Happy Halloween....

So, I'm at work this afternoon and this little green dragon appears at my door looking for candy. I was terrified that he was going to attack me with a blast of flaming fire, so I frantically found 50 cents and headed straight for the candy machine in the break room - with a green dragon close on my heels. Luckily, he was pacified with chocolate and after a "sweet" kiss, he was off to terrorize the ladies at mommy's salon.

Every Waking Moment.....

I'm obsessed. I get up early and crochet. I take it to work with me and crochet on my lunch hour. I climb in bed at night and crochet until I fall asleep. All I can think about is how many blankets I need to complete before Christmas!!! I currently have three underway and refuse to start on another until I finish one of these three - two of which should happen in the next week. I started with the idea of making one for ONE daughter for Christmas, and now the "orders" are coming in from the rest of my daughters. Maybe in January - I can make one for MYSELF!!!

South Bend Cardinals

My wayward husband phoned home last night. They beat the team from Puerto Rico and are currently 2 and 0. Today, they have a double header and then off tomorrow. Depending on how they finish in pool play will determine their game time and opponent for Thursday.

He sounded happy, but tired. His comments were "this is it - this is my swan song - every muscle in my body hurts - I'm too old".

This is his third year to go to Florida in October to play baseball. Because of that, we've taken separate vacations - him with his buddies and me with my daughters. Well, the "old man" can act like a kid this week and then relax aboard the cruise ship with me in April. It will be nice to get away together again.

The Weekend....

Spent all day Saturday scrapbooking with my daughter and friends. It was a chilly, rainy day - the perfect day to curl up with a pot of taco soup and our scrapbooks. Some of them left their stuff behind and we're doing it all again this Saturday. Here's one I finished for the Design Team.

Kelli climbed in bed with me on Saturday night and I think we were both "gone" by 9:00. We were a couple of real "party girls" on our first Saturday night without Dad.

Sunday was our "girl's day". We started off with Mass at St. Adalbert's with Katie and Santiago and then to an afternoon matinee of "Across the Universe". Kelli had been pestering me for a week to take her to this movie. She always loves to tell me that she was born in the wrong timeframe - she would have loved to have been a child of the 60's. Like her father, she's a HUGE Beatle fan and this movie included 30 Beatle songs sang by a very talented group of young stars. The movie was set during the Vietnam War era and the music made the movie.

After the matinee, we stopped at Hacienda for an early dinner and then it was home to "veg out" for the rest of the day.

I checked the Roy Hobbs website this morning and it looks like Bob and his team won their first game yesterday 5-4 (even though he has yet to call me and let me know).

Girl's Day....

I have to have Bob at the airport by 6:00 in the morning. Then it's home to put on a pot of coffee and make some cinnamon rolls for my morning guests - five friends who are coming to spend the day with me scrapbooking. I'm planning on a pot of taco soup and some beer bread for lunch. Other than that, we'll all be "vegging" out in my scrapbook room until well into the evening. I've told them all that pajamas and house slippers are optional.

....hmmmmm - Bob doesn't come home until Sunday - I might just do it all again NEXT Saturday too!

Five Things.....

OK - I've been "tagged" by my friend Malissa to tell five things that you may not know about me. I may need a few minutes to think this one through, because I'm pretty much an open book - no big secrets here. So, here we go.....

1. I was a college cheerleader. OK - so it wasn't a Division 1 school or anything like that - Greenville College in southern Illinois - same affiliation and level of competition as Bethel College.
3. Bob's and my first date was a St. Louis Cardinal baseball game in the old Busch Stadium - thus my dispair when they tore it down and built the NEW and IMPROVED Busch Stadium last year.
5. I played the clarinet in junior high and high school - including four years in the Marching Comets band.
7. I have a deathly fear of snakes - I even break out in chills and goosebumps if I come across a picture in a magazine. While browsing cable channels the other night, I came across "Snakes on a Plane" and I thought I'd have a stroke right then and there.
9. I am a Starbucks junkie - white chocolate mochas with a splash of peppermint are my weakness in life.

All His Bags Are Packed....

It's that time of year again - time for the boys from South Bend to head south for their week of baseball, beer and beach. Some started the drive today, a few fly out tomorrow and the remainder, along with my husband fly out early on Saturday morning. First game - Sunday afternoon in Fort Myers, Florida. They play Sunday, Monday and a double header on Tuesday. Wednesday is a built in "rain day" and the actual tournament starts on Thursday. He'll be home next Sunday, with a week's worth of dirty clothes and a beard.

Back on My Soapbox...

Was it just a week ago that I was still wearing heavy, liquid make-up? You know, the kind that rubs off on your cell phone? The kind that looks great at 8:00 a.m. but is long gone by late afternoon?

I posted an earlier blog entry about how I had discovered Everyday Minerals makeup and had ordered some free samples from their website http://www.everydayminerals.com/. After researching several online mineral makeup companies, Everyday Minerals came back with the highest reviews and the lowest prices - great combination!!! It didn't take me long (after playing with the samples) to place an order. One of the items that I ordered (which is not included in the sample) is the Silk Dust Finishing Powder. This stuff is the "holy grail" of make-up. Once I've brushed on my concealer, foundation and blush, I finish it off with the Silk Dust and it just sets it all off.

They have cute little pots of eyeshadow for $2.50 each. When was the last time you saw prices like that? I bet there's 20 shades to choose from. And you use such a small amount, I can see one of these lasting a very long time. This month's special was if you ordered $35 worth of product, you got two eye shadows for FREE.

The foundation comes in four different formulas - depending on your skin type - matte, semi matte, intensive and original glow. I've been using the intensive and it seems to work the best for me. (That's the beauty of trying the free samples). And the color choices are huge! You can even mix two colors together to achieve the best color for your skin.

The Foundation and the the Finishing Powders run $12. The Blush and Concealers are $8. The best purchase is to order one of their custom kits. For example, the EVERYDAY KIT is $35 and includes two brushes (of your choice), two foundation colors, two blush colors, one concealer and one finishing powder. The cost of these items purchased individually(without the brushes) is $60, so you can see that building the kit is an awesome value!

I've now put some of the little sample pots and a brush into my purse for quick touch-ups - but to be honest, it is now 3:30 in the afternoon and my make-up looks as flawless as it did when I put it on this morning.

I have cleaned out my make-up drawer and given everything to Kelli. I am 100% sold on Everyday Minerals. Most likely, I will purchase a beginner's kit for Kelli - once she decides on her "shade of choice" from my samples. There's just no need for her to be putting all that other "junk" on her skin.

...and that's it for today's sales pitch!

October in South Bend

Saturday was a perfect day in South Bend - unless you're a Notre Dame fan. The outcome stunk - but the day was beautiful!!! Temperatures were in the 60's, not a cloud in the sky and the Trojans from USC were in town. We had such a great visit last week with Bob's sister Chris and brother-in- law Ray. After stopping by on Thursday afternoon (en route to Ann Arbor from Bloomington) and spending the night - they came back on Friday night and spent Saturday tailgating with us. We had fun just walking the campus and soaking in all the atmosphere of "college game day" in Indiana. We'll see Chris and Ray again in a few weeks when we're home for Thanksgiving and then the next time we see them, we'll all be standing in Orlando airport - ready to cruise.

Making a Change....

I've been wearing makeup for 40 years and I can't say I've ever found anything that I really liked. Most of it wears off by mid-day or I get oily spots or it rubs off on my cell phone or it just feels heavy and even at my age, I get occasional break outs. Over the weekend, I came across an infomercial for Sheer Cover Mineral Makeup. I was tempted, but I wasn't thrilled with their auto shipment program and then I did some online research and found some less than satisfactory reports in regards to their customer service. During my research, I came across reviews on another company - Everyday Minerals - http://www.everydayminerals.com/. This company is based in Texas - a U.S. company and they offer the same mineral product makeup with a lot more variety in their colors and about half the price. I also read that you could go to their website and order free samples so that you could choose the color and coverage that worked best for your skin tones. The only cost was $3.97 for shipping. So I did it - orderd a sample package with 5 different colors - 3 foundations, 1 concealer and 1 blush. The sample package arrived in 48 hours and I was like a little kid in a candy store - trying it on - checking my look in the mirror every couple of hours - and sure enough, it looks the same at 3:30 in the afternoon as it looked at 7:30 this morning.

Today, I placed an order for the full size products. I'm amazed at what I got for $55 (which included $7 in priority shipping and a 5% online coupon code) - 2 foundation shades, 3 brushes (a Kabuki Brush, an Eyeliner Brush and a Concealer Brush), 1 Concealer, 2 Blush, Silk Dust Finishing Powder and 3 Eye Colors. On top of this, if you spent $35 - this week's "special" was 2 more free brushes and 2 more free eye colors.

The most economical way to purchase is to build one of their "custom kits". They have a fun website with lots of information. I feel like I may have just found something I can live with for the next 40 years!!!!

So, I Get This Phone Call From Carnival....

About ten days ago, I emailed Vicky Freed at Carnival (Sr. Vice President of Sales and Marketing) and very nicely expressed my disappointment with the fact that Carnival was not replacing the port of Costa Maya during our sailing dates and that we were getting an extra “at sea” day. I told her how a small group of us had sailed on the Glory last winter and then in January, started planning this large Family and Friends group sailing. I told her that it took me 30 years to get my husband on a cruise ship and that his biggest concerns are "getting sick" and "being bored" - and now, they've given us another day at sea.

I really didn’t expect to hear back from her. Well, I didn’t get an email, I got a very detailed voice mail message last Tuesday – while I had Kelli in the emergency room. It was a really nice message, explaining their decision and the predicament they ran in to with ports not being available. So, I emailed her on Wednesday and thanked her for her response. I told her that we’d have a great time no matter what and that us girls would be lined up on the Lido Deck with a good book and a “Kiss on the Lips”, while the guys found their way to the sports bar. She called back AGAIN, while I was at lunch and wanted to reassure us that we would not be disappointed and then added that she’d never had a “Kiss on the Lips”. So….I emailed her one last time, thanking her – and sending her a picture of my favorite drink and telling her to get herself on board a Carnival ship and have one.

A week goes by and yesterday afternoon I get a phone call from another lady at Carnival who told me that she was calling on behalf of Vicki Freed. She wanted to know our group booking number and then asked for my cabin number. I gave her the information.

So, it appears that maybe I’ve made a friend in Vicki Freed and who knows - maybe I'll get a bottle of wine or a box of chocolates - but I have to wait 171 more days to find out.

I mean, why in the world would she need to know my cabin number. Hmmmm - maybe we'll get upgraded to the Presidential Suite!!!

I know, I know - I'm living in a dream world.

Ready for the Weekend...

It's October and the weather is finally starting to cool off. It actually feels like FALL for the first time this year. The Irish are back at home after two weeks on the road. Boston College is in town and the battle of the Catholic Colleges will take place tomorrow - about a mile north of where I'm sitting right now. I'm sure that Bobby and his friends have a huge tailgate planned - but as for me, I'm going to spend my day scrapbooking with my Design Team friends at Pages in Time. I'm ready to get a bunch of pages pre-planned for the winter months ahead - when I'm snowbound and can't get out of my basement scrapbook room. Time to stock up on plenty of adhesive!!!

Hello Anna...

... I'm your cousin Nolan.

I've Had Better Days....

This nightmare started yesterday just before lunch - when the nurse at Clay High School called to tell me that she had Kelli in her office and that one of her eyes was totally dilated and that I needed to come and get her and take her right to an eye doctor. (On top of this, she was complaining about a nagging headache at the back of her head). I called my son-in -law's father (who happens to be an eye doctor) and took Kelli right to his office. He didn't seem overly concerned. Thought it might be a contamination from her contact. He checked her over, asked her a million questions, put in a new pair of contacts and told us that the dilation should be gone within 24 hours. I took her back to school and I returned to work.

Last night, I kept checking her eye and it remained dilated. Then I did the worse thing possible. I "googled" single eye dilation and you know what comes up? Brain injury, stroke or brain tumor. I didn't sleep too well last night. This morning I woke her up, checked her eye, and it was still dilated. She still complained about the headache, but other than that she was feeling fine and headed off to school.

I hadn't been at work for a half hour when my office phone rang. It was the high school nurse. She said that she had called Kelli to her office to check on her and that her eye was still 80% dilated. I explained that she had seen an eye doctor. She told me that I now needed to call our family doctor and that she would keep Kelli there until I called her back. I call our doctor, explain EVERYTHING to the nurse. She tells me that she will consult with the doctor and call me back. A couple of minutes later, the nurse calls and tells me that our doctor wants Kelli taken to the ER right away. I grab my purse, head to the high school, sign her out and we're off to Memorial Hospital. She had blood drawn, went through a battery of tests and questions - some of which it was easy to see that they were checking to see if she'd had a stroke.

By noon, they ordered an MRI, and MRA and a CAT Scan. By 3:00, all had come back clear and we were released to go home. After all that, it looks like it is exactly what Jim told us yesterday - a contamination. When I said something to the nurse, she told me that in this day of people "suing" over everything, the high school nurse had to protect herself by insisting that Kelli be seen. If Kelli had collapsed at school of an aneurism and the nurse knew that she had this dilated eye, she could be held liable. Hmmmm, I wonder if she'd like to help with a portion of this huge ER bill I'm going to receive?? Anyway, she's fine and in many ways I'm glad they did the tests because now I know that her head and her brain are in good shape - figuratively speaking.

I was home by 4:00, took a hot shower, put on my pajamas and relaxed. Let's hope tomorrow's a better day.

The Calendar Says It's October....

...but the weather still feels like August. Yesterday, it was 87 degrees and it's supposed to be near that today - record breaking temperatures. I think by the weekend, it's supposed to be back to "normal" temps for this time of year - 60's and very "fall" like.

We enjoyed yesterday's warm temps for a family get-together to celebrate our son-in-law Jimmy's birthday. It was also our first chance to have all five grandchildren together and the camera's were getting a real workout.

All I can say is "I'm one very blessed grandmother!!"

Granny Square Afghan...

Finished another afghan project last night. This one is going into my "Christmas Gift Collection". I'm hoping to be able to get a couple more done before the holidays. This afghan was actually one very large granny square - done in dark brown, tan and a varigated cream. Now, it's on to my next project - a ripple in dark brown, cream and blue.

October Sky...

I was driving home the other night - heading west toward the sunset and I had to pull over to the side of the road and take some pictures. The sky was just such beautiful colors! I'm glad I stopped when I did, because just a few minutes later - the colors were gone.

Winter Beauty

Another layout from my 2007 family album. I'm cropping this Saturday at a friend's house, next Saturday with some Design Team members at the store and I'm hosting an all-day crop at my house at the end of the month. I should be able to make a MAJOR dent in my 2007 album during the month of October. The only problem when we get together as a group to crop is that we eat and drink as much as we scrapbook....one page - one plate of food - one drink, one more page - one more plate of food - one more drink. You get the picture? AND, it gets even worse if that drink just happens to come out of a blender.

My Girls and Their Guys...

The twins were in a wedding on Saturday - their BFF Kristin was married at Holy Cross church with a beautiful reception at Blackthorn. The three girls have been friends since the first grade at Corpus Christi. Here's some photos of my girls, along with Colleen's husband Jimmy and Katie's boyfriend, Santiago.

Back to the Books....

I have accomplished more this weekend than just holding my new grandaughter. Having completed my 2006 Family Album, I am now underway on 2007. Besides completing "SHADES", I also completed an extra assignment for the Design Team entitles "SIMPLY YOU", using the new American Crafts Metropolitan line.

Pretty in Pink

Miss Anna is at home and adjusting to life with mommy and daddy and Mya, the dog. Angela said that the dog sleeps right beside the cradle and yesterday, when I stopped by - the dog sat at my feet the entire hour I was holding Anna. She looked at me as if to say, "That's MY baby and I'm WATCHING you!"