Playin' Tag

Courtney tagged me which is cool because I've never been tagged before. Because, as you might have noticed, I don't have one of those nifty little blogrolls on the side. Because I do not know people, in real life, that blog. I read strangers blog's like Pioneer Woman. I'm lame, I get it.



So, I'll play-



What I Was Doing 10 Years ago-



~planning Caroline's 1st birthday party- it was Princess themed



~redecorating Caroline's nursery because in some bizarre fit of pregnancy induced hormones I originally decorated it in Winnie the Pooh. Immediately upon arrival home from the hospital I looked around the room and thought, "What the hell did I do?" True story. My husband is a very patient man.



~I was on a diet. I have been on a diet most all the time since I was 12. Except when I want Chicken Fried Steak. Or pie. Or ice cream. Or....



~I was living in Abilene for the last summer I would spend there.



~I was enjoying the liberating experience of going to Target everyday, if I chose, which I often did choose.



Five Things on My To Do List For Today

~sign closing papers on the old house

~laundry

~pick up kids

~watch American Idol results show

~look at cheap vacation options

Things I Would Do If I Were A Billionaire



~Pay off my house and car and tell Casey to quit his job



~Ask my Dad what to do with the rest of the money



~Give some of it away to people who really need it



~Go to Disney World several times a year with my favorite people and do ridiculously extravagant stuff



~Build an awesome, wheelchair accessible playground for Hill Billy Ville



Three of My Bad Habits (just three, huh?)



~When I am all "fired up" I have a mouth like a sailor. Really, it's bad. I try not to talk that way but it still occasionally slips out.



~Pretty much all of the food I eat.



~I tend to be overly critical and have ridiculously high expectations of people.



Five Places I Have Lived (I've only lived in four)



~Odessa, TX



~Abilene, TX



~San Angelo, TX



~Stephenville, TX



Five Jobs I Have Had (HA! FIVE jobs! Not even close....)



~TCBY



~Babysitter



~SAHM

The $20 Table & The Chairs I Hate

Okay, so we went through how I am now vain and tired of the cruddy, hand-me-down furniture, right? Perhaps we skipped the part of the story where I don't have unlimited funds. But I don't. Have unlimited funds, that is.

So, we used the money we did have to buy a new dining room table and chairs which I will show you later this week. That left me with no more money. I hate it when that happens.

And I needed a table and chairs where the kids could do homework and eat snacks and all that without messing up my pretty new table that no one is allowed to touch. Just kidding. They can touch it. They just can't eat at it. Kidding about that too. Sort-of. Anyway, I needed another table and chairs. And I found some chairs that I fell in love with- at Pottery Barn- here they are-

Funky and fun, right? Well, two issues. Numero Uno, the hubby did not think they were funky or fun. He hated them. And then he found out they were metal. He really hated them. Issue number 2- they were $129 each. A little more than my $0 budget allowed for game room chairs. Then I had a thought. Generally, that's reason for everyone to be scared. I am a little scared just remembering it.

So, here's what I did- I bought this table on Ebay for $20. Yes, $20 on Ebay and Casey picked it up for me on the way home from a meeting. Not so pretty, huh? Don't worry.

So, I did a little painting and a little sanding and I think I did a fair job of transforming this ugly $20 table. I added to it the ridiculously ugly kitchen chairs we have used for the past 9 years. I have never liked them but they were free and I do appreciate the fact that they were given to us. But I still hate them. Actually, I did hate them. Now, I am totally into them. I like them alot, in fact. AND they were free. So- $20 for the table, $6 for some liquid sandpaper, approx. $40 in paint and here's what you get

Please excuse the dusty floors. I would love to say that's a freak thing and that they are always clean but I have this thing about telling the truth. I gotta keep it real. And we are a little messy, for real. Also, the red chair looks a bit garish in the pics but it really isn't, I think it was the funky shadow. I realized later I didn't get a close -up of the table itself. It's flat black with some distressing to the edges. Very nice for $20 and with the pedestals in the middle rather than legs it functions WAY better for the Dunk man. The rest of this area of the room is still unfinished. It's wired for an overhead light but we do not have one at this point- would love some suggestions for that. Also I painted some canvas for the "art" on this side of the room but am a bit undecided on that at the moment. So what do you think?

Real Stuff and Carnivals

Yeah, well, that didn't work out so well did it? I can't believe how bad I have become at blogging. And the thing about it is, I really like to do it. Weird, huh?

Okay, well first, someone wanted to know what the opposite of real furniture is. Let me try to explain. The furniture we have had for the past 11 years has come from flea markets, garage sales, or belonged to someone else we know. Basically, someone gets a REAL dining room table and they say, "Hey do ya'll want our old one?" and we nod enthusiastically and say yes. Then we keep it forever. Oh, and the dining room table was one they had for 8 or 10 years and they themselves bought it used. And no, I am not kidding. And I am grateful for the hand me downs because for a lot of years we were much more concerned about paying therapy bills than buying furniture but now I am vain and tired. I want nice things. I want to invite people to our house and not have them feel like they are inside the Salvation Army. It's probably a personality flaw and maybe even a sin but it is what it is. I am tired of the mismatched, broken furniture we have had forever. So, there you go.

And our new dining room table and chairs have arrived without incident. I am going to try to get some pictures of them but no promises because I cannot seem to locate the cord that connects my camera to my computer- ahhh, technology, right?

And all the projects are moving right along but now they are going to be sidetracked because I have to go get my carnival booth stuff together. I really do not want to get my carnival booth together. As a matter of fact, I don't want a carnival booth at all. I don't even want to go to the carnival. But, alas, I am the roommother, and it is written ( in some freakin' weird roommother code book, no less) that the room mother must be in charge of the carnival booth. Why all civilization might crumble down without the roommother's running the carnival boothes, right??

So, happy Monday and I hope none of you have to be in charge of a carnival booth!

I'm Back! Sort-of.

Wow! Sorry, I haven't been around. Time is really getting away from me these days. I can't believe it's been more than a week.

Seems this time of year is prone to being super busy. We certainly are. Everyone we know is. You probably are, too.

Lot's of projects to show you, finally some pictures of the house are coming, and I even got my first piece of real furniture. Promise I'll be back tomorrow!

Garage Sales

Yesterday, we had a garage sale. I know, I hate them too. Well, I like to go to them I just hate having them.

It wasn't bad as far as garage sales go.

Let's see- somebody wrote me a check and dated it Oct, 12, 2004. Yes, for real. It was a small check so I am not gonna stress over it. No less than 20 people tried to buy my cheap-o wicker patio set from Garden Ridge. I wouldn't sell it. I thought about it but then when everyone else wanted I sort-of wanted it too. Go figure, right?

We sold a piano for $20. We really didn't want to move it again. And that was actually great. A young guy and his wife bought it and he was so excited, it made me happy that he got it. And a nice older man bought Caroline's Radio Flyer Tricycle for his great-granddaughter (for almost as much as the piano, no less) That was the one and only thing I was having a hard time letting go of. I did love that tricycle. I guess that's pretty obvious, huh? Caroline is almost 11.

Angie you'll love this- I sold a whole box of Blue Ridge dishes for $25. The lady seemed to really want them and I don't think she was a dealer. I figured why not? Then I sort-of felt sick to my stomach about it.

Lot's of "Lets Make a Deal" which is generally something I do not do. It is just aggravating to me. And seriously, if you don't want something enough to pay $1 for it, then you don't want it. Plain and simple. Really. If you see something and then think I don't want it a whole $1 worth, maybe I want it a quarters worth, then you should just move on.

Cremation & Other Lunch Time Discussions

Last week we were discussing being cremated over lunch. Wait, maybe I should back up just a bit. I was with my family and we were on our way to a funeral. We were having lunch first.

Maybe we need a little more explanation. We were on our way to the funeral of a long time family friend. There are times when death is tragic and there is no other way for those of us left here on Earth to view it. There are other times when it's a blessing, a homecoming for the deceased, an end to the suffering. This was one of those times.

I just didn't want you to think I was being disrespectful. Probably wasn't the classiest conversation I have ever started but it was respectful. I have my boundaries.

So, we're at lunch. I commented that I was surprised our friend had not chosen to be cremated. She had made all of the arrangements herself and she was a very thrifty woman. I explained my thought process and that I had always thought it was less expensive to be cremated than buried. There was some discussion on that and it seems it depends on where you live and if you can actually be cremated there or if they have to send your body elsewhere. Apparently, that gets expensive. I had no idea.

So, I told my brother as I have already told my husband, that he is free to have me cremated as long as he doesn't tell me about while I am still alive. Nightmares and such, you know? Anyway, the way I figure it is that gets you out of having to pick out a casket which is just about the creepiest thing I have ever had to do in my entire life and I do not wish it upon any of my loved ones. Plus, you save some money. Win-win, right?

Well, maybe not. It is pointed out during our discussion that you have to put the ashes in something. Seems some of those urns cost as much as a casket, and I don't know this from personal experience but I am gonna guess that picking out an urn to put the ashes of your loved one into is probably just as creepy as picking out a casket. Then my brother and I point out that you could just use a Ziploc but most of the family agreed that no one was gonna go for that. Dad thought maybe they had something more Tupperware-ish, probably not. But there are bigger issues.

Someone then has to take charge of your ashes for all of their life. I know a few people who would probably get a kick out of being such a burden in the afterlife. I am not one of them. Can you even imagine?

"Okay, now that Momma's gone who's taking her ashes?'

"Not me. I've already got Aunt Thelma and Uncle Marvin"

"I am not taking her, I hate that Chinese urn you picked out"

Seriously, can you imagine? Eventually, somebody has half the family in urns scattered about their house. Oh mercy, talk about creepy. Think about it. Every time another family member passes on you have to go add in your own will who has to take them when you die. God Bless the poor souls who got left to me. Let's just say I like to throw things out when they are no longer useful. As far as I can tell, the ashes of a dead body are pretty much good for nothing.

I said they could just scatter me. There was then some discussion about it being more difficult than portrayed in movies and the words "hard and chunky" were used. I don't know about any of that personally, I am just reporting what I heard. Maybe the funeral home would let you borrow an urn and then scatter the ashes? I said the mall parking lot was fine. Have you seen what people leave beside their cars in the mall parking lot? No one is gonna notice a few "hard, chunky" ashes, I am sure of it.

My brother said he was going to divide my ashes into small Ziploc baggies and make everyone take a little bit of me. I pointed out that I had to live that way in my life on Earth and I would haunt him if he did that to me in death. He agreed that would be cruel. Although, a funny concept.

"Yes sir, we're gonna need Momma divided. Half into that rusty urn with the chippy paint that will look so precious in my sun room. That's the one Momma would have wanted anyway. And the other half in the hideous Oriental thing my sister picked out."

Crazy Eight

Today my favorite little boy turns 8. He's a happy camper. He took "sports stuff" for his treat bags to his class and sprinkled doughnuts rather than cupcakes. Chocolate milk instead of juice. Bar-B-Que and chocolate cake have been requested for dinner. He isn't your ordinary eight year old.

Eight years ago today there were an awful lot of unknowns in our little family. It was a scary day. A scary time. God provided us an unimaginable kind of peace through those first few weeks but we were still left with unknowns. Worries. Fears.

I would love to say those have completely disappeared but that would be D-U-M-B, as Dunk would say. They are there and I suspect they always will be. They change, evolve into new unknowns and new worries. But they don't leave.

But what we couldn't know on this day eight years ago is what would come along with the unknowns. Pure joy.

Our son has blessed our family in a way that I never would have thought possible. He is an inspiration to everyone he knows. Probably to many he doesn't know.

I could say that in every way except physical he's a normal eight year old. I could say that but I would be lying. Sorry, he's way better than "normal". He has a better sense of humor than most stand-up comedians. He watches The Office with me because he gets it and thinks it's hilarious. He is normal in that he thinks farting is about the funniest thing that can happen ever. His quick wit blows me away. Duncan comes up with the perfect comeback immediately that you and I think of ten minutes after the fact.

His memory is impeccable when he wants it to be. He is a male after all. The details he can recall are astounding. Generally he can tell you not only the name of a restaurant where we dined but what he ordered as well.

He's a "foodie". Loves good food. My Dad recalls the story often of Duncan eating the raw tuna appetizer at Rough Creek Lodge on my thirtieth birthday. Dad ordered it and Duncan commandeered it as soon as it arrived. I'm not even sure my Dad got a bite. Crab legs are a new favorite thing. He even tried a raw oyster at the Country Club. He chewed it and swallowed. Took a sip of his drink and said, "I don't care for anymore of that, thank you". I told you he wasn't normal.

Duncan has great taste. When given the opportunity to go shopping for Easter he had a simple request. A new sport coat. With brass buttons so that it would give it a military style. He used the term military himself. He also refused the pink gingham Polo I showed him using the exact phrase his father had used many years ago when I bought him a similar shirt. "I really don't want to wear a picnic blanket"

He's smart. No, like crazy smart. Alot smarter than me. When you and I were kids our parents told us we could be anything we wanted when we grew up. They were lying. With the obvious exception of jobs requiring physical skill, Duncan can literally do anything he decides to. He is that kind of smart. As we were riding along in Casey's truck one evening this past year, Caroline decided to work on her multiplication facts. She said she needed to work on her 7's.

So I say to her "what's 7 x 4?"

And she says "okay, just a minute"

Duncan says "it's 28"

And I say "you don't even know multiplication!"

His answer? "yeah, but it's 28"

Duncan has added so much joy to our lives. I simply cannot imagine our lives without him. The wonderful, beautiful thing about that is he has also added that joy to so many other peoples lives. We have been blessed to know families we otherwise, wouldn't have known if not for Dunk. He is, for all practical purposes, a local celebrity. Everyone knows Duncan. Everyone loves Duncan.

We love you Dunk- Happy Eighth Birthday!!

Muchas Gracias

Thanks so much to you girls who left a comment this week! I am always humbled that anyone takes time out of their week to read something I wrote. Suffice it to say alot of you didn't play along, but that's cool too. I really don't need anyone to comment ever. But I do hope that at some point you'll at least say hello!