I KNEW I forgot to do something! Winner Announcement

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2
Timestamp: 2009-05-01 01:44:52 UTC

Better late than never! I used random to pick just now... and it chose lucky #2 who is Michele! (hmmm...love the way she spells her name!)

I just cannot believe that I forgot to do this, what the heck is up with that? But I guess it happens to the best of us, so I am sure plenty of you can relate! So, Michele big congrats-- I am off to contact you now and hopefully doing another giveaway very soon!

Swine Flu in my County/State!

Well, I guess my paranoia in buying face masks at Home Depot paid off. 3 confirmed cases in my state this afternoon... all 3 are adults and two are in my own county. No city has been revealed-hoping it will be soon. Stay well folks! Because this flu virus doesn't have a vaccine yet it is quite worrisome. And who wants the flu? Certainly not me! Now just waiting to see if it has spread to the kids-schools might be closed soon if there are more cases. Luckily hubby works nights, I am home on layoff and don't need to make arrangements! Sending positive thoughts out to all of you during these next few weeks!

Time out for the Circus...

I took some time off from blogging and the internet to enjoy the great week of weather we have had here in Central Maine. And also to go to the circus with Deja and Jose... we went on Saturday and had lots of fun. Deja had never been to a circus, so she was pretty excited to see the lion and tigers. And of course I had to send daddy down for a closer pic...

I wanted to get in the reserved seating section, where the photos would have been much better. But once Jose saw tigers and a lion he stated that there was no way he was sitting that close to the floor. I asked why, and he said all he could think of was if one of them got loose. So he proceeded to lead us up to the second level---near an exit door mind you. Normally, that would be me that would be the paranoid one-but he wasn't having anything to do with those big cats. So then, I sent him down to take a better photo of them in their cages waiting for their turn in the ring. Nothing like a little torture to make him really uneasy, huh? He was not very happy with me, but did get a few photos to shut me up. Until the lion started roaring of course, then he walked-quickly-up the stairs, handed me the camera, and started eating his cotton candy while nervously eyeing those cages.

The circus was lots of fun and I have spent the last few days playing Bejeweled 2 on the PC. Checking emails once in awhile, but taking some time off for relaxation. (When actually, I should be cleaning the house.) Oh, and of course buying N95 face masks at Home Depot (enough to outfit my entire street) after watching about this Swine flu scare. See, now THAT was ME being paranoid! But it was easily justified, hubby got a fix up car that he will be repainting, so those masks will be used to keep out those fumes and of course I can use them with my dust and dander allergies (and FOUR cats!) and pollen allergies. It was kind of funny to see the clerk at Home Depot looking at our purchases-- $135 of face masks, and seeing my Hispanic husband and putting two and two together. I bet she went and washed her hands and sanitized the register after we left...lol. But seriously, this flu is very scary and I do hope for everyone's sake it doesn't get worse.

I am headed to bed-my waterbed is beckoning and tomorrow morning will sure come early when I have to wake up my son for school. Pleasant dreams everyone!

Giveaway-Handmade Earrings

GIVEAWAY OVER!

Back in February, I went to the Chocolate Festival and got some yummy fudge, and earrings! They had a vendor there selling some pretty handmade earrings-they weren't super expensive either-so I ended up buying SEVERAL pairs. Now, they are not gold filled or sterling silver but look good just the same. Since I am partial to BLUE, I ended up getting lots of blue ones-and I would like to share with my readers. Up for grabs is the pair above, perfect for an evening out, or even to wear with jeans...

I would have posted this earlier, but I had two hungry children begging for food and I needed to go grocery shopping first, so the giveaway had to wait! Below please find the specifics:

Giveaway starts today, Tuesday April 14th and ends at 11:59 pm EST Tuesday, April 21st. Please leave email in your profile or in your comment so I can reach you. Because the item is light, I can ship internationally-so open to ALL.

I am going to make this one super easy-just leave ONE comment, telling me your favorite color or colors.

Mine are blue and pink, the shades I love the most are fuschia/hot pink and turquoise... I had tons of clothes in those colors in the 80's!

Because everyone is leaving one comment, everyone has an equal chance of winning this one! Good luck!

What is with SciFi Channel Ads nowadays?!!

Ok, this is a slight vent here. First, I want to say I LOVE the SciFi channel. The programming is right up my alley, and I love their original movies.

However, lately I have heard more and more ads for Extenze, Enzyte and OnlineBootyCall.com during daytime hours as well as early evening when my daughter is still watching. Now I am no prude, and if they want to advertise these products later in the evening and into the early mornings when adults are watching, that is fine. I realize they have to have paid advertisers in order to continue their programming that I so enjoy.

But how the heck do you explain what "natural male enhancement" is to a 7 year old? And when she asks about "Smilin' Bob" in the Enzyte commercials and why is he so happy what the heck do I say? First it was just Bob, now it is the other couple who go on about how he can perform better, has increased size and how it just "might be fun" with the happy wife agreeing profusely. Um, what do I tell Deja is getting bigger? Obviously seeing the smiling happy wife she has figured out that it isn't the size of his nose (a la Pinocchio) although the wife would probably be happy with that as well, for other obvious reasons, lol. I just about choked on my pizza this past weekend when she asked if I was going to get a happy pill for daddy. She seems to figure that if he's grumpy he can take one of these pills and become a "Smilin' Bob". (and that would make mommy happy too-just like the commercial)

Now, we have OnlineBootyCall where the poor sap who is on an eHarmony date has a somewhat prudish woman asking about his core values while genuinely trying to get to know him, and another dude in the same bar who has some skanky looking woman all over him. Guess who keeps the guy? What is that telling my daughter anyways? That if she would just skip the talk, make out, she gets the guy instead of attempting to really try to get to know someone? I am not prudish, nor as open as some-but I respect their values and let them live their own lives the way they want to. I have had friends who are virgins or abstinent and others that sleep with multiple partners daily. I myself am not an angel by any means-as many of my close friends can vouch for- but kids form opinions early, and TV DOES influence them. What I really want to know is: If the SciFi channel can edit the swear words in movies for showing on TV, why can't they keep their adult ads on during adult times when kids are not likely to be watching?

Getting Ready for Fun in the Kitchen

Awhile back I had ordered some Pampered Chef goodies from a girl who works with me. I was amazed at the tons of stuff they had, but knowing layoff was just around the corner, I decided to get some gadgets that would make life in the kitchen much easier.

First, I got the can strainer. I'd had ones I had gotten from the dollar stores, but this one is made so much better! It is a nice hard plastic, and the holes are just the right size to drain the juice or water from your canned fruits and veggies. The ones at the dollar stores tend to be a very lightweight plastic, and hole size can vary-either too small or too big has usually been the case for me.
Next, I got hubby the avocado peeler. He is a big avocado eater, and this is a very well made and durable peeler.
I wanted to get adventurous, and decided on the Cut N Seal. I figured I could make sandwiches for the kiddos sans crust, pastries or even venture into homemade pupusa type sandwiches. Pupusas are basically masa formed into tortillas with something in the middle-cheese, bacon, a combination of both-and they are yummy. There usually is a red salsa and cabbage topping as well... We usually have to travel about 80 miles or so each way to hit up the favorite Salvadoran restaurant called Tu Casa in Portland for them, so I am willing to try to make my own! Granted, the Cut N Seal is quite a bit smaller than pupusas usually are, but I am thinking of making the mini type as appetizers.
Finally, I decided on Mix N Chop, a handy tool when you are cooking taco meat and need to chop up the hamburger but also have to mix the seasonings and other ingredients you are cooking with it. This will get lots of use in my house for sure, since we love Tacos!

Finally, I got a huge package in the mail today and was pleased to see that it was a blog win from Whole Foods! SXSW Austin 360 had a really cool party for food bloggers back in March, and one of the sponsors, Whole Foods decided to give away one of their swag bags on their blog! When we lived close to Providence, I loved going to Whole Foods. The store was clean, well lit and I was able to educate myself about health and proper nutrition by checking out their many informational folders, trying out new recipes, and talking to store personnel. The closest store to me is in Portland, about 70-80 miles away, and I get down there once every couple of months. Getting this package in the mail will definitely tide me over until I get to Providence on May 16th, lol! I usually have to head south to get the ethnic ingredients I want, or specialty foods that I need to cook hubby his fave Guatemalan dishes. With 2 freezers in the basement I stock up on Carne para Asar (meat to BBQ)and many other specialty cuts that we don't have around here, because we don't have the large Hispanic community like other places.

Back to the package-there was of course some info and pamphlets to read about the event, a nice Tee which hubby claimed immediately, a reuseable bag and wine cooler bag, a travel size and regular size lotion, sea salt pita chips, CHOCOLATE (need I say more?), a lemonade tea, caramels, and OMIGOD the most delicious pralines I have ever tasted! I can confess between hubby and I half the can is already gone. I had to seriously control myself with these, and I am getting visions of french vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce and these pralines on top of my homemade sundae! I want to send Winnie at Whole Foods Market a big thank you for such an awesome package! I am going to try everything, and I will have my grocery list ready when I go shopping next month at Whole Foods in RI. For those that have a Whole Foods Market near you, you are lucky. I am a bargain shopper, and by saving money on some things with coupons, refunds and rebates I am able to splurge and get some great stuff at Whole Foods while staying pretty much in the same budget, so it all works out well for us. Go check out the website http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/ or the blog http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/ there are some great recipes and many interesting articles-I know I have learned a lot from their sites, and I can tell that helping consumers stay healthy, providing good nutrition and protecting our environment are all top priorities at Whole Foods Market. Thanks Whole Foods for such a great package and for showing us that you care!

Win a Years worth of Fiji Water-Hurry!

In my quest to better health, I have pledged to drink more water. And what couldn't be better than winning a year's worth of Fiji water delivered directly to your home?!

Over at An Apple A Day, that is exactly what they are giving away-a case a month, for a total of 12 cases of wonderful Fiji water! But you need to hurry to get those entries in-it ends on the 22nd! Good luck!

http://blueskyworld.wordpress.com/2009/04/15/air-water-life-giveaway/

Information Overload-Situation Critical

Since I have been introduced to the world of Blogging, my life has not been the same. I sit for hours, HOURS mind you, with my eyes on the computer screen-waiting and watching for a new blog post, a random tweet, something totally interesting that I want to read, a new recipe I want to try, an awesome giveaway I want to enter...
the list goes on and on.

My housework suffers, heck, right now I am doing my laundry and I hated getting up to push the darn button so the clothes could continue drying. What on earth is with me lately? Lucky for me, I am on layoff from my FT job until Mid-July. Spring cleaning was supposed to be started, but I keep putting it off. Hubby just shakes his head and laughs-my teen son could care less, and my daughter complains that mom is hogging the computer...so this Christmas I bought myself a laptop, and there she sits, playing on my laptop at one of the kid friendly sites she loves.

At times, I think I resemble the photo above. Just a little heavier, female, and pumping Diet soft drinks into my blood instead of coffee, lol. Once, not too long ago-I fell asleep at the computer. Don't even ask me how that happened, because I honestly don't know. I do know that once my head hit the keyboard, I woke up. I glanced over at hubby, who was watching a movie. He just shook his head and smiled.

Every day, I find a recipe that I SO have to try. Gosh, there are such good ones out there! And giveaways, well, those are tons of fun to enter too! And learning about new products, well that is great as well because I get so many gift ideas from Etsy and bloggers who review items on their websites... And then there is the fun part, reading a blog post about something funny that happened to them today, making new friends in the blogosphere, relating to things that happen in their lives, sending messages of friendship and posting a brief hello. I love to read posts, and I am sure others feel the same way I do.

So, how to cope with information overload? Wanting to do it all when you know you can't possibly visit EVERY blog out there, try every recipe ever posted, comment on every blog that you follow---plus search for new blogs to visit as well? I guess I will have to sit back, take a deep breath, and relax. And realize that while blogging is a big part of my life, it isn't my whole life. To enjoy it as a wonderful hobby and way to meet new friends-heck, maybe one day I will even get to BlogHer. Maybe I will go out and enjoy the sunshine today. Finish the laundry and get some housework done, even though I am still as sick as a dog. Or just rest in bed and occasionally pop an Advil Cold & Sinus. On days when I feel the TMI (too much information) sickness coming on, I am going to take a break. Maybe take a walk, do something healthy, play with my daughter---outside, not online.

Technology and the internet are such big parts of our lives now-but I remember a day when the internet didn't exist. And fun times were had by playing hide and seek, kickball, and a bunch of other fun games with the neighborhood friends. We'd be out from dusk to dawn, stopping in only to eat and get some fresh lemonade or money for the ice cream man. Nowadays, kids don't know what life was like then. I get funny looks from my teen son when he says, "What? You mean there were no cell phones?" yup, pay phones were on every corner back then. No iPods, just record and cassette players and later boomboxes. Remember the 8 track tape players? I sure do. So this summer, I want to get nostalgic, and do things the way I did as a kid. Even if it is for one day a week-turn the technology off and get together as a family. Play games, and do things the old fashioned way...my way.

The Meanest Mom-Mothers Day Giveaway!

wow! Eleven great prizes up for grabs-very easy entry too! There really is something for everyone in this giveaway, hurry up and enter-what are you waiting for? Ends Friday the 24th, so stop by before then to enter...and save a prize for me!

http://themeanestmom.blogspot.com/2009/04/mothers-day-giveaway.html

When momma's sick...

I feel sick. And feverish. And achy all over. I want to lie in bed and whine and moan and groan all day and have my family catering to my every need. Oh wait, I must be delirious too-like THAT is about to happen, right?

Why is is when mom is sick the whole household shuts down? Laundry piles up, the dirty dishes fill the sink and it is expected that once mom can get up and function again she can do all that PLUS the regular routine? Something as simple as pushing a button on the dishwasher or starting a wash and then drying and folding clothes should be simple-given the fact that there really isn't much to do.

Yet as I lie in bed, hubby feels he needs to be with me-if he really felt sympathy for me he'd move his butt and get some vacuuming done and wash his dirty socks that have accumulated in a pile by the shoes next to our front door. My teen son? Out with his girlfriend and his dad-knowing my ex they are probably doing something stupid. Deja is visiting grandma, but I am sure she'd help if she could-but at 7 there really isn't alot she can do on her own.

My cats have been supportive-they've been keeping me company on the bed lying across my stomach, on my arm or just next to me as I gasp for breath and reach for another Advil Cold & Sinus tablet. They seem to understand I'm sick, and are doing their best to limit their hairball puking and litterbox misses these past few days. Probably because they know I am the only one that will deal with it, lol. When they got low on food and water, I was told most nicely by one of them (acting for the bunch I am sure) when she bit me-hard-on the nose after I failed to get up to see what the repeated meowing was all about. Reminder to self, make sure self-feeder is full tonight.

I have been online a little bit, but resting mostly. Forget the fortune cookies- I can see the future, and that future involves a trip to the doctor next week with a sinus infection...and antibiotics. My teen son brought home this lovely germ to me last week, he was sick for a few days...but seems to have rebounded quite nicely. I knew he was going to give it to me when he was talking and sneezed suddenly. I thanked him and ran to the bathroom to lather my face and hands/arms with antibacterial soap. But it was not to be, because two days later I got the signs I was getting sick...that sucker became airborne and just like all the horrors I watch that involve contagious viruses, I knew I was screwed.

Going to rest now-have a great evening everyone!

Somebody missed a curve...

Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo-but as we were on our way to Augusta (about 20 min away) for an appointment this morning I noticed a car off the road. Now, not just OFF the road-WAY off the road, like down in a ditch almost so far no one could see it from the road.

I told hubby, who was driving-and he was curious as well. So we turned the car around and headed back, and sure enough, down in the ditch was a black Chevrolet car, like a Lumina or something like that. After dropping a can of condensed milk on my foot last night, I was still hobbling around and there was no way I was making it down over that embankment. Hubby did, however and made sure there was no one in the vehicle. Our concern was that someone was thrown from the vehicle, but both airbags had deployed and the drivers side door was wide open.

Apparently the driver had fallen asleep, was inexperienced, or drunk or something and missed the curve, going airborne, slightly clipping the side of a telephone pole, before ending up down in the ditch. There were a few small broken trees, and hubby said the front windshield was completely smashed out. It could have been a stolen car as well, so hubby did well not to touch anything when he didn't see anyone around.

We are not sure when it happened, but usually when something happens like this the police show up right off and the car is removed. I thought it strange that no one was around at 9:30 am, and even though there were houses around, it is a somewhat rural area on the edge of town. As we headed to Augusta for our appt. I called 911 and got the local State Police, who put me through to the Waterville police. Apparently dispatch was not aware of this vehicle and she said she'd send someone over to check it out. I told her I couldn't stay and she said it was fine, and took my name and cell number in case they needed to reach me.

On our way back, about an hour and a half later we noticed the car was no longer there. Surely, someone had to have been hurt because the car did go airborne and hit a small tree. Who knows? I am hoping it will make the news tomorrow though, as I would like to know what happened. It's probably still under investigation, my guess is that the police didn't even know anything about the car until I called since it was almost mid morning and the dispatcher seemed truly surprised when I called to report it.

Never a dull moment... and how was YOUR Friday?

Naughty, naughty boy!

Update: cat equipped with early warning system today. (collar with bell) He is rebelling big time, but I refuse to give in.

I seem to be telling Stubby that quite a bit lately. He, however doesn't know he is naughty. His idea of fun is doing silly kitten things...

Like chasing the other cats through the house at full speed,
jumping up from the floor and attacking the back of my head-in the middle of the night, (ever had sharp claws sunk into your head? ouch!)
playing with wires---till whatever they are connected to falls down onto the floor,
running off with my jewelry...yup, if it's something shiny he wants it!

He follows me from room to room, tries to attack my computer screen *yes I even have to visit web sites that have little flying things on the screen for kitty games to keep him happy... and jumps to places we never imagined any feline could. Oh yeah, and he sucks his rear paw rather noisily when he is relaxed and wants to sleep.

I get exhausted watching him, really I do. If I had half his energy I would be happy. His mother doesn't have much of a tail, and neither does he. The vet told me he thought by looking at him that he was a shorthaired American Bobtail-which he could very well be. I guess the breed supposedly started in the 60's or 70's when a male stub tailed cat mated with a long tailed female cat. I gotta admit, Stubby does have a wild look to him, like a bobcat or something.

Anyways, here is a pic of my boy posing for the camera. Yes, I know the hardwood floors need to be redone and the door trim repainted...but Rome wasn't built in a day, and I doubt the home remodeling will be either, lol! So far, we've done the new chimney and new hot water boiler/heater which were expensive projects... the next one I want done is new kitchen cabinets for me, the ones I have are just plain nasty! G'nite everyone!

Avon Spotlight Winner!

Better late than never, right? So congrats go out to #29 which is Jinxy & Me! I so love that avatar, that is one gorgeous feline! But I am a cat person anyways, with four of them around the house you have to love them...

Now if only I can keep my digital camera USB cable from disappearing, I can post more photos. Today I found it behind my desk...luckily I had taken the photo yesterday when I drew the winner on Random.org. I am pretty sure the guilty culprit is a cat--this morning I caught Stubby up on my computer desk knocking things around. He seems to be fascinated by shiny things and wires-so it looks like he will have to be monitored closely...lol.

And because I am in a super good mood today, with the sun shining and all I am going to do another giveaway! I will post it in a bit, but I can tell ya it's jewelry this time!

Trying to get back to normal...

I had to take a few days off from the internet, blogging and just rest and relax after my grandmother passed away on the 8th. Because of the Easter holiday, she wasn't buried until today. It was rough, but I got through it ok.

Friday night I had a scare, actually it was more like 1:30 am Saturday...but I had gotten offline and was watching a pretty good movie on HBO when all of a sudden I had the most horrible pain in my chest area. Since I was at rest when it happened, and it felt like my heart actually got kicked, stopped and started back up again-I was a little nervous. Then came the pain in my back, arm and the nausea and dizziness. Hubby was working, Deja was at gram's and my son was upstairs sound asleep. I got online to check out the symptoms, and they sure sounded like a heart attack.

I debated on going to the hospital, really I did. I hate hospitals and I'd spent most of the last week in one so had no desire to go back-this time as a patient. I assumed the stress and anxiety of losing two loved ones within 2 months had taken their toll. Finally, after thinking about things and the nausea and pain getting worse-I drove myself to the ER. It was painful, but there was no way I was gonna call an ambulance. So I went. My blood pressure was quite high, probably due to the pain. Then they stuck my fat a$$ in a wheelchair even though I protested. I get to ER and there are tons of nurses sticking my arms for IV's (FOUR times mind you, I am STILL black & blue) bloodwork, oxygen, electrodes for the EKG-my privacy was seriously being invaded here.

Lucky for me, all came back fine. I have never, ever had chest pain like that and the dr. says it was probably severe muscle spasms due to stress from all that had gone on these past few months. I was given something to relax the muscles while I was there, and painkillers to take home if I was in pain later on. Believe it or not, I am still in pain at times and need to rest quite a bit. I get tired really easily and have been sleeping alot. I felt pretty stupid getting it checked out, but the doctor said it was very common and it was best to get things looked at-she didn't give me a time limit as to when these spasms would end, but did tell me they can be quite painful (yup, that I KNOW) and to just relax, and try to avoid stress. So there ya have it---wishing you all had a great Easter (if it is something you celebrate) and wishing you all a wonderful week!

AVON-Spotlight Review and Giveaway

CLOSED

Giveaway is US only, will be shipped via ground (may take a little longer) due to the fact that it is perfume! Sorry, that's the Post Office for ya!

I have always worn Avon perfumes. I still have a bottle of Undeniable for Women and I have been missing my Millenia since it ran out last year. Hubby found his favorite cologne... Intrigue and they discontinued it. I guess that is one thing that upsets me-the fact that you find a favorite cologne or perfume, it will hang around a bit, and then it is gone. Only to be sold on Ebay for big bucks later on, lol.

So when I had the opportunity to purchase a couple of these new Spotlight perfumes I figured I'd get one for myself and an extra for a giveaway. The first thing I noticed was the bottle-Avon used to have some awesome decanters back in the day that are now collectibles, so while they aren't using those anymore I liked the look of this bottle. It's classy-and would be perfect on a dresser, in a medicine cabinet, on your dressing table, or wherever you keep your fragrances because it would fit in with any of these surroundings quite well. The bottle has a neat design as well, and that keeps it from looking plain or cheap.

After spraying some of the scent on my wrist and letting it dry a bit, I checked out the scent. My first thought was almost a woodsy scent-that is what stands out more than anything. It does say it has florals and citrus as well, but I really couldn't smell those at all. Just a soft, woodsy scent-pleasant, but not overpowering. Because this is Eau de Toilette spray, the scent lasts a little while-but you may have to refreshen it later in the day, since it is not as strong as pure perfume. I put mine on in the morning around 7, and noticed most of the scent had faded by a little after lunchtime. When I used to wear my Avon scents, I always got the purse sized bottle as well, for a quick freshen up spritz later in the day.

Anyways, at $22.50 (and cheaper when on sale!) it is not a bad deal. The bottle I got for myself I am sending to my sister in law in Guatemala. I kind of got her addicted to Avon perfumes/scents when I was selling Avon years ago-and it is very expensive for her to buy over there. Her birthday is coming up in June, and I know a nice Avon gift package will make her happy. Now to make YOU happy:

I am giving away the second bottle of Avon Spotlight. US only please. Please leave an email in your comment or in your profile so that I can contact you! Giveaway starts today 4/5/09 and ends next week 4/12/09 at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be selected via Random.org.

For first REQUIRED entry: tell me your favorite fragrance, and/or where you keep your fragrances in your home. For me, it can be on my dresser, my walk in closet shelves, or even the medicine cabinet or bathroom shelf!

EXTRA ENTRIES (with separate comments for EACH thing you do)

1. Follow my blog. (current followers count too, just tell me!)
2. Follow me on Twitter & tweet about this giveaway, & put link in comment.
3. Tell me your favorite Avon product, past or present.
4. If you blog about this giveaway, it's FIVE extra entries-leave 5 comments.

So, you have a chance for NINE entries if you do everything above. Good luck!

Best Friends

Brujita was two when Deja was born. Lately, Brujita hasn't been happy with me since I took in my dad's cat. (although I think she is happier now that he is neutered, lol) Brujita had resigned herself to the laundry room, finding a dirty towel or blanket and curling up for a nice nap. Before, she was a bedroom cat-and definitely the alpha female of the house.

Brujita is still pissed at me, but yesterday she managed to come into the bedroom and amazingly jump up on the bed. She was very affectionate with Deja-rubbing faces, and having to touch her with a paw for the longest time before lying down next to her and looking at her lovingly before falling asleep on the bed. At one point, Deja was sitting down and Brujita laid her head to rest on Deja's leg, like a pillow. Awww... anyways, Deja was watching TV and I was sitting at the computer and snapped this pic of them-and thought I would post it today. I need happy, warm and fuzzy stuff since life lately has been difficult. Yes, my grandmother is still in CCU, and she is dying. It could be at any moment-we just don't know. I just needed to take a break from hospital visits and remember her the way she WAS. And of course, pray for her suffering to end and for her to move on.

So here is the pic for the day-Deja and Brujita, best buddies, relaxing on mom's bed!

Orna-Scents winners!

WooHoo! I have winners! I had to delay the drawing because of my grandmother's situation, so we had Deja draw at the hospital from slips of paper I had made up and since I had forgotten my digital camera, we had to wait to get home to take the pics of the winners!

Rachelle was drawn first, so she can choose the heart or the dove Orna-Scent, and the other winner is Hondaray6 who has been very lucky on my blog! Both ladies took the time to do extra entries, and as you can see, it pays off! I will be contacting you both shortly! Congrats!

Seaglass Candle Co.-Review & Giveaway

At KVCAP where I work, our receptionist Barbara has a daughter who makes lots of wonderful goodies. Around the holidays, it is always nice to be able to place an order and have a few candles, body scrubs or orna-scents on hand to be able to give away as last minute gifts.

Her daughter also goes to the local craft shows and sells online and down on the coast during the summers. One of my favorite items are the seaglass candle holders she has-the seaglass is so pretty and the candles have such a soft, gorgeous glow-perfect for any decor since they come in a variety of colors.

Did you know the seaglass she uses are items that she has found on the beach? Over time, discarded bottles and other glass items become "weathered" by the sea and what once was a sharp piece of glass becomes a soft rounded piece of seaglass-amazing what nature can do, huh? And what a great way to recycle too!

She also has body products-Deja loves the Pink Sugar whipped shea body butter, it smells yummy! One thing that I really enjoy having in my car are the Orna-Scents. I currently have a pink peppermint scented butterfly and hubby has the leather scented moose. When I got hubby's I decided to get a couple extra to give away on my blog! I currently have a blue dove scented in basil, sage & mint to give away and a white open heart in Island Rose. Both scents are wonderful and will keep your car smelling great. You can also use them in your home-although she does recommend that you don't set them on wood, painted or plastic surfaces due to the oils they contain that could damage those surfaces.

The giveaway starts today the 28th and runs until the 4th of April, 11:59 pm EST. I will ship internationally as these are not heavy items, so I am making it open to all. There will be 2 winners.

How to win you ask? I would love for you to visit her site here: http://seaglasscandlecompany.webs.com/index.htm and tell me what your favorite item is! This is your first REQUIRED entry.

Other entries can be had by: (please leave separate comments for each!)
blogging about it with a link to my blog & to Seaglass Candle Co. 5 entries
following my blog (current followers eligible too!) 1 entry
following me on twitter 1 entry
Sending out a tweet on Twitter about the giveaway & posting link in comment 1 entry

Please leave a way to get in touch with you! I want to be sure that you are able to get your prize and I would hate to pick new winners because I can't reach you. Winners will be emailed and I need to hear back from you within 48 hours or I will need to select a new winner. Thanks so much for visiting and GOOD LUCK!

It's almost time to say goodbye...

When is it ok to say goodbye? Now I KNOW there never really is a good time, if that goodbye is permanent.

As I have posted before, my 91 year old grandmother is in the CCU unit at our local hospital. And that is where I have been spending most of my time lately. However, her kidneys are just not functioning the way they should and with the IV's she is getting her body is filling up with fluid-fast.

They are comforting her as best as they can for the pain by giving her meds. Both of my kids have been up to see her, and thank goodness she recognized them both and was coherent enough to say hello. But her fingers are swelling up badly, resembling sausages and her arms are filled with fluid. Tonight her back has been bothering her-she is getting saddlebags as they say, from fluid accumulation in her lower back. And the kidneys are shutting down-her urine output has not been very productive. I know when I am getting even just 1 IV for a migraine, I am in the bathroom almost constantly afterwards. She gets at least FOUR IV's per day, and the urine coming out is minimal compared to what she is taking in. She is now on oxygen, supposedly the lungs are getting fluid near them. And she was recently complaining of how tight her bra was-but she doesn't have a bra on.

My mother, fresh from my father's passing on Valentine's Day is NOT doing well. She really hadn't had time to grieve over my father when she gets hit with this. I am trying to be the strong one here, but realizing with almost certainty that it is only a matter of time. If we can be with her, and make sure she does not suffer terribly-and control the pain-then I will be happy. Sure, I would love for her to be with us forever. But that is being selfish, especially if it means prolonging her suffering and trying to bring her back after she has passed on. My mother, well, she wants them to try to resucitate her. But the pressure they would apply would certainly break her ribs. And dialysis is out of the question, at 91 it would kill her. I think my mom is finally starting to realize that.

I keep trying to make my mom understand that she has to tell her to let go, and rely on her faith to keep her going. She's been calling out to her deceased brother, mother and other relatives-and staring at a certain corner in the room. I bet I know who she is seeing. The eerie thing is when my dad died, I didn't know what condition he was in when I arrived at the ER. My mom didn't tell me much-only that he was in the hospital and wasn't feeling well and needed hydration. And that he may have had some sort of a seizure. So when I saw doctors in his room and we were waiting in the hallway I told my mom I heard my dad talking, and that we probably would be able to go in soon. Um, she turned white and told me my dad was in an induced coma, with a tube down his throat (which I didn't know!) and it could NOT be him talking. But it was, my dad was Canadian and had a very thick French accent. No one else in the room spoke like him. Eerie, huh?

I have decided it is time to say goodbye. And tell her if she has to choose between suffering and going to be with her mother, then she should go on. I have never really been good at saying goodbye-but at least in this case I have the chance to do so. Sometimes we just don't have the opportunity to say the things we want to our loved ones in life, and when the thought occurs to us, it is often too late.

Take the time now, to say how we feel. Show your affection in ways that words cannot express. Teach your children not to fear death, as I have done with Deja and Demetrio. As my grandmother continues to be with us, I will be there for her-but there will come a time when she will need to let go...and I will accept that and let her move on to the other side.

Spending Time at the Hospital...

My 91 year old grandmother hasn't been feeling well lately-she usually is a spry, sassy old broad that is cleaning house, cooking and making sure she doesn't leave without her "rouge" on and her bright red lipstick and earrings.

Unfortunately, she hasn't been out in awhile. For the past year or so, her legs have gotten sore-and she's been complaining that they felt like they were on fire. Up until a week or so ago, she was still cooking and walking around-albeit slowly-because of her sore legs and feet. She'd been to numerous podiatrists, who commented on a hammer toe, bunions and plantars warts she'd gotten from the ill fitting shoes she'd worn over the years.

In the last week, she literally stopped eating, slept all the time, complained of a pins & needles feeling in her left arm and huge blisters filled with fluid began appearing on her lower legs. Plus, for someone who has always been alert, she started acting very strangely-in a very short amount of time. (didn't know dates, years, people etc...)

Anyways, mom had been threatening to call 911 and have the ambulance take her to the hospital. But she always protested. I got pissed yesterday and told my mom that she was going to die unless she got to the hospital. It took her four hours to go down 4 stairs on her fanny. Then she stopped. Hubby Jose had to go get her and carry her down the rest of the stairs.

Guess where she is tonight? Yup, she's in the Coronary/Intensive Care Unit-hooked up to so many machines that are bleeping and blaring and scaring the bejesus out of me every time one of those suckers goes off. She is also getting IV's to replace fluids lost. Her brain looked ok, but she has kidney and heart damage-not sure from what yet-may have had a heart attack and not even known it the doctor says. She was also taking high blood pressure pills daily, along with some other pill that lowers her heart rate. Not a good thing-what is supposed to be beating 60-100x is going around 40 as of tonight. It was as low as 33 last night, so it has improved some. But not enough. They are waiting for this drug to get out of her system, to see if that is what the low heart rate is caused by.

Now wouldn't you know she got a MALE nurse yesterday. And he had to give her a catheter. And take rectal temps. On a 91 year old woman who wanted the cobwebs down there to stay put, as she said. Well, the first darn thing she said after we went back in the room was how she was mortified that "that boy" saw her stripped nekkid. She was somewhat out of it, (she's on morphine now) and we had to explain that "that boy" was indeed a young man called Chance who was her male nurse. She didn't put up much of a fight because she was so weak, but lemme tell ya, she was pretty disgusted by it all.

Her body temperature was dangerously low, 91 degrees and heading downwards. So they put this blanket on her (actually some plastic type thing that has hot air blowing up to inflate it, and keep her warm) and all night she was yanking it off her saying she was hot. (she was freezing cold, but I couldn't convince her of that!) I kept tellin' her that she was back in the 40's going thru her change of life and having hot flashes again, and to deal with it. She smiled, but wasn't gonna listen. So she is mostly drugged now, on morphine and other goodies to make sure she sleeps well as she continues on IV's and machines monitoring her every bodily function.

At 91, she has lived a good life. And seen many things. With my dad passing this past Valentine's Day, it seems too soon. But what will be, will be. And we are taking things one day at a time. Yesterday she said she was gonna live till she was 100 and have a hell of a party...she'd better do what she says, we've got a rum and coke riding on it.

Heading to bed now, between the kids, the hospital and housework I'm exhausted! G'nite everyone!

Holy Hannah! I just got Torpedoed!

And I don't even have a photo of it! But that's because I ate it! Yesterday hubby and I ventured out to Quiznos to try their new Toasty Torpedo sandwich. We had a coupon for a free one after purchasing a combo meal, so the total was only about 7 bucks for 2 13 inch sandwiches, a soda and a bag of chips. Not a bad deal in my book.

Hubby decided to go with the Turkey Club, and I was definitely trying the Italian one. We really are not Quiznos fans, because a few years ago we got a sandwich that was just plain nasty-and we hadn't been back until we'd seen the coupons for the Toasty Torpedo sandwiches.

It was funny, because here I was thinking these sandwiches were cold-and when I got them hubby handed them to me and says- "Hey, these are warm!" He was pretty happy about that, so was I to be honest. Ya know, I should have figured it out since it is called a TOASTY Torpedo. But here in Maine, traditional Italian sandwiches are cold, so I just wasn't thinking.

Hubby took a look at his sandwich and seemed a little disappointed because it was not as wide as the subs he is used to. But the chewy Ciabatta bread they put it on is actually quite filling so after he finished eating it he declared he was full. Which is a good thing, because I certainly don't want an unhappy hubby! And for $4 for a sandwich, you just can't go wrong price-wise. Though a combo might set you back a little closer to $6 or so with the chips and drink. My Italian Torpedo was yummy too, the only thing I noticed on both sandwiches were that the person who made them went a little overboard with the Red Wine Vinaigrette and next time I will tell them to put a little less of that on, since it made the bread on bottom soggy and break apart, spilling the contents of my Italian onto the paper a few times.

Please note: while you think you may be eating healthy, think again. Be sure to check out the labels to see how many grams of fat and calories you are getting. Sometimes I think by eating a sandwich, I am eating healthy-but after seeing another blog post about how many calories these sandwiches have, I know I will continue to eat them, but in moderation. If you like sandwiches, you will definitely want to try out a Torpedo. They come in Italian, Turkey Club, Pesto Turkey, Big Kahuna Tuna and Beef Bacon & Cheddar. I am sure you will find one that you will enjoy! Happy eating!