Friday

tip-o-day

Have you ever gotten that paralyzed feeling from some silly, seemingly daunting, project.
Perhaps it's straightening out the basement, or weeding the garden, or in my case currently.... filing.

Sometimes - my filing gets ahead of me. And so it waits.
Piling up.
It waits until I find this non-existent block of time... perhaps a rainy day, or maybe a blizzard where I am certain I will just make a cup of tea and sit down and plow through it.

um.. shyeah.. not gonna happen.

Does that happen to you?

So try this.
Just do a little.
No, really... just set a tiny little goal.

Today I filed a handful of papers.


You can't tell from looking at my piles.

But I know there's less now.

And I feel good.

where is weese?

"I heard she and her adorable wife got a timeshare on an island somewhere."

"really?!"

"yup... and there is NO internet access - BUT they have beachfront property and someone to bring them cool things to drink and fresh towels."

"really?!"

"yup... and they don't even have a phone. all they brought was a couple changes of clothes, oil paints and an easel for that artistic wife of hers, and several pairs of walmart reading glasses."

"wow."

"yup... doncha want to go too?"

Friday

tip-o-day

This tip is brought to you by Bammies.
Bammies is my mother-in-law.

Honestly I never expected to get a tip of the day from this woman...

Bammies likes to wear crocs knockoffs.
Bammies noticed tho that on hot, humid days her feet perspired.
Bammies solved the problem.


Had the picture been better I would have left it at that.
But since its kinda hard to make out...go ahead and 'biggin' the picture - notice the feminine pad placed perfectly in her shoe.
It's not only a perfect fit, but the adhesive back secures them in place. Plus... you can change them out as often as needed. What's better than that?

Of course its not nearly as funny until you hear that Pop pop is wearing them now too.
:)

the pregnant pause

I cannot stand reality TV.
O sure... I thought Survivor was nifty -- when it began ten years ago.

But now reality TV makes me want to toss the big backlit box out into the driveway.
Yes, I could just turn it off and walk away - but I am weak and clearly addicted.

You see we have this routine, and I am all about routine.

Each evening my cuddly wife and I retire to our suite to ready ourselves for rest. This inevitably happens 10 minutes or so before the hour. During this time I switch on the TV in preparation to begin some carefully selected show that will be used for the sole purpose of setting the sleepy-timer to.
For the 10 minutes or so before our show on the Great Pyramids, or Mega Movers (a weese fave) or perhaps Animal Cops comes on, there are the final moments in a myriad of REALity TV shows.

It seems to me - granted I don't actually watch the shows -- that every single one of them ends with this cliche, irritating pause before they 'reveal' the big outcome to the nervous contestant.

You know this pause. Maybe once a long time ago - it felt new and clever and left you on the edge of your seat. But seriously, how many times can a pause like this be effective, certainly its no longer gripping.

The host will lead with some ubiquitous unfinished sentence... some examples are (but not limited to):
"The audience voted and ..."
"The amount is..."
"The winner is..."
The camera then pans to the nervously awaiting contestant... and there
we

P
A
U
S
E

And so as quickly as I can I grasp for the remote, fumbling with the buttons only to switch to another channel with another host doing the same stupid pause with a different, yet frighteningly identical set of moronic contestants.

Why oh why do I not toss the thing out the window.

The twins and our prodigal son

We had a sleep over this weekend with the SIL and BIL's twin girls. We had so much fun.






I told them some stories from the Grimm brothers. And then a couple of less dark classics. Tho I don't remember all the details of most fairy tales so I embellished a bit. I think my rendition of The Three Bears was a hit.









Then Ferris...who we may now need to refer to as Giacomo - returned from his Italian adventure. The stories on the car ride home were unbelievable. He told me as we walked through the airport parking lot that this was the best decision of his life and may never be topped. He saw Rome, and Florence and Milan and the Alps and the Amalfi coast and Sorrento and Cinque Terre and ... the list goes on... all while enjoying a women to men ratio of about 10 to 1.

As you can see...he'll be going back.*

He brought gifts for all.. including little Firenze soccer jerseys for the girls.

*A traditional legend holds that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome.

Friday

tip-o-day

Ok people... break it up...nothing more to see there... let's move on.

Alrighty then, today I want you to go out your front door, turn around, and look with fresh eyes.
Is your door clean? Is the glass clear and sparkly? Do the walk or steps need to be swept?

This is not only the entry into your home, but into your lives, your energy, your spirit. Let it be mindful, orderly and welcoming. You don't need expensive door knobs and knockers.
A simple entry that is tidy is most welcoming.

I've noticed that ours is in need of some paint and new weatherstripping...thanks to pets trying to open the door themselves. On the inside the FREE dog has just about clawed her way through the wood to get out at menacing delivery folk. Basically, the door is ruined. A new door is not in our budget this year, so ... I sweep, clean the glass, and shake the mat often.

My imaginative wife has placed a table on the porch by our entry. It holds a couple plants and some candles to greet our guests. If you come in the evening she will light them just prior to your arrival - even if evening has not yet cast its full shadow.

Remember, the entry is not only for guests. Every time you walk into your home you should feel centered and peaceful. A welcoming entrance can set that stage.

Go on... get up... go look.

let the sun shine in

Ok... well if there were sun. It would be able to shine in after today.

We hired someone to raise the canopy on a big maple tree right behind our house.
You can see the tree in the picture below.
We started to notice an increase in moss and mold because there was just not enough light and air.



The only way to do this is to have someone climb the tree because its not accessible with a bucket.
From my office window here in the attic I am at eye level with this fellow as he begins the job.


Then there is this other guy down on the ground.


They have to lower the branches because of the patio and plantings below the tree.
They are being very careful.


Whaddya think Sara?