One Part Inspiration...

Don`t get me wrong.  I am captivated by short videos demonstrating easy ways to prepare delicious looking food.  I find myself clicking onto websites that promise that I will become a candidate on "BEST CHEF E.V.E.R."  But when it comes right down to it, I don't have the attention span to produce the same end result. "Their" kitchens never look messy while they prepare the food.   Mine, looks like a tornado tore through the back door, and didn't stop until it it took the whole neighbourhood with it.   "Their" ingredients always look fresh.   Mine have to be stacked "just so" because otherwise, the product, which otherwise would be its way to product heaven, might be too distracting in the ingredients photo. Case in point: Manuela`s blogpost looked like this: and I was INSPIRED BY WHAT I SAW I thought.  "Hey, the girls and I are getting together for dinner this week, and I said I'd bring desser...

I came home from work, made supper and then went to a card-making class.  It was hard work. I enjoyed learning this new skill,  but found the evening taxed my brain.  By the time I went home, I had a bit of a headache.  To make matters worse, when I arrived home, I smelled something 'off'. It smelled like cat pee.  I kept trying to find the source and couldn't pin point anything.  I emptied the garbage, put laundry into the machine, washed down the sink.  Still I couldn't find the reason why it smelled so bad.  My headache persisted, so I waved the white flag and went to bed. All night long, I tossed and turned, trying to sleep.  I did manage to get some rest, but no relief for my headache came.  I tried taking medication.  I tried putting a magic bag on my head.  Nothing really helped. When morning finally came, I decided to make a cup of coffee and see if that might do the trick. The smell of cat pee not only lasted all ...

In a few weeks, my family is coming.  The preparations are in full gear.  I find myself looking at my house and garden, wondering what jobs I should tackle, so that my house doesn't look like it always does. One of the things that has been on my list, is to get my windows cleaned.  We have really great windows.  We replaced them all as part of our 're-do' of The Pokeaway and every time I look at them, I like them better and better.  They slide easy.  They have a great profile and the screens work.  The only problem is, that they get dirty. This year has been particularly bad because there was a lot of birds who made deposits on the windows.  I knew that if I didn't get them cleaned before my family arrived, I would have to stand at strategic spots during the whole visit to try and cover them up:  " Hey look, what's over there?  Away from the dirty window?!" Admittedly, I don't like cleaning windows.  It is very time consuming. ...

My husband occasionally sends me out to get materials for a job he is working on. As far as I'm concerned this is a cruel and unusual punishment.  I break out in a sweat just thinking about it.   And yet, trooper that I am, I am willing to give it  the old college try.  Before I leave, I write down EXACTLY what he says he wants. Then on the drive to the big box "Do-It-Yourself" (ha ha good one! Obviously THEY've never seen me try to convert inches to meters or cut a straight line.) store,  I give myself a pep talk.  " This time, Marni, will be different.  How hard could it be to find 3- 16 foot pieces of 1.5 X 3  ?  I'm a grown woman.  I can figure this out.  Especially since I have the cutest measuring tape known to Woman ." I may have a willing spirit, but generally, I am a hopeless ruin within minutes of entering the store.  Everything looks the same. Electrical, plumbing, wood, handles, sinks, ...

I have become a true native of this region. This is between you and me and the fencepost. It has to remain in "The vault". Don't spill the beans. Deal? O.k. Well, this morning, I had an appointment to get to by 10. Yesterday was a snow day, so there was still lots of snow on the van windshield. And it was mucky out, because immediately following the snow storm, was a rainstorm. Slush abounded. And puddles. Still, I headed out in my shoes. I had boots, but who knows where they ended up? I stepped lightly. But first, I put the garbage can in to the van - and left the door open. It was too big to fit in the van, the way it was, but I didn't want to roll it down the driveway. My feet would get too wet. So I held onto the handle with one hand, and backed out with the other. So far so good. When I put it in drive, I had to look around the large whack of snow still on the windshield. I couldn't find the wiper-brushee thingie - even though I know I have one somewhere. And...