Guess What???

I’m still busy. I know. Y’all are just SHOCKED. I can tell.

Today I was up before 6 AM to take the older two kidlets to the ROTC Fish Camp. Then I drove through traffic so congested it needed Nyquil™ in order to drop off my BIL at the barracks in time for his appointment today. I raced home, only to remember to stop to get some groceries, because dishes need dishwashing liquid in order to get clean. Also I was out of coffee creamer, and I was actually doing the kids a favor by getting some. That way they wouldn’t have to deal with a cranky mom tomorrow, when I have to do this all over again, only with a trip to the mall included. Oh, and school registrations are this week, along with prep days and school portraits and my appointment at the hospital, and packing for our vacation.

Hopefully a week at the lake will relax me.

I get the funny feeling I’ll be doing pretty much the same stuff I do here, only with a lake attached. Whatever…as long as there’s wine and the noise is lower than 1200 decibels 😉

Yay…Me….

So yesterday Hubby was getting the boxes that contained his office regalia out of the garage, and I found even more crap to go donate to Goodwill, because any thought I ever entertained about using the super gem table lamp and the garish silk table covers have gone out the window with his “Omg… you still have that??” look from when he spied it. So, some of the stuff will go to Goodwill, some to my niece, and some to Nicole, because she loves sparklies as much as I do.

Super gem table lamp.

And that is my recycling bin. I’m classy that way. I’m sure my niece will love that lamp for her little one. Hopefully I will have made a big enough dent in the pile that Hubby will not complain for lack of space. After the crap has been distributed or packed up, I shall begin organizing the tools and the books. I hope that the rain continues so that I don’t bake out there. If temperatures rise above 95* F, then I will shove everything out the garage door and pray that someone will come by and pick up their new treasures.

Hopefully before Hubby returns 😉

Back to Basics

When I was newlywed, I used to take one day of the week to cook a gourmet meal. I would get the ingredients, measure everything, clean up as I went along, and make something fantabulous for the two of us.

Eldest was still on mashed peas and squash. She didn’t get to enjoy the spoils.

Once our family grew in size I placed that habit on hold, much to Hubby’s chagrin. Not many kids will appreciate Dover sole cooked in a white wine reduction, right? Well, I know mine didn’t. But now that they are nearing adulthood (ZOMG!!! HOW DID THAT HAPPEN!!??), I have been doing different dishes and getting back into the gourmet thing, slowly.

Of course, Little One is Miss Picky and she is still a problem. Son has a block against sauced things. Eldest will eat anything I serve her. She’s my favorite at mealtime. AT MEALTIME!!!

That last is for her benefit so that she doesn’t tell the other two that she has favorite child status for life, or something like that.

Anyway…. I noticed that a lot of the favorite meals growing up have been seriously absent from the repertoire. I mean, no mac and cheese, no Southern fried chicken, no comfort. So, I’m going back to the basics with this:

Courtesy of The Pioneer Woman, because she is a far better photographer than I am.

Chicken Fried Steak, my peeps!! I miss it so. I add different seasonings to the flour, and tend to add a bit of half-sharp Hungarian paprika for a bit of a kick (the bottle says “half-sharp”, but it peeled the skin off the roof of my mouth once when I mistakenly used it for Chicken Paprikás. Hubby loved it, though). Tonight there will be steak, and mashed potatoes and lots and lots of gravy that I make from the pan.

But I shall have back-up gravy from a jar, just in case I screw that up 😀

White Rabbit

Yes, I know. I’m late, I’m late!!!

Friends of ours are moving today for Washington, D.C., and we went over to say our goodbyes. Part of military life is uprooting and replanting. Another part is distributing potted plants and gardening tools, and what’s left in the fridge. Tonight we will dine on Kielbasa and spinach salad with feta!

Seriously, I’m late because I’m lazy. Lately it has been a bit problematic for me to find a topic. It may be writer’s block, or it may be that there is nothing going on, or maybe that everything funny to me, just sounds silly to y’all! The kids are fine, Hubby is fine, the dogs are fine, and the snakes are just there as usual, so I assume they are fine, too.

So, there you have it. I’m stuck in a rut. And all things being equal, I would rather be in Fiji.

Where would YOU rather be?? And don’t say “Philadelphia” 😉

Findings and Inspiration

A few…. holy cow…. almost a year ago now, I bought two small curio cabinets with the intention of doing something creative. And then something shiny happened and forgot completely about them. I left them in their bag and placed them under the desk for future use, only something always came up for me to do instead.

That’s the curio cabinet in it’s natural state. It has possibilities!! All the little boxes got me thinking about all the little findings I have to fit inside them, each box telling a little story of its own. I kept thinking of what tableaux I could make in each section, the Steampunk screaming at me to go in that direction, but the romantic in me also prodding me to do something a bit more feminine. So far, this is what I have.

Yes, the bottle of poison has charms that say “4” and “Life”. I’m a sick person, I admit it!! But the juxtaposition was too delish to pass up. I keep lightbulbs, washers, nuts and bolts, any keys I find, wire, even screen mesh for use in my altered stuff. I can’t really call it art, though it is artistic. I do know one thing, though. I won’t end up owning it. I seldom keep the stuff I make. I can count on one hand what I have kept for myself!! But the joy is in making it, and in the giving. I just hope it finds a loving home.

But for now, I have to go scour the local hardware store for more findings. You can never have enough copper fittings 😀

I’m Officially a Cantankerous Old Lady

And I am being kind.

Yesterday, I was outside trimming the dead branches off my Pride of Barbados shrubs, bushes….whatever they are. They are supposed to grow to six feet, and mine are ten feet tall. Yes, I need a stepstool. Anyway, I was off in my little world of garden beautification when I hear kids walking into the cul-de-sac. Normally this is fine, but I know the kids around here are all gone for vacation somewhere. So I turn to look and see that they are walking up the sidewalk, tossing a football back and forth. “How cool,” I think to myself. I like to see kids being active.

And then the coolness factor stopped when they got on my crappy lawn to throw the football on a long pass!!!

Me: Excuse me, but you are on the lawn.

Kid #1: We are throwing a football.

Me: I see that, but you need to respect people’s property.

Kid #2: It’s just a football, man.

Me: That’s “Lady”, and GET OFF MY LAWN!!

The only thing missing was my shotgun.

The machete may have intimidated them, though. Now, I am not one to freak out if someone is on my crappy lawn, ok? The kids around the cul-de-sac have come and gone with their skateboards, bikes, rollerblades, whatever. But they had asked if it was ok. These kids took it for granted that the whole place was their playing field, and that is just wrong. Respect for other people’s property is something we were taught as kids. I get the vibe some of us are slacking off in teaching that lesson.

Now, I’m off to go dig some holes for yet another Pride of Barbados and a few Lumbagos. I can’t seem to kill those. If I start yelling at the birds to get off my lawn, I’ll know I have a problem 😉

Sweet Satisfaction

Honestly, I let the day get away from me, but only because I was outside having fun.

The backyard has some rather nice bushes, along with cassia, a loquat tree, gardenia (one that is struggling to survive), and a nice but hidden crepe myrtle. Yesterday after dinner I was sitting outside, donating blood enjoying the nice breeze when I took stock of all the overgrowth.

That’s right. Joaquina came out to play!

And there is nothing as satisfying as taking a 14 inch machete to the bushes and trees outside. Even the dogs were going nuts every time they heard the whack!! as Joaquina dealt a killing blow. The best part? Having the kids do the clean-up.

Momma is pretty smart 😉

Monday Missives

First of all, I should post about doughnuts more often. For some inexplicable reason, I got a huge spike in blog hits on yesterday’s post.

I had no idea people loved doughnuts so much. Maybe Homer Simpson is on to something.

Secondly, it’s Monday. Some of y’all are probably dragging today, thinking about the other four days y’all must live through before enjoying the weekend. Y’all are not seeing the bigger picture here! Monday is the day when you should be channelling your inner Conan and crushing your enemies, seeing them driven before you, and hearing the lamentation of their….significant others. Well, men can lament too, you know. And I don’t mean this in a literal sense, so don’t go out with a machete and start taking whacks at those who would make your life difficult. You just have to go out there and show Monday who is the boss of you.

I don’t care if y’all judge me here. Ahnold was sure eye candy, and he has a point.

Third and last, remember this simple missive: if all else fails, and you feel down and trodden, make a Voodoo List™. A Stab List™ is good, but that can be considered a death threat, or fifteen. You want to go with obscure and mystical here. That way if the management overlords find it, they will be the ones that end up looking like idiots for believing in Voodoo. You can just give them the pity look and say, “Really, you think I practice Voodoo? Well, do you??” Believe me, they won’t take that chance. I speak from experience here.

So, go take on Monday, like a boss!! 😉

Fate is Fickle, and She Laughs A Lot

It never fails….

Yesterday started really well. I was cleaning, getting the house ready for a visit from The Nomstress and her family. SQUEEE!!! Anyway, I was in the groove, moving along, and getting stuff done, when there was a knock on the door. It was the Lawnmower Man™, but not to collect payment. Turns out while mowing the front lawn, the mower kicked up a small rock with enough force to take out a van window.

My first thought was, thank goodness no one was hurt. The next thought? “OMIGAWD!! WHAT DO I DO NOW???” But I calmed down, talked to him, and agreed on a payment plan, called my insurance, and arranged for replacing and clean up.

Unfortunately, I spent two hours in the hot Texas sun cleaning and picking glass out of the lawn, instead of getting their room ready in the cool comfort of my home. Several cuts and a nice red face later, I managed to finish my chores prior to their arrival, but only just. I want to think Fate is done playing with me, but I get the feeling she’s found a perfect target for her mirth 😉

Through a Glass Lightly

Heh, I love coming up with titles based on other titles. It tickles my punny bone.

I was over at Bad Bad Juju and happened to see the Juju Woman’s latest work of art. She does some beautiful stained glass work, and Anjin/ Yabu isn’t shy about posting photos, thank goodness. I get a nice fix of purdy when he does.

Anyway, it got me to thinking on getting back into my stained glass hobby. Yes, I used to do stained glass, mostly by copper foil method, but did some lead came work, too. Copper foil is easier, but not as forgiving as came. Still, it is so cool to cut and grind glass into shapes that fit together to form a beautiful glass painting. Most of the works I did I gave away as gifts. I remember doing a bunch of angels using bevels and flat glass marbles (like the ones people put in vases or fish tanks for decor) for one of my mother’s many Christmas trees. And not to mention a ton of little flowers using said marbles. Biggest one I ever did was the Texas flag in the shape of Texas. My brother-in-law got that one for his birthday one year. This one, however, I kept as a reminder of my many stained glass work mistakes:

As Yabu says, it’s a pain to capture the beauty of a stained glass panel. I think I took 15 pics with my phone and this one was the best one. Even with all the rookie mistakes I made, it is still one of my favorite pieces and a very nice pattern to boot. I think in my heyday I must have made about 20 of these, in different colors and backgrounds. And now as I begin to reorganize and purge stuff in the garage, I may get back into it, if only to make gifts for friends and family.

But first, I’m going to make an Aggie panel for my home! 😉