Happy Birthday Sis

My sister is celebrating her birthday today. I wish she could spend the day doing everything fun and nice for herself to pamper her body and relax the mind. Wouldn’t that be anice way to start the next year of your life?

But she doesn’t have that luxury, what with the economic times we are all in plus the fact that her hubby was hurt in a car wreck and can’t work until he recovers. So it was off to work she goes, and her dinner plans include Chinese take out that she picks up on her way home from work. So at least she doesn’t have to cook.

Sis – I love you and hope you manage to have a happy day on your birthday!

Holiday Getaways

This is the first year that we didn’t manage to get a way for a week or at least a long weekend before school started. Between all the non-stop drama that seems to be never ending around here and the lack of any extra money in the budget we have pretty much stuck here in town and at the house.

But there is hope that we might be able to squeeze out enough money and time to do a winter getaway. There is always a first time for everything they say. I have been check out some of the groupon getaways that I was told about and I feel myself getting excited about actually being away for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. At first I found myself getting all sentimental about not being with all our other friends and family members during these crazy and hectic holidays, but after giving it more thought I really think that it would be a good thing to try for once.

It is always such a pain trying to prepare for the usual holiday festivities that take so much time, energy, money and emotion. Trying to please everyone, even knowing darn well that is impossible, but I seem to keep on trying year after year after year. And to be honest I really get tired of eating so much turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy at each and every family members house that we are compelled to visit each Thanksgiving and then a month later do it all over again for Christmas.

I’ll get you posted on what I come up with and when.

Choreographed Wedding Dance Lessons

I’m so glad that Sharon is being pro active in organizing the wedding dance lessons santa monica as she was advised to do. It can take up to six months to get all the people and the dance all choreographed, even more if the people involved lived farther out than some of the others. I’m lucky that it is only a short trip for me to get to the dance studio. I usually get there early so that I can stretch out and limber up. If I didn’t I don’t think I would be able to be much good on the dance floor. The older I get the harder it is to stay in shape. Dancing is a wonderful way to exercise. I miss going out and dancing on the weekends like we did back in the day.

Hubby isn’t half bad on the dance floor, as long as he has a couple of beers under his belt. Before the kids came along we went out dancing at least 2 or 3 times a month. So being invited to participate in this choreographed wedding dance is right up my alley. I can only hope I do it justice!

Our Local Dance Doctor
John The Dance Doctor

Not Just Pimples

With two teenagers in the house, we have had our share of drama when the dreaded pimples appear. It always seems to be at the critical times, like right before a school dance or an important first date with that oh so cool guy.

I admit, Acne is not a life or death situation, but to a teenager, a breakout of acne can ruin their social life and after all, that’s what the teen years are all about.

pimples
Drama, Drama, Drama

New Sewing Experience

I had expressed an interest in sewing to my husband and had told him I wanted to get a sewing machine so I could learn some techniques in creating some beautiful home piece’s such as pillows, blankets, throws, curtains or even clothes I became a pro at it. So my wonderful hubby had brought home a sewing machine from Walmart and man I was so excited to get the actual opportunity to sew. I got straight into the car and went fabric shopping so I could come home and experiment with them, and I had found that it wasn’t as easy as I had thought it would be and being the perfectionist I seem to be I wanted all my work to be precise.

I went to an Arts & Crafts store nearby to purchase a book called “Sewing for Dummies.” Of course the first piece I tried to work on was the easiest, a simple bed pillow and it came out surprisingly nice. I kept on with sewing the simplest things until I felt I was ready for something a little more challenging. I had found a page where it teaches you how to make something called a quillow, it seemed to be trickier then anything I did before, but I gave it a shot. It took me quit a few times to put one together decently. I do believe I have found my new hobby that I enjoy so very much, and I’m hoping that if I become good enough with it, then I could start selling them for extra cash or even give them away for birthdays and Christmas’s to other family members. I am so excited to learn so many more new things and get to gain knowledge on this sewing machine.

AKG K2440 Headphones

This year when my birthday rolls around I have an idea of what say to the people that ask me what I want as a birthday gift. Most years I tell them that I don’t really want or need anything and I usually get some type of bubble bath, body lotion, perfumed soaps and other personal care products that look pretty sitting on the shelves, unfortunately that is where they stay, gathering dust from just sitting around not being used.

This year I would like them to buy AKG K240 that I have been eyeballing for months. It’s a great deal at $99.95, with no shipping and handling charges to deal with. It is a bit more than the usual birthday gifts have been running, but it is something that I really want and would really enjoy and appreciate, now if only I can get others to get on board and agree with me.

studio headphones
AKG K240 Studio Headphones

Well Meaning Gifts

It makes me very happy to have received a hand written thank-you card from my nephew in the mail box yesterday. He is very happy with the Genz Benz acoustic amp that we managed to get him for Christmas way back in December of last year. Better late than never I suppose. I have to admit that I do pretty well in picking out gifts that will mean something to the people who receive them. I can honestly say that I have never given anyone any bath soaps and lotions, nor any food of any type or a gift card, although I know gift cards are a great idea for gifts.

One Heck Of A Great Little Amp

The Fourth of July celebration with the family went really well. The weather was a bit on the hot side, but at least it didn’t rain. The past couple of years it has rained so that the city firework display had to be cancelled which is always a big let down for the kids, both big and small.

Several family members brought their musical instruments which made for a really good time. It’s a good thing that the neighbors were all at the party so that they were enjoying the music as well. We have been blessed with the best neighbors ever since we have lived here. Having a grumpy neighbor can really make life miserable. Our neighbors Joan and John both play music as well. The great little amp that they just purchased last month came in handy and worked really well for such a small sized amp. Sometimes good things really do come in small packages.

We can only hope that next year will be as much as a success as this year. Guess time will tell.

tiny but mighty
Markbass Micromark 801 50W 1×8 Bass Combo Amp

A Starting Harmonica?

I really didn’t know that there was even a “starting harmonica” on the market! But then I certainly know everything when it comes to today’s musical instruments. It’s just weird that coming from a very musical family that is still multiplying that I wouldn’t have at least heard about it or read about it online somewhere!

Be that as it may, I managed to find a great last minute deal with a starting harmonica so that I would have it in time to take over to my sister’s house for the “Family 4th of July Holiday Dinner”. This is the first year that my sister has hosted such a large friend and family gathering (we are expecting about 26 people) so I have been trying to help her with some of her personal 4th of July gift shopping errands. It’s been a blessing that we live so close together and are on good terms at the moment.

Reddi Whip

When I was a little girl my mother would buy cans of Reddi Whip whipped cream. We would have a dessert after almost every dinner because my dad loved dessert. We always saved room for dessert! We used Reddi Whip on a lot of the desserts.

Sometimes dessert was as simple as a little cup of Breyer’s ice cream. Mom would squirt some Reddi Whip on top and put a maraschino cherry or little sugar sprinkles on it. At least once a week we would have some kind of pie and once a week we would have some kind of cake. In between those we might have Jello with Reddi Whip squirted on top.

My favorite pie is pumkpin pie withsome Reddi Whip on it. How about yours?