" Country Roads, Take Me Home"

I must admit that I had no idea how today would turn out when I woke up this morning. Katie had her friend spend the night and I was pretty sure that I was going to let her drive her home. I have let her do it once before and she did pretty well.

Kate has only driven about a half a dozen times thus far with her drivers permit. When we left the house I thought, what the heck, we have plenty of time so I was going to let her drive around a bit more. So off we went. " Take a right turn here." I said and off we went.

I thought that I knew where we were going. Really I did. But after going several miles out of town, not seeing anything familiar, I knew that we were lost! Katie's friend was being very quite (for a change) as I secretly was starting to panic. Katie in the mean time was doing great. She was getting much more comfortable with handling my car. In a previous driving session, Katie felt uncomfortable doing 55 M.P.H. , so I told her to drive the speed that was comfortable for her. That was 39M.P.H. in a 55M.P.H. speed zone. But that was fine I told as other cars would pass if they wanted to.


We were in the middle of nowhere. But it was o.k.
We had a full tank of gas, plenty of gum, no map and no bars on any of our cell phones.

Must take deep breaths, I will be fine. Katie was doing fine. After driving for about 40 minutes, my Katie was now doing 55M.P.H.! And she was having a great time. The one thing that I have to consistently remind her of, is that she drifts to the right. There was much improvement today but still too much drifting!

So back to having NO CLUE where we were. There were some roads in which I recognized the names of. At these times I would make her turn on to them in hopes of finding a small town that I recognized. We even passed the sign that read "Devils Prop"! This is an amazing place to go hiking or just sit and enjoy the beauty. But my husband Jake always took us there and all that I knew was that it was far from our home. Yikes!

This is an actual photo of "Devils Prop" which has been around for hundreds of years. Back in the 1800's, young folks from our town would take buggy rides out there. It would take them all day to get there.

So now that Katie and I know the way, I told her we would go this spring and take a picnic lunch and our camera's! But in the meantime we are still lost. We went through two that I know of, possibly three counties.

Finally we came to a tiny town that I remembered driving through many years ago before Katie was born, but couldn't remember geographically, where it was in relation to our town. Katie slowed down through the tiny town when I spotted a nice looking young man. At which time I instructed Katie to CAREFULLY pull over and stop. The nice looking young man was very polite in giving us directions to the highway that we need to get back home.

I heard the angels singing after I thanked him and Katie pulled back out onto the road. We got on the highway and were on our way in the right direction. Finally! Hallelujah! I finally KNEW where we were going. And why don't we have a damn map in this car, is what I asked my husband when we finally did get home. At least I can read a map!

Katie then had to actually drive in traffic of a larger town to a four way stop light in which she had to make a left turn with cars all around her. She did great! And the rest of the TWO hour trip was a piece of cake!

My initial intention was about a 45 min. drive. Oh well, the more practice the better. And thinking back on it now, we did have fun. I think that Katie will be a very good driver. Once she learns to stop drifting!

Just to let you know, I have a fear of getting lost and will have a panic attack when I do. When I was 17 I got very lost with no money, hardly any gas and of coarse no cell phones back then. Or GPS. Not that I have one now! It was in a very bad neighborhood in the southside of Chicago. I did eventually find a street that I knew, but this is why I panic when I get lost now.

When we knew we were lost, Katie said to me "Relax mom, I'm a truck drivers daughter. It's no big deal." Well how about that? Maybe I will be able to relax one day after all!

"A Minute, Hour, Day. A Life"

Wow I guess I am feeling a bit overwhelmed as of late. The last straw being the fact that Kate is having surgery next week. She has never had a surgery before. She seems very "Matter of Fact" about the whole thing while I am secretly hyperventilating!

So just bear with me as I am going to now ramble to release some of the tension and stress that is flowing through my veins as I type this!

O.K. where do I start? I woke up. That's good right? I went and cleaned my peoples house. Did an excellent job. Cleaned and polished all of the kitchen cabinets.

Washed four of the ten ceiling fans. along with all of the regular cleaning. Two bathrooms, three bedrooms, kitchen, living room, dining room, utility room, hallways, floors windows.

Oh crap! That just made me tired!
So than I went to the pharmacy to pick up Kate's prescriptions for after the surgery.
Did I mention that I am a bit nervous about the surgery?
I went home and walked the dogs. I'm hungry now!

Had a small sandwich. Watched my soap. Took a bath. Picked Kate up and went shopping. What a weird experience that was! For some reason, everything that we needed required help in finding. We only bought a few things but had to ask five times where these things were.

We are talking Wal-Mart here people! We know our Wal-Mart! Truly at the moment I feel as though my life is a surrealistic canvas that is just floating by my minds eye.

Oh I forgot to mention that before I picked up Kate, after I cleaned my peoples house, I transplanted ten plants. Yes ten plants on my dining room table. Dirt everywhere.

They were mostly mom's. They needed more room. So here I am.
Right now if you were to ask, " Di, What would you like to be doing and where?".

Here is my daydream as that's all I have right now.
I am in this GIGANTIC hot tub in CANADA with ALL of my blogger friends.

And there is wine involved!

"Surgery? Yes. How Many? Don't know yet."

Today was the day. The day that I took my Katie girl to the Ear, nose and throat doctor to find out why she can't breath very well.

We were there for two hours. Both of our stomachs letting the world know that we had no time to eat before the visit!
I was so hoping that the Doctor would tell us that Katie had a severe infection and would require more antibiotics but unfortunately this wasn't the case.

After a CT scan and poor yet brave Katie having a camera shoved all over up her nose, it was determined that she has two large cysts in her sinuses that are nearly blocking them off.
They AREN'T polyps. Polyps are growths. Cysts are fluid filled. By the way the Doctor did seem impressed that I new the difference! Little did he know that my husband had three nasal polyp surgeries and I have had cyst surgeries.

That's just between you and me, after all I feel that I deserve to feel somewhat intelligent at least occasionally!

So one week from tomorrow my baby, yes she still is my baby, will be having surgery. She will go home the same day. Her nose will be packed but she will have little tubes in them that will allow her to breath.

The Friday of the same week the packing will be removed and she can go back to school the very next Monday. Jeez, does it ever end! I feel awful for her. She appears to be fine with it but she was asking me exactly how he was going to do it.

The procedure didn't sound nearly as complicated as my husbands, yet I am sure that it won't be pleasant. Katie doesn't seem to be nervous, but when my husband asked me if he should come home for that day, Katie said yes.
Katie has never had a surgery and I am a bit uneasy. So we will pray, a lot. And I am sure that it will all go well. After all, people her age heal in about three minutes right?

Surgery, part two.

Ruby

Now here is my Ruby girl. Isn't she lovely? Eileen, I know you can appreciate her beauty!

Ruby has been having issues with her appendix. Well that's not what it's really called, but it is the equivalent to our appendix!

Tomorrow morning I have to take her for x-rays to see what the next step for her will be. She is only three years old and is a very sweet, energetic, loving, spoiled and jealous little dog.

So the drama continues. If you are ever bored please remember that you are always Welcomed to my world!

" Sisters in Faith Award "

I feel bad about not accepting this award sooner. The truth is that I had forgotten about it as there has been so many things going on around this house lately!

One of my closest blogger friends, Eileen @ " Ummas World "
was thoughtful enough to pass this award onto me.

Thank You Eileen! I would award this right back to you if you hadn't already received it.

I think it would be safe to say that we have been through many emotional and spiritual trials together this past year and it has brought us closer together.

I am posting the origin of this award just as Eileen did so that you can understand it's meaning.

Well, I wanted to make sure I understood exactly what this award was all about so I went in search of the creator of this award and I found it was Karinann @ Blessings for the Day. Her blog is beautiful and spiritually enriching.
In her post about this award she wrote:
"For my final post of 2009 here on Blessings, I thought I would celebrate the gift of spiritual sisterhood. God has used this special medium of the blogosphere to bring many of us together who might under the usual circumstances of life, may never have crossed paths.
I am grateful for those who have joined me on my spiritual path.
As 2009 ends and 2010 begins I wanted to say thank you to all of my spiritual sisters who help and encourage me along this journey of faith. To do this, I created this little blog award called The Sisters In Faith Award."As a recipient of this award you are asked to pass it to those who reflect the spirit of this award and the instructions are:

1. Pass this award to sisters who have been blogging with you from the beginning.

2. Include at least one new Sister In Faith.

I loved the idea behind this award as I have made so many great friends from this medium.

Spiritual sisterhood! I love the way that sounds. My very first follower was Marcy @ "Blessings Each Day" and I know that Eileen has already passed this onto her, if she hadn't already, rest assured Marcy that I would have.

So first I am going to choose two followers that have been with me from the beginning and than one new follower whose blog
I am now addicted to!

Weather or not they choose to except the award is totally a personal choice. Either way I just want them to know how much I have appreciated their comments, emails, constant friendship and support!

1. Bernie @ " On My Own"
2. Wanda @ " Moments of Mine "

And my new follower:
Dee @ " One Foot Out of the Box "

And now the most important thank you of all, Thank you Lord for bringing these wonderful people into my world!

" It Seems Like a Long Time "

Well I have to say that it seems like a long time since I've blogged and I've really missed it. I believe that there is an old song sung by Rod Steward that is titled " Seems Like a Long Time ", and that song is what I am hearing as I type this.

As you know Kate and I ave both been sick. Katie is feeling better but still can't breath out of her right nostril so tomorrow is the day we go to see the Ear,Nose and Throat doctor to find out why.



I too have been much better but have acquired a ringing in my left ear for nine days now and it's not going away. I will mention this when we go, to see if I too may need an appointment. Or perhaps it's something that I'll just have to get used to.

I have been very busy this past week catching up on work at home, church and my peoples house that I clean. It was three weeks since I was able to clean their home so I just took my time.

Oh and my wonderful and handsome son had turned me on to a " Netti Pot " when my sinuses were so bad and I could not breath. This was wonderful and made me feel 95% better and completely cleared me up.
I would highly recommend the use of this. I went and brought my son a cinnamon roll and a Mountain Dew as a thank you to him while he was a work!


So yesterday was the first Sunday that I had been back to church since my mom passed away. I have been wanting to go back sooner, but if I would have went last week as sick as I was I probably would have scared people! I took some notes while I was there yesterday. I went alone as Jake had to leave earlier and Kate had spent the night at a friends house.
The following is a bit of what I wrote of my feelings while there.

As I sit here in my church home, the first time since my mother's passing, I can't help but feeling a little sad as she would sometimes come with me. I am sitting by myself feeling empty, lonely and melancholy. I am hoping by sitting through this service to gain some sort of comfort.

Our pastor opened the service by singing with his guitar, " How Great Thou Art ". I found it difficult to hold back the tears as it was both mom's and my favorite hymn. Pastor sang this at her wake.

Our opening hymn was " Lord, Open Now My Heart to Hear " which also seemed quite appropriate. We used " Matins " for the order of service and then heard the readings.

Nehemiah 8:1-3,5-6,8-10
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
Luke 4:16-30

Our next hymn was " By Grace I'm Saved " in which the sixth verse of the song really tugged at my heart:
By Grace! On this I'll rest while dying; in Jesus promise I rejoice!
For though I know my hearts condition, I also know my saviors voice.
My heart is glad, all grief has flown since I am saved by grace alone.

So by the end of the service I truly did feel happy that I went. And yes I did have people giving their condolences to me but I handled it just fine. I don't think that I could have done as well a month ago.

Jake felt bad that he couldn't be there with me but it was o.k.
I was o.k.

So I guess we could say that I am back in the saddle again! I am taking a day for myself today. I'm not going anywhere. I am going to stay home and do whatever I feel like doing. I may even start baby Jacks quilt again today. I haven't touched it since November and it was supposed to be a Christmas gift.

Life does have a funny way of moving on with or without you. So I guess I'm going to start moving on with it.

" A Very Strange Day "

I really couldn't possibly think of a better title to this post. I tried, but that's the best that I could do.

I have been pretty sick all week. He (the Doctor dude) says it's an upper respiratory/sinus thing. When he looked in my throat he actually said ''Eww!". Nice. Not that I wasn't already feeling like total crap. At least I was able to attain some antibiotics. I have been struggling to breath and every time that I cough my left lung hurts. As I type this all that I can hear really well is an incessant humming in my ears.

I know, we have all felt this horrible from time to time, when all that we can do is helplessly watch the clock tick away waiting for the moment when we start to feel like our self again.

So why am I blogging about not feeling well ? It is because of what I had to do today. Regardless of how horrible I was feeling , I HAD TO DO THIS!

Today was the last day that my son, daughter-in-law, brother and I were to meet at my mother's house to finish packing her belongings and getting the last of the furniture moved. It's been forty-four days since mom passed away.

There was no way that I was going to stay home when I knew there was more of mom's things that I needed , yes , needed around me. We had been there at least four times previously , sorting , picking and packing.

I had taken so many of mom's things. Things that I put out all around my house. Things that I knew she would have wanted me to have. Mom had a lot of things. Everyone took some of mom's things. It was all fairly diplomatic indeed.

The first two weeks after mom's death was overwhelming to say the least. But we made it through. All of the things that we had brought home , I had very slowly and gently unpacked , piece by piece , as if each and every piece were a precious jewel.

Seeing those precious jewels those first few weeks was also very , very hard for me. I found myself wondering if I had done the right thing by putting everything around the house so soon. My husband also questioned my judgment on this as he would catch me holding something or looking at something that would make me cry.

So I would look . And I would hold . And I would read . All of mom's precious jewels . All of the things that were meaningless to others . As the weeks went by these same things that made me cry in pain as my heart felt broken , now gave me much comfort .

So much so that I HAD TO DO THIS today. I didn't think that I would be able to go back there again. But I did . It took me three hours to get myself together breathing heavily from this infection. But I did it. And I am glad that I did. My mind is at peace now . And I found the one photo album that I couldn't find before. The one with my mom , dad and me at Disneyland when I was seven. Mom was going to give it to me but kept forgetting to look for it .

Don't worry now mom , I found it .

"Infections,Permits,and Thrift Shop Finds!"

What a week this was! My husband and I had a whole day alone on
Monday, ya, it was a good day!

But you know , I was starting to feel a little funky. But it was all good.
Despite the strange feeling that was coming over me I decided to drag the husband to the thrift store anyway!

I was so glad that I did! We found some fabulously funky mirrors
that will go perfectly on our living room walls when we paint and redo!

Check this out. Please keep in mind that taking a photo of mirrors
was a bit tricky, so I just hope that you can see the detail!



They are soooo retro-ly beautiful and were only one dollar a piece!

This next find, the husband and I found a few weeks ago. Let me tell you,
he is so looking forward to hanging this very heavy mirror over the fireplace!




Well this should prove to be a fun project! O.K. so now that my throat feels like it's closing up on me, I shall move along! Let's see, where were we?

The husband left on Tuesday and I felt worse! In the meantime, my Katie still cannot breath out of her right nostril. However she is feeling better and here is the news that you've been waiting for...

Drum roll please........

Katie passed her Illinois Drivers Permit Test with 100%!!!!
And now she wants to drive!

My car!



I cannot put into words my feelings about this.
Pride for her and fear for me, I suppose!
This weekend we are going out to my mothers house for hopefully what will be the last time, to pack the rest of her things up.

The town she lived in is the perfect little town to drive around and around in. Not much traffic and a large parking lot. If Katie is good to her mother between now and then, perhaps I will take her driving if I am feeling well enough by then.

I have, so to speak, started holding the car keys over her head as an incentive to get off of her butt and help me more around here.

So far, so good. After all, driving is a privilege, not a right. Especially with my car!




If any one has an old beater out there that they would like to donate, please let me know!




O.K. so Wednesday was bad, I was even sicker. I just laid around all day.
I really wasn't able to do anything else. I did make a doctors appointment for Katie as she had been on antibiotics for several days and her right nostril was still completely blocked. So I called the doctor for an appointment for her.

Thursday was even worse. I had a fever, splitting headache well you name it and I felt it! I picked Katie from school, this in it self proved very interesting as I was extremely dizzy! Whooo!

As we were driving to the doctor, Katie commented on how lousy a job I was doing driving! Ya think! It was all I could do to keep from passing out! She said " Your not doing to good with your braking there mom, I could probably do better than that!", to which I replied
" You are probably right!".

And yes she wanted to drive but she hasn't driven in any traffic yet, so my answer was a firm yet sickly sounding " No "! Like I really wanted to deal with that while I could barely hold my head up!





So into the doctors office we go. The news is not so good. Katie may have a polyp in her right sinus. So we have to go and see an ENT doctor.
We are familiar with them both here in our town as my husband has had two nasal surgeries on polyps himself. He prefers one doctor over the other but the other is gentler, so we will have to take Katie there.

Hopefully, all she has is a severe sinus infection and won't need the surgery. It is not a pleasant thing to go through, it's really awful.

So we need to pray that it's just an infection, as that surgery has a painful and nasty recovery to go through. And I really don't want her to have to go through that.

As for me, I have an upper respiratory/sinus infection. Got my self some antibiotics so I'm good to go. Well not quite but I will be soon I hope.
I am sooo behind on housework, church work and haven't cleaned my people's house in two weeks!

I did warn them that good help was hard to find these days! They don't care, it's just more work for me next week!




And so today when I woke up, I felt much better. However I am still having difficulty breathing well. This is tempting me to get up and do things but I know all to well what a mistake this would be.

I hate sitting around, even when sick. But this hit me hard and fast,
so I will try to be a good girl and give myself one more day to feel even better.

It will however be a challenge.

Wish me luck, will ya?

" Today is THE Day ! "

Today is a very special day in Blogland.
One of my wonderful friends is celebrating her birthday today.

Well at least I hope that she will be celebrating in some way!
Her name is Eileen.

Her blog is called " Umma's World ".

You will find Eileen's post's very interesting. She can be very funny,
warm, and also serious. I love when she speaks her mind.

I also love the way she takes such good care of her family.
And what a beautiful family she has.

Please pop over and wish her a Very Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday
Eileen !

We Love You !!!!!

A Message from My Daughter

My daughter Ginny emailed this to me today and I think that you will all enjoy it as much as I did.

Thanks, Gin!

This is amazing that someone even thought of this!

Dancing With God

When I meditated on the word Guidance,
I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.
I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,
both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
and attentiveness from one person
and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word Guidance .
When I saw "G": I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i".
"God, "u" and "i" dance."
God, you, and I dance.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust
that I would get guidance about my life.
Once again, I became willing to let God lead.
My prayer for you today is that God's blessings
and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday.
May you abide in God, as God abides in you.
Dance together with God, trusting God to lead
and to guide you through each season of your life.
This prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached
If God has done anything for you in your life,
please share this message with someone else.
There is no cost but a lot of rewards;
so let's continue to pray for one another.

And I Hope You Dance!

"Sick Kid and Stubburn Pug"

I haven't been around much lately and for that I apologize.
You see my daughter, Katie has been very sick. It seems to be a flu but we also now think that she may have a sinus infection.

She has been on medication and has gotten a little better but still feels pretty bad especially her sinuses. I have been very busy filling and refilling vaporizers, filling and refilling tea cups, filling and refilling a Neti pot to cleanse her sinuses with.

I have bought four boxes of Puffs plus tissue, three bags of Halls throat drops and of coarse, ice cream. Potato soup was her soup of choice so I made that too.

During this time we received four inches of snow and frigid temperatures. Since Katie has been so sick, the sole responsibility of taking care of the house and animals has fallen on me.
Four cats and two dogs. Two dogs which require leash walking,
four to five times per day.

Both dogs are small. One is a mixed breed named Roxy. She is a very well behaved dog. I put her sweater on her the morning of the snowfall and out she went, happily prancing through the new fallen snow, wanting nothing more than to run and enjoy! And potty of coarse!



Now here comes the stubborn pug part. We have had Ruby ( the stubborn pug ) almost four years now. She has been out in the snow before. Grated she most definitely does not care for it but truthfully, I wouldn't want to go out there either.

Well this year she decided to dig her heels (paws) in. I have taken her out umpteen times but with no success. I have tried carrying her to her spot, I have tried threatening her with no treat, I have tried dragging her to her spot all to no avail.

This picture is when we first walked out of the door. She sort of has a look of disbelief on her face!




The next photo WASN'T taken after our walk. It was taken immediately
after we walked outside. I think this is the part that she is telling me
"No way in hell am I doing this!".




Ultimately, Ruby never did end up going potty outside. Not until
daddy came home! Oh yes did I mention that when daddy's home she wants little to do with me anymore?

Did I mention that she likes to show off for her daddy and she ended up going potty outside for him? I get no appreciation. Me, the one who bathes her, feeds her, gives her flea and heartworm medication.

No appreciation.

As for Katie, she IS going to school today. They had canceled school Friday due to the extreme temperatures. So they were not able to take the test to get their drivers permit. I am so sad for her. But not for me!

She is still feeling sick but will not miss the opportunity of getting her drivers permit.

Oh and what was it that she said to her daddy when he bought her an Itunes gift card because she was sick? Oh that's right, she said " Thank you daddy!". And what was it that she said to her mother who ran her butt off for four days taking care of her every need and got stuck in the driveway going out to buy more medicine?

Nothing.

I think that I will go to my favorite thrift store today. Just for fun. And I think that daddy will be going with!

" Rebel , Rebel "

I don't know what else I would call it. I haven't worked out in a week and I have eaten whatever I please. Like Mac and Cheese !

Oh so healthy indeed! The fact of the matter is right now at this very moment,
I don't care. And no it's not because my mom just passed away. I am not feeling
sorry for myself nor do I have any other condition that involves my doctor suggesting an
anti-depressant.

Nope, none of the above. The truth is that I just don't feel like making an effort.
Here it is January, when everyone else feels like starting anew.
I am just cold. And my bones hurt. I don't feel like moving.



No excuses. Just don't feel it. I am a big winter blob right now. And I have no desire
what so ever to do anything about it!

Rebel, rebel.

Not to worry, it will all change soon. My jeans are getting tighter. And I will start to feel miserable about it. Then I will once again get up and move around.

Perhaps I will even eat a green bean or two. Maybe a yogurt instead of the caramel
praline ice cream which sits quietly, waiting for me in the freezer.





Come spring time I will most likely have the urge to lose a few pounds.
But until then,
I am just trying to keep warm. The way nature intended.



" Rory's Way "

Chapter One

Aurora was breathing very fast now as she peddled her powder blue cruiser down the last stretch of "Hawkins Road" before the turn off to her cul-de-sac. She knew the exact house that she had to start slowing down by in order to start lowering her heart rate to a safe level before she reached home. It was a cute little house. An odd shade of pink she always thought, although the flowers in it's front yard were superb. Rory always thought it quite amazing. Having a green thumb was one of the things she had yet to discover. She had no idea if she even had one or if there even was such a thing.

There were so many things Rory still didn't know about herself. Yet the things she did know, she was proud of. She had gone through so much in her short 28 years, that there were times she had trouble believing she was even in this place.

She could feel her heart rate reaching it normal level as she took the curve onto "Knight's Cul-De-Sac". Her home, the only house on the cul-de-sac, was clearly in her sight now. Aurora Knight was almost there.
And her 18 year old powder blue cruiser had once again, brought her home.

As she cruised around the curved, stone drive that led around the front of the house to the garage, she once again stared up in awe at this house that was her home. The town's people called it a mansion. That would probably be a better word for Rory's home although to her it was just her home.

It was a far, far cry from where and how she herself grew up. She couldn't remember anything about her parents except for a scent. A scent that from time to time she would come across when in a crowd.

When she was 15 she rode her cruiser 10 miles to the city where there was a big enough department store to carry several different colognes and perfumes. She tried every single bottle trying to find the sent that haunted her memory. 18 bottles later she discovered that the name of the cologne was "4711". She thought it odd that it was a number and not a name. But then, thinking back, her entire life thus far had been odd.

All that her aunt Mae and uncle Roy would ever tell her about her parents, besides the accident, was that they would have wanted Rory to stay with them. And so that was it. That was the only family that she had ever known. Until later.

" Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day "

I am so excited!
I have declared my first national holiday.

January 2nd, 2010

" Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day "

I know how excited you are. What better time to clean out your fridge
than the beginning of the new year ?

The following are some tips to help you along.

1. First you must find some good music to listen to or the job can seem endless.

2. Depending on the time of day you choose to do this, you must have a drink on hand to wash down some of the food that you will be most likely munching on. Whether it be water, coffee, soda or a cocktail.
(I have found that a nice glass of Merlot makes the job less painful.)

3. Fill your sink or bucket with some warm soapy water.

4. You will need a nice soft and absorbent rag and a dry towel or two.

5. You can start with the freezer or the fridge first. Toss a coin if you can't decide. (I have found that sometimes my freezer doesn't need to be cleaned as often.)

6. I like to start from the top shelf and work my way down.

7. Take everything off of the top shelf, wiping off each item as you go. Discard any items that are out of date.
* Please people , remember, leftovers are a perishable item. Nobody is going to possibly eat it after it's sat there for more than three days.
So throw it out!

8. Wipe down the shelves, sides and back of the fridge with the warm soft rag and then dry.

9. Replace the food items .

10. Don't forget the condiments in the refrigerator door! I know that many of you would like to cheat and skip this part but don't. You will be surprised with the amount of what have you's are there that no one is eating any more! It is also one of the dirtiest places of the fridge, so DO NOT skip the door!!

11. Wipe down all of the seals on the fridge. Yes they get nasty.
Don't skip this step.

12. Stand back and admire your nice clean refrigerator!


13. Optional: You may at this time choose to go grocery shopping to refill your newly cleaned fridge. Just remember, if you've had a cocktail,
skip this step!

14. Don't forget to put a fresh box of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda
in the back of your clean refrigerator!

NOTE:

I will be doing this late this afternoon as my daughter will be spending the night at a friends house.

You can choose whatever time of day that you wish to accomplish this task.

You will feel so much better starting the new year with your clean refrigerator!

"HAPPY CLEAN OUT YOUR REFRIGERATOR DAY"!

" What's All The Hullabaloo ? "

Well here it is January 1st 2010. And I just don't understand all of the hullabaloo.
I never have. O.K. I get the fact that it's a new year and people run around promising
themselves and others that this year will be better.

They will loose weight, quit smoking, be nicer to their loved one's etc.
What I don't understand is why we need an excuse like a date on the calender to improve ourselves.

The way I look at it is that if you need a specific date to force yourself to do something that you really don't want to do in the first place, why not pick your own birth date?

Otherwise if you really want to loose weight or quit smoking or whatever it may be,
just do it. I really think that celebrating " New Years Eve " is just an excuse to party.
Do we really need an excuse?

I know that in my house, all I have to do is pick up the phone to call my son and say
" I'm cooking dinner ". This would be such a shocking statement from me that my entire family would be here in a flash with forks in hand. There you go,
instant party.

Perhaps we celebrate " New Years Day " because January is such a boring month.
There are no holidays in which the entire nation has the day off of work.
What am I talking about. There aren't ANY holidays anymore in which the entire nation gets the day off of work. But that is another post entirely.

January, for most of us, is long, cold and boring. Unless there is a beautiful snowfall
that grants us a snow day, January is a long, cold and boring month.
So I say that we declare some new holidays in the midst of January.

Here's an example of a good one. " Look, the Sun is Out Day!".
You could quickly call family and friends to have over for a January barbecue. My husband and I have actually done this. Yes while living in Chicago in two feet of snow, my husband the die hard barbecuer was out there in the freezing temps, grilling away so that we might have a taste of summer.

Or how about January 15th? We could call it "January is Dragging On and On Day"
On this day everyone would be able to take off of work at noon and prepare for
an appetizer and Martini evening for friends and co-workers. Oh and did I mention that your boss would pay for it?

How about the kids? Oh never mind about them. They have day's off of school at the drop of a hat. You do realize that all of those teacher in-service days are actually
pizza and keg parties? You didn't really think that they were having meetings about
our children did you? Those teachers know how to make their own holiday so why can't we?

I have always felt this way about " New Years Eve " . I have only stayed up until
midnight five times in my fifty plus years. And it was no big deal. Just another year older. But what the heck, I suppose it's a good excuse as any for a party!