Weather and checking in

You should see some of the damage here after the storm this weekend. We had a few shingles blow off the roof here, a birdbath on my back deck ended up on the neighbour's front lawn and the lady across the street had her shed flattened. It's like something picked it up and just dropped it. Everything inside is worthless now. Her neighbour lost most of his fence. Unreal.

Just outside of town, the wind broke an electrical pole and the bottom half of which fell over, leaving the top half hanging from the electrical lines. It resulted in the closed road and 4 hours of planned power outage here to repair. We went over to Mum and Dad's and had dinner there.

I went to my Mum's yesterday to take advantage of 27�C weather (nearly 30�F) and sun and wind to do laundry and use her clothesline since I do not have one. It was SO windy yesterday that by the time the washing machine was done a cycle the stuff put on the line was dry. Totally unreal.

Good news the winds died down last night and we just got rain thankfully so no more wind damage around here. Rob had to go in to work early this morning: 9am LOL Poor baby didn't know what to do with himself since the work day the past few months has been 10 am to 11:30/12:00 noon AFTER being taken out for lunch LOL

He is so sick of eating out though and he said this morning I know it's not fair to you LOL That's fine, I'll just take myself :)

Getting up for the time that I have visitors from AZ so I've been working like a busy bee around here getting more of the house sorted through and trying to find double bed sheets for when we go to Algonquin. I know I had a bunch from when I was on my own and can only find half sets. I am so glad I went to Mum's yesterday to line dry laundry... it's pouring rain today. I also need to go out and get new pillows and a sheet set for the trailer when we get it this Friday! Can't wait :) I saw the grocery store I go to had feather pillows on for $9.99 so picked up one to see how it is. If it's any good I'll replace the rest of the pillows with it. Rob's pillow must weigh 10 pounds so I know he is definitely overdue. I went to Zeller's to see if they had any decent bedsheets and I didn't like ANY of them and they were grossly overpriced. So I think a trip to Hanover is in order to the Wal-Mart there. I'm not sure if I'll do it today or wait until tomorrow. Rob is at work all day today so I don't have to worry about possibly picking him up until at least 4:30... so maybe I will go today. While at Zehr's I picked up milk, some more eczema relief stuff (finally something that works!! And nearly cleared up! Cleared up enough for capris!!!!) and two butterfly cut pork chops. Having that for dinner tonight.

Going to finish up the laundry today and try to get some more vacuuming in. We agreed that we are going to get dyson vacuum but waiting to see if they ever go on sale. If not we'll get one anyway. They have great reviews for ease of use and picking up pet hair. Hope they go on sale soon, they look very promising. My 8 year old dirt devil is still good, but doesn't have the suck it used to and the filter is getting to be a headache. I got my $79 worth out of it though.

Truck is still in the shop getting the 5th wheel hitch put on. Our poor mechanic went from where the heck are all my customers to holy shit they are coming from everywhere!!!!! He is just swamped now so we told him to take his time we don't need it until Friday.

Anyways, going to finish up my tea here have my shower and get cracking. No hummers yet but I admit I haven't really been watching. Need to freshen up the feed in the feeder it looks a little waterlogged. (Little being the understatement of the year)

Have a nice day everyone. I miss keeping up with everyone here.

Jenn

Just a quick note for now

Fixing to hop in the shower. It was a bad night. Had strange dreams about Rob's next job but that's the extent of what I remember about it. Evidently it was enough to do a number on my nerves and I woke up scratching. It must be some kind of a nervous reflex. Fortunately the damage isn't too bad just need to shower and clean up and put the cortisone back on.

Chilly and damp here this morning and is forecasted to be that way for the rest of the day until tomorrow morning.

Not sure what I'll be doing today but guess I'll do some laundry and get the dishes done. Lasagna for dinner tonight, lasagna from scratch Rob makes the best noodles. So I guess I'll also be making garlic bread and a loaf of bread.

Right now need to shower and get something to eat and take my vitamins.

Later people :)

Jenn

Nothing like a hot shower

Just as I thought, a nice hot shower, kettle now on for tea, the sun peeking out even if just for a minute was just what the doctor ordered to lose this headache.

Just waiting on an email with some files for a website and Rob's phone call to come pick him up from work. The truck is still in the shop, we told Jed if he needed more time to work on other crap we were fine. I'll just keep driving him to work. Hopefully the hitch will be put in without too many more problems.

RV pick up day is in 9 days..... :)

No hummingbirds yet although there are four dots in Canada - two of which are in my neck of the woods. I sent an all caps email subject line to the hummingbird club saying three dots and included the screenshot of the map with the 4 dots showing... dummy me lol Oh well, they'll have some fun with me on it :) LOL



Having fun with my bumptop desktop :)

dreary damp weather

comfort food day I think.... Nursing a headache likely caused by the weather.

It's not bad, but woke up with a thick head and now it's just an ache. I want to take an advil for it but seeing if I can wait it out. Perhaps a hot shower will help...

Weather is going to be weird the next few days.

today: 46�F with showers
Wednesday: 41�F with showers
Thursday: 53�F mainly sunny
Friday: 69�F Sunny
Saturday: 77�F Mainly Sunny
Sunday: 73�F Cloudy Periods
Monday: 55�F Light rain

So kind of cold tomorrow with rain and then sunny just in time to head down to St. Catharines for my soon to be sister in law's bridal shower.

If Thursday is to be that nice I think I'll wait and do laundry then.

Ok, off to find food.

Jenn

Have trailer, have campsite...just need job....

The title is an exact copy/paste of Rob's status message in MSN and it sums the circumstances up perfectly.

One headache we're dealing with now is how to get internet to our seasonal campsite so we can still run our VOIP phone. I don't want to be using my cell phone as the primary phone while there, it will be too expensive. We have the campsite booked (number to be determined) and go up this afternoon with the seasonal cost/deposit, not sure which.

The campground we'll be at is

Pine Tree Leisure Camping

and is located about a mile from the lake in the town of Tiverton.

The plan is to get the trailer up there perhaps while Dave and Jeanette are here and make a day out of it.

Now all we have to do is get the job from Bruce, I think Rob was going to phone the company today and find out what the status is.

Windy, overcast and a little rainy today. But the temperature isn't too bad, the high is to be about 8�C I think, which is about 46�F.

The Kinette meeting last night was okay, I guess, we didn't even have Quorum present. Club House Rules state that in order to make motions and pass/defeat them we have to have Quorum present. Quorum in our club is 50% of the members in good standing. Currently, that would be 6 members. We were one member shy of that. This is the first time we've had this happen since we updated the house rules last year and introduced Quorum. Before that, two people could make impromptu decisions on how to spend money, run the club, etc.... and it wasn't a free for all, but it was dang close to one. So since our membership is small, we decided that 50% of the membership for Quorum was good enough. I presume that if this becomes a regular issue, the house rules may have to be changed. At the time the house rule was made, it only was 4 members made up quorum.

The two members I avoid most weren't there so it was a good meeting for me at least. None of my ideas were shot down and were tabled to the next meeting for discussion. To be honest, I'm surprised there was a meeting since Quorum wasn't present. But we carried on, just couldn't pass or defeat anything.

We held the first phase of nominations for next year's executive and of course I was nominated for President. Usually the way it works, if you're V. President usually that's your training year for the President position the following year. Our club is small enough that we don't bicker too much about who wants to be what. Annalese was nominated for V. President and no longer wants to do the bulletin. She didn't find it fun anymore LOL It was nice to have colour bulletins but I could tell by the content and stuff that she wasn't into it. I didn't mind doing it, well, I was bulletin editor for 2 years in a row.

If I get the President position, I'll do the commute to the monthly meetings. I want to be able to have that experience and I have a feeling I'll only get it as a member of the Palmerston club. Find out next month since that is when we hold the club election.

I'll be chairing the June meeting if I can make it. That same weekend is the Zone B campout at Silver Lake. Runs from the evening of the 19th (although some are up earlier) to the 21st and Kinette meetings are the third Sunday of every month. May is excepted because of the long Victoria Day weekend. So ours is bumped to the following Sunday.

Well, best be off, I need to get something to eat, take my prenatel and have my shower. Picking Rob up from work today since the truck is still in the shop getting the 5th wheel hitch put on. It's proving to be trickier than the mechanic thought so has to do other things to make it work. Plus it was discovered that the back brakes need work the salt from the winter roads likely being the culprit.

Later!

Jenn

Sweet Tea Meets Judgement Day (LOL)

He drank it and said it was good!

4 2-cup tea bags
3 cups water
� cup sugar

It took awhile to chill and I had a little while it was still warm and it was good then.

I think this is a do up the night before and let it chill all night type drink. And what I might do is do 8 cups of water, four tea bags and just put the whole sh'bang in the pitcher and chill overnight.

Jenn

Beautiful Today

Just got my VP letter to the bulletin editor for this month's bulletin and think I'll be making gingerbread cookies for tomorrow's meeting. Haven't decided yet.

We had a great day yesterday went for a drive to the lake to check out campgrounds for our RV if/when Rob starts this job at Bruce Nuclear.

We got some pictures of some and talked to people but until the campgrounds open May 1, there's not a whole lot we can do if they are still closed.

We went to MacGregor Point Provincial Park and had a BBQ burger dinner and then capped the day by going to Paul and Annalese's for Euchre. I was one pooped puppy by the time we left that last game had me closing my eyes at a few moments LOL We got home around midnight and I went right to bed.

Just puttering around the house today.

I have some photos but will take them off the camera later :)

Jenn :D

Road trip today

So beautiful out the high is to be 16�C (61�F) so Rob is making poached eggs, we're packing a picnic lunch and heading out to the lake to check out campgrounds.

I'll be taking my camera and knit tea-cosy with me.

I think I need to invest in a knitting project bag. I'm tired of using cloth shopping bags.

Speaking of shopping bags... the grocery store I go to is going to start charging 5� a bag after April 22. Mum's going to be a little po'ed for that. I already use the cloth bags because it gives me reward points towards free groceries on our MasterCard with that store. So far we have $67 I think in free groceries. Worth it to us :) But I can see Mum forgetting cloth bags which I find easier to carry anyway and then getting mad at the store for charging 5� a bag lol

Later people :)

Jenn

Beautiful Day Today

High of 12�C (53��F) and I have all the windows on the main floor open.

Did a slow cooker roast the other day and it was large enough to have lots of leftovers. I also peeled all the remaining potatoes in the bag and threw them in, did half a bag of carrots and an entire cooking onion. Rob asked me if I'd make a loaf of bread today and we'll have hot roast beef sandwiches with leftover gravy. Sounds good so fired up the mixer this morning after he left for work and the dough is now on it's first rising.

I started a double pointed needle knitted sock tutorial. I started working on it and now don't think I'm quite ready to work with 4 needles so I put them away and will focus on getting more fluid with two needles.

It was a nice day so Rob got off work around noon and we went to Waterloo to pick up the 5th wheel hitch for the truck. $400 and brought it back for Jed our mechanic to look at it. Turns out it's old style, but he'll make it work on our 2000 Chevy. Chevrolet from what I gather changed the truck frame design after the 1999 truck models so we're just on the edge of the new frame design. The truck that this hitch came off was an early to mid 90's model.

Thankfully, the hitch can come out when not needed but the bars it attaches to on the truck stay. They go across the truck box like = instead of what we envisioned the || style.

I think I mentioned that the RV Dealership is backlogged in the Service dept so we pick the RV up April 30. Just in time to haul it down to his parent's farm for a benefit concert we'll be going to for my BIL's service club. We'll be seeing Mudmen and Bobnoxious. Mudmen are pretty good, they performed at paddyfest while I was pouring beer. They're a bagpipe rock band. Normally I'd agree, bagpipes and rock n' roll are a bad combo, but they make it work.

Only $12 a ticket and the proceeds to the community.

Well, I was telling Rob I was getting closer to vacuuming the upstairs: I carried the vacuum up there LOL

Getting further ahead in the thrift store donations. I have one more leaf bag full. Rob and I will have to sit down sometime upstairs and sort through what he wants to keep. Have lots of dishes up there. Plus stuff from when I was on my own, plus when I left the guy I was seeing before I met Rob, he packed everything including food and cooking stuff and cleaning stuff. Most of it is garbage, but just have to get up there and separate donatable and garbage. I'd say 95% of the stuff up there is not being kept.

Back to the grind and maybe get one room reclaimed, but MUST vacuum.....

Jenn

RV Update

(And finally seeing the cross-post to blogger option is back w00t)

The RV Dealership called back and the earliest they can have the trailer ready is April 27th. Since we're going to Alvinston to watch a benefit concert for my brother in law's Optimist Club we're going to pick it up April 30 and haul it to the Farm and camp the weekend.

Can't wait! So the countdown is on!!

16 days.....15 sleeps :)

Jenn

sun is out!

What a beautiful today has turned out to be! They were not forecasting sun until tomorrow but I'm just as happy to get it today :)

I didn't get much done after my daytime cleaning, but did get a loaf of bread made and took a shower. Rob got home from class and the next time he goes is Tuesday and that will be to write a final exam. Then he will be done until September.

I didn't get the kitchen floor done but I got the bathroom vacuumed I have no idea where all that lint came from lol it's weird LOL

I bought a 99¢ bamboo basket with super long handle, some easter egg shaped candles and thought I'd make some sugar cookies to use my new easter cookie cutters on and do that up for my secret sister for our next meeting. Get some pastel coloured ribbon and do a homemade gift basket for her. Not sure if the basket I got will be big enough around though... it's pretty shallow. Might see if there is anything cheap at the thrift store I can use. Their wicker baskets are usually very nice and very cheap; usually costing between 75¢ to $1.50. Higher end ones that are very large might cost $3 lol

Well, the upstairs doesn't vacuum itself so off to do that.

Have a great day everyone!

Jenn :D

Break

Taking a break. Dust mopped down the kitchen floor, fixing to fill a bucket up with water and wet mop it. Vacuumed through the living room and office area, finally got that huge stack of paper on the floor gone through and separated into recycle, shred and keep. Moved the lighter loveseat and the coffee table and vacuumed there. Moved the piano bench and got in there too.

Finally found a canvas bag we had mislaid so now I get a new monitor (Rob was going to use that particular bag to put the monitor in and bring it home for me.

Looking at the carpet here I think I'm going to have to vacuum again.... check the canister to see if it had been emptied the last time I used it, I bet it's full, why I'm seeing bits and pieces still on the floor.

Washed out one hummingbird feeder to get it ready, I bet in about a week or so I'll be thinking of making hummingbird feed. According to the migration map at hummingbirds.net they are at the Michigan/Ontario border.

Now I'm just taking a break and having a cup of nuked tea.

Next, to run the washing machine through, take the afghans off the couch and wash them. Need to vacuum the cushions too.

Jenn

Quote: Failure

If you see failure as a monster stalking you, or one that has already ruined your life, take another look. That monster can become a benevolent teacher, opening your mind to successes you cannot now imagine.
—Martha Beck—

Our Sunday

What a beautiful day it was yesterday!! Rob and I went to Waterloo to check out a private sale trailer for sale. OMG It's so beautiful and so clean and so... oh so nice... but it's kind of narrow and tiny..... and if we were demolishing the house this summer, it's not one I could live in for two months.... possibly 3 or 4.... :) But we'll keep it in mind. You'll see the photos shortly when I empty the camera card.

Afterwards, we went to The Aud to see the K-W RV Show. *sighs....* some day when we retire we'll own an RV that is more than what we paid for this house LOL Some really impressive layouts there!

With the weights we're seeing, we're starting to think maybe 5th Wheel is the way to go just for the better towability. Our Chevy is a 1500 Silverado and while we'd be able to pull this stuff, the RPM gauge will be right up there because of the aerodynamics of the trailer. Which of course screws any gas milage. If there was better air flow it wouldn't be like pulling a gigantic box on wheels that weighs 5000 pounds loaded. If we got the right layout it would be one we could temporarily live in if Rob gets the job at the Bruce Nuclear Plant and gutting this house. Plus if/when we take it camping, if we get a ton of rain like we did last August at Algonquin it wouldn't be unbearable to be cooped up in it and have our food cargo inside it because of the bears. I took pictures of the main layouts I liked at the RV show and will share also. If Rob gets/takes the job at Bruce, we'd be looking at living at a campground for the summer and coming back here to the house on weekends to remodel.

After we were done at the RV show, Rob had to go to a classmate and finish up a group project. The guy lives right across the street from Kitchener's Victoria Park. So I packed up my camera and went for a walk. I was doing great until the batteries went dead, and soon discovered the others were so old that they didn't hold their charge. I walked back to the car, threw the camera bag in the trunk and went to the Mall LOL I found a sale and bought two more shirts. I was still looking around when the cell phone rang and it was Rob, saying they were done. Drove back, came home, had a quick bite to eat and then headed over to Paul and Annalese's and watched WWE Wrestlemania. I'm not big on wrestling since it's so fake... but it was a good evening out.

My monthly curse came yesterday morning in full swing so it was an interesting day feeling like I had to carry a mop with me. I had an accident at Paul and Annalese's and when we went to Tim Horton's so I could use the bathroom, my jeans were just about soaked. Last night was not much better and it was a good thing I put a towel down. I hope it settles down the rest of the week. I'm doing laundry today.

I'm looking outside and having a hard time believing it was like summer yesterday driving around with the windows down. When we got home I saw we had a weather warning email and it said heavy snowfall on the way. It's still snowing now and will continue throughout this afternoon. Stupid thing is, I took my multi-season coat and took the lining out making it a fall jacket. I guess I'll be putting the lining back in before I go to the store this morning. I just poured the last bit of milk in my tea.

I think Rob is putting off going to work LOL 9:22 here and he's still on the computer :) Can't say that I blame him... there's a good 3 - 4" of snow out there and it's still coming down.

Jenn

Honestly....

I'm a little tired of stereotypes... even if it's just in jest now......If it snows, blame Canada. "Time for this white @#$%! to stay in Canada" Especially after we had much of our night without power, well below freezing temperatures and essentially a good three dog night: only we have no dogs.

Then to find out this system originated in Ohio.

And we're out of milk.

Think of that before you "Blame Canada"

Even if this did originate in Canada (which, ahem, covers a substantially large area....much larger than the Good Ol' US of A....) perhaps it's God's way of saying, Stay in, have an easy day, pick up a book or something and just curl up.

So ..... when it comes to Snow... wherever it originated from.....SHUT THE HECK UP.

Jenn

I would walk 500 miles....

A few of my favourite songs

Enya - Only Time



Celine Dion - I'm Alive

I am so blessed

I am so sick of these @#$%! hormones. My tongue resembles hamburger meat. At least I haven't felt the mysterious cramps for about a day now so I'll be glad if that's the end of them. I call them mysterious because I'm on day 94 of no monthly curse. If nothing in two weeks making an appointment to see the doctor just to talk with him about it. To top it off, it snowed last night and the weather was actually wicked enough that it knocked the power out for much of the night. Good thing Rob threw another quilt on the bed last night. There is still about a ½" of snow on the ground but it's melting. Overcast and dreary today which wouldn't help the mood much either.

But about 90% of it seemed to alleviate last night when Rob and I went to an MBA Charity Social. For the $20 admission each we attended a "dress to impress" social with fellow MBA students and their spouses/better half and a good portion of the proceeds went to a charity who's name escapes me right now. We treated it as a date as well and it was just what the doctor ordered to have some time together out of the house with drinks, music socializing, laughing and dancing. I think with Rob in three classes and working on schoolwork the rest of the time he isn't at work or school or sleeping, it was getting too routine around here. I can only go out on my own so much before I'm like, oh yes, I am married, I do have a husband and we'll be married 2 years this May.... it was starting to take it's toll on me and I think him too. He is so bored this semester that if he doesn't take the summer off, he'll surely fail from boredom. His finance class is the worst one. He'll take the wireless card and go online while in his finance class and chat with me LOL When he finishes this term, he will only need 4 more credits and will have graduated the MBA program.

It was so nice to get out of the house and just hang out for awhile and get dressed up a little to boot. The spark is still there, but I could tell it was getting a little windy around it. We had a good talk on the way there and on the way home too. Some of the people at this social asked me what I did for a living. I said I volunteered a lot of my time in the community as a Kinette and I was a homemaker the rest of the time. At first I felt a little odd walking amongst all these university students/professors/grads just having a high school diploma, but I was impressed with the general feeling that we were all equal and they were generally very down to earth people. On our way home I mentioned to Rob that I was a little uncomfortable at first when asked what my job was and he said you kidding? A lot of those people are jealous that you can stay at home and we can still get ahead especially in this economy. If they want to get ahead, both husband and wife have to work. You have a choice either way if you want to volunteer or work. I felt like a million bucks when he told me that and knew that every word he said was true. It made me appreciate him even more that he is so supportive of me no matter what I do. If I want to go back to school and learn something, I can. If I want to go out with friends (lol if I had any living nearby) I can. If I want to support a cause or donate, I can. If anyone were to tell me my husband is full of it, they will get an earful of my spite. He is no dummy that's for sure. Of course i always knew he wasn't, but in the height of this "routine boredom" I think I felt myself withdrawing a little. Now the flickering spark is a full fledged flame and it's getting bigger by the minute. I got the distinct impression from his classmates and project partners that just about everything he does is for me. He takes his laptop to class and his desktop picture on there is various photos of our wedding day, things we've done together and various photos I've taken. He apparently shows my photos off too some he has taken and saved on his school laptop. A lot of these people knew me before they met me lol My head swelled like a hot air balloon all evening LOL

He had an interview yesterday morning in Mississauga with a company called AECL (Atomic Energy of Canada Limited), a contracting firm that sends people all over the world on contract positions with top companies. They are looking to fill a contract Project Controller position at the Bruce Nuclear plant in Tiverton Ontario, on the shores of Lake Huron. If successful, Rob will have a job immediately after he is done at Campbell's (Bruce is willing to wait for the right candidate even though they needed someone "yesterday.") until December. He is hoping this will get his foot in the door to make some contacts there for any potential openings. He finds out Monday if he was successful. They interviewed three people including Rob who was the third interviewed. They knew Rob couldn't leave Campbell's until May 29th or he'd be throwing away a $25,000 to $30,000 severance after taxes. Knowing that, they still interviewed him. Rob has a good feeling, especially if he was the last one interviewed, so he thinks he may have something the previous 2 candidates interviewed didn't have, otherwise they probably would have considered the previous two. If he gets the job, our summer is going to be interesting and we will have much to talk about LOL We will also be working on the house during this time too. It will be so good to get it started and I personally want to hold the sledgehammer when we start demolishing walls inside.

Tomorrow we will most likely be going to Waterloo to check out a trailer for sale and go to the RV show.

I am thinking of "booking" some time off and focus on me for awhile. But I haven't decided yet. If I do, I'd be going on Special Notice on some of my email groups. I desperately need it. But if I'm ever needed I'm just an email or phone call away.

Quiche for dinner and card games tonight at Paul and Annalese's. Life is so good.

Jenn

Teeth

Had a 9:10 dentist appointment this morning and it's dreary and rainy and cold and wet outside. May as well get my teeth done LOL

Had a scaling, cleaning and fluoride treatment done everything looks good, no cavities or decay.

We have an MBA charity social to go to tonight "Dress to Impress" great.... I already have slacks but didn't feel comfortable wearing the one shirt I have it's a bit clingy and was ready for a cheap change LOL So I went and bought a new scoop neck dressy t-shirt and necklace that will dress it up. All I need to do is dig out my black blazer to cover my dry arms and I'll be good to go.

Just finished an omelet for breakfast and still hungry so will see what's around for lunch LOL Mouth doesn't hurt but I sure do feel it's been given a good workout. Just achy more than anything. Mmm.. maybe soup for lunch.

I wonder how Rob is making out for his interview. It was scheduled for 10 and he is slated to be home at 12:30, so in just under an hour. Unless it went really well. I have fingers and everything else crossed for him.

Well, need to mow through more email since I got behind yesterday, and get ready for this social thing. It's on for 8:30 pm to 12 midnight at some steakhouse in Waterloo. LOL Networking starts sat 8:30, DJ begins at 11. So should be a lot of fun!

Jenn

Enlightened Perspective

Please Read all the way to the bottom: If you will take
the time to read these. I promise you'll come away with an enlightened
perspective.

The subjects covered affect us all on a daily basis:

They're written by Andy Rooney , a man who has the gift of
saying so much with so few words.Enjoy.......

I've
learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the
feet of an elderly person.

I've
learned.... That when you're in love, it shows.

I've
learned.... That just one person saying to me, 'You've
made my day!' makes my day.

I've
learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your
arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I've
learned.... That being kind is more important than
being right.

I've
learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from
a child.

I've
learned.... That I can always pray for someone when I
don't have the strength to help him in some other way.

I've
learned.... That no matter how serious your life
requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've
learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand
to hold and a heart to understand.

I've
learned.... That simple walks with my father around the
block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an
adult.

I've
learned.... That life is like a roll of toilet paper.
The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've
learned.... That we should be glad God doesn't give us
everything we ask for.

I've
learned.... That money doesn't buy class.

I've
learned.... That it's those small daily happenings that
make life so spectacular.

I've
learned... That under everyone's hard shell is someone
who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've
learned.... That to ignore the facts does not change
the facts.

I
've learned.... That when you plan to get even with
someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've
learned.... That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've
learned.... That the easiest way for me to grow as a
person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've
learned... That everyone you meet deserves to be
greeted with a smile.

I've
learned..... That no one is perfect until you fall in
love with them.

I've
learned... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've
learned.... That opportunities are never lost, someone
will take the ones you miss.

I've
learned.... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness
will dock elsewhere.

I've
learned.... That I wish I could have told my Mom that I
love her one more time before she passed away.

I've
learned.... That one should keep his words both soft
and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've
learned.... That a smile is an inexpensive way to
improve your looks.

I've
learned.... That when your newly born grandchild holds
your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.

I've
learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the
mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing
it.

I've
learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the
more things I get done.

To all of you.... Make sure you read all the way down to the last
sentence.

It's National Friendship Week. Show your friends how much you care.
Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND, even if it means sending
it back
to the person who sent it to you. If it comes back to you, then you'll
know you
have a circle of friends. HAPPY FRIENDSHIP WEEK TO YOU!!!!!! YOU ARE MY
FRIEND
AND I AM HONORED! Now send this to every friend you have!! And to your
family.
This was sent to me by a friend.

woman stuff

I'm officially on day 92 of this wacky cycle I don't know what to think anymore. I'm still getting the cramps but nothing to show for it.

I developed a pimple yesterday and going to attempt a home remedy to remove it. Pimples are RARE for me. I've only had maybe 3 or 4 in my lifetime.

Testing again next week. Either way I think I'll be making a doctor's appointment.

Jenn

For River (Laundry)

I bought a box of Borax yesterday while shopping and according to the instructions I added ½ cup worth to my whites with a dollop (please tell me you know what a dollop is) of bleach and laundry detergent. I left them to soak for 20 minutes and then ran the cycle through. It considerably reduced the greyness in the socks! So you might want to try that if nothing else works. Next time I'll soak them overnight in just detergent and borax.

Jenn

the end is in sight (Crochet WIP)

I have the shoulders sewed together in the Nautical top and I'm fixing to start the collar. I had to have a shower first though. I didn't get one last night and it was a wicked early morning hours. So as such my right calf is (or I should say "was") a little messy. So even though I had a shower this morning, I'm going to have a second one tonight and get back in the habit. Rob and I had a fun evening watching TV and just being together. It was long overdue. We watched Simpsons (his favourite) and Family Guy (that's one strange show...) and then CSI NY for me. It's soo nice to have the Closed Captioning working again.

But it was around 11:00 pm when I powered down and I was beyond ready for bed (normally 10PM I'm heading to bed) and I couldn't keep my eyes open enough to hop in the shower.

I sure paid for it this morning though LOL

I'm out of body wash so will try the Dove stuff Dave mentioned. I had used Oil of Olay for extra dry skin but sometimes I like to find what works better.

I also need to find a blue shirt for the Kinette Zone Conference which is this evening. I'm not sure if Linda will be there but if she is I'm hoping that I will have the Nautical Top WIP done so that I can give it to her. I'm not particularly looking forward to the conference which hopefully won't take long, because I don't know who all is going to be there and to be honest I'm kind of all kinned out. I told Rob I should have joined the horticultural or birding society. It's more in tune to what my interests are. Some of the women are... well.. women. I've always gotten along better with the boys and down to earth women. Not too many of those kind of women in this area. Most of them are obsessed with who's doing what and what she's wearing. Enter me, a pair of jeans and a t-shirt I'm sure some think I'm a little odd. Plus the fact that I'm actually a very quiet person in social settings. I'm a very shy person unless I know and feel comfortable around a person. Otherwise the second I open my mouth it's stammer stutter stammer and as River knows, I tend to talk 100 miles a minute and try to get a paragraph out in one breath LOL But, I figure I should make an appearance and it might actually be fun if it goes right. Besides, I'm the paddyfest web designer, I think I have a bit of respect there in my own right. I've been doing that monstrous website since 2004. I'm essentially each year donating a $1,500 website to the community. I just get so nervous in those group settings.

I bought a ball of that Bernat SOX, the "Pink Cammo" colour. It was $5 for the ball at the outlet store and I'll have to see how much it is in stores. I doubt I saved much, the outlet store gives more of it's savings to it's "seconds" or end dye lots. The baby granny ripple afghan only cost me $2 to make because I bought the bulk yarn which they charge by the ounce.

I was hoping to see books there on Fair Isle Knitting but was unsuccessful. They did have some beautiful afghans, sweaters and socks on display to show the various uses for their yarn. They also have a craft section where you can get glue, stamps, I think cardboard as well plus other neat stuff. You can also buy buttons, thread, needles, embroidery material there and fleece. There's quite a bit of stuff in there for such a small building.

Thorns

THORNS



Sandra felt as low as the heels of her shoes when she pulled open the florist shop door, against a November gust of wind. Her life had been as sweet as a spring breeze and then, in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a "minor" automobile accident stole her joy. This was Thanksgiving week and the time she should have delivered their infant son. She grieved over their loss. Troubles had multiplied.

Her husband's company "threatened" to transfer his job to a new location. Her sister had called to say that she could not come for her long awaited holiday visit. What's worse, Sandra's friend suggested that Sandra's grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer "She has no idea what I'm feeling," thought Sandra with a shudder "Thanksgiving? Thankful for what?" she wondered. "For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended me? For an airbag that saved my life, but took my child's?"

"Good afternoon, can I help you?"

Sandra was startled by the approach of the shop clerk. "I . . . I need an arrangement," stammered Sandra.

"For Thanksgiving? I'm convinced that flowers tell stories, " she continued. "Are you looking for something that conveys 'gratitude' this Thanksgiving?"

"Not exactly!" Sandra blurted out. "In the last five months, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong."

Sandra regretted her outburst, and was surprised when the clerk said, "I have the perfect arrangement for you." Then the bell on the door rang, and the clerk greeted the new customer...

"Hi, Barbara, let me get your order." She excused herself and walked back to a small workroom, then quickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement of greenery, bows, and what appeared to be long-stemmed thorny roses. Except the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped: there were no flowers.

"Do you want these in a box?" asked the clerk. Sandra watched - was this a joke? Who would want rose stems with no flowers! She waited for laughter, but neither woman laughed.

"Yes, please," Barbara replied with an appreciative smile. "You'd think after three years of getting the special, I wouldn't be so moved by its significance, but I can feel it right here, all over again," she said, as she gently tapped her chest.

Sandra stammered, "Ah, that lady just left with . . . uh . . . she left with no flowers!"

"That's right," said the clerk. "I cut off the flowers. That's the 'Special'. I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet. Barbara came into the shop three years ago, feeling much as you do today," explained the clerk. "She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had just lost her father to cancer; the family business was failing; her son had gotten into drugs; and she was facing major surgery. That same year I had lost my husband," continued the clerk. "For the first time in my life, I had to spend the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too much debt to allow any travel."

"So what did you do?" asked Sandra.

"I learned to be thankful for thorns," answered the clerk quietly. "I've always thanked God for the good things in my life and I never questioned Him why those good things happened to me, but when the bad stuff hit, I cried out, 'Why? Why me?!' It took time for me to learn that the dark times are important to our faith! I have always enjoyed the 'flowers' of my life, but it took the thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort! You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted, and from His consolation we learn to comfort others."

Sandra sucked in her breath, as she thought about what her friend had tried to tell her. "I guess the truth is I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God."

Just then someone else walked in the shop.

"Hey, Phil!" the clerk greeted the balding, round man. "My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving arrangement . . twelve thorny, long-stemmed stems!" laughed Phil as the clerk handed him a tissue wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator.

"Those are for your wife?" asked Sandra incredulously. "Do you mind telling me why she wants a bouquet that looks like that?"

"Four years ago, my wife and I nearly divorced," Phil replied. "After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with the Lord's grace and guidance, we trudged through problem after problem, the Lord rescued our marriage. Jenny here (the clerk) told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she had learned from "thorny" times. That was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific "problem" and give thanks for what that problem taught us."

As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, "I highly recommend the Special!"

"I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life" Sandra said to the clerk. "It's all too . . fresh." "Well," the clerk replied carefully, "my experience has shown me that the thorns make the roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember that it was a crown of thorns that Jesus wore so we might know His love....Don't resent the thorns."

Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident, she loosened her grip on her resentment. "I'll take those twelve long-stemmed thorns, please," she managed to choke out.

"I hoped you would," said the clerk gently. "I'll have them ready in a minute."

"Thank you. What do I owe you?" "Nothing. Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart...The first year's arrangement is always on me."

The clerk smiled and handed card to Sandra. "I'll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you would like to read it first."

It read: "My God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to You along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears, the colors of Your rainbow look much more brilliant."

Praise Him for the roses; thank Him for the thorns.

God Bless all of you. Be thankful for all that the Lord does for you.

Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly, and leave the rest to God."

We often try to fix problems with WD-40 and Duct tape. God did it with nails.


But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31

Frugal Laundry Booster

Came across this tidbit also:

For a frugal laundry booster (and we're talking pennies a load frugal), just add a cup of white vinegar to your washer's rinse cycle. It's one solution that's as simple as it is effective.

The Benefits of a Vinegar Laundry Booster

Vinegar Will:

• whiten your whites
• brighten your colors
• eliminate static-cling
• remove lint
• prevent the dye in new clothing from running
• kill any bacteria present in your laundry
• remove soap residue from fabric and your machine
• soften your laundry, without the use of fabric softeners
• neutralize any odors

Why This Works

The acetic acid in vinegar acts as a solvent and disinfectant – just what you need to fight your toughest laundry challenges.

Warnings

As with any cleaner, you should avoid all contact with the eyes and prolonged contact with the skin

http://frugalliving.about.com/od/colthing/qt/Laundry_Booster.htm

Soaking my whites

River, sometimes when I notice my whites are getting dingy or I want to get some extra brightness out of them, I will soak them overnight in regular laundry detergent and peroxide. Peroxide is a great all purpose thing to have in the house - and it's cheap. A large bottle here costs $1. It's a great infection treatment and stain remover. It draws out infection very well and is a good laundry booster.

There used to be a product called Bio-Ad. My Mom and grandmother used to use it and with babies in the house it's practically a staple on the shopping list. All my whites just gleamed when you added this booster to your laundry cycle. Alas... it's not made anymore :( So I've been trying to find a suitable replacement. I've heard baking soda is a good booster too.

Just make sure when you use this stuff that you fill the laundry tub/washer up and let it agitate a few times to get it dissolved and then add your clothes. What I do is put the wash level to "small," add the detergent and booster and let is agitate a bit, and then put the water level to whatever level you're going to do laundry at and add your clothes.

I'll let you know how my soaking went - the machine is going around now. It's usually my socks that get dingy and I like white socks.

Jenn

Small and white... clean and bright...

... you look happy to greet me! (OK, I've always had a weakness for Edelweiss... especially with Christopher Plummer singing it in The Sound of Music)

I left my wet hair in the ponytail last night and think I'll scratch that idea... I don't think I sleep much on my back but when I was awake I laid there and didn't like that feeling at the back of my head where the ponytail was. So I'll try leaving it as is. If that doesn't work, dry my hair at night and set it in the morning. Nice thing about long hair is that ponytails always look OK LOL and if I'm going out get the hot rollers out.

Otherwise it was different but not a bad different either. I'll do it again tonight. And like River... washes up in the morning if funky things happen the night before (don't make me elaborate please LOL)

Nautical Top WIP progress: Both sides are finished now, but I have to run to Spinrite Bernat Factory Outlet (Jeanette remind me to take you there when you are up here - it's just down the street from me) and get some yarn needles. I cannot for the life of me find mine! Then I can sew this thing together, do the collar and give it to the girl. Then I can this off the top of my head and get Rob's slippers done, my tea cosy done and start the socks. Bernat has a new sock yarn out called SOX and it's quite pretty. One ball does a pair of socks. I've only seen it on the computer screen so want to see it in person and see if their definition of the word "economical" matches mine LOL

Now to do something with my mop of hair and get going. Sirloin Tip Roast for dinner tonight.

Jenn