Musings of the Imp

First Cry of Life

2009-11-08T22:24:00.005-06:00

This last Thursday morning I witnessed, or technically heard, one of the most beautiful earthly miracles with which God blessed us: the birth of a child.

I tear up even now at the wonderment at such a moment. As I stood in that hospital hallway I was surrounded by the full cycle of life. Somewhere in that building someone was dying, but there in front of me, my niece was being born.

Even not being her mother, when that first gargled cry rent through the air it pierced right into my heart. That feeling was absolutely indescribable and my pathetic attempt to put it into words will never do it justice.

I blubbered in the hall listening to the lusty cries that were the trumpet sound for a glorious miracle. For if you really give the birth of a child thought it is indeed a miracle. From conception to birth so many things have to happen just correctly and fall into place guided by God's hand that it is nothing short of a miracle.

My emotions only soared higher when that bundled little weeble wobble of a baby was placed in my arms. Her little lower lip sticking out to pout before she gave a cry as if to tell me of the horrors she had been put through to get here. Those unfocused eyes crinkling in the corners as she cried at the loss of her warm, cozy place and close, life-giving bond to her mother. Soft, smooth skin flushed with the warmth of life and amazingly clear to have just been born. Fingers so tiny they could not possibly be real. People who say they do not believe in love at first sight, have never held a baby the day it was born!

It is almost scary how quickly you can love and fiercely want to protect someone you have just met, someone whose personality has not even had time to develop, and voice has not been heard. Yet here she is and love her I do....

Princess Penguin
Born November 5, 2009
8 lbs and 1 oz
20 inches long

Autumn

2009-09-29T22:41:00.003-05:00

Today when I stepped out to head to cube-hell I had to pause and take a deep breath. It was cool! My skin actually felt chilled! What a wonderful feeling! Autumn is approaching, my favorite time of year!

I love when the air gets crisp, the leaves start turning and you get that Mary Poppins skip to your step! It is the time that starts you thinking about Halloween, Thanksgiving and then Christmas! I enjoy summer but I have to say Autumn and Winter are my favorites!

I am itching to get my long sleeved shirts, boots, and hats out and ready to wear! I think they are more comfortable and cozy than most of the summer clothing. I guess here in the south it is soooooo hot in the summer you don't even want your clothes on so they are not exactly favored, but in the winter it is just cold enough to snuggle into that long sleeved sweater, brushing the soft fuzziness across your cheek as you are curled on the couch, sipping hot cocoa and reading a good book! Then again it is probably just me :)

Either way I am uber glad Autumn is on its way!

Yes I said uber glad :)

Until next time...

October is around the corner....

2009-09-24T21:59:00.003-05:00

So October is almost here and you know what that means....Halloween!

I have already begun planning my second annual Halloween party. I already have many of my decorations, re-using some from last year and obtaining new ones. The earlier the better because it is better pickings.

The big question for now though is...What will be my costume?!?

Last year I was a pirate and Sexy Husband was my "treasure". I am having a hard time deciding what to be this year. I love to dress up in costumes and since I do not do as much acting anymore, Halloween is prime opportunity. The problem is there are so many options!!

Any suggestions?

I will update when I figure it out!

Until next time...

The dilemma of depression

2009-09-23T23:04:00.002-05:00

I am fighting depression.

There you have it.

I experience life through my emotions. I admit it. I am an emotional creature. I usually am a vivacious, creative, life loving person ....until recently.

I am constantly tired, have an underlying blah or sadness in my gut, and just no desire to do anything...like blog.

I am finally saying something on here because as another blog's post reminded me, this is My blog. I write on here for me first, the possible audience is a perk. I am already struggling to write anything and have been moping away even more for fear of "bothering" my readers with "unhappy" posts.

Well sorry readers but this post will not be happy.

Don't get me wrong, I can laugh, I can enjoy a day and have a good ole time. It is just underneath it all is this ever present "sadness" for lack of a better word. I cry at everything and my poor husband is wondering what he married.

To add to it I have a layer of guilt on top of the sadness.

Why you ask?

Because I have absolutely no reason whatsoever to be depressed! Which makes it even more depressing! Vicious cycle!

I am calling my doctor tomorrow. We shall see what can be done.

I don't like this....I want the funny, vivacious, creative girl back!

.....

2009-09-02T18:08:00.002-05:00

I am officially tired of pregnant women.

The End.

(This comment excludes my sis-in-law)

A letter to a cube-mate

2009-08-27T13:52:00.003-05:00

Dear Lady in cubicle number six,

There is absolutely no need to yell on the land-line phone which you use at your desk. The people in the surrounding counties have no need or desire to hear your conversations even though they are about work.

We are well aware that you know how to whisper given that you do so when gossiping with someone who has come to visit you in your cubicle. We would ask that you utilize this while on the phone as well. It would be beneficial to the work and health of those surrounding you. Also it would be beneficial to your health because it would decrease the desire for someone to cut out your vocal chords.

As a side note, we would also like to request that you check your voicemail messages with the hand-held part to your ear and not on speakerphone. We do not need to know that your forty-seventh meeting has been cancelled for the day.

We hope you take this friendly note as a helpful encouragement which will increase productivity in the workplace.

Sincerely,
You Cube-Hell Mates

We interrupt the normal programming for....

2009-08-26T00:09:00.003-05:00

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-07-27T18:09:00.002-05:00

Hi,

My name is Mascat!
I live with the Imp and have decided that I should be able to add a post or two now and then on the blog.

I am sure you are wondering about my name. Well it started back last year when the Imp dressed me up for her halloween party. She decided then and there I would get a costume for every party and would be the party mascot...or mascat!

So I have had a lot of costumes over the last year. I made a collage of the pictures to show you all and bring you up to now.

To go along with the collage below from left to right, I was Fred Astaire at a classy black and white birthday. I rocked the night out at a jamming karaoke party. I brewed and spelled at the halloween party. I made Santa jealous as I rocked the Christmas season in my stylin' hat and tie. I rang in the new year with style. I was a masked feline for a Mardi Gras birthday. I did the hula at a hawaiian themed party. I monkeyed around with friends at a tiki birthday and I celebrated freedom on the fourth of July!

Oh! The Imp is home I have to go, but no worries I will be back!

Until next time....

Boot Camp

2009-07-26T14:55:00.003-05:00

I having been slowly...and I mean slowly getting healthier this summer. I was doing well at the beginning of the summer with exercising and such but it has definitely slacked off lately. I have good intentions at work to come home and exercise but you know the saying about good intentions. I get home and I crash, I have no energy or desire to exercise, plus with my couch or bed calling my name of course they are going to win!

My friend told me about a month long class called boot camp that is offered here in my city. I looked into it and decided to sign up for one of the classes. I actually am very excited to get my butt kicked...I know I am weird. I have really wanted to get healthier though and I think this will help give a recharge to me :)

Boot Camp - here is the link if you are a local and interested in taking the class!

I am looking forward to the results and hoping that I will enjoy the class despite the butt kicking!

Ali Baba had.....great lamb?

2009-07-25T22:39:00.004-05:00

Sexy Husband and I have started a monthly thing of having "date days". We each get one weekend in the month to plan a date for us to spend time with each other.

I was the first one and so we had a relaxing day here in town.
We slept in and hung out until the afternoon.
I decided to rock my 80's outfit

for when we went to the art museum.

After going to the art museum we went to a Persian
restaurant we had heard about and decided to try.
Ali Baba's is the name and let me tell you
Mmmmm! We will be going there again!
That was the best lamb I have ever had!
The chicken and hummus were wonderful too!
I will be taking everyone I know there because it was fantastic!

We finished off the evening by walking around the mall then
going to the Cheesecake Factory to have cheesecake.
It was a great date day!
I can't wait to see what Sexy Husband has planned for the next one.

Happy Birthday Beautiful Boy!

2009-07-20T21:57:00.000-05:00

I got to meet you the day you were born, you were

my cute weeble-wobble nephew
all wrapped up at the hospital.
Then you were Beautiful Baby.

Now you are four and full of life!
I can't wait to see what this year holds!
Happy Birthday Beautiful Boy!

Addicted again....

2009-07-16T22:41:00.002-05:00

Once again this summer I am addicted to Fox's So You Think You Can Dance. I am not a big television watcher but man this show has suckered me in every season. For example: tonight was elimination night and I was very happy to see one of the contestants leave.

I should not be so into a television show! It is t.v.! I think though it has to do with my love for dancing. I never took much dance when I was younger. I am not sure why, maybe because I quit gymnastics and dance was expensive. I don't know why but I didn't take it so I am not very good but I LOVE to dance.

I have pondered the idea of taking some classes now that I can pay for them myself but have yet to actually act upon the thought. For now I will just keep watching the amazing dancers on So You Think You Can Dance which will now have a fall show whoo hoo!

Until next time....

Kamikaze squirrels, allergy shots and pregancy tests.

2009-07-08T18:17:00.003-05:00

I meant to write last night but ended up spending time with Sexy Husband which is a much better alternative. So I am combining today and yesterday's post into one.

Kamikaze Squirrel

As a prelude I must mention I had a wreck a couple weeks ago, rear-ending someone and doing damage to my car. It is fixed now but I am still somewhat skittish. I am not a morning person and probably truly should not be operating heavy machinery (car) before....noon. Needless to say though I have to get to work somehow so I drive.

Yesterday I had just pulled out of my driveway and had not gone but two house lengths down the road when BAM! something hit my car. I slam on the breaks as I try to get my heart to start again, and figure out what I hit! There was nothing around, no cars, no kids, no cats, no dogs, nothing!

I hit Wonder Woman's jet!

Not really.

After a second or two, I realized the sound had come from above my head. I looked out the mirrors and saw a squirrel bouncing away from the car. WHAT?!? I was cannon-balled by a kamikaze squirrel! The little furry rodent gave me a heart attack! Would have been cooler to hit Wonder Woman's jet.

Allergy shots and pregnancy tests.

I am going to begin taking allergy shots tomorrow. I am really hoping they will work because as I like to joke I am "allergic to life". My allergies have increased since moving to the great AL so I am taking three different meds just to be able to breathe.

In a precautionary step I had to take a pregnancy test this morning to make sure that birth control had worked this month. It was an interesting mix of emotions to take that test this morning. As I have said in past posts, I have the baby itch though I know the timing is not right. I am keeping myself super busy so I can ignore the feeling but the underlying itch is still there.

So taking a pregnancy test this morning had me on a roller coaster. As I sat and watched for the stupid pink line(s) I was torn between this:

Side No Baby

the timing is not right
you are on birth control, have been for over a year and no mistakes yet so why now
your husband is not ready for a baby
your finances are not ready for a baby
ecetera, ecetera, ecetera!

Side Yes Baby

I want a baby!

Alas it was negative so I will have to wait (which is a good thing, at least that is what I will keep telling myself) and I start the shots tomorrow!

On a side note pregnancy tests are expensive! Sheesh children are expensive before you even know if you are having one or not!

Until next time...

How to make easy, yummy chicken parmesean

2009-07-06T19:43:00.005-05:00

Well first I guess I must correct my title because technically I will use colby and jack cheese so it is more like chicken colby and jack. :)

Being a visual person myself I have made sure to have nice picture aids. So let us begin.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

You will need some chicken breasts.

Then you need one beaten egg and some bread crumbs in two separate bowls.

Dip the chicken into the egg making sure to coat it well.

Then dip the egg covered chicken into the bread crumbs, coating liberally.

Place the coated chicken breasts into a 9x13 pan.
Bake for twenty minutes.

While the chicken is baking for 20 minutes,
take any type pasta you like

and prepare according to package instructions

When the 20 minutes is done, take the chicken out
and spoon spaghetti sauce all over it
top the sauce with a lot of cheese

Place back into the oven for 10 more minutes
or until chicken is no longer pink.

Last but not least, pile some pasta on your plate,
place a nice, juicy piece of chicken on top
and spoon some sauce on it all and enjoy!

Yum!

Until next time.....

Arbor Day Early

2009-07-05T14:53:00.004-05:00

We have been oh so slowly doing things to make our yard look better. It had been neglected for a while before we bought the house so it is slow progress. We had a jungle back on the back fence that we have finally cleared and made look much better.

For our first year anniversary, I took Sexy Husband to Lowe's and walked him into the garden section. Bringing him to the trees, I pointed to them and said "Pick one and we will pardon future paper." This was one of my "presents" for the "paper" anniversary.

We did not have a vehicle that could carry the tree at that time so we had to just discuss which one we wanted. We finally agreed on a blossoming pink cherry. We finally got them and today we planted them having our arbor day early.

Here are pictures:

Here is tree #1

Here is tree #2

Here they are between their big brothers:

Until next time....

Happy Fourth of July

2009-07-03T23:09:00.002-05:00

picture made by Imp

The want to blog....and actually doing it.

2009-07-02T22:34:00.005-05:00

I remember a time when I blogged pretty much every day.

I want so badly to get back to that point but no matter how many times lately I tell myself "Ok starting today we blog everyday", it has yet to happen.

It is not that I don't have anything to write about because I do. It is just I am a slacker and don't do it.

Like I did not post about Sexy Husband's birthday party:

It was tiki themed and super fun....

And I had a super cute outfit....

Then I could have blogged about us going to the beach:

We went with two other couples. I had a super cute bathing suit (and that means something if I feel cute in a bathing suit!)

But I have been a slacker. I will try to get better. I will take one day at a time.

Until next time....

Aunt Imp Again....

2009-06-15T23:29:00.003-05:00

One bit of news I haven't shared yet is that I am going to be an aunt...again. If you are an old timer to this blog you will well know Mr. Nephew and Beautiful Boy. They are great delights in my life and I have had many a post about them.

Well number three is on the way and last Thursday we found out the sex.....

To follow tradition on this blog the new little girl must be given a nickname for the blog as like her brother's before her. The boys had nicknamed her Penguin before they knew the sex so I think it only appropriate her nickname on here be:

Yes. Princess Penguin it shall be even with possible death threats from the Sis-in-Law. I find the nickname perfect and in the words of Charlton Heston "So it is written, so it shall be done!"

Disclaimer: If upon birth she turns out to actually be a "he" the name will thus be changed to Prince Penguin.

Until next time...

Making a bit of heaven....

2009-06-12T18:24:00.004-05:00

An easy way to make a yummy dessert in mere minutes:

First take some nice, fresh strawberries and wash them.

Then take Baker's dipping chocolate, I prefer Milk Chocolate, but they have dark and white. It is easy as a couple 30 second runs in the microwave, a fork to mix so it doesn't scorch and it is melted.

Then take the washed strawberries, gather their crown of leaves and dip into melted chocolate covering all but a small area around the leaves.

Then place on wax paper on a cookie sheet. After all strawberries are dipped place the cookie sheet into the refrigerator for about 15 - 20 minutes to allow chocolate to chill and harden.

Don't let any of the chocolate go to waste so if need be save one strawberry to cut into small pieces and eat with the mixing fork with the leftover chocolate...mmmm.

Now you have a bit of heaven to eat!

Until next time...

Anniversary Trip

2009-06-04T23:32:00.005-05:00

I have been a slacker in the blogging world. I did not blog about my first year anniversary which was on Mother's day. We did take a trip on Memorial Day weekend for our anniversary to see Sexy Husband's brother and sis-in-law and our nation's capital. I had never been so it was very fun. We arrived at the Reagan International Airport and was greeted by this sight. I thought it was beautiful! What a grand ole flag!

I actually ended up going to three states in which I have never ventured on this trip: West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
We got to go to Gettysburg because the brother's house is only an hour and half away. I had never been there either. I loved this picture of Sexy Husband and the old cannon. We walked around downtown, saw bullet holes from the Civil War, lots of old fashion things and ate in a nice pub restaurant. The only thing missing was sweet tea ha ha! We also went to Harper's Ferry in WV, which has been kept to look like it did back before the Civil War.

We went into D.C. on Memorial Day and got to see part of the National Memorial Day parade. Then we hit the highlights of the city.

This was at the Lincoln Memorial end of the mall. I thought my camera did pretty well for a night photo. We look scraggly but that is because it was so humid we were melting! The hot weather followed us to D.C. from AL!

We went to the National Museum of American History and saw Oscar the Grouch, Kermit the Frog, and C3PO. Tuesday it was abit rainy so we went to the Spy Museum, which I highly recommend to anyone. They don't let you take pictures so I have nothing to show for that but we did get one last picture in front of the Capitol before we took the Metro to the airport and headed home.

P.S. One nifty thing that happened was when his brother was taking us into D.C. we stopped and ate at a Persian restaurant (which had the best hummus I have ever had in my life) and one of the workers, who was clearly Iranian, had lived in our AL city! It was so funny to talk to this heavily accented man in D.C. about Alabama. What a small world!

Until next time...

It's your call kid.

2009-05-07T15:43:00.005-05:00

*Warning* This post is somewhat stream of thought, it doesn't flow well.

A Facebook friend just posted this link earlier which caught my eye and my thoughts.

It's your call kid

It seems it is the latest fad of "alternative" parenting. It deals with all parts of the family being equal and the expulsion of the hierarchy "roles".

I have been a babysitter, daycare worker, and nanny so I have been privy to many different forms of "how to deal with a child". I have come to the conclusion that indeed every child is different so tweaks sometimes must be made to the "uniform" idea of parenting. I believe in "spare the rod, spoil the child" I was spanked as a child and I proudly say there is nothing wrong with me. Of course, I also warrant that my personality was the type that spankings were needed and worked. I did not easily quail as a child so "time-out" would have been useless on me. I have known children that a mere "look" and a "stern talking to" works.

In this form of parenting mentioned in the article I do wonder how a child learns any sense of authority? If they are always allowed to have their own way, how will they ever survive in a world where you cannot always get what you want? (but if you try sometimes, you get what you need) Sorry random lyric thought.

Seriously though how will these children learn that just because they "don't want to" or "want it their way" doesn't mean it is going to happen. It seems that this will be a disastrous version of "only child syndrome"

Though a bit extreme what happens when Little Johnny decides he wants to "express himself" and "be his own person" by doing drugs, drinking and driving, killing someone who made him angry? Will his "buddy sperm donor" (because he is not a "dad") sit down with him and try to reason nicely on why he should not do these things? Or moreso will he sit on the other side of the pexiglass and say through the phone "Little Johnny, why did you do this? You were supposed to make the rational decision because I let you be your own person from day one"

Another stream of thought is why do these parents (and I loosely use that term) seem to think their child has the right to "no rules" when everyone, even the parents, has rules applied in their life. You don't come to work, you get fired. You don't pay your taxes, you go to jail. Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera!

I can see it now, 10 years down the road, my impette whines to me that Little Johnny's mom doesn't make him abide by the rules, lets him be his own person, and lets him express himself. And I, like The Mom before me, will answer "Well I am not Little Johnny's mom" and then think "and thanks heavens for that!"

Until next time...

The Deck The Dad Built...

2009-05-04T22:28:00.003-05:00

As mentioned in previous posts, The Dad came over and spent two weeks at my house helping build us a deck in the back yard. We have a great backyard area and had plenty of room to add a deck. I love to entertain so am excited about this extension of entertaining area.

Our carport is behind the house and had a unsightly wall that dropped down into the yard. It used to have some sort of flower bed beneath it but the former owner had let it go wild. So we decided to just extend the deck out from the carport. Here is the empty spot where we began:

It took a lot of hard work, a lot of lumber, concrete and a nice chunk of change to build but it was worth it. We chuckled how we should have put a sign up that said "Construction funded by Sexy Husband" because he did not get to help much because he had to work, but he did fund it all!

It still has some cosmetic things that needed to be done but here is the finished product:
There are tons of pictures I could show you but I thought I would just give the basic idea. Here is a shot of the three patterns that differentiate the two levels and the step:

We have already debuted it this last Saturday by grilling out with friends. It is going to be great!

Baking my first apple pie...

2009-04-28T23:53:00.003-05:00

Today I made my first apple pie from scratch....well almost scratch, I bought pre-made crust.
I did peel, core and cut my apples.

Then I mixed the ingredients and let them sit out for 2 hours.
This helps the juices collect and your apples "collapse"
so they won't do so while cooking.

Then into the pie shell they went.

I like the look of the lattice top instead a solid top for apple pie.
To me it is more classic.

Viola! Now all we need is "a la mode"

Until next time when I reveal the new deck...

My Father: My Hero

2009-04-17T15:32:00.002-05:00

The Dad is a great carpenter and handy-man so when Sexy Husband and I decided to put a deck in the backyard I called him.

He came up this Sunday on Easter and what an adventure it was to get him here. His truck broke down about 50 miles from our house and we spent Easter afternoon and most of Monday getting him and his things, towing and fixing his truck and fighting the weather.

My main reason for this post is to say how much my father is my hero. I don't tell him enough though I have told him, but he really is the perfect example of a man for me. I definitely credit his example for why I was so blessed to wait until Sexy Husband came along and fit the example.

It is not just his handy-man work that makes him my hero, but another example I saw yesterday reminded me. We had been toughing it through many years worth of growth of wisteria and vines, cutting, hacking, pulling, cursing, and getting it down so we can see our fence. He got cracked in the lip and had a fat lip but was still working. He is ex-military and is going to get things done when he has his mind set on it.

I took a break and called The Mom. She told me that, sadly, their bluebird house had been smashed down when a neighbor's tree was cut. They had put the house up and were excited when 5 little eggs appeared. I had to go out and relay the sad news. My dad, Mr. Military working with a busted lip on vines in the sun tough man, got so upset that those 5 eggs had been smashed. I think he teared up but he walked away from me because in my family when we are upset we pace.

I teared up and I didn't even see the eggs! I also teared up because here before me was a man who is tough as nails when he needs to be but doesn't feel "unmanly" to show a softer side for things like bird eggs.

He loves his Creator, his family and his country. To me that is the epitome of a man and in my biased opinion, we need a few more good men like him.

Until next time....

Hospitals

2009-04-15T23:16:00.003-05:00

I hate hospitals.

That is a fact I must state.

I love my grandmother.

Which is why I found myself sitting in a hospital for hours today. My Grammy was placed in the hospital on Monday night. I won't go into full details of her problems but needless to say she will be in there another day or two.

Due to jobs and such, today was my day to sit with her. Now I guess I do not technically have a favorite grandmother but this one is The Mom's mom and we all three have the same personality so I get along grand with her.

After just a few hours, I found myself hoping I die in my sleep one night without any long visits in the hospital. As a Christ follower, I do not ponder death much in a solemn fashion or such because to me death is a beginning, a bittersweet but beautiful thing. I know when I die I get to be with Jesus.

Though even with that knowledge I still found myself pondering hospital visits while sitting there with Grammy. I hope the only time in the next few years that I find myself the patient is in the maternity ward.

My thought pattern has ended because I am tired so until next time....