This is My All Time *Favorite* Coffee Mug

This mug has been around forever.  I don't know where it originally came from, but it was a cup that I used at my parent's house before I was even married, and then my Mom and Dad gave it to me when I moved out, 'cause they knew I loved it. 

(The Polish cow says, "Mooski" which is hard to read in this pic)

I love coffee.  I drink at least two cups every morning.  Black.  Sometimes I drink coffee other times of the day, but I really try not to, because I tend to be kind of high strung as it is - I don't think caffeine helps that.  Actually, I don't think I seem high strung to other people, but I am inside.  My easy-going, laid back attitude is all a big front for all the crazy that's goin' on inside, LOL.

Besides making one hyper, drinking a lot of coffee also has the unpleasant side effect of making one have to use the powder room constantly.  It's a wonder I haven't worn out the bathroom faucets or toilet handles!  :-P

Last summer a Twitter friend urged me to try iced coffee.  Which I did, and now there is no going back.  Dunkin' Donuts Mocha Iced Coffee is da bomb.  At the end, the ice melts and mixes with the chocolate syrup at the bottom of the cup and you get to enjoy the icy chocolately-ness even after the drink is gone.  If you've never tried iced coffee, when and if the weather ever gets warm, you should.  I thought it would be totally gross.  It's not.  It's fantastic.

What's your favorite kind of coffee?

The end.

Where in the World Would You Go?

Some people love to travel.  Well, I think a lot of people love to travel, actually.  I think I must be weird.  It's not that I don't enjoy traveling, but if for some reason I could never leave NY state ever again, I would honestly pretty much be fine with that.  I live in a beautiful place (the Hudson Valley, NY) with plenty to do and see.  NYC and all it has to offer is only a train ride away.  If I head north, I have all of the incredibleness of the Adirondacks.  I'm pretty happy with all of this.

Before we built our Adirondack place, we toyed with the idea of possibly buying a motorhome or trailer (wonder what motorhome insurance costs??) and traveling around instead.  But it seems the older I get, the more of a homebody I feel like.  So when I feel like traveling, I'll just go to our other home and just stay home there, LOL...

However, if I won a free trip to anywhere in the world, I think I might pick Alaska.  But the crazy thing is that I'd want to drive there (yes, you can actually drive to Alaska).  First of all, I'm sure there would be so many incredible things to see along the way, but secondly, I hate to fly.  Oh, I hate to fly.

Do you love to travel?  If you could have a free trip to anywhere, where would you go?

The end.

Wordless Wednesday: One of My Favorite Coffee Cups

 

Big surprise, huh?  :-)

Do *YOU* Think I'm a "Stylish" Blogger??

Well, apparently Kimberly from Krafts~By~Kimberly does - thank you so much for this nice award!  :-D

The rules to accept this award are.......

1. Thank the person who gave you the award.

2. Share seven random things about yourself.

3. Award 7 recently discovered bloggers with this award.

I just met a TON of new bloggers this week because I joined the "Meet Me On Monday" meme over at ThePracticalHomemaker.com (my other blog), and I feel like I can't choose JUST 7  bloggers for this award, they're all great!  So how about this - if you do the MMoM Meme, feel free to grab this award and pass it along if you wish!  :-)

Now here are my "seven things about myself" (which were very difficult to think of because I've been blogging for so long, what on earth haven't I told you about myself yet??  Forgive me if I've told some of these things before...):

1.  My favorite letter of the alphabet is "e".  I prefer the lowercase version.

2.  I've toyed with the idea of taking some kind of online course to make some money (like what?  Who knows?  Cosmetology? Do they have a massage therapy program online?  Husband would probably like that, ha ha...).  I probably won't though...I just like to *think* I would... LOL...

3.  Cookie Monster was, and still is, my favorite Sesame Street character.  As a kid I had a small Cookie Monster figure and I still have it.  In fact I have it displayed on a little glass tray on a dresser with some other little figurines that are special to me.

4.  I don't really collect anything except very small things.  I have a curio cabinet (about 12" X 14") that hangs on the wall and contains my entire collection.  It's very convenient to have a collection that is very small.  I should take pictures of some of the items in it sometime.  I have some cool, very tiny things.

5.  I have a very moldy piece of cheese in my cold cut drawer in my fridge that I keep noticing, yet, I keep not throwing it out.  It's clearly past any hope of salvaging: 

(YES, I threw it out after I took this picture!!)

6.  I really would love an iPad, but in all reality, I think my iPod Touch really does all that I want.  I think it's just the, "it's the newest gadget" syndrome.  (But I fall prey to that syndrome, you see.  :-D ) But dang, that thing is stinkin' expensive.  And ain't no way I'm going to spend that kind of money during our "financial lockdown phase".  So, I've just been entering lots of contests where the prize is an iPad.  I won the Mets book, who knows, maybe I'll continue on a lucky streak and score an iPad.

7.  Our daughter likes to come up with changing nicknames all the time for us and the pets.  I finally got tired of being called all different nicknames and I chose two that I liked, and told our daughter that there were only two nicknames that I had "approved" for her use and would answer to (besides my other "regular" names of Mom, Mommy, Mama, etc.).  One of the "approved nicknames"  that I chose is "Mrs. Mayor".  I have NO IDEA where she got the idea for that nickname, but that's one that goes back years, and I guess I developed an affection for it.  (Maybe it gives me the false impression of being important, ha ha!)

So tell me, do you have any funny or weird nicknames for yourself or someone else?  Am I the only one that keeps moldy wedges of cheese for no apparent reason?

The end.

Do You Remember the Christian Rock Band Stryper??

Photo courtesy of jaysmusikblog.com

Kinda cool artwork.  Not something I'd put on the front of First communion invitations , but it's good for an album cover, LOL.

I recently found a blog that has some great Christian music reviews, and today there was a post about Stryper (hard rock Christian band) - and a new album.  It was like one of those moments where some really old famous person dies and you're like, "Oh, I didn't even know they were still alive!"  In this case it was like, "Stryper?  I haven't even thought of them since the 90s - are they still making music??"

Well, what do you know, they are!  (I am seriously out of the loop of current Christian rock music.)  I have now been enlightened from Jay's Musik Blog with the knowledge that they apparently had a new album and "comeback" in the summer of 2009, and now they have come out with another new album, called, "The Covering", which is quite intriguing.  It's intriguing because it's a cover album of 80s rock songs such as, "...Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song," Kiss' "Shout it Out Loud," Black Sabbath's "Heaven and Hell," and more."  You can check out the full review here:  Jay's Musik Blog - Stryper: The Covering Review.  Interesting.

Boy, for me Stryper is a blast from the past.  Excuse me while I put my permed hair in a scrunchie (and spray it with Aqua Net) because I have to head out to the roller rink now...  :-D

The end.

See My Self Control?

That's the plate of buffalo wings husband had.


Here's the plate I had.  :-(

Trying to lose weight sucks!

Have you ever watched that show "Heavy" (on A&E I think)?  I watch it every week.  I admire the hard work these people go through to literally lose hundreds of pounds.  But I feel so terrible for them - sometimes I feel like I could easily be terribly overweight too if something in my life triggered me to lose self control...  Food is just such a wonderful, enjoyable thing, it's understandable some people have a harder time resisting temptation.  It's too bad we can't just eat all we want without any consequences, isn't it?

The end.

Remind Me Not To Ever Order Online From Sears Again

 Sears' idea of adequate packaging

It's a long story, but the first time I ordered online from Sears it was flannel sheets.  I did eventually get them, but their website is terrible - doesn't function properly (broken links and whatnot) - and the ability to track packages doesn't work properly either.  I then proceeded to call customer service and they had to admit they couldn't tell me where my order was or when I'd get it.  Awful.

Somehow I forgot about this and ordered our daughter sandals online from Sears.  I tried to track it but up until the day they actually came, all I got was that a "shipping label had been created".  Tried online to investigate but the broken links deterred me.  I just gave up and decided to wait and see if they came on time, and at least they did come within the time frame I was told.  But look at how they were packaged in the photo above - they put a shoe box in a bag to ship it.  So I open the bag to find a horribly smashed shoe box.  The sandals of course were unharmed, but that's pretty crappy packing.  But in the end, the laugh is on them, because they turned out to be too small and I returned them to the store.  I don't know if they can resell them in that smashed box.

I know Sears has some great things like appliances, home lighting fixtures and Craftsman tools, but from now on, I'll just go to the store to purchase them.  No more ordering online from Sears.

Have you ever had a terrible time ordering online?  Any other stores I should avoid online?

The end.

Do You Enter Blog/Twitter/Online Contests? I Don't Usually, But...

I rarely enter online contests or giveaways.  Quite some time ago, when I used to enter them, I won two items from two different blogs, within a few days of one another.  The hassle and time involved in actually getting my prizes really soured me from entering any more giveaways.  Nowadays I only enter if it's a prize I REALLY want or could use (like an Amazon gift card, or a thule bike rack), AND it's sponsored by a blogger I trust.

For the limited giveaways I now enter, I have actually won some cool things.  I won 4 tickets to a game played by our local minor league baseball team (the Hudson Valley Renegades) last year (and they were GREAT seats).  I won a really nice pair of ski goggles from a local ski shop.  And just recently I won a really awesome Mets book (pictured above, a duh, LOL).  I won that from The Mets Police, a site which I've already mentioned before.  If you didn't already check it out and you are a Mets fan, then get thy butt over there.  :-)

I am still holding out hope for winning the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes.  :-D

What's the best thing you ever won?

The end.

The Sun is Actually Shining, So Why Am I So Cranky??

Based on a famous painting called, "The Scream"

Ok, I know it's a Monday morning, but the sun is shining, I got a good night sleep last night (unlike yesterday when I woke up from a bad dream about my mother (who passed away almost 10 years ago!) who was cutting all my daughter's hair off??!??  What on earth was up with THAT?????)...why did I sit down to write and all this crankiness come out?  I seriously need some chocolate or drugs or something. 

------------------------------------------------

Sometimes I think of starting another blog where I could just let out all my "vents" about people anonymously (NO, I HAVE NOT DONE THIS!!).  But I don't.  I just think it.

Because I hate conflict.  I hate hate hate it when people are mad at me.  And I have learned the hard way that it's just generally better to keep your mouth shut, unless you want to do battle.  Which I do not.  I do not want to battle.  I do not want to argue.  Spent my teenage years doing that.  Life's quota is full on that one.

Come to think of it, I bet there are people that would like to tell me off too!  Hopefully they are like me and just keep it inside, ha ha....   :-O    I'm sure I'm a jerk too.  I'm sure I must also drive people crazy.  I admit it.

And if you know me in real life and are worried that I have "vents" about you, I probably don't - most of the people that drive me crazy are also too self-involved to give a rat's patootie about what's going on in *my* life - they don't read this blog.  Do you know how it makes me laugh when someone who "knows" me says to me, "Oh, you're building a place in the Adirondacks?"   Like, maybe stop talking about yourself for 30 seconds and ask someone else what's going on in their life, like, once or twice a year?  Instead of rolling my eyes, I just hear pounding steel drums in my head...

Are you the tell-people-off type, or the store-it-up-inside type?

The end.

P.S.  No more rants today, I promise.   :-P  Sorry to poop on your Monday morning!

My Weight Loss Update as of the end of March 2011

Well, I joined Weight Watchers mid-January and so far I have lost nearly 20 lbs.  I am 10lbs away from my "realistic" goal weight, and 20lbs away from my "unrealistic" goal weight.  I say "unrealistic" because in the numerous times I have done Weight Watchers I have only come within 2lbs of my "unrealistic" goal weight once or twice.  I like this "new" plan though, and I really don't know why, but it seems easier this time.  So maybe there's a chance I'll achieve my "unrealistic" goal.  I'll keep ya posted.  I always do the three month "deal", so my subscription ends in April.  The trick is to keep doing it.  That's where I always fail, ha ha....

Speaking of Weight Watchers, if you didn't already know, they revamped their whole program (for the better, in my opinion), but the bad thing was I needed to order a new "points calculator" so that after my subscription ends, I can still figure out the points for stuff (Weight Watchers keeps their exact point calculating formula a big secret, you see).  We had a calculator for the old plan so we needed to buy a new one.  What's worse is that somehow the big wigs at Weight Watchers didn't have enough of the new calculators made for when the new plan went into effect.  How they didn't realize that pretty much EVERYONE was going to want/need the NEW calculator is beyond me, but the stupid thing has been out of stock seemingly forever, I was only just finally able to order one the other day.

So, you all know I do WW to lose weight - do any of you have a successful way that works for you to take off the pounds?  I know my bloggy friend Fred from Long Island is chronicling his P90X experience (it's an exercise-DVD-diet system that I have heard from quite a few people that it gives pretty dramatic results) on his blog P90X: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.  I hate exercise though, so that isn't really an option for me (in fact I manage to lose weight on WW with no "routine" exercise).

What diets/tricks/lifestyle changes do you use to lose weight successfully?  (If someone could only harness the power of "magic" to somehow instantly take off the pounds, or invent guaranteed acne remedies, boy would they be a millionaire!  Maybe we need to get David Copperfield working on this...)  WW works for me, but I am tired and bored of going on it again every year or two...LOL...

The end.

Our Neighbor Drives His Golf Balls Onto Our Property

 

 Neighbor's golf ball

In my previous post I showed pictures of our creek area, which is quite a distance from our house.  In fact, this is not a good picture because of the sun, but this is a shot taken after coming out of the "creek area" which shows the hill we walk up to get to our house, which you can't even see it's so far up:

Anyway, we know that our neighbor sometimes uses his backyard as a driving range.  I presume his own property must be littered with golf balls...I have no idea if he goes and picks them up, but we've often found them over on our property.  (I can't say I mind the golf balls that much 'cause, you know, finders-keepers-losers-weepers, but I'd rather our property be scattered with everlon diamonds instead, LOL!)  You can see he must have a decent swing if he's hitting them all the way into our creek/picnic area, because that's where the top photo was taken.  (This is the same neighbor who left us a note during our "garden project" and set up the "mysterious string".)

Speaking of that neighbor, their property has been "flagged" (indicating where underground utilities are) for a while and I am wondering if they are going to be putting up a fence.  I could be wrong, but I get the feeling the gentleman doesn't like us seeing or hearing whatever is going on in his garage/in his driveway in the warmer weather - always seems to be some sort of activity over there.  Not that we care, or ever try to see.  He's already let part of what used to be his lawn grow into weeds to presumably create some privacy.  If a fence makes him feel even better, that's fine by me.  Whatever.  I guess we shall see.

Do you have any neighbors that do weird stuff?

The end.

Down by the Creek

 The creek at the back of our property

Last week when it was warm for exactly one day, our daughter and I walked to the back of our property to visit the creek area.  I don't know if I even posted any pictures from it last year.  We hardly went down at all last year...the "cabin project" and traveling up to the Adirondacks all the time, and the "thousand dollar garden of mistakes" seemed to suck up all our time last summer.  Anyway, we have a creek at the back of our property with a nice cleared out area (that WE cleared out - it was FULL OF PRICKER BUSHES and POISON IVY - that was an earlier "project" of ours!), but fortunately it's quite a distance from the house and down a hill - no threat of flooding our house at all.  It was running quite high, as expected, from all the snow and rain we've had lately.

Here's a picture of our sad, neglected, over-wintered "picnic" area:

 

I didn't photograph it, but there's a cleared area off to the side where we have set up our tent and camped down here in the past.  We didn't do that last year, either.   There's also a fire pit, but you can't even see that with all the dead weeds covering it.  Just didn't get down there last year... 

I told my husband NO NEW PROJECTS for like, a LONG TIME!!!  Let's just enjoy the things we have!!!  :-)

The end.

Do You Know About All The Crap That May Live in Your Mattress??

These are dust mites. SO GROSS!!!

We have been thinking about replacing our mattress, so I have been doing a lot of research on mattresses.  I happened to discover that mattresses can harbor dust mite allergens, mold, pet dander, bed bugs, moisture (???) and other allergens.  My mother was very allergic to dust mites.  Maybe I am too...lately I seem to have a perpetual stuffy nose when I wake up...

Do you even know what dust mites are?  They are little teeny tiny creatures that live in bedding.  Their waste materials, body fragments and feces are what many, many people are allergic to.

Dust mite poo?  In my mattress??  YICK!!!

So I was wondering what one could do about these horrible little critters triggering my allergies, and I discovered that you can buy special mattress covers that are made of fabrics that keep dust mites and dust mite allergens from penetrating.  I guess these allergy relief mattress covers are kinda hard to put on - the whole thing has to slip on your mattress and then you zip it closed.  However, I found a video at a website that sells these covers (the website is appropriately named "AchooAllergy.com) that shows you how to do it.  However, these covers are apparently very effective.  There's a lady at my church that swears by hers.

(Incidentally, they do also make mattress covers that keep out bed bugs too, in case that's a concern of yours.)

I am really glad I found out about this before we purchase a new mattress.  I don't want dust mite poo and dust mite body parts in my new mattress!!!  *shudder*

Are you allergic to dust mites?  Do you have one of these covers?

The end.

Ok, I Know Google Already Controls Everything, But...Wow!

I had a good laugh over this today.  Husband has a Close To Home daily calendar and each morning after he tears off the previous day, he puts it on my vanity for me to enjoy.  (Isn't that nice?)  I needed a good laugh today.  It's stinkin' SNOWING!  Ugh!!

The end.

I Am Renaming Our Garden, and Advice Needed!

 Our daughter's pinwheels added a cheerful touch to our garden on Friday.

If you are a long time reader, you may remember that last year I referred to our garden as the "Thousand Dollar Garden of Mistakes".  The name came about from the surprisingly high amount it cost to build our garden so we could "save money" (har har), and since we were newbies, we sure made plenty of mistakes.  On the bright side, despite all we did wrong, we did still manage to get a decent yield from the garden.  Anyway, I am renaming our garden this year, "The Garden of Surprises".  I don't know if they are going to be good surprises, or bad surprises (I suspect both).  But we already had our first surprise Friday when we actually had a sunny warm day and took our first look at the garden since last fall.

We were very surprised to see that our leftover scallions sort of seemed to still be alive... What's up with that??

Also, the onions we thought were dead at the end of last summer, now seem to be alive??

Soooooo, what do we do with the onions and scallions?  Pull them out and toss?  Leave them in and let them grow more??  Pick them now and eat them??  Is this normal?  That scallions and onions survive the winter??

The end.

I Admit It, I'm a Diet Junkie - Have You Heard of the HCG Diet?

Well, at least in the sense that I am always curious about every new "diet" I hear about.  The only "diet" I've ever really committed to is Weight Watchers, but I guess I'm still searching and hoping that one day a "diet" will come along that is easy and works like magic!  (Don't we all??)  Our library has a shelf where they put new books, and every time there's a diet book on that shelf, I just have to check it out.  I think the weirdest one I ever read had something to do with figuring out your prehistoric DNA and then that would determine what you were supposed to be eating to lose weight? The second weirdest one was the "Tapeworm Diet".  I have a feeling you can figure out the gist of that one.  *shudder*

Anyway, the latest diet I read about is the HCG diet.  Have you heard of this one?  Believe it or not, it's been around since the 1950s - somehow I must have missed the books on it, LOL...  Anyway, the gist of the diet is that back in the 1920s researches discovered that pregnant women produced a hormone called human chorionic gondotropin, or hCG.  Subsequently, some medical uses were found for this hormone.  In the 1950s a doctor by the name of Simeons discovered that boys being treated with hCG were losing weight without feeling hungry.  He then focused his research on hCG as a diet aid.

The way hCG basically works as a diet aid is that you participate in a round of treatment for a determined amount of time (usually between 26 to 40 days), requiring a daily injection of hCG.  In addition, dieters are told to restrict their caloric intake to 500 calories a day.  Apparently the fat deposits that are released while on this diet provide enough energy along with the 500 calories consumed to get through the day.  Supposedly one can potentially lose a pound a day on this diet.  Additionally, not surprisingly, injections aren't too appealing to most, so alternatively one can take hcg drops instead.

I find it amazing the multitude of different means of weight loss.  I think many, like me, are looking for one that works for them...

Wonder what diet book will be on my library's shelf next week?

The end.

That Was Then...This is Now.... :-(

Those are pictures from Friday.  When it was blessedly warm and sunny.  We barbecued!  We worked in the garden!

This is TODAY.

 

Arrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh!  I will admit that I love winter, but even *I* have just had it.  And what's worse is that the forecast for this week is cold temps and possibly MORE SNOW.  It's sooooooo depressing!!!  Better keep the big utility knife and nooses away from me this week (JUST KIDDING!!!!!!!).  I'm already struggling with the winter blues, somehow I am going to have to get past this week.  Ugh.

I'm trying to think of how to keep my spirits up this week...some chocolate might help, although I'm doing stupid @#!!$% Weight Watchers, so that's not a good option.  I have been reading all the blogs and news about the Mets - that is cheering me up a little - looking forward to baseball starting.  What do you do to chase away the blues?  Any suggestions?  Or just tough it out - I mean, winter is just going to have to plain LEAVE one of these days!!!!

The end.

The First Seeds are Planted!

My husband has a whole spreadsheet of all the seeds we have, and all sorts of information about them (in case you forgot, he's a "computer geek").  I was informed that, "according to the spreadsheet" the habanero peppers and eggplant needed to be started.  So, husband pulled out the soil and the seed starter trays and our garden for this year is officially started!

Have you planted anything yet?

The end.

This is My List of Things To Do Today

In no real particular order:

1. Marinate chicken for dinner.  (It is actually WARM today.  Husband has been dying to BBQ, and tonight is the night.)

2. Go to grocery store and get asparagus (or some other vegetable to grill), an empty spray bottle (to fill with my cleaning solution of 50/50 water and vinegar to bring to the "cabin"), and see if they have Kraft Fat Free Balsamic Vinegarette dressing (I've been using e-Mealz, which I blogged about here ---> e-Mealz, which I am REALLY, REALLY liking so far, but my usual grocery store hardly has any selection of the Kraft FF dressings, which e-Mealz often calls for.  The Kraft FF Balsamic Vinegarette is surprisingly good.).

3.  Write blogs posts.  (You can see I am at least accomplishing something today! :-)

4.  Return items to the library.  We use the library ALL. THE. TIME.  Luckily it is only about 45 seconds from my house, so it's really a nice thing to be able to go get books, videos, magazines, etc. for free kinda whenever we feel like it.

5. Get gas.  Tank is less than 1/4 full and gas actually dropped to $3.67 so I'm gonna go and get me some.

6.  Get present for daughter's friend's upcoming birthday party.  I am hoping I can find something nice in the few stores my rinky-dink town has to offer.  She's going to be 12 so I think I may try to find some cool lip balms and nail polishes, or maybe a "Loves Baby Soft" body spray set or something.  (Do you remember Loves Baby Soft?  They still make it, and it still smells great - did you used to wear it?  Didn't we all? :-)

7. Clean kitchen from St. Patty's meal last night.  Actually, the kitchen is "clean" - but I need to empty the dishwasher, then load it with all the rest of the dishes that didn't fit last night.  So it's not that big of a job really.

8.  Figure out our scanner software.  Wish me luck on that one. We have one of those 3-in-1 printer/copier/scanner things and with the overall trouble we've had with this thing, I'm not holding out a lot of hope here.

9.  Research portable DVD players.  Our daughter's "gave up the ghost" recently after about three years of faithful use.  Between the long car trips we'll be making to the cabin, and the fact that we will not have "tv" at the cabin, despite our current "financial lockdown state", we feel it's worth replacing for her.  I have a rewards charge card that fortunately has points on it I can use to pay for most of a new portable DVD player, so that's cool.

10.  Eat bon bons and watch soap operas.  As a stay at home mom, you know, that's on my list every day, but darn it, I have such poor time management skills I hardly ever get to this item.

:-)

What's on your "To Do" list today??  Someone must have something more interesting to do than my mundane list of things...?

The end.

St. Patty's Day Wrap-Up

That was our corned beef and cabbage meal from last night.  That's my mother-in-law, filling her plate.  I believe I have mentioned before that I have the *actual* Best Dad in the World, and I know this is nearly impossible to believe, but I also have the *actual* Best Mother-In-Law in the World.  I know.  It's like getting dealt a hand of cards with a four of a kind.  I am Super Blessed.

My corned beef and cabbage dinner turned out fine last night.  We were blessed to have the company of my Dad, his girlfriend (who gets two thumbs up from me!), and my Mother-in-law.  Lots of good conversation and laughs.  Some fabulous desserts too (that I didn't have to make - even better!  Didn't even have to cop out and order from cherry moon farms).  And I will pat myself on the back for making enough that there were leftovers for everyone.  Corned beef and cabbage usually tastes even better the second day.

Usually I don't make enough meat (well, it's expensive and it shrinks so darn much, I don't usually guess correctly) and I end up going out the next day to get another corned beef to make with all the leftover vegetables.  Last year I decided I'd just hit the grocery store right by my house after getting my daughter on the bus the next day, and pick up another corned beef, and some more Irish beer for dinner that night.  Annoyingly, they were out of corned beef.  So instead, I had to head to the grocery store that I usually shop at (where believe it or not, the cashiers all know me).  However, I was hoping that all the cashiers I usually see when I shop in the afternoon were not going to be there, because there I was at 8:30 in the morning, in the sweatpants and t-shirt I had slept in, with a baseball hat on my uncombed hair, buying corned beef and beer.  Of course, I was greeted upon entrance by at least two of the cashiers that know me. I was gonna throw in some hemorrhoid cream and a tube of athlete's foot medication, just to really give them something to talk about, ha ha....but I just pulled my baseball hat down, took my beer and meat and hustled out of there as quickly as I could.

So, at least this year, I was saved from a repeat performance.  Overall, a very enjoyable St. Patrick's Day.  How about you?  Did you do anything special?  What did you have?

The end.

The "F" Mug

 

I used the "F" mug yesterday.

Would you believe we just put away our Christmas mugs this week?  When we undecorated from Christmas back in the beginning of January, we decided we'd like to keep the Christmas mugs out a while longer and enjoy them.  So now we have all our regular old coffee cups back into rotation.  This "F" mug is however a new addition - we "won" this mug at our family Christmas party.  (We play a game where we all bring a $1 gift that is wrapped anonymously, then we all draw numbers and choose a gift or steal from someone else - I'm sure many of you are familiar with this game.)  Anyway, the "F" mug was actually our own contribution to the game, but after perusing what else there was to offer, we decided we wanted the mug.  You never know from year to year what is going to show up at "the game" - all kinds of stuff like fake arm tattoos, a back scratcher made from an actual turkey foot (posted a pic of that here!), marshmallow blow guns, and a giant lump of coal, to name a few of the more memorable items that have shown up.

We like the "F" mug because of the ambiguity of it.  On any given day, the user of the mug can decide for themselves what that "F" stands for...  :-P

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More Thoughts Too Short For a Whole Blog Post

 

In Honor of St. Patrick's Day, here is a photo of our Fatty McFatcat (aka Q-ee)

Did you hear how Gilbert Gottfried got fired from Aflac for making jokes about the terrible disaster in Japan?  I am in total 100% agreement of that.  Firstly, Gilbert Gottfried is OLD - waaaaaay old enough to know that making jokes about a tragedy might not go over well.  Secondly, I read the "jokes" he made - THEY WEREN'T EVEN FUNNY!

Thank GOODNESS the sun is out today.  I have been fighting a major case of the "winter blues" this year.  :-(

If network tv execs are wondering why people more and more turn to cable, it's because it seems like the shows on network tv are the same shows, over and over, with different titles and different actors.  Either tv script writers are the laziest people on earth (never coming up with new ideas!), or the people who choose the shows that are produced must think sticking with a "formula" is the better way to go, rather than offer shows that are fresh, new, and interesting!!!  That's a main reason "Lost" was so popular - THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE LIKE IT ON TV!  How many crime dramas, reality shows, sit coms and medical dramas can people watch?  Same 'ol, same 'ol, over and over.  I wish we got the subscription channels like HBO and Showtime to see shows like Boardwalk Empire and Deadwood, and other historical era shows like the Tudors.

I love the smell of cigars and especially tobacco pipes.  I think it's because both of those smells are associated with happy memories. My grandfather used to smoke a pipe, and you could always smell it when you went to my grandparents house, and memories of going to my grandparents house gives me a "happy feeling".  My Dad would just occasionally smoke a cigar at a holiday, or family gathering...occasionally even he and my husband would smoke a cigar after a nice meal, or some enjoyable day.  Are there any scents that you especially like just because of a memory?

One of the few shows we watch is Survivor.  Yeah, we still like it after all these years.  Did you know that Jeff Probst is tweeting live during the episodes now?  It's really fun!  He answers fan questions during the commercials, and during the show he tells all kinds of tidbits about what's going on.  Definitely enhances the show.  If you Twitter and don't already follow Jeff Probst his twitter page is here.  In fact you can click on it now and read what he tweeted during last night's show.

I often hear people complaining about having to do the "captcha" thing when commenting on certain blogs (it helps prevent spam).  It takes two seconds.  I "suffer through" (oh the humanity!) doing the captcha on some blogs that I comment on.  Sometimes the "captcha" word even gives me a laugh.  What is the big deal over this??  Some peoples' blogs take longer to LOAD than it takes to put in the "captcha" word when commenting.  Get over it people.

I am having guests over for dinner tonight for corned beef and cabbage.  I have been hosting St. Patrick's Day for many years now - what an easy "holiday dinner" to make compared to other holiday meals.  It's always gone well, except for the very first year.  I had never made corned beef before and I made two big mistakes.  #1 - I followed the cooking instructions on the package, which are, quite frankly wrong if you want tender, melt in your mouth corned beef like you EXPECT.  Yes, the meat was done, but it wasn't tender and falling apart.  #2 - I did not realize the meat was going to shrink dramatically.  You can imagine my surprise when I looked in the pot at the nice sized hunk of meat I had bought to feed us all, only to discover it had shrunk to the size of a smallish cantaloupe.  Luckily my brother-in-law, mother-in-law and husband were very nice about my crappy dinner that first year.  :-)

What are you doing for St. Patrick's Day, anything?

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The Message Bible - It Sure Doesn't Sugarcoat!

 Picture courtesy of Mardel.com, a favorite place of mine to shop for Christian stuff

Have you heard of this newer version of the bible called, "The Message"?  It's becoming quite popular, probably because it's written in very plain, modern English.  It's not considered a true "translation", but rather a "paraphrase" like for example, the "Good News" bible.  A number of well respected Christians and publications have endorsed it such as Christianity Today magazine, Bill McCartney (founder of Promise Keepers), Patsy Clairmount (Women of Faith speaker), Rick Warren (author of The Purpose Driven Life), and many more.

I find myself drawn to this version.  I must admit, I love the no-nonsense tone of it.  Here, compare 1 Corinthians 14:37-38 in two different versions:

First the NIV (New International Version) translation, which is what I basically "grew up" with:

³⁷ If anyone thinks they are a prophet or otherwise gifted by the Spirit, let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. ³⁸ But if anyone ignores this, they will themselves be ignored.

Now here are the same two verses from "The Message" translation of the bible:

  ^37-38If any one of you thinks God has something for you to say or has inspired you to do something, pay close attention to what I have written. This is the way the Master wants it. If you won't play by these rules, God can't use you. Sorry. 

Quite a difference, I think.  I like the straight talk of The Message version.  I think in today's society of permissiveness and reluctance for people to take responsibility for their actions, a stronger more blunt message is perhaps a good thing!

And check out the Lord's prayer  in each of the versions:

New International Version (NIV)

9 "This, then, is how you should pray: " 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

The Message

9-13 With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:
Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what's best— as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You're in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You're ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes.

Wow, what a cool version of the Lord's Prayer - how beautiful!  For some reason it make me want to cheer!  :-)

In any event, it's always good to look at, be familiar with, and read other respected versions/translations of the bible because God can use them all to speak to us.  One person might love and feel comfortable with the King James version, another with the New International Version, another with the Good News version, etc.  Parallel bibles are nice because they offer a few different versions/translations together for easy comparison. 

Being "The Message Bible" is somewhat newer, it might be a good birthday or mothers day present for a fellow Christian.  Or yourself!  :-)  Or you can check it out online for free online (gotta love the internet!!):  The Message Bible Online

Have you read from The Message?  What do you think?  What's your favorite bible version/translation?

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So What the Heck Do I Want for My Birthday??

My birthday is a little less than a month away and my husband has been gently nagging me, asking me what I would like for my birthday.  He's not big into "present picking", however, he's happy to buy whatever I tell him.  That's just how it rolls around here.  It's all good.  I'm rarely ever surprised, but on the other hand, I'm always happy with what I get 'cause I picked it out, LOL.

So I was browsing around thinking maybe something to hang on the wall at the cabin might be nice (we have a ton of "scaffed" stuff to furnish the place, but we really have hardly anything to hang on the walls).  I found this site called Personal Creations that has some of the most unique things.  Not only did I find some cool stuff that I might want for me, it's a great place to find things for that "person who has everything".  Anyway, wanna see some of the things I liked?  Well too bad, I'm showing you anyway.

Isn't this cute and "Adirondacky"?

 

Although Crawford is a lovely name, I think I'd prefer my own last name on the sign, ha ha...

I thought this was cool - it's trivia about the year you were married.  My daughter has one that is similar but hers is for "The Year You Were Born".  It has stuff like what tv shows were popular, the price of a gallon of gas, popular news headlines, etc.  We will be married *gasp* 17 years this May, so I have a feeling we'd get a chuckle looking back at what was going on back in 1994!

And you may recall, one of my big hobbies is genealogy.  I thought this "Family History" print was pretty cool:

Anyway, they have so many different personalized gifts - jewelry, toys, coffee mugs, Easter gifts, first communion items, personalized golf balls, you name it!  Cool store.  

And c'mon, you know I don't shop unless I've got a good deal - so here's a Personal creations coupon code for ya!  Enjoy.  :-D

Let me know if you see anything I want for my birthday, LOL!  :-D

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Check it Out - "How To Get Fat Without Really Trying"

"Obesity is fast on its way to becoming the nation’s largest and most costly public health problem."

(Hint to those in high school making career choices - think "healthcare jobs"!)

A Facebook friend shared this eye-opening report by Peter Jennings - it's 43 minutes long but well worth watching.  You'll be amazed, saddened and maybe even angry how the government is literally working against you and I in our effort to eat healthy foods - starting with our children!!

"While much of the public debate about obesity has focused on personal responsibility, PETER JENNINGS REPORTING: HOW TO GET FAT WITHOUT EVEN TRYING reveals how federal government agricultural policies and food industry practices are contributing to America’s growing obesity epidemic"

Watch more free documentaries
If you find this interesting you have to, HAVE TO watch the documentary "Food Inc.".  Get it from Netflix or request it from your library.  If you think this video was eye opening, consider it an appetizer.  The Food Inc. documentary is a seven course feast of information food companies and the government don't want you to know about the food you eat!  Ever heard of the Monsanto company and wondered what all the fuss is about?  Find out how Monsanto and our own government is compromising our food supply with genetically modified seeds and plants (GMOs).  It's a huge expose - you will be amazed and you won't think about the food you eat in the same way ever again.

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Story of One Man's Unrelenting Quest to Get His iPhone Back

Ok, my phone isn't THIS old, but remember the first cordless phones??

I don't have a "cool" cell phone.  Every time I have to get a new phone I just ask what phones I can get for free, and I just pick one of those.  I don't have internet access on it, and I don't text.  I just talk on it.  Occasionally.

However, despite my dinosaur-era phone, I am aware of what really cool phones are available.  My own husband has a Blackberry (thanks to his job) and I myself have an iPod Touch, which is very similar to the iPhone.

(At least if we don't have a fancy Canon Rebel camera, but rather the Canon "point and shoot" cheapo kind, or nice nikon monarch binoculars but rather free ones I got for doing surveys, at least I'm AWARE of what nice phones, cameras and binoculars are like, LOL...)

Anyway, I can totally understand how someone would be upset if they had a really nice phone and it was lost, or worse, stolen.  However, I'm not sure I'd be willing to go to the lengths this gentleman went to, to try to get his stolen phone back, but it's an entertaining story:  Busting an iPhone Theif

Amazing!

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A Tale of Two Kittehs

Here is Angel, our pampered baby dozing on a "heaty pack" (a bag of corn kernels that you can heat in the microwave and stays warm for quite some time) that I heated just for her to lay her Siamese self on.

Here is Mr. Q-ee Cat.  He says, "I don't need no stinkin' heaty pack like Fancy Cat.  I've got plenty of fur and blubber to keep *me* warm."  He's a big, bad kitty, owner of the:

"White Paw of Death"

He even goes after our dog (he likes Angel, though).  Oh, but we love him SO much - he's so bad he's good.  :-)

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Hey, Mets Fans!

Just wanted to share a fun blog if you're a Mets Fan - The Mets Police.

I've been following it since last year - it's funny and informative.  I like it because I'm not necessarily into endless stats and whatnot - this is a blog for the "every man" (or "every woman" as the case may be).  The author says the blog is for, "Regular ol’ Mets fans like me who sit in the upper deck Promenade."  Besides reporting on the latest goings on with the Mets, he has a particular dislike for the Mets uniforms that have black in them and he seems to be on his own crusade to keep the mets in blue and orange.  He also often will feature the latest Mets imprinted promo hats or jerseys.  He also recently featured some articles on the new book, "New York Mets: Complete Illustrated History" and an interview with the author.  Sounds like a great book.  I'll be able to see for myself though...

...'CAUSE I WON A FREE COPY IN THE METS POLICE TWITTER CONTEST!!!  Suh-weet!!!

It's been a rough week, so I was really excited when I got home today and saw that I had won that cool book!  In a funny coincidence I even happened to be wearing my Mets sweatshirt today (you see, the winner of the Iditarod crossed the finish line today and so I decided I was moving right on to baseball, LOL)!

If you like the Mets, I highly recommend you check out The Mets Police.

LET'S GO METS!

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Happy Anniversary!

...to our Angel Kitty!!

She is very pampered.  She has short fur and seems to get cold easily, so we are always helping her find ways to be cozy, whether it be on one of our laps, zipped inside my down vest (while I'm wearing it), sleeping under the covers with me every night, or tucked into my expensive pure wool Scottish blanket that was an anniversary gift (it's not by Sferra, but it's really nice quality!), there is nothing too good for our Baby!

It was one year ago yesterday that our Angel Kitty was delivered to us by my Dad, all the way from Rhode Island.  Angel used to live with another family who didn't seem to pay much attention to her at all.  A kind hearted man "R" would often do remodeling/construction work at Angel's former home.  I guess Angel was always happy to see "R", and "R" could tell she was starved for love and attention.  It actually took a couple of years, but he finally convinced her family to give her up so she could be in a home where she was loved.  We had the incredible luck that she was offered to us and we have loved her to death ever since.

Thank you "R" for caring so much about her, and letting her come to us.  I promise you - we spend every day trying to make up for her first seven years when she wasn't loved and cherished.

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Are These Your Socks?

Seriously - do you recognize these socks?  The other day my daughter found these in her sock drawer and gave them to me.  I looked at them and figured they were my husband's.  He said, "These aren't my socks!"  So we apparently have "mystery socks".

Over the last few months we've had sleepovers (after which there always seems to be something left behind under a couch or behind a door...), and passels of kids here who came in after sledding, shedding wet clothing...so I'm guessing that's how they got left here, but we have NO idea who they belong to... do you?   LOL...

Since they're flat I was actually going to try document scanning them and making up a "lost and found" type poster, but they were a little too fluffy for that to work well.  They're nice socks...if no one claims them, I think they would fit me, but is that weird?  Wearing someone else's socks?  (They're clean, by the way!  Somehow they made it into our laundry and were washed...)

Have you ever discovered an interesting "mystery item" at your house? 
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Shame on You Google Blogger!

I've whined before about how I hate Wordpress (which is the platform I am using on my other blog, The Practical Homemaker).  Today I have a rare whine about Google's Blogger platform.

I had this rather long post written about how I figured out on my own why my "check engine" light was on in my Toyota Tundra.  Oh it was witty, informative - a real award winner.  Somehow, I clicked something, all my text and picture disappeared and then in the next frightening second, in horror I watched as it AUTO SAVED THE BLANK POST.  And I can't get it back.  (Yes, I tried control Z, control Y, the back button, etc., etc.)  And after searching on the internet to see if there was a way to get it back, it is obvious I am far from the first person this has happened to.  There is some long, convoluted way to possibly get it back that I found, but as you may have seen from my previous post, if I don't have the time to figure out how to work my fake Snuggie, you can bet I'm not going to bother with this.

Google, you have the technology - how about a REVERT button, or how about the ability to TURN OFF Auto Save!

Arrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

You know I'm frugal (I'll be the first to admit I search out the cheapest car insurance, keep my heat at 55, and my husband empties Chinese restaurant soy sauce packets into a bottle at home), so not surprisingly I originally picked Blogger 'cause it was free with free hosting.  I guess some would say you get what you pay for.

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh!

I guess you'll just have to stay in suspense over my check engine light.  Blame Google.

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I Do Not Have Time To Figure Out Fake Snuggie

I have this pseudo-Snuggie thing that is actually very old.  Got it yeeeeeeeeears ago, way before real Snuggies came along.  But the idea is similar - it's a blanket that you can wear.  Except the one I have has snaps that you snap to turn it from a blanket into a thing you can wear.  Only I can never seem to figure out how it works.  I got so annoyed the other day I gave up and clothes pinned it together.  And yes, I am wearing a scarf under it.

I do not have time to figure out fake Snuggie!!

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Well, The Bank Appraiser Just Left Our House

Don't worry - nothing bad, no we're not moving...  We're just doing a refinance on the money we borrowed to build the cabin.  Now that the cabin is finished, that changes some things and refinancing it definitely presents some financial advantages for us.  It's been just lovely so far.  Even with our practically perfect credit, and other factors that should make this a no-brainer for the bank, because of all that's happened in the past couple of years with the banks, we have had many hoops to jump through, and more to come.  I can't even imagine how people with less than stellar credit or other detrimental factors in their financial or work history are able to get loans for anything, it's crazy.  Anyway, the bank sent an appraiser to our house today, and it was much faster and easier than we expected.  Always nice when something goes easier than expected.  Check off that "hoop" as "jumped through".

Of course, we are curious to find out what our house is appraised at.  It's hard to even guess.  We bought it before the real estate bubble started to grow out of control, so even after everything crashed, even now it's still worth a good chunk more than what we paid.  But with the real estate market so bad lately, I really don't even have a good guess as to what our place is worth.  But plenty enough for the re-fi - that I'm not worried about.  But I am curious.

Even though the VERY LAST THING I WOULD WANT TO DO RIGHT NOW is buy another home, I often enjoy looking at real estate listings - do you?  I've been following the Iditarod and on one of the Alaska newspaper's front pages there is an ad for Alaska real estate - I've clicked it and there's some interesting properties in there, for sure.  It's pretty expensive to live in Alaska though.  I also sometimes like to look at "vacation spot" properties, like Outer Banks foreclosures - interesting to see the grandiose places people end up not being able to afford, and the great prices they can be had for.

Do you ever look at real estate just for fun?  What real estate do you find interesting to look at?

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Justin Bieber Sings Our Cat's Theme Song

 Our "Baby"

Ever since we got our Angel Kitty (it will be her 1 year anniversary with us on the 14th!!!!!) we nicknamed her "Baby" because she is just such a baby - so cuddly, so wanting our attention, so docile.  Not that we are Justin Bieber fans (although I have to admit - the new haircut is a huge improvement!), but if we have Pandora Radio on the "Tween" station and Justin Bieber's song "Baby" comes on, we have to find Angel and dance with her, 'cause it's her song.  :-P  The picture above is our daughter dancing with Baby to "Baby".

I have to admit, the "Tween" station isn't bad.  I find myself groovin' to some Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift now and then, maybe a little Jonas Brothers...  Although now that I'm 40, I gotta watch I don't strain anything on a crazy dance move.  Come to think of it, I'm not sure our health insurance covers injuries sustained by those over 40 attempting to dance to Hannah Montana.  (Maybe Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina or something, or wait, isn't she from Tennessee?  Whatever...)

Do you listen to Pandora Radio?  What stations do you like?  I typed in "The Carpenters" the other day, and it surprisingly played some great music!  (I would not normally think to play The Carpenters on Pandora, but I just read a new biography on Karen Carpenter, which stunk by the way, and I wanted to hear some Carpenters music.)

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Thinking About the Garden, But Where Are My Catalogs??

Hubby in the garden last year

It's time to start thinking about this year's garden.  We did learn a lot last year, so we're anxious to give our garden another shot.  We're pretty open to ideas about what we're going to grow and how we're going to start our seeds (hydroponics?  under lights?  start them out in the garden from seed??)...  The one thing we do know for sure is that we want to avoid seeds produced by the Monsanto company.  I ordered quite a few gardening catalogs from seed companies that sell "non - Monsanto" seeds, and no genetically modified seeds, but not a one of them have shown up yet!  I'm sure it's been a couple of weeks since I requested them...

 I know quite a few of you out there are gardeners - if you have any recommendations of "non - Monsanto" seed companies, please share!

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So Do You Get The Post Office With It, Or What?

This is another interesting thing we saw while we were on our "date" a couple of weeks ago.  It's a rinky dink post office in what seems to be a multi-family house. You can't see it in this picture, but there is a for sale sign, and it was obvious that the establishment with the post office is what is for sale.  Wouldn't that be weird, buying a house with a post office in it??  I presume the post office is just renting space, so I would think you could kick them out, if you didn't want the Post Office in your house.  On the other hand, the Post Office is probably a good tenant to have - it's not like there are going to be late night drunken parties going on there!

Maybe you could take advantage of the situation and rent another part of the bottom floor out to some sort of companion business, like a UPS Store type place, or a post card printing place, or a place that makes copies or something...

Or what if you got a job at the Post Office in your house?  That would be cool!  A commute of what, 5 seconds?

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Don't Turn Your Back Or it *Will* Be "Sorted"

I was sewing the other day (for those of you who know me, you can pick yourselves up off the floor and knock off the hysterical laughter) and I had left all my sewing stuff out after completing my "project".  (A black skirt for our daughter's orchestra concert that came out just fine, thank-you-very-much!)  Later I came back to find that our daughter had sorted the colored pins.  It's not even like she's 5 years old - she's 12.  She has always, always loved to sort things.  She also excels at math.  (Like, by 4th grade she had surpassed my pathetic math skills.)  She'd probably be the type of person who could do well earning an online business degree at some point.  Although she claims she doesn't want to go to college.  She wants to be "the person at the grocery store that puts the food on the shelves".  We have a few more years yet to convince her that there might be better options for someone with her skills...  LOL...  (And an online business degree is an attractive option financially since the ONE college she's expressed mild interest in is $$$$! :-)

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Our "Charlie Brown" Snowman

Remember the Charlie Brown Christmas special where Charlie Brown picks out that little tiny pathetic tree?  But when it's all decorated, it looks wonderful?  Well, here's our daughter's "Charlie Brown Snowman" she made the other day, with what snow we had left...

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How Iditarod Mushers Are Sure Not to Lose Their Wedding Ring

In previous years I've posted about how our family loves to follow the Iditarod.  This year is no different, and it's been a really exciting race so far.  It's a wonder the mushers themselves find their way from checkpoint to checkpoint over the long, desolate miles of Alaska, but they have to be super careful with all their stuff, 'cause if they lose something, you ain't ever finding it.  A year or two ago there was a dog that was lost for like, three days. Well, 4 time Iditarod winner Lance Mackey has at least one item he doesn't have to worry about losing - his wedding ring!

Photo and accompanying article from Anchorage Daily News

As beautiful as they are, no Men’s white gold wedding bands for this musher.  Even the tattoo has "chains" on it, so it's darned sure not to come off, LOL!  Ironically, he has to worry more about losing the finger more than losing his wedding band.  (He actually already lost one finger!)

I'm not that crazy about tattooed wedding bands, but in this case, I give Lance Mackey a pass!

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