Bad Blogger

I know, I've been a bad blogger. I've been reading other's blogs, I just neglected my own for a few days. So here's my best attempt to catch you up on my life.
I worked all weekend in the house. Putzing as I call it. Just doing this and that, mostly dusting. I dust furniture every week, but there are areas that just get neglected, the tops of tall cabinets, the ceiling fans, the blinds...So I worked on that.
I've been doing alot of cooking. Since my schedule change and I get home at 5ish now, I like to cook. Sunday I made collards, squash and mac & cheese. DH brought home fried chicken. I can make fried chicken but to me it's not worth the time and the mess.
I didn't get much scrap time this past weekend, matter of fact I pretty much neglected the scrap room all weekend. GASP! I do need to get in there and finish a project for the MIL.
I did go to a movie. I saw Nights in Rodanthe, great flick, take tissues. Most of it takes place on the Outer banks of NC in a big old beach house. Please put me there! Richard Gere gets better the older he gets.....he can stay in the beach house with me too.
Work has been busy, busy. Lots of changes forthcoming. I'm on the committee to facilitate the changes and it's sometimes nervewracking. Little ole me with all these Masters degrees, Specialists and Doctorates. I just pray I don't say anything STUPID. I finally spoke up this past meeting and made some valid contributions.
Meetings, Meetings, Meetings. It seems like that's all I'm getting done these days. I'm not a meeting person!
Well, off to work, I have another meeting to go to...
:J

Saturday!

I've already been up and out, and now it's back to the house for cooking and cleaning. I hit the farmer's market early, then breakfast with a freind and now I'm checking emails & blogs.
The farmer's market was bursting this morning. I came home with some gorgeous squash & zuchini, a bag of collards (Yummy!) a cream cheese danish and a gorgeous bouquet of fall flowers for my table.
Afterwards I had breakfast out with a friend. She went off to go car shopping and I'm here. I want to clean today, play tomorrow! LOL!
:J

Cool Weather

I know it seems like I've gone on and on about the cooler weather. It's something I'm really glad is here! I don't think I'll tire of it anytime soon but I promise not to go on and on much more!
I think the thing I love the most is having the windows open and listening to the sounds of the neighbor kids playing. They play so well together despite the vast range of ages of the kids.
It seems like they always have a ball bouncing, a bike moving and a small child in the wagon. There is always laughing going on, and I have yet, in a year, to hear a cross word. It's amazing. I love listening to them.
Having the windows open and hearing them going about their play connects to me to my neighborhood. I can be at home in my house and still feel a part of the world. Today I'm glad I hear the noises I do, the kids, the birds, the dogs. It's a good day when I hear no sirens, just happy play.

Coolness!

We slept with the windows open last night, it was so beautiful out. When I got up this morning it was 61 degrees. I am loving this! It's usually not this cool for another month. It's not unusual to go trick or treating on Halloween in shorts! But for now, I'm loving this cooler weather.
Maybe now my yard will get a bit more attention. I tend to neglect it in August and September, it's just tooo hot to go out there and putz. It needs some putzing done in it. A few weeds to pull, decks to sweep, it's always something that needs to be done.
For now, I'm heading to work, and football tonite. Same tomorrow. I'll have shows tivo'd to watch when I get home tonite. Grey's & Private Practice. I'm glad the new season has started. What are your favorite shows?
Last night I made invites for the stamping party I'm having in a few weeks. Wanna come? We always have such a great time.
Well the sun's up, time to make the donuts.
:J

I've decided that taking a day off to do un fun stuff just is not worth it. I vow to only take days off when I can do something fun. I paid for being off yesterday, a price that isn't worth it unless the day off is fun.
Busy day today, Busy, Busy day. Just busy catching up, paperwork upon paperwork, it must multiply by the hundreds while I'm gone. But I did get mostly caught up, working through lunch.
I was surprised to find a pretty jar of canned hot peppers on my desk when I came in to work. I knew right away who they were from. My friend Linda, is a pepper fanatic. She's been growing peppers in her garden all summer. I'm glad I get to have a jar of her peppers, she loves them that much!

 

After work my friends, Sharon & Ann came over. We're planning some paper therapy, cardmaking in a few weeks. Then after the new year we are renting the clubhouse at the golf course for a weekend of paper therapy. Just going to hang out and scrap. Us and 13 of our friends, eat, drink & scrap. I wish I didn't have to wait til after the holidays.
So for now I'll settle with a few hours of paper therapy next weekend. It will be fun I know.
:J

Sticker Shock!

Since I'm getting over the shock of paying for my glasses today, here's a blog question thingy I got off Toni's blog. I keep telling my self I'm getting two pair of glasses, but my other self is saying yeah, but it was bogo. Yeah right.
Okay, to take my mind off this argument I've had all day. The questionaire.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 8:00 a.m.
2. Diamonds or pearls? Pearls! (I just got a new string!)
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? MamaMia
4. What is your favorite TV show? Grey's Anatomy
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? A Banana and yogurt
6. What is your middle name? Alison
7. What food do you dislike? Any hot breakfast cereal
8. What is your favorite CD at moment? Poets & Pirates, Kenny Chesney
9. What kind of car do you drive? An old Ford Explorer
10.Favorite sandwich? Pimento Loaf
11.What characteristic do you despise? People who think they are better than anyone
12.Favorite item of clothing? capris
13.If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Right now, Alaska
14.Favorite brand of clothing? anything comfortable
15.Where would you retire to? The beach in the winter and Wisconsin in the summer.
16.What was your most recent memorable birthday? They are all memorable
17.Favorite sport to watch? Green Bay Packer Football
18.Farthermost place you are sending this? n/a, since this is a blog post
19.Person you expect to send it back first? I dunno
20.When is your birthday? October
21.Are you a morning person or a night person? Probably morning, I get cranky when I'm tired!
22.What is your shoe size? 9
23.Pets? Dog - Dakota Cat - Boots
24.Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? I'm getting new glasses
25.What did you want to be when you were little? A ballerina and an airline stewardess and an actress.
26.How are you today? Good, getting over that sticker shock.
27.What is your favorite candy? Dark Chocolate
28.What is your favorite flower? Lilacs
29.What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? All of them!
30.What are you listening to right now? Dancing with the Stars
31.What was the last thing you ate? Half a bag of BBQ potato chips
32.Do you wish on stars? Yep!
33.If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Salmon
34.How is the weather right now? Hot and muggy
35.The first person you spoke to on the phone today? My Hubby
36.Favorite soft drink? Water
37.Favorite restaurant? Manny's Pizza
38.Real hair color? Brown
39.What was your favorite toy as a child? my bike
40.Summer or winter? Fall :)
41.Hugs or kisses? hugs
42.Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate
43.Coffee or tea? Coffee
44.Do you want your friends to email you back? No, just blog it!
45.When was the last time you cried? Last week when I broke my favorite mixing bowl
46.What is under your bed? probably dog hair, and my prom dress (in a box)
47.What did you do last night? Watched the Packers play football on TV
48.What are you afraid of? losing people I love
49.Salty or sweet? Salty
50.How many keys on your key ring? 5
51.How many years at your current job? 4
52.Favorite day of the week? Sunday during football season
53.How many towns have you lived in? 6
54.Do you make friends easily? I don't think so

The weekend is over and so begins another week. Can I put the brakes on and slow things down just a bit? Our life lately seems quite busy and moving much too fast. This past week flew by and the weekend seems like just a blink! But alot was accomplished, both workwise and funwise.
A few pictures to share too. I took this one of my youngest son a few weeks ago. The spoiled puppy is our 75 lb. lab/chow mix who seems to think he's a lapdog. This is the only place he's allowed to be up on the furniture, and only when he's in a lap.

 

I made alot of progress in the scraproom, rearranging some things, cleaning up some things. We put the round oak table in the scraproom and I think I like it. The smaller area actually gives me more room to scrap, because I cleared out alot of clutter off the big table and only put the essentials on my smaller table. The big table is behind my round table, so it's accessible if I need more room. I can actually fit people in here now, if any one wants to come play!

 

Erica & I went to a workshop today and made these cards & a treat box. I messed the batty card on the right up with the stickles we were supposed to put on the ribbon, so when I got home I redid the ribbon. We had lots of fun, Erica loved learning how to stamp.

 

We got home just in time for the Packers game, which didn't go our way. Tis okay, is just one game. I'm still excited about the Varsity win Friday night.
Monday brings an eye appt. for me. It's time to get new glasses. I'd rather go to the dentist. I really don't like that bright light they use to look in your eyes. It gives me a horrible headache. But I'll endure, I need new glasses.
This week the new TV shows start. I'm looking forward to Grey's and Dancing with the Stars. Other than that, I can pass. Life is too short to sit so still, so long.
Enjoy!
:J

We Winned!

35-0! It was such a good night for our boys! It was just a great night for our school as a whole!
A group of seniors dressed & painted themselves up. They did sit-ups every time we scored, one sit up for every point. The different classes were there, each shouting their own graduation year. Those seniors were the loudest tho!
Here's a link to the photos http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=DP&Date=20080920&Category=SPORTS&ArtNo=809200803&Ref=PH&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL
I'm so happy for our boys, the first win in nearly 4 years (since our youngest graduated).
I'm off today to do some scrappin' with a couple of friends. I know it will be fun, they are a crazy couple of women.
:J

I Can Quit My Day Job!

I survived the challenge! I spotted the whole game. It was sooo much fun! I think I can make a career of this. LOL! NOT!
First of all the Dad that was announcing was a nervous wreck. It didn't help that he didn't know how to run the tape player. Okay, it wasn't a tape player it was a CD player. So we had no Star Spangled Banner.
The clock ref didn't stop feeding his face and climb in the booth until 30 seconds before the game started, and we were panicked. We thought we'd have to run the clock. We didn't know he was there. (This ref is my hubby's fav-or-rite ref, he's collecting the paycheck, that's it).
I kept telling the Dad that's it's just a JV game, it's okay if they don't all get their names announced. Varsity is when you get your name announced and pronounced right. (He was doing a fine job) and if you are on the visiting team, if we miss your name, oh well.
Three of the boys didn't have the right jersey on, or they weren't on the roster. That was crazy. But we worked it out at half time. We asked. A mom complained we weren't saying her son's name right. No it was printed on the roster wrong
My job was to tell him all the offensive stuff that was going on, watching the ball, all that. I got it right most of the time. I can now almost tell when they are passing the ball and when they will run the ball before the ball is snapped.
The Dad's wife kept calling him on his cellphone, telling him to announce the snack bar, the cheerleaders, to clean up after the game. He was getting ticked about it. I thought it was humorous. Men are so funny.
So this was really trial run. Tomorrow night is Varsity, we have to get everything right. Good thing I know most of those players and their numbers.
But the best thing? We won 35-0. Hubby has only lost one game as the JV defensive line coach in two years. I'm so proud of him! (and the boys!)
:J

Changing of the Plans

Okay someone switched the game plan and didn't tell me. Our game tonite is a home game. Not at the beautiful north end of the county, where the football field is next to the cow pasture and it reminds me of home. Darn! I was looking forward to that!
Instead I'll be here in town, surrounded by traffic and sirens. Tonite I'm spotting plays for the announcer, so it will be hectic, busy and I'll have to WATCH the game. No chit chat, no watching the hoochie mamas, football, strictly football. Nary a cow in the background.
I'm just hoping it stays cool. Our cool mornings have been loverly. This being a good thing as the air conditioning at work is out. O U T out. I am thanking God that it didn't go out in August. I am thanking God that it's cooled off so that at least the office is cool in the morning. The afternoons tho, when we get that sun on the south and west walls of my office, UGH! Sweatshop!!!!
So I'm off to the sweatshop. I hope you have a wonderful day!
:J

Happy Hump Day!

Time is just flying by for me! Too much to do and not enough time! It will get worse when next week starts and I want to sit in front of the TV and watch all the new shows.
We've had cool mornings the past two days. Please let this continue!!! It was down in the low 60's this morning. I am loving it! I want so badly to open the windows at night, but I know what that will do to my sinuses. It's going to be gorgeous tomorrow night for the JV game. We travel to the north end of the county and it's usually 10 degrees cooler there. I may have to take a sweatshirt. The cool weather is early for us this year, usually we don't get cool weather until the fair, which isn't for another month!
I'm off to enjoy the outside morning for a while before I have to go to work. Enjoy your day!

:J

Is It the Full Moon?

The past few days I knew something was up. I knew in the back of my mind there was a full moon. You can't sit in a football stadium two nights in a row with a clear sky and not know that. But I would have known even if I hadn't looked in the sky.

Saturday was wonderful. Stamptemberfest was a blast! A bunch of crazy fun ladies all day long, stampin' and creatin'. Ann was the best hostess, Sherri cooked some great food, and Sharon taught us some great techniques. It was a great paper therapy day for me!

Sunday is when I could tell the moon got full. I was putting away dishes and I dropped my favorite glass mixing bowl. My favorite much older sister had given me this bowl, many years ago, it came with a stand mixer which bit the dust long ago. The mixer was replaced, but the bowl stayed.
It was a great every day glass mixing bowl, just a bit on the heavy side, nothing fancy, clear, that was just perfect for 90% of the things I do in the kitchen. As soon as it dropped, it shattered into a million little pieces. DH came running to my rescue as he always does and started sweeping up all the pieces. It was then that all the memories of that bowl came flooding back to me and I just started a boohooing.
All the birthday cakes, cheeseballs, 7 layer salads, potato salads, fajita fixin's, fudge, peanut brittle and the like that we've made over the years. That ole' bowl served us well. It's been dressed up for a fancy table and dressed down as a garbage bowl when I'm doing a cooking marathon. Everyone should have a bowl that serves them so well. It wasn't as pretty as some of my other bowl, but it was always the first one I reached for because I knew I could count on it.
I'll probably never have a bowl as good as this one. I don't even know if I could find a bowl worthy enough to replace it. I'll miss that old glass bowl.

A sad day Sunday was for sure. In more ways than one, that ole full moon brought more craziness in our lives as the surf claimed the life of a friend. Chris was a new teacher at our school this year, a real dynamo who brightened a room just by being in it. He was a quick wit and already a real asset to our team.
While visiting the beach on Sunday he was caught in a riptide and pulled out. He was rescued and appeared to be fine, but was being taken to the hospital as a precaution. On the way, he went into cardiac arrest and died. Chris was 41.
We were shocked this morning as our principal made the rounds to tell us. Chris was such a bright spot in our lives for the few weeks he was in it. He was an inspiration to us as he quickly became one of the go getters on our faculty. I know I will miss his quick wit. Such a shock.
For him I will say to all who may ever visit a beach on the Gulf. Obey the flags. A red flag meaning dangerous surf was flying the day he went into the water. The waters are not as calm as they seem on top. Rip Current (undertow) is very dangerous. It will pull you out in a matter of moments. If you get caught, let it take you and then swim to the side out of it. But be safe and don't get in the water. We'll miss you Chris.

The Power of a Storm

Today Ike was 250 miles south of Pensacola, making it's way to Texas. It doesn't mean we avoided Ike's wrath. Here are a few pictures, the first from our newspaper, Pensacola News Journal.

Here are a few from my friend, Mary Ann. We usually have two to three foot surf. The bouys just of the beach were measuring 24 foot waves. The pier is a good 20 feet off the ground at least.
I hope you enjoy these pictures.



And finally one from my friend Lori's sister. Keep those in Texas in your thoughts.


More later, I just got home from a JV football game, we won! 28-20 in double overtime. I hope I have a voice in the morning!
:J

Do You Remember?

I remember the precise moment I learned about the planes crashing into the towers. We were unloading buses on a beautifully bright fall morning, the Blue Angels were practicing their loop de loops over our heads. Since we were only a mile from the base, unloading busses could be difficult as little 4 year old children are amazed by the Blues. They want to stop and watch, they don't care that they need to get into school, eat breakfast, and learn.
Someone came out of the building and said a plane crashed into the towers in New York. Suddenly the Blues were out of the sky and on the ground. It was eerily quiet.
By the time we unloaded the last bus, word came about the pentagon. Because we are a military town, we were extra worried. The chance that we knew someone working in the Pentagon was a good one. I wanted to go find my husband, get my children and go home.
Instead we spent the day keeping the children busy while keeping an eye on the news. And we prayed. We hugged them a little tighter, let them get away with a bit more, and prayed.
We still pray. For all our guys and gals defending our freedom all over the world, pray.

:J

Taking Advantage

I took advantage today, of it being hump day, of the dumpster set outside my door, of a slow down in paperwork. I cleaned out the records vault. I humped it all day long. I was one constant HOP (hour of power). And amazingly I feel pretty good about it.

I got to work this a.m. and outside the door nearest my office was a small dumpster. I walked in and the A.P. of the High school, and my friend, Lori, were cleaning out the office across the hall from me that has been being used for storage. So I asked if the dumpster was for anyone's use. I had to ask because sometimes the HS is possessive of their stuff.

I have been wanting to clean the vault for a few years. Two things stopped me, time and having to haul it sooooo far across campus to dump it. So I made the time and cleaned, and cleaned and cleaned. We could hold a dance party in the vault now, there is so much room. It felt so good despite how my back was hurting when I was finished. I just kept at it, I knew if I stopped, I'd quit. Now that I'm home and have rested, I don't feel as bad as I thought I would. We'll see how well I get out of bed in the am.

We've started getting the outer bands of Ike this afternoon. Outerband rain is like no other. It's a heavy, fast rain. It's usually over fairly quickly and as quickly as it started, it stops just as quick. I hope the football game Thursday and Friday night don't get rained out. Athough I wouldn't mind Friday night, it's quite a drive. But I'm going to hit a few scrap stores on the way to Friday night's game. Ones I never get to go to they are about an hour from the house.

I'm looking forward to Saturday's all day Stampin' Up party. It's at Ann's house and she is a riot! I would so love to bring her to a Hilltop Crop, she'd fit right in. For lunch we are having Deliciously Simple. I guess it's some kind of home food demonstration party type thing. Ricky, our favorite masseuse is supposed to be there too.

Well, I'd better hit the hay. Tomorrow is our auditor's previsit, the big audit is next month. I want to be bright and shiny in the morning. Good thing I got the vault cleaned!

:J

We have a victory!!! WOOOHOOOOO! My Packers won and looked good doing it. I am so happy for Aaron Rodgers, hopefully he can move out from under the shadow of the Legend that was #4. He looked so awesome tonite, and someday, just maybe someday, they will forget about the that other guy (you know, the traitor).
It was a big biscuit day as my friend Kip likes to call them. I got our new windfeather flags at work. It took me awhile to get them up, along with a trip back to the factory for a new pole, but it was worth it! They look so awesome.
My latest CTMH order came in and I love it! I ordered two card sets and some stamp pads. I'm using the cards kits to make cards for my co workers as gifts. I am going to give them a set of cards for Christmas. These will be quick and easy for me to do for that. The new catalog came with this order, and OMG! love alot of it too. I've been waiting for CTMH to come out with a stamp pad revolving case for their stamps and they must have read my mind. It's in the new catalog!
My new stamps came from Violette's that Jean picked up for me. I love them! Such cute little fall stamps. I need to get busy with them now too.
This isn't really my big biscuit, but my niece's. She got engaged Saturday night! I'm so excited for her. She deserves much happiness.
That's my day, it was a good one!
I hope you have a good day too!

:J

Morning Monday!

I am just going to have to resolve that I am an every other day blogger. Just can't seem to get here to blog every day, even with all the time I spend on the computer.
Even today I'm on a run, have to make lunch and get to work so I can get back home to watch my Packers play! GO PACK!

:J

How are these days getting by me still? I am not that busy of a person, that I can't post about my uninteresting life every day.

So Friday was a good day. It makes two days in a row that the elephant wasn't sitting on my chest the whole time I was at work. That in itself makes me a happy woman. I had to go pick up the windfeathers (feather flags) we had made to advertise for school. Last year the big P wanted ideas to help promote our school. I suggested the wind flags and he agreed. So I got put in charge of the project!
Our flags turned out awesome!

I also ordered our tickets to fly home for thanksgiving. I can hardly wait!!!! We're just going for the weekend and leaving the boys behind. Poor babies! We'll do our family thanksgiving the Sunday before. That way they can take all the leftovers home to eat while we are gone. After they do all the dishes of course!

Football last night was exciting. It was great too see old friends I hadn't seen all summer. Football is a sporting and social event at our school. There are as many people on the track surrounding the game as there are fans in the stands. Although the fans cheered our team on, it wasn't enough, they lost 20 - 28. But not without thrilling moments when our receivers returned two kickoffs for touchdowns.
Dh's D line played well, but penalties on offense killed us.

Today is house cleaning, tropics watching and Sam's club shopping. Hubby's idea not mine. Maybe he'll buy me something????
I hope your day is a great one!

How do these days get past me? It's not that I'm living the exciting life, that's for sure. Life is just passing by sooooo fast, too fast for me.
Interesting article in our local paper this morning. 56% of the people living here in my county a)don't like living here, and b) plan to move in the next 5 years. Interesting. We chose to live here, this is where DH's Naval career ended, and we could have moved back home (up nawth). But we had one son in HS, one in Middle and one in elementary. We had good friends, lived in a good area, and were living a good life. I don't know what's happened here the past few years, but it's not the same town we retired in. Too many Walmarts (6) as opposed to the two we had when we settled, too many convienence stores, too many fast food places, too many car lots, too many many stuff. Not enough gas stations or grocery stores.
They closed my Albertson's this week. Soon it will be a Publix and I'll be happier. I like Publix. I wouldn't buy my groceries there everyday, too expensive. But I have the commissary for that (grocery store on base). Maybe Publix will improve the quality of life here.
In general, life is good for us. We're not as active as we once were here. But I think that comes with age and we would slow down a bit anyway, no matter where we lived. Not that we are sedentary by any means.
Speaking of not being sedentary, football starts Friday night for us. Keep good thoughts going for our boys as they try to break their 2 year losing streak. DH says they look good and the coaches are nervous. He told me to come get his wallet and cellphone at halftime if they are winning. LOL!
Friday I'm booking our flights to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving. The boys are not happy about that! Of course they are more worried about food then they are us going. They love the food at Thanksgiving. But we decided we need to go back up there, probably as often as we can afford to. Hubby wants to help his dad do some things before winter. I just want to get in the country.
So life goes on and it's quality life, it is what it is, and only what you make it.
So I do, make it that is.
:J

No Profound Words Today

I blog hop alot. Probably more than I really should spend my time doing, but I do. If you aren't a blog hopper, try it. Just click a link on some one's blog and go where you've never gone. Then click on a link on that blog and so on and so on.
So where am I going with this?
I just read the neatest story about motherhood. It puts it in perspective for me. So rather than copy and paste the whole story, so someone can misconstrue that I wrote this, here's the link My Life is a Gumbo Pot . And thanks to Michele for the stepping stone to this blog.
Where's the best blog you've ever hopped too??

:J