Update...Excuses!

In an attempt to follow through with at least one portion of my goal to create less waste (the documenting portion) here is an update...

Last week I was quite successful, my cans went out and they were full but I threw out a only a bit of uneaten food. On the other hand this week has been a disaster...my fridge is full of see-through plastic containers filled with good-intentions and a complete lack of motivation...what a bummer everytime I open the fridge to be reminded of what should've been done-but was'nt-.

I am considering getting a piglet-at least the waste then turns into shit I can use-but would I do that either-hmm?

I have plenty of good excuses for NOT concocting some fabulous meal out of everything on the brink of growing mold-

I do have 4 kids ALL with their own excuses for not turning in 5 assignments and it was the last week of the term-(oh sorry I forgot...they were stolen by a little green troll that lives in the broom closet at school)- I do have a job, which incidentally really kicks my a#$ sometimes leaving me with no desire to cook anything, I do have a house of my own which is a never-ending pit of clutter and dust bunnies growing under beds, I do have a husband who-leave it at that-i DO have a husband, AND to top it all my vacuum broke.

THE VACUUM STORY: last Saturday 1 minute in to a 3000 sqft house my vacuum made a most horrific noise-my mother came to the rescue! Later that evening I tore it apart and found what I thought was the problem-a bad roller brush-of course my ma knew of a vacuum store and for $30 I got a new belt and brush, installed it and smiled with joy- FIXED- An hour in to work on Tuesday (where a vacuum was essential) it began to smell like burnt rubber and was only sucking on one side-shit-as I again took it apart I could smell death, and it was clear that no amount of encouragment could repair the broken bracket!! With no 'new vacuum' in the budget this week, I first fixed up the shop-vac with attachments, worked fine despite the crook in my neck-no big deal the floors were clean-. Friday morning I set off to the DI with a load to drop off and crossed my fingers that someone out there who is far nicer to vacuums than I had gotten a new one and cast off their old one. Guess what- it was my lucky day! $12 later I am the proud owner of a Hoover Windtunnel, and the DI has one clean rug- I had to make sure it really sucked :)!

I will try harder this coming week!

Tuesday January 22

If any one still doubts that this country can change and that President Obama can lead us in that direction wasnt paying much attention to what took place Tuesday. Over a million people standing UNITED not DIVIDED... that is a CHANGE!!

I was watching news coverage at the inaugural ball and caught an interview with Beyonce who sang for the "first dance", she said something that made me realize why so many people of all ages are excited about our new president, amoung other things she said "he inspires me to BE SMARTER" coming from someone who certainly doesnt NEED to be smarter to 'make it' in life... I think the statement speaks for itself... men, women and children inspired to be smarter!!! It truely is a great time to be an American!

A trip to TT...what a deal!

Thrift town is definately a downfall of mine, I will certainly find a good deal on too many things which i certainly don't NEED but simply can't pass by...That said, I needed to find a cute lamp for Lacy's room. Armed with a 10$ coupon, I had to use before it expired, a 10$ bill, a mission and 1 hour of free time I stopped. I perused the hoodies...as I am always on the lookout for one as comfortable as the ones I borrow from Andre-nothing-Checked the water bottles, as I am not buying bottled water anymore-SCORE-...1-29 cent little pink one (which i will sterilize for those of you who are gagging)...as I wandered by the bags I spotted a Roxy brand knap-sack...Lacy has been packing a sling bag to school which for some reason they manufactured too small for a math book? It was 4.99 looks brand-new..a little high priced however it earned a "drive-around" the store...The lamps were a dissappointment...either too tall, too old (grandma lamp) or just plain daft...nothing was just right...carry on to the shoe department I scored brown boots (again for Lacy) "stylish" as she would call them, perfect for cold days and skirts... A few other treasures were hauled around and tossed as I skimmed the kids clothing...a sucker for a name brand deal, I caved when i found a black Childrens place skirt with a super softy shirt to match! All together I spent $10.81. Came home and spray painted Lacy's current lamp white...painted cutesy flowers on it and was happy I had not purchased a "new" one!

Week 1-Less Waste

Less Waste... Week 1
Garbage day is tomorrow and I am happy to report that I won't have to put my cans out...
The obsession with garbage has evolved from a few things 1) Currently the only alternatives to landfills are waste reduction and recycling. 2) I have seen first hand the mass amounts of consumption resulting in mass amounts of waste 3) I hate taking the garbage cans out 4) The day I cleaned out my refrigerator and threw away enough food to feed a third world country!!
The reality is... I saw money going in the garbage... and when the food budget is tight you can't afford to throw any of it away!!
This week I will make a shepherds pie using leftover hamburger, tomatoes, and mixed veges and a couple of potatoes that would otherwise grow arms sometime this week.
A while back I started trying to "mix" up the weekday dinner menus attempting to grow my childrens' tiny little tasting palates; this would usually result in angry faces, 9 o-clock bowls of cereal, and mass amounts of leftovers...I am going back to making what they like, what they will enjoy and what they will finish...I will include some small portions of a few things that I HOPE they might try and that I know I will eat as leftovers!!

The Fabric of our Lives...

Say at age 13 (or so) someone came to you and said " I will give you 2 threads to weave the fabric of your life, Peace and Happiness, if you take this deal you will never get any other threads, yarns or fibers but your life will be peaceful and happy" Would you take this deal?
What is it that makes our lives worth cuddling up under, displaying on the wall or sharing with a dog? Content.
Heartbreak in which one day we wake up and feel mended, Tribulations we tough out only to feel the sense of triumph, Pain to appreciate a day with no pain, Bad decisions we can share with another in hopes that they might learn from our mistakes... These are the fibers that give our lives content, beauty, fullfillment, warmth and interwoven we can see and feel Peace and Happiness.

One Day at a Time!

Day 1 2009... New Year, new month, new day. Resolutions are a difficult subject, there is always the element of -failure- involved. One of the many things I learned in treatment was the process of making attainable goals, documenting them, and sharing. Its easy to think "I am going to do XXX" however if you dont write it down and tell someone about it there is very little accountablity. That said, I dont share well, I fail often, I make resolutions all the time and I am happy if I succeed just a little bit today.
Thanks to the blogosphere I will document and share and encourage everyone to do the same...
My list of Hope-to-Accomplish(s)
* Survive the month of January with a half a smile on my face.
* Make my business a 'real' business.
* Spend a little more quality time with each of my kids.
* Waste Less Food.
* Be more responsible.
* Say "no".
* Say "yes".
* organize and purge...starting with the 3 bedroom drawers full of sh@$.
* Be and Do Better.

That is definately ALL I will try and take on for now.

One day at a Time!