jayaycee blog - about knitting, cooking, crafting, sewing, reading, pets, family & friends

On Hiatus

2011-05-18T08:12:00.024-07:00

Do you ever feel like there just aren't enough hours in the day to accomplish all the things you want to? That's where I'm at right now. In the last week alone, there've been evening work events, school performances for the Granddaughter and I've had dental surgery. What I haven't done is knitted, sewed or really even cooked.

I have some big projects on my list of things I'd like to do that just keep getting pushed further and further onto the back burner. So I've decided to go on hiatus with the blog -- at least for the summer.

I'll be around to visit your blogs, but I probably won't be posting again until the fall.

Have a great summer ...

Wordless Wednesday - The MIM (Musical Instrument Museum)

2011-05-11T00:02:00.001-07:00

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

2011-05-08T00:02:00.003-07:00

To wish its Mom a

Happy Mother's Day

of course!

Okay, I know that's lame, but I had to get the chicken potholders in here somehow!

My Mom is a wonderful seamstress and quilter and I'm always on the lookout for fun pattern ideas to send her. When I received an email from Interweave Quilting Arts that this new book, "101 Patchwork Projects + Quilts" was for sale, I bought one for Mom and one for myself.

Mom has decorated her kitchen with chickens and roosters, so when I saw these adorable chicken potholders (page 106) ...

I knew I had to make her a couple of them to go along with the book. Had a great time buying fat quarters of fabric at Jo-Ann ...

I even got some heat-resistant quilt batting for the insulated layer (that's the shiny white stuff on the left side) ...

I am a sloooooooooooooow and methodical sewer. I think Mom could probably have made an entire quilt in the time it took me to crank out two potholders, but I do love the way they turned out ...

I used a polka dot fabric for the backing that's very cheerful ...

This is the very first time I've quilted anything on the machine and, believe me, it's a little trickier than it looks. One of the cute details on the potholder is that the chicken's (rooster's?) comb sticks up 3D with frayed edges ...

So Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Love you bunches and hope it's wonderful!!!

Allergic, Sex Ed, Movie, Music, Un-Birthday

2011-05-06T00:02:00.015-07:00

#1 - I Am Allergic to Myself

Here's the scoop. A few weeks ago, my dentist took a biopsy because I've had a sore/raw inner cheek. The results are back and I have Lichen Planus which is an itchy rash on the skin or in the mouth that is likely to be related to an allergic or immune reaction. It's definitely annoying and somewhat painful, but not life threatening, and we'll be treating it with topical steroids and some dietary restrictions. I was told to lay off anything containing cinnamon, red sauce or red wine. Red Wine? Whaaaaat? Looks like I'll be skipping book club!

#2 - Sex Ed

Conversation with the 8th grade 14-year-old Granddaughter ...

GD: We're studying sexual reproduction in Science.

Me: Ahhhhh, the birds and the bees, huh?

GD (after looking at me for a long moment): Yeah, it's pretty disturbing.

And then I just laughed ... couldn't help it. =D

#3 - Ramona and Beezus

Have you seen this adorable movie? I signed up to receive a code for a free Redbox rental on the first Monday of each month and I rented this to watch with the Granddaughter. Still had it Tuesday when the Youngest Daughter came to visit and watched it again with her. Hubby says that's really getting my money's worth. Especially since it was free.

Anyway, this is one of those cute, sweet, makes me yearn for my childhood days movies. Loved it and will probably buy it. Just sayin'.

One of my favorite lines in the movie: Beezus (the older sister) is having a meltdown and cries, "Who would love a girl named Beezus?" Ramona replies to her in kind of a whisper, "Jesus?" Cracks me up!

#4 - Music Rules & Regs

So here's a question for you. When we bought my MacBook over a year ago, it came with a bunch of music already downloaded. A few weeks ago, I made a slideshow using iPhoto for Miles' birthday and set it to a song (Linus and Lucy) that came with the laptop. I uploaded it to my YouTube account so I could post it on my blog the next day. Then I received an email through YouTube that I was in violation of the rights to the music and they removed it from my slideshow. So I went back and simply chose another song that came with the computer (Doxy by Miles Davis) and reposted it to YouTube. No problem this time.

What I don't understand is if I already own the right to use the music by virtue of it being part of the laptop I paid for, why was it a violation? The way I look at it, I paid for it with everything else that came on the computer. Am I missing something here?

#5 - The Un-Birthday Party

When the in-laws were in town visiting recently, we decided to throw an Un-Birthday Party for my sister-in-law who we just don't get to see that often. It's been so long since we celebrated a birthday with her at all, that we decided to do it right then. Hubby picked up a cake from the bakery and had them write Happy Un-Birthday on it. I forgot to take a picture of it until after we'd pulled out all the trick candles; hence, the holes.

It was so much fun to do the unexpected. She was completely shocked and thrilled and we had several gifts for her, including this prayer shawl that I knitted ...

I just love this Un-Birthday thing and kept singing in my head the silly song from Disney's 1951 "Alice in Wonderland" cartoon ...

A very merry Un-Birthday to you!

Wordless Wednesday - Moustache or Mustache?

2011-05-03T21:37:00.009-07:00

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here.

Earth Day, Birthday, Good Friday, Good Grief

2011-05-02T00:02:00.001-07:00

We spent Earth Day/Good Friday at the Grand Canyon. The Granddaughter had recently mentioned to us that she'd never seen the 8th Wonder of the World and, since we had a no school/no work day, we headed north.

The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long, 18 miles wide and over a mile deep. All of these pictures were taken from the South Rim.

The Canyon was carved by the Colorado River and geologists estimate it began some 17 million years ago.

Other than the Native Americans who lived in and around the Canyon, the first outsider to view its splendor was a Spaniard named García López de Cárdenas in 1540.

In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt established the Grand Canyon Game Preserve. In 1908, he redesignated the preserve as a U.S. National Monument. On February 26, 1919, President Woodrow Wilson established Grand Canyon National Park as the 17th U.S. National Park.

There are approximately 1,737 known species of vascular plants, 167 species of fungi, 64 species of moss and 195 species of lichen found in Grand Canyon National Park.

The day we visited, the weather was simply beautiful. In the 70s, not too hot, not too cold, a little breeze, sunshine. Gorgeous!

The Granddaughter mentioned that all of her friends -- every single one of them -- had said to her, "Don't fall in." She was not amused and she kept thinking and talking about it.

Then just as we drove out, we pulled over for an ambulance racing into the Park. The Granddaughter said, "Someone jumped in. I just know it." And when we watched the news that night, it turns out she was right. Apparently, a man who was panhandling was approached by Park Rangers and jumped over the edge to avoid them. He fell 25 feet, was rescued, then arrested. He was wanted in Texas for the murder of his ex-girlfriend. Yikes!

Also in an area thick with pine trees on the road out of the Canyon, we spotted this ...

beautiful Mule Deer. There were quite a few people taking pictures and he didn't seem the least bit afraid.

Last but not least, it was Miles' 5th birthday that day as well. He and Louie went along for the ride. How many dogs do you know get a birthday party at the Grand Canyon? It was a very good day!

All facts and information taken from Wikipedia.

Oh, the Hats!!!

2011-04-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

I haven't been caught up in the pre-Royal Wedding excitement, but I did DVR it and just finished watching it. Fabulous!

Kate and William look so genuinely happy. Someone mentioned during the broadcast that they have known each other for 9 years and they've also been living together. Good for them ... no surprises. A girl I worked with many years ago went on her honeymoon and was shocked at some of the things her new hubby did once they were together, like squirting the toothpaste directly into his mouth instead of putting it on the toothbrush. If that was the worst of it, then they're probably still happily married, but the point is, the royal couple must know each other's quirks and habits by now.

I have to admit, I find all of the pomp and circumstance breathtaking. The handsome uniforms ...

Kate's elegant dress and isn't her sister a stunner (love the name Pippa) ...

The bridesmaids and pageboys ...

The incredible Westminster Abbey ...

My least favorite part of the whole thing were the bells ringing prior to the ceremony. I have a hard time separating background noise from talking (I detest loud restaurants and bars) and it was extremely difficult to hear the details being discussed by Katie Couric and the others ...

My absolute favorite part? The hats, the hats, the hats ...

Putting on a fancy hat is just so much fun and we really don't get too many opportunities to do it up this way anymore. That kind of elegance seems to have disappeared with JFK and Jackie O.

As I watched the wedding, I kept thinking about Diana and how sad it is that she wasn't here to celebrate this special occasion with her family.

But they're off to an exciting start. Wishing the royal couple true happiness and long lasting love!

Wordless Wednesday - I've Got Sunshine On A Cloudy Day

2011-04-27T00:02:00.001-07:00

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here.

An Old Robe With a New Purpose

2011-04-24T21:26:00.002-07:00

Cleaning out a closet, I came across a blue fur robe we had given the Granddaughter many years ago. She loved her robe and wore it as long as she could, but it's a children's size 6 and now, at age 14, she is wearing junior sizes. This sweet, warm, fuzzy robe was still in great shape and I put it in the donation bag in the garage. Then, after thinking about it for a while, I decided to repurpose it and retrieved it from the bag.

So what do you get when you combine this old robe ...

with this new fabric I found at Jo-Ann?

You get four-legged cute! Here is Louie modeling his new coat ...

and Miles lounging in his (is he cool or what?) ...

I combined ideas from several different dog coats I'd seen, measuring each dog to create custom patterns from freezer paper ...

They're soft, warm, cozy, and even reversible ...

They're easy to put on and take off with the velcro tabs and Miles and Louie really seem happy and comfortable wearing them. With no work or school last week on Good Friday, we took the Granddaughter on her first trip to the Grand Canyon, then spent the night in Flagstaff, Arizona, where the puppies were very glad to have their new little fur coats to wear after the sun went down.

I'm so pleased with the way they turned out and so glad I decided to repurpose that wonderful robe instead of spending the money to buy new furry fabric. Looking through the closets, I'm getting ideas for other things that I could make -- I wonder if Hubby would miss that shirt???

Easter Blessings

2011-04-24T00:02:00.002-07:00

Because He Lives, We Too Shall Live

In this restless world of struggle

it is very hard to find

Answers to the questions

that daily come to mind.

We cannot see the future,

what's beyond is still unknown,

For the secret of God's kingdom

still belongs to Him alone.

But He granted us salvation

when His Son was crucified,

For life became immortal

because our Saviour died.

Life is not a transient thing,

It is change but never loss,

For Christ purchased our salvation

When He died upon the Cross.

~Helen Steiner Rice~

Cinco de Miles

2011-04-22T00:02:00.003-07:00

Happy 5th Birthday

to our ornery - but wonderful - little Miles!

(aka Miles Davis, Miles of Smiles, Mr. Miles

and, on occasion, Milesyoulittlebastard)

Musical background is "Doxy" by Miles Davis

Wordless Wednesday - Bouquet

2011-04-20T00:02:00.001-07:00

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here.

Reading "The Happiness Project"

2011-04-17T15:36:00.000-07:00

In our little Wine Club that Reads, we all take turns suggesting titles that we think everyone might enjoy. I had seen several mentions in the newspaper and a magazine on Gretchen Rubin's "The Happiness Project Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun" and was absolutely hooked by her idea. Being more of a self-help book, it's not our normal read for book club so I was thrilled when they all jumped on it as something fun and different to try.

And it was!

We had a wonderful meeting (at someone else's house) with all kinds of great treats to eat and, of course, wine to wash them down.

The thing I found most interesting was that every single person said they thought the same thing when they started reading ... "Oh no, this is just the same thing I've read before in a new cover." Then they kept reading and realized they were so wrong. Every one of us gleaned things from this book and the author's trials that spoke to us about pertinent issues we are working on or dealing with.

Gretchen Rubin breaks her happiness project into twelve months, with each new month focusing on a different aspect of happiness in her life. Personally, I was grateful that the first month, January, began with vitality and how to boost energy. She broke this chapter down into five personal resolutions that helped her accomplish her goals: Go to sleep earlier; exercise better; toss, restore, organize; tackle a nagging task; and act more energetic.

We had out-of-town company coming to stay for 10 days and I had some work to do to get ready for them, including cleaning and organizing. That first chapter really helped get me off the couch, doing some deep cleaning and reorganizing in several rooms that sorely needed it. And she was so right about acting energetic. That whole fake it 'til you make it thing really does make a difference if you let it. Cleaning out cupboards, donating things and throwing out crap; just making things sparkle really are essential to feeling lighter, satisfied and -- yes -- happier. I have yet to tackle that nagging task, which is cleaning out the master bedroom closet of all the clothes and shoes that I've collected over the years and can't seem to let go of. However, it's on my list.

And, funny enough, nearly every member of the book club said that they did some cleaning and reorganizing while reading this book last month. With marked feelings of relief and happiness.

Every chapter/month deals with another topic that the author felt would up her happiness quotient, including marriage, work, parenthood, leisure, friendship, money, eternity, mindfulness and attitude. She also came up with her own list of Twelve Commandments, which are personal to each of us. I really liked her first one, though, and adopted it immediately. When she'd struggle with uncertainty over something or waver at all, she'd start with her first commandment: Be Gretchen. This is a quick reminder that we each have to honor our own beliefs and quirks and make ourselves happy. We spend way too much time working our butts off to please everyone else out there which, come on, we all know is impossible. Be fill in your name here is the best way to make sure you are true to yourself. Love that one!

In Chapter Four, April, she focused on parenthood and especially the process of lightening up by acknowledging the reality of people's feelings. I took this one outside the box of parenthood and tried to use it everywhere I went. Lighten up because who knows what has happened in another person's life to make them sad or dour -- Maybe a death in the family? Marriage problems? Money issues? Who knows? I've really tried to give others the benefit of the doubt and lighten up (and I'm sure I'll be even more successful at it now that the in-laws have headed home). At the grocery store, at work, at the post office ... the only place I continue to have trouble with this one is on the freeway. I had to admit to the ladies at book club that I really struggle to lighten up during rush hour and could very happily just ram into some of those jerks. Hmmmm, I said happily ... do you think that counts?

I very much enjoyed this book and have recommended it to others with great enthusiasm since I finished reading it. I also plan to keep this one on the shelf and refer back to it over the years. Yep, it's a keeper.

If you're interested in a little instant gratification and reading more about The Happiness Project, you can visit Gretchen Rubin's website http://www.happiness-project.com/. Happy reading!

Wordless Wednesday - Is It Safe to Come Out?

2011-04-06T00:02:00.004-07:00

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here.

A Bag of Rocks and a Trampoline

2011-04-04T00:02:00.000-07:00

I really do have a mean streak! Remember my post about tasers? Well, I will tell you straight up that I have never, ever thrown a rock at anyone ... however, that seems to be a recurring fantasy of mine.

We live across the fence from a school and they have been doing construction work over there. For far too long. The weather has been beautiful so we've had the windows open and what floats through the screen with the gorgeous Spring breeze is the beep-beep-beeping of these noise-polluting idiots backing up big trucks or something. Honestly, do they never go forward? Do they just drive around backward in circles? I thought I'd happily sit and knit and watch my DVR of Martha Stewart the other day and all I could hear was ...

Martha: We have a BEEP BEEP BEEP for you today. We're going to show you how to BEEP BEEP BEEP and then we'll top it off with BEEP BEEP BEEP. We'll also announce our BEEP BEEP BEEP.

Arrrgggghhhhh!!!

I was venting my frustration with our Youngest Daughter on the phone with my usual version of: "I'd like to throw rocks at these guys!" She suggested a trampoline so I could pop up over the 6 foot block fence with a bag of rocks to throw. Definitely had me laughing hard picturing myself bouncing on a trampoline, hurling rocks over the fence.

This, of course, led to the retelling of one of her favorite stories about me from probably 16 years ago. The kids were still in high school and we went camping up in Payson, Arizona. It was one of those busy summer weekends with lots of people enjoying the great outdoors and we were fortunate to find a wonderful campsite right near the road that ran through the campground.

Very late in the evening, a group of nutjobs pulled up and proceeded to set up camp right next to us in a spot that was not a campsite. They unloaded all their stuff and started blasting music that echoed across the mountaintop. It was so loud and so obnoxious.

I was in the tent with the kids and dogs trying to sleep, Hubby was still sitting by the campfire and I. JUST. COULDN'T. TAKE. IT. ANYMORE!!!

I sat up in my sleeping back and screamed at the top of my lungs ...

HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

YD says my eyeballs were popping right out of my head and I looked crazed. Well, I was!

I was in a royal snit because, frankly, sleeping on the ground is hard enough without throwing in the too loud, crappy musical serenade. I hollered at Hubby, "Let's just throw rocks at 'em!" Of course, we didn't, but I came very, very, very ... very close.

That may be one of the reasons why I have a dislike for camping, aside from sleeping on the ground, cooking on a tiny little stove, trying to clean the dishes in a tiny little tub, peeing in the bushes -- oh, and fishing. Yuck!

But I will say I've been told a story from Hubby's side of the family that makes me grin from ear to ear every time I hear it.

His Dad (my FIL) was the only boy with 6 sisters. When they were children, sitting around the dinner table, he apparently said something smart-mouthed to his mother, which would be my Hubby's Grandma. She got up from her chair to smack him upside the head and he got up and ran from her. So he's now running around the dinner table and she's chasing him, getting angrier by the second. His sisters, not about to let an opportunity to get in on the action slide by, are screeching, "Get him, hit him!"

He runs outside and climbs the tree in their yard, she chases him out there, all the sisters come piling out the door and, by this time, she is so pissed off that she starts picking up rocks to throw at him, trying to knock him out of the tree.

Oh, it does my heart good to hear that other spunky broads have felt this way ... and actually acted upon it. I never met her, but I have a strong kinship with this woman.

So I guess I'll head off to look at trampolines and gather up a big bag of rocks from the yard!

"Night Road" Giveaway Winner

2011-04-02T07:14:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to gtyyup over at Life at the Rough String on winning my copy of Kristin Hannah's "Night Road."

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to live life on a working ranch, are ready for some great stories and fabulous photos, please give her a visit and try not to be too jealous ...

http://jksroughstring.blogspot.com/

gtyyup, I'll email you ...

98 Degrees

2011-04-01T00:02:00.002-07:00

Yes, I realize it's April Fool's Day, but that is no joke. We are supposed to hit 98 degrees in Phoenix today. We've had a beautiful Spring, but I see Summer coming like a runaway train. Which reminds me, have you seen "Unstoppable" with Denzel? It's fabulous! Kept me on the edge of the couch for most of the movie.

We went to a charity fundraiser at a garden nursery recently and picked up some Brilliant Hibiscus and Asparagus Fern to replace some we've lost. Here they are, all in a row and waiting to be planted ...

The hibiscus really is named Brilliant. I don't just think mine are smarter than the average hibiscus. Maybe I should have a bumper sticker made: My Brilliant Hibiscus is an honor hibiscus!

I also picked up some herbs to put in containers on the back patio. Rosemary ...

... and Basil. They smell so amazing! Almost makes me want to cook something. Almost.

Since we'll have company in town starting this weekend and we're already up in the 90s temperature-wise, we'll have the patio and pool deck and furniture all hosed off and spit-shined, ready to enjoy.

Even the babies got a haircut. I said "Sit" and they did, but notice Milesyoulittlebastard looks like he's ready to bolt ...

Happy April, everybody!

The Company is Coming ...

2011-03-31T00:02:00.001-07:00

The company is coming! Call me Paul Revere, saddle up the horse and give me a dust rag 'cause I've got some cleaning to do. The in-laws (FIL, MIL and SIL) will be arriving this weekend and staying for ten days. It's amazing how the ~~threat~~ thought of company can make you haul yourself off the couch and do some organizing. So far I've tackled the laundry room and the kitchen. My counters are clean enough to eat off of. Ha!

Speaking of kitchen counters, we have a new toy ...

One of Hubby's business contacts sent us a Keurig and it is so cool. I have been buying up K-Cups all over town in different flavors -- hazelnut, mocha, vanilla biscotti, Italian roast. There are a million of 'em. So far the best selection has been at Bed, Bath & Beyond. We received some sample packs with the coffee maker and one included tea; specifically, Celestial Seasonings Mandarin Orange Spice. Yum!

Another fun happening in the kitchen ...

I've been juicing grapefruit like mad. Our tree has produced a beautiful bunch of Ruby Red's and in addition to eating them like oranges with a sprinkling of sugar, I'm putting gallon bags of juice in the freezer.

Hubby got in on the action and started mixing up Greyhounds, which are simply grapefruit juice and vodka ...

Pretty tasty. Unfortunately, after a couple of these, I kind of lose my cleaning and organizing mojo. *sigh* It's not quite as elegant as sipping mint juleps on the veranda, but to quote that spunky Scarlett O'Hara ... Tomorrow is another day.

Wordless Wednesday - New England Architecture

2011-03-30T00:02:00.002-07:00

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here.

It's Just Tuesday

2011-03-29T17:12:00.002-07:00

Tuesday is one of my regular days off of work and I tend to try to get things done. You know what I mean? House stuff, dog stuff, people stuff.

After brewing myself a fragrant cup of Chocolate Glazed Donut flavored coffee (I kid you not) and dining on a sumptuous bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios, I visited the dentist. This morning I had that invigorating, eye-watering, deep scaling cleaning done on one side of my mouth (had the other side done a few weeks ago) and a biopsy on my inner cheek because it apparently looks odd. She said she didn't want to scare me but it could be cancer or it could be some kind of auto-immune thing, which I think means I'm allergic to myself!?!? If you have hay fever, you take antihistamines; if you're allergic to dust, you clean; if it's a pet, you might have to part ways with it. I'm lying there thinking Good Luck getting away from yourself, sister. Anyway, I have a few stitches in my cheek that will dissolve on their own and we'll see what the verdict is eventually.

I decided to come home and baby myself, which means doing what I love to do ... knitting and watching TV. Our monthly crafting group, named Frogging Dropped Stitches, has decided to knit and crochet squares for an afghan to donate a la Warm Up America. We're all making 7" x 9" squares in machine washable, acrylic worsted weight yarn. It takes 49 squares to make one afghan: 7 squares in a vertical column by 7 rows. I completed my first 7 squares ...

One of the bonuses of this project is that it doesn't take a lot of yarn to make a square (they give patterns on the Warm Up America site) so you can use a lot of the stash odds and ends you have laying around. I knitted 6 squares and decided to crochet the blue one (on the left in the picture above). If you keep saying you want to learn to knit or crochet, this is a great way to get started. You can work on small pieces that eventually become something big and wonderful, learning new stitch patterns as you go.

I'm also working on an afghan as a gift. I am knitting it in long strips of large squares (the same basic concept as the Warm Up America afghans, except I'm joining each new yarn and knitting the entire vertical strip instead of sewing squares together. When I'm done, I'll have 4 of these strips to connect and crochet around to bring it all together in a pretty, cohesive package ...

I've found a 2-row stitch pattern that I find enjoyable, yet mindless, so I can knit while I watch TV without any problem.

Sand Stitch

Cast on an even number of stitches

Row 1: Slip 1, Purl 1, *Knit 1, Purl 1* - repeat section in asterisks to end of row

Row 2: Slip 1, Knit to end of row

That's it! It looks completely different -- and finished -- on both sides, which I love because I'm not so fond of stitch patterns that have a wrong side that looks wrong. Did that make any sense at all?

Then I decided to watch Julie & Julia, which always, always makes me smile. It's just so much fun! I stretched out on the couch and immediately became a cushion for Louie and Miles. I tried to take a picture with my phone ...

Louie is laying on my chest, Miles is down by my feet and that's Meryl Streep on the screen as Julia Child.

Sore mouth aside, it's a great day!

Reading "Night Road" and a Giveaway

2011-03-27T21:19:00.001-07:00

I have long been a fan of author Kristin Hannah who has published eighteen novels prior to "Night Road," which is due out on March 29, 2011. As a member of LibraryThing.com, I was fortunate to be selected by St. Martin's Press to receive an Advance Readers' Edition of "Night Road" for review.

The story is about a well-to-do, close-knit family of four in Washington state: Jude Farraday, her husband Miles, and twins Zach and Mia who are just entering high school. Jude is a very involved and protective mother which, of course, horrifies her kids while showing them how much she loves them.

Another central character is Lexi Baill, a new girl at school who was sent to live with her great aunt after her mother died. Lexi becomes best friends with Mia and, eventually, Zach's girlfriend, and the Farradays become her extended family. Life rolls along nicely until it comes time to select colleges. The Farraday kids have to decide which 4-year college to choose, while Lexi will be lucky to afford community college. Graduation draws near as well as the time when Lexi and Zach will be separating to attend college, tempers flare, passions heat up and a horrifying life-changing event occurs.

The Farraday family is broken and the community is in an uproar. Charges are filed, a trial is held and things go from bad to worse. This is an emotional book, full of real life situations that make you just want to lock your kids up to protect them from all the bad things that could happen to them and the mistakes they could make.

Kristin Hannah

I actually received and read this book a few months ago so I'm behind in reviewing it. I did like the book, although it was a little hard for me to read at the time since it deals with death and how different people cope with it. We had recently lost a neighbor and a family member so reading "Night Road" hit very close to home and made me realize even more how devastating such losses can be to those left behind.

However, I thought "Night Road" was well-written and a good read and I'm going to share the wealth. If you would be interested in receiving my advance readers' copy, just leave one comment - including your email address - and I will draw a winner on Friday, April 1, 2011, that I will mail it to. I will contact the winner by email to get their mailing address (for U.S. entrants only).

Thanks to LibraryThing.com and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review "Night Road" and thank you and good luck to everyone who visits my blog and leaves a comment.

*$%&^@# Router!

2011-03-24T05:50:00.000-07:00

Pardon my French! After slowly losing the signal until it just *blip* disappeared, we finally replaced our router.

I am out of sorts.

With no Internet access, I laid on the love seat in the family room and just took pictures of what I could see ...

Welcome to my world ... yawn!

Emergency Calls

2011-03-19T08:06:00.000-07:00

I was at work and heard Hubby's ring tone from my cell phone tucked into my purse under the desk. Several other people, including the company founder, were right there and commented on his ring tone which goes something like this (in a radio announcer emergency voice) ...

"Alert! Alert! Your husband is calling!"

Puts a smile on my face every time I hear it.

Since I was at work, I didn't answer it -- then I started wondering if something was wrong. So I apologized and said, "He usually only calls if there's an emergency so let me just check in with him."

No problem.

The emergency?

He wanted to know if he could have my restaurant leftovers so he wouldn't piss me off if I was planning to eat them myself later. He has a long history of outraging everyone who has special leftovers in the refrigerator. The kids used to write all over their take out containers -- "Do Not Eat! This Means You, Dad!"

In 1995, I was at a special event for the grand opening of the fabulous Phoenix Central library (this was long before everyone had cell phones), a woman rushed up to me and said, "You need to call home. There's an emergency!" I about fell off my high heels racing to the nearest phone only to reach our teenage Youngest Daughter who needed to know ...

"Where's the tuna fish?"

Seriously. That was the emergency. *sigh* And don't you suppose it's in the pantry where IT ALWAYS IS?!?!

We have, though, had a true emergency call. A few years ago, same Youngest Daughter, now about 15 years older, was involved in a pretty serious car accident. I was working in our retail store and the accident actually happened nearby. Hubby knew I had a haircut scheduled and he also knew that me racing to the scene of the accident where, by the way, YD was sitting on the curb holding her arm with her snapped-in-half wrist dangling, would not benefit anyone. I'm good in emergencies -- unless they involve my own children. Then I lose my mind.

Hubby assured me he would go straight to the scene, make sure she was taken care of, talk to the police, deal with her car being towed, keep me advised and meet me at the hospital later. He begged me to keep my haircut appointment, which was in just a few minutes.

I remember walking around in a fog, driving to the salon, telling my hair dresser that I had no idea what I was doing there. She cut and styled my hair while I sat with a knot of dread in my stomach. Then I drove myself to the emergency room.

As it turns out, getting to the hospital had taken a while, so they hadn't arrived there much sooner than I did. YD had been transported by ambulance and Hubby had driven there after he had everyone's names and numbers and found out where her car was being taken. She had, thankfully, been given some pain relief so she was groggy. I leaned over her tear-stained face, she opened her eyes, focused on me and said, "Wow, your hair really looks great!"

Oh yeah, that's my kid! She was also truly upset that she was wearing a brand new shirt for the first time that was ruined. They wouldn't let us watch a lot of what went on in the emergency room so we stood outside the curtain and listened and talked to her and encouraged her.

"Mom, *sob* my new shirt got ruined."

"I know, sweetie, we'll get you a new shirt."

"But I loved that shirt and it's the first time I wore it."

"It's okay, we'll just go get another one."

"No, we won't, *sob* because I got it on a clearance rack at Target for $6.00 and it was the last one."

Even the doctors and paramedics were laughing at this.

Of course, there's a lot more to this story including setting her arm in the emergency room (listening to this about brought me to my knees), consultations with an orthopedic surgeon, surgery and months of recovery, helping her shower and use the bathroom, and crying with her during physical therapy. But all the gory details aside, that was the worst emergency call I've ever received about one of my kids. Knocking on wood here!!!

Wordless Wednesday - Broncos and Boats in Buildings

2011-03-15T19:16:00.000-07:00

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here.

Wake Up!

2011-03-14T16:09:00.000-07:00

First, let's start off this Monday post by congratulating the winner of the CSN Stores $30 gift code giveaway ... Molly Dunham at Foothill Home Companion. If you haven't read her lovely blog, you are so missing out. She is a talented, creative crafter, an awesome mom and has a wonderful hubby, home and family life. And she's a great read so pop on over and tell her I said "Hi!"

http://foothillhomecompanion.blogspot.com/

Congratulations, Molly, and happy shopping! I will email you the details.

On the radio this morning, listeners were calling in to tell about the strangest places they've ever fallen asleep. Personally, I haven't done this in any weird spots, but I have a couple of stories about the men in my life ...

When Hubby and I were dating in 1984, he took me to an amazing planetarium for an evening showing of the Beatles Laser Light Show. We are talking classic Beatles songs -- great music, loud music, choreographed to shooting laser lights all across the ceiling. The seats were big comfy captain's chairs that laid back so you could just watch the "sky." It was a fantastic show and the first time I realized that my boyfriend/not yet Hubby would fall asleep during performances. And snore, dear Lord, he snored. During this loud, loud music and crazy, wild, shooting light show. I remember thinking, How cute, he must be exhausted from work. Now I know ... he falls asleep during just about anything and everything, no matter what time of day it is. If we go to a morning movie after he's just woken up refreshed from a good night's sleep, doesn't matter -- he's sound asleep in no time. Actually, he always sees the first and last 10 minutes of any movie, sleeping through the middle. I'm used to it, but the Granddaughter will elbow him hard when she's sitting next to him at the movies and he snores. Makes me laugh. Makes him laugh, too, but we all know he simply can't help it. Turn the lights down and he's a goner.

The other story was from my childhood when my Dad, early one morning during Christmas time, stood in the front room picture window next to the decorated tree drinking a cup of coffee. He fell asleep standing up and knocked our Christmas tree over. I'm not sure what happened next, but I'll bet you a big pile of frankincense and myrrh that Mom wanted to ship him off to the North Pole. I would have!

Maybe it's a guy thing. A man calling in on the radio show this morning said he actually fell asleep standing over a urinal at work while going to the bathroom. The radio hostess asked him if he made a mess, but he said he had his arm braced on the wall until a co-worker came in and woke him up.

Oh boy!