Making Room!

This picture is my bed on a Saturday night. Yes, there are four cats vying for space on my side of the bed. On Chris' side? None. Somehow that doesn't seem fair because as you can see I didn't have enough room to uncross my legs. However, that they love me so much they felt the need to be near me? Warms my heart. As for which kitties are pictured, starting at the top: Teddy, Taki, Layla and Elvis.

Not a lot to share. Daughter and boy bestie are now dating. I kind of saw this coming and am okay with it. As long as it's on terms we are all comfortable with. I don't think they realize how badly this could go if they decide to stop dating. At that age it's hard to go back to being friends. I hope it's worth it. It's been hard this week trying to catch up with cleaning and events and such after being sick last week. As Son and I were the only ones who became ill, we're lucky in that respect.
Yesterday I was very, very bad and for the first time in a long while I bought three books at B&N. I needed a pick-me-up and books are my go-to. Plus, I don't do this very often. (Trying to offset the guilt of buying three books, it's not working, but at the same time. BOOKS!) I now have the newest Erin McCarthy- Seeing is Believing, Janet Chapman's The Heart of a Hero , and Midnight Blue-Light Special by Seanan McGuire. A little all over the place as far as genres. But, that's me to a "T". I've begun reading the Erin McCarthy and am not very far into it as I just picked up and finished the newest Deborah Coates book- Deep Down. As with the first book, I inhaled it. The character is just so compelling and you want her to be okay. To be settled. However, that doesn't seem meant to be. I felt like this book was the ending for this character, but I like her too much for that. Has that ever happened to you?

Daughter worked today, we ran home for lunch and then back to the Y for the kids MA class. I had Yoga while they were in the latter part of their class and was resigned to having a teacher that sets my teeth on edge (I know, the opposite of what I need from yoga, but I needed the class and was going to try and make the best of it.) I was delighted to walk in and have one of my two favorite teachers at that Y. She challenges me and I learn new things and though I walked in with a headache after half an hour I didn't notice it anymore. I left class feeling good, except for the headache which returned. Ugh. (Don't worry about the headaches. I've been dealing with a lot of sinus stuff lately and it's connected.)

Time to get some rest. And maybe read a chapter or two. I hope y'all had a nice week. I wish a fun and enjoyable Friday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: Yoga.
Exercise Hours: 1 hr..

Light Action Team Reporting for Duty!

It doesn't take much to amuse cats. Here they are fascinated by the reflection of light off the top of Daughter's phone. Taki will chase that light like it's an obsession. Here are Zoe, Teddy and Aka on top of the cabinets above the refrigerator watching and wishing they could catch the light. Silly kitties!

I'm actually better, but getting back into that rhythm of before being sick is hard. And I still have residual issues. Lots of drainage for one. Ugh. This weekend was spent rather busily. Saturday was spent looking for a new dishwasher.  Ours has been broken/dead for six months now and we were finally ready to replace it. We checked out an outlet store and were not impressed. We also looked at Sears and online and Lowe's and a service that Chris gets through work that gives us a discounted quote. We liked a couple of the service's site, but they were all back order and we are at that point that we NEED a dishwasher. So. For what we wanted we ended up getting one from Lowe's on Sunday. Chris installed it and by that night it was able to run. Yay!
Saturday we also picked up new tennies for me, new unmentionables for Daughter and since Son was sick, nothing for him that day. However, today was spent running numerous errands. I bought Son new sparring gear and tennies and Daughter new sparring gloves. We also picked up my contacts and made a stop by Target and then had Son's hair cut. Whew! It was a long afternoon. I tried on a few things at Academy and Target- work out wear. While mine is still in decent shape I was looking to beef up my work out wardrobe from the same three pair of pants and three tank tops. However, work out wear just doesn't seem to be made for someone of my size. I'm not huge, but I'm definitely not tiny and most workout wear is cut small and made me feel huge and unattractive. *sigh* Oh, well. I guess it's not mean to be. By the time we were done with all the errands I had a monster headache and needed to sit in a dark room. Ugh. I still went to Yoga because I know I most always feel better after class. And I did. I just feel exhausted. I thought since most everything else had passed I'd be all better and back to normal. Not. I am still easily tired and am having to work around that.
Anyway, I've read a couple of books over the past few days, as well. One was The Girl with the Great Personality. This book is a YA and while the sentiment expressed in the beginning of the book was (personally) well received, this book just didn't end the way I'd have liked, but yet it did. I know that doesn't make sense, but there you are. *g* The other book I read was The Best Man by Kristan Higgins. It was a thoroughly enjoyable book. I like that, to me, the title meant more than the obvious and that this book was mostly about two people coming together with preconceived notions about the other than turned out to be false. The strong core of family running through the book was also enjoyable and the grandparents practically steal the book- comically. *g*

Anyway, that's it. I know posts haven't been regular. Sorry about that. I can't promise they will be again, either. It's just too hard some days and something has to give. Not to mention that gets pretty boring, right? Right. I hope y'all had a delightful weekend. I wish a lovely week ahead. Blessings and Best Wishes, B.

Exercise: (tonight) Yoga.
Exercise Hours: 1 Hr..

She's not mean, promise. (Not a great picture.)

Not the best picture of Pepper, but she's still cute to me. Her eyes are so hard to capture on camera. They glow a blue color when the light hits them and most of the time her pupils are fully open. She's so darn sweet and has a habit of licking me when I pet her. I'm not sure why she does that, but don't have the heart to make her stop.

Still feeling the effects of being sick, but the biggie is being so tired. Even more than regularly. I've been taking NAPS. You KNOW that doesn't happen here unless I just can't stay awake. Add in that the tendons in my left hand decided to mess with me today and I am very glad that it's heading toward the weekend. Hoping grocery shopping tomorrow goes well, too. Also, the stress is piling, y'all. Layla has been ill this week, too. I'm keeping an eye on her and it's nothing so drastic as to take her to the Vet, however, she is my sweetie and I've been worried. I changed up her food and it seems to be helping. What is NOT helping is that the food we normally purchase for the cats has recently been changed to "new and improved". Says who?
Not much else to share with y'all. Chris has been out of town this week. He had to give a talk on technology in the classroom at an out of town seminar/convention thing. He did quite well and got the attention of a few higher ups in his company. Something I knew he deserved and told him to go when he tried to cancel the trip when I became sick over the weekend. You never know when the impression you make can come back and benefit you later and since EVERYONE was complimentary to him on his speech/talk, I know it was the right decision. So, for those wondering why he wasn't taking care of me? He wasn't here because I made him go. *g* But, I will admit to being very glad he's now home.

I have been reading, but to be honest, I already turned the books back in to the library system. One was a modern Cyrano de Bergerac set with teens. The other was the newest Karen Rose. It just wasn't for me, though. I think I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for it. Being so tired and missing Chris made it rather depressing to read and while I normally love her books I found this one "meh". Up next? Another YA, Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulberg.

Time to get some more rest. I need to be back to normal. Now. *sigh* I hope y'all had a good Thursday. I wish an enjoyable Friday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

The Curve in the Road!

One of my favorite scenes to see almost every day. As we leave or return to our neighborhood I love to look over to this road. The way it curves and the white fencing and field beyond somehow call to me. Some days there are cows n the field and they, too, make me smile. I hope soon to take another picture of this curve in the road. This time maybe when the sun is setting. It just makes me imagine the possibilities.

I'm not feeling as sick today. Yay! Still have a sore throat and tons of drainage and pressure, but the nausea is letting off every time I move. So much so that I attempted yoga tonight. Granted, I made sure I took a decongestant before class and was careful because my balance was off. And we didn't have our regular teacher, however the sub was one I don't mind and we had a decent class.
I had an exciting morning! My neighbor from across the street called this morning to tell me there was a Sheriff's Deputy coming to talk to me about our other neighbor. The other neighbor is a policeman with the city and has applied to the Sheriff's Dept. The Deputy asked me about my neighbor's behavior and activities. (Making sure he didn't run wild, as he put it.) Basically, they're running a background check on him. My neighbor is a good guy. His son and mine are buddies and his oldest daughter is nice. His youngest is not quite two yet and he's on his second marriage. I forgot to tell the Deputy that my neighbor helped me plant the "monkey grass" I have along my driveway. *g* I hope he gets the job!
Chris had an eye appointment this morning. He's noticed a small issue of things up close not focusing as clearly. For a man who prides himself on his better than 20/20 vision, this bugged him. Not to mention I've been nagging him to make an eye appointment every since he's been out of the Military. Turns out he still has almost perfect vision. He just has that thing that bothers a lot of people after they turn 40. I'm sure you've seen it. The one where you hold a book or paper further and further away to read the small print? Yeah, that. *g* Of course, Chris being super vision man doesn't even have a bad case of it. As a matter of fact, it's so slight it can't even be corrected with lenses. However, he's at ease knowing his vision is fine. And btw? He's one of those people who freaks at the talk of eyes. He can't watch me put in my contacts and we've been married twenty years. One time he had to have eye drops because he scratched his cornea not long after Son was born and I had to SIT ON HIM to hold him down to put the drops in for him. Silly man.
My eye appointment is Wednesday. The only issue I have is that I don't like it when they dilate my eyes and since I'm the one driving I can usually get out of it. They do some weird drops and he holds what looks like a jewelers loop up to each eye and checks them that way. Works for me and I can drive afterwards. How about y'all? Do y'all have issues with the eye doctor? Are y'all as blind as a bat as I am? *g* (Legally blind without my contacts.) Son is on his way to having vision as bad as I have. I apologize to him for it every year at his visit. *g*
What else can I bore y'all with? Hmmm. I've been reading! I have started and am just about to finish An Affair to Dismember by Elise Sax. This is a cute book. It takes a while for the action to really get going and the book tends to meander, but at the same time there are scenes that made me laugh like a loon and the heroine is the type you can sympathize with. There are TWO love interests and I have to say I'm rooting for the mystery guy because the Chief of Police (one of the two) is a total jerk. But, there's something you can't quite put your finger on that keeps you from totally disliking him. The heroines Grandmother is funny and is mentoring the heroine in the matchmaking business, though we usually read her advice rather than "hear" it. The murder mystery is pretty straightforward. The author drops red herrings everywhere, though I have it figured out. (I checked after I was sure and was right.)
All in all, a very cute read. It's being compared to Evanovich's, but I'd have to say more along the lines of her early books, not the Plum books.

That's it. Time to head offline. Not quite all better and starting to feel sick. I hope y'all had a great Monday. I wish a terrific Tuesday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: Yoga.
Exercise Hours: 1hr..

Elvis the Homebody!

Elvis loves to be near people. He sat next to Chris in this picture, just waiting for Chris to notice him and pet him. He is a funny kitty in that he walks around meowing a lot. We're not sure why, but I suspect he doesn't know, either. *g*

Not much to share today, really. It's been a simple and nice Valentine's Day. Chris and I gave the kids each a tervis cup filled with their favorite Hershey kisses. Daughter's was "Fight Like a Girl" and pink with pink boxing gloves (closest we could get to MA gloves) and filled with cookies and cream kisses and Son's was a Star Wars cup filled with regular Hershey kisses. Chris loved his Graphic Novel and we had a simple dinner. Earlier today Daughter worked this morning and after picking her up we headed home for lunch and some schoolwork before heading back for MA class. I took yoga and CardioPump and did a little better with back-to-back classes this time.

And that's it. I told y'all, simple. Busy, but simple. Unless y'all want to know about the sneezing fit I had that was so bad I couldn't breathe through my nose for almost an hour? Fun! Anyway, time to get some sleep. Oh, I finished the Maddy Hunter book. I loved it. Like I knew I would. She never fails to entertain me her characters are hilarious. Now I've just begun The Departed by Shiloh Walker. This is a new-to-me author. But, the premise sounded interesting and something sparked my curiosity. Hopefully, I enjoy it!

All that said, time to head offline. I hope y'all had a lovely St. Valentine's Day. Hugs and Kisses to each of you! Goodnight, B.

Exercise: yoga, cardiopump.
Exercise Hours: 2hrs..

Attention Hog!

I know I've posted either this picture or a similar one before. Harley adores attention. Whether it be from one of us or another kitty, she craves attention to the point of being obnoxious. Layla puts up with her as do the others, but it's funny to watch them with her.

I know I didn't blog last night and I apologize. Time got away from me and by the time I remembered it was either get some sleep or blog and I was very tired. And to be honest, nothing special happened yesterday. It was what is now a normal Tuesday. The kids had MA and their friends tagged along which meant after their class (and mine) I drove them home. I swear I feel like I spend most of my time behind the wheel these days.
When I woke this morning my hip was hurting, and that kept me from working out tonight. I was afraid to aggravate it and knew my regular Wednesday workout OR my back up work out might. Back at it tomorrow, though. And I can say I am dang tired of these joints hurting for no apparent reason lately. I don't know if it's because I'm getting older, or because of something else. But, whatever it is I don't have time to deal with it right now.
In other news, book news, I finished the Fortune Cookie book. It was..... okay. I'm now reading the newest Jude Deveraux, Moonlight Masquerade. I haven't gotten very far into the book. I spent most of today with the kids and their schoolwork. They just couldn't pay attention today and early this evening Chris arrived home bringing a couple of stress balls shaped like baseballs. They started a little war with them throwing them at each other as hard as they could. Son even used his Nerf battle ax to smack the stress balls to add force for when they hit his sister. I will say it's rarely boring here. To me, anyway. I sat in the middle of it all and was secretly glad they were blowing off steam and having fun with each other. Their age difference will become more of an issue the older they get, for a while at least. I'm not looking forward to that time. However, for now I am not borrowing trouble and am enjoying the camaraderie between the two of them.

And that's my day. Well, aside from some household things. Nobody want to hear about that, though. *g* I hope y'all had a marvelous day. I wish a thankful and thoughtful Thursday for y'all. Goodnight and Hugs, B.

Exercise: Tuesday- Zumba. Today, None.
Exercise Hours: Tuesday- 1hr.. Today, 0.

My Girl and Shoes!

I saw these at Target this weekend. I immediately thought of Daughter. Her favorite purse is the same pattern and when I sent her the picture to her phone I already knew her reaction. *g* I have a feeling they'll be in her closet after her next paycheck. *g*

Not much to share today. I couldn't sleep last night and so have been functioning on a tiny bit of sleep. (About an hour and a half.) With help from lots of caffeine and sugar.
I did read a good book, though. Sweet Talk by Julie Garwood. There were times the heroine seemed TSTL. And hero a little too Alpha. But, the plot was good and I liked the 'sisters' and hope to see more of them in the future.

And that's it besides household stuff, homeschool stuff and yoga tonight. I hope y'all had a delightful Monday (asking too much?). I wish a terrific Tuesday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: Yoga.
Exercise Hours: 1hr..

Our Grande Dame!

Patches always has a calm, sweet look about her. Of course, we know better. When she's very happy she'll nip as she's being petted. But, she'll chase after the other cats when the mood strikes her and that's funny to watch as she is NOT a small cat.

A rather boring day here. I woke tired and stayed that way all day. Daughter worked this morning and it was on from there. One of my neighbors called me to vent about the car break-ins, as she was one of those whose car was ransacked. They only took change from each car they did this to, we're coming to find and like I posted yesterday, only did it to cars that were left un-locked. They managed to hit about fourteen cars, though. I'm having a hard time imagining that many people leaving their cars un-locked. Seriously? In this day and age? I will say that though we lock our vehicles I DID bring Daughter's sword in the house. I just let my neighbor vent to me and we said goodbye and hung up. I think I am just that type of person that others seek comfort from. There was a lady at the Y last night that I am friendly with, though not real friends with and she needed an ear to listen last night, and I did. She's a nice lady. I hope talking about it all helped.
Anyway, back to today. Daughter had a meeting at the library late this afternoon for that branches Teen Advisory Group. Normally, I'd have gone to the Y tonight to workout after her meeting, but was just too darn tired so stayed home. It was probably for the best anyway as we had awful weather most of the day. We were under a tornado warning and the winds were high. All good excuses that I wish were good enough to over-ride my guilt at not going to the Y.
I'm STILL reading the Valkyrie book. While today may have been boring, I still had things to be done. The good news is that after I finish it, I still have nine other books to read. *g* I love having choices.

Tomorrow is going to be crazy. I had hoped it would be more normal, but Daughter and Son were asked to teach both MA classes because our Siho will be out of town. But, Daughter works in the morning. So, to the Y, back from the Y. To the Y and there for hours. *sigh* Then tomorrow night there is a great "show" at the library on the life of Harriet Tubman. It's going to be acted out as though the woman portraying her WAS her. I can't wait for the kids to experience. I love when History comes alive. Plus, I'm thinking of making them write up their experience for part of their schoolwork. Yeah, mean mom strikes again.

All that said, time to get SOME rest. I hope y'all had a fantastic Wednesday. I wish a thankful, thoughtful and evenly paced Thursday. *g* Goodnight, B.

Exercise: None.
Exercise Hours: 0. <--- feeling="" guilty="" nbsp="" over="" p="" that.="" very="">

Sleepy-time!

Taki and Elvis are nap buddies, as previously posted. Here they are on the top tier of the kitty tower snuggled up together and napping away. I know I've posted a lot of pictures of Taki lately, it's because she's the only one that will sit still long enough to take a picture! Well, except for Layla and then I get the long-suffering look and sigh. Yes, she really does that. *g*

While there isn't much to post about tonight I figured I'd blather on a bit. I am the "evil mom" tonight. Daughter's two friends come with us to the Y most Tuesdays and Thursdays nowadays and both love to spar with her despite not having formal MA training. Our SiHo (It means teacher of teachers.) doesn't mind at all because he's moved her training from formal to informal, so as better to prepare for real life situations. (No, I am not exactly happy about this.) She sparred with one today and he just doesn't know how to pull back his hits. She slid across the floor a bit before backrolling and jumping to her feet. I've told her I'm not happy that he doesn't know how to hold his hits back a bit because he could not mean to, but could hurt her. I've told her that if he doesn't learn control soon she and he won't be allowed to spar anymore. That has not made me very popular tonight with Daughter. She can get the heck over it, whether she likes it or not her safety is one of my primary concerns and there is no way in heck I want to come down from my class and see EMS working with my Daughter. *sigh* We had the weirdest conversation on the way home tonight, btw. With three teens and Son you know it had to be! They were discussing which Superhero they would be- if they were Superheroes. All across the board- Batman, X-Men, etc. It was...... interesting and enlightening how each one of them saw themselves.
In other news we went to the other Library this afternoon, the Main Branch. We somehow managed to spend an hour there and I ended up with an armful of books again. *g* I can't remember all the titles, so will have to post them tomorrow. That also means I have a nice big stack of books again between my visit yesterday and todays. I am still reading Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson. This is a YA by a new-to-me author. It involves Norse Mythology and so far it's a tad slow moving, but then again I haven't had much of a chance to read! *g*

Time to head offline. I hope y'all had an agreeable day. I wish a Wonderful Wednesday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: Zumba.
Exercise Hours: 1hr..

Taki the Sweet!

Taki loves to hide a bit behind the curtains in the kitchen and enjoy the sunshine. I thought she looked rather sweet and lovely when she did it earlier today and so wanted to share. Isn't she adorable?

Not much from me tonight. I'm very tired and a rad cranky and had trouble getting warm earlier tonight AND wanted something sweet, but we don't have anything. So, I'm going to bed and snuggle under the duvet and read a little before getting some sleep. I hope y'all had a nice day. I wish a terrific Tuesday for y'all. Goodnight and Hugs, B.

Exercise: yoga.
Exercise hours: 1hr..

Lasting Love! *g*

Have y'all ever seen a claddaugh? I've always loved what it stands for- Friendship, Love and Loyalty. Chris bought me this stained glass claddaugh years ago and it's handing in our bedroom. I look at it each night and smile. *g* (The story of the claddaugh is kind of sweet and sad and hundreds of years old.)

Not much to share from the weekend. We've tried very hard to get Chris' battery to charge back up, but to no avail. We'll have to purchase a new battery.
Friday was spent trying to figure out how bad our weather was going to be. Daughter worked that morning and we had ice/sleet/rain start around 11am and kept on to around 4pm. We didn't accumulate a lot, but we it was enough to be dangerous. There were numerous wrecks and such here because of it, but we were NOT one of those. I was wishing for snow. But, we never received any. I want snow! I want to live closer to the mountains so we can have snow every year.
Saturday? We visited the Out-laws and then had Daughters friends over for dinner and games. They played the x-box for a bit, but had the biggest amount of fun playing Monopoly. There were alliances and deals and a lot of "take-that!" and gingham (sp) style dancing when a victory occurred.
And today? Was spent doing laundry and taking Daughter to the Y so she could get her laps done. I worked out while she did that and we met up at the end to head home.

As for reading, well, I found a new-to-me author. The series is about a group of sisters that was cursed and they have tried to stay away from other supernaturals, but have finally been discovered. There are vampires and werewolves and witches and then there are the sisters. One is a were-tiger with unique abilities. The other is capable of telekinesis. Yet another is a healer and the last one (if I remember correctly) can transform objects into weapons as long as she's wearing some type of metal. There is some humor, lots of fight scenes and a good plot, though I figured out who the big baddie was pretty quick- despite a red herring. Oh, the book was titled Sealed with a Curse by Cecy Robson. If you like paranormals give it a try.

And that's it. Time to get some rest. I hope y'all had a lovely weekend. I wish a pleasing and low-key Monday for y'all. Goodnight and Blessings, B.

Exercise: stationary bike, 10.08 miles.
Exercise Hours: 35min..

Playing Hide and Seek!

This is Einstein IN Chris' cooler that he takes to work with his lunches and waters every day. The cats LOVE this cooler and play in it every chance they get. They are the reason the top now has teeth marks and they love to pop out of it like the old "Pop Goes The Weasel" boxes. (Can't think of the name of them right now.)

I can't type long. My hand is really hurting. I woke up in the middle of the night with my hand hurting so badly I would whimper every time I moved it. It's swollen and the fingers and wrist are swollen as well. I couldn't even uncurl my fingers this morning, but now am able to at least do that. I can't bend my wrist, but am taking yet another course of ibuprofen and am thinking of buying stock in it right about now. It's getting better, but I'm not going to push it too hard tonight.
Ack! Sorry to be whining!
I finished the Henderson book and have yet to pick which book I'll be reading next. I hope y'all have good books to read, good friends to talk with and good snacks (for those book reading times! *g*). I wish an enjoyable Friday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: CardioPump (without weights), Pilates (ab work)
Exercise Hours: 2hrs..

Aka, my dandelion!

Aka has a couple of nicknames. (Most of our cats do.) Aka's are Ping Pong, because when he was smaller he would bounce between all of us for attention at one time. Another is Dandelion because his fur is so very soft and plush. The last, so far, is a play off of Dandelion- I call him Dandy Lion because the fur around his neck is extra fluffy and he pulls his head back into it a bit when sitting in the Sphinx pose, so it ends up looking like the mane of a lion. Most important to know about Aka is that he is incredibly sweet and a Mama's boy. *g*

Not much to share today. I took the day off from working out to give my feet a break. I need new tennies, but with Chris' jeep possibly needing a new battery and, please no, a possible alternator I don't want to take the funds to purchase them right now. Plus, last nights Zumba class was full of jumping. I did end up trying to bake bread, but yeast is a tricky wicket. Grrrr. I also made chicken stew and wanted to make caramel blonde brownies, but despite swearing to having bought sone Saturday, even Chris thinks we did - we cant find it, I am out of brown sugar. Need to pick up some tomorrow. However, I did manage to drop off the summons for jury duty. Looks like Chris is going to have to take those days off from work to take my place homeschooling and ferrying the kids around.

As for reading? I am halfway through the Dee Henderson book. This one is darker in tone and yet seems to be taking the same path for story structure as the other.

No more from me! I need some rest. I hope y'all had a day that allowed you some joy. I wish a thankful and thoughtful Thursday for y'all. Goodnight, B.

Exercise: took the day off.
Exercise hours: 0.

Boy, they sure do nap a lot!

Taki and Layla decided to nap together the other evening. Layla isn't a big cuddle-er with the other kitties, so this was actually quite sweet. Both girls prefer to nap with me, which I don't mind, but makes for a very hard way to sleep at night! *g*

Today was not uneventful. Nor was it quiet or simple. It started this morning. Chris' jeep wouldn't start, even trying to jump it off. Our fear was the starter. So far it seems that the battery has been drained and will need to recharge for a long while. Luckily, Chris was able to go into work late and he borrowed his Dad's truck to get to work. We'll keep the truck for a day or two to see if the jeeps batter will recharge or will need to be replaced. He wasn't sure this morning how the battery had drained, but this evening discovered that his overhead light was somehow turned on and left that way the entire weekend.
Also today, I received a letter informing me I've been chosen for jury duty. I have no idea how, or why, but I would not mind if this had come for a time later than April. Unfortunately, it's for March and I need to try to either get out of it or get it postponed. Daughter will be eighteen in April and will then be able legally to watch Son during school hours, also she's already turned in her March work calendar. Chris MAYBE could get the time off, but I'd rather not have to have him do so. So, any suggestions?
I did manage to run a couple of errands this afternoon and then we did more schoolwork. This afternoon I was informed that two of Daughter's friends were attending the Y with us this evening to watch Son teach MA class. They also ended up participating in class. Son needs to work on being firmer with his class as well as delegating, but he didn't do too badly for a ten year old. *g* I'm sure with more practice he'll improve.
I also have two new library books, picked up this afternoon. Since I finished the Dee Henderson book I was reading and liked it, so requested another and had it come in today. I now have The Negotiator by Dee Henderson and Sealed with a Curse by Cecy Robson, a new to me author.

And that's it. There were a few other things to take care of today, but those were more boring than the things I DID share. *g* I hope y'all had a good day. I wish a wonderful Wednesday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: Zumba.
Exercise: 1hr..

Harley the 'Model' Kitty!

I can't remember if I've posted this picture before. Harley is quite photogenic and doesn't mind me taking her picture. She looks directly at the camera and has such a sweet face! And she is very sweet. She's not very bright, but she loves everyone and loves to be petted and held.

A quiet and normal day here. Well, semi-normal. I gave the kids the day off from schoolwork so they could work on a paper for MA class on weapons and while I did laundry, I also took time to just.... read. To rest. It was nice. I don't normally take time like that and I had forgotten how happy is makes me. I don't know if y'all have noticed, but my time on-line has been limited lately. Things have been so busy here and I had to give up something or go wacky trying to fit it all in. So, I am commenting less, but trying to keep up with reading of posts and such. I hope things even out soon. Daughter has made her New Year's Resolution to gain her license this year. I really hope she does it. It would cut down on my driving time and free up more time to get things done. Of course, it will also mean sharing a vehicle for a while, but it would definitely be worth it.
As for reading today? I'm almost finished with the Dee Henderson book. The author has a way of building layers in this book. It has taken a while, but laid a good foundation to the relationship that was forming. Of course, not all is perfect for me. While I understand the motivations of the male lead (a switch for sure!), the female lead seems rather closed off and I can't connect at all with her character. I know it has something to do with the character building, there's something I've yet to discover (as the reader) about the character, but for now? I'm having a hard time mustering up enthusiasm for the characters relationship.

No more from me. Time to get some sleep. I hope y'all had a pleasing Monday. I wish an excellent Tuesday for y'all. Goodnight and Hugs, B.

Exercise: Yoga.
Exercise hours: 1hr..

His nickname is Dingbat!

Einstein is the goofiest cat we have. Right now, anyway. He has to be in the same room as everyone, but most especially Chris and I. He pats you as you walk past him and loves to play the ice game. Silly kitty!

It's been a very long day. I haven't been home for a LOT of it, actually the kids and I haven't. Son had a 4-H meeting this afternoon, Daughter had to work, the kids had MA class and I had classes. It's been raining for four days straight and tonight we should have gotten snow, but it just didn't cool down fast enough and the storm blew out more quickly that was expected.
And we are all tired. It's been a very long week and it's not over yet. Tomorrow promises to be busy, too. I'm tempted to just hide at home, but don't really have that option. Sorry to sound like I'm complaining. I'm not. I'm just telling y'all about our week. Tomorrow is also Chris and my Anniversary.  We met 23 years ago on the 18th. We were engaged 21 years ago on the 18th and married a year later. I can't believe so much time has passed as I still see those fabulous blue eyes when I look into his face and one of my favorite sounds in the world is his heartbeat as he hugs me.

Anyway, I finished reading the Harper book. Not sure what's up next. I have a few choices still (I keep getting books in and returning books and such.) I may try the new Evanovich as it's due soon and while it's a Historical and don't read many of those, it started in a cute manner. I guess I'll choose tomorrow.

Time to get some rest. Blessed Be! I hope y'all had a energetic and happy day. I wish a fun and enjoyable Friday for y'all. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

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

Pepper the Doctor of Cute! (*g*)

Finally! A picture that captures Peppers eyes! Her eyes look like this most of the time, fully wide open pupils and when you look at them and the light hits them they are a swirly blue instead of that weird greenish/yellow most cats have. (Though Layla's look red when the light hits them that way.) I did some research about this and it seems that she does indeed have some sort of vision issue, because reflecting blue like that means that the light isn't hitting the point it does on cats with normal vision. That's okay. No matter what we love Pepper- bad vision and all. Look at that cute face! How could we not then place a sparkly hat on her for the New Year? *g*

This week is kicking my fanny for some reason. I'm just not feeling like I'm getting good sleep and wake up almost more tired than I went to sleep. As a matter of fact, this morning I woke with my hips and lower back hurting. I hate our bed. It's rather new, about a year old now, and yet I was more comfortable sleeping on our old bed than this one. (Not to mention this one already has that "hump" in the middle.) I dislike how mattresses can't be flipped anymore, too. Why? Because they know that they last longer when you can rotate AND flip them. And goodness knows they don't want you able to keep a mattress for a long while. *sigh* I wish we'd gone ahead and gotten one of those latex foam mattresses instead. Daughter loves hers and says she doesn't have near as much joint pain as she used to have. Oh, well. Maybe in a couple more years. If I'm not a hunchback by then! *g*
Then again, maybe it's that today was the third day in a row that was gray, gloomy, misty, rainy outside. Personally, I don't mind it at all. I like days like this. It makes me want to cuddle up and read. It's just that our schedule won't let me. *g*
I did manage to get up the our MT Y to workout tonight. And talked to the new Fitness Director of that Y about the Kettlebell class. They offer one at noon there, but with our schedule it's just not a good time for me. Turns out they'll be offering one at night in February. Unfortunately, it'll be Thursday night- the night the kids have MA classes and I have other classes at the other Y not to mention we're thinking of Son maybe taking Soccer again and training for that is Thursday night and Saturday morning. *g* I'm guessing I'm not meant to take a kettlebell class right now. Oh, well. I still have my own and pick it up when I remember.
As for reading? I'm still reading The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney by Suzanne Harper. I haven't had much chance to read today, but am hoping to read a few chapters before catching some sleep. So far it's still in the beginning stage, but I am hopeful the mystery portion will unfold soon.

And that's it. Time to get some rest and maybe pick up the few legos that Son has left in my room so I don't stab myself in the foot when I get up in the morning before I put my contacts in! *g* I hope y'all had a pleasing day. I wish a Thankful and Thoughtful Thursday for y'all. Goodnight and Hugs, B.

Exercise: Zumba.
Exercise Hours: 50 min..

Napping Buddies!

There are TWO sleeping kitties in this picture. They just happen to have the same fur colors! Elvis and Taki are nap buddies and most often on the top tier of the kitty tree. Notice how Taki is all over the place and Elvis is related to the back end? Yeah, little girl is a wild sleeper. *g*

I meant to post last night, but was so darned tired by the time I thought about it that I didn't manage to before falling asleep. As a matter of fact, yesterday was NOT a good day, in so far as I was exhausted all day. To the point where I just wanted to curl in a ball and cry tired. I don't get that way often, but I tend to pay attention when I do. I get very emotional (re: weepy) and I just didn't have the option of sitting or laying down all day and so had to "suck it up, Buttercup".
Daughter worked and Son had a tween event at the library and then I scraped myself together and went to yoga hoping that I would at least feel that peace at the end of the class I usually feel. It was not to be. We had a sub. A sub that actually teaches yoga at the Y at various other times. He and his significant other. However, they both teach exactly the same way. They are not good teachers if you like something different each class as the class we experienced last night is one I could have taken three years ago, last year, last month or last weekend. Same warm-up, same monotone voice, same water over rocks music with a small bit of pan pipe, same strength training applications. Even the same inability to teach at different levels so that the beginners (of which there were many last night) can ease into a practice or at least get help with their posture during poses so they don't injure themselves. For goodness sake! The teacher even did a pose WRONG. We are taught from the first class on, from the first pose on- that your knee is NEVER to lean past your ankle and yet he did so last night. To a bad degree. And I KNOW he's had knee issues before. Well, duh. Wonder why? Needless to say (because I've already said it, sorry), I left class very irritated and cranky and not with that wonderful relaxed peace of mind I usually feel.
Today was better. I'm not as tired, though my shoulders are sore due to last night and had an awesome Zumba class this evening after working with the kids with their schoolwork all afternoon. Son was working on a History test and that child is driving me batty with the unwillingness to read the entire chapter, rather than reading the question and then hunting for the answer. I AND Daughter tried to tell him that by reading the chapter first you know exactly where you can find the information you need, or at least have a better understanding of where it may be. Ten year old boys can be downright stubborn! Eventually I am sure that he'll listen. I can hope, anyway. *g*
After arriving home tonight Chris and I made turkey chili together and YUM! Just the thing for the past two dreary, rainy (and tonight-cool) days and evenings. Poor Chris. I added jalapeños to the chili because Daughter and love them in chili.
As for reading, I have just begun reading Sparrow Delaney by Suzanne Harper. This is a YA and by a new-to-me author. I needed something lighthearted after trying to read Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion.  I am just going to have to give up on Zombie books. My imagination takes over and I just can't handles the images that run through my head. I also tried Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter, but it had such a slow start and then again- Zombies. I officially give up. No more for me. However, and this is going to sound weird, Warm Bodies is now a movie and looks much better (for me) than the book. Is there a genre, or a sub-genre that you just can't read? Please tell me I'm not the only one? Anyone have any books suggestions (not zombies) for me?

It's that time again. Time to head offline. I hope y'all had a good day. I wish a wonderful Wednesday for y'all. Goodnight and Hugs, B.

P.S. Please keep Melissa in your thoughts and prayers, and Spirit her kitty who is very ill and Chaos who has now seen the Neurologist for a diagnosis on the cause of her recent seizures. Thank you!

Exercise: Monday, Yoga. Tuesday, Zumba.
Exercise Hours: Monday AND Tuesday= 2hrs..

Sorta Oldie, but Cutie!

This is my favorite picture of Buddy Boy. He's still very sweet and timid, but also gotten MUCH bigger. I can't believe it, but he's now bigger than Wicket, though he's not quite a year old.

Chris is home! He went out of town earlier this week and while I missed him I do know that my house runs a smidge smoother with him out of town. *g* However, trust me. I did miss him. *g* Today was actually a more quiet day than the rest this week. We spent most of it at home, but the Teen/Tween librarian that we like that moved was back in town and at our local branch for a visit so we did head up there to see her for a bit. While there I picked up a couple of holds that had come in for me. One is Coronets and Steel by Sherwood Smith. The other is a movie, The Bourne Legacy. Chris enjoys the Bourne movies, and this one looks really good, though I'm not a huge fan of the series. I tried the books, just not my thing. I DID finish reading the latest Jayne Ann Krentz, Dream Eyes. I really enjoyed it. Just enough suspense, romance and paranormal to make me happy. Next up? I tried a book by a new-to-me author, but didn't like it. I just couldn't get into it or for that matter even like the lead female. So. Time to pick another one. No worries there, I still have a stack of books to read. Finding the time to read them...... there's the rub.

Unless you count laundry, cleaning and helping Chris return his rental car it's been a pretty quiet day here. I'll take it. I am NOT complaining. And on that note it's time to get some sleep. I hope y'all had a pleasant Friday. I wish a Saturday filled with amusement and relaxation. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: None.
Exercise Hours: 0.

My Best Bud!

This picture is at least three years old, but as I have yet to download the pictures from the camera thanks to the same issue I blogged about yesterday.... Just bear with me. (For some reason I wanted to type "bare" with me. *snicker*. No one needs to see that! *g*) Layla still has the prettiest blue eyes I've ever seen on a kitty. But, then again, I'm pretty sure I'm prejudiced.

Not much to share from today. My hand/wrist is feeling better today, though I still can't bend my wrist down very much. I CAN unfurl my fingers without pain, so I'm counting it as a huge win.
Son has been the one to step up and help me out. He's even opening and closing the jeep door for me when I have to drive. How sweet is that? We picked up a friend of Daughter's (the Navy Recruit) and gave him a ride to the Y tonight when we went for the kids MA class. He's actually thinking of trying the class. While they went swimming after class I attended my cardio class. When it came time for weights, I used light and mainly one arm. I stayed for the new Barre class (different from ones I've taken before). This one is based on the Bender Ball something or other. All I know is we used a small green ball for a lot of the exercises. It definitely was not an easy class. As long as I've been taking yoga and pilates (off and on over the years for that one), I could feel a serious muscle burn during this class for my legs. And since I love a challenge? I enjoyed the class. Though not so much the snide comment one of the college aged girls made within my earshot. ("I hope one of these balls doesn't pop.") (While looking straight at me.) If I were a different person I would have just said something to her. But, instead I felt very hurt and kind of slunk out when class was over. It took some of the happiness I had had over finishing the class and being able to keep up with it AFTER taking the class before it. Anyway, we headed home after that.
Oh, and as for reading? I am halfway though the Krentz book. I love that her books are basically romantic suspense with a paranormal element now. While almost all her old contemporary books are on my keeper shelves, I must admit a serious love for the paranormal ones. (Her books written under her Castle name are my absolute favorites of hers.)
****And that's it. I am asking that y'all say a prayer for Chaos, Melissa's Elkhound. Chaos had two seizures tonight and I know her family is very worried.
I hope y'all had a cheerful and light day. I wish a fun and enjoyable Friday for y'all. Goodnight and Blessings, B.

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