Inspiration Alley

Groundhog Day

I've previously stated that I wanted to one day go to Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney PA to see Punxsutawney Phil do his prognosticating.  I think I've had this dream since seeing Bill Murray in Groundhog Day (one of my favorite movies).   Well, I've found something that will be "almost" as good.

So the "new" house is up in Lake County, and is very near Mt. Dora.  Well wouldn't you know that Mt Dora has Mt Dora Mike and Mt Dora Millie.

"Mount Dora Mike & Mount Dora Millie move out of their winter hibernation from a palm tree stump to give prognostications of long awaited information like when winter will end, how many hurricanes we will be affected by this season, and the Super Bowl prediction.

So this year, I received the news too late, and didn't take the day off work to go up.  But next year, look out!  Groundhog day is on a Saturday, and you can bet I will be in town to see Mt Dora Mike and Millie (who are not even groundhogs) do their stuff. 

Yes, I still want to see Punxsutawney Phil, but that will have to wait for a wee bit. 

February already ?

February already ?  Where does the time go.

December and January were a whirlwind for me because we were buying a house, which if you haven't bought one recently, takes quite a bit of phone tag and follow up. 

We closed on January 11th, and can't wait to actually spend some time there.  We allowed the prior owners to stay for a bit until they got their relocation plans sorted out, so they have until Feb 10th.  We've been up a few times, but it still doesn't feel real, if you know what I mean.  With them living there, it feels like we're visiting someone elses home.

Here's the picture of the main house.  The walkway is really not that long, it just looks like it because realtors use those fish angle lenses when they take pictures.  Anyway, it's all brick and even has a real brick fireplace, something I've never really experienced before.  Yeah, I've been in places that had fireplaces, but in Miami, we've never had the need for one, not my current home, or the homes I grew up in, so it'll be a new experience. 

I'll post some more pictures as things unfold, and of course, I've already started an album.  I'm pretty sure I want to do some before and after looks.  I've been really good, and haven't started buying stuff (well not too much stuff anyway), but can't wait to get in there and start making it ours. 

Crowns

I have crowns.

The kind on your teeth, not the gold ones on your head, although that would be kindof nice if I had one of those considering the market value of gold - but that's another story.

My first crown was when I fell off my bike in 4th grade and broke my front tooth off (on Labor Day weekend no less), and it's pretty much been the story of my life.  Anyhoo ... one of mine has come loose.  I called for an appointment and they wanted me to come in right away.  I said I'd wait until his next Saturday appointment (the 19th).  

She said, you can't it's "dangerous".

I said "dangerous, how so"

She said: " You might swallow it"

This being said to the girl who HAS swallowed one before and knows what happens once you do (don't ask ... you do not want to know).  

I also once lost one in the Atlantic Ocean (Ft. Lauderdale Beach) within hours of it being cemented in - wen't down with a wave, and I came up with no tooth.  I'm pretty sure it was that same front tooth.  

When we lived in Ft. Lauderdale (a time I don't remember), our family dentist was our neighbor, so when we moved to Miami, we still drove up to Ft. Lauderdale for our annual office visits.  It would be an event.  After the dentist, we'd go to the beach.  My mom would pack up 5 kids and all the beach supplies in the car, we'd drive the 45 minutes to the dentist office and all get our cleanings and any work done, then we'd spend the rest of the day at the beach.  I know many people are afraid of going to the dentist, but I've never seen it as a "bad" thing, for me, it was a fun day at the beach and the dentist was just something you did before you could have that fun.

No Caramel Apples for me at the moment, and in a week I'll be fixed up good as new.

 

 

Schedules and Scheduling

Do you keep busy.

Do you have to keep track of your schedule, your husbands schedule, and maybe even some kids ?

Do you have a smart phone ?

If you do there is a very cool app called Cozi.

It's a Calendar/Schedule.  It's a To Do List.  It sorts by person.  It sends you message alerts.  You can keep your shopping list on it - in fact, several shopping lists.  You can work from your phone, or work online.  If you do FlyLady (it's a housecleaning thing), you can import your FlyLady Zone tasks and create daily lists.

I've been working with it for several months now.  I don't remember how I found it, I might of been playing around and downloading apps just because they sounded cool.  It doesn't really matter.  If you coordinate lots of appointments and schedules for yourself and or your family then check it out.  

Right now I've got the scrapbooking weekend crops for 2012 loaded (just the ones I'm pretty sure I can attend), plus birthdays, holidays, doctor appts, pretty much everything I need (although I haven't added daily work stuff yet).  I've always worked with a planner, so it's taken me some time to transition from paper to smartphone, but it's almost the same and now I don't have to carry my day planner with me.  

Check it out - the best part ...it's a free app.  (you can upgrade later if you want)

( for the record, I'm in no way getting paid for this - these are unsolicited comments - I like the product, it works for me, so for what it's worth, I pass the information on to my family and friends.)

This just in ...

You know the Hilltop Memories Crop I will be attending in January. (OK ... I might not have mentioned it on the blog before, but definately on Facebook).

It's my first weekend crop I have scheduled in 2012.  

The one in my most favorite hotel, the Kenilworth Lodge.

The one with Sue Neal coming to teach not 1, not 2, but 4 classes.

Well ... it just got even better !!

Linda has advised that since the Monday is a federal holiday (Martin Luther King Day), that the crop will run an extra day.  We can spend the night Sunday and go home on Monday.

Looking at my calendar, Sunday is the night of one of my plays "Jersey Boys", so now I must change my tickets to another day.  I really hope I can make it work.  Shouldn't be a problem and an extra day cropping would be so cool.

Let's see what the day holds .

I've been without "my" work computer since Monday.  I've been working from my personal laptop for online stuff and hopping around to any desk where someone has stepped away for company programs.  

The upside ... I'm getting a brand new machine.  

The other upside ... we recently I mean a couple of weeks ago changed to a different backup system where everything gets backed up even stuff on your computer not just network stuff.  I am notoriously bad at doing back ups, so this is a good thing.  Everything will be restored right where I left off.

I work at my computer so much that it slows me down to be on a different machine.  How the keyboard functions, where you have programs set, it all makes a difference.

I've got my fingers crossed that today is the day.

Roasted Chickpeas

Time for the Pin-Did challenge.

Over at the Modern Marigold, there is a weekly challenged called the Pin-Did ChallengeEssentially you actually use one of the pins you've posted on Pinterest as inspiration for your own creation.  I pin quite a bit, so I have lots of inspiraiton to work from.

This week I made Roasted Chickpeas.

From Pinterest:

My Try:

This was my type of recipe.  Very easy, and can be done in a toaster oven.

You drain and rinse a can of chickpeas, spread them on a baking sheet and toast for about 45 - 60 minutes.  They are done when they are crunchy.  After about 40 minutes, I was taste testing until I felt they were done enough.  Once done, toss with whatever seasoning you like.

I actually used the recipe at WillowBird Baking for a Chili Lime flavor.  There are all sorts of recipes all over the internet, so just do a search.  I'm trying to eat a little healthier these days, so these were great.  If I can only mimic the flavor of Ruffles Sour Cream and Cheddar chips, I would be in my own personal heaven.

I will try these again.  I might try something a little sweeter using cinnamon and brown sugar, and maybe something with peanut butter flavoring.  Very tasty and fills the need for a healthy crunchy snack.  Best of all, they keep for a couple of days.  For hints, I would say, make sure to spread the chick peas out on the baking sheet as I occaisionally hit one that was mushy - throws off the whole effect - other than that enjoy.

Meow Monday - Maxwell has found the top of the fridge

and now Mr Mischiefalso known as Maxwell has found the top of the refrigerator. 

It's not like I don't already have enough to pick up from him knocking stuff one the floor.

Witch Hats

The contest for creepover was to take a paper mache witch hat and decorate it any way you like.

Every hat in the contest was outstanding but here are just a few up close and personal.

First the winner was Kelly's

Then my personal favorite and way to think outside the box ...


And then there was one done in a Wizard of Oz theme ...

And one where the witches hands are opening up the hat itself.

One of the ladies at the crop made a photo montage of all the entries into the contest.  The prize was that you got into the Winter Retreat crop for free, so the competition was stiff.
Now, you might be wondering just exactly which one was mine .... and yes, I did complete one.  Mine is on the far left in the middle.  It's a witch hat with a sign underneath.  The sign reads ... "You say Witch like it's a bad thing".  It's me, what can I say.

Aside from the witch hats, Linda and her crew did an amazing job with the decorations and the food.  In fact, Linda and Elle made 150 cake balls.  Yes ... 150 - I think I figured that it worked out to about 5 or 6 cake balls per person. Let's just say, I ate my share, and they were delicious.  I don't know ... for me, you can't get much better than one of the Hilltop Crops.  I am always in awe of the talent that is in that crop room at any given point in time. 

 

 

 

Creepover

A couple of weeks ago, I went to the Hilltop Memories Crop called Creepover.  It was at a RV park called SunNFun.  I had planned to get a lot accomplished, but I knew I wouldn't once I got on the way.

First, I got a very late start on Friday.  Had some doctors appts and my annual mammogram -- (note to self, don't get your mamogram during breast cancer awareness month - they were 12 - 15 people in the waiting room).  Then hubby wanted to change the oil in the car and do a once over before I left, so I didn't get on the way until almost 4pm.  Which meant I didn't arrive until 8PMish.  Which meant, Friday was blown.

Saturday, Teresa did a very cute make-n-take.  You used one full 12x12 piece of cardstock and folded it all up into a little booklet.  There were tags and a page where you punched out part of the page and added a transparancy.  It was really cute.  I don't know how people figure out how to do these things.

I can copy really really well, but I'm not one to figure out exactly where to fold the paper to make something creative out of it.  Anyway .... loved the project.