A Brief Announcement

This is what cats do all day. There is something wrong with this picture. Do you see that apricot colored one? He is a bloody little terror. Any takers? Anyone want a hyperactive overgrown kitten?

It is really disgusting the way they can keep a person up at night and then sleep so sweetly during the day. I am tempted to wake them up.* Laughs wickedly.*

This is a great motivator. I bless the inventor of the BOOM BOX.

When properly loaded and with appropriate volume levels, it is possible to generate physical activity from otherwise very sedentary persons. Involuntary motion is absolutely predictable. Sustained exposure will result in sudden outbursts of singing and gyrations of otherwise sedentary body parts.

With a BOOM BOX, it is possible to accomplish a simple task. One that requires simple short repetitive movements.

Move hand up, move hand down, move hand to pan, move back and forth, move hand to wall, and repeat.

It is amazing what singing Fat Bottomed Girls at the top of my lungs can do for me.

I might be a grandma but I am a rockin grandma, and I am not talking about chairs.

The Pied Piper of Bread

Saturday I baked 12 loaves of bread, about a dozen rolls, and 6 pans of frosted orange cinnamon rolls. I am really out of shape. At the end of the day it was like being hit by a truck putting in a day of hard work. I think with the labor, cleaning the kitchen, and the cost of ingredients I earned about 50 cents an hour. Back to the drawing board. The good part was how happy everyone was to come get their bread and take it home.

The smell of fresh bread wafted out the front door until every child on our end of the culdesac had come inside and announced their hunger! One six year old girl asked me what the bowls of flour were. "Is that sand?" She said she had never seen flour, and never tasted home made bread. Those two statements had her seated at the table with a large plate and a glass of milk in short order. She ended up getting very excited about the whole process and pitched in at the kitchen sink standing on a chair to help wash dishes. Next time I am working on a smaller quantity I'll let her play with some dough and make some rolls. I am such a sucker softie for little girls. My other neighbors growing boys also came in running their hands over their stomachs and practically freaking howling for something to eat. You know loving food as much as I do that I can't say no. It goes to PROVE that when presented with good whole foods that children will chose them and eat them. My bread is 100% wheat. Nobody left the crust and nobody said it wasn't good. I sent them home with one cinnamon roll each. Too bad children can't pay I'd have a booming business already!

 On the home front I bought carpet today! My long search for the best champagne carpet on an beer inexpensive budget paid off! Ya'll my vote is hands down for LOWE'S!! They gave me the carpet I wanted and marked it down. No bargain shopping at Home Depot. I also went to a local business but they could not compete with the $100 install special. The carpet I chose is just gorgeous. It is 100% nylon with a very soft feel to the hand or soon to be feet, it is 65 oz and 4 twist; new vocabulary words.The brand is Mohawk and they actually have a carpet identical to this in the premium line that really isn't any different but is twice the price.  Hopefully we won't have to wait long. We are going to save money and kill ourselves by taking all the furniture and old carpet out so it will be ready to lay the new when they come. Yowza!

The upstairs bedroom is almost finished and Kayla will be moving upstairs. I will be going back down into the room I used to have before the girls moved here. All of this upheaval is actually a whole lot like moving period.  It's a good thing I cleaned out the crap closets and drawers before starting this.

Now that the carpet is ordered and the hall is done I can begin the new photo hanging ideas. I hope to have this week to get frames painted and hung on rods and put back in the hall. I WILL show you step by step.
Everything is coming together.

Really big news. My daughter that I have not heard from in at least 5 to 6 years called me! Big answer to prayer--huge--gigantic-- even colossal! We had a very sweet conversation. She did most of the talking because I was to shocked to talk. It takes a lot to leave me speechless. We have talked three times now. My other big news is that I am having surgery on Monday the 8th. If you are a praying person I appreciate your prayers; if you are a good thought person that will work too; whatever you send up!

Next post will be something fun and in color and thank you for not disappearing with my sporadic appearances. Ya'll are so nice drawl that out real good.

Slow Progress

Little by little we are making progress. I am not patient. Working very slowly is usually hard for me; but in this case, I am grateful for any progress. I haven't been bloggin because I hate whiners, of writers block  pain. Did you know that sitting is really important for typing? Of course you did. It may be hard to believe but sitting has been out of the question for any period of time. One would think with the berth I have that would neva be an issue!!

All the books in the house are stacked in the kitchen and amazingly they fit! The verdict is carpet. I know some of you are so appalled disappointed. I have been shopping for the last couple of weeks trying to put together a good deal and get something that I just might be thrilled to pieces with. Emptying the house and removing the old carpet saves a good bit of money so that's what we (who is we?  the husband is doing everything )are doing.

Everybody likes all the plants together in this little jungle arrangement so they may stay here when we are finished.

The big surprise was fitting all this stuff into the kitchen and STILL be able to use the table and walk around in here! I'm not going to get this done before February of that I am sure.

The hall is painted. My camera doesn't do it justice the color is fabulous. It's a warm almond or dark cream and the blend with the living room is perfect. The Hunny did a great job. He always does.

I'm sleeping in the laundry room to avoid the stairs. My chassis has a catch in it's git-a-long. Stairs aren't in my vocabulary right now so I am camping out.
Besides the hip the alternate shoulder got into the circus act and a hideous problem with my ears. That's all you want to know get. Trust me it's just another tale of litany of complaints woe. Since ya'll don't get paid to hear that crap I'm saving it for the local MD's who get the big bucks to listen.

I am actually going to apply for a government hand out and be a slug disability. I know I know, you thought that was settled months ago. But no--hope being a hard head  dies slow around here. However I am trying to get a sunnier outlook on life and have a few ideas of things I CAN do as my mobility gets better.  Some of those ideas are to be a peddler sell bread and also cook for busy mothers. As I get a clientele I can also offer to cater parties and do laundry whatever people need help with and will pay me for. I think it could work. While waiting to see if the core procedure is going to work on my hip, I can make little bread tags and figure out a system for what I can offer.  It's going to be OK.

I have missed ya'll. The truth is I have not been  too much pain thinking straight. I decided tonight to take drugs buck up and just  spend a little time gabbing at you. What's up in your life?

Santa Lives in New Zealand

The mailman rang the bell yesterday and delivered this. I was on the couch where I am growing roots. Another week went by and I accomplished nothing at all. Ihate whining. Here is my list. My hip is a mess--surgery is in my very near future.The shoulder on the opposing side is also a mess, haven't even started that evaluation. My cold is clearing up but my ears are flared up with the loudest roaring you have heard. Meniers in the good ear is getting active. Ailments depress me. I am a good caregiver and a horrible patient; I am depressed. BIG TIME.

What? Out in the universe someone was thinking of me! That is humbling.
Will you look at this? Can you believe how pretty? Awh shucks--*wipes eyes*

And it's heavy it feels like it's full of rocks. *Laughs*  ooooooooh what is in here?

Nobody sends rocks from New Zealand.

It's full of more goodies. Have you noticed the price of postage lately?

Look!

Look at this, chocolate! The little pillow is full of fragrant herbs. The silky black bag is for lingerie. It has a cute corset appliqued on it, that didn't show in the picture. Trust me it's adorable.

She even sent an extra cute button. The bag is just incredible. You would not believe the stitching she does. It's all made by Chris, from diet Coke Rocks. Her blog is now private but if you are nice and want to be invited that can be arranged.

I love to read blogs where women are making things. I don't sew much any more but I like to see what others do. It's just fun to see what people make, and how they live and what their interests are. I just love people.

But let me tell you, this present just blew me out of the water. WOW.

This is a cup that was in the bubble wrap. It is toooooo cute!

Perfect for my coffee.

And the card was also handmade.I am so classy I read the card last. I already KNEW who sent it!  It made me think of Santa Cruz. Beach towns have the same feel all over the world. What a woman this lady is ; and what a friend.

You blessed me socks off, you sweet tart!

Starting the New Year Right- Total Chaos!

There are a lot of things I want to do this year, besides the usual weight loss crap that I never accomplish. In fact in spite of the head cold (which I am grateful has stayed in the head); I have begun. The first thing to do when you want to begin your year well; is destroy the place. Not exactly destroy but it feels like it because I have plunged the whole house into chaos again.
This is my room. It is empty. This is a before shot. I tried painting the border a solid color to match the paper and see if that would passify me.I am not easily passified. It is better than the big blue flowers on the border that were there before, but no thank you just the same. I gave it a chance at least a month.

All of my stuff is everywhere else in the house.

Taking a shower and getting dressed takes careful planning. My underwear and socks are in this chest in the living room. My clothing is hanging in one of 3 closets.

The bed is in the laundry room. It fill the whole room.

I do love this paint it is so pretty.

And the cabinets that the Hunny (who is out of the dog house) built. Of course since we under construction AGAIN the counter top is catching everything.
This room was cleaned up and organized perfectly for less than a week, before we started yet another mess.

Someday I am going to get my head examined.

At some point it is much easier to sell, and just move than to redo the house you have just lived in for the past 9 years. Note the piles of books! Just note THE PILES!  Piles must be moved many times to accomplish anything. I should be in shape from all of this- but I am not; my husband is.

He is also working on this. Definitely out of the dog house.

It is primed and the paint is cut in, it's a cream color.

I have what I hope will be a very cool idea for this hallway. Trisha, Butterfly's mom, suggested painting the picture frames different colors from a color palette that goes with my house. I like that idea. Then in a magazine I saw picture frame collages that are suspended from a metal rod and connected by hook and eye hardware. Just one of those cool little items is a hundred bucks. I think we can make our own. This hall is going to be a major project but I think the effect when it's done is going to be really awesome. We will see. I know you will speak your mind when you see it all done--sometime in the next century. Sometime hopefully before I am too senile to remember what it was that I was doing!

Finally I have saved the best for last. I have been bitching asking sweetly, to get rid of the carpet and put in laminate flooring for about 10 years. I started  bitching  when he said "I do" before we even lived here. When we moved here I wanted flooring but cost prohibited it and I begrudgingly chose a carpet. At the last minute I changed the color. BIG mistake. Do not change your mind at the last minute about anything carpet. I was also under a lot of stress at the time and picked the carpet quickly just trying to get the job done. I don't recommend hasty decisions when you have to live with them for a long time forever.

Guess what?  You won't believe this.

Since the carpet has been gone off of the stairs I have noticed a few things. Bare stairs feel treacherous are noisy. I really hang onto clutch with both hands the side rail more. How has it stayed in the wall? The dust is phenomenal. I see dirt everywhere. I have mental pictures of me swiffering all of the floors on a daily basis and screaming. I am a freak about keeping the house clean sterile and my compulsions just might go buzzirk off the deep end,  if I see floating balls of white cat hair blowing about the floors at all hours of the day and night.

What am I saying exactly? Well I am thinking about carpet instead. WHITE Shag carpet or better known these days as Frieze. I have been looking at carpet and I just love it. I do want a light color that will not show the long white billows of cat hair. I think it will be gorgeous. GUESS what? NOW laminate is FREAKING cheaper than carpet. What gives with this?  Am I under a curse?  I could blow a stinking gasket!  The carpet that I like is a "green" product, supposed to be good for allergies. It is not outrageously expensive only $#*%$#** a yard!
Well not quite, it has $** before the decimal point for change. The first number is smaller than a 4. The carpet I really like is in the $40 to $50 a sq yard price range. Even I have my limits. Not really my wallet does.
I could love really expensive carpet no problem! Reason must dictate here! So smart shoppers just where do we find outrageous deals on carpeting? Really this is no time for silence! Speak quickly my credit card is twitching!!

I told you before that I am crazy ( I have 3 cats but I love DOGS)
 now you believe.