CAUTION: Woman In Progress

My $1 Methodist garage sale plate--food courtesy Daddy who thinks I'm going to actually cook that long horned okra. I like the wavy edges. I'm all about the visual interest. ;-) Back to the long horned okra--aka: running okra--anyone else ever had any of this? My parents planted it this year for the first time. None of us had ever tried it before but Daddy's sister grows it and loves it so she shared some seeds. Not that Daddy eats any kind of okra. But he's sure pushing it on everyone else these days. Mama fried some for lunch Sunday and it was really good. Tastes nothing like the okra I'm used to eating--regular okra. It's sweet with a texture closer resembling yellow squash. Maybe I will get in the kitchen tonight and fry these bad boys up. If they're not too hard already, that is. I'd had them nearly a week so they may not be any good for cooking anymore. :-/

I remembered my camera this morning. Yay! Or depending on how you feel about photos of tables, "Meh." This here's the drafting table Mama bought me. Ten bucks at the Methodist yard sale. I'm still not quite sure what to do with it. It's kind of dinged up a bit... Whoever had it before me must have used it a lot...for phone messages. I think staining it might not be a bad idea. It's real wood, after all. But would all the cup rings and stuff show through? Maybe if I condition the wood and sand it really well... Or, I may decide to do a cool graphic paint treatment on the top and stain the legs. Or spray paint it all. The possibilities are endless. What to do with it AFTER I fix it up is another thing entirely. Any ideas? It can be adjusted to be flat instead of angled so there's always the possibility of using it as a regular table somewhere. (An end table?) But it doesn't look as cool. Too bad I'm not a budding architect! Anyway, tha...

Hang on it's going to be a wild ride. Except not. My weekend was fairly bland. A fact I'm rather thankful for, actually. Friday afternoon one of the Methodist churches began their annual gigantic "garage sale" in their activity center. And I don't know if ya'll know this, but churches have the BEST yard sales ever. And this church, in particular, is best with awesome sauce on top. They collect all year from their members and anyone else who wants to donate and 100% of the profit goes to missions and charities. Needless to say, Mama and I stopped by after work to give it a look-see. Ya'll, I wish I'd had a trailer and some reupholstering skills because they had a TON of awesome furniture I'd have loved to take home with me and redo. Wing back chairs galore. And I don't know why, but I love wing back chairs.  But since I have neither a trailer nor any upholstering skills I had to leave them. *quiet sob* I did come home with a pretty servi...

Mama and I babysat the two little ones last night. You know these two. Yeah. I'm still exhausted. Since I knew I'd be home late, I dropped Libby off at Sis2's for her to Bibby-sit so that the Devil Pup wouldn't be home alone an extended period and also I wouldn't have to bother Daddy to go take her outside. Libs was too tired to even eat a cookie by the time we got home last night. Those two really take it out of her. Sis2 said that they enjoyed it, though. The kids enjoyed playing with the DP and Libs didn't tear their faces off. I take that to mean she enjoyed it, too. Anyway, Sis2 and Goofus had a date night. ooooOOOOOoooo. It's the first date night they've had since Efan was born nearly two years ago. Long overdue much? So while they were out indulging in things like steak and Baskin Robins (no, they didn't bring me any!) Mama and I fed the kids McNuggets and fries and watched Barbie's Fairytopia. Actually, we only made it through half...

When Emmy was here a few weeks ago Mama and Sis2 took the kids to have their portraits done. Scary, ain't it? ;-)

Ya'll. Okay, so do you want the long version or the short version of this tale of root canal woe? Short version: It wasn't that bad and I got two kinds of pain killers to take me to a happy place. If that's all you wanna know about my root canal you can stop reading here. If you're still reading that must mean you want the LONG version. As in a play by play. Long version: When I left yesterday to face the music drill I wasn't all that nervous. I'd been reassured by the endontics specialist and my regular hygienist who's had like eight(!) root canals that it's no worse than a filling. Fillings I can handle. Been there enough that it's old hat. So yeah. I wasn't nervous. I walked into the Reg. Bev. Wil. of dentists office and they immediately whisked me away and into the procedure room. I got to wait there for around twenty minutes or so while the assistant (or are they nurses?? I don't know.) readied the room and then left me w...

It's another house post. So if you've had your fill of that already you can come back tomorrow and hear about my root canal. I'll have all the deets on that for ya. I know ya'll can't wait. If you're still reading I guess that means you're up for me getting all HGTV on your hineys. ;-) So, about a month ago I got bored on a Saturday morning and decided to switch things around in my living room. I'd had the furniture in the same spots for two years and wanted to see what else could be done in there. The answer of course is, "Not much." But I tried it anyway. Still not sure how I feel about the results but after a month of living with it I can only say, "It doesn't completely suck." New view from the dining room. New view from the front door. Thrilling stuff there, right? So basically, I moved the couch to the wall with the window and moved the chairs to the wall across from it. Moved the table that used to be a...

I totally have a fox living behind me. And not of the manly man fox type, either. Unfortunately. *pout* No, I have an ACTUAL fox who apparently has a nest somewhere in the woods behind my house. I've seen him/her at various times the past couple of years always heading the same direction. Usually I'm outside with Libs when I see him/her and Libs usually has NO CLUE it's even there. The fox is totally sly in that it will sit all statue like and study us as though WE'RE the interesting creatures. Which, I guess we kinda are. To a fox, anyway. I know I'm a rather odd specimen to study. And Libs with her obliviousness probably seems completely odd to him/her, too. OR, the fox is a male and thinks Libs, with her fluffy butt, is a smokin' hot babe. ;-) Anyway, I hadn't seen the fox since last summer so I was beginning to think he/she had moved or died or something. (Do foxes nest in the same place for long periods of time??? I need to google this!) Then yeste...

Can I come in?

Been a while since I posted anything to do with the house (ya'll were relieved, right?) so I thought I'd check in with a couple of things I've switched around in the past couple of months. Remember these? These two book cases once lived in Libby's room. Paw-Paw Joe built them a million years ago and gave them to Sis2 and me back when we were in high school. When Sis2 got hitched in 2005, Goofus's house (at the time) was fully furnished so she got rid of almost everything she owned...including her book case which came to live with me and it's mate  at the lake house. Now, I know this has nothing to do with me swapping around furniture but here's a little tip from me to you--Never marry a man who can't make room in his house for the book case your grandpa made a million years ago. It says a lot about how he REALLY feels about you. Which--don't get me wrong--I know Goofus loves my sister BUT...well, he couldn't part with any of HIS stuff to m...

For the past two mornings stepping outside has been...well, the temps being 68 degrees at 6:30 am?? One word comes to mind: Bliss. The air has had a taste of Fall in it that has my entire being ashiver with delight. (Ashiver. heh.) While I know without a doubt that it won't last--we have a good five weeks left left to endure 90-something degree temps--my summer weary soul is craving a big pot a chili, an open window of cool autumn air and a fuzzy blanket. I can almost TASTE that chili. It has my mouth watering. Even yesterday afternoon when I left work, the air had a nice crisp breeze in it and the sun wasn't scalding. I thought, Mmmm, wouldn't a big pot of chili hit the spot right now? Unfortunately, by the time I got home, the crisp was gone and the air was thick and heavy again. Drat. So, forgive me but I can't help saying a selfish prayer: Please, God, let Fall come early and last long this year!

...can not walk and carry coffee at the same time. Dribbled coffee all down the hallway at work. But if anyone asks, it wasn't me! Pay no attention to the dark stains on my shirt. ...am not good at making jokes on email. Sis1 totally took me seriously when I told her I'd be furious at her if she didn't spend the weekend with me. Even though I told her I was just kidding. And even though she knows it drives me nuts when she spends weekends at my house. ...give good cookie.  Lyssa told her mama that "Aunt Jana can make me some more M&M cookies for my birfday," when asked what food she wants at her party tomorrow. So. Guess what I'll be doing tonight. ...get too expressive about food. D just laughed at me for describing a cookie as not being as "brown sugary" as another cookie. Brown sugary is totally a food description, right? ...read too many food blogs. My recipe printout drawer is overflowing. Even though I really only read three food b...

I've been thinking a lot lately about how there are some things about myself that I don't like. Some things about myself that aren't true to Christianity. For one thing, I don't study my Bible as often as I should. (Or ever, outside of church. *wince*) For another, I'm a horrible gossip and very judge-y. I criticize anyone who I don't like or understand.  Also, I'm terribly selfish. Are ya'll completely shocked? Or did you already know? Ack! Anyway, Jesus has been dealing with me a lot on these issues lately. They're on my mind a lot and I mentally kick me when I catch myself exhibiting any of those loathsome behaviors. Oh! I forgot one! I'm also horrifyingly self-righteous! I'm just a gol-darned peach, ain't I? *shudder* As I was saying, before I so rudely interrupted myself, He's been dealing with me about these things. I, personally, believe that Grace is often extended when we're ignorantly sinning (even if just a litt...

Yesterday was spent in a "retreat" of workshops designed to teach us here staff how to a) be better listeners b) handle change and c) work as a team. Wasn't bad or boring--just long! Five hours of sitting and listening and participating in "activities". (I loath "activities" in workshops. They're a shy introverts worst nightmare!) Fortunately, I managed to sit with E through the entire thing so that made it easier to bear. Also, we got a free lunch. So, Booya! Today I'm leaving shortly after lunch for a doctor's appointment. Gotta go get the results from last week's blood work. You know, see how my lazy thyroid is fairing. Chat with the overachieving cholesterol--that sort of thing. So. FUN! Except not. In some bitter news, the bagel shop finally reopened today after a three month hiatus during summer and I was so excited that I bebopped my ever growing butt down there. Promptly almost chipped a tooth on that dumb bagel, it was so h...

Bad days are bad and there's no amount of sighing and complaining that can fix that. Even blogging can't really fix a bad day. Because bad days are just bad. Like last Friday. Nothing really wrong just nothing really right either. My nerves were on edge, my eyelids heavy and even just the wrong pitch of a certain person's breathing was like nails on a chalkboard. As I said in the beginning of Friday's post--both sides of the bed were wrong that morning so I just shoulda stayed in. Friday night, though, I decided I was tired of the bad day and needed a cure. Cure started when Mama and I stopped by the grocery store after work. Usually that's the sort of thing that sends me over the edge. I hate not going straight home and I hate grocery stores after 9am. But I think I was just so relieved to get away from she who annoyed me with her mere existence that I just couldn't be bothered to get upset. It also helped that Mama said she'd buy me some tater logs...

It's one of those days where both sides of the bed were wrong and I just shoulda never got up. And on a Friday, too! Not fair, universe. Not fair. But anyway, last night we had a wicked awesome thunderstorm complete with a power outage. Lost electricity at 7:30--AFTER the worst of the storm had passed over. It was hardly even raining at that point. I dragged out my big lantern thing and read back issues of People Magazine until I went to bed at 9:30.  Libby, who has inexplicably become terrified of thunder, locked herself up in her room and refused to come out until I mentioned going outside to do her business. I held her a little bit and sang her a lullaby before tucking her in for the night and she said she'd tuck her own self in if it meant I'd shut up with the singing already. Devil Pups. They're so ungrateful. Fortunately, the storm blew in some cooler temps so that the house didn't become an incinerator. I cracked my bedroom window before going to bed an...

I went to visit a bloodsucker this morning. Also known as the lab nurse aka Nurse Bloodsucker. Ugh. She pricked my finger first. My right index finger. Does she not know that it is the most painful place to prick a finger? Mama always pricks her left middle finger to check her blood sugar. Not Nurse Bloodsucker! At least she gave me good news. My fasting blood sugar was 77 which is fan-friggin-tastic!! Being that the folks--both parents!--are diabetic, I really hafta watch out for that nasty piece of business. So far, so good though. Anyhoo, after she killed my finger, Nurse Bloodsucker then jabbed a needle into my arm and drained me. But at least this time she got a vein on the first try, didn't blow out the vein and barely left a mark. What she did leave was this intense wooziness that even a trip to McD's for breakfast hasn't cured yet.  I think. She took. Too much. *thud* After all this I have concluded that I could never date a vampire. I know the vampires of the w...

Emmy's back in town this week. She starts back to school next Wednesday and was sick of staying by herself or going to work with her Daddy. He works long days and she gets bored so I can't blame her. But I can't take off another week to be with her. You know, they like us to actually show up once in a while. Weird work folks. But I couldn't go without spending some time with her while she's here. Especially since she'll be TWELVE!!! *gasp* *sob* in November and pretty soon won't WANT to spend time with me. I dread the coming tween and teen years so I try not to think about them. Anyway, so she didn't actually get into town until yesterday morning. I had already planned on working a couple of hours to fill my reference desk shift so it worked out pretty great that we'd be getting to Sis2's house around the same time. I'd have been there sooner but I had to make a Frappe stop and Emmy had requested a vanilla milkshake. Did ya'll know tha...

I missed it. I had to work a few hours on Saturday and combined with the long drive to and from, I hardly had any "off" time that day. When I did get home I got busy and did fun chore type things. You know. Laundry. Vacuuming. Dishes. Those kinds of chores. I even cleaned all McSucker's cups and filters. One of the filthier jobs of the day. I took a picture of all his guts laid out on my counter to dry because I know ya'll love that kind of crap. But I left my camera at home because I am lame. Also, I roasted a chicken . First one I've ever done so I'm kind of proud of myself. It was way super easier than I'd always imagined. Probably the hardest part was when I was rubbing the butter/brown sugar mixture on it and couldn't get the butter to stick in places.  I didn't get it in the oven until around 7 that night so unfortunately it wasn't done in time for supper. BUT...the DP and I had a nice little late night feast while I was carving i...