Trixie in Transit

Visit us here

2008-02-01T09:09:00.001-05:00

We have a new blog!

http://trixietraditions.blogspot.com/

Moving Along

2007-02-04T23:08:00.000-05:00

Trixie is moving to a new location! No more Blogger headaches!

Stop by and visit the new site.

http://trixieintransit.wordpress.com/

A Sad Day for Rural North Florida

2007-01-31T15:38:00.000-05:00

Not far from where WaWa grew up, this happened: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/31/sheriff.shooting.ap/index.html

Small towns are so different. You just know the victims a whole lot better.

I think I'm going to yack!

2007-01-29T09:58:00.000-05:00

Remember that problem with the subfloor in the master bedroom? Where the mud subfloor was cracked or crumbling?

Remember how we had 3 people look at the problem? How 2 of them said "no problem" and one said "just patch it and don't put down any hard surfaces"?

How we decided to put down carpet and were going to patch it? Then how WaWa decided that it was beyond his scope and we went to the vendor and Home Depot and they charged us almost $2000 more to pull up and repair the subfloor?

The workers are here now to fix it.
The workers don't speak English.
The workers don't understand the project.
The crew leader has arrived who does speak English.
He says this is out of their scope. The subfloor has failed in several areas.
The vendor said the problem was in "one small corner" and that the crew leader was to "assess the project upon arrival."
The crew leader has assessed it as out of scope and told the vendor.
The vendor is now telling Home Depot.
I am sitting here waiting.
Freaking out. But waiting.

What are the options?

Crew leader says every bit of the mud must come up. Every bit of OSB must come up.
Then they must look at the joints/joists to see if there is damage to them (please God, NO!). Then they have to lay new plywood.
Then my baseboards will be uneven and will need to be dropped and the walls touched up. Then they can put down the carpet and the tile.

What could have caused this problem in a 22 yr old home?

I think (and this is just me and my research online) that the sink was leaking years ago. You can see it was repaired and that the cabinet base has stains. I think the water caused the OSB to expand and that started the cracks. Over the years they got worse because of the excessive movement of the OSB.

The areas far away from the wall where the sink is are perfect. Lovely.

It's only the section up against the wall where the sink is....but we can't take up part of the mud and part of the OSB. Why? Because it would be grossly unlevel. Like...ah..two or more inches!

Trying to breathe. To be calm.

In honor of PostSecret

2007-01-13T17:42:00.000-05:00

I mailed one of you a secret. Well an old secret. Tell me if you think you got it.

There's a new baby in the family

2007-01-13T17:40:00.000-05:00

What has two wheels...eats sand...is somewhat skeletal but really digs playing in the yard with WaWa?

Give me your guesses. I gotta picture that needs to be posted.

Humm...I feel uncomfortable with that...

2007-01-10T14:46:00.000-05:00

I was sitting in my first CEU meeting to keep my foster parent certification. Today's speaker covered identifying drug or alcohol exposed infants and basic therapies which any home provider could perform. Great subject. Terrific speaker. Nice group of people.

Everything was going so well until one innocent foster father - who obviously leaves 90% of the work up to his wife - and who was maybe 80 years old if he was a day - asked a question about why foster parents don't require Georgia DFACS to uphold the foster parent bill of rights. In particular he was concerned that DFACS wasn't telling foster or adoptive parents when their child or children were "testing" as drug or alcohol-exposed. Why was DFACS telling people the children were simply "delayed" and that the kids "would thrive in their home?"

This poor man got an earful and so did sweet innocent me.

The seasoned guard reported that anyone who made demands or who pointed out failures with the system would be summarily investigated and possibly charged with some baseless crime. Their foster or not yet finalized adoptive children would be removed. They would be barred from continuing the process. Their name would be dragged through the mud from the police department, to the schools, to the hospitals, to basically anyone who would listen. The leader of the class said that she had "seen some awful things done to foster parents who advocated for their children." She also warned us not to complain to anyone about anything unless we did it through a large group or organization. In the past lobbying as a large group or as part of a non-profit's campaign had proven successful and shielded foster parents from harassment.

Holy shit!

This is exactly what I thought.

These people have been doing this for years and run a highly regarded foster support group! If they say that it is this bad, then what are we getting into?

I probably turned white as a sheet. I know I must have because the leader quicklt retracted to say that "there are some good case workers out there but you never know if your's is one of them." Again. Not something I wanted to hear. Not after the experience we have had to date.

She went on to say how badly the State covers up medical or development delays; and that as adoptive parents, we must be assertive in getting all the documents before we commit to a child. Well we would definitely get that...I am pretty well versed on the "hide the public record fast" game.

But still I don't want to foster a kid and then wind up in court because I stood up to a civil servant Nazi who is now pressing some trumped-up charge against me.

I tried to call WaWa and get his feedback. It was pretty scary. These aren't the grousers and the complainers and the quacks that you see on the Internet or read about in the paper. These people aren't drug users, abusers, or nutcases. They don't need your messed up kid to make themselves feel better nor are they collectors of children. They don't need to "steal" your neglected and abused baby to satisfy some biological urge to parent. Of the group, I was the only one without a biological child.

Given the group, I take their expressions of fear and worry as something to really consider.

A Very Early Valentines

2007-01-09T11:12:00.000-05:00

Last night as I sat waiting on my massage, I was updating my appointment book with the dates when I needed to have packages mailed. I am sooo bad at not getting my secret pal boxes out in time and now with Army Brother overseas, I have to factor in that time lag as well. The secret pal box just needs to go out by the 17th of the month each month because the rule is that it must arrive by the 20th. I am sooo bad at making it there by the 20th!

So I realized that I need to get my packages to Army Brother out at least 3 weeks before the holiday. So the Valentines box must go out in the next week or so. This brings up the question of what can I send to him. He gets free laundry. He gets decent meals every day. He still has most of the stuff he took over there.

So what shall I send?

Heart shaped Little Debbie snack cakes? Check.
Magazines. Check.
What else?

I am also starting to put together an assortment of greeting cards so that he will have a stash when birthdays and holidays roll around. It's not like that have a Gold Crown Hallmark on base, ya know! I have to get the cards to him at least a month early so that he has time to send them to his wife, mother, etc. I found a handful of birthday cards and some thank you cards. But I will need to go buy some holiday cards (Valentines Day, Mothers Day, Easter, etc).

Got any leftover unused greeting cards you want to get rid of??

Away Away

2007-01-04T14:21:00.000-05:00

Happy New Years!

Today I celebrated ironically by mailing my first care package to my "foster" brother who is with the US Army in Iraq. He rolled out on 12/9 for Texas where they discovered a medical condition which I secretly hoped would find him grounded from travel. No such luck. He deployed finally on Christmas weekend.

His wife spent the holiday in Florida with her family. The house is locked up tight and heavily patrolled in Alabama while they are away and I am not sure when she is coming back this way. I just got her email address and am trying to figure out what her plans are for the Spring.

We only received his mailing address yesterday along with a request for good coffee and Splenda and a blanket.

A BLANKET

Yep. The US Army did not issue a blanket and cheesehead didn't take one over with him. We warned him that the desert is cold in the winter at night. He's been there before for goodness sakes but seems to have forgotten those hard won lessons. Silly boy. "trix are for kids"

The box contains a handmade felted wool and cotton flannel blanket in many masculine colors. It's large and ultra warm. He won't want it when summer comes around but it will fetch a high price next winter when he departs. I predict that any soldiers still on the ground in Dec 2007 will be busy planning how best to woo this blanket away from my brother. See actual blanket below - the one at the top of the post is still with Patti.

The blanket was made using the AlterKnit pattern by Patti at Red Velvet Cake and myself. We started in March 2006 when I first became a Soldiers Angel. It was finished this summer and just sat around waiting for a home.

I had hoped that all of my soldiers would be home and thus not need the blanket. A couple did come home. One passed away. And then my brother was told he was shipping out and so the blanket was ear-marked for him.

The box has other goodies too: Splenda, coffee, magazines, snacks, plastic forks, etc.

Happy New Year, Sugar, and may the box find you in good health!

How old am I?

2007-01-04T14:13:00.000-05:00

I was at the Pack n Ship today and the young clerk saw my real name and said "You don't see this name much anymore. My Aunt has the same name and she is the only person I know with it. She was born around the time of the song."

I smiled and said "I was born before the song."

He looked at me and said seriously "You are as young as her then, huh?"

I smiled and said "No I am YOUNGER."

I don't know if he understood what he had said but if he wants to tell me that being born earlier is actually a way to make oneself YOUNGER. Then I will take it.

I looked about the song and it was out in the mid-1980s. I guess I am really old now.

Can you say your ABCs?

2007-01-03T13:23:00.000-05:00

Our lovely Melissa posted a neat ABC meme which I had to try! Let me know if you decide to do it and I'll pop over to read your ABCs.

A is for Age: 36 years but feel more like 26.

B is for Beer: I like my from a bottle and brutually cold. Recently I have been leaning towards Amstel Light, Corona Light, and Negro Modelo. I am not a big drinker (well not now that I am 36 anyway) and each type of alcohol has a special mood attached to it. When I went to dinner last week with Itgirl and Man Who Lives in House, we started with one beverage and moved to something else. It was the Manhatten which really spoke to me that night. With lots of cherries.

C is for Career: There have been so many changes on this front in the last 24 months. Today at 3PM, I officially start my new position. I will be starting a Project Management Office within my company and working directly for a Senior VP. But I also have another important role: Finder of All Lost Things. This job title came with the subtitle of wife. I had no idea that I would find that job so challenging and ultimately so satisfying.

D is for my Dog's Name: Mama. Yep. Just the way it sounds. She was pregnant when some hunters found her in the national forest. The babies were adorable and got homes quickly. No one wanted the Mama Dog. The name just stuck. It probably doesn't help that she is clearly this mother's dog either.

E is for Essential Item I Use Everyday: Tough tough tough question. I don't want to be lame and say some piece of technology. Let me think...hum...Lotion? Does that count? I am dry as a bone this winter and have gone through cases of this stuff. I slather it on my body and ten minutes later it's all gone. Yes, I drink water. But not enough I guess. **Note: Just opened Secret Pal box from work and got orange lotion! Yeah!**

F is for Favorite T.V. Show: I watch decorating shows but don't set my schedule by them. The only show which I consistently try to watch is Bones. I follow Lost when I can remember that it's on - which was lucky for me last mini-season because it was on after Bones (on a different channel).

G is for Favorite Game: I never have time to play real games. But in line with Melissa's All Star event of "Where the heck is the phone?", I would have to say its the "How can I weasel out of taking out the dog each and every morning?" If you must have me select a board game, then I would pick Pictionary.

H is for Hometown: You ask this of a military brat? Does the whole state of Florida count?

I is for Instruments I Play: The IPod. And mean record player.

J is for Favorite Juice: Apple

K is for Whose Butt I’d Like To Kick: I do not have anger management issues. I. Do. Not. Right now, however, it would be a completely irrational dislike for CCAI because they mislead everyone about the wait times. Which really means that they failed to perform adequate charting of referral times and to identify and acknowledge the rapidly increasing referral wait time. Today is one of those days when I think that we would be in a different place if CCAI had been more knowledgeable and upfront about the wait times.

L is for Last Place I Ate: Technically it would be on the couch in the basement. If you mean ate out and if coffee doesn't count, then it would at Shoney's on New Year's Day with the BIL, SIL, FIL and WaWa. Not. My. Choice.

M is for Marriage: I am in one. We celebrate a decade in Februray. WOW. Bring on the parade and party balloons.

N is for my Name: Trixie - well that's not my name but it's my secret name. The one I wanted before I realized how cool my real name is...

O is for Overnight Hospital Stays: NONE! Sorry I missed the jello.

P is for People I was With Today: Technically I saw (but wasn't really with) our pest control guy, the guy at the Starbucks drive-thru window and probably my husband but I don't actually recall seeing him this morning. So I would have to say no one...yet...although I was IMing and emailing and on the phone for work most of the day. The day's not over with yet so stop calling me "lame-o"!

Q is for Quote: "Plan the work and work the plan."

R is for Biggest Regret: None. I take life as it comes and regret nothing.

S is for Sport: Speed Reading. House Cleaning Olympics. Whatever hubbie is watching.

T is for Time I Woke Up Today: 8:58AM.

U is for Current Underwear: Let me check. HOLD. *GRUNT* ON. Hummmm. Hanes. Teal with white edging and teal dots.

V is for Vegetable You Love: Brussel Sprouts in light butter. Grilled cherry tomatos.

W is for Worst Habit: Not flossing twice a day. And speaking really loudly.

X is for X-rays I Have Had: Teeth. Can’t think of any other.

Y is for Yummy Food You Ate Today: I had leftover salad from dinner but tossed it. After a few bites it was giving me heartburn. A Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Frapp with Whipped Cream. I used up the last $3 on my gift card. Now the diet can really begin.

Z is for Zodiac: LEO! Couldn't you tell? I am actually a cusp baby. I was born on the boundary of Cancer and Leo which is a much better indicator of my traits than just saying that I am a Leo.

Are you a pilgrim?

2007-01-03T13:03:00.000-05:00

Last night I decided to do a little surfing to see what the world of the Internet had to say about modern pilgrimages. Here are a few of my notes:

From ACF Newsource:

"In partnership with Sacred Travel, an agency based in Los Angeles, Beliefnet.com began offering spiritually themed trips in 2003. Groups went to Bhutan, which is one of the last Buddhist kingdoms in the world, and more recently to Ireland, which is home to both Celtic Christian and nature-based pagan pilgrimage sites. Laura Sheahen, the religion producer for Beliefnet, conceived of and organized the trips because she saw a desire among her readership to get something lasting from their travels. "People are trying to go on trips now that are more meaningful," and "transformative" in the sense that a pilgrimage is."

From Gemini, a Norwegian site:

"Norway ranks as number 11 in the list of nations whose people visit the popular Spanish shrine of Santiago de Compostela. This puts Norway just after large predominantly Catholic countries such as Italy, France and Spain. – This is surprising, considering the deeply rooted Protestantism and how few inhabitants there are in Norway, says Gustav Erik Gullikstad Karlsaune, lecturer in the Department of Religious Studies at NTNU. He explains this huge interest in pilgrimages by the Norwegian search for ways to express piety that is not catered for in the state Protestant church.– There are few rituals left in the Protestant church. The word and the text dominate services. However, over the last few decades, forms of ritual have been on the increase. The lighting of candles when our King Olav died was an expression of this tendency. In addition, Norwegians have long had a tradition of hiking and a pilgrimage is a way of combining hiking with a journey to a shrine, says Karlsaune."

Also from this site: "Three out of four visitors to Santiago de Compostela are below the age of thirty, and every third pilgrim is a student."

Sadly most of the hits were for books about pilgrimage experiences not article about said experiences.

While Sarabeth is so wonderful at posing questions to her audience, I am less so. But this subject has really grabbed my attention. I love that your personal journey can be so non-traditional, so anti-established religion, more natural and free flowing. That you can be open to the experience and the knowledge that comes with it without necessarily being on a strictly religious pilgrimage.

So where would your pilgrimage be to?
What would you hope to find/What purpose would lead you there?
Have you ever been on something akin to a pilgrimage?

I will be ponder these thoughts myself and see if I can find answers to share with you.

Yep...It's all about you and your damn cat

2007-01-02T23:39:00.000-05:00

I need more postcards!

2007-01-02T23:07:00.000-05:00

(Thanks Auntie M for the story of the canned tuna fish!)

(For one sister and one good friend)

Actually these are Laura Crookston designs by Chronicle Books. I think I will have to go find a handful of these in different formats from my dearest friends. Time to go shopping!

You can battle this out but we know who it's really about...

2007-01-02T23:06:00.000-05:00

I must say that Anne Taintor really hit the mark with this design!

Dedicated to me!

2007-01-02T23:05:00.000-05:00

You know who you are........

2007-01-02T23:00:00.000-05:00

I bought a set of postcards in Chicago which I had planned to send to my female soldiers. I thought it was a series of 5 or 6 images repeated a couple of times each. I opened them New Year's Weekend to find that they are 30 unique cards.

AND several of them are easily dedicated to you. How can I part with such perfect pieces of art? Something so completely YOU?

My SIL said to pick a handful to frame and name and then to mail the rest. Did I mention that my SIL does graphic art and sells it quite profitably? She loved these cards too.

PostSecret

2007-01-02T22:43:00.000-05:00

This is my biggest fear! I can't ever tell if I changed them or not - so I do it again before you arrive just to be safe. I always strip the bed right after you leave but I am so paranoid that - just this once - I may not have done it. See how much I care about you?

(And I worry that my hotel bed sheets aren't really clean - especially the blankets and comforters.)

Not the life of the party but something I agree with........

Speaking of life of the party, I laughed out loud when I read this postcard! God, there are days when I wish I had a pinata for this purpose! I read it to WaWa and he thought it was funny but - oddly - not nearly as funny as I did. Hum.

You may have seen this one before - but it's worth showing a second time! Especially with the holiday boxes unwrapped and bubble wrap so accessible.

When was the last time you visited? Maybe it's time to go back.

Walking to Canterbury

2007-01-02T22:18:00.000-05:00

Every year my FIL gives me a $50 gift card to a bookstore. This year was no different. I love spending this money with abandon and waited a whole 4 weeks before doing so. My mom went with me and we took over two hours making our selections. Believe it or not, the hardest decision was the last book not the first handful. It was how to spend that last $6!

So let's start with the first book.

I like assorted books. I read very diverse literature. The first book I decided upon wasn't something I planned to purchase. I stumbled across it on the clearance table, like the back cover, read a couple of pages, and the price was right $4.

Walking to Canterbury by Jerry Ellis.

As provided from the Random House website:

"More than six hundred years ago, the Archbishop of Canterbury was murdered by King Henry II’s knights. Before the Archbishop’s blood dried on the Cathedral floor, the miracles began. The number of pilgrims visiting his shrine in the Middle Ages was so massive that the stone floor wore thin where they knelt to pray. They came seeking healing, penance, or a sign from God. Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, one of the greatest, most enduring works of English literature, is a bigger-than-life drama based on the experience of the medieval pilgrim. Power, politics, friendship, betrayal, martyrdom, miracles, and stories all had a place on the sixty mile path from London to Canterbury, known as the Pilgrim’s Way.

Walking to Canterbury is Jerry Ellis’s moving and fascinating account of his own modern pilgrimage along that famous path. Filled with incredible details about medieval life, Ellis’s tale strikingly juxtaposes the contemporary world he passes through on his long hike with the history that peeks out from behind an ancient stone wall or a church. Carrying everything he needs on his back, Ellis stops at pubs and taverns for food and shelter and trades tales with the truly captivating people he meets along the way, just as the pilgrims from the twelfth century would have done. Embarking on a journey that is spiritual and historical, Ellis reveals the wonders of an ancient trek through modern England toward the ultimate goal: enlightenment."

The book is wonderful!

I am on page 146 out of 299 pages.

There are terrific details about life in the middle ages and how that train of thought wraps back to whatever he is experiencing on his modern journey is really fasinating.

I often think like this when I paint the house. Yep. When I paint walls, I get into a very zen state and my mind wanders. I ponder complex issues and come up with some fairly enlighted thoughts. My husband is always stunned when I make a pronoucement following a day of painting. He has no idea usually what I talking about, can't fathom why I would be day dreaming about that anyway, and frankly just wants to get back to his video games. Needless to say it is therefore lovely to find a man whose mind works a bit more like mine. As Jerry Ellis walks, he enters the same zen space as when I paint.

He makes some comments about safety in England and how Americans in American rarely feel as safe as the English do in England. In fact Jerry comments that he feels incredibly safe there and that some of his brittle American shell, which is all tied up in fear, falls away as he walks. There is a whole chapter on fear in America. I don't necessarily agree but I was intrigued by what he had to say on the subject: fear of poverty, fear of failure, fear of violence, fear of loss, all kinds of fear. Hummmmmmmmmmm.

I also love his stories about his Native American heritage and how his previous walk experience on the Trail of Tears joins this pilgrimage to Canterbury.

I would recommend this little $4 book if you were so inclined to read a combination of a memoir and a history book. The historical sections can last several pages so if you aren't into it - then you won't make it through the first chapter. I think you might feel bogged down and give up which would be true shame.

A Day of Giving in Florida

2007-01-02T22:13:00.000-05:00

So my parents celebrate Christmas which means that I must do so as well. Long story. Here is a photo essay of Christmas morning.

Summarized tired, no makeup, wet hair and still in jammies...we open gifts which sat under the lighted ceramic Christmas tree. With a pull out sofa, there wasn't much room for an actual tree. Notice that Dad looks pained (and ended up in the hospital a couple of days later), Mom is wildly excited (no one loves Christmas like Mom) and Roger and I are just ready to get it overwith so that we can nap.

It was a lovely week. We really loved being there. Dad is at home recovering now but it hurt me to say goodbye while he was in so much pain. We stayed an extra couple of days just to be around. It was hard to say goodbye. But then it always is...

Last Month..Last Year

2007-01-02T10:48:00.000-05:00

The month of December 2006 had me wondering if I would ever post again! Was the blog dead after two years? Frankly even as late as this morning I was pondering these questions. But then there was the cheese hat..calling my name..So exhausted as I was (see photo that looks like I am stoned when really I am sleepy), I managed to get in a full day's work and still find the time to blog today. Blogging while wearing the cheese hat!

Why would I be tired? First there was the constant travel for work. Then there was the really bad head cold. Then travel to Florida and Montgomery. Sleeping on pull out sofas and in lumping hotel beds. Sleeping on planes and in cars. Sleeping but not breathing - taking drugs which caused sleeping even in the middle of the day - and none of it was good sleep.

Frankly it was all I could do to sneak a peek at your posts! I commented only rarely because time was so limited. I felt like it was enough to read your posts - I was just getting bye. Sorry that some of you felt out of touch. Trixie was doing all she could to stay in the game but it was an uphill battle.

How can I sum up 4 weeks?

Tiring? Yep.
Sweet? Yep.
Lovely? Yep.

For every negative, there was a balancing positive:

Head Cold/Great Company Party
Head Light Out on Car/Got to Ride in FIL's New Truck
Cat Pooped on Me/Cat was Really Good at my Parent's House
Didn't Exchange Gifts/Got New Trash Can for House

See - it all balances out!

On the Home and Hearth front, I have decided to order two new decorating magazines which will probably make me severely impatient and cause my stress level to ratchet up a few notches. Yep, my sister warned me of this...Country Living and Cottage Living. My mom had Country Living laying around the house and I was hooked. But then mom also has Terra cotta tile floors in 90% of her house and I am severely jealous. Then we went to visit my new SIL and I fell in love - complete total and absolute love - with her 120 year old, shabby chic/contemporary/primitive rural cottage! She had Cottage Living on her table and I was hooked. Or maybe I was just jealous again. Isn't she lovely? She is wonderful and I am thrilled to have her in the family. We had such a great time playing Trivial Pursuit 80s edition - I laughed so hard at one point I about peed. We were divided into teams and my team won (of course) because I had my BIL and FIL and well they were much more awake and aware in the 80s than I was... But I did answer a question about Chester Cheeto. Thanks Dad for making sure I could answer those tough questions in life!

My inner style - the one which has nothing to do with husbands, compromises, actual budgets or house styles - is a combination of cottage/country/contemporary. I like color. I like clean lines. But I love it all mixed together with cool forms, natural textures, something shiny, and well...just eclectic taste. Her space had it all! Just like good old Mom's has my dream tile.

So I came home full of inspiration and was assaulted instead by the house - our house. The one where you can't have tile or wood floors in the master suite. The one where I have to compromise to fit my husband's tastes. The one where I have no idea whether I am housing an infant or five teenagers. I was moody and depressed seconds after arriving but that could have been the unpacking facing me.

I would post photos of my SIL's cottage but Blogger is being uncooperative. Maybe I can get one or two up. See the smoked turkey above? Oh so moist and yummy! Look at that use of color too.

Not to mention that I only took a couple of photos because I didn't want her thinking I was some kind of weird decorating stalker: "Shouldn't you be taking photos of the guests?" or "Shouldn't you being taking photos of the pets? or the gifts?" followed by "Why are you taking photos of the kitchen? or that table?" I mean who wants to admit that they plan to come home and totally rip off your decorating style.

But I will say that I wrapped a mean gift this year. I used ribbon left over from my fiber arts project and simple solid textured green paper. The accents were blue and cream with a touch of gold. The ornaments are 50% off from Target or 25 cents each (4 for a $1) on sale. To accompany the glorious wrapping were fantastic gifts: photos from my BIL's childhood. I made 3 gold glittery photo ornament holders featuring childhood photos of him and WaWa and their birthmother. I framed some additional photos so that my BIL can put them up in the cottage (his first "thing" which is all his to be added to the walls of this home since they married in October), and a photo book from Shutterfly with photos from their wedding. They cried. I grinned like crazy and WaWa called me "amazing" and "creative" and "thoughtful" all in the same breathe. It was the best validation of the time and energy which I spent on this small, fairly inexpensive holiday season.

Last week - Not so bad

2006-11-20T17:28:00.000-05:00

Last week was lovely for several reasons.

First it rained quite a bit which meant that I wasn't having to move the sprinklers every 30 minutes to ensure that the new seedlings (grass) were staying moist.

Second WaWa was out of town which meant that I made real progress on the housework!

Third my "brother" came to stay overnight and was such a delight. Fabulous BBQ! Lots of laughter! Of course the downside was that WaWa and I got up to take brother dear to the airport at an unholy hour. Then we were cranky and sleepy for two days until everything caught back up.

The best news was that although I was super stressed Saturday night - Sunday was a dream. The laundry got washed and folded (many many loads). The bedroom was straightened up. Several bathroom cabinet drawers and doors were sanded and stained. The new red roman shade went up and looks so cheerful! We made several good meals on the grill and got in lots of cuddle time.

Did I mention that WaWa went to see my personal trainer for an hour? He was sore but in a good-all-over-body-sore and not in a bad way. While we was sweatin' to the oldies, I was having a gay ole time at Lisa's baby shower! I wore my cheese hat too. Of course I didn't win a prize for best hat but I did get the most laughs. Ask nicely and a picture of the cheese hat could be posted next week.

Basically we had a good week in the Trixie household.

Cats Gone Wild

2006-11-13T17:05:00.000-05:00

Why can't Blogger just learn to accept bitmap photos??/ Arg.

I found these photos to be the absolute funniest things!

You have to check it out. Thanks, Itgirl, for sending me the link. I think everyone will be howling with laughter very soon.

Ahhhh

2006-11-12T10:54:00.000-05:00

I could relate to this PostSecret postcard. When people say we must be crazy to want to adopt a sibling group from foster care, I think how little they must know about us...about our deep wealth of love. I think they are afraid that they couldn't do it. I think they could.