The race is on…..

 

Since all my children have been securely fastened to the walls with duct tape, I thought I would take a moment and finish up all my posts for the year so I could make one of those book thingies.

HAH! I joke, I kid----I will never get all these posts caught up.

 

KIDDING!

My kidlets are all duct tape free and enjoying their holiday freedoms.

No worries.

Except for my sanity, and like I always say, “Sanity is highly overrated”.

 

I had all of my offspring home for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and it was just lovely. I love that my new home fits lots of people so easily and yet has these great gathering spots.

 

I did something I swore I would never do on Christmas Eve.

I told everyone we were going out for Chinese and it was going to be our new favorite Christmas Eve tradition. Amen.

We did and it was and it is and can I just say, “Hallelujah!!!”?!

 

When we got home the Jammie Elves had come and so everyone ripped into their packages and the following chaos ensued………

 

Its a wonderful life, I tell you. That's one of the perks of being bipolar. In just one post I can go from duct taping my children to the wall to having my heart ache so much I think it will break at the thought that soon the time will come that all of these faces won’t be together on Christmas Eve. I’m just a mess. Ah well, I’m off to do something important—like read one of the 5 books I got for Christmas or watch one of my new Cary Grant movies. I’m a busy, busy girl. AMEN and AMEN.

Hallelujah!

My friend Annie,  who lives in Alaska, posted this on Facebook today.

I may or may not have watched it a bajillion times.

I have DEFINITELY found my hibernating Christmas spirit.

Who knew it was in a small village in Alaska??!!

I promise..it is worth every minute….

‘Tis the Season people!!!!!

Is it Christmas yet??!!

 

I am flying a little under the Merry Christmas radar this year. Nothing horrible—just nothing to launch me into tears at the end of “It’s a Wonderful Life “ either.

 

People who are bipolar, such as myself, find Christmas carol titles such as---“Do You Hear What I Hear”—especially entertaining. Just sayin…..

 

For those of you who might be new around here—I really AM bipolar and have written a blog post about it that you can read HERE.

 

My sweet #2 daughter read it in a class at her cosmetology school recently when they had a class about dealing with suicide because there had been so many there lately SO…she reminded me  there were probably others out there who could maybe use it------(longest, most grammatically incorrect sentence EVER)

 

All is not doom and gloom though—promise.

As I went to decorate my home for the holidays I discovered (much to my budget’s dismay) that most of my decorations that I used in my garage home (click on it to read about it) don’t really fit this home. So I looked around blog land and gathered a few different ideas and got my Christmas Pottery Barn catalog and came up with this:

and this:

Oh look, we have a visitor:

It is a little blurry, and Martha I’m not—but it’ll do, I think. And, hopefully I have many years to collect and make more! I have been up to a few other things but will save them for another day.

Meanwhile, got any other great ideas for great Christmas songs for this bipolar girl??

(Like, funny ones {ie: Do You Hear What I Hear}—I already have a playlist of 300 favorite Christmas carols—thanx tho--)

Your house smells like……..

Today we are going to discuss house perfume.

Most perfume gives me a headache.

I can’t even get within a mile of Bath & Body.

The store that is.

I promise I bathe my body on at least a semi-regular basis.

Candles aren’t much better. Their smell, that is. I don’t ever bathe my candles. Am I supposed to? No one ever tells me these things!!! I am filled with shame and deep confusion….okay..moving on…(Obviously we have been doing a little fine tuning of my medication lately)

There are a few candles I like and keep around the house to use for when I run out of ingredients for this favorite:

It is so easy and so forgiving and so YUMMY smelling!

Ingredients:

Orange

Lemon

Cloves

Bay leaves

Cinnamon Sticks

*I have an old pot that I have used for years but because it is all edible, you can use any pot.

*I use:

2 oranges

2 lemons

6 cinnamon sticks

3 or 4 bay leaves

1/3 jar cloves

Because I like an intense smell that fills the house quickly—most people use less.

*I have even used dried oranges and lemons and bought my spices in bulk so I always have the stuff on hand. (Call me Suzy Woodland Homemaker and I’ll shoot you between the eyes—go on—I dare you)

Then you just simmer to your nose and hearts content.

And when someone comes to visit they don’t ever say, “My what a lovely candle smell”

They say, “Mmmm, your house smells just like Christmas”

Merry Christmas!

I used to LOATHE this song....

I used to loathe this song.... till I found these guys.

If you all know about them already, then shame on you for not telling me about them. If you haven't heard of them.....

You are so very welcome.

Merry Christmas! I'm off to beg someone to spike my eggnog...

(kidding, dear Bishop's wife)

Why sending out Christmas cards requires me to up my medication…..

 

‘Tis the season.

The Christmas Card.

I love receiving the darn things.

Even the ones that inform me that Tommy received his 4th Doctorate and little Jill is simultaneously getting straight A’s, in every school club and still finds time to play every instrument known to man.

I just take it with a grain of salt—sometimes a big chunk of rock salt—but I still love opening my mailbox and seeing all the holiday joy inside.

What I struggle with is --------THE PICTURE……

I love getting the darn things.

I love having someone else take my children’s picture and sending those.

But when our pockets are empty and I have to take the picture---well—those are dark times my friend….dark times…

 

Here is an example:

 

The year is 2002 and yes, I may or may not have just learned that you could play with photos on your computer, why do you ask?

 

 

                                Look… up in the sky

 

 

                                Whoa…Beanie, your other front………..

 

 

 

                                  AAAHHH! Nat packed her scary eyes! Beanie, your other front!

 

                                         This is the one I finally went with. Can you tell what my husband got for Christmas that year??

 

This was from last year:

 

And then this year:

                             Yeah Beanie—you got the right front!!

 

It’s just ridiculous.

 

Good thing I love them.

Good thing they love me!

 

But I do kind of miss these days…………..

1989 was a very good year……just sayin…..

Here a stitch, there a stitch…

I had a bit of drive by surgery 2 weeks ago.

Wait.

That's not right.

Outpatient surgery, that's it.

Felt like a drive by, there have been a couple little complications and I kind of feel like the CSI people need to come and figure out why I died.

We had our Thanksgiving on Sunday, the 21st. My husband had to be back in the Great Frozen North for Thanksgiving and my big girls had other plans, so the 21st it was!.It was lovely. My girls and husband did ALL the cooking. Really---ALL of it. And the clean up. ALL of it……

While I devoured the rest of the peach pie and nursed my pitiful injury.

Oh….the injustice of it all.

I am thinking this will be seriously affecting how our Thanksgivings go down for the next 40 years—or until I die—which ever comes first.

My #2 daughter brought 3 friends home with her. So, we had a house full.

It was truly, truly, lovely and I am very blessed. Then everyone was able to leave and get home before all the scary storms started----double blessings! (Not that they left, that they made it home safely—sheesh)

On the real Thanksgiving---well—we just stayed in our jammies and had leftovers.

And I ate pumpkin pie and gave thanx for the piece of pecan pie that was still waiting in the wings.

Drive by surgery victims need lots of pie for a healthy recovery—true story.

This is a picture of one of my favorite Thanksgiving memories, way back around 1993.

Besides the flying nun hat that I forced on my poor baby’s head and that thing growing on the door….

(Studmuffin is looking fine as usual)

this picture commemorates the only time in our entire marriage…..

that we got to go out for Thanksgiving dinner.

It was a beautiful thing.

Please don’t hate me. Amen.

Outline of October or…OOO….

 

Since its beginning to look a lot like November, I thought I might take a moment to properly bid a sugar coated, happy to be moving on, adieu to October.

Our party was a success due in large part to copious amounts of sugar and several well planned OUTDOOR games. May I also recommend that Disney Trivia TV game---nothing says Halloween like a rousing game of Disney trivia.

I am happy to report that in spite of the fact that I am a costume grinch and was wearing my “High School Guidance Counselor” costume for the 15th straight year in a row (well actually, during the height of the Harry Potter craze I took a few years off and dressed as a Muggle), I won 2nd prize in the costume contest!

My daughter was not amused. Something about me not being a teenager and even in the running. I wanted the whoopie cushion as my prize but she would only let me have a ring pop. Hmpf…

Kelly is in red—she was a swash buckling pirate princess! The 2 to the left tied with another guy for first place—cutie-patooties!

 

Milan is on the right. He was a piece of plaid. Personally I think it was one of the most brilliant ideas for a costume EVER.

The boy on the far left comes from a family of 8 boys and 3 girls. 4 of those boys came and they came as guys from Braveheart—pretty cool.

First place winner--

 

Shall we dispense with the rest of October?

Who knew that the gingerbread thing had migrated to Halloween???!!

 

And that hair dryers were a necessary part of construction?!

Or that my son was such a goof??!!

Or that the lighting in my kitchen was so bad?? Ack!

Finished products:

My son made a “Monster House” replica—(do you just LOVE the Lego men???!!!)

The girls were much more conservative…..

Beanie’s

  Kelly’s…

The only other creative thing I did for Halloween was make this countdown calendar. I found a similar idea online somewhere but cannot even begin to remember where. I’m sure they don’t read my blog but if someone does, let me know and will be glad to give them credit. And before you think I am crafty or something—we didn’t EVEN get our pumpkins carved this year. What kind of people don’t get their pumpkins carved? People who can’t find their thanksgiving decorations and need something on their front porch—that's who…….hypothetically speaking of course……..

First I made myself a little easel stand….

And then I pretended I was in kindergarten again and cut and pasted to my hearts sweet content……

   

I am excited for November! We are having our Thanksgiving early on the 21st and everyone will be home! Huzzah! There might be a little outpatient surgery thrown in there and Studmuffin won’t be home for the “real” Thanksgiving” but I am grateful for our families flexibility and their desire to gather during this upcoming holiday season.

What is everyone else’s plans for Turkey Day?

Skellies in my closet but mostly on my couch……

We’re having an inaugural ball (read, teenage part-tay) here on Saturday. How fitting that it should be on “All Hallows Eve”.

The very thought scares the bee-jee-bus out of me.

If there was any bee-jee-bus to begin with. I’m not exactly sure where to look for that particular ummm…would that be anatomy or bodily fluid? Anyone? Fascinating. Absolutely fascinating.

but I digress…….

So, usually I tend to flee from anything even remotely Martha Stewart-like but these fellows were so dang cute.

So I made a whole “passle” and rounded them up for a picture before I sent them off.

It was a lot harder than you might think.

“Hey! Frank and George! I said settle down not upside down!!!!!”

“Look at me, not the dog!! I promise he is NOT paper trained!”

And so it went, it was exhausting to say the least.

Then (much to my surprise) I made my own envelopes, forced each one inside and sent them off to their new homes.

Happy Halloween

Everyone!!!!!!!

Ubiquitous Updates

 

This place:

is starting to feel like home.

 

These people:

  

drove for over 10 hours each way and came this last weekend and spent ALL their time and energy putting away and throwing away (praise the Lord)our junk and other fine accessories…….

Gas from Utah to Montana---$1,000,000.00

Slave/family labor---the price of 9 meals

Enjoying my view because their are no boxes or garbage in the way: PRICELESS

THANK YOU STUDMUFFIN’S FAMILY!!!!!

 

 

THIS GIRL:

  is starting to heal.

She came home at the beginning of October for her birthday.

She smiled…often.

I haven’t seen that smile in quite awhile.

I didn’t realize that I had been holding my breath—waiting for that smile---

until I saw it…..

and exhaled.

She still has quite the journey ahead of her, but she

is taking baby steps.

I am so fiercely proud of her.

 

This girl:

has been working at the local grocery store by day and……..

“treading the boards” at the local playhouse by night.

I got to go see her this last weekend.

They are doing, The Music Man”

She is playing the part of Zaneeta Shin. Ye Gawds!

SHE IS ROCKING IT PEOPLE!!!!!!

Like her mother and sisters before her—ye gawds!! (if you have never seen the Music Man the “Ye Gawds” reference will mean absolutely nothing to you. Go immediately to your nearest movie establishment and check out the movie {in lieu of the actual play of course} and get some culture people!!!!))O)))

The rest of us are fine with nothing exciting or different than normal to report.

Stay tuned for something, I don’t know what, but something. And yes, I do know what ubiquitous means—do you??!!

Sunday Sundries

 

*I used to think that having to pack up and get everything into a moving van and clearing out all at once was the worst possible way to go.

I now know differently.

Moving across town, from a place that the landlord doesn’t care WHEN you get all your “STUFF” out IS the snake’s underbelly way to have to move.

 

*Did you hear about the woman in Montana that scared away a bear with nothing more than a zucchini??!!

Montana—where the women are men and the zucchini are too.

When I read the article she had refused to give her name or location---I just didn’t want you all thinking it was me.

I would have totally sold out for my 15 minutes of fame.

Yeah, baby.

*My cell phone died. I just went to flip it open and it kept on flipping---split right in two.

Sad times.

Fortunately,  we kept my son’s old one when he upgraded.

Unfortunately, I didn’t back up my phone numbers so all I have now is a phone full of 15 year old boy’s and their local scout leaders phone numbers.

Fortunately, I now know who to call when I need a knot tied or have an urge to cross the street.

 

*I may or may not have an unhealthy addiction to all my favorite TV shows theme music. 

All my ringtones are theme songs from my fav TV shows, and every time they play

(AND I MEAN EVERY TIME)

I do a little theme show music dance.

Sometimes it’s just on the inside—but its there all the same.

What is up with that?!

 

*My (our) current line up in my iTunes: (we don’t have cable or network TV)

Bones Season 5

Burn Notice Season 4

Castle Season 3

Chuck Season 4

The Closer Season 6

Criminal Minds Season 6

CSI’S—All of them

Glee Season 2

The Good Guys

Hot in Cleveland

Leverage Season 3

Lie To Me Season 2

Both NCIS

Psych Season 5

Rizzoli & Isles

Royal Pains Season 2

White Collar Season 2

Oh my heavens….I’m loving iTunes---watch whenever---I promise it’s not as bad as it looks….not all of these are my favorites….some are for the other members of this family….don’t judge me….stop it….right now…

Dried Fruit Bondage

 

Hah!

I wonder how many hits I will get on that title??!!

BEFORE I was moving, I ordered 2 boxes of pears and a box of peaches through a friend at church whose brother brings a load up at the end of every summer.

We love dried pears and peach butter at our house.

I am SO NOT a domestic goddess---my Mom just won’t do it for me anymore.

What is up with that??!!

Moving + food preservation= extreme madness and hair loss

 

Just thought I would share that little bit of wisdom that I have gleaned these past few days spent wrestling with boxes and peelers and gallons of Fruit Fresh.

 

Your welcome.

Winners!!!

I almost forgot that today was the day!

If I ever have to move again, I will just shoot myself, and then whoever it was that made me move. Then whoever it was that said I should order 2 boxes of pears and a box of peaches AND THEN whoever tells me to trade piano lessons for picking and freezing 60 quarts of corn!

OH WAIT!!!

THEY ARE ALL ME!!!

Back to the winners.....

When it came down to it, it was hard to decide to change my blog name.

But then I decided that I really did want to change it and that I wanted it to reflect me-----so-------

my new blog title is--------------

TALKING AMONGST MYSELF

Which makes Tammy the $50 Amazon gift card winner!!! YEAH!!

I then put everyone else's name that advertised in a pot and

~~~~~~ANNETTE LYON~~~~~~~

you are the $25 winner

So you 2 girls get over to amazon and decide which kind of gift card you want and email me your decision and addresses and I will get them to you as soon as possible!!

Thanx so much to everyone for all their kind words and participation!

I am going to hire someone to overhaul (any suggestions???) my blog and then have a

$100 contest

to get people to come on over and follow the new--so stay tuned---it will stay this way, at this address, till then.

The new homestead….part 3

 

~~~~~SO THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN INTERNET COMPANY ARE MY HEROES~~~~~~ 

They came and connected my internet YESTERDAY AFTERNOON!!!

If I wouldn’t have been trying to get enough STUFF moved over to the new house so that we could sleep here last night—I would have posted this then. Pffftt—moving.

YES! We spent the first night in our new home last night!! Huzzah!

It still kind of feels like we are just on vacation—but the more things I find a home for—the more I feel at home.

Day after tomorrow is the big day! Go here to enter to win UP TO $75 in Amazon or any gift card they carry! We have so enjoyed your creativity and have laughed hard over many of them.

And of course I need you guys! I love words-- but stringing them together is a whole other beastie.

Thanx for playing along.

And sorry for any confusion. When I said Tammy and Annette were the only ones in the running for the $25, I meant because at the time they were the only ones who had blurbed about the contest on their blog. It doesn’t matter where you commented on my blog with your new blog title ideas---you will be automatically entered in the $50 giveaway.

So today is the 3rd and FINAL (yeah—it is almost over!!) installment of the new home series. The basement. To get there, you have to go through my laundry room (which is super cool all by itself) which has the niftiest little gizmo in it. You probably all have one.

It is simply grand people. Too bad I don’t iron more. Maybe I will have to become the IRON Goddess. {snicker} {snort} {gasp for air} {fall on floor}}}}}}

Back on track—the stairs are just ahead and to the left. If you go straight you will end up in the 3 car garage which is not only bigger but nicer than the one I live in now. I went out and just sat on the steps today---just to ease the pang of homesickness----

When you get to the bottom of the stairs, the big master type bath is to your left, a bedroom is straight ahead and 2 storage rooms are to the right. All 3 bedrooms look a lot like this one.

Bedrooms are great but are basement hallway also contains a book nook,

A phone booth (if you can tell us why—you win a prize—but truly—it IS a phone booth)

 

 

and the……..duh, duh, duh…………………..Margarita Room. Once again—truly—that is what the builder told the third owner it was.  

There are no words.

But I do know that we are going to but a big mirror on the wall and a little dance floor and call it Beanie’s dance room.

Can anybody explain what a margarita room is and how it worked in this space? Yes, those are speakers in ceiling and we have no idea where they hook up to. So many mysteries!

 

There is a wet  bar across from the M Room

and then a room that could be turned into a kitchen so that the basement could be an apartment if needed. We hope to put a pool table and stuff like that in there for now.

Then across from that and right next to that is the family/tv room.

I bought the kids these “sacks” till we got the furniture thing figured out. This picture speaks to me…..

“Hi, my name is Vanilla and this is my friend Purple.”

“And this over here is our friend named Bear. Shhhhh, he spent all night in the Margarita Room.”

 

What do they say to you?

Tune in Friday for the winners and NO MORE HOUSE PICS!!! HUZZAH!!