Count Down to Summer

Is it possible that in 35 days the '07-'08 school year comes to a close, that we get to start sleeping in again, the pool will be open and that *finger's crossed* it will finally be warm enough to swim in said pool?

Josie brought home the final month of lunch menus from school today and that's usually when it hits me that summer is near. Summer? Wait, we're still anticipating spring here.

Bubblegum Ice Cream

It's really really weird eating something that tastes like something you've been told your entire life not to swallow. And does it stay in your stomach for seven years?

The Orbs

Maybe I've been watching way to many Ghosthunter episodes but we had to take a picture of this building because my sister and I are convinced that it's haunted. We had to pass it on our walks to downtown Couer d Alene and something about it freaked us all out. We decided to be brave ("take a picture while in the car with the windows rolled down" brave) and see if we could catch any orbs.

Orbs - in paranormal speak mean -
"One of the leading theories concerning what orbs are and the one that I lean towards the most is that they are not the spirit at all. The orb is the energy being transferred from a source (i.e. powerlines, heat energy, batteries, people, etc) to the spirit so they can manifest. This may not even be a conscious thing the spirit is doing, just a natural way they get their energy. This would explain why the orbs are round balls. According to the laws of Physics energy being transferring like that would assume is natural shape of a sphere. This theory can also be tied into the EMF readings we get during spirit activity. " This is quoted from www.theshadowlands.com .

Anyway, I was a little spooked when something did show up on the camera. I then took a picture of the McFarland Inn when we got back from dinner and some showed up there too. I took another picture and they weren't there. Coincedence??? No, probably just a bunch of dust particles.

Girls' Weekend

I just arrived home from a lovely weekend up in Couer d Alene with my sister, Carrie, mom Linda and Aunt Luanne aka "Annie". We stayed at the McFarland Inn Bed and Breakfast for two nights. It's very lovely. Carrie has been brewing up this idea for a girls trip for a long time and finally 3 weeks ago in Libby after a few brews we decided to go for it. Our sister-in-law, Lisa, unfortunately could not make this trip but hopefully next year.

Our trip started off great as Mom and I stopped in at the Couer d Alene Casino. I plunked in $1 on the penny machine and my first bet gave me $10.75. I immediately cashed out and walked to the bar to spend my winnings on drinks for Mom and myself. At the bar I put in another $1 at the keno machine and I won out $5.25. I quit betting after that.

We met my aunt at the B & B and Carrie arrived around 4:30. We visited, drank and then walked down to the Wine Cellar for dinner. A wonderful place and reasonably priced.

When we got back we got into our PJ's and bathrobes and went down into the sunroom to plan out our yard sale map for Saturday morning.


Carrie and I mapping out the yard sales. We woke up at 7:30 for our 8 am breakfast and then onto the sales around Couer d Alene and Hayden. We were able to pick up a few items. We stopped back at the B & B for lunch and a rest and then walked to the boardwalk.


Carrie, Mom and Annie hanging out on the dock at Lake Couer d Alene. The weather was perfect.


After some wine and a game of Scattergories, we went for a drive before dinner. Carrie wanted to show us the Clark House, another B & B that she and her husband went to a few years ago. It was on Hayden Lake so she took us to where she thought it was but took a left instead of a right. We then went on a tour around the entire lake. We did find the Clark House though.

We dined at Moon Time for dinner and then back to the B & B for some time in the hot tub.


When we first arrived at the B & B we were thinking the other guests might find it odd to have women sharing beds at this romantic getaway place and then had a really good laugh when another sister "couple" showed up, Wendy and Sherri from Western Washington. So the sister's took over the McFarland Inn.

We had such a fun time reconnecting with each other and we had many good laughs. Our plan is to take this sister act to Walla Walla wine country next April.

Dust Bunnies

I now know why they're called 'dust bunnies'. Not because a collection of of dust particles resembles a rabbit but because the dust - if left alone for any period of time- reproduces at a spectacular rate.

Let's See The Brawny Man Absorb This With One Sheet

Butterscotch peed on the floor today. I was disgusted as I was mopping it up with half a roll of paper towels. This got me to thinking. Why is it with paper towel commercials the only spills you see are juice and soup? Naturally, the people (usually perky moms) can clean up the spill with a single sheet. Give me something I can use! Show me you can clean up kid vomit, dog pee, an over-watered a houseplant, my husband's spilled beer etc. with a single sheet of paper towel and I will be inclined to purchase your product. If anything, it'd make a great SNL parody commercial.

Foiled Again

This has been the last seven days in our lives:

• My cold's back (bronchitis, sinus ear infections..damn! the antibiotics didn't work)
• Annabelle misses Monday due to getting the cold
• Still feel sick, go to the doctor, get heavy duty antibiotics
• Nate's plumbing a house for a flooring guy so he trades work for hardwood floors in the office and hall, we have to move downstairs for the week so he can intsall, sand and stain the floors without them being disturbed
• Lots of crying, sleeping and pill popping because I'm so F&*%-ing sick of being sick
• I got to scrapbook a lot
• snow
• no internet for 5 days due to office construction
• The weekend came, it was beautiful so spent some time outside working on the fence, planting seeds in the greenhouse, hanging clothes on the clothesline
• Starting to feel a bit better but still very tired

Today is the stereo-typical Monday. The weather's crappy and now Josie's home with the cough and stuffy nose. She's the one that brought this plague into our home to begin with. ARGH!

Josie Turns 11

Our not-so-baby-anymore turned 11 on Saturday. She requested to spend her special day with her cousins in Libby. We made it to Libby Thursday evening after a lovely 35 mph drive dodging hundreds upon hundreds of deer. We spent Thirsday night at my parents house and then the rest of the weekend at Croucherland.

The number 9 plus 2 candles = 11 (in Montana)

Because we were away Josie didn't get her usual treatment of waking up to her display of gifts and a giant balloon. Instead, she patiently waited for Grandparents and Great-Grandparents to show up for her party in the afternoon.

We ate cake, drank coffee and then watched Josie open her gifts. She scored lots of sweet moo-lah, clothes, a Wierd Al cd, flip-flops, slushee syrup, colored pencils, a Rip Stick, a ceramic tea set that Grandma Leslie made and a Nintendo DS game.



She had a wonderful time playing with Sydney and India. The girls, for the most part, played extremely well and only a small amount of tears were shed over the entire weekend.



Josie with Great-Grandma Beulah and Great-Grandpa Rolly.



Nate brought his BB gun along for the trip and soon Kurt had his pellet gun out. They were shooting beer cans and a bullseye target. Josie and India entertained themselves for hours and hit their targets on a consistent basis. Now Josie is ready to hit the shooting range.

We had a lovely trip to the Big Sky state yet again. Thanks Croucher Family for putting us up for the weekend!

Cards

Birthday card for Kurt Croucher.



Josie's birthday card.



Sydney's card.