Super Crop

Hubby went out of town on business. I turned the weekend into one giant Super Crop! All day on Saturday and Sunday I scrapped! It was great! I got a total of 13 layouts completed. It felt so good. Twelve of the layouts were for Steph's I.U. album and I did one layout on Adam. I still have most of the week hubby free so I plan to so a lot more. I hope to get more scrapping and scanning accomplished.

Adam Luther got his collecting box finished. We painted it black yesterday. It didn't need much as it was mostly black to begin with but we just had to paint over some symbols. Then, today we covered letters with paper for his name and then found some good stickers to finish it up.

Adam belongs to a 'Kids Only club on MSN (believe it or not) and all the other 'Kids are making boxes as well. The boxes are for keeping all their private "stuff" in! So far, he has some stickers.

Last night we got all of his Valentines addressed. We got this done a little early because he's leaving this week for his visit to his friends in Colorado. He's going to visit Anjillo, Kalvin Kolby, Jake Landon, and Rylan. He was invited to spend Valentines Day with the Shaffer family in Broomfield, Colorado which is somewhat near Boulder and Denver. He's all packed up and ready to go. All that's left is for him to get into the box. We finally found his flashlight...he hates to travel by box without his flashlight!

I did not go to the pool this morning. I seem to get more done staying at home although I know I have to exercise. I DID walk on the treadmill, though. I plan to walk some more today. I hope that will make up for no pool. We'll see on Saturday when I weigh in.

3 Day Weekend

My 3 day weekend is finally over and I am SO happy!! It was a relatively stressful weekend, for me.

I have to start of by going back to Friday by talking about my printer not working. Very aggravating considering what I had coming up on Sunday...more about that. The stress is starting.


Saturday morning I went to Weight Watchers and found I had lost another 1.2 pounds. YEA! Good for me!

Then Kim came over and she spent over an hour trying to get my printer working and was on the phone with HP tech support for me. I couldn't thank her enough! As it turned out it wasn't the printer's problem but something in the computer...oh great! More stress.

How was I going to go to this show knowing my printer wasn't working and I had to print out all those recipes for this thing on Sunday! More stress! Frank was able to copy my files onto a floppy and got it to work on Tracy's computer downstairs so I got them printed later on in the evening. Phew! So, I was able to relax and enjoy myself at the show in the afternoon. (I really had no desire to go to this show but I agreed anyway.)

On Saturday, hubby and I went to a matinee to see Phantom of the Opera on stage. I don't know what all the excitement is about this show...I did not enjoy myself. First of all, the music was slow and the singing was operatic so I couldn't really understand what was being said. There really wasn't much spoken word so that kinda turned me off too. Plus, it was a "dark" show...dark scenery and story. I got bored. I closed my eyes. Sometimes when I closed my eyes, the actors were in the same or near the same position when I opened them again! Not much action at all.

The costumes were beautiful, though. Small consolation. The second half was a bit better than the first half.

After the show we went to eat at Pita Delight - a little hole in the wall Greek restaurant off of Bardstown Road - really good! We will definitely go back.

Back home and printed all my recipes - yea!! - and got all my stuff together for Sunday - a little more stress.

Sunday morning I have to get up and bake 2 kugels (noodle puddings - a Jewish side dish with about as many variations as anything in the world). I am in charge of programming for my women's group at my synagogue - Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ). This program is to bring folks in for a monthly activity - Kugel Tasting and Sharing. As it turned out we had 13 different Kugels represented - wonderful, and maybe 25 people in attendance - not so wonderful. But, everyone said I did a great job on the afternoon program. Stress not over yet...

While I was out for the afternoon Frank took the computer to Circut City to see if they could figure out what was wrong. Well, it wasn't the drivers as the HP rep suggested it was. All 6 USB ports just died all at once. Fortunately, it wasn't their connection to the mother board. We really didn't want to buy a new computer right now. Didn't want to use Vista...very happy with XP.

Stress over! It may not sound like much to get stressed about but I have self induced stress as well as physical stress I have to deal with and not very well at times.

Monday morning I wake with a terrible headache and then go to pt at noon. Later Frank and I watch a movie. Then I make dinner and study with Tracy.

Weekend over. I didn't get any scrapping done at all but Frank is going out of town on Saturday to a family thing and then business for a few days so I'm sure I'll get some scrapping done then.
:0)

I think...

I think I just want to stay home. I don't want to go to the pool or the doctor appointments or even physical therapy. It all takes away from what I really want to do. I want to work on my scrapbooks. I want to scrap.

But that's how I get. When I get into a project, that's all I want to do. If I didn't have to sleep I wouldn't. I do procrastinate about other things because I don't want to do them but I just want to scrap. I do like to scrap shop, though. I can do that a lot too. But mostly I want to stay home.

I don't want to make meals, or even get dressed. But, i have to do the basic stuff. I find that if I do what I want then I don't mind, even want to do the stuff I have to do . But, if I don't have time to do the things I really want to do then I resent doing the stuff I have to do . Make sense? I suppose I'm no different than every one else.

So, I went to the doctor yesterday. He's an arthritis & rheumatologist. I see him primarily because he really listens to me. He, and not my pcp at the time, suggested I see a sleep doctor and that I might have carpal tunnel. Right now he's trying to figure out why my "sed rate" is elevated. The sed rate indicates that there is inflammation in the body somewhere but we can't seem to find out where. This has been going on, on and off, since 2001. He's also trying to figure out why my hip hurts when I sleep. We think we've narrowed it down to bursitis. Now to fix it. If it didn't interfere with my sleep I wouldn't care. I think sleep is my most important issue. Without good sleep the rest of me doesn't function properly. Without sleep, I don't think as clearly, I'm more stressed, I don't have as much energy and I lay around more. In severe sleep deprivation, I tend to fall down and drop things a lot as well as take naps during the day.

My eyes are burning right now. They are tired but I am not tired. Does that make sense?

I will install the wall socket insulation downstairs today. I MUST go to the grocery store too. My cupboard is definitely bare. No more excuses. Then off to a new doctor with my daughter - want to be sure she gets the attention that she needs.

Tomorrow I'm going to a broadway theatre matinee - hubby and I are seeing Phantom of the Opera. I hope I enjoy it. Then dinner afterwards. Sunday I have a program that I'm in charge of with my women's group at my synagogue. So, my weekend is pretty busy. I really need to get in some serious scrapping too. I want to work on Steph's college scrapbook. I want to get moving on that.

Oh, I do need to go to Archivers to buy a scrap album.

:0)

Feeling Better

Yesterday was just a pity day. Today was much better, although just as busy. BUT, I had my monthly massage today. Mmmmmmm. very nice. I also went to the pool this morning. Nothing exciting...I take part in a water exercise class with a bunch of blue hairs. I don't mind...they're kinda cute. I'm the youngest one there. Normally, after the class, I swim a few laps by myself but I'm really out of shape right now. I haven't been to the class since August! So, just the class for me right now.

So, today was sort of a "Me" day.

I haven't scrapped in a few days. I WILL scrap today. Not sure when but I will. There are so many Challenges I want to do and then there's Steph college album that I'm in the middle of. I've completed her first 3 years of college and I have 2 to go (yes, she went to college for 5 years). Each year she went she has more photos to go along with it. So, her senior and 5th years will be pretty big.

I've started keeping a little idea book where I jot down ideas of things I'd like to do scrap wise. This includes challenges that I read about on line. It's working very nicely and keeping me organized even if I can't get to do the pages right away. It is also making me take a better/closer look at myself, which is always a good thing.
:0)

Feeling kind of blah this morning. Just can't seem to get going. I have a lot to do and not much energy. I'm sure a poor night's sleep has just something to do with it. Tears with no reason. Don't want to do what's on my list today. I would really not like to keep a list. I want to tear it up. I guess that's called a vacation. But, what do I need a vacation from? I don't have a full time job. All my responsibilities are at home. I just want to do what I want to do when I want to do them. I suppose I'm no different from everyone else in the world. I just want to waste a day away with nothing to show for it...well maybe not really. I want to be selfish and not have to do things for everyone else and just for me.

The fact that it's snowing now...and sticking to the street isn't helping my mood any. There's SO much I could be doing at home right now but I need to dry my hair and get ready for my list:

Physical therapy appointment - NEED to go
post office (shouldn't wait)
bank - make a deposit (could wait)
grocery store (shouldn't wait)
install wall socket insulation
all the stuff I didn't get done yesterday
resize all the photos for Ebay
Scrap
Archivers for a Slick Writer (could wait)
Scan photos (an on going project)
upload pics
electronics recycle center (could wait)

So, since I do need to go out to the pt appointment then I should be able to do the ones that I "shouldn't wait" - unless the snow gets REALLY bad.

I'm writing in my notebooks a lot more. I'm looking at past "Me" challenges and trying to see what I can come up with in my journal notebook - not always easy. I guess that's why they are called challenges. I'm really looking at myself - looking IN myself. I've never really done that before, at least not lately. Very interesting.

Off to dry my hair, get dressed, figure out what's for dinner and get moving. Maybe after my pt appointment I can come right home.
:0)

The List - Part 2

So this weekend is over and let's see how I've done on this list:

1. Inventory my CPK room Nope, not done yet
2. Take pictures of all kids I don't have pics of not done yet, either
3. take pictures of things to sell on Ebay Got this one done
4. list auction on Ebay nope, but at least I got the pics taken
5. scrap! - actually, no, but I did organize a bit
6. laundry YES
7. test new DVD YES
8. iron nope, maybe tomorrow
9. scrap well, I did finish one page on Friday
10. mail birthday cards Oops, gotta get those mailed tomorrow!!
11. fix daughter's back pack I did try but my sewing machine/needle isn't heavy duty enough
12. update my own web site no again.
13. scan photos - did some.

Not so bad. I guess I can't get everything done at once. But I did do some baking and that wasn't on my list to begin with. I also went out with my husband looking for an area rug, so that was ok too (didn't find one). I also got some things cleaned so that I could take pictures of them for sale.

Tomorrow starts another week. I hope I sleep well.

Weight Watchers!

YEA! Finally - Lost 1.2 pounds this week. So, what's different? I went back to the pool two times this week. And I went back to my old breakfast instead of oatmeal - just to see if it would make a difference. If I spend more time at the scrapping table then I spend less time in the kitchen or with snacks.
:0)
I just hope I can keep this up! 1.2 pounds may not sound like a lot but it's good to average 1 pound a week, so I'm very happy.

I did get the laundry done and I did get some scrapping done. And I did some scanning of photos. Not much else on my list to cross off. I guess it's not going to happen over night - just like the weight loss.
:0)

Things I NEED to do

1. Inventory my CPK room
2. Take pictures of all kids I don't have pics of
3. take pictures of things to sell on Ebay
4. list auction on Ebay
5. scrap!
6. laundry
7. test new DVD
8. iron
9. scrap
10. mail birthday cards
11. fix daughter's back pack
12. update my own web site
13. scan photos

Don't know what I want to do first...yes I do...SCRAP!

So You Think You Can Dance!

My husband wants to learn to dance. Why? I'm really not sure. I think that he thinks he'll lose weight if he dances. I hate to tell him that in order to lose weight dancing he'll really have to start hoofing it big time. But I don't tell him that. I don't want to burst his bubble. But he leaves it to ME to do all the leg work (excuse that pun) to find out about lessons. I put it off....and off....and off... so finally, a year later I get all the info.

So, why did I put it off? I'm really not sure. Maybe I really don't want to do it. I used to LOVE dancing in my teens and 20's. Then I met my husband and he didn't dance, so I didn't dance. So, now, again, why haven't I jumped at the chance to do this with my husband?

Anyway, so now I have all the class info and I find out that I have to wear heels for lessons. Sounds ok except that I have a foot thing called plantar fasciitis which makes wearing heels for extended periods of time sort of painful. I am supposed to wear sneakers ALL the time, which I do, mostly. I also wear special insoles which you certainly can't do in heels.

So, last night hubby says he'd understand if I said I didn't want to do this. I think I should try, though. Not sure. I think I'll call the dance place and explain and see if they can suggest an alternative.


Wow! A whole post just about dance problems! Whew! Don't know who's going to read this anyway, except for my dd. :0)

My very first post on my very own blog. I never thought I'd ever do this. I just turned 50 in October of '07 and I'm learning lots of new things. Of course my daughters help...a lot!

I'm dealing with a few medical things, but don't want to dwell on that stuff. Mostly, I've been on Weight Watchers for over 2 years now. I've gone up and down, which, I hear, is not unusual, but I'm getting quite frustrated. At my lowest, I had lost 27 pounds and felt great in so many ways. I've gained more than half of that back and now have to fight my way back down again. Sometimes, I don't think it's important any more but then I think I still have so many more years left and so many more things I want to do.

Not real sure who will be reading this, or why, but I hope something will be of interest.

I have 2 daughters.

Tracy is my oldest and is in school to be a medical coder. Everything looks great and she's doing an outstanding job in school. She's half way through the program and has received all As and only 1 B. We're all very proud of her!!

Stephanie is younger (1 year and 10 days younger) and is in grad school to be a physical therapist. She just started her second semester and is finding it challenging but is doing well.

So, both kids are on the right track to success and that makes their dad and me very happy!!!

As for me, I collect Cabbage Patch Kids. Not just a few but several hundred. That's right...I think I'm somewhere between 400 and 500 right now. The vast majority of them are Colecos - the ones that came out in the 1980s - the ones from the mad hysteria in the stores.

I really do need to get in there and do a head count. Anyone want to help?? This is just one corner of the room...there's MORE! And, yes, they do have their own Nursery.

More later...off to do whatever it is that I need to do today.