New Year's Resolution

Okay. It's settled. I'm making a New Year's Resolution - starting today. The way I see it is if I make the resolution now then I won't feel as much pressure to follow through since it's technically not the New Year. However, something always clicks in my brain when Thanksgiving has passed - it feels like the end of the year is coming hurtling so quickly upon me and I can't possibly keep up with all that I want to accomplish. As a result, I find that I just choose to do nothing. I'm not planning to bake Christmas cookies, I'm not worried if I don't get the Christmas tree up until three days before Christmas. I won't be concerned if I don't get all the shopping done. In other words - whatever happens, happens. Whatever gets done, gets done. I'm taking the pressure off. ...which brings me back to why I'm making my New Year's Resolution now....no pressure. "What is my resolution," you ask? - Ha - now if I told you I'd have pressure to keep it! Not telling...

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Olivia has stuffed the bird! It's in the oven....can't wait to eat!

I'm praying you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving as you reflect on all the blessings from God in your life! There truly is so much for which to be thankful. Have a blessed day everyone!

A Loooonnnnnggggggg Day!

Olivia was home today - sick with a stomach bug. And I spent way too much time listening to episode after episode of SpongeBob SquarePants. (ugh.) And I listened to Bentley barking. ALL DAY! Brillo Man had errands to run - so he left, but before he did, he took Bentley outside and let him roam around in the old fenced in area which used to hold the chickens. We have a new and improved chicken cube now (not coop, cube - more on that in a future blog...)

Bentley would have to bark - because neither Olivia nor myself was well enough to make the walk over to the area where Bentley was unhappily housed!

While Olivia was busy working away on a page of math facts....Her new mug arrived via UPS. She was so involved in her math that she never noticed me going to the door, retrieving the package, opening the package and pouring her something to drink....AND...since Bentley was outside - several acres away...all of his barking at the arrival of the intruder (UPS guy) didn't register with her since he had been barking ALL DAY anyway....

Here she is enjoying her new mug!





Olivia began to feel a little better and volunteered to go bring said barking dog back down to the house... because we were tired of hearing him bark. Of course, Brillo Man returned home a minute later!

Bentley is now exhausted - asleep on the floor and Olivia is sound asleep on the couch...and I'm about to be sound asleep in my bed...if I can just get that SpongeBob theme song out of my head....

We've Got Chickens....

...so now we get eggs!! Yahoo!
Olivia is so proud of her birds!!
(Bentley doesn't look quite as impressed!)

Pittsburgh...or BUST!

Pittsburgh - one of my favorite places to be...

...although not so much when the reason I must be there is for an appointment with my neurologist...way too much time spent today in his office and far too little time spent in Pittsburgh!!

BUT...I did manage to sneak in an hour of trompsing (is that a word?) through one of my favorite neighborhoods, the South Side. (if you're from Pittsburgh, you must pronouce it "SowSide" - the "th" is optional!)

I grabbed lunch for $1.75 at The Pretzel Shop on East Carson Street.



This looked much better before I ate most of it! ...a pretzel with cream cheese disquised as a healthy lunch...with veggies on top! (not nearly as healthy as it looks!)



I also brought home a bag of pretzels! (more carbs...gotta love those carbs!)
It isn't often that I get to Pittsburgh and since I can't buy these anywhere near my home...I splurged!



I then ventured across the street to the S&S Candy and Cigar shop (what those two things have in common, I'll never know) hoping to score some Abba Zabba and Big Hunk candy bars! While they had every other vintage candy on the planet - they had no Abba Zabbas or Big Hunks! In fact, the proprietor didn't have a clue. Oh well...so much for my plan to surprise Pat with a package of Big Hunks!



Walking back to my van, I noticed this on the sidewalk...




...of course, I had to take a picture! As I did so, a gentleman called to me from the nearby Mediterranean Market...he proceeded to tell me that he and a friend put those pieces of ceramic on the sidewalk, hoping to brighten up peoples' days! He also said that over the years, HUNDREDS of people have stopped to take a photo!! It certainly put a smile on my face!



Crossing over the 10th Street Bridge on my way home, I leave my beloved Pittsburgh behind...until next time!




If we were ever to have a Scarf Sister Reunion near my home...this is where I would take you! Trust me...it would be tons of FUN!

Happy Birthday!!!!!!

Happy Birthday to my dear husband, Brillo Man!!


Wherever would I be without you?
I love you with all my heart!

Idaho....part three...

Admittedly, I've been a little sad these past few days. I've been missing my scarf sister friends from the trip. I got to thinking this morning that I better get busy and post some more photos before so much time has passed that no one will be interested to see them anymore!

Here they are...taking pictures. I have more pictures of us taking pictures...I could start an album just of those (sorta like my coffee table water tower book - trust me - I have plenty of water tower pictures...ask me about them and some day I'll tell ya.)



This was outside the resort where we had a grand breakfast! Mrs. Mac's treat! She was so kind to treat us to several meals and an awesome boat ride while we were there! I had some super duper HUGE scrambler egg thing which was loaded with all kinds of stuff...including, but not limited to, Idaho Potatoes!



I made Mrs. Mac drive all over creation looking for this fence so that I could take a photo of it (I missed the photo op on the first drive-by!) I'm thinking that I'll ask Brillo Man to construct a similar fence somewhere along our property - perhaps surrounding the chicken coop - or as he calls it...the Chicken CUBE (more on that in a future post!)



Here's Mrs. Mac, Cheryl and Pat at The Greenbriar Inn - Sunday Brunch! Yum-O! Another treat by Mrs. Mac! She sure kept us well-fed! Brunch that morning was delicious!





At one point on our journey as I was tagging along behind (typical of me as I don't always move as quickly as I would like...) I spotted this dragonfly. Pat turned around and wondered what in the world I was doing...why, taking a picture of a bug, of course! (Pat did a great job at maintaining her patience the entire weekend! I'm sure it was difficult for her whenever it came to me and my lollygagging!)



We visited the Caltaldo Mission - a very interesting place indeed! I so enjoyed the architecture and the history of the place! Interesting fact - the ornate ceiling was stained blue with huckleberries!





Mrs. Mac humored us and drove us to Montana just so we could say we had been there. Along the way, I saw this Mountain --Look! It's marked with an "M" for Mountain! No, Deb...that's "M" for Montana!! Oh.




More Photos to follow...