A serious case of the giggle squirts

A good Bloggy friend, Melanie, recently did a post on laughter. I took it personally when she said she encourages you (in my mind, meaning me...)to write down what makes you (again, meaning ME) laugh. Remember, I took her post personally. She didn't come out and say, "Hey, Kat, write down what makes you laugh" But, I'm gonna do it...cuz I'm cool like that!! Beware: I laugh at some pretty bizarre off the wall things.

When my dogs fart. It gets me every stinkan' time!! Brayden runs up the stairs and loud pops come out of him, McKenzie is known to do big ole' stretches & let one rip. She then gives her butt a mean look, looks at me like I did something & goes back to sleep. I'm not even kidding, it gets me every time!!

I get the giggle squirts when people use silly words. Yes, I love grammar & find great joy in diagramming sentences. I even edited my friend's book. That's how much I LOVE grammar. I also like random, nonsensical ooberously sillified words that provide the most quirky run on sentences.

When Ken dances randomly. I'm not talking about a calm dance. I'm talking about when a song comes on when we're cooking in the kitchen and he wiggles his butt, claps his hands, does some sort of pelvic Elvis like thrust!! He's a nut!! He also does a pretty stellar impersonation of Urkel, Flipper and a cow's moooooo.

Kids. In general kids make me giggle. The way they look at their surroundings and the innocent ways they verbally respond to something. They are by far the most blunt, say it as it is, humans ever.

I sometimes find myself giggling at a project I'm working on. Or if I'm spinning yarn.

My pets. The way Arizona pounces on her toy with her front paws, the way Macey's whole body wiggles when she's excited, when Allison stares at the sky when we ask her where the birds are, McKenzie's awkward ears (we wouldn't have them clipped), Brayden being such a boinging boy. You'd swear he had a lil tigger in him. Our cats Buster & Betsey. Betsey trying to clean her belly, she's so darn chubby. Buster sitting up on his hind legs while rubbing his face with his front paws.

Old couples. No, I'm not laughing AT them, I think it's so darn tootan cute when elderly couples are still in love. You can see it in their eyes and their actions. I don't know how seeing that doesn't make someone doesn't get smiley when they see that.

My tortoise, Chloe. She bobs her head as if she's jammin to some reggae. I don't know why she does this, but when I say her name, she pokes her lil head out and rocks out.

The dog park in Chicago that we go by a couple times a week when we are on the road.

On a couple occasions I saw my fish fart. I know, another fart thing. But seriously, I had my face up to the tank watching it suck on the glass. It began doing it's "business". I should have removed my face from the glass but those sucky lips attached to the glass amuse me. Apparently I was infringing on his privacy & all of a sudden a poof of poo proceeded by bubbles came out of "that" area. I backed up, quickly telephoned Ken and told him I saw our fish fart!!

Hearing someone else having a good belly rolling, gut busting, loud, snorting laugh!!

I don't know about you but I'd be completely lost without my daily dose of laughter!! I double dog dare ya to make a list of what makes you smile or laugh. =)

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter. ~e.e. cummings

Busted...at the seams...literally

Imagine this: You hop in your pickup truck to take it to the car wash. You hop out of the truck, put your coins in the tower, select what wash you'd like, go to hop in your truck, your foot slips a little, you don't fall, but....you split the crotch out of your most favorite pair of capri's. Ever. Yes, my friends, this happened to me this afternoon. Luckily I was wearing Ken's John Deere tshirt which is extra big on me and was able to pull it down to hide the huge gash in my trousers. I hope nobody saw. We really need to get some sort of running board or nerf bar type thing installed on the pickup so my very un-tall self can prevent another blow-out.

After the blow-out I went home, changed, and made my way to Goodwill. I am dead serious about losing 50lbs and I absolutely positively refuse to spend big bucks on jeans in my current size. Plus, Goodwill has some pretty neat stuff now and then. I tried on a good 20 pairs of jeans. Some went up to the bottom of my bust, some barely covered my heine, some were just....unsensational to put it nicely. I ended up with one pair of jeans that I liked and they fit well in the heine and tummy. My tummy is so tender from my surgeries so jean buying is quite an ordeal. The drawback of these jeans was that they were too short for even my short stature. Oh well, they will become my NEW most favorite pair of capris. I also found a really pretty blue dress and a couple skirts. I do enjoy wearing skirts on a summer day. These two are just so stinkan cute and there is no worries of them showing off things that should be covered and they are long enough that I don't have to be paranoid if I am sitting absolutely positively proper. I made my way through the store and looked in all the nooks and crannies. I found an amazing frying pan. You know, the deep ones, with the wooden handle. The kind you can put in the oven...for $1 and some odd cents. I also spotted an enamel frying pan. That will be out of this galaxy awesome to put in the camper for when we cook over the campfire. Hold on, I'm not done. Folks, I found an old hardcover copy of Henry David Thoreau's "Walden" Yup, you read that right!! I took all my treasures to the checkout, trying not to make it completely obvious I was about to jump up and down, do a happy dance, holler "woot woot"with excitement over all my "finds"

What was your excitement of the day?

Eating a cookie on a Friday night

Ken & I were watching Anderson Cooper 360 tonight and he showed a segment from Regis & Kelly that he and Kelly took part in when he filled in for Regis. They had to put a cookie on their forehead and get it to their mouth without using their hands, only facial muscles. The contest was called "Face the Cookie" Whoever got the most cookies to their mouth in 60 seconds was the winner. Of course I had to give it a whirl! Little did I know, Ken was recording. I thought he snapped a picture!! LOL

I double dog dare you to try this!! It's guaranteed to make you laugh your rearendolla off!!

Note: I tried to find video of Mr A.C. doing this contest to show you more of what it's all about. I came across CNN Ireport and they are asking for people to submit their personal results of the contest. They will be showing highlights of entires on Monday night's Anderson Cooper 360 show!! Guess who actually submitted? LOL

My garden box

This past weekend we made a raised garden box.

Once the box was made it was time to get some soil!! It's a total bummer that our city moved the community compost pile to the dump and the public no longer has access to it. =( So, we set out to Menard's & bought organic topsoil & peat moss. They were all out of compost/manure. Seeing Ken said it was pertinent we add manure to the soil we went to our local lawn & garden store. Ken said I would have to ask the guy for what we needed. The man asked, "can I help you?" I went blank.....and said, "I need poop!!" The man laughs, Ken goes, "OMG!! Katherine!!!" He then tells the man, we need MANURE!!! Anyways, they didn't get their shipment in yet so our soil remains poopless for the time being. I do have a large garbage can of our own compost to add to the soil though. I'm hoping that saving those banana peels and other fruity scraps really set our garden up for a successful season.

I envision crisp lettuce, dark green spinach, vines of cukes, zucchini and butternut squash. Green peppers will grace the garden and the radishes will keep pests away & add total deliciousness to our salads. I hope the bunnies don't get to our carrots & broccoli. . We're going to also grow corn & our pole beans will climb the stalks. The bush beans and wax beans will be AWESOME!!! The jalapeno peppers will be grown in containers again.

I am hoping to secure a plot at the community garden to grow a boat load of tomatoes. The herbs will be in window boxes & be wunnaful tasty additions to our meals. We are also planting zinnias and Iponopsis in the flowers bed to attract the humming birds, sunflowers to bring us a smile and provide our feathered friends nourishment, along with other petaled beauties. The lilac tree is beginning to bud and the first signs of the tulips, daffodils and iris's are beginning to emerge from the soil. Spring is on it's way!!

I hope you don't mind the sheer dorkiness of the video. I had no clue Ken was recording. You'll see by my face...and then a couple colorful words.

Happy Gardening!!

Experimenting

This post is brought to you from the weirdo with the mask, goggles and rubber gloves. I've been experimenting...in my kitchen with some heavy duty stuff. Here's a hint. And no, I am not eating lard, preparing for lard wrestling in the backyard or making Mrs Brady's meatloaf for the Brady Bunch!!

I'll be able to post all about it in approximately 3 days. =) Hope you are enjoying your weekend & doing something fun!!

Random Filth

Tonight I did something I never thought I'd do...I went to a movie by myself!! Of course Ken is on the road. And face it, Nights in Rodanthe is not his cup of tea. But I so badly wanted to see it. I decided this morning I would try to go today. I say try because I felt like donkey doo today. Not that I know what a donkey doo feels like mind you. I contemplated calling my gal pals & setting up a gals night. Which would have been out of this galaxy fun!! But then I thought, hmm most of my gal pals work or have babies...something I do not have...I have oodles upon oodles of guy friends but seriously, who would be game for going to see that movie? Not any that I know of. So, I waited the dizzies out today & finally decided at 5:30 I'd be bop to the theater. I have to admit, it wasn't all that bad. Being by myself I mean. I'm always by myself anyways. The movie was great!!

I've been thinking a lot lately. I have feelings of being inadquate, like I NEED to be doing more. I have no babies so why is it I don't "work". Sure, I do the paperwork for ownign our semi. But my brain is so much more capable of doing other things. I love to bake but I can only be Betty effin Crocker so much. Our waist lines show the outcomes. I've been doing a lot of reading. Which reminds me...Lauren, if you're reading this I am waiting for another post!! Yesterday I made a damn sock monkey. Never made one before so I thought, what the heck? Anyways, I'm wanting to do something, feel like I am making a difference, a contribution. At the same time I also want to be able to go on the road with Ken. With the unpredictability of my MM it would make it extremely hard to hold a "normal job" But I need to do something & I have some ideas.
I took this silly quiz the other day...for heck's sake. It was sumthin about How Old Your real self is...sumthin along those lines. Anyways, mine actually came out to be 34!! In a way it surprised me & in a way it didn't. I'm not one for huge parties & complete chaos. I enjoy having order, but at the same time I am extremely spontaneous. Does that make any sense? I've always thought that I have an old soul.

Last night while making the sock monkey I got all cranky, like piturbed with someone. This November is 2yrs ago my nephew was born. My sister adopted him...we were supposed to. Why is this bugging me? Is it because we allowed ourselves to put our heart out there for Maddy...only to get them crushed? But at the same time I know it wasn't meant to be. With Maddy I mean. We are content with it being just us for the rest of our life & have dismissed all hopes on having a baby & see the good side of not having a kiddo. But then it still hurts... I guess the hurt never truly goes away...

In just a couple weeks I will start putting up our Christmas decorations & our handful of trees. For some reason I'm not all super stoked. Is it that I'm getting old? It's like I am where I was 2yrs ago. After the whole nephew ordeal. Not wanting to give a rats arse about Christmas. It's rather bizarre.

I was recently invited to a Christmas party by my friend Shelli. She's amazing! But I'm not sure if I should go. It's for the deaf/HOH club in Esky. I met her through my fabulous friend Gwen eons ago. Gwen had told her about me & my Meniere's crap. Losing your hearing from MM is not uncommon, pretty much a given. It's not something I've truly accepted yet. But these folks have & want me to join them. I have not used sign language in years so it's pretty rusty. I fear I won't be able to communicate or that I won't "fit in" I asked Ken what I should do about this. Bless his heart. He's amazing. He knows I have issues with dealing with the inevitable...perhaps attending this party would make me realize & begin to accept that if MM takes my hearing , life would still have meaning & I would still have friends. Not saying life wouldn't have meaning otherwise. I just don't know!!! So sorry for babbling here. But I haven't done it in awhile.

Onto other things...my thoughts on the upcoming World Series...Go Phillies!!! I have to admit my Bosox were not playing to their abilities in the beginning of the ALCS. It sure is odd sitting here, not watching a baseball game.

There's just too much on my mind right now. Think I'll take a bubble bath to relax, turn on some Korn to relieve stress, have a glass of wine & make sock monkey's to be quirky!!!

Total Sock Rockage!!!

Oh my heckles!!! Today when I came home from running errands I noticed a manilla envelope in my mailbox. I had kinda forgot my swellacious friend Jewel said she was sending "something" I rushed into the house, didn't even bother letting the doggies outside, set up the camera & put it to video mode. Jewel mentioned I should video myself opening it because she'd love to see my reaction. I assure you, I did video myself. I've been trying to upload the video for the past half an hour. It keeps saying it's corrupt! GAHHH!


So, anytootles...I first felt the package, wondering, trying to guess what it could be. I'd never had guess what the contents were. What was in the package was something that rocked my socks out loud, louder than they have ever been rocked before! Like this is a HUGEMUNGUS thing!!!


Now, most people know I love quirky random socks. They also know I have this deep interest/infatuation with the Amish. When you combine those two things you get.....

Now if this isn't the pure empitomy of sexiness I dunno what is!! I don't normally put my feet on the table but these socks rock my world so much I had to showcase em off while on my tootsies.
Thank you soooo much Jewel! You friggen rock my socks hard core Amish style!!! I can't even WAIT to show Kenster when he gets home!! We will be leaving tonight to head to Massachusetts. Which means, we will be traveling through parts of PA...AMISH country!! I shall wear these for good luck. In hopes we see oodles upon oodles of Amish Farms along our journey. Thank you sooo much for these rockan socks!! I luv you oodles!!!

Nonsensical Things

I'm soooo excited! My Mom-In-Law called me tonight while I was outside playing with the dogs. She asked if I'd be interested in having some of their home grown tomatoes. I was like, absofreakinglutely!!! So Brayden & I be bopped over to Gma & Gpa's. Yes, we call Bill & Jeanne Gramma & Grampa to our pets & they call the dogs their grand dogs & the cats grandcats.

Anyways, I came home with a paper bag full of red juicy tomatoes. I bought hot peppers, onions, green peppers in hopes to get some tomatoes at the Farmer's Market tomorrow to make some fresh salsa. Now I have these yummers to use!! Yahooo for wunnaful Mom in laws! I've never made salsa before but it's worth a try. I'm still scouring to see what recipe I should use...hmmmmm Anybody game for being my "guinea pig"? LOL!!!

Tomorrow I will also tackle the pears. I keep going back & forth on what to make with them...like should I can them as halves, chop them up or process them like applesauce?

Speaking of applesauce. I phoned the Apple Orchard & as of 3 days ago they were unsure when they will have apples for sale. He said the apples are still the size of marbles & in need of some rain. Well, we've been getting some rain so hopefully, fingers crossed for a bumper crop of apples!!!

In other news Ken left early Monday morning. I was going to go with him but seeing we did a bunch of sitting on our heine's on Sunday we had nothing packed for myself or the fab 5 (that's our dogs) so I stayed home. Now, he might not be home till the end of the week...I sure do miss him!!

I don't sleep much at all when he is gone. I am finding such inspiration from some crafty blogs though! Now I just need to get the gung ho about DOING some of those projects. Do they sell Gung Ho at Walmart by chance? My craft room/office is coming along. I'll post pics of that soon. Including the embarrassing before pics! My goodness, that was a mess! I am in dire need of a scrapbooking, card making, sewing type of day. So that room really needs to be finished to get back on track with Christmas gifts!!

I managed to change my page up a bit...hoping what I did remedied the whole lack of paragraph problems. The whole lack of paragraphs being formed in my posts is one of my hugest pet peeves. So fingers crossed this post is successful!!!!!

Anytootles, I am rambling about nonsensical things & I should go to bed so I can get some stuff done around here!!!

Mutual Weirdness

" We are all a little weird, and life's a little weird
and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours,
we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”

Me with my "Mutual weirdo" on our wedding day

3-23-96

If I can can so can you!!!

Yup, you guess it, I've been canning again. Actually all day to be exact. I am afraid my Thankful Thursday weekly post will have to be postponed to tomorrow. I can call it Fwankful Friday then right? ;) Ok, back to preserving...totally did the peaches today & as far as I know they turned out yummalish!! Now, I haven't been canning for too many years. Usually it's the normal jams & jellies but this year I've allowed myself to go a bit bonkers in the domesticated department if you will. You'll see proof of such domesticated-ness in this very post!! Ok, so as my title says...if I can can, so can you. So, gather your supplies & lets go on a canning adventure with one huge dork...that'd be me =)















You'll need peaches. I have a bushel. Dork head me didn't measure it out exactly. Actually I rarely if ever measure things out. Cuz I live on the dangerous side. No wonder why the peas in the stew were hard!!! Should have read that peas need to be soaked. Anyways, that's another story for another time...Ok, peaches. Ok, so on the bottom I cut an X for easier peeling.

I then gathered my big honkan kettle that I like use for EVERYTHING & this fantastical apron my neighbor gave me for my birthday. Oh, and yes, if you look at the photo closely you will indeed see a Christmas clock on the wall behind the stove. Totally forgot it up there & honestly, I rather enjoy hearing a Christmas Carol each hour.

Ok, so miss dorkface HAD to model the apron. Not saying you will need a dork for this recipe...but it may help to be a lil dorky. It makes things funner. Especially peeling & pitting that many peaches. So yeah, put on something fun to wear that reflects some inner dork & some quirk. Plus the earrings help & the necklace sent by a friend completed my lovely ensemble.

Ok, peaches marked with an X, water boiling submerge peaches into the boiling water for ohhh about 60 seconds. You'll notice the skin starting to pull away from the yummy fruit. strain & then dump peaches into cold water. (This helps to get those skins off)

Peal skins, cut in half, pit & put into hot jars. Oh, and by the way you make a simple syrup of water & sugar to pour over the fruit. Now, be sure there are no air bubbles or your goods will turn yucky & all that hard work would be for nill. Wipe rims of jars, adjust lids & rings, tighten & place them into a boiling water bath. I processed mine for about a half an hour. They sealed up swell!!

During the water bath time be sure to model & show off some more "inner dorkiness" I do soooo love this apron Mrs Rinne gave me. It totally saved my shirt today & the roosters on it made me giddy with glee!!!

A Lil dorky fun!!

There's actually been oodles going on. Actually, too much to mention right now. Ken's aunt sent me one of thise funny things with their 5 kiddos. I couldn't resist!! I still have tears rolling down my cheeks from laughing!

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!