Crazy and the Cat Lady

We tore out the old faucet, sink, and vanity yesterday, finished painting the ceiling and slapped up a fresh coat of paint on the walls. One more coat should do it. This house is old. Like 45 years old and dare I tell you it isn’t finished? Should I confess that?

Should I also confess that we have lived here for 13 years on August 1st? I could confess that I hate this house, but that would be complaining and I’m trying to do less of that. We have a roof over our heads, content I should be. I can tell you that we do not own this house, which is part of the reason we haven’t finished it. It’s really hard to sink money into a place that isn’t yours. However, we decided something HAD to be done about that bathroom.

Had to!

Miss C’s room is complete and very lovely. For a couple of months now, it’s been the nicest room in the joint. In a matter of days the bathroom will be the new ‘IT’ room in the house. I told Beloved I was going to entertain in there from now on. Of course the problem is it’s about half the size of a walk in closet. I guess we’ll all be cozy in there huh?

On a completely different note:

I think my cat is possessed. Really.

He slinks around, eyes large and glassy, meowing, meowing, meowing. If you try to pet him he’ll run away fast. For no reason at all he’ll tearing down the hall, fly around the living room, stop, look at you, and then whip around and slide into the kitchen.

Dingo has lived with us for just over five years. He’s very…particular about people. One minute he is purring happily on your lap, the next minute he’s hissing and looking at you like your, well, a dog. He and beloved have a love-hate relationship which means Beloved hates Dingo and Dingo loves to bug Beloved. Dingo’s favorite game is to hide in the hall closet and attack Miss C as she passes by.

Up until a few days ago, he loved me. Loved. Me. He was my cat. I could see us growing old and crazy together. Sadly, I think he’s grown crazy without me.

I wonder, can someone perform a Catercisims? Will hair balls fly? Is it possible that my cat is merely hormonal and this too shall pass. Does anyone have any Holy Water they can spare?

Achoo! And I Mean that Most Sincerely!

Today was supposed to be all about the bathroom. That tiny, mess of a water closet and when I say closet, trust me, I mean closet. The primer is up, but I can’t really paint until we tear out the old vanity, sink, and faucet. Meanwhile, all the new bathroom goodies sit in my living room just waiting to be installed.

I’m also supposed to be preparing for a sweet 16 tomorrow. No, not my sweetie, but a friend’s sweetie turned 16 last Sunday and we decided to surprise the birthday girl with a wee family party. We are baking not one, but two cakes. I’m funny about cake. If it’s for a special occasion, it must be made from scratch. After trial and error I have found two cake recipes that make me happy, both from the Barefoot Contessa. One vanilla-lemon and one earth-shaking chocolate, Yeah, buddy. Now that’s what I’m talkin’ bout. They will both be frosted with a whipped cream frosting, one chocolate, the other plain with Strawberries. I’m not even thinking about the calories.

Not thinking…

Which is easy to do since I am suddenly and horribly suffering from allergies. I have been plagued by allergies since I was a teenager with them growing progressively worse with age. My meds now cost, well, a lot more than they use to. I’ve switched to a ridiculously cheap allergy medication that has worked like a charm for the last ten days. Today, rather suddenly, it no workie. My nose is red and raw. I’m sneezing, sneezing, sneezing and I feel awful.

So, what gives? Is there something in bloom that has caused this invasion? Do I have a food allergy? My research showed me that exercise can reduce or eliminate allergy symptoms simply by getting the lymphatic system working and I believe this to be true based on the evidence of my outdoor exercise without any allergies. So, what in the name of all that is holy, is going on? Huh? I want answers dang it!

But I’m still not thinking about that cake, the scent of the chocolate one cooling right now on the counter is not tempting me.

It is not!

And my girl took new pictures of me for...Oops, can’t tell you yet! Just a few more days’ dahling! She took some good shots but I decided to show you the ones we didn’t choose.



Ahh, yes, the pole dancer shot



This one looks like i should be posted on Craigslist: Single and lookin'!



Look ma! She's got fillings!



We decided on this one, but I wonder, is it professional enough? Your thoughts?

For Wen: Hearing Not Included

It’s officially summer here in the Pacific Northwest. That means I don’t have to wear a jacket to go walking in. So, logically, you would think that I would have purchased walking/jogging/running (ha ha) pants with pockets. You’d think that wouldn’t you? Well. I didn’t. Idiot girl.

Instead, I figured out a way to wedge my cell phone between my Incase Ipod arm strap and my arm. Works like a charm. I also figured out that my keys can be oh so carefully stuffed into my sock. I am a walking fashion statement, let me tell you. Red and white Incase with red cell phone scrunched between my dazzlingly red Ipod and my fleshy arm. White and blue Fila’s in which my white sockies fit neatly, one leg BULGING with keys. Hair pulled into a tight pony tail. Yeah, it’s all about the look. I’m one hot mama.

No, really. It’s summer. I’m really, really hot. The hill wanted to kill me today. It wanted me to melt with the black top. Snicker. No way Jose!

So, I’m kickin’ the hill, Ipod urging me on, phone so close to my ear that I would surely hear it. You’d think that wouldn’t you? I didn’t though and missed a call from my new boss (yeah, I gotta boss and she so rocks).

Later I compared notes with another geriatric girl. She’s a girl I've labeled the Singer. She’s also known as the Driver. Personally, I like to call her my Wen. Anyway, The Wen and I laughed about the fact that neither one of us can hear our cell phones.

Now in case you are missing the point here, we are women who could hear a tinker toy plunge through the skin of a child on the second floor of the house before the injured party started screaming. We could hear water drip ever so gently onto rose petals. Bats had nothing on us.

Sadly, our hearing seems to be waning. But what’s most troubling is that unless that darn phone is in our hot little hands, we don’t feel them vibrate either. Huh? In my pocket? Nope, won’t feel it. In my purse at my feet, daughter sitting next to me will feel it, I won’t. So, I purpose to Verizon, Kyocera and all makers of the cell phone that they consider a new line.

A phone for the woman over 40. See, the problem is we haven’t quiet hit menopause, so we’re not snake spit mean (yet), but we’ve lost the ability to hear a train in the distance, a child crying down the hall, or our cell phones. So please, Mr. Cell Phone Maker, make me phone. Make it with a LOUD ring. Make the vibrate option on the phone so strong that Wen in Southern Cal will wonder if there’s been an earth quake. In fact, while you’re at it, make GPS a standard feature for The Stalker with a loud commanding voice so she’ll know where she’s at or where she’s going. Make it artsy and pretty for The Giver. Design it with one of those replicating windows like on Star Trek so that The Writer can get her Luna bar after her run.

And could you make chocolate scented?

What about margarita scented?

Yeah...

Frankie Goes to Hollywood

The year? 1983

I was in high school and one of the things I really, really wanted was a T-shirt. Oh, but not any T-shirt. No. I wanted a Frankie Goes to Hollywood shirt. Sadly, I was a penniless teen from a family of six. The odds of my mother spending hard earned dollars on a silly white T-shirt were slim at best.

But I was a lucky girl. My boyfriend bought me one! I loved that T-shirt. Loved. It. I wore it and wore it…until it went out of style.

The sand passed through the hour glass of time. My boyfriend dumped me (I should write about that sometime), I graduated, married my Beloved, had babies. Frankie never crossed my mind again. Until today that is.

I took my sweet girl to Target so that she could purchase a new pair of pants and while browsing the T-shirts what should my wandering eyes spy? Why a Frankie Goes to Hollywood T-shirt of course! I couldn’t believe it. I showed it to daughter and even sang for her.

She was…unimpressed.

All I could say is, “Relax!”

The Return of the Girl

Today my dearest blondie daughter returns from camp. I’m so excited to see her. This is the longest she’s been away from home and the quiet (no grumbling - it’s been loads of fun around here) is starting to get on my nerves. I know she’ll be exhausted since they’ve been going to bed between 2:30 and 4:30 every night (morning). The skit/play/epic thing was a huge success and I am dying to see all the pictures she took.

In the mean time, I got to the track a bit before 7:00 and logged 2.5 miles. I realize it’s nothing compared to Patti’s 21 miles she’ll be running this week, but hey, a girls gotta start somewhere!

It’s been two months since I started monitoring what goes into the ol’ pie hole. Two months of walks and jogs. Two months of Pilates and weights.

I FEEL STRONG

I’m wearing a smaller size and I am soooo looking forward to hitting that first 15 pound goal, which I should hit this week as I’ve only got 2 pounds to go. I decided to break the weight loss into 15 pound goals because 10 seemed too small and 20 too big. For whatever reason, 15 sounded just right.

And in other news:

I’ve just finished sanding and texturing the bathroom ceiling. It was high time (no pun intended). Last night we bought a new vanity, sink, and faucet. I can hardly wait to see it all installed. Of course, when I was wiping down the walls, after sanding, I realized that I should really paint the walls too. Sigh. So, as long as Beloved hasn’t given all his energy to his employer, maybe we’ll go buy paint and rip out the old vanity so I can paint everything tomorrow.

Excited...But Feelin' Kinda Queasy

I can't tell you why...yet.

I need to write my bio.

I need a new pic.

I think I'm going to throw up.

I’ve made a discovery. Perhaps you’d be interested in knowing what it is. I have to admit that I was a little surprised by it and unless you are my age it may not mean a lot to you. If that’s the case, just tuck this little nugget of knowledge away for a later time. If you happen to be one of my children, just know that we do indeed love you (beyond measure) and we miss you (oh, so very, very much).

Our son moved out last June – one down

Our foster girls returned to their mother in April – two down

Our daughter is away at camp – three down

Can you say party on the farm?

I am surprised and delighted to admit that Beloved and I are having a fabulous time home alone. No children, no messes, no extra driving, just us. Us and the TV. Us and a bottle of vino. Us and the quiet…and each other!

It’s been like a mini-retreat. The only thing that’s missing is the smell of suntan lotion and I can fix that! I never expected to enjoy having this man all to myself. It’s extraordinary how much fun we’re having. I know I’ve whimpered and whined about my children growing up and leaving home (Why you wanna leave me???? - from My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding). There have been times I’ve lamented my babyless state (trust me, it was a passing flirt with insanity!) and wondered aloud to anyone who would listen as to what I would do with my time sans children.

So, let me tell you, I’m doing a lot and I’m having fun. It helps that I just got hired to write some fitness articles (hurray me!). The house work STAYS done. The dishes are minimal and cooking for two, yeah, that rocks!

The quiet is amazingly quite. I never knew that kind of silence existed. It’s kinda creepy, but in a good way.

So, to my darling children, I love you. I really, really do. But guess what? Momma is going to be A OKAY when you both finally depart for your adult lives. I thought I’d be losing my life when you left, but in reality I’ll be gaining one.

Wordless Wednesday - Oh How They Grow!

Don't blink! They grow up so fast!




A scene from the Fig Tree Play starring my dearest daughter



My boy at Crater Lake during the intern retreat

For more Wordless Wednesday visit Five Minutes for Mom

This and That

We have eased into the days of summer. It will be a summer filled with me trying to figure out how to get places without driving. I mean really! Gas is over $4 per gallon. We live in the country so if I want to walk to the store I have two choices: I can walk to our little country store that is five miles round trip and the prices are higher simply because of location –or I can walk 15 miles round trip to the Safeway in town.

There is actually another option: I can just make sure I do everything that neeeeeeds to be done in town when I am actually in town. This third option seems to be my best bet but sadly I have a child at home who has Bible study on Monday nights, play practice on Wednesday’s, Piano lessons on Friday’s, and I’m certain that she’ll actually want to hang with her friends from time to time. Silly girl! Doesn’t she know that her mother is the bestest company evah? Snicker.

So, we’re feeling the pinch. I haven’t located another work-at-home job and I’m still waiting on some writer things to come through. We decided that me getting a job right now isn’t really a good plan. We have company coming in July, Miss C will be working at camp for two weeks (read: my driving her to town and picking her up twice a day for TWO WEEKS) and then Mr. W will invade with all his cuteness while Soldier Momma trains for her deployment next spring.

It's funny, but I now shop the way I use to when our children were wee babies in arms. If it isn’t on sale, I don’t buy it. If it’s still expensive I carefully weigh whether it’s worth it or not. Many times, we just go without. Who needs a tomato when they are over $4.00 per pound? Cheese? HA! There must be a cow shortage! I have to be frank and admit that I am beginning to miss the chickens we had. If things had been different, if the Great Chicken Massacre hadn’t happened, we’d still have farm fresh eggs at a fraction of the price.

And in other news…

I’m still working out, still eatin’ good (cept for those Peanut M & M’s that Miss C bought), still feeling strong. I started working out with weights and although the workout is hard I feel… stronger…leaner… meaner? Well, maybe not mean. Maybe tough is a better word. Yeah, tough. Someone (CoughteriCough) called me a goddess. Not, I’m certain, in the Biblical way, but in the You Rock way. And that felt great :)

And in case you’re interested…

We know a young man who entered the Mountain Dew Ad Contest and made it to the final ten. We are really proud of this homeschool graduate and his movie making skills. You can check out his ad, which is called Caveman Can and can be seen HERE

While there make sure and vote. The winner takes home $10,000 and that will sure help Zach pay for college. I’m biased, but I really do like his entry best!

Clocky Winner!!!!

I have to say that the panel of judges (Beloved, Sleepy Miss C, and myself) enjoyed reading the entries for the Clocky contest. Personally, I was happy to note that I am not the only parent who has trouble getting a kid out of bed.



But without further ado, the winner of the Clocky Alarm Clock from Spoon Sisters is...

Sharon Wren

Here is her entry for your reading pleasure:

Trying to get my 2 boys (6 and 8) out of bed is a nightmare. Like you, DH can get ‘em up easily, but I’m the one who’s home in the morning. I try rubbing their backs, talking nicely, talking louder, threatening lives and other sorts of general chaos. But some days the only thing that gets ‘em moving is when I sing. And I ain’t no Julie Andrews. How bad am I? I was once asked to stop singing in a karaoke bar full of drunks. So when the boys don’t move, I tell ‘em “don’t make me sing!!!’ And if that doesn’t work, I start singing “The Rainbow Connection” from the Muppet Movie at the top of my lungs. It’s not pretty. Halfway across the country Simon Cowell is hiding under his bed w/ his hands over his ears.

But they do get up. BTW, should this entry win and should you wish to torture your listeners (readers), I could record a few minutes of the experience.


So readers, do we want to 'hear' Sharon? Or shall we take warning from those drunks in the karaoke bar? Let's vote! Leave me a comment and tell me what you think.

Sharon, congrats honey! I hope Clocky gets those boys rollin' outta bed each and every morning! And stop back by and let us know how it works. We'd love to know!

I know everyone might think this about their hubby, but I really did hit the jackpot with this guy. He's an awesome father and a terrific hubby. Happy Father's Day Beloved!

Tune in tomorrow for the winner of the Clocky!

Be True

I’ve been MIA this blogging week. Not sure why, really. I’ve been here and there and everywhere but I haven’t really felt like writing. The two things that took place this week were kinda sad, a little depressing, but both good in their own way.

My girl took her final CAT (California Achievement Test). She’ll never have to take one again. Next year it will be the PSAT, then the SAT, possibly the ACT. We’re thinking of having her CLEP for some college credits to save her some time and money. I asked her if she wanted to attend our local community college but she’s not interested. I believe her quote was, “John says there are weird people there.” He probably did say just that. He’s a bit (a lot) over protective of her, more so now than he was when he lived at home. Funny that.

The fact that she’s completed her state required testing made me feel odd. I watched as the other, younger mommy’s kept their little ones busy while the older siblings tested. I recalled doing that same thing, many years ago. I remembered sitting and visiting with my friends while the kids filled in little ovals with number two pencils. This time was different; I paid for the test, reminded her to do the easy math first and not to leave any spots blank, and then left.

It’s the path of the older mom and while I’m glad not to be chasing babies at this point in my life, I was a trifle envious of those younger mommies. They know what they’ll be doing tomorrow, next week, next month and next year. While for me, I’m still trying to find myself and figure out who and what I want to be when I grow up.

Can I have Catherine Zeta-Jones body?

Joshilyn Jackson’s job?

Mother Theresa’s compassion?

Billy Graham’s outspoken faith?

Wow! Wouldn’t that be a super woman! She’d probably be vain as all get out and impossible to be around. She’d be too perfect, too everything. Maybe I should just work with what I’ve got and see where it takes me…

And speaking of working with what I’ve got:

I grew a spine on Tuesday. I know. I was shocked too.

My dad called. I’ve been waiting for it, the other shoe to fall that is. I didn’t yell and I didn’t get angry. I held my ground and told him things he didn’t know. Poor daddy, all these years and so oblivious. Not that he is innocent of helping to create the monster my mother has become, but I really do think he was so busy with his own “stuff” that he didn’t realize what was happening.

When all was said and done I told him that I wouldn’t, couldn’t do what he asked. I told him I was sorry. I promised him that I loved him. I heard the sadness in his voice, it sounded surprisingly similar to my own, and the conversation ended.

Spine, straight and strong.

Heart, sad but true.

To thine own self be true…

PS - Clocky contest ends tomorrow - email your entry today!

Life is...

Crazy – CAT testing for Miss C today then rehearsal tonight.

Loud – Had the nephews here for the weekend.

Busy – Graduation ceremonies, parties, the like.

Sleepless – City council meetings that accomplish nothing but still suck up four and half hours of your night.

Expensive – I have to drive into town every single day this week. Gas is $4.19 here.

Interesting – Bio-Mom phoned to ask if I’d be interested in having the wee girls once a week and that the state would pay me to do it. Hmmm…play with those tiny tyrants & get paid.

Changing – Miss C will be leaving town on the 18th for about a week. It will be the first time I am home alone without children. What to do, what to do…

Don't forget the Clocky contest ends this Friday!

And

Teri Brown's book launch party is in full swing with tons o' fun prizes - today is Moonstruck Chocolates as well as books!

Teri Brown's Launch Party

Ya'll know that one of my very bestest friends in the whole wide world is Teri J. Brown. Her book, Read My Lips was released to book stores on June 3rd.

I'm thrilled to invite you over to Teri's Blog HERE so you can get the details on her fab launch party and sign up to win one of the many prizes. Oh and the grand prize...the basket o' books...it's HUGE, it's amazing, and I soooo want it!

But, well, I am her best friend and it would be kinda weird and unfair for me to win, huh? Take my word for it though, the basket is huge!

You can also visit the Class of 2K8 and see pictures from her launch party at the Washington School for the Deaf (pictures courtesy of yours truly) and learn more about Teri, her book, and the other awesome YA writers.

I leave you with Teri's awesome book trailer. Enjoy!

Excerpts from a Childhood

Excerpts from a composition book:

Things I like to do: whittle, read comics, books, etc., play army, think, run, climb hay 09/05/00

I like being home alone. It is fun doing what I want to do. Sometimes it’s lonely. Sometimes I go upstairs and visit Grandma and Grandpa. I like to watch TV when I am alone. Then mom or dad come home. 03/27/01

What I need to work on: I need to work on my shooting ability so I can go hunting or even become a pro shooter in the Olympics! 02/20/02

My boy is home for a short break before his summer work schedule begins next week. It’s been a year now since he graduated and moved an hour from home to be an Intern with a Christian camp organization. In the year that he’s been gone he’s grown taller, broader shouldered, funnier. I am sometimes amazed when I see him, “THIS is my little boy?”

I’ve missed his being around the house, his goofiness, his “good morning mommy” even though he has towered over me for several years now. I did not, however, miss his stuff. He has boxes and boxes of stuff. Most of which I packed up since we have very little room for, well, stuff. Today, he finally went through a few of the boxes. What treasures I found.

As he’s tossing, I’m grabbing, “Wait! What’s this? You’re not going to throw this out are you?” Various awards from his years in Awana. His inventions; a mini trebuchet, a golf ball retriever, other things we couldn’t remember the purpose of. There were compositions books, photos, basketball cards. All things of boyhood.

I’m proud of the man he’s become and his easy, fun loving manner. His growing up doesn’t make me feel old. It does make me melancholy sometimes though to think of the days I wished away. There were days when homeschooling was difficult (an understatement I assure you) and days when I wanted to do for me, not for anyone else.

As I watched him sort through his childhood I couldn’t help but smile. He’s still that goofy kid at heart. It was plain to see as he pulled out his Tin Tin books and exclaimed, “Hey! Tin Tin!” But he’s also become the man God intends him to be. I think I’ll hold onto these days, the days before he finds his bride, the times before he’s toiling daily to earn his bread, before the cares of life become his burden.

If you are a young parent, I would encourage you not to wish the days away. Hold them tight. They fly, truly fly past you and before the dust settles you’ll see a young adult before you. Trust me, you’re going to miss these times when they are little. Truly you will.

Book Review: Skizzer

by A.J. Kiesling

Family is a funny thing, isn’t it? One moment they are driving you batty. The next you’re rolling with laughter over some long forgotten “goof” that happened long ago. Even in a large family you’ll find two that have a very special connection, one that only deepens over time. In my opinion that’s what makes Skizzer an especially good book.

"There are some things only a sister should know,"said Becca

It’s a tale of two sisters and a mysterious antique necklace. Laced with cryptic clues and family secrets, Claire must unravel the mystery of her sisters’ disappearance and lay open the surreptitious past that has been hidden for far too many years. From North Caroline to England’s distant shores, Claire travels in search of the truth that will set her family free.

Skizzer is part mystery and part deep, personal reflection. I liked how well developed the character of Claire was, how she dug within herself to find answers, and the way she dealt with startling news. The author wove this mystery in an engaging way, making it difficult to stop reading, even at midnight!

About the Book

After receiving news of her sister Becca's abrupt disappearance, Claire Trowling must piece together the shadowy remnants of a past she's long forgotten in order to find her. A cryptic note scrawled in Becca's handwriting leaves more questions than it answers. When a stack of mysterious letters bound by a rare necklace is found, Claire races to discover the secrets that hold her family captive. Suspenseful and full of intrigue, Skizzer takes you on a transcontinental hunt for answers, weaving seamlessly between the distant past of childhood and the urgency of the present.

About the Author

A.J (Angie) Kiesling has worked in the Christian publishing industry since 1985 as an author and editor. A former religion writer forPublishers Weekly and Religion BookLine e-newsletter, she frequently reported on spirituality trends and religion book publishing. Angie is the author of numerous books, including Where Have All the Good Men Gone? (Harvest House), Jaded: Hope for Believers Who Have Given Up on Church but Not on God (Revell), and Soul Deep: Prayers and Promises for Cultivating Inner Beauty (Barbour). She also ghostwrote Live Like a Jesus Freak (Albury), the popular follow-up to D.C. Talk's bestseller Jesus Freaks. Today she heads up the editorial department at Xulon Press, a print-on-demand publisher based in Orlando.

The Contest

Of course there’s a contest! Just click on over to Sprightly and in the comments leave your answer to this question:

What’s the Most Important Thing You’ve Ever Lost and Then Found?

AJ Keisling will select the winning response based on originality and sizzle! The winner will receive a $40.00 gift certificate to the restaurant of their choice. Sounds good to me!

More Info

Aj Keisling’s website: www.ajkiesling.com

Buy the book at my sidebar!

Dancing the Night Away

She could have danced all night, if her feet hadn’t worn out, that is. Saturday was the high school graduation of one of our dear friend’s eldest daughter. I didn’t attend since I was working diligently trying to cough up a lung while reclining on the sofa (IE. I have a cold). After the ceremony the seniors had a dance party that consisted of English Country dancing and square dancing. It was well chaperoned and Miss C knew nearly everyone who was there.

For me, the fun part was listening to her recount the evening later that night. Her eyes sparkled as she told me about dancing with one young man, whom we’ve known for at least ten years, who swept her off her feet…literally. This type of dancing has very little physical contact, other than hands, and apparently when the lead (girl or boy) swings their partner around you can literally catch some air.

Her partner, Mr. K, swung her off her toes more than once. She laughed and laughed and I said, “He doesn’t realize his own strength!” She heartily agreed and went on to describe dancing with another partner who was just barely taller than she is. It was challenging to get under his upraised arms, while her arms were raised as well.

She danced with her girlfriends and danced with a few young men and as I listened to her I realized, again, that she is growing up. I thought about the future and pictured her as a bride, dancing at her wedding and realized that I have no idea how to dance and I’d better lace up my boots and figure it out!

Seriously though, the kids had a wonderful time and everyone’s feet ached from too much dancing and isn’t that a wonderful memory for them to have? Most of these graduates will be heading off to college in a few months. Their lives will change in new and divers ways. Old friendships may give way to new ones but they’ll always have that night of dancing.

And in case you have no idea what I’m talking about, here is a video showing English Country dancing. Enjoy!