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Rocked my world

ScrapArtist is not a place I hang out.  I've never really been an altered art person.  And, I admit I was offput that they had the audacity to call their creative team "creative goddesses".  I know, narrow of me, but I recognize only one God and He's not on that creative team.  I have posted numerous layouts there from time to time, as a Creative Team member for Cori Gammon when she was selling there and as a Creative Team member for Amanda Rockwell.  Still, for whatever reason it always seemed a bit hoity toity to me.  However, it's ALWAYS been there.  Since before I started digi scrapping more than 5 years ago, there's always been a ScrapArtist.  This morning I received an e-mail announcing that they are closing.  I'm sure many people knew this before I did; it apparently was announced around the ScrapArtist store and within Amanda's Inside the ScrapArtist Studio days ago.  Maybe even longer as I recall seeing a designer or two relocate.  But I just received the e-mail and I am stunned.  It's like somebody just told me there will be no gravity on earth after a given date.    I'm sure I'll adjust, but since I JUST NOW read the news, excuse me while I go through the process.

Jen and I had a conversation by phone last night and I got the babysitting schedule for the month of September.  I have the kids at her house (picking them up from day care) four nights this month.  Unfortunately, two of those nights are this week and we've already spent money to buy groceries for those two nights.  I also have them all day the 13th, all day the 14th, and for the whole weekend the 24th, 25th, and 26th.  Actually let me correct that, I will have the BOYS for the whole weekend.  Bethie will be with Mommy who has other plans for that weekend.  I am grateful that all of the all day things will be here at the house which means I might get a smidgeon of design work done, a much bigger smidgeon if it's just the boys.  I'm sure I'll have to conjure something to do with the boys that one weekend, as even they will tire of sitting here watching cartoons if that runs for 3 straight days.  Now where in the heck can I take them that won't cost anything?  I've NO clue..........

As of tomorrow, we are 3 payments behind on the house again.  It seems to take everything we can bring in just to eat hamburgers and hot dogs, find gasoline for the commute back and forth to work, keep the car payment and insurance paid, and pay the utility bills.  Joe has decided to withdraw money again from his IRA to help us keep the house a bit longer.  I hate that as we have next to nothing in there as it is.  We've been told we don't qualify for the government-sponsored mortgage modification program.  Supposedly they are looking for other programs that might benefit us.

I had another downright awful night last night.  It is so unusual for me not to sleep.  Normally, I can sleep anywhere anytime.  So, when we finally have to give up and move into the van, I should be just fine, LOL.  However, three nights in a row now, I have really had to fight for sleep.  Last night I finally gave up after rolling around, sleepless, for three hours, and came out here and messed around on the computer.  Finally went back to bed, with much prayer, and got a few hours of sleep.  Wish I knew what this was all about........

Design

Mondays are busy days for me, what with uploading my latest creation to two stores and all that entails, and then uploading next week's kit for the CT.  I didn't get much design work done yesterday but for the two goodies I chortled about yesterday.  That particular item is now in the hands of both of the former designers on my team.  I'm hoping for some feedback on whether there's a way to improve what I've done........  or even if I'd just finally gone totally around the bend.....

Sales have picked up some.  I think there must be a definite summer "lull" while the mommies cope with having additional kiddos at home.  I was in despair in June, it was so bad.  It got a bit better in July, so I had "hope".  Now, in August, yet a bit more improvement.  Believe me when I say, however, that I don't make $1 an hour doing this.  A person REALLY has to LOVE it to do it because there's no money in it at all unless you land a contract as a designer for one of the big paper companies.  Things would be better, if the economy were better, I think, but designers have long complained about what they made given what it took to make it.

Scrapping

No.  By afternoon, I was worn to a frazzle, not having slept for two nights and I crashed for a couple of otherwise productive hours.......

Bleary Eyed

Today I am bleary eyed.  I laid in bed for HOURS last night before falling asleep.  If I've ever heard your name or if you fall into a class of people I pray for regularly, be assured your day has been prayed over!  I honestly can't say why, after a while, I didn't just get out of bed and do something worthwhile.  After I'd prayed for everyone and everything I could think of, I expected I'd go to sleep, but it didn't happen.  And, when I finally DID get to sleep, I was plagued by funky dreams and trips to the restroom about once an hour.  Whatever my normal coping ability and activity level might otherwise have been, I am looking forward to a nap SOON!

An old friend of mine called yesterday to ask if I wanted a tax case.  No, not really, but I'd love the opportunity to make some extra money, so, yes, refer it on over.  In theory, I will hear from my new client this afternoon.  We'll see.........  It's a collection case and sometimes people with IRS collection issues are not strong on follow through.

Oh, by the way, have you noticed what's missing?  No?  There is no report on the weekly "food fight"!  I prayed a lot about that this past week.  Yesterday, I knew there were some things we just had to have in this house and I listed them out.  Then I handed the paper to Joe and said I had to have a menu before I went any further.  So, he put the menu together.  I should try this more often--it has really challenging things on it like Hamburgers, left over frozen stroganoff, frozen (from Costco) Teriyaki Chicken and Orange Chicken, and so on.  I don't know if I'll be able to handle all those long hours in the kitchen, LOL.

Design

I have been working away on the kid kit.  I conjured up an element that I think is a totally new idea in scrapbooking.  I wasn't at all sure my creative "talents" were up to it, but, by George, I sat here this morning and put it all together and it looks darned cute.  I have to say I'm pretty proud of myself.  I don't have a tablet and I can't draw worth squat, but, I have now created 4 elements that were quite a challenge for a no-talent artist, LOL.  And, they all look pretty darn good.  I showed Joe the first element and he thought it looked darned good.  I showed him the second element and was amazed that he knew immediately what it was.  He has yet to see the last two elements (which are really a girl and a boy adaptation of the same thing).  I did, however, send my sample off to one of my CT members who is a former designer.  If she blesses it, I'll know I've got something there!

Well, No Place Like Home is up in my ACOT store and should show up in the NDISB store sometime today.  I hope you like it.  I think it's darned pretty.  I'm not a purple person.  I know some folks, however, are darn near passionate about purple.  If you're one of those folks, you'll love this kit.  Even if you're not a purple lover, there's some gorgeous stuff in here.

This is the kit preview.  I actually created quite a few of the paper patterns in this kit with vector images and they turned out very well.

Here's the preview of the elements:

And here are the print papers.  I am particularly impressed with myself over the white on white damask paper in the lower left corner.  It's so difficult to get white to take a texture or pattern, but this looks darned good, I think........

Of course there are coordinating solids in burgundy, rose, pink, two shades of purple, green, two shades of gold, and white.

I still did a bit of overkill on the alphas.  Hey, I don't care what anyone says, there's nothing obsessive/compulsive about me, LOL.

This is available as a kit or as separate elements, papers, and alpha.  The kit and the elements and papers are on sale during the introductory period.

I also uploaded my next kit to my CT today.  I seem to spend a substantial part of Mondays, just uploading, etc.  At least this time, I didn't find myself short a preview, LOL.  That sometimes happens and it really does frustrate me! I'm scrambling to put the kit in the store and I've forgotten do do a preview!  Oy!  NOT this time!

Normally on Sunday nights, one of the things that I consider a "must do" before toddling off to bed is putting together a sort of "state of" the team e-mail.  I astounded myself last night when I realized I have already planned kits through October.  Some of them are no further than a color scheme.  Some have a few papers done.  Some have all the papers done.  Some are completely finished.  But the astonishing part is I pretty well know where I'm headed and what my priorities are.  Wow!  Is this me we're talking about??????  Everything planned two months out?  Apparently it is, and I love the feeling of being more or less in control.

Scrapping

Maybe this afternoon, AFTER my nap!

Okay, I'm out of here.  I'm afraid if I don't get some sleep in my very own little bed, I'll find myself with the imprint of the keyboard on my forehead.  Yup, I'm THAT tired.  Have a GREAT day!

 

It's a brave new world

The blood pressure pills arrived from Mexico yesterday in the early afternoon.  My blood pressure held fairly steady until Saturday morning, when it went crazy.  However, just a few hours later, my trusty pills were in hand and things are now normalized.  Praise God!

I had the kids on Friday.  I finally got Atticus to sleep and gave Miss Elizabeth her third nap of the day.  After that, there was a distinct improvement in mood around here.  The original e-mail I got from Jennifer said she would need child care from 8 to 5.  When 6 rolled around, 2 little boys showed up at my chair saying "Dramma, I hungry" and "What can I eat, Grandma?"  So, by that time, Joe was home.  He fixed some bacon and scrambled eggs and just about the time we got the food on the table, Jen showed up.  We made her stay til the boys had a chance to eat.

I made a delicious dinner tonight, if I do say so myself.  Chicken piccante with a little bit of white wine and lemon juice and butter sauce, served over pasta.  Scrumptious.  Time was, if I said "Italian" Joe wouldn't eat it if it didn't have red tomato sauce.  He's become a bit more "educated" in his tastes.  He actually REALLy liked dinner.  We had salad with Good Seasons Italian dressing made with Balsamic vinegar.  I remember that when I first made it with Balsamic, he didn't like it.  He could have sucked it up with a straw tonight!

Design

I have been hard at work on my kits.  The kid kit has all it's papers made but two.  And it has two unique elements designed already.  It's shaping up so cute I'm havin' a hard time realizing that I did that.  Got to be God helping me out.

I commissioned someone to do some drawings for me for the kid kit and for another kit I've got in my back pocket.  I have the color scheme all worked out and some ideas of what the papers will look like.  I'm excited about the drawings.  Scrappers are always looking for "unique" elements and I'm gonna have some!

Scrapping

I spent all of last evening and all day today unzipping files.  No scrapping......

Okay, bedtime comes very early in a household where people crawl out of bed at 2:30AM so I'm signing off now.  Last night, Punkin wanted to "snuggle", I guess.  At least, every time I woke up, she was up against me.  That is so weird.  Meaning no disrespect to anyone, we refer to her as our autistic child.  I am sure she wants to be petted as much as any dog, but if you call her to pet her, she's as likely to go in the opposite direction.  We usually try to call her up to pet her at bedtime.  Then, finally, Joe grabs her and pulls her up.  We pet her and after a very short time, she pulls away and goes down, out of reach, to the foot of the bed.  So what's up with this dog trying to snuggle all night?  Anyway, I'm sure she had more than 1/3 of the bed last night.  Tonight, I intend to get some sleep so she'd better be prepared to share!

Friday afternoon

It's about 3:30 PM on Friday afternoon.  The grandkids have been here since around 8AM.  It has been fun, but it has been tiring as well.  I think I understand why God times change of life so women my age won't have small children around day in and day out.  I'm pooped, folks!

William has been his usual wonderful self and is most helpful WHEN HE HEARS ME.  Of course, he has selective hearing and he has his favorites from the Disney channel on so he doesn't hear me like I wish he would.  It seems to take at least 3 repeats to get a response from him.  A while ago, I thought I should check Bethie's diaper.  I got her lasooed and on the couch and asked Will to hand me a diaper and some wipes.  After several repeats, I got a diaper.  I finally got the remote, turned the TV off and then he understood that I was asking for a diaper AND a wipe.

Jason came over to Jen's house last night to visit the kids and to "help".  Visit he did, and I suppose he helped, but he got off track with cleaning up the kitchen, etc., and did not get the kids to bed on time.  I am paying the price today because Atticus is tired and cranky.  He's been very whiny today which is NOT like him.  I'm not enjoying that part.........

Bethie, too, has been busy in something less than the best ways.  She took her morning nap and when she woke up, we put her in the car seat and took off for El Pollo Loco.  They serve food there that Atticus can eat.  I was able to actually get him meat, vegetable, etc., all at ONE restaurant.  Came back home and Miss Bethie ate just a few bites of chicken, tortilla, and french fries.  Then she began throwing them on the floor.  The she discovered corn.  I was trying to pick kernels of corn off the corn on the cob for her and couldn't do it fast enough, particularly  one-handed.  Finally, I had to send William to the kitchen to get me a knife so I could cut the kernels off ad give them to her faster.  When she was finished, Max and Punkin were more than happy to clean up the floor around my chair, corn, french fries, bits of tortilla, and bits of chicken--quite a full-featured buffet for them, LOL.  She stayed up for a while, but got progressively more difficult.  She was one busy little girl.  She dumped the dog's food and crawled around dragging their dish behind her.  She played in their water.  Of course, she tried to eat some dog food too.  Max looked at me with this kind of wild-eyed look.  He was thoroughly perplexed by the whole thing.  So, after antagonizing the boys for a while, and refusing to do anything but be held, we decided it was time for an afternoon nap.  She's sleeping now though we had quite the case of protests and water works when I first tried to put her down.

William arrived with a multitude of Lego pieces.  Atticus wants to play with the Legos.  They don't fit the way he wants them to, so he whines.  William has built a large "space station".  Atticus keeps trying to take it apart.  When Will tries to stop him, Atticus scratches him.  It is just not a good day in the neighborhood.

I kind of knew it would be a tough day.  So, I planned for it.  Tonight's dinner is bacon and tomato sandwiches and I've already informed Joe that he's cooking!  Actually, he's better at cooking bacon than I am.  I get impatient, turn the flame too high and the bacon comes out way too crisp.  Joe's bacon is always done just right.  If he plays his cards right, I might stir myself to slice the tomatoes or put mayo on the bread.

Yesterday some nice southern lady made peach cobbler at my house.  It was me!  It's absolutely delish and I can't wait to have some after dinner tonight.  I even talked Joe into buying a small container of Vanilla Bean ice cream to go with it.  Can hardly wait..........

Design

I had great plans to do some papers for the kid kit today.  Actually I started on one paper this morning before the kids arrived and I've not finished it yet........  Obviously child care and scrapbook design do not mesh well.

At least I'm set, kit-wise, three weeks out.  This is good.  It actually means I'm set til my next week off, LOL.  Now that's a GOOD thing.

Scrapping

At last, I can show this cute page.  I've tried giving Bethie a bath and she screams through the whole thing.  Imagine my surprise when I saw these photos of her playing in a kiddie pool.  Somehow, I feel betrayed!  I used Bayou Blues by Bella Gypsy Designs for this page.  You can find Bayou Blues at Scrap Matters, Gotta Pixel, and Elemental Scraps (on Monday).

Bounty

Some time ago, DD gave us a gift card to Sunflower Market.  If you've been reading this blog for long, you know I LOVE that place.  I have a problem with gift cards--they are kind of like money in the bank for me and very difficult to spend.  However, I managed to use that gift card this morning.  I TOLD you I had a way to get bacon without spending any "money"! 

Went to work and did my thing.  I logged a whole 2.25 hours.  That's in addition to the 1.25 hours I logged earlier this week.  My paycheck this week is gonna be downright pitiful.  My paycheck for last week was downright pitiful too.  The Lord had better get this company some work soon so I can put in more hours.  After all, they're supposed to be blessed just because I work there!

Left the office and headed to Sunflower.  I had previously studied their weekly mailer at Jen's house Tuesday night and knew what I needed to get, more or less.  My primary goal was to come home with some maple cured bacon and some good tomatoes.  Mission accomplished.  Of course, I picked up some other things along the way, LOL. 

I also needed some fresh lemons for tomorrow night's dinner.  I sent Joe to the store this past weekend to get "salad stuff" and went over the week's menu with him before he left home.  It included salads at three dinners.  He came home with one bag of salad greens.  Nothing else......  Doesn't that sound like a yummy salad?  I actually fixed something called "creamed lettuce" which I learned from my mother and she learned from her mother.  At least that way, we didn't miss having other veggies in the salad and it tasted yummy.  Last night was the second night for salad.  I scavenged around and found a few left over cherry tomatoes.  I made sure those got into the vinegar based dressing real fast so no one but me would know they were a bit shriveled up when I started.  Joe bought me an excess of sliced mushrooms for the chicken and rice crockpot thing that I made last week and they were getting iffy, so I threw some of the best of them into the salad, and fried the rest with butter and garlic--we'll use those with something soon!  Finally, I had a can of beets and I opened that and sliced some of those up and threw them in along with two chopped green onions.  Voila!  Salad.  I even scrounged around and found some Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing Mix in the pantry which I put together with Balsamic vinegar and it was a great salad.  However, I'm supposed to serve salad again tomorrow night when we're having Chicken Piccante.  I got some more salad greens and a few more veggies and some over-ripe, marked down pears and we'll have salad again.  

I also bought some yeast.  I knew if I sent Joe to the store for that he'd either come home without it or be stopping random shoppers asking them to help him find it.  I ended up with a LOT of flour when both my friend and my daughter cleaned all the gluten foods out of their kitchens.  I feel like baking some bread.  Kneading bread is a wonderful way of working out your anger....you just pretend that ball of dough is someone's head, LOL, and slap it around a lot.  Besides, it'll help me work through some of that excess of flour.

They had some real cute sippy cups in one of those "trap the customer" displays which you have to pass to get into the store.  Since I don't own a sippy cup and that is what Miss Bethie is drinking from these days, I bought one.  I also bought some gluten free pancake mix, figuring any time I've got Atticus here and he needs food, I can make him pancakes.  Also grabbed some gluten free pasta since I almost always have sauce in the fridge.  Now I no longer have to live in mortal fear that his mom will come for him late and the little guy will get hungry in the meantime.  He can eat fruit, but, under normal circumstances, that's pretty rare in our kitchen these days.  Actually, except for potatoes, we don't have much in the way of veggies either.....

I went to thicken some gravy with corn starch the other night only to find my cornstarch had been invaded by ants.  That went into the trash and I replaced it today.  This time, we'll store the cornstarch in Tupperware!  I also found green grapes on sale for 88 cents a pound.  Joe has mandated that although they are his favorite fruit, he won't eat them if they're more than a $1.00 a pound.  So, these he'll eat.  They had strawberries on special, 4 pints for $5--I got 2.  I see a strawberry shortcake in my future.  Lovely BIG strawberries.  And, I got some peaches.  Yummy.  I'm gonna have a peach cobbler!  I've had a Paula Deen easy peasy recipe open on my browser for days.......  And, of course, on my way to the checkout stand, I passed their display of licorice.  You betcha!  I succumbed to a package of licorice for little ole me!

So, it was a good trip to Sunflower.  Actually, for me, it always is!  And, my gift card worked and I still can go back and get MANY pounds of bacon and tomatoes and peaches before summer's end, all "free".  Kudos and sincere gratitude to my daughter and to Jason for making dreams come true with this little shopping expedition.  When you truly don't have a dime to spare, it's amazing the things you dream about, like maple cured bacon and strawberry shortcake and peach cobbler, LOL.

Tonight I have the kids again.  And I'm scheduled for all day tomorrow and all day Saturday.  I already informed Grandpa that by the time Saturday rolls around, I'll be most happy for "reinforcements".  I only have about an eighth of a tank of gasoline in the van and I'll have to have the a/c on on the way to pick the kiddos up and on the way to their mom's house.  I can maybe get home without it, though when I left Jennifer's house at 10:00PM Tuesday night, it was still 98 degrees out there.  I wonder if I can do all that driving on an eighth of a tank?

So, this morning, I took the first of Matthew's blood pressure pills.  My blood pressure is currently up higher than I like it, but, surprisingly, I do not have a headache.  I'm not sure why I'm surprised.  I prayed against that headache starting yesterday, LOL.  Of course, it is evident I'm a woman of great faith, right?  Hey, I try!  Anyway, they are a completely different chemical compound from what I usually take, so they may become more effective as I continue taking them.  I actually looked at the price of my blood pressure meds on the websites of some Canadian pharmacies.  They're supposed to be cheaper, you know.  They did not have a generic available and the pills were 100 pills for $95.  We get Mexican generics from Mexico (sooner or later) and they cost us around $12 for 100 pills.  Now you know why I take Mexican meds and go through all the "saurus" of dealing with them by mail and by phone.

Design

Well, my BRIGHT kit is just about done.  I need to do 3 more previews and I'm there.  To be honest, that color scheme really kind of scared me.  But, the thing looks darned good all put together!  I'm pretty pleased with it!  And, as usual, I learned a thing or two along the way and managed to turn out a few unique elements, something scrappers are always wanting.  I asked for and got some advice from the two former designers who are on my CT.  I wasn't happy with the title of the kit and one of my ladies came up with the perfect alternative title.  I'll be renaming files today too.

I want to finish those previews today and maybe get in a few licks on the kid kit, between working around the house.  I'm excited about that kit because it's really a playful kind of kit and perfect colors most of which will work for either boys or girls.  Most of the papers will contain some of all the colors, but I am planning a few papers in "boy" colors and a few papers in "girl" colors, just to make sure moms of both boys and girls can make pages with it.  It will take a lot of self-discipline to keep myself on project #1 before proceeding to project #2.  

Scrapping

I still don't have anything I can show you.  Come back tomorrow and I'll bet that will change though.

The Morning After

Well last night's babysitting gig went better than expected.  Yes, Bethie cried as soon as she saw me and the realization hit her that she would be spending the evening with Grandma instead of her mommy.  However, she fell asleep in the van and when she woke up, even though she had puked on herself during the ride, she was a sunny, happy little girl.  We stripped her clothes off of her and let her crawl around in her diaper and she was content to play with her toys and generally no problem whatsoever.  I got the mattress pad drying immediately, knowing the world could go on, even without a duvet cover but a clean mattress pad was sort of step one in getting that bed restored to order.  Eventually, I got the duvet washed and dried and even washed the sheets and a couple of other things that were not originally on my "to do" list.  I was supposed to do mac and cheese and hot dogs for dinner.  I tell you I searched the fridge and freezer multiple times and could NOT find the hot dogs.  Did find the hot dog buns, but not the hot dogs.  I finally had to call Jen and ask, only to be told to check the freezer in the garage.  Duh!  If I'd only opened the lid of the thing, they were right on top!  So, I got the hot dog buns thawed, the hot dogs cooked and the rice pasta cooked.  I wasn't sure why I bothered.  Bethie wanted NOTHING AT ALL to do with food.  I didn't push it, knowing her tummy was still upset.  Atticus never touched his mac and cheese, ate about half the hot dog bun, dropped the hot dog on the floor, and Dakota had a hot dog feast.  William ate one hot dog.  He took a second hot dog, didn't eat all of it, and threw the rest away.  I would gladly have eaten it!  I had a hot dog and some mac and cheese and wistfully watched Will throw the extra hot dog he didn't eat into the trash, LOL.  This is working out to be a GOOD diet!  I should be totally svelte and good lookin' real soon, LOL.  Atticus spent the rest of the evening watching Cinderella.  William watched Movies in Minutes (no idea, some kids program) via the internet.  Bethie fell asleep not too long after dinner and I put her down on Will's bed because I hadn't yet had time to make up the bed.  I found that to be a challenge.  It's a long time since I had to put sheets on a bed with a footboard!   Bot Atticus all bathed and ready for bed, only to have him reappear, a full hour later when his mom came home, urg!  Bethie woke up just about the time Will wanted to get into his bed, so that worked out okay.  I had just gotten her back to sleep when Jen came home.  That had her wide awake in seconds, and intently trying to see around the corner for the blessed sight of mommy. 

All in all, it was a good night with the munchkins.  Of course it was hot as hades in their house, but I managed to get through that better than usual.  I think it has to do with the timing of my blood pressure pills.  I waited til later yesterday morning, late enough that I had a headache.  So, it was later when my pill was due last night.  Though I perspired like a horse who's just run the Belmont Stakes, I didn't wilt.  Good job, Grandma!

It occurred to me that I may have a skill that would benefit my daughter.  I know how to put solar film on windows.  Her house takes on so much heat.  I'm sure the bulk of the problem is attic insulation, but solar film on the boys bedroom windows and her bedroom windows might be a definite help.  Jen, if you read this and want me to do that for you, I'll be glad to donate a Saturday to that.

I just got really brave and walked into the kitchen.  What a relief!  Not a single ant is crawling around in there today.  I swear, every time something itched yesterday, I was just sure it was an ant.  Of course, it wasn't, but.........

I had planned on going in to work today, but Joe talked me out of it.  There is so little to do when I get there I hate to spend the gasoline to make the drive.  I honestly can't justify more than about an hour or two when I'm there.  Anything more than that would be cheating.  I am starting to worry about a source of cash for September's credit card payments.  I could do a bit of work from here, but I have a routine in which I get things done, and doing a piece or two here would mess up my routine and complicate my life tomorrow.  So, I'll skip that.

Design

I got a lot done on my BRIGHT kit yesterday, but no way I could get it finished.  SO that is the new goal for today. 

Jennifer got a Hanna Anderson catalogue in the mail yesterday and boy did that give me some design ideas!  CUTE stuff for both little girls and little boys, but expensive, at least for my tax bracket.  But, seeing the cute kids all dressed up in gorgeous stuff with bright happy smiles on their faces made me a bit sad I couldn't buy one of most everything for Bethie and Atticus.  I don't think they had much in William's size range.  I'm gonna spend some time on their website today gathering up ideas for color schemes and pattern ideas for scrapbook papers, LOL. 

Scrapping

Still nada I can show.  I'm not doing well at amusing you with gorgeous pages, am I?  I did find out that one of the great scrappers at ACOT and 5 of her friends are coming to Vegas this week to celebrate her 40th birthday.  I would have loved to join them for lunch or something, but I don't think they really know where they will be when anyway.  Besides, I wasn't invited, Lol, so I'll keep my butt at home!  I did get a chance to give her some ideas of places to go, things to see, places to eat, etc.  I hope she has fun!

Gotta go.  I'm out of words for today and don't have any pretty pictures to share.  Have a blessed day!

Friendship

It is a good thing to have friends.  In that I spend most of my time alone, I sometimes wonder if I actually have friends, but I got a lesson this morning.......  Joe finally got through to the pharmacy in Mexico.  They told him they had lost the order.  They were going to look for it and call him back.  About 15 minutes later they called him back to say they'd found it.  They were promising to ship it out on Thursday.  In the meantime, I'm out of pills on Wednesday!  I called a client of mine whose son is very close friends with a Doctor here in town.  I told her the problem and she went off to see what she could do.  In the meantime, I called another client who owes me just one number and I can finish (and bill) her tax return.  We talked for a few minutes.  Meanwhile, client #1 was trying to call me and the line rang busy.  She was convinced the dogs had somehow knocked the phone off the hook because she couldn't get through.  She had found out where the doc is working today and conjured up a plan that might have gotten me in to see the doc without charge.  Being convinced the phone was messed up, she called her daughter (also a client) who was knee deep in grocery shopping on the opposite side of town.  She basically informed her daughter she needed to leave the grocery store, get in her truck and drive to my house to let me know how to get in to see the doc.  Her daughter took a chance and called me on her cell and I answered.  Meantime, I contacted Matthew who is supposed to be taking blood pressure meds and won't take them.  I am going to take his til mine come in.  This is not a wonderful idea, but considering our bank account, it must be done.  Even if I got in to see the doctor for free, I'd still have to pay for the pills when the Mexican pharmacy is in possession of 80 of our dollars for meds already.  And, if her idea as to how to see the doctor without paying had not worked, I would have had to pay for the doctor visit as well.  But, client #1, client #2, daughter of client #1, son of client #1, and stepson are all offering to help.  I guess I'd have to call that friendship!  I'm very grateful to every one of them.  

Tonight I pick up the kids at day care, take them home, scrounge around and feed them something, and then I am charged with making Jen's bed up.  Seems Miss Elizabeth got sick all over the sheets and mattress cover last night........  Anyway, the mattress cover has been washed but needs dried and then I am to wash the duvet cover.  She'll be home sometime after 9.  Of course, this means I will NOT be going to work at my usual 5AM.  Later, but NOT 5AM.  Fortunately, Matthew's pills are sitting in a drawer at the office, waiting for me........

Today will be a short day at home.  I have to go to the bank before I head to the other side of town so, my workday here will end about 4PM.  We've had another ant attack in the kitchen.  I sprayed a lot of ant killer.  Then I sprayed more.  Then I ended up killing a few strays besides.  Sometime today I have to go out there and deal with bug bodies again.  I HATE bug bodies!  I will be so glad when the hot weather starts to fade because the ant attacks fade at about the same time.  However, today's high is forecast at 108, so no relief in sight.......  Though, by next Monday, our high is supposed to be down to 92.  If that happens, it will be wonderful, but I won't count on it.......  Still too early in the season for that and certainly too early for it to last.

Design

Well, yesterday and this morning, I completed the papers for the BRIGHT kit.  I tell you, it will knock your socks off!  But, small bits of the print papers combined with the solids will work out well.  Now to finish off the elements.  I'd love to have all that done by tomorrow evening, but that's a tall order given the time available.  I am itching to start the kid kit I've got hanging.

I've been considering hiring someone to make some custom stuff for me to use in future kits.  The cost is $10 for 8 drawings.  I hate to spend the money.  I can handle spending it at $1 or $2 at a time but, $10?  That's a lot for me.  But, I need some artwork done and I certainly am not capable of doing it!

I shipped next week's kit off to the CT.  Haven't had any feedback from anyone regarding the kit, but I also asked my faithful band of prayer warriors to pray over this blood pressure medication thing.  I am not at all sure I will need blood pressure meds by tomorrow night, given the amount of people who are nagging the good Lord about my healing!

Scrapping

Sorry, still don't have anything I can show you.  Hang in there.......

Have a blessed day!  I am blessed today with the realization that I really do have friends who will go out of their way for me!  That truly is a blessing.

I have finally gotten a handle on life

I think I am over my plunge into anger and depression yesterday.  Unless the Lord answers my prayers for Joe to have an attitude change by next Sunday, be prepared--we may be in exactly the same place then!

So, I've been to work and cleared the decks there.  It was hardly worth the drive.  I got in a whole hour and 15 minutes.  I'm not gonna get rich off of that..........  Some folks are just not nice.  Have you noticed that?  I wrote a bunch of checks last week.  I don't sign them, just write them, make sure they have envelopes, that sort of thing.  Left them to be signed.  All the stubs were properly completed but I forgot to write the check number on one of the bills.  I found "Check #?" written on one of the bills.  I suppose it was too much trouble to copy it from the check the person was signing or from the properly completed stub and just move on?  I don't know about you ladies, but I do make an occasional mistake.  Oh, well, I fixed it this morning and I will move on.  I won't even mention here that while working on the cash account I had to complete two stubs based on info from the bank because the same person who caught my mistake failed to even enter anything on the stubs.  Nope, won't mention that at all.

On the way home I stopped at Walgreen's.  I seldom do that because there is always an "attack-trained" something that jumps on me and follows me home.  Today, however, I found that their Foster Grant readers are on sale, buy one, get one of equal or lesser value free.  I was wearing my favorite pair of readers last Monday when I went to Jen's house to babysit.  I took them off and left them lying on the table.  When I came back to them, I noticed the frames were broken.  I honestly don't think the kids did it.  They were lying in the exact place I put them down, in exactly the same position.  Rather, I think they were probably already broken when I took them off and I just didn't notice.  But, that left me without a spare pair as my spares were not my onlys.  I HATE wearing glasses, but for close work, even reading a label on a can or jar of food, I have to have them.  I use them, then peel them off as soon as possible.  Thus, with only one pair, I am constantly searching the house to see where I laid them down.  Now I am rich--I have my old spares and two new pairs, for very little money.  They also had my favorite shampoo on sale 3 for $10.  They didn't have 3 but they gave me the two I found at the sale price.  Good deals!  I saved about $3 on the shampoos.

So, as soon as I'm done here, I have mucho to do.  I vacuumed the office and living room on Friday and Saturday.  Joe vacuumed about 10 square feet in the dining room while I was at Patty's baby shower Saturday night.  I was afraid that with that much exertion he might hurt himself, but he seems to be okay, LOL.  Of course, he didn't just go ahead and vacuum the hall.  So, I will do that today.  I have pretty much come to the conclusion that the only way to make headway with the dog hair is to vacuum some part of the house everyday.  So that is my newest goal.  Not only does my baby Max shed wherever he goes, but we carry dog hair around on the soles of our shoes.  It's quite the challenge. 

Joe actually loaded the dishwasher and washed dishes this morning before he went to work.  But the sink needs wiped out, the faucets wiped down, the countertops cleaned and the stove scrubbed.  None of those things are EVER on his to do list.  Doing all that should keep me out of trouble for a while......  I also need to check the hall bath which he uses most of the time.  It never pays to miss doing that frequently because it takes forever to chisel whatever he slops onto the countertops and the problem grows with each passing day.  I have begged him to just take a wash cloth and wipe down the counter area when he's done in there, but that has fallen on his undeniably deaf ears.  I have a load of clothes already in the washer just waiting for me to dump in some soap and turn it on.  I SHOULD wash the floor in my bathroom, but I just don't know if I can get that motivated today.  We'll see.  And, I've added a few minutes of dusting with my feather duster to my daily routine.  Believe me, this house needs it!  That, together with some designing and some cooking ought to keep me out of trouble today and improve the surroundings here as well.

Two weeks ago today, we mailed an order to Mexico for medication for me.  As of this morning, my blood pressure pills number a total of 4.  Just enough to get me through til Wednesday evening.  Joe called them on Saturday and they took his number and told him they'd call him back; they didn't.  Today, he called again.  The guy who handles that is off today and no one can even tell him if they've been sent.  A friend of ours owns a home in Mexico.  On his wall is a sign that says "There is NO urgency".  Yes, indeed.......but there are only 4 pills left in the bottle.......

Design

I have a very playful and colorful "kid" kit brewing in my head.  Actually, I've already done 2 or 3 papers for it.  I think that will be my next project.  Or, if I get inspired, maybe I'll flesh out the mini I did for the blog train and turn it into a full kit.  Of course, the colors in that are so bright I might need to wear sunglasses, but fortunately I have some of those and they're not broken, LOL.  I've also started a kit I'm planning on calling "Wakey Wakey"--all about getting up in the morning.  Should be a fun kit.

We are taking a week off from putting new things in the stores this week.  I didn't want to ask my ladies to do 5 layouts this month just because there are 5 Mondays in the month.  I told them, when inviting them to join my team, that I would be looking for 3-4 layouts a month.  So, I will have a little catch-up time this week.  It seems, every time I have a week "off", I need it for catch ups.  At least, I've had enough sense to schedule it that way. 

Scrapping

I did manage to scrap one page yesterday.  But, I can't show it to you yet.  Check back on Friday......

Gotta run.  I have to go spend Lord knows how much time cleaning all the things in the kitchen that Joe didn't clean when he loaded the dishwasher.  Have a blessed day, and please pray that either the Lord will heal my blood pressure or that those pills will get here by Wednesday........

Addendum

I may post more later today, but this is just an addendum to yesterday's post.  As it turns out, 85% lean ground beef goes for $3.99 at it's regular price.  Can you imagine having a wife who wants you to spend extra on ground beef you don't need that's selling for half price ($1.99)?  What a stupid wife.  Imagine her expecting you to save on half-price ground beef!

Yes, I sat through 4 sermons yesterday.  Yes, I am no longer ready to quit cooking.  Yes, I've prayed again this week to forgive him, but I think I'm about at my  70 x 7 limit now.  It's really wearing thin.  Can you tell?

Those of you without husbands, take heed.  It COULD be worse!

Grrrrrr!

Well, it is Sunday afternoon and I am once again in a foul mood.  Of course I'm in a foul mood--it's grocery day.  In THIS household it is not permissible to just be thankful that God gives us sufficient to purchase food.  No, we have to argue about it, grumble about it, and so on.  But, the arguer/grumbler is first to pull his chair up to the table and strap on the feedbag.  And a mighty big feedbag it is..........

So, this week's list for Costco was small.  Bread, eggs, milk, NesQuik, instant coffee, hamburger patties, lunchmeat.  That's about all I can think of.  That adds up to somewhere in the neighborhood of $45.  It will keep Joe in lunches during the work week.  For dinners this week, I will be gone two nights.  Three nights we are eating planned leftovers or from the freezer.  Tonight I am making ground beef stroganoff with enough leftover for at least another dinner, maybe two.  We bought frozen green beans last week, we're having them tonight.  We're still eating out of our 20# bag of potatoes, tomorrow night with leftovers from the beef I made in the crockpot Friday.  I am going to use a gift certificate to buy some bacon and tomatoes at Sunflower because we LOVE bacon and tomato sandwiches and we haven't had a single one all summer.  I MUST have at least one before the really good tomatoes are gone.  The last time I brought up buying a pound of bacon, I got shouted down, so I figured out another way to get bacon.  From the regular grocery store, we need salad ingredients, egg noodles, and garlic bread.  So, for a week's worth of meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, $45 at Costco, and maybe another $20 at the regular grocery store.  Especially with Joe carrying his lunch, I don't think we can go much cheaper than that.

I sat down earlier in the week and went online to the three major grocery chains we have located close by.  I made a list of what they had that was super special, store by store.  Smith's had buns or bread 10 for $10.  They had house brand peanut butter 10/$10.  Cucumbers were 2/$1.  And, they had chicken drumsticks or thighs for $1.09 a pound.  We have a freezer and could easily freeze bread, buns, chicken.  We LOVE cucumber salad and I could easily substitute that for a tossed salad at least one night this week.  Chicken meat, whether it's legs, thighs, breasts--it all makes casseroles, baked chicken, chicken soup in endless varieties, chicken salad for lunches, and so on. 

Von's had 32oz Gatorade for $.79.  I've been buying a powdered electrolyte mix for Joe who is perspiring like crazy in the hot cab and coming home grumpy and drained.  These mixes make 32 oz for $1.20.  Would you rather pay 41 cents extra and have to mix it yourself?  Me neither.  He loves corn on the cob and they have 6 ears of white corn for $1.00.  Knowing him, he could cook himself some corn-on-the-cob for dinner the two nights I will be gone and be a happy camper.  They also have Country Style Ribs for $1.99/pound.  I use this in sauerkraut and several other recipes.  Finally, they have Rosarito Refried Beans 10 cans for $10.  He loves Mexican food and I had made up my mind to cook it more often.  So, I had definite plans for those beans, long term.  In fact, for starters, I had just found what looked like a yummy recipe for beef/bean burritos on Pioneer Woman Cooks............

Albertsons got the prize for the most good stuff for our household, not that the good stuff at Smith's or Von's is insignificant.  They had 85% lean ground beef for $1.99 a pound.  I'm guessing here, but I think that's about 50-70 cents less per pound than we normally pay.  They had peaches, plums, and nectarines for 79 cents a pound.  I haven't had any of those all summer, not one.  Sure would taste good.  Honestly, I had a peach cobbler in mind........  They also have Coffeemate flavored coffee creamers 10/$10.  Those are the smaller 16 oz size, but still an EXCELLENT price and I just cannot drink anything but fresh coffee without the flavored creamers.  Albertson's also had boneless skinless chicken breasts, 2.5 pounds for $5.99.  The last time I sent Joe for chicken breasts, he came home with boneless skinless chicken breasts 2 pounds for $9.98.  Finally, that amazing staple of life, Pop Tarts, was also on special, the 8 count package for $2.19. 

My idea was that while things were on special, we could take the extra we didn't have to spend at Costco and buy something to stock up on.  I know you ladies will understand if I say I'd rather spend $1.99 a pound for ground beef than wait and spend $2.69.  What, please tell me, is such a tough concept about this?  If I had the money, I'd buy 10 pounds and put it in the freezer; since I'm poor, 5 pounds would still be a help.  We have 3 pounds on hand and just pulled 2 pounds out for dinner tonight and some planned leftovers for another week.........  Would it be a tragedy to have 6 pounds of ground beef in the freezer?  Only if the good Lord lets our freezer die........  Then I'd be packin the van and headed to Jen's house to see what I could stuff in her freezer! 

EVERY week there has to be a raised voice "discussion" of what will be purchased at the grocery store.  I quit going to the grocery store because, years ago, he would get all upset if I came home with two cans of tomatoes when I had one in the cupboard.  Yes, but I needed three for menu items I had planned, or they were on special and we use canned tomatoes frequently.  Having to justify purchases such as this everytime I came home from the grocery store just was too much for me to handle.  After putting up with his chipping away at me over stuff like this for a year, I quit.  I will still go to Sunflower market.  But, that's it.  And that's only if I want to.  And, God help him if he complains about what I buy there with my little bit of spending money!

I am now about ready to quit cooking.  I just hate having this weekly confrontation over groceries.  I can live the rest of my life on pop-tarts if I have to.  And I will close my eyes and keep my mouth shut if he wants to live on hot pockets.  I just can't take much more of this........

Yes, he visited another church this morning.  I am going to church on the internet as soon as I get done with this post.  I'm hoping it will improve my mood.  He liked the church very much.  We are opposites in our choices of churches.  He wants to go to a small church so he can be hailed as a hero every time he says "God bless you" to someone who sneezes.  I want to go to a large church where no one will know me from Adam and won't criticize me for wearing lipstick or the wrong shade of lipstick or for singing off key or not singing at all.  I just want to blend in with the crowd. 

Boy, I am in a foul mood.  Just really depressed.  This internet church service had better work or I'm going to have to hide in the bedroom all afternoon til I can find a better mood........

Designing

I finished the next kit.  I'll be putting it up for my CT either this afternoon or tomorrow.  It's pretty darned cute.  Got a nice mix of "formal" damask-y papers for those with fancy houses and casual papers for those of us with homes that are more lived in.  And a good sized group of elements.  In fact so many elements, I had to zip them into two files instead of my usual one!  Of course, this is all a big tease for you because I can't show you til next week!

I think I mentioned that I was inadvertently omitted from the designers who would be contributing to the big blog train.  I got that all straightened out, no harm, no foul.  The organizer just made a mistake and omitted me.  I'm back in and I've just completed the design work for my contribution.  It's BRIGHT!  I love bright, but this might be a bit bright even for me, and that's saying something.  I did create some extra papers and elements as "seed" for a kit in the near future.

Scrapping

I have scazillion layouts to do.  I can't wait.  I have several really good kits from Bella Gypsy Designs with which to work.  Tune in tomorrow for a new page or two.

I should note here that Jennifer and I attended a Baby Shower for Matthew and Patty last evening.  Jennifer had a friend visiting who was taking care of the kidlets.  She was texted at least twice during the shower.  Once, to inform her the cat had gone pottie in the bathtub, and once to let her in on the secret that there "might or might not be some breast milk in the meatballs".  I'm thinking it might be a while before her friend volunteers for babysitting duty again..........  Patty got lots of neat gifts.  This was her third shower, so there weren't a lot of BIG gifts, but lots and lots of baby clothes in varying sizes, bath time goodies for the baby, and so forth.  Jennifer and I went together and bought her a sling to use to carry the baby.  Don't know if she'll use it, but Jennifer swears by them.