More organizing to share

In spite of my total lack of housekeeping ability- which is partly, at least, due to exhaustion during the school year- I *did* keep a neat house before Fibromyalgia!- we do manage to have nice Christmas holidays around here. One of the reasons for that is a website/program I found about 6-7 years ago called Organized Christmas. While I have never successfully completed an entire plan, using this site has made Christmas much easier and less stressful each year.

In previous years, I used the 6 week plan called Christmas Countdown. It's a really good program for having a schedule of things you want/need to do to be ready for the holidays without too much last minute panicking. My favorite part of the program was the planner. Each year I printed out all the pages that applied to our house and it was a BIG help!

This year I am going to attempt the more ambitious Houseworks Holiday Plan. This plan starts today. The Christmas Countdown starts around Halloween. One of the good things about the HHP is that if you fall off the wagon, it is set up to transition easily into the CC- so no guilt!

So, regardless of whether you are BO (Born Organized) or SHE (Sidetracked Home Executive), if you dread getting ready for the holidays, think about checking out Organized Christmas!

Off to start this week's work for HHP!

Back to Reality

Time to get back to reality!

The summer is over and school starts Tuesday. As much as I love the kids and LOVE teaching, I'm not looking forward to going back.

Today was supposed to be one last blast for the summer. I won tickets to Hershey Park in a radio contest and we were going to spend the day there with friends. But, she's been sick, my legs are screaming at me and my Auntie- one up here, not Florida Auntie- had surgery recently and Mom wants me to go with her today to help Auntie out. So, back to Flylady, back to normal, back to chaos, back to reality.

Job One today will be unpacking, getting most of the summer "play" clothes put away, finish getting clothes ready for school- including some to deal with the 90° temps predicted for this first week of school. The grocery list for the week is already done- DH will do that while I am at Auntie's this afternoon.

DH and DS replaced the living room sofa and carpet while I was away and the room looks really nice. More work in the garage will be needed to make more room for stuff from the craft room- NOT craft stuff, just things that got put there "until". Looks like I know what I will be doing Thursday when I get home from school- since Friday is trash day.

One of the components of the Flylady plan is what she calls a Control Journal. It is a binder that has all kinds of information in it- your address book, your lists of important numbers, a plan for maintaining your house. I found, after I spent a LONG time analysing what needs to be done around here and when it needs to be done (dishes daily, vacuum weekly, windows monthly, that sort of thing) and making a plan, that I never followed it. For one thing, it was in this reference binder, and for another it was totally unrealistic about what I was actually able to do during the school year. Then one day I found a One Page Control Journal online at a blog of someone who follows Flylady- and she offered it for download. Which I promptly did.

I have revised it multiple times- always trying to make it realistic for what I can do while meeting the basics that need to be done. This is NOT easy as what I *can* do never meets what I *should* be doing. By the time I get home from school, collapsing in the recliner is usually all I am capable of. BUT, I have revised it again for this year, trying to make it reasonable and realistic.

So, now I have my newest OPCJ all set up in a page protector on the fridge door with a dry erase marker nearby. As I finish each task for the week I can check it off, and have a good idea of what I need to do on the weekend to catch up. Here's a version of what it looks like- there is a list like this for each day.

MONDAY

MORNING ROUTINE
Swish & Swipe
Make bed
Shower/Dress/Makeup
Eat breakfast
Take meds
Pack Phone
GET HOME ROUTINE
Mail
5 min Room Rescue
Dishwasher
Laundry- wash towels
Filing
Toss ten
Dinner
Kitchen/trash
BEFORE BED ROUTINE
School bag/keys ready
Charge phone
Shine sink
Check calendar
Brush teeth/face care
Clothes for tomorrow
Go to bed at a decent time

Well, time to go put a load in the washer, start unpacking, get my keys, planner, etc ready and pack my schoolbag. Like I said, back to reality!

Home again

Well, I'm home. Got out of Florida as the outer bands of rain and lightning from Gustav were starting to stir things up. It was a pretty bumpy ride home most of the way, but it all came out well.

To the left you see a P. Buckley Moss print called "Our Anniversary". For some background here, DH gave me a gift card for our anniversary this year, to choose an anniversary ring. I didn't use all the money on the beautiful ring I chose, so I've been saving the rest for something special. Yesterday, Auntie and I took a trip to St. Petersburg to the PBM gallery. When I saw this print, which, btw, is sold out at the PBM website and hard to find anywhere, I knew this was the exact thing to get- so I did!

I am really excited and happy about it!

After we finished at the gallery, where Auntie got a PBM piece framed, we decided to take a walk out onto the Pier on St. Petersburg's waterfront. As we approached the entrance to the Museum of History we saw that one of the current exhibits was "Princess Grace and Princess Diana". Well, that was a must-be-done! It was primarily a dress exhibition- several dresses of Princess Grace's and a lot more of Diana's. There were also all kind of smaller items, including invitations to Charles and Diana's wedding, letters that she had written etc. Among the Princess Grace artifacts were sketches by Edith Head of costumes for "To Catch a Thief" (the chiffon gown) and "High Society" (the garden party dress).

The exhibit also included doll-sized duplicates of all of Diana's dresses from the Christie's auction.

The blue gown on the left was Princess Grace's and the red and black on the right was Diana's. These are the real things, not the doll-sized. They even had a copy- at least I'm guessing it was a copy!- of Diana's favorite tiara, the one in so many pictures.

We really enjoyed seeing all the beautiful things. All in all it was a really good day!

Another quick, tired check-in

The whirlwind week continues.

Wednesday we added a trip to the acupuncture doctor's office. Today we did a LOT; the dog went to the groomer, Auntie got her hair cut, we went to Bed, Bath and Beyond, I went to Michaels and Borders while Auntie was at the hairdresser, we went grocery shopping at two stores....I think that's all, lol!

We're having a great time. We're getting tons done but also getting lots of time together and time to talk. It's wonderful.

Tomorrow morning we are heading to St. Petersburg to visit the P. Buckley Moss gallery there. I love her work. My DH sometimes makes fun of it- he calls it "Amish meets Tim Burton" which is really not such a bad description. The print you see here is called "Gloria" and DH bought it for me several years ago. I really love her. I have two other PBM prints and maybe will have more soon.

Then tomorrow afternoon we have to take the doggie to the vet.

So, another full day on the agenda tomorrow!

More details

Just thought I'd list a few agendas so it would be clear why I have not had time to post or read.

Saturday we visited with the neighbors for about an hour. Then we went to Sam's Club. Then after dropping the stuff off at home, we went to Mass. Then to the supermarket, then to the Walgreens. By the time we made and had dinner, it was late. Then we yakked. (You can fill that in anywhere you find any empty time space.)

Sunday was the Ulta for a haircut for me, a wash and curl for Auntie, and make-up playing. Then Ross. Then Petsmart. Then Michaels. The new Michael's here was really strangely laid out and very disconcerting. Then home. Then back to the supermarket. Then dinner and watching football. Also yakking.

Monday was getting the car inspected and serviced. Then Dick's so Auntie could buy a pair of Crocs like mine (the cleo model- very comfortable, very cute and totally don't look like Crocs-see the picture). Lots of time in Dicks. Then back to Ulta for some things forgotten yesterday. Then home for dinner and watching baseball. Yakking.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) is the HSN outlet and probably back to Sam's Club. Wednesday is a doctor's appointment then out to lunch with a friend of Auntie's who is visiting in town for a short while. Thursday Auntie goes to her own hairdresser for a haircut and the doggie goes to *his* "hairdresser" for a grooming. Friday is still undecided with lots of various options. Saturday I go home.

If there is nothing new posted here, the reason will be obvious- I am EXHAUSTED!!!!

Quick Check-in

I got here without any unpleasantness on the plane. Auntie has kept me busy ever since- we've been running errands and shopping like crazy! No time to post anything else- gotta rest up, lol!

Wish me luck!

I got up at 12:30 AM to take an extra dose of my stomach meds- wasn't feeling so great. By 5:00 AM I was "sick as a dog"- which expression I never understood. At 10:00 AM I called the airline and asked about changing my flight until tomorrow explaining that I was in the midst of a severe GI tract disorder. There are seats available on the same flight tomorrow- but the additional charge for changing flights this late would be $230. So, I fly today.

Maybe you should be wishing the other passengers luck!

Off to Florida!

Well, tomorrow I am off to visit Auntie!

This is a picture I took of her a few years ago when we visited Ca D'Zan- the waterfront winter home of John and Mabel Ringling. It's pretty spectacular, huh? Actually this is a picture of the Art museum they built about 100 yards from the house.

This is the house. Also pretty spectacular, huh?

I don't think there'll be a lot of sightseeing this trip. Between my leg braces and her broken arm....

Yes, I am going to Florida to spend time with Auntie- and be her chaffeur for a week. I am totallly looking forward to it- we will have a great time spending that much time together.

I have loaded my laptop with hundreds of pictures and several digi-scrapping programs and kits. I was only going to take the quilt top but that really tiny detail stuff may be too much for my eyes for hours at a time, so I wanted an alternative. I haven't tried any digi-scrapping yet, so this will be a good time to decide if I like it. I also have two books in my carry-on and several somewhere between the Amazon warehouse and Auntie's.

Our local Flybaby group is starting a Book Club, so one of the books will be "Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation" by Cokie Roberts. I'll report back on it in a few weeks- after I've read it and also heard what the others think.

I'll be online so I'll be checking out all my blogs while I'm away. Looking forward to seeing what everyone is doing.

Found an excellent new blog!

It is definitely time for another Great Blog award!

Card Art, Etc. is an amazing blog for stampers. The cards she makes are exquisite- some of the most beautiful cards I've ever seen.

However, she is also incredibly generous with her talent and skill. Each card is accompanied by a long, detailed tutorial on every step, all the tools and equipment, all the supplies, and pictures of every step and exactly how she did it.

She's in my sidebar from now on- I don't want to miss a single post from this fabulous artist!

It's gotta be the full moon!

I had a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning that I needed to reschedule. Called this morning promptly at 9:15 AM. Had to leave a message- no humans available. Got a call back at 11:45- "why did you miss yesterday's appointment?"- which call I missed so it was on my answering machine. Then I call back, get the office machine again, now leave a message "I am trying to reschedule tomorrow, I didn't have an appointment yesterday". The machine message promises that someone will call back by the end of the day. HAH!

It was that kind of day. I left messages at a doctor's office, an insurance company and I forget where else- but I left quite a few. Tottled around here not starting anything big- in case I got a call back!- but I never did.

Then I went to Michael's where I was in line for 30 minutes trying to check out. First, there was no one on any register. Then they told me to go to register #3, she would be right there. Then they told me to move to register #5- after I had put a whole pile of stuff on the counter at #3. Then it took forever to ring me out. Then I had to wait to get a manager to approve my coupon because it was an internet coupon and everyone else had Sunday paper coupons!

Stopped at Mom's on the way home. Found out she had a similar day. Had to wait WAY too long to see the new doctor- ours had retired- and then he was just plain stunned by her medical record. Have I mentioned that my mother is the energizer bunny? She has had more things wrong with her than any other 10 people combined, but at 84 she still lives alone, drives, and is totally "with it". Anyway, she got out of the doctor's late- it took FOREVER to explain her history to him, even in brief- got stuck in traffic, decided to stop for a snack, came out of the bagel place and her car wouldn't start. So the hour with the doctor ended up taking 5 hours from start to finish.

SCS is all messed up- you can read but not reply.

The stupid Florida tropical storm Fay is making them all crazy down there. She is wandering across the state like a drunk trying but failing to walk a line. People who prepped for a tropical storm/possible hurricane in some cases didn't even get wet while the other side of the state- where she was NOT supposed to go- got drenched and wind-whipped. Stupid storm!

I NEVER use the famous "what else xxxxx xx xxxxx?" expression cause I might find out if I ask- but it has been a GOOFY day.

So, here are a few blogs to check out:

http://www.pamhooten.blogspot.com/
http://dawnsstampingthoughts.typepad.com/dawns_stampin_studio/
http://www.apageatatime.blogspot.com/

Lots of interesting things on each of them- ENJOY!

Does anyone else have a Silhouette?

I'm adding a new category to my sidebar- stuff for and about the Silhouette. I love my Silhouette even though I haven't used it (yet!) nearly as much as I could. The links are going into the sidebar mainly because I check each of my sidebar blogs now whenever they are updated- I LOVE this new gadget from Blogger that shows when any of the blogs are updated. No more going through all my blogs to see who has a new post. GREAT stuff!

Anyway. Digital electronic cutters are GREAT! I showed this card before, I know, but I wanted to put it here with my ramblings about my Silhouette just to show that even for my FIRST TIME using the Silhouette for a card, it turned out GREAT- or at least *I* think so.

One of the best things that has developed with electronic die cutters is the many people and companies making files for them. If you are thinking about a Silhouette (or a Gazelle, or a Pazzles, or a Wishblade, or a KNK etc.) do NOT let the files available from the manufacturer deter you. I bought the Silhouette mainly for using with alphabet fonts, not really thinking as much about the die cuts. WOW- was that a silly idea! I have some Quickutz files but what else is available out there is amazing!!!

So, if you use any of the electronic die cutters, check out these links:

http://visualdesignsbychris.blogspot.com/

http://www.paperthreads.com/store/

http://www.scrap-savvy.com/servlet/StoreFront

Scrap Savvy has the class available to get you familiar with your cutter- while I haven't finished all the lessons yet what I got done did make me feel more comfortable with the machine already. There are tons of designers to buy files from, but I really like Chris Durnan's the best of any I've found yet.

If you already have a machine but haven't found a "support" group yet, check out Yahoo groups. The ones I joined, seeming the best for me, are Silhouetteusers, Scrap-Savvy and Easy Wishbladers. I've learned a ton on these groups as well. There are lots more groups for each machine and many cross over for several machines.

I know much of the papercrafting world is Cricut-crazy and it is a great little tool. The portability is a big benefit. However, my darling DH bought me a laptop for Christmas, so I use that for all my Silhouette stuff and it works out great- especially since I now basically take the laptop wherever I go anyway.

My other preference for the Silhouette over the Cricut is the cartridges. I pick up my Silhouette- which is about the same size and weight as the Cricut- and my ever-present anyway laptop, and that's all I need. I don't have to buy cartridges. I buy individual files that I like. I can do any font right from my computer. Much less to buy, sort, store, carry, etc. For me, that was a BIG selling point for the Silhouette.

My craft room was previously a big mess. I've been digging out, sorting and re-arranging the last few days as part of my general house-overhaul. Result= it's a bigger mess than ever, at least temporarily. So, no new projects with the Silhouette are on the immediate horizon, until I get the room set up RIGHT, including a table set-up with the Silhouette having a permanent location ready to use. So, there won't be anything new here to show off. In fact, there won't be much of any crafting of any kind until after Labor Day as I work on the room- and then go away. For the next few weeks the crafting of choice will actually be stitching- I'm going to work on that quilt top as it fits into a cosmetic bag and can be picked up at any time without needing a workspace. Cancelling all other crafting should be an impetus to get the room usable!

Off to update my sidebar!

Oh, wow do I LOVE this!!

While checking out all my blogs that I read, I came across this website.

http://www.annetaintor.com/

All I can say is WOW!!!! SO much FUN!!! I placed a BIG order.

And I definitely ordered THIS one.

Bobby Darin - Beyond the sea

One of my favorites! He was a terrific singer and a more-than-not-bad actor; his performance in Captain Newman, MD will break your heart. (He was nominated for the Academy Award for it.) Perspective for the younguns? He was the Justin Timberlake of his time- with way more reason!

Insomnia ramblings

I was in sort mode today. Sorted clothes, sorted stamps and stuff. I should be tired- and I am. What I am not is sleepy.

So, for your late-night entertainment, here's a couple new (to me) blogs you can check out:

http://sketchesbytamara.blogspot.com/

http://www.craftcritique.com/

http://melaniemuenchinger.blogspot.com/

Hope you enjoy them. Now I'm off to find some music.

YIPPEE!!!!!

So, remember I told you the other day about the Release Party at Clear Artistic Stamps? And I told about all the blog candy and contests connected with the release?

Well, GUESS WHO WON one of the contests??????

I am SOOO happy! Belinda is WAY generous and the prize is GREAT! It includes a stamp set I don't have yet, plus other good stuff. Check out my prize at her blog In the Cottage Studio!

YIPPEE!!!

Harry Belafonte on the Muppet Show

I love all kinds of music. One of my IRL Flybaby friends, Trace, had this video on her blog today and I had to steal the idea. The incredible Harry Belafonte is so wonderful to listen to AND to look at, and the special setting of this song make this clip irresistable!

One last post for the day

I love all those quizzes you can find now all over the 'net. So, when I saw this one earlier today on a blog, I just had to take it. Here's the results:

Animated Leader

After the Party!

The Release Party for Clear Artistic Stamps was a lot of fun! There were LOTS of laughs, especially for me as I got to tease and abuse my friend Etha! The new stamp sets are wonderful- which is no surprise because everything Belinda does is beautiful!

Here's the Autumn Treats- I just LOVE that little mouse with the wheelbarrow! Can't wait til they get here!

As for the final progress report of the evening? Well, once I remembered that I needed to get to the pharmacy tonight for one of my meds, of which I was OUT, well, "out" is what happened to doing any more sorting and tossing. It took just long enough that I was just too tired to do anything but eat dinner- and get to the Party!!

Now it's time to settle in the recliner- VERY close to horizontal- and watch the swimming until I fall asleep.

A Flylady YIPPEE!!!!- and other stuff

Auntie is doing well. We had a nice visit and went out to lunch after. I'm glad we went.

When I got home there was only an hour left til DH had to leave for work. So, I said to both DH and DS- "Let's just see what we can do in the garage for about 45 minutes"-leaving DH time to shower. Well, we put out 8 large black trash bags, a lawnmower and a dishwasher. In the overall scheme of things, it's not that much- we have an oversized (1 1/2 cars but who has 1/2 car???) garage that is stuffed, but it is a DENT!!! And it feels GOOD. Even DH and DS, who started the project grumbling, are pleased.

AND, since everyone around here has avoided the garage and basement, because the Papa here kept saying "we need to take a whole day or even a couple of days to clean the garage" and whole days like that were just too intimidating, especially in a household that is generally healthy but, because of High School Athletics (DH and DS) combined with age (me and DH) combined with just bad luck with oprthopaedic stuff (ME!!!!!), really doesn't have the knees or backs for those all-day kind of endeavors, giving them a 45 minute example of Flylady's 15-minutes-at-a-time theory REALLY WORKED!!!!!

45 minutes was also quite enough to wear me out. So, I'm taking a break, then I'm going to try to fill another small trash bag out of the bedroom drawers- because even if women did still wear slips, which I won't because I either buy lined or doesn't need a slip, the slips currently taking up drawer space will NOT fit me unless I lose about 30 pounds and if I lose 30 pounds AND need a slip, I'll buy a new one! No, I don't have enough too-small-to-wear slips to fill a trash bag, but that's a good example, lol!

Today is an EXCELLENT stamping day! No, I didn't get any stamping done, and most likely won't, but the mailman made several very important deliveries. I got my first ever Stampin' Up catalog today- thanks, Beth, hope you are having a GREAT vacation! I got my first ever stamps from Pansy Lane Rubber Stamps and they are GORGEOUS!!!!! They are so deeply cut that I can see the images prefectly just looking at the stamps. This is the best claddagh stamp I've ever seen- LOVE it! AND...they are PURPLE!!!!! LOVE them!!!!!!



This little guy is also Pansy Lane and is just about the BEST teddy bear stamp ever. I know that the real reason I fell in love as soon as I saw him is that he looks soooo much like the bear in my very first book that I could read by myself. This will certainly become my "go-to" stamp for anything for babies and little children. I got two more wonderful Pansy Lane stamps- I'll post the images from them soon.

I also got a delivery from CHF today. The Saturday Evening Post was a staple in my house growing up. My great-uncle not only worked for Curtis Publishing his whole working life, but we knew he worked on the Post. (Another day I'll post the tragic story of Uncle Jim telling us all about his job at the Post, years after he retired.) I always loved the covers and developed my life-long affection for anything Norman Rockwell almost by osmosis. Well, Cornish Heritage Farms has a new stamp line using Saturday Evening Post cover art. The first stamp in the series is "Santa's Lap" from 1923. It is fabulous!!! I also got another Thomas Kinkade stamp, Cobblestone Bridge, now that Hometown Pride and watercolors have given me some confidence in using them. This one definitely looks more complicated to work with than Hometown Pride, so I'll show you how it goes, if it goes well, when I get a chance to play. Finally, from CHF I got the newest Sandra Kuck stamp, The Prayer. This is another line of stamps that chalks and watercolors, used on the first stamp Sisters, have given me the courage to continue to buy.

And the BEST stamping news today???? Clear Artistic Stamps is having a release tonight!!! The new stamp sets, Autumn Treats and I'm Just Saying, will be released tonight and they are at a special price until Sunday! If you want several sneak peeks and several chances for blog candy!!!!, just click on the "Get to Know" at the top of the store page, and visit the Design Team's blogs. Or, you can find all the info and links by going to My Favorite Blog on the sidebar here!

WOW- this turned into a LONG post. Time to go work in the bedroom so I can be ready for the release party tonight at 8PM EDT.

Just another one of *those* days.....

.....and it's not even 11 o'clock yet!

Now, I am not complaining- exactly. But I had such hopes for today. Tomorrow is trash day- and I wanted to go through the basement and garage and generate a TON of trash. But, my aunt had surgery last week and Mom just called and wants me to take her to visit. I cannot say no. I adore my aunt and she is so wonderful- but does Mom really HAVE to go at Noon??? Right in the middle of the day? I'm going to get very little trashing done before it is time to shower and dress, and by the time I get home it will be really hot, and by the time it cools off this evening....

So, re-think those plans. Blog now, trash later.

I found a new blog today through the wonderful Stamping When I Can blog- the one who regularly posts her newly discovered blogs and gave me that idea. It is called Shamrocks and Seashells, a title which totally appeals to this Irish girl who loves the shore. Although the blogger is younger than my kids, we have a lot in common- not only being Irish and loving the shore, but also loving stamping, reading, our local baseball teams and margharitas!

I have been telling, IRL, a lot of people about a book I read earlier this summer. Inspired by Shamrocks and Seashells, here's the scoop.



Title: Jane Austen in Boca

Author: Paula Marantz Cohen

I got this from the Sale shelf at the library at the shore. The title jumped out at me- a confirmed Janite (fan of Jane Austen, although "fan" is totally NOT a strong enough word)- and then the fact that the author was a professor at a local college sealed the deal.

This is Pride and Prejudice- but among the older Jewish set living in a retirement community in Boca Raton, Florida. It is a RIOT! All our favorite characters are there- Mrs. Bennett, now played by the daughter-in-law who in determined to see her MIL wed well, Mr. Collins, now wearing plaid shorts but still talking too loud and too much, Wickam now as an aging gigolo! Elizabeth, Jane, Darcy and Bingley all come to a happy ending as expected, but watching my favorite book played out among the Medicare generation in Florida was a delight! Highly recommend!

ETA: had to fix this! I was so goofy this AM I wrote "Willoughby"- the cad from Sense and Sensibility- when I meant Wickam! DUH!!!

Some Explanations for the BO

How's that for a catchy title?

In Flylady terms I am talking about those Born Organized- something those of us who are SHEs- Sidetracked Home Executives, with the emphasis on SIDETRACKED- are not and don't even understand. The same works in reverse- the BO don't get *us* at all. So, for those of you who are BO and don't see why everyone doesn't always have a neat, clean house, here is a post (rant?) that I just put on the SCS Flybabies board.

I am SUCH a SHE!!!!!! Emphasis on the SIDETRACKED!!!!

So, where do I stand at the end of the day? Well, let's see:My arm and shoulder (my original FMS sites and still the banes of my existence) have been screaming at me for hours.I DID do the OnePageControlJournal like I said I would. Then comes the "SHE-ness".

DH and DS were both getting ready to shower when I was ready to start the bathroom. So, I went into my room, pulled a drawer out of the dresser and started emptying and sorting. Got through 2 drawers. I did fill one trash bag- that's good. However, all the little "sort" piles, that need to go to a VARIETY of places around the house, are still on the bed. Hence- they will need to go into baskets tonight- which means carrying them around tomorrow.

Did I mention that DS had misplaced the cable for my printer? And that I was TOTALLY frustrated when I finished the OPCJ and couldn't print it out? Well, somewhere along about now (the drawers all over the bed) was when DH found the cord and I printed out the OPCJ. Took it down to put on the fridge. Couldn't get it into the page protector without taking the protector off the fridge door. Noticed how dirty the door was. Took everything off the fridge door to clean it. That took a while as I wasn't satisfied til I had also done the freezer door, and the hardware.....

Then DH reminded me what time he had to leave for work if I wanted him to take that bag of clothes to St. Vincent's. Went up and went through one of the large Rubbermaid tubs of clothes that I am going through. Filled more than 1/2 the bag, but NOT full. Had to put the "keep" things back into the Rubbermaid container without sorting them by work vs everyday. Will have to go back into that container.

After DH left for work, DS left for his chemistry exam. Decided to wait to eat til he got home but wanted a snack. Went into the corner cabinet to find the microwave popcorn. Noticed a few old things and a bit of a mess. (Have I mentioned that no matter HOW BAD my house looks, if you open my cabinets, THEY are completely neat and organized? How's THAT for sick?) Decided I should clean out the cabinet while the popcorn was popping! DUH!!! Result? Some old things tossed, but everything else is on the countertop!!!!!!- because the arm started screaming while emptying, so there is no way I can do the reaching and handling to put everything away again!!!! And oh, did I mention that before I used the microwave, I cleaned the whole thing?

End result of a long, tiring day? There is a Rubbermaid container in the upstairs hallway, a slew of stuff on the bed, the countertop is unusable because it is covered with things- and the inside of the microwave and the front of the refrigerator are clean.

And that, dear BO friends, is why my house looks like it does, and your's doesn't!

Great find for Cuttlebug lovers!

I am on a house rampage. I have GOT to get this place in some-kind-of-shape before school starts. I've been cleaning/sorting/tossing much of the day. Flylady would love the intent but not the direction- everything I started today has detoured into something else, so a lot is getting done but NOTHING is getting finished. (Two drawers out of six are emptied, none of the left-overs put away, the front of the refridgerator is sparkling, the bag of clothes for St. Vincent de Paul is half full.... All the other SHEs out there certainly understand!)

Had to take a break as my arm was screaming at me. While strolling around SCS, a thread took me to a blog that is TOTALLY fabulous!!!!!!!!!

This wonderful woman has explored and explained SOOOOO many new ways to use your Cuttlebug. She also uses a BigShot, so you can check it out if that's your toy as well. I am completely blown away with all the great ideas and techniques she has posted- and I've only skimmed the blog so far. I will definitely be pulling out my Cuttlebug with the computer open right next to it, turned to her page!

So, for the blog Indigo Inklings I hereby award to Jay:

Hope this makes sense

In my never-ending round of doctors' visits, some days are better than others. Today was fine from the pain/annoyance level, but a totally lost day. Welcome to my wonderful world of post-anesthesia.

I had an endoscopy this morning- that's the one where the camera/tube checks out your throat and stomach. The good news? Everything is fine. That means that the significant ulcer pain I had in May and June is gone either a) because the ulcer healed itself during my wonderful resting month of July, or b) the pain was actually induced by aggravation and went away once I had some time off. We'll see what happens in September- that's what we doctors call "differential diagnosis".

So, I woke up after the procedure, apparently completely clearheaded, got my paperwork and was driven home by DH- who was totally non-solicitous since I seemed perfectly normal. The first clue that maybe I was still "under the influence" was when he was leaving to go to the store for milk so I could have my now-very-delayed morning tea and I told him "have a nice life", rather than "have a nice walk"! Hmmmmm. Then I had a humungous mug of tea and promptly fell asleep for about 3 hours.

Now I am ravenously hungry, although I have eaten three times in the less than three hours since I woke up. I am also unbelievably sleepy. So, what did I get done today??? NOT MUCH!!!

I ambled around the Internet rather aimlessly, checked out some blogs, read a punch of posts on SCS, and in general, accomplished nothing. Oh, well.

Oh, did I mention that the death of Isaac Hayes resulted in DH subjecting me, REPEATEDLY, to the lyrics of "Shaft" all day?

The Olympics continue to amuse, amaze and interest me. That swimming relay last night was such a thrill. I watched a lot of swim meets in college and they really are VERY exciting in person, which I don't think TV really conveys well. I also read a story today where Mark Spitz is whining that he wasn't invited to Beijing to watch Phelps attempt to break his record. The majority of the story was him (Spitz) telling us how great he (Spitz) is. Yuck!

Speaking of SCS- I was, a while ago, wasn't I?- here's a blog I really like. Excellent tutorials and BEAUTIFUL cards!

Fading fast here. That's all for now.

Just some random stuff

The Opening Ceremonies from Beijing last night were amazing! The technology was incredible, but the human activity was much more so. So many of the awe-inspiring sights were created with people!

I grew up in a family where athletics were important. Two of my brothers were runners and baseball players and the third was a rower. My Dad ran and played some baseball as a young man and my mother loves the Phillies. My cousin and his wife were both Olympians back in the 80s. I mourned the death of Jim McKay recently- with him went another part of my childhood, the sacred ritual of Wide World of Sports at our house on Saturdays, and his commentaries from the Olympics.

There are certain athletic rituals in this household as well. My DH played high school and college football and my DS was a rower. With both of them recreational golfers, and me a former coach, the Masters golf tournament is a biggie around here, with even traditional foods for the final day. Baseball all summer and football on Sundays are automatic.

So, while I will not necessarily be glued to the TV and my computer- did you know you can watch 4 live events simultaneously on your computer?- I *will* spend a large part of the next 16 days in front of the TV. One of my son's high school friends is on this year's team, so that makes it even more exciting.

We're finally getting really serious about the massive clean-up/clean-out that our house needs. The VERY old and VERY beat sofa disappeared with the trash yesterday morning. A large bag went to St. Vincent dePaul this morning, and it is my hope that at least a bag a day will follow. I already filled one trash bag today with clothes, and one with trash. Flylady would be very proud of me.

I stumbled across a really TERRIFIC tutorial today. It gives some great information on using alcohol to mimic Copic results with dye-based ink pads and reinkers, and I think it should also work with waterbased markers like the Marvy LePlumes. My favorite part is that the blogger came up with a great name for her technique- she calls it "Drunken Watercolor".

Time for dinner- more later!

Some blog links

I'm still exhausted, but the combo of sleeping in this morning and napping this afternoon means I'm up late tonight. I'm too tired to write rationally, and will be off to bed soon, but at least I can offer you a few more blog links.

My Paper World

Iris Garden

My Adventures in Cardmaking

Airbornewife's Stamping Spot

Ebethonline

ENJOY!!!!!

Home

My wonderful 6 weeks at the shore are over. DB's house is empty and I am EXHAUSTED!!!!

See you when I've had a LOT of rest.

Taking a break and catching up

It's been a BUSY week since the last time I posted.

MY DB has sold his shore house and settlement is in a few days. While he was away overseas each winter I took care of it, arranged for repairs and maintenance, etc. I also used it a couple times each winter for weekend get-a-ways, and will really miss that. But I am very happy that he and his family are finally back here living in the States- and his kids are really happy about it as well!

My DSIL was here from Wednesday to Sunday morning deciding which things to send to the new house in Indiana and which things to leave behind. My mother and I are doing the final clean-up, clean-out of the house and will be leaving an empty house behind when we go home tomorrow. Yesterday I gave three large bags of assorted items to the local parish thrift shop and donated a whole stack of books to the sale at the local library. Cleaning out drawers and cabinets has taken much of the time as well as sorting "keep", "donate", "toss"- which are familiar to all Flybabies. We did the "Toss" part first and there were 18 large trash bags for the trashmen on Monday. We could never have done it without my WONDERFUL DH who came down at noon on Sunday and worked sooooo hard til it was time for him to go back to the city to work Monday afternoon.

Sunday morning there was a memorial Mass for my uncle and my cousin, both of whom died at this time of year. It was a wonderful morning- there were dozens and dozens of family members and friends at the Mass and everyone went back to my Aunt's house for a great breakfast afterwards. I come from a VERY large family and it was terrific to see so many of my cousins, and their children and grandchildren all together.

I've spent very little time on the computer this last week, but I have discovered a few new (or new to me) blogs. So, check these out:

The Technique Trail

The Artistic Outpost Blog

DRS designs blog

In the Cottage Studio

Finally, if you liked (loved!) the movie Fried Green Tomatoes, check out the other books by the author Fannie Flagg- they are a RIOT! What little reading time I've had the last few days has been spent with "Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man". Good stuff!!!