Paula Dean's Prime Rib Revisited

I have read Paula Dean's Prime Rib recipe several times and just couldn't bring myself to do it until this year. I did decide to add my own herb crust but the cooking was all her doing.

Prime Rib

3 to 7 bone prime rib Frenched

1/2 cup coarse ground pepper

1/2 cup kosher salt

4 large cloves garlic

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons fresh thyme

1/2 cup olive oil

Garlic salt (Lawrys) optional

Preheat oven to 375'. Combine all herbs in a food processor and pulse until combined well. Add olive oil and pulse until combined.

Rinse prime rib and pat dry. Rub herb mixture all over prime rib. I added garlic salt at this point but I know how I like my crust to taste so you may want to play with this a bit.

Place rib in baking pan with rack rib side down. Place a meat thermometer where you can see if from the oven window.

Place in oven for 1 hour. (NOTE: This is for a 3 rib roast. For each additional rib add 5 to 7 minutes up to 1 1/2 hours for a full 7 bone prime rib.) Turn oven off. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR!! Leave the prime rib for at least 3 hours. 3 long hours. Approximately 1 hour before you want to serve the meal turn the oven back on to 375'. Now you need to watch the meat thermometer - DON'T OPEN THE OVEN DOOR. Remember the end pieces will be more done than the middle pieces so where you place the thermometer is important in a larger cut. Think about how you like your meat and if you want any rarer pieces and then place the thermometer closer to the middle the more well done you want the entire cut. If you want it rarer overall then place the thermometer closer to the ends (between rib 1 & 2) but remember the middle will be more rare than that area. Take the rib out of the oven and let it rest for about 15 minutes. Serve with au ju and horseradish. Enjoy!

Christmas 2011

My kids were pretty happy with Christmas. You will notice that I am not in any of the photos. Somehow holding on to the camera makes it appear as if you weren't part of the festivies. Not true.... :-)

A Pirate-y Winter Book Fair

Water fall with treasure cave with cannon
Mermaid reading
Pirate ship with mast & sail

Sometimes I like being in charge so I can just run with ideas and not have a bunch of meetings that suck my life away. One of the people who help with the book fairs at school wanted to do a pirate theme. Every year at Christmas we do a "holiday" theme. Every. Single. Year. And every year we get grief from the administration about being "inclusive" and "sensitive". Seriously? So, avast ye hardies we were feeling the effects of scurvy I'm sure and abandoned all thoughts of a holiday theme. We turned the library into a pirate ship and a castaway island. Much fun was had by all and with the sales being the final result and they were up me laddies!

Master Bedroom

I want a large piece of art with yellow in it and to add a yellow fringed pillow to my bed. The far wall to the left is where the atlas art will go.

I am finally getting to posting pics of my master bedroom. I still have quite a few things that I'd like to do but I am being thwarted by the lack of a good atlas and time. I am on the hunt so when I get that part done I'll post again. Here is the work so far...

I need a lot of help on the top of this dresser. I spray painted several giant oak leaves silver but they aren't doing it for me. I just bought another taller version of the silver vase - now what to put in them.

In A Twist

I have been trying to make new bread recipes more often. My willing and able assistants were Lauren and her best friend Sydney. Our first batch was a little bulky (think fat pretzels) and needed to be slimmed down. We finally figured out that we needed to work in smaller batches, keeping about half the dough refrigerated until we had the first batch in the oven. We decided that we could lighten up on the salt it called for but over do it a little on the butter. They are much better serves fresh and hot but reheating in the microwave is okay.

Pretzels - modified from about six sources so really I'm calling this one new...

1 1/2 cup warm water

1 1/8 tsp active yeast ( 1 1/2 packages)

3 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1 1/4 cup bread flour

3 cups white flour (add or subtract a bit depending on how sticky the dough is)

4 cups hot water (almost scalding)

4 Tablespoons baking soda

Coarse salt

4 Tablespoons butter melted

Add yeast to warm water in a large mixing bowl; stir until dissolved. Add sugar and salt; stir until dissolved. Add bread flour then add white flour until dough is no longer sticky. Turn out onto floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Return dough to greased bowl and cover with light cheese cloth. Place in warm area to rise until double about 1 hour.

Pinch off pieces of dough about 1/2 cup size and roll into long ropes about 15" long and less than 1/2" thick.

Dip pretzel in soda solution and place on greased non-reactive baking sheet (Metal sheets will leave a bit of a metallic taste to the pretzels. You can also use parchment that you brush lightly with butter.) Place pan in a warm place to rise again for about 30 minutes.

Bake pretzels in a 450' oven for about 10 minutes until lightly browned. Brush with melted butter immediately and serve warm. You can add other toppings after you brush with butter such as: coarse salt, cinnamon/sugar, Parmesan or finely shredded cheddar cheese.

Doing the Flamingo

I love watching people who can dance well. I love watching their grace and skill at executing a dance beautifully. When a neighbor told me I was about to be flamingo'd I thought, "What fun! Where do I go?". Little did I know that this is what she meant...

Fun but not exactly what I expected. :-)

Halloween

Lauren made her costume again this year. She decided on a sailor theme. I was thinking she wanted to do the pants - thank goodness she didn't! She made her skirt by making her own pattern from another skirt. I did make the neck tie - thank you Debbie for the numerous questions answered!

This pic is of Rebecca (new this year from England - love her accent), some kid in 1st grade, Lauren's little buddy Meridith Braitberg and my sailor girl Lauren.

More Important Things

I want everyone to know that I have not been lazy during the last three weeks. I know I haven't blogged but blogging gets in the way of other more important things. Those more important things have been ... drum roll please .... spackling and painting. Have you ever just looked around your house and thought it looked shabby? That's what I had been thinking about mine for months. It was not horrible just shabby and dull.

Yes, MORE spackling and painting. I painted the family room walls, and moved on to the living room trim and may have had to paint that entire room because I touched up a wall and it didn't match. (I was so annoyed about that.) Jim mentioned he was tired of the green in the dining room so we could a very nice Behr color, Newport Blue, which I finished today. I am set on doing the trim tomorrow which should finish off the downstairs nicely.

So, that means since June I have painted: T & C's room, Lauren's room, my bathroom and vanity, the upstairs hall, the stairs, the downstairs hall, the entire family and living rooms, my office touch up and the window trim, the downstairs bathroom, the dining room including painting the windows twice, touched up the kitchen and laundry area.

Now our house has that freshened appearance of a house soon to be on the market. No we're not moving but I keep telling the kids we are to keep me motivated to finish.

Next on my agenda: ceiling touch ups (long PVC tube with a paintbrush duct taped on), strip and refinish the three hall doors and refinish the coffee table. I'm thinking I should be done by Connor's birthday??

MRSA - Warning! Don't look at this!

Jim has been going through some challenging skin issues lately. He has had a terrible rash for about three weeks. On Thursday of last week something new 'popped' up. It looked awful and he said it was really painful. He went to see his doctor on Friday who said it was probably a skin infection and referred him to a dermatologist who could see him in a week. Saturday he was in so much pain he went in to Urgent Care. They lanced him - I said, "Got medieval on his ___." which I thought was funny but he did not laugh. Sunday it looked worse so he spent the day with a Russian nurse who didn't know the Cold War was over and tortured Jim until he blacked out which is not passing out according to her.

Fast forward to yesterday: our regular GP had a look and said it looks like MRSA. Huh? It is a strain of staph infection that doesn't respond to antibiotics. Really? Oh, yes, this is the type that if it goes unchecked you die. REALLY? Oh, yes. Our GP thinks they caught it in time and Jim is on horse pills and has had two really painful shots. He will probably live. BTW, don't look this one up - it is ugly.

I told him I was going to be VERY angry with him if he did die on me.

My hair is out but I'm still feeling weathered

Well, it has been 3 long weeks since I last wrote. 3 very long weeks. Let's recap:

1. Preparation for mediation

2. Mediation that went no where but to more (4+) meetings scheduled but now I know what

I'm being sued for, I think.

3. School started

4. Painted Lauren's room - still trying to get her stuff out of my room - daunting!!

5. Painted hall, including the 14' ceiling. Paintbrush taped on end of an extending pole works

great for those hard to reach places.

6. Research and document review for mediation - argh.

7. Had to finish on-line course for license renewal (will it matter if things go bad?) 91% on test.

I blame my score on Roger scratching for attention just when I started until I was done!!

8. Cracked rib - hard to sleep, hard to run

9. Caught a cold/flu type bug that knocked me out for a couple of days. When was the last time

I had a fever?

10. More research and paperwork review for mediation. Annoying!

11. More painting, office windows, FR windows and trim, and bathroom ceiling (ugh)

I am feeling better, I'm caught up on work (oh, yeah, throw that in the mix above) and my laundry is done for the day.

Maybe I'll shower.

I'm feeling weathered and I think my hairs on fire.

Yup. My hair is on fire.

I have had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week. Sunday afternoon things started to fall apart and it went downhill from there.

Sunday: Terrible dinner. I mean bad, tasteless and not enough of it. When I come away hungry and I ate everything on my plate it's bad. I also got lost and since I am directionally impaired and didn't get the help I needed quick enough I got mad.

Monday: I was home for 38 minutes between 8 a.m. and 6:15 p.m.. Enough said.

Tuesday: Tried to get to Lauren's room but was interrupted by kids, in-laws, work, in-laws, in-laws and I think I saw my husband in there somewhere around 9:30 p.m..

Wednesday: Lost my father-in-law. Well, I didn't lose him he lost himself. Thank goodness for a Good Samaritan that got him to pull over on Hwy 280 (he was going 15 mph) and lead him to where he needed to go. I called where he was supposed to be and had to go pick him up and then it was a driving circus running around with him on errands and getting him lunch. So, in the course of everything I lied (a necessary lie to keep FIL off road), stole (a key from his house - told MIL - so I could get to him if I need to), panicked twice and feel drained. And then I had to deal with the school district main office, a high school that my child doesn't attend and several people that told me, "...kids lie all the time about things like this...". WHAT?

Please spray me with seltzer water if you see me....

A flower by any name...

I love the color and the way the bloom by bursting open

suddenly. They don't smell but they are interesting!
I planted this the year we moved in but have forgotten the

name. I should go to a nursery to find out but since they

only bloom for about 2 months I forget until it's too late.

All Tylor

I would like to be able to say that Tylor was overtly excited about his baptism, but I can't. I would like to say we started on time, but I can't. I would like to say that everyone forgot about the announce last week in Sacrament meeting, but I can't.

What I can say is that it was a beautiful day. We started 4 minutes late - not too bad considering the pianist walked in at 3:03. Tylor said he was excited and if that's all the indication of his thrilled-ness I am going to get, I'll take it. And as expected I cried, not too much just one tissue worth.

Tylor was ready to go and when Brother Carruth finished the prayer Tylor almost dunked himself he was that eager. I thought, "Quick! Before Dad changes his mind!", was going through his head. I smiled at that one.

Almost as promised there were no talked scheduled but the bishop felt the need to inject a bit of spiritualness - and comment on the speed and efficiency of the program (maybe I'll be called as the "quick baptism coordinator"?), I had to smile at that one too.

Then we headed back to our house for pie - Sweet Cherry, Key Lime, Spiced Apple and a Cheesecake Tylor made by himself. It was lovely and perfect weather and perfect time of day for the event.

Heart is beaming full

Spiritual growth of child to more

Sum more than love, desire

Whot? Whot?

I am wondering, after watching The Madness of King George a few nights ago, if the mad, demented, or depressed see it coming? I wonder if my father-in-law knows how disconnected his conversations are from what the rest of us? I wonder if it all seems perfectly natural?

I have been depressed just once. It lasted about a week. It came on like a ton of bricks. I did not see it coming but it was a dramatic event (only for me) that triggered it. Once there I felt like I was scrambling up a wet well wall trying to get out. I could see the light but I couldn't get to it. I called my sisters looking for support (which they were), I reached out to my home teacher for a blessing: and lots of tearful prayer. I was on the verge of actually calling our GP to get a referral when suddenly it was gone. Nothing monumental happened to make it go, it was just gone.

I injured my hip earlier this week and haven't been able to run for the last three days. I have felt my attitude and outlook slipping into dark places that should be left well enough alone. I'm not depressed I'm just not thrilled with things. I wonder if my endorphin craving comes from me needing to keep myself healthy? I wonder if there are any others in our family and extended family that have similar issues and what do they do to keep themselves healthy and happy.

Good Will

Creating good will requires some effort. Good will can be accomplished with people who are willing to agree with me. Let's agree on the following:

1. The bear you got from your aunt - that you don't remember - isn't a "sentimental" item.

2. The sleeping bag you used when you were 5 isn't precious.

3. The clothes you have NEVER worn and have now grown out of are of no use to you.

4. The games that you no longer play because you are over the suggested age can be donated.

5. You will never use the PS-whatever it is again because you have a new PS-whatever.

6. Crunchy pillows, no matter who gave them to you, should leave the house.

Now if I can get my husband to realize that he will not be wearing those '90's suits or plaid slacks ever again we will be in great shape.

(Filled up the back of the Suburban and made a Goodwill run today!!!)

Moments of my life I will never get back

Time spent:

1. Spackling - If done right no one knows or appreciates it.

2. Sanding - See above.

3. Trim work - See above above.

4. Cleaning for painting - Can't I just paint over the snot, blood, hand smears, etc.? No. SAAA.

5. Negotiating for things not to be put back in a fresh clean room. Well worth it but SAAAA.

I may never get this time back but as I pause at the boys bedroom door to admire the work I will think to myself only about 7 years and I will have to do it all again.... :-)

Why ...

... do important conversation happen late at night? What makes it necessary for people to "open up" when I'm trying to sleep? Don't people know by now that I am a morning person? I'm happy to discuss anything first thing in the morning!

Last night Lauren felt compelled to unburden herself of a few items that needed to be discussed for over an hour. Exhausted, I sent her to bed - finally - and was going to try and do the same. Nope. Jim enters and asks why Lauren is up and then I have to give him the condensed version so I can slip into sleep... not happening.

11:30 p.m: "Sherri?", "Mmmm.", "Tylor talked to me about baptism a couple of times.", (groggy) "Uh, okay.", "I'm saying I think he understands.", "Okay. Are you saying he can get baptized?", "Yes.". (end)

Now I'm wide awake wondering what just happened but not willing to jinx it by talking about it more. Did that really just happen? I woke up at 5:30 and it seemed still true so I'm running with it.

For Keira

Lego Star Wars

New Display at Legoland. Star Wars is AWESOME!

(Even for those who are not 10!)
And to make it AWESOMER (Yes, it's a word now!)

they added a sound track to certain areas!

Wrong in so Many Ways

This was Jim's shirt choice for the 4th of July.

I made him change before leaving the house.

Dork.

When I was 14 my mom and dad told me I had to sew a dress before I could get my driving permit. I really wanted to drive because my stepsisters (Okay, they were my real sisters but at the time I thought they were very mean - not ugly unfortunately because then I really would have been Cinderella-esque.) because they wouldn't take me anywhere! Mom took me to a fabric store and I picked out a pattern and some tube-top type dress material to make a sundress. I only had to do two seams, make four straps and hem it, how hard could it be? It took me over a month to get it done and I HATED it by the time it was over. And I hated sewing. To make it worse I had to wear the stupid thing. UGH!

Time warp forward to last year. My nine year old tells me she wants to take a week long sewing class. I'm thinking, "WHY?". Then, "Don't project your fears or failures on your daughter!". I signed her up. Lauren loved every minute of it. She learned so much that she ended up taking another week long class plus 4 other single day classes last year. Since then she has taken on her Halloween costume - a difficult gypsy pattern - and helped me with the 4th grade play costumes. The kid is good and getting better all the time.

The above pic is from her class two weeks ago. She made the blouse and the block tote bag. I'm so proud and happy she can create things she loves to wear.

Vacation - Day 5

Legoland is awesome. Awesome for 10 year olds. It was awesomely hard for me. After spending the previous 2 days in Disneyland that is completely flat having to walk hill and dale was hard. My dogs were barking and I was drooping to say the least.

Emma, Lauren and I teamed up on the fire engine race and had to be helped to the finish line. The kiddie log ride was cool but Tylor kept trying to tip us over - he really almost did it too - but the best part was the acres of shade. Disneyland is great but it really has limited shade whereas Legoland has all the shade you could ask for.

The line was so short for the self steering boat ride we decided to jump in. Somehow Danny got turned around - might have been Suzanne bumping him right after we zipped (at 3 miles an hour) past him - which cause some commotion from the teenage operators. When I said Danny may need to have a GPS installed they did not seem as amused as I was. ;-)

Vacation - Day 4

LOST BOYS

We lost three boys today. Not for that long - about 35 minutes - but it was scary none the less.

Tia decided Tylor was too cute to leave behind when his mother wasn't in sight.

After looking for Tylor for 10 minutes but finding Keira - we had Spencer with us - I told Danny to walk him to her. I went to the car for literally less than a minute I walked down to Keira and asked where Danny was and she said not there. Uh, what? We spent 10 minutes looking around the hotel for them, then I called Tia who told me she had Tylor (1 down) but no sign of Danny or Spencer. Keira headed off to walk the 1/4 mile to Disneyland with Connor on the lookout for the others. I had the hotel staff do a top to bottom (It must happen often because they were fast!) and then Danny called me back (I had called him 3 times, then called Deb to confirm the number and called again.) Danny had taken Spencer to Disneyland. I told him to stay where he was and called Keira to locate him. By the time I got there 10 minutes later I wasn't fuming (thanks Deb). When I took Danny aside and asked him why he had taken Spencer to Disneyland and not to Keira who was 50 feet away he said, "I don't look up." I had to laugh. Really laugh. It was so very teenager-ish.

We ended up having a great day at California Adventure so all was well and good!

Vacation - Day 3

THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH!!

Lily and Cameron think I am the best aunt ever. I LOVE kiddie rides at Disneyland for the following reasons: 1) No adult looks stupid going on them with or without kids, 2) You can yell and scream and no one cares, 3) When you ask for the outside pony on the carousel kids will give it up for you 'cause you look old and pathetic, 4) 5/6 year olds think you rock when you want to do the rides as much as they do. So, Lily and Cameron and I did most of the rides together. (They both gave in to whining parents that were pouting about "not getting their turn" ... whatever!

Vacation - Day 2

We dig, dig, dig, dig, dig, dig, dig ...

Today the boys and I went to Coronado del Mar beach in Newport Beach. It was slightly windy and too cool for much boogie boarding but it was just right for digging out a huge castle with a winding moat. The boys were at it for about 3 hours then finally got a little bored. The sun finally peeked out and the boys grabbed some boogie boards we borrowed from Keira and went for it. Then the sun went back behind the clouds and the boys got cold very quickly. They changed quickly and we toured the 8 digit price tag homes on the bluff. We decided that each home came with your choice of a mercedes or a BMW. It was fun for all.

Vacation - Day 1

When you are out numbered 4 to 1 you have to go on the offensive before they have time to attack. Most of the time it is a gang mentality - nothing organized. One stray word and all heck will break out if not tempered or quelled prior to a full riot. Yesterday I gathered an entire box of food - healthy and the type you can throw at an unruly crowd - and a cooler of drinks. The drive down was fine. I only had to throw food at the munchkins twice in 6 hours. It was a long but decent drive. The kids watched movies and pointed out cars going by too fast for me to see. I sang to the radio which was, uh, offensive as well. ;-)

Magic Stone

I hate cleaning my toilets. We have hard water and we have had ring-around-the-toilet for years. I have tried cleaners recommended by friends, things touted on the TV and Internet fixes for everything from gout to grout. Nothing has worked but I've spent a good deal of money trying to find that magic fix.

I was wandering the aisles of Ace Hardware waiting for Connor to finish shopping and as I regularly do walked down the cleaning supply section. I was surprised to see a pumice stone on a stick sitting in the middle of the chemicals and solvents. I had to look, why not? Pumie is 100% natural and environmentally safe with a tag-line "Cleans when the strongest acid cleaners fail". I knew all of the acids had failed, I'd used all of them. So, I purchased it. I thought, "I'll use it on the kids toilet so if it scratches it I won't have to look at it daily.".

I got home and ran up to use it immediately. Could this possibly work? Would it scratch the toilet and then we'd have to spend $$ to fix that? I tore open the packaging and held it up looking at it's rough pitted surface. No way. Maybe? I wet the stone and went to work. I scrubbed a small area and small pieces of the stone started to crumble off. No worries, it's just sand. I scrubbed on: it was working! 7 minutes later I had a sparkling bowl with no hint of stains OR scratches! I ran to the next bowl and scrubbed away - stunning! And the last, don't fail me now. It worked!

I now have three gleaming bowls and I have to say I have lifted the lids more than once just to admire my handy work. (Please note: Husbands aren't nearly as impressed with toilet rings being gone as you may be.)

Glimmers of September

I made myself a goal that I would not wait until the end of August to separate and organize the kids school supplies when I need to start shopping. When they dumped their backpacks on the floor of my office I took everything out and put papers in one pile and supplies in another. Out of all of the supplies I sent last September I think I saved about 1/4 - not too bad. I pulled the supply list for each kid off the school website and checked off each item I had and set it with the saved supplies. Then I did the really clever thing. I made a list on my phone of the items I need. I am a coupon cutter from long ago and a sale saver so I will watch for the items and pick them up as I find them on sale and not duplicate items since I will have my list with me.

I find it very hard to pay $85 for a single kid supply kit and look myself in the mirror. I paid a total of $109 last year for all three and hope to have it lower this year.

Hardscape - Like Escape only not.

Front walk, steps and driveway path
Path to back patio, fire pit and jacuzzi platform
Deck (almost done!)
Bocci Ball court (not regulation)

After two weeks of construction it's almost done. We (that's the royal "we" meaning Jim) took out all of the cracked and tilted concrete and put in pavers. It turned out very nice and I can almost look at it and not be mad (don't blog in anger, don't blog in anger). I think we are going to be able to use it for many years to come.

Bocci ball anyone?

Rosettes

I wanted to put something nice on the top of a gift I was giving to a friend but was out of any creative ideas. I found the link below on One Pretty Thing and love the simplicity but elegance of it. It was quick and easy too! The cost was part of a tree (a grocery bag), an old copy of The Merchant of Venice and an antique pearl button. The picture of the rosette on the top of the gift looked terrible but this turned out very nice!

http://littlegreenbums.blogspot.com/2011/05/tutorial-time-dictionary-sacrifice.html

Another Reason to Celebrate Mediocracy ...

Connor is graduating 8th grade tomorrow. The ceremony is held at one of the church buildings near school. There were a few parents grousing about the venue but then we won them over with the fact that it is large enough, free, clean, free, has reception area, free and lovely landscaping, oh, and free.

Ten years at our school has set me to thinking a lot about our journey; how far we've come and how far we have to go. The picture is of Connor and his first teacher Mrs. Seimichy (Sim-itch) who taught him, "You get what you get and you don't pitch a fit." and "I know you don't want to but it's still your turn.". Words to live by. I have been excited, sad and not a little worried. Connor has become a wonderful young man that exhibits many of the traits I would like to see in him as a man. A man. I have to start thinking about that too. Now I'm more worried - not a bad worried just still.

Healthy Challenge Day 3

I have one word for you, cholestrol. I have terrible cholestrol. My goal through the end of the year will be to eat things that will help naturally lower my cholestrol. I just had my blood work done seven weeks ago so I have a baseline. I will have it checked again in January. Now to figure out which food to eat... and not eat.

Day 2 Healthy Challenge

This healthy challenge is difficult for me. I feel I am pretty healthy and try to make decent food choices too ... except for one. I have a sweet tooth. So, today I decided I would cut desserts down to twice a week for the whole summer. (Vacation withstanding!) Fruit doesn't count as dessert so we can have as much watermelon as we please. I told the kids and unfortunately Tylor won't be joining us in the challenge: as you can see he has had a tragic accident.

New Job

Jim started his new job today with Form Factor in Livermore which is about 40 minutes North and East of us. I have never been as happy to get him out of the house! Now I'm wondering how we are going to do when the kids are gone and we retire. It felt like a 30 day test run and he didn't live up to my honey-do list at all - the deck is 90% done (he put on the decking since this pic but it's been raining) but still. I'm thinking of taking up something that takes a long time and I can't do at home for the most part. Any ideas? I will have to learn it before we retire so I already have the excuse to be gone... :-) What would you "take up" if time weren't an issue?

A Week of 5 Healthy Changes

I started thinking about Rebekah's challenge on Saturday and decided on one for today. If an errand is withing 2 miles of my house I have to walk/run/ride my bike to do it. I was thinking about what I do all summer and about 80% is within that distance. So, today: I rode my bike to drop off dry cleaning (I'll walk over to pick it up later this week.), I ran down to the bank to make a deposit and as long as I was over that direction I picked up a veggie nosh pocket (think hot pocket only really good!) and I went to the store on my bike and picked up milk - I have a basket on my bike - and some fruit. During the summer the kids and I ride bikes quite often but this will make it healthier for us all.

3 Old Bags

I did something today. Some people would say I was heartless but I did it. I tossed 3 old bags to the curb. No hesitation. No mercy. They had it coming I tell you! They had been haunting my every move in my own house for months. I couldn't walk in my own basement without them staring me down. I know you're wondering what the 3 old bags were doing in the basement: well, I put them there. I did. I couldn't help it. I didn't mean to leave them down there so long but you know how it goes. You get embarrassed at first that you did it at all. I mean what had they really ever done to me? Oh, sure, they got in the way, cluttered my life in a way that I was tripping over them constantly. I tried to be polite and gently push them out of the way but you know how old bags can be. They fall apart at the least nudge and then collapse in a pile. I was through with it. Done. They had to go and I'm not sorry in the least. Good-bye and good riddance!

5 of 5 Finally!

Let's do this backwards ... End.
Dresser is done too...

The beginning ... ugh!

4 of 5 - Yes, I know it's late!

It was too embarrassing to show the before picture. I pulled out all those clothes that are out of style, stained shrunk or I just hate. Same with the shoes.


And the end result.. ta-da! And NO $$!!

Paper Works

This wasn't the real start but I forgot to

take pics of what it really started. This

is the recycling from 5 boxes of kid art.

Those 5 boxes turned into 3

labeled and lovely.