I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I worked and then had my mom and inlaws over for supper.  It was a very nice time.  The temperature yesterday as 63 degrees!  A record for Thanksgiving!  However today being black friday the temperature is 23 degrees and it is snowing.  We are not getting dumped with snow, just a bit along side the roads.  This is the first black friday in a long time I didn't go.  There just wasn't anything I need.  My shopping list is extremely short, just cash and gift cards this year.  As that is what is requested.  Teenagers!  Plus I just don't understand (kind of over welming the start times and what is really on sale during that time) or believe starting black friday deals at 8 pm on Thanksgiving is wrong.  I bawked at last years change to midnight, which I did do.  The turkey was put away many hours already at midnight.  But starting at 8 people have to get in line about the time we ate supper.  I'm not going to give up eating with my precious family to shop.  Even if it is for a deal.  The rate we are going Black Friday will start the day after Halloween and then the day after Christmas..  Which it kind of that way now, with the deep deep discounts.  If there is a retailer out there reading this please send Black Friday back to 5AM the day AFTER Thanksgiving... 

My Daughters Project

So very proud of her work!

Christmas 2011

Here is a photo of my Christmas tree... I don’t know what is wrong with me, but I just have the huge urge to take all the Christmas down and put it away... I’m trying to resist. We’ll see. So I took the picture before it’s too late...

 This is my grandma who is 99 years young...

Everyone for Christmas Eve

This what we do on Holidays..  play Deer Drive on the Wii

I hope everyone had a great Christmas as I did!

My Hero

My Son

My Hero

On Saturday we were invited to a graduation party of a family friend.  My husband was upnorth and late getting back, so Philip went to the party ahead of us.  When hubby came home we left for the party.  As we were walking up the drive way to the party I could hear yelling and I saw Philip from behind and he was all wet and yelling about something.  By the time I got up there I realized that the family friends grandson who is 2 was also all wet. And it was becoming clearer that Philip had just pulled him from the pond.  Philip had found the little boy floating face down in their pond.  Philip had pulled him out of the water saving his life.  The little boy wondered away from the party and some how got into the pond.  The little boy is fine, he has some water in his lungs and a bit shaken by all the fussing over him.  Philip was shaking like you wouldn't believe.   This was the second time he saved someone's life.  Earlier in the year, Philip stopped a friend from suicide.  Philip is now a guardian angel to 2 people.  I always knew my son was special and I love him so much.  I'm the luckiest person to have him in my life every single day.  

The Monster Truck

This is the MONSTER TRUCK

My son bought this truck and rebuild it first as a muddy truck and then he super sized it with 30 inch tractor tires and new heavy duty axles!  Isn't it cool.  Extremely hard to drive and steer.  He will be hauling it to the pipeline in a few weeks.  He is so proud of this project..  well so am I!!

My First Baby is 20!!

How???

2 decades old!!  

I'm not old enough to have a child that's 20! 

Getting to Know Me

1. what is your biggest pet peeve?
Other people being late

2. what is your favorite dessert?
My home made cheese cake


3. what is the first thing you notice about people? If there friendly


4. are you usually late, early or right on time?
Always on time or early










5.have you ever fired a gun?
Yes I have, I used to target practice when I was a teenager


6. are you right-handed or left-handed?
right

7. which do you prefer: coke or pepsi?
Caffeine free coke

8. do you dance crazy when no one is looking?
I used to when the kids were little.  Loved to dance around the house with them

9.  what’s your favorite movie snack?
Must have popcorn.

10. do you scream on roller coaster?
 No way would I get on a roller coaster.. 

Homecoming

Of course Nicci's first homecoming happened last week too.  So there were outfits to put together and school activities to go to etc...  Crazy week!!  

 This is the back of the Homecoming T-shirt.  See the ghost and the bird bath, my daughter created this!!!  I'm so proud of her.  Our school is the ghosts and the team they were playing were the cardinals.  The ultimate bird bath... get it.  By the way sadly they did lose the game... 

The T-shirts are produced by the Graphic Arts after school organization.

Isn't my baby grown up??  The dress and shoes were less then $50!  Nope none of it was preowned, just on sale. The next dance is the Winter Formal and she already has her dress for that and it is preowned.  I'm so proud of her because she is willing to go preowned for formal wear!  Way to go Nicci.

After the football game one of Nicci's friends had a sleep over and then after the dance on Saturday I hosted the sleep over.  It was so cool to listen to the girls after the dance!  How it brought back memories of when I was in school.

Getting to Know Me

 1. What is your occupation right now? Server

 

 2. What color are your socks right now?  Not wearing socks

 

 3. What are you listening to right now?   Good Morning America

 

  4. What was the last thing you ate? Scrambled Eggs

 5. Can you drive a stick shift?  No

 

 6. Last person you spoke to on the phone.  Mom

 7. Do you have a pet? Yes 2 Dogs

 8. How old are you today?  43

 9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?  none

 10. What is your favorite drink?   coffee with favored creamer

 11. Have you ever dyed your hair?  No

 12. Favorite food?  Scallops 

 13. What is the last movie you watched?  Twister

14. Favorite day of the year?  Christmas

 15. How do you vent anger?  have a melt down  

 16. What was your favorite toy as a child?   plastic farm animals

 17. What is your favorite season?  Summer

 18. Cherries or Blueberries?  Cherries 

 19. Prefer cash or credit cards?  cards

 

 20. Do you carry coins?  Yes

 21. Favorite type of shoes?  My Reeboks they are like heaven

 22. Living situation?  own home

 23. When was the last time you cried?   ??

 24. What is on the floor of your closet right now?   Shoes and boxes

 

25. Your Camera, love it or hate it?  Minolta Dimage G400  Love it, but need a new one.

 26. What did you do last night?  worked

 27. What are you most afraid of?  heights

 28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers?   Cheese
 29. Favorite dog breed?  havanese.... thats Henry

 30. Favorite day of the week?  Monday

 31. How many states have you lived in?  1  

 32. Diamonds or pearls?   Diamonds 

 33. What is your favorite flower?   Rose long stemmed roses!!!

Wedding Anniversary Today

Today is our 22nd wedding anniversary.  It's so exciting to have remembered my anniversary.  2 years ago everyone including me had forgotten our anniversary, not just an hour or 2... 2 days!!!!!  It was the year dad was diagnosed with cancer.  My father had already had the surgery to remove the cancer in his arm and he wanted to go to a carshow called Back To the 50's in Minnesota.  So we packed everything up and went.  We had never been there, but my parents went annually for years.  They would meet up with Chuck and Luann, who are wonderful people by the way.  We had met them before  but never spent any time with them until that carshow.  It was a great time even though dad didn't feel good and the day after returning home he had scheduled surgery to remove his cancerous kidney.  Anyway we left for the show on June 17 which was a Tuesday, being so side tracked no one thought of the date.  Well 2 days later we were sitting in the shade of a hotel that was hosting a carshow, which was part of the show.   We were all talking about anniversaries and how many years.  Thats when it dawned on me that we had missed our anniversary.  I was very upset, it was our 20th and we completely missed it.  How sad is that??  I started crying everyone felt horrible as there was really nothing anyone could do.  Last year I almost forgot again, it was noon before it dawned on me that it was our anniversary.  Last year with dad's passing only 2 weeks before I was side tracked with other things.  Now this year, my mom reminded me 2 days ago of our anniversary.  So I didn't forget this morning, but I hadn't thought about it until mom said something... would I have forgotten again?????  Man!!!  My mom brought me these!! 

Purdy ain't it??????

 

So you ask what are we doing to celebrate?  I can't be sure we didn't talk about it this morning so I have to wait until hubby gets home.  I know one thing I have to do is go to a wake.. a friend of mine and coworker's stepfather committed suicide.  It was very very sad.  I didn't know him real well.  But my friend thought of this man as her father.  He was always so very nice to me.  I feel for her.  I know her loss.  I can't relate to how he passed...  I hope she has the strength to deal with this.  She and her family are in my prayers.  So I have to at least stop in tonight at the wake.  Hopefully hubby will come with me, we could take the convertible and stop for a burger some place.  I would be happy with that!!! 

We Miss You!

We miss you, Dad!

April 11, 1941 - May 31 2009

So Proud

The other night my daughter was awarded this

For her High Honors in school.  I'm so proud.  I hope she can carry over her high standards for herself to High School and then College. 

Another Getting to Know Me

1. Where is your cell phone: My Krzr is sitting on the coffee table
2. Your hair:Light brown in the winter and dark blond in the summer.  I don't dye it, no need, no gray.  It is thin and annoyingly straight.. 
3. Your mother: Lives 3/4 of mile away
4. Your father: Father is in heaven.
5. Your favorite food: Scallops
6. Your dream from last night: I don’t remember
7. Your favorite drink: Decaf with flavored creamer
8. Your dream/goal: find my talent, better myself.
9. What room are you in: Living Room
10. What is your hobby:Rummage sales, old cars, Car shows, gardening, computers, selling stuff online, refunding/couponing, finding the best deal on everything, my dogs, reading, puzzles, Movies, Music, fishing, crafts and updating my home
11. What is your fear: Heights
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years: I would love to be a grandma by then and doing the exact same things I'm doing now.. Hoping I will have time to do everything I want.
13. Where were you last night: in the same place I am right now... still healing
14. Something you are not: No talent for writing, but still like doing it!!
15. Muffins: blueberry
16. Wish List items: new living room furniture, new refrigerator and painted oven door. Lots of misc items.
17. Where did you grow up: Right here in Kaukauna Wi
18. Last thing you did: made lemon aid
19. What are you wearing: loose dress pants and a top
20. Your TV: Big flat panel in the living room.  Old big screen in the basement, mid size flat panel in my bedroom and old TV's in each of the kids rooms.  Right now the only TV that is turned on is in the living room and it's a repeat of 90210
21. Your pets: 2 Dogs.. Henry who is 2 and his breed is Havanese.  The other is Shelby who is Husky, German Shepherd and Golden Retriever mix, she is 5 years old.
22. Your friends: Gwen, she and has been my best friend for many many years..  we should be have been sisters.  I'm very close to my mom we could be best friends.  I have many other friends my circle.
23. Your life: It's good, there is very very little I would change.  More money would be good, however how would that change everything and everyone... would it be worth it??? 
24. Your mood: looking up
25. Missing someone:  My dad!
26. Vehicle: 2001 Food Windstar (winter driver) and 1969 Mustang Convertible (Summer Driver)
27. Something you're not wearing: shoes
28. Your favorite store: right now – the thrift stores..Target, Home Depot, Lowes, Menards & Joann Fabric
29. Your favorite color: Black, I know it's not a color, but I love it.
30. When's the last time you laughed: about an hour ago when the house was full of teenagers!!
31. When's the last time you cried: last week
32. Your best friend: Gwen
33. One place you could go over and over again: All Ford National Car Show in Carlisle PA.  
34. One person who emails me regularly: my Grandma
35. Favorite place to eat? my kitchen, because it's open 24 hours

Getting to Know Me

 A different set of getting to know me questions!!

 Shot a gun Yes
Gone on a blind date Yes
Skipped school Yes
been  to Canada No
been to Alaska No
 been to Cuba No
Been to Europe No
Been to Las Vegas No

 Been to Disney Land No 

 Been to Disney World No

 Been to Mexico No

 Been to Florida No
Been on a plane Yes
Been on a Cruise Ship No

Served on a Jury No
Been lost Yes Twice!!!
Been on the opposite side of the country Yes
Gone to Washington, DC-- No
Swam in the Ocean No

Cried yourself to sleep Yes 

Played Cops and Robbers Yes when I was a kid, but not with my kids
Played Cowboys and Indians Yes when I was a kids, but not with my kids 

Recently colored with  crayons No 

Sang Karaoke No 

Paid for a meal with coins only Yes 

Made prank phone calls Yes

Laughed until some beverage came out of your nose Yes 

Caught a snowflake on your tongue Yes

Danced in the rain Yes

 Written a letter to Santa Claus Yes

Been kissed under the  mistletoe Yes 

Watched the sunset with someone Yes

Blown bubbles Yes 

Gone ice skating No 

skiing No 

Camped out under the stars  Yes 

 Seen something so beautiful that it took your breath away Oh Yes!!
Are or have been married Married 21 years 

Have children Yes 2 Boy 19 years old and Girl 14 

Have or had a pet Presently have 2 dogs~ Henry and Shelby and I've had other pets throughout my life.. no way I could list them all.  I love animals!!!

 Been skinny dipping outdoors No

 Been fishing Oh Yeah!! 

Been boating Yes 

Been water skiing No 

Been hiking and or mountain climbing Yes/No
Flown in a small 4-seater airplane Yes 

 Flown in a glider No

 Been flying in a helicopter  No

 Been flying in a hot air balloon No
Been  BUNGEE-jumping No

Jumped out of a good airplane No

Gone to a drive-in movie Yes

 Done something that could have killed you Yes 

Done something that you will regret for the rest of your life Yes 

Been to Africa No 

Been to Asia No 

Ever ride an elephant No 

Ever eaten just cookies for dinner Yes 

Ever been on T.V. No 

 Ever steal any traffic signs No

Ever been in a car accident No 

Have a nickname Yes 

Met a celebrity No

Run out of gas while driving a car Yes
Favorite drink:  coffee

Body piercing: no
Tattoos: No

 Did you ever drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle: yes

  Driven a manual shift car: No

Favorite number: 2
Favorite movie: Titanic
Favorite holiday: Christmas
Favorite dessert: Cheese Cake
Where do you see yourself in 10 years:  Being a Grandma

I hope you are all getting to know me better.  I will do another get to know me questionnaire sometime, I enjoy doing them!!

Getting to Know Me

15 Questions: 1. What makes you smile?  I smile when I think about how proud I am of my kids. 
2. What are your favorite things to do in the past? What about now? My favorite things in my past are still things I love to do.  It this is a funny thing about me.  I never give up anything once I start something.  It kills me to give anything up.  Carshows, gardening, puzzles, couponing, rummage sales, reading, music, movies and crafts. I still enjoy everything I used to do 20 years ago.  Back 26 years ago when I started waitressing, I hated it.  But through the years I learned to love it.  The thought of quitting and doing something else upsets me.  I would miss my co-workers, the regular customers and routine of the job.
3. What activities make you lose track of time?  Working on the computer makes me lose track of time.
4. What makes you feel great about yourself?  My kids.  I'm so proud of them.  Rarely do I feel embarrassed by their actions.
5. Who inspires you most? (Anyone you know or do not know. Family, friends, authors, artists, leaders, etc.) Which qualities inspire you, in each person? My mother and Mother inlaw inspire me on how important it is to have a family and a home life.  Blogging inspires me to be creative.  My best friend is a deeply caring person and I learn so much for her.  My daughter also is a caring person she teaches me new ways in caring everyday. My father inspired the love of cars and how I can be just like him.  My husband inspires me to try new things.  My son inspires me to continue to be his mother even at his age!!!
6. What are you naturally good at? (Skills, abilities, gifts etc.) I don't think I'm naturally good at anything.  But I challenge myself to work at things until I get it right!
7. What do people typically ask you for help in? Computers, waitressing skills and of course my kids asking questions all the time.  Their questions are now mostly life experience.  I can't believe that I'm now old enough to qualify for life experience.  When did that happen??
8. If you had to teach something, what would you teach? I could feel comfortable teaching about waitressing and couponing.  I think I could teach computer but it would be limited.  Right now my daughter is interested in learning to cook.  So I have been showing her the few things I know about that!!!
9. What would you regret not fully doing, being or having in your life?  Really I don't regret much in my life.  Maybe not having a larger circle of close friends.  I my close circle of friends I hold very tight and rarely let casual friends into that circle. 
10.What would you change about your past?  As a teen I didn't experiment with new things.  I was very cautious.  I see myself holding back my kids, because I'm still too cautious.  I want them to experience things we don't do... like sports and hobbies, however I'm always warning be careful.  I know my words hold them back from enjoying new things.
11. What are your deepest values? This is a very hard question, hard to talk about my values.  I can't really put them in order.  But there goes.. faith in god, trust, friendship, loyalty, strength, fairness and truthfulness.  I think I covered the ones that I have mastered.  However I believe I can always work on improving all values in life.

12. What were some challenges, difficulties and hardships you’ve overcome or are in the process of overcoming? How did you do it?  I haven't had continuing struggles or hardships throughout my life.  I have had deep difficulties that lasted a short time in my life.  Such as my fathers illness and passing.  I over came that with faith and strength.  I think love for him, his love and my families love got me through this.  I'm not completely over his passing but I can deal with it in my own way, it's getting more manageable. 
13. What causes do you strongly believe in? Connect with? I don't have one cause that I'm completely devoted to.  I will do what I can for any cause. 
14. If you could get a message across to a large group of people. Who would those people be? What would your message be? My message to all is buy and support American owned companies.  Thinking before we purchase all items.  Even if it will cost us more money or we have to give up a little leisure to do it. Such as buying a new car.  Buy American made, it will put people back to work.  The price might be slightly higher or it doesn't have just the right accessory, but it will get you to point A to point B and keep our fellow American's working!
15. Given your talents, passions and values. How could you use these resources to serve, to help, to contribute? ( to people, beings, causes, organization, environment, planet, etc.)  This is also a very hard question, first it seems as though I'm bragging.  So I will give a very simple answer...  I'm willing to help anyone that needs it in any way that I can.  Being time, friendship, money or items. 

Extremely Long Absence

So much that has happened since I was last here.

I have continued to go to many rummage sales and yard sales searching for great deals. I've continued to sell on Ebay, half.com and my store different things at ecrater. I'm also swapping CD's DVD's and books at Swapacd, Swapadvd and paperbackswap. Having a great time and I'm still using coupons and getting the deals. However I've been doing alot of catch up on all my hobbies. In the spring of 2008 my father was diagnosed with Kidney cancer. It's one of the worse cancers around because by the time it's found it has spread somewhere else.

My fathers cancer story. He was complaining that his arm hurt for about a week in mid May of 2008. Then one day he was pushing a piece of equipment and his arm broke. The doctors said that the break was caused by the kidney cancer that moved into the arm. The outlook was grim. He was told 3 months. Well the work began to find a way out of this. First move was to go to UW Madison to see a specialist. They removed the 2 inches of bone that was affected by the cancer. The doctors and nurses at UW Madison are the greatest caring people. I have a special thank you for them!! As far as they were concerned the cancer in the arm was gone. Relief. However 2 1/2 weeks later he had the cancerous kidney removed. That surgery was more painful and hard on him then the arm surgery. However the surgery went great and there too the cancer was gone. However with kidney cancer once the cancer spreads from the kidney cells could be anywhere. Traditional Chemo is not effective on Renal cancer. So he wasn't out of the woods yet. But they said there wasn't anymore detectable cancer anywhere. So go and heal and enjoy life. Well his kidney removable healed perfectly and the arm healing took longer. By the 6 month check up for more cancer, his arm was useful to about 75% and the cancer tests came back clear. We all thought things were good and the Chemo alternative (Sutent) was working. However not more then a month after the 6 month check up he was having pain in the chest. More tests couldn't seem to find the problem. After 2 months of tests and hoping it wasn't cancer returning it was. Renal cancer of the lungs. This is the worst of the worst. Nothing they could do. The Doctors said 10 months well it was less then 2 months and my father passed away. So now we all who depended on my father for everything is now gone. Everything has changed. When something happens that is exciting (like an extremely great deal, he always loved a deal) or worrisome I want to pick up that phone and call him. Tell him about it and have him tell me how to deal with it or hear his joy about that great thing. My whole life has a hole in it, miss him endlessly. Every vacation and carshow we as a family would attend was with my parents. We still go to carshows and try to enjoy it, however there is something very missing in all of it.... and that's dad. My mom is doing well, but her days are filled with that same feeling of missing him. Her world revolved around dad and his cars. Now that's over and she has to find away to fill her days. I try to spend of time with her, but again when we were together it was spent around dad and his love of cars. She is doing as well as can be expected. Thinking back when we first found out about the cancer we were told 3 months and we had a year, I guess we were lucky. But I'm greedy and wanted more. My father was not ready for this to happen, he had so much more to do!!

This is the memorial bench we had made for my father at The Iola Carshow in July 2009







This was my dads favorite carshow.

I will try to keep up with this blog more often and not let it sit for a year or more. So check back on all my deals and interesting finds!!

Let me introduce myself

Good morning!! I am a Mom of 2. My hobby is searching rummage sales for items they need and things for myself. I have been going to rummages for 22 years and I love it!! I have items that I will never sell or pass on to someone else, just because of the story behind the item. For example I was at a rummage sale in my early days of rummage sales. I saw this very interesting cat cookie jar. (At the time I collected cat everything) Well it came with this matching plate. I wanted the cookie jar and not the plate. I asked the lady who was running the sale if I could just buy the cookie jar. The only thing she said was "it's California Pottery" My reactions was Wow that's nice, but I don't want the plate, just the cookie jar. She says again 'it's California Pottery" I looked at my friend who was with me and we started to laugh. I then said to the lady. Well I will give you the asking price of $20 but I don't want the plate. Guess what her answer was... Yup you guessed it. "But it's California Pottery". So I handed her the $20 and took the cookie jar and the plate. We laughed all the way to the car. When my friend and I get together we still laugh about this lady and the cookie jar. I still have the cookie jar and plate displayed in my kitchen. Even tho I don't collect cat items any more and the cookie jar is green which doesn't match my kitchen any more. Please take a look at the cat cookie jar.

You will find more topics like this in my blog. So please book mark this blog and check back often for my rummage sale stories. You find much more. There will be posts about hard stressful days of rummaging, where frustration will show. However you will get to read about the REALLY good days and thrill of the hunt too!!

We live outside of town so having rummages sale here is differicult-very little traffic. Once a year my Aunt has a sale who lives in town. So I haul my unused treasures over to her house. However she has a rather small garage, so I feel as though I can't haul too much stuff over there. So my alternitive solution was to open a store at www.differentthings.ecrater.com. This is a brand new store. I have been selling on ebay and half.com for 6 years and I enjoy it. However I have so many items and so little money for the store fee's there. Please check out my store, I am adding new things all the time, so check back often... you never know what you will find!!!!

More to come... I can't wait to get this blog really rolling!! I'm excited to read your comments!!