tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85365937403743163972024-02-20T14:45:14.217-06:00MTGraceMTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.comBlogger282125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-73902952332588749602014-02-26T00:14:00.000-06:002014-02-26T00:14:25.696-06:00Exciting Stuff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qLZU9pbD648/Uw2FrMaay9I/AAAAAAAAKQE/Cy9mX8c-1Xw/s1600/lolcat+attention.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qLZU9pbD648/Uw2FrMaay9I/AAAAAAAAKQE/Cy9mX8c-1Xw/s1600/lolcat+attention.jpg" height="320" width="197" /></a></div>
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So on the topic of changes of pirate names for the kids, I've come to a final decision:<br />
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Pirate Munchkin will now be known as Pirate Maiden.<br />
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Pirate Baby will now be known as Pirate Mister.<br />
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...that is all. You may now return to your regularly scheduled life.MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-7720637155203905252014-02-03T13:59:00.000-06:002014-05-22T10:09:18.884-05:00Cute Speak<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fY54oE6lOGM/UoUKiohwm4I/AAAAAAAAJfc/ZdXXWMP4Zuw/s1600/Baby+Jedi+Lolcats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fY54oE6lOGM/UoUKiohwm4I/AAAAAAAAJfc/ZdXXWMP4Zuw/s320/Baby+Jedi+Lolcats.jpg" height="190" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This picture has nothing to do with my post. It's just cute.</span></div>
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I've been meaning to make a list of the cute ways Pirate Baby says things, but I wasn't sure where to put it. But then I just realized if I put it on my blog, other people can see it and I can always find it. I've been adding to it here and there for several weeks now and decided it was probably time I posted it. I make no promises that I won't be adding to it later.</div>
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"Too-tines" - Saltine crackers</div>
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"Doggy-saur" - Dinosaur - Although now that he has mastered the word "dragon," this has now morphed into "Dragon-saur"</div>
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"Baw-kiss" - Box<br />
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"Bammage" or "Bammaid" - Bandaid<br />
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"Scratch-you" - kitty scratch - as in "Did the kitty scratch you?" He'll get scratched, then come to show me. He'll point at it and say "Scratch-you." <br />
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*Lots of "scratch-yous" have been covered by "bammages" these days.*<br />
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"Mee-mo" - Nemo<br />
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Pirate Baby likes to pretend to cook. He'll get pans and lids and utensils out and start "cooking" on the floor in the kitchen. I always ask him what he's making. Usually, it's the kinds of things I make. But one night, he said he was making cream sauce. I asked him what the cream sauce was for, and he said "doggy-saur." So apparently that night, my son made dinosaur with cream sauce. Sounds tasty!<br />
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One of his favorite books is this one:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CPJ2Wcq0gEQ/Uu_xx2ueHRI/AAAAAAAAKC0/zNpGBw8QWOk/s1600/IMG_1937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CPJ2Wcq0gEQ/Uu_xx2ueHRI/AAAAAAAAKC0/zNpGBw8QWOk/s1600/IMG_1937.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Or rather, "Gah-Go-Gah-Go," as it is more commonly known at our house.<br />
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Pirate Baby and I have different things we do for most of the pages in the book, but these pages in particular are fun for his interesting words.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfG-2kaS4Ww2vkxdaD4rFVfbnJ40yN8dpasd68w6FpIinPWVm8s55cMqUDP23ReAqoXYbUIAGtsNNc8azBeL6i3f5gExpni0Z-6FE3Ul1i66-UKAu3sKVq3v150ckxwvb8ubTXOwdXHa2j/s1600/IMG_1938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfG-2kaS4Ww2vkxdaD4rFVfbnJ40yN8dpasd68w6FpIinPWVm8s55cMqUDP23ReAqoXYbUIAGtsNNc8azBeL6i3f5gExpni0Z-6FE3Ul1i66-UKAu3sKVq3v150ckxwvb8ubTXOwdXHa2j/s1600/IMG_1938.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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He likes to point out the colors on the traffic light. Red and Black.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3U8qnV6wdho/Uu_xw9ViwbI/AAAAAAAAKC4/ton5AWeleZM/s1600/IMG_1939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3U8qnV6wdho/Uu_xw9ViwbI/AAAAAAAAKC4/ton5AWeleZM/s1600/IMG_1939.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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On this page, the colors are Black and, of course, "Green-ahead". Because what else would it be?</div>
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I've been thinking it's time to change my kids' names on my blog. Pirate Munchkin is almost 10, and she's much too tall (and grown up - YIKES!) to be considered a "Munchkin" anymore. And now that he's 3, Pirate Baby isn't a baby anymore. {holding back tears} I need to start thinking up new names for them, but in staying with the pirate theme. Any suggestions? Keep in mind, my husband is Surfer Pirate, and while I don't talk about myself in the 3rd person, my name here is actually The Pirate Queen (and yes, the "The" is important).</div>
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UPDATE: <br />
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"Boom-Boom" - gun - after playing with all the Nerf guns at his cousins' house, he's developed this new term.<br />
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"Water Botter" - water bottle<br />
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"Teeny-Tiny?" - a request for a bite of whatever you're eating - a teeny-tiny bite!<br />
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"I can't want it" - I don't want it.<br />
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"Snoo Snacks" - fruit snacks<br />
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"What's that sound like?" - What's that sound?</div>
MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-80485202958723267262014-01-30T13:12:00.000-06:002014-02-26T00:19:02.821-06:00Because it sounded like fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b3YiZceKlm4/UuqWCBdF21I/AAAAAAAAKB4/DACydDXNX6w/s1600/love+in+the+sand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b3YiZceKlm4/UuqWCBdF21I/AAAAAAAAKB4/DACydDXNX6w/s1600/love+in+the+sand.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Picture found <a href="http://www.msruntheus.com/above-all-love-each-other-deeply/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
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Clearly, I've been neglecting my blog for a LONG time. I've probably lost most of my readers. There was a time when I had constant blog posts going in my head that just needed to be typed out. I've been in a writing slump, so that just hasn't happened.<br />
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I've also been busy. I have a dear friend who I met through the blogging world who is now a real-life friend. She started an amazing website, and I've been helping edit the posts on it. It's incredibly rewarding, and it's an amazing place to go learn and heal through a TON of life's challenges. Go check it out! <a href="http://bandbacktogether.com/all-posts/" target="_blank">Band Back Together</a><br />
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So, two days ago, I discovered that a new real-life friend has a <a href="http://glamazonmormonmom.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">terribly funny blog</a>, and I've been reading it obsessively every spare minute I have. As I think I've mentioned before, I can't just start reading a blog from when I discover it. I have to go to the beginning and read the whole thing. So I've been doing it with this blog as well. I just came across a post that sounded like a fun idea. I've posted part of the story on here before, but I like some of the added details from this idea. <br />
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This one is for you, Glamazon!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 22.672000885009766px;"><i>How did you and your true love meet?</i></span><br />
Surfer Pirate and I met on Myspace. This was back in 2008 when it was okay to say that. I had been meeting guys through a church related dating site, but wasn't finding The One. (I actually thought I knew the guy I was supposed to marry, but neither of us was ready for that yet.) Since everyone I was meeting on the other site lived a long ways away from me, and the one guy in town I was dating was always really busy, I wanted to expand my horizons. I didn't want to sit home on the weekends, so I started looking elsewhere for some Right Now guys. When Surfer Pirate sent me a friend request, I was definitely leery. His profile page was very dark, covered in skulls and scary stuff with a thrash metal playlist. Not exactly my type. Plus, I had been burned previously by a random friend request. So I told this unusual guy that he would need to talk me into it. He could have decided I wasn't worth the time, but he didn't. We started sending messages back and forth, and before I knew it, I was laughing myself silly! Friend Request Accepted! He was much too funny to not have in my life. We had our first date a few weeks later, and the rest is history!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 22.672000885009766px;"><i>What is your favorite physical feature about your beloved?</i><span style="font-size: 14px;"> </span></span><br />
Surfer Pirate has beautiful eyes. I can get lost in them. He also has a really nice rear end. It's kind of a toss-up between the two.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 22.672000885009766px;"><i>What is your favorite personality feature about your lover?</i></span><br />
Same thing that won me over in the first place - his sense of humor. We've had a pretty challenging life together, and his humor is one of the main things that's gotten us through it all. He's hysterical. Trust me.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 22.672000885009766px;"><i>When did you have your first kiss?</i></span><br />
Our first kiss. Now THAT is a fun story. A little over a month before Surfer Pirate and I had our first date, I had gone out with another guy I had met on Myspace. He wasn't exactly honest with me about what was going on in his life, and when I found out the truth, I had sent him a text asking why he hadn't just been honest. He ignored the question, and I moved on with my life. Not really a big deal. But then, a month later, without warning, he texted me back - right as Surfer Pirate had arrived at my house. I apologized to Surfer Pirate, explaining that I had some "unfinished business" to deal with. He sat down at my kitchen table while I texted back and forth for a few minutes with this other guy. The last text I got from the guy said "You just need to get over it and move on." Annoyed that he hadn't figured out that I had from the fact that he hadn't heard from me in a month, I texted back "I already did." Surfer Pirate and I had talked on the phone previously about kissing. He'd told me he was a really good kisser. So, when I put my phone down on the counter after that last text, Surfer Pirate's kissing abilities were all I could think about. I took a deep breath, turned to face him, said "Okay, I need to know." Before he knew what had hit him, I crossed the room to where he was sitting, bent down, and kissed him! He was completely startled by it, but he proved that he was telling me the truth earlier. He's an excellent kisser!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 22.672000885009766px;"><i>What do they do that gets on your last nerve?</i></span><br />
Being a housewife, I do at least 90% of the cooking. I am very possessive of my kitchen. But sometimes, Surfer Pirate likes to experiment in the kitchen. Sometimes, it's wonderful, sometimes it is much more his tastes than mine. But he ALWAYS leaves me a big mess to clean up. Pans and dishes and seasonings and cooking tools EVERYWHERE. The stove will be covered in spilled food from his over-zealous stirring. He knows it drives me crazy, and I know that I'll probably never see him clean it up.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 22.672000885009766px;"><i>When did you know they were 'the one'?</i></span><br />
For him, it was really simple. He knew as soon as I walked down my front stairs and across my front lawn to meet him that I was The One. I took much longer to convince. Like I said before, I thought I knew who I was supposed to marry. I was just waiting for both of us to feel like the time was right. Surfer Pirate and I were very different from each other. While I knew he was an amazing person, he just wasn't what I was looking for. As time passed, I fell in love with him. I didn't want to acknowledge it to myself because I still didn't think it was a forever thing. But then something significant happened. My sister, who had passed away when he and I had only been together for a couple months, started appearing to him in spirit. She seemed to be watching out for him. It hit me, "Why would my sister be worried about some random guy in my life? There has to be more than just a short-term relationship here." So I allowed myself to feel how much I loved him. He had talked about wanting to marry me, but I told him I couldn't say yes until I'd prayed about it. He was patient while I waited for the Lord to answer me. The answer was yes, of course. I was just the last one to figure that out. :)<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 22.672000885009766px;"><i>What sets them apart from other guys/girls you had dated in the past?</i></span><br />
He's honest. Not to say every guy I dated was a complete liar, but the vast majority of them were. (One of my very best friends is actually an ex-boyfriend, and I always know I can trust him.) But there is a level of honesty that Surfer Pirate and I have that I've never had with anyone. We trust each other completely and know that we can always rely on each other's loyalty. <br />
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So there you go. There's more of our love story. I don't know what I would do without my sweet, funny, handsome man!MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-13478613243686014902014-01-23T21:18:00.002-06:002014-01-23T21:18:30.136-06:00Missing My Girl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-61ai1jBrQYI/UuHMectZffI/AAAAAAAAJ_M/rMy4IMX6QqA/s1600/996085_10202585470335432_1146441418_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-61ai1jBrQYI/UuHMectZffI/AAAAAAAAJ_M/rMy4IMX6QqA/s1600/996085_10202585470335432_1146441418_n.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Her pirate name was Miss Dampier. <br />
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Not her real name. Obviously, my son's real name isn't Pirate Baby. <br />
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She was a great dog.<br />
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Overly protective of her family, seriously neurotic, easily depressed, and spoiled to death by her family who loved her fiercely. <br />
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She was only 5 years old when we had to make one of the hardest decisions ever.<br />
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We'd already had a really crummy holiday season. Surfer Pirate had had some scary medical issues and was in the hospital just before Christmas. We had spent almost every moment of the day at the hospital with him, even sleeping there. <br />
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It happened the day before Surfer Pirate got to go home.<br />
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We were home, getting some snacks and things to keep the kids entertained at the hospital. I had let the dogs out. They'd been so good about all the time they were having to spend in the house without their family. I was really busy getting things together and had lost track of time. I wasn't fully sure how long they had been out, but they were always good about barking at the door when they were ready to come in. <br />
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I went out to start the truck so it could warm up for a few minutes before we left. What I saw will haunt me for a long, long time.<br />
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Major Stede was on the porch. Miss Dampier was on the ground in front of the porch, rolling oddly on her back, with blood in the snow by her.<br />
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She couldn't use her back legs.<br />
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The next hour or so are kind of a blur now. I remember half dragging her 65 pound body into the house and laying her on the floor in the living room. We wrapped her in a blanket. I didn't know what to do because the nearest vet was an hour away and it was after hours. I called a family friend in Montana who is a vet. His opinion was that I should get her in right away. <br />
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I called the vet nearest to us, and he said he would be waiting for us there. <br />
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Instead of going to the hospital to be with my husband, I found myself driving on icy winter roads in dangerously cold winds to take my dog to a different kind of hospital. The drive was traumatic as I worried about her and tried to keep her from thrashing around. She fell off the seat of the truck once, and I'd had to stop to readjust her. It was terrifying and heartbreaking all at the same time.<br />
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The vet was wonderful. With his thick white beard, I'm convinced he's the real Santa Claus. We had the kids wait in the front of the office while he crawled around on the floor assessing what was wrong with my sweet girl's legs.<br />
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"She's been shot," he finally said.<br />
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He shaved the fur from her left thigh and showed me the entry wound. You could clearly see the angle of the hole, leading directly to her spine. Her spinal cord was severed.<br />
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I alternated between speaking softly to my dog and nodding as he told me our options.<br />
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Many dogs live with spinal cord injuries. She could be fitted with a wheelchair. We would need to decide if we could handle the commitment of taking care of a dog who couldn't even handle her own bodily functions. At the time, I was willing to do anything for her. She'd been such a good girl, and she was my husband's best friend. <br />
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The other option was of course, having her put to sleep. The more I thought about it, and after discussing it with Surfer Pirate the next day, that really was our only option. While there was no question whether or not we loved her enough to take care of that kind of major commitment, we knew we couldn't do that to her. <br />
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You see, she was an athlete. Watching her run was a thing of beauty. It was like watching a champion horse racer, all muscle and grace. And she loved to swim. She was one of those dogs who if she was near water, she would automatically start paddling with her feet - even if she wasn't touching the water. Surfer Pirate would hold her up out of the water and her feet would still be going. <br />
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We couldn't take running and swimming away from her.<br />
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Surfer Pirate couldn't handle going with me to sign the official papers. It would break his heart to have to give her up, and I knew seeing her struggling to stand on her then-useless legs would devastate him. I took Major Stede with me as I drove back there on that cold and dreary day.<br />
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She was calm when I entered the room. I hurried to her because she tried to get up and come to me when she saw I was there. I sat on the floor next to her, talking softly to her, stroking her face and letting her kiss me as much as she wanted. I told her what a good girl she was. I told her how sorry I was that she couldn't walk, but that she was going to sleep soon and when she woke up, she would be in heaven. I told her that she would be able to run and swim whenever she wanted. She wouldn't be sad or scared anymore. I told her we would be there to join her before she knew it. <br />
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When my heart couldn't take it anymore, I got up to leave. I told her I loved her and I left the room. Santa Claus was out at a farm checking on some cows, but the other vet asked me if I wanted to be there when they did the procedure. I couldn't take it. I had to leave. She had tried to follow me out of the room and I could still hear her crying for me. I signed the papers and left before I could break down into tears.<br />
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I cried into Major Stede's neck when I got back in the truck, until I could pull myself together enough to drive home. I'm glad I brought him with me.<br />
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That was about a month ago. We still have no idea who shot our dog and left her to die - or why they did it. I had walked the trail she had left in the snow that horrible night. I'll spare you the drama left in those tracks., but I stood out there in the middle of the road where she had first fallen and screamed obscenities into the wind. I told the person who did it that they are going to find themselves in a special place in hell for what they did to our sweet, loving girl.<br />
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We've had so much going on that I've been too busy to really mourn her. Until today. I've thought about her a lot and shed many tears. Things are just so different without her.MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-7330011156084327782013-10-09T12:36:00.000-05:002013-10-09T14:12:25.214-05:00Bugs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--NMiLs6Aou8/UlWQFRaizPI/AAAAAAAAJA0/VMM5iTRbnog/s1600/icanhas_bug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--NMiLs6Aou8/UlWQFRaizPI/AAAAAAAAJA0/VMM5iTRbnog/s320/icanhas_bug.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We've been very busy lately. I've been lovingly tending to my garden all summer. And then I had to process all the vegetables I harvested. <br />
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I had forgotten how much work that is!<br />
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That's left me very little energy or brain power to write on my blog. My poor little readers, few though you are. I have neglected you, and I'm sorry.<br />
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So I have a cute story for you today.<br />
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Yesterday, Pirate Baby and I were running lots and lots of errands.<br />
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One of them led us to the post office. Our post office is a cute old building with lots of old wood and charm and even gates on the windows for when they're closed.<br />
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And it echos.<br />
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Which means everyone hears EVERYTHING that happens in there.<br />
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As I was standing in line waiting my turn (which in this little town means waiting for one person), an Asian beetle landed on my finger.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IlxUVs4obAE/UlWRNf5h5nI/AAAAAAAAJBA/k7bhdu-I-VU/s1600/asian-beetle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IlxUVs4obAE/UlWRNf5h5nI/AAAAAAAAJBA/k7bhdu-I-VU/s320/asian-beetle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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After the major infestation that we had of them last year, they are far from my favorite bugs. </div>
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Plus, it startled me.</div>
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So I flicked it off my finger and it landed on the floor.</div>
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I pointed it out to Pirate Baby. "Look! There's a bug!"</div>
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He grinned and watched it run around. We laughed as it scurried as fast as its little legs could carry it across the floor. </div>
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Next thing I knew:</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">CRUNCH!</span></div>
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Pirate Baby stomped on it. Then, he pointed at the bug and said "Bug dead."</div>
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...and that's when I noticed that the clerk, the customer being helped, and the new customer who had just come in behind us had all turned at the sound and were now laughing.</div>
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That's my boy!</div>
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*Edited* - Note to self - look at previous posting before publishing new blog entries. I repeated my words and my pictures in this entry. Sheesh!</div>
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<br />MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-13265860938671468942013-08-28T04:52:00.001-05:002013-08-28T04:52:23.912-05:00Babyhood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgWNR9gEHglYcTwULoXp_gc5ODGdvUH6XdTz4uOCuNBGFtbVGl0E1uPeW61KtAB_40NSZhY9qvOAloW-OWaZ2ys3nmeinYRzubJZaRyACBcLX_4je0z-2CvpJ3QNMVSp9PDHD-i6q7j2D/s1600/DSCN3248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgWNR9gEHglYcTwULoXp_gc5ODGdvUH6XdTz4uOCuNBGFtbVGl0E1uPeW61KtAB_40NSZhY9qvOAloW-OWaZ2ys3nmeinYRzubJZaRyACBcLX_4je0z-2CvpJ3QNMVSp9PDHD-i6q7j2D/s320/DSCN3248.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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My poor neglected readers. This last year has been super busy - in good ways, thankfully! I've had so many things going on that my poor little blog has gone ignored. I had a moment in regards to my precious little boy that I thought I would share.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o0aJZHiG5Ak/Uh27f7sIYtI/AAAAAAAAIas/KWFdq_QXxk8/s1600/DSCN3249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o0aJZHiG5Ak/Uh27f7sIYtI/AAAAAAAAIas/KWFdq_QXxk8/s320/DSCN3249.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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But first I have to show you how much this child loves our pets. Especially the kittens. I think he likes that they're little enough for him to pick up. ...unfortunately for them. There is a lot of "Pirate Baby, be gentle with the kitty." "Pirate Baby, don't hold the kitty by his neck." Pirate Baby, don't throw the kitty. Put him down SOFTLY." </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjridDd6N7jpRLi0z5L-2Hy0MZz0tvgGc827BkfNIma2Sihhyodqfm3XanD9WXC3RQnskeQgAMYLbFkS-16d2FlhW9wFCWaf5AoDgTtXkzaaKlIJEjWEfJf9jpHbK6quyxmlB2UoCsaLyGn/s1600/DSCN3250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjridDd6N7jpRLi0z5L-2Hy0MZz0tvgGc827BkfNIma2Sihhyodqfm3XanD9WXC3RQnskeQgAMYLbFkS-16d2FlhW9wFCWaf5AoDgTtXkzaaKlIJEjWEfJf9jpHbK6quyxmlB2UoCsaLyGn/s320/DSCN3250.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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He's catching on. I had to grab the camera and catch this sweet moment of him snuggling with one of the kittens. I was so proud of how gentle he was being. </div>
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That's pure joy right there. ...from the child. The kitten has very clearly had enough snuggling and is saying "Help me!"</div>
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We have been blessed with the most wonderful cool days almost the whole summer. I'm talking high 60's, low 70's. I believe it's our reward for the very long winter we had this year. Great temperatures up until this last week, when it suddenly jumped to a very muggy, humid 90. This weekend, it was much too hot to send the kids outside, so I sent them upstairs to play in their rooms. </div>
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Pirate Munchkin decided to play dress-up with her little brother. (I'm so glad she didn't put him in one of her princess or fairy costumes.) Isn't Pirate Baby the cutest little pirate ever?</div>
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I have a lot of friends who have kids around the same age as Pirate Baby. Potty training is a regular topic now. Most of the kids are either in the middle of or have even mastered it by now.</div>
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My son? Not even interested yet.</div>
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We're not the only ones. One of my friends from church has a little boy who is 2 weeks younger than my boy. She was so glad to know that we weren't there yet either. She has asked her youngest (who has the most incredible blue eyes you've ever seen, by the way!) if he wants to use the potty. He looks at her and says "No. I a baby." </div>
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I've mentioned to Pirate Baby that one day he'll use the potty like the rest of us - preparing him for the idea when he's ready. But he really doesn't care. He likes to be in the bathroom with his father or me, but it still seems to just be about companionship. </div>
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I'm in no rush.</div>
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When my Pirate Munchkin was his age, I had her little sister's diapers to change as well. With all those diapers in the house, potty training was a much bigger priority then. But this time? Meh. What's another diaper? </div>
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Yesterday, as I cupped my son's perfect little chin in my hand to look at his sweet face, I realized something. While life has a tendency to rush by, I've been greatly blessed. The last couple of years have passed by fairly slow. I waited 11 years for this little boy, and his babyhood has been a long, beautiful gift. So if he's not ready to be a full-fledged Big Boy yet, I'm good with that.</div>
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I'm glad to have my baby be a baby for just a little bit longer.</div>
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MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-45765855899020461692013-07-18T23:56:00.001-05:002013-07-18T23:56:28.049-05:00The Kitty House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tx9zzHYBcaM/Uei5xEgE13I/AAAAAAAAIOQ/zYQ6ewu4xyU/s1600/DSCN2796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tx9zzHYBcaM/Uei5xEgE13I/AAAAAAAAIOQ/zYQ6ewu4xyU/s320/DSCN2796.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It started with this guy.<br />Captain Kitty</div>
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(using Pirate Munchkin as a pillow).</div>
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We had a bit of a mouse problem, so we got another cat to help out. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKBniKUcYd7qstOPKiEa-YAmaZ2m9TZsXDO28zvrg-V2c64CBM8g9SkXb8O-cY2xpwDmW-6FiOfKG6u4p-iutl2KSe6NDFofQECxxrhQpOlklKdKCGoDjPovani4KqAftl5cQtuLuUsOR/s1600/39.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKBniKUcYd7qstOPKiEa-YAmaZ2m9TZsXDO28zvrg-V2c64CBM8g9SkXb8O-cY2xpwDmW-6FiOfKG6u4p-iutl2KSe6NDFofQECxxrhQpOlklKdKCGoDjPovani4KqAftl5cQtuLuUsOR/s320/39.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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(She doesn't have a pirate name yet, so you'll just have to admire her cuteness without a name.)</div>
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We were told she was a good mouser, but she just laid around all the time. </div>
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We figured we had a "dud" cat.</div>
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Turns out, cat pregnancy is much like human pregnancy - very little energy!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_wcTa-wcuE-5oBRUQ2GANMU6wsV6wbU0yAz7Ky04uCwZMo_6GYhMM_e4JzYz9MnuKNRJu-oID7GX79P3Vbt2DwcW0v6l78Y6nOkCxVJpr9Hil328EuwXDBvMefiD1gV1zEWF_EWsRRRz/s1600/50.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_wcTa-wcuE-5oBRUQ2GANMU6wsV6wbU0yAz7Ky04uCwZMo_6GYhMM_e4JzYz9MnuKNRJu-oID7GX79P3Vbt2DwcW0v6l78Y6nOkCxVJpr9Hil328EuwXDBvMefiD1gV1zEWF_EWsRRRz/s320/50.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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When she started showing, we figured our male must have knocked her up as soon as she came to live with us.</div>
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Nope. The kittens came two weeks early - Captain Kitty isn't the kitty "Baby Daddy".</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZROCW-uFE_E/Uei6AzXRcRI/AAAAAAAAIOo/5_6LOsDMT8E/s1600/15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZROCW-uFE_E/Uei6AzXRcRI/AAAAAAAAIOo/5_6LOsDMT8E/s320/15.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Aren't they cute and tiny? </div>
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There were 3 originally. Sadly, the solid gray kitten didn't make it through the first night.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglESaerVdiVtqD20CjKAArT2GAkoLdKtQ2lS0KWCq3r7qsfroHd9tdjWw75HTU-8R0FRleXOAXEs-9b40HFmOcOG_Q1WNf5IYjMEIw-o8mLx9sU9PAHjubKPztwIjATOq4KBixNIPKGZyV/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglESaerVdiVtqD20CjKAArT2GAkoLdKtQ2lS0KWCq3r7qsfroHd9tdjWw75HTU-8R0FRleXOAXEs-9b40HFmOcOG_Q1WNf5IYjMEIw-o8mLx9sU9PAHjubKPztwIjATOq4KBixNIPKGZyV/s320/17.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The two tiny, newborn kittens quickly stole our hearts!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKo89HWz3qTm9clF1RH-jceVTS7bwTylXWrzE1Ur_H9SWlHpRK-q2VDB0YFKJt_ciXGKcExnkJ9tt11RQkaJhsCg_sMAPGYMOSw7XCoUkX6WbHQs0rDi1TGUi5fF_EFkug-zcRUb-BsEeR/s1600/Two+Cute+Babies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKo89HWz3qTm9clF1RH-jceVTS7bwTylXWrzE1Ur_H9SWlHpRK-q2VDB0YFKJt_ciXGKcExnkJ9tt11RQkaJhsCg_sMAPGYMOSw7XCoUkX6WbHQs0rDi1TGUi5fF_EFkug-zcRUb-BsEeR/s320/Two+Cute+Babies.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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They've been growing, as kittens tend to do.</div>
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They'll be 6 weeks old on Monday, and they're extremely playful now!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1flNrLCW3JevZgrLJJke-Kvgbbchcb88igc6fBBxMJoTYxztccqdfmQpVv0MyJkc3cG6qmI8v8oN6K9fdr-gL-ita_vPEbCN_XmEIuxcOORv0wiATomEwD9-K4VXl0kDfBI08aCeswBOv/s1600/DSCN3180+cropped.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1flNrLCW3JevZgrLJJke-Kvgbbchcb88igc6fBBxMJoTYxztccqdfmQpVv0MyJkc3cG6qmI8v8oN6K9fdr-gL-ita_vPEbCN_XmEIuxcOORv0wiATomEwD9-K4VXl0kDfBI08aCeswBOv/s320/DSCN3180+cropped.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's our little female, taking a moment from killing my hand to pose adorably. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wRvnkw0wsc-jWR8WJYzvr-cYlEB-IySMD-GQo9VxZTcSw50VrwieJkdtO9b7DoEnQ24t7C4kBsge6mJoTwDSlvDXXobcGkQDwB6skUdVhd5L946RpJdsxo-BYhbXwOiTd6vyt2qQIi3F/s1600/DSCN3189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wRvnkw0wsc-jWR8WJYzvr-cYlEB-IySMD-GQo9VxZTcSw50VrwieJkdtO9b7DoEnQ24t7C4kBsge6mJoTwDSlvDXXobcGkQDwB6skUdVhd5L946RpJdsxo-BYhbXwOiTd6vyt2qQIi3F/s320/DSCN3189.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Our very fluffy and very ferocious little male.</div>
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I often say of him "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OgHC8gDpzQ" target="_blank">He's so fluffy, I'm gonna die</a>!!"</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rxB5HazQYJQ/Uei6ipdY10I/AAAAAAAAIPY/nWSH3HkBI50/s1600/DSCN3165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rxB5HazQYJQ/Uei6ipdY10I/AAAAAAAAIPY/nWSH3HkBI50/s320/DSCN3165.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We were concerned at first with letting Captain Kitty near the babies.</div>
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We had heard male cats will try to kill kittens - especially ones that aren't theirs.</div>
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As you can see, we didn't need to worry.</div>
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He lets everyone just crawl all over him. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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He loves the kittens and they love him!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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There was the update. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Now I have to tell you a story.</div>
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<br /></div>
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*Disclaimer: The weak of heart may want to skip this part and go back to looking at the cute kitten pictures.</div>
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Tonight, I was watching a movie. Captain Kitty was curled up on my lap sleeping, like he usually does at night when the house is quiet. Our little mama cat was hunting something. I figured it was just a fly, but she was really intent about it. At one point, I heard some rather violent pouncing sounds coming from the corner of the room - almost behind the couch. A few minutes later, she ran past me. </div>
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<br /></div>
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I didn't think much of it until I heard the squeaking noise coming from the bathroom!</div>
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<br /></div>
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The sound woke Captain Kitty, and we went to investigate.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Mama cat had cornered a mouse!</div>
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<br /></div>
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I quickly assessed that she had discovered the mouse behind the couch, caught it, and for some reason carried it off to the bathroom.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Thank goodness, because I could shut the door and make sure it was dealt with in that smaller space!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Let's not even discuss how disturbed I was by the concept that the cat had caught a mouse in my living room! Not in the basement or the attic where I knew we already had a mouse problem, but in my living room! Where my kids play! The room right next to my kitchen!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
{shudder}</div>
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<br /></div>
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Anyway, I shut the door and stood guard in front of the doorway. The gap under the door was the only place where I could see it having room to escape. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Captain Kitty stood by and watched as our little mama cat chased the mouse back and forth around the room. A few times, I had to scare it away from the door as it tried to head my way {shudder again}. Eventually, the veteran mouse hunter seemed to get annoyed with her that she wasn't getting the job done. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
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I realized I could almost hear the conversation going on between them:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Captain Kitty: Here. Let me help you. When the mouse holds still, he's hoping you'll think he's dead and that you'll leave him alone. You need to poke him so he'll move.</div>
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Mama: Like this?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
CK: Yes. Sometimes I little smack on the head is good too - like this.</div>
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<br /></div>
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(as the mouse scurries back and forth across the room)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
CK: Okay, now you're letting it go on too long. He's not getting tired enough. So you grab him like this, (picks the mouse up with his mouth) ann holth him tight in yo teef like thith. (puts the mouse down) Now you try.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
M: Crud. He got away again. Hang on. (she catches the mouse and holds it gently in her mouth) Like thith?</div>
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<br /></div>
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CK: I don't think you're crushing down enough with your teeth. Put him down and let me look at him.</div>
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(she puts the mouse down and it runs off again)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
CK: That's what I thought. You need to hold tighter so you can feel his little bones crushing. Let me grab him again and I'll show you. I'll just injure him a little so you can get the idea. You'll want to do it harder than this when you do it next time. (he catches the mouse again) Now. You wanth to squith him with yo teef fo a few secondth. (puts the mouse down). See how there's a tiny bit of blood and he's laying on his side like that? I only hurt his leg. He's playing chicken. He'll run again in a minute.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
(mouse runs away)</div>
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M: Okay. I see. (chasing the mouse around the room) Even injured, this guy is fast!</div>
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CK: That's why you have to make sure they're really hurt before you put them down.</div>
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M: Got him! (grabbing the mouse) So I'm squithing him tighter. I thee whath you mean! I can feelth hith bonth bweaking. (dropping the mouse) How's that?</div>
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<br /></div>
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(mouse is alive, but clearly very injured)</div>
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CK: Very good! So now you can play with it if you want or just eat it right away.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Captain Kitty sits by and watches Mama play with the mouse for a while, tossing it in the air, kicking it, biting it for - I'm not kidding - a good ten minutes! I've never really witnessed a cat killing its pray before, but I'd heard what it was like. It was really brutal. Once I knew the mouse wasn't going anywhere, I debated leaving the room, but I was afraid she would take it out of the bathroom and leave it somewhere. If she wasn't going to eat it, I wanted to be able to flush it. Plus I was morbidly fascinated. So I stayed. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Meanwhile, Captain Kitty was still watching her play with the mouse, and started looking annoyed again.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
CK: Seriously, are you ever going to eat that thing?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
M: (growling) If you're going to act like that, I WON'T save you part like I'd planned.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
CK: I'm just saying!</div>
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<br /></div>
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M: (growling again) No. Get out. This one is mine.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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And that's when I took Captain Kitty and left the room - closing the door behind us.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I'm proud to say when she started meowing at me to let her out of the bathroom, I was surprised to see that she hadn't left a single trace of that mouse anywhere in the room! Good girl, not making me clean up mouse guts!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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And who says living in the country is boring?</div>
<br />MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-70971217347492440902013-05-29T14:34:00.001-05:002013-05-29T14:34:24.844-05:00Projects<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C57Kmibrb4w/UaZPzKJ28WI/AAAAAAAAFTU/z7eMIGhFY14/s1600/WTF+Cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C57Kmibrb4w/UaZPzKJ28WI/AAAAAAAAFTU/z7eMIGhFY14/s1600/WTF+Cat.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Sorry for the implied bad language here, but I'm pretty sure that's what my cats were thinking about me the last couple days.<br />
<br />
It all started with a printer.<br />
<br />
Our cheapo printer died - because it was cheap. My really nice printer/scanner/copier/fax was obsolete. So as a combined Mother's Day/Father's Day gift, my mom got us a new printer/scanner/copier/fax. <br />
<br />
Which meant I could FINALLY get around to doing a project I've wanted to do since I wrote this <a href="http://mtgracie.blogspot.com/2012/06/toute-chose-appartient-qui-sait-en.html" target="_blank">post </a>last summer. (A collection of the pictures my sister took on her honeymoon in Paris.)<br />
<br />
I love how it turned out:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RgPa1HQ5Lbc/UaZThVZETVI/AAAAAAAAFT0/VGCx7XZ5GSM/s1600/DSCN3016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RgPa1HQ5Lbc/UaZThVZETVI/AAAAAAAAFT0/VGCx7XZ5GSM/s320/DSCN3016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I hadn't fully decided where I was going to hang it, but I needed to get it hung somewhere. My new kitty (have I mentioned the new kitty yet? I need to do that) is really good at jumping up on counters and knocking things over. I didn't want the glass to get broken. So I hung it up over the lovely 80's plaid wallpaper in the dining room. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The wallpaper the landlady told me I was more than welcome to take down.</div>
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The wallpaper that had a little torn spot.</div>
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Right by where I was hanging the picture.</div>
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The spot that I started picking at last night.</div>
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And didn't stop until I'd pulled all the wallpaper off the walls!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1zNgBGvYtjM/UaZQXFVSd9I/AAAAAAAAFTg/5AB6MnkJ-3Q/s1600/DSCN2770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1zNgBGvYtjM/UaZQXFVSd9I/AAAAAAAAFTg/5AB6MnkJ-3Q/s320/DSCN2770.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
The before picture. Don't mind the bare bulb hanging from the fan there. It had a weird wicker basket looking shade that drove me crazy. I'm going to be replacing it eventually. But there is the lovely plaid wallpaper.<br />
<br />
All I was peeling off was the front half of the wallpaper - the decorative part. But it came off really easy! What was left was the glue side of the paper that made the room look the walls had once been white, but 30 years of heavy smoking had yellowed it.<br />
<br />
Blech.<br />
<br />
I probably should have taken a mid-project picture at that point, but I didn't.<br />
<br />
I was telling my mom about the remaining paper and my plans to remove it. She said "No, no. All you need is hot water in a squirt bottle and a plastic scraper." So while the kids were outside playing, I went to work. <br />
<br />
I worked one strip at a time, spraying hot water on the whole thing, then gave it a few minutes to soak in. Then I started scraping and peeling. It worked like magic! <br />
<br />
The entire project from the time I worked on it last night plus today's work was only about an hour and a half!<br />
<br />
And now it looks...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OFOfAKjLW9w/UaZQfcFKRwI/AAAAAAAAFTo/NfmXQ_XXjLo/s1600/DSCN3015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OFOfAKjLW9w/UaZQfcFKRwI/AAAAAAAAFTo/NfmXQ_XXjLo/s320/DSCN3015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
...worse than it did with even the yellowed paper.<br />
<br />
Double blech.<br />
<br />
But that's okay. Some paint will fix that. But I can't do that until I get my garden planted. So we have to live with the weird multi-colored walls for a week or so. We'll live.<br />
<br />
<br />
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go start digging my garden!MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-12717801925905678992013-05-26T12:56:00.000-05:002013-05-26T13:05:12.932-05:00Homemade Mayonnaise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v8DlzgEsabI/UaI5m24-meI/AAAAAAAAFOY/-FBnYQMRyhQ/s1600/funny-cat-cooking-catnip-pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v8DlzgEsabI/UaI5m24-meI/AAAAAAAAFOY/-FBnYQMRyhQ/s320/funny-cat-cooking-catnip-pic.jpg" width="311" /></a></div>
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</div>
We currently only have one reliable vehicle. My beloved old Blazer has issues and sits in the driveway most of the time. Unless I have a lot of errands to run, I'm pretty much home all the time because Surfer Pirate needs the pickup to get back and forth to work.<br />
<br />
Which has kind of forced me to be creative when I run out of things. <br />
<br />
One day when I wanted to make sandwiches, I realized we were out of mayonnaise Luckily, a few years ago, my mother had put together a cookbook with her favorite recipes in it, and I was pretty sure there was a recipe in there for homemade mayonnaise. I had made it once years ago, just for the novelty of it, but I never really had a NEED for it.<br />
<br />
Mom learned how to make it at a church function back when she and my dad were still married. He loved it so much that as far as I know, it's STILL the only mayonnaise he uses.<br />
<br />
It's seriously easy and inexpensive, so I thought I would share the recipe:<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Blender Mayonnaise</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
2 Tbsp Vinegar<br />
1/2 tsp Salt<br />
1/2 tsp Mustard<br />
1 Egg<br />
1 Cup Oil<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OFgOu9Xh23g/UaI4rpTMR_I/AAAAAAAAFN4/hZw7IiLYRrc/s1600/DSCN3010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OFgOu9Xh23g/UaI4rpTMR_I/AAAAAAAAFN4/hZw7IiLYRrc/s320/DSCN3010.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Get all your ingredients together because this goes REALLY fast.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k-QN4CwhSHQ/UaI4r6jJMYI/AAAAAAAAFN8/ZdLnAi7yVwY/s1600/DSCN3011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k-QN4CwhSHQ/UaI4r6jJMYI/AAAAAAAAFN8/ZdLnAi7yVwY/s320/DSCN3011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Put the vinegar, salt, mustard, egg and about 1/4 cup of the oil in the blender.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_DCQYyj8cwStPpaWtso9LjM3wxASgpwLc99zeCLUffGp7ptFDlN95g-KeBjHrq2wu520VyCYQ6rDADnBdKrVXT_8ZkXH0iiyrIREV7G9MdaCDWKX0NHNYS4x7Hc0fPTx7ivn3CGiFJ52/s1600/DSCN3012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_DCQYyj8cwStPpaWtso9LjM3wxASgpwLc99zeCLUffGp7ptFDlN95g-KeBjHrq2wu520VyCYQ6rDADnBdKrVXT_8ZkXH0iiyrIREV7G9MdaCDWKX0NHNYS4x7Hc0fPTx7ivn3CGiFJ52/s320/DSCN3012.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Start blending on your highest speed.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSLD-P2LXs0/UaI4w0Kj0LI/AAAAAAAAFOM/B3TsR-wJXBM/s1600/DSCN3013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSLD-P2LXs0/UaI4w0Kj0LI/AAAAAAAAFOM/B3TsR-wJXBM/s320/DSCN3013.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Slowly pour in the rest of the oil while the blender is running. It will get very thick as the oil is added.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2LqgyUFMhwQ/UaI4xMoDDCI/AAAAAAAAFOQ/hIeeGcDFC4s/s1600/DSCN3014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2LqgyUFMhwQ/UaI4xMoDDCI/AAAAAAAAFOQ/hIeeGcDFC4s/s320/DSCN3014.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Pour it all into a jar, and you're done! It will thicken a little as it cools in the refrigerator. <br />
This recipe makes about a 1 1/2 cups of mayo. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Just make sure you always keep it in the fridge as soon as you're done using it. With no preservatives, it will will spoil very quickly!</div>
MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-19369842043398562602013-05-23T22:39:00.001-05:002013-05-23T22:39:33.090-05:00Country Girl?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-urqczfXD6cM/UZ7eNIu0xAI/AAAAAAAAFK4/8at4qvcOWKs/s1600/cat+in+field1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-urqczfXD6cM/UZ7eNIu0xAI/AAAAAAAAFK4/8at4qvcOWKs/s320/cat+in+field1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I always believed I would thrive living in a small town. I get claustrophobic in traffic and don't like crowds. <br />
<br />
But even more than small towns, I always wanted to live in the country. My ultimate dream was to be so far away from my nearest neighbors that I could stand on the roof and not see them. <br />
<br />
I have that now.<br />
<br />
And I love it.<br />
<br />
But let's face it. After 30+ years of living in cities, living in the country for a few months isn't going to make a lot of difference.<br />
<br />
Case in point:<br />
<br />
I made a quick run into town to get snacks for my hard working man. As I was headed down our dirt road, I saw an animal on the side of the road. It looked like it was eating something. I had seen a badger about a mile and a half from our place last fall and wondered if that's what this was. <br />
<br />
Whatever it was, it was pretty brave. A truck driving right past it didn't even deter it from its meal.<br />
<br />
I really wanted to see what it was, so I slowed down, checked to make sure no one was behind me, and started backing slowly up the road.<br />
<br />
When I got there, it hadn't moved. I turned the truck so the headlights were shining on the animal, and then opened the door and stood out the door to look at it. (I wasn't taking any chances on being attacked by an angry badger!)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Dead raccoon.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
But was it really dead? Was it just injured? Was it going to lunge at me? <br />
<br />
So I grabbed a couple of rocks from the road to throw at it.<br />
<br />
Yup.<br />
<br />
It was dead.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
So... um... yeah...<br />
<br />
That's me.<br />
<br />
The brave "Country Girl" throwing rocks at a dead raccoon.<br />
<br />MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-38422945254356723262013-05-10T10:02:00.003-05:002013-05-10T10:03:20.042-05:00Lots of Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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That's my Mommy when she first became a mommy. That's her holding my sister way back in the very groovy and funky early 70's. I would use a picture of her holding me as a baby, but I don't have one on this computer right now.<br />
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And yes, I'm 37 years old and call my mother "Mommy." Why? Because she is The Best Mom Ever. You can try to argue that and say your mom is The Best, but you would be wrong. And considering how many of my friends are trying to get my mom to adopt them, I'm not the only one who shares that opinion. <br />
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Considering that I have ZERO concept of time these days (what year is it now?) I totally forgot that Mother's Day was coming up this soon and didn't leave money in my budget to get anything for my sweet mom. Normally, I would buy her a corsage. It's a traditional thing. On Mother's Day, my mom wears a fresh, pretty corsage to church. And I feel bad that I can't afford to do that for her this year. She deserves something special.<br />
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Although, she did buy us a new printer as a combined Mother's Day/Father's Day gift this year. Maybe I could print some paper flowers and make a corsage? What do you think, Mom? <br />
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It wouldn't get there on time for church this Sunday, but it's the thought that counts, right?<br />
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Instead, I will give her my words.<br />
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My mom had grand plans for her future when she was younger. She wanted 12 kids, and she wanted to be home with them all day. But that's not what happened. She married my dad and had two kids. And then they divorced. She found herself as a single parent, trying to raise two kids and pay the bills all on her own. No chance to be home all day with us, baking cookies and reading stories to us. <br />
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And even though things didn't go the way she planned, I think she did an amazing job. My sister was a National Merit Scholar and went on to follow Mom's footsteps choosing teaching as her chosen profession. I was an honor roll student and provided my mom with the two cutest grandkids there ever was! (Don't argue. I already proved my point about my mom being The Best. I know what I'm talking about.) I also have followed my mom's footsteps in being able to live the dream she always wanted. I'm home all day with my kids, baking cookies and reading stories to them. <br />
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Through the years, my mom always did great things for my sister and me.<br />
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Like making Apricot Tapioca Pudding for us. Which is definitely a genetic thing because Surfer Pirate and Pirate Munchkin don't like it, but Pirate Baby and I can't get enough! It's amazing and delicious and now that I'm thinking about it, I might have to make some today.<br />
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She took us to Jackson Hole, Wyoming every summer to visit our grandparents. As an adult, I know she did that because she couldn't afford to take us other places, and she needed the support and love of her wonderful parents. But to us, that was the greatest adventure! We got to drive through Yellowstone Park, with all of its magnificence. We got to go swimming in the lakes in Teton Park. We went to the Shoot-Outs in Downtown Jackson. We made forts with the neighbor kids out of the bushes near the houses. Grandpa would get us tickets to ride the Alpine Slide. We stood on the deck with our cousins watching the fireworks every 4th of July. I can't even imagine a better place for kids to spend their summers.<br />
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She always listened and always had good advice. Some of my very favorite memories were of the times the three of us would pile on to Mom's bed and just talk for hours.<br />
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My mom taught me the love of reading. She read to me when I was growing up, and I read to my children. She could often be found sitting quietly in her room, with a book in her hands. I too can often be found off by myself with a book in my hands.<br />
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She taught me that my Heavenly Father loves me. She taught me the importance of being faithful to your beliefs even when life gives you challenges. She taught me how to serve others.<br />
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My mother taught me how to love. She taught me how to cherish my children. She showed me through her own wonderful example what a mother is.<br />
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I'm sorry I wasn't able to send you to church with gardenias or orchids this year, Mom. But I wanted you to know just how much I love and appreciate you. Your love and support have gotten me through so many tough times, and I am PROUD to call you My Mother. My Sweet Mommy. My Best Friend.<br />
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Happy Mother's Day, Mom! I love you!</div>
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<br />MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-5796484236118472092013-04-20T23:13:00.000-05:002013-04-20T23:13:07.495-05:00Nine? How is this possible??<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My crazy, silly, fun Pirate Muchkin is 9 years old! How did this happen? <br />
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She's also apparently part reindeer, but that's beside the point.<br />
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I thought I might show some pictures of her through the years so you can see how much fun it is raising this little girl. Plus, I've hardly done any pictures of my kiddos on here lately, so it's about time, right?<br />
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Also, you'll have to forgive me for the gaps in this collection of pictures. I'm limited to just what is on this computer right now. I haven't moved everything over from my old laptop yet.<br />
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Wearing my sandals.</div>
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Laughing.</div>
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This is one of my favorite pictures. She had been in her room for a while and was much too quiet. I went to check on her and found her like this. I have no idea how she managed to get Raggedy Ann onto her back like that!</div>
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The Raggedy Ann & Andy dolls were made by my mom. My sister made the quilt. Don't you just love her little piggie tails?</div>
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I love those little feet!</div>
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Her 3rd birthday. (Wow that was a crappy camera!)</div>
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Cute little girl in a polka-dot dress.</div>
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My brown-eyed girl.</div>
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Little Princess</div>
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So grown up with her first backpack! (Back then, she called it her Pack-Pack.)</div>
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She loves animals (especially her cat)</div>
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...and her little brother.</div>
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I love you, my little rock star!</div>
<br />MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-38871881371191773082013-03-29T13:49:00.000-05:002013-03-29T13:55:16.169-05:00Just my thoughts...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My mind has been heavy thinking about some very serious things lately. Our country is in a point of some major political upheavals. I'm concerned about a lot of things, but I'm only going to touch on one of those issues today.<br />
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First of all, I am NOT a political person. I don't get into political debates, and I pretty much only vote every four years when the time comes to elect a President. But I watch. I've been deeply saddened by the way my beloved country is straying farther and farther from the way it was set up by our founding fathers. The national debt has skyrocketed to terrifying heights, corruption and favoritism is running rampant, etc. <br />
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There is a current issue that has been a really big deal in the social medias these days. I got sucked into another political debate recently - with the gun control issues after the school shooting last December. I posted things on facebook that went along with my beliefs, and I got some flack from some of my friends about it. That's when I stopped. I had figured that my friends would handle those things the way I do. If I don't agree with something, I just scroll past it. If it's something I agree with, I might Like it or even repost it. No debates, no stress, just stating my opinion. I forgot that people don't always think and react the way I do. I learned my lesson. When it comes to heated debates, I'm out of it.<br />
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Does that make me a chicken? Maybe. But I've seen too many friendships end over differences of opinion.<br />
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Anyway, with the current issue of Gay Marriage, while I'm avoiding posting my opinion on facebook, I can't stay completely quiet on the subject.<br />
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I struggled for a long time trying to weigh out my feelings on the subject. I listened to both sides of the argument, but I kept finding myself somewhere in the middle. But WHERE in the middle was I? It really boiled down to a single word to me. "Marriage." What did I personally think marriage was? How did that influence my opinion on this very difficult subject?<br />
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Then, I was on facebook one day, and discovered that a friend of mine was online. This was my opportunity. You see, my friend is gay. He is in a very committed, loving relationship and has been quite vocal about the gay marriage issue. So, I brought up the discussion with him.<br />
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Heterosexual versus Homosexual. Gay versus Straight. There are different terms for the different sexual orientations. In your opinion, is the issue about the word "Marriage" itself, or would you be content with a different word? <br />
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He told me that he uses the term Marriage because it is the most understood term, but he would be perfectly happy to have a Civil Union. He told me that in his opinion, a Civil Union is where the government would protect him and his partner just as if they were a heterosexual couple. Things like being able to be on each other's insurance, the ability to make decisions regarding medical issues, that kind of thing. He feels that churches should have the right to decide if they are going to perform marriages for gay couples or not - but as American citizens, any consenting adult should have all the same civil rights as anyone else.<br />
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That was it. That was the first thing in the whole debate that rang true for me. Civil Unions! THAT'S what I believe in. I believe the government should give the same rights to all US citizens - no matter their sexual orientation. <br />
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I know there are members of my church who would disagree with me on this, but I have searched my conscience, and I feel perfectly comfortable with my beliefs in this. I see marriage and civil unions as two different things. If there are churches who want to perform marriages between two men or two women just like they do for a man and a woman, that's their business. But I think the government should treat us all equally. The Declaration of Independence says:<br />
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<span style="background-color: #e9e6e2; color: #463e3e; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><i>We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.</i></span><br />
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ALL men (or People, for the policially correct) have the right to persue happiness. I have always read that to mean that we have been given the right to persue what it is that makes us happy - as long as what we are doing is not damaging to someone else. Obviously, if your version of happiness means shooting people in the foot, that's not a good thing. But if you just want to have a quiet peaceful life with someone you love, what's the harm in that? My happiness in this world revolves around my beloved husband and our two beautiful children. My friend's happiness revolves around something just as simple. If my friend has the ability to join in a legal union with his partner, who are they hurting? They'll go about their day, doing their jobs, taking care of their pets, creating beauty in the world (you should see my friend's plants!), and most of all - loving each other. <br />
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Why should he be punished just because he isn't physically attracted to women?<br />
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It's simple. He shouldn't.MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-52171970856611914062013-03-24T13:14:00.001-05:002013-03-24T13:14:39.371-05:00Hawaiian Pineapple Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been reminded periodically that I've left my readers hanging about something for a while. I mentioned in <a href="http://mtgracie.blogspot.com/2013/01/worth-try.html" target="_blank">this post</a> that life has taken me in different directions and I haven't gotten around to explaining what that meant.<br />
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Once we got done moving, life started settling down for us. Between the peace of not having to look for housing anymore and having some of our financial worries settled, my stress level was much lower. Stress is paralyzing. I spent so much time in front of my computer in the past because I was so stressed I couldn't function. <br />
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On top of that, our old house was very compartmentalized. If I was in the kitchen, I couldn't see what the kids were up to in the living room. So in order to keep up with what my very busy toddler was up to, it was really easy to justify sitting in the living room with him all day. With my laptop sitting right next to my chair, it was even easier to play with my computer for hours at a time.<br />
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In this house, I have a clear shot from the kitchen into the living room. So most of the time now, I will go online for a little while in the morning when I wake up. I might check in again around lunchtime. But for the most part, if the computer is on at all, it's in the kitchen with me. I watch a lot of movies or TV series on Netflix when I'm in the kitchen so I stay focused on staying in that room. I don't have the stress I had before, so I have more motivation to keep the house clean and organized. <br />
<br />
Which also means I've done a TON more baking and enjoying my time in the kitchen creating things.<br />
<br />
One day, I REALLY wanted cookies. But I didn't want the same old chocolate chip or peanut butter cookies I usually make. Several years ago, my mom put together a cookbook of all her favorite recipes. I decided to peruse through it and see what new recipes I could try.<br />
<br />
These Hawaiian Pineapple Cookies have quickly become one of my very favorites. <br />
<br />
<br />
The recipe is originally from a cookbook called <u>A Pinch of Salt Lake</u> by Amy Bowman.<br />
<br />
<b>Hawaiian Pineapple Cookies</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
1/2 Cup Shortening<br />
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar<br />
1/2 Cup Sugar<br />
1 Egg<br />
1/2 Cup Drained Crushed Pineapple* (save juice)<br />
1 tsp Vanilla<br />
2 Cups Flour<br />
1/4 tsp Salt<br />
1/4 tsp Baking Soda<br />
1 tsp Baking Powder<br />
1/2 Cup Chopped Nuts (macadamia, pecans, almonds, etc), <i>optional</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Frosting:<br />
2 Cups Powdered Sugar<br />
2 Tbsp Butter, softened<br />
1/2 tsp Vanilla<br />
2 or 3 Tbsp Reserved Pineapple Juice (or more)<br />
<br />
Topping:<br />
3/4 Cup Flaked Toasted Coconut<br />
<br />
*I only had pineapple chunks on hand, so I threw them in a blender for a few seconds, then squeezed the pineapple through a sieve to drain the juice.<br />
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A quick note on toasting the coconut. It's really easy, but needs to be done cautiously. Bake the coconut on a cookie sheet for 7 to 12 minutes. Stir it every 2 to 3 minutes to make sure all the coconut is toasted evenly. If you're like me, you'll want to toast a LOT more than you'll need for the cookies. I can't stay out of the stuff!<br />
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Put all the cookie ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well. <span style="text-align: center;">Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheets.</span><br />
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While they are baking, make the frosting. Put all the frosting ingredients in a small bowl.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qh8RNqOZpgw/UTotJwalznI/AAAAAAAADGw/hXqeV5a38BQ/s1600/DSCN2876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qh8RNqOZpgw/UTotJwalznI/AAAAAAAADGw/hXqeV5a38BQ/s320/DSCN2876.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Mix until fluffy. </div>
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Frost the cookies. If the frosting is too thick, you can heat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds and then stir. Then, dip the cookies in the toasted coconut.</div>
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Try not to eat the entire batch in one sitting. It's really tempting, I know.</div>
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MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-86961540781849589512013-03-02T00:24:00.000-06:002013-03-02T00:33:34.200-06:00Birthdays<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6NkREkJG_h8/UTGFb-tTAhI/AAAAAAAAB-U/LkWd_LoyQbQ/s1600/Birthday+Candles.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6NkREkJG_h8/UTGFb-tTAhI/AAAAAAAAB-U/LkWd_LoyQbQ/s320/Birthday+Candles.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The idea of my birthday has been a pretty sore subject for many years.<br />
<br />
Even though my ex wasn't exactly a stellar husband, he was really good about making me feel important on my birthday. By comparison, my sweet Surfer Pirate is an excellent husband all the time, but not so great at gift-giving occasions. <br />
<br />
But more on that later.<br />
<br />
The string of crummy birthdays started in 2008. I had been divorced for a few months. I was dating one local guy, and involved with several different men online. Three of those guys actually asked if they could come to Montana and take me out for my birthday, but Mr Local had already secured the date a month in advance. Which made me feel really special because he was dating several other girls. I continued to feel special until the night of my birthday... when he showed up more than two hours late. He took me to a buffet restaurant, where he spent the meal staring at the cute, size-2 waitress. I debated leaving and walking home. After dinner, he drove me straight home, dropped me off in the street and left. Classy.<br />
<br />
*For the record, the next week was MUCH better. The next day, I traded in my evil Dodge Stratus for my pickup truck, and met Surfer Pirate just a few days later.<br />
<br />
2009 - I had a miscarriage two weeks earlier. I was very worried about my dad's failing health. And to add to the fun, I was laid off from my job along with 13 other people. Yes, that's right. Laid off from a job I loved ON MY BIRTHDAY. I cried the rest of the day except when we went out to eat (as previously planned) and I stressed about how we would pay for it since I no longer had a job. <br />
<br />
2010 - We were dead broke, I was still unemployed, and I have no idea what we did because it was all so depressing.<br />
<br />
2011 - We had a 2 month old baby. My dad had died the day before, and Surfer Pirate was dealing with some major personal issues. We went out to eat, and then the next day (maybe 2 days later?) the kids and I were on a plane to Seattle to be there to support my mom and attend the funeral. <br />
<br />
Last year, we were so broke that we could only afford one thing. A nice dinner, a nice cake, or a gift. I chose a DQ ice cream cake because... well, who wouldn't??<br />
<br />
So this year, I was STUNNED when I realized that we had enough money that I could actually have a REAL birthday! Woo hoo!!<br />
<br />
In comes Surfer Pirate. Like I said. Gifts? Not exactly his thing. He always worries about buying the wrong thing. He tries to insist that I just buy what I really want, but I refuse. I like for him to pick something out for me. I try to give him as many good ideas as I can so he knows he's getting something I like. But this year, I only wanted one thing.<br />
<br />
This ankle bracelet:<br />
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<br />
I love it. Delicate and pretty with little tiny angel wings on it. It makes me think of my sister - my personal guardian angel. I made sure Surfer Pirate knew that this was all I wanted and that he had all the information he needed to so he could buy it. <br />
<br />
He didn't get his paycheck until the day before my birthday, so I knew I wouldn't get my ankle bracelet in time for my birthday, but at least it would be on its way. <br />
<br />
The day came, and I reminded him again that he needed to order my present. He made the final attempt to get me to just do the shopping for myself. I gave in. He was right. I ordered it. It is supposed to arrive the end of next week.<br />
<br />
I thought a lot about what I wanted to do with my birthday. Pirate Munchkin was pushing HARD for supper at DQ (can you tell our DQ closes during the winter and it's a big deal that they open in mid to late February??) I really didn't want greasy fast food for my birthday. But what did I want? And then it hit me - t-bones. I wanted a juicy, flavorful t-bone for my birthday. Which meant I had to cook it myself. I've gotten REALLY good at cooking steak and I no longer trust anyone else to do it. Plus, I had Yukon Gold potatoes - which make THE BEST mashed potatoes. And I wanted another ice cream cake. <br />
<br />
So that's what we had this year. Steak with mashed potatoes and a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard Ice Cream Cake (doesn't that sound amazing? It soooo is!) Plus, I got a surprise package in the mail from another loved one with some fun jewelry in it. I told Surfer Pirate that I felt spoiled this year, and he said I deserve to be spoiled all the time.<br />
<br />
I needed that. <br />
<br />
<br />
*I should mention that my mom spoils me every year. She has been the light through all these rough birthdays. Her latest thing is she gets me Amazon gift cards and I have lots of fun figuring out how I can get the most things off my Amazon Wish List. This year, she ordered my gift card early, so I had all my gifts here at least a week before my birthday had even arrived!<br />
<br />MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-78086482508193359492013-02-22T23:15:00.000-06:002013-02-22T23:15:38.825-06:00Where Ever They May Go<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VXDM7Wu11zQ/UShCL7kKsAI/AAAAAAAAB7w/jAn1FLXiko0/s1600/angel+baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VXDM7Wu11zQ/UShCL7kKsAI/AAAAAAAAB7w/jAn1FLXiko0/s400/angel+baby.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Picture from <a href="http://nurturingthenaturalmama.blogspot.com/2011/05/too-beautiful-for-earth-heavens-newest.html" target="_blank">this website</a>. Another sad story of loss.</span></div>
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<br />
Many, many years ago, I found myself wondering about miscarriages and what happens to those little babies. I have always believed that from the very creation of that tiny little embryo, there is a spirit attached to that microscopic little body.<br />
<br />
When that little body dies before it can be born - especially in the early weeks of pregnancy, where does that spirit go?<br />
<br />
I never dreamed back then that it would be such a personal subject for me one day.<br />
<br />
<br />
When I lost my first little forget-me-not, I felt like my world had ended. After far too many years of infertility, I was finally pregnant with a child that was truly, completely and utterly mine! It was not my first baby, of course. My sweet Pirate Munchkin was the product of adoption - something very close to my heart. But an actual biological child that I would have the chance to grow and nurture with my own body and who would look like me? That was different! And to lose it at just 7 weeks was devastating! <br />
<br />
I felt so very alone at first. I knew almost nothing about how many, many people around me had been through the very same thing. <br />
<br />
As I poured out my heart to my mother (who had also had a miscarriage, but it was under difficult circumstances and she didn't feel the painful loss with hers that I was feeling), we talked about how I didn't know where my baby was.<br />
<br />
That's when she told me about my grandmothers.<br />
<br />
My maternal grandmother - her mother - had lost a baby. She felt afterwards that the spirit of that child was waiting in Heaven for her. It would not be coming to earth with a body. That confirmed what I had always figured.<br />
<br />
However, my father's mother had a different experience. She lost a baby before my father was born. She felt that the spirit attached to that pregnancy was my father. She believed that he had been called back to the pre-earth world for reasons I won't get into here. When she got pregnant again, he was ready to be born. <br />
<br />
<br />
I lost my first pregnancy in February of 2009. My third pregnancy was lost in January 2012, shortly after Pirate Baby's first birthday. These first two months of the year always make me edgy now. Both of my babies are represented by forget-me-not charms that I wear around my neck and almost never take off. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0ezgTdx7vPQrRRHIyQTWu1zIhtne2PIN-qXeUkFSnPsYUU1sVSq1qZel9sj0QYrlDgGyiH8kFFnqfssYfye38ODhQ5wDfvxIBhWOmMtog-tP5z5h9m3J1KqPvVhn2bYTxEI5-SncWJXl/s1600/395841_3134958010353_314139833_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0ezgTdx7vPQrRRHIyQTWu1zIhtne2PIN-qXeUkFSnPsYUU1sVSq1qZel9sj0QYrlDgGyiH8kFFnqfssYfye38ODhQ5wDfvxIBhWOmMtog-tP5z5h9m3J1KqPvVhn2bYTxEI5-SncWJXl/s320/395841_3134958010353_314139833_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The one on the left is the first - the blue stone represents the month of September, when it was due. The purple stone for February - when I lost it. On the right, August due date (green) and January loss (red). <br />
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<br />
As the time has passed with each of my losses, I have had the opportunity to ponder what I feel whispering to me from the other side of the separation of earth and the spirit world. <br />
<br />
My first loss still breaks my heart every time I think of it. There is a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uitBzi57PVE" target="_blank">song</a> that my sweet husband loves, and the rare times he plays it around me, I sob as if I'm right back there in the cold winter months of 2009. I cry ugly tears and feel like my heart is being ripped right out of my chest. I cling to that one little flowered pendant through the whole song. I clearly feel that little spirit at my sister's side in Heaven. She watches over it for me until I my time comes to join them. I think it's a boy.<br />
<br />
The second one is different.<br />
<br />
I didn't feel the same sense of loss with that one. At first, I believed it was because I had my precious little boy to hold and snuggle when I was upset. I had to take care of him, and his little smile helped me get through the tough days. So I wondered right from the start, was this one going to be like my paternal grandmother's experience? Like my father, was that little spirit called back for reasons I didn't know? Would I still see that child in this life? <br />
<br />
My mother and I discussed the idea of getting another charm for that lost baby. We decided to do it. When it arrived, it felt like it belonged with the other one. <br />
<br />
As time has gone by however, I don't know if it is necessary.<br />
<br />
I have felt for quite some time that there is a little spirit who is very anxious to be born. I feel it sort of hovering around me, impatiently. What I DON'T feel is a second spirit by my sister's side. And I DON'T feel a sense of paralyzing grief when I think of that loss.<br />
<br />
One day recently, I was talking with my mother (can you tell she's my best friend?) about being good people so we can be with our loved ones in Heaven. <br />
<br />
It just slipped out of my mouth.<br />
<br />
While I had felt it for some time, I hadn't really acknowledged it to anyone else. <br />
<br />
I said, "I want to be with my sister and my baby."<br />
<br />
Baby.<br />
<br />
Singular.<br />
<br />
<br />
Were there reasons here in this life why that might not have been the best time for me to be pregnant? Absolutely! 2012 was a time of EXTREME stress for our family. Financial issues that came to a rather dramatic end, combined with a very stressful and difficult move. It had occurred to me in the middle of moving that I was up to my due date. If that pregnancy had continued, I would have been right at the end of it as we were trying to move our entire household. Being the time of year it was (harvest season), I had to do almost the entire move by myself. If I had been pregnant at the time, that would have been impossible. If I had gone early with that one like I did with Pirate Baby, I would have had TWO babies to take with me as I went back and forth, back and forth with load after load of boxes and furniture. <br />
<br />
Clearly, the Lord knew better than I did.<br />
<br />
And maybe, like my grandmother felt about my father, that child needed to stay a little longer for reasons in the spirit world. I will probably never know until my turn comes to join my loved ones in Heaven. <br />
<br />
So for now, I wait.<br />
<br />
I wait for that little spirit who has been so insistent to join our family here on Earth. <br />
<br />
I wait to see what will happen. Will I leave the 2nd charm on my necklace? Or when I hold my next child in my arms, will I feel the time has come to remove it?<br />
<br />
<br />MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-67311687932158989692013-02-03T14:20:00.002-06:002013-02-03T20:02:34.492-06:00Not Always a Good Thing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3mQsAWJa_U0/UQ67-giOrwI/AAAAAAAAB5s/PlV51B9nFA8/s1600/cannot+be+unseen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3mQsAWJa_U0/UQ67-giOrwI/AAAAAAAAB5s/PlV51B9nFA8/s1600/cannot+be+unseen.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
While long hair can be a really good thing, it's not a look that works on everyone.<br />
<br />
Just for fun, let's discuss some celebrities that definitely should NOT have long hair, shall we?<br />
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<br />
Arnold Schwarzenegger.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ESXOugEIQCc/UQ67EySuSDI/AAAAAAAAB38/Pmaz48KQwwg/s1600/Arnold+Schwarzenneger+-+normal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ESXOugEIQCc/UQ67EySuSDI/AAAAAAAAB38/Pmaz48KQwwg/s1600/Arnold+Schwarzenneger+-+normal.jpg" /></a></div>
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Here's how he normally looks. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vn-jWdSnISo/UQ67FrBVZbI/AAAAAAAAB4I/v8OgTiEH9q8/s1600/Arnold_Schwarzenegger+-+long+hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vn-jWdSnISo/UQ67FrBVZbI/AAAAAAAAB4I/v8OgTiEH9q8/s320/Arnold_Schwarzenegger+-+long+hair.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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Here he is with long hair, from the movie Conan the Barbarian from 1982. </div>
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I figured since I listed Jason Momoa in the more recent Conan movie in my last blog, I should include this one for contrast. So, so, so, so wrong! Not only does Arnie look HORRIBLE with long hair, they didn't even get the look right! Conan is supposed to have long BLACK hair, not blonde. The 1982 version of the movie was horribly written and acted with a blonde Conan. Everyone involved with that movie should be forced to sit and watch it non-stop for a month as punishment.</div>
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George Clooney.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW1IvqdXrMJaaX4q6x9XgZQTPX0s44SPtbr7_w-iUSJ7pzjiOpHVfNLX12DdulUB5E43RYJMiXi45ZSFhW7iz8ske0zNOLfkufzQFcXmdmcGY6LPp30vMRM1e8IX72Mm_lnpb6-EEkhLZ-/s1600/George+Clooney.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW1IvqdXrMJaaX4q6x9XgZQTPX0s44SPtbr7_w-iUSJ7pzjiOpHVfNLX12DdulUB5E43RYJMiXi45ZSFhW7iz8ske0zNOLfkufzQFcXmdmcGY6LPp30vMRM1e8IX72Mm_lnpb6-EEkhLZ-/s320/George+Clooney.jpeg" width="256" /></a></div>
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George Clooney is constantly being listed as one of the sexiest men alive. He's got a rugged handsomeness that lots of women find appealing. Age has been good to him. If anything, he gets better looking as time goes by.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aGZVoQwK5Pk/UQ67EyuGhwI/AAAAAAAAB4A/5FfPVK6nUs0/s1600/George+Clooney+-+long+hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aGZVoQwK5Pk/UQ67EyuGhwI/AAAAAAAAB4A/5FfPVK6nUs0/s1600/George+Clooney+-+long+hair.jpg" /></a></div>
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George Clooney with long hair.</div>
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AAAAAAAAAGH!! Burn it! Burn it!</div>
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Tom Hanks.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9PvEuO7WUdU/UQ67-iWrhuI/AAAAAAAAB5w/7O9uXxF0LBU/s1600/Tom+Hanks+-+short+hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9PvEuO7WUdU/UQ67-iWrhuI/AAAAAAAAB5w/7O9uXxF0LBU/s320/Tom+Hanks+-+short+hair.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Award winning actor. Known for being a kind, sensitive kind of guy.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_MW5Cx1mibA/UQ67-Gr2IJI/AAAAAAAAB5o/2-qkUlZIr9c/s1600/Tom+Hanks+-+young+long+hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_MW5Cx1mibA/UQ67-Gr2IJI/AAAAAAAAB5o/2-qkUlZIr9c/s1600/Tom+Hanks+-+young+long+hair.jpg" /></a></div>
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Tom Hanks as a young man with long hair. </div>
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Words cannot express the horror...</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GVg-H0HZeus/UQ679nI8buI/AAAAAAAAB5k/o96cb_wrlFw/s1600/Tom+Hanks+-+old+long+hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GVg-H0HZeus/UQ679nI8buI/AAAAAAAAB5k/o96cb_wrlFw/s1600/Tom+Hanks+-+old+long+hair.jpg" /></a></div>
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Tom Hanks as an old man with long hair.</div>
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The horror continues...</div>
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Nicolas Cage.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRx73NDje0tbzRDD_m4ikf1kY3Vf6OxjSoKiTfocwOijn5vUhEXeI15UsxfrRx_iDboMro7sUVbTPUQ-zQvT6vdUpn6KTwhWMqYU2FA6SfMDuVC1aQCq3iHHm5BGjuTnSMfZWrHoFuaeE/s1600/Nicolas+Cage+-+short+hair+gone+in+60.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRx73NDje0tbzRDD_m4ikf1kY3Vf6OxjSoKiTfocwOijn5vUhEXeI15UsxfrRx_iDboMro7sUVbTPUQ-zQvT6vdUpn6KTwhWMqYU2FA6SfMDuVC1aQCq3iHHm5BGjuTnSMfZWrHoFuaeE/s320/Nicolas+Cage+-+short+hair+gone+in+60.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
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Nicolas Cage gets a lot of flack these days. I realize he makes lots of goofy faces and has no problem with taking on all kinds of movie roles. I still like him, and I think he's kind of cute.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDm3S4kRRWh1obZ4hywrnyYPCwPqds8AkHCTBqFiiPgje_ILsknBnU_miwKFLStW58l6J9ibDds6Z7vl5h7F2zO9lA2sstomqfF1MeACcFZXzFM50NJrL0G-xuUfMpfXnI7ph4FZa1qkVW/s1600/Nicholas-Cage+-+long+hair+not+horrible.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDm3S4kRRWh1obZ4hywrnyYPCwPqds8AkHCTBqFiiPgje_ILsknBnU_miwKFLStW58l6J9ibDds6Z7vl5h7F2zO9lA2sstomqfF1MeACcFZXzFM50NJrL0G-xuUfMpfXnI7ph4FZa1qkVW/s320/Nicholas-Cage+-+long+hair+not+horrible.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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He sported long hair for the movie Con Air back in 1997. It's not horrible, but definitely not the best look for him.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CDLxBh2fGUc/UQ67dPaObCI/AAAAAAAAB5E/wUKI7ZB490I/s1600/Nicholas+Cage+-+long+hair+confused.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CDLxBh2fGUc/UQ67dPaObCI/AAAAAAAAB5E/wUKI7ZB490I/s320/Nicholas+Cage+-+long+hair+confused.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>
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I'm not sure what movie role this might be from, or what on earth made him go for the long hair in this picture, but he even looks confused about the whole thing.</div>
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Now a word on John Travolta.</div>
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He made a name for himself in the show Welcome Back, Kotter back in the mid 70's. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2BSDw5QhTsg/UQ67HWgnSJI/AAAAAAAAB4c/b8bJe6NLzKQ/s1600/John+Travolta+-+long+hair+sweathog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2BSDw5QhTsg/UQ67HWgnSJI/AAAAAAAAB4c/b8bJe6NLzKQ/s1600/John+Travolta+-+long+hair+sweathog.jpg" /></a></div>
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This is what he looked like back then.</div>
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I was never a big fan of that look.</div>
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But as time passed, I realized he was getting better looking as he aged.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGjzps1xJzokna8vBJmi-U_DYS85ZwzDW87GRxAcCDrwTqGdpwkSO8LArhog3MwG-x-8IGAWHYgvoCuQtHxUWcMFgX1jknFECIep3lhuic7p6NjGXyu_CbNYCsHXcJSg6a-vpeLULhCsb/s1600/John+Travolta+-+short+hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGjzps1xJzokna8vBJmi-U_DYS85ZwzDW87GRxAcCDrwTqGdpwkSO8LArhog3MwG-x-8IGAWHYgvoCuQtHxUWcMFgX1jknFECIep3lhuic7p6NjGXyu_CbNYCsHXcJSg6a-vpeLULhCsb/s1600/John+Travolta+-+short+hair.jpg" /></a></div>
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Yum.</div>
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I can't say he's continued on that trend over the last decade or so. He definitely hit his peak at one point and then started going back downhill. Along the way, we've been treated to some "lovely" long-haired looks.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BQawobD70i4/UQ67GxTgtHI/AAAAAAAAB4U/H76mkbUzaHQ/s1600/John+Travolta+-+long+hair+Michael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BQawobD70i4/UQ67GxTgtHI/AAAAAAAAB4U/H76mkbUzaHQ/s1600/John+Travolta+-+long+hair+Michael.jpg" /></a></div>
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From the movie Michael back in 1996.</div>
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Blech.</div>
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In 1994, Pulp Fiction was a REALLY popular film. His hair in that movie was greasy and long and just plain gross.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCbiwnY_zhuQmSYEjQsRYlHHE-fDNfoHWh4wev-Y30ToKHW8IKO6c7Nvaz9t0Stmk4n7ScGh2E5-9-KxyP_5oZ2eywP8z3vAc8Y-XQXjvy6osDaHtkPQyobPGhDPL_EZdk7UgvBT4lDuX8/s1600/John+Travolta+-+Pulp+Fiction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCbiwnY_zhuQmSYEjQsRYlHHE-fDNfoHWh4wev-Y30ToKHW8IKO6c7Nvaz9t0Stmk4n7ScGh2E5-9-KxyP_5oZ2eywP8z3vAc8Y-XQXjvy6osDaHtkPQyobPGhDPL_EZdk7UgvBT4lDuX8/s1600/John+Travolta+-+Pulp+Fiction.jpg" /></a></div>
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Here it is down.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p8gVAeYT4MY/UQ67Fpsni7I/AAAAAAAAB4M/4eC3qKf1d2Y/s1600/John+Travolta+-+Pulp+Fiction+ponytail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p8gVAeYT4MY/UQ67Fpsni7I/AAAAAAAAB4M/4eC3qKf1d2Y/s1600/John+Travolta+-+Pulp+Fiction+ponytail.jpg" /></a></div>
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Even pulling it back in a ponytail didn't help.</div>
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Double blech.</div>
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So there ya go. Long hair is not always a good thing.</div>
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Now... does anyone know where I can get some eye bleach?<br />
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*<span style="font-size: x-small;">As in my last blog entry, the pictures here all came from a Google Image Search. Sorry I didn't take the time to list all the actual sources.</span></div>
MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-59748151223673963952013-01-22T14:36:00.001-06:002013-01-22T14:40:16.115-06:00And the Winner, By a Hair...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXeI14ROjlZmlRrthnPfvV-uz9XZIBtlcFVoQJB_sGH9aNlJn0ggtoqFhCCqGt9jycbO4lVTU5TsPwJuVW_XLqf4gaCxb7Z1YQtq-lcCAFk8ZkwpW8qvffW7ubpD13sLXvj35tgYHu7kVk/s1600/Lolcat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXeI14ROjlZmlRrthnPfvV-uz9XZIBtlcFVoQJB_sGH9aNlJn0ggtoqFhCCqGt9jycbO4lVTU5TsPwJuVW_XLqf4gaCxb7Z1YQtq-lcCAFk8ZkwpW8qvffW7ubpD13sLXvj35tgYHu7kVk/s320/Lolcat.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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I was probably in junior high school when I realized I had a thing for guys with long hair.<br />
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One of my earliest memories of that is from this:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rl7dt3fcnU8/UP7nSPAerYI/AAAAAAAABxQ/ExBtt1CSebQ/s1600/Menudo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rl7dt3fcnU8/UP7nSPAerYI/AAAAAAAABxQ/ExBtt1CSebQ/s1600/Menudo.jpg" /></a></div>
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I'd known about Menudo for years. When your mom is a Spanish teacher, you learn about things like that. But they didn't really become mainstream in the English speaking part of America until I was in junior high. That's when they started being featured in the teen magazines. I think I might have even had this poster at one point. <br />
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Anyway, see the guy on the left with the white shirt? That's Sergio. I was very much in love with him.<br />
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And my obsession with long hair on guys had begun.<br />
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For the record. Sergio grew up. And he kept the long hair.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5LXi4jEoRqw/UP7nSseak_I/AAAAAAAABxU/6CVaVi291pw/s1600/Sergio+Blass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5LXi4jEoRqw/UP7nSseak_I/AAAAAAAABxU/6CVaVi291pw/s320/Sergio+Blass.jpg" width="141" /></a></div>
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Oh my.<br />
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Surfer Pirate has expressed an interest in growing his hair out again. I'll get back to that subject in a little bit, but that got me thinking about a funny story from my high school days involving another guy with long hair.<br />
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I was a freshman. He was a junior. I had seen him in the halls from time to time and just thought he was adorable. His hair came to his shoulders. He was really cute when it was down and loose, but when it was pulled back in a ponytail? Be still my heart!!<br />
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Turned out he was one of my mom's students and apparently a really nice guy as well.<br />
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He was in one of those tough situations where his parents split custody for half of the year. He would go to school in Montana for part of the year, and then he would finish up the year back east somewhere - I had heard in a fancy prep school somewhere. <br />
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Unfortunately for me, I was usually pretty shy around really cute guys until I got to meet them. And when you're too shy to even say "Hi", it's kind of hard to introduce yourself. I'd been trying to get the nerve to speak to Mr Ponytail when he was suddenly gone. Custody change. I was disappointed, but at least I hadn't started something just to have it taken away. I figured I would see him again in the fall and I could try then.<br />
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One bright, sunny, summer day, I was at a park near my house for a music festival that was happening there. My house wasn't too far away, and I decided I would walk home for some lunch and then go back in the afternoon. As I was leaving the park, Mr Ponytail walked past me with a friend. I was STUNNED! I was so shocked to see him that I couldn't even think! If I had been able to think, I might have said to myself, "Now's your chance, crazy girl! SAY SOMETHING TO HIM." Instead, my whole brain shut down. Once he was past the trees and could no longer see me, I collapsed to my knees. <br />
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Later, I really regretted that I didn't say anything to him at that moment. I never saw him again. I assume he must have decided that he didn't want to switch schools halfway through his senior year and was just there for the summer.<br />
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I can't say I knew him, so I can't say it was a huge loss to me that I never got to know him.<br />
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But he had some amazing hair!<br />
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My love affair with long-haired guys continues to this day. Oddly enough, I've only ever dated one guy that had actual long hair, and that was very short lived. (I don't count guys with the mullets that were oh-so-popular when I was in high school. That was only long in the back. Just not the same.) <br />
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The ponytail has never lost its appeal to me either.<br />
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Here are some fun object lessons to show you what I mean:<br />
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Let's start with Antonio Banderas.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8x7maAHVBdQ/UP7m5pwGN_I/AAAAAAAABwM/4t1kDUZttdM/s1600/Antonio+Banderas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8x7maAHVBdQ/UP7m5pwGN_I/AAAAAAAABwM/4t1kDUZttdM/s1600/Antonio+Banderas.jpg" /></a></div>
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With long hair</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HxjwxDcikJw/UP7m5dNKugI/AAAAAAAABwI/cI1Y4_Yl8Z0/s1600/Antonio+Banderas+Desperado.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HxjwxDcikJw/UP7m5dNKugI/AAAAAAAABwI/cI1Y4_Yl8Z0/s1600/Antonio+Banderas+Desperado.jpg" /></a></div>
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Pulled back in a ponytail for the movie Desperado</div>
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Val Kilmer.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcLwYLeGKhUg4wtgr1M81ovPDR921rcY6uc8VIPGg8bSqYK1GlNdVMEeWWZZo4516qw-jP6tHGxTabFnj3lRAmAcLUTJMXzpMrzQ9GqhFfJgACB3dVxsysaH7Cq7I0A4X6XFZD-uZujYY6/s1600/Val+Kilmer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcLwYLeGKhUg4wtgr1M81ovPDR921rcY6uc8VIPGg8bSqYK1GlNdVMEeWWZZo4516qw-jP6tHGxTabFnj3lRAmAcLUTJMXzpMrzQ9GqhFfJgACB3dVxsysaH7Cq7I0A4X6XFZD-uZujYY6/s1600/Val+Kilmer.jpg" /></a></div>
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Semi-long hair of his own</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18fyLbN_I1nsshMr7UEXPyTx1PCml_YbhtKTT1n-U_GCASfS1BXcjSVBaarQXQbi-Z2rIH6TNs3laFKPZfo5GS5MMRXkUEi9Nkm-JBu5kyly8atoyvPFUoUJlWDSvaf3vTeBevJbiDb3E/s1600/Val+Kilmer+Saint+-+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18fyLbN_I1nsshMr7UEXPyTx1PCml_YbhtKTT1n-U_GCASfS1BXcjSVBaarQXQbi-Z2rIH6TNs3laFKPZfo5GS5MMRXkUEi9Nkm-JBu5kyly8atoyvPFUoUJlWDSvaf3vTeBevJbiDb3E/s320/Val+Kilmer+Saint+-+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IIOrXiOR-wY/UP7n5FeAP6I/AAAAAAAABxw/lVEZKNvnWLE/s1600/Val+Kilmer+Saint+-+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IIOrXiOR-wY/UP7n5FeAP6I/AAAAAAAABxw/lVEZKNvnWLE/s320/Val+Kilmer+Saint+-+2.PNG" width="248" /></a></div>
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Two different long hair looks from the movie The Saint (where he changes his look a dozen times or so)</div>
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The always amazing Johnny Depp.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMRcE3KtD8_PpQAB7H4ZMCE9G3VsHD-z9lLWOaeR8Ld-qBzYaG6MR6Nd0v3ISlI1BoPFGBPvkIAMEKrIY4BD0nSD362cTfs_XqOPtjNoFGv8TrBo4uke9B921k_JnHWMkp_0_IlKI3kwEP/s1600/johnny-depp-best-hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMRcE3KtD8_PpQAB7H4ZMCE9G3VsHD-z9lLWOaeR8Ld-qBzYaG6MR6Nd0v3ISlI1BoPFGBPvkIAMEKrIY4BD0nSD362cTfs_XqOPtjNoFGv8TrBo4uke9B921k_JnHWMkp_0_IlKI3kwEP/s320/johnny-depp-best-hair.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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His beautiful natural hair</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XYXdu-CxZ_k/UP7nSMX29xI/AAAAAAAABxM/Lm3MvizL84c/s1600/Johnny+Depp+Ponytail+Front.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XYXdu-CxZ_k/UP7nSMX29xI/AAAAAAAABxM/Lm3MvizL84c/s1600/Johnny+Depp+Ponytail+Front.PNG" /></a></div>
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Wearing a messy ponytail in the movie Chocolat</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTvVkW2tXo-10Fqk0PLIau_NdSZAspEGeF4lbuMUCBtTHQFg-HQsaX03Yz4f4sqQHcjSLGtkVrTAl5UBwSbDGzgUQ1cQQmiU-GGh4x2yTz7puw2g3Z3vgpCJWZyyjPnt99K4TjHaWoJSek/s1600/Johnny+Depp+Ponytail+Back.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTvVkW2tXo-10Fqk0PLIau_NdSZAspEGeF4lbuMUCBtTHQFg-HQsaX03Yz4f4sqQHcjSLGtkVrTAl5UBwSbDGzgUQ1cQQmiU-GGh4x2yTz7puw2g3Z3vgpCJWZyyjPnt99K4TjHaWoJSek/s320/Johnny+Depp+Ponytail+Back.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And just for fun, here's the back of the ponytail</div>
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Braided, also from the movie Chocolat</div>
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Emile Hirsch</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UvmSgMJSfpE/UP7oeggqEDI/AAAAAAAAByY/f_vJi9yqD4Y/s1600/Emile+Hirsch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UvmSgMJSfpE/UP7oeggqEDI/AAAAAAAAByY/f_vJi9yqD4Y/s320/Emile+Hirsch.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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From the movie Lords of Dogtown</div>
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(This movie is really close to Surfer Pirate's heart. It's about surfers/skateboarders in California. He has a family tie to the actual real-life kids the movie is based on.)</div>
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Chris Momoa.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gkCkhlYF_50/UP7nON1zF_I/AAAAAAAABw4/nEIzHlIQmfg/s1600/Jason+Momoa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gkCkhlYF_50/UP7nON1zF_I/AAAAAAAABw4/nEIzHlIQmfg/s320/Jason+Momoa.jpg" width="290" /></a></div>
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If you don't know who he is, he was in the movie Conan the Barbarian. He's also married to Lisa Bonet. She's a lucky, lucky girl.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7jvRNdwxvcFvqmqlZionVgTG4RSmCDENzeLDly0lMnpFnK4s23LL8q2l06qJEKYQqXfckd2mQb1oYrqLELqwCrZcMfqQWZWd14l1tVTZT5-LZ61Z6pGWJiy1107MdD8uGe7hBnUWenwLd/s1600/Jason+Momoa+Ponytail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7jvRNdwxvcFvqmqlZionVgTG4RSmCDENzeLDly0lMnpFnK4s23LL8q2l06qJEKYQqXfckd2mQb1oYrqLELqwCrZcMfqQWZWd14l1tVTZT5-LZ61Z6pGWJiy1107MdD8uGe7hBnUWenwLd/s320/Jason+Momoa+Ponytail.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
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A ponytail AND a great suit?? Does life get any better??</div>
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Chris Hemsworth.</div>
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His beautiful, blonde locks.</div>
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Pulled back in a ponytail.</div>
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(If you want to see something REALLY adorable, Google images of him with his baby. Nothing sweeter than a big, burly guy snuggling a teeny, tiny baby!)</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZKl0hUq4cJY/UP7yhoMz1OI/AAAAAAAAB0E/zCz3usIgpcY/s1600/Thor.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZKl0hUq4cJY/UP7yhoMz1OI/AAAAAAAAB0E/zCz3usIgpcY/s320/Thor.PNG" width="302" /></a></div>
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And of course, as Thor.</div>
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This list definitely wouldn't be complete without the guy I consider to be the REAL Thor, Clay Matthews from the Green Bay Packers.</div>
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Ponytail</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmN-UkuqYMbesUh1jOH8oLXN51G28430IrXkdBu3DZ3kBfgtqHF7NpYppn6JLGtyO81Any4nCjgfnLUEx3Wc2iO_60n4T6nxz2_uWpbkKTQvhSnAdokKAQA-oLMNSMdD6FBUeKrcFiB8h/s1600/Clay+Matthews+Fathead+Commercial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmN-UkuqYMbesUh1jOH8oLXN51G28430IrXkdBu3DZ3kBfgtqHF7NpYppn6JLGtyO81Any4nCjgfnLUEx3Wc2iO_60n4T6nxz2_uWpbkKTQvhSnAdokKAQA-oLMNSMdD6FBUeKrcFiB8h/s320/Clay+Matthews+Fathead+Commercial.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hey look! It's Clay Matthews with his hair down AND pulled back, in the same picture!!<br />
This is from his Fathead commercial. If you haven't seen it yet, look it up on Youtube. It's really funny.</div>
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FYI, it's REALLY hard to find a good picture of him with his hair down when it's not all messy from a football game.</div>
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So, back to Surfer Pirate.</div>
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What do you think of when someone says California Surfer? Sun bleached blonde hair. Dark tan. Strong and muscular.</div>
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That was Surfer Pirate. </div>
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At least before he moved to Montana and then became a farmer in North Dakota. </div>
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He's still really strong, but the muscles aren't quite as defined because the kind of work out here uses totally different muscles than swimming and surfing. Plus, I feed him really well. ...take that as you will.</div>
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The tan is pretty much non-existent. He doesn't see the sun nearly as much as he did back then.</div>
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The blonde hair is quite dark these days from a lack of constant days in the sun.</div>
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The long hair he used to have was gone long before I met him. </div>
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He misses it.</div>
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He has gone back and forth with wanting to grow it out for as long as I've known him. He made a pretty good attempt at it when we were still in Montana. It had even gotten long enough that I French braided it - just to see if I could.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PxpgQKR7nh4/UP7nMiYeNPI/AAAAAAAABwo/hlLdSeZ1nIk/s1600/French+Braid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PxpgQKR7nh4/UP7nMiYeNPI/AAAAAAAABwo/hlLdSeZ1nIk/s320/French+Braid.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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How lucky are you?? That's an actual picture of the back of his head!</div>
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He was going to leave it long when we moved here, but he wasn't sure how conservative people were. He wanted to make a good first impression on the nice people of Northern Middle of Nowhere, ND. </div>
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I cried when he cut it.</div>
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I was pregnant with Pirate Baby, so I was hormonal, but I genuinely loved how long his hair was getting.</div>
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He's been trying to grow it out again lately. It's in that really scruffy stage when it's not long, but not short either. Sometimes when he takes his hat off, his hair reminds me of Christopher Walken in the movie Joe Dirt.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT7lu6lVCYdTS2U4qDRh45Dlha3yrGMmsOcmnH-UMLZOnEKfgOuhU1xRwrzHzIhPpBkItbJ96X8j6fNP6TXreeBkWEUy_FTtXAjfotBupd5HQY3-w90IMcbEZpjg8PDudfEYsXWd0jrGR5/s1600/clemboxart_160w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT7lu6lVCYdTS2U4qDRh45Dlha3yrGMmsOcmnH-UMLZOnEKfgOuhU1xRwrzHzIhPpBkItbJ96X8j6fNP6TXreeBkWEUy_FTtXAjfotBupd5HQY3-w90IMcbEZpjg8PDudfEYsXWd0jrGR5/s1600/clemboxart_160w.jpg" /></a></div>
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I guess his hair was longer than I thought it was in that movie, but you get my point.</div>
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He told me a few days ago that he needs to get it cut because he doesn't like how it's looking lately. I'm hoping he's going to have it cut in a way that will work with him growing it out, and not just have it cut off again.</div>
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I want my man to have long hair.</div>
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* <span style="font-size: x-small;">I had too many pictures on this blog entry to list all my sources. I hope no one takes offense. All of the celebrity pictures in this entry are from Google Image Search except for the screen shots from Chocolat, The Saint, and Avengers. The screen shots were done on my laptop off the dvd's. The picture of the back of my husband's head was taken by me, of course.</span></div>
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MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-9899318983937417022013-01-13T21:42:00.001-06:002013-01-13T21:43:37.328-06:00Worth A Try<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm sorry for the lack of posts lately. Life has taken me in a different direction these days and I haven't been sitting down at my computer nearly as much. But that is a story for a different day.</div>
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Meanwhile:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yUeyEU9D1ec/UPN3Ksfg5qI/AAAAAAAABsk/-1zxdLcmbmM/s1600/lolcat+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yUeyEU9D1ec/UPN3Ksfg5qI/AAAAAAAABsk/-1zxdLcmbmM/s320/lolcat+books.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Once upon a time, I was a 14 year old girl. (I know, shocking, right?!) I was a Freshman in high school, and I had the undying heart of a True Romantic. I was obsessed with the Victorian age and would spend hours and hours watching classic movies on cable. As often done in high school English classes, we read Romeo and Juliet, which just further fueled my addiction to classic love stories.<br />
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So when our English teacher announced that we were to write a book report on a book of our choice, I of course decided to read a classic love story.<br />
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I chose Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-44GjZos72WI/UPN3KZFyzSI/AAAAAAAABsg/_diHWZKHANk/s1600/Wuthering+Heights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-44GjZos72WI/UPN3KZFyzSI/AAAAAAAABsg/_diHWZKHANk/s320/Wuthering+Heights.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Pictures of book covers in this post both from Amazon. A great place to pick up a good book for a bargain price! ...wow. That sounded like an advertisement. Maybe Amazon should pay me.</span></div>
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Piece of cake, right? A True Romantic like I was could never find anything but a complete love for such a classic story! <br />
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How wrong I was!!<br />
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By the time I had muddled midway through the book, the deadline for our reports was MUCH too close. There was no way I could possibly get through it all in time! Not only was the reading a huge challenge, but I'd actually come to hate Cathy and Heathcliff with the passion of 1000 burning suns! I was disgusted with all the characters and just wanted the stupid book over with already!! <br />
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So, I decided to watch the movie again. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">1939 Laurence Olivier version. Classic.</span></div>
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I read the last chapter of the book.</div>
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Then I wrote the report.</div>
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To my surprise, I got an A on it!</div>
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But I did decide that I was done with Emily Bronte and had no interest in her sister's writing either.</div>
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A few years ago, I was in my favorite used bookstore and came across a cheap copy of the book. I decided maybe I should give it another chance sometime, so I bought it.</div>
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I still haven't attempted reading it again, but I'll get to it eventually.</div>
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In the process of this last move, we decided to go back to using satellite (quite honestly, so we could get the football package. GO FALCONS!!) As is often the case when you sign up for new cable or satellite service, they like to give you lots of extra channels in the hopes that you'll decide you can't live without them and will pay the crazy extra charge for them. During the last few weeks of our free movie channels, I took advantage of our large DVR space and started recording any and all movies that looked interesting to me - while we still had them.</div>
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One of the movies that I recorded was the 2011 version of Jane Eyre.</div>
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I figured as much as I love classic movies, I MUST HAVE watched a version of this one at some time or other.</div>
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One night, I sat down to watch it.</div>
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Apparently I never had seen any versions of it. But, ohmygoodness! What a great story! No wonder I've heard so many different people talk about how much they love it!</div>
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That settled it.</div>
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I needed to read the book.</div>
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The following week, when I was in town to run some errands, I stopped by the library and picked up a copy. </div>
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I finished it early yesterday morning. I decided to take it to bed with me the night before, figuring if I woke up early, I could lay in bed and read. I literally cried through the last 2 chapters! So sweet! </div>
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Okay, so the Bronte sisters aren't all bad.</div>
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Maybe it's time to give Wuthering Heights another try.</div>
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MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-85035246313785944352012-11-29T20:41:00.001-06:002012-11-29T20:41:34.126-06:00House Tour RevisitedLast week got a little busy for me, so I wasn't able to get the next batch of pictures done.<br />
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First up, my really big laundry room! There's plenty of room for my laundry sorters and the freezer.<br />
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The bonus to this room is that it's also a bathroom. The biggest issue in the old house was that we didn't have a main floor bathroom. Now we have TWO! <br />
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The shower is small, but it does the job.<br />
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The toilet is tucked back behind a wall next to the dryer. Privacy is a good thing.<br />
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The sink cabinet has one HUGE drawer that is perfect for my tool kits. It's so nice to have a place where my household tools are really handy! The kitty gets to have his food up on the counter where the dogs (and baby) can't get into it. There's also a baby gate (that you can see if you look to the far left of this picture) for extra protection - keeps the dogs away from the cat food and litter box and the baby away from the tools and cleaning supplies.<br />
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Looking out of the laundry room towards the back door. <br />
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My pretty bench is the perfect place for taking off shoes when coming in the door. That bench was one of the few things my ex-husband gave me that I still have. He had it custom made for me. "Cielo" means "Heaven" in Spanish, and that's definitely appropriate for how I feel living out in the country.<br />
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Looking from the laundry room doorway towards the kitchen. To the right is a closet where we keep Surfer Pirate's work uniforms. The door at the end of the hallway leads to the basement.<br />
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Looking back the other way on the back entry. That door leads to the garage - Surfer Pirate's favorite part of the house. I forgot to get pictures of it. Maybe another day.<br />
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That piece is one of my many projects. It used to be a dresser, belonging to my grandparents. We don't need the extra dresser, and I really wanted a baking station. Eventually, the open part where the top two sets of drawers were, will have a shelf to hold the mixer and other items. It's got wheels on it, so I can roll it around when I need extra counter space too. <br />
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On to my favorite room in the house. My beautiful, sunny kitchen!<br />
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This picture was taken from the opposite side of the room from where the last picture was taken, but it's the best view of the kitchen.<br />
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Just inside the doorway from the living room is the eat-in area. My pretty table has plenty of room. I didn't like the cover for the light of the ceiling fan, so I took it off. I'll be making a custom cover for it eventually - one more project. As you can see, Captain Kitty really likes hanging out on my kitchen chairs.<br />
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I had mentioned in my last post that I have three favorite things about this house. #1 being the big walk-in closet. #2, you may have guessed was my giant whirlpool tub. #3 A DISHWASHER!!! I have REALLY missed having one of those! The fridge has a water and ice dispenser. I feel very spoiled. I would have killed for crushed ice right there in my kitchen when I was pregnant with Pirate Baby. Next to the dishwasher is my French step-stool. I love it. Above the stove is a very dusty pot rack, missing all but one of its hooks. One day, I'll take it down, clean it, paint it black, and get some more hooks. Yet another project...<br />
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Don't you just love all that cabinet space?<br />
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My main work space. I have a place for the speakers for my laptop - so I can watch movies while I cook. I have a ton of counter space for rolling out dough or preparing a feast. And from there, I can see almost the entire living room - so I can keep track of what the family is doing. You also have to notice that my Christmas cactus is blooming right now.<br />
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And it wouldn't be my kitchen without the dragon light-catcher my aunt sent for my last birthday. <br />
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So there you go - you've now seen the main floor of our new house. Next up, the kids' rooms!MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-68347896064939730842012-11-19T16:28:00.000-06:002012-11-19T16:31:16.606-06:00The New PlaceI'm taking a break from my eight million projects to get pictures taken of our new house. I've only got 3 rooms for this entry, but I'll try to get to the rest of them through the week. Enjoy!<br />
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First up, the living room:<br />
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We have less rooms than in the old house, but they're bigger. Thankfully, the living room was just big enough to bring in most of the furniture from the old dining room as well as the living room. It's a little crowded with all our big furniture, but it fits!<br />
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This is the view from the hallway looking out towards the front of the house. Everything is fairly self-explanatory except in the far corner. On the long table next to the couch is my printer/fax/copier and my bearded dragon's tank. Underneath that is Pirate Baby's toy basket and rocking chair.<br />
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From the front entry looking in. <br />
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Looking into the front entry. Eventually, there will be a 2nd dvd rack next to the one behind the recliner (we've filled that one). The boxes in the front entry are all my books. I'll be building bookshelves in there when I get time. I'll take pictures when those are done.<br />
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This is from the front corner looking into the hallway. The door next to the entrance to the hallway leads upstairs to the kids' bedrooms. I'll get to those another day. <br />
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Next is our bedroom. Surfer Pirate has his team proudly displayed to mark his side of the room. You also have to admire the great thought he had about our tv. We haven't been able to upgrade to a flat screen yet. The old beast tv was small, but not small enough to sit on the dresser without being in an unstable position. We had some corner shelves that I originally built for Pirate Munchkin's room, but they won't work in her room here - you'll see why when I get to the pictures of her room. He got the brilliant idea to mount one of the corner shelves high up on the wall and put the tv on it. Now we can see it from anywhere in the room! Such a smart guy.<br />
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My side of the room. Notice I have also displayed my team pride. The parrots on my desk were a present from Surfer Pirate when we were newlyweds (my Christmas gift, I think). They represent the two of us. You're only getting a little glimpse of my beautiful walk-in closet. It's also a work in progress. I'll post pictures when I finish that one. The closet is one of my 3 favorite things about this house. <br />
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Last up for today's entry is our bathroom. See if you can guess what the 2nd of my 3 favorite things about this house is:<br />
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So there you go. The first part of the tour of our new home. We look forward to being here for many, many years. <br />
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<br />MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-57337334926894221922012-11-09T23:22:00.003-06:002012-11-09T23:32:59.155-06:00Missing In Action<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Once upon a time, I had this thing called a blog. I would write stories about what was going on in my life so that my family and friends could keep up with what my little family was doing.<br />
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And then I moved.<br />
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Life has been chaotic and crazy ever since, and my little blog (not to mention, my readers) has been neglected. <br />
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But when mystical creatures tell you it's time to update your blog, you get right on it! (The Unicorn has spoken!)<br />
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Back before things went extra insane in our lives, I had planned a trip to Chicago to go visit some online friends. When I mentioned that I was seriously considering it, one of them graciously offered to let me crash on her couch. Not having to pay for a motel room made the trip that much more reasonable. So I made plans to travel to the Windy City in August.<br />
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Funny thing about plans....<br />
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...they don't always work.<br />
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Trip delayed.<br />
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I bought train tickets for October, figuring life HAD TO BE better by then and I'd be able to go without any issues.<br />
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Little did I know that by mid-October, I would still be trying to settle in to a new household.<br />
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But my dear friend AB was going through a really hard time and the train tickets were already paid for, so I went.<br />
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Pirate Baby and I settled in for our long train ride. Interestingly enough, my brand new little walker had NO problems keeping his balance on the rocking train. On our last train ride, I noticed that everyone walks like they're drunk on the train. I wondered if actually BEING drunk would make the process simpler. I think my theory must be correct because Pirate Baby pretty much walks like a drunk adult, and he did just fine.<br />
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See how happy he was? He loved the train.<br />
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As the case often is with train schedules, we were delayed a couple of hours, and arrived in Chicago after dark. We braved the walk through downtown Chicago to get to the train for our next leg of the trip. Honestly, that was the ONLY time I was nervous the entire trip - and only because there was a questionable guy who may or may not have been following us. He was a little creepy, but I kept my head up and acted like I knew exactly what I was doing. I may not have lived in a big city for over a decade, but it all came right back to me.<br />
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I can't mention that 2nd train station without taking a minute to publicly thank Arby's for their very existence. I was STARVING for something that could pass for real food and knew I couldn't make it through the next hour ride into the suburbs without something to eat. That little Arby's stand was like the gates of heaven to me. I had the first Beef & Cheddar in years and I swear that was the best thing I've ever eaten in my life!<br />
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Anyway, we arrived in the suburbs and I finally got to meet my online friend AB in person! We drove to her new apartment and I got a chance to see her eclectic taste in artwork:<br />
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Gotta love the diorama in her bathroom, complete with zombie gnomes. The only good gnome is a dead gnome, as far as I'm concerned.<br />
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This creepy guy wasn't originally there, but after helping pick up toys AB's kids had been playing with, I pointed out just how scary he was. We immediately decided he needed to be in the bathroom with the rest of the odd characters. I had to turn him towards me to get a decent picture (without me being reflected on the mirror behind him), but he actually faces the door so you're greeted by him as soon as you walk in the room.<br />
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Creepy Clown Will Kill You In Your Sleep.<br />
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Inappropriate Frog is... inappropriate.<br />
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To be fair, AB bought this light switch because she thought it was cute. She didn't realize just how wrong it would look until it was actually in place.<br />
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I should have taken pictures of her great pictures on her walls, but we were too busy enjoying each other's company for me to even think of that. She had a great collection of Beatrix Potter pictures, including one where one of the bunnies (Cottontail, I think?) was dressed as a super hero. Fun stuff.<br />
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Pirate Baby doesn't do well with sleeping anywhere other than his crib. A while ago, my mom bought him this little tent so he would have someplace he was used to from home where he could still sleep. I'm happy to say that even after the craziness of our move, he still was comfortable enough in his tent that he slept and even napped just fine. <br />
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He spent A LOT of time tormenting poor Basement Kitty. Notice the look of excitement on the cat's face - having a very active toddler that close to him. You also have to admire more of AB's great taste - the pink SPARKLY ottoman and her jeweled peacock. <br />
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We came home with a new family member. AB's kids didn't really like this little dog very much, but Pirate Baby loved him. He's such a cute little dog, but he looked familiar to me somehow. I finally looked at his tag and realized that he's the dog from that movie Tin Tin. I never saw it, and we'd already changed his name anyway.<br />
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His name is Chicago Dog, of course.<br />
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And speaking of Chicago Dogs, 2nd best part of my trip was the food! (Best part was spending time with friends.) One of my first requests was White Castle. I've had frozen sliders, but never fresh ones. Our first trip was so good that we went back for more the next day! If you live near a White Castle or will be traveling near one soon, I STRONGLY recommend you try the Crispy Jalapeno Sliders. So not kidding. You'll thank me, I promise. And if you want good authentic Chicago-style hot dogs, go to Portillos. For Chicago deep dish pizza, Lou Malnati's - get the sausage. Again, you'll thank me.<br />
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One of the nights I was there, I got the chance to see some friends from an online group I belong to. These women have been a strength and support to me for almost 4 years now, and I was lucky enough that 3 of them live in the Chicago area! We got together with our kids and went to the Rainforest Cafe. It was so great to get to finally see them and talk to them in person! <br />
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My trip was coming to an end, but I had the chance to take time for pictures before leaving Chicago. I especially loved the elegant Grand Hall at Union Station, where I would board the train to take me home to North Dakota. That room was so quiet and peaceful. It felt more like being inside a great cathedral than a bustling train station.<br />
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These two lovely ladies watch over the entrance to the trains.<br />
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I loved all the beautiful architectural details. Aren't those columns gorgeous?<br />
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How can you not love a ceiling like that??<br />
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So much detail everywhere you look.<br />
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This flag was GIGANTIC! It was also the only thing in the room with bright colors, so it really stood out. So beautiful.<br />
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I've always remembered the scene in The Untouchables where Eliot Ness (played by Kevin Costner) goes running down the stairs in Union Station trying to catch a runaway baby carriage while also trying to stop Al Capone's men. I don't know if these are the same stairs in the movie, but I had to get a picture of them just because of that scene.<br />
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I loved these giant windows. It made me a little sad to pass under them and enter the main train depot where I would need to get on my train.<br />
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Once we were finally loaded and heading home, I had my camera ready to try to capture as much of the beauty of Chicago as I could. It was a little tricky trying to get good pictures from a moving train, but I did get a couple nice ones.<br />
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I love this one. This building was going through some renovations, but I just loved the textures. The building itself, and the vines growing all over it were a great contrast to all the glass on the building behind it.<br />
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I wish I'd aimed just a tiny bit higher for this one, but this is my favorite shot anyway. Chicago really is beautiful. I was struck by how sparkly it was. That may sound funny, but it really was. Most of the buildings were solid windows that just shimmered in the sunlight. I really loved it there. I look forward to going back. Surfer Pirate says he'd like to go sometime as a family. Only this time, we'll really explore downtown more. I didn't get a chance to do any of that this trip. I was limited to about a 3 block radius.<br />
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These next shots are actually in Milwaukee.<br />
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This one just made me laugh. The red brick building is the Hilton Hotel. Maybe I'm just naive, but isn't the name Hilton supposed to represent class and elegance? (Except for the guy's daughter, but that's another story.) And there, on the top of the hotel is a HUGE radio tower! Definitely not what I'd expected. I laughed at in on the way to Chicago, and on the way back, I had to make sure to get a picture.<br />
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I didn't quite get the shot I'd hoped for with this one - the train was moving too quickly for me. Your basic freeway spaghetti bowl. I'm sure the view from above is busy and crazy. But from below it, it was quite pretty. I loved the contrast of the yellowish concrete with the blue support system.<br />
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Anyway, that's part of what I've been up to while I've been away from my blog. We're settled into the house now, but I'm so anxious to deal with multiple projects that one room or another always seems to be buried under piles of whatever thing I'm working on at the time. I'll get pictures taken soon.<br />
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<br />MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-2635370669650374752012-09-15T11:17:00.012-05:002014-02-07T09:40:54.688-06:00As Far As the Eye Can See<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeG8NmJA3_erMFUXHvyBQZRmwk6JpaEvVZtOa5Ia6rY3vNvDvggegu27pkE9-6Fpbv6itIat921LCLWWdUubkne4KYKiAnJhKMSP-_mglhJpE3HTPHgzMPx_RNyd1URecHFhhbszwl_rZI/s1600/NFTrhzWrh0icx4Saj5bf1A2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeG8NmJA3_erMFUXHvyBQZRmwk6JpaEvVZtOa5Ia6rY3vNvDvggegu27pkE9-6Fpbv6itIat921LCLWWdUubkne4KYKiAnJhKMSP-_mglhJpE3HTPHgzMPx_RNyd1URecHFhhbszwl_rZI/s400/NFTrhzWrh0icx4Saj5bf1A2.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5788445654221374946" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 297px;" /></a><br />
I would probably never say that. I love being outside. <br />
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We are going on WEEK THREE of moving! I'm so tired of moving stuff. The house is nowhere near ready to take pictures, but I thought I might share what the outside looks like.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBiP9XPsHWMM0bI1LxkR6YsBD6S4IEc8kFt96oOmhy_rPZm2mqwN30kQDkMXwCwAmFGjgyVElA8zmmC3YPcgH8UuAuZY07luHhnoPHu2igE-7FOW2qDT82uAB5-n6mvpO6RThyphenhyphen5lBa6u9A/s1600/003.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBiP9XPsHWMM0bI1LxkR6YsBD6S4IEc8kFt96oOmhy_rPZm2mqwN30kQDkMXwCwAmFGjgyVElA8zmmC3YPcgH8UuAuZY07luHhnoPHu2igE-7FOW2qDT82uAB5-n6mvpO6RThyphenhyphen5lBa6u9A/s400/003.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5788442015173359154" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>First of all, this is my favorite part of the whole yard. It's secluded and peaceful and quiet. Along the back are lilac bushes. I need to get a bench - or better yet, a swing - so I can sit back there and have some private time to read or just think. <br />
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...and yes, that IS a central air unit tucked in over there by the house. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGxKd-BVjD9clkztZdyQj7eskcxijJL8toSVUvclNgqBz-gBZ4bDYa3FrJ0Qwn_xzXNx1ZDqR0vzh9KW4VSRaemAcHdCMBqdn_2lOYX6Ax900QN7JHEuISCYQ6FrTnkzvOEBd8Qds6vZO/s1600/004.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGxKd-BVjD9clkztZdyQj7eskcxijJL8toSVUvclNgqBz-gBZ4bDYa3FrJ0Qwn_xzXNx1ZDqR0vzh9KW4VSRaemAcHdCMBqdn_2lOYX6Ax900QN7JHEuISCYQ6FrTnkzvOEBd8Qds6vZO/s400/004.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5788441829418818194" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Looking from my peaceful little area into the front yard.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MOvdn0wGnMw/UFSs7wlYDrI/AAAAAAAABbc/-3CRWQNGCHM/s1600/005.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MOvdn0wGnMw/UFSs7wlYDrI/AAAAAAAABbc/-3CRWQNGCHM/s400/005.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5788441563731857074" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Standing in the driveway looking into the front yard. I forgot to include a better picture of the trees, but between the evergreens are cottonwood trees. There are times when ALL I can hear when standing in the yard are the leaves of the cottonwoods rustling in the wind. I adore those trees!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--68FUrIFCBI/UFSsvLKKWpI/AAAAAAAABbQ/9IDewEGsr10/s1600/006.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--68FUrIFCBI/UFSsvLKKWpI/AAAAAAAABbQ/9IDewEGsr10/s400/006.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5788441347527170706" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>From the driveway looking out at the mailbox and the fields. See the line of trees way out in the background? Those would be our nearest neighbors.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FuOFugF2TQM/UFSsijkGhzI/AAAAAAAABbE/Aul_vsEhr9M/s1600/007.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FuOFugF2TQM/UFSsijkGhzI/AAAAAAAABbE/Aul_vsEhr9M/s400/007.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5788441130740123442" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>More of the same field.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lUT5OsQGgGA/UFSsWtrczxI/AAAAAAAABa4/V8XR-RgKUps/s1600/008.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lUT5OsQGgGA/UFSsWtrczxI/AAAAAAAABa4/V8XR-RgKUps/s400/008.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5788440927296868114" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>One of the outbuildings. Way off in the distance are windmills. Isn't that sky gorgeous??</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0UO5nwudZguOu3GBqAUf8YKe9hyhKxVf-QECYSd6qGg06EdRLAKxwnl70z5hNrmN98q66Y4yeWpskCdEXvcGyYuhHCDsW-WWMn_fE5jrkdCRlHGXGp7VwTFCFle_jv0agUNjCw7JKKA4S/s1600/009.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0UO5nwudZguOu3GBqAUf8YKe9hyhKxVf-QECYSd6qGg06EdRLAKxwnl70z5hNrmN98q66Y4yeWpskCdEXvcGyYuhHCDsW-WWMn_fE5jrkdCRlHGXGp7VwTFCFle_jv0agUNjCw7JKKA4S/s400/009.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5788440618609557346" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>The farm yard. Off in the distance is our cute little town.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2JyAMnRQCMk/UFSr1UjXPJI/AAAAAAAABag/wR6rkGqbQ0o/s1600/010.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2JyAMnRQCMk/UFSr1UjXPJI/AAAAAAAABag/wR6rkGqbQ0o/s400/010.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5788440353616379026" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>The back yard, complete with farm equipment.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QQK4DPPqE-M/UFSrqF3eNnI/AAAAAAAABaU/prHKGQYW_js/s1600/011.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QQK4DPPqE-M/UFSrqF3eNnI/AAAAAAAABaU/prHKGQYW_js/s400/011.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5788440160695629426" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>More of the back yard. I look forward to getting to use the clothesline. So far, all I've used it for was drying out a tarp. I've heard there is NOTHING like the smell of sheets that have been dried outside on the line.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SsyjsUh9AS8/UFSrcUDWPfI/AAAAAAAABaI/KdvVnmkmMME/s1600/012.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SsyjsUh9AS8/UFSrcUDWPfI/AAAAAAAABaI/KdvVnmkmMME/s400/012.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5788439923985366514" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>The back yard from behind the farm equipment. The dirt area is a narrow strip where they've been planting. We're looking forward to exploring the treeline as a family. The thing on the right is the burn barrel. I love being able to just burn our garbage. No garbage sitting in a landfill for us! And no worry about shredding personal papers.<br />
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So there's my peaceful little section of the world. I look forward to many years of country living.<br />
<br />MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-46664966100583783932012-09-08T23:01:00.002-05:002012-09-08T23:59:09.251-05:00Greetings From Farm Country!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z4xn6DEDMt0/UEwUwy9-wfI/AAAAAAAABZQ/42GKqMbm2rU/s1600/funny-pictures-cats-do-not-fit-in-box.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 324px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z4xn6DEDMt0/UEwUwy9-wfI/AAAAAAAABZQ/42GKqMbm2rU/s400/funny-pictures-cats-do-not-fit-in-box.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5786022449812259314" border="0" /></a><br />I've lived in a few different cities. I realized several years ago that I am NOT a city person. I came to the conclusion that what I really wanted was to live in the country - specifically with enough land that I could stand on my roof and not see my nearest neighbors.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong, I loved living in our Victorian house. It had all the charm and old character that I could ever have imagined. When we moved to ND, we were in a really difficult financial situation. But we were hopeful, and a little blind. The home owners were willing to do a contract for deed with us. If you're not familiar with that, it's basically a rent-to-own situation, only you take over as the home owner as soon as the papers are signed. Which meant that while we had the freedom to do whatever we wanted with the house, we were also responsible for any repairs and the insurance. Unfortunately, with all the trials we've had happen over the last couple years, we weren't able to get the loan to buy out the contract with the previous owners. They were not in a financial position to extend the contract any further, so the only option was for us to move out so they could put the house back on the market. It was devastating, but I could certainly understand their position.<br /><br />So the search was on to find a rental. It didn't seem like such a big deal at the beginning, but we were so wrong! Some contractual employees had locked up all the rentals in our little town. We started to look into renting houses that were for sale just to have somewhere to go. It actually became a well-known joke that if you had a house you were having trouble selling, you just needed to agree to rent to us! We had one house that sold literally THREE DAYS after the owners had said we could rent it!<br /><br />Finally, as we were down to the final moments of our time in the other house, everything fell into place and we were able to find someplace to live.<br /><br />Whew!<br /><br />We have NO complaints! We had gotten to the point that we were going to have to settle for something much less than what our family needed, just to get into a house. What we ended up with was EXACTLY what our family needs - a farm house with some amazing extras! <br /><br />I have a big, beautiful kitchen with lots of cabinet and counter space. There is a side-by-side refrigerator complete with water and ice dispensers - Surfer Pirate and I both enjoy that. We've also got a dishwasher! Our old house had one major problem - no main floor bathroom. Now? We have TWO of them! One in the laundry room, and our large, amazing main bathroom even has a whirlpool tub! Our master bedroom isn't big, but it has a walk-in closet! The kids' rooms are upstairs. Pirate Munchkin's room is the biggest one in the house, and has it's own large closet, plus attic storage and a built in dresser, complete with pull-out homework desk. Our living room is big enough for our large furniture. Surfer Pirate is thrilled to have a garage again. We have great landlords who are more than happy to let us rent for many years to come, and who've been very accommodating to us. The school bus comes right into our driveway to pick up and drop off Pirate Munchkin every day.<br /><br />But possibly the best thing about our new place is where we are. We're just outside of our little town, but still out in the country! While I could possibly see our neighbors if I stood on the roof, I can't see them from the yard. There are other farmsteads near us, but with the windbreaks around them, we can't see the houses. So essentially, I've gotten my long-time wish! <br /><br />Most of all, we just feel really blessed that we've been led to this wonderful place where our family can settle in and rest for many, many years. <br /><br />And yes, I will be posting pictures once I feel like we're settled in.<br /><br />MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536593740374316397.post-73775298503249777642012-08-22T08:51:00.004-05:002012-08-22T11:48:18.950-05:00Prom<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCFTZBo01o1aifidBxdr5Z1lPmtT_3obYdm0LyMree6Ib0UHAiFMfZiY3Exi7gSHYOxfMcC8BghNKIwftuzy551ER_5odZiNFoRcicrfQMjnsKZn4pFOZHWxeD0eVz1FgJf0N5LBtJ2fU/s1600/lolcatsdotcompromdate.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCFTZBo01o1aifidBxdr5Z1lPmtT_3obYdm0LyMree6Ib0UHAiFMfZiY3Exi7gSHYOxfMcC8BghNKIwftuzy551ER_5odZiNFoRcicrfQMjnsKZn4pFOZHWxeD0eVz1FgJf0N5LBtJ2fU/s400/lolcatsdotcompromdate.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5779498304164678082" border="0" /></a><br />Just when it felt like life was finally straightening out for us, it fell apart again. So I think it's time for a good flashback kind of entry.<br /><br /><br /><br />My sister and I were having a discussion on the phone one night about Senior Prom and our odd stories. She had always felt like hers was an exceptionally weird story, but then after talking about it, had to admit mine was even weirder.<br /><br />*I wanted to include a link to her blog entry about our conversation, but I can't find it right now. The only detail I remember about her Senior Prom was that her date turned out to be gay.<br /><br />**Also, I would post pictures, but Surfer Pirate's computer and my scanner aren't getting along at the moment and my laptop is possessed.<br /><br /><br /><br />Bear with me, this is a long story.<br /><br />In the fall of my senior year, my high school sweetheart broke up with me. I was devastated and heart-broken and convinced the world had ended - just like EVERY girl who's ever had her heart broken for the first time. I had temporarily dated another guy in an attempt to "get over it" (there's another good idea for a flashback entry - that relationship), but by the early spring was still a heart-broken mess.<br /><br />My buddy Bill and I were at Perkins - THE hangout for teenagers in our town back then. His high school sweetheart had broken up with him just a couple months after my relationship ended. We were both in that trying-to-get-over-it-but-not-really-wanting-to stage, and were discussing how much we missed being with our lost loves. Then the subject of prom came up. Since neither of us wanted to miss the dance, but also couldn't go with the dates we REALLY wanted, we decided the best option was to go together. Perfect solution, right?<br /><br />Then Easter came. Bill went to Arizona to spend Easter with his mother. While he was there, he had to admit to himself that he'd always kind of been attracted to guys. Once he realized he was bisexual, he wanted his family to know as well. His dad was FURIOUS! He told Bill that he was never welcome back home again and he would no longer pay for his return trip to Montana. So now Bill was trapped in Arizona, wanting to get home with no way to do that. His mother couldn't afford to send him, and his dad refused.***<br /><br />So now prom was coming, and my date was stuck in Arizona. Meanwhile, my then good friend SLUTricia's prom date quit talking to her (because she's a psycho). She and I decided that we would go stag to the prom, and started making plans to do just that.<br /><br />SLUTricia and I used to spend our spare time at the mall, shopping for guys. (What else do you do in the mid 90's when you're 18 and single??) About 2 weeks before prom, we had just gotten to the mall and passed by this particularly yummy piece of eye candy. We looked back after passing him to find him looking back at us. We gigggled - as 18 year old girls tend to do - and kept walking. We then went to our favorite mens' store to flirt with our favorite mens' store employee. Eventually Mr Eye Candy came into the store as well. SLUTricia and I had a strict rule - no going after the same guy. We had both spotted Mr Employee at the same time, and it was still yet to be determined who he "belonged" to. We had a long-standing flirtation going with him, and I figured something would happen sooner or later, so I leaned over to SLUTricia and whispered "You can have that guy (Mr Eye Candy) if I can have him (Mr Employee)." She said "Deal."<br /><br />Over the next hour or so, the 4 of us talked and flirted at the store's counter until Mr Employee had to kick us out in order to close down the store. The then 3 of us sat on a bench outside the store continuing our conversation. Mr Employee finished closing and came out, locking the door behind him. He said "Well... goodnight" and walked away. I was disappointed, but figured I would meet up with him another time. So SLUTricia, Mr Eye Candy and I decided it was time to take our conversation elsewhere. We drove over to, none other than, Perkins.<br /><br />By the end of that weekend, the two of them were dating. He found out that our prom was coming up and that she didn't have a date. He offered to take her. In one of her few Good Friend moments, she told him that she wouldn't go with him unless he could arrange a date for me as well. He agreed, and plans were made. He had arranged for me to go with one of his Air Force buddies, but I wouldn't be able to meet the guy until the night of the prom. The only clue I had about the guy was when Mr Eye Candy asked if I was prejudiced. Turns out my date was black (I'm not the least bit racist, but I refuse to use the term African American because I think it's stupid. I'm not called English American, am I?)<br /><br />There was one complication to my blind date. He wouldn't be able to be there the entire night because he had "something he had to do". He would be there for dinner, then would have to leave, but he would be back before the dance was over. That actually worked out quite well for me because when I had planned on going stag, I had decided to spend a good part of the night taking pictures of my friends - for future memory. After all, high school was almost over! I wanted to make sure I would have pictures to preserve my precious friends. PLUS, there was a guy who would be there who was interested in me. He was going with a girl I knew (as a favor to their respective fathers), and she had already told him that she wouldn't slow dance with him. He was planning on slow dancing with me. This solution was perfect for me. I had a date for dinner, had someone to dance with, but also had the freedom to run around taking pictures!<br /><br />Prom night came. I wore my pretty brown lace dress. It hugged my curves and was very flattering on me while also being modest and sophisticated. SLUTricia came to my house where our dates would pick us up. The guys showed up in their fancy little sports cars, and I was impressed that my date, Mr Chocolate, was really cute. (He was also impressed with me, as proven by the way he's looking at me in one of the pictures my mom took.) We posed for pictures at my house, then drove over to SLUTricia's house to do pictures there. Her mother was acting a little strangely, but plastered a fake smile on her face while she took pictures.<br /><br />Dinner was pizza at Chuck E Cheese (a prank SLUTricia and I had planned for the guys. The prank fell flat). We took Mr Chocolate back to my house so he could get his car and go do his "something he had to do", then Mr Eye Candy, SLUTricia and I went to the prom. I had a GREAT time, doing just what I'd planned. I took pictures, talked to my friends, danced when I felt like it, and enjoyed having the freedom to run around without worrying about a date. Mr Chocolate finally arrived 20-30 minutes before the dance ended. Finally getting to dance with my date was wonderful, although semi-awkward. Mr Eye Candy had one of those ever so classy jumbo cell phones from the 90's, and Mr Chocolate had it with him while he was gone for his "something he had to do". There was a battle between the guys about who would have to hold the phone while dancing, so it wouldn't get stolen. It was NOT easy to dance with that thing around, trust me.<br /><br />When the dance ended, I finally got to be alone with Mr Chocolate as we rode in his cute little red sports car. He sang to me as he drove - great voice. We went to (big surprise) PERKINS for an after-dance snack. We hung out and talked until time for my 1am curfew. Around 3 or 4 in the morning, SLUTricia's mom called my house wanting to know if my mom knew where "the girls" were. My mom told her that I'd been asleep for hours, but she would wake me up to ask if I knew where SLUTricia was. The guys lived out of town and hadn't wanted to drive all the way home that late, so they'd gotten motel rooms. I knew that she had planned on going to the motel. (Let's face it. The guys got motel rooms for more than just the drive. There's a reason why I've given the girl the name I did, and Mr Eye Candy was already aware of what she was like. Unfortunately for Mr Chocolate, I wasn't that kind of girl - and he was a complete gentleman.)<br /><br />Aftermath:<br /><br />SLUTricia and Mr Eye Candy dated for a couple of months until she dumped him for a guy she liked better.<br /><br />Mr Chocolate and I had a couple of dates here and there, but quite honestly, I was too young for him (he was 25) and he was dating other people. I found out later the "something he had to do" was another date! He had promised another girl that he would take her out that night, long before our blind date was set up. He went to dinner with me, then left to take her to a movie. When the movie was over, he took her home and then met up with us at the prom.<br /><br />I discovered later that SLUTricia's mom was a BIG racist. She was completely horrified when she saw my date, but did her best to be friendly that night. She told her daughter that we were all going to hell - SLUTricia and Mr Eye Candy for setting up the date, and Mr Chocolate and me for dating someone not of our race.<br /><br />About 2 years later, I was starting to really understand what kind of friend SLUTricia WASN'T. In the middle of trying to decide if it was even worth keeping her in my life, Mr Eye Candy and I ran into each other. I decided that she hadn't been a good enough friend to keep our "no dating the same guy" rule. Mr Eye Candy got immense joy from showing up with me to her birthday party and getting a chance to insult her in front of everyone. I have to admit I enjoyed it as well. Needless to say, she and I didn't stay friends for much longer.<br /><br />Oh, and did I mention that SLUTricia was 3 months pregnant with another guy's baby at the time we all went to prom? She gave the baby up for adoption.<br /><br /><br /><br />***It took us several months, but eventually a bunch of us were able to pool enough money to buy Bill a bus ticket to come home. He had a tough road after that. Since he wasn't welcome at home, he had to find an apartment and get a job. He was working, living on his own, and trying to finish high school all at the same time - with only his friends for moral support. Over the next year, he realized he wasn't bisexual, he was fully gay. I have some really fun memories of going out with him and hearing his take on who the "Bill Worthy" guys were anywhere we went.<br /><br />Bill,<br />I'm sorry we lost contact with each other over the years. I wish I knew what happened to you. There is a rumor that you died, but no details of how that might have happened. I miss you terribly, my friend! If you are still alive and walking this earth, I send a message out into the world for you - come back to us, your friends! We love you!<br />MTGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338355262431384771noreply@blogger.com1