Hooray...

I am back. I am ok with being back. I KNOW everyone always thinks that they have the cutest grandchild, but I'm sorry to have to correct them...I DO! I DO, I DO, I DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He is soooooooooooooo cute, and sooooooooooooo funny. Such an absolute sweetie pie. Very busy, but not too much. He loves his toys, and he LOVES books...except sometimes he eats them. Not so good. He is content to sit and look at a book and if you read fast enough, well, he'll sit and listen. He does an fantastic George Bush laugh, which makes me laugh. My favorite part????? Chasing a naked little boy around the house trying to get him in his bath!!!!!! Soooooooooo funny.......The next favorite part was our trip to Savannah....it was COLD, COLD, COLD. A friend of Christy's from the Naval Academy, Chelsea, Chelsea's mom, Christy, Logan and I took on my old stomping grounds. I lived there in the early 80's when I played in the symphony and actually got married there. So...we did the waterfront, had lunch, walked around and then went to the Tea Room for afternoon tea. We had a hysterical time, but it wasn't due to the outstanding service or food....because the service and the food was NOT outstanding. But actually because of that, it just got funnier and funnier....kind of an expensive laugh, but very funny. Logan slept through most of it, then he woke up and HE thought everything was funny too...which then made us laugh even more. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...this is a whole bunch of babble, but it was fun and i'm back and I'm ok with being back. TTYL

Christmas eve....

Christmas eve has always been my favorite....the anticipation, the pretty presents under the tree....the sense of magic. No, I don't mean real magic....I mean magic magic....try to figure that one out. This Christmas eve I am a mixture of feelings...nervousness...I don't know why....very nervous. Some contentment....kind of at the last minute I decided to put up my tree and I am SOOOOOOOOOO glad I did...I even put it in my family room where I have NEVER put it before...but that is where I usually am, so that is where the tree is too. It is grand....it is right here in front of me and there are presents under it and it makes me happy. I also put up my santa snow scene, also in my family room and a couple of other things.....I am pleased. Believe it or not, I'm going to do a little more decorating today. TODAY???? What kind of insanity is this????? Well....it's been busy, and Matt and his gf are coming over for dinner before church and if I can go bonkers to decorate for a 25 minute show at school or church, I would think i can do a bit here for them. So....that is basically the scoop. I am glad it is Christmas eve....if you think of it, please pray for safe travel for me as I drive to bwi very early tomorrow morning....very, very early.....I am going to see Christy and family and my good friend is staying here while I am gone. Love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christmas is coming.....

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat....please put a penny in the old man's hat. If you haven't got a penny, a ha'penny will do...if you haven't got a ha'penny, then God bless you. I am re-grouping....how MANY times have I said that? But, I am.....so....have a wonderful Christmas.....and it the words of Arnold....I'll be back. :)

a small testimony....

Well...yesterday, I was so stressed out with all of these shows coming up, I was ready to just throw up. It was bad. So, I made a list. All the loose ends...all the worries....all the "stuff". Then, this morning, I went through the list and prayed specifically for each item. I didn't necessarily "dictate" the desired answer...just giving them up to God. SO.....I started off at school today and the stress immediately built....due to a lot of scheduling issues, I didn't think it was going to be remotely possible to get this show ready for the 10th...including that I can't decorate the stage until the 9th. That just isn't enough time...to try to teach all my classes, and do rehearsals and get the stage set up. Miracle of miracles...I went to see the principal about a couple of other things and lo and behold, she is getting a sub for me on the 9th so I can have the whole day to get ready. THis is amazing....absolutely amazing. I would NEVER have asked for that....but this way I can be at school all day but concentrating totally on the show and getting the stage decorated. wahoo. God gave me immeasurably MORE than I would have considered asking for.....very, very humbling.

Guess what I just did????????? I just finished shredding all the stuff I had set aside to shred. How about that???? pretty pleased with myself...at least with that. Much to do in the morning...but I think I'll finish up a couple more things tonight. Who cares, right???????? Nobody...but I'm telling ya anyway. :)

a very good day...

Yesterday, Sunday, was a very good day. WHy??? Well....I'm not 100% sure....but church was good, I had lunch with some good friends, came home, took a nap!, worked on some things in the house and MADE SOME PROGRESS. 3 trashbags of shred and old magazines and envelopes etc. Pretty impressive, huh????? Personally, I was VERY impressed and just a little bit relieved...actually a lot relieved. So....I have to go...much to do before school and what the next few days hold in store....so.........ttyl.

back....

well...it's been almost a month since I've written....why? Because I quit...I gave up. finito. Discouragement, disillusionment, disapointment, detour......I think detour is the most important d word. I don't remember where I was a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't know where I was going (driving) and without knowing that precise location, it took me considerably longer than the folks who could picture where it was they were headed. DOes that sentence even remotely make sense? Well...this is the thing I'm hanging on to right now... I don't have a goal...I don't know where I'm going...and because of that, it is taking me considerably longer to get there. I'm trying hard to figure out a goal...then maybe I can get back on track. that's all for now.

On the road....

I am currently in the Charlotte NC airport and I even managed to score one of the rocking chairs near an outlet. I have 2 hours+ before my flight to JAX. I left Michigan this morning. Soo, the celebration of life service was yesterday. It was not a traditional service in the way we might have expected, but it was as Steve had requested. It was not without sadness of course....but my niece did an amazing job continually focusing things on happy memories. It was a day with some challenges. I had offered to organize and prepare etc. the food for the reception afterward and thankfully another lady was involved too. It was a lot of work , but I'm very glad I did it. Today I'm tired and I really wonder if my feet have it in them to walk all the way down to concourse b to Bo'Jangles chicken. :) My favorite thing at the charlotte airport. I don't know...I think the rocking chair might win out. I did see some noteworthy things on this first half of my trip. Michigan is in the midst of a beautiful fall. The trees are SO much prettier there than in Salisbury. It was crisp and beautiful. I saw a house made out of stone. Very interesting...round stones.....an old house made out of old stones. I saw deer eating apples in my mom's backyard. I saw me running through the Philly airport to make my flight. Yes, I did make it with about 1 minute to spare. I saw balloons being released in honor of my nephew in law. I saw my brother and his family rally around my niece in a wonderful fashion. Things I always wonder about when I travel. Do people REALLY want to share their phone conversations with me????? I'd be just as happy without that honor. Why do roller bags ALWAYS tip over backwards? WOuld it have been rude to have told the annoyingly perky flight attendant, that she was in fact ANNOYINGLY PERKY? (I did not. ) Have you ever noticed that when you travel, either all people look completely unfamiliar, or they all look like you know them from somewhere. I wonder WHY the lady I just saw, was pushing an empty baby stroller and was wearing black pants that looked like a wet suit...or perhaps liquid rubber, sprayed on. Whatever...I don't know where the baby went AND the rubber pants look on the mom was definately not a good look. I think I could make a career out of this. Sitting in the airport writing random things about people who walk by. Could be a market for it....as long I was didn't sucumb to total rudeness which is alway possible. Ok...that's it....ttyl

a song for the day...

OK...by now if you haven't figured it out I am extremely lazy and extremely side track able...i can get off on a tangent as easy as breath. BUT....today I am doing some cleaning and I decided to let myself just be my own happy scattered mess....do a little of this, a little of that...a little of whatever. THis is NOT good practice because you end up getting nothing done, but i think it will be ok today. NOW...in this cleaning, I made a discovery...well, actually, not a discovery, but I decided to do something about a problem. Many people worry about dust bunnies under their beds? That doesn't even cross my radar. MY problem is the dust bunnies on my ceiling!!!!! Yes, it's true. I have one of those icky popcorn finish ceilings and well...let me put it this way....one really doesn't need to go to the Carlsbad caverns to see stalagtites and stalagmites, cause, baby, I've got 'em here. So they inspired a bit of a song....just imagine a country tune.....

Dust bunnies on the ceiling, ai'nt no problem for me at all....
Dust bunnies on the ceiling, ya really can't see them if you're small
Dust bunnies on the ceiling make me wonder every day....
How'd they ever get up there, what will make them go away....

Oh dust bunnies on the ceiling.....they make it look like the paint is peeling...
but if you consider them a work of art....you'll accept they never will depart.....


Not my best effort, but mildly amusing.

Tuesday....Oct 6???

Yes, I am still here. Trying to stay on track is more than a notion for me. The good news is this...God is in His heaven which means all is right with the world. In my world, things are ok, but it occurred to me yesterday that I had lost track of part of my original goal....yes, the money moratorium was half, but that was prompted by me realizing that I have everything I need HERE in my house to do some significant transformation. So...I will attempt to make that my focus...AGAIN. I got a good start on my kitchen window view.....but to me the fun part is the part I've forgotten about or ignored.....I have STUFF, I have creativity, I have resources......that is what I need to focus on.....so.....what was that saying?????????? Oh yes.....press on. :)

BORING....

That's what I've been lately....just plain boring. Why?? Just so overwhelmed with school, church, planning, Salvation Army, personal stuff....not bad...I'M FINE. Just my mind is pretty full with getting through each day right now....and it is hard to look to other things. My current project is playing up, or finding or discovering the best features of my house. HA! No, I'm serious...so the one I started last weekend was the view out of my kitchen window and that is what i am still working on. Got the monster bush pretty much chopped down, but I need some extra hand to help move my swing so I hope I can get that taken care of in the next couple of weeks....I think my "easily correctable" will be a few minutes of attention to my side porch....I think a little rearranging and a little attention will make it someplace I can actually sit. This IS the perfect weather for it....ok...so there are a couple of little projects...I think I can do that. Maybe I'll draft some help for the side porch....might be fun.......we'll see.

did you know?????

did you know it IS possible to use a leaf blower in the house. WHY would someone WANT to do that??? I think I may hold a record for destroying vacuum cleaners....either that or they just break really easily. SO...............i was NOT delighted to see that my little 4 legged friend, Remy had totally shredded a basket of pinecones all over my living room carpet. I was extremely irritated and sweeping with a broom only does so much and I did NOT want to destroy my vacuum...SOOOOO....leaf blower to the rescue. Sort of.....yes, it did help, but it is kind of hard to direct the blowing aspect of it...:) I don't think i will do this on a regular basis, but I did blow off a little steam and sort of made things better. Funny, huh???

got er done...

Yup..."i done good" worked hard at the gym, did grocery shopping, went to church and did a little work, went to post office, came home...worked on chopping that dumb bush down which took a couple of hours, talked to my friends the Peipons via skype, cooked a turkey and now I AM POOPED. Supposed to go hear a concert tonight....snzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

A busy day today...

Many things on my plate.....lets see if I can accomplish ANY of it.....first, gym, 2nd buy some stamps, 3rd chop down a bush...there is more....but if i can get those done, I'll feel it is a good accomplishment.....We'll see.

:)

First happy thing: Got to meet my little friend today at school. Can't tell you a lot on here, but the bottom line is her mom is serving in a far away very dangerous place. This little girl is new to our school and told her dad she wanted to learn to play guitar. He contacted me. I didn't really have anyone I could suggest he go to for lessons, and then...duh!!!!!!!!!!!!! I could take part of my planning time here and meet with her here!!!! So we did. It was dandy. We played some guitar...her mom plays guitar she told me....we talked about dogs and brothers and visits to Maine. It was the best 1/2 hour I've spent at school in a long, long time. She is soooo quiet and I can't tell you what it was worth to see her smile. We will meet every few days. A good start. BTW...thanks for the suggestion, Lord. ALL good things come from You.

phil 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

In case you hadn't noticed, I can get bogged down looking at negatives. So, as I was pondering things yesterday, this verse came to me. It's still dark out right now, so I can't take the pictures I want to take, but I am going to take you on a little tour of things I love...not love like a person, but things that are very happy and that I enjoy. Stay tuned. AND I'm convicted that I need to get off my butt and do some things for some other folks....so you can stay tuned for that. The first thing is scheduled for this morning at school and for the first time in FOREVER, I'm excited about going to school...in fact I could hardly sleep I was so excited. How crazy is that? Soooooo.......PRESS ON!

:(

You know, without Christ and His understanding and direction and the power of the Holy Spirit, Satan would win. I guess that's a duh....because that is why Christ came...to overcome Satan and death and to provide His righteousness for us to satisify a Holy God.. Good thing, huh? I messed up big this weekend. I'm not going into any details yet it was a mess up of epic sized proportion....enough to make me want to just slink off somewhere and give up. God doesn't let us give up though. If anyone wants us to give up, it's Satan. So, I'm not giving in. I'm taking care of damage control. I learned something extremely important about myself this weekend and now it is time to ......yup, you guessed it....press on. So...that is all I have to say for today. 10 classes to teach....makes for a full day. Where WAS that fog delay this morning???? Tsk, tsk...

Friday....progress....

Ok....so, I kind of like the idea of an "easily correctable". It makes me laugh. ANyway, I now have a beautiful mum in the wooden bucket that had formerly been a recepticle for weeks, paint cans and generic trash. It looks really nice. I even had to peek out at it last night before I went to bed...doesn't take much. :) AND I plugged up 3 money sucking holes...continuing charges on my cc's that were out dated/not used/stupid/ unrealistic etc. The total coming to.......$66.09. This was money that was being spent...going on charge cards for NOTHING. So...onward....I have more looking to do. That was only 2 cards worth. I bet there is more to find. I have taken the advice of a couple of friends and eased up a little bit in a couple of areas. And...as soon as I figure out how much I actually am bringing home each month, I like the idea of the envelope system. Then it is possible to make little purchases like an occasional book or something for Logan or the secret shop or whatever. If the money is designated in an envelope, it is ok to make that expenditure. I think that will be good. Time to go get ready for my teaching day. Got to school to find I had been booted out of my classroom.....surprise. After my inital fury, (and finding out it is just temporary) I"m fine. Would have been nice to have been given a heads up...but hey.... Got to go get some things squared away.

and.....(9/17 btw)

Ok....in addition to the money sucking holes I'm tracking down I decided to tackle an "easily correctable". At first, being crazy like I am, I decided I would fix 5 easily correctable things TODAY. Then, I decided that was stupid, so how about 1. As I was leaving for work today, I looked at the flower barrel outside my backdoor which is FILLED with grass and weeds. blah. I ALWAYS feel bad when I look at it and I look at it a lot, so I decided that would be easily correctable. I will stop on the way home tonight and pick up a mum and then this evening, I will clean that bucket out and put the mum in. That will be a happy thing that will give me pleasure when I see it and that is good.

press on....

isn't that what I claimed a couple weeks ago????? pressing on..... ok....I'm pretty overwhelmed with a lot of stuff right now....not my project stuff.....family stuff, kid stuff, work stuff, church stuff. When I get overwhelmed, I kind of get tunnel vision. So, with the concept of pressing on, I have chosen a small project to work on between now and the weekend. Money holes. Do you have any of those??? Probably not, but I have found some. I have been going through cc statements and have found recurring charges for stuff I may have signed up for years ago and I have not used or I even still receive the product or newsletter or whatever. SO......I am in hot pursuit in closing up these money sucking holes. I will try to post a total on Saturday. Wish me good hunting.

Sunday the 13th....

I'm a little wobbly with this right now.....Not unusual when I get in school. I get tired, frustrated, bored, short of time etc and what do we do when we these things happen??? Fall back into old habits. Now, that hasn't exactly happened....well...yes, it has. Let's be honest here. (sooooo hard to be honest) What did I do???? Ollies and the children's place at OC. Didn't spend much...much less than I would have before, BUT....you know, the problem is bigger/different than just the amount of $$ spent. The problem is that is entertainment or a stress relief for me. I need to find other entertainments/stress relievers. I spent $10 at the children's place...got 2 outfits and a baby present....(It's their big sale time)...anyway....i can't quite get a handle on this.....I am just rambling today...sorry about that. I will try to reorder my thoughts today and see if I can't get more focused. :(

9/11

Thanks to those who inquired about Steve and Lindsay. He is home again...he was hospitalized last week, but got out a couple of days ago. My niece is caring for him and of course the two little ones. My brother and his wife are over there quite a bit I guess...and I'm sure that is a wonderful help. We'll just keep praying. NOW...let's talk about Christmas.....is it a bad thing to pick up some Christmas presents along the way? I admit it...I went to Ollies...I wanted to buy a touch and feel book for Logan. THey didn't have any, but they did have baby genius dvd's for $2.99. Yes, this is what usually gets me in terrible trouble....if one is good, then 6 are better, right??????? So, I picked out the ones I wanted, and then put half of them back. I got him 2. That's better than what I ever would have done before. ANd I didn't get any of the stuffed animals that sing...AND I didn't get him the purple monkey named Oboe.....I may have to rethink that one. :) Time to go work on dinner. Haven't been to the store yet....making like a french bread pizza with stuff I have in the house. :) I'll be heading out to the store SOON. ttyl

Thanks...

Thank you for all of your supportive comments during the past week. As I said, the experiment was highly successful. No problem with having enough food...I actually have a little left....not a whole lot...:} I could go on longer, but it would involve a whole lot of oatmeal, and well....oatmeal. No meat left...no veggies........I do have some bread (from the homemade rolls) and I do have a few eggs......and oatmeal. I think I also have a couple of cans of soup...so, I can definately handle breakfast and lunch tomorrow. Dinner I'll figure out. I am a little down tonight due to family issues....my nephew in law is desperately ill with brain cancer and he and my niece and their two little bitty children are on my heart very much, so it seems foolish for me to babble on about my "grand successes". If you are a praying person, please just pray for Lindsay and Steve....thanks...

moderately interesting 9/9/09

well....this just dawned on me today....might be silly to to other folks, but it is rather stunning to me. I have not eaten one fast food meal since before August 1st. One month and 9 days?? May not be earth shattering to most, but it is here.....I'm rather ashamed to admit it, but that is probably the longest I've ever gone without eating fast food in my adult life. Honest...I know...crazy, isn't it? But I think it is true. I've tried to not eat fast food before, but not been successful. HOWEVER...because of the money moratorium, I have been able to do it without thinking of the food aspect. Buying fast food is not an option because buying is not an option. So, there you have it. Figured out a couple of other things this evening. Have to look at some numbers...I am very greatful for the insights. How is it that my thinking is changing like this???? I honestly consider it a miracle....a highly undeserved one, trust me.

Tuesday....whatever day....I'm losing track.

Ok...the money moratorium continues and you wouldn't believe how much food is still in my fridge. 'Waaaaay more than what I started with... How can that be? Have people been giving me food??? Nope, not a bit....just what I've cooked has really stretched and creativity has stretched it even further. I will have food LEFT when this experiment ends Thursday night. I mean that's only 2 more days....trust me, there is PLENTY of food still available. Funny how that works, huh? It has been a great experiment...I have enjoyed it totally except for that one night when I got aggravated. And then irritated that I bought that stupid ice cream to take over to my friend's. So tomorrow is a casual day at school. My school is REALLY big on casual days. I however, shall decline. Big sign. Somehow, it does make the day go faster when you wear jeans and sneakers, but the money moratorium precludes that this week. Boy...it was a close one today though. Keep me away from that CBD website!!!! All SORTS of cute bargains that would be great for presents, or the secret shop or whatever. BUT ....I did NOT succumb. :)

however....re: sidebar...

apparently, our school was not allowed to show the speech...? I don't know...no one every bothered to tell me...but I'm just the music teacher. That's what the kids told me. Who knows.

a side bar....

Just in case anyone wonders, believe it or not, I have NO problem with Obama's speech to the schoolkids. NONE. Good grief, we need all the help we can get with kids. Such attitudes and lack of purpose....such refusal to take responsibility for their own actions. YIKES...if Obama can help, BRING IT ON. As a teacher, I WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM SHOWING THE SPEECH. And anyone who knows me KNOWS I am NOT, NOT, NOT a fan of our president. ha....to say the least. Actually, this speech is one of the first things he's done that I can support.

yummmmmm

Who likes gingerbread???? Who likes gingerbread cookies? Who would like to make gingerbread cookies when you have no butter or margarine????? Who would like to eat delicious gingerbread cookies made with applesauce instead?? I've never tried that before and it worked beautifully. I had NO desserts or sweets in the house. Too bad, so sad. However, i had a gingerbread mix and I decided to take a chance....it worked. :) very happy.

Monday...what IS the date????

Ok...the dietary habits of the Higgins' household are surely the most important thing on everyone's minds. BUT...it is interesting.....a little bit like the loaves and fishes I would say. Last night, I'll admit, I was irritated and wanted to boot the whole idea. BUT...i didn't....too lazy to go to the grocery store, that's why. :) Not really....well...things are going very, very well. I don't think I've eaten better meals at home in a long time. It's just kind of funny what a little cooking and a lot of imagination will do. I think I'm set for the week. I have the meals all figured out...pretty cool, huh? Stay tuned....more later.

sunday choices....

ok, ok...I know EVERYONE is waiting on the edge of their chairs to see what I fed Jenny and her friend yesterday. I think you would have been amazed...chicken breasts cooked with shake and bake (I know, I know...but I LOVE shake and bake), I found I had some new potatoes in the bin, a can of whole cranberries, cornbread mix and green beans. Howz that???????????????????? All was in my house, the chicken had been purchased with Friday's five dollars. So their dinner was great. I did not serve them dessert because they were on their way to visit a couple of other people and I figured somebody else could feed them dessert. :) BUT....... Now....the next part.....I did make the dessert to take to my friends...a blueberry crumble using things from my house...HOWEVER...I must confess a failure. Jenny got here several hours later than she had told me and I did NOT have the time to go to coldstone and get the ice cream. :( :(...SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I'M SO SORRY...but i had to have Jenny pick up a half gallon of ice cream for me to take. :( :( Could I like sell somebody my coldstone giftcard and pretend like the ice cream had really come from there????? AND THE KICKER????? errrrrrrgh....I got to the house of my friend and there was ice cream already in the freezer. BOO HISS....I didn't even NEED to get it. :( phooey

saturday, the 5th?

well...I've already run into a couple of challenges. How many months has it been since Jenny has been home???? A LOT. However, she just found out she is moving to Maine for a few months on Monday and will be coming by today with a friend....and "lets have lunch or dinner". She's broke and I'm currently not spending.....(a polite way of saying broke as far as disposable income). So...what to do.....I want to have a nice meal for her....so, I guess I will use whatever I have and need to use from here and then just see how it shakes down later in the week. AND....I don't think it is cheating to use a gift card, do you? Because I'm supposed to take dessert to a friend's house tonight....more decisions...HOWEVER....I do have a coldstone giftcard....that would be ok to use that I think...so much icky stuff to do today.....blah. BUT...I have the health, capability and tools to do it, so I will focus on that and there you go. big sigh.

NO HALO...

Ok, you guys. I really appreciate your encouragement, but don't make out like I'm some wunderkind or something. I am probably just now APPROACHING how the normal world lives, and trust me....this is one deep hole I'm in. NOT TO MENTION....well, actually, I wasn't going to admit to this, but I honestly think it is kind of funny now. Yesterday, I managed to get my phone disconnected because I forgot to pay the bill. Not that I couldn't pay it, but I FORGOT to pay it. How pitiful is that? I am "paperless"...no bill in the mail....and I remember going online to pay it but the website was messed up and not taking payments, so I guess I forgot to go back. I'm not exactly happy with verizon, becasue I think they really could have sent me an email since that is how I do my billing, HOWEVER...pride does goeth before a fall because there was a very garbled message on my machine from an automated voice thing about a week ago...most of the message was cut off, but it had something about non-payment. Me being me just figured it was something for Matt. COuldn't be for ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HA. so...the phone bill IS paid...the phone IS back on so feel free to give me a call. :) Gotta go scare up some dinner!!

sept. 4th...

Just had to write this....it's about noticing the little things that make me smile as I'm doing this crazy money moratorium. Ok...I already said last night I had the $5 in my wallet and I was going to see how far I could stretch it for groceries. Then, this morning, I had a dilemna....today is a casual day at school and that means making a donation. Well...that's not really a problem...i'd just not dress casual. HOWEVER...the casual day today is for one of our families who had a house fire. That's different. So....I was pondering how to do this. I could use my $5 for that, or I could write a check which I didn't want to do...I could get cash from the ATM which I REALLY didn't want to do. I went to get dressed and after putting on my jeans, I felt something in the pocket...guess what it was? A $5 bill! How very funny is that??? So, I had my $5 for the donation at work, AND still my $5 for groceries. Doesn't God just crack you up??????????

sept 3 month 2 day 3

I'm contemplating an experiment. Yes...another one!!! Right now, if I had to describe my cupboards, I'd say EMPTY. Nothing good in there at all. So, I started rummaging around in there to see if I could find something for lunch for tomorrow. I looked...and to be honest, it does seem pretty bare....especially the freezer. But....I made myself look harder...and while nothing looks particularily tasty or exciting, the truth is, there IS food there. So, this is what I'm thinking....I have $5 left in my wallet...because I joined PTA....boo...I'm wondering IF I decided to, could I use JUST that 5 dollars to supplement what is in my cupboard, fridge and freezer for a week????? Why would I want to???? I don't know. Just because it is interesting idea. THis will make you laugh....here is the sum and substance of what I have to work with....2 hot dogs, about 6 little pieces of frozen Sesame chicken, about 10 eggs, a bag of frozen vegetables, some pepperoni, some pizza sauce, a pillsbury french loaf (unbaked) some shredded cheese, 1 can of soup, spaghetti and spaghetti sauce, a quart of milk, bread flour, yeast,1/2 stick butter....some easy mac, some taco shells, some refried beans, a can of corn, coffee(YEAH) creamer, oatmeal...lots of oatmeal.... with this, I would need to make 3 meals a day for a week. Interesting, huh???? What to buy with that 5 dollars??????????? My first inclination is hamburger. I love hamburger and I could make spaghetti sauce and maybe a little taco meat to mix in with the refried beans??? But perhaps I can find chicken legs or thighs....that would be fun....because that can be used a bunch of different ways. NOW, ATTENTION....lest you think, I'm broke and I'm doing this because I have to, I'm not. I just think that it might be very, very interesting. So....I think I'm going to do it. I have to make one caveat....I don't think I have enough dog food for the next week, and I really can't ask them to eat oatmeal, sooooooo I will have to pick some up. I think I will do that tomorrow and then the store will be geshlossen....i think that means closed in German. It's been awhile. Stay tuned....I'm going to see what incredibly creative little stuff I can come up with. Ta da......don't worry...I won't invite you over for oatmeal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sept 2

2nd day of the 2nd month....not too much to say, EXCEPT i am finding myself TOTALLY resenting any money I have to spend now. I had to buy some ice teas for the faculty dinner today and I had to join PTA. I didn't want to do either!!!!! :) THat kind of makes me laugh...but that's ok...it's good to change my thinking.

september 1st

wow....here we go...month two. Pretty cool, huh. I almost feel like I've got a good start with this...actually, I do have a good start. I'm glad. Press on...we'll see what comes next. ps...a BUNCH of extra bags went out with the trash today. all stuff from upstairs. :)

clarification

No, I did NOT spend $120 on an outfit for Logan. That would be insane, even for me. His outfit was actually $10. That meant $110 was spent on the other 2 presents combined.

the list...

one watch $7.99
1 shower present, 1 housewarming present, 1 outfit for Logan $120
4 cokes at school $5
2 gift bags $2
1 book of stamps (I'm not sure about $8.40)
$10 on markers, paper, etc. (didn't really need them...just couldn't resist)
$10 on yarn in Michigan
$2.50 ice cream cone. yum

I'm not sure, but I think that is pretty close to it. The next step for me is to break down the bill spending/grocery spending/gasoline spending. The think that is really interesting to me is that I probably never really plan for present spending, yet I am very fond of buying presents...probably too fond. So.....I obviously need to budget for that. This month was high, but some months will be like that...so I need to be ready. Other than that I am very ...well, I don't know what i am...I just am glad I am doing this. This now completes my first month of the money moratorium. What is that saying??????? Oh yeah...."press on" and I will.

day 31

I LOVE THE COOLER WEATHER...with that said, here is my take on the past month of the money moratorium. There was a line in the Christmas Play that I wrote last year when the angel asked the "kid" to name every single item she had gotten for the previous Christmas. "Every single one...GO" Well, the child couldn't do it because there were too many things to remember and they just weren't that important. Well...that is how the money moratorium has hit me, with the exception of an itemized grocery list, I probably COULD for the first time in my life, list everything that I spent money on this past month. It is not a long list, which was the idea. It is a very short list...and I could probably list the money spent as well. I'm not sure that you can appreciate the enormity of this for me. Right now, I need to get ready for school...first day, you know....but I just may post that list later. gotta go...............

day 30

nothing much to say today.... I did have to get a watch...not really an option on that one. Looked around the house, couldn't find one. Got a delightful one at Kmart for under $10. suits me just fine. we'll see how long it lasts. tomorrow, first day with kids at school. i'm already tired....but it's ok...i only have 10 classes to teach tomorrow. I can knock that out in my sleep.

and furthermore...

i can now see that I need to come up with new ways of entertaining myself....I apparently have used shopping and buying as entertainment. Hrmmmph....interesting to understand that. I was bored today and what did I want to do??? Ollies' was calling my name....Other places seemed inticing. But I didn't go.....nope didn't do it. Somehow, I don't think my activity of the day should be the replacement though. I slept and slept and slept some more. I don't know WHAT was up with that...but that's the truth. Did a few things, then slept. Did a few more, then slept. Ridiculous. Guess it always takes me a while to build up my stamina....who knows.

battle of the day...day 29

ok...this is important...I'm not 100% against spending....I mean I have had a couple of situations where I truly needed to make a purchase..ie...the shower present I purchased & the housewarming present. Sometimes, it is ok to draw upon what one has at home, at other times, well....this is not about being tacky....it is about being reasonable and planned with what is spent. NOW....the main rule as I see it, is.......do I have something that I can use (for me or my house) without buying new? In the case of clothing, yes, yes, 100% yes. Jewelry...well, that is a little sketchy...I lose a LOT of earrings. Anyway...all that is neither here nor there. The issue for the day is my watch. My beloved, sparkly, looks like diamonds and pearls and cost $4.99 watch. I'm serious....$4.99. I've worn that watch for 2 years....well close..it wasn't exactly that watch...it was 4 of it's look alikes...for $4.99 I bought several. I loved that watch...it was kind of my trademark at school. And the last one broke yesterday. VERY SAD. So...what to do.......well, I think watches are important....they have to be readable for those of us with 55 year old eyes...they have to be comfortable for those of us who play a lot of guitar and conduct....I could go out looking today...and I may actually have to...but instead, i will look first in my house...and see if MAYBE there isn't something I had forgotten about or maybe just something. I know you probably cannot believe I am writing about this, but it is important. I have to look within, FIRST. Ok...more later.

friday night day??28th is that right???

Well, it has been interesting so far. Had a good evening with some funny friends who came over to help shred papers. It was fun to chat, and munch, and sip and shred!!! How very nice to have such great friends. I hope tomorrow truly is rainy because I want to stay home and work on my room. I am physically very tired from set up at school. YOu have to understand, I'm doing the same thing there that I am here. God BLESS the custodians at the Intermediate school. I bet they were ready to KILL me yesterday....even if that meant they'd have to clean up afterward. I had one of those monster rolling trash cans overflowing, the huge recycle can, half filled, and 3 more heavy duty trash bags plus a stack of flattened boxes....all out in the hall to be thrown out. I'm surprised they didn't throw me out. BUt, bless them, they took care of it all. I want to do something nice for them....I have to ponder that. It is time for BED. BTW...still doing well on the spending....not perfectly, but pretty close. thats all, folks!

c'mon....

shredders and friends.....my house, 7pm. Boy, it was a long week at school. It will be fun to unwind a bit...and maybe we can tear up telephone books when we are done. ha ha. BTW...my dogs, including the new little dear....got a headstart on the shredding...my family room floor is covered at the moment. They did a fine job....what a mess. It may or may not get cleaned up before you get here. :( Oh yeah....she tore up some of my front hall tiles too. Anybody looking for a puppy?????

sooooooooooo tired.....so very tired tonight...

it's true....ok....here's the scoop...if you are planning to come to sip and shred tomorrow (Friday)can you shoot me an email or comment on here or on facebook...thanks!

day 26

hrrruuumph....i don't like this money moratorium anymore. It is making me TIRED out. WHy????? Because it makes things harder. Do I feel like making my lunch in the morning??? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Did I want to stop for a coffee after school before working out???? YES, I DID WANT TO GET COFFEE, BUT I DIDN'T......did i have to get stupid gas on my way to school this morning and I couldn't get a coffee too???? CORRECT. THis is breaking all of my previous rules...1st was monday. It was a rainy day, right?? EVERYBODY knows about the "It's a rainy day so it's fine to buy a coffee on the way to work" rule, don't they???? I mean, it's very obvious. AND THEN....there was the tuesday rule...."I HAVE TO TAKE COFFEE BECAUSE I HAVE TO SIT THROUGH 7 HOURS OF MEETINGS" I don't think I even have to explain that one. And then there was "It's a total pain to have to stop and get gas, so a cup of coffee will make it all better" rule that I had to break today. 3 very important coffee rules...ALL OF WHICH HAD TO BE IGNORED BECAUSE OF THIS STUPID MONEY MORATORIUM. Next...it was the, "NO time to eat inbetween school, a meeting at salvation army, shopping for a shower present, goint to a mission's meeting and a bridal shower" Don't we think it really would have been just dandy to stop for a quick bite from Wendy's or SOMEWHERE????????????????????????????? Well, I didn't. After all, there is a money moratorium on....so, I ate 3 soggy graham crackers at church. (plus a piece of cake...:) poor, poor, POOR me. You want to know what else is harder????? School is harder. My room is UGLY and I want some perky things to perk it up. I want to go to Hancocks and buy fabric and ric rack.....but oh no......there is a money moratorium on, so I have to figure something else out. If I'm this grumpy BEFORE school starts, I think you better just plan on skipping reading next weeks' blogs entirely. OK...a couple of clarifications needed...Yes, the money moratorium is on...however, I still bought a shower present. I still did a lunch out with two teachers in between the stupid meetings. Since I'm the mentor of one and just a "respected older teacher" to the other, it was business. So...you might think I'm welching, but I'm not. You have NO idea of all the money I haven't spent. I'm going to bed. Sleep is FREE.

goodies galore...

never fear...goodies are here. I've got it COVERED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) It will be a potpourri of amazing tidbits.....

day 24....

first things first...we are officially having the sip it and shred it party this FRIDAY at 7pm. Bring your shredder or just bring yourself. Either way is fine. I'll provide the goodies.

Next....this was just a grit your teeth kind of day. Setting up my classroom is an effort in insanity...so much junk....so much of it isn't even mine...so much of it is. Anyway....as I "set up" I find myself thinking...." I NEED to buy some velcro strips, I NEED to buy a new storage container, I NEED to buy a curtain, I need to...I need to....I need to......... Nope. Not gonna do it. Gotta figure out a different way. But you see, this is another crack in the dam.....I have spent thousands of dollars of stuff for school over the years, so now, that crack needs to be plugged up. More chances to be creative. :(

SIP AND SHRED!

I LIKE IT. Nancy came up with a great title!!! Hear ye, Hear ye....let's schedule a sipping and shredding party....question....shall we go for next friday evening????? OR next saturday morning???? I'm serious...I'm doing this!!!!!!!!!!! Even if you don't have a shredder...come...!!!! Let me know which would work better and if it's friday, do you want to bring spouses, or what....I'm totally flexible.....

small accomplishment....

2 good sized boxes of clothing to the salvation army. After I got finished in Matt's room yesterday, I thought...maybe....just maybe this really is possible. You know, self bashing can kind of slow you down...understatement....I think my motto will be..."Press On!!!!" I like that. OH...I think I'm going to have a shredding party. What IS a shredding party you might ask??? It is a party where you bring your shredder and help me shred papers. I have TUBS of papers that NEED TO GO. I tried burning a bunch once. THat worked pretty well...but I think drinking coffee and tea and having treats whilst shredding would be more fun.!!!!! I have a shredder...anybody else????????

What;s today??? ah yes, the 22nd...I think.

Ok....22 days into the money moratorium. Some thoughts: As I can be a bit obsessive, not being perfect with this gives me some displeasure. HOWEVER.....I am forcing myself to be realistic. I have seen a huge change in "spending for entertainment" purchases....or "satisfying boredom" purchases...or "I'm out and about and I'm hungry purchases"...or, ' know i would feel better about myself if I had a new outfit" purchases....OR "I can't find anything, so i need to buy a new one" purchases. So...I would say, I feel like this first step is excellent and I will keep on. I am trying to make some mental changes as I prepare for school. The biggest problem is...(Don't laugh) they now have coke machines instead of pepsi. I hate pepsi....I love coke. I LOVE coke. I probably owe at least 40lbs to the ingestion of coke over the years. Please note..I DO MEAN COCA COLA not the other kind of coke. I don't want rumors started. NOW...this may be a silly thing to you, but to me, coke is comforting. I DO NOT need the calories and I don't want to spend the money. (You people must think I am CRAZY to share all of this....) So...it will be a bit of a battle....don't have a battle plan yet. I was UPSET when I got up this morning and walked into the hallway, because I could hardly walk through it..>THEN...I realized it was already bagged up JUNK...ready to go out the door!!!!!!!!!!! Happy days.....have to go......more later....Love you all, btw.

i appreciate it, but....

You guys are being so kind with your comments and I hate to disapoint you, but I don't think YOU will be able to see a lot of the changes yet. For starters...a lot of them are in "off limits" areas....and that is my goal..to empty....no more stash and dash....I suppose if you were able to WEIGH my house, you'd see a difference....:) I just took another 6 bags out to the trash but other than that, it would be kind of hard to see.
ANYWAY....I really, really, really wanted to go shopping today...I do have to go to the grocery store, but I'm going with a list, but I wanted to go to Ollies' or go to goodwill to look for new secret shop stuff, but I didn't. I just have to be satisfied with the "goods" I found in Matt's room. Some pretty neat stuff too, I might add. Anybody need a 4 ft tall snowman?????? ps..how many sets of sheets do you all keep? Like per bed.....and extras etc. Inquiring minds want to know. See, sometimes when Christy was at the Naval Academy, people would just be here and spend the night. I think the most was 6 or 7 at one time. (Besdies my own family) And of course, I would buy extra sets of sheets and maybe blankets because I either couldn't find matched sets or I would think they were too nasty or I just couldn't find them...period. So, I seem to have an odd assortment of a lot of extra sheets. Not sure how many is reasonable to have.

and.....

found a string of pearls....my pearls. My good string of pearls. I can't even imagine how or why they are there.

more treasures...

well...how about a brand new coldwater creek blouse...still with tags...too small of course...and then there is a scrolling saw. I don't even know what a scrolling saw is....and I'm pretty sure I didn't buy this one, so it's presence there is a mystery. Kevin G....are you missing a scrolling saw???????? Two brand new dress shirts and ties for Matt...still in packages...what looks like a brand new Geoffrey Beane winter coat...not sure who that belongs to....mmmmm...lets see.....the usual pictures and stuff...that's all ok....a brand new "clue" game....I think ebay or the secret shop will be doing well pretty soon. what else was exciting and unique???? a bottle of russian vodka...unopened I might add....a kid size sleeping bag...about 6 white blouses for me....all pretty much the same style. One nice outfit that I can probably wear when school starts. As I'm writing this, I hear noises from upstairs. Both dogs are here with me and I have no idea what that could be. Please don't let it be a creature either 4 legged or slithery. I can't deal...or with wings....none of the above, please. Please just let it be shifting bags of trash....please??????????

8/21 2nd post Mixed Bag...

I mean that literally and figuratively...I was working in Matt's room today which has basically been the dumping ground for everything for a long time. You know, some people spend thousands of dollars to go scuba diving to look for treasure...some go panning for gold....some follow old treasure maps. Phooey. I have them all beat. All I have to do is go into one of several rooms in my house and the hunt is ON. You know, the discovery channel is truly missing a bet to not be in on this. Some of the "treasures" i found this morning, include: a four ft tall snowman wearing a jester hat, 3 hammers...not one, not 2, but three. Old dog poop....a little reminder from the now deceased Sam, a whole tub full of brand new christmas items that I must have bought to send to any soldier...other various brand new gifts...i won't have to worry about christmas shopping for my children this year. I can just give them all the presents they never used from past years...a tad frustrating. I found some brand new hand towels...very nice...a myriad of sheets and comforters...how many is one supposed to keep???????? Several christmas stockings, a drill and various other "bits and piecets" (that's a joke...get it????) bits??? drill bits?????????? And you know what else???? That was all within the first 5 feet of the door...oh yes, how could I forget this??? 5 bags of already bagged trash. Silly me, I thought trash would have gone OUTSIDE to the trashcan...not inside to Matt's room. Well, I am going back in. If you don't hear from me...send help.

8/21 R-E-S-P-E-C-T

The issue of respect...self respect...is popping up...at least in my head. Not a lot to discuss, it's just that despite issues like the kid issue of yesterday, well...i feel like my self respect is a tiny bit improved. Being IN CONTROL is much more conducive to self respect than being out of control with spending etc. With all of that being said......here is the latest on the house etc. BTW., the spending moratorium is doing well...anyway, I have my bedroom pretty much torn apart....you remember the "if you put lipstick on a pig it's still a pig"...well..... how about if you put lipstick on a puppy dog? OR...how about if the puppy dog puts lipstick on herself??????? A whole lot of herself. Yes, I was busy sorting STUFF and my doggies were running hither and yon. Now, Remy, the new puppy is kind of a mess. Last week, she went INTO my suitcase, found a little bag with a toy in it for Logan, got the toy out of the bag and brought it downstairs to play! Nice try. THis was different though....I came downstairs and noticed something at the bottom of the steps....a tube of clinique lip gloss. Then I noticed that tube of clinique was full of teeth marks and even had a puncture wound. Then I saw my very "cute" little puppy. I'm not sure the color she chose was the best for her...she may actually be a summer instead of an autumn, but she was NICELY adorned in a lovely shade of pink from toes to chest. Just charming....Looked like she had been caught in a bear trap actually. I'm very glad I saw the tube of lip gloss FIRST, before I saw her, or I probably would have had a heart attack when I saw her covered in a mysterious reddish substance. Always something....

8/20 total irritation and frustration

I think people think I am no nonsense, tough, abrasive, etc etc. I'm not. Today, I am really struggling. WHy? Because when I do try to stand up for myself, I come off as a b**** and then my "case" is negated. Or so it seems. When did children get the right to be so critical of parents? You know what I say???? "Put your money where your mouth is". I'm trying so hard to make positive changes, and what do i get??? SNotty comments from kids. I"m actually pretty furious at the moment. THat and...because I don't have the where with all to stand up for myself...sometime...not now, I will explain the invisibility of certain groups of people. I am in this group. SOmetimes, it is good because I can use it to my advantage...(kind of like a 55 year old, ninja...ha) other times, it just means that I am not heard unless i fuss aand then i am negated because I am a 55 year old ninja b****. Ok...I'm finished for now. Have much to think about.

TMI??

I guess this might fall under TMI., but since we are examining thoughts and behaviors, I think this is an ok observation. My brother called about 1/2 hour ago and my 88 year old mom was in an accident. After several more phone calls and many txt messages, I'm happy to say except for a bump on the head she is ok., and he is handling them (my folks) . As soon as I got that last phone call saying that everything is going ok., I felt this strong urge to go out and buy dinner...fast food...whatever.... WHy? It's a stress reliever I guess...or that is an old fashioned stress reliever for me.....trying to redirect....cooking dinner, but I'm really glad the money moratorium is setting boundries for me.

8/19

Nothing much to report today. Had some other issues to deal with yesterday and today and that took up most of my brain space. I have to get cracking though...i ripped most of the stuff OUT of my closet and I'm not close to having it finished. I think I can though....I've got a couple of days and I'm excited to see what clothing I can find and get organized before school starts. It will be great....I do have 'before" pictures...but I'm not posting them until i have the after pictures. BTW...thank you for your encouraging comments....I must keep pressing on.... Oh...I did have a challenge today....I did have to do some shopping. Some for school with my school procard....(in other words, they pay), but then I had to get a "house warming" present and THEN....I needed two gift bags. I did look, but I didn't have wrapping paper or a gift bag....:( SO, I got the house warming present I had planned and then went to the DOLLAR STORE..to get the gift bags. Have you EVER gone to the dollar store and only spent a dollar?????? I managed $3. One dollar each for the gift bags, and then a coke. I know, I know....a coke wasn't on the list, but I felt LOUSY and I wanted one. I guess I lose a point for that...:{ But, I even consider $3 a minor...no major victory. Hooray......! Here's a comment for riverrat....have you considered moving your wrapping paper box to the car on a permanent basis??????? :) ha ha ha

8/18 MY FAULT??????

OH NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm watching Good Morning, America and I see that stocks dropped dramatically yesterday due to a drop in consumer spending!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SEE WHAT I'VE DONE???????????????????????????????? The whole economy rests on my shoulders.....mae institutes a money moratorium and stocks take a hit. STAN....I'M SORRY!!!!!! ha ha ha ha......Gosh...maybe I should apply for a bailout from the president....after all, if I have such a dramatic impact on the economy, maybe he'd like to bail me out too. HA...don't think so.....:) here is a little thought for the morning....there is a wonderful freedom in NOT spending. wonderful.

Staring the enemy in the face.....8/17

Well, the enemy and i met face to face....I'm still reeling. What enemy you may ask? Yarn. Lots of yarn. Yarn, yarn and more yarn. All I can say is this...no one in the western world will ever need to be cold if I start knitting now and don't stop for the next 50 years. Why am I sorting out yarn when I"m supposed to be cleaning out my closet? Because they are one in the same. The yarn was IN the closet in 3 sets of those plastic drawers. 3 sets. I guess there is some good news...I will NOT need to buy a baby shower present for a long, long, long, long time. I will be personally responsible for keeping the ears warm of all of the current PPC babies and all of the babies to be. I know, that is a little bit funny, but the truth is, I'm upset. It's not the yarn itself that is upsetting....most of it is very nice yarn....some is kind of ugly, but I suppose someone would like it...anyway....it is the amount of yarn that is upsetting. Why do I have sooooo much??????????????? I have barely knitted anything in the past couple of years. Granted, I was in a scarf mode 2 or 3 years ago, but I probably made 50 or 60 scarves then. (honest) and I have this much left???????????????????? It is upsetting. Very upsetting.

PROJECT COMPLETE #2

Did I mention I have a little ADD????? SO, when I THINK I'm going to be working on my closet, I actually end up repairing a cupboard door instead! However, it was a quickie and the closet awaits. Please note the before and after. I did NOT take a picture of my mashed thumb. :)

Back to school shopping.....8/17

HA!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gotcha......I'm not going shopping......at least not at a store...well, actually, I am, but that is for groceries. NOPE....I'm going to empty my closet and then only put the stuff back in that I intend to and can wear. It is a little problematic, as my clothes cover about 5 different sizes...but I intend to be rather brutal about the process and see what i have that actually fits, what I actually love, and those will be the only things in my closet. I guess I could always use it for a racketball court, cause I don't think there is going to be a lot left. We'll see. Stay tuned.

PROJECT COMPLETE

You guys are going to get soooo sick of reading this baloney. Anyway....I completed a project. Cost $0 Effect? It's ok...I'm satisfied with it. So....two ugly stools are turned into 2 pretty ok looking stools. In case you are confused...the ones on the top are the finished product...the ones on the bottom are the "before". I "found" everything I needed in the house. In fact I had THREE different fabrics to choose from for the new covers...all located in my kitchen. WHO KEEPS EXTRA FABRICS IN THEIR KITCHEN?????? Apparently, I do. Found the staple gun and the staples. Got it done. Perfect? Nope. Better? Yup. It's good to be able to say I actually found the stuff and did it. You know, I think I know why I had 3 fabrics in my kitchen...I have a feeling I bought fabric 3 different times for the same project, never taking the actual steps needed to complete it. Well...I did today. 1 tiny step for Mae.

Seek Ye First....8/16 post 2

Well...for anyone who doesn't go to my church or who wasn't there today, you need to go to the PPC website and listen to today's sermon. Guess what it was about? STUFF. Seeking STUFF instead of GOD. Hmmmmmmm........seems to go along with what I feel He has been trying to tell me lately.

8/16 #1

well..i'm back and I'm glad. sorry to leave my mom there alone...but she refuses to move, so there is not too much i can do. NOW....back to work....
The fun part of this is fixing stuff from within....in other words, I think i have just about everything I need to transform different areas of my house and my life. The rule is this...no buying stuff to "fix" stuff. Make things better by using what I have. That really is a fun thing.....hopefully, some pictures will be posted soon. :) Objective for today??? TO find my staple gun....I need it for my first project. I found staples in my bedroom...(isn't that where you keep yours??) Just need to find the gun...:) Later, gators.....

August 15th

well....I am writing this as I'm riding to the airport ON THE BUS. Yes, this is a funny bus...it has wifi! I guess that is a positive as I would NOT have been able to do that if I had rented a car and driven. :) So....as I knew, the money moratorium would NOT be in effect while I was here however, except for one grievous lapse (those darn penny machines), it was a very controlled visit money wise. Basically I cut by over half what I would normally have spent. Taking the airport bus saved $160. I did pay for a couple of meals out for the two of us, and bought one little outfit for Logan, ($10)and spent $30 at the HUGE, HUGE, HUGE Christmas store in Frankenmuth, Mi. That place is incredible (I digress for a minute) I can't even describe what it iis like to go there...It is the size of many football fields with Christmas everything EVERYWHERE. You have NEVER seen so many ornaments in your life. ANYWAY, it is a unique place and I got an ornament for Christy, Logan and Josh, a funny little Christmas something for a couple of friends who shall remain nameless. All in all.....MUCH< MUCH< MUCH less spent. Nothing else for me...no shoes...no clothing...no books....OH.....I did buy a little yarn....I'm in a baby hat mode and the walmart here has SUCH better yarn than ours. All of this said, I will share with you a couple of things I have learned. Spending money is an entertainment to me....I can see it in my mom....I can see how I was brought up. I remember a LONG time ago when the old mall still existed(!) going shopping with her there and buying 3 Easter outfits.for the kids....excuse me, let me rephrase that...charging 3 Easter outfits at Hechts....because I let her talk me into it.....I couldn't afford those...strange that I still remember that, isn't it??? Anyway....that was the way it always was....Am I blaming her?? Of course not, that would be ridiculous, but I can see how it was the norm to get into the habits I have. Shopping was the entertainment...It can certainly be habit forming. I actually felt it today. I will be happy to get home...and right away I'm thinking..."Oh goodie....after church tomorrow, I think I'll go to Dairy Queen and......" Nope...can't do it. Total spending moratorium IS IN EFFECT....I think it is going to be harder this time, at least for a couple of days. Spending sort of provides a release of tension....at least for awhile....does anyone else ever feel that? I do have one planned expense for later in the week, but it is none of the mindless, "yes, I can buy that and that and that and that and THAT"...kind of attitude that is SOOOOOOOOOO tasty. Ok... gotta go for now...sorry this was soooooooo long.

8/12 :(

That is a sad face in my subject line? WHy???? Because I learned the hard way it is NOT a good idea to take your 88 year old mother to the casino to play the penny machines. :( No other comment is going to be made on this subject. Can hanging out with one's 88 year old mom be a bad influence????????????????????????????????????????? I think that is a YES!!!!! :)

trip so far...8/11

Well, I know everyone is waiting to see how I made out in the backrow of the plane and on the bus. All is well. I continue to see provisions for which I am very greatful...I was in the backrow, but at the last minute the person next to me moved so at least I had 2 seats in the back row. I slept the whole way. No barfing. I got to PHilly....had a 3 hour layover....then I saw not only did I have a 3 hour layover, but my flight was going to be delayed. Now, remember, I did have a bus to catch...There was an earlier flight, that was just starting to load, but they said they were full. I didn't want to pay a change fee anyway..so i asked if i could hang around and see if there was a no show... There was! I got the last seat on the plane and I didn't have to pay a change fee!!!! Wahoo.....got into dtw...found the bus stop ok., but it was LATE. boo hoo. (I had changed my reservation for that too) HOWEVER.....I had the NICEST time visiting with a young man from Sweden who was born in East Germany. It was great....absolutely great.....he was delightful....so that made the bus wait tolerable. The rest of the day has been ok....I was able to get on the internet at my dad's assisted living and get Christy on skype sooooooooooo my parent's were able to see Logan for the first time. It was pretty neat. My dad was actually able to follow along and really understand who he was seeing and how amazing it was. A good day....a little warm for MI but looking at your temps in MD., I think we are doing ok. ps....I've sold $110 worth of stuff on ebay in the past 11 days. :)

a surprise...

here was something unexpected....I took Remy to the vet today and they didn't charge me!!!!!! When has that ever happened before????? Never. Thanks, Lord...I appreciate that.

and......more on day 10

well...Michigan flyer, here I come. It is a large tour bus...full size...nice seats. I wasn't happy, and then I remembered a long time ago, I took my kids on a disney cruise and we had to take the disney bus from the airport to the cruise port and i never gave that a thought. well, I don't need to give this one a thought either...I booked and paid for the seat and it will be fine. (ps...I did keep my car reservation 'just in case' but I'll cancel that as soon as I see if my arrival time will be ok)

day 10 post 1

errrgh....this better be worth it. it's only 7:29 and already I've had to make an anti spending decision...but actually, even though this one is irritating, spending the money would have been more irritating. Flying out of sby tomorrow, the only seat left on the plane was in the last row. I don't like the last row. I HATE the last row. It is stinky, bouncy, and noisy. SOOOOOO...in the past, it has been possible to buy a "choice" seat for $5. I had decided to do that because I really, really do not do well in the last row. I went on the website to check in and get a seat closer to the front. Ok., i start the check in, and there are 5 seats left...i check on one and lo and behold....it is NOT $5....it is $20!!!!!! How OBNOXIOUS is that???????????? Shame on US AIR. SHAME ON YOU. $20 extra for a non noisy, non pukey seat. YOu know what???? Probably even WITHOUT the money moratorium, I would not have paid that...with the money moratorium, there was NOT A CHANCE I would subject my wallet to that insanity. Pass the barf bag....I"m in the last row.

9th day....

The comments you guys are making are so funny.....ok...here is the latest...day 9 with no money spent except I did give the kid the loan.Big sigh (Oh and some gas for my car....but that was an approved expenditure) Now...I have not even been to the grocery store since this began. How about that? I have searched out the depths of my freezer and cupboard and had great meals...I actually cooked this week. Kind of a miracle right there, folks. So...now....this is a week where I have to really look at things as I'm going to Michigan. I don't know quite what to do about several issues. I'll ask God and see if He will present some guidance for me. The problem is.....I don't want to break the spending moratorium...but I'm going to have to since I'll be with my mom and I'll have to share some of the expenses. I will keep to my decisions about no funny expenditures....like clothes, stuff, ebay, etc. etc. etc. We'll see how this plays out. OH....ok...this will be a first. I usually rent a car when I go.....I USUALLY get really good prices....really good...like less than $20 a day. Ok...so the LOWEST....the very lowest i could get was $39 a day. That plus taxes equals over $200 for 4 days. Ridiculous. So...what to do? I refuse to let my mom come in and pick me up...so....I GUESS I will try the MichiganFlyer shuttle bus. It's only $40 roundtrip.....I don't know...I HATE busses....but this looks pretty good....even wifi on the bus....HOW DO THEY DO THAT? SO....I'm trying to summon it up and convice myself I can do this. I guess the thing I'm really worried about is what if my plane is late, late, late? After all, I AM going through Philly. :) We'll see.....stay tuned.

shhhhhhh....

I'll tell you about this, but only if you promise to read the whole thing and understand that it is NOT about WHAT I was given, but just that it WAS given. Since the Grand Social Experiment/Money Moratorium has begun, I have had the best time with some friends....here is the good part....these people know NOTHING about my Grand Social Experiment/Money Moratorium....AND...I'm not even sure what the point of this is....except, maybe I'm noticing things I didn't notice before. OK...with all of that said, here is the funny stuff....though I have not purchased anything for myself, in the past 6 days I have been treated to a delicious ice cream cake treat...totally unexpected.....was taken out to lunch.....TOTALLY unexpected.....and was treated to a lovely day away from Salisbury with lunch and dinner. Simple and fun. Does this mean I'm working on becoming a professional mooch???????? No...not by any means...all of these were surprises, and like I said the folks involved knew NOTHING about my experiment. I just believe they were gentle encouragements from the Lord...i don't know if that makes any sense or not, and I certainly didn't want to sound like gimee gimmee gimmee...that's not the point at all...just what pleasant surprises were given to me this week and I REALLY APPRECIATED THEM. :)

8/8

Nancy has been making some encouraging comments and I appreciate them....I don't necessarily agree with them, but I appreciate them. :) Ok...I'll focus on good news.....the good news is that I lost a couple of pounds this week...probably from NOT eating any fastfood or random sodas. Another piece of good news is that I still have the same $20 bill in my purse that I had last week. Very excellent. I was hungry and tired last night and didn't see anything in the fridge. I went out to do an errand and until now would have stopped at wendy's or KFC or something. I mean it's ONLY $5 or $6, and about 2000 calories, right?????????? But, I didn't. I came home...LOOKED IN MY FREEZER...pulled out a pack of my very famous chili bowl chili, made a pack of cornbread and there was dinner. Probably a lot healthier than Wendy's and actually much more satisfying. There are money things going on that I really don't feel like I can share with the world...the hardest part today is having my money figured out almost to the penny for the next 5 days till payday and then a child of mine needing $50 for a very necessary payment. So......it is a dilemna....how to do this...when I know I am behind on a couple of pmts myself and I'm holding off till payday, and I know I've already told another child of mine I would help with another pmt...it's really hard and the domino effect is very hard.....

8/7 2nd posting...

errrrgh........

Friday...day 7 8/7 #1

Well, it's been 7 days. I have successfully NOT spent anything...not one penny on any regular everyday purchases. Not one coffee, not one soda, not one trip to Ollies', not anything. I"m pleased. I'm a little edgy today.....better get some projects cranking.....

and more...

now, I just found a panera gift card too!!! and my car is cleaned out....Instead of going to the car wash and paying for a vacuum, I used a hand vac from home. did NOT do as good a job as the big vacuum, but it is ok. THEN...as I was doing that I remembered I have 2 tokens for free vacuuming!!! so, i think I know where one is...have to check. Isn't that just dandy?

amazing stuff....

as I do NOT believe in coincidence, i do want to give God the glory for all of these little and new discoveries. First...thanks, for the loan of the dog crate. I really appreciate it! 2nd...I was cleaning out my car and found a check for $46. Wahoo....that will go in the "found money" jar. I also found about $2 in change. Next...I was worrying about how to keep the money embargo in effect as I travel to Michigan....especially while hanging out in the Philly airport...I found a Starbucks gift card!!!!! How grand is that???? Little things, but VERY, VERY important as I work on stopping the money hemorrhage and work on establishing sanity in my home and life. :) Thank you Lord, for being aware of the little things that are going on in my life.

day 6 post 2

i am hoping today will be and odds and ends day...what does that mean? There are a myriad of things that are just odds and ends that need to be dealt with in my house...lightbulbs burnt out, switch plate covers that need to be put on...a cupboard door that needs to get fastened on...drawer pulls that are missing. all little things, but things I think will add up and help. the biggest hold up in this??? Not sure where tools are etc. I have to go pick up the dog crate and then I will see what i can do.....

day 6 8/6 post 1

the sixth day of the money moratorium. I am still pleased, of course...it it only 9am and I haven't headed out of the house yet....but i am still aware of how many places I might have stopped and spent...and I DID NOT. I even found a dog crate to borrow which is a happy thing....much happier than spending $60 for a new one. more later....

day 5 post 1

an update...I am pleased with the spending moratorium so far....very pleased. I have caught myself MANY times when i could have bought coffee/lunch/gone shopping etc. I didn't do any of that. I am PLEASED.

day 4...post 2 Not just a house issue...

You see, at this point, the house is secondary. Instead, it is the thinking that got my house and me into the pickles I'm in that I am truly trying to address. That is why a spending moratorium is in effect...it's not about money, it's not about lack of organization...it's a matter of thinking....

Day 4 (8/4) post 1

Feeling rather despondent this morning.....can't really go into it......however, we shall press on. I do have to make one "purchase"...nothing for me, but I must pay the postage for the item I sold on ebay yesterday. I have the cash set aside, so that is good. TIme to make my lunch for our workshop today. Other than that, nothing exciting, except my new little dog is asleep on my purse.....don't even know what to say about that....except she sure is cute when she is asleep!!!!!

day 3 (8/3) poat 3

ok....here are some items we are going to be adding up: today, 1 laundry basket emptied, 1 tub emptied. Please understand...this is not "current stuff" that is being emptied...not current laundry....this is "stashed stuff". 43 cents discovered. One contractor size trash bag, one regular size trash bag and one full canister for the trash company to pick up. Maybe I'll keep a running total....then I can do something like the 12 days of christmas....but maybe it will be the 12 tons of trash....could be catchy......Oh...and I think it is only fair to share some of the most unusual items discovered: One dolphin shaped "snow globe" ....obviously never made it to school. AND this is very fun to do with 2 little dogs sticking their little noses into EVERYTHING i get into. Maybe I should measure how many feet I can now walk into various rooms???????? ha ha ha...you don't know if I"m kidding or not!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Day 3, post 2 8/3

ps...i've sold two items of ebay in the past couple of days....

Day 3, post 1 8/3

Well, so far so good, but not without a couple of trip ups....well, not really trip ups....just a little bit of frustration. I was in a workship today from 8:30-3. I carried my lunch and felt rather virtuous as most everyone else pitched in to order pizza...but I honestly was quite content. So...afterward, I had time to kill before a pseudo appt. I normally would have "hung out" at Ollies, or paid a vist to Kmart, but I came home and let the dogs out instead. I went to the appt. which was to supposedly meet someone who was interested in buying my 12-string guitar. He didn't show which was aggravating. So...I came home and got another message....he was waiting, could I come back?? So, I went back and he wasn't there again. Well...you can probably imagine some of the words that were bouncing around in my head this time, especially since I got caught in that HUGE downpour. Anyway, chalk it up to no loss, no gain, no biggie. Good try and I'll try again. If you know of anyone who would like to buy a very nice 12 string guitar I can help them out!!!! BTW....I found a GREAT planter on my porch which will be dandy for the plant I need to re-pot. Once, the rain blows past, I'm going to see how many bags of trash I can set out for the trash pick up tomorrow. Exciting, huh???????

Day 2, post 1

well, by 7:02 this morning, my mind had already decided I "needed" to get a couple of things. One was patio blocks to go under my swing. The grass grows high and it's icky. Yes, it does need attention. That's why I have a lovely container of roundup. WHich I'll spray on there this afternoon. The other thing was that I got a dandy pack of pens for $1 at walmart yesterday. (before the grand social experiment started) THere are several colors in it and I like them a lot. So, as I was opening them, my thought was..." I NEED to go back and get several more packs". Why do I need several more packs? Yes, they are nice and I'm tickled to have them. BUt I bought 2 packs and each one has 10 pens. I honestly think that will hold me for awhile. Do you see what is going on????? I am going to have to retrain my thinking. I am going to a store today. BUT...that is to return something.That's all for now.

Day 1, post 2

Day1, post 2. First mental challenge: I had purchased a plant to go in my dining room. I THOUGHT I had a regular pot in there already with an artificial plant in it which i could use. I don't. First thought..."Oh, I need to get......" Nope. I don't need to "get." I have all sorts of beautiful containers in this house and shed. THink I'll go find one.

A GRAND SOCIAL EXPERIMENT PART I

To any and all who are reading this....I've been away for awhile...both literally and figuratively. Facebook has been my primary mode of communication, but I decided this was too heady and involved to write about in notes on facebook.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....with that said, here goes.

Today is August 1st. For the next month I will spend nothing except on consumables...IE food and medicine and gasoline. (Except for bills of course) I must put in a couple of caveats...1st...remy does have a vet appt in 3 weeks and 2nd I am going to Michigan for a few days and that might mess things up a bit. I also reserve the right to have a screen door put on my back porch if I can find one, get a haircut and I have to get a battery for my blue car. Other than that, the list of prohibited purchases includes but is NOT limited to...clothing...especially clothing, "stuff," (Ollies, I"m sorry...I'm taking a break) nothing for the secret shop, nothing for Logan, no anysoldier stuff, no housewares, nothing on ebay, no electronics, no BOOKS!!!!!...that will be the hardest...I love books...no furniture, no stuff for the house, no ladders, no staplers, no pots and pans, no movies, no BOOKS....did I already say books? No sheets, no blankets, no storage containers, no tools, no spray bottles, no make up, no lotion, no dishes, no musical instruments. WHY????? Because I already have all of that stuff...but I lose it in this insanity of a house and then I buy more. NOT THIS MONTH!!!!!!!!!!!! Money will NOT be spent on any fast food. WHEW.....I think that covers it. I will blog about my progress. You might wonder why part I? Well, because this will lead to part II which is this. Using the concept of reduce, reuse, recycle I intend to transform my house ONLY USING WHAT I ALREADY OWN. No new storage units, no new bookshelves, no new nothing. I am turning myself into a HGTV experiment. When I get to part II, I will post some pics and explain as I go. Should be quite an adventure. OK...that's it for now. I am excited about this...at least for the moment. I'll keep you posted.....

8/1 Day one. This is the day this profound experiment came to me. How and why? I was sitting out in the back on my swing at 7 this morning watching the dogs. It was beautiful....I realized how ungrateful I am for all that I have and how I have been a poor steward of so many things. I'm sooooo very tired of dealing with the same issues over and over....house, money, mess etc. When I was at Westminster this summer, someone said the definition of insanity was to keep doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results. I do that a lot. No comment on my level of sanity or lack there of. I try to "fix" things, especially the mess and myself by buying cures of whatever type i think will work. SOOOOOOOOOO....that is what led to the first step. The money moratorium. Stay tuned......

A bit much....

Ok...I have several questions, and I'm hoping somebody, somewhere can answer them. #1 When the country is in the midst of a financial crisis, isn't it just a tad ostentatious, for the 8 year old daughter of the president of the united states to celebrate her birthday in PARIS???? I mean, c'mon...What is wrong with Chucky Cheese???? We have families who are losing their homes all over the country and they are celebrating her bday in paris. Even if they paid for everything like airfare and hotels etc. etc., what about the secret service protection that was needed there? I have a feeling that it was probably a tad more involved than if they went somewhere in the states. I'm sorry...I just think this is WRONG.

Another fuss....

Actually, I'm just quietly appalled. Our new president, took advantage of a frail, old lady to promote his political stance on stem cell research. Make me PUKE. It was a charming sight to see the president sitting at his desk, while tiny, frail Nancy Regan stood there as he signed something "in honor"???? of President Regan. Then he stood there with her hand in the crook of his arm,while he thanked her for her support. So, he used some honor or something to rope in Mrs. Regan into standing there next to him, to make his own case. Shame on him. Talk about a cheap photo op. Phooey.

A double edged sword.....

I guess that is pretty much what I use this blog for...fuss, fuss, fuss. HOWEVER....with that being said, here is my latest frustration. Susan Boyle. She does not frustrate me. What frustrates me is the world. Plain and simple. The world. At the moment, she is supposedly suffering from exhaustion and is in a hospital. Well...good....I'm glad she was able to get the care she needed...now, would everybody kindly back off of her? She had enough pressure just with the competition. She had a huge disapointment coming in 2nd. BUT...doesn't anybody else see the double whammy this whole thing must be playing on her brain and spirit????? GOOD GRIEF. The whole thing has been such a huge deal, and why????????? Because everyone is so taken that such a homely woman could have a lovely voice. So, that is just great. Because everytime they are saying, "Oh my gosh, I would never have expected you to have such a beautiful voice"...They are really saying, "Oh my gosh, I would never have expected you to have such a beautiful voice because you are sooooooooooooooooooooooo ugly. " So, every compliment has a dagger in the middle of it. So, to accept the compliments, she is really agreeing with them, by saying, "Yes, isn't it a wonder...how CAN I sing so prettily when I look like THIS?" and she is therefore insulting herself while being complimented. I'm not sure if this makes any sense...maybe you'd have to be unattractive to know what I mean...it is hard to be judged by outward appearances. Now, if people really thought about it, why wouldn't it dawn on them that not every pretty woman has a lovely voice. Some are horrible singers. But noone seems to get all shook up about that. Just this......

"NanaBanana?"

BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE THE BRAKES YET!!!!!!!!!!!!

How cute is this baby??????????? Incredibly cute is obviously the right answer. How could he being any cuter????????????? Well, living in Md. might help, but we'll make do. I think my daughter needs her head examined. She has decided Logan should call me "Nanabanana". What is WRONG with that child?????? A graduate of USNA and U of Md. and all she can come up with is Nanabanana????????? Big sigh. Good thing they are both cute.

total frustration...

Working in an elementary school, we spend a HUGE amount of time going over "basics" with the kids. Don't lie. Don't cheat. Don't point fingers. Keep your hands off other people. Don't tattle. Don't whine. Help your classmates. It's difficult, but these are lessons everyone needs to learn. Or at least I used to think everyone needed to know these skills. BUT WHY??? If they don't learn them, they can always be a government official!!!! Like a congressman, or senator, or gov. or....gosh...who knows how high they could go? There is no limit. Lying, cheating, finger pointing, tattling, being two faced, whining...why these things are in HIGH demand if you are an elected official. Personally, I am totally, absolutely, completely 100% sick of our elected officials acting worse than 3rd graders. AND....doing all of this in full view of the entire world. It is worse than an embarrassment.

So Concerned...............

Is it just me, or does the world seem more frightening every single day? I always placate myself by thinking nothing could be worse than when WWII was going on, but the everyday depravity of "now normal existance" is becoming overwhelming to me. What worries me the most is that this total depravity is now becoming the NORM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Has it always been so, and now I'm just old and tired and it bothers me more?? I don't think so. I just feel like not only is the writing on the wall, but the writing is on the wall in hundred foot high letters, but most folks just go on...la la la la la la la. It seems like our new president only wants to make friends from enemies and enemies from friends. I am tired of the people who have worked so hard to preserve this country being villified and persecuted. GET OFF THIS RIDICULOUS BANDWAGON. Ask the families of all those who were killed while just innocently going about their daily business in our own country, if they would have minded someone being waterboarded prior to 9/11 if the terrorists could have been caught PRIOR to the attacks. I am just weary of all the baloney from the white house right now. The people this president seems so determined to crucify are the very ones who probably saved his white house from being bombed to the ground on 9/11...or on subsequent days. Who knows.....maybe I'm just weary of it all right now.

Hallelujah

This will be me in about one hour when school gets out and we are on break until next Tuesday.

Interesting stuff...

I know, I know...it's been awhile. Life has been BUSY! Mostly good stuff, but busy. So, what is taking up all the time? Well...school, and looking at pictures of my grandson, and directing my wonderful choir and directing a grand wedding and...working on my website. Yes, it's true. After about 1000 years, I'm finally getting all of my plays and scripts and musicals together in one place and offering them AND custom written shows for sale! It is not quite ready for prime time yet, but I've learned a tremendous amount in the past 3+ weeks. Some wonderful help from my knowledgeable friend, Karen...and I'm getting closer. I will announce it's launch date as soon as I know it! Other than that, not much is new! :)

More baby....

I think he has already learned the art of pondering!!!!!! Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Sweetie pie....

Flirting with mommy....

She IS a funny mommy....

Cute baby, anyone???

Mission "Possible"

We had an amazing time with Missions at our conference this past weekend. I am in awe of how that committee functions and just puts together an absolutely wonderful program. I am still feeling uplifted from the whole thing. THANKS YOU GUYS!!!!! GREAT JOB!!!!

Variety Show...

My good friend, riverrat asked me how many kids were in the variety show...I THINK about 90...there were 26+ acts. It was more than a notion.We had singers and dancers and joke tellers and stilt walkers and flippers and guitar players and piano players and cheer leaders and jump ropers and hand walkers and poem reciters...to mention a few. NOT to ignore...the amazing, wonderful version of Dancing Queen...done by some amazing Westside teachers. It was something else. :)

I know, I know.....

I know, it's been a long time. Last week, I ALMOST posted my "no show snow" ...good thing I didn't! It was enjoyable to have the snow and I got to wear my boots!!!!! I find a good snow very refreshing and there is NOTHING better than being cozy in the house, drinking coffee and listening to the snow blow and watching it swirl. Good stuff. The couple of days off from school were very much appreciated as well. Last week was the variety/talent show at school. I had the dubious honor of being in charge...trust me, dubious doesn't even begin to sum it up. But, we survived. I enjoyed decorating the stage and Friday evening, right after school, about 6 teachers descended and helped finish things up. Boy, do I appreciate those very tall teachers!!!! They can take care of things, I literally need a ladder for.... The kids did a fine job. I was tired, but relieved.

A Mistake??????

I am greatly confused by an article I just read. It said Michael Phelps made a "mistake" when he took a hit off a bong at a party. Hmmmmm.....exactly, how is that a mistake???????? Did he not know what a bong was? Did he not know what was in the bong??? Was he tricked into thinking this might be some new kind of aromatherapy? I am guessing he reached for the bong...took it into his hands....and took a hit off of it. A deliberate action. I just don't get the mistake part. It was a bad choice. It was breaking the law. It was a ridiculous trade for millions of dollars of endorsements, but it wasn't a mistake. I am sad and disapointed in this situation. Not because I'm a prude or anything else....it's just that when you have a whole world looking up to you, doesn't that carry a little bit of responsibility with it? When companies have pledged millions of dollars to you for promoting their products, isn't that worth something? Is the enticement of a high worth more than that? If he needs a rush, watch the video of his wins....that should be a bit of a kick. And the...."it won't happen again". Well, I think he said the same thing in Salisbury when he was visiting the high schools here after a DUI. But, I guess that was a "mistake" too.... Very sad.