tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75016048370746639832024-03-12T23:46:38.173-05:00Tassie and Her Random ThoughtsTassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.comBlogger300125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-12370366289059573242014-04-08T19:44:00.001-05:002014-04-08T19:44:04.174-05:00Love love thisHow cool is this? Love this color! Whatcha think? Professional enough that you'd take me seriously?<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkxW6MmqptR77ASQNtUySuBnvF9zKZmjODyWGuZWDj7KzQWwcUTl7tfpbmjbm1eKuuZ1DKypLJ2-q3jYygonRaBCK5cfwMQQ-tyNyMZFMlZGvwPqAAIvvNJRrjZ4oZ8OrT6gGRvBEnUI/s640/blogger-image-407082571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkxW6MmqptR77ASQNtUySuBnvF9zKZmjODyWGuZWDj7KzQWwcUTl7tfpbmjbm1eKuuZ1DKypLJ2-q3jYygonRaBCK5cfwMQQ-tyNyMZFMlZGvwPqAAIvvNJRrjZ4oZ8OrT6gGRvBEnUI/s640/blogger-image-407082571.jpg"></a></div>Tassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-36653074684613812672014-04-07T21:04:00.000-05:002014-04-07T21:04:07.214-05:00A Beautiful Mess (AKA Wisteria)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ahhhh...it's finally here....Wisteria season. It's such a shame that it doesn't bloom longer because it's just so pretty! Now, I'm not normally a "plant" person....I truly believe that I could kill a plastic plant. It's unfortunate that I'm not better with plants, because I really like flowers. Someday I'd like to grow roses. However, if it involves dirt, planting, watering, or weeding I don't think I'd be good at it. <br />
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So wisteria seems like the perfect solution. It's purple, which is good. It's basically a weed that can't be controlled, so there's that. It grows everywhere. Even better. BUT- my husband doesn't like it. We had some in our backyard last year and he did everything he could to kill it. I don't think he sees the beauty in it--he just doesn't like the fact that the roots take over everything and choke out the plants it attaches too. (I can see his point, but since I'm not a big "plant" person, this doesn't bother me.) I say, let the beautiful killer plant loose. It's gorgeous. So, long story short- I no longer have wisteria in my yard. <br />
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Fortunately for me, it grows everywhere. My favorite spots of wisteria is where it grows close to some other purple blooming plant I can't identify. My mom can probably tell what it is. She's good with plants. I love wisteria. The other blooming plant I like is the purple crepe myrtle. There's a section of North Jackson Street that is lined on both sides with deep purple crepe myrtle. I like driving that strip in summer when it blooms. I'm trying to grow that in my yard but our horses have continued to use it as a chew toy and scratching post since we planted it. It looks like the Charlie Brown Christmas tree. So sad.<br />
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So for now, I'll appreciate the wisteria from afar. I'll watch it overtake other people's gardens and wish I had some of my own. Spring is here. Soak it up people!Tassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-19882307476553697712014-04-04T20:46:00.000-05:002014-04-04T20:46:55.266-05:00Note to Self....Blog More.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, I may have one or two people who actually see this and wonder aloud, "Wow...I didn't know she blogged" or "I'd totally forgotten that Tassie had a blog." Yeah, I had forgotten it myself too. I love to blog. There's something very freeing about putting yourself out there. I just wish I had more time than I seem to lately to blog. That, and decent Wifi. (It's not available where I live. I've checked.)<br />
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I don't currently feel like I have my creative blog juices flowing, so Ill just stick with the basics and keep it brief.<br />
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What I'm up to-<br />
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**"Wife-ing" and "Mom-ing" - Still married to an awesome man and my kid is pretty great too. They are patient people...they live with me. I love them to the moon and back.<br />
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**I'm in the middle of renewing my National Board Certification. It's the teaching equivalent to birthing a baby naturally. I'm in labor and pushing. Hoping to see this over soon.<br />
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**My dad died in late December. I miss him. Every. Single. Day.<br />
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**Glitter is good. It makes me feel better. Don't believe me? Trying wearing some to work next Friday.<br />
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**I'm part of book club. We've read two books so far and I'm enjoying it. It's hard reading during the school year. I'm managing to put off writing for my National Board stuff by reading, so... win, win.<br />
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**Candy Crush Saga-I'm stuck on level 34. I'm hooked. <br />
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So, that's all I've got for now. I think the "blog well" has been dry for so long that I need to prime it a little. Hopefully I can do that before you forget I have a blog. Until later.....<br />
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Toodles!<br />
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<br />Tassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-60236477581016839152013-01-20T15:09:00.003-06:002013-01-20T15:09:38.531-06:00Cheery Has Left the Building and This Is What's LeftI've still can't load pictures from this computer to this blog. Grrrrrr. Oh well. There is much on my mind and I need to share it.<br />
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I had a mini-meltdown of sorts this week. Actually, I had a couple. This tends to happen to me every year. Some years are worse than others. At the worst of times, I think that these meltdowns are strictly work related. That, somehow my job is to blame. I only think this because I'm always who I am and for the most part, teaching is all I've done. I've worked a couple of other jobs: movie theater (box office, concession), retail clothing, Kroger cashier and bagger. I'm wondering if I were to work there now, if I would be stressed like I am now. Sometimes, I think I would. The stresses would be different, of course. But stresses none the less. <br />
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I'm an overachiever. Always have been. I think this is due to a low self-esteem. I'm getting better, I think. If I thought I was even a fraction as good of a teacher as other people say that I am, I think I would be conceited. Hard to live and deal with. So the way I compensate is to do more. Do things differently. Beat myself up all along the way. Does this work? I don't know. You tell me. People keep telling me that I'm a leader, that I'm doing a great job, that I'm a good person. Do I believe this? No, not really. So the vicious cycle continues. Do more, try harder and I'll do a better job and then I will feel better.<br />
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But here's the truth. The work is never done. Ever. I work 7 days a week, 365 days a year. I am your tax dollars at work. I take no time off. It many ways, it defines me. And this saddens me. I know there is more to me than what I do for a living. So, what's the answer then? There's only this.<br />
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Let go and let God. <br />
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He's got this. He gives me the strength, the will, the patience to forge forward. The answer to my heaping plate of things to do is not to get a bigger plate. That's what I do. My current plate is as large as a serving platter. The next stop is to hire someone to help me carry the next size platter around. Seek God's face and his understanding of my place. Why I'm here....what I'm to do while I'm on this planet.... Don't worry about everyone else. They're struggling too. <br />
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Sounds good, right? I know all the answers. I just need to have faith that I can leap from where I am and He will catch me. I'm standing on the sidelines of my life, afraid, wringing my hands trying to figure how to fix things. How to not be afraid. And failing miserably all the while. I just want to close my eyes and leap and feel the freedom that comes from trusting and having faith in God and His divine plans for my life.<br />
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Doesn't that sound great? Leap from the side of your life, my friend. Hold my hand, let's close our eyes, and listen for God's sweet voice say "I've got you." Because He does....He's got this.Tassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-29583991333748200432013-01-09T21:44:00.000-06:002013-01-09T21:44:37.562-06:00Soda Machine or Evil Plot? I've Got My Suspicions....Okay so there's something wrong with my Internet speed and the blogger website. And by something wrong I mean that I have an incredibly slow Internet connection and the blogger website doesn't like it. (But in reality, this is much better than before we got the jet pack and didn't have Internet at home so I'm not really complaining. I'm just sort of explaining the situation.) I'm sorta bummed that I can't load pictures to the blog. I tell myself that it gives each post a little something extra but in all actuality, it probably just distracts people from the fact that I could have written more. Or written better. The only cure for this is practice. I guess that means I'll have to quit my job and blog full time. I'll be knocking on your door later looking for a place to stay since I won't be able to afford my house anymore. I have a daughter, husband, a chihuahua, and they will all be joining me. Oh, and I like fresh flowers in my room daily. Just thought you'd like to know in advance.<br />
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So tonight's thought fest is on choices. Choices are good, right? I think they are too. But.....can you have TOO MANY choices? Have you ever been in a situation when all the choices took the joy of the moment away? And let's not even mention how irritated everyone else is when a decision can't be made. If you want to start an argument in a group simply start a conversation with , "So, where does everyone want to eat?" Let the chorus of, "I don't care. Where do you want to eat?" ensue......But I digress. Back to choices. <br />
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Tonight my family ate at the new Firehouse Subs restaurant. It just opened a couple of days ago and we were curious. I've never been to a Firehouse Subs place before, so I don't know if this is typical or not, but this place doesn't have a drive thru. Ironically, it's also next door to a gym. I'm betting that Firehouse Subs will be getting lots of business from people either after they work out or those that plan on eating first, then working out but forget to go workout and end up going home. But back to the experience. I'm not familiar with the menu and was a little apprehensive when I looked in the place and it looked like it was full of smoke. When I opened the door and went inside I was happy to note that nothing smelled like it was burning. I later found that they steam a lot of their sandwiches so bonus....you get good food and a sauna experience at the same time.<br />
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There were a few people in line ahead of us, but mostly that was people staring up at the menu board trying to decide what to eat. I noticed they had 10 choices for their combos and then a few other cold sandwiches on their menu. There were lots of side items and other information about adding items to your order for nominal amounts. So far, so good. I decide to order a brisket sandwich (it's the #10 combo), I picked my chips (jalapeno flavored kettle chips) and then got my cup. I took it over the soda machine and this is where our story takes a steep nosedive.<br />
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You see, Firehouse Subs in Starkville has a Coke Freestyle soda machine. Just one machine. You're saying "So what?"....right? Well, for those of you that just came out from under the same rock I was living under and don't know about the Coke Freestyle machine, let me enlighten you. Soda machines have now gone hi-tech. This soda machine is about the size of regular soda vending machine. Except it has ONE SPICKET and it has a TOUCH SCREEN. And about a MILLION flavor options. Sounds good so far right? Except for the fact that there's only one spicket. One spicket. One spicket for everyone in the entire place. What I found was that the line to get your drink was as long or longer than the line for food. I can only imagine how kids (and probably some adults) will find it necessary to add both grape and peach flavoring to their Diet Vanilla Cherry Coke. Or perhaps they'll want to mix both Diet Lemonade with fruit punch and Dasani water that has added carbonation and grape flavoring. Either way, you have confused people who have difficulty making choices holding up the entire drink line. This machine is also the place to get ice, so it's not like you can munch on the ice you got from somewhere else while you wait for the drink line to get freed up. <br />
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Now hear me out..I thought the machine was interesting. Touch screens...fancy lighting....what's not to like? And I'm sorta a newbie at the Freestyle machine. I've seen it one other time at a deli in Jackson. The drink line was always longer than the food line there too. Which is a lot like what I saw tonight. Gone are the days of just picking your base drink: Coke, Sprite, Diet Coke, and then something else (Orange, Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew.) And it's a shame really. Because when that ONE SPICKET stops working, no one will get any drinks. So my feeling is that in the area of soda machines, we need fewer choices and more spickets. <br />
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If you want choices, go to Sonic. They have like a gazillion different drink combiations. I'm pretty sure they have more than one machine too. Also at Sonic, you can go through the drive thru or pull up to one of the slots available. If you do the pull up spots, you don't feel like you're in line behind anyone. And side bonus....they have happy hour every day from 2-4 with drinks half off. You want fancy drinks, go see the good people at Sonic. And they have awesome ice, but that's a different post for a different day.<br />
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I guess in my rant I didn't mention anything about my food. My sandwich was fabulous and the chips were good. The drink on the other hand....well, it was a little overrated. It's an evil plot....and it's name is Freestyle Coke. Tassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-88782114431259581802013-01-07T20:41:00.000-06:002013-01-07T20:41:09.848-06:00My Laundry Hamper ListToday I went to a training and part of it dealt with goal setting. Part of our warm up exercise was to make a list of some fun goals for ourselves for 2013. I wrote down some goofy stuff, but I'm thinking it's time to get serious about making a bucket list and put some of those down as obtainable goals for the coming year. Does anyone out there have a bucket list?? I'm not sure what kind of things are on them....<br />
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So here's what I've come up with so far...<br />
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1) Zip Lining- I've done a very small version of this at the May's Corn Maze back in October. (When I say small, I mean really small) I want to do the kind where you zip line through a forest or something. I don't need to go over some deep ravine or anything.<br />
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2) Clogging- I'd like to find a clogging group and join it. When I was younger, I can remember seeing some groups perform here and there and I'm convinced I could do a great job. (I have a long history of dance....lessons, performing,etc)<br />
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3) Hand Bell Choir- I also dabbled a little in this when I was in Key West. I went to a church that had a bell choir and I got to participate some. I really enjoyed it and wish that I could do that again.<br />
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4) Yoga-I've always thought that participating in yoga would be good. I don't really like to exercise but I'd like to try this and see how I'd like it.<br />
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5) Professional Actress- I think I could do a really good job at doing commercials or being on a regular TV show. Also related to this--I think I should have my own reality show. I'm pretty entertaining and I KNOW that my job is entertaining. As I've said before, If Honey Boo Boo can have a show, I can have one.<br />
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6) The Northern Lights- Someday I'd like to see the Northern Lights.<br />
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7) Alcatraz- I'd like to visit Alcatraz, not be an inmate there. I've been to San Francisco before but wasn't able to visit. It bummed me out to be so close, yet so far away.<br />
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8) Sign Language- For some reason, I feel very drawn to sign language. (Side Note- I do have Meniere's Disease which has caused hearing damage but I'm not deaf.) I'd really like to learn sign language enough to be fluent. I could then be an interpreter.<br />
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9) <em>What Not to Wear</em>- I need to be a contestant on this show. I need someone to show me how to dress properly. Right now, my current style could be labeled as "tacky."<br />
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10) Eiffel Tower- I'd like to go up the Eiffel Tower. I'm not sure if they let you spit from up there, but if you could, I'm guessing it would be fun.<br />
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That's all I have at the moment. I'm not sure how this compares to other people's list. Do you add stuff like "cure cancer" or "meet the president" on a bucket list? I saw parts of the movie <em>Bucket List</em>, but I didn't finish it because you know that someone dies in that movie. Hence, the bucket list.<br />
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Also, I'm not sure if I want my goals hanging out in a bucket. I know that the whole reason the word bucket is there is because of the reference to "kicking the bucket." I'm not fond of buckets.....they remind me of moping floors or people throwing up and I'm not a fan of either. I think I'll keep mine in a laundry hamper. It doesn't have the same ring to it, but if you know me at all, you know I don't do things like everyone else. If you have any ideas that could added to this list...let me know. I'll add them to my laundry hamper.<br />
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Toodles!Tassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-70873836399388444792013-01-04T20:50:00.000-06:002013-01-04T20:50:45.535-06:00A Tapas of TopicsI am determined to blog. This is my fourth attempt today. There are times that I truly feel inspired and writing comes very easily. Then there are the other days. I think today is one of the other days. I had several topics floating around but none of them took off. Or it could be that those topics were fine but I didn't have enough coffee in my system. Regardless of any of these problems, I will blog. I can't promise it will be interesting...but I don't make that promise any time I blog. So there.<br />
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It's currently too late for coffee, but I just made some sugar free hot chocolate so maybe that will help. (On a sidenote...I'd like to mention that I realize that hot chocolate also contains caffeine and if it's too late for coffee than it must also be too late for hot chocolate. My mind knows this but it still seems illogical to drink coffee this late because of too much caffeine.)<br />
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So I went to see <em>The Guilt Trip</em> last night with my friend Kathy. It was pretty cute. There was a scene where she mentioned "tapas" and I've heard of it before but never had it. (I also Googled it to be sure I was sure I knew what it was before I mentioned it.) For those of you that may not be sure what it is either, tapas is basically bite sized appetizers that originated in Spain. In some places, tapas consists of the entire meal, since it is thought to take the focus away from the food and people can talk more Okay, now I know why I've not had tapas before. <em>I like to eat and have no problem talking before, during, or after the meal.</em> But really, I'm not going to talk about tapas....I'm just going to offer my blog topics in a tapas format. Small...bite sized nuggets of my thoughts. <br />
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In no particular order...<br />
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1) I tried to blog earlier about one of my typical days in the classroom. Fact: <u>No day is typical in my classroom.</u> Also, being on vacation has made me soft (on many levels) because I had trouble remembering all the stuff I do. I will keep notes one day and then see if it makes for an interesting topic to blog about. I'm convinced I could have my own reality show. If Honey Boo Boo can have a show, I KNOW I could.<br />
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2) I made a batch of buttermilk ranch salad dressing from the packet today. Is it just me, or does it taste better from the packet than the bottle? Also, I'm a firm believer in the fact there is no "Lite" ranch dressing that tastes good. While I was making the dressing, I was also cooking English peas. I went to drop some butter in the bowl but instead dropped the stick of butter in the dressing. I picked up the stick of butter and rinsed it off and then used it in the peas. Is this gross? Has anyone else ever washed off a stick of butter?<br />
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3) Which leads me to think of the "3 second rule." I'm betting it's one of those things that people do but no one will admit to. I'm not saying that I adhere to a 3 second rule or not, but I think it's funny that it's the type of thing people do but won't talk about.<br />
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4) Apparently I think that my hot chocolate can tell what time of day it is. Like somehow, if I drink this hot chocolate now, I won't be wired later and will be able to fall asleep with no problems. We'll see.....it may be a blog topic tomorrow.<br />
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5) Over Christmas break, I developed a taste for turnip greens. I've never liked them before, but my mom made some and they were yummy. Since then, I've made them three more times, both frozen and from the can. They taste okay, but not as good as my mom's. I have noticed that they taste better with pepper sauce on them. My brother told me to try "pot liquor" which is basically eating cornbread that you've soaked in the juice from your turnip greens (also with pepper sauce.) It was yummy. (Sidenote..the pot liquor was only at my mom's. I've never made cornbread before.)<br />
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6) I am excited about the return of <em>American Idol </em>and <em>Switched at Birth.</em> David can't really stand either of these shows and we have one TV. He does suffer with me weekly as I continue to watch <em>Finding Bigfoot.</em> I am a believer. He's out there somewhere. I also believe that the next American Idol winner and deaf people are out there too. I don't think there will be a show about them together though.<br />
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7) I miss the big hair of the 80's. Not mullet hair or anything, just the big hair. Like old school Reba big hair.<br />
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8) I love Christmas. And I love Christmas songs. But I despise Christmas songs out of season. I can stand to go into a Christmas shop in July but it doesn't excite me. However, I think Christmas stuff should be put out in the stores right after Thanksgiving. I think eventually Thanksgiving and Christmas will become one big holiday. Christgiving. Thanksmas. <br />
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9) I recently discovered that <em>Happy Days</em> and <em>The Brady Bunch</em> both come on in the afternoon on a particular cable channel I get. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed both of those shows until a couple of days ago. I know I have seen every episode of <em>The Brady Bunch</em>. I'm guessing that show came on during prime time at some point. I don't remember it then. I only remember it as something I watched after school on reruns. Anyway, I've enjoyed watching those shows this week. On an episode I watched today, Mr. and Mrs. Brady snuck out of the house to buy Bobby a bicycle and Alice called all their friends looking for them. Ah....the days before cell phones. I imagine their problems would look a lot different if it was set in the current year. But honestly, I don't think I'd want to watch it then.<br />
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10) I was thinking today about work and it dawned on my that my work has now become my hobby. Somehow, that doesn't encourage me. I need to find a balance of work and the rest of my life. Especially if I plan on working for 15 or 20 more years. I figure I'll need to work as long as it takes for Raelynn to land a career she enjoys. If I plan on staying around that long and not going off the deep end, I need balance.<br />
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So there you have it....a tapas of topics. I'm actually proud of myself. I've made it to the end of this post. I hope you've stayed with me as well. I enjoy blogging. Some days more than others. And like I said earlier, I think this was one of the other days.<br />
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Toodles!!Tassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-13422522643464417772013-01-03T18:28:00.001-06:002013-01-03T18:28:29.332-06:00Choose Hope. Always.<br />
So I may have spoken too soon about being able to blog more frequently. Okay, let me revise that....I may not be able to blog in the way that I'd like to more frequently. And by that, I mean blogging that includes pictures. I am using our fabulous jet pack thingy that is allowing me to get online, but much to my dismay, it doesn't provide high speed Internet access. More like Internet access that will work on that "no patience" flaw of mine..... But I'll try to load another picture before I post this. Either way, I'll blog.<br />
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So, thanks to everyone who read my post yesterday....and a special thanks to Harvey S. who posted a comment. He mentioned an assignment we had in high school to write our own obituaries for the year 2030. I don't remember that assignment. And that bothers me a bit. It just goes to show that you remember some things that are important to you and others not so much. What I remember about the class that Harvey mentioned was that I had to memorize the poems "Anabelle Lee" and "O Captain, My Captain" and recite them in class. I also remember that she gave oral tests on the tape recorder. She taped herself giving the test to her first period class and then just replayed it for everyone else. Too bad for you if you had a question or needed to hear number 3 again. If someone from first period didn't need to hear it a second time, then you didn't either. Her name, Harvey, was Mrs. Robinson. I also remember that she also called us "Little Chickadees" and said "Now get in the barn, little chickadees...." We all thought she was strange. And I guess when you're a teenager, most grown-ups fit in that category. (But really....she was strange.)<br />
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But I digress.....Mrs. Robinson isn't today's topic. For some reason, I feel led to put the message "Choose Hope" out there. I don't know if someone reading this is feeling a lack of hope in their lives or not...but I still feel like I need to say it. I can't really offer much else in the way of any particular encouragement, but I do know this. God has a plan and He is mighty. He will provide when you least suspect it and need it most. When I encounter people that are lacking hope, I relay this metaphor. <br />
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Life is like one big cross stitch project (especially mine.) We live our lives underneath the project, looking up at all the knots, the tangles of colored thread, the loops that weren't pulled all the way through, and the thread that stretches from one side to the other. None of it makes sense. We can't see what we're doing and it all seems random. God, on the other hand, is seeing our life from the top view. He already knows the beautiful picture that our lives will become. How looking at this exquisite piece of art will inspire others....how it will cause others to see something in themselves they didn't know was there. We can't see it yet...and for that matter, have no idea what the outcome of the design will be. We just get caught up in the tangles underneath. God takes the knots of our lives...the trials...the heartbreak....and makes beautiful things from them. Know that is what He is doing for you right now. Have hope. Hope always. Hope doesn't make you weak. It makes you strong.<br />
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So, I don't know who that is for but I feel that I was led to share this. I hope that this finds you well, with a smile on your face, and love in your heart.<br />
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And if not....choose hope. You are a masterpiece in the making!!!!<br />
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ToodlesTassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-53970365480878195022013-01-02T20:26:00.000-06:002013-01-02T20:26:10.571-06:00So......What Was I Saying????<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It would be really awesome if I could start this post with "So...." and keep going like we were in the middle of some important exchange and I was simply picking up where I left off. But that's not going to happen....see....I love to blog but haven't been very regular at it for over a year now. That's sad because I'm sure that I lost some readers during that time (maybe one or two out of a total of five) but I've got a really good excuse. For over a year now, we've had no land line here at home. That was my only means of logging online at home. <br />
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See...David and I both went for smart phones in August 2011, and cut our land line. This means that we had Internet capacity on our phones, just not on the computers. And as my luck would have it, I wasn't able to blog on my phone. But anyway....we still don't have a land line. We now have something called a "jet pack" with which we can log on wirelessly. So voila....I can now blog again! Aren't you excited about that? (If not, just nod and fake it.) I love to blog and have missed it terribly. I'll have to start my list of potential blog topics again....I had a mental list going at one time, but it's been so long that I've forgotten most of them. If you have any ideas, let me know.<br />
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So it's 2013. That blows my mind. I can remember being in fifth grade and figuring out how old I'd be when we got to the year 2000. At that time, I doubted that I could ever be that old. So to think that we've gone past that to 2013 seems even more unbelievable. Last year was a year of ups and downs. But really...aren't they all? So far this year, nothing up or down has happened. Tomorrow I may even try to stay in my pjs all day. Vacation time is good like that. Maybe in the meantime, I'll think of an interesting rant.....which will lead to more frequent posts. I love to blog, but I love knowing others are reading it as well. <br />
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Toodles!!Tassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-35566366524064163942012-06-22T18:55:00.001-05:002012-06-22T18:55:23.842-05:00What? She's Blogging? The World Must Be Coming to an End!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello world...<br />
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I am starting this blog post with a picture to remind any of you faithful followers that this is what I now look like....after what seems like YEARS since I blogged. Time has been good to me and I look the same as the last time you anxiously read my newest blog post, right? (The correct answer here is to nod in agreement and say "Why of course!")<br />
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So you may have wondered what's going on with me and why I've not blogged much. And if you haven't wondered that, you just haven't followed my blog much so after you read this you should get comfy and do some reading of my older posts. Then follow me. I'm not sure what that is on Blogspot, but I like the idea of having followers. (Please note that I realize that my previous statement makes me look really dumb in the technology area. I DO KNOW what followers are. I am a proud member of the facebook, twitter, and pinterest cults and plenty of people follow me there.) I wish I had more "followers" of my blog and if you know how I can do that without being too "techy-like" (yes, I just made that word up) I'd be appreciative.<br />
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So, here goes nothing. Or something. It could be long. It will contain tidbits of what's swimming around my head.<br />
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1) <strong>Reasons/excuses I give for not blogging</strong>: You must have an Internet connection, computer, and time to blog. I have none of these at home at the same time. I do have these at work but those kids keep me from blogging because I WORK FOR A LIVING people. But seriously, I don't blog at school because I barely have enough time to take care of basic needs like eating and using the bathroom there so I'm all about prioritizing what needs to get done there. If I have to pick between blogging and going to the bathroom, I'm going with the bathroom. <em>Sorry about that.</em><br />
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2) <strong>My summer thus far:</strong> I started my summer battling some pretty bad staph infections <em>(thank you stupid diabetes for the weak immune system) </em>and<em> </em>I've been somewhat crabby due to pain from doctors cutting me open. Things are appearing to improve on that front so I'm happy about that. Pinterest has taken over my life and my list of things to do this summer is a gazillion miles long. I'm on project number 6. I like being crafty. Join pinterest and check out some of my cool pins. Follow me and you get even more brownie points. And who doesn't like brownies, right? <em>(thanks again stupid diabetes for not letting me enjoy real brownies anymore.)</em><br />
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3) <strong>Movies:</strong> I think I've seen most of the movies that have come out this summer. I enjoy the movies. Best job I ever had was working at the Cobb/Regal Cinemas in Key West. I must state here that I do have some standards, though. I think that movie producers are ripping us off by making all these movies in 3D. Is is necessary to see Madagascar in 3D? I think not people. (Will it keep me from going to a mediocre movie because it's 3D? Probably not. Way to go producers...you win.)<br />
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4) <strong>Blogging: </strong>I REALLY miss blogging. Blogger.com is a great site but it's been awhile since I blogged and they've changed their format and all since then. I don't like change. It was perfectly fine the way it was. And I had more readers then. Maybe that's why no one reads my blog much anymore....Blogger went and changed...it has nothing to do with the fact that I haven't blogged. <br />
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5) <strong>Dot dot dot and parentheses:</strong> I find that I use these two things quite a bit when writing, emailing, texting, tweeting, facebooking.....Does it bother people? I sort of like it. I just wonder what everyone else thinks.<br />
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6) <strong>Purple highlights</strong>: This week I went and got my hair done with purple highlights. Yes, I am serious. Why? I think the better question is "Why WOULDN'T I? And why haven't I done this sooner?" I like it. David doesn't. He loves me anyway. We agree to disagree. <br />
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7) <strong>Obvious Observations</strong>: Today while eating lunch with a friend I noticed the number of people that had on maroon or Mississippi State related clothing. It was quite a bit, but then I stated the obvious....we live in the hometown of Mississippi State, so that makes sense. I just thought that it was interesting that in a deli at lunchtime, there were about 20 people all wearing MSU stuff. And yes, I checked to see if any group came together like maybe the MSU bowling team showed up. They didn't. We may have a bowling team....I don't know. I'm not really into sports. Unless you count Pinterest because if you do then I totally am into sports.<br />
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8) <strong>Ice ice baby:</strong> As I've written about before on my blog, I am an ice connoisseur. If you are in my area please visit these locations to enjoy the ice. You can get a drink if you want but it's the ice that makes the experience....In no particular order of awesomeness: Sonic, Oby's, Zaxby's, and Snow-Biz for the obvious reason that they sell snow cones.<br />
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9) <strong>Hip Cancer:</strong> Is anyone looking into whether or not carrying your cell phone in your front pocket affects your hips? I find that I can't deal with wearing clothes without pockets because I carry my cell phone everywhere. It doesn't feel right unless it's with me. Anyone else out there like that? Cuz I'd hate to think I'm going to be the only one getting chemo in the future from their cell phone.<br />
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10) <strong>AT&T bad/Verizon good</strong>: David and I divorced AT&T back last August and upgraded to smart phones with Verizon. He has an Android and I have an iphone. I don't think can ever go back. However, the down side is that I no longer have dial-up (did you think anyone would ever say that NOT having dial up would be a bad side) or a land line. This is why I can't blog as much. I love to blog but I love my phone more. I'm sorry people, you're just going to have to deal with it. If you miss me that much, you should look me up on Twitter or Facebook and follow me. I can do these on my phone and they are sort of like mini-blogs. It's a win/win situation. I get my phone and you get a mini-blog...and let's face it...a little of me is better than no me, right?<br />
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So that's it for now. I'm currently sitting in Hardee's nursing a watered down Diet Coke and using their Wifi to bring you this blog post. Maybe I can come here again soon so I can write more. You'll read it won't you? The correct response here would be to nod your head in agreement and say "Well of course I will!"<br />
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Toodles my friends!!!!!<br />
<br />Tassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-29893319369473394812012-01-22T15:37:00.003-06:002012-01-22T16:11:14.063-06:00I'm Feeling Old and This is the Proof....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2DS6MmKhAmUh-38KyqB819tqqbS37Upt3FYYcohrPgz6QPMJfWxnTFFWAc36UbDiHpm5I4HvNHxKWkUFMMwgiEQbm_C_p0eBchtH1FSm0kF8McxCzcQ0vEQSB1H2fIoeleE5rina49I/s1600/t-diabetic-identification.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700573745639812194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2DS6MmKhAmUh-38KyqB819tqqbS37Upt3FYYcohrPgz6QPMJfWxnTFFWAc36UbDiHpm5I4HvNHxKWkUFMMwgiEQbm_C_p0eBchtH1FSm0kF8McxCzcQ0vEQSB1H2fIoeleE5rina49I/s320/t-diabetic-identification.jpg" /></a> Hello faithful followers....<br /><br /><br />I hope this finds you all well....Me? Not so much...... Here's how I know-<br /><br /><br />I just bought a Medical Alert bracelet.<br /><br /><br />Yes, you read that correctly. If you haven't followed me on Facebook or in any recent blog postings (and if this is you, why wouldn't you want to???) I was diagnosed with Diabetes this past Thanksgiving. Honestly, I think I knew for awhile that it was a possibility, but I didn't really let myself believe that it could really happen.<br /><br /><br />You see, my parents are both diabetics. My paternal grandmother was a diabetic...all of them type 2 and all of them (seemingly to me) older when they received their diagnosis. My grandmother died when I was 13 from complications of a stroke. As far as I know, she never took insulin. I laugh because I can remember her telling me that she'd drink the sweet tea from the TOP of the container since it had "less sugar." I'm thinking she probably ate what she wanted, when she wanted.<br /><br /><br />My parents both take insulin and have for years. My mother is quite the cook and can make anything sweet taste good and be sugar free. I just never thought I'd be diabetic and would have to eat sugar free.<br /><br /><br />Earlier in the fall, I noticed that I had to urinate a lot more than normal. On a side note, I take a diuretic pill for other things (high blood pressure and Meniere's disease) so in the back of my mind, I attributed it to that. So I did a little experiment and stopped taking it. My frequent urination urges decreased a little, but not enough to have the answer as to why I was having to go so often. Also, I've been a light drinker...meaning that I don't require much to drink during the day. During this period, I found that I could drink close to two liters of water in one sitting without a second thought. Then, I noticed the weight loss. It seemed that in a matter of a few weeks, I dropped close to 25 pounds. <br /><br /><br />So I did what anyone would do in that situation: I made a doctor's appointment to find out what was going on. Of course they wanted me to fast to get some blood work, so I did. I wasn't happy about that at all. They took my blood glucose sugar reading and it turned out to be 285. If you don't know what that means, well, a normal blood reading after fasting is under 100. Given my other symptoms and that blood sugar reading, my doctor told me that what I feared was true: I was indeed a diabetic. <br /><br /><br />My doctor wanted to start me off on insulin, but I asked him to wait until our appointment to go over the blood tests later that week. At that appointment, my doctor told me that my A1C number was a 13. For those of you that don't know what that is, it's a 3 month reading of your average blood glucose levels that is converted to a number scale. Most normal people's A1C is a 6 or under. Someone at a 7 or 8 is considered borderline diabetic. A high score for a diabetic is a 12. Did I mention that I WAS A 13???? That would explain why I started taking insulin that day. <br /><br /><br />So what does that mean? It means that I have had a drastic life change in regards to diet and exercise. I eat very few carbs....I know...sad, right? No bread, no rice, no pasta, no potatoes, no corn, no peas, no fruit, no sugar......so sad. I exercise more than I did before, and hope to make it a regular part of my daily life.<br /><br /><br />The only good news in all of this, is that I've maintained my weight loss. Also, for awhile, my vision was very blurry, but now that I'm getting the blood sugar levels under control, my eyesight has returned to normal. I'm hoping that I'll be able to become more healthy and lose a few more pounds. <br /><br /><br />The bad part of weight loss is that your wrinkles become more prominent. But that comes with old age, right? All I need now is to contract gout or arthritis....and now that I have a medical alert bracelet, I can add those ailments. I left plenty of room, just in case. <br /><br /><br />Until next time, friends.....<br /><br /><br />Toodles!Tassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-69764666839325458422012-01-04T20:06:00.003-06:002012-01-04T21:15:38.498-06:00The Niftiness of a Caboodle<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4aNKBAVCPEsdsRqnjKfCp0vJzjydZ3Nv3PNf2DiThL7e7r-X5H4IlKYefp8ZME6jkvzPuttGLMugJRWN58j9rT9uPwJAnNzGbA6or6_Mjs73GOUP-xF3TRBQyqwDhIT3NsPSDjqBy3g4/s1600/logo_caboodles.gif"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693963943521854658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4aNKBAVCPEsdsRqnjKfCp0vJzjydZ3Nv3PNf2DiThL7e7r-X5H4IlKYefp8ZME6jkvzPuttGLMugJRWN58j9rT9uPwJAnNzGbA6or6_Mjs73GOUP-xF3TRBQyqwDhIT3NsPSDjqBy3g4/s320/logo_caboodles.gif" /></a> I am moving forward through this post assuming you know what Caboodles are. It's only the most amazing makeup container EVER. If you don't have any idea what I'm talking about, take a second and do a Google search and learn some stuff. Then come back and finish reading this.<br /><br /><br />I have to stop for a second and give my usual apologies and excuses for not blogging. For starters, I live in the STICKS. There is no high speed Internet here of any kind. I know because I've checked. You can not get Internet through cable or phone lines. For the longest time we had dial-up and it was TORTURE. We got rid of our land lines a year ago and went completely cellular. Our connection to the Internet at that point was through "tethering" using a cell phone. It was minimally faster. Then, back in August of 2011, David and I upgraded our old flip phones for smart phones. We like these so much better, but we're still relegated to tethering. And only with David's phone. So this means that if David isn't home or is using his phone, I can't get online to blog. Not convenient. So, that's part of the issue. I am, as always, incredibly busy. But I think everyone is busy, so that's not a valid excuse. You just don't meet people who talk about how much free time they have. At least I never have. And in case you've thought, "What about Hugh's Net? Can't you get Internet through them?" My parents (who live about 1/2 mile down my road) have Hugh's Net and if anything, their Internet service is slower and worse than ours.<br /><br /><br />But I digress....back to our topic..........<br /><br /><br />I love blogging and don't do it nearly as much as I'd like. At one point, I was debating about whether I should keep a written list of interesting blog topics. I never did get around to it. Over the last month or two, one topic has been reoccurring and since I had a dream about blogging on this topic last night, I'm taking it as an omen that I should proceed.<br /><br /><br /><br />Many, many years ago, my mom bought me a green Caboodles makeup case for Christmas. At least I think it was for Christmas. My parents let me start wearing makeup around 8th or 9th grade so it was probably about that time. What is amazing to me is that after all these years (close to maybe 30 years or so) I still use the same case. It hasn't broken or let me down in any way. There aren't many items that you use on a daily basis that you can say that about. Over the years, my makeup collection has increased and I've tried to use my Caboodles case as best I can. I've filled it and the extra stuff I've acquired to put on my face ended up in assorted baskets and stuff. Not as organized as I should be and given the time of day that I put my makeup on, I need all the help I can get.<br /><br /><br />Somewhere about 10 years ago, I started using glitter as an accessory to my makeup on Fridays. If you are my Facebook friend, you'll know from my Friday Get Ups album that I go all out on Fridays. I consider it part of my public service. As I've gotten older (and of course more wrinkly), I've decided to use glitter on a more regular basis. I'm talking glitter eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, blush, lip gloss....the whole 9 yards. I think that somewhere I thought that the glitter would reflect light OFF of my wrinkles. Maybe it does, maybe not....but it makes me happy so I'm going with it.<br /><br /><br />My glitter collection has grown and a few weeks ago, I found another Caboodles case that was purple! I transferred all of my everyday makeup to the new purple case and put all my glitter in the green one. I'm very happy with both. I'm also more organized in the mornings now, so that's a plus too.<br /><br /><br />Just so you know.........I took a long time trying to load pictures of my two Caboodle cases. My connection is so slow it wouldn't load. Oh well.....maybe next time!<br /><br /><br />Until next time.....toodles!Tassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-80827972688286762472011-11-23T20:50:00.002-06:002011-11-23T21:53:34.657-06:00Branson: Days 4 and 5So we've been so busy that I wasn't able to post yesterday. That's a good thing when you are on vacation. My brain is fuzzy (and I'm going to blame the diabetes and not me getting old)...so here goes...<br /><br /><br />Yesterday I woke up at my usual 8:30 or so. My mom was already up and went about making breakfast. She took extra good care of me by making a special sausage patty while she was making her sausage gravy with biscuits. It was good. After breakfast, my sisters-in-law Melissa and Susan, my mom, and I went shopping around town. We went to Michael's craft store (I was disappointed), Dress Barn, TJ Max, and Target. I bought some great stuff there. I got a movie I've been looking for "What About Bob?" for $5 (score!!!) and some new holiday hats that I didn't already have. I also got some great Christmas lights that I'm going to put around my computer.<br /><br /><br />We came back to the room and relaxed for awhile and we all decided to go to a place called Lambert's Cafe, which is outside of Branson. Their claim to fame is that they throw rolls at your table. Yes, you read that correctly. They serve country style food in a rustic atmosphere. They started throwing rolls at guests many years ago because they couldn't get to the table and it stuck. I bought a shirt and a very large insulated mug that I will be using at work because the Circle K cup I bought about 10 years ago looks ugly. (I also got a magnet for my growing collection.)<br /><br /><br />After dinner, we divided up and went shopping. The guys went to the Bass Pro Shop and the girls went to the Battleship Mall. It was awesome!!!! It had a great Charming Charlies and I got some great stuff. By far, it was the best one that I've been too so far. (I've been to 4 now.) Then I found they had a Sephora, which is another of my favorites. I found some glittery powder by Tarina Taratino. Love it. Next, I stumbled on to a Bath and Body Works, where I've been told there was a glittery lotion that I had to have. They were right. It's this great lotion that has a dial, so you can control your lotion to glitter ratio. As if I'd need to scale down the glitter....right. I was real happy with my haul and we basically closed the mall down and we drove back to Branson. Very shortly after arriving, I showered and went to bed.<br /><br /><br />This morning, I woke up around the same time and Mom made egg sandwiches. I only had half of one because I'm trying to watch my carbs. I hung out around the condo for a little while and then went with David in search of a Verizon store. We found one and David got his question answered. While he was doing that, I was playing phone tag with the doctor's office trying to get my insulin prescription taken care of . Still trying to work that out. If the doctor had not given me a sample insulin pen, I'd still be without. But that's another post for another time.<br /><br /><br />We came back to the room, ate a sandwich and then walked over to the Titanic museum. It was very expensive but I'm happy to say that it was the ONLY thing on the "strip" that wasn't cheesy. We spent a long time there, reading everything and looking at all the artifacts. This was of particular interest to me since I've done a Titanic unit with my students in the past. We left early to come back to go to dinner with my family. Today is my parents' 50th wedding anniversary and we all went to a real nice restaurant called the Candlestick Inn Restaurant. It had a great view of the river and the downtown area. We had stuff that I've only read about.....for appetizers, we all shared several: escargot, calamari, a cheese and fruit plate, and wild boar sausage. We all got a starter course....(we didn't share this course) we ordered sea bass and salmon bisque, french onion soup, dinner salad, and Caesar salad. (Side note here...my brother's Caesar salad romaine lettuce came in a stack that was wrapped with a leek and sat upright in his bowl. It was an interesting sight.) For dinner, we all had different things....I ordered chicken cordon bleu, David had some chicken tortellini dish (my parents had that too), there was an order of beef wellington or two and a vegetable dish that had artichokes and eggplant. Sadly, their dessert menu didn't have any sugar free items but that didn't stop others from ordering. David had tiramasu and Sable had some chocolate mousse cake. <br /><br /><br />Now, I'm sitting amongst family drinking some cafe con leche and updating everyone via my blog. Tomorrow, mom will make her famous breakfast casserole that we'll eat while watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. We will eat and enjoy some great food and family fellowship.<br /><br /><br />Until tomorrow....<br /><br />ToodlesTassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-60963549585637500602011-11-21T20:45:00.002-06:002011-11-21T21:11:40.336-06:00Branson: Day 3Howdy friends!<br /><br /><br />I know....complete shocker...me posting three days in a row...once you pick yourself up off the floor, feel free to continue reading.<br /><br /><br />So, the day started with me sleeping in until 8:30. For many of you, this would not seem like a big deal, except that I get up every work day morning at 5. On the weekends I manage to sleep until 7...so it was a nice surprise to have a little extra shut eye. (On a side note here...when I was a teenager, I would list eating, sleeping, and taking a bath as my hobbies. I've been told that as a child, I never had any trouble doing these things. Apparently, nothing has changed.)<br /><br /><br />I took my blood sugar reading and it was below 200 for the first time in over a week. Note that this is still high, but things are slowly improving. I'm on insulin now, so hopefully I will get the hang of all of this soon and the numbers will all pan out. My mom was up too and she made a nice breakfast of eggs, bacon, and biscuits. Very yummy. <br /><br /><br />After breakfast, my mom and I went to Walgreens around the corner. She needed a new battery for her blood glucose monitor (both of my parents are diabetic.) Once we walked around a bit, she realized that she had picked up my dad's talking meter (he went blind a year ago) instead of hers, so she left me at Walgreens to go back and get the other meter. While I was in Walgreens, I picked up some nifty light up Christmas earrings, some glittery eyeshadow, and a Branson magnet for my fridge. Score. It turns out that we had forgotten to pack the electric griddle at my mom's so we decided to go by Walmart to get another.<br /><br /><br />Branson has two Walmarts. The old one (it has no groceries) is closest to the condo so we went there. Mom got her battery and found an electric griddle for $18. I bought a butcher knife since the condo only has steak knives and it was a chore to chop onions with it last night. The cashier at Walmart gave me a strange look. I'm guessing that it was weird to just buy a big honking knife, and when I assured her I wasn't crazy or angry with anyone her expression did not change. Oh well.....<br /><br /><br />Next to Walmart was a Jubilee grocery store. My mom and I walked around picking up items for Thanksgiving. Mom usually does the cooking (and completely loves it I might add) but this year we are splitting up the work. My job is to make deviled eggs (I created the world's best recipe...everyone says so) and mashed potatoes. I found an easy and great recipe for the potatoes from an episode of Rachel Ray, so now I can contribute that as well. After the grocery store, we came back to the condo.<br /><br /><br />I took my sugar reading again, and it was lower than the morning but still pretty high. My lunch consisted of radishes, bell pepper, carrots, and celery with spinach/artichoke hummus for dip. After lunch, I took a nap. I love to nap. And napping on vacation is the best.<br /><br /><br />After my nap, I went and had a massage and facial. That was David's present to me. We are celebrating our sixteen wedding anniversary on Thursday. His sisters, Susan and Melissa, also got massages...for their birthdays. It was very lovely and now I feel much less stressed. But since I'm on vacation, I wasn't too stressed to begin with.<br /><br /><br />My brother made his famous cafe con leche and I had a cup of that after my niece Sable made a very tasty chicken enchilada casserole. I've now showered and will grade a few papers before I go to sleep. I have no idea what we are planning on doing tomorrow but since I'm on vacation, it doesn't matter. There aren't many times that I can do a whole lot of nothin.....this week, I'm hoping to become better at that.<br /><br /><br />Until tomorrow my friends....<br /><br />Toodles!Tassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-3651194734185158972011-11-20T21:17:00.002-06:002011-11-20T21:35:26.426-06:00Branson: Day 2Hello faithful followers! (All 2 of you!)<br /><br /><br />So, here we are in Branson, Missouri. As I mentioned yesterday, my parents are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this week. They wanted some time with all the family together, so my brother and his family drove from Denver, and we met in the middle. All together, there are 12 of us. We are staying at a real nice condo, and since our party is so large, some are staying at another condo a mile or two away.<br /><br /><br />Our breakdown today....<br /><br /><br />First and foremost, breakfast. (I know it sounds like all I do is talk about food, but you have to admit that food, and good food, is awesome.) Since we didn't have any groceries here, we went out to eat. I suggested Cracker Barrel. I love that place. I ate two eggs over medium, 2 pieces of turkey sausage, a biscuit, and some hashbrown casserole. My blood sugar reading this morning was high, so I'm guessing that the Subway sandwich bread last night may not have been the best idea. After breakfast, the Denver crew came in from driving all night. We met at my mom's condo and made a list for the store. <br /><br /><br />My mom and I drove across town to this super huge Walmart. Our cashier told me that when it was built (and it looks pretty new) that it was the second largest Walmart in the country. I found some healthy snacks and much money later, we came back to the condo. David, Raelynn, and I walked over to a 50's diner and I had a chef's salad. We walked back to the condo and I managed to grade a set of papers. Yes, I brought papers to grade on vacation. They just don't grade themselves, you know. While I graded papers, my brother made me a cafe con leche. It almost made it painless.<br /><br /><br />Anyway, for dinner, my mom made chili which we used in a taco salad to cut down on the carbs. There was also rice to put the chili over but I resisted. I love rice and that was difficult. After supper, my niece Sable wanted to go to a place called Cakes and Cream. It's this great dessert parlor. David and I were going to walk while everyone else drove but after checking the weather, we decided to drive. I ended up getting a sugar free strawberry sundae. It was pretty good, but it didn't look nearly as tasty as David's funnel cake. <br /><br /><br />I'm really tired, but I wanted to update everyone on the exciting happenings. I know, doesn't sound too exciting, but when you live from stressful moment to stressful moment....calm and quiet days are a welcome surprise!!!!<br /><br /><br />Toodles!Tassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-40261695650397607112011-11-19T21:20:00.002-06:002011-11-19T21:34:00.906-06:00Branson: Day 1<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_tm653hkLu8aZgp2Q_ZDVoDYjGSc_PjUuQBlgGBQMc4O6eqkL7B3i7G2Yp8AaUAY6UXmXqqyFe76rC91AKzD3ZhuKwq9VyBEvRiTZaSKAXaxH7-VoBAjD8jMGbAcFhNzq-7VqfVEJ1Y/s1600/branson_mo_big.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 123px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676912717687066594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_tm653hkLu8aZgp2Q_ZDVoDYjGSc_PjUuQBlgGBQMc4O6eqkL7B3i7G2Yp8AaUAY6UXmXqqyFe76rC91AKzD3ZhuKwq9VyBEvRiTZaSKAXaxH7-VoBAjD8jMGbAcFhNzq-7VqfVEJ1Y/s320/branson_mo_big.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div>Hi Everyone!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>It's been so long since I've blogged that it's completely possible that most of you don't know that I EVEN have a blog. The sad truth is that since we killed our land line, I've been relegated to posting from work. I'm not able to post on my phone. I know....this makes me sad too. But, I'm currently sitting in our condo in Branson with a full week off of work, so I'm at a "real" computer with no school work to distract me.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>So....this coming week is my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. To celebrate, my brother, his wife, their daughter, her husband, their two boys, and David's sister (they all live in Denver) are meeting us in Branson. It's sort of a halfway point. It will be nice to see everyone. David and I are celebrating our 16th anniversary</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Day one was basically us in the car all day. We stopped at a McDonald's for breakfast (I had a sausage McMuffin), Taco Bell for lunch (I had a #1 combo), and had Subway for dinner (six inch black forest ham on wheat.) Now.....David is teaching Raelynn how to play Scrabble, Dad is "watching" football on TV (he's blind so he really just listens), and Mom is taking her shower. So far a successful day.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>For purposes of continuity, I'm not going to go off on a major tangent (I'm sure I have many blog posts just hovering near the surface) but I will tell you this.....</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I was diagnosed with diabetes this week and the doctor has put me on insulin. No bueno. I'm sure I'll be sharing all those ups and downs as I figure this all out. Just saying I have diabetes makes me feel old. All I need now is a diagnosis of gout. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Anyway, I'm back. At least temporarily. And a little of me is better than no me so be happy.....</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Toodles!</div>Tassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-25668316272142797642011-08-18T19:33:00.004-05:002011-08-18T20:03:21.417-05:00Sniff, Sniff....Hooray!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOUrGvbwfzA9U35v7aCyHMpU7-aO5oQXMg-sye9F1jwIxjiFgtA54HDCM4YWIi4WpwbTD4dOdvp1TYOgiaMD1yKMnLKdU_S8GJl_ZKbHD2jEnv2oTB0IAopfoaMUnySP9-_6B3VwgvNo/s1600/gain.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 199px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642364265517020434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOUrGvbwfzA9U35v7aCyHMpU7-aO5oQXMg-sye9F1jwIxjiFgtA54HDCM4YWIi4WpwbTD4dOdvp1TYOgiaMD1yKMnLKdU_S8GJl_ZKbHD2jEnv2oTB0IAopfoaMUnySP9-_6B3VwgvNo/s320/gain.jpg" /></a> The little things in life matter. And really, isn't most of life "little things?" For some reason, lately I've been enamored with the scent of Gain laundry detergent. I've always been a fan and have recently used the fabric softener and dryer sheets with the same scent in conjunction with the Gain detergent. It's a good thing....and a good smell. And with all things good, isn't the concept of "more" better? (I tend to lean towards yes on this one....)
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<br />So you can imagine my excitement when perusing the evil empire, Walmart, I see that Gain also has dish detergent and has teamed up with Febreeze to make air fresheners (plug-in, spray, and an oil based one that diffuses)!!!!!! So of course I purchased them all and surrounded myself with all things Gain.
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<br />Since I spend most of my time as school, I took the plug-in air freshener to school. The oil based diffuser is in my kitchen and the spray is for the bathroom. For the rest of the day, I smiled at odd moments. Those joyous moments seemed to happen each time I passed by the plug-in, so I think I ended up walking fast circles around my classroom just to inhale the Gain freshness that I love. It was a good day....and it smelled good too. I find that a day is always better when the day smells good too.
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<br />Now I'm wondering if there are other small and inexpensive changes out there that can be significant enough to impact me in such a way. I'm sure there are and I know that I'll find them someday. I hope that it's someday soon and that I'll be sniffing Gain the whole time.
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<br />PS-On a lesser side note, I apologize again for my lack of blogging. We have gotten rid of our land line and are now completely cellular. I can read my blog from my phone, I just can't do the actual blogging from it. Getting the desktop computer ready to go online involves several steps so that's why I've been away. That...and my lack of time. But that's a different post for a different time.
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<br />Toodles!
<br />Tassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-88882181427489144122011-06-08T22:00:00.005-05:002011-06-08T22:32:59.231-05:00Got Coupons? I Wish I Did.....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQd3cHkDUkYpeWx_jvDepJsRDuZguy6pk_tecW-PRG5IkI4hNtszYFVtKS1LCYHV6uZnM2oTQLHuWWJ5xAkVx3eAUsxQi4_xNvQDl72vCnsqHaxukgLJj-GHsotwHi9_JS0F68ttDEFNw/s1600/coupons.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 210px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616050342920118322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQd3cHkDUkYpeWx_jvDepJsRDuZguy6pk_tecW-PRG5IkI4hNtszYFVtKS1LCYHV6uZnM2oTQLHuWWJ5xAkVx3eAUsxQi4_xNvQDl72vCnsqHaxukgLJj-GHsotwHi9_JS0F68ttDEFNw/s320/coupons.jpg" /></a> Hi Friends-<br /><br /><br />I'm back! It's been a day or two and I haven't blogged. Sorry about that. Sometimes life gets in the way. My family and I are preparing to go on a vacation early next week, so I'm letting you know now that I probably won't be blogging during that time. Hopefully, I will have lots of things to blog about once I get home.<br /><br /><br />So on to tonight's blog topic: extreme couponing. Have you ever seen the show <em>Extreme Couponing</em> on TLC? It's one of my new favorites. It comes on Wednesday nights at 8 central time in case you want to check it out. The premise is pretty straight forward. Each show highlights two individuals and follows them through a shopping excursion. During this time, they interview the person in their home, show them clipping coupons, and them showing off their stockpiles of stuff. Let's not confuse these people with hoarders. That's a completely different show. Just as engaging but totally different. I find the idea of extreme couponing very interesting.<br /><br /><br />Who doesn't like to save money, right? As a kid, I can remember my mom clipping coupons and using them at the store. I hated going to the grocery store. My daughter....she loves it. This could be due to the fact that I'm a bigger push-over than my mom was and Raelynn gets to pick out stuff to put in the cart. That fact aside, I don't mind going to the store. I usually go once a week. My church has it's large, weekly service on Saturday nights so I try to go grocery shopping on Sunday mornings when everyone else is at church. (Side note: When I bump into people that I know at the store during these Sunday morning trips, I start to feel guilty. Like maybe they think that I don't go to church. I always try to work this into the conversation. It never occurs to me that <em>they </em>aren't in church either so I shouldn't worry about it.) On occasion, I use coupons when I shop, but find that I can't always coordinate using the coupon before it expires. Most coupons that I see are for things I wouldn't use anyway. Of course, this was all before I saw the show on extreme couponing.<br /><br /><br />These people are DEDICATED. Most of them go to stores that double coupons, have member bonus cards, and take advantage of all the sale prices. Most of these people don't work for a living, but spend over 40 hours a week searching for coupons, printing coupons, clipping coupons, organizing coupons, and scouting the stores for sales and whatnot. This is where my problem starts. I do have a store that double coupons up to sixty cents (no it isn't the evil Walmart that I shop at) and has member cards that give you some discounts. I think I could even look through all the sales fliers and do multiple sweeps of the store to record sales that aren't listed. My major problem is getting the coupons to begin with. <br /><br /><br />I don't subscribe to the newspaper. My mother does. I could always get her inserts but these people on the show have a TON of coupons. Multiple inserts and from different papers. On the show I saw tonight, some woman bought an insane number of yogurt cups. Like over 500. I think she may have gotten them free using her coupons in conjunction with the sale going on in the store. Where does she get all those coupons? It boggles the mind.<br /><br /><br />David says another problem we'd have if I took up this hobby is storage space. I don't have a garage or basement, so we'd probably have to build on to our house in order to store everything. According to these people, they save enough money each year that they could probably build on to their house without paying much. Somehow I don't see myself this fortunate.<br /><br /><br />It really looks like these people spend a huge amount of time planning and organizing everything. They have these huge binders with special pages inside to hold all their coupons where you can see them all. I think I remember one of those shows where they said that the lady's coupon binder weighed like 20 pounds or something. I don't know about you, but the thought of organizing all that sounds like fun. I like organizing stuff. (For those of you that know me in real life may argue with that fact, but I find that when I'm not working I enjoy cleaning and organizing stuff.) Knowing myself though, I can tell you that I'd end up going all OCD on that stuff. That's just how I roll. Go big or go home. <br /><br /><br />So....I'm preparing to leave for my trip and will have to do more research on extreme couponing when I get home. If you have any advice, tips, or inserts you'd like to share, let me know. I'm already anticipating all the fun I'm going to have clipping and organizing during this endeavor...because hey...who doesn't love buying 500 cups of yogurt, right? Doesn't that sound like fun to you?<br /><br /><br />Until tomorrow (hopefully)....Toodles!Tassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-74105944614323075852011-06-06T21:41:00.002-05:002011-06-06T22:18:56.415-05:00Pajama Jeans.....It's So Fun To Say!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEMeOiSRsn81gWxbnVj3Z-FOu64oC5FfpAOOyIDP2g4zniwzWhHN-oX2CfDmgwRBYe2xOj-9WOy3lOpOQ1bQxnfeDS0bxQSan69x7yUdbZh_hX8MxBfx5SbY2fu1YTbtvA_1DL6dX7Yo/s1600/pajama-jeans.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615302752259653122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEMeOiSRsn81gWxbnVj3Z-FOu64oC5FfpAOOyIDP2g4zniwzWhHN-oX2CfDmgwRBYe2xOj-9WOy3lOpOQ1bQxnfeDS0bxQSan69x7yUdbZh_hX8MxBfx5SbY2fu1YTbtvA_1DL6dX7Yo/s320/pajama-jeans.jpg" /></a><br />OPENING DISCLAIMER: The post you are about to read is about the ever popular "Pajama Jeans." I don't own a pair and know of no one who owns a pair, so if you are wearing a pair while reading this, please leave me a comment letting me know your feelings on the subject!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Hi Friends-<br /><br />As I promised, I am blogging today. You'd think that with summers off, I'd have more time to blog and do things I like such as eating ice cream and watching TV. Well, that's not really true. I have found time this summer to eat ice cream and watch TV. Blogging...well....I'm working on doing that more often too.<br /><br /><br />So today's topic is a strange one: Pajama Jeans. Have you seen these things advertised on TV? They have their own infomercial that plays all hours of the day and night. Do I own a pair of these magic pants? Heck no! For those of you that haven't seen this infomercial, I'm sure you can find it on You Tube. I'm guessing you have other things worth your time, so if you're not aware of these wonder pants, let me break it down for you.<br /><br /><br />These pants are supposed to be as comfortable as pajama pants while looking like high-end blue jeans. And if you listen to the infomercial and believe what they tell you, every women looks great in these pants. Really? Then how come there aren't any fat chicks in the commercials? The people they have pimping out these pants would look good wearing a burlap sack. I'm betting we'll be seeing an ad for these soon...."Burlap pajama pants! Look rustic while you sleep and since you'll be asleep it won't matter that the burlap itches!"<br /><br /><br />But really, I got a look at the box the other day at Walmart. There's this shelf next to one of the registers that has stuff you can find advertised only on TV. I get really skeptical of anything said to be only found on TV. These people must not have heard of the Internet. But it must work, because I feel confident that someone, somewhere ordered them and it was popular enough to find its way to Walmart. <br /><br /><br />Now the fine people at Walmart don't like it when you open packages, so I didn't get to pull a pair out and look at them. They did have a hole on the front of the box where they encourage you to feel how soft the material is. Feeling how soft something is isn't enough reason for me to buy it. If it's something I will be wearing, I'll need to try it on. And I'm not about to go up to the crabby lady at the fitting rooms and ask her to open the package for me so I can try them on. That just ain't happenin'. I guess I'm pretty skeptical about stuff like this that you see on TV, especially stuff that you wear. You'll never find me wearing the Kymaro Body Shaper. (It's basically the TV version of Spanx.) Again, you won't sell me something that supposed to look good on everybody until I see it on EVERY BODY type out there. Get some real women on there to show how goofy their product looks.<br /><br /><br />So why even waste my time (and yours) by blogging about something that I obviously don't like? It's because the name "Pajama Jeans" just rolls off the tongue and sounds fun to say. Try saying it a few times really quickly---- I'm sure you don't believe me, but it'll be like when someone sings an odd song and it gets stuck in your head. I'm happy to report that I was able to do just that with to some co-workers in regards to Rebecca Black's song "Friday." It's just so bad that it's good. Be aware of yourself after reading this post....I'm betting you'll find yourself saying "Pajama Jeans" "Pajama Jeans" "Pajama Jeans" and smiling. I know it makes me smile to say it. And I'd smile even bigger if I actually saw someone wearing them.....either that or the above mentioned burlap pajama pants. I think both would be a pretty funny sight....Don't you think so too?<br /><br /><br />Until tomorrow (hopefully)....Toodles!Tassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-73058456477746514182011-06-05T19:12:00.002-05:002011-06-05T19:30:29.394-05:00Older Than Dirt and Born Before Rocks<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ssF19MyvDSl-Mp9ZjVblnRAWqV-JVAJkm7ZilJttQCzRlZFYPG_WGZZmV72VGSlZiUHI7VFB6fUBY83LGVBuTMxJEGB0-5I1W8sUXF7KGFo2VNqOVGbd3g6ZZ0w77lVcSN1gDKnmebw/s1600/olderthandirt.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 239px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614893129991290370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ssF19MyvDSl-Mp9ZjVblnRAWqV-JVAJkm7ZilJttQCzRlZFYPG_WGZZmV72VGSlZiUHI7VFB6fUBY83LGVBuTMxJEGB0-5I1W8sUXF7KGFo2VNqOVGbd3g6ZZ0w77lVcSN1gDKnmebw/s320/olderthandirt.jpg" /></a> Howdy friends!<br /><br />As requested by my friend Martha M., I am blogging about today. Today is my birthday. I wish I could say that it's been an exciting day, but if I did, I'd be lying. It's been pretty quiet. Which for me, if there's not going to be a big throw-down party, then quiet is welcomed. Here's been my day:<br /><br /><br />I woke up around 9ish, which is late for me. I went to bed late last night. I've been reading <em>The Host</em> by Stephenie Meyer. (She wrote the Twilight series.) Originally I went to the library to see if I could find a copy of <em>The Help.</em> I couldn't find one. I did find <em>The Host</em> and thought I'd give it a try. Anyway, I woke up, warmed up some breakfast and then proceeded to clean out my closet. I spent some time this morning going through all my t-shirts. I refolded them and restacked them on the shelves. I categorized them into groups: 1) shirts to wear while working outside 2) Twilight shirts -yes, I have enough of those to be a separate group 3) Disney shirts and 4) other shirts to wear. After that, I reorganized my shoes. I didn't have to get rid of much- I had spent some time a few weeks ago going through those things. Today all I did was straighten and organize.<br /><br /><br />When that was done, I washed a few dishes and organized some in the kitchen. After that, I spent some time finishing <em>The Host</em>. I'll return that book tomorrow to the library. When the book was done, I washed the car so that tomorrow I can wax it. Somewhere in there I made lunch for myself and Raelynn.<br /><br /><br />Just a little bit ago, I went to my parents' house for supper. On your birthday, my mom will cook whatever you request (provided you're family.) She's such a good cook so it's hard to choose. I settled on meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, macaroni and cheese, and cheesecake for dessert. It was yummy and Mom sent home leftovers. My parents gave me a nice card, some bracelets, and some money for our upcoming trip to Florida. This was very appreciated. We sat around and talked some after dinner and I assisted David in jumping off one of my parents' cars that had a dead battery. Now I'm home blogging. In a bit, I'll go to my friend Wendy's house to go swimming. I'll meet our other friend, Kathy, there. <br /><br /><br />And that's it folks. Like I said, it was quiet. There have been other birthdays that were much louder, busier, or exciting. I'm trying to pace myself though....we leave for Florida in a week and I'm sure we'll have some fun there.<br /><br /><br />Final Note: Thank goodness for Facebook. I can't tell anyone how much it has meant to me to read all the birthday wishes. Facebook has been a wonderful way to keep in touch with many people from my past. Thanks for remembering my birthday. It's meant a lot.<br /><br /><br />Until tomorrow (hopefully).........Toodles!Tassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-34474744462442036702011-06-03T15:01:00.005-05:002011-06-03T15:40:59.848-05:00There Is No Medical Name for the Fear of Automatic Car Washes.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijDmesdWVoSli0u4W2AaO-wdORZrE5MWHDn5Co9lPM6pNFZEVgaIYVXTKnRm0DIUtH5YowhHZWXU-UCMM_K4QREZK0Ad0t1ldmd9USt37DgUTgMxJ9TOt8pPHkkffScIwdEGR4sv5IfF0/s1600/auto-car-wash.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 243px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614086138054928738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijDmesdWVoSli0u4W2AaO-wdORZrE5MWHDn5Co9lPM6pNFZEVgaIYVXTKnRm0DIUtH5YowhHZWXU-UCMM_K4QREZK0Ad0t1ldmd9USt37DgUTgMxJ9TOt8pPHkkffScIwdEGR4sv5IfF0/s320/auto-car-wash.jpg" /></a> Hi Faithful Readers! (all 2 of you!)<br /><br /><br />Happy summer! I've been out of school now for about a week and a half and I'm in my "decompressing" mode. Teaching takes a lot of you, and there's a reason that we get summers off. It takes that long to "reset" the buttons and prepare for the next school year.<br /><br /><br />So, given this....you might be asking what I've been doing for the last week or so since I've not been blogging? (This is for you, Jess) Answer: A whole lot of nothing! It's amazing how quickly a day can go by with very little accomplished. I'm enjoying that immensely. But I haven't been a total vegetable.....<br /><br /><br />My family is going on a summer trip in a little over a week. We'll be heading down to Key West for a week and then meet David's sister, Susan, in Orlando and we'll do Disney World for a week. After that, all of us will head over to Cocoa Beach for a couple of days and then we'll head back home. For our family, this is major. We go places and stuff, but it always seems that we go to see family as our trip. I'm not saying this is bad, but in the fifteen years we've been married, I don't remember us taking a family trip somewhere that didn't involve a birth, death, graduation, wedding, etc. of a family member. This will be new for us and we are so excited!!!<br /><br /><br />Part of the preparation for this trip is to get the car ready. My husband is a great driver and does just about all of the driving, all of the time. And I'm totally okay with this. I'm not so fond of driving. David is real good about keeping his vehicle clean on a regular basis. Me...not as much. We decided to take the car I drive, a Saturn, because it gets better gas mileage. To make the trip better, David has had the speakers replaced and personally replaced lots of sensors and gadgets on the car. My job has been the cleaning process.<br /><br /><br />I don't mind washing, waxing, and cleaning out the car. And given that we'll be spending close to three weeks in the car, I'm motivated to clean it and clean it well. I have literally scrubbed all the of seats, carpets, and floor mats, as well as completely cleaned out every inch of the interior and then gone over it with Armor All. I've also added a a visor cover since the original one was in bad shape. I bought some plastic buffering compound and spent quite a long time getting rid of the oxidation on the headlights. I replaced all the seat covers. I will be applying Rain-X on the windows and some anti-fog stuff made by Rain-X on the inside of the windows. When it gets a little closer, I will hand wash and wax the car as well.<br /><br /><br />The one thing I DIDN'T want to do was to take the car to one of the local automatic car washes in town. I've gone many times with David. He's a frequent flyer. I enjoy going with other people to the car wash but have never been by myself. And I've never wanted to go alone either. I think it may be because while the soap is on your car, you can't see anything and I'm all nervous about accidentally pressing the brake or accelerator and crashing. David encouraged me to take the car in town to the car wash to get rid of some of the dirt on it and to take advantage of the free, untimed car vacuum. I was nervous, but I forged ahead.<br /><br /><br />So, I went. It was destined to be because I found a $2 off coupon for the car wash in my purse- (It was on the back of a grocery store receipt.) I pulled up into Mr. Bubbles and some teenager takes my money and scrubs the headlights (already expertly cleaned by moi) and gave me instructions for the car wash. Let me stop here and say that the other car washes that I've been to have you pull up and stop inside the wash and the brushes or water jets or weird hanging down strips do all the moving. A light or something goes off inside the car wash when it's over and you pull out. That's not like this one.....In this one, you pull your car onto a little one wheeled holder on a track, put your car in neutral, and then your car is pulled through the entire car wash. The whole time you aren't supposed to touch the brake, the accelerator, or the steering wheel. It took some deep breaths to get through this. It was loud, the car was moving without me in control, and I couldn't see what was going on. I'm happy to report though that I made it through and my car is nice and clean both inside and outside. (Yes, I took full advantage of the vacuums!)<br /><br /><br />So now all I have left to do is wash and wax the car. I'm waiting until it gets a little closer to our departure and hopefully, it won't be 180 degrees outside. The weather people on the news have been saying that it's hotter now than it should be for this time of the year. I don't think a cold front it happening any time soon. While we're waiting for it to cool off, let me know if you need your car washed. I've completely mastered my fears of the automatic car wash and can talk you through it if you need me to.Tassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-51038489239819198312011-04-29T19:41:00.002-05:002011-04-29T20:11:07.565-05:00Ummmm...God? What's With The Weather Lately?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7x_lW5Er1vv7VjUkSxO_UFrebIlkbGObqoxa07_txrU7Hs54UH4W3mzUkialocJVDkCN2y3soMM8jPh2V1hPdzr9apCflZDXqqEbAPdoD5cXmaYnlPRVc_NQKjy77f7MOaq6m9FMf3sQ/s1600/supercell.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 141px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601170599446321394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7x_lW5Er1vv7VjUkSxO_UFrebIlkbGObqoxa07_txrU7Hs54UH4W3mzUkialocJVDkCN2y3soMM8jPh2V1hPdzr9apCflZDXqqEbAPdoD5cXmaYnlPRVc_NQKjy77f7MOaq6m9FMf3sQ/s320/supercell.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div>Hi Everyone-</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>For those of you who don't live near me, we've experienced some pretty severe weather lately. The picture you see above was an ACTUAL storm cell cloud that came through Starkville about a week ago. This happened around noon on a school day so we spent several hours at school in tornado mode. (At most schools this is in the hallway with your head down against the wall and your butt in the air.) As far as I know, there was no damage here locally, although a tornado was spotted in town. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The past three weeks or so has seen more tornado sirens and watches and stuff then I can remember in the eight years I've been here put together. The day before yesterday, a really big storm system with some horrific tornadoes came through Mississippi and Alabama and leveled some towns. We were blessed. Our electricity was off from 4 PM until around 2 AM, which stunk. Coming from the Florida Keys, I'm used to not having electricity. It happens all the time. When I say all the time, I literally mean ALL the time. But here, we've lost power about 5 times in the whole time we've lived here (8 years.) The power went out because some bad storms knocked out some TVA power stations. I'm thankful that the men and women responsible for getting us all back online did such a good job. I'm ready to put those people up there with the heroes of the police and fire departments. It makes you appreciate the hardships that our ancestors had to endure without electricity.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I've said before that I'm happier here than I was in Key West from a severe weather standpoint. In Key West, it was hot all the time and there was no differentiation of seasons. Then, six months out of the year, you waited on pins and needles to see if the next hurricane was going to come and wipe you out. Here, there are tornadoes and severe thunderstorms, but you don't have long to worry about it and it's usually over pretty quickly. The amount of damage from either disaster seems about the same. But.....</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>To have so many of them over the past three weeks has not been fun. During this period, I'm betting there were at least 4 or 5 different times/days where we had tornado watches and warnings. I've had enough. And I'm one of those people who hasn't suffered any damage. All I had to endure was several hours with no power. Around 300 people have lost their lives due to this series of tornadoes two days ago. I'm not complaining, I'm just sayin' is all.....</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>My dad said that those who got hit and survived had better get some religion if they haven't already. I agree. I thought about this wonderful song called "Blessings" by Laura Story that basically says "What if the trials of this life, are your mercies in disguise? What if you need a thousand sleepless nights to know that God is near?" I know He's there. He's in large and in charge...all the time. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I wanted to touch base with everyone because some have asked how I've been doing and if we got hit. Also, I wanted people to know that although the news channels are showing lots of footage of tornado damage in Alabama....we here in Mississippi had our share as well. We are never represented well, and don't draw much attention. We're not big news to anyone but ourselves. Bottom line folks....I'm fine. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Please be in prayer for those that lost loved ones and everything they own. I can't imagine how any of that feels. But through it all, I know that God is there and some day, the situations we're going through now will make sense in the future.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Bless you all!</div>Tassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-11740619575219637232011-04-26T19:49:00.003-05:002011-04-26T20:22:18.431-05:00It's All in the Collar Bone<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQj76SXCIYSXbdAed3qxSOtHzt9H9_wc0-G4tGT1GQInK73tGISPpDQ2GK4iNjzIU40NEWpp5DjheDSU-tS4KM2sLu_JESdgVHUpnq6d3uLlOca5J7nB_5ToOF2yvOtJ9o1MWkPXxp6l8/s1600/collarbone.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600059470461185378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQj76SXCIYSXbdAed3qxSOtHzt9H9_wc0-G4tGT1GQInK73tGISPpDQ2GK4iNjzIU40NEWpp5DjheDSU-tS4KM2sLu_JESdgVHUpnq6d3uLlOca5J7nB_5ToOF2yvOtJ9o1MWkPXxp6l8/s320/collarbone.jpg" /></a> Hi Loyal Readers (All 2 of you!)--<br /><br />I'm back! Sorry to say that my life hasn't gotten any more interesting since you last read one of my posts, it's just that I'm staying busier. Unfortunately, I'm not being given any more time to get all of the stuff done. That's pretty typical, so what's keeping me going is the thought that summer will be here soon and I'll have more time to blog!<br /><br /><br />Also this summer, I will be taking a much needed (and desired) trip to Florida. I moved here to Mississippi 8 years ago and have only been back to the homeland twice. Both of those times were to go to Disney World. (Side note here...I ADORE Disney World.) I was born and raised in Key West, and lived there my whole life with the exception of the two years I spent at Mississippi State. I haven't been back to Key West since I moved and I'm looking forward to it. So we plan on going to Key West for a week and while we're in the neighborhood, go to Disney World. Afterwards, we will spend a couple of days at Cocoa Beach. I'm looking forward to it. It'll be great to see lots of old friends!<br /><br /><br />In preparation, I'm trying to get in better shape. Standing in the hot, Florida sun for hours while waiting in line for an 8 minute ride can take a toll on you. Losing some weight would help me deal with the Florida heat and and help me feel better about seeing people that remember me eight years younger. I can't control getting older, but I do have some control over looking and feeling better.<br /><br /><br />So far, so good. I've rejoined Weight Watchers and have lost 20 pounds. I'm a lifetime member of this particular cult. Before Raelynn, I lost 50 pounds in about 3 months and maintained that weight for awhile. Then, I got pregnant and well.....I'm still trying lose the baby weight from 10 years ago. Back then, I was a maniac. I ran 2 to 3 miles a day and was religious in writing down what I ate. A few years ago, I got back on the wagon and lost some weight because I was in my friend Jessica's wedding. She's totally gorgeous, young, and thin so I didn't want to embarrass her or myself by being the old, fat lady in the wedding. But I digress....<br /><br /><br />I've rejoined and learned the new program and I'm doing okay. I'm not able to run like I did before...I blame that on my age. My bones can't take it anymore. I do try to run, but it's not nearly as often as I'd like. And as for religious food journaling....I try to keep up with it. I find that the older I get, the more difficult it is to maintain that level of fanatical-ness. It's very tiring being that "on" all the time.<br /><br /><br />So, how do I know that I've arrived at my goal weight? Yes, I do weigh...almost everyday. This is something that I don't usually like to do. But when you are working so hard, seeing that number going down is a good motivator to keep up the work. I told someone one time that the way you know that you're skinny is that you collar bone becomes more prominent. Think about it.... when you see pictures of people that you think are "in shape" you can see their collar bone. I don't notice it as much on guys, so I'm guess I'm really talking about women here.<br /><br /><br />So then I started thinking....when was the last time I <em>saw </em>my collar bone? I mean, I can feel it...I know it's there. When I look in the mirror, I don't see it. It doesn't look like that area is covered in a layer of fat, but it doesn't look clear to me. Which led me to thinking.....<br /><br /><br />Have I <em>ever </em>been able to see my collar bone? I started looking in my old photo albums.....no collar bone. Now, this could be either due to the fact that I wore very modest clothing in my younger days or the fact that I'm not genetically inclined to having an obvious collar bone. I'm hoping that it's the first, not the latter. I don't want to be anorexic or anything, I'd just like to get down to the single digits in clothing size and be able to see a clearly define collar bone. <br /><br /><br />In looking online for pictures, I found some people posting that they couldn't believe their collar bone was showing...that they didn't think they were that thin....oh please.....don't complain about being "too thin." I have a magnet on my fridge that says, "You can never be too thin, too rich, or have too many cookies."<br /><br /><br />Enough said.....<br /><br /><br />I'm off to write down what I ate for dinner tonight and to look....again....for my missing collar bone. Wish me luck!Tassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-72997398360530344742011-04-01T08:28:00.006-05:002011-04-01T21:05:31.357-05:00You're Quirky Is Just Another Name for "You're Really Weird."<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFdzpweppYlf78pz49lvnecT5iNJSrgqGzWKxnsbTVprEWCjGmfswsqAItbnay3ezLXuRrIEmmcbPIIIvctXPEUwKCM1As7Fpv5Uwaz-tiaTl3H7UQ4A4VkfRs1Z6VOESO1vEjd2Xiao/s1600/quirks.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590609048676507394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFdzpweppYlf78pz49lvnecT5iNJSrgqGzWKxnsbTVprEWCjGmfswsqAItbnay3ezLXuRrIEmmcbPIIIvctXPEUwKCM1As7Fpv5Uwaz-tiaTl3H7UQ4A4VkfRs1Z6VOESO1vEjd2Xiao/s320/quirks.jpg" /></a> So...I've been away for a week or so...I apologize. Again, I blame work. I tend to spend 13 hour days at work and then come home and have about an hour to get dinner ready and help Raelynn with homework before she goes to bed. After that, I have about an hour and a half until I crash. I literally fall asleep almost every night sitting on the couch with my grading pen in my hand. This is your tax dollars at work people. But today, I'm not at school. David's aunt died and I'll be going to her funeral in just a bit. On to today's topic: quirks. Their like belly buttons and opinions....everyone has them and they're better left unshared. But not me..right? I'm an open book. I was standing in my closet picking out the clothes I'll wear to the funeral later and that's when this blog topic came to me. Here's a brief list of the quirks that I'm willing to share. There are others, but like I said.....those are better left unshared. 1) Closed Doors- At both schools I've worked at, it was required that your classroom door be closed and locked at all times for safety reasons. As a result, even when the kids aren't there and I'm working (which like I stated earlier, is ALL the time) I can't have the door open. It makes me feel vulnerable. This works to my detriment because since the door is locked, I have to get up and answer the door each time someone comes by. Some days, that's a lot. (I'm not complaining....I enjoy the company!) Another time it's not so great is when the air conditioning isn't working and I'm sweltering, I have a hard time keeping the door open to let in the cooler air. This may not seem quirky, but I'm the opposite at home. I don't like doors closed at home. (The exception here is the bathroom, of course. If you have kids then you know that the door doesn't stay shut long. Those kids will find you and not leave you alone.) Everyday, Mr. Riley, the custodian in my building, will sweep my floor and ask as he leaves, "Do you want the door shut, Mrs. Rosamond?" My daily answer: "Yes....I've got issues." 2) Barefoot- I like going barefoot. Except for when my feet will get dirty. And it doesn't matter if you try hard to keep your floor clean, after you've walked around for just a moment, your feet will start to feel dirty. So, what I do is get comfy on the couch, bed, chair ,etc....take off my shoes and then put them back on as soon as I get up. Right now, that's what I'm doing as I type this. 3) Closed-in Shoes- Maybe this one is related to #2. Coming from the Florida Keys and its constant hot weather, I wore sandals most of the time. When I moved to Mississippi I had quite the collection of Birkenstocks and Tevas. The weather here is a little cooler at times, but I have a problem wearing traditional flats. I can wear sneakers and stuff....I mean dressy shoes that you'd wear with a skirt or something. I don't like how my feet feel in closed in shoes. My solution is to wear mules. Closed in shoes in the front and open in the back. Which leads to the next quirk. 4) Wearing Mules with Dresses or Skirts- I think wearing mules with a skirt or dress looks ridiculous on me. I think it's something to do with going barefoot with these shoes. When I wear mules with slacks, I wear trouser socks. I don't do hose so that becomes a problem as to what to wear with the dress or skirt in cooler weather. My solution: Don't wear skirts or dresses in cooler weather. 5) Tomatoes- As a kid, I didn't like tomatoes raw or cooked. I would pick out stewed tomatoes from soup and stuff. I would, however, eat pasta with tomato sauce. As an adult, my taste buds have changed. I like tomatoes. But....I don't like regular tomato soup. I prefer a creamy tomato soup. I don't like tomato juice. (Don't get me wrong, I'll eat or drink either but I'm talking about my preferences here...) I do enjoy spicy tomato juice, such as Bloody Mary mix. I take the mix and add Tabasco, celery salt, and worcestershire sauce. The same goes for V8. I don't care for the regular kind, I like the spicy kind. 6) Accessories- As soon as I come home from being somewhere, I take off my watch and wedding ring and put them in a fish-shaped dish on my kitchen counter. It feels weird to wear them around. As soon as I leave the house, I put them both on. It feels weird to not have them on when I'm outside of my house. 7) Clocks- There is a clock in each room in my house including the bathroom and my closet. I need to know what time it is. It bothers me to see adults that don't wear watches, especially at work. My father-in-law doesn't wear a watch. Ever. I'm not even sure he has one. I'm guessing he uses his cell phone to tell time, but that's another thing that bugs me about people. 8) Pencils- I don't like mechanical pencils or the ones that have the leads on plastic tips that you take out and reload at the top. I like a good wooden pencil that is sharp. Really sharp. I don't like blunt pencils. And I don't like writing in pen. And when writing in pencil, I like there to be a nice eraser on top. 9) Scratchy Elbows-I don't like the feeling of having my elbows be scratchy, so I apply Neutrogena Hand Cream on them nightly. This is the best concentrated lotion in the world. It even says so on the bottle. 10) Long Sleeve Shirts- I am hot-natured. I always get hot when I wear long sleeves. As a result, I don't own very many long sleeve shirts and I won't wear a sweatshirt unless it is very cold and I'm going to be outside for a considerable amount of time. I figure that if it's cold enough outside for long sleeves and you work indoors, won't the inside be heated? And if it is, why would you need long sleeves? 11) Paperclips- I like the jumbo sized paperclips, not the small ones. I think this stems from the fact that I'm a teacher with a ton of papers and the small clips don't hold the papers. I also don't like paperclips that are coated in plastic or the ones that aren't traditionally shaped. I'm all about cute stuff, but paperclips shouldn't be swirl shaped. That's just wrong. 12) Clean Hands- I'm not one of those OCD types that washes their hands obsessively, but I don't like having dirty hands, very similar to dirty feet. My classroom in Florida had a sink in the room and it was great for this quirk. The room I'm in now doesn't have a sink. This bothers me. I know about GermX and all, but we all know that it's not the same feeling as washing your hands. 13) Safeguard Soap- My favorite soap scent is Safeguard. Kroger keeps it in their bathrooms. They also sell it in hand pump sizes. I have not found Safeguard in body wash size. I'm not even sure they make it. I think it's an antibacterial soap meant for hand washing. Until I find it, I'm enjoying how that soap smells after I wash my hands. 14) Ice- I don't know if this is considered a quirk or not, but I like to know that I have access to ice if I'm going to be somewhere for an extended amount of time. I have this ginormous insulated cup that I fill with ice every day and take to school. Drinks don't taste good just from the fridge. I like my cold drinks over ice. 15) Milk on Ice- I don't like milk on ice, nor do I like iced coffee. 16) Coffee- I don't like regular coffee. I like the expensive caramel coffee drinks that I can't spell correctly (I think it's "maccihito??") that cost $5 a pop. I also like the same coffee frozen. Just not over ice. 17) Getting My Teeth Cleaned- So going to the dentist is scarier than getting a mammogram. Up until the last year or so, I've always considered myself as one of those people with pretty good teeth. I must admit that I don't floss as much as I should, but I do believe in regular visits to the dentist. My teeth are a little sensitive as I've gotten older (who knew that you could brush your teeth TOO hard and it would wear away your gums? Really?) so when I go to the dentist I'm pretty uptight. One of the things they do when you get a cleaning is they use this sandy paste stuff to buff your teeth. What's quirky is that when the hygienist stops to refill her instrument or to use the oral vacuum cleaner to get rid of your spit, I take advantage of the down time. I crunch ithe paste between my teeth. I imagine that it's the closest thing I'll get to eating sand. Not that I want to eat sand or anything. I just like the feeling of the grit crunching between my teeth. 18) The Fan and The Blanket- When I go to sleep, I like to be cool. I'm not a person that deals with heat so well. As luck would have it, my bedroom is in the coolest part of the house. In the winter time this isn't so great. But.....I've gotten very used to sleeping with the ceiling fan on. There's something about the sound of the fan and the constant moving of air that I need to sleep. In the winter, I will put extra blankets on my bed because it will be cold so I'll be warm, and then I'll crank up the fan in case I get too hot from the blankets. Like somehow the combination of these two things will cancel each other out and I'll have the perfect sleeping temperature. 19) Lip Balm- I don't know why, but I have to put on a layer of lip balm every night before I go to bed, regardless of the temperature or the condition of my lips. I don't do this during the day. 20) Vibrate AND Ring- My phone is always set to vibrate and ring. What's weird is that if it doesn't vibrate I can't hear it and if it doesn't ring I can't feel it so I'll never know when people are calling. It doesn't help that I'm hard of hearing..... 21) Captions and Subtitles- Since I was diagnosed with Meniere's Disease several years ago and lost a significant amount of hearing in my left ear, I have to watch movies with the subtitles on. It really bugs me that some movies on DVD don't have this option and that it's not available in the movie theater. I also don't have it on my TV but I think that if I did, I'd be irritated because it seems that when I have seen it on TV, the captions and the person speaking aren't in sync. I almost can't understand what is being said on TV unless it's on. This is just the tip of the iceberg of my quirks. I figure most of these are harmless enough. I may dig deeper and share some more another time. You can bet that when I do, I won't be wearing shoes or a watch, and there will be an iced drink (not coffee or milk) in front of me with my clock right next to it. Toodles! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHpU0oTfzpxu1Pvx-0rjOnnLQRXHwTP2QH5OBwRMb3916var6oRYDkacWAd8nqMWTmO021ARqot-q6BQzBh7biNSwVIuxAb1wyCQBtR76zPlwMnE8hm7pL0ENYRhNc2Dlkm-Ojul2_Ba4/s1600/quirks.jpg"></a>Tassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7501604837074663983.post-68847720643074318552011-03-22T21:23:00.003-05:002011-03-22T21:55:14.556-05:00Everything But the Kitchen Sink.....Literally<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinYIDRTNjHeL0-2mPc9ibPSQQ9xtnHgNLp5MVLwfyKwU4fYxHtyWa6w15fDvMmP-hKPKhyphenhyphen3y_1NM6cMr1Qc8kWx03qDUpfOZYWi0dk-LjBvFGf-KuopttVbTNXTA8B-sD18eXHbiy1t2E/s1600/hash-browns.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587095661917615730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinYIDRTNjHeL0-2mPc9ibPSQQ9xtnHgNLp5MVLwfyKwU4fYxHtyWa6w15fDvMmP-hKPKhyphenhyphen3y_1NM6cMr1Qc8kWx03qDUpfOZYWi0dk-LjBvFGf-KuopttVbTNXTA8B-sD18eXHbiy1t2E/s200/hash-browns.jpg" /></a><br /><div>So I'm back and sad to say that I'm focusing this post on food. I tend to think of random topics throughout the day and today as I passed Waffle House on the way to work, I thought of their delish hashbrowns. Let me 'splain more....</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Growing up, I was not a fan of breakfast. I didn't (and still don't) like cereal. Wait, let me clarify that...I don't like cereal for breakfast. When I eat it in the morning, I am hungry like 30 minutes later. I do enjoy the occasional baggie of dry cereal for a snack (Cracklin Oat Bran is pretty tasty). When I was a kid, I ate breakfast and for the first 10 years or so it was cereal. At some point in my teens, my mother figured out that I'd prefer to eat "dinner" food for breakfast, which I did, and I was happy. I'd raid the fridge with whatever we had leftover from the previous evening and would resort to hot dogs if the fridge was bare.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>I also wasn't a fan of traditional breakfast foods: eggs, bacon, toast, grits, sausage, waffles, pancakes, or hashbrowns. What's weird is that I still don't enjoy cereal but have totally switched sides on my opinions of traditional breakfast food. Somewhere in there I started eating scrambled eggs and bacon. From there, my breakfast choices transitioned to eggs over medium with sausage and toast to sop up the yolk. Yummy....and I'd also take hashbrowns if they were offered. (Another thing I enjoy is eggs benedict, but since it's hard to find, I'll stick with the eggs over medium.)</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>But plain ole hashbrowns won't cut it. Waffle House (and Huddle House) offer their hashbrowns with all sorts of bells and whistles. Given that I like hashbrowns and other "regular" foods for dinner, it only made sense for me to become a fan of the hashbrowns from Waffle House. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>As a kid, we didn't have a Waffle House in Key West. We didn't go out to eat much either, so I only got to experience the Waffle House breakfast when we traveled. I can remember ordering an omlet and having them put chili on top and enjoying it. So, it only made sense to take it a step further. Let me lay it out for you.....</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>At Waffle House their hashbrowns can be ordered with the following toppings:</div><div>*Scattered (this means they throw them on the grill...I think this is standard)</div><div>*Smothered (covered with onions)</div><div>*Covered (cheese)</div><div>*Chunked (diced ham)</div><div>*Diced (chopped tomatoes)</div><div>*Peppered (jalapenos)</div><div>*Capped (mushrooms)</div><div>*Topped (chili)</div><div>* Country (white sausage gravy)</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>I have to admit that I have the above mentioned items (except for the mushrooms) put on my hashbrowns. It's a wonderful thing. This would probably be enough but I usually add two eggs over medium, sausage (I love sausage), grits, and toast to my order. And I wash it all down with a Diet Coke. The good news is that I don't feel hungry for a LONG time afterward. Thankfully, I don't get to treat myself to this heart attack on a plate very often. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Side Note: The reason I don't add mushrooms to my hashbrowns is because mushrooms are a fungus. A fungus, people. That's just wrong. I also don't eat fried mushrooms, raw mushrooms with dip.....If I order a supreme pizza with the works, I usually don't take the 'shrooms off. Don't know why..... My family argues that I like bleu cheese crumbles and dressing and that's also a form of fungus, but since it's in cheese, I don't count it. I could eat my weight in cheese. I love it. There's no such thing as "bad" cheese. When I order a sandwich and I have a choice of cheese, I just tell them to pick any of them, because I'm a fan of all cheeses and love them equally. I wouldn't want them to get jealous or get hurt feelings.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>So why the focus on food, and food that's bad for me? I don't know....I just know that I had those hashbrowns on my mind all day and I wanted to encourage you to try them if you haven't yet. And as for the mushrooms....well....put them on your hashbrowns if you want, but don't say I didn't warn you about the fungus part.</div>Tassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00609350815199829274noreply@blogger.com3