Current Events

Today in "life..unscripted" news, Muffy and the little critter hunkered down next door with Mrs. Coach's sister (who I really should give her own name) and all the kids, as a pretty decent wall cloud passed overhead and the skies opened up. Together they weathered a short-lived tornado warning, some funnel lowerings, and flooding.

Also in the "news", Big Daddy's computer has gone into a sweet tea induced coma. This reporter watched in disbelief as a half consumed glass of sweet tea spilled out across the nearly new laptop of Big Daddy. Explicit words were used as Big Daddy rushed to save the expensive piece of machinery from the clutches of certain death. But despite all of Muffy's best efforts, the laptop remains in a vegetative like state and doctors at Dell aren't holding out much hope. There is no word yet from Big Daddy's company, but no charges are expected to be filed.

In other computer news, there is still no word on when Muffy's computer will be fixed. She is working diligently on getting it to do what she wants it to do, but with little success. At least hers works on a whole and she can still access her files. She has made little progress on getting the computer to recognize her camera, but worse comes to worse, she'll pull some pictures out of her archives.

That's all for tonight folks. Have a great rest of your day.

Book Review

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - (from the jacket) tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known...of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect - a man divided in his soul...of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame...and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state and brother against brother.

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I read this rather large book (973 pages) while Big Daddy was in China as a way to past some of the time. I had purchased the book about a month prior, but never really had a real strong desire to read it. Mama was buying the book so I did too, what the heck right?
It was a pretty good book and while I'm tempted to say it was great, there were a couple of things about it that prevent it from being such. I'm no prude, but this book was too graphic for me in spots. Without giving a story line away, there is a bit of pillaging and plundering that goes on and the detail of it all is a little too much. Also, as an animal lover there are a couple of situations involving animals that tugged at the heart strings as well. I do understand that it was a different time and really a different culture, but animal cruelty always bothers me, fictional or not.
The only other thing I didn't like about the book was that it was very thick and wasn't very well edited. The premise of the story is a good one..the characters were great, but the book was so beefy. It was repetitive in many places and that too detracted from the quality of the book. The book could have been heavily edited and the story would have been just as good, but it likely would have made it even better.

Out of 5, I'd probably give the book a 3 and 1/2. It was a page turner (for me). I was eager to more about the characters and their stories. But I did skip over a number of paragraphs that I felt weren't adding anything to the story. I have read some reviews about the story not being very historically accurate, but given my limited knowledge of the religion and the separation of Church and State, I didn't think it took away from the story any.
I'd recommend this book to those looking for something to read. It's a good one, but like I said, it could have been better.

High-Gloss Black

I consider myself the crafty DIY'er type. I love to fix, build, create, and refurbish stuff. I don't know if it has to do with being hands on or creating something from scratch that gets my blood pumping, but whatever it is, I love it. I have a great imagination and will try just about anything, but on my latest project my execution stinks!

In case you missed it in my previous posts or are just tuning in, I'm painting my kitchen table and chairs. They are only a few years old but for some reason, the finish was already coming off of the table and rather then continue to pick off the finish (which was driving Big Daddy crazy) I decided to refinish the set. Originally, I wanted to re stain the table but once I got sanding I realised just how long it would take me to get it down to the bare wood and I was looking for something a little more quick fix. So I opted for a rough sanding and then painting.

Sounds all well and good right? Not quite. I guess here is where I should mention the only blemish (that I know of yet) on my DIY career...painting. It really isn't my forte. I'm a bit of a sloppy painter and while I'm trying to be super careful and make sure I'm doing it correctly, I'm finding that my once easy and fast solution is now taking me forever! The reason (at least in my books) is high-gloss black paint. It looks great when done by a professional..or when a sprayer is used. But when you give high-gloss paint to a woman that is a sloppy painter and you have a recipe for disaster my friends.
So why give a sloppy painter high-gloss black paint in the first place you ask? Well, the table and chairs look a little Asian-esque and with all black appliances, I thought the paint choice was a good one. Uhhh..not so. Oh well, you live and you learn right. Maybe..just maybe..Big Daddy will take pity on me and help me finish up the three chairs that are left.

I'll keep you posted.

I know I've said it before on this blog, and not too long ago at that, but we are busy here lately. Big Daddy made it back here safely on Sunday and so there has been much catching up to do. As well there are chairs to paint, gardens to build and plant, tax documents to prepare, more spring cleaning, a child to entertain, and some family issues are brewing as I type this. I haven't had much time to sit down and actually write, but I have much to share including some pictures and will be sure to post it all when I get some free time. Hopefully that time will be soon.

I Wish You..

• a Happy Easter


• a warm and sunny day (like we have again here today)


• patience (something I am lacking again today)


• Colour Wash markers (unlike the dry erase one my son found and proceeded to draw with on the wall, carpet, tile and hardwood floors - it came off the tile and hardwood, but not the carpet or the tile grout)


• never miss your connecting flight (especially after a 12 hr flight half way around the world, only to be told that there were no other flights until tomorrow - like Big Daddy was told this afternoon)


• dependable people in your life that do what they said they were going to do
  
• car rental places that are open on Sundays, because sometimes you need a vehicle on spur of the moment on Sundays too.


• a clone(s) of yourself to get done all the things that need to be done, but you just don't have time to do (like me today)


• a computer that works like it's supposed to (unlike my laptop - ugh!)

Busy Bees

There is lots to write about here, but very little time over the next few days to do so. Today O and I had a play date..which was wonderful (thank you J, Sig, DD, and Gab). A friend of mine from high school, his wife and family moved down here last year and we've managed to squeeze in a couple of play dates between some pretty busy schedules. They were here the day after Christmas and so it was our turn to go there.
I love our next door neighbour's company, but it's always nice to meet and spend time with other people as well, Sig is good people. I really enjoy her company and think she is a very lovely woman. So..we chatted and got to know each other better while the kids played. We took them to the park and then enjoyed a nice dinner when J got home from work. I basically had to drag the little critter out of the toy room and take him home. I think he was having a blast playing with DD and J (who was playing with the boys like Big Daddy would have done if he had been around).

Tomorrow we are off to the zoo with our friends next door and Mrs. Coach's sister and kids. They all get along great and so we thought we'd take them to see the animals, something they all haven't done in a while.

I'm also working on another surprise project in the house. I haven't told Big Daddy yet, though he knew I was wanting to do it sometime. I'm sure he just didn't expect me not to be done by the time he got back. I'm refinishing our kitchen table and chairs seeing the finish on them now is wearing. I've sanded them all down and now I'm going to paint them. And yep..I don't think I'll have it done by the time Big Daddy gets home. Not with the cleaning and watching the boy. There is just that little time it seems. I was planning on having gotten the stuff yesterday and started painting last night but will all of the storms and flooding we had in the area that I just saved it for today. But of course I didn't get anything done today as we didn't make it home from our play date until an hour ago. So I've got a lot to do. You think maybe Big Daddy won't notice if they aren't done when he gets home? Yeah..that's what I thought too. Oh well.

I'm off to bed now. Tomorrow will be another early start. Night Night folks.

Odds and Ends

Sometimes I wonder why my Mother is the way she is. She's generally a really great person. She's kind and compassionate. She is generous and very loving. But despite all of these things she has this innate ability to make people feel terrible by guilting them.
Today Critter and I spoke to her and the conversation went well enough, but then I made the mistake of telling her my plans for big Daddy's homecoming. I'm planning to get a nice little hotel room near the airport, grab a nice sit down dinner and go to bed early. I thought it would be a nice thing to do for him..though I'm sure he'll want to get home, but I figured it would be a nice thing to do in place of the hour drive on top of getting something to eat. Soooo..my Mother takes this nice gesture and berates it. She continually asked what O and I were going to do while Big Daddy slept the entire night. I wanted to reach through the phone and smack her. Her reason..she was ticked because O and I didn't go to Florida to meet up with her and my step-father. I'm not even going to begin to get into my reasons for not making the trip, but they are too numerous. Anyways..so ya..thanks for your support Mom.

We have had some pretty outrageous weather today. From about 9am until mid afternoon we had some major thunderstorms and rained like the end of the world was coming. There were tornado and flash flood watches most of the day. Winds were over 100 mph at times today and most all in bound and out bound flights were cancelled out of DFW. It's still raining and tomorrow isn't looking much better. Critter is going to have some major cabin fever tomorrow.

Big Daddy's boss called today, which I thought was very nice of him. He called to check on O and I, to see how we were doing. He's a good man and has always looked out for our family. But he too has been on several of these trips, a couple to China, and knows how hard it can be on a family. It was thoughtful..and much appreciated by me.

I just finished reading Ken Follett's Pillars of The Earth last night. It's a rather large book - 973 pages to be exact, but I spent just a little over 5 days reading it. I had a difficult time putting it down needless to say.
It's late now though, and well..I think I'll wait until tomorrow to tell you what I thought of the book.

So, on that note, I'm off to bed. Sleep tight kiddies!

Erin G'Braugh!

To those that celebrate it..Happy St. Paddy's Day.

I don't know much about Saint Patrick, but I feel a certain sort of kinship to this particular holiday. I wasn't born in Ireland, but some of my people were. My great-great grandfather was an Irish immigrant to Canada many years ago and it is Ireland that I am named after. And so I celebrate the holiday regardless.

A vast number of Big Daddy's people were Irish as well, and so most years, I do a small feast of corn beef, boiled potatoes and cabbage. One year I even made soda bread. This year though, O and I did very little. He doesn't really get the concept (nor does he like potatoes and cabbage), so it was a very quiet celebration today. Both of us wore green as is our tradition, but there was no feast. Next year.

When Irish eyes are smiling
and Irish smiles are wide,
When Irish hearts are happy
and the piper plays a slide,
when Irish stew is bubbling
and the soda bread is hot
and the Irish tea is steeping in
a little Irish pot,
When the room is warm with laughter
and the songs are bright and bold
and there's poetry and magic
in the stories that are told,
Isn't it a blessing,
isn't it just grand
to know the heart and soul
of you belongs to Ireland?

Sun Bunny

I love spring! I love being out of doors where I can feel the sun on my face (despite being allergic - I have the hives to prove it right now too), the brilliant blue skies, the smell of the wet dirt after a good rain and the intoxicating scent of hyacinths, tulips, and daffodils. What gorgeousness we have right now! The grass is still brown for the most part and the trees are still bare, but oh how I love this time of year.

Last night I found myself sitting on the porch with a glass of vino and my book as the sun was beginning to set behind the houses. It was the first night where temperatures weren't falling much below daytime temps despite the sun having gone down. As the crickets began their evensong serenade, I couldn't help but think about Big Daddy and wished that he could have been here to share the evening with me. He too would have enjoyed every minute of it and that was enough for me to feel connected to him despite the distance between us.

So here I am outside sitting on the porch..again. I can't help myself! It's too nice to be in the house. I love this quite time when Critter is napping and I can get outside without having to watch him like a hawk and just simply relax. It gives me time to reflect on my poor neglected garden.

Speaking of which, all of this fabulous weather has given me the gardening bug and I can't wait until Big Daddy gets home so that we can get on with getting on. Last year we took the metal edging out as it did little for the garden and B.D. has promised me that I can get some stone to build a nice decorative edge. Our garden needs it truthfully. At present, there is mulch everywhere. We've had some big rains and that's just the way the garden flows.
At the same time, I've taken to dressing up our porch. It has been barren most of the year and just recently I've started to make some improvements. More work is needed though Big Daddy will object to spending money on it I'm sure. I'll get him to think of it as a anniversary gift or something. :D

Okay, I think I'm done procrastinating. I have a long list of things I said I was going to do while Big Daddy was away. It's now been a week since he left and I've done only one of the eight things on my list. Oh but how I can be inside on a gorgeous day like this?!

I've determined...

..that I am a woman of little patience.

I never used to be this way. I took everything in stride and was slow to react most of the time. I did a great deal of listening and thinking before saying or doing anything. I used to have patience for just about anything. But sadly, that has changed I think.

I used to think that there were things that I still had patience for, but I do believe that today, my son proved me wrong.

The End of The Sippy Cup

It's time to get rid of the sippy cup. I've come to realize that O is far too content to drink out of a sippy cup never trying to use his big boy cup. He was the same way with the bottle. I understand that it feels unnatural for him and we haven't tried to practice all that often, but my big concern is that he won't even try. I don't expect him to succeed the first, second, or even 50th time he tries, but I do expect him to try. I'm tired of hearing "I can't".

So if it means more laundry, lots of spills, tantrums, and being thought of as the bad guy then so be it. I'm up to the challenge.

Today's Fab Five

While there is plenty going on in these here parts, tonight I thought I would just share my 5 gratitude's for the day:

Old Friends:last night I reconnected with an old friend from high school. I had been searching for her for a while now (on facebook - yes I facebook too), but hadn't had any success. Luckily though, she found me. We spent hours on the phone with one another catching up. I so enjoyed getting to know her all over again. While she is still the same funny, happy-go-lucky, sweet, yet kinda wild girl I hung out with in high school..she has become this really great woman and Mama as well.

Phone Calls from China: they aren't near long enough, nor is there any regularity to them, but I cherish Big Daddy's phone calls home.

Warm Sunny Weather: you would never know that we had snow 2 days last week. We have had some fantastic weather this past week. It's been sunny and warm and not a single cloud in the sky. By Friday we should be up in the 90's (I'm hoping for windy too so it won't feel like 90 just yet). Critter and I have been playing outside with our neighbours and the boys are crying when we drag them inside to go to bed (ya daylight savings time).

My Little Critter: O and I may do battle quite often, but he is the light of my life and I can't begin to describe how happy I am to have him. Have I mentioned that my kid gives the best hugs ever? Well..he does. He's in bed already tonight..and while we've spent the entire day together today..I miss him.

Midol:..the best PMS medicine (for me - and anyone who is within my striking distance) out there. Need I say more?

Little Rays of Light

Here are a few pictures that I took last week. It was on a gloriously sunny, but cooler day. We had beautiful sunshine streaming in the foyer window and on to the tile floor below, creating a rectangle of light. My odd little critter thought it was the perfect place to play with his cars..that very rectangle. I, of course, couldn't resist the photo opportunity.





And here are two others that enjoy the afternoon sun that streams in that window:

China Pearl lays on the upper step..Adair on the lower. These are my fury babies..both female..both calico.

Short and Sweet

I'm tired tonight people and I don't feel much in the way of blogging, unless of course I could just dictate and someone else could type it for me. It's a shame the little critter isn't old enough to do that yet.

Okay, so Big Daddy made it to his little remote town in China. Don't ask me the name of said city; I know it, but I'm too tired to actually recall what it is. It was almost three in the morning when I heard from my spouse. It was short, sweet, and comforting. At least I was finally able to go back to sleep after having been awake off and on since 11pm when I went sleep. I also had a dream where I think I was literally calling out for Big Daddy in my sleep.

I wasn't able to get his first impression of China that conversation. It really was a quick hi, I made it, and bye conversation. Though he did tell me that he was showing everyone on the plane the scrap-album that I made for him. Isn't he sweet?! I'd say it pretty much makes up for the lousy Valentine's Day. It sure did make my day.
But now I'm tired, beyond really. Critter has been in bed now for 2 hrs and I have idea, but I've been prolonging going to sleep. But enough is enough. I'm headed to bed now. Sleep tight kiddies.

Big Daddy Goes International

So for those of you following along with the saga that is Big Daddy goes to China..well today was finally the day. His flight was very early this morning and so rather then throwing O's schedule and making the day tougher than it was figuring to be (and it really was a tough day), Big Daddy found another way to the airport. We will, however, be meeting him there when he returns.

Big Daddy has been traveling now for more then 13.5 hrs. It's more like 15 if you count the drive to DFW. He had a brief stop over in San Francisco and then on to the second leg of his journey.
As I write this, Big Daddy is somewhere over Siberia. I know this because of the handy little software program that I like to use to watch all of our family and friend's flights when they come to visit or are leaving. This program has been a God send and a bit of a curse. Of course it allows me to see when there are flight delays as they occur as well as it being fun to watch the little airplane float across a map in real-time. You can actually see the path the flight took. Tonight though, I've actually experienced a bit of a down side. I don't know if it's because the flight is now out of North America, but right now it's showing at 0ft altitude. That made my heart drop a little considering there is supposed to be no other stops and well..the plane was showing as being over Siberia as I mentioned. The little plane keeps moving along and there on other messages, so I'm chalking it up to it being an international flight and all. I'm just a little worried. :S

Critter has asked a zillion times for his Daddy. While I smile outwardly and even inwardly some as he asks (as his constant inquiry after his Father is a testament to their strong bond and love for one another), it too breaks my heart a little because I know that he misses Big Daddy so. I'm thinking that I will get him a picture of him and his Daddy and put it in his room so that he can look at it whenever he wants. I think that I'll get out the calender and circle the date of when Big Daddy flies home and maybe this will help with the repetitive questioning.

Under 5 hrs left in Big Daddy's flight. I hope he's doing okay. I'm also hoping that I get to hear from him when he reaches Beijing. My guess is that he is going to be tired and grumpy and it won't be much of a conversation, but I will be so happy to hear his voice. It will be 1:30-2am here so maybe it will be me who is the tired grumpy one.

Okay..so it's off to occupy myself with some cleaning or something. I always clean when I'm on edge.

A Brief Announcement From Your Local Network

I just wanted to let y'all know that I'm taking a few days off from blogging. Big Daddy leaves for China on Saturday and I'm trying to make sure he's ready to go and that we've all spent time together. I'm also secretly making him a like scrapbook-type mini photo album to take with him to China! Shhhh. So right now that's keeping me occupied too. Write you soon.

..Now returning to your regularly scheduled program already in progress..

Did I say Spring?

There is a saying here in Texas: "If you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes. It's sure to change". What CRAZY weather we are having here. We've gone from mid 70 degree weather this weekend with a tornado watch Sunday evening and then last night, we had this:



Big Daddy was at a meeting last night and Critter was asleep, but I couldn't help myself. I did what any Canadian would have done. I got dressed up in my winter gear and went for a walk to the corner (skipping all the way of course) and then made snowmen for O and Superstar. I was a little kid again! :D

We had a pretty decent snow too. I think we got about 6" (maybe less) of snow total. I shoveled out the driveway and de-iced it for Big Daddy (what a good wife I am, huh?) who was still out. I even helped our buddy nextdoor get his vehicles into the driveway as the roads were pretty slick. I don't typically like snow, but I felt alive after my time outside in the storm. It was if I had been transported back to Canada and I easily got lost in the crunch of my foot falls as I walked along the sidewalk, my face slightly tipped to the sky. The joyful sound of children playing out in the snow was the only other sound to be heard and the air..! What a smell. Do you now that snow has a scent?! :) It smells like a crisp, pure, clean, fresh smell.



This morning was as equally glorious. I had an early start and I was able to get out and take a pleasant walk all by myself. The Critter was still asleep when I returned and I eventually had to wake him up, but the whole family went outside and had fun playing in the snow! Too bad it's already melting. From below freezing to mid 50's today. Like I said..don't like the weather? Just wait.

My Epic Battle

After years of heartache and several failed attempts to lose weight, I'm finally doing it. Over the course of 7 months I've lost a total of 35 lbs. It is only 1/3 of the weight I'd like (and need) to lose, but the fact that I've lost those pounds and have not put them back on again has been paramount. As a much added bonus, I've lost over 14" overall. That's even better then losing pounds if you ask me.

Losing weight has been a battle for me, literally a battle. It's a war that has been going on since I hit puberty, only I didn't know it until a few years ago. I, along with everyone else just assumed that I ate too much sweets and junk food. I have to admit that I did in my later high school years, but I was still very active in athletics. I ate pretty healthy in my adolescent years, my Father saw to that. I wasn't fat, not then at least, but I was heavier then most of my girl friends. Everyone has heard of the freshman 15, but in my freshman year of college, I put on 30lbs and I wasn't eating as poorly. Okay, so I drank a little bit more, had more pop, but I ate well. It didn't matter though once sports was gone out of my life.
Over the next 5 years I put on 40 more pounds. I felt horrible about myself and it showed. But with Mama and Big Daddy's help (who had just asked me to marry him), I lost 35 of those 40 pounds. But as my story had become, I put the weight back on and then some.

I had lost the battle, or at least I had thought so. It wasn't until my female bits went haywire, that I got any answers about why I couldn't just lose the weight I had put on, why no matter what effort I made, I still put on weight. Along came a miracle worker, a doctor who finally believed everything I told him and didn't run a bunch of tests and then never follow through. Thank God for this man, who knew almost instantly what my issue was and without hesitation treated me with great success (with the female bits going haywire stuff mostly). What every doctor I had previously gone to suspected I had, but didn't care to treat, was Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS. In layman's terms, I had cysts on my ovaries that were affecting my female hormones. The symptoms are different for each woman and I won't bore you with all of those, but for me, my body wasn't breaking down insulin correctly and it was being stored in my body as excess sugar..much like a diabetic.

PCOS is treatable, but it's something that I will always have. I've done the medication route and it helped, but I wasn't on it long enough to see it's effects with losing weight. Just two short months after starting on the meds I got pregnant with Critter. I likely should have gone back on the medication once I had him, but to this date..well..I'm too stubborn. I really should though. The only other treatment for this syndrome is diet and exercise. That news only magnified the fact that I loathed dieting and exercising.

After O was born I was feeling too stressed from life's curve balls and with being a new mother that I didn't exercise (which would have been the perfect time to work-out don't you think). Since then, I've taken almost a year and a half off from any REAL working out but started back up once my weight started creeping higher and higher.

Now, I haven't been as dedicated as I should have been. It's so easy to get out of a routine of eating well and exercising with all of life's little curves that get thrown at you. The one thing that I've always lacked is self discipline. Exercising, for the sake of exercising is extremely tedious to me, which is why I find it difficult to keep on a schedule of working out as much as I need to.
My other battle is with carbohydrates. Those tasty, starchy, less nutritious bits of goodness. Oh how I crave them! My favourite has to be potatoes..of most any kind. Yummmm. I do try to eat healthy, but I most always falter when I try to keep them out of my diet. I go a little crazy after a while (Big Daddy says it's like a whole other person invades my body), and I end up binging. I know it's worse then just eating small portions of healthier versions such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta and sweet potatoes, but like I said, I just go a little crazy. And while I may fall off the wagon time and again, I do get back on and continue to do what I can.

Which is where I'm at now..getting back on the wagon and hoping for a much smoother ride. Keep your fingers crossed.