My Crock Pot Is My Best Friend

I don’t know what I would do with out my slow cooking Crock Pot, now that I know so many ways to use it, I find myself pulling it out from under the counter more and more as time goes by. Today is a perfect day to put it to use, they way it spills the aroma all through out the house in wonderful and keeps everyone from wondering too far from the house come dinner time, puts a smile on my face.

Today I am cooking four nice pork chops (boneless & lean) along with 2 cans of candid yams and a couple sliced apples with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a bit of brown sugar. I’m browning the pork chops right now in the oven before putting them in the crock pot, I like that texture much better and I’m always concerned that I’m going to serve some one an under cooked piece of chicken or pork, so I tend to over cook them both, but the family still enjoys them all, along with me.

I hate laundry

One of things that I really wanted in a house, when we were house hunting nine years ago and found the house that we are now in, I didn’t get and it makes my life so hard that it drives me crazy.  I mean I got the fireplace, the two car garage, red brick, basement, decent yard, and all of that good stuff, but I didn’t get a laundry shoot.  The house that I grew up in had one and I never appreciated it for what it was really worth.

The washer and dryer are both down in the basement and that really sucks also.  I hate walking up and down the steps all the time with my hands always so full of dirty laundry, detergents, softners and everything else that I end up having to carry down there.  Oh yeah, and the deep freezer is down there also, I hate it, not the freezer – I love that, I just hate the awful stairs that I must use to get to it all the time.

We have an upstairs also, when we first moved in, Hubby and I claimed the bedroom and bathroom up on the 2nd level, but after two years of running up and down those blasted stairs about killed me.  The oldest daughter now has run of the upper level and I try not to have to go up, I guess I end up going up there about once a week or so and that is it.

Pet Blogs

If I didn’t have to work full-time as well as having to take care of the house and the family I would consider starting a pet blog. I have seen many pet blogs that are so cool and interesting to read. Considering all the critters that we have here at the house there would be a lot of things to write about it. We have always had pets around here. I can’t image life without our best friends to share it with us.

we are animal lovers here
All Of Our Critters

Rainbows

Something that I remind myself, without the rain there can be no rainbows. I saw a double rainbow this afternoon on my way home. It looked like it might end near my house. Wouldn’t that be nice to come home to?

two for the price of one
Double Rainbow

Buddy May Be Moving, Again

Our long time buddy, who is currently living in Southern California, ended up recently with a DUI, which I spoke of in a previous posting, and is now considering leaving the wild and crazy California way of life.

The phone rang late the other evening, it seems our buddy still does not comprehend the time differences in the time zones, we never know when we will get a call from him, this call he was extremely excited and wanted to share his latest news with us.  After his court dates are all tended to he wants to relocate again, this time he is thinking of somewhere on the East coast for a change, and possibly someplace kinda close to us.

How exciting, this is a man who has known Hubby and I for a very long time (since before the kids came along) and has always brightened up our lives with his charm and good humor.  It has been years since we have laid eyes on him and our youngest has never had the pleasure of meeting him, yet, but it seems now that there may be a chance.

My sister and her family have just recently moved and I remember she was always telling me of a web site that she used and had found extremely helpful in making a variety of decisions during that really stressful time, so I referred our buddy to it in hopes that he will find it as useful to him as well.  I mean you gotta love a site that basically lets you key in a few basic facts and then Bam there it is, all the necessary information that you will need in order to assist you with such a large financial transaction such like this.

I really would like to see him in a house rather than an apartment, maybe a townhouse would be order, yard work isn’t something that is on the top of his list of priorities, but he is always so cramped in an apartment.

This time, this move will definitely require the services of a long distance moving company, a relocation professional, the days are gone of just packing up the car with your junk and cruising on down the highway.  This company even offers assistance in getting your car to you with Auto transport companies and car shipper companies that have state of the art carriers that ship your vehicle, safely and quickly.

I like the way this site offers numerous guides on important issues that provide you with all the necessary information to help get you through the tasks of the relocation process.

My Poor Old Couch

One of my concerns with all of the critters that have been brought into our home, is keeping the furniture, the carpet and actually the whole darned house clean. Considering that I am the only one that does any of the house cleaning around here this whole burden is mine to deal with.

My poor old couch, I have had to have it cleaned so many types and I’ve taken the sofa cushions and given them a nice spraying of Fabreze and a few hours of hanging up outside in the fresh air, when possible. I am thinking that it won’t be much longer before we need to seriously consider purchasing a new sofa for the living room. Maybe something to think about when tax time comes around next April.

thank god for febreze
Febreze To The Rescue

Basement Discovery

I was in the basement earlier today, attempting to dig out some of the Christmas boxes, when I noticed an unfamiliar box on the shelf. I could not believe my eyes when I opened the box and found a Christmas present that we had bought our youngest for last Christmas, it appears that we neglected to wrap it and put it under the tree last year.

Well it’s one more gift that I don’t have to worry about affording and purchasing in the next week or two, and it will most definitely find it’s way under the tree in time for this year’s gift giving frenzy!

What’s Up With A Console Cable?

Hubby tells me that we need to order a console cable but he seems to enjoy keeping in the dark as to why we need it (could he be up to something, hmm, something to think about)

He asked me to go online, he gave me the website diablocable dot com to go to and has asked me to just order him one up. This is not an unusual request seeing as I am the only one with a charge/debit card which is needed to make purchases online, and he has no patience when it comes to ordering items on line, but he always lets me know the who, what and where of it all when I do it for him.

Only thing that I can come up with is maybe he is working up something special for my birthday, that is coming up very soon, next month if I remember correctly. I guess time will tell and for now I’ll play his little game.

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.

Termite Control

A cousin of mine is living down south in Alabama with her new boyfriend and was telling me about a problem they had when she first moved down there with serious damage from termites at the house he’d inherited from some aunt. She said that they had to get some exterminating company to look it over and he said they needed formosan termite treatment. It didn’t take long or cost them an arm and a leg, which can be a concern. She says they are now termite free and very happy!