What do they call that?

What do they call a homicide when it's one spouse that's done in the other?

If this man doesn't get OUT of my house and DO something soon, someone's going to get hurt around here,,,,and it ain't gonna be me!

Gahhhhhhhhhhhh,,If I have to see ONE more Western that's a rerun x 150, I'm gonna lose it! He turns one on and then lays back and the recliner and snores!

,,,,I need a hatchet,,,or maybe some superglue~

Ut Oh

They're talking about an ice storm around here. My house is all electric, ice storms are not good.

UPDATE on Computer woes

My cousin who lives in NC and is the service manager for a Computer services company has replied to the desperation email that I sent on Saturday. He said to pack up the drives and send them to him and he'd do the recovery.

Because of my Mrs. Murphy status of late, I'm going to wait until after Christmas to do this; all I need is for my hard drive to be lost by the US postal service.

Man I love my family.

Brenda Photo Challenge: Christmas Decorations

I haven't been in much of a decorating mood this year but I did put out some of our favorites. The photos were quickies too cause of all of this computer drama I've been up to my ears in this week, but anyway, here ya go, Christmas Decorations Challenge Photos!

I love this little snowman figurine. He just looks so happy.

This angel ornament belonged to my mother. I don't have many of her things so I cherish this.

Here's my old floppy Santa sittin around on my shelf and two of the angel bells that I have sitting around here and there.

This snowman comes out every year and sits on the mantel or on a shelf. Zach made him out of a 2 litre drink bottle, torn paper, glue, ribbons, felt, and construction paper, when he was in the first grade. He's held up well hasn't he?

Miz Kim over at Caffeine is Life is our hostess for this challenge and she chose Christmas Decorations to give us more practice with our cameras. Thank you Miz Kim!

Y'all be sure to go over to the comments at the Challenge blog to see what all the participants came up with this time.

Everyone is welcome to join us, just look for the next challenge at the Photo Challenge Blog and sign into the comments that you're accepting the challenge. The directions for doing this are on the blog. The more the merrier so start snappin!

The Dash

The Dash
copyright 1996 Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
from the beginning...to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke of the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth...
and now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own;
the cars....the house...the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard...
are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what's true and real,
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
and more often wear a smile...
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read
with your life's actions to rehash...
would you be proud of the things they
say about how you spend your dash?

INsanity

I have a working computer

again.

I still don't have access to my hard drive nor to the external drive with the backup of the hard drive information (from 6 months or so ago) and we still don't know why we can't access them. Everything,,,accounting, tax files, photos, is on those two drives. Mr. John the computer man has tried about every way he knows to access the information. I've been surfing for hard drive recovery companies but I just can't afford to go that route.

I think I'm just going to cry.

Maybe scream.

Yesterday I spent most of the day reinstalling software. While Mr. John was working on trying to access those drives again today something went wrong and my local area connection disappeared. So, in order to have access to the internet again, which was discovered after I was on the phone, and on the floor with my tool box, for more than an hour being instructed by a Hughes Net tech in BF, Egypt, who could only mutter a few words of broken English, John ended up having to reinstall WinXP again to get that going again.

So guess what I'm going to be doing again tonight? (but not until after I watch CSI Las Vegas!)

And probably tomorrow.

I'm running on coffee and fumes; sleeping in snatches cause I'm thinking, thinking, thinking, (those who know me know that is a lost cause) and still coming up with nothing. I still have a little Christmas shopping to finish, Christmas cards to get mailed, presents to wrap,,,,gggghhhhhh I don't even want to think about it all.

I think I need a beer. Or two,,,,YO, Jose, com'mere! Vamos a ir partido que hasta el hombre!

Christmas Tradition

When four of Santa's elves got sick, the trainee elves did not produce toys as fast as the regular ones, and Santa began to feel the Pre-Christmas pressure.

Then Mrs. Claus told Santa her Mother was coming to visit, which stressed Santa even more.

When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to give birth and two others had jumped the fence and were out, Heaven knows where.

Then when he began to load the sleigh, one of the floorboards cracked, the toy bag fell to the ground and all the toys were scattered.

Frustrated, Santa went in the house for a cup of apple cider and a shot of rum. When he went to the cupboard, he discovered the elves had drank all the cider and hidden the liquor. In his frustration, he accidentally dropped the cider jug, and it broke into hundreds of little glass pieces all over the kitchen floor. He went to get the broom and found the mice had eaten all the straw off the end of the broom.

Just then the doorbell rang, and a very irritated Santa marched to the door, yanked it open, and there stood a little angel with a great big Christmas tree.

The angel said very cheerfully, 'Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn't this a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to stick it?'

And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree!

Interpretation of the Chick's Xmas Lists

Almost everyone figured these out.

FOR MY DADDY

1. Poot Medcin - This is poot medicine for the Daddy who suffers from gas attacks. :-)
2. Alien Soot - Alien Suit - We have no idea where, or why, she came up with this one.
3. Pantzees - Panties - I must remember to ask my son if he needs new "panties"! Ha!
4. Jenz- Jeans - I sure hope Jerri is keeping this list for her scrapbook.
5. Pilz - Pills - My son takes anti-depressants and will ask Jerri if she picked up his pills.

CHICK'S LIST

1. Jenz - Jeans
2. LPS Covrs- Little Pet Shop covers (for the pet's little bed). This was the hardest one.
3. I want my room panted - She wants her room painted
4. 4 whler - A 4-wheeler
5. CEDIS - Music CDs

Still without my puter and I'm having withdrawal symptoms!

This, That, and The Other

Miz Puter is still with the puter doctor. I somehow fried her motherboard but puter Doc said he'd get me something going. He put my hard drive in an enclosure so that I can access it by usb port, at least I didn't kill it. Hopefully I'll have a desktop back by Monday because my fingers don't work so well on Zach's laptop.

The Chick has been in kindergarten for 16 weeks now, with days off for good behavior (grin), anyway, she's already reading at grade 2 level and tries to write stories, and lists, and cards, etc,,, by sounding out the words like she does when she's reading. Here is an example of some Christmas lists she jotted down the other day.

The first one is a list of things she want's to buy for her Daddy. I'm going to let y'all see if you can decipher the lists. Hint: It will help if you will sound them out the way they are written.

FOR MY DADDY

1. Poot Medcin

2. Alien Soot

3. Pantzees

4. Jenz

5. Pilz

This is what she had on her list so far,

1. Jenz

2. LPS Covrs

3. I want my room panted

4. 4 whler

5. CEDIS

MeriKate, the Chick, and Beans have been visiting us today. We've been throughly entertained!

My Favorite Christmas Cookies

A lot of bloggers are sharing their favorite holiday cooking recipes so I thought I'd share one of mine.


Christmas Cookie


1 cup of water
4 large eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup nuts
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup of brown sugar
lemon juice
2 cups dried fruit
1 bottle Jose Cuervo Tequila

Sample the Cuervo to check quality.

Take a large bowl, check the Cuervo
again, to be sure it is of the highest quality.

Pour one level cup and drink.
Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large
fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point it's
best to make sure the Cuervo is still OK. Try another cup . . . just in
case.

Turn off the miserer thingy. Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and
chuck in the cup of dried fruit. Pick the friggin fruit off floor. Mix
on the turner.

If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry
it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the Cuervo to check for
tonsisticity.

Next, sift two cups of salt, or something. Who giveshz asheet. Check the
Jose Cuervo.

Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one
table. Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find.

Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don't
forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl through the
window, finish the Cose Juervo and make sure to put the stove in the
dishwasher.

Cherry Mistmas.

Uh Huh, I'm Guilty

I hope that I'm only guilty of attempted murder, or negligent homicide; I'm sure hoping I'm not guity of murder 1 here.

I decided that I'd do an annual puter clean up today; I'm thinking now that it might not have been such a good idea. I turned booted off my puter in the proper way, I turned off all of the power strips, I took the cover off the puter so I could dust it out with a can of air; just as I've done many times. I was getting it all ready for a new tax season you see.

After I put the cover back on, turned on the power strips, I pushed the button that is supposed to turn on the computer and it didn't turn on. I checked the power strip, I checked this, and that. I took the cover back off to see if the air had disconnected something, nothing was that I could see. I don't know what's up with the old girl, she was fine before I decided to clean her.

Now she's in town waiting on the puter doctor to get a chance to look her over. I sure hope he can revive her cause having to buy a new computer right now would be about all it would take to push me over the edge.

I have a budget to complete over the next few days, and several months posting to do on 2 accounts (the guy just got the stuff to me), and my puter holds all the information I need to do all that stuff.

I think I just found another gray hair.

Happy Birthday Paula!

How's it feel to be 52?

We love you!

Tea

I'm sitting here sipping a cup of hot Lipton Pyramid White Tea with Island Mango and Peach. Have any of y'all tried it yet? I'm normally a coffee drinker; I drink it morning, noon, and night, but sometimes I crave a cup or two of hot tea and I especially like some of the flavored teas.

I was already a coffee drinker when I moved to England in the late 60's for 3 years but while I was there I was soon one of the blokes having my hot "cuppa" tea around 4 every afternoon. My favorite tea is made with Earl Grey tea leaves, steeped in a teapot until it's strong and dark, then poured through a strainer into a cup with a dash of milk and a half spoon of sugar. We usually had sandwiches and/or scones and jams with our tea but I also always loved having high tea on special occasions when we would have tiny little watercress or cucumber sandwiches, fancy little cakes, biscuits (cookies), and wonderful cheese spreads.

When I was in Holland 4 years ago we went out to an estate (House Terborg) for a tea party (photo above) one afternoon. It sure did bring back some lovely memories.

WHEW!!

I'm so tired
I'm so sore
I ain't 'a gonna do it
for a dime no more!

This is how much Zach and I got finished today; the tree is up and most of the ornaments are on. Jerri will come and put the ribbon on later so that it'll look more like it did last year (the second picture).


See? She had it all dolled up in the picture below. I'm not very handy with ribbon,,,nope, not a'tall.

Anyway, I was already aching all over from the catastrophe that happened in my closet on Wednesday night, so crawling all over the floor again today to put the tree up has just about done me in. I only have one place in the house where I can fit a tree and I do believe it gets smaller every year!

Oh, about that closet thing. We were all going about our normal routine Wednesday evening and suddenly there was a loud bang and crashing noise. It almost scared Zach to death and all he could do was stand in the middle of the living room saying, "It wasn't me! I didn't do anything." I thought that maybe the neighbor's St. Bernard had gotten scared again and had decided to break through the lattice beneath the deck in order to get under the house. (She's done that before). So James went outside with his flashlight and looked around; nothing seemed to have fallen or be broken out there. I couldn't imagine what it could have been until I walked into my closet. Some of the brackets for the rails/shelves had broken and over half of the clothes in there were on the floor and the stuff that had been on the shelf scattered all over.

We decided to just leave it until Friday because Zach and I would be gone all day Thursday. When Friday arrived I almost wanted to cry just thinking about starting to move all of the clothes out so James could do the repairs. It took most of the day to move the stuff in and out and vacuum. But it's done now, thank goodness.

I have a few more Christmas things to put out and I reckon it would be a good idea if I started wrapping some presents.

We had a good time at Bubbie and Jerri's on Thursday. There was lots of good food and we had a good time playing Mad Gab for awhile after dinner. The kids were doing a lot of pouting (because we made them play outside; it was a beautiful day!) and were scattered here and there, so I only got a couple of quick snaps of them. Trish is supposed to come by tomorrow before she goes back home so I hope to be able to take a few pictures of Jordan and Jaylen before they leave.

Photo Challenge: " From an Ant's View"

Thank you Miz Jeanne for being our hostess for this challenge! "From an Ant's View" was the hardest challenge for me yet; I just couldn't get my creative juices flowing,,,or maybe they were hibernating cause it's gotten quite a bit cooler in my spot in the delta. Anyway, these are what I came up with,


Could this be how my fake daffodil bulbs would look to an ant? I believe an ant would know right off that they weren't real.

An ant would be able to tell me that there were 3 holes stopped up on my salt shaker. I'm glad I took this macro, cause now I know I need to clear out the stopped up holes. :-)


This might be what an ant would see if he were to look up at the salt and pepper shakers. I wonder if he'd notice the smudges and fingerprints?

Well those are mine folks, now I'm off to see what everyone else has been shooting at for the past couple of weeks.

Don't forget the Photo Challenge Tomorrow!

Jeanne's our hostess for this challenge and She chose the topic to be "From an Ant's View". Don't forget to go over to our Photo Challenge Blog (courtesy of Miz Donna) and click on the comments to see everyone's photos. I have so much fun with these challenges because I truly love seeing what everyone comes up with for them.

Oops!

I screwed something up when I was doing some work on my template last night and I've lost my links to my blog buddies. Please have patience with me while I try to get everything reentered. It might take me awhile cause I've had a disaster in my walk-in closet; it looks like the slaughter of a clothes horse in there right now.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tomorrow Zach and I are going to my son's house for Thanksgiving. James may go hunting, may go to his Mom's,,, whatever,,, I'll be with my kids and all but one of the grandbabies.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm Really Trying

I'm trying here folks, I really am, but I'm in this rut where I feel like for every step forward I'm being knocked back 6, and I'm getting very frustrated over it.

I hope everyone has a super-duper Thanksgiving planned!

How Those Country Kids Play

They dig in the dirt. There's a big hole out in this field now after an afternoon of hard digging by the kiddie crew.

Because of one incident yesterday when the toilet mysteriously overflowed after being sluggish for a time, we were all (3 little girls and Nanaw) in a circle around the toilet today, after Beans had lingered on the seat for what seemed like a full half hour and afterwards needing quite a bit of wiping, to make sure there wouldn't be another flood. A functioning toilet is a major deal around this house. And besides, we're easily entertained.

This evening Jerri and Bubbie went to a cookout at one (there only being 2) of the neighbors but the girls got cold and came back, so I got all the little girls into a warm bath, lined them up in there to wash 3 dirty little heads (after all that digging ya know), then dressed them all in Zach's t-shirts. After bowls of popcorn and hot chocolate, they settled down on the couch to wait for Jerri and Bubbie; except for Beans, she crashed as soon as she climbed into my lap for a few minutes of snuggling.

They just picked them up so Nanaw is now relaxing with a cup of coffee.

Some More Fall Colors

When we first moved onto our little acre back in December 1991 there was not a single tree on it. So we planted a baby cedar, cypress, a hybrid oak, a mimosa, and some chinese willows. We lost one of the willows to farm chemicals, and our mimosa died last year after lightening struck it, but we've thoroughly enjoyed sitting in the shade of the others. We've planted one tiny mimosa to replace the lost one and another has come up from a seed in one of my concrete planters so we'll be transplanting it some time next month.

Last evening I went out to capture the colors of the cypress and willow in all their fall finery. I just love trees.

I added tags to the pictures for bloggers who use IE, just like Miz Donna taught me how to. :-)