With the last day of July here I am reminded of something one of my fellow kindergarten teachers told me years ago. She said that summer is a teacher's weekend. June is like a Friday. You are still working in June but the end of the month when school gets out is like a Friday afternoon after a long week of school. July is like Saturday. There is still nothing but time to do all those things you promise yourself you will do. August is a Sunday. You don't have to work but you spend the month getting ready for the year ahead much like you spend Sunday's during the school year getting ready for the week ahead.
Well, my friends I am approaching the Sunday of my summer vacation. Oh, how I love my summer's off. Around mid August I start getting the itch to go back and set things up. I'm not quite ready for it yet. I so enjoy my time at home. I enjoy sleeping! I enjoy the slow pace of it all. I hope "Sunday" goes by slowly. I'm not ready for Monday!
I was reading Rhonda's blog the other day and she had mentioned The Partridge Family. I was a HUGE David Cassidy fan! Yesterday was I was cleaning my computer room (a job that never seems done!) I put on my Comcast Rhapsody music and started looking up some old songs I haven't heard in ages. The first one I found was Spiders and Snakes by Jim Stafford. I loved that song!
Then I was reminded of Mac Davis. I really liked Mac Davis...remember...Baby, Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me", "She's one Hell of a Woman", "I Believe in Music". He used to have a variety show and my favorite part is when he would ask people from the audience for a word or phrase and write a little song right on the spot. One of my FAVORITE songs was "Oh, Lord it's Hard to be Humble". I'm laughing as I type this. That song was so funny!!!
Back a few months ago, I was headlinin' a great big nightclub... and they put me up a couple days early, I came in a couple days early and they put me up in what they call the "Star Suite", now here I am, headlinin' in one of the biggest nightclubs in the country and I wake up at eight o'clock in the morning in this "Star Suite"...
...all by myself. Crowd: Awwww. Mac: Yeah, that's what I said, "Awwwww." But I did what I've always done, man, to cheer myself up, I picked up my guitar, I sat down and I wrote me a little song. Now this is how it feels to be alone at the top of the hill, tryin' to figure out why.
(sung) Chorus: Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble When you're perfect in every way I can't wait to look in the mirror Cause I get better lookin' each day To know me is to love me I must be a hell of a man Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble But I'm doin' the best that I can!
I used to have a girlfriend But I guess she just couldn't compete With all of these love-starved women Who keep clamoring at my feet Well I could probably find me another But I guess they're all in awe of me Who cares? I never get lonesome Cause I treasure my own company.
Ohhhhhh..... (chorus)
I guess you could say I'm a loner A cowboy outlaw, tough and proud Well, I could have lotsa friends if I wanted, But then I wouldn't stand out from the crowd Some folks say that I'm "egotistical", Hell, I don't even know what that means! I guess it has something to do with the way That I fill out my skin-tight blue jeans
Ohhhhhh........ come on, where's all the kickers in here?! (chorus) One more time, what are we doin'? We're doing the best that we can! Give yourselves a hand. Yeeee-haw!
I like to think my sense of humor is one of my better traits. I love a good laugh! I love a good sense of humor. To me the best thing is being with friends and laughing!!! It's good for the soul! After more than thirty years this songs still makes me laugh out loud!
Let's hope the name fits. Yesterday I took Tim to the pet store and he picked out a new beta fish. Well, I nudged him towards the healthiest looking one! If you have read my blog for a while you will now the saga of our poor beta fish history. Several years ago Tim got a fish that he named Philip. Philip lived about two and a half years. When he died Tim was heartbroken! We bought a new fish right away. Right from the beginning it wouldn't eat and died a couple of days later. We tried again with the same result. The next go round we went to a different pet store just in case the first one was a bad batch of fish! Our next fish Tim named Philip Jr., thinking it was a good name since the first Philip had a long life... for a fish that is.
Last winter we had a friend put in a digital thermostat for us. Unfortunately the wires got crossed and the heat was off for a good 24 hours. I remember it dropped to 10ยบ that night! Poor Philip Jr. didn't make it.
We decided to wait until the weather was warmer to get another fish. Yesterday was the day. I asked Tim what he wanted to name his fish and he said Lucky! He thinks that will bring the fish good luck! We sure hope so!
I told Tim we could wait a couple of days to officially name the fish. He feels confident with Lucky. He said if he dies he will change the name to Grim , as in the Grim Reaper!
Yesterday I met a friend for lunch. We went to our favorite restaurant and I had the most delicious bowl of French onion soup with a salad. YUM!!
Then we were going to head out for a "little" shopping. We started out at JoAnn Fabrics. I had an $8.00 return and left having spent a substantial amount more. I bought some fleece to "tie" a pink/purple pirate skull blanket for my granddaughter, Mackenzie and some black and white skull fleece for Tim. They will both be birthday gifts. (They both have birthdays in September). I also bought a heart shaped yo-yo maker because I really love what Donna did with the heart yo-yo. So of course I needed to get more fabric.
Speaking of fabric. I have made all of the Christmas stockings for members of my family. I bought some Santa fabric to make a stocking for Jack, since this will be his first Christmas.
Then, we went to A.C. Moore. I was more frugal there. Britt wants me to make her another summer shopping bag. I found the yarn I needed on sale for half price! :) I got some scuply for Tim his birthday since he is so creative with clay.
After that was a trip to Bed Bath and Beyond where the shopping spree really hit full force. I bought myself a new comforter and two bed rests for our room. I've NEVER spent that much money on a comforter before. Usually I'm too cheap!
We ended with a trip to Staples. I picked up some pencil slider cases for 1 cent each!!! I also got some tiny little staplers for the kids at school. I love their deals for teachers. I bought Brittainy a gift for her birthday next month. (She's reading this so I can't tell you what it is, but I liked it so much I got one for me too!)
After a long day of shopping I was tired! I think I'll spend today putting everything away!
I just saw an ad on TV the other saying that The Wizard of Oz is on TNT tonight. I know it seems like no big deal. Most of us can watch it any time that we want to. I, myself, have it on both VHS and DVD. I can't seem to part with the VHS version, even though I don't watch many videos at all any more.
Just the mention of the show being aired on TV brought me a flood of memories. Those of your over 30 will remember. The Wizard of Oz was shown every year on TV but only one day a year. It was the night that parents let their children stay up a little later than usual. I remember my mother letting my sister and I do just that. There was something magical about the night that this movie was aired. My sister and I would be in our pajamas, sitting on the couch anxiously awaiting Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly lion and the witch! Oh that witch was scary!
As a treat we would have popcorn with the movie. Not just any popcorn, but Jiffy Pop.
Jiffy Pop,
Jiffy Pop,
the magic treat!
As much fun to make as it is to eat!
I remember the popcorn sometimes got stuck in my sister's throat so my mother would have a slice of bread for her to eat...though I don't know how that actually helped.
With all the technology these days I think it is kind of sad that the magic is gone. Children don't experience the same excitement as we did as kids.
It is PINK SATURDAY. My friend Beverly of How Sweet The Sound is again hosting a PINK SATURDAY . Check out her blog and visit all the PINK posts today.
Before I begin I want to wish our hostess Beverly a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Here's a piece of PINK cake just for you!!!
Today I am going to talk about watermelon. What better summer treat is there than a cold juicy piece of watermelon? It's so pink and tasty inside and so soothing on a hot day.
Today I am going to share a PINK watermelon recipe! I won't win any awards for my photography, but you'll get the idea.
You will need some green lime sherbet and pink raspberry sherbet. I bought two containers but all I needed was one. You'll also need chocolate chips and a plastic bowl.
Soften the green sherbet.
Line the edges of the plastic bowl with the green sherbet leaving a big old space in the middle.
Soften the pink raspberry sherbet.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Pour this into the bowl with the green lining.
Place in the freezer . I froze mine over night.
Remove from the bowl. I set mine in some warm water for about a minute to loosen the "watermelon" from the sides.
the quick page is from Traci Simms
Slice your watermelon and enjoy!!! What a great PINK summer treat.
Deborah of Pictures, Pots and Pensis hosting Favorite Family Foto Friday. She is on vacation again this week but I am still playing. It gives me something to post about. :)
This is a picture of my sister and I a long time ago. I think I was about 4 or 5 and she was a year younger. I remember very clearly the day this was taken. We lived in a small cottage and my mother had a photographer come to the house. He set up an ironing board and covered it with a cloth. I think it might have been a sheet. I remember him placing our arms just so on the ironing board. What strikes me most about this picture is that more than 40 years later my sister and my personalities haven't changed a bit! I am still the one always smiling and she isn't! I popped the picture in a quick page that I downloaded from Pam Lefors Designs. Now this post serves a double fold purpose. I have my blog post for today and another page to print for a scrapbook. Life is good!
Just the other day I was watching TV and one of those Capitol One commercials came on the TV. There were Vikings in the car singing a song to the tune of Greensleeves (or maybe they were singing the actual song. I don't quite recall).
Those of you who know me well know that I like to sing...ALL THE TIME! I had walked out into the kitchen after the commercial and the tune was in my head. What else could I do but sing. Now, I didn't just sing...I bellowed like the best of them in my loudest operatic voice for all the world to hear. Well not all the world, but you know what I mean. I was singing (and I'm paraphrasing here) "Tim, Tim, come here and see. Your mother needs you so quickly". Of course you can imagine he came into the kitchen laughing at me! I continued with my next verse just as loud and boisterous as I could, singing, "Stop, stop don't laugh at me. You're not being friendly. Don't Don't you laugh at me..." All of a sudden Tim looked to his right and looked out the kitchen door to tell me someone was here. I opened the door to the UPS man who was trying not to laugh. Oh, shudder, he heard me make a total and complete fool of myself! When I answered the door he delivered the package to me and said, "someone has activated it because it's singing.". The package was a musical toy for my granddaughter for her birthday and I still don't know whether he was commenting on the package or the show I was putting on in the kitchen. Yes, I was embarrassed!!! Go ahead and laugh. I can't hear you anyway LOL!
Yesterday was our annual trip to the Barnstable County Fair. We go every year. I’ve been taking Britt and the kids with me for the last couple of years. Well actually this is Jack’s first year.
The highlight for me is the fried dough! Mackenzie loves the animals. Tim loves the fries. And I guess Britt just loves her mom :) I don’t think I would have ever made it living on a farm. The smell of the animals really bothers me!! I had to get out as quickly as possible. Last year when Britt was newly pregnant with Jack, the poor thing would be running out because the smells were making her sick.
I like looking at the exhibits in the arts and crafts barn. I always say I’d like to make something to enter but never get beyond just thinking about it. Tim is always taken by the 4-H exhibits using Legos. He would love for them to be for sale!
I am not one to waste money on carnival games so I told Tim I would use the money I would have spent on the games and he could buy a toy at one of the kiosks on the way out. He bought a police set and some light up gun. Mackenzie got a nice blue blow up pony!
We all over did it with slushies. Tim and I came home with blue mouths. There’s something about the smell of fair food that can’t be beat. I have noticed that it usually smells better than it tastes!
I took pictures of all the kids today. Here they are in all of their fair glory.
To end with a little color….I thought this bird was beautiful!
I've been knitting my little fingers to the bone these past few days. Every week a group of friends get together and spend an evening knitting, eating, talking, eating, laughing, eating. Well you get the picture. Last week a new person came to our group. One of the favorite parts of our weekly meeting is the eating show and tell. Last week Wendy, our new member, shared a wrist yarn holder that she made. It was so cute!!! The purpose of the holder is for that on the go kind of knitting. Wendy said it was good to take to the bus stop while waiting for the bus with her children. I went out the next day and bought this yarn. I love, love, love the color. I think I can safely say that green might be my favorite color. I took a little break from the sweater I am knitting Mackenzie and whipped one of this up. If you are interested the pattern can be found here.
I had Tim hold it so I could take a picture. He acted like I just put poison on his arm. BOYS! Anyway, the yarn inside is what I am using to make a scarf. If I ever go anywhere this is what I will take my knitting along in.
Donna of Donna's in the Attic is hosting a Yo-Yo Challenge. She is going to post today what that challenge is. I am excited with anticipation. The other day I went out and bought some fabric, a yo-yo maker, thread and needles. I went to the local Jo Ann Fabrics only to find they did not have a large size yo-yo maker. I called A. C. Moore and they didn't have any either. I ended up buying the small size and ordered the large on line. I don't know how long it is going to take to get to me. I hope not too long. I don't want to miss out on the fun.
Here's the fabric I bought. I am a fan of green!
I know the yo-yo maker I bought is the small one. I didn't realize how small until I made a sample yo-yo to see how it would turn out. The small yo-yo is about the size of a quarter.
If you are interested check out Donna's blog to see what it is all about.
Well, here it is vacation is just about half over and like every year I have a list of things I want to do during my vacation and I'm not quite as far along as I had hoped. I'm thinking if I post them it might help to keep me on task!
Here's what I am doing:
*Spending time with grandchildren
*Knitting
*Reading
*Sleeping
*Keeping up with my blog
*Watching movies
Here's what I intend to do:
*Retype some school files. (Have I told you I am anal and like things just so!)
*Clean out my file cabinet
*Organize computer files
*Burn pictures
*Burn digi kits
*Clean up basement
*Walk on the treadmill (I've only done that once *gasp*)
*Make Christmas gifts
*Copy and paste my blog into a word document to have a hard copy of it!
Let's see how many I can knock off the to do list before summer is over.
How are you at keeping goals that you set for yourself?
I Love Lucy and she loves me, We're as happy as two can be, sometimes we quarrel but then again How we love making up again.
And I do love Lucy. I can watch this show over and over and over again. As a matter of fact I do. I bought the entire series on DVD so I can watch whenever I want!!! I have quite a collection of Lucy collectibles. Britt has bought just about everything I have as gifts for me. She looks at them as her inheritance one day. I am going to share a few for Pink Saturday with you. This is all the pink Lucy memorabilia that I have. I took the pictures outside. It was so bright that the pink is kind of washed out. Sorry about that!
This mug is just too nice to use. I certainly wouldn't stain it with coffee!
This is a salt and pepper shaker. Again, too precious to be used. Here are two of the dolls in their pink outfits.
This is a checker board game. The pieces inside are pink and red heart shaped.
This address book I could not bring myself to write in!!
This tin (which is pink by the way) keeps all my knitting tools safe and ready at hand for me. This I do use!
For more Pink Saturday blogs visit Beverly, our hostess, at How Sweet the Sound.
Deborah ofPictures, Pots and Pensis hosting Favorite Family Foto Friday. She is on vacation this week but I thought I'd post a picture anyway. This picture is four years old. It is one of my favorite pictures of Tim. I actually have it framed in my computer room. He was five years old when this was taken. I needed to take him to the lab that day to get some blood work done. A year earlier he was very sick and in the hospital and left there very afraid of needles. I didn't tell him where we were going that day. When we pulled into the parking lot of the doctors office (the lab was around back) I told him what we were there for and let him know that if he was as brave as could be I would take him to buy a toy on the way home. He did a great job of trying it hold it together so we stopped at a store on the way home and he choose this Teenage Ninja Turtles sword and mask. I don't know where the mask is, but he still plays with the sword. I don't think he remembers what he did that day to earn his new toy.
Beverly has tagged me and I feel it my duty to respond. Who knows...she may end up tagged by me soon LOL! I have to be about the most boring person on earth!!! I think Beverly will regret asking me. Hopefully you get get through all my answers without being too bored!
1. Where have you traveled? I'm not much of a traveler. The last vacation I went on was my honeymoon thirteen years ago! When I was in high school I went to Germany for a month. I've also been to Florida, New Hampshire, Maine, Maryland and South Carolina. I have no desire to travel. I'm such a home body!
2. Where would you like to live? Right where I am. I would like some renovations though.
3. What is your decorating style? I don't have one! I just do what I like and there is no rhyme or reason.
4. How many times have you been married? Once and only once!
5. Favorite color: I think green would be my favorite, followed by a dark red and then navy blue.
6. What is your proudest accomplishment? The first one would have to be my children! They are both pretty nice people...I think I'll keep them!
7.What would we be absolutely shocked to learn about you? I have a glass eye. I lost my left eye when I was 22 months old to either cancer or Coat's disease (which is a disease of the retina...usually it only happens to males). The verdict is out on the actual cause. It doesn't bother me. I talk about it freely with anyone who asks and if someone told me there was a way to be able to see out of that eye again I would decline. I've been without it for over 45 years and am used it that way.
I'm running out of people to tag! If you would like to play along feel free. Let me know and I'll be sure to come read your answers.
This is Tim's avatar toy. The last few days he has discovered the TV show again and has pulled out his old avatar toys. He goes through phases of what his favorite toys are. It's been Batman, Spiderman, Star Wars, Avatars, Indiana Jones, Legos. There is one thing that is always a constant. One of Tim's favorite things to do is play with play dough and clay. The boy loves play dough and clay. There are times that he will sit at the kitchen table for hours and hours and build and create with clay. I'm always amazed at what he does. He makes figurines with movable and removable parts. I'm talking with play dough!!!! Yesterday he made this avatar figure modeled after his toy. He just sits and moves his hands around even while watching TV and can create these things. I take pride in the fact that I can roll a play dough snake and if I'm feeling exceptionally talented I can attempt a rose. Tim has me beat by a landslide!!!
This picture is the same avatar but with his mask on!
I suppose it is no big surprise that back in the early 70's I had a Dawn doll. I loved that doll. Up until then I was a big fan of Barbie. I remember sitting in our big bedroom closet with my sister playing Barbie dolls. My mother often reminds me of all the Barbie clothes she knit for me that I gave away. I still have guilt over that!!!
Back to Dawn. Dawn was about half the size of Barbie and quite stunning. My sister and I had several of the dolls. I used to think I was quite the seamstress and try to "sew" clothes for her since Barbie's clothes were just too big. I don't know what happened to my Barbies and Dawn dolls. I suppose they are in the big playroom in the sky by now :)
About a year ago I was in a local pharmacy (CVS) and I came across a Dawn doll. There wasn't even a question about it, so I bought it! I was thinking how nice it would be to give to Mackenzie when she was older. Mackenzie however would rather have some of the old trucks and trains I had that are gone to the great beyond as well. Someday if her tastes in toys change Dawn will be here waiting for her.
Yesterday's post about unimportant information about me got me thinking about, well, more unimportant things...especially food.
I am a very picky eater. I always have been. One of the things that I still eat (that I loved as a child) is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Oh, and it has to be Skippy peanut butter. The thing is that when I make this sandwich I love to put potato chips right smack dab in the middle!!! I love how the sandwich crunches when I eat it...and it's salty flavor is heavenly. Having a cold glass of milk just tops it off perfectly. If I want to revert back to my childhood I make it chocolate milk!
Another sandwich that I like is with left over turkey or chicken on wheat bread with butter. YUM! Last night we had meatloaf for dinner and I am looking forward to my lunch today. I like my meatloaf sandwiches with mustard!!
Do you have any unusual sandwiches or foods like you just love?
It is PINK SATURDAY. My friend Beverly of How Sweet The Sound is again hosting a PINK SATURDAY . Check out her blog and visit all the PINK posts today.
A couple of years ago our sweet hostess and I were in a circle journal swap and of all things Beverly's theme was a PINK one :) For her circle journal I chose to tell the story of the roses that were in my yard. If you read my blog earlier this week I told the story of my great grandmother's button tin. I spent a lot of time at her house when I was younger. When I was a teenager my great grandmother died and my mother inherited her house. In the back of the house outside of what was my great grandmother's bedroom were some Cape Cod roses. (I don't know if that is the technical name but it's what I've always called them). Several years ago my mother sold that house and before it was sold I had Rich go over, dig up the roses and bring them here.
They now grow in my front yard and all summer long when I look out the front window I see those roses. They remind me of my great grandmother. I am so glad I brought them here. Along with the roses though, came the bittersweet that was growing with them at the old house. It is a chore to try to keep the bittersweet under control. I'm very happy to have the roses, bittersweet and all.
Deborah of Pictures, Pots and Pens is hosting Favorite Family Foto Friday. I thought I'd give it a try....lord knows I have thousands of pictures of my family!
I posted this picture on my blog last year but I just LOVE it. It is of Tim and Kenzie. I took the picture on 7-7-07 . The purpose was to post photos related to the number 7. Tim was 7 years old when his niece was born and needless to say is still 7 years older than her. He will be 10 and she will be 3 in September. They both love each other very much!!! The picture below is the two of them the summer before.
I wish I had thought to get a picture of them when Mackenzie was here today. Next time :)
Please be sure to visit Deborah's blog to see who else is sharing their favorite family photos.
