Via Hawaii...and Kansas

 

I won a blog contest over at Lettie's Polka Dot Pineapple blog. I discovered her a while back and fell in love with her creations. Fun stuff, lots and lots of fun stuff, like things adorned with yo-yo's. Oh how I love yoyo's! Lettie was quickly added to my bloglines and I suggest you check her out. She's a sweetheart and I must say, she spoiled me with her contest prize. I felt like it was a never ending box of goodies. I just kept pulling beautiful stuff out. She satisfied my tummy with macadamia nuts...yes a bag of Maui Onion flavored nuts and then a box of chocolate covered, caramel macadamia nuts. YUMMY! We know how I love anything covered in caramel...well, almost anything. I tried the onion flavored nuts last night and had a hard time putting the bag down because they were so delish. Moving on...because I could get stuck talking about food for hours on end.
Click on the picture above to view all the items a little closer. It's like I won a jackpot. If you look closely, you will see a bright blue, Hawaiian print set of oven hot pads with a matching kitchen towel. Now if my Sister was anywhere near me, she'd be trying to get a hold of the set, but lucky for me, she's in Nebrasky. The battle would have been fierce. Oh but there is more... I almost don't know where to continue, there is so much stuff. Let's see, there is the cutest little yo-yo angel ornament. I'll hang it on my tree every Christmas and think of Lettie. I'm a huge ornament fan...everyone knows that. Then there is the yo yo notebook cover, adorable and functional, plus it has yo yo's and buttons...HEAVEN! The sun glass case adorn with a big yo-o...CUTE! Speaking of cute, we have the beaded strawberry pin...such a fun idea. Next we have the pocket tissue case. I needed one of those! I don't know how Lettie knew! On to the Jewelry tote...I have ALWAYS wanted one of these. I kid you not. Whenever I go home, I end up shoving my necklaces, bracelets, and earrings in anything that will seal up and I can squash into my carry-on. Ziploc bags don't work well with earrings, they just poke through. Problem solved with Lettie's jewel tote. Then we have the bag...OMG, the bag! I remember seeing it on her site and drooling over it. Hello, its pink! HELLO...its gorgous! I needed a new bag. I was eyeing some Vera Bradley bags but I've got something even better...one of Lettie's Polka Dot Pineapple bags, eat your hearts out! I feel absolutely spoiled. Sam asked me which item was my favorite. I said, I love them all. He then said, "OK, hypothetically, lets say you were told you could only keep one item and had to give everything else back...what would you keep." I must have shot him a funny look because he started laughing and hounding me to pick as I sat stroking my plentiful bounty. Finally I told him to keep his hypothetical stuff to himself, because the whole idea shot my blood pressure up. He thought that was a hoot. I told him I should be able to keep everything that I can fit into one bag...afterall it was my birthday and lucky me, everything fits nicely in the bag Lettie sent me. Ahhhh, that's better!Pick one?! What was he thinking?! Thank you so much Lettie! You made my day!

Now I bet you are wondering where the "Kansas" part of the title come into play here. A while ago, my Cousin's neighbor, Mandy had a contest on her myspace blog. Well, I won and she sent me a lovely assorted gift basket of peach nectar scented bath items. I took a picture of the basket...and I could have sworn I saved it on the computer...but I can't find the picture anywhere. It's driving me nuts. That is why I didn't post this yesterday, I had to find the picture. I have given up for the time being...but if I do come across it, I'll stick it on here and let everyone know. I use the products everyday. I'm not the only one that likes the smell...the local bees adore me when I'm outside. Yeah, it smells that good! Everything in the basket was wonderful but the lotion is amazing. I started putting it on my dry winter feet. Usually it takes a good week to get them soft and ready for sandal weather...but that lotion did the trick in one night. I was really impressed. Let me tell you, my heals were in pathetic shape. Not anymore, they are smooth like butter. Thanks Mandy!

***UPDATE*** AH HA! Once I stopped looking for the picture, I found it. Below is the gift basket that Mandy gave me! 

AHHHHHH!

Lilacs are by far my favorite scent. I stuck this plant in the ground last year and this year I am in heaven. The first thing I did today was to nestle my nose into those blooms and sniff until I thought my eyeballs were going to be sucked to the back of my skull. Oh, glorious lilacs, how I love thee! It makes me sad that they only bloom for a short period in the spring. Why couldn't they bloom all summer? I guess they wouldn't seem so wonderful to me if they did, but a girl can dream, can't she. Anyway, I just had to share them with you. Sorry I can't let you sniff them....blogs just don't come with scratch and sniff applications. Not yet anyway.

More birthday fun...

I was out running errands most of the day but when I pulled in the driveway, something caught my eye. The screen door was open part way and there were balloons floating in the breeze. After closer inspection I discovered a box at the base of the balloon ribbons. Inside the box was a flower cake. Yes, a cake made of flowers. It even comes with candles that you can stick in the top and light. I'm not going to do it though because I could just imagine the possible disasters that could occur. Anyway, I love getting flowers...so I opened the card and found out it was from Nancy, Cliff and Sam. Sam didn't know anything about it...oh and he did remember my birthday. I had picked him up from drivers ed and I asked him what he wanted to get his Mother for Mother's Day...That is when his eyes got really wide and he said, "Mother's Day, wait a minute, is today your birthday?!" Then I said yes, and that I knew he had forgotten in the morning. He then said, "Did I even see you this morning?" I started laughing and informed him that we had a conversation this morning...and he said, "oh yeah, I must have been so out of it. I let him off the hook and said, I knew he had a lot going on. Anyway, Nancy said she sent me the flower cake because she knew they wouldn't be able to get me a real cake. Cliff said I should make Sam bake me a cake. I told Cliff that Sam was way to busy but Cliff said, Sam was just lazy...which of course he was joking about, because Sam really is super busy with AP exams and finals coming up...plus he had a tennis match and drivers ed today. Crazy busy.
I have had so many phone calls and emails today that I can honestly say I'm in heaven. Thank you everyone for all your sweet thoughts and wishes! Believe it or not, but I have not opened my presents yet and I have not had any cake yet. Sam and I just knocked off a great supper and we have to digest...while he takes a practice test for AP. Fear not, I do not let a birthday go by without ice cream...gasp, the thought of an IC free birthday scares the bejeebers out of me.
Oh did I tell you that I got a scary birthday message on my cell phone. My Aunt Vickie sang a small part of the Happy Birthday song to me...lol, I know know that my pathetic singing comes from the Kaster/Lade side of the family. It's genetic! I'm not the only one that sounds a sick seagull...lol, just kidding Vickie, we don't sound that bad.

It's my Birthday!

Ah, the sky is blue, no rain clouds in sight...it could be a great day after all. I love birthdays, everyone knows that...I don't get all depressed about getting older, I look at it like this...HEY, I'm alive! I will admit that when I first woke up at 6:30AM, I was feeling a little blue. Sam left for school without even saying Happy Birthday to me. I'm sure he totally forgot...the turd, and I refuse to remind him. Needless to say, I was in a slight funk so I did what all grouchy people should do. I curled up on the sofa with a blanket and a soft pillow and I took an hour and a half nap. Let me tell you, that was what the doctor ordered. Then I got up, jumped in the shower and while I was washing the sleep out of my eyes, Chris Leach called me on my cell phone and left me the BEST message ever. Why the best? The guys sang a funny, perky Happy Birthday song to me and wished me a very happy day before he went off to review some of his law studies work. I just adore him, I really do, but everyone knows how much I love my Leaches...they are the best. Chris was my first birthday call and my friend Susanne in Switzerland sent me my first Birthday email of the day. Later I'm going to send her an email...we need to catch up. She's due to have a cesarean next week, on the 13th. I need to get a present for her and get it in the mail.

Anyway, I'll update about my Birthday as the day progresses. First I have to do some errands...go to the nursery and get 4 shrubs for the front yard, return the upholstery books and get a few new ones, pick up a small Carvel ice cream cake for myself...because Nancy is out of town this week and nobody else is going to get me one, oh and then I get to open my contest prize package that Lettie sent me. YEP...more to come.

May Day...let's celebrate

Once upon a time, children made May baskets filled with flowers and herbs, even pieces of candy or other treats. On the morning of May 1st, the children sneakily hung them on a neighbor's door. Given as a gift of love and life, May baskets came to symbolize innocence, purity and peace. It's one of my favorite traditions. I'm sad that everyone doesn't celebrate May Day. Then there is the May Pole Dance...a dance around the May Pole continues to be the most common May Day celebration throughout Europe. Unfortunately, in America, it has barely endured the grim face of Puritanism. Thankfully, opinions change, and slowly May Day is regaining recognition as spring's rite of passage. Considered the opposite of Halloween (the festival of death), May Day brings promises of life and rebirth.

So go out side and dance around, drop some flowers off on your neighbors doorstep...and enjoy the day.

Marianne was the winner!

She's so lucky....or is she?! Inside this little box is the prize Raine is passing on. She kept half the prize and will be handing the other half over to Marianne. She has her address and is getting her package ready to ship. Wanna know what she's getting?
I kid you not! Salt and Vinegar crickets. Raine and Chris could not be convinced to try them...so they are all Marianne's. I triple dog dare her to eat them. If she won't, maybe she can get Mollie or Shark to nibble on them.

**Some of you lucky winners will also be recieving packages from Raine. Don't worry, you are not getting crickets.

The winner is...

I'm not telling yet....but I will soon. The winner has already been drawn out of the hat though. Stay tuned.

Everyone should watch this...and listen and learn.

It's long, just over an hour...but its not a waste of your time. There are some real gems of knowledge in there. If you'd rather watch the highlights, you can go to youtube and check out the interviews he's done.

NEW CONTEST....By Raine

Below is the contest that Raine is running. Please note that this is her contest and I have no control over the results. Since it is posted for everyone to see, don't assume that people that know me know the correct answer...because I'm telling you now, that there is no way most people know the answer to #2 with out guessing. Hint: When she says to be creative...be CREATIVE. Good Luck.

"Since I feel so blessed with winning both of Annette's contests I'm going to
share the prize she brought me this past weekend with another blog reader.
Here's the deal: I'll split the prize with whoever answers these 3
questions:

1) Name one thing Nett collects? (Yes, yes, 'tis easy, there are many, many,
MANY things she collects!)
2) Which of these names is/are/have been her nickname(s): Woodsy, Creampuff,
Wally. (Tricky I know, what? You thought this would be easy? Ha! Bonus: ifyou can come up with a the story behind why she has said nickname)
3) If she wasn't a nanny, Nett would be a:_________ (fill in the blank)

As always extra points for creativity! (That means, the more creative you
are the more times your name will be entered into the pot). Post your
answers here and the winner will be selected at random via a drawing.

Deadline is Friday at 3 p.m. E.S.T. Good luck!"

Ah! Its the weekend.

So, my firend Lorie is coming down to visit me today from Connecticut. She'll be here soon so I better get my rear in gear. She hates to wait...no patients at all. Anyway, I just wanted to leave you with this really fun website. Click on the shiney blue garbage bin on the right to see what happens.

Why I'm tired and cranky today...

I had trouble falling to sleep last night. I couldn't get comfy. That is NOT why I'm cranky this morning though. I finally drifted off to sleepy-bye and was jarred out of my peaceful slumber at 4:15 AM when my cell phone started to ring. I don't know about you, but when the phone rings in the middle of the night like that, my initial response is to panic. I grab the phone and without even looking to see who it is, I answer it. The first words I hear are "Annette, I'm so sorry I had to wake you up." OK, interesting, she had my attention. It was Emily. She had 6AM flight from LaGuardia Airport. She continued..."We're lost in the City and don't know how to get to LaGuardia." OK...OK, these things happen. So I ask, "Exactly where are you?" Because I figure she's up in the Flushing area. She says, "Lexington Avenue. We paid a toll and went through a tunnel." At that point...my mind starts to whirl....I couldn't have heard her right. She continues, "Should we turn around and go back through the tunnel?"

Grrr...lol, I still can't figure out how they drove right by The AIRPORT and missed it. I mean it, they drove right past it. All they had to do is take the exit to the right when they saw the signs that said LGA Airport. But for some reason they didn't see the signs....the signs that are on every major sign post over the Grand Central while you are driving on it.

So, I get out of bed, go to the computer to look at a Map so I can give them precise directions back. I remember saying, "What did you guys do?!" She said, "Well we got on the LIE (495) and everything like we were supposed to and we followed the directions that Christina printed out online. But we just kept seeing signs for JFK and I kept saying, but we are not going to JFK." Anyway, while I'm logging on to the computer, Christina had pulled over and asked a Cab driver how to get to LaGuardia. He said to follow him because that was where he was heading. Which was so nice...but now I have to go back to sleep. I'm tired, I curl up in my bed that isn't warm anymore and I can't go back to sleep. Nope, my mind is racing and I'm keyed up. I finally had to call Emily, just before 5AM to make sure that she actually got to LGA. She had and was in the security line...so I let her go but she called me back from her connection in Denver. We chatted for a little bit, she apologized for waking me up again... then she had to go.

After I hung up, it finally came to me. Those dingbats were never on the Grand Central at all...they had remained on the Long Island Express Way the entire way to the Midtown Tunnel into Manhattan. They never took the Cross Island or any of the other Parkways up to the Grand Central. So they never went past LaGuardia at all. For Pete sake! So the last time I looked at the clock it was 5:20 AM and I had to get up at 6:30 AM. See why I'm tired and cranky. I would have been better off if I actually picked up Emily and took her to the Airport myself.

Happy Birthday Christopher!

Today is my Friend Raine's Hubbies 31st birthday. Yep, the big 3-1!
Raine is throwing him a big bash tonight in NYC. I'm not going in because I get to see them On Sunday instead, all by myself. No sharing with a bunch of people from work, or other friends I have never met.
Nope, just the three of us...with Raine and I ganging up on Chirs. Yes, its the way the world was supposed to be. lol. Happy Birthday Chris! I'm glad that The Banana Republic remembered your birthday! They really do care, don't they!

And the winner is....

OK, I have to say, Cris was pretty close, she gave us an update that was close to the 25,000 mark...but it was Raine who emailed me first and then called me to have me check my email to see who was the WINNER. Yes, yes it was her. Now the funny part is that she was telling her husband about this just after she sent my email. LOL, then he tried to be sneaky and sent an email...BUT she was one up and knew better to tell him first. So, while I'm chatting with Raine, I get several emails from her Hubbie. It seems he even tried to leave comments on my site with two different usernames. Sneaky, sneaky! Reena missed Raine's winning email by about 2 minutes. Oh so close!

I already have the 25,000 visitor contest prize....lol, I'll post whether Raine likes it after I see her on Sunday.

Thanks for playing along. I might have to have another contest soon.

Are you watching the counter?!

Look alive people, look alive! I sense a prize to be awarded very soon.

She'd kill me...but would it be worth it? Hmmm

I was seriously thinking about sending this shirt to my Sister from my our Mother. Yeah, I know, I know...its mean. I know, I know, she'd get pissed and beat the living crap out of me the next time I saw her, plus she would cut me off from the Rue Rue. I don't think I could handle that. Sheesh, its just a joke! Well, don't worry, I can't do it now, because once in a while my Sister actually reads my site...but hardly ever leaves comments. I bet this will get her to comment, what ya think about that! He he, I'm telling you...I'm feeling pretty ornery lately. I'm feeling the need to pull a fast one on someone. It's a powerful need...worse than Kosher Crack. Yeah, its that bad. My friends may have to form an intervention.

Maybe I'll just post one of those goofy pictures of my Sister from my last visit. I mean, seriously, if you don't want those crazy pictures posted...why the heck would you make those crazy faces. That's asking for it. Am I right, or am I right!

Ah, what a difference a day makes!

Even though I was greeted with more shoes sitting at the top of the staircase this morning...

I was happy to discover that it was a bright day and over night everything has turned green. On Friday, the yard was still brown....and now its lush and inviting.

The best surprise was waiting for me in front of the house though. Yep the Plum trees are really blooming now. I don't know about you, but this picture makes me hungry for popcorn or cotton candy....no, I think both. ah, yes, this almost makes up for the shoes...almost.

Oh yeah, nice weather means...

Well, it seemed so bright and sunny out this morning that I decided I should put on some capri pants for the day. I hadn't shaved my legs that long ago...or so I thought. I had the capris on, sat in one of the kitchen chairs and crossed my leg which crossed into the sunlight shining into the room. I glanced down, looked away and once I realized what I just saw, my head jerked back to my hairy legs. I yelled, "Holy Mother! Where did that come from!" I could have sworn I shaved those recently. Ummm, I don't see how that was possible. Thankful that nobody had to witness my blazen act of recklessness, I marched back downstairs and proptly changed out of the capri pants and into something with a lot more coverage. So...NOTE TO SELF: Save legs ASAP...cause that's not a pretty site.

Hey, you can't expect a bear to look all lovely after a long winter hybernation...so what makes you think my legs would be smooth as glass on the first warm day.

Well, that was unpleasant...

I don't know what the deal was, but I had the worst tummy ache last night. I was miserable. I actually got up and took a dose of Pepto-Bismol-Ca-ca, as I refer to it and that stuff is disgusting. I can't stand the smell of it, let alone allow that thick pink syrup to hit my tongue. I will say this much for it, I did feel a little better about 20 minutes after I took it. I kept thinking I would feel better if I would just throw up. Yeah, that didn't happen. I did get a couple burps out but that wasn't enough to help. All I know is I wasn't happy sitting, standing , walking, or laying down. I would have considered standing on my head if I thought that would have helped. All I know is that I will never eat another slice of Pizza from the place I ate at yesterday evening. I'm blaming it on them. I felt fine when I went in...and later I was a wreck. I mean I was laying there moaning and all I could think of was, "this must have been how Chester felt when he ate all that raw hamburger off the counter and later laid on the floor moaning." I didn't feel so sorry for the dog at the time...jumping up and eating all those burger paddies while my back was turned for 3 seconds... served him right. Well, last night I seriously re-thought my initial response to his tummy ache moans. After all, nobody forced me to eat a slice of chicken and mushroom pizza. I mean, at the time it was really good, the crust was a little too greasy but it was crunchy. Who knew it would make me feel so crappy later though.

Thank goodness, I woke up feeling much better this morning. I don't think I could have stood another dose of Pepto.

You know, I wonder if my restless nature last night had something to do with the vivid dream I had. I actually saw and talked to a girl I graduated with. She passed away in a car accident just before her 21st birthday. I just found it so strange that she was there in my dream, walking pass me. I turned to her and said, "Jamie?! What are you doing here?" She said she was just visiting a friend and we started chatting, catching up. She told me she was happy where she was living, but she didn't say where that was. She had heard about what I was up to from different people...through the grapevine kind of thing and she said that she was always glad to hear that I was happy. This dream was very long. Maybe in reality it wasn't but in my dream, I talked to Jamie for a very long time. It was really nice. I didn't get the feeling that she wanted something from me, like when she'd call me to get the answers to our homework. Nope, this was more like when she'd tell me where the party was and try to get me to come. She was very sincere and when it was time for us to part, I remember we were both sad about it. We hugged goodbye and she said, "Let's not wait so long to see each other again." I agreed and we both turned to walk away, her toward a group of trees and me toward a sparkling pool. When I turned around again, she was gone.

I've had two dreams about my old High school classmates in the last two weeks. The first one was less real. We were in one of the science rooms. We were taking a test and Bret was sitting next to me. He had the answers to the test ahead of time and he was whispering to me an answer. Meanwhile, Tami is sitting at an angle behind me. I could turn my head and see her. She was sitting back there, complaining that she didn't know any of the answers....which in reality would have been strange, because Tami always knew the answers. But in this dream, I remembered that the reason she was struggling was because I hadn't given her the paper to study the day before. I felt terrible so I was turning and mouthing the answers to her. She wasn't getting a thing I said. The teacher was walking around the room and I was trying to figure out how I could pass her Bret's answer sheet without getting caught. Meanwhile, Bret is getting pissed at me because I'm not writing down that Pooch was an engineer. When I asked Bret what type of engineer, he just said, don't worry about it, it doesn't matter, you'll get full credit if you just write that. The whole time this is going on, I can hear Tami saying, "How the hell am I supposed to know what these people do for a living. Who cares!" At that point I grab Bret's answer sheet and toss it at her. The last thing I remember is it floating in the air, back and forth, back and forth...like a sheet of unfolded paper does, when you try to toss it at someone. It was just strange.

What I did yesterday...

 Yesterday I went with Emily for a little run though. She had a job interview in NJ and was nervous about getting there on her own.
 So, I got her there and back on Sat, in the hope that she could do it herself today. I guess she made it, I have not heard from her yet. I usually get those paniced "I'm lost" calls.
 

Here's what I saw a lot of. The line to pay the toll at the GW Bridge. The CASH line always sucks. I saw a lot of rock, but I was quite fond of the square rocks jutting out of the ground. Last but not least, a view toward Manhattan from the GW Bridge. It was a hazy day but you can see the Empire State Building if you know its shape.

It sure was a foggy, gloom filled morning. Gag! I need sunshine, I need some warm weather, I've been patient, I didn't complain to much about Mr Winter. Enough is enough! Thank goodness, it looks like...Spring is showing its shy little head. Things are greening up, buds are popping and sooner than we expect, its going to look like its snowing when the plum trees in the front yard start shedding all of their petals.

Awww, Spring! I've been waiting for you!

The winner is...

I stuck all the names in a box and pulled out one slip of paper for my Blogaversary contest.....

Drum roll please....

and the winner is...




Raine!! I was sure Marianne or Andi would win because they had a lot more comments but it looks like the luck of the Irish was with Raine today.

Prize coming... I need to get to the store and pick it up.

Don't be sad because you didn't win! You have a second chance to win a prize from me. Remember to keep an eye on my counter located on my sidebar and be the first person to notify me when I hit/break the 25,000th visitor mark.

Silly Sock Swap

I've got a thing for crazy socks. You should know that about me, if you don't already. Yep, the odder the better. Is odder a word? Perhaps I should slip stranger in there instead. I was digging through my HUGE sock drawer last night and came to the conclusion that I need to part ways with some of my silly socks. I don't want to but its time to say goodbye. So reluctantly I spent a few minutes ditching the socks that were in pretty pathetic shape. I put aside the socks that were so old the elastic was shot, the socks that were so thin, I could see my toe nail polish through them, and anything that had a hole in it that couldn't be fixed and still look normal. I was almost in tears as I let go of some of my favorite, true and trusted friends. Now keep in mind that if one sock was in great condition and the other wasn't, I saved the good sock to put it with another sock that was in better shape that its mate or that had a long lost mate. You see, I often wear mismatched socks together around the house. Who cares if one sock is striped and the other has cookies on it. My feet can't tell the difference. It's not like I wear them to the doctors office or shoe shopping. Hey, I'm not that crazy.

My sock drawer is now a shell of its former self. Don't worry... the socks that didn't make the grade are not in the trash can. Nope, I put them aside to be used to make sock monsters with. Brandy gave me a Sock Monster book for my Birthday last year and I have been meaning to create some crazy monsters but somehow, plain socks were not going to cut it with me.

My only problem now is I have a slightly bare crazy sock drawer. It's depressing really. That is when I came up with a great idea. Sock swap. Here's what I'm going to do. I'll buy you a pair of silly socks and send them to you if you do the same for me. It's like buying your own socks but with a bit of a surprise factor involved. So, if you are up for it...you should know that I am a size 9 shoe and I prefer soft stretchy socks to scratchy socks. As far as color and design goes, surprise me. I'll wear anything as long as its not scratchy like sandpaper on my delicate tootsies. Oh and don't think you can pull a fast one on me by giving me the ugliest pair of socks you have ever seen. I own some pretty hideous socks and I still wear them. Plain socks are not allowed! There must be something silly about them. The only thing I ask you not to buy is a pair of those super furry socks. they only work as slipper socks, because they are to bulky.

If you are up for it, leave a comment here and then email me your address and shoe size. I'll send my address your way and we will pick a date that the socks must be mailed by. I plan on going silly sock shopping this weekend, but I understand that not everyone checks blogs daily...so stragglers are welcome.

Ah, a silly sock swap...or 3S...or S to the third power...either way you phrase it, it still sound fun to me.

Tagged again! I should run faster.

I was tagged by Sue, so now I guess it's my turn. Here are the rules...listen up and pay attention.

1. When tagged, place the name of the person and URL on your blog.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write 7 things about yourself.
4. Name 7 of your favorite blogs.
5. Send an e-mail letting those bloggers know they have been tagged.


7 Things About Me:



1. Monkeys freak me out. Sure they are funny when they are rolling around, flinging poo at each other but I can't stand to see a person holding one or to see one running around in a diaper. I don't know what it is about them that bugs me so much, but I have no interest in touching one. It took me forever to get it through my Mom's head that I don't want her sending me cards with monkeys on it, but she thinks they are cute or something. Now if its a Bear...or a big Cat, I want to hug it or curl up next to it and take a nap...right before it rips my head off and eats me for breakfast.

2. I love movies. LOVE THEM. I could sit around all day and watch movies, almost any kind of movie. I draw the like at horror...nope, nope, I can't handle them. I have nightmares.

3. I love to plant flowers and shrubs. I like the whole idea of a garden and don't find it a chore to go out every night and water the hanging pots that the sprinklers can't hit. It just drives me crazy when I go on vacation and everything dies because of neglect. I get lots of promises...and write reminders everywhere, but they don't understand that in the summer, when I write..."SOAK EVERY NIGHT", that doesn't mean, "water once a week." Once its brown and brittle, all the water in the world isn't going to help it. Grrr!

4. My musical taste is always changing. I'm eclectic by nature. Lately though, I have been adding new things to may ipod because I'm bored with everything I already have on it. I need quirky, music right now.

5. If anyone would have told me 5 years ago that I would be a blogger, I would have laughed in their face. Between my dyslexic moments and my lack of regard for the rules of the English language, I'm sure I drive the sticklers nuts. Maybe that's part of the reason I like blogging...I can drive people nuts. I know I enjoy making fun of my family....and they take it really well, of course that means that someday they will get me back for it. Yep, and that means that I will have to come up with something to get them back. You see its an endless circle. I wouldn't bother if I didn't care about them so much...yep, that is the way they should look at it. lol.

6. I spoil my niece. Hey, I had to wait a long time to get her. I'll spoil her if I want to. Nobody can stop me, not even her Mother, but she knows that already.


7. I really do play fair. I admit I cheated at CLUE once, but not to win. I just wanted to secretly know before everyone else. I admitted it right away...once I was caught in the act. LOL. but really don't cheat. I didn't cheat in school and I don't now. Take it from me...the woman that lost 98 games of Uncle Wiggly to a 4 year old. I sooooo wanted to win one game. I finally did, the 99th game. Little Eric was so happy for me. I think he was secretly sad that he couldn't say, "OK, we'll play Uncle Wiggly again, but you better win this time."


Now for the "pass the buck" part, naming 7 of my favorite blogs, which isn't easy. I love all my blog buddies. If you are not listed, don't feel sad...I'm not going in any order, I'm just picking randomly.


Marianne
Kare
Brandy
Desperate Housewife
Tami
Cindy
and last but not least, a new addition to my super friendly blogging universe, Arlette


I had to go back to check out Sue's list because I almost listed two of the people she already listed.

It's Rue Rue time...

Wanna draw lines? Here's a color for you. Rue likes to share. They have no problems with her at Daycare, because she always shares. I think she's going to be an arts and crafts chick like her Auntie Netter.
Anyway, I have not posted any Rue pics in quite a long time. She's getting so big and is a fountain of energy. I really wish we could figure out how to bottle that energy up and use it for ourselves. PaPa is very proud that Rue has taken an interest in fishing. Oh, sure its fishing for magnetic fish but she loves to catch them on the pole anyway. She's actually very good at it too. For 15 months, she's got great concentration and wonderful hand eye coordination.
I'm not sure what it is, but Rue loves to have her feet on the table. Mom will shoo them off and she'll slowly get her feet back up there. She kind of reminds me of Grandma Kaster in that respect. Grandma always had her feet up too, maybe not on the table though. Papa shows Rue how to do all kinds of silly things. She's a monkey see, monkey do, kind of girlie. She is very visual. Show her something once and she remembers what she is supposed to do. Papa was teaching her to hide a chickie under the cup and then he was teaching her how to stack things in certain orders. She sure likes her Papa a lot. I keep telling her that she has to be careful around him, because his "bright ideas" are likely to get her in trouble. If Papa tries to get her to play with something she isn't supposed to have, you will see her in deep thought, and then she will shake her head no. Sometimes, she looks to Grammie to see if its really OK. After all, Grammie makes the rules around that house.
Rue's bangs were getting really long again and she needed another haircut so to keep her bangs out of her face again, Tisha and Grammie were putting pony and piggy tails in her hair. I couldn't stand it. I can't handle half ponies where only part of your hair is in it. I'm not a fan of pony tails on the top of any ones head though. I'm the only person on earth that doesn't think its cute. I'd prefer a single barrette or something like that. I was half tempted to get the scissors out and chop off those bangs myself. I just didn't feel like being in trouble. Doesn't Rue look ornery playing in Grammies curtains. If I'd done that as a kid, I would have been yelled at.
Rue has a large stash of toys at Grammie and Papa's house. She's very good at entertaining herself with them. The funniest thing she does is when the grown ups have drinks and sit in the living room, she gets her little sipper cup and she sits in her little chair too. She even keeps her drinks on a little picture shelf next to it. That's her spot and she will sit there for quite a long time. The first time I saw her do that, I thought it was just a fluke but I was informed that she does it all the time.