End of a Very Busy Week...

Need I say more?

Rogers Drums for Sell...With Some Regrets

Do you ever like owning something just for the sake of being able to say you own it? In 2004 I bought my daughter this drumset. It's a mid- to late-60's complete Rogers. Rich maple toned exterior. All original hardware, drums, stands, throne, and peddles.
It's weird. She has only played it a few times. Sort of rebelled against me after I made the huge financial sacrifice on her behalf. Weird time in our home. Her freshman year...would NEVER want to relive those times....
So, now she's preparing to leave for college. I HATE the thought of it and just know I'll have to deal with some significant depression. The drums, however, aren't being played and really do deserve a good home. Plus, I could definitely use the money (oh, BTW...if M.S. is reading this, after I sell it, I plan to go to the bank and ask for all 1's...then, I'm going to have my handsome husband build me a mirrored shelf to put all of the money on!)

I'm selling a drum set that I am now regretting selling...and I am NOT a drummer.

If anyone is interested, check out Craigslist for Corvallis/Albany, Oregon...under musical instruments. However, if no one buys it, I think I won't regret it. Do people use drumsets as decor? It'd look great next to the grand piano!

Oink, Oink, Burp, Toot! (over and over again)

That's the lovely sound of Thanksgiving.

It's absolutely TERRIBLE to have so many lovely leftovers, all of which are favored.

Nothing that we "don't like." Everything we "truly love" is filling our 2+ refrigerators right now.

Obsessive?

Everything we are against?

Big fridge in the kitchen.

Big fridge in the garage.

Medium-sized fridge in the carport.

But, that's not all! Oh, no!

Gas oven/stove in the kitchen.

Convection/Microwave oven above.

Portable convection oven on the counter.

Huge turkey roaster on a table in the family room.

We are the Green Coalition's Worst Nightmare on this weekend!

No other weekend compares.

Are we a bit embarrassed? Of course!

Are we planning to change this situation? Absolutely not!

We'll make up for this excess by making a donation to one of those online "Reduce/Offset Your Carbon Footprint" sites. Here's my favorite: http://www.carbonfootprint.com/

Maybe all of the other "oink-oink-burp-tooters" can join us!

Do You Know Your Sleeves? I Do!

I teach in a Kindergarten-8th Grade School. For the past 22 years, I've taught in elementary schools. I'm all about comfort and professionalism. I wear Birkenstocks, Clarks, Tevas, and Danskos. My feet hurt, therefore I am.

I found this cool website that caught my eye. I've read. Now I know. Yes, if you have ANY fashion issues you'd like advice on, just give me a jingle. However, as parents say to their children, "Do as I say, not as I do."

Here are examples of some sleeves styles. I'm having a little contest. If you can name these 4 sleeves, I'll give you a prize.
White is #1
Pink is #2
Yellow is #3
Dark grey is #4
Light grey is #5














http://fashion.about.com/cs/glossary/l/blglossary.htm

Falafel Saturday Night...

The Beavs are on the Tube.

The dogs are sleeping all around the house.

My son is out with his buddies all night.

And my daughter is making her fantastic falafel!

She's got everything going...whole wheat pita, fresh Nancy's fat-free yogurt, fresh cucumber, fresh garlic, and, of course, wonderful falafel patties sizzling away in the pan!



Hmmm...I know I used to have more exciting Saturday nights.



Oh, well, we'll head over to Carnivorous Hippy's house for Scrabble...



Life is good.

I AM SICK OF MY HOUSE!

I used to be into that "Victorian Era Decor" in the mid- to late-80's. I had so many antiques and little venues set up all around my home...antique dishware, dried flowers, lace doilies, cutsie decor...I'm sure most of you remember that craze. I was a subscriber to "Victoria" magazine, went to wreath-making classes at the Experimental College at OSU, baked lots of wedding cakes with a Victorian flair for several friends' weddings, and even baked my own cake...a recipe right out of "Country Living Magazine" for my wedding!

Blah! I'm so tired of it all! My house is a transition home. Not one room has a solid theme. Yeah, the family room is fully of "native fish stuff," in honor of my husband and of living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, but there's also JUNK! Now, added to the mish-mash is a new treadmill! Even though our home is relatively large, there is no place else for this monster machine, so, PLOP, into the family room it has gone!

The kitchen has so many damn chickens all over the place....and, well, to be honest, I kind of HATE chickens! It all started about 8 years ago when I came home with this monster ceramic rooster...and many of my friends and family suddenly thought it would be good to begin adding more chickens to my household! Even I got caught up in it for awhile, but, BLAH! I am so sick of chickens! (However, I do intend to get myself some real bock-bocks for my vegetable garden area next Spring...just don't tell my husband! He'll freak!)

We're continuously updating our home...but there is so much to get done! In January, we're putting in new hardwood floors throughout the dining room, formal living room, and hallway. We're putting in skylights next summer...and "solar tubes" both bathrooms! We'll be pulling out the disgusting nylon bathtub that was obviously original to our 1969 home...and getting rid of the "cottage cheese" ceilings! Ugh! I'm excited and dreading the mess!

Well, enough rambling....here are some dorky clipart for your enjoyment! It's a trip down 1986-Memory-Lane!

Ghetto Soup

Both of my teens were cold and hungry tonight. They are on the school Cross-Country Ski Team and had to run quite some distance in the chilly Fall weather. When I picked up my son from his run, he said, "I want soup, salad, and sandwiches for dinner." So, I went to the store. Now, I'm a soup snob and NEVER buy no-name-brand soups...
However, his buddy, Aaron, came over to have dinner with us. This is pretty typical and we love this kid a lot. He and my son walked down the street to his house to, um, "Go get something." They came back with this.
See, I made Progresso Clam Chowder and Progresso Italian-Style Wedding Soup (our favorite!). Aaron didn't want to eat either of those. He wanted tomato.
When he handed me the can, he said, "Sorry about the cheap soup. My mom buys ghetto soup."

Humpty's Dump

I have a dream.

I dream that one day...

a friend and I will travel to Humpty's Dump Bar & Grill to have a cold pint of brew!

Humpty's Dump Bar & Grill

916 Old Salem Rd NE

Albany, OR 97321 Phone:

541-926-3111

BURN BABY, BURN!

I had a blast today with my new garden toy! It's called the Weed Dragon!

This photo is NOT me!

I burned all of the grass that has been taking over our large, gravel parking area and I also took out the green invaders along the perimeter of one garden fence. I walked away from the area for about 15 minutes and when I came back, the bottom of the fence and the compost nearby was on fire! What a hoot! I grabbed the hose and put out the flames! It was so exciting! Hey, at least there were no harmful chemicals involved!

Fall Updates!

Here's a shot from last week's OSAA State Cross-Country Championship. My daughter is somewhere in that pack!A little cement bunny in the garden, hiding beneath a Snowball Bush.
Witch Hazel in Fall is SPECTACULAR!
My favorite Fall bloom...Toad Lilies! They sneak into one's heart in late October through November!
Hope you enjoyed the updates!

Senior Portraits...

I'm cheap. I took photos of the portraits of Beautiful Daughter. However, it's the only way I could get these online to share...and I'm feeling just so dang proud that, well, who gives a hoot about bein' cheap?!

Here's to the Class of '08! The year is going by much too fast for my taste!

Scary Food!

This is what my daughter created for a Halloween treat! It's called "Ghosts in the Graveyard." If it is making you feel too scared to function, I found out that they are now putting all of the old "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" tapings onto DVD...so you could go and watch one episode and feel all better...