Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Let it snow..or ice...or whatever

Today is a snow day for me. my primary job is at a college and they closed for the day due to bad weather conditions.

i am not complaining. It's been a wonderful morning thus far.

i lounged in bed reading for a bit.
Then got up and made bacon and french toast and cleaned up the kitchen.

Then took down some Christmas decorations (yes, they are STILL up!) And now i'm mucking about online.

Yet to do:
Some cleaning
A bubble bath
More reading
A nap
A walk outside
Shoveling
More reading
and who knows what else.

Not a bad day, eh?

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

This thing called love

Sometimes i feel that love is such an overused word. We love everything from tofu to toilet paper and usually people or pets. But what is love?

Love is warm flannel sheets.

Yes, i've crossed over to the love the sheets from the hate the sheets.

The way those sheets embrace my body, warming it, wrapping me in a cocoon of comfort even in freezing temperatures - allowing me a restful sleep.

Waking and being able to stretch and feel that the entire bed is warm, even while the room is not.

This?

This is true love.



Monday, January 26, 2009

i'm gonna divorce you and run away to Australia

Dear Siblings between the ages of 18 and 20, (ok..sisters...)

i love you. Always have. Always will.

However, you are going through phases that are making your eldest sister (that's me!) insane and i am going to divorce you

and run away

to Australia

and live in the out back

with a kangaroo

who will probably be less trouble than the pair of you.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
***************************

And in other news: the stomach flu that lasts for more than a week should be outlawed.

Just saying.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

To keep up...

Well on my 1001 things in 101 days...no wait, it's 101 things in 1001 days or something...well whatever!


Anyway -one of the things was to purchase (#65 on the list) was a new set of everyday dishes. And i found them. They are a bit bigger than i would normally have chosen, but the colours are exactly what i want to redo my kitchen. So ...here they are!


Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Sometimes you just want a hug

my bad Sunday has morphed into a bad week thus far.

Still feel horrible in the stomach area
and making stupid mistakes all over the place.

Not sure if i just want to put my head down and cry
or throw up.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Insult to Injury

On Sunday, i had a very bad day.

First of all, i woke with an upset stomach but i went to church anyway. Then, in the middle of the service, i had to make a run for the bathroom but alas, nothing but gagging happened. So i sat in the foyer because i really just didn't feel well. Had i been able to get the attention of my sisters (who were sitting close to the back) we would've left, however, that was not to be. Oh no..much more was in store for me.

Then i had one of the 'wanna get away?' moments....yeah. In church. Oh the joy.

So i went to my folks' house to watch the big game (Eagles vs. Arizona) and was all bundled up and lying on the couch.

And the Eagles lost.

And i'm not sure what was worse: throwing up in the ladies bathroom at church or the Eagles loss.

All the way around, it was a crummy day.

blech

Friday, January 16, 2009

Reaching our potential

SO today's high for my part of Pennsylvania was supposed to be 14F. We reached that at 1.29pm. i think that deserves some sort of celebration - preferably with chocolate...and vodka...or both! WHOOT!


In other news: i have a small space heater in my kitchen. It is on the floor. It has an internal thermometer. This morning, it said 45F. Wow.


And still in other news:


Sunday is a very important day...the Eagles play Arizona and if they win (yes, i said 'if' --i am a realistic fan) then it's SUPERBOWLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL.

i'm so excited i can barely sleep - except those darn soft and warm flannel sheets just put me to sleep like a log.


GO EAGLES!!!!!


Wednesday, January 14, 2009

An Old Maid

So the flannel sheets were purchased, washed, dried and put on the bed last night. They ARE warm - especially since they were still kinda warm from the dryer.

However, the only ones the store had were these pink-ish flowered ones.

i might as well put my hair up in a hair net
to go with the Ben Gay perfume
Prune Juice lunches

and pink flowered flannel sheets.

::sigh::

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

i am so strange

So...i live in a row home built in my city around 1910. The walls on the outside are brick and the inside is plaster over that brick..kinda thick walls but not insulated. So the outside walls get quite cold in the winter.

To help conserve energy, i don't heat my bedroom. When i go in there to go to bed, you can see your breath. i prefer the cold and pile on tons of quilts and comforters. Diving into bed each night is a bit of a dare, but by morning it's hard to leave my snuggly nest of covers. i sleep so well and deeply, breathing in cool and clear air.

i blame my mother for this behaviour....in a good way.

However, as i'm getting older, i'm finding that diving into cotton sheets is almost more than i can handle. It's like getting flash frozen. So i might invest in flannel sheets - which is a huge thing for me(if you only knew how much i hate flannel sheets).

So, not only am i strange -= i'm now old and dressing in flannel. What's next? BenGay perfume and prune juice for lunch?

:sigh:

Monday, January 12, 2009

Oh and ....

i had a dream last night that was very odd and funny at the same time. One part of it was that i was leaving a country club and going toward my car when a man, shorter than i, kinda bumped into me. He then apologized and started to move away. i glanced back at him, he was getting into his truck, and he yelled from across the parking lot "If i were 5Ft taller, this would be the part where i'd ask you where we were going for dinner."

Something in me (in this dream) said take a chance and i yelled back "Actually, you can take me to the opera tomorrow night."

And as he started walking toward me, with a huge grin on his face........I WOKE UP!

Now sheesh - who knows where that might have gone! And he was cute - although i didn't recognize his face from anyone i know.


And yes, my dreams are always that vivid and usually that crazy.( don't even get me started on the amish girls who carried garlands of flowers which hid machine guns....yes, same dream).

Sometimes, i'm just odd

There are times when something reported in the news really sticks with me and i think about it alot. This particular time was the whole Putin shutting of the gas and wondering if folks are ok in Eastern Europe. i've been to some of the houses in that part of the world, and know, first hand, that in the winter, things can be quite chilly. If fuel for heating is cut off or slowed down, i am sure that there are some who are really uncomfortable and i really feel badly for them. But what can i do, right? i'm so far away and sending any kind of money now won't help them keep warm tonight....

So i lower my own heat and spend time in prayer for them.

i did the same some time ago when i learned that some missionary friends of mine had no electricity from 3pm - 6am every day and they lived in a very cold-in-the-wintertime country. The wife said how by the end of winter, she couldn't stand the thought of lighting one more candle for light and longed to just flick on a switch. i love candlelight and never thought that it would or could become a burden but then, i've never been forced to live only by candle light in the dead of winter. So for one week, after 3pm, i didn't use electricity. However, i also didn't flip off the fridge or the oven or the phone...but i did try to not use lamps or lights or the TV and it was hard.

Maybe it's a way of 'fasting' for me - or..well i just don't know, but i do know that when i feel this kind of burden, trying to at least identify with the folks who are suffering makes me far less likely to take my own comforts for granted.

i know it sounds like "eat your peas cause kids in Africa don't have peas to eat" that moms and dads use to create guilt for their kids, but it's really deeper than that. It's more like, don't waste what you've been given. Give thanks for what you have. Live responsibly and enjoy life and the comforts you find in your life.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Sheltering myself

i rarely watch television. If i have time, i'll pop in a movie but i had the cable taken off years ago. Part of the reason for this is that i'm kinda a news junkie and as one can tell from the two less than attractive posts preceding this one, i get all crazy with bad news. It's mostly an irritation that mankind refuses to take responsibility for their own actions but sometimes it really does bother me, interrupting sleep and keeping me from doing chores and other good things around my home and work. It's like a self-shelter - protecting my inner woman from things that i know will bother me or upset me.

So i've put a little restriction on foxnews.com, cnn.com and bbc.co.uk just for about a week or so. It's not that i don't want to be informed....it's that i'd rather be informed about everything that is happening everywhere and that really isn't a good idea! LOL

It's 6.49am and i'm already at work, being unable to sleep through the night so i decided to come in early and enjoy the quiet. And i find i'm in a much, much better mood, even though the lack of sleep.

Also? i'm wearing the cutest skirt know to mankind. And a gorgeous red scarft.

And now....coffee and a sweet. See? The world may be falling to pieces but i'm going to enjoy this morning anyway!

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Something i just love

***Warning: Rant and not very nice post below - feel free to visit when
i'm being nicer***


i just love it when the world, involved in their own problems and bitter rivalries and acting like spoiled children (you think Putin turning off the gas lines wasn't a spoiled-child tantrum? look again) and they blame it all on America.

Nothing makes me happier than to see the world at large not able to stand up for themselves and say, "Hey guess what? We're a mess and we've made a mess and we have to take care of this mess." but rather "That dang America - it's THEIR fault."

Nothing makes my heart pitter-patter faster than reading that a freakin doctor would say that America should be bombed and set on her heels because Israel and Palestine are fighting once again.

Oh please.

America has enough internal problems and messes that we have to fix by ourselves and if i were President i'd close all the borders, stop all import/export and work like a mad dog to get our country back on track and then see who the big babies are.

But then again, i'm still cranky and really fed up with the world's whiners ...not to mention America's whiners.

i need chocolate or someone is going to seriously get injured....and don't complain about your injury you big baby.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

101 Things in 1001 days

I got this idea from http://bethmorrissey.wordpress.com/

And i've even stolen some of her ideas - and hope that's ok Beth.....but i'm kinda slow sometimes and so...

Here's my list. I am starting it today and will re-evaluate by October 5, 2011.

Reading
1. Read through the Bible from front to back.
2. Read all the books on my classics list
3. Read The Economist every month
4. Read something that I totally don’t agree with (either religiously/politically, etc)
5. ReRead the Narnia Series

Writing
6. Write in my blog a minimum of three times a week.
7. Write some essays or edit ones I’ve already written
8. Submit a transcript for a children’s book
9. Write the transcript for a children’s book

Arithmetic
10. Invest in a MacBook
11. Investigate how to do a slow spending year or couple of months
12. Become totally debt free – including mortgage
13. Become more involved in my investments

Health and Wellness
14. Thirty minutes of yoga three times a week for one month. (0/12)
15. Visit the dentist for a real appointment
16. Pamper myself to a spa
17. Begin vitamin/barley green regiment
18. Take a morning walk every weekday for two weeks. (0/14)
19. Eat organicially for two months
20. Do the 21-day “Daniel” fast

Food and Drink
21. Totally re-do pantry
22. Learn to bake good bread
23. Learn to make really good pie crust
24. Eat soup for lunch for one week. (0/7)
25. Learn to forage in the woods edible things – do research before foraging
26. Go a week without soda. (0/7)
27. Make chocolate/lemon cake for sister for no reason other than just because
28. Drink a glass of milk per day for a month. (0/30)
29. Drink only water for one week. (0/7)
30. Eat a hot breakfast everyday for one week. (0/7)
31. Buy organic products and free range meats
32. Check out the co-op in Lancaster

Fashion and Beauty
33. Go through my shoes and donate some to charity or throw out
34. Moisturise feet nightly for two weeks. (3/14)
35. Moisturise hands daily for one month. (3/30)
36. Wear red lipstick.-Done 1/6/09
37. Get my hair cut short(this one scares me)
38. Have a facial.
39. Have a professional makeup consultation.
40. Find an all-purpose dress to keep in my wardrobe.
41. Invest in good lingerie
42. Get a pedicure.
43. Find another skirt style that looks great on me

Crafty, Crafty
44. Learn how to sew
45. Learn how to knit
46. Complete three cross-stitching projects (0/3)
47. Learn about crocheting.
48. Learn how to fix things in my own home

Travel and Tourism
49. Go to Ireland.
50. Go to the Philadelphia Zoo.
51. Go to the Cape May Zoo
52. Return to Paris
53. Go to at least four operas
54. Become a Reading Royals fan
55. Go to a European Christmas market.
56. See tulips in Holland.
57. Visit three states never been to before in the US

Charitable
58. Donate old clothing to Good Will
59. Use all shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child

Spiritual
60. Find and use a daily devotional for one year. (0/365)
61. Attend church every Sunday
62. Keep a gratitude journal for one month. (0/30)

Everyday Fun
63. Buy myself flowers from the florist
64. Buy flower boxes for front windows
65. Get a new set of everyday dishes. - Done 1.08.09
66. Take a photograph every day for a month. (0/30)
67. Make a “dinner music” playlist.
68. Have a games day/night.
69. Order holiday cards from Etsy.
70. Spend a weekend at home without turning on the computer.
71. Afternoon tea with Person X.
72. Send 10 random “thinking of you” cards. (0/10)
73. Send flowers to someone for no reason.
74. Get an iPod and learn how to use it
75. Compile an iTunes library
76. Update address book.
77. Take a French class.
78. Listen to all songs in my iTunes library.
79. Play in the rain.
80. Have a picnic in the park.
81. Get up at 4am for one week. (0/7)
82. Make a will.
83. Stargaze.
84. Really consider if want to get a Master’s degree
85. Consider changing careers
86. Ask a random guy out for dinner
87. Have at least 10 fancy dinners in my house (0/10)
88. Change my garden
89. Garden veggies at my folks’ house
90. Send random ‘Thank you for investing in my life’ cards or emails
91. Get involved in my political party
92. Find a mentor for whole eating/slow year living
93. Adopt an older person at a nursing home
94. Play the piano as much as possible
95. Go to the movies more – even if alone
96. Find a really good friend
97. Eat at the Afghan restaurant in Philadelphia
98. Eat a small piece of chocolate everyday (exceptions: while on 21-day fast)

And the Formalities
99. Write a blog post for each completed item.
100. Donate $2.00 for each unfinished item to a charity of my choosing.
101. Write a new list for the next 1001 days.

My head might explode

There is so much in my mind to sort out and put down in a logical manner but in the meantime, my poor little head might just blow up with all that i'm trying to give some time and attention to.

For instance the stupid war between Israel and Palestine, Putin turning off the gas, our own Congress and Senate

THOSE FOUR THINGS ALONE COULD MAKE ME CRAZY


i also want to seriously start making changes in the way i live and eat and care for my body, house, yard, etc. i will not become some crazy burkenstock wearing tree hugger**, but i sure could do alot better in how i handle what's been given to us. AND i have some New Year Goals that i'd also like to jot down but can't always find the time between my movie watching and sleeping (why does one slow down so much during winter??) and working two jobs and...and a...and did i mention my car's inspection ran out months ago and i've still not gotten it to the shop?

i think i need a secretary.
***there is nothing wrong with being a crazy burkenstock wearing tree hugger, i'm just feeling mean today. So just "take it where you shake it"

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

YAY no tub in the dining room

But...but there is surely a problem and i'll have to deal with it. It's at times like these that i wish:
1) i had a handyman for a boyfriend/close friend/friend locked in the attic
2) i was able to do these things for myself.

i want to re-do my bathroom anyway and have thought about starting to rip out the floor tiles to see how bad things are..and to also begin to take down the nasty shower thing-y walls and go buy the tile i want.

The problem is that i have an idea how to do this but not the actual knowledge. BUT i don't want to pay someone else big bucks to do it so i might just try it myself (no worries, i won't try to do the plumbing alone..well probably not). It's kinda exciting to know that i can either totally repair my own house or totally ruin it.

Power. Sheer power, folks

Monday, January 5, 2009

Hopefully It's Not an Indication of THINGS TO COME

As i was getting ready for work this morning, i heard a dripping sound. Odd since it wasn't raining outside and i went toward the dripping noise to investigate.

The dripping seems to be coming through the ceiling from my tub. Water was all over the dining room floor.

And if i go home tonight and find my entire bathroom has crashed through the floor into the dining room, i might just find a cave in which to hide for the entirety of 2009.