Another Big Picture Class to love!!

Hoot!

Don't know what it is but I just love owls!!! Me and everyone else lately or should I say again! Back in the late 70's owls were a fad too, and unicorns. Sadly unicorns have not really returned but owls are everywhere!! My cute new dishes feature owls. Erin loves owls and they are everywhere!! Like on this cool free calendar at My owl Barn blog!!! So cute! I will print one for me and one for erin I think! What fun!

Rounding up September 2012

This is  a scrappy thing  that I have thought about but never tried. I am too tired tonight to do this but I copied this other person's and will fill in the blanks I hope at a later date.  most of the info is Kim's.

Rounding up September 2012

Will add photos later...

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1. READ

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2. WATCHED & LISTENED

• TV
  • Green Acres is our newest family show!
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• DVDs/Movies
  • The Avengers = such a great adventure!
  • Dark Shadows with Johnny Depp
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• Podcasts (K)
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3. EVENTS & OUTINGS

• Laurel took the girls to Avonlea where they walked from the golf course to Dunnet Park with their 

4. RECIPES TO REMEMBER

• Cinnamon Honey Yogurt (my recipe: 500 ml Greek ~10% mf plain yogurt, 1 cup kefir or a lower-fat ~3% mf plain yogurt, 3 Tbsp unpasteurized liquid honey, 2 tsp cinnamon) - yum!
• Grandma Mantay's Cucumbers & Sour Cream (cucumbers, salt, vinegar, sour cream)
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• Vanilla Steamer (my recipe: 2 cups milk, 2 Tbsp sugar (1 coconut/1 regular), and 1/4 tsp vanilla)
• Alton Brown's Oven-Roasted Broccoli (without bread crumbs) - best broccoli ever!
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5. GIFTS

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• for my birthday, I received some lovely cards, messages on Facebook, phone calls from my brother and Grandma M, and a 

6. SPECIAL PURCHASES

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7. HEALTH

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8. ACCOMPLISHMENTS

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9. DISAPPOINTMENTS

• my old computer (iMac) quit working and I had to get it repaired; it needed a new power supply (but I'm happy it wasn't the hard drive)
• still not finished with the basement - but we're getting there! We've done so much work and the improvements are HUGE; I just wish it wasn't taking so long
• still did not work on July or August photos - ugggh

10. GOALS

• did not process last month's photos - again
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• almost cleared my collection basket once
• cleared my email inbox (<20 1="1" li="li" weeks="weeks">
• no scrapbooking :(
• took our family photo - quickest, easiest one so far!

11. NOTEWORTHY

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• Sophia and Madeline participated in Cross Country (M's first time) with two practices before school and one after-school meet every week for 5 weeks - it was great to have friends pick them up for practices (so Neil and the other children didn't have to go anywhere until 8:45)
  • 1st meet: 5th (S) and 25th (M) - both were pleased!
  • 2nd, 3rd, and 4th meets: M was in the top 50 each time, while Sophia didn't run or finish (didn't feel well, stepped in a gopher hole, had trouble breathing)
  • 5th meet: 19th (S) and 53rd (M) - more breathing trouble for S; we don't know what the problem is, and she's frustrated (she has no trouble running continuously in practices)
• I was enrolled in 30 Days of Lists and BPC's Big Idea Festival (free), as well as Twelve at BPC (all year), and kept up with the reading/watching of content, but I didn't do anything with it - saving it for later!
• we picked up a small desk from Neil's cousin (originally from the Clarke family; hand made a few 

5x7 Folded Card

Cobweb Collage Halloween Card

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Photo Book

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One more time...!

       Well I read this this morning on FB courtesy of George Takai who is about the coolest former Star Trek actor/ Boy Scout ever! I am not really struggling with insecurity these days. I actually am pretty self confident most of the time. I am blessed with a wonderful life and a wonderful family and things are good! But I sure used to struggle!!! I am not sure that even a great thought like this would have helped me back then. The old keeping up with the Jones' and am I good enough and why does anyone care and ... etc. I think TV does this especially...how can they keep their house so clean and cook those great meals and still do all the kid stuff and have a cool career? No-one can!!!!! My life is mine and it is terrific!!! and by the way so am I!

     In other thoughts, I am still discovering things I have lost when the bloody hard drive on this laptop failed this summer. A couple of days ago I thought I had lost all the 'Day One' journal entries I had made this year. Somehow the next day I found them! Whew! but this is teaching me to find ways to store my stuff not just on my laptop but out in the www or cloud! I have gotten all my Ella books back but very soon I will print them all so they are safe. I may go print some BPC stuff too, although that is supposed to be safe there forever.

      Excited and nervous about the camporee this weekend . Camping is cool, Mindy and the team is on top of things despite my apparent need to control things! I am still adjusting my brain around the fact that some people think I am over controlling! Trying to let it go. Anyway, looking forward to Matt's session on electricity, seeing the girls sewing, hoping they all love Dragon boating etc. Not so sure about the whole lashing thing and not sure I want to be stuck there either while Bettye gets to take pictures. :( but it will be good!

     I am down about 5 pounds since last month. Very slow going but am starting to get into the move more eat well mode...more on this another time soon. I am optimistically planning to be miss susie homemaker/scrapper after this weekend. things should really settle down, except for various birthday's, and oh yes a WEDDING!!! OMG! But really I'm the mother of the groom , not much for me to do. Better get Curt to find a restaurant for the dinner!! Think on the dress a bit more... think on my dress a bit more...plan for my families visit.

Ok, enough for today...here's another goal write more often!! Couple times a week is good. And write here so it will be safe...or as safe as I can get right now. Ciao!

2003 Road Trip

This year the Hobbs decided on a Road Trip for Spring Break. Our plan was to head to San Francisco, stopping at the Redwoods and various beaches in Oregon. In April 2003 Marc was 15, Erin 13, Sean was almost 10, and Niki was 7. Everything was going well, we enjoyed a short stop in Eugene, OR and then a beach near Coos Bay. We were headed to a hotel in Grant’s Pass, OR. That’s when things got interesting!

As we drove along I-5, 10 miles or so out of Grant’s Pass, in a very deserted stretch of road, the engine started smoking. That was a bit scary so we pulled over on the side of the highway. Luckily we did have a phone and AAA so we called for a tow truck. It took awhile because we were out a ways. While we waited I tried to find a closer hotel and cancel the other one. The original hotel kinds gave me trouble but finally gave in and didn’t charge us. We found a Best Western that was closer and near a Chrysler dealer.

Finally a guy shows up with a flat bed tow truck. I got in the tow truck with Niki, the other kids and Curt were on the side of the road while he hooked up the van. I watched out the rear view window of the truck as he began to winch the van up onto the flatbed. Suddenly the chain snapped and our lovely blue van started rolling backwards down the interstate!!! It began to pick up some speed and crossed towards the center and crashed into the guardrail!! Thank heavens no-one came driving in our direction while this was happening.

The tow truck driver was in a state. I am not sure if he was just incompetent or having a bad day or just bad luck but he did then manage to get the van hooked up and on the truck. He dropped us at the hotel as it was pretty late by this point, and took the van to the shop. We found a nearby Applebee’s and could finally relax after a very long day!

We did end up having to stay an extra couple days there while they sorted out the damage and got us a rental van. We then took off for the Redwoods, and Eureka, CA. We wandered about looking at the Victorian mansions and enjoyed a fun dinner at the Samoa Cookhouse. They serve family style at long tables, lumber camp style. The redwood forest is amazing! We really enjoyed admiring the incredible beauty of those trees.

Unfortunately the van was not repaired by the time we were heading home. A couple weeks later I had to take another road trip alone down to Grant’s Pass to return the rental van and pick up ours, but that’s another Road Trip story!!

Just wrote this up for a scrapbook page. I have realized that the little details are gone from my mind. What did the kids think, how did we feel being stuck in Grants Pass. What did we really think of the Redwoods...what did we do in the car all those hours...you really think you won't forget but you do...