Seeds, Seeds Seeds

Henry Fields. Burpee. Totally Tomatoes. Johnny's Selected Seeds. Park Seed Co. I am so excited about my garden this year. I have spent several days looking at these books. Page by page by page. I have bent over so many pages that now I have to go back through them to figure out what I really want to get. Who knew there were so many choices. When you go to the grocery there is pretty much only one choice for each vegetable. Which is the best of the yellow squash ... straightneck or crookneck? Do you want long straight cucumbers or short bumpy ones? Tomatoes ... there are so many different kinds. How do you decide? They say, "it depends on what you are going to do with them" well I am going to eat them. So far we are planning cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, peppers and green beans. I will let you know how it works out ... I am ordering my seeds this week. See you at the Farmer's Market!

Love .. 15 .. 30 .. 40

The biggest day of the year for Sports? Well for most it would be the Super Bowl, but for me, there are four big days ... Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. I love to watch tennis. I don't understand why they keep score like they do. What is "love" about being at zero? I am watching the Australian Open now. The William's Sisters. I have been up to 1am almost every night for a week. Roddick vs Federer. Which sister will be in the final? Will they make it to the finals in the doubles? What is so exciting about a little yellow ball bouncing from one side of the court to the other. I can't really answer that but once I sit down to start watching I just can't stop. I am excited when the Grand Slams come on but they also make me sad. When I moved to Columbia, the one person that was nice to me and encouraged me to stay and give it some time was Gary's mom, Jackie. She died before we got married. We shared the love of tennis and I miss her but when the Slams come around it is more obvious that she isn't here but it also reminds me of the time I did get to spend with her. She was a great lady. Game. Set. Match.

Coffee and cold eggrolls

Can you change your life by changing your name? Do you ever get so wrapped up in the stress of your own life that when you sit down to watch something on TV you just want want to live that life. I have eaten cold egg rolls and drank coffee all day in hopes that I become Lorelai. She is quirky and very few understand her humor. Do the shows we watch explain our personalities? I love reality shows, The Bachelor, Jon and Kate plus 8, American Idol and I cant believe I am saying it ... Big Brother, but also have seen every episode of Matlock, Murder she wrote and Monk. I use to want to live in Cabot Cove Maine but now it is Stars Hollow. I want the simple life of walking to he market and eating at the diner. Everyone knowing who I am and all up in my business. Do people really live that way? Well I am starting by reading the book, Simplify your life. And I am planting a garden. You must watch at least one episode of The Gilmore Girls. Talk to you soon .... Lorelai

Where has Roxy gone?

Working at home is a great thing .. most of the time. People think you don’t have a real job and that you have all of the time in the world to do whatever .. even the dog wont give you a break. I spend most days with a puppy at my feet. She either needs to go outside to potty or play, wants something to eat, drink or take a nap with her mommy. Sometimes she just needs attention and sometimes she just wants to go outside on the front porch, stretch and watch the wind blow. I get so frustrated sometimes and feel like I am running a doggie daycare instead working for an insurance company. Roxy is at the spa today getting a bath and a manicure. Mommy sure could use a nap partner today … I sure do miss my doggie daycare.

What is she thinking?

Here I am again in the bathroom. We have two bathrooms in our house. One off of our bedroom and one in the hallway. I use the one in the hallway most of the time because it is closest to my office. Every time I go into the bathroom off the hall, no matter where she is or what she is doing, Roxy comes in and sits in front of me, looking up at me like a lost puppy, so I pet her. If I use the other bathroom, she does not follow me. What do you think she is thinking when I go into that bathroom? And why does she think something different when I use the other bathroom? Does she think the front bathroom is the "petting room"? Woo Hoo it is petting time again!! Or, oh great there she goes again into the petting room so I guess I had better get in there. Why does she always want together time when I am taking a nap? Boy she has a short attention span. Why can't she just pet me while she is watching TV? If we only knew what our pets were thinking ...

New Year New You ... and Me

Yes, I have been listening to Dave Ramsey again ... and today it was about Goals. He talks about the seven areas that you shouljd make goals in for the new year. Career. Financial. Spiritual. Physical. Intellectual. Family. Social. If you don't make career goals you will be at the same job doing the same thing this time next year. Talk to God daily. Physical goals can be hard ... losing weight, exercising, running a marathon. Pick something that is obtainable. I will not be running any marathons this year. Read a book. Millionaires read one non fiction book a month. Spend more time with your family and that doesn't include watching TV. Have a girl's night out. Get our of the house. Take time to talk to friends, not on the phone or with texting. There are five rules to setting Goals to make them obtainable. Be specific. Measurable. Your goals, don't do it because some else wants you too. Time limits. WRITE THEM DOWN. Goals are dreams ... don't stop at dreaming them ... make them happen. Goals lead you to activities that bring you to accomplishing your dreams. I have set my goals for Physical, Spiritual, Intellectual and Family but am still working on the others. I am going to attend Weight Watcher meetings once a week for three months. I am going to read every day from my Daily Bible. I am going to read a non fiction book before the end of February. I am starting with Multiple Blessings by Kate Gosselin ... gotta start somewhere. I am going to play and walk with Roxy everyday and I am going to take Jamie and go on an outing at least once every other week. Wish me luck!

Our Step Daughter

It is not often that you find a young girl (11) that will spend any time with boring old married people. You know when your friends have kids and you are forced to spend time with those kids. Sometimes it is OK but sometimes it doesn't really work out. They are BRATS but you can't say anything to their parents. Well, we do not have that problem with Hannah. She is a great kid and we enjoy the times we spend with her. She calls us her step parents. We enjoy watching the same stupid reality shows (at least her and I do .. not so much Gary.) We have Big Brother night when it is on and we are starting Bachelor night right now. She is growing up and I can't even imagine what her Mother feels most of the time ... it is scary when you realize that she really isn't a little girl anymore and she is on her way to being a teenager ... and I am not even going to go into the boyfriend thing. Hannah tried out for Honors Choir at school and made it! We love you Hannah and are very proud to call you our "stepdaughter".

The 4 year old will steal your heart

We had a birthday party for Gary at my Mom's house. It was a small party. Gary, Me, Mom, Jamie, Dean, Amanda and Justin. We had dinner and cake and ice cream. After the birthday festivities were over .... Jamie took control. The ages of the people at the party were forty plus, three teenagers and a 4 year old. Apparently no one told Jamie that teenagers are too concerned with their appearance and their reputation to do silly things. After cake and presents Jamie just walked up to Dean and said "come on Dean, its time to play duck duck goose" after about a minutes and a half she had not only won their hearts yet again but she had Amanda, Justin, Dean and even Nanny in the front room playing this game. All in the floor, sitting criss cross applesauce taking turns tapping the others on the head ... duck duck duck and goose. After a couple of rounds of that, the teens (15, 18 and 19) were all holding hands ... ring a round the roseys pocket full of poseys ... we all fall down. Hide N Seek. It was a good time for all. Nothing like a four year old to remind us all that it is OK to be silly sometimes and enjoy your family.

Happy Birthday Gary!

Live intentionally.

Happy Birthday to Gary (and Dad ... we miss you.)

Boy do Wii look silly

Gary and I got a Wii system for Christmas this year. It is a lot of fun. We had our granddaughters for the week after Christmas and we have had a great time. We have played several different games. Papa cheerleading with Elissa was a sight. Dodgeball. Bowling. The weather has been nice so we have had the front door open and the shades up in the front room. As I was playing some vollyball today I noticed people outside walking by. That got me to wondering ... boy, do we look silly to those passing by. Gary and I jumping around waving our arms .... I guess those passing by should just feel lucky that we don't Wii in the nude ...

It is a new Year ... what are your resolutions?

What will it be this year? Be nicer ... tried it and it only lasted a couple of days. Weight loss ... tried it. Healthier .. tried it. Better with my money. Get more involved with the community. Take Roxy on a walk every day. Read more. Shop less. Be better at keeping in touch with friends. Take more time for myself and time for Gary and I. Be a good role model for my Granddaughters. At what point in our lives do we realize that we are no good to others if we don't take care of ourselves. I think I am a good person. I have spent the last 8 years trying to be everything to everyone and somehow someone is always disappointed. This year ... 2009 ... is going to be about me. My new year's resolution is to be Selfish. I need to figure out who am i? what do I want? I need to find myself again. If there was something you wanted out of me ... you missed your chance.