I'm Getting the Bug...

I've always loved antiques. They're built well, full of history, and add so much to a home. They just make me happy. Before cancer, I had a job where I made enough money that I could buy some things every month so I used to be able to spend some time (ok, LOTS of time) on ebay - oh how I love ebay!

My sister Linda and I used to hit all the second hand stores and auctions. We found some of the most wonderful things and when we had enough, we'd set up at a couple of antique shows throughout the year and sell enough to go buy some more. Those were some of the best years of my life.

After things began to change, I was able to slowly wean myself from buying. But for some reason, the bug is back and I'm really wishing I could get back into buying and selling again. Is there such a job as "personal antique shopper"?

Maybe someday!

Someone I Know...

is going to be doing a paternity test. His wife called a few places that send the tests out to find out costs. She found a place where the price was reasonable and began asking questions to find out how the tests are performed.

D - "So what do they have to do?"

Nice lady at the company - "We send a kit to each person and they swab their cheeks, put the swab in the return envelope, and send it back to us."

D - "So they just swab their butt cheeks and send it to you?"

Nice lady at the company - "What?"

D - "They swab their butt cheeks and send it back."

Nice lady at the company - "Um, no. They swab the cheeks in their mouths."

Somehow, I bet that nice lady at the company couldn't get off the phone fast enough to tell everyone about that.

OMG!

They've just come out with an Obama Chia! We all need to buy one, plant different stuff on his head, and take weekly pictures of what he looks like!

You can order yours here. I think I may plant mine with miniature violets...

The Lecture...

Ok, after all of you told me how I'd brought my domestic problems with Elmer Fudd and Jr. on myself, I decided you were right and that it was time for a Family Meeting. First, I carefully crafted a list so that I wouldn't forget ANYTHING they do that pisses me off. Then, under the influence of drugs (I have a very bad head cold) I decided to sit them down for a talk.

I called the meeting to order and started out...

"Now that I'm working again, I've decided that I don't have the time for, or the interest in, being a maid any longer. It's time we stop living like pigs so here's what we're going to do."

Jr. is snickering...

"From now on, if you use the last of the toilet paper, I want you to put a new roll on. That doesn't mean set a roll on the old roll. That means, take off the old roll and put the new one on with the paper coming over the top."

Jr. - NO WAY! That means I'd have to touch the paper! (if you missed it, you must read Life's Oddities to understand why this is a problem).

"I'm sorry son, you see, I'm not giving you a choice. If I find an empty toilet paper roll still on the holder, all of the toilet paper will be removed from the house. Now I just really don't think you're going to like that. Next, when you take your socks off, please make sure they're not in a ball so that they can be washed properly. Otherwise, you'll receive them the same way and they won't be dry."

Jr. is snickering again... Elmer finally chimes in "You better quit laughing, your mother is serious"

I ignore him and go on "I'm going to buy another laundry hamper. Anything I find on the bedroom or bathroom floor will go into a garbage bag and will be donated once a week to a worthy cause."

Jr. - "NO WAY! We pay good money for our stuff. You can't just give it away!"

"Like hell I can't. I don't care if it's clothes, your IPOD, or your best friend. If it's on the floor for more than 24 hours, it's going away."

Elmer hasn't said anything other than the few words he said to Jr.

"And, from now on, since dad cooks dinner, I'll continue to put the dinner dishes in the dishwasher. But if you go get a drink, or fix something to eat, or dirty a fork, put your own dishes in the dishwasher."

Jr. - "Well what if we forget?"

"If you forget, the dirty item will go into the bag to be donated and pretty soon, we won't have any dishes or silverware left."

Jr. - "Mom, what's going on with you? Home come you're acting like this?"

"Because son, it's time you learned that your mother is not your maid and you need to become a productive member of this family." (that was a good thing to say wasn't it!)

"So, that's it. See those clothes on the fireplace hearth? You have until 12:14 tomorrow to remove them and put them away - where they belong."

Jr. - "What if I forget?"

"Well, I suppose by the time you're down to one shirt, a pair of socks and pants, and if you're lucky, a pair of underwear, then you'll probably remember."

So, we all went our separate ways. Later in the afternoon, I walked into the garage and Elmer was standing there.

"I feel so crappy, I just realized I haven't even combed my hair today."

Elmer - "It's okay, it was very effective for the lecture..."

Maybe I'm A Little Late With This...

but I have a goal for 2009. While living with Elmer and Elmer Jr. is definitely entertaining, it can also be a tad bit frustrating. Today is the last day of goose hunting (boo hoo!) so other than the occasional trip to check traps, Elmer will be spending weekends at home for the first time since August.

After 22 years of marriage, I've decided that in order to keep my sanity, I'm going to have to take Elmer and Jr. on a tour of the house and teach them a few things.

First, they're both going to learn how to put a new roll of toilet paper on when they've used the last of it. Yes, for 22 years, this is what I find when I go into the bathroom...



Really, HOW hard can it be to replace a roll of toilet paper???

Next, it's time to learn how to take their socks off. This is what they look like when I get them...



A few months ago, I started actually washing them this way and putting them into their drawers the same way I found them. Do you know, not either one of them have noticed. I don't check, but I think they're both wearing their socks inside out every day - how freakin' sad is that...

THIS is NOT Jr's closet. I do the laundry and fold the clothes so that Jr. can take them upstairs - not so that he can conveniently come downstairs every morning and choose what he's wearing off the fireplace hearth. This pile has been here for well over a week.



Do you think that posting a picture of his undershorts for all the world to see will have any impact?

It's time for Elmer and Jr. to learn where the laundry room is. I'm sure they've wondered what that little room off the kitchen is used for. Elmer used to come home, take his socks off, and leave them on the floor next to his chair. Well, the new puppy taught him a thing or two and chewed them all up. So, he learned his lesson and doesn't leave them on the floor anymore. Nope, now they've moved up to the little table next to his chair. I keep threatening that someday I'm going to start leaving them and see how big the pile of dirty socks gets.

Now before you all go feeling sorry for Elmer 'cause I'm always posting about his antics, I'll let you know that someday, I'll let him do a guest post on this blog and he will be free to post anything nice about me he wants to...

Remaking America...

We talked a few days ago about a weekly post where you can post your thoughts, ideas, or ways you were able to make a difference during the past week. We only had two days this week, but if you had the opportunity to do something kind for someone, let us know here!



It won't be considered bragging, rather, giving those of us who read this blog, ideas that maybe we haven't thought of. My sister Kate found this wonderful website where you can help a soldier who's recovering from injury. Way to go Kate! Our friend Sheri hopped right on and found someone right in her area to help. I'm hoping she'll post what happened today!

If you didn't find an opportunity this week, we're not judging you! This isn't "Go big or go home" but if you did find some way to help someone, let us know what you did! Or, if you've come up with some ideas, please post them!

Here's a few I thought of:
Pick up litter when you see it
Know someone who really needs help? Let us know! If we all send $5 maybe we can make a difference
Take food to someone sick
Send a card to someone who may need a kind word "just because"
Know a single mom? Offer to take their child/children for a few hours while they run errands
Plant a garden and share with the neighbors
Drop flowers off at the doorstep of someone you think is wonderful
When you go to the store, call a friend/neighbor and see if they need anything (save them a trip)
Tell a child you think they're special
Teach a kid something you know how to do
Give the books your kids have outgrown to a school librarian and ask her to give them to kids who can't afford books
Know someone going through a tough time? Ask them what you can do to help.

Hope you all had a great week!

Why I'm Excited...

It WAS an exciting day yesterday. I agree with much of what was said; It's great to see a black President when not too long ago, they couldn't even use the same bathroom as a white person. But by far, the thing that excites me the most is seeing and hearing the next generation so inspired and seemingly ready and willing to get involved in our country.

No matter what channel I watched yesterday, I saw ad after ad, all day long, from many companies about getting involved and volunteering. Helping out our fellow humans - obviously inspired by our new President. While we can hope for change, and some people will "expect" it, it absolutely can't and won't happen until EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. of us is willing to make it happen. We can't sit back and wait for the President to make our lives better.

If every individual who has an extra dollar would give that dollar to someone you know or a complete stranger who needs it, we can start making a difference. We can't let people go hungry - get that food out of your pantry that you know you won't eat and take it to the food bank.

Do you have old coats, blankets, gloves? Pack them up and get them in the car and head to the mission or to a local park where you know the homeless people stay during the day.

If you have extra, share it. If you have knowledge, put it to good use. It's so easy for us to "plan" on making a difference but also so easy to put it off or decide to let someone else do the work.

The economy is terrible now, the winter is cold, it seems to make us all depressed. But the best way out of depression, is to help someone. It's amazing how good it makes you feel to make a difference for even just one person.

So, I have a challenge for my readers. Once a week, all of those with blogs (if you have one I don't know about, send it to me!) should post about AT LEAST one thing we did during the week to make a difference. If you don't have a blog, you can comment on mine and let us know what you did. I'll post every Friday through the rest of the year and we can all post under Obama's words yesterday "Remaking America". Don't consider these posts as "bragging", they'll be used to give the rest of us ideas on what everyone is doing and an exchange of ideas on what we can do to make a difference, or help you brainstorm to accomplish lending a hand in some bigger way.

So, whether you pay the change for the person ahead of you in the grocery store, buy a pack of diapers for a mother you know can't afford them, volunteer for a week at a kids camp, take a kid to the movie that you know can't afford to go, or even share a kind word with someonve who obviously needs it - no matter how big or small, let's share what we're doing to help get the country we love back to where it should be.

Don't let them be just words from a new President. Let's make them OUR words and give them meaning, "YES WE CAN!"

Blue Skies, Ski Bunnies, Home Again...

The inversion in Boise has been terrible. Overcast/fog every day for the last two weeks. So Linda and I decided to head up north to Garden Valley where we grew up and try cross country skiing for the first time. They have a wonderful course set up on the golf course at Terrace Lakes and they loan you the equipment so it doesn't cost anything. The snow was basically solid ice - so bad in fact, the groomer can't even groom it. They said the snow was terrible for beginners, like landing on concrete when you fall (and I can attest to that as the truth!), but the weather was wonderful and we skied for an hour and had a great time. Definitely something I want to do again.



Linda in the "tuck" position. I made her do that, just 'cause I think that's something real skiers do...

Linda just looks like a ski bunny...

I, however, look like a hillbilly...

One of the three times I bit it. Of course, I went MUCH faster than Linda did, so of course, I fell more often...

Then we drove out the South Fork of the Payette to the Ranger Station to look at deer...


Home... Oh how I miss this house. Such wonderful memories. What I would have given to have been able to have raised my kids in the place I grew up. I was so fortunate - it's something I'll never take for granted...


We had four elk run across the road in front of us as we headed up Alder Creek to our old home. They were too far up and in the trees to get pictures but it was an awesome day...


Once we got back on the hill toward home, we hit the inversion/fog and frostline. I had to take a picture of frost on the weeds...

I Swear, I Did NOT Dig That Hole...

I didn't do it...


Nope, wasn't me...


Whaaaaat?

Ten Things I Learned From Mom...

Use proper English

Never use the word "FART"


Moms will always eat the burned pancake


The person who makes the telephone call, should always be the one to end the call

If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all

The words to "Mairzy Doats and Dozy Doats"

No matter how bad you feel, NEVER complain

That "You Are My Sunshine" is the best song in the world to sing to your kids

No matter how old you are, you're never too old to have fun


No matter what, mom will always love you


It's good to occasionally remind ourselves what roles important people have played in our lives. So what are 10 things you learned from YOUR mom?