Yesterday, I went shopping for something to wear for our upcoming family portrait. I actually got the rare opportunity to go shopping all alone and actually made the extra arrangements to go to the closest really large town in Montana - about 100 miles away - to make sure I got the very best selection.

So, you would think it would be an enjoyable day. No kids, lots of stores to shop in, no schedule or time table to stick to as my hubby was taking care of picking up both kids from their schools.... Not so.

The first problem was that I was limited color-wise. Photographers, when you have portraits made, want you to stick to having a color scheme - mine was red and white - and the clothing items should be fairly plain in pattern....so, no plaid, wild stripes, shiny stuff....

You would think that red or white would not be a problem, but I was not happy with the limited selection of things in those two colors. Even at the most expensive department stores, there was not a whole lot to choose from. The sales lady in Dillards, bless her, pulled every single red sweater from the ladies department and I tried every single one of them on. I actually did purchase a sweater in Dillards - to the tune of $150 - that I am returning today. I like it, but not enough to pay $150 for it! It is cashmere - and gorgeous - but honestly not my style at all so it is going back.

Finally, after scouring several stores, I went to one store that I never go to anymore - Eddie Bauer. Right in front, folded neatly in a pile, was the perfect sweater and it was white. Now, I had been looking for red for myself, but I ended up with white and that is fine. As long as it fits well, which it does, and didn't cost $150 - which it didn't. $50 is way more reasonable, don't you agree?

By the end of the day, I was disheartened though. Shopping used to be fun, but yesterday it was a chore that I didn't really want to do. Not sure why I felt that way, but I did. Now, the real chore begins.....getting my family all to sit straight, smile and co-operate for these portraits! LOL

Ugh! I had a terrible day yesterday. In all actuality, it was not me - it was everyone else. LOL!!

First of all, it snowed like crazy and I had to go out and plow the road. My husband is away until Saturday and so I had to go back and forth between the house - where the kids had to stay because they cannot play outside while I am on that snow machine - and the plowing job. I was almost done and was on my way back that the machine quit. Just went totally dead - and it is past due my time to pop in on the kids. I had to leave the snow machine - in the middle of our private road - and hurry the quarter mile back to the house. Maya, worry wart that she is, was sure that I had been eaten by a bear (impossible - they are all hibernating). So, I spent the next little while calming her and Owen and calling one of my neighbors for help.

My neighbor, bless him, came right over and sorted out the machine, parked it back in the barn for me and told me to call him if I needed anything else. I was very grateful for that!

Then, the phone rings. It is the seamstress from the dry cleaning shop where I took my coat. The zipper in my favorite coat was ripping out from the bottom up and needed to be fixed. The coat needed to be cleaned anyway so I asked for a new zipper to be put in it. Well, the seamstress calls me and says the zipper works fine for her and does not need to be replaced. Tired and short on patience, I replied - very shortly - that I ought to know if the zipper is broken since I wear the coat regularly and I would like her just to put the new zipper in and be done with it. I know I was less than nice, but for goodness sake! If someone wants a new zipper put in their coat - just put it in and take the $25 you are getting paid for it.

Not 5 minutes later, the phone rings again and the voice on the other end of the line says - "We are sorry, buy due to the unexpectedly large volume of calls, no one is available to help you at this moment. Please wait on the line. The Leukemia Foundation....".

That is when I hung up. Imagine - a charity telemarketing call asking someone to hold the line! Yes - I cannot wait to stay on hold for a telemarketing call and have nothing better to do. What genius thought that marketing strategy up?

Rant over.

Today is a new day - thank the Blessed Father! I am looking forward to having a pleasant day today without all the hassles of yesterday. I hope each and every one of you has a lovely and blessed day as well!

Well, the first thing I have to say about this book is - you take a gamble when you buy books, even when they are at the recommendation of a friend. I gambled - and lost my $12.99 with this little purchase.

My friend - who meant well, I know, said this was a great read - really funny and informative. In truth, I found it to be just the opposite. If you are looking for a book about how to be an 'extreme eater' and push yourself toward the 'Hollywood' view of body types and weight loss, this book is a great place to start. It is basically a thesis, written in coarse and vulgar language, about the sins of people who eat sugar and meat. It is meant to be funny and irreverant, but comes off as insulting and extreme.

In the view of the writers of this little literary jewel, you are a horrible person not fit to live if you eat meat - of any sort - and would dare to let sugar pass your lips. The explainations of why you should not eat meat are anchored in extreme vegan rhetoric and are far from indisputable fact.

In short, I am sorry I wasted my money and corrupted my mind with this drabble. The book is far more toxic than any food that I eat! So I say, eat those M&Ms - just don't eat a whole one pound bag!

I have had one of those days. I have tried off and on all day to get here so that I could sit down and blog about this week's episode. It has been a comedy of errors the whole way through.

First off, I had to repaint one of the walls in my dining room. I started on this early this morning because I had to prime first and it takes awhile for things to dry in between coats. First thing that I discover is that I had purchased two different types of primers the other day and so I had to go to the hardware store and buy new primer.

So, I got the primer up on the wall with no problems what so ever. I then put at second coat of primer on without incident and waited for that to dry.Once again, I sat down at the computer and tried to get out a blog entry only to be bombarded with other things more pressing. So, I gave up and ordered the gift baskets from Harry and David that I always send out. At least I got that done!

With things settled a bit, I went out to my car to get something I had left out there only to discover the soda I had purchased when I went to the hardware store had frozen - and exploded - in the back of my Toyota. %$&@! That took a while to get cleaned up but went easier that I thought it would, so I returned to the house, fully determined to finish the painting in the dining room before my son decided to "help" me.

Upon returning, I noticed there were a few places that needed a touch up, so I did that, cleaned all the brushes and go ready to apply the paint. Lunch time - or actually way past lunch time. Right. Gotta feed the kids. So, chicken noodle soup warming on the stove, I grabbed something that was in the bottom of the bag I had brought in from my car before I discovered that the soda cans had exploded. I no sooner got the jar in my hand when it slipped out, hit the edge of the countertop and shattered into a hundered pieces.

The good news is that I did not cut myself and the kids were wise enough not to get near the mess. The bad news is that it was a 12 ounce bottle of pine infused essential oil that was to be a Christmas gift for my Dad. Double %$&@!

My entire house - all 3,000 square feet of it - reaks with the nauseatingly strong smell of pine along with paint and oil that I fried the fish in for supper. My dining room wall has two coats of primer and no paint.

Somebody get me out of here! LOL!