Spin Cycle--Cooking Up Love

Cooking has never really meant love to me--it's very closely tied to love, but I've never cooked with the intention of love.  Love just sort of happens.  Food has been a strong part of Nick and my relationship since the beginning. 
The beginning.  Nick's pick up line in German class was "So, when are you cooking me dinner?"
My response: "I live in the dorms.  If you want microwave Mac and Cheese, come on over." He gave me his number and the rest is, as they say, history. 
It did take another seven months before I actually tried to cook for him.  It wasn't good.  I knew the mechanics of cooking, but not the art.  Nor did I have any practice.  Nick did most of the cooking early on.  The product of several restaurant kitchens, he is far more creative in the kitchen than I am.  Give him some ingredients and a bit of guidance on what you might like and he can create wonderful meals.  I, on the other hand, must have a recipe.
I did get better at the whole cooking thing.  Special meals for special occasions have become our standard. Valentine's Day is crowded at any restuarant--especially in a college town.  Once, we hit every reasturant in town and the wait at each was crazy.  We ended up at the grocery store picking out food to go home and cook.  It was more romantic in the long run than sitting in a crowded restuarant anyway.  Now with kids, it's easier to cook at home than coordinate a sitter, somewhere to go, going and then getting home, especially on a special occasion.
 I think nothing says love and family to us quite like our New Years seafood extravaganza.  Born out of necessity (being too pregnant to eat a seafood feast all at once), the feasting begins about noon and we stretch it out all afternoon and into the evening. It's just us, no one else and time for family to hang out, have fun, eat and enjoy the start of a new year.
We are also notorious for making steak at home--cheaper, tastes better and we really have a lack of steak restaurant options in our town. Although, sometimes I wish there was someone else to clean up.  (Turbo is getting almost old enough to do the cleaning up though, Muhwahahah).
So cooking with love in our house tends to be more a family activity.  Bruiser loves to get involved. Turbo will pitch in with too much protest, and Nick and I work pretty well in the kitchen.

Their favorite part of helping in the kitchen.

 Nick said he felt cooking with love was having everyone involved, making good food and enjoying being together.  I guess that says it all, cooking with love is being together and enjoying life, good food, and maybe a tasty adult beverage or two.
What is cooking with love to you?
Spin it up and link up with the Spin Cycle. Gretchen and Ginny Marie would love to have you!

WWTK--Think Back

Memories are on deck for We Want to Know this week.

1.) Do you have a good memory? I like to think I do, but it has been fuzzier lately. And my short term memory is shot, but that I blame on Mommy Brain.
2.) Share a memory you have from when you were 10 or younger. When I was 8 my mom took my brother and I to Yellowstone for a three day trip.  We saw all the sights to see in the northern part of the park--Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Falls, Mud Volcano, etc.  Then the day we would ahve gone south to see the geysers, the VW bus we had broke down.  We ended up in Bozeman, MT where my uncle lived to get it fixed.  It was a fun trip. It took me another 20 years to get back to Yellowstone to see the geysers.
3.) Share a memory from between the ages of 10 and 20. At age 12 I was allowed to go to New York City and visit my aunt who lived in Brooklyn.  I spent six weeks there and saw everything that there was to see.  It was 1986 and they were rededicating the Statue of Liberty.  I went and saw the tall ship sail by and I also got to go see the Statue and climb up to the Crown.
4.) Share a memory from recently that you won't forget for a long time.  Of course I have two--the birth of each boy.  Very memorable times.  Who forgets bringing new life into the world.
5.) Do you have any memories that you apparently remember differently than from what people tell you?  Not really.  But then everyone who witnesses an event remembers it a bit differently than anyone else.

Grab the questions and play along!

Link up with Kensie and Scriptor.  They would love to have you join in.

Random And It's Tuesday

It has got to be better today than it was yesterday.  Monday kicked my butt.
Actually it wasn't that bad, but the evening more than made up for it.  On to the random:

• I made my first foray into cupcake making last night courtesy of the dog.  See, Papa promised cupcakes to Bruiser's school.  He made a batch of lovely cupcakes that Bruiser helped to decorate. We left them on the table and ran to store.  When we returned home there were only five cupcakes left.  Guiness had helped himself to them. Awesome.  So I went and got mix, cupcake liners, frosting and sprinkles and made two dozen cupcakes.  I have no idea how they taste, but they look good:

• So, I can knock cupcakes off the list of traditional mommy things to do.  Not that I pay attention to the list, but I've avoided cupcakes for ten years.  Turbo takes rice crispy treats to school.  Tastier than cupcakes and Nick makes them.
• We went out for lunch on Sunday with my mom during the great cookie baking adventure and hit Wendy's.  The kids meal came with a Scared Shrekless themed toy.  Bruiser looks terribly cute as Donkey:

• They put out a list of the coldest cities in the US.  My lovely hometown ranked in at No. 7.  At least we are good at something.
• I go tomorrow for my first Mammogram.  Welcome to 40.  Happy birthday and let's squish the bewbs. It may be a wine kind of evening post squish.
• Both kids are getting excited about Thursday, although Bruiser knows he should be excited, just not about what.  He has a disconnect about Thursday being Halloween. Honestly we are still taking advantage of he lack of a sense of time.  No such luck with Turbo.  He knows exactly what Thursday means.

Happy Halloween! and join up with your random!
Stacy is being the Random Rebel, so link up your random!

Monday, Monday

Well, that was a packed weekend.  We did so much.  On top of the standard weekend things, there was downtown trick or treat, getting together with friends, cookie making and Nick went hunting.  Yep, pretty full.
So the downtown trick or treat.  Nick took all the pictures, so I will have to share those when  he gets back.  Turbo dressed as a mummy, Bruiser was Batman and I dressed as a sort of witch.  The boys liked it. Nick was a UW Cowboy fan from the 80s, UW sweatshirt and cowboy hat.
I do have a preliminary pic of Turbo:

He made a pretty good mummy with a better wrap of the ragged material and a white face. Plans are in effect to trick or treat with friends and the boys are pretty excited about it.
I did a mountain of laundry this weekend.  It really has a habit of piling up. But I had all of it done last night, even the towels got folded and put away. Go me!
We had a lot of fun playing Uno Attack with our friends.  We had dinner and played several rounds of the game.  It really is more fun with more players, but we managed to have a good time.
Saturday afternoon Nick finished the pergola project he has been working on for half of our deck.  It's pretty nice and as an added bonus we can hang the hammock from the posts too.

The kids were thrilled with the fact that we can use the hammock out there. Nick thought it was pretty nice too. Thank you to Nick for putting in the work to build this wonderful pergola!
On Sunday, Nick headed to the mountain to hunt.  He will be gone until Tuesday.  Here's hoping they find the elk and he can get one for our freezer.
My mom came over and we made a huge batch of Monster Cookies.  These cookies have no flour in them, just oatmeal, peanut butter and the standard sugar/butter/eggs and some fun add ins like pecans, m&ms, raisins, cranberries, chocolate chips, etc. 6-7 dozen cookies later, I finished baking cookies just in time to make dinner.
I really wasn't ready for this morning to come and really would have loved to have stayed in bed.
And so this song was running through my head:

I have also had this one running through my head.

I'm joining up with Xmas Dolly for Monday's Music Moves me.  It's a freebie week, but next week I am the spotlight dancer.  The theme will be music you listened to in high school.  pick your favorite tune from high school and join in!

Telling It All

Well, maybe not all. But I am confessing for this lovely Friday.

• I am tired.
• Sleep has been eluding both Nick and I.
• Not at the same time mind you.
• I can't go to sleep.
• He can't stay asleep.
• Insomnia wrecks the world.
• I've been cooking and therefore tonight is left over night.
• Makes it easy for a Friday night.
• Now, let's hope Bruiser can find one left over he's willing to eat.
• I lied to him the other night.
• I told him the smoked sausage in the jambalaya was hot dogs.
• He ate them without protest.
• So now they are hot dogs.
• Truly, whatever it takes to have a protest free dinner without making chicken nuggets seven nights a week.
• Although he seems to be on a corn dog kick at the moment.
• Nick is going hunting this weekend.
• I sincerely hope he manages to find an elk to shoot.
• The freezer is looking sadly bare at the moment.
• An elk is tasty, healthy, and cheapish.
• Halloween madness starts this weekend.
• Downtown Scaramie trick or treat, and then next Thursday all the little ghouls and such come out.
• No witch's hat for me, but I do have a fabulous cape and striped socks to wear with my outfit.
• Go a bit excessive on the makeup and ta da, a witch costume for me.
• Pics next week, I promise.

So what are your weekend plans? Link up with Aubrey and confess it all.
 

Spin cycle--Halloween Fun

So this Spin Cycle is all about Halloween--not a recap, more a celebration of things Halloween.  I do have some Halloween posts from years past.

Spooky Woo Woo Stuff
Movies we like to watch for Halloween.
Halloween Then and Now
How Halloween has changed for me from a kid to an adult.
Halloween Hits 
Shows some of the costumes I've worn over the years.

So Halloween is a holiday we do up right in our house--Oh, we don't necessarily over decorate, but we do celebrate.  There's lots of activities on deck for this year. Scaramie, the downtown trick or treat on Saturday.  And then Thursday afternoon pumpkin carving and trick or treating that evening.

On Monday I shared a couple songs from when I was a kid that were most definitely Halloween songs.  I think I'll share them again and add a couple more.

Way back in the day of recording to video tape from TV, I think ABC showed some Disney music videos.  They were Halloween themed and I really enjoyed them.  Bad Moon rising was my favorite.

Another fun song from that set of videos was Ghostbusters done Disney style.

I shared Purple People Eater Monday.  It was one I listened to as a kid from one of my mom's records.

Monster Mash came from the same record.  It had a bunch of goofy songs from when my mom was a kid.  I loved listening to the record.

And of course no discussion if Halloween music is complete without Thriller form Michael Jackson. I remember going to a sixth grade Halloween dance and seeing it playing over and over in the lobby.

So there, some Halloween music to get you in the mood.  Happy Halloween everyone!
Got some fun Halloween stuff to share?
Spin it up and link up with the Spin Cycle. Gretchen and Ginny Marie would love to have you!

WWTK-A Little Bit Woo Woo

Halloween is creeping up on us and it makes one think of things that go bump in the night, mystical stuff and anything creepy.  That is if you like to get a bit scared.  So on to the We Want To Know questions:

1. What makes you feel most alive?  Getting into the mountains.  We love going camping or just for a drive, but I love bumbling down a dirt road in the mountains.
2. Have you ever had a paranormal experience? No, not really. I've creeped myself out when I was home alone, but nothing concrete as far as ghosts go.  I do have deja vu often enough for me to note it. It's really weird to feel like you've done something before but know you haven't.
3. How do you feel about horoscopes? They are fun, but not for taking seriously.  Although they can be startlingly appropriate at times. I am on the cusp of Leo and Virgo so I get to read both and chose the one that fits better.
4. Do you read reviews before you watch or read something? I like to peruse reviews for books, but only seriously bad reviews will put me off reading--mostly for editing errors. I have found that my tastes don't often mesh with the mainstream, so I take all reviews with a grain of salt.
5. Are you more of a "yes" person or a "no" person? more yes than no, unless you're talking to my boys. They might say I'm more no than yes.

Grab the questions and play along!

Link up with Kensie and Scriptor.  They would love to have you join in.

Random Up

Made it through Monday and now on to Tuesday!  Poor Monday--it gets such grief.  It really needs better PR.  Although following the weekend, it's never going to be able to follow that act.  ANd now for the random part of the program:

• Fall is making a reappearance this week, but it won't last.  Winter is here for the duration. Now if it will be snowy, I'll be better able to handle winter--with snow we can get out skiing, sledding and such.
• The holidays are creeping up on us.  Halloween is right around the corner.  I might still have to get candy to hand out. And work on a certain mummy costume. Where is time going?
• The dogs are a matching set if ever there was one:

Yes, that is Thullee lying on top of Guiness.

•  They really won't fit that way too much longer.
• Turbo had school pictures taken.  They are way more interesting than the ones I had taken as a kid.  His didn't turn out too bad.
• Nick and I are still casting about for things to do both as a family and just the two of us.  The rut we are in is deep.  Getting out of it will take some work.  Luckily, the holidays will help on the social front. We are also planning on joining the rec center again and making bi weekly trips there--at least. We gotta do something to shake us up a bit.
• Do you know how hard it is to find anything on activities for a family to do together that don't involve crafts or TV? I swear that as far as most sights are concerned, every one is craft crazy. Or a movie night will solve all your togetherness problems.
• I'm losing my steady girl's night out date.  She's moving to South Carolina, or North Carolina, one of the two.  So, once again I have to hunt up a friend, a real live friend, who can do stuff.  I am really not so good at the in person stuff.
• What Not to Wear ended last Friday.  I love that show and I have taken some of their advice to heart and both Nick and I look better in our clothes. It's sad that the potential to be on the show is no longer there.  Although, honestly, I could never dress as well as they dress some of the participants.  That's just not my life or need at the moment.

So what do you have for random this week?
Stacy is being the Random Rebel, so link up your random!

Meh, It Was a Weekend

But not a fantastic, exciting, activity filled weekend.  Just your boring, bland, run of the mill weekend.
Friday it was cold and snowy here.  That tends to make me want to hibernate.  Not exactly an option, what with groceries to acquire and other errands to accomplish.   Strangely, the household chores haven't learned to do themselves.  I really need to start teaching them better.
I did make a yummy ham and bean soup on Saturday. There were low grade protests, but everyone ate the soup.  Even Bruiser, who is the loudest protester in the house.
Sunday Nick went hunting--he's getting closer to the elk, but still has yet to find one at the right time and place.  It is called hunting, not getting. I have my fingers crossed that he will get one before the end of the season.
Sunday also brought more snow.  I truly think we have skipped over fall and gone straight to winter.  Collect your hat, coat, mittens, and boots. The trees that haven't already turned yellow are now turning from green to brown.  Freezing will do that. The calendar may say fall, but winter is here--it's just not holding tight yet.
Nick and I did come a conclusion this weeknd.  We need a life.  Right ow we have nothing to look forward to. I think we lost our play mojo.  Maybe we need a project or something.  Something other than looking at the TV or various electronic devices.  What do grown-ups do for fun?  That doesn't cost an arm and a leg to do?  Especially with kids?  This is the challenge then.  Find something to do with our time--that energizes us and is fun for everyone.  This is going to take some effort.
We will take suggestions.  It's times like these that I wish we had a ceramics shop in town that offered classes.  Or that the extension classes through the university hadn't been cut due to budget issues. I'm not really the creative type. Figuring out what to do is tough.
And now it's Monday again.  Next weekend will be more exciting, or at least activity filled.  Halloween starts with the downtown Trick or Treat or Scaramie in Laramie, as it's billed. and that starts Halloween off for us.  Pictures next week of the fun.
Ad to get us in the mood I'm gonna share some of my favorite Halloween tunes from when I was a kid and then join up with Monday Music Moves Me over with Stacy at Stacy Uncorked and Dolly at Xmas Dolly.
First up the classic Monster Mash:

And then Purple People Eater:

My mom had a record with these and other goofy songs from the 60s and I loved listening to them as a kid.  I can still sing along to them word for word.

Confession for Friday

I am so glad it's Friday!  This has been one long week. And now to confess:

• I have been really sore this week.
• Falling down the stairs on Tuesday morning was not the best way to stay pain free.
• Graceful, that's me.
• We got snow.
• About two inches that stuck.
• Over ice.
• It's a skating rink out there.
• I foresee quite a few falls today.
• May I not be one of them. (knocking on any wood in reach)
• Our weather will warm up next week.
• All the way to a predicted high of 56 on Wednesday.
• It's gonna be a heat wave.
• I get to have a hot date with the vacuum this weekend.
• The animals are shedding at an alarming rate.
• There's enough hair on the floor to make another animal.
• And the dust rhinos are charging the kids.
• I've been making dinner more regularly.
• Last night's dinner was received with few protests, but several directives to Eat! from the adults in the house.
• It's a good dinner when they kids eat and don't complain about the offereing.  
• Sadly those dinners are few and far between, but since I don't care to limit my diet to chicken and ramen, protests about dinner will inevitably continue.
• At least until they hit that ravenous teen age stage.

So do you have anything to confess?
Link them up with Aubrey.

Spin Cycle--What Fall Is...

...Around here.  Well fall is many things, but most of all it's short.  It's lovely while we have it, but pretty short.

Fall colors in the mountains--you must see these by the end of September or you won't see them.

Hanging in the mountains

Homecoming parades--Go UW!

Tailgate parties, this is Cowboy Joe, the University mascot.

Tailgate functions can be fun.

But fall is usually over by mid October around these parts.  Winter comes early and stays late.

We are threatened with more of the white stuff this afternoon.  Fall is nice while it's here, but pretty short.  It's standard to think about how much you can layer under the Halloween costume because there's usually snow on the ground for Trick or Treating.
What's fall like where you are?
Spin it up and link up with the Spin Cycle. Gretchen and Ginny Marie would love to have you!

WWTK--Get Moving

We Want To Know Wednesday! 

1.) Were you athletic as a child? No not really.  I did outdoor stuff, but was never attracted to sports.  At least until I discovered that swimming was a sport I could do.  No balls flying at me, and I was actually good at it.
2.) Did you play organized sports? The most organized sport I ever did was swim team in high school. That, I liked.
3.) What do you do for exercise now? I run in the summer, when weather and daylight permits.  In the winter, I struggle with motivation and time. I have done some of Jillian Michael's 30 day shred, but I'm not terribly dedicated.  I intend to do the Zumba for the Xbox, but haven't yet.
4.) Would you rather exercise or diet? (Or both?) I think to truly lose you have to do both.  I diet to make myself awaare of what I'm eating--it really does become a mindless thing for me.  Exercise helps the pounds come off faster than dieting alone.
5.) If you didn't have to worry about calories or fat, what one food would you eat ad nauseum? Anything salty: chips, croutons, crackers, bread sticks, garlic bagel chips...I might have an issue with garlicy carbs.

Grab the questions and play along!

Link up with Kensie and Scriptor.  They would love to have you join in.

Tuesday and Random

I survived Monday.  I don't ahve to do another one of those until next week.  Whew! Now it's Tuesday and time to be all random:

• We came home to this yesterday:

• Thullee had a blast with a couple rolls of toilet paper in the bathroom.  It was kind of epic. It would have been great to have been able to see him destroying it.
• I fell down the stairs this morning.  Just half of them.  Thullee wanted out at 5:30 and when I headed back down the stairs to our room to grab a few more moments in our nice warm bed, I slipped on the stairs and fell down the last few steps.  Thank goodness and Nick they are carpeted.
• I saw this on Facebook yesterday:

• Both boys are out of school for the next three days.  Well Turbo has a half day tomorrow, but after that he gets Thursday and Friday off.  Grandma to the rescue.  She going to have Turbo help her make applesauce or apple butter or something with the apples they picked a couple weeks ago.
• We are just about ready to bottle the raspberry wheat beer Nick made.  It's is going much better than the last batch of raspberry wheat we made.  Reading directions really does make a difference--and reading all of them is key.
• Nick is heading up hunting again this weekend.  I think. We really need the meat in the freezer and elk tastes so very good. I really hope he is a successful great white hunter man.
• We saw this man powered moon buggy in the parade the weekend:

•  I colored my hair darker again.  I just like it better dark rather than the dull dark blonde it is normally.  I do need to get a few layers added in next hair cut, long ones.  It needs a bit of shape.
• I also need to find a witch's hat.  The boys want me to dress as a witch.  It won't be a black on black thing but I think I can pull something together. I definitely need striped socks.
• Bruiser has actually been working on pooping in the potty.  Small steps forward, but steps none the less.  Not ready to woo hoo just yet, but I am optimistic.

So what do you have for random this week?
Stacy is being the Random Rebel, so link up your random!

Monday, Monday and Pumpkin Pie Bread

So, here we are again at Monday.  I kinda wish Mondays started later in the morning.  6:00 am came way too soon.  But it was a rather full weekend around these parts.
Saturday Nick and Turbo went hunting.  It was more a four wheeling, hiking, scouting kind of day, but they got out of town and had fun. I stayed home with Bruiser, but there was a Homecoming parade going on so we went and watched that.  Bruiser got some candy and I got to see lots of marching bands.  Seriously, the parade had like 7-8 bands in it, at least. I got some pictures of the baritone players for Turbo as well as the tuba players.

It was a fun parade to watch.  After it was over we hit the grocery store and then home for my hot date with the laundry. I also straightened up Bruiser's room, went through some clothes in his room and we vacuumed and remade the bed.  Really makes his room seem much nicer.
Sunday, Nick went hunting again with a friend.  I was home with the boys.  Turbo played video games, Bruiser made a fort/train play area and I conquered the laundry.  When Nick got home, he made beer.  I had gotten him some brewing supplies--a larger boil pot and cooler to mash in--and he had to try them out. The brew went smoothly.  Nick was pretty excited about it all.

Kids are growing and so is the puppy.

I also made Pumpkin Spice Bread, or as it's called at our house Pumpkin Pie Bread.
Recipe is:
Pumpkin Pie Bread
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 cup water

1. In a large bowl, combine sugar, oil and eggs. Add pumpkin and mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, cloves and allspice; add to the pumpkin mixture alternately with water, beating well after each addition.
2. Pour into two greased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Yield: 2 loaves. 

And that is the best pumpkin bread I've ever had.  I love that it uses up the whole can of pumpkin and I don't have to find another  thing to use the pumpkin in.  I have yet to try it with fresh pumpkin.  But I got some from my aunt and am looking forward to trying it that way. Enjoy!

Friday, Finally

This has been a long week.  But ow it's Friday and going home time keeps getting closer and closer. So let's do some confessing and see if we can't get this weekend off to a good start.

• We had a parent teacher conference for Turbo last night.
• I still get as nervous as I used to when I was a kid about those things.
• Something about it makes me feel 12 again.
• Turbo is doing great.
• Needs to work on the organization thing, but otherwise just great.
• So nice when the teacher is actually an advocate for your kid.
• I did forget to go pick him up yesterday.
• He is playing the baritone and has band on Tuesday adn Thursday, so his horn stays at school Tuesday through Thursday. 

For some idea of the size of this thing.

• We take him to school Tuesday morning and pick him up Thursday afternoon.
• We have to that baritone is huge and he can barely carry the thing in it's case.
• Only yesterday I totally forgot.
• He handled it like a champ.
• I felt like a idiot.
• Mom of the year here.

So what do you have to confess?
Link them up with Aubrey.

Spin cycle--Color of Love

So what do you think is the color of Love?   According to Sheldon, Red is angry, yellow is frightened, green is jealous and blue is depressed.  Love wasn't mentioned.

I think love is lots of colors--purple for passion, red for strong feelings love provokes, yellow for how scary loving anyone can be, blue for the sadness that can come with love lost, green for the jealousy and envy love can invoke, Really the only color that doesn't really say love to me is orange.  Maybe Sheldon's right and orange is for lonely.
Love is colorful and necessary.  Without love life can be flat and dull. and the colors shift with the type of love.  The love I have for Nick is more purple, red and sometimes yellow.  The love for my boys is red and yellow and sometimes a bit blue.  I love my boys but they are continually growing away from me.  As they should.  It's still sad.
What color is enduring?  That would be the color of my love for Nick and Turbo and Bruiser.  Because no matter what short term feelings I have--frustration, anger, exasperation, elation, joy, the love endures. Maybe a nice strong maroon.  Not too bright but very lasting.  Kind of like brick or redwood. It just lasts.
Do you have an idea on the color of Love?  Spin it up and link up with the Spin Cycle. Gretchen and Ginny Marie would love to have you!

WWTK-Bloggity Blog Blog

So this week We Want To Know blogging. And here we go with the questions:

1. What is your favorite thing about blogging? Meeting and making friends.  I have difficulties with in person meeting of new people.  Blogging has given me a way to meet people that sort of steps over all that uncomfortable first time stuff.  I don't have to feel shy and awkward.  I had one meet up in person (so far, Hi Gretchen) and since I had already met her through blogging, things flowed like we had known each other for years.  I guess in a way, we have.

2. Where do you find your inspiration for posts? Daily life for some, memes for others.  I have several link ups I like to participate in but most are fairly open ended and let me be creative, but give me a starting place. For the real life ones, well I live with three people of the male persuasion.  Stories have a way of happening.
3. Are there any blogger trends you follow? I don't think so.  I have met several different groups in the last four years and the group of bloggers has shifted as lives have changed. Blogging takes a commitment and sometimes things change and it's not fun any more. I get that.  But for me this is my outlet.  My link to other people who might understand and commiserate about the crazy, sad and triumphant things that happen to me.
4. Any trends you don’t like? I can't think  of any.  If I don't like a blog I won't follow it.  There are blogs for all kinds of things out there.  I stick to my corner and enjoy the blogs I do follow.
5. What advice would you give to a new blogger? Comment and join link parties and then comment some more.  It helps if you have something interesting to say.  Oh, and proof read for heavens sake.  Nothing stops me shorter than a very poorly written post.

Grab the questions and play along!

Link up with Kensie and Scriptor.  They would love to have you join in.

Random Up the Place

Tuesday.  The most blah day of the week.  Unless you random...

• We had a fabulous sunrise this morning.  All red and purple and then orange. I didn't get a picture.  It was cold out there.
• Halloween plans are tricking along fine.  A request was made by Turbo for me to dress as a witch.  I need a hat, but otherwise can just about pull it off with pieces I already have.  I might need striped stockings too. Bruiser will be Batman.  Turbo wants to be a Mummy and we will be assembling his costume from long johns and creepy fabric.  He will look great I think.( I hope)
• I have been far more motivated to cook recently.  Cold weather certainly helps in the wanting to be in a warm kitchen. I think tonight will be chicken cordon bleu.  Sounds fancy, is pretty easy and very very tasty.  I get very few complaints when I make this one.  And not having complaints is a major score with Bruiser the Picky in the house.
• We watched Oz the Great and Powerful last night.  Such a fun movie.  Maybe not great, but very very fun.  The Wizard of Oz is up tonight. I'm not sure if Bruiser has seen it before. I don't think so.  So, fun time!
• We are thinking about remodeling a bit for Bruiser's room.  See when we redid the basement eleven years ago, we made that room with the intention of adding a window.  But it's a basement room.  Adding a window means knocking a hole in the foundation and tons of other work.  So instead we are going to modify the basement hallway (which has a window) so it's part of his room. this just entails some lumber and drywall and paint and such. Much easier than knocking a hole in the foundation.
• In other bruiser news, I get to go through all the hand me downs from Turbo and organize them so I know what we have.  Bruiser is almost out of the T sizes and that makes saving clothes a bit easier.  Sort them by size and go from there. I need to go through adn see what I think he will wear and what he won't.  Sounds fun no?  Some one wanna come help?  No takers?  Darn.
• Well instead how about you go check out Des Hommes et des Chatons. Sexy guys in similar poses to cats.  Very nice eye candy.

Well that's my random.  Boring this week.  But then things have been kind of boring around here anyway.  Boring isn't so bad.  Exciting can be very bad, so for now I'll take boring.
Stacy is back with the Random Rebel, so link up your random!

Where did that Weekend go?

So here we are at Monday again.  Can't say I thrilled to see another Monday.  Weekends are just too short. This weekend was all about indoor stuff as the snow we got Friday turned into an icy, slushy mess and made going outside unpleasant to say the least.
Friday evening we started a fire in the wood stove and hung out.  Turbo played some video games and movies were watched. We had BBQ beef short ribs from the crock pot--so good!
Saturday we did the normal errands and then Nick attacked the basement.  He rearranged and cleaned (some) and made it more comfortable for us all to hang out and do our movie marathons this winter.
I got a raging headache but Aleve knocked it down. I also made salsa--using some of the tomatoes from our tomato plants.  We have enough left to make another batch--when they all turn red.
We did get some hang out time with our cousins.  Green chili and good beer, what more could you ask for?
Sunday was pretty low key.  Nick sorted stuff in the garage.  He found lots of get rid of stuff, reorganized and put away other stuff.  It looks pretty great out there.
Turbo had spent the night with his cousins and after I picked him up, we hit the store for the things we forgot the day before and then headed home for a very lazy day.  I did make a pot of clam chowder.  It was marvelous!
Things were boring enough at our house that no pictures were taken. But here are some from our trip to see the fall color last weekend:

We had a wonderful trip.  Glad we went when we did--the colors are all done now since the snow froze everything Friday.
How was your weekend?  Do tell!

Snowy Confessions

Today is Friday!  Quite possibly the best day of the week--at least by going home time.  So to pass the time until going home time, let's confess:

• We woke up to 6-7 inches of snow this morning.  
• Yes the white stuff:

• And it's still snowing.
• Turbo was disappointed.
• School was still in session.
• Both boys enjoyed playing in the snow this morning though.
• This puppy right here:

• was very careful in the snow, but seems to like it.
• He's growing big already too.
• Almost too big to carry at three and half months.
• The size of his paws scares me a bit.
• I have to give the cat a bath this weekend.
• No exactly my most looked forward toward moment.
• These boys right here:

•  Are growing way too fast.  
• I love them dearly, but wish they would slow down a bit in the growing up department.
• I'm thinking clam chowder sounds fabulous for this weekend.
• Snow always says comfort foods.
• I also joined Twitter.
• I have no idea what I'm doing there, but I joined.

So do you have anything to confess?
Link them up with Aubrey.