To-Do Lists or Not-To-Do-Lists...That IsThe Question...

Here's some 'food for thought'...from one of the blogs I enjoy, called "So Not Domestic"....

I found this fascinating quote today:

Weekly to-do list. On Sundays, I make a list of everything that I want to accomplish for the given week. Then, each day, I select about five items from that list. Of the five things that I choose, I select 2 that I'm really looking forward to, 2 that I can get done easily but they might not be my favorites, and 1 task that I'm really dreading. For me, the "dreaded thing" is usually a phone call I have to make. I have a phone phobia.Donella aka Lazy Housewife, So Not Domestic, Apr 2009

You should read the whole article.

I really like this idea...I AM already a list-maker, and a 'wanna-be list follower'... I really do have good intentions, but when I make out a list of things I don't want to forget, or need to do, there is always something on my list that I DON'T WANT to do ....so I procrastinate... I lose my list...I do one or two things that are not too bad on my list, and then I either conveniently (or cleverly) lose, maim, or destroy my list. I am SO going to try this idea from "The Lazy Housewife". Maybe I can do it... I can pretend I am the little engine that could....maybe...

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.... maybe if I reward myself each day with something I actually LIKE to do penciled in on my daily lists.

So...now I'm challenging myself. (thanks, Donella. You're an inspiration...not to mention hysterically funny...)
Does anyone else have any tried and true systems that you use to keep yourself motivated? Please, please share...

Oh, and I have a phone phobia too....LOLOL

too much to do & not enough time or energy...

 I'm still out at Mom's...keeping pretty busy, doing paperwork, catching her up on her Dr.appointments,etc.

   

I did manage to finish a knit baby sweater

for one of the grandbabies, and a crocheted

bandanna for the baby of one of my daughter's

 friends.  I hope that the bandanna fits. 

 I think it looks cute on one of Mom's dolls.

  :o)))))

My brother Terry and his girlfriend, Deb, came up for the weekend this last weekend.  The job for the weekend was to trim the big, old Elm tree in

 the backyard. 

 I am not sure exactly how old that tree is, but it

 is huge, and many of the limbs were heavy, and hanging over the house. 

Terry was a 'tree surgeon' for many years, so he knows what he is doing. 

I have never seen him in action before though.    It was pretty impressive to watch.

I helped a little, but not nearly as much 

as I feel I should have.  I had to leave halfway through to go pick up Frank from the hospital.

And for the last bit of this 'chatty' post... I made my first real Lemon Meringue Pie...from scratch...not instant pudding...lol...

I picked the lemons from Mom's Meyer Lemon tree, and squeezed the juice even...

It looked like a picture...in fact, Mom 

made me take  a picture...

and even more surprising, it actually tasted pretty good...but it was a lot of work.... LOL.  So I am not sure how often I will make it...

Have an awesome week!

lost in space....

We've been busy, so I haven't posted for a few weeks... we have been working on helping Kim and James finish painting their nursery and bedroom, and stenciling the nursery.  

And of course - had to get in my time with our new grandbaby.  And trying to get our lovebirds listed so we can try and find them new homes.

It's impossible for me to be able to keep up with them lately...just too much going on all of the time it seems.

I am in sunny California again, checking up on my Mom, and 'stuff'.  She is going to have a procedure done tomorrow that will hopefully help ease some of the pain she has been having in her back, and legs.  She is definitely having a difficult time getting around, and her body is not cooperating with her at all. Her mind is still sharp as a tack, tho!

The flight out was interesting.  The little plane that I took for the first 'leg' of the flight had propellers.  I think they had to go out and give them a spin to get them going.  :o)  The engine was so loud, that I was wishing I had brought earplugs along for the trip!!!  (I did see some very fashionable looking ones on fellow passengers in purple, green and pink!  They obviously are seasoned travelers)

As the plane lifted off, it was vibrating so much, that my teeth were rattling.  I have never, ever been airsick before.... but this plane had me looking in the seat pocket to see if they had a 'Motion Discomfort' bag.  (commonly known as a 'barf bag'!)  I was  sort of  disappointed to see that they did, and it was a generic navy blue... very boring.... if I was gonna have to be sick, I would want my bag to have pretty flowers on it, or something interesting... just to improve the experience a bit.  (believe it or not - there are actually people that collect barf bags???)

As it turned out, I didn't need it after all.  But I did need to take some Excedrin for the headache from the engine noise and plane vibration.

The rest of the flight out was uneventful.  (I'm always grateful for that.)  The two people in the next seats were pleasant.  There was an adorable little girl in the seat in front of me, traveling with her Mommy and Grandma.  This little girl was just under 2 yrs old, and so cute! Curly brown hair and big blue eyes.  She was really very good through most of the flight...but 5 hours is a long time for a toddler to sit and not get frustrated with it.  Toward the end of the flight, this little girl had had enough!  I had to shake my head at a lady sitting across from them, who said "I have an idea!  Honey (speaking to the less than 2 yr old) - you should practice your manners.  It's not nice to scream and throw fits on a plane."  I almost laughed out loud at her!  Obviously, she has never had kids!  If I had been that little girls Mommy, I would have been very offended.

I dug through my backpack, which had almost anything you could need...or Not...and found a little flashlight in there.  So I turned it on and showed it to Charlotte (the little girl) and told her it was 'magic'.  She entertained herself, and her Mommy and Grandma with that for almost a half hour.  Too cute!

Well, I am going to pretend that I have a little bit of sense left... and get my butt to bed.

Happy Thursday!! The weekend's almost here...

Surprise 25th Anniversary Celebration!

Our five kids did the sweetest thing for us today. Wednesday the 25th was our 25th wedding anniversary. We celebrated quietly.
All week our kids were bugging us for pictures, and other wierd things. We knew they were up to something, but we didn't know what.
A couple of days ago, Matt & Katie wanted to know if they could give us some 'alone time' and have Nicki stay with them for a few days. But wanted us to pick her up on Saturday (today) at 1 o'clock. No later.
So we showed up at 1 o'clock, and all of our kids were there...
our oldest son had cooked a meal of Chicken Alfredo (which was delicious) and broccoli, and toasted french bread. Our DIL Katie, had baked and decorated two cakes. Our sons, Matt & Joey, and their wives, and our daughters Kim and her husband, James, and our other daughter Nicki, had put together a video with all the pictures set to music, that was beautiful. Hubby and I were both in tears. (good thing) And they invited our best friends, Nancy and Charlie too.
We had a wonderful meal, and then watched the video they had made. They all thanked us for being good parents. (I know, I know, I was shocked too!) Then we had cake...they wanted us to cut it, and to know if we were going to 'behave' when we did...well, of course...after that question...we couldn't - so hubby and I each ended up wearing some yummy chocolate cake.
What fun!
We were very touched that they planned this out...geez, maybe the kids didn't turn out too bad after all...actually, I think they are pretty great.

This is what happens...

Here's a news flash for the day...I did something dumb...lol

We were getting ready to leave this morning, and hubby came in and said that I left a can of the soda in the car yesterday, and he was going out to clean it up. I told him no way, I drank all of it and the can was empty. He said, no...you didn't... I didn't understand he was trying to tell me that the can he was referring to was a full, unopened can. Apparently, I forgot that one in the car, and the temperature dropped below freezing last night.

So...here's why you should never leave an unopened can of soda where it will freeze......note the frozen soda all over the dash...it was also on the roof, the inside of the windshield...etc. And I did not cut the can open...that was from exploding. Luckily, because it was frozen - it wasn't too hard to clean up. Lesson learned...
DUH

unofficial tourism committee

I think I will pretend I am the "unofficial local tourism committee" this morning....

so, do you like snow? Lots of it, you say? Have we got the place for you!!!! So come on up nort' - have we got da snow fer yous!

Just look at all the pretty, pristine, white snow...

makes ya wanna move right in now, doesn't it? Don't forget ta bring lozza dem der snow shuvels....cuz ur gonna need em!!!!





Plenty of parking spaces... you just have to dig them out!!!!




Have a nice picnic with your friends...maybe even a cook out!



Don't forget - it's time to plant those cold weather garden plants... (or so my gardening magazine tells me.) You just have to try and remember where the garden IS.

My calendar tells me it is only 22 more days until spring...I sure hope it can be trusted!

I love snow??????

We are having one heck of a snowstorm tonight! Can I say 'oh joy.'
I am so sick of snow. and ice. and cold weather. Blech.

The snowstorm is named 'Snowstorm Julia'. Around here people must get so bored that they name snowstorms ...whatever. Personally, I think they need to get a life... Snow is snow...and we are supposed to get about 10" of the lovely white stuff tonight. I am. so thrilled. I will try to contain my enthusiasm.
(it's really quite easy to)

Oh, and this snowstorm woke me up from a nice nap. (stooooopid storm) A big boom of thunder, and then lightning (in a snowstorm...only in Wisconsin) woke me right up!!!!

DH had to work in Menasha today, which is about a little over an hour south of us. They sent him home early in the afternoon, because the snow had started and it was coming down heavy. DH said he could barely see the road in front, or tell where the lanes were on the highway. He saw numerous cars in the ditch. It took him almost 2 hours to make the drive home.

It is nasty out there. I am glad I don't have anywhere to go.

So...we are going to stay in and stay warm and safe.

so...what's everyone else doing?