ITS TURN...

After reading about vacuums and features, reading about a million on-line reviews, and shopping for 4 days, I have finally purchased a new vacuum cleaner. A thing of beauty, it is!!! Lots of cool features but moderately priced. BLUE! I have read the manual and taken it for a test run. NOW...I'm going to go set it in the middle of the back bedroom and tell it to "do its thing!" IT'S ITS TURN NOW!!!!!

I'VE BEEN...

I've been composing postings for my blog during the past few weeks, they just haven't made it to the blog. Minor detail!!! Let's see if I can summarize things.

I enjoyed the Olympics. I even stayed up until the wee hours a couple of times watching volleyball. You'd think the teams could have whipped out their wins a bit earlier, wouldn't you! I think the Olympics went very smoothly. I love all the athletes coming together in harmony. I love striving to be the best you can be. I don't like the heartbreak for those who lose a race by .01 of a second. And...I can't help thinking about how many people could be fed...and housed...with the 40 billion Beijing spent to "show off."

The public schools have started. For the first time in I can't remember when, I didn't buy any school supplies. I have never outgrown my love of school supplies, especially when I get fantastic deals on them. In fact, you could probably make a pretty good case for saying that I'm addicted to them! But...I still have a "stash" of folders (8 cents each, I'll have you know!), notebook paper (50 cents a package), and spiral notebooks(some ridiculously low price). We have no students living here anymore, the dogs just don't seem interested, and I can only use so many spiral notebooks!!!

Took our weekly trip to the vet today. Older dog who has had multiple strokes has a swollen leg and fluid-filled place on chest and wasn't even coming out of the doghouse this morning. I was fearing another stroke had caused her to fall out of the doghouse and twist or break her leg. Fast forward to this afternoon...she was limping but getting around. Major infection in leg...antibiotics and steroids...but not another stroke!!! That is a good thing.

Right now I am thinking that...
There's no way my "reunion projects" will be finished before the reunion--
I will NEVER be finished editing pictures--
My house will never again be totally clean...not EVER!!!!!

lovies and huggies to all!!!!!

NEW

New cartoons posted August 9, '08.

MISTY

I am such a silly ol' lady! Thursday night I found myself misty-eyed because the series So You Think You Can Dance was ending. It's a TV show, for goodness sake...but through the past several months, I've become quite fond of some of those kids.

I do realize, though, that the reason I enjoy the show so much is because of things that have nothing to do with the show itself. First of all, the dancing takes me back to those days when both girls took dancing. There are memories of recitals and getting costumes in order and trying to get the hair to look just right and scurrying to get costumes changed between dances...and, most of all, memories of bursting with pride because my daughter was the cutest, best dancer on the stage. (only a TAD prejudiced there!!!)

The other endearing quality of the show lies in the fact that younger daughter also loves it and is often watching it at the same time...all the way across the United States. We have fun talking about the dances and the dancers and how our opinions often aren't even close to those of the judges, not to mention those of "voting America."

I was sad to see this season of shows reach the finale, but all good things must come to an end. Now...BRING ON THE OLYMPICS!

JUST THE BLACK KEYS

I thought this was interesting AND informative. It's also a great reminder that God can use anyone, any time, any place!

DIDN'T REALIZE

Isn't it funny how sometimes we don't realize how much we've missed something until we get it back. I have spent the day making my new laptop "mine." I have all but one program installed and working (the "working" part is a definite plus!). Tonight I put my .mp3 files on lappy. They have been on an external for about a year now because I had maxed out the computer I was using. Something had to go...so "go" they did...all the way to the external drive on the table beside me. But...when I reloaded them tonight, it was as if old friends had come home. I had missed Andy without realizing how much. And I had missed all the others who used to serenade me while I was "computing."

I remember another episode along these lines. Younger daughter left for college in the fall of 2002. She (and her sister) had been my "focus" for the previous 18+ years. My "baby." Everyone (including her!) said I would have to get a life of my own now. And "get a life" I did. In fact, I was quite proud of how smoothly I transitioned into an "empty nest." No tears. No distress. Just branching out to do more volunteer work (so I would have an excuse NOT to clean house!!!). But then it was October and she was coming home for her first visit since she left. I was delighted. I knew she would be so proud of the way I had handled her absence. But what did I do when I saw her? I got all teary eyed the minute she walked through the door! I just hadn't realized how much I had missed her.

She lives in the "Great Northwest" now, thousands of miles away. She doesn't walk through the door very often anymore. But in her absence, I will be enjoying the wonderful reunion Andy and I are having.
(that's Andy Williams, in case you're wondering)

lovies and huggies to all!

SMILING DOWN

I have decided that God is most definitely smiling down on our little household! Jelly Bean made it through yesterday just fine.

This morning Roy and I headed out and bought some super, duper heavy-duty dog clippers and proceeded to shave both of the dogs. It's not quite as good of a job as a professional groomer would have done, but it looks pretty dern good if you ask me!!! We have decided that if we are ever on the brink of starvation, we can just open a pet shaving business!!!!

JB was a bit squirmy, and we finally let her go when the majority of the hair was gone. Taffy went to sleep and slept through the whole thing. As soon as Taffy was finished, Bean decided maybe it wasn't so bad after all and came back over and plopped down at our feet for some more lovin' and shavin'. It was a fun time for all of us!!!

Not only that, out of Heaven only knows where, we are having rain today...with a predicted high of 95 instead of the triple digits predicted last night on the news.

I don't know if this will solve all of the problems...triple digit temps which will return tomorrow are still triple digit temps, but now I feel like I have done everything in my power to make our sweet Jelly Bean comfy and happy!