Category: My Life

First off, I hate to file. I am one of those people who truly believe that this world would be a better place if we never had to file one, single, document, form or letter. Whoever came up with the idea that saving pieces of paper for the “future” should have been summarily punished for the deed!

That said, after almost a year of taking these pieces of paper that need to be saved, and tossing them carelessly into a Coldwater Creek shopping bag, today I decided that I simply had to revamp my little office filing cabinet. It was jammed full of paper that I have been saving for several years. It was time to remove the old files and start fresh, collecting only 2008 documents to save.

So I got out a cardboard box and placed the old files in this. They will go to our larger file cabinets in the basement to live out the next seven years. Then they too shall be trashed.

Then I began setting up new files to accommodate the current years documents. I sorted things from the shopping bag around me until I realized I was sitting in the middle of the floor with papers scattered all about!

This is bad because…..I have 4 dogs, who chose that moment to come running into my office to “give Mama some love”!

I managed to get them out before true disaster struck, and I worked a total of four hours today (still not done) but I’m hopeful that tomorrow I will get it all finished up. At least the upstairs office part.

Then the hard part begins, as I go through the downstairs files and thin them, add the files I just removed from the upstairs file cabinet, and make things neat and organized.

Does this paperwork stuff ever end?

So what’s new?

Today was one of those days that I can safely say, not much.

Oh, I did the usual three meals, and the cleaning up of them. I fed the dogs and walked them when they told me it was time, but for whatever reason, I just didn’t feel like doing much.

It could be the headache I have had most of the day, or perhaps the hot-flash that started at 1 AM and lasted until nearly 5 AM. Oh I just love menopause! (She says, words dripping with sarcasm.)

Last night before bed I was watching reruns on the tube when I noticed that the three dachshunds Amigos all smelled extremely foul. So there I was in the shower with three stinky fur children, at 7:30 last night, giving them all baths. Thank goodness I did, as they all decided to cuddle up to me last night in bed. (Yes, this did make the hot-flash much, well, flashier!)

I guess everyone needs one of those days once in a while. A day when you just lay low and chill out.

I must note here that the day was not a total loss. I found my first eggplants on the Japanese Eggplant plant (redundant, yes?), and here they are.

My tomatoes and peppers are doing well, too. We have been having afternoon rain showers that have really helped the garden. Some of our plants we have kept in large pots on the patio, and then of course we have the regular garden. That seems to be quite a bit behind the potted plants. However, I’m really pleased with the results, especially the eggplant!

Tomorrow is Weight Watchers day and perhaps a trip to the grocery store for some fresh vegetables. I think this will have been a good week weight wise, which makes me want those fresh vegetables all the more!

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~Emotions~

I have said many times how happy Hubby makes me, so many of my pictures of emotions have to do with my sweet husband. The first was taken when I took Hubby to meet my parents the first time.

This picture was taken after we said our marriage vows twenty years ago. That was such a happy day and full of emotion!

Thirteen Things I Did Today

1. Went to Weight Watchers and I lost another 2.4 pounds!!!

2. Came back home, stopping at the Post Office to get our mail, and found I’d gotten a box from Amazon.com with a new book, and a recipe book!

3. Picked up Hubby and we went out to lunch at the Chinese Buffet.

4. Stopped to get dog food and gasoline. The gasoline was depressing, but we are still paying under $4.00. At least this week.

5. Did our grocery shopping.

6. This was actually a big week for that because we wanted to do a double shopping so we don’t have to go next week.

7. That’s because it is Bike Week in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire and they expect the area to be flooded with motorcycles!

8. Came home and spent about an hour unloading and putting all the groceries away.

9. Talked to my daughter. That was the highlight of my day.

10. Made baked scallops for dinner.

11. Cleaned that up quickly.

12. Went to a community movie that I was supposed to “help” with.

13. No one else showed up on the committee, so guess who did all the work?

Time for bed!

Got this one from Melli yesterday! I’ve done it before – but not for awhile… soooooo… here goes!

It’s all about Meme!!!

Two Names You Go By:
1. MB
2. Mari

Two Things You Are Wearing Right Now:
1. white top
2. jean shorts

Two Of Your Favorite Things:
1. Newborn dackel babies
2. Watching the dogs play

Two Things You Want Very Badly At The Moment:
1. Cooler temperatures (It’s nearly 100!)
2. A new pair of shorts. (Only have two pair of shorts that fit)

Two Favorite Pets You Have Or Had:
1. Shubi
2. Do I have to pick? Ah, FritzGretaArnieAnneliese!

Two People You Hope Will Fill This Out:
1. Janet
2. Renny
(but that’s NOT a tag! Anyone else is welcome to do this too.)

Two Things You Did Last Night:
1. Made a Weight Watchers Potato Salad!
2. Grilled a couple of steaks.

Two Things You Ate Last Night:
1. Steak
2. Potato Salad

Two People You Last Talked To:
1. Hubby
2. Mel

Two Things You Are Doing Tomorrow:
1. Weight Watchers
2. Shopping with Hubby

Two of Farthest Trips Taken In The Last 5 Years:
1. Alaska Cruise
2. The Panama Canal Cruise

Two Favorite Holidays:
1. Christmas
2. Thanksgiving

Two Favorite Beverages:
1. Coffee
2. Tea

It was recently pointed out to me that I wear a lot of polka dots. By this I mean that my usual bland wardrobe of blue jeans, black pants with solid colored tops, are contrasted occasionally by polka dots.

I am not a super fashionista. In fact I am afraid of bright colors or wild prints. My dressing motto is, “wear whatever will get you noticed the least”, so polka dots, small sedate polka dots have been safe.

Let’s take a peek in my closet. You see the two bathing suits and the numerous shirts with the polka dots? You see the two shirts hanging behind the ones I set out. Yep, I missed those when getting my line up ready.

However, now that I am losing weight and starting to buy some new things, I want to develop a new style, but the question here is, what’s my style?

Am I a floral or funky pattern girl? Do I want tartans or leather? Would paisley do me justice, or perhaps lace?

I’m just not certain, but I have promised myself one thing,

No More Polka Dots!!!

I got an invitation from Coldwater Creek to attend a sale that they are having. I think they see a woman losing weight in need of clothes and figure that they can sell me some. Since they sent the invitation I should go and at least look, right?

I wouldn’t want to be rude!

Did you ever wake up and find that even though you hadn’t slept particularly well the night before, and even tough you really hate house work, you suddenly find that after two cups of coffee you have the energy of a teenager?

That’s what happened to me today. I finished my breakfast and I was off. I vacuumed and dusted (a dreaded task), I cleaned out the fireplace, and also watered my plants.

I found myself flitting from one room to the next cleaning, dusting and putting things away! This is not me. On a good day I move around slowly and if I actually get something accomplished, well, that’s a great day.

Today I got a lot done, and I made a fabulous dinner for Hubby at the end of the day! Tonight I am sitting in a clean house, with vacuumed floors and dusted shelves and yes, a fireplace that is clean and has a pretty white birch log in there, “just for display”.

Ah, life is good!

***************

Anneliese is nearing the end of her heat and I have to tell you, I will miss her in her little pants! Now doesn’t she look cute?

She has been a good girl, and pretty easy to cope with during this heat. In many ways better than Greta. We brought her with us yesterday when we went out to look at furniture. She was so good in the car, even when we left her for about half an hour to grab some lunch. Of course the cookie we brought her when we came out did a lot to make her day. In fact right after that we stopped at a shop to look at their recliners and when we came back to the car Anneliese was looking for her cookie!

Oh, they sure do learn fast!

Thursday Thirteen brought to you by the letter

Thirteen things about Maribeth that begin with the letter J.

1. J is the first initial of Hubby’s name. I never use his given name, but always call him by his nickname. This also starts with the letter J.

2. Jellybean. This was our sailboat’s name. We had her when we first got married. We spent our honeymoon sailing her up the eastern seaboard. That was such a great trip!

3. Jetty. I grew up in Falmouth, on Cape Cod. One of the things I loved to do as a child was walk out on the jetties and then sit looking across the ocean.

4. Jet. Hubby was a pilot and so I have flown in many Jets, with Hubby piloting them!

5. Jam. I love to make jam! I think my favorite jam is the plum jam I make. Oh man, that is just so delicious!

6. Java. Yep, I’m a big coffee drinker, my favorite blend being mocha java.

7. Jessica. The name of my step-daughter. I’ve always loved that name.

8. Jokes. I love a good joke, not the mean kind, but the ones that just make you laugh with glee!

9. “Junior“! Have you seen that movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger? Oh, it just cracks me up!

10. Joy. What I thought I had lost but eventually found again.

11. “Juno“. I love that movie, too. What a sweet, poignant film.

12. Jarlsberg Cheese, one of my favorite things to eat and now no longer allowed due to my cholesterol. Rats!

13. Janet, my favorite cousin!

And here is a plus one. My middle name is Jewel. I’ve never liked it, but what are you going to do?