The Best Christmas EVER!

At least those are the words from my son. :D While I don't really mind not getting anything - except if I got a snow plow - that would be the best ever for me - I like to see my son open his gifts and I love to see his face light up when he gets something he wants.

I think this year classifies as a fairly successful holiday season for Dustin. He scored big! He got:

* Several games for his Wii and PlayStation, what they're called I can't remember (ha!) Sonic something, LOTR, and Spyro something, and Mario Galaxy.
* Kung Fu Panda 2
* A cool red pocket knife
* A collectors pocket knife set
* A Fantasy Knife with display stand
* A Samurai Sword with display stand
* A cool red MP3 player
* A laptop

...and that's not everything!

Yup, a successful Christmas...though he might not get anything for the next five Christmases. LOL

This Vacuum Sucks!

I always have problems with vacuums. I swear, I think vacuums hate me.

Hubby had an old Kirby and while it was good at what it did, it was HEAVY and the bags were a pain the butt to change. Because I never wanted to change the stupid bags, it clogged up frequently. I depended on him a lot to "fix" the vacuum so I could clog it up again. lol

When hubby left to start driving, I bought one of those vacuums that had the canister that you emptied instead of dealing with bags. It was a lot lighter and I could vacuum quicker. It was great. Until I realized that I had to empty the canister more often than bags. It clogged frequently and I could never find the clogs. Out came the shop vac and I would suck the clog out. Then I washed out the canister and melted it a little. I covered the opening that I created with the melted canister with duct tape, but it never sucked quite the same. It would often drop icky stuff all over the carpet.

I fought with these two vacuums for years when I finally decided last night that I would buy a new one for myself for Christmas.



So this morning, I put it together and marveled at how clean the carpet was! when I was finished vacuuming. This vacuum SUCKS! Super suck power! haha! Now I'll just have to remember to treat it nicely, not melt the canister, dump the bucket out, and watch for clogs.

Tis the Season...part 3

Decorating the house with lights...

A wreath I made YEARS ago...lights STILL work! Yay!

Front and side of house...and the little bush too.

Back porch...

Side of house... you can sort of see the tree in the window too!

Sorry the pics are kind of blurry, it was cold and I was not wearing a coat. On the bright side, more than half our snow melted! Yay!

What a day....

I have had it with the snow and it's just the beginning!

My son had a post op doctors appointment this morning at 11:30.

I woke up at 6am, no new snow. I watched as dark ominous clouds dropped lower and lower.
As the time to leave came closer, it started to snow.

But not a lot... just a few light flakes.

No big deal, I cleared snow a few days prior and even sanded the drive.

So we left. No problem getting out, although the roads were really icky. They are snow packed, and sanded on hills and curves. I know how to drive them, but that in no way means that I'm not paranoid about it. So we drove carefully to town to the dr's office.

As we drove, the snow started falling thicker.

And thicker.

Well, while I am in town, I might as well shop for groceries and run a few errands. So we went to the store.

We came out and it was snowing harder!

It was a huge pain in the backside pushing a basket full of food and other things through 3 inches of snow, slush, and ice.

And then the temps started warming up.

Uh oh.

Snow + warmer temps = slush = problem getting up driveway. At least it was at the old house.

Please, oh please, stay cold enough just so I can get home, THEN warm up and melt this snow!

As I drive home, the snow stops and the clouds clear. I was SO happy!

But then I turned to go up my drive and the next thing I know, I'm stuck in a berm.

Great.

I nearly burst into tears because all I wanted was to get inside and have some tea and relax. But then a super nice lady - and I wish I got her name - stopped and asked if I would like some help.

YES!!

She had a big SUV and I have tow hooks on my car. I grabbed one of hubby's chains that he uses when he falls trees and we hooked up. She pulled me out of the berm and onto the road where I could drive to a flat spot and put my chains on.

She even helped me put my chains on.

With my chains, I zoomed up the drive, parked, and ran back out to thank her.

She was gone.

I have no idea who she was, or where she lives, but THANK YOU!!!

Now I can have my tea, and some chocolate....

Tis the Season...part 2

Just putting up more decorations. I have used all the ornaments I own and the tree still looks bare.


I found more ornaments and put them on, and the tree STILL looks bare.


I think I'll need to get some more! LOL I also need more garland and bows to finish wrapping the banister.

I have never decorated so much in my whole life - and even this isn't very much. lol

Tis the Season....

Most people start decorating their homes for Christmas just after Thanksgiving. Christmas trees are being sold in parking lots and then there are all the songs being played over the speakers while you shop.

And in North Idaho, there is snow.

This year we did our Thanksgiving early because hubby won't be home - he was just home and just left first thing this morning. So we decided to have our celebration this weekend. It was great! We fried a turkey and had mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, rolls, and pecan pie.

The next day we hiked the area and found a Christmas tree.

Since I was younger (I won't say how long ago that was), I had seen several people who had very tall Christmas trees and since then, I've always wanted one. At least once in my life.

While we were hiking, hubby and I spotted the perfect tree. He sawed it off at the base and we both had to haul it back to the house about a mile. We should have used the truck to drag it back, it would have been so much simpler. Hubby says it's a Grand Fir...like this...only MUCH bigger.


It was interesting getting this huge tree back to the house, let alone IN the house. Just outside, we trimmed it up a bit, measured, trimmed some more, measured some more, and had to lop off 4 feet so that it would fit in the house. In the end, it stands 14 feet tall!

The next thing I knew, it was in the house, lying on the floor.

You will have to excuse the messy school corner over there to the left...and the rugs. I put them down to help catch the needles.

Poppy swears she did not make tree fall over!

After about two hours of wrestling this massive tree, we finally got it up in it's base and in the window.

I know, it's not centered in the window...I didn't have another place to put Dustin's desk and computer and all the school things, so it's not centered.

Hubby got the tall ladder out and a pole and we started stringing lights. Usually we use 2 strings on our tiny 5 foot fake tree, and I noticed that this tree would be awfully bare with only 2 strings. So we hunted down our Christmas decorations and found TONS of lights. Way back when we first moved to Washington, we had tons of lights on our house - icicles, trees, bushes, etc. So we cannibalized them for our new tree.


Today, and the next day, and the day after that, I'll probably spend decorating the tree with ornaments and ribbons and whatnot. I'll get a final picture when I'm done. The tree makes the entire house smell so good! A fresh pine scent completely overpowers anything else!

And, it's a good thing we got this tree when we did, because this morning we woke up to this...

6 inches of "Cascade Cement"!

Tis the Season!

Post Op

Today my son had his surgery to remove the rods that were put in his leg back in July when he fell and broke his leg.

All weekend he was totally fine and as soon as we got to the hospital and he had to get an iv, he started shaking. Poor little thing was scared. And so was I.

I know it was a minor procedure, and his Dr has done these kinds of things many times, but when it's your own, you always worry about those possibilities that might happen.

The nurses and doctors came in and out of pre op and took vitals, gave him happy drugs, and got him all ready. Then they wheeled him away.

Hubby and I walked back to the waiting room and we waited.

For 10 minutes.

Then a nurse came out and said that the doctor was almost done, just putting the finishing touches on. He would be out to talk to us in about 15 minutes.

So we waited.

For 2 minutes.

My son's doctor came out and told us everything went well and he was in stage 1 recovery where they first wake up. He would be ready for stage 2 in 30 minutes.

So we waited again.

A nurse came out to get us and told us that he was in stage 2 and we could see him. Hubby and I went in and found him fully aware and gabbing away to the doctors and nurses.


He looked like he was visiting the spa! LOL

We sat with him while they watched and took vitals and a few post op things. Then they gave him something to eat and drink.

Then a nurse brought his "hardware" to him. The nails that had been in his leg for the past 4 months.


45 minutes later and we were on our way home. The actual surgery took less time than driving into town!

He's home and doing well. Dr orders to use crutches for a few days and eat light til tomorrow. He has his knee all bandaged up and goes back for post op check up Monday.

Flashback!

I remember the days of old Nintendo NES and Super Mario Brothers - you know the old style graphics with no more than like 5 colors. haha! I even still have my old Nintendo NES - thanks to my awesome mom who didn't get rid of it! She sent it to me one year and I gave it to my son - who at the time did not have a clue as to what video games were. He loved it. Quickly, he wanted new games. I turned to Amazon and found a few NES games and quickly took to Legends of Zelda.

It's about 5 years later and my son has a Wii and nice little collection of video games. We found him a newer Legends of Zelda game for his birthday and he declared that he wanted to be Link for Halloween.

I reminisced of the "old days" as I put together his costume...



Doesn't he make a good Link?

Uh oh! Watch out Link!

Autumn's Whisper

I'm not really one for writing poetry... in fact, I think I out right stink at it. Dustin recently did a Literature unit on poetry and his teacher assigned an extra credit assignment to write a poem. He did one about his cat, but I was inspired by the gorgeous fall colors and wrote one too. I think I copied him a little with the repetition of "falling". I liked how he had incorporated it into his poem. I'm not sure it's any good but here it is...
I know, don't quit my day job right? LOL

Autumn's Whisper

Falling Falling Gold and Red

Autumn’s whisper blows through my mind

Pies, cookies, and breads warm my soul

Thankful greetings to friends and kin

For Winter slumber comes again

Grey and white cover me long

Fun times once more when green shows

Flowers come and butterflies tickle

New babies emerge from the den

And grow with summer as spring ends

Crisp veggies sowed now yield their fruits

Hot sweltering heat makes my thoughts lie

In hopes of cool once more

Falling falling gold and red

Autumn’s whisper blows again.

Homemade Green Salsa

I still have TONS of green tomatoes! What to do what to do??
I can only eat so many fried green tomatoes, so what do I do with the rest of them?!

I just whipped up some salsa - just threw in a little of this and a little of that, mix it, blend it, add a little more pepper, dip a chip, and wa-la! Yummy green salsa my son loves!

Now I just hope that I can remember what I did so that I can make it again! ha!

All Blocked Up

It was a crazy crazy day.

My son had a Dr appointment, we had to run to the bank, library, post office, then to the drug store, craft store, and finally grocery store. It was so busy, but we still took a few moments to stop at our favorite little coffee shop, Java Junkies, for a drink.

My son and I were exhausted and looked forward to getting home and into our warm fuzzy pj's and relax. As we neared our house, we were getting more and more eager to lounge, but as we rounded a curve, we noticed a train's headlight and one of the neighbor's cars in the drive. We share a driveway that crosses the train track. I had several people in a hurry behind me, also in a wicked rush to get home, so I thought I would turn into the drive and get myself as close to the neighbor's car as I could without hanging the back end of my car into the street. As soon as I turned I noticed that the train wasn't moving, and the neighbor wasn't in his car. I put on the brake, turned off the car, and waited. After all, the train was only about 50 feet from clearing the crossing. Maybe it was just...slow. But we waited.

And waited.

And waited.

The train didn't move. I've got groceries in the car that would be melting soon, and my son had to use the restroom. I can't wait and wait and wait for this train to move! I thought about crossing the track by foot and carry all the perishable foods with me, and my son, but the thought of that was terrifying! What if that train decided to move while I crossed the track? We would be dead meat, that's what.

I called my hubby, all in a tizzy...that happens when Aunt Flow is close. I screamed and cursed that this evil train was blocking my path and it was so close to clearing the crossing. I was so mad and I needed to get home...which I could see... it was right there! He said there was a sign up there with a number to call report a train on the track. Yeah right, that will take AGES! So I got out of the car and stomped up to the sign giving the engineer and evil eye that I'm certain he never saw. Sure enough, there was a phone number AND a crossing number. I ran back to the car, grabbed a pen and paper and wrote it down. I yelled at my hubby and told him to hang up so I could call the this number.

So I called. For crossing blockage press 4. I think I must have slammed on the 4 key pretty hard. Then I waited again. They appreciated my call and it was very important to them and soothed me with lovely sleepy music. Finally a lady answered. I said politely, I really did, by this point I was ready to go to a hotel. ha! I let her know there was a train blocking the crossing and I needed to get my small handicap child home. I didn't lie alright! He's got a handicap placard for the car! I told the lady that it had been there 45 minutes since I had been there, but it looked like it had been there longer because my neighbor's car was there too, and he had left his car and walked across the track. (ooooh!) Then I said, it's only 50 feet from clearing the crossing. I gave her the crossing number and engine number and she asked for my name and number.

I called hubby back and started yelling again. It's going to take forever to move that darn train! What good would it do to call!? I can't wait here all night... maybe I should cross the track... in the dark...with a handicap kid...and 15 bags of groceries. Hubby told me NEVER to cross a track, of coarse, and I knew better too, but I didn't want to wait in the car all night long. Then my phone beeped. Another call. An unfamiliar number. Was it the train people? I hung up on hubby and answered.

The lady from the train company said that she called the train driver person and asked them to move a little ways. If they hadn't moved in 10 minutes, to call her back. I thanked her and got her name, so if I had to call back, I would know who to talk to. Then I called hubby back.

Yeah yeah yeah, they said they called the train driver person, who knows how long THAT would be?! But suddenly I hear this bang, boom, and loud growl. The train was moving! YAY! Hubby asked what that noise was. I said it was a dinosaur coming to eat us. The train. Duh. He then proceeded to tell me NOT to go flying across the track until they are far far away from the crossing because they might need to back up and then pull forward again. Yeah yeah yeah.. I know all this. I was irritated and told him I wasn't going to do anything stupid like that. He really did irritate me...I'm blond, not dumb.

I'm watching the train pull slowly away from the crossing while hubby is gabbing in my ear about not crossing. It's going slow and it's about 100 feet from the crossing and if it decided to go back, I'm sure I would have had plenty of time to cross, but I waited a little bit longer. Still it pulled away. I watched the light get smaller and smaller. I started the car and waited a little more. Hubby finally asked me where it was.

I don't know, I'm already parked at home. ha!

I called the train people back and spoke with another person that wasn't the same person I spoke with earlier, and I asked if she could pass a message on for me. I wanted to thank the train company lady for her help....I wanted to leave her thinking, "Oh!! That's the nice lady with the handicap kid!" in case we have to call again. ha!

I got my groceries in and put away, but I'm still not in my warm fuzzy pjs!!

My Quest for the Perfect Fried Green Tomato

I love fried green tomatoes. I know lots of people don't like them, but I do! I don't have them often and consider them to be a rare treat mainly because you can never find green tomatoes in the store.

Well this year my garden has been abundant with tomatoes and since we have a very short growing season, the tomatoes will not have time to ripen on the vine. I have to pick them early before they freeze. Guess what that means?

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES!!!

It's been a long time since I've made them, so I had forgotten what to use, so I have been looking online for various recipes to try. This one too bland, this one too oily. I even came across a baked green tomato recipe that I tried. It wasn't so good, but I'm not ready to give up on it yet. It just needs a little tweaking.

Just now did I find my perfect fried green tomato recipe and here's what I did.

Items Needed:
Deep fryer with oil (I have a little Fry Daddy- I like to call it my Fry Baby)
A good number of tomatoes
Flour
Bread Crumbs (Italian style is great, but all I had on hand was plain)
Various seasonings - my favorites are pictured here:

Don't forget a few plates, paper towels, and something to scoop the tomatoes out of the fryer.

Layer a plate with paper towels and set aside. This is what you'll drain them on.

In a medium mixing bowl combine bread crumbs, flour, and spices and mix them well. I didn't use a measuring cup or spoon, but I had way more bread crumbs than flour. I might have only had a couple table spoons of flour.

Slice your tomatoes up. You don't want them to be too thin! Too thick and they will be hard! Mine were about 1/4 inch thick.

Now, here's the part I've been missing in other recipes. Dip the tomato slice into some water and dredge them into the bread crumb mixture. Make sure they are coated all around. Cover several tomatoes BEFORE cooking.

When you're all ready, drop 3-4 slices into the fryer. While they are cooking, take your scooper thing and flip them around in the oil. They do not take long to cook! If you over cook them, they will be soggy and full of oil... YUK! Don't cook more than 2 minutes - even that might be too long. When you take them out, poke them with a fork - if it goes in easily but has slight resistance, that's about right.

Lay them on the paper towel covered plate to drain excess oil. While they drain, do another batch of tomatoes in the fryer. Don't stack new ones on top of the ones you just put down otherwise they will soak up the oil draining off the new ones... BLEH. And don't leave them on the paper towel too long because they will soak the oil up again. Put them on another plate or paper towel.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Growing Up

I can't believe my son is going to be 13 years old this year! He's going to be a teenager! Honestly though, I still see him as my little baby boy.

This year, hubby suggested, and it was a very good suggestion, that we get him a desk for his room. That way he could have his own personal space where he could work on things - other than the floor, where he used to play.
I thought it was a good idea, but the thought of my little baby growing up made me feel...not old, but not quite young anymore, and I didn't want to. Reluctantly, I agreed.

We picked up a desk, lamp, and a few other things at the office supply store and set them up. My son loves it! He said, "Mom! I can build lego things on my desk!" Oh thank you for not growing up too fast!

Happy Birthday!

It's Officially Fall

After a stalled Fall, it finally feels and looks like Fall.


This morning I watched a front of some kind blow in. The clouds rolled in and as Pooh would say, "it is a blustery day", and we watched hundreds of golden leaves flutter to the ground.

I'm no where near ready for winter as we still have firewood we need to chop and stack and I'm actually nervous about what winter will be like out here. At least at the old house, I KNEW what to expect. I KNEW it was going to be cold and snowy 9 months out of the year. ha! I think we'll be better out here, but it's new to me.

I love Fall though - the colors and smells and feel in the air and knowing that the smell of baking goodies filling the house make me feel warm and fuzzy. Too bad Fall can't hang on through winter!

Time to start planning for baking! :D

The Reality

My grandmother was allowed back to her property today to see it. She was already told that it was gone, but she had not seen it yet. 11 days after evacuating her home, she came back to this.


My Aunt took the photo when she went out there with my grandmother. I'm so glad she did not go alone. I was expecting it, but when I saw the picture, tears started flowing again. What once was a warm and inviting home filled with the smell of baking breads is now a pile of rubble.

Fortunately, she is getting some help. FEMA will be working with her to assess what kind of aid she qualifies for. Many people have donated items and clothes. For a little while, FEMA will be putting her up in a hotel.

It's been a rough time for my grandmother but she is a strong woman.

Update

A quick update on the status of my grandmother's home .

According to the Bastrop County survey of destroy structures, my grandmother's house is gone. She has lost everything but the clothes on her back.

She has been safe with my mother so at least she is alive.

I sort of expected it, but hoped that it was still okay. All the waiting was difficult as we knew no news at all, but now the tears are flowing. It hits so close to home for me that I cannot help but grieve for her loss.

Please keep her in your thoughts.

2011 has proven to be a very trying year for many.

For us, we had to move and then my son broke his leg. But that pales in comparison to what else is happening. In July, my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. From what I have heard, she is staying confidant, strong, and determined to fight it. She is a very strong woman. However, I'm sure the rest of us still have our worries.

Then there is The Bastrop County Complex Fire. The what? Okay, I know there is a whole big world out there and Bastrop is just a teeny tiny piece of it, most have never heard of it before the fire. It's where my grandmother lives, and two of my aunts and their families. Sunday a massive fire broke out that caused evacuations, including my family. High winds from Tropical Storm Lee and one of the worst droughts in who knows how long, made conditions perfect for a blaze. Monday, the fires worsened and burned something like 30,000 acres - it's still burning now. 600 homes have burned and I fear that some of them were my grandmother's and aunt's homes. Family is safely evacuated, but the thought of them loosing everything they have is heartbreaking.

I'm far from it all the way up in Idaho, but I grew up in there, it is where many memories come from and so it is still "close to home" thus making it far more emotional. I can't help but think the worst. It brings tears to my eyes thinking that my grandmother has lost everything - the place I would look forward to visiting is gone - my grandmother homeless. But I think the thing that makes the tears spill is that my grandmother has had so much to deal with this year with the cancer and the loss of one of her closest friends (also to cancer), the last thing she needs is to loose her home. She's trying to stay positive - as I probably should too - but when (if) she finds out her home is gone, I think it will finally sink in. And the tears spill over because I can't be there to give her a hug and simply hold her close. At least she is alive and safe.

I suppose we just have to wait to see...

Mmmm Donuts

Fresh out of the fryer... they meet the Dustin Seal of Approval! Next on the list to try...

Fried Ice Cream

It's That Time of Year Again

For many school has already started and for some it will start very soon. Most of the time kids aren't happy with the idea of going back to school. It means that their vacation is over and it's back to work. The prospect of putting away the video games and bringing out the books is no fun. I'm sure some parents like this time of year because they get to send their kids away for the day.

For me, it is the same as it is for the kids. It means to put away the games and movies and pull out the teacher guides and schedules. It means that I have to stay on top of my son and make sure he is doing his school work.

Home schooling is a lot of work - and it's not for everyone - but the work is very rewarding. Your child gets one on one help, they get a customized path to learning, and they have a flexible schedule. It doesn't seem like a whole lot really, but it makes all the difference in the world!

As I think back on the time my son was at a regular public school, I think if he had remained there, they had wanted to place him on a path that would have held him back - literally, they wanted to make him re-do Kindie class, but it would have also held him back mentally and intellectually.

Since he has been in the program we're in now, he has excelled beyond my expectations! He's working two full grades ahead of his age group, scoring in his state tests with students that are about to graduate, and thinking outside the box with ideas perplexing to the average person. I think I made the right choice when I decided to pull him out of the regular public school and home school him.

The vacation is over and it's Back to School - I say bring it on!

A Walk on the Wild Side

I thought I would split off a new blog for nature related topics... go check it out at

http://walkwild24.blogspot.com/

More Surprises

When I wrote the blog New Surprises Around the Corner I had no idea that there were more in store for me! After the nest of eggs, there were the Wild Turkeys, and I thought that would be it. There are no more.

How wrong was I?

The next day I saw this cute little bird watching over my garden. Or is it EATING my garden? It watched me for about 15 minutes as I weeded my potatoes.

I think it's a Cordilleran Flycatcher... never heard of it, but it likes to eat bugs! Yum yum!

Two days later, I get an awesome snapshot of the moon - I love the coloration of the sky.



Then hubby came home after a very long time out . We had so much to do! We went through all the boxes and things from the old house and threw half of it away or gave to Goodwill. You know, old clothes that didn't fit anymore or were way out of style. I'm sure they'll come back in style soon though. I can't believe that I still had clothes from high school! The later part of his home time, I was walking around the house watering my plants and I heard squeaking right above me. I look up and see a small nest of baby birds!


So cute!! I believe they are the babies of the Flycatcher. From up above, they have the same color feathers as the other bird.

And no sooner had I found these little babies when I heard a thud against the window and saw feathers floating toward the ground. I'm sure the bird just stunned itself, so I went outside to see if it was okay. I saw it - poor little thing broke it's neck. Poor little bird...


At the old house, I had never seen so many different kinds of birds!We had robins and chickadees and an occasional mountain blue jay. When we moved out here, I have seen more different types of birds! Ohh and bugs too... so many different bugs out here! No wonder the birds like it out here! haha!

Finally, this morning, even as I type this blog, I notice that there are tons of cars pulling into our driveway and sitting there for 5-10 minutes at a time and driving off just in time for another to take its place. Then I noticed that they are painted and have team numbers written on them. What the...?? It's the Spokane to Sandpoint Scenic Relay Race!


The runners cover 185 miles running from Spokane, WA to Sandpoint, ID over the river and through the woods... lol Apparently, at one of the major exchanges, runners take a quick ride on Tremors, one of Siilverwoods famous roller coasters! We are on the finishing leg of the race. Very cool! I can cheer all the runners on from my computer - I can see out the front window from there!

No doubt there will be many more surprises while we're here - and many good ones I hope!

Wild Turkey

Yum yum! Thanksgiving dinner!

Just kidding!

The other night, my hubby and I were standing on the back porch admiring the cool breeze. Out of the corner of his eye, hubby saw movement. A pack/ flock / family of wild turkeys were traversing the driveway and making their way through the yard to the field that lays just beyond my garden.

There were 8 all together. Mama, Papa, and 6 little ones...and I do mean little ones. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of them - darn! But they looked more like this, minus the fence...


I'm so happy to see more wildlife around the new house!

New Surprises Around the Corner

I was outside working in the yard again, tending my rose bushes that are on my deck, when I noticed three tiny blue spots directly under my feet.



I had seen a bird's nest under the porch when we moved in, but I thought it was empty. Certainly it would be empty as soon as we moved in and started making a bunch of noise.

I hope that momma bird hasn't abandoned her nest because of all the foot traffic now - I hadn't seen any birds over there since we have been here, but maybe she is just being quiet. I did see a momma bird sitting on some eggs in a nest on the other side of the house, but I haven't been over there because I didn't want to disturb her. I don't know if she's still there or not. I don't want them to leave!

First we were surprised with potatoes, an alien embryo growing on the window, and now little blue eggs. I wonder what surprises will show up next?

A Little Spa Treatment

The past month and a half (seems like it's been a year!) has been so tough for me that I decided that it was time for a little spa treatment!

First, let me say, that my son is now covered by Medicaid so his injuries are now covered. I was so worried about how I was going to pay such a huge hospital bill. The hospital bill alone was $14,000. That didn't include follow up Dr visits or the anesthesiologist for his surgery. That was just the ER visit and use of the operating room! So needless to say, I was stressing bad! Like really bad. Not even chocolate would help. haha! After submitting our application for state and county assistance last Wednesday, I got a call from a case worker on Thursday and she said my son was approved for Medicaid retroactive back to April. So he's covered! I told her that she made my day and that if I could reach through the phone and give her a hug, I would. A huge boulder has been lifted from my shoulders!

So now that that bit of stress is gone, and we're actually gearing downward from all the "excitement" of the last 6 weeks, I felt I needed to treat myself.


At our new house, we don't have to haul water anymore. YES! So I can take a nice long hot bubble bath whenever I want! YES YES!! So I grabbed my candles and placed them around the bathroom while the tub filled up with hot water and fragrant bubbles. Ahhh, so nice! While in the bath, I gave myself a facial with a cucumber avocado mask and nighttime super moisturizer that helps keep your face looking young and beautiful. After the bath, I used some of my favorite scented lotion (that I made) and soaked my hands and feet in a paraffin bath. I topped it off with a manicure and pedicure. I felt like a million bucks when I went to bed last night.

Who says you have to go to an expensive hotel for the royal treatment?!

When It Rains, It Pours

Everyone says it...

When it rains, it pours.

or

Things come in threes.

When it comes to me, that's usually the case.

This summer so far has been an extremely stressful summer. First, we find out we have to move and we had less than a month to move. I had to do most of it by myself, but I was very fortunate to have wonderful neighbors and friends that were able to help me. When my husband got home from his month out, he kicked it into high gear and moved all the furniture. I was lucky to have my mother come up too. With an extra car and set of hands, we were able to really kick butt the last few days of the move.



While we were moving, my grandmother had been in the hospital. She had come and gone into the hospital for more than 3 weeks between June and and the first part of this month. Finally, she was diagnosed with Small Lymphocytic Lyphoma. For those of us who do not speak medicine, it's cancer of the B Cells. She will be taking Chemotherapy.



And three - less than a week after we are finally moved into our new house, with my husband gone for a month again, my son fell and broke his leg. He broke the tibia clean through and the fibula in three places. We rushed him to the hospital where they had to take him in to get surgery. They put these flexible pins in his leg because he is still growing. And we have no insurance.


1
2
3

It's pouring!

But you know what? It's tough...VERY VERY tough. All these setbacks are very stressful and we're wracking up some more debt, but I think I've been handling it well. I'll break down and cry a little, let it out, and then I'm good for a while. I'm not afraid to admit that I have cried a lot recently, I'm not afraid to admit that I'm completely stressed out, what is important is getting out my frustrations and move forward. And now we're moving forward. It's slow...very slow...but we're moving forward.

The rain is a drizzle now and the sun looks like it's trying to come out. :D

Finally Moved!

I have moved a lot in my years, but this move has been the hardest. I think it's because of several things.

1. We had been at the old house for so long.
2. It was just me and my son.
3. When hubby did get home, we had a very short time to move our things.
4. uhaul screwed us over and we didn't have a moving truck. Haters. In the end though, it saved us about $150 for truck rental, so take that evil uhaul.

We are now out of the old house and in the new. We have actually been out officially for two days now, this is day three, but we've been sleeping at the new house since July 2. It's been nice. We have all been so tired that as soon as our heads hit the pillow, we're out. LOL

My mother came up from Austin to help us move and we were able to spend a couple of days NOT moving when we were done. It was great! Very short, but it was nice to see her again. She just left out early this morning...even before the chickens wake up! Ha! I already miss her.

While Mom was here, we hit the "city". She had been telling me about all the cool things that she and my sister have found at a local thrift store over the years and suggested that we go check some out. Especially for things like dressers or cabinets or other furniture items we might need. We found the Goodwill in the "city" and ran in to take a peek. Honestly though, I didn't expect to find anything but old junk that I didn't really want. I was pleasantly surprised however, when we found a tv and PlayStation game for my son, a shelving unit, three pairs of pants for my son, a pair of Tommy Hilfiger jeans for me, and some odds and ends for around $30! The TV was only $3.99!! My son was VERY excited about it. He has been wanting one for a while now and I just couldn't justify spending $150 for one for him. Besides, everything is hi def and blue ray and we have none of that, so a new TV wouldn't even work with our (old) entertainment system. He was thrilled to set up his little TV and video games in his room.

Ohh it looks like I got a little off topic! ha! This was supposed to be about the move! LOL Well, we're officially moved, though I have tons of boxes everywhere and I can't find anything! My furniture is in disarray and nothing is in place yet, but it feels good to finally be done with the move...especially since I've been moving since June 19. As soon as we got to the new house, hubby set up the washer and dryer and I've already done about 13 loads of laundry - and we didn't have to haul the water!!! Mom helped me get my plants into the new garden and found a sprinkler...omg I can actually use a sprinkler now! If something breaks, all I have to do is call the property manager and they will fix it...I don't have to wait a month or two (or three or four) for hubby to get home to fix it. Wow...what a change that will be!

So what does the new house look like? Take a look...

Okay, well it's NOT quite like THAT... LOL But it does look like an alpine ski lodge on the inside, and it looks like a farm house on the outside. It's much smaller than where we were, but SO much nicer! And it's not that far away from where we were. We won't have to change much of anything - phone, bills, etc. And we can pretty much keep our normal routine with our runs to town. Ohhh, and I forgot... the road to the house is PAVED! No more potholes!

Now we will have to see what winter brings us...

Mooooving Right Along

Well, our move is going slower than planned, but it's going.

I reserved a uhaul truck June 21st for the 4th of July weekend since hubby was going to be home for the move. He was coming home on the 1st and we were supposed to pick up the uhaul on the 2nd. The first came around and uhaul had not called me to confirm my reservation, so I called them. What do they tell me? That there are NO trucks. No trucks? Are you kidding me? I have been seeing trucks running around town for the past two weeks. Don't tell me there are no trucks. We have moved a LOT in the past, and we've used uhaul a LOT, and usually, if there are no trucks, they shuttle a truck up from a nearby area. NOPE. They told me that there are no trucks and they will put me on a wait list. Hello?? What the heck is a reservation for then?? SHEESH! So after that bit of a setback, we went to plan B and decided NEVER to use uhaul again. We'll go to their competitor in the future. Ryder, Penske, or Budget. Screw uhaul.

Well, we spent the entire weekend loading up furniture in our old pick up truck. It's a 68 Jeep Truck Flat Bed, has break issues, light issues, and now a power steering leak. Great. It's a really good thing that I was able to take lots of the smaller things over to the new house over the prior weeks with my car. What really helped a lot was when my most wonderful neighbors let me borrow their truck and even had a friend bring hers over to help one day. They are the GREATEST people ever!

By the 3rd, we had emptied the house of the furniture (there wasn't a whole lot), and started working on the garage. Hubby has so much in there and I hadn't packed anything in there. I've been too busy working on the house. Our old landlord kept calling us while we're moving stuff over, even though Hubby told him to leave us alone so we could get our stuff done. The old landlord has someone else packing and moving stuff for him - we don't have that luxury. We need every minute we can get to do this and don't have time to waste on idle chit chat.

The 4th was spent the same. Packing, moving, and cleaning. My mother flew up from Austin to help (and visit) and we spent the day cleaning the house while Hubby worked on the garage.

By the time it was dark we were all too exhausted to go anywhere to see fireworks or anything, but a few people around the area shot some up into the sky and we were able to catch a few sparkles.

The 6th was spent hauling things from the garage to the new house and Mom and I dug up some of my plants to put in my new garden. I was so mad when our old landlord told us we had to move - I had just planted my garden and hubby just built my greenhouse. The plants were finally taking off. *sigh*

While hubby was trying to get our lawn mower on the truck, our old landlord calls again to ask annoying questions about the utilities - like we were going to set them up for him! As if! I think he is too lazy to do it himself. He asked Hubby if he could buy his truck for next to nothing. Hubby laughed and said, first, it's not his truck, it's mine, and I was not going to sell it - especially to him. Second, it's a collectors and I'm certainly not going to sell it for cheap. He wanted to buy our truck so he wouldn't have to "mess up" his new truck. Sheesh! Then he assumed that he would be hauling water from our neighbors. Hubby told him that HE would have to talk to the neighbors about that and work something out with them. I'm rolling my eyes here because our neighbors are wonderful people, but I don't think that they would appreciate the landlord just coming over and filling up without asking. Next the landlord asked Hubby if he minded if one of his moving guys could bring a load up to put in the garage. That's why he got mad. Hubby told him NO! We are busy, we're not out yet, and legally, we have until the 20th to move out. Besides, the garage is still full. Hubby expressed to him that we have been busting our butts to accommodate HIS schedule. We have been working our butts off to get out as soon as we can, but we can only do so much. We don't have the luxury of having someone pack and move things like he does. Hubby then told him that if he or anyone of his move guys comes up before we are out, he will call the police. The old landlord got mad and said that he didn't have to jump down his throat. Hubby then told him that he will only say it one more time and that he will not say it again, we will call him when we are out. Stop calling us and bugging us with tons of stupid questions that waste our time. We're trying to work with him and it's been a miracle what we've done so far, but really, we still haven't even seen a written notice that he wants us out. Legally, we're still occupying the place and according to state law, he's in violation of many laws. He has been the whole time, but that's an entirely different story.

Hubby had to ask for another day off to finish this move, and they were not very happy about that. In fact, they were mad. I just hope this doesn't jeopardizes hubby's job. So today we HAVE to be out. Today we HAVE to get hubby's drivers license changed to the new address because he won't be home again for another month. So it's going to be a crazy crazy day.

Overall this move has been hard on us all, we're physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted, but I think in the end it will be a good thing. We won't have to haul water and hopefully we won't have to use as much wood. The new house, well it's not really new, is MUCH nicer than where we were. I guess we'll all be happy when the move is all over.

Then we can unpack.... oh joy.

The Move

This move has been exhausting me.

I've had to pack 8 years all by myself and I'm still not where near where I would like to be at this point. I have managed to get 8 loads of boxes to the new house and I will be working on that little by little this week.

Hubby is supposed to be home Friday. When he gets here, I think we will get a whole lot more done... at least I hope! He has his workshop to pack up as well as the barn. Oh joy.

Yesterday Dustin and I were sorting through some things to give away and we took them to our neighbors. Ironically enough, we met one of our neighbors for the first time yesterday. Instead of packing, like I should be doing, I spent 3 hours talking while Dustin played with her kids. On the way back to the (old) house, he said he didn't want to move now. They are home schooled too, like Dustin, and apparently like the same kind of games as Dustin. It figures. We meet a new friend just as we're leaving. Thankfully we're not going very far away.

Ohh... so on to the new house...

It's still remote. We'll still have to deal with snow, but who doesn't in North Idaho?! LOL It is much much smaller than the old house and there are NO closets. Seriously. I have no idea where I am going to put all my clothes. It is backed up to an out cropping of rocks that are like a mountain/cliff thing - very cool for climbing. And there is an outhouse. Seriously. There is an outhouse. The house itself was built (at least that's what I think) to be a Y2K home - off the grid. At one time it was set up with solar panels and gas. It actually gets sunshine most of the day...we don't get much sun on the old house. I am hoping that it is better insulated than the old house, but we will still have to heat with firewood - though hopefully not as much. It is off a main (and paved - YAY) road. Most people traveling that road live out there and it's a sort of main east west thoroughfare from the highway to a town. I have yet to see a new neighbor... I can't see any other houses...though I know they are there....somewhere. lol

I will most certainly miss the old house - okay, maybe not the house so much, but definitely the mountain. I will miss my old (and new) friends up here and the quiet dirt road (but not the potholes), and I feel like a large part of my life is over. But with this new chapter of our lives, I do think some good will come out of it. I won't have to wait a month for hubby to come home to fix something if it breaks, I won't have to haul water, and I will (at least we think) stay warmer. I believe it's a blessing in disguise for a lack of a better term.

On to packing... catch you on the flip side!

Moving!

Well, we're moving.

We have been in our current home for 8 years now and have loved every minute of it. Even though we have had to haul our water and heat with wood. It has been a very peaceful place for me. Our landlord has decided to move back in here and so we must go.

Though sad and annoying at first, I believe it to be a blessing in disguise. I will definitely miss this house, but now we have an opportunity to find something where there is no need to haul water. I don't mind heating with wood though - if it's set up properly and is efficient. lol

Ohh and we can still keep our mailing address! So there will be no need to change bills and such!

So ends another chapter of our lives and a new one begins. New adventures await...

Attention! Watch Out!

I don't normally pass around all the "beware of the such and such virus going around". Normally I don't, because there are always bad viruses and trojans going around.

I will make an exception for this one however, because if you fall for it, you pay for it.

Hubby called me up and asked if I had installed a new malware program on his computer while he was home last. When I said no, he asked if I knew what it was.

It's called MS Removal Tool.

I hadn't heard of it, but it sounded fishy. Immediately, dropped it into Google and quickly found that it is indeed..bad.

What it is:
MS Removal Tool is a FAKE anti-virus program that mimics one of Microsoft's legit tools.

What it does:
The program MS Removal Tool takes hold of your computer and doesn't let you use it. Programs won't run because this program tags every thing as a virus, or everything is infected. You can't ctrl-alt-del and kill the program, your (real) anti virus programs do not see it as a threat - I think because MS Removal Tool tells it otherwise.

It will even give you a fake blue screen of death!

It will ask that you purchase the program so that it can clean your computer.

DON'T BUY IT!!

What to do:
Shut down and reboot into safe mode with networking. Usually you press F8 to get to the menu to choose safe mode.

Download a program called Malware Bytes and use it. I suppose you can use another malware program, I just found that this one seems to work pretty well. It should (no promises) get rid of the MS Removal Tool.

Hubby's computer is happy again.

Make sure you keep your anti-virus program updated and run scans regularly.

Anniversary Disaster...

or not...

Today is my birthday, it's also my anniversary with my wonderful hubby! This year we celebrate our 11 years!

We had decided to go to our favorite sushi restaurant in "the city" as our anniversary tradition has been for the past 5 years. I also wanted to hit the fabric store on the way down (or back) to get some fabric to make a long infinity dress. So expensive in the store ,but I can make it a whole lot cheaper! Then I wanted to check the craft store for some more yarn.

On the way "down" to "the city" we stopped, I found three beautiful colors of fabric to make this dress - I'll have three and for less than $50! YAY!

The afternoon was casual and we were taking our time as we made our way to our favorite sushi bar when suddenly our conversation settled on driver's licenses.

"They expire on your birthday, right?" My son asked and I shook my head thinking they expired on the end of the month. Or was that the car tags I was thinking about? They were due in May too. I mean, I'll just renew my license tomorrow when we did our normal shopping, but did it really expire on my birthday? So I pulled out my license and sure enough, it expires on my birthday.

Well crap. I wasn't near the DMV. I was certain that if I let my license expire that I would have to take a drive test... and I am not sure I would pass one. I mean, sure, I can drive. I drive well - beyond well I thin, but having someone I don't know in my car testing my skills was sure to make for a disaster. And I KNOW I can't pass a parallel parking test.

So I HAD to renew my license TODAY!

I freaked out and told my hubby to find the nearest DMV office. Luckily, there was one about 2 blocks away from our favorite sushi bar. Perfect, I'll go in, get my license, and go have sushi.

Oh no. It couldn't be that simple for me.

I went to the office and there was a line out the door. The wait was 6 hours!!!

Crap. Crap. Crap!

I told me hubby that we needed to immediately head back to our little town where we do everything because there would be no wait. But we had to hurry because they close at 4.30 pm and it's a little over an hour drive from "the city" to "town".

He looked at his watch and proclaimed that we had time to eat sushi and would head back. Of coarse I argued with him about that. When we eat sushi, we're there for a good two hours at least, stuffing our bellies with raw fishes and rice.

We could at least do sushi takeout. That was okay, right?

Wrong.

We drive up to the sushi bar and guess what?

It's CLOSED! Not just for the day, or the week, but it's closed for good!

It was fortunate that I had actually found another sushi place online yesterday, but we couldn't find it. Forget it...let's just go to "town" and do my license then go eat Chinese at our favorite Chinese restaurant.

By now I am kicking myself hard. I knew my license was going to expire this year. They even sent me a reminder. I meant to do it last Wednesday, but I was preoccupied with other things, and by the time I remembered, I was already home and they were closed, and hubby was coming home.

Oh, but we couldn't just get to "town" yet. I was starving, I still had to check the Walmart in "the city" because the Walmart in "town" didn't have what I needed, and I am not driving back to "the city" any time soon. I had to make a quick stop.

As soon as we got to "the city" Walmart, I ran into the store, hubby trying to catch up, and my son tagging along telling dad he didn't want to see me upset on my birthday. (Bless his heart!) I was already in the back of the store before they were even inside. LOL I had my arms full of the things I needed and there they were, standing at the register with a Triple Chocolate Cream Cake.

Ohhh!! For me?? I smiled, grabbed a bag of Lindt Chocolates for a snack, and a drink, and ran through the check out and back to the car, but I was a nervous wreck. I really really really didn't want to have to do a drive test tomorrow.

Hubby was totally cool and collected the whole time, and my son was patting me on the back telling me that it will be okay. (How sweet!) But still, my nerves were on end. I dug a ball of yarn and crochet hook out of the bag of newly purchased items and set out to crochet. For some strange reason, it calms me. I crocheted all the way to the DMV in "town".

We pulled up and I looked at my watch. 4.15. Phew! I got there in time, but my new license picture sucks! lol

From there, we went to our favorite Chinese place - no sushi in "town", and I sat down in relief as they brought us some hot tea. Hubby then produced a gift bag with some pretty little things he had picked up during his travels. And most ironically, a mood ring! LOL It turned green on me, which, according to the chart that came with it, meant I had mixed emotions. Gee, ya think? LOL

We had a casual late lunch, early dinner and afterward, I just wanted to go home. Hubby built me a fire in the wood stove, dished out some cake, and then we crashed on the couch - well, I crashed in front of the computer.

Disaster diverted. Birthday and anniversary saved. Now my mood ring is blue - calm and relaxed.

Where to Make the Cuts?

Living day to day and paycheck to paycheck is stressful enough, but when you add in rising gas and food prices and lowering wages, or even loosing your job, makes it even worse.

That's when people start cutting. Cut the satellite tv, the trips to see grandma, vacation (what's that?), selling cars, boats, and toys.

But what do you cut when there is nothing more to cut? Food? Power?

What do you do when you're already hauling water and heating your house with wood and still can't afford to make basic living expenses?

What do you do when you have already sold everything of value, you don't even have a table to eat at? You don't eat?

What do you do when you're so far down and when you look up, all you can see are people tossing more dirt over your head?

Welcome to my world.

This is how my family has lived for nearly 10 years - thanks in part to many circumstances beyond most peoples' wildest imaginations.

Even still, we survive. I don't know how we do it...I really don't, but through all of the craziness, we've made it; still standing.

Each tough time that comes around, I wonder "Will we make it?"

Will we? Will we be able to push through the rising taxes, pay cuts, stupid laws that will make our lives more difficult?

A simple and probably most stupidly used answer these days is "Yes we can." (I feel an inward UGH! here....folks) But the jest of it is, yes. We will make it. It might seem bleak and overwhelming at times...it actually will be bleak and overwhelming, but when it's over, we will all be much stronger than before for each challenge we face is always tougher than the last.

I know sometimes that sounds a bit pessimistic, you know you don't want to go through something worse, but when that's over, you can smile, put it behind you, and move forward.

****

On a side note - sorry I haven't blogged in a really long time! I've been busy writing, crocheting, teaching, (surviving!), gardening, and preparing my son for his big Middle School Science Project presentation. It's this Friday so wish him luck!!

Oh, and I'm in the process of creating a new blog for crafting - painting, crochet, costumes, all those fun things I do in my spare time (what's that?)! I hope to launch it sometime this summer. :D

I Could Have Been a Millionaire

Cruising through the web this morning, I came across one of the oddest things. Cardboard furniture.

There is actual, REAL, cardboard furniture. People actually PAY for this cardboard furniture. And that's why I could have been a millionaire.

I think back on part of my life, a long long time ago, when I was living in Colorado Springs and I didn't have a dime to my name, okay, I still don't have a dime to my name, but that's beside the point. I rented a crappy little one room apartment underground that reeked of marijuana and cheap hamburger meat. No, I didn't smoke pot, everyone else in the building did. It was near the jail and we constantly had problems. It was awful, but I couldn't afford anything else. Including furniture.

In my attempt to make my dumpy apartment more homey, I used my cardboard boxes and a few small blankets to create furniture. I had assembled a couch, tv stand, and a bar stool. Okay, so it didn't really make the apartment feel very homey, but at least I had a couch - never mind if I sat on it, everything inside would be crushed. ha!

Had I stuck with it, I would have been a millionaire selling my cardboard furniture. Why oh why did I ever give it up?

Happy Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New Year! 2011 is the year of the metal rabbit.

The year of the Rabbit is traditionally associated with home and family, artistic pursuits, diplomacy, and keeping the peace. Therefore, 2011 is very likely to be a relatively calmer one than 2010 both on the world scene, as well as on a personal level.

Conversely, nations will also become more insular and increasingly lock down their borders to protect against the "other". However, 2011 will also see new art movements projecting a distinct national identity taking the world by storm. Shrewd and creative new business partnerships will also form to the benefit of all.

Rabbits who thrive on delicate business dealings are best suited to navigating the year ahead. Those compatible with the Rabbit — the Sheep, Dog and Pig in particular — will also find 2011's circumstances inspiring them to greater personal happiness and professional success.

Others will suffer, by degree, depending on how flexible they are to the world mood. Those who have cultivated careful negotiation skills (or, perhaps more importantly, can sniff-out and swiftly dodge dangerous situations!), may attain similar good luck enjoyed by rabbits and those compatible with them in 2011.

For more specific information and learn more about what the omens are for your future in the New Year, check out related resources for the Year of the Rabbit and find out what else the animals of fortune predict for you in 2011.

Where's the Birth Certificate?

First off, just to let everyone know, this has nothing to do with the Obama birth certificate thing. I just thought the whole thing with the billboards and this situation was kind of ironic.

My husband is a truck driver. He hauls stuff to all places of the country. He goes on ports and military bases, steel mills, and lumber yards. All to haul raw materials or finished products back and forth. Over and over again.

In order to drive, the prospective company must do a 10 year background check, get a full report from his state's Department of Motor Vehicles - they are looking for a clean driving record of coarse, now they check his TSA 2010 score, and he must past medical physicals.

Recently his employer made it a requirement to obtain a TWIC. It's a card that allows you to go onto ports and military bases and such - though no one bothers to use it. They charge you nearly $150 to apply for this card and the government does a rigorous background check. I guess it's sort of like a security clearance. They verify that you are who you say you are and determine whether or not you are a threat to the nation. Well, my husband got this card, so the government acknowledged that he is who he is and that he is not a threat.

Then, of coarse, he has a driver's license. In order to get that, you have to show identification that you are you. I'm not sure how they do it now, but when I got my driver's license, I had to show my birth certificate . Seeing as how my husband is older than me, I'm fairly certain he had to provide that as well. So again, the government has declared that he is who he says he is.

So yesterday my husband's employer asked him if he had a copy of his birth certificate with him. My husband laughed, knowing where this was going. The place where he was either picking up, or delivering, would want to see it to prove that he is who he says he is. He said yes, and laughed again as his employer told him that he would be delivering to Boeing.

Why did he laugh? Because of the craziness of it all. He has a commercial driver's license, which by the way is more rigorous than a regular one, and a TWIC, in which the government has proclaimed he is who he is and not a terror threat. Why would they need to see his birth certificate?

My guess is that they are just being super anal about it. I would think a TWIC would suffice since he already had that. But I guess not.

It is so far ridiculous that it's funny. So off he goes, license, TWIC, and birth certificate in hand to Boeing. What's next? A DNA report? Yeah, I actually suggested that he have one of those handy! haha!

A Hair Affair

I love my hair!

I'm not being vain, really I'm not. Everyone should have something that they like about themselves because most of the time we are criticizing every little thing about ourselves. Your nose, your mouth, your weight, your height, your curves or lack of...the list is endless.

The thing I really love about myself is my hair. And if I feel bad about other parts of myself, at least I can look at my hair and I feel so much better. My hair is long, it's blond, and soft and wavy. People spend thousands of dollars to get their hair long, blond, and soft. My hair is like that without spending that kind of money.

Anyway, I'm growing my hair out long. It's already long - almost to my waist, but I want it to grow longer. So I have been spending a lot of extra time and effort into taking care of my hair. Sometimes people think it's a little crazy, like putting oils and lotions on the ends of my hair to help prevent breakage. Think what they will, at least I have gorgeous hair! haha!

For the past year, I have been looking for a shampoo and conditioner that works on my hair. I've tried all kinds of different brands - name brands, off brands, store brands, you name it. I actually found an off brand at the dollar store that I really liked, but I haven't found anymore since, so I had to start my search again.

Anyway, after trying different brands, I think I found one that I really really REALLY like and it makes my hair soft and shiny. The winner is...

Garnier's Fructis Moisture Works Cream Conditioner works so nice on my hair that I can't stop running my fingers through it. It actually feels like silk. The good thing about it is that it's not that expensive. I have been using the shampoo and conditioner for about a month now, and the ends of my hair feel thicker - which I'm really excited about because it means that it's working. No, it doesn't make your hair thicker for real, it just makes the ends less susceptible to breaking.

Anyway, I love my hair!