Pumpkin Lane

With Noah spending the weekend at my parents, we were able to have a leisurely day shopping after we picked Jake up from his friend’s house. I found a few fun items at Christmas Tree Shops, got some craft supplies at Hobby Lobby, a new book at B&N, and some microbrews at Half-Time. When we were at CTS, as usual some of the people there just had there carts piled high with stuff. Kind of makes you wonder if they’ll need to look into credit repair services after a while! At Half Time I picked up a bottle each of Harpoon’s Ginger Wheat and Souther Tier Brewing Co’s Choklat Imperial Stout. Yum, yum! I can’t wait to try both of these!

I’ve been cleaning out my own jewelry box and setting some things aside for Laura. I have a lot of my childhood jewelry and I think she’ll enjoy wearing it when she’s a little older. I have a sweet necklace with several ducklings and my favorite “Love Dove” necklace that I wore all the time. I hope she will share my love for jewelry. Whether it’s diamonds or pearls, sapphires or amber, I love it all. Right now I don’t wear much aside from rings and earrings because Laura tugs on everything and I don’t want a chain to break. Before long I’ll have my bracelets and necklaces back, though. I’m holding off piercing her ears until she’s a little older (though I think that babies look so cute with little studs in their ears). Maybe for Kindergarden? We’ll see when we get there. I also have a box full of my grandmother’s old costume jewelry. Most of it is very dated, but will be perfect for playing dress-up!

Are you guys all set for your taxes? We’re just waiting for two more forms (that should arrive this week) and then we can file them. Maybe even this weekend! We want to be as early as possible to avoid delays in getting our refund. Last year I started to do a lot more writing so this year I’m keeping track of everything that could be used as a tax deduction. As a writer, there are so many things I can deduct: laptop computers, printers, seminars, books, notebook, paper, etc. Since I was pregnant and preoccupied last year I did not keep receipts like I should have. This year, however, I’m on top of my game and hoping for a successful year!

Drew and I decided that this was the year to finish painting the rooms in our house, as I’ve mentioned before. We’ve got our colors for the dining room and kitchen and will be starting those in the next month or so - I’m thrilled! The kitchen is going to be a neutral color, a very light brown. I’d love to put up a backsplash, some pretty glass tiles or something, but for now that’s not in the budget. Definitely an idea for down the road, though. The dining room is going to be green. We plan on repainting the den (formerly our master bedroom), but that is not the priority right now. I can’t wait for my kitchen to feel a little more welcoming. I do my best, but the beige walls are so uninspiring. With a light brown I can go a few different ways for accessories. I can do gold/evergreen/burgundy as I currently have it or I can switch to blue/yellow — a little more French country I think. That’s what I’m leaning towards. So excited to get going!

Every Christmas we make a DVD with our home movies to give to our parents. This year, however, we realized how little we used it. There was barely any film of Laura (which of course makes me feel terribly guilty). Our camcorder is great, but it’s eight years old and can be a pain to drag out. Lately I’ve been wondering if we should invest in one of those Flip cameras. They’re so small I could keep it with me all the time and then, I imagine, burn the movies onto a DVD so everyone could enjoy them. It’s sad to miss those little moments. They’re fleeting, to be sure.

Was I surprised last weekend when I pulled into my parents’ driveway and saw a beautiful new Jeep Liberty! My dad’s old one, as it turned out, had been having some problems and it was time to invest in a new one. It looks really nice and I know he’s happy with it. I’m not sure if he has any truck accessories to put on it; I think he might have put on the roof rack the other day, and that’s about it. I’m really looking forward to taking it for a test drive (as a passenger) the next time I see him!

I had a relaxing overnight at my parents’ house this weekend. It was just me and Laura, and without the boys there was significantly less yelling and scolding, which was very relaxing. Granted it’s not like a couple nights at the ‘rents is the same as some sweet Orlando vacation packages, but I will take what I can get: free meals, a bit of babysitting, and a couple hot, relaxing baths. I also got some knitting in — bonus! We usually go on a winter vacation, but not this year. I imagine that we’ll do something in the summer, instead.

So, I’m not all that familiar with that show “Jersey Shore.” After all, we don’t have TV. I did catch part of an episode online — enough to make me glad that I don’t have TV. Apparently, this weekend the big news is that two of the show’s awful characters, “Snooki” and “The Situation” hooked up. Oh good. Just what we need. More idiots procreating and populating the earth. Can’t these people just find some normal South Jersey jobs and contribute to society? Oh wait. No, because stupid people still watch crappy reality shows like this constantly. Sigh…

Last fall I read about chia seeds and ordered some. If you don’t know, they are nutritional supplements, basically. They’re seeds that are packed with fiber and protein. At first I didn’t believe the claims that they could increase your energy level, but I really noticed a difference when I was eating them. I think it’s time to buy some more. Of course, I have to order them online and I keep forgetting about it. The local natural foods store has them, but not the brand I like. Maybe if I start taking them again I’ll feel more alert even though I’m not getting enough sleep.

Living out here in the country, there are plenty of guys who think they’re real cowboys. They drive pick-up trucks with NRA stickers on the back, some of them still wear mullets, and they think they’re great. I wouldn’t doubt if some of them would take a testosterone booster if they thought it would increase their masculinity! I tend to ignore them, except when I’m driving and they get right up on my bumper. I drive the speed limit. And I usually have at least one child in the car with me. I’m not about to risk an accident by speeding along the twisty roads just so these jerks can feel good. Sigh. One of these days I’ll see a cop pull one of them over, though, and that will make my day!