tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63125811487075908702024-02-20T17:57:19.072-05:00nothing-fancy-hereA blog set up for the utter amusement of me and the people who love me.Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-78273922661326318282015-09-10T20:22:00.002-04:002015-09-10T20:22:56.650-04:00Long overdue updateIt has come to my attention that I have been very negligent at updating my posts. I have been threatened by my oldest that she wants a hostile takeover. :). So even though I do not have consistent internet, I will do my best to give a quick and accurate update.
Hubby has been given the lead on his current project and that has kept him very busy. Even though he has had many challenges he has metAprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-4335571887204852312014-08-07T20:49:00.000-04:002014-08-07T20:49:23.375-04:00A New Recipe I ventured out to the dollar store in search for plastic cups for the bath time routine. Exciting, I know. But as I pulled up, the eldest said she thought she saw a bulk store. So we HAD to check it out. What a neat place. And I found new inspiration to post another recipe.
While we were going crazy over the stuff we were finding, a few ladies were giggling at our enthusiasm. Of course, we HADAprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-87405472693808682542014-08-05T16:13:00.000-04:002014-08-05T16:13:25.470-04:00Anna Maria IslandAs I sit here, ready to write, I'm having a dilemma. Do I account for the beauty or entertain with the mishaps? Do I go into great detail or just give hints and let you find the gems later? So...true to my introverted personality (hahaha) I will give some glimpses into both adventures that we had this last weekend. :) :)
Anna Maria Island is a "local hideaway." The more people that you talk too,Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-48398977953527637252014-07-26T15:21:00.001-04:002014-07-26T15:21:02.287-04:00Travel and Our New DigsAfter four official days of travel, we have arrived at our destination. Phew! On our way down, we had an opportunity to visit with our friends in Tennessee. Most of two days was spent catching up, enjoying the company, sitting on front porches, and the ever so interesting junk store excursion. I cannot explain why, but the junk store is a place of wonder. It is never the same twice and if Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-30720801976557103352014-07-08T16:09:00.000-04:002014-07-08T16:09:49.561-04:00Our Chaotic Life :)I have often wondered if my friends find my life a little insane. True we move, a lot. And travel for business, a lot. We do a lot of things that are out of the "normal" realm. Things like cloth diapers and wipes, homemade laundry soap, homemade seasoning mixes (taco is a favorite), and hanging clothes out if possible. But what gives me inner humor, if I haven't said it before, is normal is a Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-59675615599032345362013-12-12T14:31:00.001-05:002013-12-12T14:31:55.857-05:00SorryIt has been way to long since I have updated. I have a lot to say, yet I am having a hard time organizing my thoughts. We left Texas in the middle of October and headed home. That is one long trip. Upon arriving home we encountered several challenges including the fact that our Internet line had been severed due to a overly helpful yet careless neighbor. He was mowing the lawn (uninvited) and hitAprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-53249502598926446632013-08-11T16:23:00.001-04:002013-08-11T16:23:50.561-04:00We Are In Texas Y'allSurprise. We are in Texas. Hottest part of the year and surprisingly, it is not too bad. Yes, it is hot. But it isn't the melt in a puddle of sweat type of hot. More like standing in an oven, with a breeze. :) Really it isn't so bad. Seriously, I expected something much worse. It is beautiful here. I love all of the ranches and city-scape and the life is relaxed and friendly. Plus I Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-37660696723397781842013-07-16T22:43:00.001-04:002013-07-16T22:43:42.807-04:00Apple-Spinach Ice CreamSounds amazing right? That's what everyone says. However, my wonderful husband bought me a Vitamix for my birthday. It has been several days and I have had an opportunity to play with this cool appliance. It is the best way to include fruits and veggies painlessly. The best news is, I do not add extra sugars. Just the raw ingredients and ice makes ice cream or sorbet. Less ice and you get a Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-54755596114679821472013-06-22T19:45:00.000-04:002013-06-22T19:45:11.703-04:00Washington D.C.Have you even taken a bike taxi? Well, I had the experience last weekend. Interesting. I'm not really sure that I would like that job but I do bet that he never had to go to the gym. ha-ha. I had never been to Washington and we were lucky enough to be able to cash in some of hubby's frequency points for a few free nights right in the heart of everything. We were a block and a half from the white Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-73747360107675478082013-06-01T12:03:00.000-04:002013-06-01T12:03:04.030-04:00Babbling FunThe days are sunny and hot. But I really have not been bothered by the heat as much as in the past. We have been swimming, walking, visiting friends, seeing more "tourist traps", and visiting favorite spots. The children have collected enough sea shells to keep interested parties entertained for hours. The time we had at Sarah and Matt's was nice. I can not believe how big the children grow Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-83241799423674795482013-04-15T22:48:00.000-04:002013-04-15T22:48:24.692-04:00Update version ...?This post is long overdue. Did you miss me? :) We have been busy doing sewing projects and reorganizing the house and other little things that take up so much time. I wish I had paid more attention when my mother had wanted to teach me how to sew years ago. Maybe I wouldn't be having such a hard time now. But the dresses came out cute...minor things could be better, but... We invented a card Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-1523519413207827482013-01-30T13:43:00.000-05:002013-01-30T13:43:19.386-05:00Just MusingI love the winter. Plain and simple. But here, and only here, can you experience snow, negative wind chills, ice, rain, thunderstorms, 58 degrees, and lake effect snow warnings all in the same week. Never a dull moment. We have really learned that two miles in either direction make a huge difference in the weather that is happening. Last Sunday, I had shoveled almost 18 inches off my drive. When Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-21500552271555091982012-12-03T10:42:00.000-05:002012-12-03T10:42:30.821-05:00Back In VAWe're back. This time we are staying in a different location, but the accommodations are similar. I have to publicly apologize to all of my friends. I'm so sorry I have not called and/or written as much lately. With the house hunt and the constant travel for hubby's work, I feel a touch out of touch. :) We are not planning anything special this trip but we hope to be back home for the Christmas Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-90793470433149103312012-10-26T21:42:00.000-04:002012-10-26T21:42:48.526-04:00My First HurricaneAhh. My first hurricane. For a storm-a-phobic this is a little unnerving. We leave in a little over a day, but the storm path is predicted to come ashore and hit center just north of here. If you watch the weather channel, you get scared real quick. If you watch local weather predictions for the area, you relax. Who is to be believed? I can handle rain. Wind...a little. But 75 mile per hour wind?Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-41052785465334791502012-10-18T22:34:00.000-04:002012-10-18T22:34:40.901-04:00Finishing TouchesAs we come to the end of this trip, I have to admit that I am more than ready to go home. I think that it is a feeling that is shared by all. But, I can not discount all of the fun experiences that we have had. Some blogged about and some not. We have had an opportunity to visit friends, historical sites, a zoo, quaint villages (that still hold true to their roots), festivals, the ocean, Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-4249921775398409862012-09-30T13:19:00.000-04:002012-09-30T13:19:16.942-04:00Neptune Festival, The Ocean, and Richmond Metro ZooWe are so surprised at how many things that we have been able to do while here! We had wonderful weather for a visit to the zoo and chose Richmond Metro because it is closer to where we are staying. Although we had a later start than we had planned, it ended up being perfect. As we entered the first trail/path, a keeper was feeding some of the primates and that allowed us to interact with them inAprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-72148889132962719572012-09-17T15:35:00.000-04:002012-09-17T15:35:55.114-04:00LynchburgI have to tell ya. We had a wonderful time this last weekend. Friday we packed up our ever present cooler and headed to our friends house in Lynchburg. It took a little over two hours but, the traffic was light and the weather was beautiful! We actually had a drive without the air conditioning on. Small miracle. :) When we arrived we were greeted with hugs and lots of excitement. How fun to see Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-36172528002920102682012-09-03T13:04:00.000-04:002012-09-03T13:05:35.544-04:00Altered PlansI must say that we had such big plans for this weekend. Hubby had four days off and we had planned a trip to Virginia beach and the Metro Zoo. But unfortunately we have had rain all weekend. So our plans had to be altered. Instead we have had lots of time to play games and be together. The next time we have off time we are heading west to Lynchburg. Post will follow...Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-11746048930614024562012-08-20T21:19:00.000-04:002012-08-20T21:19:42.079-04:00Maymont EstateWe took a trip to see an estate that sits on 100 acres just outside of Richmond. This estate is neatly tucked into what appeared to be a normal neighborhood. That is until you turned down a side street and came face to face with beautiful rolling hills and a massive expanse of lawn and buildings. Although we did not have time (or energy) to walk the entire place, we did take time to see some of Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-86635600202700244722012-08-13T22:53:00.001-04:002012-08-13T22:53:21.959-04:00Quote: Well Said Pious wishes like “ I wish I were slimmer” or “ I should give up smoking” lead to a sense of guilt and feelings of inadequacy. “ I’m trying” is the battle cry of liars and quitters. “ I should” is a way of blaming yourself before others have time to do it. “ I must” takes he pleasure out of doing anything. “ I hope” is a letter to Santa Claus.
 Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-26978970094101525052012-08-11T14:14:00.000-04:002012-08-11T14:14:34.353-04:00Day FiveWe found our way into downtown Richmond. They have so many things available but because we were just exploring and looking for a specialty grocery, we decided to do the things that were a "drive by" per say. Not to mention that it was 97 degrees with 100 percent humidity. So we drove down monument boulevard. They have several monuments that depict famous people from this area and from the civil Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-73781215217287451192012-08-07T22:34:00.000-04:002012-08-07T22:34:17.002-04:00Day TwoWell, we are here. We made it without any major bumps and bruises. I am actually quite surprised at how well the trip went. Everyone traveled well...considering. Once we settled into our unit, we noticed how nice the place was. We have two bedrooms and two baths. The master has a great soaking tub and pillow top queen beds. Dish TV, high speed Internet, and a full kitchen. Granted, the kitchen Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-75787169391367873402012-08-01T20:00:00.002-04:002012-08-01T20:00:48.027-04:00New DirectionsI always wondered what to use my blog for, and, up to this point it has been rather haphazard. Sometimes rants flow and the very next moment it may be recipes or the newest website I found. So I was thinking that maybe I should leave this for our best homeschooling moments and field trip type stuff. You know, the light bulb moments where somebody might want the same info? The wait! Don't do this Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-51149222731524995332012-07-23T10:29:00.000-04:002012-07-23T10:29:33.712-04:00Long Term LeavingThis is a post of confusion and questions. How does one efficiently plan an extended trip away from home? Especially when homeschooling. Not only that but the dietary restrictions are always a concern. I am a big one for routine and order. I like to know what is going to happen and when, where anything can be found, and how things will look when accomplished. So, in my attempt to plan an Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312581148707590870.post-82814730894949102992012-07-01T14:03:00.002-04:002012-07-01T14:06:57.604-04:00Chicken and Black Bean SoupOhhhh. This is so good. My dad gave me a recipe from his nutritionist. He liked it and thought I might like to try it. Some of the original ingredients were on our no no list but, with a few tweeks, it is wonderful. So here is my version.
1 Tb safflower oil &Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419977469323876170noreply@blogger.com0