Lar and I went shopping after Church this morning for a new cupboard. Storage space in my kitchen is limited and I didn't have any room to put more stuff. I am very thankful that we have food when so many others do not, but I do get tired of trying to get just one more thing put away... and we'll not talk about trying to find an item when it is buried. So, we chose a nice cabinet... and then Lar said he was hungry and asked what I planned to do for food today.
We usually figure meals out on Sundays by a whim. Sometimes we decide we want to cook something, or just heat leftovers. And, sometimes we pick up sandwiches, but today we went to a local restaurant and they have their specials for the day written on a chalkboard by the entrance so you can see it while waiting to be seated. Lar and I saw cabbage rolls on the board and that was 'it' for both of us. We ordered, and I hoped they wouldn't come back and tell us they were all gone. Nothing like that happened, and the cabbage rolls were delicious. Lar told me he likes mine better, which was very nice of him. :-) The only difference between theirs and mine is the layer of sauerkraut I put on the bottom of the pan when I bake them. Lar said he would enjoy it if I made them more often, so I will make sure I do that soon.
We had our meeting last night, and both Lar and I feel better after discussing the situation with our guests. I feel that things will get better, and hopefully our friendship with this other couple will not be compromised. Time will tell.
Lar took one of his cupcakes to work, and one of his coworkers was so impressed that he asked Lar if he would bake a dozen of his cupcakes for his wife's birthday tomorrow. My dear husband, who already has too much to do, told the man 'yes'. LOL Soooooo, I helped him gather ingredients, but he made the cakes, put in the filling, and frosted them, using a decorating bag and tip. I am sure that no one would believe my husband would do such a thing, but he did and does. Of course, some things do not change... He left the dishes for me to do.
I have a new story to work on, a Chapter One that should be on Woodshed this coming week. We'll see! I am also working on the last chapter of The Perturber. It feels good to wrap up a couple of my stories. It is hard to say goodbye to certain characters, of course, but it is also great fun to meet new ones and tell their story.
Hope you are all having a great Sunday.
Joannie
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Computers
I hate computers. I hate it when they just stop working and die taking all the content you have painstakingly stored there over time. I know that some people are smart enough to do backups. I hate it when someone says, "Did you have everything backed up?" Of course the answer is NO! You'd think I would learn, but I don't. I have so much stored on that hard drive that I hope it isn't lost. I could 'vow' to do back ups from now on, but let's face it, I won't remember to do it. I will say, "I'm too tired to do it tonight." In the morning, it will be, "I'll get it tonight." Then I don't, and something happens, and I am so pissed at myself. Anyway, our desk top died last week. My brother Paul is coming after work today to see what he can do. I am braced for the question, "Do you have your files backed up, Jo?" AND, for the, "Do you EVER dust down here, Jo? This thing is dirty and dusty, and it probably died because of it!" Oh yes, I am ready for the brotherly scolding, the things that someone I would ACTUALLY pay wouldn't dare say out loud, but my brother, who has been told he can't call the people he works with 'stupid', has no such problem making me feel stupid. LOL But, he is an expert, and if anyone can fix it, or rescue the files from the hard drive for me, he is the one. It is a blessing to have an expert in the family. Since he is a favorite person in our lives, I am making a dinner he will love. Fried tilapia and my potato wedges that I fix in the oven. We have a few of Lar's cupcakes from last night for desert. I'll add a healthy salad for Lar and I, and cottage cheese for Paul.
This week has been impossibly busy, and I keep thinking I will tackle my bedroom. I am embarrassed to admit how long it has been since I dumped everything and cleaned out the drawers, the closet, and pitched clothing that isn't usable, and passed on some things that we no longer will wear. I am a firm believer in getting rid of stuff you are not wearing. Why waste precious closet space waiting on something to come back in style? Or to lose ten pounds so you can wear it. Lar is a hoarder. Oh, he won't admit it, of course. His dresser is full of old tees that are stained and torn and need to be pitched. I will clean that first... I have been itching to get one of the kids to get Dad out of town for an entire weekend so I can tackle the garage. Lar overheard Chrissy and I talking last spring... and told me that I was NOT to touch the garage. I agreed not to... provided he did. He hasn't. Seriously, he has stuff stacked floor to ceiling, and getting in and out of the van with all that junk in there is not easy. He always yells at me for parking to one side when I pull in. DUH. I make it easy on myself. AND, I have to take groceries from the back of the van and into the house through the front door instead of through the garage, as I should be able to do. So many tasks, no time. I've thought of hiring help, but then, while I am telling people what to do, I could have it done myself. Right?
No spanking last night. I managed to sneak off to bed before him and covered up with the blanket over my head and I pretended to be asleep. It worked. Yes, I have done this before. Of course, Lar has jerked the blankets down before, true. I will do my best not to be snippy tonight.
Ugh. I normally look forward to the weekend, but not this time. Lar made a decision that I am a bit upset over, but understand that we must deal with a difficult situation regarding friends of ours who have misused money that is not theirs. No matter what we do, there will be upheaval of some kind. Lar and I hate being put in the middle, but we have to stand for what we believe in. It is difficult when friends disappoint you in a public manner and you need to stand up and say so. Hopefully there will be no legal consequences. And, even more hopefully, we will not have to step up to fill in a void created by speaking up. This has been weighing on us for some time now.
I hope your day is going well.
Joannie
This week has been impossibly busy, and I keep thinking I will tackle my bedroom. I am embarrassed to admit how long it has been since I dumped everything and cleaned out the drawers, the closet, and pitched clothing that isn't usable, and passed on some things that we no longer will wear. I am a firm believer in getting rid of stuff you are not wearing. Why waste precious closet space waiting on something to come back in style? Or to lose ten pounds so you can wear it. Lar is a hoarder. Oh, he won't admit it, of course. His dresser is full of old tees that are stained and torn and need to be pitched. I will clean that first... I have been itching to get one of the kids to get Dad out of town for an entire weekend so I can tackle the garage. Lar overheard Chrissy and I talking last spring... and told me that I was NOT to touch the garage. I agreed not to... provided he did. He hasn't. Seriously, he has stuff stacked floor to ceiling, and getting in and out of the van with all that junk in there is not easy. He always yells at me for parking to one side when I pull in. DUH. I make it easy on myself. AND, I have to take groceries from the back of the van and into the house through the front door instead of through the garage, as I should be able to do. So many tasks, no time. I've thought of hiring help, but then, while I am telling people what to do, I could have it done myself. Right?
No spanking last night. I managed to sneak off to bed before him and covered up with the blanket over my head and I pretended to be asleep. It worked. Yes, I have done this before. Of course, Lar has jerked the blankets down before, true. I will do my best not to be snippy tonight.
Ugh. I normally look forward to the weekend, but not this time. Lar made a decision that I am a bit upset over, but understand that we must deal with a difficult situation regarding friends of ours who have misused money that is not theirs. No matter what we do, there will be upheaval of some kind. Lar and I hate being put in the middle, but we have to stand for what we believe in. It is difficult when friends disappoint you in a public manner and you need to stand up and say so. Hopefully there will be no legal consequences. And, even more hopefully, we will not have to step up to fill in a void created by speaking up. This has been weighing on us for some time now.
I hope your day is going well.
Joannie
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Baking With Lar
Oh yes, you did read that right. Somehow, and please don't ask me HOW, our family won the county baking contests for the organization we belong to. Now we have to rebake them, and send them to state this weekend. Sounds nice, right? Wrong. My daughter's reaction when she learned the two children needed to do their recipes over again for their different age groups was not one of bliss and delight. It was more like, "I just got the kitchen clean from the last time, Mom. I have to work, too." SO, I made the offer to bake with them. That horrified her. Chrissy is a trained chef, even though she gave up that profession to become a nurse. The idea that other people are going to taste something HER children baked means that SHE is going to bake with them. Gramma lets them do their own thing. She watches over them like a hawk, making sure each measurement is correct. I let them measure and simply have fun. My way is a lot more fun, and a lot messier, too. LOL So, their 'pizza' slices are ready to go.
I baked my bars, because if it is going to have MY name on it, I'm going to make it. Yes, I see the irony in what I just said. My daughter is a brat; I taught her well. WEG And, I do mean 'brat' in a loveable way... So, my bars are finished, and I will cut them in the morning...
That leads us to the climax of the day, and I'm not talking THAT kind, either. Lar decided that since his cupcakes won at the county, he would bake them for state. There is just one problem... I baked his cupcakes for county. I planned to enter, and at the last minute, he decided he wanted to play 'cupcake wars'. He gave me all these instructions for how his cupcakes were to be done. To give Lar a break, he is working so many hours, and there was NO time for him to bake them himself, or he would have. His cupcakes did beat mine... because he insisted I put a chocolate ganache in the center of his, and make the top all swirly... He won. Enter tonight, and he wants to bake... I'd rather help the little kids. "JoAnn, what do I do now?" ALLLLLLL the way through baking them, taking them out of the oven, and so on, so forth. It took him an hour to get them in the oven. I hope he wins after all the work HE put into them.
I think I could be in trouble because of my mouth. Lar threatened me with a spanking for using bad language, and I told him 'no'. It is an automatic reaction, and it seems to set him off each and every time. Why can't I simply learn to say 'sorry' instead of 'no, you are not going to spank me!' He is still up, and I know he has a very early day tomorrow. When he stays up late, it means he is waiting for me. Not good.
The small appliance I bought hasn't arrived yet. I wish it would so I can get it over with. No, I really don't, but I do... I hope that makes sense. LOL
Joannie
I baked my bars, because if it is going to have MY name on it, I'm going to make it. Yes, I see the irony in what I just said. My daughter is a brat; I taught her well. WEG And, I do mean 'brat' in a loveable way... So, my bars are finished, and I will cut them in the morning...
That leads us to the climax of the day, and I'm not talking THAT kind, either. Lar decided that since his cupcakes won at the county, he would bake them for state. There is just one problem... I baked his cupcakes for county. I planned to enter, and at the last minute, he decided he wanted to play 'cupcake wars'. He gave me all these instructions for how his cupcakes were to be done. To give Lar a break, he is working so many hours, and there was NO time for him to bake them himself, or he would have. His cupcakes did beat mine... because he insisted I put a chocolate ganache in the center of his, and make the top all swirly... He won. Enter tonight, and he wants to bake... I'd rather help the little kids. "JoAnn, what do I do now?" ALLLLLLL the way through baking them, taking them out of the oven, and so on, so forth. It took him an hour to get them in the oven. I hope he wins after all the work HE put into them.
I think I could be in trouble because of my mouth. Lar threatened me with a spanking for using bad language, and I told him 'no'. It is an automatic reaction, and it seems to set him off each and every time. Why can't I simply learn to say 'sorry' instead of 'no, you are not going to spank me!' He is still up, and I know he has a very early day tomorrow. When he stays up late, it means he is waiting for me. Not good.
The small appliance I bought hasn't arrived yet. I wish it would so I can get it over with. No, I really don't, but I do... I hope that makes sense. LOL
Joannie
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Writing
I just finished another story for Bethany's Woodshed. It is called Outside In, and it is a western. I am going to miss these characters. I fell in love with Amy Phelps and Percy Flowers. Okay, the whole story came about because I was watching some old movie, and the guy's name was Percy. I mistakenly heard Flowers instead of Bowers for the character's last name, and it set me to wondering just how on earth a man living in the old West would handle being named Percy Flowers. Of course, it was his Mama who named him, after a favorite relative. LOL Amy's first reaction to a man named Percy was just about what you could expect in that day and age. Chapter Fifteen will be posted this week, and I am sure that in a few months the book will be offered on Blushing Books. As always, when it is time to say goodbye to characters I've loved while writing their story, I am a bit sad. I even washed up some dishes that really didn't need washing. I guess it would be better to get to work on another story. Next Tuesday, unless Bethany changes things for some reason, I will have a Mother's Day story for Spanking Romance.
Since I lost Mama last September, I was dreading writing a story to do with Mother's Day. I knew it would prompt some tears, but I really tried to inject some humor in this story. It is about a mail order bride, an Irish girl from Boston. She replies to a advertisement for a wife to a man named Seth Masterson, and after a few letters back and forth, she agrees to travel the distance to marry him. When the poor girl arrives, there is no Seth waiting for her at the stage depot in town. The Sheriff asked the minister and his wife to assist him in taking the young woman to Seth, an upstanding widower with two precious daughters. Seth denies any knowledge of writing to the woman, until she takes out the letters to show him. Seth is shocked to learn that his little girls were the one who sent for Bridget, deciding they wanted another mother! A New Mam for the Girls will be published next week on Spanking Romance. Now, I'm not really advertising, but I love to talk about my writing. These characters all become very special to me.
This week is Grandparent's week at school. Yesterday I went and had lunch with Renee, who is in the first grade. Tomorrow is lunch with Gabe. The parents group conveniently has a Book Fair at school this week, so the little grands can lure you to the room where all those books reside, just ripe to be purchased. Now, I am a writer. And, before that I was, and still am, an avid reader. Can anyone see a pattern here? LOL Renee kept picking out books, and I added one or two I thought she overlooked. Yes, I went overboard. AND, I am looking forward to shopping for books with Gabe tomorrow. I am sure he counted his sister's books and knows exactly how many he needs to buy. LOL There is no such thing as too many books. I used to skip lunch to buy books when I was a kid. Thankfully, when I was a kid, we lived in a small town with a wonderful library, and it was on my way home from school. As long as I told Mama I was going to stop there, I could spend some precious time trying to decide what books I was going to read that night. I also kept a flashlight in my bedroom, and I hid under the blankets to read. My Daddy was a stickler on bedtimes, and it would have meant a sore bottom if he'd caught me reading, but once he was asleep, I was safe. That house was old and crickety, and I could hear the folks on the steps when they came up to check on us kids. You know, it suddenly crossed my mind why Mama would ask me about the books I was returning 'so soon'. I guess she never did figure out how I read them so quickly.
Nothing going on here on the DD front. Lar is working too many hours, and, for the most part, I have been behaving. The only thing that has me worried is that I bought something I shouldn't have. When I told my daughter that I fell asleep out here and woke up in the middle of the night to an infomercial, it seemed to be a 'sign' that I was to buy the item. So, I did. She informed me that I already have one in my pantry closet that I don't use and that "Dad is going to bust your butt!" She advised me to cancel the sale, but I was very busy that day, and by evening it had been sent. Soooo, I am probably going to have something to write here soon, and to post about in the Punishment thread on my forum.
Hope you all are having a wonderful day.
Joannie
Since I lost Mama last September, I was dreading writing a story to do with Mother's Day. I knew it would prompt some tears, but I really tried to inject some humor in this story. It is about a mail order bride, an Irish girl from Boston. She replies to a advertisement for a wife to a man named Seth Masterson, and after a few letters back and forth, she agrees to travel the distance to marry him. When the poor girl arrives, there is no Seth waiting for her at the stage depot in town. The Sheriff asked the minister and his wife to assist him in taking the young woman to Seth, an upstanding widower with two precious daughters. Seth denies any knowledge of writing to the woman, until she takes out the letters to show him. Seth is shocked to learn that his little girls were the one who sent for Bridget, deciding they wanted another mother! A New Mam for the Girls will be published next week on Spanking Romance. Now, I'm not really advertising, but I love to talk about my writing. These characters all become very special to me.
This week is Grandparent's week at school. Yesterday I went and had lunch with Renee, who is in the first grade. Tomorrow is lunch with Gabe. The parents group conveniently has a Book Fair at school this week, so the little grands can lure you to the room where all those books reside, just ripe to be purchased. Now, I am a writer. And, before that I was, and still am, an avid reader. Can anyone see a pattern here? LOL Renee kept picking out books, and I added one or two I thought she overlooked. Yes, I went overboard. AND, I am looking forward to shopping for books with Gabe tomorrow. I am sure he counted his sister's books and knows exactly how many he needs to buy. LOL There is no such thing as too many books. I used to skip lunch to buy books when I was a kid. Thankfully, when I was a kid, we lived in a small town with a wonderful library, and it was on my way home from school. As long as I told Mama I was going to stop there, I could spend some precious time trying to decide what books I was going to read that night. I also kept a flashlight in my bedroom, and I hid under the blankets to read. My Daddy was a stickler on bedtimes, and it would have meant a sore bottom if he'd caught me reading, but once he was asleep, I was safe. That house was old and crickety, and I could hear the folks on the steps when they came up to check on us kids. You know, it suddenly crossed my mind why Mama would ask me about the books I was returning 'so soon'. I guess she never did figure out how I read them so quickly.
Nothing going on here on the DD front. Lar is working too many hours, and, for the most part, I have been behaving. The only thing that has me worried is that I bought something I shouldn't have. When I told my daughter that I fell asleep out here and woke up in the middle of the night to an infomercial, it seemed to be a 'sign' that I was to buy the item. So, I did. She informed me that I already have one in my pantry closet that I don't use and that "Dad is going to bust your butt!" She advised me to cancel the sale, but I was very busy that day, and by evening it had been sent. Soooo, I am probably going to have something to write here soon, and to post about in the Punishment thread on my forum.
Hope you all are having a wonderful day.
Joannie
Monday, April 23, 2012
Remembering Mama and Happy 40th to Us
I'm starting over with a new blog. It was over a year since I posted on my old ones, and they were deleted. I also lost the email addy's when my old laptop crashed. So be it. I'm starting over, and I hope I have something worthwhile to write about each day.
Today is Lar's and mine 40th wedding anniversary. I cannot believe it is possible that it has been so long. I feel fortunate that Lar and I are still in love. I credit the fact that we practice DD in our marriage for helping us achieve this wonderful place. Yes, there have been tough times, but there has also been lots of love and support. It was hard work to hang in there when it would have been easier to walk away, but love held us strong. I love you, honey. Thank you for loving me.
And, today would have been Mama's 87th birthday. It was a bittersweet day without her. Oh, I do believe she was with us all day long; I could feel her spirit. I had a few tears, because I do miss her so very much. I know she is in a happy place, and that our loved ones embraced her on the Other Side. My sadness isn't for Mama, but because I selfishly miss being able to call her and share everything. Last year we celebrated by taking her to dinner theater, which she loved. This year seemed weird without her here to join us.
This blog will be about DD, when I have something interesting to share. It will be about my family, and who knows what. It is for my friends, and I hope that all of you will jot something to me to let me know you are reading. The last year has been crazy, what with taking care of Mama until we lost her in September, and dealing with her estate since then. I still have my DD forum, and I hope you'll give me a day or two to post a few links. I'm still writing for Bethany's Woodshed and for Spanking Romance, and for myself as well. Oh, gosh, my website needs redoing! It's needed redoing for a YEAR now. lol. I hope to get to it soon.
love,
Joannie
Today is Lar's and mine 40th wedding anniversary. I cannot believe it is possible that it has been so long. I feel fortunate that Lar and I are still in love. I credit the fact that we practice DD in our marriage for helping us achieve this wonderful place. Yes, there have been tough times, but there has also been lots of love and support. It was hard work to hang in there when it would have been easier to walk away, but love held us strong. I love you, honey. Thank you for loving me.
And, today would have been Mama's 87th birthday. It was a bittersweet day without her. Oh, I do believe she was with us all day long; I could feel her spirit. I had a few tears, because I do miss her so very much. I know she is in a happy place, and that our loved ones embraced her on the Other Side. My sadness isn't for Mama, but because I selfishly miss being able to call her and share everything. Last year we celebrated by taking her to dinner theater, which she loved. This year seemed weird without her here to join us.
This blog will be about DD, when I have something interesting to share. It will be about my family, and who knows what. It is for my friends, and I hope that all of you will jot something to me to let me know you are reading. The last year has been crazy, what with taking care of Mama until we lost her in September, and dealing with her estate since then. I still have my DD forum, and I hope you'll give me a day or two to post a few links. I'm still writing for Bethany's Woodshed and for Spanking Romance, and for myself as well. Oh, gosh, my website needs redoing! It's needed redoing for a YEAR now. lol. I hope to get to it soon.
love,
Joannie
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