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Okay, let me get this out there first thing, I am an avid reader…always have been.  I have favorite authors (James Patterson, Patricia Cornwell, John Sandford, Janet Evanovich, Iris Johansen, Lee Child, and so on) and I devour their books.  They always end much too quickly and then the long wait begins again for the next book that they’ve written to hit the bookstore (or Amazon’s page).

While I’m waiting for new books by my favorite authors, I pick up anything that looks like it might be good (how else do you find new favorite authors, right?).  Being the frugal person that I am try to be…I often get books on the cheap at the local Friends of the Library bookstore or Goodwill.  (Yes, I could check books out at the library, but then you have to remember to take them back…and I always forget…that tends to get me in a lot of trouble..you know those librarians…I’d rather have the school bully mad at me than have a librarian give me that cold librarian stare).

A few weeks ago, I bought several books at Goodwill.  One of those books was I Am Legend…you know, the one that they made into a movie starring Will Smith?  I must admit, I never saw the movie and hadn’t heard anything about it, so really had no idea what the book was about…but they made a movie out of it so someone must have thought it was good, right?  Oh my word…I started the book…and gave up on it, setting it aside in favor of another book.  Read a few more books, then came back to I Am Legend…having forgotten why I stopped reading it in the first place.  Started over, read a little until I could go no further.  Set it aside once again.  Read several more books until I had no books in the house that I hadn’t already read.  Kept seeing I Am Legend sitting there on the bedroom table.  I didn’t really want to pick it up, but being the voracious reader that I am, had to have something to read.  So I picked it up and forced myself to finish it.  And believe me when I tell you I had to force myself to finish it (heck, I had to force myself not to throw it across the room).

I was a little more than halfway through the book when there was an abrupt plot change.  I kept reading, thinking what in the world is going on here?  Kept reading, getting more and more confused…then it dawned on me…I had finished I Am Legend and was now reading short stories…sadly none of the short stories were any better than I Am Legend…thankfully today I managed to get out and buy some new (used) books to read…one of them by Lee Child…ahh…reading is a pleasure again.

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Have any of your little girl scouts hit you up to buy a few boxes of cookies?  I’ve got a friend who has a grand-daughter who sells a ton of Girl Scout cookies…if you talked with this little girl for a few minutes you’d know why she’s so successful with her cookie selling…she’s one of the sweetest, most cheerful little girls I’ve had the pleasure of knowing.

Well, I ordered a couple of boxes of cookies from Hannah a few weeks ago.  I’d kind of forgotten about doing that until I saw some girls had set up a table at Kroger to sell their cookies.  I wonder how they decide who gets to do that?  Surely they have lots of little girls (or their mothers) who would like to do that.  So how does the store manager say no to some of those cute little girls and yes to others?

Anyhow, I remembered that I had ordered some cookies…but now I can’t remember what kinds.  Surely I must have ordered Thin Mints…right?  Or what is that kind of peanut buttery cookie that I like?  Or did I order that new lemon cookie?  I guess this will be a very pleasant surprise when I get the cookies.

And someone told me that there were no calories, fat, or sugar in Girl Scout cookies, only lots of vitamins and good for you things…that’s right…right?

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Spooky

Spooky and Goldi

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I imagine that most of us who have been blogging for a while have come across some replies to our posts that had us shaking our heads.  I had that happen this morning.  Several months ago, I posted about the stir that Kate Middleton created simply by wearing pantyhose…that apparently, while I wasn’t looking, pantyhose had gone out of fashion.  http://run4joy59.wordpress.com/2011/07/20/shes-wearing-gasp-pantyhose/

This morning I reread that post, thinking maybe I’d forgotten just what I’d written…the response from a reader today made me wonder if I’d unintentionally insulted women who wear pantyhose…but, after reading the original post, I still don’t see it that way.  I thought my post was poking fun at the fashionistas who were making such a fuss over Kate Middleton’s wearing of pantyhose, that she was somehow committing some kind of fashion faux pas.

This reader didn’t see it the same way tho…his/her comment was…

“If you don’t wear hose, whatever. If another woman does though, why do you dismiss her. Why do you care if she wears? Just like it isn’t her business why you don’t, why is it your business if she does? She’s no more out of date or fashion with her wear than you are with your daily yoga pants self.”

This still makes me smile…my “daily yoga pants self”…I’ve never actually worn yoga pants although they certainly look like they’d be comfy.  And I do find it kind of flattering that people are still reading posts published 5 months ago…At first, I wondered if my writing was unclear…I do tend to use humor and sarcasm and it’s not always easy to convey that in a blog post.  Then I just threw my hands in the air and went upstairs to take off my pantyhose and put on a pair of  yoga pants…

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Wouldn’t it be nice if we did something special for someone who totally doesn’t expect it?  Like give a little box of candy to the elderly lady down the road who has outlived her husband and doesn’t have anyone else in her life.  Or give flowers to the struggling single mother. Or homemade cookies to the overworked teacher in your kid’s classroom.

And then I think, do we really need a holiday to do these nice things for people?  Maybe we do, but I don’t think it should be that way.  I think we would all be happier, and our world would be a better place, if we consistently did things to brighten the days of others.  Can you imagine how so many things would change if we all did that?  If, instead of focusing on what I want, we focused on how to make someone else’s day better?

So…Valentine’s Day?  How did you celebrate?  I took a cute little knick knack to the elderly lady down the street, left it anonymously…maybe she’ll think Cupid paid her a visit!!

(Image: http://wordplay.hubpages.com/hub/valentine-hearts )

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pinterest nwf (Photo credit: cambodia4kidsorg)

I’m on a little bitty vacation right now.  I go back to work on Friday (weird, I know, but with the work schedule I keep, that’s the best way to do it), so I’ve got a few days to get a bit done, caught up on, started…

As I mentioned in my previous post, I’ve allowed myself to become quite the slacker with my writing…I think I can use this week to redevelop the daily writing habit.  I have to, it’s one of the things in my life that keeps me sane (or at least what passes for sane in my crazy life).

I’ve also been going through a lot of my “stuff”…funny, I’m pretty careful with what I buy any more, but still end up with several boxes/bags of items to pitch or donate.  How in the world does that happen?  Seriously, I go through things at least twice a year.  You wouldn’t think I would have much to get rid of after several years of doing this, would you?  But you’d be wrong with that assumption.  Right now, I have a bag of magazines  to donate (bingo ladies in my complex?), a couple of bags of books to take to the Friends of the Library tomorrow, and some clothes to take to Goodwill.  At least I’m pretty much past the stage of having knick knacks to get rid of.

Today’s focus is going to be the kitchen.  I did clean the oven yesterday.  It really didn’t need a lot of cleaning, just wiping out, so that was fairly easy.  But I want to pull everything out of the fridge and freezer, clean it completely, then reorganize it when I put it back…and I may just have to make up a big pot of veggie soup using frozen leftovers just to get rid of some of the little containers filling my freezer.  Then I want to pull all of the furniture out and do a good mopping.  I admit, I’m not the world’s best at that, only do a complete job of it a few times a year.  Usually leave the plant stands in front of the window and just reach under them.  But not today.  Today I’ll move everything and use the little steam cleaner and get it done right!

I don’t know about anyone else, but I feel so much better when my house is totally clean and organized.  Oh, I did clean off my desk yesterday…found $3 in expired ECBs from CVS.  Don’t think that didn’t make me mad!  Note to self, that’s why you immediately cut them from the receipt and put them in wallet in purse.  {Head slap}

So, I can’t promise I won’t spend any time at all on Pinterest (or Facebook) today, but I can promise that it won’t be the entire day!  What about you?   Got any plans for your Monday?

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Pinterest (Photo credit: stevegarfield)

How could I have allowed this to happen?  I kept hearing all of the chatter surrounding Pinterest, but I resisted…until just a few days ago…and now I find myself pinning everything…creating my own boards…looking thru all of the latest pins, then getting sidetracked into viewing other people’s boards…and then repinning some of their pins…does it ever end?

Did I really need something else to occupy my time?  No, no, no…but there’s so much inspiration out there…motivating quotes (you know, for that fitness journey I’m still on), style and decorating ideas, gardening and birds, funny kitty antics, healthy eating, crockpot recipes, and on and on and on…

Are you pinning on Pinterest?  Care to share?

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I’ve got Jeopardy on in the background right now…for some reason, it brought to mind all of the times a group of us would watch it (and of course, challenge one another with our knowledge) when I had my pizza place…on the little bitty tv that sat on top of a refrigerator…we didn’t care.  We just enjoyed being together and seeing who knew the most about that day’s trivia questions.

I was pretty good at it…but there was one guy (hey, Seth) who was definitely good enough to make an appearance on the show.  Come to think of it, he could still do that.  Wouldn’t that be something?  We’d have to somehow get the old group together to cheer him on.

Do you have any fond memories of spending time with your old friends?  Do you all still keep in touch?  And are you a Jeopardy fanatic?

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multi dwelling birdhouse

kind of a cut out scroll work birdhouse

planter

 

I can just see this painted to match my decor.

 

rusted tin decor

 

How about this cute little watering can?

 

rusted tin birdhouse

 

Another birdhouse I’m just going to have to have…oh who am I kidding?  I’ll take one of everything!

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