No tricks here -- just treats!

The "I'm just a girl" family Halloween pics!

 Quite the ghoulish group, eh? 

If a picture paints a thousand words.....

Today I started packing.  I'd been taking some of my things down and putting them away but today I took all my knick knacks, wall hangings and decorations and packed them away.  All of my pictures are down and packed too - and truly, that's what makes my house look so empty.

We're completely full on furniture, and yet...without the photographs of us, with our friends and family, the house is eerily empty now.

I always find it odd when I would go into a house that was staged and find no remnants of family life there.  Even the house that we're buying had no personal family shots anywhere and I find that so offputting almost. 

Isn't part of what makes a house feel like a home, the memories that are made within it?
I think they are anyway.

To me there is nothing better than going into a home and seeing loving faces and happy times proudly displayed in every corner.

And I can't wait to start hanging our old memories - and I look forward to adding new ones.

Walking on Sunshine....

Today, I visited my Happy Place, even though it was for just a short time.
And I am thrilled - there is one in the town I'm moving to!!
Whole Foods...oh, how I have missed you.

Just the smell of the store makes me feel good.
Market Basket 4 miles away in one direction -- Whole Foods 3 miles away in the other.
Does it get any better than that?!?!

And, of course I meandered over to the Cheese Department.
I was blown away at how much of the same things we sell!
Which, blew me away because for one - my store is less expensive than theirs, which is shocking considering they buy in huge bulk; and two, I was pretty darn impressed with myself and how I do really have a great selection.  I mean, when people say that I often wonder if they're just being nice - but now, I can see it.

Is it a bad thing that something as simple as a grocery store can make me happy?

She's baaacck....

Today I finally made my way back to my yoga mat.
After a year's absence.
Yes, I will sleep like a baby tonight.

Typically, I'll practice all year and then stop Oct - January because the holiday season is just too busy for me; but I'm so sore and tired, and I've been doing nothing in the way of exercise that I figured I'd try the reverse to get myself in shape for the holiday season!  So I'm going to work through it... Tuesdays, Thursdays and possibly Fridays. 

My God I've missed it.
It's amazing how the body doesn't forget how to form the poses -- though the muscles do forget how long they have to hold them for.  It's going to take some time to get used to the burn and work through it once again.

But this soreness, well....that's the high I'm always chasing anyway.
And I'm glad it's back.

Enough is enough...

Occupy Boston -- I call Bull$hit.

It sounds to me like this is just a way for people who have nothing better to do with their lives are abusing the right to protest and using it as a shield to basically do whatever they want.

Graffiti on buildings.  Drug dealing.  Hacking into police computer systems.  Violating the privilege of being given the ability to publicly protest and have it supported with our tax dollars -- and abusing it by spreading into an area that isn't supported or "protected" for their "safety".

I say stop talking about this cause.  Don't publicize it.  And most of all - stop funding it with our tax dollars.

You have an issue -- a real issue, then voice it.
Enough with this stupid Occupy Boston.

How's this....
GET A JOB.

Sufferin' Succotash...

With the death of Momar Khadafi - I'm faced with an emotional dilemma of sorts.

I'm pro death penalty.  I'm all for an eye for an eye - and I believe that sometimes, vigilantism is the best way to go because after all - the justice system doesn't always work.

But....

Seeing the photographs that were first released of his body, when he was just barely alive - bothered me.  Not because they were graphic...but because he's still a human being.  And to be beaten by the masses - while deserved - I sort of surprised myself, because I found it inhumane.  Again, it's not that he deserves the humanity because he clearly didn't always provide it towards others; but aren't we supposed to rise above?  Haven't we progressed from the days of mob frenzying and stoning?

It was unsettling for me.

Equally unsettling is the mere fact that it even bothers me; he deserves a death by the very people he oppressed.  And yet - seeing his face in his last few moments in that photograph, I thought that it would have been better to have him beaten, survived it - and then properly executed.  I say properly, not by definition "dignified" per se; I mean properly, more in a manner that means that the people aren't the savages - but the rules and laws of the government impose the penalty of death.  And if it's  by firing squad, or hanging, or electric chair - then so be it.  But to see the savage, animalistic and frenzied masses complete the task, then....how different are they from him after all?

How does everyone else feel about this?

Lions, and tigers and bears - oh my!

I'm sorry - but did they have to kill all of those animals that were let loose in Ohio?
They couldn't tranquilize them and have neighboring zoos and veterinarians assist them?
Of course they could've.

I can't see the benefit of killing camels, zebras, giraffes....
Even the lions and tigers could've been sedated.

I think that their deaths were unfortunate and unnecessary.
But clearly, others saw it differently.

Sorry I'm not home right now I'm walking into spiderwebs...so leave a message and I'll call you back...

We've had no internet connectivity for over a week, hence my lack of blogging.
That's only partially true; we had no wireless connectivity which made blogging less available because truly, I just don't take the time to sit on my desktop so much unless I'm working on a project.  I use my laptop moreso for the every day browsing, including journaling my thoughts here.

So little to say...so much time.
Scratch that.  Reverse it.
Moving on.

1.  House "stuff".  We are almost cleared and ready to close!  I believe we've met all of our closing contingencies, so November 28th truly can't get here soon enough.  Though I'm dreading the packing.  We actually don't have very many things - and it would probably only take me a few days of dedicated time to get it all in boxes - but honestly, with kids it's challenging because they're so emotionally attached to everything and they get a little put off when pictures come down and things get sorted.  It's funny, we're moving for them - it's for all of us but truly it's their best interests we have at heart and yet....they don't always get that.  Whereas when we were kids and had to move, we weren't factored into it even remotely.  Not a bad thing or a flaw on our parent's behalf - it's just the way it was.

2.  I watched "The Real Housewives" for the first time last night.  I chose Beverly Hills because really - they're the only ones that I'm even remotely interested in. I was curious to see how different the insanely wealthy live.  And funny, the only thing I really walked away with was the fact that I will never consider plastic surgery.  Not that I ever did anyway - but wow, did this solidify it for me.  Not only did these women look older than they probably really were - but they looked silly.  I mean, really - no one believes you're 25, so why try to look it?  You've been there, done that - just embrace who you are and the beautiful within.  It's amazing how some women have it all - and yet, are still unhappy on the inside.   That's the only place that true beauty radiates from anyway....

3.  The debaucle known as the Red Sox.  Truly, I almost have no words for this.  I'm so very disappointed that this group of professional athletes have thrown their goodwill with their organization - and their fan base - away.  Their behavior off and on the field is shameful - and the comments made from the no longer so tender ace pitcher in the past 24 hours are words that I think he will eventually regret.  I don't know how to fix this group of overpaid divas (with the exception of a few solid dirt dogs), but management better figure it out quickly.  They are their overpaid toys and now, they're going to have to play with them....

Home is where your heart is...

So we're counting down the days before the big move.  Because we're acquiring alot of the furniture that was in the house (the people we're purchasing from have relocated a while ago and have brand new furniture in the house that they've since replaced with even newer furniture in their new home, so....we were fortunate that we had similar tastes in some areas! ) it has helped the amount of actual physical movement of furniture between houses, which is one way that hopefully this move will be less stressful than most.

What I can't wait for the most - and this is going to sound crazy, I know.... but I can't wait for the house to smell like home.

You know what I mean?

The house now, doesn't smell bad -- it just doesn't smell lived in.  Not in a sterile, pristine way - but in a rather, just blah sort of way.

I can't wait for my Lavendar & Vanilla room warmers, Pumpkin Pie & Cranberry Chutney candles, the smokiness from a fireplace, laundry detergent and fabric softener wafting from the laundry room - and the smell of spaghetti and meatballs to help make the house seem more like home. 

Like our home.

Pussy cat, pussy cat, where are you.....?

Two thumbs up movie recommendation for Family Movie Night:
Disney's African Cats.

Yes, it got my Princess Petunia quite teary eyed at times - but such is the cycle of life.  Even my son got misty at some parts; you know how Disney is always good for the tear jerker animal movie. 

I still remember being 5, going to see Bambi with my Auntie Saralee and my cousins - and everyone having to leave the movie theatre with me hysterically crying - because Bambi's mom was killed.  (Do you know to this day, I have yet to see Bambi?  Bambi, Dumbo - and there's actually quite a list, I could go on; but that's a rant for another day... )

True to Disney's form - Moms are the glorified character in this movie - as they should be.  ("Holla" to Dan Brown of DaVinci Code fame for cracking that code for me.  He was so on the money....)

I highly recommend it for a feel good, quiet night in with the family - and it's visually beautiful as well.  What wouldn't be beautiful about a wildlife reserve in Kenya?
I hope you see it - and enjoy.

I picked an IPhone and I like it....

Fortunately - I did not kiss it, so I don't know if it tastes like Cherry Chapstick, but it is pink so...

Blackberry - Smackberry.
Never again.
I didn't bother to wait for the IPhone 5 release because truly, I use the phone like a phone, and not like a PC and won't be needing to Skype so - the differences between the two seem so minimal. 

Love it.
LOVE it.

And for the life of me - I don't know why I waited so long to make the change.

Sunday, Bloody Sunday...

(though truthfully, this story incident occured on Saturday....)

There are some great things about being a girl.  We get to wear pretty clothes, fun boots and shoes, get our hair done, pick out lip glosses - and so much more.

To the ying is the yang - and there are somethings that are not so fun while being a girl.

Let's take shaving for an example, shall we?

Shaving my legs in the shower Saturday, I cut my legs not once...not even twice.  Four times. Four!!
Granted, it was a newer razor - but c'mon, four times?

Two of them were so bad on my ankle, there was blood everywhere; it looked like a massacre took place in the shower!  And it hurt so much afterwards, that it still bothered me last night if you can believe it.

I would love for there to be a day when I wouldn't have to shave my legs again.
And I don't mean the day I die, either....

Dear Blogger....

If ain't broke, don't fix it.

I don't love the new dashboard.  Not even a little.  I'd actually already written a post for today, but because it didn't save, and for whatever reason disappeared on me -- I'm writing this little rant instead.

I wouldn't be using the new interface, except that I had to because I updated to IE9 and for whatever reason, the "publish" button on the old one - would no longer work. A "javascript" error.  Go figure.

Why is it that sites nowadays just don't leave good enough alone? 

Memories....may be beautiful, and yet...

..whats too painful to remember, we simply choose to forget.

So it's the laughter, we'll remember...whenever we remember, the way we were....