Good morning blogosphere!!

Ok, that MIGHT be a misnomer (oh, look it up...) on just how happy I am to be up and at work on a Monday, when my CHILD is at home, probably still sleeping.  Because. Spring Break, don't-cha-know!

The 6 year old in me wants to stomp my feet and yell "not fair!" in a decidedly whiny voice.  But the mom/grownup in me knows that's just silly.  Mom's don't get spring break!  (Unless they were wise in their career choices and became teachers!  Oh wait....I remember, I don't have the patience for that...other people's kids?  No thank you!)

So for all you moms out there who had to get up and go to work this morning, while your kids are still snoozing (probably because they stayed up way too late last night.  Just because they can...again, NOT FAIR! Ahem. ) ......Happy Monday!!!!



Melissa

Where the crap have you been??

Oh, Wait!  It's ME that's been missing in action.  No excuses.  Other than laziness I guess.  There was all the Christmas-ey stuff going on, and birthdays, and blah blah blah.....I'm lazy. 

I guess what I'm saying is that this blog is new.  I know I don't really have a ton of people reading every day. (Actually, one, I think.)  So I don't feel a "push" to post every day.  It's kind of a Catch-22 really.  If I don't post, no one will want to read, and if no one is reading, why post? 

I get it.  I will "try" to be more faithful and post more often.  I have actually been doing some organizing around my house.  Yet another thing I'm not finished with. (With which I'm not finished?  Grammar...meh!)

I've been spending WAY too much time on Pinterest (again!) And probably too much time playing Farmville.  (There! I said it! I'm addicted!) But all that stuff is so cool!!!  And I want to do it ALL!  When I get rich (Shut up!  It's going to happen someday!!)  I'm going to hire someone just to do all that cool stuff FOR me.  I might even help!  It's just way more fun to do that kind of thing WITH someone else.  

But in the meantime, I'll just keep Pinning and dreaming.  And I know you were right in the middle of pinning something WONderful, when I so rudely interrupted.....so I'll let you get back to it!

Happy Sunday!

Melissa

Really?

OMG!  Can it really be almost a MONTH since I posted anything here???  I wouldn't believe it, but I see by my "last published" date when I signed in that it has!  I bet you people thought I had died!  Well, except for my ONE for sure reader who also happens to be my bestie.  She knows I'm ok, cause I talk to her EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.  She's awesome.

But back to ME!  Let's see.  Thanksgiving was awesome.  Company like crazy and all my food came out wonderful (wonderfully? what's the proper grammar here?).  My husband said it was the juiciest, tastiest turkey he's ever eaten.  High praise from my marital turkey connoisseur.  And my giblet gravy was equally scrumptious, if I do say so myself.  So mark one holiday activity as successfully accomplished!

Did I mention that we also have several family members whose birthdays are between the last week in October thru the end of December?  Yeah, you'd think that would complicate things wouldn't you?  Well you'd be right!!!  So, in addition to the "normal family" (is there any such thing?) stuff at Thanksgiving, we also have to have a mini birthday party too.  That went pretty well also, except for the smaller children who couldn't understand why they couldn't also open ALL THOSE PRESENTS under the tree! ("But it's got my NAME on it!")  Second holiday activity...check!

So, now we're getting down to it.  Christmas is practically upon us.  Almost done with my shopping, just lacking a few stocking stuffers for my teenager who SWEARS she still believes.  (It might have something to do with the fact that.....when she was little she asked me if Santa was real.  And of course I said he was real as long as you keep believing in him.  The minute you stop, he stops bringing you presents.)

But before all that happy crappy, we still have a High School Band Holiday concert, tomorrow night.  Then a week from tomorrow, we're having our annual band fundraiser, Supper with Santa.  Much coolness.  The Jazz Band plays, we have a silent auction, we serve chili, Santa is there for picture taking.  A fun time is had by all, and a very worthy cause gets a much needed boost to its bank account.   Oh, and in there somewhere is one or two of those pesky birthdays.

NOW do you know why I've neglect you, my bloggies?  I will try (TRY, I said!) to do better in the future....

Happy Monday!

PS.....What's up with this crazy weather?  Had to have my A/C on yesterday and the heater today!  REALLY?

Things are lookin' up!

So......

• The Hubs GOT the job, so we should get his first paycheck right around Thanksgiving.
• I found out last week that I have some days left that I need to burn before December starts, so I get ALL of next week off work.  WITH PAY!  (That music you hear is the Hallelujah Chorus.)
• Munchkin has perfect attendance and got "Advanced" on a test they took last year, so she gets the whole week off too.
• Now I can concentrate on getting my house ready for all the company we'll be having next week for Turkey Day.  Thought I was going to have to have our gathering on Friday, because I need a day to get everything ready.  But since I'm off work (did I mention that was with pay??) I can now get everything ready on Wednesday and have our traditional TG!

So do you do the Black Friday Shopping thing?  I have a couple of times, but I can't say it's worth all the stress and frustration.  One year I went, and was really excited, because I nabbed the last one on the shelf of a Paula Deen cooking set that I really wanted.  And the price was really good too.  It was a big box, so I had to put in on the under part of my cart.  Now, here is just how crazy it was in that store.  When I got to the checkout it was GONE.  Someone had stolen it right off my cart, and I didn't even notice!  That's just a little too much if you ask me.  Plus getting up that early?  I just don't think I can do it this year.  And besides, I haven't seen any sales yet that I just can't live without.  I think I'll stick with Cyber Monday and do my shopping online. I think we'll just eat leftovers, and I'll scrapbook all day.  

Oh oh, and I forgot!  My BFF is coming on Wednesday for a craft day.  Yes, I'll be working on getting everything ready for Turkey Day, but I've been doing that for so many years that it's just second nature.

I'm so excited.  She's been cutting out vinyl on her new big Silhouette machine, and she's going to show me how.  I've got the small Silhouette and a Cricut, (I've even bought the vinyl!)  I've just never gotten brave enough to try it.

I'm going to be really busy, but I will try to take some pics and maybe even give you my Father-In-Law's famous giblet gravy recipe....(What?  You don't eat giblet gravy with your Turkey?  Where are you FROM?)

Anyway....stay tuned.....

Happy Thursday!

Melissa

Wednesday

Remember I told you the hubs was sick??  YUP.  He gave it to me!  So.....I ended up on the couch all day Friday with my snuggly blanket and tissues.  

So it's looking like I'm going to end up being about a once a week blogger.  At least for the rest of this year.

Because:

·                     My daughter is beginning drum lessons at the local (HA...an hour away) college to prep for auditioning for their band.  That's going to be taking up a good portion of our Saturdays.

·                     OMG the holidays are coming up, and I've bought ONE present!!!  I told my husband the other day that I felt a "spree" coming on.  Whether it was shopping or killing was entirely up to him!

·                     I have a list of Pinterest ideas a mile long that I'm dying to try.

·                     Christmas cards

·                     Have to get the house cleaned up for all the company coming for Thanksgiving.

·                     Still haven't taken down the Halloween decorations.  (Note to self:  Have Munchkin take down the Halloween decorations tonight....)

·                     Have to put the Christmas tree up before Thanksgiving so it'll look nice for all that company I mentioned.

·                     I haven't scrapbooked a single page in about 6 months, and I'm really having withdrawals.  I did print out a bunch of pics last weekend while Munchkin was at her lesson (hey, I'm all about killing 2 birds with one stone).  But I just can't seem to find a chunk of time to actually sit down and put a page together.  When I do, I might just post it for you guys to see!

·                     Did I mention the holidays are coming up?  Oh, and did I mention, I'm pretty broke?  The hubs has been between jobs, but cross your fingers.  He had an interview at a place he used to work, and they sent him for his drug test, so I'm hoping we hear back soon.  (Like, "can you start tomorrow?")

·                     So since I'm pretty broke, the fam may be getting more "handmade" than "bought" presents this year (provided I can find the time, and something cheap/easy to make!)

So excuse me while I go get started on all that....

Happy Humpday...

Melissa

Here I am!

I bet you guys thought I'd abandoned you, huh.  Been almost a week since I posted.  Sorry about that. Just way too many things going on.

The Hubs has been sick all week, and you know what a pain in the butt men are when they're sick soooo....

I can't use that as an excuse tho.  I've really been struggling with what to write about.  Lots of ideas, but none that are really forming into a full-on post.

I'm thinking about the hurricane hitting the northeast right now, and what all those poor folks are going to have to face in the next few months.  We had flooding here a couple of years ago, to the point where there was only one way to get to my house.  But luckily I live on a hill, and we didn't have any damage.  Just a little inconvenience for awhile.

So, on the heels of that, I'm thinking of the holidays coming up, and how thankful I am for all that I've been blessed with.  I think that might be a post all by itself, but I want to save it for closer to Thanksgiving.

I haven't (yet) done any "how-to" or recipe posts, but I'm thinking I might do some on my holiday meal.  I do the big Thanksgiving meal at my house, and I always get compliments on the whole meal.  If you're not from the South, you may not eat Giblet Gravy with your Thanksgiving meal....which is a real shame, because OMG!  When it's made right, it's to die for.  I have to say, tho, that I wouldn't touch the stuff when I was a kid.  (Not that I was picky or anything...Ahem....)  But after I got married, my Father-In-Law made the BEST gravy ever.  And we were lucky in that he taught me how to make it the Thanksgiving before he passed away.  He wasn't even sick, but somehow, he knew it was time to pass on the recipe.  So......I think it may be time to let others enjoy that recipe.

And I'm also one of those people that are addicted to Pinterest, and I have great and wonderful plans to duplicate all the wonderful crafty things I see on there. (Insert choir music here....)  BUT, I'm also one of those people that are what's known as procrastinators.  I'd love to decorate my house with all manner of homemade pumpkins etc.  But here it is, the day before Halloween, and NADA.  If it weren't for my daughter, we probably wouldn't have even decorated with all the cheesy stuff we've had in a box since LAST year.

And every Christmas, I plan to HAND make my Christmas cards.  I am really good about SENDING Christmas cards, but MAKING them?  Not so much.  I usually end up buying the $2 box of 30 cards and mailing those out.    And since I haven't yet started making any.....I'm thinking it's not looking so good for this year either.  (Sorry, family.  Deal with it.)

So......bear with my while I try to get my jumbled thoughts together and come up with some posts that will have some semblance of order to them. (Unlike this one.)

Oh, and in case I don't get back to you tomorrow.....Happy Halloween!!

So you had a bad day....

Well, not lately...this happened about a year ago, but I wasn't blogging then, so I'm telling you about it now...

October is by definition a busy month around my house.  My daughter is in band (I might've mentioned that...) and we have lots of ballgames and competitions during the month.  Needless to say, by the time October is over, I'm exhausted.  This particular day happened at the end of marching season last year.

First.....I had been battling a poison ivy breakout on my arms for about a week and a half, and it wasn't getting any better.  I decided it was time to see the doctor about it.  So I went, and ended up getting 3 different shots for it.

Next....my husband called, and had locked himself out of his truck, the house, everything.  We live about 10 min out of town, so I had to go home, and unlock the house for him.

Luckily (I guess??) we hadn't left for the band competition yet, which was 3 hours away.  He would've just been out of luck until we got back.

So, not wanting to tempt fate, I decided to ride to the competition with one of the other band moms.  The trip there was uneventful.  But after a trip like that, the first thing I want to do, is use the bathroom and get something to eat.  Then we usually settle in for several hours of marching band performances.  This day was no different, except that AFTER using the bathroom and getting my food, I stepped wrong going back to the bleachers, and twisted my ankle.  But I held onto my food! (Hey, I have my priorities straight!)

So I limped back up the bleachers and got settled back in my spot.  Watched several bands, ate my food, etc.  Later, when I was thirsty, I limped back to the concession stand for a bottle of water, which I promptly dropped UNDER the bleachers the minute I sat down.  Hadn't even opened it yet! (These bleachers were enclosed around the bottom, so there was no hope of getting it back.  I ended up sending a band kid to buy me another one!)

So I'm thinking this day cannot possibly get worse, right? By the way, don't EVER say that...'cause it will!  For most of the competition, we had been observing this group of birds that were circling on the other side of the field. (I bet you can see where this is going.....don't spoil it......just let me tell you.....)

Well, for the past couple of bands, they had been moving closer and closer to OUR side of the field.  So at one point, I heard this unmistakable sound.  Sort of a "SPLAT" kind of sound.  So I took off my visor, and yep, you guessed it.  One of those birds had CRAPPED on my cap.  I guess an optimist would say, "At least it wasn't your head."  I probably would've too, if the universe hadn't been crapping on my head all day!!!

So there you have it, my really bad, sucky, need a do-over day.

And the friend I rode down there with?  We got pulled over on the way back....15 min from home....


Happy Humpday....

Melissa