Blurbing: Warmth

I am the proud Mama of a 27+ year old furnace! The cost of our furnace repair was only $159, it was a loose wire.  Thank you Universe, as I was getting worried that we wouldn't be able to go on our vacation in February for our anniversary.

$159, I can handle.  $4k, I cannot.

For Christmas this year MommaBean bought me this:

Lands End - Flannel Nightgown

I love, love, love it.  Especially when the heat was out, faaabulous!

My MIL gave me this:

Macy's - Fleece Robe

Clashing plaids but super comfy together - I am in warmth heaven with these bad boys.


So, anyway onto the real story:

Nike has this habit of crawling underneath all of the blankets and sheets on the bed.  I've even found her underneath the fitted sheet once or twice.

And whenever you come into the room and she's wormed her way under the covers she'll give an odd little "hmm-mewwwrupp?" Which probably means- look out dummy! Don't sit down, I'm under here!

Last night, after spending the whole day thinking that I would never be warm again and being punch drunk on the fact that the house was a raging 69 degrees, I came upstairs to get ready for bed and put on my flannels and fleeces.

I flipped on the light and heard "hmm-mewwwrupp?"

Which of course would prompt any sane person to grab their camera and take a picture.

Notice that I don't care if my sheets match.
In fact, I adore the idea that they don't.

Miss Nike Celeste

I bet you she thought she was never going to be warm again either.

(nearly) Wordless Wednesday

Digestives - I just can't get enough of them.
You Brits are brilliant!

Blurbing: The Pits

As in Cherry Pits.

In my time wasting travels through the internet I came across a simple sewing project and decided to give it a go: Homemade Heating Pads.

I read about using rice, corn, buckwheat, etc., I researched them.  The pros, the cons, the whos, whats, whys and for many a winter I swore I was going to try making one for myself but it required sewing.  And sewing is not my forte. 

But with my MIL buying me a sewing machine for my birthday I decided to try.  No one had to see the horribleness I produced it would be just me nitpicking it and my toes enjoying the warmth.

I scoured the internet again for directions when I ran across this:

Martha Stewart's Homemade Heating Pads

I ordered the cherry pits (from Michigan, my home state!) from Pit Stuff

They came.  I sewed and this is what happened:

It had straight edges despite my eyes being crooked in my head!

(honestly, I can neither cut anything nor sew anything straight)

And it's a good dang-heckin' thing I did -- because our furnace is out.

It's cold and snowing outside (~28 degrees) so it's around 53 in random parts of the house.  

The furnace guy comes tomorrow but until then I'm dressed like an Inuit on an arctic expedition.

I've got the electric fire place cranking in the living room (it's a toasty 62 down there) and I've got my heating pads and a wool blanket that I got for Christmas for my bed tonight. Here's to hoping Icky & Nike sleep with me tonight!

Icarus and Nike with two of my warmed up  heating pads -
Notice Ick is enjoying my slacks warm from the dryer....
I left them for two seconds to go warm up two more heating pads.

A Christmas Blurb on Blurbing

This my friends is why I haven't been blurbing:

I have been getting crazy crafty.
I accomplished a lot but not everything I wanted to, dang it.
And I may have used up all of my crafty-ness for the year.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Blurbing: My Noggin - Part 2

I'm kicking butt on my People are Coming Over on Saturday and You Aren't Even Close to Being Ready List!

Both bathrooms are cleaned, dishes set to be washing away (we run the dishwasher in the dead of night), living room dusted and a spattering of gifts wrapped. 

I worked late tonight so Mr. Wonderful had to feed himself.  When I got home I swallowed a can of soup for dinner.  I'm not even sure what kind it was.

Tonight's agenda includes: Blurbing, sewing, wrapping presents, cleaning the rest of the kitchen- in the next two and a half hours.  

Enough blathering onto Blurbing: The Virgo Mind - Deux

That's right.
From the mind that brought you highlighters in a very specific order and other O.C.D'esque oddities that we won't delve in to comes this:

A woman who refuses- r.e.f.u.s.e.s.- to pair socks and whose sock drawer looks like this.

Yup.  Weirdo.

Blurbing: My Noggin - Part 1

Today's Blurb: The Virgo Mind

I'll admit it.  I am a weirdo.
Certain things just have to go a certain way.
Every single time.
Always.
Methodically.
Forever and ever, amen.

These highlighters at work for instance: from left to right just have to go-
 yellow, green, pink, blue, orange.

Will I have a hissy fit if they're not right? No.  But, will I fix it if someone dares use them and put them back incorrectly? Yes.
Don't ask, 'cause I don't know.

Blurbing

I have SO MUCH to do and I should be freaking out.

I am freaking out.  However I should be freaking out more.
In order to distract myself  from now until Christmas I'll be Blurbing.
(Hey do you think I can trade mark that?!)

You know, blogging but in a small way.

Wait.  Isn't that "Micro Blogging"? As in Tweeting?
Crap.


Oh well, I like my term better so let the Blurbing begin!

Today's Blurb: Bifocals.

Will my uber cool Coach frames make having bifocals less horrible?
I'll let you know.

And I'm hoping that these bad boys, my first pair of prescription sunglasses, won't make feel like an old lady:

My Absence in 15 Pictures*

*more or less.  I can't count.

All of the following pictures were taken with my iThingy.  My camera was in the shop.

1.  Heirloom Carrots, Cosmic Purple - I bought them because of the name.
- found here Victory Seeds -

We've come full circle since my first "real" post (Growing Things) and look, I still can't grow dang-heckin* carrots.  The very weirdest part about these?

They're orange, bright orange, hunters orange even, on the inside!

*One of Mr. Wonderful's favored kid friendly non-cuss exclamations

2. How many peanuts does one squirrel buried peanut grow?

About 8.  I obviously didn't leave them in the "ground" long enough. 

3.  Toadstool or Mushroom?

Either way I found this beaut' hanging out in my lilies.

4.  Graveyard Cupcakes

For Princess Pretty Face's Birthday Party.  Wicked yummy.

5.  Self Imposed Internet Ban

Oy vey.  This isn't even half of them

*The Heavy Metal book is Mr. Wonderful's.  Although I enjoy Heavy Metal, I wouldn't buy a book about it.

6.  The Ick

During my self imposed after work internet ban I've had lots of time to do things like read some of those books in the picture and also hang out with Icarus, not that he stays awake for long. 

7.  The Rack

We have very, very little space in our kitchen.  The pantry was full to over flowing. 

For years I looked everywhere for a solution and found nothing. 

Until this.  Lowe's. $20.00 - Ta da!

Which lead to this the following weekend...

8.  The Big Rack (basement)

Did you know that canning is addicting?

9.  (another) New Addiction

I suppose there are worse things to be addicted to other than:

Canning.

Making applesauce.

Books.

Knitting.

and

Doctor Who.

Right?

10.  Doctor Who

Mr. Wonderful said I could have a TARDIS cookie jar.

The light lights up.

It makes The Sound: voooweeeouuu voooweeeouuu

I am in love.

And

Yes, I am a nerd.

11. & 12.  Experimentation

What, pray tell, is a girl supposed to do with (organic) blueberries and blackberries that she had frozen because at the time the thought of eating yet another stinking berry made her bilious?

Why, make jam months later! What else are you going to do on a Saturday night?!

13.  Entertainment Center

If you were to ask: "Is that a VCR/DVD player in your new entertainment center?"
I would say: "Yes, it's Ben's consolation prize for actually taking down the old one and helping me put up the new one."

If you were to ask: "Is that an Electric Fire Place in your new entertainment center?"
I would say: "Hell yes. Realistic, eh?"

It took years and a lot of nagging, wheedling and out right pressure but we no longer have a K-Mart Bachelor Pad particle board entertainment center from 2001!

14.  Sewing

There is nearly nothing in this world that I hate more than not being able to do something.

For my birthday this year Mr. Wondrful's Mom, Mom R, bought me a sewing machine.  Mom R is spectacular when it comes to quilting, sewing, knitting, just about everything.... Me? Not so much with the needle and thread.

After about two months of procrastination I took out my brand new sewing machine, wound a bobbin, cussed a lot, threaded the machine (much easier on these new machines) and went about sewing something.

It isn't a horrid jumbled mess. 

Maybe, with practice, I can do this. 

Because I don't like not being able to.

And that concludes this post.

At 14.

I told you I couldn't count.

Faux Catch Up 2.0

First let me say that I have a nasty case of Tinnitus in my right ear, it feels stuffed up and I'm quite grumpy about it.  I've just downed a NyQuil hopefully the pseudoephedrine & dipehnhydramine will cure it.

And I've been absent because of a lot of reasons - one of which was a family tragedy.  I am still in the first stage of grief, I don't want to talk about it and would rather pretend it didn't happen.

So there we are.

I have tomorrow off so hopefully I will get over my bad self and do a real post because I am participating in Snapshots of a Sunday on a friends blog (Clan Donaldson).  I feel like I should, I don't know, blog.

I've sent her my pic and this blurb here makes up for my slacking, right?

Faux Catch Up

Just a quick post to rejoice in the fact that my self-imposed internet ban* has been lifted but:

• The men who are coming to install our new water heater just called and are on the way
• Icarus just took a lion sized poo in the litterbox up here and I can't breathe

Anyway, I'll be back to really do some catching up later.

Ciao!

*except cramming some in in the AM after showering, during java guzzling and before dressing to check e-mail, news and of course F.B.

(nearly) Wordless Wednesday



A few of MommaBean's Chickens.
(that's Big Mamma, back right)



Outtakes

1.  It is cold.  It is an incredibly disturbing 45 degrees outside, it is windy and raining. And when factor the wind into the temperature that makes feels like a whopping 40 degrees out.  I am not turning on the heat even though the thermostat on the main floor is reading 60 degrees.  The thermostat up here, 62.  I am wearing sweats, fuzzy socks and fleece robe on top of that. /stylin'

2.  I received an EOB (explanation of benefits) from my insurance company for my surgery.  The cost? $14,835.47! It is a good gal-dang thing that I have good insurance, am covered under Mr. Wonderful's mediocre policy and all of my Medical Slush Fund money to use yet.  I am waiting to see what his insurance is picking up before I cry.

3.  I have a problem.  Buying books.  I bought FIVE MORE.  I haven't even started on the foot high pile on the chair in the living room.  In my defense, I don't know why I feel the need to defend myself, all of the books in the living room I bought at Borders as they were liquidating.  So I got a REALLY good deal.  And also, there are quite a few reference books.  Those don't count, do they?

4.  I paid off a loan.  Early.  I borrowed an enormous sum of money (as much as a new car - okay, not a Mercedes new car, more like a Toyota new car) a few years back in order to pay off everything that was hanging out there on my credit report.  I take responsibility only for being young, dumb and in love when all of that nasty stuff started piling up on my credit history (when I was married to my first husband).  What an huge weight off my shoulders to have that gone.

5.  I did some more canning earlier in the week.  I used up about 1/2 of the half bushel I got from the farm down the street.  The other half is still languishing in the kitchen.  I made 3 pints of Salsa and 5 pints of spaghetti sauce that has way too much (yucky) onion.  I don't like onions so I'm not sure why I put them in there at all.  Love for Mr. Wonderful? Perhaps.  But tomorrow is when I'll take care of the rest of the canning, while he's sleeping, probably.

6.  I. Love. My. Job.  -- Sometimes though, I wish I had an easier job.  One that wasn't so insanely hectic.  You know, one where I don't keep track of 110 doctors and nurses whereabouts on a daily basis.  But, that is what they pay me for, right?  Oh and speaking of my job, look what I got:

A-ppre-ci-ated. That's how I feel at my job.

And that concludes today's post My Pretties 'cause I'm gonna' go do some reading.  If I can suck myself out of the Internet Abyss.

(nearly) Wordless Wednesday

Mary, Mary quite contrary how does a peanut grow?



Canning Escapades: Take One

The day after the concert I went to with Olive Picker, her and I were supposed to try our hand at canning.

Supposed is the operative word here because I/we:

a) forgot the canning supplies.  All of it.  You see, the day of the concert I had to work, after work I was to drive to O.P. & MommaBean's house to pick O.P. so we could go directly to the concert. I forgot to put everything in my car. Except my overnight bag.

b) took NO cash to the farmers market.  That's right, we had about $7 between us which we used to buy a soda and a Flint Farmers Market shopping bag.  And on a side note, the farmers market is Flint is awesome.  And I don't like Flint.

Woefully unprepared is what we were.

MommaBean came to the rescue for me this week.  She went and bought me a bushel of tomatoes and invited to show O.P. and I how to can stewed tomatoes and spaghetti sauce.

Did you know that an astonishing amount of tomatoes make a surprisingly small amount of goods?

My bushel of tomatoes made this:

That's 6 quarts of stewed tomatoes, and 2 quarts/3 pints of spaghetti sauce

I have just enough (six) tomatoes left over to make 3 pints of salsa.

I'm going to attempt it on my own this week.  Results to follow.  Please pray for me if you will.
 
(I have been reduced to taking pictures with my iThingy because just looking at my camera makes me sad.  I really must find the time to take it a repair shop.)

Where I'm From

A friend of mine posted this on her blog (Clan Donaldson) today and I enjoyed it so much that I thought I would do it.  If only for myself.




I am from nature shows, from Jordache and lakes.

I am from the 5th house on the right. Sunny. Large yard. Scary basement.


I am from the towering oak tree, the weeping cherry tree.

I am from cutting down Christmas trees and busty women, from  Christos, Hayward.

I am from the stubborn and hardworking.

From never tell someone to shut up and don't say I hate you.

I am from incense, icons and candles. Churches with priests who spoke another language. Easter service at Midnight in pretty dresses and big, beribboned candles.

I’m from Detroit and Greece, koulourakia and biscuits & gravy.

From the woman who beat all the men in the village by plowing the field the fastest, from the ten hour car ride in the back of a pickup truck eating tiropita until we got sick, from sifting through boxes of sparkly jewelry in amazement.

I am from the photo lined hallway, everything boxed up, precious things lost and thrown out in anger.

A Day At The Zoo: Take Two

Mr. Wonderful's job drives me bat guano crazy sometimes.  We were planning on going to the Upper Peninsula over the past weekend but they denied him his vacation.  After I had already taken Friday off.

Bum-mer.

So instead I invited my sister Olive Picker and my beloved Nephew/Godson Handsome Face McGee to go to the zoo with me. 

I had never been to the Toledo Zoo and O.P. hadn't been for ages, long before H.F. McGee was in the picture.

It was waaaay more kid friendly than the Detroit Zoo. 

It's more compact so kids don't get so tired walking and parents (or Thea's) don't get so pooped pulling the wagon.  There are so many more things for little ones to do! There are things to crawl on, close encounters with the animals  - a baby giraffe tried licking H.F. McGee through the glass window he had his face pressed against which was the Cutest. Thing. Ever! He kept proclaiming 'Baby Giraffe Lick Me!', there is not one but two playgrounds, a veggie garden for them to explore, just a lot more for them to touch and keep them occupied...

And I didn't get one stinking picture with my camera.  I did get a few with my iThingy, as evidenced below.

A most enjoyable day in excellent company.

No More Promises, No More Lies

Right.  There you have it.  If I don't make promises then I can't make a liar out of myself, right? It's only been SIX weeks since I said I would "post tomorrow" - Lies!

Ah well, it isn't as if there are hordes out there reading my blog and anxiously awaiting my next post with baited breath. 

So here's a quick run down:

a) the concert we went to ROCKED (Rockstar Energy Mayhem Fest)! We had such a good, good time.  I got to see Godsmack (one of my Top Two favorite bands, ever) and Mr. Wonderful got to see Megadeth, who he loves, it was an awesome time with him.  Especially watching him enjoy it.

b) the Stink Experiment that I mentioned...
I bought some Organic Essential Oil Deodorant Spray

The stuff works like a dream.  I even used it went we went to the concert and let me tell you it was 98 degrees out with 95% humidity.  When I got home I didn't smell like beef stew and boot clad feet! You should try it, it really works!

c) A week and a half after that came this:

*all pics, except the first, were taken at my desk at work. In stealth mode.

Surgery to release my trigger finger & remove a cyst

Four days post surgery, after the bandage was taken off

Two days later, it was looking so much better already!

Two days before the stiches were to be taken out

After the stitches came out, yay!

 d) the day after my surgery was Mr. Wonderful and our nephew, Handsome Face McGee's, birthday (they are birthday buddies) so there were cakes to bake, parties to attend and much fun to be had.  Even on pain meds.

e) Two weeks later was my own birthday (I love my birthday), which conveniently fell on a holiday weekend! Mr. Wonderful bought me, at my request, a Dyson Ball.  The purple one that is somehow made to deal better with animal fur.  The thing is a beast and I realize now that I have been living in filth my whole life because I didn't have this vacuum.

f) Labor day we went to the Detroit Zoo. 

Let me ask you - what does not survive a trip & fall very well?

     a) my pride

     b) a Nikon camera

     c) all of the above.

Answer: C

I did however get a few good pics, some even after the camera was banged on the ground

An Owl Butterfly

I positively adore how grumpy toads look

He was watching us watch him

A Grumpy Bear

Peacocks are just so pretty

A Wolverine - Go Blue!

I could have sat there for hours watching the chimpanzee's

Love it

There are lots more but I don't want to take up too much more awake and conscious time.  But, you'll notice, starting with the bear pic, the black smudgy shadow at the top of all of the pictures - that would be the lens seeing its own casing.  I need to take it to a camera repair shop. /sigh

g) last but not least last Friday I went to another music festival (Uproar Music Festival) , this time with my sister, Olive Picker, because Mr. Wonderful had to work.  I saw the other of my Top Two favorite bands - Avenged Sevenfold. 

Awesome!

Outstanding!

Phenomenal!

I will always go see them whenever they come here!

I sent a text to Mr. Wonderful during the show and told him that I was changing my 'Gimmie' to the lead singer of Avenged Sevenfold.

He just sighed heavily.

 

Seriously though, look at how beautiful this man is!

Le Sigh

*you can't tell there is a black smudge around the edges when it's dark!

And that, is how I've spent the exciting parts of my six weeks away.

I'm not making any promises or claims but hopefully I'll get my act together.  And soon.

Until next we meet....