Friday Confessional

It's time to bare my soul...

I confess...

I said I was NOT going to watch the "Royal Wedding."  I said I didn't care about anything involved in that at all.  I was tired of all the hype.  Why is there still royalty in the world, anyway?  Silly! 

But... I'm going to admit it... Wait for it... Okay... Now...Yes, I'm confessing that my DVR is set to record the whole thing, and I will be watching, particularly to see Westminster Abbey and Kate's dress.  I have to admit I'm curious.

I confess...

I've gotten really frustrated twice this week when a couple of alarms failed to wake anyone up except for me.  I don't have to get up as early as a few of the other people in the house, but I had to get up two days in a row to ask them to please turn their alarms off.  Then, I couldn't go back to sleep!

And I confess...

I haven't made any progress on our daughter's scrapbook album this week.  It's a graduation present, and I only have about six weeks to finish it, but it's so hard to get motivated when the computer is right here calling my name.  Whew!  That was a big confession!

Come link up with Mamarazzi and Glamazon.  Confession is good for the soul!

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It's Just My Opinion

The Last Lie by Stephen White

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Classic Stephen White. I've read every book he's written. Getting back to Alan Gregory as the main character (instead of Purdy) made this book better than the last. White's creativity and imagination don't require you to completely suspend reality. Yet it kept me on the edge of my seat. Twists, turns, mysteries, characters you can like and dislike, an interesting storyline... just what I look for in a good book. I guess that goes to show that authors are so much better when they don't use co-authors (who mar their true voice) and they don't try to churn out 6 to 8 books a year. Way to go, White!



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Monday Movie Meme

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

This weeks's topic:  Fuzzy Faces.  Films with characters with memorable facial hair.

First, I have two from Beauty and the Beast.  Cogsworth's mustache is actually made up of his clock hands.  And Beast - well, he is completely covered in facial hair.  He's the handsomest beast I've ever seen, though.

Then there is Johnny Depp, aka Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.  I love the quirkiness of his mustache!

And of course, there is Clark Gable who played Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind.  Very unique mustache!  Not bad on the eyes, for sure.

Come over to The Bumbles Blog for all the details about participating in The Monday Movie Meme or just to read some of the responses!

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Shout Out

Just a quick update to my Wordless Wednesday post... just no picture this time.  Thank you so much Shawn, Impulsive Addict, and Mary!  (I wasn't sure where to link to Mary.) You guys are awesome, and you made my day!  And another thanks to Mamarazzi.  You're too much!

If you've never visited the linked blogs above, you should get over there right now!  These are some ladies who make me smile.

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Ortega Taco Night

I know I have mentioned before (probably more than once) how much I like Tex-Mex food.  I was so excited when I got a shipment from Ortega.  It included whole grain taco shells, taco sauce, and lower sodium taco seasoning.  Guess what we had for dinner that night? 

And it was so good!  The shells were crispy the way I like 'em.  The seasoning was not too hot, not too mild, just right.  And even my husband liked the flavor of the taco sauce.  He usually prefers really hot sauce, but he liked the Ortega.  This was one tasty meal!

They also sent some whole wheat tortillas, so tonight, I made burritos with taco sauce, rice, beans, beef, and cheese.  Mmmm.  So good!

Check out the Ortega website for great recipes, coupons, promotions, and family activities.  Like Ortega on Facebook for special contests.

This post was written for Family Review Network and Ortega who supplied the product for review.  All opinions are 100% my own.

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Mother's Day

5 Minutes for Mom is having some awesome Mother's Day Giveaways from now until May 8.  Click over and enter for a chance to win an HP laptop, $50 to Proflowers, and other great gifts!

Friday Confessional

I confess...

I don't usually drink adult beverages at home, but right now, as I'm typing this, I'm enjoying a glass of Moscata Barefoot Deliciously Sweet white wine. (Myya - Specs had it.)  My kids are upstairs, probably asleep, and it's been a long day.  I deserve it... right?  Right!  Besides, I don't have to work tomorrow.

I confess...

We had to pay the IRS this year.  I hate that!  Thankfully, it wasn't too much.

I confess...

I get impatient when I have to wait for a table when we go out to dinner.  I usually choose where I'm going based on whether or not I think the restaurant will be crowded depending on what day and time it is.  If that means burgers, well, I can live with that!

And I confess...

I might just go pour myself a second glass of wine right now!

Confession is good for the soul!  Link up with Mamarazzi and Glamazon and get it off your chest.

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Thursday Thirteen

13 Things I Associate with Spring...

1. Baseball

2. Birds

3. Butterflies



http://www.howdididoit.com/home-garden/plant-a-butterfly-garden/



4. Easter

5. Flowers

6. Green Grass

7. Kites

http://members.cox.net/kiter/hkf/hamm.html

8. Leafy Trees

9. Love

10. Mother’s Day

11. Picnics

12. Salad Dinners

13. Spring Break

See more Thursday 13!

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Wordless Wednesday

The only word I have is THANKS!

This made my day!

Shout-out to Janna, Beth, Angie, Sara, Brandy, and Mamarazzi!

You guys are THE BEST!

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Wonderful Weekend!

The hubs and I were kid-free this weekend!  My ex moved out of state, so he can't pick them up on weekends, and my step-daughter's mom never sees her daughters (long story), so everyone is always here.  The two of us haven't had a weekend alone since the first of August.  Wow!

We started with dinner and drinks at one of our favorite restaurants, Carabba's Italian Grill.  We then went home and enjoyed some more drinks, and truly enjoyed each other's company.

Saturday, he had to work a while which allowed me to sleep late, one of my favorite things to do. We went to a late, late lunch/early dinner at Gringo's.  Love my Tex-Mex.  Then we went to my step-son's house for a crawfish boil.  Yes, we ate first because neither of us likes crawfish (crayfish, mud bugs, craw-deds, or whatever you want to call them).

Not a great photo, but you get the idea... a baby pool filled with icky, crawling, crawfish!  Saturday evening, we did some shopping together (Hobby Lobby and Bed, Bath & Beyond, then we watched a movie together. 

On Sunday, we had to get back to business.  Laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping.  Oh, and don't forget golf for him and a pedicure for me!  My first professional pedicure in... who knows how long?  Plus, I got to scrapbook a little bit.  The hubs grilled burgers for dinner once the kids got home, and we had a nice relaxing evening.  Best weekend I've had in a long, long time!

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Friday Confessional

It's the end of a long week... time to confess!

I confess...

I didn't write my confessional last week.  I had an 8:00 doctor appointment Friday morning (UTI if that's not TMI!), and I am soooo not a happy camper in the mornings.  I had to go directly from there to work, and I just said, "To heck with it."

I confess...

Tuesday night, I had finished dinner, cleanup, making lunches for the next day, getting a few groceries, and was in my pajamas sitting on the couch by - get this - 7:20 PM.  Yup, it had been a long day!

I confess...

On Wednesday, I wore navy blue socks with my black shoes.  This was by design.  The shoes I wore completely cover my feet, plus my jeans cover the top of the shoes (Yay for jeans day at work!).  And the navy socks I have are so comfy!

And last, I confess...

The Internet is making me lazy!  Blogs, Facebook, Goodreads, and many more websites, keep me from being my normal, organized, productive self!  In the time BI (Before Internet), I was always busy!  You could find me ironing, cleaning, cooking, sewing, working out, swimming, taking jazzercise or tae kwon do (brown belt), crafting, or even watching a movie or (gasp!) playing with my children.  Now I just get on my computer every day.  Oh, I still do some of those other "pre-historic" activities, but I just feel like a lazy slug most of the time!

Link up with Mamarazzi and Glamazon and get it all off your chest!

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Thursday Thirteen

Last week I wrote about thirteen things that I really like (since I'd just finished a "favorite things" swap).  I mentioned I might write thirteen things I don't like, so here I go!

1.  Grading Papers - Everyone who isn't a teacher thinks grading papers is fun.  I thought it was fun for about the first year or two.  I teach grammar, reading, and writing, and after 22 years, and we typically have over 100 students, so it's not fun anymore!   I'd rather plan lessons or do other paperwork, if I must.  But the parents and administrators insist I give grades.  *sigh*

2.  Red Wine - Unless it has fruit juice in it (Sangria is good).

3.  Mornings - I'd rather stay up late than get up early.
4.  Dishonesty - Especially from the people I love and/or trust.  I just can't tolerate it.  I'm not talking the "white lie" here.  I mean blatant dishonesty.  Can't stand it!  Luckily, it's a rare occurance at home, but it happens a lot at work.

5.  Toast Crumbs in the Butter - bugs me.  Speaking of bugs...

6.  Being Cold - And my husband likes the thermostat on Arctic temperatures.  I'm so thankful for blankets!
7.  Mosquitos - Does anyone need an explanation?

8.  Pitchers - I don't like when people say "pitchers" when they mean "pictures."
9.  Coffee - I know, I know!  I just never developed a taste for it in any form  including coffee-flavored ice cream.
10.  Brussels Sprouts - Whose idea was that?

11. Geometry - I just don't get it!

12. Lady GaGa - I just can't take anyone seriously whose name sounds like baby talk.

13.  Grocery Shopping - I'd rather clean the toilets or do laundry!

This was harder than I thought, coming up with this many things I don't like.  Next week, I'm going to be more positive like I was last week.  Click here for more Thursday Thirteen!

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Rockets Ball!

We went to the Houston Rockets last home game of the season Monday night.  It was awesome!  I just love the whole in-person experience.  My favorite player (pictured below) was on the injured list, but the rest of the guys rallied and almost brought us a victory.

The game went into overtime with a tie of 89.  Then, our guys got sloppy without Scola and Lowry on the court.  They handed over the win to the Mavericks, 91-98.  There is only one more game (away), so we can't go.  The Rockets aren't in the playoffs, but we are the only team that isn't in the playoffs that has a winning record.  I guess we're in a league of winners! I will be rooting for my Rockets again next year!  For now, I'm gonna say, "Go Spurs!" (You may never hear me say that again!)

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The Monthly Vlog

The Monthly Vlog is hosted by Our Dandelion Wishes and Seriously.

They gave us two assignments. One was to talk about our favorite room. The other was to say a list of words and tell what we call certain items so that we can all get an idea of the accent and dialect of our blog friends. Join in the fun!

I tried to do a "cute" video with a story that used all of the words and phrases Mamarazzi and Shawn asked for, and I had it all written out at work... then I lost it. *sad face*

My daughter recorded me instead, and I don't like the way it turned out too much. I hate my voice and facial espressions. I wanted to re-do my video, but my daughter said it was "good enough" so grab a coke, come on in y'all, and here it is... short and to-the-point. Join the fun and link up!

Thursday Thirteen

Since I just participated in a "Favorite Things Swap," I thought it would be fun to write down some things I REALLY LIKE.  Maybe next week, I'll do things I don't like.

1.  Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy Sleep - Lavendar and Chamomile.  This stuff is heavenly, and I believe that it helps relax me.

2.  Candles - PartyLite brand makes the best!  One of my fave fragrances is strawberry/rhubarb.

3.  Tex-Mex! - I love to eat chips and queso, salsa, and cheese enchiladas.  I also enjoy cooking them.

4.  Scrapbooking! - My absolute favorite hobby.  I love to take my BF and Sis to Archiver's to scrap.

5.  Elizabeth Arden Fragrance - They quit making my favorite one, though.  It was called Beauty.  I can still get it at outlet shops, but one day, it's going to run out!

6.  Rockets Basketball! - Even if they aren't the best, they are MY team.

7.  Reading - My current read is Toys by James Patterson.

8.  Writing - thus, I blog!

 9.  Sleeping late - There is nothing better!

10.  Reese's Peanut Butter Cups - Or eggs, or hearts.  You get the picture!

11.  Grey's Anatomy - the TV show, one of my guilty pleasures.

12.  Disneyworld - I've been three times, and I got to take my kids there two years ago.  It is truly the happiest place on Earth!

13.  Facebook - I'm so addicted to some of the games.  Crazy, huh?

Visit more Thursday Thirteen

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Mamarazzi's Favorite Thing Swap

I received my box of goodies from my partner, Colleen, from Fishful Thinking, for Mamarazzi's Favorite Things Swap.

Here is what I received:

Barilla Whole Grain Pasta

Burt's Bees Lip Balm

Pledge Multi-Surface Spray

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Cancer Wristband

Postit cards

Paper Mate Pens

Ziploc Vacuum Starter Kit

Allen's Mixed Vegetables

French Vanilla Coffee Mate

Cucumber and Swiss Chard seeds

Blended Ice Coffee Mix

Ziploc Steam Cooking Bags

Twin Bing Candy
Foot Cream

Thank you for the goodies, Colleen!

Here is what I sent her:

pink nail polish, Softlips lip polish, 3 G2 Roller Ball pens, a multi-pack of Trident chewing gum, A Disney Journal, Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs, An Easter Egg coloring kit, FOOD Network Magazine, a Fabric Tote/Organizer, a Scrapbook/Card-making kit, and a Photo Album.

Thanks for hosting a great swap, Mamarazzi!

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