writer's workshop: Pinterest Advice that Really Works!

This is Maggie.  She's my #1 Tortie love bug.

Maggie wasn't feeling well.

She kept throwing up bile and foam.

She was being not Maggie like.

Maggie had a hairball she couldn't quite cough up.

She was still eating and drinking.

I Pinterested "Cat Hairball Remedies"

and pumpkin was the prevalent one.

You mix the canned pumpkin with the canned cat food.

I have never seen her jump up so quickly to eat, especially from

her few days as not feeling well kitty.

Two days of the pumpkin/cat food diet and she is back to norm.

Puking and pooping hairballs as she should.

Pumpkin actually has health benefits for the meows, so we will make

it a regular part of her diet since she is upping in the age department.

So, thank you Pinterest!  You have made my cat a much happier meow!

P.S.  My Pinterest got hacked today!  Why would someone hack a Pinterest account?!  Seriously?!? 

fam: Violett is Three!

My little niece is three!

We celebrated at Chuck E Cheese.

She mostly just ate the toppings off the pizza and some of us adults

enjoyed cheese pizza.

She had a cupcake cake!  What a cool idea.

Cupcakes put together to look like a cake.

Super easy to hand out.

Blowing out the three candle.

Opening the presents.

She got a book and an adorable robe.

She wanted to wear the robe around Chuck E Cheese, but

it didn't happen.

The clown toss game.

I love this game.

We played it a lot.

This Chuck E Cheese still had the old school

band playing.

I didn't know they still had a stage like that.

My mom and Scarlett trying to pick out a prize.

This lasted like two seconds.

Thanksgiving Inspired Posts: How was your holiday?

Hey kitten!  Whatcha see out there?

My little bit of décor.  Pumpkins and Turkey!

My pumpkin cheesecake filling.  It was good.
I would give you the recipe, but I don't know it.  I just put stuff in a bowl
and mix it up!

Peyton and the meows.

This was gone in two seconds.

My cranberry/horseradish dip.
The recipe is on my Instagram page.
Check it out and try it. 
Let me know what you think.

Violett and the Guineas

Soooo much food!

Welcome to our table

The kids "table".  I think they were watching the Descendants.

View from my seat.

And they all passed out.

Thanksgiving Miracle!

Thanksgiving Inspired Posts: My Thankful List

There is always so much to be thankful for, even when you think things are at their worse, which they aren't.


So here's my short list:

• My family.  That's an easy one.  We are strong but mighty and I wouldn't have made it without them.
• Subset of family: My children.  I am happy to have them all at my home again.  My oldest had lived with his dad for a while, but now he's back!  yay!
• Having only two classes left in my Masters program.  Almost there!
• I have a job that I enjoy.
• The Roller Derbs.  It keeps me going.

What are you thankful for?  What keeps you going?

Thanksgiving Inspired Post: liquid consumption of the adult kind

Apple Cider Mimosas
This is the absolute easiest drink to make and it's yummy.
I would have never thought to make a mimosa with apple cider.
Cheap champagne works the best for mimosas.
Andre's is around $6 a bottle.
I used brown sugar and white sugar mixed together for the rim of the glass.
I used this lovely big glass because I had given my smaller champagne glasses for my mother and sister.
Try it out and let me know how you feel.

Thanksgiving Inspired Posts: Who I am inviting to Thanksgiving....

Seven People I would invite to my Thanksgiving Dinner

I’m going to do a weeks’ worth of Thanksgiving Inspired posts. 

My first post is going to be who I would invite the Thanksgiving Dinner.  This can be anyone: living, deceased, fictional, whomever you want, you could even invite a unicorn if you would like (I don’t know how great of a conversationalist they would be though)

1. My grandmother.  She passed away in 2003 and I would love to have just one more Thanksgiving with her.  I have so much to catch her up on.  I mean, fourteen years’ worth of things!
2. Dr. John Carter – you know from ER.  Actually, I would like him to invite me to his lavish Thanksgiving feast. 
3. Greg Holland and Wade Davis – even though they are no longer Royals Pitchers, I would still love to have them for dinner.
4. Walt Disney
5. Gregor Mendel  -- a discussion of genetics will have to take place
6. Steve Kazee 
7. The Smacktavist – an amazing roller derby athlete!  I would love to have them at my dinner table and learn all the derby things.

Who would you like at your dinner table?  I tried to throw a fictional character in there.  Which fictional character would you enjoy a conversation with?

Recognition

The North Kansas City Fire Station #1 recognized the girls for staining the Fire Station deck this past summer.  The ceremony included all the new Firefighters getting their pins and promotions of Fire Fighters already working there.  The girls were the only community people recognized during the ceremony.

The certificate is nice.
It's at my home now.
Not sure what I should do with it.

writers workshop: five things

5 Things You Don’t Know About Me

• I only have 3 papers, one test and a work sample before my Masters is complete.  People don’t know this, since I just passed my high stakes exam yesterday and that was my big class to pass. 
• My exact stance on political items.  If you know me, you can probably guess, but I don’t talk about things.
• I have a Monster problem.  Not really a problem for me.  Because I love the stuff.
• I hate having to ask people if they are registered voters while I’m at work.  Some people are nasty about it when they answer.  I have to ask, Missouri got sued previously because we were not asking. 
• I have a big beautiful bruise on the side of my thigh.  Nobody knows this about me because they can’t see it.  I do have a picture though.

5 Things I’m Knowledgeable About

• Missouri Family Support policy and procedure and all the Federal mumbo jumbo that goes along with it.  I’m good at my job.
• Biology Education
• Baking and Inventing new Recipes
• Planning vacations and road trips.
• Target.  I know where all the things are.

5 Things I know Nothing About

• Cutting a Turkey
• Saving money
• Hunting
• MCLs
• Why some people are just asses.

5 Things I Believe

• All people are good people until you prove me wrong.
• I trust people until they prove to me that they can’t be trusted.
• Hard work does pay off. 
• People can change their circumstances for the better, but sometimes it’s just easier the other way.
• Cats are the best animals in the world.

a few throw back pictures...

Last year, we were in Texas fighting for the MADE Championship title.

My first year of Daisy Scouts.  I barely recognized some of the girls in the pictures.

I barely recognized my own daughter.

Only two girls from our original troop remain.

This was eight years ago.

sleeping children

Alli.

Tanner.

Peyton.

Veteran's Day

My friend, Sue, has been trying to get me to go paint with her for the longest time.

She goes to this place called Blanc Palette.  It is at the square in Liberty, Missouri and is a convert bank.

They use a bank vault for lockers and for keeping all their supplies

Sue getting us some wine.

They take care of all the supplies.

And we did these awesome palette paintings of flags.

I did mine with dabbing and made the paint thick because the texture looked cool.

Sue did the Police flag one since she was a former police officer. 

Here's my flag.

I have a place I want to put it in my home.

Thank you to all the Veteran's in my life.

My grandfather who served in the Army during the Korean War.

My sister and my Brother in Law.

new kitteh

What do you do on a Friday night?  Get a new kitteh, of course!

Great Plains SPCA had fees waived for Black Cats and Kittens.

Tanner and I went and had dinner then I suggested that we go to the shelter and look at the cats.

Tanner had been wanting a cat for a very long time.

He had one he was looking at, but we couldn't find her when we went back to the shelter.

We spent about 1.5 hours looking at cats and kittens, testing them out.

Tanner decided on this little bit of joy.

His name is Jager.  Jager means hunter in German.

My kitteh sitting.  Tanner ran to the gas station.

I couldn't find the kitten!   I seriously spent so long looking for him.