Sensitive tastebuds

My husband found Little Brother eating his breakfast cereal with a slotted spoon. He asked my son, who at age 9 has long rock star hair and aspires to be a hobo, why he was eating his Honey Nut Cheerios with a slotted spoon. Don't we all strive for the perfect milk cereal ratio? Milk waste is a common problem at our house and leaving a bowl of milk after eating the cereal seems to add to the problem not take away.

"The milk tastes funny" was Little Brother's reply as he was draining the milk off the cereal before eating it.

Tangible Tuesday

Our house had now been on the market for 3 months, we have had 10 showings and no offers. We did have a showing on Thanksgiving Eve. So with a 17 pound Turkey in the frig, I cleaned the house and baked a cinnamon pizza for a showing. (The pizza was for the homey aroma.) We have cleaned and cleaned and I still find dirt! The people that came on Thanksgiving Eve gave the feedback that the house showed well and they would want to see it again. When?!? So I'm just putting this into the Universe. Make an offer....

Swim Team

13 and little brother decided to join the swim team at the local Y. They have friends who swim and they think it's cool. Of course getting them to the practices can be a miracle in it's self. I find myself spinning in the door and back out as soon as I get home from work. But last night after the agony of getting them out the door with their suits, towels and goggles to their practice. I made a point of watching them swim. They can do something that I can not...

they swim with grace, beauty and speed.

The New Project Runway is on!

The season 4 of Project Runway began last night.

Let the fun begin. What do you think of the punky 26 year-old with the asymmetrical hair? Will he be the princess of season 4? The 46 year-old lady looks old and is the oldest of the group. The scenes from next week have way too much whining and not enough designing. We will have to see. I agreed with the ousted woman from last night. She couldn't sew or do the deadline. But there were other weird designs. My favorite baby doll dress was one of the bottom. sigh.

I am wearing my 60's inspired jacket today to fuel my inner fashion designer.

iPod Confessions

I love my iPod. My Birthday was last month and my husband gave me an iPod. 13 and little brother were very envious. 13 has an older iPod but he was still trying to negotiate a trade. Heck no!

Of course I have synced up and downloaded all of the songs that 13 had on the iTunes site.

My world has expanded. Blue October "Into the Ocean" is playing now.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry

I don't know if it's the changing leaves or the darkness at 5 pm but I am having a need for comfort. My comfort food of choice usually takes the form of chocolate. As you may or may not know I am on a weight release journey and I am also a chocoholic. So as incongruent as that may sound, I am of the opinion that if I eat chocolate I should make it worth while. I evaluate each type and make of chocolate. The waxy cheap chocolate is not worth the time of day or the calories consumed. Most milk chocolate leaves me wanting more. So make way for Dark Chocolate Raspberry Weight Watchers mini bars at one point a piece! They are truly amazing.

Rock on Garth

My husband and I went with our friends to the Garth Brooks concert at the new KC Sprint Center and it was awesome! Who knew that our friends from India are country fans. Anyway, they had two extra tickets and we went on the spur of the moment. We did jump through some hoops not wanting to leave 13 in charge of little brother while we were gone for the evening. Someone had to enforce bedtime. We left Unkie holding down the fort.

I didn't know many songs but I clapped and waved my arms as if I did. Our seats were floor seats 8 rows from the stage. I enjoyed "Fever" and by the time Garth sung "Unanswered prayers," I was in love. Silly me, didn't take my camera because I didn't think that you could. Oh, the pictures I would of had! I could see the impish glint of his blue eyes! Our second tier of entertainment was watching the 6 women in the row in front of us. Three sisters each with a friend for girls night out. They knew all of the words to every song. We all danced.

It was a very special concert for my husband because his brother was a huge Garth Brooks fan. His brother died 5 years ago this week of cancer, his spirit was there in memories. My husband reminded me about the time before kids, that we went to a country-western dance place in southern Missouri. We dressed up in so much borrowed country attire that we felt we were in costumes. My husband borrowed a belt bucket the size of a canned ham from a student who did rodeos. We fit right in as we line danced with my husband's brother and his wife. So my husband knew more songs than I, I didn't remember that we even own a Garth CD. We did buy the pink special edition CD at the concert since $10 went to the The Susan G Komen for the Cure foundation. So rock on Garth your concert and cause are tops for me!

Life comes at you fast!

Nason Music

When your cousin e-mails, to tell you that he has written an album that has to go into the greater good!
www.nasonmusic.com

Wonderful Wenesday

I have been sending my boys off to school with a single positive word. "Have a Magnificent Monday, Terrific Tuesday, Wonderful Wednesday" and I got stuck for a word that started with the TH sound. Thundering didn't quite seem positive enough. I asked my co-workers for help. Then it hit me.
Thrilling! "Have a Thrilling Thursday!"
Oh and a "Fabulous Friday!"

Angel Voice

Date night

"Stardust" is a very fun movie for the mom and the little brother date night. While 13 and Better Half went to the Nebraska football game on Saturday, you know the manly things. Romance, witches and pirates on the big screen were the ticket for mom.

Being so over the testosterone sweat and leather, the kiss of a good fairy tale with your 9 year old was priceless and the greater good!

Why I Collect

I have often wondered what is the make-up of a collector. I am one, so I guess this is a self assessing process. Congruent with a creative personality, I have many friends who are also collectors.
This is why I collect:
• It helps me remember the past.
• It brings me a sense of individuality and identity.
• It is a transfer of knowledge.
• It brings me a history and appreciation.
• It is an adventure in the hunt. It's a real heart pumping rush to get that good deal.
• Collecting has taken me places I would not have been and met people I would not have known.
Most say collecting is cheaper than therapy, but I think collecting is a way to surpass death, since my favorite collection is my collection of friends.

Today is Talk like a Pirate Day!

Aye, me mates told me tis' "Talk Like a Pirate Day," so har is my name: Red Anne Kidd Aye, me parrot concurs.

My pirate name is:

Red Anne Kidd

Passion is a big part of your life, which makes sense for a pirate. Even though you're not always the traditional swaggering gallant, your steadiness and planning make you a fine, reliable pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

Weird Politics

I am such a pseudo intellectual. I was listening to NPR and the annoucement came on that the President had put forth Michael Mukasey as the next Attorney General. Since I was listening to the announcement and not reading it I thought they said Bukasey. Then my mind drifted to Busey. Which made me think of Gary Busey, then I thought that would be a weird appointment. The last thing I saw Gary Busey in was "Entourage" on HBO.

Flower looking innocent

This is Flower and yes she is beautiful.

Greyhounds and dolls don't mix

I enjoy our greyhounds, but our girl Flower, has acquired the lustful taste for vinyl. She started by just grabbing a slipper, glove or random action figure collecting them onto her pillow or into her kennel. She was adopted directly from the track and never had many toys of her own. So she needed to have her own things. She comes by collecting naturally, many greyhounds will collect and hoard objects. I think it's a comfort thing, like a blankie. So we buy her plenty of toys and she really likes the squeaky ones that never squeak long with her chewing them. She pops the squeakers. Even though, she chews her stuffed animals, she rarely breaks the fabric on them. However now that vinyl, doggy gum, has crossed her lips in the form of one of my dolls she has an obsession. While I was packing away my doll collection to put our house on the market, Flower grabbed a Tonner doll "Daphne" right off of my bed then took her to her bed and chewed her hand completly off. Then I remembered a poor "Brenda Starr" doll that bears a few teeth marks on her foot. Now Flower is sniffing and looking under beds, in closets and eyeing the glass curio for vinyl - the crack of the greyhound world.

Weight Release update

I am 18.6 lbs. lighter since Memorial Day! Going for 20!

Capt' Jack!

What woman doesn't want to be swept off her feet by a pirate. What man doesn't want to be - said pirate. My newest and most favorite doll addition is Capt' Jack by the Tonner Company from Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean. He is as novel as they come, with detailing to duplicate the inspired costume in the first movie. He has charmed the ladies at work with his 16 inches of Johnny Depp likeness. One comment "The only thing missing is his tatoo." I enjoy dolls as art and I enjoy looking at art. For fun this is the epitome of the greater good!

Weight Release

I'm on a steady weight release journey right now. I am down 15ish pounds, Yeah! But sadly I attracted weight this week. So tomorrow, I will track my food intake points with the mathematical precision of an Architect and eat only healthy choices. I'm not sure why the past two weeks, I have not kept track and I ate more sugar than I have since starting this journey on Memorial Day weekend. My Wednesdays at work have usually been a declaration of my success. However, tomorrow I may be a bit meek.


I don't know why, I swallowed that donut.
I guess I'll have pie.

My Boys are Growing

13 woke up this morning and proclaimed that he has grown over night. I looked at our measurement door and realized that he had not been measured since April. OK, lets get out the ruler, as I eyed my first born in his new wife beater t-shirt and noticing that he sorta has pecks and he does seem taller. Measurement complete, he has grown three inches since the last mark and his head is now facing my eyes. Where did the last ten years go?

Little brother age 9, wanted to be measured next and of course we did. He has grown, too. I also notice that his mark is three inches upbove 13's mark at the same age.

When will Little brother pass 13?
I didn't have the heart to announce Little brother's height to 13.

Balance

Balancing the inter locus of control, I find myself trying to simplify everything in my life. Yet the artist in me screams don't throw that away I might be able to create something out it of and sell it for a million dollars. Yet the realitiy of my situation is my family has too much stuff! When my husband and I moved into our house it was a vitual mansion. As newly weds, we didn't even have enough furniture to put some in every room. But after two children's births, two greyhounds' adoptions, seven familiy member's deaths and several collections later our house is resembling a flea market. It's amazing how mush stuff comes into our house on a regular basis. Just getting the mail and having the boys come home from school generates enough paper to make 747 paper airplanes. So I have made it my mission to declutter. I've watched TV shows, read books and articles on the subject. I've subscribed to Flylady. Yet my struggles seem in in vane. Now the real motivater...putting my house on the market. So with this new motivational direction. I'm already there!

Incredible

Now being an avid blogger, I have shared that I blog with a few of my friends. My friend L said that the name of my blog reminded her of the Disney movie The Incredibles. I have to smile since 2004 movie is a favorite in my household of boys. L reminded me that Frozone running to find his hero costume announces that he needed to help the greater good. His wife remarks that she is his greatest good.

Don't you forget it boys!

I've done it now. I've created a blog. Being a designer, I've only heard of the cathartic mojo of blogging from my writer friends and cube mates. So here I am, now with my own blog named for my favorite saying "Has anything happened in the greater good today?"

With a resounding "Yes!" I will blog of a simple bumper sticker I saw on a car I passed on my way to work. It read "I Love my Wife." I passed this person to see who loved their wife. I honestly expected to see the wife driving the car but was surprised to see a young man sporting a stocking cap (It's 95 degrees today) and goatee. Yes, his left hand was hanging out of the open window wearing a shinny gold band. So, I concluded that he did indeed love his wife and was definitely worth a mention in the greater good!