Wordless Wednesday-Hanging Out

Random Tuesday Thoughts

Life has been absolutely crazy for the past couple of weeks. I was so sick last week and I'm still getting over that. I'm in hell now because the hubby and daughter are sick.

Can someone tell me why men cannot handle being sick? I would much rather be sick than deal with him being sick.

Abby, of course, is really grouchy too. Yesterday I needed to run up to the store and she gets mad because I won't let her go. She says, "That's no way to treat a sick child!"

I'm slightly irritated that my OB office is asking me to pay a $500 deposit on my care, even though my insurance pays 100%. They don't bill insurance until after the birth for everything. I'm tempted to find another OB.

I'm really craving a yummy potato soup, with lots of cheese. Comfort food.

Spring can't get here fast enough for me. I so sick of cold weather that I wish I could just retreat into a cave somewhere until the temperature gets above 60 degrees. At least daylight savings is coming in a couple of weeks.

Today's Oscar Movies

Here is the lineup for today and tomorrow on TCM. I'm a little late so I've missed a couple for today. Enjoy!

Monday Feb. 23rd - Agriculture Dept.
Soil Fertility
9:15 a.m. Eastern: The Good Earth (1937)

Ranch Managment
11:45 a.m. Eastern: Duel in the Sun (1946)
2:15 p.m. Eastern: The Sheepman (1958)
3:45 p.m. Eastern: San Antonio (1945)
5:45 p.m. Eastern: Arizona (1940)

Farm Planning and Managment
8:00 p.m. Eastern: The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941)
10:00 p.m. Eastern: East of Eden (1995)
12:15 a.m. Eastern: Sounder (1972)
2:15 a.m. Eastern: The Southerner (1945)
4:00 a.m. Eastern: The Hawaiians (1970)

Tuesday, Feb. 24th - Languages Dept.
Introduction to Italian
6:15 a.m. Eastern: Two Women (1960)
8:00 a.m. Eastern: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1953)
10:00 a.m. Eastern: The Four Days of Naples (1963)

Intermediate French
12:15 p.m. Eastern: Mr. Hulot's Holiday (1953)
1:45 p.m. Eastern: The 400 Blows (1959)
3:45 p.m. Eastern: Au Revoir Les Enfants (1987)
5:45 p.m. Eastern: Gervaise (1956)

Advanced Japanese
8:00 p.m. Eastern The Burmese Harp (1956)
10:00 p.m. Eastern Rashomon (1950)
11:30 p.m. Eastern Seven Samurai (1954)
3:00 a.m. Eastern Kwaidan (1964)

More Oscar Movies

As mentioned in this post, I plan to post the movie lineups through the end of TCM's 31 Days of Oscar event.

Sunday, Feb. 22nd - Theatre and Drama Department

Theatre Production
6:45 a.m. Eastern: The Country Girl (1954)
8:45 a.m. Eastern: The Band Wagon (1953)
10:45 a.m. Eastern: The Producers (1968)

Introduction to Screenwriting
12:15 p.m. Eastern: The Pumpkin Eater (1964)
2:15 p.m. Eastern: Susan Slept Here (1954)
4:00 p.m. Eastern: Sunset Boulevard (1950)
6:00 p.m. Eastern: The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)

Acting 101
8:00 p.m. Eastern: Stage Door (1937)
9:30 p.m. Eastern: The Dresser (1993)
11:45 p.m. Eastern: A Star is Born (1937)
1:45 a.m. Eastern Mephisto (1982)

Illness and Awards

Interesting combo, huh? I'm so behind on lots of things that I need to get done because I was totally out of commission this past week. I started with a cough on Monday. I woke up Tuesday with no voice and not feeling well but decided to go to work anyway. Bad decision. I ended up driving myself to the hospital after leaving work because I felt like I was going to pass out and didn't feel right. Being pregnant, I wanted to make sure my blood pressure was alright. It was, but my lungs didn't sound so good so they got a chest x-ray to rule out pneumonia. No pneumonia, but an acute bronchitis and sinus infection. I had to get a breathing treatment and then they sent me home. I was completely useless Wednesday and Thursday. Friday I felt better through the day and today I feel much better. I haven't been that sick in long time. I had a headache for 4 days straight and couldn't take any good drugs.

I've had several awards passed to me and wanted to express my appreciation and pass them on to others.

The first is the Lemonade Award. It was passed to me by the Garden Gnome at Mom's Cafe Home Cooking. I love her blog. She's got great recipes and tips for the kitchen. Please take a look around her blog. You're sure to find some useful information.

Here are the instructions for the Lemonade Award:
1.Put the logo on your blog or post.
2.Nominate at least 10 blogs that show attitude and/or gratitude.
3.Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4.Let them know they have received this award by commenting on a post.
5.Nominate your favorites and link to this blog.

And the nominees are:
1. Sunflower Seeds
2. Memories of You
3. Small Town Mommy
4. Cool Dad Central
5. Is It Bedtime Yet?
6. The Painted Veil
7. Caregiving Daughter
8. Household Six
9. Spices of Life
10. My Heartvoice

I also received several awards from Duni at Lovely Purses. She hails from Germany and her blog is really cute. She's too sweet and passed the following awards along to me:







I'm just going to pick out a couple of blogs to pass these last three on to because this post is getting a little lengthy to say the least.

1. The Story of a Princess and Her Hair gives me inspiration that maybe I can do more than put a ponytail in my daughter's hair.
2. Madre Gear has great posts about lots of products out there these days for out little ones.

TCM's 31 Days of Oscar

I feel horrible, because I had every intention of posting this information last weekend. I got sick, which I'll talk about in my next post, and this didn't get posted. I guess it's better late than never, and you still have the opportunity to catch a ton of great movies.

I really love a good movie. It seems like these days they just don't make them like they used to, although that occasional movie is released that is sure to be a classic. I'm sure you all know that the Oscar's are coming up this Sunday. In honor of the Oscars's, Turner Classic Movies is hosting 31 Days of Oscar. They's also come up with a very creative way of presenting these movies this year. It's like you're going back to college. Each day focuses on a specific department. For example, today's department is the Philosophy Department with subjects such as Morality and War. Tomorrow the department will be the American History Department. Pretty cool, huh?

The host TCM is Robert Osborne, and I was lucky enough to participate in a conference call with him. He is such an interesting man who clearly has a great love for classic movies. He also has a ton of knowledge about movies, and I really enjoyed hearing his take on the Oscar's this year. He said that there are some great movies out this year, but he feels Slumdog Millionaire will probably take best picture.

The 31 Days of Oscar goes on through March 3rd. I'm going to post the schedule for the next couple of days. Take a look at these awesome movies and pick out a few to DVR or put on your schedule to watch. I'll continue to post on the schedule through the rest of the event. Don't forget TCM always has terrific programming, no matter what time of year. Gather your children, and expose them to some great films.

Friday, Feb. 20th - PHILOSOPHY DEPT

Morality and War
10:30 a.m. Eastern: The Battle of Algiers (1965)
12:45 p.m. Eastern: Above and Beyond (1952)
3:00 p.m. Eastern: Friendly Persuasion (1956)
5:30 p.m. Eastern: Sergeant York ( 1941)

Contemporary Moral Issues
8:00 p.m. Eastern: Alfie (1960)
10:00 p.m. Eastern: The Conversation (1974)
12:00 a.m. Eastern: The Graduate (1967)
2:00 a.m Eastern: I Want to Live (1958)


Saturday, Feb. 21st - American History Department

American Military Heroes
4:30 a.m. Eastern: The Alamo (1960)
8:00 a.m. Eastern: Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)

The American Civil War
10:30 a.m. Eastern: Raintree County (1957)
1:30 p.m. Eastern: Gone With the Wind (1939)
5:30 p.m. Eastern: Glory (1989)

The Pacific Campaign in World War II
8:00 p.m. Eastern: From Here to Eternity (1953)
10:15 p.m. Eastern: They Were Expendable (1945)
12:45 a.m. Eastern: Destination Tokyo (1943)
3:15 a.m. Eastern: Torpedo Run (1958)
5:00 a.m. Eastern: Bombardier (1943)

Great tips and a blog makeover!

Diana at Custom Blog Designs is celebrating her blog's 1st birthday this week! She's got lots of fun stuff planned, including daily tips and a blog makeover. Her first tip this week teaches you how to back up your blog template. If you need a blog makeover, she's also giving away one of those. Check out how to enter!

The monitor will stay on for now

In a previous post, I mentioned the fear I have of turning off the monitor to my 5 year old daughter's room. Her bedroom is on the opposite end of the house, so I wouldn't hear her scream if there was a problem. She has nightmares occasionally and she'll sit up in bed and cry. It also scares me to think someone could come and take her from her own house. I know the chances are small, but it could happen. Now it looks like it may have happened in Florida. This girl is the same age as Abby. I know some are judging these people because of their circumstances, but the police are reporting they think the girl was abducted. I just cannot imagine the desperation of not knowing where your child is. There was one time when Abby hid from me after dance class while I was getting her things together. I did start to panic and my heart started racing because I couldn't find her. I found her after about 1 minute hiding behind a door with a big grin on her face. I just don't know how you live your life not knowing where your child is. I pray for this little girl.

Smooth Away Review

Although necessary, shaving is not something I enjoy or look forward to doing. I jumped at the opportunity to try something different for hair removal. Most of us have seen the commercial for a product called Smooth Away. The concept is simple. A special applicator is rubbed onto the skin, and is supposed to remove the hair. It leaves the skin smooth, and over time the hair grows back finer.

The package I received included a travel case, large and small applicators, and large and small flex-crystal pads. The pads have adhesive backings and so they can be applied to the applicator to be used. I did receive several of the large and small pads. The directions say that skin should be prepared by washing and drying, and to be sure there are no creams or lotions on the skin. It also says for the product to work best, the hair should be no longer than 1/4" long. I also received a lotion that is used to inhibit hair growth.

The directions state that you should use the large applicator on areas such as legs and forearms. I used mine on both. You are to gently buff the area in circular motions with slight pressure. You are to go clockwise 3 times in one area, and then counter clockwise 3 times in the same area. You should repeat until all of the hair is removed.

Results: It works!
I must say I wasn't really expecting much. I picked an area on my forearm. I did the circular rubbing a couple of times and didn't see much difference. The directions say to repeat until hair is removed, so I just kept with the 3 clockwise and then 3 counter clockwise motions. After about 4 sets of those, most of the hair where I was rubbing was gone and the skin did feel smooth. I did have to apply a good amount of pressure, but it wasn't painful. I used it on an area on my legs with similar results. I don't really have problems with hair on my face, so I did not use the smaller applicator. I also did not use the lotion, only because I'm pregnant and didn't want to put extra chemicals on my skin. I'm not sure if this is something I'll use regularly because I'm impatient and would probably just rather shave and be done with it. If the hair stays gone for awhile, though, it might definitely be something I'll use. I'll update this post at a later time regarding how long it takes for the hair to start growing back, and if it's something I'll continue to use.

This song takes me back....

I just heard this on the radio. I graduated high school in 1991 and this came out in 1990. Oh, the memories...

My New Look!

I'm totally loving my blog makeover. Diana at Custom Blog Designs did an awesome job. I love that it's bright and happy and she was able to incorporate my butterfly. I love that butterfly! I really recommend Diana if you need any work done on your blog.

Turning off the monitor

I heard someone talking the other day about turning off the monitor to their toddler's room. My Abby is 5, and I still use the monitor in her room. My husband was mentioning also that maybe we can stop using the monitor in her room, since we have the baby coming. I don't see myself doing that for a long time. There was a time when it wouldn't have crossed my mind that someone could come into my home and take my child. I think about Elizabeth Smart and think I will still be using the monitor when my daughter is 15. Anytime I hear a strange noise that I can't explain, I always go check on her. I can't help myself. I brought this up to hubby and his reply was, "Oh yeah, we're keeping the monitor in there."

Vera Bradley 10% off sale items

If you click on the individual items, some of the retired patterns are actually cheaper than the mentioned sale price. So click each pattern to see if it's cheaper than the one shown.

Movie Review of Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story

As stated in my previous post. I received a copy of Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story and was asked to write a review. The movie premieres February 7th (tomorrow) at 8pm eastern on TNT. Because this movie stars Cuba Gooding Jr., I didn't have to be asked twice. He happens to be one of my favorite actors. He plays Dr. Ben Carson, who is currently the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Children's Center. The movie chronicles Ben Carson's childhood growing up without a father. His mom had difficulties with depression, but was determined that her children would have a better life and do well. Ben had difficulties in school and thought he was dumb, but his mother refused to let him fail. Throughout the movie, she continues to be a source of strength for him.

The movie is a great family movie. If you've got a child who strugges in school, this would be a great movie to watch together. It can be a great motivator to kids and parents alike. You see the struggles, but you also see that with very hard work those struggles and difficulties can be overcome. I recommend the movie. Don't forget to watch tomorrow night at 8pm eastern on TNT.

Movie review tomorrow

I've received a copy of Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, which will be premiering on TNT February 7th at 8pm eastern. Cuba Gooding Jr. and Kimberly Elise star in the movie, which is based on the true story of Dr. Benjamin S. Carson. Dr. Carson overcame many obstacles, with the help of his mother, and eventually became the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Children's Center. I plan to post my review in the morning, so make sure you check back for my comments on the movie.

Does this look like an inch of snow?

Well about an inch of snow is what all the forecasters were predicting with folks to the south getting a little more. I go to work and it starts snowing. Then, the forecasters say looks like maybe 2-4 inches. You know how much I ended up with at my house? Uhm....10 inches!! After the snow and ice from last week plus this, I'm soooooo ready for spring. Bring on the hot weather. I wanna sweat! Take a look at my pics of the "one inch" of snow. Today is my birthday and I'm grumpy.

I'm getting a new look and clean carpets!

So, I've been eyeing the great work that Diana does over at Custom Blog Designs for several months. For some reason, it's hard for me to spend money on myself. Well, I decided that I would splurge on a couple of things for myself. One was a blog makeover by Diana. You have no idea how excited I am. This boring look will soon be gone. She's got a lot of people getting makeovers, so it will probably be next week sometime. It's like waiting for Christmas!

What's the other thing I splurged on you ask? I ordered myself a Dyson Animal vacuum. My vacuum just cannot keep up with my huge English Mastiff's hair. I've never seen a dog shed so much.