October | 2011 | No Whining Allowed

The Cone of Concern

October 31, 2011 at 9:28 AM (Confessions, Honey, Our Boy, Trips)

I can’t take it anymore. I have a confession to make. We are not in The Mitten. Lots of you know this, it is not exactly a secret. But I always feel strange saying we are not home, especially if we have left children.

Honey said it was ok to share. So here we are. When all One does is blob about One’s every day life, it is very hard to not talk about One’s life for 2 weeks!

We are in Bonita Beach, Florida, and up until 3 days ago, it was bee-youtiful. Then Hurricane Rina vacillated about making an appearance, and there was talk about the Naples area being in the “cone of concern”, which cracked us up.

There have been a couple of heavy rains, much standing water, and ugly grey clouds, but we are fairly certain we can dispose of the cone. Of concern.

We arrived on the 21st of October. It was getting chilly up Nawth, so it was delicious to be back in the warm sunshine. It was just Honey and I until last Thursday when we were joined by The Boy. We are thrilled to have him here, because he makes everything even more fun. I was going to say funner, because I like that word, but I knew spellcheck would throw a red line at me. There, I did it anyway, take that crabby spellcheck.

These pictures were taken last week, pre “cone of concern” and pre Boy arrival. I have got to stop leaving my camera in the trunk of the rental car. It is of no use to me there.

Honey had a hankering to go to The Naples Pier to see the sunset. So did many others. It was like The United Nations down there. Many languages,

Yes, Life is Good!

There’s my Boyfriend.

My thick and thin partner. We were once thin, now we are thicker-er.

He wanted to take a sunset picture that had flying birds. He got it.

Whew, I feel so much better! Once I fessed up, the words just tumbled out. That’s good for today, enjoy your Monday!

7 Comments

Potent Quotable

October 30, 2011 at 3:46 PM (Potent Quotable)

There are two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle.
–Albert Einstein

1 Comment

Thrifting For Gold

October 28, 2011 at 9:27 AM (Bargain Hunting, Confessions, Family Life, Friends, Honey, In's and Ism's, Muggins Q. Mouse, Our Boy, Pretty Things, Television, The Ab-Cat)

I believe I may have mentioned that I have been thrifting this week, and I have SCORED! Spell check is insisting that thrifting is not a word. It is totally a word spellcheck. Spellcheck is not a real word.

I think I also confessed that I am trying to add a little color zest to my brown and black wardrobe. A little pop of color, like I have heard on What Not To Wear, or Project Runway, or somewhere.

***BTW, I am happy with the winner of Project Runway!! The person was one of my picks all along, and I can say no more about the winner because Rae Babe has not seen it yet and I would not want to give it all away!!! I can divulge that I was a little afraid there for a moment when the winner was up against my VERY LEAST FAVORITE designer. And considering that last year our VERY LEAST FAVORITE designer won, I was preparing to swear off the runway for LIFE. All is well on the Runway this morning, whew.!***

Back to the color pops.

These will do nicely in the pop department, either under or over a solid color with solid pants. I have no printed pants, because for me, that is just wrong.

Love the pink flowered Liz Claiborne sweater for $4.99, the multi colored Cyrus (never heard of that brand) will look darling under an already owned black sweater, $2.99, and the bottom print was Talbots for $4.99, LOVE them all!

$4.99 is more than I regularly pay for thrift store clothing, I do not regret these purchases, because I heart them so, and I need some new BSF and church clothes, but I decided to challenge myself to not spend more than $2.99, unless I REALLY loved something. So far, so good.

Next up was a Daisy Fuentes blousy top for $2.99. Vintage Suzie top and Merona also $2.99.

Here are the staples of my wardrobe. I never have enough white tops, short or no sleeve. And you know how by the end of the season your white tops are not so white anymore? I am there, my Friends! When this phenomenon happens, the old white shirts become walking shirts, and the old walking shirts go in the give away bag.

I discovered something. I like Chico’s white shirts. I have never owned anything by Chico’s, but I am now the proud owner of 2 and they fit like a dream! I did pay $4.99 for one, but only $2.99 for the other. There was an Ann Taylor one that I am also fond of. Everything here except the afore mentioned Chico shirt was $2.99, excluding the green Old Navy tank, it was $1.99. All the white are 1000% better than anything I have been wearing lately! Like new.

Since I have purchased clothing for my hindquarters, you can correctly assume that I shopped at Goodwill, where they have the luxury of changing rooms. Something Value World should get on the stick about. That was one of my Mother’s isms, get on the stick. No idea what it really means.

The $4.99 rule did not carry over to hindquarter garments. Cheetah sleep pants, bought because they are SO cute and will make all 3 of my children groan, $2.99. Cropped capri Izod’s $4.99. White Bandolino Blu, also $4.99. Brown Style&Company, $2.99 WOO HOO! White Merona jeans $4.99. Grey Champion sweat pants that can be worn as pants or sleep pants, oh the decisions! $2.99. And finally tan, long David Brooks long pants, $3.99.

Honey’s haul of polo shirts, mostly $2.99, maybe a couple sneekers at $4.99. I am most happy about the red one on the right. I told him to find a new red shirt to match his traveling pants. What are those you might ask? I believe The Boy was the one who noticed that Honey always travels in the same outfit. Black track pants with a red strip down the side. The Boy asked him once if those were his Traveling Clothes because he always wore them when flying OR driving on a trip. Honey said he guessed they were!

Well, the red shirt he always wore was looking a little …weathered. The true red had given way to an orangy red, and worse yet, he had a little hole in the back, down by his rumpus that was UNACCEPTABLE to me. His excuse was always”but these are my Traveling Clothes!”. He can now retire the orangy red jersey and wear the new true red, non hole by the rumpus one, and we can travel without shame. Not that any of that ever bothered HIM.

Here are some twinkies for the Girls. Transformer sleep pants for The Ab-Cat, at a whopping .99 CENTS and white and black staples for Miss Moustine, all $2.99.

And that is what we have so far!

5 Comments

Thursday List

October 27, 2011 at 8:16 AM (Honey, Lists)

I know, I am supposed to have a list on Friday, and maybe I will, but I am offering one today as well. Accept at your own risk.

I don’t know why I said that, I am the least risky person you might know. I used to be riskier, but barely.

Enough of the risk talk. Here is the list, short as it is.

1. Honey and I went to Outback this week for our anniversary back on the 19th. It did not disappoint. I think it is my favorite meal ever. Steak, yummy baked potato, salad, and of course, Chocolate Thunder From Down Under. Thanks Honey! I dee and dough!

2. BSF was cancelled for today because the massive construction on the road out front. Something about having to turn off the water. And you know that a Bible study hosting around 200 women cannot do without a biffy! I think this is the third time in the 12 years I have been around that this has happened. The other two were snow related, imagine that.

3. I have been scoring some loot thrifting lately! I long to show you, maybe tomorrow.

4. My Dad said he drove by the house where I grew up yesterday. He said it looked really good! I have always wanted to go back inside that house and see how it looks to my adult self.

5. Honey and I are going for a walk, so I need to git!

Have a great Thursday!

1 Comment

Wednesday Hodgepodge

October 26, 2011 at 9:04 AM (Uncategorized)

Hi Guys! Thanks for stopping by the Hodgepodge this week .My thanks as usual to Joyce From This Side of the Pond for thinking up questions for us to answer.

1. What gives you goosebumps?

When people tell about something that is a total God thing.

2. Halloween-are you a lover or a hater? Okay, that sounds harsh…Halloween-yay or nay?

I neither love nor hate it. Our kids always participated, costumes and trick or treating. I knew some people that were against it because they felt it was evil, but I never thought that. I remembered Halloween as one of the most fun nights of the year and wanted our kids to feel the same.

We have never done much as far as decorating for it, and we never celebrated the scary side of it. No creepy stuff, I am a world class weenie.

3. Can you respect someone you do not trust, and can you trust someone you do not respect?

I don’t think so, they seem like they go hand in hand to me. If I can’t trust someone, I don’t respect them. It’s an integrity issue.

4. Apples or oranges? Yes, you have to choose.

This one is easy, apples. Fuji, Golden or Honeycrisp preferably. Oranges me no likey. All that nasty, white, pulpy business, YUCK.

5. What is something you wish was in your town? (shop, restaurant, attraction, etc)

Hmmm, I am fairly happy with our town. I used to always say I would never have to leave our city if we had a Homegoods, Old Navy and a TJ Maxx. We have the first two, still no TJM, but we do have a Marshalls! And now that the kids are older, no one ever needs to go to Old Navy, so I totally wasted a wish on that.

The Value World is in the next town over, and The Big Cheap Store is in Virginia, so clearly, there can be improvements made.

6. What non-food item is in your refrigerator or freezer?

Well, the only things I can think of are Honey’s hummingbird food and Super Glue.

This does remind me of something that was in our freezer for years.The Boy had a fast food toy that was The Invisible Man, or woman or something. For some reason, to become invisible, he needed it to be in the freezer. It’s grey self was in there for many moons!

7. Are you at all superstitious?

I don’t think so. Honey says I am not.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I just read this in my BSF notes this morning.

“No opposition can stop an eternal work of God in a believing, committed heart. These Antioch converts learned that the entrance to God’s kingdom is accompanied by trials, opposition, and even persecution. However, the supernatural joy and transformation within, by the new creation by the Holy Spirit, far outweighed the opposition. Difficulties deepened their spiritual roots and confirmed their confidence in Christ’s power to cause His own to triumph over every situation”

Pretty powerful stuff!

Thanks for stopping by!

5 Comments

LiTTle ITaly

October 25, 2011 at 8:31 AM (Honey)

Last night Honey had an obsession. As he frequently does.

He saw a sign for a restaurant called Little Italy. Say that three times, really fast! He kept saying it over and over, as you do. It sounded like Leedle Edaly,

After a while, it was just leedle eedle eedle. I told him I was going to blob about it. He said that was fine, but I had to spell it so you could get the full effect.

There you go. You are welcome. Have a good Tuesday.

2 Comments

Family Rules

October 23, 2011 at 7:32 PM (Around Our House)

When I was out shopping for Little Goomba’s birthday present a couple of weeks ago, I found this little present for us.

I hung it in our kitchen, where Capri Patt tells me I have too many words hanging already, telling her what to do. Words like No Whining. And then $5.00 Fine for Whining. Then there is Life is Good, Prayer Changes Things, and We can do no great things, only small things with great love-Mother Theresa. Then there is the one that says something about a blessing.