tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85533812714623199842024-03-13T07:25:42.007-04:00A Good LifeChristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.comBlogger653125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-91993957201008418832012-12-04T21:14:00.001-05:002012-12-04T21:24:38.929-05:00December 4. The tree.So we went looking for a tree in 65 degree weather which was a little weird. It was a beautiful day though for most of the day-This morning I walked in a TANK TOP! On Dec 4th! (I'll clarify that I walked for an hour so I was only in the tank top after I worked up a sweat.) but I figured it was the last time my arms would see sunlight until probably February so I'd better take advantage of it. <br />
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By the time we got to the tree place though, it was raining. And no one could agree on a tree. I got voted down on the Douglas Fir for a long needle tree. We got a concolor which smells a little like oranges. I didn't go on the the tree excursion last year and the tree last year was a little, hmmm....on the short side. So this year though I didn't get a Douglas Fir I did get one that ends about an inch below the ceiling! <br />
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Score! <br />
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Still looking!</div>
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Found it! </div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-70197639707771927722012-12-02T21:58:00.001-05:002012-12-02T21:58:07.635-05:00December Photo Project 12/2GCV&M is by far the prettiest place I've ever worked. We've been decorating for 2 weeks for our holiday programs. And when I say "we" I mean mostly other people. <br />
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If you don't feel in the holiday spirit when you leave then you're just a plain old humbug! This little vignette is right outside the gift shop. But our whole site is decorated like crazy. <br />
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We are rocking the Yuletide spirit. (ask me if I still am in three weeks though.) <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LRQcO1HFLsM/ULwVO8_neMI/AAAAAAAACNM/twVgNCRtCUc/s640/blogger-image--1416718084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LRQcO1HFLsM/ULwVO8_neMI/AAAAAAAACNM/twVgNCRtCUc/s640/blogger-image--1416718084.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5n3LnVUi5hM/ULwVPk5xTCI/AAAAAAAACNU/RHTJq15SJNU/s640/blogger-image--256010552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5n3LnVUi5hM/ULwVPk5xTCI/AAAAAAAACNU/RHTJq15SJNU/s640/blogger-image--256010552.jpg" /></a></div>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-10307423819951964312012-12-01T22:56:00.001-05:002012-12-01T22:56:46.310-05:00December Photo ProjectIt's been so long since I've blogged. However, the other day I saw something about the December Photo Project and remembered how much fun I've had participating in this in the past so for Dec at least I'm in. Maybe I'll stretch my blogging muscles again and like it! <br />
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Today I worked for much of the day and came home to this newly decorated tree in the gazebo this evening. What a nice sight to come home to. <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qhYEkkwXM78/ULrRfIy0EXI/AAAAAAAACM8/212DiWYEeMk/s640/blogger-image-540064156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qhYEkkwXM78/ULrRfIy0EXI/AAAAAAAACM8/212DiWYEeMk/s640/blogger-image-540064156.jpg" /></a></div>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-62638719284779613262012-06-18T22:46:00.003-04:002012-06-18T22:50:03.574-04:00Fresh Free Range Chicken- Fisher Hill FarmSo here I am after a long absence. <br />
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I feel like I just took a long slow breath to collect my thoughts. (maybe it's all the vitimn D I've been getting outside lately. ) But rather than tell you those thoughts, I'm going to tell you about something else. <br />
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Free Range Chicken. <br />
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This weekend, in an attempt to start substituting the vegetable garden I didn't plant this year (save, potatoes, broccoli, cabbage and a host of various alliums and herbs) by consistantly going to the farmers market (Something we are hit and miss about when the garden is full) we headed out to the Webster Village farmer's market. <br />
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It turned out to be a poor excuse for any kind of market. It was terrible, interspersed right on main street in Webster. The vendors were sparse, placed between cars parked on the street. There were TONS of signs for this thing, parking signs, market signs. There were more signs than vendors....One vendor told me there were not a lot of vendors because the farmers don't have that much food yet??? There was one woman with a compelling booth of handmade soaps and lotions but she had an overbearing customer who was bugging me so I couldn't stick around. We won't be back to that place.<br />
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This is a trip that could have certainly ended in disaster without the graceful pivot that my family was able to make. (I mention this only because this is NOT a skill any of us possess in large quantities.) <br />
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But pivot we did as I looked up the Pittsford farmer's market on my phone. We also decided to eat by the Canal in Pittsford because it was a gorgeous day. <br />
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Apparetly the farmers in Pittsford had more food avalible to them than the ones in Webster, because, while this was still a fairly small market, it had everything you'd need to eat well this week. We bought strawberries, lettuce, garlic scapes, some kind of strawberry juice for my girl, a large onion, free range eggs and A FREE RANGE CHICKEN from<a href="http://www.fisherhillfarm.com/farmers-markets"> Fisher Hill Farm</a>. <br />
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Not only was the chicken free-range, it was.... I don't know how to say this any other way..... butchered the day before. And never frozen. It was $4 a lb, which is a lot for chicken, but not as much as Wegmans charges for a free range bird. <br />
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I have a complicated relationship with Organic chicken. I look at those little tiny Organic chickens from Wegmans and it's hard for me to pay $15 for them. It really is. This chicken weighed in at a respectable 4lbs, which equaled $16. It was a larger chicken though, though not huge like a factory farmed roaster.<br />
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Today was chicken day! When I opened up the wrapper on this chicken was beautifully prepared, with nary a stray feather on it. It was free of any remnant of the butchering process if you know what I mean (though the neck was a little long for my asthetic taste.) It just seemed like it was really well handled. <br />
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I tossed it in the oven this afternoon using the <a href="http://livingbeautifullyfrugally.blogspot.com/2010/03/last-word-on-roast-chicken.html">BEST ROAST CHICKEN RECIPE EVER</a>. And tonight we feasted on AMAZING CHICKEN LOVLINESS. Jeannine told me once that the chickens she had in Italy tasted different. Like real food. I bet they tasted like this chicken. I don't know if it was the fresh part of it, or the organic or the free range, but I'm betting it's a combination of all three.<br />
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This evening my husband was the one making stock out of it, I would have but he beat me to it. We're not wasting an ounce of that delicious (expensive) chicken!Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-24013551365879433972012-01-19T22:38:00.002-05:002012-01-19T22:38:47.807-05:00Your New York State Tax Dollars at Work-Fun with The New York State Liquor Authority<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Folks that live in NY State, I'd like to tell you about how some of your tax dollars are being spent. <br />
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Exhibit A-I give you Erica from <a href="http://www.sla.ny.gov/forms-quick-find">The New York State Liquor Authority</a>. <br />
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Let me give you a little background, earlier in the week I was working on renewing the liquor licences at the museum and contemplating adding and changing some of the current ones. This is no easy task. If you click that link above you can see the myriad of licencing options that you can choose from. None say "Licencing food establishments at museums." or "WHAT TO DO ABOUT licensing 750 acre pieces of land." Even renewing the same licence you already have is difficult because of couse, the forms have changed from last year. And as much as you feel yourself a literate individual, as soon as you start filling out one of those forms you scrunch up your nose and ask yourself, "What the heck does THAT mean." over one of the many many run on sentences on the form. <br />
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Which is why one might call the actual liquor authority to get some professional input. <br />
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The first time I called I got some guy who was completely exasperated at my utter ignorence on the subject of liquor licensing. He was ok excecpt for the fact that he couldn't keep his contempt for my stupidity out of his voice. His answers were short and if the answer to "Do I need this form?" was no, he never offered up what form it was that I needed. So then I'd ask. It was like tennis. It was draining.... For both of us I imagine... This lead me to hang up without asking one last question. <br />
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So I called back. And after navigating layer upon layer upon layer of the phone system, I finally got a woman who said "NY State Liquor Authority." followed by absolute silence. <br />
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"hi, this is Christine from The museum, what's your name."<br />
"Um, Erica." <br />
"Ok, I have a few questions about xyz...."<br />
"Awwright." You can't hear the completely bored and annoyed manner but trust me...<br />
"Ok, Um Erica, can I speak with someone else." <br />
"Whys that?" And now she's really pissed.<br />
"Well because you aren't very nice." <br />
"I didn't know my job required me to be nice."<br />
"Oh really? Ok then, Can I speak to your manager now?" <br />
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Seriously? You're a phone rep whose job it is to answer questions.... You don't think that your job requires you to be nice??? What the hell? What is wrong with you? Is it the government employee malaise we always hear about? Is this lack of training or upbringing? <br />
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WHAT IS IT? <br />
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You know, I admit I can be high maintence at times. I have high expectations. But having just waded through tedious legalease of the trying to sell beer I had one of those headaches borne only of government bureaucracy. I wasn't even in a fighting mood. I was defeated. I just wanted a nice friendly person to explain the information I needed to know. So when her manager got on the line I simply told her the story and asked her if she thought she could answer my questions in a friendly manner. <br />
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Imagine that, I had to ask if there was someone there who thought they could be nice to me????? She was mildly miffed over the story of Erica and her job requirements but not so I thought that Erica might have a talk with her supervisor before lunch. It was more like "Oh...PAUSE....Ok".... And then she answered my question well enough to get me off the phone. <br />
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None of those people gave a damn. And their information was crucial to what I was trying to do, and it's not like I can go anywhere else for a liquor licence or for the information. <br />
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NY State Liquor Authority, basically, you suck.Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-34578998008972720642012-01-17T23:31:00.000-05:002012-01-17T23:33:27.980-05:00Do Not Try This at Home. Home Haircolor Warning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This past fall I needed a highlight and my regular girl was busy-No big deal I thought, how hard can hair color be??? Apparently a little hard because the girl did highlights and low lights and put a big chunky dark piece right IN THE FRONT.... I'm not getting my hair colored for dark pieces near my face mind you... I need something that brightens me up a little. <br />
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But I had already gone and paid for it and I'm kinda cheap and I was already $100 into it. (you'd think at this point common sense might prevail and dawn on me that I should have spent a little more to protect the investment a little.) But instead I decided that since I had done box color in the past, how difficult would it be to just use an all over color ON TOP of the highlights, reasoning that everything would just get a little lighter. <br />
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WRONG. <br />
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It all turned BROWN. Enter ANOTHER BOX of hair color (Seriously? you ask.... YES.) A lighter box. Which turned my hair a warm honey color.... <br />
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Which may not sound all that bad but I'm really a cool blond (yes, Mrs Accongio...I AM FINALLY...) and the color was awful and I couldn't figure out why. My makeup looked all wrong with it. And my hair was very dry. It was at that point that I determined that I needed to BACK AWAY FROM THE HAIR COLOR for a while before my hair fell out. A few days into it, my husband turned and said "Your skin, you kind of look like you're glowing (Mercury perhaps???), but maybe it's just your hair color."<br />
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And then it dawned on me. MY HAIR WAS THE EXACT SAME COLOR AS MY SKIN. No kidding. My hair was a little honey colored and my skin is a little honey colored.....OMG. I looked kind of one dimensional. I didn't mention this to very many people because when I DID mention it, you could see that realization come over people. That it was, sadly, true....Before that they probably couldn't place what looked wrong on me. (Ok, I'm probably fooling myself with that line, it was fairly obvious that my hair was the wrong color....) <br />
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Finally, this weekend, I decided that I've given my hair enough time to grow out and relax a little (and besides, some gray hair was showing.) And she did a fine job. Since it was still mostly honey colored she did way more cool blond highlights than normal to counteract all that brassy color and now I look a little more Hollywood blond than I am used to, but at least there is some depth to my face now. You can see cheeks and a nose now. And my eye makeuplooks a little less like a 7th grader applied it. <br />
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The lesson here folks is DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. Box hair color almost never works out. Can't you spot box hair color a mile away? I know I can. You might think you will be the exception to this rule when you stand in the supermarket with all of those enticing boxes of hair color with their pretty models who I really believe have NOT used the product. You won't be.....Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-24080137336055480162011-12-24T23:10:00.001-05:002011-12-24T23:32:04.076-05:00December 24, 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Everyone is asleep and Santa has already visited! Now it's time for me to blog and go to bed! There is a warm cosy fire and I really want to read right now, but I have a feeling morning is going to come early here!</div>
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Christmas Eve at our house. </div>
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This is such a typical scene. My grandma and Danielle. my SIL working the electric frying pans. They are always in this spot. My grandma has the fish and Danielle is working the perioges. Look at my brother trying to sneak something like he's 8 years old. There is my mom in the edge of the picture. My guess is that these ladies are discussing the "doneness" of the perioges. See how my grandma is leaning. She's leaning like she has an opinion about something... </div>
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There are two perioge factions here. One likes them crispy on the outside and one likes them golden. They did half and half this year. </div>
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I didn't even have one.... Shhhh.... Don't tell anyone. </div>
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Someday when that picture is different I'll be glad I took this tonight. As my grandma was coming in to fry the fish she said "Well this is probably the last time I'll be doing this...." </div>
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Though that is not the first time she's said that! She's said it for like 5 years. </div>
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She'll be 88 in April. </div>
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And everyone enjoyed their meal. </div>
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16 full bellies! We had people eating in the living room too. Both sides. Siblings, parents, cousins, grandma and Bob. Everyone had a nice time </div>
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Why yes, those ARE fresh greens on the table.... </div>
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My neighbors visited after dinner tonight and right this very minute my other neighbors next door are out on their deck SINGING CHRISTMAS SONGS..... Their deck is close to my porch and I have a door to that porch in my living room. They are loud, but boy are they having a good time! </div>
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Christmas is in the air! </div>
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<br /></div>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-66365186206376995172011-12-24T09:40:00.001-05:002011-12-24T09:40:39.684-05:00December 23rdA day late bit we are rocking 7 here! Happy Birthday big girl!!!<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-1QJCn4WfH94/TvXkZMBouvI/AAAAAAAACLU/UTXCynn3-xM/s640/blogger-image--1540394351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-1QJCn4WfH94/TvXkZMBouvI/AAAAAAAACLU/UTXCynn3-xM/s640/blogger-image--1540394351.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-IEUc-0tjDzo/TvXkZuUZjzI/AAAAAAAACLc/9ax4gqAi990/s640/blogger-image-1302696204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-IEUc-0tjDzo/TvXkZuUZjzI/AAAAAAAACLc/9ax4gqAi990/s640/blogger-image-1302696204.jpg" /></a></div>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-82687414192374468642011-12-20T20:38:00.001-05:002011-12-20T21:42:15.053-05:00December Photo Project- Dinner with Santa, December 20th<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We went to Dinner with Santa this evening at the school that my husband teaches at. My girl doesn't really like the whole sitting on santa's lap thing. But this santa usually gives a nice gift. And we told her that she needed to tell him what she wants. </div>
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She told him a Carebear. She really wants a Wii. She told me she'd "mind-send him the information about the wii." I think she was embarrassed to ask for a Wii because we told her that was such a huge gift and that we didn't think Santa even gave gifts like that. This year Santa IS, in fact, bringing a present like that! I hope we're not messing her up with hijinks like this because I really want her to grow into a person who asks for what they really want, rather than settle for something a little less than what they would really want. That gave me pause... </div>
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And BTW, </div>
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OMG, WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME???? </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Yes, Michael, I know....I took these photos on my iPhone as well.....) </span></div>
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After dinner with Santa we went to Starbucks where she got a kids hot cocoa. (Don't worry, we used a gift card!! ;-) </div>
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And told her we were going on a ride to see Christmas lights. <br /><a href="http://livingbeautifullyfrugally.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-cheer.html">The house in this post</a>, in particular. </div>
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Watching the lights. Drinking Hot Cocoa. Rocking out to Christmas music. This is the stuff of little kid dreams! </div>
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Same result as last year. A good time was had by all. </div>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-71089171498600623702011-12-19T00:11:00.001-05:002011-12-19T01:00:41.283-05:00December Photo Project-December 16-18th!<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My weekend in photos.... </div>
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I had a lovely weekend. </div>
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I'm very glad it is over. </div>
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Saturday morning visit to The Susan B Anthony House with the girl scouts. This was an awesome trip!</div>
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We had a fabulous guide who was great with the girls and presented the information at a level the girls could understand and yet still drove home the importance of Susan B Anthony and her accomplishments. Here are the girls with Susan's famous alligator purse that she carried all of her sufferage speeches in... Seriously!!!! </div>
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This children's rhyme mentions Susan! </div>
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Miss Lulu had a baby, she called him tiny Tim.</div>
She put him in the bathtub, so see if he could swim.<br />
He drank up all the water! He ate up all the soap!<br />
He tried to swallow the bathtub, but it wouldn’t go down his throat!!<br />
Call for the doctor!<br />
Call for the nurse!<br />
Call for the lady with the alligator purse!<br />
“Mumps!” said the doctor. “Measles!” said the nurse.<br />
<strong>“Vote!!” said the lady with the alligator purse!!</strong><br />
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Sundayafternoon party at the YMCA for my girl's Birthday! HUGE GIANT BOUNCE HOUSE was enjoyed by all.... </div>
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This is the first time we've had her party somewhere, usually we have it at home. </div>
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WORTH. EVERY. PENNY.</div>
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We love the Y, The people we so nice and helpful. We had a great time and so did the kids, I was pretty unstressed about the entire thing. They decorated, got balloons, cake, pizza, drinks. We brought goodie bags and the birthday girl! </div>
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It was still Yuletide at the museum this weekend and I worked Friday, Sat and Sunday evenings.</div>
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And we pretty much killed it!!! </div>
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I know that's kind of obnoxious to say. Who wants to read stuff like this? But by the end of tonight I just kept telling eveyone "I'm so proud of us all." Everyone worked very very hard to make this thing happen. And it happened to happen very well. Everyone is very tired.... </div>
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Tomorrow starts 2 weeks off for many people, including myself. </div>
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I. CANNOT. WAIT.</div>
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I have not of course, escaped the holiday season without a cold and car repair, experiencing both of those late last week. The difference this year? I'm not so stressed about money and I blew my nose a lot and moved on, though at one point yesterday between the Susan B house and the museum I laid down and didn't think I could get back up. </div>
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I even rallied Sat evening, came home from the museum early and made it out to the only Christmas party that I could get to this year. My friends Bridget and Rick have had a party since I was in college. It wouldn't be Christmas if I didn't go! </div>
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I'm so glad I didn't miss it. </div>
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I can't move this picture. For some reason they are difficult to move when I upload them from my phone. Anyway, this is Susan B Antony's house and right in front of that rocker is where she was standing when she was arrested for voting! What a visit we had! </div>
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<br /></div>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-62123576219382480662011-12-15T22:17:00.001-05:002011-12-15T22:44:06.221-05:00December 15, 2011 Peppermint Frozen Dairy Dessert, Edy's Fail<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So my daughter LOVES candy canes. And a few years ago for her birthday I made this awesome ice cream for her by crushing up candy canes and mixing them into vanilla ice cream. She loved it. </div>
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So when we saw candy cane ice cream, we got her some this year. </div>
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But look closely at that label. It ISN'T ICE CREAM AT ALL. (Lower Right) </div>
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IT'S FROZEN DAIRY DESSERT</div>
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I didn't even notice this until just now. Nowhere on the label does it call this product ice cream. I want ice cream dammit. Edy's people, you know that we all think we're buying ice cream when we pick up this package... You know THAT. </div>
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But in looking at the ingredients, rather than CREAM, the first ingredient is Whey (Dairy)-That's what it says. I should have just made some. I have an ice cream maker, I'm just too darn busy to make ice cream. Maybe for her birthday I'll make some.</div>
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Maybe I'm just in a bad mood this evening that this has pissed me off so badly. But seriously, I hate fake food. I hate "created" food. Created and fake food is what is killing us in this country. 100 years from now I bet they figure out that we all got cancer from non-dairy creamer. </div>
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I hate crap food. (yes, I would admit that peppermint ice cream isn't up there on the list of health foods, even when it is real ice cream.) </div>
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But I want my ice cream to be cream, sugar and eggs.... I don't want frozen dairy dessert. I never ever ever want cool whip. I don't want non-dairy creamer.... </div>
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GIVE ME REAL DAIRY ALREADY.</div>
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And a side of butter with that.... </div>
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And what am I doing with the ice cream container at 10:12 pm anyway you ask? </div>
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Mind your business.... </div>
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<br /></div>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-12975365802125570492011-12-14T22:57:00.001-05:002011-12-14T23:34:51.137-05:00December 14, 2011-The Tree, Finally<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Finally putting ornaments on the tree that we've had since Saturday! </div>
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In all my adult years I've never had a tree with colored lights. I think I'm a white light kind of gal. But we needed all new lights this year and my daughter begged us for colored lights. <br />
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I have to say, it looks cute and cozy. </div>
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See the topper on the tree? It's the baby hat she wore home from the hospital when she was born. She came home on Christmas day. It has a pom pom on it. </div>
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She's such a big girl now. </div>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-40912294537635700182011-12-09T15:16:00.001-05:002011-12-09T15:20:25.650-05:00George Eastman House Blog Mention!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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How nice! Over on their Facebook page, the George Eastman house posted a link to<a href="http://livingbeautifullyfrugally.blogspot.com/2011/12/december-7th-george-eastman-house.html"> my blog entry</a> about our visit the other day!<br />
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Head on over and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/christine.rovet?ref=tn_tnmn#!/georgeeastmanhouse">like them!!! </a><br />
<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-4129300586034412602011-12-09T15:07:00.001-05:002011-12-09T15:21:01.170-05:00December 9, 2011-I'm Dreaming Of a White Yuletide. Yuletide in The Country at The Genesee Country Village & Museum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We're all set for the second week of our <a href="http://www.gcv.org/news/31/">Yuletide In The Country Event</a> at <a href="http://www.gcv.org/">The Genesee Country Village & Museum!</a> All we need now is a little snow! </div>
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It's after 10pm and I haven't taken a picture. These are my favorite seats in the house. You can see the print of Jeannine's painting that she framed for my 40th Birthday. Along with the chairs I usually blog in. The flowered chair is my favoite, it has rockers on the bottom. </div>
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It probably fitting that I show this picture because I spent the entire day inside cleaning the house. That is, until I went to the Country Club of Rochester for a trustee meeting & reception for the museum. It's ironic because most of the people there probably aren't cleaning their own homes. It was a nice party, the food & drinks were good. The meeting was painless, and all I needed to do was hang out and make small talk. (something I'm not terribly good at, but I get by.)</div>
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By definition I hate small talk. I like big talk. If I'm going to be talking about something then I want it to at least have a purpose. I don't actually care what you think about the weather. if we have to chat about nothing I'd just as soon stand next to you quietly. And I'll be nice, but I don't really like niceties, if you know what I mean. And put me with someone who is worse at small talk than I am, well then I blather on like an idiot. Luckily all of the people at the meeting have a vested interest in the museum and that's what they want to talk about. That kind of talk is easy for me. </div>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-45456514842947515772011-12-07T22:45:00.001-05:002011-12-09T14:31:58.259-05:00December 7th- The George Eastman House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
One advantage of working a lot on the weekends is having time during the week to do things when it's not so crowded! </div>
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After school today I took my girl to the <a href="http://www.eastmanhouse.org/#">George Eastman House</a> to see their annual Gingerbread House Exhibit. There are over 100 houses! <br />
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On the way there I was explaining to Emma who George Eastman was and how he brought photography to the masses with roll film and how he's impacted many many places in Rochester. </div>
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She said, </div>
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Oh my goodness.</div>
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Anyway, these pics are all out of order but it's too difficult to switch them.</div>
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Yup, seriously.... Gingerbread....</div>
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The house itself, is completely gorgeous and is as nice a place to visit (moreso if you are someone like me) as the photography museum is. There was a girl playing piano here. And a big Chritsmas tree. It was like walking into a Christmas party from long ago.</div>
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This is one of the best parts of the house. As you walk down this hall, you get a view of the amazing gardens there. </div>
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Oh yes, all edible! </div>
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Around the back of this one they had candy horses.... </div>
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Emma loved this real elephant head in the solarium.</div>
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This is at the end of that hall I told you about above. It's hard to tell but the gardens are fabulous and I can just imagine someone actully sitting there and enjoying their life... I sure would. </div>
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The house is completely gorgeous.... There were many more pics that truly show it's beauty but I was already pushing it with all of these photos. </div>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-70057179508420937332011-12-06T22:18:00.001-05:002011-12-06T22:36:58.209-05:00December 6th-Peurto Rican Beef<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tonight after the Y, I made one of my new favorite dinners. <a href="http://everydaypaleo.com/2010/09/22/puerto-rican-beef/">Puerto Rican Beef from Every Day Paleo</a>. This is so easy (I chopped everything before going to the Y and it only took 15 min to cook up when we got home. And the flavors in this are amazing. That's a sweet potato in there next to that avocado. I forgot the olives, and it's even better with the olives. It's got kale and tumeric (which my husband tells me <a href="http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/20-health-benefits-of-turmeric.html">is so good for you</a>, I'll just go with it.) It also has cumin which I think makes anything tase good. </div>
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However, did you ever notice when you cook with cumin your whole house smells until the next morning. I think it kind of smells like armpits. So this dish has both onions and cumin. And I was the one cooking it. I most likely smell like onions and armpits right now.... </div>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-67911333725557490392011-12-05T22:29:00.001-05:002011-12-05T22:37:33.730-05:00December 5th- Home at Last<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After working 32 hours in 3 days, it was nice to have a nice normal day with my girl when she got home from school.</div>
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She asked me this morning if I thought I had to work on Christmas Eve.... oh my...(I don't, of course.) but talk about mommy guilt....</div>
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She's rocking that hat, although she doesn't like being told she looks cute in it. </div>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-48794431843998047272011-12-04T22:17:00.001-05:002011-12-04T23:33:54.038-05:00December Photo Project- December 4th<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Christine 2.75</div>
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Yuletide Buffet .25</div>
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Victory Is Mine (This week anyway.) </div>
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We are only 33.33% done with the program! </div>
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I'm looking forward to not being at the museum tomorrow and taking pictures and seeing something besides the inside of the museum's meeting center. </div>
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This is the scene outside the meeting center. That tree is like 13 or 14 feet tall!!! </div>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-60077911313817154482011-12-03T23:20:00.001-05:002011-12-03T23:30:02.934-05:00December Photo Project-December 3rd<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Christine: 1.75</div>
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Yuletide Buffet .25</div>
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Today's <a href="http://www.gcv.org/news/31/">Yuletide Buffet</a> was a little more difficult than yesterday, but not impossible. We learned more.</div>
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Watch out Yuletide Buffet because tomorrow, I OWN YOU.</div>
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This was a nice fire to come home to. Currently I have my feet up right next to it with a glass of <a href="http://ravineswine.com/welcome/">Ravine's Dry Reisling</a>. My toes are warm, so is my brain. </div>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-71893459578024035262011-12-02T23:38:00.001-05:002011-12-02T23:45:59.654-05:00December Photo Project- December 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Christine: 1</div>
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Tonight was the first night of our Yuletide Buffet that I have been planning for 2 months now. It's part of the <a href="http://www.gcv.org/">Yuletide In The Country event at The Genesee Country Village & Museum</a>. This thing has been giving me anxiety for weeks now. It went off without a hitch. (We have 8 more nights though...) This is part of the dessert buffet. </div>
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BTW Folks, if you go to a buffet, especially one that benefits the museum and it's programs, (or any not-for-profit) please don't take a cookie, or a roll, or butter, or any food that you aren't going to eat for that matter. If you aren't sure DON'T TAKE IT. It's a buffet, we're a really friendly place, you can go back up.</div>
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It's wasteful and costs the museum money. Understand that please..... </div>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-70560792910065297282011-12-01T21:54:00.001-05:002011-12-01T22:31:58.794-05:00December Photo Project- December 1st<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few years ago I participated in <a href="http://www.tredways.org/">View From A Prairie Box's,</a> <a href="http://www.tredways.org/december-photo-project/">December Photo Project,</a> where you post one photo per day until Christmas. I love that-seeing someone's life in pictures so I'm doing it again this year. Besides it will force me to pay attention to the blog a little more often this busy time of year. </div>
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December 1st Garden.</div>
I realize that I've got more than one picture here but I was out in the yard today and this is what I saw.<br />
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Green Onions. The gift that keeps on giving. You plant these things in spring and harvest the tops all summer and then they start growing again in fall. By now the onion underneath is much bigger too so you can eat that as well. Leave them in all winter and they'll probably grow green onions in the spring again for you. I like green onions better than any other kind of onion! </div>
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Sage. While the garden performance was lackluster at best this year, this sage plant flourished. I love the distinctive smell of sage. Sometimes I dry it inside and burn it as an air freshener. Native Americans also think burning sage keeps bad juju away... Nice, a fresh smelling home free of bad juju..... </div>
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I did not grow that pumpkin but it sure looks cute in there. It was the only striped pumpkin in the patch. There is my little worn bench where I like to drink coffee in the morning and beer in the evening. I got it on the side of the road (of course.) The seat flips up. Since I got it for free and I'm not all that attached to it, it stays outside all winter long. So do the plant supports. I like having a little architectural interest when there is nothing else going on in this. This may be the last winter that it lasts though. </div>
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Broccoli. Still growing. Only when you are a new gardener do you operate under the assumption that you can only grown things from May-Sept. Things grow much earlier and much later. Broccoli grows really well in the yard, I must have perfect soil for it. (I should probably look up what kind of soil that is...) You can cut off the main bunch and then these little side shoots keep producing . </div>
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Rosemary. Still going strong. Although I brought her inside for the winter because she's not cold hardy in my neck of the woods. Rosemary is also expensive to buy as an herb at the store and look at this plant!! It started as a tiny little thing back in May. Yup, that's a milk box. It's sitting next to my back door just waiting for the milkman to come. The funny thing is that it's sitting right UNDER a milkbox that is built into the house. I sometimes wonder if the milkman did ever come and put the milk in the wall there. I bet that was delicious milk. </div>
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Do you live in a home that's been owned by someone other than yourself? If your home is older do you ever sit in the rooms and wonder what the prior furniture looked like? Of course, we saw the people's furniture who lived here before us because we saw the house when they still lived here. I'm talking about a longer time. What did the house look like during the depression? Where was the sofa? What color was the kitchen? </div>
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I sometimes picture people in here living their lives. Laughing, crying, arguing, making up, having holidays and waking up each morning. When I do this I realize that it may be our house today but we're really just passing through. </div>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-52100703902964234742011-11-27T16:49:00.001-05:002011-11-27T23:42:11.393-05:00Hmmmm.................<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love when I read something that makes us look like good parents. You know, like I've got it under control. Like I know what I'm doing. In fact I may be a little smug about it. To myself anyway. <br />
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<a href="http://www.ergo-log.com/margarine.html">Like this article</a> that discusses the fact that in a recent study, kids that ate margarine regularly had IQs that were lower by about 4 points than kids who ate butter. <br />
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Man, do we have this one in the bag.... Have you been paying attention? All we eat is real butter. And it's even organic.... I NEVER NEVER buy margarine.. <br />
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I have saved my child 4 precious IQ points without even really trying.<br />
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A second after high fiving myself over this I rememembered that the main reason I only buy real butter is because my mom fed us margairne my entire growing up.......Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-40508280766234804022011-11-25T17:59:00.001-05:002011-11-25T23:17:54.334-05:00Unlikely Black Friday Shopping Trip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So last night, Thanksgiving evening, after my last guests, my friend Kristin and her daughter & my brother and sister-in-law had left, I sat down on the couch in front of the fire. Everyone else was asleep. I looked at the clock and yawned. My head hurt a little. 11:15 p.m. "I really should go to bed" I thought. <br />
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5 minutes later I got a text message "We are outside your house, come shoppping with us." <br />
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What? Really? No, I'm so not a Thanksgiving-night-Walmart-Shopper kind of gal. <br />
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So I opened the front door and there were 2 (one was already in bed) of my 3 SGS girls, blaring Beyonce, "Girls Who Rule The World" What woman could refuse that? Besides, I though, I really need some advil.... <br />
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So off to my first (and maybe last) experience with Black Friday Shopping. It was a thinly controlled chaos when we got there. Andrea told us point blank NOT to get a cart, it would slow us down too much. Turns out she was right. She instructed us to get a map. We obeyed. The item Cristina came for was gone already. We all wanted one of the $40 wireless printers. Andrea staked out the spot, Cristina got the cart. <br />
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I had been looking into a laptop and they had one that was a really good price starting at midnight. I walked over to where they were and inquired what the procedure was. Apparently there are numbers that you get. They gave them all out at 10pm. They were gone. <br />
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Then next to me was an older man who said something like "hey come with me.." and I did. (Just over to the next aisle mind you...) he said. " We have an extra ticket and we've been waiting to give it to someone nice." Score! Cheap laptop back on!! <br />
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So I stood with the other people who were bitching and complaining about people cutting and about not getting in front of them. And telling other people THEY were rude... The man with the laptops kept telling everyone that if you had a ticket, that you WOULD get a computer. They apparently did not believe him because the bitching continued. <br />
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At 12:05 a.m. I got the laptop and made my way to my friends who had fled the scene of people SWARMING the wireless printers.... (While nabbing 3 in the process.) <br />
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We moseyed through the crowd of people who didn't look to me like they had any business spending the amount of money that their carts represented. I tried not to think that. We chatted and shopped.<br />
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We waited in line forever. I was fading fast. I bought my advil. We pooled our cash for waters. We hurried through the scary parking lot. <br />
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I had such fun with those women last night. I crawled into bed at 2am. I was tired today and still had a headache. I remedied it with a walk in the woods with my husband. <br />
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But tonight all I can think of is what a special thing it is, to have someone who likes you enough to remember to swing by your house to get you to go on a midnight shopping expedition. That's something awesome.Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553381271462319984.post-5253519936266698412011-11-10T22:53:00.001-05:002011-11-10T22:59:49.021-05:00A Quick Thought<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The rest of you, quit your bitching!</span></div>
<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01725324685109415066noreply@blogger.com0