Update...

My freelancing writing picked up like crazy I have been busy working almost fulltime. This week that will end I am going to cut down to working 20 hours a month.

Laundry is almost under control. Separating the kid’s laundry somehow managed to control that beast. I wash the kids laundry separately on Mondays, Friday I wash the rest. I made a commitment to put the clothes away and for the most part I stick to it.

The girls hair situation is improving. I have taken the time out and braided two heads so far. All that remains is mine and the baby’s hair.

Uncle is doing okay. I am not sure if he remembers that Aunt passed away. We bought him a violin and he is very excited about that. He keeps himself busy reading and watching the world outside.

The struggle continues….

Guitars and more guitars..

My hubby loves guitars. He actually wrote a song for me when we first met. I was so flattered. Imagine that a song of love... In 1999 we hit a financial low point in our lifes and he had to pawn his guitar. It was a Alvarez Yairi CY 140(I think). I didn't know he did this until I noticed he wasn't strumming on his guitar anymore. I was heart broken for him. We couldn't afford to get it back, so he sold his 3k guitar for $250. A few years ago we saw a guitar very similar to his listed on ebay in Jacksonville, FL (that was where we lived back then). He and I are certain it was his guitar. It sold for over 2k on ebay. His next guitar he bought for 80 bucks on ebay. The next guitar he got on ebay he spent $1300.. It was a beaut, a work of art made by Sakurai. WHen we hit another rough spot he sold it for $1800 and bought a guitar that was well used and well loved for $80. The guy that owned this guitar had some intersting stories to tell of that guitars travels. Can you beleive it, that guitar had been to Kenya? and he had some pictures to proove it. Recently he invested in a beautiful guitar made by a NY luthier and another one made by a world famous luthier. I think he has inadvertantly become a guitar collector or a guitar broker. The truth of matter I just love to hear him play his guitar and sing. It takes him and it also takes me to a magic place. Its howver hard for him to play with 4 kids running around since everyone wants a turn! A few years back a bought a learning guitar (30 bucks) and the kids strummed the heck out of it... I have not seen it in two years!

Music brings my family together. Friday nights used to our concert night. AFter a dinner of home made pizzas, the kids performed to us. T plays his trombone and S clinked on her kiddy piano and B blew the recorder. It was fun. I think I will reveive friday night concerts.

Whoopi Goldberg has Nothing on my Hair!

I went natural three years ago.. no more chemical perms for my hair. It has been a big challenge. Last night as I tried to comb out the humongous not that is my hair.. I reflected on my decision. My hair is longer and healthier looking but it is a HUGE pain to look after. I twist as often as can which sometimes is every two months and by that point it has started to dread! A couple of days I was talking to a friend of mine who happens to be in France (Hey there!), and she pointed something out to me. My inability to care for my hair is affecting my daughters and sons hair as well. The girls have curly hair that is beautiful when wet but frizzy and wild when dry. And my son has the nappiest looking hair… and he dreams of huge fro. I have a bathroom shelf filled of all kinds of hair products. Gels, mouse, conditioner and I have tried most combinations. For the most part I braid their hair or just put it up in a pony puff! But hear ye hear ye.. I am putting it in writing. Today I vow to be more concerned about our hairs! That’s a promise I hope to keep, so if you see me.. Ask me and see how I am doing.

My Home Town

My home town used to be a far away exotic destination. It seemed so far away that slowly and sadly it started slipping away from me. Today this is my home town, nestled in a valley. It is a small town. It doesn’t even have a traffic light or a stop sign. We however have post office, a gas station/convenience store, a bank, a hair dresser, a photographer, a restaurant, a bar, and an antique store. You can also have your headstone made right here in town! All these stores clumped together on one section of Main Street. Further up Main Street is the school; with an average graduating class of 35 students. Did I say I live on Main Street, right on the West end of town? I love my small home town. From my desk I can see the Creek which ambles through this valley. I see people who drive through from larger cities going on to larger cities. I wonder what they think of our small forgotten town… if they think of it at all.
My goal is to revive this town, quietly and slowly… Make people slow down and notice.
Do you notice a difference... and I too can't wait to see what comes of my flowers this year!

Last day of Winter

Winter is leaving us .. softly and sadly. She is enveloping us with a beautiful white blanket of snow as she graciously bows out. Monday is the first day of spring and I feel the rebirth coming on. BRING IT ON! I am so ready. Everyone makes great new year resolutions. I make my resolutions Ash Wednesday. Then I spend the 40 days of Lent practicing them and finally after Lent they are ingrained in me... and become a part of my life. No empty resolutions for me... Most of my resolutions are what I call "Character Building". Be more patient, be more understanding, make more time for this or for that... and I love Lent.. it gives me the time to work.. really work on myself. Did I say I LOVE IT! The crocuses are poking through the soil, the tulips are too. My garden is on its way to a beautiful rebirth and I am following along Happy Spring Everyone!

Missing In Action

It has been a while since I have updated my blog. I got caught in an emotional rollercoaster which I have kindly surrended my ticket and gotten off the ride. SOmetimes we choose our hurt or sometimes it gets handed to you. How you deal with it... is it up to you? or it the human side of us that goes into some "I have been hurt" mode. Maybe a little bit of both. What became painfully clear to me is that I have to redefine my entire existence. Not any easy task. especially at 40 years old. YIKES seeing those numbers in writing is a sobering thought. Well I will be back redefined and all..

Climbing and Conquering Mt. Washmore

One of the benfits of building a house is designing the rooms. One of my goals is to have more than one washing machine in the house. I am thinking one upstair and one downstairs/basement. Upstairs clothes stay upstairs and downstairs clothes stay downstairs. But I know that will completely confuse me. How about laundry machines side by side? Not sure that wil help. I have no problem washing the clothes, its the folding and more so the putting away that gets to me. .. and my worst flaw? I forget clothes in the washer -- wet -- the horror! I am currently working on formulation that can get rid of the mildew smell of the wet forgotten laundry.

A new Kitchen Gadget

Cooking bacon is relatively mess and disgusting. Watching the bacon swim in bath of bacon grease is enough to emotionally clog your arteries. I decided to experiment with different ways of making bacon. For the past few years I have been baking my bacon in a 375 degree oven. This works great, with no bacon grease to clean off the top of my stove or hood. The bacon however still swims in grease. Ick. So I decided to by this nifty gadget. Does it work? The jury is still out on that one. It was supposed to cook the bacon in approximately 4 minutes. However the bacon was rather limp, I continued to microwave the bacon for an additional 6 minutes—the bacon did not crisp. Now the gross part is having to scrape the bacon grease out of the bottom. So why do I use bacon? Hey I am married to a southern and we enjoy bacon in our slow cooked grits and our cornbread and on our pizza and with our eggs at breakfast and with our pasta and… the list goes on.

Busy, Busy

I have been so busy. I have not had time to update my blog. I was bitten by some kind of Super mom bug. Spending time cleaning, sorting and getting organized. I have to admit I making progress. The house is looking more respectable. Soon I will be able to invite my friends over.

What are you doing to save time?

I multitask constantly.
Eat my breakfast, while working on the computer.
Eat my snack and Watch TV at the SAME time.
Eat my lunch while doing laundry.
But I have yet to wash dishes and the baby at the same time.

Okay so most of my multitasking involves eating. It is amazing how much eating you can do when you are at home all day. I learnt that from my kids. They were home all last week from school. They ate constantly. I felt like my day revolved around fixing meals, fixing snacks and pouring drinks. I have decided that in my dream home I will have a snack and soda machine. The children will earn tokens by doing chores and spend their tokens in the machine.