Some pictures to show off.....

Well, just thought I'd show off a couple of pictures. The first is Tay in her goalie gear at practice last Sunday. She now owns all the necessary pads, proper skates & helmet, etc to play goalie. And she's good! Would you believe she's not even 9 yet?!?!?! Look at the size of that kid!!!!! LOL

Anyway, the second pic is not so great (WHY won't my blog show my improved pics?!?!? I trim them and adjust the color, and my blog keeps showing the origional versions), but it's a pic of the flowers I was sent/brought while I was in hospital this past wekk. The 3 yellow roses are from the inlaws. The big bouquet with the pink rose & balloon in the back is from my mom. The single carnation & babies breath is from DH & DD. The white basket of carnations & orchids is from my Sis, her fiance & my niece. And the miniature roses in the front (very hard to see, but you can kinda make it out there on the left) is from my dad. Hoping to have DH take those to Hawk's Farm & Garden and get them repotted for me, so I can keep them permanantly in my living room. And find out how to take care of them. Because I haven't a clue. LOL The yellow pot of pansies toward the back left of the pic is actually a pot of fakes I put together for myself last spring when I was working at Ben Franklin Crafts. LOL I love all my pretty flowers, but honestly I do prefer fakes because they NEVER fade & die. A little dusting, and the fakes always look spiffy & and in full bloom. Ah, well.

So, there you are. Something not so depressing as yesterday's post.

Have a Blessed Day!

Been a very, very interesting week....

Well, surgery on Tuesday morning didn't go QUITE as expected. I was going to go in for a standard tubal ligation done laparoscopically (one small incision through my belly button, another small one lower down on my abdomen, neither larger than a 1/2 inch). I came out having been cut open as if for a c-section, but instead of taking a baby out of me, the Dr. removed a cyst the size of a cantelope from one of my ovaries, and the ovary itself. Rather than going home Tuesday afternoon, I spent Tuesday night and Wednesday till 5 pm in hospital. Rather than baking bread yesterday and taking my daughter to the library today (was going to walk over), I'm sitting around in my pajamas, still incredibly sore, taking forever to even get up from a sitting position, sleeping horribly because I must sleep on my back and wake up twice a night for pain meds. My larger incision site appears some what angry-red and a bit bloody today, which worries me, though the small one in my belly-button is healing nicely. I don't want to have to go back to the dr. to have my larger site looked over again. That would suck. And my belly is so badly bruised from the actual surgery that it hurts to even clean or dry my incision. *sigh* Of course, all these details are SOOOOO much more than anybody wanted to hear, I'm sure. Oh freaking well. You don't want to hear the details (and I am leaving out SOOOOO much, really) then don't read my blog!

Other than my physical details, it's been windy as hell the last couple of days, and today it's rather smoky, as well. So, I'm cooped up in the house, unable to move comfortably, certainly unable to drive anywhere (the muscles that were cut are the same that would be used for pressing the brakes & gas pedals in my car, besides the fact that I'm on narcotics for pain-relief), and it's hot in here, and I'm wearing my pajamas for like the third day in a row. *sigh* Tay and one of her friends are in the livingroom playing a stock-car video game on DH's x-box, so I can't even go veg and watch a movie right now. I don't really feel like crocheting, either. And no matter where I'm sitting, or how, I just can't seem to get comfortable. The computer chair here in the computer room is the MOST comfortable chair in the house (it won't recline so much that it hurts my stomach to sit up, and has excellent back support), but it's still got a fairly hard (not nicely padded) seat. So it gets hard on the bum after a couple of hours.

And no, there was no indication at all that I had this massive cyst inside me until the Dr. had me opened up on the operating table. He said it's a good thing he removed it now, though, as I probably would have been back in a year or so for an emergency removal if it had been left in. Rupturing was mentioned. I'm glad he took it out now, but it just PISSES ME OFF that I even developed this damn thing in the first place. That this had to happen and go and screw up my plans and my life. I'm now taking at least 2 weeks off work, instead of the 1 week origionally planned. Because muscles were cut (though, in such a way that they will be able to knit themselves back together with time), it's going to take a lot longer to recover than if I'd just had the 2 small button-hole incisions that had been origionally schedualed. I HATE being an invalid. I HATE being unable to do for myself. My husband had been great about taking over chores around the house (like there's any choice in the matter, really) and about helping me physically ("spotting" me as I climb in and out of the shower, helping clean my incision site, helping me out of bed if I'm having a hard time), but I still hate needing the help. I'm realizing that I'm NOT a good patient. I don't like needing to be helped. I'm only 27 and I darn well should be able to do things like get in and out of bed, dishes and laundry, and climb in and out of the shower all by myself, thank you VERY much!!!!

Oh, and the nasty looks I got at the grocery store the other night after being released from hospital. We'd stopped to pick up my pain meds (percaset & Ibuprofrin 800 mg), and some easily digestable foods for me (yogurt, light pasta & chicken tv dinners, grapes & applesauce). Well, knowing that I wouldn't be able to walk around the grocery store for the whole time, even though I WAS on 2 percaset & the ibuprofrin, I took the only motorized cart that was available to use (the other had been out of order for 2 days already at that point, and the clerks didn't know WHEN it would be back in commission). Here I was, drugged nicely, trying hard NOT to kill anybody with my little motorized cart, getting nasty glares from all the other healthy people because I was apparently a perfectly fit (at least by all appearances while I was sitting) young-ish woman, driving horribly, and hogging a motorized cart that is only for old people with canes, evidently. The few people that saw me stand and stagger immediately looked contrite; but most people didn't see me stand and stagger, holding my belly, and glared at me as DH walked from one end of the store to the other and back (dropped off the prescriptions at the pharmacy, made our way up and down the necessary aisles to the produce section, paid for our groceries then went back for the meds), along side me. Maybe a wheel-chair would have been a better choice. At least a wheelchair must come from the Dr's office, and I could have sat there holding my belly and groaning, instead of pathetically operating the cart in a stop&go manner all over the store.

Anyway, so that's been my kicker of a week. I see the Dr. again on Monday (providing I don't have to go see him this evening or tomorrow about a bleeding, possibly infected, incision site) for my follow-up, but it will still be at least 1 more week after that before I'm allowed to go back to work. Pray I don't get so annoyed with my situation that I start swearing uncontrolably at strangers and passing dogs. Like I need anymore strangers glaring at me because I look like an incredibly lazy housewife.... Add swearing at said strangers to the list, and I'd probably get CPS called on me for being such a reprobate. *wry smile*

Have a Blessed Day.

A bit of craftiness from this past week....

Well, I certainly didn't get MUCH made done this week, but here's the one bit of craftiness I did get done. The oldest daughter of the woman who babysits MY daughter turned 8 on Sunday, last. So I figured I'd better get a little gift together for her. I keep a few girly gifts stashed in my closet for unexpected party-gift necessities. So, I tossed in 2 little "toy-doll" craft kits, a cloth hankie, a tube of lip-gloss, and made a little draw-string purse to put it all in. Told the girl it's so that she's got something to take her necessesities to church on Sundays (big into church, that family). But a girl's gotta have a way to carry the basics, nonetheless.

Didn't get any baking done this weekend. I actually started to get the ingredients for Challah out, then realized that I've got SO many bread-products in the house at this point, I'd be better off holding off for a few more days, and finishing up what we already have in the house. Otherwise I'll lose something to moldiness, and I don't like it when that happens. So, I'm off from Tuesday through Sunday of this next week for my surgery anyway, hopefully I'll get some Challah made Thursday or Friday, since the only other thing I'm going to have going on with any certainty is Tay's baseball-game on Thursday night (if I'm feeling up to it). But that leaves me the rest of the week to bum around the house and be a total hermit if I'd like. *grin* I like!!!

Anyway, this is our "church week" with my Dad, so I'd better get off and go get dressed and ready to go. *rolling eyes* For those who don't know, my Dad totally believes I should be in church every Sunday morning, along with my daughter, and should be sending her to Awanas (kinda a kid's one-evening-a-week bible camp, thing) every Wednesday. Most of the year I'm able to point out how busy we are (I work on Sundays during the winter; Tay's often got hockey-practice on Sunday mornings during the winter) to stop his nagging. Well, since my summer hours include me having Sundays off (we close on Sundays from Memorial through Labor days), I don't have much excuse. Tay, as well, has decided that she LIKES going to church with my MIL (who's church I totally can't stand, so superficial and banal), so I've been able to tell my Dad that for the summer, Tay will go with MIL every other week, while I wait for her to come home so we can meet up at Dad's for lunch. On the alternating weeks, Tay and I will come to his church so that we're "in church" where he thinks we belong, then over to Dad's for lunch. Keeps him from nagging at all. Anyway, as I said, this is our week to go to church with my dad.

Have a Blessed week. Hopefully I'll be back on Thursday or so with an update as to how surgery went.

Crafting done, but not by me....

Nope, this crafting was done by DH. (And why the heck isn't my blog showing the cropped & modified picture?!?!?!) That shelf, to be precise. I'd picked it up at Michael's Crafts over a year ago, to be painted white and hung in Tay's room, to hold her in-season jackets & caps, and to put some of her knickknacks on top of. (Instead of where they were crowded on the top shelf of her bookshelf.) Anyway, Tay didn't want white, or yellow, as the rest of her room is. She wanted blue. Brilliant, bright blue. And DH agreed with her. And that's what he's spent the last week & a half painting it. And I must admit, it didn't turn out half bad. I actually kinda like the blue. And it holds her baseball caps, and her shawl so nicely.

As for me, I haven't done any crafting at all this week. I don't know where the time goes, but it seems I don't have any time to do much of anything. I suppose it could be 3 nights of baseball (2 games and a practice) every week, after work. And my one night a week I work till 9:15. And Sunday's aren't a restful day (as I mentioned last week). So that leaves my half-work-day on Friday afternoons, and Saturdays. Nope, not a lot of time for crafting, anymore.

Today, my plans are to get off here soon (it's already 1:55 pm), get a couple of loaves of Amish Friendship Bread made (not sure of the flavor choice, yet), and veg & watch TV and maybe read a bit, and crochet a bit. I've got an afghan for a friend I really need to get busting on. I've had it in the works for like 8 months now. 'Bout time to actually get a sh*tload more done on it. I've got like 1/5 of it complete. Need to move past that. And I've got another project for a friend that I'd started, but never gotten very far on. It's a filet crochet owl wall-hanging. It's like 1/10th done. And I've got a sunny yellow shawl I started knitting for my self a couple of years ago that is about 1/2 done. And my "doily" jacket that is about 1/3 done. And, and, and, and...... LOL Need to stop with all the other projects, and just crochet, and knit, and crochet some more.

I saw the anaesthesiology coordinator on Wed. to discuss my wishes for anaesthetic for my surgery. I made it clear that I have nasty panic attacks related to a fear of needles, and horrid, roll-around veins (easy to find in the palpating, but roll away from the needles). Combined, they make IV's and blood-tests very hard on me. Physically & mentally. (It has never taken less than 2 tries to get a line (or a draw) on me. It took 6 (yes, that is SIX) tries to get a line on me when I was in labor with Tay. I could have gone through labor itself 3 or 4 more times, for the horridness of getting that line in.) I told the coordinator that I do best when I'm allowed 10 to 15 minutes of nitrous oxide gas before an iv is attempted. Honestly, after about 10 minutes of the laughing gas, they could probably cut off my hand as a souvineer for all I care. LOL Unfortunately, the coordinator said that while she will make my wishes & needs known to the nursing staff & anaesthesiologist on duty the day of my surgery, she can't guarantee that there won't be any arguement with me. I told her I'm not afraid of arguement, I won that arguement last time I had surgery. I just want to save time & head-ache, if possible. I figure that the odds are better in my favor if I've already discussed my needs with the coordinator before hand, that the nurses and aneasthesiologist will be more likely to accomidate me without a waste of time & breath on my part (or the Dr's part, as it'll push back the surgery time, for as long as it takes for me to win my arguement). So, we'll see. I've 10 days now before I have surgery. Then I have a blissful 4 days off work, six days of telling the rest of the world (read: DH, DD, anybody else who wants me to do stuff for them) they can F-off and let me relax, then back to work & life hopefully refreshed, and definitely unable to ever get pregnant again. *grin* Loving the thought.

Well, time to get off and make that bread.

Have a Blessed day.

Busy, busy, busy

So, those are the same windows from last week, but they now have NICE new, white eyelet curtains. I found the fabric on Friday, at Joann's for 4.99 a yard. Bought 4 yards. Sewed them up yesterday. But, along with sewing curtains yesterday, I made a big old breakfast, only to have DH run out of the house without eatting. He went to my dad's and brought back an outside kennel for our outside dog. My dad's dog doesn't need it (he's well behaved and old enough to know better) so Dad gave it to us. Anyway, DH got back from picking that up and set it up, and came in the house to find me sewing and DD wanting to play on the computer, but not being able because we can't seem to get a flash player to upload. I think DH inadvertently erased the driver when he was trying to get rid of viruses. I think our computer needs a seriously good debugging. It's 5 years old now, and I know we've got a couple of trojans hiding out, but DH and I don't know how to get rid of them. So, a very good debugging is certainly in order. And we can't afford a new computer anyway, so debugging it'll have to be. Well, anyway, after realizing that he wouldn't be able to fix the computer himself (I'm going to ask one of the computer guys @ work if they do any freelance, or can recommend somebody), and helping me get my curtains hung, DH decided that we'd better run into town. He'd finally decided we needed a new computer chair, when he saw that the only thing holding the back to the seat was the fabric of the chair. The back was broken to the point that it was in a permanant reclining position. NOT comfortable. So, off to OfficeMax. Then over to Fred Meyer's to pick up some other necessaries: a new toilet seat for DD's bathroom; a couple of hooks to put alongside the livingroom window so I can pull the curtains back; some cabinet-hanging supplies (I've got a curio cabinet that I want hung above my dresser, in my room, so I can get some of my knick-knacks off my bookshelves); and some advil. DH thinks I live on advil. I don't, but working around lots of kids, like I do at the library, means I get a fair share of headaches. So, I need advil. And the bigger the bottle, the better. Anyway, it was 8 pm by the time we got home. I still wound up having to hem a shirt of Scott's (actually, a part of the arm seam had been missed in production, and I needed to close the hole so he could wear it to work). Threw some chimichangas & taquitos in the oven for Tay and I, and started pulling seams on a skirt of mine (I need to take in the waist, a bit, and I'm not happy with the bottom hem, so I'm redoing it). DH put together our new computer chair, we tried to hang my curio cabinet (but found out we need new brackets on the back of the cabinet so that it fits the stud-spacing on the walls in our room), and finally called it quits about 10:30. Those pictures above, were taken at 11 pm. Gotta love Alaskan summers. Light all night. But, that would explain why I'm not sleeping as much as I need to. It's so light out that I don't feel like I can quit (reading, sewing, crocheting, watching TV, websurfing) until I'm literally about to drop.

Jenny, our samoyed-mix mutt, got herself REALLY high (top notch, in fact) on my Shit-list on Friday night. I had (yes, HAD) 4 stuffed animals on the corner of my bed. 4 special stuffed animals. 3 bunnies, and a kitten. I got home Friday after work to drop off my work things, then head out to play bunco, and I found that Jenny had taken 2 of my stuffed animals (my kitten, and a bunny Tay gave me a couple of years ago) into the livingroom for mauling. The kitten did not survive. The bunny hadn't yet suffered the indignities of that dog's mouth, but was saved in the knick of time, it seems. Another bunny (easter gift from my mom 5 years ago; the woman knows I STILL love my easter bunnies) had died a sad death, on my bed, before Jenny removed herself from the scene of the initial assault for a much slower death for the other 2 stuffed animals. So, only 2 were harmed, a third was threatened, and my bed was made a mess of. I don't know WHAT got into her head, as she's got plenty of things of her own to gnaw on (rawhide & bones, and a rubber squeeky bone, not stuffed animals). But, she spent Friday night, and most of Saturday getting glares and name-calling from me. NOT one of my favorite people at that point in time. I've since started talking to her again, but I did threaten that if she ever so much as LOOKS at another stuffed animal again, I'll knock her so hard she won't remember her name. And, she's back to being confined to her kennel while we're not home. I no longer feel horrible about stuffing her into that large dog-box for 6 hours. She had a week of freedom (if you'll remember, we only decided that she was probably completely house-safe a week ago Saturday), and all she did was climb on the couch and maul innocent stuffed animals. I won't make that mistake again. At least not until she's so old that she can only gum things, and her hips are so disjointed that she can't climb on furniture. Then I suppose I can allow her to spend the day non-confined again. As you can tell, she's still not completely off my shit-list.

It's been a busy couple of weeks. My work schedual changed to my summer hours, so I'm now working Mondays through Fridays, instead of Sunday through Thursday. I actually prefer the Sun. - Thurs. schedual. Sundays, here at home, are so hectic, where as at work they're quiet & peaceful. When I'm not working on Sundays, Dad tends to nag me to go to church with him, constantly going on and on about how Tay and I NEED to be in church, how it's necessary for, in order to be good people or some-such. *rolling eyes* Yep, because hypocrisy & warmongering makes one a "good" person. Then, after church (or, at least after lunch over at Dad's house after he gets home from chuch) it's back home to get Tay dressed for hockey practice. Her summer practices are 45 minutes from home, at 6 pm. We've got to head out at 5 so that we can get there in plenty of time to get her geared up and skates on. 1 hour spent at the rink, then back out to NP. Hopefully just home for dinner, though I have a feeling FIL will want us to stop by. Then back to bed to start the week over again. It really, really makes me wonder..... WHEN THE HECK is DH going to go on a fishing trip!?!?!?! Two weekends in a row now, I'd planned a nice quiet day of staying at home doing nothing that required leaving the house, except to go check the mail, and 2 weekends in a row now, DH has kept me busy, running, running running. I WANT my freaking weekend!!!!!! I feel like I work all week, just to get 1 day off to run like crazy some more (Sundays don't qualify as a day off, seeing how busy I am, EVERY freaking Sunday). I sure as heck hope he doesn't expect me to be this freaking busy while I'm off for my surgery. 'Cause he can kiss my fat, white @$$ if that's his plan. I even got the curtains sewn already so I don't even have to do that while I've got my week off from work. (Oh, and just to explain why I feel this is unfair, DH gets to sit around till 4 pm today and watch his races -while Tay & I are at church, then we head over to my dad's for lunch- and not do anything more strenuous than page through the newspaper. I don't get that, at all, this weekend. I didn't get that, at all, last weekend. I probably won't get that, at all, next weekend, either.)

Had rather a downer day at work this past week. Our senior page had taken off for 3 weeks of vacation and headed down to visit her family in another part of the state. While they were down there for Memorial Day weekend, her youngest grandson went out for a day of airboating with his best friend's family. The best friend's dad & another airboater were both running the same river, heading towards each other in opposite directions, and took a curve at the same time, and collided. (Typical gear for air-boat drivers is a good sturdy pair of earphones, or ear plugs. They're noisy, so you've got to wear ear protection. Both drivers were, and couldn't hear the other airboat coming in the opposite direction.) The grandson of my coworker, and the best friend's dad were both killed, violently, in the accident. The grandson was only 9. My coworker is 75 and we all realize how hard this is going to hit her, as she was always bragging about those kids, and her family is her life. Just days before, here in town, we had a riverboat started taking on water, capsized and 2 people aboard were killed when they were trapped underneath the boat: a young woman, and her 2 year old daughter. All were wearing life preservers, but these 2 people were not able to make it out from underneath the boat, and drowned. It's so sad when we hear about accidents like this, that while a part of you wonders what kind of stupid behavior these people were engaging in, you also realize that they weren't taking part any extraordinarily stupid actions, that sometimes accidents are just accidents. But that doesn't stop the mourning for these young ones who have gone so early in their lives. As I said, rather a downer at work this week.

Well, my blog was funking up earlier today, so I didn't get to post this morning. So, I've already been to church, lunch at Dad's and now I'm home, for a little bit, before we head to hockey. I just have to add (this paragraph wasn't an origional part of my post), WE HAD SNOW today!!!! Nope, no pics. I didn't take my camera with me. Didn't expect I'd need to. The high for today's forcast was 50 deg. F, and the predicted low is 25 deg. F. Well, I didn't think that'd include SNOW. But, sure enough, while Dad's out back on his patio today grilling steaks & corn-on-the-cob, it's snowing. Big, white, fluffy flakes of snow. And it's cold as hell & windy!!!!! NOT fun!!!! And yes, I'm writing this on June 4th, 2006, for all you non-believers who may think that a part of an old blog-entry somehow made it onto today's blog-entry. Hello Alaska!!!! I guess it's fair to mention that in Tucson where my sister lives, they have temps of 104 deg. F today. She made the comment today that it'd be great to take OUR current temps, and average them with HER current temps. and both places would be just about perfect. Let's see (getting the calculator) that'd be 104 + 45 divided by 2 = 74.5 deg. F. Yep, that'd be just about perfect. I could handle a day of 74.5 deg. F. Very much so. Last Sunday our high got to 83, and today it's actually only gotten to 45. 40 degrees difference. How sucky is that?!?!?!

Now to get changed into something warm and go sit in a freezing cold ice rink, and watch my daughter skate for an hour. May have to walk laps around the rink, just to keep warm, today. LOL Have a blessed day!!

Clean Windows

What a differnce clean windows & no valances makes in a room. I tried to lighten the first picture up, so that the items around the window could be seen in something other than shadow, but for some reason my blog won't post modified pictures, so this is what I get to show off.

Anyway, so much for NOT doing anything but be lazy yesterday. DH got in a cleaning mood, which doesn't happen often, but he's scary when he gets going. Anyway, he first decided to vacuum, then decided to move the furniture & vacuum, then decided to move ALL the furniture, take down the window valances, clean the windows, and vacuum. Then he decided that the living room wasn't enough, the computer room had to be done as well. Suffice it to say, spring cleaning was done yesterday. Kinda late in the season, I know, but as Alaskans we've got to wait till any mud & moisture on the lawn is dried enough to move things outside while we clean. Kinda makes for an early-summer cleaning instead of a "spring cleaning". So, back to the story. I'd been bugging DH to let me replace those nasty, heavy, dark gray & brown & black valances (came with the house, it's a modular & the stylists for modular homes have SUCKY interior decorating sense) that we've had for the 6 years we've lived here. He finally agreed a couple of weeks ago to let me make some curtains, but even so he's been hemming & hawing about my doing it, insisting he didn't see what my issue was with those valances. (I'm sorry now I didn't get a picture of them before we tossed them). Well, as he was tipping them up yesterday to bare the windows, all sorts of dust & sand from living on a dirt road for 5 years came tumbling out, and as they were tucked up he realized HOW MUCH more sunlight comes into the room without those heavy, dark things. So he took them off and said how much better it looks without curtains at all. I told him, though, that my plan is to get white eyelet fabric and make just two long simple panels (won't even have to hem the selvedges, just the top & bottom) for those windows. They'll let in plenty of sunshine still, but will be a bit of privacy as well. He said he thinks that'll be ok, esp. when I commented on how I've always wanted a little cottage with white curtains blowing in the windows. *grin* So he said that on my next paycheck I should run over to Joann's, pick up the fabric, and while I'm out of work recovering from my surgery I can sew them up. LOL Like it'll take me that long..... Silly man. So 4 yards of white eyelet, and 2 decorative drawer pulls, it is (for the curtain tiebacks on the sides).

So, the living room got an overhaul. We got rid of the dog kennel. We're going to try letting Jenny stay loose in the house during the day while we're at work. I'm kinda nervous, but DH didn't throw the kennel away yet, just stashed it in the shed in the back yard for now. Just in case. Ohhhh, I love the look of those windows without the valances.

The computer room (which is still cluttered, so I'm not showing it off) got a going over, as well. DH cleared out all the clutter & went through our storage chest (big rubbermade "toychest" kind) and closet, and tossed & weeded. He was kinda wishing we could have a garage sale & get rid of some of it that way, but realized that we don't have enough junk to have a garage sale. I've been pretty ruthless about going through our items on a regular basis (about once a year) and weeding outgrown clothes, unused toys & books (ok, not so good on the books), knick-knacks that aren't appreciated, etc, and sending them to Salvation Army, or having him take them to the spot at the dump where good quality, but unwanted goods are left, free for the taking. And freecycle is also fabulous for that. Anyway, not enough junk for a garage sale. Not entirely a bad thing, I think. But I suggested that he go ahead and hang all his racing & sports memorabilia (huge Earnhardt Jr., Packers, and Red Wings fan) in the computer room. So it's mostly decorated in his stuff now, with an Earnhardt Jr. throw tacked up on the wall, surrounded by his collectors cars (matchbox style, but collectors editions of cars driven by his favorite nascar drivers), with his "Nascar Racing Fans Parking Only" and "Packer Fan Parking Only" signs hanging on another wall, a third contains a poster of several drivers that I found for him, the fourth has a pic. of Earnhardt Sr., a Jr. callander, and his Nascar Cup Series clock. So, he was rather thrilled that I suggested turning the computer room into his sports memorabilia room, and even suggested hanging shelves for his books on Brett Favre, Earnhardt & Nascar Drivers, and his larger size model cars. LOL Tay was even insisting that he REALLY must get some Red Wings memorabilia in here, as well. He doesn't have any Red Wings "art" to hang on the walls, yet. He finally gets his own sporty space, and he's much happier, now to let me do what I want with the rest of the house. He was actually talking about painting the kitchen and the master bedroom, as well as my living room curtains.

By the time we finally got things put back together, and had dinner last night, it was about 10 (well, we took a break at 8 for dinner, then had to finish cleaning up our "mess"). We sat down and watched "The Sandlot 2", which was pretty darn cute. I remember loving "The Sandlot" as a girl, and I think "The Sandlot 2" was almost as cute as the first one. Finally finished that and got Tay to bed at about 12:30 (it's memorial day weekend, she can afford to stay up a bit late), and Scott headed to the dump with all our trash & cast-offs. Then we headed to bed, finally. What a day.

On a side note, I never did get my sourdough fry bread made yesterday. But I must have some pretty kick-ass sourdough, because I added a half-cup flour & a half-cup water yesterday morning, and last night while watching the movie, it overflowed twice (I've only got about 2 cups of the stuff in a huge pickle jar), and a third time after I'd gone to bed. Fortunately, after cleaning up the first two messes, I wizened up and put a plate under the jar, and covered it with a clean towel. So all I've got to do now is clean off the sides of the jar, and put the plate in the dishwasher. LOL No more cleaning off the stove. I'm not going to get a chance to do anything with the sourdough today either. Gotta head over to my dad's for lunch here in a couple of minutes. The Tay's got her first summer hockey practice this evening. Then back to Dad's to drop her off, as she and Dad are going on the Alaska Railroad to Denali Park for a 2 day trip. They leave at 8 am tomorrow (Monday) morning, and they'll be back sometime Tuesday afternoon. This is the second year for Tay, and the third year for Dad, and they both really enjoy trains & the ride, and the chance to spend some time together. And Scott & I sure can't say we don't like the chance for an evening to ourselves, either. LOL So maybe tomorrow I'll get to do something with my sourdough. LOL

Have a Blessed Day!

Now that's a birthday party......

Went to a coworker/friend's Croning, last night. That was a fun birthday party. Much more than the birthday parties I remember from childhood. Mom used to try her darndest, I'll give her that. But I'm not a big party person. I hated the "who can pop their balloon first" game, and with the guests all being neighbourhood kids I didn't get along with anyway...... Naw, never been a party person. I'd rather have dinner out at a nice (incredible food) resteraunt with family (and maybe a couple of good friends), get dessert (creme brulee is my favorite birthday dessert, forget cake!), and a couple of well-thought-out gifts from loved ones.

Anyway, so my coworker turned 50, and threw herself a b-day party up at the Four Winds Foundation (a zen-ish, Alaskan-style, lodge-retreat & pagan-style "school"). A couple of her friends run the 4 Winds Foundation & teach classes there, and G. decided to have her party there. And there were only 8 of us, total. 20 people had been invited, only 8 showed up. We sat around for a bit playing the "postcard game": diving with postcards. We'd ask a question pertinent to our lives, and pick up to 4 post cards to clue us in to what the answer was to our question. My mom would appreciate that 1 of my questions was "What is in store for me this summer?" and the answering card was this perfect crescent deserted island that belongs to the Hawaiian islands. Evidently it's a fantastic snorkeling destination. Close to Molokai, I think. Anyway, when it became apparent that nobody else was coming, we had supper, which consisted of a kick-ass greens/avacado/purple cabbage/cucumber salad, tossed with fresh-squeezed lemon then "Green Goddess" dressing. Fabulous. And we had artisian rye bread spread with cheese. And home-made Ginger beer. Which I didn't like, to tell you the truth. Me and my unsophisticated tastes found it MUCH too malty. Very heavy. Maybe good in a meatloaf, but not something I could take more than a couple of sips of. UGH!!!!! LOL The birthday cake was a kick-butt carrot cake, made by another one of G's friends.

After dinner and some talk about movies & favorite strong actresses & hot actors, and some feminist talk & laughter about life & womanhood, we did the croning ceremony. We blessed a poppet that had been picked to represent G. Then we blessed her Red Hat. Then she had us pick out some pins (the sort with sassy feminist or pagan sayings) to decorate her hat with. And she opened the couple of gifts that folks had bought. Then I and 3 of my coworkers had to take off, because the other 3 had to work this morning. But, it wound up being a bunch of women, sitting around on the floor, and at the table eatting, laughing, sharing stories & just gabbing. What fun!!!!!! I want a birthday party like that!!!!! Without guys, without kids. DH and DD can take me out to dinner, but a birthday party with just a couple of close girlfriends sitting around & gabbing and having a blast & good food together. That's what a birthday party should be like.

And then today is kinda drizzly & sunny by turns. A great "stay at home" day. Not going garage-saling today. Might make up a batch of Navajo Fry bread (sourdough style) later. But just being lazy today. Of course Tay's going nuts because it's drizzly, and all her friends are busy for the weekend. Ah well.... That child needs to learn to kick back & chill. LOL

Have a Blessed Weekend!!!!!

Chit Chat

It's been a busy, busy week here so far. Started off the week by meeting the surgeon who's going to do my tubal next month, and schedualing the surgery itself. Tuesday Tay had a dental cleaning & found out she's got her first two cavities. But they're just tiny ones barely starting to show up, so the dentist said pain killer won't be necessary, and she's got this mini-sand-blaster that can be used instead of a drill, on minor cavities if they're caught early enough. And plastic fillings. Not those metal ones. So, that's all fairly good news, right?!?!

I was SOOOO happy to see Taylor Hicks win AI last night!!! Katharine McPhee is ok, but she really didn't seem to grow at all. Her last performances were really safe. I couldn't believe on Tuesday night how she redid two songs that had been real successes for her, without attempting to find a new song that might be as big as success. Taylor took risks all the way through, sometimes looked a bit of a dork, but always had fun and kicked @$$ on stage. Scott & I had picked Chris & Taylor as finalists right from the start, but after seeing Chris & Elliot get booted off when they did, I'm rather convinced that the show IS fixed, towards the end. Not necessarily as to EXACTLY who wins, but that the votes are scewed as to allow only certain types, for the year, into the finals. Once it appears, in the last 5 or 6 episodes, that a certain type is going to make it to the finals, the producers look back at the past finalists and say "oh, we just had a rocker in the top 2 last year, we can't allow Chris to get there this year". And as for Elliot & Taylor, I really think that it did come down to the two of them for votes, but I don't believe in any way that Katharine was a real threat. That the threat, in fact, was that Elliot & Taylor both have this bluesy, jazzy vibe, and 2 contestants so close in nature couldn't be allowed to compete in the finals. So, they booted the one with the slightly lower number of votes: Elliot. God, does that guy have an incredible attitude, or what!?!?!? Toward the end, Scott & I added Elliot to our list of who we'd like to see in the finals: Chris, Taylor, and Elliot. But back to the fixing of votes; I really think that had Kelly Pickler been "good enough" to make it to the top 5 or 6, she wouldn't have made it any further due to Carrie winning last year. Can't have 2 country crooners winning (or in the finals) 2 years in a row. I think that Mandisa and Paris were booted (or would have been booted, in Mandisa's case) for similar reasons, because Fantasia was winner 2 years ago. If voting was COMPLETELY left up to the public, and the same group of people are watching year after year, then we would have similar winners year after year, and the Producers of the show just don't seem to want that to happen. So ultimately they take a lot of the votes & scew them, to give the finals more "pop". Anyway, that's my theory. There's no other way to explain why Paris & Chris were booted, but Katharine wasn't.

The grass is finally growing nicely in the front yard, but unfortunately only in the hydroseeded area. We've got grass growing in the non-hydroseeded area, but not much at all. It's still mostly dead brown grass from last year, with clumps of green popping up here and there. The weather has been fantastic, though. Monday was drizzly, but Tuesday and yesterday were sunny and warm, and actually hit about 75. Had a patron in at work asking me the other day what the weather is like in the summer. This is his first summer here, and he didn't believe me when I said that YES, it does get up to the 90's during the summer. Not constantly (hopefully!), but 85 to 95 is certainly not UNheard of here, in the summer. Kinda odd when you consider that -45 to -55 is not UNheard of here in the winter, that's like a potential (somewhat likely) 140 degrees difference, from January to July. Wierd. Hopefully we'll get a bit of a drizzly night here again tonight or tomorrow (though the forcast doesn't look like it, really). That's the nicest way to spend summer, 2 or 3 days of nice, a day of drizzle, 2 or 3 days of nice, a great evening shower. And so on. Keeps the ground moist, without ruining nice summery days for the kids.

Not been doing much crafting as my shoulder's been bugging the heck out of me. I need to get Scott to give me another shoulder rub. I hadn't intended to crochet at all for a week after the last shoulder rub he gave me last Thursday, but one of my coworkers was attempting to start a crocheted square for a baby afghan, and what had started out as a 20 stitch-long square, was turning out to be a pretty perfect triangle. She didn't realize she was decreasing both beginning and ending of the row. So Tuesday I stuck around after work for a bit and helped her start her square over. It was kinda hard explaining to her, though. The way she holds her tension in her left hand, with her yarn woven in and out of all of her fingers, her general looseness of stitch, and the hard time she was having finding the correct angle to form the new stitch on her base chain....... *shaking head* Thank Goddess that little baby-afghan squares are good for this kind of learning. On the other hand, she's got some BEAUTIFUL little squares she's knit, some with ribbing, some with unique stitchery, and I can't figure out HOW she manages that. I knit continental style (it's easier for me, as the yarn tension is held in a very similar manner to crocheting), but just barely manage to make a knit-stitch scarf. And I can increase thanks to Carol Duval's episode about knit dishcloths, but I can't decrease. So all I've made is scarves and a shawl, with a second shawl on the circulars now. This same coworker has offered to teach me how to purl, and hopefully I'll learn how to do ribbing, as I'd love a ribbed scarf for winter. My middle sis made a beautiful one in this lovely raspberry & cream verigated. I'd love to try it in a cream & green color scheme.

Not much more chit-chat for today. I've gotta go get my roast thrown together with the veggies in the slow cooker, and finish my breakfast before I head out for work.

Have a Blessed Day!

And so it begins......

Well, see that little teapot for one on the top shelf there, that's my first garage sale find of the year. 1 buck, never been used, and just the cutest paint job. I didn't know what I'd do with it, until I walked in the door, but I knew that at 1 dollar, I wanted it. This is my "bookshelf" in my living room, above my rocking chair, and I've been looking for something to place on top of this little stack of books. As you can tell, from the bottom shelf here, I'm also a collector of lighthouses. LOVE lighthouses. My main collection lines the tops of my kitchen cabinets, but these three candleholders hold a spot of honor, next to my daughter's picture, on this shelf. The Matryoshka dolls represent my Great-grandmother Ruth, my Grandma Naomi, my Mom Kris, Myself, and my Daugher Tay.

I really need to get the rest of my living room cleaned up so I can get a couple of good pics taken, and posted. We've done some redecorating in the past year, with a new entertainment center, new furniture arrangements, new artwork & souvineers to display. Maybe now that school has ended for the year I'll be able to get rid of all the school papers and junk mail, only to have only half of it reappear the following day. It's been a never ending battle, for 3 years now, with the school papers. Ever 2 or 3 days a new pile of papers comes home, and I'm stuck as for how long to hold onto it for. LOL During the summer it's so much easier not to have that dilema.

Just a note, this is only one of my 3 bookshelves, most of my enormous collection of books resides in my bedroom, on my ceiling height & 5-food long bookshelf, though my crafting books do reside on the very bottom of the 6-foot tall bookshelf I've got pictured above. But mostly it's 3 shelves in between of a mish-mash of collectables: lighthouses, a bowl of crystals & my Matryoshkas, race cars & wolves for DH, and one or two owl figurines.

Have a Blessed Day.

Plans & Changes

Well, here is the picture of the 3 net bags I've so far made for myself for grocery shopping. Now, I just need to stash them in my car, so that I'm not forgetting them when I head to the grocery store (or, more likely, make an unplanned stop @ the store, then not have them). I really do think I prefer the larger shoulder straps, like on the green one. It's perfect for holding in your hand, or carrying over your shoulder. The cream bag has a longer strap that makes it a great shoulder bag, but most of us don't carry our groceries over our shoulders. The blue bag was my first try, and I like it well enough, but I don't like the drawstrings. They're hard on the hands when it's heavy, and it's kinda cumbersome to get into. The cream and green bags were done free-form, without following a pattern, but I found the pattern for the blue one online. Don't remember where, not really important to me as I won't be making that kind of bag again.

Today is Tay's last day as a second grader. Wow!!!!!! I look at her and she's so big, all the sudden. I still picture her so much of the time, in my mind, as a chubby, active preschooler. She's now only about 8 inches shorter than I am, such an adolescent look to her oftentimes. I wonder where the time went, often. Then again, I sometimes wonder why it's not going faster, so she can get through the "all adults are stupid" phase sooner. *wry smile*

I called my medical insurance company today, to make sure that I don't have to fill out any paperwork before my meeting with the surgeon on Monday. According to the lady who I talked to, providing my hospital visit remains an outpatient event, all plans are go. So.... Monday morning I'm seeing an internist surgeon for a preliminary surgical appointment. 2 to 3 weeks following, I'll be seeing him again, to have my tubal ligation. I'm excited to be having it done, because it means I can go off birth control without any concern over having an unwanted child. But I'm kinda scared, too. I REALLY don't like needles, so I'm a bit scared about the IV that I know I'll need for surgery (hoping they'll knock me out with laughing gas on the operating table, before trying to put an IV in me, otherwise IV's tend to be very traumatic events for me). I'm a bit scared about the stitches: the last time I had stitches (that didn't dissolve) I was 3 years old, had just been mauled by a cat, and it HURT getting those stitches pulled out. I'm kinda scared about how my body will react to going off birth control hormones after almost 9 years ON these hormones. Will it take months (possibly years) to flush these hormones from my body, as some people have suggested it did, when they went off the hormones??? I picked up some "moon cycle" tea from Yogi Tea. I like their chai tea, and their green tea, so I thought I'd give their moon cycle tea a try to get things restarted after I stop on the hormones.

Plans & changes, plans & changes. It's a part of life, I suppose, but that doesn't mean I can't be ambivilent, either.

Oh, and the grass in the hydroseeded areas of the front yard is coming up fabulously. We've had about 3 days of gray skies & drizzly rain. (Nothing compared to my friends out on the East coast, I'm both grateful & concerned to say.) I think DH needs to get out & rake the older parts of the lawn, though, because the new grass is having a hard time peeking up through the brown, dead grass from last year. Thinking that it may not be a bad idea to burn off the old grass, this fall, providing we have a mild fire season & we're not dealing with fire bans.

Have a Blessed Day.

Still no grass to be seen.....

Well, this was going to be a picture of my birch tree in the front yard, but I couldn't get it to flip right side up. So, instead you get to see how UNgreen my front yard is. And how little of it is actually usable at this point. That's the neighbour's motorhome to the left of our house, and our dog Puck, to the right. The trees are really starting to turn green, though. We had some nice showers yesterday that really prompted the leaves to open. I went into work, and all the trees were kinda covered in this green mist, I came out and all the trees now have fully open leaves. It's fantastic, and it's amazing how quickly the trees can go from bare to full-out green. Love it!!!! Especially after such a long, cold, white & gray winter.

Those are metal stakes bordering the tree as we wanted to have some nice, tall supports for the scrawny thing, till the roots took hold & gave it some support, after we transplanted it last summer. But now we're thinking of leaving them in for a couple more years till the tree has time to gain some girth around the trunk. As it is, a nice strong wind will snap that thing in half. The funny bit about this tree, also, is that it was transplanted from FIL's property where it was tightly packed in with dozens of other birch, poplar & spruce saplings. Only one side of the tree actually has branches, the other side was backed up to all the other trees, tightly packed in only inches apart, and so it didn't have the room to develope branches. We're really hoping that now that this little guy has room to stretch, he'll shoot out some nice hefty branches on the other side, so he doesn't look all lopsided as he grows. I refer to the tree as a he, because he so badly reminds me of a young teenage boy who's such a tall, scrawny thing, and looks somewhat out of place, but will flesh out quickly now that he's got room to grow. Plenty of water & sunlight should have our guy out there bulking out quickly. And he's not going to be the short-stubby birches that grow in this neighbourhood otherwise, because we transplanted him when he already had a great deal of height, now he just needs the width.

Have a Blessed Day.

Well, so much for not ranting.....

Ok, it's not a major rant, and I'm not pissed at my hubby this time. I guess I'm not seriously pissed at all, just kinda irked.

Well, MIL called this morning to ask what our plans are for this afternoon. I told her that, as usual, I'm working. She goes "oh, what time do you get off?" I told her, that as usual, I'll get off at 5:15 and be out of town by 5:45 (and that's actually being overly generous for "heavy" traffic, should actually only take me 20 minutes to get out of town, at 57 mph). She said "Ok, well, tell Scott & Taylor to be here at 5, so we can eat when supper is ready, and you can just eat whenever you get here." So, evidently we're invited over for Mother's Day, along with SIL and her boys, but they won't bother to wait for me, if supper is done before I get there. Supper can't be pushed back by even 30 minutes because I have to work. Forget the fact that 2 weeks ago was older nephew's 4 year birthday party, and his own mom & dad were 1 hour late, and everybody waited, and waited, and waited for them to show up, then nothing was said (b-day party was at MIL's house because SIL & the dad are too lazy to bother to throw either of their son's parties themselves) because we "wouldn't want to hurt SIL's feelings". But, if I actually have to work on a "holiday", I'm reminded of how inconvenient it is for everybody else, and that nobody's going to wait around for me to get home from work. *sigh* Gotta love MIL. (FIL, as much as butt-head as he tries to be, actually would wait, knowing him. Might grumble a bit just to be a butt-head, but he'd wait, for Mother's day. But MIL & SIL just can't be inconvenienced by having to wait an extra half-hour for their food so that I can eat with the rest of the family...... Oh no.... Just wouldn't be seemly. DH may push for them to wait, though. I'm hoping. He's been doing better lately.)

Then, top it off, MIL get's here to pick Tay up for church almost 20 minutes late. MIL's church starts at 10:30, she tells Tay she'll be here by 10:15, but doesn't show up till 10:47. This has happened 3 weeks in a row now. This is the first Sunday I forget to run a brush through Tay's hair until MIL pulls up. Then MIL yells at ME about probably not being able to get a decent parking space because it took me 1 minute to brush through Tay's hair. Forget the fact that MIL was running over 15 minutes late for church WHEN SHE PULLED UP, nope..... Just can't accept responsibility for finding a crappy parking space.... Gotta blame it on Kati needing one more minute to brush Tay's hair. I know where SIL get's her catty/bitchy attitude from: MIL. The difference is that SIL is catty/bitchy ALL THE TIME, MIL's c/b attitude comes & goes. Rather passive-aggressive, that woman.

Ah, well. So, as soon as I got up this morning, Tay came & gave me a big hug & told me Happy Mother's Day. She gave me a plant & a card she made at school (well, she GREW the plant at school, anyway) on Friday. The card contained "coupons" for chores "so that you won't have to do them, Mommy." AWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!! Too sweet!!!!!!!

Anyway, so that's my Mother's Day post. I hope all you other Mama's have a fantastic day, uncorrupted by passive-aggressiveness, and that your children actually choose today to be as thoroughly sweet to you as they all should be year-round. *wishful thinking, going on*

Blessings.

Trying this again.....

Well, been inspired to try again, but I'm not promising anything. I'll try to make this blog less about rants, and maybe more about what I do with my life. LOL

So, this is what I did today. Two loaves of Sourdough bread that actually turned out bread-like, instead of brick-like. Unfortunately it seems that the sourdough is mostly for flavor, not so much for leavening, which kinda leaves me scratching my head and wondering how the origional "sourdoughs" did it. I mean, my sourdough makes a mean navajo fry bread, some yummy rolls, but bricks for loaves. To get actual edible loaves of bread I've still got to use regular old yeast. *sigh* But at least the bread tastes yummy. Scott's already sliced off a chunk an inch thick, and I'm realizing that this probably won't last the week. LOL

Besides that, just been washing laundry, trying to catch up, and wishing our back yard was something other than dirt hole, so I could hang laundry out to dry, instead of running the drier constantly. But, thanks to my up-coming surgery this summer, it looks like improving the back yard will probably have to wait till next summer (or the next one, or maybe the one after that). Heck, for all the work we did getting our front yard established, then it was torn out for the road & plumbing upgrades last summer, it's completely brown & dead so far this year. May 13th, and you'd think we'd have some green grass showing, but nope..... Not a blade to be found. It's all brown. If it doesn't come up, though, we get to have it hydroseeded by the city, due to their agreement last summer that all yards would be returned to at least their pre-existing condition. That means green & verdant!!!! Which we are not, right now. So, I don't know if I should keep my fingers crossed for the current lawn to come up, or for it to shrivel & die so we get it hydroseeded for free. Kinda leaning toward the current lawn coming up, though, because re-seeding it would mean keeping completely off of it for a couple of months. And that's just sucky, to have to stay off of our own yard.

So, next maybe I'll have to take some pics of the net bags I've made myself for grocery shopping. But, that's another post for another day. I'll sign off for now.

Have a blessed day!

Wow!!!! It's been a while.....

So, I figured I'd better keep my hand in, and update this.

I've changed jobs 3 times in the last 9 months, first left the NP library for Waldenbooks, left Waldenbooks at the end of April for Ben Franklins, and left Ben's this past Friday for the main library in town. I hope to be here at my current job for a very, very long time. As in, long enough to go from lowly circ. page, to library assistant. And possibly wind up back at NP library as a library assistant sometime in the future. That is my ideal.

Tay's as ornery as ever, but she did pass first grade. From what I can tell, the teacher she's been assigned is the one for Second/Third (she loops with the kids) that takes the harder to handle children. Seeing as I know of 4 other children who were known to be somewhat off-beat characters who have been placed in this woman's class.... The fact that she loops with her class (giving them consistancy for 2 of the more formative years of education), and the fact that for the past 2 years she's had a class with no more than 20 kids (I don't know how big her class was before that, as Tay didn't attend school before then). Unfortunately one of her hard-to-handle classmates is a little neighbour girl who likes to cause problems for the other children in the neighbourhood, Tay included. So... I'm going to have to bring our concerns about her to the Teacher's attention before school starts. Not saying my child's an angel at all, but both girls are horrid liers and Tay knows she's easily caught, so she doesn't tend to lie when it matters, where as this other child still tries it, and is easily caught at it because she's so horrid at lying. LOL

It's been a busy summer, what with the job changes (finally have a position that will consistently allow me 2 days off in a row, Sunday and Monday), Tay playing baseball (first night of play-offs tonight, I hope our team can keep our hand in), and all the camping and fishing DH likes to do.

Sebastian (our husky-chow mix dog) died on May 10th of unknown reasons. I came home from work and when he didn't come out of his doghouse to greet me (he didn't always, but generally), I went over to peek my head in and tease him about being a lazy boy. He didn't move, didn't appear to be breathing, and I finally realized he was gone. As he was only 7 years old, it certainly wasn't old-age that killed him. There was no visible sickness or disease. All we can figure is that he had a sudden heart-attack or similar, like any slightly pudgy middle-aged man is capable of having. That was certainly a traumatic experience for the whole family, but it's been handled well. We still get sad missing him, but we are also able to remember the good times we had with him. Jenny (our samoyed puppy) seemed lost for a couple of weeks (she's 8 months old now, and as big as Bashy ever was), and really had a hard time with being left alone. She'd even freak if Tay left without me (went somewhere with Scott or my dad, for example), spending hours worrying about Taylor. I think she thought that if one of us left (as Bashy had "left" when I put him outside for the day, that morning) we might not come back. She seems to be past that now, though. Routine will do that for an animal.

Anyway, gotta get ready for work. Blessings. --Kati

Argh!!!!!! Snow!!!!!

Well, wouldn't you know it. For all that I was going on yesterday about how lovely (and early) of a break-up/spring we were having, I wake up THIS morning and find that it's snowing. Still nice (just under 30 F), but snowing. And thick, too. Unfortunately it will make the roads very slick today, as well. *sigh* I mean, I'm not suprised..... This IS Alaska after all, but I was soooooooooo hoping for a steady warm-up to spring.

Anyway, gotta get off the pc and get dressed. Taking Tay to church for the first time in over 6 months. Mainly because it's Easter (and Tay's got a new easter outfit) and my dad has been nagging about when we're going to start going back to church (wouldn't at all, if I didn't have to listen to his nagging!). So, I figure we can show up for Easter, maybe every few weeks (couple of months), but I'm NOT going back on a regular basis. I'm so sick of the whole "holier than thou", "the world is coming to an end because everybody else has been BAD", and "women are the support of the church, but men are the leaders" acts.

Would you believe that the last time I went, they spent the entire time "praying" over a Psalm, and going into great depth over their individual righteousness-es (each person who prayed went on and on and on about how God has blessed THEM, and how good THEY are and all), and actively blasting and decrying other denominations (namely, Catholics, JVHS witnesses, Mormons, even Lutherans and Episcopalians) for their idolatry and satan-inspired worship practices/beliefs. When this young kid (ok, maybe 18 or 19 years old) who was visiting with a couple of friends (who are regular attenders) stood up and "prayed" that God remind "everyone" not to be like the Pharasees and stand praying outloud and being selfrighteous, the deacons actually YELLED at the kid to sit down, that he wasn't welcome to pray. *shaking head* I kinda ranted to my dad about it, after church, trying to get across to him how wrong it was, that scene in church that morning (and NOT the actions of the kid bringing up the hypocrisy), but Dad just commented on how that kid was probably a Mormon and going to Hell anyway, and that's why he felt the need to make a scene. *shaking head* Not the kind of church I want my child raised in, tell you what. Heck, the only church around here that I'd like to try out is the UU one. Try explaining THAT to my dad, though, without getting disowned. LOL

Goddess, that ended up being longer an explination of my feelings and a rant than I thought it would.

YEEEOUCH!!!!!! Just got my toes run over by a hyper puppy. Gotta go.

Blessings.

Wow!!!! And tomorrow's Easter.......

I'm totally shocked at what a mild spring it appears we're going to have. The temps the last few days have hit 40+, sunny, mostly clear (or, with light, whispy clouds). The snow's melting (and we're not getting fresh inches every few days). Top it off, with Easter tomorrow, it really feels like it's going to be a great spring. I think that if Easter was going to be a couple more weeks away, we would probably have grass in time. Wouldn't that be cool!!!!!! Haven't seen that but once in the 20 years I've lived up here. (Grass and little snow in time for Easter, that is.)

Thankfully the puppy did pretty good sleeping last night, so I'm no longer terribly grumpy. Unfortunately she still insists on NOT becoming housebroken (peed in her kennel while we were eatting dinner last night, then again on the floor in my bedroom a bit later) and it's really making DH and I short tempered with her. I mean, we praise her for going potty OUTSIDE, and swat her for going potty INSIDE, you'd think she'd be getting the idea by now........

Got Tay's report card yesterday, and gotta say that I'm really, really starting to think something's going on in that kid's head that needs working out. Just don't know how to get through to her, the school councelor didn't call her in to talk to her (even though I've asked him to, in person), and we cannot afford (and don't know of any) a good private therapist. I mean, her grades went from mostly S's with a few H's, to mostly N's with a few S's. Even her music teacher said in the report that Tay's been argumentative and non-cooperative during music class. *shaking head* The scene on the home-front hasn't been any better, either. She insists on arguing over EVERY FREAKING THING. I mean, literally. Last Saturday we bought her a new pair of tenny-shoes (wrong spelling, I know, I don't care though), AFTER trying them on her to make sure they fit. She was going to wear them over to the IL's that night, but when we told her to tie them she threw a temper tantrum (yes, 7-1/2 and threw a temper tantrum over being told to tie her own shoes). Then she started complaining about how they hurt her feet, but when we told her to just wear her winter boots instead, she started screaming at us about how she wanted to wear these (uncomfortable, hard to tie, unwanted) tenny-shoes instead. I mean, she didn't want to wear them, but she didn't want to wear her boots, and she didn't want to wear an older pair of shoes. Just screaming at us for the sake of screaming at us. And it's been like that with toothbrushing too. I mean, the kid's got it down to 5 minutes -total brushing time-, and 5 minutes before time to brush she'll say she's going to hurry up and brush her teeth really well so she can _____ (get a story, watch American Idol, play with the puppy, etc), but when actually told that it's time to brush her teeth she'll spend anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes arguing and freaking about having to brush her teeth (and even if it's 7 pm, she'll complain about how she's too tired to brush). *rolling eyes* Really don't know what I'm going to do about her and her attitude, but it needs seriously adjusting and there is a part of me (some times a BIG part) that wishes I could turn her over to somebody else for the duration of her childhood.

I put in for a job at Ben Franklin Crafts as the local store is moving to NP from Fairbanks. With gas prices going up so horribly, I cannot afford to work at the book-store any longer (not to mention the incredible amounts of books I'm always bringing home *grin*). I did also go speak to the manager @ Ben's and introduce myself and let her know in person that I've got sales experience AND I want to work in NP. She said that she'll be getting to resumes this week, so hopefully I'll hear back soon about an interview. I warned DH that working around all that yarn likely means I'll be bringing large quantities of IT home (instead of the books I buy frequently NOW), and he just commented on how much cheaper yarn is than books. *shaking head* Silly, silly man!!!!!!

Heading to church for the first time in over 6 months tomorrow for Easter. *rolling eyes* Ah well, it keeps Dad happy if we show up every now and again, and gives Tay a chance to wear her Easter outfit (like, the one time a year she definitely gets a new dress/skirt-outfit). I'm wondering if I can get away with wearing my triple moon pendant. *grin* Not likely, but I wish.

Anyway, that's enough for now. Gotta go take the puppy outside and get more laundry done. Oh, and a load of dishes too while I'm at it. *sigh*

Blessings.

Yeesh, this is looking like a crappy day already!!!

Well, so far, 3 of my 4 housemates (namely: DH, DD, and the puppy) have managed to get themselves on my sh*tlist today. DH for insisting last night that the puppy not sleep in the bedroom any more because she's constantly (well, that's what HE says anyway) passing gas; the puppy for keeping me up ALL FREAKING NIGHT with her wimpering and whining, then waking DD up 15 minutes early; and DD for INSISTING on argueing with me over every little detail this morning as she was getting ready for school. The only other member of this household that is NOT on my sh*tlist is Bashy (our older dog).

I don't want to go to work today (so what else is new!!!! I miss my library job and wish I'd never taken this one). I wanna chain that puppy outside and stay home and nap all day. But, Goddess knows bills won't get paid if I'm not out there making minimum (or close to) wage. *shaking head*

Well, gotta get heading out. Just needed to rant.

Ahhhh, another -30 deg. day.....

Well, the temps have dropped again, confining us to the house, once more. When I went out to start up my car this morning before heading to work, it was -35 deg. F. Bbbbbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Somebody wanna come trade me places?????

Well, here I sit now, in relative peace and quiet, listening now to a cd of disney (and a couple of kenny loggins) "ballads". Was Highlights from Phantom of the Opera (which I've liked since I was a teen, NOT having to do with the new buzz about the movie), but that got over. *sigh* I cannot sing along to it as well as I once could. My voice is no longer firmly in the soprano range, much more an alto now than I was in HS. *sigh* Ahhhh, the good old days. But, except for air control (rather out of practice with controlling my breathing), I can still hit most of the notes Celine Dion does in her sweeping vocal ballads. Glad for that, at least.

Anyway, forgot to post that DH DID make up to me for my b-day. Monday afternoon after work he stopped at Willow Creak Clothing (a local store) and got me 2 (not 1, but TWO) magic scarves (a gold one, and a denim-blue one), a cinnamon candle in a heart-shaped "candy-jar", and a vanilla-sandalwood bath bomb. YEAH!!!!!! And the best part was hearing him say that he'd actually told the proprietress that he'd screwed up big-time with his wife's (my!) birthday, and this was to make up for the screw-up. Yep, hearing him eat crow was definitely the best part of it. ;) I did give him a hard time, though, Monday before he went to get my present. I reminded him that prior to my b-day, I'd mentioned a couple of "$25 or less" items that I would have liked, and getting me any ONE of them would have made me very happy. That I'm not an expensive or extravagant person. He looked rather sheepish and agreed with me. *wink* At least he got the point. And, though I do love the scarves and the candle and such that he got me, I reminded him that dropping 100 bucks on me for every occasion is NOT necessary. Heck, if he gets a great deal (ie: sale) on something I WILL LOVE (and, I'm very easy to shop for, and I drop copious hints prior to any occasion), then I don't really care how little he spends, so long as he puts some thought into it, and keeps me in mind.

Well, the puppy still isn't housebroken either. She decided to poo on the floor this morning just before I was going to head to work (I mean, literally, 2 minutes before I was going to put her in her kennel and walk out the door). Then just a bit ago she peed on the mat right in front of the door (inside). *shaking head* I think, at least, that last time that she was TRYING to get where she needed to go, but I was making dinner and Tay can't quite read the signals the puppy gives as to when she needs to "go". So, as I said, until I can take the puppy outside again, she's in her kennel, and I'm getting a little bit of a chance to get online. YEAH!!!!!!

Oooops, DH is home, so I better get busy finishing up dinner (chicken thighs and drum-sticks slow-cooked with a can of cream-'o-chicken and cajun seasoning).

Blessings. --Kati

What a sucky birthday.....

Well, yesterday I turned 26. I haven't had that bad of a birthday in.......... Oh..... EVER!!!!!! I mean, even the horrid birthday parties my mom used to throw me as a kid were better than this. I woke up, got coffee for DH and myself, got Tay a bagel, and sat around waiting for SOMEBODY to remember it was my birthday. Finally after commenting on the fact, Tay remembered to wish me a happy birthday. I didn't even hear the words out of Dh's mouth till late yesterday afternoon. No present, though, because according to DH, he didn't have the time or money to pick me up a present in advance. Of course, he wanted me to stay home from Tay's hockey practice so he and Tay could go pick up a gift, but I knew my Dad would be there (albeit without gift, as he was coming straight from work), so I refused to stay home. Well, I at least DID get happy birthday wishes from my Dad, my Mom, and both of my sisters, and a happy birthday whisper from my 2 year old niece (who likes the phone, but not enough to talk on it very much). So, after getting home from practice at noon, DH sat around playing x-box games and watching tv for 4 hours, before deciding to make a run to the dump with trash. At some point while he was playing on the x-box, his grandma called (whom I'm usually close to, and who's never before failed to wish me an enthusiastic happy birthday). Instead of the usual birthday wishes that I was sure to hear, it appeared that she'd completely forgotten, and was instead calling to inquire as to whether or not I'd heard from MIL that day, and if MIL was doing ok. Well, DH caught me crying over that "straw" and asked what the problem was. WTF!?!?!?! Everybody's forgotten my birthday, including himself, and what is my problem!?!?!?!

So...... EVER SO THOUGHTFUL guy that he is, after dumping trash, DH stopped at the GROCERY STORE, bought one seriously F-ing ugly houseplant (I HATE houseplants, the constant watering and repotting and they still die, and they're not even attractive), a box of Valentine's chocolates, and a valentine's balloon, and brought that home for me as my birthday present. He even had the nerve to write in the card that he got me that the only reason he went to dump trash is so that he could pick me up something for my birthday. Then he had the audacity to be SHOCKED when I was insulted by a UGLY HOUSEPLANT (and he's been told before that I HATE houseplants, but I feel guilty if I don't make an attempt at least to keep them alive) and valentine's day chocolates and balloon. Needless to say, more crying insued, he had a hissy because I was upset over his gift, and Tay only THEN remembered to make me a card (which I love, but geeze.... put some thought into it PLEASE!!!!!).

After that, I get cleaned up (ie: hold a cool washcloth over my red eyes and face, get dressed up in my nicest outfit, put my hair up, and put on some jewelry) and we headed over to the inlaws to go out to dinner (it was supposed to be a combined b-day dinner for MIL, myself, and FIL, with FIL treating us). Well, I will definitely give MIL credit for being sick (nasty, nasty headcold from the look of it) when I say that when we got there she asked ME when my birthday was, then rushed to sign the birthday card she'd gotten me. *rolling eyes* She also didn't go to dinner with us, as she seriously looked like death warmed over. Dinner itself was incredible. We went to a resteraunt that DH and I had previously been to ONCE (several years ago), and we wanted to try it again. We were kind of shocked to get there and find 8 entrees, 4 appetisers, and 3 salads on the menu (and the kid's menu, for Tay, was: buffalo burger, PB&J sandwich, grilled cheese sandwich, and fish&chips). So, DH and I ended up sharing an INCREDIBLE escargot, as did FIL and Tay (and she realized she LOVES escargot, just as I always have). We each found an entree we'd like to try (and Tay got a caesar salad with grilled chicken instead of a kid's entree), and sat around waiting. Mainly listening to FIL quietly make fun of the uptight atmosphere of the resteraunt (which, it wasn't like that last time DH and I were there). Food came, and it was VERY, VERY GOOD!!!!!!!! I mean, DH had grilled halibut with tomatoes, black olives, green onions, and various other toppings with a lovely sauce, and rice. I had the MOST DELICOUS Pacific Coast Blackend Rockfish with sticky rice, some sort of yummy sauce, and skewered scallops (and a HEAD of steamed broccoli, just for me!!!!). FIL had Grilled Tenderloin over mashed potatoes with Portobello mushroom, and he said his was very, very yummy too!!!!!! (not that I had a bite of it, I keep my distance from mushrooms.) And dessert...... Ooooooooh........ Free dessert for FIL and myself, of course, being our birthday dinner. I had peanut butter pie in an almond crust with chocolate topping. FIL had what looked like a very yummy Bourbon Bread Pudding with Caramel sauce and Sugared Pecans. *moan* Damn that was good!!!!!!! And by far, the best part of my birthday.

Anyway, got home and it was back to the norm: Tay through a fit over brushing her teeth, took 45 minutes to do so, and by then I was crying again and she ended up putting herself to bed between threats to run away and wishing that she wasn't born. She had to be up at 6:30 for hockey this morning, and so far this morning has been a repeat of last night with her. Temper tantrums over the smallest thing (putting away the silverware as I washed dishes, taking a bath, getting geared for hockey....), and again, threats to run away.

Tell you what, I have always looked forward to my 26th year, have always had the sense that it would be a good year for me...... but now that I get here, I wish I could crawl into bed and never, ever get up. I don't want to talk to anybody.... I don't want to see anybody. And honestly, I'm afraid that when I go over to my dad's today and get the gifts he had set aside for me from himself and my mom, I'll end up crying even more over the wreck that was yesterday. If I tell the truth, and I will, I'm wishing I was never born (and now I've passed that legacy onto my daughter). It would be so much easier for everybody if I'd never been born and wasn't around to screw up everybody else's lives for them. No, I'm NOT going to commit suicide, I don't have the stomach for that sort of thing, but I will definitely admit that I'm feeling very freaking depressed and wish there was some way out that wouldn't hurt me our any body else. *sigh*

Ok.... I'll end this before I get anybody upset, or worried about me, or depressed along with me.

Blessings. --Kati

Added a new family member....

Well, we adopted a puppy yesterday. She's this cute little, 8 week old, Samoyed puppy. We actually adopted her on Tuesday, technically, but weren't able to pick her up till yesterday, post-spay-surgery. It's also a good thing she's so adorable, because I'm honestly about to kick her butt if I spend another night with only 2 hours of sleep after listening to her wail and whine all night long (and honest to goodness, when she gets going, she sounds like a freaking emergency siren). She's, ironically, developed this attatchment to Bashy (our 7 year old, husky-chow mix male) and follows him around, attempting to do whatever he does, to the point of favoring her back leg when she sees him lift his up after being outside in the cold for a few minutes too long. She follows him outside, she follows him inside, she won't pee unless he's watching (well, not OUTSIDE the house, anyway, she's got no problem peeing inside the house, audience or not). *shaking head* She so badly wants to play with Bashy, but on the other hand, he's a middle aged dog who's rather mellow and has never been very playful. He doesn't quite know what to make of her. LOL

Got Tay's report card on Friday, and frankly it was pretty consistently bad news. She and her teacher agree, from different points of view, that Tay has a problem concentrating in class and that it's hampering her ability to learn. The teacher thinks that if Tay just tries harder, she'll pick up on the things she's missing. Tay seems to be of the opinion that the distractions of class-room-movement around her are too much to overcome at this point. And seeing as how things have gotten worse from first quarter to second, I'm inclined to agree with Tay. *shaking head* I'm trying to figure out if we've got enough $$ to check out Sylvan learning centers, my mom has recommended an Early Childhood Delay study, but I'm going to have a heck of a time persuading DH that this might be of some help (both in figuring out what's going on, and in getting Tay the help in school that she needs). But she's a smart kid, I just don't get why she's having such a problem. None of her past day-care providers, teachers, Drs, or other adults who've come in contact with her think she's ADHD (though there is a family history of this), and even her current teacher thinks it's a long stretch to say she's ADHD. She's proven she can concentrate, she just needs a smaller group of class-mates, and a quieter place to learn, I think. I don'tk now if that's a developmental delay, or what. *shaking head* So, I'm trapped between a rock and a hard spot: a child who's failing to thrive in an academic setting, and a husband and school system who are of the opinion that it's ok to wait and see what comes along naturally, rather than trying to intervene before things take a drastic turn for the worse, one that may not be re-directional. *sigh*

We had 1-1/2 days of nice warm weather, but by last night the temperature dropped drastically again, and we have been between -15 deg. F, and -35 deg. F. today. It sucks, and the forcast is for another 4 days of this kind of cold temperatures, which also means ice-fog again. Goddess, I hate that stuff!!!!!!! I'd rather see another 6 inches of snow, than ice-fog for the next 4 or 5 days.

Ok, that's it for now. Need to take the puppy for a "walk" again. Don't want any more accidents on the floor.

Blessings. --Kati