Sterling

So we decide its time to go west! We got ready the night before with Maps spreadout, TOMTOM in hand to program our destinations, and made ourselves a picnic lunch for the trip. We decided on Sterling castle and the Wallace Monument (remember Braveheart the movie?) and then a different route home that would take us to through Culross.

We actually did very well driving-- no mishaps or missed turns! With guidebooks in hand as we went through Dollar we decided to make a quick stop at Campbell Castle. Well worth it! although the hill to get to the castle was a killer. It was down hill (kinda strange that the castle would be downhill) which wasn't bad until it was time to leave... I seriously thought we might not make it back up to the car. The view was extroidinary from the castle. And the small gardens beautiful. There was actually "indoor" plumbing at this castle as well. Something we had not seen nor thought about in Edinburgh.

On to Sterling! While we were looking for the castle we stumbled upon the Wallace Monument. So we changed gears and went there first. We were happy to see that they had a free shuttle service to the top of the knoll where the monument stood! And gladly waited the few minutes until they were ready to go.

Once to the top we were greeted with 226 circular steps up a tower! Again I was wondering how I became so unfit. Luckily every 80 steps or so there was a landing with a room with historical information or old artifacts. The prize of making it to the top once again was a remarkable view. From there we could see the Sterling Castle as well as a few other very stately homes and countryside that went on and on.

The trip down was much easier than going up-- unfortunatley the shuttle driver decided it was lunch and we had to do the trek down the hill. Not too bad.... but we did take our time.

We finally made our way to Sterling Castle--What a remarkable place and it was HUGE!! They are doing alot of archiological work there trying to put together the history like puzzle peices. And in every room there were plaques that showed what they were doing, what they had found and what questions their new finds had brought to light. In so many places the castle had been built and then remodeled over the years and as they slowly reconstructed the spaces they found painted walls, trusses that didn't match evidence of old stairways etc. It was all very interesting and added alot to the history we were learning.

We had decided to take a different way home. I had read about Culross-- supposed to be a lovely little painted town. So we meandered our way there. But it was getting close to 5:00 which in Scotland seems to be closing time. When we got to the town while it was pretty-- we weren't sure why we were there... we couldn't seem to find what the guide book described. So we parked and took a walk. We did stumble across a community garden which we took time to amble through-- being the end of the season most of the plants were on their last legs but we could imagine how lovely it must have been just weeks before. Finding nothing else in town we decided it was time to head home... and find another grocery store. It took us a few trys to find something that looked like a real store. The first two while marked SUPERMARKET didn't seem much more than a glorified 7-11-- we question where people buy food in Scotland more than once. With the aid of our TOMTOM we finally found a large TESCO-- seems they do not slice cheese in the deli??? and in the dairy section we had to look long and hard before we found cheese sliced (1 package)-- it was definately an experience seeing all the different items they offered that we had never heard of before.

I end with a roundabout--

Day 3-
It was a slow start—we had great plans of waking up early that just didn’t take place. Instead we took our time, made breakfast and muddled around in the morning. Watched alittle BBC on the tv—now that has got to be TV at its worst. The comedy is sad—you laugh not because its funny but because its stupid. But it was interesting to see the shows we watch here at home in their original fomat… Dancing with the Stars—they call it strickly dancing… and apparently take it seriously as it was also mentioned for about 10 minutes on the news the next day… and Deal or no deal… they have that too.. just different hosts.. again it was interesting.
When we did leave the house it was to take David and Ruth back to the airport… but not before we hit the rental place up for a new car and GPS.. GPS (TOMTOM) gave Mike and I a new freedom to drive without getting lost. One less thing to worry about while driving on the wrong side of the rode sitting on the wrong side of the car. Even as a passenger I found it hard to sit there… I am used to holding on for dear life with my right hand… but not in Scotland.. I had to use the left hand… or as I ended up doing holding on to the back of Mikes seat with my right hand and clutching the door with my left.
After dropping everyone off at the airport, we ventured into Edinburgh. Found ourselves at Pay and Park (parking garage) and walked up the hill to the castle. We learned during our week in Scotland that to get to a castle always meant there would be walking and hills involved. Lets just say I can still feel the back of my legs today…But the view from the top was spectacular. The castle was wonderful lots of old architecture amazing carvings and a lot of history that we knew nothing about. I was impressed that anyone could live there the cold stone even on a nice day kept the castle cool— The Scottish love their dogs—and even within the castle walls there was a cemetery for dogs. Impressive that way back then they were held in such high regard.

We're Back! And a recap of Day 1& 2

For anyone who says
vacationing is nice but its good to be home hasn't vacationed like we have this year... I am still very excited by our trip to Alaska and now coming home from Scotland I have another spot to add to my favorite places list. To say that Scotland is a beautiful place is an understatement. The scenery everyday was amazing to say the least. So glad we decided to go!

Our trip started out as most do...Heading to the airport-- Corey and Amanda dropped us off at Dulles Airport-- with a few hours to kill before our 11:10pm flight we ate dinner and met another couple who would be on our plane going both to and from London. They were as excited as we were and on the way home last night it was fun to compare notes.

Seven hours to Heathrow-- no problems navigating the London Airport and then another hour and half flight to Edinburgh-- which turned out to be a very small airport. We arrived tired-- the plan of sleeping on the plane didn't work so well-- we picked up our rental car-- a VW Jetta-- Mike made a last minute decision to go for an automatic-- turned out this was a good choice. We never thought driving would be so hard. Sitting on the right side of the car and driving on the left side of road was TOUGH--
and navigating around "the roundabouts" was like being in a maze. To make matters worse our directions to the Kilconquhar (pronounced Kilcar) seemed great in the US but once on the road we didn't understand the signs, the route markings or even the road signage (hello what does a zig zag mean painted on the road????) We found the (yes the one and only) main highway (motorway for those of you who speak scottish!)Which would take us over the Fourth Bridge (a very LARGE bridge)to the Kingdom of Fife. We sat in lots of traffic... excuse me... we were queing... (thats what they call sitting in traffic waiting your turn) which I can tell you I actually liked. Never thought I would say that but hey it meant we weren't moving which meant I wasn't holding on for dear life! Once over the bridge we followed our directions which we learned later were the longest way possible-- and promptly went through two roundabouts and then blew 2 tires!!! YES TWO!! on the left side of the car... which initially we thought could have been the result of the few curbs we hit on the way... but upon further inspection the damage was from the inside of the tire... now we are sitting precariously on a two lane road (right after a bend in the road) with no where to pull off... and did I mention we had no idea where we were???? Mike pulled the car up alittle bit and got as close to the curb as he could so people could go past... Luckily we had a cell phone-- and learned through trial and error how to dial the emergency number they provided. This was where it got funny. They asked us where we were.... hello we just got off the plane an hour ago we don't know... somewhere on the A921 right after the bridge... after alot of questions registration number please (which turns out is actually your licence plate) and postal code????? how would we know??? they said someone would be there in 90 minutes! we decided for safety that we would get out of the car and stand on the small grass strip and wait... and wait... no one stopped... and no one hit us... finally after 2 hours a man in a van marked RAC (think AAA) drove the opposite direction and turned around to ask if we needed help. He wasn't from the car rental place but he was nice enough to talk to them on the phone, arrange for a tow truck and sit with us for about 30 minutes. (him talking on the phone was a good thing because if you think they speak english like we do you are mistaken... the accent and choice of words makes communicating alittle tough!) when he left it was now dark and we were still waiting... finally a flatbed truck arrived with a nice fellow who loaded up our car and took us to the castle. The plan was to deposit us there and they would send someone out in the morning with two new tires-- and amazingly that is what happened.
Now during this ordeal David and Ruth had made their way to Kilconquhar Castle and were waiting for us. At 9pm we arrived and met them in the pub (which stopped serving dinner at 9PM)David ordered us food at the last minute so when we arrived it was actually being brought to the table! talk about good timing! It was great to see familiar faces-- David promised us that driving would get easier... and in the end he was right... we just had a slow learning curve.
After dinner we went on to our cottage.. seemed we wouldn't be actually staying in the castle. The cottage was like a little house. They had them spread out throughout the grounds of the castle. It was a 3 bedroom, 3 bath with a kitchen, living and dining room... WOW very big space for just us.

Day 2- We didn't wake up very early which would be a pattern we repeated all week. But once up we hit the road to go to St. Andrews (Home of golf)--Mike drove with David navigating. Ruth and I in the back seat... it was a wonderful drive along the Firth of Forth (which is like a bay going out to the North Sea) Lots of small little towns dotted the countryside which we would later figure out is the way the whole country is. Once we arrived we parked the car and walked the town. Tiny cobblestone streets with the most amazing architecture. This was what we came to see. The weather was wonderful bright and sunny. We made our way down to the ocean-- there sat St Andrews Castle (or what was left of it)

Walking further down the street was (along the coast) was the cathedral (again what was left of it) we went inside the metal gate and strolled through the cemetery. We all took off in different directions looking for the oldest headstones. It was beautiful. The carvings that remained were unbelievable.

We wandered the streets, found a cafe for lunch and wandered our way over to the golf course... St. Andrews the home of golf.. a mecca for anyone who has an interest in the game. (unfortunately none of us actually plays) And once there we found out that the Dunhill Tournament was taking place. It was Saturday so there was no admission to go stand and watch... we took advantage and found ourselves at the 18th hole. Cue polite golf applause! I was fascinated to see the people sitting in the stands and lining the golf course. I had seen these tournaments on TV--but never actually had been to one.
Now I can say I was there! We took time for a few photo op's-- Mike was alittle disappointed he could not stand on the bridge.. but at least there was good reason... they were playing!!

What you see in the distance is the ocean.. yes right there... it was a wonderfully large sandy beach--We made our way across the golf course and went over to see the beach-- I had to stick my toe in the north sea!

Just to say I had.


We climbed around on the rocks at the point, saw swans swimming in the ocean! and finally made our way back to the car. Next stop-- Dundee and then on to Perth. We couldn't figure out Dundee... ended up crossing the River twice ( a toll bridge no less) and decided not to get out of the car. But with David navigating we found ourselves in Perth. Another City--small by our standards but large for Scotland. We parked the car and did some more walking. Just looking at the shops, the government building and the bridges. We eventually found a grocery store. Tessco-- a place that has food, and Alcohol. We purchased dinner and Rum from Cuba.. seems they don't partake in the embargo like we do here. Shopping in the grocery store was great fun... nothing looks the same. But as we found out it was tasty!! Cheese, butter, pasta, premade chicken Kiev all good stuff!! I saw a man in Kilt walking the grocery store which start out with my need to let everyone know the moment I saw one... yes I stalked the kilt wearing souls of Scotland. Of course this can be contagious and everyone got into the act... that and Bagpipes....
The ride home was long... and yes we got lost... many times-- but our spirits were high as we navigated the small little roads barely wide enough for one car nevertheless two-- as tired as we were we had no trouble staying up talking until 2am... we would pay for that in the morning.

To see all of Day 1-2 photos: click here

alittle shopping

I got out of the house today, alittle later than I thought because I was up at 3am for no reason at all and finally decided to catch up on some old episodes of Oprah.... needless to say when I crawled back into bed at 6am I was finally tired enought to sleep.. waking at 10am put me behind schedule for the day-- so I skipped vacumming and dusting the living room... and skipped putting out the fall decorations. I did make it out though and found a great travel purse/bag- great sale too-- more than 1/2 off. And I got it in Black... basic black always works right? I figure it will hold everything I could possibly need for a 12 hour journey across the Atlantic. Travel books, pillows, magazines,cameras, and snacks should all fit nicely and be stuffed into one bag rather than trying to worry about two carryons.
Alittle BBQ and Nascar today and my day was complete. Madison got a bath and Bonnie has been steering clear of me... me thinks she thinks she's next!

neighborly love

I've never complained about my neighbors-- certainly never complained out loud but 2 weeks ago I did the unthinkable I called the county on them... well not really them as they moved out and their former home is awaiting foreclosure. But after a year no grass cutting... and a year of misqueto's breeding like rabbits I had had enough... We had done some sleuthing first.. every time we saw someone over there we made a mad dash to quiz them.. seems the bank sends people over to bid on jobs (this place is a disaster and heavily mortgaged) but never actually hires anyone... but slowly we have accumulated phone numbers which Mike has no problem dialing and harrassing... and I yes I called the county... seems we aren't the only ones with issues... they have a whole department allocated to investigating tall grass, people who park junkers in their yard and who are creating unsightly messes in their yards.... not one to throw stones... as we can create our own Sanford and Son mess from time to time... and we have been known to let the grass go ankle high from time to time (although its usually a rain issue not a neglect issue) but seriously a year with mowing thats getting alittle outlandish even for us "patient" folks...
I actually would be happy to have some NICE neighbors... perhaps someone who loved to walk dogs when I was out of town... or who had a cup of sugar when I was in need.... I guess we will wait and see..

a good day

A good day-- nothing is better then coming home and being greeted with kisses and a wiggley butt-- Yes Madison met me at the car and the arrival ritual started before I got out of the car. Soo nice to have her visit. Ahh Mike must be pleased too as he had no problem coming home with presents for our girl... A new tennis football that squeeks!! the ultimate in gifts when it comes to Madison is anything that squeeks-- and of course treats for the greenie basket...
Bonnie is having no trouble reminding her who is boss.. a few quick snipes as she runs by at rapid speed... and amazingly she has her renewed interest in bones (for the last month she wouldn't chew on a bone if I paid her to) its nice to her energy level up even if its just for a few days. And Mr. Wiggles is in heaven... this cat has literally pranced back and forth in front of Madison and only runs to places that Madison can capture him. Who says cats and dogs can't be buddies?

And in other news I finished up with plans for a another VACATION!!! yes one is not enough... We are going to spend a few days vacationing with David in the UK-- tons of fun and what's even better is we have no idea what we are doing-- and I think I am going to keep it that way. Alittle mystic and spontinatity... gotta love turning in AE miles for tickets...

And finally while it WAS a good day...the morning started out alittle on the sad side... the scale was like a bad cartoon... if it could have bonked me on the head it would have... today it told me in no uncertain terms it was time to diet.... I welcome skinless chicken and green beans sans butter into my life again... I had to reach into the jeans closet to upgrade to a larger size this morning. Thank goodness Amanda and I save all the jeans we have outgrown or downsized from or I would have been in serious trouble... I figure if I can remain steadfast I can look mac and cheese in the face again around christmas... 10 weeks isn't that long??? is it?

The Inn, the game and the girls..

Parents weekend at Virginia Tech was alot of fun--and ohh so tiring... We started out the weekend on Friday night making the drive down to tech.. of course stopped for dinner which turned into a nightmare of hitting 2 burger kings because the Strausburg BK apparently hires those who won't ever be able to cope outside of the fast food world... let just say after 15 minutes I asked them " at what point is fast food not fast anymore" and the response... not a "I'm sorry" but instead "its not my fault I only take orders" after 25 minutes Mike decided to give everyone a nice lecture on teamwork and responsibility... the manager did refund our money asking if we still wanted our food! Again no apology or explaination... needless to say we left clutching our 13 dollars and 46 cents and drove 10 miles down the road to the next Burger King... gluttens for punishment??? nope they were quick and polite and we were that hungry!

Arriving in Blacksburg 4 hours later we found our accomodations for the night... Ever heard of the Knights Inn-- I am guess not... and its probably a good thing... The plastic flowers stuck in the ground passing for landscaping should have clued us in.... lets just say when we entered Mike asked me as I kicking off my shoes if I thought it wise to go barefoot in our room..... I won't even tell you what I paid for that room!

Moving right along the next morning we woke up bright and early and headed to Amandas new place... looked much better than I remembered it... and Madison seemed to be in heaven with her new roomies...
After a discussion over to drive or walk to the staduim.. we decided to walk the "20 minute but nice walk"--note to self: a nice walk to a 20 year old is like a marathon to the rest of us. We made it to our tailgate destination and met up with the parents of Amandas roommates. It was great to meet them all -having met their daughters earlier this fall. As parents we all agreed we had our hands full with these girls.. probably would have been easier had they not been intelligent and beautiful... its a lethal combination for a parent.
The game was HOT-- and a blow out which is great fun for the first half... sadly its gets alittle old in the second half when they were still winning with the second and third string players in. And did I mention how HOT it was???
We all made our way back to girls place and decided dinner was in order.. I know the girls probably would have preferred a nap as they had "plans for the evening" but we needed food-- After dropping them off we stole Madison for the night-- her first venture in a motel -- she didn't understand the nosie outside of the room and protected us for a good hour while she barked at every car that went by (did I mention that I didn't know you could build that close to the interstate?) and every person in the parking lot...
Sunday was the ZETA parents luncheon -- probably not a good idea to let Mike and Natalies dad sit next to each other... they chatted throughout the entire event... with the girls kicking them under the table... but at least they enjoyed themselves.
Amanda recieved her silver Jefferson Cup for making dean's list last semester and flowers for being on PC council as the "points natzi" as she called it. Being the proud redneck family that we are we cheered loudly... and of course snapped a few pictures.
To end a wonderful weekend.. I stole Madison.. ok so its not really stealing if you get permission... but you get the idea... I brought her home with me... Amanda will be home in a week and a half... and Mr.Wiggles misses her just as much as I do!
And it does guarantee me a visit from my daughter now doesn't it???

Been thinking about fall projects—I know your thinking there can’t be anything left on the project list… but there is... we still have some items leftover from last fall… indoor projects only take place in the fall and winter according to Mike. So the leftovers include:
1) Retiling my bathroom
2) Painting the downstairs bedroom
3) The Basement—total overhaul (my laundry area is a disaster zone)

Anyway—while daydreaming about the bathroom I came upon this:



A girl can dream right? Hmmm? Somehow I have to incorporate a harvest gold tub and toilet into my dream space and sadly squeeze all that dreaming into a 5x7 space ---
Whoever said DREAM BIG obviously never set foot at my house...

Mystery solved

It took 28 pictures to gain confirmation.... that this guy is actually this guy

Its been a mystery all summer trying to find him after Mike put him in my Water Garden. Of course Mike was convinced something bad happened and he didn't make it.. but today 28 pictures later and alittle close up work reveals the presence of whiskers.... for those of you not in "the know" Whiskers means hes not a gold fish (even though he's slumming with them) but in fact he is a Koi-- a koi born and bred in our pond... For Koi lovers thats a big deal.... for the rest of you its an orange and black fish that looks just like a gold fish right now!! but give him the winter and he will be ALOT bigger and looking more like these guys

It was a weekend of work.. both inside and out.
Windows cleaned
Carpet Vacuumed
Living room dusted
Lanudry done
Bathrooms scrubbed
Hall Closet cleaned (again)
Truck loaded with Stuff for Coreys house
Back carport cleaned
2 gardens weeked
Bedroom dusted

Amazing how 2 people can make such a mess! I still have the scrap room to tackle but thought I would take alittle computer break :)

On another note last night I sat down and reviewed our TV viewing pleasures for the upcoming new season.. yes a spreadsheet was involved. But after reviewing the new shows and rethinking our past choices I think we are ready to jump into the new Fall season with gusto... there really weren't any new shows that jumped out at me as "must sees" but we will give them all a fair shot.

Racing in Richmond

After a full day of tailgating and Nascar racing yesterday I can officially say I am tired. The weather was perfect for a day of outdoor adventure-- lots of sunshine with a breeze that kept it all bearable. Mike persueded the group that he goes to the races with that Lot 6 was better than the offsite lot that they usually go to. It was a long walk last year and Mike wasn't doing that again. Lot 6 was right there near our seats and also was a breeze to get out of after the race.
Christopher and his friends joined us parking a few rows away. Making tailgating that much better when you have someone to go visit throughout the day.

The race itself was long and full of lead changes... one minute Mikes driver Clint Bowyer was in the lead and the next he was pulling up the rear. Casey Mears (my driver) on the otherhand didn't do much of anything-- he's spent most of the race in the middle of the pack--
too many cautions to count and two black flags made the night a long one and the ride home was tough in bumper to bumper traffic at 2am.
Today was recovery day-- laundry got done, fish got fed and happily we slept in and moved a slower pace than usual.

Getting ready for racing

Its been a long week-- for a short week. So much for that "loving it" feeling of 2 days ago--- Works been tough--And I'm glad its over. Mikes down in Richmond at the Busch Race with Christopher and Uncle Mike.. and assorted other boys. I got the joyful job of working... again... but tomorrow bright and early I get to drive the big green truck (as Nick would say) and meet everyone at 8am for a day of Redneck games, BBQ and of course Racing.

We got a letter in the mail about a week ago and RIR has decided (I am sure after hearing numerous complaints) that the elevators would be open for everyone in the new stands. This is a good thing. We were able to use them last time because Mike has handicap tickets, but everyone we sat with had to endure the stairs... and lets just say it wasn't easy-- after huffing and puffing and a few choice words no one wanted to get up for a drink, snack or even use the restrooms. And they say by next year they will have installed an escalator to move people at least half way up... now for me thats just never gonna be an "extra" that I will use... My motto is just say no to escalators... but I am sure there are alot of racing fans looking forward to them.

Today is Wednesday-- gotta love a short week... tomorrow is Thursday-- that much closer to Friday---- personally I think its time to start looking for a job that embraces short weeks.. much better for my disposition!

Trying to get alittle house work done tonight. This weekend is Racing in Richmond... Alittle nascar for the Redneck in us all.... closely watching the weather station hoping we don't end up in the rain like we did for the spring races. Although the 90 degree days we've been having don't exactly say Picnic either.. I guess you just gotta pick the worst of two evils? hmmm I'll take it hot anyday!

Ok back to my friend the vacuum

Happiness comes in all kinds of forms

this is what makes him happy--

Back from a long weekend at the lake

Broken boats, tall grass but in the end this made him happy--

The grass did get cut, the boats did get fixed (although his now has a new problem)

We ate too much, sunned to much and enjoyed the last days of summer.

In the end an elephant ear was what made him happiest.

mail call

Nothing like a good mail day... I actually was puzzled to see 3 packages for me all in one day. I actually won a stamp set from Unique boutique for signing on to their new website... I'm not even sure why I did-- but now I'm glad I did!!! Apparently the sent the first 1000 people out alittle prize. Then the other two boxes were from the IT studio... one was a back order stamp and the other was my monthly kit.... ahhh scrapbooking mail always makes me happy!

Speaking of mail... yet another wedding invitiation... Julianne is getting married in October-- seems to be contagious at this point!

Today Corey finally settled on his new home... it was the second try this week. Earlier this week he and Mike went to settlement only to find the fire marshall hadn't given the "seal of approval" yet--- so back they went today! now there's one happy boy in Gainsville with a new set of keys! (and a hefty mortgage payment) We tried to convince him that Bonnie was a wonderful house warming gift but that was a no go.... now I'll have to get creative... do you think Mr. wiggles would wear a bow? hahaha

Sunday

As the restful weekend comes to a close I sit here trying to think if I accomplished anything.... Laundry check

Dishes check

hmmm thats about it....

I spent alot of time in the scraproom... but couldn't find my mojo to get much done. I worked on a layout of Amanda and I at Get Croppin last February... yea February. And I labeled some stamping up containers... I am sure Nancy would be proud of me. I made a mess but didn't accomplish anything... how does that happen?

Mike and Corey worked on refinishing Coreys coffee and end tables... and the grass did get cut inbetween rain storms....

Nap Check! Well at least I won't start the new week out exhausted. Right?

not getting political or anything

I certainly am not one to get all political or anything... heck I gave up on watching the evening news a couple of years ago due to the depressing nature but this I find really interesting. Its a book a heard about (of course while reading over at 2ps)

Since everyday we are hearing about another recall from China it seems kinda topical. I know when traveling to Alaska we curbed our shopping by only buying items actually made in Alaska... That was no small feat!! it seemed that every item we picked up no matter how authentic it looked-- somewhere on it was alittle sticker "made in china"--- really it was depressing. We did find that there were stores with handwritten signs on the outside (not many mind you) that did cater to likeminded people... HOMEMADE IN ALASKA-- and we were able to part with some vacation dollars but certainly not as many as I probably would have liked (my credit card company probably would have been happy to see me spend more too... but thats another story!)
Anyway-- the question is how did this happen? how did we let it happen? my opinion-- we want it all-- and the only way to have it all is to be able to afford it. With most families having 2 incomes you would think we could have it all... but in the USA we have something called minimum wage-- in order to make the products we take for granted as being affordable someone would have to take a pay cut-- a serious one. If we made it here in the US it would cost a fortune... we don't believe in sweatshops and we can't support people now who make minimum wage.

Seriously do the math.

• $5.85 x 40 hours =$234
• that means $12,168 a year
• or more simply $1014 a month.

Where can you live for $1014 a month???? and still eat, pay for car insurance, health insurance etc??????? (oh and that figure... doesn't include the taxes Uncle Sam requires from all of us)

And even at minimum wage-- I suppose a factory making a 99 cent box of crayons would have to comply with Federal OSHA rules, fire and safety rules etc that would make that box out of most of our budgets....

At this point if our government could get us out of the whole import thing with China could we as a country survive making our own goods?

Food for thought....

Headline: A year without 'Made in China'

Byline: Sara Bongiorni

Date: 12/20/2005

BATON ROUGE, LA. - Last year, two days after Christmas, we kicked China out of the house. Not the country obviously, but bits of plastic, metal, and wood stamped with the words "Made in China." We kept what we already had, but stopped bringing any more in.The banishment was no fault of China's. It had coated our lives with a cheerful veneer of toys, gadgets, and $10 children's shoes. Sometimes I worried about jobs sent overseas or nasty reports about human rights abuses, but price trumped virtue at our house. We couldn't resist what China was selling.But on that dark Monday last year, a creeping unease washed over me as I sat on the sofa and surveyed the gloomy wreckage of the holiday. It wasn't until then that I noticed an irrefutable fact: China was taking over the place.It stared back at me from the empty screen of the television. I spied it in the pile of tennis shoes by the door. It glowed in the lights on the Christmas tree and watched me in the eyes of a doll splayed on the floor. I slipped off the couch and did a quick inventory, sorting gifts into two stacks: China and non-China. The count came to China, 25, the world, 14. Christmas, I realized, had become a holiday made by the Chinese. Suddenly I'd had enough. I wanted China out.Through tricks and persuasion I got my husband on board, and on Jan. 1 we launched a yearlong household embargo on Chinese imports. The idea wasn't to punish China, which would never feel the pinprick of our protest. And we didn't fool ourselves into thinking we'd bring back a single job to unplugged company towns in Ohio and Georgia. We pushed China out of our lives because we wanted to measure how far it had pushed in. We wanted to know what it would take in time, money, and aggravation to kick our China habit.We hit the first rut in the road when I discovered our son's toes pressing against the ends of his tennis shoes. I wore myself out hunting for new ones. After two weeks I broke down and spent $60 on sneakers from Italy. I felt sick over the money; it seemed decadent for a pair of children's shoes. I got used to the feeling. Weeks later I shelled out $60 for Texas-made shoes for our toddler daughter.We got hung up on lots of little things. I drove to half a dozen grocery stores in search of candles for my husband's birthday cake, eventually settling on a box of dusty leftovers I found in the kitchen. The junk drawer has been stuck shut since January. My husband found the part to fix it at Home Depot but left it on the shelf when he spotted the telltale "Made in China."Mini crises erupted when our blender and television broke down. The television sputtered back to life without intervention, but it was a long, hot summer without smoothies. We killed four mice with old-fashioned snapping traps because the catch-and-release ones we prefer are made in China. Last summer at the beach my husband wore a pair of mismatched flip-flops my mother found in her garage. He'd run out of options at the drug store.Navigating the toy aisle has been a wilting affair. In the spring, our 4-year-old son launched a countercampaign in support of "China things." He's been a good sport, but he's weary of Danish-made Legos, the only sure bet for birthday gifts for his friends. One morning in October he fell apart during a trip to Target when he developed a sudden lust for an electric purple pumpkin."It's too long without China," he wailed. He kept at me all day.The next morning I drove him back so he could use his birthday money to buy the pumpkin for himself. I kept my fingers off the bills as he passed them to the checker.My husband bemoans the Christmas gifts he can't buy because they were made in China. He plans to sew sleeping bags for the children himself. He can build wooden boats and guitars, but I fear he will meet his match with thread and needle."How hard can it be?" he scoffed.The funny thing about China's ascent is that we, as a nation, could shut the whole thing down in a week. Jump-start a "Just Say No to Chinese Products Week," and the empire will collapse amid the chaos of overloaded cargo ships in Long Beach harbor. I doubt we could pull it off. Americans may be famously patriotic, but look closely, and you'll see who makes the flag magnets on their car bumpers. These days China delivers every major holiday, Fourth of July included.I don't know what we will do after Dec. 31 when our family's embargo comes to its official end. China-free living has been a hassle. I have discovered for myself that China doesn't control every aspect of our daily lives, but if you take a close look at the underside of boxes in the toy department, I promise it will give you pause.Our son knows where he stands on the matter. In the bathtub one evening he told me how happy he was that "the China season" was coming soon."When we can buy China things again, let's never stop," he said.After a year without China I can tell you this: You can still live without it, but it's getting trickier and costlier by the day. And a decade from now I may not be brave enough to try it again.

Not a believer??? From where you are sitting I challenge you to find 5 items within hands reach that are MADE IN THE USA

flowers fairies and rain

Certainly seems to that the beginning of school and the weather are coinciding events. Its been overcast and rainy here… the mood I am sure of those starting the new school year. However I wouldn’t know because my daughter has dropped off the face of the earth… ok not really but she certainly hasn’t been available to chat either… (hint hint)

I lifted a weight off my shoulders today and finally shipped off David and Ruth their wedding pictures.. Where does the time go? I swear it was just June! With that off my plate I am excited to jump in with two feet to work on all the summer pictures that I have been stacking up on my desk. Like this one….
Speaking of David it has taken us all summer to identify this plant that he gave us. The leaf shape had us stumped and it wasn’t until we were actually present to see it bloom (its one of those plants that closes up at night) that we were able to figure out it was a Passion Flower. Armed with this knowledge I now have to get it out of the pot it’s in and actually plant it in the ground if I want it to be around next year.

While drinking my coffee this morning and readying through my list of blogs I was drawn into Jessica Spragues--blog —that led me to another sight Urban Fairies --- ok let me say I need to add this to my list of wants—Fairy doors should be in every home…especially if there are children living in the home… ok so there aren’t any in mine… but I am a kid at heart and that’s what counts. Now to convince Mike that he needs to make me one….. He’s not real keen on putting nails in the wall for pictures I can only imagine what he’ll say about making a home for invisible fairies----

ever changing life

It only takes 24 hours to change your life. In 24 hours we:

• drove to Christiansburg



• Slept in a house with no electricity



• picked up a rental truck



• Emptied out Amandas house



• Filled a rental truck



• Moved Amanda in her new apt



• Said good bye to Madison



• Said goodbye to Amanda



• Drove back home



• Gave Bonnie her second ever vacation

In 48 hours...

• We filled our garage with boxes ready to move over to Coreys new house next week



• Emptied Amandas belongings that won't fit in her Apt into our basement



• Re-arranged her bedroom here at home to accomodate furniture from her old house



• wandered around our house picking up puppy toys that didn't make the move.



• Returned the rental truck



• Missed our girls more than we thought we would.



• Had a impromptu cookout with uncle mike

Yes within a weekend our lives changed...again... Amanda now lives with 3 other girls in an apartment, Madison has moved back to college leaving our house very quiet, our emptied basement is now full again and yet another room in our house has been rearranged.

Summer is offically over

Not just another Thursday night... a very quiet Thursday night. I knew when I opened the door and there were no little sounds of happiness, no little feet running in circles that she was gone. That didn't stop me from looking just to be sure... but the carseat was gone... the leash was gone... and the house was quiet. Amanda went back to school and took Madison. There are still toys scattered across the house. ..Her pink travel bag is laying on the floor and her cage still standing in the family room.. but they are gone.. and its quiet.

Peaches

So disappointing..... last week we bought a huge bag of peaches... yummy.. they were just PERFECT-- the drizzle down your chin kind of perfect.... yesterday we got some new peaches... but they just aren't ready yet... so ran off to the store during lunch.. grabbed a few more that smelled ready-- felt ready-- but when we bit into them.... nothing... no flavor.. no drizzle.... So disappointing.

She's home again

It was like christmas when Amanda came this weekend. Kinda an odd christmas-- but lots of shiny treats-- she brought home lots and lots of Loreal products... More Shampoo and conditioner than anyone could ever use.. and various creams and lotions, eyeshadows and lipsticks-- The odd part... some of it was in "test containers" visualize White bottles with little white labels with numbers and letters identifing the contents... Amanda assures me that all the products have passed clinical trials. and are perfectly safe..... After I picked and choose the products I had to try we packed them all up... she will be one popular roommate with all the Matrix and Keils hairproducts--I can only imagine that those girls will have the shiniest hair on campus.

Its just hot.

Wow- could it get any hotter? crazy weather over 100 today and when you step outside you can feel the air-- almost as if its a blanket.
Been busy getting ready for Amandas move next week-- dealing with the real estate agent.. all the "people" who have to do their part for inspections and trying to get things together on this end. I have been very lucky that we have some great tenants right now who are helping out every step of the way..
Tonight I plan on taking down her bed here at home so we can use the frame in her new place. Not sure where to put everything we store under there... and then hopefully I can spend alittle time in the basement making room for what won't fit in her new place. I know some of it has plans of landing at Coreys new place-- should they ever finish building it... until then we will be back to looking like a storage unit. At some point this madness has to end!
I've been trying to explain to Madison that she has to start packing her belongings-- but she seems more content to pull every chewy and bone out and deposit them all over the house. She has a rude awakening ahead of her.. apartment living... no more backyard to run wild in... but I think she will come to enjoy long walks on campus with her mom... at least I hope so.
Did I mention that it was just plain old hot??