Speaks for itself

Count Your Blessings Wednesday

1. I am grateful that in 10 days I will get my life back and I will stop working 15 hour days.
2. I am grateful that in 10 days I will get my life back and I will stop being so busy I will get to see my husband.
3. I am grateful that in 10 days I will get my life back and I will stop rushing around and will remember that my leg is not out of the car before I slam the door - it hurts, let me tell you...
4. I am grateful that in 10 days I will get my life back and I will stop rushing around and will remember that it is necessary to take the keys out of my ignition when leaving the car.
5. I am grateful that in 1o days I will get my life back and I will not have a pile of laundry either to do or put away non stop.
6. I am grateful that in 10 days I will get my life back and I will have a lunch break again.
7. I am grateful that in 10 days I will get my life back and I can actually have a weekend that does not include my job.
8. I am grateful that in 10 days I will get my life back and I can enjoy my garden.
9. I am grateful that in 10 days I will get my life back and hopefully my husband will remember who I am.
10. I am grateful that in 10 days I will get my life back.

Flowers make me happy

Yesterday Jared and I took all our tag sale earnings and bought flowers. Jared + me + cash + garden center = bad combination. When we left there we couldn't squeeze a seed in the back of our SUV. It was pretty humorous driving three carts to the car and after we got them all in, I had to take a picture.

They all fit!
No back seat drivers, now, ya hear?

When we got home I planted all our flowers in our pots. Last year we did them from seed and that was rewarding because you got to see them start from scratch. But this year we decided to get them already grown so we could enjoy them longer. We were not disappointed! I still keep going outside to look at them. They are all just lovely!

This hanging basket is our only one in the shade so we got a white impatient that resembles the rose bud.
Last year we did petunias for our hanging baskets and I just loved them. This year we went for the mini version of them. This is the first time we got four different colors as opposed to four of the same and I'm still unsure if I'm happy. But I like the flowers for sure.

This basket is one of my favorites. The garden center woman recommended this combination of flowers. I planted the bright green leaves in the front so they will trail down. The flowers in the back are orange, yellow, and red in case you can't tell. They are gorgeous!

Our four pots by the pool we also planted individual pieces into it. We wanted really full pots so it will take these guys a few weeks to get there. But we are happy with the overall look so far. The white flowers are just amazing. They smell like vanilla and I couldn't take my nose away from them.

These two are my favorite. We bought these already mixed like this and just put them in our pots. They are gorgeous and I keep going to my dining room door to look at them and marvel at them. The bright colors are just what our side deck needed.

Here is a close up.
Our front door, we got some shade potted plants. Not as colorful as I would have like but we are limited due to the lack of sun. Jared loved these ones though.

Check out this flower and how pretty. I can't remember the name of it though...

I'm totally in love with our flowers.

Will you take a quarter for this?

When Jared and I moved into our new home almost three years ago, we brought boxes upon boxes of stuff. In fact we filled up an entire large Budget truck with stuff in boxes that we never really used. That stuff went into our basement until further notice. A few months ago, we decided to finally go through the boxes from our youth and determine what would stay and what would go. In all honesty, we had so many things that just wouldn't fit in our decor. Especially since I just learned yesterday from my family that I did indeed have some weird stuff.

So maybe I did collect some weird things like sand art, mini snow globes, big snow globes, and mobiles. I had a ton of stuffed animals, an inflatable pillow filled with feathers, and knicknacks galore. I won't even get into my Little Mermaid collection...None of these things could be showcased in our nice modern house and it didn't make sense to just store them in a box for the rest of my life. I love to hold on to things though. They hold a sentimental value and getting rid of things was so hard!

But we did a good job and had a big pile for selling and a smaller pile for keeping. Jared and I ended up with a ton of stuff that would soon go into our big family tag sale that took place yesterday. A friend of ours also had a huge truck load that she gave to us. We made our way to my parents house for the family tag sale with so much stuff to sell it was ridiculous. We spent the early hours yesterday pricing things and organizing. My parents live on a busy road so there is no reason to advertise. As soon as cars saw tables being taken out, they were stopping to see what we had. Tag sales as a whole make me extremely uncomfortable for me. And here is why:

1. People can see you are still setting up yet they stop to see what is for sale anyways. They snoop around go in and out of boxes even if you are working at taking things out of the box. They walk right into the garage and don't even care if things are not for sale in there but snoop around anyways as if they own the joint. Being a non confrontational person, I just sit there and watch in disgust feeling totally uncomfortable.
2. You label things with prices - cheap prices mind you - this stuff is used. There is something for fifty cents and someone comes up to you and says, would you take a quarter? You are just dumbstruck at the haggling over a quarter. Again, I'm too uncomfortable to fight over a quarter and just say okay.
3. You label something as $1. Someone says, I'll give you fifty cents. Again, I'm too uncomfortable - being the wuss that I am. Then they give me a freaking dollar and I have to give them fifty cents back when it was a dollar to begin with.
4. My aunt was having none of the haggling. A woman came up to her with a brand new shirt she wanted too buy. She asks how much and my aunt says two dollars. The woman looks in disgust and says no, I pay one dollar. My aunt shakes her head and repeats, two dollars. The woman drops the shirt at my aunt and walks away. My aunt immediately starts bitching at how rude this woman is, Jared and the others chime in as the women is still in hearing distance. I start shushing them but they don't care. This makes me very uncomfortable.
5. My cousin is looking at something we brought to sell and wanted to buy it from us. Jared yells across the yard, while we have a bunch of customers browsing, oh you can just have it for free. Good job, Jared - tell people we're giving things for free.
6. This woman walks from down the street with an entourage of children and young adults. If Hitler had been a woman, she would have been him. I had never heard a woman so ridiculously rude to children before. They all browsed through our things and the woman was so loud and so condescending to the kids. My aunt was ready to go smack her or say something but it really was not our place. We all just sat there very uncomfortable wondering how those poor children would turn out in life. Some of the people that turn out at tag sales are not the best breed. But some are really nice I have to say.

Tag sales in general are just weird. You go through your things and decide you don't like it or want it anymore. But like that stupid saying says, someones trash is another man's treasure. I have to say, it is so true. My dad kept saying to us, no one is going to buy that. But then someone came and bought it. I had an old jewelry box that had a sticker with my name on it. Dad says, no one is going to buy that. Five minutes later a little girl gave me three dollars for it.

I have to say, I've never been a 'tag saler'; one who spends a Saturday going from yard to yard looking for the treasures. However Jared loves a good tag sale. In our town they have a big elephant sale once a year and a few other big town sales and he marks them on our calendar. Jared is the kind of person who will have to buy something just because it is three dollars, even if we don't need it or already have one. It is really infuriating. And when we go to these sales, we have a dedicated time limit and money limit otherwise I can't get him to leave and we can't fit it all in our car and we're broke...

Yesterday we made a good bundle of cash and we're going to buy flowers for our pots today so that is exciting. It was a lot of hard work carting all that stuff to sell and then getting rid of things that did not sell at Good Will. I like to think that we killed three birds with one stone yesterday: we cleared out our past from the basement in a good way, we earned some cash from some hard work, and we donated some things to the Good Will for other people. I'm pretty sure I don't ever want to have a tag sale again for a long time...haggling over a quarter...so annoying...

Count Your Blessings Wednesday

Grateful, word. Thankful, word. Give thanks, word.

1. For my mailman who brings me so many wonderful things in the post every day. Except I'm not thankful when he brings me bills...
2. The people at Fiore's (our favorite Italian restaurant) who know what we like and are so kind to us every time we go there.
3. The women at the lab who always welcome me with open arms - even if though they are going to stick me with a needle.
4. My zumba classmates who always smile and give me motivation to work extra hard.
5. My townspeople who always give a friendly wave when they drive by me on my daily walks.
6. The woman at Rite Aid who always tells me to have a good day and compliments me on my purchases. Yes, these are great band aids!
7. Perfect strangers who compliment me.
8. Perfect strangers who say hello.
9. My hair stylist who always rescues my hair and brings it back from the dead - when I see her once a year (I'm so not a real girl...).
10. The man who works in the produce department of Stop and Shop and is always so patient and kind when I ask where these most random vegetables and things are that Jared needs for his exotic recipes.

Questionnaire of a Book Nerd

So I'm bringing out the book nerd in me after seeing this on Sumit's blog - thanks for letting me steal your questionnaire!

I do call myself a book nerd only because I really am. I read anything and everything. I have 5-6 books going at the same time. I carry a book in my purse, a few at my bedside, there is one in my office, and if you get in my car, there is a 99% chance I have an audio book on CD I'm listening too as well. I usually go through 2-3 books a week and that is a good week. The reason I have for reading is because I love being taken out of my real life. I have a never ending brain - it does not sleep. I will think 24/7 if I allow myself too. I've tried meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, you name it; but nothing works but reading. If I'm reading my to do lists in my head, the worrying, or just random thoughts are kept at bay and that is the best feeling in the world for me. I am able to relax, jump into another world, someone elses life, and be free of my own thoughts. Not only that but I get to enjoy other author's beautiful words. There is nothing nicer than reading the sweet description of a beautiful day or a fearsome car chase.

So without further ado...

What author do you own the most books by? I'm embarrassed but this would be Danielle Steel. BUT I have a good reason... When I was a teen, my aunt gave me the book Kaleidoscope. It was an amazing book about three sisters and I loved it. I started reading all of her books and it became my mission to read every single one. The earlier Danielle Steel books are amazing. The ones about World War II, the European refugees, etc. Steel was so good at making a great story. I collected the books and read every single on of her 70 or so novels. However nowadays her books have not been so good; actually I'm sorry to say they are painful. Needless to say I do not collect them anymore but I do have to read them - just so I know I have read every book ever written by here - horrible or not.

What fictional character are you secretly in love with? Oh this would definitely be Mr. Darcy for sure. Who wouldn't love a rich man who puts others before himself and prevails despite all! Bring it on, Mr. D!

What book have you read the most times in your life? That would be, Are You There God, It's Me Margaret.

What was your favorite book when you were ten years old? again, that would be Are You There God, It's Me Margaret.

What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year? Oh, that's easy! I love Sandra Brown murder mysteries but unbeknown to myself she does steamy, love stories too. Can I just tell you how much I HATE steamy, sexy romance books? They skeeve me out totally. Danielle Steel's books are not like this - just so you know. But I picked up a Sandra Brown book thinking it was a murder mystery, not so much. It was called Temperatures Rising, so I should have known right there. But I got started and just had to finish. I spent the whole book rolling my eyes, waiting for the sexual tension to end and for the sex to just happen already...gag me...

What is the best book you’ve read in the past year? That is impossible because I have probably had the best books read year ever, so they will include: A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Pillars of the Earth, Emma, and Pride and Prejudice.

What book would you most like to see made into a movie? Pillars for sure - but I know they would murder it. I heard they are doing a mini series so hopefully that will be good!

What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read? East of Eden. That was a tough one but I got through it.

Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer? Chaucer for sure.

Austen or Eliot? Austen of course.

What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading? It's probably most embarrassing that I don't have one!

What is your favorite novel? I refuse to answer this question! Too many! But then again, I'm a horrible critic and everything I think is the best ever! No but really, here is a short list of favorites:

The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett

A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini

Any Jane Austen book

A Bend in the Road - Nicholas Sparks

Can You Keep a Secret? - Sophie Kinsella

Into Thin Air - John Krakaur

Work of non-fiction? Into Thin Air and David Sedaris' books

Who is your favorite writer? Again, too many! I love the chick lit authors like Sophie Kinsella, Marian Keyes, Jane Green, Nora Roberts, Meg Cabot - their books are so fun. I also love Nicholas Sparks, James Patterson, Sandra Brown, Janet Evanovich, Dan Brown, John Grisham and I could go on for days...

Happy Monday

I had a really nice weekend. Yesterday Jared cooked an amazing dinner for the family: roast lamb on the grill, scallop potatoes, veggies, creme brulee. It was so yummy! I love having my family over but it is so exhausting! First you have to clean the house, then entertaining itself is tiring, then all the cleaning up, dishes, re cleaning the house. We wanted to take a walk after they left but ended up both just crashing on the couch. Needless to say it's Monday and I feel like I've been hit by a train.

Other exciting news, our pool was opened on Friday. Yay! It's the official start to summer when the cover comes off. It is also the first summer Sooty is outside. So I was panicking he was going to run outside and right into the pool. But of course cats do have brains and he realized there was no cover and there was water there now. It hasn't stopped me from looking in the pool every day since to make sure there was no cat floating in the pool (I know, morbid, right). I am more worried about the cats outside, it's kind of sick. Jared says if I am this way when we have kids we are in big trouble. What can I say, if you knew my mother, you would understand...

The only other thing I have to add to this random blog post is that I'm leaving in less than 2 weeks for Las Vegas. AHHHHH!!!

Anyone, Anyone?

I have a few questions that I would like to know the answers to but I don't have time for Yahoo Answers right now - which by the way, I LOVE. If you know, please let me in on the answer otherwise I'll just ask my dad because in case you didn't know, he does know everything...

1. Why do my shoes squeak? No matter what pair I'm wearing, I squeak when I walk. So why?
2. How come I never, ever got bit by bugs in my WHOLE life until this year? (and honestly I don't know how to handle it - which brings my next question).
3. How do you NOT scratch bug bites? ( yes I have tried that anti itch cream and it does not work because right after I put it on, I forget and then itch again right away all the cream off..)
4. On the same topic, how come I am the only one in the house who gets ticks on them? (seriously, Jared never gets ticks, I always do...so unfair...) - please note, I do shower and clean myself so all this bug talk is not because I am smelly :)
5. Why did some ass at work steal my good idea as his own?
6. Why does work totally suck right now!!!????
7. Who expects a 5'0'' girl to carry a load of items bigger than her down a hall way?
8. Why are there only 24 hours in a day when right now, I need 57?
9. How come I can't be cloned?

Pride and Prejudice

I have finished my second Jane Austen novel so I'm getting there on this special list of mine. After being totally smitten with the book Emma and even further smitten with it after seeing the movie with Gwyneth Paltrow who played an awesome Emma, I was so excited to start another Jane novel.

I got the paperback Persuasion and I'm still slowly working on that - have not had too much time to delve into that but I promise to work on it. But I got the audio CD of Pride and Prejudice. Now I must admit I have picked up the book and audio CD before but never finished either one (I'm so ashamed!). But I told myself no matter how hard the language is to stay focused on, I will get through it. I like listening to these books better than reading because I love the different accents the reader uses. However it's also more difficult to pay attention. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that Jane Austen books are the easiest reads because they are not, but they are well worth the time and effort.

Pride and Prejudice was so worth the effort. I immediately fell in love with Elizabeth Bennett. She was so head strong and spoke her mind even if it was not the way of women to do so. She found Mr. Darcy not very amiable and she pretty much told him that! The love story in the book though is a very sad one. Gossip, rumors, and the pride of Mr. Darcy - who by the way I'm totally in love with right now - sorry Jared - made this whole book a circus for Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. If people had been honest from the start and Mr. Darcy not so shy with strangers, I think their love would have blossomed from the very beginning. In the end though, Mrs. Bennett, whom really only wanted to get her daughters married off, was happy to get three of them out of the house.

I must admit I was very sad to say goodbye to Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy this morning. I felt like I was part of the story just by listening.

I thought I loved Emma and I really did/do. Emma's character reminded me a bit like Elizabeth. Both women were not just going to accept any old man who proposed to them, they did not just go with the flow and tried to make their own destiny. Most women in both books seemed very submissive but these two were not like that and I admired them for it. So therefore I must say I like Emma and Pride and Prejudice equally. They are both two of the best books I have ever read and I am so grateful to Ms. Austen to breaking the barrier with her characters and her writing style.

I'm so much looking forward to watching the movie of Pride and Prejudice now (I have purposely never watched a Jane Austen book turned movie because I have always wanted to read the book first). I'm also looking forward to finishing Persuasion and picking up Sense and Sensibility which is next on my list. Then I only will have on left! I better cherish them.

If you have not picked up a Jane Austen novel yet, please do so. You won't be disappointed!

Fried Dough, Popcorn, Hot Dogs, Oh my!

How is this for the ultimate torture:

I got up this morning around 6:00 a.m. (admittedly I snoozed that button a few times). Dragged myself to work early and started around 8:00 a.m. I worked straight through lunch (eating a vending machine lunch - yum..) and left the office around 6:00 p.m. I got home and went straight into the garden for an hour, then grabbed my kicks to head to the track to get in a quick jog before dinner. There I am starving but trying to get my fat ass around the track because of the nasty, unhealthy, processed lunch I had earlier and what do my wandering eyes see? The high school has a night baseball game going on. You may think, so what? No big deal. But it was a big freaking deal. The moment I opened up my car door, the wafting smells of fried dough, sugar, grease, and junk food from the concession stand that were adjacent to the track almost made me get back in my car and head for the nearest DQ (Dairy Queen to you non New Englanders - actually do they have DQ's everywhere? Shows how ignorant I am of fast food chains...).

So anyways, let me tell you how much effort it took to round that track despite the smells and the people stuffing their faces as far as the eye could see. All I gotta say is props to me. Props to me.

Count Your Blessings Wednesday

What am I grateful for today? Hmm, not sure...

1. That my hair is long enough to do pig tail braids and I'm totally wearing them right now at work and that I look about seven...
2. That I made a big effort today to make lunch for Jared and I this morning by taking 2 $5 bills out of his desk draw and telling him I made him lunch while plopping one of them in his hand.
3. That I'm not one of the following working types: on a power trip, a big baby when I don't get my way, title happy (I don't need to be VP people), or a lazy ass.
4. It's almost 2 weeks until my big event and I may just get my life back after it...I'm hopeful...
5. Jared's birthday is coming up and he'll always be older than me.
6. Sunday we're having the family over for dinner and I can't wait to see everyone.
7. For my health - I've been exercising like mad lately and my body has been taking it like a champ. Thanks body!
8. My peonies! They are getting so big! I can't wait to post photos when they bloom.
9. My earrings today that are the ones Lorikins gave me at her wedding. They are so pretty (and match my braids so well!)
10. My mom, dad, jojobean and mike. And of course Jared.

Readers

So on a completely random note, I have 1100 hits on my blog since I added the counter a few months ago - totally cool - or as my mother-in-law hates: awesome (it's that ridiculously annoying American word to her). It makes me happy to know I'm definitely not refreshing my page 1100 times to make it look like I have a lot of hits! So who are you out there that is reading my blog? Come on, now? Don't be shy! Leave me some words of wisdom.

I love knowing people are actually reading what I write. Actually, it scares me that people actually read what I write! I'm terrified that my life is wasting away and I'm not doing what I love - writing - all the time. So by blogging I get to do a little bit of what I love every day. Thanks for reading and let me know you're there already.

Update on my Shopping Escapades for Hand Sanitizers

From the company today (after I received the 'your item has been shipped' email):

I'm sorry but the product you ordered is now on back order. WTF!!! Has everyone and their mother and their mother's mother ordered hand sanitizer by the bulk because of the swine flu?!

Germs, Pigs, and Shopping

Are you afraid you're going to get the swine flu? In all honesty, I am not. In fact, I am pretty much sick of hearing about it already. I feel terrible about this 'pandemic' and I am very sorry for those that have died because of it. However tons people die from the flu every year. Connecticut started freaking out and sending me news blasts and one day I got six of them saying how this school was closing and this school, and so and so all because they thought they had a case of it. The next day, I got a ton more news blasts as all the cases were confirmed as negative.

What really peeves me is that I have a large event coming up in my favorite city, Las Vegas, (you know I'm being sarcastic, right - if you have any doubt, click here) and with that event entails flying in about 100 people from all over the world - not to mention a zillion other things I have to do - hence the reason I do not have a life outside of work right now because I've lost my entire events team. But is besides the point. Because of this media hype about this 'pandemic' my attendees are nervous about flying to the USA and getting home safely. I don't blame them; even though the CDC and WHO both are not restricting travel at this time. But I feel bad because I'm getting harassed with emails and inquiries and have been forced to come up with a Plan B if things get out of control. Totally sucky. I do have a point to this story...

So yesterday continuing my pro activeness - after getting another nervous attendee email - I figured I would do something to help keep my attendees well once they get to Vegas. So I thought it would be a stellar idea to purchase a small hand sanitizer for each of them to put in their gift bags. I got all excited and thought it would be cool to make a little label with my event logo and say "Stay healthy and Germ Free!" or something corny to that effect. I started perusing websites found them in bulk and this is what I also found:

Due to the Swine Flu Virus, please anticipate a longer delivery time than normal for this item.

or

Due to demand, supplies may be limited, and next-day service may not be available. Please Order Early. In the event the item you are ordering is not available, we will substitute another style.

So apparently it was not such a novel idea...

My love for Abba

I love Abba. I could sing probably 75% of their songs from heart; without even listening to the music, (yes I am so proud). Just belt them out right now. Jared actually took me to Abba the Tour at the casino a few years ago where the average age was about 50 and we stood out like a dandelion in my green lawn. But I didn't let that stop me. We sang and danced (standing up) while all of the other suckers SAT. IN. THEIR. CHAIRS. HELLO! How can you sit down while listening to ABBA!! Yeah we did look like right idiots but it was a blast and I love making a fool of myself... So anyways I was so lucky in love when I met Jared because he um LOVES Abba too. Do not judge people. Remember, he's foreign. Abba is from Europe so they are very popular to many folks over there. Jared grew up listening to it with his folks. Sometimes we'll have dance parties in our living room where Abba reigns.

Fernando is my all time favorite Abba song. It is freaking awesome! Why at 8:30 a.m. I feel the need to sing Abba's praises I do not know but right now as I jam to my Abba station on Pandora (which by the way if you're not using, hurry up, it's free!) while dreading my all crazy, consuming, and never ending work day that may swallow me up whole, I just wanted to make sure my love for Abba was evident.

But lately, I'm not going to lie, I have had a sad obsession with this song. So please enjoy the lovely tunes of the lovely Abba:

My love, my life

Phone call

Ring, ring.

Jessie: Yes, dear.
Jared: How's it going?
Jessie: Fine, you? What's up?
Jared: Good, good. I wanted to ask you something.
Jessie: Okay.
Jared: What time will you be home tonight?
Jessie: Why, what time do you want me to come home tonight?
Jared: Well I wanted you to do something with me.
Jessie: Okay.
Jared: You'll probably say no but I just wanted....
Jessie: Well...
Jared: It would really mean a lot.
Jessie: So what is it?
Jared: I just thought...
Jessie: Well, spit it out. You want me to help in the garden today?
Jared: No, not that.
Jessie: Okay, so what?
Jared: Well, there is this movie.
Jessie: Okay...
Jared: Well... The new Star Trek movie came out and I *really* want to see it.
Jessie: (laughing hysterically)
Jared: Would you mind if we see it tonight, I know you're going to say no.
Jessie: (still laughing hysterically) Yes, if it means that much to you we can go see it tonight.
Jared: Okay, great. The movie is the based on the beginning of Star Trek...
Jessie: (still laughing) You know this is going on my blog, right?
Jared: What?
Jessie: (still laughing)This conversation.
Jared: The movie starts at 7 and I'm really excited because the director...
Jessie: (still giggling at her adorable husband) Sounds great honey.
Jared: Okay great, I'll talk to you later.
Jessie: Okay, bye.

(Jessie then opens up blogger.com)

Count Your Blessings Wednesday

Boy am I grateful:

1. For my delicious smoothie today. Jared made it so perfect, it's heavenly.
2. For my new heart necklace I treated myself too which is super pretty (I'll have to add a photo later).
3. I didn't live in the 1800s with sayings like, "much obliged" and "I beg your pardon" and were not allowed to talk to someone you didn't know without meeting their acquaintance through someone else first via introduction for someone of worthiness (I'm reading Pride and Prejudice right now and I love it but their way of life was so different!)
4. There are more Snicker's Marathon Energy Bars in the vending machine and since I write the company newsletter and happened to slip in there that they are off limits to everyone but moi, they are in abundance, and people are leaving them at my desk by the bulk and I'm totally obsessed... Can you tell?
5. That I can write fabulous run on sentences (see above).
6. The theme song of my life is playing right now as I type! Wow! Obviously it is um, These are days... by 10,000 Maniacs. I suggest you go play it now to listen to while you read my blog.
7. I have tulips as a wallpaper on my computer and they make me happy.
8. That by blogging right now, I'm skirting all my 10,00000000 responsibilities at work for the time being...
9. I'm in a punchy mood today.
10. I have a yellow raincoat.

Morbidly Fun

As a planner by nature in everything I do, I forced Jared to get our last will and testament done tonight. Boy was that fun! I was just worried about the cats and what would happen to them. Honestly that was my biggest worry. But all in all in felt nice to get prepared just in case the 'what if' actually happens. Morbid, totally.

Of course the attorney did make me feel a little bit better when he said most people who don't get their wills done get hit by a truck without one. The ones who go to get their will done live for a very long time. Yeah, that dude better be right...

In the rainy garden

Yesterday as it sprinkled with rain, Jared and I worked outside to get a few things done in the garden. I was shown how to use the second power tool this summer. Yay for me! Jared has this thing with the power tools and me. Well to be honest, I don't blame him. Being the klutz that I am, our garden tools I should probably steer clear of. But last week I begged just enough that he showed me how to use the rider mower. I didn't mow the grass but I drove around the cul de sac and that was a blast! Yesterday I got to learn the edger. It was a bit like tracing the lines in a coloring book except the marker was a razor sharp blade and the picture was a circle of mulch. I was a bit intimidated because if you mess up, the edge of the mulch/grass line looks off. But I gotta say, I did pretty darn good! I even told Jared I did better than him.

I took some photos of my one of my favorite times of year in the garden when I was done.

Here is one of the gladioli bulbs that we planted. I'm so excited to see how they turn out!

This bush at the front flowers for thirty seconds so we have to appreciate it. Okay, so I'm exaggerating but it comes and goes fast.

One of my all time favorites! The peonies are growing so fast! I can not wait to have them fresh in my house again.


The apple trees are all blooming with beautiful buds.

Here is the pear tree with its pretty flowers.

And my roses are growing so big as well. Pretty soon we'll have roses galore!

Remember that hydrangea tree I thought I killed. It's alive! I was jumping for joy this weekend when I saw the buds coming up.

This tree is in our front yard and I don't remember its flowers being so pretty.

His and Hers

Our bathroom. His...

And hers...

Another klutzaholic moment for Jessie. I was just innocently blow drying my hair. I didn't realize I was so close to the the wall and furthermore the rod. I proceeded to bump the rod with the hair dryer and boom. It broke. How a plastic hair dryer can brake a metal rod, I'll never know. I yelled downstairs to Jared comically in terror, "Jared come up here and get mad at me!"

He yells back, "What did you break now?"

Cheers and Happy Friday!

Here's to:

- Not opening your mail unless it has a pretty envelope and is NOT a bill.

- Being lazy.

- Sitting in your pajamas all day (yes I do this often..)

- Watching a movie trailer 5 times in a row to laugh at the funny parts.

- Listening to that one song you love 100 times in a row and never tiring of it.

- Contemplating a glass of wine for lunch when you're working from home, but just contemplating (we all know full well what wine does to me..)

- Wishing it was Friday every day.

- Getting groceries and sneaking in fluff!