The Clothes Line

THE DREADED CLOTHES LINE.

I got this email from a friend of mine in UT. Which brought back SO many memories. My twin and I had LOTS of fun hanging out clothes (just ask her, she'll tell you all the fights we would get into over hanging out clothes, of course, which will be MY fault). I always hated getting to the bottom of the basket. Because whoever got the last piece was the last one in the house. She would always TAKE her time hanging up her piece when it got close to the bottom so that she wouldn't be the one to get the last piece so she could RUN in the house!! (you see it was EMBARRASSING as CRAP for "her" friends to see us hanging out clothes...cause none of of them had to...and since she was the "cool" one...what would that look like for her "friend boys" to walk by and see her hanging out clothes...DUH!!) All these things listed below we did.

THE BASIC RULES

1. You had to wash the clothes line before hanging any clothes. Walk the length of each line with a damp cloth around the line.

2. You had to hang the clothes in a certain order and always hang whites with whites and hang them first.

3. You never hung a shirt by the shoulders, always by the tail. If you did you had clothes pin marks on your shoulder.

4. Wash day was on a Monday....bright and early BEFORE school.

5. Hang the sheets and towels on the outside lines so you could hide your 'unmentionables' in the middle. (a MUST)

6. It didn't matter if it was sub zero weather.............clothes would "freeze dry"...(and be STIFF as a board when you took them down).

7. Always gather the clothes pins when taking down dry clothes. Pins left on the line was 'tacky'.

8. If you were efficient, you would line the clothes up so that each item did not need two clothes pins, but shared one of the clothes pins with the next washed item.

9. When we got home from school the clothes had to be taken off of the line before dinner time, neatly folded in the clothes basket and ready to be ironed.

10. IRONED?????????? Well, that's a whole other subject.

Do your kids even know what a clothes line is? I know mine don't! I am sure a lot of you are too young to remember the clothes line, but for all of us who are older, did this bring back any memories?

New Look!!

I love change! I love getting "hand me downs" (that are in good shape...that's another story). While I was vising my daughter, Hess, she came across these slipcovers that she was going to THROW away! I, (I had been wanting slip covers, but could not bring myself to get them because of the price) said...I WANT THEM! She said...YOU CAN HAVE THEM!!

I washed them and the two days ago put them on. Yesterday, I went to Lowes and returned some curtains that my twin had bought me because they didn't match the slipcovers, and found curtains. I haven't put them on the door yet, because I need to hem the other one.

You can't really tell, but it matches perfectly! It looks so much better than what the couches looked like before (the "tiger" uses it as his scratching post, even though he has one).

So thanks, Hess, for helping a mom out!!

(Donations are greatly appreciated!!)

Sleepless Nights

When I was younger (much) and started having children...there were many nights that I did not get a good nights sleep! You know, baby needs feeding, changing, or burping. Or maybe they had a bad dream and needed comfort. And on those rare occasions when they would be sick (HATED those nights; never understood why it had to be at night, why not during the day!), I would be the one to get up with them, most of the time. As they got older and started taking naps they sometimes would wake me because they had had too much sleep (error on my part for letting them take to late of a nap!!) and thought it was time to get up when daddy left for PT (which was at "o dark thirty").

As I have gotten older, I have enjoyed sleeping through the night and not having distrubances.

BUT, a few years ago, our lives changed when my DH rescued a kitty. When he found him, he only fit into the size of our fist. I would have to feed him with an eye dropper at first; then a kitty bottle as he got older. I change his kitty litter boxes, and was his main care giver, until my DH would come home at which point he would take over. As the "kitten" grew he became more and more SPOILED by my DH! He is even to the point now where he sleeps cuddled up to him at night on his side of the bed. He waits for my DH to go to bed, then jumps up on the night stand and plops himself down on the bed in the crook of his arm. Where he sleeps...UNTIL around 4AM...

WHEN THE FUN BEGINS!!

HE turns into a TIGER on the prawl!! (he is an "inside kitty" only) He runs across our headboard, knocks over the trash can, jumps on my night stand and opens the curtain, sits on the headboard at my DH's head and paws his forehead, MEOWS, and any other activity that he can think of until 5:30AM when he has played enough, and then comes and cuddles on my DH's chest and starts cleaning his face, chewing on his fingers, purring, rubbing his face all over my DH's face...or BONDING time as my DH calls it!

Some of you have asked, "why don't lock him out of your room"? To which I say, "have you ever heard a 22 lb. Maine Coon cat bellow"! I thought NOT! He also would scratch up our bedroom door with his long nails!!

As I was sitting at the computer today I noticed that he was over sleeping. I decided I need to take a picture and post a blog about him. When I got up and went to grab the camera it woke him up. He was asleep on his back before that. After I took the first picture he decided he was hungry and went into the kitchen.

So every day, my DH and I are tired from lack of sleep because of "CAZ" our 5th child!! But my DH doesn't mind it at all. HE LOVES HIS BABY!

Where was he 27 years ago when I first started getting up with our own babies! He says he "knows better now"!

A Day at the Beach

Ok...so I copied...so SUE me!! (get it...HA HA!!)

I love the beach...but with exceptions. Not many people there, calm ocean, not too hot. But the only draw back is...IT WEARS ME OUT!!

So I took this test and this is what it says about me and the beach. (read the last line...that's a HOOT!!)

What the Beach Test Says About You

You tend to be a very social person. You live for your friends and family. You can get social burnout occasionally though. You aren't a total extrovert. You fall in love with ease and confidence. Even if you've had bad experiences in the past, each new love is a reason to start completely over. You are deeply passionate about several things in your life. You're not passionate about much... and the few passions you have are truly obsessions. Your sense of humor is intellectual and obscure. Only really well educated people get your jokes.

The Beach Test

A Few of My Thoughts

I copied this from my twin sister!! Thanks for the idea!

Outside my Window...I see my grass that needs to be mowed.

I am thinking...I need to be shampooing my carpet.

I am thankful for...the blessings that I received daily.

From the kitchen...I hear the dishwasher running.

I am creating...my life Legacy.

I am going...to Charlotte next week.

I am wearing…my night time clothes.

I am reading...two books-New Moon & The Host

I am hoping...to start quilting again.

I am hearing...many sounds; the birds chirping who have taken residency in my chimney, the dishwasher running, and the ceiling fan.

Around the house...there is always something that needs to be cleaned.

One of my favorite things...is to make people happy.

A Few Plans for the Rest Of The Week...clean my house some more, see my friend from VA., quilt.

Here is a picture that I am sharing with you...

I'm a WINNER!!

If you look over at my side bar you will see my newest award...."Brilliant Bella Blogger" Award! That is thanks to my post entitled "Public Service Announcement". I never thought I would win this! But I guess I must have done something right with blogging FINALLY! Thanks to the judge, my twin, CJ, for this award!

I display her PROUDLY!!

Sunday. A day of rest?

WELCOME, WELCOME. Sabbath Morning

Now We REST from every care.

Welcome, welcome is Thy Dawning,

Holy Sabbath, Day of Prayer.

I can hear my mom singing that song...even now. Although she has been gone (in November it will be) for 20 years. Sunday was a special day. She would turn on the TV and listen to the "Gospel Jubilee" show. It was the highlight of our morning. We got to where we learned the words to some of the songs. It wasn't the same every Sunday if that show wasn't on.

Well, since I am grown and have a family of my own, I don't get to hear that show anymore. As a matter of fact, my Sunday's aren't as stress free as I remember growing up. Then I only had to take care of myself. When I got married, I had to take care of myself and my DH. (Don't ask) Then as children came along, things got even MORE STRESSFUL on Sunday mornings.

Now my kids are grown and out of the house. All that is left at home is my DH, and my "pup" and his "tiger". You would think that things would be so much calmer now and less stressful. HA!

Come with me as I tell you what THIS morning has been like!

Alarm. 5:25AM. DH it's time to get up.

OK. I will in a minute.

Alarm 5:30AM. Babe, it's 5:30. It time to get up.

OK. Just a minute.

Alarm 5:35AM. OK...now it's 5:35AM. You need to get up!

Uh huh.

Alarm 5:40AM. T....it's 5:40AM...IT'S TIME TO GET UP!

I get up and let the "pup" out and go in the kitchen to take my meds. I start packing him a lunch (he is going to RH today for a viewing of a friend that he grew up with). Then I think, while I am up I might as well start defrosting the meat for dinner later. I feed the "pup" and the "tiger". Since I was dead dog tired from my weekend, I forgot I did not unload the dishwasher. So I do that and reload it.

At that point I decide it would be nice to have homemade french bread in the bread machine. I start checking for ingredients to make sure I have everything..WHEW...I do! But I don't start working on that yet.

Then I go and make sure the DH did really get up out of the bed. (THANK GOODNESS HE HAD...OTHERWISE THIS PART OF THE STORY WOULD BE UGLY!!)

I go back into the kitchen and start making him breakfast. (If I didn't he wouldn't eat...and that would not be GOOD for the rest of the world, since he is a diabetic!!) Then, I take his food along with his veg-a-vit-a-vitamins to him. At this point I tell him I am not going with him today to RH. (that went over well...NOT. Probably b/c he didn't have food in him yet. I forget those small details!!) Anyways, then I tell him that their is a box that I need him to take with him to his meeting. I tell him everything is marked of who it goes to.

Then we come into the den. He starts gathering up his scriptures and his brief case. And then the BOX!! He doesn't have enough hands for it. So I pick up the box and follow him to the door. He takes his scriptures and his briefcase to the car and comes back for the BOX! So I open the door to hand him the BOX and the dear, sweet, (NOT) tiger decides he wants to MAKE A RUN FOR IT! (he is an inside cat ONLY). IF LOOKS COULD KILL...I would have been dead at that point!! So he starts chasing his precious kitty. Thankfully, he didn't go into the neighbors yard, under their deck this time. (Ask Sasha about that story!!)

So we get the "tiger" back in. And he grabs the BOX and leaves. On his way to the car, he says the AC unit is humming!! (which means that the storm that came through yesterday must have reset the AC unit...I know this b/c since we have lived here we have had more trouble with that DARN thing. It's a dinosaur!!) So I come in put some "outside" clothes on and grab my shoes and go outside. I reset the unit (thank goodness the AC man had taught me how to do that years ago!) I come back in. Then I remember I probably should change the air filter since it's been over a month since I have done that. So, I get the screw driver and change it.

I then go into the kitchen and start mixing the ingredients for the bread in the bread machine. I start cooking the meat. Then I remember I need to give the "pup" his medicine. I mix up the sauce for the lasagna. While that is cooking I decide to start cleaning up the "tiger's" kitty litter box and deposits! (DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THAT!!) I get that all done and bagged up, and set the trash bag on the back deck. At which point the "pup" decides he wants to go out too. So I let him out. He starts smelling the trash bag. (I set it on the deck b/c I am TOO lazy to take it to the trash can... BIG MISTAKE!!) I tell him to get away from that and go out in the yard and play with his friends. He hears them "talking" to him and he starts "talking" back to them and starts to head down the stairs. I come in. At which point, I say I need to print the program for today. So I start up the computer and realize I don't see my "pup" or hear him "talking" any more. And the thought came to me..."is he digging in that trash bag?" SURE ENOUGH...HE WAS!! By the time I got to him he had a NICE hole in the bag...just CHEWING AWAY. ON WHO KNOWS WHAT...but he was GOING TO TOWN!! (He had just eaten too this morning! But I guess he needed more fiber!!) Mind you this is the same sweet "pup" who we just spent $782 on last weekend from an digestional problem!! I get him out of the trash and come in and get a trash bag so I can rebag the trash!!

At that point...the song "Sabbath Morning" popped into my head.

I then said...I NEED TO BLOG!!

I miss those non stressful Sabbath Mornings!!

Is there anything more precious?

BABY, A

BIG BOY, D



Big brother holding little sister.


Need I say more?

Is this how you feel?

I received this from a friend...and loved it.

As Latter-day Saint women, we are practically obsessed with anxiously engaging ourselves in good causes. Maybe it's subliminal....

Glancing through the hymnal last Sunday I noted that as sisters in Zion, we who are called to serve are all enlisted to go marching, marching forward because the world has need of willing men to all press on scattering sunshine. We wonder if we have done any good in the world today because we have been given much and want to do what is right, keep the commandments, press forward with the Saints, choose the right, and put our shoulders to the wheel going where He wants us to go. However, as the morning breaks high on the mountain top, truth reflects upon our senses, and while we still believe that sweet is the work, we also realize that we have work enough to do ere the sun goes down. And thus we ask Thee ere we part, where can we turn for peace?

Luke

This is "my sweet pup" Luke. We "got" him Christmas of '06. My DH found him on the military base we live near the day after Christmas. He was lost, cold and in the woods. He came right to my DH and my husband put him in his truck to get him warm. He tried for several days after that to find his owner. We even took him to the vet to see if he had a micro chip in him...which to our advantage he did not.

This past weekend he was very sick ($782 worth, thank you) and we had to take him to the animal hospital, where he spent Sat. night. But by Sunday evening, he was much better (they told us he must be better because was trying to bite everybody), and he got to come home. This was taken yesterday and as you can see he still wasn't up to his full self. Well, today (call it the drugs, food, prayers, or a combination of it all) he is back to himself..barking, chasing, jumping, excited self.

I for one am glad. I love this sweet pup!!

Fun in the Sun

This is my grandson B. His mom took him to the beach the other day and he LOVED it.

I swear that boy is just like his dad!!

Public Service Announcement

We interrupt this program to bring you a special service announcement

(thanks CJ for finding this picture for me!)

I wish I could make this sign and give it to the people who park in handicap parking places that aren't handicapped!

Last May, I was diagnosed with severe joint disease in both my knees and it is starting in my right hip. Because of that, some days it is harder to walk then others, and I have a very hard time walking long distances. So my doctor filled out a form for me to take to the DMV and get a handicap parking permit. The people there told me it was assigned to ME and ME only and could only be used when I AM IN THE CAR!

Which brings me to my public service announcement...

IF THE HANDICAPPED PERSON IS NOT IN THE CAR THAT YOU ARE DRIVING THEN YOU SHOULD NOT BE PARKING IN A HANDICAP PARKING PLACE!!

Also, even though I am not over 50 and look like I should not be parking in the handicapped parking place, and you think I should not be parking there and I have TAKEN your spot...I HAVE EVERY MUCH RIGHT TO PARK THERE AS YOU DO! (I can't even remember the number of hateful looks and comments that people have made to me because I am parked in a handicapped parking spot!!)

I assure you...I don't want to be handicapped just as much as you don't want to be handicapped. I don't even look forward to having all of them replaced in about 10 years (the Othro doctor told me he wouldn't even considering replacing them for at least another 10 YEARS!)

So the next time you look at me and wonder why are YOU parking there

DON'T JUDGE ME BECAUSE OF MY LOOKS!

We now return you to your regularly scheduled program!

My trip to MD

So, I am home from visiting my daughter, J, in MD. I had such an enjoyable time visiting her and my son-in-law, L. While I was there, I did 62 loads of laundry. In case you want to see what it looked like...I had her take a few photos for show and tell! (This picture doesn't do JUSTICE for the amount of clothes she had.)

So after we were done...this is what it looked like for trash. (There again this doesn't do justice for the amount of trash we created.)

This is the pile of clothes and other things that she is giving away. The person that gets these clothes is going to have the best Christmas ever! (They are all very nice, name-brand clothes and in excellent condition.)

While I was there we started on her husband's "play room"/office. On Thursday, I had to have a nap, and "while I was sleeping" she had done about 90% of this by herself, including moving the game table! (Before you think I am a bad mother for letting her do this by herself, I did help her pack up about 5 of the boxes you see here).

She was so happy to have me there to help her. She even cried the night I left!! (poor J) On Friday,before I left, she took me shopping to Kohls and bought me some beautiful stuff! (She didn't have to do that...but she wanted to...call me greedy...but I AM NOT going to turn a gift horse down!!) Then she took me to eat at Red Robin (first time eating there...DELISH).

So now that I am home...I need to so the same thing here. I am so tired though and I don't know when I will get mine done...Maybe I need a Maid!

(The good news is I don't have 62 loads of laundry to do and to my knowledge I am not moving anywhere!!)

Lesson I learned today

Call me crazy...but this WORKS!! But sorry, I not going to fold my shirts like this; but perhaps someone might!! So consider yourself taught!!

Girls just wanna have fun!!

My day started at 5:40am. I had to get a jump on the day since we (I am visiting my daughter J, in MD) had a lot of things planned for our day!

We left at 8:30am for her OB doctor's apt. I got to see the "bebe" moving all around and having a good time in her happy home! (I am calling "it" a "she" until I know better!!)

Then we left there and went here...

and I got this book...(I have read "Twilight" by her...and since I didn't want to buy the next sequel...I get them from the public library for free), I got this

From there we went and got our "toes did" (can you guess which ones mines!)

By this time we had worked up an appetite...what with working so hard and all...we had to have lunch, so we went here and had a wrap!!

From there we went to the Super Target in Gaithersburg, (it is cool...it has a parking deck!!)

and started filling our cart with things we needed only to get to the market side and realized that they didn't have everything we needed. So we ditched the cart (plus it was so HOT in that store) and went to Safeway by her house and got the things that we "ditched" plus others that were going to get at Target.

From there we came home and THANK goodness dear son-in-law was home so that we didn't have to carry $275 worth of groceries up 4 flight of stairs (a total of 66 steps...but who's counting?) By the time Igot to the top I was drenched in sweat, because the temperature was 105 outside and there is NO AIR CONDITIONING in her stairwell!!

Then I came home and made dinner for us Shepherd's Pie (recipe by Paula Deen) DELISH!!!

Then started my "job" of doing more laundry!! (I'm weird like that...I love doing laundry!! Since yesterday I have done 18 loads and this is what it looks like now!!) Can you tell the improvement!!

So that's my day in review..wonder what "fun" we will have tomorrow!!

Is my name "Jane"?

This was on my twins page...so I thought I would check it out! This is NOT what I wanted to be...because my all time favorite doughnut is...

CHOCOLATE COVERED CREAMED FILLED KRISPY KREME DONUT!!

But according to this...I am plain...plain Jane I say! (Maybe our brother really did succeed at switching our name tags around)!

You Are a Glazed Donut

Okay, you know that you're plain - and you're cool with that. You prefer not to let anything distract from your sweetness. Your appeal is understated yet universal. Everyone digs you. And in a pinch, you'll probably get eaten.

What Donut Are You?

My oldest and her babies

A beautiful picture of 3 of some of the most beautiful people that I LOVE!

Dreeeammm, Dream, Dream, Dream....

So in my other post...I mentioned that I woke up suddenly yesterday morning...(shame on you if you are starting with this post first!!) It was because I was having the STRANGEST dream. Now I am not much of a dreamer...when I am out...I AM OUT!! I found this interesting website after typing in google, what makes a person dream and this is what I found! It has some INTERESTING theories on dreams. www.essortment.com/all/dreamspeoplewh_reyl.htm

So this is my dream...
I dreamed I was in a motel (run down at that) with different rooms that were connected by this hallway. I had my babies with me (three of my four, but don't know which ones) and I was trying to get them to sleep. (I have no idea where my DH and my other child was.) Anyways, what seemed like an eternity, I finally got them to sleep. They were light sleepers and the slightest noise woke them up! Well, I left the room that they were sleeping in because when we came down the hallway I could see these brats boys in a room right across from my room playing. They were very LOUD and they were playing rough with their G.I. toys. I said to them... "can you be quiet...my babies, are trying to sleep." THEY IGNORED ME!! So louder, I said, "Can you boys be quiet." STILL they ignored me!!! So again, I said, LOUDER. CAN. YOU. PLEASE. BE. QUIET.!! What I think was the older one (who had a full hair of curly BLACK HAIR), said smartly..."NO WE DON'T HAVE TO!" and kept playing. I must have thought to myself...OH.NO.YOU.JUST.DIDN'T. Cause at that point I went into the room and GRABBED (i know right!!) him by the collar of his shirt, and twisted it, and said "STOP YELLING AT ME"!!

At that point, my DH say's: "huh...what? "what's going on?"

That's right folks, I had GRABBED my own DH's shirt and had twisted it in my hand!!! He then said...I want to know what you were dreaming!! I then told him, briefly, what I was dreaming. He went back to sleep (and never has said another word about it) and I got up!!

So from another website this is what I found on the different elements of my dream!

Children

To dream that your own grown children are still very young, indicates that you still see them as young and dependent. You want to feel needed and significant.

Yelling
To dream that you or someone is yelling, represents repressed anger that need to be expressed. If you are yelling and no one hears, then it suggests that you are not being heard. You feel that your voice does not matter.

Motel
To see or live in a motel in your dream, represents your potential to achieve your goals. You are going through a transitional phase.

So here is life lesson #2:

Have children that are still dependent on you, yell at them, (they won't hear you), but you WILL achieve your goals!!

My precious grandson, BEN!

Does this boy look like he is having fun or what! Like father, like son!!

Feelings...nothing more than... FEELINGS!!

This is my answers to the tag my sister sent me!!

I am tagging Hess and Shasha!!

RELUCTANT about doing what I need to in order to lose weight. No idea why!

EXCITED when I get to see my grandbabies!
WORRIED about my son-in-law driving me to MD this weekend!!

RELIVED that I have a few days of free time.
WONDERING what I am going to make for dinner tonight
CERTAIN I shouldn’t have eaten all those M&M’s last night!!

CAUTIOUS about my driving.

HAPPY I get to go to Maryland this weekend to see my daughter.

LOVE to go to the temple with my husband.

ADORE my darling grandbabies!

GRATEFUL for the love and support of my wonderful DH and children!.

In case you were wondering...

It's been a few days since I have been on here to write anything, so I thought I would share some things with you that I have been doing!(not that I don't have a very fascinating, exciting, normal life).

Some of you may not be aware that I am the stake supervisor over Seminary and Institutes of Religion for our stake. (not be be confused with steak). At this time of year, I have to make sure that all the students who have been doing their work in seminary get credit for the year. That is a very tiring, thankless, long process!! Not only did I have to do that but I also had to type the program, type certificates for awards, print the program, print the awards and then be at the church on Sunday by 4PM to set up for the graduation ceremony. I also had to make sure the seniors were in line and tell them where to sit and make sure they were lined in up proper order to go into the chapel and then had sit on the stand so that I could present the awards and certificates and diplomas to all the seniors!! (WHEW, that was a long run on sentence!!)

On Monday, I cleaned all day (it looked like a hurricane had been through my house, since all I had done for the past week was eat, sleep, and dream about seminary graduation). I also had to make sure that I had all the supplies that I needed for Tuesday.

Tuesday morning I woke up suddenly (because I was having a bad dream, which I won't go into here) at 5:23AM. (I usually get up at 6:15AM) I had to be at the stake center (not to be confused with steak) by 8AM to meet with my boss CES (Church Education System) Coordinator, Brother N. We made appointments for the day to sign L.O.A. (letters of appointment) for teachers who will be teaching seminary students this year. We were there ALL DAY LONG; till 5PM. My dear, sweet, husband brought us and him lunch at 12:45 and stayed for 15 mins. while we all INHALED our lunch, because Bro. N and I had a 1PM appointment. In all we talked with 7 teachers yesterday. I wish I could say that I am done...but I'm not! I still have six more teachers to contract!!!

So today, I have been working on paperwork that I got yesterday and writing emails. I have checked out the book "Twilight" from the library and I am trying to find time to read that. ( I just started chapter 4 for those of you that have read it). This weekend I am off to MD to help my pregnant (WHOO HOOO) daughter pack up so that she can move.

So here's my life lesson (since that is the subtitle to my blog) for today:

"Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today"!

Whoopsadasie...did I say that!!