Chirping Madness

Okay, a similar little guy to this image almost drove me crazy last night. He was in our bedroom and would chirp super loud pretty much once an hour. Finally this morning, I was able to figure out where he was and chase him until he got tired and shooed him out the door. I knew I couldn't do another night of him in my room chirping for a girlfriend...it would have driven me insane.

____________________

One Year Ago on In My Words...Irritation

New Friend....Not

It is a good thing that I am not the one in the family that hates spiders because this dude decided to take a little cruise out from the side of my desk while I was here on the computer earlier and at first I just saw it out of the side of my vision and thought it was our cat...then I remembered that she was outside so I looked to see and he was just hanging out next to the office trash can.

Of course, I can't let something that big crawl around in my house while I am sleeping so I had to get the Raid out and kill it but at least it didn't give me the heebie jeebies like it would have someone else I know.

Anyhow, this guy had a pretty decent wingspan so I tried to spread him out a bit after he was dead and put the thumbtack in there for perspective. He was easily 3 inches from leg tip to leg tip if not a bit bigger than that. This is the second big one like this I have seen in or near the house this week....must be spider season again.

_____________________

Three Years Ago on In My Words...Family Reunion

Flashback

Okay, I know this is a late post but I was in another country without Internet access when I found out about Michael Jackson's death. I was getting ready to hit the hotel gym and just turned on the BBC news for a second when I saw the "breaking news" story. At first, I thought it had to be a joke...I guess I didn't realize he was in bad health at all and I found it so hard to believe he was actually dead.

Anyhow, I am not a celebrity kind of person...yes, I have artists or actors that I like but I don't go all crazy over them and I don't feel like they are a member of my family when they die. So while I was completely shocked to hear of his death, and I did shed a tear, it wasn't so much for him or the loss of his talent on the planet as it was for more selfish reasons.

As my mom pointed out in her post Michael was a bid deal in my house when I was in junior high school. He was one of the first artists that I found on my own (most of my music interests up to that point were influenced by my parent's great taste). At the time, I didn't know his past, all I knew was that this great album came out with this really cute guy on it and the music made me want to dance. I grew up in a small town and we were a bit behind on trends but I did get the "Top 40" on the weekends and we had just gotten cable so I was glued to MTV. I remember when the Thriller video came out and it was such a huge deal. I "loved" Michael Jackson and did wear a single white glove at my junior high graduation (I wish I had the picture here with me to post but it is in storage). I learned to moon walk and taught my dad how to as well during that year of MJ. I loved all the songs on that album and I have it on CD now.

I stopped listening to MJ after the Bad album as my tastes changed but whenever I hear a song from the Thriller album, it takes me back to that year. It reminds me of being in between being a kid and being a grown up and not really being aware of anything outside my little world of school, friends and family. So I guess when I saw that he was dead, I was sad for his family and the loss of his talent for those generations that won't get to know how great of an artist he was, but I was a little sad for the loss of the icon of my preteen years and how much his music influenced my life and brings back those memories for me.

________________________

One Year Ago on In My Words...Ocean

Typhoon Linfa

This may be the only day we can call it that...right now it is at Typhoon Category 1 but it is not forecasted to stay that way...we will definitely get some weather from it but mostly just more rain....

Today the sun is actually out and so is the humidity...so all that complaining everyone has been doing about the rain will be about how hot and humid it is today...haha. But we'll be back to rain probably within a few days.

Hope all this is not going to affect our attempt to fly out on a long weekend vacation next week...

____________________

Two Years Ago on In My Words...Recycling

TS Linfa

Our first storm of the official season...isn't typhoon strength yet but might get there if conditions allow. We have had a few weeks of rain here (which is great for the area but not so great for outdoorsy fun). This storm is coming up near the tailend of that so we are looking at some more rain even if it doesn't hit typhoon strength.

We'll see if it turns, or pittles out before it gets near us....this second picture is from the Weather Underground and they only have it forcasted through Sunday with Taiwan as its target...we'll see how things progress.

In the meantime, I have been enjoying the thunderstorms but if we could get a hold on the rain for the evening time so we can enjoy the Salsa festival, it would be great!!!

_______________________

Three Years Ago on In My Words...Family Reunion

Why It Is Hard

My Mom just emailed me and my sister that our Grandfather is having problems. It is to be expected that as a person gets older there are various things that crop up but when you live far from home, it is hard to hear and imagine because everyone pretty much freezes (in your mind) at the time you left.

We have not lived in the same town with the majority of our family since we have been married...work and school just wouldn't allow it, but we were able to stay on the West Coast for a long time (which is where most of our family lives) so that was okay...we were only a car ride away.

For the last few years though, we have been a plane ride away and right now I am a very long plane ride away...it makes me feel terrible because I am not there, and I feel disconnected from my family.

I am hoping that the news we got is "worse case scenario" and things are not as bad as it sounds but I guess I need to prepare myself for the worse. I HATE that I am not there (although I don't know how much I would be able to help). I know it is hard on my Grandma to see him get older so much faster than he was before.

He will be 98 in September this year. I hope he knows I love him very much even from this distance.

______________________

Four Years Ago on In My Words...Lights Out

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | North Korea in plutonium threat

Is this guy just stupid? Does he not see that his little bit of power over his unfortunate country could be gone in a flash if he doesn't start to deflate his ego a bit? I feel sorry for the North Koreans having to deal with this guy and any of his relations.

_____________________

Four Years Ago on In My Words...Weight Loss

Darkness

Okay, it is so dark in my house right now that I need to turn lights on even though it is 9am...this is because we are in the midst of several days of thunderstorms. I love the storms...don't get me wrong but the waves of clouds do have me turning lights on and off periodically....haha.

____________________

Four Years Ago on In My Words...Father's Day Trials and Tribulations

Elderly gunman kills guard at Holocaust Museum - Yahoo! News

Good grief...human beings never cease to astonish me...and in this case it is not a good thing. How do we even get crazies like this in the gene pool?

_________________________

2 Years Ago on In My Words...Recycling

15 Books

Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. Tag 15 friends, including me because I'm interested in seeing what books my friends came up with (I'll tag people once this goes to Facebook from Blogger).

1. Hitchhiker's Guide the Galaxy Trilogy - Douglas Adams Discovered these in high school and immediately fell in love with his humor and way of thinking...helped me to start thinking outside the box and fueled my desire to write myself.

2. Last Chance to See - Douglas Adams
Read this one after college and it grabbed me from the start. His humor and horror at the way humans treat the world and the other beings in it helped me to see how much we need to change our ways.

3. Where the Wild Things Are - Maurice Sendak
This book just sticks in my brain from childhood...I think it was one of the first times I realized you can get a bit scared by a book.

4. Ishmael - Daniel Quinn
This book helped me to visualize and express all the things I already knew about the world and just hadn't be able to put into words or pictures. It changed my life and I highly recommend it to anyone.

5. The Shining - Stephen King
I am a huge Stephen King fan, have been since jr high, and this book will always hold a place in my mind because it was really the first full novel I read of his and it scared me to death.

6. The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
Was turned onto this series in 3rd grade and loved everyone one of them. Own them and read them over and over again.

7. The Griffin and Sabine Series - Nick Bantock
Discovered these books the night before heading to Japan the first time and they started me down a postcard road that I have not returned from, thankfully.

8. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
Read this in highschool and just felt like the author knew what was in my heart.

9. A Wrinkle In Time - Madeline L'Engle
Had this book read to me in 4th grade by Ms Capp and couldn't stop until I read the entire series...I think it inspired the science side of me as well.

10. Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
Read this book a few years ago and decided that one person can make a difference.

11. Contact - Carl Sagan
Another one that inspired me to look at the world differently and also pushed me towards science.

12. Where the Sidewalk Ends - Shel Silverstein
Read this in jr high, I believe, and fell in love with his version of the world.

13. Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret - Judy Blume
My favorite young adult author, read everything she wrote and really related to the characters at a time when all girls are feeling very awkward.

14. The Lorax - Dr. Seuss
My first inkling of environmentalism...I was so saddened by the destruction of the land and trees.

15. The Salmon of Doubt - Douglas Adams
Finished after Douglas Adams died, but has some great insight to his life and beliefs, and made me think outside the box once again.

So there you go, they aren't all the deepest books but they all affected who I am today and the interests I have in science, the environment, volunteerism, and in writing.

________________________

Three Years Ago on In My Words...Final Draft

US, SKorea militaries gird for NKorean provocation - Yahoo! News

This is just a little too close to home for me...hopefully egos will calm and wisdom will prevail...as much as North Korea's ruler is a pain in the butt, I don't think any of us want to deal with nuclear fall out...

_____________________

Four Years Ago on In My Words...Guilt

Caught Up To Me

Well, I have been going full throttle for some time now and last night it caught up with me. I have the startings of a head cold. I am going to try to lay low today (it is already 2:30pm and I just got home from running errands for a friend), and see if I can kick this thing.

I scalded my tongue at lunch when I was trying to be good and eat soup....very hot soup. Now I can't taste anything and the whole top part feels kind of numb....oh well, when I have a head cold, I can't taste much anyhow...haha. I guess the plus to being sick is that I don't eat much and that might help me in the whole weight loss thing...

The weather turned out to be gorgeous today and I had windows open for much of it...now it is time to close them down and dehumidify some just so I don't get any moldies...Chase was laying out on the deck in the shade.

I am supposed to be volunteering at the gift store tomorrow for 4 hours...fortunately, I can sleep in and still do that so that is what I plan to do, and I am hoping I will be feeling better....getting a cold is really not what I need right now...so many things on the To Do list and already not enough time...but I guess this is my body's way of forcing me to slow down....grrr.

____________________________

Three Years Ago on In My Words...Weekend at the Beach

Gotta Love This

I love this rice...it is Japanese rice (and if you have ever lived in Asia, you will know that all rice is NOT the same). These little packs come as two connected which you can break apart for just one serving. It is 100 grams of rice (about 150 calories) and is perfect if you want to make something with some rice in it but don't want to overdo it. I am trying hard to be more fit and portion size is always important so I love these little guys, and I love the fact that they warm up in the microwave in 1 minute.

There are different brands out there and some of my local friends have pointed out the ones that actually have really good rice in them. Some of the other brands are bigger portions though, so I like this mostly. It comes as a three pack (so 6 servings total) and it makes for quick little meals when I am eating on my own.

When I am cooking for more, I just cook rice in my rice cooker and I have three different types of rice on my counter....which one I use depends on the meal I am making.

_____________________

Two Years Ago on In My Words...Wait'Em Out

May Beach Cleanup

I went on a beach cleanup today. It was with a group I found in an article about the "green" efforts here on this island. I tried to go last month but was just not able to swing it so I was glad to be there today.

The heat and humidity have finally hit here, and that made for a hot morning working on the sand but I was glad I decided on flip flops and shorts instead of long pants and tennies...I did have lots of sunscreen on and that always makes me feel warmer.

Anyhow, we did a whole section of beach near one of the beautiful points (Maeda) here on the island. While we each only did a little part, altogether we picked up quite a bit of trash up from this area. I was proud to feel like I was giving back and I met some new people that care about the Earth like I do.

Edo, one of the guys in charge, was explaining to us about these little balls of oil that end up on the beach because the seatankers still use saltwater to clean out their tanks after they are emptied. I didn't find any today but I will have my eyes out for them for now on...I am sure that they are terrible for anything that comes in contact with them.

We also learned about these little resin balls that are very small and are raw material from when plastic is made. The birds and fish will injest them sometimes. Apparently they are doing testing on those in Tokyo because they can tell how much toxins have been picked up by the plastic in its travels in the ocean.

Overall, it was a beautiful morning for a beach clean up and really made my day!!

_____________________

Just Last Year on In My Words...Determined

Just Me?

I find that each day, I do not have enough time to do the things I need to do along with the things I want to do. Is this just me? Do I just have too many balls in the air? Do I want to do too many things? Should I just be concentrating on one or two "want" things and not the many that I have?

Obviously, I have to do the "need to do" things no matter what and this currently entails (in a nondetailed fashion): keeping my living space clean, doing all finances, keeping outdoor living space neat, maintaining car, shopping for living space and digestion, maintaining cat and fish, exercise (which hasn't been done this week, but needs to be at the top of the list) and any volunteer work that keeps me current on computers (Google for now). A job should be in the list and is probably on the horizon as well.

Now the "want to" list is broken into two categories...there is the stuff I wish I had time for and then the stuff that almost falls into the "need to" category above and mostly gets done, but only in little chunks of time. "Need to" stuff is helping friends in various ways, volunteering opportunities that don't necessarily keep me current on computers (but still might help my resume at some point), practicing/learning Japanese, blogging and other computer activities, and time with friends (necessary when you are far from home).

Lastly the "wish I had time for" list which sometimes gets attention but mostly doesn't. This includes learning guitar, practicing my flute, having friends over, watching movies, writing more, be creative, traveling, tutoring and exploring the area.

Oh, and I can't forget that with this economy, I really need to get something that pays something...so I am not really sure where to fit that one in...I know the basics of time management and I feel that I am always multitasking (watching a movie while doing bills or folding laundry...etc), so I don't know if I would learn much from going to a class (that I don't have time for anyhow). I just don't know how it all fits...do most people set aside time for those things they really want to do and the others are just passed on? Should I be trying to do a little of everything (for one hour) each day or should I say, study Japanese just two hours twice a week and then do other things in other blocks of time?

Obviously, none of this should be causing me stress...there are people in the world who have to worry that the bus they are getting on each day might blow up...compared to my "should I wash the car or study Japanese" quandry, I sound pathetic. But as I was making the bed this morning, already ticking off in my brain the things I wanted to get accomplished in the day, I had to wonder if I am the only one that feels like the days are getting shorter and the lists just keep getting longer...

______________________

Four Years Ago on In My Words...Father's Day Cards

First Storm

We are not in typhoon season officially yet but we have a little guy churning out there. Right now it is not supposed to come close to us but it always helps to keep an eye on these things because they can do some crazy turns when they want...I am sure we will get some clouds, maybe some rain and some wind from it, even if it doesn't get close.

This one's name is Chan-hom, and I am sure we will see plenty of its brothers and sisters throughout the summer since we do live in Typhoon Alley...

________________________

One Year Ago on In My Words...Perspective

Can't Be A Good Thing

I heard some loud noises today...thought it was construction down the street....it wasn't. This is the view out my back window....my house owner owns the land between my brick wall and the pile of dirt but if they are building on that lot behind me, that will truly suck...especially if it is going to be apartments....grrr.

______________________

Four Years Ago on In My Words...Squirrels, Squirrels, Squirrels
Thought our Rufus trials and tribulations might be a bit fun to remember...

Trying New Things

While out to lunch with friends the other day on a scheduled visit to several facilities (I'll have a separate post for that), I was able to once again try something new that I have not eaten.

We were at a traditional Okinawan restaurant (which can be very different from a Japanese restaurant, mind you). I ordered the fried shrimp set (which was very yummy by the way). Along with it came a small side dish of snails (just two). I had never eaten snails before. These were not the round type like I believe escargo is made from. These ones almost looked like hermit crab shells (only smaller). They were less than an inch long.

They had been steamed and then flavored with soy sauce but were served chilled. The idea was to pick up the shell, pick at the meat with a toothpick and pop it all out at once and then eat it. I was suprised at how good it was....tasted a bit like any other mussle or clam you might eat from the ocean. I think the ladies were suprised that I wasn't grossed out but I am usually willing to give anything a try once.

Here is a picture of my set. It has the fried shrimp with tartar sauce, some rice, some miso soup, some seawead salad, some american style salad, an egg pudding (that is not sweet and have meat hidden down in it), some pickled radish, and the snails are in the top right hand dish.


________________________________

Two Years Ago on In My Words...Mom Visit

We Have New Fish

I finally cleaned the tank from top to bottom the other day and then waiting the prescribed week for it to balance again and picked up some new fish yesterday. Last time I cleaned it up, I just didn't get any new ones quickly enough and I hate putting new ones in a tank that is not clean...

So here are the new guys...I picked up 3 of the little red guys (being that they were in Japanese), I am guess that they are a platy mollie mix. I also got a cool koi colored goldfish, to go with the black one I got a few months ago.



I also don't think I ever took a picture of the little bali sharks I have (they arne't really sharks and they get along with everyone in the tank) so I have included them.


_____________________

One Year Ago on In My Words...Art Purchase

Chase's First Cut

I know I already posted before and after pics of her on Facebook but I wanted to get a blog post written about it too before I forgot and it ended up on the pile of "to do" in my life.

This was her first cut for the season, I was waiting for the weather to warm up so she wouldn't be cold outside during the day. It is amazing how much lighter she is just without all that hair. She had so much hair on the floor at the groomers. She got a shower while she was there too and she still smells like the shampoo...which is nice. Now if only I could do something about the fish breath...haha.

All the rest of the cuts will be faster than this one since she will already have short hair. She will stay cut until it gets cold here again...it is actually so much better to keep her this way in the summer. She doesn't shed, or get hairballs, which means I don't have to clean up hairballs. And she stays cooler which is always a plus since it is very hot and humid here and she spends a fair amount of time in our backyard (enclosed so she can't get out).

She did really well at the groomers...purred through most of it because I always stay to help and make her feel comfortable. She doesn't like the underarm parts since she has to be contorted into a weird position and she is also not too thrilled with the rear end being clipped but I think that is just an instinctual thing...

So here she is...before and after...

__________________________

Three Years Ago on In My Words...Not What You Want To Hear

Blogging Community Sadness

I found this blog through another blog that I read (reed) or at least read (red) frequently. I have been slacking on my blog reading for ages but that is due to being very busy in other aspects of my life. Anyhow, Chatty's blog mentioned this blog and I went there, and I got caught up in the story. This was around March of 2008. I read consistently for some time but at some point decided to stop following it as close.

For a while now, I have been meaning to check in. Today, I did. Seems it was too late...she passed away in February....so hard to read and think about what her family must be going through. She was only 42. One of her great posts touched on something that really hits home for me...life is too short and you need to tell those that you care about how you feel NOW!!!

_____________________

Three and 1/2 Years Ago on In My Words...Epiphany

Amazing Skies

We have had some amazing looking skies lately. I have always been a bit of a storm hound and these clouds just grab my attention everytime. This shot is of one of our many sugarcane fields in my neighborhood with some tremendous clouds behind it. I was on a walk and just couldn't resist. It started to pour the second I put my feet in the door too...very lucky indeed.

______________________________

Four Years Ago on In My Words...Me, Myself, and I

Amy's Vegetable Lasagna

I just had this for dinner...mighty tasty for something I was able to make in 7 minutes...highly recommend and only 360 calories too!!! I am a huge fan of all the Amy's tasty treats...especially the Mexican food.

_____________________

Three Years Ago on In My Words...Five Chicks

She Figured It Out

It has been months since we moved Chase outdoors (limited to our back deck area). We live in a tropical climate which means that during rainy season, it rains once a day but isn't necessarily cold. She has been an indoor kitty long enough now that she is not particularly fond of getting caught in the rain.

Until this week, if it started raining while she was out there, she would sit next to the door in the rain and meow...even if no one was home, and manage to get soaked in the mean time. This week she had a breakthru.

In this picture, you can see her lounging in the sun on the deck absorbing the rays amongst the puddles of water from the night before. It was beautiful out and I envied her the time and inclination to soak up the sun.

Not ten minutes later, it darkened up and started to pour. I went over to the glass to see where she was....she FINALLY figured out that if she got under the table with the umbrella on it, she wouldn't get wet. This did not stop her from meowing at me through the glass but at least she finally figured it out.


I went over and opened the door for her, she bitched at me for a minute and then went about her day. I am proud of her for figuring it out and it relieves me that I don't have to worry about her quite as much if a storm should pass through while I am gone and she is stuck out there.

______________________________________

Two Years Ago on In My Words...Mystery Bump

Sunday Accomplishments

I had the urge to be lazy this morning but I managed to fight it off and here are the things I was able to accomplish...some of them have been lingering on my list for too long...I feel great that I checked some of them off and will be guilt free tomorrow at an all day event...

Completely dismantled and cleaned big fishtank (so I can get some new fish soon)
Cleaned fish vase (smaller tank with plants in it)
Vacuumed entire house
3 loads of laundry (washed, dried or hung, folded and put away)
Bills and a few other financial tasks
Ordered a few things that I have been meaning to
Dishes (twice)
Brushed Chase
Cleaned drains in shower (big huge drains that trap everything in them)
Updated rosters
Wrote 4 blog posts
Downloaded pics off camera and organized them
Cleaned up creative table so I can get started on Mother's Day cards
Watered houseplants

Sometimes it is a good thing to not leave the house on Sunday.

And now off to get some Wii Fit in before bed time...

_______________________________

Last Year on In My Words...I Found Them

Card Making and Socializing

I went to a friend's house the other night to take one of her monthly card making classes. It is a great deal...food, cards and friends all for a few dollars in supplies. We made some beautiful cards (a few of which I will copy for Mother's Day cards this year), and ate some great food as well (too much food probably). She even made some banana pudding like my grandma makes with Vanilla Wafers...took me right back.

I can't wait to see what she comes up with for our next class...

_______________________

Three Years Ago on In My Words...Technical Difficulties

ABCs of Me

A - Age: 39

B - Bed size: Queen

C - Chore you hate: Litterbox

D - Dog's name: No dog currently but hopefully in the future

E - Essential start your day item: Contacts

F - Favorite color: All earthtones

G - Gold or Silver: Both

H – Height: 5' 6.5"

I - Instruments you play: Flute and trying tolearn guitar and piano

J - Job title: None currently, but that doesn't mean I don't work my butt off most days

K - Kid(s): No kids but one fiesty cat

L - Living arrangements: Renting while here

M - Mom's name: Valerie

N – Nicknames: Mishka

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: Hernia surgery when I was 9

P - Pet Peeve: Inconsiderate and ignorant people

Q - Quote from a movie: "Standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her"

R - Right or left handed: Right

S - Siblings: My wonderful little sister

T - Time you wake up: 7am or earlier

U- Underwear: Thong

V - Vegetable you dislike: Overcooked limabeans

W - Ways you run late: Traffic

X - X-rays (defined broadly) you've had: Only one on my arm when I was in Jr High

Y - Yummy food you make: Guacamole and Thai food

Z - Zoo favorite: Not too fond of zoos as a whole...the whole cages thing...

____________________________

One Year Ago on In My Words...Losing Its Appeal

NASCAR.COM - Lap-by-Lap: Phoenix - Apr 18, 2009

My favorite driver won the Phoenix race today....it was awesome!!!

_____________________

Four Years Ago on In My Words...Cell Phone Free Zone

Afghan Women Protest New Restrictive Law

I am glad to see that they are protesting...that is a step in the right direction, but I am sad to see that the government is currently caving to politics as usual. I hope that the Afghan president does appeal most of this for the sake of the people of his country.

_______________________

Four Years Ago on In My Words...Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Goodbye Amazon Again

Okay, I am reposting my peeve from last year because this really pisses me off. I started to use them again because it seemed that they had changed their ways but they have not...I have complained to them until I am blue in the face about how I can get the same products from their competitors that they refuse to send to me. I am done with them...so tired of it. I will just continue to use their competitors.

I am recommending to everyone if you live out this way or if you have family that uses them that you stop doing so. What a disservice they are doing.

_________________________________________

They are on my sh1t list right now. They have changed their shipping policies (for the hell of it, it seems) and most of the stuff you can get from them can no longer be shipped to me. This sucks because when we lived here before, they were one of the few companies I did business with because shipping here was so easy.

So I have made my wishlist private so no one will buy me anything from them and I am not doing business with them again until they change their ways. In the last two months I have tried to order three different items to be shipped to me and none of them could be shipped but I was able to order the item from other sites and they were shipped with no problem.

So goodbye Amazon, until you can get you sh1t together!!!

_______________________________

18 Months Ago on In My Words...Goodbye Amazon

Tasks, Tasks, Tasks

Okay, I know that I have done nothing but post about my To Do list on my Facebook status for weeks now...that is because I gave myself a month to get a few things done that have been on the back burner for a while and just needed to get off my list.

Thing is, I haven't been making actual lists for a while, so I figure, in celebration of the fact that I have been making a ton of headway in the last few weeks, I would make myself a list and then strike out all the tasks I have completed...this does not in any way void my list of things to do that is semi-permanently attached to the top of my blog, but it does give me some gratification and that is ultimately what this is about...haha.

1. Dust, vacuum, swift entire house (done biweekly)
2. Put out green mesh to keep cat off tree garden in pond
3. Replace motherboard, video card, and DVDRW drive in PC
4. Uninstall Norton and install Avast on both computers
5. Attend board meeting and luncheon for OIWC (done monthly)
6. Attend steering committee meeting (done quarterly)
7. Volunteer at giftstore or for ACGO more than 40 hours
8. Practice with Magic Sing, and Wii when time allows
9. Make many sets of wine glass markers to sell at giftstore
10. Take 3 carloads of stuff to the thriftstore
11. Organize and overall simplify the house
12. Attend various small get togethers and meetings
13. Troubleshoot and fix 3 friends computers or peripherals
14. Volunteer on the Google help boards for Blogger
15. Everyday housework of dishes, trash, bathroom cleaning and laundry
16. Exercise and try to eat right
17. Read three books
18. Plant herbs
19. Take one more carload (at least) of stuff to the thriftstore
20. Give Jocelyn the rest of the liquor that is taking up space in our storage shed
21. Regrip golf clubs
22. Install rear stereo speakers in car
23. Practice Japanese
24. Hit golf balls and play when time allows
25. Play tennis with Lara and Heather
26. Stay on fitness program
27. Do front bed yard work and clean out leaves from pond
28. Plant flowers
29. Finish troubleshooting friend's external harddrive

I guess those that are not crossed out will keep me busy for a while...

________________________

One Year Ago on In My Words...I Found Them
This post is so appropriate right now because I can't find a Netflix movie we just got in the mail.

Observations

Why do all spray bottles of cleaning products stop spraying before the bottle is empty? Shouldn't the manufacturers have figured out by now how to make that work?

How come Fox News has a slogan of "fair and balanced"? If they really were fair and balanced, would they have to tell us?

Why is it that now that I have white towels, I nick myself shaving in the shower everytime?

If arguing with you to get an appointment, when you say I can't have one is not the way to approach the situation, then why did it work? Would you have given me one if I had just asked nicely and then went away?

Is putting seaglass that is not completely finished back at the beach littering or just refining?

How is it that in the process of spring cleaning, I can't find items I know I have seen in the last 24 hours, when I haven't seen them in months and would have been able to locate them without even thinking about it?

When does a slow leak really become just a perpetually flat tire?

Why do I have to take the labels off recycled glass bottles and jars? Aren't they going to get melted anyway...wouldn't the paper go away then before the glass would even melt?

How does my cellphone go from three to one bar in one day, sit at one bar for days and days and then only finally die when I need to make a call?

_______________________

Three Years Ago on In My Words...Getting There I wonder what it looks like now...if the new owners have maintained it

It Is Not That

...I don't have anything to say, it's that I do, but all of it is little bits...I need to start writing some of it down and can just make a post of all my weird observations.

I have been busy...trying to get some things accomplished while I am feeling motivated to do so, and actually making progress. I also have some things on my mind which have kept the writing side of me occupied lately.

I have been volunteering like crazy, which takes up a lot of my time but feels so worth it, so I can't complain. Google/Blogger has been getting a fair amount of my volunteer attention over the last few days.

I have been clean sweeping the house and feel great about getting some of the stuff we don't use out of here and over to the thrift stores.

I have been playing my Wii (Fit and Rabbids TV Party) and singing a bit on my Magic Sing mic...but I really need to get back to my Japanese. In fact, I am planning to spend some time today focusing on doing just that.

I have been to a couple of cool things, and I need to blog about them as well as upload some pics, but that seems to fall to the back burner some. I did upload some pics from the Kimono show to my Facebook account but I need to get the blog up to date too....

So as you can see, there is not enough time in the day for the size of my To Do list...haha.

________________________

One Year Ago on In My Words...Seventh Generation

Peek-A-Boo

Sometimes when I put Chase out into the yard, the weather is not to her liking. I really just need her to use the litter box and then come back in but she seems to think she needs to hang out there miserable for a bit before figuring out that if she were to just go "potty", I would let her right back in....this isn't the first time I have been confirmed in that she is not the brightest bulb on the tree, but we love her still.

Anyhow, depending on the sun situation, I sometimes have our very long blinds pulled down in front of the wall sized windows to keep the house cooler or warmer given what time of year it is. I think this bugs her because she can't see in to see where we are or what we are doing.

I happened to notice the other day that she will peek under the blind if I haven't pulled it down all the way so she can at least see foot movement in anticipation of perhaps one of us opening the door for her. I finally was able to get a shot of it yesterday. She looks terribly pathetic out there, but it wasn't raining at the time (it had been earlier and that is why the windows are wet), and she was only out there for a few minutes before she figured out to just "go" and come running. I let her in minutes after this shot was done and even dried her tail with a towel...spoiled kitty that she is.

Anyhow, I thought the picture was too cute to not post, even though everyone will call me a mean kitty owner....



_______________________

Two Years Ago on In My Words...Geocaching Blues

Happy Endings

I was volunteering for 6 hours today and at one point, the sky looked like it was going to dump so I ran out to my car, turned the key to ACC and rolled up my windows. I then ran back in, forgetting to turn the car back off. 6 hours later, my battery was dead enough that the car wouldn't start (even though my radio, and interior lights and noises still worked). I called a friend to come over and help me jump start it (I always have cables in my car even though I rarely need to jump my own car with them).

We got it started and then I was off. I ran a few short errands where I could leave the car on so the battery would get some charge and then headed home. I pulled the car way up into the garage area and decided I was going to leave it on for a bit more. I have a key bob that I use to lock my car sometimes, and I took my keys off the ring (so I could get into the house) and used the key bob to lock the car. Bad idea...apparently, that locking was the last thing that keybob had battery life for because I couldn't get it to work to unlock my car!!!

So I have my car sitting in the garage of our house, running and locked. Thankfully I had a full tank of gas. J is on a business trip and his keys went with him and I normally don't have a need for an extra key since I usually can use his (of course I am making an extra key to the car today). I went over to the local police station to borrow a slim jim after I realized that a coat hanger was not going to work on my tight windows. I was able to get one and used it fruitlessly for twenty minutes. The officer (who can't slimjim for you because of liability) offered to call a locksmith. I agreed.

This little guy shows up at my house in his regular sedan and starts to try to pick the lock. He doesn't get it, so then he uses these air wedge things to force my door open enough to get a little rod in there and pulls the lock open from the inside. I was very impressed with him and the best part of about it was that the charge was 15 dollars (in yen of course). Fifteen dollars people....where in the US can you get a locksmith out to your house and open your car for 15 bucks??!!! I actually gave him the equivalent of 20 dollars (even though we don't tip here in Japan) because I was so happy that he came out during his dinner time in about 10 minutes and opened my car so quickly.

I still even had a full tank of gas when it was all over and I am sure my battery is charged plenty now!!! I need to get that guys number just in case I ever need him again!!!!

____________________________

Three Years Ago on In My Words...Life's Measurements A great post for me to reread and reflect on right now.

Tree Maintenance

We have a pond in our backyard. It is a small Japanese style pond with a fountain that comes out of one wall and it is very shallow with rocks in the bottom and a tree in the middle. We clean the leaves out of it regularly to keep it nice and clean looking but recently the owner of the house noticed that the tree was getting pretty big and that means a lot more leaves.

A few days ago, I spent 2 hours picking up leaves out of the pond in anticipation of the owner's visit to look at the tree. We actually have two trees in the yard but one is in the back yard and one is in the pond.

So yesterday morning, the owner came over and trimmed both trees. I was afraid to do it because I wasn't sure what kind of tree it was and didn't want to kill it by cutting back too much or cause a lot of sucker branches because they just look ugly. Apparently from his trim job, I could have pretty much cut anything I wanted and it wouldn't have hurt it...good to know for next year.

While he was there, I worked on my yardwork in the backyard (which wasn't in the plan when I woke up that morning) but managed to get it all done so at least that is one check mark on the To Do list...now I just need to get the front beds done.

So anyhow, these are pics of the two trees before and after he was done.


Pond tree before trimming


Backyard tree before trimming


Pond tree after trimming


Backyard tree after trimming

They look a little bare now but I am hoping that with spring around the corner, they will sprout leaves soon and be a lot easier to maintain for a while.

I also found out while he was here that he owns the field behind our house, and the papaya tree that is right next to my kitchen window. He said I could have any papayas I wanted...nice to know because up till now, I have been just letting them sit there, and this tree puts out a lot of papayas. They are a Japanese version so the insides are kind of hollow but I can still eat them in Papaya salad or after they are ripe just as fruit.

_________________

Two Years Ago on In My Words...Grandma's Pillowcases

Chavez wins vote to scrap term limits in Venezuela

Suprise, suprise....I can't believe the people really voted for this...wonder if it was rigged???

_________________

Four Years Ago on In My Words...Squirrels, squirrels, squirrels

Bucket List Round Two

I did one of these a while back on here but this one has different items so I thought I would do it again. I have tons of other things to post about but not time to formulate them quite yet so this will have to do for now...

The Bucket List...Share

The Bucket List. Place an X by all the things you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not, then send it to your friends (including me).

This will feed into my Facebook and I will tag people from there...

Things you have done during your lifetime:
() Gone on a blind date
() Donated Blood
(X) Skipped school
(X) Watched someone die
(X) Been to Canada
(X) Been to Mexico
(X) Been to Florida
(X) Been to Hawaii
(X) Ran out of gas while driving (when else would you run out of gas?)
(X) Been on a plane
(X) Broken the law
(X) Been on a helicopter
(X) Been lost
(X) Gone to Washington, DC
() Hugged a homeless person
(X) Swam in the ocean
() Swam with Stingrays
(X) Been sailing in the ocean
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
(X) Lived in more than one state
(X) Played cops and robbers
(X) Done a back flip on a trampoline
(X) Recently colored with crayons
(X) Gone on a diet
() Ran a marathon
(X) Made a life-long friend (many of them)
(X) Sang Karaoke (I own a Magic Sing Mic)
(X) Volunteered at a soup kitchen
() Been ice fishing
(X) Paid for a meal with coins only
() Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
() Seen the Northern Lights
(X) Been Parasailing
(X) Been on TV
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
(X) Learned to play an instrument well
(X) Made prank phone calls
(X) Fallen hopelessly in love
() Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans (also fallen down on bourbon street)
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(X) Fed an elephant
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
() Had a child
(X) Fired a gun
(X) Danced in the rain
() Been to the Opera (Phantom of the Opera!)
(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(X) Serenaded someone
( ) Seen a U.S.President in person
(X) Been kissed under the mistletoe
() Been to Africa
(X) Watched the sunrise with someone
() Driven a race car
(X) Been to a National Museum
(X) Dyed your hair
(X) Been to a Wax Museum
(X) Seen Mount Rushmore
(X) Eaten caviar
(X) Broken a bone
(X) Blown bubbles
() Gone ice-skating
(X) Been scuba diving/snorkeling
(X) Gone to the movies
(X) Been deep sea fishing
(X) Driven across the United States (several times)
(X) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
( ) Gone snowmobiling
(X) Lived in more than one country
(X) Learned a foreign language
(X) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(X) Seen a falling star and made a wish
(X) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
(X) Seen the Grand Canyon
(X) Seen the Statue of Liberty
(X) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
(X) Been on a cruise
(X) Traveled by train
(X) Traveled by motorcycle
(X) Been horse back riding
() Ridden on a San Francisco cable car
(X) Been to Disneyland OR Disney World
() Truly believe in the power of prayer
(X) Been in a rain forest
(X) Seen whales in the ocean
(X) Been to Niagara Falls
() Ridden on an elephant
(X) Swam with dolphins
( ) Been to the Olympics
(X) Walked on the Great Wall of China
(X) Saw and heard a glacier calf
() Been spinnaker flying
() Been water-skiing/wakeboarding
(X) Been snow-skiing/snowboarding
() Been to Westminster Abbey
() Been to the Louvre
() Swam in the Mediterranean
(X) Been to a Major League Baseball game
(X) Been to a National Football League game
(X) Been to a National Basketball game
(X) Been Married
() Been Divorced
(X) Been proposed to
( ) Swam with sharks
(X) Been White Water Rafting
() Seen a Broadway show
()Written a book or screen play

_______________________________

One Year Ago on In My Words...Filing Is Done (wish it was done for this year too but it is not...)

Peanut Butter Recall

J and I eat a lot of protein or energy bars. We keep them in various bags so if we are out and about, we don't end up binging on bad food just because we are getting hungry. I was sick last week when the full news of the peanut butter recall hit, and didn't get a chance to go through our bars to see what might and might not be safe to eat. I basically told J to just stay away from any of the ones we had that had peanut butter in them (which is most of them). He bought some chewy granola bars to get by with.

Today, I finally checked the FDA's site since I wanted to throw a bar into my bag for my 4 hours at the gift store. It seems the only bar we have that is recalled is a Clif bar. All the Powerbars and Balance bars are NOT affected by the recall...which is good news since these babies are not cheap either...haha.

Anyhow, I just thought I would share the info just in case others had not gotten to the site but had a stash of Powerbar or Balance Bars....they are NOT affected by the recall. They must get their peanut butter from a different plant.

If you have other brands of bars or snacks with peanut butter in them, I highly recommend a visit to the FDA's site to make sure your food is good to go. This info I have provided is not all inclusive by any means and everyone should check out their cupboards on their own.

_________________________

One Year Ago on In My Words...Ebi Filet

Reading Blog Update

Okay, I updated my reading blog today with my reads for January and I FINALLY got the 2005 books back up after almost losing the entire list last year...one more small thing I can check off the list that has been nagging me.

Check out the reads if you have time...some are for fun and some have been very informational.

_________________

Three Years Ago on In My Words...Things To Do

One Word

Guess this is survey day....

USING ONLY ONE WORD! It's not as easy as you might think! Copy and change the answers to suit you and pass it on. It's really hard to only use one word answers. Be sure to tag (in Facebook) the person you received it from!

1. Where is your cell phone? BAG
2. Your significant other? OUT
3. Your hair? CURLY
4. Your mother? OREGON
5. Your father? WASHINGTON
6. Your favorite thing? J
7. Your dream last night? J
8. Your favorite drink? TEA
9. Your dream/goal? WRITING
10. What room you are in? OFFICE
11. Your hobby? CREATING
12. Your fear? LOSS
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? HAPPY
14. Where were you last night? HOME
16. Muffins? BISCUITS
17. Wish list item? EREADER
18. Where you grew up? ASHLAND
19. Last thing you did? DRIVE
20. What are you wearing? PJS
21. Your TV? OFF
22. Your pets? OUTSIDE
23. Friends? SAVIORS
24. Your life? ADVENTURE
25. Your mood? SLEEPY
26. Missing someone? ABSOLUTELY!
27. Car? SMALL
28. Something you're not wearing? WATCH
29. Your favorite store? POWELLS
30. Your favorite color? EARTH
31. Favorite vacation? THAILAND
32. Music? ALL
33. When is the last time you laughed? TODAY
34. Last time you cried? TODAY
35. Who will resend this? UNKNOWN
36. One place that I go to over and over? HOTTO MOTTO
37. One person who emails me regularly? HEATHER
38. Favorite place to eat? YOSHI
39. Why you participated in this survey? PAULA
40. What are you doing tonight? READING

_________________________

One Year Ago on In My Words...Done Messing Around

25 Random Things

This is actually from Facebook and since my blog feeds into my Facebook, I figured I would kill two birds with one stone....can't do the tagging here on Blogger but I will tag people from Facebook as soon as this posts and everyone else should feel free to post your own on your blog (even without tagging).

Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you.

1. I could eat avocados every day.
2. I should have more self-confidence than I do.
3. I have never had a cavity.
4. I sweat the small stuff too much even though I advise all my friends and family not to.
5. I write things on my to do list that I have done just so I can cross them off.
6. When I was in 4th grade, I firmly believed that if I gave my cold away, it would leave me (sorry Lay).
7. I have straight teeth but when I was a kid, wanted to wear orthodontic headgear.
8. I have never been satisfied with my body, even when I had one that I could have been proud of.
9. I am a perfectionist and a procrastinator...they don't mix well.
10. I keep a lot of things to myself.
11. I played flute in Jr and Sr High.
12. I can still do the splits (right leg forward only).
13. I still own the three gifts I ever got from my biological father.
14. I strive so much to be perfect that I don't let people in where they might see that I am not.
15. I still lay in the sun even though I know it is bad for me.
16. I can actually sing but have a hard time making myself do it in front of any one but family.
17. I have never broken a bone.
18. I spend way too much time alone.
19. I love to write and take pictures and wish I had more time for both.
20. I have had grey hairs since I was 19.
21. My feet are one of my favorite parts of my body.
22. I do not like lima beans or liver (of any animal).
23. When I was a kid, I actually got sick of pizza, Life cereal, pancakes and ramen.
24. I still know the words to a song I sang in front of my church when I was in Jr High, and sing it to myself sometimes when I feel bad.
25. I remember the phone numbers and addresses of almost every place I have ever lived.

___________________________

Two Years Ago on In My Words...Observations

Incompetence, I Swear

Okay, my day has not started off right, that is for sure.

A few weeks back, I ordered a new power supply and battery for my HP laptop. I used a company online that I have used in the past and had no problems with. They send me both, quite promptly, and the battery is great. The power supply however is not compatible with my computer. The one on the net doesn't look like the one I have received, but the order form and the packing receipt say that I got the right one.

I CAN NOT for the life of me get them to confirm that they sent the wrong one. All they keep doing it sending me and email telling me that I have been confirmed for an RMA number. I have explained in 87 emails to them that I don't want to return it, I want to exchange it but I want them to confirm that the second time around I will get a different one than the one I have now!!!! Is that so hard???? I also don't think I should have to pay shipping to return an item that they sent that was wrong. That should be on them and I can't get them to confirm that they will refund me the shipping cost.

Now for the second one...I am a member of the Stephen King Library. They have started making these calendars each year that I don't like to get and don't use. I just refuse them at the post office so that they are sent back to them, and I have never had any problems with continuing to get my books from them. They usually send me the new releases in hardback right around the time that I see them on shelves at the store and they are always cheaper than I could get at the store. Well, this year, they send me the stupid calendar and it come via bulk mail (which takes forever).

BEFORE the calendar even gets here, I get the bill for it saying I am overdue (because there is a bill attached to the calendar itself). This kind of pisses me off. The overdue notice was sent via first class mail so it passed the calendar on its way here. So I throw away the overdue notice, and wait for the calendar. When it comes, I refuse it and it is sent back (probably bulk rate though). I get another notice from them and threats of collection agencies, so I get on email and send them a note saying that the calendar is on its way and outline why they shouldn't send a item via bulk mail and then a late notice when the item has not been received yet.

They write back that they have received the calendar, and will credit my account the late fees as well. All is good....but now we are in January and I saw the new Stephen King book on the shelves in December....I don't buy them because I know they are coming in the mail....well, it hasn't.

So I emailed them last week, and I get a response today that my order was cancelled!!! What a bunch of idiots....how was my order cancelled? Jackasses....grrr.

Needless to say, my day started with sending emails to bone heads that don't know how to read an email and hopefully the whole mess will get sorted out soon.....sometimes long distance sucks!!!!

_______________________

Three Years Ago on In My Words....Unrealistic

Futenma Shrine Visit

I updated my travelblog with my Hatsumode visit to the Futenma Shrine....some of you probably got an email from travelblog.org (if you are on my subscriber's list) and those that didn't can check out the link here if you want.

I might post some of the pictures in other places but I really wanted to get back to using my travelblog more and this visit gave me the perfect opportunity.

_____________________

Two Years Ago on In My Words...New Pets so strange because I just bought new fish yesterday (the 19th of January).

Tea Is Your Friend

I love tea....grew up drinking my grandma's sweet Lipton tea my whole life...(didn't even know about soda until I was in jr high). I LOVE chai and green teas now, and was so happy when I found this awesome article touting some of the great benefits of drinking tea. Right now I am making a pot of green tea on this cool, clear blustery day and I thought I would share my newest discover in my Fitness magazine.

Apparently all colors of tea are made from the same leaves (just differently processed). This of course excludes teas made from specific things, like herbs, flowers, or spices.

White tea fights bacteria and viruses. "It is so potent that it can kill bacteria including strep and pheumonia and 80 percent of bacterial viruses in 10 minutes." Green tea may protect against breast cancer and Alzeheimer's. "It contains EGCG which may block subtle molecular changes that can lead to cancer." It can boost brain power because of that same EGCG It can also help you lose weight...EGCG is known to help boost your metabolism. Lastly black tea helps prevent heart disease and ovarian cancer.

So don't feel the least bit guilty the next time you drink a glass or cup of tea...even with it sweetened and light (yes, I do drink it English style at times), you are doing your body a favor!!!

___________________

Three Years Ago on In My Words...I Am A Dork

A Year In Review

Continued this from two years ago....first sentence from each month's first post for all of last year.

January

Just wanted to wish everyone we know and that reads this a happy New Year!!!

February

I had never even heard of this, but if you read my fitness blog at all, you will know that on Friday night, I ended up at McDonald's (because the people I was with wanted to eat there).

March

I hate that iTunes is not intuitive if you need to move your music to another harddrive, file or spot on your computer...I should be able to point the whole damn program to the new folder and it should just say okay rather than making me point every single damn song to the new folder.....grrrr.

April

These stories are making me so sad....the three YouTube videos (one program) are somewhat sensationalized but that doesn't take away from the fact that there are serious problems in China right now and the fact that all eyes will be on them is not going to be easy for their government to deal with....seems though, that they are not choosing to deal with it in a good way...instead they decide to demolish homes and hope that all the the sad or poor people will just not be seen rather than trying to actually fix things.

May

Yesterday two of my friend's and I went to a little hole in the wall Japanese antique store.

June

It made me cry this morning to read this article....these idiots don't give a crap about any one in their country.

July

I just wanted to wish everyone that celebrates it a Happy Fourth of July.

August

Don't forget about the eclipse....especially if you are in a spot to see it.

September

J and I have decided to fix the deck and pond section of our backyard so that Chase can go outside without getting out of the yard.

October

It has been two days since we finished all aspects of Kitty Land...and Chase has spent the last two nights out there with no issues...she has even used the outdoor sandbox as planned....

November

I am almost done!!!

December

So I woke up this morning feeling bad about not getting enough exercise, and still having tons of things on my To Do list.

Well, that is it...a whole year of posting. Looks like I need to work on my first sentences...haha.

_______________

Two Years Ago on In My Words...I Got Lucky

It's Over

Yesterday, I invited a few friends over for some soup. The weather the last few days has been cold (for here) and blustery so it was perfect soup weather.

Well in doing that, I had forgotten that I had 1/2 started to put away Christmas stuff and my dining room table was covered in ornaments and other Christmas decor. My tree was still up but I am one of those people that hates to do a 1/2 job...I either put it all away or none of it. Well, since it was taking up my dining room table, I had no option. I managed to get it all taken down, organized and put away before our friends arrived. I even extended the table so we could all sit at it...first time for that as well.

Anyhow, I was kind of glad to get the Christmas stuff out of the way and the guests were just a great excuse to get it done. I wanted to post a couple pictures of our tree from this year though since none of our family was able to see.

I guess I have no excuse now for not getting started on my year end...

______________________

Two Years Ago on In My Words...New Year Activities

Good Wishes for a New Year

I just wanted to wish everyone out there, a very Happy New Year!!! This year will see lots of changes and I am looking forward to seeing what comes of all of it. 2008 has been a good year for us (minus the current economic turn down) and I am excited to see what 2009 has in store.

We wish we could be with all our friends and family to help ring this New Year in, but we know that you all will have safe and happy holidays and we'll all keep each other in our hearts and thoughts.

___________________

Two Years Ago on In My Words...Saddam is Dead

Reading Updates

I updated my reading blog with my reads for November and December (the December one will publish on the 31st my time). Please check them out when you have time.

I also am tracking my books on the Virtual Bookshelf application included with Facebook so check that out too if you are able to view my profile.

____________________

One Year Ago on In My Words...Chase's Catnip Christmas Check this one out if you haven't seen it yet...she is hilarious

Merry Christmas To All

I know I am a day early for those of you reading from the States or other places in the Western Hemisphere, but it is Christmas morning here (actually already 11:16am and I haven't even opened presents yet) so I wanted to get a Very Merry Christmas wish out to everyone.

Hope this holiday season is safe and happy for everyone. To family and friends that we can't be with this year, please know you are always in our hearts and minds. We love you,

__________________________

Three Years Ago on In My Words...No Sense At All

Raggedy Andy

I am reading the Twillight saga books right now so I completely understand where this memory came from this morning. I remember when I was a kid (1st or 2nd grade timeframe), I was terrified of vampires. I don't know if I had seen a movie or read a story that convinced me they were real and could come and get me at anytime.

I had this life size Raggedy Andy doll...(life size to a 1st or 2nd grader) that would put in my bed with me. I would use him as a pillow and then wrap his legs around my neck so I could keep the vampires from biting me. I was convinced it would protect me.

I had that doll forever, not completely sure what eventually happened to him...perhaps my mom will read this and fill me in.

____________________

Four Years Ago on In My Words...Bathroom Kitty

My Digital Snowflake

I did my annual snowflake on this site, right before cutting out some paper ones for my windows. I use origami paper because it is already square and thinner than regular paper so it is easier to cut. I'll post pictures of my paper ones later.

_________________

One Year Ago on In My Words...Regrets

Isn't This Smart?

At the community center that we used for our culture group meeting last month, they had these cool tables. They have a little shelf under the main table for putting things that you don't need right now but might not want to put on the floor. In our case, we were using it for the lids to the potluck items. I need a table like this in the States...it would be great for my creative area and for my office...

______________________

Four Years Ago on In My Words...Locked Out

Winter Toes

I was treated to a foot soak, scrub, and lower leg/foot massage along with toenail art the other day. Since the polish lasts forever for me, I decided to go with a winter theme rather than just a Christmas one so I could wear it longer. I don't know that I will do the art thing all the time but the massage (lower leg and foot) was awesome. I really like how my toes came out though...too bad it has been kind of chilly here and I am mostly wearing socks and shoes rather than sandals. I am sure we will have a few more warm days intermixed with our colder ones so I guess I'll just show them off then...haha.

Obviously, on the day that I got them done (and I took the picture) we were having warm weather and I was able to not ruin them by having to put on socks and shoes...

________________________

Two Years Ago on In My Words...Snowflakes