One Day While Out Shopping.......

Today is another opportunity to share one of my own embarrassing moments. Well, to be honest, I wasn't really old enough to understand that I should have been humiliated but my mom and dad were there and I'm sure they had enough for all of us!!

This little story has its beginning when I was about 4 years old. At that time, we were living in an older home with the typical old fashioned white porcelain bathroom fixtures. I was too young then to appreciate the beauty of the cast iron claw foot tub and white pedestal sink from the 1940's.

Anyway, getting back to the story, we were in T. Eaton Co., a large, high-end department store in our small town. Keep in mind that this was during the 1960's, long before you had to duct tape your kids to your hip in order to prevent them from being snatched by a stranger. This was the era when parents were able to drop their children off in the toy department, go about their shopping and then go back to round up the kids as they made their way to the cashier.

On this particular day, dad was hanging out in the hardware department and while browsing,  heard a very familiar little voice nearby exclaim:

"My, what a pretty toilet!!"


Recognizing that voice and with cat-like reflexes, he hightailed it to the plumbing department where he found me with my draws down around my ankles climbing up onto a brand new PINK DISPLAY toilet!!

My older sister who came running to see what the fuss was about was mortified. She saw him lift me up off that toilet, swing my bare ass around in the air while pulling my pants back up at the speed of light and just in the nick of time!

So tell me, anyone out here brave enough to admit they can relate to this little story? Come on! I can't be the only one who has been fooled by a fancy department store plumbing display!!

To Follow or Not to Follow?

Lately, I've noticed several blogs creating cute buttons and icons in an effort to help us all gain more followers. Personally, I think it's a great opportunity to find other blogs with similar interests and share  stories so I like to play along.

Unfortunately, there is a flip side to this. I've been blogging on a regular basis since last Fall and I probably have somewhere around 300 blogs on my roll that I flip through from time to time when I have a few minutes to check out what's happening.

Of all these blogs, I have only used that "Stop Following" button on a couple of occasions.

This is the first time I reached for that dreaded little button:

I had been following and reading along with this particular blogger for two or three months and noticed a common thread to the author's posts "It's all about me, look at me, look what I bought, look what so and so bought for me, I'm so hawt, I'm so cool, everybody else is a big loser, blah, blah, blah".

I continued to follow this blog, left comments, this blogger dutifully commented back but even return comments held that same "I'm self absorbed, I'm shallow, it's all about me and my perfect body, whatever" attitude. It finally started to dawn on me that this author wasn't kidding.

This particular blog still has a huge following, growing all the time but in all honesty, I think most of those followers just want to be associated with someone who they perceive is "cool".  Me? I just think there are too many well-written posts that I'd rather be reading so yep, I finally reached for  that "Stop Following" button. I mean, seriously, how many times does anyone want to read how "hawt" this blogger thinks they are? Well, if you check out how many followers they have, I guess it's a lot Lol!

Another time I used that dreaded little button was because I've got an "evil streak", well maybe more than just a streak but anyway, getting back to the story,  I had been following this blog, loved the material, found the author witty, smart, intelligent and just plain old entertaining. Posts were published almost every day and like a little puppy, I would read and comment on each and every one.

Well, after two or three months, absolutely nothing. No visit back to my blog, no follow back, no reply to my comments, no nothing. I was being totally ignored but I just kept commenting. Eventually this blogger just had to notice me, right? Wrong! So I  threw the only cyber tantrum I could think of and pressed that "Stop Following" button out of spite. This blogger wouldn't notice my absence with the 300 + followers they had anyway.

So time went by, I kept plugging away at my own blog and then one day about six weeks later, there it was! I opened my email and there in my in basket was a comment from "that" blogger! I was stunned! How did they know who I was? What did the comment say? So I hesitantly opened the email and it was a "Way to go" or something like that but it was from "that" blogger! Hey, I wasn't invisible after all, they were even following me now!!!! I smiled ear to ear!!!! Validation!!!!!!!

Well you know that I just had to go right on over for a visit, I left a glowing comment on "that" blog and repressed the "follow" button.

So in light of all the "Follow Me" mania going around right now, have you ever stopped following a blog and if so, what made You press that dreaded "Stop Following" button?

#100!!!!! So Let's Celebrate!!

What better way to celebrate Post #100 than with an award party!  So many received over the past couple of months and I've been so slow to show my gratitude and pass them along but in honor of Post #100, today is the day!

And just like before, the same rules apply here:

All of today's recipients will receive their awards with NO STRINGS attached.  Do with them what you please, decorate your blog, pass them on, tell us your favorite things, whatever you want.  My party, my rules!

So everyone, pull up a chair and pour yourselves a drink!

From Suzicate of The Water Witch's Daughter and New Mom Over 40, I received the Lemonade Stand Award. Both these gals have been so sweet and supportive of my blog so stop by and pay them a visit.

Since Heather of Heather's Gonna Lose It is on her way to a new, slimmer figure, and has been such a great support for me, I thought she would be just the right person to pass this along to. Want to follow Heather's journey to a trim figure? Then check out her blog and follow right along as she journals her progress.

From Heather of Two Little Monkeys Plus Hubby who has been just the best Lose it Bitches buddy, I received the Happy 101 Sweet Friends Award.  Thanks Heather, we both know how much I need all this sugar right now so time for me to get off the sweets and pass it on!! 

One other gal who could use a little sugar high is Gayle of Gramme's Blog, so I will be passing on these cupcakes to her!   

From Don Joe at Workforced, I received the Workforced.Com Award for a comment I made about office bathrooms.  Want to check it out?  Then go on over to Don's popular blog.

From Erin at The Mother Load I snagged the Your Blog is Fabulous Award and let me tell you, this is one stylish lady, Erin is too! Her blog is growing like crazy with new followers falling over themselves to get on her roll so stop by and see what has made Erin so popular!

This fashionable lady walking her cute little dog will be passed on to Anita of Beyond the Diapers and Spills who is one of the first blogs out here to find me.  Love reading her thought-provoking posts so drop on by and see what Anita has been up to and don't forget to follow her.

Both Kat of 2010 Year Of Miracles and Tammy of Tammy's Two Cents honored me with the Beautiful Blogger Award and if you have already visited these ladies, you know why they received this little beauty in the first place.

One blog that is always on the top of my must-read list is Theological Musings  so Bev will be receiving this Beautiful Blogger Award from me.     

Heather of Welch Happenings thought I deserved to receive the Best Blog Award so this awesome award is going to be passed on to Tammy of Tammy's Two Cents. Both these gals are so deserving of this little beauty so if you get a minute, stop by and say Hello to them.

Kat at 2010 Year Of Miracles and Dual Mom of We're At Dads That Week both honored me with the Sunshine Award so the blog that always brings sunshine into my day is by Arizona Mamma of Our Daze in the Desert. All these gals put a smile on my face so please go on over and say Hello to them.

From Elizabeth of Our Journey Through Life  and Respectfully Yours of Here Is What I Think I received  You're Going Places Baby Award and anyone who knows me well knows I love Humphrey Bogart!  

My all time favorite actor so I can't help but pass this on to Corrie of Just Because My Pickle Talks Doesn't Make Me An Idiot who might actually like him more than I do!

Don't be shy about visiting any of these great blogs and catching up on what's going on in their neck of the woods.  Always entertaining and enlightening and while you're visiting, please be sure to press that Follow button!

So now with the formalities out of the way, please join me in congratulating these great blogs and then let's crack open a bottle of champagne and celebrate Post #100!!!!

This is Post #99!!!

Today is my 99th post. I had no idea when I started blogging that I would have so much to say and share. It all started as my way of reaching out in the hopes of connecting with a few other moms who were not only raising small children, but doing so while struggling with the side affects of menopause.

Well! Imagine my surprise to find that I have amassed well over 200 friends who have shown me such love and support! I am still surprised when the comments stack up, so many of you reading, commenting, sharing your stories and offering your support and experience. I'm still overwhelmed some days at the honesty and trust we have in one another.

Unfortunately there is a flip side for those of us who choose to put ourselves and personal thoughts out here. I too have received ugly comments from cowardly individuals hiding under an anonomymous signature. When that happens, I just use my delete button and let it roll off of my back. I don't want to waste my time or energy on negativity. I also don't want to get caught up in the drama, childish behaviors and name calling that goes on among some bloggers. I'm happy to have left that behind in grade 7. All I am looking for is a place to share a laugh, ask for advice or tell a story.

That brings me to my next dilema. There comes a time with blogging, reading and commenting when you have to stop and ask yourself whether blogging is getting in the way of life or life is getting in the way of blogging. I'm at that point now where it is taking up so much of my time trying to keep up with the reading and commenting, that I've come to a decision.

Right now, I have to make my 3 1/2 year old daughter my priority during the day. I will read and comment when I can and as a result,  I will be posting less often. Right now it's nearly every day and I'd like to try cutting that back to every second day or maybe three posts per week including my Sunday Weigh In. If I could, I'd add about 4 more hours to the workday so I could fit in everything I want to read out here but we all know that's not possible.

If you notice I'm not around as much as before, it's because I'm spending that time with my precious daughter, reading to her, drawing with her, painting and teaching her.

I'm still going to be here (mostly after my little one goes to bed and hubby is glued to the TV watching sports) so I'll check in with you when I can.

For now, I just want to say how great it has been to be embraced by such a warm and supportive community of the best blogging buddies out here! Thank you, Thank you!

Now it's time to put away the computer and get out the crayons!

Thoughtfulness or Sabotage...?

They say that "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions" which might explain why my hubby thought I might enjoy these which he picked up while out getting milk the other night.

So far I've resisted but that pound cake sure would taste good with my coffee right now and I don't even want to discuss those bakery chocolate chip cookies!!

Anyone else feeling less than supported by their other half while trying to lose weight?

Stay tuned!  Sunday is weigh-in day with Heather's Gonna Lose It where you will find this cute icon for those of you who want to join in:

See ya then!

One Day At The Office....

Here is a cute little story from my days of working in an office. I promise, no pee involved, just a couple of rosy red cheeks! This one happened to a good friend and co-worker of mine but is typical of what would normally happen to me.

To protect the "innocent", no names will be mentioned but this gal had a very good management position at the company we both worked for. This recounts the day that she showed up at the office with a little more than she bargained for.

As was her usual routine, our gal got up, showered, dressed, did her hair and makeup and then hauled on her long Winter coat. After her 20-mile drive to the office, she got out of her car and walked in to our building. She stopped to pick up her breakfast in the small cafe on the first floor before heading upstairs. She ordered her normal breakfast of coffee and a muffin but was surprised to see that complete strangers were watching her. She thought to herself that it must be one of those rare days when your hair turns out right and you're looking pretty hot, that sounded reasonable enough.

She picked up her breakfast, walked through the crowded cafe nodding and smiling at those who were watching her and continued out to the elevator. While she waited in the lobby, many others showed up for the work day ahead. Finally one of the elevators made its way to the first floor and opened. Our gal got on among the others making their way to their own offices. Again, she noticed that people were watching her but didn't think too much about it.

Finally she arrived at our floor, got off the elevator and slipped through the big front doors of our reception area. She then made her way down the long hallway to her office greeting many of her staff as she went. Once there, she took off her coat but when she went to hang it up on the hook behind her door, there it was...the reason so many people had been staring at her that morning.

On her back, entangled in the fabric belt of her coat was a big-as-life, glossy white, plastic coat hanger that had not only made the entire trip into work with her but had hung off her back in full view the entire time since she had left home!  

Yes, I'm Lazy and Here's Proof!

Before I get into today's post, I wanted to send out a big Thank You to all of my blogging buddies who not only checked out my post yesterday but headed on over to visit Respectfully Yours of Here Is What I Think. Thanks to all of you, by mid afternoon she had actually surpassed her target of 100 followers! Talk about teamwork, we are the best group of blogging friends out here and now we can prove it!

Getting on with today's post about my lazy ass.....

It doesn't take much to put a smile on my face but I can tell you that getting my crystal out of the basement and into the hutch has been something that I have been putting off for a long time.

When we bought the house back in 2006, we took on an 8-month renovation before we moved in.  When move-in day finally arrived, unpacking my crystal was not a priority. When you consider our daughter had just turned one a few months earlier, you can well imagine that I had my hands full. Just getting the necessities set up took all of my time and thanks to my terrific mum who came over for a few days, I was able to get the basics in place.

So getting back to my crystal, I was in the basement to put away my Christmas wreath and a few other outside decorations a few days ago when I spied some of my carefully packed cardboard boxes. We have a clay floor in the basement so I was horrified to see that at some point during the renovation, workmen had "tossed" a couple of these boxes aside. Of the 15 or so down there, the two containing my crystal were on the bottom and all the boxes had started to rot and collapse.

On Sunday, I was in the basement and decided to see what shape my crystal was in. I carefully moved all the cardboard boxes on top of it and opened what was left of the top flaps. Everything was still rolled up in packing paper so I would not know the condition of each piece until it was unwrapped. So I took a plastic laundry basket to the basement and transferred the wrapped pieces of crystal from the rotting cardboard. It took three trips but I could hardly believe my luck when after careful inspection, I could not even find a tiny nick. What a relief!

Into the dishwasher it went and while it was getting sterilized, I went to work dusting the inside of the hutch to make room. This is the finished look.

Finally after three years in a damp, dingy, clay floor basement packed away in rotting cardboard boxes, my sparkling crystal is back where it belongs in full view where I can enjoy it. Now where's the wine? All this hard work has made me thirsty!