without learning "all the rules" to a basketball.

On Saturday morning, I had the opportunity to see a couple of my sons' basketball games.  Just when I thought I knew all the rules of the game, a violation was called that I hadn't heard before.

The players from both teams were setting up for a foul shot.  The player who was fouled shot his basket.  Then the ref blew his whistle and gave the team shooting the foul shots another two.  Apparently, a player from the opposing team made a violation.  But I didn't see anyone move out of their spot or reach for the ball.

After the game was over, I asked the coach to explain the violation.  One of his new players had not been in his "specified spot" before the foul shot was taken.  When the ref realized this he called a violation on the player. 

Do you want to know the violation?  The player's foot was on a line, instead of behind it.  When this player got into position he did not realize his foot was on the line.  The ref saw his foot on the line after the foul shot took place.  Whether the ref assumed the player moved or not, I do not know.

I wonder how many more rules I do not know for basketball...  I guess I'll have to research that subject, however, that will have to wait until after I finished reading my TBR pile.

without sick children and homework.

After three days of being out sick, my son has what seems like a week's worth of paperwork to go through.  He has to read several newspaper articles.  When he's finished reading, he has to write a summary for social studies on a current event article and then he has to analyze another one for writing class.  He has a few algebra assignments, at least a dozen worksheets for advanced spanish and review a chapter from the novel they are reading in his reading class.  Science and gym class were the only subjects he didn't receive assignments.

He's not looking forward his weekend ... *frown* ...or returning to school on Monday.

without mountains of wash!

How is it that you put two socks in the hamper, and only one comes through unscathed.  Weeks later, when you least expected a co-worker plucks something off your back of your outfit.  The missing sock!  Of course this after you've gone to your child's school, gone to the bank, then the post office and finally spent half the day at the office.  That's when you realize your fabric softener and dryer sheets are not working.

Another laundry mystery... how is it you can put two hangers in a "hanger coral" and BAM! suddenly you have a dozen.  Worse yet they a tangled and it takes hours, if you have time, to separate them.

And now for your entertainment . . . http://youtu.be/3kZUWkB7eZE

without the end of a vacation and maternal moments!

You know them.  The ones where you get up and really wish today was the day you could snuggle under the covers and forget the world!  Yep, that's what today was for me.  The first day back to "reality." *GROAN*

If it could happen it did. 

So, I'm giving myself off the rest of what is left of tonight and I'm going to read.  I returned the majority of the books I borrowed and didn't get to read.  I kept four from an author I consider on my top "10" list.  I realize I haven't read another author from that list in a while.  Then when I couldn't recall her name... it happened, I realized I was having a  Maternal Moment!   Couldn't be a Senior Moment I'm not "Over the Hill" yet! *LOL*

I've achieved my goal, I wrote another entry....!

Without kids, dogs and minions!

Today whizzed by at warp speed.  But I made a goal of writing a blog post daily and plan to stick to it!

The early part of today was lost due to everyone (including me) sleeping in because we stayed up late to ring in the New Year.  Another reason, was because son #2 is sick with a bad cough and high fever.  So checking on him every hour or so kept me running up stairs to make sure he was okay... preventing me from sitting, plugging into my muse and actually writing.

Now while I try to type this our two golden retrievers—who are 3 years old and may be around 80 to 85 lbs … but act like they are 3 months old and only weigh 8 to 8 ½ pounds—both feel the need to jump into my lap while I am typing.  Yes, even now.   

Sometimes Red, the trouble maker, tries a new trick—when nudging me with her nose doesn’t prevent me from typing—she nips the underside of my biceps.  Maeve, the good girl, likes to play with balls all-the-time.  She likes to drop a ball in your lap... especially after she takes a big drink water.  Even better, Maeve has learned she is tall enough to drop them on the table top or worse … my laptop keyboard.  Thankfully, the ball has been pretty dry tonight—only covered slightly with her saliva (Ewwweeeee).

Well, it’s time to crash but I wish to leave you all with another chuckle... because tomorrow it's back to the daily grind.  Here are a few video clips of a movie my youngest son loves . . .  

Without resolutions!

Yesterday I made a goal to write daily *again*.  Today, I’ve achieved that.  Tomorrow, I intend to continue.  On Wednesday, it may be hard but I will get up at the crack of dawn to fit it into the “old schedule” and perhaps make it a “new schedule.”  

Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and sit for five, maybe ten and read.  Better yet, drop me a comment and let me know if I should keep writing this blog. 

Now, onto the subject at hand resolutions!  Do you make them or not?  I reached a point in my life a few years ago when I just stopped making resolutions at the end of the year.  Sometimes, I make them day to day. 

For example, I stopped worrying about resolving to lose weight and started just eating better foods because consuming junk food leaves me feeling crappy.  I would rather feel happy and not bloated.  So I choose to eat better because I really do not like coming down from a “sugar high” or fall asleep mid-afternoon.  I have too much to enjoy… books to be read, kids to play board games with, recipes to try, and ohhh a blog to write daily!

To further stress this point, I had thrown out the scale five years ago, stopped weighing myself and in turn somehow lost 25 pounds.  Unfortunately, several family crises later, I gained it all back.  I’m still who I was before I lost the weight, after I lost it, and when I regained it.  Perhaps I was meant to weigh what I do.

Then there are the moments we resolve to be more organized, when I have had enough and clean up small areas of our home.  We all have them.  The walk-in-closet no one sees.  Or the spare room, that has become the store everything you can’t live without but really don’t use anymore.  And finally, worst of all either an attic or basement where we put the holiday decorations, seasonal cloths and camping/sports equipment.

A year ago I cleaned out my half of the walk-in-closet and stopped wondering *if* I could fit back into several outfits I wore when I was first marriage.  For those who don’t know I’ve been marriage more than twenty years and have three sons.  The oldest is old enough to *gasp* drive now.  I rearranged what cloths I kept by color.  Being a creative person I guess is what made me organize my clothes like a rainbow.  It has been a huge relief, when in a pinch, to go into my closet and be able to just grab an outfit in less than a minute compared to several. 

This week, I cleaned out two linen closets.  I found we have eight sets of twin sheets and only one kid is sleeping in a twin bed presently.  However, come summer when it’s time to go to Boy Scout Summer Camp I will know where all the twin size mattress pads and sheets sets are.  But the rest of us sleep on a full, queen or king size bed.  There were only three extra sets of sheets for king and one for the queen.  I’m missing an extra set for the full.  I filled a garbage bag full of old linens that were not even fit for our dogs to use for bedding.  I found stash of pillow cases I didn’t know we had too.  Best of all I filled a medium size shopping bag with plan cotton sheet sets we don’t use and plan to donate them.

Do you make resolutions? Goals? Promises?  Or do you just live day to day?

without the annual year review!

What will you be remembered for in 2012?   

After watching an early Sunday morning show I began to wonder what I would be remembered for.

I think I might be remembered as some but probably not all of theses . . . daughter, granddaughter, niece, sister, paper delivery gal, Burger King employee, high school graduate, horse farm help, dental assistant, college graduate, machine shop drafter, aerospace quality assurance clerk, wife, daughter-n-law, sister-n-law, furniture store office clerk and manager, wedding stationary layout artist, aunt, mother, avid reader, writer, newsletter editor, event & calendar project designer/coordinator, special event coordinator, writing organization conference publicist, membership chair, and conference registrar; active scouting volunteer, small business owner, librarian, accounting clerk and most recently part time office admin.  

In 2013, I hope to be remembered for making a least one positive change within my own family circle, my small business, my community, my state or dare I dream . . . my nation.   

What will you be remembered for in 2013?

Okay in 2013, realistically I want to be remembered for making my goal to blog daily; even if it is only a single line.  Perhaps, I'll finally finish a manuscript and submit it to either a publisher or an agent.