THROWBACK THURSDAY

A REPEAT...
"he ain't heavy, he's my brother..."
FLASHBACK october 9, 1967
i am a happy toddler. i live with my mama and daddy in a nice house. we have a dog. life is good.
FLASH FORWARD october 10, 1967
the nightmare begins. mama and daddy bring HIM home. a little brother. "aren't you excited to be a big sister?" ummmmmm. no. no i'm not.
FLASH FORWARD 1970 something
i can't get rid of him. queenie and i are at the park? he is there. queenie and i are at the pool? he is there. queenie spends the night? he is there. he. never. goes. away. he tries to kill me...on multiple occasions. thank you whoever invented locks on doors. and there are times he needs my protection. yeah, exorcist demon, you will not possess my little brother because i'm letting him sleep in my room. 

             

FLASH FORWARD 1980 something
he's in high school now. and is kind of gigantic. no one realizes he's just a freshman. my friends become his friends. he's at all the same parties. the same homecomings. the same proms. he makes getting a date tough, however.  it's hard to get a date when every guy at school has seen you first thing in the morning. with your hair standing on end and no make~up. but, all in all, he's not so bad. 

       

 

FLASH FORWARD today

he's kind of a d~bag.  but he's my d~bag. he's given me a sister. he's given my 2 beautiful nieces. he's my dearest friend AND the bane of my existence.

today is national sibling day. celebrate your brothers and/or sisters...they are the ones that taught you "fairness and cooperation and kindness and caring" (pamela dugdale).

a gallery of siblings:

                         

WHAT UP THIS WEDNESDAY?

so...it's been a pretty busy week at work...we had a huge sale that seemed to last forever. and i worked ALL day EVERY day of it. i mean AAAALLLL day. EV. ER. YDAY. and working with the public, and grumpy co~workers, takes a lot out of a girl. i've been too tired to think, let alone write a blog. and i'm still tired. so today, you get a quick history lesson and a video. i hope you enjoy them!!??!!

FLASHBACK september 13, 1959

elvis meets and falls in love with priscilla, in germany, while in the army. she was 14....CREEPY!! 

FLASH FORWARD may 1, 1967

elvis and priscilla marry.

FLASH FORWARD february 1, 1968

priscilla gives birth to their only child, lisa marie.

FLASH FORWARD 1973

priscilla begins an affair with her karate instructor and she and elvis divorce. elvis is heartbroken.

elvis never ever wrote a song but, they say, he sang "always on my mind" about priscilla.

FLASHBACK september 2012

"in ev'ry job that must be done there is an element of fun...you find the fun and snap! the job's a game..."
we move in to our new apartment...we, carefully, unpack boxes and put everything in its proper place. it takes about a month, but we get there.
FLASH FORWARD november 23, 2012
the day after thanksgiving. all the christmas boxes come out of storage. up goes the tree. up go the lights. christmas gifts are being purchased and placed all over the house. ugh! i can't find anything i need.
FLASH FORWARD january 6, 2012
the epiphany. time for the tree to come down. time to cut off the lights. all the christmas boxes go back in storage. wait? where is that packing tape? where are my scissors? where? where? where? ugh!! I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING!!!
FLASH FORWARD today
january is "get organized month" and i certainly know why! we have only been in our apartment 4 short months and, already, we need to reorganize. the beginning of the year is a great time to do it...out with the old and in with the new. need some help making the job less tedious? i have a suggestion...break it down to one task a day. 

GET ORGANIZED IN 15 DAYS 

day 1~medicine cabinets: check expiration dates and throw out old meds. make a list of things you may be running low on and be sure to replinish (tylenol or ibuprofen, band aids, neosporin)

day 2~coat closet: get rid of coats and jackets that don't fit, or never get worn (donate to a shelter). got hats and gloves loose? a cute basket or box for the shelf will come in handy OR that dust bag that came with your handbag you got for christmas makes a good catch all for them. 

day 3~under beds: do you use the space under your beds for storage, like i do? get under there and go thru all that stuff. get rid of anything that's unnecessary...those shoes you haven't worn in 5 years? guess what...you aren't going to ever wear them again! DONATE!!

day4~laundry room: go thru all those cleaners on the shelves. toss old bottles of detergent and fabric softener that don't even have enough for one load in them (i know you have them...don't even lie!). a heavy duty tote is a great way to keep cleaning products organized. and BONUS!!! you can carry it around the house as you clean, as opposed to trying to carry them all in your arms, or making several trips!

day 5~hand bag: take the time to go thru your bag. get rid of all those gum wrappers...take all loose change and put it in a jar to save for a special weekend or item you've been wanting. rule of thumb: you don't need a ton of change in your purse, you'll only weigh yourself down...i keep 4~quarters, 2~dimes, 3~nickels, and 4~pennies, all other change goes in the jar! also, take this time to get rid of near empty lip gloss, and lip sticks you know you'll never wear.

day 6~under sinks: get rid of near empty bottles of hair spray...gels you haven't used in so long they've become solid. that curling iron that broke 2 years ago? toss it. while you're at it, check your hair appliances...are the cords frayed or broken? time to get a new one.

day 7~fridge/freezer: check the expiration dates and toss any out~of~date items. leftovers? if you don't know how long they've been there...toss them. replace any often used items you're out of.

day 8~kitchen cabinets: spices that are over a year old may need replaced...broken pots/pans? why are you holding on to them? toss! and why are you keeping all those margarine tubs? they aren't microwave safe and they just make a mess! toss them and invest in a food storage set.

day 9~makeup case: mascaras and eyeliners really should be replaced every 6 months, but we all know that doesn't happen. at least do it at the new year!! take this time to get rid of old foundations (face it, you are NOT going to get that drop from the bottom of the jar). look at your brushes? can they be cleaned or maybe they need replaced. 

day 10~bedroom closets: now is the time: donate clothes you haven't worn in a year. but...but...i DO wear this member's only jacket?! no. no you don't. having trouble remembering if you did wear something in a year? try this: as you hang clothes back up, turn the hangers backward...as you wear and wash pieces, hang them back correctly. next year, anything on hangers that are still hung backwards get donated to charity.

day 11~linen closet: frayed towels? they go to the laundry room to become dust rags. pillows that have seen better days? toss them and get new ones for guests. sheets and blankets that have holes in them...TOSS! 

day 12~bedroom dressers: socks and chonies have holes in them? toss them...unless you're gonna darn the socks, and no one does that anymore! and holey chonies?! really? remember what your mama always said about having clean chonies in case you're in an accident...same thing with tee shirts and sweaters. AND, again, if it hasn't been worn in a year: DONATE!!

day 13~living room: magazines on the coffee table need to be up~to~date. you should NOT have last january's sports illustrated or good housekeeping sitting out. do you have remotes that you aren't even sure what they operate? or you have 45,000 remotes for all your electronics? maybe you should invest in a universal remote...

day 14~cars: go thru all the compartments in your car and get rid of trash...check registration and insurance cards and make sure you only have the CURRENT ones...also, check that you have jumper cables, a flashlight, flares, and a blanket for emergencies. or, better yet, an emergency kit.

day 15~jewelry box: broken jewelry? get it repaired. if it's beyond repair, take it to a respectable jeweler and have them purchase the gold...extra money goes in the jar. jewelry you never wear, and does not have sentimental value? donate it, or sell it.

if you have other spaces to organize (a garage, playroom, craft room) it may take you a few extra days. but, by breaking tasks down to 1 per day, it makes it far less painful!

HAPPY ORGANIZING!!

FLASHBACK january 7, 1966

"on the twelfth day of christmas my true love gave to me...twelve drummers drumming..."
our christmas decorations start to come down (okay...okay...it might not have been january 7th! it could have been the 8th, 9th, or 10th!! but it definitely wasn't december 26!). why wait so long? because january 6 is the "epiphany"...the day the 3 wise men came to visit the baby jesus. 
FLASH FORWARD february 2010
the bk and i are driving thru town. oops! those people forgot to take down their icicle lights! well? maybe not? it's been pretty cold and snowy...maybe they're just waiting for the weather to break? but...ugh!!! THOSE people still have a christmas wreath on their door!!! okay! that's just tacky!! and no excuses! i know it's cold...and there's tons of snow on the ground...but you can open your door and take off the wreath!!
FLASH FORWARD today
i have started taking down some of our christmas...i've taken the candles out of the windows...i've cleared the bedrooms and bathrooms of any small decorations. my tree is still up...and the lights are still burning. my deck is still decorated with twinkling lights and garland. why? because it's still the christmas season.

when should we be taking down our decorations, you ask? well...i did a little research so that you don't have to...
first, you should know that the day after thanksgiving is not REALLY the christmas season (i know! i know! i'm guilty, too!). the season begins with advent, which is 4 sundays before christmas (so...this past christmas would've been dec 2). and, traditionally, people did not put up their decorations until noon on christmas eve day (that's just MADNESS!!). christmas day is the FIRST day of the twelve days of christmas...the twelfth day falls on the epiphany. fact is, if we stuck a little closer to tradition, we would not be in such a hurry to take it all down after the presents have been opened and all the family has gone home.
armed with this information...you know it's safe (and traditional) to leave them up thru january 6. take them down december 26th, you might be a bit of a scrooge. but, if you still have them up on valentine's day...and have not found some sort of way to incorporate them into the february holiday...you might be just a tad bit lazy...or a redneck...or a lazy redneck.
HAPPY UNDECORATING!!

^candy canes and inflatables should be gone before the grass starts turning green^

^be sure you've gotten all the ornaments...poor lonely little red ball^

                                                        

FLASHBACK 2009

"forget about forgetting...start remembering again..."
jeanne and i walk 3 days a week. monday. wednesday. friday. rain or shine. we start at my place one day. hers the next. we log at least 8 miles. lebanon is hilly, so we are really getting a work out. we come home winded and sweaty. this day is no different except for one thing....when we get to my apartment and run up the stairs, thirsty AND needing the bathroom...we can't get in. i've locked my keys inside. ugh. fortunately, jamie has a spare key in his truck (because this is not the first time...of course). at king's island. so jeanne drives me to his truck...it has keyless entry...i grab the key and we're in. phew.
FLASH FORWARD spring 2012
i walk 5 days a week. i put in my earbuds and crank up the music and walk. i only go 2 miles each day (it's boring without your partner...boo). this day is no different except for one thing...when i get back to the house i can't get in. i've locked my key inside. ugh. jamie's truck is at the shop...5 miles away. remember how i said i don't have a partner? there is no one to drive me to the shop and i am exhausted (i am only walking 2 miles but i'm doing it for time...i am practically running). i check all the windows within reach...locked. maybe i left the back door unlocked? nope. i'm nothing if not conscious of keeping out potential robbers...or zombies...or velociraptors (remember how they can open doors? i learned THAT from jurassic park). there is one hope. the back window. it's unlocked but it's 8~10 feet off the ground. but i'm clever. i pull the motorcycle trailer out from under the deck. i roll down the bar to make it level, but our yard is on a hill so it's still not level enough, so i prop it with the lawn mower. a small step ladder on top and i'm set. sort of...i get the window open, but i'm short. so in come the gymnastic skills i learned as a kid. i mary lou retton myself onto the window frame and throw myself, head first, into the dining room. TAH DAH!!!!!
FLASH FORWARD october 2012
our new apartment is very safe. deadbolt and chain for our door. and the entry to the building automatically locks. i take maddie out 45000 times a day, starting at 7:30a. today is no different except...when i get to the "potty station" i realize something very important. I FORGOT MY KEYS!!!!! i text jamie "i locked myself out!" j: are you serious? m: yep :'( j: i have keys here m: you're at work. j: is the apartment locked? or just the building? m: just the building. CRAP!!!! i head back to the building, debating about which neighbor might be home. or awake...i would hate to wake a sleeping neighbor that i don't even know. a man is getting in his car. thank gawd!! he unlocks the building and now i am safely in my apartment. i will never ever EVER forget my keys again.
everybody knows...EVERYBODY KNOWS...i will forget my keys. again.