Beth and Cory's Mom

Apparently, I'm TinkerBell

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:47:00 +0000

Jeffrey went to play practice with Cory Saturday morning so he could watch and get an idea how the play goes. He called me from practice to say they have a job for me - like helping him however I can while he runs sound isn't enough. OK, I really don't do that much except try to follow along with the play and help him know when someone is coming on stage and needs his or her mic turned on. And once he's seen the play a time or two, he usually doesn't need too much help with that.

So, I get to run some laser light to represent TinkerBell. The only thing is, I know nothing about it - either running the light or how the play goes, so this should be interesting. I started reading through the script today, but don't really understand how it's supposed to work. So, tomorrow I'm going to play practice. Hopefully they will run through the whole play so I can take notes about who's on stage when, etc. - and figure out this TinkerBell thing.

Their first 'performance' is Wednesday afternoon, for the elementary school kids. The dress rehearsal is actually the next evening on Thursday. They just got the set today, and they've never run the whole thing through. It will be interesting to see how it all comes together.

Camera Critters (#83)

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:49:00 +0000

Time for some pics of our resident critters, Tillie and Weasley – the cutest kitties in the house, maybe the whole world.

Tillie still isn’t too sure about this interloper.

And Weasley just wants to be close.

Camera Critters is a fun weekend meme hosted by Misty Dawn.Visit the Camera Critters headquarters and join in.

We've Got Candy

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:34:00 +0000

Image by Scorpions and Centaurs via Flickr

I think we have more than enough candy around here. It's so hard to resist those after-Halloween candy clearance sales. The candy is just as good the day after the holiday - it just costs half as much. Makes me wonder why anyone would be dumb enough to buy it beforehand. Anyway...

We hit Walgreens on Sunday and got a whole bunch. Then yesterday I bought just one bag of peanut butter kisses when I went to Walmart. When I got home, Cory asked me why I only got one bag. I told him I thought I was the only one who really ate them, so I only needed the one bag, otherwise I'd either feel really bad or be searching for the best weight loss pill because I ate so much candy.

That's when he informed me that he, and his sister, were guilty of getting into my bag of peanut butter kisses last year. No wonder they disappeared so fast!

Five for Fighting - Slice

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:27:00 +0000

If every album provides snapshots of where an artist's mind and heart is at the moment, Slice, the latest offering from John Ondrasik (aka Five for Fighting), is a collection of digital jpegs and faded Polaroids. The album takes stories of friends, family and even American servicemen, and sets them to music shot through with the spirit of the great songs of his youth. It's a diary, or a blog, in which Ondrasik speaks his mind about current issues, experiences and sentiments, while setting those thoughts to piano, bass and drums.

I like a lot of different music, but I had never really paid attention to Five for Fighting until I was offered a chance to download the new CD Slice. Sure, I had heard of Five for Fighting and even heard of a couple of the songs, Superman and 100 Years, but that was it.

I've really been missing something, because I'm loving this CD! I'm pretty sure he had me from the first notes on the piano, and then the lyrics, well, I'm loving them, too. Lyrics like - "There was a time a long, long time ago/Chevies and levies played on the radio/No cell phones just 20,000 lights, swaying on a Saturday night." from the title track. And how can you not smile at a song that begins, "This is not our favorite song"?

I wasn't home when I first downloaded the CD (prior to the October 13 release date) so I didn't really get a chance to listen to it for a while. Since then I've burned it to CD so I can listen to it on my home stereo and listened to it several times. John made several television appearances, which I missed because I hadn't really listened to the CD yet or paid attention to the dates, but luckily several of them are available on the Five for Fighting website. John is also currently on tour with An Acoustic Evening with Five For Fighting, so check the tour schedule on the website to see if he's coming to a city near you. Of course, seeing all the SOLD OUT dates, I'm thinking that you better already have tickets! The closest he got to here was Chicago this last Friday night, but I missed that one. I guess I'll just have to play the CD again...

Please enjoy the video for Chances, the first single from Slice:

Slice is available now. You can buy it on iTunes and Amazon.com
Album Tracklisting:

Slice
Note To The Unknown Soldier
Tuesday
Chances
This Dance
Above The Timberline
Transfer
Hope
Story Of Your Life
Love Can't Change The Weather
Augie Nieto

Note: I received this CD download at no cost thanks to One2One Network in exchange for my opinion.

Oh, and I am going to have to look up some of the older Five for Fighting songs that I missed.

New Floors

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:12:00 +0000

I should take some pictures of the house now that we've got things basically put back, but so far I haven't. I do keep admiring my new floors though. You can see some pictures of the whole project here, though. (If you're interested)

Another Cookbook

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:26:00 +0000

Remember how last week I was talking about needing to get rid of some cookbooks? I actually boxed up a few of them to get rid of. It's a good thing, because this morning I found out that I won another cookbook! I won The Pioneer Woman Cooks from The Frugal Girls, and I can't wait to get it. Sure there are all kinds of recipes, with mouth-watering pictures, available on The Pioneer Woman Cooks!, but again, there's just something about a book.

And I might actually have room on the shelf for it, either that or figure out what other one to get rid of because this looks like a great book.

Camera Critters (#82)

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:31:00 +0000

Last month Cory had to work at an event at the zoo, so Jeffrey and I spent a few hours walking around and visiting the animals. That means I ought to have Camera Critters posts for months! Especially since I have to post pictures of our resident critters, too.

For this week I’ll start with the first animal we saw at the zoo, the penguin:

Camera Critters is a fun weekend meme hosted by Misty Dawn.Visit the Camera Critters headquarters and join in.

I'm Needing Some Sleep

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:34:00 +0000

Cover of Barn Party (I Am Reading)

I'm watching the weather, and they're calling for all night rain and morning showers. What that probably means is no walking in the morning. Since there's no school tomorrow (Teachers' Convention) I don't even have to get up if I don't want to. I'll probably still get up when Jeffrey does because I still have lots to do tomorrow. I only got one of the bathrooms cleaned, so I need to clean the other one, and I need to make a big pot of chili for the Barn Party and maybe some caramel corn, too. And finish putting stuff back in the living room, or at least put it away for the weekend. And figure out something for dinner and something for breakfast on Saturday, and...

Just thinking about it all makes me tired. As soon as Jeffrey finishes copying the music from his portable hard drives to his computer, and as soon as Cory's friends go home, and as soon as Tim goes home, I can go to bed. I hope that's soon.

So Many Cookbooks

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:08:00 +0000

I got all my cookbooks moved back into the dining room and shelved today. I moved them to a different shelving unit and went through them as I pulled them out of the boxes, hoping to get rid of a few. I love my cookbooks. It's really hard to let go of any of them, but I did manage to fill a box with some that I've never used and probably never will. I had about 5 microwave cookbooks, and I've never actually cooked anything in the microwave. Microwaves are for heating frozen vegetables and leftovers, right? So I boxed up all but 1 of those books. Yep, I had to hold onto 1, even though I'll probably never use it, but just in case. I got rid of a few others, too.

I need some more time to go through all the cooking magazines I have, though - Taste of Home, Vegetarian Times, Food and Family - so many magazines with so many great-looking recipes in them. But, do I really need all the magazines? Couldn't I just tear out the recipes I'd like to try and toss the rest? Except that takes time. It would probably be easier to just toss them all and get all my recipes from the internet, but I'm going to have to ease myself into that. When I get tired of going through all the magazines, maybe. I mean, I know you can find recipes for anything you want on the Internet, instantly compare term life insurance quotes, find the best route for your trip, watch TV shows, and all kinds of other things, but there's just something more real about having an actual recipe in a cookbook, with pictures.

Of course, if I could have a flat panel screen mounted into a cabinet door in my kitchen so I could bring up the recipes I wanted to use, I might be more inclined to toss the cookbooks...

Looking at the Sky on Friday - 34

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:00:00 +0000

I’m so glad there’s a meme like Looking at the Sky on Friday, because it means all the time I spend looking at the sky, and taking pictures of it, has a purpose! Click the badge for more info.

While we were hiking at Starved Rock State Park a couple weeks ago we noticed this dramatic line across the sky – light on one side, dark on the other.

I’m not sure exactly why it looked like that, but it was cool to see.

If you enjoy skies as much as I do, be sure to check out Looking at the Sky on Friday.

I A-Salted my Flowers

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:17:00 +0000

I read somewhere that a good way to dust silk flowers is to put them into a bag, add some salt, and shake. So, this morning I tried it. I think it was supposed to be a paper sack, and I'm pretty sure there was some specific measurement of salt, but I just threw them into a plastic bag and poured some salt in on top. Then I grabbed the stems and closed the top of the bag around them and shook. Holding onto the stems is important, especially in the plastic bag, because otherwise they poke through, make holes, and the salt comes out. I still lost a little salt, but I was out on the deck so I didn't worry about it too much.

The end result is - cleaner silk roses than I've had in months, maybe years. This works really well.

Now if I only had some great tips for cleaning my bathrooms. I need to get the tubs and sinks really, really clean so I can use my Turtle Wax ICE on them, and hopefully keep them clean and shiny. I'd much prefer staying here on the computer waiting for you to share some great tips, but I really do need to go clean the bathrooms now. Go ahead and leave those tips, though, because you know how it goes - the cleaning is never done. Clean it now and, before you know it, it's time to clean again.

It's Wednesday Night Already?

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:10:00 +0000

I just realized I haven't posted anything here since Saturday morning's Camera Critters. Where has all the time gone? I'll tell you. It's gone into cleaning and organizing and trying to get the house back into shape.

We had our friend Tom, not just a friend but a professional remodeling contractor, lay tile in our kitchen, dining room, and front entryway last week. Then he came back Sunday and put tile in the hall bathroom, with a little help from Jeffrey.

Then, once the tile was done, it was time to move the furniture back in - except that we had to have our other friend Mark come in and stretch and fasten the carpet so it meets up with the tile nicely and also stretch the carpet in the bedroom to get the wrinkles out. So, we moved the living room furniture into the empty dining room and moved the bedroom furniture and everything we could into the kids' rooms for that. After that, everything needed moved back into the proper room, starting with the bedroom, into the living room, and then the dining room. And while we're at it, dusting and cleaning everything and throwing out things we don't need. We're still not done, but it's getting there.

It's no wonder I haven't had time to blog about colon cleansing or anything else!

Camera Critters (#81)

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:24:00 +0000

It’s hard to resist this little face:

It’s our little Weasley kitty! He’s such a little sweetie. He’s also a very persistent beggar who thinks we should share anything we have to eat or drink, and he doesn’t take No for an answer very easily. With a face like that, I guess it would be hard to understand how anyone could actually say No to him, let alone mean it.

Camera Critters is a fun weekend meme hosted by Misty Dawn.Visit the Camera Critters headquarters and join in.

Organic Dark Chocolate Gift Baskets

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:06:00 +0000

It's the thought that counts.

You've heard that saying, right? Someone gives you a gift that you may or may not actually like, but 'it's the thought that counts' and it's nice to know someone thought of you. If you get a gift of Intentional Organic Dark Chocolate though, it really is the thought that counts.

All Intentional Chocolate is embedded with this intention:

“Whoever consumes this chocolate will manifest optimal health and functioning at physical, emotional and mental levels, and in particular will enjoy an increased sense of energy, vigor and well-being for the benefit of all beings.”

I don't understand exactly how it works, but trained meditators, some who have trained with the Dalai Lama, somehow infuse this chocolate with positive spiritual energy, and it has been shown to reduce stress, increase energy, and enhance focus. Read the Intentional Chocolate Blog for more info.

Along with all the good thoughts and benefits to this pure Hawaiian chocolate, it's also naturally organic, gluten free, kosher and ethical.

And, guys, if you're looking for a gift for your wife, you're going to want to try this:

Dramatic Uptick In "The Bedroom" Feb 08, 2009
I bought a bag of the Pistoles for my wife for Christmas, and told her that while this was infused with loving intentions, we should only eat it while consciously intending to have a wonderful day.Among other things, our sex lives picked up dramatically...Truly amazing.

(customer review)

Looking at the Sky on Friday - 33

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:43:00 +0000

I’m so glad there’s a meme like Looking at the Sky on Friday, because it means all the time I spend looking at the sky, and taking pictures of it, has a purpose! Click the badge for more info.

I wish I could soar through the sky like this:

If you enjoy skies as much as I do, be sure to check out Looking at the Sky on Friday.

Does the Room Look Bigger?

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:12:00 +0000

This tile floor is going to look amazing! Tom got the tiles in the dining room laid today, and now I can really see what it is going to look like. I'm really going to like it. Of course, it's a little late to do anything about it if I didn't like it.

He got done laying most of the tiles and said, "Doesn't it make the room look bigger?" He says the running bond pattern he used makes the space look bigger. I'm not sure if it does or not. The room definitely looks bigger, but then there's nothing in it, so that will make any room look bigger. I guess we'll really see once it's all done and the furniture gets moved back in. Whether or not the room looks any bigger than it did before or not, it's just going to be nice not having carpet under the dining room table and having a hard surface to come in onto when we come off the deck. And, more room or not, it's not like I'm looking to fit an artificial christmas tree, or any Christmas tree ever, in there. I'm just trying to figure out what I can get rid of so it doesn't have to go back in the room, and it will really look bigger.

Heads or Tails – Stop or Go

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:08:00 +0000

The theme/prompt for THIS week, October 20, is:

HEADS - "Stop"
*OR*
TAILS - "Go"
Make any kind of post using any form of either word. You can even use both.

While in Illinois, we went hiking at Starved Rock State Park. At the beginning of the trail, I stopped to take a picture of this sign.

I didn’t actually read it, just took the picture. Obviously, some of the people I was with didn’t stop to read it either:

I wonder if not stopping to read the rules is a good excuse for not following them? (No faces were visible in these pics, right?) I’m ruining all your fun because, now that you’ve seen the sign and committed it to your system memory you won’t be able to use that excuse, and you’ll have to follow the rules if you go hiking. Not really, I’m sure you’ll have plenty of fun because the trails and scenery in the park are amazing – just be ready to climb up and down a lot of stairs!

Heads or Tails is a fun weekly meme created and hosted by Barb (aka Skittles) – feel free to join in!

Busy Day

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:17:00 +0000

My dining room is empty now - no table, no chairs, no china cabinet. Jeffrey and Cory moved all those out into the garage. Then they mowed the yard, and Jeffrey cleaned out the shed and moved some of the deck furniture into it for the winter. Cory went to do homework after the yard was mowed, but Jeffrey was busy from fairly early this morning until after 6pm - certainly not a lazy Sunday. If he keeps this up, he won't have to use the fitness equipment in the basement to get in shape!

We still have the big table and 4 rocking chairs out on the deck, so if we get some nice weather we'll still have somewhere to sit. It's supposed to be 60° tomorrow, so I just might have to sneak out there for a while to read my book. I did take some time to read it today, but I was busy, too - cleaning up the kitchen, cleaning out the pantry and the cabinet by the back door so the boys could move it into the garage, going through coats and jackets in the front closet, etc. I even got rid of a few jackets. We are going to have to make a trip to Goodwill soon to get rid of some of this stuff we've got bagged up.

Camera Critters (#80)

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:17:00 +0000

I can’t believe I missed two weeks of Camera Critters! I have a good excuse, though. We were out of town, keeping really busy, and didn’t have regular Internet access. So this little guy had to wait for his Camera Critters debut until now.

Must’ve been a hard nut to crack!

Camera Critters is a fun weekend meme hosted by Misty Dawn.Visit the Camera Critters headquarters and join in.

Talk for a Change

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 03:45:00 +0000

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Mira Sorvino has teamed up with The Allstate Foundation to encourage people to “Pass it On, Act & Learn” (P.A.L.) about domestic violence.

Facts about Domestic Violence:

Each day in the U.S., three women die as result of domestic violence.
More than one in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.
More than three out of four Americans know someone who is or has been a victim of domestic violence.

Even so, few feel comfortable discussing the subject, and the Allstate Foundation would like to change that.

Let’s talk for a change - Visit the Click to Empower website and share a story about overcoming domestic violence or helping a “gal pal” in need, read others' stories, and help spread the word. Each person who shares a personal experience can be entered to receive a limited edition Tell a Gal P.A.L. t-shirt, as worn by Mira Sorvino, as a thank you for inspiring others.

Too Much Stuff

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:45:00 +0000

To get ready for the whole tile installation thing, we've been cleaning things out of the kitchen and dining room. Jeffrey cleaned out the china cabinet and moved the bakers rack and short book case out last night. Now I'm looking at the dining room and enjoying the lack of stuff.

Jeffrey's been saying for ages now that we need to get rid of some stuff. I agree with him. I just don't know where to start. First of all, how did we get so much stuff? I'm sure living here for almost 12 years has nothing whatsever to do with it! Books, movies, magazines, trinkets, toys, electronics, auto accessories, dishes, plastic containers, plastic bags... You name it, and we've got it. I know that there's a bunch of that stuff that we don't actually need or use, but the problem is I have to make the time to go through everything and decide whether or not I need it or want it, sometime in between doing everything else that needs done.

I think when it's time to put some of the stuff back into the dining room that might be a good time to go through the cookbooks and get rid of some of them I don't actually use. I know that's going to be hard, because I love my cookbooks, but how many cookbooks does a person need?

Time for the Tile

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:29:00 +0000

We finally made a decision and picked out the tile for the kitchen and dining room. It took a while, and I ended up picking something totally different than what I originally thought I liked, but we did it. Not only did we pick it out, we ordered it, and we're supposed to get it installed this next week.

I know it's going to look really nice when we get it done, and I'm glad we decided to do this instead of finishing the bathroom in the basement. We decided that having a ceramic tile shower with glass tile wall in the basement was just too much. Who really wants the bathroom in the basement that's only going to get used once in a while to look better than the other bathrooms in the house? So we decided to put the money into a part of the house that we will use and enjoy a lot more. It will be really nice to have a hard surface to walk into off the deck and not to have carpet under that dining room table any more. Looking back I wonder why we put carpet there in the first place, but we did, and we've lived with it for almost 12 years. It's time for a change.

Looking at the Sky on Friday - 32

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:40:00 +0000

I’m so glad there’s a meme like Looking at the Sky on Friday, because it means all the time I spend looking at the sky, and taking pictures of it, has a purpose! Click the badge for more info.

I missed last week because we were out of town. We packed up everything but the stone sink and headed to Utica, IL to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles with a wonderful group of people. We stayed at the very nice Grizzly Jack’s Grand Bear Lodge and enjoyed lots of great food and fellowship.

The clouds over the cabins were nice, too!

We especially appreciated the blue skies, because it did rain quite a bit while we were there.

If you enjoy skies as much as I do, be sure to check out Looking at the Sky on Friday.

Time Out

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:13:00 +0000

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

It's a rainy day, one that calls for curling up on the couch with a good book and maybe a cat on your lap. Instead I've been trying to get the house straightened up - where does all this clutter come from, and how does it pile up so? I'm pretty sure I'm never going to get caught up with all the junk mail, newspapers and magazines, so I'm just going to take a time out and read my book. I just got the new Dan Brown book, The Lost Symbol back from Cory, and I really want to read this before I have to take it back to the library. It's not like anyone is watching, though I always tease Jeffrey about the video surveillance equipment he has in the house, because he always seems to call me at the most inopportune times like when I just get my hands into the dish water or just get into the bathroom.

Weasley climbed into my lap when I sat down just now, and he's strongly encouraging me to put the computer down and read the book. Actually, he's probably trying to tell me that there will be more room on my lap without the computer in the way, and he doesn't care about the book. He'd rather have me put everything down and give him my undivided attention, but I'll pretend he wants me to read.

We Have a Health Insurance Gap

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:14:00 +0000

Since Beth is 19 now and not going to school anywhere, she's no longer covered by our medical insurance. She's joined the over 47 million people in the United States that are un-insured, and now she has to figure out if there's any such thing as affordable health insurance. She doesn't work enough hours to qualify for any benefits, so that's out. We did get some kind of prescription discount card in the mail that's supposed to at least save her a little if she needs a prescription.
For now she's not really doing much about it, just letting it go and hoping for the best.

Have any of you had 'kids' in this situation? What did they do?