Wednesday, August 27, 2008

10 Things

5 Things I Hate Right Now


1. Politics. Oh, yes. I am really getting sick of it. I have been paying attention sometimes, but I just get so frustrated and angry. And truth be told I am pretty passionate politically. I interned at my state capitol as a teenager and considered studying politics for a time. And now it seems politics have done to me what they do to a lot of people. Make you stressed, angry, frustrated and just get so fed up with the whole thing that you turn off every speech and think "I will follow this up another day when I have calmed down." And let's not forget that we are running out of time before we have to actually go and vote.

2. Money. Ah, the beloved dollars and cents thing. Really I am grateful for my financial blessings, but it is stressful at the same time. Especially right now. I think this has been the hardest financial time we have had since we have been married and we were pretty broke when we GOT married. I wonder if the fact that $20 used to fill the tank back then and now... that is barely a quarter of the tank.

3. Food. I like food in general, but when you have celiac disease it can be easy to get really tired of your food. And there really is a lot of good things to eat still with my disease. Good fruits, veggies, meats, rice flour foods, but I get in a rut and my meals become the same old thing. Plus if I get really busy running around with the kids a lot, I eat poorly. I don't have many "grab" foods- bananas and carrots are the top thing so far- and if I am out of grab foods I just starve and then hate food altogether. Course, my chubby middle doesn't show this, but it is true.


4. Dishes. I have been doing much better in keeping on top of my dirty dishes recently. However, that doesn't mean I enjoy them. They never go away. I wonder why that is... something about eating every day, something like that. I have had a strike right now and there are dirty dishes in my sink!


5. Ants! Oh, they love my old, mildewy, cinderblock apartment. My bathroom, it's so lovely with crumbling, rusted walls and base board and the ants are SO happy to come through them that I am just about to set up a nice hotel for them complete with continental breakfasts. It doesn't matter what I try, sprays- which I don't like to use anyway- natural remedies- I have tried them ALL and nothing works. They always seem to be happy to find their way back. ARGH!

5 Things I Love


1. Fall. I love it when things start to cool down and you don't feel like you will roast outside. My favorite time of year is the Spring when it is nice out and the flowers start to bloom. But I also love the fall when the leaves change color. Beautiful!

2. Thrift Shopping.
I am so excited to be getting ready to go to the giant thrift sale coming up. I LOVE it! I seriously feel like it's a candy store when I go there. Every spring and fall I plan to spend about $100-120, but what I get in return is AMAZING! There is no way on that much I could get what I come home with. Last spring I got 10 dresses for both girls, 4-8 capri pants, 6 shirts- the shirts in the spring aren't as nice as the winter-, 3 pairs of shoes, books, toys. And that was less than other times. I got a crib and dresser Bassett furniture set for $350. They were normally $350 for one. I go right before the doors open, it really is fun! This is one of the ways I save money that is a blast to do. It's boring and stressful and frustrating to do it retail. But when I am paying $2 for jeans with very little wear in them, how could I be stressed?! And they only take the best stuff.

3. Painting.
I am so happy to be taking art lessons again. I have missed it. I paint more now because I am going. My art teacher is wonderful. He is 78 and such a sweet guy. He inspires everyone, make all of us feel that we are wonderful artists. He is kind to everyone and I just can't say enough about his character. This week I am putting another piece in my state fair. I have put about 5 things in and had 3 ribbons, 1 7th place and 2 4th place ribbons.


4. Ice cream. I love moose tracks ice cream. Right now the best kind is Private Selection brand. However, I am avoiding it like the plague it is what with 23% of saturated fat, no WAY! But it is sinfully good and gluten-free! So my chubby middle? Yes, that comes from my chocolate and ice cream LOVE.


5. Reading. I love to read. I have been reading the best things recently. I have really liked having this time to expand my mind and I love that Emily is reading everything she can get her hands on. She is so cute. We went to the library and I am specifically trying to gently push her out of her comfort zone. She is getting nervous about talking to people she doesn't know recently. So I had her go up to the librarian and ask for the Frog and Toad books. She has 2 of them and loves them and wanted to read the others.

5 comments:

Heather the Mama Duk said...

Not having TV helps avoid the politics stuff. Amusingly my MIL in IRELAND tells us a lot of what's going on in politics. It's weird for me, too, since I probably should have majored in political science instead of nursing.

And I hear you on hating ants. We have all these teeny tiny ants invade our house every summer. Everyone has them around here. I hate them.

And I need to go to a thrift store. Love them, too! And my kids need clothes. Cameron just grew 1/2" and outgrew everything that otherwise would have fit him this fall. At least that happened BEFORE I went shopping and not after!

The Kooky Queen--Rachel said...

Ohhh...moose tracks sounds really good right now. I must say, it sucks not having a house but at lease I have no ants, haha :)

Maren said...

I hate dishes too!! And I just finished a bowl of ice cream (today wasn't the best of days). Isn't ice cream just great!

Bethany said...

Okay I hear you about ants. I am not big on sprays but her in Ohio we live on an ant hill. I mean you open you dishwasher and the ants come marching out. Well my friend recommended this stuff and it is the ONLY thing that I can get to work. It doesn't smell and only requires that you spray about every 6-7 weeks. It is Ortho's Home Defense. I bought a big bottle at Sam's last year and used it, but this year I have only had to spray about 3 times. GOOD LUCK!

jugglingpaynes said...

I think I can help you with the ants, at least. Peppermint essential oil is great for keeping them away. Bonus: The scent soothes the stomach and helps with migraines. I usually use it when I mop if there are ants about and they disappear in a few days. If you can't get it, try figuring out where they are coming in and draw a chalk line in front of it. For some odd reason they won't cross a chalk line. Perhaps they don't like challenges. ;oD

Peace and Laughter!