~*making scents*~

I love candles. I have them in every room. I burn them every day. But I am careful of the scents I get. I don't get perfumey, froo-froo scents. I try to stick to natural herbal or food scents. And I am especially careful to make sure I get candles that don't have wicks made with lead. Learned that in Real Estate school. I even have eucalyptus candles that I burn when I have a cold to help with congestion. One year for Christmas Dan and the kids filled a huge box with a bunch of little wrapped boxes, all different Yankee candles. It was a good Christmas. One of my favorite Yankee candle scents is MacIntosh Apple. But it is just as important what I have my candle burning in as the candle itself! Like this tin chimney and tray. I have had them for years and I still love them! They were a gift from my mom for my birthday one year.

*insomnia*

A few years back I had a spell of insomnia that was pretty bad. It seems I am back in that pattern again. Not as bad, but I am having trouble sleeping through the night. I fall asleep fine. I may even fall asleep early. Then, for no apparent reason I wake up. And I cannot get back to sleep for several hours. Maybe the rest of the night. I am not awaken by a noise or anything and I do not wake groggy, but wide awake and alert. So then I lay there and try to reason with myself that I need to go back to sleep because of all the things I have to do the next day and why I need to be well rested in order to do all those things. If and when I finally do fall back to sleep I feel like it is just before the alarm clock goes off. Then I can barely keep my eyes open by 2 in the afternoon. I don't even think of having anything with caffeine in it after noon! So I toss and turn until I can finally fall asleep and maybe catch a cap nap in the afternoon to recharge. Hopefully this won't last too long!!!

*TAGGED*

I was tagged by Laurie Ann over at http://tinkerspiggies.blogspot.com/ .

4 Jobs I Have Had:
Realtor
Administrative Assistant at a College
Pit Clerk at a Casino
U.S. Army Reserves Supply Specialist

4 Movies I Would Watch Over and Over Again:
Where the Heart Is
Elf
National Treasure
Lonesome Dove

4 Places I Have Lived:
Pittsfield, MA
Syracuse, NY
Mystic, CT
Hampton, VA

4 People I E-mail Daily (I don’t really email anyone on a daily basis, I do check blogs daily so I will use those)
Tinker’s Piggies
An Unencumber’s Life
Acorn Cottage
Folded Gingham

4 Favorite Things to Eat
pasta
chicken
fruit salad
pizza

4 Places I Would Rather Be: tough one, especially since there really is no place I’d rather be.
On the beach

In a little cabin in the wood with a fire stranded in the snow

4 Things I Look Forward To This Year:

summer
Valentine’s Day
My birthday

Dan’s Birthday

Now I have to tag 4 people and since Laurie Ann has tagged some people that I would have tagged it is going to be a challange but I am going with .....

Mary at http://daisybouquet.blogspot.com/

TracyEllen at http://unencumberedlife.blogspot.com/

Simply Stork at http://simplystork.blogspot.com/

and bj at http://sweetnothingsbj.blogspot.com/

ok, that was fun....enjoy the day!

Coming right along

Remember Dan gave me this for our Anniversary~ http://tinyurl.com/ypm45q . Well this is the way it looks now.

I got several beads for Christmas. He did a great job picking them out, too. There is not one single bead that I would trade for something else. I have requested a red glass bead for Valentine's Day to add some color to it. I really love that dangling heart, it is so cute.

Holiday today and since I am not at the job from hell I don't have anyone telling me it is really a fake holiday! Matt is planning on jamming with his band and I am planning on doing some light housework since I am still fighting off this darn cold! Still no snow, I really do think we are going to go a whole year without seeing any measurable snow here! :( How sad!

Neighborhood Watch

Tonight is our neighborhood watch meeting. We have them monthly and while the winter meetings are mostly planning since we don't have a lot going on, except our family we adopt for Thanksgiving and Christmas, it is good to gather with neighbors and see what the issues are going on with them. Our street is a long one in our city so the neighbors at the other end have issues different from ours. Our issues down here are mostly the kids being loud and throwing garbage all over the street, and wanting to get some of the nice street signs and garbage cans at our end, but I think it is important to know what all the neighborhood issues are so that as a group we can address them to the city as a whole. Also, so that we all know each other and we really do look out for each other...it makes for a nice neighborhood!

Busy, busy, busy

I have been so busy lately. Good busy, but busy non the less. Not like when I was at the job from hell!!! I have been attending committee meetings, school meetings and fund raisers for the city. It has felt good to do good. Since being away from the job from hell I have gotten so much done around the house, and have been able to spend more time with family and friends. It seems like I have finally gotten my life back! I have finally been able to get to see all my doctors and fill all my prescriptions, and looking forward to Spring I will be able to get my gardens in order and landscape around the gazebo. I don't mind being busy, I just mind being busy and unappreciated when I could be busy and doing good helping others!

Snow day

I woke up this morning to a snow day. It wasn't totally unexpected. Big storm Christopher. However, being on the shore we don't usually get the brunt of the snow here. While we have a light dusting the snow continues still. Of course I have a ton of errands to run today including Dr's appointment, and 2 meetings at the city council chambers tonight! Yesterday I did my obligatory trip to the grocery store for milk, bread and eggs, in case we got 27 inches of snow and I was snowed in! Not that I wouldn't want a day that I was totally stuck in the house with my family. But that day isn't going to be today. I am not sure we will get one of those days this year.

Here is my gazebo in the snow. This gazebo will see a lot more action this year now that I am not at the job from hell! I plan to have many summer dinners there! I hope that we will be able to run the electricity out there this year. You know how that goes with the ever growing "to do" list. I should have the time to put the gardens back in order this Spring as well as get some new flowers started by seeds inside. I love to get a jump on the planting and growing perennials from seed are sooooooo much cheaper! So today while preparing to venture out in the snow I may peruse the seed catalogs and start my spring planting list!

A contest!!!

A Cowboy’s Wife is having a contest on her food blog! You can win a Hamilton Beach® Stand Mixer and she’ll ship anywhere so everyone is eligible!
The Prize:

The winner will receive a brand new Hamilton Beach 4.5-qt. Eclectrics Stand Mixer, Pineapple Yellow!!
About the mixer:
From Hamilton Beach’s “Eclectrics” line, this all-metal stand mixer comes with a host of accessories - a Flat Beater for cakes and cookies, a Dough Hook for bread and a Wire Whisk for whipped cream or pudding. The 4.5-qt. stainless steel bowl comes with a Pouring Shield that helps prevent splattering while in operation. The pouring shield has a built-in chute for adding ingredients. Powered by 400 watts, the stand mixer has a two-way mixing action to ensure all ingredients are incorporated into the mix. The quick-release, tilt-up head assists when removing the bowl. 9 x 14 x 14-in. When you’re ready for a kitchen re-do, don’t call in the carpenters! Instead, “counterscape” your kitchen with Hamilton Beach’s retro-designed, affordably priced electrics in happy, sun-saturated colors. Their “Eclectrics” line includes updates to those classic appliances from the 1950s. All of their “Eclectrics” are available in six colors: Apple Green, Moroccan Red, Pineapple Yellow, Intrigue Blue, Sugar White and Licorice Black.
The winner will receive a brand new Hamilton Beach 4.5-qt. Eclectrics Stand Mixer, Pineapple Yellow!!
About the mixer:
From Hamilton Beach’s “Eclectrics” line, this all-metal stand mixer comes with a host of accessories - a Flat Beater for cakes and cookies, a Dough Hook for bread and a Wire Whisk for whipped cream or pudding. The 4.5-qt. stainless steel bowl comes with a Pouring Shield that helps prevent splattering while in operation. The pouring shield has a built-in chute for adding ingredients. Powered by 400 watts, the stand mixer has a two-way mixing action to ensure all ingredients are incorporated into the mix. The quick-release, tilt-up head assists when removing the bowl. 9 x 14 x 14-in. When you’re ready for a kitchen re-do, don’t call in the carpenters! Instead, “counterscape” your kitchen with Hamilton Beach’s retro-designed, affordably priced electrics in happy, sun-saturated colors. Their “Eclectrics” line includes updates to those classic appliances from the 1950s. All of their “Eclectrics” are available in six colors: Apple Green, Moroccan Red, Pineapple Yellow, Intrigue Blue, Sugar White and Licorice Black.

My New Years

This is my new car!!! We picked it up on Monday (Dan's favorite day of the year to buy a new car on!!!). It is a Ford Edge, their SUV crossover. I needed to downsize my truck but I didn't want to get rid of my 4 wheel drive! This is AWD and I was thrilled to find out that it switches automatically into 4WD if the wheels start to slip, but when the roads are in good shape it is FWD, saving me lots of gas!!! I love the color~ RED! (aka arrest me red or Red Sox red!) and I love how much room there is on inside. Also, I have satellite radio, 6 CD changer and a MP3 jack plus keypad on the door so I can get into my car without my keys and remote start for those cold days when I want to get into a warm car in the morning!
I am a very lucky woman!