I just found out today that school starts on Thursday!!!!!!!!!!! Jessie kept telling me it was the 1st, but I wasn't convinced. I had to get her back to school list at the school today, and I was told that it IS the 1st!!! What a shock! I thought it would make sense to start after the holiday, but whatever. I've been a really good girl and buying the girls back to school clothes at the thrift stores regularly. I'm so proud of myself and THANKFUL for good thrift stores nearby! I bought Zoe one pair of new jeans today (18.00!!!!!), 2 pairs of shoes, and Jessie got 1 pair of shoes. I bought her other pair (like new) at the thrift store! Also got them 97% of their school supplies. They're keeping their "old" backpacks whether they like it or not. I said we could put fancy patches (not that their backpacks are hole-y!) on if they wanted. In the past, I would do more of the feast and famine thing--a famine of clothes in the summer cuz it doesn't matter as much, and then buying tons of new stuff with store credit cards! DUMB!!!!!! I'm slooowwwlllyyy wising up already.....going to the thrift stores a lot more often, and enjoying that smug feeling of a great buy on clothes for all of us! :) I ordered Zach's curriculum today. I may have it in my paws in a week. Tomorrow's the school ice cream social, when the families that come get a free ice cream cone and can meet their teacher and see where their new room is.

It's really getting cool at night here! Starting to get an itch to start a new quilt--such a fallish activity!

Don't make me think of a clever title at this hour!

Here I am with my tea and my blog. I've only been home for a half hour, and it's 1:30!

Do you ever wonder what happened to Job's beautiful daughters who shared in the inheritance? Did they name their children after brothers and sisters they never met? And where are their descendents now? Did one of them go on to produce fake maple syrup? (Yes, one's name was actually Jemima!) Maybe another one is a famous beauty we have seen in a movie. And is the royal family in England descended from David? If so, have the sins of the fathers, like adultery, been passed down quite strongly?

A good dinner I made tonight you might like to try. It was angel hair pasta served with shrimpy white sauce (shrimp in the sauce). I used half and half for the white sauce, added parmesan cheese, garlic powder, garlic salt, and fresh ground pepper. It was yummy! Best to buy cooked, peeled shrimp. Veggie was spinach salad with blue cheese dressing--best to buy refrigerated, fresh dressing with big chunks of cheese! My white sauce recipe--
6 T butter, 6 T flour, and 3 c. half and half. And you know how to make it, right?

Jessie asked me yesterday at the dinner table if cartoons were in black and white when I was a kid. And she was serious. And I didn't even smile OR get annoyed! I just answered matter of factly that when I was a kid, we had to pedal a crude machine continuously just to get a picture! (Doesn't that make you think of the Flintstones?)

A blessed Sabbath to all, and to all a good night!

Don't you love the smell of playdough?

I changed some settings on my blog, so now commenters without blogs can leave comments. Welcome, Janelle!! :)

William used his potty chair for the first time yesterday. What a triumph!! When you wait till your kid is 2 3/4, you may be using lots of diapers, but at least your face is not blue from demanding constantly that a non-ready toddler SIT ON THE POTTY AND TRY!!!

I got up early yesterday and spent ALL DAY attacking the upstairs. We have to walk through so much cluttery stuff to get to our bedroom, and it demoralizes me EVERY TIME. It makes me feel guilty and pressured and overwhelmed. Basically, it's an attic--a finished attic--so that's where our extra stuff goes. We don't have a garage. And since we remodeled the attic about 3 years ago and have had a zillion calls on our finances, we have kind of halted our progress. So there isn't all this great storage space or cool living space yet. And the bathroom is still waiting to be finished. But I still love this house. Yesterday, I made myself VERY proud and pleased as punch with what I got accomplished. It feels like it transferred to my brain, and now my brain is not cluttered with guilt and pressure and disgust, etc. I got rid of lots of magazines--took them to work, where they are desperate for new stuff in the lunch room. I got rid of lots of trash, lots of recyclable papers (GOSH, am I a pack rat!!) , Will's old crib bedding, my stupid ebay stuff (Yes, I closed my store yesterday--that felt good, too. Wasn't working for me. Fun trying--got it out of my system for the most part), some clothes of mine that were too small or not being worn. I got most of the cds in one spot, the cassetes in one spot, the sentimental stuff in one spot, all my crafty arty stuff in one spot, stuff Will can wear eventually in one spot. Moved the ugly coat tree into the bathroom, swept, de-cobwebbed. GOOD STUFF!!! It's fall cleaning, don't cha know. A good way to start a new school year--clean! The back of the van is full of stuff to get rid of! And I decided to take the kids clothes to a consignment shop instead of just Goodwill. Of course, the downstairs could use another day of cleaning--bathroom, floors, etc.!! And we don't even have a big house!! When Kerry Yacoubian moved into her bigger house in Georgia, she said it was easier to clean, or it didn't get as intensely dirty as fast.

I got Jessie some playdough a few days ago. It was supposed to be JUST HERS, and she would pay for it. Well, it's been awhile since we've had play dough around, and it has been played with intensely by the neighbor girl, William, and Zoe. Jessie has been upset by this. She didn't want to share, and she doesn't want her colors mixed up (conscientious, responsible 1st born girl). So I had to tell her she didn't have to pay for it, that playdough's cheap, and I can buy lots more to replace her ruined, shared stuff. They are having so much fun with it!! It's funny. Jessie keeps showing me these plates of "meals" she makes--hamburgers, spaghetti, pancakes and omelette!

Say, "Cheesy smile," Jessie! 

Chris and Zoe at our lovely, wooded campsite. 

William and I at a beautiful stream cutting through the rock. 

Zach with Will's baby car seat on a scooter. 

Zoe looking for fish and frogs. 

The seasons, they are a-changin'

The pictures below are of our camping trip to La Wis Wis--probably our second and last of the year. It was peaceful, beautiful, fragrant, and restful. I didn't really want to come back--or else if I did, I wanted to bring back a walk in the woods with all of its accompanying smells and the way the sunlight filters down through the hanging moss in the trees. We stayed for 2 nights. I posted a lot of pictures, because I didn't want to leave anyone out!

After the vacation, I've had to really start changing gears in my mind--turn a corner, if you will. Summer is almost over, and the school year's about to start. Sometimes shifting gears for me involves being moody, grumpy, and sleeping a lot--how pathetic--like growing pains in an adolescent or something. Yesterday, I woke up sick--bad sore throat on left side, achy, and very tired. I laid(or is it lay?) down as much as I could between dishes and laundry and meals. I also called in sick to work, and felt guilty doing it, since I had just had all of last week off! I'm sure my supe didn't believe me. I started feeling better last night, but not so great this morning, after all. At least I don't feel like I need to sleep all day. Put a pot on to boil to make some tea--to which I am addicted. Any other green tea or black tea addicts out there? How about Karena, over there in Tealand? Me Mum and Dad(the way I phrased that sounds better with an Irish lilt) got back safely, in a way, from their cruise. Actually, my Mom is sick as a dog with food poisoning--painful stomach and weakness. Not fun! She actually reads everyone's blogs and enjoys them, she just doesn't comment.

Last night, with the first day of schooling looming fast, I found out what I want to do with Zach for his 5th grade year of homeschool. It's Dorian Holt's unit study called Learning Adventures. It looks fabulous, has won awards, parents seem to dig it, and kids, too. It sounds perfect for my active, non-academic, hands-on, project-oriented Zach! And it's very affordable--you supplement with a lot of books from the library or that you buy. Makes learning interesting, fun, and it covers Bible and everything else besides math. You have to have a separate math program, which I do--Math-U-See. I'm getting excited and praising something I haven't even tried, I know. Last year we did A Beka's DVD program--expensive, frustrating, school-at-home, the opposite of what I'm looking at in Learning Adventures. I'd like to say the Lord led me to this! I was getting a little worried about what I was going to do!

Ebay update: Have sent off three things--two of which I sold at a loss. I have received good feedback from two. One person has not paid for something I also sold at a loss. So....nobody seems to know my stores exist.....no sales there......want to ditch the whole experiment--a time hog.

I do believe William is ready to start potty training. He's 2 and 3/4 and has been using words and noticing relationships to do with "pot," "pee," "poo," etc. Plan to get him a used potty chair and pullups and/or training undies this week. Yay!

SLOW JOE CROW IS WITH US NO MOE

Well, our saga with a baby crow has ended sadly. Believe it or not, I was really uptight about this crow--felt really responsible to do the right thing for it. I came to the point this afternoon where God was showing me how stressed I was about it and that I should just ask him for help already! So I did. Then I did a little internet research and phone calls on who could take the crow and was trying to find the closest place possible. Well, at 4:30, I was prepared to head north for 1 hour with 4 kids before dinner to take Jose to an animal hospital. I was not happy about this at all, but felt I had no other choice. Jose was not really eating much, walking much, or flying much. So we all get in the car, the air conditioning is on, have crow, will travel. Then I notice that the crow looks pretty strange, and the kids start telling me that while it was loose in the yard, William had stepped on its head and like did something else mean--forced it through a gap in the fence or something. So I'm yelling about this and very upset and William was in big trouble. The bird continued acting strange and not normal or healthy. Then, after acting like it couldn't breathe and its neck was broken, it gave up the ghost. This was both upsetting and a relief. William did something bad, but I think it was really providential, too. Zach buried it in the back yard on the other side of the fence. He cried, and I cried, too. I had a burden lifted was a big reason I cried. But I can get attached and responsible really fast, too. I made it clear to Zach that he had better NEVER, NEVER tough a bloody baby crow again!! (It wasn't really bloody--I just like that English word.)Now I can get ready for camping already!!! GOSH!!!!

Zach's new buddy 

Meet Jose

How do you like Zach's baby crow? It was on the ground and can't fly well, so he rescued it. An internet search said that a normal part of the young crow's development when it's learning to fly is spent on the ground, and its parents are nearby. I made him put him back for a spell to see if they'd come back for him and if not, he could keep it overnight inside. Well, countless crows flew overhead to their nightly nesting site, but they didn't seem to notice. Our neighbor said that when he had done the same thing once, he was followed for a week by a whole gang of crows! This is a crucial time for a baby crow to be accepted into a crow family, and I want Zach to keep trying to put him back and watch to see if any of the black feathered ones notice or care. Will they reject him cuz he's been touched? I don't know. They can live to be 30 years old, so if we end up keeping the little guy/girl, it could be long term! Zach already has a goldfish, a lizard, and a snake in his very small room he shares with William! Am I a nice mom or what! My friend won't let her kids have a single animal, though they beg! I suggested Zach call the bird "Jose Cuervo," which is Spanish for Joe Crow. (Jill and Kristi, do you remember that Dr. Seuss record with its "Slow Joe Crow's clothes"?)

Zach and Kin slept outside last night and got cold....and then rained on!!!! There wasn't a peep in the paper about that! Glad of it, though. I actually have the heater on right now cuz it's pretty cool in the house. Monday was so hot!! Hopefully, my grass will breathe a little sigh of relief and catch up on some of its greenness it was losing.

Have to go to the car dealership and get the back hatch of the minivan fixed so we can go camping in 2 days.

Chris actually got to have a guys night out last night! An unheard of thing for a Monday night! I watched TV till late. Earlier, I got my exercise spending like 2 hours cleaning up our reclining, white plastic chairs that go in the yard. They were encrusted with mildew and speege--very uncomely. I got the girls to help. Now they're looking new and presentable again. A person should be able to take their cup of coffee and cookie outside and sit for 5 minutes when they need to, right? And not on brown grass.

Dead dogfish tell no tales

I spent a long time on ebay messing around with that stuff. Did lots of laundry and watered the yard. A hot day--is anyone NOT experiencing hot days? Chris came home and was in a great mood--was really glad to have me home--suggested we all take a walk on the waterfront. So we did--it was twilight, and the air was cool and sea-fresh. It was one of those magical summer evenings that will stick in my mind--something about the atmosphere, smell, lighting...I don't know. We saw a Dad from chuch and his kids at the dock. They had just finished fishing. They're the same ones Zach has gone out with a few times. On the rocks, dead, was a small shark!! Chris called it a "dogfish," and said it was the same thing! It was very cool and unusal to see there. Of course, the kids wanted to poke at it, and Zach's friend pulled out one of its teeth! The kids had their skates and scooters, although William commandeered Zoe's scooter most of the time. Shoulda known to have brought another. We then got ice cream at McDonald's because there was no other better, closer place open, which is an embarrassing shame. There should really be some great ice cream shop open on a Monday night at 9:00 on the waterfront! There were lots of people out! Someone needs to get their act together. Unfortunately, really good ice cream shops are not common here. You can get all manner of coffee drinks and smoothies every time you turn around, and there are a few Baskin and Robbins, but nothing awesome. In California, really good frozen yogurt was popular. It's rare here, and quite hideous. I guess it's just not in "vogue" any more. Sure do miss it!

Zoe told me about an exchange between her and our drama queen/diva neighbor girl, who is about 9. Kelly--"What's it like to be a real kid?" Zoe--"You ARE one!" Kelly--"Well, I'm not really one--I'm MATURE."

This afternoon, Zach loosened the back brakes on my bike cuz they were so tight they squeeked when you weren't even applying them. He must have spent maybe 20 minutes in the sun taking off the baby seat on the back and then doing the loosening of the doohickeys. I was very proud and thankful he did it. It's really cool to have a strapping 11-year old boy who I can mold to be useful for my own benefit-- MU Ha ha ha!!!!!!.....OH, sorry, did I say that out loud? And of course to love God and serve OTHERS and be responsible, etc., etc. :) But what was great was, when he came into the kitchen to get something to drink and was sweating pretty good, he said, "I feel like I've been working as hard as Dad!"

What is love?

Is it hot enough for y'all?! Wow!!!

Just finished dinner--Costco flautas with salsa, guacamole, sour cream and white rice. Yum! William is asleep in his bed. Chris is at the church at a maintenance meeting. Zach got back an hour ago from fishing with his buddy Joe from church. They're looking to trade Zach's lizard with cage for Joe's bb gun, something Zach has earnestly sought, with tears at times. Yesterday was spent at home. I did five loads of laundry, watched a neat movie on Lifetime (a rare treat), and rested during the hot hours of the day. Then I rushed off to Costco before they closed for some food! We barbecued hot dogs and buffalo steaks. Chris mowed the lawn and repaired a broken window in the laundry room. He himself broke it awhile ago putt-ing in the back yard. Yes, he loves golf. He doesn't get to play a ton, so he'll watch it sometimes, too. We've kinda migrated from being Saturday Sabbath keepers to Sunday Sabbath keepers. I work Friday nights, and we go to a non-Kingdom church now. I still love the Friday night to Saturday night thing, but sometimes life evolves, ya know? I still love to see people say, "Happy Sabbath" on their blog and what not. Just thought I'd explain that since I mentioned those chores on Saturday. :)

My parents sent me an e-mail recently that I really loved, so I'm passing it on. Here it is:

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year olds, "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined.

*"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." --Rebecca, age 8
*When someone loves you, the way the say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth." --Billy, age 4
*"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other." --Karl, age 5
*"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs." --Chrissy, age 6
*"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." --Terri, age 4
*"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is ok." --Danny, age 7
*"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss." --Emily, age 8
*"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."--Bobby, age 7
*"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate." --Nikka, age 6
*"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day." --Noelle, age 7
*"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." --Tommy, age 6
*"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore." --Cindy, age 8
*"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night." --Clare, age 6
*"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken." --Elaine, age 5
*"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford." --Chris, age 7
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day." --Mary Ann, age 4
*"I know my older sister loves me because he gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones." --Lauren, age 4
*"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." --Karen, age 7
*"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross." --Mark, age 6
*"You shouldn't really say, 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." --Jessica, age 8
And the final one--author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry." Excuse me while I get a kleenex. Those are priceless, no? Hopefully you all didn't already receive the same email from my Mum.

Have Monday through Friday off--yay!!

You might get hungry reading this

I spent a long time last night trying to get a picture in my profile area of blog. The editing HTML thing was new to me. I actually accomplished entering the URL by cutting and pasting, but it said my photo needed to be no more than 50k. I had cropped a digital photo and tried to use it, but it was "too big"! Humph!! What now?! Anyone know what the deal is--anyone technical and camera oriented, say, BRADLEY??? :) Dumb question--what does the k stand for in 50k?

Sold my first ebay item today--what a thrill! It got 5 bids! The funny thing is, it wasn't a name brand thing I went out and bought on ebay and thought would sell. It was a girl's seersucker sundress that my mom gave one of the girls. They never wore it, really, and it was just sitting there--cute and in good condition! It actually has a tiny hole on the front bottom, which I explained honestly on ebay, and it got 5 bids! Sold it to a gal in sunny, hot Florida. PTL!

Made a good version of pizza for dinner: use focaccia bread for the "dough." You slice through it horizontally, and place cut side up on your pan. I then mixed tomato sauce, garlic powder, garlic salt, oregano, basil, and parmesan and spooned it on top. Then came shredded mozzarella, sliced mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, and olives. I baked it a 375 for about ten minutes. It wasn't really HOT after that amount of time--you could leave it in longer or turn up the temp. But it was delicious!! And a great midnight blogging snack!

Have garden broccoli and tomatoes and want a good way to serve them? Cut up and steam your broccoli till it's just right. Meanwhile, dice your tomatoes and mash up some garlic. In a large frypan, heat up some olive oil. Add garlic and tomatoes and some basil. Lightly saute. Then add broccoli to this mixture; gently mix, serve, enjoy!

I made curried chicken last night. When it was cooking, Jessie asked, "Is that stew? It smells like stew, and I don't like to eat stew when I'm not in a good mood." It was such a funny thing to say! She said it without malice, just kind of matter of fact. And she didn't seem to be in a bad mood, either!

It's the honey delivery boy! 

Two bids!!!!!

I GOT TWO BIDS ON MY EBAY STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! JUST A LITTLE EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After several days of feeling pretty badly about a lousy first try of a 7 day auction, I attacked afresh!!! I did yet some MORE reading up on selling...I took some new pictures of my stuff, slashed prices, and relisted. I improved a few other things as well. That was this morning, and when I checked, a few minutes ago, I have 2 bids!!! So I'm hoping other people will also want some of those things and there will be some bidding wars! I discovered a very important fact on the forums this morning: it's a magnetic, addicting thing for buyers to see a low price. It's a game that people play--"I can afford that, I want that--look at that price!" And then several other people think the same thing, and it's fun to try to add 50 cents or a dollar to the previous bid to try to win. Apparently, it's no fun for buyers when you start the bid asking what you want for the item--and I had asked high on all my stuff. So.......the trick is not to operate at a loss forever.........this could take time.......but 2 bids is a dream come true and answered prayer--I'm not kidding! The battle's not won yet, but at least I'm still in the game when I had actually thought of quitting. But nobody I lamented to recommended quitting. Simple words like, "You'll do it," said with absolute assurance, can really mean a lot!

Another day in the life of yours truly

How do you like William's shiner? (See photo at the end of this mile long post). That photo is a few days old, and he looks worse now! When we were at my parent's house on Sunday, William tripped and bonked his head on the metal base of their patio chairs. He had a huge egg with a blue stripe down the middle, and he wouldn't let me put ice on it, of course. It's kind of worrisome, because you think people will wonder if you're beating your kid. And when neighbors live close by, and the windows are open, and they have heard William screaming often enough, or me yelling often enough...you know how it could be!

The weather has been really gorgeous--in the 80s. I've been struggling like crazy to keep the lawn green--watering constantly! Yesterday, spur of the moment, went to Dash Point Beach with my kiddos and Andrea and her kiddos. We didn't have a lot of time, which I regret, but it is a really beautiful beach with good sand, flat, and great large quantities of area for people to play! I finally got a new bathing suit, too. A lot of chaps were boogie boarding(?), which Zach is now interested in. He thinks maybe he and Chris could make one. Yesterday, he and his neighbor friend were "harvesting" wheels off some abandoned lawn mowers in an alley, hoping to make a homemade go-cart! He then asked me if there was anything lying around the house he could use for axles. "Oh sure, son, let me go check in the medicine cabinet! Or maybe you could use a golf club!"

Earlier this week, he helped my dad do some work at a house. When my dad dropped him off, he was desperately hoping I would let him keep this huge machete my dad was willing to let him have. It was dull, but HUGE, and there was just no way! He was BROKENHEARTED that I said no. I felt bad, but, like I said, there was no way! He would have used it in the "club." That's an undeveloped area on our alley neighbor's land with blackberry bushes, trees, cement rubbish, etc. It's a place the kids love to explore and mess around in--whacking at berry bushes, making forts, blazing trails, looking for treasures, etc. The kind of place all kids should have access to, right? There's nothing charming about it, but our yard is small, so I'm grateful for diversions for the kids close at hand! The day after the machete disappointment, I was very glad for Zach's sake that his new friend down the street let him ride his pocket bike. That's another thing Zach is in love with. Three of the boys have now been to the new local bike shop to browse and ask questions. Heaven for him!

Someone just called on the phone. William wanted to get me the phone, which is fine, but then, the WHOLE time I was on the phone trying to get Chris's cell and work phone numbers to an old friend trying to get him a referral for work, William was SCREAMING because he wanted the phone. He was outraged that he only got to pick it up. So here I am trying desperately to find a quiet place in the house, and William is following me, HOLLERING!!! If I go outside the back porch, the phone cuts in and out. So I try to go upstairs and lock the door behind me, but it doesn't really lock. So I hold it shut for a minute while he stands one foot away, behind the glass, and continues to be a jerk. Then I get Zoe to guard the door so I can go upstairs and try to think and hear and talk to this person! GOSSSSSHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! Please tell me someone reading this has seen and loves Napoleon Dynamite?

Our microwave died this week, and I am handling it surprisingly well and stoically, if I do say so. I haven't cried or thrown any fits! I haven't even sighed loudly or rolled my eyes much at all! So now I'm living my own Colonial House (snort--as if!) and heating food up in the oven or on the stove top! The machine was bought with wedding money, so it's 12 years old! I think what may have helped contribute to its demise was some strain it underwent lately. About 2 weeks ago, Jessie wanted to heat up a frozen hamburger bun in there. I explained, several times, how to do it, but she misunderstood. I think she put it in there for like 3 minutes on high or something. Well, it scorched! The plate was scorched, the buns had petrified, and the hole kitchen was filled with acrid smoke. I was literally choking in there, trying to get the windows open and the vent going!! I sprayed air freshener, lit incense...the bad odor was very lingering. And it had soaked into the microwave. So I lit like 5 incense sticks and let the smoke in the microwave. It really helped, although, whenever you opened the microwave, you smelled an odd combo of burnt and floral...like an opium den or something. Just kidding--as if I would know what that smelled like! I never wanted this microwave to die, cuz I was used to it and really liked it! These new-fangled contraptions with all their "smart" technology and "sensor" cooking are a bit much for me....I say now...but pretty soon, I'm going to "have" to get a new one!

Haven't sold anything on ebay yet. One auction closes today, another one next Wednesday. I have 3 items being "watched." Not bid on, but "watched." I think I may have been too hasty to sell. I should have gotten my feedback points built up. I'm only at 2! People don't feel real confident buying from a new seller with a feedback of only 2. So, I'm going to try to buy some inexpensive stuff on ebay, and try to get some positive feedback from it. I'm frustrated, to be honest, but there's a lot to learn--by trial and error, and otherwise. This is no free lunch. You don't sell all your listings the first day! It's hard, though! I WANT TO MAKE MONEY, NOW!!! TRUST ME, PEOPLE!!! BUY MY STUFF!!! I wish I could ask a close friend or relative a million questions, but I don't have a close friend or relative selling! I'm not going to bug to death the gal my mom told me about who I have already called twice. So I do my best, and look at the question and answer forums on ebay--A LOT!!

Anywhoo....thank God it's Friday! Anybody want to come over and help me do some ungratifying housework? The fish tank needs a cleaning, the fridge needs a cleaning, the van needs a cleaning, more laundry, more lawn watering! Sometimes I like to joke around with God and ask, "God, your angels watch over us and keep us safe...but don't you have any that can give me a neck massage or give me a hand cleaning?" :)

Chris worked 13.5 hours yesterday. Did that include the 3 hours it took him to get home? I'm not sure. He got stuck in traffic. Some fatality accident that had happened like 12 hours earlier was still snarling the road! Argh!

I bumped my poor widdle head!