Another day in paradise.

St. Maarten was so beautiful. We took a tour of the island and spent some time at the beach. It was three days at sea before I could even interact with the sea.

I didn't catch the name of the artist who painted these murials, but they were fabulous. They were painted on a retaining wall on the side of a hill, it looked like a dangerous place to be, to stand and paint.

This was one of the best pictures of our cruise ship because it was so big it was hard to get the whole ship in one frame.

Random Dozen,cruse pictures

San Juan,Puerto Rico was our first port of call, how wonderful is was to get off the boat and see new sights.







shop,and see It was fun to The streets were very narrow and the reminded
us of Italy.
what they had to offer,















I wish I would have bought this hat,


I think Eric could use another hat besides farm seed company hats.
Nice change Eric.








The kids had four snow days while we were gone, and the grandparents kept there since of humor the whole time. P.T.L.

Well back to reality, I m hoping to cover The itinerary as we did on the cruise, the next island was so beautiful, St Maarten, we took a tour and went to the beach, see ya next time.

Now for the random doz. Thank you Linda for giving me a reason to blog when I have noting else to report.


1. How good are you at delaying gratification?


I have improved so much since I have been married and had children. I was so spoild by my Mom & Dad when I was living at home, I will always cherish the extra time I had with them.

2. Maybe a marshmallow wouldn't be too difficult a temptation for you. What food (or anything else) would be most tempting?



Chocolate, is the ultimate food. On the cruise I had a small bowl of M& M every day because believe it or not the desserts they served usually were not as satisfying as my old standby.


3. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being saintly) how patient are you?



It depends on how much sleep I had the night before,

plus the amount of caffeine,

plus the reason for the wait. So



S+C+W= 8 if all the desirable equations work out.



Otherwise minus one or more desirable equations I would be about a 5


4. Have you ever waited for something in life only to be disappointed upon realization of the goal/object/etc.?



Senior prom, I had a date set up by a mom in our church, He was so handsome and I always was to shy to talk to him, but he was a trouble maker, He was in prison on the day of the prom, I'm glade I didn't get to know him after all.



5. Are you a person who takes shortcuts?

Oh yes, if I can do it my way its usually the way I can do it most efficiently in my mind.


6. Which line is hardest to wait in?



Check out at Christmas.


7. Did you wait to discover the gender of your unborn child until its birth?



MY first we found out , but my second they wouldn't tell us,[ Grumpy tec.]


8. Are you more patient with children or the elderly?



Love them both but when kids are old enough to be bad mouthed disrespectful self centred human beans I loose my patients.


9. Did you ever sneak a peek at a present?



When I was a kid, My mom always had the same spot in her closet to keep all the goodies, I took a regular tour through her self just see what was new.


10. What is the longest you've ever waited for anything?



Heaven !


11. Who has more patience, you or your significant other?



Husband wins hands down.


12. Which of the following songs about waiting is your pick for the best? (OK, you may substitute another, if you like.)

A) Anticipation by Carly Simon
B) The Waiting by Tom Petty
C) Right Here Waiting for You by Richard Marx
D) Wait for Me by Rebecca St. James

My editor way too tired and busy with homework to make my post look smart, She is a great person. and wanted to have her own blog, what do you think? is it safe to let a almost thirteen year old going on thirty have her own blog? it doesn't seem to be any worse than face book.

Ode to Food

I love food, it is the center of my life, the best way I know to say I love you, or My Language of Love, some days I feel like I write poetry with sugar and spice.

Every meal starts with a drama. Onions& garlic in butter. and some poor dead critter. And I didn't have to take its life (and I don't mean roadkill).

My favorite easy way to start a meal it to buy a rotisserie chicken,( I didnt have to kill it,puck it, or gut it. Heck I didnt even have to cook it!) I prefere barbecue, or lemon.

I aways boil the bones and skin don't forget the jelled stuff in the bottom of the pan it comes in. Chicken stock is so easy.

If I don't need it right away I put it in a clean cottage cheese carton, they hold 2 cups of broth, and they freeze well, and they're easy to thaw out in the microwave.

I hope its OK to use cottage cheese cartons that way, because my family is doomed if it causes cancer or something.

I'll give you guys the recipe soon!

:) Smile from the Editor! (She's getting better!)

Random Dozen

1. When was the last time you craved a food--what was it, and did you cave?
Chocolate, Today ,yesterday, and tomorrow.

2. M & M's or Skittles?
M&M's

3. Have you ever read the Bible completely through?
I wish I can say yes to this one, I have tried,but cant seam to stick with it.

4. How long does it take you to really wake up in the morning?
I have all day to do what I need to do. So I spend an hour every morning just chilling out.

5. Have you ever been on a cruise? If not, would you like to?
I am so excited, My husband and I get to go on a cruise this winter, its all coming together, I don't have anything really nice to wear, But I don't really want to spend any money on clothes but I don't want to where what I have.

6. Who is your favorite actress?
Sandra Bullock

7. ______ is something that I will just never understand.
How the fashion industry stays in business when they only target on one generation like stick figure teens, I cant stand to see obese girls in tight shirts with there belly fat hanging out.(yuck)

8. How much of a technology junkie are you?
I got a mp3 player for Christmas, and cannot figure it out. I just barely get my computer to work properly. Life would be easier if my kids would be techno geeks.

9. Do you enjoy selecting greeting cards for people, or is it more of a cultural "have to" for you?
I have 5 birthday cards to get for January, my husband made me put back all the funny cards that make you want to pee your pants. He is no fun to shop with.

10. When was the last time you got a new style/haircut?
I always pick out a little different style, but I keep getting it cut shorter and shorter. Last month.

11. What do you enjoy shopping for most?
I guess I don't like to shop. I can't think of anything. Well, OK, I love to buy plants.

12. What's the last thing you think of before you leave the house?
What have I forgot? I have a list. Keys, check; purse, check; phone, check; money, check; head, check.

I want to thank my personal editor, she makes me look like I know what I'm talking about.
I love you Katie you are best kid a Mom could ever want.

Random Dozen

2nd Cup of Crank!


1. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being a cranky-baby-hissy-fitter, how much of a complainer are you?

I am a whiner , it just slips out of my lips, I need to get out my purple bracelet again and keep on switching till God can get it thru my head that it doesn't help to whine.

2. When someone else is talking, do you listen, or are you thinking about what you're going to say in response?

I try to listen I think my hearing is not as good as it was, or my kids are not speaking as loud and clear as they used to.

3. I just deleted 1062 messages from my email account. Do you have any plans for a clean sweep this month--of anything? I have been cleaning out cabnets in my kitchen and throwing away old out of date vitamins and other products that go out or date quickly.

And now, here are some brilliant questions from a gal named Angie at Angie's Ad Lib who graciously offered to let me borrow her brain. Please go over and see Angie because it was so nice of her to help me out. Thank you so much, Angie!

4. Tell us about your perfume. Was it a gift? What does it remind you of? Do you have a signature scent?

I am so allergic to strong perfume, it feels like some is stabbing my sinuses with a knife. I feel some perfume should be illegal, after saying that, I like to use lotion with scent brown sugar vanilla is my favorite, my kids say it smells like mom.

5. What is your best organizing tip for the new year?

Just do it.

6. What is your favorite comic strip?

Garfield, I think cats are so funny, and the comic strip adds just what I think my cat would say.

7. Do you sleep with a fluffy or flat pillow?

fluffy

8. What color is your kitchen? Why did you choose that color?

yellow, it was wallpapered in yellow plaid when I moved in and I am not very good at home decor, so I left it, but took down the sunflowers for a change. and left a plackared up that says
(NOTICE THIS KITCHEN IS CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS)
I'm sick of cooking.

9. What’s the most interesting bumper sticker you’ve seen?
Cant think of any off hand.
10. Do you prefer an expensive writing tool or whatever is lying around? (Are you a Montblanc or a Papermate?)

Any thing that's lying around.

1. What chore doesn't feel like a chore – you just enjoy it (at least most of the time)?

I love to make home cooked meals, and bread. It is so satisfying to have my family sit down together to a hearty meal, and tell me about there day. It just feels right.

12. If your parents often repeated themselves, what is something one of them said more than once?

Thankful Thursday

This is my first thankful Thursday. I wanted to start the new year by being more positive, and Thought this would be a good start.



1. First I am thankful for my life, and the people who God has put in my life. I grew up in a charismatic church surrounded by people who loved me and now I want that for my kids. We currently go to a mega church and kind of slip in and out without much notice.

2.I am also thankful for having all my needs met, warm house, good food, clean water, etc.

3. the birds outside are so entertaining I am so blessed to live in the country where the wild life can flourish.

4. My family is one of the biggest blessings, I am in awe that God has ordered my steps and guide me through my life, and I feel the results are in the Joy I feel when we are together and loving each other.

5. This winter my husband and I get to go on a cruse to the Caribbean, I cant wait but I wish I could take my kids. It is so expensive, between getting passports, airline tickets, and the money you spend on tips, and the extra side trips to go snorkeling, in which I want to do, or just floating on a mat in the ocean that costs 25. dollars.

we are going to miss the snow and the FREEZING cold weather. (joking).





Our ports are Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Tortola, B.V.I., and Haiti.



There are package deals to buy at each port, They are very pricey.
Have you been on any of these islands?, and do you have any story's about what you did?, or any advice about if it is safe to go on your own without a guide?
.
Hubby and I went on our honeymoon, it was so fun, but we found out some of the things we did wasn't as fun because of over crowing, like walking to the rain forest to see a waterfall, when we got their their were hundreds of other people their milling around and only one outhouse for us all. Yuck.

We actually saw a octopus baby on one of the beaches.