492. Time keeps on slipping...

It's such a cliche but so true that the older I get, the faster time seems to pass. I'm also finding that I can't remember details about events as clearly as I once could. Which always gives me twinges of regret that I'm not writing everything down now so I can recall it later.

But I'm so busy now doing now stuff, if I take the time to write it all down, I'll be behind schedule. And if I'm forgetting it's because I have so much to do that I can't possibly keep it all in my brain so I must write it down lest I forget to do something that really needs doing.

What a life.

Not that I'm complaining. This is not a rant, just an observation.

We have mostly been busy having fun, though the responsible one (me) has had to tend to the adult duties of making appointments for auto/medical/school necessities and more.

On top of my regular duties I've been working on Special Projects that have taken most of my time for the past three months or so. When I'm done, I'll take a few deep breaths, give thanks, and move on to the next projects as they're already waiting on the sidelines.

Life is just one big party around here and I'm lucky enough to be the guest of honor.

Or maybe I'm the hostess?

Any way, I'm happy to say that despite the occasional lapse into Unhealthy Eating, I've been doing pretty good with my journey to a Healthier Me.

I've been learning lots about good nutrition and I've come across two new things I like. One is a Greek yogurt called Fage. (Pronounced fa-yeh.)

Although I don't do well with dairy, I love yogurt. I enjoy Stonyfield Farm's French Vanilla and some brands of "Greek" yogurts as well.

Thankfully, the vanilla yogurt helped me cut back a little on my straight-from-the-packet sugar consumption which increased when we began eating at Qdoba.

I usually get burritos at Qdoba and I take my sour cream on the side because although I love sour cream, in the past few years I haven't been able to eat it without adding sugar to it. (Which weirded me out the first time I felt the need to do it because I had a vague memory of sour cream tasting sweeter.)

One time we brought our burritos home and we were out of sour cream. (We only bought it once very few months any way because I was the only one who ate it.)

Then I spied my french vanilla yogurt in the fridge and realized it tasted the same as sour cream with sugar added. (Duh!)

So there's no need to buy sour cream any more.

Now back to the Fage.

Fage is thick and solid-looking, nothing at all like what most people see when they open a yogurt container. And while it's supposed to be good for us, it tastes like sour cream.

Yeah.

My fix: I stir until it's creamy then add granola and slivered almonds.

Yum!

But it's not really a big deal. My issues with dairy will prevent me from eating Fage too often. I bought the first container because after reading really good things about it here:  Snack Girl, I was eager to try it, and I was surprised to find it at Trader Joe's.

I bought the second container because I was surprised to see it at Super Target (on sale too) and I wanted to see if I could taste a difference between the 2% fat and the 0% fat. (I couldn't.)

Shockingly, my daughter -- the sugary-yogurt fanatic -- tried Fage and liked it. She added frozen blueberries to her portion.

Unless my daughter specifically requests it, the next time I buy a container of Fage will be some time in 2012.

The other new thing I came across was information on micronutrients. (Read here: Maximize Your Micronutrients)

I was flipping channels on the telly one night this past week and there was Dr. Joel Fuhrman talking about a way of eating that would help you shed pounds without being hungry or dieting.

Thinking it was an info-mercial, kept flipping. But when I saw the same program the next day, I realized it was a public television fund-raising special and I grew more interested. I watched, did some research online and realized it made sense to me because I remembered how much better I looked and felt when I made  green food smoothies part of my daily schedule.

How interesting to see that while I already knew the power and importance of green foods in one's diet, research on the topic of micronutrients had started long ago. I guess I wasn't totally clueless but I wasn't aware that it was being studied and that there was a collective name for it all.

Ask and ye shall receive! I guess once I re-focused on my determination to do better regarding my eating habits, the information that had been there all along made its way into my orbit.

More information for my long list of healthy living resources!

I am thankful.

Amen.

491. Blissful rejuvenation.

Ah well, it's that time of year.

I've been getting sick.  :(

Yes, yes. I'm in need of better habits: eating, sleeping, exercising, drinking water. All the deficits contribute to my lowered immune system thus making me a target for the invisible critters that wreak havoc on health.

First the Allergy Army came for a visit. It stayed a few weeks, finally leaving after we bought an air purifier.

Then came the Migraine Meddlers. They only lasted a few hours but the accompanying symptoms gave me such a fright that we headed to the E.R. for a cocktail that I didn't want but badly needed.

Since then, I've been doing my best to get more sleep and more water, as well as eat mindfully and more often.

I know I get headaches when I'm dehydrated. And I've always tried to quell them with drinking large quantities of water. But with no luck...

However, I may have found a solution. I was in Big Lots the other day and I found their MetroElectro water. We've been fans of Smart Water for years and we buy it occasionally. The ingredients in the M.E. water are antioxidants, electrolytes and zinc, all of which I'm sure to be lacking in at any given time and probably more likely during a headache.

That same day I had gone out without eating and had not had a drop of water either. So I grabbed several bottle of the M.E. water, 50 cents each.

When I got to my car, I swigged half the bottle in a few minutes and was amazed to find my headache subsiding.

Coooooool.

And although I'm still not getting enough water, I've been drinking one 20oz bottle of M.E. water a day. Which is more water per day than I've ever drunk in life.

My last few ounces of M.E. water will be gone in a few minutes. I'll be re-loading at Big Lots before I head to my crochet group later today.

Which reminds me: I created my diet affirmations here on my blog and did not follow up with the rest. My bad.

The oversight will be corrected before I leave for my crochet group today.

I am thankful for the ability to do so.

And so it is!

490. Bliss in bloom.

Me, with my hyperbolic bracelet.

My daughter's arm, wearing the hyperbolic bracelet.

489: Hyperbolic Balls of Bliss.

Have I blogged about this before?

If I have, forgive me. It's become a mini-obsession.  :D

Somehow, in between dreaming, blogging, doing laundry, sleeping, vacuuming, dusting, writing, Facebook stalking my teenager, and other duties as assigned, I've fallen in love with hyperbolic crochet.

Yes, I know it sounds like some weird dance step or a drug that accelerates the metabolism but it's neither.

Actually it's a simple method for crocheting cute balls of fluff with lots and lots of uses.

They can be crocheted using any yarn in any color, to match your mood or decor.

My obsession started with a search for the perfect flower pattern.

Looking at flat, one-dimensional flowers didn't give me the sense of creative urgency I needed to start working the pattern.

Then I discovered hyperbolic crochet.

Are you now wondering what hyperbolic crochet is?

Yes?

Here is how Lion Brand Yarn describes it:

Hyperbolic Crochet is the name given to applying a mathematical principle to crochet patterns. A hyperbolic plane expands exponentially from any point on its surface, always curving away from itself. You can easily crochet a hyperbolic surface by increasing at a constant rate throughout the piece.

Hyperbolic growth in nature gives rise to the ruffled shapes of coral, kelp, and sea anemone. Crocheting coral forms is a great opportunity to try different yarns and stitches, and is just one example of the types of project that hyperbolic motifs may inspire you to do.

The Institute for Figuring created the concept of the Coral Reef with hyperbolic crochet and have been developing this concept since 2005. More information about the project may be seen on their website www.theiff.org.

And here are links to the IFF fun stuff:

• Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef
• IFF links to galleries of hyperbolic crochet in action 
• Hyperbolic Space Introduction

There will be no hyperbolic crocheted reefs in my future but I know I'll be crocheting lots more Hyperbolic Balls of Bliss.

It's because I have a thing with numbers that's been going on since childhood, when my mother told me the story of our "family numbers", a story I'll have to tell some other time or I shall digress too far.

I don't recall when I first learned of hyperbolic crochet. (Can you tell I like saying those words?) But I've since used several  patterns to achieve the h.c. before realizing I don't need a pattern, just an idea and an understanding of how often to add stitches.

Any way, without  further ado (and before I nod off at the keyboard) here are photos of the Hyperbolic Balls of Bliss I've crocheted so far.

The beige Ball of Bliss is rather small. I crocheted it using crochet cotton, also known as crochet thread.

This weekend I pinned a small hair elastic to it and wore it as a ring. I got lots of compliments on it.

The other two are here awaiting a good home.

They are too big to be worn as rings but they:

• are interesting as over-sized bracelets
• look lovely sitting on a mantel or a desk
• will inspire lots of comments when tied to a car antenna...

The list is bound only by imagination.

488. I don't like the word "diet".

Nor do I like the word "exercise".

I can substitute "movement" for exercise.

What can I use in place of "diet"?

Hmmm...  Off to the thesaurus!

On another note, I'm sleepy.

There was nothing nutritional in my "diet" today. Absolutely my fault for not making sure I ate properly before I left home this morning.

When I had time to grab a bite, I was in an area with no options for a healthy snack. And by then, I was feeling drowsy and lightheaded. I felt like anything was better than nothing, if I wanted to make it home safely.

So I grabbed a bag of chips and a can of tea.

Now I'm feeling the after effects.

Yuck.

487: Thinking about...

My diet.

Not "a diet".

My diet.

When I get home, I'm gonna write my diet affirmations on a sheets of white paper and tape them to the walls in several rooms:

Today I will only consume food and drinks which I believe will create and sustain my optimum health and healing.

Thank you God for making these items readily available to me.

And so it is.

Amen.

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486: A day of...

...Bliss.
 
Today is a good day. Nothing pressing on my plate.

Another funny dream this morning and I awoke in a panic, thinking it was Saturday and hoping I wasn't late for a much-awaited excursion with my church family.

Thankfully, five hours of sleep will be enough to last until my next dance with the Sandman.

A smoothie for breakfast would have been perfect but waking up early gave me a false sense of time. Instead of eating, I did other stuff. Before I realized it, it was time to get dressed to take my daughter to work.

But I managed to snag a bowl of watermelon for the road. So far, so good.

One of the Facebook pages I "subscribe" to announced Harris Teeter's Super Doubles Days. And I wondered where I would find coupons since I neither have printer ink nor do we get a Sunday paper.

God always makes a way.

I was sitting here at the library, at a station that has been without electricity since this branch re-opened this summer.

Only I wasn't aware that the power hadn't been restore until I plugged my laptop in.

I packed my bag and strolled the premises several times, in search of an available station with an outlet. Not one.

Finally I sat in the open area near the front door.

I saw a sign...

Literally.

It said:  Help yourself to Some of these Money Saving Coupons!

Aha!

Just what I needed.

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!

My fingers dove lovingly into the pile.

It was a goooooood pile too. I found more than 20 coupons I will actually use when I get to  Harris Teeter early tomorrow morning.

Amen.

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485: Today I am Inspired to...

Many thanks to my new blogging sister Georgia for such an inspirational post!

She has inspired me to create a Day of Happy Hypotheticals.

Here goes...

Today will be a wonderful day filled with positive energy, love, love, and more love. Lots of peace too.

Today I will:

1. Smile at everyone I cross paths with.
2. Radiate peaceful energy to the universe.
3. Treat Baby Bliss to a nutritious lunch when I pick her up from work.
4. Remember to make up the bed so it feels fresh when we get back in it.
5. Polish off the remains of our home made apple pie (thanks Mr. Bliss!) with the other Bliss while we laugh at the questions and answers on Family Feud.

 =)



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484: Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeep!

If my husband would stop snoring, I could go to sleep...

*Insert sad face here*

483: Aha!

Maybe they were wearing magic glasses.

Who knew... 

Wear Sunglasses to See Better When Driving in the Rain

482: Thank God for yesterday!

Sometimes dwelling on the past is a good thing.

Today was a good example of such.

Around 3 a.m., my eyes were hurting so I figured it was time to turn off the telly and put the yarn and hook away. I also knew I had to be up by 10 a.m. latest, to get Baby Bliss to work on time.

Since I was already on the couch and Mr. Bliss has been working the No-One-Has-a-Clue-What-Time-He's-Getting-Off shift, I decided to sleep on the couch.

Which may or may not have been the root of the problem. The theory shall be tested soon.

When I woke up five hours later, I was not a happy camper.

*sigh*

Having bad dreams is such a bother. And it was a strange bad dream too. Not so much the details as the tone of it.

I'll detail it below and though I dabble in dream interpretation, I welcome any thoughts any one else has as well.

***

First, it had elements of several movies: Knowing, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Legion, The Happening...

It started with Mr. Bliss and I in an empty room on the ground level of a house or business.

The walls were white or very light colored and the room seemed empty except for he and I. We were naked (or almost), with my husband embracing me from behind. We were facing a door flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows.

I looked outside and saw a man in a truck. He appeared to be watching us. I asked Mr. Bliss if the man was watching and he said yes.

We decided to cover the windows. I found lots of light-colored fabric on hangers and picked it up. I wondered how I would hang it because the windows were high and I didn't have anything to secure the fabric with.

Creepy how the man from the truck (and I think another man) appeared in the room, behind us.

He began talking about a drug he wanted us to take, making it sound like it was something fantastic. We refused but he managed to give me some kind of shot with something from a tube (like the ones I've seen some indigenous people use with blow darts).

I immediately got angry and wanted to hurt him/them. I think I told my husband to detain the guy(s). I think I tried to fight the one who drugged me but eventually he/they left. Suddenly my husband and I were clothed and we left the building too.

We knew we had to leave the building.

We were standing close to the door of the building we left, which opened onto a big square like the end scene in "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (the version with Donald Sutherland).

I noticed a huge pond in the middle of the square.

Then I noticed that people seemed to be dying by being slammed (or slamming themselves) against some kind of barrier (shades of "The Happening") but I could only hear it, not see it.

Suddenly I saw bodies appearing on the pond, which had frozen.

Once we stepped out into the street, men began coming from various directions to harm us (reminders of the men from "Knowing").

It became a lucid dream of sorts. I told myself it was a dream and tried to wake myself up because I began feeling very afraid, like if I/we was/were killed in the dream, something equally awful would happen in real life.

I think I managed to wake up for a few seconds because I have a vague memory of seeing a superimposed image of my real life surroundings. But I got sucked right back into the dream. It was like I was struggling against an invisible barrier while underwater. It was awful.

When the dream continued, Mr. Bliss and I managed to elude the men but then ordinary citizens began pursuing us. Not in a pack or continuously, but sporadically, like letting us know that even if we escaped we would never be safe.

There was an old woman, like the one in the early diner scenes in "Legion" who came at us.

At that point, I know I was in a panic. I don't remember having a conscious thought of "what the hell are we gonna do now?" but i opened my mouth and began chanting "nam myoho renge kyo".

The old woman began convulsing and was unable to continue towards me.

My heart sang as I realized we were safe.

I became a little frightened when I forgot the words but the people around me began to chant as well. The sound spread until there was a multitude of voices chanting in unison.

***

I don't know what the dream means but a literal interpretation would say it's time to start chanting again.

When I began studying the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin and chanting in the early 90s, the first thing I chanted for was a cessation of the nightmares I had had almost every night since childhood.

It worked.

My Buddhist practice and study has been dormant for a long time now. Maybe 10 years. I've had a few nightmares in the years since but very few compared to the number I had before I chanted.

Hmmm... I just had a thought.

Perhaps a metaphysical interpretation could be:  there's something I need to focus more positive energy on (represented by the chanting), in order to keep the negativity (represented by the scary/bad people and incidents) at bay.

Does this all bring me back to why I'm thankful for yesterday? It should, shouldn't it?

Yesterday was warm and sunny. Today was cool and rainy. Flood-y rainy.

It started out as cloudy but progressed to pouring in time for me to drive my daughter to work. When we were pulling off, I kept thinking how this was the first time all summer that we had to head out in such bad weather.

She only works three days a week but I'm thinking that in three months, at least once of those days should have been wet if not stormy. I can't recall either.

Today, visibility was dodgy and I drove slowly with my blinkers on. Folk were flying by as if they had magic glasses that allowed them to see through water and mist.

Worse, my side mirrors and the outside of my side windows were foggy. It was difficult to see drivers who didn't have their lights on.

The drive home was better. The rain was gone and the air was cleaner. Cooler too.

Despite yesterday's heat it was a wonderfully restful day, just as I planned.

Thanks God.

Today's bad dream coupled with navigating the deluge make yesterday a dreamy day of the best kind.

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481: Life is Good.

Early evening yesterday, I was watching Family Feud and looking forward to watching Law & Order SVU followed by two episodes of Burn Notice.

But nature would not be cheated (as one of my exes liked to say). Steve Harvey's antics were not enough to keep me awake. It was time to add some zees to my sleep deficit.

When I awoke it was dark; The New Adventures of Old Christine was winding down.

Five hours had passed.

Waking up at 11:30 p.m. is disorienting but not unusual. My sleep schedule is... different. Learning to work around it has become my forte.

So I've been up all night, Facebook-ing and checking my favorite online news sources.

No plans for today since my daughter doesn't have to return to work until Friday and I've already gotten groceries for the week.

There are things to be done of course but isn't that always true?

Today I'm taking it easy and thankful to be able to do so.

Amen.

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480: More family ties.

The family tree grow-eth massively larger! (See this post for more details: family ties.)

I forgot to mention that my mother, daughter and I had lunch with a cousin from my mother's generation while we were home. He filled in a lot of missing info for us regarding my grandmother's birth father and the great uncle who raised her. Some of it fit in perfectly with info we already had. Some of it only confused us more due to several family members having same or similar first names and some only being known to our cousin by nicknames.

Either way, it was still good info and the stories he told about some family members were hysterically funny. A few times we laughed so loud, i thought we might be asked to leave the restaurant.

Since we've been home, I've been using Family Search to gather corroborating data where possible. It's both fun and frustrating.

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479: Working it out once again.

One of my daddy's sisters is my favorite auntie. Lately she's been checking in at the gym on Facebook. So have lots of other folks.

One day my brain told me that I too could benefit from a lot more exercise than I've been getting. Especially now that we've moved to a smaller place.

Yesterday morning as I sat on the couch checking e-mail, I heard splashing and talking at the pool. I glanced out the window and saw one of the maintenance staff talking to a swimming resident. The pool looked very inviting and I had a thought to do my workout in the crystal clear water. However, by the time I finished my Facebook duties (I update our church's page), did a few necessary things in here, dug my bikini top out of the closet, and found a pair of shorts suitable for wearing into the pool, it was already hot out.

And though I love the ease of working out in the pool, taking a shower/to get dressed/to get in the pool/to workout/to come back in for another shower -- well, it felt like too much work to do, to get a work out.


So instead I decided to work out here in my living room, where it was cool.

I won't lie. It was hard. But I'm proud of myself. I was able to get in 27 minutes of movement using a combination of dance and exercise moves before I was too tired to get off the floor.

And imagine this: even with the air on, I still worked up a mess of sweaty sweat. My shower was heaven on earth.

After, I sat down to work and forgot to eat until a couple of hours later.   :(

Surprisingly, I don't feel at all sore right now. Let's see how I feel after a night's sleep because I plan to work out again later today.

I also plan to go out dancing with the girls Friday evening.

My fingers are crossed for swift alignment of mind and body because I can't let my exercise plan get in the way of a good time this weekend!

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478: My my, how time does fly!

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Has it truly been over a month  -- almost two -- since I've posted here? Not for lack of fodder, I assure you.

There has been lots going on, mostly mundane but a little excitement as well.

Thank you God for an interesting life!

Let's see...

Earlier this month, we traveled several hundred miles home to visit family and attend my third annual elementary/junior high school reunion.

We always visit my daddy and stepmother on the way up the road or on the way back down. They live a few hours before our destination. It's good to go to daddy's because we're heading home and not because he's in the hospital.

During our visit home, there was time for lunch with a long-time friend who I talk to often but hadn't seen in years. Lunch wasn't long enough but I was thankful for the time we had.

My daughter and I were blessed to spend a few hours visiting a cousin I hadn't seen since my (paternal) grandma's funeral 11 years ago. We also got to meet two of his children but sadly, his wife was at work so we couldn't meet her. :(    My favorite auntie was there too.   :)

I had a blast at my reunion. It was priceless to reunite with so many folks from back in the day and to meet the new folks too. People brought their families, our principle popped in, my 6th grade teacher came, lots of folks from the old neighborhood who didn't attend school with us were there, and I suspect some folks saw a party in the park and just dropped on in.  *chuckle*

It was especially wonderful to see friends from my class and the youngins from later classes who I'd met at the previous reunion.

Several people I expected to see were M.I.A. One of them I was really looking forward to seeing. He made it to last year's reunion, where I had up close and personal time with everyone except him. Which caused me a bit of anxiety later because he's one of those people who has a special place in my heart. My plan was to have a few kind words with him at this year's reunion but we know what they say about the best laid plans. Hopefully I can see him next time I'm home.

There are a few other people I wanted to see but time was on its own schedule. With the exception of the year my daughter and I spent the whole summer at home, summer visits are too short. I find this thought amusing because the thought of moving back up there is a teeny bit vomitrocious. I guess it's a sense of nostalgia mingled with the feeling that because we no longer live there, my hometown has become a vacation destination where everyone knows my name

There's talk of returning home next month for an upcoming neighborhood reunion but gas prices have gone up again. We'll see.

Any who, if we don't make it back up the road this year, I have good memories (and pictures too!) of our most recent visit.

And just in case, I'm planning all the fun I'll have if August finds us back on familiar streets.  ;-)

***

477: On a less urgent note...

This weekend was a good one.

Mr. Bliss and I did a little grocery shopping Saturday morning. We picked up a few things for the house and a few things for the Memorial Day cookout our minister has every year.

As soon as we got back in, I remembered that I needed to return an overdue book to the library and pick up some items I'd reserved. So we grabbed the book and went back out. We came home with two movies: "Their Eyes Were Watching God" and "The Social Network".

Mr. Bliss and I watched "The Social Network". It wasn't what I expected. Which is not saying much because I'm not sure what I expected from the movie. We both agreed we were glad we didn't pay to see it at the theater.

I'd seen "Their Eyes Were Watching God" twice already but surprisingly didn't remember much of it. Which was strange because I also read the book in English honors and at the time, my life was taking a similar path as Janie's.

A friend dropped by while I was watching. She and I had a high old time, cackling and commenting on the racier parts of the movie. I was also led to research current treatment for rabies. It's not as awful as it was because you no longer have to get the shots in the stomach. But you do have to get shots and apparently right away because if symptoms start, you're a goner.

Here's to never getting bit by a stray. Or even licked, if there's an open sore or wound in an uncovered area where a stray could reach, as rabies is transmitted through saliva.

Sunday, Mr. Bliss got called in to work around sunrise. Bleh. Baby Bliss and I went to church. Baby Bliss took a friend along. It was a long day, as usual. We usually get home around 2 because after church we:

1. have lunch in the multi-purpose house next door to church.
2. check my PO box before we head home.
3. sometimes stop at the Dollar Tree or Goodwill because they are near the post office.
4. sometimes stop at Trader Joe's before we head home.
5. sometimes stop at my grandma's before we head home.

Mr. Bliss worked Monday too so he missed the cookout. Baby Bliss and I had fun without him.

Although I intended to arrive at the BBQ at the appointed hour, we were an  hour late. Not unusual for us and we didn't miss a thing.

Baby Bliss did just what she intended to do which was frolic in the pool all day. I was surprised she even took time to eat anything. I like to exercise in the pool, not play in it. And since play was the order of the day, I stayed on the hot, hot, hot sidelines with a few others.

I didn't mean to stay as long as we did. My plan was three hours, maybe four; help clean a little, then home. We got there at two and stayed until eight. So much for planning...

But I'll blame it on Baby Bliss. She was having a ball with her friends. And I was running my mouth and not keeping track of time. And we didn't have a specific time to return home. So we hung until we were among the last stragglers. Also one of Baby Bliss's friends had to wait a while for his grandma so we waited with him.

We got home in time to see the remnants of what must have been a really big pool party in our community pool. Thank God we missed most of it. I probably wouldn't have had a parking space if we had come home any earlier.

All in all, it was a good weekend and I'm thankful.

Amen.

***

476: I didn't do it.

Yes, I know I said I would make the homemade dishwasher detergent that weekend.

No, I didn't do it.

Because I forgot, that's why.

And now that we have run out of regular dish detergent, I'm wishing I had made it already.

Ahhhh, the life of a procrastinator.

***

475: No-Cost Dryer Balls

Saving money on doing laundry?

Of course!

Here's help:

A Back To Basics Lifestyle: No-Cost Dryer Balls

***

474: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

I love this. Gonna make some this weekend.


A Back To Basics Lifestyle: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent


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472. Talk about blessed!

My daughter has already had two (2) birthday cakes and her birthday is still four days away.

I just got a call from a sista-friend who said she's on her way over with yet another cake for this lucky child.

It's nice to be loved.

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471: What a glorious weekend!

My weekend started on Thursday with one of my favorite activities.

Happy joy, to return to the Hobby Lobby Thursday evening "crochet with the girls", after being absent for over a month. I had missed them all more than I realized. Even the really loud one who usually annoys my ears.  lol

They are all special to me. I like hearing their stories, learning about their lives, sharing experiences with them. Some of them are walking resources for problem (crochet) stitches or patterns. Some of them are knitters who may or may not crochet. I love seeing their projects.

Friday evening our family went to church for a silent auction. I thought it might be boring but it was actually a lot of fun. We had a good turn out, ate yummy snacks, and bid on unique/interesting/useful items and services. We were there maybe three hours.

Saturday, the mister and I shopped a little. I can't remember everywhere we went but I have the receipts to prove that it all took place.

Sunday was a wonderful day at church, including a birthday celebration for my daughter.

470: Bummed!

I cannot believe I missed this Norma Kamali dress at Walmart.com. For $12.

I would have totally rocked it.

No matter that I already have four black dresses. Even in summer, my black dresses are my go-to faves. They can be worn casually or dressed up with jewelry and other accessories.

My favorite way to wear most of them is with my black flip flops. Even to church.
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469: Hair matters.

Time for a trim.

Which has already happened, actually.

This is the before photo. (Thanks Baby Bliss!)

The "after" coming soon.

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468. Yesterday's outing.

One of the things I love most about home schooling is that it doesn't actually have to take place at home. Another is that everything we do every day is a learning experience of some sort.

Yesterday we continued our search for shorts for Baby Bliss. This time we ventured into a few discount department stores that shall go nameless.

I only went because we were on that side of town running errands and I'm determined to delve into every nook and cranny in this pursuit of warm weather britches.

Side note: If Value City were still open, I'm sure our search would be over. I was always able to exit their doors with a whole season's worth of clothing for the child, carrying bags and bags of inexpensive-but-sturdy-enough gear gathered in a few hours of browsing and trying on.

They also had interesting and tasty treats from nations far and wide. Shopping there was fun and exciting for the whole family. Alas, they shut their doors a few years ago; life has been dull since.

I don't know what's happening behind the scenes in our department stores but they both seemed to be devoid of substance. And the prices were horrendously high. Ditto the styles. Clearance racks were skimpy as were racks for regularly priced items.

Maybe we were just there at the wrong time of day. Or the week. Or the month. I dunno.

Department store #1 was a bust for shorts. But once again, the girl found a tee shirt she loved. It was too expensive for my tastes so I let her buy it with her own money so she could decide how much she really wanted it. And to let her budget her cash because she knew there was something else she wanted to buy at another store.

Department store #2 wasn't any better. Baby Bliss tried on a few things but nothing stuck.

While I waited for my daughter to finish in the dressing room, I observed a woman trying on a pair of black patent leather sandals. Cute but not my style.

During the 15 minutes I browsed the racks near the dressing room, I noticed the woman browsing near me. And she was still wearing the shoes.

Interesting.

As she headed to another area of the store, I watched her as she adjusted the anti-theft tag on the shoe. To make it more comfy, I guess. Okay...

But when we were leaving the store 10 minutes later, ole girl was still shopping and still wearing the shoes.

Alrightie then.

On my way past the registers, I notified a cashier. The cashier asked me to describe the woman and I pointed her out, as she had just turned into the closest aisle. Then we left the store.

I don't know what happened to grandma but I sure hope she still had her own shoes available to wear home.

Dog tired and disappointed with the lack of sufficient garments at the department stores, we were headed home when I remembered there was a thrift store a few miles from our place. I'd been to the store twice and wanted to check it out again.

But since home was between where we'd left and where we were headed, and we were kind of sweaty from the 80 degree temps, we made a pit stop at the pad to freshen up.

Thankfully, our trusty friend, Village Thrift, was closer than I anticipated. We limped through the aisles and scoured the racks on tender feet.

Long story short, Baby Bliss tried on six bottoms and we left with two. Bad that Village Thrift has no dressing room and the girl had to try on the bottoms over her skinnies. So yep, we got home and the bottoms didn't fit as well as we wanted.

Grrrrrr.

Yes, the search continues.

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467. When will spring arrive?

Living hundreds of miles below the Mason-Dixon line has been a mixed blessing but one advantage is an early spring. It usually comes at least a month earlier than back home and I get to rub it in.

Alas, this year, we're still waiting. Yes we've had a few intermittent days of delightful warmth from February until now but nothing consistent. Which makes me sad.

The days when it's been sunny but cold have been the worst for me. I love sun (and I'd rather it be sunny and cold rather than no sun at all) but I need the warmth too.

Tuesday was warm and sunny. Friday was sunny and the weather man promised warmth but I think we missed those few hours.

You see, when I woke up to sunny skies, I was anxious to feel some heat on my face and toes as well as run necessary errands.

Baby Bliss and I hit the streets as soon as possible realizing as soon as we stepped outside that it would be several hours before temps reached the 60+ degrees forecast the night before. Sunny sun-sun, yes. And thank God for cardigans to guard against the windy wind-wind.

Last week Baby Bliss reminded me of how she barely survived last summer with only a few pair of shorts. Soooooooooo in anticipation of warm weather to come, we hit our local Goodwill a few times. I snagged a cute denim skirt and and Baby Bliss found lots of cute tops but no shorts. *sigh*

Friday's frolic was a continuation of our quest for shorts. I figured since we've had so many cool days when it should be warm already, we still had time to find the 50-100 additional pairs of shorts my daughter would need to try on to find 5 or 6 pair that:


a. fit well for her shape and size.
b. are age appropriate.
c. we both liked.

I drove a few towns up the highway, headed to a few of our favorite thrift stores.On the way, I decided to stop at Rugged Warehouse to give Baby Bliss a chance to comparison shop. Not that she had said anything this time but there have been times in the past when she's wanted to shop at expensive stores, a practice I discourage.

We both saw items we liked but nothing that could coerce me into paying full price for it. Not when I know I can usually find better quality merchandise in thrift stores.

These are ideas I have shared with my daughter since she's been old enough to ask why we get our clothes from the thrift store. I guess I've been sharing effectively because we were in Rugged Warehouse less than 15 minutes when my daughter was ready to leave the store.

Yay!

On our way into the store, I had spotted a cosmetology school. Another "yay" because I'd been searching for one in our town to no avail. (Which was surprising because our town is a big one.)

I learned that Baby Bliss and I could both get two manicures or pedicures or facials for the price of what I would pay for one at a regular salon.

Cool!

That place brought back memories for me and on our way to the car, I just had to share with Baby Bliss how I would go to the beauty academy up the street from my job every week to get my hair done when I was a career girl in my 20s. Ten dollars plus a tip for the cutest hairstyles I could think up. And she reminded me that she's heard the story umpteen times already.

*grimace*

Friday's trip was more successful than our two previous trips to the thrift.

I found a few things for myself and a linen dress for my mom (a steal at $1.12). Baby Bliss once again got lucky with the cute tops. She also got a fantastic black dress (87 cents) that I forced on her because I remembered her extended rant about needing a black dress for funerals. This occurred after we went to a funeral and she felt like she was the only person inappropriately dressed for the occasion.

Now she has a black dress and she'll wear it to every funeral hence, until she outgrows it.

She also managed to put a tiny dent in her hunt for summer bottoms. She tried on eight (8) pairs of shorts and one made the trip home with us.

Great.

Four or five more to unearth and we're done. I'm thinking we'll hit the other two thrift stores I like here in town. It's been a while since we've been to either of them. Thankfully they're across the road from each other.

Friday as we were browsing the racks, I realized how Baby Bliss is changing and maturing. She was picking up clothing that was youthful and fun but not as trendy and... gaudy as the clothing she had previously been choosing for herself. I noticed but didn't say anything.

Eventually she remarked on it herself, saying she didn't know why but her taste was changing. She talked about it with each piece she picked up.

As we tried on our finds, I still had to remind her that we don't buy ill-fitting (read: too-small) clothing no matter how cute it is but all in all, she did well in choosing for herself.

My favorite finds were a purple 3-ring binder for Baby Bliss for 25 cents (purple is her favorite color) and a new skein of yarn for me for $1. The bonus was the size J crochet hook stuck in the middle of the skein.

Yay!

Which takes me back to why I think we missed the few hours of 60+ degrees. When we left home, the temperature gauge in my car read low 50s. By the time we left the first thrift store, it was mid-afternoon. I didn't notice the temperature reading but it still felt cool to me.

When we left the second store, it was after 7 p.m. and cool winds were blowing.

I'm guessing it must have hit 60 degrees just after we stepped into the second store.

Ah well. At least we were able to see the sun.

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466: Easter hearts.

May 2, 2011
2:02 a.m.

Update:

I finally finished the final three.  :)

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Seven done, three to hook.

465: ACV is underrated.

Apple cider vinegar.

It gets the gunk out.

Truly.

I am thankful.

Amen.
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464: Time to make the... donuts.

No, I'm not really making donuts.

I'm making Easter Hearts.

My daughter and I started our own Easter tradition several years ago. She didn't like boiled eggs and I don't encourage eating candy so I came up with something I thought was fun and loving.

Instead of an Easter egg hunt, we do an Easter heart hunt. That first year I cut 10 hearts out of white paper, decorated them all in different colors and designs, and hid them around the house.

She saved them from year to year and each year, she'd give them back to me right before Easter.

This year, she doesn't know it but I'm going to do something different. The hearts we have from previous years have gotten a tad tattered. It's time for new hearts.

Soooooooooooooo, I'm gonna crochet 10 new hearts for this year's Easter hunt.

I've finished one as of today.
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463: Mold and the urge to cook.

I'm sure the two are not connected but I have the urge to make a big pot of lentil soup.

I've also realized we're gonna need a new fridge. When they replaced the broken one, they brought in one that seems to have mold growing in some hidden recess(es). I can smell it. And my body is doing more weird things which have nothing to do with the other weird things it was doing.

Things that I now believe to be mold-related.

Jesus take the wheel. For real. Because when I go to the office to request yet another fridge, it needs to be understood and taken care of with the quickness. Amen.

On another note, I don't have any ink in the printer. Which means I can't print out the ingredients list for the lentil soup recipe I found on Dr. Weil's website. Which means I'll have to write the list.

Kinda makes me want to pinch myself because it's supposed to rain today. And I went out yesterday to take car of Necessities That Could No Longer Wait. If only I had thought yesterday that I might want lentil soup today, I could have gotten the goods while I was out and been enjoying a nice hot bowl of lentil soup while the rain pitter patters on my roof today.

Any who, I'm thankful that I was able to finish an assignment and return it to the client with minimum turn around time. Here's to more of the same!

Sending extra prayers and healing energy to Japan.

Amen.
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462: This may sound like TMI but it's not.

Yesterday we ran out of toilet paper. As I am still feeling like the gum under a shoe, I couldn't go to the store. So the mister helped me out.

He's a big Dollar Tree fan (me too) so he ran over and got a couple of packs of t.p. from D.T.

I have to say, the t.p. at D.T. has gotten a lot better. I've been blowing my nose like mad and so far, so good.  :)

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461: She loves me.

These past few weeks have been difficult for me. I've been experiencing some health challenges that first manifest as we were returning home (from my hometown) after a funeral.

I haven't yet gotten back to 100%. And today was a "fall back" day for me. Yesterday I felt good. Today I did not. Tonight I don't. Tomorrow, who knows?

Which is a bit stressful because today my to-do list went undone. But no worries. Que sera, sera...

A bright spot: Today my daughter gave me a wonderful compliment.

A few minutes after I finished a phone call with a friend, my daughter came to me and said, "Mommy, you know, you're very smart."

When I asked her how she had come to that conclusion, she said she had overheard part of my conversation and some things I said let her know that I really was smart.

*sigh*

So even though my body felt like a glob of day-old oatmeal today, my heart soared on light and fluffy wings.  :)

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460: It's a beautiful day!

Baby Bliss and I have a semi-busy day planned.
(What does that mean?  LOL)

We're heading to the library shortly. Later we'll run a few errands.

Home schooling is such fun!

And I'm thankful.

Amen.

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459: Facebook stalkers.

It seems my ex-husband and/or his current wife is/are extremely interested in finding me on Facebook.

You want to know why?

Yes?

So do I.

I would think he/she/they has/have more pressing issues to attend to.

They are in my prayers.

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458: Choices.

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Decisions, decisions...

Prayer!

Amen.
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