First and most important ....

My hubby is home. He's still not feeling good. Still having the same symptoms, just not nearly as bad as before. This is a great puzzle over here.He did drive today and was out for a bit.
Progress.
It may take a while, but a little better every day is a fabulous thing.

On Saturday while he was taking one of his many naps, this came to live with us.

My plan was to refinish it black. Shiny black. I've changed my mind. Apparently, refinishing a piano and getting it shiny black is not the easiest thing in the world to do. Will probably take me more than an hour or two .... and maybe I like it just the way it is. Either way, I am thrilled.

The three gals in this house have been missing the ability to sit and plunk out a tune or two. I do want some piano lessons for the girls. At least give it a try and see how it goes. Maybe someday I'll take some more myself. The only problem with this one is that there is no cover for the keys. I guess we'll have to take up dusting.

I've been trying a few different things lately. I tried felting slippers out of wool roving and they promptly went in the dipsy dumpster. I really should have taken a photo of them before I pitched them. Oh. My. They were quite interesting.

Then I moved on to crocheting slippers and felting them. I haven't crocheted anything for years. I started with these slippers. The crocheting went well, at least I thought so. Today they went into the washing machine for felting. They need a little fuzz patrol to clean them up. But worse than that .....

I really don't know what the dickens they need. I don't know what happened here.

Sort of looks like it was an orthopedic surgeon who designed this pattern. You think? I'll be flapping and tripping all over the place. Maybe I'll try and do some cutting and sewing to see if something can be salvaged out of this project. So far .... my projects are better left to digital scrapbooking!

Digital. Scrapbooking. I mentioned the loss of scrapbook pages before? While Jari was in Minnesota, our BIL Joe gave him a suggestion toward restoring our computer that had bit the dust. Voila! I could have done a jig but that would mean exercise. I could have done a cartwheel but that would have involved the aforementioned orthopedic surgeon. I could have burst into song ... need I say more. My pages got moved from the scrapbook program and ALL of them are now safely on the external hard drive. I could have redone them. I would have. I'd already started on that. However, there are days when some pictures come together just the way you want them to and recreating the whole thing just doesn't do the trick. I have massive printing to get done ... sometime after I get a paycheck or two.

I'm sure there are tomatoes that are better for drying than the ones that are one sale at Fry's this week, but I hauled home a bunch of them. The dehydrator is going gangbusters and Jari has new snack food.

He's a wee bit strange about some things. He's not eating my pulla faster than I can make it. He's emptying this container of any dried fruit or vegie that I put in it.

Next on my list ... beef jerky.

If you've made jerky before, which cut of meat is best to use? I can have the butcher slice it for me, but does anyone have any suggestions? Let me know!

Garsh. I need a nap.

Thankful

Thankful that we didn't need to use the blue button.

Jari has not been feeling well for the past several weeks.

He has traveled anyway and got home yesterday afternoon.

Last evening we went to run an errand and then planned to

visit a dear elderly friend at the hospital.

The errand was aborted and the visit to hospital ended up being

to the ER instead, with a level of discomfort that gave

 the blue button a new meaning.

(I know a place that could use these lovely covers to prevent the accidental "code".)

Thankful for the wonderful care in the Emergency Room at John C. Lincoln Deer Valley.

We were able to enjoy the comforts of the emergency room until nearly

one o'clock in the morning when they moved him to a room in the

Cardiac Care Unit for the night.

By the time he was moved he didn't have a clue what time it was

and was slumbering nicely, thanks to the miracle of pharmaceuticals.

I do have to say that I was beyond exhausted and while looking at

the thermometer on the wall that fluctuated between 68 and 69 degrees,

I remembered that at that temperature I wear socks ... not flip flops.

The socks were at home.

(I grab ideas wherever I go ... I saw this board and deicded that I need one!)

Thankful for the wonderful care of doctors, nurses, and all the others.

Who never, at least obviously, raised an eyebrow

when the answer to "Where are you employed?"

was followed by "I'm not."

The answer to "Do you have inurance?"

 was answered by "I don't."

In fact, special thanks to the doctors

who made sure tests were run today so it

would all be included in the same visit.

Thankful for negative test results.

I've been on the other end of this equation many times.

It is frustrating to not be given some concrete reason for your problems.

On the bright side, the only part of his anatomy that hasn't been studied

is his heart.

Today it was.

The EKG showed no damage.

The lab results showed no problems.

In fact, his cholesterol is low enough that I rescinded my threat of

"no more butter or bacon".

He had an echo done right before he was discharged to home.

That result will come in the next day or two.

It was on to a dinner of hospital prime rib

and then on home.

I'm thankful he's crashed in the recliner chair, snuggled in a warm sweatshirt and a blanket.

Later we'll deal with the rest of it.

For now, last night was a short one and tonight could probably

be a wee bit longer.

Thankful for the elders who touch our lives.

While Jari was off having a stress test today, I ran up a floor to visit Florence,

making up for last night when we never made it.

I hope she doesn't mind my sharing a picture of her.

I love her smile.

It is absolutely beautiful.

I know she has grandchildren who would love to be sitting at her side and can't be.

This is for them. 



While living in a rain forest has never been ....

on my list of wants in this life,

having one in your own backyard isn't half bad.

The winter grass seed is planted and growing ...

and when I took these pictures last week ... it was still growing.

Maybe in patches, but growing.

This week it is even longer and I haven't been able to start the lawn mower.

Today ... my lawn mowing hubby rolled into town!

He's home after being gone on a long jaunt around the midwest.

So glad to have him home!

Today I also acquired another badge to add to my pile.

Assuming that my background check doesn't turn up anything untoward,

I start orientation at St Luke's in several weeks.

I'm looking forward to a whole new experience.

I was told that a patient stated, "It's like watching M*A*S*H here!", which means it is going to be a fun working environment. Good. I need that.

In my humble view, many times life is about trade offs.

We can't have our cake and eat it too, much as we'd like to.

Part of the icing on this cake is that, for now, I'll be working two days a week ..

during the week with no weekends, holidays or nights.

To me ... that's a great big bonus. At some point in the near future I'll cross train for another unit as well and then be able to add some more hours.

At any rate, it's icing.

The not so icing part is that it is a pool/prn position without benefits.

So benefit shopping comes next.

Gosh. I just ran to Paradise Valley Community College to pick up a course catalog for Anna. They don't have them. This is the first semester that they aren't printing them ... they need to accessed online. I'm not sure I like that. Flipping through a course catalog is kind of like Christmas Wish List dreaming through the Sears catalog as a child. I love flipping pages and adding post it notes, tearing out pages or dog earing the corners. I'm a paper gal.

Off to switch laundry and hang them out to dry on the drying rack.

A beautiful 80 degrees with sunshine and a fabulous light breeze.

The benches went from brown to red.

First.

Let me preface this post.

I have 2 teenage kids living at home, not a bunch of toddlers, and they are in public school during the day.

I am not working at the moment.

My husband is on his way home from his travels, but he isn't here.

I have time to play at the moment.

If my life was in it's normal state of chaos, I wouldn't be getting this stuff done.

Whew! Done with that.

These are the cute little benches that I picked up on Saturday.

One of them is probably a One Butt Bench.

The other a Two Skinny Butt Bench.

Probably more appropriate for an extra seat outside while visiting, or holding a flower pot.

Cute regardless.

I did that Home Depot run today and I found the sander in the garage. It was a really good day. I even found sanding discs out there. Right next to the sander. Somedays life is just amazing. I didn't sand them bare, but there were plenty of paint peeling spots so I scrubbed those clean (as in with an electric whirling device) and roughly sanded the rest of the bench.

For years I have been a fan of plain old craft paint that you buy at the local craft store or WalMart. I pitched all mine when we packed (I'm telling you ... we pitched big time.) so I have nothing other than water color paints around here. Home Depot does sell these little test paint jars. Have them tinted to whatever color you choose and for $2.94 I had a little jar of Roasted Pepper tinted paint.

On to painting the benches. The day was cloudy to start with so felt downright nice. By this point, the sun was getting a wee bit toasty. At least the sweat indicator was broadly hinting at heat.

There is something about this warm and dry climate. Paint dries lickety split. Wasn't long and I was on to sanding and roughing up the paint. Makes little sense if you really think about it, but it's what I did.

I also found a little can of stain in the garage. Hubby has been working on projects as well and is accumulating things. I rubbed some stain on the benches.

Then on to polyurethane. This time I tried something different. I don't know if I like it or not yet, but I bought a spray can of poly. I was ready to pass out by the time I was done, but they got sprayed. I think it was faster than brushing or sponging it on ... and my work area was rather well ventilated. Being as Waste Not Want Anyway Not is my motto, I'll use up the spray can. Not sure I'll buy another one.

The benches are still sitting outside this evening. They stink. Big Time. I think one of them will live out there all the time and the other is coming inside. I'll see what I find to perch on top of it.

Now, just so you know.
Had I not gone to that yard sale on Saturday, I would have survived just fine.
I would have occasionally gone to look at a wood crafting website and dreamed of making something like these. (I still would like longer benches suitable for maybe Three Butts.)
Then I would have moved on to something else.
Ten years from now I'd still be doing the same thing.
It really wouldn't have made a difference in my life.
However, I did go that sale ... and I think the benches turned out rather cute!

And ... I got a job today so this precious play time of mine is going to be dwindling real soon. Makes them even cuter!

While my beloved is still tootling around the north country ...

I think he's secretly hoping it cools off here before he gets home.

While he's been gone, I've been busy doing "catch up" on 4 years of piles.

Piles of Christmas cards are now put into books.

I save the photo cards and add them to my albums.
Right now they're out in the living room, but I typically haul them out at Christmas and we ooh and aah over how everyone's families have grown and people have changed.

I've misplaced the 2008 cards, but I'll find them somewhere. I'm quite certain they're safe.

I wish I had taken a photo on Thursday.
I ran to Joanne's for Sewing with the ladies.
I thought I was running late as the crew was very small when I got there.
Joanne, Esther Forstie and myself. It grew rapidly.

Fun visiting and I have to say that I was the youngster in the bunch!

My handwork was actually my laptop ... with photos loaded from January of 2011 and ready for scrapping.

Friday I hit some super duper sale at Joann Fabrics and hauled home enough stuff that the gal at the checkout said something like, "You have a lot of different interests!"

Yes, I do.

And as I'm finally over the anxiety of my present employment status and on to the enjoyment of it, I'm adding more interests.

Anna headed to Youth Camp at Kamp Kipa on Friday.

I still haven't made it up there after being back. Soon. I will.

This is the first camp being held up there. I can't wait to hear all about it.

Tia headed off to a sleepover birthday party and I hauled out the sewing machine for a while.

Frans & Jenny visited in the evening and we managed a rousing game of Aggravation. Perfect game if you want to get riled up without thinking.

Jenny showed me her Pinterest site. Someday I'm going to take a gander around that whole world.

For now, I'll enjoy my magazine clippings and 3 ring binders, old school that I am.

I did move over to Ana-White's site at about midnight and started dreaming of building headboards and cute little benches before hitting the pillow.

Saturday morning I did a moment or two of hemming and hawing about hitting a few yard sales.
At 8:30 I decided to give it $20 and an hour. The mission took both, including 2 stops at one sale. This Sunday morning while I'm home with a sleeping teen, I have a serious itch to go back for the 3rd time. I won't. I did find one of these which I have really needed. I've really had nothing covered to haul a salad anywhere for a long time.

I was sort of on a mission to find black bookshelves, a black dresser and just the right picture frames.

I did find this one. I've been wanting to add tin to a frame and then magnetic hooks to hang jewelry. The frame is certainly in the rustic category and might work.

On a whim, I picked this up as well. While I was loading it into the car, I was imagining hanging it outside or somewhere. Kind of cute for $3. Meanwhile, the backseat is getting quite full and I'm reminded of a blog I found to share with you about Simplifying Life. Huh!

As I was heading out to the back patio to find somewhere to place this little lovely, I looked at the tag on the back. Tin. TIn? TIN! I ran for a magnet. Sure enough. It stuck like glue. I could have done a jig I was so thrilled. I had a slight detour for the afternoon and on my way home from hanging out with 6 beautiful young ladies, I stopped at Home Depot. Picked up one drawer pull knob and a bag of magnets, just to try it out and see if it worked. Magnet and drawer pull both met the glue gun and voila!  

Being the impatient person that I am regarding these types of things, I couldn't just hang it and wait for more drawer pulls. That simply wouldn't do. Nor was I going to run to Home Depot and spend a fortune on drawer knobs. I aim to hunt Goodwill/Savers/yard sales and the like to find some antiquated glass knobs or other things that would work. I went on a hunt for anything I could find that could be attached to a magnet and become a hanging device. Necessity, after all, is the mother of invention. There is a great advantage to having a minimal jewelry collection. 

Then again, maybe I'll just add some cute glass beads to cover the screw holes on some of the hooks. Maybe some spray paint to change some of them.

If you do something like this, I would recommend a magnet that is a size larger than the one I got.

I used the 3/4" magnet. It fits well behind the hooks, but it really doesn't have as much staying power as I'd like. Meaning, you can't load the hooks with oodles of jewels. Should I ever get around to fixing or replacing those hooks, I'll share.

Next on the project list .... earlier I mentioned those cute benches from Ana-White.

I found 2 of those at the same yard sale yesterday.

Maybe now you can understand the itch to go back.

I know the sander is out in the garage somewhere, I just have to try find it.

Another trip to Home Depot coming up.

I forgot to pack the polyurethane with the pepper and paprika.

Southwest Meatballs and A1 Steak Sauce

I know that my cookbook stash is nothing compared to some of you.

Some of you are serious collectors.

I quit collecting too much in the book department when I couldn't move them with me.

Or maybe it was when I finally accepted that the fact that I'll probably never have my own library.

The Joy of Rhubarb?

Yes, I kept it. Maybe I'll live in rhubarb growing country again some day.

There is one cookbook that will never leave.

It may get it's own 3-ring binder one day ....

because it is a serious mess.

Using this book takes a little fortitude.

Kind of like new math ... you just never know which number is coming next!



I did spend hours on the other cookbook today.

My lifeline cookbook.

It could still use another days worth of work,

but for now, I quit.

I can find the marinade recipes.

I can find the favorite salads.

I can even find the desserts.

All is good.

Even better yet, I can read them.

The sheet protectors are new.

The typing of many pages is fresh.

Ahhh ... it looks readable!



 While the recipe is sitting on the counter, I'm off to make Jenny's Southwest Meatballs.

This time I'm going to try not wrecking my muffin tins. Last time I burnt them beyond repair.

Anna is having a hankering for some baked potatoes ....

with A1 Sauce.

They didn't inherit those taste buds from me!

It goes on everything around here lately.

*********************************************

Now that hubby has made his presence known ...

he is in Cokato today making a surprise visit to his parents.

I've seen video of snow on his trek through Colorado,

I've guessed his location down to the restaurant he's sitting in

with the wonder of satellite "tracking".

It does give me a concern or two. This tracking business.

It was a bit of a hoot to tell him which establishment's table he was sitting at tho'.

Surprised him a bit!

Being as I can't get the lawn mower started ... I'm off to make meatballs!

I have been finding things to fill my time.

First there is the job thing.

Then I move on to other things.

My recipes are a disaster.

I do have a 3 ring binder of favorites to which I've added scraps of recipes cut from magazines

and anywhere else something has caught my eye.

My recipes seem to revolve around the sweet stuff. Shucks anyway!

I decided to tackle the recipe piles.

I'm not done yet, but getting there.

Some of them I'm typing out and will add to the binder, that way when I'm looking for the favorite

recipe for Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes it won't be buried under a ton of paper.

One of these days I should probably try all the things I've put in that binder

so I can either keep them or pitch them.

Other recipes I've just decided to pitch.

With the internet at our fingertips all the time, it is mighty easy to find something delicious.



Today I found a recipe for a gluten free coffee cake.

We aren't a gluten free house, so I used regular flour ....  but I know many of you are.

I do like to test things on unsuspecting folks who come to visit.

This one tested well this evening.

Great recipe for fall ... delicious served warm with ice cream.

penny's apple-brown sugar coffee cake

1 cup plus 2 tsp gluten-free all-purpose flour, divided

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar, divided

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp cinnamon

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 large apples - cored, peeled and cut into 1/2-in. pieces

Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly grease a 9-in round baking or springform pan. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 2 tsp flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, chocolate chips, walnuts and cinnamon.

In another small bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the oil and vanilla. Stir into the flour mixture until just combined. Pour half the batter into prepared pan, top with half the apples and half the crumb mixture; repeat with the remaining batter, apples and crumb mixture. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes.

Editors Note: Read all ingredient labels for possible gluten and dairy content prior to use.
Bakers Note: Next time I'll make 2 of these at a time and freeze one for convenient and handy dessert.

My girls think I do nothing all day.

Really. They do.

They don't know that I finally quit 5 hours of open employment selection and application submitting at about noon.

I think they are under the impression that I'm eating bonbons and reading something other than the fineprint of job descriptions.

Which, by the way, are incredibly vague.

The legal department probably recommended that, but I'm telling you it shouldn't be that hard. Really.

I'm just a plain and simple gal. (Unless you ask my hubby, he may have a different opinion.)

I am going to ramble on about the job thing for a minute.

I'm use to working. I'm not use to this not working thing.

I have time to run around and go shopping.

Me?

 I don't care for that much.

Run and scarf up deals at the grocer would be more like my kind of thing.

I do have an interview this afternoon.

I could probably use some practice at that sort of thing as it has been awhile.

Anyway, I feel like I NEED to be working.

Which then makes a person, namely myself, a bit too restless to even focus on sewing.

We are now among the nations uninsured.

Which, on the bright side, means we are now probably in the majority.

A whole different perspective.

So, I should find a job with healthcare benefits.

Should.

Ach. I don't like should.

Yesterday I told you my hands would look like prunes?

They didn't.

I'm really bummed out that I didn't buy more of the pears the other day.

I'll have to watch for another humdinger sale and hope there is one being as I'm definately not going to make it to an orchard.

At least not as long as I have bonbons to take care of!

Because, just like the tomatoes and carrots, my dear hubby eats pears straight out of the dehydrator.

Sometimes saving a minute just isn't worth it.

I have become a digital scrapper.

I still scrapbook some things in the paper fashion, but prefer the ease of digital when it comes to our photos and recording our lives.

I can hit the save button on my computer and (hopefully) things are just tucked away until I'm ready to return to them again.

The night before Jari took our computers apart in Alaska, I made sure that the photos were all on the external hard drive. I moved my photos, kids' photos ... all that good stuff.

I think I moved all photos with the exception of any scrapbook pages that I had finished that were not yet printed.

Then the computer didn't survive.

It isn't worth crying about. I still have the photos.

My program didn't survive either.

It was a sometimes frustrating and very inexpensive program, but I was accustomed to it's foibles.

My fun fonts are all gone but I know where to get them again as well.

This morning I got me a new scrapping program and downloaded it.

I'm not into a lot of doodads. I really prefer telling stories instead.

Before I started my day today, I decided to give something a whirl and see what happened.

I'm thinking it is going to be fast once I figure it all out.

Maybe this time I'll copy to external hard drive ... and print them!

Happy Birthday to my Dear Dad today.

Today is also my dear SIL Tarja's birthday. Happy Birthday to you Tarja!

Just think of all the parties we could crash if we were in Minnesota!

Being as I'm not in Minnesota today, the outside temp is a delicious 73 degrees and the pears are looking near ripe ... I'm going to end up with prune looking hands from peeling pears!

Sunday we went for a drive ...

and my camera sat in the car nearly the entire time.
Sad, hey? Thank goodness the phone takes up the slack.
The four of us headed up the hill to Flagstaff for the day.
Our northern place of choice use to be the Mogollon Rim, not Flagstaff, and I'm guessing it was because we lived on the other side of the city.
It may become Flagstaff now.
Other than the driving thing, we have special people to see in Flagstaff.
I'm not a downhill skiier, but they do live right next to the ski hill and the nordic center. Hmmmm.
And they do have the cutest littles ever.
Brand new littles that beg to have their toes uncovered ... just so Anna can count them.
 

Keilah is in a state of delirium and we probably didn't help. I should have sent her for a nap during the afternoon. I'm going to go back and do that. Soon.

Then we had the most delightful bit of news. Babies are certainly delightful enough. This was just more icing on the cake of life. My SIL Annette has moved back to Arizona from Colorado. Sorry for the kids she left behind, not sorry for me. Hopefully her hubby will be able to get down here soon. For now, it is work where there is work. I haven't driven this road in 4 long years. It felt so good to travel down it .... and have a warm cup of coffee with a warm visit at the end.

 
While we were running around northern parts of the state yesterday, Alyx was having a barbeque (and birthday celebration unbeknownst to her) with the family up in Alaska. I'm glad she had a good day. Today is officially her special day. The day when teen years ended yesterday and life's path lays ahead ....
Happy Birthday to my dear daughter!
 
Today I picked up (as in grocer not orchard) 16 pounds of Barlett pears. They're still a bit green so I have a day or two to find some canning jars. Then I'm going to do the forbidden. I am going to use the glass top stove and the pressure cooker ... together. I'll let you know what happens!
 
**************************************************************************************
 
Monkey Bread
 
2 large cans refrigerated biscuits
3/4 c sugar
4 tsp cinnamon
 
Cut biscuits in 6 pieces each. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Roll biscuit sections in sugar mixture. Spray Bundt pan with Pam. Arrange 1/2 biscuits in pan and 1/2 of mixture below over them. Arrange final 1/2 of biscuits, covered with final 1/2 of mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
 
Carmel mixture:
Melt together in sauce pan and bring to boil.
1/2 c butter
1 c brown sugar
1 c light karo syrup
 
*** Note: I googled Monkey Bread and adapted this to what I do from Cooks[dot]com. If you don't have access to refrigerator biscuits, there are other options avabailable such as frozen bread dough or fresh home made doughs. Have fun!

The weather is absolutely heavenly!

Yesterday it started.

The season of No Air Conditioning Needed.

It's a whole separate season, all in itself, if you enjoy this climate.

Especially if you've spent the past 4 years without any air conditioning in your world,

excepting for your car.

The neighbors must have their themostat a bit lower than ours.

Theirs is running around the clock, kicks on and off.

I've got the windows open and the ceiling fans twirling.

Oh. By the way.

The sun is shining ...

on cactus in the front yard ....

and my beloved mesquite trees in the back.

I've been in flip flops for the past month.

To the point where my feet have certainly gone right back to

Desert Feet. Disgusting to be sure.

I've had several occasions in the past week to make some Monkey Bread.

Supremely easy to make.

Not one bit light on the calories.

Need a reason other than just my taste buds to put this pile of sugar together.

In the last week we've been having some partying goin' on.

A 60th birthday, a 40th birthday ...

and to top it off a It's a Boy After All Those Girls Party!

Frans & Jenny are expecting a bundle of blue

after many years of solid pink and lace.

The throng of young girls is always so much fun.

I've also been spending my week doing this.

This would be hunting for work.

I could probably find enough scrapping, sewing and other fun things to do

to keep me busy for many months.

However, all that busy still does nothing in the health insurance department.

I don't even know what the cost of continuing healthcare coverage is with Cobra,

but can take a rough guesstimate and it makes me shudder.

So I'm looking for something.

Many hours a day of looking. It can be a bit all consuming.

For now, it's all put away and the weekend looms ahead.

I don't know what we're going to do.

Anna just headed out the door with keys to my car in her hand.

Tia is heading out later.

I'm going to take a wee little nap ...

and then I'll decide what to do!

... and they're off!

This is what happens on the first day of school over here.

They're walking. And the mom has to sneak out with a camera to get the backside view because they'll think I'm just too wierd if I ask them to pose for a minute. The walking. First of all, let's call that a miracle. I've been driving kids to school for so many years I can't begin to count them. It might help if I tell you that the oldest of them is 24 years old. This year the cherubs are walking. I can't believe it. I did consent to driving them. Only it comes with some serious consideration on their part. I'd ride a bike (thought an adult trike would be even better!) and pull a wagon with a child in each. Being as they're a little too big to fit two in one. We'd sort of make a train out of the whole thing. Then pipe in some ice cream truck music and sing (to a tune of my making) something like The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round. I thought it was a fabulous idea. I was nearly running out for the curlers and a good lookin' gown for the whole event!

They opted to walk. Party poopers that they are.

And better yet ... they had a good first day.

We had a good first evening of homework. I'm making new promises for the rest of the school year. I am going to be on top of this game. I am. I. Really. Am.

I'm probably not going to share the entire inside of my home with you, but I had to share one part of the dining room wall. Only because I'm nuts enough to hang brooms next to the table. Makes it convenient when I feel the need for a ride around the neighborhood. I was online looking for vinyl lettering but couldn't find anything appropriate for broom riding mothers. If you happen to have a fabulous quote, I happen to be looking for one.

The thermometer is reading 80 degrees inside and 66 degrees outside.

We had rain this evening! Good Arizona rain. Complete with thunder and lightning. It started while Tia and I were at Office Max picking up some school supplies. She was thinking the garage door opener's novelty was wearing off as we were headed to the store. She was loving it on the way home. Amazing how quickly our list of I'm Thankful For can change!

Back to the pencils!

I'm guessing that tomorrow evening will find me at Office Max with a list 3 miles long.
The girls are finally starting school tomorrow!
They are just as excited as I am.
Vacation is over.

They're really excited to get life moving along here.
I was less than thrilled to meet the Assistant Prinicpal today.
I finally got a call from the school this morning that we had a meeting scheduled at 2:15 this afternoon.
Fine and dandy.
I was serving lunch following a funeral but it worked out just fine.
The Assistant Prinicpal got my blood pressure up.
I finally had to ask him if he didn't have room in his school or just didn't want the girls there.
Talk about an arrogant jerk.
Let's hope I don't have to meet with him too often.
We will not get along unless he has an attitude adjustment.
Just who does he think he is anyway?! I do pay a itty bitty bit of his paycheck. He certainly isn't paying mine.
The counselor was a pure gem. She squeezed us in and did her best to get the girls teachers that she really likes and thinks will be good with them. I'm going to introduce her to pulla. The other ... maybe I'll make some prickly pear jelly or something.

We have had girls running to and fro. Girls coming and girls going.
It is so much fun to have giggles in the house.
I'm also doing some of the driving again.
Run this one here. Pick up that one there.
It is what I asked for ... and I'm thrilled to have the opportunity.

Enjoy your day! Ours is suppose to be cooling off a bit this week.
Not quite enough to equal the temps we had when I shot these about a month ago, but cooling nonetheless!