This Stop Willoughby

Hello.....hello.....is anybody still there? I'm finally back after a fairly long hiatus from blogging.  Did you miss me?  Did you wonder where I was or what was going on?  Even if you didn't, pretend you did, it makes me feel important.  In a nutshell, here's what's kept me away from the computer: My anniversary My mom's birthday Mother's Day My son's Prom My daughter's multiple end of the year school projects Add to the list: 1 - I had a painful issue with my left leg.  My choices were to take ibuprofen, which barely made a dent in the pain, or take the prescription pain killer that made me too drowsy to do much of anything.  I'm feeling better now.  2 - Mr. Willoughby and I cleaned the basement.  Our water heater leaked and soaked a few things on the floor.  One of them was a box of books which turned into a box of mold.  You can imagine how much a germophobe like me enjoyed cleaning up that mess.  3 - The gas company...

....because it also happens to be my anniversary.  Mr. Willoughby and I were married 21 years ago, on April 22, 1989.  Honestly, at the time, I had never even heard of Earth Day, so we didn't choose the date for that reason.  It is kind of nice, though, to think of people making the world a more beautiful place by planting trees and flowers on the anniversary of the day we began our life together.  100 years from now, after we're long gone, this day will still be celebrated.  I think that's pretty special even if it is just a coincidence.   Willoughby *If you're curious what Mr. Willoughby and I looked like 21 years ago (unlikely, but possible), you can click here to see my anniversary post from last year.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that..... "Mom, is my cheese supposed to be glowing?" Ever since my last post, I've been thinking about that mysterious radioactive kitchen utensil.  I wondered if I could be using it in my kitchen or if you could be using it in yours.  Since I don't have a Geiger counter, I embarked on some extensive research (which means I spent 2 seconds Googling it) to find out what this mysterious utensil was. It turns out that it is a cheese grater.  For the full story, click here .  A Few Personal Notes To the teenage boy driving past my street this morning - Slow down!  The speed limit in residential areas is 25.  If I had pulled out of my street a second sooner, you would have hit me. To the teenage boy at the intersection near the elementary school this morning - Learn right of way.  It was my turn to pull out and I had to slam on the breaks to keep you from hitting...

It's spring, so of course that means I've been doing a lot of spring cleaning.  I've found that while I'm doing menial tasks like dusting, vacuuming and washing windows, my mind tends to wander.  Here are some not necessarily cleaning-related things I've been pondering. Flea collars and miscellaneous flea prevention products - If they work to repel fleas and ticks on animals, would they work for people?  Let's say, for example, that you wanted to go for a walk in the woods.  Instead of tucking your pant legs into your socks to keeps ticks from getting on your legs, could you put flea collars around your ankles to repel them?  Or could you rub the liquid flea and tick preventer on your jeans?  If you're wearing shorts, could you rub it on your legs?  It's safe to use on your cats and dogs, after all. Vacuum cleaners - My vacuum cleaner has a great habit of shooting debris back out at my feet after it's passed through the rotating b...

Spring is such a wonderful time of year.  The birds have returned and greet each morning with their lovely songs.  The tree branches are covered with green buds ready to burst into life.  The grass has shed it's yellow/brown pallor in favor of a lovely emerald.  The air is warm and breezy.  It's all so lovely except for one thing.  The bugs. Because of our nearly uninhabitable climate during the winter months, we don't see many bugs from late October through early April.  I almost forget how much I hate them until they come back.  And they know I hate them so they taunt me.  Ever since the thermometer hit the 60 degree mark, we've had flies congregating around the back porch.  I can't sit out there and enjoy my morning coffee without having them buzz past me. Now, flies I hate, but spiders I absolutely loathe.  Friday morning I walked into the bathroom to dry my hair and spotted what I thought was a bumble ...

A little bit of this and a little bit of that.... Renovating I've spent countless hours knee deep in html, lately, because my blog deperately needs a new look.  I have a test blog that I use so I don't have to shut this one down.  Ironically, it hasn't left me much time for new posts, so I guess it wouldn't matter if I closed up shop for a few days.  I'm nearly done, I have one glitch holding me up, but I'm going to try to figure that out this afternoon.  I hope to be unveiling my new look soon! Recipes A big thank you to those of you who answered my request for new recipes. I can't wait to try the fabulous ones I received.  However, even though my birthday is over, I'm still on the hunt for more new recipes to add to our upcoming Saturday night food and drink demos.  I'm especially interested in old family recipes and authentic ethnic dishes.  If you've got a great recipe and a don't mind sharing, I'd love to have it...

Here's the scenario.  Someone gives you, let's say $1000, and tells you to go shopping.  You don't have to pay it back, and you can't give it to someone else (if it makes you feel better, we can say they will also make a charitable donation in the same amount to the charity of your choice).  It's just for you.  You can choose any store(s) you want and buy anything that your heart desires.  Where would you go and what would you buy?  Me?  I'd head straight to one of my favorite flea markets or antique/vintage/junk shops.  I'm not sure what I would buy because you never know what you'll find in one of those places.  And, for me, that's what makes it fun.  I'm crazy about all sorts of antique and vintage things.  I have a particular weakness for candle holders, old books and kitchen items.  They don't have to be rare or especially collectible, either.  I'm not too wrapped up in the monetary value of the thing...