She's also going to buy a new phone. Though Chris will have to order it for her and we're going to be monitoring and limiting her usage. We also picked up a new box for the cat's toys- to keep the toys in. They like one big enough to climb in and pick out their toys and so we had to find one a while back and it finally gave out. Turns out Whole Foods still had them so the cats have a $2 toy box. *g* We made one last stop by Ulta because I needed some of my face wash. It keeps me from having as many allergic reactions.
As for reading? I'm now reading The Unholy by Heather Graham. I had just about given up on her books for a while, but had to try this one since it involves film noir, an ancient egyptian priest from a noir movie, revenge/vengence and of course Ghost Hunters. *g* Right up my alley!

Time to head offline. I have a book to try and read and some sleep to try and sleep. I hope y'all had an amusing Saturday. I wish a peaceful and Blessed Sunday for y'all. Goodnight, B.

Exercise: Does shopping count because I didn't have time for much else.
Exercise Hours: 0. Tomorrow WILL be better. Now to try and not feel guilty...... yeah. Not working.

My Dapper Fellow!

Fireball doesn't look happy in this picture. He wasn't upset, though. He just wanted to be left alone to chase a fly. Too bad for him. But, I can say my boys are champion fly hunters. On one hand I'm proud of that, on the other..... EWWW!

This is it. I'm not feeling great today and haven't all day. So, while things were taken care of, such as some grocery shopping and picking Daughter up from work.... other things weren't.
I hope y'all had a delightful Thursday. I wish a splendid Saturday. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: 0. Hard to exercise when your head is pounding. Ugh.
Exercise Hours: 0. Hopefully tomorrow!

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's.... Super Pepper!

Pepper Baby was looking at something no one else could see the other evening. Turns out there was a tiny bug on the ceiling. We know for a fact her eyesight isn't good, so she must have heard it. I don't know how. It was too tiny (small moth or something like that) and yet she was tracking it. She's such a smart, special girl.

The kids went to the movies this afternoon with MIL. They went to see the newest Ice Age movie. They enjoyed it and I enjoyed my quiet time. At first I wasn't sure what to do with myself. But, I had a nice time. I was able to sweep, mop, and vacuum so at least that was done.
Later this afternoon the kids headed to MA and I headed to my class. It was supposed to be Zumba Sentao, but our regular instructor was out of town and the others were already busy with other commitments. So. We had a sub. She normally teaches Aqua Zumba, from what I understand. She should have stuck with that. Ten people left the class all together by the time it was half over. She had no..... spark. No originality and her moves were repetitive. I stayed. It was a workout, though not as enjoyable as the other classes I attend.
After class I received a call from Chris. His battery died and he wanted to let me know he was headed to go buy a new one after he got a jump from someone he worked with. He bought a new battery, but I received another call. He didn't have the correct tools to install it where he was and the jeep wouldn't start again. So. I had to drop the kids at the house and then take his tools to him. After that it only took him ten minutes to install the new battery. But, it was wild. I had to drive from the Y in one city to the house in our town and then to the other city where Chris works. Fun times. We ended up having to have take-out because of it. Not that the kids were complaining. Chipotle is a favorite of theirs. (And at least I know the food isn't too much junk.)
Then this evening, right before bed, we noticed that it was rather warm in our house. Turns out the outside AC unit wasn't coming on. He flipped the breaker by the unit and the one out in the garage, but it still wouldn't come on and it wasn't frozen. However, Chris turned it off and let it sit for a while and then turned it back on. It came back on, but we've still called in a repair to our warranty company. With the weather being so hot and humid here a chance that it won't work is not good. Especially over the weekend. We'll see what happens. I'm hoping it's something easy to repair.
I've picked up Nameless Magery by Delia Marshall Turner to read next. I haven't had a chance today to read more than the first few pages, but it seems good and I hope it turns out as well as I think it will.

No more from me. It's time to head offline. Daughter works in the morning and then sometime tomorrow there will be a repair-person to deal with along with grocery shopping and everything else. I hope y'all had a nice Thursday. I wish a fun and enjoyable Friday for y'all. Goodnight and Hugs, B.

Exercise: Zumba.
Exercise hours: 1hr..

Compare and Contrast!

Another picture of Elvis and Teddy highlighting their size difference. This picture is at least a little better quality. Aren't my boys handsome? I forgot to tell y'all that the Vet ladies had quite the tickle over Elvis and his sideburns. They understood how he received his name. *g*

This is a short post. I've been sick all day, well, all afternoon and evening. I mowed the lawn this morning and while the heat wouldn't have been terrible at 88 degrees, it was the humidity and therefore the heat index that did me in. Well, that and my allergies and reaction to the grass and weeds out right now. The good news is that my yard is done and I didn't get sunburned. (I was out too early for that.) The bad news is I've felt horribly sick all day. Ugh. But, the day goes on. Daughter worked, that's when I mowed the lawn, then Son had a StarLab event at the library. Unfortunately he didn't enjoy it because it was so scaled to younger audiences that he knew everything the man was telling the kids. Of course it doesn't hurt that my kids adore astronomy. (I found a planetarium to take them to soon, now I need to find the TIME to take them.) It also doesn't hurt that Son's favorite tv show seems to be Through the Wormhole on (I think) The Discovery Channel.
Anyway, I did read a book today. I finished the Dinah McCall book and really am glad I checked it out of the library. The story was quick moving and the characters likable. I wish there's been a little more fleshing out of the female lead, but what was there was good.

That's that. Time to head offline and get some rest. I hope y'all had a delightful day. I wish joy, love and laughter for each of you. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: Yard Work.
Exercise Hours: 1hr., 15min..

Sweet and Mostly Calm!

Teddy, aka Mr. Ted, is a total sweetheart. He adores Son. Every night at bedtime he jumps up and demands to be petted by Son. I don't mind this at all. I think he helps quiet Son's mind enough to relax and fall asleep. Those who think kitties don't influence are lives are missing out on pure love and joy.

I have yet to write that letter for my application. I'm having a hard time knowing how to start it and what to say. Sounds funny, right? I am almost never at a loss for words here, you'd think this would be similar. But, no. In this letter I must somehow be succinct, yet explain why I have not worked outside the home in over twelve years. I must  somehow explain that my children mean the world to me and therefore they come first and so does their education. I must do this without offending anyone, without making myself seem like a nut-job. *sigh* I fear that I won't be able to communicate all this in the right manner. And in worrying about it all, I'm stressing the heck out.

Well, today the kittens have all been given a clean bill of health. Daughter had to work, so Son helped me take them in to the Vet today. Unfortunately, we didn't have either of our regular Vets, but someone else who I took an instant dislike to. That in itself is unusual, I generally like everyone. However, he was rather unfriendly and his handling of the kittens was, while professional, was ungentle. Our regular Vet pets the kitties. He talks to them and pets them and you can tell he genuinely cares for animals. BUT, it was a short visit and the kittens are healthy and now they are all vaccinated and have been weighed. Want to guess the order of weight from highest to lowest? First, Buddy, the former runt of the litter. He weighed in at a whopping 6lbs.. Then Elvis who was 5lbs. something or other. Then Harley who is the fluffiest and feels the lightest, but turns out she weighed more than her sister, Zoe, who was last. Or, rather, least. They survived the vist well, though were all happy to be home afterwards. They were so very quiet at the Vets office. None of them meowed. On the way to the Vet and the way back however...... they meowed like a chorus. *g*

As for reading? I reread an old Charlotte Hughes book, A New Attitude. I miss her books. I know she's had some life trials and sadness. I wish her the best in whatever she does. But, I can't help but hope it includes writing. *g*Next up is another Dinah McCall. But, I haven't read this one before. The Survivors is only similar to the last McCall book I read only in that the heroine is psychic. Of course, since I've only read the first chapter I can't say any more than that.

No more from me. Time to get some sleep. I hope y'all had a joyful Tuesday. I wish a wonderful Wednesday for y'all. Goodnight and Hugs, B.

Exercise: Zumba.
Exercise hours: 1hr..

Growing Boys!

Sorry about the quality of the picture. But, I wanted to show y'all the difference in size between Teddy and Elvis. Teddy has turned out to be quite the big fellow with such a sweet face and a little bit of a clueless look in his eyes. Elvis has a sweet face also, though his markings make him look so sad that it breaks our heart and he is spoiled. *g* Yeah, we're suckers.

I've been wrestling with a decision lately and today took the steps to at least try. I picked up applications for the Y in our area. For BOTH Y's, the new one and the MT Y near our house. I just feel like I want to be able to give my children a little more. To not have to freak out when one breaks their glasses because of the expense or if we need new tires or if I need new tennies. I am sure I won't be hired. After all, I am asking for weekends only (still homeschooling and the kids have many events they attend) and have had no job for twelve years. That's going to be an issue. I wanted to do all this and tell Chris when it was over, but needed his help tonight. He found a typing test for me and, to my estimation, I didn't do very well at only 40 words per minute. I might have done better but the sentences made no sense and my mind kept trying to put them in some sort of order. It drove me batty! Since I haven't had a job in so long I thought I'd also include a short letter explaining why. I talked to a librarian today about it and it was agreed that it seemed somehow right to do. Again, I am sure I won't be hired. After all, well, I'm nobody. But, because of all this I was anxious all day and when it came down to filling out the applications I was shaking like a leaf. Now I need to find references. Fat chance of that. I know people, but I don't know people. I have two so far. That may have to be enough. I'm not asking Daughter's boss, it somehow doesn't feel right.

Anyway, tomorrow (today, it's late and I forgot to post and then couldn't sleep and..... anyway) the kittens go in for a check-up. Daughter will be working tomorrow afternoon, so it will just be Son and I taking the four of them in to the Vet. Cross your fingers we manage it okay. All that said, please do me the utmost favor and visit Melissa's site. Her oldest kitty Spirit is not faring well. She is understandably upset. Most people don't realize the special relationship a pet has in our lives. But, I think I know that Melissa feels as though I do. They're not so much pets as they are members of our family that we adore and love and pray for and upset our lives and schedules for. Spirit and Melissa both need our prayers right now. So, please leave a kind word. Thank you.

That's it from me. I hope y'all had a pleasant Monday. I wish a beautiful Tuesday for y'all. Goodnight and Good Morning and Hugs, B.

Exercise: Yoga.
Exercise hours: 1hr..

Did you know?

I'll admit I am ignorant in some ways, like gardening and canning and sewing beyond making pillows and catnip pockets and yet I still retain a basic concept of those things. However, I have to say that this seed packet? BLEW MY MIND. I had absolutely no idea you could grow luffas! I guess somewhere in my mind I had equated luffa and sponge together and since I knew sponges were at one time part of the sea I assumed luffas were, too. I was wrong. I sat in front of this display for a full five minutes trying not to say "seriously?" out loud and you know, freak out any other shoppers. My only consolation is that Chris had no idea you could grow your own luffas, either. (And the idea that they're a gourd? Freaky!)

I wish there were more exciting (in a good way) news to share with y'all about today, but other than taking Daughter to an in-service meeting, working out and then waiting two hours for her? Well, that's about it today.
I did finish the Molly Cannon book last night and then today I've reread Mimosa Grove by Dina McCall. I can't tell y'all how often I've reread this book. I've lost count. But, something about it draws me to reread it at least once a year or so. Are there books y'all reread like this/that? Please tell me I'm not weird to do this. Oh, and thanks to checking my library database before purchasing some books yesterday I now have four books that should be in from hold sometime within the next few days. Yay!

Anyway, that's it. Time to get some sleep. I hope y'all had a lovely Sunday. I wish a pleasing and smile-filled Monday for y'all. Goodnight, B.

Exercise: Stationary bike, 10.25 miles.
Exercise Hours: 35min..

Talkative Little Man!

I know this picture is fuzzy, please excuse me for that. However, I wanted to show y'all how crazy Einstein can be. In this picture he's sitting on top of my refrigerator. He seems quite comfy, doesn't he? The funniest thing is, while he was up there I talking to him and he would meow back at me like we were having a conversation. *g*

I need the weather to change. Now. I can't take much more of whatever is out there causing my allergies to go haywire. However, I wasn't going to holed up in the house all day. Chris, the kids and I headed out this afternoon and went to a comic book store in the next town over. The kids and Chris are huge comic book/graphic novel fans and spent almost an hour in the store. (I am not as big a fan and so stayed outside in the jeep.) They each came out with a little something and Daughter came out not only with some buttons, but a Wonder Woman t-shirt. *g* Chris bought a magnet to put on his upper cabinet at work, it's a Princess Bride magnet with the Inigo Montoya quote, "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.". Since that is one of Chris' favorite movies I thought it was pretty cute. And even funnier? He knew the store owner! (Didn't know that before entering store.) The owner had worked where Chris works and Chris even taught him. How strange is that? After that we headed to MY toy store, so to speak. Mr. K's Used Books. I had a blast and we spent over an hour in there. Of course I wasn't the only one having a great time in there. Daughter bought three books and I bought four. I spent under $10 and have actual books to read! Yay! I bought: Ripped at the Seams  by Nancy Krulik (a YA), Un-Bridaled, a novel by Eileen Rendahl, Mimosa Grove by Dinah McCall (this one I have read before, but since I check it out at least once a year from the library I decided I needed to have my own copy) and Killer Heels by Sheryl J. Anderson. I almost bought a few others, but checked my library while at the store (gotta love smart phones these days) and noted they had the books I was thinking of purchasing. So, I put them back and then put them on hold at the library. *g* Sadly, the bookstore didn't have the two books I'd gone in looking for to begin with. 
After the bookstore we stopped at Target and then headed home. Daughter ended up purchasing a new tank top, this one is a pale aqua and has sparkles on it. *g* 


Oh, as for reading? I started and am about halfway through Ain't Misbehaving by Molly Cannon. At least I had time to read while waiting on the family this afternoon. *g* Oh, I forgot to mention I finished the Wen Spencer book. I was very pleased with that book. So much so I placed the second of the series on hold at the library. Basically the book is about a transformation of Tinker, the girl genius and inventor. She has reached eighteen and is now considered an adult, yet she agrees to many things because she's too proud to admit she doesn't understand many things. The book transforms her from a human girl, to an elf and being married to another elf. She learns that her choices have consequences and she must abide by them. It was done with such simplicity that from one moment I was thinking this character was rather a whiny and petulant child to reading the last pages and realizing how much she'd grown. Don't get my wrong, the character has much still to learn, but the foundation had been set and I can't wait to see where the author takes the character. 


No more from me. Time to yet again grab the decongestants (I've been dizzy and slightly ill all night, ugh.) and hopefully read some more. I do hope that y'all had an amazing Saturday. I wish a lovely and peaceful Sunday for y'all. Goodnight and Blessings, B.


Exercise: 0. I missed my opportunity this afternoon to work out and then didn't feel well. 
Exercise Hours: 0. <--- Not a fan of this #. 

Miss Pepper!

Miss Pepper is just as sweet as ever. We still call her The Baby, too. She just has that innocent face that seems to call for it. We're not sure if it's because of her eyesight issues, or because it's her nature. She still reminds us of a manga kitty. Especially the one from Kiki's Delivery Service. And she treats me like a lollipop if I pet her. It's weird, but I love her so don't mind. Much.

It's been another long day, but not because we were busy. I don't know what's going on with whatever is out there allergen-wise, but it's kicking my fanny. It's weird because you would think with all the rain we've been getting any pollen out there would be washed away. I guess not because I've been miserable for the past couple of days and today was no different. Not happy with the cough that has kicked in, too. Ugh. I took today off from most everything and just tried to survive the day. I was mostly successful with the help of decongestants. I'm not a fan, but it's the only thing that helped. Bleh.
As for reading? I'm still reading the Wen Spencer book and was delighted to discover this is the first in a three book series featuring Tinker, the main character. Tinker is a female genius/inventor and the world that Spencer has written is full of details that at first seem overwhelming, but then calm down and become the background. I'm only about a third of the way into the book, but am seriously enjoying it and can't wait to see where the unlikely heroine is headed.

Anyway, no more from me. I've at least been adding to my playlist for working out tonight and need to sync them. I'm headed to sleep after that. I hope y'all had a marvelous Friday. I wish an amusing and relaxing Saturday for y'all. We have plans to visit a comic book store. Heaven help me. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: 0. I'm not happy about it, but it couldn't be helped today.
Exercise hours: 0. *sigh*

Pile of Fluff!

Remember that picture I posted earlier this week of Buddy sleeping? Here he is from the same time period with Harley and Elvis. As you can see, Harley is lying on him, yet he didn't care a whit. Silly kitties, all of them.

Another quiet day. Daughter didn't have to work, well, other than teaching her MA class. Their MA teacher showed up, so that he and Daughter could sparr and my kids even ended up sparring each other. Something I am leery about letting them do, but seemed to work out okay.
As for me? I attended Zumba Sentao again. The class is just so much fun! And tonight? I read the Lola Cruz mystery. Not quite my thing, I think. However, I have another book to read. Tinker by Wen Spencer. It's a fantasy with faeries and Big, Bad and Uglies and a woman who runs a junkyard. Yes, sounds just strange enough to be right up my alley. Though right now I'm having trouble sleeping and am kind of watching Once Upon a Mattress. It's a silly movie, but quite fun and since I'm a fan of musicals also something I am finding quite fun. *g*

Anyway, that's it. Still having issues with my allergies and drainage, but I'm dealing with it. I need to mow my lawn, but can't be outside without being miserable because of them right now. Ugh.
I hope y'all had an enjoyable Thursday. I wish a fun and happy Friday for y'all. Goodnight, B.

Exercise: Zumba Sentao
Exercise Hours: 1hr..

Playful Layla!

Layla loved playing with a camo ribbon that Daughter had last night. Layla plays with so few things that I was thrilled when Son was getting her to roll over and grab it. Trust me when I say it was cute. Unfortunately Layla has learned how to freeze with her head down when I get the camera out. Stinker!

Today has been okay and quiet. I'll take it. However, this evening has not gone as well. As soon as I arrived home from the Y I started feeling  ill. I hate allergies and drainage. It's been s dizzy night. As in I've been dizzy.
So, besides letting y'all know I picked up two books from the library, a Lola Cruz mystery and A Girl Called Digit by Annabel Monaghan. I also finished it this evening. It's a YA with a unique premise, which is what drew me to it. The heroine is a seventeen year old H.S. senior and math genius and has just cracked an eco-terrorist code. I loved that she wasn't kick-butt, but was so smart she had earned a nickname- Digit by the time she was out of grammar school. The FBI thought she was a crack-pot at first, until she led a senior level agent in the eco-terrorist group to their door. From then on they faked her kidnapping and went into hiding. It didn't hurt that her "protector" within the FBI was seriously cute and young. *g* It was a good read with interesting characters and the plot was original.  Next up? Not sure yet.

Time to get offline. Also time for some more decongestant. Ugh. I hope y'all had a beautiful day. I wish an appealing Thursday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: cardio kick-boxing
Exercise hours: 1hr..

Sleepyhead!

Buddy is definitely a champion sleeper. I know most the pictures I show y'all of him are of him sleeping, but it's one of the only times he's still and he likes to sleep. Harley lay next to him with her paw across his tummy for over half an hour and he never moved. That's dedication to sleeping!

Not a lot to share today. Our hot weather finally broke, but that was due to a storm system that has come in and will be here for a few more days. Unlike most I won't complain about the rain other than to say I hope it can rain without too many lightning strikes so I can still go swimming. *g* Because that wasn't the case today and we had thunder, lightning and high winds I cleaned instead of swimming laps today. I also attended Zumba. We didn't have our regular teacher tonight, though. Instead we had the Fitness Director who is also a Zumba teacher. While she has a lot of energy and skill dancing, she didn't explain her steps at all and most were complicated and unable to be replicated. Do some teachers teach that way on purpose? A kind of..... "look what I can do and don't you wish you could be as good as me?" mentality? I did, however, enjoy her song selections.
After my class and the kids MA class we headed home and I grabbed a shower before Chris arrived home. He had to travel to the next state over early this morning. His company procures a rental car for him every time he does this and I needed to take him to pick it up last night and then to drop it off this evening after he arrived home. The long amount of time driving today had worn him out and he fell asleep before we even headed upstairs tonight. *g*

As for reading? I started to read one of the YA's, but it's written as though something happened before this book and I know for a fact this is the first book in the series. I was just disappointed in this book. So, I have to count it as a DNF. Next up is the mystery with the Ghost Dog. I'm crossing my fingers I like this one!

And that's enough. I've bored y'all too much. I hope y'all had an excellent day. I wish a wonderful Wednesday for y'all. Goodnight and Hugs, B.

Exercise: Zumba.
Exercise Hours: 1hr..

Lovey- Dove-y!

Einstein loves Layla, but loves the attention she receives even more. Here he is trying to show me that he's just as good as she is and deserves her pats and scratches. Silly boy, doesn't he know that Layla is Queen Kitty around here? Don't worry, he does get attention, he just gets jealous of the special attention Layla gets.

One of those days here today. One where I had trouble putting one foot in front of another. I just had no energy. I guess my body was giving notice to slow down for a day. So, I mostly did. I did get some household things done, but for the most part I rested. I did attend Yoga tonight, though was unsure whether I could muster the energy for it. However, I did okay.

I did finish the book about Giant George. He is not only the Biggest Dog in World, but he's the Biggest Dog in the World EVER. He's a gentle giant and loves his family and strangely enough hates water. *g* He has helped his parents get over heartache and made them laugh with his antics. He has his own Queen size bed to sleep on and even has his own website, facebook page and twitter. George is beautiful inside and out. As for what's next? I bought an ebook. Gini Koch, one of my favorite fantasy writers has started anew paranormal series and I read the sample online and was sucked in. Of course it will have to wait, because I still have a few library books to read first. As for those library books? I haven't made a decision which to read next.

And I won't find out tonight. I somehow managed to be up too late again and need to get some sleep so I'm headed offline. I hope y'all had a pleasing Monday. I wish a lovely Tuesday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: Yoga.
Exercise Hours: 1hr..

Crinkles and Humor!

This picture of Harley makes me giggle. It was taken the day that she and Zoe were spayed and after we'd brought them home that afternoon and the grogginess wore off. She was bound and determined to lick her incision so while Daughter made a "cone of shame" for her (aka an Elizabethan collar) I had to find some way to keep her occupied. I figured she couldn't lick her incision if she couldn't get to it, so set about wrapping her middle in cling wrap. Yup, you read that right. Cling. Wrap. Every time she moved the wrap with make that crinkle sound and she'd try to lick and couldn't and so she'd walk and it would crinkle and on and on. Oh, and lest I forget, she also had the other cats following her because of the crinkle noise. By the time Daughter was done making the collar we were all laughing like loons and she was rather indignent. As you can see. *g*

I woke tired today and should have payed attention to my own body, but as most the time I pushed through. I took care of some laundry and went to Zumba. I was so tired during and after class that when I arrived home I just wanted to sit and cry. I managed the sit part quite well and decided that if I cried I'd be a wimp. So, I didn't. I did however sit most of the rest of the day.
Oh, and I had something strange happen today. I broke a nail folding laundry. And broke another washing my hair. Please tell me that I'm not the only one who thinks this is strange? Eh.
Anyway, Chris and I made dinner tonight, together. I like puttering around the kitchen with him. *g* We make a good cooking team and we talk more instead of letting other things take our attention (besides the actual cooking).
As for reading? I'm now reading Giant George: Life With the World's Biggest Dog by Dave Nasser with Lynne Barrett-Lee. I'm about half-way through with the book and have to stay George's story is very sweet so far. It's obvious that as a man who had no desire to get a dog and only humored his wife in getting one he'd grown to thinking of George as his family. One scene made me crack up laughing and there are a few that are heartbreaking (about their path to having a child). The cover just makes me want to hug George and the back cover? Makes me marvel in awe of how big this dog, who is a gentle giant, really is.

That's it from me. Time to head offline and try and get some sleep. I hope y'all had a peaceful and restful Sunday. I wish a pleasing and smile-filled Monday for y'all. Goodnight and Blessings, B.

Exercise: Zumba.
Exercise Hours: 1hr..

Innocent Sleep!

Another picture of Layla and one of the kittens. This time it's Harley and Layla. Harley just looks so content to have a big sister to cuddle with. I would hate to tell her that Layla was too sleepy to fuss at her. *g*

We've had a busy day with a stop at the produce market, the Y, and the grocery store. I'm exhausted and up later than I intended so am heading offline now to grab some sleep. I hope y'all had a cheerful and smile-filled Saturday. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: swimming laps.
Exercise Hours: 1hr. 30min..

Goofy Sleeper!

The utter abandon in which Buddy sleeps is hilarious. He doesn't care who he sprawls all over and as you can see here, he doesn't care if they cuddle up next to him, either. Want to know something funny? I stroked his belly for a good five minutes and he never woke up. *g*

It was warm, and by warm I mean HOT, today. Not an ideal situation to be in and get all my grocery shopping done, but I did get at least one stop in today and will grab some more tomorrow. Tomorrow is my favorite part of grocery shopping- the produce stand! Yay!

This evening Daughter had to work, so we headed out to the Y and Son and I swam for a while and then I had to hurry and change for my..... ZUMBA MASTER'S CLASS! (Like regular Zumba on steroids!) I made it through! I somehow managed to not collapse and not embarrass myself. We had two teachers for the class, which btw, was filled with other Zumba instructors. The lady who teaches the Zumba Sentao class and a friend of hers from Florida- Richard. It was high energy and there was lots of jumping and wild movements and it was fun! I kept up and had a blast! Afterwards my feet hurt for a bit, but it was worth it. *g* Afterwards I let Son know I was done- he stayed in the fun pool while I was in class, and we waited on Daughter in the snack room as she finished her shift.
In my reading world, ha, I am almost done with the Scottoline book. I just have about a fourth of the book left and hope to finish it tonight.
All in all, a good day and I'm satisfied with it. I hope y'all had a fabulous Friday. I'm headed offline and am going to try and finish my book before my eyelids drop. I wish an amusing and relaxing Saturday for y'all. Goodnight and Hugs, B.

Exercise: swimming laps, Zumba.
Exercise Hours: 2hrs..

Sweet Dreams!

Elvis loves sleeping next to Layla. I don't know what it is, but all the kittens love sleeping next to Layla. Elvis is probably the only one she doesn't smack, though. Well, not much. *g*

I'm typing slowly tonight. I jammed my finger, the middle finger on my right hand (guess who is right handed?), during Zumba Sentao tonight. I ignored it during class, but as soon as the adrenaline of class died down it started to hurt. A lot. Oh, well. It will heal. It has made a few things difficult tonight. Like braiding my hair for bed. *g* But, I worked around it.

Elvis didn't seem to feel like his self earlier today and I was worried. I've been watching him like a hawk all day and even let him have a little canned food. This evening he seems to be feeling more like himself. I'm still keeping an eye on him, though.

I'm enjoying reading the Scottoline book. I've read the two others like this one, humorous anecdotal chapters. I do have to say that one chapter in this one made me very sad. (So far. I'm only a little over halfway through the book.) Oh, I did go by the library today. I had to pick up some books for Daughter that had come in from hold (Cyrano is one!) and while there picked up Chihuahua of the Baskervilles by Esri Allbritten. It seemed cute and I know the paperback is out now. The cover is adorable. Do covers influence the books you pick up, or even purchase? I'll admit I loved it when the drawn/ comical cartoon-ish covers were out. That's how I discovered MaryJanice Davidson and  Lynsay Sands and then discovered Sands historical books, which are hilarious but thoughtful. I discovered other authors that way, as well. I'm glad that some are still out there. Such as Vicki Lewis Thompson and Molly Haper. However, I don't just buy books with those type of covers, they are just different enough to catch my eye. What catches your eye? I'll admit that the covers may catch my eye, but if the blurb doesn't capture my imagination it goes back on the shelf.

Anyway, time for sleep. I hope y'all had a Happy Thursday. I wish a fun and enjoyable Friday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: Zumba Sentao. And yes, I did register for the Zumba Master class tomorrow. Yikes! Wish me  luck! (I am so worried I'm going to embarrass myself.)
Exercise Hours: 1hr..

Possibilities!

This is one of my favorite roads near our house. Only, this picture was made the opposite direction of which I usually see it. *g* I like how it just winds on and you can't see past the curve. It's the possibilites that I like the most.

We didn't have an exciting Fourth of July, but it was ours. We decided to not use Fireworks today. It's been rather dry here and the extra high heat we've had lately haven't helped. So, we were mature and rational and had sparklers and pop-its for the kids. I can't say it wasn't a little disappointing not to sit out in the driveway and watch Chris set off the fireworks. Instead we watched the kids and had a quiet night.
This evening Chris and I made dinner together and since we don't really eat burgers and I don't like hot dogs we had fajitas! Yum! With homemade salsa that I admit to grabbing a spoon and sneaking bites of while I cooked the peppers. *g*
The good news is because today was not a run-around kind of day I was able to read the Alison Pace book. It was a nice read, but not sure I'll be reading the next book featuring the female lead. Now I'm reading the newest Lisa Scottline (and Francesca Serritella) book, Best Friends, Occasional Enemies. It's a non-fiction book, with different chapters written and "told" from each authors perspective. I'm about a third of the way through it and am really enjoying it. *g*

Time to head offline. I hope y'all had a Sparkly Fourth of July! I wish a happy and thankful Thursday for y'all. Goodnight and Hugs, B.

Exercise: 0. The Y closed early today and this afternoon I felt sick thanks to allergies. Not fun. Ugh. (I dislike taking allergy meds all the time.)
Exercise Hours: 0. Not fond of this number, will try and make up for it later.

A few cans short of a 12-pack!

Teddy seems to be under the impression he can fit in a soda 12-pack container. He's a few brain cells short. We all think he's absolutely the sweetest kitty we have, but he is also definitely Son's kitty. They have a routine every night. I walk Son to bed and give him a hug and a kiss and then Teddy jumps up to be petted for a bit. I don't mind it at all. Because Layla and I do the same thing. She helps me calm my mind and I am sure Teddy does the same for Son.

A rather quiet day here, which was nice. Daughter had the day off and we have no MA this week so we didn't have to go all the way to the Y. We had planned to go there and go swimming and then I could take my Zumba class, but Daughter decided that a bit of payback was in store for me today. (I know there's a name for it, but right now I'm too tired and can't think of it.)  She decided to not know whether or not she wanted to go swimming. All fine. I just changed my plans. I decided to go to the MY Y instead and take a new-to-me class. It was supposed to be TaeboKick. Instead a snafu seemed to occur and the usual teacher wasn't there and the teacher on the schedule wasn't there. So, the teacher that taught the class before decided to stay and teach. I'm so glad she did. I know her and she's a great teacher, very motivating. It's impossible to believe she's in her 50's. So, we had Kickboxing instead. (She teaches that at the other Y every week.) I do believe I'm going to be sore tomorrow. *g* (She does not teach an easy class. *g*)
Afterwards I dropped some things by the library and headed home. We had a quiet night and Daughter loved the squash casserole I made. (It's her favorite.) We also watched Rizzoli and Isles together. *g*
As for reading, I tried reading a three of the YA's I had. I didn't like any of them. I was the farthest along on the Reichs YA, but it just wasn't for me. I wish it was. The premise was very interesting. So, now I'm reading Pug Hill by Alison Pace. I'm not very far into it because of the time spent on the other books, but hope to find some time to read tomorrow.
And that's it for me. Rather boring post. Sorry about that. I hope y'all had a delightful day. I wish a sparkly Wednesday Fourth of July. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: Kickboxing.
Exercise Hours: 1hr..

Hide and Squeak!

Buddy boy is quite the unintentional charmer. He's just so cute and still purrs when you look at him for more than a second. He loves his brother and sisters and sleep. He also does the cutest thing where he meows, but no sound comes out. (He can meow, we've heard him, but mostly he saves his "voice".)

Here's what's going on this evening:
1. Bad Sinus Headache.
2. At least I finished the YA I was reading. Now to choose another book from the pile. Gosh, I love writing that. *g*
3. Teenage girls can make your head and your heart hurt at the same time. Especially when you can't give in and do what they want and it makes them upset.
4. Teenage girls sometimes forget to attack their brains to their heads. Or something along those lines.
And:
5. Husbands that buy you brownie mix because you need a chocolate fix are awesome.

That's about it from me. Hope y'all had a better afternoon/evening. Best wishes for a lovely Tuesday. Goodnight and hugs, B.

Exercise: swimming laps, Yoga.
Exercise Hours: 2hrs..

Silly Boy!

Not the absolute best picture of Butterscotch. But, it is true to his nature. He is so sweet and silly that we say his name most the time with a little shake of our heads. He's more like a dog than a cat when it comes to craving attention. He will head butt me as I sit and demands his attention. Of course a good scratch below the ear earns me a small smile (yes, he truly smiles) and a purr.

It's been miserable here today. I have great sympathy for those who are victims of the fires and heat and storms, but must admit to being rather selfish and thinking mostly of how we are going to fare this awful heat. We were still at 106 degrees a little after 7pm this evening and even then the heat barely died down until we had a storm system come through. Many in our area have lost power because of the heat and then the storm this evening. Our poor AC was working feverishly all afternoon.  I'm not sure it ever shut off! We keep the lights off, the blinds down and closed and the curtains drawn. Chris finally repaired the fans in our bedroom and living room this afternoon. A couple (more like four) months ago he tripped in our bedroom and rather than holding his hands out and breaking his fall he grabbed the fan chain and pulled it free from the fan. We've been stuck with the fan on medium ever since then. *g* I bought a new switch for it over a month ago and he finally fixed it this afternoon. Then there's the fan in the LR. It wasn't broke, per se. He just had to take the small pipe and ball joint off since they weren't working properly. Again, now we can turn that one higher than medium without it seeming to want to fly off on it's own. And both were needed badly today. Whew!
Luckily Daughter was off today and so I only made one trip out to attend Zumba and then straight home and Chris picked up a prescription this afternoon. Other than that we stayed in, in the dim.
Daughter's and Son's friends have visited us for the past two afternoon's and evenings. They are good boys and I am more than happy to have them over. But, goodness, do they ever eat! In two days they've gone through an entire bag of chicken fingers, popcorn, noodle soup, an eggroll,, some key lime pie (Chris'), two enchiladas and several gallons of lemonade. *g* It makes me fear when Son grows bigger. I'm not sure we'll be able to keep the pantry stocked!

Anyway, as for reading I've finished the Evanovich book, as I said last night and am now reading one of the YA's, Falling In Love With English Boys by Melissa Jensen. It's a rather cute book and flips between an American teenager in Britain with her mother and a historical diary written by another teenager (this one's British) and their similarities and search for love. Like I said, it's cute and I'm enjoying it. Do y'all read YA's at all? I read them and all the genres within just like with regular adult books.

Time to head offline. I'm going to charge my battery in case we lose power *knockonwood* tomorrow. I hope y'all had a Blessed and Loving Sunday. I wish a pleasant and low-key Monday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: ZumbaTone.
Exercise Hours: 1hr..

Sweet As Sweet Can Be!

Harley is pure sweetness. She makes me think she'd speak with a soft Southern drawl and offer you tea. However, when it comes to her brothers she can give as much as take. She's been known to jump one from behind and make them bounce into the air. However, that face? Is just too pretty for our own good.

It's been another hot day. And by hot I mean we've broken more records. Yay. I took Daughter to work this afternoon and then had to run a few errands afterwards and by the time I arrived home I felt sick. And yes, I have AC in my jeep. However, the sun was so strong and the heat so bad I barely felt it. I told Chris we really need to get the windows tinted next year.
One of the errands I ran was to a local Catholic Shop. I needed a new St. Francis of Assisi medal. Layla lost hers somewhere and I felt weird without her wearing it. I love all the kitties, but none as much as I love Layla. She's special. Luckily they had one and I was off to the next stop. Target. I tried to find my lotion at another Target and this Target two weeks ago and had hoped that would have been enough time for them to get more in. I was correct. However, between the fact that the Target I stopped at today just recently remodeled and that the manufacturer changed the packaging again, well, that had to account for the long time between my looking and them putting it on the shelf. I don't understand a company like this changing the packaging for what is the fourth time in two years. And at first they tried to do away with the lotion all together, but I'm not the only one that uses it and MANY complained to the point where they brought it back. I understand marketing and trying to appeal to younger demographics, however when you change a package so much that the regular customers grow tired of the blank shelves while this is accomplished and the wait for the product and then the inability to recognize the product and therefore stop buying said product? *sigh* You'd think they'd want to keep the loyal customers.
After Target I headed to the library to drop off a CD for Daughter and a book that I just finished. Wonder what book? Yes, the Karen Rose book. As for reading? I read and finished Janet Evanoviche's Wicked Business book. It was a nice, light read. Not terribly complicated, but there were some very funny moments, most featuring Carl the Monkey. As for what's next to read? I have no idea! I love having a TBR pile, but it's also quite daunting at times and then there's the "which one do I pick next" quandary. And no, I'm not whining. I'm genuinely curious. When you have such a TBR pile how do you choose which is next to read? Do you go by date due back? Or rather whichever piques your interest the most?

Anyway, after all that I headed home and rested for a bit with lots of lemonade and water. I made dinner and it came out pretty well. I have two thumbs up from two teenage boys (friends of Son and Daughter), so that's good. I hope y'all had a delightful Saturday. I wish a peaceful and restful Sunday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: 0. <- I feel guilty about that, but this heat is making some things very hard to do.
Exercise Hours: 0. Not liking that number. Back to it tomorrow!