Artsy Fartsy.....Phooey!

                                                       
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Hi Everyone,
             I'm sorry but I won't be able to post Artsy Fartsy Friday this week.
  
 you see that cool little time line thingy on the right there?....well, that was my little countdown for a girls vacation weekend that I had planned with my friends.


As you all know I had an incident with a truck that was on fire in front of me on Friday.


What I didn't tell you is that a few days ago my Husband got into a fender bender on his way to work.


Then this morning my Mom called me to say that she had fallen.


A trip to the ER and hours later we came to find that her ankle was not broken but very badly sprained. She hurt her arm as well.
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                                 ....in any case Girls Weekend is cancelled and My Mom will be staying with me for a bit.
 I don't know but I think I am going to lay low and look forward to Sunday when I will again go to a new Church we have been attending...


                And I will thank God for ...
                                                   
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The fact that My Mom didn't break any bones


That My Husband did not get hurt in his accident


and that the truck fire happened after my Kids and I (and of course the truck driver) were safe in the bank.




I have to look on the bright side...If I don't I'm just going to lock myself in a room, eat yodels and cry...and that wouldn't be pretty.

I'm Smaller!

OK First if you did not read it in yesterdays comments ...My slipper pick would be the mop ones. They are goofy looking and I do like that I can clean while wearing them!


OK on to today's post. as you all know I am trying to lose weight. I have been successful....I think I could be more successful if I could stop the cookie habit


Yes, My name is Joanne and I am a cookieholic

I can't help it I mean ya can't have coffee without  (one or a sleeve) of cookies! That would be just wrong. I wanted to lose a bit of weight before my girls get-away weekend... and I have!

Today I went out and  bought new jeans a size smaller!
                                  
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                             Awwww shucks thank you!


so instead of looking like
                          
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                                  I'm starting to look like
                                                            
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and maybe by Christmas I'll look like
                                           
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to get me there I may need a
                                             
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                                                                           for the fridge 



And some
                     
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                           To cheer when I exercise or say no to that cake........could you imagine what that would be like? wait ....the last thing I need is to be surrounded by beautiful non-muffin top  girls.




time for the old switcheroo
                                
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                                                           Yep, that will work.

Fashion Wednesday~~Barefoot in the Park? Nope, Just at home.

When I was little My Mom would always yell at me to put on some slippers. I couldn't help it...as soon as I crossed the threshold of my home the shoes and socks would come off and the rest of the day and night I would walk around barefoot. My Mom would say "that is why you have big feet Joanne because you walk around like that!" I have always sort of hated shoes.

Every year I would find another pair of slippers in my stocking and no matter how cute there were...(my mom tried so hard) They would inevitably end up being out grown before being worn out.

Funny...one of my favorites movies is Barefoot in the park starring Jane Fonda and Robert Redford. One because I think it's hilarious and two I love the fashions Jane wore. really cool!








Here are some slippers...can you guess which ones I would wear? Which ones do you like?




Simple cushy comfort

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                                                                      These are perfect to let the pedicure dry.
                                                               
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Dino feet


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                                                                     These make almost everyone say AWWWWW

                                                                            

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     Microwavable Slippers!                                                                                                                  
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                                    You can keep the tootsies warm and mop the kitchen floor at the same time!
                                                                    
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These are perfect for Halloween


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                                                                These say Va va voom!
                                                                  
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                                                                Do these look comfy?
                                                                       
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                                         These strapless slipper stick to your foot
                                                   
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you don't have to go to the park you can take the park with you wherever you go

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And I would be crazy not to include one of the most famous slippers of all!....Cinderella's,  technically not a house slipper but....... I just love this part of the movie!

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Could you guess which ones are my favorite? Answer will be posted in the comments tomorrow. Meanwhile do You wear slippers or like going barefoot? any of these make you want to wear them?

It's a Girl Thing

       Last night my Hubby came home to announce that he has to be at work early tomorrow. He knew that I had an appointment and that I needed to be there at 8am.

        "Sorry Hun" , he said "  he wouldn't be able to help the kids with breakfast and putting our son on the bus.

Awwwww Shucks




OK , I'm not really perturbed. You see my appointment tomorrow was to be with the um...you know ....the er um......Gynecologist.


I'd rather have the boobage smushed in back to back mammograms than go to one GYN appointment. The following is why...



1. I know you need a urine sample but why is the waiting room full of people on the way to and from the bathroom? There's nothing so awkward as walking down a hallway with a cup 'o urine
                                      
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2. Why so bright in there? Can't we dim the lights, have a few h'ordeuvres and maybe a little drinkie before you put the spot light on the shangrila?
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3. Can we have a little music for cryin' out loud? Every stomach gurgle and nasal whistle is amplified a hundred fold!
                                              
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4. Lastly why do you always say..."now scoot down just a bit more...a little more....a little more"
Seriously what is it that you want to see?....My liver?
                                             
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I have to say that I have a wonderful Doctor and she takes her time to explain everything but even so... I'm glad I had to postpone my date with the metal speculum for at least another week....two tops.

"Fire" Truck

Happy Monday everyone!

         Oh come on it's not so bad.
                                                

               

              How 'bout a smile?
                             
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                                                         All righty then.


OK you guys in the back you can stop flippin' me the bird now; I get it.

Mondays are rough.

You might not have gotten much sleep last night....or were shocked to see that you used your last pair of clean socks or (gasp) underwear yesterday.

It's OK. It could always be worse.....

cue ominous music and graphic
                          


On Friday I went  to the bank to cash in my jar full of change- I am going on a girls weekend getaway and have been saving my change to see if I can pay for the whole weekend in what I saved in that jar.

TD bank has a cool change counter and the machine gives you a receipt then you wait on line to get your money...The best part is that you don't even have to have an account at the bank and they don't charge you for the service.
Anyways.....I get on line behind a man to claim my cash. another man who had just entered the bank yells.....

            "Hey there's a truck out there on fire!"

  We all look and sure enough there was a truck spewing out thick smoke. The guy in front of me ran out and I said " Awww poor guy he came into the bank to run a simple errand and then this happens"....then I realize that MY car is directly behind his.


 These guys are now frantically trying to get the hood open to shoot it with a fire extinguisher. They couldn't.

I start to pray that there would not be an explosion. More men now join in and another two extinguishers appear in their hands to try and douse the flames. The flames are too strong.

One man asked me "Is that your car behind his?"
I nod yes and he  says "You'd better move your car before that truck blows up and destroys it."

As I instruct the kids to stay in the foyer of the bank I fish out my car keys from my purse. I stop as I see the flames of the truck are now coming out of the bottom too. I stood there and said to myself " No, It's not worth it."

If I go out there and try to move the car I might very well get caught up in an explosion. I stayed put and silently prayed for the men trying desperately to stop the fire from getting to the fuel line.

I could hear the sirens of firetrucks and knew that the volunteer fire department were almost there.

While this was going on other people were still trying into get to the bank for transactions! One lady complained that there was no one at the drive up window and now she had to walk into the bank the long way because of the fire! Really? Really?
                              
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The thick smoke billowed out into the street  blocking view of cars on the road and the flames still tried to envelope the truck. I kept on praying. By now the men were keeping their distance from truck and I was relieved seeing them away from harm. I couldn't see my car anymore and thought to myself


How am I going to tell my husband about this one....I was imagining the talk after got home
              Hubby: "So how was your day Joanne?"
              ME:      "S'ok the car burned up after a truck exploded."
              HUBBY: " Oh, What's for dinner?"

He would not be shocked because crap like this happens all the time in this household...remember the post about the accident with a clown?--->F...is for fender bender-s 


So the fire department put out the fire ( Thank God no one was hurt!) and the truck's engine parts had burn through and fallen onto pavement. The fire fighters left and the only vehicles in the parking lot were mine and the charred remains of the poor truck owner's.

As he got on the phone to call a tow company (I guess) and as I took my keys out to open my car door we kind of glanced at each other.  He was calm and instantly I knew crap like this happens all the time to him. I could tell He was thinking about later on in the day when he would tell his wife.

            Wifee:     "Hi Hon. how was your day"
           Truck guy: "Good, The truck burned up though."
            Wifee:      "Oh, I made meatloaf, you want corn or mash on the side?"

Maybe he's been through so much in his life that this didn't phase him in the least. Maybe he's seen a lot worse and said "Its only a truck".


So,....does this make you feel better about your day?

               

          OK the guys in the back are either flipping the bird again or letting me know I'm number 1 !!!

                

                                   I'll take the latter.

Artsy Fartsy Friday~~~Doll Houses

 Well, it seems that I can't get doll houses out of my head. Miniatures are an amazing form of art! Just check out one of my bloggy buddy Jenn's  blog  Looking Glass Miniatures  and you will agree.


I found this video by Ileana Ottini  The world of The Dollhouses Around The World  
"A roundup of famous dollhouses manufactured from 1600 to 1900"


What I love  a lot about these old dollhouses is that they were housed in actual furniture. Many were cabinets and decorative tables. Very very beautiful.


                               
                 








This next video by Adam Fray  takes you on a doll's view of a doll house...very cute!


              








I hope you all have an awesome Weekend!




                                                     Blessings, Joanne

My Birthday~~~ D.M.V and Wishing for....

Today is my Birthday.


 I am 25
            35
               45


OK! OK! stop calling me a liar!


I'm 48, 48, 48!


Yesterday My day started off by my entrance into the department of Motor Vehicles or what I like to call... HELL.
There I waited and waited and when I finally got to the front of the line I realized that my paper work was in my other purse! Back home I went and by the time I raced back to the Underworld the line had doubled.

Did this surprise me? Nope, because I am ALWAYS doing stuff like that! After I posed for my picture...a photo that was more sweaty mug shot than a licence photo...My husband who was off a day before my actual birthday treated me to lunch. It was nice to have him all to myself, and we enjoyed our sea food and yummy dessert.


A week ago he asked what would I like for my birthday.
"So what would you like?" he asked again.


There was my chance. I could have told him what I have been wanting for years and years....in fact decades.
But I thought it silly and so expensive and so.... unnecessary.


I chickened out. I didn't want to tell him that I have always always wanted one of these. 
                                           
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He knows that I have been fasinated by these all my life, but I don't think he knows how much I would love one. I know I know a *gulp* 48 year-old woman wanting a doll house?  It's just one of those things that as a child I never got and I was fascinated by them.. It seemed everyone I knew had the barbie dream house ...but what I dreamed about was not the plastic barbie house but one made of wood with all sorts of mini furniture. A childhood friend had one and would never let me play with it.


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"You can look at it but don't touch it." She would warn.
I'd go home and make room boxes out of shoe boxes and I would spend days and days making furniture for them out of carboard and pieces of scrap fabric.

 Several years ago I actually bought a kit on sale and put together a doll house. I had intended for my daughter and I to work on it together. Right before I was to start to decorate it my son who was 2 at the time tried to get into the house and smashed it.
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Later I bought another kit. This one was on sale for 25 dollars. It was a one room cabin and it adorned the bay window until my dog Max made it a habit of destroying the set up everytime he saw a squirrel outside.


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So I didn't say anything about my secret wish.

Later on we celebrated with the kids and they all gave me beautiful cards. My son made me a scavenger hunt birthday card and we ate yummy cannoli cake. Then it was time to open my presents. There was a huge box and my heart skipped a beat. Could it be... after all this time?
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I opened it and inside.....was a huge beautiful......




                         ...stainless steel crock pot.




My husband had overheard me a while ago talking about wanting a nicer crockpot.

Was I disappointed? ....no....not really. He gave me a thoughtful gift and gave me a beautiful day. My dream of that doll house will have to wait...........I just might have to save up for one which isn't as fun as receiving one as a gift. So...until then.......

              I wonder if we have any spare shoe boxes laying around?