The Kween  asks  us to tell about our most romantic gift…. and that it not be one recieved for an “occasion” such as holidays, birthdays etc.

When I first looked at this topic I thought, Ohhh…I’ve had lots of those, then I read the parameters and my field narrowed considerably. Most gifts I’ve received have been for occasions. Dang. Now what?

Then I had to actually think. Remember. Are you kidding me? I have a terrible memory. Good luck with that. After some thought I did come up with something. And as I thought about it, it was a really wonderful, thoughtful something. Romantic? Not in a moonlight and roses kind of way. But in a “I Love you, care about you and am thinking of you and your needs” kind of way.

The gift? A fuzzy blanket.

We were in Germany, it was our first year, and first winter there. Being an AZ girl, I was constantly freezing. And then I got sick. Sick, sick. Ended up with a nasty case of bronchitis. We were beyond broke at the time, our paycheck was budgeted out to the tune of 3.50 / week for entertainment money.  Pathetically broke.  On one of my sickest days, hubby came home with this wonderfully fuzzy and soft blanket for me. We didn’t have the money for it, but there it was in all it’s warmth and comfort. It wasn’t flowers, or jewelry, but it definitely tops my list of favorite gifts, and 21 years later, I still have, and love, that wonderfully soft and comforting blanket – given in love.

Please stop by the Kween’s site and read the other great entries on Romantic Gifts!

Question of the Day:

What’s the best gift you ever been given — EVER??

Today we did the dreaded garage sale. It’s not really dreaded, just procrastinated. Although having a garage sale is not the most fun in the world…it provides two great benefits. 1) I get rid of some clutter and 2) we make us some moo-la. With a few exceptions my garage sales are usually very successful. One dismal failure in CA I blamed on location, and one in AZ that I also blamed on location. I’ve had boxes in my garage since our move. Things that I found while unpacking, and thought “why the heck did I even bring this”.  We also went through closets and bedrooms in the last couple of months. What I thought was a small collection of junk really turned out to be a good garage sale collection. We made our signs, and got up early this morning. We had pretty good traffic, and although we got off to a slow start we had great success. All the big items went by late morning and by the time we closed at 1:30 we left with just the bare bones. We boxed that up in 3 moving boxes and hauled it off to Goodwill. One rule I have is once it’s been out to the garage sale it doesn’t come back into the house (with big ticket items being the few exceptions).

After that Squirt had some friends over for a movie night. 4 teenage boys, 3 teenage girls — the volume level definitely increased around here! Unfortunately Squirt’s best friend bailed on her. They had planned this together about mid-week, but “Candi” decided that she would rather hang out with her new friend tonight instead, so just told Squirt she couldn’t make it. Candi has done a lot of things I don’t approve of since meeting her new friend “K” – which have include harassing Squirt via texts and phone, saying ugly things, ditching her when they had plans and then pretending the next time her friend K isn’t available, that nothing happened. Squirt is having a hard time adjusting, but is working on exploring new friendships and getting more involved with her other friends. I have a feeling that Candi and K are going to soon alienate all their other friends, but only time will tell. 14 is a crappy age. It was crappy for Ducky (at least in the friend department), and it’s being semi-crappy for Squirt. :sigh:

All in all it was a productive day. The kids had fun, the garage is cleaner and we made a couple hundred bucks. I got a little too much sun and too little fluids, but all in a good day. And now that the miscellaneous teens have all gone home, a good night as well!

There are two kinds of people in the world: Those that garage sale and those that don’t – which are you?

****Edit*****

What the heck??? Someone left me 1 star? Why don’t they just be open and honest and tell me, hey I think your blog sucks? Jeesh. I wish they told who left stars, at least if your commenting you know who said it.  Of course I allow anonymous commenting so that wouldn’t necessarily apply either. If I don’t like someone’s entry – I just leave and don’t return. I don’t bother to stop and insult them. Jeeze.

I’m not much of a forward person. Typically I read all my forwards, but unless I am REALLY impressed by it, that’s all that happens. I love all the “you are my friend ones” but don’t typically forward them, not because I don’t have any friends, but becuase I know some people don’t want endless forwards. Like my mother-in-law. She actually shut down her preivous email because all her friends and family did was forward things to her, they didn’t actually send her quality content and orginal correspondance. Which let’s face it, forwards are a great way to let someone know that you are thinking of them. I don’t think there is anything wrong with them. I just don’t tend to send them back out into the cyber void

I often get really funny stuff, which I started saving in a file to use in my blogs, but alas, always forget to utilize. Yesterday a friend sent me a fun email. It’s based on one of my favorite games – Scattergories. So I thought I would post my answers and challlenge my xanga friends to do the same — I’m not going to tag anyone, but I hope some of you will take up the challenge!

SCATTERGORIES – it’s harder than it looks! Copy and paste into a new email. 

Use the first letter of your first name to answer each of the following. They have to be real places, names, things – nothing made up. Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same first initial – which by the 
way is hard if you already have read their answers! You cannot use your own name for the boy/girl names. 

1. What is your name?  Annette

Ahhh…finally a featured question worth my time. I love all music, I’m a rocker at heart but have eclectic tastes. I love early rock and modern rock. I love blues, jazz, surfer music, reggae, classical and even some country. All rock is on my list as well as easy listening, techno and dance. Celtic music, instrumentals and Broadway musical soundtracks. Pretty much anything, I’m willing to listen to it and be open-minded. All that being said, if I were to have to choose 5 bands, no wait scratch that - if I could pick 5 bands to entertain me and my friends they would have to be: (not in any particular order)

Rush

Pink Floyd

Supertramp

Eagles

and this one is under debate between the hubby and I:

either Aerosmith or AC/DC — still arguing that one. 

I thing I know, it would be one heck of show! 

I just answered this Featured Question, you can answer it too!

I had an entry all typed out but my stupid computer ate it

Now it’s late and I’m ready for be so I’m going to get back to this tomorrow, so until then have a great evening!

Stress has many nasty side effects. We’ve had some interesting experiences with stress of late. Some of it brought on by financial concerns, some brought on by frustration through dealing with with bureaucracies and red tape, and some because we no longer have the Air Force security net. Whatever the cause, or the circumstance, the stress level has been pegged at our place lately.

Poor Happy Go Lucky Hubby has really never had to deal with these types of emotions, and he just had a sharp learning curve.

Today was my turn. I’ve put in for a short-term sub contract. They called an informational meeting, at which they told us they were going to hire 15 subs. 15 subs out of the 23 showed up at the meeting. I figured my odds were pretty good. We were supposed to be notified by Friday, and nada.

What’s got me is this thought that for some bizarre reason that I can’t seem to get ahold of, I’m apparently not up to snuff. I didn’t get a job a Target, Hastings or Borders. I have all the experience necessary- besides more than enough education and for some reason I’m just not a person they want to hire. So I started getting slightly despondent. I’m not depressed. Just frustrated and down in the dumps. Now even the subbing place doesn’t want me for 1 of 15 positions out of 15 people. Jeeze.

I’m off to do some more stress relief. And maybe have a brownie with ice cream and fresh strawberries. Maybe that will help.

Question of the Day:

How do you deal with stress?

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Happy Easter Everyone!

That’s right. Ducky’s Day is tomorrow.  What day? The day she has been counting down to since Christmas. Tomorrow Ducky leaves for Maui. And boy do I wish I were going with her. While she’s enjoying the island breezes. sun and surf, I’ll be here in bone dry NM suffering with crazy allergies. <Sigh> I hope that she has fun. And that she is safe. And that she only does things we would approve of. This is also the first Easter she’s been away. Hubby has been away many Easters. Matter of fact that seems to be the holiday he always misses. The kids and I always have celebrated together, dyeing eggs, hiding and hunting eggs, and eating chocolate, going to Easter Vigil Mass….. it’s always been a family affair. It’s going to be strange with her gone.

Squirt has had lots going on. She’s been working on a project – positive role model in history. She had to dress up in costume, have three props and give a presentation on it. She choose Mary Church Terrell. We’ve spent lots of time on this in the last week or so and it payed off with 106 / 100.

Squirt has also been dealing with teenage girl drama. Ugh. Ducky went through something like this in 8th grade too. I hate 8th grade. That’s why I don’t want to teach middle school. The drama and spitefulness just makes me crazy. We had some tears and some yelling and a sleepless night. It seems to be fine now, but this week end it sure seemed like the end of her world (at least to her).

I’ve been busy subbing. They are actually starting to request me, which is nice. That’s the job I’m doing tomorrow, and I’m glad, as this class is so much fun. I also called to check on the status of my NM credential. I swear the people that work in those places must go to B###h school  The one I talked to evidently graduated Magna Cum Laude. Ugh. I just want to say “why are you so rude? Do your supervisors know how you treat the people on the phone?”  Do you think their supervisors know, or for that matter even care? I just don’t understand why if you don’t like helping people on the phone, why take a job where that’s all you do all day??? I don’t understand these people. But then again I’ve seen teachers who obviously don’t like children. Shouldn’t that have been a clue that teaching wasn’t the career path for them? Hmmm….. you would think it would be obvious. Don’t like blood? Stay out of the medical field. Can’t stand sitting all day — reconsider that secretary position. Allergic to animals — vet schools probably not your cup of tea. Would rather eat than cook, culinary arts is not your specialty.  To me it seems cut and dried, but I know lots of folks end up working where they are not happy. I tell my girls all the time, find what you love and figure out how to make a living doing it.

I guess why that’s why I can’t give up on teaching.

Question of the day:

Are you loving what you do and doing what you love?

I know my blogging has been hit and miss lately, and I’m way behind on my reading and commenting. What can I say? Real life caught up with me. I’ve worked some, but been busy all the time since I’ve last posted. I even completely spaced about camera club and read my message from Terrific58 about it on Friday afternoon some time. Yikes. What a slacker huh?

Hubby got back on Saturday. We have decided that since retiring from the Air Force we have become a bunch of wimps — because for some reason we all really had a tough time with him being gone for 1 and 1/2 weeks. Normally – 1 1/2 weeks would be nada. We could do that in the blink of an eye. heck we even did 1 year apart, only seeing him 3 times that year. 1 1/2 weeks is nothing. A walk in the park, a day at the beach, easy peasy lemon squeezy — really. Somehow though, retirement turns you into complete and total pansies – because all of us were ready for him to be home like the day he left – hubby included! Of course with my mom’s heart attack, that put some extra desire for the comfort station to be back where it’s supposed to be and of course, he felt at a total loss not being able to help or do anything. Anyways, we are glad he’s home and he’s decided he’s not going to travel if he can avoid it. Truthfully, he didn’t travel much for the last 3 years, so we were already semi-used to him being around.

Ducky leaves in like 10 days for Maui, where she will spend Spring Break. I must admit, I’m jealous. I’m missing Maui bad right now! To be truthful I think we all have a touch of spring fever.

We did finally get new phones yesterday. I just upgraded to another basic phone. I really don’t need much an it seemed silly to pay the extra dough for all the features I would never use. Ducky got an EnV in Silver, and Squirt got a Juke in Teal (which matches her new nano, awwwwww…….). All I can say is they better take care of them cause any replacements won’t be coming out of my pocket book! I do like both of their phones, but truthfully, just would never use all those great features ~ so why bother?

They are nice though!

Ok, I’m off and I’ll be back to read and comment tonight – I promise!!! 

Question of the Day:

What features do  you use on your cell phone if you have one? 

My mom is doing much better. At home and supposedly resting. See she’s supposed to do very limited activity for 7 days, that’s because of the cath or whatever the heck they did, that went in through her leg in that major artery. At any rate, she has to be careful not to break open the blood clot or cause it to travel. after 7 days she can resume regular activity, whatever she feels up to is OK. So I’m talking to her on the phone yesterday and she’s complaining that dad won’t let her do anything and he’s exhausted from doing all the chores and cooking etc. and how he won’t even let her stand at the sink and wash dishes.

So, me being her daughter, I gently (read sternly) remind her that the Dr’s. said NO Activity for 7 days. She was limited to the equivalent of walking the short corridor of her hospital wing for 7 days. To which mom replies “The nurse said I could do whatever I felt up to, if I felt like I could handle it, I could do”.

At this point I accuse her of making crap up to suit herself, that the nurse said she could do that AFTER the 7 days, until then NOTHING!!! Mom begins to argue and I stop her  by saying that I was right there when both the Dr. and the Nurse gave her the instructions and that if I needed to I would call them to confirm it — that shut her up. Temporarily anyways. She’s convinced that the 7 days is over on Friday though. How she got that I don’t know, since they told her 7 days from her release and that was Sunday. I’m thinking I’ll let dad take that one though, he’s had more years of practical experience in arguing with her.

And my hubby accuses me of being stubborn. HAH! He’s only getting a watered down version, he has no idea how lucky he truly is!!! LOL

We’re making pizzas for dinner and the timer just went off, so I’m off to slice and dish up some cheesy pizzay goodness.

Oh – before I go – news: I mailed my completed package for my NM certification off today!!! Yep! FINALLY got the employment verification from CA and sent that bad boy off. With no delays I should have it back in 1-4 weeks. Hooray!! There is light at the end of the tunnel. It is a tunnel and I’m not truly buried underground. Yippee!!!!!

Question of the Day:

Did you inherit any obvious character traits from one or both of your parents?

This weekend my folks were supposed to come and visit. They were supposed to leave out Friday morning. About 9:30 (hours after they would have normally left) I get a call from my mom saying she’s not feeling well and they are going to Urgent Care.  She’s had indigestion several times in the last week and 1/2, once seriously enough to warrant a drive to urgent care, during which she belched, got immediate relief and turned around and went home. Evidently on Thursday she started feeling poorly. Dad convinced her Friday morning to go in. She had started throwing up during the night. After a few tests, they hooked her up to an EKG just to be sure and found out that she had a heart attack.

She was sent to ER in ambulance and later that day helicoptered over to Las Cruces to ICU. She had a Cath and stint put in, but did not need a bypass thank goodness. I drove down as soon as the girls got out of school. I had to wait, because as usual, Hubby was gone when something went wrong. Which, incidentally, he’s felt horrible about. At any rate I drove down to Las Cruces, and spent the weekend there. Mom was put in a regular room on the cardiac wing on Saturday afternoon and earlier today she was released and dad took her home. She is now (after 50 years) a non-smoker. She has to change some things, and her stubbornness is showing, but she’s in for a surprise. Because she passed her stubbornness on to me! I’ll be danged if she’s going to continue on the way she has! I’m going to badger the heck out of her!

This is exactly one of the reasons we wanted to retire here. So that we could be close enough to get to family in one day if needed. I was so glad I could go down and be with my mom on Friday. Especially since my father couldn’t make it from Silver — as he hadn’t slept all night and hadn’t eaten, he was completely out of it and had to get some sleep before making the drive. But I was there so she wasn’t alone. I was so glad I could be there. And I’m so glad she was doing well enough to go home. It’s an eye opener for us. It heralds life changes. And makes me think that it’s time to make changes in my own life as well.

I’m so grateful we didn’t lose my mom this weekend. I’m just glad God saw fit to have her stay with us for a little longer. My mom is one of my very best friends, and has been for years. On top of that, my dad is totally lost without her. I always expected that he would go first, with all his health problems, high blood pressure, ulcers, 2x cancer, etc., etc… and I was trying to arrange our life so when the time came, mom could come live with us, hopefully in a little mother-in-law type house. This weekend I faced the possibility that it might not work out that way. I know my dad, and he would just fade away with my mom gone. He had a hard time even packing, he was completely lost without my mom. Not because she does everything, but because she is and always has been the center of his universe. Growing up we always knew the surefire way to get into deep trouble was to make mom cry for some reason. Then you were in BIG trouble!! He was so lost this weekend.  Normally he’s so strong and decisive. Until she was released, he was unsure and scared. I hope he will not let her walk all over him and will bully her into behaving herself!

I am just so grateful. Grateful that she’s better. Grateful that I could be there. Grateful there was good hospitals and doctors. God is good. And for today, right now, life is good.