Happy Black Cat Holiday!

Happy Friday the 13th to all the kitties and the humans brave enough to embrace rather than fear black acts and the number 13! It makes me sad that black cats are hard to place shelter cats. They say it’s because people think they’re “bad luck.” Really? In 2015? It’s just amazing that will all the very real bad things in our world people still fall for unsubstantiated superstitions with archaic roots and take out their gullible fear-attitudes on innocent animals. We celebrate Friday the 13th as a cat-holiday and have adopted the American St Patrick’s Day attitude for it – “Pet me, I’m a black cat” and every cat is a black cat on Friday the 13th!

Please feel free to right click and save the graphic I made for the holiday and share it on your blog or social media sites too. Make Friday the 13th a fun day; catnip for everyone! (and something with milk, like chocolate or ice cream if you don’t do nip.)


Now I’m joining Heather at Feeling Beachie for Follow Friday Four Fill In Blog Hop. This is a meme I haven’t done in a while, but I really enjoy! Stop over to Feeling Beachie to join the fun!

The statements:
1. The worst ____________ is _______________
2. I would rather____________________ than _____________
3. I can ________ but I wish I could ________
4. The song ________________ evokes memories of _______________

My Answers:
1. The worst thing about autumn is winter is the next season.
2. I would rather sit at a ballpark in a rain delay than watch a parade in the snow.
3. I can spin in circles at the mall in my power chair like a tilt-a-whirl but I wish I could still climb into a real Tilt-A-Whirl at a carnival. (That one was too easy, huh?)
4. The song Mess Is Mine by Vance Joy, my current favorite, evokes memories of how wonderful David is and how lucky I am.


I leave you with my signature for Ginger Snaps this month. The challenge was lots of green in your siggie. I got that, but NO green shamrocks! My green eyes and summer freckles are courtesy of the orange part of the flag! My mom used to tell me that it irritated my great grandfather when she wore green to school on St. Patrick ’s Day because her Irish heritage was orange not green. So while I do wear green too, I’ve always made sure to rock a little orange on that Irish holiday in memory of Dad-dad.

Credits: Break Time by Colie’s Corner, Lucky Me by Aprilisa Designs, 

Crocuses from Vintage Rose Blossom by Carena Designs

Fridayness

It’s a bit of a dreary morning today, so David cooked up hot breakfast of eggs and sausage with Pillsbury pop-and-bake Cinnabon biscuits. YUM!

I’m joining the Follow Friday Four Fill-in Fun blog hop today. Thanks to Hilary at Feeling Beachie for hosting every Friday!

The statements:
1. Having ____________ of___________ helps me___________
2. I ____________ to _______________
3. The first thing I do in the AM is _____
4. Tomorrow morning I am going to _____

My answers:

1. Having a cup of hot cocoa helps me un-stress.

2. I want to make a crock pot of black bean soup this week.

3. The first thing I do in the AM is turn on the computer when I get downstairs then I make a cup of coffee.

4. Tomorrow morning I am going to do the same thing I do every day; try to take over the world. ;)

022+9669-;/’?

Letting it get empty pretty much added the fruit basket 

to Marco's domain now. Thankfully that wasn’t the good basket!

022+9669-;/’?

That was Marco saying “Hello!” I didn’t include the five lines of empty text he thinks is necessary after his picture… to give the opportunity to bask in his cuteness?

David and I have no ego issues in our relationship because the cats don’t leave any ego left in the house for us!


The cats all roam the house by day, but Marco stays in his room at night and when no one is home. That’s so he gets some kitten food. During the day the girls go in and steal his kitten food. It’s okay because he concentrates on the”big-cat food” during the day. Kaline’s yellow eyes are glowing green! She put on a facade of tolerating Marco but she hunts him from time to time. Her claws aren’t out when she does it, but she’ll walk out and bonk him on the head. Carla does it sometimes too, still with claws in, but Kaline smacks him around a couple times a day. It’s about establishing the pecking order in the house, but I worry that the plan is to keep him in line by giving him brain damage!

Where Kaline’s eyes are glowing green is in the attention a kitten takes all the time that grown cats only demand on a limited basis. As the kitten is learning his new living arrangement, Daddy and Mommy are the ones that are nice to him so he feels more secure around us. That means he sleeps near me during the day. Kaline considers me her property first and she doesn’t like the kitten moving in on her turf. She’s taken to marking her territory. Part of that is rubbing all over us, but part of that has become peeing on some things, like my computer bag which is fairly water proof and I saw her do it so it cleaned up well, but it also included my big plush house robe that I use to warm up in the air conditioning. I was not at all pleased when I discovered the “Kaline perfume” when I put it on a couple mornings ago! The thick robe needs to almost have its own laundry load. ::sigh:: Monday is vet day for all three of them and we’ll ask for some ideas or if it’s just normal and will calm down in a few weeks.


Now let’s see what statements Hilary at Feeling Beachie as for us to fill-in this week!

This Week’s Statements
1) I always _____ texts
2) A love to fall asleep when ____
3) My dream pet would be a ________ named ________.
4) I love _______ more than chocolate. (Or ice cream!!)


My Answers:

1) I always _____ texts
There is nothing I “always” do with my phone aside from turn it off when I go to a movie theater. My hone is first and foremost an alarm clock. I hate texting but I’ better about that than answering the phone because that’s worse to me than texting. I’d rather email, chat online or have coffee face to face! No one ever really calls me anyway. (Probably because of my attitude about the phone!)


2) A love to fall asleep when I’m in David’s car! David’s passenger set is the most comfortable place I sleep, better than sleeping in bed at home.


3) My dream pet would be an orange tabby cat named after Al Kaline. I’m living the dream on that one!


4) I love nothing more than chocolate or ice cream!! I mean come on, ice cream is the greatest food in the world and chocolate is not even a food group; it’s an essential vitamin! Can I live without chocolate or ice cream? Sure, but why would I want to??

Friday Fill-Ins, Frags and Films

Film element from Movies Night Out by Pixelily Designs

Let's Start with the Fill-Ins!

 

This week’s statements:
1. I love that my _____ has _____ because now I _____
2. Sometimes I wonder how people lived without ____ in the past
3. I love to get ____ in the mail because ___
4. I If I could change the temperature today to____________ then________________.

My Answers:
1. I love that my Nook has lots of memory because now I never have to carry 2 books if I’m near the end of the one I’m reading.

2. Sometimes I wonder how people lived without 4 choices of sweetener in the past. Actually what I often wonder is if someone from the 1950s was zapped into a restaurant now, how would they react to the multiple colors of sweetener packets in a restaurant? They probably had a choice of sugar or not. The pink stuff probably wasn’t even in restaurants then.

3. I love to get samples and coupons in the mail because I still believe samples and already printed coupons are better for sales of new products than anything else.

4. I If I could change the temperature today to 80 and sunny then it would be a wonderful weather day. Right now it’s cloudy and 57 with expected rain possibilities and a high of 72. I like it a bit warmer and if it could always rain jut at night and be sunny during the day, I’d be a happier Nani.

**  I’m plowing through my free BzzAgent box of Kroger Strawberry Banana Yogurt Smoothie Pops. They’re just a point and a fruity and creamy frozen afternoon snack. I loved the free ice cream to try them, but I’m going to buy more. If you didn’t get a chance to read my post about them, please do! I’m offering a drawing for one of 2 dollar off coupons to try Kroger’s guilt-free frozen treats. There are Smoothie Bars, Fruit bars, ice cream sandwiches and FUDGE POPS! A dollar off and the coupons are good until July 9, so if you can resist until then, you can enjoy a box of no-guilt ice cream treats for Independence Day!


**  I can’t love my new stair lift enough! Yesterday was the first full day of no stressed arm and upper back muscles climbing up the stairs and no new rug burns sliding down them. I went back up and down a couple times which I usually try to avoid.


**  Today is Donut Day! I’m not participating this year; no donuts in the house and I really can’t just run out and get a donut, but if you have a Dunkin Donuts near you, stop in today and get a free donut in honor of Donut Day with the purchase of any drink! If you’re stuck on which donut to get with your coffee or slushy frozen drink, I’ve always found you can’t go wrong with a double chocolate frosted!

I think I’ve told this before, but walking the three neighborhood blocks to Dunkin Donuts was one of my very first experiences of true freedom. You wouldn’t let an almost 7 year old do it now, but I remember the “big girl” feeling the very first time I walked to Dunkin’ Donuts all by myself. I ordered one Chocolate Honey Dip don’t, they are called just chocolate glazed now, and paid for it with the 15 cents I saved from my allowance for that donutl. It’s one of those childhood memories that’s stuck with me all my life. Donut = Independence = strong.
Exercise how strong you are by NOT resisting the temptation of just one donut today.


** In the 30 Day Blog Challenge hosted at So, Funny Thing… today’s prompt is:

Favorite Films

I don’t go to a lot of movies, but I do have favorites that I have on disc or tape ad watch over and over. The very top ones are Gone With The Wind (1939), Bringing Up Baby (1938), Bull Durham (1988), Field of Dreams (1989) and Frequency (2000).

And so that’s Friday! What are your favorite movies? What about your favorite donut”? And make sure you stop by my Smoothie Bar entry and get in on your chance for the coupons!

Funny Friday

Cluster made with Be Awesome by Aprilisa Designs

Friday Fragments

** Remember the shout out I gave to the mini muffins Wednesday? I have a correction to make. I’m not correcting the review of the muffins, it a grammar thing, specifically, a spelling thing. The brand is Entenmann’s. When I say it, when most people say it that I’ve heard, that second “n” is sorta swallowed. Kinda like the second “a” in caramel when a Midwesterner says it. Big difference there is that I know there are three a letters in caramel. I didn’t know there were four n letters in Entenmann’s until David pointed it out. Rather than go back and fix every mention of the company in Wednesday’s blog, I chose the lazy way out and I’m posting the correction.


** While we’re talking about the Entenmann’s Little Bites, David was reading the box yesterday at breakfast. He pointed out the words next to the animal on the scooter with the mini muffins on its head.

Um…

After reading that it was a serving suggestion, my sweet husband’s inner little boy woke up. He kept asking if he could open one of the pouches to see if they could be served on a cat’s head. He did try to balance a peach on Kaline’s hip “to practice.” Poor peach.

He switched his attention to trying to figure out if the critter on the scooter is a dog or a cow.

What do you think? Dog or cow?

** This was dinner Wednesday:

It was the fruit of my first Bzz Campaign. I got to try Johnsonville Fully Cooked Dinner Sausage for free. Cool or what? I wanted to try the Kielbasa, but David has a more conservative palate, so we went with regular smoked sausage for a first time. It was an easy campaign to join for me because Mom used to make some great meals with already cooked Kielbasa when we were kids.

Of course, my parents were on a tight budget when we were little, so meals often contained affordable price tags and Mom’s creativity. Johnsonville is not just a brand name I trust, but full retail for the sausage is well within competitive pricing for a family budget too. These sausages come in two individually wrapped pieces, great for a couple who only uses one sausage for a meal.

I did this one the quick and simple way; I cut the sausage into coin-shaped slices and pan-fried them with a teaspoon of olive oil. Then I served them over prepared garlic shells with some broccoli. A very quick meal after one of David’s later shifts and also a quick meal trick after soccer practice or gardening after work.

I’ll stop shilling now with one last bit: Follow this link for a printable $1.00 off coupon to try one of the 5 great flavors of Johnsonville Fully Cooked Dinner Sausage. YUM!


** Be sure to check out the bulletin board up top for new entries in Kaline's blog and my MS blog.  The MS blog has a new entry from this morning.  I'd love to hear your feedback if you have some!

This week’s statements:
1. One of my best and worst traits is that I ______
2. If I could escape for a day, I’d _____
3. The best part of ___ is _____
4. When I was young I thought _______.

My Answers:

1. One of my best and worst traits is that I am very analytical. Sometimes it means I pick up important details. Other times it means I can’t make up my mind.

2. If I could escape for a day, I’d go to an out of town baseball game in a park AND state I haven’t been to yet.

3. The best part of chocolate is that it’s chocolate.

4. When I was young I thought all guys should have long hair. Now I don’t find long hair attractive at all.

One Meme or Another

This has been a busy and quick week. The powerchair came to live with us. Carla and Kaline seem to like it a lot more than they did Morgan. Carla has not jumped up in it to nap like she does my walker, but give it time. Kaline will sit in my lap when I’m sitting in it and it’s turned off, but I still get that “Daddy’s legs make a better pillow” look from her. David’s legs are a decent bit longer with a flatter tummy. I still have the hip and chest she prefers. When I turn it on and move, they clear the way just like they do when I walk; it seems the powerchair is not as scary as the vacuum!

Tuesday we met with reps about getting a stair lift and a ramp. It really is just silly to wear out my arms with the manual chair to go the doctor’s office when I have the power chair he did all that paperwork for me to have!  The powerchair seems bigger, like it may not fit all the places the manual chair does, and after I’ve complained that handicap bathrooms seemed to be made for powerchairs. We’ll see, maybe it just feels bigger because it’s more comfortable.

To punctuate the need for the stair lift, I slipped on the top step coming down Wednesday morning. I didn’t go headfirst down, but I fell back on the landing hard on my butt. I’m okay, but boy was I sore all day.

Thursday David was off work and out In the west side of the state. I stayed home; I got up slow and wanted to take it as an easy day.  I seemed to be busy all day and didn’t really get a lot done.

I had a really nice salad for lunch with tuna and black beans and then I got caught in my current book which has about 100 pages of intense rising action right before the climax. How could I stop? Now, having discovered that there was entirely too much book left after the climax, I’m trying to get through the drawn out finish. Unless there is a serious OMG moment in the last 70+ pages, it won’t be getting 5 stars when I write my review. I guess what I got a lot done of yesterday is reading, which would be impressive if I was about 10, it’s a bit of a slacker at almost 47.


After that volume of that I did this week, how about what most of you are here for; one meme or another!

Follow Friday Four Fill In Fun Blog Hop

This week’s statements:
1. If ___ then____
2. ____ is my ___ of the ____
3. Once, I was surprised to find myself __________________.
4. To keep from going crazy, I _________.

My Answers:

1. If you’re going to stare then say “hello!”

2. Self-activism is my project of the year.

3. Once, I was surprised to find myself cheering for the Reds in the playoffs against the Braves when I thought I was a Braves fan. In the heat of passion, the heart shows its true self.

4. To keep from going crazy, I read. I have always hated waiting but now I have to accept it. I read more now.


Five Question Friday

1. What's the one personal hygiene thing you will not do in front of your spouse?

I was raised in a household where respect of privacy and personal space was paramount. That’s not to say I was given “alone time” as a toddler or that I wasn’t hugged as a teenager. I actually didn’t want much alone time as a toddler and I was very touchy-feely with my friends and hugging, probably because hugging was an encouraged sign of affection at home.

That being said, I have always ben pretty private about personal hygiene. I think brush my teeth is the one thing I will so in front of my spouse or anyone. Personal is personal. When Tori and Rina were little, from about 4 up, rather than use a handicap stall to cram all three of us in, we did “shoes.” When one of us was in the stall, the other two stood in front of the door so the person inside could see our shoes. It was meant to respect both our privacy and our need of the security that the other two are there. Okay, that last one was more for me than anything, but they both asked to see shoes when they were in the stall too.


2. What's your favorite thing about a newborn?

That it will grow up? I’ve always said that the great thing about kids is that they get cooler and cooler as they get older. They start out helpless, then they learn and you learn from how they learn too.  Then everyone shares and they grow closer and closer to peers,  When they become fellow adults you just enjoy being with them. I enjoy watching kids grow and being involved, but honestly, I've never known a kid its whole life that I've ever wished was a baby again.   Every person younger than me has become more of a joy to be with as they’ve gotten older. The best thing about a newborn is that promise that the investments of diaper changing and frustrations will pay off with interest.


3. When is "too young" to have a Facebook account?

My arbitrary age for socializing on the internet is 13. I won’t use any more than initials for kids under 13 on my blog too. I think a shared account with a parent is okay before that and hopefully some supervision while you can still get them to at least learn the actual words before they start using text slang. It’s also a good idea to be one of their Facebook friends or at least have a single-no-kids friend or relative you both trust to be on their list.


4. What are your hoping for for Mother's Day?

Last year I got a very sweet text from one of my nieces acknowledging the role I play in her world and wishing me a Happy Mother’s Day. I was moved to tears.


5. What was the best field trip you ever took in school?

My 11th grade Humanities class went on an architectural tour of Detroit. I love classic architecture with lots of detail and downtown Detroit has some beautiful old buildings.

What Season Anyway?

From Because of You by Digitalegacies Designs

It's the third day of spring and it hasn't been a morning above freezing yet. One year ago today, we tied the record high set the day before at 85 degrees. Some people might call that Mother Nature and Murphy having an affair. Just sayin'.

This week’s statements:
1. My ___ is my least favorite feature
2. I was very ____ as a child
3. The first room I clean in my house is___ because___
4. If I had the guts to ____then I could ____

My Answers: 

1. My feet are my least favorite feature. I used to do my toe nails and go barefoot or flip-flops in the summer. The Raynaud’s makes them pretty ugly now. :P

2. I was very much a tomboy and a girly-girl as a child my father’s chagrin. Pop was as unhappy that his princess carried a hockey bag into ballet class as my ballet instructor was!

3. The first room I clean in my house is the bathroom because I can sit and still reach everything that needs cleaned and the water is right there.

4. If I had the guts to face my fears then I could sit in the dining room without pulling my neck doing a celling check for spiders every couple hours.

**  Big time thank to April at Straight From The Heart for two things. First she inspired me to sign up too be a BzzAgent. (Pronounced Buzz Agent) You’ve probably noticed fewer sponsored posts here; my source for coffee funding is drying up! BzzAgents don’t earn sponsor funds, but they get to try products.

The second thank you is related, and one of the oh-so-impressive BzzCampaigns. April got a Café Escapes BzzKit. As part of that kit she had coupons to give away and I was one of the recipients. I’d seen the Café Caramel at Christmas but resisted buying it in favor of more ecumenical choices for entertaining. I used my coupon to try it. OH MY is it good!

I’ll add to April’s testimonial about how good Café Escapes are. In 2011 Café Escapes sent me a sampler with their original four flavors through Twitter. I wasn’t as impressed with the Chai Latte, but I’m not a chai fan. I did like the dark and milk hot chocolates and I was super impressed with the Mocha! I have a box of Mocha that is nearing its end now; I use it with the leftover candy canes to make peppermint Mocha for very few Weight Watchers points and under 100 calories if you use the mini candy canes. The Café Carmel is 60 calories, regular sugar sweetener and the tastes carmelly divine! I want to keep them hidden from my caramel-loving husband, but David is the one who took my coupon to the store to buy it. It’s gonna be hard to keep a secret!


**  An era in my digital scrapbooking history will end this month. At the end of the month Darlene Haughin will retire from scrapbook design. Darlene was the very first designer I for whom I was part of the creative team back in early 2008 and she is the only designer I’ve created for all five years.
Her designs fit my scrapping style so well and she has been a great “boss” to create for. I’m going to miss her work, but I totally understand burn-out and wanting to leave the designing behind and scrap for you again. I didn’t last nearly as long as a designer when I sold my kits.

So through the years many scrapbook layouts done with Darlene’s kits have appeared at The Chronicles of Nani. If you digi-scrap you can still get Darlene’s kits at her My Memories store. Here is a recent layout I did with Darlene’s Carmela kit:

Credit: Carmela by Darlene Haughin

**  I just wanted to mention that the current book I’m reading is Rare Traits by David George Clarke. I’m about half way through and so far the book is phenomenal! It totally captivates my love for mysteries and the Renaissance Italian Masters. I can’t get enough of it. The book is 474 pages, longish I suppose longer than the books I’ve been reading by about 100 pages, but I could probably be happy if it was 1000 pages; I could read it longer! I got the book at Smash Words  for 99 cents and so far I’d say it is definitely my bargain of the year. Even if I’m disappointed by the end the sheer reading pleasure of the past week makes the price a bargain.

And I’ll stop talking about it until I finish reading it now, but boy for a lover of mysteries and an Italian Renaissance art geek it kinda feels like the book was written just for me!

**  Time for a Morgan update. I wish I could say things are going well and everyone is adjusting nicely. Unfortunately, I can’t. Morgan is such a sweet girl to David and me, but the three cats are just mean to each other. Kaline and Carla are usually united, but there is still growling, hissing and screeching every day. It’s been almost 6 weeks now.

We’re going to try Feliway.  David calls it aromatherapy for cats. I refer to them meditating together or forming a kitty prayer circle. At any rate it’s called pheromonatherapy, using a synthetic copy of cat facial pheromones to calm them and help them get better adjusted. I hope it works. Morgan is so sweet to us, but she charges the other two, usually provoked by their growls, but she also launches preemptive strikes. The attacks on Kaline and Carla have to stop.

Honestly Feliway is Morgan’s stay of return sentence. If we see results, if the three cats can begin to be civil to each other and not make us fear for their collective safety, Morgan stays in her new home. If they can’t learn to peacefully coexist and end our worries that one of them could get hurt, Morgan will have to go back to the shelter. That makes me sad, because she is such an attentive cuddle bug with the humans and I take the promise to try to provide a good forever home seriously, but there was that same promise made to Carla and Kaline too. I hope it doesn’t turn out that Morgan is just a one-cat-home cat.

Freezing Friday

Cluster made with Lights, Camera, Popcorn by Picolina Designs

Okay, not really SO freezing. Some freezing rain and snow mix junk and it’s going to get above freezing. The frozen junk will turn to rain and then when it gets cold again… YUCK. It’s not my favorite time of year.

I have a few fragments today, but let’s start with a few fill-ins with Hilary at Feeling Beachie!

This week’s statements:
1. I can’t believe____
2. I never liked the TV Show _____
3. If I were a ____________I would most definitely __________.
4. I ____________ when I ______________

My Answers:

1. I can’t believe how much of a difference having my mobility meds back is already making after only 3 days. Stupid insurance company should be ashamed for denying me for a week and half.

2. I never liked the TV Show … I’m not a big TV watcher anyway, but I’ll throw Seinfeld in there. I only saw a couple of episodes and I have no idea how it was ever popular.

3. If I were a lifetime skinny woman I would most definitely have a pierced navel and a Cincinnati Reds navel post.

4. I always take my Nook when I go anyplace I might have to wait.


And now, we’ll join Mrs. 4444 for some blog defragging

**   My Valentine flowers were just starting to fade a little last night. David brought them home for me last Tuesday, so they lasted well!

Aren’t they gorgeous?

I’m pressing lily and some of the rose petals for my Smash book. I have the plastic pockets for those!


**   It’s been almost 2 weeks since Morgan came home. There’s still some kitty unrest. Morgan really doesn’t seem as aggressive as they warned us she might be at Paws, but she doesn’t take the grief Carla has been giving her. When Carla sees her she growls and hisses. And Morgan will sometimes give chase. Morgan is a big girl; product of no real exercise room and nothing to do but eat for a year and a half at the shelter. She doesn’t outrun Carla, but if she pins Carla like Carla pins Kaline sometimes, Carla’s not going anywhere, so she runs,, hides and stays well hidden someplace Morgan can’t reach her for a while. Oh, to give her a little human logic ability so she’d realize she has the power to end that!

She looks ferocious, doesn't she?

Kaline will occasionally growl or hiss, but she pretty much tries to stay away from Morgan. Give it time. It took 6 weeks before Kaline and Baggle played nice with Carla.


**   Sunday is the annual MS awareness day at the Toledo Walleye hockey game. It’s the kick off right before MS Awareness Month in March. David and I went last year and it was fun. The gathering is sponsored by our local National MS Society chapter. There is some comfort in knowing that, while MS is different for every victim, at least we’re not completely alone.

Still, if the Tigers can do Christmas in July, the Mud Hens can do MS Day in June, no?

A Hop and an Award

Cluster made with A Book of Me by Aprilisa Designs

 I do know how little of Friday is left compared to everyone else who posted the Friday Fill-In this morning at Feeling Beachie. I’ve been working pretty much all day trying to unlock the secret of getting a video that actually syncs up the way it does in the work-window. In December, I was up until 5 AM the day of Bortrail editing David’s show to make it just so with precision edits, like I’ve always done when I edit video. I was mortified that night as the show played and the edits I’d worked through the night on were so badly out of sync you’d think someone who knew nothing about video opened the software for the first time and threw some stuff in the editor. I’ve tried the executable file, creating a free-standing video, burning a DVD direct from the editor, all out of sync. I spent some time on the phone with tech support. I cleared the cache and cleaned up the program and my file, I rebooted the computer before rendering. Still, out of sync crap. I did a show for Tori and Rina’s Sweet 16 with an editor half the price and it was perfect. So now I’ll be recreating the show on that editor and I’ll find out if it’s the “standard” railfan software or the still new enough that I haven’t done video on it computer. If it’s the software I won’t be at all happy. The newer crappy software is twice the cost. But if is the software, I’ll be singing the praises of Wave Pad to every railfan I know!

So anyway, aside from a day wasted with that software that puts me starting the month off behind on my Sugar Cookie comments at Ginger Scraps and about a half a day late in posting my blog…things aren’t bad. I started today with chocolate hazelnut oatmeal! That’s a nice start. ½ cup of quick oats with a tablespoon dark chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon crushed hazelnuts and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Set the Keurig maker for 8 oz. hot water. Cover the bowl with a plate while you make a cup of coffee in with the Keurig, Free Trade Vermont Blend this morning, and by the time I stirred in a tablespoon of Coffeemate the oats were ready and the chocolate melted. MMM! The oatmeal, which I was too busy loving to photograph, was a little more than I usually have for breakfast, 9 WW points, but every now and then you have to do something special for yourself. It was worth every point. And since the creamer is a point and the apple I had was 0 points, I still strayed in my 10 point target for breakfast anyway.

Okay, now finally the fill-ins, Chatty Nani I am tonight.

This week’s statements:
1. I was probably the only kid in the world who ____
2. ____ is my favorite juice
3. I never thought I would____until I___
4. I have always wanted to_____ but_____

My Answers:

1. I was probably the only kid in the world who liked squid! Tastes change and I am so NOT a calamari fan now, but I liked it as a kid, the fried tentacles were my favorite.

2. Pineapple-orange is my favorite juice.

3. I never thought I would get married until I started talking silly wedding talk with David.

4. I have always wanted to hang glide but now it is the one thing the stupid MS stands in the way of.

I'll be checking out everyone else's fill-ins tonight and tomorrow!



My First Award of 2013!

Okay, on SUNDAY, way back in January, Edna presented me with a wonderful award. I managed to stop by and thank her, but I’m just now posting it. Like I said to her in comments yesterday, good thing it’s not a punctuality award!

But it’s better than a punctuality award. In fact the occasional lack of punctuality is in there because it’s the REALITY award!

Isn’t it sweet?

The rules are pretty easy:

(1) Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you.

Did that, even twice thanking again yesterday.

(2) Acknowledge that blogger on your blog and link back to them.

In case you didn’t put the 2 and 2 together, Edna is my dear friend the owner of Miss Edna’s Place

(3) Answer the five simple questions. See below

(4) Nominate blogs for the award and notify each of them. Also see below

(5) Display the award on your blog somewhere.  See above




Here are the questions:

1. If you could change one thing, what would you change?
2. If you could repeat an age, what would it be?
3. What is one thing that really scares you?
4. What is one dream you have not completed, and do you think you'll be able to complete it?
5. If you could be someone else for one day, who would it be?



1. If you could change one thing, what would you change?

I’d make all diseases that attack people who have done nothing to put themselves at risk disappear. Autoimmune disorders, cancer, diseases of the brain; all gone, poof, those afflicted everything the disease made happen, back to normal.

Okay, and if I can’t have it that way for all diseases, then selfishly, I’ll cure MS first.


2. If you could repeat an age, what would it be?

Edna said she’d stay where she is now, and in many ways I’d say the same. I’ve never had trouble with my age and being happy with my world just as it is right now. I have demons, but I also have wonderful things that have entered into my life.

I could say 28 because it was before my mom got sick and she’d still be with me. But if I look to go back to still have the riches I’ve lost in my life, wouldn’t I want to go back to early 1994 when my grandfather was still with us? But my Papa and my nieces never knew each other. In order to have Papa in my life I’d have to give up Tori and Rina. Even getting Mom back, Mom and David never met.

One time I was asked that question and I said 39 because It was before the MS symptoms got bad, after David and I got together, we’d found Kaline and we had all four cats between us. But Carla hadn’t been born yet. So you see, to pick one age from my past, I’d have to choose who to keep and who to give up. So because I really don’t like decisions, I’ll pick slightly closer to 47 than 46.


3. What is one thing that really scares you?

Stairs. I crawl up the ones at home, but I still have to get to a standing position for the top 2; scares me half to death every time. Fortunately, succeeding without falling thrills me half to life!


4. What is one dream you have not completed, and do you think you'll be able to complete it?

I have always tended to have goals rather than dreams as far as things I want to attain. Current dreams include a job and a new home with David’s train layout taking up the whole basement, a ranch with easy accessibility be it walker or chair, laundry on the main living floor and a modern kitchen with appliances that work and a pantry that’s not in a corner over a corner section of counter. Oh yeah, and smooth no grout countertops. Both are attainable, jut not sure how many months/years down the line.


5. If you could be someone else for one day, who would it be?

Just for a day? As much as I always say I’d give anything for just one day with no pain and the full abilities I used to have, I think I’d choose to be someone with greater physical disabilities than I have so I could better appreciate how good I actually do have it. Bet I’d never say the “I’d give anything” idea again.



Now I would like to pass this award on to:

Kelly at Coffee Cups and Christianity
Debby at Just Breathe
Josanne at A Chocolate Bouquet
Jen at Grown In Southern Ground

As usual, I realize everyone has busy schedules, even me sometimes!  So, this award is a ift without requirements.  I'd love to read your answers, but don't feel obligated to answer the questions, just know you've been acknowledged as one of the blogs I love to visit!

Normal Friday

I got a call yesterday from Rina that she got home safe and sound and in plenty of time to get to her 6PM class. She was here since Saturday to “help me out” after I’d been in the hospital. Okay, yes, I’ve been out of the hospital for a couple weeks now, but my brother was having a couples-only over 21 party and needed to get his daughter out of the house. Rina and I weren’t complaining. She got to go on her first solo journey of more than a half hour and we got to spend a few days together. Her class schedule is such that Martin Luther King Day meant no classes on Monday and her next classes were Thursday evening and Friday. It was an awesome long weekend!



Now I’ll check-in with a couple of Friday favorites!

This week’s statements:
1. Making ____ is ____
2. I get ___ easily
3. The number of emails in my inbox is _________ and ____________
4. Traveling _______________ makes me _______________.


My Answers:

1. Making the best of a bad situation is the only way I know how to cope.
2. I get emotional easily. Sometimes even a sappy commercial gets to me!
3. The number of emails in my inbox is way too high and I need to clean my inbox out get arid of the spam!
4. Traveling for long days in the car makes me kinda achy at the end of the day.

1.Do you embrace or dread snow/cold weather days?

I abhor cold and snow with an untold passion! I have a doctor’s appointment next week and I’m worried that I’ll be out in the cold and snow waiting for the bus. And by the way, wheelchair frames and the wheels you use to actually make it go get very cold, very fast.


2. Which game show or reality show could you totally win?

Wheel of Fortune. But I’d do it by solving the puzzles, not spinning to run up the bank when I know the answer. When the answer is obvious and they keep spinning, contestants look like idiots.


3. What is your preferred climate?

Warm. Give me 80s and mild humidity every day with the occasional drop to the 70’s and a few thunderstorms, with no tornadoes, and I’m in paradise.


4. What do you buy every time you walk into the grocery store, no matter what?

Bananas and carrots.


5. If you see a spider/bug in the house, are you brave enough to kill it, or do you call for your hubby?

We get spiders that curl up in the molding joints in our ceilings. If David isn’t home I just stare back up at them to make sure they’re still sleeping until he gets home. If they move, I freak, but as long as I have a half bottle of spider-spray or some kind of spray and something to bash them with when they fall, I can kill them. But, it’s usually a major drama with me yelling powerful and nasty things at it as I kill it. Yes, I use more spray than necessary and bash the lifeless body into oblivion to be sure it’s dead. It’s an irrational fear and there is lots of adrenaline when I have to go into combat.

If David’s home, I yell for him because he forbade me to use my baseball bat on them. Why does a woman with limited mobility have a baseball bat if not for the purpose of clubbing spiders? He’s depriving my baseball bat of its purpose in life.

If it’s a 6-legged creature, I’ll just kill it and throw the body away.

It’s My First 2013 Friday!

Part of my plan for 2013 is that I’m going to let myself not be as committed to all 3 memes I usually do on Fridays. I enjoy doing them, but it is also quite time consuming to write all three and then visit other blogs who participate. I enjoy reading others’ responses, but I also feel there is an obligation to read other blogs that do the memes too. I mean, really, how rude is it to expect readers if I’m not reading, right? But the truth is that if I secure employment, which my bank account and the hospitals expecting coinsurance payments for their services really want me to do, I’m, not going to have as much blog time. That doesn’t mean that I’ll quit blogging! It just means some things will be streamlined. Mainly that means I’ll end up cutting down to one meme a week on Fridays. I’m not working yet. It’s just a busy day today.

I’ve had to do lots of updating because our new health insurance kicked in at midnight on January 1…just in time for me to use it in a big way! Since I didn’t get the power chair before the end of the month and my doctor’s office let me know they won’t work with the company I chose for my power chair, I’m back at square one. I have no idea what chair I want and I’m not in any big hurry after a hospital stay to start my relationship with the new insurance to ask for any big ticket items.

So it’ll be next Wednesday that my manual chair and I visit the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation to seek assistance in securing a placement. Maybe I’ll look for a work from home opportunity for now, which I can find legitimate positions in that area with the help of the BVR. If I can make a decent paycheck working at home, I might stay with that, but I really would love a job outside of the house to communicate with other people. We’ll see. Maybe that steady check will mean I can afford to do more, maybe even afford the power chair on my own – then I can have the one I want on my terms. We’ll see what happens. First I need to get the ball rolling.

Okay and as the pizza in the oven is calling my nose, let’s post already, huh? Joining Hilary at Feeling Beachie for this week’s Friday Fill-Ins.

This week’s statements:
1. When I __ I ___
2. It is pretty funny that ____
3. It may be strange but ___
4. How ______ made me ______.

My Responses:

1. When I don’t get enough sleep I am hungry the whole next day,

2. It is pretty funny that sometimes something very small can cripple something huge.

Years ago I was part of a large live cable TV remote at a major festival. I brought a coffee pot for Saturday morning, for which the crew was quite grateful, but the coffee pot drew enough power from the production truck that it caused a power outage that knocked the entire production off the air for almost a half hour. Needless to say, after that coffee was brought in from the local donut shop and coffee and donuts in the mornings became one of the meals we had brought in for the production in the years that followed!

3. It may be strange but I crave potato chips and French onion dip during the holidays. I don’t eat it or want it at any other time, but I have to have my one bag of potato chips and one tub of French onion dip between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

4. How David made a point of driving to Canada just for dinner for my 39th birthday with my family made me fall in love with him. (I was heading there anyway, but that was the moment of no return!)

The Final Friday

It’s the final Friday of 2012. If you are reading this and expected a Christmas card from us this year, you will be receiving it, maybe even before 2013! Christmas cards, cleaning and tree will part of 2013’s goals list. David agrees with the idea of the cards being printed by Thanksgiving and sent, with annual letter, by a week later. I didn’t really get a response when I suggested putting up the tree about that time too, but I really want a few weeks of lights in the living room. We’ll have to discuss that one further.

Credits: Life Captured: December by Pixelily Designs

I just finished the layout for week 51 of my Journal 366! I’m gonna make it! I’ll have the whole year done. Considering that I’ve started and failed twice, I’m pretty happy! I’m in the idea-building process of deciding what my annual project will be for 2013, but I have a little wind in my sails right now.

One last time this year, let’s visit our Friday meme-hosts!


First, let’s see what fun there is with Hilary at Feeling Beachie…

This week’s statements:
1. without fail, whenever I fly__
2. I used to be___
3. When I ___ I ___
4. My greatest fear is ______.


My Answers:

1. without fail, whenever I fly I sleep.

2. I used to be able to clean the living room and put up the tree by myself.

3. When I know it's snowing I try not to look out the windows.

4. My greatest fear is falling lately.


Now let’s see what this week’s 5 Questions are from Mama M at My Little Life

1. If you had to give 1 million dollars to just one person (not your spouse), who would it be and why?

I’d give the million to a local person who does a lot of charity work and helping neighbors and the community. They’d be the best at using the money for the best reasons.


2. What bathroom stall do you typically go to FIRST?

If I’m choosing a stall it’s because there isn’t a Family/Handicap bathroom available; that’s always my first choice because I’ve seen too many handicap stalls that don’t actually have enough room for a person and a wheelchair. Of course, if I’m in a regular women’s room my only choice is the handicap stall.

Before I was in the wheelchair I would only use a handicap stall if all of the other ones were taken. I gave myself a pat on the back for that practice when one time I had to use the facilities, badly, and I sat in my chair holding my breath to control myself while three regular stalls that I couldn’t use were empty and an employee was on the phone in the handicap stall, not even using it, on the phone. If the handicap stall is the only one open, please use it, but if you have a choice and don’t need the handicap stall, keep in mind that you don’t know who will roll into the restroom after you.

(My soapbox has a ramp)


3. How do you prefer to shop: In-store or online?

I prefer to shop online because I can compare and get the best selection and best price. Yeah, it’s also more challenged-friendly. I’m hopeful to have a power chair in the next couple months. That might mean I can do some in-person shopping once in a while.


4. What's the weather like in your neck of the woods?

Cold and snowy. The snow is on the ground but not as much as they originally warned. The first forecast was 4-6” during the day yesterday and another 4-6 last night. We ended up with about 2 or 3 total. We dodged the bullet a lot of people to our west, south and north got!


5. Do you own a pair of Tom's and what do you think? Overrated, underrated or about right?

I had to look that one up. If the question is about Tom’s shoes… lol. Come on, you all know me; ANY shoe is overrated! Checking out their website, overpriced shoes and no socks. Totally overrated! :)


Finally, I’ll defrag a couple of things from my blog with a tip of the hat to Mrs. 4444 at Half Past Kissin Time for hosting Friday Fragments

**  One thing I will mention about the letters in our cards; when we said we doubted the world was going to end on the 21st, we were right! :D

**  I’m working on my goals and projects plan for 2013. One thing I’ve learned, perhaps the hard way, is that I just can’t be as ambitious as I once was. I’ve been fighting some serious depression demons since about August and I think, more than anything, I’m frustrated about what I can’t do and the list of goals that were destined to not be reached this year. It’s the first year that I’ve ever had more incomplete than complete annual goals.

**  I’ve been achier than usual lately and not feeling very energetic. I’m kinda looking forward to January detox! I think the fat and sugar intake has just been too high for the last week and a half and I need more water, more veggies and more fruit in addition to the better choices I make in January. I need to get some blood work done and I think I’ll wait until the second week in January so there’s less chance of the doctor calling to tell me I have diabetes, through the roof cholesterol and high blood pressure…and anything else holiday food can do to you!

Fill-In, Dream, Fix, Frag, Cook, Smash, Scrap

Happy Friday! Tomorrow is December already. Wow. November was actually a pretty quick month. I think that’s because the political ads made things seem r….e….l….l…y…s…l…o…w And the holidays make time seem to just zip by! But don’t worry; things will slow back down in January, not politician slow, but nothing to do slow. I always find that I can make January go faster if I stress about Valentine’s Day. Whether it was “Oh please, not another February 14 without a date,” or “What can I give him that he won’t take the wrong way?” or “I’m married now; what can I give him he will take the wrong way?” stress with a deadline makes things go much faster!

Yeah, that wasn’t as happy an opening as it could have been, huh? Sunday evening is the big grocery trip to buy the necessary things for Davinities season and the start of things going on every weekend that I’ll be baking for. Okay and you all know I love it! In the midst of baking and gatherings, there is also a train card to put together so we can get everything printed and mailed, a few gifts to mail, including my Secret Santee’s box. My Santee’s gift(s) will be wrapped today and mailed tomorrow or Monday, depends which works for my sleigh driver.

Fun Fill-ins from Hilary at Feeling Beachie today and some big frags on my blog to clear that I’ll share with Mrs. 4444 for Friday Fragments at Half Past Kissing Time, so let’s get to it!

This week’s statements:
1. I have always dreamed of ____
2. My ___ is my ____
3. I love to ____ when I ____
4. I will never forget ____ with ____

My Answers:

1. I have always dreamed of visiting San Antonio, TX. There was a place I’d never been and never seen pictures of that I kept returning to in dreams. The dreams were never the same or the same people, so not recurring dreams, just a recurring place. When I saw pictures of San Antonio, maybe 10 years ago, I was shocked; it was the place in my dreams! Now I want to go see it for real!

2. My husband is my blog editor. He took the place of my Mom’s proofreading the poor typist who is equally poor at proofreading…but I do okay with the ideas and words part of writing. Every text I get telling me of a typo on my blog leaves me convinced that sound I hear is Mom laughing at me. She would have loved David.

3. I love to sing when I bake.

4. I will never forget going fishing with Kelly that first year we knew each other.

** 

 

Doesn’t that look good? We had Cocoa Pork Chops for dinner this week; SO GOOD! I agree with a comment about a similar recipe I read, “Cocoa and chili powder together?" But they are fabulous!

Since there’s just the two of us for dinner, a recipe for a family is usually way too much, but for this one, I made the full recipe for the rub and keep it in a zip-loc with the other seasoning mixes. Good thing too! When we had a leftovers night and there was a serving of pork chops and a serving of meatloaf, David picked the Cocoa Pork; score!

The recipe for the rub is simple. 2 TBS brown sugar, 1 TBS cocoa powder, 1-1/2 tsp. garlic powder, ½ tsp. salt, ½ tsp. pepper, 1 tsp. cumin. Put the spices in a zip-loc bag and shake them to mix. Rub onto pork and prepare in your favorite way. The first time I made them, I rubbed oil on the chops and then rubbed the spices and baked them for about 20 minutes at 375. Last time, I rubbed the spices on the chops without oil and grilled them. David and I both preferred the grilled method, but both were good!


**  Ronalyn, of The Adventures of Esa and Zed, asked in comments to see some of my current Smash book pages. You might remember seeing some of my Smash Archive pages here, and I like them. They are personal and fun to look at, fun for me to look at anyway, and I think that’s the point. They aren’t works of art, except that those of us that paper craft add our art without even trying.

Here are some of the pages I’ve done in my new Smash book:

First pages; Nani past and now likes

 

Cool stuff

MS Awareness pages with information from magazines

(Still filling that one)

I want to get some bags of crafting letters. The MS has really taken its toll on my penmanship so I’m cutting letters out of magazines and writing some words ransom-note style, which I think looks pretty cool! A nice assortment of styles and colors of letters would also make way for some cool Word art too. Of course there are the gazillion pother fun things that will complement my stickers; clips, pockets, paper tapes… that I have on my wish list that I’ll add after Christmas since I don’t spend on me in December, but I really am enjoying smashing and I love the quality and size of the K & Company books.


**  If you’ll all indulge me in a little scrapbooking brag time, I’d like to share some of the fun things I’ve been working on.

Credits: Christmas In July contributions from Amy Peck,

 Blue Heart Scraps, Connie Prince, Pixels by Jen, Rosey Toes Designs, 

Twin Mom Scraps, Z Pink Boudoir, Find Your Bliss Designs

I did this for the scraplift challenge for November at Ginger Scraps. I like how it turned out. I do a page documenting each year’s Davinities with my Christmas pages for that year. Last year was a banner year for Davinities, the cookies and baked goods were all so good! I was proud of how simply huge by golden-brown thumb was! I’m almost intimidated going into this year’s baking!

The next layout goes with the sentimentality of the Christmas season.

Credits: Ladies’ Boutique by Darlene Haughin

That’s Kelly and me! The photo on the right was taken way back in the 80s; Kelly and her maid of honor, me! The photo on the left is from this January, when Kel and her dad visited 24 years is a lot of history!

Besties was made with Darlene Haughin’s Ladies’ Boutique kit. It was the current kit and this layout was done before the end of October and before the computer that died necessitating the new computer that was replaced with the one I’m typing on now. Ladies’ Boutique is still on introductory sale, but today is the last day!



**  Darlene has a new kit in her 3Scrapateers and My Memories  stores:

A Very Merry Christmas is available and ON SALE for 30% off until January 4. So you have some time to make some of those Christmas memories that will be perfectly scrapped with this kit! If you’re like me, you still have a folder or Christmas 2011 photos on your hard drive begging for this kit while it’s on sale to get caught up!


**  Let’s finish off this week’s fragments with a freebie! Darlene okayed me to share the quick-page version of my layout with Ladies’ Night with you at The Chronicles of Nani! There are two quick pages in the download; one with and one without the Besties word art:

Click mage to download at 4-Shared.

And my blog is all clean and defragged and ready for the weekend!