Up the Hill Gang

I’m wanting something…well, two things actually. Yesterday, I saw a spice rack set thing at a friends house and I love it…and want it. Each spice was labeled and it looked so nice. So not only do I want the spice rack with the jars, but I also want a Dymo labels printer.

Seriously, both of these would be justifiable purchases, right?! I mean, I would save money because my spices would be labeled and I could find them easy…and I could label many other things too!! Woot!

Ive been sucked into How Clean Is Your House here lately…I’m just a little bit addicted but for good reason.  Kim and Aggie have the best fixes for getting rid of nasty filth and most of the solutions are made from things you find around your home.  Just a few days ago, Kim taught a little fellow how to clean mirrors with newspaper and a mixture of vinegar and water.  I’ve actually done this before but had forgotten how well it worked….so thanks for the reminder Kim!!  I now have several sparkling windows!!!

Next on my list is using fine grain sandpaper to clean the impossible crud in the toilet that the boys use…I’ll let you know how it goes.  If you don’t hear from me then know that I’ve croaked in the toilet because of all the toxic waste…sheesh…those of you who have boys know what I’m talking about! lol!!

Anywhoo…if you’ve not watched Kim and Aggie you really need to…besides the ton of info, these gals are just a hoot!!

It’s been two days since I last saw my tweezers and I’m NOT happy…in fact I’m fuming! I seriously don’t understand why my kids can’t keep their little paws off of my tweezers. I don’t know, maybe I have a problem, but I love to pluck hairs and if I don’t have my tweezers I can’t pluck hairs! Sheesh!!

I want these Rubis tweezers if mine don’t show up….

Almost one month after “Celebrate Gus Day”, I am finally getting some photos posted. Where does the time go???

For my new readers, Gus is my son who died two years ago and we have decided to celebrate his life by doing something fun on the day he died. This year we decided to go the Night of Fire at Thunder Valley. We thought this would be perfect because Gus was deaf and we think he would have loved to “feel” the vibrations from all the loud sounds. In all honesty, I think he would have been mortified! lol!! The nitro cars were so much louder than I could have ever imagined!!

We drove around the parking lot at Bristol Motor Speedway…

until Pete remembered how to get into the gates at Thunder Valley!

We had to wait while Pete and Jake bought our tickets. Can you tell how excited everyone is???

There we go….now you can see the smiles!! Nik is guarding or drinks.

Here’s “Pork Chop” and the announcer. “Pork Chop” was funny in the beginning…after awhile he made us want to stick forks in our eyes. We learned that we can only take “Pork Chop” in small portions…sheesh…

It was neat to see the cars preparing to race. These were the nitro funny cars…the LOUD ones! ….l.o.v.e. them!!

Discovered that I really don’t have the skill it takes to capture things going really fast….but, I kinda already knew that!

But wait….this is a little better…at least there’s more vehicle in the photo this time! The blur was on purpose, you know that, right? This truck did a wheelie all the way down the track…pretty cool!

This little train/car thingy had a jet engine. The building behind the start gate had to be sprayed down before these raced…cool! I’m such a redneck! lol!

And yes folks, we saw some serious car smooshing by the Prowler….

…and a recliner….hmmmm…..

The “fire” was really, really neat after dark….

Then there was “Benny the Bomb” who blew himself up! I was amazed at the heat wave we felt from the explosion…made me think of what the people felt during 911…very sad.

The night didn’t end on a sad note for us though because we got to see a big megasaurus thing eat a car….oh yeah, babeee….lol!!! This photo is from the gallery…

I really do think that Gus was watching all of us having a good time that night and I do think he knows how much we miss him and how much we are looking forward to seeing him again. I even think he probably laughed a few times…or grinned and shook his head over his redneck family!

Early today I finished taking my second Anatomy & Physiology test and I’m pleased to say that I did well! I really, really studied for this test and I feel completely drained from doing so. Studying for this test reminded me of my college days when we would head to Perkins to “pull an all-nighter”. Some people would take No-doze or diet pills. I was good to go with the bottom-less cup of coffee!! Lol!!

I don’t really need to take anything to study now…I manage my time much better, thank you very much! I do wonder though what college students are doing nowadays to stay awake while studying. Are they taking diet pills like nuphedrine, and “no sleep” drugs like No-Doze…is the bottomless cup of coffee still available at Perkins??

Seriously, I don’t miss that time of “all-nighters” at all! I made things soooo hard on myself! Sheesh!!

Everybody knows that there are a bazillion shows in Branson, but did you know that the Titanic Museum is located there also?? I thought that Branson was filled mainly with stage shows…lots of singing, dancing and magic. That’s nice and all, but I’m good for about one show and then I would want to do something else. Going to the Titanic Museum would be a good “something else”! lol!! I’ve always been fascinated with the ship and the people who perished on it….visiting this museum would be certainly be on my list of things to do in Branson. Very neat!!

Along with the Titanic Museum, there is Silver Dollar City.  We used to have a Silver Dollar City in Pigeon Forge and I always loved to go there!  The more I discover about Branson, the more I see that it would be a fun place for a family vacation…or maybe Pete and I will drop the kids at my parent’s house and head off for an anniversary getaway!!  WooHoo!!

Of course, when you are visiting a place like Branson, there are many places that offer packages with attraction and show tickets.  One of the packages that caught my eye was the Platinum Package which is:

 3 Days/2 Nights Welk Resort Hotel
2 adult tickets to:
Grand Country Jubilee
$30 Red Lobster/Olive Garden Gift Card
Coupon Book with $1,500 worth of savings
$50 Tanger Outlet Shopping Certificate

Seriously, how can you go wrong with dinner at the Olive Garden and shopping!!  I wonder if this would be Pete’s package choice?! lol!!

I just got back from picking up my husband’s weight set that he used when he was a teenager. It has been stored at my SIL’s house and the boys have been really wanting to go retrieve it and set it up in their room. This whole thing goes against my better judgement, however, they have caught me on a “I’m trying to be a cool mom day” and I’ve allowed the set to be picked up. It is horribly dirty and covered with lots of webs and spider and insect carcasses…ack! They are outside right now cleaning everything. So in honor of the web and dead insect carcass-coated weight set I’ve just picked up, I am sharing some spider sites I came across while stumbling. Enjoy!!

Burning Silo: Very neat close-ups of a Goldenrod Crab Spider. These spiders do not spin webs. Instead they position themselves in a flower and wait for an insect to come by. Well, ya learn something new everyday!

Wacky Archives: Check out the world’s largest spider web! Sheesh-a-moley…that makes me want to get out my broom and start batting it around….

Peter J. Bryant: Awwww….I really like these close-ups of the Wolf Spider…especially the ones of the momma spider with her spiderlings on her back…so tender!! Seeing her carry her babies really makes me feel like a failure! lol!!

Free Australian Spider Identification Chart…Be able to id Australian spiders quickly. It also is quick reference for first aid procedures if you are bitten by one of the spiders on the chart. Of course, this freebie is only available for those of you in Australia. I wonder if we have a similar free chart for here in the US??

The Amazing Spider Catcher: At this site you’ll find instructions for making your very own spider catcher. Seriously, this would be a great Christmas gift for that person who has everything…don’t you think!?

Darlyne A. Murawski: Very nice gallery of spiders. My favorite is the Hawaaian Happy-Faced spider. Be sure to check out her other galleries too. Very nice work!

Redback Spider vs. Snake: Now, this is why redback spiders ROCK!! Sheesh-a-moley snake! I bet ya didn’t see that coming did ya?? You deserved it you icky beastie! lol!!

OK…the boys have just come in and are taking a break and my head is now completely feeling crawly and itchy! I just knew that would happen….

Ok…so it’s been a whole day and you dirtbags have not made one single suggestion to help me with my Hamburger Helper dilemma! Lol!! Some friends you all are…sheesh! And the more I think about all the nasty, icky stuff in Hamburger Helper, the more I feel the need to try something like Orovo detox to get rid of all the Hamburger Helper toxins.

Ok…I’m not there yet, but it does make me stop and wonder if detox systems really work. It makes sense that your organs would work better if they were toxin free, right? What say YOU?? Yes, YOU…leave me a comment if you’ve tried detox systems before and let me know what you think….

I love Hamburger Helper…well, actually I am in love with Tuna Helper, but it’s all in the same family ya know. For years I’ve seen online recipes for making these mixes at home…all claim to be less expensive and more tasty. I’ve always just shrugged my shoulders and thought…well, maybe so, but I really, really love the boxed stuff!

As I have been studying for my Anatomy & Physiology class, I’ve really been thinking about how we daily batter our poor little cells with all of these preservatives in our foods. Knowing what I now know about cells, how can I even think about feeding my family things that are just not beneficial and possibly even harmful? I’ve been bad….I’ve been very, very bad, folks! lol!!

I have to stop and thank Live the Organic Life for placing this thought in my mind and causing me to fret over the unsavory state of my beloved Hamburger Helper. I know it was for the best…but it hurts…it really hurts…and I’m just going to toss my really good coupons I had for Hamburger Helper…and I’m not even going to think about the fact that the coupons stacked on top of the current sale price at Walmart would make a killer deal. lol!!

Soooo…here’s a call for ideas. How do I make a healthy alternative? I could start by using whole wheat pasta, right?? Anyone have a recipe or any advice?? I thought I would start my adventure by trying this white sauce recipe. Or maybe I’ll start with these sauce recipes. There are way too many choices…help!!

 These are very neat…

I have seen the medical id bracelets, but today is the first time I’ve ever seen medical id watches! How clever is that?! I would think that men would be more in favor of wearing medical jewelry now since these watches are available. I really like this one…

I’ve not been writing much lately because I’ve gone back to school! I’m taking Anatomy and Physiology through an online course at Walters State Community College. The school is named after former US Senator Herbert S. Walters so the mascot is a Senator. I was once a Pioneer (Doyle) and then a Buccaneer (BBA from ETSU) and now I’m a Senator!

I’m taking Anatomy & Physiology I this semester and then A & P II and Microbiology next semester. After I finish these three pre-reqs, I’ll be applying to ETSU’s BSN accelerated program. I want to be a nurse when I grow up…but I guess, I’ll settle for just being a Senator for now….

Gus spent a lot of time in the hospital battling central line infections. I know it may sound nuts, but we always had a good time in the hospital. There were plenty of neat toys and there were nurses that Gus loved to flirt with. We would circle the halls in the Gus Bus which was a plastic Little Tykes wagon. Seriously, it really was fun…and I’m glad for his sake.

When he would finally take a nap, I’d sit in the recliner and watch tv. The tv was perched up on a shelf and so I had to sit in one place. This wasn’t a problem most of the time, but if the other kids were up in the room, it was hard for all of us to watch it. I was really surprised that there was no tv wall mount. The hospital had recently been remodeled so I thought it was strange that the tv was not mounted in a better way.

The tv situation in Pittsburgh was even worse. When we were there for Gus’ transplant evaluation, we stayed on the transplant wing. That tv was impossible to see…it was so strange the way the whole room was arranged. We had to share it with another family and the tvs were placed in areas where it was hard for either of us to really watch.

You may be wondering why I am making such a big deal over tvs in the hospital and being able to watch them. Well, it’s all because they are such good ways to forget about all the tests being done, drugs being pushed into the central lines…it’s an escape and it should be an easy escape. No one should have to crane their neck to escape, ya know?

Anyway, I hope our new childrens hospital has a better tv setup….I can’t believe I just ranted about tvs! lol!

Sorry…I just can’t shut up today…maybe too much coffeeeee….I dunno……

photo by Dad…he needs a blog, doesn’t he?!

“I’m gonna come at you like a spider monkey!…I’m all jacked up on Mountain Dew!“

I wish I could say that this turtle said this(how cool would that be?!), but it was really Texas Ranger from Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. This has been our favorite quote for days now….is that sad or what?

Visit more WW over at the hub!

I’ve been stumbling over here and thought it would be fun to continue stumbling. Why? Well, because I am addicted! Enjoy…

Albino Peacock: Lovely…reminds me of my dear sweet albino gerbil that died earlier today…waaaahhhhh…

Bizarre but true facts about Earth: “Venice in Italy is built on 118 sea islets joined by 400 bridges. It is gradually sinking into the water”….is that true??? Yowsie! I need to hurry and go for a visit…

13 Geeky Baked Goods: Very Fun post!! Be sure to check out the incredibly cook robot cupcakes created by hello naomi. Here’s a neat cake created by Su Yin…be sure to head over to her blog and check out all the neat photos of desserts being made…very neat!

Lighter Fare: Great list of low-cal vegan snacks. I always forget about vegetable broth. I bet the Knorr brand is very yummy…of course, I’ll be waiting until the Fall thank you very much…it’s stinkin’ hot right now! Notice the happy veggies in the header…neato-mosquito!

Pine Needle Bear: All I can say is: Richard Carpenter–You Rock!! Seriously, this guy wanted to create but was short on cash so he looked around and used his resources. What he found were pine needles which he has woven into bears! Impressive!

Echocho: You’re not going to catch me jumping on the ol’ Gorebal Warming bandwagon, but I do think this search engine has a neat thing going on. For every 1000 searches made, Echocho will plant two trees. I’m going to do this…mainly because I hate Google…pretty bad.

Telephonic Sheep — by Jean Luc Cornec: Ok…not only does Richard rock, but apparently so does Jean Luc Cornec! Check out his sheep made from telephone parts! Excellent repurposing!!

There…seriously, I have to go clean the kitchen now. I must walk away from stumbling…I must stop typing and I must not even glance at my Stumble Upon toolbar up there because it will coerce me into clicking the tab again… ack!

I have always appreciated clever names and that’s why I think Bald Head Island’s name is a hoot! I don’t know much about the area, but a name like that has certainly caught my attention and now I’m interested in finding out more. Too bad I’ve already done my Islands A-Z post on Bird Island!

And now, I will digress…

I came across Bald Head Island as I was looking at Wilmington real estate properties. I love to look at beach homes and dream! Hopefully one day, we’ll have the means to purchase a house like this one! It even has my black and green kitchen…it’s perfect for us!!

Last week I had a goal of pulling all of my unfinished projects together and making sure I had all the supplies I needed. My plans were to come back that day and post all the lovely organized projects….well, my plan was WAY too big for one day! In fact, I’ve only pulled together a few projects….but it’s a start! lol!!

Here’s what I’ve pulled together so far…all nice and organized ready to be finished! You can see all of these quilts “unfurled” over at my craft blog, Sheesh-a-Moley.

My kids have really enjoyed Radio Disney over the years. The boys have kind of outgrown the whole scene, but Belle is still very much there! She would be thrilled to be able to go to one of the FREE concerts in the Radio Disney summer Concert Series!! This summer, these concerts will be held in New Jersey so go ahead and add them to your list of “Things to do in New Jersey”!

These FREE concerts will take place at the Radio Disney stage next to the Giant Ferris Wheel on Morey’s Mariner’s Landing pier. Show times are scheduled for 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. The schedule follows:

-A Cursive Memory — Appearing July 7
- Jordan Pruitt — Appearing July 14
- Drew Seeley — Appearing July 21

The finale, starring Raven-Symone and Mitch Musso (from Hannah Montana), will be on July 26^th at 2pm at the Wildwood Convention Center Oceanfront Arena. I bet this concert series is one of the top Wildwood events of the year!!

Seriously, if Pete were not in school right now, we would look into traveling up there for one of these concerts. We usually go to South Carolina, but there just might be some neat Wildwood vacations that might work for us. Morey’s Pier sounds like a really neat place to visit. I know the boys would love all the rides…and I bet Morey’s has a funnel cake stand too!!

It’s good to try new areas for vacation, right?!

I know it’s a big no no to cross post, but there are always exceptions to the rules, right? Today marks the second annivesary of Gus’ death. Gus died on May 31, 2006 while awaiting a liver/small bowel transplant. He was 16 months old.

I have found it very therapeutic to write letters to Gus. The following is the letter I’ve written to mark the second anniversary of this death…or rather, his “homegoing”. I want to make it very clear that by writing this letter I am in no way trying to make contact with him. Contacting the dead is wrong and quite dangerous. (Deut. 8:9-12). There are deceitful spirits out there that yearn to make us think we are talking to our loved ones when in all actuality we are not. Besides…God has provided us with the only Spirit we need…the Holy Spirit. He will not deceive us nor misguide us. Since I’m certain that the Lord and Gus see each other daily, I have asked Him to share these letters if it is His will….I like to think it is!

Dearest Gus,

It has been two years since we said goodbye to each other. When I think about the time that has passed, I am amazed that it has been that long—yet, then again, sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday. I am still able to feel the weight of your little body in my arms. I can even still imagine nuzzling your neck and breathing in your precious baby smell. I know in time that will pass. God comforts me with these memories and I am thankful.

I still dream of you often. My hope is that I will continue to do so until we are reunited. My dreams of you are often funny. I can honestly say that I wake up from them feeling joy instead of the great dread that I could feel in knowing you are no longer here. God uses these dreams to bring me comfort and I am thankful.

Your dad is about to graduate nursing school and I’ve just started working on my three pre-requisites so I can start nursing school next summer. My time with you has shown me that I can handle the toughest things on this earth. Certainly I have not done any of these things—like holding you as your heart beat for the last time—on my own but only through the magnificent power of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Because of this, I am praying that God will bless us with in-home opportunities to care for other medically fragile children—especially the ones that are abandoned in the hospital and have no one. This sounds crazy to a lot of people and I do understand. Who in their right mind would want to get attached to a child that may die?? Who would set themselves up for such heartache?? Well, your dad and I would…and we would be honored to have the opportunity to do so. I have been blessed and equipped with the experience of your death and as I start school, I look forward to the chances I will have to “give back”. God has empowered me to face the tough things and has given me empathy and I am thankful.

As I am aware of the fact that a righteous man’s prayer is powerful and effective(James 5:16), and you my son are as righteous as you can be since you are now with the Lord, I am hoping you will pray for me…well, for all of us Doriots! Seriously, this world is so beautiful yet so dark—so full of sin. I strive daily to live joyfully and I look forward with great anticipation to our reunion. It is hard here though so please pray that we will not grow weary and lose sight of Home. God uses the reality of Heaven and seeing you again to comfort me…and I am thankful!

I love you, Gus!

Mommy

This spring has been a doozy for Jake. He has allergies and has really been suffering. Belle has problems with pollen too but not anything like Jake. The rest of us don’t really struggle at all and I’m thankful for that.

A few weeks ago, we took Jake to the doctor thinking that we would probably be referred to an allergist, however, he was given some new meds and an inhaler and it all seems to be working really well. I was worried that he would balk at taking the meds, but I think he is so miserable that he is completely willing to do what it takes to feel good.

As I’ve been looking at all the different options out there that help relieve allergies, I have started to think about how I can make our home cleaner. I hate that Jake has to take so many medications and I can’t help but wonder if making some healthy changes inside our home would mean he could take less. There’s not much I can do about the pollen out in the world, but there is something that can be done about the allergens in our home. Installing the AccuClean Whole Home Air Filtration System just may be the answer!

With AccuClean, the air in our home could be up to 99.98% allergen free. Goodbye pollen, dust mites, pet dander and even mold…sheesh, I hadn’t even thought about mold! Right now, we are just using an air filter from Walmart and I’m certain it’s not removing allergens as well as that. In fact, the information on this system says that the AccuClean is 100 times more effective than a standard filter like we have! Not only does this system remove allergens, but it also can remove up to 99% of the flu virus found in our homes!

Not only is this system great for removing allergens and the flu virus, but it also removes all the nasty smells!! Now, hear my heart here, I would love for Jake to be more comfortable here in our home, but I would also LOVE to have a lot of our “smells” also eliminated. Those of you who have boys know exactly what I’m talking about!! The thoughts of a bathroom that smells fresh makes me want to purchase the AccuClean system right this very moment!

Seriously, this is something Pete and I are going to be looking into. I’ve got some more research to do on the system, but so far, it sounds great!

photo by Dad

Do you all remember that cell phone commercial where the guy comes into the shipping department and the shipping clerks are all dancing around to Salt N Pepa?? The boss asks, “Where’s the shipment, where’s the truck and where’s the driver?” After one of the guys pulls up the gps tracking, he turns and tells him, “The shipment is at the dock, truck’s on Hwy 81 and Joe’s at the airport.”….and then he turns and punches the play button on the boom box and they all start dancing again to Salt N Pepa’s song Push It!

It slays me…seriously, I’m snickering just thinking about it!! What’s one of your favorite commercials??

I’ve been sucked into all this CVS ECBs and all the other great deals at Rite Aid, Walgreens and various grocery stores.  I still have a ton to learn though.  There was slight trauma at CVS tonight and a lesson was learned.  I accidentally bought too many Aquafresh toothpastes and I didn’t get the ECBs on one of the toothpastes.  I basically wanted to return one of the toothpastes and have my ECB credited back to me…I am trying to only use my ECBs on items that give ECBs…I know, I’m not explaining it well and I may have just confused myself! lol!!  Anyway, I completely freaked out the clerk because she couldn’t refund anything since I had not spent any money ( I had used ECBs for the entire purchase).  Pete came up with the idea to void the transaction and start over…it worked!  Sooooo, I have vowed to really, really watch my purchases and make sure I don’t mess up like this again.

And then there was Rite Aid…the clerk was not sure if she could take the coupons I had printed off the internet.  She had to call the manager…he told her if they worked then I could use them.  All but one coupon worked and seriously, I wish I had done two transactions, but I was not thinking straight and it would have probably sent the clerk into therapy.  I’ll go back later this week…

So here’s what I got…and yes, I know it’s not completely free because I paid tax, but you get the idea!

Walgreens:

• Chex Mix on sale for 99c….used coupon for $1.00 which I found at Coupons.com==FREE!
• Kashi cereal on sale for $2.50….used $2.00 coupon from the Kashi site==50c
• Excedrin Migraine on sale for $1.99…used $2.00 coupon from the Excedrin site==FREE!

Rite Aid:

• 360 Colgate toothbrush on sale for 2.99…Single Check Rebate for $2.99==FREE!

CVS:

•  2 360 Colgate toothbrushes on sale for $3.99…received $3.99 ECBs–used ECBs from last week==FREE!
• 1 Aquafresh Extreme Clean toothpaste on sale for $2.99…received $2.99 ECBs–used ECBs from last week==FREE!

Ingles:

• Scotch Brite Stainless Steel Cleaner Starter Kit on sale for $5.98…used Try it Free coupon==FREE!  The coupon I used expires today but here is one for $1.00 off.

I know it’s not much, but a gal’s got to start somewhere, right??

I really must be going through a wrought iron stage because it seems like the accessories I am tending to chose are all wrought iron. Earlier I wrote about a neat wrought iron outdoor chandelier for our back deck. Now I’ve found this neat wrought iron shower set!

It’s been ages since we’ve updated our bathroom faucets. I think I’ll go ahead and add these fixtures to my every growing “want list”! Very pretty!

It’s been a gazillion years since I’ve participated in Tackle it Tuesday! In order to inspire me to gather all my unfinished quilts and projects, I’ve decided to join along this week. I want to gather all my projects and find all of the supplies needed to finish each one. It seems like I’ve got things here and some things over there…and I can never find just what I’m looking for to complete a certain project. It’s driving me nuts and I can’t just pick something up and start working on it. It’s got to stop today! lol!! I’ve got no photos because everything is strung out everywhere….So there…that’s my goal for today. Wish me luck!!

You can see more Tackles over at 5 Minutes for Mom.

We’ve really been enjoying our back deck this year. It’s a great place to entertain because it’s covered. After Pete graduates, I hope we can start working on this area…I’d like to create an outdoor room.

I’m not sure how people create rooms that withstand the weather so I’ll have to do some research. I know there are fabrics made specifically for outdoors so that shouldn’t be a problem. Of course, there are light fixtures for the outdoors too. I really, really like this one below. This light is part of a collection too so there are other pieces we could use throughout our backyard.

It would be nice….

I noticed today that my boys are looking a little “zittish”! One is 14 and the other is 12…it’s time for that kind of thing to start happening. They will kill me if they find out I’ve written this (and that I’ve used a graphic of a girl!) Lol!

I’ll have to be honest here, I’ve never struggled with acne so I’m not even sure how to take care of their skin. I know there are a lot of acne treatments available, but I’m not sure where to even start. Any suggestions??

First, I tried the bread recipe that the monks from the Abbey of Our Lady of the Holy Trinity shared after they had to stop their bread baking business. Ack! Seriously, I think I’ll leave that recipe to the mad baking skills of the monks! lol!!

Next, I thought I would give the recipe I tried last week one more chance. I tweaked the recipe that I found here (scroll down) by lowering the oven temperature to 350 and baking for only 30 minutes. I also covered the loaves with an aluminum foil tent 15 minutes into the baking.  I’m very pleased with the results and this recipe is officially “the one” for us. I’ve not been baking bread long so maybe my standards are not as high as some, but this dough is so nice to knead and it’s pretty! Can dough be pretty?!

We’ll be using this bread for sandwiches this week, yum-o!!

My dad is not right. I love him, but he’s just not right! In his den, he has three tv sets…yes, I said three. It’s kind of like Elvis’ TV Room but without the bar, fireplace and all the yellow and black décor! I swear, I really don’t understand why he has not completely crashed because of all the sensory overload he experiences nightly.

With all that said, can you imagine how excited my dad would be to experience this Father’s Day in HD?!

Right now, Charter is hosting a really neat Father’s Day contest where you can write an essay about why your dad should win the nation’s biggest HDTV with Charter HD service and The Charter Bundle™ FREE for life! Sheesh-a-moley!! My dad would be in heaven if he were to win this package!! I can see him now sitting in his “TV Room” with his eyes glazed over!

This cool Father’s Day contest runs until June 8^th so you have a little bit of time to write and submit your essay. There will also be prizes for the runner-ups: Charter’s Biggest Bundle, FREE for a year and FREE Charter HD service for a year. Of course, your dad has to be in an area where Charter services are available. Be sure to check out the site for all the details!

I missed posting my favorite contests last week. In fact, I don’t even think I entered a single one….which means I didn’t win a stinkin’ thing! lol!! I did, however, win a Spazzstick from Leslie’s Life!! It’s good stuff, folks…I keep it here by my monitor and use it often!!

• Nessa is hosting her first blog contest over at According to Me! All you need to do is join the new group she has created over at LilaGuide, Moms at Home, post about the new group and invite others to join (will you join us?). Be sure to go back and leave a comment so she will know you’ve done all of these things! On June 17th, winners will be drawn. Prizes range from $50 gc (or cash) to handmade scrunchies! Cool Beans!!

• Cass over at Cass Knits is giving away Bobby Flay’s Grill It! cookbook! I’ve watched Bobbly Flay for years and years and I would love to win this cookbook. I’d give it to Pete though because he’s the griller in the family. To enter, you need to leave a comment here. Of course, there are more ways to earn additional entries and you can read about them over at Cass Knits. Contest ends midnight on June 1st and the winner will be announced on the 2nd!

  

• Good For the Kids is giving away a $100 gc to celebrate the grand reopening of their online store! I would love to win this one too…I would have a little shopping spree for our local children’s hospital because this store has the neatest play things

• Kristen and Amanda are giving away a ton of really neat things that would make great Father’s Day gifts!! Just visit their Father’s Day Gift Guides to see what prizes are being given away. You’ll also discover some pretty cook things for Dad!

  

• Green Mommy Guide is giving away a Matchstick Garden and I really, really want to win this! Each matchstick contains seeds that are ready to be planted…how cute is that?!

  

• Hip Mamas Place is giving away Mama Mio O-Mega Body Oil. Me needs to rid myself of the dry skin on me arms and this just might be the thing to do it!! lol!!

• Head on over to Superdumb Supervillian and enter to win some really cute accessories from The Glamorous Life! I love these bobby pins with polka dots and circles…love the colors too!

  

• One extra!  Charlotte over at The Livy Updater is giving away the Sex and the City movie soundtrack and $25 Fandango Movie gc.  Hurry because this one is ending soon!

Lots and lots of neat contests this week….hope some of us win!!

So, I have figured out that it would take 930 miles and about 14 hours for us to travel to Orange, TX. We would have to travel through three different states and a good part of our own state before reaching our destination. I think it would be fun to take this trip because we would be traveling through so many different areas and would have the opportunity to “explore” the cities as we passed through them.

Why Orange, TX you ask? I had not even heard about the city of Orange until I had the opportunity to write about the Shangri La Botanical Gardens a few weeks ago. This week, I have the opportunity to tell you all about the Stark Museum of Art which is also located in Orange. Through researching both of these places, I’ve realized that this would be a neat destination for my family.

The Stark Museum of Art is a museum which focuses on the art of the American West. In the museum, you’ll find paintings, prints, and sculptures from the past. There is even a collection of old books and manuscripts including John James Audubon’s book, Birds of America! We’ve read about John James Audubon and I would love for the kids to see this collection. There are also different programs, tours and teachers resources available.

Not only are the collections and exhibits interesting, but the history of the museum itself is interesting too. The museum started as the vision of H.J. Lutcher Stark and his mother, Miriam Lutcher Stark who was a collector of art, furniture and decorative items from all around the world. When H.J. Lutcher Stark married Nelda Childers, they traveled throughout the area continuing to make purchases for the collection. Because of their passion for this collection, they founded the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation in 1961. The purpose of this foundation was to encourage and enrich the life of the people in Southwest Texas through education and the arts. After H.J. Lutcher Stark’s death in 1965, his wife directed the building of the Stark Museum of Art. The museum was completed in 1979. I have a feeling that Mr. Lutcher Stark would have been pleased!

If you are starting to plan your summer travels, you should certainly check into visiting Orange, TX. The Shangri La Botanical Gardens and the Stark Museum of Art are just a few of the places you can visit while in the city. Very neat!