Einstein!

Einstein still has those crazy eyebrows giving him an indefinite look of surprise. He's such a silly boy who loves nothing more than to be near us. Oh, and to play. That boy loves to chase toys across the floor!

This is it tonight. Those on Facebook already know that my right shoulder is now hurting like my left shoulder did a week and a half ago. I've already begun taking ibuprofen for the anti-inflammatory effect. And for the pain.

I hope y'all had a lovely Sunday. I wish a delightful and safe New Year's Eve Day (and Eve) for y'all. May each of you receive multiple Blessings in the New Year. Goodnight and Hugs, B.

Not conventional boots!

While hot and about at the mall for an errand Wednesday I snapped pictures of these boots to show Daughter. She liked both, but loved the pink sparkly pair the best. Gee! I never would have guessed! *g*
Again, not much to share today. We visited the Out-Laws after picking Daughter up from work and after that dropped the bullet casing necklace we'd made for SIL off with her. She liked it!

We had a quite night at home. Well, as quiet as having Daughter, Son and Bestie here can be. I made another pound cake for another neighbor for the Holidays, And I'm still reading the JoAnn Ross book.

That's it. No more to share. I hope y'all had an enjoyable Friday. I wish an amusing and relaxing Saturday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, b.

Um, yeah, not sure how to title this one!

So, maybe we have a little too much fun with costumes for the cats..... Poor Butterscotch. He was a good sport to wear the elf hat. But, don't worry, I took it off of him as soon as I snapped this picture.

Not much to share today. It's been an okay day. We did make an appointment to have Taki spayed next week. She's still very little at almost six months old (before you wonder why we waited so long- our Vet suggested waiting until she was six months old), but it needs to be done soon.

The kids had MA this afternoon and after a short trip to the bank so Son could deposit some of his Christmas gift from the Out-laws. We have a deal. (Personally, I'd prefer it if he would deposit the entire amount of whatever monetary gift he receives, but that doesn't work for him. *g*) If, for some reason, he receives a monetary gift he has to deposit half of it into savings. It was a compromise. I would make him do the same with the money Daughter gives him for helping with her chores. (Yes, you read that correctly. Our Daughter pays him to do some of her chores.) I think it's her way of making him feel better about how she works and earns a paycheck and can buy things on her own. Before you think she's very generous, she is, but to the tune of $10 a month. I'm trying to decide whether to be proud of her for being nice to Son, or shaking my head thinking she's lazy to pay him to do some of her chores. I prefer to think of it as Daughter teaching Son a work-ethic. *g*

Anyway, while the kids were in MA I decided to take a class I don't normally take anymore (because of the crazy lady who also attends that class). Crazy lady wasn't there, so I felt free to attend the class and had a good time. And a good workout. Whew! Afterwards, while the kids went swimming and Daughter did her required laps for work, I attended Pilates. Yup. Two classes, back-to-back. I'm tired now. *g*

As for reading? I've finished the Scottoline book and am now reading Leaving Blue Bayou by JoAnn Ross. I'm not very far into the book, which contains two novellas. I'm biding my time waiting for the end of the month because three books I want are to be released then and I have a gift card...... Is it just me or is it hard to wait when you can finally buy books? Then again, I'm sure y'all purchase more books that I do. However, as much as I wish I could buy any book I wanted to read I am extremely grateful to have a library system as well stocked as ours is. I'm going to lose my mind when our local branch closes for two months beginning in February for remodeling. We visit our local branch (located about 3 miles away) at least once a week. Okay, more than that. *g* And we love our librarians..... *sigh* I just keep telling myself it's only for two months.

That's it. Like I wrote above, there wasn't much to share. I hope y'all had a thankful and thoughtful Thursday. I wish a fun and enjoyable Friday for y'all. Goodnight and Hugs, B.

Exercise: CardioPump, Pilates.
Exercise Hours: 2hrs..

Sweet, Silly Aka!

I'm not sure if this picture will be clear for y'all to understand what is going on in it, but since I know, I'll share. At the extended family Christmas dinner on Sunday there was a Chinese auction. Chris lucked out as #1. So when his first pick of a large box of mixed nuts didn't make his heart go pitter-patter he traded for a battery operated desk fountain. He did so because of all the other items there we knew there was comedic value in it. So we brought it home and to our delight, what we suspected may happen did indeed happen. The cats love it. They think its their own water fountain. It was so funny to watch the first kitty, Aka, study and then taste test the water.

As for today? Not much to share. There was a trip to Petsmart. Another to WW and yet another to the mall to pick up something for our New Years Eve. Oh, and a small side trip to BAM to pick up the latest issue of RT Magazine. (Yay for gifted gift cards!
Oh, and I made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.

This is it for me. It's late and I'm tired and can barely keep my eyes open. I hope y'all had a delightful Wednesday. I wish a day full of smiles and love for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Napping in an Odd Way!

Butterscotch finds himself in the oddest positions. Or, rather, we find Butterscotch sleeping in the oddest positions. How in the heck can this be comfortable for him to sleep? Silly, silly Butterscotch!

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. I overdid it Friday and then Saturday evening was spent hunting for a new winter coat for Son that he had his heart set on, but we had to venture to the other city near us since the store we had seen it at didn't have it. Let's just say holiday traffic is crazy and leave it at that. Saturday night my arm became very sore and the pain became very bad by Sunday morning. (Those of you who are friended on facebook know this already.) Sunday was spent at an extended family gathering and then a trip to a clinic to have my arm examined. I was told there was nothing much that could be done, that shoulder injuries are among the most common and to continue the ibuprofen regimen I had started and that if I wasn't feeling a difference within five days and to have my shoulder feeling much better by two weeks time I was to see a specialist to have x-rays and an MRI done. Luckily, tonight as I write this post my shoulder is feeling much better. I can raise it over my head with no issue, though there is still a small bit of pain that I am sure will also be gone soon. AND I can dress myself again! (I had to have Chris' help Sunday and part of Monday.)

Monday, Christmas Eve was spent baking a cake for my neighbor(s) while Chris did schoolwork and then we delivered a gift to Daughter's buddy and then over to the Out-laws for our traditional Christmas Eve visit. We were supposed to attend a party after that, but Chris still needed some time on his schoolwork. So, we headed home instead. After he finally finished we spent a quiet evening while waiting to attend Midnight Mass, watching The Polar Express. Chris fell asleep due to a sinus headache (after treating it) and so we missed Midnight Mass. I told Chris he owed us for missing everything.

Today was a nice day. We had time to enjoy our gift opening and the kids seem to like their gifts. Daughter loves her guitar (and other things) and Son spent most the afternoon either playing with his BB gun or his snare drum. *g* The Out-laws dropped by for a visit and then I made dinner. We didn't go traditional this year. I made a roast. It came out well and the family liked it. We were so tired of ham and turkey we HAD to do something different.

Anyway, that's to catch you up. Nothing major. Just normal, everyday things. I hope y'all had a delightful and joyful Christmas. I wish a relaxing and happy Wednesday for y'all. Goodnight, B.

Exercise: Too busy with other things and then the injury.
Exercise Hours: 0.

Sisters of the Heart!

Harley and Taki were enjoying the feather wand the other day as I experimented with ways to get them to look at the camera. Still working on that. *g* In the meantime aren't they cute? Harley is such a sweet, sweet girl and Taki? Adorable to a T. *g* (Note Taki's "heart".)

Today has been non-stop with a slight detour to freaked out. Daughter worked this morning and after dropping her off (after pumping gas) Son and I started our errands for the day. I wanted to be out and about while it was still early because I was sure that the traffic and stores were going to be packed. I was right, btw. First stop, Petsmart. Son takes after his Mama. He had to look at everything pet related and enjoyed the snakes and lizards *shudder*. Of course he also thought the hamsters were cute and absolutely loved two birds that were very pretty and attentive. I had to remind him that cats and lizards or cats and birds aren't the best of room-mates. *g*
Then to Target. Even at 9:30 in the morning they were busy. We picked out our items and then Son had to look at video games and we strolled through the Holiday section and looked at pants in the boys department. He needs a new pair, but they didn't have anything he liked in his size, so off we went to...... Academy Sports. Found a cute pair of cammo pants for Son and looked around. He found a cammo jacket he wants, but is a bit pricey, so we left without it. While there he did find three pennies. That kid loves pennies, maybe it's because his hair looks just like a brand new penny? *g*
Then to Sam's. Which was also packed. Son tried to be a big help, but when buying in bulk there is usually some heft to the items and Son isn't quite there strength-wise. However, I am so proud of him today. He tried very hard to help me out all morning. We dropped everything at the house and headed back to pick up Daughter. Who wanted to know if her bestie could come with us to WW. Um, okay? So, I picked him up and off to CVS (who gave me a three and a half foot receipt. Good golly, ever hear of saving a tree?) then to WW. I will say this. Bestie was very nice and tried hard to be helpful. As a matter of fact, when we arrived home he took most of the groceries into the house before I could grab them. Very sweet kid.
Unfortunately, we weren't home long before noticing that Taki was rubbing her mouth and all of a sudden we saw blood. Well, I freaked out and raced her to the Vet. Taki and I waited over two hours to see the vet (I did have a lovely conversation with a woman there with her cute siamese Gus.) where I was informed that she was losing her baby teeth and that she was trying to take out the other baby teeth. So, the vet took a tongue depressor and FLICKED THEM OUT. Yeah. If you think I squeeled just a bit, you'd be correct. The vet thought that was hilarious and tried to get another out that was loose, but not quite ready to fall out. He said the rubbing was because her mouth is irritating her and that she may run a mild fever, but to not give her acetaminophen. (Well, DUH!) And that she should feel better within the next 24 hours. By the time I had gotten to the vet she'd stopped rubbing her gums, but I was determined to make sure she was okay. And the vet? Best. Vet. Ever. He didn't charge me a dime. I love my Vet. (I need that on a bumper sticker.)
Chris picked up dinner after Taki and I arrived back home. I guess he knew after all that and with the scare that I was tired.
And this is where I leave y'all. I read a few more essays at the Vets, but for the most part haven't had time to finish up the book yet. I am hopeful that this weekend will slow down just a smidge for us. Ha, who am I kidding? Anyway, time to get some rest. I hope y'all had a fun and enjoyable Friday. I wish a mild and happy Saturday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: Seriously? I had no time and no energy.
Exercise Hours: if you count the whole day...... 8 hours, at least.

Cuddle Baby!

I know I just posted a picture of Taki, but she's just so darn cute! She's not a kitty that likes to be petted much. Instead she prefers to be held. She's quite the snuggler and prefers my neck most of all. I'm just glad I clipped her claws recently!

This is it from me tonight. It's late and I'm tired and achey and have felt that way all day. Add in a teen with a bad attitude today and, well, I'm very happy it's bedtime.
I hope y'all had a Blessed day. I wish a lovely Thursday for y'all. Goodnight, B.

A Heart for an Adorable Lass!

Taki is adorable. At least to us. But, something that is even cuter is the heart on her chest. Can you see it? I guess it means she is not only wears her heart inside and out, but that she's adorable, and a love-bug as well! *g*

Not much to share here today. The kids had MA class tonight and Daughter's bestie came with us. It's becoming quite the habit. HE is a good guy and NO they aren't dating. He has a girlfriend and speaks of her often. Did I mention Daughter and the boy-toy broke-up? He did it in a very cowardly way, too. She's been pretty calm about it, but, the more she thinks about it she has been getting a bit angrier. Especially since he keeps texting her. Her friends? Are his friends, too and THEY are even ticked at him.

After the class we all headed home. Even the bestie. Chris made dinner and then I took Bestie home. His Mom is very nice. Bestie was a late in life child for her so in many ways she actually reminds me of my mother.

I've actually been thinking of my mother a lot lately. She would have been 63 this week. She's been gone over ten years now and I still find it hard to believe that Son will never know her. That she won't be giving Daughter (bad) dating advice. (Mom didn't make good choices romantically.) That she won't be celebrating the Holidays with us again this year. I loved her. I love her. I miss her but this time of year is hard and made harder for the stresses we've been experiencing. I can only hope the coming year brings good changes and that my sad thoughts of my Mom ease a little.

Anyway, as for reading? I am STILL reading the Scottoline book. And thoroughly enjoying it. The alternating essays are fun to read. I hope this isn't the last book from these two! After I finish this book I hope the library gets something in for me as I have nothing else. I guess that's what keeper shelves are for!

And that's it. No more from me. I'm heading offline. I hope y'all had an interesting and smile-filled Tuesday. I wish a wonderful Wednesday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: Zumba.
Exercise hours: 1hr..

Curiosity!

Have y'all ever seen this type of popcorn before? I think I remember seeing some about ten years ago, but haven't since then. I'm not a popcorn fan (Bleh!), but the family loves it. Chris has one of those old fashioned pots that have a handle that cranks an inner wheel so that the kernels don't stick or burn. He likes making his that way and I don't mind since he uses olive oil with it. The kids like the microwave kind that stinks up my downstairs. But, it's cheap and semi- healthy. Not a bad snack considering the alternatives. (I don't buy junk food, so they have limited options.)
I don't know where my head had been lately. I can't believe I forgot to post last night. Oops! We had a busy weekend. Daughter wanted to take care of some of her Christmas shopping. I helped her pick out a couple of gifts and like normal she ended up purchasing some things for herself as well. Let me say that Charming Charlie's and Marshall's are dangerous to a teens wallet! She even bought a Portal t-shirt at the mall. Chris and I were sneaky and picked up the chocolate gold coins from See's that we put in their stockings every year.
Sunday was spent helping Son finish a crafty gift for Daughter and making squash casserole for the Y's staff Holiday party. It was for Daughter, but we were invited as well. (Daughter's bosses insisted.) We had a good time and some lovely and interesting dishes.
Today was spent doing schoolwork and laundry and then having the kids friends over. They sat in the kitchen and played Monopoly, The Clone Wars edition. I was drafted to be the Banker. You would not believe the bartering and deal making that ensued between them!
I've also begun reading Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella's new book, Meet Me At Emotional Baggage Claim. I have enjoyed Scottoline's previous non-fiction books and the addition of her Daughter's essays in the others has been fun to read. Are there any non-fiction authors you enjoy reading?

That's all from me. It's getting late and tomorrow is yet another day to tackle. I hope y'all had a kind and happy weekend. I wish a terrific Tuesday for y'all. Goodnight and Blessings, B.

Exercise: yoga.
Exercise Hours: 1hr..

Mr. Ted plays Santa!

Teddy plays Santa well, too. Doesn't he look handsome in the Santa hat? Poor kitties. They have no idea I found the elf ears this evening...
Daughter was sick earlier today, but is feeling much better now. Her friend was worried about her and came over for a while to see her. Daughters appetite is back and between ginger-ale, a nap and some decongestant she's feeling right again.
As for me? I've been taking care of Daughter (and Son) and the house, but have also just begun reading Polterheist by Laura Resnick. This is part of the Esther Diamond series. I'm only two chapters in and already enjoying it.

That's our day. I hope y'all had a thankful and thoughtful Thursday. I wish a fun and enjoyable Friday. Goodnight and hugs!

Jolly Layla!

It's that time again! Time when I dress the cats up and they give me dirty looks because I think they're adorable and they probably think I'm crazy. Why do I do it? Just look at Layla. Isn't she cute? *g*

Sorry about the inconsistency of posts. I'm finding myself running out of time at night. I may have to rethink the time I write these. Also, I have taken the time these past two days and read instead. Something had to give. And since no one hardly reads here anyway....
But, I can say that my hand is better. I think a pinched nerve had something to do with it. Not very sure, though.
Today was a slow day, we actually had nowhere we needed to be and so I was able to take care of some cleaning. I also made chicken and dumplings for dinner since it was a cool and gray day. I did attend Zumba this evening and enjoyed it.
I also finished the Jamie Quaid book I was reading. Some aspects were just plain weird, but in a kooky way that somehow fit. The heroine was smart, gutsy and started out far from physically perfect. She also had a few moments where she seemed way over her head. The ending was jumbled, but yet again seemed to work. I ended up enjoying it and am looking forward to the next book in the series. Next up? I'm also reading the selected poems of Lord Alfred Tennyson. His poem, Lady of Shalott, is one of my absolute favorites and I wanted to read it again.

And that's it. Time to go. I hope y'all had a nice Wednesday. I wish a lovely Thursday for y'all. Have a great day, B.

Exercise: Zumba
Exercise hours: 1hr. Tuesday, 1 hr. Wednesday.

Mr. Love Bug!

Mr. Aka is getting big! He's already three times the size of his sister and is still growing. I have a feeling he's going to be a very big boy. He's also a  love-bug. He likes to wake me up by purring on my chest until I pet him. Silly boy. And his purring is LOUD. He's a handsome fellow and has already discovered the Christmas tree. He's our climber this year. *g*

(Have I mentioned that the ornaments on the bottom are either fabric, metal or pipe-cleaner type ornaments? Hey, the cats needs ornaments, too.)

Again, there is not much to share. The kids and I ran errands this afternoon. While out we ran into one of Chris' Uncles. He's a nice man and it was good to see him for a few minutes. One stop was to Ulta and while there we, of course, had to check out the Philosophy products. Daughter loves them and she discovered they have an egg-nogg scented wash this year. She LOVES egg-nog and practically rolled her eyes in ecstasy when she smelled it. *g* Unfortunately, she's broke until her next payday. *g* Then she found out they make an egg-nog lip gloss, too. *g* Poor girl. I told her we'd make a girls night of it and I'd help her do her Christmas shopping after she gets paid and maybe they'd still have that when we went.
After Ulta there was a stop at Petsmart for cat food and then to Target to return an item. I checked everywhere before leaving the house, all of Chris' usual spots for leaving receipts, but couldn't find it so was going to try and get store credit. I had no idea they don't do that anymore. Unfotunately, (well, not really) Chris' card # and mine differ so they couldn't look the transaction so then she offered to do it using my driver's license, but it would be for credit a $1 less than the value of the item I was returning. Since the item was $5 I decided Chris could bring it back instead because I am not losing a dollar! (I told Chris I bet the one place I didn't look was the pants he was wearing Saturday in the clothes basket. Guess where the receipt was? He drives me loony doing that.)
Then home where we weren't home long before Daughter's friends came over to play the x-box. (It was very damp out and rained all afternoon.) They stayed for a few hours and let me tell you, or warn you-your choice, teenage boys are LOUD.
While they were here I took care of some things and also made another pound cake. I know that sounds bad, but I wanted to make it this time to make sure my recipe (That I created.) actually works. Also, a small slice of pound cake and a cup of (coconut) milk make a nice breakfast. *g*
I'm still having issues with my hand. I doubt it's because of the jammed finger (from June/July), so I'm clueless. When I woke this morning I couldn't make a tight fist OR uncurl my fingers all the way. (It's the middle three fingers that are affected.) There's some swelling which indicates injury, but there's been no injury. *sigh* I'll give it another day or so and then it's off to the clinic I go. I missed Yoga tonight because of it and that can't happen again.

Oh, I did finish the Graham book. While I wasn't very surprised at the villain, I did enjoy the book. Next up is a library book that just came in, Boyfriend from Hell by Jamie Quaid. The premise sounded interesting and the author is new-to-me. (Um, not really, this is a pseudonym for a rather well-known author in romance. BUT, I am more than willing to try this book as though it were new-to-me. And yes, I have read this authors other books and liked them. I will say this is quite a departure from her regular types.) After this book I don't have anything else. Crossing my fingers (on my good hand) that something comes in soon!

It's that time again. Time for me to head offline and get some rest. I hope y'all had a pleasing Monday. I wish a delightful Tuesday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: 0. And I hate it. Between my foot and now my hand..... I know what I did to my foot to some degree. NO idea about the hand.
Exercise Hours: 0. This could get depressing. But, I refuse. Zumba tomorrow!

Zoe-Zoe, the Dainty One!

Zoe always look so serious and kind of sad. She has the absolute tiniest meow you've ever heard. Heck, I'm not even sure it would qualify as a meow, more as a tiny squeak. She's very sweet and loving and sometimes is overlooked, but she doesn't hold that against you. She's one of Chris' favorites. They chat. *g* (Don't you just think this very straightforward look is funny?)

It's been an interesting weekend. We spent Saturday at the Out-laws helping MIL get their tree and decorations out of storage. MIL and I put the tree together, but we let Chris "fluff" it (He's so good at poofing out a tree!) and also wind the THREE strands she wanted on her tree. We joked with her that we were surprised the space station couldn't see the lights from that one tree. We also had dinner with them and had a nice visit. I think MIL needed a small buffer that day. She's been FIL's nurse since his first surgery and now his second and FIL is relegated to a walker while his hip heals from the second surgery. She hasn't been able to do many things that take a while from home, in case he needs help. So, I think that having Chris and the kids and I there was good for the both of them.
Today was spent helping Son with a project for Daughter. He's making Daughter a "treasure box". We stained it today and we'll add some silver to it later. He made her a pair of earrings a month or so ago and he's going to put them in the box (they're already wrapped, he wrapped them the day he made them! *g*) and then wrap the box. *g* He's ten, what do you expect. *g*
I picked Daughter up from work this evening and she and I went grocery shopping. It was nice to have help and she and I can get through the store much faster than if we have Son or Chris with us. Chris and I brought our tree down from the attic and put it together this afternoon. Daughter, Son and I decorated it this evening and Chris did the finishing touch of placing the angel on top.
I HAVE been reading. Just not as much as I would like. I'm almost done with the Heather Graham book and am enjoying the history involved as well as the local. No idea what's up next.

I've had issues with my right hand this weekend, so sorry about missing a post. I couldn't even bend my fingers both mornings I woke up and even tonight my wrist is sore for some reason. My right hand fingers have been a little swollen, too. No idea what's going on, but have been treating it with my brace today and with ibuprofen for the swelling. I missed working out Friday and today because of it. Well, mostly today so I could work with Son with penciling the design he wanted on the top of the box and then helping him stain it. It meant a lot to him and while I love to work out, my Son means more.

All that said it's time to head offline and get some rest. I hope y'all had a beautiful weekend. I wish a pleasant and sunny Monday for y'all. Goodnight and Blessings, B.

Having to Rest!

I missed posting last night because I took the time to read instead.
I'm missing a post tonight, and tapping this out with my left hand (thank goodness I'm sort of ambidextrous) because my right hand had fingers that hurt to bend. I'll post again when my hand stops hurting. (Usually a 24 hour regimen of ibuprofen does the trick.)
I hope y'all have had a good Friday with some fun thrown in. I wish an enjoyable and amusing Saturday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Need a Little Love Today!

I think I've posted this picture before, but couldn't decide what kind of photo to post and haven't uploaded from the camera yet. Oops. I really need to do that soon....

Not much to post about tonight. Daughter worked today and then we had schoolwork and such and it was dreary outside. Which kind of made it easy to stay inside. *g* After Chris arrived home he and I headed out for a bit and picked up a few stocking stuffers for the kids. I'm almost done with everything. But, am kind of angry. I ordered Daughter an EMT type safety knife for her personal first aid kit and they only informed me today that it's backordered and not expected to shop for 3--45 days. I'm angry because no where on the website did it say that the knife was out of stock. Not on the knifes information page. Not on the order page. Not on the payment and shipping page. I'm also disappointed because I KNOW Daughter would love this knife. It even has a glass breaker on the handle. So, now I have to either try and order another one (from another site) or try and find one here around town, but that may be difficult because Son is glued to me every day. So, while I may not have Daughter with me I almost always have Son with me. And that's even if a medical supply store here would carry it! Grrrrrrrr! Every feel this way? That you've found the perfect thing and something has ruined the ability to receive it when you want it and you just feel like crying and ranting at the same time? Oh, just me? *sigh* I'll figure it out.
I received bad news this evening. My cousin, who I have not seen in years (since my Grammy's passing.) messaged me on Facebook to let me know one of my Uncles has passed away. I want to go to the funeral (whenever that may be, as it was just today he passed), but am not sure how I will be received. (Though I tried for two years after moving back here. It's not my fault Dad's wife didn't like me or my family or that she transplanted herself and her family into my dad's life and me out.) However, feel like I should be there. I am not sure what to do.

Good golly! Someone lighten the mood, please?

Um, reading. I am reading the Heather Graham book I mentioned last night. I'm not very far into it, but am already a tad intrigued as the historical aspect of the premise is most interesting.

That's it. Time to get some rest. I hope y'all had a delightful Wednesday. I wish a thankful and thoughtful Thursday for y'all. Goodnight and Hugs, B.

Exercise: None. I over did it in Zumba last night. (It was worth it.) And my foot is hurting today. I decided to take it easy for a day.
Exercise Hours: 0. Bleh.

Climbing Cuties!

The picture below is what happens when you have weirdly warm weather in December and open the windows and patio doors. That's Aka and Taki climbing my screen door. They're getting a bit big, aren't they? Well, Aka is, Taki is still quite petite. But, they are both sweet and total loves.

Not a lot going on today. Mostly house stuff and schoolwork. We did pick up Daughter's best friend from the library and take him with us to MA class tonight. He's a good kid and I don't mind him hanging around. And no, he is her best friend, not the boy toy. And yes, the boy toy has yet to see where Daughter works or even lives. Am I the only one who thinks that's weird?
As for reading? I read a new author last night, but it wasn't really my thing. So, I'm on to a Heather Graham, The Uninvited. Reading anything good? Anything to recommend?

Time again to head offline. I hope y'all had an easy-going day. I wish a festive Wednesday to y'all? (Am I the only one already wrapping?)

Exercise: Zumba.
Exercise hours: 1hr..

An Odd Beginning!

I know this is a weird picture. Bear with me. See the pink sparkly frames? Daughter is known for her shoes that are exactly the same, but sparkly converse. She LOVES those shoes. And you know...... someone needs a frame for her Black Belt certificate. *g* Only since the walls in her room are almost the same color as the frame shown, we'll be getting the black sparkly one instead. It seems fitting somehow, a black sparkly frame for a black belt. *g*

A pretty ordinary day here. Well, this afternoon I had a houseful of teenagers. Daughter's friends came over to play X-Box and Nerf sword fight and spar in the back yard. Yeah... Did I mention they are LOUD. Wow! they are loud.
I NEEDED my yoga class after that. And best part is? I left them with Chris. *g* As soon as class was over I took them home. Now that the teen/tween librarian is gone and there aren't any more teen events until around February of next year (well, except for one lock-in later this month) she won't have the opportunity to see her friends as much, so Chris and I agreed that the kids would be welcome in our home anytime. (Better to know where they are, with whom and that they are safe here than somewhere else.)

I also picked up a book at the library this afternoon. Better Than Chocolate by Sheila Roberts. The author is new-to-me and the premise sounded cute. And sweet. Sorry, had to go there with a title with chocolate in it as well as a chocolate company being a major issue in the book. *g* Also found two etsy sites thanks the another site I read daily.
Jezebel Charms and the BookFiend . They have beautiful and fun literary related objects that would make fabulous gifts for a reader. There are a few I'm drooling over and am thinking of mentioning to the hubs for our Anniversary next month. *g* Have y'all come across any interesting sites lately?

It's that time again. Time for me to try and get some rest. I hope y'all had a nice Monday. I wish a fantastic Tuesday for y'all. (Someone please send cooler weather here. It's freakishly warm and I want cold weather for December.)(It's hard to be in the Christmas spirit when it's in the low to mid 70's outside.) Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: Yoga!
Exercise Hours: 1hr.. GREAT class!

Piling on for Naps!

This is a picture of a regular evening at our house. *g* On the ottoman are Taki, Butterscotch and Einstein. All were very comfy sleeping in their odd little group. It almost looks as though Taki and Butterscotch were holding hands.

Yesterday we spent most of the afternoon with the Out-laws after dropping Daughter at work. Son had a blast because he was given permission to play with an old BB gun that used to be Chris' when he was young. I helped MIL get some things down from the rafters of their storage building and she and I also made a black walnut cake. Chris chatted with FIL about different things, but they must have gotten onto the topic of hunting (Son has shown interest, though Chris hasn't been since he was a teen.) because we ended up coming home not only with the BB gun, but an old shotgun as well. Of course, baking with MIL gave me an idea, but that's more todays news.
Speaking of today, Sunday, Daughter had to work again, so Chris, Son and I mostly stayed home. I would have gone to Zumba, but the lady teaching it is a good teacher, but she teaches the same class every. single. time. It gets old. Same songs. Same routines. Close to the same order of play. And I just had her for a class on Tuesday.
Anyway, Chris and I decided to play around with the idea I had of making SIL a pair of earrings from .45 casings. We tried snipping them so that I could roll down the casing to make it look like a flower, but it didn't go well. So, instead we snipped off all extra metal and then ground down the rest until all we have left is the end cap where the primer is. We'll polish those and then play around with how to play a loop through them. Or not. I have another idea for a pendant we may try instead. I only have three casings to try this with as we don't have many (three we somehow picked up the day we took our CWP class and test).
After playing around with that I left Chris and Son home and ran by the Out-laws since MIL insisted I come by and pick up a piece of the cake we made together. Turns out I don't like black walnuts (too bitter) (Shhhh! Don't tell MIL, I don't want to hurt her feelings.), but it had me thinking. It's funny. I watched MIL measure everything precisely yesterday, no playing around with ingredients. I don't bake that way. I thought about making a pound cake, but didn't want to make a plain one (the only recipe I've ever tried for that had nutmeg in it and since it was the first I'd ever made.... I followed the recipe exactly. Yeah, I don't do that anymore. *g*) so I decided to make a cream cheese pound cake. I found a recipe for one that sounded good, but I didn't have 6 eggs. Yes, I am one of those. I will play with a recipe. So, I did. It came out gorgeous and delicious. *g* (I say the gorgeous, Son said the delicious.)
I love playing in the kitchen. *g*

And that's our weekend. Pretty quiet and normal. I hope y'all had a lovely weekend. I wish a pleasing and stress-free Monday for y'all. Goodnight and Blessings, B.

Exercise: This weekend none. *sigh* I feel guilty, but was very tired.
Exercise Hours: 0. Again, I feel very guilty, but was so tired and took it easy.