My BIG FAT Midlife Crisis!

3/13/14

New Reviews!!! Now In.

I have been compiling a list of things I love and things that do not deserve my love! (in my humble opinion).

*****First, and at the top of my must have list is....the Everblade or Blade Buddy brand razor sharpeners. I really, REALLY hate spending so much money on razor blades. Even at Costco, they really SLICE (get it?) into the old budget. The deal is though, you have to use it every time you use your razor. It is kind of a rubbery pad that you lubricate with shaving cream or soap and run your blade over it several times (read the directions, a little more detail than I am giving you). I have only changed my blade once since Christmas and I am a hairy girl :) I shave my legs (oh yes, and armpits-or anything else that needs a little taming) every time I shower (bathe). They are a little spendy at 15.00 to 20.00. Don't get the battery operated one-not needed. I gave one to each of my kids at Christmas to save them money on blades. Pretty sharp eh?

*****Second, Sand (by Brookstone). The coolest thing ever. Another Christmas gift from me! A big hit!!
Special properties make it soft and stretchy 2% polymer clay-98% sand.

Won't make a mess (sticks to itself but not to you)
Never dries out
Non-toxic
For ages 5 and up

There are other brands but all about the same $$.

*****Third, Miracle Glove!! Yes, it lives up to it's name. We tried out a set while camping and (as stupid as it sounds) picked up red hot coals from the bottom of the camp fire. So I don't think a hot cookie sheet could hold a candle (haha) to that! They are around 10.00 for a set of 2 gloves. Who couldn't use a pair of these? Uh, no one. Gifts all around!

The items that I would not buy again, or should I say "flops" are:

***Heat Holder Thermal Socks. Very nice and soft, but its like wearing 5 pairs of socks. I wanted to try a pair, but ended up giving them away. You see, when you have big ole hooves like I do, why would I want to make them appear bigger. I would have to buy larger shoes to fit these socks in them.

**Garcinia Cambogia Extract. Yes, I am a sucker and a fool. I saw all the ads and the amazing results that Oprah and Paula Deen got from taking this amazing drug. Well, I have been taking it for quite some time and guess what?? I am still fat. Nuff said.

3/5/14

Traveling with the In-laws!!!

My husband Stuart and I just got home from a 10 day vacation with his parents. I am pleased to say that we are all still speaking, and actually like each other. Well, at least I like them :o. We started in Weiser, Idaho and traveled south to hopefully warmer weather.When you are a farmer in Idaho, winter is the only option for a vacation.

First stop, Grand Canyon

Pretty Amazing I must say.


Next stop, Yuma AZ. Had to check out any and all farm ground and what they are growing and when will it be harvested and how they irrigate.......

A famous restaurant (bar, pub, pool hall??) in Yuma. Fun time and good food.

Maurice and Garold Dick at the Cloud museum in Yuma.

Our view from the Hotel in San Diego.

The Midway

Elephant seals along the beach, this was an unexpected sight. Very cool!

The Beach bums..hahah!

Our room on the ocean, my one request on the whole trip!

Barb and Maurice and the Golden Gate Bridge!

Me and my lover...lol Alcatraz in the background. Fitting for us to pose with a prison in sight.

Driving highway 1 along the California coast...love love love


San Franciso, beautiful!

Oakland Bay Bridge

3/4/14

Wedding~October 20013

Thought I would share some wedding pics. I thought I had already posted some but I don't see them. My memory gets confused with my good intentions.

We had so much fun putting the wedding together, refinishing furniture, painting, gluing, shopping, making signs, decorating....in a very short time. Yes, you can put together a perfectly beautiful wedding in two months! Good old fashioned country wedding. It turned out just as she had envisioned and (as to my knowledge) no one got mad, everyone is still speaking and Kirsten (my youngest child ;) and Cameron are Happily married.

2/5/14

Signs, signs everywhere signs.

We were fortunate enough to be able to buy some property last month that borders our farm ground. It just happened to have an old farmhouse 70+ years old. Unfortunately the home was not in any shape to save but I did get to salvage some great finds (junk as my husband thinks but doesn't say any more), old doors, windows, wood and lots of barn wood from an old barn. Also got me a sweet outhouse. Not sure what I will do with it, but I am so excited about my one holer. That is kind of sad isn't it, an outhouse makes me happy. Oh well, its the simple things in life, right??

Here is the home before "we" happened to it..

Kind of sad...

The barn and firewood we shared with the neighbors.
The trees had taken over the place.


And....my out house!!!! Yay

Now, whatever shall I do with all that barn wood? Well, I am only beginning but I have lots and lots of the good old Idaho barn wood to create with. So here I go.

1/29/14

Studio Time..

A bulletin board for my daughter to use at work. She posts photos of nails she has done. And probably a few pictures of her momma ;)

For my Etsy shop. Unless I decide to keep it before I list it. I have a problem with that.

Set of giant chunky candlesticks and a chunky clock post.

Magnetic chore charts for the grand kids. (if you ask me, they are such good kids that they don't need chores ;)

Sweet Bami!

It is January 28, 2014. Today my grandma would have been 100 years old. She was known as Bam to everyone who knew her. She was generous, kind, loving, caring and selfless. I want to be just like her. But I am exactly half her age and I am not even close to becoming that person. She worked hard as a ranchers wife (to her husband of 50 plus years) riding horses, cooking for a crew and whatever else that was needed of her. She took in our family when we were in need. We (my sisters and I) found such comfort in her presence. We spent much of our growing up years at her ranch in the country. We climbed hills, picked wildflowers, watched Grandad tend to the horses, and took in everything that their sprawling horse ranch had to offer a kid. At night we got to sleep in the meticulous and beautiful purple room. Every room in the house was that way, but she never made us feel like we couldn't enjoy every inch of that home. We would lay in our beds as she read to us from our favorite book, Little Brown Cocoa (slightly politically incorrect). Sometimes she would rub our backs with rubbing alcohol (not sure why the alcohol) but it felt so good even though her hands were rough from many years of hard work.

Bam volunteered at the elementary school for as many years as I can remember. Several of the teachers she helped out clear up until they retired, but she kept going. Another teacher was always thrilled to get to have Bam in their classroom. The kids loved her too. She sent good old fashioned letters and cards to hundreds of friends on any occasion or maybe no occasion, just because she enjoyed making someone feel good. She was active in her church and would do anything asked of her. But even with all she did, I knew that she was always available when I needed her. When I had children of my own, she was there to help in any way possible. She cooked for us, cleaned for us, babysat for us, ran errands and was there at the drop of a hat when I called and needed her. I can't imagine life without her. She was only about 4 1/2 feet tall but she was the strongest women I knew. She was a rock. She was stable. She was firm but loving. She was, above all, humble. I barely touched on all the memories I have of her. I am so thankful that I had so many good years with her. I will never be the grandma to my grandchildren that she was for me, but I will try. Everyday I will try. I love you Bami..always and forever!

1/2/14

Big Girl Panties!

Well, another year has come and gone. My youngest child turned 21 on New Years Eve and now we begin a new chapter in our lives. I don't really understand when people say they cannot wait for a new year to start. It is the same life, you are the same person and probably will have the same people in your lives. Unless you have made some major life decisions, not much will change. But we can change our thoughts and habits. We can decide to do things differently. We are creatures of habit and it takes a lot of self control and discipline to change even the smallest areas of our lives.

I am not big on New Years resolutions. It only makes me feel like a big ole fat failure when I don't follow through with something that I was so passionate about on the first day of January. Especially when it is only the second of January ;) I may have a secret stash in my mind of things I would like to accomplish or change, but I rarely speak them aloud as that would make me more accountable. And, then everyone would KNOW that I am a big ole fat failure when I screw up.

So this brings me to my plan for 2014. I will not make any resolutions or promises that I cannot follow through with, but I will say that my plan is to work on self control and discipline. I believe that these are the actions that control most everything that I struggle with in my life. I will be more disciplined at eating healthy and have self control concerning the things my body does not require. I will discipline myself to exercise more, real people exercise(not that insanity-kill yourself for a week then quit). I will be more disciplined at taking the time for my daily devotions. I will be more disciplined at finishing what I start. And most of all I will be disciplined in asking God to help me with my self control and discipline ;)

Fruits of the Spirit, notice the last line??? Happy New Year Everyone!!

12/7/13

Confessions from a stranger.

Oh this sounds good. Like a good novel. Like a good secret. Confessions from a stranger. The weird part is, I am the stranger. Maybe I am the only one who feels like this, or maybe I am the only one who is willing to admit it, or maybe I am mentally ill and misdiagnosed. Either way, it is an interesting life as a stranger. Its the stranger within the strange woman I am.

Why does a persons mind work overtime in giving us too many thoughts. That is my mind. I even wonder why I wonder. I worry about why I am worrying. I think about how great it was when times were simpler but then quickly change my thoughts to how really complicated the simpler times must have been. I watch the television while reading a magazine and playing words with friends. I start my prayer time and quickly get off track and end up wondering if I should put bananas on my grocery list which leads to whether or not I should make banana bread which leads to the fact that if I make it I will eat to much which leads to I need to lose weight which leads to when I can fit more exercise in my day, which leads to my time scheduling and how I need to make more time for prayer...then BOOM, I am reminded that I am supposed to be praying.

When I am involved in an activity I am thinking that I probably should be doing a more productive activity. Sometimes I avoid doing something I love because I know I will feel guilty about what i really should be spending more time on. I love to decorate but think to deeply about how soon I will want to change it and how it really doesn't matter to anyone but me so why should I waste precious time doing it. I used to decorate over the top for Christmas but now think about how much time it takes and that I will have to put it all away in a month and that I should probably focus on something more important and meaningful than decorations. Am I lazy..or crazy???

This all makes me wonder (as usual) is my life too full of "things". Am I so consumed with the things that use up precious time that my mind cannot slow down enough to just be still? Do my computer, cell phone, television and ipod use up too much mental space? Is my house full of stuff clouding my judgement? Are my mental lists (and written lists) taking over my brain? I have so many things that I want to do but can't seem to fit them in.

Is it just part of the aging process? Is this what happens when we get old? We are so overwhelmed by all there is to do and all the "stuff" that we do nothing. We let our homes become something that resembles a museum. It all happens slowly and we don't notice that its happening? Oh my, now the anxiety kicks in!

This is just a brief view of my deep thoughts. There are so many more that I haven't even touched on but I think you get the idea .Have I scared you all away? Or maybe you can relate. All of this make me think I need to make a change. Maybe God is trying to speak to me but my mind is just to busy to hear. I shall worry about that now.

5/7/13

Spring...babies...and stuff!

Oh my! Spring has sprung here in little ole Weiser, Idaho. Windy and cold one day and hot and dry the next. I could pretty much be a weather girl. Everyone would like me because my weather forecast would come from the heart and the people would relate to me because I am chubby ;)

I have been balancing time between yard work and creating lovely things in my stu-stu-studio ( oh and my real job, sec/treas/vice pres. of Syme Farms). My studio has now taken up some space in the kitchen, spare bedroom and a little corner of the yard. I am dreading the day when my husband realizes that he is slowly being pushed out of our happy little home. I have a list about 20 miles long of things I want to get done and to make. At the rate I am going.....let's just say that someone will have a great time going through all my "treasures" (aka-crap to some) and cleaning up my messes when I am dead. My children will hate me...but what the heck, I will be dead...what do I care.

Some of my latest works of art...

Mostly my life is filled with enjoying my new little grandson...hopefully someday I will get his name right..Wyatt, Wyatt, Wyatt, and his older siblings...I forget their names :)

Have a happy, blessed evening my blogger friends!! Until we meet again...

4/25/13

Wyatt Alexander Smith has entered the world!

The little guy has finally arrived. Wyatt Alexander Smith was born on 4-22 @ 4:22 am. He was 9 lbs. and has lots of black hair. He is adorable I must say! It was an amazing home birth. We were there from early evening to birth. Being the true rednecks that we all are, we pulled our camp trailer to their house and parked outside...that sounds even stupider as I write it...haha. To our defense, their house is small and there was a lot of family there. More room for naps and the kids loved having it there. But it was kind of funny. We ate tacos, played guitars, annoyed the pregnant lady and had a great family time.

Baby Wyatt ended up being born in the bathtub. I guess in a home birth you never know where you may end up at that moment. I was there for his first cry, got to hear his momma say.."it's a boy" (I had already told her that..duh!) and I got to cut the cord, well I tried. I had the scalpel backwards but I eventually got it right. There were enough of us that someone would have eventually figured out how to cut through that thing. We woke the girls and Ivey (7) said "I prayed it was a boy!". She was so excited. Bethany (4) was in awe of the whole situation.

The amazing part of a home birth is that it is so relaxed. We sat around, held the baby, ate, talked. Some took cat naps. I don't think Brynna slept a wink until the next day. It was a surreal event and I am so thankful for a daughter and son-in-law that wanted to share it with us. I guess they never really asked...we were just there. LOL!