Honoring their memory

My neighbor Mike was badly injured in Iraq 4 years ago by an IED. He should not have survived, but somehow he did. I believe he said that he was the only one in his unit who did. They finally retired him medically last year. I think he had 26 years of faithful service in. His wife Peggy has 20 years in and just re-enlisted for another 4 years. Good people.



Poor Mike had a hard time putting out his flags this year because the ground was really parched and hard. He finally managed it. He puts out hundreds of US and POW flags. They go all around the border of his property. He does this on every Patriotic holiday. This is in addition to his flag pole.



Of course I have my flag out... the one Mike has lovingly replaced for me every year so it is always pristine. He disposes of the old flags as per proper flag protocol.

Mike may be retired, but he still loves our country and our flag. I am proud to know him. I am grateful for every man and woman who has served and for those who continue to serve. Men like Mike. Women like Peggy. And men like Sarge and my Dad. Where would we be without them?

Remember to honor our fallen soldiers and their families who sacrificed so much that we may enjoy our freedom. It comes with a price, one that we can never repay.

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

A Monday that I don't have to work!

I know. Practically nobody is working tomorrow but it still makes me feel special!

Monday morning I'll be making those yummy Cappuccino Cookies, then the Smashed Potatoes and Mozzarella Sticks as mentioned many times over because I can almost taste them and I finally get to make them!

And then I ran across a treat that is so easy to make it's crazy. You know how sometimes you just gotta have something that's salty AND sweet? Here ya go! Rollo & Pecan Yummies! I'll be trying these soon!

The race was pretty exciting yesterday, especially the last 20 laps! I didn't even take a nap! The wreck on the last lap was horrific, but thankfully the driver had relatively minor injuries. It beats me that he could even survive a wreck like that! 210-220 mph meets a concrete wall. Yikes.

And what is up with Gracie all of a sudden falling in love with the trash can under my desk? I know this is dark, but hey, it's dark under my desk!



She digs in it, hides her toys in it, growls in it and sleeps in it.



She's driving me nuts. Krazy Kitty! It's adorable, of course. But when you're on the phone with a customer? Not so much.

Enjoy your day off! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

PC and Apple do NOT play nice

I spent the better part of yesterday hating Windows. HATE. With a Purple Passion. I even ended up saying bad words.

All I wanted to do was get the photos cleared from my iPhone. In order to do that all I had to do was log onto iTunes, tell it NOT to sync my photos and then sync my iPhone. Easy Peasy, right?

Nuh-uh.

First off I tried it on my office PC since it was, you know, right there and on and all. I hate using my business PC because iTunes really, Really, REALLY does not play nice with the new Windows 7. AT ALL. However, since I wasn't working and therefore didn't have to worry about iTunes locking up my computer while I was talking with a customer I decided to go ahead and try it.

First off I downloaded the newest version of iTunes. Once that was done I figured it would take a few minutes to sync and I could uninstall iTunes again and be on my merry way with my plans of doing not much else other than relaxing and running to the store to get a few things... for those Cappuccino Cookies!

Well, let's just say THAT didn't work out.

So I tried my old laptop because it is still running Windows XP. Well, it worked just slightly better. And I mean the tiniest bit, slightly better. iTunes was using ALL of the resources and running SLOW as molasses, but still running.

Then just for extra fun Microsoft Office kept trying to install updates, further draining resources and... oh, I won't bore you with all the details but I ended up restoring my iPhone to the factory settings and syncing my contacts with MobileMe. Which I LOVE by the way!

And Apple, don't think I'm just mad at Windows! Why can't I just batch delete the photos right from my iPhone? I mean really. How dumb is that? Yeah. That's right, Apple. I said DUMB!

So today I have to pick up those things I was going to get yesterday and then I'm going to do something I haven't done for ages. Absolutely Nothing! I'm going to plop down on one of Al & Barbara's recliners in front of the TV and eat their pizza and watch the race. I hope your day is lovely. Big Hugs ♥xo

The Times They Are a-Changin'

Some of you know that in my business I work as a supplier to the Commercial Printing Industry. If not, well, now you do. Late yesterday afternoon I got an email from one of my primary Vendors regarding another manufacturer - one which I've represented as a Dealer for about 30 years. They are closing their doors in mid-June. Not selling, just closing the doors. Forever.

This news hit me hard. I know these people who will all be losing their jobs in less than 3 weeks.

I realize that change is inevitable, but then I've never really been a big fan of change. And I definitely knew something would be happening in regards to this particular Vendor. You see, the President of the company (and designer of a unique add-on/after market piece of equipment which truly enhanced the small printing press) died a few months ago after a long, full life.

Oh. And he made a ton of money over the last 4 decades. Every major press manufacturer sold his invention as an add-on to virtually every new printing equipment purchase. Nearly every small printing press currently in production has one. He always treated his employees very well. Very well, indeed. So the fact that he did not put a plan in place for his employees to carry on the company in the event of his imminent death surprised me.

The Printing Industry has changed tremendously in the 30 years that I've been in it, but especially so in the small press category in the last 10-15 years, Now everybody has true 2-color presses... not a single color press with an add-on. It should also come as no surprise that we also now have digital 4-color presses. And 5 and 6... And I make my living from selling parts for these. I really shouldn't complain.

My best friend (and former business partner) Al tells me I shouldn't be surprised. And I'm not - not really. I'm just really, really sad.

Big Hugs ♥xo

Memorial Day Weekend

Sleeping Cutie

Gandalf has been taking his naps on my lounge lately. I need to take a lesson from him and relax more. I've stayed up past my bedtime 3 nights in a row so I'd better get back into my regular sleeping habits... before I get cranky!

It's Friday and a 3 day weekend  is just ahead. Hooray! I really need it, too. I thought once the house was painted I'd be able to relax, but there's been lots of things to keep me busy. I built a web site for it and listed it on HomesByOwner.com - for FREE! I've already had a call, but it was an investor.

I'll put an ad in next weekend's paper for the Open House. My Dad repainted and stenciled my phone number on the For Sale By Owner sign for me. He couldn't just use a magic marker or hand paint it on. No, no, no! Dad was a Draftsman by trade and that is not how Draftsmen DO things!

I've got the fliers all made up, printed and ready to go in the tube that hangs on the sign. It's ready to be stuck in the ground today!

I know I'll be fielding a lot of crap calls once that happens, but it's all part of the process and I'll just have to deal with it.

Fallen

In case you have big plans and aren't online I hope you all have a fabulous Memorial Day Weekend. I hope everyone takes at least a moment to remember why this weekend has been set aside. Remember to honor our Military men and women who have fallen, those who have served faithfully and those serving now.

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

All people are born alike - except Republicans and Democrats. -Groucho Marx

Memorial Day Weekend Fare

Pioneer Woman is having a giveaway on her blog today for THREE KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixers.

It ends tonight, so if you want to enter you'd better skidaddle!

And it's an easy question, too. To enter the giveaway, just answer the following question in the Comments section of PW's post:

“Who’s your favorite man in the world?”

So I had to enter!

I was commentor #20,390! I can only imagine how many comments have been left in the 3 hours since I left mine.

But I'm pretty sure I'm not going to win one of those mixers!

Do you think PW ever feels guilty that she doesn't get around to visit everyone's blogs? Ha! Well, that's OK with me as long as she keeps putting up such awesome recipes! Since it's a holiday weekend AND since I don't have to work I've decided to do some cookin'. Now don't get me wrong. My mother is the best cook in the wolrd, but I do miss cooking!

So. What will I be making? I'll be whipping up a batch of my tried and true Sweet BBQ Sauce recipe I got decades ago from a friend's Mother-in-law for grillin' up some chicken, which btw I had to beg and plead to get. It was downright embarassing, but SO worth it! I will also be trying a few NEW recipes! I'm making PW's Panko Mozzarella Sticks and Restaurant Style Smashed Potatoes (which sounds very much like my Potato Casserole!) and Social Frog's Cappuccino Cookies this weekend. My mother will be making something, too, but she hasn't told me what yet.

What's on your Memorial Day menu?

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Cappuccino Cookies

Can you say Cookies?! I love cookies!

Photo shamelessly stolen from Miss Bee's blog!

Somehow, Miss Bee has got everyone sending her cookies! It's fabulous! And these were the first to arrive.

Miss Social Frog emailed me the recipe. Then she even said I could share it on my blog! So now you know what I will be doing at least part of the time on this upcoming holiday weekend! A weekend that I.Don't.Have.To.Work! Woohoo!

Here's the recipe! Thank you, Social Frog!

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup (2 Sticks) butter, softened 
• 2 Cups Packed brown sugar 
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 2 Tablespoons instant coffee granules or cappuccino
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Teaspoon Rum extract
• 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 4 Cups All purpose Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Baking powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground nutmeg
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• Chocolate Sprinkles (Optional)
• Melted Semisweet and or white chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions:

Beat butter in a large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add brown sugar; beat until well blended

Heat milk in small saucepan over low heat; add coffee granules, stirring to dissolve. Add milk mixture, eggs, rum extract and vanilla to butter mixture. Beat at medium speed until well blended

Add in dry ingredients

Shape dough into 2 logs, about 2 inches in diameter and 8 inches long. Dough will be soft; sprinkle lightly with flour if to sticky to handle

Roll logs in chocolate sprinkles, if desired, coating evenly Or, leave rolls plain and dip cookies in melted chocolate AFTER baking. Wrap each log in plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight

Preheat oven to 350. Grease cookie sheets. Cut rolls into 1/4 inch-thick slices, place 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Keep unbaked rolls and sliced cookies chilled until ready to bake

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Dip plain cookies in melted semisweet or white chocolate, if desired. Store in airtight container

Makes about 5 Dozen Cookies?

Graciously shared by The Social Frog :)

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

The King of Winthrop

Nana Jo King, that is! Thanks to my cousin April for scanning this newspaper clipping of my maternal grandmother, Josephine King-Sylvia. She's 4th from the left in the second row. My best guess is that this would be circa 1920ish since Nana was born in 1908. I just love these outfits, especially the shoes! My sister Lynda remembers that Nana let her try on her sweater one day. It was very heavy and made of wool. I remember the sweater, but I don't remember if I ever got to try it on!

I've got to get back into scanning old photos again! I just love them! Soon!

The Bad News: I'm NOT having my Open House this coming Sunday. It's Memorial Day! I forgot all about it being a holiday. Having an Open House on a holiday is a sure fire way to have absolutely NOBODY show up! Rats.

The Good News: It's a Holiday! Woohoo!

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Awww...Mondays

PHOTO CREDIT

How adorable is he? And if you were his Mom, how could you ever get mad at him? Even if he is Barf Vader. =0)

T'maters

My Dad's upside down T'maters are lookin' good! We always seem to have too many so this year Dad only planted 2 plants. Maybe we won't have to beg people to take some!

The bell peppers? Not so much. Dad got a different variety this year and rather than looking like a nice, healthy shrub, it looks more like an alpine-shaped scrawny tree and it is all wilty and sad looking. Poor Bell Peppers. I didn't have the heart to photograph it in all it's pathetic-ness. 'Cause I'm just that considerate of plant's feelings. hahahaha!

Well, it's Monday, so I can rest! phew. Home Improvements are hard on these old bones! Which reminds me...

Last week I had my eyes examined and the Doctor was about, oh, I don't know, 12? Anyway, she was so cute and was trying so hard not to call me old when she had to tell me I had begun to develop cataracts. She said,

'you shouldn't be alarmed. It's just that when you reach a certain age'...

And I just started laughing. Oh, honey, I know how old I am!.

Wasn't she adorable? bwahahahaha!

I finished the painting. Yes, you read that right! No, really. I did! I also deep-cleaned both bathrooms and did some other cleaning in the kitchen and Al steamed the office floor for me.What's left is very minor details like re-hanging a bathroom mirror, replacing a couple of burned out light bulbs and finding that missing stick that opens and closes one of the blinds. I have no idea where that could have gotten to, y'all. (No preposition, Miss Bee!)

I'm having the first Open House Sunday. I plan to have all the blinds open, all of the lights on, fresh coffee brewing, some cookies, a cooler of bottled water, maybe some fresh flowers and, of course, fresh towels in the bathrooms. I'll also have some flyers made up for any lookers to take away with them. The house is completely empty (or will be, once I remove all the painting paraphernalia!) so I will have a few fold up chairs and a little table. I know I'll need to sit while I try to stay accessible yet out of the way.

I'm debating on whether or not to bring my Bose stereo and some CDs. I love background music but with my luck I'll choose music that may not be condusive to buying a house! I'll google that and see what I can find on the subject. If any of you have any suggestions or tips on holding an Open House, I'd love to hear them!

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

In the Home s-t-r-e-t-c-h

Well, I didn't quite finish the painting. I stopped about 2:30 for a cold drink. Unfortunately, once I sat down I just couldn't overcome the 'calling it a day' feeling. Slacker! hahahaha!

But I have mere minutes left and then the cleaning. My Dad will be putting in some new ornamental grasses and fresh mulch in the flower beds for me at the beginning of the week.

The Stanley Steemer guys did OK but I really couldn't see that the carpets were any cleaner. They did spray the enzyme treatment. They said it takes 48 hours to have the full effect. If I can still smell anything they come back out and retreat at no additional cost. Can't ask for more than that, can you?

I expect to be putting out the For Sale by Owner sign tomorrow, even without the Aztec grass and mulch in yet. I'll be having an Open House next Sunday!

Can you say Homestretch?!

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Saturday Stuff

Gandalf still likes his Pink Heart on the Pink Heart Ribbon, Auntie Janice!

So. It's Saturday again. I've got Stanley Steemer coming out this morning to do a better job than I can do on the carpets with my little Hoover. Don't get me wrong - I love my little Hoover and it does an OK job. However, since I'm putting the house on the market I want better than OK. I want to make sure they get out any pet odors that I may not smell plus they have a fancy schmancy enzyme they use that supposedly elimates and neutralizes the pet pheremones. Yuck. TMI? Probably! hahahaha!

I will finish the painting today! Then I'll tackle all the cleaning. Got to make it sparkle and shine!

The sad and scary part is that the house I'm living in is being rather neglected. The Dust Bunnies and Laundry Monsters are multiplying!

And I have a little bit of a booboo face because nobody wants to go with me to see the new Shrek movie. Boo Hoo. So once again I have to wait until it comes out in DVD. Poop.

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Whitey gets in on the Action

Photoshop Action, that is! I just love Photoshop Actions!

I started with this original photo of Whitey. (It is also the Selective Color photo I used in yesterday's post. I added a Gradient Adjustment layer to make it Black and White and simply painted back in his lovely blue eyes.)



Yesterday Lisa had posted some photos she edited using some Photoshop Actions from Pioneer Woman. Well, I had to get right over there to download them and play a bit. Here is a slideshow of the original as well as the 24 Actions I tried. If you'd rather see the larger slideshow and be able to more fully appreciate the differences (as well as seeing the Action Names) CLICK HERE.



Did you have a favorite? Personally, I love the Lovely and Etheral and I'll be playing with that for some portraits! I also love the Fresh and Colorful.

However, I think my favorite version of this particular photo of Whitey is the Old West. GiddeUp, CowCat! It is currently my desktop background. Aint' he a handsome fella?

Whitey, (Old West Action)

...And it's Friday! I'm going to try to rest up today because I've GOT to finish the Yellow house up tomorrow! Well, nothing bad will happen if I don't, but as Travis said in a comment, the best way to finish painting is to stop! And I think he may be on to something! =0)

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Blue Eyed Whitey

Well, my hydrangeas may not be blue, but Whitey's eyes sure are!

I took Grayson in to see Dr. Dave and to have his Creatinine levels taken again. Dr. Dave wanted to compare them to last week's high levels when Grayson was barfing up bile. It's back to perfectly normal. I'm very glad, of course! But I could not help but notice that Dr. Dave pulled into the parking lot right after me in a very nice Lexus SUV. Oh, yes he did!  =0)

So. Today is getting as much of my business paperwork done as possible because while working on my business web site it seems to have multiplied!. And I hope I'll be taking lots of nice, big orders! A gal's gotta buy groceries, after all! And cruises! And a condo for retirement! And her Vet's Lexus!

Oh. And I finally got around to watching Monday night's House last night before American Idol started... Awesome ending, House writers! Let's see how you screw THAT up, House! And IMHO, America got it right - Crystal and Lee are the two that should have made the AI final and they did. Between the two of them, either of them could win and I'd be fine with it. I'm sure they'll both have great careers from here on out.

And that's all I know right now! Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Pretty in Pink

My Dad's mentioned several times now that I should take some photos of the hydrangea so my sister Lynda can see that we've transplanted them from the Yellow house here to the Swamp. They did great, as you can see. But alas, they are still not blue!



And then Megan's Mommy inspired me to try Textures. I took this photo just after sunrise back in March, not long after I moved. I just love mornings! This is my first go with textures, and it's certainly easy enough but I've got to collect some textures first so I can experiment and right now there is precious little spare time in my world! =0)



And here we have one of my little opportunists. I ran into him while I was taking the hydrangea photo. We've got a deer feeder that my neighbor Mike set up last year to feed the feral cats, the geese and, yes, even these rascals! He didn't waste too much time looking at me. He went right back to eating!

I also have it on good authority that a certain New England blogger is coming my way soon! Il mio mother' il Lasagna e Chianti di s sono ufficialmente sul menu, Linda! Woohoo!

And finally, I want to Congratulate my cousin Robert and his wife Meredith on the birth of their TWINS on the 15th! They now have a son and a daughter! Meredith managed to carry them to 36 weeks and we are all thrilled that they are both doing quite well. Mommy is still in ICU after a difficult 3rd trimester and a few complications. I'm praying for her speedy recovery. As of last night, she still hadn't seen her babies since the delivery room when they were whisked off to the Nursery and she to ICU. Robert's been taking tons of photos but a Mommy needs to hold her babies. We are all hoping they will wheel the babies up to her very soon or that she will be well enough to visit them.

As it happens, the excitement over these twin babies has been responsible for my mother talking to her baby sister several times a day for the past week or two, and they have rediscovered how much they were missing. They talked, reminisced and laughed well into the night. I talk to my sisterdears all the time and I hope that will never change!

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Of Thunderclouds and Cats

We had a thunderstorm roll through about suppertime the other night. We had sun north of us and storms south of us. It resulted in the coolest light and sky combination; a bit surreal. I only had my iPhone with me but it's still a neat photo. Gracie was the only cat brave enough to sit out on the patio with me. Gandalf was hiding under my desk until long after the last thunderboomie was heard... as usual!

I now draw your attention to those pink blooms on the hydrangea by the shed. Notice how un-blue they are? I was hoping the soil here at the Swamp might be acid enough to make them blue since the neighbor's are all a vibrant blue. Ah, well. They're still pretty in pink.

Do any of you use the Blogger in Draft? I do, and I like it! They've just changed the Preview mode so now you actually see it in your template. That was one of the things I missed about Wordpress, but now Blogger has it. Way to go, Blogger. What took you so long?

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Awww...Mondays

Photo Credit

Here he comes to save the day! Isn't he adorable? I thought so! It makes me miss my little pups all the more. I use to have Pekingese... You know, in my pre-Crazy Cat Lady life?! hahahaha!

So, it's Monday and I'm very grateful! I worked on my business web site from 4-9:30am yesterday, followed by painting at the yellow house from 10-6:00pm. I didn't quite finish the painting, but almost. I'm hoping to have an Open House next Sunday, but I may not be ready. I'm not giving up though!

We lost another one of the younger goslings the night before last. I noticed he was weak and struggling to keep up. I knew he wouldn't make the morning and he didn't. Bless his little heart. Nature is hard.

I have lots of household chores that I'll squeeze in between business calls, orders and working on my web site. No rest for the wicked? And Linda, I doublt painting burns all that many calories in air conditioning. I wish! hahahaha!

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Yellow House For Sale... Almost

Freshly Painted. And painted, and painted, and painted...

That is, assuming I ever finish painting it! Ha! Actually, I hope to finish painting this weekend! Wish me luck!

I have to start painting a bit late today because I'm having my eyes examined mid-morning. Don't worry though, I plan to quit early to make up for it. =0)

If all goes well, I'll be having my Open House next weekend. I'm not counting on it though... Something always mucks things up, doesn't it?

I'll be busy, busy, busy, but I hope you're all having a relaxing, fun-filled weekend! Big hugs xo♥

Friday already?

Goodness, Gracie! Where did the week go? For that matter, where has the month gone?!

I did an update on the cats' blog yesterday, but the short and sweet version is that Grayson has stopped vomiting and is doing much better. We still don't know what the problem is, but no vomiting is definitely a plus.

My niece Holly arrived home from her junior year of college yesterday. She won't get her grades for a few weeks, but she thinks she may have made the Dean's List! Way to go, Holly!

Listening to the excitement in her voice last night was so very different than the stress and fear I heard from her during the first weeks of her freshman year 3 years ago. She was ready to just quit and throw it all away. Fear of the unknown can be overwhelming. She's come a long way, baby!

I'm hoping to finish up the painting this weekend at the Yellow house so I can get 'er Sold! Wish me luck! I don't know if I'll come up for air or not, as I really want to move that project to the Ta Done List!

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

And then there were 5

I have some sad news. We lost a gosling from the older set one day last week. Then this morning on the patio I noticed there are now only 3 from the younger set. It makes me very sad, but there's a real world out there in the Swamp and despite it's beauty, there's a delicate struggle of life and death that happens every day.



Today is Whitey's one year Gotchaversary with me! It's amazing to see how far that sweet boy has come. And I don't have favorites but he sure is a lovey. He's truly a lap cat, providing you have a lap that is large enough to accommodate his rather generous size. =0) He purrs constantly. And he gives lots of kitty kisses, something the other 3 kitties never do!



I think I may bring Grayson to see Dr. Tad this morning. He's been urpy for a few days now. I picked up some Lax'aire thinking he was trying to bring up a stubborn hairball, but it hasn't seemed to help. About 2:00 this morning he barfed on my bed... the bed I had just put fresh sheets and a quilt on yesterday afternoon. Blech. Then after I fed them this morning, he barfed up a lot of his food. Bless his heart. I want to make sure it's nothing more serious and I don't want him to get dehydrated either.

It's always something, isn't it?

Sorry, it seems all I can think of this morning are my furbabies.

I hope your day is wonderful. And I hope mine gets better. Big Hugs ♥xo

UPDATE: I've got Grayson a 9:45 appointment with Dr. Dave. I just googled cat vomit yellow foamy and what I found makes me nervous. I sure hope he's OK.

Smile =0)

How cute is this guy? hahahaha!

Viva Sangria!

I make a mean Sangria. Did I ever mention that? Well, I do, and last night I made up a batch for MotherDear and me. It was so goo-ood!



Here's the recipe if you like Sangria and would like to try it.

SANGRIA

In a Pitcher:
2 slices Lemon, 3 slices Orange, 1½ oz Raynal Napoleon French Brandy – or any Brandy on hand!
Squeeze the lemon and orange slices and set aside

In a Cup:
3 T Sugar
¼ tsp Cinnamon
Add water to make ¾ C. Mix together. Microwave to dissolve/carmelize the sugar.

Pour caramelized sugar mixture over the Fruit and Brandy.
Stir in ¾ Cup Warre's Warrior Porto Wine – or any Red Wine you have!
Serve over lots of ice and enjoy!

PS. I always double the recipe for two people. If you have more than two people, more complicated math may be necessary!

I had a great day at the office yesterday and Gandalf made it one day in a row without marking my patio door. Life is good!

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Fried, Ahoy!

Welcome to Monday! I hope everybody had a wonderful Mother's Day.

So. Bingo yesterday. After we lost miserably, I took MotherDear and Dad out to Red Lobster. We went with Al and Barbara. Red Lobster is MotherDear's and Barbara's favorite restaurant. It's not even on my list of favorites, but it was Mother's Day after all!

I had the Admiral's Feast: Walt’s Favorite Shrimp, bay scallops, clam strips and flounder fried to a golden brown. I hardly ever have fried and even less often have shell fish since I'm allergic, so I went Overboard! I especially LOVE the Scallops! Unfortunately, by the time the meals were served it was way past my bedtime, I was full from my Caesar Salad and Cheese Rolls and I just wanted to go to bed! That means that I have about 80% of it left over to eat for lunch today.

Today I have a bunch of calls and emails to return from being out of the office Friday on top of all my usual Monday stuff. That should keep me busy all day.

Thanks for all your prayers and purrs for Gracie Girl. She's doing absolutely fabulous! In fact, I'm having a terrible time keeping her from jumping and running. Think Nailing Jello to the wall and you'll know what I mean. It's impossible to keep a healthy kitten still. Or quiet! hahaha!

There's a new issue with Grayson. He yakked a couple of times yesterday and again this morning. I hope it's just a hairball and nothing serious and clears itself up quickly. Bless his heart.

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Happy Mother's Day

I love this photo. It was all 4 of the SisterDears, MotherDear and Nana Jo in our kitchen. Lynda was pregnant so I'm guessing this was about 30 years ago. We all miss you, Nana.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you! I am taking my MotherDear to Bingo, which is her favorite thing to do. I got her a Passport for Mother's Day! That's because for Christmas I'm taking her on a cruise! So far, only Lynda has said for sure that she's coming along, so now I just have to work on Janice and Tina! Say a prayer that they will come! It would be awesome if my Mother had all of her daughters along!

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Cat Trek 2010 Savings

I crunched the numbers from Friday's Cat Trek to Florida to see what I saved by driving to Lakeland FL for Gracie's Spay surgery, Whitey's annual and both of their Microchips.



Of course, Al also brought Sarah and Tucker for their annuals and so he also saved $160.00. Deducting $50.00 for his half of the expenses he saved $110.00!

We're hoping that Al & Barbara will have a motorhome before next year's annuals come due. (Al's wife's name is Barbara, too... It can be confusing!)

It would be so much easier to load all 8 of the cats into the the Moho and not have to worry about a Pet-Friendly hotel or boarding them at a cost of $10 per day per cat! With 8 cats at the current fees our combined savings will be $640.00 or $320.00 each. That's worth doing, wouldn't you agree?

The Moho would also allow us to take or time and do a few more of things we enjoy doing while we're there. Barbara did not want to go yesterday for such a long day and not so much fun for her. Yesterday was very hard on these old bones, but we did enjoy a very nice meal at Macaroni Grill with friends as well as visiting some of my customers and my former accountant.

Well, that's how it shook out. I'm quite pleased, albeit wiped out, so no painting for me today. Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Home Sweet Home Again

Gracie is happy to be home! I think we are all glad we're home!

Gracie doesn't seem bothered by her ordeal yesterday. I gave her the first of 3 syringes to be given once per day as instructed when we got home last night. She's not showing signs of pain, but given her early history this doesn't surprise me. I took her collar off but if she starts licking her incision I'll put it right back on her.

Yesterday was basically a 24 hour day for me with only a 2-hour nap after I picked up Gracie. I feel like a wet dishrag today. I may actually take a day off from painting the Yellow house, even though I bet I could finish the paint today. I'll see how I feel after coffee and a few things around here.

I will be adding up what it all would have cost locally versus what I actually spent sometime today. I'm sure the savings will be huge, even taking the expenses into consideration.

Enjoy the day! Big hugs xo

Naps are nice

We all had a little nap at the hotel after I picked up Gracie. She's doing fine and, like the rest of us, just wants to be in her own bed. We're off as soon as we load them all into the van.

Road Trip!

Gandalf gets to stay home with Nana & Grampy and Grayson; doesn't he look happy about that?!

I'll be loading Gracie & Whitey into their carriers in just a few minutes. Let the caterwaulling begin!

I've got my iPhone and my laptop but I'm not sure how much free time I'll have to blog. Facebook updates likely! =0)

Say a little prayer for little Gracie's spay. Big hugs xo

Frustrating. I has that.

Yesterday was a totally frustrating day. It was just one of those days where everything seemed to go kaflooie.

First, the 2-port USB on the front of my computer broke when I tried to plug my iPhone into it.

Next I find out that I had a problem with MY gmail account. You may recall that someone with no life hacked my cat's email address a few weeks ago. Well, mine wasn't hacked, but Google informed me that they deleted a bunch of stuff and suspended it for "suspicious activity" until I verified who I was.

And then I changed my passwords. Again.

Y'all, I love technology but sometimes it just sucks a lemon, like when someone who has no life decides to mess with mine.

Today I had planned to begin the next level of changes on my business web site, but perhaps I'd better not? hahaha!

I do have some pet packing to do so I don't forget anything as we load 'em all into the van at O-dark-thirty tomorrow morning!

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Supporting my ex-local SPCA and saving $$$

Plan A:

I called my Vet Monday morning to make an appointment to have Gracie spayed. It was just about all set to happen on Tuesday. Since I'm challenging myself to find a better deal on nearly every purchase I make I decided to ask how much the fee would be. Oh my goodness, y'all! It was nearly $300 plus $55 for pre-surgery blood work. Also, if he deemed it necessary to prescribe pain meds, that would be an additional fee, depending on the meds.

Plan B: 

I could go through the Humane Society, pay them $55 for a voucher to give my Vet, who would then charge me a reduced rate of $200. Between me and Al, we have 8 cats! Oddly enough, my Vet does not offer discounted rates for multiple pets. Don't get me wrong... I love my Vets Dr. Dave and Dr. Tad, but I spend a ton spend a ton of $$$ with them. I've got to save $$$ wherever I can!

Plan C:

Last year when we brought Whitey in he had to have "the works" but I don't recall how much of that humongous fee was his neutering. Of course males are always much less expensive to neuter than females since it's basically just a "snip-snip" while a female has to have a complete hysterectomy. The last time Al or I had a female neutered was Gandalf's litter mate sister, Sarah. I remembered that we brought her to our local SPCA in Lakeland, FL (the town we use to live in before we moved here) because it was so much cheaper than our local Vet. I was remembering the fee to be about $65.00.

I googled them, got their phone number and called. Well, naturally, in 6 years they have increased their fee... it has skyrocketed all the way up to $73.00 for a feline spay! That fee includes pain meds, too! If I had taken her last week when she was still 5 months old it would have been just $60.00. I told the lady that I'd moved to Georgia and asked if residency was a requirement. No, it is NOT! Woohoo!

The Lakeland, FL SPCA has a full-service Veterinary Hospital. Best of all, by using The Reva McClurg Memorial Animal Medical Center I will also be supporting the mission of the SPCA to aid, alter, and adopt animals in need. I noticed they have some items on their Wish List. I can help them with a few items!

And the winner is...

Plan C, of course. It's about a 4 hour drive and will cost me about $50.00 in gas, but guess what? I'm SO doing that!

I'll leave bright and early Friday morning! I'll drop Gracie off between 7:00-7:30am. Once she's checked in Whitey will have his annual shots since he's due in a few weeks. Al is bringing 2 of his cats, Sarah and BooBoo, who are both due for their annuals. We are making a little Cat Trek out of it!

I booked a hotel for Whitey, Sarah and BooBoo so they will have a climate-controlled room while we wait for Gracie to be released. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Al had a little nap! =0)

Al and I will visit with some old friends and customers, have lunch at Macaroni Grill and visit my favorite wine store. Then we'll round up all the kitties about 3:00pm and head back up the road. We'll be home by 8:00pm-ish. I will save about $310.00, and Al will save about $160.00! That leaves a lot left over for lunch and wine, doesn't it? Yes indeedy, it does!

Oh. And do you want to hear something really, really sad? When I called the hotel to ask the specifics on their Pets-Welcome policy do you know what she told me?

"We require that you take them with you when you check out." 

Seriously? She said that unfortunately, it had become necessary to tell people that. Honestly, some people are idiots.

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

I ♥ my iPhone - another cool App

I found a really neat App for my iPhone yesterday. It will also be coming out soon for BlackBerry and Android. It's called CardStar and it's FREE! You know how I love FREE!



CardStar lets you easily store and quickly retrieve loyalty, reward and club membership cards, where they can be scanned directly from your screen at most merchants.


Use CardStar to enter card information for numerous national and regional merchants (including CVS/pharmacy, Best Buy, Blockbuster, PetSmart and more), libraries and associations. And when needed, effortlessly access your cards on-the-fly with a single touch from the CardStar home screen.


Whether you're at the grocery store, making your travel plans online, or visiting your local gym, don't get caught without your membership cards again.


Lighten your load, get rid of all that plastic baggage in your wallet or keychain, and welcome to CardStar, your very own personal card manager.


So now all those cards on my key ring and in my wallet... in my iPhone! I even saved my cat's Microchip numbers! How cool is that?!

According to Feedburner there are 132-137 people subscribed to my feed on any given day. WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE? No. Seriously. Who are you? And oh, by the way, why don't you ever comment?

I talked to one of my Aunties last night. Laughs and more laughs. I wish I could see her and my other Aunties more often. If you have family that you haven't talked to in far too long, call them today! Now is good!

My friend Sarge got some good news and some bad news from his doctor yesterday. I ask all my praying friends to be praying for Sarge. He's already been in the trenches much too many times. He needs a vacation from fighting. Let's pick up his battle in prayer, okay? Let's remember not to tell God how big the storm is; tell the storm how big God is!

That is all.

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Hallelujah, because JD hasn't done this yet

My nephew Mike, playing Hallelujah (written by singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen) at one of our Family Music Nights. Normally, Mike insists these gatherings are not Concerts but Sing-Alongs... but we let Mike have this one all by himself! Sorry, I did a bit of humming without realizing it.

Back when Mike was still in college he played this for us one afternoon up at the lake in Maine. It was the first time I'd ever heard it. His dorm roommate had the Jeff Buckley CD. Mike heard it, liked it and taught himself how to play it.

Not long after that Mike sent me the Jeff Buckley CD. I have now have it by a good many artists since it became so popular. As I told JD on her blog, Mike's will always be my favorite version, followed by k.d. Lang's and Il Divo's versions. But don't go by me because I love everything k.d. and Il Divo sing!

Of course, the original Leonard Cohen version ain't bad either!

Oh. And here is where I put my two cents in about an issue I think is very important. Mike's a teacher. A music teacher. And a darned good one, too! His wife Danielle is also a darned good teacher. She teaches Art. Mike and Danielle both teach in the public school system and that makes them two very good reasons why I find it deeply disturbing that so many schools are cutting out Music and Art from their curriculum. I can tell you that Mike's students have become better overall students - in all subjects - not just music. He teaches them how to enjoy learning. He teaches them how to develop better study habits. All with Music. The parents often write letters to the school to rave about Mike's teaching. Can we really afford to save money this way?

Well. I'd better quit before this turns into a rant! =0)

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

And she SCORES!

So this morning over coffee I started the hunt for some good deals on stuff I need. And look what I found!

Free. Don't you just love FREE?!

P&GbrandSAVER is one of the "Big Three" that get delivered in your Sunday paper. So I went there. I mean to their web site. Guess what? They they have this lovely button. It says P&GbrandSAMPLER. They have all kinds of SAMPLES. For FREE! There isn't even any shipping. You're eligble to get FREE once a quarter. Now I only chose 3 things from everything they had available to choose from because I don't have dogs, or babies in diapers and such. But I do have hair, a kitten and acid reflux! =0)

What. You're still here? Go get some FREE stuff!

This is also posted on the new blog eCouponz so I can keep up with it! =0)

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Topsy Turvy DIY

Topsy Turvy DIY, originally uploaded by willthink4wine.

See that white behind the Red Geranium? There are 2 DIY Topsy Turvy tomato plants back there. My Dad decided to make his own. The white you see is a Tall Kitchen trash bag that he put inside the hanging pots and then he draped them outside of the pots. I don't know why. The point is, the plants are thriving and are already blossoming. He didn't put his bell pepper plants in a Topsy Turvy though. I don't know why again!

I painted from 9:30 to 6:00 today. I think one more weekend and I can finish up the trim and call it Done. Then I have one minor thing to do at the back door. The carpet looks icky from all the comings and goings so I'm going to cut out a section and put in some laminate. All there is to do after that is cleaning up the painting mess and super-cleaning the house to get it ready for an Open House. And putting in fresh mulch. My Dad will be taking care of that for me!

You may begin praying for a quick sale to qualified buyers! =0)

TGTIM! Thank goodness tomorrow is Monday! I can rest my weary bones again! Big hugs xo♥

Time to get back into the business of saving $$$

I use to challenge myself to never pay full price for anything. After a conversation with my mother the other day, I have once again set myself to task!

I'll be scouting out the best deals for virtually every purchase I make. I'll post them HERE and share them on Facebook.

Today I'll be stopping at Firestone to change my oil. I found a few coupons online and will use the one with my best final price!

$10 Off is HERE

$18.99 Coupon is HERE

And so I've started a new blog just to keep up with it! =0)

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo