Female Hysteria (Temporarily) Averted...Male Nirvana Created

Soooooooo. We got a phone call yesterday afternoon from the cabinet company saying that they'd had a fire in the warehouse and that our cabinets would be, at best, a week later in arriving.

Um, yikes!

We talked with the contractor to let him know what was going on. I think he heard the note of hysteria in my voice over the phone (the Hubs had the phone, but I was involved in the conversation, too) because he said that he'd leave my major appliances in place as long as possible. They'd just start on other things that need to be done in the room (walls, ceiling, etc.).

Why, thank you Mr. Contractor Man...and thank you to your sense of self-preservation. That man can sure sense a woman on the edge!

So we get an extra day to get things packed and moved around in the house. I have a microwave in my living room right next to the couch......I may have inadvertently created a male nirvana with that arrangement!

"Pack it up, Pack it in, Let me begin...."

That's right, y'all! It's movin' day....um, so to speak. The workmen show up bright and early tomorrow to start the demo on our kitchen. Everything's going, right down to the studs.

And not a moment too soon. The goal is to have everything finished before Thanksgiving. For now, the microwave, the toaster and the coffeemaker are all in my living room on the kitchen table.

How many more days are there 'til the middle of November?

**My title contains the beginning lyrics of Jump Around from House of Pain.

Well, paint me pink and call me overwhelmed!

Do you ever have those moments where everything that's going on in your life just slaps you in the face and leaves you feelin' frazzled and overwhelmed?

Be honest, baby.

Yep, I thought so!

Well, for whatever reason, I've been going through that this past weekend. All I see around me is a house in upheaval, what with all the house repairs/remodeling still going on, my brother temporarily moving in, the usual funny business that goes along with two younguns and a hubby and.........*sigh* I think you get the idea.

So here's my query: What gets you through the frazzled and overwhelming moments in your life?

Prayer? Music? Exercise? Beating a defenseless piece of wood into splinters with a hammer?

From the simple to the silly, I'd love to hear your methods of relieving stress!

Unless it's illegal.

Peace, y'all!

Everyday Faux Pas and Everyday Kindnesses~

There are just some things that people shouldn't say or do in certain situations (yes, I am including myself lest you think I'm gettin' preachy!) I've been witness to many faux pas over the years, some funny and some not so much.

When attending someone's funeral one should never say of the deceased, "Well, we knew it was coming..." I heard this a few times at Mom's services and I finally told one individual, calmly I hope, that yes we did know that Mom's time was probably limited but that didn't lessen the pain or shock. ~I mean, c'mon, knowing that a car is coming straight at you and is probably gonna hit you does not make the pain from the crash hurt any less. I'm just sayin'!~

When a child is caught smacking someone, hitting the child and yelling, "Don't hit" may not be the best way to get the point across. I saw someone do this while I was at the grocery store today. *sigh* It's sights like that that make shopping such a joy....

If one is saying hello to a person they haven't seen in a while, derogatory comments about their looks or how they used to be....not a good idea! I had a woman comment on how, um, voluptuous (my word not hers) I had become over the years and then said that it must be bad genes from my mother. Too angry to be diplomatic, I simply turned and left without another word. She got off lucky, m'dears!

I once had a lady say that my sleeveles blouse was innappropriate to wear while I was singing on the praise and worship team (the same team that my Dad led and my Mom sang on with me). A teenager at the time, I was totally bewildered as to how to deal with it and unprepared for some of the things she was calling me. Mom wasn't so hampered. She, in that deliberate way she had of speaking when she was riled, told the woman that if someone was turned on by armpits they needed professional counseling. I still get a chuckle out of that one!

Now, along with the many faux pas I and others around me have encountered, I've been privvy to a number of random kindnesses that were delightful to behold.

A lady that's become a friend of the family told me that she could tell from how our boys acted that I was doing a wonderful job with them. She went on to tell me that she loved being around me because she condsidered me to be a beautiful and genuine person. The compliment was totally unexpected and wonderful....and as usual, made me uncomfortable (I'm odd that way). I told her a quiet thank you. Thinking about that makes me smile and reminds me to pass the compliment along to others so that they can have a "warm fuzzy" moment.

I try to make it a point to look for those everyday kindnesses....the young child who willingly helps a sibling or parent, a person who lets the harried mother take their spot in the check out line, a compliment genuinely given...anything.

Have you witnessed or carried out an Everyday Kindness recently?

From the Everyday Occasions scrapbook~

Here are a few photos out of the hundreds we took while we were on our jaunt out of town with the In-Laws. Since I couldn't pack y'all in my suitcase and bring you along, I wanted to share a few of our fave snapshots of the weekend...

Everyday Occasions Postcard~

The Everyday Occasions family is here.

I wish you could be, too!

Be back soon.

I did something soooo trashy....and in front of my in-laws, too!

There we were. Driving back to my house after spending a pleasant morning at the local Barnes and Noble/Starbucks (Pumpkin Spice Latte heaven!) with E-man and my In-laws in tow.....and then it happened. My trashy secret went public.

I'm ashamed. ASHAMED!

I have a history of picking up stray pieces of furniture that have been left by the side of the road, unwanted and doomed for the dump, and taking them home. They get a new home, some love in the form of paint or stain and I get a useful piece of furniture for practically nothing. It saves me some green and I'm being green by reusing instead of buying new. Not a bad deal to my way of thinking.

Howevah, the In-laws had never witnessed this process first-hand and were totally unprepared when I hit the brakes, threw the car in reverse and hopped out to start digging through someone's trash! I was, at the time, too tickled with my find to fully take in their confused expressions.

What did I find?

A solid wood mantle in wonderful condition. It's gonna be fabulous in our living room. I can already see our stockings hanging from it this holiday season. *blissful sigh*

Uh, sorry about the pile of whatnots behind it. I still haven't fully moved into my new little studio room. You know the room that used to house the 70's era hot tub. Don't remember? Let's refresh our memories...

I'll be doin' a before and after of that room in another post....and, yes indeedy, I used lots of very inexpensive things for that room, too!

Now what was I blathering on about before I got sidetracked? Oh, yes. My poor In-laws watching me dig through an unknown person's trash pile. Lovely.

When I finally came out of my euphoria over my free treasure, I was able to fully take in their expressions. After I chuckled, I sheepishly told them of my now not-so-secret habit. To my surprise they laughed along with me and said that it sounded like fun! They even helped me get it safely in the house and tossed around ideas with me about where and how we could hang it on the wall. Bless their hearts.

So I went a little crazy with Picnik....

But it was worth it...How cute are my boys?!

Na-na, na-na boo boo!

My bladder and I have, after many years of conflict, come to an agreement. I expect it to work properly and it....well, it laughs at me and pretty much does what it pleases. Payback for having two boys who treated it like a soccer ball while I was prego, I guess.

It taunts me.

It has the absolute worst sense of timing.

It is not what it used to be and it wasn't that stellar to begin with.

All of this goes trotting through my brain as I'm frantically trying to lug 30+ pounds of baby and carseat into the house after a non-stop morning of errands. I'm fairly certain that I heard it cackle at me as I went tripping down the hallway towards blessed relief.

Did I make it?

Did my bladder make a mockery of me?

*sigh* I'm not telling.

Daddy's Day

Yesterday was Dad's birthday. He said he didn't want a big get together, like Mom would have done for him, but that he just wanted to go out to eat somewhere with us and my brother A. I understood that simplicity was the name of the game for his day, but I still wanted to fuss. I resisted the urge (I know! That hardly ever happens!) and we had a relaxed meal at the local Olive Garden. I haven't given up hope of making him a birthday cake in the near future, though.....perhaps a carrot cake as he has a fondness for them.

We love you Daddy and we look forward to spending many more years with you!