Childhood Memories - Wate-On

To participate in this week's Childhood Memories meme, I'm sharing a teen-hood memory.

BEING SO SKINNY THAT I ORDERED WATE-ON.

Yes, back in the day, I was just as teased and tormented for being skinny as were the girls who were a little too big. A normal weight was actually - the norm.

Skinny Minny, Bird Legs, Spaghetti Legs; those were the kind nicknames. I got this question a lot: "do you have to run around in the shower to get wet?".

I was THAT tiny in school and even after becoming an adult. But after giving birth to Jessica, I left the hospital weighing 98 lbs. I was thrilled to be 'so big'!!!

That turbo metabolism finally slowed down, and now I am dealing with the opposite problem. I know a lot people would not consider me fat / large / heavy or whatever, and question my dieting, but I am big FOR ME. I am just more comfortable being smaller than I am right now.

So There.

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Things In My House Thursday - Outside

We're in the backyard again for this week's TIMHT.

I ordered this book a while back and finally got around to reading it and implementing the ideas:

My neighbor had some extra / leftover wood, so we used that to make some off-size gardening boxes. We bought the special mix for soil (peat moss, compost, vermiculite), then planted our seeds. Mini blind slats serve as the dividers and, voila!!

We're hopefully in the farming business!

Join us for TIMHT - inside or outside!Post, link, visit, comment!

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Big Cats

Went to the zoo yesterday because the weather was beautiful and because Jessica had bought the season pass and wanted to start getting her money's worth.

It was fun but exhausting - a lot of walking for someone as lazy as me.

For the first time I can remember, however, the cats weren't being totally lazy. It was a worthwhile trip just to see them up and about:

Usually this is what we get:

Which I can relate to and appreciate......

Which is why I've renewed my membership on MyFoodDiary.com. I've got to start paying attention to how much I eat and how little I exercise. My Food Diary worked for me before, and I'm counting on it to help me get back on track again.

Do any of ya'll have an exercise routine that you don't hate? Please share if you do, :) because as much as I hate counting calories, I really hate exercising.

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Things In My House Thursday - Outside Version

This TIMHT will feature something from my

backyard, but something that is no longer in my backyard....

I WANT to like nature.

I WANT to like gardening.

I am trying to start a bona-fide garden this year, and, so far, like all yard work, it is miserably hard work!! I enjoy the fresh air, the sense of accomplishment, the flowers; hopefully I will also enjoy some spinach and tomatoes and edamame and peppers and herbs and more - FRESH and free from my beautiful little raised garden bed.

What I don't enjoy: the heat, for sure, but MOST OF ALL I don't like any thing that crawls, flies, buzzes, slithers or comes within about 100 feet of me. Even at that distance, I want it to be heading in the opposite direction.

Sooooooo, finding this in a pot I needed to use very nearly

derailed my future in yard-farming:

Yes, it's a disturbing, dangerous Black Widow Spider. Yikes!

And I would have run screaming, likely calling 911, if my kids and neighbor hadn't been outside to "protect" me..... and to suggest I go get my camera.....

we all survived the unpleasant find, but the spider most definitely did not!

Please join Things In My House Thursday

and share something - hopefully more pleasant - from your house or yard.

Post, link, visit, comment!

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Bad Art: Tributes to BHO

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Things in My House Thursday #33

On Tuesday: high temp - 80 degrees. Tees and flip flops; the great outdoors.

On Thursday: high temp - 38 degrees. Flannel and fleece; the warm indoors.

So I rescued these sweet daffodils from the approaching freeze and am enjoying them in my house. I love their bright, yellow, happy simplicity!

JOIN TIMHT!!

* Post, link, visit, comment, Enjoy *

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Pigeons and Squirrels

The rest of you share and share and share your beautiful, colorful birds and baby goats and fluffy sheep and prissy dogs and glamour cats......

Here's what I've got:

Sneaky pigeons that blend in with the dirt and leaves so well that it even takes a long time before the dogs realize they're there.

Energetic squirrels who are unafraid of heights or that their weight might make a branch collapse beneath them and send them spiraling to the ground...... and that last shot - that critter looks ready to pounce on my face. I was getting a little nervous, even on the other side of my telephoto lens.

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Things In My House Thursday # 32

This week,

This vase .... ?

is something that Uncle Billy gave my Grandmother before he died; he brought it back from one of his travels. I own it for sentimental reasons, and will admit that I keep it in the closet.

I don't understand anything about it except for the taped piece of paper on the bottom that says that Billy Joe gave it to her in 1950.

All I "get" is the overall marine / nautical theme. I am guessing it was quite the lovely piece back in the day, and that Grandma was a proud owner. I wouldn't have a clue how to display it if I ever took a notion to.

Although....... I think Mary would like it in her room......

Please join TIMHT and show us something from your house!

Post, link, Visit, comment!

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Carol thinks I'm Kreativ?

 Cat-spoiling Carol, at KnittedKitty presented me with this wonderful award, and she 'caught' me at a good time.  I've been  happy to receive similar tags or awards  before, and I really like participating in this stuff, but sometimes it has just been during an otherwise-busy blogging lull and I don't get around to acknowledging these fun opportunities.  I'm sorry for any I've missed or am just way behind in playing along, but here's how this one works:

LIST 7 THINGS THAT YOU LOVE.

So, I'm skipping the obvious: God, Family, Health....and starting here:

I LOVE

1. Routine. This is where I would normally say that I love coffee, but more than the actual coffee, it is my morning routine that I love and crave and miss if I don't have. I could give up coffee easier than I could give up  the comfortable familiarity of the brewing process, the aroma, the favorite cups/mugs, and  the warmth.....the routine of my morning.

2. Books. I really have issues here.

3. My ipod. I love it and believe nearly everyone should own one. I love mine just a little bit less since Christopher got an ipod touch for his birthday - that is the all time coolest most amazing piece of technology I've ever seen. Now I want an upgrade.

4. Glitter. And who doesn't, I'd like to know?

5. Office supplies. Pens, pencils, highlighters, paper, folders, staplers, post-it notes, label makers...... I could go on until I've listed the entire inventory of Office Depot.

6. Bloggers! I love y'all! You're the best of friends: there for me when I need you, sharing your lives, your help, your humor, your prayers - but you're perfectly all right with me being a lazy homebody and not attending any tupperware parties or other events, and you keep me in your social circle even though I'm a poor hostess and don't invite you over for burgers. Ever. 

 Awesome.

7. Snow. We finally got a beautiful amount of it this weekend. 

I love it for its own sake, but also because I am reminded that: snow represents scripture (Isaiah 55: 10, 11), snow represents forgiveness (Isaiah 1:18), and snow represents Jesus (Rev. 1:14).

That's my short list!  

Now I nominate Mary,  Muddy, and Jessica to share their love.

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News from the Past: It's Cold Outside!

125 years ago:  

1884

Last night, a youngster stuck his tongue on an iron post at Third and Monroe and it was so cold that it immediately stuck to the metal.  His mother, attracted by his moans and groans, was preparing to pour a kettle of hot water over his head to thaw his tongue when a passerby stopped her and freed the tongue by blowing his warm breath on it until the boy and the post were unstuck.

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