I love this picture of the folks.  They look so happy and carefree.  Check out that gorgeous Arizona sky!  It’s almost as good as a Carolina sky (how ’bout them Heels?!).

This is Claudia looking all fierce!

It was really a great day, and we didn’t get home until after 4pm.

Last weekend, I received my goodies from Bethanie.  Holy Cow!  She flat out spoiled me with this swap.  Check out the booty:

OMG!  Are those S&H Greenstamps in the upper left hand corner?  Did that ever bring back some pleasant memories.  Sigh.  Our groceries stores used to give them out and then my grandmother (Bopka) and I would spend hours licking them and putting them in the booklets.  That was one of our”things” that we would do together — sit at the kitchen table and organize the booklets.  I wish she was here to reminisce with me.

I love this little rabbit.  I pick it up at least twice a day and just marvel at its cuteness.

This is my other favorite treasure.  It’s an old bridge tally card with faires on it.  Who doesn’t love fairies?  I LOVE fairies!!

Daisy had to get in on the action.  If it’s string-like, she’s got to be a part of it.

Thank you so much Bethanie for such a great package of springtime sweetness.  I hope that you have finally received yours.

I got home today, and Chucklebutt informed me that he no longer wanted me as his medical power of attorney.  I asked him why, and he provided some incriminating photographs which didn’t fare well for me.

I’m a bad mommy to plants.

Chucklebutt was not impressed with my deciscion to get rid of the petunias.  They are mostly dead to me (due to lack of watering) and so I was getting ready to put them in a shallow unmarked grave.  But noooooooooooooo, not Chucklebutt!  He refuses to let them go.  He wonders if I’m going to be too quick to pull the proverbial plug.  “Nurse, he looks like he’s lost most of his blooms.  You can stop feeding him and just prop him up in the corner.  I’ll take him out next week with the trash.”   Bwahahahahahaha!

Finally, I found another awesome animated video on youtube.  My allergies have been out of control lately and I feel like I’m having body meltdown.  Witness-

 I just finished up the Spring Sweetness Swap and hope my partner Bethanie enjoys her loot.  I was a little late in mailing off the package, so here is a preview while she patiently waits for the mail to arrive:

What spring treasures could be inside?

What a cutie patootie!

 These were too cool and I thought long and hard about keeping them for myself.

This was my favorite find — a crocheted nut cup.  Can’t you just imagine some Southern Belle playing Bridge eating from this dainty thing.  I bought two and actually kept one for myself.  I couldn’t resist.

I threw in a few yards of my vintage lace — as Mom knows I flat out have a lot of lace — and shipped it on Saturday.  Hopefully Bethanie should receive it next week.

This weekend has been pretty eventful.  My students opened their show and despite the fact they are still learning their lines, the audience loved it.  Chuck had a surprising moment when he overflowed his director’s toilet.  Think Ben Stiller in “Along Came Polly.”  The only thing missing was a ferret.  I’ll save everyone the details, but it was hilarious.  I laughed so hard when he told me about his plight that I almost wet my pants. 

The other exciting moment was when Chuck dragged me to Urgent Care kicking and screaming.  Actually it wasn’t that bad, but were it not for him, I wouldn’t have gone.  Apparently I have an infection in my eye (think stye and not pink eye) and am having to take steroids, antibiotics and eye drops to clear it up.  The doctor said it was a good thing that I came when I did because if it had worsened, I would have to have intravenous drugs in the ER.  Yipes! Chuck gave me an “I told you so look,” and off we went. 

I hope that everyone has a good Monday!  Ciao!

At the moment, I’m watching "Hamlet 2."  The opening sequence begins when a Peter O’Toolesque voice over saying, "Where do dreams go to die?"  The next shot is of Tuscon, Arizona.  Bwahaahahahahahahaha!  It’s gonna be a great movie!   I also picked up "Repo! The Genetic Opera."  The only thing better than Anthony Steward Head, is Anthony Stewart Head singing about organ transplants, wearing black pleather and wielding a knife.  Righteous!  It’s from the producers of Saw and I am such a sucker for those gorey movies.  Mind you I can’t watch any of the new horror flicks that came out this week cause I’m also a big chicken.  I’ll have to wait until Chuck gets home and he can tell me what’s going on while I cover my eyes and plug my ears. 

I have lofty aspirations this weekend.  I plan on painting our entire bedroom.  We bought the paint in October, and I figure this would be a perfect time to start.  Realistically, I’m sure I won’t finish, and I’ll leave all the intricate stuff for you-know-who.  He’s pretty meticulous when it comes to projects and I’m of the half-ass mindset.  I also have started on the Sookie Stackhouse series.  They’re like cheese whiz — not good for you, but enjoyable going down.  Mom has read them all and she has a crush on Eric.  That probably means nothing to anyone except for Maja and she doesn’t read my blog.  Eric is a Viking vampire — in case you were wondering.

Before Chuck left for Daytona, he took some nice pics of my recent treasure hunting.  Check it out:

These were the two boxes that my swap partners gave me.  They are chocked full of all sorts of goodies.  Thanks Lisa and Rosalyn-Sue!  You ladies Rock!  The linens I found at Goodwill for dirt cheap.  Gosh I’m such a sucker for all things embroidered.

See I told you I can’t resist.  Who would give away such beauties?  I guess it’s my fortune.

This too cute teacup I got from the gals at Mystic Paper.  A few weeks ago they invited everyone over to the shop for a tea party.  We got to keep our cups.

I also have a little button problem.  You can never have too many buttons.  Well maybe you can, but I haven’t reached that point quite yet.  A few weeks ago, I took some of my residents to the AZ Quit Show.  There were tons of vendors and I was like a kid in a candy store.  I found one booth filled with vintage Czech glass buttons.  Holy Cow!  They were/are gorgeous!  The gal was from Venice Beach and her stock was very reasonably priced.

Then there was the vendor out of Connecticut.  She was *not* reasonably priced, but I couldn’t resist the above buttons.  The red ones look art deco to me and the ones beside them look like cameos.

The above is not a button, but I thought it was gorgeous.

I found this creepy, cutie and just had to have her.  I realize that she looks like something that might be used in voodoo, but she’s got some awesome shoes.

One of my residents gave me this sheet of music.  It used to be her mother’s so that can give you an idea how old it is.

What’s this you may ask?  This is what happens when Scout is bored and takes it upon herself to shake things up a bit.  Let me just say that it is really difficult to salvage such a mess.  Try wiping with those bits.

Finally, since Chuck has been gone, I have had the daunting task of taking care of all his fish tanks — eight in all!  Scout likes to help with the tank in my craft room.  I hope that she doesn’t slip, because that would be one heck of a mess.

Enjoy the weekend! 
Watch "Hamlet 2"  then you too can sing, "Rock Me Sexy Jesus!" 

We were divided into groups of four and will make a box for each of our swap mates.  The women I’m working with live all over — Vancouver Island to Georgia.  I’m so pumped and can’t wait to work on their boxes.  We are supposed to fill them up with various goodies and I have some really fun stuff to pass these ladies’ way.

I wanted to share with everyone my mom’s collection of snowmen.  Every year after Christmas, she puts them out to brighten up her bleak winter.  My Daddy was with her when she started the collection.  Every year without fail, he would treat us to a trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee after Christmas.  He always said we needed to be "let-down" easy after the holidays and hanging out in the kitchy, Tennessee town was just what the doctor ordered.  We would stay at the Homestead House in the exact same room and shop and eat ourselves silly.  One year, he and my mother found these precious snowmen in "The Village" and mom was hooked.

These are the first two that they bought. 

I think the one above is my favorite.  It reminds me of a little Alaskan snowman. 

Incidentally, in "The Village" there is a restaurant that makes the best Reuben sandwhich ever!

It’s called the Hofbrauhaus Restaurant and Cheeseboard.  (Daddy and I used to call it Dr. Haufenhauhauhaer in honor of Steve Martin from "The Man With Two Brains.")  Upstairs is the restaurant and there are very few tables.  The waitress is also the cook so the service is slow, but I’ve never had a bad sandwich. 

Oh yeah, and while I probably shouldn’t mention this (I really can’t resist), when I was in junior high school and we were eating there, my mother took her bra off in the restaurant.  Apparently it was bothering her and she whipped it off.  Ever since then, I knew that my mom was a wild and sassy woman!  (Sorry Mom, I really couldn’t resist sharing.)

My mouth is watering right now.  Sigh.  I miss home.

I hope that everyone is having a great week.  To all you that have some snow — I’m jealous!  It’s 75 here in the desert and I would really love some cold weather!