However, when you consider there are things down there from both my and my husband’s single days, as well as things we’ve cast off (but not away) during our 17 years of marriage, to say it’s going to be a big job is quite the understatement. I’m tempted to hire a dumpster and just haul everything out and get rid of it all.

BTW Tori, I’ve been following your blog for some time, and am thoroughly enjoying your writing. I’ve actually gone back and read some history, but only back as far as June or July/08 …. because to go back any further than that would just seem … well, creepy! LOL

Zum ba ya, my Lord,
Zum ba ya.
Zum ba ya, my Lord,
Zum ba ya.

Okay. Enough is enough. I’m off to bed. Sorry.

Oh my goodness, Betty, you taught me long ago that in order to enjoy your visits I had to just relax and step high if I wanted to get from one room to the next.

Tori, that “J” simply means that I am organized and like to plan ahead. Betty and Linda don’t even know how to spell those two words. But I’m not as bad as they paint me to be…and, in fact, last time Betty was here she said she was impressed at how I was learning to be more like her…whatever that is. Gracious, all of a sudden I feel as if I should ask for prayer.

Tori, you and Russ are writing some new songs??? Well, why didn’t you say so!!!! We’ll leave you alone to create! Forget the closets and crap! I can’t wait to hear a song you’ve written while under the influence of Zumba!!!! That’s gotta be somethin’ else!!!! I sure hope you blog a little about that process you go through while writing Grammy caliper songs! Now THAT would be very interesting!

About Barb, let me just say this. When I go and wrap her Christmas gifts, she puts the tape away while I am still wrapping. She take the pen back to the drawer than I am using to label. She puts the scissors away. And if I go to the bathroom, when I return, the wrapping paper and all the boxes have been put away in the closet, and the centerpiece is back in the middle of the table. That is a capital J!!!!

When I hide my drinking glass behind the toaster, she finds it and puts it in the dishwasher. And she claims that she has a sight problem. Don’t believe it. She can spot anything that is out of place by an inche.

Pearl– Stick around, we will probably be giving you nightmares on a regular basis!

rachelbaker– It looks like we will be coming July 14-21, then on to the Faroe Islands…

themema– Truth be told, I’ve kind of lost focus the last couple of days, too… But Russ and I have been doing some songwriting so I have a really good excuse!

sfpnelson– It’s really a lovely inn, run by very nice people.

DELIVERED– OK, I’m not sure but I think once you sign in with that big honkin’ password they initially give you, then you have the option to reset your password to one that you choose (and hopefully remember– I have to write mind down all over the place!)

PhyllisR– You must have a very impressive craft room! What crafts do you do in it?

Then….. I decided that preparing a dish and going to Wednesday nite fellowship at church was more interesting…. and off I went.

Maybe next week, I’ll finish one closet.

And since I’m a newcomer, and rather late on commenting on past blogs,I’d like to say that I enjoyed the blog on the Stone Fort Inn in Chattanooga, Tori. I drive by the Inn every day on the way home and wonder what it’s like.

This is a nice place. I think I’ll hang around.

Shelia

So the girls and me have been having picnics in the garden and walks in the park – we’ve even done some planting. At 4 and 2 they are very excited about making things grow, but slightly less excited about having to wait to see the results. We have carrots, strawberries, sunflowers, cornflowers and all sorts of other flowers that looked pretty on the packet now at different stages of growth in our garden.

As for cleaning out closets (wardrobes over this side of the atlantic), that is something I really need to do. I need to find someone to give all my maternity clothes to (extra incentive to not have any more children – 3 is great, 3 is busy, 3 is fun, 3 is ENOUGH)! But I also need to make a bit more of an effort to return to my pre-pregnancy shape, and then get rid of all the things I have not warn for years!

By the way, the only thing on the internet that comes close to entertaining me as much as this blog, is the comments that the rest of you make!

So Tori … when are you coming to London?

chillybean– Way to go! I DO wish you luck, you should be very proud of yourself! And yes, I think the Master’s degree will definitely push your salary into the Donald Trump-like
stratosphere.

I defend my paper next Thursday. Then I can really relax and get to the spring cleaning I want to do…you know…getting rid of all the frumpy clothes in my closet, taking inventory of what I need, and shopping until I am down to my last penny.

I mean really, with a Master’s degree now, my public school teaching salary should increase dramatically to cover a new wardrobe, right???

swerchon– Ok, your list is making ME tired! Not to mention the commute part! (What part of Canada are you in?)

On top of maintaining the house and getting myself up in the mornings to drive 35 miles across a toll highway (so I have to pay to go to work – Mmmmmmm I need to re-think this one)…..Anyway I am a Project Manager is a small company and dealing with the daily stress that goes with this job.

Here is what is on my list:
1. rack the lawn (front and back)
2. take off the snow tires (I’m from Canada)
3. Have my oil changed
4. clean out closet and put away the “sweaters etc.”
5. Discovered a leak in my bathroom sink – here’s my excuse to get a new vanity and sink
6. My “married” sister isn’t the best cook around – so this weekend I’m going to teach
how to feed that poor hubby of her (here is the blind leading the blind)
7. going to the gym – sorry no Zuma (sounds like fun – i must try it) – I’m trying to get
my engergy back up and get into shape – off to Disneyworld mid-May
8. I have to finally organize my video collection (need to turf the cassette tapes)
9. I also want to (hopefully will do this) tackle and finally clean out my basement
(dumping ground for a lot of stuff which I can’t seem to part with (I’m a bit of a pack
rat
10. Need to get the backyard “summer-ready” – someone stole my grill/barbecue
have to replace

etc. etc.

Tori I sure could use some of your energy….

Re: London, you can email me through my blog if you like! However, I feel I should say that any question you have regarding our capital city I shall probably have to google, as I’ve not been near the place in years!

PS I’ve been lolling for hours at the thought of swimming with LindaB’s endorphins!!

CAROLYN!!!– We’ve missed you, how are you doing?! (I’m coming to London, I need to ask you some questions!) I wish Madame Kimono were in MY Zumba class, I bet she could show me a move or two…

themema– See, I told you guys it was a bunch of letters! And you are so right about the finding “something or someone more interesting” to divert my attention– happens every time.

sfpnelson– YAY!!! You delurked!!! Thank you, and welcome.
I don’t know why anyone would be condescending about your blog (or anybody else’s for that matter)– it is so obviously something fun and satisfying that you do because it makes you feel good and that other people enjoy as well, so what the heck is wrong with that?! I’ve never had anyone say that to me, but I have had people ask me how much money I make off of my blog (uh, yeah, let’s just say that the Google ads pay for maybe a cup of coffee!) as if that would be the only possible reason I would do this. Writers write, that’s what they do, whether they get paid for it or not. I can honestly say out of all the writing I have ever done–song lyrics, books, poetry, magazine articles, scripts, etc.– blogging is my absolute favorite medium. Next time, try smiling and saying, “No, not too much time on my hands, I was just lucky enough to find something creative that I really enjoy doing.” (And if you’re feeling tacky, you can then smile even sweeter and say, “Have YOU ever found anything like that…?”)

I get all excited when I see concrete statuary displays at the Wal-Mart, when my hubby takes the insulation-thingee off the outside water faucet…when I can open my windows for the first time…

But, this year all I’ve done so far is….blog.

Tori, as one East Tennessee woman to another…how would you handle this?

In January I brought home the cutest little pug puppy you’ve ever seen. His name is Mister Bean. In February I thought I’d begin a blog about him, just as fun. I sent the first one to a handful of people, the next time I sent it to even more… and now there are around 20 people who read misterbeanalittlepuginabigworld.blogspot.com and most of them enjoy it very much. However….

There are a few who condescendingly say “You must have a lot of time on your hands!”

NO!! I DON’T!!!

I work full-time, I have a house to run, I have family to take care of, but I love writing this blog!! I don’t think it’s very nice to sneer at someone’s passion.

So far, I have been really nice, because I AM really nice. Have you, as a blogger, ever had someone say this to you? And how have you handled it?

Thanks. I think I just cleaned out my mind.

Shelia from East Tennessee!!

Extroverted–gets energy from being with people, as opposed to introverted, needing to be alone to gather energy.

Sensing—primarily gathers information with the senses, rather than by intuition. Lives very much in the here and now

Feeling— prefers to make judgements with your feelings in an attached way, rather than by thinking which is more detached

Perceiving… acts towards the outside world in the here and now, flexible, takes life as it comes…. rather than judging which is facing life with a plan for everything. Everything has a place, and everything must be in its place. (Poor Barb when I come to visit.)

Just google Myers Briggs or personality tests for more info

So Tori, as much as we may want to do so, we will never, ever get all of our closets cleaned out at the same time. There will always be someone or something more interesting to do…. before we can finish…even if we actually get started. I am an ENFP. We are close!

Does Madame Kimono still do Zumba? BTW The acronym you’re looking for is CRAZED – Cannot Reorganise (Rehang, Reshape, Restore, Revamp, but in my case I could Retail!) Addicted to Zumba Every Day!

LindaB– I wold pay large dollars to take a Zumba class with you. They would probably have us arrested.

Rockin’ robin– Oh honey, that flu thing is horrible, isn’t it? Glad you’re on the mend, and glad you were at least able to say hello to Russ!

jonny– OK, learning Finnish would take me MUCH LONGER than a year…

MostlySunny– Your list just wore me out. Except for the porch swing-sitting part, I rock at that!

I should probably get all of this done my August 31st!

I have big hopes this spring, of landscaping my backyard into gardens (so there is not as much grass to mow) I also want to have my driveway paved (it’s stone-filled right now) and I would like to put up a garden shed.

We’ll see how energetic I’m feeling to get all this done… I just got over that aweful body flu (body aches and chills and lots of being laid up in bed for a week)- thanks to the wonderful strange weather we’ve been having (temps almost in the 70’s one day and 30’s & 40’s the next)

My birthday gift to myself and my aunt was running away on a mini-vacation to Wilkes-Barre, PA to see the Vocal Group. What a way to get refreshed and renewed!!! They sound great! I wanted so, to talk to Russ but all I could do is say hello… I had no voice thanks to getting over being sick. He was awesome even though the acoustics in there were horrible… I felt bad – everytime they raised a mic (ouch – feedback)

I digress! I really need to plan out what types of flowers to plant in these gardens. Lord give me the strength to get this project started.

Happy Spring y’all!

Okay, Tori, I feel just like you do……….in my dreams. Just reading your post whipped me! And that’s enough exercise for today. You can’t overdo when you’re past 60.

This “Zumba” thing really has you pumped, don’t it? I think maybe I’ll go look up a Zumba class in our area and get with it! Oh wait. This is Clio. I saw a kid with a hula hoop on the WalMart parking lot today. That’s about as close as I’m gonna get to a Zumba class around here, I guess. Too bad. I’ll just go lie down now instead. I’ll try to whip myself into a spring cleaning, butt shakin’, rabbit watchin’ frenzy tomorrow.

I love Spring though and am looking forward to May and the adventures the end of school always brings. Send me some of those endorphins Tori….I need them LOL