it’s dainty

I wear the same necklace every day.  I guess you could say I’m not much for accessorizing. Just throw on the same ole thing and be done with it.  I put it on and silently know why I own it.  Because Bub died.  But I don’t dwell on it heavily throughout the day. It’s just there. 

Until someone mentions it. I went to visit someone today that has commented on my necklace in the past, so it brought those thoughts to the forefront again, even though it wasn’t mentioned today.

I love my little necklace.  It’s dainty.  That’s what my jeweler calls everything I have. Dainty. I’m built small. When I was picking out my wedding ring with him, he called it dainty too.  My finger is a children’s size. (I can still wear a ring I was given by my grandmother when I was probably 9 or 10 and I haven’t had to resize it. I wear it on my right ring finger every day.)

So anyway… the necklace. It reminded me of something today. 

Over the Christmas holiday, we did a lot of house cleaning. We were all home and none of us were overly tired from working and school, so we got a lot done. And that was good.  But one of the things we did was re-arrange ‘the closet’.. Bub’s closet/office closet.  Every few years we go through and straighten up and throw out etc.

And I found one of Bub’s favorite books! The butterfly book. It wasn’t called that, but that’s what HE called it.

Yes, his favorite book came to us already well loved. But that’s ok.  Every time we read the book, we had to stop so he could look at the butterflies.   

His favorite was the green one in the center left area. We always had to stop so he could admire all of them.. but especially the green one.

It was easy to decide what to have made in memory of him.

There is another post that tells more of the story of my necklace here.

It’s the Randomness that get’s you

1. How good are you at delaying gratification?  It depends on what I’m waiting for.  It is hard to wait on things sometimes.

 
2. Maybe a marshmallow wouldn't be too difficult a temptation for you. What food (or anything else) would be most tempting?  (there was a video with the preview of these questions of a kid left in a room with a marshmallow and told to leave it be etc.. very Candid Camera) I think a marshmallow would be hard. That’s one of my favorite junk foods, but I seldom eat them. Actually I like marshmallow cream much better.

 
3. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being saintly) how patient are you?  Probably a 5.

4. Have you ever waited for something in life only to be disappointed upon realization of the goal/object/etc.?  Often that is the case with our desires.  We get it and think ‘oh’. Sometimes big things don’t seem like as big of a deal when we finally get/purchase etc them.

 
5. Are you a person who takes shortcuts?  I try not to, because they seldom lead where you want them to.

6. Which line is hardest to wait in? the express lane

7. Did you wait to discover the gender of your unborn child until its birth?  no.

8. Are you more patient with children or the elderly?  about the same

9. Did you ever sneak a peek at a present? Yes I did. And it ruined Christmas for me. I had to ‘fake’ being surprised about a really  nice stereo. Not cool.

10. What is the longest you've ever waited for anything? Gosh I don’t know… Waited two years after we married to buy a house. I worked and we saved that money so we could use it for the down payment. That seemed like a very long wait, since I wasn’t very fond of living in an apartment.

 
11. Who has more patience, you or your significant other? DEFINITELY my significant other. I am always amazed at how patient he is with evvverything.

  
12. Which of the following songs about waiting is your pick for the best? (OK, you may substitute another, if you like.)
A) Anticipation by Carly Simon
B) The Waiting by Tom Petty
C) Right Here Waiting for You by Richard Marx
D) Wait for Me by Rebecca St. James

The only one I’ve ever heard is “A” and I think that was on a ketchup commercial, so I guess I’ll go with that.

For more of the random, check out 2nd Cup this week! : )

‘

the breakup

I used to really like you.

Sometimes you were a pain in the neck, but you never let me down.

But… *choking back fake tears*… I’ve found someone else.

He doesn’t take up as much of my time. And I don’t have to go hunting for him every time I need him.  

He’s always right there.  Some might say he’s a little bit in the way… but I like to think he just wants to be ready to help out. 

You and your friend Downy are my new BFF’s. 

not fun and fun

I feel like I literally have nothing to say right now.  Life is nuts. I returned my washer and dryer.  Looong story involving how strangely products are made these days.  An example…my washing machine that had a ‘normal’ cycle, a ‘casual’ cycle and a ‘delicate’ cycle.  And the only difference in the three is how long the machine agitates. NOT how hard or gently it does it.  I looked inside my machine while it was working and knew it would tear up anything truly ‘delicate’, so I send them both back.  My dryer door made such a shrill sound when I opened or closed it, I had to wear ear protection to keep from getting a headache, which I’m prone to with very loud noises. I could go on and on….! *sigh* I also wasn’t thrilled with some things that were done in the whole process.  There isn’t a point in going into it so I’ll just say…

… tomorrow I’m getting a new pair from a different store.  The lady that waited on me there was actually knowledgeable about the machines and could answer any question I had, rather than saying ummm a lot and reading the same little card above the appliance that I can read for myself.  Hoping the saga ends tomorrow.  You. Have. No. Idea. how NOT FUN this has been!

***awkward non-existent segway segue way segue***

I’m working on pix for our Disney trip. I’ve been looking forward to scrapbooking them since we took our trip. I used the blog (under the travel label) to remind myself of what we did on what day and even remembered some things I had forgotten.  I think it will be fun. I was given some pre-made pages (add your own pix) in a Disney theme that are 8 by 8. I’ve never scrapbooked on pages smaller than 12 by 12. And the photos can seem huge. So! *squeal* Somebody told me that at Sams Club you can print out wallet sized prints… and with some fancy maneuvering of the photos on the screen there in the store, you only have to print one of each pic. So you get two photos on one 3.5 by 6 piece of photo paper. There is a small piece to slice off at the bottom and they have to be cut apart, of course. But they will be very cute in my little book.  I’m hoping to find pix of some of the things I didn’t get pictures of and have those printed to fill in a couple of gaps of attractions we don’t want to forget!  I think it will be a FUN little project. 

Random Dozen

1. So I was thinking about how Jon Bon Jovi never seems to age much. His hair is smaller nowadays, but he still manages to look like a boy somehow. And then that made me think of the story of Dorian Gray. Question: If you physically lock in one age for yourself, which would you choose and why?  My hair is sort of 80’s/90’s and I’ve been trying to grow it out, but I have a hair appointment on  Thursday. I think I might have given up on it.  I don’t like flat hair on me…. so what decade is that?

2. What is the best dish that you cook or bake (your piece de resistance?  I dunno.  I used to make this chicken casserole thingy. It’s super easy and I got the recipe from my MIL.  I’ve made it for just about everybody we know.. either when they came over or when they had a baby or something.  I don’t make it much anymore. It has cream soup in it and we don’t do that very much these days.  But I knew of a friend who’s husband asked me to bring it to them again just for funzies.

3. When you feel blue, what is one strategy you use to help yourself back to normal?  Get out. Change my surroundings, if I can. Read my Bible. Pray.

4. When was the last time you danced in public? Ummm… oh yeah.. never.

5. Do you consider yourself a realist or dreamer? I think I used to dream more, but now I am more of a realist.  And sometimes that makes me sad. I guess I just had to adjust the dreams a bit as time has gone on.

6. As a parent, what is one thing that you have done well? I dunno. Ask me in ten years. LOL

7. Which is your favorite character on the Andy Griffith show? Gosh.. how to pick!  Probably Andy. He was a patient and wise parent.

8. On a scale of 1-10, how much do you know about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?  Probably not enough.

9. Have you never been mellow? Have you never tried … to find a comfort from in side you? (Sorry, Jorge was singing that song just now, and it just seemed to be perfect timing as I was creating this week’s questions.) REAL question: What is your #1 driving pet peeve?  Texters, cell phone talkers, makeup put-er on-ers, tailgaters, speeders. A petty one is the back into the parking space person.  That drives me nuts. They take up the whole parking lot while they maneuver their car around to back in. : p

  
10. Which color best represents your mood today? Care to elaborate? Yesterday… dark gray.  Is that the color of PMS? I feel better now, so PINK!  : )

11. If your spouse were an animal, which would he/she be?  I dunno.  That’s a weird one, Lid!

12. What activity takes up the bulk of your time on an average day?  Cleaning. Laundry, Kitchen stuff.  Computer stuff blogging.

Check out more answers at 2nd Cup of Coffee.

delayed laundry day

I don’t really have anything to say… other than life has been crazy.  Within the realm of normal crazy, but crazy none the less.

My washer went out the other day. And after spending a good amount of time trying to figure out just how old it is, we finally figured it out. Real old.  So we decided to get a new set. I hate the mismatched thing and since I don’t have a door on my laundry room and it’s a pass through room, hubs humored me. The dryer hasn’t been doing all that hot (get it, get it?) for a while anyway.  Every so often I go in and it’s gone through the cycle and the clothes are wet and cold. Grrrr.  So yeah.. it’s just time.

I’m waiting now on Lowe’s to come and deliver my set. Hoping it will be soon.  It’s funny how every time we get something new, I remember all the things that happened during the life of that machine or item.  We bought these machines when Bub was a toddler.  And used them to pieces when he was sick.  And now use them like crazy keeping the girl in uniforms for school.  How can three people dirty up so much laundry?

Well, they just arrived and I’ve got lots of laundry to do. See y’all later! : )

out with the old…

…. and in with the new.

When hubs moved to Texas way back in 1986 or 1987, he bought this.

Or maybe it was a hand-me-down from the git go. He can’t remember, but either way it was beyond old. And all it did was laugh and make funny noises if you put ice in it. It served us well, but lately it hasn't been cutting the mustard. Or the ice. Or the frozen fruit.

It was cracked in some places. And it leaked.

Not exactly current technology either.

So after years of making countless milkshakes for the hubs, and smoothies for Miss Boo and I, its time had come. Bye bye old, icky blender.

Hello there, you beautiful thing you! (By the way, we bought it at Bed Bath and Beyond with an expired coupon and got $20 off! I read somewhere that they’ll do that and I guess they really do! Major score!)

Look at what it can do! This thing makes light work of ice and frozen fruit too. Lickety split!

We pink smoothie heart you, new blender! We’re all in love!

Even the cat.