No Buffet Today!

Well, we were doing good to get up and to the meeting on time this morning!  So it was quickly prepared breakfasts for all of us!  Yesterday's buffet was fun, though; I enjoyed doing that.  I didn't get a lot done the rest of the day, though.

I am so behind on stuff here at home.  The dishes and the laundry get done on a daily basis; everything else is "hit it when we can", and that's with a husband and kids that help out.  Thomas worked until 1:00 yesterday; then he helped a friend put a railing on his porch.  Andrew cleaned his room (I mean really cleaned!) because he was facing groundings if he didn't -- that took him all day.  Eler Beth did her chores and then played with friends all afternoon, so basically I had most of the day to myself.  I did some grocery shopping and because I had got up in such a good mood and had so much fun with breakfast I thought I'd tackle some chores I'd been putting off lately -- like going through "stuff" (you know what I mean by "stuff" -- accumulated junk, basically), cleaning out and rearranging cabinets, closets and pantry shelves, etc.  I would decide on something to start on, stare at it for a minute, get this overwhelming feeling of dread, despair and hopelessness and think, "I'll just do another load of laundry."  There's always laundry, so that's a good cop-out.

So basically yesterday I got caught up on laundry!  Yay!  That's one good thing.  I also read some of The Masqueraders (the Heyer book that my Heyer group is discussing this month -- I've read it so often that I pretty much have it memorized, but it's been a few years since the last time I read it, so I'm enjoying it.).  Then when Thomas got home we had a nice dinner and watched a movie.

And I'm still depressed by all the stuff that needs to be done.  We have so much JUNK!  And I really don't know where to start.  Sometimes I'd like to just chuck it all out the door to the curb and start from nothing, but then I see something like a picture one of the kids did in Kindergarten, or a souvenir from a class trip I took 30 years ago, or something that "I'm not using now, but I may someday", and I know I'll never be able to start from nothing!

And there are little projects I'd love to get to like updating scrapbooks, picture albums, painting the kids' rooms (that was supposed to have been done through the summer, but wasn't).  When, oh when, am I going to get to these things?  I did clean my bathroom yesterday.  That's one of the things, like dishes, that doesn't get put off.  But dusting and vacuuming, sweeping and mopping...........don't get done like they should, bad me, bad me!  Well, enough of that!  I'd better go.  It looks like it may start raining soon, and I have sheets on the clothesline!

Breakfast Buffet

Well, I got up kind of early this morning, for a Saturday, so I thought about taking the kids out for breakfast someplace.  They always enjoy a nice breakfast buffet.  Then I thought, no, I've got breakfast goods here, and gas is too expensive to waste on just going out to breakfast on a whim.   So as I was thinking about what to fix for breakfast I had a neat idea.  I fixed our own breakfast buffet!  

  

While bacon was frying I peeled and sliced potatoes and made up some pancake batter.  Then for a while I was busy turning bacon and flipping pancakes.  When I had what I thought was enough of those cooked I started my potatoes frying and mixed up a small package of blueberry muffin mix.  After I popped them in the oven and checked my potatoes I scrambled eggs.  While the potatoes and muffins were finishing I set plates, bowls, forks, spoons, knives, napkins, glasses, syrup, butter, salt and pepper on the table; drained the fried potatoes, put them, the eggs, bacon and panacakes in pretty serving dishes and set them on the table.  It was almost time for the kids to get up to watch the first of their Saturday shows, so I called them and told them if they got up and got dressed real quick I'd treat them to a breakfast buffet.  Then while they were getting dressed I pulled the muffins out of the oven and transferred them to a pretty plate, set out dry cereal, milk and juice (and coffee for me), and told the kids to hurry up.

Andrew said, "I smell bacon.  I thought you were taking us out."

Then they came in the dining room and saw everything and said "neat!"  Needless to say we ate way too much!  But it was good, sanitary, and much cheaper than eating out!  And it was fun.  We've been snacking off of leftovers all day.  I had way more than I needed just for breakfast!  Too bad Thomas had to work today.  Wonder what I'm going to do for dinner?

Meet Me At The Fair!

I guess I'm going to the KY State Fair, whether I want to or not. 

Our latest "team-building" activity at work was the OCR State Fair (a lot of fun!), and each member of the team that won got an admission ticket to the fair this week.  So I had one ticket.........so I thought, well, I could just give it to someone that I know who's going, and the kids would never have to know.  Well, Friday Carolyn and another manager came over to my cubicle carrying a wicker basket filled with the following:  two single-use cameras, a water bottle with our company logo, a first-aid kit, a package of tissues, some mints, a bottle of purell hand sanitizer, and............four adult and four senior/children admission tickets to the state fair!  My name had been drawn out of the names of those who had worked massive amounts of overtime lately!  So now I have a total of 9 tickets. 

I think I could probably manage to have some fun at the fair! But I'm not riding anything big! 

I'll enjoy the exhibits; maybe go to the horse show.   Maybe we could go on a night that there's a free concert that we'd like to see.  The fair started Thursday, and runs through next Sunday.  Hopefully it will cool down a little before we go.

I hated to admit it, but I would have been happy with just the basket!  It was very cute with a red, paisley lining.

Remember Me?

I think I have finally caught up on reading all my favorite journals and leaving some comments!  I have been so busy lately.  The kids started school yesterday, so things have been hectic.  I was so worn out from our camping trip that I didn't catch up on getting my rest last week, and this past weekend was spent shopping for school.  I always say I won't leave it until the last minute, but I always seem to! 

So right before bed each night I've been spending a few minutes online reading and writing and going through emails.  I should be in bed right now (it's almost 1 am), but I had a nap this evening, so I'm all out-of-whack.  It was hard getting the kids to bed tonight.  They seem to like being back in school, though.  It came too soon for me!  If anyone out there is still reading this journal (?) I hope they will forgive me for not making regular entries lately and for making boring ones when I have!  I did have to get online last night though to tell about my sister's cat who gets high on catnip so he can deal with the new kitten.  That was just too good of a story not to pass along.

I'll try to come back tomorrow to spread more of my sparkling, vivacious wit and wonderful storytelling abilities with J-land!  'Til then, goodnight.

Pass the Catnip!!

Wow! Do I have a lot of catching up to do!  I have a lot of things to write about, but tonight I'm just going to pass along a story that my sister told me over the phone.  It had me in stitches!

My sister Barbara, who is 45, has probably had at least 50 cats during her lifetime.  She currently has, I think, three.  Well, she did have three.  Recently, a little white kitten showed up at her house and kind of took over.  She says she is a very smart, alert, responsive kitten, just as sweet as she can be towad her, but she is also a little dickens, annoying the older cats.  One of the older cats, Zazel, in particular, gets very aggravated with the newcomer, whom my sister named Paynim ("Paynim" means something, but I can't remember what.).  Zazel is a very picky cat who usually prefers not to be petted or touched at all.  Occasionally he wants a little bit of attention, then decides abruptly that he's had enough; and if you're in the middle of petting him he will nip at you to tell you to stop.

Now Barbara has rarely had a cat that gets really enthused about catnip, and neither have I.  But she does keep some little catnip-filled toys usually; balls and mice and such.  Well Zazel has never shown any delight in catnip.  But shortly after Paynim joined the family Barbara noticed Zazel holding a little catnip-filled mouse in front of his face and breathing in deeply.  Then one day she saw Paynim being a "pain" towards Zazel, aggravating him, trying to get him to play, pouncing on him, etc.  She watched in amazement as Zazel went to find the little catnip mouse.  He rubbed his face all over it, breathed it in and then, presently, with what she said looked like a smile on his face, went off to find Paynim and actually played with him!

She has witnessed this phenomenon several times and so has my mother!  So I don't doubt it!  I think it's amazing!  And so funny!  The poor cat is self-medicating in order to cope with the young, rascally kitten!  I told her she has to try to get it on videotape or at least take some before and after pictures!  The next time I go to visit I think I'll take Zazel a box of catnip!

I'm Home

We went camping this weekend, so I have a lot of catching up to do.  After I finish catching up on my alerts I'll try to make a few entries of my own.  We had a great time, but I am so exhausted!  And I was away from my computer TOO long!

More puppies!

 

Our beagle had eight puppies on Friday!  Four boys and four girls!  If you remember, our Fox Terrier, Fancy, had four puppies in March.  They are full-blooded and we kept two of them.  I hadn't planned on the beagle, Hiedi, to be bred, but she had other ideas.  I hadn't had her spayed yet because we had thought that we might breed her with another beagle, but she escaped one night when she was in season, and I have no idea who the father is.  She's not telling, the naughty girl.  I can't tell yet from the babies what else they might have in them; so far most of them look like beagles and nothing else.  I don't think we'll have any trouble finding homes for them, though.  I'll post pictures when they're a little older, and I need to post some pictures of the other ones, too.

Our Old Team is Dwindling.........

I just wanted to give a little update here.  Friday was Christine's last day at work.  We made it Christine B. Day.  She has rather a dark sense of humor, loves Edward Gory drawings, and has a very ready, dry wit.  When I asked my friend Rita what she thought we ought to do on C's last day, Rita said, "I think we should all wear black."  So I asked C what she thought we should do that day, and she said, "Oh, I don't know.  Probably wear black or something."  So we wore black in her honor, and we had a snack day.  Everybody brought in goodies and we snacked all day long.  I don't think any one of us actually ate a real lunch.  We also had a card that everyone signed and I and some others had gifts for her.  She really enjoyed it.

Now I think Stacy is going to be leaving in a few weeks.  I think she's going to the same company as Tommie and Christine.  She is also going back to school to get her degree in business, so I know what the theme will be for her last day at work!  They are leaving in droves!  I'm sticking it out a while longer.  I really like what I do, and I don't plan to leave until I have to.