Unemployment?? Boy that was a close one...

Today was a super scary day for about 30 minutes. Hubby called to tell me that "Two Speed" (a coworker) just found out that he was laid off and there is rumored to be 15 expected layoffs. Two Speed went into the office to turn in his paperwork and WHAM he was asked into the big office and handed his severance package and told to clean out his truck, with best wishes and a list of hiring companies. There was no warning that this was going to happen, just a simple hello, goodbye kinda day.

I told hubby to let me know how it went for him.

THE LONGEST 30 MINUTES.....EVER!!!

The fear crept in instantly and I was close to tears. If it hadn't been for checking the mail and finding my current package of yarn there, I'm sure I would have broke down in sheer panic. I was already trying to figure out what things will would have to cut and where I could find a job.

The phone rang...Hubby took in a deep breathe (my mind went numb in fear), finally he uttered the words...I still have a job!
OH, THANK GOODNESS!!!! That was all I could say.

Later when the hubs got home he told me who all he knows got cut and why he didn't.

First.. he lost a good portion of his buddies that he runs with and chats with all day. He is very sad over this loss.

Second...he stopped one of the main girls in the office and asked her what the criteria was for keeping his job. She said for him it was mostly because he is in the top 10 of drivers who make the most loads and don't have alot of expense coming out for repairs. Basically saying he does his job efficiently and doesn't tear up is truck doing it. Plus combine that with is safety record (nobody calling in on him for unsafe driving or accidents)and always passing a DOT (Department of Transportation) inspection. Also unknown to the drivers but they have been spying on them all just looking for anything to pin on them... Speeding in the pits, failure to wear safety equipment, taking extra long lunches...just anything really.

All the while he was talking, I was thinking of the story of the Rabbit and the Turtle. Steady and careful vs fast and damaging.

It's just good to know that my hubby is a great truck driver and they value him as an employee...for now.

Recap of the last few months

Soo...it has been a super long time since I have written anything. I knew I had been neglecting my blog but hadn't realized just how long it had been..4 months!! Well to be honest not much has been going on around here, except a whole lot of crocheting and some super hot days. Lets see if I can break it down and remember some things. I'm gonna cheat an use my Facebook status's for a guide.

June and July...basically those were the dog days of summer. So friggin hot it was torture just to walk to the mailbox. We didn't do much of anything outside. The scorched weeds did need mowing but the fear of fire was too great to risk it.
I had the ac's cranked and still it was hot, but I still managed to get some crochet projects done.
I did go to the zoo with my sister and her little family, that was lot of fun, but it was super hot!!
I also went to a family gathering for a late Father's day and early b-day celebration for dad.
Daughter Jennifer came out to spend the day with her dad on father's day, that was fun getting to spend time with the grandkids.
We also had a new addition to our family, granddaughter Pearl.
Hubby was home for a whole week while his truck was being worked on, that was a scary week not knowing just how long he was going to be out of work.
One more thing...I began to teach myself to knit! I have gone 40+ years without ever trying, it was time to muster up the courage and get it over with.

August...Going on our 3rd month of 100+ temps and all energy has been zapped out of human and animal alike.
I started the month out in pain from a pinched nerve in my lower back that hurt all the way down to my toes.
I did have a good visit with my brother and his little family, it is always a treat when they visit.
We did go on vacation to visit with friends and family up in the Dallas area. It was only a three day trip but it was wonderful getting to see and spend time with everybody. We saw alot of old friends that we hadn't seen in a super long time, also we got to meet our newest granddaughter and spend time with the grandkids, so that was pretty exciting.
Another good thing was that the trip didn't cost nearly as much as we had predicted.
The only bad thing that happened was I kinked my neck on the trip home and had a stiff and sore neck for a week afterwards. Well worth the pain, I'd say!
I also started a blanket for the hubby...Harley Davidson blanket! I was all excited cause it was the first time I had worked on a blanket that had multiple strands going all at the same time.

Sept...Sat around hoping for rain and watched the ground shrivel up and die.
Hubby did mowed the dirt, that was pretty funny. He had a huge dust cloud rolling behind him, reminded me of the character from Charlie Brown. LOL! It's still funny just remembering the image.
We did manage to get a few sprinkles now and then in the beginning of the month but nothing that could be measured.
I made a trip up to see the folks and work on their computer, I even got dad set up for Facebook. That lasted for about a week!
Got to go visit with my bf for a day, I do miss being able to see her whenever I feel like it.
My mom had 4 deaths on her side of the family and had to go to Maine, us kids had to do what we could to watch over the old man. We can only do soo much with someone so stubborn! LOL!
I got a lot of crochet projects done in the month of September, finished up some that had been in my closet for years.
Made another trip to parents house to AGAIN mess with their computer.
Got a few decent showers in the latter portion of the month.

October...Finished the blanket for the hubs, he has been using it ever since. He loves it!
Made a trip to brothers house to clean up for the arrival of his new girlfriend from Australia in 2 weeks. I have talked with her and already like her very much.
One of my kitties has been missing for the last week, pretty sure she met with fowl play.
Hubby has been home since mid-day Thursday..AGAIN having work done on his truck, not sure if he will be back to work Monday or not.

Well that is about it, it is actually more than I thought it would be!

Her Puppet Masters...

Sitting here drinking my coffee and going through my emails (it's been awhile). I get the weekly newsletter from Mama's Losing It, delivering the prompts for the Writer's Workshop for the week. As you must know already I haven't participated in some time. Anyway I got to last weeks prompts and the vlog option was "Show what a typical day looks like at your house". This tickled my funny bone pretty good. I started envisioning myself sitting down to watch the most boring movie ever! LOL!

She was wakened by a snorting/sneezing dog that was trying to tell her it is time to get your lazy bum up and let me out. She throws back the covers, slips on her slippers and lets all dogs out while keeping an watchful eye on the escape artist cat. She gets her coffee, puts it in the micro, gives the cats their treats and goes to the bathroom. She retrieves her hot coffee, looks over at the computer and tells herself "Stupid! You left the computer on all night". She fixes up her coffee with cream and sugar, steals a sip and puts it down.

Grabs a glass of water and a scoop of cat food. Opens the front door to watch all the kitties come a running. She feeds and waters them and sitently counts to make sure none are missing. Momma and 1,2,3,4,5. Humm, where's the daddy? Oh well, he'll show up.

Back in the house she grabs her coffee and sits down at the computer, time to see what is going on in the world and with my friends. She briefly glances over Facebook. Stitch barks that he wants back in, she waits for all three to come in but of course Taco has to be a little subborn and says no by laying there and ignoring the opened door. She comes back to the computer only to be summoned back to the door just a few short minutes later. False alarm, Tacos just barking for the sake of barking. Again he fools me for a second time, on the third time she forces him to come in so she can stop this merry go round.

Back in front of the computer in her swivel chair. She gets snorted/sneezed at by one dog and whined at by another. She swivels around and asks WHAT? Three beds for three dogs there shouldn't be a problem. Ohh, I see. Tacos bed is occupied by a cat and Stitch wants covers. She fixes the problems and returns to her browsing.

Now that the cat has been awakened and removed from said basket, he needs someone to pick on in his grouchy mood. He picks a fight with Peachy, who was fast asleep in her own basket. This morning is not quite going off without a hitch! She rubs her face in aggervation and heads outside to water the plants.

Anything to get away from being the puppet to the puppet masters. They pull her strings and move her along through another day, but sometimes they try to pull those strings just a little to tight and taunt. This just happens to be one of those mornings.

Lets see if another cup of coffee fixes anything!
If this was a movie, it really would be boring. That was two hours of my morning. Sitting here writing this and doing the same chores I do every morning. The cat fight was not a typical thing but does happen at least twice a week! LOL!

Now it is time to get on the phone and do my daily phone calls to mom and bf. Then it will be time to get some crocheting done before the heat picks up to a miserable 100 degrees.

My "little boy" is down to eight lives left!

One of my favorite of the kittens just gave me the scare of a lifetime! I was going to go back to sitting in my chair and pick up my crocheting again...I had to walk past the front door to do so and I heard momma kitty let out a strange meow. I opened the door t see what was going on.

To my horror the little outdoor end table was knocked over and one of the orange kittens was tangled up in the legs!


As you can see (from the pic I took 2 days ago), this little table has curly legs and the kittens head reaches one end and his hips reach the other end.

I rushed out the door and he was soo wrapped up in those curly legs I was frantic at trying to loosen him. I had to get his head out first and the try to free his hips, as I was trying to free his hips, I saw the look in his eyes. It was a look of "Your too late". I rushed him up to my chest, grabbed the table and threw it towards the garbage cans, ran into the house and proceeded to check him over.

I thought for sure he was dead, his eyes were glassed over and he was like a rag doll in my hands. After quickly rubbing my hands all over his body to see if there was damage, he lifted his head! I can't even relay to you the feeling that washed over me.. relief and joy, mingled with the still present fear and panic.

He was stuck in those legs in such an odd way...The upper leg had his head and his body was bent over the leg to where the metal was pressing on the back of his neck and hips stuck in the opposite direction.

Now that I knew he was alive, I wanted to check his mobility. I put him on the floor and waited to see if he could walk. He did walk but it was only two steps. I picked him up and plopped myself into my office chair. My heart was racing, I needed to sit! I sat here for a good while just stroking him and he finally started showing signs of being more alert.

I took him out to his mother (who had been meowing most frantically the whole time), who promptly proceed to lick him to death as she was leaning on my leg and purring. I stayed outside long enough to be sure he could walk good and to get some leg rubs and swishy tailing from my little boy.

If cats DO have 9 lives, then he's already down to eight! AND I gained at least a dozen new greys!

What a night! I'm worn out from all the excitement, nighty-nite.

Memorial day weekend

Saturday I spent the morning and the evening with the hubby watching some really great old war movies on the tv. I absolutely adore Van Johnson and he was a huge star of the b&w era, so manage to get my fix of him almost all day. During the afternoon I spent a few hours with my bf. I had a pretty good pile of things to take to her and we had some crocheting to share with each other. It was a good visit and we sat and watched History Detectives together (very interesting episode), it had been so long since we had the chance to just sit in each others presence. I do dislike that we now live so far away.

Sunday the hubby and I lazied around almost all day. I cooked twice and crocheted till my tush went numb. Then we took a nap. After the nap I was full of energy and the sun was setting, the temps outside had finally dropped down into the 80's. I decided it was a great time to get the mowing done. Watching the beautiful sunset across the sky made me long for my camera but I knew I had to finish the mowing before I lost all sunlight. Kinda a bummer to have missed the opportunity but at least the mowing got done. BUT before the mowing was finished, the hubby decided to come outside (first time since friday evening) just to aggravate me about my mowing technique...grrr. I was pretty peeved. I was very close to saying something ugly but thankfully refrained.
Meanwhile while mowing the race was on. There was about 77 more laps left to the race and Earnhardt was in 3rd by time I came in. Okay NOW this is a race to watch! I decided to sit and watch it while giving myself a foot soak. There I was sitting in my chair with my feet stuck in water and suddenly Earnhardt was in the lead. I was slapping my knee begging and pleading for him to go go go, while my whole body wanted to be jumping up and down but couldn't cause my feet were stuck in water!. It was torture! Only to watch his car slow down, he ran out of gas on the 4th corner just yards away from the checkered flag. OMG it was so disappointing but yet it was a thrilling race.

Tomorrow I plan to finish the yard, go to the grocery store, do some laundry and hopefully finish the throw I have been working on. Just a plain old regular day.

Yeah we really know how to party, huh?

Tagged

So here I was blissfully hiding in the shadows and crocheting my life away, totalling ignoring my responsibility to my blog and all the lovely peeps that have been so kind to continue with me through my wishy-washy way of blogging. I was suddenly reminded (kicked in the butt) of certain peoples loyalty and was slapped with a tagging. LOL! My dear friend Spot has been reading my occasional posts and has been a true blue friend on facebook. She is all up to date on how much time I have been spending with my hook and yarn and decided it was high time I focused on something else, hence the tagging. LOL! Isn't she just the sweetest! Seriously, I really do need the break.♥♥

So lets see...where did I put those questions. Hold on, still looking...Ah, found them!

#1...If you could go back in time and relive a moment, what moment would it be?
Okay I have thought long and hard about this one and it has to be this...
Hubby and I had gone to visit my grandparents in Florida. Nana lived with them and was sitting in her chair crocheting..blind. I sat down on the floor in front of her chair and watched. Then she proceeded to teach me a particular crochet stitch. It was the first time I ever had the chance to really be close to her and feel that bond of learning something from my Nana in something that we both enjoyed doing.

#2...If you could go back in time and change one thing, what would it be?
I'm not really sure there is anything that I would change cause that would alter the reality I live in and also alter me. There are things that I regret but in all of those things were a lesson learned. If I was to change the outcome of things, then I would have changed to lesson I got from it. Although...I could stand to go back and change that hairdo I was sporting in the eighties! LOL!

#3...What movie/tv character do you most resemble in personality?
I would have to say this would be a mixture of Ma Ingalls or Ma Walton. Very down to earth and strong, tough and at times even rugged and yet the homemaker with heart.

#4...If you could push one person off a cliff and get away with it, who would it be?
Wow what a question! I'm sorry to say, but I don't have anyone that I hate that much to end their life just for my satisfaction. Now if you had asked me that question back in my teens or early twenties I might have been able to come up with an answer. Thankfully I learnt that if you really dislike someone that much and can't get past it, it's best to stay away from them for both of your sakes.

#5...Name one habit you want to change in yourself?
Just one? Hummm...Give me a minute! I'm thinking...
Balance. I have a really bad habit of not being able to balance more than one thing at a time. Blogging, crocheting, photography, sewing... so on and so on. I wish I had more balance in my life to accommodate all of my loves, everyday.

#6...Describe yourself in one word.
I can't do it. I am a woman of many words. Lets just say I am a 50's housewife with a slight twist of modern. I am my grandmother.

#7...Describe the person who named you in this meme, in one word.
♥♥Friend♥♥

#8...Why do you blog?
For many reasons...To have a record of my life, to have a place to get it all out(vent), to have a place to keep family and friends up to date.

Now here is the part that everyone dreads..Hahaha (evil laugh)!
I am to name some folks to bestow this on. This might be harder than I realised considering my lack of blogging has lost me alot of readers. So in my good person fashion, I am NOT going to tag. I'm a meanie arent I?! You was soo looking forward to getting your name called out, weren't you? LOL!

Instead I will just direct you to some of my favorite peeps.
Tink
Suzicate
Peg
Angelia
Grace
MrsBear
Sprite's Keeper
Carol
Consider yourself tagged if you really want to be.

The day I talked to my birth mother...

Well as some of you already know, I wasn't raised with my birth mother. It was just me and dad for 8 years till he remarried. I have seen her 4 times throughout my life and of course there have been the polite Christmas cards and the occasional birthday card. Since my Grammies death there hasn't been any contact with that side of the family except for those cards.

As usual I sent the Christmas card last Christmas and shortly after I received a short note from her wondering why I hadn't sent a picture like my brother did. Basically I was being chastised for being not as good and thoughtful as my brother. Which at the time stung a little but yet pissed me off too. Like SHE really didn't have the right to get on my case about anything! But yet there was that nagging little piece of me that said...Why don't you give her another chance? Surely she has calmed her ways and besides she is old now.

This produced a large argument with my conscience. If you only knew the words that were spoken up in my head. Phew, it was awful! I mean how many chances can you dish out in hopes of not getting hurt AGAIN? Deep in my heart I knew I must of been sending those cards every year in hopes of some kind of relationship. In the end my conscience won and I finally broke down and sent her some pics and a small note.

I wrote, she wrote (immediately) and had been going on for nearly six months now. Then I hit a wall. I knew she was waiting for my letters but for the life of me I couldn't seem to put anything to paper. I would try and throw away, over and over again. So I stopped and waited. Mulling actually.

A few weeks ago she gave me her phone number, I logged it in my book but couldn't muster up the courage to call. I hadn't talked to her, person to person since I was 11 with out somebody else being there as a buffer. It's kinda funny but I was actually afraid of her for the longest time, but that was mostly because I had expectations of who I wanted her to be. Thankfully I don't have those illusions anymore. I have come to think of her more as a long lost family member (like an aunt), than the grandeur of the word "Mother"

So today as I sat here with nothing to do but crochet, I picked up the phone and dug out my phone book. My finger hovered over the buttons for what seemed like forever then I dialed. I hesitated just long enough for me back out of it before I pressed the talk button. Suddenly my tummy was churning and I couldn't sit still. I was pacing the floor even before the phone was answered.

I believe it went well other than the fact that I was talking ninety to nothing and probably didn't even give her much chance to talk. My nerves had taken over and I dominated the convo. By time we finally hung up, I was exhausted! I had walked the length of the house probably fifty times in the span of an hour! My nerves were as if they had been hit by electricity, my hands were still shaking and if I was still a drinking girl, I would have seriously put a hurt on a bottle!LOL!

Soo...is my fear conquered? Demons demolished? Maybe not fully but hey...it's a start.

Update with a little rant...

So as you have noticed I have been MIA from blogging. What can I say..I'm a slacker! I guess I'm not really good at multi-tasking. It's either blogging, chatting on the phone, facebooking, photography or crotcheting. One or the other, but never all at once. Sad I know, but that is just how things roll with me. If I am crotcheting (which I have been..ALOT) there just isn't much time left for anything else.

AND of course my friggin dial-up takes friggin forever to load a pic! Every pic I take I have to go and downsize just to get it to load (either here or on facebook) in 20 minutes! Drives me INSANE! If I leave it as it is, it takes 35 minutes or wont load at all...error is becoming way too common on my computer. Anyway, just incase you were wondering... what happened to that girl? I am increasingly getting frustrated with dial-up and of course I have to live in the freaking twlight zone where no satalite can reach! Can ya tell I'm losing it?! Do I feel better now...naw, not really.

So another year of my life has gone and passed by. I woke up on my birthday and looked in the mirror (by accident) and HOLY SMOLY, where the heck did those wrinkles come from?! I swear I instantly looked older! Naw, what it really was was I had had four teeth pulled a week ago and the swelling just suddenly went down and left my mouth a little sunken in...thus a new line on my face! Just what I needed ON my birthday! LOL! Cruel fate.

All them pretty little kittens (wow, look at all them T's) on my front porch are driving me nuts! They are cute and all but for the life of me I can't seem to find them homes. At one point I thought I had all but one spoken for and suddenly everyone bailed on me. Not one person has actually come and gotten one, lots of interest and promises, but alas they are all five still here. I am going though what used to be a months worth of cat food in a week! Oh and apparently word got around that this was the house to get food at cause earlier today I had to chase off two other cats and the neighbors little dog. It's bad enough I am feeding three adult cats and five kittens, I don't need the whole neighborhood thinking I am giving away free food!

Well after sitting here and rereading what I have written...I have come to the conclution that I seriously need to get out of the house! I NEED to find something to do other than sit on my duff all day. BUT of course leaving the house always ends up costing money, particularly gasoline. Sigh.

I guess I better go to bed before I either have a freak out or a meltdown. Tomorrow will be better, it has plans. Thank goodness the weekend always yeilds something to do.

Sorry if this turned into a pity party. Just one of those days that seems to weigh heavy.

Mother's Day

I guess most of you are mothers and are going to be waiting to see what you got or where you are going to be taken. Perhaps you are the one that is going to be doing something for your mother or you'll be waiting by the phone in hopes of that phone call from one of you kids. Soo many ways we celerbrate this day.

For myself I will be spending the day with my bf while she sits and waits for that phone call from her son who probably already sent her some flowers. Then it's on to visit with daughter Jennifer and the grandsons. Most of our Mother's days are spent with hubby's mom, a lunch at Luby's or her favorite seafood joint. Apparently that is not going to happen this year, if it is..then we wasn't told about it.

Do you see a pattern here, my mother! Where is she in all this? Well...I just saw my mother last week and the week before. I already gave her her presents (I should be good till Christmas (jk mom)). It is kinda sad that I have never been able to see her or spend time with her ON Mother's day, but I know she understands. (I hope she understands) Besides, my brother is taking her out for dinner.
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How interesting. I just looked up Mother's day in Wikipedia and was surprised and intruiged that the first idea of Mother's day was not as it is today. What started out as a protest of war with the Mother's Day Proclamation and then a more personal celebration of mothers (introduced by Anna Jarvis and passed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914), became a commercialized holiday. Anna hated what became of her holiday so much she spent the rest of her life protesting against her own creation.

Very interesting reads if you have the time.
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Well anyway I do hope you all get the Mother's day you are wishing for and have a happy one!

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Wondering....

Sometimes I start thinking and wondering why we have so much stuff. I'm not just talking about myself here, nearly everyone I know has a storage shed or even rent one. Is it because we don't have large barns. basements or attics to put in all in, like days gone by. I tend to watch hoarding shows and old movies. One thing strikes my interest when comparing the 30's and 40's to people of today. We have a bunch of stuff!

In the old era regular woman (not the social elite, they had everything) had:
A handful of clothes, maybe just enough to fill a trunk.
Two pairs of shoes, if they were that lucky.
One tube of lipstick and some face powder. They just had to powder their noses!
When the young ladies got married they didn't need a moving van to transport their stuff. Most were capable of carrying their stuff by hand. Most had all that they needed and no more than that. The essentials.

The essentials...my have they grown.

When we moved 3 years ago, it took many many loads of a jam packed flatbed trailer to get all of our essentials relocated. AND I did some major throwing away while packing!

Back to the wondering phase... I wonder if the great depression has anything to do with our desire to have more? Lots of people had to sell what little they had just to survive and as times got better they replenished. BUT I think a good portion of those folks suffered emotional scars so deep that they passed on this compulsion to "have" onto their kids and so on.

I know my grandparents had very little in the 40's, their love, a child and the basic essentials. BUT over the decades my grandmother was on a constant receiving, acquiring and hoarding binge. To the point that in the 80's the attic, basement and half of the 2 car garage was full to the brim. Not to mention the rest of the house.

I also see this same pattern in my dad. His most common phrase..I might need it someday! I must have the extra washer, cause what if the one were using quits on us. Yeah that is my dad. LOL! You just never know when your going to need something and then you'll regret not having it. Soo even with their tiny budget they pay for storage.

I am also a victim of this "Have" syndrome. We have a storage unit out back and it is full of tools (his stuff) and such. One corner is portioned out for me and yes it is already full. I have debated on getting another one for some of the things in the house that need to go out. BUT then I think...Why? Why do I have stuff that I'm going to put outside and leave there for who knows how long?

Then I think about hubby's side of the family.

When Granny Faye (his grandmother) died hubby was told to go through the garage. All of his grandfathers things were in there and he had been dead since hubby was a child. All of his stuff was left there untouched for decades. It was kinda cool going through all that old stuff and coming across some treasures of his youth.

Then their is his own mother. She has 3 storage sheds, a full house and a 2 car garage that has never had room for a car.

Soo I sit here and wonder why do we have the need to buy, get, acquire and hoard it away in every nook, cranny or storage shed? What happened to just having what we really need?

Still searching for those Money saving tips...

Well if you really know me, you know I am always trying to find a way to save a buck here and there. I am constantly browsing sites and reading articles to find anything that will work for me...the lower class of society. It can be funny at times and other times very frustrating. I mean most of the stuff I have looked at it based towards the middle class and most of their advice is to spend money to save money. Well golly gee...If I had the money to spend in the first place, I wouldn't be soo friggin desperate to save some money. Of course I'm talking about RIGHT NOW (this week preferably), not 20 years down the road. I mean yeah it would be nice to look that far ahead, but if I can't save a few bucks this week or the next or the next, then how in the heck am I to save for the distant future? Gezzz!

Here are a few of my latest finds. Source: Money saving tips: 122 ways to trim your budget. http://frugaldad.com/2009/05/06/ultimate-money-saving-tips-collection/


1) Make your own Christmas presents. To be honest I haven't done Christmas in 3 years already and am very satisfied to be out from under that financial stress of a money grubbing holiday.

2) Cut your own hair. Been doing that all my life.

3) Dry cleaners?? Really? Never been to one.

4) Ride a bike. Yup I really do need to do this one, but it seriously won't save me any money until I can get good at riding it 60 miles round trip and add a tow trailer behind it to carry all my goods. Not very practical.

5) Don't worry about upgrading to the latest technology. You have got to be kidding?? I still get laughed at cause my cell phone is just a phone! No pics, no ring tones, no email, no texting...ect..just a phone. We did upgrade our tv 2 years ago, but only out of necessity. The old fashioned tv was dying. We don't have recording devices and our only dvd player is the travel one I bought the hubs a few years back. The funny thing is that some of the things we wanted to get, are already obsolete. There is just no keeping up with all the new things that come out.

11) Okay this one is good. Find things in the store that are basically the same but cheaper cause they are in a different section of the store. Hubby sent me to get him some plastic gloves for oil changes. Naturally you think oil changes...automotive..right? Not! The ones in the automotive section are a few pairs and cost more. I found a large box in the medical supplies (50 pairs) for just a few bucks more and just as disposable. They will last him a few years vs a few months.

12) Stop buying disposable things. (Ignore the last statement..LOL!) Now I admit I am a paper plate junkie, but of course the cheapest and highest quantity I can find (usually Walgreen's..99 cents with coupon). I did cut back on paper towels and opted for the regular hand towel.

17) Check you print preview to be sure your not going to be wasting a second sheet of paper for the last few unnecessary lines. Yup that's a good one! I hate wasting that extra sheet!

20) Car expenses and minor repairs. DIY! Paying someone else to do the simple things like airing up a tire, or filling the windshield washer fluid, is simply a waste of money. I mean we do have Utube and such, these things are very easy to do or learn to do.

I have read a lot of talk about cutting the cable off or downsizing your subscription. This would be great if we was the type to go out to the movies or something like that on a fairly regular basis. BUT our cable is our only entertainment. Yes it would free up 60 bucks a month, but if we was to use that for a night out, it would only be 2 nights of the whole month! The WHOLE month! Me and him in a room with nothing to do but talk, yikes! NOT going to happen! LOL!

(so far these are things that don't or can't apply to me or things I have already done, not much help for finding that extra buck or two right now, but I continue the quest.) Hope yall might get some use out of these ideas and don't forget to check out that website.

Wake up Sleepy Head!

Funny how this old woman still gets woken up by her father.

Ring...ring...call from mom or dad, the phone says. I groan, turn over and grab the phone. Helllllo in my rough sleepy voice.
Dad..you was still asleep? (well duhhhhh!) Wake up sleepy head!

I moan and groan as I creek my bones out of bed.
Me...What's up?
Dad...nothing, just calling to chat.

I'm thinking..seriously, this couldn't wait another hour? Oh well, might as well get me some coffee.

Dad...How ya feeling?
Me...fine.
Dad...I mean how are your aches and pains?
Me...Well dad I don't know yet, my body hasn't even gotten the blood circulating yet!

By time I get to the front door to let the dogs out, ohh...there it is...the ache creeping into my hip from laying on it all night long.

Dad...So what's on the agenda for today?
Me...Uhh, wake up for starters. LOL! Later today I need to go get some yarn for the Special Olympics Scarf project. They would pick new colors for this year and they just happen to be colors I don't have, then on to some grocery shopping.
How about you?
Dad...I don't know yet, your moms not here to tell me.
LMAO!!! (good boy)

Me...Did you take your meds?
Dad...Ohh, I better do that! You take yours yet?
Me...getting to it right now.

Me...Okay well have a good day and don't cook on the stove. (he tends to burn things and fills the house up with smoke) Thanks for the wake up call.
Dad...Yup, talk to ya tomorrow!

Another This and That...

Soo if you have been following my stats on Facebook, then you know I have been a berry picking fool lately. I have blackberries gallore! So far I have filled up 20 quart sized bags and one gallon bag (that I gave to my mother). I'm trying desperately to get as many as I can before the heat dries them all up. Just last week I was outside for two hours and got to gallons of berries. Yesterday it took 4 hours to get the same amount. They are getting harder and harder to find berries that aren't dried up, half eaten or just plain falling off the vine.

I had a lovely visit with my mom, sister and her two youngest. It's funny how we need to see each other at least once every month or so to exchange stuff. By time they got here I had a pretty good stack of stuff for them to take and of course they were bring me stuff. I also had to do some checking on mom's computer, turns out all it was..was her impatience! Not a thing wrong with her computer! LOL!

I finished dad's blanket on the 19th and started mom's blanket on the 20th, I'm 3/4ths of the wat finished with her blanket already! Every chance I get I am crocheting.

I am begining to think that I am repetative and quite boring. LOL! If I am not mistaken my last few posts have been about the same things. What can I say..I'm predictable..sorta.

Back to mom's computer..Any of you computer savvy people know how to change the settings on a computer to enlarge everything? My mom's computer was enlarged to the point that everything is soo blown up it looks distorted. I'm talking everything, from the welcome screen, icons, wallpaper..ect. We need to put it back to normal, but can't find the place to change it.

I guess that is all for today, time to get some yard work done.

This and That...

I'm sitting here thinking..Is it possible that I am losing interest in the process of blogging. Naw..not possible! I just don't ever seem to have the time that is necessary to dedicate to it as I should.

Ever since I picked up my crochet hook last September, there is nothing I want to do more. I have always been a crocheter but maybe only one blanket a year, if that. I have a blanket I was worked on for 3 winters. Since September I have done..6 queen sized blankets and have currently started number 7. I don't know what spurred this obsession other than once I did A blanket for one person, bam I had a list of people to do blankets for. Like enough to keep me busy for the rest of the year! Then I got into exploring crochet websites for patterns and I got carried away. Soo many pretty patterns and new stitches to try!
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I got my new camera today and am dying to get outside and play with it. If only the stupid batteries would hurry up and charge.
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I washed both the truck and the car by hand. The car was beyond filthy and The hubby's running mates at work was giving him a hard time about it. Fingering in "Wash Me". The biggest culprit is his friend Grumpy. He goes back to work in the clean car and

Grumpy says...I did a good job BUT I should have used a towel to dry it.
I said "Dang, I just can't make that man happy!"
Hubby says.."They don't call him Grumpy for nothing!"
LMAO!!
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Hubby gets home Thursday night knowing he is going to be off for a three day weekend, so he hangs up his bib'alls and says aloud..see ya Monday morning.
I said..What, your not going to get dressed till Monday?
Hubby..Dang toot'in!
This afternoon he gets dressed. I asked him why.
Hubby..I figured I better get outside and mow so you would think badly of me.
Me..You nutcase! I was perfectly resigned to the fact that you was going to do nothing all weekend. (stupid girl)
The bib'alls got hung back up!
Me...No, No, No...I didn't mean it! Go ahead and go outside!
Too late. Dang it, will I ever learn?
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The new kittens are such a joy to watch. I love watching them learn new things. Like getting their little legs to stand up, they sway at the attempt and I can't help but to laugh. Yesterday one had learned how to get out of the box. She is my little explorer, she has already learned how to roam all over the place and tumble down the stairs. Her other sisters are trying to follow her lead. He brothers on the other hand..well lets just say they are slower to try. They seem to be saying...why should we get out of the box? It's nice in here. LOL!!
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Yall have a nice day!

Hot weather and new camera...

I'm sure most of you know already that Texas is in the worst drought in 44 years and is being consumed by an explosion of wildfires. Let me just say...dang it's hot! The temps are now up into the nineties with heavy humidity, but still no rain. I can't even open the door without breaking out a sweat from the extreme heat.

Here at my house we haven't had any measurable rain since Sept. I do envy those who are getting rain, but yet I hear some are getting way too much rain with violent storms and even some tornado's thrown in. I watch Facebook status's and here lately I have had major concern for the safety of my friends and have a wave of relief when I see that those folks have posted again and are okay. Thank goodness.

I also learnt this morning that one of those wildfires is very close to my sister-in-law. The news was posting pics of places and hubby was calling out their names with a gasp. I think the hardest blow was the swimming hole that he played in many a summers while staying with his sister. We are both hopeful that they can get those fires under control. A little rain couldn't hurt either!
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We have wild blackberries all over the place around my house. I have been trying to go picking for the last few days but I can't stay out there for too long. BUT I will keep trying cause well....they are FREE! I already have 5 bags in the freezer, would have had 7 but we ate some already! LOL! I just might try my hand at making a pie, that requires flour...right? Hmmm, I'd better go get some.
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Soo remember the camera I soo wanted to the point of obsession. Well thanks to some donations and a sale, I was able to upgrade. No I didn't get THE camera of my dreams but I did manage to get...

Kodak® EasyShare Z981 14.0-Megapixel Digital Camera, with 26x optical zoom.

It should be arriving today!! I am super excited and want to thank all who donated to help me out with the camera fund. Yall are AWESOME!!!
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Okay well I'd better get out of this chair and get out there and pick some berries before the heat melts them away. Yall have a great day!

Poteet Strawberry Festival continued..

A unique looking windmill

and a unique looking trike

Cool rides

Great prizes

and neat crafts

A old west show

And a Rodeo!

Poteet Strawberry Festival

Friday night on the news I heard that the Poteet Strawberry Festival was going on, it's a three day event in the nearby town of Poteet. I always seem to forget about it and never know when it is happening, the first and last time I went was in 98'.

As soon as the hubs got home, I asked him how to get there. He shocks me and says he will take me. The hubs going to an event..with all them PEOPLE! I was truly shocked! Well Saturday came and I was ready to go by noon. The hubs hadn't called yet to tell me to go on ahead, cause he had had time to think about his impulsive blurt and changed his mind. I was feeling pretty confident that he was actually going to go through with it. NOT! By 3pm he called with the news that I knew was going to happen. It was too late to go now. Needless to say I was very disappointed.

Saturday night bf said she would like to go (since she had never been) but was hesitant to confirm wether or not it was a planned trip. I had already made up my mind that if I had to, I would go by myself! I was going, no matter what! Thankfully she said yes the Sunday morning (the last day of the festival).
I was greeted by Mr. Strawberry

Bf was greeted by her favorite..Scratch offs!

Strawberry milk?

I love the ferris wheel

Very tempting on a hot day, but we were good and stuck to the free samples of Sierra Mist

Take a spin in a strawberry

There was some fabulous and cute latin dancers

and lots of painted faces

Most delicious Strawberry Shortcake

and some awesome local bands

To be continued...

Randomness

Yesterday was a bad day for Taco, he was getting hurt left and right all day.
He tried to jump up on the chair and missed, he landed on his side and whimpered for a good two minutes. Scared him is all.
He wanted down from the chair and I raised my crocheting to let him pass and he jumped his face right into my hand. He has a loose tooth, so I know that really hurt.
He was doing circles in front of the door (The "let me out" dance), I go to open the door and Stitch rushes over and pushes Taco into the moving door. Hurt his right front foot.
I'm sure if he could, he would file "elder doggie abuse" on me! Really an "Off" day!
Today..he acts like he is going to try to sleep through this day. No chance of getting hurt while your sleeping, unless the cat pounces on him! Poor old man!
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I know most of yall are still being pounded by rain or snow and most think I am pretty lucky to be in Texas and to be getting spring already. For the most part I would agree, but believe me we are already hitting some problems.
For the last few days it has been gloomy and chilly outside, like it really wanted to rain. Heck it did rain all around us, but here at my house..Nothing. AND yet the grass keeps growing!!
The temps are already starting to climb back up and the fan in the livingroom decided to die and the AC in my bedroom isn't working right. One thing I have learned here in Texas, there is NO happy medium! Okay maybe there is but it only lasts about a week! It's either hot or cold, in a drought or flooded...warm with light showers is a rarity to be treasured. I want some of that!
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I forgot to post my last project in crocheting.


It's really hard to tell, but there is a large heart in the center of the bed. I made this for my bf's birthday.

I am currently working on a blanket for my dad, I'm about halfway finished with it.
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If you will notice there is a donation button for paypal over on the side panel, it is for a camera fund. I was talked into putting it up there, by a few folks. It's not that I don't already love the cameras I do have, they are both great in thier own ways. It would just be nice if all those features where in just one camera. Soo, I have been drooling over this camera for some time and of course the price of it is soo far out of my range it's pathetic.

Yeah, it sure is purty! I have it on my Christmas list, but the hubs hardly ever pays attention to the list, if he looks at it at all. He is NOT a shopper! LOL!

Sooo, I thought I would give the button a gander, we'll see.
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I guess I ought to give yall a little update on some past posts.

Mom and dad didn't kill each other, they stopped talking for a day and now they are both back to normal with some extra umph and gusto at working out some of the issues.

I appreciate all of yall's help with the address labels and placed my order last night. #3 will be "mine" and #10 will be "ours". Between friends, family and awesome bloggers those are the ones with the most votes.
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Boot Scootin' Boogie

Sitting here drinking my coffee and a song is now stuck in my head. Facebook is jumping with some "Boot scootin' boogie" and I want to crank up the music and get busy. Music always makes me get lots of things done around here. It's nearly a crime to have the music jumping and to just be sitting on my hiney. Although I really do need to dedicate this day to crocheting, I don't see that happening now. So I sit here wondering if I should go with my desire to rock out or calm myself down and find something to squash that jumping song right outta my head.

Oops..I just cranked up the jams! Boot scootin' boogie!!! Got love Brooks and Dunn! Oh crap, I gotta dance! Be back in a moment.

Blood pumping, heart racing...looks like it's going to be a busy day, I need to clean something!

Yall have a GREAT day!

A Touch of Spring