I love giving gifts. Welcome back to Day 2 of It’s Raining Gifts at Girly Muse! We’re celebrating my upcoming 300th post milestone.

Thanks so much to all of you who commented yesterday. I ADORE getting comments from all of you. It actually makes my heart do a little pitter patter each and every time I see that there’s a comment waiting for me. Seriously. I enjoy it that much.

I’m going to use ALL your suggestions. You came up with some good ones!

It was so hard for me to choose a favorite, I really did like them all…however, I had to make a choice. Doesn’t that sound like a reality television show where the bachelor is getting ready to send home an eligible bachelorette! Sorry, I digress.

I actually chose three…good thing I’m not on a reality show having to choose a potential winner..anyhow, moving right along.

Loren~ because she not only gave ONE suggestion, but she gave THREE…AND she “soooo loves me”. Thanks, Loren, I love you too!

Tamara~ because her suggestions made me laugh out loud…the inappropriate laughing always makes me laugh AND I just so happen to have a bonsai story.

Kat~ because she had umpteen suggestions! And because anyone who wants to hear stories of my childhood must be a very patient and kind person. Thank you, Kat!

The concert last night was amazing. Oh, what a fun night it was. Tonia Hughes is an exceptional human being. She’s been through so much and you feel her depth when she sings…so powerful. You’re going to love Tonia’s new CD.

SO…for today’s drawing…leave a comment about your favorite Halloween memory. You have until 11 PM tonight. The prize will be a Christmas CD from Staci Frenes~Wise Men & Angels. You’ll really enjoy playing this around the house while getting ready for the holidays. It’s a great CD.

Psstt! Don’t forget to “Fall Back”…and COME back tomorrow. I’m super excited about the gift I’m giving away tomorrow. It will be the final day of our giveaway…

***All winners, please make sure I have your correct address. lori.sabin@gmail.com***

Guess what?! On Sunday, I will be celebrating my 300th post! Man, it doesn’t seem like that is possible…but here we are.

I just want to thank all of you for reading and for always having an encouraging word. I have made dear friends through this blog, renewed old friendships, and just love the close knit community of blog readers. It’s been so fun to talk with all of you.

To celebrate and to thank you, I will be giving away 3 gifts…to be announced over the next 3 days. The first gift is Tonia Hughes’ new CD~ I will be buying it tonight to give it to a lucky reader. (See below for information on Tonia.)

Here’s what you have to do to win: Leave a comment with a suggestion for a future post until midnight. The one I like the best will win.

I’ll let you in on a secret…if I’m so inclined, I just might have to give more than one prize, so comment away!!!

And come back tomorrow too…I know it’s Halloween, but I’ll make it worth your while…

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If you need something fun to do and you live in this area…the Twin Cities…come out to a great concert tonight…you’ll be so glad you did.

Tonia Hughes will be releasing her CD tonight at 7:30 PM. You can get all the details on her website: http://www.toniahughes.com/

I’ll be singing with Nate a little bit at the beginning of the show. And then I’m going to sit back and enjoy the rest of the night. It’s going to be amazing. Tonia is one of my favorite singers. She’s SO good…

(I’m not paid or even “suggested” to say this…any time I recommend an artist, it’s just because I really dig them…just thought you’d like to know that.)

Friday, Oct 30, 2009 at 7:30pm

Brooklyn Park Evangelical Church

7849 W. Broadway Avenue
Brooklyn Park, MN

$10 in advance/$15 at the door

My daughter has been having lots of days off of school this month. We’re not complaining! It’s been great!

After having a major quarantine going over here with the swine flu and all…I MISSED my girl!!! I was taking care of her brother and then got sick myself. So when I finally came out of my bedroom, she was anxiously awaiting…with hugs to spare.

We left the boys at home and went to our favorite place in the whole wide world.

Barnes & Noble…

When Greyley woke up that morning, it was all dreary and rainy. She said, “What a perfect day for reading at Barnes & Noble.”

I couldn’t agree more.


Take a look at those stacks of books. We both went through our stacks too…we were there that long! It was heavenly.

It started snowing while we were there. We sure were glad we were all cozy with our warm drinks~ white hot chocolate for her and pumpkin spice latte for me…


The perfect way to spend a day…

I haven’t gotten to the apple farm yet this week, but suddenly realized that it came to me this year. We had apples on our apple tree. A BUNCH! We’ve had little apples on there before, but they’ve never been very big or very tasty. This year, they were a little bigger and yummy.

There were so many that there were enough to…

Have an apple whenever we wanted…

Make a lovely Welcome Home Apple Cake for me and Indigo upon our return from Arkansas…thank you, Greyley. It was so good! Pretty too…

And enough for lots of apple sauce…we love good apple sauce around here. When it’s warm, it’s even better.

Apples and water

Sugar (or honey) and cinnamon

…and butter, if you’re so inclined…

Mix up, preferably with a pretty pink mixer…all right, all right, the pink mixer is optional!

You’ll be loving the wonderful fragrances that invade your home. Beware though, it might draw in a wild turkey or two…

I crossed over yesterday and finally feel some of my old self returning. I’ve had such congestion, I’ve been a miserable pup. It’s amazing how your whole perspective on life can change when you FEEL GOOD. I don’t know why I’m always so surprised by this.

Can I share one gross, but very effective tool?

Meet my Neti Pot. I’m going to fondly refer to her as Neti from here on out.

So, if you’re anything like me, the thought of running salt water through one nostril as it drips out the other nostril is NOT appealing. In fact, it gives me full body shivers just to think about it. I dreaded trying this with as much fervor as waxing or pulling a tooth or getting my hair yanked out…oh yeah, that’s waxing.

Anyway…I didn’t want to do it.

But I was desperate Sunday night. I sounded like a hedgehog trying to talk.

I don’t know what they sound like, but in my imagination, VERY nasal.

My head was also pounding. A lot.

So I gave it a go. And whoa. It works.

Yesterday I sneezed about 75% LESS, my cough sounded wayyy clearer, and no headache. You’ll be glad to know I no longer sound like a hedgehog either…slightly Nancy Kerrigan-ish, but not completely. Sorry, Nancy. You’ve been through enough, you didn’t deserve that.

Anyway, thanks, Neti. I sing your praises. Don’t take offense that I don’t really want to visit you again THAT often…I think a couple more visits and then I’ll be set. We can be Every Once In A While Friends. Sure appreciate your help, though.

I spoke entirely too soon…

I have a bad habit of doing that on this blog.

Remember when I said this, regarding Nama?

Since she is on the lower level or maybe because of #1, the pests (aka, mice) always seem to go to her place and not mine.

Well, in the very same 8 hour period that I wrote that, Greyley came in saying, “There’s mice on the roof…or in the ceiling…RIGHT above my head!”

She sleeps in a loft bed, so she literally meant that.

Steps were taken.

In the meantime, good ole Nam calls and says there’s a suspicious smell down at her place…maybe a mouse? So the boys went down there and investigated. Indigo came back up all proud.

“We’re the MOUSE catchers,” he said.

“Uh, haha. Really,” I say.

“We went down there and there was this mouse and we GOT it, I FOUND it…and he was little..and he was squeaking…”

“He was squeaking?” I’m horrified.

His talking gets slower and slower…

“Yes, he was squeaking…because he was a baby… (sad eyes suddenly, hand on my arm) and he just wanted his Mama…” (looking downright alarmed now)

It turns out no squeaking was involved. Indigo had come across the little thing and it had already met its Maker. I think there might have been a few bad dreams that night…

However, I must confess, I was a bit relieved.

Well, that was shortlived. Around 3, the next morning, there was a mouse stampede over OUR heads. I don’t know if they were doing the funeral processional or what, but there was no peace. Nate banged the wall and they would hush up for a little while and then scramble around again.

They’re in a tricky spot…

Last night, they started around midnight. Creatures of the night, these things are…I banged on the ceiling. Alex barked. They’re relentless.

It’s better than the racoon, which sounded like a 200 lb. man on the roof…but it’s annoying just the same. I mean, if they’re going to be visiting for any length of time, they really need to respect the rules of the house.

No dancing after midnight.

No gallivanting around at all hours of the night.

No protest marches over my head…ever.

Enough is enough. If they can’t respect these rules, it’s not gonna be pretty.

October is quickly wrapping up~ I CANNOT believe it!!!

I have lots to do still, to…you know, feel like I got all I could out of Fall…

And most of it involves eating…

My must-do list (It’s been a list kind of week here at GM, what can I say?):

1) Go to an apple farm.

2) Eat caramel apples.

3) And candy apples.

4) Drink hot apple cider.

5) Make chili.

6) Buy a pumpkin.

7) Get Indigo’s costume. (Greyley had her school party this week, so she’s all set)

8) Go to the Pumpkin Carving Party at church.

9) Eat massive quantities of candy corn with peanuts.

10) Wear lots of orange.

11) Have a Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbuck’s. (I could actually cross this one off my list since I DID technically have one this month, but I’d like another, please…)

12) Read a good book. (I know, where did this one come from? It should belong on ANY list, that’s what.)

13) Kick some leaves.

14) Sit by a cozy fire.

15) Tell at least one ghost story.

16) Have chai every day for the rest of the month.

What’s on YOUR October list?

I don’t know about you, but I get tired of saying I am fine or good or well…when in fact, I am not. There are times I am genuinely happy and there are times I am genuinely wiped out, sad, sick, or just a little on the grumpy side.

Everyone who knows me, knows that I am a friendly and happy person…but sometimes that takes a little work. I will always be friendly, always. But sometimes, I’m acting happy until the happy comes.

Since I like to give honest answers when people ask how I am and people usually don’t really want to HEAR the honest answers, I have come up with some options that are honest without having to compromise the truth. I’ll probably never use them. I’ll still be saying, “Good!” But…you never know, this is something to consider…

5 Useful Cheery Retorts When Feeling Most Unhappy:

(Imagine someone has just asked how you are…)

I’m…you look fantabulouso!

I’m…how are YOU?!

I’m…is that ever a pretty outfit!

I’m…ACHOOOoo!

I’m…can we just have a moment of silence and gratitude that we’re together right now!

OK, these need a little work. But I think I’m onto something, right? The key is just to turn it right back around to them. Distraction is key.

OR…The Saying Something Nice Or Not Saying Nothing At All Route:

I’m ever so glad to be alive. (Hopefully you can say this honestly~ if you can’t say this and mean it, we better call 911.)

I’m blessed. (You just might get some happy on if you say this one from your heart. Can I get an Amen?!)

I’m peachy. (This is kind of general, right? What does it really MEAN anyway? I don’t know, but I just can’t think of one negative feeling when it comes to peaches.)

Come to think of it, why distract when you can be upfront? And why say something negative when you can think of something good to say?

However…

I know I don’t like to hear these answers:

I’m good…so far! (This just makes me nervous. What if I do something while we’re together that takes it over to NOT so good?)

I’m fair to middling. (This is a southern one and it’s not so bad, but you may as well do the sneezing one for all it’s really saying about anything.

I was good until the dog ate my homework and then he gagged and choked and vomited it up on my shoes and I still had to wear the shoes and then when I got in the car, I realized it was out of gas and while I was putting gas in my car, I got it on my shoes and now I have dog vomit AND gas on my shoes, so now I’m not doing so good. (OK. That is just TOO much information. And gross. Just downright gross.)

So there you have it…a little something to think about…to ponder…

Do you have any Useful Cheery Retorts When Feeling Most Unhappy?

There are definite advantages to having your mother-in-law living in the “lower level” of your house…we don’t call it the basement. Nama has an aversion to basements and so it is NOT the basement, it is the lower level.

Also, when Greyley was in first grade, she told her class that her grandmother lived in the basement and one child spoke up and said that it was cruel and such an awful thing to keep your grandmother down in the basement…Greyley was close to tears trying to tell him that it was a NICE basement and that she even had her own door! We were all traumatized after that.

Here are just some of the advantages to having Nama in the lower level:

1) She likes chocolate and is willing to share. She has a chocolate drawer in her bedroom…and a chocolate shelf in the pantry.

2) She makes super great food and loves to feed us.

3) She has been known to iron a thing or two AND offers to do laundry if I’m overwhelmed. There have been times I have accepted and she never makes me feel bad about it.

4) When I’m sick, she checks on me.

5) She makes good soup. Oh, yeah, see #2.

6) She makes me a heaping chocolate/vanilla sundae with hot fudge, caramel and whipped cream when I can’t quit coughing and that is the only thing that sounds good. (This happened last night, so I know this for a fact.) Again, #2…and #4.

7) She calls before she comes up, for the most part…we call before we go down, for the most part…

8) She’s really sweet. She loves me. These are both good things.

9) Sometimes she calls to see if Nate and I would like to go out or anything…could she keep the kids…and if it gets late, she puts them to bed and has the monitor and everyone can sleep happily in their own beds. Loveliness.

10) I don’t have to cross the street to ask for a cup of sugar when I run out…

And last, but not least…

11) Since she is on the lower level or maybe because of #1, the pests (aka, mice) always seem to go to her place and not mine.

For this, I am eternally grateful.