~Dinna with the Sib's~

These are four of my six siblings. We got together for dinner at Timbermine last week. From left to right, we are youngest to oldest- DeeDee, Greg (he only LOOKs cranky) me, Grant, Debbie. The two siblings who are missing between Grant and Deb are (only child) Judy, and Gordy (he lives in Norfolk). It was so much fun! I have very funny brothers and sisters!

So yesterday I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and give my little "yard" some much needed TLC. I raked out weeds, pieces of plastic planter, a sacrament program, a receipt, a spent bottle rocket and all manner of decay. It almost looks like I DID something out there. I chopped down things that looked dead, but probably are just in their dorment season. Lot's of stuff that was way overgrown and just annoying me. I pulled weeds. Lots and lots of weeds. I like pulling weeds, it's theraputic. In fact I'll bet that some of the weeds I pulled weren't even weeds...but it felt good anyway! My landlord gave me full rein over my area, so I'm pretty sure he won't object to anything I've done. He even gave me a key to his shed and told me I could borrow anything out there that I wanted. The person who "landscaped" before me must have gone to the nursery and bought some of everything in the ground cover dept., as well as every kind of lava rock, bark, stone, brick edging, and planter. There is no rhyme or reason to what is out there. Kinda funny, but I feel like posting a sign that reads "I didn't landscape this place". Aside from the spider dangling from my hair, the dried lavender down my sweaty butt crack, and not enough room in the garbage can to put all my clippings, I loved my time working out there!

It's been too long since I've blogged and I love blogging. It's such a great outlet for me. A lot has happened this past year. Ok, that may be an understatement. I am just getting interested in being creative again. Wow! it's been over a year since I've had that desire. The last time I had the desire to do home decorating was the day I got the news about my dad. The idea of decorating just didn't seem important anymore. But time heals most wounds, and I've decided that beauty in all forms is important in this life. Today I'm going out to pull weeds and assess what needs to be done in my little patch of earth. I'll let you know how that goes. Later gator!

I will blog and catch you up on my life. I promise I will!

Confessions of a Pack Rat

I never really considered myself a pack rat. Not to be confused with the Rat Pack..you know, Frank, Sammy and Dean. I may be a little bit of a saver, for creative purposes only, mind you. But having to get ready for the carpet to come (see previous post) really opened my eyes to what a little piggy I am! I had to clean out the bottom of my hall cupboard, where the carpet would be laid. Here is a PARTIAL list of the stuff that came out of the bottom area:

* Nine used calendars dating back to 1997. '98, '01, '05, are missing. Why I saved them and why those three years are missing, I Have no clue!

* Hand made baby blankets for each of my babies. Time to give those up to my babies who are grown and having babies of their own.

* A bag full of plastic easter eggs

* A bag full of little black leprechaun pots

* A bag full of plastic lei's

* Table cloths that don't fit any table I own

* A silver platter (that I'm sure I will need when the queen comes for dinner)

* An assortment of partially burned candles, in a variety of shapes, colors, scents, and sizes

* A gallon size ziplock bag of rocks..yes I said rocks. Not fancy rocks. More like pea gravel.

* A 3 ring binder with all the information pertaining to the purchase, then sale, of our first home.

* A box of art supplies

* A giftbag full of 50th birthday gag gifts (not MY 50th, I'M not 50 yet)

* A ziplock bag of dried potpouri in cinnamon/christmas pine scent

* A large container of assorted dried gourds



Keep in mind that this is just a partial list. Oh yes my friend, there is more _ _ _ _ that I took out of the cupboard and threw away or gave to the DI. Also, this isn't shelves and shelves worth of stuff. This is the bottom area only.

I need to have a yard sale for all this stuff.... And my head examined. I'm sure Sigmund Freud would have plenty to say about this neurosis of mine. But I think a much funnier man, George Carlin, said it best: The meaning of life is 'Trying to find a place for your STUFF'.
Anyone want some stuff?

Entering Re-hab Soon!

I have recently discovered the delicious addictiveness of my drug of choice, Facebook. It's a wonderful way to connect with old friends and loved ones that you wouldn't take the time to pick up your cell phone and invest a whole conversation with, mixed with a little bit of voyeuristic pleasure. Adding 'friends' is also a way to pump up your pseudo popularity, and who doesn't need an ego boost like that? That being said, I have learned things (for good or bad) that I probably never would have known about had I not jumped on the FB bandwagon. I may need to enter rehab for this new-found addiction, but for now, I'm off to score some flair!

100's Day

Pammy-I'm not sure I can think of 100!

1. I love to laugh
2. Especially when it's wildly inappropriate
3. Something about it being inappropriate makes it funnier
4. I cannot swim
5. I don't care to learn to swim
6. I miss my dad more than I ever thought I would
7. I miss my mom, but that's just a given
8. I've had a crush on Tim Russert (I know, he's dead now)
9. I've also had a crush on Walter Cronkite
10. He's not dead yet
11. I'm usually an easy going person
12. People who are mean to their kids in public tip my applecart!
13. I have no problem telling people who are mean to their kids, what I think.
14. there is nothing like the smell of a freshly bathed baby.
15. and a newborns breath...I could suck the smell right out of 'em.
16. I liked being pregnant.
17. White chocolate/raspberry yogurt is my favorite
18. I hate to clean up cat barf
19. I love to watch the rain
20. I love the way it smells after it rains
21. I love the smell when the furnace kicks on for the first time in the fall
22. I know...it's the smell of dirt!
23. I fell in love with the children in So. Africa....
24. .....when a photographer friend showed me her pictures of them that she took.
25. My children bring me my greatest joy
26. My children bring me my greatest heartache
27. I love my job
28. I love the little old farmers who come to the mailbox to talk to me
29. Every time I have a headache I'm sure it's a brain tumor
30. I have fears that are more irrational than that
31. ...when I walk with my hands in my pockets I'm afraid I'll trip and not be able to get my hands out of my pockets fast enough to catch myself, and I'll fall on my face and possibly break my nose, or knock out my front teeth.
32. I rarely walk with my hands in my pockets
33. I love babies
34. my mother use to say "there are no ugly babies"
35. I've seen some ugly babies.
36. My hairdresser, Janika, says there are no ugly women. Just lazy ones.
37. I think I have A.D.D.
38. I had to go to the vice-principals office in the 9th grade for changing the recipe on the blackboard in the home ec. class, and causing the class to ruin their brownies.
39. The vice-principal tried to reprimand me, but all he could do was laugh
40. I like dessert
41. I don't really like meat
42. I'm not weird about not eating meat, I'd just rather eat dessert if given the choice
43. I don't like killing things
44. A pigeon killed himself on my windshield the other morning while I was driving to work.
45. I want to go to Africa
46. I wish I was skinny
47. but I like to eat
48. see #40
49. I'm not opposed to trying any fad diet
50. I have no friends who don't make me laugh
51. I use to hate my nose
52. I came to terms with the nose I have when I was in jr. high, and one of my young women leaders who had the most ghastly hook-nose told me she liked her nose
53. I like my nose..thank you Sister V.
54. Nothing is as good as sitting down to Sunday dinner that someone else has cooked
55. I miss Christmas at Grandma Barker's house
56. I miss Grandpa Barker
57. I've never won the lottery
58. I don't play the lottery
59. I don't mind being alone
60. My comfort food is oatmeal
61. I think I have the most intelligent grandchildren who ever lived
62. I like good teeth
63. People who choose to not take care of their teeth gross me out
64. If you take a drink of my bottled water, it's yours...keep it.
65. I like to drive
66. I like to be driven
67. If I had to choose between having dinner for breakfast or breakfast for dinner, I choose breakfast for dinner.
68. I like to be kissed.
69. And hugged.
70. I'm totally a morning person
71. There are people I think about all the time but I don't pick up the phone to call them
72. I'm a terrible procrastinator
73. I'd rather be early to a meeting than walk in late
74. I remember people from my first grade class
75. I saw a guy on face book that was in my first grade class, and he looked the same, only bigger.
76. I love having overnighters with my sisters.
77. I like a good secret keeper
78. I am one because I generally can't remember them
79. I'm a loyal friend
80. I was for prop. 8 (go ahead and flog me)
81. I love H.G.T.V., but I don't have it
82. I have a testimony of the gospel
83. I need to bear my testimony more often.
84. I tend to be a rule breaker
85. I have musical turrets

86. Sometimes at work I belt out the word in the middle of a song

87. It use to scare my co-workers, but now they do it too.
88. There is safety in numbers
89. I quit hula lessons when I was 5 because I didn't want to be in the recital
90. I wanted a Barbie when I turned 5
91. When I turned 5, I got a new mu mu and some sparkly slippers (flip flops)
92. No Barbie-ever.
93. When my only daughter was 5 I got her Barbie and all kinds of accessories for her
94. My only daughter didn't like playing with Barbies
95. I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane last summer

96. I hate heights
97. I was afraid I would snap my tandem jump instructor like a twig.(he was 6'2" and 90 lbs. at the most)
98. the best three moments of my life was each time I held one of my babies for the first time
99. If Mrs. Stone (my 1st grade teacher) was still alive, I'd tell her thank you for teaching me to read. It's a skill I use every day.
100. I'm the luckiest girl alive, because I have people who care about me. Thanks for reading.