Activist. Navy Veteran's wife. Proud mum of 3 kiddos and 1 angel. Lyme/Lupus/Fibro/Ehlers-Danlos/POTS/MCAS/etc. warrior. Unashamed, unafraid bleeding-heart liberal snowflake tree-hugging vegan-type. Defender of all the living things - except the evil ones. Empath. Ally to and glad co-conspirator with LGBTQ+ & BLM communities. Inquire within.
Howdy-ho, neighbors! This weekend's post focuses on this song, Just Because, by Elvis Presley. This is significant to me because I grew up with a dad who absolutely idolized the man (and, I'm sure, still does) and could do a mean impression of him as well. My dad could sing well, could do the moves, and even had some of the requisite attire to make the whole thing convincing. Of course, I've heard every Elvis song ever, 50,000 times over, backward and forward... right?
I had not ever heard this song before.
So, my friends, link up here if you want to join us this weekend. Read on for my answers. Thank you, Crazy Sam, for dusting this one off for me (okay, us)! Let's hit it:
1) In this week's song, Elvis complains that his girl has confused him with Santa Claus. This time of year, Santa is prominent. Did you more recently hear Santa referred to in a song, see him in a holiday decoration or ad, watch him in a film or TV show, or maybe even met him in person, ringing a bell or asking kids if they have been naughty or nice?
Yes, we've been listening to a lot of Christmas carols lately as we work through the activities in our Advent calendar. Santa features prominently in these, of course.
2) Finally Elvis just can't take it anymore and breaks up with her, just because. Is there anyone in your life who has a way of pressing your buttons and getting on your nerves?
That's probably true for everyone, I'm guessing.
3) "Just Because" is one of the last songs Elvis recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis. TripAdvisor recommends a Sun Studio tour as one of the top things to do in Memphis. Have you ever been to Memphis? If yes, what did you do?
I've only ever driven through Memphis, and also Nashville, and also half a dozen times Chattanooga. I have stayed in Gatlinburg. Memphis would be an interesting trip, though.
4) Elvis left Sun for RCA, a much bigger record label. As part of the deal, RCA negotiated for the rights to all his unreleased Sun songs. "Just Because" is one of them, and it was included on Elvis' first RCA album. Have you gotten a good deal on anything lately?
I get a good deal on just about everything. Like the SodaStream I got for Chloë for Christmas, I paid nowhere near full price, nor did I pay full price for the flavors for it, nor will I ever! And she'll be so thrilled to have it, so win-win!
5) In 1956, when "Just Because" was released, non-stick cookware was first introduced. Do you have any Teflon in your kitchen right now?
No way in hell!
6) Elvis thought peacocks were beautiful and commissioned stained glass peacock panels for his living room. Do you have any stained glass in your home?
No, but I certainly do wish! It's so beautiful.
7) He tried to keep peacocks at Graceland. One of the birds saw its reflection in Elvis' gold Cadillac and started pecking, ruining the car's expensive paint job. Elvis donated the peacocks to the Memphis Zoo. Have you ever had a bird as a pet?
Well not exactly pets, but we used to keep chickens when we lived in Idaho for the eggs, and the five of us each had "our" specific chickens that we felt we belonged to and were particularly attached to. I loved those chickens. Here, we're not allowed to have any because of our HOA rules, even though the town would allow three, which makes me want to be a scofflaw and keep ducks. They don't say anything about ducks.
8) Elvis decorated the long Graceland driveway for the holidays with blue lights. His father teased that with the airport nearby, pilots might confuse their driveway with a runway. What airport is nearest your home?
I believe the nearest major airport is Baltimore International, although we have tons of regional ones between there and here.
9) When Elvis was alive, he kept the holiday lights up until January 9, the day after his birthday. That tradition continues at Graceland today. Conventional etiquette tells us Christmas decorations should go up the day after Thanksgiving and come down before January 6 (the 12th day of Christmas). Do you think it's ever too early, or too late, for Christmas decorations?
Well, for stores and other commercial enterprises, yeah, I kinda think there is a limit for too-early/too-late. But for private families and people, I think, who gives a rat's behind? Let people do what makes them happy! So what if Joe Schmoe at the end of the block likes to keep his lights up until the end of March and put them up again after Halloween? What's it to me? I don't pay his light bill and it's honestly kind of pretty. I'm of more of a laissez-faire kind of mind about that for private citizens.
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Welp, that's all folks! Back to wrapping presents with Chloë, my eldest! Seems like the job will never be done, but that's not a complaint! I'm grateful for the abundance, always grateful.
Hey there, Thieves! Welcome back! I couldn't get my post up at all late Saturday afternoon or in the evening because the plague that are migraine headaches, but better late than never, right?
I think Hubs and I jointly would be Statler and Waldorf, the two old guys who sit and make dumb jokes about everything around us, cracking ourselves up. I'd be whichever one was cuter!
2 Why is a chicken crossing the road in the first place??
Well, as anyone who has ever kept chickens, as we have, can tell you, these are not the most brilliant animals on the planet. Also as anyone who has been to Key West even once - let alone multiple times - as I have, can tell you, they will go wherever they want to go, often in a hurry, including the middle of the road. So as for why? Clearly, the answer is: because.
3 What's your favorite muscle?
Well, that depends. In babies? I like the glutes. In a guy? I like arms - big biceps!
4 Cheerios or Rice Krispies?
I love Rice Krispies. I do not enjoy Cheerios; they smell like baby diarrhea to me. Blechhhh!
5 Is summer ever going to get here?
I mean, between intense climate change and the coronavirus, what are we really going to do with it? I think Earth deserves to take its time on this one.
6 Have you ever had a utility turned off by mistake or some other reason besides weather or nonpayment?
No, and like this fortune, that is oddly specific.
7 What was your "last day" of something?
Hm, let's see. September 6th, 2019, was my last day of not being a parent to an adult child! (This one, that is - I never told Chloë she could grow up!)
8 If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, which one would you choose?
I'd love to be stuck on The Big Bang Theory! At least I'd feel like I was where I belonged.
9 Did you have any type of class trip, band trip, etc., in high school? Where did you go, what did you do?
I know there were others, but my favorite class trip was our 9th grade one to Darien Lake, in New York. We did a fundraiser, and I raised the second most, so I got a bonus from that, too!
10 Do your feet smell?
No; they do not have a nose.
11 Do you know how to french braid?
Yes, and I can both French-braid and Dutch-braid on my own hair, too. I really want to learn to do the fishtail braid, though!
12 Two guys are walking down the street. One drops his hat and reaches down to pick it up, the other kicks him in the ass. Do you laugh?
That depends; am I "the other"? If not, then hopefully involuntarily at least, but I'm sure I would snort!
13 You wake up one morning and dogs are meowing and cats are barking - what are fish, elephants and crocodiles doing?
Have we run out of "real" questions, then?
14 You are going to your high school reunion. What award are you going to win?
Hammiest family!
15 You find yourself stranded on a deserted island. Soon you find a laptop with a lifelong battery & internet connection, then you find a cave with an endless supply of food and a spring of fresh water. A cruise ship comes along to save you - do you get on it?
If I get to take that laptop with me and it's not during the days of COVID, then heck, yes!
16 How many shortcuts do you have on your desktop?
Five. But in my defense, it's a new laptop.
17 I offer you a pie... the most delicious pie you have ever seen. You either have to eat the entire thing in one sitting or allow me to slam it into your face, which do you choose?
I guess I'm getting a pie in the face, because I'm working with that gastric pouch on the right!
18 Are you a pen stealer?
Not usually! My pens are all the different colors of the rainbow. Everyone else? Blue or black. ::snooze::
19 A dude from China comes up and offers you German chocolate cake, French fries and a Boston cream pie... what color is your car?
Black, and her name is Phoenix. But a little birdie told me I might be getting a new car this year, so... I'm game!
20 Sometimes you just have to tap your foot to your favorite song - which TV series season finale are you watching?
Modern Family is still in the DVR, waiting for me!
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All right, y'all. I've got to get ready for the week ahead. Have a good one!
Good morning, good day, good afternoon, & good evening, y'all! I know you guys may be all over the place (geographically and in time) when and if you read this, so I'm being as inclusive as I can. Y'know?
I have never heard of this song, nor of Jimmy Clanton, but I love Sat9, I love Crazy Sam and the gang, and it's a great way to start another crazy day in what has been a very busy and occasionally chaotic week! Link up here if you'd like to play along with us this week.
1) Like the dream girl described in this song, Sam is wearing jeans as she composes this Saturday 9. Is there a lot of denim in your wardrobe?
No, because after four kids including a set of twins in the middle, I definitely have the kind of mom-jeans figure that mom jeans were created for, and I know I wouldn't look good.
2) Jimmy Clanton likens this girl to the Venus de Milo, the ancient Greek sculpture made of marble and now on display at the Louvre. Is there any marble in your home?
I don't think so (I should probably know by now, eh?), unless you count the jar of marbles sitting right next to me.
3) He refers to his girl as "Mona Lisa with a pony tail." The Mona Lisa is also at the Louvre. What's the last museum you visited?
It's been a while, because my illness keeps progressing. Geez, I think the last museum we visited was the Idaho Military History Museum, for a field trip I'd set up with some other Boise homeschooling families. Hubs was definitely in his element!
4) This girl is so awesome, she's the 8th Wonder of the World! Without looking it up, could you name the other 7?
Nope. I don't even know if these are the seven you meant, since I thought the 7 Wonders where natural wonders of the world. I know there are some listed that way and some manmade ones, but anyway. I have seen the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, and near the Mexican pyramids. I'd love to see the rest, especially the Taj Mahal in India and the Great Wall of China.
5) Jimmy Clanton spent his entire professional life behind a microphone. After he quit selling records, he began spinning them as a DJ. Do you consider the sound of your voice one of your better qualities?
It used to be, but repeated severe respiratory infections have ruined my voice. My girls have lovely singing voices, though, and Chloë actually wants to audition for The Voice someday.
6) At age 80, Mr. Clanton still performs. He averaged an appearance/month in 2018. Some of his fans were surprised that he has let his pompadour go completely white. Do you color your hair?
Yeah, I do. I started coloring my hair auburn - at my roommate's urging - near the end of my first year in college. Rarely have I stopped, except while pregnant and breastfeeding. Recently I decided to dye it black for the second time. I've since grown tired of it and have tried dying it back to my natural (I think?!) medium brown, and bleaching it, and over-dyeing it with a dark auburn... but only my roots show any of these changes. I'm frustrated and ready (finally) to ask for professional advice. LOL!
7) In 1962, when this song was popular, Americans were reading about 5-year-old First Daughter, Caroline Kennedy, and her pony, Macaroni. Tell us about a pet you had when you were very young.
In 5th grade, I had an orange-and-white pet rat named Barkley. The classroom next to ours had had a pregnant pet mama rat who birthed about a trillion (give or take) babies at the end of the school year. I persuaded my parents (miracle of miracles) to let me adopt one, get a cage and all that. I loved him! Barkley was wicked smart, too. I tried all kinds of things to keep him in his cage when I wasn't giving him free-roaming time, but he outwitted me every singled time! Barkley loved to chew rubber and ruined the buttons on several small gaming devices I had, along with several watch bands and probably more I'm forgetting. My favorite thing was putting him on my sleeping father's head or shoulder and watching him freak out when that woke him up!
8) Decades later, Caroline Kennedy was the first woman to serve as US Ambassador to Japan. Have you ever been to Asia?
Not yet, but I want to! The closest I've come was living on Guam for four months over late 2002 and into 2003.
9) Random question: When talking among themselves, who do you think is more open and honest about sex -- men or women?
Neither. It's Dr. Ruth. Just... Dr. Ruth.
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That was fun! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go rescue a cat who is meowing her heart out to be rescued from absolutely nothing but wanting people to wake up and give her attention (it's just 6 AM here).
Hey, hey, what do ya say? I posted Saturday 9 and Sunday Stealing last week, but I was so late - by a few days - that I didn't get any reads. *sniff, sniff* So if I'm being repetitive it's because I didn't think anyone read it the first time! Heh.
But here we are again, so link up here to play along with the S9ers for this week!
1) As 2019 kicks off, what are your hopes for the brand new year?
Well, now that everyone has joined me in veganism, I'm finding it difficult to please all their palates. As a result, there is a lot of grumbling every day about there being "nothing to eat." Completely untrue, but I'm trying! So my hope for 2019 is that, one day at a time, they'll stick it out and give veganism a real shot. Everyone should, IMNSHO.
2) Just because an item isn't brand new doesn't mean it isn't valuable. Have you scored any fabulous finds at a secondhand store or website?
I love thrifting! We've gotten two couches, the desk next to me, and tons of clothing for the whole family at the thrift store down the road, ReStyle. But this bathing suit, which I really needed for my physical therapy in the pool, was from ThredUp. I got lots of clothes for the kids and me there recently for a steal. Secondhand is the way to go!
3) This song is sung by The Stylistics, a group from Philadelphia. Have you ever been to Philly?
Yeah, several times. The first time was with my grandparents in probably 1981 or 1982? They took me to see the liberty bell, and I remember being really bothered by that crack and why they didn't just fix it or get another one - and my grandma having a hearty laugh over that! And I also marveled at the fact that there were hot pretzel and hot dog vendors on the streets, just like in Manhattan. Who knew?
4) This song was co-written by Thom Bell, a Philadelphia-based musician/producer who was born in Kingston, Jamaica. The average daily temp in Kingston in January is 87ºF. Do you have plans to get away this winter and go somewhere warm?
Goddddddd, I wish!! I was just looking through the photos from when we first moved to Miami in March 2013, reminiscing, maybe getting a little melancholy... I would love to go somewhere tropical and warm. Chloë is going to Guatemala this summer, and though it's not what we Americans consider an exotic getaway, I've gotta admit I'm a bit jealous!
5) The Stylistics took their choreography very seriously. As you can see from the video, they even carefully synchronized their hand movements. Do you use your hands much when you talk?
Yeah, pretty much. Sophia definitely gets her theatrical nature from her mother!
6) The lyrics tell us that the singer is grateful for a friend who will walk with him along a path that "sometimes bends." Looking back on 2018, tell us about a time that life's path took a bend you didn't quite expect.
Oh, the chickens. We had our first flock of 11 in 2017, and these were the beautiful eggs they were laying by early 2018. By summer, all but Athena were slaughtered, probably by a skunk. By September, a predator-proof (well, as much as one can get, I guess) was built in the backyard, and 21 day-old chicks were delivered from a hatchery in Iowa. Now they're all rehomed, and we are vegans. It's all just freakin' weird, man.
7) In 1974, when this song was popular, Chicago's Sears Tower opened and was for years the world's tallest building. Its elevators can carry you to the 103rd floor in approximately a minute. When were you last on an elevator?
I was on an elevator this past Friday, when Chloë accompanied me to my Speech Pathology appointment. I'm having a bunch of problems with... well, all the stuff on that mug, basically, and getting my thoughts to transform into sensible words and sentences, so I'm there to get some speech therapy to help with it. Gotta admit, I'm kind of anxious about it!
8) Also in 1974, the 55 mph speed limit was imposed nationwide. When you drive, are you careful to stay within the speed limit? Or do you have a lead foot?
Girl, I got two speeding tickets in 2018 alone! Both were on the same stretch of the same 35 MPH zone. I was probably going at least 60 MPH both times! I think I probably schedule some shit to do that requires us to go East on I-84, just so I can hit the 80 MPH zone and ... go 90+ MPH!
9) Random question -- It's time to pose for your Saturday 9 yearbook picture. Will you show us your right profile, your left profile, or will you look directly into the camera?
Well, these are from a couple weeks ago now, since it's 0538 right now and I haven't showered yet... so it appears I would be showing you my left! I think that's my "good side," as if I have such a thing. I know that because the nostril piercing is barely visible, and that's on my right. ;)
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Ooh, I liked this quizzy! Thanks Gal, er, Crazy Sam!
Heyyyyy kids and bigger kids! I figured I'd try to blahg here and there, once in a while, to fill up some cyberspace with my special brand of bizarre.
🐣🐥🐤🐔🐓
We're down to 20 chickens in the backyard coop now, which sounds like a lot for city life, and that's because it is... They have grown SO much - and all 19 that survived this year's September hatching are much bigger than Athena, our only 2017 flock survivor. I'm gladdened and amazed that so many of our n00bs have done so well. Even little Waffle, our runt of the "litter," is thriving! See them up there, barging out the coop door and then peering in the window, when someone forgot to latch the door? Haaaa. Kills me. (And yes, we have more than one feeder; the 20 of them are so dumb, they never realize it.) But they are pigs! They eat a freakin' ton and a half. I need to get a bucket with a lid, because we're going to start giving them fermented feed at least once a week. Good for them and good for the pocketbook!
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♥💑♥
So like, Rob and I are currently in awe of the fact that we've now been together 18 years. We had a whirlwind courtship: We met online on November 1st, 2000, and eloped on January 2nd, 2001. Two months! Throughout November, we put daily (or so) sticky notes on each others' bathroom mirrors to find when, y'know. Bathroom stuff. We took them all off at the end of the month, and now we've started over again for December. It's nice. Romantic, right? We're telling each other all the things we love and are thankful about each other. I'm surprised there are so many things about me that Rob has to say! Delightfully surprised. But I'll run out of Post-Its™ long before I run out of niceties to share with Rob. ♥
💎💍💎
We met in person for the first time on November 17th, and by December 8th, at our second tête-à-tête meeting, Rob put a ring on it! At the end of that weekend, I drove all the way back to St. Pete from Panama City Beach, Florida, trying not to crash while I admired the ring on my finger. ♥
🐻
This is "BearPo," aka "Xavier the X-rated Bear" (heh), aka my engagement bear. Robert gave it to me the same night he gave me my engagement ring, but he hadn't had a chance to tie the ring around BearPo's neck 'cause I drove about 100 mph all the way to the Florida Panhandle (aka Lower Alabama). I still sleep with BearPo - and Hubs - every night. Every damn night.
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Apropos of nothing, I'm really having this rose gold moment. It's weird, because historically, rose gold has been hovering pretty damn close to the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to my favorite metals. (Mercury is probably, y'know, rock bottom.)
In order of love, from greatest to least, here you go [please note, I have never had a relationship with platinum, so don't send me hate mail. I'm a champagne and caviar dream on a beer and silver-plated budget kinda girl, ya dig?]:
Copper, Cu > Silver, Ag > Gold, Au > Rose Gold, umm Rose Au > Cadmium, Cd > Nickel, Ni > Lead, Pb > Mercury, Hg
(Yeah, uhh, Cd and Ni had to be included because they're often the base metals in your cheaper jewelry {ahem from China ahem}, and I am severely allergic to them. So fancy it is, for me!) 😉
Anyhoo, so now that rose gold is having its moment, it kind of pisses me off that I find myself drawn in by it! I usually loathe trendy things! I despise following the trends! I'm the opposite of a fashion-follower, you know? I do my own thing. Now that everyone and their motherfecking brother has pierced their nostrils, I hate it. Hate it!
So, that prettiful septum ring (not trendy so far, I hope?) is rose gold from here, but I don't love it because it's really poorly balanced and looks crooked AF unless I constantly adjust it. The hibiscus earring from here (yes, it's the same shop) is supposed to be for my tragus piercing, but doesn't freakin' fit in there, because the post is waaaay too short 🤬😠; it's also rose gold. And the two stacked skinny rings from here on my hand are rose gold. All from Etsy. I want more, but the budget says noooo...
👁👁💩
Also, my sister says she misses my "shit-brown eyes," because they've been turning greener and greener as I get older (and ahem, I am not old, no matter what all this mail from AARP is trying to tell me!). I like it. She does not, apparently. I think she feels like I'm horning in on her green/blue-eyed genetics?! 😏
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💔😭💔
On Sunday, December 9th, we observed the annual Compassionate Friends' Worldwide Candle Lighting for all the angel babies. At 7 PM, in every time zone, candles were lit to keep the wave of light going around the world. We were supposed to go to one of the downtown parks to join in communion with other bereaved families, but I was not well enough to make it that night. So Sophia, Rob and I lit candles for Robby, our little boy lost, and all the other babies in the world who are dearly missed. (Chloë and Jack were at the church youth group.)
♥ I miss my son. ♥
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Right now Rob and I are sporting these beautiful enamel Breast Cancer Awareness pink ribbon pins I bought from Jos. A. Banks, in recognition of a close family member going through this particular trial right now. We are praying and hopeful, but it's been a rough go for her. Additionally, since my grandmother had breast cancer twice, in her 30s and 50s, and my BRCA gene-testing proved to be "indeterminate" thus far, we are forever vigilant. With this and Rob's prostate cancer (with a very strong family history) along with, well, pretty much every other health problem in the books between us, the kids really have NOT won the genetic jackpot! Sorry, kiddos.
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🎄
Now that it's December, of course Christmas is on my mind. Here's a little blast from the past, part of our Christmas 2013 photo shoot. Hard to believe it's been five years - but these kids have changed so incredibly much since then, I guess I have to believe!
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Presents are now present! (We used to do a present here and there along the month of December, as part of our Advent calendar activities and stuff, but we didn't plan on doing that this year. We failed.):
🚲
Jack's been wanting to buy himself a mountain bike so he could get himself back and forth to work when Rob and I aren't able. Sometimes, he works, Chloë works, and Sophia needs to be in Eagle (a 40+ minute drive) for horse lessons. With one car and, currently, one driver much of the time while I'm down and out, the kids find themselves waiting and waiting. Jack HATES that, and I get it. So since he's on the autism spectrum, one characteristic of note is that he obsesses. He gets an idea, and he obsesses and dwells and talks and talks about it. (It's kind of annoying, but I'm used to it.)
Anyway, he talked up his desire to buy a good mountain bike at church, too, so imagine my surprise when his church youth group leader, S, called me up to say they'd just bought him one and wanted to bring it by the house! He was so extremely delighted, it was fabulous. Yay, Jack! And thank you, Vineyard Boise! ♥
Robert, so far, has gotten a new Farberware Stockpot. I had to give it to him early, so he could cook me some shizz. And the rest of the family, but whatever. He loves it! (I think; he's not the most emotive sonofagun.)
As for me, if Rob doesn't get me this artified Emirates diamond-encrusted private jet, I'm frankly not interested. Wait... Lindt chocolate truffles, you say? All right, let's talk.
This year, we decided to put up a white Christmas tree. Chloë and I both agreed that we wanted a white tree, and I couldn't decide whether to do pink lights or teal lights. In the end, we decided on teal, but the fates did not allow. So we have... this. But I love it! I think it's so pretty. ♥ The kids decorated the entire thing themselves.
This year, I've partnered with BSM Media to promote their Original #PillowPets campaign, and in exchange for this adorable Eeyore Pillow Pet (which I pretty much wanted for myself, but that would be super selfish, and I'm trying to avoid that ugly trait), I am sharing him with y'all and my other social media channels. [I received no other compensation. All opinions are, as always, honest and my own.] Because Jack is our resident grump (hehe), I decided to gift Eeyore to him. I wouldn't call Jack depressed nor friendless, but you get the point. Ho-hum, y'know? I think he liked it. He seems to have gotten the joke. I just hope his two bunnies don't decide to snack on it! (P.S. It now belongs to Muffin, his cat, who quickly adopted it for its softness.)
Chloë's grandmother (Rob's mom) was always interested in making sure my kids were reading. She always wanted to know what their annual book lists were for school (we homeschool: Sweet Pea Academy is our domain). In 2014, Grandma gave Chloë, knowing I'd given the kids Kindles for school, all seven of the Harry Potter e-books for her Kindle. Oh, mah gaw! This kid devoured book after book after book, and then we bought her all the movies, and she is now berserkezoid crazy about all things Potter. So finally, after years of yearning, we've given her the book set so she can hold them, turn the pages, and feel the stories. She was ecstatic! (I had Sophia wrap them, taking each book individually out of the case and wrapping it. Hee!)
Sophia got a new pastel oils set that night, for her masters art class that she's doing this year. She's doing beautiful work, y'all!
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Okay, that's it for this post. I'm going maybe chop Christmas 2018 up some, for brevity's sake. Yeah, 'cause I'm brief. I've never been succinct a day in my life.
Well. Except the chickens. The chickens want to be fed. The sun was up, after all, and roosters and hennies do not keep quiet.
Foraging while impatiently waiting for their Christmas breakfast
Ahh, Chloë to the rescue with Fine Dining First Course: Leftover noodles
Look at them. She's got it, they want it. She's like the damned Pied Piper of Hungry Chickens.
Also, which of you kids left the %^&* hose out?!!
Fine Dining Main Course is out: cooked beans, good for a little protein and fat for cold, hungry birdies.
{And don't judge; we just ran out of our usual 'spensive oranic [chicken] layer feed. Nobody told me we were getting low. It's Christmas and our feed stores are closed. And it's not bad for them. So :P}
Twenty feathered dinosaurs, all in a row...
A few chickees started foraging again, and Chloë still had beans for them, so she pulled out her trump card: She started singing the "Happy Birthday" song, which is our associative cue to the chickens to come to us. We sing it when we feed them and they're coming running, so even when we're not feeding them, if we sing it, they come running. #BecausePsychology
Watch how it works.
And here they come! PFM: Pure F*****g Magic!
{Tin Type is my favourite editing effect of the moment.}
Oh, what'd you say? You want a little more? I got you.
Hard to believe how quickly our chicks, hatched September 4th, have grown into big, beautiful chickens! sniff
Well, Merry Christmas, y'all! Now I gotta get back to editing my hyoomin photos! ;)
Welcome back, homeslices! 🤣 I woke up sick as a DAWG today 😞😭🤧😷, so I'm not feeling the (self) love. I know just being "here" with all of y'all will cheer me up, though, so let's bring it! 😍🤩💗💖 Link up here if you'd like to play along with us this weekend, or want to check out all the other amazing thieves among us!
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What did you do last year that you had not done before?
Well, since two of my kiddos came out late last year as gay or bisexual, the three of us attended the Boise Pride Festival this past summer. It was SO fun, so loving, so joyous, and so inclusive. I loved every moment of it, and I am so proud of my girls for having the strength and courage to embrace their true selves. ♥
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Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions/goals for the year and will you make/set more for next year? What are they? What are your new ones?
I'm sure I set some, but I don't remember what they were! I'll probably set more for next year, but I haven't done so yet. I'll keep ya posted! 🙃
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Did anyone you know give birth? Or become pregnant? Or adopt?
My good friend Stephanie, who first was my kids' babysitter in Virginia Beach, when they were itty bitty, is pregnant with her fourth son!
And my high school pal, Lora, gave birth to her second son this year. Her kiddos are so cute! It's the year of boys! ♥ (I'm sure there are plenty more, but I'm forgetful.)
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Did anyone you know die? Or have a serious illness/injury?
Gosh, I can't think of anyone who died - I hope I'm not forgetting! Aside from myself, Hubs was diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier this year and had surgery to remove the prostate. The recovery was heinous for him, and he had another surgery after that to repair the perforated bladder and fix the internal bleeding happening after the first surgery and on and on... it was just terrible for him. 😢
Also, someone on his side of the family is in a serious breast cancer battle right now, and we are thinking of her all the time, wishing her well.
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What places have you visited?
Well, the hospital for one - a LOT! heh heh
We visited the Boise Ronald McDonald House on multiple occasions to make donations and take tours. This is a cause that's near and dear to our hearts (Dammit, Gal, I left it off your annual charity round-up post! DUHHHHHHHH!!) because we stayed in one while Chloë was in the NICU in Pensacola for 10 days. It's an amazing place. Visit one and I guarantee your heart will melt.
We drove out to Wasatch Sport Horses in Eagle, Idaho, many, many times for Sophia's riding lessons. Our new second home!
We went to many lessons at Chloë's fencing club, until she decided not to continue at the end of the season.
Listen, y'all, I could go on and on. And on!
Any new pets? Lost a pet?
Yes; critters we've lost this year:
We lost Rob's gentle giant, Henry, to a suspected sudden asthma attack. It was very sad.
We lost both of Chloë's beloved guinea pigs, Alexander Sirius and James Theodore, on the same day to unknown causes. She feels devastated and blames herself. 😢
Jack's old gerbil, Lucy, who lived a good, long, loved life with him, passed away peacefully. She is missed.
And finally, we lost all but one of our 2017 chickens, our White Silkie Athena, to a predator massacre. I was so crushed!
Critters we've gained this year:
We got 21 new rare-breed chicks in September. There's Athena keeping watch over the new babies. Two of them have since died, so we're at a 2018 flock of 20 chickens, currently.
Jack adopted this bunny-buns, Fudge, for his 4-H project this year. He's ridiculously soft!
And very shortly after that, Jack - an extremely conscientious pet owner - adopted Rocky so that Fudge could have a playmate. The two are still in separate cages, though, awaiting their neutering so they don't fight. Rocky's such a love! ♥
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What would you like to have next year that you lacked this year (doesn't have to be a physical thing i.e. love, job security, peace of mind...)?
Well, aside from improved health, obviously, I would love to buy and move into a house of our own once again - like this one!. I yearn for it!
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What date from last year will remain etched in your memory and why?
April 16th, 2018 - that's the date of Hubs' prostatectomy that sucked big ass. He's still recovering.
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What was your biggest achievement last year?
I try to keep it lighter in my SS posts, but that's not always possible for me. So to answer this question: I realized and acknowledged that I was raised in a cult. I was an unwilling member for almost 21 years. And I went back to therapy, where I am finally in "intensive care" to undo the effects of the trauma, abuse, and brainwashing I've endured.
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Did you get sick or injured?
Well, yeah! I have a lot of new diagnoses from this year. Mast Cell Activation Disorder, ME/CFS, and (possible, waiting to be genetically tested) Ehlers Danlos Syndrome among them... and since I'm now stumbly-bumbly all the time, lots of injuries from falling. I rely on my walker or wheelchair most of the time when I'm out of the house now.
What was the best thing you bought?
Well, I don't know! Lots of things, I guess, and I'm sure I'll get this wrong. I won, this week, a photography contest, wherein I was stacked up against several professional photogs, and for the prize I could get a $50 gift card to anywhere. I opted for P.F. Chang's, which we never get. I don't know why. But I snuck a slice of cheesecake in there, and WOW! That shizz was the bomb! And this is coming from a New Yawka who knows her cheesecake. Two thumbs up!
Oh! And I signed up for Grove Collaborative to get all kinds of good-for-us and good-for-the-earth stuff, and I'm really happy with our membership thus far. Their customer service is outstanding, and the products and prices are great! I'm a huge fan. If you want to sign up here, you'll even get a free 5-piece gift set. I loved mine!
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Where did most of your disposable income go (money leftover after you pay for food, medical care, basic clothing, transportation and shelter)?
You say that as though there is any disposable income! 😂😂😂 Have you never tried to raise three hungry teenagers, 20 chickens, two dogs, three cats, and two bunny rabbits - not to mention the four score and seven prescription medications I take daily - on an enlisted veteran sailor's pension? BWAHAHAHA! But if so, we tend to spoil the pets. Especially the doggos. I mean, I love to get the chickens toys and chubby mealworms and stuff, watch the cats go insane on new catnip toys, etc., but the dogs! Nothing makes me happier than watching two butt-wiggling pooches get their BarkBoxes in the mail!! And oh, they know that that box is theirs, long before it gets opened. They just know. (I highly recommend it!)
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What song will always remind you of last year?
"Girls Like You" by Maroon 5, featuring Cardi B (Gal, can we please, please, pleeeeeaaase do this song on Sat9 sometime?) is a song my 13yo daughter Sophia and I have played on the radio, YouTube, or whatever umpteen million times over and over. We sing along to every word and then, when Cardi B's part comes on, we blast it even louder and rap along to every word. I don't care how white we are, we rock that $h!t!
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What do you wish you would have done more of?
My husband! 🤪😂😈
What do you wish you would have done less of?
Crying in pain (this photo is from Friday night, just hours ago, but represents many nights)
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What was your favorite new TV program? Movie? Album/Songs? Or if you didn't pick up any new ones, what are you still watching/listening to? Any recommendations?
Well, I've finally really gotten into Bob's Burgers this year, and it's a good thing I did, because that $h!t is fookin' hilarious! I like to pretend I'm just like Linda, which I am, and I do both Linda's and Bob's and sometimes Tina's voices. If you're not watching it yet, why not?! You oughtta be. I DVR every episode. We all love it. Yeah. So.
Also, I recommend Ellen De Generes' new stand-up special, Relatable, on Netflix. I love her talk show, so I finally queued it up and am watching it right now. She swears, y'all! That's relatable!
What was the best book you read this year? How many did you read?
I'm reading Recipes for Repair right now, which I just started but bought about two years ago, to see if it will help any of my autoimmune disorders. It's hard. I'm having allergic reactions - sometimes anaphylaxis - to every single thing I eat lately, so I've just gotta do something! Plus, my therapist recommended I read something along these lines. I don't think I've read any other books this year! Shocking!
What did you do on your birthday and how old were you? Did you feel differently?
Well, first of all, I turned 42, and Chloë made me these birthday cupcakes. She baked Hubs' chocolate bundt cake - his favorite - too, and was really excited about doing both. Only, I was looking at these photos recently, and I just don't remember these cupcakes. I mean, I know I was there and must have taken the pictures and blown them out, but I cannot recollect them for the life of me. This is very distressing. My short-term memory has been stolen from me since I became ill in 2015, and I hate it!
Also, Hubs gave me a pedicure, which he often did during my pregnancies when I couldn't reach and now often does again since my joints are so stiff and painful. Yeah, he's a keeper. (Also, pssst! Robert! I'm due for another one!)
Chloë's birthday (9/7) is the day before mine (9/8), so we usually celebrate together by running around collecting all the billions of birthday freebies out there. Here are some from this year:
[click to embiggerate]
I'd list them out for you, but as you can see, um, it's kind of a lot.
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What political or social issue stirred you the most?
I will always, first and foremost, be an environmental activist. Now, more than ever, it is crucial for denizens of Planet Earth to become acutely aware of what we as people are doing to harm the planet and what we as humans can do to remedy that.
Additionally, I am a Global Citizen, and I am dedicated to working for the causes of education for all; those that promote equality for women and girls; ending world hunger; and, bettering the health and sanitation practices around the world. I even get points for sharing the information I learn, and I've used those points to enter contests. This year alone, I've won two concerts: Amy Lee (of Evanescence) and Lindsey Sterling, which I'd entered for Chloë's sake - but I ended up winning the one in Phoenix, Arizona, and we could of course not make it there. The other concert was just recently, here in Boise: Metallica, which I sent Rob and our 15yo son Jack to. They had a blast!
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Who was the most interesting new person you met?
Hmm. I don't know; I've met a lot of interesting folks. I'll say my new orthopedist, Dr. Alex Homaecheverria. Not only is this doctor smoking hot (I'm married, but I mean, c'mon! I'm not dead!), but he's relatable. Great bedside manner. And he genuinely seems interested in truly helping me improve.
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What changed at your job?
Well. For one, Chloë, Sophie, and I started a specialty candle company called Every Wick Way on November 1st! I'm so excited about this! Most of our items are listed in our Etsy shop, but I'm still working on the website for Every Wick Way. Check it out! ;)
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What changed in your home?
Well, we got those 21 baby chickies from the hatchery, so they would need a place to live, right? After forever and a day (seriously; we're talking over a year), Hubs and another military vet friend got together and built it basically in a day. It's not perfect, but it's pretty great, and so far we've avoided another slaughter. Whew!
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Describe how a relationship changed.
Well, I'm like this ^^^ so it's completely surreal for me to read things like this. Anyway, I've been distancing myself emotionally from my father more than I ever have in my life. It's been hard. He's noticed, too, and wrote a note to me about it in our Christmas card. Such tomfuckery. I'll not have it!
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Do you think you are still the same person that you were at the beginning of the year? How so?
No. Of course not. At the end of every year I hope I have grown and learned so much during that year that I am a completely new and more enlightened person by the end.
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Summarize the year in three words or less. Bonus points for doing it in one word. Explain.
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How have people around you changed?
Well, I don't know about everyone's internal dialogue or whatnot, but I feel like this year, as I've become even more self-aware and adulty than ever, I feel that people are changing the way they respond to and interact with me. I feel it every day. It seems like some people actually like me, which I never really thought could be true. It's delightful.
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What have you learned throughout the year?
Well, I've definitely learned that I do, in fact, have limitations. And also that getting older sucks, and I do not care for being forty-freakin'-two!
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What was your favorite outfit for warm weather? Cooler weather?
Warm weather:
Something cool, comfortable, and hopefully, cute!
Cool Weather:
Anything remotely warm, comfortable, and hopefully cute! ;)
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Did you learn any new crafts or techniques? What was your favorite thing you made?
Oh yes, of course! For Every Wick Way, the girls and I jointly learned how to make soy and beeswax candles and melts, and we're taking very explicit notes so that we can duplicate everything that turns out great. And most things do, because we're just amazing like that. ;) I'm always learning something new in the craft world. Every year, I've got a new thing going. I embrace change. Love it. Adore it!
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What changed about your physical appearance? (Hair? Wrinkles? New makeup style? Etc)
Well... Before:
And now:
So let's see... Since the top picture was taken a couple of years ago, I've gained a little (read: not a little) weight, my eyes are getting greener as I get older, I've at least temporarily stopped coloring my hair auburn (which I've been doing since my freshman year of college!), I started growing out my bangs for the first time ever in my live (but just got sick of it and trimmed them back to 'normal' this week, heh), pierced my septum, and pierced my tragus. Dang, when I read it back, it sounds like kind of a lot, no?
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What are your hopes and dreams for the new year?
Well, I'd love to say I wanna buy a house (but I said that already) and that I want to lose weight (but when don't I?); however, instead, I hope to bring awareness about and then somewhat defeat the health struggles constantly plaguing me:
I have multiple Autoimmune Diseases, including: Raynaud's Syndrome, Mast Cell Activation Disorder, Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria, and Anticardiolipin/Antiphospolipid-Antibody Syndrome, for starters - but now I'm blessed with a medical expert in Asthma, Allergies, and Immunology who is doing the right tests and looking at the right things.
I struggle with Fibromyalgia, but now I'm blessed with a medical expert who brings me in and gives me Trigger Point Injections whenever I call up and say I need them.
I have Bipolar I with Psychosis, but now I am blessed with an expert psychiatrist who listens to me and knows what to tweak when I tell her what I am experiencing, as well as an incredible therapist who is helping me navigate the intense, childhood-long traumas that (I believe) led to the bipolar, along with severe PTSD, OCPD, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
I have Chronic Lyme Disease and am daily trying to manage the extreme pain in my bones and joints from that, while trying to explain to every medical professional under that sun that just because I was treated with antibiotics for two weeks after I tested CDC-positive for Lyme, that I am not "cured." Some listen. Much, much more education is needed on this subject, and it is intentionally being squelched. Very frustrating!
I probably have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, but I'm waiting for genetic testing to rule it in or out, which takes up to a year for the appointment in these parts. I have hypermobility and am constantly having dislocations and subluxations, along with just about every other symptom up there - but fortunately, I am now blessed with a knowledgeable physical therapist and a stellar (and hot - see above) orthopedist who have many tricks up their respective sleeves to try and help a girl out.
And now, I also have Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, but I'm now blessed with an ME/CFS specialist in Salt Lake City, whom I now see every other month or so, who has made it her life's work to care about those of us with this devastating illness.
And that's not even my whole list. So when someone (I believe from here, but I'm certainly not going to name names) tells me to "snap out of it," or when I get letters from my fng father telling me not to be a drain on society and make something of myself... well, it kinda breaks me. That is so soul-crushing. So, you guys, just don't do that to chronically ill people, okay? That is just not cool!
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Whew! That took me hours upon hours to do! Well, okay, I watched the Ellen DeGeneres Netflix special Relatable. And then the whole family sat down with me to watch the Netflix documentary What The Health? which everyone should totally watch, and they all - even JACK!!! - decided pretty much on the spot that we're all gonna be vegans now. I'm so excited about that. Okay, and then Chloë and I stayed up all night watching Titanic, and finally the girls and I just wrapped up Crazy Rich Asians, both on Amazon Prime Video. So I was a little distracted... Hee.
What's up, bunny rabbits? (Don't ask, I won't know either.) I've been a little manic this week, which is great. Also, it's not so great. I ate some things last night, knowing I'm highly allergic to them already, but I was f-ing HANGRY. So I wolfed it down quickly and had an immediate anaphylaxis. Rob got me in the car, shot me with the Epi-pen® while en route to the hospital, and stuck me in the ER for meds and observation. Two and a half hour later, we were discharged, but... on the way out I had a second phase of anaphylaxis. I wanted to go HOME, though, so I did not, uh... mention this to any medical professionals. Also, later on that evening, I ate even more of the offending food.
Listen, I may be brilliant AF, but I am also stupidly stubborn!
So that happened.
Let's go, y'all! Link up here if you'd like to play along with us this weekend; we don't bite! (Well, that's a complete lie. I totally bite someone daily. Not even exaggerating.)
1) At the beginning of this recording, Daffy says he hopes all his friends remember his size, style and favorite color. What piece of clothing would you like to add to your wardrobe?
I've always wanted a Burberry trench coat. I'm kind of digging this long black, cashmere one. It's only $3,790. Totally in the budget!
2) His friends are late for Daffy's holiday soirée. Think about the last get-together you attended. Were you early, late or right on time?
I was fashionably late to Sophia's most recent Pony Club meeting at a local pizza joint. I despise being late, so by that I mean fewer than five minutes.
3) It hasn't a snowed a single flurry where Daffy is. Have you had to shovel yet?
I did plenty of snow shoveling growing up in Syracuse, New York! Snow capitol of the world, I swear. I am now physically unable to snow, though I bet I could do it in an emergency, with the right amount of adrenaline. That being said, Boise is actually a desert, so we don't get too much snow.
4) Daffy sings that he's looking forward to fruitcake. How about you? Are you a fruitcake fan?
I could take it or leave it. I think it gets a bad rap. I don't really care for the red and green candied bits, but the rest isn't awful IMO.
5) Daffy is an American Black Duck. Their usual diet doesn't generally include fruitcake (he he he!!!). These ducks more commonly dine on seeds, foliage and bugs. What was your most recent meal?
My most recent meal consisted of Ahi Tartare from The Cheesecake Factory, and then I snacked on three Lindt Lindor Milk Chocolate Truffles for dessert. I'm kind of addicted to those little balls. (Heh.)
6) The only Christmas card Sam has received so far this year is from her insurance agent. She never sees her agent socially. In fact, she doesn't think she's seen him at all in 2018. Have you received many cards this year? If so, were they from people you feel close to?
So far, I've sent out about 95 Christmas/Holiday (because a number of our family & friends & associates are Jewish or Atheist) cards. It's my favourite Christmas tradition, and I don't care who responds in kind! I've gotten exactly one back from a neighbor, today, along with a plate of homemade cookies. (Yay!) We've also gotten three or four from business, and another from former President Jimmy Carter. That one may be my favourite? I still have plenty more; would you like one? If so, drop me your address info: smellyann at gmail dot com ☺
7) When do you start holiday shopping: Christmas Eve (haha!), Thanksgiving/Black Friday, Halloween?
I've never, ever done the crazy Black Friday gift grab thing, and believe you me, it is definitely not on my Bucket List. I usually shop starting in September or October and put things away here and there. I follow Hip2Save closely, especially during this season, and snag what I can when there's a stellar deal.
8) Sam was recently driven crazy by kids running through store aisles wearing elf hats with bells. Do you have any apparel that makes noise?
Only dangly earrings. I have three (well, technically four, but I rarely use the fourth) piercings in each ear, plus my right tragus, along with my right nostril and septum. When I wear multiple earrings in each ear and swish my head, it can be a bit noisy. But clothing? I don't think so. [Photo is a selfie from 08 December 2018.]
9) This time of year is big for charitable fundraising. Here's your chance to plug a cause or organization that's near and dear to you.
Well, am I making a huge faux pas if I name more than one? Right now I have several that are critically important to me:
I've mentioned Heifer International in multiple years past. You can read about it here. It's a fantastic organization, and I've fully vetted it; it's legit. This year, we gave a flock of chicks, though I was torn among that, a flock of ducks, or a flock of geese. BTW, when we buy a house, if there's sufficient acreage, I want to add ducklings to our menagerie. ;) (I have not informed Rob of this plan. Heh.)
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Secondly, there are obviously a number of environmentally-conscious projects dedicated to, well, "saving the earth." That may sound like crazy hippie tree-hugger talk, but I absolutely do not care. This should be important to all of us. Those running our country (USA, for those of you who are not American) are hell-bent on destroying this gd planet, and where will that leave future generations?! I have three living kids. Some of them do want to have kids of their own. I aim to make this possible for them, so I support projects like the Environmental Defense Fund, and others.
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The third charity I'd like to mention is The Blue Ribbon Foundation. Because I have been diagnosed with ME/CFS by Dr. Lucinda Bateman of The Bateman Horne Center in Salt Lake City, which I visit monthly or so, a horribly misunderstood (especially my the medical community) and under-funded disease, I would love for more awareness to be brought to this cause. I mean, I'm 42 years old and take about 90 medications daily just to function, and I rely heavily on the use of my walker and my wheelchair. I sleep far more hours per day than I care to admit, and I'm still exhausted. My ability to drive is now severely limited, and I'm usually in bed each night, crying out in pain and begging my husband and kids to amputate my arms and legs. In short, it's no picnic!
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And finally, I'd like to call attention to the Diabetes Research Institute. Diabetes research has long been an important cause of mine, ever since my mama died very suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 33 from untreated diabetes. (In my opinion, she was murdered by my father and the Christian Science Church, but that's a story for another day.) I was seven years old and suddenly motherless, and I've been a bereft daughter ever since. During all my pregnancies (and, of course, when not pregnant as well), I've been extremely vigilant about that particular aspect of my health. I am adamantly not going to leave my children motherless, the way I was! No way in hell. So far so good, but my doctor did put me on Metformin just to be on the safe side. I'm fine with that.
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Well, I enjoyed that! Thanks, Crazy Sam for another excellent meme and for the chance to dedicate our posts to those things that are important to each of us. I really appreciate that!
Welcome back to Sunday Stealing, another fun meme presented for us by Bev Sykes of "Funny the World."Link up here if you want to join us today!
Sorry for my late posting; another migraine is currently kicking my ass. But I can't stay too long away from you crew without missing you to hell and back, and so here I am. ;)
1. Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you?
Well, I don't know if you meant other humans or other life forms, but I'm choosing to go with the former and say YES! For my entire life, well since I was six years old and moved from Monroe to Syracuse, New York, I have wondered how other people - even those with whom I've had close personal contact - have continued to exist when I can't be there to see them. And with 7.5 billion people on this planet?!! How can they all be going about the daily minutiae of their lives without my being there to witness it?? It boggles the mind.
2. On a scale of 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you?
Five. Bad things have happened to me in the dark.
3. The person you would never want to meet?
The false "president," Donald J. Trump. I struggle to maintain my composure and manners around those whom I loathe so completely.
4. What is your favorite word?
I struggle with various tics of Tourette's Syndrome, including saying random things out loud without thought, so my favorite word changes every time I spit out something new by accident! However, my long-standing most favorite word is "pupitre," which means "student desk" in Spanish. I just like how it sounds.
5. If you were a type of tree, what would you be?
I would be the mighty Red Mangrove tree, Rhizophora mangle, with it's millions and millions of prop roots, because:
"...The Red Mangrove belongs to the 'true mangroves'. The Red Mangrove is a strong and tough mangrove. Rhizophora manglecan handle changes in humidity, salinity, air- and water-temperature... Rhizophora mangle definitely is the most dominant mangrove on our planet. Rhizophoramangle was described for the first time in 1753 by Carolus Linnaeus."
6. When you looked in the mirror this morning what was the first thing you thought?
I thought, I wish I still looked like this from a couple two-three years ago:
Instead of migraine- and pain-laden, allergic reaction-having this:
Ugh. I look like absolute hell.
7. What shirt are you wearing?
I'm wearing a white long-sleeved shirt, because I'm chilled despite the 75ºF-degree temperature outside. It's like a henley, but it's holey and open, but not too open and holey. Basically, it's comfy.
8. What do you label yourself as?
What Pearl B. said. ;)
9. Bright room or dark room?
Full brightness, day and night. Like I said, I'm scared of the dark. And I can't see. I'm both a glaucoma suspect and have just learned I've got the beginnings of cataracts in both eyes. AND I have a condition wherein the message of light and brightness are not being accessed by the brain, so I just cannot see unless every light in the house is on. It's really annoying, especially when I get the electric bill...
10. What were you doing at midnight last night?
I was finally watching the amazing Black Panther movie with my crew (except for Jack, who had to get up early for work today). I loved this movie! Letitia Wright, as Princess Shuri, was my absolute favorite from the cast; I felt she stole every scene she was in and looked forward to more appearances from her. Who has still not seen it? You simply must!
11. Favorite age you’ve been so far?
Probably 24. I got married to the absolute joy and love and light of my life, and then I met the then-second biggest joy and love and light of my life, Chloë Raine, a month early and the day before I turned 25. Marriage and motherhood are what bring me the most happiness in my life.
12. Who told you they loved you last?
This knucklehead, modeling his Navy issued pea coat, pretend-smoking the Meerschaum pipe he brought home from Turkey.
13. Your worst enemy?
You're looking at her. I am my own worst enemy, I'm afraid.
14. What is your current desktop picture?
I have this capture, taken for me by Chloë, of some of our 20 newly-hatched chicks. At that time, they were being kept in a kiddie pool in our living room and learning to drink and eat from waterers and feeders. Now they've graduated to the outdoor pen. I can't wait to see what this mixed run of rare and super-rare breeds turn out to be!
15. Do you like someone?
I'm pretty fond of this crew. I am, however, not fond of their growing up entirely too rapidly. It makes my eyes wet.
16. The last song you listened to?
Right now I'm streaming "The Four Seasons" composed by Vivaldi via YouTube on the telly via Chromecast. Ah, technology. Before that, I was streaming a Vocal Jazz medley, but after a chorus of complaints, I switched from Jazz to Classical. There are still complaints. I am not surprised.
17. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up?
I would not, could not, do that to a soul, tot... or not.
18. Who would you really like to just punch in the face?
I'd really like to throat-punch this devilish duo.
19. If anyone could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do?
I don't need a slave, I have these minions. And it's not just for a day, it's for LIFE. ha.
20. What is your best physical attribute? (showing said attribute is optional)
I think it depends on what my current weight is. When I'm thin, I adore my shoulders and clavicle. When I'm a bit heavier, it's my nose and eyes. I think they're okay.
21. If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do?
I don't even know what I'd do or look like. I guess I'd go out and get more respect at a car dealership or anywhere else considered a "man's world." And I would be pissed about it, too!
22. Do you have a secret talent? If yes, what is it?
Hmm, I don't know. But I can do this ^^^ on each finger of both hands. I've been doing it since I was 7 years old. I read about it just now. Apparently it's called "Swan Neck Deformity" and can be a symptom of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Both of those are concerns I might have. I guess it's better than having polydactyly, though.
23. What is one unique thing you’re afraid of?
Mustard. Specifically, the smell of mustard and, even more frightening, the chance of it touching me. I just cannot even. And I make Rob watch his face and brush his teeth before he can kiss me.
24. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your disposal.
It would be a pita full of pine nut-filled hummus, sundried tomatoes, sprouts, and cucumbers. Mmm-mmm good.
25. You just found $100! How are you going to spend it?
I'd spend 100% of the $100 on healthy, nutritious, preferably locally-sourced and organically-grown groceries for my family.
26. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to leave immediately. Where are you going to go?
Oh, I'd head straight for Australia, mate! It's long been a dream of mine and it's on the top of my Bucket List to go there.
27. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says.
Okay, that's just weird, but I'll play along: I'd have endless Mai Tais. Mmm, so delish. I think I like them even better than piña coladas, which is surely saying something! The first time I remember having a Mai Tai was in a dive bar near the beach, when we lived in Virginia Beach. I forget what it was called, but it was for a mystery shop. Rob probably had a Colorado Bulldog, and I decided to order a Mai Tai. The bartender served it with a wedge of orange, pineapple, and a red, yellow, and orange cherry. I was hooked from there.
28. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place?
Of course, I would ban all smoking of any kind, including vaping. No one can smoke anything. My island, my rules! ;) 29. What is your favorite expletive?
Probably "fuck," although I have a pretty good curse-word lexicon, and I'm not afraid to use it. People may think that exhibits my stupidity, but I know intelligence has nothing to do with cursing.
30. Your house is on fire. You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the one thing you’re going to save from that blazing inferno?
Well, this sounds like I'm coming home from somewhere to find this fire, so I know I would already have my purse and phone with me. I always do. So... I guess I'd grab my laptop. Lots of info on there I wouldn't want to lose.
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Well, phew! That was quite a long one and took me a long time to answer! But it was fun; thanks, Bev.
Hey folks! Welcome back! Link up here if you want to join in the fray today. Let's get started:
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Ever had ramen noodles? How do you fix yours? Do you add anything to them?
Sure, I've eaten it a billion times! I've always wanted to try it in a gourmet style, but since I can't even eat ramen at all anymore... I haven't tried.
Do you like spicy foods?
No, not really. I can't handle spiciness at ALL. Doctor's orders, actually.
Crispy or grilled chicken on your salad?
Well, really, I prefer no meat on my Caesar salad, but if I had to pick, then grilled.
Do you like corn on the cob?
Honestly, not really. I mean, don't get me wrong - I actually love it - I just hate the way it gets stuck in my teeth.
Pumpkin or apple pie?
I like both, but I prefer apple pie. Specifically, Dutch Apple Cream Pie. It is seriously the best.
Dinner rolls or crescent rolls?
King's Hawaiian rolls, if I get to pick! So scrummy.
7. How do you like your eggs?
I'm allergic to all but our own eggs, which are very high quality because we raise our chickens free-ranging and organic, and I'm happy with them any kind of way: Omelet, scrambled, sunny-side-up fried, boiled... It's all good.
8. Most expensive meal you have ever eaten?
Years ago, Rob and I went out to dinner at The Capital Grille in Miami, Florida. This was when we still lived in Virginia Beach, but we were down in Florida to visit my grandfather and family. My cousins babysat the kids. Anyway, I ordered the lobster at market price. I had no idea that $300+ later, we'd get that huge bill! Eek...
Do you like stir fry?
I love stir fry! So versatile. Our wok gets a lot of good use.
10. What kind of pots and pans do you use?
We use copper-bottom pots and pans... not sure what else is wanted here.
Do you like Brussel sprouts?
Yeah, I actually do.
Canned or fresh tomatoes?
I definitely prefer fresh anything over canned, and I love colorful heirloom tomatoes the most!
BBQ Chicken or Ribs?
I've never had BBQ ribs - and never gonna - and I don't really like BBQ chicken. Or BBQ anything else, really. Just not a fan.
Do you like coffee?
I do like coffee - preferably iced, preferably in the form of a chocolate chip frappé from McDonald's. But I'm not really supposed to drink that anymore, so I rarely indulge.
Cupcakes or ice cream cake?
It's traditional in our house for me to get ice cream cake on my birthday. But since my daughter Chloë's 17th birthday was on Friday, she wanted ice cream cake this year. On Saturday (yesterday), I asked for cupcakes, which Chloë made for my birthday.
Hot dogs or polish sausage?
No. Neither.
Do you like cinnamon toast?
Sure! Who doesn't?
Do you eat dinner at the table or in front of the TV?
I prefer for us to eat as a family at the table, but since I have the contents of my desk strewn all over the table right now while I try to reorganize, that's an impossibility right now.
Do you like to BBQ?
We covered that already. Still no.
Do you like cold cuts?
I like turkey pastrami. I'll eat that when I'm needing more protein than I usually get. Otherwise, I stick with cheese from the deli.
Do you like rice?
Used to. Can't eat it anymore now.
Macaroni and cheese?
Who doesn't like macaroni and cheese? Even though I can't technically eat that anymore either, I still love it.
Key Lime Pie?
Huge fan - especially when it's authentically made (and eaten) in the Florida Keys.
Favorite Fair/Carnival Food?
Cheesy curly fries! Hold the bacon, add vinegar = perfection!
What kind of gravy do you like?
The only time I'll eat gravy that is not vegetarian is around Thanksgiving, when Rob makes the turkey and the gravy. He does an amazing job. We've been using that recipe - from my beloved Martha Stewart - for our entire marriage.
26. Jalapeño Poppers?
Welp, still a 'no' because of the spicy, so...
Broccoli/Chicken Alfredo?
Mmm, yes please! Except I can't eat the pasta, so no?
Do you like cottage cheese?
Yes. Specifically, Breakstone's 4% small curd cottage cheese. I mean, go big or go home!
Welcome back, Guys and Dolls! I'm glad you made it. Link up here if you want to play along today; otherwise, let's jump right in:
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You’re in a tattoo parlor about to get inked. What are you getting done?
I'd get something like this: a Phoenix rising not from ashes per se, but from water. This tattoo would have multiple meanings for me, having survived so many traumas and also having water as such a significant impact on that survival.
2 - If you could be any character, from any literary work, who would you choose to be?
I'm rather Puckish myself, so I think I'd opt to be Puck from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Oh, the fun I'd have!
3 - You’re given $10,000…under one condition: you cannot keep the money for yourself. Who would you give it to?
I think I'd give it to the Environmental Defense Fund, a cause near and dear to my heart. They're looking out for all of us.
4 - If you had to go back in time and change one thing, what would it be?
Instead of posting something sad about saving my mom or my son, I'm going to go a different route with this one: I went to the University of Miami for my undergrad degree, though I only received a half-ride there. FIT offered me a full, 100% paid ride to get my bachelor's degree there, but I went for the prestige (among other things) of going to U Miami. In hindsight, I'd like to think I'd opt for the more sensible option and go to FIT.
5 - If you had to delete one year of your life completely, which would it be?
I don't think I would choose to do that. There are times I wish I could do an Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind type dealy on my brain, but ultimately, it's every experience, good and bad, that has shaped the person I am right now. And am still becoming, moment by moment. I don't really want to lose any one year of that.
6 - You’re an Action Movie Hero. What’s your weapon of choice and the line you scream when defeating your arch enemy?
My whole thing is non-violence, so my weapon of choice would be LOVE. And while I would not want to scream it, exactly, I would shout, "Love is love is love!" while defeating my arch-enemy: hatred.
7 - What is the first curse word that comes to mind?
8 - Would you rather be stranded on a desert island with someone you love for ten years or someone you hate for a month? Explain why.
I've always said I'd live anywhere, at any time - for any length of time - with Rob and our family. A deserted island would be no sweat, because Hubs is so handy, he'd have that fixed up for us in no time. I've already lived for ten years with someone I hated - or rather, who hated me - and wouldn't want to spend another minute on that!
9 - 5 things within touching distance:
The first "thing" is my puppy-dog, Paco, our teeny-weeny 5-lb Chihuahua. He never leaves my side. If I get up to go to the bathroom, Paco comes with me and acts like he hasn't seen me in years. Same story when we get back to the couch. His memory is non-existent, but his heart is huge!
The second thing is this awesome Chamorro-made bowl made from local wood, which we bought when we realized we were going to be leaving Guam soon. It was always our goal to travel the world and pick up artifacts from each place along the way, so this was one of the things we bought in Guam. I love it. And that base? All from one interlocking carving of one piece of wood. So cool.
For number three, I have this Young Living Thieves dental floss, which came in my Young Living travel toiletries set. Except it doesn't live in the set right now, it lives in the table next to me, ever since I lost a filling and have to floss like 8 billion times a day. I've gone through SO MUCH floss since that happened, and this is the best. I'm relieved to finally be getting into the dentist's office this week!
The fourth thing is this small bottle of Kiehl's Creme de Corps (lotion). Now that I'm no longer representing - or using - Jafra, I'm branching out and trying new things. I got a hot deal on a bag of mini Kiehl's toiletries, and I love everything I've tried so far. Including this lotion. So thick and creamy!
And finally, I have this tube of Tom's of Maine Coconut Lavender deodorant. I'm test-driving it for a Tom's campaign, and so far I really like it. It works well, and I really enjoy the scent. So when I'm on ahem day three of no shower (hey, when you're dizzy and falling and hitting your head every day, the necessity of a shower becomes more of a luxury. Don't judge), it seems to really hold up well.
10 - What are you supposed to be doing right now?
At current writing, I have 852 unread emails - not counting the 29 in my gmail account - and I'm betting at least one of them is important to be read. So that's where I'll go next... maybe... probably.
11 - Currently wanting to see anyone?
Well, technically you didn't say it had to be a person, so I'll say I'm really looking forward to meeting our new chicks come mid-September! I've ordered 15 Rare Breeds (of their choosing) and 5 standard White Rocks, all double-vaccinated against Marek's Disease and Coccidiosis, and they gave us one free Rarest of the Rare chick to boot. I can't wait to see our little hatchlings and figure out what breed everyone is! Squeeee!
12 - Would you go against your moral code for money?
I would like to say that I would not. As tough as times can get sometimes, I feel like my ethical code is something on which I cannot waiver.
13 - What’s more important to you: strength of the body or strength of the mind?
I've never had strength of body, but I've always prided myself on my strength of mind. The Biblical Proverb says that "pride goeth before the fall," and now that I feel like I'm losing my mind, my memory, and stuff... this is my fall. It's very humbling. And defeating. :'(
14 - How important you think education is?
I find it's critically important. Hubs, who did not go past high school, and I, who went to graduate school, have long been in this education vs. experience debate. The answer? (at least in my opinion) They both matter. You cannot fully know a thing until you have formally studied it in whatever type of study it requires, but you can also not fully know a thing until you have used it, manipulated it in your hands, and seen hands-on what it's about.
So my answer to this question, now that I have a high-school Senior who wants to go to college next year, is that education is crucial.
15 - If you were the president, what would you do?
I would focus on the environment. This current administration is not only not focusing on our global ecology, but it is doing things that are damaging to it. We cannot continue to ensure the survival of our species if we continue in this direction. If I were President, I would make it my number one priority.
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So that was fun. I'm late because I fell asleep while doing it Saturday night and didn't wake up until, like, almost 2 PM today. So I hope I get some visitors nevertheless!
Thanks for stopping by!
Fin.
P.S. I'd really like to plug my artist daughter Sophie's GoFundMe fundraiser. We got a new donor yesterday, and I'm not sure from where, but every single dollar helps. Sophie possesses innate artistic talent, and I know she will do well with this Masters Art education. Here it is:
Welcome back! I'm hoping to get this post written before my migraine comes back, because it is a doozy. And I know it's coming back by its aura, which I'm getting because I just don't have enough health problems going on right now... :P
I have a set routine, and I always shampoo my hair first. 2. What color is your favorite hoodie?
It's brown!
3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?
Sure, I guess I'd kiss Hubs again. ;)
4. Do you plan outfits?
Not usually, no. 5. How are you feeling RIGHT now?
Well, I've got this new kind of intractable migraine since a few months ago, even landing myself in the hospital for it this past Monday, and nothing helps. I've had three rounds of Botox to no avail, so I'm now considered a non-responder to that. And pretty much everything else. There's a new injection drug called Aimovig that I've just signed the paperwork to get, so I'm waiting to see if our insurance will approve it since it nears $10K a month. And I might get my tragus pierced. SOMEthing has got to help!
6. What’s the closest thing to you that's red?
Currently, that would be the giant bottle of Tylenol that I keep nearby at all times. Kinda makes sense, eh?
7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having?
I can't remember the reason, but my 13yo daughter Sophia was sorely pissed at me. She's hardly ever angry with me, and I felt fearful to see if she really was when I woke up! (She wasn't.)
8. Did you meet anybody new today?
Nah, not really. Wait, do cashiers and Customer Service reps count? Chloë and I went to PetSmart to get dog food, cat food, puppy pads (our two itty bitty doggos are pad-trained), and two NylaBones on clearance. Then we went to Kohl's to pick up an online order (I got a brand-new bra, three pairs of undies, and four bra hooks - to tighten the straps of my girls' brassieres - for under $23! Plus I bought a new set of measuring cups, since we lose some every time we move, on sale AND they gave me an additional military discount, AND I got $5 Kohl's Cash back for picking up the internet order. Sweet! And then we drove across the street to pick up two Target internet orders I placed a few days ago. It was the hardware for our window treatments. We've been here 17 months and still don't have proper curtains up! Until now.
9. What are you craving right now?
Cheap chocolate. Specifically, Reese's Pieces Peanut Butter Cups - best chocolate under a dollar!
10. Do you floss?
Sometimes. I floss a lot more now that I've lost a filling. Gotta get that thing replaced!
11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage?
I think of the cabbage soup diet! One of my BFFs from high school, Shana, introduced it to me in the mid-to-late 90s. I used it during my internship at Mote Marine Lab after college. Back then, the diet included lots of red meat - and I ate vegan then, so maybe that's why I failed? I loved the soup, though; it really was delicious!
12. Are you emotional?
Uh, you could say that. Just... slightly. ;)
13. Have you ever counted to 1,000?
Definitely in Roman numerals...
14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it?
Usually, I lick. I prefer to savor.
15. Do you like your hair?
Not currently. It's too short to put up in a proper ponytail, and with 100°F heat, that's pretty annoying! But it's not as bad as Donald Trump's... thing... on his head, so yay!
16. Do you like yourself?
I find it difficult, but I do try to hold onto those things I do like about myself. 17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush?
Yeah, I probably would. I wasn't a fan of his presidency, but the guy himself seems like he'd make an amiable dinner companion. He'd probably crack a lot of jokes. And I am proud of what his daughter Barbara has become, and I really enjoy watching her sororal twin Jenna on the Today show in the mornings, so yeah. Hey Dubya, call me!
18.What are you listening to right now?
I'm listening to - and watching - my 15yo son Jack play the Titan Fall II on the Xbox directly in front of me, and to my right, I'm also listening to our Chiweenie Tapioca chew on her new sirloin-infused Nylabone. She's going to town on it!
19. Are your parents strict?
I have no idea what parenting style my mom would have employed, but my dad and evil stepmother were at times Authoritarian and at times Uninvolved (which was called "Neglectful" instead, during studies of Child Development in college). I was raised in a completely different environment than the one in which I was raised. I try to be very Authoritative, with the occasional Permissiveness in between. 20. Would you go sky diving?
Not even if you paid me.
21. Do you like cottage cheese?
Yeah, but only the 4% kind. I like to indulge now and then.
22. Have you ever met a celebrity?
Yeah, but not any huge A-listers. I helped Dave Barry, the humor columnist, numerous times when I worked at Publix all throughout college. Really nice guy. And I served ice cream to José Canseco and his lady friend once, when I worked at a gourmet ice cream shop before entering graduate school. Really not a nice guy - total douche!
23. Do you rent movies often?
Almost never. We have Amazon Prime, Netflix, and frequent freebie codes for the Redbox - and I almost never use any of them! What a shame. 24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in?
I had a hard time finding something sparkly instead of shiny - plenty of shiny! - until I looked down at my engagement ring. There we go! (Boy, do those rings need polishing!)
25. How many countries have you visited?
I've been to the USVI {St. Thomas only}, Puerto Rico, and Guam, but do those technically count, since they're US territories? I've also been to Canada multiple times as a kid; Mexico twice; Bahamas twice; Jamaica; Costa Rica; Panama; Cayman Islands; Spain; France; Monaco; Italy; Greece; and, Croatia. I think that's all of them. Not nearly as many as Hubs, though! 26. Have you ever made a prank phone call?
That may be the first (and only?) time I've posted a picture of actual feces on this blahg. I've made a prank or 17 in my day, but Hubs makes them to this day. We'll be driving along, whether around town or on long road trips, when we'll see a sign or the side of a van or something that inspires us. He manages to last quite a long time while I'm cracking up in the background. Maintains serious composure! One of the more memorable pranks was when he called different Home Depot stores around the country to ask if they sold, specifically, "horse shit." We were trying to find the most polite store, but somehow our quest got lost in the giggles!
27. Ever been on a train?
Numerous times! Both long-distance and also around big cities like Miami and Washington, DC. On one of the more memorable trips, my friend "Jenny From the Block" and I took our combined five kids from Virginia Beach to Richmond, Virginia, by train and back. That was pretty awesome. I would love to do a trip cross-country.
28. Brown or white eggs?
May I please have a combination? These are our very own eggs; I'm sure there's a more vibrant picture somewhere, but this was the first one I came across. We have five hens laying eggs at present, but I'm planning to add more to our flock in September. Of the five we have now: one lays nearly-white eggs, two lay brown eggs, and two are olive layers. I'm enamored of this whole chicken-keeping business! When I order a flat of chicks in September, I'm really hoping to get a rare layer of blue eggs. That would be so cool!
29.Do you have a cell-phone?
Of course - who doesn't nowadays?! All three kids and I acquired new Samsung Galaxy S9 smartphones in June; Hubs has the Galaxy S8 Active. I'm still learning all the tricks and secrets my phone possesses, but I'm already enamored of it!
30. Do you use chap stick?
Not necessarily the Chapstick™ brand, but I am an absolute lip balm fanatic! I always have at least one in the following locations: my purse, the dashboard pocket opening in the car, and my bathroom drawer (I probably have eleven in there). I've tried just about every kind. My very favorite is the kind that the St. Luke's hospital gives out to their patients. It's the best! But a very, very close runner-up are the three kinds from Young Living: Cinnamint, Lavendar, and Grapefruit. I love that last one!
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Phew! Finally finished that long one! Just in time. In addition to the headache, I'm nauseated, have blinding double vision, and heart palpitations. Good Lord, please help me and take this da** thing away!! :( :(
Sorry for the accidental lapse in self-control, there. Forgive me? I hope you'll all have a wonderful week. Forgive me if I'm physically unable to read your posts right now. I can barely see to write my own!
1) This song is about a woman who married at 20. It's estimated that the average American groom is 2.5 years older than his bride. Why do you suppose that is?
Because men at any age are super-immature, maybe? I don't know. My husband is just a nudge over four years my senior, and he acts like he's 12 years old most of the time.
2) A 2014 study shows the bigger the age gap in a marriage, the more likely the couple is to divorce. What do you think is the reason for most divorces?
They say it's usually money. I guess that might be true. Hubs and I, on the other hand, argue plenty - plenty! - but never about money. I don't know why; we just never do.
3) Reba's second marriage recently ended. Statistics show that second marriages are more likely than first marriages to wind up in divorce. Why do you suppose that is?
I really don't know, but maybe it's because people seem to have this pre-conceived notion that there is someone (or someones) out there who are just perfect for them. And that will never be the case, although I personally hold that there are tons of good matches out there for everyone, and you either marry the right guy who comes along at the right time, or the first one, or ... you don't. My dad is currently looking for (I think) his seventh wife right now. Goodness knows how many engagement rings that man has purchased. Plenty.
Nope, and you will never, ever, ever catch me at one. Not ever. It's on my anti-Bucket List. (And along that same line, my kids have never been taken to the circus, either.)
5) Reba dropped out of Southeastern Oklahoma State University to go to Nashville and pursue a recording career. In that way, she's like the woman she sings about in this week's song. "She's done what she should, should she do what she dares?" Do you ever regret a risk or opportunity you didn't take?
Certainly. I have taken a lot of risks in my life, and I walked away from my Ph.D. program to marry Hubs. I miss shark research a ton, and I often get pangs of regret for not sticking with it. I think I did the right thing, but my heart and soul are always there in the ocean.
6) Reba's heroine is "dying to try something foolish, do something crazy, or just get away." Does that sound like you? What would you do, just for yourself, if time and money were no object?
I would cruise around the world for the rest of my life. God, I wish I could! In my mind, I'm always traveling. (That ship, the ms Zuiderdam, is the actual ship Hubs and I were on for our Mediterranean cruise in 2008. So beautiful.)
7) Reba recently became a spokesperson for Kentucky Fried Chicken. Whose chicken do you eat most often: Popeye's, Church's, Chick-fil-A or KFC?
I prefer KFC, but I can't eat chicken now. Maybe that will change after my surgery. (Which is scheduled for March 20th, btw, and I'll be in the hospital over a week. Which of you is going to come visit me and hold my hand? I admit: I'm scared.)
8) In 2001, Reba starred in her own sitcom. On the show, her character is first an administrative assistant and then a real estate agent. Have you ever tried your hand at either of those occupations? If not, which do you think you would be a better fit for you?
I could never be a successful realtor, because I don't "ask for the sale" when I'm in any kind of sales position. I'm horrible at it; I don't have it in me. I would be an excellent administrative assistant, though, because I'm good at making plans and schedules and organizing things. I have sort of been that before, but not with that title.
9) Random question: Which of these super powers would you rather have -- extraordinary strength or invisibility?
I don't care about strength, except the inner kind. But being invisible would be very useful in many circumstances, so I choose that one!
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That's it, and I'm done before 2100. Thanks for stopping by!
I have four hospital admissions recently: two in December, and two in January. All for different reasons! So it was with great joy when I came home from our own hens just starting to produce eggs in brown, a pale brownish-green colour, and bluish-green to a greater production of eggs. (We have some silkies and a few other varieties, like a Rhode Island Red, which is why we have such variation in our egg colours.)
Now look at these beauties! I really need to step up my egg-eating game! We have so many eggs now that we can't keep up with our layers! Actually, we don't even have enough room in our fridge (Rob insists on washing them after they are laid, so we have to refrigerate them rather than keep them on the countertop as I'd prefer) anymore for all these eggs. The other day, Chloë went around our cul-de-sac offering our neighbors our own organic eggs. Most were delighted and took several! (The rest weren't home yet.)
Each time I have been admitted into the hospital, I am on some sort of special diet. I am always restricted from eggs or any egg-containing food, because I am technically allergic to eggs. However, there is some difference between regular, ordinary store-bought eggs and our own pasture-raised, organically-fed chickens' eggs. I can eat those with zero reaction. So it's always with great joy that I come home and Rob makes me a delicious omelet with cheese and sautéed onions. (He's such a great Hubs; no complaints there!)
So when I've been home, I like to cook. I'm not always up to it, but I do love to make a nice meal with a pretty presentation for my family - especially the Husbeast. The kids don't always appreciate the gourmet meals I prefer to cook, so Rob usually does the more day-to-day, mac-and-cheese sort of stuff, while I like to really go wild. It's for that reason that I'm fond of the various meal subscription services that have come into play in recent years. I've tried Blue Apron, Hello Fresh, and one or two others; now I'm into Sun Basket.
I like the meal delivery services because it's a chance to expand my cooking knowledge, expand my food awareness, and also because I can be picky about what foods come in my meal selections. This meal, above, is Turkish Lamb Köfte with Tahini Sauce and Smashed Cucumber Salad and was obviously chosen only for my carnivorous (well, omnivorous, really). He seemed to enjoy it quite well, and I liked preparing it. I got a little heavy handed with the black pepper, though. Oops! Sorry, Rob.
Here are some of the ingredients for the next recipe I created. You can click to embiggerate the pictures, if you're impatient to read the book and don't want to scroll down to see what it was!
This delicious beauty was Tuscan Vegetable Soup with Ciabatta Croutons. So much yum in this dish. Everyone in the house tried it, which is a rare thing for one of these meal delivery service recipes. The kids usually turn up their noses at it. I think everyone pretty much enjoyed it, but Rob and I loved it. Unfortunately, I can't really eat a lot of soup (thanks to my gastric bypass surgery), so in the end, Rob ended up with four bowls of soup to down. Honestly, though, it was delicious!
The day after I cooked the Tuscan Soup, I was back at it with the third and final Sun Basket meal in that week's delivery. (I usually only get it one week per month, because it's spendy.) Here's some minced garlic and chopped onions.
Beautiful, rinsed red lentils
Sliced limes - yummy!
Something's simmering!
The finished product: Red Lentil and Chickpea Dal with Butternut Squash and Pita. It was scrumptious! I ate every bite of mine. Rob thought it was "all right," but he's not much for showing enthusiasm. (Trust me; for 17 years, I've urged him to show more emotion, give me more "oomph" about something I felt he should feel strongly about, but he just... doesn't. It's so frustrating for an over-emoter like me! Haha!) I especially liked the added touch of Coconut Milk poured over the whole thing, once it was in the bowl. Mmm... delish.
One thing I really like about Sun Basket is that, unlike the other services we've tried, they include a full recipe book of all the recipes they've shipped out, to us and everyone else, whether we chose those meals or not. So if I was torn between adding two dishes to our shipment, I could still make both if I wanted to. I think this is a fantastic way to let us try way more than just those for which they've sent us the ingredients.
Wait 'til you see what we're getting this Wednesday! Everything looks so scrummy!
Welcome back, party people. Link up here to play along this weekend. Let's get started!
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January was National Mentoring Month. Have you ever had a mentor? Been a mentor? How would you rate the experience?
I was a knitting/crocheting mentor for a while. I even have a pin to show for it. I've attempted to teach dozens of students. Some are still doing it and improving their skills; I'm proud of everyone who tries it!
2. What current trend makes no sense to you?
A year into his atrocious and disastrous first (and hopefully last, if not foreshortened) term as PUSA, there are still Trump apologists. I don't understand these people; I just don't. I know some of them, and they just refuse to listen to reason. Some are educated, rather intelligent people, too. WTF?!!
3. I saw a cartoon on Facebook highlighting a few 'weird' things that make you happy as an adult. The list included-writing with a nice pen, having plans cancelled, freshly cleaned sheets, eating the corner brownie, cleaning the dryer lint screen, and sipping coffee in that brief time before anyone else wakes up. Of the 'weird' things listed which one makes you happiest? What is one more 'weird' thing you'd add to the list?
I love writing with a nice pen that writes smoothly with no gaps or scratchy marks. I'm favoring BiC Gel-ocity pens at the moment - especially since they write in many colors. I love colorful pens and try not to use black at all unless there is no other choice. I don't like the corny brownie - I'd rather have the center one! Canceled plans usually irritate me; freshly clean sheets are nice but not a dealbreaker unless I'm in a hotel, and I rarely drink coffee. My caffeinated beverage of choice is still Diet Coke. The kids do the laundry, so I don't clean out the lint trap anymore. To add to the list, I'd have to explain that I have a ridiculously, enormously large bladder capacity, so taking a weewee takes up about five minutes for me. That's very satisfying. ;)
4. What's the last good thing you ate?
I don't eat a lot these days, but the last satifying thing I had was a tasty omelet from our own hens' organic eggs, with plenty of cheese and sautéed onions. Hubs makes them for me, and they're so good!
5. Describe life in your 20's in one sentence.
In my naïve 20s, I eloped with my husband two months after we met, and we immediately started our family of four kids.
6. It's that time of year again...time for Lake Superior University to present a list of words (or phrases) they'd like to see banished (for over-use, mis-use, or general uselessness) in 2018. This year's top vote getters are -- unpack, dish (as in dish out the latest rumor), pre-owned, onboarding/offboarding, nothingburger, let that sink in, let me ask you this, impactful, Covfefe, drill down, fake news, hot water heater (hot water doesn't need to be heated), and gig economy
Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word not on the list you'd like to add?
I would like to add "basic," as in, describing someone as basic if they do or don't do certain maybe unsophisticated things. I hate this usage.
7. What's something you need to get rid of in the new year?
This yellow, flowered couch. I like it, even though it's not my normal style. And it's comfortable as hell. However, Tapioca (our half-rabid Chiweenie), has eaten large portions of it, so it's now an eyesore. I'd like to replace it ASAP, but first I have to buy Jack a new bed. He's been sleeping on the floor for nearly a year!
8. Where do you feel stuck?
I feel stuck physically. Healthwise, I am on my fourth TENS unit, having burned through my first three and having spent hundreds of dollars on those. I haven't tried the new one yet, but it's got good reviews on Amazon, so I'm crossing my fingers that it'll help all the leg and wrist pain I experience daily from my "Fibromyalgia" (it's really Chronic Lyme Disease). I tried to get a job, but I ended up with my 8th pneumonia within a year. Months later, I'm stuck inside much of the time, I use a wheelchair and handicap parking placard occasionally, and I take a shit ton of medications to manage my illnesses. I would really like to be freer physically. At 41 years old, I don't feel like I should have to live this way. :(
9. January is National Soup Month. When did you last have a bowl of soup? Was it made from scratch or from a can? Your favorite canned soup? Your favorite soup to make from scratch on a cold winter's day?
It's difficult for me to have soup, because with my gastric bypass surgery, I'm not supposed to have solids and liquids at the same time. I have to drink broth now, though, because I'm not getting enough sodium content and was recently in the hospital to boost my super-low sodium levels. And I try to eat as little chicken and seafoods as possible, but I consider myself pescetarian because my protein needs are so high, so... I usually, by myself, will eat cream of chicken soup out of the can when I need a protein and calorie boost. If Rob makes his famous chicken and dumplings soup, I'm all over that. It's so good.
10. Tell us one thing you're looking forward to in 2018.
Trump's impeachment. Need I say more?!
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Thanks for stopping by, y'all! I hope to get to everyone's tonight or tomorrow!
Welcome back, everyone! I had to do another disappearing act midweek to go into the hospital again for the third time in a month, and can I just say -- that's enough?!! Because it is. I'm home again now, and my fingers are crossed that this time it sticks.
Link up here if you want to play along this week. Let's go!
1) Elvis checked in to the hotel at the end of Lonely Street. Where was the last hotel or motel you stayed at?
We went to the Young Living Fall Festival this past October at their lavender farm in Mona, Utah. We stayed in this little hole-in-the-wall rinky-dink hotel somewhere near there (I don't even remember the town), and we skedaddled on out of there just as soon as we could in the morning! Not our most comfortable night ever.
2) He sings that Heartbreak Hotel is always crowded. The fear of crowds is so prevalent that it has four names (enochlophobia, ochlophobia, demophobia and agoraphobia). Are you comfortable in a crowd?
I'd rather blend into a crowd than stand out on my own. I'm fine with crowds.
3) The desk clerk at Heartbreak Hotel is dressed in black. Do you often wear all black?
I don't know about often, but occasionally. I like dressing in black, but I gotta have some color somewhere.
4) The song was written by Mae Boren Axton, who said it was inspired by the story of an anonymous young man's suicide in a hotel. She said she read in The Miami Herald that the John Doe left behind a note that said, "I walk a lonely street." What's the last note you handwrote? (Hopefully it was more upbeat.)
I called my kids' pediatrician today to get one daughter a referral and make an appointment with the doc for the other, so I jotted down the appointment info before transferring it into my phone's calendar.
5) When Elvis was 11, his parents bought him a guitar. He had asked for a rifle, but his mama convinced him a guitar was a better idea. Tell us about a time one of your parents was right about something.
When I was three or four, my mom, sister and I were grocery shopping. I spotted what looked like a bunch of spilled sugar on one aisle floor, and I've always had a big sweet tooth. I got away from my mom and found that aisle, and I actually went and ate some off the floor before Mom found me! She told me it was laundry detergent, and I shouldn't eat that.
Turns out she was right... 6) Not long before "Heartbreak Hotel" was recorded, Elvis' father recommended he give up the guitar and become a truck driver. Tell us about a time one of your parents was wrong about something.
Oh, my dad is always trying to talk me into not using modern medicine and coming back into the Christian Science fold again. Yeah, that's not happening.
7) There are many stories about Elvis' manager, Col. Tom Parker. One anecdote, about his career before Elvis, has the Colonel painting sparrows yellow so he could sell them as canaries. Have you ever been ripped off?
When I was in college, I was headed from the main U-Miami campus, where I lived, to class at the marine science campus. My ratchet car broke down on the Rickenbacker Causeway, and I was stranded. My best friend Lisa was actually down from New York during her Spring Break on a visit, so thankfully I wasn't alone. A man with a toddler was walking along the causeway, and he said he could fix it but needed to get some parts or something first (I think it was the spark plugs). We gave him all the cash we had on us to go get those parts. To a complete stranger. In Miami. SO STUPID!!! Of course, he never came back.
8) Speaking of birds, Elvis once owned a peacock. It damaged his cars, so he gave it to the Memphis Zoo. In earlier days, it might have been dinner, for peacock was considered a medieval delicacy. What's the last poultry you prepared?
I don't remember the last actual meat I cooked that was poultry, but do our own eggs from our own backyard chickens count? If so, then I had some before I went in the hospital. Delicioso!
9) Random question: You and a friend have dinner at a restaurant. Your friend left her wallet at home, so you pick up the entire tab of $62, including tip. A few weeks later, you two meet for lunch and when the bill comes, she puts down half. Do you remind her that she still owes you $31 from the last time you dined together?
I would have had that all sorted before we even got to the restaurant, so that it wouldn't be a problem!
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That's it for now. Thanks for stopping by; have a great weekend!
Hey, y'all! Welcome back. I'm thrilled to be back after missing the last few weeks due to illness. Glue me down, because hopefully I'll be sticking around for a while. Link up here if you want to play along this week. Let's go!
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End of Year Questions
1. What did you do last year that you had not done before?
I moved out West! Rob and I packed up our three kids, two dogs, four cats, two gerbils, one guinea pig, and as much of our stuff that we could fit in the remainder of our little crossover SUV, and high-tailed it cross-country from Miami to Boise in four days. It was a crazy, amazing adventure and aside from a few misadventures, I think we kind of had the time of our lives!
2. Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions/goals for the year and will you make/set more for next year? What are they? What are your new ones?
I always make New Year's Resolutions. However, I honestly don't remember now what I resolved for 2017, so I can't say whether I kept it or not. Probably some konmari decluttering, in which case... sort of. For 2018, I'm not making any resolutions. I just aim and hope to live a healthier life from here on out, much more so than the way I disastrously ended 2017!
3. Did anyone you know give birth? Or become pregnant? Or adopt?
My friend got married and had a baby boy, named Aaron! Sadly for me, I left Miami before she gave birth, so I haven't met the little love. Domenica asked me to crochet or knit something for her baby, but I've been in so much pain and stuff, I haven't had the ability to do it, yet. I think this year, I resolve to knit and crochet more again. Gotta put all the good yarn I own to good use, right? I'll make her baby something to keep him warn soon, especially now that freezing iguanas are falling all over the sidewalk in South Florida.
My brilliant mind fails me now, so I can't remember who is pregnant at the moment. Oh, my friend Lisa Keeney is expect #6, I think. But I am positive I don't know anyone who adopted last year.
4. Did anyone you know die? Or have a serious illness/injury?
I don't think anyone I know personally died last year? I hope I'm not forgetting somewhat, sheesh. As far as having a serious illness or injury, that would be me. I wrote all about it in my last post. If you care, I detailed that experience here. I know there are lots of typos in the post, but I'm just not in the mood to go fix them right now, sorry!
5. What places have you visited?
We were invited to hang out with new friends at Lucky Peak Reservoir here in Boise, Idaho. It was intensely beautiful, just like everywhere we've gone in Idaho. I can't wait to go back again this summer and see more of it.
6. Any new pets? Lost a pet?
We gained 12 chickens, but after a few runaways and a couple of deaths, we're down to half that.
Chloë also adopted a new guinea pig buddy, Alex, for her first little guy, James. Those two are SO noisy!
7. What would you like to have next year that you lacked this year?
I will continue my pursuit of this grand idea of Contentment, rather than Happiness. I am often content, but those moments are often overpowered by thoughts of "now what? what's next? what else?" and I want to learn to be satisfied with the right here and now.
8. What date from last year will remain etched in your memory and why?
Probably January 20-21, 2017. Not-my-President Trump was inaugurated (ugh! puke! barf!) and my family and I all participated in the Women's March to protest. I made three pussyhats, for my girls and me, and I was proud to wear them and represent.
9. What was your biggest achievement last year?
We struggled a lot in Miami after Rob retired from the US Navy, and our financial picture changed drastically for the worse. It was really hard to find housing to rent here in Boise, from Miami, and I worked tirelessly for months to do so. Home after home after home slipped through our fingers due to the three-digit credit scores of ours that, frankly, aren't so pretty right now. But we're rebuilding, and I saw this home online right after it was listed. I jumped on it, and asked to speak the Lessor by phone, rather by email or text. He agreed and ended up talking on the phone to Rob when the time came, because I had to leave for some reason I now forget. Anyway, we landed the house, and it has been perfect for us. Such a blessing, and for it I am most grateful.
10. Did you get sick or injured?
Oops, I already answered that in #4. Scroll up if you forgot?
11. What was the best thing you bought?
We've had a very NERF Christmas here at Casa de Odette. Except for me, everyone received some NERF hyper-powered weapons (these things take lots of batteries now?!). We finally received all of our household goods from the Miami move on the Monday before Thanksgiving, and boxes and boxes were piled everywhere. While I was trying to work on unpacking and clearing the chaos out of our house (it's still here, by the way), the rest of Team Odette were busy ambushing each other with NERF wars. Micro-teams were built, alliances were formed, people were trying to wheedle each other's secrets out of me... these people were/are intense! And crazy. They all asked for more NERF weapons for Christmas, and Mum delivered. Even Hubs has been involved. It's been a daily thing. I'm not a fan of war and weapons and fighting and stuff, but this is actually good, silly fun. I don't participate - I can't participate, because of my Fibro or whatever - but I have to admit I enjoy this nonsense.
12. Where did most of your disposable income go (money leftover after you pay for food, medical care, basic clothing, transportation and shelter)?
Generally it goes to having experiences and creating memories. A large part of that is Sophia's showjumping lessons, which she used to do at Miami International Riding Club back in Florida, and now does at Wasatch Sport Horses here in Eagle, Idaho. I'm trying to get the other kids more involved in things, too, because it's important. Jack wants to go go-karting, so we'll do that again very soon, and Chloë wants to take self-defense classes (we are starting with a class at the local Krav Maga studio) and get involved in archery. All are coming up, but at a more relaxed pace then the frenetic one I've tried to keep up until now.
13. What song will always remind you of last year?
I think both the songs "Woman" and "Praying" by the new-and-improved Kesha will be my girls' and my anthems for 2017. Jack doesn't really listen to music much (except for his obsession with the Imagine Dragons), and Rob listens more to Classic Rock than anything else. The girls seem to have captured my affinity for current Pop, and the three of us are all fairly decent singers. "Praying" really spoke to me, and "Woman," despite the cursing involved, really struck a cord with me increasingly independent 16-year-old Chloë and always independent 12-year-old Sophia. And me. I've been pretty much a wimp my whole life, but I have stood up for myself in 2017 in ways that I have never done before. Kinda proud of that.
14. What do you wish you would have done more of?
I really wish my health had been strong enough to go hiking and exploring more in our new Idahome. I am going to build it up, slowly but surely, so that when warmer weather returns, I can do exactly that in 2018.
15. What do you wish you would have done less of?
Getting sick, dammit! This shit is for the birds. Sirrusleh.
16. What was your favorite new TV program? Movie? Album/Songs? Or if you didn't pick up any new ones, what are you still watching/listening to? Any recommendations?
We saw a number of movies - some I slept through - in the theater in 2017, but Despicable Me 3 and The Secret Life of Pets were my favorites. Yeah, yeah, we still watch a lot of movies geared more toward a younger audience, and I actually like those a lot. I like more adultish movies, too, but I'm a kid at heart and frequently love the animated ones just as much.
17. What was the best book you read this year? How many did you read?
I honestly didn't read any books last year. I read some of some books, but I didn't go from cover to cover on anything. Not proud of that. Used to be such a bookworm; what happened to me?! I'm still not making any resolutions, but I plan to change that abysmal record in 2018. ;)
18. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you? Did you feel differently?
I turned 41 in September, and neither Rob nor I can remember what we did on or around that occasion. Must have have been a real big whoopty-doo.
19. What political or social issue stirred you the most?
The #MeToo movement was a pretty powerful one, obviously, both publicly and personally for me. It stirred up some things that have happened to me, which I've never dealt with. I now realize that I need to, because they're coming out and looking to be dealt with whether I want them to or not.
20. Who was the most interesting new person you met?
Our neighbor a few houses down on the cul-de-sac, Gladys, is pretty interesting. She's elderly, has more facial hair than my husband, talks herself blue in the face, is part Native American, converted to Mormonism, and is never at a loss for words for something interesting to say. I love her. It's hard not to stare at her beard (please, God, let me have the sense to pluck that shit if I get to be 75 and that happens to me), but I love her. She brings us treats now and then, has invited us to this luau and the Christmas party at her LDS church, is just an all-around good soul.
21. Describe how a relationship changed.
My relationship with Hubs and the kids is ever-evolving the longer we're all together, of course. Now that Chloë is 16, she's maturing and more and more, developing a mind of her own. Unlike me at that age, she is not afraid to stick up for herself when she feels like she's been wronged. I admire her for that, and I encourage her to do it when she has a valid point. We had a tough time when she had a major depressive episode in mid-November, but it brought us more closely together as a family. And we're already a close-knit family. I think she'll be just fine. I think we all will.
22. Do you think you are still the same person that you were at the beginning of the year? How so?
Definitely not. I have moved my family from the East Coast to almost the West Coast. Life is completely different here; we risked everything for it, and it panned out. It was complete culture shock coming to Boise, Idaho, from Miami, Florida, but in a good way. I planned on not getting sick anymore, but as soon as I attempted to get a job and started working, boom! I got hit with Pneumonia #7 in a year's time. I've had two more and more severe cases of pneumonia since then, and I could have died from this latest bout from which I'm still recuperating. I've learned that my daughter and I are both immunoglobulin A deficient, and while most people with this somewhat common genetic defect (lol) are asymptomatic, Chloë and I get sick quickly, frequently, and seriously. I will need to get IgA infusions, and she may, too. I've been sick my whole life, and this is the year - I hope - that I figure out all the pieces of that puzzle. Oh, and ICYMI, I stood up for myself and set boundaries with my father - something I have never in my life done. I'm proud of that.
24. How have people around you changed?
We all change, everyone does, every year... or so I imagine. However, I feel like I ought to shine a light on 12-year-old Sophie for this one. As the baby of the family, she's really not used to being in charge of something or someone, and she has a habit of being, I don't know, a little passive when it comes to riding. That doesn't always work with the more strong-willed horses she's ridden, and in August 2016, she badly broke her wrist after her horse, Lacey, threw her when she dodged a jump. That led to over a year's break in riding, during with both she and I suffered from a lack of confidence when we finally found her current showjumping barn, Wasatch Sport Horses.
She's ridden a couple of strong-willed mares, Sunny and Daisy, up 'til today when she rode this beautiful boy, Bing. I didn't take her; Rob did, but Sophie described Bing as being "very jumpy," with a sly smile on her face. I talked to her, and she revealed he has quite the playful personality when being tacked up and down, too, like he has a secret song in his head! Anyway, my point is, she regained her confidence and got back on the horse's back this past Fall. She didn't let the broken wrist keep her down, and she has managed to figure out - with her coaches' help - how to show dominance over both mares in order to get them jumping and following her lead, not their own. Ultimately, she and Connie (her current coach) agree that Bing is a better fit at 17.1 hands high for those long legs of hers. And she fits well with his silly, "jumpy" personality. I hope she'll get a few more tries on Bing soon, and then we may consider leasing him for her to ride whenever she wants. I'm so proud of her!
25. What have you learned throughout the year?
I've learned that I have boundaries and how to set them and stick with that. What? Who knew?!
26. Did you learn any new crafts or techniques? What was your favorite thing you made?
Nope, I didn't learn anything new that was crafty. No new techniques on the old ones, either, unless you count a new cast-on technique in knitting that I didn't know before. Maybe that counts. Chloë and I want to go take a glass-blowing class soon. I keep seeing Groupon deals come up for it here in town, but I haven't jumped on it yet. I think that'll happen this spring.
27. What changed about your physical appearance? (Hair? Wrinkles? New makeup style? Etc.)
Well, you know how I've been peddling JAFRA cosmetics for the past 20 years or so? (Well, now you do.) I started using Young Living Essential Oils at one of my BFF Shana's urging. I've gotten a lot of benefit from my YLEOs, so when they came out with the (admittedly pricey) line Savvy Minerals cosmetics, I eventually decided to come around and give it a try. Little by little, I've accumulated more Savvy Minerals items, and I've come to love them. So much so, in fact, that I have decided to end my two-decades-long relationship with JAFRA and focus my efforts (whatever little they may be) on Young Living. I have a shit ton of JAFRA makeup that I'm selling off little by little, in order to buy more Savvy Minerals. They're perfect. They feel so clean and healthy on my skin, and I know that Young Living doesn't sacrifice quality for profits.
As for hair, I'm growing it out and have been auditioning different hair colors in the brown-auburn ranges. Regarding wrinkles, not so much, but I am getting BOTOX for my migraines on the 23rd of this month. I'm pretty vain, so I don't mind dropping a pretty penny on my various and sundry creams and serums, but not so much so that I would get BOTOX to feed that vanity. I've been offered this migraine treatment more than once in the past, but I was so self-conscious about the idea that someone might think I'm using it for anti-aging purposes, I haven't gone forward with it. By this point in time, however, my various neurologists over the past 20+ years have tried every single headache/migraine medicine on the market, and nothing stops the daily onslaught. It's BOTOX time, y'all.
28. What are your hopes and dreams for the new year? (Some suggestions: family, travel, work, lifestyle, hobbies, pets, appearance)
I want to be cleared from this freakin' MRSA pneumonia that totally kicked my ass all around the block last month and now, and get and stay healthier. I want to be consistent with getting the healthcare I'm supposed to get, and not be procrastinating or postponing the things I haven't wanted to "bother" with because they just didn't seem so important at the time. I want to explore more of our new home state of Idaho, and hopefully get up into a road trip up North to Coeur d'Alene, into Canada and over West to Vancouver, B.C., and south into a Seattle, Washington, and then Portland, Oregon, before coming back East to Boise. I really hope this happens.
Chloë wants to visit Niagara Falls - on both sides of the border - so maybe we'll attempt that trip, too. The childrens' passports will need to be obtained, clearly! I want to pick up my knitting habit again and learn more techniques such as entrelac. I'd like for Rob to finish building our chicken habitat - an injury to his hand caused a setback, and then snow fell, and, well, it sits incomplete in our backyard at the mo' - so we can double our six-pack of chicky babies by Summer. And I'd like to shed at least 30 of the pounds I've put on in the past two years, thanks to medication changes and complications with my 9-year-old gastric bypass procedure. Lots to look forward to!
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Welp, that's mah post, you guys. Hope you enjoyed! Or at least stayed awake... ;)
So y'all remember we have chickens in the backyard, right? This was the day the chicken coop arrived, and Rob put it together with some help from the kids.
So to recap, here's the coop. There are ten birdy-birds in there. The one, Archimedes, whom Jack won in the Parma chicken run a couple months back:
That's her in the back, semi-center, looking down upon her court. And the crap trap. The shit sheet. Whatever you want to call the poop-catcher tray that um, I didn't think about when I took this picture. Well, so what? Everybody poops!
Here's a better view of Archimedes, top left, with less doody in the foreground. But seriously, folks, ten birds in one smaller-than-I-thought coop = loads of doodoo! That's one daily chore that is not a kid favorite, but it gets taken care of!
So, I had this brilliant idea that we should take portraits of each chicken, since there are two for each of the five of us, and I can never remember who's who in there. This one is Sophia's Pharaoh. You can see she has fluffy legs, like many of them do. They came from some kind of show-chicken lady, and these happened to have been cross-bred between a Silky and I don't know what, to get these chicks she didn't deem necessary to keep. Or worthy. Whatever, I just hope they lay us some nice eggs!
Here is Rob's Nugget, who we are pretty sure isn't going to be laying us any eggs anytime soon. Or... ever. Why? See that comb atop the head and waddle-thingy underneath? Pretty sure she is a he. So we'll have to find a new home for Nugget once we're absolutely positive, or send him/her out to be processed for eating. Only, I don't want to eat him/her. So I'm not sure how that is going to go down. I just know the Boise city ordinance says we can't keep roosters in city limits, and I'd rather comply with that than risk a fine!
This is one of "my" chickens, little Minerva. She's a little ball of fluff and is one of two chickens that isn't growing as fast as the others. Maybe they're just destined to be small, or maybe they're not as aggressive at the feeder? I don't know.
And here is Athena, "my" other chicken. She's also a ball of fluff (as many of them are), but she's one of the largest hens. I see her at the feeder often, so maybe her name should be Miss Piggy instead!
Daisy is Jack's other chicken (Archimedes is his, too), and she's growing quite well. Less fluff on this one, but I like her mottled grey coloring.
Igneel, one of Chloë's hens, is named after one of her favorite YouTube show's characters, but I forget which one. I'd ask her, but she's not up at the moment. Fairy Tail, maybe? Whatever, I can't remember. It's a weird little name, that's for sure, but then she was named by a weird little teenager! ;)
A funny thing happened after I photographed Igneel, and she was being put away and the next chicky being fetched. Daisy got out - this happens occasionally - and led Rob and the girls on a wild goose chicken chase in and out of the trees, back and forth, all over our backyard. I was ordered to be hands-off with the chickens after a campylobacter diagnosis, so I couldn't do anything but watch. And, well, take pictures. Sophia dove for Daisy several times, but man, these chickens are fast! Hopefully we can clip some wings this weekend, so they're easier to catch and also so they can be freer to roam around back there.
And then, in the midst of chasing Daisy around the yard, Rob discovered and announced that the tree with thought was persimmons is, rather, an apple tree. The girls stopped helping their dad and started doing the Dance of Joy, which I find hysterical. Remember the 80s show Perfect Strangers with Balky and Cousin Larry Appleton? I still do the Dance of Joy, when it's warranted, that Balky and Larry used to do on the show, and the girls got that from me! Ha. I guess they were pretty excited about apples. And yes, we did manage to get Daisy home shortly after these photos were taken.
Tater Tot is Sophia's other hen, or maybe this one will turn out to be a rooster, too, seeing that comb and waddle? Too soon for us to tell, but maybe some of you are chicken-sexing experts and can let us know what we've got going on here.
This crazy-looking bird is Rob's other chicken, Attila the Hen. She always looks a mess, since Day One. I think she's kinda pretty. No one else seems to hold that view!
And, finally, here is Chloë's second hen, Atlas, whose name comes from the same (Fairy Tail, I think) YouTube show as Igneel's. Atlas, like most of the chickens, calms right down when on her back and definitely prefers this position, so that's the only way I could get a decent shot of her.
Now. I hope you've got all these chickens and their names straight, because I still don't know who is whom - and they live in my backyard! ;)
Soon, hopefully, Rob will build a pen for them to run around in. Between that and lop-sidedly clipping their wings, I'm hoping we can keep them from running away and not being able to be caught, while giving them quite a lot more breathing room.
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Ciao, todos! 
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