Men are from Mars and Women are pretty.

Mike and I often find ourselves plotting our future home.
Land.
Solitude.
Room to play.
We get excited as though money is no object. The conversations go a bit like this...

She: A big basin sink! With butcher-block counters!!!

He: A giant flat screen! Linked to the computer, linked to the game system, linked to my phone...

She: A big back porch! With charming rocking chairs for sunset admiring. Awe!

He: A shooting range... right off the back porch!

She: A guest cottage, with cute rustic bunkbeds!

He: A paintball field, with bunkers!

She: Cobblestone walkways! to the house, to the garden, to the guest cottage...

He: UNDERGROUND TUNNELS!! to the workshop, to the bunkers, to the blast-resistant fallout shelter!!

Cool place, eh?

I inherited my obsession with homes and home plans from my mom. At 16 I had dozens of house plan magazines tucked under my bed. I would consult with mom about plans I liked and how I would change them. (Always careful to mark the changes in pencil, of course.) Now I have become a self-proclaimed architect with my floorplan computer programs. Wanna see my current dream plan? (It changes every year-or-so)

(That's a half-wall separating the kitchen and family room)

As you can see, with this plan I have captured the country feel with dormer windows, a stunning stone fireplace, and an easy flow out the back- where you will be welcomed onto a large porch, perfect for those hot summer evenings. heeheehee!!

So who knows, maybe someday these plans will become a reality. And while I'm shopping for claw-foot tubs and bird houses, Mike will be gathering monster-truck tires for his paintball field... Aren't we fun??

(Meanwhile, we are very blessed in our warm and comfy home-sweet-home.)

There's ice-cream in the freezer...

The noisy wind kept us up during the night and the rain has kept us indoors all day. Therefore it's been a day of naps
and books
and tickles
and movies
and chores
and jumping on the bed
and more naps.
(and munching)
Speaking of...
My sis-in-law and I were talking the other day about "escaping" into good books and movies. So where do I escape? Here: A bit here:And here:These seem to be common threads with the gals. When I meet a fellow "closet-romantic" who hasn't heard of any one of these I'm immediately squealing and insisting... I bet it's pretty annoying actually. (I'm yet to read "Wives and Daughters", but it's on my list.)

If you were to ask Mike where he escapes it would be here:here:and here:(Mike will gush over his without the high-pitched squealing.)

So what came from netflix today? (sigh)
It's been a while since a truly GREAT movie has come out. (Mike has high hopes for "Clash of the Titans.)

But the glass is half full because at least it's better than the kids' "escapes"...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Mike and I were talking after a particularly chaotic day and decided that when we turn 70 it's nothing but TV and doughnuts forever more. How's that for aspirations? Though I may have to add in all the books that I keep talking about reading...

Am I forgetting any FANTASTIC escapes?
(Yes, I'm opening the flood-gates.)
(And yes I've got many others on my list: The Education of Little Tree, Jane Eyre, anything Jane Austen, anything Lynne Austen, Seinfeld...)

My dad'll like this one...

Two guys walk into a bar. You'd think one of them would have seen it.
--Daniel Lybra

Stephen Colbert-
We invited Mother Teresa to respond to these charges.
Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy.
--George Carlin

“I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult.”
Rita Rudner
Happy Sunday everybody.

What have we here?

Not to play favorites but I was digging through old pictures on the computer and found some Brenda moments that I just had to share. (She just gives me SO much material.)
Here's Brenda, last summer, in her homemade, above-ground pool:And here she decided that Garret's room needed a TV:
And here is Pirate-Brenda, and Bozo-Brenda:
Yes, these were ALL HER. I only took pictures.
But don't be fooled by this little sweetheart. With this delightful imagination comes grief as she is currently in time-out for using toothpaste to give the living room lampshade a "face". (Oh DARN IT. I should've gotten a picture of that!!)

$ for the advertising??

Today the kids enjoyed the beach. Garret found a nook where he could laugh at the sand in private. Brenda buried herself. Suzie "babysat" her cousin. And I frolicked.

Now, I love my kids. And seeing them enjoy the beautiful Oregon coast made my heart swell. But I have to say that my favorite part of the trip just might be this...

Can money buy happiness? For about 3 bucks, it's pretty dang close.

And while I'm talking about things that make me smile I want to say THANK YOU for the comments. (I gauge my self-worth on those treasures.) It's awkward not being able to respond like on facebook so...
Sara- I checked out "knock off wood", drooled for a while and decided to start with the picnic table. Want to try together?
Su- Here's my question- What is this awesomely rustic background doing with a "shabby-chic" brand name?? But I actually do like old. Just not "Hi, I'm pretending to be old.".
Mom- Good to know I've got groupies! -specially when they're cool ones.

...Should I leave responses in the comment box? Do people come back and check? What is the proper blog etiquette?
"I need to know. I need to know. Tell me, baby girl, 'cause I need to know..."

My craftiness continues...

Here's the before-Here's the after-All for $4. I like it OK, but here's the problem- I've realized I don't really like the "looks-old-on-purpose" look, AND it's "shabby-chic" while I am more "rustic-contemporary". So what do I do with it? Do a giveaway? Many blogs that I follow do giveaways and I am yet to win. So to send good-luck vibes out to the web world I will give it away! I don't want to pay shipping (moan from the croud). Better stay local. If this is JUST WHAT YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR let me know! And don't worry, if nobody wants it I won't be discouraged on my quest for craftiness. You know, 'cause the stats of Babe Ruth's strike-outs, or somethin'...

And here's another quote by Mitch Hedberg-
"I opened-up a yogurt, underneath the lid it said, "Please try again." because they were having a contest that I was unaware of. I thought maybe I opened the yogurt wrong. ...Or maybe Yoplait was trying to inspire me... "Come on Mitchell, don't give up!" An inspirational message from your friends at Yoplait, fruit on the bottom, hope on top.”