Juno

On Sunday afternoon we decided to get out of the house and see the movie Juno.  We liked it a LOT.    Dan was the one who actually suggested it and it didn't seem like the kind of movie he would pick out.  I hadn't heard too much about it(other than one of my 4th graders who went a week ago and loved it even though she said some parts were very inappropriate for her!) but Dan had read it was supposed to be good and it was.  It was a nice movie in the way Little Miss Sunshine was.  There were a lot of good laughs.  Besides being funny, there were some very touching moments and unpredictable twists in the plot.  

As we left, there were two 7th graders  from WCA with their mom.  It was the second viewing for one of the 7th graders.  I don't think I'd take anyone younger than that.  The opening scene shocks you a little at first but it doesn't go as far as you think(fear) it might.  If you have seen it or see it in the future would you come back here and leave a comment?  Nobody at school has seen it so it would be fun to hear what others think.

Sunday Inspiration

Here are some pretty photo's that I found on the internet this week.  I love the red checked bench, very summery!  The bathroom isn't very practical but I do love that look.  

We spent most of yesterday watching golf and the US figure skating.  I was amazed at the abilities of  the 14 year olds!  Pairs are my favorite part though and the proposal was a nice surprise.   I hope to be a little more productive today.  I have birthday treats I have to get ready for a coworker on Monday.  I'm making chocolate cake and will have hot chocolate since she's not a coffee drinker.   I'm thinking the Christmas tree might have to finally come down.  The bottom lights went out so that takes some of the effect away anyway.  Most of the ornaments are off already.

I finished up Skinny Dip last night by Carl Hiaasen.  It was an enjoyable read.  The next book I read from this author will probably be Hoot, which is a children's book and that will probably be it.  Shelly reads a ton of books and passes quite a few good reads/ideas my way.  Shelly, what have you been reading lately?

Hope you had a good weekend everyone!  Shari, please share some Gracie photo's  from the weekend on your blog.

302nd Post!

I have some kids this year who are nuts over puzzles and these three boys are the masters.  They always have a puzzle going and this was their latest. The blondie on the left told me today that their rule is that once the pieces have been dumped out of the box there is no going back, it must be completed!  Now that's dedication for you!  They picked out another 500 piece cardinal puzzle so I guess they like birds too.  They requested a photo with this one because it was quite a challenge with all the light gray pieces in the background.  

The other pictures are from the Humane Society today.  I brought two of my students after school today and they had a great time.  You might recognize Cody.  I've known him since he was about two as his grandmother and I are friends and former coworkers.  It's fun to be his teacher this year, I missed getting him in first grade.  He is one of the smartest kids I've ever taught.  I wonder what he'll grow up to be.

Joni commented on my last post!  Nice to hear from her!  She mentioned Jodi Picoult and I happened to get her book "Plain Truth" in our used Christmas Book Club exchange.   Our media director highly recommended this book/author and usually love the books she suggests.   Any other Picoult fans out there? Nancy and Shari I believe.  I think I will start this book next as soon as I finish the last 20 pgs in Skinny Dip.  I got sidetracked by Eat, Pray, Love that's why it's taking me so long to finish Skinny Dip.  I have to re-read the Joy Luck Club for Feb book club too.  I'm not a big fan of re-reading but I try for book club.

Hard to believe it's my 302nd post today.  I should have mentioned it on 300 but I missed the boat.  They got rid of Gene Simmons on The Apprentice last week so I am done with that show.  There sure is a lot of crap on TV right now.  More time for reading I guess.

Have a great weekend and enjoy the warmer temps that had better get here!!! ~Laurie

West side of the lake

There's no moon in this photo, unfortunately, but has anyone noticed the full moon in the last couple days?  It's been so light out at night and it looks so cool outside with the shadows cast by the trees.  This morning, a perfect full moon was just above the horizon in the west. I enjoyed the view all the way to work.  There were a couple of places where I was really wishing for my camera as it would have been an amazing picture. I'm putting my camera back in my purse so it will be ready next time.  

If you pay attention to my book list on the left you will see that I had to put down Eat, Pray, Love or was it Pray, Eat, Love...anyway the author really started to irritate me after about 3 stories and by pg 50 I had to stop and read reviews on Amazon to see if it was just me.  It seems people either give it 1 star or 5.  I decided to stick with her through Italy and that was almost halfway through.  I skimmed a little more as I was curious about her meeting with God and then couldn't take her anymore.   It went back to the library today.  Nancy, you will have to let me know what you think when you read it for book club in a couple months.  Anyone else read this one?

My class took their winter NWEA math test today or MAP as it's also called.  I was so happy that they did a GREAT job.  I motivated them a little with the promise of brownies if they made their goals and they surpassed them by quite a bit which meant I also would bring in something to drink.  So I have caffeine free soda and brownies for them tomorrow.  We test them so much that a little extra motivation is required unfortunately.  Reading tests are on Thursday, luckily we don't have to do winter language testing.  I'll probably use free time as a reading motivation.  They can never get enough of that.

A Country Home magazine came in the mail today so I am going to get my pajamas on and enjoy that.   I only get 2 magazines now and when Domino runs out I will not renew.  I pass it along to the library as it's a little too modern for me.  It was a super cheap subscription on Ebay which I highly recommend checking out.

Green Post #3

7. This fall I purchased 2 packs of fluorescent bulbs to replace the standard bulbs as they go out.  I'm tempted to replace them before they go out but have decided to wait.  All the nightlights that we have purchased are low energy users too and will last for years.

8. Dan works from home whenever possible.  He now drives to Mpls every other week instead of weekly starting last October reducing miles by 600 miles per month.

9. In the summer I dry clothes on the line whenever possible.  I did a post on this earlier but it's one of my favorite green tips.  We also dry on a line down in the basement for certain items like dresses, skirts or shirts.  Towels, however, I have to do in the dryer.  They just get too stiff.

10. I buy books, puzzles, & games for school at thrift stores.  It's economical and green.  I also tell the kids where I purchased the items and talk about how that is a good place to shop.  They know about the thrift store and a couple of kids have told me that they've been there and want to know when I'll be working there so they can visit me there.  :)  Kind of funny!

Cabin Fever

I miss the cabin.  This spring we plan to paint or stain the pergolas white, finish painting some of the window trim, and clean up the bunkhouse.  Dan thinks we should build a little fireplace/patio where the old swingset used to sit.  That would be kind of neat.

Woodpecker video

A ten second video of a woodpecker on the suet feeder on the deck.

Winter landscape

Short video of our yard in early January.  Yes, it is snowing and if your volume is up you can hear all the birds.

Bargain Bazaar Coats

This is the most recent coat I found for $10.  Most of the time I wear black coats so this is a nice change for me.  It's lightly quilted with down and is quite toasty.  I can change the look with the many scarves and hats I own.  The brown hat is a boiled wool one that I picked up last summer, I love it and it's very warm. Nancy made this scarf and I often get compliments on it.
Here's the vintage coat I purchased for $20.  It's a wool cashmere blend, shawl collar and kind of a swing coat as it has no closure.  My favorite part is the pretty lining.  I'll wear it when it warms up a bit.  I look better with a hat on.  I need to do something with my hair.
The Bargain Bazaar continues to do well.  Day 2 earned $250, Day 3 $360, and that's as far as I've heard.  I think as long as the donations come in we will do well.  I'm signed up to work next Saturday.  I'll pick up some extra shifts in the summer.  

Flowers in January

Here's a pretty picture (from a blog in Europe) to lift your spirits as we head into a January cold spell.  It's very windy out there tonight and that bothers me almost as much as the cold. 

Today was opening day at the Bargain Bazaar and we had $540 in sales.  We're very excited about that.  I don't believe that includes about $250 in sales before opening day, they let us buy early as a perk for volunteering.  I bought a great cream vintage coat last weekend for $20.  I'll post a picture of it sometime.  

Did you watch the premiere of American Idol 2008?  I wasn't going to but broke down.  I did do my correcting and got my kitchen cleaned while watching  so it's okay.  I think horse girl was my favorite.  They focus too much on the freaks in the beginning but it is fun to spot your favorites early on, makes it more fun in the end.

Time for me to shut down and read.  I'm in the middle of Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen.  We read Nature Girl by the same author for book club last summer and I disliked that book.  Everyone said I should try this one instead and I am enjoying this much more.

Good night and be careful in this cold.  ~Laurie

Shari's website

I will be adding Shari's blog to my list on the left soon.  Not tonight I need to get to bed.  You can check out her blog right here.  Leave a note so she knows you were there visiting...don't be a lurker. :)

Manic Monday

We woke up this morning to water dripping through the floor down to the basement.  Luckily, the plumbing/heating guy was coming today to fix the gas fireplace so we shut the water off and added another job to his list.  Dan was heading to Mpls for a few days but delayed his plans til Tuesday to deal with the water issue, not a lot of water but enough.  I was looking forward to sleeping in until my dentist appt  at 9 but was up at 6:30.  I took a shower so Dan could shut the water off and then went back to bed for a little while.  My tooth took from 9 til 12!!  I got a break to use the bathroom and about 30 mn in the waiting room while the new filling was being prepared.  3 shots of Novocaine, not fun and one in the roof of my mouth, I hate those. Oh and LOTS of drilling-which I also hate.  And did I mention they had to cauterize some of the gum tissue, which I felt... which caused the extra novocaine shot in the roof of my mouth. Yikes!

  I had a sub all day so I went to the thrift store afterwards and hung up the Bargain Bazaar Banner that I made for the front window.  I think it looks pretty good.   I helped price for awhile and then went back home.  The plumber arrived at 6 and solved both problems in 2 hours.  He still had another job after us, can you imagine?  He said most of his days go that long and that he takes Sunday off most of the time.  Busy guy!  And I forgot to mention that last week our fridge stopped, just the top not the freezer.  We tried to fix it on our own but no luck.  So we had a guy out for that too.  Hope we're done with repairs and dentistry for awhile!   I ended the day by reading in front of the newly working fireplace-not a bad way to end the day.  I'm heading to bed now-Good night!

Reducing Consumer Consumption

Do you think we spend too much on stuff we don't really need?  I'll confess that I do although I do like shopping at a thrift/consignment store so I'm not so bad.

Nancy sent this link about people who have dedicated a year to living without buying new items excluding food, wine and entertainment.   I can relate to the woman who talks about Target.  Too many tempting items there, especially on their endcaps.  

The Compact

Here's the article that was in the Star Tribune today about the same idea.  

It does feel good to get rid of items you don't want or need anymore but it doesn't help if you just go out and buy more stuff.  In France, women invest in quality clothing, wear it often and for years with style. We could learn something from them too.

Green Post #2

Here are some more green tips.  Isn't this a cute little frog?  I may have to use him again.

4.  We keep our heat set at 65 all the time but it feels more like 60 in this old house.  We also keep unused rooms closed and close the vents in those rooms.  The door in our entry that we never use is quite drafty so I took a bunch of plastic bags and forced them with a knife into the spaces where the cold air was coming in and it really helped.  Our windows aren't too bad considering their age.  We wear sweaters and keep lots of blankets in our coldest room-the TV room.

5. Here are some ways we conserve water; saving water from the dehumidifier for watering outdoor plants, collecting rain water off the garage in large tubs for watering, showers instead of baths, full dishwasher loads, full laundry loads, used dish water for indoor plants, and a big water saver is not flushing unless necessary.  You know the old saying, "If it's yellow..let it mellow..." Our toilet uses 1.6 gallons per flush so that adds up.  

6.  We water our lawn from the lake but last year didn't even do that.  The lawn seems to do better when we just leave it alone.  It bugs me that people in the southwest waste all that water on a green lawn when they shouldn't even have grass.  Vegas is probably the worst offender.  

More later!  

A Nice Story

I have a nice story to share with you that came from Becky today.  Becky emailed that she had found something in her home that she had been searching for for many years.  She said it was all because of me and that I had to call her right after school.  She also mentioned that she had been crying happy tears all morning.  Well, needless to say I was curious and called her during my first break.  

Becky was going through items to donate to the thrift store and way back in a cupboard came to a box of sewing supplies and inside was a button box that had a white cardboard jewelry box inside.  She only opened it because she thought there might be some pretty vintage buttons inside.  The jewelry box appeared to be empty and she was going to throw it but decided to look under the cotton layer first.  There were the wedding bands that she received from her parents when she was barely 20 years old.  She stopped wearing them when she was expecting as they didn't fit anymore.  They had been missing for 30 years! She had almost given up any hope of finding them.  I'm so happy that I played a part in finding them for her, although the main credit goes to Becky's generosity and tidiness!   Don't you like a happy story?

PS

She will not be donating them to the Bargain Bazaar.  ;)

Sunday Ramblings

I took this picture earlier this winter.  It's a female cardinal.  The male was attacking his image this morning on the handle of our French door in the TV room again.  I would love to capture that on video sometime but that would be hard to do unless he's on a schedule.

This week in the workroom, a coworker was talking about making an omelette in your waffle iron.  She said you just mix up your eggs and whatever you want in your omelette and pour it into the iron.  She got the idea from a guest on the Rachel Ray show.  I might try that sometime.

Yesterday, I worked from 9:30-4:30 at the Bargain Bazaar.  There were about 7 of us working and we really had a lot of fun.  Liz and I priced most of the day.  She's one of our 5 managers. Yes, 5!  Kind of a lot but they're all really great.  There are a ton of items coming in.   That day someone brought in a nice Little Tykes Kitchen set and a neat Barbie house that folds up into a carrier.  Right away, I'm thinking of all the nieces who might like those items but I can't start buying everything I think someone might like or I'm going to be in trouble.  If there is anything in particular you are looking for you should let me know so that I can keep my eyes open for you.  For example, if I see any Paula figurines I know they will be appreciated by Shari if I pick them up.  So, just let me know.  I plan to set up a blog for the store and maybe you will be able to shop from some of my photos.  There's a pink Texasware bowl that is priced at $10 and probably worth at least twice that.  Most of our items are cheap in the kitchen but we are going to price antiques/collectibles accordingly.  We have to pay the rent after all.

We went to Whiskey Creek the other night with friends and enjoyed that new restaurant.  I had the bacon wrapped shrimp which was very yummy along with a baked sweet potato and grilled veggies.  Dan liked his ribs.  They serve up a lot of food as most dinners come with 2 sides.

I can't think of anything else to write about. Enjoy your day!

One more photo...last weekend it was very cold we had sundogs.  Here's a picture.  Doesn't it make you feel cold?

Still more of Becky's

The sunroom is so pretty.  Some shadows but you get the idea.

Close-up of another pretty hutch.

The guest room.

Becky knows how to create a vignette! (That's French for a pretty grouping.)

That's it!  Thank you for letting me blog your lovely home.  Now get over to my house and work your magic over here!

More of Becky's

A Cozy Home

I had coffee at Becky's the other day and she let me snap photo's to my heart's content.  Isn't this a cute collection of birdhouses.  I love the rustic touch.
Annette admiring Becky's hutch in the sunroom.  Annette has the coziest cutest log home that you can imagine and maybe I will have some interior shots of her home someday.  Hint-hint...

This is the chair that I sat in for awhile.  It's called a "slipper chair" I believe.
Someone from Morris painted this bicycle in the sunroom and Becky added the basket for a cool 3 dimensional touch/
I covet this red dresser or whatever you call it.  In a good way you know or else it would be a sin.

Happy Birthday???

You may have noticed that I have missed a few birthdays.   I decided in October that I was not going to post birthday photo's anymore.  I did a pretty good job the first year-(I think!), but I did miss a couple and then I felt guilty and sometimes I had a little trouble locating a photo so I decided that I would let the birthday posts go.  I may mention a birthday but that will probably be it.  Maybe the green posts will make up for it???  Yeah, right...   Well, Happy Birthday to all of you in 2008!!

2008 Resolutions

Dan and I generally don't make a big deal out of New Year Resolutions but we have already made some changes that I consider to be "earth friendly."  I thought my blog would be a good place to share some of those changes with you.  Here are a few to get started and more will follow now and then as I have some nifty green images to use.

1. Reduce plastic shopping bags.  I purchased 3 Trader Joes bags and keep them in my car.  When I do get the plastic bags, we re-use them for kitty litter, trash bags, or donate them to the library, humane society or the new thrift store.

2.  Stop buying styrofoam products-they are evil. When I have leftovers at a restaurant I request a bag if it's appropriate.

3. We drive Dan's car whenever possible as it gets 35 mph compared to my measly 18.  

Okay, that's it for now.  Feel free to chip in with your own suggestions.  We're starting to recycle more but I'll save that for another post.

Ahhh... Friday

Dan is on his way home, in fact I think I heard him just pull in. I have Norah Jones playing and am working on my first glass of chardonnay.  I have the oven warming up for dinner.  I am preparing an Italian meal this evening..Di Giornio supreme rising crust frozen pizza.  Yes,  I work all day and cook too.

I stayed a little late at school today cleaning science trays.  We were dissecting owl pellets and identifying tiny little mouse bones, doesn't that sound like fun?  It really is.  Go to kidwings.com and you can try it yourself without getting your fingers dirty.  Then Mary, Shirley and I spent some time gabbing about the thrift store.  We're going to work tomorrow morning and I plan to bring my camera so I can snap some pictures to blog later.  I stopped in yesterday with some of the items that Pam and Jen donated over my lunch hour and there were about 10 people in there working like busy little bees.  I gathered about 4 more bags of my own various things and have them in my truck ready to go.  It does feel good to reduce clutter.

Shari will be happy to hear that Dan reminded me that FNL is on tonight and it's a new episode, something about a tornado so it should be exciting.   I am looking forward to watching more of season one this weekend too.  Did anyone watch The Apprentice last night?  I didn't watch last season because they were in LA and I was bored with the whole thing, well, they brought it back to NYC and are using celebrities and Omarosa, who is a "reality celebrity."  Gene Simmons rocked last night and Omarosa was a big pain as usual and should have been fired but of course they didn't fire her because she makes things interesting since everyone hates her so expect her to stick around for awhile.  I think she is jealous of the real celebrities.

Time to put the pizza in.  Have a great weekend!

Taking down the tree?

I know many of you have your tree down already but I think I will be leaving ours up awhile longer to add a little cheerfulness to January.  This is the first year the tree has been in this corner and I like it there.  I did take off most of the Christmasy type ornaments and eventually I'll be down to just the lights.  One year, I kept it up through the end of February and had a Valentine's tree.  I don't think I'll carry it that far this year but you never know.

My car said it was 10 degrees on the way home today but it felt colder than that.  The thaw is going to feel good this weekend.  I remember 6 or 7 years ago when we had a long stretch of 

-20 to  -30 below and thought 0 degrees would actually feel warm and it DID!  Does anyone else recall that? Dealing with the cold is a badge of honor we can wear in Mn but that doesn't mean that we won't whine about it.

   I might have some fun interior pictures for you in a couple of days if I get permission from the owner.... Stay tuned!

Happy New Year!!

I made chicken pot pie (nice warm comfort food for January) and had a little fun with the extra crust.  I've been cooking a lot in the last couple of days and have lots of leftovers for school lunches such as lasagna, shepherd's pie, and chicken noodle soup.

It has been so cold today.  We spent a good chunk of last evening and today watching season 1 of Friday Night Lights.  Dan and I both like the program as Shari predicted we would.  Dan was starting to watch season 2 this year so it's fun to go back and catch up.  Whenever the writers strike ends we'll be caught up. I also collected enough items to fill another box for the thrift store, a small dent.  How did you spend your first day of 2008?

A Little Smith Choir

Christmas Songs 1

More Smith Christmas

Deb & Tim

Ted & Pam

Warren, Ted, Matthew

Alex & Tina

Smith Christmas

We had a great time last weekend celebrating Christmas with the Smith Family.  Everyone was great about posing and I got some great shots and cute videos of the kids too.