Pyles of Clutter

Party, like it's your birthday!!

OH YEAH!!  IT'S MY THIRTY DAY CELEBRATION!!

LET'S PARTY!

Alright everyone!  It's party time.  I finished my 30 day challenge today about how I have learned how much I love to have friends.  I love my friends that I see here in my neighborhood, I love my bloggity blog friends (even if they don't know that they are my friends), I love my friends in far away places, and I especially love my best friend, my hubby, Terry. 

I also have found out that I'm fairly routine with what I do, and I like it that way.  I find my routine to be like an old friend that I just slip into conversation with.  "Oh you're here again, that's great because I missed you.  I need to tell you all about everything so that I can keep my head on straight."  I like that about my life.  Right now anyway.

In case anyone missed it too, I have no life of my own.  I pretty much just dote on my kids and cater to their every whim.  Guess what?  I love that too.  As we watch on the news, with more violence towards children everyday, I want my kids to know that they are valued, they are loved.  Does that mean they can get away with everything, no.  Does that mean that I give them everything they want, no.  If I did that, then I wouldn't love them very much, because that is how you destroy your children.  You have to teach them how to function responsibly in society.  And that, is that. 

I thought it might be kind of fun to try something here.  I would love to know what your favorite post is and I'll tell you mine.  I have a couple that are my favorites.  First, the post about the Harmless Fetish.  I loved going through all those pictures and seeing how my little girlies have grown so beautiful and mature.  I also had a great time remembering all the time that I spent with my sister sewing those dresses.  The second favorite that I have is this post about my general nature.  I warned you early about what kind of person I really am!  I also love the post about Lilly and also the one I did for Tyson.  It gave me the chance to reflect on them and the great people they are today.  I'm planning another one soon.  Stay tuned!  This post gets a lot of hits.  You cannot believe how many people google something about these cartoons and then come to my blog.  Too bad for them, as then they have ear worms too.  But my favorite, all-time best post is this one, about my dear husband, whom I could not do without.  He is my rock, the only thing that keeps me sane so much of the time.  Those are some of my favorites.  Now how about you?  What have you enjoyed? 

I have enjoyed my bloggity time.  (I feel compelled to say that, bloggity.  I don't know why.)  I'm also glad to make new friends-so come on!  Tell me what tickle your fancy!  I promise to return the favor.

Love, Susan

Thoughts for Thursday

I'm starting my own "thing".  I don't care if anyone wants to join in or not.  It's just my own thing.  Something to help me keep track of my own mind.  That's all.

I recently sent an email to my Very Good Friend Neighbor Jane Payne.  It went like this:

Dear Jane,

        I must tell you a Very Sad Story.  It all started at 6:00 a.m. on Friday, after morning prayers and the kids were getting ready for school.  I started my daily ritual of getting on my computer to check emails, check out my favorite blogs, and look at my website to see who has visited me in the night.  Now usually I have around 7 or 8 visits in the wee morning hours, which is not wee morning for the east side of the country, but Friday, only one...which was me.  I was the only one that visited my website on Friday morning.  "Oh well,"  I thought, "I'm sure it will pick up soon and I will have lots of visitors, even if they don't comment."  (Please imagine scary music in the background.)  Jane, when I checked again, after a couple of hours, horror of horrors!  It was still only me!  Me again!  "What is going on here!"  I exclaimed.  "Where has everyone else gone?"  I ran outside to see if there were still people outside, or if the reckoning had come and I was still here. (Discreet cough).  I know that's hard to believe, that I would think that, about myself, you know, but it was just downright eerie how NO ONE was on the computer that day.  Well, as time went on, I just kept checking.  Four hours, nothing.  Six hours, nothing.   Ten hours, NOTHING!  I was devastated, unloved, and unwanted.  I dejectedly (hmmm, is that a word?  Well, it is now.)  got ready to go to the football game, determined that I would not check again.  If they didn't want me, I didn't want them.  (Imagine voice quavering with emotion.)  I went to that game.  I even had a pretty decent game.  Sure, I thought about my downfall a little, but I didn't let it get me down.  And then, the miracle happened.  When we got home from the game, I was drawn to the computer.  I turned it on, got on my website, (thinking at least there would be two visits now), brought up my site meter, looked at the count, and ...I had visitors!  Twenty visitors!  I had twenty people come and look at me while I wasn't looking.  I was loved!  I was wanted!  I was visited!  And so, my dear friend, miracles do happen in these latter days.  I just wanted to share that with you.   Love, Susan

We laughed about this and went on our merry way.  But it lurked in my mind a little, why did this mean so much to me?  As the story goes, the next Wednesday, I did Works For Me Wednesday, (hosted by Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer)  which I don't do very much anymore.  I have run out of tips; I'm just not that creative.  Well, I got 134 hits that day, 94 the next, 68 the next, and so on.  If I'm measuring my worth as a blogger by that, well, I'm worth a lot!!  I love to look on my site meter and see who is visiting me.  But as I was getting all those hits, I was losing out on who was visiting me.  I mean really visiting ME.  I have a few, really-a few, people that come visit me regularly.  Jane, my sister-in-law Tina, my sister Pam.  I've picked up Nikki and I love her comments!  Once in a while Janice will stop by with her twin sister Susan.  I have a few lurkers too that I love to see when they visit.  They generally come from Jane's website.  One is from Tekoa, Washington.  One from Fayetteville, Arkansas and one from Washington, Utah.  You see, I love to see that these people are coming and visiting because I think, I hope that they are coming because they want to know ME through my blog.  And I appreciate it.  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!  to all of you that come and comment, or just come and visit.  Thank you for being interested in me, whether I have something interesting to say or not.  You really make my day.  All ten of you. (hee hee)   Love, Susan

Day Twenty nine.  Tomorrow I'm going to have a blog party.  I'm not sure how yet, but that's what I'm going to do.  I'm excited!

Raking the leaves

Afore mentioned leaves, all raked, and taken away.  Tree done for the fall.  Now awaiting spring. 

Day Twenty eight.

I'm Back to Tackle It Tuesday

Yes, I'm back to Tackle It Tuesday, because honestly, that is the only way I get these little "gnat" jobs done!  You know the ones, that just sit there, circling your head, right in front of your eyes.  Well, today I have several little "gnats" that I need to do.  They are my hot spots.  Nikki at Nikki and Danny left me a comment one day sending me to a website called Flylady.  It is all about organization.  I am a S.H.E, a Sidetracked Home Executive.  So I need all the help I can get.  Well, (I do so love that word), it has a help for those "hot spots" in your house where junk collects.  Hot spots are usually the first things that draw the eye also when you walk into a house.  These are my hot spots:

My desk.  You''ve seen that before.

The counter by our stove.  You can find almost anything on "the counter by the stove."

The kid's bookcase, Tessa's domain.

Tessa's toy corner. 

The magazine rack that never has magazines in it, only on it.

The hallway.  Dirty clothes heaven. 

The top of the dryer.  This is always where stuff goes that no one wants, but no one will throw away.

I'm determined to clean all these up today and then take the challenge to spend just two minutes a day on each hot spot, to keep it picked up.  I'm hoping that I can get it all picked up, and then only have to spend 15 minutes hitting them each day.  That is my fervent hope.

PROGRESS MADE:

My first tackle--The Counter By the Stove.  It did take me about an hour to do this one, but besides my desk, it is by far the most involved.  On to the next!

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Here it is:

Hot spot #2 DONE.  How many out there used to watch that show on TLC--Monster House.  Well, I get a second DONE stamp.  This was really pretty easy.  Just pick up the books and put away on the shelves.  Piece-of-cake.

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I'm on a roll:

The box of books in the "before" picture, I put out in the garage.  They are a friend's fictional church books that she let us borrow.  Hopefully they won't get lost in the rubble that is our garage.

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Another two off my list, the hallway:

Which by the way means that all my laundry is done.  Thank you, thank you.  Please hold your applause.

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And the toys.

As soon as I got that cleaned up and organized, she was right back into it.  SIGH.  At least she'll get some enjoyment out of it. 

And the last one for today: the desk.  Always the biggest task of all.  Well, I didn't get to all my hot spots.  I still have the top of the dryer to do.  Maybe tomorrow.  BUT wow!  I'm so excited to have all these others done!  Now with my 15 minutes a day, I should be able to hit all these hot spots to keep them under control.

On top of all that cleaning, (whew!) I also made dinner!  Yes, two days in a row.  It must be some kind of record.  I will be retiring now to my room where I will be watching TIVO and folding all that laundry that is washed and dried.  All in a days work. 

Day Twenty seven.

Fall

This is what we had today, a leaf storm.  You've got to love a tree that has all the leaves turn a glorious yellow all in one week.  And then in the next week the leaves all drop.  And the next week, we rake all the leaves and it's done.  Unlike the tree in our front yard, who's leaves turn just brown, and then drop all winter into spring long.  That's what I did today. 

Day Twenty four.

Scary things

STAY OFF THE ROADS!!

Lilly got her DRIVER'S PERMIT today!  Thank goodness the man at the driver's licensing place has a sense of humor.  She was looking at the eye test thing, but couldn't see the last line.  He says in a very drool voice, "Move your bangs out of your eyes."  And then she could see it.  So fun.  I took her for a drive later, and she did pretty good.  She doesn't like to make left hand turns.  She'll get better.  At least I hope she does.  Until then, stay off the roads. 

It was a scary football game.  Not because we almost lost.  Not because the same ole problems with the team occurred.  Not because we were in a scary town.  No, it was scary because AJ got hurt, or sort of hurt, or something.  He put a good hit on someone (it was truly a sight to behold) and then just dropped to the ground.  He didn't get up and didn't get up and didn't get up.  I kept telling him to get up, but he didn't.  The coach and the trainer went out and lifted him up and started to pull him off the field.  He took a few steps then went totally limp.  Then went totally stiff.  That, did not, look good.  I was terrified.  They got him to the bench, took off his helmet, and... he was fine.  Totally fine.  I wanted to go down and smack the boy for scaring me like that.  He went out and gave out some more hits.  He had gotten the wind knocked out of him, which when he couldn't get his breath, he passed out, and when he came to, he was fine.  Perfectly fine.  I had a several moms came and ask me if I still wanted him to play.  Yes, I do.  I want him to learn about playing with a team.  I want him to learn about getting along with people you don't like but have to be around.  I want him to learn how to cope with problems that happen in settings like a football team.  He has grown so much this year, with what he has to deal with.  I'm satisfied.  And so is he. 

Day Twenty three.

Old things made new again.

Old things that are New:

I started a new carpool today for Tessa's carpool.  Our new rider is named Rhylee and her dad was the second grade teacher for two of my children.  I can't believe that he has been here for 10 years already.  He was one of my favorite teachers.  I picked Rhylee up at her babysitter's house, and we drove out to dance....except that I forgot to put gas in my car and we had to swing by the gas station first.  I just knew something tragic would happen and I would have to explain why I was at the gas station.  "Well, because I'm basically an unorganized person that doesn't think ahead very well."  That would have to be my response.  The good news is that we made it to dance, (just a few minutes late), and the girls had a good dance day.  The bad news is that Tess is already so comfortable with Mr. Haensel that she was telling him all our family secrets already.  What fun.  I know he heard some before, now he's getting the updated version.  New thing #1.

I went to Megan's volleyball game.  She did play last year, but it's a whole new look this year, with new girls and new attitudes.  Meg did pretty well, at least she can get the ball over the net when she serves.  I'm not too involved in this sport because next year, in high school, Meg will have to choose between swimming competitively or playing volleyball and she has already said she will choose swimming.  She is a Dang Good Swimmer.  She just has no competitive drive.  I have a good time at the volleyball games.  I go to make fun of my Very Good Friend, Cindy.  She is a Dang Good Volleyball player, and as such, middle school volleyball drives her a little nuts.  I kid you not, one game literally took 10 minutes.  That is more than one point a minute.  So bad.  It is a rare, and I mean RARE thing if there is more than one hit to get the ball over the net, and NO one teaches proper technique for spiking or blocking.  It is all Cindy can do to keep from jumping off the bleachers and taking someone's head off.  I like to laugh at her.  Fun.  Too fun.  New thing #2.

I started a new job today, only it isn't really new to me, I've done it before.  I am the magazine rep at Walmart.  I don't enjoy this job, but it is a pretty simple job, with relatively good pay.  I had forgotten some of the things that I don't enjoy about it.  I forgot about the papercuts.  All those little magazine inserts that fall out of the magazines, also get caught down in the shelves and when you try to get them out, paper cuts.  Ouch!  I forgot how heavy magazines are.  My back was killing me by the time I got done.  I forgot how dirty the magazines are.  My hands are basically black with dirt and ink, and so is the front of my shirt.  I forgot how disturbing some of the covers are too.  If you want to see those magazines at our store, you have to find them hidden in the back.  That's all I can say.  New thing #3.

It's deja vu all over again.

This is Day Twenty two. 

Where is Timbuktu?

My house is immaculate.  It's true, sort of.  I still have several "hot spots" as Nikki calls them, but overall, my house is immaculate.  If you know me at all, and I think you all do, I'm not really an immaculate type of person.  My bedroom is a perpetual disaster and my living room always looks like three year old heaven, with toys strung from here to Timbuktu.  (Don't you want to go there, just to say I've been to Timbuktu.  I think that sounds like fun.  But then again, I'm me.)  Ahem, digressing.  We also have a sock thing in this house.  I don't make my kids take off there shoes when they get in the house, mainly because we have no carpet, but always, after the shoes come off, you walk around for a little while in socks and where ever you land, off come the socks.  I have a little trail of socks everywhere I sit of my own socks!  So annoying, but what can I say to the rest of them, when I do it myself.  I spend the last 15 minutes of my day going around picking up all the socks left around.  My theory on why this happens?  First, it's not cold enough here.  It has still been in the 80's so we don't need our socks on.  And second, it is downright hard to walk in socks on a wood floor.  I always feel like I'm on ice and skating through the house.  And running for the phone, wow!  Start the slide early so you don't bang into the wall when reaching for the phone.  I have a plant on the floor, under the phone.  That poor plant is taking quite a beating!  Everyone always slides into it.  So, until the weather changes, sock heaven has joined toy heaven from Timbuktu.

Well, my new little schedule for Getting Everything Done is doing quite well and I have been Getting Everything Done, except now I fall asleep at 9:00 if I sit down.  So I just don't sit down.  I know there are a lot of early birds out there (Neighbor Jane), but 5:30 in the morning is killing me!  But that is when I have to get up to G. E. D.  I'm sure I will get used to it eventually, but that cold dark morning is no fun for me right now.  You know how I feel about cold, dark, anything that has to do with weather.  Hopefully the winter won't kill my G. E. D.

I went to Enrichment Meeting last night and we had a "Modesty Fashion Show" done by the Young Women.  Oh what a struggle that is.  I'm constantly having to say, too sheer, too low cut, too much skin showing, too much...   You get the picture.  But the nice thing is, my girls usually are already taking steps to correct said problem.  We just don't have many modesty issues here.  I guess I'm weird, but I have never had a problem with buying modest clothes for my little girls.  I have never had to look for "younger" clothes for them.  I have never had to buy something immodest or inappropriate for my girls when they were younger because I couldn't find anything else.  Now is a different story.  I have bought pants that seem too low rise, because we couldn't find anything else.  Pants are so hard to fit.  I have been reading a lot in blog world about there not being cute clothes that are age appropriate for young girls.  I'm pretty conservative, and they are out there.  And their cheap too.  Just keep looking. 

Well, I'm on Day Twenty One.  Isn't that amazing!  Please cheer me on in the home stretch, because I'm telling you, I'm running out of things to say! 

It has come to my attention...

It has come to my attention...

That I may have put on a few pounds.  Bummer.  You know what that means.  Going into the biggest sweet fest of them all, the holidays, I, will have to be on a diet.  And exercising.  Bummer.  My Very Good Friend Cindy likes to exercise.  I just have to say, what kind of sick person likes to exercise?  Her opinion is "if you aren't hurting during and after exercising, you have not worked hard enough."  I'm of the opinion that pain is unnecessary in all respects of life.  I loath hate dislike strongly to exercise. 

You might say that I am a fair weather walker.  I used to walk with a friend named Ruth.  Ruth is one of those go anytime, anywhere, type of walkers.  Very Faithful.  I, however, am not.  If it was snowy, not walking.  If it was rainy, not walking.  If there was a slight dampness to the air, not walking.  If there were clouds in the sky, not walking.  If it was windy, not walking.  If there was a slight breeze, not walking.  If it was a beautiful, blue sky, not a wisp of breeze kind of day, I was walking.  We walked for about a year, her pulling me out of bed, and me grumbling all the way, until she had had it with me, and let me off the hook.  Thank you Ruth!  I so appreciate that generous gift of yours, to not make me walk outside anymore.  Well, as the story goes, my husband thought that we, or I, should be doing some kind of exercise and since I wouldn't go walking outside, he bought me a treadmill to walk on.  Gee, thanks.  The first thing that I decided was that I had to do something while on that treadmill.  Just walking in one place, boring.  That's when I discovered that you could walk and read books at the same time if you don't have to watch where you're going!!  WOW!  It opened up a whole new world for me!  I'm loving it.  More reading time.  So with that new found knowledge, I have been reading the classics all over again.  I read all of the "Anne of Green Gable" books.  Oh! I love those.  So simplistic and easy.  So touching and heartfelt.  I want to be Anne.  So much courage and fortitude.  So much goodness.  I moved on to the Three Musketeers.  Then I read Anna Karenina, which took me almost two months to read on the treadmill.  (I'm only reading so much here folks!  It doesn't keep me glued to the thing.)  I read all the Chronicle of Narnia books.  And then I read The Good Earth. 

Now stay with me here.  When I read The Good Earth, I thought, "This book reminds me of exercise."  I know, how do you get one from the other.  It goes like this (in my mind anyway), the main guy, I can't remember his name now, starts out just wanting what he has basically.  A good wife, a couple of sons, good land, enough to feed his family.  Then things start to go awry.  He has children die, he has people who steal from him, a famine hits the land, he can't take care of his family.  After he moves his family to the city, where he sees what else they can have, he starts to want more, and more, and more, until he ruins what he did have, his good wife, his children, his land.  Okay, so how does this correlate to exercise?  It's all about the work.  At some point, the man wanted all this stuff without having to work for it.  He quit doing the work, and instead paid someone else to do it, so that he could sit up in the big house, with all his riches, looking down on his workers, when he was one himself not much earlier.  If you want the toned body, with the no love handles or paunchy gut or big behinder, you have to put in the work.  And then you have to be happy with the results.  Be happy with the body that was given to you by the Creator.  Be happy that it is healthy.  Be happy that it allows you to do things.  Be happy with what you have, don't take it for granted, because you never know when it will be taken from you.

(Big Sigh) I have been taking my body for granted and not taking care of it.  SO back to the treadmill, back to the diet, back to the classics.  I'm reading fluff to get me started.  Then maybe I'll try...well, any suggestions out there for a good classic book to read?  Maybe the Wizard of Oz books.  Maybe Sherlock Holmes.  I don't know.  Time will tell.  For now, I must go and soak the aches out of my legs.  Cindy would be so happy.  I hurt before, during AND after my workout today.  If only I could walk around my house to do my housework.....

For all of you that are fascinated with my super-hero like ability to walk and read at the same time, here is proof!  (remember--no looking at the background dingy garage.)

I am on Day Twenty.

Monday Memories: Second grade

I came across a bunch of class pictures when I was digging around for some stuff.  I don't have all my class pictures; I think I'm missing fifth and sixth grade.  I can remember most of the people in this class.  As I looked at it, I thought, Oh she turned out to be a jock, and she was a snob.  He was nerdy, and he dropped out.  She got pregnant in high school.  He was killed in an automobile accident.  But here in this picture, we are all fresh, ready to learn, ready to play.  Here we are all innocent, and we don't know what the world has in store for us.  One of the girls in this picture has MS and isn't expect to live much longer.  One of these boys had a friend who was the pilot of Flight 93.  One of these girls takes in foster children and has adopted 6 to date.  One of the boys is a really successful businessman in Seattle, working in real estate.  Some I haven't seen since our second grade year.  But all were my friends from second grade.  My, how time flies.  Day Eighteen. 

Can you tell which one is me?  A hint, I'm on the back row. (I must have been tall.  I'm always on the back row.)   Look back tomorrow for the answer!

DON'T LOOK ANY FURTHER UNLESS YOU WANT TO KNOW THE ANSWER!!

SO, for all you thrill seekers, who love a puzzle, yes I am the second from the left on the back row.  Me with my long brown hair.  That was my hair my entire elementary and part of my middle school career.  I have to say, I loved that shirt and those pants.  The shirt has some crazy little pattern on it and the pants were "fuzzy" (they were cords).  I loved it.  Okay, Tina, so I put the same day down twice.  It's so hard to keep track!  Yes, it was actually day nineteen.  There, back on track.   Kristi, it is on Sept. 15, but there are two Sept. 15.  The second post has about a bijillion pictures of matching girls.  I hope you find it!  Thanks for playing everyone!  Would you have found me without the hint?