The Fire Across the Street

             Ok, last night I wrote about how I had insomnia. It turns out that I didn't get to bed till 3ish or so. So there I was trying to get to sleep and just when my eyes started to get a bit heavy...(I swear this is true) the fire detector goes off....then stops ....then a few minutes later goes off again. There was no fire. My husband replaced the battery thinking that was the problem but nooooooo a few minutes later off it goes again. We do another check of the house and on and on it goes. I know exactly what the problem is. It seems my dear neighbor has a wood burning stove. Fanfreakin tastic.  I think he burns a certain kind of wood that really smells as if you are directly in front of a wild fire.  I say this because very winter even though the windows are closed the smell from his and maybe other fires fill the night air not with warm cozy scent of a crackling fireplace, but with a smell that makes you believe there is a huge blazing out of control four alarm fire out there; and when we open the windows just a bit my smoke detectors go berserk .  Every year my smoke detectors detect the smell from my neighbor's house and go off. This time the windows were closed. I have had insomnia for two nights now. I have a parent-teacher meeting tomorrow and I fear I will look like something out of the Night of the Living Dead if I don't get sleep tonight. I pray for wind so that the fire smell will at least be diluted somewhat. I can't go over there and ask them to douse the flames; that's probably their only form of warmth....but I have this fantasy that come this summer I place the BBQ grill right underneath their bedroom window and only move it when I hear coughing! lets see how they enjoy that! Who am I kidding...I'm never doing that...I'm so tired........but now I'm tired and I'm in the mood for a burger.

Still Awake at 12:18am



         insomnia fairy by 
  www.autumnthings.com
Site Just found -really cool stuff

                It's 12:18am and I can't sleep. I have to get my daughter up before 6am and even that fact does not push me closer to that bed. It happens. I just go with the flow. What else can I do? I have been surfing from blog to blog and I am amazed at people's creativity. http://mockingbirdhillcottage.blogspot.com/ is my most recent obsession. The pictures on her blog are simple uncluttered masterpieces and they seem to whisper ahhhh come on in take off your shoes and have a cup of tea. So cool. I look around at my own home and wonder why can't I get mine to say that? Mine says I am TIRED, but come on in anyway and please please don't remove the throw pillow I haven't been able to get around to removing the stain off the couch. I can see that I need stuff to make it homey but what Dear Lord what? I'd like to be able to look at a thrift store chair and say "Aha! there you are, you would look perfect in the office!" But I pass it by without even a nod of acknowledgement. Poor thing. Oh well some people got it and some people don't...I don't.........yet. Maybe one day. Right now I'm going to visit a few more blogs for a bit more inspiration.

Wedding Dress





Close up of my own dress. Felt like a princess



           Today was a slow day. The kids were busy creating . My Son was building a set and background for his Pokemon figures and my Daughter was busy building a box puzzle. I took the opportunity to clean out my closet. On the top shelf I keep my wedding album. Of course once you come across a wedding album you have to take it out and look at it right? So there I was flipping through the pages and smiling at the posed shots. My wedding dress was sweet and princessy. It was beaded on the bodice and had a plain tulle skirt with a very long detachable tulle train. I had dreamt of my wedding and trying on gowns since I was five I guess. I looked at all those wedding pictures and I have one regret. Just one. I should have tried on more dresses. In fact, I just tried on the one. The experience was over before I knew it. If I could do it over I would have tried on the whole store full of dresses. I knew what I wanted and that is exactly what the sales lady came out with. Since then I've had this feeling that I missed out somehow on the experience. I love wedding dresses and I love looking at pictures so I spent ten minutes on the computer looking for dresses that I would have loved to try on...still do. Here are some I found on the net that I thought were cool to look at. Join me in one of my obsessions....If you have any pictures of some interesting wedding dresses please feel free to send the web page link my way I would love to see them.

   

 

1920's wedding dress. I love the
long veil paired with the short dress



 

Shirley Temple's So 40's modest
classic satin dress

                            












Audrey looked good in everything
I love her tiny waist and the flats




   



 

1950's princess gown. I love the full veil
and lace on the dress






A very Mod 60's dress

















OK, this one was hard.

 I can't say I loved the dress,but I sure did love that 25 foot train!



A Day to Rest



I love This Cartoon!



        This year we will not be the last people on the block to put up Christmas lights! This is what I say every year. As I drove home the other day ( it was over a week before Thanksgiving) a few houses had their lights up already. What the........!  Seriously people? Come on! So I said to myself  "Self, you are going to bring up all the Christmas decorations the day after Thanksgiving...got that Self?" Yesterday we ate and ate and If I do say so myself I cooked the juiciest turkey ever. After the meal we played games and had fun, then cleaned up- then flopped into bed asleep before my head hit the pillow. This morning I got up and put away all fancy plates and serving dishes, made breakfast and decided to go downstairs to fetch the decorations. Hum what is this? The basement playroom was a mess. Had to clean that up before starting anything. After that I saw that there was a pile of laundry that needed to be done...did it. Ahh  laundry needed folding- then off to make lunch and clean up the kitchen . Whats that? Shoot we need milk...well, now that we are at the grocery store...might as well pick up some stuff for the week. Hum, promised the kids I'd take them to the library.  They borrowed some books and some videos to watch over the weekend... La dee dee Laa dee daa.  We walked the dog and checked in on my mom.-Ran an errand for her. Came home sorted and folded more laundry. Cleaned the Living room. Made dinner. Cleaned dishes and straightened the kitchen out. Gave dog a bath. Chased dog after he escaped while I was trying to dry him.  When My Husband came home he asked " Hey I thought you were going to bring up some of the decorations today?' I said "na, I decided to leave it for another day."

"Good" he said "After all that work you did yesterday you needed a day to rest. I spent the next ten minutes trying hard not to laugh.

Thanksgiving

John Bell's Christian Art Gallery

       This year will be a very small Thanksgiving at our house. Only my Mom will being coming over. That is more than OK with me. I have in the last few years come to the realization that I have let others dictate and taken away my joy at the holidays. I stressed out over gifts and who is coming over for dinner and who is not. I have taken the dream of a perfect holiday reunion with all extended family and replaced it with a quiet contentment and gratefulness of what we have here right now this moment.The moment when I let go of that perfect dream (that haunted me all those years) that was the exact moment that I began to truly appreciate and enjoy the holidays. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I will try to make a juicy turkey with all the fixin's. I will sit down with my Husband, my Children and my Mom and we will say grace. I am Thankful for so many Things.
Thank You God for my Children. For their Good Health, their hugs and kisses and their love for you
Thank You God for my Husband His Kindness and love for his family
Thank You God for My Mom for her ability to still be able to enjoy her Grandkids
Thank You God for my Husband's family their love and devotion to each other
Thank you God for my brothers and their families their struggles are lessened with your love
Thank you God for my friends and their uncanny ability to be able to laugh even in sorrow
Thank you God for opening my mind and heart to see your Grace and allowing me to stay here to witness more.

Thank You Dear Lord for everything!