Ten Commandments for Pinterest

I'm not sure these should be carved on stone tablets, but they should be placed somewhere I will see them frequently...

Happy crafting and pinning,
 

My Desk: The Final Frontier

After all my blogging, errr, bragging, okay bloviating about my clean desk earlier this fall, I confess I let it slowly slide back into a slovenly mess, starting around fall break, when my docking station (and monitor) crashed.  Day by day, the detritus built back up a little at a time (I think the paper critters breed at night when we're asleep.)  You can say it - you knew it all along, didn't you? When I stopped the weekly updates, that was the beginning of the end.  It was indeed.

But the perfect storm brewed today:  a missing bill, the approaching holidays and getting the tree up in the bonus room swirled around me until I finally took time to whip it back into shape.  And now, with heartfelt apologies to Johnny Nash, my clean desk put me in mind of his single, "I Can See Clearly Now"...with a twist.

I can see clearly now, the clutter's gone,
I can see all the projects lined out for me...
Gone is the junk mail that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sunshine-y day.

I think I can make it now, the catalogs are filed,
All the expired coupons have disappeared
Here is the tidiness I've been prayin' for
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sunshine-y day.

Look all around, there's nothin' but clear desk
Look straight ahead, nothin' but clear deskkkkkkkkkk....

I can see clearly now the clutter's gone,
I can see all the dates on my calendar...
Gone is the tower of papers that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sunshine-y day.

Admit it - you're humming, aren't you?  Not sure it's gonna be a sunshine-y day, but there's a little ray of sunshine beaming down on my clear desk blotter right now.  Because I found the bill.  And I still have a few days to get it paid. Ahhhhhh.


Happy organizing

Impeccable timing

I bought my 2004 Toyota Highlander six years next month. Practically every day for those six years, this vehicle has been started at least twice a day - some days many more times than that.  Conservatively speaking, I have inserted the key, turned it over and had it roar to life without so much as a cough, hiccup, burp or sputter at least 4,000-5,000 times.

We took the girl and four of her closest friends to a weekend getaway in Pigeon Forge to celebrate her 15th birthday.  So all weekend we piled (stuffed is more like it) seven adult-sized people in my trusty little SUV and scooted around Pigeon Forge, up to the The Sinks (yes, pictures coming) to jump and swim; we visited restaurants, shopping, and everywhere else we decided we wanted to go.

This morning, we gathered all five teenagers up for one last excursion:  to one of the local pancake places for breakfast before heading home.  We packed in our bags and ourselves, and I put the key in the ignition and turned it, just like always.

And it went "click, click, click."

Long story short, the battery had conked out.  But it couldn't have happened at a better time - we still had access to the cabin, had a second car to go get a new battery, and I have an awesome husband who comes prepared with tools and the automotive skills to get the battery out, find an auto supply store, and replace the battery lickety split.  We still had time for the obligatory pancake breakfast (it's a Smoky Mountain thing) and made it home by mid-afternoon.

I'm thankful it didn't happen when we were all out and about (it would have been especially inconvenient if it had died while we were swimming yesterday afternoon); and I'm extra-thankful my husband was willing to risk his sanity to help me chaperon five teenage girls this weekend.  He's my hero!

The laundry fairy rides again!

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there was a busy wife and mom who had a laundry fairy. (And a cleaning fairy, cooking fairy, grocery shopping fairy, and errand-running fairy. But this story is just about the laundry fairy.) The laundry fairy came every couple of days, gathered up all the dirty laundry, washed, dried, folded it and put it away for everyone. The busy wife/mom loved her laundry fairy...

Wow...wouldn't that be nice? Well, unfortunately my laundry fairy is just about worthless. She shows up once or twice a week - at best - and sometimes she doesn't even stick around to get all the clothes washed, dried and folded! Anyone know of a good place to search for a new laundry fairy?

Every time I threaten to sack her lazy backside, my family - for some WEIRD reason - comes to her defense. "Don't fire the laundry fairy!" "We love the laundry fairy!" The way they carry on, you'd think she was related to them or something.

Today the laundry fairy decided to grace me with her presence. All I can say is it's about time she showed up. The cleaning fairy must have hitched a ride with her, because somehow the beds got stripped and re-made, the bathroom is tidy and clean, and the vacuuming and mopping is done. Maybe I'll give 'em another chance...

In other news, I gave Rachael Ray a chance this week, and she didn't come through. Sorry Rach but the salmon en croute was not so great. I'm thinking a little more flavor in the 'shroom and onion, a little less lemon "tang," and maybe some Hollandaise sauce inside the packets, or drizzled over the top. And asparagus - this is definitely a dish that calls out for fresh, tender asparagus stalks to go with. They're almost in season...a few more weeks and they won't be astronomically expensive.