I was all ready to post about the debacle of a trip…how I forgot the blanket and the memory card for the camera…how I had to make a $100 trip to Wal-Mart the night that we got to the campground and all the improvisations (is that a word?) that we made throughout the weekend…like using unfolded hotdog buns for hamburger buns, etc…but I can’t get past the kids growing up…

This is the third year that we’ve visited this campground for the 4th of July…so that means that the first trip, Matthew was 7, Sam was 4 and Regan 3….

Wel…Matthew now just takes off on his bike…helping out where he can and just playing hard (and helping when he can…) this year, Matt and Tim went to the dirt track races…after they left the girls took off to go on (another) hay ride…and there I sat…just me and the dogs…and I began to think just all that had happened the 2 days that we were there…

the training wheels had come off both Regan and Sam’s bikes…they aren’t hanging around bugging us anymore…they are making their own friends and we never see them…they are going down the slide at the pool without me waiting at the bottom to catch them…Samara without floaties…she’s swimming underwater without holding her nose…and then Matthew…well, like I said…we didn’t see him all weekend…

so I could tell you all the stuff that went wrong, but right now…with the kids just leaving 2 hours ago with my parents, I won’t…I’ll just tell you that I feel like I blinked once and overnight, they grew up…

i wonder how many more summers we can get away with camping trips that EVERYONE wants to go on? My guess is not many…but that’s okay too…we have the memories of these (Which are currently being developed at WalGreen’s one hour photo lab…can I tell you how long it’s been since I’ve taken ACTAUL pictures on film and had to get them developed???????)

Until next time…

Heather

PS…everyone had some sort of BIG news this weekend…while the girls ditched their training wheels, and Matthew ditched the girls, I started a campfire all by myself and Tim won the 50/50 at the dirt track races….$924….

Tim had to go out of town…the only thing left in the office was to paint…so guess who had the GRAND idea to paint it so that I could get the house back into some semblance of order?

Yeah, that would be me…

I started last night after Tim left…I primed it, I caulked it (look out Caulk Master) and then I started on the trim…

Today, I knew that I had to finish the trim but I was just sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo tired. About 5, Sondra calls and tells me that Michael is coming over to help me. He gets there at 8, I had just finished the trim, and we finished up at 11. My goal was to have it done by Friday when Tim got home.

It’s done. I can now say that I helped to finish the office. It’s a nice feeling to have. I just hope I did everything right…

And now I’m pooped and I have to get to bed…

Until next time..

Heather

PS. I miss Tim

First off, I’m asking for my money back…

I’ll tell you why…

“Newly remodeled” my butt…

Our accomodations….

The “business” center

The common area…and a crappy little 19″ TV…that had the NASCAR race on…

The coffee nook…obviously, you can see where all their money goes…it was probably the highlight of the trip!

Secondly, the brochure said romance. HA! How can there be romance when there is golf and not one, but TWO NASCAR races on??? That channel shouldn’t be allowed on the satellite line up…

Thirdly, I was promised deers, bears and turkeys…We saw one deer, 2 turkeys and no bears. What wasn’t on the brochure was a dead rabbit (that we later found out was a shot cat), a dog eating a turtle and lots of BUGS!

Fourth…I was told there was a pond with LOTS of fish in it, perfect for someone who’s not good at fishing. Yup, I caught no fish! What I did catch were trees and cat tails and lots of slime. I still had the same half of a worm an hour later!

All joking aside, it was a beautiful trip. I had planned on coming up here and being bored out of my skin but I wasn’t. I turned into a total sloth even though I had a lot of writing to do. I did manage to get three articles done but other than that I was out riding with Tim on the Rhino, fishing, eating, or sitting in here playing computer games. I did steal one of Scott’s books too. Luckily it was one that he had already read.

I’ve decided that if Tim wanted to kill me and get rid of my body, he could’ve done it here. No one would’ve ever found me, I’m convinced of that. We found a bone in the creek today and I just said “that’s from the last guy that brought his girlfriend out here.”

I’m still not exactly sure where we are. I know that we’re about 20 miles from Parkersburg, I know that it’s off 77, and I know that the town is called Elizabeth, but it’s not really in the town. If you remember the ex POW Jessica Lynch, she’s from Elizabether. It’s back this road that I’m not sure what happens when two cars have to pass one another. We haven’t run into that problem, and I don’t think it’s a highly travelled road, but it was interesting to drive on it to say the least. I speak as if I’ve driven on it, but I haven’t. I wouldn’t. I’m too scared.

That’s another realization that I’ve come to since arriving at the Outpost. I’m getting girly in my old age. While I realize that getting older is normal, I’m also a little dissappointed in the lack of the thrill seeking that I used to have. For example, I woke up Saturday morning at 8:30…Tim was already up, coffee was made and after my second cup, he asked me if I wanted to go to the pond. We take the Rhino. There are seat belts, I put mine on. Getting to the pond wasn’t so bad, but it was when we left the pond and went exploring through the 135 acres here that we are free to roam. I was scared to death! What’s wrong with me????

But here are some pictures that we took while riding around this morning

Here is where the trail ended. So guess what we did? Well, first we turned around and try to get to the meadow another way but couldn’t find one. So we went back and just went through the creek!

We headed to Parkersburg for the day on Saturday…

We took a ride on the Ohio River to Blennerhasset Island…this family had the worst luck! I was amazed!

And there was a wedding! Had I known, I would’ve dressed nicer. But the bride was on the ferry with us on the trip over and as we ate our lunch, we watched them tie the knot! I think the whole island did! It was quite the spectacle.

There’s the house from atop one of the many hills we were on…

and you really can see forever…it was gorgeous!

I think what I liked the most were the sunsets. We played with the camera alot to get the best pictures and I think we have more pictures of the sunset than we will ever need. It really was breathtaking…

Tim on the Rhino

I even told Tim that we should come here for vacation…I’d come back anytime. It really was a nice escape from reality. There’s no one for miles, and it’s amazing. It just is. Tim even asked me if I was bored and said that we could go home early. Even if I was bored, which I was not, I wouldn’t leave. He loves this nature stuff. But I managed to find my groove here too and I really do love it here.

Now I think I’ll be finding all kinds of weekends for Tim to come up and help Scott so that I can come too. I promise I won’t be underfoot. I’ll just hang out in the business center or on one of the many porches taking it all in.

Thanks Scott for giving us your place for the weekend…we had a wonderful time…

Until next time…

Heather

PS. If you’re REALLY bored…we took LOTS of pictures (there was nothing else to do but take pictures of every tree known to man…) you can see all of them in the gallery.

Friday was the first annual International Virtual Assistants Day and I was so tickled to get flowers…not once, but TWICE…

These are from a colleague…

and these are from Tim’s mom…

and of course…Tim is building me a new office…

I’ll have pics of that later!

Until next time…

Heather

I fully believe that certain people shouldn’t use tools. It’s a danger to themselves and others. I do not believe that I should be categorized among these people. Others feel differently.

So why am I bringing this up now?

Over at the Outpost there was an entry about Scott and how he shorted wires when attempting to hang a clock. Not only is this man allowed to use a hammer, he’s allowed to use power tools. This bothers me. Not because he uses them, but because I can’t.

Through the comments on the thread, beginning with mine asking why he was allowed to use a hammer and I was not, it was requested that I explain why I’m not allowed to.

Picture it…Richmond…2003

My first Christmas on my own with out a man to put up the Christmas tree. This is important. There was always someone to pick out the tree and put it in the stand and hang the lights before I began decorating. I grew up believing that this was a man’s duty. While he put up the tree, I was to be going through the Christmas decorations pulling out the ornaments and placing the other knick knacks throughout the house making it festive. It’s how it was done for 26 years of my life.

However, I had made up my mind that we were going to get a Christmas tree and that *I* was going to put it in the stand. I was independant after all. I had moved across the state to a city where I knew no one. I had made these choices. It was time for me to start doing these things for myself and not calling Daddy to come and save me. I had learned how to take the car to the shop for an oil change, after all, surely I could put up a Christmas tree.

I call my dad and ask him about putting up a tree. How do I get it home? Where do I get a tree stand? Dad’s response…”Go to the tree lot, show a little leg, and they’ll take care of you.” That was Dad’s response to everything. He was convinced that all I had to do to get “my way” was flirt. I’m not really for that. I’m not a good flirter with strangers, but I was desparate. The kids and I headed to the tree lot (and really, what good does flirting do when you have two kids in tow?)

We pulled in. I’m ready to play “poor little Heather” and there stand two women. So I guess that I’m not going to be able to play the “oh help me you big burly man” game. Part of me was relieved. The other part was screaming “oh s#$&! How are the kids and I going to get this tree home?”

The women helped us select a tree. I asked them about sawing off the bottom. I knew Dad did that when he got it home, but I didn’t have a saw at home, so after looking at me like I was retarded, she sawed the bottom of the stump off for me a little and she helped me strap it to the car.

Off we went. We headed to Lowe’s. I headed straight to the tree stand section. I looked at the man and said, “I need a tree stand that an idiot can put a tree in.” He looked at me as if I were the only person that had ever looked for an idiot proof stand. He handed me one. My father NEVER paid $25 for a tree stand, but he wasn’t an idiot and could get by with the stands that were cheaper. The man told me “it’s so simple. You just stand it in there and turn the screws”.

We headed back to the house and I told the kids that they needed to clean up first thinking I could buy some time and put the tree in the stand outside (because that’s what dad always did) before I took it in the house. I had a large tree; it didn’t look that big when I was buying it and I did manage to get it in the stand and the screws screwed.

I told Matthew to come out and look at it to tell me if it was straight. He said “a little to the left mom” and I said “your left or my left?” He doesn’t know there are two lefts and we all got confused but we FINALLY got that tree in and straight.

I took it in the house. We had the perfect corner of the living room picked out and there it sat.

I put the lights on, trying very hard to remember how Dad did it. We didn’t use the big bulbs though, we used the twinkling ones; the little ones. I got the lights on and the star (it was connected to the lights) and then I let the kids decorate!

Matthew was standing on top of the coffee table so that he could reach the top of the tree and Samara — well I don’t know what she was doing…I’m sure it was unproductive… Matthew had all the breakable ornaments laid off to the side. He was going to put those up top so we didn’t knock them over.

He had two ornaments left to put on the tree and the stupid thing fell over.

The WHOLE TREE!!! Right onto Matthew and the coffee table.

We picked the tree up and started over as most of the ornaments had fallen off. The tree was relatively straight this time and Matthew again started placing the ornaments on the tree. As he placed the last ornamnet, the damned thing fell again.

By this point in time I was livid over this whole stupid tree thing. If I didn’t have two kids who thought that Santa wouldn’t come if we didn’t have a tree, it would’ve gone out on the curb and I would’ve been done with it!

I remembered Dad bolting the tree to the ceiling one year because Sam kept knocking it over. (This would be Sam, my dog as a kid, not my daughter).

Dad, upon his first visit to my house, purchased several little kits of screws, nails, and picture hangers. I found the picture hanging kit with an eye hook (I think that’s what it’s called) and some precut fishing wire. I hammered the little eye thing in the wall and then took my fishing wire around the tree but it wouldn’t reach. So I yanked the eye out of the wall and hammered it elsewhere.

This went on until I had about 6 holes in the wall and the fishing wire finally fit around the tree and in to the little eye hook. And then I looked at the tree. It was VERY crooked.

I left it like that and the kids decorated it and I said to my father, “unless I have a man to put the tree up next year, I’m getting a fake one.”

He said, “Like hell you will”

I said, “What are you doing the 2nd weekend in December?”

As it turns out, I wasn’t in Richmond, I was here in Roanoke again and Tim’s been my tree putter upper ever since…and that’s why I’m no longer allowed to use a hammer.

Until next time…

Heather

So I head to the nail salon this morning like I do every other Saturday morning. I like to get there when they first open so that I don’t have to wait. Normally, I get a pedicure and a manicure, but today had decided on just a manicure. Don’t know why…I just didn’t feel like getting my toes done.

I got them done and went for a brighter color thatn I normally do and went over to put them under the dryer. Another lady sat down and just about the time she asked me how I was, I let out a yawn. I replied, “I’m just so tired this week!” Which is the truth; I’ve been in bed early every night this week and just haven’t wanted to get out of it either in the morning.

She says to me, “Are you in high school?” I about fell over and yelled (probably louder than I should have) “You just made my day! I’m 29 years old and have 2 kids!”

She said, “I thought you were tired from exams this week!”

I couldn’t believe it! That, coupled with Tim telling me I looked “mighty cute” before I left just made my day!

Looks like it’s going to be a good day after all! I’m just going to work on my writing while I listen to the rock concert in the demolition zone. Although he was at Lowe’s pretty early this morning getting 2×4s for the room. And now they are going up!

Until next time…

Heather
(the cute high school kid!)

I really think that it needs to be invented. You know, just like the witness protection program, only for mothers. It wouldn’t be for mothers that were being protected from abused husbands and the like and the whole family wouldn’t be protected, just the mother. And it wouldn’t be forever, just for a little while.

But mother’s should have some form of protection. I mean think about it…where do mother’s go to get alone? Not the kitchen…everyone is in and out drinking from the open carton of milk or juice or coming in to get yet another glass out of the cabinet even though they’ve used at least one other during the day.

It’s certainly not the bathroom and I don’t think I’ve peed in peace since I was 20 years old and gave birth to Matthew. Even now when they are at school, Napolean feels the need to escort me in there.

The bedroom? No…that’s where Tim escapes to when the kids are in the living room watching TV. I can’t go in the shed. That’s Tim’s and sacred. Plus I would be too tempted to play with something and could end up hurting myself.

I don’t have a laundry room since that’s in the kitchen. If I went in Samara’s room, I’d either kill myself getting in or out and Matthew’s room is off limits because everything has a place (whether I think it should be there or not) and there’s too big of a chance for me to disturb something.

So where does that leave me to go? To escape? Everyone else has a place of solitude but me…so I think that the Mother’s Protection Program should be implemented…

oh wait…that’s Sondra calling…apparently it has been. It’s a place called Rancho Viejo…no kids, no significant others and all the margaritas you can drink….

Until next time…

Heather

Oy….

Matthew comes home with a butterfly that has a broken wing. Samara wants to let it out of the box to fly around so it won’t be cooped up while the dogs are outside.

Matthew tries to explain to her that it can’t fly; that it has a broken wing. She’s not happy with this answer…she screams “I WANT A NEW BROTHER!”

So he returns fire “I WANT A NEW SISTER” and I have a war over a broken winged butterfly. Who knew?

The butterfly’s name is Lucky. Lucky needs a new home so says Matthew. Samara wants to take an old pail and have Tim drills holes in it. Matthew thinks that’s stupid and wants to get a jar. Why the bug box that Lucky is currently in isn’t suitable, I don’t know. I spent enough money on it.

But Lucky has caused a war at our house…I keep trying to explain that Lucky isn’t really “lucky” and that eventually he’s (she’s?) going to die…and that neither one of them can have a new brother or sister. I don’t think they understand any of it.

I want a new head…a sane life…i’m not going to have either and I’m dealing with it…why can’t they?

Until next time…
H

Ok, so more people are overly interested in what’s going on in our lives than I thought….

So here goes….a long over due update on what’s been going on with us….

Tim:

Well Tim’s pretty much been gone every weekend. He’s either been in West Virginia helping Scott with his house (you can see some pics here at the blog that Tim installed for him www.outpost19b.com) or he’s been in North Carolina visiting Regan since she’s had soccer games. Which means I’ve been left to my own devices way more than I should be! But he’s been busy.

He’s also been working on the house here and there as time permits and last weekend he replanted my sunflowers and my tomatoes outside.

Let’s see…oh! in March, he bought an ‘02 Dodge Durango. He’s in love with it and I will admit, it’s a nice ride…I got to take it to Tennessee the last 2 weekends. But it’s nice. Now we can take all of us (and the dogs) camping in one vehicle. It’s sweet…gotta DVD player and everything in it! Much fancier than I’m used to!

Me

Well, I’ve been busy. Work, work, and more work! But I have taken some time out for myself. I’ve been to get a manicure and pedicure, and I’ve gone out with the girls and with Tim.

Last week, I joined the gym. I don’t know why. I did. It seemed like the thing to do at that time. I’m enjoying it though. I have a little routine, kinda. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday is Jazzercise. That’s the only class that I really like that I’m not dying when it’s over and I’m bummed when it ends. I like it. There are other jazzercise classes but not ones that I can get to. So I’ll have to stick with them. Sondra joined too and so we’ve gone together. I went to the step class on Friday night by myself and I thought I would DIE by the time it was over.

I think that they should post a warning outside the step class that alerts people who lack coordination that they should proceed with caution. I don’t think that I could keep up because I didn’t know where that step thing was when I was jumping all around. Either that or I was tripping over my own two feet!

But that’s the gym. The kids like going as well. They have a pretty nifty set up for the kids and each of them are in their own room and have some space, so that’s good.

What else have I been up to?

Um….I think that’s about it. Work, work and more work, but now that it’s summer (or at least getting a little warmer) I’m starting to scale back a bit. There’s just no point in sitting inside when it’s so nice outside. In fact, 3 times in the last month, we’ve gone to the park to eat. Twice we picked up a bucket of chicken and then this past Sunday, we took the kids and grilled out…and that was very nice. I have Tim to thank for this. he’s the one who’s very into being outside. I like it. Maybe when I get older, I’ll like it too…

Matthew

Matthew participated in his first Destination Imagination competition the end of March and I think he did really well, but he’s my kid. They didn’t win anything, but they had a good time and I think he’s going to participate again next year.

He spent a week with Mamaw, Nana, and Papaw over Easter Spring Break and he’s come home a “man” complete with a belt, hankerchief, and knows what all the pockets of his jeans should hold. He’s also decided that he’s going to play football this fall and is rather excited about it. And since I’ve joined the gym, he’s very excited about losing some of his gut as well.

He’s taking his first communion at church sometime soon. He’s shooting for Pentacost and he has his books and his notebook to jot down the questions and he’s excited about that as well. He’s also goingto be an acolyte starting in June. He’ll start out as a torch bearer and then work his wa up. I just hope he doesn’t get wax in his hair like I did when I was a torch bearer.

He’s been having some trouble with spelling but we’re working on that now. Of course, I’ve threatened him within an inch of his life to get the grade up and he wants to go to Camp Bethel this summer. He wants to go for at least a week, maybe two…so we’ll see.

I think that’s all that Matthew’s been up to!

Samara

Sam is still Sam. She also participated in Destination Imagination this year and wants to do it again next year. She also started cheerleading but between being sick for 7 days, getting in trouble, and then spring break, she’s not been in 3 weeks. We’ll try again this week…

She was sick for 7 days and missed 5 days of school. She just had a fever that wouldn’t go away and now she’s fighting allergies…poor kid. We just went and stocked up on the Claritin for her. It seems to help and not make her as hyper as the Benedryl.

She’s going to cheer for Hidden Valley this fall and shes excited about that, but in all honesty, Sam’s still Sam. Still doing the same stuff. She did get enough money at Easter to pay for 1/2 of her ticket to see Kenny Chesney this summer. Now she says she just needs $5 more so that she can buy a key chain….

Regan

We haven’t seen a whole lot of Regan since she’s had soccer and Tim’s been going to NC. She was here last week for spring break but stayed with her grandma. She spent Thursday with me and we had a great day at the mall and she helped me pick out 2 new pairs of flip flops…she’s doing well in school and seems to like it. We’re looking forward to getting back to normal with the kid schedule… I’ve missed her!

I think that’s about it…to catch you up over the past 6 weeks…I’ve got some pictures that I will put up soon and I promise (Julie) that I will try to post a little more often!!!

Until next time…

Heather

I’m a workaholic. I know it. But sometimes you just have to take some time off. I’ve reached that point today. Actually, I hit it at about 5 yesterday.

I went down and spent some time with the neighbors and then Tim, the kids and I took a family trip to Wal-Mart and then came home and played Disney’s Scene It! Tim won. Sam has a little trouble shouting out the answers before the rest of us.

I got Matthew to his dog training class this morning, shipped Tim off to North Carolina to go watch Regan’s first soccer game. (I do have beautiful pictures of the living room to post, but I sent the camera with Tim so that he couls take pictures, so those will have to wait.) And then Jackie and I went to get a pedicure.

No, I’m not a pedicure kinda gal, however, when she called to ask where to go, it struck me as something to do…to get out and spend time for myself, so Sam, Jackie and I headed off to get pampered. Sam of course just got to watch, but I enjoyed it and now my toes are cute.

We just got back and Sam and I planted our porch grape tomatoes and strawberries (the instructions said an idiot could do it and even though we struggled, we got it done….) and Sam just went to play at the girls’ house next door.

I have about 20 minutes before I need to go and pick up Matthew and then he and I will transplant his giant cabbage and plant his porch tomatoes and then I don’t know what we’ll get into but it won’t be work.

I’m looking at my to do list and it’s long…so very long. But it can wait. It’s a beautiful day and we’re just going to enjoy it. I can work tomorrow…or Monday…

Today we’re going to play…

Until next time…

H

My mom’s coming on Friday on her way home from her quilting retreat. Tim will be gone so it will just be the kids, mom and I and boy…Matthew is planning her weekend from the time she gets here until the time she leaves!

We’ve got so much to do, says Matthew!!!

We’ve not seen mom in months!

What fun we’ll have!!

Until next time…

Heather

So my very good friend Becki emails me this news story today…..

McDonald’s sued for having milk, wheat in fries-WSJ

Yeah…the one sacred food that I thought was safe with my Celiac Disease is no longer safe…

What a bummer.

I gave up alot when I was diagnoses, and I don’t have a severe form of the condition and can often cheat, but with McDonald’s I never had to think twice about them because they were potatoes and I can have them…

I guess now when I get the flare ups I don’t even have a “safe food”…

I’m bummed….

Until next time…

Heather

Well today I was surfing some blogs and came across a post about the West Wing blogs and how they suck and so I went to look at them (and they do) and saw a banner ad for the new episodes of Deal or No Deal coming back (see banner ads DO work!)

Anywho…they have an interactive Deal or No Deal and so guess who got sucked in?

Yup!

That would be me!

The first time my case had $750,000 in it (and I “no dealed” all the way!) and the second time my case had $300,000 in it…

Wish I really had that money…

But if you have nothing else to do… play here

Until next time…

Heather

I was the envy of all my friends before but now I really am!

Guess what I got for V-day?

I got 2 cards…

and a dozen roses…

AND…

a beautiful garnet ring…

I can’t stop looking at it.

What did I get him? A can full of snacks…I feel so bad…

but that’s okay…the anniversary is right around the corner and I can redeem myself…

I AM the luckiest gal around…

(that and he’s at Lowe’s right now getting the new trim for around the doors, so I’m sure I’ll have more pictures soon…:) )

Until next time…

The luckiest woman in the world….

Anywho, the paper was talking about Valentine’s Day and how men spend more than women because they are guilted into it and that women express their love all year round and this is the one day that men have to.

One woman went so far as to say that she didn’t have to buy her Valentine anything because it was “her” holiday.

I’ve been thinking about this alot since I read that article, and yes, I even read it to Tim. I didn’t do it to guilt him into it rather because I thought it was comical.

See, I don’t see Valentine’s Day as my holiday. However, I am a woman and I do like to be wooed from time to time. I just happened to fall in love with a man who isn’t a wooer. And that’s fine by me.

Let me tell you why.

He may not shower me with gifts and call me by a pet name. (That’s sickening anyway…)

However, have you seen my house? Have you seen my new doors? Did you tell you about the new office that he’s building me? Did you see the new bedroom? Did you notice how my car still runs? Have I told you about the girls’ nights out that I’ve been able to participate in?

See…

None of those things would happen, look as nice, etc if it weren’t for him.

I’ve been posting pictures of his latest remodeling project and my friends are jealous because their husbands can’t do it or won’t do it unless they are nagged about it. I don’t have to nag. (Shoot, half the time I just come home and walls are gone!)

No, I don’t see today as my holiday.

I was very tickled with the sappy card that was on my desk this morning when I got up. Did he do it because he was guilted into it? Maybe…I don’t know. I hope I didn’t guilt him into anything.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that sometimes love is more than gifts and words.

And I’m the luckiest woman in the world.

Until next time…

Heather

PS. Tim…if you’re reading this, our anniversary is on the 28th of this month and I will guilt you in to at least a card for that… Love ya!

We all had mops on our heads so we went Friday to get our hair cut…

Samara was the bravest of them all and chopped about 4 inches off her head… (I was cringing as she wanted to go shorter….) but it’s sassy and cute…

Matt looks hip with his new do…

And I’m quite pleased with mine as well…

Take note of the wall behind us…In the next post, I’ll show you what it looks like now!

Until next time…

Heather

On Saturday, I called Jackie and Sondra to see if they wanted to hit Rancho Viejo and they did so we went. Sondra brought my birthday presents with her and I guess this spawned the whole “let’s get the restaurant to sing to her. Now, that wouldn’t be so bad, except here they actually put whip cream all over your face.

I was paranoid, but Sondra assured me that they weren’t going to come and sing to me.

Well, before you know it, this is what I looked like!

Yup! That would be me!

And then Sunday we took some pictures of Becki with the Pooches…

I’m surprised she didn’t try and take my dogs home with her…

Until next time…

Heather

Let me tell you why…

Well, wait! Let me back up and tell you why I had to run to the store to buy butter.

Yesterday, Becki and I went to Wal-Mart and out to lunch. When we came home, Napolean, the sweet lovable pup that he is, decided to tear the house apart. This included “reading” the magazines, chewing up the brand new placemats that I just bought last week and getting the butter tub off the table. I can only assime that he ate all the butter because it was clean and the butter tub was full of holes about the size of his teeth.

So tonight, I go to make chicken hats and I need butter. No butter. So I say, “i’m going to run to the store to get butter”

Before you know it, I have a list. I need beer, wings, spinich dip, and chips.

So off I head to the store.

I get the beer, wings, and spinich dip and head for the chips, and then I get a phone call. “Get ice cream” so I get ice cream. But before I could go and get the ice cream I have to find the chips. I swear to you I’ve never seen the chip aisle as bare as it was tonight. It looked like the bread shelves when they’re calling for snow. I got the last of 3 bags of tortilla chips and they were the bite sized Kroger brand…not what I was sent for, but it had to do.

Then I see the ketchup is on sale and I know I don’t have any so I pick it up. I see ropes and Napolean had just chewed the old one to pieces so I pick one up. Then I decide to get another one so each dog has one.

Coke is on sale, so I pick up 4 12-packs.

I see a full cart. It’s time to check out.

I get up there and the lady says “Looks like you’re having a Super Bowl party” and I said “I just came to get –”

You guessed it!

I forgot the butter.

So I had to run back and get the butter and come back and check out.

So here’s you’re notice, warning, what ever you want to call it.

If you need butter to make your dinner on Super Bowl Sunday, just find something else to make.

Until next time…

Heather

I have to tell you about The WC —

It’s different…

It’s unique…

And it’s got a brand new style.

So, what is The WC? The WC is a mini magazine for moms in business. Each month it’s delivered to your MAILBOX! (No, not your inbox, not via eMail, not online…..it comes through the United States Postal Service!)

Here’s why it’s so great…

(a) It’s in your mailbox (that’s the box that’s outside of you house that normally only contains junk and bills…)
(b) you can hold it in your hands and read at your leisure…AWAY from the computer
(c) it’s written by moms, for moms…all who are working at home.
(d) it contains articles that you won’t find ANYWHERE else…at least not within the month that the WC comes out…
(e) advertising rates are very affordable…so if you’re targeting moms, or moms in business, I highly recommend looking into it.
(f) they make GREAT gifts for moms that you know who are currently working from home or for those that WANT to work from home…
(g) did I mention that you don’t have to be online to read it?

Let’s face it! We’re working from home. Our life line is in this box and many of us (most all that I know) are tied to this computer day in and day out. I used to read the newspaper, but I don’t know because I can get my news online. I used to read people, but why bother…they have a website.

The WC is a mini-magazine for moms (complete with recipes and kids puzzles!) that you can’t get online…so you’ll never know what it says unless you subscribe!

What are you waiting for? The February issue is about to be published! CLICK HERE for more information!

Until next time…

Heather

Can you imagine 9 Great Danes? Yeah, neither could I until we all got together at Smith Park yesterday for about an hour and a half. Nine Great Danes and Rhoda…and Napolean is the smallest of them all, weighing in at 90lbs. (Well…I think he’s more now.)

Here are some pictures of our outing….

Tim and Delta