Noner says....

Merida of "Brave" Gets a Makeover

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:54:00 +0000

I wrote this first at bubblews.

On May 11, Disney is going to officially induct a new princess into the cannon.

Merida, from the movie "Brave" will be Disney's 11th "princess." But only if Merida "changed."

If you have not seen the movie Brave then you should know that Merida isn't about being the perfect little princess. She's a bit of a rebellious teen. She is 100% tomboy, and just wants to lead her life by her own rules. She's not primping and pining for Prince Perfect. She a "normal" body and unruly very very very frizzy red hair.

Well, before Disney makes her their newest princess, they gave her a "makeover."

They gave her the classic pinched waist, that looks painful. They gave her larger eyes, and and older appearance. They smoothed out her unruly frizz and gave her wavy red locks suitable for a shampoo commercial.

Also, where did her bow go? And what is up with the sparkley princess dress. It looks kind of like the one she RIPS OUT OF in order to win herself in the movie.

Basically they took brave, tomboy, free spirited Merida, and turned her into just one more cookie cutter "princess."

Some parents are up in arms about the whole thing. And the website "A Mighty Girl" has launched a petition to get Disney to leave Merida as she is. They say,

"The redesign of Merida in advance of her official induction to the Disney Princess collection does a tremendous disservice to the millions of children for whom Merida is an empowering role model who speaks to girls' capacity to be change agents in the world rather than just trophies to be admired. Moreover, by making her skinnier, sexier and more mature in appearance, you are sending a message to girls that the original, realistic, teenage-appearing version of Merida is inferior; that for girls and women to have value -- to be recognized as true princesses -- they must conform to a narrow definition of beauty."

What do you think? Should they keep Merida's new "pretty as a princess" makeover, or let the character stay true to the spirit in which she was created?

Shopping for Parker at Once Upon a Child

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:30:00 +0000

My son needed new shoes. And shorts. And summer pajamas because thick, warm footsies are not going to work in 90+ degree weather.

Being a toddler he is swiftly outgrowing EVERYTHING. Last seasons clothes simply will not do. While many of his pants still fit him in the waist, his jeans are riding up higher and higher on his legs.

We also don't like to spend a ton of money on new clothes for him, for the very same reason. They might last him a season, but never any longer than that.

So we went to Once Upon a Child, which is our favorite place to shop for him.

Once Upon a Child is a second hand store for baby and children's clothes and toys and etc. They also buy children's clothes and toys and etc, though we've never used that option with them. At least not yet. And one of the best things is that they have a "punch card" where you get a stamp for every $10 you spend with them OR sell to them. When you fill up the card (get 20 stamps) you get 15% off of your next purchase from them!

We've been shopping there for things since we first brought our son home from the hospital.

I will admit to being a little disappointing (for the first time) yesterday. Their section of 3T clothes was VERY limited. Almost nothing there, and most of what was there were winter clothes.

We didn't leave empty handed though. He got 3 new pairs of pajamas (2 of which were 3 piece sets!) 2 t-shirts, 2 nicer button down shirts, and a pair of shorts, as well as 2 pair of shoes, all for about $42. We would have spent that much for the shoes alone anywhere else. Some places would charge that much for ONE pair of shoes for a toddler.

Anyway, as we were leaving I saw something other than clothes that I wanted.

We've been talking about getting a train table for our son, to put his wooden train track on to be able to play with it more. And as we were leaving the Once Upon a Child I saw a train table on the sidewalk. It was ONLY $40.

That same table was going for $145 on amazon, and even more in stores. I showed it to hubby and he decided we could get it for him.

We couldn't get it right then though, because there was not room for the train table in the car we had driven there.

So, hubby went back inside and said he wanted it, and asked if they could hold it. They said they would be happy to hold it until the end of the day. He said he would pay for it right then if they wanted him to. She told him he did not have to pay until he got back to pick it up.

So, we were able to finish our errands, go home and switch cars, then go back and get the train table.

And our son LOVES it. He even gave it a hug and a kiss when he came home from grammas yesterday and saw that we had gone back and got it for him.

As you can tell from the picture, he has already covered it with stuff.

Cleaning/Organizing My Craft Room

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 04:29:00 +0000

Well, I'm trying to face reality here.

For YEARS I've been arguing for my own office/craft room in our house. Fairly recently my husband gave in and the spare room became ALL MINE.

Now that a second child is on the way I know that I'm going to have to give up my craft room to baby #2.
Its TOTALLY worth it, but....

Since I got my own space I've spread out a bit. I have stuff, and things, that I didn't have when my craft space and my bedroom were one and the same.

While our newest bundle of joy is MONTHS away yet, I'm hoping to get a good bit of use out of the space still. For now, I'm trying to clean, organize and downsize.

Well, tonight I cleaned off my desk top. Sounds simple, but its always an undertaking.

I'm a messy person. A messy, messy, MESSY person. Always have been.

The results:

The entire desk was a mountain of stuff. Empty medicine bottles my son plays with. Empty soda bottles I keep procrastinating taking to the recycle bin. Small scraps of paper with notes from work on them. Used tissue, candy wrappers, random hair elastics, glue sticks, tape, all kinds of stuff.

A lot of it got trashed. Some of it got put in the drawers. Some of it got moved to the craft table off camera to the left.

Tomorrow I think I'm going to tackle the drawers, then work my way to the crafting table, then over to the bookshelves on the left side of the room.

I'm gong to sort through my ephemera and get ready to sell some of the stuff I've bought but not used. And to better organize the stuff I know I'm gonna keep, but have no idea where I'm gonna put it when my bedroom and craft room become one again.

An Afternoon Outside

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 23:21:00 +0000

Today actually did feel a little like spring for a change. So despite Parker still being a little sick, I decided it was safe to take him outside to play for a bit.

He was super happy about it. He has not been able to go out much just lately as it is always raining, or too cold, or he's too sick.

He made a beeline for the sandbox and hopped right in. He spend most of the hour we spent out there he spent in his sandbox.

While he was at it, I did a little outside work. Some of that included taking the trashcan outside and washing it. Since we've all been sick it had gotten full to overflowing, and developed some kind of yucky fluid buildup. I also took the rats cage apart and gave it a good cleaning.

I love my little rat girls, so I'm sad to say that this pair will probably be the last ones I have as companions for a long time. With child #2 on the way, and my crazy needy Labrador, and all the other stuff I have to take care of, I have to cut back on my responsibilities a bit.

After that I started looking around at the pots on my patio. Usually around now my MIL and I would have gone flower shopping, but that is not going to happen this year. My pots are looking a little sad and empty.

However, some of them wont be empty long. The orange lillies that never bloomed last year are coming up in 2 different pots. The bucket I had moss roses in last year is springing forth with little baby moss roses, which excites me to no end because I kept forgetting to collect their seeds last year like I wanted.

Best of all, the hydrangea I got from my dad's funeral, which I was CERTAIN I had managed to murder over the summer is sprouting new leaves! I got a second chance with it. GOODY!

Also, the trees in my yard are being ravaged by Spanish moss. That stuff is all over this city. And while its pretty hanging from those giant ancient oak trees, its not quite the same when its strangling my flowering pear tree.

I started pulling down all of it I could reach, and thought, "People pay $5 a bag for this where I work, they could totally just go pick their own!"

Now I have a small-ish hunk of moss that I'm looking at going, "I KNOW there is something I can do with this stuff." I don't know what yet, but I'll probably hold on to it for a while. It'll probably end up in the trash at some point though.

Lastly, right before we went back inside, I snapped a picture of the "Rat Graveyard."

It was a dogs grave already there when we moved in, and my little beloved but short lived pets have been burried in that area ever since. I used to spruce it up a couple a times a year, but I don't think I've really don ANYTHING to it in at least a year. Maybe longer.

If Parker feels up to playing in the yard tomorrow I might go out there and clean it up real pretty again, it sure needs it.

So, how was your Saturday? Is the weather nicer where you are today? Did you go outside at all?

I Have An Announcement

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 18:38:00 +0000

Several days ago I took a test. The next morning I took another one just to be sure. Both showed two little pink lines.

Looks like Parker is going to be a big brother!

We were sitting on the news, other than telling the people I work with because they deserve to know why I'm spending more time than usual in the restroom (peeing or puking....pregnancy is not very glamorous) and as a fair warning to management that if I had to flee from a confused customer leaving them angrily behind that there really was a good reason for it.

However, hubby broke down and told his mom yesterday, so I messaged both of my brothers today. So now I just have to tell the whole world, cause I overshare like that.

I've not been to my OB yet. I've not even taken an "official" test yet, just the home tests. Its still super early and we all know things happen, but right now I'm as happy as I can possibly be. Sick as a dog who ate rat poison, but happy nonetheless.

55 Book Related Questions

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 17:12:00 +0000

Favorite childhood book?
This one is a little bit of a toughie. I loved the entire series of Goosebumps books by R.L. Stine. Or at least all of them I read before I quit getting them all. When I was VERY little I used to love the Dick and Jane reader books. I used to read those to my dad. But there was one book called "Ghost Cat" by Beverly Butler that I remember reading a few hundred times. As well as "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the looking Glass" I read all three of those until they fell apart.
What are you reading right now?
Just started reading something called "Big Girl Small" by Rachel DeWoskin. Its about a teenaged dwarf girl who chooses to go to an arts academy. Apparently something bad happens because of it, but I've not gotten that far yet.
What books do you have on request at the library?
Nothing at the moment. I don't put things on hold too often. I use trips to the library like treasure hunts. I scour the shelves until a title catches my eye, then if the back cover sounds good I'll pick it.
Bad book habit?
Turning the corners of the book to mark my place, for sure. I think some people call this "Dog earing." I also break the spine of ALL of my paperbacks, which I know some people hate. I will read while I eat, ending up with crumbs and stains on some of my books (depending on what I'm reading) and I read in the tub, which means a lot of my books, specially paperbacks, have "stains" where my wet hands were holding the cover.
What do you currently have checked out at the library?
"Big Girl Small" by Rachel DeWoskin
"Finding Alice" by Melody Carlson
"The Different Girl" by Gordon Dahlquist
"One Dog Night (An Andy Carpenter Novel)" by David Rosenfelt
"Gone" by Mo Hayder
"Dogs Rule!" by Daniel Kirk (for me to read to my son)
Do you have an e-reader?
I do. My husband bought me a Kindle Fire for Christmas the year it came out.
Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
Since I got my Kindle I've been reading 2 books at once. I'll read one paper one, and one kindle one at the same time.
Do you have a blog where you post about books? If so, have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
I had a book blog once up on a time, but hardly kept up with it. I'm a voracious reader, but I kept forgetting to write about the books I was reading. Now I write about them on my personal blog instead of trying to keep a separate blog for books. It hasn't really changed my reading habits though. I still read too much, and always forget to write about the books afterward.
Least favourite book you read this year (so far)?
So far this year it would have to be "The Corn Maiden and Other Nightmares" by Joyce Carol Oates. It was a collection of short stories, and after I managed to force myself to read the title story, I didn't even attempt the others. The plot of the story was good, but the way it was written was almost painful to read.
Favorite book you’ve read this year?
I guess that would have to be "The Different Girl" by Gordon Dahlquist. I sat down and read it in about 2 hours. And didn't want to stop until I had finished.
How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Not very often. Usually when the voice of my father in my head tells me "You're morbid. You need to read something different." He said that to me in person one time because all I ever read was horror novels. He then convinced me to read "Clan of the Cave Bear" and I went on to read most of that series.
What is your reading comfort zone?
Horror. Stephen King. Dean Koontz. I like monsters and violence. I'll settle for a good murder mystery. I also like coming of age type stories, and novels like "She's Come Undone" where your protagonist is not entirely sane.
Can you read on the bus or any other moving vehicles?
Not any more. When I was younger I would ride with my dad to the store, and buy a Goosebumps book, then read it on the way home. We lived way out, so it wasn't unusual for me to be almost finished with it before we got back to the house. Now, however, if I try to read at all in a moving vehicle, I get terrible motion sickness. Although sometimes, if its dark, I can get away with reading my Kindle without feeling sick. But never when the sun's up for some reason.
Favorite place to read?
I know this isn't very good for the book, but my favorite place to read is in the tub. Is the only "me" time I have.
What is your policy on book lending?
I never lend my books, unless its a book I don't care about. I've lent books to many of my friends in the past, and very few of them ever made it back to me. I was devastated by the loss of an book series I loved, and never lent books again afterward.
Do you ever dog-ear books?
I do. I'm a horrible, horrible book page bender.
Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
I don't. I blame my school. It was drilled in us to never, ever, ever write in our books, and as a result I've never been able to write in a book I'm reading. If I like a passage I take out my journal and copy it over into my journal, but never write in the book.
Not even with text books?
Specially not text books! I never went to college, and went to a public school so none of the textbooks were really "mine." and we were told often to not write in the textbooks so they would still be serviceable for the next year's students.
What is your favourite language to read in?
English. Its the only language I know.
What makes you love a book?
It has to have a good story, with characters I care about. If it has one but not the other I might finish reading it but not really enjoy it. If it has neither then I wont even finish reading it.
What will inspire you to recommend a book?
If I reach the end of the book, and wish there were a sequel for me to read, that is when I will say to someone else, "Hey, you should read this book."
Favorite genre?
Horror/Thriller
Genre you rarely read (but wish you did)?
Classic Literature. I feel like I should read more "smart" books, but just can't make myself do it.

Favourite biography?
The only biography I've ever read was "On Writing" which is Stephen King's autobiography.
Have you ever read a self-help book?
I have not.
Favourite cookbook?
I'm a horrible cook. I only own one cookbook and its one my MIL gave me. Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book which was published in.....1976
Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
Nothing I've read so far this year has been even slightly inspirational.
Favorite reading snack?
White Cheddar popcorn. It goes back to my childhood, reading Goosebumps books on a Saturday while eating a bag of white cheddar popcorn and drinking fruit punch.
Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
Harry Potter! Because of all the hype around these books I refused to even give them a chance. I think the 3rd or 4th one had just come out, and I was babysitting and picked up her copy of Sorcerer's Stone because I was bored. Meanwhile, I loved it and became a fan who now owns all of them, of course.
How often do you agree with critics about a book?
I don't' know if I've ever seen what a critic had to say about a book. I dont' usually read any kind of review about a book. If its one I want to read, I read it and form my own opinions without being colored by the so called "professionals."
How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I've done it before. I'll do it again. A bad book should be badly reviewed. I once reviewed an older horror novel on my blog, and the author himself ended up leaving a comment being all whiny about how it was his first book. I told him that didn't change that fact that his sporting goods store turned into a hardware store just as soon as his characters needed a shovel. He blamed the editors, of course, but I think I'll still hold that one up to writer error. lol
If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
I suppose I would have to say French. Maybe reading some of the classics in their own language would make me more likely to read them.
Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
Guess it depends on your definition of intimidating. Content wise, I don't read intimidating books. I only read for enjoyment. Now, size wise I'd have to say Stephen King's "Under the Dome." That thing is so huge I have to sit at a table to read it because its too big for me to hold long comfortably.
Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
The Bible. I'm never going to read it all, so I'll probably never try.
Favorite Poet?
I don't read much poetry. My favorite poem is one called "Not Waving, But Drowning" so I guess I'll say my faorite poet is Stevie Smith even though I don't know any of her other poems.
How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
5 or 6

How often have you returned books to the library unread?
A few times a year. It is usually because I got over ambitious and picked up more books than I had time to read in a 3 week period. More often than returning them unread I'll just renew them until I can get them read.

Favorite fictional character?
Einstein, the super smart golden retreiver from Dean Koontz's "Watchers."
Favourite fictional villain?
Probably Stephen King's Randall Flagg, who has show up in countless of his novels to terrorize different people at different places and times.
Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
I don't go on vacation. The closest thing I get to a vacation is having 2 days off of work in a row, and I have my whole book shelf at home to choose from.
The longest I’ve gone without reading.
I can't think of any time that I've not been reading something. Probably a 12 hour shift at work would be the longest time I've gone without reading, but even then I usually carry a book to work in my purse to read on my lunch break.
Name a book that you could/would not finish.
Just one? I'll say Dracula. I've tried many times to read that blasted novel, but I can never finish it. No matter how hard I try.
What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
Not much. Sudden loud noises maybe. I can read over music, and television, and the nagging of a 3 year old. I even learned how to read while someone was talking to me by reading on my breaks at work. I guess the easiest way to distract me when I'm reading is to put something between my eyes and the book.
Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
Probably "The Mist." Up until the end it was so very close to the actual Stephen King novella that I was in awe of it all.
Most disappointing film adaptation?
Hands down, the movie "Vampires" by John Carpenter. It was based loosely (very, very, very loosely) on a novel called "Vampire$" by John Steakley which is hands down my favorite vampire book EVER. When I first realized that movie was going to be based on that book I was ESTATIC. Then I actually saw the movie and I was like, "What in the name of god is THIS?" Pretty much the only thing the same between the novel and the movie was the characters names. Even their relationships with each other were not right.

So I'm STILL waiting to see a movie adaptation of the best vampire novel ever, but that will proably never happen now because apparently vampires are no longer evil, they are all "misunderstood" creatures who fall in love with teenaged girls, and some of them even sparkle in the sun.
The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
Maybe $25, and that would have been over 4 years ago. We have $0 in our budget for buying things for enjoyment.
How often do you skim a book before reading it?
The fist thing I do is read the cover blurb about the book. If it takes place in a time other than modern day I'll skim through a few pages just to see what the language in the book is like. If its hard to read (by which I mean the flow of the words, not that I don't understand the words) then I'll probably not pick it up. Thats the only time I really skim the book. I usually go by what the book jacket says.

What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
If the flow of the book is just impossible. Mostly recently I was reading a book called "The Corn Maiden" and I just COULD NOT get into the story because of the way it was written. It was choppy and jumpy and made me want to pull my hair out. It was a short story collection. I muddled my way though the first story, then put the book away.
Do you like to keep your books organized?
Sort of. My Stephen King novels take up one whole shelf of their own, but they are not in any real order other than hardbacks together and paperbacks together. The only execption is the Dark Tower series which are all together even though some are hardback and some are paperback. My other books I mostly try to keep grouped together by author, but not in any kind of order. They are not alphabetical or anything.
Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
It depends on the book. Usually I only buy books that I KNOW I'm going to keep an re-read. Books by my favorite authors. Most of what I read comes from the library so I have to give them back. Sometimes I'll be gifted a book that I don't care much for, and might pass it on. Or I'll make a trip to a used book store. Once in a rare while I'll cull down my book collection and make a donation to the library or the humane society thrift store.
Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
I dont think anyone could force me to read any of the Twilight books. Ever.
Name a book that made you angry.
Most recently would be "What Comes After" by Steve Watkins. I'm sick of stories where some poor person is forced to move from the north to the south, and then ever southern character is portrayed as ignorant, uneducated, hateful, racist, abusive etc, etc. Since I live in the south I'm tired of that stereotype. I wanted to scream and shake the writer saying, "I don't know a single person who acts like the characters in your town. NOT EVEN ONE!
A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
Probably "Clan of the Cave Bear" which I read because my dad asked me to. He thought all of the horror novels I read were making me morbid. I ended up reading most of that series as well, though I don't remember much about the books now.

A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
Dracula. I love vampires (the old fashioned killing kind, not the new sparkly variety) and Dracula is like THE vampire, but I just cannot read that novel, try as I might.
Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
All of it. I only read for pleasure. I don't' read what I jokingly call "smart books." I read for the sheer enjoyment of reading, must like most people watch movies.

5 Books I think everyone should read: (List 5 books titles and their authors)

This is difficult, because I read for pleasure and I know that pleasure reading is so different from person to person. A book I adore other peole might hate. But, I'll list some I've read and re-read until they fell apart

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
The Stand by Stephen King
Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice

Spring and Flora Homicide

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 20:24:00 +0000

Spring has arrived. At least that is what the keep telling me. Its actually cooler out there now than it has been through the entirety of winter I think.

I suppose I should beleive the plants over my own skin tells me though. Pollen is drifting through the air in yellow clouds, and the tree in my back yard has burst into a million tiny white flowers.

I have no idea what the tree is, but its very pretty through the year. Greens, reds, white, it wears a variety of colors.

So, with spring (hypothetically) in the air, I've started thinking about growing things.

I'm bad with plants. I have a black thumb. If its vegetation, there is a good chance I will murder it. Every year I plant flowers. Every year I kill flowers. Last year I tried a couple of fruits and veggies. I killed those too.

I'm still thinking about trying again though. In fact, I have a pack of sunflower seeds here that is begging me to start them. I'm good at starting plants. I've started several through the years, and they trived wonderfully in their little indoor habitats. Its when the turn into teenaged plants and I kick them out of my house that they die.

This year I'm thinking about trying to make a "mini-greenhouse" out of an old soda bottle, and see if I can start some seeds outdoors, despite the frigid spring that is outside my door.

I'm trying to come up with more "green" projects to do around the house. Things like the tote bag I made out of a recycled magazine pages:

So, do you have any handy gardening tips for a beginner with a tendency to mass murder plants? Do you have any "green" gardening tips, or ways I can recycle household garbage in an eco-friendly way? Have any seeds you want to send me, cause all I've got is these sunflowers. :)

Talking To Yourself

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:46:00 +0000

A night or two ago at work I found myself cleaning the waterless urinal in the mens room.

I'm all about being "green" but waterless urinals are the worlds most disgusting thing. They just kind of collect urine. So it gets full of yellow/orange stains. That is the stainage of straight man pee. So, I'm leaning over a stinky urinal trying to clean the urine of men I've never met off of it, and I found myself talking to myself.

Not that me talking to myself is that odd. I talk to myself a lot. I think most people talk to themselves. Its just a human thing.

However, I was talking to myself in the 3rd person.

"Nona," I said out loud, "I hate your job."

*pause a beat*

"Yeah. I do too."

And then I realized what I had said, and thought, "Either I'm finally going crazy or the pee fumes are getting to me."

I Can't Quit and It Just Sucks

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:15:00 +0000

Today is the first day of March. A brand new month. Another chance for a fresh start.

I wanted to being it by screaming, "I QUIT!"

Two nights ago as I was trying to pull all the loose hairs out of my head (I shed like a cat when I'm stressed) I nocited that one of them was grey at the roots.

Grey hair. I'm only 31.

Its the stress. I'm sure of it. Ever since that day in Feb of 2010 when my husband told me he had lost his job I have felt nothing but stress, and it is taking its toll on my body. I'm simply worn out.

Even in my "free" time I've been spending every second online trying to earn a few extra pennies here and there. So every day before work and after work I'm working another job, for much less than minimum wage.

Money. There is never, ever, EVER enough of it. At least not for my family. While some people out there will spend more than I make in a month on a single pair of shoes, I have to wonder if we'll even be able to afford to buy groceries.

Well, after the grey hair added on top of the stomach pain and the chronic headaches and the general notion that the whole world is out to get me, I made a deceleration to myself last night.

March was going to be my "vacation" month. I was going to quit.

While I can't quit my "real" job of course, I was going to take back my free time, make it mine again.

I was going to blog, for the fun of blogging. I was going to make crafts for enjoyment, not to sell. I was going to write fiction, and start writing in my journal again. I was going to leave my computer and go watch movies or curl up on the sofa and read.

But that just isn't to be.

See, first thing this morning I was informed that after the house payment is made we will have a whopping total of $24 in our bank account. Not only that, but somehow we have to cut down the grocery budget again, which I've already cut down to the bare minimum.

So, for yet another month I have to stress and worry and spend all my free time trying to earn extra pennies to pay bills with.

I'm starting to wonder how long I can keep going like this.

Just Five Things

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 00:37:00 +0000

I keep a to-do list. It is always very long.

One day my to-do list filled up 2 entire pages of a legal pad.

The good thing about these lists is that I know exactly what I need to be doing. Every single little tiny thing. The bad thing is that I'm so overwhelmed by the sheer number of things that need to be done that I end up not doing any of them.

Its not procrastination exactly. I don't think, "I'll do it later." In fact I find myself thinking, "I'm never going to get all of that done, so why bother doing any of it?"

I think I've found the answer to my to-do list phobia though.

I call it, "Just Five Things."

And it really is as simple as it sounds.

Instead of filling up 2 legal pad pages of things I need to do, I write down 5 things. Just 5, never more. And, I ONLY have 5 things to do!

Here's where it gets a little more "complicated" though.

If I have more than 5 things the need to be done, then when I cross one item off of my to-do list, I can add one more item. But before I can add one more thing, I have to cross off one thing. So that there is never more than 5 things to be done.

There is one more rule though. The things on the list have to be small goals. No huge and complicated tasks. If it IS a huge task, then it must be broken down into smaller parts.

For example, if I want to "Go through all of Parkers clothes to take out what has gotten too small." I don't put that as my task. I might instead add:

Sort Parker's shirts
Sort Parker's pants
Sort Parker's sleepwear
Wash Dishes
Fold Laundry

See, there are 5 things on that list to do. So if I get bored with cloth sorting I can move on to another task, then go back to the clothes later, and STILL be working on my to-do list.

Book Review: "Bite Me: A Love Story" by Christopher Moore

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 04:59:00 +0000

Format: Hardcover (library book)

Started: Jan.
Finished: Jan 14, 2013

"Bite Me" is the 3rd book in a series of novels. All 3 of them with the subtitle of "A Love Story."

In fact, it is a love story of sort. Not only a love story, but a vampire love story.

However, the vampires in this story do no sparkle in the sun, and have no problem with killing the occasional human if the need arises.

Bite Me is told mostly from the POV of Abby Normal, the teenaged human minion of the vampires Flood and Jody.

At the end of book 2 Abby had Flood and Jody cast in stone, for their own protection. She was afraid they were going to go their seperate ways.

At the start of Bite Me, we find that Flood has gone insane inside of his bronze prison. We also find that Chet, a huge shaved cat we met in the previous books, has been turned into a huge shaved VAMPIRE cat, and his vampire kitty minions are trying to take over the city.

The imprisoned lovers are released from the statue, and Flood takes off, persued by Jody, leaving Abby behind to try and deal with the vampire cat problem.

If that's not enough to deal with, 3 elder vampires show up to try and clean up the mess their sire left behind after creating Jody (and, oddly enough, Chet).

I will say that this is my least favorite book of the 3. However, even as a least favorite Moore never fails to please. His sense of humor often has me laughing out loud, quite literally.

The ending was also one that I would not have seen coming.

While you don't HAVE to read the first 2 in the series to understand what is going on in this one (because Abby gives you a re-cap in the beginning of Bite Me) I would recommend it. Mostly because the way Abby's character talks is a little confusing and hard to follow.

I rate this novel 4 stars: ABOVE AVERAGE

Book Review: "Carrots" by Colleen Helme

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 04:31:00 +0000

Format: Kindle

Started Jan. 2013
Finished Jan. 2013

Shelby needed some carrots to go with dinner, so she stopped at the store to get some. Little did she know, those carrots would change her life as she knows it....forever.

Because, while she is getting her carrots, someone is robbing the bank in the store, and she gets shot!

Lucky for her, she survived. Unluckily she is different. She can now read other peoples minds. Something that make her, and her husband, very unhappy.

Then things get tricky as she finds herelf using her new tallent to help both the local police AND the local mob boss!

It is actually a very fun read. I stayed up till after 3am 2 nights in a row reading it because I just HAD to know what happened next!

Not only was the story fun and captivating, but the characters are not what you would expect either. Not a lot of the same tired cliche of characters you'd usually find in similar novels.

I would DEFIANTLY recommend this book.

I rate it 4 stars: ABOVE AVERAGE

Book Review: Nemesis (Resident Evil #5) by S. D. Perry

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 04:21:00 +0000

Started Jan. 2013
Finished Jan 2013

I started re-reading the Resident Evil series of books late last year. S. D. Perry has written both novelizations of the games, and origional novels.

This one was a novelization of the game "Resident Evil 3." I have never played that game, and have never played any of the Resident Evil games all the way through.

This is the 5th book in the series written by S. D. Perry.

It follows ex S.T.A.R.S. member Jill Valentine as she is all alone in a ravaged Racoon City. Umbrella has used the entire city as a testing ground for their T and G virus series, then sent people in to "observe" and send them detailed information.

Jill finds herself in an unlikely partnership with a mercenary who works for Umbrella as they try to escape the city with their lives.

As an added bonus to the usual cast of zombies and t-virus mutants there is a special monster, a Tyrant class seeker who has one purpose in life...to find and destory all the ex members of S.T.A.R.S before they an do any more damage to Umbrella's good name with the truth.

It is a good read for what is is. Its a zombie story full of monsters and mayhem. I did find it a little predictable, but no less enjoyable because of it.

I rate this book 3 stars: Average.

Bad Start to the New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 15:11:00 +0000

Noner Says: "Not only is my glass half empty, but its got a crack in it and the rest is leaking out."

I'm a pessimist. Everyone who has ever known me for any real length of time knows that. Well, some people don't see it as pessimism as much as "complaining" or "whining." But, seriously, bad things seek me out like ants seek out pick-nicks.

Starting off I've been sick since September. Not just one kind of sick, but one thing after another after another. A UTI then a tooth infection that ended up having to be a pulled tooth, followed by a throat infection, that turned into something I call the Alien Plague which stuck around for about a month, then another UTI, and now I have a sinus infection.

Then there is work. I was cut back to part time, but all through Christmas I was still working full time hours. Well, full time minus 1or 2 hours so they can still call me part time and not have to give me those pesky full time benefits like vacation and paid stick time off. I was still the only part timer working 9 hour shifts.

Well, after Christmas part time hours were cut. It happens every year. Even my hours were cut.

I was actually looking at that as a good thing. I mean, .less money is going to be seriously painful, but I'm desperate for more time at home and less time being verbally abused by the masses.

The week of New Years I was supposed to be off 3 days in a row. I was super excited. I never get 2 days off, most less 3. But I didn't get 3 days off in a row. I was asked to work one of them (another full time week).

And this week, I was off 3 days again, supposedly. Not in a row, but still off. On Wednesday, the first day I was supposed to be off, we decide to go to the mall. I was going to shop at AC Moore, and we were going to take Parker to the playground.

Well, while we were in the parking lot, having just gotten there, work called, saying I was supposed to be there at 1:30. They had changed my schedule without telling me. In fact, the copy of the schedlue posted in the break room still clearly said I was supposed to be off.

That was my 9th day in a row working without a day off, and I was tired and cranky. I ended up getting in arguments with both my mangers that night.

Not that its always happening to me personally. Bad things happen to those I care about too. Glass half empty, by association.

The day after Christmas my father in law fell down and broke his leg. A couple days later he went BACK to the hospital. He's still there.

My husband's 88 year old grandmother went to the hospital too. She has the flu.

So my mother in law, who is also my son's favorite person in the whole world, is at the hospital most of the day every day, and he is going through Nanna withdrawals and is taking it out on mama.

This new year is starting off so badly that I'm about ready to find a really, really, REALLY big rock to hide under until 2014.

Christmas Eve Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 02:28:00 +0000

One tradition we've had as a family is for each of us to open one gift on Christmas Eve, after supper that night.

This year we did as usual.

We gave my mother in law her video camera. Robert got a fleece star wars blanket (he's been using the one we got for Parker a lot so we thought he might like his own)

I had put "Coffee and cute mugs or cups" on my Christmas list, so my MIL gave me a bag with 4 great coffee cups in it!

This one says "Think Happy, Be Happy" and has a cute butterfly on the inner lip.

This is a simple one that says "Breakfast is Poured" which is fitting because I almost never eat anything solid for breakfast. (This was my favorite one)

And adorable owl family. Mommy owl and her two chicks. Another one that was super adorable.

And last, but not least, is this cute red cup with Snoopy and his Christmas tree on it. I'll be having my coffee in that one in the morning.

Sewing Machine is a Mystery Machine

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 16:38:00 +0000

One of the many crafts I have always wanted to try, but not yet managed to attempt, is sewing with a sewing machine.

I can do some VERY simple sewing by hand, but I think it would be easier if I had a machine. Alas, I can't afford a machine.

A couple of years ago a friend gave me an older sewing machine. I can't say how old as I can't find that info anywhere, but its older for sure. And I can't figure out how the thread the blasted thing!

I've scoured the internet for a manual for my machine with no luck. So I went to youtube to see if I could watch a threading tutorial.

Youtube has TONS of tutorials...but none of their machines look anthing like my machine. They have parts that mine don't have. Mine have parts that theirs dont have. I've tried to figure it out by taking the parts they do have in common and trying to muddle though the rest, but I've still not gotten the thing threaded.

I am a Dreamer not a Doer

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 18:19:00 +0000

My life, for as long as I can remember, has been ruled by the "Two Ps"

Procrastination and Pessimisim.

I think they feed off of each other actually.

I am full of ideas. My head never shuts up in fact.

The creative part of me says, "Do this, do that, this would be nice, this would be cute, this would be fun."

Then the voice of pessimism starts in with, "You can't do that. You can't draw. You can't paint. Nobody will want that."

Creativity will pop up again with, "But its a GOOD idea, you should try it!"

Then the outer me will say, "I'll try it later."

Later, of course, never comes.

Primitive Wood Star Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 03:16:00 +0000

I've been much inspired by the Booth #555 blog to try my hand at creating some wonderfully simple yet beautiful primitive country crafts.

Our local Michael's has ornament making supplies set up for Christmas, and in there were some fantastic chunky wood ornaments. I dithered between the gingerbread man, the birdhouse, and the star, and ended up grabbing a pair of stars because they seemed simple enough to start.

In the beginning they were plain wood. This first photo is after I had gessoed them and started painted.

And here they are after they were finished.

Each of the stars measures 3 and 3/4 inches from point to point, and is just short of half an inch thick. They are both available in my Etsy Shop.

30 Days of Thanks - Days 7, 8 & 9

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 01:48:00 +0000

Day 7

I'm Thankful for my Mother In Law. I hear so many horrible horror stories about peoples relationships with their in-laws, and I KNOW I was blessed with mine, but specially with my mother in law. In fact, I have a better relationship with her than I do with my husband.

Day 8

I'm thankful for the internet.

It comes in handy since I live hours away from my family, and since all my friends seem to flee the city I live in.

Its nice to know I can still Cyber-stalk them even if I don't have a real social life.

Day 9

I'm thankful for Memories.

I, like many people, have lost a lot of people I cared deeply for. Each and every one of them have left gaping wounds in my soul, but I'll always have memories.

30 Days of Thanks - Days 5 & 6

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 04:07:00 +0000

Day 5

On Monday night I was thankful for hot water heaters. I came home from work and washed some dishes, then I took a hot bath.

Once upon a time I lived in a home without a hot water heater. We had to heat water in large pots on the stove to wash dishes with, and to bathe with. I could usually get a sink of dishwater pretty hot, but my baths were usually shallow and lukewarm at best.

Hot water heaters are wonderful, amazing, life altering things.

Day 6

Pain medicine.

Remember me going to the dentist and having a tooth pulled.

Yeah, I'm thankful for the "Hurting go bye-bye" pills. Yep. Pills. Thankful.

30 Days of Thanks - Day 4 - Parker

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 04:27:00 +0000

Today was horrible. From the second I opened my eyes this morning things kept going wrong. By the time I was able to get home I just wanted to find a rock to hide under.

I was having a super hard time finding anything in my day today to be thankful for. So, I'll be thankful for this:

Some times I'm pretty sure that he is the ONLY thing keeping me in this world any longer.

30 Days of Thanks - Day 3 - Potatos

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 04:22:00 +0000

Today I am thankful for potatoes. No, really, I am. Quit laughing!

Think about it.

They are relatively cheap. They are filling. You can cook them almost as many ways as Bubba could cook shrimp in Forrest Gump.

Today I have eaten boiled potato and potato in soup. Tomorrow I think I will make some fried potato (french fries) and cut some up to cook with a pot roast.

Yep, I am totally, and apologetically, thankful for potatoes.

30 Days of Thanks - Day 2 - A Job

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 04:26:00 +0000

Today I am thankful to have a job.

Now, I hate pretty much every thing about my job, and I complain about it on a daily (okay, an hourly) basis. But there is a difference in hating something and being thankful for it.

I hate being called a stupid, lazy, fat a$$ bi!@# by my customers. I am thankful I get a paycheck.

I hate spending 9 to 10 hours a day cleaning up the messes made by other people (customers and co-workers alike) but I'm thankful to be getting 9 to 10 hours of work instead of 3 or 4.

Its hard to find a job out there these days. I know, because I started looking for another job in Feb of this year because I hate my current job. But there is just nothing out there. NOTHING.

So, I'm thankful for the job I have. I'm thankful it gives me money to have a roof over my head, electricity, food and the interwebs.

30 Days of Thanks - Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 02:03:00 +0000

Today I am thankful for modern dentistry.

I've had a tooth hurting me since late June early July. It would hurt pretty bad then stop again, then start again, then start again.

For most of October it has been hurting non-stop, to the point that I finally decided to spend some of the money that we barely have to go to the dentist. Saving it is not an option on our budget, but if I could get him to get it out my head thing will be better.

And though I currently have a gaping hole where the tooth used to be, and that hole does hurt a bit, as do my jaws and my tongue, I'm thankful for having that pain gone.

I'm also thankful for the dentist who took it out. And for the Novocain that made that process NOT be the most excruciating thing in the world as it could very well have been. After all, I've seen "Castaway" and wasn't looking forward to having to knock the thing out myself with a rock and an ice skate.

I'm thankful for the antibiotics that will keep infection out, and for the pain medicine that will keep the pain bearable until such time as I no longer have a gaping hole in my face where the evil tooth once lived.

The doctor did ask me if I wanted to keep my tooth. I declined. He laughed and said that was probably a good thing, because there was such a big hole in it that the tooth fairy would only leave me a rock.

Peanut Butter and Banana Cookies, With Honey

noreply@blogger.com (Nona Morris) — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 03:38:00 +0000

We had some bananas sitting around that were getting a little too ripe for my liking.

That has been happening a lot lately. Bananas going bad because we don't eat them as fast as we once did. Gone are the days that Parker begged for a banana between meals. Gone are the mornings that I'd get up to fix a banana smoothie.

Whatever was I going to do with them.

I'm not much of a cook, but I had been wanting to try my hand at peanut butter cookies. Then I wondered, "Is there a such thing as "Peanut Butter and Banana Cookies"

Turns out there is.

And even though I'm not much of a cook I decided to try it.

(Did I mention I'm not much of a cook?)

They started out a bit of an ooey, gooey mess. I was not sure at all if they would be edible when they were finished.

They turned out to not be too bad at all. They are very soft and cake like, but I can taste both the peanut butter AND the banana in them.

The recipie made 4 dozen. I took 2 dozen to work with me and they all got eaten in the time I was there.

Actually, I think 3 people ate the most of them.

Oh well, I think I might try this again some time soon.....with chocolate syrup instead of the honey.

If you want to try it for yourself, this is the recipie I used today. This is not my recipie, I found it at cooks.com

1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. honey
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 lg. (ripe) banana, mashed
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour (white flour can be used)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
Coconut shreds, nuts and chocolate chips to decorate

1. Stir together the egg, honey, mashed banana and peanut butter in a large bowl.2. Mix the dry ingredients together, then add to the banana mixture. Stir well.
3. Drop by the teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
4. (I skipped making a face on mine....) Press in 2 chocolate chips for eyes, a peanut for a nose, and a walnut for a big troll mouth. Arrange chocolate chips around for hair and coconut shreds for a troll beard. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. (4 dozen cake- like cookies)