Black (and Blue) Friday

I just don't get the appeal of waking up at dark-thirty to fight the crowds and sometimes individuals to save a buck!  Some laugh at those youtube videos of people fighting over a coveted hand towel but I find it appalling.  What a sad testimony to an already affluent society fighting over a TV set.  On the news today a story broke about people waiting in line for DAYS to be first in line at a particular store.  The store (who?  the owners?  the employees? the report didn't say) decided to bless the last people in line with a few items.  The people in front were angry.  Well yeah, you gave up a whole week of your life to camp out in front of a store to purchase....what? A TV (probably own one).  A computer? (yep, probably have one of those too or two or three).  What price do you put on your life...  that week you just sat in front of Best Buy? 

 I was up at 5 a.m. this morning!  But it was to get away from Hubby who was sneezing and blowing his nose.  (I am baffled how my personality tests always mark me as nurturing???)  I do not want to get sick!!  So, yeah, I was up and at 'em and in the kitchen gulping down the generic Airborne tablets in hopes that whatever is ailing Hubby had not been passed on to me!  Unfortunately I believe I did catch it!  sniff sniff 

How was your Thanksgiving, Grainiacs?  I hope blessed.  Yesterday the Strawberry patch was buzzing with people and food and football.  We had WAY TOO MUCH food-- maybe we were hoping the football teams would stop by and eat a bite?  Why do we go crazy on Thanksgiving and make (and eat) every starchy veggie and pie available?  When did this tradition start?  I have so much in left-overs...things I really don't want left over!!!  One pumpkin pie?  No, how about 2.  Pecan pie? Got it.  Chess pie? Yep, two slices.  Lots of left over sweet potato casserole with marshmallow topping?  Yes!  A full pan of moist, moist, moist cornbread.  YES!!!!!  aaaaahhhhhhhhh  I'm surrounded by starch and pies.  Help me.....I'm drowning in a sea of fat.

Christmas is right around the corner.  The family will be back.  I will not....not.....not....not....not make this much food again.  I think I got caught up in the recipe moment.  I will not....not...not...oh you know....I won't do it again.  Holidays are for family and in my case, for laughter.

Enjoy!

Saw this on Facebook!

 
And found this on FB too!

I'm really hoping this is a photo-shopped picture!!!

Bite Me!

Kitzilla has an attitude--and it is not of a gratuitous nature!  She has a motto; yes, you've guessed it with a little help from this post title.  Does that wench care that I feed her every morning? Provide shelter, warmth, sustenance?  Oh no, it's an attack and a growl before she receives her morning coffee.  I think I posted once about trying to change my attitude in the morning.  I'm too lazy right now to look it up; just take my word, I think I remember posting about it!  Some people wake up smiling and saying "Good morning, God!" and others, like Kitzilla, wake up barking "BITE ME!"

I, on the other hand, woke up with a feeling of accomplishment and ready to take on my today.  What's with the Strawberry transformation?  I took control.

First, I cancelled online subscriptions that had been weighing me down.  Draining (of sorts) my credit card each month...okay, they were a mere drop in the bucket of debt but hey, I wasn't using them like I should and due to the fact that they were automatically taken out each month and I didn't have to think about it and re-evaluate it each month, Yes!!! It was a drain on the credit card.  It goes under the category of "mindless stuff Strawberry does."  Like mindless eating; mindless TV watching; mindless everything!  How much better to have a plan.

So getting back to yesterday: I had a plan.  I wrote it done.  First off the list was cancelling online subscriptions (oooh, I'm having a feeling of déjà vu).  Second was my cleaning list.

You might not be able to read my list, but please notice ALL the crossed off markings!  I crossed everything off that list!!! Whoo hoo!!

Front entryway: done!

family room?  oh yeah

Cosmos says "bite me" too!  

My list contained doable things.  I did not add clean up bookshelves.  That is a monstrous task that I didn't have time to do along with all the other items on my Tuesday list.  I can look beyond the messy bookshelves and smile knowing my floors and carpets and tabletops are clean and shiny and that is good enough for me right now.  After Thanksgiving I'll worry about the bookshelves and organizing them....they ARE dusted, though!

So how about you?  Any projects that seem so daunting that you aren't doing them?  Try making a doable list.  Start with cancelling those things that you aren't using right now but plan to in ______ fill in the blank here.  Any time in the present?  Future?  If you aren't taking advantage of that deal, it is no longer a deal.  Save that money now.

As for me, I have my Wednesday list waiting patiently.  

Happy Thanksgiving, Grainiacs.  May your attitude be one of gratitude this season.

Blessings, Strawberry

It's Friday

I have to keep reminding myself what day it is today.  Yesterday I had a couple of brain farts.  It wouldn't have been so bad except I was so public about it.  Someone posted a picture on Facebook about Christmas being on a Wednesday so I reposted and wished everyone a Happy Hump Day.  My daughter nearly had a heart attack thinking "It's only Wednesday???"  She is REALLY looking forward to the weekend.  I can relate; we are (after all) related!

It should say "Hey, Mike...Mike, guess what day...."

Who'da guessed Hump Day would be so popular?  See what kind of effect marketing has on us????  Speaking of marketing, I have taken to turning down the volume or muting the TV during commercials and going elsewhere while they are on.  I get the munchies, the "I've gotta have that" attitude when I see a commercial or two.  The computer really isn't any better.  I've noticed recently the pop-up advertisements next to my "free" mail provider.  Would you believe they are items I've purchased or companies that I've purchased from???  And you say "big brother" isn't watching you!  HA...oh, yes, I call my computer "big brother."  I don't buy into the conspiracy theory or any of that; otherwise, these terror monster would have no means or way to cause terror on innocent people.  Red flags would be signaling all over the board....like these pesky commercials luring us to buy that snack cake, just one bite of Dove chocolate and all your problems will disappear.  Sure they will, straight to your butt where you can't see them.

So in honor of Friday....yes, Strawberry, it's Friday...try to remember that....I present another pic I found on Fb today.  For all you working outside the home Grainiacs, this is for you...

not sure who to credit with this masterpiece, but Jimmy C as Ace Ventura is classic!

Happy......Friday, Grainiacs.  Enjoy the blessings of the day (whatever day it is!).

Darn that Bed Ruffle

I found a great TV show yesterday (well, great for me).  It's called Clean House; it's another reality show but in order to be on this show, you have to live in the LA area (Moana says NO FAIR!!!).  Helpers come to your home and basically clear out the clutter, then have a huge garage sale selling said clutter and consequently use the money to redecorate the house.  I was inspired to get up and get moving!

Vacuum- check
old pictures stored- check
getting card making stuff together for tonight's card making group--  a-l-m-o-s-t a check!

washing a king size bed ruffle with loads of ruffles- check

needing to iron that damn king size bed ruffle-  sniff sniff.....yes.... check.

I will never wash this bed ruffle again OR it is going on the bed all ruffly and un-ironed!

Thank God It's Friday, Grainiacs!!!  Have a wonderful weekend.

Almost Heaven

Don't know why but I'm channeling John Denver today.  I say I don't know why but I think it has something to do with all the 1970's pictures being uploaded on FB.  Galeana and Mexico Trip 1975; Mexico Trip 1977.  A friend is cleaning through all his slides and posting them for all the world (Hubby keeps tagging unknown people with the same name as our youth friends!) to see.  It is fun going down memory lane and quite frankly it doesn't seem that long ago that we went on those trips.  But looking at us in the 1970s and seeing our recent profile pictures tells me IT WAS THAT long ago.

Do I have regrets?
Is there some secret dream I still need to do?
Do I have a hidden agenda suppressed deep down in my soul?

I've got some soul searching to do.  I've truly enjoyed my happy-go-lucky life but is that why I was put on the earth? To entertain myself?  To possibly entertain others?

In the meantime, ...I mean,... it will take a while for me to sort through all these questions; it is Strawberry we are talking about (with a lot of Moana!), I will continue to sing my John Denver songs and decorate and clean my "almost heaven" here in the valley.

First job, make Thanksgiving curtains.

It needs something more.  Maybe to be longer!  LOL

doodling thoughts

Happy Friday, Grainiacs!!!  It's a doodlin' kind of day for me.  Yesterday we had a wonderful event at the church.  There weren't many cars; there were NOT many trick or trickers but it was wonderful simply because we got it started.  Next year we might do a little more or we might have the same cars and the same trick or treaters but we got off our duffs and started something we had been talking about.

Yesterday I had a great day eating and tracking....until.....nightfall.  And then the witches and werewolves in me came out to play.  All day I had been proactive with planning my meals.  I cooked and ate BEFORE starvation mode (well, my starvation mode mentality) set in.  You know that time when you think you might be hungry and you get sidetracked doing something else.  Then your stomach starts to growl and you think "Okay, I have to eat; what do I want?"  To the point where you are scrambling for the car keys and heading out for the nearest junk food place.  Funny thing is: dropping the car keys and looking in the fridge and cooking takes just the same amount of time (or less!).  For me, it is the actual movement towards the car and driving to the place that settles my starvation mode self.  So yesterday I was so proactive till that dang twilight time.  I got busy.  Boy had piano lessons and needed stuff (he is a procrastinator too) before class.  Then I had to decorate the car for our church event.  Then drop Boy off at school and then.....you see.  I was busily running around so I forgot that dinner time was fast approaching.  I continued running till we were back home and then the hunger pangs hit.....HARD!  Hubby and Boy ran over to nearest fast food and well, you know the rest. nom nom nom

During lunch when I was happily fed and feeling good I doodled and doodled and my picture was just a colorful doodle bug!  I call it "oodles of doodles."  It's looking like today will be a doodlin' kind of day too.

Happy Friday, Grainiacs!!!

Strawberry says "Everyone needs a doodle day!"