Kitty Monster

This is Ashes.  You've met her before.


Please ignore the well-past-the-date Christmas wrap in the background.
I found it this weekend while shoveling out The Girl's room.

 She's technically The Hubs' cat, even though I'M the one who rescued her when she "kissed" me from the top of my car.  No, I won't even mention the time I held on to her when a stray dog came running up and she dug her little fiesty claws into me trying to run away.  Nor will I bring up the pain and anguish I went through when she disappeared on me for a month after the July 4th fireworks and a plethora of rain storms drove her into hiding.  Nor will I remind everyone how I sustained head injuries when she climbed atop my head after her first few days in the house when I turned  on an unknown-to-her water faucet while holding on to her. 

She is my husband's cat.  She chooses him over and over and over again to sleep upon (although she has chosen me on occasion, I feel so honored), and he is the Only person in the house who can walk up and pet her without her running away.

However, he is also her "toy" of choice.  She will attack him with... and without... provocation.

Yep, enough of the petting... she's getting ready...

The Hubs knows what's coming...

He even tried  walking away before SHE was done, and she ran down the table she was on and lashed out at him.   So he "fought" her for a while. 

And even though she was tired and laying down, she still wasn't done.

When she was, she walked away, curled up on my sweater and started cleaning herself.

Fighting daddy is hard, dirty work!

Miracle Cure?

As I mentioned recently, we've been dealing with a round of crud in my house.  It starts out with a mild sore throat (which amplified in my own body to strep throat), then the sore throat recedes to a very hard, very deep, very persistent, long-lasting, dry cough.  How long lasting?  Well, The Boy is going on his fourth week with the cough.

It's a horrible cough.  While I have had chronic issues with coughing since my teens, I can say that this cough germ is quite annoying as it creates sore muscles and headaches from coughing so hard and long.  It wakes you in the middle of the night.  Multiple times!  Cough drops don't touch it.   Cough medicine has a fleeting effect.  Even my husband's and son's prescription cough cures weren't helpful!  All of my typical remedies don't help at all... a spoonful of honey, tea, tea with honey, ice packs on my chest, Vicks vapor rub on my chest  (which is my personal favorite and typically does help the cough)...

Vicks VapoRub

But. Nothing. Helped.

Last night I was awoken, yet again,  with this coughing fit, straight out of sleep.  I was whiney, tired, and angry.  I wanted relief!  With no more cough medicine or cough drops in the house, I fired up my laptop and Googled "persistent cough remedies".

Of course, there were a bazillion and one responses on a bazillion and one websites.  But one  thing kept appearing, over and over again.  It was weird.  It was crazy.  It couldn't possibly work.  It was illogical!

But at that point in time, I was willing to try anything.

Here is what I read, repeatedly:

"Put Vicks VapoRub on the soles of your feet and cover with socks.  It'll stop your cough cold!"

Let's read that again, shall we?

"Put Vicks VapoRub on the soles of your feet and cover with socks. It'll stop your cough cold!"

I thought to myself, no freakin' way is this going to work.  But like I said, I was ready and willing to try anything.  So I did it.

Holy Crap It Worked!

I'm not kidding. I'm not even remotely kidding.  It worked like a dream.  I was asleep in minutes and didn't wake up until 20 minutes after my alarm went off!

I thought that it had to be a fluke.  So, as The Hubs was showering and I was getting ready for work, I went into another coughing fit.  Immediately I put some Vicks on the soles of my feet and put my socks on.  I stopped coughing.   Still think I'm crazy?

Wait, there's more!  A few  minutes before deciding to write this post, I was talking to The Boy, slightly argumentatively, and frustrated because I couldn't get my answers across because my cough was out of control.  He walked away, I slathered Vicks on my feet and put socks on and my cough stopped.  I said to him, "did you hear me coughing uncontrollably a few minutes ago?"  He nodded.  I said, "and am I coughing now?"  A headshake, no. 

It sounds crazy,.. no, it is crazy... but it worked. I dare you to try it next time you have an uncontrollable cough.  Let me know if I'm crazy. 

Just goes to show you that sometimes even the craziest ideas... work!

** Okay, I'm not being paid by Vicks VapoRub to share this message, nor am I a doctor, guru, health expert or any such educated person to share with you any medical advice or cures.  I'm just telling you what worked for me.  If you have a chronic cough, please get checked by your doctor first to make sure it's not something serious that requires antibiotics or hospitalization.  But if you do try this and it works, let's just chalk that up to some weird miracle cure! 

PS... Just before I hit "publish post", The Hubs walked into my room and said, "Well, I didn't believe  it..." HE was coughing before dinner, went downstairs and did the same thing and... he's coughing no more. 

The defense rests.

Mother Nature

There can be devastation after the power of a storm.  And there can be beauty after the power of a storm.

This rainbow appeared while I drove home tonight.  It brought a little peace to my heart.  That peace in my heart now goes out to all of the recent tornado/weather victims.  May they find peace and renewal. 

Forgive Me...

... as I sit back and heal for a while.  I caught the crappy germs my family has been passing around over the past three weeks. I thought I'd escaped it, but no, instead I get it the worst.  Strep throat.  I've never had this before in my life.  I'm truly miserable.  Now, the cherry on top is  the croup-y cough that my son has had for nearly four weeks.  FOUR weeks!  And I'm just starting it today.

Hoo boy. 

I hope I didn't get anyone else ill, as I was out and about while beginning to feel under the weather.  I would be very sad. I wouldn't wish how I feel on anyone!

In the infamous words of the Terminator... "I'll  be back!"  When I'm better. 

Surreal...

This past Saturday we had an "employee crop" at my LSS.  It was our last employee crop, now that the store is closing.  We brought some snacky foods and cropped while also helping customers and continually reinventing  the store. 

I just have to say, the entire day was just surreal.

Maybe it was because I was hopped up on cold medicine, but it all seemed just fuzzy around the edges.  We kept moving product toward the front of the store, making that area full while also emptying out the back of the store.   Everyone who came in was upset that we are closing, and we all agreed.  It's not fun, it's sad, it's even devastating.  But it was still a necessary decision.  I'll write more on  this later.

For now, I wanted to share with you some pictures of my 2nd home.

Here are some of our gondolas in  the front of the store.  As I said, we kept back filling.  As product emptied out, we'd consolidate and move things forward.

And then there was the back of the store.  This portion of the store held our sale section and cardstock an a few seasonal themes.  Everything has been pushed forward, making this area look sad... very, very sad.

These gondolas were sold and awaiting pick up at the point in time when I took this photo.  Empty and waiting to go to a bike/motorcycle store.  Those acrylic trays stacked on the floor there?  Empty paper trays.  As customers emptied out the trays, we'd  stack them up.  They were for sale too.  We have an entire back room full of them as well!

Once the gondolas were  picked up by their new owners, it was just so empty back here.  And yet, by the time they got picked up, we'd been able to empty additional full and half gondolas.

That was our table of snacks, up there.  We just kind-of munched through the day until the owner bought us dinner.  After we locked up for the night we chatted and scrapbooked for another four hours.  It was a good time... and seriously the ONLY time we have ALL been together like that. 

It will be one of my fondest memories I will have of the store.  And one of the saddest.

It was really just so surreal.

A Laugh...

Yeesh, I just felt I had to lighten it up around here... my mood was making things all dark and gloomy.  So I wanted to share my newest favorite video that has been making the rounds:

It really makes me laugh, and I've watched it repeatedly!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes!

“People are always telling me that change is good. But all that means is that something you didn't want to happen has happened.”

~ Meg Ryan ~

Wow!  Thank you for all of  the birthday wishes yesterday.  I was receiving birthday wishes all day via text, phone, blog, email, message  boards at SFTIO and Facebook.  It was fabulous to have such a wide-reaching birthday "party".  In fact, all of those "reach out and touch someone" moments were the absolute best part of my day.

Otherwise, I've been coping.  Coping with the store closing (a third  store in our community announced that they were closing as well today - three out of the five our Local Scrapbook Stores are  now closing in the next month - that's crazy!)  I've had to cope with everyone in my immediate family viscinity being sick and I don't  want to catch it.  My car was taken to  the shop for some repairs that have now exceeded $1000 and that number seems to be growing.  Oh, so many things going  on in one little 24-hour period.

But I got cake.

And some fun little gifts.

And  some time with The  Hubs (even if he was coughing like crazy) to watch some movies we've had hanging around.

And plenty of rest and naps.

I love naps.

But I'm seriously flirting with a depression the size or our most recent recession.   (I'm a  poet, did ya know it?)  I don't  cope well with changes.   Yes, I know they are inveitable, but that doesn't mean they're pleasant and wanted.

So,  help me out.  What are your tricks and tips to cope with life changes?

Today...



source


Today is my sister's birthday (Happy Birthday!)

Today is my birthday!  (Nope, not twins)

Today I am off from work and going to enjoy every minute of "my" day.

Today I am happy for more inches lost at my last measurement (see fitness foibles).

Today I am the only NON sick person my house.

Today marks a sad day as it is the first day of my LSS's (where I work) going out of business sale.

Today is rainy and dreary.

Today I'm  going to eat cake.  I hope.

Today is the first day of the next year of my life.

...there is a lot of opportunity in that.

Have a great TODAY everyone... enjoy every minute, even the hard and bad minutes because you'll never have another day like today. 

I Hope You Dance...



8 Years Old and Proud of my Tu Tu!



I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,

You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,

May you never take one single breath for granted,

God forbid love ever leave you empty-handed.

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,

Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance.

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,

Never settle for the path of least resistance,

Living might mean taking chances but they're worth taking,

Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth making.

Don't let some hell-bent heart leave you bitter,

When you come close to selling out reconsider,

Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance!

Layout by Kai, Lyrics by Lee Ann Womack

Scary

Image Source

Happy Friday the 13th. I hope you have a Jason Vorhees free day.

Another Layout

Products used include Core'dinations cardstock and Cosmo Cricket
Mr. Campy papers,chipboard and embellishments

This is actually one-half of a double-page layout.  The other page has no photos on it, but is designed with photo mats. When I was cropping with my gal pals a couple weekends ago, I realized I didn't have all of the photos of this event, and clearly remembered two that I wanted included.  So,  I just "made space".  But as I said, since there are no photos, there wasn't much to see, so here is the left-page only. 

This was a canoe trip I took with a group of newly-found friends the first summer I moved to Ohio.  It continues to be one of my favorite memories of my life here since 1995.  It was fabulously fun, full of adventure (and spiders), and a couple of canoe capsizes.  Not mine.  Sadly, we chose to put all of our picnic food (and a guitar) in the one canoe with the least experienced canoers.  Well, they said they were experienced but if they were, they certainly did not work well as a team.

About mid-way down the river, we found a rope swing.  We pulled off in that area, built a small campfire and cooked chicken, had potato salad and drinks (and whatever else survived  the capsized canoe) and also had plenty of fun on the rope swing.  It was my first and last time (so far) on a rope swing over a river like that.

The other major memory I have was the river was swollen due to some recent rains, and we were afraid our canoes would not be able to make it under a felled tree across the river.  It was my first time doing that as well... laying down in the canoe so you could get under the tree.  I remember being worried about certain... uh... ample parts of me would not make it under.  "They" did, but I swear my nose scraped the bark of the tree, it was that close of a clearance!

The people in the capsizing canoe had quite a bit a difficulty with that one as well, if I recall.

There was a lot of yelling.

Man, it was fun.

Bucket List Redux

Remember my bucket list?

I scrapped it!

It's simple, but I love it.  W hat a great way to remember this years from now.  I might have to do a bucket list layout every 10 years or so.  5 years?  3?  What do you think?

Happy Happy



source

 Happy Mother's Day to all Mothers out there...

Mothers who carried their children in their wombs, Mothers who adopt those special spirits, Mothers who take care of other people's children (stepmothers, foster mothers, etc.),  Mothers who aren't yet mothers, Mothers who have four-legged furries or winged children, and all other women who "mother" their friends and family and those whom they love.

Today is your day.  Celebrate yourself.  You deserve it.

Amazing You

When you're down... feeling blue... missing some pep in your step, it's wonderful to have friends.  This month at Scrapbooking from the Inside Out, the monthly topic is Friendship. It has me thinking a lot about the people in my life who I call "friend".

A short while back, I was talking with Cheri about how dejected I was feeling about a few things going on in my world.  She sent me an email or two in an attempt to boot me out of those blue clouds.  I have to admit, I didn't want to see them, so I read them half-heartedly (which goes against all the wholeheartedness Cheri gives out) and continued on my woe-is-me path.

My wonderful friend Cheri took things a step further.  I opened my mail on Tuesday to find the wonderful bookmark pictured above.  It's absolutely beautiful and Cheri included a lovely message in the back.  It stopped my pity-party cold.

I have not yet used the bookmark for its intended purpose - to mark a page in a book.  Instead, I've been carrying it with me everywhere. 

I'm not quite out of my funk 100% but Cheri, this blog post is dedicated to Amazing YOU.  I am so appreciative that you took time out of your busy world to send me a little piece of love and friendship in the mail.  Words cannot express how much this gesture meant to me.  So I will just say...

Thank You!

Weekend Wonderful

This past Saturday, I spent the entire day in scrapbooking bliss.  Two of my very best friends and I all decided to spend the day cropping at the store, while sharing the work shifts.  It was our "collective birthday" crop... both of their birthdays were in March and mine is in May.

I have to admit, the crop was full of chatter and food and presents and fun, with a sprinking of scrapbooking (for me).  So I only completed 4 pages (two single pages, one 2-page layout).  But the difference for me was that these are pages about me. 

I created a layout of me as a little girl, striking a pose (or three) before a ballet recital.  A layout about a canoe trip I went on soon after moving  out here to Ohio.  And, what I thought was so cool, remember that Bucket List blog post I wrote?  I did a layout on that too. 

Sadly, life has not been conducive to getting photos of these layouts, but when I do, they'll be posted here!  I always have to prove that I really do scrapbook!

How was your weekend?

April Showers...

...bring May flowers.

Actually, these flowers were brought to me via spending cash at the store.

 A gal received some for Administrative Professional's Day this past week and they were so fragrant, I had to have them!

Here's hoping I get them planted in the ground sometime soon. 

I'm not a very timely gardener.