We have a WINNER(s)!

Congratulations to -

JILL OF ALL TRADES!!!!!

She is the winner of the Give-Away audiobook, "Hissy Fit"

AND, SURPRISE!!

Congratulations to a 2nd winner -
(LOL It's a long story)

MOM OF 3 @ "Land of Fluff"
she will receive the audiobook
"Tell Me Lies"
by Jennifer Crusie

Here is how it went down -

Special thanks to all you SLACKER COOKS who participated. We'll do this again before long. Now, run on over to Jill of All Trades
and throw a BIG HISSY FIT because she won and you didn't, but remember to congratulate her while you're there...THEN drop by "The Land of Fluff" and congratulate her on her SURPRISE win. LOL

BOTH OF OUR WINNERS ARE OKLAHOMA GALS;
WHAT'S WITH THAT?????

Gonna git a Hissy Fit?

Today is the last day to enter the drawing for a
"Hissy Fit" (audiobook).

You can check out the details on my 2/20 Blog post.
The drawing will be held today @ 4 pm.

Barefootin'

I went to pick Princess up after school yesterday.
Her school requires a uniform, so usually the kids all sort of blur together when they come pouring from the school doors at the end of the day.
But not yesterday.

It struck me odd that many of these uniformed scholars (?) were
*BAREFOOTED.*
Hmmmmm.
Princess was not one of them.

It seems the school was supporting a program called "Soles for Souls" which sends donated shoes to 3rd world countries that are in need of shoes.

As Princess explained this program to me I was actually quite pleased, not because she didn't give her shoes, but that she had the presence of mind to not be swayed because "everyone else was doing it", but instead stood firmly in her own shoes when many (most of her friends) around her were pitching their's.
Peer pressure is not easily dealt with when you're in the 8th grade, ya know.
Good for Princess!
I was pleased.

Then a nagging voice whispered in my ear -
"so you've raised your child to be selfish
and not care about starving children who
have no shoes of their own"?

Just wondering,
under the same circumstances, how would you have felt if your child donated their shoes without your permission

EDITED 2/26 to add:
Princess reports that many kids were sent back to school today to retreive their donated shoes from the donation box, per their parents orders...
I'm thinkin' a man must have planned this project,
we gals would have KNOWN this wouldn't fly!

Buttholes and Geeks

*Please note the names have been withheld
and the photo substituted, to protect the guilty.

Once upon a time there was a VERY good mother who had a red-haired 10 year old son. Son and his friend were playing in the backyard when the VERY good mother remembered she had some library books that needed to be returned to the library. The VERY good mother instructed son and his BFF to get into the car to ride with her to the library.

They did as they were told and the threesome began the short drive. Upon pulling to the curb in front of the library, the VERY good mother handed the library books to her red-haired son and told him to drop them into the bookdrop, which was just outside the library door, some 25 feet from the car.
The VERY good mother watched her boy and his BFF drop the books into the bookdrop and scurry back to the car. As the VERY good mother took the car out of the Park gear and was just beginning to pull away from the curb she noticed a middle-aged woman, running from the library toward the car. The library woman was red faced and waving her hands rapidly. . .The VERY good mother lowered the car window to see what was wrong with the obviously, distressed woman.

The angry woman approached the car.

It was reported to the VERY good mother that her red-haired boy and his BFF had SHOUTED into the book drop as they dropped the books into the drop-off slot. The exact words, which had echoed through the quiet library?

"BUTTHOLES AND GEEKS!"

The middle-aged librarian was outraged.

The VERY good mother was shocked and embarrassed.

It was a very long time before the red-haired boy and his family returned to the Public library.

There is no moral to this story,
other than to say "even
VERY good mothers have children
who sometimes do embarassing things".
AND
it makes for great story-telling each year when the
family gathers for holidays.

Slacker Cooks "Taco Rice"

It's TUESDAY,

the day we pay homage to SLACKER COOKS.

Today's Slacker Recipe is once again one of my own, however next weeks recipe will be one of the recipes submitted for the HISSY FIT drawing.
If you have not yet entered the drawing you can find details on how to do this if you look back to my Feb 20th Blog post.

SLACKER'S TACO RICE
(a skillet supper)

3/4 lb ground beef
2 t. Chili Powder
1 can Chili Beans, undrained
8 oz can Tomato Sauce
14 oz jar of your favorite Salsa
Minute Rice (to serve 4)

In a large skillet brown the ground beef. Drain.
Add Chili Powder and stir well.
To the skillet add:
Chili Beans (including the juice),
Tomato Sauce,
Salsa

Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

To serve:

Place prepared rice on a plate and top with the skillet mixture.
You can top this with any type of taco fixins, if you like, ie, cheese,lettuce, tomato, sour cream...My family prefers it without the toppings, but they do like to eat Fritos with this meal.

YUMMY!!

a Horror story

After reading Blueviolet's blog, A nut in a nutshell, I was inspired to post this Blog post. I have a family member, who shall remain anonymous, who is a 3rd year surgical resident at a very prestigous hospital. You would not believe the stories said person can tell. I will refer to this person as SR (Surgical Resident)

During the 2nd year of residency SR was observing an operation when somehow the patient fell off the operating table.
Can you imagine???
You're unconscious and the people you have entrusted with your life let you FALL OFF the operating table!!! SR said they simply picked the patient off the floor, placed patient back on the OR table and continued. The person recovered and never had a clue what had happened.

There are more stories where this one came from, but this is all I have time for today. Don't ya just luv the "warm & fuzzy" feeling this story gives a person??????
So glad I could make your day. *snicker

"Hissy Fit" Give-Away

This is your chance to have your very own
"Hissy Fit"!

I LUV audiobooks!
And I'm gonna give you a chance to win one of mine.
They're a great "carpool" read/listen.
OR you might choose to listen & Blog at the very same time!!
(Mmmmm! Don't we love that?!)
I have accumulated quite a collection of good titles, so I'm going to de-clutter and pass along the read to some Blogger who yearns for her own "HISSY FIT".

The Give-away is for a used (by me) audio book of "Hissy Fit", written by Mary Kay Andrews. This is a funny, chick-lit tale, that takes place in the "South"; "where else, ya'll?!" The audiobook contains 5 CD's which play for 6 hrs.

The winner will be determined by a Drawing which will take place, immediately after Princess gets home from school on Friday, Feb. 27. The way to get your name into this drawing is to submit a "Slacker Recipe" in the "COMMENTS" portion of this particular Blog Post.

What is a "Slacker Recipe"?
1. There must not be more than 6 ingredients.
2. It must not take longer than 29 min. to prepare. . .
It can cook, boil, steam, saute, bake, etc. for longer, but a real SLACKER COOK won't spend more than 29 minutes with her hands in the pot (so to speak). Think "Quick, Easy & Tasty"!

You may submit as many recipes as you'd like, but your name will only be submitted one time in this drawing. If your recipe is featured in my weekly Tuesday "SLACKER COOK RECIPE DAY" blog post, you will be given full credit for the recipe.

So, bring on the "Slacker Recipes" and
you just might win your own "Hissy Fit"!

Do you wanna know a secret?

I know a SECRET

I think it's in our female DNA to just LUV to know something that most others don't know. True, huh?

Shhhhh!
Lean in close to your screen so you can hear me.

I know something about another Blogger that the rest of you don't know.
She's new, and I just read her Blog yesterday.
Check her out @ Land of Fluff.

Can you guess the secret????
Make your guess in a COMMENT to me.
I'll let you know if you're right.

You shoulda known betta. . .

I spent the morning Window Peeking into various & random Blogs. I just love to see how every one's living and what they're thinking today.
Nosey?
Not ME!!
While snooping around I happened across The Writer's Workshop @ MaMa's Losin' It.
I decided to take challenge #4

#4. What's your number one pet peeve?
Develop a punishment for anyone caught in the act.

Number 1 Pet Peeve.
Do we really need to see this?
You shoulda known betta!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
So, what's the correct punishment for a crime of this magnitude?

GRANNY PANTIES!!
Every day for a year!

GRRRRRR!

This is just wrong on so many levels.
Not to mention it's just plain freaky.
No this is not stringy neck hair, it is actually
EAR HAIR!!!
All together now, "EWWWWWWW! Blaaaahhhh! Barffffff!"

I've heard it said
"some people can't have a good day until they've ruined yours".
I'm thinkin' this picture probably has "ruined your day".
I'm so pathetic that since my day has begun badly I feel compelled to ruin yours.
You really need to find better friends.
I am weak,
and I have a mean streak.
Forgive me.

My day began by being rudely awakened from my beauty sleep by my husband, who, being totally insensitive to my sleep needs, threw his back out, thereby causing ME to get up really early to take Princess to school, in a far country, while he slipped back under the sheets.
I did the school run. Grrrrr!
Ok. I'm a little cranky. So!

Then I returned home to find that my beloved poochie, Kramer, had left Princess a little "present" in her bedroom, since I wasn't here to let him out.
GAG!! I mean "really" GAG!!

And guess who was supposed to teach our Bible Study tonight?
That would be said "husband" who is laid flat.
So, guess again, "who will NOW be teaching the Bible Study?"
Gee, I bet you wish you were here to glean from my wisdom by studying the Bible with me this evening.

It'll be OK.
Thank God I've still got some Valentine Chocolate!!

SLACKER COOK RECIPE DAY

It's Tuesday - that means it's time for all
SLACKER COOKS
to stand up and be counted,
then hurry on over here to get a great
SLACKER RECIPE that will make you
as "proud as Betty Crocker at a potluck supper".

This week's SLACKER RECIPE is
SLACKER"S APPLE CAKE.
It is so simple your 6 yr old could prepare it.
It's simple. It's yummy. It contains no fat.
And when it's served you will look like a
"Dah-ling Diva".
I promise.

Slacker's Apple Cake
1 box Duncan Hines Spice Cake Mix
1 can Apple Pie Filling (regular or lite)

Mix this together with a mixer.
(the batter will be very thick)
*sometimes I mash it a bit with the beaters before I
turn them on.
Pour into a 9 x 13 greased/floured baking dish.
Bake as directed on the box.

When the cake has cooled Real SLACKERS cut it into squares and call it "done"; however if SLACKERS mother-in-law is coming over she cuts it into squares, then puts a dollop of Cool Whip on top, then sprinkles it with a tiny bit of cinnamon.

Prepare this and you are an instant "SLACKER QUEEN",
Your Majesty.

Please send me any recipes you deem suitable for a SLACKER COOK. The only rule is that there must not be many ingredients and it must not take longer than 29 min. to prepare. . .It can cook, steam, saute, bake, etc. for longer, but a real SLACKER COOK won't spend more than 29 minutes with her hands in the pot (so to speak).
And Remember, - TUESDAY is always the day for
SLACKER RECIPES!!

One of Us is a Spy.

. . . and it's ME!!

Princess and her BFF wanted to meet two of their guy friends at the movie theater today (no school today). She is 14 and I allow it "occasionally". I planned to go see a movie myself, while she was with her friends, but, "alas and woe-is-me" I couldn't get movie times to jive. . .So to avoid an argument and to also spare myself from the "I'm too old to have my Mom tag along" speel, I simply put on a dark brown sweater, that would blend with the dark of the theater and when the lights went down I ducked into the same theater and watched the same movie they were watching. . .I snuck out just before the credit rolled and went to the car and after she text me to come & get them, I waited an appropriate amount of time, then pulled up to the designated place to pick them up.
They don't have a clue!!

I AM SOOOOOOOO GOOD!

Valentine's Day. Blah. Blah. Blah.

On a scale of 1 to 10 this Valentine's Day was a 3.
I was once admitted into the hospital for surgery on Valentine's Day, so I've had worse, but I've also had a heck-of-a-lot-better.

This is me, crying because I didn't
get to go to the Mardi Gras Parade
like I'd hoped. . .Alright, so I'm faking it,
I still really wanted to go to the parade, and the weather was PERFECT. . .I packed a bag with a blanket to picnic on while we waited for the parade, but when we went to pick up Princess and her BFF, they (JB, Princess and her BFF) decided they had rather go to the movie to see "Taken".

I was out-voted.
Since when is the Queen Bee's wants put to a vote?????
"Taken" it was.
And it was violent and gorey.
I hated it. YUK!

And to think I had even worn my favorite tee shirt,
thinking I was going to the Parade.

Let the record be clear,
it definitely was NOT
"all about me"!

I must rightfully confess that JB did get me my favorite chocolates and a beautifully, sentimental card, but this guy's been married long enough to know "the date sucked"!
After all these years, the guy still needs more training.

I NEED some comments.
Please don't be shy.

Partyin' with Ann

Party Time

I'm not one to miss a party so tonight I'm partyin' with
Ann Again. . .And Again

You're invited too - skip/hop/jump/click
on over to her Blog and get all the fun details
and mingle for
a bit...

Party Game!

Share 5 things that your (candy) hearts would say in 8 spaces, or less."

What My Hearts Say

1. Blog on

2. Smooch!

3. hot4U

4. Text me

5. Sugar Pi

Valentine Fun!

Princess headed off to school this morning with 8 heart shaped containers holding candy, to give to her eight BF's. It will be a fun day.

Do you remember Valentine's Day as a child?
Candy? School Parties? Perhaps a boyfriend?
What's your FIRST great Valentine's memory?

I'm gonna show (tell) you mine,
So you gotta show (tell) me yours!! OK?

I was in the 5th grade and Gary White
gave me a big, flowery, Hallmark Valentine
and a tiny, boxed miniature tea set.
"Be still my heart."
I was the envy of the entire 5th grade.

Ok. Spill it.
Tell me about a special childhood Valentine's memory!!

Advice needed. Give it up, Bloggers.

This is my Breakfast Room.
It seems the window treatment is too small for the large window. After being inspired by
The Nesting Place I've been working on a new window mistreatment that is more to the scale of the window. This is the BEFORE photo.
(Oops! Excuse the dog's tennis balls on the floor.)

This is the new Window Treatment I am now working on. It needs some fine tuning. This is where you come in. . .
Do you like the bow tied at the top of the curtain (left)?
OR
Do you like the bow tied at the bottom of the curtain (right)?

I'm looking to replace the mini blinds with a textured type of window covering (similar to a window shade; but not a shade) that can be raised to expose the entire window during the day, then lowered at night for privacy.

I'm looking for your opinions & suggestions.
I'm anxious to read your comments!!

By the way, as I was running out the door
today, "Guess who I saw stalking me hiding
on my front door? . . . Mr. Butt Ugly!!
Do you see him?

Tooteronomy 2:12

Sunday morning I had to speak for a bit in church,
(during both services).
It went well.
I was funny.
I was articulate. . .
and I was also drugged up
with 10 mg Valium and 1 Imodium ID.

Sometimes "a girl's just gotta do what a girl's gotta do".

Thou shalt not judge thy Blogging friend,
lest thou too be smitten with nervous diarrhea.
Tooteronomy 2:12

I got "none" dust!

Zip. Zero. Zilch. None. Nada. Nil.
That's how much dust you can find in my house
at this very moment.
Don't believe me, huh?
Then just grab your white gloves and scoot right on over to check it out yourself.


Company's comin' for dinner tomorrow night
so I've put myself into gear & put a "Martha Stewart Shine" on everything I own. Ok, Ok, even put the shine on a few things I'm still paying for. . .
It's just dinner for a few good friends (& their husbands),
not a photo shoot,
but for some reason I mentally can't differentiate
between the two. . .
Cleaning is in my DNA;
which makes it completely my Mother's fault!
(Don't you just love it when you can blame yet
another thing upon your hardworking,
all-sacrificing Mom.??)

We'll laugh.
We'll talk.
We'll eat.
And no one will notice or even care
about the absence of dust.

** Sooooo, why do we do this to ourself? **

Gone Crazy. Be back soon. (maybe)

When you go CRAZY
you actually get to choose your
own reality.
You should try it sometime.
It's not such a bad trip.
This is what I've chosen for my "reality" today.

Pretty cool, huh?
And I'm wild about the song I'm singin' too.

In real "mom time" I've got to go stir the Soup Pot.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Does no one have a Blog for "Slacker Cooks"?

I think once a week
I'll post one of my oh-so-special
Slacker Cook Recipes,
not for you (cause I KNOW you're no Slacker),
but just in case there are some
low-life Slacker Cooks (like me)
looking for an easy, quick way out of the kitchen,
I'm here to help.


Slacker Cooks (and you know who you are)
know to qualify as an official "Slacker Cook Recipe" it must not take any longer than 29 minutes to prepare. (Eat your heart out Rachael Ray!!) It can boil, stew, simmer, steam, bake, etc. etc. for longer, but the cook can't spend more than 29 minutes of her time stoking the pot, so to speak.

Tonight's treat is - Slacker Soup

1 lb ground beef
1 small onion (the frozen chopped kind is super quick)
3 10 oz cans Campbell's Minestrone Soup
1 16 oz can Pork & Beans
1 48 can Tomato Juice
2 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 C. Brown Sugar
1 t. Garlic Powder

Brown ground beef with onion. (drain)
Add remaining ingredients.
Heat & Eat.

* If you want to get fancy prepare a box of Jiffy Cornbread Mix
to serve with this;
but a real Slacker
just sets out the Cracker box.

A Tale of Two Teens

This may be a bit long, but if you have any compassion at all you'll hang with me for the good of all Womankind,
as well as for the stability of my mental health.

Princess, our 14 yr old,
has been "going" (?) with this boy for 8 months.
This is really her "first love", in a teeny-bopper, hormonal, first kiss, kind of way.
She's not allowed to date,
but they meet at the movies occasionally
with a GROUP of friends, and text pretty much 24/7,
and are considered to be "a couple".

Remember Middle School and all the feelings that go along with having a boyfriend? It is a status symbol and cause for great envy from your peers. Princess has been in La-La Land with said fair-haired boy during this 8 months.

FF to Friday.
Princess, who is home from school for the 3rd day,
"sick", no less, receives a "TEXT MESSAGE"
from Goober-Boy saying he wants to "break up".
She comes out of her bedroom to tell me what has happened.
She looks stunned. . .

My heart begins to beat wildly and I watch her for any sign of emotion.
She turns and retreats back into her room.
"Oh No! My baby's heart is broken."

I instantly became the Mama Bear
wanting to Guard & Protect
my wounded young.

I took BIG breaths as I tried to absorb the information.

I thought I'd give her a little time
to call and lament with her GF's
and cry a few tears,
THEN I'd talk to her. . .I'd give her my best
"there's lots of fish in the sea" talk,
followed by "he's lucky to breathe the same air you do."
Great Mom words to live by.

Time passes.
I go to her room and empty my soul,
with words of sympathy and encouragment,
hoping to help mend her broken heart.
I sat on her bed, looked her square in the eyes
and rambled on giving her my wisdom of love-not-meant-to-be, and finished with "better days are ahead".

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

When I paused to take a breath,
she looked at me with great maturity
and said,
"I'm 14; not 41.
I wasn't gonna marry him!"
Then stopped just short of saying, "Get a grip, Mom."

Note: I just hate it when my children show more maturity than I do.
It's embarrassing! *sigh

BTW, Princess is off to a party tonight.
Said former boyfriend is nothing but a memory. . .
I think I'll be ok in a couple of days.
Not to worry.