Saturday, March 13, 2010

ST. PATTY'S AND A BEAUTIFUL SATURDAY



What a marvelous day it was!



The luck of the Irish came early this year…After all, Wednesday isn’t a real plausible day to celebrate on, so the town held the parade today...



One year, it was almost called off because of insurance…Or lack of attendance…Or some such thing…



This year, however, proved to be three times longer than last year…And the crowds were great…



At first, I didn’t think that the littles would end up getting any candy…

As the fire truck drove by, the fireman said, “We can’t; it’s against the rules.” Against the rules to give out candy at a parade?...

Now THAT would just not have been right!

The real deal...And the new rule (I just hate rules sometimes...Well, a lot of times)...Is that they can no longer THROW the candy…But, they can still come and individually hand it out...

The little people ended up making out alright...



It was, indeed, a green kind of a day…







There were green beads…



Green shoes…



And green-colored clowns…



After we said goodbye to our beautiful daughter, mama, papa, and family…





We ran home, got Dog, and took him to get some exercise…


I enjoyed the exercise as well! It was such a beautiful day…



Then, it was time to ride!

How lovely it is when the weather warms up…

And the scenery is good…



I mean…And the scenery is good…



We rode all over town...Here and there…

DS was at work, and we stopped and saw him...I shopped Glocks and a .38 Special...

Diamonds and guns are my favorites to look at when I go in…

DH looked for a leather jacket, but they had just had a sale, and the selection was slim…

While there we met the CUTEST little dude! He was “fwee” years old…His daddy had a bike “just like” ours (because it was black ;)…And his daddy had a helmet “just like” mine…

That little lad was absolutely adorable! I could’ve taken him home!

Babies and Puppies...There is nothing like 'em!



Can you tell the generational difference here?



Like father like son…Well, not so much…;)

I think this is El’s fourth bike, and he has always gotten these rocket-types…He has ridden ours but prefers his style.



DD, on the other hand, has wanted our exact bike (even before we got it) for a long time, which is unusual for her age.

We went helmet shopping at Cabella’s…





Just kidding...

We did go helmet shopping at Cabella's, but we didn't look for Spiderman...

I love the way there store is decorated…







It was getting pretty chilly by the time we headed home, so we stopped at a wonderful little coffee shop along the way...



And got two specials…

Irish Crème Steamers…Mmmmmm

The air was crisp, and the mugs of hot sweet goodness went down so smoothly…



We sat outside…

And just relaxed…



The fire was so mesmerizing…

It just calms the spirit…

I remarked to DH that I could do this every day…He said twice a day…



Once home again, Hubby fixed the oven…

It had been going out for awhile, and I was just limping along with it...But rather than buying a new one, we thought that we would save money and just purchase an element…

One element…



For $150! Is that crazy or what?!

There was an adorable vintage-looking stove/oven combo (ours are separate) that I would have loved!

It didn’t have any frills…No self-cleaning oven…No digital time clock or buttons (read "less to go wrong")…And it was gas to boot, which I prefer…For only $300!

So, by the time the other element goes out...And I think that it may be already...We could have purchased a whole new unit for the same price…

Oh well…One week and $150 later…I at least have a working oven again, and for that I am thankful…



While he worked, I whipped up a quick little meal…

I had some thawed chicken breasts that needed to be cooked…

I had been planning on making enchiladas (kind of like last week when I just happened to ask DH to bring in the frozen turkey from the garage freezer so that I could cook it up and the oven decided to go on the fritz…;)…

So, without an oven, I par-boiled the chicken breasts, seasoned them with salt, pepper, onion powder, and chicken bouillon granules, and cut them into chunks…Being that I was on a short time-frame, this made the juices infuse the meat nicely and more expediently...



They cooked in the seasoned broth, which I then served over some quick-cook brown rice...



I buttered and peppered the beans, and it made for a fast and tasty little meal.



I’ll most likely make my enchiladas tomorrow, then, with the left-over turkey I’ve been keeping…

We had to run out one more time for necessities…Milk, bread, and the like, so loaded up Bob Dog, and off we went…

Had to stop for a tasty treat milk shake…Don’t know why I’ve been craving them so much lately, as I’m not generally a big ice cream eater…



While we sat in the car and ate our treats…Dog ran (or rather meandered around the car wondering why we weren’t coming out…

Then home again…Home again…Sweet sweet home…

And so that was the end to our perfect day!

Have a wonderful Sunday, and I pray that we will all make it a blessed Sabbath…

Friday, March 12, 2010

TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY AND DRESS FOR LESS



TUESDAY…FRAZZLED…TUESDAY…

Tuesday found me leaving work at about 7:00 p.m. or so… I was dead tired and mentally frazzled…Going home and going to bed was my top priority…





But…My brother was in from out of town, and I wasn’t going to NOT see DB when he was going to be leaving the following day, so I went out to my folk’s to visit…

By the time I got home…It was about 9:30 p.m. and time for the housework to begin.

Dog had been on the cable all day and needed tending to…I called home to see if DS would brush him out for me, so that I wouldn’t have that to do at least…This time of year is a nightmare for pet hair!



I swept all of downstairs, cleaned the litter, and fed and watered the animals. The kitchen also got swept and the laundry put away…(I had some hanging on the dryer rack from last evening).

I did another thing or two, and it was pretty late by the time all was said and done. Although I didn’t get Tuesday’s chore—ironing—done, I did feel pretty good about my accomplishments for the day.

WEDNESDAY…



Wednesday was an off-the-record down day.

I did help hubby to get his motorcycle from shop, and I ran the dog, but other than that, it was a sharpen-the-saw day…

DRESSING FOR LESS…

I’m not sure if I’ve shown this outfit (or part of it) before…But…

Well…

Since I can’t remember…

Let’s just show it anyway! ;)

It’s all about attitude really…We don’t have to have expensive clothes to feel good or to look good for that matter.



Have you ever known anyone with really bad skin, but their smile was so engaging that you really never saw the acne? Well…That’s how it is with clothes…

Wear what you like…

Don’t worry about whether it’s “In” or not because…Well…Who really cares? I never have.

And…Make sure that you’re comfortable in your outfit.

SIDE NOTE...

A couple of ladies (who shall remain nameless) were commenting one evening on my sweater. They may have said that they liked it…I really don’t recall. What I DO recall, however, is that the one said, “I used to have a similar one”. The other replied, “So did I”. And then there was some comment about, “Well, maybe they’ll come back in.” GASP! The “IN” word! Well, was that a virtual slap in the face, or what?! (They really didn’t mean anything by it.)

So…Did I go home and promptly hide my dear sweater in the inner depths of my closet? My word, No! I still wear it and feel good…No, great...Every time I do! :0)


If you’re like me, and you don’t like to shop…



Be creative!


I am always putting together what some may call “the same ole’”…The same ole’ top…The same ole’ pants…With a different top…Or different pants…Or different jewelry…Or a different coat…Or…

Do you get the picture?

You can have a seemingly whole new outfit just by being imaginative!



Since I keep my clothes for a long time, I don't usually recall just what I paid for them...But here's a guesstimate...

Jacket—-Second-Hand Store…Probably between $4.00 and $7.00

Leopard Print Blouse-—T.J. Max (?)…I’m sure that this was under $12 and maybe less.



Heart Necklace—Second-Hand Store…$3.00



Earrings—Second-Hand Store…Between $1.00 and $3.00



Standard Narrow-Legged Pants…I don’t honestly remember where I got these other than that I believe they were given to me…Free



Black Half Boots—Maaaaaaybe WalMart…?

I have such a time finding shoes in this one-size-fits-all society. I remember growing up when they would actually measure your feet and fit a shoe exactly to your foot. I had a AA toe and a AAAA heel. Now, I have to find what I can (usually wider than I need) and make do…

So, these would have been the most expensive item at around $22.



Depreciate your clothing over the number of times that you have worn it…And, if you started off with relatively inexpensive items (quality does count, as they will last longer), then you have a nice-looking and reasonably priced outfit.

A ROUGH BREAK-DOWN…

JACKET

Number of times worn: 12 (It could be more for sure)
Price: $7.00
Today’s cost to wear: .58

LEOPARD PRINT BLOUSE

Number of times worn: 15 (Again, I’m guessing)
Price: $12.00
Today’s cost to wear: .80

HEART NECKLACE

Number of times worn: 5
Price: $3.00
Today’s cost to wear: .60

EARRINGS

Number of times worn: 5
Price: $3.00
Today’s cost to wear: .60

BLACK NARROW-LEGGED PANTS

Number of times worn: No guesses here
Price: Free
Today’s cost to wear: Free

BLACK HALF BOOTS

Number of times worn: 15 (Could very well be 20 or more)
Price: $22.00
Today’s cost to wear: 1.47

TOTAL COST OF TODAY’S OUTFIT…

$4.05

Now, that’s a deal!


Did I like it?...Yes

Was it comfortable?...Yes, and the shoes were comfortable for the amount of walking I did…(Very important little trick ladies…Wear appropriate shoes for the day’s activities)

Was it “IN”…Don’t know and Don’t care

So, see ladies (and gentlemen ;), we can all dress with respect and dignity for a very low output....

And doesn't that feel good!

THE WEEKEND…

Work, work, and more work…:/ Work I brought home and work that’s AT home…ALL waiting to be done…

And the yard to clean…and the car to wash…and the oil to change…and the draperies…and the tapestries…and…

Stop right there! We all know the saying…

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”…

Well I neither intend to be dull OR a boy, so I’m going to play a little bit with my babies at the St. Patty’s Day parade and then…

For at least part of the time this balmy Saturday afternoon…

This is where you’ll find me…