Got it!

So excited!  Ever notice how a new outfit, or a new haircut can make you feel just fabulous?!  We that is how I feel now. I love my new hairdo.  I'll post below the before (ick!!) After pictures and then one of my head down so you can see all the blond highlights! :))

More rain....

It rained again today! I just checked the drought conditions and our area is still considered severe drought status which I am a little surprised since we have had quite a bit of rain this year.  If it keeps up like this we should be out of drought status by summertime. The entire back yard is green and it hasn't been all green for at least 3 years.  Now I'm not saying a lot of that green isn't weeds, but hey, at least it is green and not dry cracked earth!  I'm afraid we are losing several trees though from the drought we've had for the last few years.  The rain came too late for these trees. I still have hopes that they will turn green and they are just late bloomers....but hubby thinks they are dead. With water restrictions for the last close to 2 years, we had to let nature take its course and so we may have less trees in the near future (but we'll probably wait until they drop though as it is quite expensive to have trees even taken down, and then more to be hauled away)!

Getting my hair done tomorrow.  I cannot wait to get it cut (and highlighted).  I have not had it cut since I think November and it shows, big time! It is very hard to avoid getting a pixie short hair cut that has grown too long, to look any kind of decent. With long hair I could put it in a pony tail or clip and was good to go.  The last several weeks I have been just avoiding going out in public much! :)

I am going to ask for a lot more blond highlights since I'm not bothering to get my normal color dyed (even though there is some gray in it). It isn't that noticeable when I have a lot of blond too.
Here's a pic of what I want the top to look like. I'd like it sassy looking, not old lady looking :)

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today my father turned 86!  I am very proud of my dad. He survived non-Hodgkins Lymphoma going on I think 8 years now. He still enjoys life, loves to play bridge and makes awesome wooden lamps too by hand (with a lathe).  We went and visited this evening and I took some of the apple crumb pie I made on Sunday.  Birthday pie, not cake!  Oh well. I know he likes pies better anyway!

We got him a new short sleeved button down shirt that he can wear when he plays bridge.  It is a bright plaid with orange and blue and a few other colors, and he said he likes it.  Hope so! 

Tomorrow is hump day, oh goodie!! : - )

No longer strictly a CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox gal...

I've noticed that there are less and less desirable shows on television at least as far as I am concerned.  I used to love Harry's Law until this season when they got away from the shoe storefront and moved upstairs.  More than that changed but even that one thing was enough for me. It just wasn't the same anymore and now that it is on Sunday nights, well forget it. I watch something else in that time slot. 

What I've been watching more and more, partly thanks to my husband's viewing habits, are the upper cable channels.  There we can watch Pawn Stars, Storage Wars, Hardcore Pawn (yeah try to say THAT instead of the other ;-) ), Operation Repo, Repo games, American Pickers and more. I even like watching Full Metal Jousting !! 

On Saturdays I like to watch HGTV, all the home makeover shows and the house hunter shows. I keep telling my husband he has to hang out at Home Depot more, just in case one of those guys is there. I wouldn't care if it was yard crashers, house crashers, anything...we'd take it!!  There are so many things on the 'when we win the lottery list'...it is getting longer and longer!

Guess I need to play the lottery a little more often.  ;-)

< Chicken Pasta >

Shameless plug for my Gourmet Cupboard business Southern Belle Gourmet

Tonight I made this yummy Chicken Pasta.   You can get some by ordering at my website but you will want to check out all the yummy easy to prepare meals, desserts and treats and order so much more!!  

House guest

I was cleaning out the bucket I used to take dirt to the front porch to pot 3 hanging plants with some of the flowers I had leftover.  I was at the spigot on the back porch holding the bucket under it, and noticed something attached to the wall that was not there before! :)  

I have seen a few snails on the back porch but never any attached to the house. I am not quite sure how they even get there as we are not near any ponds or lakes.  Way back of our yard is a small branch of a small river but it would take a loooonnnng time for any snails to get to our back door.  Guess that must be it though. I just never thought there would even be ANY snails in central Texas.  Well going to take the dogs for a walk. Way too beautiful outside to stay in all day!

Beautiful Day!

Just got back from a walk and it is a gorgeous Texas day!  The blue sky is as far as the eye can see.  It is around 75 degrees I think.  I could turn right around and go for another walk, but I won't.  Just ordered pizza for dinner so that we'll get that within the hour...hey .. good things are worth waiting for!

Ladybug went to her new home yesterday.  I think the gal that adopted her will really enjoy her.  Ladybug took to her right away too, giving her kisses and such when she came in.  Wonder if she knew she would be taking her home??.... naw.....

I am still trying to get used to having nights and weekends off.  It seems strange but I am loving it at the same time.  I have the rest of the flowers to plant this weekend and want to plant some seeds too. Have some Swiss chard seeds from last year. We'll see if they produce anything. I've never grown that before.  I may even start reading again.  I haven't read anything in years, except for the last Twilight book. So I can see what I have lying around that I figured I'd read some time.  Last year at the animal shelter's garage sale I picked up a copy of Grey's Anatomy, no not like the TV show, the book that goes over all the anatomy.  I might start glancing at that and actually reading something else I've got around.

Well off to go sit on the porch for a spell.  ;-)

It is official...

...my allergies are really bad right now!  I was having sneezing attacks this morning and when I was walking the dogs this afternoon, I had to keep coughing to clear my airways enough to breathe. Ugh. Guess I better start taking my over the counter allergy meds again.  They do help a lot the day I take them, but I don't want to take them every day. So I guess I'll muddle through and just take one every few days when it is really bad.

We have had some really bad storms at night but thankfully last night was quiet so I got a good night's sleep for once. 

Tomorrow someone is coming to look at Ladybug to see if she wants to adopt her.  Yes I just wrote a few months ago that we did, but she would be best in a one dog home. She really bullies a few of my dogs too much and even fought with one over a rawhide bone. And one of our dogs has been staying in her crate a lot more than usual, most likely to avoid her, so we decided to give her up to a new home.  Hopefully it will be a good match tomorrow and she may find her forever home.

After this, we will just stick with our 4 dogs and leave it at that. Glad tomorrow is Thursday....that much closer to the weekend!

Life gets better....

I get some e-zines that I subscribe to that have to deal with motivation/life/money management, etc.  Since I changed jobs and started a new one last week I have had more time to read these than before.  One article I was reading this morning while having my coffee really stuck with me.  It was just one sentence. 'Your career is just one part of your life."  


Now two weeks ago I would have thought, really? That is because my career was my life not just part of it but pretty much all of it since I was working 12-15 hours a day just about every day, not just occasionally, but for months.  The concept of career just being one part of my life was foreign.  When that happens, we can lose sight of what life is suppose to be about. It is NOT suppose to be all about work and earning money.  Without other things such as time with family and friends or other interests, it is just like a hamster stuck in a wheel running and running and not knowing any better to get the hell off!

I have been enjoying being off the wheel. I am getting in longer walks, spending evenings with my husband, whom I think enjoys it, but has to get used to not flipping channels during commercials (which I hate), getting to bed at a decent time every night, and having more time to sing, and relax and well just more time for everything!  See how I have just blogged for the 3rd day in a row too?  Once in a while I miss Jimmy Fallon, but if I miss it a lot I will just tape a few shows. I don't miss working that late!

So here's to a more balanced life, although I would like a little OT or another part-time (like 1 weekend a month or so) to make ends meet, this is still far better than before! Ever notice when you make a change in life and it is for the better, that you find yourself thinking "why didn't I do this long before now?"

Spring has Sprung...

.. at our house!  Got some impatiens today and started some veges last week from seeds.  Things are lookin' GOOD!!  Got beans, zuchini, lettuce and kale already coming up.  Hope it doesn't get too hot too fast as this looks like it may be a good crop this tiime around!

Are we all brainwashed??

I was reading some articles on the Internet last night about mammograms.  Most of them urged every woman of a certain age to get a mammogram every year for early breast cancer detection. We have all heard it, time and time again.  Go get your mammogram every year once you are age 40 or 45.  But there were some articles that exposed what may be the truth about mammograms.  Did you know that the radiation exposure of one mammogram can be as much as 1000chest x-rays?!  No I didn't know that either. And 70% of breasts cancer detection is from self-examination. Another thing I did not know was that 30% of breast tumors go away on their own!  And then there is the amount of false positives diagnosed by mammograms! 

I have first hand experience with that one when a doctor in PA back in 2005. A 'breast care specialist' examined me and my suspicious mammograms films and then proceeded to talk me into a needle biopsy that got totally botched up!  They missed the area they labeled as microcalcifications, hit a vein and then I was 'spirting blood like a scene from CSI'!  Those were not my words, but my doctor's!  Then I found out afterwards that they placed a small chip where they did the needle biopsy.  To this day I am not thrilled that I have this foreign body in my breast that I pray does not cause me to GET breast cancer. The doctor could NOT talk me into a surgical biopsy and there have been no issues, or incidents of possible cancer since, except once when I had to go back and get a 2nd film - MORE exposure to radiation. Turns out nothing then either. That was a case I think where they did not compare my mammogram to the prior year's films.  We never have a clue whether they compare to previous years.  I never got an answer to that one! 

I have read that repeated exposure to radiation, each year and compressing the breast in the mammogram equipment may perhaps increase the chance of cancer!  And since I've had 12-13 mammograms already that means I have been exposed to the equivalent of perhaps 12,000 x-rays or more?!?!  

I think the medical profession is trying to scare us into getting mammograms every year.  I don't plan to run out and get a mammogram next month just because it has been a year.  Not after reading some of the things I have read.  Maybe later on this year, but one has to wonder if this is part gimmick from those in the medical field wanting to line their pockets with mammogram fees, 2nd opinion fees, unnecessary second mammograms, etc. 

Notice how they, the 'medical experts', change things with time too?  Used to be need a pap smear every year after age 21 or when became sexually active? Now the 'experts' say only need one every 3 years.  See what I mean?  I will probably get one this year since it has been 3 years.

I just believe every woman needs to decide for herself when and how often!  And not be brainwashed by the medical experts who are the 'they' that recommend WHEN and how OFTEN these are done.

Key Lime Pie

Today I made some Key Lime Pie using the small graham cracker pie shells. Took two to my folks and visited for a few hours.  I just love so many of the products I sell made by gourmet cupboard through my website SouthernBelleGourmet . 

Tomorrow I am going to make Black bean soup.  I always make the soups in the crock pot. It gives the flavors all day to blend nicely together. Tomorrow is my first full day on the new job.  Got my fingers crossed that it all goes well !  Looking forward to getting beyond the learning curve. 

 

 

Black Bean Soup

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes!

I did it!  Finally landed a new job!  I got word on Tuesday and quit that day...hey I'm contract with no benefits, so no 2 weeks notice required.  Anyway I found out I had to take a drug test yesterday which is no big deal because I never did drugs, but I was telling a girlfriend about it and she said to just make sure I didn't eat any poppy seeds.  WHAT?  I had a bagel with poppy seeds Tuesday morning! 

Started to google it and found some places that said it can show positive for drugs and some that said it was not true.  So I was going to take one of those bagels with me to show them, but I forgot to.  I did ask though after I signed in and the girl smiled and said I would have had to eat a LOT of poppy seeds so I felt a little better about it.  Still was nervous though doing the whole urine test.  I had to not flush, could not wash my hands at the sink in that rest room but had to do it outside of it at the sink in the hall.  The guy was going to have me initial the sealing label on the specimen container and I asked if I could please wash my hands first!  Sorry but a female peeing into a cup when she is not used to it, cannot be expected to hit the cup from the get go!

So, that was an experience.  I had to go drive about 20 minutes to get to the lab too. Wish they could have let me just go to the one that is less than a mile from me. Anyway, that is done and should be 'clean'.  Since I have never taken any illegal drugs.

I have been enjoying getting up at my leisure the last few days. Training is to be tomorrow. I am looking forward to this new chapter in my life.   It sounds like a great company with regular 8 hour days.  I will have to get used to having my nights off again.  Woo hoo! 

Off to go relax for the evening.  That new show Awake is on again tonight. Didn't quite understand it last week so I'm hoping it is a little easier to understand tonight.  I know the guy wakes up one day and is with his wife, and then the next he wakes up and is with his son..and there was an accident.. and somebody got killed..but which one is real?? .. or is neither real?.  just don't quite get it, but maybe we're not suppose to yet...

Hurry up and Wait!

I had what I thought was a few recent career opportunities but unfortunately nothing has transpired yet. What I do not understand is why post open positions if not ready to fill them yet?  This is what happened with one of the places I responded to.  Talk about putting the cart in front of the horse.  They are not even ready for an underwriter yet at this point. I don't know why people don't like getting bombarded with resumes if they aren't ready to hire yet.  What is worse though is having a great phone interview, or at least what seemed like a great phone interview, and then nothing!  I followed up four different times...nothing!  Professional courtesy went out of style I guess since last I was looking for a job!  It doesn't even have to be a phone call. A quick impersonal email, thanks but no thanks would do.  Oh well.  I guess when you are the employer with the position and there are hundreds applying for the job, courtesy is not required. 

I am still hopeful and have connected with at least one possibility.  In the meantime, life goes on.  Work is still pretty slow but hopefully with March having started it will pick up soon.  I'd sure hate to start charging groceries again.

Hubby has been watching a lot of shows on the History channel that have to deal with doom and gloom of the future. One show said that Texas and most southern states will be deserts in less than 10 years. The Colorado river will dry up and things will be really bad.  I am not saying that it cannot happen, but I do not think it is great to be worried about it either.  I do my part, hardly ever driving, always recycling, etc., trying to contribute to be earth friendly.  But I am not worrying about moving North in the next few years.  I am just going to take one catastrophe at a time. Lets start with the belief that the world will end in 2012.  I'm waiting for January 1st, 2013 to see if we're all still around.