OK...so, ya wanna know what I've been up to???

WHEW!!! That's all I can say.
I left for my moms Saturday about 12:30, after I got some errands done, since, I knew I would be gone awhile.
It's a 4 hour drive.....I can't believe how tired I got, so, I had to pull off the road and sleep! I slept about 15 minutes and I was good to go! Hmmmm, me thinks it must be that AGE thing???
Got to moms and we decided to go out for dinner at a new Mexican food place there...it was pretty good. We ended up drinking some wine and sitting up til after midnight. Sunday, while we were having coffee, she showed me some papers we'd dug out while going through some of dads things, organizing and such. A mystery!
My paternal grandfather came over from Greece as a teenager, "we think". There is some big mystery about all of it. We aren't even real sure of his last name to follow it back to Greece. There was a 'cousin' in Chicago, but, not sure if he was actually related. These papers were from when he was 55 years old...naturalization papers for my American born grandmother....and for my grandpa! We think he came through Ellis Island, and his name was changed there....We can't figure this all out. Even when my dad was alive, we never seemed to get to the core of how, why, his age, etc. of when he came to the USA. VERY interesting.....
Then, we drove all over town, just messing around, went to the local winery place and tried some wines and fell in love with the sparkling wine *champagne*. We both bought a bottle of that one! YUM-MY!!! mmmmmm We went to the store for some stuff to make the strawberry cheesecake cheeseball mix I bought there. ANOTHER yumm-o favorite! We BBQ'ed some steaks, took a lil walk after dinner, and sat up and watched some DVD's of old family 8mm movies I had transferred to disc.
OH MY!!! We were up til midnight laughing our butts off!!! Oh, if you've ever had those old 8mm movie cameras stuck in your face with that big ole ROW of BRIGHT lights, you'll know what I'm talking about! LOL It was mixed with the sad of all the ones that are gone now...but, it was a good time!
Monday, we went for lunch at the Truck Stop where one of my friends is the restaurant manager. Good food. We had a LONG lunch, then, went out to the cemetary and watered and put up some new plastic flowers on the 3 graves out there. We spent quite awhile walking all around looking at the other gravesites...We stopped at the store for a few groceries. We ran into the owner of the Health Food Store and she ended up having us rolling on the sidewalk! *Remind me to tell ya the story about 'can you stick a fork in it?' sometime! ROFLMAO!!!* We had thought our lunch would also be 'dinner', but, we had the munchies and got cold leftovers out...my kind of supper. Later, Mom started pulling things out of the cedar chest...oh my! It has been a long time since we had been in there...altho, it's pretty empty..but, she emptied it more. (I brought my baby book and baby picture and some of my grandmas embroidered pillow cases home with me....) THEN, we found the letter!
Too weird, that the morning before I had mentioned to mom as we were talking family, that I remembered an airmail letter from Greece. It must have had some major significance for me to remember that, I think.
Well..........my paternal grandfather came over from Greece as a teenager, "we think". There is some big mystery about all of it. We aren't even real sure of his last name to follow it back to Greece. There was a 'cousin' in Chicago, but, not sure if he was actually related. This letter is from my grandpas SISTER!!!! oh my!
We are hoping to have my SIL's mother, who is heavy into geneology, look farther into this, because NOW we have dates and names of towns!!!!! This is sooo intriguing!
AND, time is running out on getting answers! My dad has 2 sisters left--they kinda don't associate--maybe, they will have some answers...My mom is planning on going back to Iowa this summer, and, I sure hope she can make contact with them and get some answers....
Anyway, that night we spent talking about all this stuff....hmmmmm
Tuesday, my birthday, we left in the morning and just kinda messed around. When we got home, my brother had returned from his business training and trip to Boise. He showed me how to do Suduko...what a mind boggler! He napped and we went to the health food store to visit the owner, a gal I've know since High School, and the one we had talked to the store the day before. We came home got ready to BBQ again and mom invited a friend to come over on her way home from work. She loves champagne and her birthday was the next day. So, we had the champagne we'd bought.....good stuff. That night, my brother and I talked alot about real estate stuff about MIL's house. He sold real estate in Idaho for awhile.
Wednesday, I left around 11. It was windy and rainy most of the way home. I ended up pulling over for another 20 minute nap...what is it with me??? The heavy rain woke me up. I drove through some snow, too....and brrrr cold! The weather sure changed fast!
Thurday, I worked at the scrapbook store from 10-6.
Friday, I went over to Show Low for a Stampin' Up retreat with my upline and her downline...we stayed at a rented cabin there in the forest! AWESOME! It was a great time, even though, I didn't know my upline well at all and had never met the other 4 ladies. Man! I thought my head would explode with all the great ideas and techiques I learned! Incredible stuff! I can't wait to try them all on my own. We stayed up late both nights and eat like little piggies. *I'll post pics later* I got home Sunday about 5.
Monday, I cleaned like a fool all day...didn't even leave the house. My BIL from Wyoming was coming in Tuesday evening.
Tuesday, I worked from 10-6, delivering AVON before work. Had to think of something for supper, so, I went to Safeway and bought some steaks and some AWESOME frozen buttered shrimp and fixings. We didn't end up eating til 7:30, but, it was great!
Then, today, I got up, visited with BIL for a bit before he left before 9. The landscaping company showed up to turn on the sprinkler system, so, I ended up being a bit late for my AVON meeting in Show Low. Some of us girls had lunch together afterwards, I did some shopping, hit Walmart and got home a few minutes before hubby did. I had a glass of wine and just had a meltdown.......
Me thinks I have too many irons in the fire.
count your blessings...

You gotta check this site out!

WOW! WOW! WOW!
I LOVED visiting this site! What a talented Bakerella!

an unexpected trip

Well, I talked to my mom this morning. She has to have surgery April 21 to fix/repair a large stint in a vein running from her neck to her leg, or she is facing the loss of her leg(s). She's OK, but, my brother that moved back to our hometown and is living with her is out of town for training for his new job and then, making a flight back to Boise for some business with his house back there. She will be alone until he gets back Tuesday sometime, so, I'm heading out tomorrow and will come home Wednesday.
I will probably go back the 23rd and stay for awhile til she gets recuperated well.
What a thing, this growing old stuff.... She will be 76 in June.
In the summer of 2003, she was healthy as a horse, newly retired and BAM...on death's door. She was a HEAVY smoker and her veins are ruined, her colon is in bad shape, ugh, ugh, ugh Needless to say, she no longer smokes! LOL What a way to quit!
I'm going to take my laptop with me, but, I imagine we will stay busy. She's not ill or housebound.
~~On another note....I was on the phone a good portion of the morning again. I guess you could say I made a bit of progress. I also met hubby on the highway after his short 8-hour workday and we headed to the county seat to file the QuitClaim Deed on MIL's house...scary business that is! The people in those offices were NOT as helpful as the ones in the county where her other house was sold that way. It's done, tho...now, to wait til the papers are recorded and returned to us, so, I can send it all on to the State for finalization on Dorothy's case. Did I say how scary this is?????
After that was all done, hubby talked me into stopping for an early supper at a Mexican food place there. I REALLY wanted a Margarita, but, they didn't have mixed drinks there and I also had to drive part of the way....dang! So, when we got home I CLEANED OFF THE PAPERS from the table FINALLY!!! YAY! Then, I sat and drank a glass of wine! That's one little bit of a burden off of me....now, on to the next!
Going to my moms will hopefully, be a bit of a breather for me. I need to get out of this house and away from some of the crap that's going on here.
Well, time for my shower and to bed for me!
count your blessings...

some stash...

WooHoo!



I got a ton of fun stuff at the scrapbooking store! In these pictures you'll see the TOTE-ALLY cool tote *I sold 3 of them Saturday, thank goodness there was one left for me, altho, I wanted the cool blue camo one with the carousel base, but, this will work*, my Marvy Cutter with a free handheld cutter included, an extra scoring blade, an extra scallop blade, a 24-count plastic embellishment container, a cute little chickie clear stamp, some vellum glue dots, 3 packs of star embellishments, 10 packs of stick-on rhinestones, 8 camping/4-wheeling 12x12's, 2 different camping/outdoors puffy diecut page embellishments, and 8 hunting/outdoor 12x12's, 4 western 12x12's and one dog 12x12 paper. I saved $25 with my birthday 20%off special and didn't go much over my expected $100 budget. I put it on my AVON credit card, tho, so, no worries for a month! hehehe ahhhhh, I'm happy with my haul. She had just gotten a ton of new stuff in, but, I've had my eye on these papers and also needed the 2 bigger items. The new stuff will have to wait! LOL
When I got home, I was on the phone for 2 hours with different people about financial mumbo jumbo and MIL 'stuff'...ugh! I need a personal assistant! I'm ready to QUIT! The worst part about it, is that I didn't really get much accomplished with the calls and still have more to make tomorrow. BLECK
Well, I'm pretty burned out for the day, so, I think I'll do some crocheting to unwind, gulp my Apple Cider Vinegar cocktail and hit the sack.
count your blessings...

Just Me...

I worked at the scrapbook store, Thursday afternoon, Friday, Saturday and Tuesday.
Monday, I had to run over to Show Low and I paid off MIL's house....SCARY STUFF! We used our home equity line to do it. Now, Friday, hubby will have to take off work early, so, we can go to the courthouse and get it put in our name..... It's really depressing...and the scary part is making sure it's all done right, according to what the state wants, so, she doesn't get booted out of Long Term care.
I got my Avon order turned in this morning and have a lady to get hired. She only speaks Spanish, so, her daughter will have to be there to interpret. Thank goodness, the lady has sold AVON before.
I got a bunch of bills paid off with my 'work' earnings, so, since I just printed off a 20% birthday certificate for the scrapbook store, I'm going to get me some 'stuff'! LOL I've had my eye on some big ticket items, so, now's a great time to go shopping!
The weather is turning...my fingers are freezing, guess I'll build a lil fire and do my errands and shopping.