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Randomness...

Bloggin' Babe, Baba tagged me for this one this week.

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is posted.

1. I am the youngest of 7 children in my family. As such I will always and forever be considered "the baby". However... this "baby" is also considered the "brat" and is up for adoption! :-)

2. When I was just a weeee little girl -- about 2 I think - maybe not quite 2 - one of my sisters took me for a ride on the back of her bicycle. You remember when they had those old metal seats over the back fender? Yea... and I stuck my heal in the spokes of the bike ... while it was going. it was so mangled they didn't stitch it back on - they just slapped it together and taped it up! How it healed is how it healed! Actually... it's amazing - but 50 years later you can barely tell! (on the outside...)

3. One of my very favorite childhood memories is of a vacation that we took to Florida. But on the way to my grandparents home in St. Petersburg, we stopped for a brief visit in St. Augustine! Now, I 'm sure we visited some truly magnificent things in St. Augustine - but I was only 5 or 6 and the thing that impressed ME the most was an attraction that I can NOT for the life of me seem to locate! I don't know the name of it - which would certainly help -- but it was just a wee small building (and remember - I was wee small myself) and when you walked into it, it SEEMED like it was lopsided -- like the ceiling was high on one end, but very low on the other... that the floor went up or down depending where you were standing... but in actuallity it was all one size all the way through. It was all an optical illusion. Of course, we only made this stop ONCE in all the years - and THIS would be what I remember. So, if any of you out there knOw of this place... please fill me in. I would love to go back someday! (I don't think it was part of Ripley's -- I don't know if Ripley's was even there yet way back then...)

4. Another fun stop on that trip was Weeki Wachee -- the home of live mermaids! (and sometimes I wonder if my wee little brain hasn't mixed up the two and maybe that little house is nearer to Weeki Wachee and not even IN St. Augustine!)

5. My favorite Starbucks drink is Venti Shaken Iced Tea Lemonade (black) with only ONE pump of sweetener! I like several of the Frappaccinos too -- but I don't really care much for their hot coffee. If I want a hot coffee, I'd rather go to 7-11! Or WaWa! LOL!

6. Christmas always goes up at my house over the Thanksgiving weekend. I have achieved my goal once again this year! It's UP! It's not "perfect" yet - but it's up! We have 400 brand spankin' new lights on the tree! If I have light issues THIS year I may give up trees altogether! (we have had light issues a LOT in the last 4 or 5 years...) So, the stockings are hung, the songs are playing... Snowmen got the place of honor on the mantle this year! (Krysti's choice) I'm ready!


I don't do the taggin' thing -- so if you wanna steal it -- feel free! Have a blessed Sunday! Oh! And just a reminder --- Our DANIEL study starts tomorrow! Whooo hooo! Guess I better get some reading done! LOL!

posted by Melli at 8:19 AM | 11 comment(s)

Photo Hunt... and stuff...

posted by Melli at 8:54 AM | 22 comment(s)

I Can't Blog Today...

posted by Melli at 8:30 AM | 16 comment(s)

Thanksgiving...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL!

1. Well water. I'm very thankful that we live in the country and have a well. When Mom is bored she will go upstairs to use the restroom, come downstairs and walk around the corner and use the restroom, and by the time she gets back out to the livingroom she forgets that she just used it twice and will go back upstairs to use the restroom. SOMEtimes this goes on for 45 minutes or as long as I can stand it before I stop her! You don't want to know what it takes to STOP her! But if we lived in the city our water bill would be more than our mortgage payment! So yea... I'm thankful for a well.

2. Ear Plugs. (was I already thankful for them before? I don't remember...) Yes... I always sleep with ear plugs. I know this is getting dangerous now... but if I don't I will never get ANY sleep. And I am told that would be true even if I slept by myself! (Hey... Honey can use ear plugs too if he wants to... I'll share!)

3. My husbands new found "open mind" that he is desperately fighting himself against! LOL! Dennis sat down with me last night to watch "Discovering The Bible" ... which was loaned to me by friends at church (which makes it HIGHLY suspect) and was put together by Christian History Institute which makes it DOUBLE highly suspect! But watch it he did! All 2 hours of it. And that in itself is a miracle!


Thanksgiving? Or Thanks Living?

In my blog surfing yesterday I read THE BEST Thanksgiving Blog that could possibly be! If I were an award giving person, this post would certainly get one! Debbie Shank speaks on Thanks Living. Give it a read!

posted by Melli at 12:02 AM | 12 comment(s)

Just Stuff...

posted by Melli at 12:09 AM | 10 comment(s)

Daniel Announcement.... Ruby Tuesday... and stuff.... (not stuffing)

Our Beth Moore study on Daniel will be starting on December 1st. The message board can be found HERE and is also linked in my sidebar. Of course, you're welcome to come here to get to it - but I would suggest bookmarking it for yourself! The people that I know are going join us so far are Me, Quilly (Charlene), Betty, Caryl (Quilly's sister), and Sandy. A couple of others have said they MIGHT... so we will just see who shows up as we go along! If you already have your book, please feel free to start reading, and we will see you on the MB on the first! (if you've never used a message board before - please go on over and play around on it ... get familiar with how it works. I will delete it all before we actually start the study -- so please don't worry about "messing" anything up! I am sO excited to start this with you all! And Quilly is SUPER excited too! (she wanted to start NOW!) ;-)

Labels: Ruby Tuesday

posted by Melli at 12:00 AM | 14 comment(s)

Macro Monday...

posted by Melli at 9:14 AM | 12 comment(s)

Thanksgiving Meme... And Stuff~n~Such...

1. Which do you like better: cooking at your house, or going elsewhere?
It's not that I don't LIKE having it at my house... it's that I have HAD every bloomin' holiday for the past 22 years AT MY HOUSE! I'm tired of it! I'm soooooo happy that Amanda is having Thanksgiving at her place this year that if I weren't so stiff and old and my knee wasn't still misbehavin' I could do flips! I grew up in a BIG family where the holidays were tossed around and everyone got a chance to host them. But Dennis only had the one brother who never married and so when D and I married it all got put on me. I was fine with it for about 10 years ... but then little rebellions started pokin' their ugly head! I'd just had enough...

2. Do you buy a fresh or frozen bird?
I bought a fresh bird ONE year. It was dry and tasteless. I cooked it the same way I cook the frozen ones - but it was just not as good. Give me a good ol' frozen turkey shot through and through with oils and butter or whatever they shoot 'em up with! I want my turkey MOIST! (if i'm gonna eat it at all...)

3. What kind of stuffing?
Just plain ol' stuffing. Not cornbread, not giblet, no cranberries or raisins... just stuffing... with onion, celery and mushrooms -- you know... plain ol' stuffing!

4. Sweet potato or pumpkin pie?
I 'd be great with either. Personally I think the family likes chocolate. I guess some of them would miss pumpkin pie though. We do always have it in one form or another. Sometimes I make a pumpkin cheesecake. Krysti has said this year it MUST be pie.

5. Do you believe that turkey leftovers are a curse, or the point of the whole thing?
HONESTLY... I don't even really LIKE turkey anymore! LOL! I like deli meat turkey... that's what I eat for sandwiches. But real live off the bird turkey meat has really just grossed me out for several years now. I much prefer a seafood Thanksgiving. But this year it will be turkey -- and I'll be fine!

6. Which side dish would provoke a riot if you left it off the menu?
This is funny. Mathew would riot if I didn't make Macaroni & Cheese. MOM's homemade macaroni & cheese - which Amanda offered to make stating that she makes it exactly the same because I taught her how -- but he said NO! It has to be cooked by me! LOL! Then, Dennis doesn't care if we don't have turkey -- he's fine if I want to prepare something else - but if we DO have turkey, there has got, I mean GOT to be cranberry sauce (the JELLY kind). And then Krysti and I like our yams! Gotta have yams! (IF we're doin' turkey!) And I could eat ALL the stuffing - with gravy on top! And a lot of times I do just eat the "other stuff" and don't have any turkey -- or just one little piece of turkey.

7. Do you save the carcass to make soup or stock?
I used to back in the day. I don't anymore.

8. What do you wish you had that would make preparing Thanksgiving dinner easier?
hehehe... A chef!

9. Do you get up at the crack of dawn to have dinner ready in the early afternoon, or do you eat at your normal dinner hour?
I have always been one to get up eeeeearly and get that bird IN the oven! Once the bird is in the oven, I can relax a bit. I cook most of the other stuff the day before and then just heat it up for the feast.

10. If you go to somebody else’s house, what’s your favorite dish to bring?
I'll bring whatever... but Mathew says I have to bring the macaroni -- and I'm bringing the yams too! And the pumpkin pie... And Krysti is making deviled eggs. (they are not usually at the Thanksgiving Feast... but 3 of my kids think they're very important!)

11. What do you wish one of your guests would not bring to your house? What would you like them to bring?
My MIL used to always bring the mac & cheese... but we finally took that job away from her -- she was really stingy with the cheese and rebellion took place! NOW we realize that she was starting to get the alzheimers back then, and was probably just forgetting to put more cheese. She was a fairly good cook in her younger days -- not a lot of variety - but what she made, she made well. But about 10 years ago her stuff started getting worse and worse. We thought she was doing it on purpose - to get out of the job - but I'm not so sure anymore...

12. Does your usual mix of guests result in drama, or is it a group you’re happy to see?
There was never any drama ... but I wouldn't say it was a group I was "happy" to see either. It was just more of an obligation. Somebody had to do it, and the somebody was US! Dennis wasn't thrilled about it either. NOW it is just our family unit. Amanda has Hector & Luz... and occasionally there is a boyfriend or girlfriend that turns up... We're a work in progress! I really can't wait until we're a BIG family again! That will be sooooooo cool! (and then there will be drama - of course!)

13. Is your cranberry sauce fresh or canned? Whole or jellied?
I don't like it at all -- but as I've stated, it is a VERY important part of Dennis' meal! Canned and jellied!

14. What’s your absolute favorite thing on the menu?
The yams!

15. Share one family tradition.
Ohhhhhhh my poor family has lost most of their traditions due to the Rebellious Mother Act. I have given up so many traditions - not just at Thanksgiving, but at Christmas and Easter - and even Halloween! I just really don't want to be held to doing ANYTHING a certain way just because that's the way we've always done it! THIS year we are having a traditional feast - because we're having it at Amanda's and that's the way SHE wants it! And that's GREAT! But in recent years we have had MANY a Seafood Feast for Thanksgiving --- and ONE year, we ordered cold-cut platters from Safeway and had roast beef sandwiches for Thanksgiving! To me it's much more about the people than it is about the food. And I love it when we have extra people around! Sometimes we do share something we are each feeling thankful for ... but some people are very uncomfortable with that and so sometimes we don't! We just mostly play it by ear.

*********************************

I must say, Krysti is feeling MUCH MUCH better now that she is at home and in her own bed with her GOOD bedding that she brought home from school with her! She is back to eating and drinking and being MERRY! And it's good to see it!

We've had a couple of nights in a row of "great drama" with Mom. She is NOT staying asleep when put there. The past two nights she has been getting up and wandering. Dennis woke up at 4:30 Friday morning and heard her downstairs telling SOMEone that she was going on up to bed now. Turned out the someone she was telling was the dog. Dennis went to get her back into bed, and found her bedside table folded up and leaned against the wall, her bedside lamp on the floor over by Luz's toys, and her top sheet had been removed from her bed and was on the floor of her closet. He was amazed and thought "oh wow! You've been a busy busy girl tonight..." He got her sheet back on the bed and got her back into it. She stayed and woke up GROGGY later Friday morning. Around 8:00 she stumbled down the steps with full clothes on OVER TOP her pajamas, she walked right past me into the kitchen, took her morning medicine (which I leave on the counter for her when I make coffee) and then walked back past me and said "I'm going back to bed." She never does that! Ever. But when she came back down at 10:00 she was dressed correctly! LOL! Then last night she was up again - but this time much earlier. It was around 10:30 and I was still up. I THINK she fell out of bed... I heard a thunk! But when I got up there, she was on her feet -- but her lamp was on the floor and she was plugging it in... but it was quite a ways away from her night table. It's useless to ask her what she's doing - because the answers make absolutely NO sense. I just put the lamp back on the table and got her back to bed. She slept in LATE again this morning. Didn't see her until 9:00. I just wish she'd TELL me when she's gonna DO that! I woulda slept in a couple of more hours too! LOL!

Well, Krysti wants to do something crafty tonight - so we are getting ready to paint some fish for the kitchen. OH! I'm almost finished with the first lighthouse. Pictures sOOn! (or at least one... it's small... two would probly be an overkill!)

posted by Melli at 6:05 PM | 12 comment(s)

Come Together... Wordzzle... Photo Hunt - Reflection ...

Quilly and I are going to be studying God's word through the life of Daniel - together... on line. (you remember Daniel - of Lion's Den fame?!) If ANYone out there is interested to join in this study with us, we are probably going to begin around the 1st of December. All you need is the study book, by Beth Moore. Quilly and I have each purchased a leader's guide as well, so we will all have use of that to help us get through it! (and see the points that Beth hoped we would see!) If you've NEVER done a Bible Study before, but thought you might like to try -- I encourage you. I think doing this online could be a great way to "test the waters". And if you're not ready to make that commitment, I promise you that the message board I set up for this will be OPEN for lurkers - if you just want to stand back and SEE how a study works... that's fine too. Quilly and I are gonna do this EVEN if we are the only two participating! ;) But we would love to have some of you come along for the ride! I'll be setting up the message board over the weekend... so you'll hear more about this later. I sure hope you join!



Ten words: pipe organ, ravages of time, lottery tickets, angelic music, five x five, boxes of books, flattery will get you nowhere, yodelling, pig tails, knitting needles

Shrugging out of her woolen coat, Meredith sat and with a small shiver picked up her knitting needles. The church felt a bit chilly tonight, but the angelic music being sent forth from the pipe organ warmed her heart just as the afghan she was working on for the mission warmed her lap. As she sat knitting she thought about who's home the afghan might end up in and prayed that the recipient would feel the warmth of the love that went into it, as well as the warmth from it's fibers. Perhaps it would comfort an elderly woman, worn down by the raveges of time... and poverty. Or it might warm a small child with pig tails, hoping against hope that she might be the next one adopted. Or perhaps it would land on the lap of an injured soldier... one just never knew when a project was started, where it might finally end. Meredith just trusted the Lord to make sure that it got into the hands that needed it most. And she was thankful for these Thursday evenings spent sitting in the pew, working the yarn while she listened first to organ practice, followed immediately by the choir. It was a peaceful time and she felt especially close to the Father.

Meredith smiled as she saw Pastor Joan walking down the aisle with young Tommy. "Good evening, Pastor. Hello Tommy." Tommy nodded as Pastor Joan greeted her. "Meri! It's always so good to see you here on Thursday evening. I see you're working on another beautiful blanket. The Lord uses you well!" "Thank you Pastor! Listen, I left a couple of boxes of books out in the narthex for the Compassion Trailer. Maybe we could convince this big strong fella here to carry them out there?" Tommy rolled his eyes and smiled. "Flattery will get you nowhere Ms. Manning ... or maybe it will get you everywhere. I'll go get those books." "Oh! Tommy... there's a little square envelope on top - about five x five - would you bring that back to Pastor Joan please?" "Pastor... I bought 5 lottery tickets today! They're in that envelope and they're for the church - and if one of them wins, don't TELL me!" Pastor Joan laughed. "Oh Meredith! If one of those tickets wins, you will hear me YODELLING all over Pigeon Falls!"


Mini challenge: canary yellow, grizzly bear, out of the frying pan into the fire, simpleton, Ministry of Crazy Walks

I don't know why I ever married that man! You'd think I would have had the sense to decline when he suggested we let that simpleton from the Ministry of Crazy Walks marry us... but no! Love is surely blind and I was surely in love! I just jumped out of the frying pan into the fire! Ohhhhh he was handsome! And he was a sweet talker! And once upon a time he could hold a full time job! But now? Well, how am I supposed to respond to a man who drinks and thinks he has "visions"? Cows on the roof, no less! And that they're symbolic! Well... it's almost midnight and he's not home yet. I'm tellin' ya... if he comes home with liquor on his breath, claiming to have seen a canary yellow grizzly bear frying plums on a griddle in the middle of the lake, it's OVER!

posted by Melli at 12:01 AM | 26 comment(s)

Mission Accomplished!

I'll tell ya something... Getting out of the house on TIME is NOT a happening thing in my life anymore. Lazy Daisy had called me on Tuesday and asked if I could please please please come earlier in the day Wednesday cuz she was NOT goin to work on HER birthday - no way Jose'! So I happily agreed to get out of the house as soon as possible Wednesday morning! Sheeeesh! I was TRYING to be out of the house by 9:00. We were finally ON THE ROAD at 11:00! I managed to get to Daisy's house an entire HALF HOUR before I had originally planned to be there! LOL! But... ya wanna know somethin' WEIRD? Apparently bushes in New Hope are growing Balloons these days!

posted by Melli at 8:26 PM | 11 comment(s)

Wordless Wednesday... Meme From Jane... and a Birthday UNsurprise!

This meme came to me in an email from Jane ... our Cozy Reader! I, of course, didn't answer it in the email, because... well... meme's just belong on my blog! Everyone knows that! Sooooo... I deleted the questions that I've answered a billion times, and any that didn't really apply to a blog meme... sooooo the numbers are sorta messed up - cuz I didn't bother to go fix them! :)


1. What is your occupation right now? Caretaker to Mom... Taxi driver for Derek...
2. What color are your socks right now? Um... dirty white and dirty white... that's what happens when you wear 'em without shoes!
3. What music are you listening to right now? None.
4. What was the last thing that you ate? The last piece of apple crisp ... with vanilla ice cream. YUM!
5. Can you drive a stick shift? Oh no... you wouldn't want me to do that!
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Krysti
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes, indeedy!
8. How old are you today? 51... and counting
9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? The Winter Olympics ...
10. What is your favorite drink? Pepsi ... but I'm not drinking it anymore.
11. Have you ever dyed your hair? Ah! The first time I can't say NO! Yep! One time! Never again!
13. What is the last movie you watched? Fireproof ... I blogged it.
14. Favorite day of the year? April 15... I can usually wear shorts outside by then!
15. How do you vent anger? Yell, scream, throw things, stomp my feet, cry, slam doors, drawers and cabinets, kick things... I'm vicious. But if I just sit and seethe you know I'm REALLLLLLLY mad!
18. Cherries or Blueberries? Cherries.
19. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? NO! That's why I didn't email it to them! 20. Who is the most likely to respond? Whoever wants to!
21. Who is least likely to respond? ME! I am least likely to respond to anything!
22. Living arrangements? Yep! I've arranged to live a little longer!
23. When was the last time you cried? The same last time it was the last time I answered this question - which was really only a few days ago.
24. What is on the floor of your closet? WHICH closet? I have 6 or 7 of them... My bedroom closet has 3 suitcases and 2 laundry baskets.
25. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to? No one. My friends have probably even noticed that they almost NEVER get email from me! LOL! And they really never get spam email from me! It all gets deleted! Every chain, every joke, every prayer, every EVERYTHING. It stops HERE! It is very rare for me to come across anything that I feel ANY of my friends haven't seen 4 or 5 hundred times... Sorry... but I just don't DO it.
26. What did you do last night? I guess I slept... oh yea! I did! I went to bed EARLY!
27. What are you most afraid of ? I really can't think of anything at the moment. There are things that scare me when they happen or something like that... but I can't think of ANYthing that I live in fear of.
29. Favorite dog breed? Well... I have a lab! I guess I'll go with that!
32. Diamonds or pearls? Neither. I'm a sapphire, emerald or ruby girl
33. What is your favorite flower? Calla Lillies

posted by Melli at 7:15 PM | 15 comment(s)

A Day And a Half...

I thought it just might be a 36 Hour Day right from the time I got up this morning! I heard Mom come down the steps, so I got up ... I came down to find her in her pajamas - the same ones she wore last night - but with 2 shirts on underneath, socks, shoes, and lipstick. This was a pretty good indication of the kind of day I was going to have! Then I walked into the kitchen to find the coffee pot on the stove burner! Fortunately she had not yet figured out HOW to turn the burner on. Life is gonna get interesting....

Today was one of those days where I kept trying to get things done, but didn't really get ANYthing done... I did manage to get to the post office to send back the video card that DIDN'T fit. That was something anyway. And I got a mess of Mathew's straightened out between his insurance and the MVA. So that was something too. Really it was NO mess and never should have been an issue ... but you know the MVA! It's okay, it's all taken care of now. Mom & I went out to lunch ... we hadn't done that for awhile. Then we came home and I tried to work on my Bible study, but my eyes kept closing, so I layed down to try to take a nap, but my phone kept ringing... I think I did finally get about a 30 minute nap -- it must have been enough -- here it is 10:00 and I'm still awake!

Mathew & Carol came over for a little while tonight. Mathew needed to borrow my Truck for a few days. His car is in the shop, and he needs to get to work. I was a little bit scared to give it to him because it was tapping so badly I've been afraid it might blow up! But Dennis looked it over and said it's the exhaust tapping and not the engine... so I hope it doesn't break down on him! We're not putting any more money into that truck! I keep telling Dennis I think we should get rid of it - but he keeps saying we'll hang on to it until the insurance expires. I guess that's reasonable. And it IS coming in handy right now....

Krysti was in the emergency room this afternoon and evening. She was feeling very flu-ish again today - worse than she did all weekend, and was vomiting. Her temp was elevated - 102.7 when she got to the hospital, and her white count was low. Now, this disturbed me... her blood pressure dropped 20 points during the time she was there... and yet, they released her and told her to come back on Wednesday and get the bloodwork re-done. Her BP dropped from 123/70 to 103/55 -- and they RELEASED her??? The only thing they gave her was a prescription for ibuprofen. She was dehydrated but they never even gave her any water. (which she would have thrown up) But they didn't start an IV either. I'm not too happy about any of this. I know God will look out for her -- but it's still hard to be a mom when your child is sick and far away. If you pray, please keep her in your prayers for now. Thank you!

Bible study was great tonight -- this one always is! We are just such a good and lively group - and somebody always has good questions or comments that really make the discussions good! I just LOVE it! This study is going to be winding down in the next 2-3 weeks and we are going to have a rather extensive (6 week) break before we start up again. I'm sO sad! But I asked - again - if we could do a study on Daniel next, and I was once again rejected! (this group has already studied Daniel and apparently it was gut-wrenching) BUT... one of the gentlemen told me that if I could disguise myself as a man OR bake really well, the Saturday morning MEN's study is ON Daniel RIGHT NOW! I know 75% of the men in that study and I don't think any one of them would deny me access! So I just MIGHT be joining the Men's study! This should be verrrrrrry interesting! The only drawback is that they meet at 7:30 on Saturday mornings! (what IS it with men???)

posted by Melli at 8:21 AM | 13 comment(s)

That's What I Love About Sunday... and Macro Monday as an Afterthought...

Huh. I went looking for a You Tube of Craig Morgan singing That's What I Love About Sunday to put in my blog today... and I guess they don't post to blogger anymore. Weird. It used to be just a click of the mouse... but my blogger account isn't even on my YouTube page anymore. Oh well... My day just sort of felt like that song today.... not a lot goin' on... just kinda relaxing with the family, enjoying church and time spent together.

Dennis attended the 3rd session of our marriage study. (tell me prayer doesn't work!) I don't know how it went, because when I got home Krysti & Jules were up and he & I never got a chance all day to talk about it. We will tomorrow... but I'll say now, I think it was okay. He didn't do any talking - but two other men did. I was leading our "small group" again... I can't seem to get out of this position! It's just expected no matter what group I find myself with, that I will lead... and I don't GET it, because I have NEVER taught a Sunday School class or lead a Bible Study of ANY kind!!! Apparently God thinks it's high time I DO! LOL! It was a LOT of Bible teaching today though, so I do want to see how he felt about that. And what he thought of what the other men had to say. It was really all about "the men" today.

Church was fabulous today! The Praise Team introduced ANOTHER Matt Redman song today -- Better Is One Day -- an absolute favorite of mine!!! And we sang several other favorites of mine too! Annnnnnnnd Pastor's sermon was inspiring! It was just a great day!

So, when I got home, like I said K & J were up, and Jules wanted to make omelettes for us. Krysti & Dennis weren't hungry but Mom & I took her up on it! It was good too! Turkey & baby spinach! Mmmm. Then the girls and Mom & I went up to Paint & Pottery. Mom & I each made a fish plate; hers I might hang on the wall -- but mine will probably be added to the dinner plate collection. We'll have to see how they come out after they're fired. Krysti just made a couple of coasters, and Jules made her mom a mug for Christmas! Her mom is gonna love it!

By dinner Krysti was feeling better (finally!) and she was HUNGRY... lol. And she wanted breakfast for dinner! I could eat breakfast 3 times a day so I was fine with it, Jules was fine with it - and Dennis was more than fine! HE could eat breakfast 3 times a day too! Krysti wanted pancakes, and Dennis wanted sausage, so I made the pancakes while he cooked the sausage, and then he made the eggs while I made the toast! It was great!

After dinner, the girls and I played two games of Blokus and now they are working on homework and then they'll be heading back to school. Dennis and Mom have gone to bed -- and I'll be heading that way shortly!

I did not take ONE photograph today - can you believe it?! So, I'm going to leave you with one Amanda sent me ... She said this is Nurse Luz...

posted by Melli at 8:40 PM | 14 comment(s)

I Stand Corrected!

Darling Daughter Krysti had a talk with me this morning. She told me that I'm blogging all wrong! She told me that I need to start posting my blogs at night after I have completed my day and tell what I've DONE rather than blogging in the morning and telling what I plan to do! Apparently she now reads my blog every day... and she ALSO wishes that I would blog mOre than once a day! ROFL! Apparently my peonic (it might be a word) little life is of enough interest that she thinks I should be able to squeeze a morning AND an afternoon AND possibly an evening post out of it too! She also hasn't been reading the part about where I say I spend TOO MUCH time on the computer already (something she and her siblings have had fits about with me in the past!) and need to definitely NOT post 3 x/day! And besides that... my READERS (yes, you!) mostly come around in the morning! If I posted throughout the day, you all might miss something! (we couldn't have that now... missing something out of my tantalizing life would leave you feeling empty... and confused.) Sooooo, I guess... starting tonight... I will fill you in on the days happenings as they were, instead of as they will be! And then Darling Daughter Krysti will have a little talk with me and tell me "but I never know what you're doing during the day anymore!" You know ... honestly... the FUN part of my life happens mostly inside my head! Just ask Lazy Daisy... she'll tell ya! She's forever askin' me if I'm livin' in my head again! I just tell her... somebody has to. Might as well be me!

So... what fabulously fascinating things was I UP to today? Well... I turned the Teddy Bear Powder Room into the Lighthouse Powder Room instead! NO PAINT involved! This was the powder room we officially named "Noah's Ark" at one time because it FELT like 40 days and 40 nights I was painting in there! In reality what should have been about a 3 hour job turned into a 3 DAY job where I completely repainted the bathroom 6 times in 72 hours! Trust me... there's enough paint on those walls! No... I liked the paint just fine... it was the Teddy Bears that needed to go. 22 years of Teddy Bears had been ... just a few too many. So today was the day! Now the BEACH Kitchen and the Lighthouse Powder Room live side by side in blissfully sandy peace... And so now you want to see pictures... but I'm not really ready to show pictures, because ... well... I guess I'll show you some pictures to explain!

posted by Melli at 9:14 PM | 12 comment(s)

Wordzzle ... And stuff...

The words for this week's ten word challenge were: palace, hypocrite, canned air, telephone, biscuit, pinball, acorn, customary, fruit juice, waterfall - and since I came up with all but one of these words, I figured I really ought to participate - even though by 9:50 last night I hadn't even glanced at Wordzzle this week! OY! So... SPEAK to me words! Speak to me!


Charming was tiptoeing through the forest, sidestepping fallen acorns, feeling like a naughty boy for having abandoned his breakfast meeting in favor of fruit juice and a biscuit by the waterfall in the woods. But... when Princess wants a picnic, a picnic it shall be! Getting away from the telephone and the stuffed shirts with their "canned air" conversations at what he lovingly referred to as "Pinball Palace" did not make him a hypocrite after all. It is customary for princes to rescue lovely ladies in distress.

And the Mini Challenge: buyer's remorse, lava, haphazard, mildew, soup to nuts

When Serena Leigh walked into the cottage on 43rd Street, she was nearly knocked over with a feeling of buyer's remorse! What had been advertised as a sweet little fixer upper was in fact a flea infested ramshackle shanty. Moldy fungus was growing on the walls in a haphazard manner that resembled lava dripping down a volcano. The "hard wood floors" were half eaten by termites, and the stone fireplace was literally green with mildew. And that was just the living room. Soup to nuts, this was the worst mistake she had ever made! Well, she had learned her lesson this time. This was the last house she would buy off Ebay!

posted by Melli at 8:26 AM | 10 comment(s)

Friday Fill-Ins.... Addictions... and stuff...

1. Please feel free to invite me to lunch!
2. When I polish furniture I can't help sniffing it occasionally.
3. My favorite thing to cook is soup or stew.
4. Time alone with Luz is something I can't get enough of.
5. That's the thing I love most about being a Nana.
6. Stupid mistakes I make always makes me think to myself, what the heck?
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Krysti coming home & Dennis bringing home fresh caught fish for supper, tomorrow my plans include a slightly new look in the powder room and Sunday, I want to PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE God! (not that I don't every day - but it's just BETTER at church! Especially in song!)

posted by Melli at 12:30 AM | 11 comment(s)