Sleeping with the Television On

That's never a good thing. I fall asleep every night with the television on. Lately while watching Hot Bench, my new obsession. These three judges are so adorable! Especially when one of the judges says, "We've reached our decision," with her Brooklyn (I think?) accent.

It's Pup's busy time of year. Now that we own our own biz and I'm involved a bit I'll be working more in a few weeks or so (I'm there at the office a few days a week during the day), but right now Pup is the talent and works longer hours. He loves what he does and frankly doesn't mind having to work long hours during the dark and cold winter. He always says he has the best job ever. All summer long with an easier schedule and time to relax and have fun.

But right now he's very busy. Meetings with clients, pre-work, doing the groundwork for future weeks of work.

So I'm a bit of a winter-widow.

Which doesn't bother me at all! Occasionally I'll head out to hang out, but mostly I'm home doing this or that. Taking a bath. Laundry.

My favorite thing to do around 8 or 8:30 is head upstairs to our loft with a cup of sleepy tea, putz around doing things up there, put on my jammies, get ready for bed, then hop in it with magazines, a book (that I might read for five minutes),  and a few episodes of Hot Bench or Bewitched (still!).

Pup gets home around 8:30 so he comes and hangs out for a few and then heads down to The Big Room to relax for a bit.

By 9 or 9:30 I'm sleepy. During the winter months I have a hard time staying awake by 9 or so. It's been dark for hours by this point and cozy is all I want to be.

What an exciting time I'm having! Heh!

What a rambling post here.

Oh yeah . . . sleeping with the television . . . not good. Pup comes to bed probably around 11 or so and turns the damn thing off for us luckily.

We do live in an interesting part of the country. As I've said, it's very very dark around this time of the year, yet in the summer months it's light outside until nearly 10:00 p.m! Those months it is very difficult to get to bed! Who wants to go to bed when it is light outside still!

This is why we are all so crazy flexible and congenial. Hehehe!

How you sleepin'?

Why Do We Believe Men Have No Self-Control?

WHY I CHOSE TO NO LONGER WEAR LEGGINGS 
Blogger Veronica Partridge 

For the past several months, I have been having a conviction weighing heavy on my heart. I tried ignoring it for as long as I could until one day a conversation came up amongst myself and a few others (both men and women). The conversation was about leggings and how when women wear them it creates a stronger attraction for a man to look at a woman’s body and may cause them to think lustful thoughts. God really changed my heart in the midst of that conversation and instead of ignoring my convictions, I figured it was time I start listening to them and take action. 

 I went home later that day and shared the convictions I was having with my husband. Was it possible my wearing leggings could cause a man, other than my husband, to think lustfully about my body? I asked my husband his thoughts on the matter when he got home. I appreciated his honesty when he told me, “yeah, when I walk into a place and there are women wearing yoga pants everywhere, it’s hard to not look. I try not to, but it’s not easy.” 

 I instantly felt conviction come over me even stronger. Not that I wasn’t feeling it earlier, or else I wouldn’t have thought twice about the conversation, but after talking to Dale, it hit me a lot harder. If it is difficult for my husband who loves, honors, and respects me to keep his eyes focused ahead, then how much more difficult could it be for a man that may not have the same self-control? Sure, if a man wants to look, they are going to look, but why entice them? Is it possible that the thin, form-fitting yoga pants or leggings could make a married (or single) man look at a woman in a way he should only look at his wife? 

 And at that moment, I made a personal vow to myself and to my husband. I will no longer wear thin, form-fitting yoga pants or leggings in public. The only time I feel (for myself) it is acceptable to wear them, is if I am in the comfort of my own home or if I am wearing a shirt long enough to cover my rear end. I also want to set the best example of how to dress for my daughter. I want her to know, her value is not in the way her body looks or how she dresses, but in the character and personality God has given her. I have been following the vow I made to myself for the past couple of weeks now and though it may be difficult to find an outfit at times, my conscience is clear and I feel I am honoring God and my husband in the way I dress.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This was making the rounds last week.

Initially I just snorted and thought to myself, "Must be a slow news day."

The more it tumbled around in my brain, the more indignant I became.

I realize this is only one blogger and not the universal thought, yet the fact that it received so much press bothered me.

The message that is screaming at me from all of this is Men Can't Be Held Accountable.

How insulting and frankly, sexist is that thinking? I mean, if a woman is running around in leggings with a shapely backside she is inciting in the heart of men lust, ungodly thoughts, and makes him lose the ability to govern his own thoughts. Because men are just that base, uncontrollable, and childlike.

Why just the backside then? Maybe we should cover our legs at all times as well? A shapely leg can get some men thinking racy thoughts. Or breasts. Just the curve of a breast through a t-shirt or sweater could change a man's day yes? Or feet. A pretty foot could just about make a man or two breathe a little heavier.

What bullshit.

Or reverse this thinking hmm? Women have thoughts as well when they see an attractive man out and about. Whether it's his backside or the curve of his back into his pants or maybe a glimpse of nice abs.

Just when you could believe we are making strides towards a new think crap like this makes the news and I realize that all of that is just illusion.

Watch your men all of you women out there. He just can't control himself and who knows what he'll do when left to his own devices!

grr and gah

Oh oh!

Nearly forgot! Sheesh.

I just cleaned out my refrigerator and used up a bunch of vegetables before they went bad. For once! Made myself some damn good veggie soup; cabbage, carrots, celery, table onions. Simmered until soft, added some organic chicken bouillon. I just had a bowl. Mmmm nummy nummy nummy as Spud and I sing every day he's here.

Vegetables really are good. It's the prep that bugs me, yet just now when I was prepping and listening to the radio (local station The Current is celebrating its 10th year - wow!) I realized just how calming and rather enjoyable prepping veggies actually is.

Numm and yumm.

No photo, of course. Apologies for the repeat (or maybe not?), but Lorenzo has been known to wonder aloud, "Why does everyone feel the compulsion to share photos of their food?"

We just do! It is rather idiotic.

Instead, here's a photo of something lovely.

Because what is better than a baby eating an orange?

Glensheen Mansion

I haven't toured this place since the 80s, but tPretty reminded me with a post on her blog of a morning room I saw all those years ago that has stuck with me all this time.

The Glensheen Mansion is the most beautiful place. Placed on the challenging shores of Lake Superior it is, in my mind, a little bit of Minnesota's Downton Abbey.

My wasband and I honeymooned in Duluth, Minnesota in 1981 and one of the things we did was tour the Glensheen Mansion. I can only say, gorgeous.

The story of how it was built and the details is fascinating by itself, but then add a mysterious murder and stories of greed, mental illness, and death makes it all the more intriguing.

Here are some photos I found on Flickr of the mansion.

But the thing I remember clearest of the mansion? The morning room.

Do click on this photo for a larger peek at this beyond gorgeous room.

The soft green tiles, the ferns, the views of Lake Superior, the stained glass windows. I wanted to sit right down and have some coffee and read the paper. Forever. Well, maybe at least for a Sunday morning.

That sink! Again, click on this. 

omg - even better shot - CLICK!

Now excuse me; I need to check out that Flickr account with all the photos. Let's go and tour this wonderful place!

More links:
On Pinterest
https://glensheen.wp.d.umn.edu/about/
http://www2.css.edu/app/newslab/index.cfm?cat=2&art=167
http://www.midwestweekends.com/plan_a_trip/history_heritage/historic_houses/glensheen_tours.html

Paste the other links if you care to read more.

That's My Name, Don't Wear It Out

Pup wants a tattoo. Yeeeesss?

I'm joking of course. The best way to jinx your relationship is to tattoo your love's name on your body. Instant death. Ask Nick Cannon (Maria Carey's soon-to-be-ex-or-maybe-ex-already?). Or ask anybody that has done such a thing.

We should speak of tattoos at some point though.

But I wander off of point . . .

My name is Deborah. For real, not just for blogness.

Deborah

When I was a child and young adult I was called Debi. When I was really little my momma spelled it Debby. When I got to my "creative" phase in middle school I switched up the spelling to Debi to differentiate myself from the millions of other Debbys. There were so many! And I always knew I wouldn't be Debi my whole life. I remember being 14 and just KNOWING that by the time I was 40 (40! Would I live so long??) I would be Deborah.

I always, secretively, loved my given name. I loved how it looked written out. I loved how it looked written across the top of a page. When I worked for a publishing house my name as typographer/interior book design was written on the copyright page along with everyone associated with the creation of the book. I can't lie; it was thrilling to have my name connected with dozens and dozens of publications I had typeset. Thrilling especially that first time.

When I fill out paperwork I use my given name. When I sign I use my given name. I never use Debi or worse; Deb. I've never been Deb in my life!

It's a tricky name for people. No one wants to say it. Or write it. Just a month or so ago when Pup and I signed up for our new gym I filled out the paperwork with the recruiter. Spelling my first and last names as I always do. He shortens it to "Deb."

"Wait," I say. "You spelled my name wrong."

"Oh, is this a big deal?" the young recruiter says.

"Yes, that's not my name."

He looks at me blankly.

Repeat this scenario a million times.

After I quit my biz and got my corporate job (which was another thrilling job - kinda loved that job) I, again, filled out everything with my name. DEBORAH. My sign for my office arrived with DEBBIE written on it.

Grr! I sent it back.

Just a couple of weeks ago Pup and I ran into an old neighbor of his from his little boy days. I introduced myself to her as Pup's wife.

"Hi! I'm Deborah."

"Do you go by "Deb?"

"Deborah, I go by Deborah."

Blank stare.

A blank stare I've seen so many times!

Pup says the name Deborah is puzzling to some people. They don't know how to pronounce it. It seems too formal.

I call crap!

If someone introduces themselves to me as Thomas I wouldn't take it upon myself to call him Tom. He didn't say Tom. He said Thomas!

These are the things that fill my brain. It's not the end of the world or important to anyone but me, but it does have the bug factor.

It's a lovely name! And my name is a huge factor in the names Wasband and I picked out for our two girls. Names that couldn't easily be shortened. Names that would be their names! Lovely names!

But I won't share them here! The blogness-life isn't for them.

Smooches and happy Saturday y'all!

Hot Men Friday

Right about now I'm beginning to feel like Andy Cohen (from Watch What Happens Live and Bravo TV fame) who is having a sober January as his kickstart; I am counting the days until I can stop this madness of posting every day.

It's been a rather good thing for me. But a bit lame and pointless. Although the point was for me. Forgive me dear readers.

So . . .

Elvis

Some people are just pretty. There are so many people I could stare at forever although my momma always said that was rude. And then she'd say something snarky about that person anyway (smooches and hugs my sassy momma - miss you and your snarky tongue).

Not that I 'm not a snarky girl, but I can appreciate a beauty. Male and female. I love me some pretty.

I believe this is someone's Photoshop masterpiece. I found it on Tumblr.

Bitch Stole My Look

Quote

Isn't that lovely?

Supplements

This was labeled "vitamins." I hope they are!

Bouncing off from yesterday's ramblings I have questions for all of you supplement takers . . .

Does it feel as though you have a mitt full of pills on the daily to take?

I've never been good at taking pills. My daughter Bella and I were talking the other day and she reminded me how she has always had a very hard time swallowing pills. I had forgotten she had the same problem!

When I was young, I would CHEW aspirin because I just couldn't swallow. Please no jokes  :)

I still have a level of difficulty today. But some of those damn things are crazy big!

Yuck

It's one of the reasons I'm not always the best about taking them.

I have them all organized in a large AM PM pill case. Yes, just like your Meemaw uses for all of her medications. Pup and I joke constantly about our geezer pill boxes. But we'd rather have supplements to take than be on lots of meds.

I think.

Ha!

What I'd like to hear from you guys is what are the tricks you use to actually TAKE your supplements? Pup is a morning guy. He can swallow a HANDFUL with water no problem. Not me. So he's a right-a-way-in-the-morning supplement taker.

I have some for the morning and some for the evening.

How do you guys approach this?

Vitamin D Y'all!

Okay - I was believing my fuzzy-headed thinking was much better, but I just ran into the kitchen after hearing the siren call of my coffeepot (beep beep beep) signaling that coffee is ready! Only to find a carafe of hot water.

Ooops!

And my brilliant plan for yesterday was to blog the day's events at the end of the day.

Ya.

Challenging!

I met with my lovely natural hormone therapy doctor yesterday to go over my latest blood work. Much improvement and several areas that are being stubborn. What I do know to be different is when I went to him last year I was having a million about 25-30 hot flashes during the day. Now I might have 1 or 2.

But that stubborn Vit D is still in the crapper and my DHEA is still low.

So a continued plan for those deficiencies and reevaluate in six months.

My doc was telling me something fascinating that might be common knowledge. Higher levels of vitamin D correlate with less multiple sclerosis disease activity and progression.

He said when he found out about the study he got "pissed" that this wasn't HUGE news. It was out there here and there with a google search (of course), but mainstream media let it lie. No attention to something that should have the biggest spotlight on it. (Here is an article about it I just found with a quick search.)

We have MS in our family on an in-law side and I asked Pup to speak to his BIL about his Vit D levels.

My doctor brought it up during a conversation he and I were having about Big Pharma.

He is a physician and is hesitant to say that doctors are in the pockets of BP, but did say that the system does not reward prevention by route of behavior changing diagnosis. Most doctors throw prescriptions at their patients rather than go with a try this or try that approach.

I kinda love this guy.

My prescriptions from him are definitely not tied with Big Pharma. The biggest clue is their cost. Without insurance my two bio-identical prescriptions cost around $30. One monthly and the other one about two to two and a half months between refills. Ya. No co-pay required.

I'm kinda all over the place with this post, but he said another amazing thing to me while we were discussing how to get my Vit D levels UP (gah!!). I mentioned getting in the sun as much as possible during the day and should I be using my tanning bed (we have one, but don't use it too much - last year doc suggested I use it a couple of minutes a day to dissuade Seasonal Affect Disorder).

He told me that as we age and our hormones get so messed up with the aging process, nutritional deficiencies, free-radical crap, etc. we are less able to effectively absorb Vit D from the sun. He told a story of a fellow doctor friend of his that lives in Arizona, golfs every day, has a bald head, wears no sunscreen or hat. I was expecting a lecture about sun screen (he actually thinks we don't need it as much as we need a good Vit D level), but he went on to finish the story by telling me that despite all of that, his doctor friend's levels were 7! A good level is 50. Mine are crappy and they're 23!

These are the things that are making us sad and fat and depressed and out of balance.

He also said Vit D is a balance with DHEA levels as well. A low level of DHEA will not allow proper Vit D absorption.

So complicated.

I wish I had taken thorough notes yesterday. I wish I played golf with my doctor! Imagine the stuff I'd learn!

Yesterday!

. . . and today!

The day entirely got away from me yesterday. I must have thought I was on a work week schedule regarding posting. I have some weird version of a flu going around these parts; headache, FUZZY thinking, bowling ball head, ears hurt, a host of other fun things.

Ya

So . . .

1. forgot where something was happening - nearly drove to where it wasn't
2. we had tickets to something - forgot to go
3. left the house yesterday morning - forgot my keys
4. forgot to write
5. I'd really like to forget all the rest of it!

Umm, Yeah!

I will own my American Idol addiction. It's been a strong force with me since its second season. So there!

I know, y'all are over it. You love The Voice or you don't watch TV. It's okay, there's room for me here and I still watch.

I love all of the judges, yes I do.

Ya . . .

But truthfully? I tune in to look at Jennifer Lopez.

She can WEAR fashion. Give it to me Ms. Lopez. Fearless as well. Makes missteps and has a rather Oh Well attitude. Love love love!

She's on my newsstand as well. Yes I bought this magazine yesterday!

Lovely!

Challenging

I forgot my lemon water this morning! Grr and ugh . . .

I have had a HUGE craving for minestrone so yesterday afternoon after getting home from The Firm I chopped and diced and made soup. I'm not a lover of most legumes and they are not permitted on this challenge so I left them out.

I mixed up some meatballs, popped them in the oven, and plopped them into the soup even though I know minestrone should be meat-free. Gotta get some protein.

It was bomb! Is that alright to say? Of course I'm lame right now and didn't get a shot of it. I could take a shot of the empty dutch oven or the bowl of leftovers.

Okay, I'll do that.

Full disclosure: I had a Presbyterian (bourbon and diet ginger ale w/lemon). Just one. And one piece of dark chocolate. Okay - maybe a couple of bites of a sweet thing my girl Shelley-Belly brought over. Oh damn - and I threw in a few bits of spiral pasta into the soup.

The soup was bomb in spite.

Then we watched The Wolf of Wall Street. I had seen it before, but fully enjoyed watching again! I love watching bad behavior!

Minestrone
2 tbl olive oil
2 large celery stalk, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
5-6 cups water
1/2 to 1 tsp oregano
1/2 to 1 tsp italian seasonings
1-2 zucchini, diced
2 beef-flavor bouillon cubes
1-2 large carrots, diced
3 cups sliced cabbage
1 onion diced
1/4 lb green beans
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 cans diced tomatoes
1/4 cup elbow pasta
grated parmesan cheese

In dutch oven over medium-high heat, lightly brown the carrot, celery, onion, garlic (I always brown the garlic first because of some chemically thingy that happens to garlic), and green beans. 

Add water, salt, oregano, italian seasonings, bouillon, cabbage, zucchini, and tomatoes. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in pasta and cook 10 minutes longer until pasta is tender and soup slightly thickened.

Serve in wide bowls with fresh parm sprinkled on top.

Nummy!

Okay, So That Was Lame . . .

I warned y'all! 31 days did not seem THAT long. It's only the 14th and I'm dying here!

:)

Top Ten Things On My Mind

1. Carbs - apparently it is VERY hard to stop eating them just because you are doing a challenge. Ahem.
2. . . . wait . . . something will come to mind . . .
3. Fashion. How I love love love fashion, yet I'm deep into wearing my winter uniform. Isn't fashion about wearing fashion? Well girl?
4. 31 days 21 days. Take so long, yet poof they're gone!
5. My darling Spud is both exhausting and enthralling. To me.
6. My determination to not let this winter get the upper hand needs a nudge. PLONK on your determination! Get up on it!
7. Hot lemon water before my coffee is a tough thing. I kinda love it, but right now I'm drinking both my coffee AND the lemon water.
8. That was fascinating!
9. I'm not digging very deep . . .
10. . . . ending this list!

I will leave you with this. This is what I watch whenever I need something to make me cry and laugh at the same time. 

I know!

You can thank me when you see me next.

Smooches and thank you for your patience. 

Plank You!

Yeah!

Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge,

I've done this the past couple of years (I think?) and always find it a great reboot for January. This year they added an app for iPhones (I'm a Samsung girl so boo-hoo on this) and also for desktops. So I'm running the app on my trusty computers and love the interactive interface. Every day you check-off tasks or answer questions that go out to the 21-Day Challenge community.

I've had a long long love affair with Marks Daily Apple. So here we go!

Sunday Morning

Anxiety

Courtesy of lol-rofl.com

Small confession. Small part of a confession? You invisible people out there might be my therapists because let's face it, therapists give me anxiety!

In my 40s I started having anxiety. I didn't even know what to call it, but I'd have swirly thoughts, started having a hard time falling asleep because of all the insane thoughts in my head. Then during the day I'd have swirly thoughts. The trouble with swirly thoughts is no one else really knows you're having them and if you lash out they are generally left scratching their heads wondering, "WTF?"

I'd get worked up, heart thumping, mind jumping, turning all of those molehills into huge ugly mountains.

When I first got divorced 10 years ago I started having panic attacks. Holy Hannah. Those are fun. The first one I had I remember vividly. I had something to do or somewhere to be, was getting ready, and bam - there it was. I remember feeling exactly how I felt when I did Speed back in my 20s. I never really liked that feeling and that might be where I first discovered, delightedly, that a life of drugs was not for me.

The panic attack can be described in my experience as doom. I felt an impending doom. It made me keep taking deep deep breaths. Like I just needed to breath (isn't the body a wondrous thing?), like I just needed a minute.

Except you can't get that minute and no amount of air makes you feel better. Doom. Something BAD is going to happen. Something very bad. Luckily, for me, nothing BAD ever did happen. Except the anxiety.

Gah

In our family we have joked over the years about the L-Family Mental Illness. We'd joke how we do this crazy and that crazy, but we're still lovable.

Gah

I don't particularly feel lovable all the time. I think this anxiety helps me keep people at arms length. I don't want too many too close and when they are too close I push them away with a bit of bad behavior.

I know you can't change what you don't acknowledge so I am saying this out loud here in my little confession-land. It feels safe here although that is simply a crazy thing to say! This is the most unsafe place (meaning internet-land), but it feels safe because I don't really know who might be here and this emboldens me.

How strange and magical that is.

Change can take place now that it is acknowledged. I will hang on to that.

Wowzers! Fantastic and wonderful!

Love and smooches to all of my therapists.

American Gigolo

Armani

Mercedes

Bottega Veneta

Lauren Hutton

Richard Gere

I was up too early this morning and when I turned on the fireplace and television in the Big Room this movie was on. Swoon on the 80s decor and fashion. Not so swoon on the movie itself. I kinda watched it with the sound off.

But the visuals! Whooooo ha . . .

Phrases that Grate - or How to Make Hashbrowns! Not Really.

It is what it is.

Do you hear what I'm saying?

You know what I'm saying?

You know what I mean?

Whatever.

Umm . . . (I'm so guilty of this one.)

That's SICK!

So basically . . .

I literally . . . 

Ma'am, please; no shirt, no pants, no service. (damn!)

~~~~~~~~

I am guilty of each and every one!

What are the words or phrases that could curl your hair? Straighten your hair? Make you long for your hair?

Are You Ever Done Decorating?

I have a popcorn ceilings with sparkly sprinkles in my house.

I have the mellow yellow hardwood floors with small planks. Old as hell. In a couple of our rooms we think the wood is either over 100 years old or nearly.

I have slatted blinds, some plastic, in every room nearly. Oy vey the dust.

I have rooms that have not been repainted since 2003 or so (I think).

I have newish rugs in the living room and dining room that I regret getting.

I have a loft bedroom that is not not not cute. Could be. Is not.

I have telephones you have to dial.

I have some furniture from Ikea.

I have a bathroom that can only be described as a mashup of the unpopular.

I have a set of antlers up in the Big Room from a deer I hit with a Jeep Wagoneer in the 90s. Just read on a decorating site how "tired" this look is. Sigh!!

~~~~~~~~~

I love to decorate. And I hate it. No, that's a lie. I love it.

This list is not a complaining list. It's just a list. I love my house. But after the holidays you can't help but look around and see a few things that could be changed, things that you will never change, and things that you can't wait to change.

I'm picking slowly!

Meanwhile, here is what I landed on for the new pendants in the kitchen. I'm now on the hunt for some type of different light bulbs. Regular bulbs cast a very harsh light since there is no translucent shade to buffer it. Ideas?

Cat on counter. Don't judge. Mess everywhere. Judge away!  :)

The Standoff

I think it got up to about 0 degrees yesterday.

When Spud went to sleep for his morning nap I went into the laundry room to wash a huge pile of towels that I we constantly have. Huge pile. Wet towels. I'm a towel nut apparently. The bin in the laundry for dirty towels in nearly always full or getting there.

I fill my front loader, put in the perfect (ahem) mixture of laundry soap and Oxyclean (how do I love thee Oxyclean??) Hit the magic sequence on the dashboard and I hear . . .

errrrrrr  errrrrr  errrr

Memory immediately tells me, frozen pipes.

Oh crapski!! Shiite and shinola! Why do I live here? It's freakin' cold! Damn and damnation!

Okay, I might have uttered a different set of words, but you get my drift.

I call Pup.

"The laundry room pipes are frozen!" I exclaim.

"Wha?" says my flummoxed Pup.

"Yes!" I repeat myself.

"Okay," he says. "Okay, you need to go downstairs, check the plugs, and plug in the heat tape."

My mind goes blank pretty much after, "Okay." Following complicated directions for taking care of the downstairs stuff flummoxes me! In the end, nothing I did helped and nothing was working and pipes remained frozen.

Grrr!!

Pup comes home. We discuss. He looks at me with his Pup-look. You might know a similar look. The look I myself might have when we discover the dog has poopied in the Big Room because we were gone too long. The look that says, I don't want to do what I know I have to do.

We stare at each other for a few minutes. Me with a determined look that says (and I might have even said this out loud), "I will not be schlepping dirty clothes to that horrible laundromat. Nope."

His stare says, "I won't, won't, won't crawl into that yucky place! I won't!" I swear I even saw his bottom lip poke out for a second or two.

Pup has this look because he knows he has to crawl into a crawl space under our dining room. It's kinda horrible there and I wouldn't want to do it.

He makes a few calls. Asks for a bit of advice. He runs to hell the Home Depot. Comes home with a solution. He schleps all of it downstairs where I hear about 20 minutes of, "Crapski! Shiite and shinola! Why do we live here? It's freakin' cold! Damn and damnation!"

You all know I'm lying. His language is colorful and peppered with things that would make a sailor blush (hey, why do we assume sailors swear like hell? Hmm . . . wondering . . . )

This morning, I wander into the laundry room, try the water, PLONK! It's running and the towels are washing as I write.

Oh I love that man. That pouty, don't-want-to-do-it man!

Honestly, I hate cleaning up after the dog and totally get it. Some adult tasks are horrible!

Smooches and how you stayin' warm?

How You Sayin' Hello?

I was thinking this morning about a story an old friend told me a while ago about a time when she, along with her husband, visited her brother and his wife. I do know she has a difficult relationship with this particular brother, but the story struck me at the time.

They arrived at her brother's busy house. If memory serves (mine doesn't always serve the most nutritious stuff, but I'll try) her brother had a set of twin teenagers at the time and maybe another child? Busy and energetic house as I'm imagining. The part of the story I do remember her telling me is after arriving at her brother's house, she and her husband took themselves into the living room even though her brother and his family were hanging out in the kitchen/family room area.

I couldn't figure that part out, but she was really angry about this. Angry that her brother left her husband and herself in the living room alone. I didn't say anything, but my mind was screaming, "Why? Why weren't you in the kitchen with the rest of the family?"

Looking back, I believe she wanted to be angry with her brother. Given their tenuous relationship I can only imagine why the brother left the two of them in the living room. I imagined the house as large and noisy and energetic and the place to hang out would have been in the family room with the rest of the family. I still puzzle on this one.

At the recent Pup Family Christmas that we co-hosted I had a few family members say, "Edith was here all day and never said a word to me." "Arthur sat there and never spoke to me."

When I hear others say this, I realize how idiotic it sounds. Because, yes, I've said those words as well. "They never talked to me all day." Which means I didn't talk to them. But I don't think any of us see it that way in the moment.

We sit in our seclusion, waiting for someone else to make the first move. Which isn't going to work in a family or situation where the others are waiting for the first move to come from you.

With the Pup Family, when first introduced so many years ago, the family dynamic was to not speak to the new person, which happened to be me. They are a more inclusive and perhaps shy bunch at the outset. And myself, as the new person, spring boarded off of this and I became the one who did not speak first. Probably because deep in me is that watch-and-wait thing that feeds into a bit of my introversion.

Of course, all these years later, I know some of them very well, some not so well, and some not at all. That's how it is sometimes yes? But it is never fair of me to say about anyone, "He didn't talk to me. I sat here all day and he didn't talk to me." Make the effort, silly! You'll soon find out if they want to speak to you or not.

I do love how no matter what your age, if your mind is open you can make changes. But only to yourself as I have to remind MYSELF constantly. Being loud and stubborn isn't going to make a heap of difference to anyone else.

If not, you'll find yourself sitting in the living room all alone while everyone else is in the family room having the best time.

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Lovin' Tater Tots

Half-hearted apologies for yesterdays video of Spud. I find all things Spud fascinating so it's hard to push the edit button. The good news is no one is forced to hit play. Gotta love that!

I do find that little Spud-Muffin the center of everything. When he wraps those little arms around my neck and clings to my waist with his strong little legs tears mostly always squirt out of my eyes. If that feeling could be packaged and marketed there would never be need for any type of depression medication. Who can feel sadness when someone that adorable, tiny, and dependent on you looks at you and loves you that way. I swoon.

Spud loves to vacuum. I'm kinda serious. Do you love the plaid jumpsuit?

Squeeze!

No agenda today. Just lovin' on my little Tater, lovin' on my Pups, and lovin' that yesterday felt like Monday and it was actually Friday! Score!

A Post a Day Keeps the Januaryitis Away

That's what I'm thinking. I'm writing every day this month just to see. Some of you may want to look away. It could get mesmerizing, oops, I might have meant, mortifying.

I weighed myself a few minutes ago and I was neither horrified nor satisfied! Which means I'm the same and that seems like a New Year Celebration right there. No damage! I am dancing in the form of walking lunges right now. Because, like it or not, January First is a good time to reinforce improvements.

January Pledges

• Write more.
• Read more.
• Laugh more. 
• Stop stressing out about people that you don't even like. Address and dismiss girl. They're fine where they are. Leave them there.
• But be nicer. Guess what? It's nice to be nice. Today was day one - Nice!
• Allow no doldrums this month. No, the sun probably won't shine, but who cares! Life is fantastic! The so-exciting-I-might-pee parts and the it's-Tuesday-and-I-get-to-watch-RHOBH parts. All good. 
• Deep as a puddle can be entertaining, but maybe only to you.
• Chubby and aged is prized in some cultures. You might want to move there! hehehe
• To fight sadness about the above, remember the lovely doctor that repeatedly hit on you during Pup's stay a couple of months ago. Took me until hit #3 to get it. #notverybright #somelikeityourway #itdidtakemymindoffwhatwashappening #deepasapuddle 
• See above and alleviate the #deepasapuddleitis you can have. Find meaning.
• With this thought, leave the hashtags to others. You are annoying more than just yourself.  :)
• Again, with this said, never give up your mad love for the emoticon. Some things are classic. Plonk!

It's a beginning. 

A Pendant for Your Thoughts

Do any of you guys Houzz? It's one of my favorite ways to relax and ideaize. Along with Pinterest. Hanging out on Houzz, getting ideas, placing ideas in your idea books, can be the best place to research and relax.

During our Pup Family Christmas, (35 to 40 people I think) along with the normal chaos, one of my kitchen pendants got broken in a can't-ever-replicate-that kind of accident. I did kinda love my pendant lights, but the opportunity to get something new is never a bad thing in my mind.

Seeing this, I am really going to miss these globes. It will last one minute after I put the new ones up. 

So I'm paging through Houzz and Pinterest looking at globe after globe.

Pup wants to go for something similar with what we had in the beginning.

I say he doesn't get a vote.

:)

Okay - of course he gets a vote. Although we all know what that means. No vote. Vicious!

I say switch it up Deborah! There are two newish globe styles that are interesting to me. The problem is, as it always is, to not fall into trend-traps. I'm highly gifted there. At spotting trends. I start doing and wearing things a bit before they hit main-street. I don't know why I have this gift. Maybe there is a little bit of the Psychic Network working in this vast noggin? Or I'm a bit of an idiot savant in this. Although I do not have a good memory. Okay - I'm just an idiot.

Either way - I have a gift. Hey - I avoided those bowls on top of sink cabinets didn't I? Brilliant! And I've only bought a vintage leather skirt and saved about $200 on that particular trend. Sexy as hell.

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Happy New Year Friends-in-My-Head!