hark...the real news from this girl

Hark...it's not a re-post. It's not just a brief update, with a lost promise for more. It is, however, a combination post, where I attempt to conquer two tasks in one: to update you on my recent life and to share some of my favorite Christmas tree ornaments.

The ornament challenge was presented by my illustrious high school friend, Alison, who was just down for a visit on black Friday. She posted about her favorite ornaments and her eclectic taste for ornaments. I have the same eclectic taste, and often buy what I think looks pretty and unique. When decorating my tree, I combine two kinds of ornaments: traditional round glass ornaments in different colors and one-of-a kind ornaments.

This glass angel is one of my faves. She is covered in blue iridescent glitter and when the light hits her she shines and sparkles.


These stars are fantastic, wonderful, special and inexpensive. Michael's has carried them for three years now and I buy more each time I see them. They are plastic iridescent stars, and they catch the light, but don't take up to much visual room. They don't make the tree look overloaded with ornaments, but they add interest and catch the colored lights.

Yes, I use colored lights. Alison pointed out that only uptight anal retentive people use white lights, or at least I think that's what she admitted. I have been a staunch supporter of the colored lights in my own house, but I do appreciate when people put their white light trees in the front windows. I think those look better than the colored light ones in the windows, but I still put colored lights on my tree. At night I will turn off the lights in the room and stare at my tree. It glows and I love the magic of it.

Have I lost you yet? Okay, so here's the skinny on my life right now. I did post a couple of weeks ago that my job will be phased out at the end of the school year. It was a bummer when I first found out, but now has become kind of like a treasure hunt to find something else. I talked to a couple of people, one of which was a friend at church who is an HR rep for her company. She let me send her my resume, so she could help me retool it, but it turns out they had an opening and I went in last week for an interview with her and her boss.

The interview wasn't intense at all, but laid back and conversational. There was a test I had to take, which I am still thinking about to this day, but it wasn't too bad. They told me I did well on it, so I was glad to know that. I won't know anything about the job for awhile, and I do know they were interviewing other people. However it turns out, I feel good getting back in there and starting down the road to finding a new job.


Okay, another ornament. This one was a gift from a student last year, and I love it. It's a little piece of pop culture. I was so excited to receive it, and went immediately home and hung it on my tree. Another teacher at school also got one, but didn't realize it what it was. I told her it was a shopping bag from Bloomingdales! She didn't really know about Bloomingdales, so I can understand why she didn't think it was as wonderful as I did. It totally adds to my collection since we don't have a Bloomingdales here and the family bought it in Chicago for us! I felt really special.

In other updates, our adoption agency is now working with three birthmothers, so there is a good possibility we could hear something soon. Prayers for that, please.

The kids at school are crazy these last couple of weeks before Christmas. I would say that 95% of our students at school celebrate Christmas, but we have had several parents in this week giving talks about Hanukkah. Either way, everyone is antsy to get to the winter break. Me included. I have major book revisions to do, and can't seem to work on it at the end of the day when my brain is fried. Vacation will help.

Oh, this Friday my sweetie of a husband is taking me away to a bed and breakfast for a night away. What a man!

And, if you need a good read, check out Pioneer Woman's Black Heels to Tractor Wheels series. It is the love story between her and he studly husband, Marlboro Man. What a story! I am still thinking about it. It is in the confessions section of her website.

Charlie is currently working on installing an exhaust fan in our master bathroom. Evidently in 1961 when our house was built it was not code to install fans in bathrooms if they had a window. Ours has a window. But I am certainly not going to be opening it while I am showering in December and we were having a moisture issue in there. Hence, the fan. Charlie is doing a great job, but my bathroom is torn apart, because he also is putting in a new light over the sink. So we have been using the smaller guest bath to shower and get ready. It's tight. And I keep having to go back and forth to the bedroom to get things. That part is annoying, but soon it will be over and I can get back in my bathroom and I will have a fan!

Enough? Do you feel like we've caught up? Hope so. If you have questions, leave a comment!

it's been a long road from there to here

This was last week when we were practicing working with the carseat, before we knew that the baby wasn't coming home. My diaper bag was all packed and the nursery was all ready. That was last Wednesday.

Then my husband came home and told me the news about the change in our adoption status. I sat there and stared at the wall for about 10 minutes. Charlie was concerned that I was really ok, because I wasn't saying much and I wasn't reacting. Normally I am a crier, and I wasn't crying.


It's been a long week. In fact, today I realized it had been exactly a week since we found out the news, and that I expected to be bringing her home tomorrow. It's been a week of tears, of family, of prayers and comfort and chocolate peanut butter fudge ice cream. It's been seven days of realizing I don't really know how to get through this grieving process.

One irony is that we bought a new camera because we were having a new baby. I wanted to be all ready to take fantastic pictures, so we bought a Nikon fancy thing, and I love it.

I sat outside in our yard and took some photos. One of my favorite things in life is light coming through the trees. There is something magical for me about the way the late afternoon sunlight is golden and creates these amazing colors with leaves, and speckles the ground with pockets of sunshine. This is the natural part of our front yard and I stared at it for awhile.

I've been doing a lot of staring off into space. Please excuse me while my mind wanders, I think, when I catch myself doing it. Thinking about her.

Thinking pink. These are the hydrangeas we planted when the social worker was coming for our home study. We wanted the front porch to look nice and our other plants had not made it, since I often forget to water such things. And I love this picture, but it is a small reminder that I had something to look forward to when we bought these plants.

This is my 200 post. It has taken me a little over a year to write 200 letters to you all out in the blogosphere. I started blogging because I needed an outlet to deal with my emotions. Infertility takes so much out of a woman and I couldn't dump it all on my sweet husband. I wanted a place where I could put it out and let it hang. I made a rule with myself that I would never bad mouth my husband or my job (I didn't want to be one of those people who gets in trouble for what they write.) And I began to write.

I wanted to get it all out and share it and meet others who are on the same road, and I have. It has been 15 months of letting strangers into my world and opening myself up to their ideas and support. I do not know what I would do without the prayers and support, not only from the last couple of days, but from other days when I was down or heartbroken. I have made a little family, and while I know very few of you in real life, you are very real to me.

I wish I had a more upbeat post or a giveaway or something really special to share for this 200th post. But this is where I am at, and this is who I am right now. I am a tad heartbroken, but I am trying to trust God and move forward. This setback doesn't mean we won't have a baby, it just means we won't have one right now.


In the spirit of moving forward, these are centerpieces my mom and I did for a wedding coming up next weekend. Our friends Phil and Bethany are getting married, and Bethany chose a Tuscan theme for the ceremony and reception. And Bethany loves orange. Has always dreamed of having orange in her wedding. I know, it's certainly unique, but I love the way these centerpieces turned out. The wedding is going to be lovely and special and Charlie has to wear a tux, so YUM. I promise we will have pics to show off when all that is over, so you just sit back and wait.

There really isn't much more to say except that you have loved me as I am, and if you haven't, you aren't reading my blog. Those of you who do come back, I appreciate. Not just because you read and comment, but because I believe we lift each other up when we can. I am thankful that I started putting myself out there, and I will continue to do so, trusting that you all are going to be here, even when I am sad and grieving.

I'm Sissy, and I'm Out on a Limb.

turn it off

I spent part of this morning copying down recipes from Messy, Thrilling Life. If you've never been over there, you better go quick! The author of that blog, Brin, is shutting it down soon and you'll be missing out if you don't read her a little bit before she's gone. Her recipes are wonderful and creative and unique, and she has lead an interesting life for someone under 30. She has been in my favorites list for a long time, and I will miss her.

But it made me wonder...how long will I blog? I have been at it a little over a year and I like blogging. I do. I like the connectedness to women all over the country and around the world that are interested in the same things as me. I like reading other people's opinions on things and seeing what they are going through.

There are times though, when I feel obligated to this blog and need to find something to write about. There are times when I don't know what to write and I have to come up with something. There are times when I feel like I am boring my readers when I only get two comments.

When will I turn it off? I don't think I will any time soon. While I would love to have more readers, I don't know that I could keep up with a blog like Pioneer Woman if I also had a job. It would have to BE my job. I like my little corner of the internet.

How long do you think you will blog? What drew you to it? What makes you come back day after day to read about other people? I am curious about these things. I wonder. Why are we all here, putting little pieces of our lives out on the internet? Let me know. I would like to learn a little more about you.

And, if you have a chance, stop by and read a few of Brin's recipes. I think you might find something that you might want to cook and eat. Personally, I copied down the recipe for Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenderloins with Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce. Yum.

mostly martha

Today Martha Stewart is talking blogs, and it's a rerun. One that evidently aired back during the election and I missed cause I work while Martha is on. All the people in the audience are holding their laptops and she is talking to famous bloggers: Perez Hilton, Smitten Kitchen, MattBites, Eddie Ross, etc.

I wonder why I wasn't invited?

These people have millions of readers, and are making a living off their blogs. Perez Hilton is talking about how he spends sometimes 15 hours a day blogging. He doesn't leave his house during the week in case he misses something. He only parties on the weekends now.

Sheesh.

I give total props to people who can make money from their blogs. And it's even more impressive if you can take that blog and quit your job. Nice.

I was reading A Year With My Crockpot today, because I wanted to see how her year ended up. Stephanie made something with her crockpot everyday this year. EVERY. DAY. EVERYDAY. She has maybe 5 crockpots and has made everything from soups to desserts to crayons in her crockpot. And then she emailed the Rachael Ray show and got on the show to talk about crockpots. Totally neat. (I know, "neat" is like a word from the 50s or something.)

I can pretty much say that I probably won't ever have millions of followers, or even thousands of followers. I have no niche, like they advise. I don't blog about something really specific. I'm not all food, or all gardening, or all photos, or all decorating. (They totally should have called the Nester for this Martha episode!) I write about what's going on in my life, and sometimes it's not that interesting.

Like last night for New Year's Eve we had some friends over, ate waffles, and watched the Matrix. This morning I put in a egg casserole that I prepped yesterday, and I am drooling while waiting for it to finish. Later we are rearranging some furniture and working on adoption forms before I make spaghetti and the husband stops to watch a football game.

My life is totally worthy of some sponsors, don't you think?

I'm a follower

I guess the old saying mentions something about the road less traveled right...and how that's somehow a good thing. Making your own path, carving your own mountain, wandering down a road that isn't paved with so many other people's mistakes. Or maybe it's something about seeing what others have missed when you have time to reflect, you can see the beauty.

I like the paved road. I do. I like it when other people have been there before and can give me advice. I like to hear about their experiences and any tips they might have to make my life easier.

But in this blogger world, being a follower is a good thing. It shows what you like to read and who you're loyal to in cyberspace. And I'm slow on this blog thing sometimes and I don't pay attention to my dashboard very often. So today when I had to log my husband off, and log on myself, I saw that I have ten followers. Ten whole people who come and read my blog. And some of them I haven't met before, but went off to read. So hi, followers. Welcome to my little corner of the world wide web. I hope you feel comfy here and will continue to come back and share the love.

So, to all ten of you who might be considered on the road less traveled, since I don't have 400 followers, this post is for you. Now that I know about you, I am coming to meet you, to see what you're all about. I think you'll be my kind of gal. I think we'll be friends, I hope so.

And I might have to be a follower myself. Who knows what things I might try now that I am a follower...are drugs and violence next? Just kidding.

Who knows where I might pop up next?

works for me wednesday

Okay, so it took me three tries to spell "wednesday" in the title, so you can tell what kind of day it is. I am tired. I am gearing up for Christmas shopping and I am tired. Already.

But I love these. They aren't new or flashy, but they make life worth living. I honestly avoided my crockpot before these babies.



I love them, and know many of you do too. How can you not? And how can they not have invented these before...oh, wait, they did. They are the SAME EXACT thing as the turkey bags for your oven! If you can't find the liners, you can use those. It works, I've tried it.

Happy Wednesday. Only 7 more days until winter break.

in real life...

I met Emily the first year I taught high school. It was also the first year I taught, period. We were both new to the school and were among the youngest staff coming in. I would be teaching Art and Emily would be interpreting for a deaf student. I immediately thought that was cool.



Her student, Yvonnia, ended up taking three Art classes, so Emily was in my class everyday. While the students were working, we got to know each other. I learned a lot of sign language and she learned to paint a little. The second year we were there she was planning her wedding and I was planning the prom. I have already showed you our prom pics in another post. And she has shared about our Dawson's Creek obsession, so you know we were very girly together.



Let me say that Emily is one of the neatest people you will meet, in real life. She is a listener. A good one. And the advice she gives is spiritually grounded and is often right on the money. She is a good counselor and a great mom. And I can tell you that we can talk about any subject. ANY subject. Like how Emily got married before me and had already been on her honeymoon and so had plenty advice for little ol' me, get it?



Now, I don't get to see tons of Emily, cause I think I mentioned that she is a great mom, which means lots of time with her kids. And she and her husband are very involved with their church, so that means even more things that they are doing. Plus, if you read Emily, you know she is a decorating madwomen with a new house as a palette. Emily was a bridesmaid and photographer at my wedding. We weren't all digital back then, but trust me, her shots are better than the photographer that I paid $1500 to have.



But when we do meet up, it's good. We fall right back into conversation so easily. This past Saturday we made a date for brunch. Then brunch led to yardsaling. And pictures in my living room (and if we look pale, don't judge. We are both sick in this photo.) We wandered around my neighborhood looking for bargains and found an extra special one that I will share in my next post. I was so excited when I spotted this gem that I actually kicked my foot up behind me liked I had just been kissed.



Friendships that last over 10 years are hard to maintain. And we go through periods where the blogs are the only way we manage to catch up.



But, I am ever so glad she's only five minutes away from me. It's sad for the rest of you, I know. But hopefully someone is an Emily to you.



Oh, and somehow I blogged right on past my 100th post. This is number 108, folks!

seven things

I am adapting this post from one I read on Stretch Marks. Now, Melissa is really funny and has a much more entertaining life than I do, but hey, you all might want to know the innerworkings of my mind...so here goes.

Seven things I can't do:

• gymastics...my body wasn't meant to bend that way
• sing (oh, how I wish I could)
• straighten my hair
• visit the reptile house at the zoo
• watch horror movies
• eat shrimp
• run marathons

Seven things I do well:

• cook
• read
• craft ( i am all sorts of artsy craftsy)
• remember things...I was an awesome student because my memory is so sticky
• drive...now, I drive well. not fast.
• make a mess
• email

Seven things you might hear me say:

• shhhh (I'm a librarian!)
• all the words, charlie. Listen to all the words.
• ouch (I'm clumsy)
• what are you doing wrong, and how can you fix it? (this is the teacher in me)
• Lucy, hush!
• water with lemon, please
• turn over, charlie, you're snoring.

Seven celebrity crushes:

• George Clooney
• Matthew Perry
• Tom Colicchio (top chef)
• Patrick Dempsey
• John Krasinski
• Robert Downey Jr.
• Michael Vartan

Seven things that made me love my husband:

• his kindness
• his dedication to see something through
• let's face it, he's so darn cute
• his intelligence
• he isn't afraid of much
• he doens't mind that I have those seven celebrity crushes, he has his own
• he loves me

Hope you enjoy learning about lil ol me.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Friday was my Mom's 66th birthday and we celebrated in style. We had two couples over and I made dinner and then we had cake. That doesn't sound that stylish, does it?

Well, it isn't. It isn't that special.

But what made it special is that this is the first time in almost 13 years that we have been together on her birthday. We have lived in two separate states and our birthdays always fell during the school year, and we are both in education. But now that she is retired, we were able to celebrate together.


I bought her this purse. Now, I loved this purse in the store. It is so pretty and I wanted it for me, which tells me it is a good present. And my mom actually liked it, so that was good. But it turns out that she had already bought herself a purse yesterday, so she ended up with two. Her selection of purse was not as wonderful as mine, but she was happy with both.

I know you want one, too.

I bought it at Kohl's, if that helps anyone, and it was on sale. I know I will probably have to buy one in the coming days for myself, now that I see her carrying it around. I think they have it in red, too. Oh baby.

And, a reader emailed me this morning that when she was looking up ways to recover her ottoman, my Ottoman 101 post came up in the results. She had never been to my blog before and came over and read that post! I guess I never think that the things we write could actually be "googled." Wow.

Wow...what a day that was....

Who knew I was so funny? I mean, I think I am funny in person, but I wasn't sure I was funny in print. Most of you gals that have kid stories have such better things to write about, so I was nervous about my posts. But, I am glad to report that I tickled a few funny bones and impressed a few readers with my lovely hail photography. And I am happy to report that I am still the reigning "Queen of the Indoors." No one tried to steal my title or my crown. Which I polish each night, people. As I watch tv. And read. And eat popcorn.

Yes, Mom is quite the riot. She was proud that you all wanted her to come over and help you. And I am not ashamed of my fear of the staple gun, or my love of my glue gun. We all have our things, and these are mine. My eccentricities, if you will allow. And I know you will.

So, thanks for stopping in and getting to know me a little. And thanks for all the compliments on my blog design. I think my designer is already booked through this year, but her link is down on my sidebar if anyone is interested. She is awesome as you may have already guessed and she won an award for my blog design.

And yes, I do leave the dog hair on my floor for more days than is probably good. I love a good tiramisu, although my diet does not. That bio is certainly me.

If you come back on Saturday, I will show you the FABULOUS present I got my mom for her birthday. You will want it. So bad.

And if any of you want to know Lula's secret...too bad. I ain't telling. No way. I am keeping it all to myself.

Welcome SITSas!

Today is my day as the featured blogger on SITS. Thanks for coming over and checking out my little neighborhood. It's quite comfy here, even though it is POURING as we speak. But, curl up, grab a cup of steaming chai tea and read about my silly life.

Other than the big feature today, I appreciate all your love with my randomness the other day. The first week of school is always really draining. There is so much going on and I never feel like I get it all done. Plus, this afternoon, I need to shop for Mom's birthday present and order a cake. There isn't much time to get it all done.

On the bright side, my mom is cooking dinner.

Having my mom live with me does have it's perks. It's like having a wife to come home to who already put dinner in the oven, ironed my pants, and swept the floor. She says this is her way of paying rent.

I have introduced her to Target, Bones, and Stephenie Meyer. Now, she hasn't actually picked up a Twilight book, but I am sure it isn't far away. I told her all about Edward and Bella and told her the entire story of the Host (which I finally read, and it rocks!) So, we're each getting something out of this arrangement.

Well, I thank you all for coming and leaving some love for this lil' ol' blogger! Come back soon!

me and my fancy pants

Hi, faithful readers! I am wearing my fancy pants today. Why?

Today I am the guest columnist at Saucy Chefs! Are you excited? You should be! I think most of you know I love to cook and Heather and Tiffany asked me to write a monthly column. My posts will be about quick cooking with semi-homemade ingredients.

This month's recipe is Spicy Chicken Pasta and is yummy!

Click on the Saucy Chef on the left to read how to make this flavorful pasta dish in about a half an hour!

Oh, my room is coming along just fine! Today I made a million holes in the wall putting up a photo collage on my dining room wall trying to get the arrangment just right.

I tried to arrange them first on my dining room table and then put them up. I will show you the results when I post pictures of the finished rooms.

I have on my fancy pants and I'm still a tease. Well, what do you know? I am Saucy!

Update: They are having a contest for a camera at SITS, so check it out and enter to win!

the secret

I know, I know, I am the last on the bandwagon! But it wasn't because I didn't want to do it, it was because I didn't know HOW to do it. That's right...I had no clue how to paste the HTML and I think, like Heather, I thought it stood for HotMail. Seemed appropriate. But, now that I have figured it out, I can proudly display my saucy new sidebar.



I know. You've been there for weeks. I know, everyone looooves it. And I do too. I am just a late bloomer. But, I have done something many of you have not.

I have actually talked to Heather on the phone.

That's right, people. I have made contact. Turn those green eyes of jealousy away.

I had to call. I had to throw myself at her mercy and please, please, pretty please, tell me how to paste this HTML stuff into my page. Pretty please, with sugar on top?!

Thanks, Heather! You were very helpful and it was fun to talk to you. In person would be better, but I will settle for the phone. I have to. You live in COLD Colorado where it spring hasn't sprung and I am all the way over here in NC. Where it is HOT.

I did see one other Bloggy friend in person today. Emily came by and we talked paint samples, So You Think You Can Dance, and Dawson's Creek. Ahhh, the memories of Dawson's Creek. Em and I used to get together every week to watch the Creek. She would drive over to my apartment and we would eat dessert and watch our favorite teenage soap. We loved it. So much soapy, teenage drama fun.

And I finally sent poor Lula the book she won. Finally. Sorry, Lula.

It has been a fun day. My second day of vacation. Sleeping in is bliss. Watching Racheal Ray is a treat. Hanging with Emily was a bonus and eating in my clean kitchen was relaxing. Talking to Heather was a treat, and the nice man at the Post Office who only made me wait 3 minutes was an angel sent from heaven.

I love summer.