Monday, April 30, 2007

Welcome to MONDAY!!!!


Can't remember who sent me this but it's priceless! I'm not really fond of Monday's. The Sweetie Man goes back to work and I don't see him till Thursday, I usually don't sleep very well Sunday night anyway, the cat puked in the hallway this morning, and my wrist is sore from doing a crochet project last night. Oh, and I'm supposed to go to a "home party" for jewelry tonight...I'm not crazy about those either, but it's my neighbor and she is sweet and her husband always cuts our grass.....so I guess I'll stop by.

I wish I could show you all the stuff I've been working on but I have to wait till it's received in the swaps....I really have been crocheting and cross stitching my little fingers off. The other stuff I'm working on is for my niece and she reads my blog so I'll have to find a way to show yinz guys without her seeing it.....(when you going on vacation, Alexis?)

Other than that....I had a great weekend with nice spring weather so I can't complain too much. Well, that's all for now....till next time, yinz crazy guys.....

Friday, April 27, 2007

PSSSSSS....

Forgot to tell, yinz guys, that it's a ROCK FISH in the last post....so delicious! OH....one more thing....SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO "TWITTER"! I'm so lost!!! Got an account but I don't know what to do with it...just anyone...email me!!! Thanks, guys!

Photo Hunters....

This weeks' theme: RARE
Ok...so I've gone "off the deep end" with this word.....but that "Rare" (uncooked) fish caught by the Sweetie Man this past week will certainly be delicious when it is "Fully Cooked".

Hey, have any of you checked out the site Photo Hunters? It's fun and easy! Check out my sidebar (way at the bottom as I couldn't get it at the top for some reason....knocked everything else off my blog). Those of you who like to take unusual pics will have fun with this one. There's a different theme each week and lots of blogs to check out!
That's it for Friday....till next time, yinz crazy guys......

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

OMG...I almost forgot.....


HAPPY ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL'S DAY (aka Secretary's Day).....TO ME!!!!!


.....AND TO ANYONE ELSE WHO DOES ANY PAPERWORK BE IT BILLS AT HOME OR HOMEWORK WITH THE KIDS.....IT'S YOUR DAY TOO....TREAT YOURSELF TO LUNCH!

Okay...now I'm MAD!!!

Don't worry...not at yinz guys....at myself! I have to go to the doc's every 6 months for a check up due to medicines I'm on.....things like high blood pressure, thyroid, etc.... Anyway, my blood pressure has been okay since the medicine but now it's going up again. (aren't having dogs supposed to LOWER your pressure????) Anyway, he was thinking about having me up the dose. Now, I don't mind taking medicines, and the pressure was just up a bit, but I really don't want to increase it. The Doc decided to wait another 6 months to see if it goes back to normal. We talked about a diet and exercise plan. What makes me mad is that everytime I go there thinking I'm fit as a fiddle, he finds something wrong! BLAH!!!! I'm also mad at myself for not taking care of this as I should!!! All this stuff runs in my family on my Dad's side and that's where I tend to side. My brother died of heart problems at the age of around 50. My Dad died of heart problems at the age of around 72. Their lifestyles were a bit different than mine as far as smoking and exercise but still the problems exist. I realized that I have to get MAD in order to stick to a program of any kind....so there you have it.
First, I did lose another 1/2 pound and hopefully with this new diet he gave me based really on the Diabetic Exchange Program (tho I'm not a diabetic...but everyone on my Dad's side of the family had it) I hope to lose steadily now.
I also found this site on Kari's blog.....The President's Challenge....I signed up for it and have been on it for two days...it really gives me motivation to keep up the walking...sorta like someone is checking on me. So, thanks, Kari, for finding this!
So, no pics today.....just health information! It's just so weird with high blood pressure tho...it really is a silent killer....you may feel great but you never know what's lurking underneath! So, do yourself a favor....get yours checked.....I want you all to be blogging for a long time to come!Till next time, yinz crazy guys.......

Monday, April 23, 2007

Ahhhhhh...finally!!!!

That's right...Spring has finally arrived in SW PA!!! This is different then the last warm spell....this is the real deal, folks!!! And those of you who've been a reader of my blog, of course remember our old sweetie-pie, Goose, who is also happy to be wearing her spring time best!!! (crocheted last year) Don't worry, Duck is around but I have to make new antennas for his bee outfit (puppies ate them last summer!)

And I can't forget to show you my favorite crafting and reading place.....

With the indoor/outdoor carpet and the nice little table in the background, the sweetie man and I spent quite a bit of time out here this past weekend dining outdoors and relaxing.....ahhhhhh!!!
Not to change the subject from the beautiful weather, but I forgot to show yinz guys the newest batch of shelf ladies I had to make for my sister. I made these last year also but I always change them depending on what stuff I have on hand....these turned out adorable, I thought!!!!
Check out the "blue boobies"!!!!

(sorry about the blur)
And as always, my favorite saying..."Put on your big girl panties and deal with it!"
Last but not least, I've been working on this wedding x-stitch....if I finish this one and it looks half decent, it will be a work of art...for me anyway. So many colors everywhere....I'm just not used to that, but it is a challenge and that is what keeps me going on it. Anyway, my x-stitch gru, Donna, suggested I try this thing called the Needle Park Avenue. It has a very strong magnet in the back to keep it attached to your project and you can change the symbols to whatever you want with a sharpie and some rubbing alcohol on the little piece of plastic there.

Have any of you tried it? It's definately better than nothing at all...I was spending more time looking for my stitches and where they are. With this, I can go row by row and pick up the needle that is needed. Gotta watch they don't get tangled tho. Donna also suggested I use a shorter needle which is also helping. I'm going faster than I was.....but still not too fast...but with this pattern I think it's just going to be slow going.
Well, that's about it for now. Almost time for the Bachelor so I'm off to see who's gonna get booted tonight! So, till next time, yinz crazy guys.....

Hey, yinz guys...

I had a great beautiful weekend and will be back later this evening with some of my Spring pics for yinz....BUT in the mean time, if you have a sec, check out Samplings from a Crazy Stitcher. She's a newby blogger and has some really nice stitching....also a fellow Sagittarian, enjoys James Taylor (one of my favs) and reads Picoult! (Hey....maybe I have a long lost twin!) Anyway, go on over and make her feel welcome.....yinz guys are all too great not to share!!! Till later, yinz crazy, guys.....

Friday, April 20, 2007

Just a little American Idol update...

Just so yinz guys don't think I'm a "meany"......let me clarify my last post. I don't think it was about Sanjaya himself. He was a cute kid who I thought was good in the beginning and had potential. I was more upset about the people who were leading the "vote for the worst singer" websites and the Howard Sterns of the world (should be How-weird!) who were making fun of him, encouraging people to vote for the worst singer and in turn keeping good singers from progressing. (and my gut feeling was that Sanjaya knew what was going on as the show continued because he too would go a little off the wall some weeks) The one week he sang good, I was actually happy for him cause it showed that he possibly was no longer part of the "worst singer" conspiracy. I would have loved to see him sing good and "make the little girls cry" as he did a couple of weeks. So, I didn't dislike him.....and I can't believe him and his family didn't believe they were doing nothing but making fun of him....it was sad. I don't like to see that. Now that he's gone, there won't be anymore "making fun of"....we don't need to be teaching our kids that sorta stuff. I wish him the best of luck and don't worry...he'll get a record deal! (I'm rambling here, arent' I....I think I have too much time on my hands!) Till tomorrow....yinz crazy guys...

Thursday, April 19, 2007

My kinda day.....

.....The Weather is getting warmer

The Sun is shining brightly

The Sweetie Man is coming home today

Tomorrow is Friday......AND

........SANJAYA WAS VOTED OFF AMERICAN IDOL!!!!!!!



It don't get much better than that.....till tomorrow, yinz crazy guys......


(don't let the door hit ya in the mohawk!)

Monday, April 16, 2007

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I
--I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
-Robert Frost (1915)
Other than the beautiful verses written to me by the Sweetie Man, of all the poems I've ever read, this is by far my absolute favorite. It is the essence of my life now and will be for a long time to come. As you know, I'm 50, and I grew up in a town and a time where you just didn't do things to make people look at you different. You did, wore, or acted as was expected of you, like it or not. Yet there always was this person inside of me that longed to "buck the system", so to say, even if just very subtly. I used to tell people when I was young that I couldn't wait to be in my 30's cause then I could do whatever I wanted. Well, when I became 30 that didn't happen for various reasons and I was actually probably stifled even more from what I wanted to do in my life or who I wanted to be.
As I became older, and maybe wiser, I started taking those chances. Listening to my heart....instead of everyone else's "head". I began doing what I knew in my heart would lead me to happiness in MY life. At this point in time, the "road less traveled" is the road to my happiness. Whether it is letting my hair grow very long when everyone else my age changed it as they grew older, getting a tatoo, having three dogs......and most of all, the one thing that really made me not fear the "road less traveled" was the road that led me to the Sweetie Man. Without getting long-winded here, as I know I've talked about "being who you truly are" in the past, my son, Sweetie Man, and myself have chosen to go down another "Less Traveled Road" in our lives....actually at the urging of my son. I'm not going to go into it in detail, as most of you would probably say, "oh, good for you, no big deal!" as I would expect anyone to say....except......unfortunately some. Those who want to heap unsolicited guilt on me for wanting what, in my heart, (and the hearts of my son and fiance) truly trust will give us yet more happiness and understanding of the lives we want to lead as well as our relationship with each other......I will say no further on this as I may dig myself in a hole here, but the bottom line is......two things I hope you get out of this posting:
1. If someone you know, wants to make a change in their life, whether it be a new job, having a baby, changing religions, moving out of state......wish them well. IF THEY ASK FOR YOUR ADVICE, (or if you feel the NEED to give advice for some reason) then give it POLITELY and LISTEN to THEIR reasons for the change without accusing and heaping guilt on them for their decision, without telling them how disappointed you are in them for even thinking of making a change.... and,
2. Don't be afraid...NEVER ever be afraid to walk down the path less traveled. Listen to your heart, take a chance. You only have one "go-round" in this life....BE HAPPY.....for me it made ALL the DIFFERENCE....and I believe it will work for me...for us....again!
Till tomorrow, yinz crazy guys.....

Saturday, April 14, 2007

Dumb Holiday?....I think not!


More Fun Quizzes at QuizPox.com

Got this one on Nett's Blog! It's perfect for me!! I love sweets. Not so much candy but anything cookie, cake, pastry. So I guess I was born under the sign of the "pastry bag". (okay, it was dumb I know)
Not too much to say tonight. Just did alot of running around today after breakfast at Uncle Bobs (aka Bob Evans) buying some yarn (JoAnn coupons were burning a hole in my pocket) and getting a shower gift for my nephew's future wife for a shower I'll be going to tomorrow.
Yesterday, I did manage to update my bloglines a little, so if you have a moment, see if you are listed. If not, let me know and I'll gladly put ya there.
That's really about it for tonight. Sweetie Man made a delicious Beer-Can Chicken which we had with salad and a couple of homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Now it's off to finish a game of Scrabble Deluxe we started last week (They call it Deluxe for a reason...there are a gazillion tiles and the board is almost twice as big as the original) and a little Cops and America's Most Wanted on TV.
So, till next time, yinz crazy guys....

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

INTRODUCING.......

SENORITA SUGARLUMP ALA MODE

and her handsome fiance.....


SIR CURLY FROM DOWN YONDER


Aren't these just the cutest things you ever saw? Got them on the Planet M & M Site but orginally saw it on AJ's Blog who helped me tremendously when I was having trouble getting them here. Can't figure out why I'm in a white background tho and the Sweetie Man isn't! Anyway, thanks again, AJ. (P.S.....in case you didn't notice....it's me and the Sweetie Man)
Okay...not too much to say today as American Idol will be starting soon and you know how that goes! I do want to show you a completed cross stitch tho from one of my former students.....okay, it's my future step-daughter (aka Sweetie Man's daughter) and I really just gave her a cross stitch refresher course when she was visiting.....but I think she did an awesome job on this picture of one of her two babies.


I think she did a great job and I hope she continues cross stitching!!!!

Well, that's about it for tonight. So from Seniorita Sugarlump Ala Mode....till tomorrow, yinz crazy guys.........


Sunday, April 08, 2007

HAPPY EASTER, YINZ GUYS!!!

HAPPY EASTER
from our House to Yours!!

Click Below To Find
Out What I Hid In An Easter Egg for YOU!
LUCY'S EASTER EGG

Saturday, April 07, 2007

Cabin Fever!

Something you may not know about me is that the Sweetie Man and I sorta have this long running fascination with cabins. If there is one thing that him and I have in common, it's our love of the log home. It's sorta our dream home. Any chance we get, we try to spend time in a cabin. Our first experience was at Cunningham Falls, a beautiful park in Maryland. We spent a few nights in a really nice little log cabin with my son there a few years back. We've also tented there but the cabins are the best. I love the cabins there so much, I had started a needlework piece I designed myself of the cabin we stayed in...of course, like many of my projects, it's not finished but someday will be...


I've also done some rock painting. That's alot of fun because I love to take things that are used or seen every day and make something from them. I know a few of you have my tampon angels which are one of my favorite recyclables. Anyway, I made this little log cabin from a rock I found.....


I love to do things from natural stuff too tho I'm not into flower arrangements. I do work with a scroll saw on occasion which I really enjoy.

Anyway, we both do love cabins and I'm rather excited that him and I found a place about an hour away from us that you can rent cabins. So the Sweetie Man made reservations and we're going camping in about a month....the best part will be that I don't have to board the dogs as my son said he will be home to take care of them for the weekend. He's at the age where he really doesn't cause a big fuss about going with us anymore and we can have some alone time. I don't think he is into camping anymore.....at least not at this time in his life....he's into the big city....he just came back from NYC and had a blast! Hopefully, this place will be as nice as Cunningham Falls and we can go a couple of more times this summer.

Finally, I finished the last of the cross stitch britterpuppy ornaments. This one is Chloe's....



My cross stitch store wanted to display them all for a little while so they are presently at Country Counter. That made me feel good cause, Donna, the lady who owns the store is a cross stitcher par excellence.


I signed up for a couple of things going on at her store. One is a Tap and Pin class on framing your cross stitch piece. I also signed up for a cross stitch get together where you just sit around and cross stitch with other ladies in the area for a couple of hours and have refreshments and get to know each other. I really do not know of anyone else who cross stitches as I do (or crochets or knits) in my town....tho I'm a little nervous about it, cause believe it or not, I'm a little shy about meeting new people, I'm doing it anyway. It's the second Wednesday of every month from May thru December and it's on a month to month basis. So we'll see how it goes.

Well, that's it for now.......enjoy your Saturday before Easter.....till next time, yinz crazy guys....

Monday, April 02, 2007

HELP...I'm Spring Cleaning....

......AND I CAN'T STOP!!!!!!
OMG....what the be-jeebers is going on!!! I normally am not like this!!! I actually want to clean!!!! Maybe it was the combination of my son being away for the weekend and the nice weather!! I got out of work early on Friday, by choice, and that is where the trouble began.....
the Sweetie Man was home so we shopped for garden stuff, curtains, shades, etc....we ate a wonderful dinner at Red Lobster.....went to a Teatime Stitchery, a cross stitch store I wanted to see and bought this stash....

....then we came home and sat on the porch and relaxed. Come Saturday we sorta went Spring Clean CRAZY!!! It was lots of fun tho and the house looks ready for Spring! Even my son complimented it when he came home. I even did some decorating in his room. I actually took the curtains that were in my living room (sheers) and hung them in my son's room then took the original curtains (the checkered print) and turned them into the valance.....I believe in recycling till it's unusable!
In the living room I took an old sheet and sorta made a valance out of it after hanging some new curtains and a nice shade.....


And I got these curtains at Walmart....I thought they were cute...tho the pic is rather dark.
I also got a little surprise in the mail from Pam last week (sorry, I don't think she has a blog) but I was in a fat quarter swap with her and to thank me for what I sent her, she sent me this great gift.....



That was so sweet of her. These are some items that are on my dream list at Life's a Stitch. Thanks again, Pam!

So just in case yinz guys (KARE!) were wondering where I disappeared to...that was it!
I did manage to do a few crafty things...especially since it was a rainy sorta day on Sunday. I finished this bookmark which I'm going to include as an "extra" in a package being sent.

And I finished another Project Linus edging...


And speaking of PL....my Chapter coordinator sent us all an email saying that she would no longer be doing PL and gave us some lead names to turn blankets into. That's a bummer big time. I got all these fleece blankets she gave me to edge and I gotta take them into Pittsburgh to deliver them. She was like about 5 minutes from my house. Oh, well...gotta do what ya gotta do....I'll keep chugging along on for the kids!

Oh, and I gotta tell ya...I took a small class on self defense for women that was being taught in our City Hall by our Police Officers. It was very interesting to say the least. We got to do alot of hands on sorta stuff...basically beat up on the police officers who wore protective gear. They all know me cause I work in the same building with them...so I had my share of teasing. (they love to tease me cause I'm always playing jokes on them) It was fun and informative! The newspaper is supposed to do an article on it....should be online also so I'll give yinz all the link when it appears. I can't say I wasn't sore for a couple of days after with all the weird moves I learned...but I'm back to normal now...what's normal for me anyway!
And last but not least, one of the days I had to go to the class, my son was nice enough to go down to Pittsburgh and stand in line for an autographed copy of Jodi Picoult's new book, "Nineteen Minutes"....it's #1 on the bestseller list this week.


She's my favorite author! I was bummed that my self-defense class was on the same day but he offered to go for me and get it! (with a little urging from his gal pal) He did have to sit through a question and answer period....but he said when he got it signed, Jodi told him what a good son he was to do that for me....I agree!!!
That's about it for now! It's Spring....it's warm! (though the weather man did mention the "S" word for Wednesday...just a smidgen tho) We are on the right tract tho, weather wise! Now, it's off to do a little crafting and watch the first episode of the Bachelor (love those "cat fights") So, till next time, yinz crazy guys......