A few things going on...

Wii - Day 1

So the Wii (of course) has become a huge hit at our house. Makena spent $100 on two games (yep...only 2) but still had some gift cards saved from her Birthday and Christmas. She and Jamie were playing for hours on Monday - a lot of trash talkin' and laughing in the living room! Makena has played more than Jamie, so she beat him almost every time...she enjoyed that!

boxing

Moxie just wants someone to play with her

Assignment #3

Here are some pictures from my camera class. Our 3rd assignment was to take pictures of different subjects - but to take one zoomed out and one zoomed in, or one horizontal and one vertical, looking for angles and objects, etc. Of course, no shooting on Auto-focus or using flash...and record all camera settings as well as subject info. I went to a bird nesting area one day and then Jamie, Moxie and I went downtown another day. (It was very cold out both days...but I still had fun.)

When Jamie goes shopping...

I'm sure you all know by now what happens when Jamie goes shopping without me...

We've been talking about getting the Wii for over a year now...well, Makena and I have asking and Jamie says "No - we have other things we can do." He really just didn't want to get hooked on it and have me nagging (even more) about things that don't get done around the house! Well...he played it while he was visiting his family in Maryland last weekend and that's all it took! Of course he had to find some extra goodies too - you know Jamie! The Wii Fit (the ONE thing I wanted) somehow didn't make it's way home but Jamie said as soon as a store gets it in we'll get it.

Oh, by the way, I totally SUCK at the drums! We played Guitar Hero World Tour (I guess that adds in drums & a mic instead of just having the guitar) for a while and I got tired of being 'booo'd by the game. Bon Jovi didn't even want me in his band! : ( So, we still have the Christmas lights on the house...but we are getting better at Guitar Hero!

Ravens VS Steelers

Jamie was able to go to a couple football games this season. His last trip took him to the AFC Championship game - Ravens VS Steelers. Sadly, his Ravens lost, but he said it was a great game! (He also said that he was freezing his a** off at Heinz Field!)

He's not quite the photographer that I am, but he did get some pictures for me. : )

Jamie & his brother Bruce

Why I smiled...

Here are a few of "Why I smiled today" from the last couple of days.

Kylah and TeaLee came to spend the night with us on Friday. A lot of giggling in my house!

On Saturday, I took them to the park to help me with my camera homework. It was sunny out, but very windy so the girls didn't want to stay too long. I did get a couple good shots of some "shadows" - that was our weekly assignment.

an unhappy 12yr old

a happy 5yr old

they stood like this while I took 6 different shots - sometimes smiling, sometimes not : )

Makena and I went to a park by the library so that I could get some additional "shadow" shots. Makena was taking some pictures too, and some video with her phone. Again, another beautiful day but a bit windy. We also went and had lunch at Chang's Mongolian Grill - one of Makena's very favorite places to eat. (I'm not sure why tho, all she gets is noodles, pineapple and a small bit of chicken.)

On Monday evening I smiled because Jamie missed his flight home from DC. He missed it pretty much because he just wasn't paying attention to the time. (If you know Jamie, this is not unusual!) He, of course, blames it on the airline person not letting him board late. In his defense, apparently there were 5 other people that she wouldn't let on the plane either and they showed up after he did. He did get on a different plane, but rather than a straight flight home he had to go through Denver. Well...big storms in Denver of course...so he was a few hours late. Lucky for me, the other Jaime had already volunteered to pick him up from the airport!

Then, yesterday, I saw a red Yugo while I was driving home. Yep...a Yugo! (Put a big smile on my face...or maybe it was sympathy for the driver.) I drove a Yugo for a while - not something I proudly admit. It was an orange, 4-door that never wanted to go in reverse. The tape deck ate every tape I ever put in it, and something green grew on the passenger floorboard. My mom even bought me a license plate cover that said "You Go Girl" - my momma is so funny sometimes! I ended up selling it to an undercover narcotics agent in Portland - he thought it would be a perfect car to attract drug dealers with. hmmm....okay... : )

Inauguration Day!

Inauguration Day!! It's finally here, and...WOW!!! I have hope that we can be a proud country again.

HOPE
–noun
1. the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best
2. a particular instance of this feeling
3. a person or thing in which expectations are centered
-verb
4. to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence
5. to believe, desire, or trust

That pretty much sums it up for me!

Did you know?

Did you know that you can recycle small metal items (bottle caps, wine screw-caps, nails & other metal items 2 inches or less) in your curbside cart?? I have been doing this, BUT I've been doing it wrong!! I place these items in my cart and believe that they are off to be recycled...the truth:

According to Metro (recycling), small metal items should be "crimped" inside of larger metal items before they are placed in roll carts. If the caps are not crimped inside a larger item, they will most likely be screened out with other too-small items once they reach recycling centers. The first task is to find an aluminum can. (Not a soup can; most of those are steel.) If an aluminum cap is crimped inside a steel can, the aluminum will not be recovered nor recycled. It'll be as if you never crimped at all.

The best "crimping" method that I've found is to collect these small items and then roll them up in some used (clean) aluminum foil. (You do know that aluminum foil can be recycled right?) So, in addition to the recycling bin and composting bin under our sink, there will now be a bin to collect these small metal items. And when my "collection" gets big enough, I'll "crimp" it in some used aluminum foil and place it in my curbside recycling bin. Wheww...so the system is not perfect and we all have more to learn, but it's an easy thing to do to help save our planet!

Do something

During the 1950s and ’60s, civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. recognized the power of service to strengthen communities and achieve common goals. Initiated by Congress in 1994, King Day of Service builds on that that legacy by transforming the federal holiday honoring Dr. King into a national day of community service grounded in his teachings of nonviolence and social justice. The aim is to make people of all ages and backgrounds come together to improve lives, bridge social barriers, and move our nation closer to the “Beloved Community” that Dr. King envisioned.

With thousands of projects planned across the country, the 2009 King Day of Service on January 19 promises to be the biggest and best ever! And, it's the day before the Inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama. The President-elect will participate in community service on King Day and is asking Americans to serve on the holiday and make an ongoing commitment to service. If you’ve never done community service before, don’t be afraid…there are tons of things you can do…even some from your own home, to give back. Contact your local hospital, rescue squad, fire department, animal shelter, soup kitchen, homeless shelter, or community center for ideas.

The best part is, your children can participate with you! Be sure to get them involved so they can continue to participate in community service as they grow up.

President Elect

I found this on Kathy's website and thought it was pretty cool. It's morphing portraits of our 43 Presidents and President Elect Obama. http://www.flixxy.com/presidents-morphing.htm

This brings me to something I was going to blog about - President Elect Obama. As I was driving last night, I noticed a bumper sticker that said Impeach Obama. I immediately became irritated and drove up along the side of the vehicle. The driver was and older man smoking, with the windows up, in his beat-up truck. (I tend to be a 'slight bit' judgemental and immediately became more irritated.) Firstly, can you impeach the President who isn't even officially the President yet?? And, how could the driver be so closed minded - to not even give President Elect Obama a chance to be the President of the United States. He's already made up his mind that Obama is not going to be the change I am hoping for. Very sad...

Moving on...along side the Impeach Obama bumper sticker was a sticker that said "Say No to Drugs, abortion & Obama".

1. Drugs - If he can't even "Say No" to smoking, how's the drug thing coming?
2. Abortion - he's a man, so my (personal) opinion is that he shouldn't get that choice.
3. Obama - how is this even in the same category as drugs and abortion?? (And, see above)

Then even more...there was also a Veteran bumper sticker on his truck. I am TOTALLY for supporting our troops, but I was again thinking how close minded this man could be regarding how things could change for the better when Obama officially becomes President.

And, mostly I was hoping that the driver has been just as disgusted with our current President as he seems to be with the President Elect. I know that I have been extremely disappointed with the way the country has been run and am very much looking forward to the change!

Stepping down now...

My Girl Scouts!!

I just received the 1st Trimester Honor Roll list for the middle school, and ALL 5 of my Girl Scouts are on the list!! I'm very proud of the work that they do in school and in Scouting - along with their many outside activities!

GREAT JOB GIRLS!! (Jessica, Makena, Hayley, Hailee & Mira)

Greenraising.com

I registered the Relay For Life of Hillsboro in an online fundraiser with Greenraising.com. Puchase your Earth-Frienly items at Greenraising.com (http://www.greenraising.com/?AFID=1012) and the Relay For Life of Hillsboro will receive a 40% donation on all purchases from January 12th through January 26th. (And continue to receive 25% on any purchases after January 26th.)

During the month of January, Greenraising.com is offering a 10% off coupon! Just use the coupon code NEWS0109 at check out to receive 10% off any order of $50 or more. (This does not include already discounted items in the New Year Bargains; where the savings are already 10% off.)

Greenraising.com offers a wide variety of interesting and unusual eco-friendly and fair-trade items that will help you to reduce, reuse, and recycle. I already have a bunch of items in my "Wish List"!

Why I smiled...

She was so cheerful and colorful when I caughter her coming down the stairs! Love you Pook!

Do you think about plastic?

There are many ways you can skip the plastic at the grocery store if you take the time to think about it. The arguments against plastic are many: it is made from a non-renewable resource, the production process creates pollution, it can leach chemicals into your food, it never truly biodegrades and there's a big, ugly mass of it sitting in middle of the ocean.

Glass- it's easily recyclable!

• Peanut Butter- Maranatha and Arrowhead Mills are both brands that come in glass.
• Mayo, salsa and other condiments- Most conventional brands come in plastic jars but some, like Spectrum and Newman's Own come in glass jars.
• Juice - Knudson and Santa Cruz Organics use glass instead of plastic.
• Pasta Sauce - It's especially important to buy tomato products in glass. The natural acid in tomatoes makes leaching from plastic jars a big problem.
• Oils - Olive oil is commonly sold in glass, while most other oils are usually sold in plastic. Spectrum uses glass for all cooking oils.

Paper or Cardboard - Paper made with recycled content is best of course!

• Meats- Buy straight from the meat counter wrapped in butcher paper and you'll skip the styrofoam tray and the plastic wrap.
• Pasta- Pick the cardboard box instead of that crinkly plastic bag.
• Milk - Paper milk cartons are recyclable in many areas.
• Bread - Fresh bread from the bakery usually comes in a paper bag - and there's no comparison to the plastic wrapped version.
• Better yet - make your own, homemade version of many of these foods and skip the packaging altogether!

And always be sure to carry your own reusable shopping bag, or ask for paper!! Can you think of any other food items that traditionally involve plastic packaging - and a plastic-free alternative?

The weekend

After the Kick-off I came home, took some meds and went to bed. Yep...it was 5pm on a Saturday night! I was just tired for some reason and in a funk. I also planned on staying in bed on Sunday, but Jamie nagged me until I went up to the lake with him. He wanted to make sure everything was okay with the boats and shed after the flooding, snow & storms. Moxie was VERY excited when we got to the campground and couldn't wait to get over to the island!

The small boat was okay!

everyone's decks were under water still - it had gone down 1ft overnight tho

(in the background) - the same deck over the summer

The goat house flooded - KC was shoveling it out

our tent didn't make it

the new 20" propane stove/oven

Lilly was so happy to see Moxie!

yards & docks were under water too

(in the background) - same deck/chairs over the summer

the same dock over the summer

As you can see, the tent didn't survive the snow, so visitors will have to bring their own from now on. Oh - T, can we borrow your tent again for Relay?? : ) It didn't take us long to get things out of the tent and cleaned up - luckily it was all stuff that could get wet.

RFL 2009 Kick-off Event

We held our Relay For Life of Hillsboro Kick-off Event on Saturday, January 10th. We have a GREAT group of youth that are always willing to help out, as well as new Committee members that are eager to plan. Of course, there are those of us on the Committee that are still volunteering several hours a month - but it's always nice to have 'new' opinions and thoughts!

It was a relief to hear so many people excited about the Relay moving to the Washington County Fair Complex. Most people just wanted to know more about the layout and are looking forward to all of the new opportunities that the Fair Complex will bring. I also heard many people excited about being able to have the Luminaria lining the track now. Hopefully they'll be patient with us as we continue to learn and make changes at the Fair Complex!

We also had a wondeful speaker - Diane Dennis, author of 'The Hourglass: How to Live as Time Flies By'. You can purchase her book from her website and Diane will donate $5.00 from each sale back to the Relay for Life of Hillsboro. To get more information about Diane and her book, go to http://www.coachdianed.com/. I bought the book and am enjoying it!

Girl Scout Cookie Time!!

It's Girl Scout Cookie time again!! Please let me know if you would like to support Junior Girl Scout Troop 1054 again this year. The price of cookies has gone up again this year ($4 per box) but the girls will also receive more ($.95 per box). My girls have not yet decided what they would like to earn money for, but they will be discussing it over the next month.

There is a NEW cookie again this year, the Dulce De Leche. Sadly, they have decided to discontinue the All About cookie in exchange. Cookies available are as follows:

SAMOA - Chewy and rich! Tender vanilla cookies, covered with caramel, rolled in toasted coconut, and striped with a rich, chocolaty coating. Approx. Count per pkg: 15

TREFOIL - Light and delicious! Delicate-tasting shortbread that is simple and satisfying. Approx. Count per pkg: 36

THIN MINT - Extra thin, extra minty! A thin wafer covered with a smooth chocolaty coating. Made with natural peppermint. Approx. Count per pkg: 28

TAGALONG - Wildly popular! Tasty cookies topped with creamy peanut butter and covered with a luscious chocolaty coating. Approx. Count per pkg: 15

DO-SI-DO - Peanutty excitement! “Naturally Good!” Crisp and crunchy oatmeal cookies with creamy peanut butter filling. No artificial color or flavor. Approx. Count per pkg: 20

LEMON CHALET - The height of lemon flavor! Uniquely designed to feature Our Chalet,
this delicious vanilla sandwich has a hint of cinnamon-ginger spice and a refreshing zesty lemon creme filling. Approx. Count per pkg: 20

SUGAR FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP - All of the taste, none of the sugar! A classic favorite with real chocolate chips — now sugar free! Approx. Count per pkg: 15

DULCE DE LECHE - As fun to say as they are to eat! Inspired by the classic confections of Latin America, these sweet, indulgent cookies are rich with milk caramel chips and stripes.
Approx. Count per pkg: 15

You can also purchase cookies to be donated - we will be donating our cookies to the Oregon Food Bank.

an email

I got this email today and I totally understood it! Welcome to my life...

Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. - Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. This is how it manifests itself:
I decide to water my garden.
As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide it needs washing.
As I start toward the garage, I notice mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mail box earlier.
I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.
I lay my car keys on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and notice that the can is full.
So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first.
But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.
I take my check book off the table, and see that there is only one check left.
My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of Coke I'd been drinking.
I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over.
The Coke is getting warm, and I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.
As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye--they need water.
I put the Coke on the counter and discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning.
I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers.
I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table.
I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I'll be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the lounge where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers.
I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor.
So, I set the remote back on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill.
Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.
At the end of the day:
the car isn't washed
the bills aren't paid
there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter
the flowers don't have enough water,
there is still only 1 check in my check book,
I can't find the remote,
I can't find my glasses,
and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.
Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all damn day, and I'm really tired.
I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail....

I do usually get (or feel like I get) things done! I would have to add in there somewhere that I 'wrote a list'. I write lists of lists of lists tho...thank goodness for Post-its!

I'm falling apart!

I think I'm falling apart...and I'm only 33! So...my toe is feeling a bit better but it sore by the end of the day if I'm up and walking around at all. (I've been home by myself the last few days, so I'm moving around probably more than I should.) Most of the swelling and bruising has gone away tho - I keep it taped up. It still doesn't feel good to wear shoes - thankfully I have Crocs! My armpits hurt too much to use the crutches anymore...am I complaining now??

But then, last week, one of my bottom wisdom teeth started to bother me. I let it go for a while. Then...this Monday or Tuesday I started getting an ear ache and sore throat - I figured it had to do with my tooth so I called the my dentist. (Whom is in Forest Grove and is the only reason why I ever go back there anymore.) He is, of course, off on Wednesdays so he fit me in today. (I should also mention that my face was also swelling - I may have scared the people in my camera class.) It's not really my tooth, but I have an infection in the gums around the tooth - which is causing the ear ache and sore throat as well. He's been wanting to pull my wisdom teeth for years now - he may have a good reason now! I didn't get any pain killers (how dumb of me not to ask!) but he prescribed me some Penicillin and said it should be better in 48 hours. (Of course Penicillin has some terrible side effects for women.)

When do I get to go 'back to normal' - or whatever that is for me!!??

203 Posts!

I can't believe it - I'm on my 203rd post already!

Thanks for following my blog (both of you) I enjoy doing it! Even though I feel like this some days...

Boy, sometimes I look like that too!! (Okay...maybe there are 4 of you.) Just wait until I'm a famous photographer...then you'll read my blog!! : )