Christmas Spirit...Where are you?

Yup, here it is December 13th already and not one...not a single Christmas decoration is up in my home. Nope, not even the tree. We did get all the boxes and totes holding all our decorations and tree out of the corner of the "junk room" and have them stacked near the bottom of the basement stairs...does that count, at all?

I wish I could pin-point exactly where my Christmas Spirit has gone, but I can't. I have thought long and hard on this one too, but I got nuttin'. *sigh* I have not even baked one goodie for this Season..I know right? WOW, eh? I just now, today, addressed some Christmas cards and put them in the mail. (So, if you get your card a lil bit later than normal, now you know why.lol)

It is true that we have had a  pretty hard year this year, both Hubby and I have been sick...Hubby was out on short term disability from July to October, my hours got cut at work and then I got sick and that has really put me in a downer mood Im sure. Kbug, our daughter, is the only one keeping healthy so far this year...THANK GOD! I must say that I am also missing my son, who moved out this past January. It's just not the same without both my kids in the house at this time of the year. I am also missing all my great step-kids, grandkids and great grands too...we just never seem to have the time to all get together in one spot at the same time anymore. :(

We have been through harder times and I know that we will get through this too...we both have our faith in God and in one another, and that always brings us through. So, again, Im just not sure what has me so down and missing the Christmas Spirit this year. Is anyone else having similar issues this year?

This weekend, starting tomorrow, I am going to start some baking and maybe even put on some Christmas songs and see where that takes me. My goal is to get the tree up and decorated this weekend..yup, thats my goal. lol I am trying my best to stay positive and not dwell on the negatives of life around me...With that said, I will say that I do feel very Blessed to have this day on earth with my family. I am truly blessed with my friends who may not always understand or agree with me, but they stand with me. lol I hope that you all are Blessed in the same way in your lives.

Lu

Fall Ramblings

Well, it's official I believe, Fall is here in Northwest Indiana...SIGH. Don't get me wrong, there are some things I truly love about this time of the year; then again there are probably just as many things as I don't like about this time of the year. lol I'm one of those "special" people who would be happy living in an area that still has the seasons changing, but the snow at a minimum. lol I mean, it can snow on Christmas eve and be gone by New Years Day and I would be just fine with that. :)
I enjoy taking drives down through the lake area and the smell of the leaves that have fallen, I enjoy the smell of burning leaves too. :) I really do love driving around the area and looking at all the fall colors on the trees, but sadly this year they are not as bright and vibrant as they have been in the past. I believe this is due to the horrid heat of the summer this year.

One thing I love most about this time of the year is the cooking! Like right now, I am boiling chicken up on the stove to use in dinner tonight....enchiladas! And, whatever I don't use in tonight's dinner will make its way into tomorrow night dinner or lunch. I enjoy the cooking of summer, the light salads and sandwiches and the BBQ, of course, but by the same token I enjoy the hearty cooking of this time of the year. I, like most people, find themselves using their crock pots, roasters and stock pots a lot more during this time of the year...do you agree?

I hope to be able to get some more baking done this year over what I did last year, which honestly, shouldn't be hard to do. lol I am starting to get orders, yes, paying orders for cupcakes and I am really enjoying that...not just the money (which is nice) but the ability to use my creative side a bit more. I just finished up some Halloween themed cupcakes and just got an order from that party for "princess" type cupcakes...I'm going to be making crowns out of pink chocolate. I was going to just buy the candy crowns, but they seem cheap to me...and these cuppacakes have my "name" on them, so yeah, nothing cheap looking. lol Then, I have another order for December already, but those are for cake balls in pink. Still have to get together with that customer and get the details all ironed out yet. I don't plan on making a ton of money at this, I just really enjoy the baking for others. lol
I also have some great DIY and Homemade ideas for Christmas pressies this year...just hope I can get the energy to get em all done in time. lol The daughter is pretty much taken care of for Christmas, but there are still the son and parents to gift and some close friends...well, might as well call em family cuz that is what they are. :)
I have been pouring over crafty and DIY gift books from the library and getting some great inspiration! I just have to fit the time to get started into my busy schedule. lol

Well, I have rambled on enough...will return you to your regular scheduled program now. LOL

Fall Blessings!
The Steel Workers Wife
*Lu

It's a proven fact....

Yup, it's a proven fact that my hubby and I are very compatiable. How do I know? Our marriage has been put to the test this last month, as my hubby has been out of work sick since July 16th. At first I thought it would be great having him home and all to myself during the day...then I soon realized it's not "fun" per say..interesting would be a good word to use. lol

I have turned into a taxi driver, therapist, medical transcriptionist, medical translator, and well...a bunch of other things, but those are the major hits. lol I don't mind doing all these things, really, I don't...I actually perfer to be there with hubby during any and all medical visits so I can get the scoop on what they are thinking, saying, and doing. Last week is the prime example of why I should be there with him.....
**Hubby comes out of physical therapy and we go out to the van....as I am driving toward home he says, "My PT says I have ketoneitis"....I mull this over in my head as I KNOW there is no such thing...which is not surprising because if you knew my hubby this would make total sense....you say one thing and he hears another thing..it can be quite funny and frustrating all at the same time...like now. lol I look at him and ask..."WHAT?! No, No, that is NOT what she said..think and think again hun, cuz there is NO such thing." Hubby: "You sure? How do YOU know?" Me: O...M...G...How do I know? WOW...ummmm cuz Im the one holding the degree in Medical Assistanting and I KNOW my med term!" (he almost pissed me off, but its too funny..) Hubby: "OK, well, maybe that wasnt what she said....but I know she said it had something to do with the Ketones in my body, yeah, that I KNOW." Me: "OK, well, no matter what, Im gonna call her when we get home and you no longer get to be alone when she is talking to you about any condition, OK?" Hubby: "Well, she had me rolling around on a ball on the floor.,..I wasn't exactly in the greatest position to go get you..." Me; No response, I was too busy imagining that image. LOL

So, yeah, I now go in with him when he sees his Dr's. lol He can't do too much as he tires out quickly...and to him that seems to mean "push through it harder"....UGH....I have learned over the years to pick my battles with him, like you do a kid. lol I now have a greater appreciation for my work schedule and for work in general. lol This isn't the most amount of time we have ever spent with one another...he was out for 6 months almost with his rotator cuff repair....and then 3 mons with the 2nd one....BUT, this time has different elements involved...and they are a lil bit more stressful issues, but we are working through them together. :) And, he is not drugged up and not easy manipulated like he was with his shoulder repairs. LOL (Sometimes I wish he was....)

Yup...we have both survived this long together and I think we will make it as long as we have to until they send him back to work. lol I still have my moments where I dream of the day he returns to work...kinda like parents dream of the day we send our kids back to school. lol

And, I need to put a shout out to my close girlfriends....Without them I am sure I would have cracked under all the stress just days into this adventure, but they have been there to hold my hand, hand me kleenex to dry my eyes, hug me, listen to me vent and just give all around support to me and my family. And, to my parents, who have been a great help in making sure Kbug had all her school supplies...they just don't know how big of a help and what a load off that was for us. :)

OK......that's it and I know it's been a long one, but at least I made ya laugh. LOL

Family Reunion 2012....Part 1

This year is the year for my big family reunion...we have one every 2 yrs for my moms side of the family. This year it was to be held at Rough River Dam Resort in Kentucky, about a 9 hour drive from home by the way. (Please recall this for future reference...lol) We set our schedule to leave from home on Thursday, the 5th of July; with a quick stop over at our eldest sons house with his family for the night and were planning on arriving early afternoon at the resort.

I had scheduled the rental car several days in advance, called the daughter in law and made arrangements for the night of the 5th with her, squeezed in homework and actual work while doing mountains of laundry and packing for the trip; hubby was still working as his vacation was not set to start till the end of his shift on the 5th. Lets fast forward to the morning of the 5th, when things start to take on an, lets say, "More interesting turn".....

I had started keeping track of the weather a week ago, so the morning of the 5th I was again sitting infront of my television with a nice cup of decaf....WHAM! The weather lady on the weather channel starts talking about how Kentucky is about to break some records with their temps. UGH! I was hoping for a mild weather, a break from the 3 digit heat...nope, it was set, Kentucky was due to break heat wave records with over 14 days in temps over 100 degrees and we were driving right into the middle of it all. (This figures for us, so I wasn't really surprised. lol) So, I made sure clothing we were taking was weather appropriate. Kbug and I did the packing and shopping that morning for last minute things and paying bills so we wouldn't have to deal with them once we got home. I must say this, Kbug was a real trooper through all this...she dealt very well with my mini meltdowns. lol

Fastforward to the time to go get teh rental car; which was a very nice cherry red HHR. :) Yes, I was excited! lol Hubby got home and we went right over there, I had secured it with a debit card....when we went to pay for it with said debit card we were told that they don't accept debit cards...UMMMMM HUH?  Those of you who know me, can probbly picture the next scene very well in your heads....I looked at the rude man behind the counter and said, "It never stated you didn't take debit cards and if you don't take them how in the hell did I secure the rental with one?" He tells me that I didn't, that I must have used a credit card...UMMMMMM.....HELLLLLERRRR (I channel Madea at times like this...), I know what I used when I secured the rental, and there was NOTHING about NOT accepting debit cards or that the only credit card I could use HAD to be attached to a bank.....which ours is,but they just so happen not to accept that bank. OMG...I was sooo ready to just throw lil rude man through the window at this point, but Hubby stepped in and saved him. He gently grabbed my hand, like a loving hubby, and steered me out the door and back into our van...and said, "Well, good thing we cleaned this baby out...and pray now that it gets us there and back safely..." I love how this seemed not to phase him, and Im glad he was the calm one in this situation because, believe it or not, that is not usually the case. lol

So, we packed up the van, after hubby did all the fluid checks and tire checks....we hit the road about 5pm our time heading for our son and daughter in laws house for the night. (My parents were stopping over in the same town,but in a hotel.) The drive down was nice...about 4.5 hours to their home.....all was well until the last leg of that trip.
I got on the street that lead to their road....It was pitch black outside, no moon, no stars, just some lightening bugs that my hubby will swear to you that they lit up the side of the road and you still saw nothingness. LOL Anyway, I called my daughter in law to make sure I had not missed their road in the dark, all the time this was going on my hubby was having a mini meltdown of his own. This is what he was saying...."Damn it Laura, we have been driving for 30 miles and have not passed one damn thing that resembles a town or even life, except the fire flies!" Now, let me clarify...we had been driving for maybe 10 minutes.....NOT 30 miles...and yes, it was dark, but I could still make things out. lol So, 11....yes folks, 11 miles down the road we were at my son and daughter in laws home...and I desperately needed a drink!

Part 2 will be posted later today.......Hope this brought some laughs to you all.

Why do we care?

I have been busy with life, real life that is. The life of a mom, wife and soon to be student again...that I have let my blogging get pushed back to the far..far back burner and well, I realized today that one of my big stress releavers is blogging and so, here I am. :) I have also been thinking about why do we let people, people we hardly know and who most definately hardly know us, why do we let their opinions of us matter so damn much?

I just see way too much of this these days...online and off line that its really starting to bother me. I will not lie, I have my own issues with this. I have let the opinions and words of those who don't truly know me hurt me or bring me down from time to time....but more and more lately I have been thinking of ways to just shut these people up; and honestly, there is only one sure fired way to do this: Let them go! Yup, let them go from your life. Come on, lets all face this...if we are letting people we hardly know and again, who hardly know us,  into our heads then what the hell are we letting those who do know us do to us?

I think that no matter what, no matter who it is, if they cannot be supportive then they just may need to be cut loose. Maybe not on a perminant basis, but definately for a time-out basis. We all have that certain someone in our lives, either a friend or a relative, that no matter what they always have to get a snide comment or jab in when talking to you, right? Have you ever called someone and have it go like this...
You: "I got the promotion today!"
Them: "That's great...but......"
You know what I mean, there is always that "But" at the end of the niceness. Has anyone ever told you, "I love you..but..."? If so..RUN! I don't care who that person is..honestly, if the word 'but' comes after those 3 lil words...then they truly don't know the true meaning of 'love' and you don't need their type of love in your life. (Now, before I get hate mail..please know this is all MY OPINION..thank you.)

I see so many young people today caring more about what a stranger thinks than what a true friend/loved one thinks about them. And, this is especially true with young women these days. For some reason more and more people are seeking acceptance and belonging from strangers rather than their own families and true friends...what the hell is that about? Well, that is for a whole different blog, so I won't get started on that right now. ;) BUT, there has to come a time in everyones life, or well, I hope there does, that we step back, take stock, and realize that we are not here to please or love anyone but first and foremost ourselves.

RuPaul says it best when he says, "If you can't love yourself how the hell you gonna love someone else?" 
Makes sense, huh?

Roaster-Phobia....BE GONE!!!!

I woke up this morning and after seeing that the weather is cooling off a bit, I decided that a roast would be a great idea for dinner this evening. So, after sending the Hubby and the K-bug out the door to work/school, I started assembling things needed for my roast; such as all the veggies and taters. Well, when I pulled the roast out and tried to put it in my large crock-pot I found out that it would not fit. (This is actually a half of a roast I just got from the Meat Market.)

Well, not giving up I went downstairs and brought up my roaster oven, the one that used to belong to my mother-in-law. I assembled the roast with the veggies and taters and a few onions, seasoned it all up, and then I sat down looking at it like it was going to walk me through the next phase of this journey. lol Let me be clear about something, I have only used this roaster TWICE in the year I have had it in my possession. I boiled hot dogs in it for my son's graduation party and I, somehow, managed to roast our Thanksgiving turkey it in this past Holiday...OH WAIT, make that THREE times as I also did our Christmas Ham in it. :) But, I gotta say, those last two times were purely dumb luck on my part. lol

So, I did what any good cook would do in this same situation.....I got online and looked up the owners manual for my roaster! LOL WHAT?! Did you think I was gonna say that I called my MOMMY?! UHHHH....nooooo....I see that as admitting defeat and well, that was NOT gonna happen this morning. lol While looking up the owners manual I also browsed a few recipes they had listed via their site too, and I must say they have some really yummy lookin recipes there; including some for cakes and such that can be made in the roaster.(Am I the only one who didn't know that you could bake a cake in a roaster?) I know that cakes and cheesecakes can be made in the crock-pot too, not that I have ventured out to that area as of yet. lol

I am happy to post that as I write this, my roast is in the roaster, roasting away. LOL And, it is making my whole house smell DELISH! LOL I would say that I will be using my roaster more often, but I will be honest with you all...I don't think that will be happening. I may go and check into getting a smaller roaster, as mine is an 18qt roaster and is a bit large for my kitchen space; but, yes, I would be interested in getting a smaller roaster and trying out new things in it....making a cake in one is one that I would love to conquer! LOL

Happy Roasting!
Lu

Hodge Podge

Have you ever had one of those days where you wanna write something....you know you wanna write something, be it a blog or a letter or a status update on your FB page....but you have so many ideas running through your mind that you cannot just pick one out and slap it on a page? YUP..having one of those days right now. lol

NW Indiana is having some awesome weather! I mean, its the middle of March for crying out loud and it is near 80 flipping degrees outside. All my windows are open and get this...I am wearing shorts right now..YES...SHORTS! LOL How odd is this? I mean, when I lived in North Carolina and California, this was nuttin..people were opening their pools by this time of the year...but in this area? NEVER! LOL I am totally enjoying it, but I must be honest....I think I am taking too much advantage of it. lol

I have been out of school since the end of January 2012....that is only 2 full months of no school schedule to follow and well....I'm really not liking the whole "no schedule to follow" thing. I love the fact that I can either run all day or just chill out at home at my leisure, but honestly, it is starting to get to me somewhat. lol It being spring and planting season is a great thing, as this will give me more things to do and occupy my time with. :) I am also looking forward to summer, as I still don't know what it holds for me; I may be going back to school in June for my LPN or I may not be going back to school for my LPN...ya, real definite eh? LOL It all depends on what my cardiologist has to say when I see him at the start of April, so right now I will continue to study for my Registry exam..and that is something that is not keeping me as busy as I thought it would. lol

Now, here is a question to all the spouses out there...does your spouse have a "secret" language that, over the years, you have deciphered and can even communicate with them? Let me just be the first to say....I HAVE ONE OF THOSE SPOUSES!!!lol My hubby and I can be having a "normal" conversation and he will try to explain something to me....using maybe one word, or two, that actually belongs in that convo....and even when he uses the most ridiculous words, I can decipher it. lol Should I be worried? LOL

Oh, and my dear friends stopped by today..my "Gusbands" as I lovingly call them brought donuts and I supplied the coffee and kitchen table. lol Anyway, they are well warned and even have experience with my coffee whore of a dog...but, it never fails that she (the coffee whore hound) will get her way and it is usually with Tom's coffee....actually, it is ALWAYS with Tom's coffee. lol Today was just priceless as I watched my dog try to slurp the coffee through a straw in Tom's cup. LMAO I sooo wish I had a photo of that as it was just too dam hilarious! :) Maybe next time I will be better prepared. lol

OK, I think I'm done....for now, as I am sure more topics and spurts will come to mind today...or tomorrow. lol Thanks for letting me clear my brain a bit...hope I didn't get anything on ya. LOL

Decisions....yup, I made em. lol

As some of you may already know, I finished up with my Associates Degree in Medical Assisting at the end of January....and have since then been dealing with my home life and pretty much trying to NOT think about what comes next. lol Well, (insert sigh) I am going up with my friend, Rhonda, on Monday to talk to the school about starting in the LPN program around April or so....Yes, friends..there is a method to my madness. lol And, now I will explain. :)

Our area is a bit behind the times when it comes to the pay of MA's...and nursing is what I started going for several years ago....and not to mention the pay difference and the availability of jobs in the surrounding areas. Yes, they hire MA's up in Chicago and South Bend areas..but the pay is not really worth my driving time, gas, or train fair for Chicago....soooo, this is what brings me to the LPN program. With the pay scale of a nurse, I would and could afford to pay to go further out for work..or I could and probbly will choose to work closer to home for a bit to gain experience before venturing out to the big cities. lol

I have not made any definite choices as of yet, I want to talk to the director of the Nursing program before making any final decisions and I also, of course, will want to talk it over with the hubby. I know he is all for it..he sees the advantages of having a nursing degree over an MA degree, we have been talking about it for years...so he is all for it...I just like to run it by him in case my brain is missing a vital piece of info or something. lol My big issue is that Kbug is still in school....and my school schedule is not a set schedule as it was here at BMC.....but the high point is that Hubby is on straight days and I do have close friends I know i can count on if needed. I just worry is all...typical mama stuff I guess. And, as Hubby points out...Kbug is not a baby or even a "kid", she is going to be 13 this summer and is very self sufficient and does follow the rules when home alone to a T....now, we haven't ever left her alone and gone further than the grocery store or out to lunch with my friends before....I will be going to school an hour away....and to calm myself down I shall remind myself I have great friends close by who would drop everything in a heartbeat to help out if needed. :)

Why did I start this post? I guess just to let you all know that Im still around and just dealing with stuff on the home front. :) And, yes, to keep ya up to date on what is going on with me. :) Cuz, well, ya...duhhh..I knew ya all would be waiting with baited breath to hear from me. HAHAHAHAHAHAH

Blog ya all later!

Fat Tuesday....I celebrate that once a week! LOL

Well Good Morning Friends! Today is not only Fat Tuesday, but it is also National Sticky Buns day! lol

Been up since the Hubby left, got the Bug off to school, dogs out, kitchen cleaned and now I am thinking of making some cookies...thinkin peanut butter cookies today. Dinner is going to be catfish, since Hubby decided last night was more of a chili dog kinda night. lol So, catfish, hush puppies and some kind of veggie is on the dinner menu with cookies for dessert. I think I may make enough so hubby can take some to work tomorrow too.

Woke up to a wet snow falling this morning...I know, all snow is wet, but this was mushy snow falling. lol I can't really complain as we have had a very mild winter this year, but still...I am not a fan of the white stuff. lol So, here I sit listening to "Red Solo Cup" and getting bills paid. (so, is the song now stuck in YOUR head too? LOL) It's not even 8:30 in the morning and I have most of my chores done here on the home front. I had thought of going out to run a few errands, but well, I think I will just stick close to the home front and enjoy my day that way. lol

Last week I helped my favorite chica, T, celebrate her 40th birthday with a night out at the local casino/night club. I partook in more drinks than I have in quite a few years and well....lets just say, I am not as young as I was back then. lol It was a great time though, and I am glad that I was able to help her celebrate her 40th with fun and friends. Now, this all has me thinking of how I want to celebrate my 40th this summer. I have been thinking of maybe doing a wine tasting or something like that with just a few girl friends....or maybe a good 'ol summer BBQ? Hubby suggested that we go to Chicago for the night...but well, that can get very costly really quick and I'm about not spending a lot of money like that. lol Yup, I'm cheap! LOL

I am also getting ideas together for Bugs room....and my own bedroom. I would also love to paint the office, but that is not top on my list right now. Bug's room is first on the list since her daddy and I promised she could paint and decorate it any way she wanted. This has me looking for a lime green color of paint and colors that may go with it. She is really into black and white....and she brought up the idea of green walls and black trim or green paint and pink accents.....we are still in the "figuring it all out" stage. lol It's her room and well, we really want her to be a part of the process and in the end get a look she really wants...cuz, well, she has to live with it for a LONG time. lol For my own bedroom, we are thinking greens and browns of some kind of combo....yup, still searching for the "right" look myself. lol If anyone out there has any ideas using these combos for either her or I, please let me know..I really appreciate all the help we can get. lol

Meat Market Adventure

Good Morning Bloggers! Today we woke up to the first real snow fall of the season....ya, in February! This winter season has been crazy weather wise, rain, a bit of snow, then more rain then 50 degree days...CRAZY! So, I could complain about the cold and snow, but well...it is winter in Northwest Indiana and we knew we couldn't go too much longer without a good snow fall. (sigh)


Yesterday I traveled up to Buchanan Michigan with my bestie Tab and her sister-in-law, Sheka; we went up there to visit a meat market that I have heard nothing but great things about. I have been using a local meat market for the last few years and well, when I pulled up their web site the other day I didn't see anything that got my cooking juices flowing and the prices, well, everything has been going up so was not too shocked there, but still...was a bit disappointed. Anyway, I digress, I got a hold of Tab and asked her if she wanted to venture North to Lowery's Meat Market. So, we arranged a time and off we went! The ride up is not that long for us, and well, with 3 women and great conversation it makes the ride go a lot quicker. :)

The thing about Lowery's is that they have new specials/sales every week and since they do not have a web site (yet), you have to just wing it once you get up there. Well, not really wing it...here is what you have to do:

You walk in and go right to the back of the market, (pray there are not a lot of people) grab your number and wait for it to be called..the whole while, if the store is packed, you volly for space for you and your cart. (A Tab Tip: if you place something in your cart, any item at all, no one will mess with it...its an unwritten rule that an item in the cart means it is spoke for.) Once the nice man behind the counter calls out your number, make sure you holler back loud enough for them to hear you, and that nice man will stay with you until you tell him you are done shopping. Seriously, he is your own personal meat shopper. lol

Here is a tip from me: A day or two before you know you will be going up there, call them and have them fax you a price/sales sheet. They are great and very nice about doing this for you. I called and had one faxed a month ago, just to see what their prices are like and after going up there with no list at all, Yes, I recommend that you have a list faxed to you a day or two in advance so you can at least get some part of a list going on what you want to buy.

I don't have a deep freezer as of yet, and I went a bit wild in the market...thankfully I didn't buy one more pack of meat or else I would be sending hubby out last night for a deep freezer. (Although, I almost did this anyway. lol) I spent $112.00 on meat and have filled my freezer to the brim and have enough meat for meals for almost a month! That is for a family of 3 and I seperate the meat into meal portions and use my foodsaver to package them for the freezer once I get home. I packed them with a lil extra meat for hubby's lunch the next day as well. Once I got home, and hubby saw how much meat I got for $50 less than what a traditional meat pack at the old meat market, he decided that A) we do need a deep freezer B) We should take another trip up there on pay day (after we purchase a deep freezer) and C) We need to take hubby's brother and sister up there to shop! OH..and just a side note, my hubby did say he was wrong, as he thought the drive up there would be a waste of time and money. HAHAHAAH.....Yes, I was doing the "I told you so" dance. lol

Here is the information you will need if you are planning a trip up there:
Lowery Meat & Grocery
(269) 695-3834
310 River St, Buchanan, MI 49107