Oh, I get by ...

... with a little help from my friends. GONNA TRY, with a little help from my friends.

It's true ... I challenged my friend Ann to a CLUTTER CLEARING PROJECT yesterday - and I have to admit, ROUND ONE goes to ... ANN !!! Visit her blog to see her BEFORE and AFTER shots ... so you can compare them to ... mine.

http://adeakers.blogspot.com/

In all fairness, I promised Ann I would photograph MY messy desk & library table -- those were my stated objectives yesterday. I, however, carried mine over into TODAY and I'm still not finished.

First, my Library Table - on Wednesday:

and my Library Table, this evening:

Next, my computer space, on Wednesday:

and that same spot / pile - this evening:

and NO, I did not just squish the paperwork BENEATH the book - no, I did not.

But boy, is the RIGHT SIDE of my desk ... a bit of an eyesore still:

anyone got a match?!

Oh well, that's what a good CHALLENGE is all about, right? Every contest must have a winner.

Ann is THIS week's Clutter Clearing Challenge Winner -- hands down. BRAVO, Ann - you did it!

I have to say, though, I am thrilled with the progress I have made -- because not only was I working to clear the table & my desk, but I have a huge recycling trash bin right here in my office. Don't believe me? PHOTO TO PROVE THAT WHAT I AM SAYING IS TRUE:

The Big Blue Behemoth ... and the Box of Magazines for the Doctor's Waiting Room

If anyone else out there has some CLUTTER that needs CLEARING, we invite you to join our Challenge Group. {or in MY case, make that just "challenged" !!}

You know, if my husband's ex (wife) wasn't such an incredibly neat & tidy housekeeper, I wouldn't have so much angst over this ... stuff. And Jen reads my blogs, so it's not like it's a big secret in our very extended family -- we know each other's strengths - AND weaknesses. LOVE YA, Jen, and I love that you read my blog so regularly. ;-)

{of course, there's still the OTHER thing my husband still admires about his ex ... her physique ... dang ... it's hard to catch a break sometimes! but that's a whole 'nother story}

Here's hoping Mark will stop raining on my HAPPY parade {you know, the Parade where I pretend to be Princess Magpie and I make Christmas cards - THAT is my Happy Place lately}, and that he'll "get" how much progress this really is for me.

-- D.

if you want to visit me at my HAPPY PLACE, go to http://iamprincessmagpie.blogspot.com

If You Hang COOKIES on your Christmas Tree ...

... will you get ants?!

We struggle almost year-round with ant armies at our house.

I'd love to bake some gingerbread cookies like the one I received today from the Food Network {follow this link} ...

tp://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/gingerbread-cookies-recipe/index.html

And I'd love to poke those holes in the cookie before baking, and I'd love to sprinkle that crystal-sugar on top, and I'd love to put grosgrain ribbon through each cookie when they're cooled ... and I would LOVE to hang them on our Tree this year.

Imagine the scent of fresh TREE and fresh-baked GINGERBREAD COOKIES ... all mingled together. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. {that's a huge sigh, in case you didn't know}

BUT I do not want to sit down, put the lights on, get the music or a movie going, and look over to see .... an ant army marching along the branches of our tree !!! Let alone, eating those cookies.

PLEASE POST A COMMENT -- I really want to know if it's a good idea to hang cookies on the tree.

-- Davi

Cross-Pollination

I just posted A COLLAGE A DAY by Randel Plowman on my other blogspot ... you know, I AM PRINCESS MAGPIE ... that one.

http://iamprincessmagpie.blogspot.com/ {just in case you forgot how to find it !!!}

I am SO taken with what this artist in Kentucky is doing ... creating a 4 x 4" collage EVERY DAY, and posting it to http://www.acollageaday.blogspot.com/

... for all to see.

I don't want to duplicate POSTS today, but if you have not visited MY other blog, please do and take a look at a very neat little piece by Randel called "The Secret". {it has to do with America's favorite pasttime ... baseball!}

Oh, okay -- here's ANOTHER little collage by Randel for you to get a peak at, in the upper left corner of this post ... it's called BIRD RAPTURE and I just love it.

Enjoy!

-- Davielle

Year-Round BASEBALL

How much do you love year-round baseball? In our family, it's a new phenom ... Trevor used to play Little League, and then for a number of years, added Winter Ball to the calendar. But this TRAVEL BALL league stuff -- which goes all year 'round -- makes it an every-week-there's-baseball-somewhere world for us!

A couple weekends ago, we saw Trevor and his AZTECS play here in our town, at night, and it sure was fun. A nice way to end a Sunday.


This most recent weekend, there was a TOURNAMENT in Poway, and I went out on Saturday for their first game, and again on Sunday for their first game. THEY WON BOTH OF THOSE.

a couple of the AZTECS {and Trevor's!} biggest fans ... T's mom and sister

On both days, though, they valiantly lost their second games, putting them out of the running for the Championship Game of the weekend.

I know the AZTECS were disappointed, but with player injuries, illnesses, and some being away on holiday for Thanksgiving, our Trevor was catching for ALL their games, and they were down a few pitchers, too. That makes for a little sore, and at times, a LOT tired team, I would think. {but you know The Rule: THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL !!! these kids are tough - no whining from them} photo - Trevor, catching


Trevor made several attempts to steal second base {and eventually, he did just that} -- this, at FIRST BASE, making sure he is SAFE before the baseman gets that ball {which you can see in the photo!}

I'm happy to say that his right hand, the one he broke recently {during football season}, is all healed now - although he's not back to pitching yet.

I took plenty of photos ... those herein are just some of the many!

the AZTECS won this game handily against the Turbos;
here, Trevor coming in to home

-- D.

All is Well ...

... a quick update - after much ice-packing {his back} and some Tylenol, a good movie, and then a really long, good night's sleep -- MARK is up and hobbling around. Stiff and Sore, but Still Here! As for the stooooopid Christmas Lights -- I've done my best to order him to STAY OFF THE ROOF and to FORGET THE LIGHTS ... although if you know Marky Mark, you know that telling or asking him to do {and especially NOT to do} something -- is tantamount to a Challenge, and he can't resist a Challenge. It's insane! Pray for us ...

-- D.

HO HO HO {or in this case, OW OW OW}

What price Christmas Cheer? See the LIGHTS {at right of photo}? See the broken roof tiles {the rest of the photo}? READ ON, gentle readers.

We had quite the fright here this evening. Cara and Kaia were here, with K's friend Maddy, and I was patiently awaiting the GE repair guy {yes, AGAIN} ... just getting homemade turkey soup started ...

Unbeknownst to any of us, my adorable husband was UP ON THE ROOFTOP, well, the middle one, anyway, getting the rest of the Christmas lights hung ... using one of those extension ladders with the grippy feet, made for uneven surfaces and such .... YEAH, right. Somehow I get that they're for uneven surfaces, but I'm guessing they're not meant to be used on concrete roof tiles? Hmmm ... you be the judge.

From all points of the house, a HUGE CRASH was heard, with much clanging, and then the sorts of expletives you don't want your "grand" hearing, let alone her little guest ...

From all said points, we went running, meeting up in the upstairs hall, trying to figure out who did what to whom ... and where. Once all us girls were accounted for, it dawned on us that it had to have been ... MARK.

But where was he? Back up in the attic? OH NO, not the roof.

OH YES, the roof. We all stood in the upstairs hall, peering out the front window, and down onto my then-prone -- feet towards us {bare feet, no less} and head tilting down towards the edge of the roof -- moaning and muttering and trying to control the curse words he SO wanted to blurt. He could talk, he could wince, and so -- when I asked if I should call "911", he pretty much told me I was ridiculous.

Cara helped me find the nearest and biggest window for him to crawl back through - yes, he managed it all on his own - and he went in to survey his damages. Meanwhile, I ran downstairs before the shock could take over, I turned down the stove, and I grabbed my trusty camera.

first stop, outside the front door, where the ladder came to rest {well, with a little "help" from Mark, who was very angry with said ladder for failing him}

I then turned the camera up, where you can see Cara peeking out the window - horrified that her mother is TAKING PICTURES of the carnage ...

Here, the images of the aftermath. Too bad you can't see the enormous roofing nail that sticks up a good three inches above the broken ridge tiles now ... it's a sight to behold. That, and to top off his trick-of-the-day, somehow the accident tripped an electrical breaker, so that in our master bedroom, we have no power on two walls. Including our reading lamps at bedside.

next stop, upstairs, for the view out the window where we first found Mark -- he was lying on his back, to the right of that ridge line, feet at bottom of photo and head at top ... he's lucky it wasn't wet & slippery on that roof ...

Soooooooo, he's upstairs, having taken his Tylenol and with ice pack in hand -- while his turkey soup is brewing down here -- while his loving wife composes a BLOG post complete with photographs of the whole experience.

Oh, the drama ... and the trauma ... let this be a lesson, boys & girls: DO NOT try this at home. Hire a Professional Light Hanger, like Mark's brother Rex does {and make sure you have excellent liability insurance, just in case ...}.

-- D.

what on earth is a BUCKEYE BALL ??!!!!

Okay, for those who have e-mailed me asking what a BUCKEYE BALL is {other than a tidbit sized heart attack waiting to happen, that is}, here is a list of the ingredients:


Butter
Peanut Butter (smooth, not chunky)
Powdered Sugar
Chocolate
Paraffin Wax


I am not kidding. There is PARAFFIN WAX in these things. Well, ON them, anyway, all glommed in there with the melted chocolate. It helps the chocolate harden nicely. Yes, and if you add a wick, and give them with a book of matches, your friends can light themselves up this holiday season. ;-) {or am I displaying my ignorance here? is there paraffin wax in candles? or not? hmmm ...}


apparently, the making of Buckeye Balls is a laughter-filled experience. Here, Victoria is having a grand old time, just getting started.

thank goodness for the Pampered Chef measure thing-a-ma-bob thing. it makes quick & easy work of getting the PB measured AND into the pan ...

Seriously, that is all that is in these little goobers. They are tasty. It's like making home-made Reese's ...

in case you've never seen butter and peanut butter MELTING and MELDING, this is a nice little illustration ...


Victoria and I had fun making 'em, and they are now {far as I know, anyway} locked up in the vault {again, I am NOT kidding} up the Lane, where Victoria rents the cute little cottage. Don't even ask why that property has a vault. It's walk-in, by the way. DON'T ASK, like I said.

V, rolling rolling rolling ... how 'bout those Balls?

If you really cannot live without the recipe, we might be persuaded to part with it. Of course, anyone with any connection to the Buckeye state of OHIO was born with the recipe imprinted in their brain, so you can just ask them to recite it from the heart.

Happy holidays.

my Rock Star, wondering what on earth could be cuter than HIMSELF,

and trying to figure out just how to get us to DROP a Ball or two his way ... and wearing his ANTI-BARK collar since he thought if he barked at us, we might be shaken up enough to do just that !!!

-- Davielle


BY THE WAY, I did totally forget to mention the other day that our Limoncello-Buckeye Balls extravaganza was all PREFACED with the making of V's father's terrific CHEESECAKE on Wednesday night ... that's what Victoria brought to my brother's house on Thanksgiving, and I am here to tell you - thank God there wasn't a bite left over, 'cause I would be posting this from the local Weight Watcher's WARD ... you know, where they unstoppable go to spend the holiday season? As my friend Karyl might think to say right about now ... BUUUUURRRRRPPPPP !!!! {oooh, gross}