A Spot of T

Weird? Me? Nooooo

I know, I KNOW, I'm supposed to be resting.  Whatever.  I can put my feet up and rest while I'm on the computer.

Actually I ran on here quickly because I remembered I wanted to join in on the Centerpiece of the Month and hadn't submitted my photo.  While I'm on here I may as well read my favorite blogs, and write, and surf, and play....

I was tagged...but not really tagged......by Debbie at A Step at a Time.  Seems someone thought she was a weird duck and now she is paying it forward to me :o)

Ahem....so here goes.......

Six Weird Things About Me......

1. I eat ice all the time.  I'd eat it in my sleep if I could.  I set the ice machine on the fridge to 'crushed' and I fill a huge glass with ice.  Then I pour water over the ice and then I take a knife or fork or spoon or pen or whatever I have handy, and break the ice apart so I can scoop the ice out and eat it.  If I don't break the ice apart it forms into a solid clump....and I get cranky because then I can't eat it like I want too.
2. I always have to make sure the front door is locked and the door to the mudroom is locked before I go to bed.  Every single night I open the mudroom door to the garage....to make sure no one is in there??...I don't know....close the door, lock it, go to the front door, make sure it is locked and then I can go to bed.  The back door can be wide open, but if those two front doors aren't locked....I don't sleep.
3. I would walk 4 miles out of my way to avoid a spider.  THAT'S how much I hate spiders.
4. I hate telemarkers.  Everyone knows this about me, but I don't think they realize exactly 'how' much I loathe telemarketers.  I wish bad things on them every time they call and sometimes I swear at them.
5. I'm known for notoriously butchering songs.  I love to sing but can never understand or remember the words to a song half the time.  "It's not unusual to be loved by anyone"....was...for the longest time in my youth sang "It's not amusing to be mugged by everyone".
6. I really really enjoy being alone.  This to most people is very weird.  But I love it and go out of my way to spend a great deal of time alone.

As most tag things go, I won't tag anyone and put you on the spot.  I'll leave it up to you if you want to open-up and reveal 6 weird things about yourself.  It's great though, you should give it a try :o)

Centerpiece of the Month-January

When I stumbled upon Talk of Tomatoes blog on the very day Janelle announced she was starting a Centerpiece of the Month, I knew I had to join.  I love centerpieces.  I don't have any, but I love them.  I think they add so much to a room but everytime I venture out to find something, I get stumped.  Is it too wide?  Is it too narrow?  Too tall?  Too small?  Do the colors go?  I think too much sometimes....and end up with nothing on my tables.

I've been looking for something to challenge myself a bit when it comes to my camera as well.  I mean, why have a great camera if you're only going to point and shoot right?

So on that note, here is my Centerpiece of the Month for January.  I took my camera, I pointed and I clicked the button.  Sigh.  Here's hoping each month will bring me closer and closer to not only that great shot every photographer is looking for, but to some inspiration from those of you who actually know what you are doing.

If you're looking for a challenge yourself or you just want to admire some great centerpieces each month, head over to Talk of Tomatoes and  see what everyone has to offer.

A T Vacation

I'm not going anywhere sunny.  Actually I'm not even going on a 'official' vacation.  More like a couple coffee shop stops, some antique browsing, lunch with my oldest daughter, reading the two books I've had sitting here forever, writing some overdue snail mail....stuff like that.

Boring to some, luxury to me :o)

See you in one week.

Sunday Relaxing With Links

Why do you blog?  Don't answer here.  This gentleman wants to know and I'm actually curious to see what he finds out.  I can't remember which blog I found this on.  I know it's a blog I have written down but haven't added to my favorites yet.  I thought I could remember who to give the link too.  I should know better.

I am seriously thinking of buying one of these.  If anyone has a laptop they can't live without, I'd love to hear about it.  Knowing me I'll research these things to death before I buy one anyway, but I'm always open to any and all suggestions if you have one you like or have heard about a good one.

               

The above package arrived in the mail on friday.  My vintage linen!  I'll be 'tipping' the site for February 1 Blogtipping so if you love vintage, you are going to die when you see the site I've found.

Hockey blogs!  James Mirtle has a hockey blog I love to read, and if that's not enough he gives some great links to some more fine hockey blogs.  Like to do meme's?  Jes Golbez's Hockey Rants has a great hockey meme to do.  I laughed out loud when I saw this entry over at Covered in Oil LOL  Take a look at the score he gives....Flames 4...

I first heard about Shane from the Canadian Stamp Talk yahoo group I belong to.  Since then, I've seen numerous people promoting this little man's efforts to receive birthday cards for his big birthday in May.  You can go to 105.3 KISS FM to find out where you send your cards too.  I used to belong to an organization called Chemoangels so I am very aware how a small gesture like a simple card can bring the biggest of smiles to someone's face.

For the photography buffs.  I found this Digital Photography School blog not too long ago and I have really enjoyed their knowledge and all the links they share.  Lots of tips for using your digital camera.

And last but not least....I found this lady.  I have absolutely no idea how I stumbled upon her blog, but if any people who blogspot, and are from the Edmonton area...you know who you are....maybe you could go and say hi to her.  Pass on a hi from me as well.  When I read she was a bit nervous at first about moving to our fine City, I wanted to assure we were a peaceful kind of people....but her blog doesn't allow non-blogspot..ers...to comment.  As I keep reading, it now looks as though she's really looking forward to moving here....but you know....a 'hi' is always nice :o)

Superstitious Much?

For as long as I can remember I have been superstitious.  I have no idea why I am so superstitious but I am.  I'm not anal like some people can be, but I don't walk under ladders, I don't open an umbrella indoors, I never give a knife as a gift, I always put money in a wallet I am giving to somebody and when I was pregnant I never attended the funeral of a friend's friend with her.....things like that.  I also love having my palm read, tea leaves read, cards read, etc....but that's a whole other thing.

According to Wikipedia...A superstition is the irrational belief that future events are influenced by specific behaviors, without having a causal relationship.

Irrational belief you say?

So when I was driving this morning and I saw a black cat about to cross the road in front of me...I honked my horn at it.  I slowed down hoping it would get scared and turn back the other way, but the thing ran out in front of my vehicle anyway.  Persistent little devil.

Ok.  So now what?  I was just starting my day and had a lot of things to get done.  Do I turn around and go back home or do I keep on with the plans of my day?  I keep on with the plans of my day.

I get my coffee, fill the truck up with gas, pull out onto the street, go about six blocks and have to stop at a red light.  When I look to see if there are any pedestrians crossing, there aren't any.  Just one black cat.....crossing the road in front of me.

Now some superstitions say a black cat crossing your path is good luck....some say it's bad luck.  But two in one day?  Well.  Either I'm going to have a whole lot of good luck.  Or a whole lot of bad luck.

I also don't need to be hit over the head.  Once, I question.  Twice, I listen.

So I am now at home....waiting for either a whole lot of good luck....or a whole lot of bad luck to come my way.

How About 'Good' For a Change

Sometimes we tend to focus on the bad more then the good.  After 20 years of marriage I am probably guilty of looking more to the bad then the good.  I have a husband who is definitely good.  A kind soul who everyone loves.  But his bad drives me up the wall....so I guess I tend to focus on those more.  I was just over at Bread Crumbs in the Butter and she passed on a link to her entry at GNM Parents.  Mushy but very nice.  It hit me while I was reading that post, "I" could certainly have written it.....but I never do.

So I thought since I missed Thankful Thursday Thirteen...on thursday, I would post a little 'mush' for the man who has put up with me for the past 25 years......

1. I am thankful even though my husband works out of town all the time, he always takes time to call us during the week to see what we are up to and how we're doing.
2. I'm thankful when my husband is in town, he will go out and get the paper and drive out of his way to bring me my favorite coffee even though his truck doesn't fit so well in those drive-thrus.
3. I am thankful my husband asks me if I want poached eggs for breakfast...and then makes them for me.
4. I'm thankful my husband tries so hard with the kids, because working out of town so much could have been a recipe for disaster when it comes to his relationship with them.
5. I'm thankful my husband tries so hard with me.  Because I am a bear of a person to live with and him and I both know it....but he does it anyhow.
6. I'm thankful my husband always says I love you and always kisses me hello and good-bye.
7. I'm thankful if my husband screws up and is being a man and being thoughtless sometimes, he goes out of his road to make it right.
8. I'm thankful so many people think my husband is a great guy.  Because he is and it makes me proud that he's my husband and not somebody elses.
9. I'm thankful my husband is so good to his parents.
10. I'm thankful my husband doesn't mind lists because I'm a compulsive list maker.
11. I'm thankful my husband actually takes the time to get things done on those lists.
12. I'm thankful my husband puts up with me on roadtrips and goes that extra mile to make it nice, even though I know he die's a little bit inside when I decide to come.
13. I'm thankful after 20 years of marriage, the man still makes me laugh.  I'm extremely thankful for that.

Ok.  That's all the mushy you'll get outta me for awhile.

A dip in the.......

I dropped my keys in the toilet at the Panda Hut Restaurant tonight.

And that's all I'm going to say about that.

Sigh.

To Fake or Not to Fake....That is the Question

My husband called last night and we ended on a discussion we have had many times throughout our 25 years together.  You see, I can't fake it.

Now some of you pervs out there are thinking something else, but I'm talking about faking-it when it comes to friends, neighbours and people in general.  When it comes to people, my husband is the king of fake.  I on the otherhand am polite and nice, but if I don't like you you pretty well know it.

Just before my husband left for out of town this last time, our neighbour stopped by.  She and her husband are beyond annoying and I can't stand either one of them.  I wave if we drive by each other, I say hi if we end up at the mailboxes together, but other than that I don't want anything to do with the people.  Let's just say they are known as the neighbourhood gossips and that doesn't sit right with me.  Gregg loves stuff like that.  Give him the dirt and he's in heaven.

So she knocks on the door and my husband lets her in.  The dog has a bad habit of jumping on people and we've been working on it like you can't even imagine to get him to stay down.  She leans over and says to Mushu "MEESHA JUMP UP, JUMP UP AND SEE ME!"  And Gregg smacks the dog for jumping up.  She tells Gregg it's ok and Meesha's just happy to see her and calls Mushu to jump up again.  Gregg smacks him again.  Now Gregg's a big man, his smacks aren't light taps.  I'm standing at the top of the stairs getting mad at a scenario that has been played out time and time again with her.  We say don't let the dog jump up, she encourages him to do so.  He gets smacked from Gregg.  She gnores Gregg again and leans down to Mushu and tells him to jump up so she can pet him again.  "Listen"  I say.  "I don't mean to be rude, but we CANNOT have Mushu jumping up on people.  Gregg's parents come over, who don't care for animals, and Mushu jumps up on them and we feel bad.  Everytime you encourage him to jump up, it takes all our hard work and throws it out the window.  Please do not encourage him to jump up anymore, and then Gregg won't hit him anymore."  She stood there and stared at me.  And I stood there with one eyebrow raised and stared back.

Awkward.  Yes.  But do I give two shits.  Not on your life.  You are in my house and if I say I don't want my dog jumping up then I don't want my dog jumping up.  I don't give two hoots if you agree with it or not, the dog stays down.  Gregg on the otherhand would rather slap the dog then tell this lady to stop it.

For the record here.....Gregg can't stand these neighbours either.  And this is what we agree to disagree on.

Gregg will make a point to stand there and talk to these neighbours....and every other person he comes across.  They leave, and then he will talk about them and say how much he doesn't like them.  I on the otherhand will say hi to people, but keep on trucking.  No standing around talking, no chit chat, just a simple hi to be polite and go on my way.  Gregg thinks I'm being rude.  I think he's being fake, and in a sense, rude.  We will never agree on this subject and that's ok, and of course there's no right or wrong when it comes to this.  Just two people's opinions....who have to live together.

Gregg says when he dies he will have a ton of people at his funeral because he took the time to talk to everyone.  Uh huh.  But I tell him GOD knows how fake he's been to those people and the names he's called them when they walk away.  He says he doesn't care because all that matters is at his funeral all those people will hear what a great guy he was.  Gregg....here lies the 'good guy'.

Now I'm not having a funeral when my time comes but if I were to have one, I wonder what would be said about me.  Here lies Joy....the miserable old bag......LOL

Long Biscotti

I was blog surfing awhile ago and came across a great blog called Farmgirl Fare.  Not only do I love the photo's and absolutely everything about this blog, but a recipe even caught my eye.  Actually lots of recipe's, but we'll start with one first.

Now most normal human beings would study the recipe, take time to look at the pictures, etc., but not me.  No sireee.  I saw a recipe for Biscotti for Beginners, scooped it up and went on my merry way.  I love Biscotti.  I could eat it all day long.  I don't, but I could.  So I had some time to kill last night and what better way to fill some spare time than trying out a new recipe.

I'm going to admit here I never read through recipes first.  I read what the ingredients are to make sure I have everything, but that's about it.  I'm learning it's probably not such a good thing to do, because as I found out as I delved into the art of making Biscotti, Biscotti takes a little time to make.

To start with, I thought my biscotti dough was a bit too dry.  And why was my biscotti dough dry?  Because "my brain" just read 2 1/4 cups of flour, so that's what I dumped in my mixing bowl.  Then when I saw my dough was a bit dry, I re-read the instructions and saw to only add the 'extra' 1/4 cup of flour, if the dough was too sticky.  Too late.  But no big deal.  It still rolled out pretty good and I was proud.

Then it came time to bake the biscotti.  That's when I saw I needed 25 minutes, plus cooling time, then another 20 minutes....and then ANOTHER 20 minutes of baking time.  Add up all those times, plus the cooling time, and I spent a whole lot of time making biscotti.  S'ok.

I put the dough in for the first 25 minutes.  And I'm proud.  It looks good if I do say so myself.  I don't know what it's supposed to look like because I didn't bother to spend two seconds at Farmgirl's blog to look at the pictures.  Just grabbed the recipe and ran.  Then comes the cooling.  Then the cutting.  I look at the dough and think to myself  "Self.  These are going to be some pretty long biscotti pieces."  But that's it.  I said it to myself, didn't think any more on it, and started cutting those biscotti pieces.  I put all those 'long' pieces on the tray and back in they went for another 20 minutes.

They came out great....I feel.  Long....but great.  And today when I went back to Farmgirl's blog to get links so I could share this recipe with all of you.....I see I cut the biscotti the wrong way.  Dork.  No wonder my biscotti are three feet long.  Note to self:  Cut the biscotti horizontally next time, not vertically.  That way, you have nice decent sized biscotti and not some steroid looking foot long biscotti....like me.

Little Buddha Swap

There's nothing like rubbing the belly of a little Buddha to make your day all bright :o)

This little Buddha is only about 2" high but don't I make him look big with my new macro lens.  When I saw this Little Buddha Swap on Swap Bot I had to participate in it.  I've always been fascinated with Buddha's.  Maybe it's the big round tummy....that I must rub........or it could be their glorious faces with the big chubby cheeks.  Whatever it is, they make me smile everytime I come across one.

Sometimes when you participate in swaps you get a wonderful swapper who goes above and beyond in their swaps.  This particular swap asked for only a little Buddha, but lucky me....I got a sweet swapper named 'Lee' who sent me some great goodies with my little Buddha.

In amongst the goodies was the above beaded....dorje.  She explained a dorje...which is used by monks....symbolically represents the 'thunderbolt of enlightenment", that abrupt change in human consciousness which is recognised by all the great religions as a pivotal episode.

Now I'm not exactly sure what all that means, but I think it's very cool and I'll have to find the perfect home for both it and my little Buddha.  Thanks Lee :o)