100 Things to be Thankful For (61-70)

61.  I am thankful that our roommates' daughter has not eaten our Christmas tree, the nativity, or the wallpaper!

62.  I am grateful I was able to take The Queen out for her birthday for a "fancy" dinner and she loved it.

63.  I am blessed to have friends that make and unbearable job nearly tolerable.

64.  I am thankful that we never sold our extra vehicle for the extra cash because we've learned just how much we need it.

65.  I am grateful that (even if I dislike her) my MIL came to babysit when we really needed her to.  (And as far as I can tell, all the pornos and drug paraphenelia were hidden safely away).

66.  I am blessed the Prince Charming never batted an eyelash when I gave him the following ultimatum: "I realize it is our year to go to Kansas City for Christmas Day, but that will SOOOOO not be happening.  This is our first year in our new house and the first Christmas after Dad's passing.  WE WILL SPEND IT AT HOME TOGETHER!"

67.  I am grateful that he is sweet and understanding enough that he is okay that I will be inviting a stranger to Christmas dinner at our house because her family just moved to New York and I was raised that NO ONE SPENDS THE HOLIDAYS ALONE!

68.  I am thankful for a great friend whom I trust with my child, my husband, and my home.  And one who trusts me enough to let me swat her kids butt the same as I do my own.

69.  I am blessed to have very old friends who can still make me laugh, lend a shoulder, or shoot the shit with me.

70.  I am thankful for facebook.  This might seem like a very frivilous blessing, but I truly am thankful for it.  Even with email, cell phones, texting etc. facebook is still the #1 reason I know what is happening in the lives of my family and old friends.  Now if I could just covince the big sister that it really is worth it to figure it out, I'd know every move of everyone I love :)

100 Things to be Thankful For (51-60)

51) I am grateful for peek-a-boo, hide-n-seek, gimme a kiss and naptime... for these things keep my two-year-old alive.

52) I am grateful I have a wonderful man who can cook like Emeril!  Even if the portions are a bit too large!  (Honey, do you really think we need a 20 pound ham AND a 15 pound turkey for 3 adults and a toddler?)

53) I am blessed to live in a place where I feel  comfortable leaving my car unlocked with the keys in it.

54) Or that I can drive 30 miles to town for groceries and not freak out at mile 20 because I left the door unlocked!

55) I am thankful that I hung every holiday decoration (including Dad's ornaments) without that looming sorrow I half expected to have.

56) I am grateful that lightening did not strike me dead for putting up my nativity in a house full of heretics!

57) I am thankful for tums (I'm sure I'll need them later)

58) I am blessed to have sat down today for our first family dinner in our new home.

59) I am thankful that despite our families loss, we have actually hung 2 extra stockings this year.

60) I am grateful that I have to work tomorrow and therefor have a totally legitimate reason for NOT getting up at the ass crack of dawn to stand in the cold for those "great deals".

100 Things to be Thankful For (41-50)

41)  I am thankful that I have not run out of things to be thankful for.

42) I am grateful that I have so many great memories with my family.

43)  I am blessed to have a packrat of a mother who has saved everything... thus giving even greater meaning to those memories.

44) I am thankful I have a house big enough to hold all my mother's packratting that she is going to unload on me.

45) I am grateful that I am an only child and don't have to share my mother's JUNK with anyone.

46) I am blessed to be able to provide my daughter with MOST of the things she's wants.

47)  I am grateful that I was able to have MOST of the things I wanted growing up because I know how hard my mother worked to make that possible.

48)  I am thankful that my soap opera is available online so I can keep updated on the fake lives of the fake characters that I've been following since I was a tween!

49)  I am grateful for a king size bed (though I might actually sleep uninterrupted if we had a double-deluxe-supreme-king sized bed)

50)  I am blessed to be able to go to bed tonight with a clear conscience and a great outlook on life.

100 Things to be Thankful For (31-40)

31)  I am grateful for my mother, in all her quirky insanity.  She is the reason that I am everything that I am... though I hope I can keep a little bit more of my sanity with age.

32)  I am thankful for a mixed and tangled family.  It has taught me the value of holding onto what matters, as well as letting go of the things that don't.  It has taught me just how strongly blood can hold people together.  It has also taught me that no amount of blood can bind a family full of discontent.

33) I am blessed to have known a wide variety of people in my life and grateful that my parents never instilled judgement or discrimination in me.

34)  I am thankful for whomever invented the epidural.  I commend your strength and courage if you've done it naturally... however, I experienced 14 hours of petocin induced contractions with no progress.  I then went from 0 to Itsagirl-noshitweknewthat in 3 hours with an epidural... yes... I will commend the strength, but I will question your intellect!

35) I am blessed to have been pre-prego wieght within 1 week of delivery... again... be jealous!

36) I am thankful that most of you do not know my address and therefor cannot mail me 20 pound boxes of chocolates over Christmas to put my metabolism to the test.

37) I am grateful that I have enough self-restraint not to eat the ENTIRE cheesecake (I'll save a piece for the kid!)

38)  I am thankful that I don't have to show you naked pictures.  Let's just say the scale doesn't mean shit!  I might be skinny but I'm completely lacking in muscle, tone, or flablessness.

39)  I am blessed with the ability to argue intellectually.  To quote my BFF, this means "you can say 'go fuck yourself' using big words that leave the other person wondering if you really just said, 'go fuck yourself'."

40)  I am thankful that I'm almost 30 and still get carded in the tobacco store. (though 17 might be pushing it)

35) 

100 Things to be Thankful For (21-30)

21) I am grateful that I live in a part of the country that has been least affected by the recession.

22) I am thankful for the job I have (even if I hate every day) because jobs are hard to come by these days.

23) I am blessed to have many talents and hope that I can someday find the time to put them to a more constructive (aka... profitable) use.

24) I am grateful for the men and women who defend our freedoms.  No matter what one's political views are on any war/conflict... a soldier puts his or her country and people before their own lives and that deserves to be honored.

25) I am thankful for the technology that allows me to keep in touch with those I care about and make new friends that I would otherwise never know.

26) I am blessed to have amazing moments in my life like "Good morning Mommy.  I LOOOVE you!!

27) I am grateful that I have loved as much as I have and grateful that I have been loved as much as I have... oh, get your mind out of the gutter you hoochies!

28) I am blessed with a sense of humor that entertains me greatly (even if the rest of you don't get it)

29) I am thankful for the fact that I am unashamed at how I live my life.  Something I probably inheritted from The Queen.

30)  I am blessed with an unabashed honesty.  This means that those who love me do so knowing the real me.  And those who hate me probably have good reason.  And once you've made up your mind it probably won't ever change because I don't keep secrets about myself or how I feel about you.

100 Things to be Thankful For (11-20)

11)  I am thankful to have siblings who I can share the good and bad with and yet never have to share my parents with :)

12)  I am grateful that I can eat half a turkey and never gain a pound (*be jealous*)

13)  I am blessed to have people (even strangers) who love me as much (if not more) than family.

14)  I am thankful that I grew up poor enough to know how to make a dollar stretch, but not so poor that I noticed.

15)  I am grateful that I have passed on good looks and good manners to my daughter (hopefully that will make up for her screwed up genetics).

16)  I am blessed to have had a colorful life and a mother who taught me when life hands you lemons, use them to garnish your cocktails!

17)  I am grateful that my parents did not allow their religious beliefs to cloud my mind.  While I have nothing against any religion (except Christian Science... even then, only when children are involved) I am grateful that I was able to form my own beliefs... and very very grateful that I'm not confined to 1800 attire and the belief that we came from outer space (though it's fine by me if you like that lifestyle).

18)  I am grateful for the mistakes I made in my life.  Each has made me stronger, wiser, or in the very least... given me something to blog about.

19)  I am thankful that I have in-laws that either a) I love to death... or b) I never have to see!

20)  I am thankful for the "luxury" of owning 4 vehicles free and clear... even if they are old and could croak at any moment.

100 Things to be Thankful For (1-10)

For those of you who don't know (or are pissed off that I haven't posted much this year) I must admit that I have had a year which I hope I never have to repeat.

To recap...

Last October Dad's health declined to a point that we began discussions about moving him to Kansas to be closer to family.  By March, this situation became critical as all three children witnessed just how serious things had become.

In April, while in the middle of hunting for our own dream home, we began looking for an additional house to suit the needs of Dad and The Queen.  In May, the hunt continued for two completely different houses within 30 miles of each other. 

In June we found both of these houses.  And while Dad's house was a quick and easy purchase, ours became a headache of "yes", "no", "maybe", "no", "yes".  On June 30th we moved my parents into their new home.

July brought more discussions about our house while tending to Dad's medical needs.  And on July 30th, Dad lost his long fight with COPD.

August brough a new house, a new job, and a trip to Michigan for the funeral.

September is a blur of unpacking and October brought two new members into our home when my best friend and her daughter returned from Hawaii.

November brings the idea that we will once again be searching for a house that meets the needs of The Queen.

The holidays are fast approaching and for the first time I am not looking forward to them.  The budget is tight which puts a damper on the "giver" in me.  The heart is heavy with the void my father has left.  And while I fight the urge to break out the Christmas tree and start decorating, I know that when the calendar rolls over to that day it will bring with it mixed joys and sorrows.

In an attempt to brighten a dreary holiday for my family I want to count my blessings this year.  Starting now...

100 Things to be Thankful For

1) The part of my family which I hold dear is small, but I am thankful for the strong bond that can hold us together despite the daunting circumstances.

2) I am thankful for the joyful days that we had with my father while he was here and that he could be playing with his grand-daughter the day before he went to the hospital.

3) I am thankful that even though Dad's mind couldn't express how things needed to be done, he has left behind a son who knows what needs to be done.

4) I am blessed to have in my life the strongest, smartest, most resiliant woman I know -- My Mother.

5) I am thankful that I am an only child and only have to share her with the people I want to :)

6) I am grateful to have the most wonderful man in my life.  Despite our quarrels (and the fact that we have totally incompatible/stubborn personalities) we love each other through thick and thin.

7) I am grateful to have had the greatest father in the world.  His presence in our lives means more to me than any other person because he didn't have to be.  He was not bound by blood or legal documentation... he spent twenty-plus years putting up with our shit because he loved us.  There is simply no other explanation for that kind of self-torture :)

8) I am thankful that I have a two-year-old who is attached enough to miss us before we're gone, independant enough to play alone while grown-ups step outside for a break, and cared for enough to know her numbers better than her peers.

9) I am grateful to have friendships that can stand the test of time.  Friends I haven't seen or spoke to in 10 years who will drop a card or pick up the phone when I truly need it.  Friends who I trust to care for my child as much as I do.  Friends who can brighten my day and lift up my heart... and friends who still read the crap I write here despite a great lapse in time/exciting material.

10) I am grateful for the roof over my head.  It was a battle to get us here in this dream home, but after 2 months here I have no regrets.  I can still picture myself in this house when I'm 80.  I have no buyers remorse!

The Weather Sucks - Reminded Me Of You

To those of you who live in temperate or tropical climates and are basking in the 80's and 90's...

THE WEATHER HERE SUCKS AND IT REMINDED ME OF YOU!!

(I hope you get hit by a hurricane!)

To those of you who love snowmen and fluffy white flakes and crisp winter air...

THE WEATHER HERE SUCKS AND IT REMINDED ME OF YOU!!

(I hope you frostbite your toes!)

To those of you who pack up all your shit and head south for the winter to avoid the cold...

THE WEATHER HERE SUCKS AND IT REMINDED ME OF YOU!!

(Should have left sooner jackass!)

To those of you who know how to cook all the comfort foods I crave on chilly days...

THE WEATHER HERE SUCKS AND IT REMINDED ME OF YOU!!

(Can I please have the recipes?)

To those of you in Nebraska who got a shit ton of snow on Saturday...

NOW THAT KIND OF WEATHER SUCKS ASS... REMINDED ME OF YOU!!

(Granny excluded)

To those of you in Nebraska who didn't get a shit ton of snow on Saturday...

THE WEATHER WAS STILL COLD AND SUCKED MAJOR ASS... REMINDED ME OF YOU!!

(I hope your balls freeze to your chin while you're trying to pull your heads out of your asses!)

To those of you who really have no idea why that last comment was so horrific...

THE WEATHER HERE SUCKS AND IT REMINDED ME OF MY FAMILY!!

(If they get a really cold winter, they might be grateful when they die and go to HELL!)

To those of you who simply cannot understand this kind of resentment...

THE WEATHER HERE SUCKS AND SO DOES MY ATTITUDE!!

(I'm projecting my disapproval onto people who deserve it so those I love can survive being trapped in the house with me!)

To those of you who can remain chipper and positive whether the temperature is 104 or 40 below...

THE WEATHER HERE SUCKS AND IT REMINDED ME OF YOU!!

(Your emotional sunshine doesn't mean crap to me... give me REAL WARM SUNSHINE!)

To those of you who read this and got a chuckle out of it...

IT'S FREEZING OUTSIDE, BUT THE ROSES ARE STILL BLOOMING...

(AND THAT REMINDED ME OF YOU!!)

Awwwww... ain't I just sweet as sugar?!?!  hehe

I Don't Mind Drowning If Nothing's Going To Eat Me!!

It should be known that The Princess cannot swim.  It's not that my arms and legs can't coordinate into the necessary movements for aquatic manuevers.  I fully understand the physics of swimming and how to transmit this equations to my muscles in a graceful manner.  There are two major things that inhibit my ability to perform in an underwater setting.

The first obstacle is the fact that I am blind as a bat.  I don't mean that metaphorically.  I am quite literally blind to the point of serious visual impairment.  I don't mean "I have trouble reading" or "I need my glasses to drive" type of blind.  I mean I need glasses to find my glasses if they aren't where I put them.  I mean that I can literally walk into walls without optical assistance.  Still unclear?  For those of you who are visual learners...

This is the Snellen Eye Chart with which most people are familiar...

This is the Snellen Eye Chart as I see it...

That my friends is no exageration.  I actually took my glasses off for comparison and adjusted the focus until I had a match.  So as you can imagine, swimming becomes quite an interesting feat when you see the world through my eyes. 

For example... where is the safest part of the pool?

If you guesses the edge... you LIVED!!

Staying near the edge of the pool also negates the need to swim in the first place. 

So as I was saying, blind people cannot swim!

The second reason that aquatic gymnastics is beyond my comprehension is based on the physics of nasal passageways.  While you, the double-jointed ear-wiggling FREAK, might be able to prevent water from entering your nostrils by slowly exhaling bubbles... I CANNOT!  This is simply not an art that I can master for more than .025 seconds.  Thus, on many the occasion, I have been horrified by the burning sensation of chlorine infested (not to mention whatever else) H2O as it fries the inner linings of my mucus membranes.

THIS... my dear reader is what brings me to the REAL (as opposed to ADHD induce ramblings) REASON for this post!

I never liked the idea of shooting saline up your nose.  The simple thought of it sent cringing sensations through my nostrils as flashbacks to the high dive danced in my head!  OMG!?!?!  Why would you intentionally try to drown yourself?

Unfortunately, I was also born with sinus tubes as thin as a hair and therefore at the first sign of a mild cold, I am destined to be blessed with a sinus infection.  Last night, as the makings of a cold built in my head, I caved.  A phone call to Prince Charming asked for cold tablets and nasal saline.   What the hell... I'm gonna drown in nasty infected mucus... why not try saline first!

Dear Doctor,

I would appreciate it if you could install a tube into my sinuses that provides a constant drip of saline!!  I don't mind it leaking out my nose or the tubes that will be sticking out of my head.  I have never felt 2 minutes of such soothing nose love.  If you find me dead on my bathroom floor and the doctors are baffled by signs of drowning... just know if felt soooo damn good!

Sincerely,

A Very Congested Princess

Now excuse me while I go drown myself again!

Because She Gave Birth To Me I Guess...

Well... that is debatable.  She has this horror story of x amount of hours in labor and a broken tailbone... and I tend to believe her because we look, talk, and act alike... but then again, there's always that O+/O- issue.  But for the sake of arguement we'll say I believe her.

That being said... do you realize I've made a million awesome blog designs and never done one for The Queen's site?  That's just ridiculous!

So with that in mind... here's a preview of the new head & foot of The Queen's blog-palace.  Let me know what you think... not that it really matters because we know The Queen will either love or hate it and won't care what we say about it.  (feel free to tell her she's spoiled rotten... and while you're at it... remind her she owes me for an 8 hour day because that's what it took!)  hehe... I'll just tack it on to her next phone bill and tell her she must have roamed or something... she'll deny it, but I'll just accuse her of having some sordid fling behind all our backs and she'll get pissed and storm off :)

But for real... gotta love my Mom... she ROCKS!!  So here's her design!

(click pictures for full size)

*header*

*

*

*

(bitching about something)

*

*

*

(more bitching)

*

*

*

(flipping someone off)

*

*

*

(cussing some jackass)

*

*

*

*footer*

LOVE YOU MOM!!!

Handmade Christmas (UPDATED!!!)

I've gone on a new craft endeavor... (it's the ADHD)

I'm making SOAP!!

And I love it...

Don't give me too much credit though, I haven't gotten brave enough to attempt any of that LYE (aka fry the germs from your skin) soap!  Right now... I'm just playing around with Melt and Pour glycerin soaps.

Prince Charming thinks I should sell them.  But I really want to practice a bit more before I tackle that great endeavor.  First impressions do matter you know.

So I'm off searching various cool recipes for soaps and bath stuff.  Maybe in the near future you'll see the fruits of my labor!

Wish me luck and let me know what you're favorite bath scents are... Maybe I'll do some "Freebies for Feedback!"

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

And with the first comment I'm officially pulling the drapes on my second floor windows before I go to bed tonight.  You know, I'm okay with blog stalkers... I LOVE MY READERS!!  I'm even semi okay with real life stalkers... as long as you're the "I really want to hang out because you're cool" type... as opposed to the I'm obsessed with killing you type!

HOWEVER... Granny Nanny has overstepped her bounds.  I will in no way tolerate the telepathic stalking of my olfactory glands!  GET OUT OF MY NOSE!!!  This is simply unacceptable behavior... even in the F'ed up realms of Princess Blogland!!

For those of you wondering what in the Cabage Patch Dolls I'm talking about... Granny's comment stated,

"Soft Lavender is so relaxing for a soak in the tub, but not sure I would like that for a shower..... Lilac is pretty good though!" -- Granny Nanny

On a budget I could only afford a couple of scents... two to be exact.

Can you read that?  Yeah... Lavendar and Lilac!

GET OUT OF MY NOSE!!

Since Granny is telepathically tapping into my fine sense of scents (notice the wonderful use of homonyms?)... I think I'll buy noseplugs!

And dobermans... more dragons... a very high barbed wire fence... a deeper moat... and a sorceror to block the evil telepathic juju!!

Not that I don't like Granny... I just don't really want her to live in my nose.  It's hard enough keeping those sinuses clear through the winter without some creep trying to hijack my aromatic delicacies!!  GEEZE!!

So with that... Granny has to get a Stalker award... though I think using telepathic powers is cheating even by stalking standards!  Nonetheless... Granny gets the prize!

Instructions to Add:

1) Customize

2) Add Gadget

3) Add Picture

4) From the web

5) Insert this address:

http://picasion.com/pic13/86cd00dd225739ffd585af2156be4154.gif

6) Save

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Now I think I'll go blow my nose a couple times!!

Mr. C's Ghost? (Update)

Okay... I'm not saying I believe this stuff... I mean, I can lay out in my grass and imagine up some pretty detailed pictures just staring at the clouds.  I've seen the pictures of Jesus in the nebula and Mary on the side of the building.  I'm logical enough to know that the imagination is an amazing thing and should never be allowed to cross the street alone!  I mean seriously, a picture of a friend of mine showed a perfect monkey face reflecting in her car window.  Do I think she had a monkey ghost?  Hell no... it was just a coincidence created by the pattern in the reflection of the trees.

But all my debunking aside... I must admit I saw nothing paranormal in the photo Mr. C took (aside from the glow worm itself).  But leave it to The Queen to freak us all out!!  She saw a face!!  And she posted about it.

So I pulled up another website of the mansion to look for some history.  And what I found was pictures... of the original owners.

Charles Ely And his wife Eugenia Smith

Now for a little paint.net magic and some animation to creep you out.

The Original Photograph

A Brightened and Lightened Version

Zoomed into the upper left corner where The Queen claims to have seen the ghost face.

And...

...

add some animation to freak you out!!

Yeah... now you decide if it's just a trick of an overactive imagination (I know I have one) or whether Mr. C took a ghost picture??????

Mr.C and the Haunted House

So Mr. C visited a haunted house... and The Queen had to share it with me because she thought I'd be all drooling over the house.  Hahaha... all I see is business ops... perfect whore house... nice secret places for my future drug cartel... yeah... I get lost in my house, what would I do in one that big?  And with that many rooms, I'd never know which one to meet Prince Charming in for our "secret" rendeavous!  By the time we found each other the Ogre Child would be awake and the opportunity would be lost.  However... I did drool over the gorgeousness of the place.  Maybe after P.C. is dead and gone and I'm a rich widow (or at least a hot widow looking for a rich sugar Daddy!) I'll think about something that big and extravegant.  But for now, I'm still satisfied with my 100 year old mini-mansion.

Not the point though.  The point is that Mr. C got a pic of... well... of something!

"The secret room is where I took this picture, and it was pitch black inside. Look what the fuck came out. I don't know what that shit is but it freaked me out. I have not edited that picture one bit. No light in that room, and no flash." -- Mr. C.

No idea what it is... this is the untouched photo taken in a pitch black room.

So curiousity got the better of me... and while I had some concerns over what I might find if I started adjusting this picture (I wouldn't put it past Mr. C to try and take some obscene pictures and forget about them!) I decided to take the risk.

Here's what I discovered after adjusting the lighting.

Now only Mr. C. can tell us if there's really anything in this picture as he was there and we only got the sordid erotic dream version.  But I frankly still think this is a creepy photo.  Unlike The Queen, I am not fond of ghosties.  I'm okay with them being here, but if they insist on scaring the crap out of me, I'll be breaking out the herbals and exorcising them to the neighbor's house.

So go over and check out the awesome house Mr. C. stumbled upon... and then tell us what you see in the creepy "glow worm" picture!

Times Are Hard... Christmas Shouldn't Be!!

Money's tight.  That should be the phrase for the year.  Seems like everyone I know is scrimping and saving for one reason or another.  This royal family is certainly no different.

Now... while I truley despise the idea of thinking about Christmas before Thanksgiving, . . . this year, it is a must.  I swore as soon as I had the space to do it, I was going to get more thrifty and more crafty with my Holiday plans.  I truely believe that so much more thought goes into a handmade gift than a department store bargain.  Now... don't go giving me any Martha Stuart awards.  I have no intention of going all out and hand-making everything.  I'm going to mix it up with custom design gift baskets and such.

With thrifty shopping in the past, I have created better gift baskets than I could have bought... and for cheap in comparison to buying the pre-designed model.

So throughout my holiday planning, I intend to post the best and most creative of ideas as I stumble upon them.  Doesn't mean I will be giving all of them... some are just too much work... but if it's something I think is interesting, I'm going to share it with you so that you too may participate in an enjoyable "Money's tight" Holiday season.

That being said... this is the idea I've stumbled upon today.  For those of you with girly-girl daughters, grand-daughters, nieces, etc. this is by far totally awesome!!  And it's only going to cost you some common household items and packaging bound for the dumpster... oh yeah... and TIME... lots.. and LOTS... of TIME!!  Honestly I like this project much better as a "JUST BECAUSE WE WANT TO HAVE FUN" present.  It'd be a blast to do with the kids.

Brought to you by the wonderful FAMILY FUN magazine...
I bring you the PERFECT (aka totally creative and wonderfully imaginative) DOLLHOUSE... I had to add to the name because I am a very very creative and crafty person (comes from growing up POOOOOR!)... and I am in awe at the detail and creativeness in these 6 PAGES of detailed instructions!!  A MUST SEE!!!

Here There Be...

hmmmm... heretherebe.blogspot.com was already taken when I set this site up.

So I picked ... heretherebedreams.blogspot.com

But now I'm considering the misreadings that are possible...
Twice, I have looked at my own web address and misread it... which is incredibly stupid considering I WROTE IT!!

Here The Rebe(L) Dreams
Here There Bed (D)reams

psh... oh well... not the first time I've set out to cause confusion and mayhem.  After all... my daughter's name is Ellison... only... I didn't spell it that way... You see it's actually my middle name... backwards.
NO... My middle name is not NOSILLE!!!  It's Nicole... hehe... but I think I'll start calling her Nosille for the fun of it!!

Here There Be...

...A NEW CASTLE!!

My deepest appologies to my devoted bloggies. In all honesty it wasn't my fault like I'd admit it if it was because I was under an evil witch's spell.

I fully intended to have this new palace up an functioning much sooner. However, for those of you who don't already know... it's been HELL the past few months.

1. June 15th King (a.k.a. Dad) looked at a house, liked it, bought it.
2. June 30th they closed on the house and officially became Kansans.
3. About the same time, Prince Charming and I fell in love with the house of our dreams.
4. The ensuing hell that followed that is ridiculous. (Yes on the loan... no on the loan... yes on a different loan... try for a better loan... revert to the original approval... hate loan officers, paper work... and you better damn well like this house because we're never doing this again!!!)
5. While we greatly enjoyed the company of the King and Queen, July was a hectic month with trying to buy our own house and get them settled at the same time.
6. Unfortunately, the chaos was short lived because the King took his leave of us July 30th.
7. As you can imagine, on top of the house purchase, we were then overwhelmed with final arrangements and helping the Queen get her things in order like she ever has her head screwed on straight!
8. I also had to give up the job I loved because it was too far of a commute from our new house. And frankly, we won't even get involved in that discussion. Yes, I'm happy I did it... no, I have not yet found an enjoyable replacement.

That being said, I'm hoping the blog world will forgive me for the extended break in blogging. There was much to blog about... but most of it involved foul words or sobbing tears. And while the cussing doesn't phase me... I'm not the sobby mushy type.

But that is totally besides the point I'm just making excuses for myself so you'll keep reading

The point is... I nixed the blog header competition for 3 very good reasons.

1. There were only a handful of responses
2. See 1-8 above
3. I love the new layout.

That's really the side of my new house!! Don't believe me? Here's the pictures!!

And check out the footer... I saw that cartoon and had to redraw it. It's soooooo the Ogre Child! And some days... I so wish a dragon would EAT HER!!

That being said... I need to update my new blogroll... and there will be some new addtions as I progress on this... but I couldn't keep you waiting any longer okay, I could... but how mean would that be... I'm not that much of a BITCH!

So leave me a comment so I can add you to the blog roll and we can return to some sort of blog-normalness...

Yeah, I know... that's a paradox... I don't believe I've met a single NORMAL person in blogland... but that's why I like you all so much!!