FREE ELIZABETH ARDEN GIVE AWAY

Although Snow White was too engrossed in a book to tear herself away.."I'm reading at the moment. Check back with me in a little while." (rolling my eyes I left her room). ManSon offered his hat and drew the name. We have another WINNER!!!


SECOND GIFT PACKAGE GOES TO JANE!!
Small tote bag with "ea" initials

Sample of new Elizabeth Arden fragrance Mediterranean

Sample of Prevage "Proof...not promises" anti-aging treatment



If you did not win yet fear not! My next free Elizabeth Arden Give Away will start after I pick it up tomorrow evening and find my camera. So far the missing items in my house include the title for my other car, the previously mentioned missing sneaker of SnowWhite and now ManSon is missing the match to one of his shoes. I think there is a Gremlin in this house. Maybe it is the ghost who kept moving the heavy old chest in my bedroom when we first moved in? he!he!he!

How My Parents Met

Anyone following the Life Time series Army Wives? Hard to believe that after only 17 days of seeing each other the younger couple married.

In1963 my Dad’s ship docked in Glasgow. During his first night of leave he and his friends went to a restaurant looking forward to anything that did not come out of the ship’s galley. After having their dinner they found out the other side of the building was a bar. The kitchen separated the bar and restaurant right down the middle. Rather than run all the way around the block to the front entrance of the bar my Dad and his friends decided to make a run for it through the kitchen. A woman in the kitchen was caught totally by surprise! She ran after him yelling and screaming! Her accent was so thick and her words so quick he could only make out maybe every 5th word or so. That is how my parents met.

A few days later and just as many dates my Dad’s ship had to pull out of the harbor due to a storm or maneuvers I cannot remember which. He was on board for two weeks and then returned to shore to visit with the now not so angry woman from the kitchen. He was sure they would be happy together and he proposed.

If it were not for very own parent’s quick courtship I would have a very tough time believing after only 17 days a couple would marry and be as happy as the couple on Army Wives. My parents will be celebrating their 44th wedding anniversary this September.

The show Army Wives is a bit soap opera-ish but it does depict many things that actually happen when you live on post for any military branch.

How did your parents meet?

Elizabeth Arden First Gift Package WINNER!!

As promised I am giving away some Elizabeth Arden gifts.

FIRST GIFT PACKAGE
One large yellow tote bag

Matching case of Eye Shadow and Bronzing Powder

Eight Hour Cream - Intensive Moisturizing Body Treatment -Not just great all over but super on your elbows, ankels and knees!

Full size Exceptional Lipstick Shimmer 15 (not a lip gloss) - Love the way this lipstick feels on my lips (all products in the give away are brand new = never been used)

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WE HAVE A WINNER! SNOW WHITE PULLED OUT OF THE HAT.....

AGNES! YOU WON!!

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The next drawing will be held Monday, July 30th and the winner will be announced at 8 PM EST.

SECOND GIFT PACKAGE
Small tote bag with "ea" initials

Sample of new Elizabeth Arden fragrance Mediterranean

Sample of Prevage "Proof...not promises" anti-aging treatment




Here is how it works...You state in the comments area under this post that you would like to participate in the drawing. The contest is open to all, those who comment and those who have been too shy to comment yet (great time to stop lurking). Non Bloggers are welcome to join in the contest but need to leave their email address in the comments so I know what to write on your slip of paper and how to contact you if you win. Contestants must live in the United States.

I will put each name on a slip of paper and place it in a hat and have Snow White draw the name. She does not know any of you so that will make it fair. To the Guy Bloggers you can enter too. Why not surprise the wife with a nice gift?

Harry Potter Lowers My Utilities

This weekend marked the arrival of the 7th and final book of the Harry Potter series “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”. We could have gone to the stores and waited outside until midnight like many adults and children. When the first book came out they were difficult to find due to most stores selling out their limited supply in the first few minutes of opening their doors. After the publication of the second book we discovered bookstores will over stock the Potter books thus no fear we will be lacking a book come morning.

Given that plus Snow White was reliving her Rainbow twizlers from Saturday evening through the wee hours of Sunday morning (ate a whole giant pack herself), I decided to wait until Sunday. Sunday came and went and I completely forgot about the book. There was so much to catch up on house wise that went on the wayside when Snow White was sick Saturday. During lunch today I drove to the nearest book store (an hour or so drive one way) and saw they had stacks and stacks of the new book. As I stood in line I couldn’t help but giggle at the thought of my children’s faces when I arrived home and presented them with their books.

They were ecstatic!! Could not believe I actually bought each of them their very own hard cover “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”. They screamed Thank yous, each gave me a quick hug (nearly knocking me to the floor) then started to rush off with their books. I managed to halt them in their tracks by saying “I have more Potter treats.” Pivoting on their heels they turned to me with quizzical glances. “I bought each of you a box of Every Flavored Beans, one Chocolate Fog, and a new book mark!” There were a few more new choices in the Potter candy but I just could not make myself pick them up (Blood Pops and Gummie Slugs)Yip, it was going to be a very Harry Potter night.

Everyone seemed to go off in a different direction to find a peaceful place to read uninterrupted. I was starting to regret not getting one for myself. I wanted to know what happened too! I finally convinced Snow White how fun it would be to read it aloud. The phone rang off and on through out the night but not one of us were willing to move from our seats to answer it. The computer was turned on but no one wanted to fuss with that old thing when there is such a wonder as a Harry Potter book waiting to take them to an enchanting place full of wonderful characters that even the internet could not compete. No one wanted to eat dinner when there is such a book to be devoured. TV? Why on earth would they want to turn on a TV when they have this stupendous book to wrap their minds around?!

So, as you see, Harry Potter will help me save money on my utilities since I wont be slaving over a hot stove making a grandiose dinner, the TV will just collect dust for a few weeks and the computer…will be just for me, when I can pull myself away from reading with Snow White. You know I am so going to want to read ahead when she goes to bed.

I did find out the difference between the Hard Cover and the Hard Cover deluxe. Higher quality of paper and box sleeve. This difference was not enough for me to upgrade from the $17.99 regular hard copy to the $124.00 deluxe. Yes, people have already started auctioning off the books. I am not sure why when there are so many $17.99 available at Amazon.com, Waldon Books, Borders and other book stores.

Hope everyone else is having a GREAT READ!
Tonight Snow White will pick a winner for the Elizabeth Arden Give Away!

Grosser Than Gross Give Away

There is a wonderful website called Adventures in Babywearing. I enjoy reading her blog and guess what? She is having a contest for a Dirt Devil KONE. My old dust buster is from 1991 so I could really use a new one. I have really worn it out over the years. Think of all the ease of cleaning up Crafts, crumbs, Crafts, pets and little ones!

For the contest she wants to hear about our Grosser Than Gross stories like when Snow White hid an apple in the garment bag for three months before Mommy discovered it.

***GROSS ALERT *** GROSS ALERT***
I must warn you this could get really ugly. If you are eating lunch right now…come back later, when you do be prepared to run from the computer.

Years ago when my son was about a 1 ½ years old the Man said he was in the mood for Taco Bell. Since there were no Taco Bells in our town we drove to another city about 45 minutes away. I had never been to this other city so Taco Bell or not I was game.

It was a bit after dinner time, the restaurant was not exactly busy but it was far from empty. We ordered our food, picked out a highchair and found a table. While we waited for our food I went to pick up napkins, straws and such with Man and son at the table. As I walked toward the table something struck me as odd …Oh, ewww. Someone smells and needs a diaper change.



I go out to the car to retrieve the diaper bag and return to a scene of Gross proportions! Pretty much everyone is familiar with the School science project volcanoes right? Over at our table there was something that resembled a project volcano but it was much larger than any I had ever seen. The vast amounts of lava it spewed was not red but green! At the top of the “volcano” sat my little baby boy. A fast stream of green globs flowed down all four legs of the highchair into a large puddle already formed on the floor.

The Man flashes me a panic stricken look, grabs the baby and rushes past me so fast I don’t even notice he snatched the keys right out of my hand. I could not believe what I saw. How could so much come out of one tiny little person? How in the world am I going to clean this up? I seemed to have been paralyzed for minutes but I am sure it was far more brief. The Man started pulling on my arm and rushing me to the car while holding the baby at a bit of a distance. This whole scene plays out in about 4 seconds but felt like slow motion to me.

He took off his shirt and laid it down as protection for the car seat. He drove out of there so fast I had no time to think. We were 45 minutes from home and the volcano was still erupting! Finally the car stops and we are in the parking lot of a strip mall. I change the baby but there are just not enough baby wipes in a travel pack to really clean him up. We did not bring an extra set of clothes since we did not plan on being out very long. I volunteer to purchase an outfit and extra wipes at the store closest to us. The Man was not having any of that! He had to get away from the stench and fast!

As I sit in the car with the worst smell in the world I find I can still smile. All through this my baby was smiling at me as if he just performed some wonderful trick. I start to feel really bad when I think of the poor minimum wage Taco Bell employee who will be cleaning up the aftermath of the green volcano. Twenty minutes later the Man is back and I mention we should go back so I can clean up the mess. Embarrassed to the fullest he says firmly we are never going back there ever! He could not bring himself to face the Taco Bell again.

The Man bought baby wipes, a new outfit, three rolls of paper towels, and 2 cans of air freshener. All the way home he held his head out the window making gagging noises and spraying the freshener in the car. To this day he cannot look at Taco Bell without thinking of the green volcano. The car was detailed TWICE and the Man still did not want to drive that car. It was not funny the day it happened but now it makes me laugh thinking about the way the Man “handled” the whole situation.

Don't forget about the Elizabeth Arden Give Away!

Someone to Watch Over Me

From time to time I will copy my posts to re-read and make adjustments if it doesn’t read right. Want to see something odd? Place your cursor to the right of the title "Someone to Watch Over Me" at the top of this blog. Hold down the left mouse key and highlight all including the blog header “Momma’s World”. On your mouse click the button on the right, select copy. Open an email or word document, click the right side button on your mouse and select paste. You must paste what you copy to either an email or some word document like MS Word. Tell me if you see something that does not show up when you look at the blog.

Don't forget about the Free Contest!

Little Swimmers

OK so far we have had kittens (last year), baby bunnies and now little baby ducklings. Actually, they are at the neighbors house. They found the malard ducklings wandering around aimlessly on Market Street. After awhile it was evident no mother duck was going to appear. The orphan ducklings are staying next door until they can fly.

Elizabeth Arden Give Away

As promised I am giving away some Elizabeth Arden gifts.

FIRST GIFT PACKAGE
One large yellow tote bag

Matching case of Eye Shadow and Bronzing Powder

Eight Hour Cream - Intensive Moisturizing Body Treatment -Not just great all over but super on your elbows, ankels and knees!

Full size Exceptional Lipstick Shimmer 15 (not a lip gloss) - Love the way this lipstick feels on my lips (all products in the give away are brand new = never been used)

SECOND GIFT PACKAGE
Small tote bag with "ea" initials

Sample of new Elizabeth Arden fragrance Mediterranean

Sample of Prevage "Proof...not promises" anti-aging treatment




Here is how it works...I am going with the same idea as Pinks and Blues. You state in the comments area under this post that you would like to participate in the drawing, create a post on your blog about the drawing and link to the Elizabeth Arden Give Away here. The contest is open to all, those who comment and those who have been too shy to comment yet (great time to stop lurking). Non Bloggers are welcome to join in the contest but need to leave their email address in the comments so I know what to write on your slip of paper and how to contact you if you win.

The First Gift Package will be given away in 7 days! July 23rd a name will be drawn and announced at 8 pm EST here on Momma’s World. The Second Gift Package will be given away 14 days! (July 30th) Two winners in one contest! Contestants must live in the United States.

I will put each bloggers name on a slip of paper and place it in the bag for the gift and have Snow White draw the name. She does not know any of you so that will make it fair. To the Guy Bloggers you can enter too. Why not surprise the wife with a nice gift?

If you do not win this time do not fret. There will be another drawing for new Elizabeth Arden Gifts in August.

I am in no way affiliated with Elizabeth Arden. These two gift packages were part of my Elizabeth Arden Birthday make-over. I thought why not use the free gifts to spread some good cheer and fun!

I Approach the Guillotine...Um Salon Chair

I am terrified at the thought of having my hair cut, especially by someone new. There seems to be no other alternative to the mall salon. I would rather see my dentist and OBGYN every day for a full year than have my hair cut. I could put it off no longer. I wanted a new look. I wanted something different but what if they ruin my hair? My hair was down to my waist but I was willing to take off about 6 inches.

I drive to the mall with my favorite mixed CD playing the techno remix of “Listen to Your Heart” to help put me in an excited, upbeat mood. I arrive at the mall and walk straight to the hairdressers. I pause. I call Oldest Daughter on her cell phone to tell her I am back at the mall. She is doing just fine. No emergencies and she is not in the least bit concerned that her hair cutting phobia Momma is about to have her hair cut. I pace around the outside of the hairdresser's a few rounds then I take a deep breath and head for the door. Just as I am about to step one foot into the doorway ....My cell phone rings! I must have jumped two feet off the ground! Embarrassed I run out of sight. It is my sister (Auntie D) calling to see what I am up to today. I tell her all about the hairdresser and she understands all my fears about having my hair cut. We talk for a few minutes. She gives me a pep talk then sends me on my way back to the hair dresser.

There was one man before me so I sat and waited the 10 minutes it took for the other lady to finish with her customer. While waiting I saw they carried the Sexy Curl line and looked for the hot roller setting spray but they did not have it. That is the best fragrant hot roller spray ever! It works just as well as most curl setting sprays but aww the fragrance.

Well, it is my turn. A young sassy lady walks up to the cash register to talk with the other hairdresser on staff tonight. They talk briefly about the rude boys (teenagers) who had just left. I am then escorted back to the lady's chair. I thought she was going to ask me about what I wanted and then give me the wash, conditioners and such. She draped me then looked at the photos I brought and we discussed length, texture and character of my hair. She then sprayed my hair and I thought nothing of it UNTIL SHE STARTED CUTTING MY HAIR! She was spritzing my hair with water and then cutting! No wash, massaging or anything!! It is okay for you to call me a spoiled brat. I am ok with that. I was just use to a different experience having been spoiled by the big cities and all. You know I moved to the country and was not expecting a water bottle spritz. I completely forgot where I was!

It only took me about two minutes or so to dismiss the non washing and scalp massage, etc. I thought of the new look and how everything will work out wonderfully if I just kept my head straight. At that moment the hairdresser says "Does your head feel lighter?" and I replied with relief "Yes, yes, it does." I had a tremendous amount of hair and knew about 6 inches would be coming off. I had no idea 6 inches of hair would have weighed that much. What a difference! Oldest Daughter and her friend peek in to see how things are going. Oldest daughter laughs at the sight of my wet hair. I jokingly say "I am getting it cut up to here! (motioning up to my shoulder). We all laugh, Oldest Daughter, her friend, hairdresser and I. The girls go off to do a bit more shopping and agree to come back in 20 minutes.

She continues her cutting and I am enjoying the new lightness due to the new alleviated weight. In walks a couple with a little boy 18 months old. I know this due to his mother telling the other hairdresser his age. Ahh, a little distraction is just what I need to keep my mind off worry over my own cut. The Dad sits down in the chair and prompts the little boy to sit in his lap. The little boy knows something is about to happen so he is reluctant to leave the arms of his Mommy. After a few failed attempts Dad relinquishes the chair to Mommy who holds the little boy on her lap. He is still not very comfortable with the hairdresser so she offers him a look at her treasure trove of lollipops (after Mom says it is ok). The little boy picks out a blue lollipop and was quite happy after that. To encourage the little boy to turn this way and that for access to all the different sides of his head the hairdresser points here and there saying "Look! Did you see that bird?!, There goes Santa!, What?! A Bunny! Look over there!" She was very successful in getting the little boy to turn his head to where she needed for his trim. Mommy and Daddy were so happy Daddy had his hair cut and his uni-brow waxed too. I would not have known about the uni-brow since they were out of my sight but the other hairdresser talked about how someone she knew also had a uni-brow and "this method" would take care of that for months.

A few minutes later and my chair was spun around so I could see my new look. "What do you think?" I pause for a moment (much shorter than I thought, much shorter!) but quickly recover by saying "I think I will know better when I blow dry it at home." The hairdresser quickly and very cheerfully responds "I can blow dry it for you and set it too!" I agree to let her do this but I keep thinking how ikky it is that my hair was not washed. They do not wash or dry or style your hair as a norm?! Oh yeah, this is the country. (sad face) I do want to see what it will look like dry. Maybe it will look spectacular dry. It usually looks different when it is wet so when it is dried it will look totally fabulous right? I was still a bit shocked at the length. I was kidding when I said I was getting it cut short. We discussed length before she started cutting.

I left the salon and guess what...they only charge $12.95. No wonder it was not what I am use to. Maybe they are not hip to the way of the big cities. I usually tip big for my hair appointments as they are so far apart but to me this was a small tip. She was delighted with the $10 tip and thank me over and over again!

Oldest Daughter kept staring at me as we walked out to the mall area. I kept my mouth shut until we were almost outside. Then I opened the magazine and handed it to her. "This is what I asked for. (I had more than enough length and hair for this style). Does my hair look like it?" Oldest Daughter looks at the magazine then at my hair then the magazine then my hair....again and again. "Mom, did you forget to show her the picture?"

On our way home we stop by another store to pick up a few things...chocolate chip waffles (ew but for the visiting friend) and new shampoo for me. I know I can wash my hair when I get home but the icky feeling that was all over me for not having my hair washed before it was cut, was becoming too much for me. I not only had the feeling I NEEDED to wash my hair but I had to have a WHOLE brand new bottle of shampoo to make me feel better about it. I know. It is ridiculous but my hair felt gross after having been sprayed wet, blow dried after not being washed and then add mouse and hair spray...double, triple yuck. I do not use hair spray because it makes my hair feel yuck.

I do have to say the cut is good for the cut it is. It is just not what I asked for. I wanted a cut that would be a bit layered but still leave some length because I have had this length for a year. I am use to it and was not willing to dive into short hair. Again, the cut is a good cut.

We arrive at home and show off my new do to ManSon. He is speechless. He goes upstairs to his room without saying a word. Snow White does not know what to say so she stays mute for the time being. I have Oldest Daughter take a photo of me to send to Auntie D. I send the before and after photos to Auntie D then send her the photo in the magazine. She says the girl in the magazine has wispy hair and her texture is not the same as mine so the cut is the same minus the length. I want to argue with her about the length but it is as pointless as going back to the hairdresser and saying "glue it back on." At least my hair is different. Not the look I wanted but it is do able. Not that I wanted to break in to 40 as "do able".

At least Snow White was on my side. When I asked her what she thought of my new hair do she said "I use to want short hair because I thought it was cute. I don't think short hair is cute any more. Your long hair was beautiful"! I feel like Jo from Little Women when Amy said “Jo, your hair. Your one true beauty.” Yeah, it was like that.

***Updated***
It is now about a week later. I have washed and styled my hair over and over again. Now I think the cut is what I asked for. What do you think? (I am the one with black hair he.he.he) I know my picture looks silly but hey, I was working with a tripod and took it myself.

*****Elizabeth Arden Give Away Coming VERY Soon*****

Order of the Phoenix

It is July 11, 2007 and I have children. Can you guess what we did tonight? We went to see Harry Potter the Order of the Phoenix of course! All of the Harry Potter books and movies have been extremely impressive so why not make a rainy day into a spectacular event? I ordered our tickets on line during lunch. I wished Oldest Daughter could have been with us but she is off visiting in another state.

For all the hype that usually precedes a big movie debut you would think there would be a special stand in the mall full of Harry Potter memorabilia, costume items and accessories but not here. There was not one Harry Potter thing in the stores around here, nothing at all.

When we reached the ticket person he informed us three of our tickets were for theater 5 and one was for theater 1. He directed us to theater 1 and I thought nothing of it....until later. Theater 1 is apparently the largest they have here, that was nice. What I did not know was the movie would start half an hour later than theater 5. Apparently they do not turn the air-conditioning on in the theater until after the movie starts. We were in that hot room watching commercials for 45 minutes. When I say commercial I mean McDonalds, cell phones, etc., just like they are shown on TV but no show in-between.

As we walked around deciding on where to sit people were oohing and awwing at Snow White's Hogwarts uniform. Where we lived before there were many people of all ages who dressed up as the Harry Potter characters. Tonight, Snow White was the only person dressed up. That is when I noticed everyone in that very full theater was either a teenager or older, everyone except Snow White. After 45 minutes of sitting, sweating, all the chocolate melting and individual Twizlers had jelled into one solid piece, the previews for other movies started. The air-conditioning also started! Yeah!



The movie was FANTASTIC! WOUNDERFULLY STUPENDOUS! Again they have out done themselves!! I will not go in to details due to the fact many people are waiting until the weekend or the DVD. I will tell you the audience CLAPPED! OOOHED AND AWWWED! LAUGHED! CHEERED! WOOHOOED! and SIGHED audibly. They, like I, just could not help themselves. Usually you see this sort of audience participation and reaction only in live performances.



There is a new character, Luna Lovegood, who made me laugh! I read a little bit about her before we went to the movie. Had I not read that little blip about her character I believe I would have missed a few of the funny things related to her character.

Speaking of characters there are a few from movies and TV shows you might not recognize given the way they are dressed for this movie. My subconscious always seems to buzz like an alarm clock when I recognize someone from past movie or TV show. One of my most favorite movies to watch over and over again is Sense and Sensibility.

Alan Rickman - When I watched the first Harry Potter movie, The Sorcerer’s Stone in 2001 I noticed Professor Snape. He was Col. Brandon in Sense and Sensibility in 1995 (loved him in that movie). He has played in many, many movies over the years but my favorites are Sense and Sensibility, Something the Lord Made and the Harry Potter movies.

Emma Thompson - Took my notice as a wonderful actress when I saw her in Sense and Sensibility in 1995. When I watched the DVD of the Harry Potter The Prisoner of Azkaban I knew she was Sybil Trelaway as soon as she spoke! She stunned me when I saw at the end of Nanny McPhee! I also liked her in Howard's End 1992 and Remains of the Day 1993. Again, she has been in many movies, TV shows, is a writer and has many other accomplishments in the industry.

Imelda Staunton - Has played many roles in TV, Movies and Radio but I remember her in Sense and Sensibility as Charlotte Jennings Palmer. As soon as I saw her in the Order of the Phoenix tonight I looked right at ManSon and said nothing. He knew once again my internal alarm went off and I knew what other movies and characters she had played. She only did "her laugh" once during the whole movie. Her laugh confirmed that it was truly her before the credits rolled at the end. Wonderful performance in the movie. Perfect example of sugar and spice and everything nice with a sharp wit and strict adherence to rules. I enjoyed her character in The Order of the Phoenix.

For those who do not have a joy for old period movies you might giggle a bit if you venture to watch Sense and Sensibility for Hugh Laurie, Dr. House on the TV series House, is also in this movie as Mr. Palmer, Mrs. Charlotte Jennings Palmer's (Imelda Staunton) husband.

The regular characters are all in the movie performing wonderfully. I would definitely recommend this movie. There are a bits of scary situations and creepy looking animals so I would not take a child under 6 or 7 years old. Snow White is 8 years old and I did think about it before we went to the movie. If she became frightened or I felt she could not handle the movie I would take her home and come back later for ManSon and his girlfriend. Snow White enjoyed the movie immensely! I asked her several times why she was so quiet and she shhhed me! “Shhhh. I want to hear everything they are saying.”

Just Keep Swimming

MONDAY
Today is a really BIG day for Snow White. This morning she starts her swimming lessons! Last night we packed up her new blue bikini with the swing top, Oldest Daughter’s Harry Potter beach towel (Princess towel is too special apparently) and her swim shoes in a pink beach bag. Since we wanted to make sure not to forget it in the morning rush I took the bag to the van last night.

This morning we were up an hour before our usual time. Daycare was closed all last week so Snow White said home with ManSon. Since she did not have to get up early I allowed her to stay up late. That was a big mistake. She was a little groggy this morning trying to get back in to the normal routine. I did not help matters by waking her an hour earlier than normal. As soon as I reminded her about the swimming lessons she was fully awake.

After I brushed her hair and put it in braids we realized she had not worn her sneakers for a full week. I had no idea where they were. Instead of frantically running all over the house looking for them I told her she could wear her swimming shoes all day. She brushed her teeth and went to the car barefoot. Thank goodness I bought the swim shoes in size 13 instead of 12. They fit her foot like a glove. Any smaller and I would have had to rush around the house looking for sneakers.

As we drove to the daycare center I mentioned how much I wished I could go to the lessons with her. She laughed at me saying “It’s daycare Mom. Parent’s cannot just hang out all day at daycare.” I am glad she feels confident enough to do this without me. At the same time I feel awful that I cannot share this experience with her. That I won’t be standing there, at the side of the pool, ready to jump in clothes and all if need be. Something about this just seems so wrong. I know I cannot take off three weeks to watch her learn to swim. Things such as this are part of the torments faced by many of the working parents today.

Snow White was excited about her swimming lessons when I dropped her off at daycare. I reminded her about the sunscreen. Every big and little part of your body must be covered…even the part in your hair. She thought that was gross. “I don’t want to put that in my hair!” to which I responded “Would you rather have sunscreen in your hair or a burn?” That changed her mind.

Although this will be an experience all her own I know she will share with me all the details of her lessons with great enthusiasm! This I will enjoy thoroughly! I am so excited about the end of my day! I can hardly contain my excitement! The Dory "song" from Finding Nemo keeps popping into my head "Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming".



Well, 5 o'clock came and I merrily skipped to my van. I could not wait to hear all about the swimming lessons today! As soon as she laid eyes on me Snow White was chattering away about every detail! The first day of lessons they covered - Not breathing under water, blowing bubbles underwater and arm strokes. Snow White thought she needed to use both of her arms at the same time while somehow sticking to the side wall of the pool. After realizing she needed to hold on to the side of the pool with one hand she laughed at herself for thinking such silliness. She even told me about how she could see underwater! I was absolutely amazed! Is this the same little girl who screams for a towel if one tiny drop of water rolls down her eyelid while washing her hair? This same little girl not only put her whole head under the water but opened her eyes too! YEAH!



She did make a request for goggles in order to see underwater more clearly. Due to the tight fit of the swimming shoes she also asked for a pair of flip flops to wear to her lessons. After dinner I went off to the mall for Snow White’s items and my make over. My make-over went nicely. The poor Elizabeth Arden girl was the only one working in cosmetics. She had to stop every now and then to help other customers but I did not mind. I knew I had three hours before the mall closed. I spent a small mint on my cosmetics and happily accepted a free gift. I also receive a another free gift but it must be ordered with a pick up date of July 31st. Yeah! I love pretty free stuff. As I have way too many bags around this house I might hold a free Elizabeth Arden drawing! That would be fun!

When I returned at 8:30 pm everyone was asleep. By “everyone” I mean Snow White on the living room couch, Pup curled up next to Snow White, ManSon on the family room couch with Kitten curled up at his feet and Merril curled up in the doggy bed. I suppose they really wore themselves out today. I carried Snow White to her bed while Pup protested. He wanted to be carried onto the bed as well. He was not fully awake himself thus could not muster the jump so I helped him on to the bed as well.

Crazy Moment of the Day

While walking through the parking lot after a meeting something buzzed by me. I ran my fingers through my hair and…there was a Japanese beetle in my freaken hair! I run through the parking lot screaming my head off while wildly shaking my head and running my fingers through my hair. My wonderful co-workers stop me and assure me the beetle is gone. “He was attracted to your shiny black hair.” “Oh, and no more coffee for you for the rest of the day. You are jittery enough now.”

If you are having a problem writing in the Title area of a new post you are not alone. Blogger made some sort of change on Friday which is apparently conflicting with the Title box. Just hit the "tab" key on your keyboard until you see a cursor in the Title box.

It's Official! It is now my Birthday!! I am 40 today! I can now wear my huge rings and red nail polish!! I have this thing about rings. I love to buy jewelry but especially rings. There were a few times I found a particularly large stone I wanted in a ring and I bargained the price. They have been sitting in my jewelry box for years, just waiting for this day!

No I am not some super rich woman. I have always saved up for the things I wanted and put my children's needs and wants well before my own. There were some rough times in our past where I had to sell pieces of my jewelry and very thankful I had something to get us through. I also pick stones I think my children will want when I am gone. When I am selecting a ring I think first about the center stone and then about the setting. After all, I do have a son. What might look great on a young woman, a Mommy then an older woman might not be the look my son wants. I do plan to leave my jewelry to all of my children.

When the children wanted to go to the mall today I went with them. Snow White stuck with me since she was not interested in the movie or participating in the Dance Dance Revolution game. She was ready and willing to critic my jewelry purchase for today. I informed the sales women at each of the stores that I have plenty of Rubies (everyone knows it is my birthstone so I have plenty). When I said to the first sales woman that I had enough diamonds I gasped! Am I allowed to say that or even think that? I have still have four diamond rings and one pair of diamond earrings but no diamond pendants. I was not thinking about necklaces today so everyone breath a sigh of relief. Apparently I do not have enough diamonds. So the saying still holds true, a woman can never have too many diamonds. Will I ever get more...maybe as a surrounding setting. Snow White hemmed and hawed at my preference for a large stone that did not entail the color pink. She so loves the color pink. I explained to her that I am not a teenager, I will be turning 40 tomorrow and I wanted something to celebrate my turning 40. She fell in love with a 1 karat pink, marquee cut, sapphire surrounded by bands and bands that went this way and that full of baguettes and round cut white sapphires. If laid flat the setting would cover a half dollar so she did understand I was looking for a BIG ring.

I shopped around but nothing leaped out at me. I thought about what I really wanted for my birthday after my children prodded and prodded me. Something I needed came to mind...a backscratcher! It is simple and I really have thought time and again how much I really wanted one but did not have one. When the urge hits I have resorted to lingering in doorways with my back pressed up against frames moving slightly from side to side or leaning against the corner of sharp furniture. I would love a backscratcher for my birthday. It would be much more appreciated than jewelry.

What would I love to get for my birthday that would be better than jewelry and as wonderful as a backscratcher?! A photo Album! I am in such need of photo albums. My New Year's resolution for this year is to write on the backs of all photos and put them in either frames (I have tons of frames) or put them in photo albums (I only have a few empty). I have boxes and envelops of photos from years ago. I do not want my photos to end up like the Rubbermaid yard tub my Dad received from my aunt when my Grandma passed away. No names on the photos (some are tin and lithographs) so the tub is being passed from relative to relative to see if anyone recognized the people or the backgrounds of the photos. I work on my photo boxes when I sit down to watch TV. I do not watch much TV and my usual TV routine involves me running on my treadmill. Maybe I just need a few more empty photo albums staring at me to get me motivated. I really do want to put all the photos we currently have into albums so I can develop the film sitting around the house before I forget all the details of those photos.



Another plus for my birthday....I have a new car! Yes, after three weeks and the dealer from heck, I have a new vehicle. I could feel sort of odd about it not being a mustang or some hot convertible. Some people have rattled off statistics saying I should drive a sensible sedan. When ManSon and Oldest Daughter were toddlers people looked at me funny when I drove a Minivan. I looked like a teenager but it is not my fault our family genes make us look very young. This time around I look like a Mommy and I feel like no one can tell me driving a Minivan is silly. In actuality it is usually just Snow White and I when I go most places since ManSon is 19 and Oldest Daughter is 17. Still, I like knowing I can tote just about anything in the Minivan. Our new arts and crafts can be bigger than they were before (ok laughing myself as if I would be hauling large bits of wood). At least now I can be the girl with the large moving capacity in the family instead of the girl with a strong son. Hey, I can move people from one house to the other and even help lift things but in my family that is men’s work, women are treated like queens.

While at the mall I started to think about the perfume that was taken during the airport security screening on our way to Nashville. Yes, I have a replacement but not the super expensive perfume that was so sadly taken from me on that trip. Did I mention I save up for the things I want and I pay in cash for everything? It was an $84 bottle of perfume and not a large bottle. Anyway, I found a new sent I like called Ralph Lauren by Ralph Lauren...just like the other 4 bottles with different colors. I picked the blue one but wanted to sleep on it. I am going back tomorrow to pick it up. The sales girl at the Bonton beauty counter was very helpful. She took an hour of her evening to help me find my new sent. Just as I was thinking about leaving to have Oldest Daughter's opinion on my new sent I asked about a make-over. Yes, they do make-overs at the cosmetic counter and she would love to be the one to help me! She is the Elizabeth Arden make up artist and shows me the latest new gift. Unfortunately you must wait until August 1st to pick it up. I am saddened by this news as most of the items included with this free gift are items I need. Along with my perfume the airport took my liquid make up...even my mascara! How much liquid could mascara possibly have? I ask about the large yellow tote bag and accessories but she explains it would not be a free gift. It would cost $17.95. I am thinking on it and might opt for the yellow bag but free sounds really good even if I have to wait.

What is a make over without a having your hair done? I dread the hair salon. I am more afraid of having my hair cut than I am of the dentist! I would opt to have a dentist appointment and my OBGYN yearly done every day for a year rather than have my hair cut by someone new, in a new area, in the COUNTRY! You know I have said over and over again how they do things differently out here in the country so this makes it a bit more terrifying for me. I take a deep breath and leave the mall with ManSon and Snow White. Oldest Daughter and her friend (from out of state whom I drove 3 hours round trip to pick up) opted to stay at the mall longer. I thought long and hard about the hair salon. Eventually, I would have to try a few places and finally pick someone. I wanted the make over but it would be so much better with a new hair cut and I was so due for a new cut. My last cut was a year ago in DC. I had a bob cut that turned out so well! The lady in DC who did my hair was so wonderful she branched out to her own business in another state then retired after only a few months.

When I was home I gathered the magazines I had earmarked with styles I liked. I reviewed them and reviewed them for a few hours. I finally picked one that still had length but a definite style. Something I could blow dry straight or walk out of the house with wet hair and still dry nicely with my texture, body and curl. ManSon and Snow White opted to stay home while I bravely went back to the mall. I was going to have my hair cut at the dreaded mall.

I was out the door and off to the mall. I should be confident. I have the hair style in photos from different angles and I knew exactly what I wanted. Drive back home, ask ManSon to take a photo of my hair so I have something to compare it to when I get back. I needed something to say this is where I started. If I do not think the hairdresser did a good job I can at least say, it is different.

I drive to the mall with my favorite mixed CD playing the techno remix of “Listen to Your Heart”. I arrive at the mall and walk straight to the hairdressers. I pause. I call Oldest Daughter on her cell phone to tell her I am back at the mall. She is doing just fine. No emergencies and she is not in the least bit concerned that her hair cutting phobia Momma is about to have her hair cut. I pace around the outside of the hairdresser's a few rounds then I take a deep breath and head for the door. Just as I am about to step one foot into the doorway ....My cell phone rings! I must have jumped two feet off the ground! Embarrassed I run out of sight. It is my sister (Auntie D) calling to see what I am up to today. I tell her all about the hairdresser and she understands all my fears about having my hair cut. We talk for a few minutes. She gives me a pep talk then sends me on my way back to the hair dresser.

I did get my hair cut but that I will leave for tomorrow’s post. No one was hurt or maimed in any way. I didn’t even cry. Sad part is the mall was closing and I did not have time for the make over. I am going back tonight to have it done because quit frankly I love to be pampered and I need to replenish my make up stock after the Nashville airport incident. Yes, I completely understand why they have to do what they do. I am more upset at myself for not placing all of my make-up and perfume in my luggage.

Usually my birthday comes with some horrifying event. No not the fact that I am a year older. I actually like that part. For some reason every year on my birthday something bad happens and we are all sad the whole day. I am usually in tears. This year was finally the year my birthday was a happy day! My sister called a few times to make sure nothing horrible had happened. I like this new trend. To sum up my birthday, jewelry (I did get a BIG ring), new car, new hair style, hibachi & sushi dinner with loads of laughter and carrying on, new sketch from Oldest Daughter because none of us could find a backscratcher and two new photo albums from ManSon. I think this is the BEST birthday I have ever had in my whole life!! See turning 40 does not have to mean the end of the world. My birthday started Friday night with the dinner and still going on through tonight with my make-over. A four day affair. I am LOVING IT!!

Mommy Sanity Check

People who speak of themselves in the third person are thought of as really annoying. I recently realized I was talking to myself in the third person. Yes, re-read that last sentence. Imagine that, I was annoying the heck out of myself. Not only was I referring to myself in the third person it was during a conversation with myself. Apparently I do this quite frequently. First thought was to make an appointment with a shrink and QUICKLY!

Then I realized this was not something new. I was not the only person with this “disorder”. In reality it is only ‘Parent Speak’. During my “odd” conversations I was not referring to myself by my first name. I referred to myself as “Mommy.”

Silly Mommy look at what you did.
Mommy is going to run to the store for a minute.
Come on Mommy where did you put that juice.
Didn’t you hear Mommy say ‘Don’t touch that!’
Wait until Mommy cleans up this mess! -(would be wonderful I there was a third person who would come clean up messes)

It recently came to the notice of my co-workers. We were gathering for a very serious discussion in one of the large conference rooms. As we all assembled and I took my seat and placed my things in front of me on the table. The meeting was coming to order when I started looking for my pen. I lift up the papers in front of me searching for my pen. The whole room went quiet for a brief second. Just long enough for everyone in the room to hear “Come on Mommy where did you put my pen?” Realizing the untimely crack of silence and the fact everyone had heard me, I look up, smile and snatch a pen from the man next to me. After a few giggles all around the table we went on to discuss the matter at hand.

Being a Mommy has definite advantages. My Parent Speak doesn’t make me look like a crazy person in the conference room. Everyone immediately knows I am a Mom. It is sort of a given Mommies will do things like this. On this day I also realized I have been doing this for years. My children are not babies nor toddlers. In fact it has been years and years since they were babies and toddlers.

One afternoon a co-worker was in my office discussing a project. I cannot recall what I did exactly but I do remember saying “OH POOP!” The co-worker laughed and said “Oh, come on. You can do better than that.” Another co-worker overheard us and laughingly said “If she used a more powerful word than that we would all run for cover. The world would be coming to an end.” Seriously that is my very worst ‘bad word’. Now if one of my male co-workers had said “Oh Poop!” it would have lead to hysterics of great proportion. People would have talked about it for years to come.

A few months ago I was on my way to the new craft store. Some guy was in a real hurry, zigging and zagging all through the traffic. I braced myself as he cut me off. I was furious! Snow White was in the car with me and we mothers know how we can go all postal-angry-protective-lioness on someone when they are endangering our children. Normally I would just gasp and make a bunch of faces Snow White could not see. This time I was outraged! I yelled “You Delicious Frosted Cupcake!!” After I took a long, deep breath I looked at Snow White in my rearview mirror. She was shaking her head, lips pursed and doing that ever so universal “no-no” wave of her index finger. She knew. She knew it did not matter that I did not use ‘bad words’. I still sounded like a crazy road rage nut. But I am a Mommy so I can sort of get away with yelling about food.

Picture this, you are driving down the road. A big male, tough looking, tractor trailer driver is cut off by another vehicle. He leans out of his truck cab shaking his fist in the air and yells “You Delicious Frosted Cupcake!!” in response. You know you would laugh your head off and wish over and over again that you had caught it on video!

Mommies can find anything. If something is lost and everyone has already looked and looked for it you can always count on Mommy to find it. If I cannot find the missing object it is my habit to say “Who ate it?” After all, if a Mommy cannot find it the only reasonable explaination the item is out of sight must be that someone ate it. (bad logic but ok) Example “Where is Mommy’s hair brush? Snow White ate it.” Of course this sets off giggles all through the house as we take turns naming everyone in the house including the pets. One day when Oldest Daughter was spending the day with Grandma C. she couldn’t find her note book. Mocking an accusatory tone, she said to her “Grandma, you ate my note book.” Grandma’s only response was a look of complete shock which turned into grave concern. When Oldest Daughter realized Grandma C. took her seriously she burst into hysterical laughter while trying to spit out the words “No, no, wait…it was me…I ate it.”

What are your funny ‘Parent Speak’ stories? What private jokes or sayings to you have within your family? Anyone want to share?

I Rock?! You Rock! We Rock!

While making my morning blog rounds I found a wonderful surprise! Twas Brillig tagged me with an award…Rockin’ Girl Blogger! Aww she thinks I’m a Rockin’ blogger. How incredibly sweet of her to think of me. {doing a little happy dance in my chair} She is a really Rockin’ Girl Blogger!

I looked for a link to the Rockin’ Girl Blogger Awards website but there was no such website. After a few Google searches I found the woman who started this award. Roberta received an award from a fellow blogger and rejoiced in the elated feeling that someone else acknowledged her writting. This wonderful act of kindness gave her the idea to create something new and wonderful to pass on to others. She wanted other bloggers to have the same wonderful feeling she had when she was given an award. It was her way of acknowledging other female bloggers who inspired her. This also gave those she tagged the opportunity to tag other bloggers thus spreading the joy.

Thanks to Twas Brillig I now have the wonderful opportunity to spread this same joy with a few bloggers I read every day. I am only allowed to pick 5 so please bare with me. If I do not mention you this time I promise to do something special when the opportunity comes my way. I know many of you have already received this award so do not try to make me feel guilty. I am a Mommy and know my way around a guilt trip.

Exiled In Toyland - Truly inspirational blogger. She handles her writing, motherhood, and animal tamer duties with the wonderful poise of Grace Kelly.

Lahdeedah - Inspires me to go full steam ahead into unfamiliar territory with a cheerful disposition and determination just as she does every day. I also copy her delicious recipes to try out with my own family.

Busy Mom - A great Rockin’ Girl Blogger. When I just have to take a break for a minute there she is…always updating her many blogs all throughout the day. She is there when I need her and I love that.

Kentucky Girl - We have the same taste in kitchen sinks. She has an adorable brood of Pups and Kitties. I love her sassy view of life.

Lena is traveling down some of the same trails of life I have journeyed. She is honest and really lets you see into her life no matter how pretty or painful the day might be. She pushes forward no matter what may come up.

Fret ye not my male blogger friends. On June 20, 2007 Roberta let the Guys in on the fun as well.

Second Effort is a lawyer with a great sense of humor. I like the way he looks at every day politics, sports and life in general. He is an Awesome Guy Blogger!

Creative Type Dad - Writes “True stories of a 30-something new dad of a 1 year-old living in the L.A. area.” Funny, and on the lighter side of life. He can get into a fix and come out very nicely.



Since there is no website for Rockin' Girl Blogger or Awesome Guy Blogger right click on one of the above Award tags. Save it as a picture and up load it to your blog. You can also bestow this Award on 5 of your favorite Women bloggers and 5 of your favorite Men bloggers. I am not sure if this is the real rule or if it has to be 5 total. Anyway, have fun! Spread the joy!

The Rockin’ Girl Blogger who started it all *** Roberta Ferguson ***. June 18, 2007(Original Pink - Rockin' Girls, Original Blue - Awesome Guys)

O’The Joys made some really great Rockin’ Award tags! (Rosie 1940s,Panther,Cat Woman & the Artzie one)

Nello created the Flame Rockin' Girl Blogger badge. I love it!

How Not to Purchase a Car in the Country

I think it might be easier to pass legislation than to purchase a car in this state. Did I mention we moved to the country? Living in the big cities has so spoiled me. Any time day or night if I need or wanted something I could just hop in to my car and drive maybe 5 minutes or so to buy exactly what I wanted.

Here in the country it takes forever to find anything remotely similar to what I want. If I want anything after 6 PM on a Sunday it better be in stock at Walmart or I must drive out of state to get it. No, I just do without rather than drive all night. If shopping for a car you are Sheer Out of Luck (SOL) if you want to look around after 5 pm any day of the week. I am not kidding. The auto dealerships close at 5 pm every. single. day. The only option working stiffs have is to forget about our weekend plans and spend from Noon to 5 pm Saturdays and Sundays at the dealerships. If you are one of the lucky few you might get a car in three weeks. Yes, I said three weeks. Can you imagine that? I could not.

A few months ago I started looking for a new car. After months of looking around on the internet (not willing to give up my weekends) I decided which vehicles I liked. I started making the rounds at the local dealerships lots to see what they had in stock. Yes, they were closed but at least I could drive around to see what is available. I was looking for a Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Caravan or a Chrysler Town and Country.

I currently have a Lincoln Town car which I truly love! I really do not want to give it up but it is time to retire my poor Lincoln. The air-conditioning went out and it would cost $1,700 to replace the system. The door behind the driver’s seat refuses to open from the outside and the window on that door would go down but not up. It was time to for a new vehicle. I am known for holding on to a car until it is completely dead. I hate having a car payment. You might say hate is a strong word but I really do hate owning anyone money. I usually pay cash for my vehicles. Other than monthly utilities, daycare, groceries and gas I have no bills. This means I owe no one. I like the carefree feeling of my finances. At this time I do not have the cash on hand to purchase a car straight out.

Saturday, June 16th, I find a Jeep Cherokee which I want to buy. I fill out my application. I expect to leave with the vehicle that day but no, that is not how they do business out here in the country. The salesman says “I will fax this over to the bank on Monday." I left feeling deflated. Adjusting to life out in the country is far more taxing than I imagined. I work Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm so any interaction between the salesman and I would take place over the phone. I called Monday afternoon because you know the country folk do not open their businesses until noon. Anyway, the salesman said again he would fax my application that day.

Friday, I call again just after noon and the salesman says “I will call the bank and check on that.” He agreed to call me back to let me know the status. My thinking is he will call me back before 5 pm to say “Congratulations! Come pick up your Jeep!” The afternoon passed by so quickly I had forgotten about the Jeep. It was 4:46 pm and the dealership would close in 15 minutes! I call but there is no answer.

Saturday afternoon June 23th - I call and call but there is no answer. Surely everyone is not outside with customers. Why is there no receptionist or at least voicemail to take my call?

Monday afternoon - Hello, it is me again, calling about the Jeep. Did you hear back from the bank? Salesman says “No, I haven’t heard a thing. I will call them and then call you right back. Ok?” I agree but this time I only wait an hour and I call him back. He explains to me the bank did not receive his fax so he will refax my application. “Could you call the bank after you fax it to make sure it goes through?” He half hardily agrees and we hang up.

Wednesday afternoon - Hello, it is me again, calling about the Jeep. This time the salesman says “The bank has approved your loan.” No surprise there. “You can sign the papers at the bank between 9 am and 4 pm any day this week. Uh, no, remember I work? Really, I could not skip out on work to sign papers. I need to be at my desk or the whole company would fold or so my boss would like me to believe. I really enjoy feeling so needed. Why would I need to sign papers at the bank? Dealerships usually have you sign for everything at the dealership. Then again, this is the country so I call the bank. A very nice woman tells me I can make an appointment and she will have someone come in Saturday afternoon just for me. That was very nice of the very nice lady now wasn’t it?

Friday at 4:55 pm another woman from the bank calls my cell phone. I assume it is to confirm our appointment for Saturday at 1 pm. No, she is calling to say we need to reschedule for Monday. I explain I cannot come in on weekdays that is why my appointment was for Saturday. She said she was sorry but it was impossible to do any transactions this Saturday due to end of month clearance and clean-up. Mm, the end of the month usually happens at the end of the month so why did they schedule to meet with me if they could not do business that day?

She firmly suggested I wait until the next weekend. I explained to her that I have already waited three weeks to purchase this vehicle. I told her how my parents made plans to come all the way up here from Tennessee so my Dad could “kick the tires” with me. She advised me to call him and cancel the trip. What?! I had been very patient about the buying process here but for some reason when she told me to call my Dad and tell him not to bother …something in me…something. mean. Snapped.

“I will have you know we have been rescheduling this trip for three weeks. They have already left Tennessee and on their way here now. Why in the world does it take three weeks for you and the car dealer to get your act together?!” My rant went on for about 5 minutes or so, without cursing. Then I caught my breath. “I give up. You can forget about having my business.”

She again said how sorry she was for all the mistakes along the way and for canceling our appointment. I said have a nice weekend. She said the same and we hung up.

I was so fed up and angry I was ready to cry. I grabbed my purse and my keys then headed out the door. I picked up Snow White with a big smile on my face. For some reason she was mimicking the Star Wars theme “Dun dunt da dun, dunt da dun…” I found great humor in this since I was on my way to the dealership to give him his share of what I gave the bank.

“Is that vehicle out there for sale?” Yes, yes it is. "The way you do business is not the way to make a living. I just got off the phone with ‘your bank’ and they canceled my appointment for tomorrow. It has been three weeks since I said I wanted to purchase that Jeep and I am still no closer to driving it home. If you do not get your act together you will be bankrupt. I want my application back. Right. Now.” The terrified salesman quickly gave me back the application.

Snow White and I went to drive around a few car dealerships on the outskirts of town.

Good Monday

What a wonderful Monday. Snow White’s daycare is closed for the week so she will be spending the week at home with ManSon. This means the only person I need to worry about in the morning is Me! I do not have to wait for anyone to find their shoes, fuss when her hair brushed, to find the last minute toys or items she wants to bring with her or drive to the daycare center which is the opposite direction of work. These are not extraordinary issues but the absence of one item I do not have to do in the morning before going out the door just seems to make the morning go a little better. When I do have to take care of these items it is just normal routine of the day. A break from the normal routine gives me a few more minutes at home in the morning. Now that is a real treat!

The sun is shining brightly, the sky is a beautiful shade of blue and there is a cool breeze blowing. Seriously, it was 66 degrees when I left this morning. By noon it was 74 degrees. The only way to make this the ultimate perfect day would be if I had the day off and we were all at the beach. Ahhh. Lovely thought. But I will take a beautiful day even if I am at work. I even drove my new car to work today! The day is starting out extremely well considering it is a Monday.

Apparently I am not the only one who had a Great Monday! Check out the Butrfly Garden!