The Ride Home

I did have a fantastic time in Idaho the last few days. It was more fun that I can convey in words. I will share a couple photos and stories in the days to come. This story is about my trip home. I don't love airports. Mostly...I just hate going through security. I'm always in a panic that something will go wrong and I'll be forced to have a body cavity search or something. It's an irrational fear...but that's just how I roll. After I get to my gate I am usually content to read or people watch. There were some doosies this trip for sure! When I first sat down I noticed this girl sitting across and down a couple of seats from me. She looked so much like Jo's friend from Rigby (Ashleigh) that I kept looking at her. It was just weird. I noticed the (short)t-shirt dress she was wearing over (what I thought were her) brown leggings and some UGG-like boots. Very comffy...But when she got up to get on her plane I noticed that she wasn't wearing leggings (or panties)....they were tights. How did I know this...you ask...Well, when she got up to leave, her t-shirt dress had ridden up and her hiney was hanging out for all to see. She wasn't the least bit concerned and casually walked to the gate and disappeared behind the door. Weird...But it gets better. There was this guy walking around. I'd seen him a couple of times as he was hard to miss. He was wearing his Jamaica t-shirt and his blond hair was done in dirty dread locks. He had BIG earphones covering his ears with what I can only assume must sound like music (to him alone) blaring into his head. He would occasionally sing whatever lyrics he could understand at a decibel level equal to the volume I use when someone has displeased me greatly. So funny. He actually got on the plane to Fargo and while de-planing gave us another short snippet of vocal vomit. I watched him in disbelief. The lady next to me said, "Well, he looks like fun." To which the short tan man next to us replied, "Yeah, then you sit by him next time!" It was a serious laugh out loud moment for me as I tried to imagine myself...the socially awkward....sitting next to ganja boy. That would be an interesting social experiment for sure. The flight it's self was smooth until we tried to land and then the wind blew us around like a Wal-Mart bag across the runway. It was a little frightening....OK...it was a terrifying experience that would have had my sister in tears. But, all's well that ends well and I made it safely home. I had such a great visit with my family and I learned a new craft...WOOHOO!!! Just what I needed!!! hahahaha So watch for pics and posts in the next few days. They will be worth the wait...maybe....

A Successful Hunt

I'm not really an adventurous person by nature. I am content to be the navigator when we travel. I am happy to cheer from the stands. I love to be the "behind-the-scenes" director of our trips. This weekend I was forced out of my comfort zone and into the driver's seat....literally. Daughter and her bestie and I went to join Husband in Omaha Nebraska for some house-hunting. We loaded all our hunting gear, the car snacks and the GPS and headed out on Thursday afternoon. Like I said before I can not, will not drive in traffic I am not an aggressive driver and prefer to be the navigator and was getting butterflies at the thought of the city traffic...but that was hours down the road and I was content for the moment to watch the monotony of the Dakotas pass us by. I loved the empty highways. The feeling of complete control over the road. Just me and the occasional side of road-kill. I did start to notice, though...the closer we got to Sioux Falls the heavier the traffic was getting. Not worrisome, really....just annoying. They were really wrecking the chi I had built up. I was still OK. Doing my own thing...just a little faster now...more of a frenzied pace and other travelers seemed to be using my space to further their own agendas. We were packed pretty tight in the 3 lanes that were allotted us when out of nowhere some sadistic road engineer (a man with NO spacial issues) pushed us all into 2 lanes!!! And then my space was totally invaded and I felt the need to find a rape counseling center. After a bit the traffic eased up and we hit Iowa....and I do mean hit....their roads look like Swiss cheese and feel like cobble stone. Not the smooth sailing we had experienced in the Dakota's at all. How I missed them. It was getting dark...as it usually does at night, and I was feeling more and more anxious. The cars seemed to be driving faster and in closer proximity to my own car....and then....we encountered construction cones. Their evil orange gleam taunted my not so steely nerves. I was about to completely unravel when, without warning, the cones (and therefore the traffic) veered suddenly to the right and INTO THE TUNNEL. OF. DEATH!!! I am not kidding when I tell you some idiot (probably the same man lacking spacial issues) had set up concrete barriers for us to drive through with only an inch or two of clearance on either side of my mirrors...IN THE DARK!!!! My hands were sweating and my tummy knotted and I was sure I had a seat wedgie. The teens were fine with the TUNNEL OF DEATH...except for the fact that the car was being driven by a woman on the edge of a mental breakdown. And as suddenly as it came on...it was gone. I was left to ponder the meaning of life for a while longer....and then we rounded a bend in the road and came face to face with skyscrapers. OK...maybe not skyscrapers....but some REALLY tall buildings were there....right there in our view and I knew a fresh new hell was about to begin. Sure enough...then the road began to split and curve around on itself like a snake straight out of Harry Potter. We had to dodge right and merge left and then dodge left and merge right and there were cars and trucks and headlights and I am sure I saw a flying saucer at some point and then....THANKFULLY...the GPS dinged and it was time to leave the madness and the insanity of the freeway and navigate our way to the nearest institution with padded walls hotel where Husband was eagerly awaiting our arrival. He was so happy to see us that I felt bad that I was so rattled that a proper hello was the last thing on my mind. I changed into my jammies and went straight to bed. Friday morning we started with the Realtor...Nancy Woolley....a fabulous woman who truly seemed to really know what we wanted in a house. Husband had been out looking with her a couple of times already and they had a few new properties to show me as well. We looked and searched and hunted all day on Friday. We saw homes that were $170,000 all the way up to $270,000. We thought we had decided on a house. It was nice....not perfect...and a bit over what we wanted to spend....but nice. We decided to sleep on it and look at 2 or 3 more on Saturday and then we would know. We drove up to this house on Saturday morning....
"A little small", was my first thought. But then we went inside. It opened up nicely. A bathroom, a laundry room and two bedrooms to the right of the entry way and then straight on into the living area.
The fireplace is pretty and the paint colors are really nice. The kitchen is smaller than I am used to....but it has a nice island work area and it really is nice. The house does have a basement with a big bedroom and 3/4 bath, a huge family room and a nice area for storage.
It is in a subdivision with 699 other houses so we won't be lonely. And you can't see from the pic really well but we could see the tall buildings of downtown Omaha from the deck.
After seeing 2 other houses on Saturday and comparing all of the houses we had seen we decided that this one was the house for us. It felt right and that is something that none of the other houses did. This was the right house at the right price (with a tiny garage...sorry babe). We made an offer at noon with a deadline of 5 and at 4:30 Nancy had called to let us know we were under contract. Yeah, we don't really mess around. So we now own a house in Omaha. After we close and before we move in we will replace the white carpet with something a little more user friendly and put granite and tile back splash in the kitchen. Those are the only major things we wanted to change in this house and we are so happy with it. Sunday was not only Easter but my 18th wedding anniversary. It was nice to be with my honey that day, but sad because I had to leave at noon. The TUNNEL OF DEATH wasn't nearly so treacherous (or long) in the day light and the windy merge-y freeway wasn't nearly as traumatic in the emptiness of Easter Sunday either. All in all the trip home was quiet and uneventful...except for the...well, never mind....I guess you had to be there.

Hiding

Hiding from things that are big and scary in my life is a coping skill that has worked for me since 4th grade. While I was in the 4th grade I wasn't a very good student. I would do like half of an assignment and then get distracted (I know...hard to believe right!!) and I would never turn it in. My parents would go to my parent-teacher conferences and clean out my paper-stuffed desk and find many many half done assignments. My Dad decided that I would be required to bring home homework every night. Whether or not I had anything to finish...I was supposed to bring home my math book. Well, early on in this little arrangement I forgot my book. Truly...I just forgot. I knew I would be toast when my Dad got home from work. Instead of being proactive and trying to get a ride back to school to get it or cleaning my room really well so maybe he'd be so distracted by my cleanliness he'd forget to punish me....I went to bed and took a nap. Yep..total avoidance...and that is where I am right now. Complete and total avoidance. As much as I can get away with and still keep those in my life from worrying too much. Moving to Nebraska is becoming the elephant in the room. I know it is there....I just don't want to deal with it. Instead of dealing with things in a proactive way...I have been finding crafts to do. I saw this one and had to try it. But I got a little distracted (GASP!! I know...) and started a couple of fun little things for some of my besties. This is what my thoughts look like today...
Random and all over the place...I know...
This is what I was going to work on for real...Of course my "Before" shots are non-existent. I had some 2x6 pieces left over from this project. They were all the same size (unlike the project inspiration) but that is OK. Use what you've got...Then I put a thin layer of Mod Podge on them and some pretty scrapbook paper (that was waiting for the "perfect" project) and then another thin layer of Mod Podge and let the whole thing dry really well. Then I took the rotary sander to it. And then, of course took the Distress Ink to the whole thing.
I just LOVE the Distress Ink....very easy to use.
And then...because I have a friend who is fabulous enough to let me use her Cricut...I cut out some letters because I don't like making a stencil...(I'm lazy...remember...)
I put some ribbon and some furniture brads on for embellishments and there we are. Another little something to go in the laundry room...in my new house...that is somewhere in Nebraska...that I have never seen before. I have seen it in my head, however....and it is fabulous. It has a chandelier and everything!!
So for now....don't feel sad for me and my lack of appropriate coping skills. I am getting by just fine with what I've got. Really...I am....And to Teri...thanks for saying HI. What a funny coincidence. I hope you liked Pocatello. My sisters work there and I have family in Boise. It's a great area!!

I will be linking this to Met Monday. Check out the other great projects!!

From Rust to Red

In preparation for the sale of our house...the Hubby and I have been working on a few projects to spruce the place up. One thing that has been on the list for a while is the sun room. I love the windows and during the spring, this really is my favorite room in my house. The paint color in here was a rusty orange color. While not the most hideous color I've ever seen....it was by no means my favorite. I was in Home Depot the other day with paint on the brain. I was prepared for a good solid 30 minutes or so perusing through the color samples trying to make up my mind. When I passed the area where they keep the "Oops!" for $5 cans of paint....I stopped dead in my tracks. There was a can of red (with a slight orange undertone) paint....FOR $5!!! Those of you who know me...know this is how I roll. Red is one of my favorite colors to use on the wall. I scooped it up and headed home.

Here is a "during" shot. My before photos are rare. I just just so excited to get started that things (like photos) get forgotten.

Usually Hubs is out of town when I paint. He hates it. He whines about the mess and is generally unhelpful.....until this time.
He did all the taping and started the first coat with the roller. Shocking!
I did chuckle a little when he complimented me on the lovely shade of green!! HAHAHA Don't try to adjust your monitor. It will only look green to those of you who are color blind. Yeah...I don't ever let Hubs pick out paint colors. He is barely allowed to dress himself!!
So the red is finished and the room is put back together. I like the room a lot and hope that any and all prospective buyers will like it as well.
Do you like the red?? Red works best with rooms that have a plethora of windows.
And here is where I am sitting right now. When the sun comes up in the morning this is where I can be found...praying for sunshine and enjoying any rays that break through the Minnesota winter....yes...I dare not call this spring. Last year we had 2 snow days home from school in April.
I will be linking this to Metamorphosis Monday. The creative people that link to this party are so inspiring. Check them out!!

My Last Day

I'm not sorry to say that today was my last day as a full-time sub. I was a little sad last week when I thought about all of the amazing women that I have been blessed enough to work with. These women have devoted their lives to educating children. They are good to their very cores and I have learned so much from them. As I was thinking about it last week....I decided there were a few kids I was going to miss too. I have become very fond of a few of them. And then today happened. As of this minute...I am over it. I am done. I am laying part of the blame on the fact that I am tired....and I am blaming the stress in my life for that. I am also laying part of the blame on PMS. Everyone with any possibility of rational thought knows you never mess with a hormonal woman...it just isn't done in polite society. The rest of the blame has to be laid at the feet of one of the kids in class today. We'll call him Bouncy Boy...or BB for short. He has been struggling lately and has had some med changes...BUT...I have seen this kid make a conscious effort to make good choices and pull himself out of a behavior pattern before it gets out of hand....so I know it can be done. There was another sub in the room today. (The room I've been in for the last few months has a teacher and 2 para-professionals.) The teacher left the room for a minute and BB lost it. I mean literally...he lost his frickin' mind. He started kicking me and when I was escorting him to the "quiet area" he swacked me with his head and continued to kick me. All I could think of was...stay calm...don't kill him in front of the other kids....don't get blood on my shoes...And lucky for me...I did just that. I got him to the "quiet area" with some assistance from the other sub and quickly walked away from him so I would not be tempted to place my hands on him in any way. My hands were shaking when I got back to my desk. I was close to screaming obscenities when the cutest little girl (when she chooses to be) came up to me and in her sweet little Cindy Loo Hoo voice asked me if I would read her a story. In that instant...my anger was defused and I was no longer seeing a red halo around everything in my field of vision. I read to this sweet little poppet and I could feel my blood pressure return to it's normal range. The rest of the day was rocky for BB and I. While I still wanted to set him on fire...I tried to keep my distance as much as one can while explaining the mysteries of second grade math from BB and finished the day with relief. I will miss Poppet and the others...but BB...not so much. I will miss the women I have become friends with and I will miss their support and encouragement. 2 years ago when this job literally fell in my lap...I wasn't sure why. I have learned so much and have grown from the experiences I've had. You just gotta trust "The Plan". There is one. It really isn't our job to figure out what it is...our job is to just do it. I have told my kids a lot lately...God doesn't always give us what we want....but he ALWAYS gives us what we need. If we are lucky...they turn out to be the same thing.

So Much To Do

I am way behind on my posts and projects lately. I have been busy. Really...I have...I have been working almost every day (long-term sub in special ed) and I have been cleaning and de-junking my house. I didn't realize how much crap I have been accumulating. It's time for us to move again. Not a happy thought for me...at all. I know...I whined for almost 2 full years about how much I missed home and how I was moving back there the first chance I got. Well...part of that is still true. I would love to live near my sisters and their kids. But truth be told...I will miss the family that I have found here. The friends I have made here are more than friends to me. I have gained new sisters. I love them and I will miss them. The house I end up in has to have a guestroom for them to visit. Today I made myself get into my craft room and organize and decrapify. It took me 3 hours and it still needs more thrown out organized...but I ran out of steam. So instead, I took a break. I got a couple of projects finished (hey...that was part of the plan all along....it's part of the organizing!).

One of my little friends is having a birthday next month. She is going to be an adventurer when she grows up. I thought of her when I saw the movie UP. I loved that movie and parts of it really resonated with me. Anyhoo...I made her an "Adventure Book". She can keep track of all of the mementos and photos she collects along her way. It was easy to make. I bought a scrapbook and put vinyl letters on the front (and some on the inside...but that is for her to see) and a little note from me. I wanted a plain scrapbook, but was unable to find one the couple of days I spent looking.

Then I made a wall hanging for my new (in Omaha...that I haven't seen yet) laundry room. I have big plans for it. I almost decided to re-do my laundry room here....again....but decided to wait until I get into the house that I will be in for (at least) the next two years. I started with this print.
I bought it from an etsy shop and didn't really pay attention to the size before I bought it I'd like to say it was on purpose but we all know it wasn't I thought it was going to be bigger. Oh, well...I decided it needed to be bigger to be seen on a wall and had seen a blog where the gal put a print on a canvas and it was fabulous. So....I figured....why not. I got some thick foam core poster board for a buck (a whole stinking lot of it too) and a canvas (on sale at Hobby Lobby), some spray paint from my stash and some fabric.
I do like the way it turned out and will hang it in my new laundry room....as soon as I buy a house with a laundry room in it.

Flashback Friday

Well, I haven't made anything cool lately. I have been doing a "de-junk the house" party instead. Just so everyone knows I didn't fall in a pit and I am indeed alive and well...Here is a blast from the past for ya!!
Yes...there is a 110 pound Rottweiler sitting on my Mom and Dad. We had a hard time convincing Lucy that she wasn't a lap dog. Are YOU gonna tell her to get down?

Me and my Jo. This was something like the second week we were here in MN. Check out the snaggle tooth. Just for the record...it doesn't look like that any more!! I'll show you more on that later.
The Boom Boom Sisters....showing off our Crazy Quilts from Grandma Good. Why do we call her Grandma Good you ask....Well, Lacey didn't know why Grandma was her Great-Grandma. She thought were were referring to the fact that she is really good at being a Grandma.. So she will be forever Grandma Good.
Here am I with my Jo and Grandma Good. For the record....she rocks at being a Grandma. No wonder my Mom was so good at it. She had the best teacher.
Again with the Boom Boom Sisters. A little less Boom....but oh so fabulous!!
I do hope you enjoyed my flashback. It was just what I needed to put a smile on my face. I know Michelle and Kim are smiling. Are you?