That bumper sticker has always annoyed me greatly, believe it or not. I have never understood why mom's would stay on the road 8 hours a day, carting their kids from here to there, picking up fast food and coming home worn out! I am a home body of the worst kind. I hate the thought of having to drive anywhere, much less a whole day of it! Well, slap that dern bumper sticker on my butt! I have become "one of those mom's". The horror of it all!
I really think it has more to do with the fact that we have a trip coming up that requires a little more than your average "summer vacation". We are having to have physicals, and with my oldest having braces, we have been having to tend to that as well. Can you say $3,300 worth? He better be in MOVIES when he grows up! Then there is summer school, swimming, buying some gear for New mexico...the list goes on! I have been on the road everyday so far.
Monday - quiet until about 3:30. I had to pick up some paperwork, run to the bank, fill with gas and get #1 son (say that like Charlie Chan)to the Orthodontist by 5:00. We consult, have spacers put in and woops, we need fillings! That means a call to the dentist tomorrow. Then we go to Bob Evans for dinner, hit Wally World and finally home.
Tuesday - We ACTUALLY stayed at home, but I spent the whole day calling the allergist, dentist and pediatrician trying to juggle appointments over the next 2 weeks for all of the kids. #1 and I worked on his Historian project for Scouts. It rocks! (the girls #2 & #3 were spending the night with a friend)
Wednesday - I get the hubby ready for work and boys up and at 'em, then it's out the door to have some checks signed (part of my part time work for a Neighborhood Association), to the bank, to the Gas Company, to the Post Office and then to the Dentist for those fillings @ 12:00. #1 gets his fillings, we grab some lunch at Wendy's (hold the fingers),go and get the girls from there friend's house @ 1:00ish, then head to Memphis to the Boy Scout Shop to spend $151.00 on uniforms @ 2:00ish. My #1 has grown and needed new shirts + patches and #4 (who is a Cub Scout) to get an activity shirt and a pair of shorts. Then it's off to the Allergist for my daughter, #3, to have a 6 months check up for her asthma. We have to be there by 3:30. I get there by 2:30 and fill out new paperwork for insurance etc. They take her a bit early and we are back on the road headed all the way back to Mississippi. We get her prescriptions filled, grab another bite to eat @ Mickey D's and head home!
Thursday - We had to get out of the house by 8:00ish this morning, run some paperwork to a Title Company, take the kids to test and then to the Dollar Store and back home. Woooo Hooo got home before lunch! Then, I thought I had a business meeting tonight so I started getting the reports ready, printed, etc. only to find out that it was cancelled, oh well, it will be ready to go next month! So, I got my "wouldn't be caught dead in public clothes" on and weeded and hoed the garden. BTW! I have never seen cucumber plants get quite this big before! Tomatoes are just starting to turn color so we should be having tomatoes soon! I can't wait!
Tomorrow - Get hubby ready for work (this always happens @ 5:00) then head to town for groceries, Dollar Store and maybe an oil change for the van, we'll see. Hubby said he might be getting off of work early tomorrow for the 4th around 2:00 - 2:30. Pretty cool!
Next week will be a bit slower, I think #1 gets his wires and stuff on Friday next week so I can be home and chill for a change. The week after will be insane again, the other 3 of my children will have their physicals then.
So, if you see that bumper sticker on the back of a van, and you are a young mother with babies or toddlers? Don't scoff and say, "yeah right, like that will ever happen to me." I'm telling you, you are in for a doozy of a surprise!
God bless and watch out for mini vans hauling kids around. That woman you see behind the wheel has to be getting somewhere for an appointment, so get out of her way! ~ kat
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Monday, June 27, 2005
We are Family?
HAH!
The Family Reunion (don't even get me started on that)that we just HAD to go to. Ok, on second thought, let's get me started. #1. the "cousin" who organizes this thing every year LIVES near the Naval Air base and so insists upon everyone driving way out of the way to get there. (It doesn't matter that the majority of people come from Mississippi or further south.} #2. it's my husband's side of the family (most of which he never sees or even cares to see.} #3. the only reason we go is, because we are pressured into going by his 89 year old grandfather, "This might be the last year I have." which BTW, he has been saying for the past 7 years. #4. it's an excuse for his grandfather to sit around and be praised for "the fruit of his loins". Ok, I just shuddered at that visual. #5. We are always miserable, we are always bored and the family talent show is always, well, not worth hanging around for. Oh, #6. then there is the family picture, this year I had to stand next to a man that smelled so heavily of alcohol that when we were there in the hot sun, he started sweating and he smelled horrible! I thought I was fixin' to ralf all over him. I kept gritting my teeth and thinking, "take the picture, take the picture, FOR GOD'S Sake! TAKE THE PICTURE!!!" Finally it was done and we were free (or I was anyway) from the stench. Every year, as we drive home, we look at each other and say, "We are NOT going next year!" Is eveyone's family reunion like this? I haven't been to my side of the families family reunion in years and pretty much don't care. Now don't get me wrong
I love my husband's dad and uncles and aunts. They are good people, I tolerate his grandfather. He lacks a great deal of tact and well, quite frankly, says things that I KNOW is not because of old age. He thinks its funny and oddly enough no one else does? He is paranoid on top of that and it drives us crazy. Take for instance, recently, we had bad storms roll thru here which inevitably makes our phones mess up. Apparently the man had tried to call us for a couple of days (although I think he exagerates)and couldn't get in touch with us. SO, when we finally do get our phones back, my son gets on line to play a bit. Pretty soon, we get a message on the on line answering machine and he is cussing us out and telling us "its a damned thing you won't call me back" yadee yadee yadee. My son was very upset and I had to call them back and explain to "nanny" what was going on. Grrrrrr! I told my husband, "Next time, I will give him a call back and tell him that he will never talk to me like that again or leave a message like that again." Hubby agreed.
Another thing the man does...during the winter (we live right across the way from him) when the trees are bare, we can literally see to his backyard from where we live. Likewise he can see right into our front yard and driveway. Everytime someone would come over {my aunt, cousin, lady from church) I would get a call..."I see you have company. Who is there?" I have 4 kids underfoot at all times. Did he actually think I would have a man over here or something? Get real! I finally had to tell my husband it was driving me nuts and that he had to make him stop! He did and I haven't had phone calls since. I guess he has always been like that, and my husband is patient to a point. I am not as patient since it is my character under fire all of the time. Why me?
I always joke and say, when I get to my 90's I am going to be a crochety old lady, demanding and speak my mind, but I seriously doubt it. Do the elderly just use their age as an excuse to be mean or do they genuinely kind of lose all sense of tact and decorum? I guess I'll find out, if I should ever live that long huh?
Well, I guess we'll do it all over again next year! LOL God Bless~ katcha
The Family Reunion (don't even get me started on that)that we just HAD to go to. Ok, on second thought, let's get me started. #1. the "cousin" who organizes this thing every year LIVES near the Naval Air base and so insists upon everyone driving way out of the way to get there. (It doesn't matter that the majority of people come from Mississippi or further south.} #2. it's my husband's side of the family (most of which he never sees or even cares to see.} #3. the only reason we go is, because we are pressured into going by his 89 year old grandfather, "This might be the last year I have." which BTW, he has been saying for the past 7 years. #4. it's an excuse for his grandfather to sit around and be praised for "the fruit of his loins". Ok, I just shuddered at that visual. #5. We are always miserable, we are always bored and the family talent show is always, well, not worth hanging around for. Oh, #6. then there is the family picture, this year I had to stand next to a man that smelled so heavily of alcohol that when we were there in the hot sun, he started sweating and he smelled horrible! I thought I was fixin' to ralf all over him. I kept gritting my teeth and thinking, "take the picture, take the picture, FOR GOD'S Sake! TAKE THE PICTURE!!!" Finally it was done and we were free (or I was anyway) from the stench. Every year, as we drive home, we look at each other and say, "We are NOT going next year!" Is eveyone's family reunion like this? I haven't been to my side of the families family reunion in years and pretty much don't care. Now don't get me wrong
I love my husband's dad and uncles and aunts. They are good people, I tolerate his grandfather. He lacks a great deal of tact and well, quite frankly, says things that I KNOW is not because of old age. He thinks its funny and oddly enough no one else does? He is paranoid on top of that and it drives us crazy. Take for instance, recently, we had bad storms roll thru here which inevitably makes our phones mess up. Apparently the man had tried to call us for a couple of days (although I think he exagerates)and couldn't get in touch with us. SO, when we finally do get our phones back, my son gets on line to play a bit. Pretty soon, we get a message on the on line answering machine and he is cussing us out and telling us "its a damned thing you won't call me back" yadee yadee yadee. My son was very upset and I had to call them back and explain to "nanny" what was going on. Grrrrrr! I told my husband, "Next time, I will give him a call back and tell him that he will never talk to me like that again or leave a message like that again." Hubby agreed.
Another thing the man does...during the winter (we live right across the way from him) when the trees are bare, we can literally see to his backyard from where we live. Likewise he can see right into our front yard and driveway. Everytime someone would come over {my aunt, cousin, lady from church) I would get a call..."I see you have company. Who is there?" I have 4 kids underfoot at all times. Did he actually think I would have a man over here or something? Get real! I finally had to tell my husband it was driving me nuts and that he had to make him stop! He did and I haven't had phone calls since. I guess he has always been like that, and my husband is patient to a point. I am not as patient since it is my character under fire all of the time. Why me?
I always joke and say, when I get to my 90's I am going to be a crochety old lady, demanding and speak my mind, but I seriously doubt it. Do the elderly just use their age as an excuse to be mean or do they genuinely kind of lose all sense of tact and decorum? I guess I'll find out, if I should ever live that long huh?
Well, I guess we'll do it all over again next year! LOL God Bless~ katcha
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Downsizing
I was thoroughly surprised yesterday. I took the kids to the pool and rode the bike for 30 minutes. Then I swam laps for a while. My back was killing me so no crunches. When we got home I pulled the scales out and hopped on. I was really dreading it but I was very happy! I wasn't near as heavy as I thought(I still need to lose weight though)and discovered I only have 15 pounds to lose. The hardest 15 pounds I will ever lose I am very sure!
But Hope springs eternal. I don't feel so defeated now. I weighed in at 139 pounds yesterday AFTERNOON not first thing in the morning, so I am very pleased. I need to be 124 - 120 if I can. That is my goal anyway and I was hoping to be at 129 by the time we leave on our trip to New Mexico. Is 10 pounds possible to lose before July 16? We'll find out.
Ok so here was the menu for yesterday:
Soy Smoothie
Soy nuts
baby carrots
salad with light sprinkle of cheese shreds and 1 tbsp. ranch dressing and tortilla chips.
Herbal tea water (lots of water)
So far today:
Fresh carrot & apple juice
4 hard boiled eggs (whites only)I have one very happy little dog who got to eat the yolks.
water
I will have to figure out what to do for lunch but I am thinking I will juice again or eat a small chicken breast and veggies. I always like eating my meat(when I eat it) at lunch, preferably before 2:00 p.m. I had a doctor tell me once that our bodies metabolism begins to slow down at night and it takes meat longer to digest than if we eat it @ lunch. I never eat after 6:00 p.m. either. Your body is slowing down for sleep mode. So, if you put a big plate of dinner in your stomache at night it doesn't digest well at all, thus the heart burn etc. most people get at night. Think of it like this, fix a huge plate or even a small plate and set it on the table overnight before you go to bed. The next morning eat it. Does this sound good to you? NO! Your body just slowly digests(If it digests at all) all night. The next morning when you wake up you are breaking your fast and it begins to take the food you put in as fuel. Left over food from last night is being digested and here you are cramming other "breakfast" food in there too. No wonder we have so many stomache problems. Gads!
Well, on that note. My breakfast has been consumed and I have walked already this morning and now I have to get ready to get my physical. I hate that blasted scale at the Dr. office! *sigh* I'll try and write more later.
God Bless and pray for a "light" scale ~ katcha
But Hope springs eternal. I don't feel so defeated now. I weighed in at 139 pounds yesterday AFTERNOON not first thing in the morning, so I am very pleased. I need to be 124 - 120 if I can. That is my goal anyway and I was hoping to be at 129 by the time we leave on our trip to New Mexico. Is 10 pounds possible to lose before July 16? We'll find out.
Ok so here was the menu for yesterday:
Soy Smoothie
Soy nuts
baby carrots
salad with light sprinkle of cheese shreds and 1 tbsp. ranch dressing and tortilla chips.
Herbal tea water (lots of water)
So far today:
Fresh carrot & apple juice
4 hard boiled eggs (whites only)I have one very happy little dog who got to eat the yolks.
water
I will have to figure out what to do for lunch but I am thinking I will juice again or eat a small chicken breast and veggies. I always like eating my meat(when I eat it) at lunch, preferably before 2:00 p.m. I had a doctor tell me once that our bodies metabolism begins to slow down at night and it takes meat longer to digest than if we eat it @ lunch. I never eat after 6:00 p.m. either. Your body is slowing down for sleep mode. So, if you put a big plate of dinner in your stomache at night it doesn't digest well at all, thus the heart burn etc. most people get at night. Think of it like this, fix a huge plate or even a small plate and set it on the table overnight before you go to bed. The next morning eat it. Does this sound good to you? NO! Your body just slowly digests(If it digests at all) all night. The next morning when you wake up you are breaking your fast and it begins to take the food you put in as fuel. Left over food from last night is being digested and here you are cramming other "breakfast" food in there too. No wonder we have so many stomache problems. Gads!
Well, on that note. My breakfast has been consumed and I have walked already this morning and now I have to get ready to get my physical. I hate that blasted scale at the Dr. office! *sigh* I'll try and write more later.
God Bless and pray for a "light" scale ~ katcha
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Tipping The Scales
Did you really think I was going to get on the scales??? Not me buddy, think about it, scales, bathroom, razor blades, distraught 38 year old overweight woman? Doesn't make for a pretty picture does it? LOL
I woke up this morning and put together a smoothie for hubby and me. Then I got his lunch together and got dressed to go walking. I had made coffee for him and it was all I could do to get a cup but I am trying to wean myself. I went walking and it felt great, but by the time I was finishing up my stomache started rumbling and I was beatin' feet to the bathroom. I drank some of my "cleansing tea" last night before bed and it was working. Sometimes, it will just be violent and others it doesn't do that to me but I tell you what, I am cleaned out now. (I know, another TMI moment).
I brewed some green tea (is it just me? or does it taste kind of funky?)but I added a couple of spearmint leaves from my garden to it and now it tastes wonderful. After my "little trip" to the bathroom, I had to lay down for a bit...I crashed for an hour and a half! I woke up drank some more tea, an 8 oz. bottle of water and then later a small portion of baby carrots, which I had to share with my cairn terrier. Have you ever seen a carrot eating dog? I just got done eating some roasted soy nuts and feel very full. All the while my kids had been snarfing chocolate chip pancakes my oldest daughter cooked. I wanted 1, just one, sooooooo badly! I wanted to eat one, all drizzled over with syrup! It was cruel and inhuman punishment! Chocolate, I NEED CHOCOLATE! Oh the injustice of it all! (insert woman wailing and weeping here.)
I didn't do my push ups, and crunches etc. but we are going to the Recreation Center later so I will get a lot more workout time in. I really like the recumbant (sp?) bike and the weights and the olympic size pool although I am not a very good swimmer. The kids have all had swimming lessons and I am so glad of that, next fall we will start back. Right now, it's summertime and the pool is crowded. I like getting the kids there during the fall and winter, we homeschool and can avoid the rush.
Well, I have a ton of work to do before we go to the Center and I need to go thru my son's scout clothes to make sure he will be ready for Scout Camp next week. I will probably write some more later today.
God bless and hide your chocolate~ katcha
I woke up this morning and put together a smoothie for hubby and me. Then I got his lunch together and got dressed to go walking. I had made coffee for him and it was all I could do to get a cup but I am trying to wean myself. I went walking and it felt great, but by the time I was finishing up my stomache started rumbling and I was beatin' feet to the bathroom. I drank some of my "cleansing tea" last night before bed and it was working. Sometimes, it will just be violent and others it doesn't do that to me but I tell you what, I am cleaned out now. (I know, another TMI moment).
I brewed some green tea (is it just me? or does it taste kind of funky?)but I added a couple of spearmint leaves from my garden to it and now it tastes wonderful. After my "little trip" to the bathroom, I had to lay down for a bit...I crashed for an hour and a half! I woke up drank some more tea, an 8 oz. bottle of water and then later a small portion of baby carrots, which I had to share with my cairn terrier. Have you ever seen a carrot eating dog? I just got done eating some roasted soy nuts and feel very full. All the while my kids had been snarfing chocolate chip pancakes my oldest daughter cooked. I wanted 1, just one, sooooooo badly! I wanted to eat one, all drizzled over with syrup! It was cruel and inhuman punishment! Chocolate, I NEED CHOCOLATE! Oh the injustice of it all! (insert woman wailing and weeping here.)
I didn't do my push ups, and crunches etc. but we are going to the Recreation Center later so I will get a lot more workout time in. I really like the recumbant (sp?) bike and the weights and the olympic size pool although I am not a very good swimmer. The kids have all had swimming lessons and I am so glad of that, next fall we will start back. Right now, it's summertime and the pool is crowded. I like getting the kids there during the fall and winter, we homeschool and can avoid the rush.
Well, I have a ton of work to do before we go to the Center and I need to go thru my son's scout clothes to make sure he will be ready for Scout Camp next week. I will probably write some more later today.
God bless and hide your chocolate~ katcha
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
It ain't over until the fat lady sings!
And that would be me...sheesh I knew I had put on some weight but HOLY FRIJOLES!!! I am a cow! I just looked at vacation pictures and good grief I am chubby. Today is the day ya'll. I have been PMSing (I know, TMI) and snarfing junk food uncontrollably. I am fixin' to have some herbal tea and seriously re-evaluate my schedule and nutritional intake. *translation - workout and diet!
I hate to admit it, but at 38 I am just not losing the weight like I use to. It's always been work for me to lose weight, but now it's really work. I don't want to end up overweight and unhealthy. So tomorrow is a new day for me. Be prepared for lots of posts of me whining about french fries and losing weight, but a journey that should be interesting nevertheless. When I am a little more brave, I will post a picture of my chubby self and then as I lose weight, pictures of my miraculous (and I truly mean that)new thin self. Wow, new material to write about.
First off, I need to get my chubby butt up and moving, like walking in the morning again. I use to walk every morning and every night at least 30 minutes at a time. Now I park my butt in front of the computer or on the couch to crochet. I have to admit, I hurt my back recently and I have been plumb lazy about doing anything. NOT GOOD! I will start off tomorrow by walking my 30 minutes, then 30 minutes of crunches, push ups and stretching. For lunch, I will juice and then have a light dinner. The first day is never hard, it's the 2nd day, and the next and the next. After a week or 2 though and I become obsessed...it's just getting thru the first week.
I need to search out a good soy protein drink too. I did the Soy drinks last time and it was great. Hard to find now that the "low carb" craze is going on. I am all for low carb diets, I have a problem with gluten and can't eat lots of breads and pastas. Rice, I can eat and love. I think we consume way too much grain and can get our fiber from fresh fruits and veggies. That is where my juicer will be good. I can't eat meat a whole lot either, so the atkins thing is not my cup of tea either.
Well,speaking of tea, my tea is ready and I need to post this and get my evening routine going. I lay out my clothes to work out and make sure the kitchen is clean before I go to bed every night. It kind of helps me get my act together.
I'll write more tomorrow and let ya'll know how its going with the exercise and diet.
God Bless ~ katcha
I hate to admit it, but at 38 I am just not losing the weight like I use to. It's always been work for me to lose weight, but now it's really work. I don't want to end up overweight and unhealthy. So tomorrow is a new day for me. Be prepared for lots of posts of me whining about french fries and losing weight, but a journey that should be interesting nevertheless. When I am a little more brave, I will post a picture of my chubby self and then as I lose weight, pictures of my miraculous (and I truly mean that)new thin self. Wow, new material to write about.
First off, I need to get my chubby butt up and moving, like walking in the morning again. I use to walk every morning and every night at least 30 minutes at a time. Now I park my butt in front of the computer or on the couch to crochet. I have to admit, I hurt my back recently and I have been plumb lazy about doing anything. NOT GOOD! I will start off tomorrow by walking my 30 minutes, then 30 minutes of crunches, push ups and stretching. For lunch, I will juice and then have a light dinner. The first day is never hard, it's the 2nd day, and the next and the next. After a week or 2 though and I become obsessed...it's just getting thru the first week.
I need to search out a good soy protein drink too. I did the Soy drinks last time and it was great. Hard to find now that the "low carb" craze is going on. I am all for low carb diets, I have a problem with gluten and can't eat lots of breads and pastas. Rice, I can eat and love. I think we consume way too much grain and can get our fiber from fresh fruits and veggies. That is where my juicer will be good. I can't eat meat a whole lot either, so the atkins thing is not my cup of tea either.
Well,speaking of tea, my tea is ready and I need to post this and get my evening routine going. I lay out my clothes to work out and make sure the kitchen is clean before I go to bed every night. It kind of helps me get my act together.
I'll write more tomorrow and let ya'll know how its going with the exercise and diet.
God Bless ~ katcha
Friday, June 10, 2005
A Full House
I'm not talking about gambling in Vegas either ya'll. It would seem that my house is the place to be this summer for at least 5 extra kids at any one time. I know I had to spend a tad more on groceries, but it's worth it. I would rather have the neighbor kids want to be here with me and mine than my kids wanting to be at the neighbors with them. Well, with the exception of my friend who gardens with me. They are good people.
I have noticed that the kids like to talk to me about Jesus and ask me for help when they need to talk. I am a good listener and I often I will tell them stories about when I was growing up in an unsaved home. So they know I can relate to what they are struggling with, then I contrast that to what the word of God says and try to give them some examples of how maybe they can handle whatever the situation is. This is what I had always hoped for, so I am blessed. I am always good for a hug, a word of encouragment or even a little heart to heart every once in a while. They always take it well and they tell me, "thanks for loving me Mrs. Kathy". What a nice thing to hear. We need to love this next generation and we need to be steadfast and firm. I hold them accountable and they know it.
If you have kids at home, stop being a buddy to them and start being a parent. Don't be the Controlling, "cause I said so" kind but be the firm, I love you no matter what, I set rules to keep you safe NOT to keep you from having fun, parent. They will try you, they will try to maipulate you, they will say things to hurt you but in the end they will respect and love you.
OK off my soap box now. LOL I think we are going to have another busy weekend. Gads I am so tired of this running and being everywhere at once. It is becoming tiresome. We have a "family camp" this weekend for the cub scouts, and with the tropical storm heading our way I am a little hesitant. Oh well, We have camped in 24/7 rain before (I think it's a personal challenge to us as we are pretty die hard campers) but a lot of these parents and kids are not. So we'll have to see what happens. I am hoping to do some hiking if we go, I have some great new hiking boots I have started breaking in and I need to do some good hiking with them before our trip to New Mexico. I need to purchase some more hiking socks, cargo style shorts and pants. I am thinking old navy would be good for this. I can wear small men's sizes and they make guys jeans low rise so that will be cool. If I try to find jeans (of any kind) in petite 6 they are still too tight or I can't find them at all, and not comfy. Crazy, but it works for me.
Well, I need to do some things around here before the day gets away from me. I'll catch ya later! ~ katcha
I have noticed that the kids like to talk to me about Jesus and ask me for help when they need to talk. I am a good listener and I often I will tell them stories about when I was growing up in an unsaved home. So they know I can relate to what they are struggling with, then I contrast that to what the word of God says and try to give them some examples of how maybe they can handle whatever the situation is. This is what I had always hoped for, so I am blessed. I am always good for a hug, a word of encouragment or even a little heart to heart every once in a while. They always take it well and they tell me, "thanks for loving me Mrs. Kathy". What a nice thing to hear. We need to love this next generation and we need to be steadfast and firm. I hold them accountable and they know it.
If you have kids at home, stop being a buddy to them and start being a parent. Don't be the Controlling, "cause I said so" kind but be the firm, I love you no matter what, I set rules to keep you safe NOT to keep you from having fun, parent. They will try you, they will try to maipulate you, they will say things to hurt you but in the end they will respect and love you.
OK off my soap box now. LOL I think we are going to have another busy weekend. Gads I am so tired of this running and being everywhere at once. It is becoming tiresome. We have a "family camp" this weekend for the cub scouts, and with the tropical storm heading our way I am a little hesitant. Oh well, We have camped in 24/7 rain before (I think it's a personal challenge to us as we are pretty die hard campers) but a lot of these parents and kids are not. So we'll have to see what happens. I am hoping to do some hiking if we go, I have some great new hiking boots I have started breaking in and I need to do some good hiking with them before our trip to New Mexico. I need to purchase some more hiking socks, cargo style shorts and pants. I am thinking old navy would be good for this. I can wear small men's sizes and they make guys jeans low rise so that will be cool. If I try to find jeans (of any kind) in petite 6 they are still too tight or I can't find them at all, and not comfy. Crazy, but it works for me.
Well, I need to do some things around here before the day gets away from me. I'll catch ya later! ~ katcha
Thursday, June 09, 2005
More Rain or OY! My Aching Back
I am so glad we are finally getting some rain. It has been terribly dry and although I water my garden regularly, there is really nothing like a good shower from God to make a garden grow. The only problem is, my osteoarthritis (I was diagnosed with that when I was 35) is killing me. It is mostly down in my lower back but I think I may be getting some bone spurs in my neck and shoulder. Yikes I have pinched nerve that is killing me. I can't seem to get any relief from it lately. The rain really agravates it. (Something to do with the barometric pressure, yadee yadee yah)My new best friend has been my heating pad, I am too young to be suffering with this! LOL I guess it's heriditary; my aunt has the same thing and my mother . Both have had to have surgery for it as well.
So, another day on the road for me. The drawbacks of living in a rural area. You have to drive 30 minutes at least to get anywhere. So had to do the post office, bank and Wally World thang. I wish we lived in town but I am sure if we moved I would say, I wished we lived out in the country again. I could be a townie. If I were a townie, I would ride my bike all over the place. I have a basket and everything. LOL
I am making some fresh ice tea right now. I grew some spearmint in the garden this year. I am keeping it trimmed back and using it to make my tea. Just pull the leaves off the stems, throw in the pot with the tea and brew or boil as usual. I then strain everything off, pour over about 1/4 cup sugar and add my cold water. I don't use as much sugar as most, but southerners never drink unsweetened tea. My husband's grandmother use to make her tea so sweet it would hurt your jaws. It was like syrup! If you ran out of pancake syrup, you could use her tea as a substitute. I make a gallon of tea a day around here. We DO live in the South ya'll! With 6 people in the house we can go thru some tea. I really need to get a new ice maker though. My husband and I are talking about buying a sure enough small ice maker machine like the restaraunts? There are a couple of restaraunt supply houses there and we might be able to get a used one pretty cheap. Southerners have to have ice, even if the tea has been chilled and it's 10 below 0 outside.
I am often asked if I would rather be in South Dakota, but I have lived here since I was about 13, and really, I love it here. I think it would be hard for me to adjust to the midwestern thing. They are not as outwardly friendly as people are down here. I would probably have a miserable time making friends as I like to talk to much and am very "outgoing". Plus, there is the whole "falling out" thing with my family that would be hard on everyone right now. Long story, but I am not a real popular gal right now and my mother hates me...so there is really nothing for me there. My husband's family absolutely loves me and shake their heads and cluck their tongues in dismay at the whole thing. So I am more at home here when it comes to "family atmosphere". If we move "north" we are thinking maybe close to where Tony's dad lives in Northwest Ark, in the Ozarks or maybe even into Oklahoma. We'll see. Right now we are knee deep in remodeling and getting this house "marketable"; there is no sense in fretting over where to move.
Well, another boring chapter in my book. If nothing else I get to vent and write so I am happy. LOL have a blessed day and I'll catch ya later~ katcha
So, another day on the road for me. The drawbacks of living in a rural area. You have to drive 30 minutes at least to get anywhere. So had to do the post office, bank and Wally World thang. I wish we lived in town but I am sure if we moved I would say, I wished we lived out in the country again. I could be a townie. If I were a townie, I would ride my bike all over the place. I have a basket and everything. LOL
I am making some fresh ice tea right now. I grew some spearmint in the garden this year. I am keeping it trimmed back and using it to make my tea. Just pull the leaves off the stems, throw in the pot with the tea and brew or boil as usual. I then strain everything off, pour over about 1/4 cup sugar and add my cold water. I don't use as much sugar as most, but southerners never drink unsweetened tea. My husband's grandmother use to make her tea so sweet it would hurt your jaws. It was like syrup! If you ran out of pancake syrup, you could use her tea as a substitute. I make a gallon of tea a day around here. We DO live in the South ya'll! With 6 people in the house we can go thru some tea. I really need to get a new ice maker though. My husband and I are talking about buying a sure enough small ice maker machine like the restaraunts? There are a couple of restaraunt supply houses there and we might be able to get a used one pretty cheap. Southerners have to have ice, even if the tea has been chilled and it's 10 below 0 outside.
I am often asked if I would rather be in South Dakota, but I have lived here since I was about 13, and really, I love it here. I think it would be hard for me to adjust to the midwestern thing. They are not as outwardly friendly as people are down here. I would probably have a miserable time making friends as I like to talk to much and am very "outgoing". Plus, there is the whole "falling out" thing with my family that would be hard on everyone right now. Long story, but I am not a real popular gal right now and my mother hates me...so there is really nothing for me there. My husband's family absolutely loves me and shake their heads and cluck their tongues in dismay at the whole thing. So I am more at home here when it comes to "family atmosphere". If we move "north" we are thinking maybe close to where Tony's dad lives in Northwest Ark, in the Ozarks or maybe even into Oklahoma. We'll see. Right now we are knee deep in remodeling and getting this house "marketable"; there is no sense in fretting over where to move.
Well, another boring chapter in my book. If nothing else I get to vent and write so I am happy. LOL have a blessed day and I'll catch ya later~ katcha
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Ahhhhhh....
I am happy to report that the washer only thru a belt and is now in fine operational order. WOOO HOOO!
This morning is nice and kicked back so far. I have been keeping a sweet little 6 year old girl this summer and although she is quiet and not much trouble, I am glad to have a couple of days off. I worked in the garden with my neighbor, and we weeded and planted some more things. Later I will go out and plant some marigold seeds in between the tomato plants. That will keep the aphids and bugs down.< that is my tip of the day for you! It makes it nice to garden with my friend. I asked my friend if she would like to "co-op" garden with me since she has little yard space and I have a lot of backyard. I figure this way, the garden is always tended to if anyone is out of town or whatever. We had a little stint out of town and they worked the garden, next week they will be gone and I will work the garden. In between, we get out there together and work. Poor woman, I chatter on like a chipmunk, but it's so pleasant to have another adult to talk to. LOL
I have a lot to do yet today and then I need to take the kids swimming. I need to get my fanny working too so I will workout while they swim. It's the pits getting older. When I was younger, if I wanted to lose weight, it took so little to do so, but now I have to work out like a dog and almost starve. My metabolism is slowing down. *sigh*
Have a great day & will write more later.~katcha
This morning is nice and kicked back so far. I have been keeping a sweet little 6 year old girl this summer and although she is quiet and not much trouble, I am glad to have a couple of days off. I worked in the garden with my neighbor, and we weeded and planted some more things. Later I will go out and plant some marigold seeds in between the tomato plants. That will keep the aphids and bugs down.< that is my tip of the day for you! It makes it nice to garden with my friend. I asked my friend if she would like to "co-op" garden with me since she has little yard space and I have a lot of backyard. I figure this way, the garden is always tended to if anyone is out of town or whatever. We had a little stint out of town and they worked the garden, next week they will be gone and I will work the garden. In between, we get out there together and work. Poor woman, I chatter on like a chipmunk, but it's so pleasant to have another adult to talk to. LOL
I have a lot to do yet today and then I need to take the kids swimming. I need to get my fanny working too so I will workout while they swim. It's the pits getting older. When I was younger, if I wanted to lose weight, it took so little to do so, but now I have to work out like a dog and almost starve. My metabolism is slowing down. *sigh*
Have a great day & will write more later.~katcha
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
My War with Appliances!
It must be me. I must abuse a washer and dryer beyond it's limits. I need a washer and dryer like they have at hotels; somethinng that can handle the abuse of 6 people. You could argue, why not just do laundry every saturday or once a week, but unless you have been here, you just don't know. No, I have to keep on top of the laundry, Constantly. I would much rather have a load or two a day then to spend a whole day & night (which believe it or not is absolutely true) doing the families laundry. But shoot, the wear and tear is unbelievable.
Recently, our dryer was failing. After 7 years, 6 people and constant use I guess I could understand BUT my husband kept saying, there is no way that thing should be failing. It would tumble around, get warm briefly and then the heat would cut off. "Did you check the lint filter?" My husband would ask again and again. My answer was always a defeated yes. Well, one day on a whim, I decided to check the back where all the air goes out from the back of the dryer and laundry room. I found a huge bird's nest in the accordian hose! Well, that was what the problem was! I guess the dryer (mine is a newer model) has an automatic heat thermometer, so...if the dryer gets too hot, it automatically turns off the heating coil. I cleaned out the nest and VOILA! The dryer is operational. NOW, the washer won't drain! I pulled it out and found a dead mouse (fairly fresh) behind their but he looks like he was smushed not fried. Then I took a bucket, put the hose in it and it drained! Hmmmmmm...so now hubby has to take a looksy at it. *sigh* and it's a Maytag too...
Coffee pots; we go thru a new coffe pot every 6 months. Does this make sense? I make coffee everyday but not 24/7. Another abused appliance is my blender. I make smoothies every morning and I guess the ice just takes its toll on the poor thing. (a little shopping tip here - buy an Oster. The blade base components are made of metal not plastic. I think this one actually may survive more than a year with me and I can buy replacement parts UNLIKE some other brands I use to purchase.)
Well, I have to vacuum one last time before hubby gets home. I like to have the carpets looking nice and the house looking neat after he has had an especially long day. He walks thru the door, looks around and sighs, "Oh its so good to be home." Then I get praised and adored for being a "domestic goddess"...I guess my wrath is only imparted on unworthy appliances! LOL Have a great evening and I'll write more tomorrow. ~ katcha
Recently, our dryer was failing. After 7 years, 6 people and constant use I guess I could understand BUT my husband kept saying, there is no way that thing should be failing. It would tumble around, get warm briefly and then the heat would cut off. "Did you check the lint filter?" My husband would ask again and again. My answer was always a defeated yes. Well, one day on a whim, I decided to check the back where all the air goes out from the back of the dryer and laundry room. I found a huge bird's nest in the accordian hose! Well, that was what the problem was! I guess the dryer (mine is a newer model) has an automatic heat thermometer, so...if the dryer gets too hot, it automatically turns off the heating coil. I cleaned out the nest and VOILA! The dryer is operational. NOW, the washer won't drain! I pulled it out and found a dead mouse (fairly fresh) behind their but he looks like he was smushed not fried. Then I took a bucket, put the hose in it and it drained! Hmmmmmm...so now hubby has to take a looksy at it. *sigh* and it's a Maytag too...
Coffee pots; we go thru a new coffe pot every 6 months. Does this make sense? I make coffee everyday but not 24/7. Another abused appliance is my blender. I make smoothies every morning and I guess the ice just takes its toll on the poor thing. (a little shopping tip here - buy an Oster. The blade base components are made of metal not plastic. I think this one actually may survive more than a year with me and I can buy replacement parts UNLIKE some other brands I use to purchase.)
Well, I have to vacuum one last time before hubby gets home. I like to have the carpets looking nice and the house looking neat after he has had an especially long day. He walks thru the door, looks around and sighs, "Oh its so good to be home." Then I get praised and adored for being a "domestic goddess"...I guess my wrath is only imparted on unworthy appliances! LOL Have a great evening and I'll write more tomorrow. ~ katcha
I'm Back!
I guess I had to come back home just to get some rest. The trip went well, or as well as trips go. Made great time getting up there. It was a pleasant time. I FINALLY was able to get in touch with my grandmother (ie, I showed up at her apartment door, after trying unsuccessfully for DAYS to call her) and she was very happy to see me and the children. The last time I had talked to her she sounded angry with me and I thought "gee whiz" and really had no desire to talk to anyone. I saw my aunts and uncles and took a few pics.
My dad is ornerier than ever and my brother is doing great. I hate to admit it, my dad is a smoker and it about killed me later. We took a bit of time to travel back to my husband's dad's house but it was worth it. We stopped to see some sights. I have vacation pictures...ooooo!
After we got to my In-laws, I was so happy. I walked in and it was so good to be there. This will sound crazy, but the house smelled so clean and like fabric softener. Very homey. All I wanted to do was collapse into bed, and then hang out and visit the whole next day. Tony's sister changed that. She will be moving out to the "counrty" soon and wanted us to come and visit so she could show us. Well, we were slow about getting it together the next day. We called and she didn't answer. I thought "woooo hooo! She had to go to work and we can stay here.". Don't get me wrong, I LOVE her to pieces, but I just didin't want to have to sit in the van driving around, my back was killing me. Well, about 30 minutes later she called. She had been robbed, police had come and gone and she was upset. We all get in the van, drive for an hour to get there, only to find her in the bed sleeping (her ex hubby had been there and given her a valium
Anyway, it's good to be back home. I have lots of pictures and can now add to my collection of bathroom pictures. Long story, I will tell you about it another time! LOL
blessings! katcha
My dad is ornerier than ever and my brother is doing great. I hate to admit it, my dad is a smoker and it about killed me later. We took a bit of time to travel back to my husband's dad's house but it was worth it. We stopped to see some sights. I have vacation pictures...ooooo!
After we got to my In-laws, I was so happy. I walked in and it was so good to be there. This will sound crazy, but the house smelled so clean and like fabric softener. Very homey. All I wanted to do was collapse into bed, and then hang out and visit the whole next day. Tony's sister changed that. She will be moving out to the "counrty" soon and wanted us to come and visit so she could show us. Well, we were slow about getting it together the next day. We called and she didn't answer. I thought "woooo hooo! She had to go to work and we can stay here.". Don't get me wrong, I LOVE her to pieces, but I just didin't want to have to sit in the van driving around, my back was killing me. Well, about 30 minutes later she called. She had been robbed, police had come and gone and she was upset. We all get in the van, drive for an hour to get there, only to find her in the bed sleeping (her ex hubby had been there and given her a valium
Anyway, it's good to be back home. I have lots of pictures and can now add to my collection of bathroom pictures. Long story, I will tell you about it another time! LOL
blessings! katcha
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