The Day Before ... Part II

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

We're headed home tomorrow.   We're all so excited.

We're excited to be out of the heat.  This is torture.  I know.  How can it be torture when I grew up here.  I lived in this part of California my entire life.  It's only been the past year and a half that I've lived elsewhere.  Apparently that year and a half, has been enough.  Enough for me to no longer be immune to the heat.

I hate heat.  That has become abundantly clear.

We're excited to see daddy!  The girls can't wait to see their daddy.  I can't wait to see my husband.  I've missed him so much!  The girls too.

We've had a great time here in California, but we're more than ready to go home.

Oregon Oregon here we come !!!!

Until Next Time ...
~A

Recipe ....

Generally speaking, this isn't a recipe blog.  That being said, there have been times that I've shared some of my recipes here with my readers, and there have been times when I've linked to other recipes on other blogs.

I'm sitting here today at my mom's house.  My little one has decided to fall asleep on the couch.  My other little one is with her great-grandma.  My step-father is also napping, and my mom's at work.  So, sitting here alone, I decided to snoop around.

Not really, but I did decide to look at some of the cookbooks my mom has in her book case.  I came across one that I used to look at ALL the time when I was a little girl.  I can't remember what the name of the cookbook is, and since it's so old the cover is no longer in existence.  I do remember though, that the church that my grandma used to go to is where it came from. Well, sort of.  She (my grandpa too) went to a Missionary Baptist Church in Modesto.  This cookbook came from a 'sister' church in Hemet, Ca.

I have NO idea where Hemet is, or who half the women are that are mentioned in the book, but I do remember looking at it a lot.  It instantly took my back to my childhood, so I pulled it out and started flipping through the pages.

I came across one recipe that was quite unusual.  It's not got your 'typical' ingredients either.

Recipe For a Happy Marriage

1 c. consideration

1 c. courtesy

2 c. flattery (carefully concealed)

2 c. milk of human kindness

1 gallon faith in God and each other

2 c. praise

1 small pinch of in-laws

1 reasonable budget

a generous dash of cooperation

3 tsp of pure extract of "I'm Sorry"

1 c. contentment

1 c. each of confidence and encouragement

2 children, at least

1 large or several small hobbies

1 c. of blindness to others faults

Flavor with frequent portions of recreation and a dash of happy memories.  Stir well, and remove any specks of jealousy, temper, or criticism.  Sweeten well with generous portions of love, and keep warm over a steady flame of devotion.  Never serve with a cold shoulder or a hot tongue.

I don't remember reading that particular recipe when I was a little girl, but then again, it had no impact on me then.  I wasn't married, why would it.  Now however .. it has a totally different message.  One that I plan on keeping with me always.  I hope you keep it with you too.

Until Next Time ... 

~A

Lazy Day

Dictionary.com defines Lazy as not inclined to work or exertion.   

I think this word should be used to define me today.  Today has truly been a lazy day.  I told my mom this morning, that I didn't even know if I'd get dressed today.   I ended up getting dressed, and running to the grocery store this morning, but that's about as much as I've done.

I was going to head out to the cemetery today, to place flowers at my grandmother's grave site, but I decided to wait until the weekend.  My mom wanted to make the trek with me, and since I don't get to see her often, I obliged.

I did empty the dishwasher for my mom this morning ... so that's something I suppose.

I'm just so tired of driving .. I decided today was a day to do nothing.  I'll be pretty busy the rest of the time I'm in California, so I might as well take advantage of it while I can.

I plan on looking through some old pictures (from when I was a kid) this evening.  I can't wait to see what I find!

Until Next Time ...
~A

Bakersfield and the like ...

I've totally slacked on my 'travel journal', as it seems I do with any project I set out to start, but this time it wasn't completely my fault.

I was in Bakersfield, and I didn't have wireless Internet access.  So, while I still could access the Internet (through my cell phone) it would have been a huge PITA to try to update my 'travel journal'.  I'm sure a 'die hard blogger' wouldn't have let blogging an update from a cell phone stop her, but let's face it.  I'm not die hard.

None-the-less, even without updating, I have an update.  So, here goes.

We left Modesto on Friday (the 19th) around 3:00pm.  We were supposed to leave around 2:30, but we were running a little bit late.  Naturally we drove through Ceres, and M wanted to do a drive by of our old house.  So that put us just that much more behind schedule.  Normally, there wouldn't be a schedule that we had to follow, but in this case we had plans to meet up with some friends at 4:00pm in Kingsburg, so running late was a big deal.

We made it through Ceres, and onto the freeway.  Shortly after we drove through Turlock, C fell asleep.  Which was completely fine by me.  I was really hoping we weren't going to have to deal with car sickness this time, and if she's asleep .. then no sickies.

We hit traffic right around Fresno, which put us even further behind schedule.  We didn't end up making it to Kingsburg until almost 5:00pm.  It didn't seem to matter much though.

We met up with our friends and settled down to eat dinner.  Since C slept all the way (so far our trip was about an hour and a half) she wasn't car sick.  It was me that was feeling kind of queasy.  We ordered dinner, had really good conversation, and ended up leaving Kingsburg at 7:00pm.

We had originally planned on being in Bakersfield around 7:00pm, but that didn't happen.  We pulled up in front of my dad's house right around 9:00pm.  It was a very uneventful drive, which I was completely OK with.

For those that don't know, Bakersfield is hot.  I'm not talking normal, summer time hot, I'm talking hot like you're sitting on the devil's behind hot.  When it's only getting to 80 degrees inside the house, with the A/C turned on, it's TOO DAMN HOT.   Now I know what you're thinking.  You grew up in California.  You should be used to the heat.  Yes.  I grew up in California, and yes I WAS used to the heat.  But then I moved.  I'm no longer used to the  heat.  It sucks!  Plain and simple.  People can ask me if there's anything I miss about California, and I can promise you, you will NOT find heat on that list.

It was hard to enjoy doing anything outside while I was in Bakersfield, because it was so hot.  We did go to CALM, which is the California Living Museum.  It was kind of neat, but very hot.  We visited The Plaza, because my children are fascinated with going to the mall.  We also went to Bakersfield National Cemetery, which is where my uncle is buried.  That was a touching experience for me.   I'm really glad that I got to see his stone.  It really was beautiful.

That was pretty much it.  We came home (well, back to Modesto) today (8/23).  We'll head home to Eugene on the 30th.  But I promise you this.  Between now and the day we leave Modesto, I WILL be updating my 'travel journal'.

If you're friends with me on Facebook you can check out my profile and see the pictures from our visit in Bakersfield.

That's pretty much all I've got for now.  My eyes are heavy, so I'm done.

Until Next Time ...
~A

Day 1

Honestly there isn't much to report.  The day went off, without too much excitement.

My nerves were for not, as I knew they would be.  The drive was nice.  Very long and overly tiring, but nice.  There wasn't too much traffic.  Even driving through Sacramento was easy.

I had originally planned on leaving Eugene at 5am.  I'm not sure why I picked that time of day, it just seemed like it made sense.  That didn't happen.  We didn't leave until 6:30 yesterday morning.  We made really good time, in my opinion anyway.

We had our first (of many) potty breaks, and decided to throw in breakfast too,  in Grant's Pass.   We were stopped for about half an hour.  Then back on the road.  We didn't stop again until we hit Yreka.  Then we stopped again in Redding.

That's where I met up with a friend, and we had lunch.  After Redding we stopped just a few miles up the road, for a caffeine refuel.  I was starting to get REALLY tired, and needed something to help keep my eyes open the rest of the way.  

I got my usual, grande Java Chip frap, double blended, extra java chips.  And since the girls were being really good, I decided to get them a vanilla bean frap.  Chloe LOVES those things.  Mikaila does too.  Chloe drank most of it.  In fact, she drank just a little too much, and round about Lathrop (which just so happens to be about 25-30 minutes from our final destination) it decided to make a second appearance.

Poor baby ... threw up all over the place.  She was so upset.  Not that she'd gotten sick, but that she'd not gotten sick in the potty.

We finally made it to my moms house about 10 minutes till 6:00 last night.  The longest day OF MY LIFE.  Until I have to turn around and do it again.

Later today we'll be off again.  Headed to Bakersfield, stopping first in Kingsburg to meet up with another friend.

I hope we don't have to deal with any puke today.  I think, just to be on the safe side, we'll skip the Starbucks.

Until Next Time ...
~A

The Day Before ...

Tomorrow is the big day.

The day of travel.

The day of stress.

Stress is overwhelming me.  Today especially.  I don't know why I'm so stressed out.  But boy howdy.  It's really starting to take it's toll on me.

I've had the girls packed and ready (for the most part) to go since yesterday.  I was really on point with their things.  The only things of theirs I still have to put into the bags are their toothbrushes, and shampoos and such.  They'll need those tonight and in the morning .. so they'll wait.

I feel like I always wait until the last minute to pack my things, and really it's true.  I do.  But it's because I have to.  I can't pack my shampoo for example, because I'll shower in the morning, and I'll just have to unpack it to take a shower.   So rather than create an extra step for myself (I know it's not that big of a deal, but don't mess with my reasoning) I just wait.

I'm sure that's adding to my stress.  I've got all my clothes that I'm taking with me laid out and ready to go into the bag ... but for some reason, I'm stalling.  Not sure why.  I"m beyond excited about going back "home".  I know it's not technically 'home' anymore, because I now live in Oregon.  But, I was born and raised there.  Lived my entire life there.  It will always be home.  Ya know?

I think the biggest contributor to my stress is that my husband isn't coming with me.  I'm going to miss him terribly.  I really wish that he was coming with us.  I'm going to be traveling, more than five hundred and fifty miles (557.97 miles to be exact) with my two children.  Alone.  I know I"ll be fine.  I'm pretty savvy.  It's just a bit nerve wracking.

Lord be with us, and keep us safe.

The next time you hear from me (I'm hoping that will be tomorrow night) I'll be adding my first entry to my "Travel Journal" (which is what I"m dubbing my blog for the next 13 days).  I just hope I'm not completely obliterated from driving all day long.

Until Next Time ..
~A

Road Trip

Who doesn't love a good road trip?  I do!  I suppose that's a good thing, cause I'm preparing to take a doozie.

I'm driving to California to visit my family.  I'm leaving Oregon on the 18th (early morning) and driving to Modesto.  I'm hoping to be there by dinner time.  Please GOD let me be there by dinner time.  I'll be spending the night in Modesto that night, then leaving the next afternoon for Bakersfield (With a stop in Fresno on the way).  I'll be staying in Bakersfield until the 23rd, and then it's back to Modesto until the 30th, and then it's back home to Oregon.

At some point, between the 23rd and the 30th .. I want to take my girls to The Jelly Belly Factory.  We've never been there, it's FREE, and it looks like a smashing good time.  So that's another few hours on the road.

Don't worry.  While I've completely blew my 30-day photo challenge, I AM taking my camera along with my rechargeable batteries.  I'll be taking TONS of pictures.  I'm also taking my laptop, and plan on using my blog as a travel journal while I'm gone.  It might not be exciting, but since my husband can't come with us, I'm hoping he'll be able to read the travel journal and see the pictures, and kind of feel like he's with us anyway.

Hopefully you'll come along for the ride, and enjoy our sites along with my husband.  Oh, and by the way.  I'm still looking for some road trip company for the trek to The Jelly Belly Factory (click on the link .. it looks like fun) if you're interested.

Until Next Time ...
~A

D-I-Y

I like to think of myself as that type of person that can envision something in my mind, and make it happen.  There have been quite a few time, when I've seen something I've coveted, and told myself it would be super easy, and a lot less expensive if I just made it myself.

Sometimes, it turns out great, and I come away with something even better than what I originally wanted.  Other times, that's furthest from the truth.

Today, while I was spending more time than I should spend on a new addiction, I came across a picture.  All this picture was, was a crayon drawing on a white t-shirt .. with a tag line of sandpaper iron on transfer.

You know that old saying,  "curiosity killed the cat" ... well, it didn't kill me .. but it certainly got the best of me.  And since I have a great relationship with Google, I was on a new mission.

I can not WAIT to try this DIY craft with my kids.  They're going to get a kick out of it, and I know I am too!  I think I might even make my own!!   I'm going to share the instructions here, but please keep in mind that I have NOT tried this out yet.  So I can't validate how it works.  But I'm going to.  When I do, I'll post an update.

I'm so excited!!!  Here goes ...

So you're going to need some good quality crayons.  I only buy Crayola crayons, because they tend to last longer than the cheaper ones.  They're also a lot easier to clean up if you happen to have an oopsie.   You're going to need sandpaper, and according to everything I've read, the coarser the better.  You're going to need a piece of cardboard, to go in between your t-shirt while ironing, and then of course you're going to need a t-shirt.  Obviously a white t-shirt will give you more options with the colors you can use.  But I think it would look really neat with a black t-shirt and a white or other brightly colored crayons.

Oh .. duh!  And of course you'll need the iron.

**TIP**One thing to remember.  If you're going to print any words or letters in your transfer, you'll want to print them backwards.  That way, when you do the transfer, they'll be facing the right direction!

So let's just got over the list of things you need one more time .. just to be sure you've got everything.
Crayons
Sandpaper
Cardboard
T-shirt
Iron (set to the cotton setting)

Now .. we're ready to get started!!

Take your sandpaper, and on the rough side, draw your picture.  Remember my tip if you're using any words or lettering.  Make sure you press kind of hard, you'll need a lot of the wax from the crayon to get the picture to transfer well.

Once you've got the picture you want, you can prepare your t-shirt.  Take your cardboard and place it inside the t-shirt.  This will protect the backside from getting any unwanted wax.  Once you've got your cardboard situated the way you want it .. you're ready to make some magic.

Position your sandpaper, picture side down, onto the t-shirt.  Apply the iron to the backside of your sandpaper for between 10 - 30 seconds.  It doesn't take that long, but you want to make sure it's get a good transfer.  Remove the iron, and very gently lift one corner to check the progress.  If you're satisfied with the outcome, then you're almost done.  If you think it needs a bit more .. go for it.

Now here's the important part.  You'll have to set the color.  Take a few paper towels, and place them on top of your image and iron for a few seconds.  This process will help to remove any excess wax.  Then just toss the t-shirt into the dryer for about 20 minutes to completely set the color.

You're done!  Not only do you have a one of a kind t-shirt .. but you DID IT YOURSELF!!!  Feel accomplished???  You should!!

**TIP** The first time the shirt is washed, it's recommended that it's washed alone.  Just in case.  You don't want to have your entire load of laundry come out with bits of rainbow.

If you attempt this simple and fun DIY with your children, or even just for yourself, let me know!!  I'd love to see your creations!!!

And if you're interested here's the website I got the idea from.  Sandpaper Printed T-Shirt

Have fun!!!

Until Next Time ..
~A

Oops ...

I don't know why I do this to myself.  Why I set goals, when I know that I'm not going to accomplish them.

I missed a few days of my photo challenge.  Crap.  I always do this.

Oh well, I guess there's nothing I can do about it now.  Here's my submission for today.

Isn't this so ... inviting & relaxing?!  Someday .. I want to be able to have an outside escape JUST like this!

Source: tumblr.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Until Next Time ... 

~A

Birthday Wishes

Today is my husbands birthday.  36 years old today.

Happy Birthday husband of mine.  I do love you so.

Until Next Time ... 

~A

Artwork

My husband decided that for his birthday he wanted to get a new tattoo.  So, since tomorrow is his birthday, guess what we did today?

Here's my submission for today's photo.

Until Next Time ... 

~A

On top of things ...

In my late night stupor, I'm sure I didn't make a lot of sense.  Regardless, I'm trying to make up for the fact that I missed a day in my newest challenge (even if I'm only making it up to myself).

Here's the 3rd entry in my Photo Challenge.

This .. is where the magic happens ...

Setting the bar

So I'm horrible at setting goals for myself and following through with them.

Case in point.  This blog.  When I started blogging, I meant to do it every day.  If not every day, as close to every day as I could get.  I sometimes go months without posting anything.

My second case in point, PIFF.  Remember when I tried that one out?  If you're a reader of my blog, you'll remember when I wanted to participate in what I dubbed PIFF (Pay It Forward Fridays).  I think it lasted all of 2 weeks?  Am I wrong?

Case in point number 3?  My Photo a day for 30 days challenge.  I couldn't even go a full week.  In my defense .. I've been overly occupied with a possible new venture today.  Well .. yesterday.  What should have been day 2 (since technically it's day 3) of my photo challenge.

Since my own rules stated that I had to take the photo myself .. the photo I'm going to submit now (at 1:00am on day 3) will be for day 2 of the challenge.  Then later today (still day 3) I'll submit another photo.

I believe my rules also stated that my submission had to be shot THAT day.  Here's where I'm going to have to cheat a little bit.  I didn't take any photos today.  Yesterday.  Whatever day we're talking about.  So, I'm going to use one that I've taken previously.  I made the rules, I can choose when and where (and how) to bend them.  Right?!

My photo submission for day 2?

Rocks

Until Next Time ...

~A

A Photo A Day ...

So I'm considering giving myself a challenge.  I've seen a lot of other bloggers participate in a photo a day challenge, so I figured I'd join in the fun.

I'm going to start off small though.  I figure I'll try "A Photo A Day for 30 Days" ... that's a good place to start.  Today being the first day.  I'm going to take the challenge a bit further .. and make my photo a photo that I shot. I think I'm up for the challenge.  My inspiration is a photo that I saw on Pinterest which just so happens to be my newest addiction.  So for my photo today ..

My oldest daughter desperately wants her ears pierced.  The trouble with that is this.  We've tried piercing them 3 times, and each and every time her ears get infected and it's a horrible process trying to take the earrings out.  So a very good friend of mine made her a very special, one-of-a-kind pair of clip on earrings.  They even have Swarovski crystals!  How lucky is she!?

So there's my first submission, for my "A Photo A Day for 30 Days".

Until Next Time ... (which in this case means tomorrow)
~A

Source: polyvore.com via Amanda on Pinterest