Recent Thrifty Finds

Can't get enough thrifty shopping these days. I've invested in 4 designer dresses with their tags, a couple pairs of shoes, men's pants, undergarments, and scarves all to sell on ebay and I can't wait to list them. The problem is that I need Jenna's camera and computer and it's difficult to coordinate with her for some reason. Anyway, hopefully my paypal account will grow soon. I also bought myself yet another pair of awesome shoes. My girls accuse me of having the worst taste in shoes. Well, I go for comfort as well as class. I've found it all in these little beauties. Kitten heel, strap across the top, and just a few small beads to bring it all together. The girls are pleasantly horrified.
Plans today included going to the mall which I actually despise but I planned to be a trooper and I've been sick for a couple of days so anything sounded better than another day in front of the tv. Well, 2 of the girls woke up with my virus, poor dears, so we're home again. I guess I'll switch gears and try to cook a nice dinner for those able to eat.
By the way, I have no idea what's going on outside. Last time I was out there we were checking the bee hives which have been winterized to survive the tundra. They're all packed together and wrapped, as well as insulated with straw. We also have a small steer roaming around out there who was supposed to be in our freezer by now but his future is undetermined at this time. And the "duckies" we acquired last year have turned out to be a couple and we're getting duck eggs every day.
I guess I will go try to eat something nutritious to start my day. I've lost 6 pounds in the last 3 days but alas, I fear it will come back in the next 3 days! Oh.........I forgot to mention that it's COLD outside. I'm embracing the beauty of winter though. Really I am.

New Year, New Blog

Happy New Year! 2012 came in with a real bang. I woke up on the 1st with the flu or something close to it. So many hours of sleeping and lousy dreams. January 2nd has been a little better. I'm coherent and able to sit up and watch movies. Luckily, Lifetime network was running their "Perfect Monday marathon". That means (I'm sorry to admit) I've watched "The Perfect Babysitter", "The Perfect Neighbor", The Perfect Marriage", "The Perfect Teacher", and part of "The Perfect Murder". I can't take any more perfection at this point so I've moved on to "Jackass" with Laila. I'm also consuming my 2nd glass of iced tea and some saltines. I hope this doesn't represent the direction the new year will take me.
If you're reading my blog, check in and say hi. I hope to update regularly.

Sarah Palin: Paul Revere Warned The British

Congratulations to Zainab and Steve!

I'm not alone anymore. The girls are both done with school now and home for the summer. No jobs, no school, no ambition...........I could go on. Well, hopefully they'll get busy with job hunting or volunteering or some form of interaction with humanity. It would beat the life of a vampire in my book! (I mean the hours they keep, not a taste for blood or anything that disturbing.) The other kids have a few more weeks of school. 17 days to do the whole miserable morning routine which really gets old by this time of year.
In other news, Ali started his new job this week and he's happy with it. He also had an honors appreciation night at school tonight which was very nice. He got awards for Honor roll and most improved in physics. Yay, Ali.
I cooked the most disgusting dinner I've ever made last night so I'll now share that recipe. Do NOT attempt this. EVER!
Sautee 2 large onions and 2 cloves of garlic in a pot. Add a couple of pounds of shrimp, plenty of spices and a few cups of brown rice. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Add a can of mixed vegetables and simmer till the water is evaporated and the rice is done. Eat and gag.
Today I made some lentil soup and mexican lasagna. It was a relief to most. They really take their eating seriously. The chickens liked yesterday's dinner so it all worked out.
Random news:
Laila said our van has a DNR on file so any further problems and it just wants to be let go peacefully. Baba disagrees.
There are only 2 more weeks of my Sunday morning breakfast that I've gone to all winter. I'll miss it.
I finally put my new tv in my bedroom and I like it. I just don't watch much tv though. I guess I'm out of the habit.
Mazin went to a tax tribunal today to complain about our rising property taxes. He will find out if it got him anywhere in the next couple of months I guess.
I'm going to try to reduce my stress with deep breathing and meditation starting tonight before I go to bed.

I've been on a hectic schedule over the last week. Nothing very exciting but busy anyway. I didn't get to spend Mother's Day with my mother for the first time in a couple of years but I hear she had a good weekend. I went to a Mother's Day brunch on Saturday which turned out to be lots of fun. I was invited with a promise of meeting lots of fun and interesting people. It was true..........I did. And as a bonus I won the grand prize door prize which was a flat screen television. Yahoo!
We went to a Mother's Day breakfast on Sunday. Why does everything have to involve food? It was also very nice and the food was better than the fancy brunch on Saturday. You can't beat foul, labne, olives, zataar and cheese pies, spanish cheese with fresh vegetable and hot chai! That's always my favorite. We heard a nice talk as well, which covered so many aspects of motherhood. I liked it a lot.
I'm also in the midst of some big spring cleaning and I finally emptied out a giant cupboard I have which houses the largest collection of games, movies and other debris. It was completely emptied, washed and re-organized. I'm trying to finish some inside jobs before we get too busy outside this spring.
In other random news:
You know that purple stamp on butcher shop meats? It's edible. (Made from grape skins) Most people probably knew that already, but I just learned it while reading a Rachel Ray magazine.
Two hens hatched out a bunch of eggs and they're all roaming free and digging up the garden already.
A skunk got hit in front of my mailbox and the odor has been seeping into my house for the last 12 hours or so. (Some people are just sickened by that smell, but I don't find it that bad! Weird, huh?)
Z has 3 more days of high school.
I'm finally getting my hair fixed today.
I'm having company for dinner this Saturday. One of my guests is the granddaughter of the Shaklee founder. I never asked her if she uses Shaklee products regularly, but I do know she's never tried to sell me anything.
Ms. Shaklee gave me a rabbit last spring which I promised to keep or find a good home for. Wouldn't it be funny if right in the middle of dinner I said, "Remember that rabbit named Furby? Well, enjoy that next bite of..........". Oh never mind, I would NEVER do that!
I had homemade goat cheese for breakfast. It was delicious.
I'm making red beans and rice for dinner and I think little Labne will be here. He and Yousef were in class last week and the teacher was busy or something so the kids were chatting it up. Well, actually if Yousef was involved the teacher may have been in the middle of something important. Anyway.........Labne randomly invited everyone over to our house. He said "Yousef's momma throws down a good burrita". Thanks little Labne. I appreciate that.

Location: My Kitchen
Tunes: La Bamba
Cooking: 2 giant spinach and mushroom pizzas. 2 dozen burrigs(Iraqi eggrolls). 2 pans of zucchini quiche. mixing up my own bisquick baking mix.
Praying for: Light- at the end of the tunnel and coming from a hot sun in the sky (both kinds are needed in a hurry)