The Hole In The Wall

Let me set the stage.........

After our remodeling of the house, we purchased and put up new towel bars in both of our bathrooms. All was well, we placed them where we wanted them and enjoyed the added beauty and usefulness of them daily.

Until, one of them began to be loose. Just a slight jiggle at first, but soon loose enough that the bracket was pulling away from the wall and was making a slightly larger hole where the screws had been placed, causing it to be loose.

The screws had been secured in the wall anchors provided as the instructions had advised.

We thought, no problem, just place the screws in larger wall anchors and this should solve the problem. That did not work. The holes got bigger.

So, Michael removed the screws and filled in the holes around the anchors with Gorilla glue.

Then of course, like all men's projects, it sat there for awhile.......untouched.

You know, you get busy and it just doesn't get done.

So I thought, I can finish this.....it's not so hard......just put the screws back in and hang the bracket and presto.........a usable towel bar.

It sounded good, not too difficult........

I replaced the screws, hung the bracket, but it was still loose. I took the bracket back off, looked at it and devised that the excess glue was not allowing the bracket to hang properly. I sanded the excess glue until it felt smooth and even. I replaced the screws, still it was not secure.

Grrrrrrrrrr...........

Then a brilliant idea occurred to me........

Move the screws over, just slightly, the bracket will be secure and the towel bar will still hang properly. No one will ever know there are two sets of holes, the bracket will hide it. YES, I thought, this will work.

I carefully measured the towel bar.......YES, there is plenty of leeway. I can do this! Michael will be so surprised when he gets home!

I took my handy little cordless screwdriver and put those anchors and screws into the wall, just slightly to the left of the originally holes. Success. Until, I hung the bracket. GASP!!!!!!!

When you drill too many holes in drywall in close proximity of each other it tends to crack and crumble and cause ONE BIG HOLE. Now what am I going to do........

This is Michael's project and I have interfered. The panic button was going off. Should I call someone to fix if before he gets home? What now?

The thoughts of how things like this in the past had played out were going through my mind. Not good thoughts. My stomach was in knots the rest of the day.

Michael called, as he does most evenings before he comes home. I wanted to pre-warn him and I told him that he was going to be mad at me when he arrived home this evening. He asked why, and I began to tell him about the hole in the wall. He calmly said okay, we'll see what we can do. No shouting, no anger.

When he arrived home he came in, kissed me, as he normally does, put away the groceries that he had brought home and then calmly asked to see this hole in the wall. I nervously lead him to the hole. He looked at it, hugged me, sort of laughed and said,"we can fix it". I began to cry. I had been so upset by this and it was no big deal to him. He told me that this is my house too and that if there is something that I want to do as far as decorating it, that I should be able to do that.

He had to reinforce the hole with some wood and then fill it in with drywall mud. After it had dried it had to be sanded and then painted.

Then HE put up the towel bar.

As you can see in the picture, the hole is still slightly noticable, but the towel bar is up and usuable and a reminder to me of how wonderful my partner is!!!

Winter Blues

I am so ready for warmer weather.............

I don't mean to complain, but IT'S COLD!!!!
It has been so cold at work that I have been wearing layers. I'm near the front of the store where the door is opening and closing all day long. I'm not sure if it is just the weather or that some of the medication that I am taking makes me more sensitive to the cold. I believe that I have read somewhere that one of the side effects to hypertension medications can be sensitivity to the cold.
I'm not the fondest of winter time anyway. Seems that a number of my family members, myself included, suffer from this SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) thing. This winter has been better for me than past winters, probably due to my little friend Zoloft. Of course, having a more stable life in general has to play a major role also.
Anyway, I'm ready for not having to wear a coat everyday, not having to scrape frost or ice, not having to warm up the car every morning, not feeling like it's always dark, and mostly being able to get out and walk without freezing my butt off. Which I really need to do because I need to loose this weight I seem to have put on in past few months.
Could be worse I suppose.
I could live in one of these places that I read about:

Top 5 Coldest Places in the United States

Here are the spots in the U.S. that have recorded the lowest temperatures.
1. Prospect Creek, Alaska -80°
2. Rogers Pass, Montana -70°
3. Peters Sink, Utah -69°
4. Moran, Wyoming -63°
5. Maybell, Colorado -61°

Brrrrrrrrrr............ That's Cold.
Stay Warm All and Have a Happy Sunday.

Hours With Photo Shop

I think my daughter could spend hours and
hours playing around with Photo Shop.

Granted it is pretty neat, with all the ways you can change a picture.


She really likes taking pictures anyway, and then to be able to change them, is right up her alley.


She acually is pretty good at photography. She has taken some rather neat pictures. Mainly of herself......... Her Myspace picture has to be changed at least once a week........LOL

Here are some recent pictures that she has taken.

The sky was really pretty one night as the football game was about to start.

Hartsul took these next ones with Lindsey's phone and then Lindsey put them on the computer and touched them up with Photo Shop.

I love the way the trees reflect in the pond.

















Lindsey and her friends love going to mall, to shop a little and to take pictures.

Even at school they are taking pictures.



























These are some random pictures that Lindsey has Photo Shoped.















In some of her pictures, I think she has gotten rather creative, using props and such.
They are different, anyway.

Time For A Change

It's odd how just the mere changing of hair styles can make such a difference in one's appearance. Like most women, I have had my share of different hair styles.






As you can see from this picture taken around 1981 or so, my hair has been really short.

For several years, my hair was about shoulder length and permed. Not just permed, but curly permed. I'll spare you the pics of that phase.





Finally, I stopped the perms and let my hair grow.

In this picture taken while vacationing in Florida in 2002, you can see that it had begun to grow.





And grow, and grow..............


By 2004 it had gotten rather long.

The color has changed a bit also. The natural gray, has been hidden with hues of brown, black and chestnut.
I haven't gotten brave enough to go blonde yet. I don't think I would like making that drastic of a change.



That brings us to the present and the latest change.
Last Saturday, I got 7 inches cut off. My bangs are now straight.

I really like it. It is so much easier to care for. The thing I can't get used to, is that I no longer have to curl my bangs every morning. It is going to take me a while to get adjusted to that. I feel like I haven't done my hair if I don't curl it.
I do use a flat iron on it, but that is very different from a curling iron.

The people that I work with say that my new hair style makes me look younger. I like that........Alot.


Not much else going on around here.
Have a Good Friday.

Reflecting On 2007

Here we are at the beginning of a new year, wondering what it will bring, hoping for good health, lots of love and laughter, a little wealth, but most of all, strength to survive whatever the world throws at us.

Many people start a new year off by reflecting on the passing year. I am no different. My thoughts of late have been of the things I have done over the past 12 months. Thoughts of what I am proud to have accomplished and the things I would like to change or tweak a bit.

In 2007 I learned alot about balance. Thanks to my, not so normal functioning gall bladder, I have learned the importance of balancing my diet. The right balance of the properly prepared foods and portion sizes are the main thing.

More importantly, I have learned that to be truly happy, you must have balance in your life. Happiness IS a state of mind. If our mind is pure and peaceful we will be happy, regardless of our circumstances, but if it is impure and unpeaceful we will never find happiness, no matter how much we try to change our circumstances. When we eat our favorite food it tastes wonderful, but if we continue plateful after plateful our enjoyment would soon change into discomfort and disgust.

Being able to be happy with myself has made a world of difference for me. For the first time in my life, I am happy with me. I don't feel that I have to have someones ok to be me. Sure approval of our friends and loved ones is important, but it is fine to be who you are and not what you think someone wants you to be.

Once you have that, you can more easily find solutions to problems or at least ways to improve them. Positive thinking does make a difference. If one thing doesn't work, try something else.

I've also learned that it doesn't make you a nut case if you seek the help of a therapist or counselor. It feels good to have a person , outside of your situation, to vent to. It's useful to learn different techniques to help deal with stress and issues.

I have had the opportunity to do some traveling this past year. The trip to Disney World with Lindsey was truly a wonderful thing. I got to share the experience of flying for the first time with my daughter. The one on one time with her was a wonderful thing in itself.

My trip to Hilton Head was also a good thing. I got to spend some time with my aunt and uncle. Getting to visit with them was a special treat.

I got to know myself alot better on that trip also. I did alot of soul searching while walking the beaches of Georgia and South Carolina.

Seeing the lighthouses was really cool. I have wanted to go to the top of one for years and to climb to the top of three of them was great. Looking out across the ocean from the top of a lighthouse is truly awesome. Seeing Savannah and the Biltmore Estate was nice too.

The change of scenery made it easier to do some much needed thinking.

I have seen my kids grow and mature in alot of ways this past year.

My son has grown a bit more independent. He is carving out his path in the world, not following in someone elses footsteps, but making his own way. Setting his goals and working to achieve them.

My daughter has become a teen. Struggling to find her way in this big world. She has entered a tough part of her life. Not a child, but not yet an adult either. Trying to fit in. New friends, old friends, socializing, boys, hormones, rebellion and attitude.

We have seen toy recalls, shootings, mine collapses, bridge collapses, earthquakes, wildfires, celebrities in and out of rehab, gas prices increase, interest rates go up, transition in Pakistan, Barry Bonds break records under a cloud of controversy, the introduction of the Iphone, trains derail, children injured at amusement parks, The Sopranos finale, and enough Brittany Spears to make you choke.

As we start 2008, my hope is to be happy. I know that everything will not be the way I want it to be all the time, but I do hope for the wisdom and faith to take one day at a time and to make my own happiness.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year, Everyone!!!!!!

How well do you think you know what events took place in 2007?

Follow the link below and take the quiz.

Let me know how you do.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-2007-quiz,0,5958091.triviaquiz

Christmas 2007

I thought I would share some of the pictures that were taken over Christmas.

We had everyone over to our house on the 22nd. I think we all had a good time. Even though we all have different things going on in our lives, we can come together and enjoy each others company.

The adults kind of mingle with each other sometimes in small groups and sometimes all together.

The kids kind of pair off into different groups. The older boys have things in common, so they get together. (probably talking about girls, cars and what pains their parents are)






The younger boys get together and play video games. They also like to share their new toys with the group. You can't receive a Nerf gun and not shoot it, or a helicopter and not fly it.







Then we have the girls. They have to get together and giggle , as girls do.

















Allie sort of has the best thing going, I think. She can join any of the little groups and join in with what they are doing or just watch and take it all in.

Sometimes she can even become the center of attention.





Michael's sister and her husband stopped by for a bit. It was a bit chaotic when they arrived, but everyone was having a good time.

I enjoyed our time together. It's nice having everyone together, especially since we don't do it often enough.

I didn't take many pics on Christmas day, since I wasn't feeling well and Lindsey didn't want her picture taken (did you ever think that would happen) because she had just gotten up, had no makeup on and her hair was a not fixed to suit her. She is a true girl........













We will celebrate with Michael's family on the 30th. I'll try to take some pics and post them too.

Hope everyone has a good Thursday. I will be relaxing and enjoying some time off to just feel better. Antibiotic seems to be kicking in, thank goodness. Going from 500MG to 1500MG a day has made alot of difference.

Our Holiday

Hope that everyone has had a Wonderful Christmas. I know we have.


All of the kids were here, we did things a little different this year, we took turns opening our gifts one at a time so that everyone could see what we received. It was nice.


Michael has had some car problems, his car would not start. So some of the last minute things did not get done, but everything was fine. We still managed to have a great time without a few of the things that we had planned on having.


I have had a sinus infection for about a week, been taking amoxicillin/clauv, but it seems to have gotten worse. I awoke with a bad case of pink eye on Christmas morning. Just feel wiped out, so I pretty much slept most of the day. I had some antibiotic eye drops, so I began putting them in my eye. Michael has done all the cooking and waited on me hand and foot. He has really been great.


I had to work this morning, but sure didn't feel like it. Michael drove me to work, took my car so that he could see about getting his repaired. I stayed about three hours, got my department organized and de-Christmased and then I left. Michael picked me up,we stopped at the pharmacy to get a different antibiotic for me (Cefalor), we retrieved his car, he went back to work and I came home to hold down the couch and to let all the meds do their thing. Hopefully they will kick in real soon.

Making Plans

Two lives, two hearts, joined together in friendship, united forever in love. Let our first day of our mutual life begin with love and with those we love.



May 31st, 2008

This is the date that Michael and I have decided to get married.

We have been checking into some area places and have found several that look interesting. After Christmas, when things slow down a bit, we will be able to check them out in more detail and hopefully make a decision.

We are just starting the planning process and I will keep everyone updated as we make our plans. We are trying to keep it small and simple. If anyone has any suggestions, we would be more than happy to hear them.