That's my girl!

really.

Boy are we in trouble...

is she almost five?
or almost fifteen?

ahhh....

the weekend. finally. i thought it would never get here.

i'm not certain, but i think the weather changing (its starting to get cold) makes me tired.
so, needless to say, i am ready for the weekend!

however, friday was a day of firsts for the girl...
she had her first bus ride
her first school field-trip
her first class/group photo
her first hay ride
and her first 'very own pumpkin'
so, friday was the perfect start to a well received weekend.
hope you're all enjoying it!
~L

Wicked.

(just a little bit.)

that'll be me on halloween...
i can't believe its gotten here so quickly.

so, in honor of the holiday (and because i may not take the time before tuesday arrives), another ghostly tale.

when i was at university i lived for a couple of years in a rental property that was 'nearly walking distance' to campus...if you didn't mind the catcalls and watchful eyes of the dirty birds next door, which you had to pass to get the walking bridge to cross the 'creek' that separated our cul-de-sac from campus. this was not something i cared to endure, so i always drove. all of this is neither here nor there, i just felt like sharing.
anyway. this little house was owned by an elderly couple who had actually inherited it from the man's mother when she passed just a few years earlier. it was a neat little two bedroom house, complete with 'abandoned wardrobe' that belonged to the deceased mother, and was left in the house simply because the new owners had no use for it.
when i moved into the house i was sharing it with my good friend's boyfriend, Ken (no, he is not what you would imagine a 'Ken' to be and she was there most of the time also...of course). so, two bedrooms; one pink as in pepto bismal pink and one robin's egg blue...needless to say, there wasn't really any question who got which room.
the afore mentioned 'abandoned wardrobe' was in the blue room, so i never really had a first hand experience with it, but he said some very weird things happened surrounding that piece of furniture...the doors would seem to be locked when there was no lock, they would just open on their own when no one was near it. of course i never thought anything of it, it wasn't in my room.
anyway after just one semester things weren't working out and he moved in with his girlfriend and i got a new roomy, Tammie. she was 'different'...i'll tell you about her sometime.
my new roomy had bigger tales to tell of her experiences with the 'abandoned wardrobe'. she had the same experiences as Ken but also, she would swear that in the middle of the night she could see a light on inside the wardrobe...where there was no lighting fixture. OooooooOOoOoooo.
other things that happened in this house...the medicine cabinet door creaked, and sometimes in the evening we'd be sitting watching t.v. and we would hear it creak slowly open,
the lids of containers kept in our refrigerator would be removed and laid next to their appropriate bowl/bottle,
one evening we were discussing the curtains on the front door and whether the pattern of the fabric was supposed to be visible to those in the room or those on the porch/lawn. so we took them off of the rod and turned them around...a few days later, they were back to their original position...that, my friends, was the spookiest thing ever. not spooky-scary, but spooky-eerie, ya know?
anyway. i've kept you long enough.
~L

Saturday...

i had so much to say.
and when i did finally sit down and post about our weekend i only covered Sunday.
i started to do 'fifth' and thought, "what was it? what 'something else' happened that i'm forgetting?"
Saturday! there are two days in a weekend...
and the big news is...
A kicked her first goal at her soccer game!
she was so excited!
that was the hi-light of the day!

this is her 'taking it to the goal'. i was too busy cheering to get any pics of her satisfied face afterwards.
i will tell you, though, that i laughed out loud when i saw these pics the first time. notice that the coach for the other team is in mid-air in both photos...he was really too much! he ran with the kids, made them chant little things about their team being the best, the fastest, the winners...
he did take a second (as he prepared his team for the next play) to tell our girl "good job, sweetie" after she scored.

and now i'm sayin' it...

first.
if you liked the OU pics you should check this out.

second.
our anniversary. E and I discussed it and decided that we would not purchase gifts to exchange from this year's 'categories' of traditional/modern anniversary gifts...he said (and this is one of the reasons i love him so...) "we can get trinkets and bobbles any day of the year, it doesn't mean i don't love and appreciate you any less today." guess i don't have to get the lacey things out tonight, then, huh?

third.
our weekend. every year we recognize our anniversary by attending the annual Oktoberfest celebration. before we were parents we attended in the evening at the beginning of the weekend. since having the girl, we attend on Sunday during the lunch hour. so, for eight years now we go, eat saurkraut and brats, get a plastic pitcher, sometimes filled with beer, cotton candy, cinnamon roasted almonds and pecans, the occasional shirt/beer stein,
listen to "German" music played by gentlemen in lederhosen, do the chicken dance, and (for the last few years) watch the hawaiian dancers...
where the hawaiian thing comes in, i'm not quite sure.

fourth.
the pumpkin patch. not since the girl's first year have we attempted attending both Oktoberfest and the pumpkin patch in the same day, until now.
sitting in the pumpkins.
feeding the animals at the 'petting zoo'.hanging out with her playmates.
it made for a long day, but she enjoyed it, none the less...

fifth.
i think that's plenty for now, don't you.
~L

a lot to say...

there is so much i want to post about...
our weekend - i have pictures to post
our anniversary - today!
other blogs i read - which i haven't had a chance to really read since last week...i'll catch up, i promise.
i did get over to Kellyology, as i was scrolling down, looking for something in particular i saw this...

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 17 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

and couldn't resist.
17!
can you believe that?!?!

i'll get to the other stuff later,
now i need to finish a to-do list that exists in a world outside my blog...
;)

This one's for you Uncle C!!!

its drug awareness week at school, a week where each day the kiddos sport a different clothing item in order to fight drugs...ok.
today is 'Team up Against Drugs' and wear your favorite Team Shirt.
she's such a poser...
the settings were off on my camera, so i will try again later...

Spooktacular...

every year at halloween i get into the mood for ghostly stories.
i couldn 't resist sharing, whether you believe or not...

when i went to university, i had an on-campus job in the 'physical plant'...so all things electrical/hvac/pumbing/maintenance/haz.mat./grounds/etc. went through our office.
if there was a stoppage in a water closet, i knew.
if there was a ballast going out in the science lab, i knew.
and it was my job to make sure the appropriate person went to fix it.
the thing i didn't see much of was 'house-keeping' issues. the reason being that almost all things related to clean floors and windows happened at night. for some 15 + years the same man was responsible for such affairs; my co-worker RandyG. he had two shifts of individuals that he managed, so in his time he saw a lot of people come and go...each for different reasons.
one afternoon, at nearly 5 o'clock, Randy came into the office. like always, he was making sure his people were arriving and getting to their appropriate buildings to begin cleaning toilets and vaccuming floors. today, though, he seemed a little out of sorts...stressed, even.
when i asked him what was up he told me that they had "had another incident in the library the night before" and one of his employees had walked off the job - quit on the spot!
a little history tidbit - the university was founded in 1851 as a Cherokee National female Seminary, the original hall and dormitories were built then and as the campus changed to become a co-educational college new buildings were added. the campus library isn't the oldest building on campus, but is over 100 years old and named for John Vaughan...who he was, i don't recall.
its been a while, but this is what i remember about what he said had him all stirred up...
"This isn't the first time this has happened. nearly every building on campus is haunted and when the ghosts come out at night, my employees don't stick around.
last night 'Bob' was running the vaccum on the first floor of the library when John Vaughan's ghost appeared...a floating torso that moved backward down the hallway and then just vanished."
i was totally spooked by this, but he continued...
"i get compaints all the time of strange happenings, especially in the library...lights being turned off and back on, the elevators being called and the doors opening when there's noone getting on or off, people standing in the front hallway and just vanishing, noises coming from empty class rooms..."
he didn't have to tell me any more...after hearing his stories, i never went into the library after dark again.
whether it be in old buildings or in old homes...
they really do exist.

do you have a ghost story?
do share...

BOO!

As our 8th Anniversary approaches...

i'm trying to decide what to get my hubby...
i was chatting with the gals, earlier about this and at the time thought that the categories were 'wood/pottery', but i was wrong. its bronze/pottery for traditional and linens/lace for modern. which sucks because when i thought it was wood a friend suggested that i get him a bottle of wine that is aged in an oak barrel...how PERFECT is that! oh well...
i just can't see him in lace...



;)

what ?

seriously?
i mean...really? come on.
does she not have a mirror?
and her man should really be kicked to the curb for letting her walk out the door in this.
seriously.

And the winner is...

the WOMEN!
my FIL challenged his two sons to complete the Sudoku that was featured in last Sunday's Foxtrot. he had expected E to see it, laugh, and then lay it aside and my BIL to see the symbols/equations and enjoy converting them to numbers before losing interest. but what he did not expect was for the wives of his two sons to take the challenge!
so at about 7:15 my husband says to me, you should solve it and send it back...but do it now, because he sent it yesterday and i think C is working on it.
i had it solved just 45 min. later...with time out for bath and goodnight kisses! ...and i got a little bit creative!
meanwhile my SIL was solving and returning the puzzle to our FIL.
he declared us both winners...the prize offered to the sons: a new Golf shirt.
too bad i don't golf...

You know those days...

that i'm almost certain every couple has, where it seems as though you are just passing each other. co-existing but without much influence on each others 'life'. when everything else that needs your attention seems to be demanding it, and tends to take higher priority than your other half...
those are the days you need in order to appreciate the days when the two of you seem to be riding hand in hand on the same wave length. when you can feel the love and togetherness that is always there but not always expressed in so many ways. so awesome; the simple holding of a hand can feel like a full on hug, and a hug can sweep through you in a way that it takes you to a better place and you crave it when its over.

left or right...

You Are 45% Left Brained, 55% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

let me know...

today i feel like i need to let both sides just rest.
do nothing.
think nothing.
tomorrow i will put them both back to work

i wonder if i am left or right? i think i'm right...
of course, i'm always right! (a punny)
okay, seriously do need to just rest.

maybe i'll see about finding a real test...later.

Work...

you gotta work it girl.
do your thang, on the runway.
SUPERMODEL.
(do you remember this song? circa 1993...)

its what i hear when i look at these pictures.
she does this thing EVERYtime we go to the mall...she stands in the windows and pretends she is a mannequin.

and then the saleslady suggested that we get her 'dressed'. A was so excited!
she loved it!
afterward she said, "Everybody in the mall was laughing at me..."
all in good fun...

still playin 'catch up'...

or is it just that the pace has picked up and life is leaving me behind?
i haven't had time to read any of my fav blogs, among other computer-related-time-consuming-just-me-and-the-machine-type things
i feel like keeping my house up is kickin' my toosh, lately.
i've been eating badly and i haven't been taking any time to exercise either!
and the holidays haven't even hit yet...but they're coming.
i have got to get back in the groove.
right now i'm groovin' on my head hitting that pillow.
tomorrow i will become the me i need to be once again...or at least try.
g'night.
~L

i was thinking...

about going to bed, then realized it was only 9 o'clock.
but, we've had a pretty full day.
the cousins came to play for a bit after soccer...ages 5, 4, and 3.

they spent some time on the patio drawing with sidewalk chalk...
so i got lots of pictures, just not very many faces...
oh well, maybe another day.

You've asked about my camera...

so i thought i'd just post.
i have a great little point and shoot camera; a canon PowerShot A95. It is great for self-portraits, with its little swing around LCD. it has a pretty good zoom and takes great quality photos. mine is a 5.0 mega pixel and runs about $350.00, but you can now get a 7.1 mega pixel (the A620) for about the same price. i'm not certain they are available in many stores...online is your best bet.
the main reason we bought this one is because it uses the same memory media as my other camera; the Canon EOS Digital Rebel SLR. this is a serious camera.
i've had mine for about 5 years now, and when i bought it there wasn't a digital out there that was better...6.3 mega pixels, lenses that interchanged with my non-digi Rebel. now you can get 10 mega pixel!!! awesome! and the price has remained the same even though the technology has improved. They run about $899.00, a little over a grand after tax and all. yeah, they don't come cheap. then you have to buy memory, storage, additional lenses/filters...it can get very expensive, very quickly.
if you're going to buy a camera like this, i suggest a class in photography, just to become more familiar with it and to understand what it is capable of.

How sweet it is...

to have friends like these!!
the only thing missing from this picture is the gal behind the camera...
and all the fabulous ladies who weren't able to make it due to family/illness/prior engagements...you sure missed out!

ahhhh...the cabin.
everyone should be so fortunate.
quiet
wooded
peacefulness
wildlife
quiet
rest
nature walks
deer
quiet
outdoors
nightfall
wine
dinner
stories
music
dancing
cosmos
fun
gossip
quiet
sleep
refreshed
never
ready
to go
home.

so...

i think i need to go walk.
i don't want to go walk.
i know that if i just go walk,
i will be glad i did walk.



maybe just a short walk.


and, why is it you read and don't comment?
can i get a "holla!"
see ya tomorrow.

i'm back...

and trying desparately to catch up...
i was so busy yesterday that i didn't really get to my computer much...if at all.
so i will catch up now with this 'blog thing'.

Your Deadly Sins

Gluttony: 80%

Lust: 60%

Sloth: 40%

Greed: 20%

Envy: 0%

Pride: 0%

Wrath: 0%

Chance You'll Go to Hell: 29%

You'll die from a diabetic coma.

How Sinful Are You?

i felt it somewhat appropriate, since i gained 3lbs over the weekend...too much cheese and wine!
time to hit the trail running, huh?
you'll have to let me know how sinful you are!!!
and also,
it is self-portrait Tuesday!
so here is a pic i took of myself over the weekend...at the cabin.
everyone who was there took self-pics, so i may be 'sharing' more.
i've been playing with photoshop...a bit. so time consuming.

i'll be back later this evening...i'm going to get some chocolate.
~Later