Beth and Cory's Mom

Peter Pan Pics

2009-11-23T22:08:00.002-06:00

I finally got pictures from Peter Pan uploaded to Facebook. You can see them here.

I took a bunch of video, too, but I haven't had a chance to look at it or upload it or anything.

I think Cory was an awesome Captain Hook! (and not just because I'm his mom)

Heads or Tails - Soft

2009-11-23T21:53:00.002-06:00

The theme/prompt for THIS week, November 24, is:

HEADS - "Soft"

This is pretty easy, because we have the softest cat in the world living here.

Everyone who touches her remarks on how soft she is, and it really is hard to walk past her without touching that soft fur – especially when she rolls over and exposes her Tillie tummy, which is even softer than the rest of her.

Heads or Tails is a fun weekly meme created and hosted by Barb (aka Skittles) – feel free to join in!

Who Do You Think Will Win?

2009-11-23T19:57:00.004-06:00

So far this Dancing With The Stars season I haven't picked a favorite and haven't voted for anyone. In the past I always had my favorites - Emmet Smith, Kristi Yamaguchi, Apolo Anton Ohno, Ty Murray - and I voted. I didn't go so far as to get t-shirts or promo keychains, but I used several email addresses and my home phone and my cell to vote. This season, no one really stood out, and it wasn't until last week that I decided it should come down to Mya and Joanna, because they were the best dancers. I still didn't vote, though, and Joanna got eliminated.

So now here we are in the finals. It's down to Donny, Kelly, and Mya, and I might even go ahead and vote. Of the three, I think Mya is the one who deserves to win. What do you think? I think Kelly is adorable, and there are flashes of good dancing in her performances, but she just hasn't put the whole package together. Donny always seems to have so much fun, and he really knows how to put on a show. But Mya can really dance. If the Mirror Ball Trophy goes to the best dancer, then she should win.

I guess we'll find out tomorrow night.

ETA - never mind. I'm voting for Donny (if I can get through and if the ABC website will cooperate) - that freestyle was awesome!

Camera Critters (#85)

2009-11-21T11:21:00.000-06:00

I caught Weasley watching TV on Thursday. Good Morning America was showing just a little about the huge cruise ship they were planning to show the next day. Wow is that ship huge! Did you see any of the GMA story on Friday?

Weasley, are you planning to go on a cruise?

Who, me?

He looks a little guilty, don’t you think? Maybe I better check my credit cards and be sure nothing’s missing.

Camera Critters is a fun weekend meme hosted by Misty Dawn.Visit the Camera Critters headquarters and join in.

Looking at the Sky on Friday - 36

2009-11-19T21:18:00.001-06:00

I’m so glad there’s a meme like Looking at the Sky on Friday, because it means all the time I spend looking at the sky, and taking pictures of it, has a purpose! Click the badge for more info.

I went to get the mail. I don’t remember what we got in the mail, probably just some credit card offers, bills, something from a store trying to sell us a ps3 and some games we don’t really need, something like that. What I do remember is the sky. I grabbed the mail from the box and hurried inside for my camera.

If you enjoy skies as much as I do, be sure to check out Looking at the Sky on Friday.

Does Movie Theater Popcorn Have to Be So Bad?

2009-11-19T19:43:00.004-06:00

Image by Kaptain Kobold via Flickr

Did you hear on the news this morning about all the fat in movie theater popcorn? No wonder I always feel sick after I eat it! Of course the fact that we always buy the large and get the free refill, and I always seem to eat most of it myself has absolutely nothing to do with it. Why is it that I just can't stop eating that stuff until the bucket is empty?

I'm just trying to figure out why they think they need to add all that fat. On its own, popcorn is a healthy, whole grain, low-fat snack. It's all the oil they pop it in and then the butter (or butter flavoring) that is drizzled on top. I never get added butter because that's just too greasy, but apparently the popcorn is about as bad for you even without it. The news report said that some of the theater chains tried selling air popped popcorn, but the customers didn't like it. I personally love air pop, but I know a lot of people don't, and I'm pretty sure the theater had to know that too. Of course the customers weren't going to buy it - well, except for me if I'd known.

But anyway, customers weren't buying the air popped stuff, so they went back to using lots of oil and fat. After all, they tried, right? But my question is - isn't there somewhere we can meet in the middle? Use less oil, don't cut it out altogether. And for the theaters that give free refills - if they're like the theaters we go to, free refills are only available on the largest popcorn size. So, to get our money's worth, we usually buy the large combo - a large popcorn and two large sodas. How about making 1 free refill available no matter what size you buy? If people start out with a smaller size, even if they get the refill, the end result is less popcorn. Oh, and did I say use less oil?

Luckily going to the movies is just a once in a while thing.

Never Run Out of Toilet Paper

2009-11-19T13:00:00.005-06:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Alice.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

A friend once asked, "What one thing have you never run out of or would never want to run out of?" My first thought was something like flour or onions, but then she said for her the answer was toilet paper. No one wants to run out of toilet paper! I have to agree with her. Of course, there are lots of basic things we need around the house - laundry detergent, dish soap, shampoo, deodorant, etc. It would be pretty inconvenient to run out of any of them. Maybe not as inconvenient as having no toilet paper, but...

I tend to stock up on all these basics when they're on sale, so I have quite a stockpile, and I don't think we're in danger of running out of anything for a good long time. That didn't stop me from signing up for a free account at Alice.com about a month ago, or maybe that's why I signed up. I don't just stockpile stuff because it's on sale. I stockpile because I don't want to run out and then have to make a special trip to the store and probably pay a higher price. Now, with Alice.com I can actually use stuff up and let the supplies dwindle a little, which will make my husband happy. He says we have too much stuff around here.

You see, Alice.com is a site where you can shop for and buy all your household essentials. They have tons to choose from, so chances are you can find the brands and products you usually use. The prices are very competitive, and they even find and apply coupons to get you the best deal possible, and there's no clipping involved. And, shipping is FREE. So, you can sit back, log onto your computer, and do all your shopping for household essentials from the comfort of your own home, and have everything delivered to your door for FREE. How cool is that? Now I'm wishing we were almost out of something so I could actually order something.

What I am doing is looking through the products available in all the different categories and adding things I know I will need eventually, the body wash Cory likes, hand lotion, facial tissue, etc. That way it will be quick and easy to find when I need it. It also looks like Alice.com pays attention to my choices and uses them to offer me special deals or suggest products I might like, which I really like. Also, as you add things to your products, you can tell Alice how often you need to buy each item, and Alice will remind you when it's time to buy, so you won't run out!

I encourage you to check out Alice.com because I think this site is going to be really handy. If you hate shopping for basic household needs and would like to save some time, money, and hassle, this might be just what the doctor ordered. Alice.com has a Refer a Friend program, too - so if you sign up for your free account and then refer your friends, Alice.com will pay you, too. You'll get 3% of the total dollar amount of each one of their orders on Alice for an entire year. Each person you refer will also get a $10 credit in their Alice account once they spend at least $50 on the site. Here's my referral link - http://www.alice.com/referral/4D789F8D - so if you copy that into your browser, I'll get the 3% of your orders for a year, and you'll get $10 after you spend $50. Sounds like a good deal for both of us, right? (or just click the ad in the sidebar)

Oh, and what one thing would you never want to run out of?

I Keep Coughing

2009-11-18T20:42:00.002-06:00

I woke up Saturday morning with a sore throat. Yes, I'm perfectly fine, spend a few nights around other people, and I wake up sick! I had some hot honey-lemon water, drank a packet of Emergen-C, and took some Vitamin D - and stopped eating the chocolate that is always at the sound table. After Saturday night's performance I had some hot tea and took it easy, though we stayed up way too late because we had a basement full of cast members, crew, and friends.

Sunday wasn't too bad, more tea, Emergen-C, Vitamin D, etc, but, by the time the performance and clean-up was finished, my legs ached and I could tell my voice was leaving me. More tea, more vitamins, etc. Monday and Tuesday I couldn't really talk, and if I moved around too much or tried to talk, it made me cough. I didn't feel too bad, just overall tired.

Today I actually have a voice, but I can't stop coughing sometimes. I just get this really dry tickle in my throat, and it won't stop. I watched the first video suggested by Zemanta, and I think some of it is that I haven't been drinking enough water - mostly because with all the coughing and gunk in my throat, nothing tasted good, not even water, which I normally drink a lot of. So, more water, more rest, more whiskey. Oh, I didn't mention the whiskey? Yep, very important, but after watching that 2nd Zemanta-suggested video, I think I really should have tried a Hot Toddy. I guess there's always next time, because I'm not all better yet.

Free Ed Hardy Handbag. Don't miss out!

2009-11-18T20:33:00.000-06:00

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I Need a Script Writer

2009-11-15T21:18:00.003-06:00

Why is it that I always think of what I should have said later, after it's too late? If only I had a script to use and always knew what to say and how to act. But no. For instance, last night we had some people coming to watch Cory in Peter Pan. A lot of the kids had already saved seats, but the front row was available so I grabbed some there, but then the girl who played Wendy needed some seats for her family. There was nothing available up close so I volunteered to move our seats, because our friends didn't really need front row. We did some rearranging of other seats to get her the ones she needed, then I went to put the tape I had peeled off the front row on some seats further back - basically the next available row on the aisle. It was a ways back, but simpler than trying to rearrange a bunch of other seats. That's when some woman I never saw before came rushing over and prevented me from putting my tape on the first seat. "Those are my seats!" Never mind that there was nothing on them. I told her that my kid is a senior, and seniors get priority, and she basically said "SO? These are my seats. I was just waiting on the tape." At that point I just got extremely frustrated and walked away. There may have been something about shoving a chair, too.

Looking back I wonder why I didn't just calmly explain to her that my kid is a senior, and he's playing one of the main parts in the play. What part is your kid playing? Not Wendy because I just moved off the front row so her family could sit there. Not Peter Pan because she has the first three rows on the other side. So, that means my kid has priority over your kid, and if I want to put my people here, you're just going to have to move back a row. But I didn't, I walked away, she got the seats and all I got was upset. Where was that script writer when I needed her?

Later I found out that this woman's child was a 3rd grader who was playing one of the Lost Boys, not even one of the main Lost Boys, just one of the extra Lost Boys, the ones that were only in the play to fill the stage or so their parents would come to the play. But, those parents did not deserve to reserve better seats than any of the kids who had actual, real roles in the play. I'm pretty sure this woman was aware of that, but she pretended not to, and I didn't explain it properly. Then again, it really frustrates me to explain the obvious to people.

Let's just face it - I am not a people person. I'm thinking I should move to a beach on oahu hawaii, make that a private beach, and avoid people altogether. Oh, and if you know more about Oahu than I do, don't disillusion me by telling me that I'd have to deal with people there, too. I just can't handle that right now.

Camera Critters (#84)

2009-11-15T00:52:00.001-06:00

I was just thinking that I really don’t have time for Camera Critters this weekend, what with being at the school all the time for the musical. Then I realized there’s at least one critter in the musical, and I have been taking pictures and video, so why not use one of those?

Just in case you can’t tell – it’s supposed to be an ostrich. There’s also a rather important crocodile, but I haven’t gotten a very good picture of him. For some reason I’ve been concentrating more on that ornery pirate, Captain Hook. I can’t imagine why!

Yes, I know that Captain Hook is not a critter, but I’m posting his pic anyway. It’s my prerogative as his mom.

Camera Critters is a fun weekend meme hosted by Misty Dawn.Visit the Camera Critters headquarters and join in.

Looking at the Sky on Friday - 35

2009-11-13T13:46:00.001-06:00

I’m so glad there’s a meme like Looking at the Sky on Friday, because it means all the time I spend looking at the sky, and taking pictures of it, has a purpose! Click the badge for more info.

Oops, I missed Looking at the Sky last Friday. I had every intention of posting, just let the day get away from me. How does a day go by so fast? Time just seems to fly – a week goes by and before I know it it’s been three, a month, three months. I don’t want to admit it, but the way time is flying, I better start looking for the best wrinkle treatments now, before I wake up, look in the mirror, and wonder where all those lines came from.

Speaking of the passage of time, I took these photos of the moon about a week and a half ago, when it was nice and full. As of this morning, it was a fast-waning crescent, meaning another month is about over.

If you enjoy skies as much as I do, be sure to check out Looking at the Sky on Friday.

Apparently, I'm TinkerBell

2009-11-09T21:47:00.004-06:00

Image via Wikipedia

Jeffrey went to play practice with Cory Saturday morning so he could watch and get an idea how the play goes. He called me from practice to say they have a job for me - like helping him however I can while he runs sound isn't enough. OK, I really don't do that much except try to follow along with the play and help him know when someone is coming on stage and needs his or her mic turned on. And once he's seen the play a time or two, he usually doesn't need too much help with that.

So, I get to run some laser light to represent TinkerBell. The only thing is, I know nothing about it - either running the light or how the play goes, so this should be interesting. I started reading through the script today, but don't really understand how it's supposed to work. So, tomorrow I'm going to play practice. Hopefully they will run through the whole play so I can take notes about who's on stage when, etc. - and figure out this TinkerBell thing.

Their first 'performance' is Wednesday afternoon, for the elementary school kids. The dress rehearsal is actually the next evening on Thursday. They just got the set today, and they've never run the whole thing through. It will be interesting to see how it all comes together.

Camera Critters (#83)

2009-11-07T09:49:00.001-06:00

Time for some pics of our resident critters, Tillie and Weasley – the cutest kitties in the house, maybe the whole world.

Tillie still isn’t too sure about this interloper.

And Weasley just wants to be close.

Camera Critters is a fun weekend meme hosted by Misty Dawn.Visit the Camera Critters headquarters and join in.

We've Got Candy

2009-11-06T14:34:00.003-06:00

Image by Scorpions and Centaurs via Flickr

I think we have more than enough candy around here. It's so hard to resist those after-Halloween candy clearance sales. The candy is just as good the day after the holiday - it just costs half as much. Makes me wonder why anyone would be dumb enough to buy it beforehand. Anyway...

We hit Walgreens on Sunday and got a whole bunch. Then yesterday I bought just one bag of peanut butter kisses when I went to Walmart. When I got home, Cory asked me why I only got one bag. I told him I thought I was the only one who really ate them, so I only needed the one bag, otherwise I'd either feel really bad or be searching for the best weight loss pill because I ate so much candy.

That's when he informed me that he, and his sister, were guilty of getting into my bag of peanut butter kisses last year. No wonder they disappeared so fast!

Five for Fighting - Slice

2009-11-03T22:27:00.002-06:00

If every album provides snapshots of where an artist's mind and heart is at the moment, Slice, the latest offering from John Ondrasik (aka Five for Fighting), is a collection of digital jpegs and faded Polaroids. The album takes stories of friends, family and even American servicemen, and sets them to music shot through with the spirit of the great songs of his youth. It's a diary, or a blog, in which Ondrasik speaks his mind about current issues, experiences and sentiments, while setting those thoughts to piano, bass and drums.

I like a lot of different music, but I had never really paid attention to Five for Fighting until I was offered a chance to download the new CD Slice. Sure, I had heard of Five for Fighting and even heard of a couple of the songs, Superman and 100 Years, but that was it.

I've really been missing something, because I'm loving this CD! I'm pretty sure he had me from the first notes on the piano, and then the lyrics, well, I'm loving them, too. Lyrics like - "There was a time a long, long time ago/Chevies and levies played on the radio/No cell phones just 20,000 lights, swaying on a Saturday night." from the title track. And how can you not smile at a song that begins, "This is not our favorite song"?

I wasn't home when I first downloaded the CD (prior to the October 13 release date) so I didn't really get a chance to listen to it for a while. Since then I've burned it to CD so I can listen to it on my home stereo and listened to it several times. John made several television appearances, which I missed because I hadn't really listened to the CD yet or paid attention to the dates, but luckily several of them are available on the Five for Fighting website. John is also currently on tour with An Acoustic Evening with Five For Fighting, so check the tour schedule on the website to see if he's coming to a city near you. Of course, seeing all the SOLD OUT dates, I'm thinking that you better already have tickets! The closest he got to here was Chicago this last Friday night, but I missed that one. I guess I'll just have to play the CD again...

Please enjoy the video for Chances, the first single from Slice:

Slice is available now. You can buy it on iTunes and Amazon.com
Album Tracklisting:

Slice
Note To The Unknown Soldier
Tuesday
Chances
This Dance
Above The Timberline
Transfer
Hope
Story Of Your Life
Love Can't Change The Weather
Augie Nieto

Note: I received this CD download at no cost thanks to One2One Network in exchange for my opinion.

Oh, and I am going to have to look up some of the older Five for Fighting songs that I missed.

New Floors

2009-11-02T22:12:00.003-06:00

I should take some pictures of the house now that we've got things basically put back, but so far I haven't. I do keep admiring my new floors though. You can see some pictures of the whole project here, though. (If you're interested)

Another Cookbook

2009-11-02T21:26:00.003-06:00

Remember how last week I was talking about needing to get rid of some cookbooks? I actually boxed up a few of them to get rid of. It's a good thing, because this morning I found out that I won another cookbook! I won The Pioneer Woman Cooks from The Frugal Girls, and I can't wait to get it. Sure there are all kinds of recipes, with mouth-watering pictures, available on The Pioneer Woman Cooks!, but again, there's just something about a book.

And I might actually have room on the shelf for it, either that or figure out what other one to get rid of because this looks like a great book.

Camera Critters (#82)

2009-10-31T10:31:00.000-05:00

Last month Cory had to work at an event at the zoo, so Jeffrey and I spent a few hours walking around and visiting the animals. That means I ought to have Camera Critters posts for months! Especially since I have to post pictures of our resident critters, too.

For this week I’ll start with the first animal we saw at the zoo, the penguin:

Camera Critters is a fun weekend meme hosted by Misty Dawn.Visit the Camera Critters headquarters and join in.

I'm Needing Some Sleep

2009-10-29T21:34:00.003-05:00

Cover of Barn Party (I Am Reading)

I'm watching the weather, and they're calling for all night rain and morning showers. What that probably means is no walking in the morning. Since there's no school tomorrow (Teachers' Convention) I don't even have to get up if I don't want to. I'll probably still get up when Jeffrey does because I still have lots to do tomorrow. I only got one of the bathrooms cleaned, so I need to clean the other one, and I need to make a big pot of chili for the Barn Party and maybe some caramel corn, too. And finish putting stuff back in the living room, or at least put it away for the weekend. And figure out something for dinner and something for breakfast on Saturday, and...

Just thinking about it all makes me tired. As soon as Jeffrey finishes copying the music from his portable hard drives to his computer, and as soon as Cory's friends go home, and as soon as Tim goes home, I can go to bed. I hope that's soon.

So Many Cookbooks

2009-10-29T21:08:00.003-05:00

I got all my cookbooks moved back into the dining room and shelved today. I moved them to a different shelving unit and went through them as I pulled them out of the boxes, hoping to get rid of a few. I love my cookbooks. It's really hard to let go of any of them, but I did manage to fill a box with some that I've never used and probably never will. I had about 5 microwave cookbooks, and I've never actually cooked anything in the microwave. Microwaves are for heating frozen vegetables and leftovers, right? So I boxed up all but 1 of those books. Yep, I had to hold onto 1, even though I'll probably never use it, but just in case. I got rid of a few others, too.

I need some more time to go through all the cooking magazines I have, though - Taste of Home, Vegetarian Times, Food and Family - so many magazines with so many great-looking recipes in them. But, do I really need all the magazines? Couldn't I just tear out the recipes I'd like to try and toss the rest? Except that takes time. It would probably be easier to just toss them all and get all my recipes from the internet, but I'm going to have to ease myself into that. When I get tired of going through all the magazines, maybe. I mean, I know you can find recipes for anything you want on the Internet, instantly compare term life insurance quotes, find the best route for your trip, watch TV shows, and all kinds of other things, but there's just something more real about having an actual recipe in a cookbook, with pictures.

Of course, if I could have a flat panel screen mounted into a cabinet door in my kitchen so I could bring up the recipes I wanted to use, I might be more inclined to toss the cookbooks...

Looking at the Sky on Friday - 34

2009-10-29T21:00:00.001-05:00

I’m so glad there’s a meme like Looking at the Sky on Friday, because it means all the time I spend looking at the sky, and taking pictures of it, has a purpose! Click the badge for more info.

While we were hiking at Starved Rock State Park a couple weeks ago we noticed this dramatic line across the sky – light on one side, dark on the other.

I’m not sure exactly why it looked like that, but it was cool to see.

If you enjoy skies as much as I do, be sure to check out Looking at the Sky on Friday.

I A-Salted my Flowers

2009-10-29T14:17:00.003-05:00

I read somewhere that a good way to dust silk flowers is to put them into a bag, add some salt, and shake. So, this morning I tried it. I think it was supposed to be a paper sack, and I'm pretty sure there was some specific measurement of salt, but I just threw them into a plastic bag and poured some salt in on top. Then I grabbed the stems and closed the top of the bag around them and shook. Holding onto the stems is important, especially in the plastic bag, because otherwise they poke through, make holes, and the salt comes out. I still lost a little salt, but I was out on the deck so I didn't worry about it too much.

The end result is - cleaner silk roses than I've had in months, maybe years. This works really well.

Now if I only had some great tips for cleaning my bathrooms. I need to get the tubs and sinks really, really clean so I can use my Turtle Wax ICE on them, and hopefully keep them clean and shiny. I'd much prefer staying here on the computer waiting for you to share some great tips, but I really do need to go clean the bathrooms now. Go ahead and leave those tips, though, because you know how it goes - the cleaning is never done. Clean it now and, before you know it, it's time to clean again.

It's Wednesday Night Already?

2009-10-28T22:10:00.003-05:00

I just realized I haven't posted anything here since Saturday morning's Camera Critters. Where has all the time gone? I'll tell you. It's gone into cleaning and organizing and trying to get the house back into shape.

We had our friend Tom, not just a friend but a professional remodeling contractor, lay tile in our kitchen, dining room, and front entryway last week. Then he came back Sunday and put tile in the hall bathroom, with a little help from Jeffrey.

Then, once the tile was done, it was time to move the furniture back in - except that we had to have our other friend Mark come in and stretch and fasten the carpet so it meets up with the tile nicely and also stretch the carpet in the bedroom to get the wrinkles out. So, we moved the living room furniture into the empty dining room and moved the bedroom furniture and everything we could into the kids' rooms for that. After that, everything needed moved back into the proper room, starting with the bedroom, into the living room, and then the dining room. And while we're at it, dusting and cleaning everything and throwing out things we don't need. We're still not done, but it's getting there.

It's no wonder I haven't had time to blog about colon cleansing or anything else!

Camera Critters (#81)

2009-10-24T10:24:00.000-05:00

It’s hard to resist this little face:

It’s our little Weasley kitty! He’s such a little sweetie. He’s also a very persistent beggar who thinks we should share anything we have to eat or drink, and he doesn’t take No for an answer very easily. With a face like that, I guess it would be hard to understand how anyone could actually say No to him, let alone mean it.

Camera Critters is a fun weekend meme hosted by Misty Dawn.Visit the Camera Critters headquarters and join in.