Carly Simon Speaks to Me

No, not really speaking to me. More like her anthem, You’re So Vain, keeps circling about in my head. Why? Because I have a hair appointment to have my tresses tamed and trimmed.

No, I am NOT cutting it short!!

JUST a trim of maybe an inch to an inch-and-a-half. And maybe I will capitulate to my vanity, and get a gloss treatment to make my hair look like it came from a Pantene commercial.

My hair, in about 20 years. Or in about three weeks if the kids keep driving me nuts.

I’ll try to post before and after pics of the hair. Hopefully, it won’t be too big of a change for someone 😉

I can hear Hubby whimpering all the way over here already…. 😉

UPDATE!!

Ok, here you go:

SHINY!!!!

Ok, people??? 😀

Home Improvement

This week, I shall be undertaking several projects here at home. Some are small, piddly little things that have gotten under my skin, like finally hanging up several pictures which have been in the closet for the last five years. Others require the willing co-operation of the children. In particular, Eldest will be moving her piles of “stuff” back into her room by TOMORROW.

She reads this, which is why I wrote that in big letters.

Her room has a certain Zen look to it, when uncluttered. Hopefully, she will get rid of half of the clutter that takes away from it, and make the room into a haven for her. If she’s lucky, she will have a nice reading chair in there for her use, along with new lighting if I can manage it.

Say it with me: OHM!!!

Hopefully I will be able to post a pic of the finished room tomorrow. Because her father reads this, too 😉

UPDATE:

I had forgotten about an appointment I have this morning, so pics of her finished room will have to wait until tomorrow. Thank goodness!!

Bad Influences

We all have them. We all enjoy them. You know you do, so don’t try to say you don’t! Everyone of us has a friend that’s a bad influence. The one that says another slice of cake won’t hurt, or that you need that new dress, or that those shoes are absolutely fabulous and you must get them.

I have one of those friends, too. His name is Mitchell, and he is dangerous. Oh, we’ve never met, and he would die before going dress shopping with me. But when it comes to art and the kitchen, he is mandragora. He is the reason several bloggers came up with a new name for shopping: going a-yorling, after his former blogging name. A couple of days ago he posted some lovely kitchen canisters that he purchased as a housewarming gift for his mom. Not only lovely, but handmade here in the USA. You can guess what happened next:

Yep, I got the complete canister set from Crosby & Taylor. In my defense it was a fabulous deal, and considering I had been using two basket canisters for the longest time, I felt I was due for an upgrade. Right?? All I know is that now I need the matching garlic pot and soap dispenser. And when I say “need”, I mean WANT LIKE BURNING!!

If Mitchell ever has a garage sale, I’m sunk 😉

State of Panic

Yes, I am in a state of panic. Eldest’s Sweet Sixteen birthday is coming up, and she wants a party, but her lazy gene decided to act up, and we haven’t done any planning!! Ok, that’s not entirely true. I have made plans, but she has neither approved or disapproved of them. She sort of likes the cake design….. she sort of likes the menu…. she sort of likes everything.

She just can’t decide on the incidentals.

She did decide on a theme, though. We are going to have a Paint Party! I will have a canvas tarp set up outside on the fence, and her friends will be able to paint or write anything they like (as long as it passes muster with me).

Like this, only legible.

Of course, that means no dressing up, which every parent considers a total win. It also means they will leave through the side gate, and not through the house. One thing I am not sure about is whether or not to have party favors. It’s a tradition in Puerto Rico to do so at every type of party. I even gave favors at my wedding. But kids might consider that uncool, or something. If anyone has suggestions, let me know 😉

So, this weekend will be spent planning and screaming, and hopefully it will get done!!

Keeping Busy

Life always intrudes, doesn’t it?? It never fails…. you go to the craft store, you find something new to try, and as soon as you come home you put it in your craft area, ready to start on it, only to find you need just one more thing, so you wait on in until you get it, then you forget where you put something else you need, so you keep putting off the project until you can’t remember what you were going to make.

That happens a lot to me. And no, it’s not senility.

Anyway, I finally found the item I needed: a miniature canvas. Those are a bit hard to come by, since most artists prefer to paint on a full-sized canvas, I imagine. And why would I need a miniature canvas? To make something similar to this:

Mine won’t need so many canvases, and will be smaller in size. I hope to have it finished by this evening, because I just know something is going to come up. Again…

I figure I may finish this project in time for school to begin 😉

Dog Days of Summer

Well, apparently they are here rather early. This week has been very hectic at Casa de Aggie. Hubby has been in a hurry to receive certain documents for his board, and I have been in a hurry to find them! Luckily, all that got done, thanks to Eldest, who knows how to scan and attach (whatever that means) to emails.

The girls decided to weed out their wardrobes, and generously donated everything yesterday. And they were generous…. five garbage bags and one huge box of clothing, to include jackets, coats, shirts, dresses, and several pairs of brand new shoes, since according to Little One, Momma doesn’t have good taste.

Seriously, she said that. I too, am appalled.

So, hopefully as this week winds down, I’ll be able to post more. First, I have to rescue the front lawn, though. Oh, and replace the outdoor ceiling fans, and trim the front tree and plants. Also, have to get things moving for Eldest’s Sweet Sixteen party, and pick a day to finally sort the filing. Maybe.

Sigh….. 🙂

Letter to the Person in the Mirror

This is the final letter to the month-long Letter Challenge. I was supposed to have this done on Saturday, but I seldom post on the weekends, and then Monday was Independence Day, so naturally this got bumped to Tuesday.

This is not an easy letter to write. I am….not fond of looking too closely at my visage. Things tend to glare back at you harshly. But I’ll try.

To my reflection,

I used to see my father there all the time. As I grew older, and became a mom, I started seeing more of my mother. That dreaded “eleven” showed up between my brows, and I remember crying, thinking how angry it made me look. I paid attention to the mirror less and less, hoping that the person in it would no longer change. But that was futile, because you were there every time I walked past. But I started to see things differently.

I see the grey hair, and I think of the times my children drove me insane with worry.

I see the wrinkles, and think of the laughter they inspired.

I see the bags under my eyes, and remember staying up late with them, watching movies, rubbing tummy aches away, or searching for snakes.

I see chipped nails, and think of them asking for help with projects.

I see stretch marks, and think of the joy in earning them.

And now, every time I look in the mirror, I don’t see age. I see happiness.

At least until a fight breaks out, and the “eleven” comes back.

Sincerely,

The Me in this Universe

Independence Day

Long may she wave!!

These colors never run.

As I read the Declaration of Independence, I come to the end of the Preamble, and read this:

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

That is my favorite part, the one quote that lies at the heart of what the Declaration means. There are some that choose to forget what this means, and there are others that fight for it, everyday.

There will come a time when we will need to throw off despotism, and provide new guards for our future security. History has taught us this: that she will repeat herself as long as ignorance abounds like putrescent mold upon the fabric of time.

Though this post is somber in thought, I hope you celebrate our country’s independence with joy, and much laughter, and while you are looking up to the heavens enjoying the fireworks, give a thought to the men and women who have sacrificed so much for our freedoms.

Samuel L. Jackson, You’re My Only Hope

Last night was a typical Friday night at Casa de Aggie. One kid had a friend over, one kid was having a chatfest on FaceBook, and the last kid was enjoying the fact that she had complete and total control of the remote. That really isn’t a big deal, since she always does. But all in all, we had a nice quiet evening.

Until Hell came to Snaketown.

This is Aro.

My Eldest’s pet snake.

She is usually found in her natural habitat of glass tank with lid.

Her turn-ons are small rodents, warm rocks, and small dark places.

Turn-offs include taking baths in cold water, glass candle holders around bathtubs, and dogs.

Mostly dogs.

Especially dogs.

As I explained, last night was a rather quiet evening. Until about 2 AM, when Eldest banged on my bedroom door and said, loudly and urgently, “MOM!! I NEED YOU!!”

Instinctively, I grabbed my gun and was about to jump out of bed, when she went on with, “I need your help! Aro is gone!!”

(Insert groggy groan here, followed by silent curses)

I told her to start looking and that I would be right out. Placing the gun away, I went out, and we began a rather fruitless search for a snake who had a six hour lead on us. The good news: neither dog had bloody fangs. The bad news: there are too many places in which a small snake can hide. So, for now, I will be cleaning up and examining corners, looking for bone pellets or shed skin.

So, who wants to come for a visit??

UPDATE!!

I took John’s advice and began to think like a snake. I found her five minutes after that, in the hallway closet, under two backpacks, one overnight bag, two scarves, a pair of snowboots (yeah, still have them from Germany), and a cloak. I also found a brand new Risk board game that the kids are playing upstairs. Son had said he had “looked” in the closet last night, so I asked him what he had seen on the floor.

Son: A pair of boots….

Me: And?

Son: I think my old backpack….

Me: And???

Son: and…..maybe something else?

Me: Suuuuuuure you looked…

Sheesh!

‘Fessing Up

They say confession is good for the soul, and this letter is about confessing something to someone. This will not be pretty.

But after 25 years, I feel it has to be done.

Dear In-Laws,

I love you to death. I do. You guys have treated me like your own daughter for over two decades. We’ve had our ups and downs, and even though life is like a roller coaster in our family, I have to confess something to y’all, and you won’t like it.

I despise Cajun food.

Dirt flavored ICK.

Ok, “despise” is a harsh term. “Loathe”  comes closer to the disgust I feel when I try to ingest Cajun food. It tastes like dirt to me. Dad always thinks he is fixing a special treat for me when he makes his famous Shrimp Gumbo. And he is, judging by the excited faces of the rest of the family as they wait, salivating for a bowl of your majikal stew. But every…single…time I have tried it, it feels like I am swallowing dirt-covered food. And I should know what dirt tastes like! In 25 years I have not been able to adapt to Cajun food, and I think it is safe to say, I never will. I’m sorry, but next time you are serving Cajun I am running to Sonic.

And don’t get me started on the Ox-Tail Soup.

Love y’all,

Me.