Doesn't EVERYONE alphabetize their refrigerator magnets???

Gargoyles are interesting.

Whoa!
Monday sucker-punched me. We're always busiest at the end-of-the-month/beginning-of-the-month. (Sheesh, let's make that easier. Our busiest times are from the 25th of one month to the 5th of the next.) We also have the dreaded I word to contend with this time: INVENTORY. Worked from 7:45 to 6:45 yesterday, did a few errands, came home and dropped to the bed. For good, as it turned out. Yikes!

And how are YOU faring?

A report on Saturday:

Why is it that I'm always a couple of days behind? Goofed off most of the morning. (Tummy had issues.) Went for walk with deer in the afternoon, then drove over to Old Town for a little more shopping and visiting this exhibit. Oh my.

Ulp! I don't really want to go to work today. Big, hectic week coming up. Oh well, nothing to do but meet it head on, I guess!

Monday Madness:

1. I've always been afraid of ________. Roller Coasters. Though I did go on one. Once. That's what love will do to you.
2. People should not talk on cell phones while ________. driving. Except I have. It was a straightaway.
3. The one thing I look forward to every day is ________. Visiting my blogfriends.
4. My first meal of the day usually consists of ________. cereal and juice. However, today I am out of milk, so I had a peanut butter sandwich on multi-grain bread.
5. It seems like ________ is a never-ending job. laundry

Six and seven don't really apply, as I live in an apartment.
6. The last time I painted a room in my house/apartment was ________.
7. The next time I paint, I'd like to paint my ________(room) ________ (color).


Happy Monday!

This was what leaves looked like on Saturday.

Weather keeps hopping around.

We had snow for Thanksgiving, but we had rain today, and tomorrow we should be in the 50's. Therefore, I felt there was time to take one last autumn/fall quiz.

You Are Changing Leaves

Pretty, but soon dead.

What Part of Fall Are You?

Black Friday Report.

Yes. It's true. I participate in Black Friday. What can you do when the phone chirps at 5:00 a.m. and it's your fifteen-year-old niece saying "are you ready?" You simply must get up and join the family for the fun.

We're really laid-back shoppers. We met at Meijers and spent an hour checking things out. The big sales seemed to be the 27" televisions and $25.00 bicycles. We picked up a DVD/VCR combination unit for Mom (don't tell her) and some smaller gifts. SIL introduced me to silicone bakeware!! Honestly, I had no idea!! That's why I participate in these things, to get an education.

Then it was on to Sam's, where they had a continental breakfast that saved us having to stop at Mickey D's, then Target, and then Kohls. Again, this was for edumacation for me. I tend to shop at the same old places. It was my first time at Kohls. They have good stuff and good prices, but . . . their lines extended to the back of the store. They were doing the thing where for every $50 you purchased you received a $10 gift card. Funny how that works so much better than a discount, even though it is. We decided we didn't have time to wait, as SIL had to be to work at noon, so we headed over to K-Mart. Must have been a supposed to happen thing, because SIL saw one of her friends there that she hadn't seen in two years. The spirit of Christmas works in mysterious ways.

I was home by 1 and taking a nap by 1:30p.m.

One nice thing about winter: with the foliage down and the snow on the ground, I can get pictures in the woods again!

Up for a few minutes, so I'm going to Unconsciously Mutter. You can too!

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Stuffed::obviously in the USA, Turkey
2. Armstrong::Lance
3. Bruise::batter
4. Content::at peace
5. Musical::Carousel, Music Man, Oliver
6. Assistance::Aide
7. Scrambling::Eggs
8. Battle::of the Bulge
9. Extended::Hours, Courtesy
10. Discount::Dave (a place here in town)

You are a young-earth creationist.


What Type of Evolutionist/Creationist Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Thanksgiving Report:

Fourteen were at Mom's table on Thursday. This was down from the 25 of last year, but you know how it goes. The Boyne bunch had planned to come, but their furnace died and the new one can't be installed until next week so they had to stay home and feed the wood-burner. That probably turned out for the best, as the northwest side of the state got hit with a blizzard. Boo-boo and crew were with us last year, but this year it's the "other side's" turn to have Thanksgiving with them. And last year my cousin Charlie and his family shared Thanksgiving for the first time since we were all kids and went to our grandparents for his Christmas.

We hadn't expected niece #1, who lives in Ann Arbor (yes, it's true, but she doesn't go to school there) to make it through the weather, but she arrived first. You should have seen Mom glow. The good news for me: her power had gone off, so she didn't bring her brussel sprouts. (Thought of you, bryn *smile*, especially as her name is bryn also.)

The reduced numbers meant that our youngest participant was 18. They're growing up so fast. Niece number #1, whose husband is in IRAQ, had the best news. He'll be home home by December 22, barring any complications, and things look good as their replacements are already in place. Yay! And there was a lot of "baby talk" between nieces one and two. I think the race may be on!

So next year, who knows? We may be up to 27!

NANO revelation.

I've been doing the Nanowrimo thing this month, working on a novel about a 13-year-old girl. I had planned on parking my seat in front of the computer this weekend and trying for the 50,000 words. Wednesday night I had a revelation.

A friend had emailed, wondering if we could get together Friday night as her husband and son were out hunting. I thought, oh no, there goes my word count. I was stressing about it, when it suddenly dawned on me, and please don't laugh:

I didn't need to finish the book in November. I could continue into December and January and however long it took.

Somehow, I had relegated writing to the month of November. The other eleven months, nada. Well, it doesn't need to be that way. I can write twelve months of the year, if I wish.

This sounds so simple, and it is, but sometimes it is the simple things that elude me.

So I am very happy to have been a NANO participant, and I'm enjoying family and friends this holiday, and . . . the writing shall continue.

Just thought I'd share.

Hmmm. Well, now I know.

You Are The Stuffing

You're complicated and complex, yet all your pieces fit together. People miss you if you're gone - but they're not sure why.

What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?

Sneaking in another one:


You are glucose. People feed off of you. You are
sweet, caring, and a source of energy for
everyone around you. You can inspire others
with your creativity and depth, and you can
keep people alive when in times of famine.
People love you...or at least the way you
taste.


Which Biological Molecule Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla


And I couldn't find the Jones Soda this year. Dang!

You Are Corn on the Cob Soda

Like sucking on a stick of butter

What Jones Holiday Soda Are You?

As bloggers, we become attached to our fellow bloggers and we care about them and we share their joys and sorrows.

Susan of EBC and SusanJayne go back many blog years. Through Susan, I was introduced to her delightful sister Robin.

Robin lost her battle with cancer yesterday morning. Losing a sibling is one of the hardest losses. Brothers and sisters are keepers of our history in special ways. They are the people most closely related to us blood-wise. They are our "other" selves.

My heart breaks for Susan in her loss.

Hersheys kiss that is awesome: the Cherry Cordial.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Added at 8:30 a.m.
In the comments we'll be playing the alphabet game. I'm thankful for:
First person uses A, second person B, and so on. Let's go!

Big BIG congratulations to Ali, who has finished her NANO project! YEA!

Thanksgiving Exercise.

Utoh. I'd better start walking now. Gail gives us the link to "walking off" the Thanksgiving calories. I have miles to go before I sleep.

I am so confused! Happily so! It's a Wednesday night, but it's the start of my four-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Yes!

Oh, NANO!

Still nipping at the NANOWRIMO project. I am wayyyy behind, but I knew I would be, and that it would all boil down to Thanksgiving weekend. We have a small family Thanksgiving celebration this year, so it appears I will have time to park seat in front of keyboard and type away.

This has been a fun project this year. I have based my character on my 13-year-old niece "Tulip". She has been a willing research project. However, I was told not to use Devin as the name for the 8th grade boyfriend. All right, Alex will do. *smile*

Quiz nite:

From Roscoe:

Erotic Thriller

You've made your own rules in life - and sometimes that catches up with you. Winding a web of deceit comes naturally, and no one really knows the true you. Your best movie matches: Swimming Pool, Unfaithful, The Crush

If Your Life Was a Movie, What Genre Would It Be?

Oops. How did THAT happen????

Secret: It's Mandarin meg's birthday today. Tell her Elvis says "happy birthday".

Otto's Monday Madness:

It's that time of the week again! Enjoy! =)

1. I have little or no patience when it comes to ________. people not taking responsibility for their own actions.
2. I wish I could spend more time ________. doing one thing at a time, instead of multi-tasking.
3. The most productive thing I accomplished this past weekend was ________. getting ready for our tailgate party.
4. The most enjoyable thing I did this weekend was ________. It was a weekend of enjoyable things. My brother's family and my sister's family and I did the "Silver Bells In the City" thing on Friday night, then had a tailgate/football game party at Michigan State University Saturday. A good time was had by all!
5. I've always wanted to learn how to ________. play the flute.
6. If money wasn't an issue, I'd buy ________. a top-of-the-line computer and digital camera. (Ha. Did you see how I stuck two wishes in there?)
7. I blog because ________. I can.

These are the Sunday Unconscious Mutterings. I suspect you can guess what I did yesterday by my answers.

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Heads up::Be aware!
2. Kicker::Michigan State University needs one, badly, before next season
3. Aggressive::Behaviour
4. Getting ugly::The Penn State/Michigan State game yesterday
5. To be continued::Hopefully, John L. Smith's football coaching career
6. Twist::Oliver
7. Form::Drew Stanton's was terribly off last night. What happened?
8. On the road::MSU didn't do well on the road, but we also lost two at home. One was yesterday. We were there in the stands to cheer them on, but, it didn't help.
9. Import::Maybe we can import some talent for next season
10. Flowers::Roses. And Lilacs. And Lilies-of-the-valley!

Please join us for a brief walk through the Silver Bells in the City last night?

Timely, I think:

...and which lesser Harry Potter character are you?

Found at Roscoe's, where he is the same.

Here it is, the first snow of the season. We have our family tailgate/football game party on Saturday. Fortunately, we'll be back up in the 40's by then.

LDH is taking quizzes, so I wanted to play too:

You scored as Mrs. Wormwood. You are Mrs. Wormwood. Don't worry, you don't really smoke, Calvin just thinks that. The best and only teacher in the whole comic, Mrs. Wormwood has had alot of experience dealing with Calvin. By now, you should know to send Calvin up the the principal's office before he does something outrageous, to save the time and yelling. What Calvin & Hobbes character are you? created with QuizFarm.com

And this is absolutely NO surprise!


Golly Gee!! You are NORMAN ROCKWELL.
You are a painter of simple, everyday happenings.
You tend to avoid the outrageous and stay well
within the guidelines of society. Your friends
count on you for your loyalty and
level-headedness.


Which famous artist most reflects your personality?
brought to you by Quizilla

First Snow. Ahhh.

Hump Day! and November has finally shown up. The winds are howling, the sky is gray. Now maybe I'll get more of my NANO done. Or not. *smile*

“Although the forms of costume are often determined by changing styles of fashions, other factors--most notably climate and geography, materials and technology, sexual attitudes and social status, migration, and the inertia of tradition or habit--have been just as influential; the basic determinant is climate.”
~~Funk & Wagnall's New Encyclopedia

What's your favorite costume?

Of course, if you live UpNorth in places like Michigan, today should be a legal holiday. You DO know what day it is, don't you?

Well, found this at Karen's *grin*.

What Your Underwear Says About You

You tend to throw out your underwear after a few months. It gets used and abused! You're comfortable in your own skin - and don't care to impress anyone.

The Underwear Oracle

well. ahem. cat's got my fingers, or somethin' like that. See ya tonight!

Here's the Monday Madness:

It's been a while since we've done this; I ask each of you to choose a letter of the alphabet and answer each of the following with a word/group of words that begins with the letter you've chosen... And as always, thanks for playing! =)

Okay, I'll take the letter R.

1. Name one color. Red
2. Name one song. Ring Around the Rosie. (Sheesh, now where did THAT come from?)
3. Name one movie. Rainman
4. Name one vehicle. R E O
5. Name one food. Radishes
6. Name one household item. Radio
7. Name one book. River Runs Through It. (Okay, okay, I cheated. It's actually A River Runs through It.)

Saturday was an exceptionally warm, beautiful day here in mid-Michigan. (Well, kind of dark when MSU lost bigtime to Minnesota, but other than that . .. ) Everyone was at the park, it seemed, so I didn't see any deer, and most of the color was gone, but the reflections on the pond were nice, and I believe that's a Tamarack in the distance.

Well, NANO number is increasing, but still WAY below were it should be. I'm heading towards 11,000 words, and by Tuesday I should be at 25,000 to be on target. Whoops! However, I always did like cramming at the last minute, so we'll see what we can still get done.

How are YOU doing?

We've had one of the gentlest autumns I can remember this year. So gentle, in fact, that the geraniums are going for yet another blooming. However, a cold wind blew in during the night.

Let's get the morning going with some Unconscious Mutterings:

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Mighty:: Fortress
2. Gotta find time to ....:: Stop and smell the roses. Well, the roses are dead now, but you know what I mean.
3. Statistic:: I hate being a statistic
4. Midnight:: Time for beddy-bye
5. Thaw:: Ice
6. Hips:: Too big
7. Reader:: Writer
8. Related:: nieces and nephews0
9. Brilliant:: Mind
10. Posture:: Poise

This sentence starts with a drop cap in the hex color #008000. Mandarin meg is asking for favorite colours. In return she'll give you a drop cap.

You Are 33 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

Pulled up again from October 24:

Let's Do It!

One of my oldest and dearest blogging friends is Susan at Easy Bake Coven (EBC). Susan also has a personal blog at SusanJayne. We've gone through several years visiting via the internet. Susan brings us entertainment and political news at EBC, and shares the joys and sorrows of life at SusanJayne. We've laughed and cried through trips to Montana (mine, both real and imaginary), trips to Tennessee (hers, to visit family), weddings, school events, and so much more. She has shared her love for her sister Robin often through these years. Two years ago Christmas Robin was critically ill. It was a scary, bleak time, but Robin pulled through. Now Robin is facing another crisis, and I quote from October 9:

Just a quick note to say I'm still in Tennessee taking care of Robin. We came back from Vanderbilt University Medical Center with the diagnosis of liver cancer and it's also in her lymph nodes. Chemo alone won't help much, so she may decide on a surgery in conjunction with chemo. Doesn't look very good and we're all in the middle of just trying to deal with the news. She already had cirrhosis and HepC.

Robin is in a lot of pain, and could use some cheering up. Susan has given us the following information:

Robin's Email - We can use her Yahoo email which is mzdobber@yahoo.com

Home Address

Robin Swinks
501 Golf Course Drive
Elizabethton, TN 37643

Check out Robin's blog here to get a sense of the indomitable spirit of the lady, and let's see what we can do to give her a smile or two! All right? All right!

utoh! I'm behind on NANO, and now otto mentions there's a 26things going on in November! Yikes! (Thanks, otto!)

Crash!

SHIF!!

SO Happy It's Friday!!!!!

A couple of shout-outs.

First, on the NANOWRIMO project: Ali is at 20,000 words. Her husband is doing the project this year, and his word count is even higher. YAY!

For the third November, Kat is doing what she calls "AEM", Art Every Day Month. Check out her site for her work, and as a jumping off place for other bloggers who have caught that bug!

Whew. It's Thursday already. Time shirley flies, whether you're having fun or not in some cases!

Any Survivor watchers out there? Who's going down tonight?

Copying Cindy Loo:

Your Fortune Is

7/5th of all people do not understand fractions.

The Wacky Fortune Cookie Generator

susan over on the other-side-of-the-world found this:

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	5.7
Mind:	6.5
Body:	5.2
Spirit:	7.9
Friends/Family:	3.8
Love:	2.1
Finance:	7.5
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

You are Rerun!


Which Peanuts Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Transplanted Alamo

We have a replica of the Alamo in Old Town. It was built a few years ago as a Mexican restaurant and the facade was supposed to have been the size of the Alamo. Unfortunately, shortly after it was built, the restaurant closed due to tax issues. The building sat unused.

After a lengthy neighborhood battle, the "alamo" is now being remodeled as a church. The big issue in that neighborhood was that it is close to the entertainment district in Old Town, and there was concern that the church would lobby against the local bars. (There are local ordinances about distances between drinking establishments and churches.) The church signed off on that issue, and work is now proceeding.

The ironic part to the whole story is that the closest bar, The Temple Club, was originally . . . a church.

Cycles.

Swiped from Susan, who is a whopping 1% Republican!

I am: 48% Republican.

"Congratulations, you're a swing voter. When they say 'Soccer Mom', they mean you. Every Democratic ad on the TV set was made just for your viewing enjoyment. Don't you feel special?"

Are You A Republican?

I was glad I took a good long walk on Saturday morning, to capture the last of the colour. Saturday night the winds and rains began.

A Leaf-Eye Viewpoint.

They're watching! Susan had a report on her site that said Michigan was #2 in the country for deer car accidents.

Up for a few, so let's Unconsciously Mutter:

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Deeper and deeper:: digging in
2. Can’t help ...:: Loving you
3. Devil’s advocate:: debate
4. Superpower:: Superman
5. Threatening::Storm
6. Played::Croquet
7. War:: of the Roses
8. Violate:: Trespass, break the rules
9. Invest:: time and money
10. Choke::Chain

Mystery Solved!

This year I've spent a lot of time exploring "OLD TOWN" on the north side of Lansing. Old Town is situated in the oldest part of Lansing, around the dam which has been there in one form or another since the area's inception in 1848. The old buildings are slowly being rehabbed and turned into shops, galleries and restaurants. I enjoy hanging out at places where if you linger or visit frequently they don't figure you're a shoplifter, they figure you're a neighbor.

My favorite shop in Old Town is October Moon, a gallery/gift shop with an eclectic (oh, I do love that word) mix of products. The proprieter is on maternity leave, awaiting the birth of her first child. The shop is being run by her friend, and we struck up a chat today. (Oh, and first she offered me a cup of tea. One time I was there and the owner offered me a glass of wine. It's that kind of place.) Her boyfriend owns and is rehabbing one of the buildings right on the riverfront, and I asked about the gargoyle on the roof. I had presumed it was old, but that was not the case. They have had two gargoyles stolen. The one up there now weighs 350 pounds. When they put it in place (with a crane) she asked if it should be cemented in or anything. "Oh no, no one will ever steal that" she was told. Well, someone tried, and it is now a gargoyle with a broken wing.

Question: What is the difference between a gargoyle and a griffin or gryphon?

The mystery that was solved was the other character on the roof. It's a pig!!! She told me that her boyfriend has a rather puckish sense of humour. It's a piggy bank that has been cemented and worked over. It really isn't made to withstand the elements. Too funny!

I've put in another NANO time, and word count is now progressing. Timer is set for 30 minutes of playing on the web.

My Spartans lost today. **Sob**

And how are you?

Part of my NANO Research.

My NANO book has a 13-year-old as the main character. The character (not the plot) is based roughly on my niece Tulip. Tulip has been an interesting character since she was tiny. She's fierce and funny and scared and smart and mean and compassionate and very hard for me to understand. One day this winter I told her, "Tulip, I'm gonna write a book with you as the main character." She absolutely loved the idea. (Go figure.) So I've been interviewing her and analyzing her and trying to put myself in her shoes and surprise surprise: I've learned perhaps more about myself than I have about her. Go figure.

NANO has stood still, but it was a planned standstill. This weekend will be the great catchup. Kind of early in the season for that, but what ya gonna do?

Wilbur, the begonia peacock, was still in bloom this weekend at the MSU Horticulture Gardens.

And the first day of NANOWRIMO ends at 1695 words, with 48305 to go.

*giggle*

183 words down, only 49,817 to go.