September | 2011 | No Whining Allowed

I Need A Clever Title For The List I Post Every Friday

September 30, 2011 at 6:28 AM (Bargain Hunting, Friends, Help Me Please, Honey, Lists, Muggins Q. Mouse)

Hi Guys. I know I have been a little spotty or light lately, I blame Mousey.

She has totally been hogging the computer. She has an AP psych class, honors humanities, and a lifeguard class that are requiring a significant amount of time using the computer for homework. Otherwise known as hogging.

I get on when I can. Thank you for your patience.

How about a nice Friday list?

1. We have had a LOT of rain up here in The Mitten lately. A lot of the wet stuff. It is hampering the outside work.

2. Of course it did not rain at all last weekend, yet Honey and I did not find it in ourselves to get out there and accomplish anything. In my defense, I had a truly heinous headache for days. I can’t recall Honey’s defense.

3. Our friend Jan had her donor stem cell transplant on Tuesday. Except for a feverish, uncomfortable first night, she has sailed on through. Thank you Lord!! OK stem cells, do your thing!

4. GO TIGERS!!!!

5. Capri Deb and I had another delightful Thursday! Mrs. Schmenkman called us during lunch to tell us she was pouting at our togetherness. We met at our favorite Arabic restaurant and were joined by Deb’s artsy friend, Kat. All of Deb’s friends are artsy, except for yours truly. As I have mentioned before, I am a poser. At Kat’s suggestion, we shared a custard dessert that was very yummy! Kat graciously took our picture with our treat.

6. While it is a perfectly fine picture of Capri Deb, I have to wonder what was going on with Capri Kel here? Or should I say Winky Winkerson? Or should I say Winky Teetherson? YIKES is what I should say!

Hey Schmenk, do you recognize my top? It’s the blouse you found for me at Goodwill this summer, the silk one you talked me into buying! I HAND washed it, and it’s fine!

7. After lunch we took a gander at the Goodwill. We both had a schnibble of luck.

All can be worn with black on the hindquarters. All were $3.99. Halle Berry approved of them all.

8. Mousey found a perfectly darling pair of Bearpaw boots at Marshall’s, but they did not have her size. I tried to find a picture on the internet but was unsuccessful in my endeavor. I have looked at another Marshall’s and even at their sister store, T.J. Maxx, then returned to the original Marshall’s store to see if they received a new shipment, all no no avail.

I ask you, is it worse to see exactly what you want, and never find it again, or to have never seen it at all?

Discuss amongst yourselves and let me know.

4 Comments

A Tasty Snack

September 28, 2011 at 6:11 AM (Honey, Muggins Q. Mouse, This and That)

Our new favorite catnip.

Naturally, we all like different ones. I like the first two, Mousey the third, and Honey’s favorite is all gone. It’s Habanero BBQ, and they are SPICEY!

Mmmm, yummy.

3 Comments

Because They Are Married, They Do Everything Together!

September 27, 2011 at 3:42 AM (Honey, YouTube)

I think this is SO sweet! I like to think this could be me and Honey after 62 years married. If we could play the piano.

4 Comments

The Very Fun Day!

September 26, 2011 at 5:38 AM (Bargain Hunting, Confessions, Friends, Lists, Muggins Q. Mouse, The Ab-Cat)

***First on the agenda, thank you all so much for commenting this weekend when I was doing my trolling thing for the 1000 post! I love, luv, LOVED all of the wondermous things you had to say!!! And now I have a confession. It was not my 1000th post. I read it wrong. It was my one thousand ONE HUNDRED POST!!!!!! So really, an even bigger deal! Only 899 till the 2000 post! Thanks again for humoring me!***

Capri Deb is coming to BSF this year!

There are many reasons why this is exciting for me. A list is required to tell you about all the reasons why this is thrilling!

1. It is always a good thing when someone wants to attend a Bible study.

2. I am always happy when someone I know comes to BSF!

3. It’s Capri Deb!!!!!

4. We can talk about what we are learning. The good, the bad and the ugly. I regularly need a mirror held up to view my ugly.

5. We can go to lunch on Thursdays!

6. After lunch, we can go to the nearby Value World!!!!!

7. It’s Capri Deb!!!!! I will stop at seven, because it is God’s number.

Lunch and Value Word were precisely what happened last Thursday. I have had a hankering to go to the V-World, but I always seem to have this little conversation with myself in which I say, Self, you don’t need a darn thing. So I effectively talk myself out of going just to look around. I was glad that Capri Deb shared my hankering. We spent a glorious hour or so looking around, trying on, adding and subtracting to and from our carts. I SO enjoyed myself!

Deb mostly buys materials to make into her darling pins and hair accessories, that she SELLS in a store, because she is a real live artist! She was on the hunt for green leather that day. We did not find any. I mostly look for tops and sleep pants and other things I like. Abby is sometimes a beneficiary of my superior bargain hunting skills, because heaven knows she hates shopping.

My finds for the day. And I am sad to say we did not have 50% off coo-pin.

Left flowered sweater, $3.20 from Old Navy, sleep pants $2.60, pink ruffled sweater $3.50, Liz Claiborne.

My deals for The Ab-Cat were grey Gap vest $2.60, grey Old Navy shirt $3.40, grey Banana Republic hoodie shirt $3.60. She liked them all (surprise, surprise, said like Gomer Pyle!) but thinks the Banana Republic shirt is too small. It’s not, she is just not used to clothing that fits. I don’t think grey is her best color, so I suggested she wear color either over or under, as the top requires, to spice up the grey.

I also found this Vera Bradley bag for $3.40. I have heard about Vera Bradley from 2 friends, who really like her bags. My friend Vickie was the first. She is on her second V.B. bag and speaks highly and lovingly about them and their many handy compartments. Then this summer The Peanuts Champ found one at a garage sale to give to our friend Allie’s daughter, who is evidently a HUGE fan. She said she only paid a few dollars, and it was a great deal. I then saw a display of them when we were over in South Haven, and my lands a livin’ they were quite a few bucks more than I usually pay for my pocketbooks!

All that to say that when I saw it, I felt compelled to purchase it. I would not carry it as a purse, but it would make a cute toiletry bag. When I got home I noticed that the handles were a little worn at the top, but other than that, it was in GREAT shape, and it’s washable to boot!

I may not even get to keep it because when I mentioned it to Mousey, her little ears perked up.

Someone will make good use of it!

I can’t tell you how happy I was with the whole day! Let’s do it again soon Deb!

3 Comments

Potent Quotable

September 25, 2011 at 7:09 AM (Potent Quotable)

"Good humor and laughter are far too wonderful not to come straight from the heart of God."
— Beth Moore

1000

September 23, 2011 at 7:03 AM (Confessions, Help Me Please)

Today is a milestone!

One thousand times I have posted on this old blob!

One thousand times I have sat down and thought about what to share, or if there should be a picture added, or if I can get away with another list.

I still can’t believe it, but the stat counter tells me need to know facts like that, so it must be true.

I still really love blobbing. Still happy to have this little record of our life. A love letter, in blog format, for Honey and our children. A wonderful, unexpected way to keep in touch with family and friends. I have also enjoyed getting to know others in and through the blog world, some I have met, others I have not. I talk as if I know you personally. My kids find this odd. It seems normal to me.

Here is the part of the post you suspected was coming. I am going to ask for a favor. OK, I am trolling, as Mrs. Schmenkman calls it. Trolling for comments.

I must confess, I love the comments.

Like I have said before, pretend like you are those Who’s down in Whoville. “We are here, we are here, we are here, WE ARE HERE!!!!”

So many of you are gracious comment-ers, many of you are every day readers and world class lurkers! Please humor me, known and unknown! Leave me a comment, say hello, or introduce yourself. I would LOVE to hear from you OR meet you!! Be like those Who’s!

What do you think? A thousand more?

38 Comments

Pictures of the Senior

September 22, 2011 at 4:50 AM (Muggins Q. Mouse, Pretty Things)

Mousey had her senior pictures taken last Saturday evening. The day turned out to be spectacular, weather wise and picture wise. The first batch were taken in the town next door. It seems to be the trendy thing to do, have these town pictures.

Seeing as how I made the Ab-Cat have her picture taken, and I was never able to twist The Boy’s tail sufficiently to get him to go, I am hardly an expert on the taking of senior pictures. Of course, I did participate in my own, some 31 years ago, but it was a low key affair, taken in the school gym, with one outfit change halfway through. So I pretty much let Mousey and the photographer make all the decisions.

The second session was taken at Matthaei Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor. A very beautimous place, chosen by our girl, Jude. There were other seniors there too. It was a veritable hot bed of senior picture activity. I liked the pretty gate. They asked that you please close it so deer don’t crash all of the senior picture taking parties.

I took this for Honey. It is his great desire to have a fountain. It’s a Day-go thing.

Oooohhhh, tails.

This looks like a crop of some sort. The sunset was hitting it just right. It looked on fire.

Some flowers were already spent, but many were not.

I liked the different shades of green.

Here is that focused in front, blurry in back thing I like so well.

I realize this is almost identical to the one before it, but I could not choose. I heart them both so.

Mmmmm, sedum. Delicious.

My friend the coneflower.

I was telling Jip the Farm Dog about this. She said maybe it was goldenrod? Jip? Capri’s? Buehler, Buehler????

Oh, yes, and Mousey was getting her picture taken. That’s right, I almost forgot.

This was a dress my Mother, Mousey’s Grandmother, used to wear. I wore it, and now Mouse wears it. It’s a beautifully made dress, the fabric is luxurious.

I can’t believe I ever fit into that dress.

There were lots of areas to choose from, each more loverly than the last.

Jude told us we could view them within two weeks.

Mousey is waiting, patiently and expectantly.

Me too!

7 Comments

Wednesday Hodgepodge

September 21, 2011 at 5:13 AM (Family Life, Mr. Linky Things)

Hi Guys! My thanks to Joyce From This Side of the Pond for gathering us together and thinking up some questions for us to ponder.

1. Do you like chili? Red or white? Beans or no beans? Spice or no spice? Toppings?

I only like chili from a Coney Island, with no beans please.

2. Red~Orange~Gold…your favorite fall color?

Fall colors ARE my colors! Decorating and wearing. I guess if I had to pick one it would be that brick red color. And red leaves are my favorites.

3. Who did you idolize when you were growing up?

Like a movie star or singer? My first crush was Bobby Sherman. I wanted to change my name to Julie, because YES, I did love him!

followed by David Cassidy. I would have definitely met him halfway!

Then there were too many to count or remember! As far as a person in my life? No one comes to mind.

4. When was the last time you did something ‘arts and craftsy’? Share please.

These mosaics are probably the last things I made.

5. What’s a place that makes you really nervous?

If I was anywhere near here, I would DIE, literally and figuratively!

The dentist and the hygienist make me nervous as a cat, even though they are lovely, lovely people.

6. Horse back riding…yay or nay (neigh?)

I used to like to horseback ride, but I haven’t done it in years.

7. What is your favorite cliche?

Lately I have liked many hands make light work. I may have even recently said it to children reluctant to helping. I had to google this because I wasn’t sure of the difference between a cliche and an idiom. What I discovered? I use a LOT of cliches! And a lot of idioms.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

My Aunt and Uncle and their oldest daughter were visiting from Florida this week. I don’t think I have seen them since we pulled off The Family Reunion Extravaganza a couple summers ago. What I love about family is even though you don’t see each other all the time, you just pick up right where you left off!

Here we have Florida Girl Cousin Lynn, Girl Cousin Stefanie, The Boy, Mousey, Aunt Ava with Uncle Frank behind her, Girl Cousin Kay, Capri Kel and The Ab-Cat.

After being mostly life long Michiganders, they packed up and peeled out to sunny Tampa. It sounds like they have settled in nicely!

We were even able to get an impromptu NutHatch photograph! It would never receive Christmas card approval though. The Boy has on work clothes, Honey had just woke up and was still wearing his tater clothes, and Mousey had changed when she came home from school to start her marathon homework session. Of course, Abby , Katie and I are looking good!

Thanks for stopping by, see you next Wednesday!

8 Comments

Peace For The Journey

September 19, 2011 at 5:18 AM (Friends, From the Heart)

The women in our CareGroup (and some others who used to attend, but we refuse to let go of!) get together once a month or so for a little thing we call Birthday Club. Or Girls Night Out. Really, it’s just an excuse to get together to eat and talk, two things near and dear to our hearts.

This Birthday Club had a duel purpose. There was the whole eating/talking thing, and also celebrating our friend Jan, aka Philly’s Mom, who is going in for a donor stem cell transplant today. She had another transplant with her own stem cells in 2009, but it didn’t do what it needed to, so she finds herself going down the path again. The path that is known and unknown, all at the same time.

Some things she knows?

She is ready. She has stopped the paper, transferred her mail, battened down the hatches of her home. Her dog Ernie is in a good place. She loves her doctors and is very pleased with The Karmanos Cancer Center that she has come to know so very well. She says that this time she is better prepared to endure the month in the hospital, she goes armed with some books, some knitting, her laptop, and Skype! She has the peace that passes all understanding, that can only come from God. She goes with the support of her family and friends. She is aware that the troops have gathered to lift her up in prayer. I have heard her say many times that God is in control, and He will take care of her. That is a most wonderful thing to know in your heart.

Front row: BaumsAway and The Peanut Champ.

Back row: Capri K, The Knitter and Jan, with her new, darling, short haircut!

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43:2 NIV

Now those are some promises to claim from an always faithful God.

2 Comments