Very Good Weekend

I don't work on Fridays, so I always have a three day weekend.  This was a very good weekend.

Friday started off with me sleeping late.  It has been months since I have not had to get up at 7:00 A.M. on Friday to prepare for workmen.  I slept until 10:00 A.M.  Of course, I did not go to bed until 2:00 A.M. so it was pretty much a full night's sleep.  

I came into fix breakfast and eat in front of the glass window.  When I sat down there was a beautiful hawk sitting on the pool fence.  I watched him hunt in the trees until he flew away.  

After breakfast I paid bills, put away mail, and tidied up a little before going out to run errands.  My errands included Lowes, Target, the bank, and Kroger.  At Lowes I purchased two nice new platform bird feeders, and squirrel food.  At Target I had to return some items and then replace them, plus I picked up a new card table since I sent the old one up to campus with the youngest.  I couldn't find the check I had to deposit at the bank, so I just got some cash and some coins.  At Kroger I shopped just my list and picked up a lot of veggies, fruit, and frozen Contessa and Wanchai Ferry meals. 

Once home I unloaded everything, and then I portioned out all my foods into take along containers to make my lunches easy to do this week.  It took me about an hour to take care of all the measuring and storing.  I wanted to put up the new bird feeders but it was raining.

After that it was time to clean the house and start putting things back together from all the remodeling. Thanks to my girls having eagle eyes they were able to get me a nice rolling book cart from their work sale and it was a great help to me in putting stuff back where it belonged, or in its new home. 

It stopped raining after dark, so I went out and put up the bird feeders and enjoyed the outdoors for a few minutes.  Once in I tried some of the new Friday shows.

Saturday I cleaned, cleaned, cleaned during the day, then the girls and BFF came over and we went to the Melting Pot for dinner.  Loni does a great job of describing the experience on her blog, so I will just say I enjoyed being with the girls and having a lovely night out with them. Once home, Loni and I played several game of Split and then it was time for bed.

Today I slept late again, and then got up for a nice breakfast by the window and watched the birds and squirrel enjoy their new feeders.  After breakfast it was time to get ready and meet Loni at the movies to see "You Again."  I enjoyed the story and I was happy that it was all slapstick.  I think my favorite parts involved the wedding planner and "Tim."  

After the movie I had to go to Lowes again to pick up salt for the pool, and then I stopped at Kohl's to look at some robes that Mina thought might be like ratty robe, the weren't, but I appreciated her thinking of me, or rather how to get rid of ratty robe.  I did find two nice green purses on sale.  I got both of them for $25.00, a savings of $98.00.  I was thrilled. (BFF won't be when she sees the color of one of them.) A quick stop at Home Depot to find a mop I wanted and it was home to my oasis.

It has been a beautiful,wonderful fall day here today, and I spent the rest of the afternoon puttering around the yard, pulling weeds, cleaning bird feeders, refilling bird feeders, pouring salt bags into the pool, and washing windows.  It was glorious. 

I am looking forward to some season premiers of my shows tonight and then finishing the book I am reading.  Yes, a very nice weekend indeed.  Would have been a perfect weekend if I had seen my boys. 

3 Wishes

I found this on Loni's blog, it is a nice family tool.  I wish I had this when my kids were really small, and no that it not one of my three wishes.

My three big wishes would be:

1. My youngest would start to eat a more nutritious diet.
2. My oldest find a way to balance his life so he is not stressed all the time.
3. And the same prayer I say every single day for anyone that is suffering: May they have at least one minute of the day where they feel peace and love, and can have a little relief from whatever is causing their suffering, whether it be pain, financial stress, heartache, loss, etc. 

Missing the Youngest

I really enjoyed my youngest being home last weekend. 

I am really missing him tonight.  At least I know he will be home again the first weekend of October.  We are planning a trip to Cottonwood Arts Festival.

Lacking Spiritual Direction

My life is currently lacking spiritual direction outside of myself.

I was very close to the Pastor I had a year ago. He was more than our Pastor, he was a family friend.  He was here with us when Raymond died.  He was out of town for the day when my mother died, but he was beating on my door yelling my name at 10:00 P.M. when he came back into town and heard the news. He baptized and confirmed both of my boys, and he also baptized me.  

We had wonderful talks about religion, family, and politics.  He filled my soul with a sense  of peace and love. 

Since he left our church to go and pursue a new calling, I do not feel spiritually fed or led.  It is a very sad feeling. 

I ran into him in the store several months ago when he was home for a visit.  He told me that he knew he would see me that day.  We stood in the store and talked for 90 minutes.  It was so healing.  I had to laugh though when I went back to the store a few days later and one of the workers that I have known for years asked me if that man was my new boyfriend.  

I know that he will never come back to my church, but I hope he does get a church close again some day so that I can go and feel full again. 

Enough About my Hair Already!

Last Thursday I had my hair cut into a new style.  I like it very much.  Very easy to fix in the morning, yet very "chic" according to one co-worker.

On Friday I saw two of my co-workers and they both remarked about how much they liked it.  Once, which was enough.  

Over the weekend a couple of other friends told me they liked it.  By now I am thinking I made a good choice and I am glad no one thinks it is hideous.

Monday, I saw the co-worker that called it "chic."  Then another co-worker came in and just would not stop talking about my hair. All day long there were comments about how wonderful my hair looked, and what a great haircut.  It started to make me a little uncomfortable. When my haircut was part of a discussion in a meeting we all attended I was really uncomfortable.

Tuesday, it was the same thing.  This one co-worker just kept telling me and others that came into the office about my hair and how "sassy" it was.  It was starting to make me really squirmy because I saw no reason to keep bringing up my hair. 

Today I found out that this co-worker brought up my haircut in a higher level meeting, one I was not required to attend. WHAT? 

Enough already! Quit talking about my hair! 

At least my other co-workers are getting some enjoyment out of it.  They are now mimicking the other co-worker and adding their own comments.  I was ready for some comic relief.

Passwords

Our lives seem to be completely ruled by passwords. 

I have a password to enter my computer at work.

I have a password to pay my son's housing on campus.

I have passwords to:

• Do my banking
• Read or comment on certain blogs
• Watch quilting tutorials
• Write on my blogs
• Check my credit card account
• Internet shopping
• Pay bills 

The list could go on and on.  

It used to be I could remember all my passwords even though they are different for each site.  These days

I have to write myself hints or in some cases, just start over.

I wanted to write on this blog yesterday, but it said I had the wrong user name or password.  I looked it up and I was using the right info, so I tried over and over again to try and gain access to my blog and continued to get the same answer.  I finally gave in and asked for help. 

I ended up resetting the password for this blog.  Surprise, surprise,  it is the same as the old one 

Some days I think it would be nice just to have a chip in my wrist to scan across the computer and move on. 

I Confess

I confess.   I am an Amazon stalker.  I must go to Amazon at least 3 times a day, usually more, and stalk the top 100 free Kindle books.  Today I found two I didn't  have that I was interested in.  Yesterday it was only one.  Some days I can find up to six.  What a high that is!

Are all of them great books? No.  I have found some terrific authors though and have gone back and ordered all the works of several authors because I liked them so much. 

Free books by authors unknown to me are also great for situations where I don't want to cozy up and read one of my favs.  Doctors offices, parking lots, dorm rooms, etc. are great places to try new authors.  There is usually just enough time for me to decide if I want to continue reading the book or delete it from the Kindle.

The great joy recently was being able to find out there were some books that you could pre-order that were free. I pre-ordered a free book by Jeffrey Archer, one of my favs, and it was so exciting when it downloaded.

I have already stalked the books this morning and plan to go back this afternoon and evening.  You just never know what you will find. 

Some may find my stalking sad, but I find it exhilarating.

Where is my DVD?

My "The Cat Returns" dvd is missing.

The oldest's girlfriend says it is at his apartment.  I haven't been able to find it here at the house, so I suspect it must be there.  I want it back. 

I don't mind people borrowing my dvds, but I want them returned.  I would like to watch this movie over this holiday weekend. 

I guess I will have to threaten a raid on the apartment. 

Youngest Home

I know he has only been gone since August 24, but it is so nice to have my youngest home for the weekend. 

My BFF and I went to get him today and then stopped at Beth Marie's for ice cream before heading home.  It was a nice to have company on the trip for a change, except BFF started whining a little just before we arrived on campus.  She was bored. She did say it was worth it after she had the ice cream. She wants to go back with me on Monday to take him back to campus so we can stop there again.  

Tonight the youngest put together some shelves for me and set up the refrigerator I bought the boys for their new "Man Cave.'  He also helped me in the kitchen, and went skunk hunting with me.

We went out and had his favorite new treat Sonic's Blended Root Beer Float with Chocolate.  I know it sounds gross, but it isn't. 

Now it is off to bed to get up and start over again tomorrow.  The oldest will be here for a short time then and we will finish up the "Man Cave."

Just About Wet Myself

Sitting home, alone, doing laundry, paying  bills, etc. when I decided to check Mina's blog. I typed in a comment and could not get the CAPTCHA to work so I was getting frustrated and decided to hit the little handicapped button on the side to see if that would  help.  Nothing happened so I decided to skip it and go back to it later.  I left the site up like I had it and moved on to something else.

It wasn't  long before I heard bells and this really weird  chanting sound  and numbers being called out.  Now being me, I had already forgotten all about trying out that handicapped button.  I thought I was being invaded by aliens!!!

It was a minute  so before I figured  out where the sounds were coming from.  Didn't help post my comment at all.  Have no idea what I was supposed to do with what was being broadcast.  I do know that I am really glad  I had been to the bathroom.  My heart is just now slowing down.

Thanks to my Peeps!

My BFF just added to my turtle and solar light collection with this great gift:

. 

Moonrays Solar Powered Turtles on a log.

I have them out in the flower garden hoping to charge them, but it is raining and overcast, so it may be a couple  of days before I get to see them at their  brightest.  They are a terrific addition.

The whole gang is adding to my oasis.  Mina and Stan added some beautiful green striped chair  cushions that are super  comfortable.

Loni added solar star string  lights for the big tree at the end of the patio, and a really cute ceramic turtle for the flower bed.

Jill has added solar lights and lanterns. 

Someone will probably have to eventually donate an  alarm clock so I don't end up sleeping out there all night, or mosquito netting would be helpful, then it wouldn't matter if I slept through the alarm.