what to do?

After my cat's 10am vet appt, I have a li'l time to do some things at home.

So, do I get my 2010 receipts ready for taxes? Do I take care of some dusting and cleaning? or do I break into my shipment from 2 peas and play in my scraproom....decisions, decisions.

There is also another weekend progressive at Scrapbook.com.

Past week has been busy, working 3days; took one day to go get some bloodtests; my ddil got the nasty cold going around, so I'm babysitting when I can to help her out.
Like yesterday, I took the afternoon 'afternap shift'. Not that ddil did something normal, like, say... rest, nope, she took care of some errands.


Adriana and I made some taco soup for a family who just had a baby. Okay, she supervised, I cooked. They live in ddil's neighborhood, so we packed up the stroller and walked the dinner over. Ddil joined us. I just hope her cold doesn't get worse. Adriana and I had the cold the first round, so hopefully we are immune. DDil tells me Ds is showing signs...so, he's next.


Out here it's like this 10 day super-cold that is hitting everyone! We all get different symptoms, like ddil had a slight fever...but this cold just seems extra nasty. Dh and dd got bronchitus after it, I had a sinus infection...its just odd. At work, no one is immune. Guess I'm gonna take some Clorox wipes and give my desk a once-over to be sure.

of course, Adriana and I have fun...I'll ask her, 'what does mommy say?" She puts her hand to her mouth and says 'coooough coooough" tee hee.

Monday, I've got 2 dr appts...the first one is the sonogram to try to find my ovaries, plus I'll get results from the blood test verifying that I don't have cancer...did not know the biopsy is not enough. Then we'll set the date for my hysterectomy. I talked to my bosses at work, they want me to try to get it done Mid-May so I can be back Early-Mid July, in time to take care of the quarterly taxes and stuff.

Right now, each day is filled with things I gotta do...is it wrong that I'm looking forward to the recovery period when the days won't be so packed??? Or will I be so incredibly bored??

Stylish Blogger, how fun!

Stylish Blogger!

Thanks to Trumpet Wives Club for nominating me for the Stylish Blogger Award! Thank you so much! Go check her out ladies!






So, I have to list 8 things about myself:

1: I was born in San Bernadino, CA (a 'valley' girl), but grew up in Houston, Texas. We moved when I was 4 years old so my dad could work for the Space Program thru IBM.
If you watch the movie Apollo 13 and see the kinda geeky guys with their big frame glasses, short sleeves shirts with the pocket protectors and slide rules..well, he was one of them.

2: I am one half Japanese, my mom and dad met while he was in the Navy. Now, growing up bi racial in Southeast Texas during the late 60's, early 70's...yeah, not fun...but all a part of my story.

3: I have two younger sisters who are twins. 'Nuff said.

4: I LOVE cats, I think they are God's perfect creature and that He was only joking when he made dogs. I got my first cat when I was 14 years old...I would be the crazy cat lady if my dh hasn't threatened to divorce me if I got anymore! We only have 3.

5: We are a Marine Corps (military) family. Long line of service dating back to the war of 1812!

6: I have 2 of the best kids ever! I was extremely blessed in this area, both kids are simply good human beings that make me and dh look good.

7: I am a grandma! The best thing in life is being a grandma, and I am sooooo lucky they live nearby, so I get to see her at least a couple of times a week. She calls me 'gammy' and I call her my 'sweet pie' or 'missy boo'

8: I am a Christian. A relationship with Jesus is important to my dh and I. We've been very fortunate. My first influence were our neighbors growing up, who had 4 daughters, they lived out their faith...they had a whole, loving family...and invited me in. They got 4 girls thru the late 70's, early 80's and none of them did drugs or slept around. So, when I had my first child, I thought of them...and decided I wanted to raise my kids like that. AND that is when dh and I started looking for churches. And learned that Christianity is not about a religion and set of do's and don'ts but about a relationship with Christ. This will give you desire to do the do's and not do the don'ts.

I am also supposed to nominate 8 stylish blogs I love. Here they are:

1. Of Cats and Cardstock

2. 2paws designs

3. Moved to the Mountains

4. Living, Creating, and Appreciating

5. Amarilys's Little Corner

6. Dynamo

7. Hayster's Scraps

8. Wendance Designs

Go check out these ladies and give them some love! Thanks again, mse006 , for nominating me!

sights from yesterday, Sunday...

a few pics from yesterday,

while waiting for the progressive to begin, I decided to move some of the 2010 receipts from my drawer to a storage bin. Gotta start thinking about taxes, right?
Well, of course Winston helped. Helped dig some of the papers out of the files and put teeth marks in them.



Here are the 'kids' sharing a bit of sunshine..the black cat is Cassandra, the larger cat in the middle is Percy and the striped is our very own troublemaker, Winston...



And I got to babysit for a couple of hours after dgd's nap. Can you tell I dressed her? We got the pj pants and tutu on...but she wanted to keep her church sweater on. I was there while the parents had a 4 person conference call. When she first woke up, they had a question for me, so mommy gave her her afternap banana and juice...but guess I took too long answering the question, she came up to me, sat in my lap, took my face between her hands, then 'signed' "all done!" I had to laugh, and tell the kids that the 'boss' was telling me "I'm done". (she is learning baby sign language)




last but not least, took part in the last round of Sunday's progressive and was able to finish my Japanese Heritage Album. Yay!! another album out of the scraproom to be displayed on the shelves. How many albums do you have 'in progress'? I have 18, a few just have that 'just a couple more' to be done.

I also have that pile of layouts that I haven't started an album for... and 30 completed albums, not counting the minis...hmmmmmmm

been scrapping since I woke up,

there is a Progressive Challenge for the weekend on Scrapbook.com. (I included a link, if any of ya'll are interested in joining us) Tomorrow will be another round 9am EST and 2pm EST

started 9AM Eastern, so, that meant 6 AM for me...though I didn't get up till after 7! But its okay to start late, just don't get ahead.

but we had 2 rounds, today.


Round 1:





Round 2:



Progressives are fun for me, they take me out of my 'box' and each time there are new techniques to be learned. Both flowers are handmade, don't worry, she links the tutorials.

Only problem, I haven't done anything else today, not even showered...so, I'd better get my day started! ha!!

could this year be the year? reading related

A couple of months ago, I blogged that I had over 1500 books in my home. After Christmas, I have more. BUT I signed up for the GoodReads reading challenge, and could this be the year I FINALLY go thru my 'to be read' pile? I only signed up for 24 books this year, in the challenge, thinking 2 books a month is progress. And I'm a li'l ahead of target now, reading book #4...

So far, I've read Decision Points by George W. Bush...very good read
Pearl in the Sand (a fictionalized acct of Rahab and Salmon of the Bible) good read
Queen Hereafter (fictionalized acct of Queen Margaret of Scotland) not so good

and in the Midst of The Bookseller of Kabul...will p*ss you off!

I've been 'collecting' books about being a Muslim woman for a while; Reading Lolita, Behind the Veil, Prisoners of Hope (the 2 missionary women held hostage for a while in Afghanastan)...I think I've got a variety of perspectives.

However, Bookseller will very much upset us Western women about how women are viewed and treated in these countries run by regimes like the Taliban. I told a co-worker, "if every American woman read this book, We'd be taking up arms and fighting". Even in legal matters a woman is considered 'half a man'.

BUT I have to remember, the author did don a burkha and live with this family for a period of time, she was only able to interview the English speaking members of the family, think it was the father and one son...but not the women. As all but one have not had any education and I don't recall if the one that had an education (she was a schoolteacher before the Taliban closed down the girl schools) could speak English.

So, the chapters about being in the burkha, being sold to marriage, being 'set aside' in Pakistan...are not from the women's point of view but hers. The protagonist, who is in many ways a 'forward thinker', is still not above setting aside his first wife, 'because she is old', in favor of a 16 year old he bought. grrrrrrrrrrrr


So, this book, though I do get emotional about it, is only one point of view.

I also joined the Pea group (that's 2 peas in a bucket for you non-scrappers) on GoodReads. They are going to do a book of the month for March. The book Unbroken was selected.

sooo, perhaps this is the year, I get thru that pile. If only I would stop adding to it!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here is g'ma's sweet pie in her V-day outfit. Missing is her sparkly black shoes, she has a habit of taking shoes off.
Unfortunately, g'ma did have to 'bribe' her for pics, with the offer of a King's Hawaiian Roll! Oh! during lunch, Nyki says she said her '1st sentence', "more bread...."








I included this pic, cuz, well, let's face it, this is my li'l boo...she's clumsy!!

got my camera out...

did not do a 'lesson', but after being cooped up all week seeing this outside my window inspired me...







what is it about the early morning sun filtering thru fog that I think is soooo cool?





I find that I really like 'light' and 'reflections'...really gotta work on action shots.



during the week, this mirror, that was in our bedroom, shattered...but did not break out...so, it is now leaning against our garage...thought this was kinda cool...hmmmm, could it be philosophical too???



just one more